181 results on '"R, Masui"'
Search Results
2. [Untitled]
- Author
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R. Masui
- Subjects
Materials science ,Hydrostatic weighing ,Buoy ,Compressed fluid ,Electromagnetic suspension ,Mechanics ,Condensed Matter Physics ,Toluene ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Nuclear magnetic resonance ,chemistry ,Electromagnetic coil ,Magnet ,Magnetic levitation - Abstract
The development of a magnetic suspension densimeter that has been built for measurement of the density of compressed liquid at pressures up to 30 MPa in the temperature range 20 to 150°C is described. The densimeter was first built by the author and his coworkers at NIST. We describe here further improvements made on a second system built at NMIJ based on the same principle. The densimeter uses a small coil suspended from an electronic balance. Within the coil is placed a sample cell in which the pressurized sample and a buoy, which is a permanent magnet, are enclosed. For measurement of density, balance readings are recorded (1) with the buoy at rest and (2) with the buoy in magnetic suspension. The measurement procedure is basically a hydrostatic weighing, which is simpler than those of conventional magnetic densimetry. As an example, measurements of toluene density performed as part of an inter-laboratory comparison are presented. The data agreed with reliable literature values to within a few hundredths of a per cent.
- Published
- 2002
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3. Effect of diffraction in a Saunders-type optical interferometer
- Author
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R Masui
- Subjects
Diffraction ,Physics ,Buoyancy ,business.industry ,Gaussian ,Numerical analysis ,General Engineering ,engineering.material ,Optical axis ,symbols.namesake ,Interferometry ,Optics ,Distortion ,symbols ,engineering ,SPHERES ,business - Abstract
The effect of the diffraction of spherical light waves and Gaussian beams in a Saunders-type interferometer was analysed numerically to supplement our previous report on the measurement of the absolute density of water. In that work, buoyancy measurements were taken for fused-quartz spheres submerged in water. In determining the volume of these spheres, a Saunders-type interferometer was used to measure the diameter. However, it was suspected that distortion of wave fronts due to diffraction may have occurred in the interferometer, which could introduce a bias in the sphere volume, and hence in the measured water density. The numerical analysis here shows that although there was significant distortion of the interference pattern near the optical axis, it did not impair diameter measurements, as long as the method of data analysis originally described by Saunders was used. Therefore, our measured values for the absolute density of water remain valid.
- Published
- 1997
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4. Determination of the absolute density of water at 16 C and 0,101 325 MPa
- Author
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K Fujii, R Masui, and M Takenaka
- Subjects
Hydrostatic weighing ,Materials science ,Volume (thermodynamics) ,Impurity ,General Engineering ,Analytical chemistry ,Maximum density ,Seawater ,SPHERES ,Mass spectrometry ,Thermal expansion - Abstract
The absolute density of pure water was determined with an accuracy better than 1 part in 106. The method used was hydrostatic weighing in which a fused-quartz sphere, whose volume was measured by optical interferometry, was weighed in water. The density obtained in the hydrostatic weighing was corrected for impurity effects using differential densimetry and, using mass spectrometry, was further corrected for isotopic composition. A total of eighteen samples was measured using three spheres. The density of pure water at 16 °C (ITS-90) and 0,101 325 MPa having isotopic composition equal to that of Standard Mean Ocean Water was found to be 998,9468 kg m-3 with a combined standard uncertainty of 0,0006 kg m-3. The maximum density at about 4 °C, as calculated from our previous measurements of thermal expansion, was found to be 999,9756 kg m-3 with an uncertainty of 0,0008 kg m-3.
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- 1995
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5. Accurate determination of the density of a crystal silicon sphere
- Author
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M. Tanaka, Y. Nezu, R. Masui, K. Fujii, and K. Nakayama
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Materials science ,Buoyancy ,Silicon ,Kilogram ,business.industry ,chemistry.chemical_element ,engineering.material ,Metrology ,Crystal ,symbols.namesake ,Interferometry ,Optics ,Volume (thermodynamics) ,chemistry ,Avogadro constant ,symbols ,engineering ,Electrical and Electronic Engineering ,Atomic physics ,business ,Instrumentation - Abstract
For an independent determination of the Avogadro constant, the density of a 1-kg crystal silicon sphere was determined by direct measurements of its mass and volume. A scanning-type interferometer was used to measure the diameters, and the volume was calculated from the mean of uniformly distributed diameters. The sphere was weighted using a balance for the prototype kilogram at the National Research Laboratory of Metrology (NRLM), and the mass was determined accurately by direct measurements of the buoyancy force acting on the sphere. The total uncertainty of the density is estimated to be 0.34 ppm. Effects of a thin oxide layer and impurities on the density of a pure crystal are evaluated. >
- Published
- 1993
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6. Interferometric measurements of the diameters of a single‐crystal silicon sphere
- Author
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G. Zosi, K. Fujii, K. Nakayama, M. Tanaka, Y. Nezu, and R. Masui
- Subjects
Materials science ,Silicon ,business.industry ,Resolution (electron density) ,chemistry.chemical_element ,Laser ,law.invention ,Monocrystalline silicon ,Wavelength ,Interferometry ,Optics ,chemistry ,law ,Astronomical interferometer ,business ,Instrumentation ,Fabry–Pérot interferometer - Abstract
A new interferometer has been developed for the accurate determination of the density of a silicon crystal, in which a single‐crystal silicon sphere of nearly perfect geometry is placed in a Fabry–Perot etalon of accurately known plate distance, and the diameters are obtained by measuring the two gaps between the etalon and the adjacent surface of the sphere. A new method is used to measure the sum of the length of the two gaps by scanning the etalon against the sphere. Two wavelengths, 633 nm from a frequency‐stabilized He–Ne laser and 441 nm from a free‐running He–Cd laser, are used to determine the order of interference by applying the method of exact fractions. The diameter of about 94 mm has been measured with a resolution of 0.5 nm. Diameter measurements from uniformly distributed directions have shown that the mean diameter has been determined with a standard deviation of 8.6 nm, corresponding to 0.28 ppm in the volume determination. The total uncertainty of the volume is estimated to be 0.34 ppm. Effects of a thin oxide layer and impurities on the bulk density are discussed.
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- 1992
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7. Measurement of the Thermal Expansion of Pure Water in the Temperature Range 0°C-85°C
- Author
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R Masui and M Takenaka
- Subjects
Materials science ,General Engineering ,Thermodynamics ,Maximum density ,Natural abundance ,Density ratio ,Atmospheric temperature range ,Thermal expansion - Abstract
The thermal expansion of pure water having natural isotopic abundance was determined by the dilatometric method in a temperature range from 0 to 85 °C and under a pressure of 101 325 Pa. The following equation was obtained: ρ(t)/ρmax = 1 - [(t - 3,98152)2 (t + 396,18534) (t + 32,28853)/609 628,6(t + 83,12333) (t + 30,24455)] where ρ(t) is the density of water at temperature t, which is expressed in terms of the ITS-90, and ρmax the maximum density. The density ratio which the above equation gives is estimated to have an uncertainty of approximately 1 × 10-6.
