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Solute carrier family transporters (SLCs), crucial for nutrient and trace element uptake in the placenta, play a significant role in fetal growth and development. Their dysregulation is associated with various pregnancy disorders. However, a comprehensive understanding of their role and regulation in placental function and pregnancy complications is still a largely unexplored area, making this study novel and significant. We performed a rigorous meta-analysis of publicly available NCBI GEO microarray and RNA-Seq datasets followed by bioinformatics analysis of differentially expressed SLCs in PE and IUGR. The identified SLCs were then validated using qPCR on PE placental samples, ensuring the reliability and validity of the findings. Bioinformatics analysis of preeclampsia (PE) and Intrauterine Growth restriction (IUGR) datasets revealed significant associations between specific SLC transporters with disease pathology, identified by studying differentially expressed SLCs. Subsequent validation using qPCR on placental samples confirmed considerable downregulation of SLC6A8, SLC16A10, SLC25A3, and SLC29A3, highlighting their dysregulation in the pathogenesis of PE and IUGR. The significant downregulation of SLC6A8, SLC16A10, SLC25A3, and SLC29A3 observed by bioinformatics analyses and validated by qPCR indicates atypical expression of these SLCs in gestational disorders. Our findings underscore the potential contribution of multiple SLC gene families to the development of placental pathologies associated with diverse pregnancy complications. • Solute carriers (SLCs) transport ligands of physiological importance. • Aberrant expression of SLCs associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. • Bioinformatics analysis was performed for PE/IUGR datasets for dysregulated SLCs. • Downregulation of SLC6A8, SLC16A10, SLC25A3, and SLC29A3 were observed in PE. • Our study identified the possible role of SLC in placental and gestational disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Celiac disease (CD) a complex immune disease that affects duodenal mucosa. Identification of tissue specific biomarkers is expected to improve the existing biopsy based CD diagnosis. To investigate the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in duodenal mucosa tissue to identify clinically relevant gene expression pattern in CD. Whole RNA extracted from the duodenal biopsies of three CD patients and four non-CD controls were sequenced. Significant DEGs were identified. Prioritized DEGs were validated using qRT-PCR in an independent group (CD=23; Control=26). Enriched pathways were analyzed, protein-protein interaction networks were evaluated. 923 DEGs comprising of 135 up-regulated, and 788 down-regulated genes, with p -value≤0.05; log2FC>2 or <-2 were identified. A novel down-regulated gene CDH18 (p = 0.03; log2FC=−0.74) was identified. Previously known CXCL9 was replicated. CDH18, a trans-membrane protein was found to interact with other CDH proteins, α/β catenins, and other membrane transporters such as SLC and ABCB. Pathways and protein networks contributing in channel activity (p = 2.15E-12), membrane transporters (p = 2.15E-12), and cellular adhesion (p = 8.05E-6) were identified. CDH18 , a novel DEG identified in the present study is a pivotal gene involved in maintaining epithelial membrane organization and integrity. The functional significance of lower expression of CDH18 in pathogenesis of CD warranted to be investigated. CDH18 expression could be tested for its effectiveness in diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate identification of the primary site of metastatic lung cancer (LC) is critical to the design of effective treatments that can assist physicians in diagnosis and improve prognosis. We collected genetic information from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database of 3808 samples with clear tumor types; differential expression analysis was used for feature gene selection and a machine learning model was built to locate the primary tumor site. Finally, the 59 differentially expressed genes screened were well-characterized for metastatic LC primary tissue localization (lung adenocarcinoma, lung squamous carcinoma, thyroid carcinoma, breast invasive carcinoma, renal clear cell carcinoma, and renal papillary cell carcinoma).Comparing logistic regression analyses, the Knearest neighbor and support vector machine revealed that the random forest (RF) model increased the average accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity, F1 score, macro-F1, micro-F1, and weighted-F1 from 99.06% to 99.78%, 96.42% to 99.37%, 96.77% to 98.90%, 99.44% to 99.86%, 96.63% to 99.12%, 96.63% to 99.12%, 97.18% to 99.32%, and 97.28% to 99.41%, respectively. The highest classification accuracy of 100% was achieved for thyroid cancer origin for all indicators under different algorithms.In conclusion, the RF algorithm was used to construct a model to trace the origin of metastatic LC tissues, which could potentially assist physicians in diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, and effective improvement of prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Agronomica Sinica is the property of Crop Science Society of China and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The performance in physical activity is determined not only by physiological processes such as age, body composition, gender and degree of training, but also by the genomics and even epigenetic events occurring during the training programs. In this context, using bioinformatics resources, we aimed to analyse the expression of genes associated with muscle function in vastus lateral samples. We used data from DNA microarray experiments reported in NCBI's GEO DataSet database under the series number GSE117070. Differential expression was calculated using the Z-ratio equation. We also used the software Cytoscape 3.6 to build a protein-protein interaction network with over-expressed genes. We found that seven genes out of the 397 genes analysed in the 41 individuals subjected to aerobic exercise with an increase in training intensity through the percentage of VO2max, were over-expressed based on the statistical approach. The Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network showed 477 nodes, two connected components, 17 multi-edge node pairs and an average number of neighbours of 2.092. The node with the highest number of interactions was TPM1 with 150. GO categories of biological processes most relevant of