The basement membrane of hair follicle stem cells is a muscle cell niche.

The hair follicle bulge in the epidermis associates with the arrector pili muscle (APM) that is responsible for piloerection ("goosebumps"). We show that stem cells in the bulge deposit nephronectin into the underlying basement membrane, thus regulating the adhesion of mesenchymal cells expressing the nephronectin receptor, α8ß1 integrin, to the bulge. Nephronectin induces α8 integrin-positive mesenchymal cells to upregulate smooth muscle markers. In nephronectin knockout mice, fewer arrector pili muscles form in the skin, and they attach to the follicle above the bulge, where there is compensatory upregulation of the nephronectin family member EGFL6. Deletion of α8 integrin also abolishes selective APM anchorage to the bulge. Nephronectin is a Wnt target; epidermal ß-catenin activation upregulates epidermal nephronectin and dermal α8 integrin expression. Thus, bulge stem cells, via nephronectin expression, create a smooth muscle cell niche and act as tendon cells for the APM. Our results reveal a functional role for basement membrane heterogeneity in tissue patterning. PAPERCLIP:

Clinical impact of skeletal muscle mass change during the neoadjuvant chemotherapy period in patients with gastric cancer: An ancillary study of JCOG1002.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have revealed that sarcopenia is associated with postoperative complications and poor prognosis. Although neoadjuvant chemotherapy is a promising treatment for gastric cancer, its toxicity may lead to the loss of skeletal muscle mass. This study investigates the changes in skeletal muscle mass during neoadjuvant chemotherapy and its clinical impact on patients with locally advanced gastric cancer. METHODS: Fifty patients who completed two courses of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery were included. Skeletal muscle mass was measured using computed tomography images before and after chemotherapy. The proportion of skeletal muscle mass change (%SMC) during neoadjuvant chemotherapy and its cutoff value was explored using the receiver operating characteristic for the overall survival of patients undergoing R0 resection. Risk factors of skeletal muscle mass loss were also evaluated. RESULTS: Overall, 64% of patients had skeletal muscle mass loss during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (median %SMC -3.4%; range: -18.9% to 10.3%). Multivariable analysis identified older age (≥70 years) as an independent predictor of skeletal muscle mass loss (mean [95% confidence interval]: -4.70% [-8.83 to -0.58], p = 0.026). Among 43 patients undergoing R0 resection, %SMC <-6.9% was an independent poor prognostic factor for overall survival (hazard ratio, 11.53; 95% confidence interval, 2.78-47.80) and relapse-free survival (hazard ratio 4.54, 95% confidence interval 1.50-13.81). CONCLUSIONS: Skeletal muscle mass loss occurs frequently during neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced gastric cancer and could adversely affect survival outcomes.

Transcriptome analysis: a powerful tool to understand individual microbial behaviors and interactions in ecosystems.

Transcriptome analysis is a powerful tool for studying microbial ecology, especially individual microbial functions in an ecosystem and their interactions. With the development of high-throughput sequencing technology, great progress has been made in analytical methods for microbial communities in natural environments. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing (ie microbial community structure analysis) and shotgun metagenome analysis have been widely used to determine the composition and potential metabolic capability of microorganisms in target environments without requiring culture. However, even if the types of microorganisms present and their genes are known, it is difficult to determine what they are doing in an ecosystem. Gene expression analysis (transcriptome analysis; RNA-seq) is a powerful tool to address these issues. The history and basic information of gene expression analysis, as well as examples of studies using this method to analyze microbial ecosystems, are presented.

