piggyBac is an effective tool for functional analysis of the Plasmodium falciparum genome

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Much of the <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>genome encodes hypothetical proteins with limited homology to other organisms. A lack of robust tools for genetic manipulation of the parasite limits functional analysis of these hypothetical proteins and other aspects of the <it>Plasmodium </it>genome. Transposon mutagenesis has been used widely to identify gene functions in many organisms and would be extremely valuable for functional analysis of the <it>Plasmodium </it>genome.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this study, we investigated the lepidopteran transposon, <it>piggyBac</it>, as a molecular genetic tool for functional characterization of the <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>genome. Through multiple transfections, we generated 177 unique <it>P. falciparum </it>mutant clones with mostly single <it>piggyBac </it>insertions in their genomes. Analysis of <it>piggyBac </it>insertion sites revealed random insertions into the <it>P. falciparum </it>genome, in regards to gene expression in parasite life cycle stages and functional categories. We further explored the possibility of forward genetic studies in <it>P. falciparum </it>with a phenotypic screen for attenuated growth, which identified several parasite genes and pathways critical for intra-erythrocytic development.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results clearly demonstrate that <it>piggyBac </it>is a novel, indispensable tool for forward functional genomics in <it>P. falciparum </it>that will help better understand parasite biology and accelerate drug and vaccine development.</p

A revised evolutionary history of the CYP1A subfamily : gene duplication, gene conversion, and positive selection

Author Posting. © The Authors, 2005. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Springer for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Molecular Evolution 62 (2006): 708-717, doi:10.1007/s00239-005-0134-z.Members of cytochrome P450 subfamily 1A (CYP1As) are involved in detoxification and bioactivation of common environmental pollutants. Understanding the functional evolution of these genes is essential to predicting and interpreting species differences in sensitivity to toxicity by such chemicals. The CYP1A gene subfamily comprises a single ancestral representative in most fish species and two paralogs in higher vertebrates, including birds and mammals. Phylogenetic analysis of complete coding sequences suggests that mammalian and bird paralog pairs (CYP1A1/2 and CYP1A4/5, respectively) are the result of independent gene duplication events. However, comparison of vertebrate genome sequences revealed that CYP1A genes lie within an extended region of conserved fine-scale synteny, suggesting that avian and mammalian CYP1A paralogs share a common genomic history. Algorithms designed to detect recombination between nucleotide sequences indicate that gene conversion has homogenized most of the length of the chicken CYP1A genes, as well as the 5’ end of mammalian CYP1As. Together, these data indicate that avian and mammalian CYP1A paralog pairs resulted from a single gene duplication event and that extensive gene conversion is responsible for the exceptionally high degree of sequence similarity between CYP1A4 and CYP1A5. Elevated non-synonymous/synonymous substitution ratios within a putatively unconverted stretch of ~250 bp suggests that positive selection may have reduced the effective rate of gene conversion in this region, which contains two substrate recognition sites. This work significantly alters our understanding of functional evolution in the CYP1A subfamily, suggesting that gene conversion and positive selection have been the dominant processes of sequence evolution.Funding for this work was provided by the NIH Superfund Basic Research Program at Boston University (5-P42-ES-07381) and by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Fecal Tests: From Blood to Molecular Markers

Detection of molecular markers for colorectal neoplasia in feces has the potential to improve performance of simple noninvasive screening tests for colorectal cancer. Most research has explored the value of DNA-based, RNA-based, and protein-based markers. In all cases there has been a trend to move from a single marker to a panel of markers to improve sensitivity. Unfortunately, no type of molecular marker has proved specific for neoplasia. DNA tests have been improved by combining mutation detection with assessment of DNA integrity plus epigenetic markers of neoplasia. RNA-based approaches are just beginning to explore the full power of transcriptomics. So far, no protein-based fecal test has proved better than fecal immunochemical tests for hemoglobin. Finally, no marker or panel of markers has yet been developed to the point where it has been evaluated in large unbiased population studies to assess performance across all stages of neoplasia and in all practical environments