the network included indispensable processes for muscle function and contraction such as polymerization of actin filaments and ATP synthesis from electron transport chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a new type of endogenous noncoding RNA that exhibit a variety of biological functions. However, it is not clear whether they are involved in foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) infection and host response. In this study, we established circRNA expression profiles in FMDV-infected PK-15 cells using RNA-seq (RNA-sequencing) technology analysis. The biological function of the differentially expressed circRNAs was determined by protein interaction network, Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome (KEGG) pathway enrichment. We found 1100 differentially expressed circRNAs (675 downregulated and 425 upregulated) which were involved in various biological processes such as protein ubiquitination modification, cell cycle regulation, RNA transport, and autophagy. We also found that circRNAs identified after FMDV infection may be involved in the host cell immune response. RNA-Seq results were validated by circRNAs qRT-PCR. In this study, we analyzed for the first time circRNAs expression profile and the biological function of these genes after FMDV infection of host cells. The results provide new insights into the interactions between FMDV and host cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play pivot roles in regulating mRNA expression in eukaryotic organisms without coding any proteins. In the current study, a comprehensive analysis of 260 published RNA-Seq datasets collected from different tissues (fruits, leaves, stems, and roots) of Coffea arabica L. was performed to discover potential lncRNAs. A total of 10,564 unique lncRNAs were identified. Our results showed that 77.14% of the lncRNAs were intergenic and 60.39% of them are located within 5 Kbp from the partner gene. In general, all the identified lncRNAs showed shorter lengths, fewer number of exons, and lower expression levels as compared to mRNAs in different studied tissues. Several lncRNAs were determined as differentially expressed (DE) in fruits as compared to leaves, stems, or roots. The functional characterization of the DE lncRNAs revealed their roles in regulating significant biological processes in different tissues of C. arabica. The current study provides a comprehensive analysis and dataset of lncRNAs in C. arabica that could be utilized in further studies concerning the roles of these molecules in plant cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ameloblastoma is an odontogenic neoplasm of the mandible and maxilla with various histological types and subtypes. It has been reported that some ameloblastomas could arise from dentigerous cyst walls; thus, the development of ameloblastoma from dentigerous cysts may be due to differential protein expression. Our aim was to identify a membrane protein that is differentially expressed in ameloblastomas with respect to dentigerous cysts. We analyzed the SDS-PAGE profiles of membrane proteins from ameloblastomas and dentigerous cysts. The protein in a band present in the ameloblastoma sample, but apparently absent in the dentigerous cyst sample was identified via mass spectrometry as the chaperonin Hsp60. We used western blotting and immunohistochemistry to analyze its overexpression and localization in ameloblastoma. We found a differential band of 95 kDa in the membrane proteins of ameloblastoma. In this band, the chaperonin Hsp60 was identified, and its overexpression was corroborated using western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Hsp60 was localized in the plasma membrane of all ameloblastoma samples studied; in addition, it was found in the cell nucleus of the plexiform subtype of conventional ameloblastoma. Our results suggest that Hsp60 may be involved in ameloblastoma development, and could therefore be a potential therapeutic target for ameloblastoma treatment. [Display omitted] • Hsp60 is overexpressed in ameloblastoma respect to dentigerous cyst. • Hsp60 is detected in plasma membrane of ameloblastoma. • Hsp60 is located in nucleus of conventional amleloblastoma subtype plexiform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Agronomica Sinica is the property of Crop Science Society of China and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

• The miRNA expression profiles in blood between MZ individuals were compared. • 545 differentially expressed miRNAs were found in seven pairs of MZ twins. • 29 differentially expressed miRNAs were shared across ≥ 4 pairs of MZ twins. • The results of microarray analysis were similar to those of qRT-PCR. • Putative targets of 29 differentially expressed miRNAs were predicted. • Pathway enrichment of the predicted target genes were also depicted. Monozygotic (MZ) twins are widely regarded as genetically identical, and traditional DNA typing methods are insufficient in identifying MZ twins. So the discrimination of MZ twins become a forensic problem. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small, endogenous, non-protein-coding RNA molecules of approximately 22 nucleotides in length, and exist extensively in a variety of eukaryotic cells. MiRNAs regulate gene expression and play fundamental roles in multiple biological processes, including cell differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis as well as aging and disease processes. The goal of this study is to explore the differential expression of miRNAs within MZ twin pairs, and aimed to find new biomarkers for distinguishing MZ twins. Thus, the miRNA expression profiles of seven pairs of healthy MZ twins of different sex and age were analyzed by miRNA microarray. A total of 545 miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed in these MZ twin pairs, and 2, 5, 22, 53 and 132 differentially expressed miRNAs were shared across six, five, four, three and two pairs of MZ twins respectively. These findings had been confirmed by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays on select miRNAs, including miR-151a-3p, miR-3653-3p, miR-142-3p, miR-4325, miR-16-5p, let-7i-5p, miR-222-3p, miR-550 b- 3p, miR-4791 and miR-27a-3p. The results demonstrated that there are differences in the expression of miRNAs within MZ twin pairs, suggesting a role of miRNAs in identifying MZ twins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the purple peel formation mechanism of the Minhou wild banana (Musa itinerans), epidermal cells of the purple and green parts of peel