Expression of the myosin light chains 1 and 2 in the developing fast muscle of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata)

Myosin, the major component of striated muscle, is a complex molecule of heavy and light chains, which undergo continuous replacement to meet developmental and environmental demands. A range of myosin isoforms are expressed in early developmental stages and are of special interest as they offer information about muscle formation and function early in life. In addition, they can act as markers for the study of prenatal events with an effect on postnatal growth performance. In this study, the spatial and temporal expression of embryonic myosin light chains 1 (MLC1) and 2 (MLC2) was studied in sea bream larvae post-hatch by in situ hybridization using riboprobes

Molecular cloning and sequence of Sparus aurata skeletal myosin light chains expressed in white muscle: developmental expression and thyroid regulation

Two full-length cDNA clones encoding the skeletal myosin light chain 2 (MLC2; 1452 bp) and myosin light chain 3 (MLC3; 972 bp) were isolated from a cDNA library prepared from gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata larvae. The MLC2 cDNA encoded a predicted protein of 170 residues that was 79 % identical to rabbit MLC2 over the entire length and 87 % identical within the Ca2+- binding region. The deduced amino acid sequence of MLC3 was 153 residues in length and was 91 % and 69% identical to the zebrafish and rabbit MLC3, respectively. Northern blot analysis revealed that in adults both transcripts were expressed in fast white muscle only. MLC2 appeared earlier in development: MLC2 transcripts were detectable from the beginning of segmentation, whereas MLC3 transcripts did not appear until 27 h post-fertilisation. At this developmental stage, a second MLC2 transcript of 0.89 kilobase-pairs was present. MLCs exhibited a different age-related pattern of response to varied thyroidal states, which were experimentally induced by the administration of 1 mgg-1 body mass of thyroxine (T4) or triiodothyronine (T3), or 5 ng g-1 body mass of the hypothyroidal compound thiourea; MLC3 expression was not significantly affected, whereas levels of MLC2 transcripts were significantly elevated in the white muscle only of juvenile sea bream after administration of T4. Although the mechanism of thyroidal regulation of MLC expression remains unknown, the present results suggest that different regulatory mechanisms exist for different MLCs

Regulation of corticotropin releasing hormone receptor type 1 messenger RNA level in Y-79 retinoblastoma cells: potential implications for human stress response and immune/inflammatory reaction

We report the regulation of type 1 receptor mRNA in Y-79 human retinoblastoma cells, grown in the absence or presence of pharmacological levels of phorbol esters, forskolin, glucocorticoids and their combinations. To control for inducibility and for assessing the sensitivity of the Y-79 system to glucocorticoids, corticotropin releasing hormone mRNA levels were measured in parallel. All treatments stimulated corticotropin releasing hormone receptor type 1 gene expression relative to baseline. A weak suppression of corticotropin releasing hormone mRNA level was observed during dexamethasone treatment. The cell line expressed ten-fold excess of receptor to ligand mRNA under basal conditions. The findings predict the presence of functional phorbol ester, cyclic AMP and glucocorticoid response elements in the promoter region of corticotropin releasing hormone receptor type 1 gene and support a potential role for its product during chronic stress and immune/inflammatory reaction

West Nile virus–associated HLA-DRB1 alleles in the Greek population: A structural perspective

The HLA system plays a significant role via the regulation of the immune system and contributes to the progression and protection of many diseases. In our previous study, several HLA-DRB1 alleles were found to have a susceptible or protective role toward infection and neuroinvasion of West Nile Virus (WNV) in the Greek population. As expected, the majority of polymorphic positions are located in the peptide-binding region of the molecule. In the present work, the structure of these alleles was studied in silico, to examine the effect of polymorphism on the conformation of DRB1 proteins, with the aspect of WNV association. More specifically, molecular dynamics simulations were used for structural prediction of 23 available alleles. These modeled alleles were evaluated using root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) and root-mean-square fluctuation analysis. Low RMSD values indicate that different alleles have similar structures. Furthermore, low fluctuation was observed in the peptide-binding region between alleles with the higher and the lowest RMSD values. These findings indicate that probably variable residues do not affect the behavior of DRB1 alleles in WNV disease, by causing structural differences between them. © 2022 The Authors. Microbiology and Immunology published by The Societies and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd

The Role of Long Noncoding RNAs on Male Infertility: A Systematic Review and In Silico Analysis

