Identification of SNPs in chemerin gene and association with carcass and meat quality traits of Qinchuan Cattle

Chemerin is a novel adipokine that regulates adipogenesis and adipocyte metabolism via its own receptor. In this study, two novel SNPs (868A>G in exon 2 and 2692C>T in exon 5) of chemerin gene were identified by PCR-SSCP and DNA sequencing technology. The allele frequencies of the novel SNPs were determined in the genetically diverse bovine breeds including six Chinese indigenous cattle breeds (Caoyuan red, Jiaxian red, Luxi, Nanyang, Qinchuan and Xia’nan cattle). We evaluated the potential association of the SNPs with traits measured by ultrasound measurement in 214 Qinchuan individuals. Furthermore, meat quality traits data gotten from carcass measurement in another 69 Qinchuan individuals were analyzed by the comparison between the genotypes and their phenotypic data. Results showed that SNP 868A>G had a significant association with the ultrasound loin-muscle area (P < 0.05), loin-eye area and water holding capability (P < 0.05). And also revealed significant effects of genotype on the ultrasound backfat thickness (P < 0.05), backfat thickness and water holding capability (P < 0.05) of SNP 2692C>T. It was shown that associations do exist between chemerin gene and carcass and meat quality traits. As a result of the small sample size of this study, it is proposed that further effort is required to validate these findings in larger populations. It could be concluded that ultrasound measurements are similar in accuracy to carcass measurements for predicting carcass and meat quality traits in cattle, and could be a useful predictor of retail yield in live animals.Keywords: Bos bovine, chemerin gene, PCR-SSCP, SNP, meat quality trait

Effect of sex on meat quality characteristics of Qinchuan cattle

A total of 18 Qinchuan cattle, six intact males (IM), six castrated males (CM) and six females (FM), were used to investigate the effect of sex on the physicochemical characteristics (PCC) and fatty acid (FA) composition of the Longissimus dorsi muscle (LDM). Obvious sex differences were found in the PCC of LDM: the IM group had higher shear value, pH, drip and cooking losses, and contents of ash and hydroxyproline (Hyp) than the CM and FM groups, as well as lower ether extract content and lightness. Both the IM and CM groups had lower water content and higher protein content than the FM group. Sex differences were also observed in contents of C14:0, C14:1, C18:1, saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) between the IM and both the CM and FM groups but not between the CM and FM groups. The results indicated that sex is an importantsource of differences in meat quality of Qinchuan cattle because the castration and the meat characteristics of the CM group were more similar to the FM than the IM group

Patient perception of treatment efficacy, disability and health satisfaction

Abstract published in Rheumatology, Volume 55 (Suppl 1), April 2016, page i123

Temporal Course of Cerebral Autoregulation in Patients With Narcolepsy Type 1: Two Case Reports

Cerebral autoregulation is the mechanism by which constant cerebral blood flow is maintained despite changes in arterial blood pressure. In the two presented cases, cerebral autoregulation was impaired in patients with narcolepsy type 1, and both venlafaxine and fluoxetine may have the potential to improve the impaired cerebral autoregulation. A relationship may exist between impaired cerebral autoregulation and neurological symptoms in patients with narcolepsy type 1

Outcomes of Microendoscopic Discectomy and Percutaneous Transforaminal Endoscopic Discectomy for the Treatment of Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Comparative Retrospective Study

Study DesignRetrospective, case control evaluation of 86 patients who underwent microendoscopic discectomy (MED) and percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy (PTED) for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH).PurposeTo evaluate the safety and the outcomes of MED and PTED for the treatment of LDH.Overview of LiteratureMED and PTED are minimally invasive surgical techniques for lower back pain. Studies to date have shown that MED and PTED are safe and effective treatment modalities for LDH.MethodsA retrospective study was performed in patients with LDH treated with MED (n=50) and transforaminal endoscopic discectomy (PTED; n=36) in our hospital. All patients were followed-up with self-evaluation questionnaires, Oswestry disability index (ODI), medical outcomes study 36-item short form health survey and MacNab criteria. All the patients in both groups were followed up to 12 months after the operation.ResultsODI questionnaire responses were not statistically different between the MED and PTED groups (53.00 vs. 48.72) before treatment. Average scores and minimal disability after 5 days to 12 months of follow-up were 4.96 in the MED group and 3.61 in the PTED group. According to MacNab criteria, 92.0% of the MED group and 94.4% of the PTED group had excellent or good results with no significant difference.ConclusionsThere was no significant difference between MED and PTED outcomes. Further large-scale, randomized studies with long-term follow-up are needed

The phylogenetically-related pattern recognition receptors EFR and XA21 recruit similar immune signaling components in monocots and dicots

During plant immunity, surface-localized pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). The transfer of PRRs between plant species is a promising strategy for engineering broad-spectrum disease resistance. Thus, there is a great interest in understanding the mechanisms of PRR-mediated resistance across different plant species. Two well-characterized plant PRRs are the leucine-rich repeat receptor kinases (LRR-RKs) EFR and XA21 from Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) and rice, respectively. Interestingly, despite being evolutionary distant, EFR and XA21 are phylogenetically closely related and are both members of the sub-family XII of LRR-RKs that contains numerous potential PRRs. Here, we compared the ability of these related PRRs to engage immune signaling across the monocots-dicots taxonomic divide. Using chimera between Arabidopsis EFR and rice XA21, we show that the kinase domain of the rice XA21 is functional in triggering elf18-induced signaling and quantitative immunity to the bacteria Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pto) DC3000 and Agrobacterium tumefaciens in Arabidopsis. Furthermore, the EFR:XA21 chimera associates dynamically in a ligand-dependent manner with known components of the EFR complex. Conversely, EFR associates with Arabidopsis orthologues of rice XA21-interacting proteins, which appear to be involved in EFR-mediated signaling and immunity in Arabidopsis. Our work indicates the overall functional conservation of immune components acting downstream of distinct LRR-RK-type PRRs between monocots and dicots

Mudskipper genomes provide insights into the terrestrial adaptation of amphibious fishes

Mudskippers are amphibious fishes that have developed morphological and physiological adaptations to match their unique lifestyles. Here we perform whole-genome sequencing of four representative mudskippers to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying these adaptations. We discover an expansion of innate immune system genes in the mudskippers that may provide defence against terrestrial pathogens. Several genes of the ammonia excretion pathway in the gills have experienced positive selection, suggesting their important roles in mudskippers’ tolerance to environmental ammonia. Some vision-related genes are differentially lost or mutated, illustrating genomic changes associated with aerial vision. Transcriptomic analyses of mudskippers exposed to air highlight regulatory pathways that are up- or down-regulated in response to hypoxia. The present study provides a valuable resource for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying water-to-land transition of vertebrates

A genetic study and meta-analysis of the genetic predisposition of prostate cancer in a Chinese population.

Prostate cancer predisposition has been extensively investigated in European populations, but there have been few studies of other ethnic groups. To investigate prostate cancer susceptibility in the under-investigated Chinese population, we performed single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array analysis on a cohort of Chinese cases and controls and then meta-analysis with data from the existing Chinese prostate cancer genome-wide association study (GWAS). Genotyping 211,155 SNPs in 495 cases and 640 controls of Chinese ancestry identified several new suggestive Chinese prostate cancer predisposition loci. However, none of them reached genome-wide significance level either by meta-analysis or replication study. The meta-analysis with the Chinese GWAS data revealed that four 8q24 loci are the main contributors to Chinese prostate cancer risk and the risk alleles from three of them exist at much higher frequencies in Chinese than European populations. We also found that several predisposition loci reported in Western populations have different effect on Chinese men. Therefore, this first extensive single-nucleotide polymorphism study of Chinese prostate cancer in comparison with European population indicates that four loci on 8q24 contribute to a great risk of prostate cancer in a considerable large proportion of Chinese men. Based on those four loci, the top 10% of the population have six- or two-fold prostate cancer risk compared with men of the bottom 10% or median risk respectively, which may facilitate the design of prostate cancer genetic risk screening and prevention in Chinese men. These findings also provide additional insights into the etiology and pathogenesis of prostate cancer.This work was conducted on behalf of the CHIPGECS and The PRACTICAL consortia (see Supplementary Consortia). We acknowledge the contribution of doctors, nurses and postgraduate research students at the CHIPGENCS sample collecting centers. We thank Orchid and Rosetrees for funding support. This work was also supported by National Natural Science foundation of China for funding support to H Zhang (Grant No: 30671793 and 81072377), N Feng (Grant No: 81272831), X Zhang (Grant No: 30572139, 30872924 and 81072095), S Zhao (Grant No: 81072092 and 81328017), Y Yu (Grant No: 81172448) and Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University from Department of Education of China (NCET-08-0223) and the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program 2012AA021101) to X Zhang.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Impact Journals via http://dx.doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.725

Roles of MAPK and Spindle Assembly Checkpoint in Spontaneous Activation and MIII Arrest of Rat Oocytes

Rat oocytes are well known to undergo spontaneous activation (SA) after leaving the oviduct, but the SA is abortive with oocytes being arrested in metaphase III (MIII) instead of forming pronuclei. This study was designed to investigate the mechanism causing SA and MIII arrest. Whereas few oocytes collected from SD rats at 13 h after hCG injection that showed 100% of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activities activated spontaneously, all oocytes recovered 19 h post hCG with MAPK decreased to below 75% underwent SA during in vitro culture. During SA, MAPK first declined to below 45% and then increased again to 80%; the maturation-promoting factor (MPF) activity fluctuated similarly but always began to change ahead of the MAPK activity. In SA oocytes with 75% of MAPK activities, microtubules were disturbed with irregularly pulled chromosomes dispersed over the spindle and the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) was activated. When MAPK decreased to 45%, the spindle disintegrated and chromosomes surrounded by microtubules were scattered in the ooplasm. SA oocytes entered MIII and formed several spindle-like structures by 6 h of culture when the MAPK activity re-increased to above 80%. While SA oocytes showed one Ca2+ rise, Sr2+-activated oocytes showed several. Together, the results suggested that SA stimuli triggered SA in rat oocytes by inducing a premature MAPK inactivation, which led to disturbance of spindle microtubules. The microtubule disturbance impaired pulling of chromosomes to the spindle poles, caused spindle disintegration and activated SAC. The increased SAC activity reactivated MPF and thus MAPK, leading to MIII arrest