Essential role of heparan sulfates in axon navigation and targeting in the developing visual system

Heparan sulfate (HS) is abundant in the developing brain and is a required co-factor for many types of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling in vitro. We report that some HSs, when added exogenously to the developing Xenopus optic pathway, severely disrupt target recognition causing axons from the retina to bypass their primary target, the optic tectum. Significantly, HS sidechains from a neuroepithelial perlecan variant that preferentially bind FGF-2, HS(FGF-2), cause aberrant targeting, whereas those that preferentially bind FGF-1 do not. Charge-matched fragments of HS(FGF-2) show that the mistargeting activity associates with the FGP-binding fragments. Heparitinase removal of native HSs at the beginning of optic tract formation retards retinal axon elongation; addition of FGF-2 restores axon extension but axons lose directionality. Late HS removal, after axons have extended through the tract, elicits a tectal bypass phenotype indicating a growth promoting and guidance function for native HSs. Our results demonstrate that different HS sidechains from the same care protein differentially affect axon growth in vivo, possibly due to their distinct FGF-binding preferences, and suggest that growth factors and HSs are important partners in regulating axon growth and guidance in the developing visual system

Effect of controlled and uncontrolled cooling rate on motility parameters of cryopreserved ram spermatozoa

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Ram spermatozoa are sensitive to extreme changes in temperature during the freeze-thaw process. The degree of damage depends on a combined effect of various factors including freezing temperature. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of two cooling method (controlled-rate and uncontrolled-rate) on pre-freezing and post-thaw sperm motility parameters.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Ejaculates were collected using the artificial vagina from four Chal rams and three replicates of the ejaculates were diluted with a Tris-based extender and packed in 0.25 ml straws. Then, sample processed according to the two methods. Method 1: straws cooled from 37 to 5°C, at a liner rate of -0.3°C/min in a controlled-rate cooling machine (custom-built) and equilibrated at 5°C for 80 min, then the straws were frozen at rate of -0.3°C/min from 5°C to -10°C and -25°C/min from -10°C to -150°C and plunged into liquid nitrogen for storage. Method 2: straws were transferred to refrigerator and maintained at 5°C for 3 h, then the straws were frozen in liquid nitrogen vapor, 4 cm above the liquid nitrogen for 15 min and plunged into liquid nitrogen. Computer-assisted sperm motility analysis was used to analyze sperm motion characteristics.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Controlled rate of freezing (Method 1) significantly improve the pre-freezing and post-thaw total and progressive motility compared to uncontrolled rate (Method 2). In specific kinetic parameters, Method 1 gives significantly higher value for VSL and VCL in comparison with Method 2. There are no significant differences between the two methods for VAP and LIN. In conclusion, controlled rate of cooling conferred better cryopreserving ability to ram spermatozoa compared to uncontrolled rate of cooling prior to programmable freezing.</p

Mimicking microbial 'education' of the immune system: a strategy to revert the epidemic trend of atopy and allergic asthma?

Deficient microbial stimulation of the immune system, caused by hygiene, may underly the atopy and allergic asthma epidemic we are currently experiencing. Consistent with this 'hygiene hypothesis', research on immunotherapy of allergic diseases also centres on bacteria-derived molecules (eg DNA immunostimulatory sequences) as adjuvants for allergen-specific type 1 immune responses. If we understood how certain microbes physiologically 'educate' our immune system to interact safely with environmental nonmicrobial antigens, we might be able to learn to mimic their beneficial actions. Programmed 'immunoeducation' would consist of safe administration, by the correct route, dose and timing, of those microbial stimuli that are necessary to 'train' the developing mucosal immune system and to maintain an appropriate homeostatic equilibrium between its components. Overall, this would result in a prevention of atopy that is not limited to certain specific allergens. Although such a strategy is far beyond our present potential, it may in principle revert the epidemic trend of atopy and allergic asthma without jeopardizing the fight against infectious diseases

The acceptability and usability of two HIV self‐test kits among men who have sex with men: a randomised crossover trial

