Investigation of cytocrom c oxidase gene subunits expression on the Multiple sclerosis

INTRODUCTION:

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune inflamatory disease, which affects the (Central Nervous System) and leads to the destruction of myelin and atrophy of the axons. Genetic factors, in addition to environmental ones, seem to play a role in MS. Numerous studies have reported mitochondrial defects including a reduction in cytochrome c oxidase (COX) complex function related to the reduction of mitochondrial genes expression in the cortex tissue of patients with MS have been reported.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

This study aimed to assess COX5B and COX2 genes expression in MS patients and compare it with normal subjects. We determine expression levels of genes COX5B and COX2, and also gene reference ß-actine using real–time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. Data were obtained and obtained and standardized with the gene reference and were analyzed using independent sample t-test with SPSS and Excel programs.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION:

The resultshowed COX5B gene expression reduced significant in MS patients compared to normal subjects (P < −0.05) whereas, there was no significant difference in the COX2 gene expression between normal subjects and patients. Thus, it can be claimed that down-regulation of mitochondrial electron transport chain genes supported the hypothesis that hypoxia-like tissue injury in MS may be due to mitochondrial genes, different expression impairment.     

Chromium,Copper, and Arsenic Concentrations in Soil Underneath CCA-Treated Wood Structures

Soils below nine structures (decks and foot bridges) in Florida were examined to evaluate potential impacts from chromated copper arsenate (CCA), a common wood preservative. Eight of the nine structures were confirmed to have been treated with CCA. Soils collected were evaluated for arsenic, chromium, and copper concentrations as well as pH, volatile solids content and particle size distribution. Two types of soil samples were collected: a soil core and surface soil samples (upper 2.5 cm). One soil core was collected from below each deck and one control core was collected from an area removed from one of the structures. Eight or nine surface soil samples were collected in a grid-like fashion from beneath each structure. Equal numbers of surface control samples were collected from areas away from the structures. Metal concentrations were elevated in both the soil cores and surface samples collected from below the CCA-treated structures. Core samples showed elevated concentrations of metals at depths up to 20 cm. The arithmetic mean concentrations of arsenic, chromium, and copper in the 65 surface soil samples collected from below CCA-treated structures were 28.5 mg/kg, 31.1 mg/kg, and 37.2 mg/kg, respectively, whereas the mean concentrations of arsenic, chromium, and copper in the control samples were 1.34 mg/kg, 8.62 mg/kg, and 6.05 mg/kg, respectively. Arsenic concentrations exceeded Florida's risk-based soil cleanup target level (SCTL) for residential settings in all 65 surface soil samples. The industrial setting SCTL was exceeded in 62 of the 65 samples.     

Assessment of HER-2 gene overexpression in Isfahan province breast cancer patients using Real Time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry

Purpose

Overexpression of proto-oncogene HER-2 is one of the main molecular markers of breast cancer involved in prognosis and diagnosis and also in trastuzumab therapy. Thus, a request for the evaluation of HER-2 status in breast cancer has been increasing. The aim of our study was assessment of HER-2 overexpression in malignant and benign breast cancer specimens by Real Time RT-PCR technique and comparison of its results with IHC outcomes.

Methods

Twenty benign and sixty malignant breast cancers in addition to fifteen normal breast tissue specimens were analyzed by Real Time RT-PCR method. Fresh tissue samples were disrupted by mortar and pestle. A syringe and a needle were used for complete homogenization of the tissues. The RNA was then isolated from the samples and converted to cDNA. A standard curve was initially plotted using BioEasy SYBR Green I and then all 95 specimens were studied by Real Time RT-PCR using 2^− ΔΔCt method.

Results

23.3% of 60 malignant specimens showed HER-2 overexpression, while all of the benign samples represented the normal expression level of HER-2 gene. The concordance rate between the results of Real Time RT-PCR and IHC was 86.6%.

Conclusion

Real Time RT-PCR method is an almost reliable technique and at least can be used as a complementary method for confirming IHC results. This is emanated from relatively high rate of concordance between outcomes of IHC test, as a routine method of detecting the HER-2 gene expression status, and Real Time RT-PCR technique.     

The Crosstalk Between Brain Mediators Regulating Food Intake Behavior in Birds: A Review

International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics - Appetite is controlled by a complex system of central and peripheral signals interacting to modulate the ingestion response. Several...     

