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M Yazawa

Publications and source records attributed to M Yazawa.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Solution NMR structure of the myosin phosphatase inhibitor protein CPI-17 shows phosphorylation-induced conformational changes responsible for activation.

Contractility of vascular smooth muscle depends on phosphorylation of myosin light chains, and is modulated by hormonal control of myosin phosphatase activity. Signaling pathways activate kinases such as PKC or Rho-dependent kinases that phosphorylate the myosin phosphatase inhibitor protein called CPI-17. Phosphorylation of CPI-17 at Thr38 enhances its inhibitory potency 1000-fold, creating a molecular on/off switch for regulating contraction. We report the solution NMR structure of the CPI-17 inhibitory domain (residues 35-120), which retains the signature biological properties of the full-length protein. The final ensemble of 20 sets of NMR coordinates overlaid onto their mean structure with r.m.s.d. values of 0.84(+/-0.22) A for the backbone atoms. The protein forms a novel four-helix, V-shaped bundle comprised of a central anti-parallel helix pair (B/C helices) flanked by two large spiral loops formed by the N and C termini that are held together by another anti-parallel helix pair (A/D helices) stabilized by intercalated aromatic and aliphatic side-chains. Chemical shift perturbations indicated that phosphorylation of Thr38 induces a conformational change involving displacement of helix A, without significant movement of the other three helices. This conformational change seems to flex one arm of the molecule, thereby exposing new surfaces of the helix A and the nearby phosphorylation loop to form specific interactions with the catalytic site of the phosphatase. This phosphorylation-dependent conformational change offers new structural insights toward understanding the specificity of CPI-17 for myosin phosphatase and its function as a molecular switch.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2001

Structural organization of lower marine nonvertebrate calmodulin genes.

The troponin C (TnC) superfamily genes generally possess five introns, and the positions where they are inserted are well conserved except for the fourth intron. Based on a structural comparison of TnC genes, we proposed that the common ancestor of TnC or TnC superfamily genes had no intron corresponding to the modern fourth intron, and therefore members of the superfamily have gained the fourth intron independently within each lineage. Here, we cloned calmodulin (CaM, one of the members of the TnC superfamily) cDNAs from two lower marine nonvertebrates, the sea anemone, Metridium senile, belonging to the Cnidaria, and the sponge, Halichondria okadai, belonging to the Porifera, and also determined their genomic organization. Chordate CaM genes generally possess five introns, but neither sea anemone nor sponge CaM has anything corresponding to the fourth intron of chordate CaMs, suggesting that the early metazoan CaM must have had only four introns. The modern fourth intron of chordate CaMs was acquired within the chordate lineage after nonvertebrate/chordate divergence. This notion concurs with our proposal explaining the evolution of the TnC superfamily genes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2001

Defining the structural determinants and a potential mechanism for inhibition of myosin phosphatase by the protein kinase C-potentiated inhibitor protein of 17 kDa.

Contractility of smooth muscle and non-muscle microfilaments involves phosphorylation of myosin II light chain. Myosin light chain phosphatase (MLCP) is specifically inhibited by the protein kinase C-potentiated inhibitor protein of 17 kDa, called CPI-17, as part of Ca(2+) sensitization of vascular smooth muscle contraction. Phosphorylation of Thr(38) in CPI-17 enhances inhibitory potency toward MLCP over 1000-fold. In this study we mapped regions of CPI-17 required for inhibition and investigated the mechanism using deletion and point mutants. Deletion of either the N-terminal 34 residues or C-terminal 27 residues gave no change in the IC(50) of either phospho- or unphospho-CPI-17. However, further deletion to give CPI-17 proteins of 1-102, 1-89, 1-76, and 1-67, resulted in much higher IC(50) values. The results indicate there is a minimal inhibitory domain between residues 35 and 120. A single Ala substitution at Tyr(41) eliminated phosphorylation-dependent inhibition, and phospho-Thr(38) in the Y41A protein was efficiently dephosphorylated by MLCP itself. The wild type CPI-17 expressed in fibroblast-induced bundling and contraction of actomyosin filaments, whereas expression of the Y41A protein had no obvious effects. Thus, a central domain of CPI-17(35-120) including phospho-Thr(38) is necessary for recognition by myosin phosphatase and Tyr(41) arrests dephosphorylation, thereby producing inhibition.

