Identifying novel genes involved in both deer physiological and human pathological osteoporosis

Osteoporosis attacks 10% of the population worldwide. Humans or even the model animals of the disease cannot recover from porous bone. Regeneration in skeletal elements is the unique feature of our newly investigated osteoporosis model, the red deer (Cervus elaphus) stag. Cyclic physiological osteoporosis is a consequence of the annual antler cycle. This phenomenon raises the possibility to identify genes involved in the regulation of bone mineral density on the basis of comparative genomics between deer and human. We compare gene expression activity of osteoporotic and regenerating rib bone samples versus autumn dwell control in red deer by microarray hybridization. Identified genes were tested on human femoral bone tissue from non-osteoporotic controls and patients affected with age-related osteoporosis. Expression data were evaluated by Principal Components Analysis and Canonical Variates Analysis. Separation of patients into a normal and an affected group based on ten formerly known osteoporosis reference genes was significantly improved by expanding the data with newly identified genes. These genes include IGSF4, FABP3, FABP4, FKBP2, TIMP2, TMSB4X, TRIB, and members of the Wnt signaling. This study supports that extensive comparative genomic analyses, here deer and human, provide a novel approach to identify new targets for human diagnostics and therapy. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Evidence for a recent horizontal transmission and spatial spread of Wolbachia from endemic Rhagoletis cerasi (Diptera: Tephritidae) to invasive Rhagoletis cingulata in Europe

The widespread occurrence of Wolbachia in arthropods and nematodes suggests that this intracellular, maternally inherited endosymbiont has the ability to cross species boundaries. However, direct evidence for such a horizontal transmission of Wolbachia in nature is scarce. Here, we compare the well‐characterized Wolbachia infection of the European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi, with that of the North American eastern cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cingulata, recently introduced to Europe. Molecular genetic analysis of Wolbachia based on multilocus sequence typing and the Wolbachia surface protein wsp showed that all R. cingulata individuals are infected with wCin2 identical to wCer2 in R. cerasi. In contrast, wCin1, a strain identical to wCer1 in R. cerasi, was present in several European populations of R. cingulata, but not in any individual from the United States. Surveys of R. cingulata from Germany and Hungary indicated that in some populations, the frequency of wCin1 increased significantly in just a few years with at least two independent horizontal transmission events. This is corroborated by the analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase II gene that showed association of wCin1 with two distinct haplotypes in Germany, one of which is also infected with wCin1 in Hungary. In summary, our study provides strong evidence for a very recent inter‐specific Wolbachia transmission with a subsequent spatial spread in field populations.     

Dual mechanism of neuronal ensemble inhibition in primary auditory cortex

Inhibition plays an essential role in shaping and refining the brain's representation of sensory stimulus attributes. In primary auditory cortex (A1), so-called "sideband" inhibition helps to sharpen the tuning of local neuronal responses. Several distinct types of anatomical circuitry could underlie sideband inhibition, including direct thalamocortical (TC) afferents, as well as indirect intracortical mechanisms. The goal of the present study was to characterize sideband inhibition in A1 and to determine its mechanism by analyzing laminar profiles of neuronal ensemble activity. Our results indicate that both lemniscal and nonlemniscal TC afferents play a role in inhibitory responses via feedforward inhibition and oscillatory phase reset, respectively. We propose that the dynamic modulation of excitability in A1 due to the phase reset of ongoing oscillations may alter the tuning of local neuronal ensembles and can be regarded as a flexible overlay on the more obligatory system of lemniscal feedforward type responses.     

The signs of silence

How does auditory cortex respond to silence? In this issue of Neuron, show that activity in macaque auditory cortex is highly structured even in the absence of sensory stimuli. These data reveal a close link between spontaneous neural activity and the functional organization of auditory cortex.     

Data regarding the restorative effects of the partial removal of the liver in advanced stages of toxic cirrhosis.

