start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=10 cd-vols= no-issue=4 article-no= start-page=338 end-page=342 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2013 dt-pub=20130408 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Isolation and characterization of pandemic and nonpandemic strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus from an outbreak of diarrhea in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract= Strains of the enteric pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus harboring the thermostable hemolysin (TDH) encoding gene tdh is known to cause epidemic and pandemic diarrhea. In industrialized countries, this pathogen causes sporadic or outbreaks of diarrheal illness associated with consumption of raw or improperly cooked seafood. This report describes a foodborne outbreak of gastroenteritis caused by V. parahaemolyticus in June 2011 following consumption of food served at a funeral reception held at Habra, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India. About 650 people attended the function, of whom 44 had acute watery diarrhea with other clinical symptoms; 35 of them were admitted to the District Hospital for the rehydration treatment. Stool specimens collected from three hospitalized cases were positive for V. parahaemolyticus, of which two strains were identified as an O4:K8 serovar and one was identified as O3:K6 serovar. The O3:K6 strain also possessed the pandemic group-specific toxRS gene target (GS), whereas the O4:K8 strains were negative. All strains were polymerase chain reaction-positive for tdh but were polymerase chain reaction-negative for trh. All of the strains were resistant to ampicillin but were pansensitive to other antimicrobials tested. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis using NotI showed that the O3:K6 strain was similar to that of a recent clinical strain from Kolkata, but had diverged from other strains during previous years. In contrast, PFGE analysis showed that the O4:K8 strains were closely related but differed from the Kolkata strain. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=ChowdhuryGoutam en-aut-sei=Chowdhury en-aut-mei=Goutam kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=GhoshSantanu en-aut-sei=Ghosh en-aut-mei=Santanu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=PazhaniGururaja P. en-aut-sei=Pazhani en-aut-mei=Gururaja P. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=PaulBimal K. en-aut-sei=Paul en-aut-mei=Bimal K. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=MajiDipankar en-aut-sei=Maji en-aut-mei=Dipankar kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=MukhopadhyayAsish K. en-aut-sei=Mukhopadhyay en-aut-mei=Asish K. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=RamamurthyThandavarayan en-aut-sei=Ramamurthy en-aut-mei=Thandavarayan kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Integrated Disease Surveillance Program, Directorate of Health Services kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Integrated Disease Surveillance Program, Directorate of Health Services kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases kn-affil= en-keyword=Diarrhea kn-keyword=Diarrhea en-keyword=V. parahaemolyticus kn-keyword=V. parahaemolyticus en-keyword=Serovar kn-keyword=Serovar en-keyword=GS-PCR kn-keyword=GS-PCR en-keyword=PFGE kn-keyword=PFGE END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=25 cd-vols= no-issue=19-20 article-no= start-page=1413 end-page=1425 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2019 dt-pub=20190208 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=A reporter system evaluates tumorigenesis, metastasis, ƒÀ-catenin/MMP regulation, and druggability en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract= Cancer invasion, metastasis, and therapy resistance are the crucial phenomena in cancer malignancy. The high-expression of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) is a biomarker as well as a causal factor of cancer invasiveness and metastatic activity. However, a regulatory mechanism underlying MMP9 expression in cancer is not clarified yet. Additionally, a new strategy for anti-cancer drug discovery is becoming an important clue. In the present study, we aimed (i) to develop a novel reporter system evaluating tumorigenesis, invasiveness, metastasis, and druggability with a combination of three-dimensional (3D) tumoroid model and Mmp9 promoter and (ii) to examine pharmacological actions of anti-cancer medications using this reporter system. High expression and genetic amplification of MMP9 were found in colon cancer cases. We found that proximal promoter sequences of MMP9 in murine and human contained conserved binding sites for transcription factors ƒÀ-catenin/TCF/LEF, glucocorticoid receptor (GR), and NF-ƒÈB. The murine Mmp9 promoter (-569 to +19) was markedly activated in metastatic colon cancer cells and additionally activated by tumoroid formation and by ƒÀ-catenin signaling stimulator lithium chloride (LiCl). The Mmp9 promoter-driven fluorescent reporter cells enabled the monitoring of activities of MMP9/gelatinase, tumorigenesis, invasion, and metastasis in allogeneic/syngenic transplantation experiments. We also demonstrated pharmacological actions as follows. ids Dexamethasone and hydrocortisone, steroidal medications binding to GR, inhibited the Mmp9 promoter but did not inhibit tumorigenesis. On the other hand, an antimetabolite 5-fluorouracil, a golden standard for colon cancer chemotherapy, inhibited tumoroid formation but did not inhibit Mmp9 promoter activity. Notably, anti-malaria medication artesunate inhibited both tumorigenesis and the Mmp9 promoter in vitro, potentially through inhibition of ƒÀ-catenin/TCF/LEF signaling. Thus, this novel reporter system enabled monitoring tumorigenesis, invasiveness, metastasis, key regulatory signalings such as ƒÀ-catenin/MMP9 axis, and druggability. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=SogawaChiharu en-aut-sei=Sogawa en-aut-mei=Chiharu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=EguchiTakanori en-aut-sei=Eguchi en-aut-mei=Takanori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkushaYuka en-aut-sei=Okusha en-aut-mei=Yuka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=OnoKisho en-aut-sei=Ono en-aut-mei=Kisho kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=OhyamaKazumi en-aut-sei=Ohyama en-aut-mei=Kazumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=IizukaMotoharu en-aut-sei=Iizuka en-aut-mei=Motoharu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawasakiRyu en-aut-sei=Kawasaki en-aut-mei=Ryu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=HamadaYusaku en-aut-sei=Hamada en-aut-mei=Yusaku kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakigawaMasaharu en-aut-sei=Takigawa en-aut-mei=Masaharu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=SogawaNorio en-aut-sei=Sogawa en-aut-mei=Norio kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkamotoKuniaki en-aut-sei=Okamoto en-aut-mei=Kuniaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=Kozaki Ken-ichi en-aut-sei=Kozaki en-aut-mei=Ken-ichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Dental Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Dental Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Dental Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Dental Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Dental Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Research program for undergraduate students, Okayama University Dental School kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Research program for undergraduate students, Okayama University Dental School kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Research program for undergraduate students, Okayama University Dental School kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Advanced Research Center for Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Dental Pharmacology, Matsumoto Dental University kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Dental Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Dental Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=3D tumoroid reporter assay kn-keyword=3D tumoroid reporter assay en-keyword=Wnt/ƒÀ-catenin signaling kn-keyword=Wnt/ƒÀ-catenin signaling en-keyword=cancer metastasis kn-keyword=cancer metastasis en-keyword=metalloproteinase kn-keyword=metalloproteinase en-keyword=syngeneic transplantation kn-keyword=syngeneic transplantation en-keyword=tumoroid (tumor organoid) kn-keyword=tumoroid (tumor organoid) END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=20 cd-vols= no-issue=7 article-no= start-page=916 end-page=921 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2020 dt-pub=20200708 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=The Albedo of Ryugu: Evidence for a High Organic Abundance, as Inferred from the Hayabusa2 Touchdown Maneuver en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=The Hayabusa2 mission successfully collected samples from the asteroid Ryugu last year and will return these to Earth in December 2020. It is anticipated that the samples will enable the analysis of terrestrially uncontaminated organic matter and minerals. Such analyses are in turn expected to elucidate the evolution of organic matter through Solar System history, including the origination and processing of biogenically important molecules, which could have been utilized by the first organisms on Earth. In anticipation, studies have made predictions concerning the properties of Ryugu, including its composition. The spectral characteristics of Ryugu, such as albedo, have been employed to relate the asteroid to members of the carbonaceous chondrite group that have been identified on Earth. However, the recent Hayabusa2 touchdown highlights a disparity between the color of surfaces of displaced platy fragments, indicating a brightening trend for the surface exposed to space compared to that facing into the body. Here we present a mass balance calculation with reference to data from the literature, which indicates that Ryugu may contain a significantly higher abundance of organic matter (likely >50%) than the currently most accepted meteorite analogues. A high organic content may result in high levels of extractable organic matter for the second touchdown site, where the spacecraft sampled freshly exposed material. However, high abundances of insoluble aromatic/graphitic rich organic matter may be present in the first touchdown site, which sampled the surface of Ryugu that had been exposed to space. Moreover, we suggest that the potentially high organic abundance and the rubble-pile nature of Ryugu may originate from the capture of rocky debris by a comet nucleus and subsequent water-organic-mineral interactions and sublimation of water ice. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=PotiszilChristian en-aut-sei=Potiszil en-aut-mei=Christian kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanakaRyoji en-aut-sei=Tanaka en-aut-mei=Ryoji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=KobayashiKatsura en-aut-sei=Kobayashi en-aut-mei=Katsura kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KunihiroTak en-aut-sei=Kunihiro en-aut-mei=Tak kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakamuraEizo en-aut-sei=Nakamura en-aut-mei=Eizo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Hayabusa2 kn-keyword=Hayabusa2 en-keyword=Ryugu kn-keyword=Ryugu en-keyword=Sample return kn-keyword=Sample return en-keyword=Organic matter kn-keyword=Organic matter en-keyword=Albedo. Astrobiology 20, 916?921 kn-keyword=Albedo. Astrobiology 20, 916?921 END