Tripeptidyl peptidase (TPP) is an exopeptidase that sequentially hydrolyzes tripeptides from the N-terminus of oligopeptides or polypeptides. We performed screening for isolating novel TPP-producing microorganisms from soil samples. TPP activity was observed in the culture supernatant of Streptomyces herbaricolor TY-21 by using Ala-Ala-Phe-p-nitroanilide (pNA) as the substrate. TPP from the culture supernatant was purified to approximately 790-fold. It was shown to cleave oxidized insulin B-chain, thereby with releasing tripeptide units, but not the N-terminal-protected peptide, Cbz-Ala-Ala-Phe-pNA. The TPP gene, designated tpp, was isolated from a partial genomic DNA library of S. herbaricolor TY-21. The TPP gene consisted of 1488 bp, and encoded a 133-amino acid pre-pro-peptide and a 362-amino acid mature enzyme containing conserved amino acid residues (Asp-36, His-77, and Ser-282) similar to the catalytic residues in subtilisin. TY-21 TPP belonged to the peptidase S8A family in the MEROPS database. The mature TY-21 TPP showed approximately 49% identity with tripeptidyl peptidase subtilisin-like (TPP S) from Streptomyces lividans strain 66.

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia HHT , also known as Osler-Rendu-Weber disease, is an autosomal dominant disorder. Epistaxis is the most common symptom and presents in more than % of the HHT patients. However, the occurrence and frequency of epistaxis in HHT patients are not well understood in Japan.We administered an anonymous questionnaire and obtained information regarding the degree, history, and treatment of epistaxis. Thirty-six valid responders were analyzed, % of whom suffered from epistaxis more than once a week. Epistaxis appeared before the age of years in % of the responders, but the median age of the HHT diagnosis was years. Thirty % of the responders underwent otorhinolaryngological examination. About half of the responders underwent either gauze-packing or coagulation treatment. However, these patients recorded low levels of satisfaction with the otorhinolaryngological examination. About % of the responders preferred to visit an otorhinolaryngologist who was familiar with both the symptoms and diagnosis of HHT. Thus, otorhinolaryngologists are now recommended in Japan for the diagnosis and treatment of HHT.

We report a case of nasolacrimal tumor that was resected by transnasal endoscopic surgery. The patient was an-year-old woman with a main complaint of left unilateral nasal obstruction. Biopsy of a tumor of the inferior meatus was obtained, and the histological diagnosis was oncocytoma. The tumor was totally resected with the nasolacrimal duct and inferior turbinate by transnasal endoscopic surgery. There has been no recurrence to date. This case suggests that transnasal endoscopic surgery could be an alternative treatment for a benign nasolacrimal duct tumor.

All procedures were performed in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committees on human experimentation (institutional and national) and the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000. Informed consent was obtained from the patient's parents for the patient to be included in this study. References 1 Kanno J, Hutchin T, Kamada F et al. Genomic deletion within GLDC is a major cause of non-ketotic hyperglycinaemia. J. Med. Genet. 2007; 44: e69. 2 Genc ß Sel C ß , Kılıc ß M, Y€ uksel D et al. Nonketotic hyperglycinemia: Clinical range and outcome of a rare neurometabolic disease in a single-center.

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