The effects of subtotal hepatectomy of albino rats liver cirrhois at 6 and 9 months after the start of CCl4 administration were studied. The results were assessed through self-control and comparison with similar groups in which the spontaneous reversibility of cirrhotic lesions was followed. In the group of 6 months, the liver exeresis results in normalization of morphological and biochemical liver aspects within a period of one month from the intervention. In the group of 9 months, one may also note a stimulation of the regenerative capacity of parenchyma and marked collagenolytic effects without the complete restoration of the stroma/parenchyma ratio. It seems that the major exereses are also effective in the advanced stages of liver cirrosis once the threshold of spontaneous reversibility has been exceeded.     

Tissue-specific signal(s) activate the promoter of a metallocarboxypeptidase inhibitor gene family in potato tuber and berry

The molecular basis of the differential expression of the GM7-type metallocarboxypeptidase inhibitor (MCPI) genes in tuberizing (StMCPI) and non-tuberizing Solanum species (SbMCPI) was investigated. It was shown that the StMCPI is encoded by a gene family in Solanum tuberosum (potato), but SbMCPI might be a single-copy gene in the non-tuberizing species Solanum brevidens. The StMCPI promoter shows evolutionary relatedness to the S. brevidens-derived SbMCPI and to the fruit-specific tomato promoter 2A11. Both StMCPI and SbMCPI promoter regions were able to confer tuber- and berry-specific expression for the -glucuronidase reporter gene in potato suggesting that the difference in MCPI gene expression is in trans regulatory factors between the tuberizing and the non-tuberizing Solanum species. The MCPI promoters did not respond to metabolic, environmental or hormonal signals in leaves. Thus, the MCPI genes are regulated in a different way than the other known tuber-specific genes and potentially are suitable for biotechnological application in potato to provide specific transgene expression in tuber and berry.     

The prevalence and incidence of Helicobacter pylori infections among young recruits during service in the Hungarian Army

BACKGROUND: A vast number of data indicate that the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infections is positively correlated with age and is different in various countries. Although our knowledge of transmission of H. pylori is very limited, it is reasonable to assume that it could be much more contagious in closed communities, for example in garrisons, than in normal populations. METHODS: Young male recruits (aged 19-23 years) in the Hungarian Army were tested for seropositivity at the beginning and at the end of their military service. RESULTS: The prevalence of H. pylori seropositivity was found to be 23% (*CI95%: 21-24%) among the young male recruits. Seroconversion among the formerly seronegative persons after completing either their 9-month or 6-month military service was 30% (CI95%: 25-35%) and 23% (CI95%: 8-45%), respectively. In those groups, where either the H. pylori infection was eradicated by antibiotics or hygienic countermeasures were introduced, the infection rate was reduced from 23% to 11% (CI95%: 3-25%) and to 0% (CI95%: 0-6%); p > .2 and p < .002, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that, although H. pylori has a very high contagiosity in closed communities, its spread can be reduced or even prevented by medication of the infected persons and/or by improving the hygienic conditions and introducing anti-infective sanitary regulations.     

Low temperature inhibits RNA silencing-mediated defence by the control of siRNA generation

Temperature dramatically affects plant-virus interactions. Outbreaks of virus diseases are frequently associated with low temperature, while at high temperature viral symptoms are often attenuated (heat masking) and plants rapidly recover from virus diseases. However, the underlying mechanisms of these well-known observations are not yet understood. RNA silencing is a conserved defence system of eukaryotic cells, which operates against molecular parasites including viruses and transgenes. Here we show that at low temperature both virus and transgene triggered RNA silencing are inhibited. Therefore, in cold, plants become more susceptible to viruses, and RNA silencing-based phenotypes of transgenic plants are lost. Consistently, the levels of virus- and transgene-derived small (21-26 nucleotide) interfering (si) RNAs-the central molecules of RNA silencing-mediated defence pathways-are dramatically reduced at low temperature. In contrast, RNA silencing was activated and the amount of siRNAs gradually increased with rising temperature. However, temperature does not influence the accumulation of micro (mi) RNAs, which play a role in developmental regulation, suggesting that the two classes of small (si and mi) RNAs are generated by different nuclease complexes.