The first finding of chromosome variations in wild-born western hoolock gibbons

Hoolock gibbons (genus Hoolock) are a group of very endangered primate species that belong to the small ape family (family Hylobatidae). The entire population that is distributed in the northeast and southeast of Bangladesh is estimated to include only around 350 individuals. A conservation program is thus necessary as soon as possible. Genetic markers are significant tools for planning such programs. In this study, we examined chromosomal characteristics of two western hoolock gibbons that were captured in a Bangladesh forest. During chromosome analysis, we encountered two chromosome variations that were observed for the first time in the wild-born western hoolock gibbons (Hoolock hoolock). The first one was a nonhomologous centromere position in chromosome 8 that was observed in the two examined individuals. The alteration was identical in the two individuals, which were examined by G-band and DAPI-band analyses. Chromosome paint analyses revealed that the difference in the centromere position was due to a single small pericentric inversion. The second variation was a heterozygous elongation in chromosome 9. Analysis by sequential techniques of fluorescence in situ hybridization with 18S rDNA and silver nitrate staining revealed a single and an inverted tandem duplication, respectively, of the nucleolus organizer region in two individuals. These chromosome variations provide useful information for the next steps to consider the evolution and conservation of the hoolock gibbon.     

Extracellular micro/nanovesicles rescue kidney from ischemia-reperfusion injury

Acute renal failure (ARF) is a clinical challenge that is highly resistant to treatment, and its high rate of mortality is alarming. Ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI) is the most common cause of ARF. Especially IRI is implicated in kidney transplantation and can determine graft survival. Although the exact pathophysiology of renal IRI is unknown, the role of inflammatory responses has been elucidated. Because mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have strong immunomodulatory properties, they are under extensive investigation as a therapeutic modality for renal IRI. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play an integral role in cell-to-cell communication. Because the regenerative potential of the MSCs can be recapitulated by their EVs, the therapeutic appeal of MSC-derived EVs has dramatically increased in the past decade. Higher safety profile and ease of preservation without losing function are other advantages of EVs compared with their producing cells. In the current review, the preliminary results and potential of MSC-derived EVs to alleviate kidney IRI are summarized. We might be heading toward a cell-free approach to treat renal IRI.     

Hexose monophosphate shunt,the role of its metabolites and associated disorders: A review

The hexose monophosphate (HMP) shunt acts as an essential component of cellular metabolism in maintaining carbon homeostasis. The HMP shunt comprises two phases viz. oxidative and nonoxidative, which provide different intermediates for the synthesis of biomolecules like nucleotides, DNA, RNA, amino acids, and so forth; reducing molecules for anabolism and detoxifying the reactive oxygen species during oxidative stress. The HMP shunt is significantly important in the liver, adipose tissue, erythrocytes, adrenal glands, lactating mammary glands and testes. We have researched the articles related to the HMP pathway, its metabolites and disorders related to its metabolic abnormalities. The literature for this paper was taken typically from a personal database, the Cochrane database of systemic reviews, PubMed publications, biochemistry textbooks, and electronic journals uptil date on the hexose monophosphate shunt. The HMP shunt is a tightly controlled metabolic pathway, which is also interconnected with other metabolic pathways in the body like glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and glucuronic acid depending upon the metabolic needs of the body and depending upon the biochemical demand. The HMP shunt plays a significant role in NADPH₂ formation and in pentose sugars that are biosynthetic precursors of nucleic acids and amino acids. Cells can be protected from highly reactive oxygen species by NADPH ₂. Deficiency in the hexose monophosphate pathway is linked to numerous disorders. Furthermore, it was also reported that this metabolic pathway could act as a therapeutic target to treat different types of cancers, so treatments at the molecular level could be planned by limiting the synthesis of biomolecules required for proliferating cells provided by the HMP shunt, hence, more experiments still could be carried out to find additional discoveries.     

Molecular docking analysis of known flavonoids as duel COX-2 inhibitors in the context of cancer

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) catalyzed synthesis of prostaglandin E2 and it associates with tumor growth, infiltration, and metastasis in preclinical experiments. Known inhibitors against COX-2 exhibit toxicity. Therefore, it is of interest to screen natural compounds like flavanoids against COX-2. Molecular docking using 12 known flavanoids against COX-2 by FlexX and of ArgusLab were performed. All compounds showed a favourable binding energy of >-10 KJ/mol in FlexX and > -8 kcal/mol in ArgusLab. However, this data requires in vitro and in vivo verification for further consideration.     