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- 1990
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8. [Repair mechanism of oxidative DNA damages]
- Author
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R, Masui, N, Nakagawa, and S, Kuramitsu
- Subjects
Guanine ,DNA Ligases ,Protein Conformation ,Escherichia coli Proteins ,Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases ,DNA Glycosylases ,Oxidative Stress ,Bacterial Proteins ,DNA-Formamidopyrimidine Glycosylase ,Animals ,Humans ,Pyrophosphatases ,N-Glycosyl Hydrolases ,DNA Damage - Published
- 2001
9. [Structure and function of DNA repair enzyme UvrB from Thermus thermophilus HB8]
- Author
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N, Nakagawa, R, Masui, and S, Kuramitsu
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DNA, Bacterial ,DNA Ligases ,DNA Repair ,Protein Conformation ,Escherichia coli Proteins ,Thermus thermophilus ,DNA Helicases ,Genome, Bacterial - Published
- 2001
10. Interaction of UvrA and UvrB proteins with a fluorescent single-stranded DNA. Implication for slow conformational change upon interaction of UvrB with DNA
- Author
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A, Yamagata, R, Masui, R, Kato, N, Nakagawa, H, Ozaki, H, Sawai, S, Kuramitsu, and K, Fukuyama
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Adenosine Triphosphatases ,DNA-Binding Proteins ,Bacterial Proteins ,Protein Conformation ,Escherichia coli Proteins ,Thermus thermophilus ,DNA Helicases ,DNA, Single-Stranded ,Nucleic Acid Conformation ,Fluorescent Dyes - Abstract
UvrA and UvrB proteins play key roles in the damage recognition step in the nucleotide excision repair. However, the molecular mechanism of damage recognition by these proteins is still not well understood. In this work we analyzed the interaction between single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) labeled with a fluorophore tetramethylrhodamine (TMR) and Thermus thermophilus HB8 UvrA (ttUvrA) and UvrB (ttUvrB) proteins. TMR-labeled ssDNA (TMR-ssDNA) as well as UV-irradiated ssDNA stimulated ATPase activity of ttUvrB more strongly than did normal ssDNA, indicating that this fluorescent ssDNA was recognized as damaged ssDNA. The addition of ttUvrA or ttUvrB enhanced the fluorescence intensity of TMR-ssDNA, and the intensity was much greater in the presence of ATP. Fluorescence titration indicated that ttUvrA has higher specificity for TMR-ssDNA than for normal ssDNA in the absence of ATP. The ttUvrB showed no specificity for TMR-ssDNA, but it took over 200 min for the fluorescence intensity of the ttUvrB-TMR-ssDNA complex to reach saturation in the presence of ATP. This time-dependent change could be separated into two phases. The first phase was rapid, whereas the second phase was slow and dependent on ATP hydrolysis. Time dependence of ATPase activity and fluorescence polarization suggested that changes other than the binding reaction occurred during the second phase. These results strongly suggest that ttUvrB binds ssDNA quickly and that a conformational change in ttUrvB-ssDNA complex occurs slowly. We also found that DNA containing a fluorophore as a lesion is useful for directly investigating the damage recognition by UvrA and UvrB.
- Published
- 2000
11. Purification, molecular cloning, and catalytic activity of Schizosaccharomyces pombe pyridoxal reductase. A possible additional family in the aldo-keto reductase superfamily
- Author
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M, Nakano, T, Morita, T, Yamamoto, H, Sano, M, Ashiuchi, R, Masui, S, Kuramitsu, and T, Yagi
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Base Sequence ,Sequence Homology, Amino Acid ,Molecular Sequence Data ,Aldo-Keto Reductases ,DNA, Recombinant ,Catalysis ,Protein Structure, Secondary ,Recombinant Proteins ,Substrate Specificity ,Alcohol Oxidoreductases ,Aldehyde Reductase ,Schizosaccharomyces ,Humans ,Amino Acid Sequence ,Cloning, Molecular - Abstract
Pyridoxal reductase (PL reductase), which catalyzes reduction of PL by NADPH to form pyridoxine and NADP(+), was purified from Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The purified enzyme was very unstable but was stabilized by low concentrations of various detergents such as Tween 40. The enzyme was a monomeric protein with the native molecular weight of 41,000 +/- 1,600. The enzyme showed a single absorption peak at 280 nm (E(1%) = 10.0). PL and 2-nitrobenzaldehyde were excellent substrates, and no measurable activity was observed with short chain aliphatic aldehydes; substrate specificity of PL reductase was obviously different from those of yeast aldo-keto reductases (AKRs) so far purified. The peptide sequences of PL reductase were identical with those in a hypothetical 333-amino acid protein from S. pombe (the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank(TM) accession number D89205). The gene corresponding to this protein was expressed in Escherichia coli, and the purified protein was found to have PL reductase activity. The recombinant PL reductase showed the same properties as those of native PL reductase. PL reductase showed only low sequence identities with members of AKR superfamily established to date; it shows the highest identity (18.5%) with human Shaker-related voltage-gated K(+) channel beta2 subunit. The elements of secondary structure of PL reductase, however, distributed similarly to those demonstrated in the three-dimensional structure of human aldose reductase except that loop A region is lost, and loop B region is extended. Amino acid residues involved in substrate binding or catalysis are also conserved. Conservation of these features, together with the major modifications, establish PL reductase as the first member of a new AKR family, AKR8.
- Published
- 1999
12. Structural and functional analysis of TTHA0252, a novel RNase of the β-CASP family
- Author
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H. Ishikawa, S. Kuramitsu, Noriko Nakagawa, and R. Masui
- Subjects
Functional analysis ,Structural Biology ,RNase P ,Chemistry ,Computational biology ,CASP - Published
- 2008
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13. [What we can learn from the whole genome sequences of thermophiles]
- Author
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R, Masui and S, Kuramitsu
- Subjects
Sequence Analysis, DNA ,Thermus ,Genome, Bacterial - Published
- 1999
14. Domain organization and functional analysis of Thermus thermophilus MutS protein
- Author
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H. Tachiki, R. Kato, R. Masui, K. Hasegawa, H. Itakura, K. Fukuyama, and S. Kuramitsu
- Subjects
Adenosine Triphosphatases ,congenital, hereditary, and neonatal diseases and abnormalities ,Protein Denaturation ,DNA Repair ,Protein Conformation ,Escherichia coli Proteins ,Thermus thermophilus ,DNA, Single-Stranded ,DNA ,Calorimetry ,MutS DNA Mismatch-Binding Protein ,Peptide Fragments ,Substrate Specificity ,DNA-Binding Proteins ,Kinetics ,Bacterial Proteins ,Endopeptidases ,Genetics ,Amino Acid Sequence ,Guanidine ,Research Article - Abstract
MutS protein binds to DNA and specifically recognizes mismatched or small looped out heteroduplex DNA. In order to elucidate its structure-function relationships, the domain structure of Thermus thermophilus MutS protein was studied by performing denaturation experiments and limited proteolysis. The former suggested that T. thermophilus MutS consists of at least three domains with estimated stabilities of 12.3, 22.9 and 30.7 kcal/mol and the latter revealed that it consists of four domains: A1 (N-terminus to residue 130), A2 (131-274), B (275-570) and C (571 to C-terminus). A gel retardation assay indicated that T.thermophilus MutS interacts non-specifically with double-stranded (ds), but not single-stranded DNA. Among the proteolytic fragments, the B domain bound to dsDNA. On the basis of these results we have proposed the domain organization of T. thermophilus MutS and putative roles of these domains.
