12 research outputs found
Genetic structure, relationships and admixture with wild relatives in native pig breeds from Iberia and its islands
Articles in International JournalsBackground: Native pig breeds in the Iberian Peninsula are broadly classified as belonging to either the Celtic or
the Mediterranean breed groups, but there are other local populations that do not fit into any of these groups.
Most of the native pig breeds in Iberia are in danger of extinction, and the assessment of their genetic diversity and
population structure, relationships and possible admixture between breeds, and the appraisal of conservation
alternatives are crucial to adopt appropriate management strategies.
Methods: A panel of 24 microsatellite markers was used to genotype 844 animals representing the 17 most
important native swine breeds and wild populations existing in Portugal and Spain and various statistical tools were
applied to analyze the results.
Results: Genetic diversity was high in the breeds studied, with an overall mean of 13.6 alleles per locus and an
average expected heterozygosity of 0.80. Signs of genetic bottlenecks were observed in breeds with a small census
size, and population substructure was present in some of the breeds with larger census sizes. Variability among
breeds accounted for about 20% of the total genetic diversity, and was explained mostly by differences among the
Celtic, Mediterranean and Basque breed groups, rather than by differences between domestic and wild pigs. Breeds
clustered closely according to group, and proximity was detected between wild pigs and the Mediterranean cluster
of breeds. Most breeds had their own structure and identity, with very little evidence of admixture, except for the
Retinto and Entrepelado varieties of the Mediterranean group, which are very similar. Genetic influence of the
identified breed clusters extends beyond the specific geographical areas across borders throughout the Iberian
Peninsula, with a very sharp transition from one breed group to another. Analysis of conservation priorities confirms
that the ranking of a breed for conservation depends on the emphasis placed on its contribution to the betweenand
within-breed components of genetic diversity.
Conclusions: Native pig breeds in Iberia reveal high levels of genetic diversity, a solid breed structure and a clear
organization in well-defined clusters
Effect of a dietary intervention based on the mediterranean diet on the quality of life of patients recovered from depression: analysis of the PREDIDEP randomized trial
Introduction: There is substantial evidence supporting that improving diet quality leads to improved healthrelated quality of life (HRQoL). Our major aim was to assess the effectiveness of a Mediterranean diet–based
nutritional intervention to improve HRQoL in the context of a secondary prevention trial of depression.
Secondarily to assess its effectiveness among adults aged 60 or more years.
Methods: The PREDIDEP study is a 2-year multicentre, randomized, single-blinded nutritional trial. At baseline
and at 1-year and 2-year follow-up, SF-36 health survey questionnaire was collected to evaluate participants'
HRQoL (total and specific range for each of the 8 dimensions: 0 to 100 points). Mixed effect linear models were
used to assess changes in HRQoL according to adherence to the Mediterranean diet. The trial was registered at
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03081065.
Results: After 2 years of intervention, the Mediterranean Diet intervention group compared to control group
(without nutritional intervention, only usual clinical care) showed an improvement in some dimensions of
HRQoL such as Mental Health (7.22; 95 % CI = 2.22–12.22) (between-group difference: 6.79; 95 % CI
− 0.14–13.73, p = 0.055); Vitality (9.51; 95 % CI = 4.00–15.03) (between-group difference: 9.00; 95 % CI
1.75–16.25, p = 0.020); Mental Summary Component (2.83; 95 % CI = 0.55–5.11) (between-group difference:
1.17; 95 % CI = − 1.96–4.30, p = 0.462); and General Health (10.70; 95 % CI = 5.58–15.81) (between-group
difference: 6.20; 95 % CI = − 0.89–13.28, p = 0.086). Similar results were observed for participants aged 60 or
more years.
Conclusion: The intervention based on Mediterranean diet in patients with previous depression seems to be
effective in improving HRQoL, especially the mental dimensions. This effect is also observed among participants
aged 60 or more years.This study was externally funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Carlos III National Health Institute-ISCIII), PI16/01274
Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2
The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality
Propuesta de metodología para la localización de microsatélites en el genoma equino
Se presenta una metodología relativamente sencilla para la detección de secuencias microsatélites a partir de genotecas parciales en plásmidos, que consiste fundamentalmente en un nuevo protocolo de extracción de DNA y el empleo de una sonda (TG)7T para localizar diferentes tipos de microsatélites
Depositional and geochemical dynamics of Mediterranean Watershed-Lake Systems (WLS) during the Anthropocene: disentangling human and climate forcings in the Iberian Peninsula during the last millennium
In the context of sustainable socio-economic growth, water availability, soil conservation and
land degradation are key factors in the Mediterranean regions of the Iberian Peninsula. Our
knowledge of Mediterranean Watershed-Lake Systems (WLS) dynamics in the context of recent
Global Warming and the Great Acceleration is hindered by the absence of integrated studies that
include varied geographic contexts and long term time series. In the Mediterranean regions of the
Iberian Peninsula disentangling climate and anthropic factors is more complex due to the long
history of human impact. The forecasted intensification of the hydrological cycle (flood intensity
and frequency) associated to global warming will likely lead to higher sediment mobilization and
sediment delivery to the lakes, increase in carbon fluxes and bioproductivity and also in metal and
other pollutant mobilization from the watersheds The MEDLANT project applies a
multidisciplinary approach to understand environmental, paleohydrological and climate dynamics
in WLS during the Anthropocene based on high resolution lake records for the last millennium.
We use a transect of lake paleorecords from NE Iberian Peninsula to test these hypotheses by
comparing recent changes with those occurred during other warmer periods - as the end of the
Little Ice Age and during the Medieval Climate Anomaly - and also during the main phases of
human impact (Roman, Medieval, late 19th- Early 20th century). Available data suggest that
synergetic effects between climate and humans have intensified erosion, heavy metal
mobilization and C storage in Mediterranean WLS. However, increase in extreme events caused
by climate change and reforestation due to rural exodus have had opposite impacts in sediment
delivery in recent times. Dynamic models for Mediterranean WLS will include their response
during climate and anthropogenic disturbances and the complex synergetic effects obtained from
paleolimnological records.Peer Reviewe