Global phylogeographic limits of Hawaii's avian malaria

The introduction of avian malaria (Plasmodium relictum) to Hawaii has provided a model system for studying the influence of exotic disease on naive host populations. Little is known, however, about the origin or the genetic variation of Hawaii's malaria and traditional classification methods have confounded attempts to place the parasite within a global ecological and evolutionary context. Using fragments of the parasite mitochondrial gene cytochrome b and the nuclear gene dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase obtained from a global survey of greater than 13000 avian samples, we show that Hawaii's avian malaria, which can cause high mortality and is a major limiting factor for many species of native passerines, represents just one of the numerous lineages composing the morphological parasite species. The single parasite lineage detected in Hawaii exhibits a broad host distribution worldwide and is dominant on several other remote oceanic islands, including Bermuda and Moorea, French Polynesia. The rarity of this lineage in the continental New World and the restriction of closely related lineages to the Old World suggest limitations to the transmission of reproductively isolated parasite groups within the morphological species.     

Isolation and characterization of ACC deaminase-producing fluorescent pseudomonads, to alleviate salinity stress on canola (Brassica napus L.) growth

Salinity stress is of great importance in arid and semi-arid areas of the world due to its impact in reducing crop yield. Under salinity stress, the amount of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC), a precursor for ethylene production in plants, increases. Here, we conducted research under the hypothesis that isolated ACC deaminase-producing Pseudomonas fluorescens and Pseudomonas putida can alleviate the stressful effects of salinity on canola (Brassica napus L.) growth. The experiments were conducted in the Soil and Water Research Institute, Tehran, Iran. Seven experimental stages were conducted to isolate and characterize ACC deaminase-producing Pseudomonas fluorescens strains and to determine factors enhancing their growth and, consequently, their effects on the germination of canola seeds. Under salinity stress, in 14% of the isolates, ACC deaminase activity was observed, indicating that they were able to utilize ACC as the sole N-source. Bacterial strains differed in their ability to synthesize auxin and hydrogen cyanide compounds, as well as in their ACC deaminase activity. Under salinity stress, the rate of germinating seeds inoculated with the strains of ACC deaminase-producing Pseudomonas fluorescens and Pseudomonas putida, and seedling growth was significantly higher. These results indicate the significance of soil biological activities, including the activities of plant growth-promoting bacteria, in the alleviation of soil stresses such as salinity on plant growth.     

Genetic fidelity assessment of <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis>-regenerated plants of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Albizia julibrissin</Emphasis> using SCoT and IRAP fingerprinting

A protocol was established for callus induction and plant regeneration of Albizia julibrissin Durazz., a multipurpose tree. Calli were induced on hypocotyl explants excised from 10- to 14-d-old in vitro seedlings cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) alone or in combination with 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) or 6-furfurylaminopurine (kinetin). The highest frequency of organogenic callus (82.2?±?3.6%) was obtained on MS medium with 10.8 μM NAA and 4.4 μM BA. Calli were then cultured on MS medium with BA or zeatin, singly or in combination, for shoot regeneration. Calli cultured on MS medium with 13.2 μM BA and 4.6 μM zeatin produced the highest frequency of adventitious shoot regeneration (75.3?±?6.3%). Maximum rooting of shoots (73.3?±?5%) was achieved using half-strength MS medium with 4.9 μM indole-3-butyric acid. The genetic fidelity of 12 plants acclimatized to the greenhouse was assessed based on analyses of start codon targeted (SCoT) polymorphism and inter-retrotransposon amplified polymorphism (IRAP). The 14 SCoT and 7 IRAP adapted primers produced 71 and 34 scoreable fragments, of which 33 (46%) and 12 (35%) were polymorphic, respectively. The in vitro-raised plants exhibited 0.129–0.438 genetic distance from the mother plant and 0.000–0.788 distance from one another according to the SCoT and IRAP analyses. Although the culture method described here may not be suitable for clonal propagation of elite genotypes, it can be used for conservation of this plant.     

Stress “Deafness” Reveals Absence of Lexical Marking of Stress or Tone in the Adult Grammar

A Sequence Recall Task with disyllabic stimuli contrasting either for the location of prosodic prominence or for the medial consonant was administered to 150 subjects equally divided over five language groups. Scores showed a significant interaction between type of contrast and language group, such that groups did not differ on their performance on the consonant contrast, while two language groups, Dutch and Japanese, significantly outperformed the three other language groups (French, Indonesian and Persian) on the prosodic contrast. Since only Dutch and Japanese words have unpredictable stress or accent locations, the results are interpreted to mean that stress “deafness” is a property of speakers of languages without lexical stress or tone markings, as opposed to the presence of stress or accent contrasts in phrasal (post-lexical) constructions. Moreover, the degree of transparency between the locations of stress/tone and word boundaries did not appear to affect our results, despite earlier claims that this should have an effect. This finding is of significance for speech processing, language acquisition and phonological theory.