- Published
- 1998
15. Interaction of Escherichia coli RecA protein with ATP and its analogues
- Author
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R, Watanabe, R, Masui, T, Mikawa, S, Takamatsu, R, Kato, and S, Kuramitsu
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Kinetics ,Rec A Recombinases ,Adenosine Triphosphate ,Binding Sites ,Circular Dichroism ,Escherichia coli ,Ribonucleotides - Abstract
Interactions of Escherichia coli RecA protein with ATP and its analogues in the absence of DNA were studied by circular dichroic (CD) spectroscopy. The binding of RecA protein to ATP increased the CD band of ATP at around 260 nm. The positive CD band of the RecA protein-ATP complex suggested that the bound ATP was in the anti conformation, in accord with X-ray crystallographic data [Story, R.M. and Steitz, T.A. (1992) Nature 355, 374-376]. At pH 7.5 and at 25 degrees C the dissociation constant (Kd) and thermodynamic parameters for the binding of ATP to RecA protein were 18 microM (delta G = -6.5 kcal.mol-1), delta H = 0 kcal.mol-1, and delta S = 22 cal.mol-1.K-1. A non-hydrolyzable ATP analogue, adenosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (ATP gamma S), gave a spectral change similar to that of ATP. The Kd for this analogue, 22 microM, was very close to the Km of ATP. These results in the absence of single-stranded DNA were different from those obtained by kinetic analysis [Weinstock, G.M. et al. (1981) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 8850-8855], which indicated that the inhibition constant of ATP gamma S was much smaller than the Km of ATP in the presence of DNA. For other ATP analogues (dATP, ADP, and dADP), similar spectral changes were observed, and their Kd values ranged from 19 to 54 microM. UTP, dUTP, and TTP also gave CD spectral changes, but not AMP, GTP, dGTP, CTP, and dCTP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
- Published
- 1994
16. Amino acid sequences of ferredoxins from Alocasia macrorrhiza Schott in Papua New Guinea
- Author
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K, Wada, H, Sakai, R, Masui, M, Ihara, and H, Matsubara
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Papua New Guinea ,Sequence Homology, Amino Acid ,Endopeptidases ,Molecular Sequence Data ,Ferredoxins ,Genetic Variation ,Amino Acid Sequence ,Plants ,Peptide Fragments - Abstract
The amino acid sequences of ferredoxin isoproteins (Fd A and Fd B) from Alocasia macrorrhiza Schott in Papua New Guinea were determined. They consisted of single polypeptide chains of 97 and 98 residues, respectively, and both Fds had a molecular mass of 10,800 Da. There was an 88% identity between the sequences of the isoproteins (Fd A and Fd B). These sequences were compared with those of the closely related plant Fds and their phylogenetic relationships are discussed.
- Published
- 1992
17. The amino acid sequence of the 9 kDa polypeptide and partial amino acid sequence of the 20 kDa polypeptide of mitochondrial NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase
- Author
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R, Masui, S, Wakabayashi, H, Matsubara, and Y, Hatefi
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Iron-Sulfur Proteins ,Molecular Weight ,Macromolecular Substances ,Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid ,Molecular Sequence Data ,NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone) ,Animals ,Cattle ,Amino Acid Sequence ,Mitochondria, Heart - Abstract
Mitochondrial NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) is the most complicated enzyme in the respiratory chain and is composed of at least 26 distinct polypeptides. Two hydrophilic subfractions of bovine heart complex I were systematically resolved into individual polypeptides by chromatography. Three polypeptides (51, 24, and 9 kDa) were isolated from the flavoprotein fraction (FP) of complex I, and the complete amino acid sequence of the 9 kDa polypeptide was determined. The 9 kDa polypeptide is composed of 75 amino acids with a molecular weight of 8,437. This protein exhibits no obvious sequence similarity to other proteins. The iron-sulfur protein fraction (IP) of complex I was separated into eight polypeptides, 75, 49, 30, 20, 18, 15, 13 kDa-A, and 13 kDa-B. The 20 kDa polypeptide was recognized as a novel component of IP for the first time. The N-terminal and several peptide sequences of the 20 kDa polypeptide were determined. Comparison of the sequences revealed significant sequence similarities of the 20 kDa polypeptide to the psbG gene products encoded in the chloroplast genome. The conserved sequence in these proteins was also found in the small subunit of the nickel-containing hydrogenases. These results suggest that complex I is related to other redox enzyme complexes.
- Published
- 1991
18. The amino acid sequences of two 13 kDa polypeptides and partial amino acid sequence of 30 kDa polypeptide of complex I from bovine heart mitochondria: possible location of iron-sulfur clusters
- Author
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R, Masui, S, Wakabayashi, H, Matsubara, and Y, Hatefi
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Iron-Sulfur Proteins ,Models, Structural ,Molecular Weight ,Macromolecular Substances ,Protein Conformation ,Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid ,Molecular Sequence Data ,NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone) ,Animals ,Cattle ,Amino Acid Sequence ,Quinone Reductases ,Mitochondria, Heart - Abstract
Mitochondrial NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) is the most complicated system in the respiratory chain. It consists of many subunits, some of which hold iron-sulfur clusters, but structural information is still limited. The amino acid sequences of two 13 kDa polypeptides, 13 kDa-A and 13 kDa-B polypeptides, of iron-sulfur protein fraction (IP) of bovine heart mitochondrial complex I were determined by a combination of protease digestion, Edman degradation, and carboxypeptidase digestion. The 13 kDa-A polypeptide was composed of 96 amino acids with a molecular weight of 10,536. The 13 kDa-B polypeptide consisted of 114 amino acids and had an acetylated amino terminus. The molecular weight of this protein was calculated to be 13,130 including the acetyl group. These proteins had no obvious sequence similarity to other known proteins. The partial amino acid sequence of 30 kDa-B polypeptide of IP was also determined to reveal a characteristic arrangement of cysteine residues that could be involved in iron-sulfur cluster formation.
- Published
- 1991
19. Formation of Piperidines by Asymmetric Formal Aza-[3+3] Cycloaddition
- Author
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Hayato Ishikawa, Yujiro Hayashi, R. Masui, and H. Gotoh
- Subjects
Chemistry ,Diphenylprolinol silyl ether ,Organic chemistry ,Cycloaddition - Published
- 2008
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20. Enantioselective Ene Reaction Catalyzed by a Diphenylprolinol Silyl Ether
- Author
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M. Shoji, H. Ogino, Hiroaki Gotoh, Yujiro Hayashi, and R. Masui
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Chemistry ,Enantioselective synthesis ,Diphenylprolinol silyl ether ,Organic chemistry ,Ene reaction ,Catalysis - Published
- 2006
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21. Cysteine-Derived Organocatalyst for Enantioselective Michael Reactions
- Author
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M. Shoji, H. Yamaguchi, T. Tamura, Yujiro Hayashi, R. Masui, and Hiroaki Gotoh
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Chemistry ,Organocatalysis ,Enantioselective synthesis ,Organic chemistry ,Photochemistry ,Cysteine - Published
- 2005
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22. Progress in the whole cell project of a model organism,Thermus thermophilusHB8
- Author
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A. Ebihara, N. Nakagawa, M. Kanagawa, S. Satoh, Y. Agari, N. Maoka, H. Iino, A. Kashihara, C. Kuroishi, R. Masui, M. Shirouzu, T. Terada, K. Miki, S. Yokoyama, and S. Kuramitsu
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Structural Biology - Published
- 2005
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23. Structural and functional analyses of β-domains of UvrB and TRCF
- Author
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M. Suzuki, R. Masui, Noriko Nakagawa, and S. Kuramitsu
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Structural Biology ,DNA repair ,Chemistry ,Computational biology - Published
- 2002
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24. Crystal structure of citrate synthase from Thermus thermophilus HB8
- Author
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Seiki Kuramitsu, S. Kawaguchi, S. Yokoyama, R. Masui, Yorinao Inoue, Eiji Kanamori, Noriko Nakagawa, Takehiko Shibata, C. Tsuzuki, and Tsutomu Kouyama
- Subjects
biology ,Stereochemistry ,Chemistry ,biology.protein ,Citrate synthase ,Crystal structure ,Thermus thermophilus ,biology.organism_classification - Published
- 2000
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25. Measurement of the Thermal Expansion of Pure Water in the Temperature Range 0 °C - 85 °C
- Author
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M Takenaka and R Masui
- Subjects
General Engineering - Published
- 1991
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26. Densimetry in compressed fluids by combining hydrostatic weighing and magnetic levitation
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Harry A. Davis, W. M. Haynes, J. M. H. Levelt Sengers, R. F. Chang, and R. Masui
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Hydrostatic weighing ,Materials science ,Buoy ,Electromagnetic suspension ,Mechanics ,Thermostat ,law.invention ,Nuclear magnetic resonance ,Electromagnetic coil ,law ,Levitation ,Measuring instrument ,Instrumentation ,Magnetic levitation - Abstract
A magnetic suspension densimeter is described that has been built for measuring the density of compressed liquids at pressures up to 15 MPa in the temperature range 20°–200°C with an uncertainty of 0.1%. The densimeter combines the principle of magnetic levitation of a buoy with that of liquid density determination by hydrostatic weighing. To accomplish this, the support coil is suspended from an electronic balance, and the balance readings are recorded (1) with the buoy at rest, and (2) with the buoy in magnetic suspension. Details are given of the construction of the cell, coil, buoy, and thermostat. The procedure is described by which cell and buoy are aligned so that the suspended buoy does not touch the cell wall. Test data on the densities of seven different liquids were obtained at room temperature. They agree with reliable literature values to within 0.1%. In a separate experiment, the bulk thermal expansion coefficient of the buoy material was determined. This experiment and its results are also given here.
