Evolutionary Patterns and Selective Pressures of Odorant/Pheromone Receptor Gene Families in Teleost Fishes

BACKGROUND: Teleost fishes do not have a vomeronasal organ (VNO), and their vomeronasal receptors (V1Rs, V2Rs) are expressed in the main olfactory epithelium (MOE), as are odorant receptors (ORs) and trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs). In this study, to obtain insights into the functional distinction among the four chemosensory receptor families in teleost fishes, their evolutionary patterns were examined in zebrafish, medaka, stickleback, fugu, and spotted green pufferfish. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Phylogenetic analysis revealed that many lineage-specific gene gains and losses occurred in the teleost fish TAARs, whereas only a few gene gains and losses have taken place in the teleost fish vomeronasal receptors. In addition, synonymous and nonsynonymous nucleotide substitution rate ratios (K(A)/K(S)) in TAARs tended to be higher than those in ORs and V2Rs. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Frequent gene gains/losses and high K(A)/K(S) in teleost TAARs suggest that receptors in this family are used for detecting some species-specific chemicals such as pheromones. Conversely, conserved repertoires of V1R and V2R families in teleost fishes may imply that receptors in these families perceive common odorants for teleosts, such as amino acids. Teleost ORs showed intermediate evolutionary pattern between TAARs and vomeronasal receptors. Many teleost ORs seem to be used for common odorants, but some ORs may have evolved to recognize lineage-specific odors

開心術前後における身体組成変動

Lean body mass decreases after a major operation such as open-heart surgery, which leads to postoperative complications, as a drastic loss of muscle mass is related to infections and longer hospital stays. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in lean body mass and muscle mass including body composition the perioperative phase until discharge in patients undergoing open-heart surgery. Body fluids, fat and lean body mass in 17 patients were determined before and 1 week after surgery, and at discharge using bioelectrical impedance analysis. In addition, the levels of hemoglobin, albumin, and C-reactive protein in blood were measured. Cardiac rehabilitation consisted of early mobilization and aerobic bicycle exercise was subsequently performed after confirmation of independent walking for 200 meters. Early mobilization after surgery was assisted by physical therapists experienced in cases of cardiovascular surgery. Early mobilization required no more than 3 delayed days and no major complications until discharge in any of the patients. Weight and body mass index were significantly lower at discharge than before and 1 week after surgery, while lean body mass, muscle mass, total body water, intracellular fluid, body protein, and body cell mass values were significantly lower at discharge than before surgery. The changes in body composition seen after cardiac surgery until discharge indicated continuous catabolic reactions in our patients and some cytokines have been suggested to influence this phenomenon. After receiving open-heart surgery, it is important for patients to receive nutritional therapy and begin resistance exercise as soon as possible. Aerobic exercise should produce muscle protein synthesis and increase muscle mass under adequate nutritional support including specific amino acid supplements. Our findings indicate that muscle mass and nutritional status should be monitored after discharge and followed consistently in patients after open-heart surgery

Expression of mRNA for 3HADH in manipulated embryos to produce germline chimeric chickens

Germline chimeric chickens were produced by the transfer of primordial germ cells (PGCs) or blastoderm cells. The hatchability of eggs produced by transfer of exogenous PGCs is usually low. The purpose of the present study was investigated to express (3-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase) 3HADH which is a limiting enzyme in the beta-oxidation of fatty acids for hatching energy. Manipulations of both donor and recipient eggshells were as follows. A window approximately 10 mm in diameter was opened at the pointed end of the eggs at stage 12–15 days incubation. Donor PGCs, taken from the blood vessels of donor embryos from fertilized eggs at the same stage of development, were injected into the blood vessels of recipient embryos. The muscles of chicks in the eggs with transferred PGCs were removed after 20 days of incubation. A cDNA was prepared from the total RNA. The expression of 3HADH in the manipulated embryos was investigated using real-time PCR analysis. Real-time PCR analysis showed that expression of 3HADH was reduced in the muscles of manipulated embryos

In Silico Chaperonin-Like Cycle Helps Folding of Proteins for Structure Prediction

Currently, one of the most serious problems in protein-folding simulations for de novo structure prediction is conformational sampling of medium-to-large proteins. In vivo, folding of these proteins is mediated by molecular chaperones. Inspired by the functions of chaperonins, we designed a simple chaperonin-like simulation protocol within the framework of the standard fragment assembly method: in our protocol, the strength of the hydrophobic interaction is periodically modulated to help the protein escape from misfolded structures. We tested this protocol for 38 proteins and found that, using a certain defined criterion of success, our method could successfully predict the native structures of 14 targets, whereas only those of 10 targets were successfully predicted using the standard protocol. In particular, for non-α-helical proteins, our method yielded significantly better predictions than the standard approach. This chaperonin-inspired protocol that enhanced de novo structure prediction using folding simulations may, in turn, provide new insights into the working principles underlying the chaperonin system