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Biomedical subjects

T Yanagida

Publications and source records attributed to T Yanagida.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

A transgenic mouse line with alpha-1,3/4-fucosyl-transferase cDNA: production and characteristics.

cDNA of human alpha-1,3/4-fucosyltransferase (Fuc-TIII) was placed under the control of the chicken beta-actin promoter and cytomegalovirus enhancer, then introduced into male pronuclei of fertilized mouse eggs. A transgenic mouse line thus obtained exhibited enhanced expression of Lex (4C9) antigen in endothelial cells located in the glomerulus, sinusoidal capillaries of the liver and capillaries of the heart. Furthermore, in the transgenic mice, sialyl dimeric Lex (FH6) and sialyl Lea (2D3) antigens were strongly expressed in the glomerular endothelial cells.

Animals↗

Polymorphonuclear neutrophils enhance suppressive activities of anti-CD3-induced CD4+ suppressor T cells.

We investigated the effects of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) on the suppressive activities of CD4+ suppressor T cells induced by immobilized mAb to the CD3 molecular complex in order to explore the role of PMN in the regulation of humoral immune responses. CD4+ T cells that had been treated with mitomycin C induced the IgM production from highly purified B cells in cultures stimulated with immobilized anti-CD3. Addition of CD4+ T cells that had not been treated with mitomycin C (control T4 cells) suppressed the IgM production induced by immobilized anti-CD3-stimulated T4 mito. PMN enhanced the degree of suppression of the IgM production by anti-CD3-stimulated control T4 cells. The capacity of PMN to enhance the suppressive activity of anti-CD3-stimulated control T4 cells was restored when PMN were fixed with paraformaldehyde (PFA), suggesting that direct interactions between PMN and CD4+ T cells, but not soluble factors secreted by PMN, were involved in the enhancement of suppression. Fresh PMN as well as PFA-fixed PMN enhanced the endogenous IL-2 production by immobilized anti-CD3-stimulated CD4+ T cells. Moreover, neither fresh PMN nor PFA-fixed PMN significantly augmented the suppressive activity of anti-CD3-stimulated control T4 cells in the presence of exogenous IL-2. These results indicate that PMN enhance the suppressive activity of anti-CD3-stimulated control T4 cells through direct interactions between PMN and CD4+ T cells. The enhancement of the suppressive activity of CD4+ suppressor T cells by PMN is accounted for by the enhancement of the endogenous IL-2 production by anti-CD3-stimulated CD4+ T cells. Thus, the data demonstrate that PMN influence the magnitude of humoral immune responses by regulating the production of IL-2 through direct interactions with T cells.

Adult↗

Compliance of thin filaments in skinned fibers of rabbit skeletal muscle.

The mechanical compliance (reciprocal of stiffness) of thin filaments was estimated from the relative compliance of single, skinned muscle fibers in rigor at sarcomere lengths between 1.8 and 2.4 micron. The compliance of the fibers was calculated as the ratio of sarcomere length change to tension change during imposition of repetitive cycles of small stretches and releases. Fiber compliance decreased as the sarcomere length was decreased below 2.4 micron. The compliance of the thin filaments could be estimated from this decrement because in this range of lengths overlap between the thick and thin filaments is complete and all of the myosin heads bind to the thin filament in rigor. Thus, the compliance of the overlap region of the sarcomere is constant as length is changed and the decrease in fiber compliance is due to decrease of the nonoverlap length of the thin filaments (the I band). The compliance value obtained for the thin filaments implies that at 2.4-microns sarcomere length, the thin filaments contribute approximately 55% of the total sarcomere compliance. Considering that the sarcomeres are approximately 1.25-fold more compliant in active isometric contractions than in rigor, the thin filaments contribute approximately 44% to sarcomere compliance during isometric contraction.

Animals↗

Direct measurement of stiffness of single actin filaments with and without tropomyosin by in vitro nanomanipulation.

