Marsupials and monotremes possess a novel family of MHC class I genes that is lost from the eutherian lineage

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I genes are found in the genomes of all jawed vertebrates. The evolution of this gene family is closely tied to the evolution of the vertebrate genome. Family members are frequently found in four paralogous regions, which were formed in two rounds of genome duplication in the early vertebrates, but in some species class Is have been subject to additional duplication or translocation, creating additional clusters. The gene family is traditionally grouped into two subtypes: classical MHC class I genes that are usually MHC-linked, highly polymorphic, expressed in a broad range of tissues and present endogenously-derived peptides to cytotoxic T-cells; and non-classical MHC class I genes generally have lower polymorphism, may have tissue-specific expression and have evolved to perform immune-related or non-immune functions. As immune genes can evolve rapidly and are subject to different selection pressure, we hypothesised that there may be divergent, as yet unannotated or uncharacterised class I genes. Results: Application of a novel method of sensitive genome searching of available vertebrate genome sequences revealed a new, extensive sub-family of divergent MHC class I genes, denoted as UT, which has not previously been characterized. These class I genes are found in both American and Australian marsupials, and in monotremes, at an evolutionary chromosomal breakpoint, but are not present in non-mammalian genomes and have been lost from the eutherian lineage. We show that UT family members are expressed in the thymus of the gray short-tailed opossum and in other immune tissues of several Australian marsupials. Structural homology modelling shows that the proteins encoded by this family are predicted to have an open, though short, antigen-binding groove. Conclusions: We have identified a novel sub-family of putatively non-classical MHC class I genes that are specific to marsupials and monotremes. This

The value of community-based monitoring in marine protected areas

There is an increasing realisation of the importance of community or volunteer collected data for management programs that are otherwise limited by the availability of funds or resources. However, there are concerns regarding the reliability of scientific data collected by inexperienced people. We investigated the potential for community-based monitoring in Victoria&rsquo;s newly established system of Marine Protected Areas. The main objectives for the study were to 1) develop a template for the scientific monitoring of marine habitats suitable for community groups, 2) assess data quality and data integrity collected by community volunteers and 3) determine a sustainable model for ongoing community participation in monitoring marine habitats. Three different habitats (subtidal, intertidal, and seagrass) were investigated and data collected by volunteers across these habitats was compared to that collected by scientists. Reliability of data collected by volunteers was dependent on habitat type and the type of measurement the volunteers were required to make. Qualitative estimates made by volunteers were highly variable across all three habitat sites, compared to quantitative data collection. Subtidal monitoring had the greatest inaccuracy for data collection, whereas intertidal reef monitoring was most reliable. Sustainability of community-based monitoring programs is dependent on adequate training for volunteers and the development of partnerships to foster greater community engagement.<br /

TFG Promotes Organization of Transitional ER and Efficient Collagen Secretion

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the animal kingdom. It is of fundamental importance during development for cell differentiation and tissue morphogenesis as well as in pathological processes such as fibrosis and cancer cell migration. However, our understanding of the mechanisms of procollagen secretion remains limited. Here, we show that TFG organizes transitional ER (tER) and ER exit sites (ERESs) into larger structures. Depletion of TFG results in dispersion of tER elements that remain associated with individual ER-Golgi intermediate compartments (ERGICs) as largely functional ERESs. We show that TFG is not required for the transport and packaging of small soluble cargoes but is necessary for the export of procollagen from the ER. Our work therefore suggests a key relationship between the structure and function of ERESs and a central role for TFG in optimizing COPII assembly for procollagen export.Medical Research Council UK/MR/J000604/1Medical Research Council UK/MR/K018019/1Medical Research Council UK/MR/G080184

Projectonderwijs in combinatie met online leren in een keuzedeel voor de wegenbouw