Actin Cytoskeleton↗
PubMed2001

Histamine-induced vasoconstriction involves phosphorylation of a specific inhibitor protein for myosin phosphatase by protein kinase C alpha and delta isoforms.

Histamine stimulus triggers inhibition of myosin phosphatase-enhanced phosphorylation of myosin and contraction of vascular smooth muscle. In response to histamine stimulation of intact femoral artery, a smooth muscle-specific protein called CPI-17 (for protein kinase C-potentiated inhibitory protein for heterotrimeric myosin light chain phosphatase of 17 kDa) is phosphorylated and converted to a potent inhibitor for myosin phosphatase. Phosphorylation of CPI-17 is diminished by pretreatment with either or GF109203x, suggesting involvement of multiple kinases (Kitazawa, T., Eto, M., Woodsome, T. P., and Brautigan, D. L. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 9897--9900). Here we purified and identified CPI-17 kinases endogenous to pig artery that phosphorylate CPI-17. DEAE-Toyopearl column chromatography of aorta extracts separated two CPI-17 kinases. One kinase was protein kinase C (PKC) alpha, and the second kinase was purified to homogeneity as a 45-kDa protein, and identified by sequencing as PKC delta. Purified PKC delta was 3-fold more reactive with CPI-17 compared with myelin basic protein, whereas purified PKC alpha and recombinant RhoA-activated kinases (Rho-associated coiled-coil forming protein Ser/Thr kinase and protein kinase N) showed equal activity with CPI-17 and myelin basic protein. inhibited CPI-17 phosphorylation by purified PKC delta with IC(50) of 0.6 microm (in the presence of 0.1 mm ATP) or 14 microm (2.0 mm ATP). significantly suppressed CPI-17 phosphorylation in smooth muscle cells, and the contraction of permeabilized rabbit femoral artery induced by stimulation with phorbol ester. GF109203x inhibited phorbol ester-induced contraction of rabbit femoral artery by 80%, whereas a PKC alpha/beta inhibitor, Go6976, reduced contraction by 47%. The results imply that histamine stimulation elicits contraction of vascular smooth muscle through activation of PKC alpha and especially PKC delta to phosphorylate CPI-17.

Amides↗
PubMed2001

Functional characterization of vertebrate nonmuscle myosin IIB isoforms using Dictyostelium chimeric myosin II.

The alternatively spliced isoform of nonmuscle myosin II heavy chain B (MHC-IIB) with an insert of 21 amino acids in the actin-binding surface loop (loop 2), MHC-IIB(B2), is expressed specifically in the central nervous system of vertebrates. To examine the role of the B2 insert in the motor activity of the myosin II molecule, we expressed chimeric myosin heavy chain molecules using the Dictyostelium myosin II heavy chain as the backbone. We replaced the Dictyostelium native loop 2 with either the noninserted form of loop 2 from human MHC-IIB or the B2-inserted form of loop 2 from human MHC-IIB(B2). The transformant Dictyostelium cells expressing only the B2-inserted chimeric myosin formed unusual fruiting bodies. We then assessed the function of chimeric proteins, using an in vitro motility assay and by measuring ATPase activities and binding to F-actin. We demonstrate that the insertion of the B2 sequence reduces the motor activity of Dictyostelium myosin II, with reduction of the maximal actin-activated ATPase activity and a decrease in the affinity for actin. In addition, we demonstrate that the native loop 2 sequence of Dictyostelium myosin II is required for the regulation of the actin-activated ATPase activity by phosphorylation of the regulatory light chain.

Actins↗
PubMed2001

Two new modes of smooth muscle myosin regulation by the interaction between the two regulatory light chains, and by the S2 domain.