- Published
- 1984
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27. Properties and structure of the soluble ferredoxin from Synechococcus 6301 (Anacystis nidulans). Relationship to gene sequences
- Author
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Keishiro Wada, H Matsubara, R Masui, and Lyndon J. Rogers
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inorganic chemicals ,Cyanobacteria ,Molecular Sequence Data ,macromolecular substances ,environment and public health ,Biochemistry ,Homology (biology) ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Amino Acid Sequence ,Molecular Biology ,Peptide sequence ,Ferredoxin ,Methionine ,biology ,fungi ,Nucleic acid sequence ,Cell Biology ,Synechococcus ,biology.organism_classification ,chemistry ,Ferredoxins ,bacteria ,Oxidation-Reduction ,Research Article ,Cysteine - Abstract
Photoautotrophic cultures of the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechococcus 6301 (Anacystis nidulans) possessed a single [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin with a midpoint redox potential of -385 mV. Determination of the amino acid sequence of the ferredoxin showed that it consisted of 98 residues, with methionine and tryptophan both absent, and with only the four cysteine residues that are required to co-ordinate the iron-sulphur cluster. Comparisons with other ferredoxin sequences showed that most resemblance was to those from filamentous cyanobacteria, with up to 87% homology. There was less resemblance to the ferredoxins of unicellular cyanobacteria, with 25 differences when compared with that from another Synechococcus sp. However, the sequence of Synechococcus 6301 ferredoxin was identical with that derived for a gene sequence for a putative ferredoxin from the genotypically closely related Synechococcus 7942 (Anacystis nidulans R2). In contrast, the sequence showed substantial differences from that corresponding to a putative ferredoxin gene from Synechococcus 6301 reported by Cozens & Walker [(1988) Biochem. J. 252, 563-569].
- Published
- 1988
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28. Comparison of HGK Equation with Experimental Data
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M. Tashiro, Y. Kobayashi, and R. Masui
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Experimental data ,Statistical physics ,Mathematics - Published
- 1986
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29. A Survey of High Accuracy Absolute Density Measurements
- Author
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T. Inamatsu and R. Masui
- Subjects
Absolute density ,Materials science ,Computational physics - Published
- 1986
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30. The Present State of the Absolute Measurement of Density of Water at National Research Laboratory of Metrology
- Author
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O. Senda, R. Masui, Y. Okamoto, and S. Seino
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Materials science ,Absolute measurement ,business.industry ,Nanotechnology ,State (computer science) ,Aerospace engineering ,business ,Metrology - Published
- 1986
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31. Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Enterococcus spp. isolated from animal feed in Japan.
- Author
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Yamagami Y, Asao M, Takahashi A, Hashimoto Y, Okuyama N, Arai E, Arihara W, Masui R, and Shimazaki Y
- Abstract
The rising prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of bacteria is a global health problem at the human, animal, and environmental interfaces, which necessitates the "One Health" approach. AMR of bacteria in animal feed are a potential cause of the prevalence in livestock; however, the role remains unclear. To date, there is limited research on AMR of bacteria in animal feed in Japan. In this study, a total of 57 complete feed samples and 275 feed ingredient samples were collected between 2018 and 2020. Enterococcus spp. were present in 82.5% of complete feed (47/57 samples), 76.5% of soybean meal (62/81), 49.6% of fish meal (55/111), 33.3% of poultry meal (22/66), and 47.1% of meat and bone meal (8/17) samples. Of 295 isolates, E. faecium (33.2% of total isolates) was the dominant Enterococcus spp., followed by E. faecalis (14.2%), E. hirae (6.4%), E. durans (2.7%), E. casseliflavus (2.4%), and E. gallinarum (1.0%). Of 134 isolates which were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility, resistance to kanamycin was the highest (26.1%), followed by erythromycin (24.6%), tetracycline (6.0%), lincomycin (2.2%), tylosin (1.5%), gentamicin (0.8%), and ciprofloxacin (0.8%). All Enterococcus spp. exhibited susceptibility to ampicillin, vancomycin, and chloramphenicol. Of 33 erythromycin-resistant isolates, only two showed a high minimum inhibitory concentration value (>128 μg/mL) and possessed ermB . These results revealed that overall resistance to antimicrobials is relatively low; however, animal feed is a source of Enterococcus spp. It is essential to elucidate the causative factors related to the prevalence of AMR in animal feed., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Yamagami, Asao, Takahashi, Hashimoto, Okuyama, Arai, Arihara, Masui and Shimazaki.)
- Published
- 2024
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32. Structural and biochemical characterizations of Thermus thermophilus HB8 transketolase producing a heptulose.
- Author
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Yoshihara A, Takamatsu Y, Mochizuki S, Yoshida H, Masui R, Izumori K, and Kamitori S
- Subjects
- Ribose, Monosaccharides, Phosphates, Ketoses, Carbon, Transketolase chemistry, Transketolase metabolism, Thermus thermophilus
- Abstract
Transketolase is a key enzyme in the pentose phosphate pathway in all organisms, recognizing sugar phosphates as substrates. Transketolase with a cofactor of thiamine pyrophosphate catalyzes the transfer of a 2-carbon unit from D-xylulose-5-phosphate to D-ribose-5-phosphate (5-carbon aldose), giving D-sedoheptulose-7-phosphate (7-carbon ketose). Transketolases can also recognize non-phosphorylated monosaccharides as substrates, and catalyze the formation of non-phosphorylated 7-carbon ketose (heptulose), which has attracted pharmaceutical attention as an inhibitor of sugar metabolism. Here, we report the structural and biochemical characterizations of transketolase from Thermus thermophilus HB8 (TtTK), a well-characterized thermophilic Gram-negative bacterium. TtTK showed marked thermostability with maximum enzyme activity at 85 °C, and efficiently catalyzed the formation of heptuloses from lithium hydroxypyruvate and four aldopentoses: D-ribose, L-lyxose, L-arabinose, and D-xylose. The X-ray structure showed that TtTK tightly forms a homodimer with more interactions between subunits compared with transketolase from other organisms, contributing to its thermal stability. A modeling study based on X-ray structures suggested that D-ribose and L-lyxose could bind to the catalytic site of TtTK to form favorable hydrogen bonds with the enzyme, explaining the high conversion rates of 41% (D-ribose) and 43% (L-lyxose) to heptulose. These results demonstrate the potential of TtTK as an enzyme producing a rare sugar of heptulose. KEY POINTS: • Transketolase catalyzes the formation of a 7-carbon sugar phosphate • Structural and biochemical characterizations of thermophilic transketolase were done • The enzyme could produce non-phosphorylated 7-carbon ketoses from sugars., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)
- Published
- 2023
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33. Crystal structure of a nucleotide-binding domain of fatty acid kinase FakA from Thermus thermophilus HB8.