De huidige samenleving verandert. Steeds meer innovaties, data, ICT en aandacht voor milieu en duurzaamheid. De nieuwe ICT toepassingen en technische innovaties in de wegenbouw initiëren andere competenties voor toekomstige medewerkers. De vraag is hoe het mbo onderwijs daar aandacht aan kan besteden? Door bestaande onderwijsmethoden aan te laten sluiten op deze toekomstige medewerker, wordt de kloof tussen verwachting van bedrijven en aanbod van scholen kleiner. Lesmethoden in het mbo onderwijs kunnen zich aansluiten bij deze 21e eeuwse vaardigheden en competenties. Deze mogelijke lesmethoden zijn projectonderwijs en online leren. De verschillende leerstijlen van studenten worden aangesproken in deze lesmethoden, waardoor studenten optimaler voorbereid zijn op het werkveld. Het doel is een keuzedeel voor het mbo te ontwikkelen waarin 21e eeuwse vaardigheden geleerd worden, waardoor de aansluiting op de arbeidsmarkt van afgestudeerden groter is. Door middel van interviews is achterhaald wat de wensen zijn van bedrijven. Dit is vergeleken met het aanbod van huidige mbo-scholen. De kloof, waarop het keuzedeel zich gaat focussen, zijn specifieke einddoelen die ingaan op het gebied van uitvoering in de wegenbouw, omgang met ICT, data en innovaties. In het ontwerptraject worden experts op het gebied van wegenbouw en docenten betrokken. Deze samenwerking van scholen, docenten, bedrijven en netwerken maakt het mogelijk om tot een effectief keuzedeel te komen. Dit artikel laat zien hoe projectonderwijs in combinatie met online leren succesvol kan zijn. In vervolg onderzoek zal blijken hoe dit onderwijs optimaal vormgegeven kan worden, zodat de vernieuwing in het onderwijs zich voorzet

Population structure of Dungeness crab (Cancer magister

ABSTRACT Population structure of Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) from British Columbia was evaluated from a survey of variation of eight microsatellite loci in eight populations. Genetic differentiation among the populations surveyed was observed, with the mean F st for all loci 0.031 (SD ¼ 0.007). The Alison Sound population in the British Columbia central coast displayed less genetic variation and was distinct from all other populations in British Columbia, with pairwise F st values &gt;0.12, over 20 times the differentiation in other comparisons. The results were consistent with a high level of retention of larval crabs within Alison Sound, owing to reduced water exchange between the sound and adjacent waters. There was no evidence for an isolation by distance model of population structure of Dungeness crab in British Columbia, but there was some indication of differentiation between a west coast Vancouver Island population and a population adjacent to the southern Strait of Georgia

The influence of student engagement with online pre laboratory work modules on academic performance in first year chemistry

Information and communications technologies are increasingly being incorporated into teaching activities in higher education. They offer the opportunity to improve student learning experiences provided they are used in an educationally sound way. This may be through triggering student interest, improving engagement and, in turn, helping students to develop a deeper understanding of particular concepts. A previous study examined students’ engagement with two specific online prelaboratory work modules to determine how students engage with them, and correlate this engagement with learning style (Tasker, Miller, Kemmett and Bedgood Jnr 2003). The present study extends that work with a broader range of students and on a much larger scale, to investigate the claim that student engagement with these modules improves academic performance in first year chemistry

Comparing distribution of harbour porpoise using Generalized Additive Models and hierarchical Bayesian models with Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation

Open Access via Elsevier agreement Acknowledgments We thank colleagues at the University of Aberdeen, Moray First Marine, NERI, Hi-Def Aerial Surveying Ltd and Ravenair for essential support in the field, particularly Tim Barton, Bill Ruck, Rasmus Nielson and Dave Rutter. L.D.W. was supported by the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS), the University of Aberdeen and Marine Scotland Science. Collaboration between the University of Aberdeen and Marine Scotland was supported by the Marine Collaboration Research Forum (MarCRF). Digital aerial surveys in 2010 were funded by Moray Offshore Renewables Ltd and 2014 by Marine Scotland. Additional funding for analysis of the combined datasets was provided by Marine Scotland. Collaboration between the University of Aberdeen and Marine Scotland was supported by MarCRF.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Targeting the LOX/hypoxia axis reverses many of the features that make pancreatic cancer deadly: inhibition of LOX abrogates metastasis and enhances drug efficacy

