Pre-competition cardiac screening in professional handball players - setting up at the EHF European Handball Championship 2010 in Austria

Zusammenfassung: In vielen Sportarten wird ein regelmäßiges, richtliniengetreues kardiales Screening zur Verhinderung des plötzlichen Herztods noch immer nicht gewährleistet. Wir nahmen die Handball Europameisterschaften, welche 2010 in Wien und weiteren Städten in Österreich stattfanden, zum Anlass, die aktuelle Situation bei Toplevel-Handballern zu untersuchen: Ein standardisierter Fragebogen wurde vor dem Turnier an alle qualifizierten Teams und Spieler versandt. Eine Rücklaufrate von 42,7 % kann zum Schluss führen, dass das Problem des plötzlichen Herztods bei den Spielern und Verantwortlichen unterschätzt wird. Die überwiegende Mehrzahl der Spieler (82 %) wurde gemäß der Auswertung der Fragebögen korrekt, entsprechend der aktuellen Screening-Richtlinien untersucht. In gut der Hälfte der Teams wurde das Screening jedoch "inhomogen" durchgeführt. 5 Spieler (4,1 %) wurden zumindest nicht innerhalb der letzten Jahre untersucht, bei 1 Spieler (0,8 %) wurde kein EKG durchgeführt. Während 69 % der Handballer ihr erstes Screening erst nach dem Alter von 18 Jahren durchliefen, wurden 16 Spieler (13,1 %) gar niemals zuvor einer kardialen Vorsorgeuntersuchung unterzogen. Schließlich identifizierten wir aufgrund der Fragebögen 17 Athleten (13,9 %) mit einer hoch suspekten Anamnese, wovon 2 Athleten (1,6 %) niemals zuvor kardiologisch abgeklärt wurde

Coordinated RNA-Seq and peptidomics identify neuropeptides and G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) in the large pine weevil Hylobius abietis, a major forestry pest

Hylobius abietis (Linnaeus), or large pine weevil (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), is a pest of European coniferous forests. In order to gain understanding of the functional physiology of this species, we have assembled a de novo transcriptome of H. abietis, from sequence data obtained by Next Generation Sequencing. In particular, we have identified genes encoding neuropeptides, peptide hormones and their putative G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) to gain insights into neuropeptide-modulated processes. The transcriptome was assembled de novo from pooled paired-end, sequence reads obtained from RNA from whole adults, gut and central nervous system tissue samples. Data analysis was performed on the transcripts obtained from the assembly including, annotation, gene ontology and functional assignment as well as transcriptome completeness assessment and KEGG pathway analysis. Pipelines were created using Bioinformatics tools and techniques for prediction and identification of neuropeptides and neuropeptide receptors. Peptidomic analysis was also carried out using a combination of MALDI-TOF as well as Q-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry to confirm the identified neuropeptide. 41 putative neuropeptide families were identified in H. abietis, including Adipokinetic hormone (AKH), CAPA and DH31. Neuropeptide F, which has not been yet identified in the model beetle T. castaneum, was identified. Additionally, 24 putative neuropeptide and 9 leucine-rich repeat containing G protein coupled receptor-encoding transcripts were determined using both alignment as well as non-alignment methods. This information, submitted to the NCBI sequence read archive repository (SRA accession: SRP133355), can now be used to inform understanding of neuropeptide-modulated physiology and behaviour in H. abietis; and to develop specific neuropeptide-based tools for H. abietis control

Neuropeptides in the Antennal Lobe of the Yellow Fever Mosquito, Aedes aegypti.

For many insects, including mosquitoes, olfaction is the dominant modality regulating their behavioral repertoire. Many neurochemicals modulate olfactory information in the central nervous system, including the primary olfactory center of insects, the antennal lobe. The most diverse and versatile neurochemicals in the insect nervous system are found in the neuropeptides. In the present study, we analyzed neuropeptides in the antennal lobe of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, a major vector of arboviral diseases. Direct tissue profiling of the antennal lobe by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry indicated the presence of 28 mature products from 10 different neuropeptide genes. In addition, immunocytochemical techniques were used to describe the cellular location of the products of up to seven of these genes within the antennal lobe. Allatostatin A, allatotropin, SIFamide, FMRFamide-related peptides, short neuropeptide F, myoinhibitory peptide, and tachykinin-related peptides were found to be expressed in local interneurons and extrinsic neurons of the antennal lobe. Building on these results, we discuss the possible role of neuropeptide signaling in the antennal lobe of Ae. aegypti. J. Comp. Neurol. 522:592-608, 2014. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Pre-competition cardiac screening in professional handball players - setting up at the EHF European Handball Championship 2010 in Austria

In many sports, regular cardiac screening for exercise-associated sudden cardiac death is still not provided. To set up the current situation in top-skilled handball players qualified for the 2010 European Handball Championship in Austria, a standardised questionnaire was sent to every team. The fact that only 42.7% of the players returned the questionnaire may lead to the conclusion that the awareness of the problem is quite low. However, 82% of these players have been screened according to current recommendations. Half of the teams were screened inhomogeneously: 5 players (4.1%) have not been screened within the last years, 1 athlete (0.8%) was screened without an ECG. While 69% of the athletes got their first screening only after the age of 18, 16 players (13.1%) never went through a specific screening ever. We identified 17 athletes (13.9%) with a highly suspicious history, 2 of them (1.6%) never underwent a medical screening at all

