HTLV-2 Induces Resistance to CCR5-Dependent HIV-1 Infection Via Selective PBMC Expression of CCL3L1

Background In HIV-1/HTLV-2 co-infected IDUs the CCL3/MIP-1alpha induction by HTLV-2 leads to HIV inhibition. CCL3 gene codes for CCL3/LD78alpha and CCL3L1/LD78beta isoforms. CCL3L1 binds more potently to CCR5 than any other chemokine. Possession of a CCL3L1 copy number lower than two (the population average for Europeans) is associated with markedly enhanced HIV/AIDS susceptibility. Here, we analysed the genotype frequency of CCL3L1 and its expression in 8 HTLV-2-infected/HIV-1exposed-seronegative (HTLV-2/HIV-1ESN) individuals, 7 LTNP-HIV-1/HTLV-2-co-infected and 8 LTNP-HIV-1mono-infected subjects

Molecular genetics in aquaculture

Great advances in molecular genetics have deeply changed the way of doing research in aquaculture, as it has already done in other fields. The molecular revolution started in the 1980’s, thanks to the widespread use of restriction enzymes and Polymerase Chain Reaction technology, which makes it possible to easily detect the genetic variability directly at the DNA level. In aquaculture, the molecular data are used for several purposes, which can be clustered into two main groups. The first one, focused on individuals, includes the sex identification and parentage assignment, while the second one, focused on populations, includes the wide area of the genetic characterization, aimed at solving taxonomic uncertainties, preserving genetic biodiversity and detecting genetic tags. For the future, the increase in the number of molecular markers and the construction of high density genetic maps, as well as the implementation of genomic resources (including genome sequencing), are expected to provide tools for the genetic improvement of aquaculture species through Marked Assisted Selection. In this review the characteristics of different types of molecular markers, along with their applications to a variety of aquaculture issues are presented

Integrating Regular Exergaming Sessions in the ExerCube into a School Setting Increases Physical Fitness in Elementary School Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of a school-based exergame intervention on anthropometric parameters and physical fitness. Fifty-eight students (10.4 ± 0.8 years; 48% girls) were randomized into an intervention (IG) and a control (CG) group. Both groups participated in regular physical education classes during the three-month intervention period. The IG additionally received a 20-minute exergame intervention twice per week. At baseline and following the intervention period, body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) were assessed. Furthermore, a sprint test (ST), a countermovement jump test (CMJ), and a shuttle run test (SRT) were performed. Due to prescribed quarantine measures, only 34 students (18 IG; 16 CG) were included in the final analysis. A significant group-time interaction was determined in CMJ performance (p < 0.001; η2 = 0.403), with a significant increase (+2.6 ± 2.4 cm; p < 0.001; η2 = 0.315) in the IG and a significant decrease (-2.0 ± 3.1 cm; p = 0.009; η2 = 0.190) in the CG. Furthermore, ST performance significantly improved in the IG (-0.03 ± 0.08 s; p = 0.012; η2 = 0.180) but not in the CG (0.13 ± 0.16 s; p = 0.460; η2 = 0.017), revealing significant interaction effects (p = 0.02; η2 = 0.157). Significant group-time interaction was observed for the SRT (p = 0.046; η2 = 0.122), with a significant increase (+87.8 ± 98.9 m; p = 0.028; η2 = 0.147) in the IG and no changes (-29.4 ± 219.7 m; p = 0.485; η2 = 0.016) in the CG. Concerning BMI (p = 0.157; η2 = 0.063) and WHtR (p = 0.063; η2 = 0.114), no significant interaction effects were detected. School-based exergaming is a suitable tool to influence students' physical fitness positively

Variability in candidate genes revealed associations with meat traits in the Piemontese cattle breed

