A previously isolated T-even-type PP01 bacteriophage was used to detect its host cell, Escherichia coli O157:H7. The phage small outer capsid (SOC) protein was used as a platform to present a marker protein, green fluorescent protein (GFP), on the phage capsid. The DNA fragment around soc was amplified by PCR and sequenced. The gene alignment of soc and its upstream region was g56-soc.2-soc.1-soc, which is the same as that for T2 phage. GFP was introduced into the C-and N-terminal regions of SOC to produce recombinant phages PP01-GFP/SOC and PP01-SOC/GFP, respectively. Fusion of GFP to SOC did not change the host range of PP01. On the contrary, the binding affinity of the recombinant phages to the host cell increased. However, the stability of the recombinant phages in alkaline solution decreased. Adsorption of the GFP-labeled PP01 phages to the E. coli cell surface enabled visualization of cells under a fluorescence microscope. GFP-labeled PP01 phage was not only adsorbed on culturable E. coli cells but also on viable but nonculturable or pasteurized cells. The coexistence of insensitive E. coli K-12 (W3110) cells did not influence the specificity and affinity of GFP-labeled PP01 adsorption on E. coli O157:H7. After a 10-min incubation with GFP-labeled PP01 phage at a multiplicity of infection of 1,000 at 4°C, E. coli O157:H7 cells could be visualized by fluorescence microscopy. The GFP-labeled PP01 phage could be a rapid and sensitive tool for E. coli O157:H7 detection.

A bilateral teleoperation experiment with Engineering Test Satellite 7 (ETS-VII) was conducted on November 22, 1999. Round-trip time for communication between the National Space Development Agency of Japan ground station and the ETS-VII was approximately seven seconds. We constructed a bilateral teleoperator that is stable, even under such a long time delay. Several experiments, such as slope-tracing task and peg-in-hole task, were carried out. Task performance was compared between the bilateral mode and the unilateral mode with force telemetry data visually displayed on a screen. All tasks were possible by bilateral control without any visual information. Experimental results showed that kinesthetic force feedback to the operator is helpful even under such a long time delay, and improves the performance of the task.

Insect development and reproduction are regulated by two classes of lipid-soluble hormones, the ecdysteroids and juvenile hormones (JHs). The ecdysteroids activate target genes through a heterodimeric receptor complex composing the ecdysone receptor and ultraspiracle (USP) proteins, both of which are members of the nuclear steroid ⁄ thyroid ⁄ retinoid receptor superfamily [1]. During insect development, ecdysteroids induce molting while JH determines the nature of each molt by modulating the ecdysteroid-induced gene expression cascade [2][3][4]. In addition, in adult insects, JH has a wide variety of actions related to reproduction, including oogenesis, migratory behaviour and diapause [2,5,6]. The mode of molecular action of JH, however, is still obscure [7]. JHs are a family of esterified sesquiterpenoids, whose lipid-soluble nature has suggested action directly on the genome through nuclear receptors such as ecdysteroids and the vertebrate steroid ⁄ thyroid ⁄ retinoid hormones [5,8] although actions of JH through the cell membrane are also documented [9,10].Many attempts have been made to identify nuclear JH receptors. Jones and Sharp [11] showed that JH III binds to the Drosophila USP protein, which is a homologue of the vertebrate retinoid X receptor, promoting Juvenile hormones (JHs) of insects are sesquiterpenoids that regulate a great diversity of processes in development and reproduction. As yet the molecular modes of action of JH are poorly understood. The Methoprenetolerant (Met) gene of Drosophila melanogaster has been found to be responsible for resistance to a JH analogue (JHA) insecticide, methoprene. Previous studies on Met have implicated its involvement in JH signaling, although direct evidence is lacking. We have now examined the product of Met (MET) in terms of its binding to JH and ligand-dependent gene regulation. In vitro synthesized MET directly bound to JH III with high affinity (K d ¼ 5.3 ± 1.5 nm, mean ± SD), consistent with the physiological JH concentration. In transient transfection assays using Drosophila S2 cells the yeast GAL4-DNA binding domain fused to MET exerted JH-or JHAdependent activation of a reporter gene. Activation of the reporter gene was highly JH-or JHA-specific with the order of effectiveness: JH III JH II > JH I > methoprene; compounds which are only structurally related to JH or JHA did not induce any activation. Localization of MET in the S2 cells was nuclear irrespective of the presence or absence of JH. These results suggest that MET may function as a JH-dependent transcription factor.

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Background:The pathology of Marfan syndrome is caused by insufficient fibrillin-1 microfibril formation in connective tissues. Results: Successful improvement of Marfan syndrome manifestations are induced by the direct administration of recombinant ADAMTSL6␤. Conclusion: This study demonstrated critical importance of microfibril regeneration in preventing Marfan syndrome. Significance: Our current data support a new concept that the regeneration of microfibrils using ADAMTSL6␤ is essential for improving Marfan syndrome.

National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) is to launch an engineering test satellite named ETS-VII in the year 1997 to develop and perform an-orbat test of Rendezvous Docking and Space Robot Technologies. ETS-VII's robot experiment includes (a) performance evaluation of satellite mounted robot system, (b) coordinated control of satellite attitude and robot arm, (c) teleoperation of the satellite mounted robot arm, (d) demonstration of in-orbit satellite serving. The ETS-V I I satellite carries a robot arm of 2 m long and 6dof which will be teleoperated from a ground control station. This paper shows mission, design and development status of E T S -V I I space robot experiment mission.

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