A Predicted CRISPR-mediated symbiosis between uncultivated archaea

Esser, S. P.*; Rahlff, J.*; Zhao, W.*; Predl, M.*; Plewka, J.*; Sures, K.*; Wimmer, F.*; Lee, J.*; Adam, P. S.*; McGonigle, J.*; et al.

Nature Microbiology (Internet), 8(9), p.1619 - 1633, 2023/09

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-023-01439-2

CRISPR-Cas systems defend prokaryotic cells from viruses, plasmids, and other mobile genetic elements. Capitalizing on multi-omics approaches, we show here that the CRISPR-Cas systems of uncultivated archaea also play an integral role in mitigating potentially detrimental interactions with episymbionts. A comprehensive analysis of CRISPR-Cas-based infection histories revealed that uncultivated deep-subsurface archaeal primary-producers defend themselves from archaeal episymbionts of the DPANN superphylum of archaea, some of which are known to fuse their membranes with their host. We show that host cells counter these attacks by deploying one of two CRISPR-Cas systems (type I-B and type III-A) to target and disrupt essential genes in the episymbiont. However, genome-scale modeling of metabolic interactions between two deep subsurface host-symbiont systems revealed that host cells also benefit from the symbionts via metabolic complementation. We speculate that populations of these uncultivated archaeal episymbionts are currently transitioning from a parasitic lifestyle to one of mutualism, as must have occurred in countless mutualistic systems known today. By expanding our analysis to thousands of archaeal genomes, we conclude that CRISPR-Cas mediated resistance to archaeal episymbiosis evolved independently in various archaeal lineages and may be a wide-spread evolutionary phenomenon.

The CIELO collaboration; Progress in international evaluations of neutron reactions on Oxygen, Iron, Uranium and Plutonium

Chadwick, M. B.*; Capote, R.*; Trkov, A.*; Kahler, A. C.*; Herman, M. W.*; Brown, D. A.*; Hale, G. M.*; Pigni, M.*; Dunn, M.*; Leal, L.*; et al.

EPJ Web of Conferences, 146, p.02001_1 - 02001_9, 2017/09

https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201714602001

CIELO共同研究では中性子断面積データの改善及びこれまでの評価で見られた断面積の不一致を解決することを目的として、原子力の臨界性に大きな影響を与える5核種(O, Fe, U, Pu)の中性子断面積を評価している。この国際パイロットプロジェクトでは、経済協力開発機構・原子力機関・核データ評価国際協力ワーキングパーティに設置されたサブグループ40の下でIAEAからのサポートを受けて、実験並びに理論的な研究を活発に実施している。これらの研究を通じて測定データを精度よく反映し、さらに臨界性に関する積分テストで良い結果を示す新しい評価済ライブラリを開発している。

Kinetics study of the Al-water reaction promoted by an ultrasonically prepared Al(OH) suspension

Liang, G.-H.*; Gai, W.-Z.*; Deng, Z.-Y.*; 徐 平光; Cheng, Z.*

RSC Advances (Internet), 6(42), p.35305 - 35314, 2016/04

AA2016-0023.pdf:1.41MB

https://doi.org/10.1039/C6RA01627H

Hydrogen is an ideal fuel for fuel cells because its reaction byproduct with oxygen is environmentally benign. To resolve the safe storage and low cost transportation problem, the onsite hydrolysis reaction in water has been recently employed as a new-type portable hydrogen source. Metal Al is thought as a promising hydrogen-generation material due to its relative low price, light atomic weight and abundance in the earth. In order to promote the reaction of Al particles with water and weaken the inhabitation phenomenon of dense passive oxide film on Al surface, the effect of ultrasonically prepared Al(OH) suspension on the kinetics of Al-water reaction was investigated in this paper. It is found that the induction time for the beginning of Al-water reaction decreases and the reaction rate increases with increasing the suspension concentration, volume and temperature, which is ascribed to the exothermic characteristics of Al-water reaction.

Alfvn eigenmodes and their impact on plasma characteristics in JT-60U

草間 義紀; Nazikian, R.*; Kramer, G. J.*; 木村 晴行; 三枝 幹雄*; 小関 隆久; Fu, G. Y.*; 飛田 健次; 及川 聡洋; 篠原 孝司; et al.

Fusion Energy 1998, 2, p.537 - 544, 1998/10

JT-60Uでは、負イオン源中性粒子ビーム(NNB)入射で生成される高エネルギーイオンで粒子を模擬し、アルヴェン固有モードの研究を進めている。高エネルギーイオンの体積平均値が0.1%程度と低い領域においても上記のモードが発生することを明らかにした。これは、磁気シアが弱いことによる。値が0.2%程度以上になるとアルヴェン固有モード領域にバースト的に発生をくり返すモードが現れ、わずか(数%)ではあるが高エネルギーイオンの損失を招く。また、アルヴェン固有モードは強い負磁気シアを持つプラズマでは安定化できることも新たに明らかになった。