Objectives: To compare the usability and acceptability of oral fluid- and blood-based HIV self-test kits among men who have sex with men in Australia. Design: Randomised crossover trial. Setting, participants: Gay, bisexual, and other men aged 18 years or older who have sex with men, who attended two metropolitan sexual health clinics in Sydney and Melbourne, 7 January – 10 December 2019. Main outcome measures: Ease of use of HIV self-test kits; preferred HIV self-test type; difficulties encountered during HIV self-testing. Results: 170 men were recruited (median age, 34 years; interquartile range, 29–43 years); 144 identified as gay (85%), 96 were born outside Australia (57%). Participants were more likely to report the oral fluid HIV self-test was easy to use than the blood-based self-test (oral fluid, 99%; blood, 86%; odds ratio [OR], 3.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4–6.6). The oral fluid test was preferred by 98 participants (58%; 95% CI, 50–65%), the blood-based test by 69 (41%; 95% CI, 33–48%). Difficulties with the oral fluid test kit identified by observing nurses included problems placing the buffer solution into the stand (40 of 170 participants, 24%) and not swabbing both gums (23 of 169, 14%); difficulties with the blood-based test kit included problems filling the device test channel (69 of 170, 41%) and squeezing the finger firmly enough to generate a blood drop (42 of 170, 25%). No participant received an invalid result with the oral fluid self-test; two of 162 participants (1%) received invalid results with the blood self-test. After adjusting for age, education level, and ethnic background, characteristics associated with higher odds of using HIV self-testing in the future were overseas birth (adjusted OR, 3.07; 95% CI, 1.42–6.64), and self-evaluated ease of use and confidence in using the kits. Conclusion: It is important to provide options for obtaining both oral fluid- and blood-based HIV self-tests. The usability and acceptability of both kits were high, but the ease of use and perceived accuracy influenced test kit preference

Co-circulation of Multidrug-resistant Shigella Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Australia.

BACKGROUND: In urban Australia, the burden of shigellosis is either in returning travelers from shigellosis-endemic regions or in men who have sex with men (MSM). Here, we combine genomic data with comprehensive epidemiological data on sexual exposure and travel to describe the spread of multidrug-resistant Shigella lineages. METHODS: A population-level study of all cultured Shigella isolates in the state of Victoria, Australia, was undertaken from 1 January 2016 through 31 March 2018. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, whole-genome sequencing, and bioinformatic analyses of 545 Shigella isolates were performed at the Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory. Risk factor data on travel and sexual exposure were collected through enhanced surveillance forms or by interviews. RESULTS: Rates of antimicrobial resistance were high, with 17.6% (95/541) and 50.6% (274/541) resistance to ciprofloxacin and azithromycin, respectively. There were strong associations between antimicrobial resistance, phylogeny, and epidemiology. Specifically, 2 major MSM-associated lineages were identified: a Shigellasonnei lineage (n = 159) and a Shigella flexneri 2a lineage (n = 105). Of concern, 147/159 (92.4%) of isolates within the S. sonnei MSM-associated lineage harbored mutations associated with reduced susceptibility to recommended oral antimicrobials: namely, azithromycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and ciprofloxacin. Long-read sequencing demonstrated global dissemination of multidrug-resistant plasmids across Shigella species and lineages, but predominantly associated with MSM isolates. CONCLUSIONS: Our contemporary data highlight the ongoing public health threat posed by resistant Shigella, both in Australia and globally. Urgent multidisciplinary public health measures are required to interrupt transmission and prevent infection

MSH3 polymorphisms and protein levels affect CAG repeat instability in huntington's disease mice

Expansions of trinucleotide CAG/CTG repeats in somatic tissues are thought to contribute to ongoing disease progression through an affected individual's life with Huntington's disease or myotonic dystrophy. Broad ranges of repeat instability arise between individuals with expanded repeats, suggesting the existence of modifiers of repeat instability. Mice with expanded CAG/CTG repeats show variable levels of instability depending upon mouse strain. However, to date the genetic modifiers underlying these differences have not been identified. We show that in liver and striatum the R6/1 Huntington's disease (HD) (CAG)~100 transgene, when present in a congenic C57BL/6J (B6) background, incurred expansion-biased repeat mutations, whereas the repeat was stable in a congenic BALB/cByJ (CBy) background. Reciprocal congenic mice revealed the Msh3 gene as the determinant for the differences in repeat instability. Expansion bias was observed in congenic mice homozygous for the B6 Msh3 gene on a CBy background, while the CAG tract was stabilized in congenics homozygous for the CBy Msh3 gene on a B6 background. The CAG stabilization was as dramatic as genetic deficiency of Msh2. The B6 and CBy Msh3 genes had identical promoters but differed in coding regions and showed strikingly different protein levels. B6 MSH3 variant protein is highly expressed and associated with CAG expansions, while the CBy MSH3 variant protein is expressed at barely detectable levels, associating with CAG stability. The DHFR protein, which is divergently transcribed from a promoter shared by the Msh3 gene, did not show varied levels between mouse strains. Thus, naturally occurring MSH3 protein polymorphisms are modifiers of CAG repeat instability, likely through variable MSH3 protein stability. Since evidence supports that somatic CAG instability is a modifier and predictor of disease, our data are consistent with the hypothesis that variable levels of CAG instability associated with polymorphisms of DNA repair genes may have prognostic implications for various repeat-associated diseases

Cholesteatoma of the external ear canal: etiological factors, symptoms and clinical findings in a series of 48 cases