In the last years an increasing number of associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in candidate genes and production traits have been reported in beef cattle, but very often the results were not validated and few studies considered breeds homozygous for the allele responsible for the muscular hypertrophy. Therefore, we analysed the variability of 19 previously reported SNPs in 12 genes (GH, GHR, GDF8, GHRL, IGF2, LEP, LEPR, MYF5, NPY, POMC, UCP2, UCP3) in the hypertrophic Piemontese breed and investigated the effects of the observed polymorphisms on growth and conformation. Fourteen SNPs were polymorphic and a significant linkage disequilibrium was observed between SNPs in GHR, LEP and NPY genes, for which both single-SNP and haplotype effects were estimated. Negligible effects on the investigated traits were observed for GHRL, MYF5, NPY, POMC, UCP2 and UCP3 genes. The GHR gene significantly affected daily gain and its effect was further increased when haplotypes were considered. The C allele at LEP-1 and LEP- 2 had moderate negative effects on the considered traits, whereas the C allele at LEP-3 mostly had positive effects; haplotypes in the LEP gene showed weaker but favourable associations with all the traits. The C allele at IGF2 and LEPR had favourable effects on daily gain and negative effects on meat conformation traits. The associations observed for GHR and LEP were consistent with those of previous studies, providing additional evidence of their usefulness as markers. Practical aspects of the applications to the breeding programme of the Piemontese breed need to be examined

A network of transcriptional and signaling events is activated by FGF to induce chondrocyte growth arrest and differentiation

Activating mutations in FGF receptor 3 (FGFR3) cause several human dwarfism syndromes by affecting both chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation. Using microarray and biochemical analyses of FGF-treated rat chondrosarcoma chondrocytes, we show that FGF inhibits chondrocyte proliferation by initiating multiple pathways that result in the induction of antiproliferative functions and the down-regulation of growth-promoting molecules. The initiation of growth arrest is characterized by the rapid dephosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein (pRb) p107 and repression of a subset of E2F target genes by a mechanism that is independent of cyclin E–Cdk inhibition. In contrast, hypophosphorylation of pRb and p130 occur after growth arrest is first detected, and may contribute to its maintenance. Importantly, we also find a number of gene expression changes indicating that FGF promotes many aspects of hypertrophic differentiation, a notion supported by in situ analysis of developing growth plates from mice expressing an activated form of FGFR3. Thus, FGF may coordinate the onset of differentiation with chondrocyte growth arrest in the developing growth plate

The First Billion Years Project:Finding Infant Globular Clusters at z=6

We explored a suite of high-resolution cosmological simulations from the First Billion Years Project (FiBY) at $z \geq 6$. All substructures within the simulations have been identified with the SUBFIND algorithm. From our analysis, two distinct groups of objects emerge. We hypothesise that the substructures in the first group, which appear to have a high baryon fraction ($f_{\rm b} \geq 0.95$), are possible infant GC candidates. Objects belonging to the second group have a high stellar fraction ($f_{\rm star} \geq 0.95$) and show a potential resemblance to infant ultra-faint dwarf galaxies. The high baryon fraction objects identified in this study are characterised by a stellar content similar to the one observed in present-day GCs, but they still contain a high gas fraction ($f_{\rm gas} \sim 0.95$) and a relatively low amount of dark matter. They are compact, dense systems. Their sizes are consistent with recent estimates based on the first observations of possible proto-GCs at high redshifts. These types of infant GC candidates appear to be more massive and more abundant in massive host galaxies, indicating that the assembly of galaxies via mergers may play an important role in building several GC-host scaling relations. Specifically, we express the relation between the mass of the most massive infant GC and its host stellar mass as $\log(M_{\rm cl}) = (0.31\pm0.15)\log(M_{\rm *,gal} + (4.17\pm1.06)$. We also report a new relation between the most massive infant GC and the parent specific star formation rate of the form $\log(M_{\rm cl}) = (0.85\pm0.30)\log(sSFR) + \alpha$ that describes the data at both low and high redshift. Finally, we assess the present-day GC mass (GC number) -- halo mass relation offers a satisfactory description of the behaviour of our infant GC candidates at high redshift, suggesting that such a relation may be set at formation.Comment: 17 pages, 11 figures, accepted by A&