Thirty-three patients with congenital radio-ulnar synostosis were examined. There was one familial predisposition. Chromosomal patterns were examined in seventeen patients and were normal. Bone maturation appeared normal. The radial deviation angle, in the patients whose distal radial epiphysis had closed, was elevated (Madelung's deformity). However, in the patients whose distal epiphysis maturation score was 8, it was not elevated. On the other hand, elongation of the ulna (plus variant) and/or dorsal dislocation of the distal end of the ulna was seen in early life. In terms of treatment, all attempts to divide the two bones failed. It was found that derotation of the nonwriting hand by an osteotomy through the proximal fusion mass was a useful procedure.

Trimeric autotransporter adhesins (TAAs), fibrous proteins on the cell surface of Gram-negative bacteria, have attracted attention as virulence factors. However, little is known about the mechanism of their biogenesis. AtaA, a TAA of Acinetobacter sp. Tol 5, confers nonspecific, high adhesiveness to bacterial cells. We identified a new gene, tpgA, which forms a single operon with ataA and encodes a protein comprising two conserved protein domains identified by Pfam: an N-terminal SmpA/OmlA domain and a C-terminal OmpA_C-like domain with a peptidoglycan (PGN)-binding motif. Cell fractionation and a pull-down assay showed that TpgA forms a complex with AtaA, anchoring it to the outer membrane (OM). Isolation of total PGN-associated proteins showed TpgA binding to PGN. Disruption of tpgA significantly decreased the adhesiveness of Tol 5 because of a decrease in surface-displayed AtaA, suggesting TpgA involvement in AtaA secretion. This is reminiscent of SadB, which functions as a specific chaperone for SadA, a TAA in Salmonella species; however, SadB anchors to the inner membrane, whereas TpgA anchors to the OM through AtaA. The genetic organization encoding the TAA-TpgA-like protein cassette can be found in diverse Gram-negative bacteria, suggesting a common contribution of TpgA homologues to TAA biogenesis.

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In the cell surface display system, the distance of a surface-displayed molecule from the cell surface should influence its functionality due to the interference by other surface structures. For the purpose of developing this distance-variable surface display system, we utilized a long fibrous adhesin, Acinetobacter trimeric autotransporter adhesin (AtaA) of the strain Tol 5. We constructed His-tagged full-length and shorter AtaA fibers designed by N-terminal deletion and expressed them in the ΔataA mutant. Immunoelectron microscopy clearly showed that they formed fibers on the cell surface and the His-tag was displayed on the fiber tip located at fixed distances from the cell surface. N-terminal deletion of AtaA shortened the distance between the His-tag and the cell surface, as designed. Time-course analyses of the cell-to-Ni-Sepharose beads binding revealed that cells producing the longer fibers bound more rapidly to the beads. The His-tagged AtaA derivatives were also displayed on Escherichia coli cells, and a similar tendency was shown; the His-tag on the longer fiber was more functional than that on the shorter one. Thus, we developed an on-fiber display system of a functional peptide using a long trimeric autotransporter adhesin (TAA) fiber, which can vary the distance between the displayed molecule and the cell surface. K E Y W O R D S bacterionanofiber, cell surface display, on-fiber display, trimeric autotransporter adhesin Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 2019;116:239-249.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/bit

We have thirty‐eight patients of cleft hand, and they were divided into three groups from the surgical point. Four patients (seven hands) has only one digit on the radial side of the cleft. In these patients there was little indication for the surgical improvement. The thumb and index finger are completely webbed in six patients (seven hands), and reconstruction to permint thumb function is essential above all in these. In most patients of cleft hand (thirty‐one out of thirty‐eight) thumb function is preserved, but abduction of the thumb was more or less limited. Surgical procedure for these patients are discussed. There are three important point in surgical reconstruction of the celft hand; First is a skin incision to restore thumb abduction; Second is a realignment of the second metacarpal (index ray); and Third is a restoration of intrinsic function. Regarding the first and second point we reported previously (Miura and Komada, 1979). Now, we would like to emphasis that intrinsic function act as a key to get satisfactory result in surgical procedure for the cleft hand. We could use the extrinsic extensor or flexor muscles of the missing middle finger as a proper force for restoration of intrinsic function. We were pleased to use the extrinsic extensor that is found in same incision for the translocation of the index ray. The extrinsic flexor in extrinsic extensor was used. The extrinsic extensor of the middle finger was abscent in one patient.