mRNA Degradation Machinery in Plants

Yukako Chiba,Pamela J. Green 한국식물학회 2009 Journal of Plant Biology Vol.52 No.2

Control of gene expression is exerted by multiple steps such as transcription, mRNA processing, mRNA export, mRNA degradation, translation, and posttranslational events. Recent discovery of small RNAs has enhanced the impact of posttranscriptional regulation, in particular, alterations in mRNA stability in the regulation of gene expression. Therefore, mRNA turnover is an important process not only for setting the basal level of gene expression but also as a regulatory step. Compared to the mechanism of transcription, much less information is available regarding mRNA degradation machineries. However, in the past several years, various components involved in the mRNA degradation process have been identified in eukaryotes. In particular, progress in the plant field has revealed the involvement of mRNA turnover in a wide variety of developmental processes and hormonal responses. Here, we provide an overview of machineries involved in general mRNA degradation and mRNA surveillance systems in plants.

Consumption of Lily Bulb Modulates Fecal Ratios of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes Phyla in Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet

Yukako Okazaki,Ayaka Sekita,Hideyuki Chiji,Norihisa Kato 한국식품과학회 2016 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.25 No.suppl1

It has been recently suggested a high ratio of fecal Firmicutes and reduction in the Bacteroidetes in obese animals. This study investigated the effect of dietary lily bulb (LB) on fecal Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes in rats fed a high-fat (HF) diet. In experiment 1, rats were fed an HF diet with or without 7% raw (R) or steamed (S) LB. In experiment 2, rats were fed the HF diet with or without 7% RLB, 0.9% ethanol extract of LB, or 6.1% ethanol extract residue of LB. In experiment 1, fecal Firmicutes was reduced and Bacteroidetes was increased in both the RLB and SLB groups. In experiment 2, the fecal Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio was not affected by the ethanol extract or ethanol extract residue of LB. These results suggest that LB in its entirety modulates colonic microflora, regardless of heat treatment.

Improvement of Eosinophilic Otitis Media by Optimized Asthma Treatment

Yukako Tanaka,Yukie Yamamura,Etsuko Tagaya,Ruby Pawankar,Toshio Yoshihara,Manabu Nonaka 대한천식알레르기학회 2013 Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research Vol.5 No.3

Eosinophilic otitis media (EOM) shows a very high rate of association with asthma, and intractable otitis media involves marked eosinophil infiltration into the middle ear. The middle ear space is connected to the nasopharynx by the Eustachian tube, and it is considered a part of the upper respiratory tract. Allergic rhinitis and asthma often coexist as chronic inflammatory diseases of the upper and lower airways, respectively, and have an impact on each other. In fact, inhaled corticosteroids reduce seasonal eosinophilia systemically in the circulation and locally in the nasal mucosa, as well as attenuate seasonal nasal symptoms. We report a case of EOM associated with adult-onset asthma that improved following optimal asthma therapy after changing the treatment from inhaled fluticasone propionate (FP) (200 µg b.i.d.) to a combination of FP/salmeterol (250/50 µg b.i.d.). This result supports the hypothesis that EOM and asthma are closely linked, presenting as different manifestations of a similar disease syndrome.

Taxonomical Study of Noteworthy Species of Botryosphaeria in Japan

( Yukako Hattori ),( Yuho Ando ),( Atsuko Sasaki ),( Nami Uechi ),( Chiharu Nakashima ) 한국균학회 2021 Mycobiology Vol.49 No.2

The reexamination of the fungal genus Botryosphaeria on 12 plant species of 10 families was carried out based on molecular phylogenetic analyses using the regions of translation elongation factor 1- α, β-tubulin, DNA-directed RNA polymerase II subunit, and internal transcribed spacer region of rDNA and morphological characteristics. Japanese isolates were divided into five clades and include Botryosphaeria dothidea, B. qingyuanensis, B. sinensis, and Botryosphaeria spp. Two species, B. qingyuanensis and B. sinensis have been newly added to the Japanese mycoflora, but their host plants are not specified. Botryosphaeria tenuispora isolated from Leucothoe fontanesiana and insect galls on fruits of Aucuba japonica has been proposed as a new species.

Risk Factors of Coronary Calcium Onset in Healthy Japanese Individuals: A Longitudinal Study Using Low-Dose Chest CT

Yukako Izoe,Michinobu Nagao,Koichi Chida 아시아심장혈관영상의학회 2021 Cardiovascular Imaging Asia Vol.5 No.3

Objective: Detection of coronary artery calcification (CAC) in healthy individuals and investigation of this risk factor are useful for preventing heart disease. One aim of this study was to quantify CAC using low-dose chest CT longitudinally performed for lung cancer screening. The other aim was to identify the risk factors related to CAC onset in healthy individuals. Materials and Methods: Here, 203 individuals (mean age, 53 years) who underwent health screening and CT were enrolled. A total of 1108 CT examinations (mean follow-up period, 56 months) was analyzed. CAC (mm3) was defined as a high-density area with a CT value >130 Hounsfield units along coronary arteries. Subjects with a CAC >14 mm3 were defined as CAC onset; the others were defined as non-CAC. Results: CAC onset and non-CAC were observed in 27 (13%) and 176 (87%) subjects, respectively. Age and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were significantly higher and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was significantly lower for CAC onset than for non-CAC (57.1±4.3 years vs. 55.0±5.2 years, 6.1%±1.5% vs. 5.6%±0.7%, and 70.6±12.9 mL/min vs. 73.5±11.5 mL/min, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that CAC onset was significantly related to age [odds ratio (OR), 1.06; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.03–1.10], male (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.05–2.42), HbA1c level (OR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.47–2.14), and eGFR (OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.95–0.99). Conclusion: CAC occurred in about 10% of healthy middle-aged subjects and is associated with early glucose intolerance and a slight decline in renal function.

