Successful mass production of Three spot damselfish through captive breeding

The captive breeding technology for twenty three marine ornamental species have been developed by ICAR-CMFRI, which includes Clownfishes, Damsels, Fire fish, Dotty back, Anthias etc. The breeding and larval rearing of clownfishes is comparatively easy while the same for damselfishes is difficult because of the difference in live feed requirements

Nutrigenomics tools to address the emerging issues in marine fish larviculture

It is of note that the capture fisheries are under stress for many targeted species. To reduce the pressure on the wild, research on mariculture had been practicing for decades. Even though technologies for captive breeding are standardized, the growth and survival of the larvae of candidate marine fish species are still not up to the mark. It is necessary to focus and encourage new approaches to standardize the hatchery protocol for enhanced production and sustainable management towards future demands. The major concern facing the marine fish hatchery is the delivery of nutritionally enriched feeds to the larvae. Inadequate nutrition is one of the major reasons for early mortality, weaning mortality, cannibalism, inadequate growth, lowered immunity etc. In India, nutrigenomics research is an up-and-coming field, especially the transcriptomics approach that can be applied to understand the gene expression profile of the larvae and juveniles with respect to nutritional interventions. By means of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technology, a clear understanding of the growth, development, metabolism, immune function, stress, adaptation and differential gene expression is possible. In addition, the specific effects of selected nutrients on targeted genes can be studied to alter the diet composition accordingly for improving the growth, condition and survival of candidate species of marine fish larvae. This novel approach has the potential to unravel valuable information required to address the issues in marine fish larval nutrition and for the development of species and life-stage specific micro-feeds for sustainable larviculture

Predominance of null mutations in ataxia-telangiectasia

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is an autosomal recessive disorder involving cerebellar degeneration, immunodeficiency, chromosomal instability, radiosensitivity and cancer predisposition. The responsible gene, ATM, was recently identified by positional cloning and found to encode a putative 350 kDa protein with a PI 3-kinase-like domain, presumably involved in mediating cell cycle arrest in response to radiation-induced DNA damage. The nature and location of A-T mutations should provide insight into the function of the ATM protein and the molecular basis of this pleiotropic disease. Of 44 A-T mutations identified by us to date, 39 (89%) are expected to inactivate the ATM protein by truncating it, by abolishing correct initiation or termination of translation, or by deleting large segments. Additional mutations are four smaller in-frame deletions and insertions, and one substitution of a highly conserved amino acid at the PI 3-kinase domain. The emerging profile of mutations causing A-T is thus dominated by those expected to completely inactivate the ATM protein. ATM mutations with milder effects may result in phenotypes related, but not identical, to A-T

Compensatory growth and production economics of Silver pompano, Trachinotus blochii (Lacepede, 1801), fingerlings stunted by feed and space deprivation

The effect of stunting by feed and space deprivation on compensatory growth (CG) in Silver pompano, Trachinotus blochii, was investigated. A commercial pellet feed (45% protein and 10% fat) was fed two times a day, throughout the entire experiment. The 270-day experiment consisted of an initial 60-day stunting phase and a 60-day post-stunting phase carried out in 4 × 2 × 2 m3 galvanized iron (GI) rectangular cages, and a 150-day grow-out phase carried out in 3-m diameter circular GI cages. During the stunting phase, the normal fish (in triplicates) were stocked at lower stocking density (17 fish/m3) and fed at 10% of body weight (BW), while stunted fish (one replication) were stocked at about three times higher stocking density (56 fish/m3) and fed at a three times lower feeding rate (3% of BW). The stunted and normal fish were reared in triplicates during the post-stunting phase, at uniform stocking density (15 fish/m3) with feeding at a higher rate (10% of BW) for stunted fish and normal feeding rate (8% of BW) was adopted for normal fish. During the grow-out stage, each replication from the post-stunting phase was shifted to 3-m circular cages with the same feeding rates. The lag in growth in stunted fish (5.56 g against 9.43 ± 0.13 g of normal) during the stunting phase was compensated during the post-stunting phase (36.88 ± 2.23 g against 38.13 ± 1.48 g of normal) by higher feeding rate. There were no significant (p > 0.05) differences in final harvest, biometry, morphometry, dressing yield, carcass nutritional composition, and serum biochemical markers at the end of grow-out stage. Because of the significant difference (p < 0.05) in the total feed provided (5.2 kg for stunted fish against 22.8 kg for normal fish) and the lesser unit cost for the production of stunted fingerling (USD 0.087 for stunted fish against USD 0.106 for normal), the farming of stunted fish brought about a higher net operational revenue and benefit:cost ratio

Whole-Genome SNP Association in the Horse: Identification of a Deletion in Myosin Va Responsible for Lavender Foal Syndrome