Integrative single-cell RNA-seq analysis of vascularized cerebral organoids.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral organoids are three-dimensional in vitro cultured brains that mimic the function and structure of the human brain. One of the major challenges for cerebral organoids is the lack of functional vasculature. Without perfusable vessels, oxygen and nutrient supplies may be insufficient for long-term culture, hindering the investigation of the neurovascular interactions. Recently, several strategies for the vascularization of human cerebral organoids have been reported. However, the generalizable trends and variability among different strategies are unclear due to the lack of a comprehensive characterization and comparison of these vascularization strategies. In this study, we aimed to explore the effect of different vascularization strategies on the nervous system and vasculature in human cerebral organoids. RESULTS: We integrated single-cell RNA sequencing data of multiple vascularized and vascular organoids and fetal brains from publicly available datasets and assessed the protocol-dependent and culture-day-dependent effects on the cell composition and transcriptomic profiles in neuronal and vascular cells. We revealed the similarities and uniqueness of multiple vascularization strategies and demonstrated the transcriptomic effects of vascular induction on neuronal and mesodermal-like cell populations. Moreover, our data suggested that the interaction between neurons and mesodermal-like cell populations is important for the cerebrovascular-specific profile of endothelial-like cells. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the current challenges to vascularization strategies in human cerebral organoids and offers a benchmark for the future fabrication of vascularized organoids.

Rare TCF3 variants associated with pediatric B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Germline genetic variants influence development of pediatric B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified several pediatric B-ALL susceptibility loci. IKZF1 and PAX5, transcription factors involved in B cell development, have been reported as susceptibility genes for B-ALL development. Therefore, we hypothesized that rare variants of genes involved in B cell development would be candidate susceptibility loci for pediatric B-ALL. Thus, we sequenced TCF3, a key transcription factor gene involving in B cell development. Saliva DNA from 527 pediatric patients with pediatric B-ALL in remission who were registered with the Tokyo Children's Cancer Study Group (TCCSG) were examined. As a TCF3 gene-based evaluation, the numbers of rare deleterious germline TCF3 sequence variants in patients with pediatric B-ALL were compared with those in cancer-free individuals using data in public databases. As a TCF3 single-variant evaluation, the frequencies of rare deleterious germline TCF3 sequence variants in patients with pediatric B-ALL were also compared with those in control data. TCF3 gene-based analysis revealed significant associations between rare deleterious variants and pediatric B-ALL development. In addition, TCF3 variant-based analysis showed particularly strong association between variant rs372168347 (three in 521 TCCSG and three in the 15780 gnomAD whole genome analysis cohort, p = 0.0006) and pediatric B-ALL development. TCF3 variants are known to influence B cell maturation and may increase the risk of preleukemic clone emergence.

Late complication after gastrectomy for clinical stage I cancer: supplementary analysis of JCOG0912.

BACKGROUND: Late complications following gastric cancer surgery, including postgastrectomy syndromes, are complex problems requiring a solution. Reported risk factors for developing late complications include surgery-related factors, such as the surgical approach and the extent of resection and reconstruction. However, this has not been assessed in a prospective study with a large sample size. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate associations between surgery-related factors and the development of late complications. Data from the JCOG0912 trial were used. It compared laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) to open distal gastrectomy (ODG) in clinical stage I gastric cancer patients. METHODS: This study included 881/921 patients enrolled in the JCOG0912 trial. The incidence of late complications was compared between the ODG and the LADG arms. In addition, associations between surgery-related factors and the development of late complications were assessed by multivariable analyses using the proportional odds model to identify relevant risk factors. RESULTS: There was no difference in the type or number of patients with late complications between the LADG and the ODG arms. The multivariable analysis for each late complication revealed that the Billroth-I reconstruction (vs. R-en-Y or Billroth-II) had a lower risk of cholecystitis [odds ratio (OR) 0.187, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.039-0.905, P = 0.037] or ileus (OR 0.116, 95%CI 0.033-0.406, P < 0.001), and pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (vs. R-en-Y or Billroth-II) had a higher risk of reflux esophagitis (OR 3.348, 95% CI 1.371-8.176, P = 0.008). The surgical approach was not a risk factor for any late complications. CONCLUSION: Differences in surgical approaches did not constitute a risk for developing late complications after gastrectomy. Billroth-I reconstruction reduced the risk of ileus and cholecystitis, but pylorus-preserving gastrectomy carried a risk for reflux esophagitis.

Microbially produced fertilizer provides rhizobacteria to hydroponic tomato roots by forming beneficial biofilms.

