H. Imai

CD4+ T-cell immunity of SARS-CoV-2 patients determine pneumonia development

This study identifies a specific CD4+ T-cell cluster associated with reduced pneumonia risk in SARS-CoV-2 patients, suggesting immune imbalance contributes to severe disease.

The Brachypodium distachyon cold-acclimated plasma membrane proteome is primed for stress resistance

This study identifies cold-acclimated plasma membrane proteins in Brachypodium distachyon, revealing stress response mechanisms and potential for improving frost resistance in monocots.

GTP-dependent formation of straight oligomers leads to nucleation of microtubules

The paper shows that GTP-dependent formation of straight oligomers is essential for microtubule nucleation, with a mutation increasing straight oligomers and accelerating nucleation.

Direct visualization of translational GTPase factor-pool formed around the archaeal ribosomal P-stalk by high-speed atomic force microscopy

This study uses HS-AFM to visualize the dynamic structure of the archaeal ribosomal P-stalk and shows how it facilitates the assembly of GTPase factors for translation elongation.

Light-induced difference FTIR spectroscopy of primate blue-sensitive visual pigment at 163 K

This paper uses light-induced difference FTIR spectroscopy to study structural changes in primate blue-sensitive visual pigment (MB) at 163 K, revealing insights into its photochromic properties and structural dynamics.

Unique retinal binding pocket of primate blue-sensitive visual pigment

The paper investigates the unique photochemistry of primate blue-sensitive visual pigment by showing that 9-cis retinal does not form in monkey blue pigment at low temperatures, suggesting structural constraints in its chromophore binding pocket.

Establishment of a novel method for the production of chimeric mouse embryos using oil droplets.

This study introduces a novel droplet-based method for producing chimeric embryos, offering better reproducibility and quantification compared to traditional aggregation and injection methods.

Arabidopsis ROOT PHOTOTROPISM2 is a Light-Dependent Dynamic Modulator of Phototropin1

This study identifies RPT2 as a light-dependent modulator of phot1 activity in Arabidopsis, showing it suppresses phot1's photosensitivity and kinase activity through LOV1 inhibition and ubiquitin-proteasome regulation.

High-level expression of STING restricts susceptibility to HBV by mediating type III IFN induction

The paper shows that high STING expression in hepatocytes reduces HBV susceptibility by inducing type III IFN and IL-6.