| 1. |
- Elsik, Christine G., et al.
(författare)
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The Genome Sequence of Taurine Cattle : A Window to Ruminant Biology and Evolution
- 2009
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Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 324:5926, s. 522-528
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To understand the biology and evolution of ruminants, the cattle genome was sequenced to about sevenfold coverage. The cattle genome contains a minimum of 22,000 genes, with a core set of 14,345 orthologs shared among seven mammalian species of which 1217 are absent or undetected in noneutherian (marsupial or monotreme) genomes. Cattle-specific evolutionary breakpoint regions in chromosomes have a higher density of segmental duplications, enrichment of repetitive elements, and species-specific variations in genes associated with lactation and immune responsiveness. Genes involved in metabolism are generally highly conserved, although five metabolic genes are deleted or extensively diverged from their human orthologs. The cattle genome sequence thus provides a resource for understanding mammalian evolution and accelerating livestock genetic improvement for milk and meat production.
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| 2. |
- Caballero, Ignacio, et al.
(författare)
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Immunolocalization and possible functional role of PSP-I/PSP-II heterodimer in highly extended boar spermatozoa
- 2006
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Ingår i: Journal of Andrology. - : American Society of Andrology. - 0196-3635 .- 1939-4640. ; 27:6, s. 766-773
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PSP-I/PSP-II heterodimer is a major protein of boar seminal plasma which is able to preserve, in vitro, the viability, motility, and mitochondrial activity of highly extended boar spermatozoa for at least 5 hours. However, little is known about the binding pattern of the heterodimer to the sperm plasma membrane and its eventual relation with the maintenance of the sperm functionality. The present study investigated the effect of exposing highly extended boar spermatozoa (11 million/mL) to 1.5 mg/mL of PSP-I/PSP-II for 0.5, 5, and 10 hours at 38 degrees C on sperm characteristics and the changes in PSP-I/PSP-II localization as a result of both the addition of PSP-I/PSP-II to the extender and the incubation time. Exposure of the spermatozoa to PSP-I/PSP-II preserved sperm viability, motility, and mitochondrial activity when compared to nonexposed spermatozoa. This protective effect lasted for 10 hours (P less than.05). After immunolabeling of highly extended semen with rabbit monospecific polyclonal antibody against PSP-I/PSP-11, the percentage of immunopositive spermatozoa declines over time from 71% (0.5 hours) to 49% (10 hours). However, more than 80% of spermatozoa remained labeled during the 10-hour incubation period if PSP-I/PSP-11 was added. Scanning electron microscopy revealed 4 different binding patterns. The heterodimer was mainly localized to the acrosomal area, being redistributed to the postacrosomal area or lost during in vitro incubation. In conclusion, the protective effect of the heterodimer appears to be related to its adhesion to the acrosomal area, and the loss of this protective effect coincides with a stepwise redistribution of PSP-I/PSP-II during incubation.
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| 3. |
- Carlsson, Beatrice, et al.
(författare)
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The G428A nonsense mutation in FUT2 provides strong but not absolute protection against symptomatic GII.4 Norovirus infection. : Novel GII.4 disease pattern
- 2009
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Ingår i: PloS one. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 4:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In November 2004, 116 individuals in an elderly nursing home in El Grao de Castellón, Spain were symptomatically infected with genogroup II.4 (GII.4) norovirus. The global attack rate was 54.2%. Genotyping of 34 symptomatic individuals regarding the FUT2 gene revealed that one patient was, surprisingly, a non-secretor, hence indicating secretor-independent infection. Lewis genotyping revealed that Lewis-positive and negative individuals were susceptible to symptomatic norovirus infection indicating that Lewis status did not predict susceptibility. Saliva based ELISA assays were used to determine binding of the outbreak virus to saliva samples. Saliva from a secretor-negative individual bound the authentic outbreak GII.4 Valencia/2004/Es virus, but did not in contrast to secretor-positive saliva bind VLP of other strains including the GII.4 Dijon strain. Amino acid comparison of antigenic A and B sites located on the external loops of the P2 domain revealed distinct differences between the Valencia/2004/Es and Dijon strains. All three aa in each antigenic site as well as 10/11 recently identified evolutionary hot spots, were unique in the Valencia/2004/Es strain compared to the Dijon strain. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of symptomatic GII.4 norovirus infection of a Le(a+b-) individual homozygous for the G428A nonsense mutation in FUT2. Taken together, our study provides new insights into the host genetic susceptibility to norovirus infections and evolution of the globally dominating GII.4 viruses.