Hydroponic cultivation of Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) is important, and high tomato production depends on the use of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers. We had developed a microbial fertilizer (MF), which is mainly composed of nitrate. To investigate the effect of MF on plant growth, hydroponic tomato was grown with MF or commercial inorganic fertilizer (IF), and the microbiomes of the rhizosphere and the liquid phase were analyzed by confocal microscopy and high-throughput sequencing. Plant biomass and biofilm formation were increased by growth in MF compared to IF. The microbial community structures of tomato roots and hydroponic water differed between the two conditions, and three operational taxonomic units (OTUs) dominated in plants grown with MF. The three OTUs were related to Rudaea spp., Chitinophaga spp., and Stenotrophobacter terrae, which are reported to be disease-suppressive epiphytic or endophytic microbes of plant roots. Because these three OTUs also predominated in the MF itself, they were likely provided to the rhizosphere or endophytic environments of tomato roots via hydroponic water. KEY POINTS: • Microbial fertilizer for hydroponic growth enhanced biofilm formation on tomato root. • Microbial fertilizer contains tomato-root epiphytic or endophytic microbes. • Microbial fertilizer provided beneficial microbes to the rhizosphere and endophytic environments of tomato roots via hydroponic water.

Uts2b is a microbiota-regulated gene expressed in vagal afferent neurons connected to enteroendocrine cells producing cholecystokinin.

Enteroendocrine cells (EECs) are the primary sensory cells that sense the gut luminal environment and secret hormones to regulate organ function. Recent studies revealed that vagal afferent neurons are connected to EECs and relay sensory information from EECs to the brain stem. To date, however, the identity of vagal afferent neurons connected to a given EEC subtype and the mode of their gene responses to its intestinal hormone have remained unknown. Hypothesizing that EEC-associated vagal afferent neurons change their gene expression in response to the microbiota-related extracellular stimuli, we conducted comparative gene expression analyses of the nodose-petrosal ganglion complex (NPG) using specific pathogen-free (SPF) and germ-free (GF) mice. We report here that the Uts2b gene, which encodes a functionally unknown neuropeptide, urotensin 2B (UTS2B), is expressed in a microbiota-dependent manner in NPG neurons. In cultured NPG neurons, expression of Uts2b was induced by AR420626, the selective agonist for FFAR3. Moreover, distinct gastrointestinal hormones exerted differential effects on Uts2b expression in NPG neurons, where cholecystokinin (CCK) significantly increased its expression. The majority of Uts2b-expressing NPG neurons expressed CCK-A, the receptor for CCK, which comprised approximately 25% of all CCK-A-expressing NPG neurons. Selective fluorescent labeling of Uts2b-expressing NPG neurons revealed a direct contact of their nerve fibers to CCK-expressing EECs. This study identifies the Uts2b as a microbiota-regulated gene, demonstrates that Uts2b-expressing vagal afferent neurons transduce sensory information from CCK-expressing EECs to the brain, and suggests potential involvement of UTS2B in a modality of CCK actions.

Usefulness of an S-1 dosage formula: an exploratory analysis of randomized clinical trial (JCOG1001).

BACKGROUND: The blood concentration of S-1 and adverse events are affected by renal function. Herein, an S-1 dosage formula was developed based on renal function, indicating the dose for a target blood concentration. This study aimed to explore the usefulness of the formula in adjuvant chemotherapy for gastric cancer. METHODS: In this ad hoc analysis of the JCOG1001 trial, which evaluated the role of bursectomy for resectable gastric cancer, the recommended dose of S-1 was calculated using the following formula: 1447.8 × (14.5 + 0.301 × CLcr + 8.23 × SEX [male = 1, female = 0]) × body surface area (BSA) (mg/day). Patients were divided into three groups by comparing the initial S-1 dose determined using BSA with the dose recommended by the formula: underdose (UD), equal dose (ED), and overdose (OD). RESULTS: Among 686 eligible patients, 58, 304, and 324 patients were classified into the UD, ED, and OD groups. The patients' characteristics in the UD/ED/OD groups were median age (53.5/64.0/67.5 years), male sex (98.3%/75.3%/58.0%), and median BMI (24.8/22.8/22.3), respectively. The planned 1-year adjuvant S-1 therapy was completed in 74.1%/73.7%/68.5%, dose reduction was required in 8.6%/21.1%/30.6%, and treatment schedule was altered in 8.6%/17.1/19.8% in the UD/ED/OD groups, resulting in the 5-year overall survival rates of 77.3%/74.3%/77.0%, respectively. The incidences of grade > 3 anemia, thrombocytopenia, diarrhea, stomatitis, and anorexia were significantly higher in the OD group than in the ED and UD groups. CONCLUSIONS: Dose optimization using an S-1 dosage formula can potentially reduce grade ≥ 3 adverse events for overdosed patients.