BACKGROUND: To evaluate symptoms, clinical findings, and etiological factors in external ear canal cholesteatoma (EECC). METHOD: Retrospective evaluation of clinical records of all consecutive patients with EECC in the period 1979 to 2005 in a tertiary referral centre. Main outcome measures were incidence rates, classification according to causes, symptoms, extensions in the ear canal including adjacent structures, and possible etiological factors. RESULTS: Forty-five patients were identified with 48 EECC. Overall incidence rate was 0.30 cases per year per 100,000 inhabitants. Twenty-five cases were primary, while 23 cases were secondary: postoperative (n = 9), postinflammatory (n = 5), postirradiatory (n = 7), and posttraumatic (n = 2). Primary EECC showed a right/left ratio of 12/13 and presented with otalgia (n = 15), itching (n = 5), occlusion (n = 4), hearing loss (n = 3), fullness (n = 2), and otorrhea (n = 1). Similar symptoms were found in secondary EECC, but less pronounced. In total the temporomandibular joint was exposed in 11 cases, while the mastoid and middle ear was invaded in six and three cases, respectively. In one primary case the facial nerve was exposed and in a posttraumatic case the atticus and antrum were invaded. In primary EECC 48% of cases reported mechanical trauma. CONCLUSION: EECC is a rare condition with inconsistent and silent symptoms, whereas the extent of destruction may be pronounced. Otalgia was the predominant symptom and often related to extension into nearby structures. Whereas the aetiology of secondary EECC can be explained, the origin of primary EECC remains uncertain; smoking and minor trauma of the ear canal may predispose

Reduced occupancy of hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) in rural England and Wales: the influence of habitat and an asymmetric intra-guild predator

Agricultural landscapes have become increasingly intensively managed resulting in population declines across a broad range of taxa, including insectivores such as the hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus). Hedgehog declines have also been attributed to an increase in the abundance of badgers (Meles meles), an intra-guild predator. The status of hedgehogs across the rural landscape at large spatial scales is, however, unknown. In this study, we used footprint tracking tunnels to conduct the first national survey of rural hedgehog populations in England and Wales. Single and two-species occupancy modelling was used to quantify hedgehog occupancy in relation to habitat and predator covariates. Hedgehog occupancy was low (22% nationally), and significantly negatively related to badger sett density and positively related to the built environment. Hedgehogs were also absent from 71% of sites that had no badger setts, indicating that large areas of the rural landscape are not occupied by hedgehogs. Our results provide the first field based national survey of hedgehogs, providing a robust baseline for future monitoring. Furthermore, the combined effects of increasing badger abundance and intensive agriculture may have provided a perfect storm for hedgehogs in rural Britain, leading to worryingly low levels of occupancy over large spatial scales

Scabies Mite Peritrophins Are Potential Targets of Human Host Innate Immunity

The gut of most invertebrates is lined by a protective layer of chitin and glycoproteins, often designated as a peritrophic matrix. Previous research suggests that it forms a barrier that may protect the midgut epithelium from abrasive food particles and pathogens. Parasitic invertebrates ingesting vertebrate plasma have evolved additional strategies to protect themselves from hazardous host molecules consumed during feeding. An important part of the immediate defense in vertebrate plasma is complement-mediated killing. The Complement system is a complex network of more than 35 proteins present in human plasma that results in killing of foreign cells including the gut epithelial cells of a feeding parasite. Recently we found that scabies mites, who feed on skin containing plasma, produce several proteins that inhibit human complement within the mite gut. The mites excrete these molecules into the upper epidermis where they presumably also inhibit complement activity. Mite gut antigens that initially trigger the complement cascade have not been identified previously. Obvious possible targets of complement attack within the mite gut could be peritrophins. Our study describes the first peritrophin identified in scabies mites and indicates a possible role in complement activation

A functional AT/G polymorphism in the 5'-untranslated region (UTR) of SETDB2 in the IgE locus on human chromosome 13q14

The immunoglobulin E (IgE)-associated locus on human chromosome 13q14 influencing asthma-related traits contains the genes PHF11 and SETDB2. SETDB2 is located in the same linkage disequilibrium region as PHF11 and polymorphisms within SETDB2 have been shown to associate with total serum IgE levels. In this report, we sequenced the 15 exons of SETDB2 and identified a single previously ungenotyped mutation (AT/G, rs386770867) in the 5′-untranslated region of the gene. The polymorphism was found to be significantly associated with serum IgE levels in our asthma cohort (P=0.0012). Electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed that the transcription factor Ying Yang 1 binds to the AT allele, whereas SRY (Sex determining Region Y) binds to the G allele. Allele-specific transcription analysis (allelotyping) was performed in 35 individuals heterozygous for rs386770867 from a panel of 200 British families ascertained through probands with severe stage 3 asthma. The AT allele was found to be significantly overexpressed in these individuals (P=1.26 × 10(−21)). A dual-luciferase assay with the pGL3 luciferase reporter gene showed that the AT allele significantly affects transcriptional activities. Our results indicate that the IgE-associated AT/G polymorphism (rs386770867) regulates transcription of SETDB2