26 research outputs found
Genetic Evidence for the Association between the Early Growth Response 3 (EGR3) Gene and Schizophrenia
Recently, two genome scan meta-analysis studies have found strong evidence for the association of loci on chromosome 8p with schizophrenia. The early growth response 3 (EGR3) gene located in chromosome 8p21.3 was also found to be involved in the etiology of schizophrenia. However, subsequent studies failed to replicate this finding. To investigate the genetic role of EGR3 in Chinese patients, we genotyped four SNPs (average interval ∼2.3 kb) in the chromosome region of EGR3 in 470 Chinese schizophrenia patients and 480 healthy control subjects. The SNP rs35201266 (located in intron 1 of EGR3) showed significant differences between cases and controls in both genotype frequency distribution (P = 0.016) and allele frequency distribution (P = 0.009). Analysis of the haplotype rs35201266-rs3750192 provided significant evidence for association with schizophrenia (P = 0.0012); a significant difference was found for the common haplotype AG (P = 0.0005). Furthermore, significant associations were also found in several other two-, and three-SNP tests of haplotype analyses. The meta-analysis revealed a statistically significant association between rs35201266 and schizophrenia (P = 0.0001). In summary, our study supports the association of EGR3 with schizophrenia in our Han Chinese sample, and further functional exploration of the EGR3 gene will contribute to the molecular basis for the complex network underlying schizophrenia pathogenesis
Nest Making and Oxytocin Comparably Promote Wound Healing in Isolation Reared Rats
Background: Environmental enrichment (EE) fosters attachment behavior through its effect on brain oxytocin levels in the hippocampus and other brain regions, which in turn modulate the hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA). Social isolation and other stressors negatively impact physical healing through their effect on the HPA. Therefore, we reasoned that: 1) provision of a rat EE (nest building with Nestlets®) would improve wound healing in rats undergoing stress due to isolation rearing and 2) that oxytocin would have a similar beneficial effect on wound healing. Methodology/Principal Findings: In the first two experiments, we provided isolation reared rats with either EE or oxytocin and compared their wound healing to group reared rats and isolation reared rats that did not receive Nestlets or oxytocin. In the third experiment, we examined the effect of Nestlets on open field locomotion and immediate early gene (IEG) expression. We found that isolation reared rats treated with Nestlets a) healed significantly better than without Nestlets, 2) healed at a similar rate to rats treated with oxytocin, 3) had decreased hyperactivity in the open field test, and 4) had normalized IEG expression in brain hippocampus. Conclusions/Significance: This study shows that when an EE strategy or oxytocin is given to isolation reared rats, the peripheral stress response, as measured by burn injury healing, is decreased. The findings indicate an association between the effect of nest making on wound healing and administration of the pro-bonding hormone oxytocin. Further elucidation of this animal model should lead to improved understanding of how EE strategies can ameliorate poor wound healing and other symptoms that result from isolation stress
Unique establishment of procephalic head segments is supported by the identification of cis-regulatory elements driving segment-specific segment polarity gene expression in Drosophila
Anterior head segmentation is governed by different regulatory mechanisms than those that control trunk segmentation in Drosophila. For segment polarity genes, both initial mode of activation as well as cross-regulatory interactions among them differ from the typical genetic circuitry in the trunk and are unique for each of the procephalic segments. In order to better understand the segment-specific gene network responsible for the procephalic expression of the earliest active segment polarity genes wingless and hedgehog, we started to identify and analyze cis-regulatory DNA elements of these genes. For hedgehog, we could identify a cis-regulatory element, ic-CRE, that mediates expression specifically in the posterior part of the intercalary segment and requires promoter-specific interaction for its function. The intercalary stripe is the last part of the metameric hedgehog expression pattern that appears during embryonic development, which probably reflects the late and distinct establishment of this segment. The identification of a cis-regulatory element that is specific for one head segment supports the mutant-based observation that the expression of segment polarity genes is governed by a unique gene network in each of the procephalic segments. This provides further indication that the anterior-most head segments represent primary segments, which are set up independently, in contrast to the secondary segments of the trunk, which resemble true repetitive units