Developing the State-Society Relationship in Timor-Leste: A Quest for Social Accountability with NGOs

( Yukako Tanaka-sakabe ) 서울대학교 통일평화연구원 2021 Asian Journal of Peacebuilding Vol.9 No.1

This study discusses social accountability in Timor-Leste by scrutinizing the patterns of state-society interactions and the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Analyzing five case studies in peacebuilding and development, it highlights NGOs’ multiple positions―from oversight and advocacy, to their role in facilitating state-society relations in service delivery, suggesting alternative forms of public services, and conveying citizens’ views on government performance to the state. It elaborates how NGOs are closely associated with suco (village) and community authorities and bridge the gap between the state and society. In a fledging state, these dynamics emerge from the state’s attempts to formalize this relationship into law and society’s accommodation of its citizens within the local context. The study also addresses international actors who strive to support NGOs.

A Call for a Rational Polypharmacy Policy: International Insights From Psychiatrists

Yukako Nakagami,Kohei Hayakawa,Toru Horinouchi,Victor Pereira-Sanchez,Marcus P,J,Tan,Seon-Cheol Park,Yong Chon Park,Seok Woo Moon,Tae Young Choi,Ajit Avasthi,Sandeep Grover,Roy Abraham Kallivayalil,Yu 대한신경정신의학회 2021 PSYCHIATRY INVESTIGATION Vol.18 No.11

Objective Recently, rational polypharmacy approaches have been proposed, regardless of the lower risk and cost of monotherapy. Considering monotherapy as first-line treatment and polypharmacy as rational treatment, a balanced attitude toward polypharmacy is recommended. However, the high prevalence of polypharmacy led the Japanese government to establish a polypharmacy reduction policy. Based on this, the association between the policy and psychiatrists’ attitude toward polypharmacy has been under debate. Methods We developed an original questionnaire about Psychiatrists’ attitudes toward polypharmacy (PAP). We compared the PAP scores with the treatment decision-making in clinical case vignettes. Multiple regression analyses were performed to quantify associations of explanatory variables including policy factors and PAP scores. The anonymous questionnaires were administered to psychiatrists worldwide. Results The study included 347 psychiatrists from 34 countries. Decision-making toward polypharmacy was associated with high PAP scores. Multiple regression analysis revealed that low PAP scores were associated with the policy factor (β=-0.20, p=0.004). The culture in Korea was associated with high PAP scores (β=0.34, p<0.001), whereas the culture in India and Nepal were associated with low scores (β=-0.15, p=0.01, and β=-0.17, p=0.006, respectively). Conclusion Policy on polypharmacy may influence psychiatrists’ decision-making. Thus, policies considering rational polypharmacy should be established.

Theoretical Study on the Nonadiabatic Transitions in the Photodissociation of Cl₂, Br₂, and I₂

Asano, Yukako,Yabushita, Satoshi Korean Chemical Society 2003 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.24 No.6

We have theoretically studied the nonadiabatic transitions among the five lower states with the Ω=$1_u$ symmetry ($1_u^{(1)} to 1_u^{(5)}$) in the photodissociation of Cl₂, Br₂, and I₂by using the spin-orbit configuration interaction (SOCI) method and the semiclassical time-dependent coupled Schrodinger equations. From the configuration analyses of the SOCI wavefunctions, we found that the nonadiabatic transition between $1_u^{(2)}$ and $1_u^{(1)}$ is a noncrossing type, while that between $1_u^{(3)}$ and $1_u^{(4)}$ is a crossing type for all the molecules. The behavior of the radial derivative coupling element between $1_u^{(1)}$ and $1_u^{(2)}$ and that between $1_u^{(3)}$ and $1_u^{(4)}$ is analyzed in detail. In Cl₂, nonadiabatic transitions can take place even between the states correlating to different dissociation limits, while in Br₂ and I₂, with the usual photon energies e.g. less than 20 eV, nonadiabatic transitions occur only between the states correlating to the same dissociation limits, reflecting the different magnitudes of the spin-orbit interactions.

Relation between Healthy Factors and the Adolescent Impulsiveness Scale (AIS) among Junior and Senior High School Students

MORICUCHI Yukako,MURAI Toshiya,OISHI Naoya,FUKUYAMA Hidenao 아시아아동지원학회 2014 아시아아동지원연구 Vol.5 No.-

Influence of Arg72 of pharaonis Phoborhodopsin on M-intermediate Decay and Proton Pumping Activity

Ikeura, Yukako,Shimono, Kazumi,Iwamoto, Masayuki,Sudo, Yuki,Kamo, Naoki Korean Society of Photoscience 2002 Journal of Photosciences Vol.9 No.2

X-ray structures of pharaonis phoborhodopsin (ppR) show the different direction of the side chain of Arg72 from that of the corresponding residue (Arg82) of bacteriorhodopsin, BR. For BR, this residue is considered to play an important role in the proton pumping. In order to investigate the role of Arg72 in ppR, we constructed Arg72 mutants of R72A, R72K and R72Q, and measured the photocycle and proton pumping activities. The pH-titration curves on the absorption maximum of the mutants were shifted to alkaline in comparison of that of the wild-type. This may imply the increase of pKa of D75, suggesting the presence of the (probably electric) interaction between D75 and Arg72. Rate constants of the M-decay were 3-7 times faster than that of the wild-type, and the time for the completion of the photocycling was also reduced. Using Sn0$_2$ electrode, the rate of transmembrane proton transport was measured upon illumination. The photo-induced proton pumping activities were estimated after the corrections that are the percentages of the associated form of D75 (which has no pumping activity) and the photocycling rates. R72A and R72Q showed the reduced activity while R72K did not reduce the activity.