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| 4. |
- Carracedo, Juan Carlos, et al.
(författare)
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Reply to Comment on “Recent unrest at Canary Islands' Teide Volcano?”
- 2007
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Ingår i: EOS. - 0096-3941 .- 2324-9250. ; 88:46, s. 488-
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Small-magnitude seismic episodes unrelated to a volcanic eruption have been a relatively frequent feature in all the Canaries without causing any significant public alarm. Conversely, great alarm was raised in May 2004 in Tenerife, when apparently numerous low-magnitude seismic signals were recorded, although only a few of them were actually felt in nearby villages.Public alarm was raised by (1) the publication on a Web site of imperceptible seismic signals as low as 0.6 on the Richter scale, most of which were not even adequately localized and yet were reproduced almost daily in the local and national press without further comment or explanation; (2) a Spanish national scientific committee being replaced by a local committee that was scientifically advised by a private company; and (3) publicity given by the media to the prediction made by members of the local committee of a potentially large scale explosive eruption in October 2004 (dubbed “the October volcano” by residents). Interestingly, obvious fumarole activity was absent in autumn 2004 during an inspection of Teide summit by three of us.
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| 5. |
- Chen, Yuqing, et al.
(författare)
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Naturally occurring human genetic variation in the 3'-untranslated region of the secretory protein chromogranin A is associated with autonomic blood pressure regulation and hypertension in a sex-dependent fashion
- 2008
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Ingår i: Journal of the American College of Cardiology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0735-1097 .- 1558-3597. ; 52:18, s. 1468-81
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine whether the common variation at the chromogranin A (CHGA) locus increases susceptibility to hypertension. BACKGROUND: CHGA regulates catecholamine storage and release. Previously we systematically identified genetic variants across CHGA. METHODS: We carried out dense genotyping across the CHGA locus in >1,000 individuals with the most extreme blood pressures (BPs) in the population, as well as twin pairs with autonomic phenotypes. We also characterized the function of a trait-associated 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) variant with transfected CHGA 3'-UTR/luciferase reporter plasmids. RESULTS: CHGA was overexpressed in patients with hypertension, especially hypertensive men, and CHGA predicted catecholamines. In individuals with extreme BPs, CHGA genetic variants predicted BP, especially in men, with a peak association occurring in the 3'-UTR at C+87T, accounting for up to approximately 12/ approximately 9 mm Hg. The C+87T genotype predicted CHGA secretion in vivo, with the +87T allele (associated with lower BP) also diminishing plasma CHGA by approximately 10%. The C+87T 3'-UTR variant also predicted the BP response to environmental (cold) stress; the same allele (+87T) that diminished basal BP in the population also decreased the systolic BP response to stress by approximately 12 mm Hg, and the response was smaller in women (by approximately 6 mm Hg). In a chromaffin cell-transfected CHGA 3'-UTR/luciferase reporter plasmid, the +87T allele associated with lower BP also decreased reporter expression by approximately 30%. In cultured chromaffin cells, reducing endogenous CHGA expression by small interfering ribonucleic acid caused approximately two-thirds depletion of catecholamine storage vesicles. CONCLUSIONS: Common variant C+87T in the CHGA 3'-UTR is a functional polymorphism causally associated with hypertension especially in men of the population, and we propose steps ("intermediate phenotypes") whereby in a sex-dependent fashion this genetic variant influences the ultimate disease trait. These observations suggest new molecular strategies to probe the pathophysiology, risk, and rational treatment of hypertension.