Unique Features of a Global Human Ectoparasite Identified Through Sequencing of the Bed Bug Genome

The bed bug, Cimex lectularius, has re-established itself as a ubiquitous human ectoparasite throughout much of the world during the past two decades. This global resurgence is likely linked to increased international travel and commerce in addition to widespread insecticide resistance. Analyses of the C. lectularius sequenced genome (650 Mb) and 14,220 predicted protein-coding genes provide a comprehensive representation of genes that are linked to traumatic insemination, a reduced chemosensory repertoire of genes related to obligate hematophagy, host-symbiont interactions, and several mechanisms of insecticide resistance. In addition, we document the presence of multiple putative lateral gene transfer events. Genome sequencing and annotation establish a solid foundation for future research on mechanisms of insecticide resistance, human-bed bug and symbiont-bed bug associations, and unique features of bed bug biology that contribute to the unprecedented success of C. lectularius as a human ectoparasite

Unique features of a global human ectoparasite identified through sequencing of the bed bug genome

The bed bug, Cimex lectularius, has re-established itself as a ubiquitous human ectoparasite throughout much of the world during the past two decades. This global resurgence is likely linked to increased international travel and commerce in addition to widespread insecticide resistance. Analyses of the C. lectularius sequenced genome (650 Mb) and 14,220 predicted protein-coding genes provide a comprehensive representation of genes that are linked to traumatic insemination, a reduced chemosensory repertoire of genes related to obligate hematophagy, host–symbiont interactions, and several mechanisms of insecticide resistance. In addition, we document the presence of multiple putative lateral gene transfer events. Genome sequencing and annotation establish a solid foundation for future research on mechanisms of insecticide resistance, human–bed bug and symbiont–bed bug associations, and unique features of bed bug biology that contribute to the unprecedented success of C. lectularius as a human ectoparasite

A simple protocol for venom peptide barcoding in scorpions

Scorpion venoms contain many species-specific peptides which target ion channels in cell membranes. Without harming the scorpions, these peptides can easily be extracted and detected by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. So far, only few studies compared the venom of different species solely for taxonomic purposes. Here, we describe a very simple protocol for venom extraction and mass fingerprinting that was developed for peptide barcoding (venom code for species identification) and facilitates reproducibility if sample preparation is performed under field conditions. This approach may serve as suitable basis for a taxonomy-oriented scorpion toxin database that interacts with MALDI-TOF mass spectra

The neuropeptidome of Carabus (Coleoptera, Adephaga: Carabidae)

Neuropeptides are signaling molecules involved in the regulation of virtually all physiological functions of Metazoa. In insects, more than 50 neuropeptide genes can be present in a single species, and thus neuropeptidergic systems are attractive targets for the development of environmentally friendly pesticides. Such approaches require not only knowledge of the neuropeptidomes of pests, but also detailed knowledge of the corresponding systems in beneficial insects. In Coleoptera, there is no profound knowledge of the neuropeptides in the adephagan lineage, which contains many of the ecologically important predators of caterpillars. We analyzed by transcriptomics, mass spectrometry and immunohistochemistry the neuropeptidomes of the two Carabus species C. violaceus and C. problematicus. This information, which contains detailed data on the differential processing of CAPA peptides, allows for the recognition of features typical only of the polyphagan lineage with its many pests. The neuropeptidomics data, which also confirmed the processing of a number of protein hormones, represent the highest number of neuropeptides that have been identified so far from Coleoptera. The sequences of the mature neuropeptides of the two Carabus species, whose ancestors separated about 13 Mya, are highly similar and no sequence substitutions were found in single-copy neuropeptides

Serine phosphorylation of CAPA pyrokinin in cockroaches-A taxon-specific posttranslational modification

In insects, posttranslational modifications of neuropeptides are largely restricted to C- and N-terminal amino acids. The most common modifications, N-terminal pyroglutamate formation and C-terminal alpha-amidation, may prevent a fast degradation of these messenger molecules. This is particularly important for peptide hormones. Other common posttranslational modifications of proteins such as glycosylation and phosphorylation seem to be very rare in insect neuropeptides. To check this assumption, we used a computer algorithm to search an extensive data set of MALDI-TOF mass spectra from cockroach tissues for ion signal patterns indicating peptide phosphorylation. The results verify that phosphorylation is indeed very rare. However, a candidate was found and experimentally verified as phosphorylated CAPA pyrokinin (GGGGpSGETSGMWFGPRL-NH2) in the cockroach Lamproblatta albipalpus (Blattidae, Lamproblattinae). Tandem mass spectrometry revealed the phosphorylation site as Ser(5). Phosphorylated CAPA pyrokinin was then also detected in most other cockroach lineages (e. g. Blaberidae, Polyphagidae) but not in closely related blattid species such as Periplaneta americana. This is remarkable since the sequence of CAPA pyrokinin is identical in Lamproblatta and Periplaneta. A consensus sequence of CAPA pyrokinins of cockroaches revealed a conserved motif that suggests phosphorylation by a Four-jointed/FAM20C related kinase. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved