Cystathionine ␥-synthase (CGS) catalyzes the first committed step of Met biosynthesis in plants. We have previously shown that expression of the gene for CGS is feedback-regulated at the level of mRNA stability, and that the amino acid sequence encoded by the first exon of the CGS gene itself is responsible for the regulation (Chiba, Y., Ishikawa, M., Kijima, F., Tyson, R. H., Kim, J., Yamamoto, A., Nambara, E., Leustek, T., Wallsgrove, R. M., and Naito, S. (1999) Science 286, 1371-1374). To identify the functional region within CGS exon 1, deletion analysis was performed. The results showed that the 41-amino acid region of exon 1 highly conserved among plants is necessary and sufficient for the regulation. Analyses of in vivo and in vitro generated mutations that abolish the regulation identified the functionally important amino acids as 11-13 residues within this conserved region. The importance of these residues was confirmed by deletion analysis within the conserved region. These studies identified the functional region of CGS exon 1 required for the posttranscriptional autoregulation of the CGS gene as (A)RRNCSNIGVAQ(I), with uncertainty of the first and last residues. This sequence is almost perfectly conserved among CGS sequences of higher plants but cannot be found elsewhere in the public databases.

Some ingredients of dermatological formulations result in skin irritation and allergy. In particular, preservatives have been reported extensively as a cause of allergic contact dermatitis. The study focused on parabens which have been used extensively as antimicrobial preservatives in foods, drugs and cosmetics. The aim of this study was to clarify the effects of the daily use of methyl paraben (MP) on human skin.The concentrations of MP in the stratum corneum (SC) of the human forearm were measured using the cup method and GC-MS after daily applications of MP containing formulations. The study also investigated the effects of long-term exposure to MP on keratinocytes in vitro. Normal human keratinocytes and the skin equivalents were cultured in the medium containing MP. The following changes were analysed: proliferating ability, apoptotic cells, morphological changes, mRNA and protein expressions.After 1 month of daily applications of MP containing formulations, MP remained unmetabolized and persisted slightly in the SC. MP decreased the proliferating ability of keratinocytes and changed the cell morphology. MP also decreased the expressions of hyaluronan synthase 1 and 2 mRNAs and type IV collagen. In contrast, it increased the expressions of involucrin and HSP27. Furthermore, MP influenced the epidermal differentiation of the skin equivalent.These results suggest that MP exposure through application of dermatological formulations results in MP persistence and accumulation in the SC, and that MP might influence the aging and differentiation of keratinocytes. reports the results of the evaluation studies conducted to determine whether MP in dermatological formulations persists in the human skin and the effect of long-term exposure to low MP concentrations as a stressor on skin keratinocytes in vitro.2 S. ISHIWATARI ET AL.

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Porphyromonas gingivalis is considered an important pathogen in periodontal disease. While this organism expresses a number of virulence factors, no study combining different virulence polymorphisms has, so far, been conducted. The occurrence of combined virulence (Cv) genotypes in 62 isolates of P. gingivalis was investigated from subjects displaying either chronic periodontitis or periodontal abscess. The Cv genotypes, based on gene variation of fimbriae (fimA), Lys-specific cystein proteinase (kgp) and Arg-specific cystein proteinase (prpR1/rgpA), were evaluated by PCR. The isolates were also subjected to capsular polysaccharide K-serotyping. A total of 18 Cv genotype variants based on fimA: kgp: rgpA were identified, of which II:I:A and II:II:A Cv genotypes (53.3%) were the two most frequently detected combinations. Moreover, 36% of the isolates were K-typeable, with the K6 serotype being the most prevalent (23%). Two isolates had the same genotype as the virulent strain W83. The results indicate that chronic periodontitis is not associated with a particularly virulent clonal type. A highly virulent genotype (e.g. strain W83) of P. gingivalis can be found in certain periodontitis patients.