Candidate Gene Screen in the Red Flour Beetle Tribolium Reveals Six3 as Ancient Regulator of Anterior Median Head and Central Complex Development
Several highly conserved genes play a role in anterior neural plate patterning of vertebrates and in head and brain patterning of insects. However, head involution in Drosophila has impeded a systematic identification of genes required for insect head formation. Therefore, we use the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum in order to comprehensively test the function of orthologs of vertebrate neural plate patterning genes for a function in insect head development. RNAi analysis reveals that most of these genes are indeed required for insect head capsule patterning, and we also identified several genes that had not been implicated in this process before. Furthermore, we show that Tc-six3/optix acts upstream of Tc-wingless, Tc-orthodenticle1, and Tc-eyeless to control anterior median development. Finally, we demonstrate that Tc-six3/optix is the first gene known to be required for the embryonic formation of the central complex, a midline-spanning brain part connected to the neuroendocrine pars intercerebralis. These functions are very likely conserved among bilaterians since vertebrate six3 is required for neuroendocrine and median brain development with certain mutations leading to holoprosencephaly
Gaming as a Key Approach for the Recovery Process of a Public Space: The Case Study of the Old Chemical Plant \u2018Chimica Arenella\u2019 in Palermo
This poster describes the FORGE (FactOry of uRban GamEs) project, a proposal that our research group launched in partnership with the Municipality of Palermo (Italy) and other local stakeholders in 2019.
FORGE will be hosted in what was previously a chemical plant (the former \u2018Chimica Arenella\u2019) and is an open factory designed to collect needs and to generate interventions for urban Innovation. The four key terms we have used for the project are urban, game, factory and participation. In fact, FORGE employs a participatory methodological model based on the concept of game, aimed at supporting social and economic development through a platform for participatory codesign. FORGE also plays a key role in fostering social inclusion, becoming a \u2018participation hub\u2019 and an urban center for the whole city
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Human Polyomavirus 9-An Emerging Cutaneous and Pulmonary Pathogen in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients
We describe the first report to our knowledge of cutaneous and systemic pathogenicity of human polyomavirus 9 in solid organ transplant recipients.
Three solid organ transplant recipients developed a widespread, progressive, violaceous, and hyperkeratotic skin eruption. All died from pulmonary and multiorgan failure around 1 year from onset of the rash. Routine clinical diagnostic testing could not identify any causative agent; therefore, samples and autopsies were investigated for novel pathogens using high-throughput sequencing.
This case series, including 3 solid organ transplant recipients who developed characteristic pink, violaceous, or brown hyperkeratotic papules and plaques throughout the body, was conducted at the Columbia University Medical Center. Lesional skin biopsies were collected from all 3 patients and subjected to high-throughput illumina sequencing for identification of microbial pathogens. Human polyomavirus 9 was identified in lesional skin biopsies. We subsequently collected ocular swabs, oral swabs, urine samples, and blood samples from patients, and organ tissues at autopsy in 1 patient. We investigated these samples for the presence of human polyomavirus 9 using in situ hybridization and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays.
A description of the clinical and pathologic findings of 3 patients.
This case series study found that human polyomavirus 9 was detected in the skin biopsies of all 3 patients by a capture-based high-throughput sequencing method platform (VirCapSeq-VERT). Human polyomavirus 9 was also detected in blood, oral, ocular swabs, and urine by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. In situ hybridization and quantitative PCR assays were performed on the skin biopsies from 3 patients and lung autopsy of 1 patient, which showed the presence of human polyomavirus 9 messenger RNA transcripts, indicating active viral replication and pathogenesis in the skin and lungs.
Human polyomavirus 9 was associated with the widespread cutaneous eruption. All 3 patients had progression of cutaneous disease, accompanied by clinical deterioration, pulmonary failure, and death. One patient underwent autopsy and human polyomavirus 9 was identified in the lungs and paratracheal soft tissue. These findings suggest that human polyomavirus 9 may be associated with cutaneous and possibly pulmonary infection and death in solid organ transplant recipients