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Nakatani M, Nakahara SY, Fukui K, Urano M, Fujii Y, Murakawa T, Baba S, Kumasaka T, Okanishi H, Kanai Y, Yano T, and Masui R
- Subjects
- Adenosine Diphosphate, Thermus thermophilus, Fatty Acids
- Abstract
Fatty acid kinase is necessary for the incorporation of exogenous fatty acids into membrane phospholipids. Fatty acid kinase consists of two components: a kinase component, FakA, that phosphorylates a fatty acid bound to a fatty acid-binding component, FakB. However, the molecular details underlying the phosphotransfer reaction remain to be resolved. We determined the crystal structure of the N-terminal domain of FakA bound to ADP from Thermus thermophilus HB8. The overall structure of this domain showed that the helical barrel fold is similar to the nucleotide-binding component of dihydroxyacetone kinase. The structure of the nucleotide-binding site revealed the roles of the conserved residues in recognition of ADP and Mg
2+ , but the N-terminal domain of FakA lacked the ADP-capping loop found in the dihydroxyacetone kinase component. Based on the structural similarity to the two subunits of dihydroxyacetone kinase complex, we constructed a model of the complex of T. thermophilus FakB and the N-terminal domain of FakA. In this model, the invariant Arg residue of FakB occupied a position that was spatially similar to that of the catalytically important Arg residue of dihydroxyacetone kinase, which predicted a composite active site in the Fatty acid kinase complex., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)- Published
- 2022
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34. Intravenous acetaminophen-induced non-anaphylactic shock in an older patient with COVID-19.
- Author
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Masui R, Komiya K, Tanaka A, Matsumoto H, Yoshikawa H, Ichihara S, Yamanaka M, Yokoyama A, Hiramatsu K, and Kadota JI
- Subjects
- Acetaminophen adverse effects, Administration, Intravenous, Humans, COVID-19, Hypotension
- Published
- 2022
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35. Structural changes induced by ligand binding drastically increase the thermostability of the Ser/Thr protein kinase TpkD from Thermus thermophilus HB8.
- Author
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Fujino Y, Miyagawa T, Torii M, Inoue M, Fujii Y, Okanishi H, Kanai Y, and Masui R
- Subjects
- Adenosine Triphosphate metabolism, Bacterial Proteins chemistry, Bacterial Proteins genetics, Bacterial Proteins metabolism, Circular Dichroism, Enzyme Stability, Ligands, Protein Binding, Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases genetics, Protein Structure, Tertiary, Proteolysis, Thermus thermophilus genetics, Transition Temperature, Mutation, Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases chemistry, Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases metabolism, Thermus thermophilus enzymology
- Abstract
Thermophilic proteins maintain their structure at high temperatures through a combination of various factors. Here, we report the ligand-induced stabilization of a thermophilic Ser/Thr protein kinase. Thermus thermophilus TpkD unfolds completely at 55 °C despite the optimum growth temperature of 75 °C. Unexpectedly, we found that the TpkD structure is drastically stabilized by its natural ligands ATP and ADP, as evidenced by the increase in the melting temperature to 80 °C. Such a striking effect of a substrate on thermostability has not been reported for other protein kinases. Conformational changes upon ATP binding were observed in fluorescence quenching and limited proteolysis experiments. Urea denaturation of Trp mutants suggested that ATP binding affects not only the ATP-binding site, but also the remote regions. Our findings shed light on thermoadaptation of thermophilic proteins., (© 2020 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.)
- Published
- 2021
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36. An organoid-based carcinogenesis model induced by in vitro chemical treatment.
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Naruse M, Masui R, Ochiai M, Maru Y, Hippo Y, and Imai T
- Subjects
- 9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene toxicity, Acrylamide toxicity, Animals, Carcinogenesis genetics, Carcinogens toxicity, Diethylnitrosamine toxicity, Ethyl Methanesulfonate toxicity, Liver drug effects, Lung drug effects, Mice, Mice, Knockout, Mice, Nude, Organoids pathology, Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 genetics, Carcinogenesis chemically induced, Neoplasms, Experimental chemically induced, Organoids drug effects
- Abstract
Animal carcinogenesis models induced by environmental chemicals have been widely used for basic and applied cancer research. However, establishment of in vitro or ex vivo models is essential for molecular mechanistic elucidation of early events in carcinogenesis, leading to clarification of the total mode of action. In the present study, to establish an organoid-based chemical carcinogenesis model, mouse organoids were treated in vitro with 4 genotoxic chemicals, e.g. ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS), acrylamide (AA), diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) to examine their tumorigenicity after injection to nude mice. The four chemicals were reported to induce lung, liver or mammary carcinomas in mouse models. DMBA-treated mammary tissue-derived organoids with Trp53 heterozygous knockout exhibited tumorigenicity, but not those with wild-type Trp53, reflecting previous reports of corresponding animal models. Treatment of lung organoids with or without Trp53 knockout with EMS or AA resulted in carcinogenic histopathological characteristics, and the activation of oncogenic kinases was demonstrated in the nodules from the nude mouse subcutis. DEN-treated liver (biliary tract) organoids also had an increased number of similar changes. In conclusion, an ex vivo model for chemical carcinogenesis was established using normal mouse tissue-derived organoids. This model will be applied to detect early molecular events, leading to clarification of the mode of action of chemical carcinogenesis., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)
- Published
- 2020
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37. Five new 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone derivatives from agarwood.
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Shibata S, Sugiyama T, Uekusa Y, Masui R, Narukawa Y, and Kiuchi F
- Subjects
- Chromones chemistry, Chromones isolation & purification, Flavonoids isolation & purification, Molecular Structure, Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors isolation & purification, Thymelaeaceae microbiology, Flavonoids chemistry, Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors chemistry, Plant Extracts pharmacology, Thymelaeaceae chemistry
- Abstract
Agarwood has been used as an incense and in traditional medicines as aphrodisiac, sedative, cardiotonic, and carminative. In this study, five new 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones (2, 13-16) and eleven known compounds (1, 3-12) were isolated from the agarwood. The structures of the new compounds were determined by
1 H-,13 C-, and two-dimensional NMR together with electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopy. All isolated compounds were evaluated for the phosphodiesterase (PDE) 3A and 5A1 inhibitory activity by the fluorescence polarization method. Dimeric 2-(2-phenylehyl)chromones (13, 14, 16) had potent inhibitory activity to PDE 5A1 with IC50 values of micro molar range (13: 4.2 μM, 14: 7.9 μM, 16: 4.3 μM), whereas they had weak activity to PDE 3A. In contrast, compound (15), which has a phenylpropionic acid moiety instead of the 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone moiety in the dimers, showed moderate inhibition of both PDE 3A (IC50 : 42.6 μM) and PDE 5A1 (IC50 : 15.1 μM).- Published
- 2020
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38. The crystal structures of Thermus thermophilus CMP kinase complexed with a phosphoryl group acceptor and donor.
