High-Coverage Whole-Exome Sequencing Identifies Candidate Genes for Suicide in Victims with Major Depressive Disorder

We carried out whole-exome ultra-high throughput sequencing in brain samples of suicide victims who had suffered from major depressive disorder and control subjects who had died from other causes. This study aimed to reveal the selective accumulation of rare variants in the coding and the UTR sequences within the genes of suicide victims. We also analysed the potential effect of STR and CNV variations, as well as the infection of the brain with neurovirulent viruses in this behavioural disorder. As a result, we have identified several candidate genes, among others three calcium channel genes that may potentially contribute to completed suicide. We also explored the potential implication of the TGF-β signalling pathway in the pathogenesis of suicidal behaviour. To our best knowledge, this is the first study that uses whole-exome sequencing for the investigation of suicide

The role of tenascin-C in tissue injury and tumorigenesis

The extracellular matrix molecule tenascin-C is highly expressed during embryonic development, tissue repair and in pathological situations such as chronic inflammation and cancer. Tenascin-C interacts with several other extracellular matrix molecules and cell-surface receptors, thus affecting tissue architecture, tissue resilience and cell responses. Tenascin-C modulates cell migration, proliferation and cellular signaling through induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and oncogenic signaling molecules amongst other mechanisms. Given the causal role of inflammation in cancer progression, common mechanisms might be controlled by tenascin-C during both events. Drugs targeting the expression or function of tenascin-C or the tenascin-C protein itself are currently being developed and some drugs have already reached advanced clinical trials. This generates hope that increased knowledge about tenascin-C will further improve management of diseases with high tenascin-C expression such as chronic inflammation, heart failure, artheriosclerosis and cancer

Determination of the transfer of cesium and iodine from feed into domestic animals.

The 137Cs transfer coefficients for meat were: 0.01 d/kg beef (cow), 0.038 d/kg beef (heifer), 0.038 d/kg (bull), 0.35 d/kg veal, 0.4 d/kg pork, 0.33 d/kg sheep, 0.28 d/kg fallow deer and 1.3 d/kg chicken. The transfer coefficients for cow's milk were 0.007 d/1 (131I) and 0.003 d/1 (137Cs), and for sheep's milk 0.06 d/1 (137Cs). In egg-white and yolk transfer coefficients for 137Cs of 0.2 and 0.1 d/kg, respectively, were determined. Biological half-lives and the influence of feed additives on the activity concentrations in meat and animal products are described

Untersuchungen zum Einfluss der Versorgung von Milchkuehen mit stabilem Jod auf dem Transfer von I-131 vom Futter in die Milch

Ziel der Untersuchungen war die Quantifizierung des Einflusses verschiedener Versorgungen mit stabilem Jod im Futter auf die Ausscheidungsrate von radioaktivem Jod-131 mit der Milch. Die Experimente zeigten eindeutig, dass unter den vorliegenden Bedingungen, d.h. bei sehr guter stabiler Jodversorgung von Milchkuehen, kein Effekt bei Variierung des Jodangebotes zu erkennen war. Der Milchtransferfaktor zeigte unabhaengig von der Supplementierung (10 und 100 g/d stabiles Jod) fuer alle Kuehe einen Wert von 0.015#+-#0.002 d/L. Somit eruebrigt sich die Empfehlung, das Jodangebot als Gegenmassnahme zur Reduzierung der Milchbelastung nach Unfaellen oder Stoerfaellen und Freisetzung radioaktiven Jods kerntechnischen Anlagen zu veraendern. In Kuehen aus Jodmangelgebieten allerdings duerfte ein Effekt bei Zufuetterung von stabilem Jod nachweisbar sein. (orig./UG)The work had the objective to quantify the influence of the variation of stable iodine administration in feed on the rate of excretion of radioactive iodine 131 in milk. Under the prevailing conditions, i.e., as long as dairy cattle are adequately supplied with stable iodine, the investigated variations of iodine supply definitely had no effect. Irrespective of supplementary iodine administration (10 to 100 g of stable iodine per day), a milk transfer factor of 0.015#+-#0.002 d/L was established for all cows. Consequently, increased iodine administration as a means of reducting milk contamination after accidents at nuclear plants involving the release of radioactive iodine can be dispensed with. By contrast, cows in iodine deficiency areas are likely to respond if additionally supplied with stable iodine. (orig./UG)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: RO 3190(390) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman

Untersuchungen zum Einfluss der Versorgung von Milchkuehen mit stabilem Jod auf den Transfer von I-131 vom Futter in die Milch Abschlussbericht

The investigations were carried out with the aim to quantify the effects of stable iodine taken up in various concentrations with the food on the rates of radioactive iodine-131 eliminated in the milk. The experiments clearly pointed to the fact that variations in iodine uptake had no effect on elimination rates for milk cows generally receiving large amounts of stable iodine due to generous additions to the mineral mixtures and grazing of cattle in well fertilized meadows, which is the usual practice also on German farms. This was evident from the determined milk transfer factors, which invariably remained in the range of 0.015#+-#0.002 d/L and bore no relation to the added concentrations of stable iodine (10 and 100 mg/d). The finding appears to render superfluous any warnings to reduce those iodine supplies in order to offset increased milk loads resulting from accidents, technical mishaps and radioactive iodine fallouts from nuclear plants. The only exception are cows kept in low supply areas, where stable iodine is not added to food concentrates or mineral mixtures. Here, it appears likely that the addition of stable iodine to the food would have a detectable effect on the elimination rates. (orig./MG)Ziel der Untersuchungen war die Quantifizierung des Einflusses verschiedener Versorgungen mit stabilem Jod im Futter auf die Ausscheidungsrate von radioaktivem Jod-131 mit der Milch. Die Experimente zeigten eindeutig, dass bei sehr guter stabiler Jodversorgung von Milchkuehen, wie sie auch auf deutschen Bauernhoefen allgemein durch die hohen Beimengungen mit stabilem Jod im Mineralfutter und durch das Futterangebot von gut geduengten Weiden gewaehrleistet ist, kein Effekt bei Variierung des Jodangebotes zu erkennen war. Der Milchtransferfaktor zeigte unabhaengig von der Supplementierung (10 und 100 mg/d stabiles Jod) fuer alle Kuehe einen Wert von 0.015#+-#0.002 d/L. Somit eruebrigt sich die Empfehlung, das Jodangebot als Gegenmassnahme zur Reduzierung der Milchbelastung nach Unfaellen oder Stoerfaellen und Freisetzung radioaktiven Jods kerntechnischen Anlagen zu veraendern. In Kuehen aus Jodmangelgebieten allerdings, wo Tiere keine Supplementierung von stabilem Jod durch Mineral- und Kraftfutter erhalten - duerfte ein Effekt bei Zufuetterung von stabilem Jod nachweisbar sein. (orig./MG)Available from TIB Hannover: RO 2674(1993,8) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEBundesministerium fuer Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit, Bonn (Germany)DEGerman