Male infertility is a complex disorder affecting many couples worldwide. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate important cellular processes; however, a comprehensive understanding of their role in male infertility is limited. This systematic review investigates the differential expressions of lncRNAs in male infertility or variations in lncRNA regions associated with it. The PRISMA guidelines were used to search Pubmed and Web of Science (1 June 2022). Inclusion criteria were human participants, patients diagnosed with male infertility, and English language speakers. We also performed an in silico analysis investigating lncRNAs that are reported in many subtypes of male infertility. A total of 625 articles were found, and after the screening and eligibility stages, 20 studies were included in the final sample. Many lncRNAs are deregulated in male infertility, and interactions between lncRNAs and miRNAs play an important role. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding the impact of variants found in lncRNA regions. Furthermore, eight lncRNAs were identified as differentially expressed in many subtypes of male infertility. After in silico analysis, gene ontology (GO) and KEGG enrichment analysis of the genes targeted by them revealed their association with bladder and prostate cancer. However, pathways involved in general in tumorigenesis and cancer development of all types, such as p53 pathways, apoptosis, and cell death, were also enriched, indicating a link between cancer and male infertility. This evidence, however, is preliminary. Future research is needed to explore the exact mechanism of action of the identified lncRNAs and investigate the association between male infertility and cancer. © 2022 by the authors

Genetic protein variation in red mullet (Mullus barbatus) and striped red mullet (M-surmuletus) populations from the Mediterranean Sea

Starch-gel electrophoresis of allozymes was used to differentiate the two red mullet species (Mullus barbatus L. and ill. surmuletus L.) in the Mediterranean Sea and, further, to investigate the genetic stock structure of M. barbatus in the eastern Mediterranean area. Twenty putative enzyme-coding loci were examined in eight M. barbatus samples caught in the Aegean and Ionian Seas (Greece) and in the Gulf of Lion (France), and two M. surmuletus samples caught in the Aegean and Gulf of Lion. A high degree of genetic polymorphism was found in both species. Species-specific electrophoretic patterns were found in PGI* and PGM*. Estimates of variance of allele frequencies among samples (F-ST) and chi(2) analyses both revealed significant differences (P < 0.05) among the hi. barbatus samples. Mast of the genetic variation was among samples regardless of region. The mean value of Nei's genetic distance between the two species was 0.329. Genetic distance among M. barbatus samples was low (maximum Nei's D = 0.012), with the sample from Platania differing most from other M. barbatus samples. This is probably be due to founder effects existing at this area. These results suggest that allozyme analysis may provide important information on the genetic structure of the red mullet to ensure sustainable management of this species

Genetic structure of Greek brown hare (Lepus europaeus) populations as revealed by mtDBNA RFLP-PCR analysis: implications for conserving genetic diversity

The genetic differentiation and the phylogenetic status of brown hare (Lepus europaeus) populations from central Greece as well as the impact of the releases of reared individuals on the native populations genetic structure was assessed, using mtDNA RFLP-RCR analysis. Data analysis revealed extensive haplotype diversity (42 out of 56 haplotypes were unique) within and among wild populations, Haplotype diversity was equally distributed within and between geographical regions, while significant genetic structuring was evident from heterogeneity of haplotype frequencies among sampling sites. Specific mtDNA profiles clearly differentiated reared from wild individuals and proved highly indicative for reared hares from past releases caught within wild populations. MtDNA analysis suggests the introgression of allochthonous gene pools into the native populations. To conserve indigenous genotypes and to prevent loss of genetic diversity, restocking operations should be stopped and an appropriate management adjusted to the local population dynamics should be developed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved

Phylogenetic relationships among four species of Mullidae (Perciformes) inferred from DNA sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome b and 16S rRNA genes

DNA sequence comparisons of two mitochondrial DNA genes were used to infer phylogenetic relationships among four species of mullids. Approximately 238 by of the mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and 261 by of the cytochrome b (cytb) genes were sequenced from representatives of three mullid genera (Mullus, Upeneus, Pseudopeneus), present in the Mediterranean Sea. Trees were constructed using three methods: maximum likelihood (ML), neighbor joining (NJ) and parsimony (MP). The results of the analyses of these data together with published data of the same mtDNA segments of two other perciform species (Sparus aurata, Perca fluviatilis), support the previous taxonomic classification of the three genera examined, as well as the classification of the two red mullet species in the same genus. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved