Genetic diversity

Aspergillus section Flavi (Flavi) is a diverse group of fungal species whose common members include A. flavus and A. parasiticus. These are well-known for the production of aflatoxin (AF) B and G and other toxic metabolites, like cyclopiazonic acid (CPA). They are saprophytic soil dwellers and also become crop opportunistic epiphytes. The consequence is contamination of the crop with mycotoxins, such as carcinogenic AF. We investigated the Flavi community structure of maize and that of their surrounding soil, including their mycotoxigenicity...

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) has emerged as a pivotal tool in neuroscience research, owing to its remarkable versatility and efficiency in delivering genetic material to diverse cell types within the nervous system. This mini review aims to underscore the advanced applications of AAV vectors in neuroscience and their profound potential to revolutionize our understanding of brain function and therapeutic interventions for neurological disorders. By providing a concise overview of the latest developments and strategies employing AAV vectors, this review illuminates the transformative role of AAV technology in unraveling the complexities of neural circuits and paving the way for innovative treatments...

In modern times, medicine is predominantly based on evidence-based practices, whereas in ancient times, indigenous people relied on plant-based medicines with factual evidence documented in ancient books or folklore that demonstrated their effectiveness against specific infections. Plants and microbes account for 70% of drugs approved by the USFDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). Stilbenes, polyphenolic compounds synthesized by plants under stress conditions, have garnered significant attention for their therapeutic potential, bridging ancient wisdom with modern healthcare...

Microbial communities display complex spatiotemporal behaviors leading to spatially-structured and ordered organization driven by species interactions and environmental factors. Resource availability plays a pivotal role in shaping the dynamics of bacterial colonies. In this study, we delve into the intricate interplay between resource limitation and the emergent properties of a growing colony of two visually distinct bacterial strains having similar growth and mechanical properties. Employing an agent-based modeling and computer simulations, we analyze the resource-driven effect on segregation and sectoring, cell length regulation and nematic ordering within a growing colony...

Gaucher disease (GD) is an autosomal recessively inherited lysosomal storage disorder caused by biallelic pathological variants in the GBA1 gene. Patients present along a broad clinical spectrum, and phenotypes are often difficult to predict based on genotype alone. The variant R463C (p.Arg502Cys) exemplifies this challenge. To better characterize its different clinical presentations, we examined the records of 25 current and historical patients evaluated at the National Institutes of Health. Nine patients were classified as GD1, 14 were classified as GD3, and two had an ambiguous diagnosis between GD1 and GD3...

Decay of mRNAs can be triggered by ribosome slowdown at stretches of rare codons or positively charged amino acids. However, the full diversity of sequences that trigger co-translational mRNA decay is poorly understood. To comprehensively identify sequence motifs that trigger mRNA decay, we use a massively parallel reporter assay to measure the effect of all possible combinations of codon pairs on mRNA levels in S. cerevisiae. In addition to known mRNA-destabilizing sequences, we identify several dipeptide repeats whose translation reduces mRNA levels...

One of the prerequisites for successful organ xenotransplantation is a reasonable size match between the porcine organ and the recipient's organ to be replaced. Therefore, the selection of a suitable genetic background of source pigs is important. In this study, we investigated body and organ growth, cardiac function, and genetic diversity of a colony of Auckland Island pigs established at the Center for Innovative Medical Models (CiMM), LMU Munich. Male and female Auckland Island pig kidney cells (selected to be free of porcine endogenous retrovirus C) were imported from New Zealand, and founder animals were established by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT)...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Elevation is a major factor shaping plant populations on a global scale. At the same time, reproductive traits play a major role in plant fitness. With increasing altitude and increasingly harsh conditions, decreases in pollinator visitation rates, sexual investment, seed set, and heterozygosity (due to increased selfing) are expected. In response, selection and/or phenotypic plasticity could lead to an increase in plants' floral displays to increase their attractiveness to pollinators and compensates for the negative fitness impacts of reduced pollinator activity...

Crop health directly affects yields and food security. At present, agrochemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides are mainly used in agricultural production to promote crop health. However, long-term excessive utilization of agrochemicals will damage the ecological environment of farmlands and increase the safety risk of agricultural products. It is urgent to explore efficient and environment-friendly agricultural products. Rhizosphere microbiome are considered as the second genome of plants, which are closely related to crop health...

BACKGROUND: Quorum sensing (QS) research stands as a pivotal and multifaceted domain within microbiology, holding profound implications across various scientific disciplines. This bibliometric analysis seeks to offer an extensive overview of QS research, covering the period from 2004 to 2023. It aims to elucidate the hotspots, trends, and the evolving dynamics within this research domain. METHODS: We conducted an exhaustive review of the literature, employing meticulous data curation from the Science Citation Index Extension (SCI-E) within the Web of Science (WOS) database...

