Prion Protein Gene and Its Shadow

Prion protein (PrP) is best known for its involvement in prion diseases. A normal, dynamic isoform of prion protein (PrP^C) transforms into a pathogenic, compact isoform (PrP^Sc) during prion disease pathogenesis. The PrP^Sc, acting as a template upon which PrP^C molecules are refolded into a likeness of itself, accumulates in the brain neurones and causes disease. It is the only known component of prions, proteinaceous infectious particles. Both prion protein isoforms have the same primary amino acid structure and are encoded by the same prion protein gene (PRNP). PRNP determines susceptibility/disposition to prion diseases and their phenotypes. ¶ ... ¶ Depth of comparative genomic analysis, strategy to understand biological function, depends on the number of species in comparison and their relative evolutionary distance. To understand better evolution and function of mammalian PRNP, I isolated and characterized the PRNP gene from Australian model marsupial tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii). Marsupials are mammals separated from their eutherian relatives by roughly 180 million years. Comparison of the tammar wallaby and Brazilian opossum PrP with other vertebrate PrPs indicated patterns of evolution of the PrP regions. Whereas the repeat region is conserved within lineages but differs between lineages, the hydrophobic region is invariably conserved in all the PrPs. Conservation of PrP between marsupials and eutherians suggests that marsupial PrP could have the same pathogenic potential as eutherian PrPs. Using the marsupial PRNP gene in comparison with the PRNP genes from eutherian species in which prion diseases occur naturally (human, bovine, ovine) or experimentally (mouse), I defined gene regions that are conserved mammalian-wide and showed the utility of the marsupial genomic sequence for cross-species comparisons. These regions are potential regulatory elements that could govern gene expression and posttranscriptional control of mRNA activity. These findings shed new light on the normal function of mammalian PRNP supporting best the signal-transduction hypothesis. The normal function of PRNP may be triggering of signalling cascades which contribute to cell-cell interactions and may act anti-apoptotically. Yet, in the heterogenous set of cells expressing PrP^C these pathways will contribute to a number of cell-specific phenotypes, such as the synaptic plasticity and activation of lymphoid cell

Comparative genomic analysis of prion genes

BACKGROUND: The homologues of human disease genes are expected to contribute to better understanding of physiological and pathogenic processes. We made use of the present availability of vertebrate genomic sequences, and we have conducted the most comprehensive comparative genomic analysis of the prion protein gene PRNP and its homologues, shadow of prion protein gene SPRN and doppel gene PRND, and prion testis-specific gene PRNT so far. RESULTS: While the SPRN and PRNP homologues are present in all vertebrates, PRND is known in tetrapods, and PRNT is present in primates. PRNT could be viewed as a TE-associated gene. Using human as the base sequence for genomic sequence comparisons (VISTA), we annotated numerous potential cis-elements. The conserved regions in SPRNs harbour the potential Sp1 sites in promoters (mammals, birds), C-rich intron splicing enhancers and PTB intron splicing silencers in introns (mammals, birds), and hsa-miR-34a sites in 3'-UTRs (eutherians). We showed the conserved PRNP upstream regions, which may be potential enhancers or silencers (primates, dog). In the PRNP 3'-UTRs, there are conserved cytoplasmic polyadenylation element sites (mammals, birds). The PRND core promoters include highly conserved CCAAT, CArG and TATA boxes (mammals). We deduced 42 new protein primary structures, and performed the first phylogenetic analysis of all vertebrate prion genes. Using the protein alignment which included 122 sequences, we constructed the neighbour-joining tree which showed four major clusters, including shadoos, shadoo2s and prion protein-likes (cluster 1), fish prion proteins (cluster 2), tetrapode prion proteins (cluster 3) and doppels (cluster 4). We showed that the entire prion protein conformationally plastic region is well conserved between eutherian prion proteins and shadoos (18–25% identity and 28–34% similarity), and there could be a potential structural compatibility between shadoos and the left-handed parallel beta-helical fold. CONCLUSION: It is likely that the conserved genomic elements identified in this analysis represent bona fide cis-elements. However, this idea needs to be confirmed by functional assays in transgenic systems

SLAVONIAN-SRIJEM PODOLIC CATTLE

We considered the history of breeding, morphological feature characteristics and producing performances of the only one herd of Slavonian-Srijem Podolic Cattle in Croatia. Futhermore, we also exposed the breeding plan and methods to preservation of Slavonian-Srijem Podolic Cattle genom, and reserch program of their morphological (osteological), producing and specilly fiziological feature characteristics. In future, we will explore the blood groups, polymorphism of protein\u27s system enzimatic activities and the others parametars which are in close relations with course and intensity of the metabolic processes