Lavender Foal Syndrome (LFS) is a lethal inherited disease of horses with a suspected autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. LFS has been primarily diagnosed in a subgroup of the Arabian breed, the Egyptian Arabian horse. The condition is characterized by multiple neurological abnormalities and a dilute coat color. Candidate genes based on comparative phenotypes in mice and humans include the ras-associated protein RAB27a (RAB27A) and myosin Va (MYO5A). Here we report mapping of the locus responsible for LFS using a small set of 36 horses segregating for LFS. These horses were genotyped using a newly available single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip containing 56,402 discriminatory elements. The whole genome scan identified an associated region containing these two functional candidate genes. Exon sequencing of the MYO5A gene from an affected foal revealed a single base deletion in exon 30 that changes the reading frame and introduces a premature stop codon. A PCR–based Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR–RFLP) assay was designed and used to investigate the frequency of the mutant gene. All affected horses tested were homozygous for this mutation. Heterozygous carriers were detected in high frequency in families segregating for this trait, and the frequency of carriers in unrelated Egyptian Arabians was 10.3%. The mapping and discovery of the LFS mutation represents the first successful use of whole-genome SNP scanning in the horse for any trait. The RFLP assay can be used to assist breeders in avoiding carrier-to-carrier matings and thus in preventing the birth of affected foals

The European internet-based patient and research database for primary immunodeficiencies: results 2006-2008

Primary immunodeficiencies (PID) are rare diseases; therefore transnational studies are essential to maximize the scientific outcome and to improve diagnosis and therapy. In order to estimate the prevalence of PID in Europe as well as to establish and evaluate harmonized guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of PID, the European Society for Immunodeficiencies (ESID) has developed an internet-based database for clinical and research data on patients with PID. This database is a platform for epidemiological analyses as well as the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies and the identification of novel disease-associated genes. Within 4 years, 7430 patients from 39 countries have been documented in the ESID database. Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) represents the most common entity, with 1540 patients or 20.7% of all entries, followed by isolated immunoglobulin (Ig)G subclass deficiency (546 patients, 7.4%). Evaluations show that the average life expectancy for PID patients varies from 1 to 49 years (median), depending on the type of PID. The prevalence and incidence of PID remains a key question to be answered. As the registration progress is far from finished we can only calculate minimum values for PID, with e.g. France currently showing a minimum prevalence of 3.72 patients per 100,000 inhabitants. The most frequently documented permanent treatment is immunoglobulin replacement; 2819 patients (42% of all patients alive) currently receive this form of treatment

Ultrasound assessment of the lateral collateral ligamentous complex of the elbow: imaging aspects in cadavers and normal volunteers

OBJECTIVE: The Lateral Collateral Ligamentous complex (LCL) is an important stabiliser of the elbow. It has a Y-shaped structure with three components. In this study, we sought to describe the ultrasound aspect of the individual components of this ligamentous complex and to evaluate the performance of ultrasound in both cadavers and in normal subjects. METHODS: Ten cadaveric elbow specimens underwent high-frequency ultrasound. Two specimens were sliced and two were dissected for anatomical correlation. Ten elbows of normal subjects were also evaluated by ultrasound. The findings were compared. RESULTS: The three components of the LCL could be visualised in all specimens and normal subjects with the exception of the proximal portion of one specimen. In 80% of the specimens and 100% of the healthy volunteers the proximal portion of the LCL could be separated from the extensor tendons. CONCLUSION: High-resolution ultrasound can assess all components of the LCL of the elbow and can distinguish them from surrounding structures

Role of Myosin Va in the Plasticity of the Vertebrate Neuromuscular Junction In Vivo

Background: Myosin Va is a motor protein involved in vesicular transport and its absence leads to movement disorders in humans (Griscelli and Elejalde syndromes) and rodents (e.g. dilute lethal phenotype in mice). We examined the role of myosin Va in the postsynaptic plasticity of the vertebrate neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Methodology/Principal Findings: Dilute lethal mice showed a good correlation between the propensity for seizures, and fragmentation and size reduction of NMJs. In an aneural C2C12 myoblast cell culture, expression of a dominant-negative fragment of myosin Va led to the accumulation of punctate structures containing the NMJ marker protein, rapsyn-GFP, in perinuclear clusters. In mouse hindlimb muscle, endogenous myosin Va co-precipitated with surface-exposed or internalised acetylcholine receptors and was markedly enriched in close proximity to the NMJ upon immunofluorescence. In vivo microscopy of exogenous full length myosin Va as well as a cargo-binding fragment of myosin Va showed localisation to the NMJ in wildtype mouse muscles. Furthermore, local interference with myosin Va function in live wildtype mouse muscles led to fragmentation and size reduction of NMJs, exclusion of rapsyn-GFP from NMJs, reduced persistence of acetylcholine receptors in NMJs and an increased amount of punctate structures bearing internalised NMJ proteins. Conclusions/Significance: In summary, our data show a crucial role of myosin Va for the plasticity of live vertebrate neuromuscular junctions and suggest its involvement in the recycling of internalised acetylcholine receptors back to th

Induction of Liver Steatosis and Lipid Droplet Formation in ATF6α-Knockout Mice Burdened with Pharmacological Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

We burdened mice with intraperitoneal injection of the endoplasmic reticulum stress-inducing reagent tunicamycin, and found that wild-type mice were able to recover from the insult, whereas ATF6α-knockout mice exhibited liver dysfunction and steatosis. Our results establish links between endoplasmic reticulum stress, lipid metabolism and steatosi