Previous studies indicated that single-headed smooth muscle myosin and S1 (a single head fragment) are not regulated through phosphorylation of the regulatory light chain (RLC). To investigate the importance of the double-headedness of myosin and of the S2 region for the phosphorylation-dependent regulation, we made three types of recombinant mutant smooth muscle HMMs with one intact head and an N-terminally truncated head. The truncated head of Delta MD lacked the motor domain, that of Delta(MD+ELC) lacked the motor and essential light chain binding domains, and single-headed HMM had one intact head alone. The basal ATPase activities of the three mutants decreased as the KCl concentration became less than 0.1 M. Such a decrease was not observed for S1, which had no S2 region, suggesting that S2 is necessary for this myosin behavior. This activity decrease also disappeared when RLCs of Delta MD and Delta(MD+ELC), but that of single-headed HMM, were phosphorylated. When their RLCs were unphosphorylated, the three mutants exhibited similar actin-activated ATPase levels. However, when they were phosphorylated, the actin-activated ATPase activities of Delta MD and Delta(MD+ELC) increased to the S1 level, while that of single-headed HMM remained unchanged. Even in the phosphorylated state, the actin-activated ATPase activities of the three mutants and S1 were much lower than that of wild-type HMM. We propose that S2 has an inhibitory function that is canceled by an interaction between two phosphorylated RLCs. We also propose that a cooperative interaction between two motor domains is required for a higher level of actin activation.

Actins↗
PubMed2001

Functional role of the C-terminal domain of smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase on the phosphorylation of smooth muscle myosin.

Smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) is known to bind to thin filaments and myosin filaments. Telokin, an independently expressed protein with an identical amino acid sequence to that of the C-terminal domain of MLCK, has been shown to bind to unphosphorylated smooth muscle myosin. Thus, the functional significance of the C-terminal domain and the molecular morphology of MLCK were examined in detail. The C-terminal domain was removed from MLCK by alpha-chymotryptic digestion, and the activity of the digested MLCK was measured using myosin or the isolated 20-kDa light chain (LC20) as a substrate. The results showed that the digestion increased K(m) for myosin 3-fold whereas it did not change the value for LC20. In addition, telokin inhibited the phosphorylation of myosin by MLCK by increasing K(m) but only slightly increased K(m) for LC20. Electron microscopy indicated that MLCK was an elongated molecule but was flexible so as to form folded conformations. MLCK was crosslinked to unphosphorylated heavy meromyosin with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide in the absence of Ca(2+)/calmodulin (CaM), and electron microscopic observation of the products revealed that the MLCK molecule bound to the head-tail junction of heavy meromyosin. These results suggest that MLCK binds to the head-tail junction of unphosphorylated myosin through its C-terminal domain, where LC20 can be promptly phosphorylated through its catalytic domain following the Ca(2+)/CaM-dependent activation.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Results of hyperamplification of centrosomes in naturally developing tumors of dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate results of centrosome hyperamplification in naturally developing tumors of dogs. SAMPLE POPULATION: Tumor specimens from 9 dogs with tumors (rhabdomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, myxosarcoma, and mammary gland tumor) and 2 canine osteosarcoma cell lines. PROCEDURE: 3 antibodies for centrosome proteins (ie, anti-gamma-tubulin, anti-BRCA1, and anti-pericentrin) were used for immunohistochemical analysis. Double immunostaining for centrosomes was used to confirm the specificity of these antibodies for centrosomes. Mutational analysis of the canine p53 gene was carried out by polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis, and expression of canine MDM2 protein was evaluated by use of immunohistochemical analysis, using anti-MDM2 antibody. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical analysis of dog osteosarcoma cell lines with apparent aneuploidy revealed frequent hyperamplification of centrosomes in the osteosarcoma cell lines. Similar hyperamplified centrosomes were detected in the tumor tissues from all of the 9 tumors. The frequency of cells with hyperamplified centrosomes (3 to 20/cell) in each tumor tissue ranged from 9.50 to 48.1%, whereas centrosome hyperamplification was not observed in normal lymph nodes from these dogs. In 8 of the 9 tumors, mutation of p53 gene or overexpression of MDM2, or both, was detected. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Various types of naturally developing tumors in dogs often have hyperamplification of centrosomes associated with chromosome instability. Hyperamplification of centrosomes is a novel tumor marker for use in cytologic and histologic examinations of clinical specimens obtained from dogs.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Telomere length and telomerase activity in canine mammary gland tumors.

OBJECTIVE: To measure telomere length and telomerase activity in naturally occurring canine mammary gland tumors. SAMPLE POPULATION: 27 mammary gland tumor specimens obtained during resection or necropsy and 12 mammary gland tissue specimens obtained from healthy (control) dogs. PROCEDURE: Telomere length in tissue specimens was measured by use of restriction endonuclease digestion and Southern blot analysis. Telomerase activity was measured by use of a telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay. RESULTS: Telomere length in mammary gland tumors ranged from 11.0 to 21.6 kilobase pairs (kbp; mean +/- SEM, 14.5+/-0.5 kbp) but did not differ among tumor types. Telomeres in mammary gland tumors were slightly shorter than in normal tissue specimens, but telomere length could not be directly compared between groups, because mean age of dogs was significantly different between groups. Age was negatively correlated with telomere length in control dogs but was not significantly correlated with length in affected dogs. Telomerase activity was detected in 26 of 27 mammary gland tumors and in 4 of 12 normal tissue specimens. However, telomerase activity and telomere length were not correlated in tumor specimens. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Telomere length is maintained in canine mammary gland tumors regardless of the age of the affected dog. Measurement of telomere length may be a useful tool for monitoring the in vivo effects of telomerase inhibitors in dogs with tumors.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2001

Aberrations of the p53 tumor suppressor gene in various tumors in dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate aberrations of the p53 tumor suppressor gene in naturally developing tumors in dogs. SAMPLE POPULATION: Tumor specimens from 15 dogs with various tumors, including malignant lymphoma (7 dogs), monocytic leukemia (1), mammary gland adenoma (1), mammary gland benign mixed tumor (1), rhabdomyosarcoma (1), colon cancer (1), and osteosarcoma (3). PROCEDURE: Aberrations of the p53 gene in these tumor tissues were examined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis, using 3 fragments that covered the entire open reading frame of the canine p53 gene, followed by nucleotide sequencing of the abnormal bands. RESULTS: Point mutations, deletions, and insertions resulting in a number of amino acid substitutions of wild-type p53 were detected in 7 of the 15 tumor specimens from dogs with malignant lymphoma, monocytic leukemia, rhabdomyosarcoma, colon cancer, and osteosarcoma. Of these 7 dogs, 2 had aberrations of the p53 gene on both alleles, whereas 5 had aberrations of the p53 gene on 1 allele and concurrently lacked the wild-type p53 transcript. Many of the aberrations of the p53 gene detected in these tumors were located in the transactivation, DNA binding, and oligomerization domains. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Various naturally developing tumors in dogs often have inactivation of the p53 tumor suppressor gene, which may be 1 of the multiple step-wise genetic changes during tumorigenesis. This study indicates that p53 gene can be a target for gene therapy for tumors in dogs.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Solution structures of the N-terminal domain of yeast calmodulin: Ca2+-dependent conformational change and its functional implication.

We have determined solution structures of the N-terminal half domain (N-domain) of yeast calmodulin (YCM0-N, residues 1-77) in the apo and Ca(2+)-saturated forms by NMR spectroscopy. The Ca(2+)-binding sites of YCM0-N consist of a pair of helix-loop-helix motifs (EF-hands), in which the loops are linked by a short beta-sheet. The binding of two Ca(2+) causes large rearrangement of the four alpha-helices and exposes the hydrophobic surface as observed for vertebrate calmodulin (CaM). Within the observed overall conformational similarity in the peptide backbone, several significant conformational differences were observed between the two proteins, which originated from the 38% disagreement in amino acid sequences. The beta-sheet in apo YCM0-N is strongly twisted compared with that in the N-domain of CaM, while it turns to the normal more stable conformation on Ca(2+) binding. YCM0-N shows higher cooperativity in Ca(2+) binding than the N-domain of CaM, and the observed conformational change of the beta-sheet is a possible cause of the highly cooperative Ca(2+) binding. The hydrophobic surface on Ca(2+)-saturated YCM0-N appears less flexible due to the replacements of Met51, Met71, and Val55 in the hydrophobic surface of CaM with Leu51, Leu71, and Ile55, which is thought to be one of reasons for the poor activation of target enzymes by yeast CaM.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Calcium binding properties of recombinant calcium binding protein 40, a major calcium binding protein of lower eukaryote Physarum polycephalum.