Ultra-brief intervention for problem drinkers: research protocol

Background: Helping the large number of problem drinkers who will never seek treatment is a challenging issue. Public health initiatives employing educational materials or mass media campaigns have met with mixed success. However, clinical research has developed effective brief interventions to help problem drinkers. This project will employ an intervention that has been validated in clinical settings and then modified into an ultra-brief format suitable for use as a public health intervention. The major objective of this study is to conduct a randomized controlled trial to establish the effectiveness of an ultra-brief, personalized feedback intervention for problem drinkers. Methods/design: Problem drinkers recruited on a baseline population telephone survey conducted in a major metropolitan city in Canada will be randomized to one of three conditions - a personalized feedback pamphlet condition, a control pamphlet condition, or a no intervention control condition. In the week after the baseline survey, households in the two pamphlet conditions will be sent their respective pamphlets. Changes in drinking will be assessed post intervention at three-month and six-month follow-ups. Drinking outcomes will be compared between experimental conditions using Structural Equation Modeling. The primary hypothesis is that problem drinkers from households who receive the personalized feedback pamphlet intervention will display significantly improved drinking outcomes at three and six-month follow-ups as compared to problem drinkers from households in the no intervention control condition. Secondary hypotheses will test the impact of the intervention on help seeking, and explore the mediating or moderating role of perceived drinking norms, perceived alcohol risks and the problem drinker's social reasons for drinking. Discussion: This trial will provide information on the effectiveness of a pamphlet-based personalized feedback intervention for problem drinkers in a community setting. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov registration #NCT00688584.This study is funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Grant #R01 AA015680-01A2

Defective Interfering Viral Particles in Acute Dengue Infections

While much of the genetic variation in RNA viruses arises because of the error-prone nature of their RNA-dependent RNA polymerases, much larger changes may occur as a result of recombination. An extreme example of genetic change is found in defective interfering (DI) viral particles, where large sections of the genome of a parental virus have been deleted and the residual sub-genome fragment is replicated by complementation by co-infecting functional viruses. While most reports of DI particles have referred to studies in vitro, there is some evidence for the presence of DI particles in chronic viral infections in vivo. In this study, short fragments of dengue virus (DENV) RNA containing only key regulatory elements at the 3′ and 5′ ends of the genome were recovered from the sera of patients infected with any of the four DENV serotypes. Identical RNA fragments were detected in the supernatant from cultures of Aedes mosquito cells that were infected by the addition of sera from dengue patients, suggesting that the sub-genomic RNA might be transmitted between human and mosquito hosts in defective interfering (DI) viral particles. In vitro transcribed sub-genomic RNA corresponding to that detected in vivo could be packaged in virus like particles in the presence of wild type virus and transmitted for at least three passages in cell culture. DENV preparations enriched for these putative DI particles reduced the yield of wild type dengue virus following co-infections of C6–36 cells. This is the first report of DI particles in an acute arboviral infection in nature. The internal genomic deletions described here are the most extensive defects observed in DENV and may be part of a much broader disease attenuating process that is mediated by defective viruses

Context-Dependent Requirement for dE2F during Oncogenic Proliferation

The Hippo pathway negatively regulates the cell number in epithelial tissue. Upon its inactivation, an excess of cells is produced. These additional cells are generated from an increased rate of cell division, followed by inappropriate proliferation of cells that have failed to exit the cell cycle. We analyzed the consequence of inactivation of the entire E2F family of transcription factors in these two settings. In Drosophila, there is a single activator, dE2F1, and a single repressor, dE2F2, which act antagonistically to each other during development. While the loss of the activator dE2F1 results in a severe impairment in cell proliferation, this defect is rescued by the simultaneous loss of the repressor dE2F2, as cell proliferation occurs relatively normally in the absence of both dE2F proteins. We found that the combined inactivation of dE2F1 and dE2F2 had no significant effect on the increased rate of cell division of Hippo pathway mutant cells. In striking contrast, inappropriate proliferation of cells that failed to exit the cell cycle was efficiently blocked. Furthermore, our data suggest that such inappropriate proliferation was primarily dependent on the activator, de2f1, as loss of de2f2 was inconsequential. Consistently, Hippo pathway mutant cells had elevated E2F activity and induced dE2F1 expression at a point when wild-type cells normally exit the cell cycle. Thus, we uncovered a critical requirement for the dE2F family during inappropriate proliferation of Hippo pathway mutant cells