Mucosal Congestion on the First Day Following Endoscopy Predicts Anastomotic Stricture After Esophagectomy.

BACKGROUND: Anastomotic stricture is a relatively common postoperative complication after esophagectomy. Previous studies have indicated that impaired perioperative blood perfusion at the anastomosis is associated with the occurrence of stricture. Therefore, we analyzed the association between endoscopically assessed blood perfusion during the early postoperative period and anastomotic stricture. METHODS: This retrospective study evaluated patients who underwent esophagectomy at Tokyo Medical and Dental University between 2010 and 2015. The patients had undergone nasal endoscopy on the 1st and 8th postoperative days. The findings were used to evaluate blood perfusion at the anastomosis and gastric tube, which was classified based on mucosal color as ischemia (white) or congestion (blue or black). Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for anastomotic stricture. RESULTS: The study included 197 patients and anastomotic stricture was observed in 60 patients (30.4%). The multivariable analysis revealed that postoperative gastric tube congestion was a risk factor for stricture (odds ratio [OR]: 6.440, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.660-15.600; p < 0.001). Lower risks of anastomotic stricture were associated with pathological stage III-IV disease (OR: 0.325, 95% CI: 0.161-0.656; p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: This study revealed that endoscopically detected congestion at the anastomosis on the first postoperative day was a risk factor for anastomotic stricture.

Preliminary study for developing a navigation system for gastric cancer surgery using artificial intelligence.

PURPOSE: We are attempting to develop a navigation system for safe and effective peripancreatic lymphadenectomy in gastric cancer surgery. As a preliminary study, we examined whether or not the peripancreatic dissection line could be learned by a machine learning model (MLM). METHODS: Among the 41 patients with gastric cancer who underwent radical gastrectomy between April 2019 and January 2020, we selected 6 in whom the pancreatic contour was relatively easy to trace. The pancreatic contour was annotated by a trainer surgeon in 1242 images captured from the video recordings. The MLM was trained using the annotated images from five of the six patients. The pancreatic contour was then segmented by the trained MLM using images from the remaining patient. The same procedure was repeated for all six combinations. RESULTS: The median maximum intersection over union of each image was 0.708, which was higher than the threshold (0.5). However, the pancreatic contour was misidentified in parts where fatty tissue or thin vessels overlaid the pancreas in some cases. CONCLUSION: The contour of the pancreas could be traced relatively well using the trained MLM. Further investigations and training of the system are needed to develop a practical navigation system.

The impact of lymphadenectomy on lymph node recurrence after performing various treatments for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Treatment for regional lymph node recurrence after initial treatment for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) differs among institutions. Though some retrospective cohort studies have shown that lymphadenectomy for cervical lymph node recurrence is safe and leads to long-term survival, the efficacy remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the long-term outcomes of patients who underwent lymphadenectomy for regional recurrence after treatment for ESCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrieved 20 cases in which lymphadenectomy was performed for lymph node recurrence after initial treatment for ESCC in our hospital from January 2003 to December 2016. Initial treatments included esophagectomy, endoscopic resection (ER) and chemoradiotherapy/chemotherapy (CRT/CT). Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) after lymphadenectomy were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. We also used a univariate analysis with a Cox proportional hazards model to determine factors influencing the long-term outcomes. RESULTS: The five-year OS and RFS of patients who underwent secondary lymphadenectomy for recurrence after initial treatment were 50.0% and 26.7%, respectively. The five-year overall survival rates of patients who received esophagectomy, ER and CRT/CT as initial treatments, were 40.0%, 75.0% and 50.0%, respectively. The five-year OS rates of patients with Stage I and Stage II-IVB at initial treatments were 83.3% and 33.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Lymphadenectomy for regional recurrence after initial treatment for ESCC is effective to some degree. Patients with regional recurrence after initial treatment for Stage I ESCC have a good prognosis; thus, lymphadenectomy should be considered for these cases.