Comparative genomic analysis of eutherian adiponectin genes

The present study proposed updated and standardized classification and nomenclature of eutherian adiponectin genes implicated in regulation of systemic metabolism and inflammation and activation of classical complement pathway. The revisions of comprehensive adiponectin gene data sets used eutherian comparative genomic analysis protocol and public reference genomic sequence assemblies. Among 438 potential coding sequences, the tests of reliability of eutherian public genomic sequences annotated most comprehensive curated third-party data gene data set of eutherian adiponectin genes that included 211 complete coding sequences. There were 18 major gene clusters of eutherian adiponectin genes described, one of which included evidence of differential gene expansions. For example, the present analysis initially described human ADIF2 and ADIR genes. Finally, the tests of protein molecular evolution using relative synonymous codon usage statistics confirmed protein primary structure similarities between eutherian adiponectins and tumor necrosis factor ligands

Rak in tromboza

Rak je bolezen sodobnega časa, zato je velikega pomena, da ga zgodaj odkrijemo in zdravimo. Prav tako poskušajo čim prej odkriti spremljajoče bolezni, med katere spada tudi zelo nevarna globoka venska tromboza. Za uspešno prepoznavanje tromboze morajo vsi izvajalci, ki delujejo ob bolnikih, poznati vzroke za nastanek, dejavnike tveganja, klinično sliko, kako bolezen diagnostricirajo, potrebne preiskave, vrste zdravljenja. Trombozo morajo znati ločiti od drugih bolezenskih dogajanj, poznati morajo komplikacije. Delovati morajo na preprečevanju venske tromboze. Dokazano je, da rakasta obolenja spremenijo delovanje fibrinolitičnega sistema, prav tako citostatiki povečajo nagnjenost k strjevanju krvi. Bolniki z rakom imajo štirikrat večje tveganje za nastanek venske tromboze in zdravljenje je veliko bolj tvegano zaradi večjenagnjenosti h krvavitvam. Zelo pomembno je delo izvajalcev zdravstvene nege pri bolnikih z vensko trombozo. Pravilno delovanje zdravstvene nege vpliva tako na prepoznavanje venske tromboze kot na zdravljenje, ko je ta že diagnosticirana. Zdravstveno nego izvajamo po procesni metodi dela, s katero postavljamo diagnoze, izvajanje, vrednotenje in cilje zdravstvene nege. V prispevku je predstavljena študija primera

SEMEN COLLECTION AND CONSERVATION OF BULLS SEMEN PODOL TYPE CATTLE

Semen collection, artificial vagina, electro-ejaculation, freeze semen We tray to collection ejaculates from bulls Podol Type Cattle with artificial vagina. Fantoms for collecting were cows in heat from the same herd or from another herd. We were not successafuly. With electro-ejaculation we collected ejaculates from bulls Podol Type Cattle and freeze semen in our Institute or in field

APPLICATION OF PROSTAGLANDINE F₂alfa FOR INDUCTION OF HEAT IN GOATS IN MATING SEASON

Uobičajen način indukcije estrusa u koza obavlja se uporabom spužvica i hormona. Pokušali smo istražiti primjenu prostaglanclina PGF₂ alfa u indukciji mrkanja koza u sezoni parenja. Indukcija mrkanja izvršena je na 70 koza kod jednog privatnog uzgajivača. U sezoni parenja kozama je apliciran prostaglandin u količini od 1-ml dvokratno u razmaku od 10 dana. Od 70 tretiranih grla, mrkanjem je reagirala 51 koza ili 72,857%, a nije reagiralo 18 koza ili 25,714%. Osjemenjivanje koza obavljali smo duboko smrznutim sjemenom jednokratno a po potrebi i dvokratno. Od 51 osjemenjene koze gravidno je ostalo 29 ili 56,862%. Othranjeno je 33 žiive jaradi, odnosno po kozi su dobivena 1,2 jareta. Dobiveni rezultati su ohrabrujući i omogućuju nam primjenu prostaglandina u indukciji koza u sezoni mrkanja.The common method of heat induction in the goat is using vaginal sponges and hormones parenterally. We tried to investigate application of prostaglandine F₂alfa for induction of heat during the season of mating. lnduction of heat was performed in 70 goats of a private owner. During the season of mating every goat was treated with 1 ml of prostaglandine F₂alfa, two times in an interval of 10 days. Out of 70 treated animals 51 or 72.857% showed signs of heat. Goats were inseminated with deep frozen semen once or twice. From 51 inseminated goats 29 or 56.862% were pregnant. A total of 33 alive kids was born, on averaqe 1.2 per goat. These results encouraged us to apply prostaglandin F₂alfa in induction of heat in goats during the season of mating. The treated goats started to heat 20 hours after application of prostaglandin, but the greatest number of goats came into heat after 40-50 hours. In the control group of the 25 goats heat was detected in 3 to five goats every month from the end of August to the end of November