Association between mental health conditions and rehospitalization, mortality, and functional outcomes in patients with stroke following inpatient rehabilitation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Limited evidence exists regarding the association of pre-existing mental health conditions in patients with stroke and stroke outcomes such as rehospitalization, mortality, and function. We examined the association between mental health conditions and rehospitalization, mortality, and functional outcomes in patients with stroke following inpatient rehabilitation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Our observational study used the 2001 VA Integrated Stroke Outcomes database of 2162 patients with stroke who underwent rehabilitation at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center.</p> <p>Separate models were fit to our outcome measures that included 6-month rehospitalization or death, 6-month mortality post-discharge, and functional outcomes post inpatient rehabilitation as a function of number and type of mental health conditions. The models controlled for patient socio-demographics, length of stay, functional status, and rehabilitation setting.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Patients had an average age of 68 years. Patients with stroke and two or more mental health conditions were more likely to be readmitted or die compared to patients with no conditions (OR: 1.44, p = 0.04). Depression and anxiety were associated with a greater likelihood of rehospitalization or death (OR: 1.33, p = 0.04; OR:1.47, p = 0.03). Patients with anxiety were more likely to die at six months (OR: 2.49, p = 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Patients with stroke with pre-existing mental health conditions may need additional psychotherapy interventions, which may potentially improve stroke outcomes post-hospitalization.</p

Bioinformatic and Genetic Association Analysis of MicroRNA Target Sites in One-Carbon Metabolism Genes

One-carbon metabolism (OCM) is linked to DNA synthesis and methylation, amino acid metabolism and cell proliferation. OCM dysfunction has been associated with increased risk for various diseases, including cancer and neural tube defects. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are ∼22 nt RNA regulators that have been implicated in a wide array of basic cellular processes, such as differentiation and metabolism. Accordingly, mis-regulation of miRNA expression and/or activity can underlie complex disease etiology. We examined the possibility of OCM regulation by miRNAs. Using computational miRNA target prediction methods and Monte-Carlo based statistical analyses, we identified two candidate miRNA “master regulators” (miR-22 and miR-125) and one candidate pair of “master co-regulators” (miR-344-5p/484 and miR-488) that may influence the expression of a significant number of genes involved in OCM. Interestingly, miR-22 and miR-125 are significantly up-regulated in cells grown under low-folate conditions. In a complementary analysis, we identified 15 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are located within predicted miRNA target sites in OCM genes. We genotyped these 15 SNPs in a population of healthy individuals (age 18–28, n = 2,506) that was previously phenotyped for various serum metabolites related to OCM. Prior to correction for multiple testing, we detected significant associations between TCblR rs9426 and methylmalonic acid (p  =  0.045), total homocysteine levels (tHcy) (p  =  0.033), serum B12 (p < 0.0001), holo transcobalamin (p < 0.0001) and total transcobalamin (p < 0.0001); and between MTHFR rs1537514 and red blood cell folate (p < 0.0001). However, upon further genetic analysis, we determined that in each case, a linked missense SNP is the more likely causative variant. Nonetheless, our Monte-Carlo based in silico simulations suggest that miRNAs could play an important role in the regulation of OCM

Informal support to first-parents after childbirth: a qualitative study in low-income suburbs of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Tanzania, and many sub-Saharan African countries, postpartum health programs have received less attention compared to other maternity care programs and therefore new parents rely on informal support. Knowledge on how informal support is understood by its stakeholders to be able to improve the health in families after childbirth is required. This study aimed to explore discourses on health related informal support to first-time parents after childbirth in low-income suburbs of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Thirteen focus group discussions with first-time parents and female and male informal supporters were analysed by discourse analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The dominant discourse was that after childbirth a first time mother needed and should be provided with support for care of the infant, herself and the household work by the maternal or paternal mother or other close and extended family members. In their absence, neighbours and friends were described as reconstructing informal support. Informal support was provided conditionally, where poor socio-economic status and non-adherence to social norms risked poor support. Support to new fathers was constructed as less prominent, provided mainly by older men and focused on economy and sexual matters. The discourse conveyed stereotypic gender roles with women described as family caretakers and men as final decision-makers and financial providers. The informal supporters regulated the first-time parents' contacts with other sources of support.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Strong and authoritative informal support networks appear to persist. However, poverty and non-adherence to social norms was understood as resulting in less support. Family health in this context would be improved by capitalising on existing informal support networks while discouraging norms promoting harmful practices and attending to the poorest. Upholding stereotypic notions of femininity and masculinity implies great burden of care for the women and delimited male involvement. Men's involvement in reproductive and child health programmes has the potential for improving family health after childbirth. The discourses conveyed contradicting messages that may be a source of worry and confusion for the new parents. Recognition, respect and raising awareness for different social actors' competencies and limitations can potentially create a health-promoting environment among families after childbirth.</p