Ewing sarcoma (EwS), a malignancy primarily affecting adolescents and young adults, encompasses various types such as bone, extraskeletal, chest wall, and soft tissue-based tumors, all of which share a common genetic origin. A small portion of them are extraosseous, impacting diverse anatomical sites. Characterized by a specific translocation, this rare cancer rarely involves the vagina, with very few documented cases. This report details the unique case of a middle-aged woman diagnosed with extraosseous vaginal EwS, a rarity in this age group and gender...

Introduction Marine actinobacteria are promising sources of novel bioactive compounds due to their distinct ecological niches and diverse secondary metabolite production capabilities. Among these,  Microbispora  sp. T3S11 is notable for its unique spore chain structure, which allows for both morphological and genetic identification. Despite its potential, little is understood about the secondary metabolites produced by this strain. In this study, we hope to fill this gap by extracting and analyzing the antibacterial activities of secondary metabolites from  Microbispora  sp...

In the dynamic landscape of glioblastoma, the 2021 World Health Organization Classification of Central Nervous System tumours endeavoured to establish biological homogeneity, yet isocitrate dehydrogenase-wild-type (IDH-wt) glioblastoma persists as a tapestry of clinical and molecular diversity. Intertumoural heterogeneity in IDH-wt glioblastoma presents a formidable challenge in treatment strategies. Recent strides in genetics and molecular biology have enhanced diagnostic precision, revealing distinct subtypes and invasive patterns that influence survival in patients with IDH-wt glioblastoma...

The cryptic invasion of golden apple snails ( Pomacea canaliculata and P .  maculata ) in Taiwan has caused significant ecological and economical damage over the last few decades, however, their management remains difficult due to inadequate taxonomic identification, complex phylogeny, and limited population genetic information. We aim to understand the current distribution, putative population of origin, genetic diversity, and potential path of cryptic invasion of Pomacea canaliculata and P .  maculata across Taiwan to aid in improved mitigation approaches...

Lipid droplets are dynamic multifunctional organelles composed of a neutral lipid core and a phospholipid monolayer membrane modified by a specific set of proteins. PAT family proteins are the most characteristic lipid droplet proteins, playing an important role in regulating lipid droplet structure, function, and metabolism. The biogenesis of lipid droplets involves neutral lipid synthesis and the nucleation, budding, and growth of the lipid droplets. Lipid droplets not only serve as the energy metabolism reserve of cells but also participate in intracellular signal transduction and the development of inflammation and tumor...

To identify the compounds that contribute to the diverse flavours of table grapes, the flavours and volatile compounds of 38 grape cultivars harvested over 3 years are evaluated through sensory analysis and solvent-assisted flavour evaporation (SAFE). The cultivars are characterized and grouped into seven clusters by hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) using sensory evaluation data with a flavour wheel specific to table grapes. These clusters were similar to conventional flavour classifications, except that the foxy and neutral cultivars form multiple clusters, highlighting the flavour diversity of table grapes...

INTRODUCTION: Giardiosis remains one of the most prevalent enteric parasitic infections globally. Earlier molecular-based studies conducted in Egypt have primarily focused on paediatric clinical populations and most were based on single genotyping markers. As a result, there is limited information on the frequency and genetic diversity of G. duodenalis infections in individuals of all age groups. METHODS: Individual stool samples ( n  = 460) from outpatients seeking medical care were collected during January-December 2021 in Kafr El-Sheikh governorate, northern Egypt...

UNLABELLED: Familial dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is frequently caused by autosomal dominant point mutations in genes involved in diverse cellular processes, including sarcomeric contraction. While patient studies have defined the genetic landscape of DCM, genetics are not currently used in patient care, and patients receive similar treatments regardless of the underlying mutation. It has been suggested that a precision medicine approach based on the molecular mechanism of the underlying mutation could improve outcomes; however, realizing this approach has been challenging due to difficulties linking genotype and phenotype and then leveraging this information to identify therapeutic approaches...

Engineered DNA will slow the growth of a host cell if it redirects limiting resources or otherwise interferes with homeostasis. Populations of engineered cells can rapidly become dominated by "escape mutants" that evolve to alleviate this burden by inactivating the intended function. Synthetic biologists working with bacteria rely on genetic parts and devices encoded on plasmids, but the burden of different engineered DNA sequences is rarely characterized. We measured how 301 BioBricks on high-copy plasmids affected the growth rate of Escherichia coli ...

Apart from ancestry, personal or environmental covariates may contribute to differences in polygenic score (PGS) performance. We analyzed effects of covariate stratification and interaction on body mass index (BMI) PGS (PGS BMI ) across four cohorts of European (N=491,111) and African (N=21,612) ancestry. Stratifying on binary covariates and quintiles for continuous covariates, 18/62 covariates had significant and replicable R 2 differences among strata. Covariates with the largest differences included age, sex, blood lipids, physical activity, and alcohol consumption, with R 2 being nearly double between best and worst performing quintiles for certain covariates...