were subjected to RNA sequencing. In total, 3,640 differently expressed unigenes (DEGs) were identified. A KEGG enrichment analysis showed that these DEGs were mainly involved in flavonoid biosynthesis, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, plant hormone signal transduction, starch and sucrose metabolism, and phenylalanine metabolism pathways, which suggested that the differential accumulation of secondary metabolites leads to the colour difference. Anthocyanin biosynthesis-related and transcription-factor genes with homologues that were crucial for anthocyanin biosynthesis in other plant species were identified as DEGs. We hypothesised that anthocyanin gene expression and subsequently anthocyanin metabolism contributed to the colour difference. The anthocyanin content in the purple peel was significantly higher than in the green peel, which verified the hypothesis. Quantitative real-time PCR on 11 DEGs was largely consistent with the RNA sequencing, indicating that the transcriptome data was reliable. Thus, the differential expression of anthocyanin biosynthesis-related genes correlates with the formation of the purple peel of Minhou wild banana. The generated comprehensive gene expression data provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying anthocyanin biosynthesis in banana peel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Agronomica Sinica is the property of Crop Science Society of China and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A total of 114 microRNAs (miRNAs) were identified for Coptotermes formosanus workers, while a total of 97 miRNAs were identified for Reticulitermes speratus workers, of which 91 were common in C. formosanus and R. speratus . While the relationship between miRNA expression levels in C. formosanus and R. speratus workers had a strong positive correlation, considerable difference in miRNA expressions between C. formosanus and R. speratus was observed. Among the miRNAs up-regulated in C. formosanus workers, miR-11-3p showed the highest expression increase of 2.30 fold, while miR-13b-3p showed the highest expression increase of 5.16 fold among the up-regulated miRNAs in R. speratus workers. Workers of C. formosanus and R. speratus seem to use different miRNAs, miR-11-3p in C. formosanus or miR-13b-3p in R. speratus , to regulate homeodomain transcription factor genes, araucan , caupolican , and nubbin , basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor genes, spineless and E(spl)m3-HLH , and zinc finger transcription factor gene, castor . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Profiling the spatial‐temporal expression pattern and characterizing the regulatory networks of brain tissues are vital for understanding the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods: We performed a systematic integrated analysis of expression profiles of AD‐affected brain tissues (684 AD and 562 controls). A network‐based convergent functional genomic approach was used to prioritize possible regulator genes during AD development, followed by functional characterization. Results: We generated a complete list of differentially expressed genes and hub genes of the transcriptomic network in AD brain and constructed a Web server (www.alzdata.org) for public access. Seventeen hub genes active at the early stages, especially YAP1, were recognized as upstream regulators of the AD network. Cellular assays proved that early alteration of YAP1 could promote AD by influencing the whole transcriptional network. Discussion: Early expression disturbance of hub genes is an important feature of AD development, and interfering with this process may reverse the disease progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silkworms (Bombyx mori) are lepidopterans of economic importance for global silk production. However, factors that directly affect the yield and quality of silkworm cocoon production, such as diseases and temperature fluctuations, cause great economic losses. Knowing how they respond to rearing temperature during the most critical stage of their life cycle (i.e., fifth instar) could provide information on their adaptation and improve silk production. In the current work, we analyzed transcriptional data from two groups of B. mori that were reared at 26 °C and 34 °C throughout the fifth instar. The silkworms and cocoons were weighed. In total, 3115 transcripts were differentially expressed (DE; including 1696 down-regulated and 1419 up-regulated) among the 29,157 sequences found by transcriptome assembly. We emphasize the genes associated with immunological response, transcription factors, silk biosynthesis, and heat shock proteins, among the DE transcripts in response to the temperature conditions. Silkworms reared at 34 °C presented a reduced mean body weight (−0.944 g in comparison to the 26 °C group), which had a direct impact on the weight of cocoons formed and the silk conversion rate. These changes were statistically significant when compared to silkworms reared at 26 °C. Mortality rates (6 and 9 %, at 26 °C and 34 °C, respectively) were similar to those obtained in breeding fields. The findings provide information on the biological processes involved in the temperature response mechanism of silkworms, as well as information that may be used in future climatization processes at rearing facilities and in breeding for improved thermotolerance. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To identify long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which may be associated with multifocal and multicentric breast cancer (MMBC) by analyzing the differential expression of non-coding RNA in MMBC and unifocal breast cancers (UBC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: 156 cases of invasive MMBC patients (136 patients with 2 focuses and 20 patients with 3 focuses) and 130 cases of UBC were collected from January 2005 to December 2015 in Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital. The differentially expressed lncRNAs in MMBC and UBC were screened by gene chip. RT-PCR was used to verify the differentially expressed lncRNAs. RESULTS: Significantly different expression was found in 1080 lncRNAs between MMBC and UBC (FC > 4, p < 0.05), among which, 458 were upregulated and 622 were down-regulated. In homologous lncRNAs, the expression levels of four lncRNAs including C19orf33, C3orf52, C15orf48 and C4orf19 in MMBC tissue were significantly different than those in UBC tissues. RT-PCR verified that the expression of C19orf33, C3orf52 and C15orf48 in MMBC tissue was significantly