Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a surveillance mechanism that detects and degrades mRNAs containing premature translation termination codons (PTCs). SMG-1 and Upf1 transiently form a surveillance complex termed ''SURF'' that includes eRF1 and eRF3 on post-spliced mRNAs during recognition of PTC. If an exon junction complex (EJC) exists downstream from the SURF complex, SMG-1 phosphorylates Upf1, the step that is a rate-limiting for NMD. We provide evidence of an association between the SURF complex and the ribosome in association with mRNPs, and we suggest that the SURF complex functions as a translation termination complex during NMD. We identified SMG-8 and SMG-9 as novel subunits of the SMG-1 complex. SMG-8 and SMG-9 suppress SMG-1 kinase activity in the isolated SMG-1 complex and are involved in NMD in both mammals and nematodes. SMG-8 recruits SMG-1 to the mRNA surveillance complex, and inactivation of SMG-8 induces accumulation of a ribosome:Upf1:eRF1:eRF3:EJC complex on mRNP, which physically bridges the ribosome and EJC through eRF1, eRF3, and Upf1. These results not only reveal the regulatory mechanism of SMG-1 kinase but also reveal the sequential remodeling of the ribosome:SURF complex to the predicted DECID (DECay InDucing) complex, a ribosome:SURF:EJC complex, as a mechanism of in vivo PTC discrimination.[Keywords: NMD; mRNA surveillance; UPF1; SMG-1; PIKK; translation termination; mRNP remodeling] Supplemental material is available at http://www.genesdev.org.

No abstract

No abstract

For elementary school children with atopic dermatitis, a skin care program using shower therapy was performed during the school lunch break for 6 weeks from June to July in 2004 and 2005. All 53 participants showed an improvement in their atopic dermatitis during the 6-week periods studied. Skin care with daily showering at an elementary school was thus found to be effective for the treatment of atopic dermatitis.

Our standard curves could be useful for diagnosis and control evaluation of childhood asthma.

This method, which used a colorimeter and food dye, is noninvasive, safe and reliable for the evaluation of out-in skin transparency and can demonstrate the characteristic dysfunction in the skin barrier in patients with atopic dermatitis.

No abstract

Methacholine-induced bronchoconstriction significantly increased HFI, and the increase in HFI was correlated with bronchial reactivity.