Molecular approach to human leukemia: Isolation and characterization of the first human retrovirus HTLV-1 and its impact on tumorigenesis in Adult T-cell Leukemia

Molecular biology of mouse and chicken retroviruses had identified oncogenes and provided a revolutionary concept in understanding of cancers. A human retrovirus was established during 1980–1982 in linkage with a unique human leukemia, concurrently in Japan and USA. This review covers our efforts on the discovery of new retrovirus, Human T-cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 (HTLV-1), first introducing to a new class of retroviruses with a unique regulatory factors, Tax and Rex. Then it is followed by analyses of molecular interaction of the vial Tax with cellular machineries involved in the pathogenesis of Adult T-cell Leukemia (ATL). And then a probable mechanism of pathogenesis of ATL is proposed including recent findings on HBZ after our efforts.     

Jet ejection from droplets near the Leidenfrost temperature

Abstract  

Droplets impinging on a hot surface that is near the Leidenfrost temperature were experimentally investigated. Ejection of jets from the top of the droplet was observed during the transient interaction between the droplet and a hot wall. We term this phenomenon jet ejection from droplets. When the bottom of the droplet initially impacts the hot surface, a jet is to be ejected from the top of the droplet. The jet ejection occurred only at low impact velocities and around the wetting limit temperature. It was not observed when droplets were dropped from large heights or when the surface was at a high temperature.     

Deformation Electron-Density Distributions of Tetraazathiapentalenes with Hypervalent S-N Bonds

Abstract

The deformation electron-density distributions of 6a-thia-1,3,4,6-tetraazapentalene derivatives (I, II) and bis(phenylthio)dibenzothiophene (III) were investigated by the X-ray diffraction method. For I and II, a structure around the hypervalent S-N bonds is a trigonal bipyramid with equatorial sp² hybrid of S-C bond and lone-pair electrons and apical polarized S-N bonds. In 111 lone-pair electron densities are observed perpendicular to the thiophene ring and the C-S-C sulfide planes.     

Thermal study of l-alanine, l-threonine, and taurine crystals related to hydrogen bonding

In this study l-alanine, l-threonine, and taurine crystals were characterized through dilatometric technique and thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis. The dilatometric analysis shows that the thermal expansion of the crystals is correlated with the strengths of local hydrogen bonding in the amino acid structures at room temperature. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis of the l-alanine, taurine, and l-threonine crystals have been performed at high temperatures. No clear correlation between the hydrogen bonding strengths and endothermic peak positions was observed.     

Fully automated reagent peak‐free liquid chromatography fluorescence analysis of highly polar carboxylic acids using a column‐switching system and fluorous scavenging derivatization

In this study, we combined a column‐switching system with a fluorous scavenging derivatization method to develop a fully automated reagent peak‐free LC fluorescence detection protocol for the analysis of highly polar carboxylic acids. In this method, highly polar carboxylic acids were derivatized with fluorescent 1‐pyrenemethylamine in the presence of 1‐ethyl‐3‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide and 1‐hydroxy‐1H‐benzotriazole. Residual excess of the unreacted reagent was tagged with 2‐(perfluorooctyl)ethyl isocyanate and then removed selectively using a fluorous column‐switching system placed in front of an analytical reversed‐phase column. The signal of the fluorous‐tagged unreacted reagent was completely absent in the resulting chromatograms; therefore, it did not interfere with the quantification of each acid especially those eluted before 20 min. The detection limits (S/N = 3) for the examined acids were in the range from 4.0 to 22 fmol per injection. We have applied this method to comparative analysis of highly polar carboxylic acids in urine samples obtained from diabetes mellitus type‐II model mice and their control.     

Site-specific C content by quantitative isotopic C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectrometry: A pilot inter-laboratory study

Isotopic ¹³C NMR spectrometry, which is able to measure intra-molecular ¹³C composition, is of emerging demand because of the new information provided by the ¹³C site-specific content of a given molecule. A systematic evaluation of instrumental behaviour is of importance to envisage isotopic ¹³C NMR as a routine tool. This paper describes the first collaborative study of intra-molecular ¹³C composition by NMR. The main goals of the ring test were to establish intra- and inter-variability of the spectrometer response. Eight instruments with different configuration were retained for the exercise on the basis of a qualification test. Reproducibility at the natural abundance of isotopic ¹³C NMR was then assessed on vanillin from three different origins associated with specific δ¹³C_i profiles. The standard deviation was, on average, between 0.9 and 1.2‰ for intra-variability. The highest standard deviation for inter-variability was 2.1‰. This is significantly higher than the internal precision but could be considered good in respect of a first ring test on a new analytical method. The standard deviation of δ¹³C_i in vanillin was not homogeneous over the eight carbons, with no trend either for the carbon position or for the configuration of the spectrometer. However, since the repeatability for each instrument was satisfactory, correction factors for each carbon in vanillin could be calculated to harmonize the results.     

Chemoselective Oxidation of Secondary Hydroxy Functions Catalyzed by [PMo12O40]3-[C5H5N+(CH2)15 CH3]3

Abstract

The epoxidation of allylic alcohols with H₂O₂ catalyzed by a new Mo-species, [PMo₁₂O₄₀]^3?[C₅H₅N⁺(CH₂)₁₅CH₃]₃ (MPCP), prepared from 12-molybdatophosphoric acid (H₃PMo₁₂O₄₀) and cetylpyridinium chloride [C₅H₅N⁺(CH₂)₁₅CH₃ · Cl^?], has recently rep0rted.) The high regioselectivity for the epoxidation by this MPCP-H₂O₂ system was comparable to that of Sharpless method using t-BuOOH as oxidant.     

Synthesis of Optically Active Aromatic Ether Ketone Macrocycles Containing 2,2′-Dimethoxy-1,1′-binaphthyl-6,6′-diyl Moieties

Optically active aromatic ether ketone macrocycles containing 2,2′-dimethoxy-1,1′-binaphthyl-6,6′-diyl moieties were synthesized through electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction and stepwise nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions. Structures of the resulting macrocycles were confirmed by NMR and matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass measurements.     

Ketonization of Secondary Hydroxy Groups of Alcohols and Diols with Hydrogen Peroxide Under the Influence of Tricetylpyridinium-12-Tungstophosphate

Molydbenum and tungsten-catalyzed oxidations of alcohols with dilute hydrogen peroxide under phase-transfer conditions have been focused in recent years 1–3. In a previous paper, we have reported that tricetylpyridinium-12-molybdophosphate(CMP), [π - C₅H₅N+(CH_{2 15}CH₃]₃ (PMO₁₂O₄₀)³-, prepared from 12-molybdophosphoric acid (MPA) and cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), catalyzed the oxidation of secondary alcohols to carbonyl compounds with tert-butylhydroperoxide(t-BuOOH)⁴. When hydrogen peroxide in place of t-BuOOH was employed as the oxidant for the above oxidation, however, alcohols were oxidized with difficulty to give carbonyl compounds in poor yields. In continuation of this study, we wish to report here the selective oxidation of secondary hydroxy group of alcohols and diols and diols with H₂O₂ under the influence to tricetylpyridinium-12 tungstophosphate (CWP), [π-C₅H₅N+ (CH₂) 15 CH₃]₃(PW₁₂O₄₀)³-, derived from 12-tungstophosporic acid (WPA) and CPC.