Global transcriptional response of pig brain and lung to natural infection by Pseudorabies virus

Background  

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is an alphaherpesviruses whose native host is pig. PRV infection mainly causes signs of central nervous system disorder in young pigs, and respiratory system diseases in the adult.     

Defining the healthy "core microbiome" of oral microbial communities

Background  

Most studies examining the commensal human oral microbiome are focused on disease or are limited in methodology. In order to diagnose and treat diseases at an early and reversible stage an in-depth definition of health is indispensible. The aim of this study therefore was to define the healthy oral microbiome using recent advances in sequencing technology (454 pyrosequencing).     

Mitochondrial heteroplasmy and DNA barcoding in Hawaiian <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hylaeus</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Nesoprosopis</Emphasis>) bees (Hymenoptera: Colletidae)

Background  

The past several years have seen a flurry of papers seeking to clarify the utility and limits of DNA barcoding, particularly in areas such as species discovery and paralogy due to nuclear pseudogenes. Heteroplasmy, the coexistence of multiple mitochondrial haplotypes in a single organism, has been cited as a potentially serious problem for DNA barcoding but its effect on identification accuracy has not been tested. In addition, few studies of barcoding have tested a large group of closely-related species with a well-established morphological taxonomy. In this study we examine both of these issues, by densely sampling the Hawaiian Hylaeus bee radiation.     

Cotyledonary somatic embryos of Pinus pinaster Ait. most closely resemble fresh,maturing cotyledonary zygotic embryos: biological,carbohydrate and proteomic analyses

Cotyledonary somatic embryos (SEs) of maritime pine are routinely matured for 12 weeks before being germinated and converted to plantlets. Although regeneration success is highly dependent on SEs quality, the date of harvesting is currently determined mainly on the basis of morphological features. This empirical method does not provide any accurate information about embryo quality with respect to storage compounds (proteins, carbohydrates). We first analyzed SEs matured for 10, 12 and 14 weeks by carrying out biological (dry weight, water content) and biochemical measurements (total protein and carbohydrate contents). No difference could be found between collection dates, suggesting that harvesting SEs after 12 weeks is appropriate. Cotyledonary SEs were then compared to various stages, from fresh to fully desiccated, in the development of cotyledonary zygotic embryos (ZEs). We identified profiles that were similar using hierarchical ascendant cluster analysis (HCA). Fresh and dehydrated ZEs could be distinguished, and SEs clustered with fresh ZEs. Both types of embryo exhibited similar carbohydrate and protein contents and signatures. This high level of similarity (94.5 %) was further supported by proteome profiling. Highly expressed proteins included storage, stress-related, late embryogenesis abundant and energy metabolism proteins. By comparing overexpressed proteins in developing and cotyledonary SEs or ZEs, some (23 proteins) could be identified as candidate biomarkers for the late, cotyledonary stage. This is the first report of useful generic protein markers for monitoring embryo development in maritime pine. Our results also suggest that improvements of SEs quality may be achieved if the current maturation conditions are refined.     

alpha-Tocopherol and protein kinase C inhibition enhance platelet-derived nitric oxide release.

Platelet activation is tightly regulated by products of the endothelium and platelets including nitric oxide (NO). Excess vascular oxidative stress has been associated with impaired NO release, and antioxidant status has been shown to alter endothelium-derived NO bioactivity. Although physiological levels of a-tocopherol are known to inhibit platelet function, the effect of a-tocopherol on platelet NO release is unknown. Loading platelets with physiologic levels of a-tocopherol increased platelet NO production approximately 1.5-fold (Pa-tocopherol, platelet NO release increased 50% (Pa-Tocopherol-loaded platelets also produced 74% less superoxide as compared with control (Pa-tocopherol inhibited PKC-dependent eNOS phosphorylation as determined by immunoprecipitation. Lastly, platelets isolated from NOS3-deficient mice released 80% less superoxide as compared with control animals (P=0.011), and incubation of NOS III-deficient platelets with 500 mM a-tocopherol only caused a modest additional decrease in platelet superoxide release (NS). Thus, a-tocopherol appears to enhance platelet NO release both in vitro and in vivo through antioxidant- and PKC-dependent mechanisms.     

Analysis of copia sequence variation within and between Drosophila species

The sequences of the 5' long-terminal repeat (LTR) and adjacent leader regions of 27 full-length copia elements isolated from natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster, D. simulans, and D. mauritiana are presented. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that although D. melanogaster copia elements are distinct from those of D. simulans and D. mauritiana, the elements of these latter two species are not distinguishable from one another. LTRs and adjacent 5' leader regions of elements isolated from D. simulans and D. mauritiana are structurally similar to one another and carry substantial deletional variation mapping to regions previously identified as being of potential importance for copia expression.      

Comparisons of the molecular evolutionary process at rbcL and ndhF in the grass family (Poaceae)

We examine rate heterogeneity among evolutionary lineages of the grass family at two plasmid loci, ndhF and rbcL, and we introduce a method to determine whether patterns of rate heterogeneity are correlated between loci. We show both that rates of synonymous evolution are heterogeneous among grass lineages and that are heterogeneity is correlated between loci at synonymous sites. At nonsynonymous sites, the pattern of rate heterogeneity is not correlated between loci, primarily due to an aberrant pattern of rate heterogeneity at nonsynonymous sites of rbcL. We compare patterns of synonymous rate heterogeneity to predictors based on the generation time effect and the speciation rate hypotheses. Although there is some evidence for generation time effects, neither generation time effects nor speciation rates appear to be sufficient to explain patterns of rate heterogeneity in the grass plastid sequences.      

Antisense RNA decreases AP33 gene expression and cytoadherence by <Emphasis Type="Italic">T. vaginalis</Emphasis>

Background  

Host parasitism by Trichomonas vaginalis is complex. Adherence to vaginal epithelial cells (VECs) is mediated by surface proteins. We showed before that antisense down-regulation of expression of adhesin AP65 decreased amounts of protein, which lowered levels of T. vaginalis adherence to VECs. We now perform antisense down-regulation of expression of the ap33 gene to evaluate and confirm a role for AP33 in adherence by T. vaginalis. We also used an established transfection system for heterologous expression of AP33 in T. foetus as an additional confirmatory approach.