Sequence-Level Analysis of the Major European Huntington Disease Haplotype

Huntington disease (HD) reflects the dominant consequences of a CAG-repeat expansion in HTT. Analysis of common SNP-based haplotypes has revealed that most European HD subjects have distinguishable HTT haplotypes on their normal and disease chromosomes and that ∼50% of the latter share the same major HD haplotype. We reasoned that sequence-level investigation of this founder haplotype could provide significant insights into the history of HD and valuable information for gene-targeting approaches. Consequently, we performed whole-genome sequencing of HD and control subjects from four independent families in whom the major European HD haplotype segregates with the disease. Analysis of the full-sequence-based HTT haplotype indicated that these four families share a common ancestor sufficiently distant to have permitted the accumulation of family-specific variants. Confirmation of new CAG-expansion mutations on this haplotype suggests that unlike most founders of human disease, the common ancestor of HD-affected families with the major haplotype most likely did not have HD. Further, availability of the full sequence data validated the use of SNP imputation to predict the optimal variants for capturing heterozygosity in personalized allele-specific gene-silencing approaches. As few as ten SNPs are capable of revealing heterozygosity in more than 97% of European HD subjects. Extension of allele-specific silencing strategies to the few remaining homozygous individuals is likely to be achievable through additional known SNPs and discovery of private variants by complete sequencing of HTT. These data suggest that the current development of gene-based targeting for HD could be extended to personalized allele-specific approaches in essentially all HD individuals of European ancestry.     

Social dynamics and individual plasticity of infant care behavior in cooperatively breeding cotton‐top tamarins

Individual variation in infant caretaking behavior is prevalent among marmoset and tamarin monkeys. Although most group members participate in infant care, the timing and amount provided differs greatly. In this study, we quantified general trends in infant carrying behavior by using a longitudinal database that included 11 years of instantaneous scan observations following 80 births of cotton‐top tamarins. Using detailed focal observations on a subset of the same families (10 births) we identified influences that affected expression of infant care at the group and individual levels. Fathers were the primary carriers and paternal carry time gradually decreased with increasing infant age. Paternal carry time also decreased significantly with an increasing number of older sibling helpers. Most fathers began to carry on the first day postpartum. However, we report circumstances in which fathers delayed carrying until almost a month postpartum. Fathers retrieved infants the most, although adult brothers' rates of retrievals peaked and surpassed fathers' rates during week 4 postpartum. Fathers delayed rejection of infants until week 4, whereas mothers rejected infants immediately and throughout the eight weeks. Nonetheless, infants climbed onto their mothers more than onto any other family member. Mothers showed a high initial investment in carrying during the first two weeks, decreasing quickly thereafter. Maternal contributions to infant carrying remained low and relatively consistent regardless of group size. However, mothers dramatically increased their infant carrying behavior in families in which fathers were absent. Older siblings cared for infants more than did younger siblings, and brothers retrieved and carried infants more than did sisters. Individual expression of infant care changed to accommodate infant needs and changed according to varying social dynamics and circumstances across litters. Am. J. Primatol. 72:296–306, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

A familial case of recurrent hydatidiform molar pregnancies with biparental genomic contribution

Hydatidiform mole is a benign trophoblastic neoplasia characterized by an abnormal development of the embryo and proliferation of placental villi. Using microsatellite markers amplified by the polymerase chain reaction, we have performed a genetic study on eight independent molar tissues occurring in two sisters. Karyotype and genotype data demonstrate a diploid and biparental constitution in seven of the analyzed moles suggesting a common mechanism underlying the etiology of the various molar pregnancies in this family. The data reported here suggest that complete and partial hydatidiform moles are not always separate entities and that women with familial recurrent hydatidiform moles are homozygous for an autosomal recessive mutation. Electronic Publication     