up-regulated and the expression of C4orf19 was significantly down-regulated, which was consistent with that of gene chip. CONCLUSIONS: C19orf33, C3orf52, C15orf48 and C4orf19 may have important functions in MMBC, and may be used as markers for MMBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Agronomica Sinica is the property of Crop Science Society of China and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The argasid tick Ornithodoros moubata is the main vector of the African swine fever and the human relapsing fever in Africa. As part of the host-parasite-pathogen interface, the tick midgut expresses key proteins for tick survival and tick-borne pathogen transmission. Accordingly, midgut proteins are potential targets for the development of new drugs and vaccines aimed at tick control, and obtaining proteomic and transcriptomic data from the O. moubata midgut would facilitate the identification of such target candidates. With this aim, we have assembled and characterized the midgut transcriptome of O. moubata females before and 48 h after a blood meal, and identified the genes that are differentially expressed in the midgut after feeding. Overall, 23,863 transcripts were obtained, and of them, 9,164 were identified and annotated. The most represented molecular functions were catalytic and binding activities, and the most represented biological processes were metabolic, cellular and single-organism processes. KEGG analysis of the annotated sequences assigned up to 3,053 of them to 130 active pathways, among which, the top 30 pathways were mostly metabolic routes. Differential expression analysis between unfed and fed ticks detected 8,026 Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs), 4,093 up-regulated and 3,933 down-regulated, respectively. The biological significance of these DEGs was further investigated using the KEEG, Pfam and GO databases. The functional groups of the genes/proteins predicted to be involved in the processes of blood digestion, nutrient transport and metabolism, and in responses related to defence and oxidative stress are discussed in more detail. This work reports the first midgut transcriptome analysis of an argasid tick species, and provides a wealth of novel molecular information about the argasid machinery involved in blood feeding and digestion. This information represents a starting point for the development of alternative strategies for tick control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seagrasses exhibit vital ecological roles in the marine environment. Nevertheless, the genomic resources available for seagrasses are still scarce. In the present study, the transcriptome of Cymodocea nodosa was sequenced with a view to study the molecular mechanisms underlying abiotic stress responses. The sequenced transcriptome for the species was near-complete and a high percentage of the transcripts was computationally annotated. An experimental simulation of marine plant exposure to extreme temperature (34 °C), salinity (50 psu) and their combination was conducted. A dynamic transcriptome 24 h response (short-term) from stress initialization was recorded. The most noteworthy alteration in gene expression was observed in heat-stressed plants. Transcripts associated with development, photosynthesis, osmotic balance and stress-response were differentially expressed, under the set experimental conditions. Results indicate a potential negative interaction of heat and osmotic stress on seagrasses transcriptome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous results from genome wide association studies (GWASs) in chickens divergently selected for abdominal fat content of Northeast Agricultural University (NEAUHLF) showed that many single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variants were associated with abdominal fat content. Of them, six top significant SNPs at the genome level were located within SRD5A3 , SGCZ , DLC1 , GBE1 , GALNT9 and DNAJB6 genes. Here, expression levels of these six candidate genes were investigated in abdominal fat and liver tissue between fat and lean broilers from the 14th generation population of NEAUHLF. The results showed that expression levels of SRD5A3 , SGCZ and DNAJB6 in the abdominal fat and SRD5A3 , DLC1 , GALNT9 , DNAJB6 and GBE1 in the liver tissue differed significantly between the fat and lean birds, and were correlated with abdominal fat traits. The findings will provide important references for further function investigation of the six candidate genes involved in abdominal fat deposition in chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human foamy virus (HFV) is a complex and unique retrovirus with the longest genomes among retroviruses that are used as vectors for gene therapy. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are regarded as key regulators that are involved in diverse biological processes during viral infection. However, the role of lncRNAs in HFV infection remains unknown. In this study, we utilized next-generation sequencing to first characterize lncRNAs in 293T cells after HFV infection, evaluating length distribution, exon number distribution, volcano picture, and lncRNA class distribution. We identified 11,336 lncRNAs (4,729 upregulated lncRNAs and 6,588 downregulated lncRNAs) and 61,367 mRNAs (30,133 upregulated mRNAs and 31,220 downregulated mRNAs), which were differentially expressed in the HFV-infected 293T cells. Subsequently, six differentially expressed lncRNAs characterized using RNA-seq were confirmed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assays. Interestingly, Gene Ontology (GO)/Gene Ontology Tree Machine (GOTM) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses indicated that positive regulation of interleukin 8 (IL8) production and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction might be involved in the functional enrichment of lncRNAs. Moreover, cis-acting and trans-acting regulatory networks show that NR_028036 may target the fas gene in a cis-acting manner and that ENST00000354838 may target the IL18 gene in a trans-acting manner. Overall, these results not only provide novel insights into the relationship between HFV and lncRNAs in the host response to infection but also have implications for the future wider application of HFV as a vector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen limitation is the most widely used method for directing metabolic flux to lipid biosynthesis in microalgae. Protein level changes induced by environmental stress could be investigated by proteomics