Impact of spontaneous liposome modification with phospholipid polymer-lipid conjugates on protein interactions.

Liposome surface coating has been studied to avoid the immunological responses caused by the complement system, and alternative materials to poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) have been explored recently since the production of anti-PEG IgM antibodies has been found in humans. We previously reported a liposome coating with poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (poly(MPC))-conjugated lipids (PMPC-lipids) and demonstrated its protective effect on blood protein interactions. Here, we attempted to modify the liposome surface by exogenously adding PMPC-lipids, which were spontaneously incorporated into the outer membrane via hydrophobic interactions. The polymerization degree of the PMPC segment was regulated from 10 to 100. The incorporated ratio of PMPC-lipid increased with a decrease in the degree of PMPC polymerization. Due to surface modification with PMPC-lipids, increase in the length of the PMPC-chain increased the size of the liposomes. The modified liposomes were kept stable for 14 d in terms of their size, polydispersity, and surface properties, where approximately 70% of PMPC-lipids were incorporated into the liposome surface. We demonstrated that liposome surface modification with PMPC-lipids can inhibit protein adsorption when exposed to serum, regardless of the degree of polymerization of PMPC. In addition, the PMPC-lipid modified surface was not recognized by the anti-PEG IgM antibody, whereas PEG-lipid was recognized by the antibody. Thus, we successfully fabricated an inert liposome surface via spontaneous modification with PMPC-lipids, where only the outer bilayer surface was modified. This technique can be available for full loading of water-soluble active pharmaceutical ingredient inside the modified liposome.

Prognostic Value of Intraoperative Blood Transfusion in Patients with Adenocarcinoma of the Esophagogastric Junction.

Background and objectives: Adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG) has a complicated surgical anatomy, due to which it sometimes induces excessive intraoperative blood loss that necessitates intraoperative blood transfusion (BTF). However, few reports have focused on the impact of BTF on the survival outcomes of patients with AEG. We aimed to evaluate the impact of BTF on AEG prognosis. Materials andMethods: We included 63 patients who underwent surgical resection for AEG at our hospital between January 2010 and September 2020. Clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes were compared between patients with (n = 12) and without (n = 51) BTF. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify the independent prognostic factors for overall survival. Results: None of the patients who underwent minimally invasive surgery received BTF. Patients who received BTF had a significantly worse 5-year survival rate than those who did not (67.8% vs. 28.3%, p = 0.001). BTF was an independent risk factor for overall survival (hazard ratio: 3.90, 95% confidence interval 1.30-11.7), even after patients who underwent minimally invasive surgery were excluded. Conclusions: BTF adversely affected the survival outcomes of patients with AEG who underwent curative surgery. To avoid BTF, surgeons should strive to minimize intraoperative bleeding.

Induction of Spontaneous Liposome Adsorption by Exogenous Surface Modification with Cell-Penetrating Peptide-Conjugated Lipids.

