
AI-generated summary
Centromeres play an important role in the segregation of chromosomes during cell division, but because they consist of long repeating base sequences, conventional decoding methods have had issues with accuracy.
A research team including the National Cancer Center, Kyoto University, and Nagoya University announced in the electronic version of the American scientific journal Cell that they have developed a new method for large-scale analysis of the DNA base sequence of centromeres, the central part of human chromosomes.
The study is said to be useful in elucidating how chromosomal abnormalities cause various diseases such as cancer, and in exploring how modern humans (Homo sapiens) emerged in Africa and spread to other parts of the world.
Centromeres are the parts of the centromere that are formed when each chromosome is replicated prior to cell division and proliferation. This centromere plays an important role because it is distributed between two cells as if being pulled by a thread. However, because the sequences of the four types of bases are long repeats of almost the same pattern, the standard method of cutting the sequences into pieces, deciphering them, and then piecing them together is not able to piece them together with high precision.
In recent years, it has become possible to decipher long sequences all at once at a high cost, and the research team has noticed that even among long sequences, there are very short sequences that serve as landmarks here and there. Based on this landmark, the centromeres of autosomes 1 to 22 and sex chromosomes X and Y were classified into a total of 214 types. Furthermore, they developed a method for estimating centromere types even from existing data, which was obtained by breaking down the sequence into pieces, deciphering them, and piecing them together.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued an emergency earthquake early warning (warning) from Hokkaido to the Hokuriku and Tokai regions at 12:40 p.m. on the 16th, but canceled it at the 48th minute because it incorrectly rated an M6.9 earthquake near the Kamchatka Peninsula as a M9.9 earthquake in the Kuril Islands. Ayaki Ebita, head of the Earthquake and Tsunami Monitoring Division, apologized and cited the possibility of a software processing problem.

The International Conference on Weights and Measures, held in France, decided to effectively abolish the leap second, which adjusts the rotation of the Earth and the deviation of atomic clocks. By allowing a deviation of up to one hour from May 2027, it is expected to eliminate the need for centuries of adjustment and reduce the risk of system malfunction.

Professor Emeritus Kenzo Go (76) of Tokyo University of Science receives the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He worked to solve the mystery of why amino acids and sugars only have one enantiomer, and was awarded the award for his discovery of asymmetric autocatalytic reactions. He talked about the research on chirality that originated from Pasteur's experiments.

Kenzo Soai, Professor Emeritus of Tokyo University of Science, who was selected to receive the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, gave an interview to Jiji Press and reflected on the research progress that led to the discovery of ``asymmetric autocatalytic reactions,'' which are related to the origin of life, and the influence of his mentor, the late Mitsuaki Mukaiyama.

Professor Emeritus Kenzo Soai (76) of Tokyo University of Science discovered ``asymmetric autocatalytic reactions'' and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. This discovery will lead to elucidation of why life on Earth uses only left-handed molecules, and will serve as a starting point for research on the origin of life on asteroids and in the Martian sphere, including the Hayabusa2 exploration of Ryugu and the future MMX mission.

On the 8th, one day after the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was announced, Professor Emeritus Kenzo Go of Tokyo University of Science responded to an interview in Shiki City, Saitama Prefecture. While talking about his joy at receiving the award, he expressed his desire to continue his research.