In order to explain the molecular mechanism of muscle contraction, it is crucial to know the distribution of the sarcomere compliance of active muscle. Here, we directly measure the stiffness of single actin filaments with and without tropomyosin, using a recently developed technique for nanomanipulation of single actin filaments with microneedles. The results show that the stiffness for 1-micron-long actin filaments with and without tropomyosin is 65.3 +/- 6.3 and 43.7 +/- 4.6 pN/nm, respectively. When the distribution of crossbridge forces along the actin filament is taken into account, the elongation of a 1-micron-long thin filament during development of isometric contraction is calculated to be approximately 0.23%. The time constant of force in response to a sudden length change is < 0.2 ms, indicating that the viscoelasticity is negligible in the millisecond time range. These results suggest that approximately 50% of the sarcomere compliance of active muscle is due to extensibility of the thin filaments.

Actins↗

Second signal activity of IL-12 on the proliferation and IL-2R expression of T helper cell-1 clone.

In these experiments, effects of IL-12 on the proliferation and IL-2R expression of Th1 and Th2 clones were studied. Although neither Th1 nor Th2 clones proliferated on an Ag stimulation with B cell APC, Th1 clones but not Th2 clones, exhibited IL-2-dependent proliferation in the presence of IL-12 in response to the Ag stimulation. The IL-2R alpha-chain was also shown to be induced on Th1 clones when they were stimulated with B cell APC in the presence of IL-12. Effects of IL-12 on these T cell functions were indicated to be exerted in concert with IL-2, although IL-12 did not enhance IL-2 production of Th1 clones. Cytokines produced by Th1 clones such as IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha were indicated not to be involved in induction of the IL-2R alpha-chain expression or proliferation. IL-12 also induced proliferation and IL-2R alpha-chain expression of Th1 clone stimulated with anti-CD3 in the absence of APC, indicating that IL-12 exerted the effect on Th1 cells directly and other costimulator signal from APC is not required for the function of IL-12. In contrast to IL-12, IL-1 induced proliferation and IL-2R alpha-chain expression of Th2 clones stimulated with Ag on B cell APC. The failure of IL-12 in the induction of IL-2R alpha-chain expression on Th2 clone seemed not to be caused by the IL-4 produced by the clone. These results suggest that IL-12 plays an important role in IL-2R alpha-chain expression and proliferation of Th1 clones, but not Th2 clones, as a second signal.

Animals↗

Single-molecule analysis of the actomyosin motor using nano-manipulation.

The elementary events in energy transduction by the actomyosin motor, driven by ATP hydrolysis, were directly recorded from multiple and single molecules using a recently developed technique for nano-manipulation of single actin filaments by a microneedle. In order to avoid the effects of random orientation of myosin and association of myosin with an artificial substrate in the surface motility assay, we used single myosin-rod cofilaments with various ratios. Distinct actomyosin attachment, force generation (the power stroke) and detachment events were detected at a very low myosin: rod ratio. At high load, one power stroke generated 5-6 pN peak force and 2.3 pN force averaged over the cycle, which were compatible with those deduced from noise analysis of force fluctuations caused by multiple molecules. As the load was reduced, the length of the power stroke increased. At near zero load, the length of a power stroke was approximately 17 nm. The results suggested that an ATPase cycle produces one power stroke at high load and many ones at low load.

Actins↗

Movement of single myosin filaments and myosin step size on an actin filament suspended in solution by a laser trap.

Movement of single myosin filaments, synthesized by copolymerization of intact myosin and fluorescently labeled light meromyosin, were observed along a single actin filament suspended in solution by a dual laser trap in a fluorescence microscope. The sliding velocity of the myosin filaments was 11.0 +/- 0.2 micron/s at 27 degrees C. This is similar to that of actin moving toward the center from the tip (the physiological direction) of myosin filaments bound to a glass surface but several times larger than that in the opposite direction (Ishijima and Yanagida, 1991; Yanagida, 1993). This indicates that the movement of myosin filaments is dominated by the myosin heads on one side of the myosin filament, which are correctly oriented relative to the actin filament. The incorrectly oriented myosin heads on the other side do not interfere with the fast movement. The step size (displacement produced during one ATPase cycle) of correctly oriented myosin was estimated from the minimum number of myosin heads necessary to produce the maximum velocity. This was determined by measuring the velocities of various lengths of myosin filaments. The minimum length of the myosin filaments moving near the maximum velocity was 0.30-0.40 microns, which contains 20 +/- 5 correctly oriented myosin heads. This number leads to a myosin step size of 71 +/- 22 nm. This value probably represents the lower limit, because all of the myosin heads on the filament would not always interact with the actin filament. Thus, the myosin step size is considerably larger than the length of a power stroke expected from the physical size of a myosin head, 10-20 nm (Huxley, 1957, 1969).

Actins↗

[Peripheral leukocyte adhesion molecules in patients of Behçet's disease associated with active ocular lesions].

The sequential cascades in leukocyte adhesion and migration are important events in the development of inflammatory and immune responses in Behçet's disease. In an attempt to clarify the relation of active ocular lesions to inflammatory reactions covering entire body, we have detected LECAM-1, Mac-1 and CD44 expressed on the peripheral leukocytes in 24 Behçet patients and 15 healthy adults by flow cytometry. LECAM-1 and CD44 expression was dramatically decreased from the polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) upon ocular attacks, whereas the changes in Mac-1 appeared not so striking. This tendency had continued into the recovery stage of ocular inflammation. T lymphocytes showed, on the other hand, no considerable variability in regard to the expression of cell surface LECAM-1, CD44 and also of Mac-1 even at the peak of active ocular inflammation. The results suggest that interaction between PMN and primed vascular endothelial cells might be apt to precede functional modifications of T lymphocytes, and it is also supposed that facilitation of activated PMN recruitment plays an essential role on ocular inflammation in Behçet's disease.

Behcet Syndrome↗

[Renal artery embolism treated with a continuous selective intra-arterial urokinase infusion therapy: a case report].

A 61-year-old man with left renal artery embolus was treated with a continuous selective intra-arterial urokinase (UK) infusion therapy. UK was administered through a 5 Fr. catheter embedded into the occlusive segment of the artery selectively. Continuous low dose UK (15,000 units/hour) was infused following short-term ultra-high dose UK (480,000 units/60 min) infusion. A complete recanalization of the occluded artery was observed by day 7 and also no serious complications were noted during the treatment. Thus, a continuous selective intra-arterial UK infusion therapy seemed to be more effective than conventional methods, especially in patients with complete obstruction.

Embolism↗

Difference in signal transduction pathway for IL-2 and IL-4 production in T helper 1 and T helper 2 cell clones in response to anti-CD3.

To elucidate Th2 cell clone activation mechanism through TCR-CD3 complex, we examined the reactivity of Th2 cell clones to soluble anti-CD3 in the absence of accessory cells or costimulator. The soluble anti-CD3 stimulated IL-4 production of Th2 cell clones as efficiently as specific Ag. IL-4 production of Th2 cell clones was consistent with the elevation of intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). The elevation was slow and sustained but occurred consistently after the anti-CD3 stimulation in all Th2 cell clones tested. The [Ca2+]i elevation appeared to depend on Ca2+ influx because it could not be observed in Ca(2+)-free medium. Several chemicals such as cholera toxin, neomycin, and herbimycin A, which have been shown to block phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) breakdown pathway or protein tyrosine kinase activation, exerted no effect on the IL-4 production. In accordance with these findings, neither PIP2 breakdown nor protein tyrosine phosphorylation was observed in Th2 cell clones stimulated with anti-CD3. The inclusion of anti-CD4 in culture and the depletion of protein kinase C (PKC) did not affect IL-4 production of Th2 cell clones either. These findings support a hypothesis that Th2 cell clones use a signaling pathway for IL-4 production that is independent of protein tyrosine kinase, PIP2 breakdown or PKC, and that the [Ca2+]i elevation is the only pathway common to an IL-2 production of Th1 cell subset.

Animals↗

Force-generating domain of myosin motor.

To understand the underlying mechanism of force generation by myosin motor, it is crucial to know which part of the molecule is essential for the process. Recent structure determination of myosin motor domain at atomic resolution has revealed that the domain comprises two smaller domains, the "ATPase domain" consisting of only an N-terminal segment of the heavy chain and the "neck domain" consisting of a long alpha-helix of the heavy chain and two light chains. This atomic structure begs the question of whether both domains are required for force generation. To answer it, we genetically truncated the head to generate a recombinant fragment composed of the "ATPase domain" alone. The truncated head drove sliding movement of actin filaments and generated force in a novel in vitro assay system, which allows us to hold a specific site of the head on a glass surface. These results indicate that the compact ATPase domain functions as a force-generating machinery of the myosin motor.

Actins↗