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Topic Review
Chromosomal instability in Fanconi anemia
Fanconi anemia (FA), a chromosomal instability syndrome, is caused by inherited pathogenic variants in any of 22 FANC genes, which cooperate in the FA/BRCA pathway. This pathway regulates the repair of DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs) through homologous recombination. In FA proper repair of ICLs is impaired and accumulation of toxic DNA double strand breaks occurs. To repair this type of DNA damage, FA cells activate alternative error-prone DNA repair pathways, which may lead to the formation of gross structural chromosome aberrations of which radial figures are the hallmark of FA, and their segregation during cell division are the origin of subsequent aberrations such as translocations, dicentrics and acentric fragments. The deficiency in DNA repair has pleiotropic consequences in the phenotype of patients with FA, including developmental alterations, bone marrow failure and an extreme risk to develop cancer.
  • 1.3K
  • 15 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Alignment-Free Approaches
Alignment-free (AF) methodologies have increased in popularity in the last decades as alternative tools to alignment-based (AB) algorithms for performing comparative sequence analyses. They have been especially useful to detect remote homologs within the twilight zone of highly diverse gene/protein families and superfamilies. The most popular alignment-free methodologies, as well as their applications to classification problems, have been described in previous reviews. Despite a new set of graph theory-derived sequence/structural descriptors that have been gaining relevance in the detection of remote homology, they have been omitted as AF predictors when the topic is addressed. Here, we first go over the most popular AF approaches used for detecting homology signals within the twilight zone and then bring out the state-of-the-art tools encoding graph theory-derived sequence/structure descriptors and their success for identifying remote homologs.
  • 1.2K
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Larval Feeding Guilds
Larval feeding guilds may affect pollinator ecology, evolution and diversity. I propose to evaluate the nutritional demands of pollinating insects from different larval feeding guilds and the nutrient supplies offered by their host plants/other larval food to explore the nutritional dimension of the ecology and evolution of pollinators and their host plants.
  • 1.2K
  • 05 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Casein Micelles for Bioactives
Caseins and casein micelles are the most prevalent amphiphilic proteins that are widely used to make stabilised emulsions. Caseins can adsorb at the oil–water interface, thus having a high surface activity during homogenisation, processing and storage by preventing coalescence in emulsions under different conditions, such as pH, temperature, structure elasticity and aggregation. Because of these properties, casein is now used to deliver different hydrophobic bioactive in emulsion-based drug delivery systems.
  • 1.2K
  • 16 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Pratylenchus
Root-lesion nematodes of the genus Pratylenchus are migratory endoparasites belonging to the family Pratylenchidae (Nematoda, Tylenchina), with around 100 species recognized today.
  • 1.2K
  • 21 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Cinnamon and Poultry Gut Health
Plant bioactive compounds, such as phytochemicals, in poultry diets, are gaining popularity due to their potential antioxidant and anti-microbial activities. Phytogenic feed additives (PFAs) have emerged as natural alternatives to antibiotic growth promotors and have great potential in the poultry industry. In recent years, cinnamon (one of the most widely used spices) has attracted attention from researchers as a natural product with numerous health benefits for poultry. The essential oils in cinnamon, in particular, are of interest because of their antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and hypocholesterolaemic effects, in addition to their ability to stimulate digestive enzymes in the gut. This review mainly emphasizes the potential impact of cinnamon as a natural feed additive on overall gut health, nutrient digestibility, blood biochemical profile, gene expression, gut microbiota and immune response.
  • 1.2K
  • 26 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Klebsiella pneumoniae
Klebsiella pneumoniae is an opportunistic pathogen that causes nosocomial and community-acquired infections. The spread of resistant strains of K. pneumoniae represents a growing threat to human health, due to the exhaustion of effective treatments. K. pneumoniae releases outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). OMVs are a vehicle for the transport of virulence factors to host cells, causing cell injury. Previous studies have shown changes of gene expression in human bronchial epithelial cells after treatment with K. pneumoniae OMVs. These variations in gene expression could be regulated through microRNAs (miRNAs), which participate in several biological mechanisms. Thereafter, miRNA expression profiles in human bronchial epithelial cells were evaluated during infection with standard and clinical K. pneumoniae strains. Microarray analysis and RT-qPCR identified the dysregulation of miR-223, hsa-miR-21, hsa-miR-25 and hsa-let-7g miRNA sequences. Target gene prediction revealed the essential role of these miRNAs in the regulation of host immune responses involving NF-ĸB (miR-223), TLR4 (hsa-miR-21), cytokine (hsa-miR-25) and IL-6 (hsa-let-7g miRNA) signalling pathways. The current study provides the first large scale expression profile of miRNAs from lung cells and predicted gene targets, following exposure to K. pneumoniae OMVs. Our results suggest the importance of OMVs in the inflammatory response.
  • 1.2K
  • 29 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Extreme Microorganisms in the Context of Biogeochemical Nitrogen Cycle
Extreme microorganisms (extremophile) are organisms that inhabit environments characterized by inhospitable parameters for most live beings (extreme temperatures and pH values, high or low ionic strength, pressure, or scarcity of nutrients). To grow optimally under these conditions, extremophiles have evolved molecular adaptations affecting their physiology, metabolism, cell signaling, etc. Due to their peculiarities in terms of physiology and metabolism, they have become good models for (i) understanding the limits of life on Earth, (ii) exploring the possible existence of extraterrestrial life (Astrobiology), or (iii) to look for potential applications in biotechnology. Recent research has revealed that extremophilic microbes play key roles in all biogeochemical cycles on Earth. Nitrogen cycle (N-cycle) is one of the most important biogeochemical cycles in nature; thanks to it, nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms, which circulate among atmospheric, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This review summarizes recent knowledge on the role of extreme microorganisms in the N-cycle in extremophilic ecosystems, with special emphasis on members of the Archaea domain. Potential implications of these microbes in global warming and nitrogen balance, as well as their biotechnological applications are also discussed.
  • 1.2K
  • 17 Jun 2020
Topic Review
Human Satellite DNA Families
Going back to the 1960s, the discovery and classification of three clearly distinguishable human genomic DNA fractions in CsSO4 gradients established the identity of the corresponding classical satellite DNAs I, II, and III. More precisely, a set of repetitive sequences with analogous buoyant densities was found to compose each gradient fraction. These DNA fractions presented a characteristic inter-sequence heterogeneity, which led to a new classification in 1987, as a prime family of simple repeats was identified for each fraction. The three families were described as satellite DNA families I, II, and III and were first reported to be present in all acrocentric chromosomes, as well as in chromosomes 3 and 4. Additionally, the centromeric alpha (α) satellite DNA family was also identified and described, soon becoming the most intensively studied human satDNA sequence. Later on, gamma (γ) and beta (β) satellites were likewise found among the diverse families of human satellite DNAs.
  • 1.2K
  • 13 May 2021
Topic Review
Poultry Litter
Poultry litter is a combination of aviary excreta and bedding materials such as wood shavings, sawdust, peanut hulls, shredded sugar cane, straw, or other dry, absorbent, uneaten feed, broken eggs, dead birds, bird feathers and low-cost organic material [1].
  • 1.2K
  • 27 Dec 2020
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