analysis, which was a favourable approach for understanding the induction mechanisms. Although, we previously provided the results of transcriptome sequencing of Dunaliella parva under nitrogen limitation stress, the effects of nitrogen limitation on the microalgal proteome were not reported. The impact of nitrogen limitation on the proteome of green alga D. parva was investigated using iTRAQ quantitative proteomics technique. A total of 227 proteins were up-regulated, and 159 proteins were down-regulated under the nitrogen limitation condition. Functional analyses of differentially expressed proteins revealed that nitrogen limitation could induce protein level changes related to photosynthesis, stress response, lipid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism and nitrogen metabolism. This study, together with our previous transcriptome sequencing of D. parva , therefore provides a foundation for understanding the regulatory mechanism of lipid biosynthesis induced by nitrogen limitation, which could further guide the genetic modification of lipid accumulation in D. parva . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ixodid tick Dermacentor nuttalli is distributed from southern Siberia to North China and is a vector of many pathogens. This species can have severe impacts on animal husbandry and human health. To date, the control of D. nuttalli is limited to the use of acaricides such as organophosphorus, synthetic pyrethroids and amidine pesticides. There are no environmentally friendly or reliable prevention and control measures, and little is known regarding key antigens involved in blood feeding. Salivary glands are major tissues involved in the blood feeding and pathogen transmission of ticks. Therefore, this study focused on salivary glands tissue to identify the dominant antigens of D. nuttalli involved in tick feeding. For this, high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was used for analysis. The transcriptome of female D. nuttalli ticks was assembled and characterized, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the salivary glands of ticks that had not fed (0 h) and of ticks after 24, 48, 72 and 96 h of feeding. There were 22,802,784, 22,275,013, 26,629,453, 24,982,389, and 22,596,230 high-quality clean reads obtained from salivary glands tissues at the five different blood feeding time points. The total number of annotated unigenes was 100,347. The differences in gene expression between different time points were compared, and functional enrichment was performed. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT‒qPCR) was used to validate the RNA-seq results, the results of which showed that the differences in expressed transcripts presented similar trends. Among the identified DEGs, the most numerous were those with catalytic and binding activities and those involved in diverse metabolic pathways and cellular processes. The expression patterns of homologous and family-member proteins throughout the blood feeding period exhibited significant differences, strongly suggesting that the transcriptome composition is highly dynamic and likely subjected to important variation throughout the life cycle. Studies of gene sequences in D. nuttalli will greatly increase the information on tick protective antigens, which could potentially function as effective vaccine candidates or drug targets for the development of environmentally friendly acaricides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep sequencing of small RNAs (sRNA) is widely used in sRNAs studies in plants. In order to investigate the sequencing frequency variation of sRNAs, the same sRNA samples from rice grains were sequenced twice using deep sequencing technique. The sRNAs were classified into three categories, high abundance (> 100 RPM), medium abundance (10–100 RPM) and low abundance (1–10 RPM). According to the repeat sequencing data of the same sample, highly expressed sRNAs (> 100 RPM) were less subject to random drift, and 95% of the sRNAs Log 2 ratio between two samples fell between -0.649 and 0.558. The same trend was observed in mediumly expressed sRNAs (10–100 RPM), and 95% of the Log 2 ratio fell between -0.535 and 0.759. As to lowly expressed sRNAs (1–10 RPM), 95% of the Log 2 ratio varied between -1.009 and 1.011. These results can be used as a theoretical guide to find differentially expressed sRNAs in sRNA studies in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with first generation plant-based biofuels, microalgae have potential advantages as feedstock for biofuel production. However, the genome sequences were insufficient in non-model microalgae with potential for biofuel production, which limited the development of genetic engineering of these microalgae. Here we described the de novo transcriptome sequencing and assembly for the halophilic green alga Dunaliella parva and identified important pathways, genes and transcription factor gene wri1 involved in biofuel production. The Illumina Hiseq 2000 platform was applied to D. parva transcriptome sequencing, which produced 26,304,060 (assembled into 60,883 contigs) and 26,797,446 (assembled into 55,236 contigs) high quality reads in samples SCH-5.0 mMA (control sample) and SCH-0.5 mMA (nitrogen limitation sample) respectively. Assembled contigs were subjected to Blastx search and annotated with NCBI non-redundant protein database, Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes orthology identifiers. These analyses obtained the majority of genes involved in the biosynthesis and degradation of lipid and starch in D. parva . In addition, we have identified numerous differentially expressed genes, especially important transcription factor gene wri1 (GenBank KR185335) and studied differential expression of wri1 between control and nitrogen limitation sample, which provided foundation for illuminating the regulation mechanism of lipid biosynthesis induced by nitrogen limitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cereals contribute a major part of human nutrition and are considered as an integral source of energy for human diets. With genomic databases already available in cereals such as rice, wheat, barley, and maize, the focus has now moved to proteome analysis. Proteomics studies involve the development of appropriate databases based on developing suitable separation and purification protocols, identification of protein functions, and can confirm their functional networks based on already available data from other sources. Tremendous progress has been made in the past decade in generating