Calcium binding protein 40 (CBP40) is a Ca(2+)-binding protein abundant in the plasmodia of Physarum polycephalum. CBP40 consists four EF-hand domains in the COOH-terminal half and a putative alpha-helix domain in the NH(2)-terminal half. We expressed recombinant proteins of CBP40 in Escherichia coli to investigate its Ca(2+)-binding properties. Recombinant proteins of CBP40 bound 4 mol of Ca(2+) with much higher affinity (pCa(1/2) = 6.5) than that of calmodulin. When residues 1-196 of the alpha-helix domain were deleted, the affinity for Ca(2+) decreased to pCa(1/2) = 4.6. A chimeric calmodulin was generated by conjugating the alpha-helix domain of CBP40 with calmodulin. The affinity of Ca(2+) for the chimeric calmodulin was higher than that for calmodulin, suggesting that the alpha-helix domain is responsible for the high affinity of CBP40 for Ca(2+). CBP40 forms large aggregates reversibly in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner. A mutant protein with a deletion of NH(2)-terminal 32 residues, however, could not aggregate, indicating the importance of these residues for the aggregation. The aggregation occurs above micromolar levels of Ca(2+) concentration, so it may only occur when CBP40 is secreted out of the plasmodial cells.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Development of an assay method for activities of serine/threonine protein phosphatase type 2B (calcineurin) in crude extracts.

Despite the physiological importance of serine/threonine protein phosphatase type 2B (PP2B/calcineurin), an accurate assay method of PP2B in crude tissue extracts has not been established. By using recombinant protein phosphatase inhibitor-1 as a substrate and ascorbic acid as an antioxidant, we developed an improved assay method for PP2B activity in crude extracts from mouse tissues and investigated tissue distribution of its activity. Under the assay conditions, the PP2B activities were stable for at least 30 min with more than 100-fold higher sensitivity than those previously reported. The specific activities of PP2B were 22.3, 0.85, 2.9, 0.36, and 1.5 mU/mg protein in mouse brain, heart, spleen, liver, and testis, respectively, and furthermore in each region of the brain they were 26.1, 13.7, 42.8, 40.5, 15.1, and 8.6 mU/mg protein in cerebrum, midbrain plus interbrain, striatum, hippocampus, cerebellum, and brain stem, respectively. This is the first paper to demonstrate a close correlation between tissue distributions and content of PP2B. These results showed that the present assay method is extremely powerful for precise measurement of a wide range of PP2B activities including not only high PP2B activity in the brain but also low PP2B activities in other tissues.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Inhibition of myosin/moesin phosphatase by expression of the phosphoinhibitor protein CPI-17 alters microfilament organization and retards cell spreading.

Cell migration and cytokinesis require reorganization of the cytoskeleton, involving phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of proteins such as myosin II and moesin. Myosin and moesin bind directly to a regulatory subunit of myosin/moesin phosphatase (MMP) that contains a protein type-1 phosphatase (PP1) catalytic subunit. Here we examined the role of MMP in cytoskeletal dynamics using a phosphorylation-dependent inhibitor protein specific for MMP, called CPI-17. Fibroblasts do not express CPI-17, making them a null background to study effects of expression. Wild type CPI-17 in rat embryo fibroblasts caused (1) abnormal accumulation of cortical F-actin fibers, distinct from the stress fibers induced by expression of active RhoA; (2) progressive contraction of cell area, leaving behind filamentous extensions that stained for F-actin and moesin, but not myosin; and (3) significantly retarded spreading of fibroblasts on fibronectin with elevated myosin II light chain phosphorylation. A phosphorylation site mutant CPI-17(T38A) and inhibitor-2 (Inh2), another PP1-specific inhibitor protein, served as controls and did not elicit these same responses when expressed at the same level as CPI-17. Inhibition of myosin light chain kinase by ML-9 prevented the abnormal accumulation of cortical microfilaments by CPI-17, but did not reverse shrinkage in area, whereas kinase inhibitors HA1077 and H7 prevented CPI-17-induced changes in microfilament distribution and cell contraction. These results highlight the physiological importance of myosin/moesin phosphatase regulation to dynamic remodeling of the cytoskeleton.

1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine↗
PubMed2000

Molecular cloning of cDNA encoding two subunits of calcineurin from scallop testis: demonstration of stage-specific expression during maturation of the testis.

Complementary DNAs encoding two subunits of scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) testis calcineurin were cloned, and the nucleotide sequences of their coding regions were determined. The deduced amino acid sequences of the catalytic subunit, calcineurin A (486 amino acid residues, M(r) 55,005.91), and the regulatory subunit, calcineurin B (170 residues, M(r) 19,237.67), showed high similarity to those of mammalian calcineurins, especially to the brain-type ones rather than to the testis-specific isoforms. Northern blot analysis showed that only a single species for each subunit was expressed in testis and the expression of each subunit increased dramatically from January to March during the maturation stages of the one-year cycle. The period when the maximum amount of mRNAs for calcineurin was expressed corresponds to the one immediately after meiosis, that is, the maturation stage in which 20-80% of the average testis is occupied by spermatozoa. The result is consistent with the one as to the expression of the testis-specific isoform of calcineurin A in mouse, which occurs immediately after meiosis. This is the first report on the stage-specific expression of calcineurin in invertebrate testis and its sequence similarity to the mammalian brain-type isoforms may indicate that the mammalian testis-specific isoforms appeared in evolution after the divergence of mammals from the mollusks and then diverged rapidly for specific functions in testis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Molecular analysis of multidrug resistance in feline lymphoma cells.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the mechanism of multidrug resistance in feline lymphoma cell lines. SAMPLE POPULATION: A feline lymphoma cell line (FT-1) and its adriamycin (ADM)-resistant subline (FT-1/ADM). PROCEDURES: The FT-1 cell line was cultivated in the presence of a gradually increasing concentration of ADM to generate its ADM-resistant subline (FT-1/ADM). Susceptibility of cells from the parental FT-1 cell line and the FT-1/ADM subline to antineoplastic drugs was determined. From the complementary DNA (cDNA) template of FT-1/ADM cells, feline MDR1 cDNA was amplified by use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequenced. Reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and Western blot analyses were performed to assess expression of the MDR1 gene and P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in FT-1/ADM cells, compared with that in FT-1 cells. RESULTS: A drug sensitivity assay revealed that FT-1/ADM cells were much more resistant to ADM and vincristine than the parental FT-1 cells. The feline MDR7 cDNA amplified by use of PCR was 3,489 base pairs long, corresponding to approximately 90% of the whole open reading frame of human MDR1 cDNA; its amino acid sequence was 91.5, 87.0, and 79.4% identical to that of human MDR1, mouse mdr1a, and mdr1b cDNA, respectively. By RT-PCR analysis, expression of MDR1 messenger RNA was clearly detected in FT-1/ADM cells but not in the parental FT-1 cells. Western blot analysis also revealed the expression of P-gp encoded by the MDR1 gene in FT-1/ADM cells but not in FT-1 cells. CONCLUSIONS: The basic structure of the feline MDR1 gene was essentially the same as that of multidrug-resistance genes of other species. Expression of P-gp appeared to be one of the mechanisms responsible for the development of multidrug resistance in feline lymphoma cell lines in vitro.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗
PubMed2000

[Dental treatment for the handicapped by a combination of public community, dental association and university hospital--a system of Suginoki Dental Clinic].

Suginoki Dental Clinic, which is managed by Suginami Dental Association, financially supported by Suginami City, and technically assisted by the University Hospital, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, was established for dental treatment of handicapped persons living in Suginami City, Tokyo who are difficult to be treated by private practitioners. It has one full-time dentist, 12 part-time dentists, two dental hygienists, one nurse, and one clerk; one of the part-time dentists practices twice a week there. Since December 1994, 406 patients visited the clinic and the total cases was 9,273 in December 1999; 99 cases were mentally retarded, 36 autism, and 30 epileptic patients in the younger group; and 65 cases were cerebrovascular disease and 27 cardiac malfunction patients in the older group. Almost all the patients needed special care such as monitoring, intravenous sedation, nitrous oxide sedation, and general anesthesia. Four cases underwent general anesthesia, and no complication was seen among the cases. It was concluded that the clinic has been successful due to a good relationship among the Dental Association, Suginami City, and the dental hospital.

Community Dentistry↗