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Mega R, Nakagawa N, Kuramitsu S, and Masui R
- Subjects
- Adenosine Diphosphate chemistry, Crystallography, X-Ray, Cytidine Diphosphate chemistry, Protein Domains, Bacterial Proteins chemistry, Nucleoside-Phosphate Kinase chemistry, Thermus thermophilus enzymology
- Abstract
Nucleoside monophosphate kinases play crucial roles in biosynthesis and regeneration of nucleotides. These are bi-substrate enzymes that catalyze reversible transfers of a phosphoryl group between ATP and nucleoside monophosphate. These enzymes are comprised of the CORE domain, the NMP-binding domain, and the LID domain. Large conformational rearrangement of the three domains occurs during the catalytic cycle. Although many structures of CMP kinase have been determined, only limited structural information has been available on the conformational changes along the reaction pathway. We determined five crystal structures of CMP kinase of Thermus thermophilus HB8 in ligand-free form and the CMP "open", CMP "closed", ADP-CDP-Gd3+-, and CDP-bound forms at resolutions of 1.7, 2.2, 1.5, 1.6, and 1.7 Å, respectively. The ligand-free form was in an open conformation, whereas the structures of the CMP "closed", ADP-CDP-Gd3+-, and CDP-bound forms were in a closed conformation, in which the shift of the NMP-binding domain and LID domain caused closure of the substrate-binding cleft. Interestingly, the CMP "open" form was in an open conformation even with CMP bound, implying intrinsic conformational fluctuation. The structure of the ADP-CDP complex is the first structure of CMP kinase with a phosphoryl group donor and an acceptor. Upon simultaneous binding of ADP and CDP, the side chains of several residues in the LID domain moved toward the nucleotides without global open-closed conformational changes compared to those in the CMP "closed" and CDP complexes. These global and local conformational changes may be crucial for the substrate recognition and catalysis. The terminal phosphate groups of ADP and CDP had similar geometry to those of two ADP in AMP kinase, suggesting common catalytic mechanisms to other nucleoside monophosphate kinases. Our findings are expected to contribute to detailed understanding of the reaction mechanism of CMP kinase., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
- Published
- 2020
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39. [The Pharmacy Combining Convenience Store with Care Consulting Services].
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Kuriyama T, Shiromukai K, Masui R, Kitakoshi W, and Matsuyama N
- Subjects
- Community Health Centers trends, Delivery of Health Care trends, Fast Foods, Humans, Japan, Commerce, Community Pharmacy Services trends, Comprehensive Health Care methods, Comprehensive Health Care trends, Delivery of Health Care methods, Pharmacy, Referral and Consultation
- Abstract
The primary pharmacy system and health support pharmacy system were established in 2016. However, local pharmacies need to get closer to the community. To this end, each pharmacy is making efforts to contribute locally. Here, we introduce various initiatives in our region. Akakabe Pharmacy has 66 stores in Osaka Prefecture, mainly in the northeastern part of Osaka, where the elderly population is growing. We are implementing a dominant strategy: cooperation with the city and administration is strong, and we hold many related events directed towards the public. For example, two thousand participants gathered in an event sponsored by the city aimed at the improvement of beauty and health. At such events, participants can easily consult with pharmacists. Dispensing pharmacy stores-pharmacies that combine the features of a convenience store with care consulting services-were established in 2016. Care consultations are potentially highly advantageous to the users. In the consultation space of a pharmacy, a care worker conducts various events every month, such as on dementia prevention, body composition measurement, and more. We believe that this type of combined pharmacy and convenience store has the potential to become a regional comprehensive care center. We intend to share the possibility of a new pharmacy system, centered on this pharmacy/store/consultation model, as a basis to revamp the pharmacy industry.
- Published
- 2019
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40. Resistance to UV Irradiation Caused by Inactivation of nurA and herA Genes in Thermus thermophilus.
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Fujii Y, Inoue M, Fukui K, Kuramitsu S, and Masui R
- Subjects
- Amino Acid Sequence, DNA Damage radiation effects, DNA Helicases genetics, Homologous Recombination, Models, Molecular, Bacterial Proteins genetics, DNA Repair radiation effects, Gene Silencing radiation effects, Thermus thermophilus genetics, Thermus thermophilus radiation effects, Ultraviolet Rays
- Abstract
NurA and HerA are thought to be essential proteins for DNA end resection in archaeal homologous recombination systems. Thermus thermophilus , an extremely thermophilic eubacterium, has proteins that exhibit significant sequence similarity to archaeal NurA and HerA. To unveil the cellular function of NurA and HerA in T. thermophilus , we performed phenotypic analysis of disruptant mutants of nurA and herA with or without DNA-damaging agents. The nurA and herA genes were not essential for survival, and their deletion had no effect on cell growth and genome integrity. Unexpectedly, these disruptants of T. thermophilus showed increased resistance to UV irradiation and mitomycin C treatment. Further, these disruptants and the wild type displayed no difference in sensitivity to oxidative stress and a DNA replication inhibitor. T. thermophilus NurA had nuclease activity, and HerA had ATPase. The overexpression of loss-of-function mutants of nurA and herA in the respective disruptants showed no complementation, suggesting their enzymatic activities were involved in the UV sensitivity. In addition, T. thermophilus NurA and HerA interacted with each other in vitro and in vivo , forming a complex with 2:6 stoichiometry. These results suggest that the NurA-HerA complex has an architecture similar to that of archaeal counterparts but that it impairs, rather than promotes, the repair of photoproducts and DNA cross-links in T. thermophilus cells. This cellular function is distinctly different from that of archaeal NurA and HerA. IMPORTANCE Many nucleases and helicases are engaged in homologous recombination-mediated DNA repair. Previous in vitro analyses in archaea indicated that NurA and HerA are the recombination-related nuclease and helicase. However, their cellular function had not been fully understood, especially in bacterial cells. In this study, we performed in vivo analyses to address the cellular function of nurA and herA in an extremely thermophilic bacterium, Thermus thermophilus As a result, T. thermophilus NurA and HerA exhibited an interfering effect on the repair of several instances of DNA damage in the cell, which is in contrast to the results in archaea. This finding will facilitate our understanding of the diverse cellular functions of the recombination-related nucleases and helicases., (Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.)
- Published
- 2018
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41. Three new 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrochromone derivatives enantiomeric to agarotetrol from agarwood.
- Author
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Sugiyama T, Narukawa Y, Shibata S, Masui R, and Kiuchi F
- Subjects
- Molecular Structure, Chromones chemistry, Flavonoids chemistry, Resins, Plant chemistry, Thymelaeaceae chemistry
- Abstract
Agarwood (jinkoh in Japanese) is a resinous wood from Aquilaria species of the family Thymelaeaceae and has been used as incense and in traditional medicines. Characteristic chromone derivatives such as agarotetrol have been isolated from agarwood. In previous study, we isolated two new 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones together with six known compounds from MeOH extract of agarwood. Further chemical investigation of the MeOH extract led to isolation of eighteen 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones, including three new 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrochromones with stereochemistry enantiomeric to agarotetrol-type, viz. (5R,6S,7S,8R)-2-[2-(3'-hydroxy-4'-methoxyphenyl)ethyl]-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrochromone (2), (5R,6S,7S,8R)-2-[2-(4'-methoxyphenyl)ethyl]-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrochromone (6), and (5R,6S,7S,8R)-2-[2-(4'-hydroxy-3'- methoxyphenyl)ethyl]-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrochromone (13). The absolute configurations of the new compounds were determined by exciton chirality method. All isolated compounds were tested for their phosphodiesterase (PDE) 3A inhibitory activity by fluorescence polarization method. Compounds 8, 12-15, 21-24 showed moderate PDE 3A inhibitory activity.
- Published
- 2018
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42. Effects of saffron and its constituents, crocin-1, crocin-2, and crocetin on α-synuclein fibrils.