huge data-sets for covering interactions among proteins, protein composition of various organs and organelles, quantitative and qualitative analysis of proteins, and to characterize their modulation during plant development, biotic, and abiotic stresses. Proteomics platforms have been used to identify and improve our understanding of various metabolic pathways. This article gives a brief review of efforts made by different research groups on comparative descriptive and functional analysis of proteomics applications achieved in the cereal science so far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron transport phosphorylation is the central mechanism for most prokaryotic species to harvest energy released in the respiration of their substrates as ATP. Microorganisms have evolved incredible variations on this principle, most of these we perhaps do not know, considering that only a fraction of the microbial richness is known. Besides these variations, microbial species may show substantial versatility in using respiratory systems. In connection herewith, regulatory mechanisms control the expression of these respiratory enzyme systems and their assembly at the translational and posttranslational levels, to optimally accommodate changes in the supply of their energy substrates. Here, we present an overview of methods and techniques from the field of proteomics to explore bacterial electron transfer chains and their regulation at levels ranging from the whole organism down to the Ångstrom scales of protein structures. From the survey of the literature on this subject, it is concluded that proteomics, indeed, has substantially contributed to our comprehending of bacterial respiratory mechanisms, often in elegant combinations with genetic and biochemical approaches. However, we also note that advanced proteomics offers a wealth of opportunities, which have not been exploited at all, or at best underexploited in hypothesis-driving and hypothesis-driven research on bacterial bioenergetics. Examples obtained from the related area of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation research, where the application of advanced proteomics is more common, may illustrate these opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA) is currently the most widely used brominated flame retardant (BFR) and has been proven to have a very high toxicity to aquatic organisms including bivalves. However, molecular responses to TBBPA in bivalve remain largely unknown. Novel high-throughput deep sequencing technology has been a powerful tool for looking at molecular responses to toxicological stressors in organisms. Using Illumina's digital gene expression (DGE) system, we investigated TBBPA-induced transcriptome response in the digestive gland tissue of scallop Chlamys farreri . In total, 173 and 266 genes were identified as significantly up- or down-regulated, respectively. Functional analysis based on gene ontology (GO) classification system and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database revealed that TBBPA significantly altered the expression of genes involved in stress response, detoxification, antioxidation, and innate immunity which were extensively discussed. In particular, evidence for the endocrine disrupting effect of TBBPA on bivalve was first obtained in this study. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to ascertain the mRNA expression of several genes identified by the DGE analysis. The results of this study may serve as a basis for future research on molecular mechanism of toxic effects of TBBPA on marine bivalves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To screen Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) related differentially expressed genes using the microarray data of neonatal microvascular endothelial cells from human skin treated with or without Shiga toxin, and study the the mechanism of HUS from multiple angles. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The microarray dataset GSE32710 was download from gene expression database GEO (Gene Expression Omnibus), which included a total of 12 samples, 6 samples were treated with Shiga toxin while the others were normal without any treatments. Then the raw chip data were preprocessed by R package, and T-test was utilized for differentially expressed genes screening. The selected differentially expressed genes were subjected to GO functional and KEGG pathway analysis. Following that, human protein interaction network, synergetic effects among the differentially expressed genes and regulation of post-transcriptional miRNA were integrated so as to construct a molecular interaction network associated with HUS and excavate the sub-function modules. RESULTS: Trough differential expression screening, 195 of HUS related marker genes were obtained, and 294 of gene pairs with significant co-expression were achieved. Molecular interaction network associated with HUS excavated 302 miRNAs and 117 differentially expressed genes, among which miRNA-30c and miRNA-30d may play important roles during the development of HUS. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we used a method that explained the biological mechanism of HUS systematically from gene transcription level and different levels of biological information such as protein interaction, posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression as well as synergy effects of gene expression, which may provide new therapeutic targets for HUS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The silkworm fat body is the site of many intermediary metabolic processes, and a source of sustenance for growth throughout the life cycle. Fat body proteins are responsible for storing nutrients, providing energy, and regulating hormones, and they have been identified using proteomic approaches. However, detailed differential expression of sex-related fat body proteins has not previously been evaluated. In the present study, we characterized the differential expression of sex-related fat body proteins, by using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) followed by mass spectrometry identification and bioinformatics methods. We extracted the fat body proteins from 5-day-old fifth instar larvae (L5), 10-day-old fifth instar larvae (corresponding to the end of spinning [LE]), and 0-day-old pupae (P0) of the multivoltine silkworm variety “Da Zao”. We confirmed the presence of 11 important sex-specific expression proteins and 14 stage-specific expression proteins. We accurately identified 13 of these specific expression proteins, including actin, calponin-like protein, 75kDa subunit NADH, receptor for activated protein kinase C from Bombyx mori (BmRACK), IMP (inosine monophosphate) cyclohydrolase, tropomyosin 1, β-tubulin, hypothetical protein, antichymotrypsin precursor, and 30K protein precursor. We showed that BmRACK was differentially expressed between male and female silkworms. We discuss the biological roles of the specific expression proteins during the larval–pupal developmental stages. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Autism is a complex, heterogeneous neurobehavioral disorder with many causes and varying degrees of severity. Some genetic implications related to autism may involve gene-regulatory processes such as alternative splicing. Here, we assess the feasibility of profiling exon-level gene expression in autism using the Affymetrix Human exon 1.0 ST array.We examined lymphoblastoid cell line-derived RNAs from five patients with autism compared with five controls.Analysis of variance and Bonferroni multiple test correction identified 57 genes exhibiting differential exon-level expression, suggesting potential changes in the resultant alternatively spliced transcripts in autism compared with controls. Genes with differentially expressed exons included CYFIP1, a previously reported autism susceptibility gene. Furthermore, several genes recently reported to have deregulated alternative splicing in autism brain samples showed differential exon expression in our autism group.The paucity of autism brain samples and extensive phenotypic heterogeneity of autism demands finding ways to also identify autism-related genomic events in accessible nonbrain resources, which may contribute in biomarker identifications. This proof-of-concept study shows that the analysis of alternative splicing in lymphoblastoid cell line samples has a potential to reveal at least a subset of brain-related deregulation of splicing machinery that might be implicated in autism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed the adaptive contribution of the mitochondrial genes involved with the respiratory chain and oxidative phosphorylation of the blue mussel Mytilus chilensis , a native and heavily exploited species in the inner sea of Chiloé Island, southern Chile. The assembled mitochondrial transcriptome of individuals from two ecologically different farm-impacted natural seedbeds, Cochamó (41°S) and Yaldad (42°S), represented about 4.5% of the whole de novo transcriptome of the species and showed location and tissue (gills, mantle) specific expression differences in 13 protein-coding mitochondrial genes. The RNA-Seq analysis detected differences in the number of up-regulated mitogenes between individuals from Cochamó (7) and Yaldad (11), some being tissue-specific (ND4L and COX2). However, the analysis did not detect transcripts-per-million (TPM = 0) of ND2 and ND5 in gills and ATP6 in mantle samples from Cochamó. Likewise, for ND6 and ATP8 in any sample. Several monomorphic location-specific mitochondrial genetic variants were detected in samples from Cochamó (78) and Yaldad (207), representing standing genetic variability to optimize mitochondrial functioning under local habitats. Overall, these mitochondrial transcriptomic differences reflect the impact of environmental conditions on the mitochondrial genome functioning and offer new markers to assess the effects on mussel fitness of habitat translocations, a routine industry practice. Likewise, these mitochondrial markers should help monitor and maintain adaptive population differences in this keystone and heavily exploited native species. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on expression of genes such as PSPH, WSB1, and ALB in ducklings that are infected and uninfected by hepatitis virus. It states that the expression of these genes was detected by real time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). It mentions that the results of the gene expression displays that there is negligible difference between the groups infected with the uninfected group. It also states that two genes ALB and TLR7 are resistant in hepatitis of ducklings.

The article studies the expression of type I 1RS keratin genes in three different breeds of sheep including Aohan fine wool sheep, small-tail Han sheep, and Laiwu black goat. It informs that study investigated the differential expression of specific genes related to hair follicle development during the growth and anagen phases among the breeds. It reflects that expression keratin genes in the neck and groin during wool growth phase were examined by microarray technology in the three breeds.

Abstract: Microarray technology has been extensively used to compare or quantify genome-wide mRNA levels, a key factor in the adaptive response of bacteria to the environment. Classical gene expression arrays based on an existing genome annotation with relatively few probes for each gene, are well suited to assess the expression levels of all annotated transcripts under many different conditions. Newer genomic tiling arrays that cover both strands of a genome by overlapping probes and, more recently, RNA-seq approaches have opened the way to unbiased whole-transcriptome studies. The analysis of transcriptomes with both types of arrays has reached a mature stage with respect to experimental procedures and data analysis strategies. In this chapter we discuss the steps leading from the design of a microarray experiment to the biological interpretation of the expression profiles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: One of the main constrains for commercial aquaculture production of white seabream (Diplodus sargus) is the high incidence of skeletal malformations in reared fish. The purpose of this study was to obtain a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the development of these types of skeletal malformations by comparative proteomic analysis of the vertebral column of normal and deformed fish using 2DE for protein separation and MS for protein identification. We observed a 3.2 and 3.4-fold increase in the expression of two tropomyosin isoforms, one of which (tropomyosin-4) is essential for the motility and polarization cycles of osteoclasts. Furthermore, a 1.6, 1.7 and 1.8-fold increase in three parvalbumin spots was detected, suggesting a cellular response to increased intracellular Ca2+ levels. These results can be interpreted as signs of increased cellular activity in the bone of white seabream with skeletal deformities coupled to a higher degree of calcium mobilization, which