Diversity of Meq gene from clinical Marek’s disease virus infection in Saudi Arabia

Aim: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the genomic features of Meq gene of Marek’s disease virus (MDV) recently circulating in Saudi Arabia (SA). Materials and Methods: Two poultry flocks suffering from mortalities and visceral tumors were presented to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, King Faisal University, SA. Subjected to different diagnostic procedures: Case history, clinical signs, and necropsy as well as polymerase chain reaction followed by Meq gene sequence analysis. Results: Case history, clinical signs, and necropsy were suggestive of MDV infection. The Meq gene was successfully detected in liver and spleen of infected chickens. A 1062 bp band including the native Meq ORF in addition to a 939 bp of S-Meq (short isoform of Meq) were amplified from Saudi 01-13 and Saudi 02-13, respectively. The nucleotide and deduced amino acids sequences of the amplified Meq genes of both Saudi isolates showed distinct polymorphism when compared with the standard USA virulent isolates Md5 and GA. The sequence analysis of the S-Meq gene showed a 123 bp deletion representing 41 amino acids between two proline-rich areas without any frameshift. The Meq gene encoded four repeats of proline-rich repeats (PRRs sequences), whereas the S-Meq contains only two PRRs. Interestingly, the phylogenetic analysis revealed that both of SA MDV isolates are closely related to the MDV strains from Poland. Conclusion: The two MDV isolates contain several nucleotide polymorphisms resulting in distinct amino acid substitutions. It is suggested that migratory and wild birds, as well as world trading of poultry and its by-products, have a great contribution in the transmission of MDVs overseas

The Interaction of Programmed Cell Death Protein and Its Ligands with Non-Coding RNAs in Neoplasms: Emerging Anticancer Immunotherapeutics

Recent studies have demonstrated that cancer cells can elude immune cells by creating a sanctuary within the tumor’s microenvironment. Large amounts of immune-suppressing signaling proteins can be expressed by cancer cells. One of the most important mechanisms in this system is immune suppression caused by tumors and the modulation of the immune checkpoint. The immune checkpoint is modulated by both the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligands, programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and PD-L2. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNA), including the more well-known microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), all play roles in the regulation of biological processes and extensive diseases such as cancer. Thus, the focus of this study is on the interactions between the programmed death protein and its ligands with miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs during tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Furthermore, some FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of various cancers were based on their interactions with PD-1, PD-Ls, and ncRNAs. This promising strategy is still in the production stages, with additional results and clinical trials being processed

The Interaction of Programmed Cell Death Protein and Its Ligands with Non-Coding RNAs in Neoplasms: Emerging Anticancer Immunotherapeutics

Recent studies have demonstrated that cancer cells can elude immune cells by creating a sanctuary within the tumor’s microenvironment. Large amounts of immune-suppressing signaling proteins can be expressed by cancer cells. One of the most important mechanisms in this system is immune suppression caused by tumors and the modulation of the immune checkpoint. The immune checkpoint is modulated by both the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligands, programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and PD-L2. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNA), including the more well-known microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), all play roles in the regulation of biological processes and extensive diseases such as cancer. Thus, the focus of this study is on the interactions between the programmed death protein and its ligands with miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs during tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Furthermore, some FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of various cancers were based on their interactions with PD-1, PD-Ls, and ncRNAs. This promising strategy is still in the production stages, with additional results and clinical trials being processed

Molecular characterization of fowl aviadenoviruses species D and E associated with inclusion body hepatitis in chickens and falcons indicates possible cross-species transmission

<p>During the period from 2015 to 2017, frequent outbreaks of inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) were observed in broiler chickens and falcons in Saudi Arabia. Fifty samples were collected from both species. The histopathological examination and polymerase chain reaction confirmed the IBH infection in eight samples (five samples from chickens and three samples from falcons). The genomic sequence and phylogenetic analysis based on nucleotide and amino acid sequences of Saudi strains, reference fowl aviadenoviruses (FAdVs) and field viruses available in Genbank revealed that all investigated FAdVs clustered into FAdV-2 (species D) and FAdV-6 (species E). The host-dependent characterization revealed that falcon origin strains showed low identity (∼35%) with falcon adenoviruses isolated from USA, which clustered into a separate group. The identification of FAdV-D and FAdV-E in diseased falcons and chickens indicates cross-species transmission although falcons and chickens are phylogenetically different. The control of IBH infection in falcons and chickens should be based on the separation of carriers and susceptible chickens as well as falcons to prevent cross-species contact. Vaccination is an important method for prevention of IBH. The characterization of newly emerging FAdV strains provides valuable information for the development of an efficacious control strategy based on the molecular structure of current circulating FAdV strains in different species of birds.</p

DataSheet_1_Exogenous nitric oxide promotes salinity tolerance in plants: A meta-analysis.docx

Nitric oxide (NO) has received much attention since it can boost plant defense mechanisms, and plenty of studies have shown that exogenous NO improves salinity tolerance in plants. However, because of the wide range of experimental settings, it is difficult to assess the administration of optimal dosages, frequency, timing, and method of application and the overall favorable effects of NO on growth and yield improvements. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to reveal the exact physiological and biochemical mechanisms and to understand the influence of plant-related or method-related factors on NO-mediated salt tolerance. Exogenous application of NO significantly influenced biomass accumulation, growth, and yield irrespective of salinity stress. According to this analysis, seed priming and foliar pre-treatment were the most effective methods of NO application to plants. Moreover, one-time and regular intervals of NO treatment were more beneficial for plant growth. The optimum concentration of NO ranges from 0.1 to 0.2 mM, and it alleviates salinity stress up to 150 mM NaCl. Furthermore, the beneficial effect of NO treatment was more pronounced as salinity stress was prolonged (>21 days). This meta-analysis showed that NO supplementation was significantly applicable at germination and seedling stages. Interestingly, exogenous NO treatment boosted plant growth most efficiently in dicots. This meta-analysis showed that exogenous NO alleviates salt-induced oxidative damage and improves plant growth and yield potential by regulating osmotic balance, mineral homeostasis, photosynthetic machinery, the metabolism of reactive oxygen species, and the antioxidant defense mechanism. Our analysis pointed out several research gaps, such as lipid metabolism regulation, reproductive stage performance, C4 plant responses, field-level yield impact, and economic profitability of farmers in response to exogenous NO, which need to be evaluated in the subsequent investigation.</p