- Author
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Inoue E, Shimizu Y, Masui R, Hayakawa T, Tsubonoya T, Hori S, and Sudoh K
- Subjects
- Vitamin A analogs & derivatives, Carotenoids chemistry, Crocus chemistry, Plant Extracts chemistry, alpha-Synuclein chemistry
- Abstract
Saffron, the stigma of Crocus sativus Linné (Iridaceae family), has been known to inhibit aggregation of β-amyloid, a nerve tissue protein. α-Synuclein (αS) is a 140-amino acid protein found abundantly in various regions of the brain. Its abnormal aggregation and accumulation in nerve tissue are said to cause neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Lewy body dementia, and multiple-system atrophy. This study (part of this study was presented at the 137th Annual Meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan) examined the effects of saffron, its constituents (crocin-1, crocin-2, crocetin, and safranal), and crocetin structural analogs (hexadecanedioic acid, norbixin, and trans, trans-muconic acid) on αS aggregation, and αS fibril dissociation. Saffron dose-dependently inhibited αS aggregation and dissociated αS fibrils by thioflavin T fluorescence assay. These effects were observed by transmission electron microscopy, which showed reduced and shortened αS fibrils. Crocin-1, crocin-2, and crocetin showed anti-aggregation and fibril dissociation effects, with crocetin being the most potent. The effects of norbixin were weaker than those of crocetin, and the other crocetin structural analogs showed no effects. These results show that saffron and its constituents (crocin-1, crocin-2, and crocetin) can be effective in preventing and treating diseases caused by abnormal αS aggregation.
- Published
- 2018
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43. Indispensable residue for uridine binding in the uridine-cytidine kinase family.
- Author
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Tomoike F, Nakagawa N, Fukui K, Yano T, Kuramitsu S, and Masui R
- Abstract
Uridine-cytidine kinase (UCK), including human UCK2, are a family of enzymes that generally phosphorylate both uridine and cytidine. However, UCK of Thermus thermophilus HB8 (ttCK) phosphorylates only cytidine. This cytidine-restricted activity is thought to depend on Tyr93, although the precise mechanism remains unresolved. Exhaustive mutagenesis of Tyr93 in ttCK revealed that the uridine phosphorylation activity was restored only by replacement of Tyr93 with His or Gln. Replacement of His117 in human UCK2, corresponding to residue Tyr93 in ttCK, by Tyr resulted in a loss of uridine phosphorylation activity. These findings indicated that uridine phosphorylation activity commonly depends on a single residue in the UCK family.
- Published
- 2017
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44. The Lon protease-like domain in the bacterial RecA paralog RadA is required for DNA binding and repair.
- Author
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Inoue M, Fukui K, Fujii Y, Nakagawa N, Yano T, Kuramitsu S, and Masui R
- Subjects
- Bacterial Proteins genetics, Binding Sites, Crystallography, X-Ray, DNA, Bacterial genetics, Mutagenesis, Site-Directed, Protein Domains, Protein Structure, Quaternary, Rec A Recombinases genetics, Thermus thermophilus genetics, Bacterial Proteins chemistry, DNA Repair, DNA, Bacterial chemistry, Rec A Recombinases chemistry, Thermus thermophilus enzymology
- Abstract
Homologous recombination (HR) plays an essential role in the maintenance of genome integrity. RecA/Rad51 paralogs have been recognized as an important factor of HR. Among them, only one bacterial RecA/Rad51 paralog, RadA, is involved in HR as an accessory factor of RecA recombinase. RadA has a unique Lon protease-like domain (LonC) at its C terminus, in addition to a RecA-like ATPase domain. Unlike Lon protease, RadA's LonC domain does not show protease activity but is still essential for RadA-mediated DNA repair. Reconciling these two facts has been difficult because RadA's tertiary structure and molecular function are unknown. Here, we describe the hexameric ring structure of RadA's LonC domain, as determined by X-ray crystallography. The structure revealed the two positively charged regions unique to the LonC domain of RadA are located at the intersubunit cleft and the central hole of a hexameric ring. Surprisingly, a functional domain analysis demonstrated the LonC domain of RadA binds DNA, with site-directed mutagenesis showing that the two positively charged regions are critical for this DNA-binding activity. Interestingly, only the intersubunit cleft was required for the DNA-dependent stimulation of ATPase activity of RadA, and at least the central hole was essential for DNA repair function. Our data provide the structural and functional features of the LonC domain and their function in RadA-mediated DNA repair., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest with the contents of this article., (© 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.)
- Published
- 2017
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45. Proteome-wide identification of lysine propionylation in thermophilic and mesophilic bacteria: Geobacillus kaustophilus, Thermus thermophilus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Rhodothermus marinus.
- Author
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Okanishi H, Kim K, Masui R, and Kuramitsu S
- Subjects
- Acetylation, Lysine metabolism, Propionates metabolism, Proteomics, Bacillus subtilis metabolism, Bacterial Proteins metabolism, Escherichia coli metabolism, Geobacillus metabolism, Protein Processing, Post-Translational physiology, Proteome metabolism, Rhodothermus metabolism, Thermus thermophilus metabolism
- Abstract
Recent studies have revealed the physiological significance of post-translational lysine acylations such as acetylation in the regulation of various cellular processes. Here, we characterized lysine propionylation, a recently discovered post-translational acylation, in five representative bacteria: Geobacillus kaustophilus, Thermus thermophilus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Rhodothermus marinus. Using antibody-based propionyl peptide enrichment followed by identification with nano-liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, we showed that proteins were subject to lysine propionylation in all five bacterial species analyzed. Notably, many propionylations were identified in the Bacillus-related, thermophilic eubacterium G. kaustophilus, but fewer in the mesophilic eubacterium B. subtilis, suggesting that propionylation event abundance is independent of phylogenetic relationship. We further found propionylation sites in the thermophilic eubacterium T. thermophilus, but the thermophilic eubacterium R. marinus showed the fewest number of sites, indicating that growth temperature is not a determinant of propionylation state. In silico analyses demonstrated that lysine propionylation is related to metabolic pathways, particularly those controlled by acyl-CoA synthetases, similar to lysine acetylation. We also detected dozens of propionylation sites at positions important for protein functions across bacteria, demonstrating the regulatory mechanisms affected by lysine propionylations. Our proteome-wide analyses across bacteria thus provide insights into the general functions of lysine propionylation.
- Published
- 2017
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46. Proteome-wide identification of lysine succinylation in thermophilic and mesophilic bacteria.
- Author
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Okanishi H, Kim K, Fukui K, Yano T, Kuramitsu S, and Masui R
- Subjects
- Acetylation, Bacillus subtilis metabolism, Bacterial Proteins metabolism, Escherichia coli metabolism, Geobacillus metabolism, Protein Processing, Post-Translational physiology, Rhodothermus metabolism, Acylation physiology, Lysine metabolism, Proteome metabolism, Succinic Acid metabolism, Thermus thermophilus metabolism
- Abstract
Lysine succinylation, one of post-translational acylations conserved from eukaryotes to bacteria, plays regulatory roles in various cellular processes. However, much remains unknown about the general and specific characteristics of lysine succinylation among bacteria, and about its functions different from those of other acylations. In this study, we characterized lysine succinylation, a newly discovered widespread type of lysine acylation in five bacterial species with different characteristics such as optimal growth temperature and cell wall structure. This study is the first to demonstrate that succinylation is general phenomenon occurring not only in mesophiles but also in thermophiles. Mapping of succinylation sites on protein structures revealed that succinylation occurs at many lysine residues important for protein function. Comparison of the succinylation sites in the five bacterial species provides insights regarding common protein regulation mechanisms utilizing lysine succinylation. Many succinylation sites were conserved among five bacteria, especially between Geobacillus kaustophilus and Bacillus subtilis, some of which are functionally important sites. Furthermore, systematic comparison of the succinyl-proteome results and our previous propionyl-proteome results showed that the abundance of these two types of acylations is considerably different among the five bacteria investigated. Many succinylation and propionylation events were detected in G. kaustophilus, whereas Escherichia coli and B. subtilis exhibited high succinylation and low propionylation; low succinylation and high propionylation were identified in Thermus thermophilus, and low succinylation and propionylation were observed in Rhodothermus marinus. Comparison of the characteristics of lysine succinylation and lysine propionylation suggested these two types of acylation play different roles in cellular processes., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2017
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47. A putative adenosine kinase family protein possesses adenosine diphosphatase activity.
