Outgroup, alignment and modelling improvements indicate that two TNFSF13-like genes existed in the vertebrate ancestor

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Playing popular science

Popular science is a critical form of science communication and dissemination. While scientific journals and detailed textbooks are well suited to dissemination of detailed theories and findings within academic communities, there is a definitive need to inform the general public of key scientific concepts and challenges. Indeed, this is increasingly seen as a central part of any research project or funding bid: in the United Kingdom, the Research Councils stipulate a need to consider public engagement and outreach in research proposals For scientists, the popular science book has long been a medium of choice, primarily because they already have a great deal of experience in writing. But in recent years scientific researchers have been increasingly engaged with other forms of popular science communication, including radio and television broadcasting. Early careers researchers are now provided with training in these areas, including guidance on how to develop programme proposals and how to write, present, direct, and edit materials for print, the airwaves, and screen. In effect, today’s scientists are expected to engage directly with popular science journalism not merely as scientific advisors, but as the writers, directors, and broadcasters.This event involved an exhibition and discussion of four popular science games, co-designed by scientific experts and designed and developed by students at Abertay University. The four games were: (1) Namaka by Crowbar Games Co-designed by Ecotoxicologist Dr Brian Quinn (2) Tides: A Shark Tale by Benthos Games Co-designed by Immunologist and sharks expert Dr Helen Dooley (3) Orbs by Quantessential Games Co-designed by Quantum Physicist Dr Erik Gauger (4) Cell Cycle by Type 3 Games Co-designed by Cell Biologist and cancer researcher Dr Adrian Sauri

The Northern Department of the British Foreign Office and the Soviet Union, 1939-1942

This thesis examines the opinions of, and advice tendered by, members of the Northern Department of the British Foreign Office during the years 1939-1942. Previous works on this era have focussed predominantly on the role of Winston Churchill and Anthony Eden. However, an in depth and exhaustive analysis of the views of the various members of the Northern Department provides a new and original perspective on the relations between London and Moscow in the critical period from the outbreak of war in September 1939 to the signature of the Anglo-Soviet Treaty in May 1942

Diversity and repertoire of IgW and IgM VH families in the newborn nurse shark

BACKGROUND: Adult cartilaginous fish express three immunoglobulin (Ig) isotypes, IgM, IgNAR and IgW. Newborn nurse sharks, Ginglymostoma cirratum, produce 19S (multimeric) IgM and monomeric/dimeric IgM(1gj), a germline-joined, IgM-related VH, and very low amounts of 7S (monomeric) IgM and IgNAR proteins. Newborn IgNAR VH mRNAs are diverse in the complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) with non-templated nucleotide (N-region) addition, which suggests that, unlike in many other vertebrates, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) expressed at birth is functional. IgW is present in the lungfish, a bony fish sharing a common ancestor with sharks 460 million years ago, implying that the IgW VH family is as old as the IgM VH family. This nurse shark study examined the IgM and IgW VH repertoire from birth through adult life, and analyzed the phylogenetic relationships of these gene families. RESULTS: IgM and IgW VH cDNA clones isolated from newborn nurse shark primary and secondary lymphoid tissues had highly diverse and unique CDR3 with N-region addition and VDJ gene rearrangement, implicating functional TdT and RAG gene activity. Despite the clear presence of N-region additions, newborn CDR3 were significantly shorter than those of adults. The IgM clones are all included in a conventional VH family that can be classified into five discrete groups, none of which is orthologous to IgM VH genes in other elasmobranchs. In addition, a novel divergent VH family was orthologous to a published monotypic VH horn shark family. IgW VH genes have diverged sufficiently to form three families. IgM and IgW VH serine codons using the potential somatic hypermutation hotspot sequence occur mainly in VH framework 1 (FR1) and CDR1. Phylogenetic analysis of cartilaginous fish and lungfish IgM and IgW demonstrated they form two major ancient gene groups; furthermore, these VH genes generally diversify (duplicate and diverge) within a species. CONCLUSION: As in ratfish, sandbar and horn sharks, most nurse shark IgM VH genes are from one family with multiple, heterogeneous loci. Their IgW VH genes have diversified, forming at least three families. The neonatal shark Ig VH CDR3 repertoire, diversified via N-region addition, is shorter than the adult VDJ junction, suggesting one means of postnatal repertoire diversification is expression of longer CDR3 junctions

Exploration of the nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) plasma immunoproteome using high-resolution LC-MS/MS

Funding Information: FKB was supported by a BBSRC-funded EASTBIO Doctoral Training Partnership studentship (grant number BB/M010996/1) awarded to HD. HM is supported by NIH-NIAID predoctoral fellowship F31AI147532. DM received institutional strategic funding from the BBSRC (grants: BBS/E/D/10002071 and BBS/E/D/20002174). For the purpose of open access, the author has applied a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission. Funding Information: We thank Professor Sam Martin (University of Aberdeen) for supporting the supervision of FKB during her PhD. Our thanks also to Luke Tallon and Lisa Sadzewicz at UMBs Institute for Genome Sciences for helpful advice and sharing their expertise during sequencing of the nurse shark transcriptome. Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2022 Bakke, Gundappa, Matz, Stead, Macqueen and Dooley.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

B cell receptor accessory molecule CD79α : characterisation and expression analysis in a cartilaginous fish, the spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias)

Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

TGF-β1 As Possible Link between Loss of Bone Mineral Density and Chronic Inflammation

and their possible role in bone homeostasis in primary human osteoblasts. application.

Characterisation of the TNF superfamily members CD40L and BAFF in the small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula)

The tumour necrosis factor superfamily (TNFSF) members CD40L and BAFF play critical roles in mammalian B cell survival, proliferation and maturation, however little is known about these key cytokines in the oldest jawed vertebrates, the cartilaginous fishes. Here we report the cloning of CD40L and BAFF orthologues (designated ScCD40L and ScBAFF) in the small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula). As predicted both proteins are type II membrane-bound proteins with a TNF homology domain in their extracellular region and both are highly expressed in shark immune tissues. ScCD40L transcript levels correlate with those of TCRα and transcription of both genes is modulated in peripheral blood leukocytes following in vitro stimulation. Although a putative CD40L orthologue was identified in the elephant shark genome the work herein is the first molecular characterisation and transcriptional analysis of CD40L in a cartilaginous fish. ScBAFF was also cloned and its transcription characterised in an attempt to resolve the discrepancies observed between spiny dogfish BAFF and bamboo shark BAFF in previously published studies

Integrating pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in operational research to end tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) elimination requires innovative approaches. The new Global Tuberculosis Network (GTN) aims to conduct research on key unmet therapeutic and diagnostic needs in the field of TB elimination using multidisciplinary, multisectorial approaches. The TB Pharmacology section within the new GTN aims to detect and study the current knowledge gaps, test potential solutions using human pharmacokinetics informed through preclinical infection systems, and return those findings to the bedside. Moreover, this approach would allow prospective identification and validation of optimal shorter therapeutic durations with new regimens. Optimized treatment using available and repurposed drugs may have an increased impact when prioritizing a personcentered approach and acknowledge the importance of age, gender, comorbidities, and both social and programmatic environments. In this viewpoint article, we present an in-depth discussion on how TB pharmacology and the related strategies will contribute to TB elimination