Identification of active and taxonomically diverse 1,4-dioxane degraders in a full-scale activated sludge system by high-sensitivity stable isotope probing.

1,4-Dioxane is one of the most common and persistent artificial pollutants in petrochemical industrial wastewaters and chlorinated solvent groundwater plumes. Despite its possible biological treatment in natural environments, the identity and dynamics of the microorganisms involved are largely unknown. Here, we identified active and diverse 1,4-dioxane-degrading microorganisms from activated sludge by high-sensitivity stable isotope probing of rRNA. By rigorously analyzing 16S rRNA molecules in RNA density fractions of 13C-labeled and unlabeled 1,4-dioxane treatments, we discovered 10 significantly 13C-incorporating microbial species from the complex microbial community. 16S rRNA expression assays revealed that 9 of the 10 species, including the well-known degrader Pseudonocardia dioxanivorans, an ammonia-oxidizing bacterium and phylogenetically novel bacteria, increased their metabolic activities shortly after exposure to 1,4-dioxane. Moreover, high-resolution monitoring showed that, during a single year of operation of the full-scale activated sludge system, the nine identified species exhibited yearly averaged relative abundances of 0.001-1.523%, and yet showed different responses to changes in the 1,4-dioxane removal efficiency. Hence, the co-existence and individually distinct dynamics of various 1,4-dioxane-degrading microorganisms, including hitherto unidentified species, played pivotal roles in the maintenance of the biological system removing the recalcitrant pollutant.

Efficient and general synthetic method for preparing oligoenynes with either trans- or cis-olefinic configuration.

[reaction: see text] Efficient and practical synthesis of a variety of 1-iodo-4-trimethylsilylbut-1-en-3-yne derivatives with trans- and cis-olefinic configuration, and their repeated use as building blocks for the synthesis of trans- and cis-oligoenynes, respectively, are described.

Site-selective monotitanation of dialkynylpyridines and its application for preparation of highly fluorescent pi-conjugated oligomers.

Reaction of Ti(O-i-Pr)(4)/2i-PrMgCl reagent with 2,n-bis[(trimethylsilyl)ethynyl]pyridines, where n is 3, 4, 5, and 6, or with 3,4-bis[(trimethylsilyl)ethynyl]pyridines, proceeded with excellent site-selectivity to afford the corresponding monotitanated complex. Synthetic application of the reaction was demonstrated by an efficient preparation of pi-conjugated oligomers having pyridine and enyne units alternately, which possess intense blue fluorescence emission.

Synthesis of conjugated oligomers having aromatic and enediyne units alternately in the backbone that show intense fluorescence emission.

[structure: see text] Synthesis and fluorescence properties of pi-conjugated compounds having alternately an aromatic ring such as benzene, pyridine, and thiophene and an enediyne unit in the backbone are described.

Successful bone marrow transplantation in a patient with c-mpl-mutated congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia from a carrier donor.

Congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (CAMT) is characterized by severe thrombocytopenia and the absence of megakaryocytes in bone marrow. Furthermore, mutation of the c-mpl gene has been identified as a cause of this disorder. The only curative treatment is allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). The current report describes a patient exhibiting c-mpl mutation in both alleles who underwent transplantation of allogeneic bone marrow donated by her brother, a c-mpl mutated carrier, employing a fludarabine-based conditioning regimen. Engraftment and reconstitution of hematopoietic cells was rapid and without complications. These findings suggest that the carrier donor displaying the c-mpl mutation can serve as a donor source for SCT.

Highly practical and general synthesis of monodisperse linear pi-conjugated oligoenynes and oligoenediynes with either trans- or cis-olefin configuration.

Efficient and practical synthesis of a variety of 1-iodo-4-(trimethylsilyl)but-1-en-3-yne derivatives 1 and 2 with trans- and cis-olefin configuration was described. Their repeated use as building blocks allowed the facile synthesis of trans- and cis-oligoenynes, respectively. Development of a highly practical method for preparing monodisperse trans- and cis-oligoenediynes having the effective conjugation length was also accomplished by using 5 and 4, which can be readily prepared from 1 and 2, respectively.

Identification of simultaneous mutation of fibrinogen alpha chain and protein C genes in a Japanese kindred.

Afibrinogenaemia usually induces a bleeding tendency during infancy, whereas protein C deficiency increases susceptibility to thrombosis in children or adolescence. Mutations of these genes have been, therefore, established as independent risk factors for coagulation disorders. We describe the homozygous mutation of the fibrinogen alpha chain gene and additional heterozygous mutation of the protein C gene in a male infant who showed prolonged umbilical bleeding after birth. On examination, the plasma fibrinogen was undetectable, and the activity and antigen level of protein C were reduced. The patient showed no fibrinogen Aalpha chain as well as Bbeta and gamma chains by Western blotting. The sequencing analysis showed the homozygous deletion of 1238 bases from intron 3 at position 2008 to intron 4 at position 3245 in the fibrinogen alpha chain gene. Both parents were heterozygous carriers of this mutation. In this patient, an additional mutation was also detected in the protein C gene: the heterozygous deletion of exon 7 at position 6161-6163 or 6164-6166, resulting the deletion of one amino acid (Lys150 or 151). His mother was also a carrier of this mutation. As the simultaneous mutation of the fibrinogen alpha chain and protein C genes has not been previously reported, the influence of the interaction between these two mutations on the clinical manifestations of this patient should be carefully monitored for a long period.

Engraftment and dissemination of T lymphocytes from primary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in scid mice.

Although primary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a genetic disorder of T lymphocytes, it remains unclear why T lymphocytes of primary HLH patients preferentially infiltrate the central nervous system and peripheral blood, in addition to the reticuloendothelial systems. We engrafted Herpesvirus saimiri (HVS)-immortalized T-lymphocyte lines established from primary HLH patients into severe combined immunodeficient (scid) mice and examined their capacity to infiltrate mouse organs. A diffuse infiltration of human T lymphocytes was detected in each organ of scid mice treated with 1 x 10(6) T lymphocytes from all four primary HLH patients assessed, whereas no infiltration of T lymphocytes from healthy individuals was observed in any organ. The infiltration of T lymphocytes was mainly observed in the lung, brain and peripheral blood, in association with haemophagocytosis. These cells were positive for HLA-DR, CD3 and either CD8 or CD4, but negative for CD68. Certain markers of proliferation and apoptotic activities were highly positive in these cells. There was no difference between the infiltration pattern of T lymphocytes of primary HLH patients with a perforin deficiency and those without. By Southern blot analysis, T lymphocytes infiltrating mouse organs were observed to be polyclonal. These findings suggest that our murine model implementing HVS-immortalized human T lymphocytes is suitable to clarify the pathogenesis of primary HLH.