- Author
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Tomoike F, Tsunetou A, Kim K, Nakagawa N, Kuramitsu S, and Masui R
- Abstract
Adenosine kinase is a potential target for development of new types of drugs. The COG1839 family has been defined as "adenosine-specific kinase" family based on structural analysis and the adenosine-binding ability of a family member, PAE2307. However, there has been no experimental evidence with regard to the enzymatic function of this protein family. Here we measured the enzymatic activity of TTHA1091, a COG1839 family protein from Thermus thermophilus HB8. The phosphorylation of adenosine by TTHA1091 was undetectable when ATP or ADP were used as phosphate donor. However, the degradation of ADP to AMP was detected, indicating that this protein possessed adenosine diphosphatase (ADPase) activity. The (ADPase) activity was inhibited by divalent cations and was specific to ADP and CDP. Thus, this study provides the first experimental evidence for the enzymatic function of the "adenosine-specific kinase" family and suggests a need to reexamine its functional annotation.
- Published
- 2016
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48. A specific single-stranded DNA induces a distinct conformational change in the nucleoid-associated protein HU.
- Author
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Nishida Y, Ikeya T, Mikawa T, Inoue J, Ito Y, Shintani Y, Masui R, Kuramitsu S, and Takashima S
- Abstract
In prokaryotic cells, genomic DNA forms an aggregated structure with various nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs). The functions of genomic DNA are cooperatively modulated by NAPs, of which HU is considered to be one of the most important. HU binds double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) and serves as a structural modulator in the genome architecture. It plays important roles in diverse DNA functions, including replication, segregation, transcription and repair. Interestingly, it has been reported that HU also binds single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) regardless of sequence. However, structural analysis of HU with ssDNA has been lacking, and the functional relevance of this binding remains elusive. In this study, we found that ssDNA induced a significant change in the secondary structure of Thermus thermophilus HU (TtHU), as observed by analysis of circular dichroism spectra. Notably, this change in secondary structure was sequence specific, because the complementary ssDNA or dsDNA did not induce the change. Structural analysis using nuclear magnetic resonance confirmed that TtHU and this ssDNA formed a unique structure, which was different from the previously reported structure of HU in complex with dsDNA. Our data suggest that TtHU undergoes a distinct structural change when it associates with ssDNA of a specific sequence and subsequently exerts a yet-to-be-defined function.
- Published
- 2016
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49. Agarwood Inhibits Histamine Release from Rat Mast Cells and Reduces Scratching Behavior in Mice: Effect of Agarwood on Histamine Release and Scratching Behavior.
- Author
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Inoue E, Shimizu Y, Masui R, Tsubonoya T, Hayakawa T, and Sudoh K
- Abstract
Objectives: This study was conducted to clarify the effects of agarwood on histamine release from mast cells in rats and on the scratching behaviors in mice., Methods: Histamine release from rat mast cells induced by compound 48/80 or concanavalin A (Con A) and compound 48/80-induced scratching behavior in mice were examined to investigate the effects of agarwood. The hyaluronidase activity and the 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels in mast cells were examined to investigate the mechanisms for the inhibition of histamine release. The correlation between the inhibitory effects of agarwood on histamine release and the content of its typical ingredients, a 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone derivatives, was analyzed using thin-layer chromatography., Results: Agarwood showed an inhibitory effect on mast-cell histamine release induced by compound 48/80 or Con A without any effect on hyaluronidase activity; this effect involves an increase in the cAMP levels in mast cells. Oral administration of agarwood showed an inhibitory effect on compound 48/80-induced scratching behavior in mice. The inhibitory effects of agarwood on histamine release were quite different, depending on the area where the agarwood was produced, its quality, and its market price. No correlation was found between the inhibitory effects of agarwood on histamine release and the typical ingredients of agarwood, which are 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone derivatives., Conclusion: These results show that agarwood inhibits histamine release from mast cells partially through an increase in the cAMP levels in cells. We suggest that some active ingredients of agarwood must be effective on oral intake and that agarwood can be used to treat patients with a number of conditions, including urticaria, atopic dermatitis, and bronchial asthma, in which an increase in histamine release occurs. Differences in the pharmacological effects of this crude drug among markets may provide important information for the quality control of this herbal medicine., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflict of interest.
- Published
- 2016
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50. Crystal structures of a subunit of the formylglycinamide ribonucleotide amidotransferase, PurS, from Thermus thermophilus, Sulfolobus tokodaii and Methanocaldococcus jannaschii.
- Author
-
Watanabe Y, Yanai H, Kanagawa M, Suzuki S, Tamura S, Okada K, Baba S, Kumasaka T, Agari Y, Chen L, Fu ZQ, Chrzas J, Wang BC, Nakagawa N, Ebihara A, Masui R, Kuramitsu S, Yokoyama S, Sampei GI, and Kawai G
- Subjects
- Amino Acid Sequence, Archaeal Proteins genetics, Archaeal Proteins metabolism, Bacterial Proteins genetics, Bacterial Proteins metabolism, Binding Sites, Carbon-Nitrogen Ligases with Glutamine as Amide-N-Donor genetics, Carbon-Nitrogen Ligases with Glutamine as Amide-N-Donor metabolism, Cloning, Molecular, Crystallography, X-Ray, Escherichia coli genetics, Escherichia coli metabolism, Gene Expression, Methanocaldococcus enzymology, Models, Molecular, Molecular Dynamics Simulation, Plasmids chemistry, Plasmids metabolism, Protein Binding, Protein Conformation, alpha-Helical, Protein Conformation, beta-Strand, Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs, Protein Multimerization, Protein Structure, Tertiary, Protein Subunits chemistry, Protein Subunits genetics, Protein Subunits metabolism, Recombinant Proteins chemistry, Recombinant Proteins genetics, Recombinant Proteins metabolism, Sequence Alignment, Sequence Homology, Amino Acid, Sulfolobus enzymology, Thermus thermophilus enzymology, Archaeal Proteins chemistry, Bacterial Proteins chemistry, Carbon-Nitrogen Ligases with Glutamine as Amide-N-Donor chemistry, Methanocaldococcus chemistry, Sulfolobus chemistry, Thermus thermophilus chemistry
- Abstract
The crystal structures of a subunit of the formylglycinamide ribonucleotide amidotransferase, PurS, from Thermus thermophilus, Sulfolobus tokodaii and Methanocaldococcus jannaschii were determined and their structural characteristics were analyzed. For PurS from T. thermophilus, two structures were determined using two crystals that were grown in different conditions. The four structures in the dimeric form were almost identical to one another despite their relatively low sequence identities. This is also true for all PurS structures determined to date. A few residues were conserved among PurSs and these are located at the interaction site with PurL and PurQ, the other subunits of the formylglycinamide ribonucleotide amidotransferase. Molecular-dynamics simulations of the PurS dimer as well as a model of the complex of the PurS dimer, PurL and PurQ suggest that PurS plays some role in the catalysis of the enzyme by its bending motion.
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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