Identification of a new EGF-repeat-containing gene from human Xp22: a candidate for developmental disorders

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) repeat-containing proteins constitute an expanding family of proteins involved in several cellular activities such as blood coagulation, fibrinolysis, cell adhesion, and neural and vertebrate development. By using a bioinformatic approach, we have identified a new member of this family named MAEG (MAM- and EGF-containing gene; HGMW-approved gene symbol and gene name). Sequence analysis indicates that MAEG encodes a secreted protein characterized by the presence of five EGF repeats, three of which display a Ca(2+)-binding consensus sequence. In addition, a MAM domain is also present at the C-terminus of the predicted protein product. The human and murine full-length cDNAs were identified and mapped to human Xp22 and to the mouse syntenic region. Northern analysis indicates that MAEG is expressed early during development. Taken together, these data render MAEG a candidate for human and murine developmental disorders.     

Changes of CYP1A1, GST, and ALDH3 enzymes in hepatoma cell lines undergoing enhanced lipid peroxidation

Hepatoma cells show alterations in the response to oxidative stress (decreased lipid peroxidation) and in xenobiotic metabolism enzymes (decreased P450, increased GST and ALDH3). This study examined the effect of lipid peroxidation on the expression of the above enzymes in two rat hepatoma cell lines (MH(1)C(1) and 7777). To induce oxidative stress, cells were exposed to arachidonic acid (to increase lipid peroxidation substrate) and/or to beta-naphthoflavone (to increase CYP450), and treated with one dose of iron/histidine. The cells, that were still viable after the challenge, were refed with the culture medium and CYP1A1, GST, and ALDH3 enzymes monitored for 1, 6, 12, and 24 h. Treatments that increased markers indicative of lipid peroxidation are associated with a decrease in enzyme activities, which was permanent for CYP1A1 and transient for the other enzymes. We speculate from these data that aldehydic byproducts of lipid peroxidation may be responsible for these effects. Thus, restoration of lipid peroxidation in hepatoma cells seems to induce a rapid adaptation to oxidative stress, which is achieved by a simultaneous decrease of reactive oxygen species production and an increase in the two main enzymes involved in the removal of the aldehydic products of lipid peroxidation.     

The role of intravascular ultrasound imaging in vascular brachytherapy

Intracoronary brachytherapy has recently emerged as a new therapy to prevent restenosis. Initial experimental work was achieved in animal models and the results were assessed by histomorphometry. Initial clinical trials used angiography to guide dosimetry and to assess efficacy. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) permits tomographic examination of the vessel wall, elucidating the true morphology of the lumen and transmural components, which cannot be investigated on the lumenogram obtained by angiography. This paper reviews the use of IVUS in the clinical studies of brachytherapy conducted to date. IVUS allows clinicians to make a thorough assessment of the remodeling of the vessel and appears to have a major role to play in facilitating understanding of the underlying mechanisms of action in this emerging field. The authors propose that state-of-the-art IVUS techniques should be employed to further knowledge of the mechanisms of action of brachytherapy in atherosclerotic human coronary arteries.     

Molecular structure and evolution of DNA sequences located at the alpha satellite boundary of chromosome 20

We have isolated and characterised one PAC clone (dJ233C1) containing a linkage between alphoid and non-alphoid DNA. The non-alphoid DNA was found to map at the pericentromeric region of chromosome 20, both on p and q sides, and to contain homologies with one contig (ctg176, Sanger Centre), also located in the same chromosome region. At variance with the chromosome specificity shown by the majority of non-alphoid DNA, a subset of alphoid repeats derived from the PAC yielded FISH hybridisation signals located at the centromeric region of several human chromosomes, belonging to three different suprachromosomal families. The evolutionary conservation of this boundary region was investigated by comparative FISH experiments on chromosomes from great apes. The non-alphoid DNA was found to have undergone events of expansion and transposition to different pericentromeric regions of great apes chromosomes. Alphoid sequences revealed a very wide distribution of FISH signals in the great apes. The pattern was substantially discordant with the data available in the literature, which is essentially derived from the central alphoid subset. These results add further support to the emerging opinion that the pericentromeric regions are high plastics, and that the alpha satellite junctions do not share the evolutionary history with the main subsets.     

Energy transfer among CP29 chlorophylls: calculated Förster rates and experimental transient absorption at room temperature

The energy transfer rates between chlorophylls in the light harvesting complex CP29 of higher plants at room temperature were calculated ab initio according to the F?rster mechanism (F?rster T. 1948, Ann. Physik. 2:55-67). Recently, the transition moment orientation of CP29 chlorophylls was determined by differential linear dichroism and absorption spectroscopy of wild-type versus mutant proteins in which single chromophores were missing (Simonetto R., Crimi M., Sandonà D., Croce R., Cinque G., Breton J., and Bassi R. 1999. Biochemistry. 38:12974-12983). In this way the Q(y) transition energy and chlorophyll a/b affinity of each binding site was obtained and their characteristics supported by reconstruction of steady-state linear dichroism and absorption spectra at room temperature. In this study, the spectral form of individual chlorophyll a and b ligands within the protein environment was experimentally determined, and their extinction coefficients were also used to evaluate the absolute overlap integral between donors and acceptors employing the Stepanov relation for both the emission spectrum and the Stokes shift. This information was used to calculate the time-dependent excitation redistribution among CP29 chlorophylls on solving numerically the Pauli master equation of the complex: transient absorption measurements in the (sub)picosecond time scale were simulated and compared to pump-and-probe experimental data in the Q(y) region on the native CP29 at room temperature upon selective excitation of chlorophylls b at 640 or 650 nm. The kinetic model indicates a bidirectional excitation transfer over all CP29 chlorophylls a species, which is particularly rapid between the pure sites A1-A2 and A4-A5. Chlorophylls b in mixed sites act mostly as energy donors for chlorophylls a, whereas site B5 shows high and bidirectional coupling independent of the pigment hosted.     