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| 6. |
- De Ambrogi, Marco, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of storage in short- and long-term commercial semen extenders on the motility, plasma membrane and chromatin integrity of boar spermatozoa
- 2006
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Ingår i: International Journal of Andrology. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0105-6263 .- 1365-2605. ; 29:5, s. 543-552
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- For artificial insemination (AI) in pigs, preservation of liquid boar semen at 16-20 degrees C is still common practice as sperm cryopreservation remains suboptimal in this species. To meet the different needs of the swine industry, several extenders have been developed to preserve semen in liquid form for short- and long-term storage. In the present study, three different commercial extenders devised for short-term (BTS+) or long-term preservation (MR-A and X-Cell), were used to test whether storage of semen from four mature, fertile boars at 17 degrees C for 96 h would affect sperm characteristics relevant for fertility, such as motility, membrane integrity and chromatin stability. Computer-assisted sperm analysis, and stainings with the acylated membrane dye SYBR-14/propidium iodide, and acridine orange in connection with flow cytometry were used to evaluate these variables. Percentages of total motile spermatozoa decreased slightly, but significantly, after 72-96 h. While membrane integrity values varied during the period of study, no significant changes in either membrane integrity or chromatin stability were, however, registered. This suggests a customary 96-day storage at 17 degrees C in these extenders was too short an interval to cause losses of integrity in nuclear DNA in the boar population studied.
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| 7. |
- Gallo, Valentina, et al.
(författare)
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Smoking and risk for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis : analysis of the EPIC cohort
- 2009
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Ingår i: Annals of Neurology. - New York : J. Wiley & Sons. - 0364-5134 .- 1531-8249. ; 65:4, s. 378-385
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Cigarette smoking has been reported as "probable" risk factor for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a poorly understood disease in terms of aetiology. The extensive longitudinal data of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) were used to evaluate age-specific mortality rates from ALS and the role of cigarette smoking on the risk of dying from ALS. Methods: A total of 517,890 healthy subjects were included, resulting in 4,591,325 person-years. ALS cases were ascertained through death certificates. Cox hazard models were built to investigate the role of smoking on the risk of ALS, using packs/years and smoking duration to study dose-response. Results: A total of 118 subjects died from ALS, resulting in a crude mortality rate of 2.69 per 100,000/year. Current smokers at recruitment had an almost two-fold increased risk of dying from ALS compared to never smokers (HR = 1.89, 95% C.I. 1.14-3.14), while former smokers at the time of enrollment had a 50% increased risk (HR = 1.48, 95% C.I. 0.94-2.32). The number of years spent smoking increased the risk of ALS (p for trend = 0.002). Those who smoked more than 33 years had more than a two-fold increased risk of ALS compared with never smokers (HR = 2.16, 95% C.I. 1.33-3.53). Conversely, the number of years since quitting smoking was associated with a decreased risk of ALS compared with continuing smoking. Interpretation: These results strongly support the hypothesis of a role of cigarette smoking in aetiology of ALS. We hypothesize that this could occur through lipid peroxidation via formaldehyde exposure.
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| 8. |
- Hernandez, Marta, et al.