The use of amphiphilic molecules such as poly(ethylene glycol)-conjugated phospholipid (PEG-lipid) enables incorporation into liposome surfaces by exogenous addition as a result of the self-assembly with lipids. This technique can be applicable for manipulation of both liposomes and cells. In this study, we aimed to characterize Tat peptide (YGRKKRRQRRR)-conjugated PEG-lipids when used to exogenously surface modify liposomes (size: ca. 100 nm). We earlier reported that cells, which were surface modified with Tat peptides conjugated to PEG-lipids could attach spontaneously to material surfaces without any chemical modification. Here, we synthesized different types of Tat-PEG-lipids by combining PEG of different molecular weights (5 and 40 kDa) with different lipids with three acyl chains (myristoyl, palmitoyl, and stearoyl, respectively) and then studied the spontaneous adsorption of modified liposomes onto a substrate surface induced by the different Tat-PEG-lipids. The amount of adsorbed liposomes strongly depended on the number of incorporated Tat-PEG-lipid moieties: a decrease in both the PEG and the acyl chain lengths led to adsorption of higher amounts of liposomes. Furthermore, when a collagenase-cleavable amino acid sequence was inserted between the Tat sequence and the PEG segment, adsorbed liposomes could be harvested from the substrate by collagenase treatment with no difference in desorption efficiency between the different Tat-PEG-lipids. Thus, Tat-PEG-lipid can be a suitable tool for the manipulation of liposomes and cells.

Impact of postoperative complications on survival outcomes in patients with gastric cancer: exploratory analysis of a randomized controlled JCOG1001 trial.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have found a negative impact of postoperative complications on long-term survival outcomes, but it has not been confirmed by data obtained from a prospective study with a large sample size. This study investigated the impact of postoperative complications on long-term survival outcomes, and considered the optimal definition of complication, using data from JCOG1001, which compared bursectomy and non-bursectomy for patients with cT3/4a locally advanced gastric cancer. METHODS: This study included 1191 of 1204 patients enrolled in the JCOG1001 trial. Complications were graded by Clavien-Dindo (C-D) classification. Impact of the grade (≥ C-D grade II or ≥ grade III) or type (any or intra-abdominal infectious) of complication on survival outcome was evaluated by univariate and multivariable analyses using the Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS: The incidence of any ≥ C-D grade II and ≥ grade III complication was 23.0% and 9.7%, respectively, and that of ≥ grade II and ≥ grade III intra-abdominal infectious complication was 13.4% and 6.9%, respectively. Multivariable analysis showed all four definitions of complications were independent prognostic factors for overall survival. Conversely, only any ≥ C-D grade III complication was found to be an independent prognostic factor for relapse-free survival (hazard ratio, 1.445; 95% confidence interval, 1.026-2.036; P = 0.035). CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative complications adversely affect the long-term survival outcomes of patients with cT3/4a gastric cancer. Any ≥ C-D grade III complication seems to be the most suitable definition of complication for predicting negative long-term survival outcomes.

Impact of Preoperative Time Interval on Survival in Patients With Gastric Cancer.

BACKGROUND: A time interval between diagnosis and surgery for gastric cancer is necessary, although its impact on survival remains controversial. We evaluated the impact of preoperative time interval on survival in gastric cancer patients. METHODS: We enrolled 332 patients who underwent curative gastrectomy for clinical stage (cStage) I-III gastric cancer between 2012 and 2015. We separately analyzed early- (cStage I) and advanced-stage (cStages II and III) patients. Early-stage patients were divided according to preoperative time interval: short (≤ 42 days) and long (> 42 days) groups. Advanced-stage patients were also divided into short (≤ 21 days) and long (> 21 days) groups. We compared the survival between the short and long groups in early- and advanced-stage patients. RESULTS: The median preoperative time interval was 29 days, and no significant differences were found in patient characteristics between the short and long groups in early- and advanced-stage patients. In early-stage patients, the 5-year survival rates of the short and long groups were 86.5% and 88.4%, respectively (P = 0.917). In advanced-stage patients, the 5-year survival rates were 72.1% and 70.0%, respectively (P = 0.552). In multivariate analysis, a longer time interval was not selected as an independent prognostic factor in early- and advanced-stage patients. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, survival difference was not found based upon preoperative time interval. The results do not affirm the delay of treatment without reason, however, imperative extension of preoperative time interval may be justified from the standpoint of long-term survival.

Heterologous expression of membrane-bound alcohol dehydrogenase-encoding genes for glyceric acid production using Gluconobacter sp. CHM43 and its derivatives.