Countdown to 2015: Tracking Maternal and Child Health Intervention Targets Using Lot Quality Assurance Sampling in Bauchi State Nigeria

Background

Improving maternal and child health remains a top priority in Nigeria’s Bauchi State in the northeastern region where the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) and infant mortality rate (IMR) are as high as 1540 per 100,000 live births and 78 per 1,000 live births respectively. In this study, we used the framework of the continuum of maternal and child care to evaluate the impact of interventions in Bauchi State focused on improved maternal and child health, and to ascertain progress towards the achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5.

Methods

At baseline (2012) and then at follow-up (2013), we randomly sampled 340 households from 19 random locations in each of the 20 Local Government Areas (LGA) of Bauchi State in Northern Nigeria, using the Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) technique. Women residents in the households were interviewed about their own health and that of their children. Estimated LGA coverage of maternal and child health indicators were aggregated across the State. These values were then compared to the national figures, and the differences from 2012 to 2014 were calculated.

Results

For several of the indicators, a modest improvement from baseline was found. However, the indicators in the continuum of care neither reached the national average nor attained the 90% globally recommended coverage level. The majority of the LGA surveyed were classifiable as high priority, thus requiring intensified efforts and programmatic scale up.

Conclusions

Intensive scale-up of programs and interventions is needed in Bauchi State, Northern Nigeria, to accelerate, consolidate and sustain the modest but significant achievements in the continuum of care, if MDGs 4 and 5 are to be achieved by the end of 2015. The intentional focus of LGAs as the unit of intervention ought to be considered a condition precedent for future investments. Priority should be given to the re-allocating resources to program areas and regions where coverage has been low. Finally, systematic considerations need to be given to the design of strategies that address the demand for health services.     

Interspecies Gene Name Extrapolation—A New Approach

The use of animal models has facilitated numerous scientific developments, especially when employing “omics” technologies to study the effects of various environmental factors on humans. Our study presents a new bioinformatics pipeline suitable when the generated microarray data from animal models does not contain the necessary human gene name annotation. We conducted single color gene expression microarray on duodenum and spleen tissue obtained from pigs which have been exposed to zearalenone and Escherichia coli contamination, either alone or combined. By performing a combination of file format modifications and data alignments using various online tools as well as a command line environment, we performed the pig to human gene name extrapolation with an average yield of 58.34%, compared to 3.64% when applying more simple methods. In conclusion, while online data analysis portals on their own are of great importance in data management and assessment, our new pipeline provided a more effective approach for a situation which can be frequently encountered by researchers in the “omics” era.     

Whole-Genome Analysis of Diversity and SNP-Major Gene Association in Peach Germplasm

Peach was domesticated in China more than four millennia ago and from there it spread world-wide. Since the middle of the last century, peach breeding programs have been very dynamic generating hundreds of new commercial varieties, however, in most cases such varieties derive from a limited collection of parental lines (founders). This is one reason for the observed low levels of variability of the commercial gene pool, implying that knowledge of the extent and distribution of genetic variability in peach is critical to allow the choice of adequate parents to confer enhanced productivity, adaptation and quality to improved varieties. With this aim we genotyped 1,580 peach accessions (including a few closely related Prunus species) maintained and phenotyped in five germplasm collections (four European and one Chinese) with the International Peach SNP Consortium 9K SNP peach array. The study of population structure revealed the subdivision of the panel in three main populations, one mainly made up of Occidental varieties from breeding programs (POP1OC_B), one of Occidental landraces (POP2OC_T) and the third of Oriental accessions (POP3OR). Analysis of linkage disequilibrium (LD) identified differential patterns of genome-wide LD blocks in each of the populations. Phenotypic data for seven monogenic traits were integrated in a genome-wide association study (GWAS). The significantly associated SNPs were always in the regions predicted by linkage analysis, forming haplotypes of markers. These diagnostic haplotypes could be used for marker-assisted selection (MAS) in modern breeding programs.     

Predicting the Spatial Distribution of Wolf (Canis lupus) Breeding Areas in a Mountainous Region of Central Italy

Wolves (Canis lupus) in Italy represent a relict west European population. They are classified as vulnerable by IUCN, though have increased in number and expanded their range in recent decades. Here we use 17 years of monitoring data (from 1993 to 2010) collected in a mountainous region of central Italy (Arezzo, Tuscany) in an ecological niche-based model (MaxEnt) to characterize breeding sites (i.e. the areas where pups were raised) within home ranges, as detected from play-back responses. From a suite of variables related to topography, habitat and human disturbance we found that elevation and distance to protected areas were most important in explaining the locality of wolf responses. Rendezvous sites (family play-back response sites) typically occurred between 800 and 1200 m a.s.l., inside protected areas, and were usually located along mountain chains distant from human settlements and roads. In these areas human disturbance is low and the densities of ungulates are typically high. Over recent years, rendezvous sites have occurred closer to urban areas as the wolf population has continued to expand, despite the consequent human disturbance. This suggests that undisturbed landscapes may be reaching their carrying capacity for wolves. This, in turn, may lead to the potential for increased human-wolf interactions in future. Applying our model, both within and beyond the species’ current range, we identify sites both within the current range and also further afield, that the species could occupy in future. Our work underlines the importance of the present protected areas network in facilitating the recolonisation by wolves. Our projections of suitability of sites for future establishment as the population continues to expand could inform planning to minimize future wolf-human conflicts.