(författare)
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Cryo-scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM) of semen frozen in medium-straws from good and sub-standard freezer AI-boars
- 2007
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Ingår i: Cryobiology. - : Elsevier. - 0011-2240 .- 1090-2392. ; 54:1, s. 63-70
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A major limiting factor for commercial cryopreservation of boar semen for artificial insemination (AI) is the large individual variation to cooling, where the degree of cell dehydration during ice (re)shaping seems to play a major role. This study investigated, in the frozen state, the degree of dehydration and ice crystal distribution in boar semen doses whose spermatozoa displayed different viability after thawing. Cross-sectioned medium-straws (0.5 mL, n = 10) from a total of 10 stud boars classified as "good" (n = 5) or sub-standard (e.g., "bad" freezers, n = 5) by conventional analyses (computer assisted motility and sperm viability) were examined by Cryo-scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM) to determine whether differences between groups could be already distinguishable prior to thawing. The degree of hydration was monitored in relation to the areas of ice crystal formed extracellularly (lakes), the areas of frozen, concentrated extender (veins) where spermatozoa were located and the degree of compartmentalization (number of lakes) present. Irrespectively of the region studied, the gradient of main dehydration (as lakes) observed along the cross-section area of the straws was very irregular. Most spermatozoa were enclosed in the freezing extender matrix and no obvious signs of external membrane damage were observed. None of the Cryo-SEM variables significantly correlated with post-thaw sperm parameters (p greater than 0.05). However, we identified significant differences (p less than 0.0001) among boars for all ultrastructure variables studied, including the size of the veins, where differences in solute concentration is expected. We concluded that despite the large variability in ice crystal formation during the conventional freezing process among boars, this is unrelated to inter-boar post-thaw sperm differences. (c) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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| 9. |
- Hernandez, Marta, et al.
(författare)
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Differences in SCSA outcome among boars with different sperm freezability
- 2006
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Ingår i: International Journal of Andrology. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0105-6263 .- 1365-2605. ; 29:6, s. 583-591
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Spermatozoa from some boars sustain the process of cryopreservation poorly and yield poor fertility after artificial insemination. Poor freezability has not been disclosed using conventional semen analyses. A defective chromatin can, if present in a substantial number of spermatozoa, affect the fertilizing ability of spermatozoa. Here we tested the hypothesis that nuclear DNA instability could explain differences in freezability among boars, and complement or supersede conventional tests for sperm quality such as sperm motility or membrane assessments. Frozen-thawed (FT) spermatozoa from a total of 44 stud boars were assessed by the sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA), in relation to computer-assisted sperm analysis-derived sperm motility variables and sperm viability (triple fluorescent microscopic staining), including three experiments. The first trial, including 24 boars, evaluated the relationship between the sperm motility and viability with levels of DNA integrity. The SCSA showed that most spermatozoa had intact DNA [levels of DNA fragmentation index (%DFI) ranging from 0.63% to 11.85%] significantly correlated (albeit weakly) with current sperm quality variables. The second trial, on 15 boars, assessed the influence of two different thawing rates (20 s at 37 degrees C vs. 8 s at 70 degrees C) and the post-thaw incubation times (0, 30, 150 and 300 min) at 37 degrees C on FT-boar sperm quality. The highest sperm survival (p less than 0.05) and the lowest DNA damage (p less than 0.01) were achieved when thawing was carried out at 70 degrees C for 8 s, without any change during the first 150 min of incubation. Finally, the third experiment studied if differences in sperm freezability showed by stud boar semen, as good or bad freezers by conventional analyses, could be attributed to differences in chromatin structure. All SCSA parameters were low, but significantly (p less than 0.05-0.001) higher for bad freezers, showing they had less homogeneous sperm chromatin than the good freezers. The results indicate that SCSA outcome complements conventional assessment of FT-boar spermatozoa, disclosing differences in their ability to sustain freezing and thawing. However, the low overall DNA damage observed in FT spermatozoa seems to have poor biological significance.
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| 10. |
- Rodriguez, J.V., et al.
(författare)
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Frequency selective wallpaper for reducing interference while increasing the MIMO capacity in indoor environments
- 2007
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Ingår i: The Second European Conference on Antennas and Propagation, EuCAP 2007. - : Institution of Engineering and Technology. - 0537-9989. - 9780863418426
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The design and features of frequency-selective wallpaper created for attachment onto regular walls in order to filter out signals operating at 5 GHz while at the same time allowing the desired radio communication services to propagate through such walls are presented. An analysis of the characteristics of the radio channel evaluated in a typical indoor environment, when considering either regular walls or walls with the designed wallpaper, is performed through a ray-launching programme for both single input single output (SISO) and multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems. In this way, parameters such as the signal to interference ratio, power delay profile, and channel capacity are obtained and compared for the two mentioned scenarios (with and without wallpapers).
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