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the leading causes of cancer‐related mortality. Despite significant advances made in the treatment of other cancers, current chemotherapies offer little survival benefit in this disease. Pancreaticoduodenectomy offers patients the possibility of a cure, but most will die of recurrent or metastatic disease. Hence, preventing metastatic disease in these patients would be of significant benefit. Using principal component analysis (PCA), we identified a LOX/hypoxia signature associated with poor patient survival in resectable patients. We found that LOX expression is upregulated in metastatic tumors from Pdx1‐Cre KrasG12D/+ Trp53R172H/+ (KPC) mice and that inhibition of LOX in these mice suppressed metastasis. Mechanistically, LOX inhibition suppressed both migration and invasion of KPC cells. LOX inhibition also synergized with gemcitabine to kill tumors and significantly prolonged tumor‐free survival in KPC mice with early‐stage tumors. This was associated with stromal alterations, including increased vasculature and decreased fibrillar collagen, and increased infiltration of macrophages and neutrophils into tumors. Therefore, LOX inhibition is able to reverse many of the features that make PDAC inherently refractory to conventional therapies and targeting LOX could improve outcome in surgically resectable disease

Serum health biomarkers in African and Asian elephants : value ranges and clinical values indicative of the immune response

CITATION: Edwards, Katie L. et al. 2020. Serum health biomarkers in African and Asian elephants : value ranges and clinical values indicative of the immune response. Animals, 10(10):1756, doi:10.3390/ani10101756.The original publication is available at: https://www.mdpi.comSerum biomarkers indicative of inflammation and disease can provide useful information regarding host immune processes, responses to treatment and prognosis. The aims of this study were to assess the use of commercially available anti-equine reagents for the quantification of cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF- ), interferon-gamma (IFN- ), interleukins (IL) 2, 6, and 10) in African (Loxodonta africana, n = 125) and Asian (Elephas maximus, n = 104) elephants, and alongside previously validated anti-human reagents for acute-phase proteins (serum amyloid A and haptoglobin), calculate species-specific biomarker value ranges. In addition, we used opportunistically collected samples to investigate the concentrations of each biomarker during identified clinical cases of illness or injury, as a first step to understanding what biomarkers may be useful to managing elephant health. Immune biomarkers were each elevated above the calculated species-specific value ranges in at least one clinical case, but due to variability in both clinical and non-clinical samples, only serum amyloid A was significantly higher in clinical compared to non-clinical paired samples, with tendencies for higher TNF- and IL-10. We also detected increased secretion of serum amyloid A and all five cytokines following routine vaccination of a single Asian elephant, indicating that these biomarkers can be beneficial for studying normal immune processes as well as pathology. This study indicates that assays developed with commercial reagents can be used to quantify health biomarkers in wildlife species and identifies several that warrant further investigation to elucidate immune responses to various pathologies.Publisher's versio

Evaluation and application of microsatellites for population identification of Fraser River chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

Variation at 13 microsatellite loci was previously surveyed in approximately 7400 chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) sampled from 50 localities in the Fraser River drainage in southern British Columbia. Evaluation of the utility of the microsatellite variation for population-specific stock identification applications indicated that the accuracy of the stock composition estimates generally improved with an increasing number of loci used in the estimation procedure, but an increase in accuracy was generally marginal after eight loci were used. With 10–14 populations in a simulated fishery sample, the mean error in population-specific estimated stock composition with a 50-popula-tion baseline was <1.4%. Identification of individuals to specific populations was highest for lower Fraser River and lower and North Thompson River populations; an average of 70% of the individual fish were correctly assigned to specific populations. The average error of the estimated percentage for the seven populations present in a coded-wire tag sample was 2% per population. Estimation of stock composition in the lower river commercial net fishery prior to June is of key local fishery management interest. Chinook salmon from the Chilcotin River and Nicola River drainages were important contributors to the early commercial fishery in the lower river because they comprised approximately 50% of the samples from the net fishery prior to mid April