In contrast to D-glyceric acid (D-GA) production with 99% enantiomeric excess (ee) by Acetobacter tropicalis NBRC 16470, Gluconobacter sp. CHM43 produced 19.6 g L-1 of D-GA with 73.7% ee over 4 days of incubation in flask culture. To investigate the reason for this enantiomeric composition of GA, the genes encoding membrane-bound alcohol dehydrogenase (mADH) of A. tropicalis NBRC 16470, composed of three subunits (adhA, adhB, and adhS), were cloned using the broad-host-range vector pBBR1MCS-2 and heterologously expressed in Gluconobacter sp. CHM43 and its ΔadhAB ΔsldBA derivative TORI4. Reverse-transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that adhABS genes from A. tropicalis were expressed in TORI4 transformants, and their membrane fraction exhibited mADH activities of 0.13 and 0.31 U/mg with or without AdhS, respectively. Compared with the GA production of TORI4-harboring pBBR1MCS-2 (1.23 g L-1), TORI4 transformants expressing adhABS and adhAB showed elevated GA production of 2.46 and 3.67 g L-1, respectively, suggesting a negative effect of adhS gene expression on GA production as well as mADH activity in TORI4. Although TORI4 was found to produce primarily L-GA with 42.5% ee, TORI4 transformants expressing adhABS and adhAB produced D-GA with 27.6% and 49.0% ee, respectively, demonstrating that mADH of A. tropicalis causes a sharp increase in the enantiomeric composition of D-GA. These results suggest that one reason for D-GA production with 73.7% ee in Gluconobacter spp. might be a property of the host, which possibly produces L-GA intracellularly. KEY POINTS: • Membrane-bound ADH from Acetobacter tropicalis showed activity in Gluconobacter sp. • D-GA production from glycerol was performed using recombinant Gluconobacter sp. • Enantiomeric excess of D-GA was affected by both membrane and intracellular ADHs.

Preoperative lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio is the most predictive inflammatory response marker of survival in gastric cancer.

PURPOSE: Systemic inflammatory responses play a key role in cancer progression, and detecting the predictive inflammatory response markers is needed. The present study explored inflammatory response markers capable of predicting survival in patients with gastric cancer. METHODS: We enrolled 264 patients, who underwent curative gastrectomy for clinical stage (cStage) I-III gastric cancer between 2012 and 2015. The cut-off point of eight preoperative inflammatory response markers was determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The marker with the highest Harrell's concordance index (C-index) was adopted for subsequent univariate and multivariate analyses using the Cox proportional-hazards model. RESULTS: Among eight representative inflammatory response markers, lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR; cut-off point, 4.60) achieved the highest C-index (0.633). The 5-year survival rate was significantly worse in patients with LMR < 4.60 than in those with LMR ≥ 4.60 (67.5% versus 89.0%, P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, LMR < 4.60 was identified as an independent prognostic factor (hazard ratio: 2.372; 95% confidence interval: 1.266-4.442; P = 0.007). CONCLUSION: In this study, LMR had the strongest ability to predict the survival of patients with gastric cancer among other inflammatory response markers, with lower LMRs being associated with poor survival following curative gastrectomy.

Bacterial Community Coexisting with White-Rot Fungi in Decayed Wood in Nature.

Lignin-decomposing ability of several bacteria and the degradation mechanism have been revealed in vitro. However, the abundance of such bacteria in decayed wood in nature remains unknown at genus and species levels. This study was aimed at identifying bacterial communities in the decayed wood coexisting with white-rot fungi, which play a potential role in lignin degradation, and predicting the functional profile of bacterial lignin degradation in wood via bacterial community analyses. The bacterial flora of forest soil and four decayed wood samples showed marked differences; particularly, in addition to Methylobacterium and Acidibrevibacterium, sphingomonads, which degrade the major skeleton of lignin in vitro, were more abundant in the decayed wood than in forest soil, suggesting that multiple bacteria were involved in lignin degradation. The bacterial community in the decayed wood was more influenced by wood type and lignin structure than the fungal species observed in the decayed wood.