Mitsubishi

About: Mitsubishi is a company organization based out in Tokyo, Japan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Signal & Layer (electronics). The organization has 53115 authors who have published 54821 publications receiving 870150 citations. The organization is also known as: Mitsubishi Group of Companies & Mitsubishi Companies.

Yak1p, a DYRK family kinase, translocates to the nucleus and phosphorylates yeast Pop2p in response to a glucose signal

Abstract: POP2 protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a component of a protein complex that regulates the transcription of many genes. We found that the 97th threonine residue (Thr 97) of Pop2p was phosphorylated upon glucose limitation. The Thr 97 phosphorylation occurred within 2 min after removing glucose and was reversed within 1 min after the readdition of glucose. The effects of hexokinase mutations and glucose analogs indicate that this phosphorylation is dependent on glucose phosphorylating activity. We purified a protein kinase that phosphorylates a peptide containing Thr 97 of Pop2p and identified it as Yak1p, a DYRK family kinase. Phosphorylation of Pop2p was barely detectable in a yak1Delta strain. We found that Yak1p interacted with Bmh1p and Bmh2p only in the presence of glucose. A GFP-Yak1p fusion protein shuttled rapidly between the nucleus and the cytoplasm in response to glucose. A strain with alanine substituted for Thr 97 in Pop2p showed overgrowth in the postdiauxic transition and failed to stop the cell cycle at G(1) phase in response to glucose deprivation. Thus, Yak1p and Pop2p are part of a novel glucose-sensing system in yeast that is involved in growth control in response to glucose availability.

Circadian profile of Per gene mRNA expression in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, paraventricular nucleus, and pineal body of aged rats

Abstract: Aging alters circadian components such as the free-running period, the day-to-night activity ratio and photic entrainment in behavioral rhythms, and 2-deoxyglucose uptakes and neuronal firing in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). A core clock mechanism in the mouse SCN appears to involve a transcriptional feedback loop in which Period (Per) and Cryptochrome (Cry) genes play a role in negative feedback. The circadian rhythm systems include photic entrainment, clock oscillation, and outputs of clock information such as melatonin production. In this experiment, we examined clock gene expression to determine whether circadian input, oscillation, and output are disrupted with aging. Circadian expression profiles of rPer1, rPer2, or rCry1 mRNA were very similar in the SCN, the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), and the pineal body of young and aged (22-26 months) rats. On the other hand, the photic stimulation-induced rapid expression of Per1 and Per2 in the SCN was reduced with aging. The present results suggest that the molecular mechanism of clock oscillation in the SCN, PVN, and pineal body is preserved against aging, whereas the impairment of Per1 induction in the SCN after light stimulation may result in impaired behavioral photic entrainment in aged rats.

Highly efficient metal-free organic dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract: A solar-to-electric conversion efficiency of 5.1% is achieved with this new dye, compared to 5.8% for N3 dye under the same experimental conditions. Although these indoline dyes are slightly less efficient than N3 dye [cis-Ru(II)(2,2′-bipyridil-4,4′-dicarboxilic acid) (NCS)], the cost would be expected much lower because it does not contain any noble, rare metals in the structure and also it is easy to prepare specially for the mass production. Furthermore, indoline dyes are shown to be highly stable to photoredox processes by cyclic voltammogram.

Solid oxide electrolyte fuel cell

Abstract: A solid oxide electrolyte fuel cell comprises a power generation film consisting of a solid oxide electrolyte film dimpled on almost whole area on both sides thereof, an oxygen electrode formed on one side thereof, and a fuel electrode formed on the other side of thereof, and comprises a pair of interconnectors located on both sides of the power generation film. Furthermore, this invention adopts a seal structure for sealing each side of the power generation film and each of the corresponding interconnector to achieve the above-described object. The peripheral area on the power generation film to form a seal face with the interconnector is formed to have an almost the same plane with that of the dimpled pattern formed on the power generation film, and the provided seal section has almost the same thermal expansion coefficient with the solid oxide electrolyte film which forms the power generation film.