Specific ATM-mediated phosphorylation dependent on radiation quality

Whalen, M. K., Gurai, S. K., Zahed-Kargaran, H. and Pluth, J. M. Specific ATM-Mediated Phosphorylation Dependent on Radiation Quality. Radiat. Res. 170, 353-364 (2008).To determine whether the physical differences between high- and low-LET radiation are reflected in the biological responses of exposed cells, we detailed phospho-protein profiles of three proteins functional in radiation repair and signal transduction. Detailing gamma-H2AX, pATF2 Ser(490/498) and pSMC1 Ser(957) kinetics after X-ray and iron-ion exposure also provides a window into understanding the underlying cellular responses. Phosphorylated forms of these proteins have been documented to co-localize at sites of double-strand breaks (DSBs) after low-LET radiation exposures, and two of these phosphorylations, pATF2 and pSMC1, are specifically dependent on ATM. Flow cytometry-based methods were used to quantify total levels of each phospho-protein at various times after irradiation. As expected, we observed a greater induction and persistence in gamma-H2AX after iron-ion (high-LET) exposure compared to X-ray (low-LET) exposure. In contrast, pATF2 and pSMC1 showed markedly lower induction levels after iron-ion exposure compared to equivalent doses of X rays. Quantification of pATF2 and pSMC1 foci revealed fewer cells containing foci and fewer foci per cell after iron-ion compared to X-ray exposure. These findings suggest that ATM responds to DSBs induced by high-LET radiation differently from DSBs induced by low-LET radiation.     

Male parenting and response to infant stimuli in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)

Callithrix jacchus infants are raised in complex family environments where most members participate in rearing the young. Many studies examining male parental behavior have focused on the carrying of infants with observations made within the family context. However, interference from family members can make it difficult to assess the father's motivation to care for infants. Our goals were to develop a testing paradigm for determining an individual's response to infant stimuli separate from family influences, compare a male's motivation to respond to an infant stimulus outside the family with his paternal behavior within the family, to compare responses to infant stimuli of parentally experienced versus inexperienced males and finally to develop a reproducible and standardized method of testing male responsiveness to infant stimulus that could serve to evaluate hormonal manipulations. Fifteen experienced common marmoset fathers were evaluated using three different measures of parental behavior: (1) instantaneous scan sampling, (2) continuous focal sampling in the family, and (3) continuous focal sampling of males presented with four infant stimuli: familiar and unfamiliar infants, familiar and unfamiliar infant vocalizations. Six parentally inexperienced males (non-fathers) served as controls. Males that carried the most in the family were typically the same males that responded most to the infant vocalization tests. Experienced fathers did not differ in their latency to enter the stimulus cage for any of the four infant stimuli response tests while inexperienced males took significantly longer to enter the stimulus cage. In addition, fathers expressed a greater frequency of infant-directed behavior than did the inexperienced males during the unfamiliar infant and unfamiliar vocalization tests. These studies show that experienced male marmosets are highly motivated to interact with infant stimuli and that there is interindividual variability in response to infant vocalizations. Testing males outside of the family allows for a clear assessment of male's interest in infant stimuli in both parentally experienced fathers and inexperienced males.     

Comparative proteome analysis of high and low cadmium accumulating soybeans under cadmium stress

A comparative proteomic study was performed to unravel the protein networks involved in cadmium stress response in soybean. Ten-day-old seedlings of contrasting cadmium accumulating soybean cultivars—Harosoy (high cadmium accumulator), Fukuyutaka (low cadmium accumulator), and their recombinant inbred line CDH-80 (high cadmium accumulator) were exposed to 100?μM CdCl₂ treatment for 3?days. Root growth was found to be affected under cadmium stress in all. Varietal differences at root protein level were evaluated. NADP-dependent alkenal double bond reductase P1 was found to be more abundant in low cadmium accumulating Fukuyutaka. Leaf proteome analysis revealed that differentially expressed proteins were primarily involved in metabolism and energy production. The results indicate that both high and low cadmium accumulating cultivars and CDH-80 share some common defense strategies to cope with the cadmium stress. High abundance of enzymes involved in glycolysis and TCA cycle might help cadmium challenged cells to produce more energy necessary to meet the high energy demand. Moreover, enhanced expressions of photosynthesis related proteins indicate quick utilization of photoassimilates in energy generation. Increased abundance of glutamine synthetase in all might be involved in phytochelatin mediated detoxification of cadmium ions. In addition, increased abundance of antioxidant enzymes, namely superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, ensures cellular protection from reactive oxygen species mediated damages under cadmium stress. Enhanced expression of molecular chaperones in high cadmium accumulating cultivar might be another additional defense mechanism for refolding of misfolded proteins and to stabilize protein structure and function, thus maintain cellular homeostasis.