elicits further studies into the use of these proteins as indicators of skeletal metabolic state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To gain understanding on the structure and regulation of growth-related genes of the parasitic alveolate Perkinsus marinus , we analyzed genes encoding proliferating cell nuclear antigen ( pcna ) and cyclins ( cyclin ). Comparison of the full-length cDNAs with the corresponding genomic sequences revealed trans -splicing of the mRNAs of these genes with a conserved 21-22 nt spliced leader. Over 10 copies of pcna were detected, with identical gene structures and similar nucleotide (nt) sequences (88-99%), encoding largely identical amino acid sequences (aa). Two distinct types of cyclin ( Pmacyclin 1 and Pmacyclin 2) were identified, with 66-69% nt and 81-85% aa similarities. Pmacyclin 2 was organized in tandem repeats, and was alternatively spliced, giving rise to five subtypes of transcripts. For both pcna and cyclin genes, 6-10 introns were found. Quantitative RT-PCR assays showed that pcna and Pmacyclin 2 expression levels were low with small variations during a 28-h time course, whereas Pmacyclin 1 transcript abundance was 10-100 times higher, and increased markedly during active cell division, suggesting that it is a mitotic cyclin and can be a useful growth marker for this species. The gene structure and expression features along with phylogenetic results position this organism between dinoflagellates and apicomplexans, but its definitive affiliation among alveolates requires further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which investigates the cDNA encoding lanosterol synthase (LS) clone produced from Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum) through a homology-based polymerized chain reaction (PCR) method. It discovers that the LS cDNA contains an open-reading frame (ORF) of 2,181 bp while the genomic DNA sequence of LS contains 2,924 bp. It infers that the results of PCR are probably affected by the triterpene biosynthesis regulated network of G. lucidum.

Abstract: Objective: To establish two-dimensional electrophoresis profiles with high resolution and reproducibility from murine brain tissues by human cytomegalovirus(HCMV) infection and paired murine brain tissues and to identify the differential expression proteins. Methods: Forty Kunming mice were randomly divided into infection group (20) injected with HCMVAD169 and control group (20) injected with saline into their brain. After 30 days, the murine brain tissues by HCMV infection and paired murine brain tissues were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis(2-DE), analyzed by Image Master 2D software, and identified by peptide mass fingerprint(PMF) and database searching, and make Western blotting analyses the differential expression of individual proteins. Results: Well resolved, reproducible 2-D maps of the above tissues were obtained. Some of the different proteins identified by mass spectrometry(MS) were matched in the SWISS-2D PAGE database, Western blotting analyses were further carried out to verify the differential expression of individual proteins. Conclusion: These data will be valuable for studying the diagnosis of disease at an early stage, mechanisms of pathogenic and the key to the development of anti-HCMV medicine. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: To analyze the differential expression genes (DEGs) between Barrett''s esophagus (BE) and normal esophagus mucosa and explore the target genes related to the development and progression of BE. Methods: The total RNAs of matched BE and normal esophagus mucosa of BE patients were isolated using one step Trizol method. Matched RNAs were qualified using 10 g/L agarose gel electrophoresis. cRNAs were synthesized, fluorescence labeled and purified after total RNAs were purified. The RNAs of BE and normal esophagus mucosa were hybridized with Agilent oligomicroarray (30 968 probes). The fluorescence intensity features were detected by Agilent scanner and quantified by feature extraction software. Results: (1) The total RNA, reverse transcription product and fluorescence labeled cRNA were all of high quality; (2) There were 142 up-regulated genes and 284 down-regulated genes among 2-fold DEGs. Conclusion: Microarray-based studies are feasible in endoscopically obtained tissues. Many BE-associated genes are screened by the high-throughput gene chip. The development and progression of BE is a complicated process involving multiple genes and multiple procedures, and functional study of these genes may help to identify the key genes or pathways involved in the pathogenesis and development of BE. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Her2/neu was thought to be a proto-oncogene with sequence homology to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Its overexpression was seen in many cancers and referred to regimens of anticancer therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the abnormal expression existed in oral carcinogenesis. Methods: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect Her2/neu expression in normal oral mucosa (NOM) (n = 20), oral precancerous lesions of epithelial dysplasia (ED) (n = 20), and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) (n = 30). The association of clinicopathologic covariates of areca use, tumor size, neck lymph node metastasis, differentiation and stages of cancer with the expression of Her2/neu was examined. The significance of Neu immunoreactivity in different groups or with different covariates was investigated using Fisher''s exact test. Results: Her2/neu immunoreactivity was very low with Her2/neu(+) in 10% (2/20) of NOM cases and in 25% (5/20) of ED cases, respectively. The Her2/neu expression was high in OSCC cases, with 40% (12/30) of Her2/neu(+) and 10% (3/30) of Her2/neu(++). Significant difference was observed between NOM/ED and OSCC cases (p < 0.05). All clinicopathologic covariates showed no significant relation to the expression of Her2/neu in OSCC cases. Conclusion: These findings suggested a dynamic change in Her2/neu expression during the development of OSCC. The overexpression of Her2/neu can be used as a marker in distinguishing NOM/ED from OSCC. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A common goal of microarray experiments is to detect genes that are differentially expressed under distinct experimental conditions. Several statistical tests have been proposed to determine whether the observed changes in gene expression are significant. The t-test assigns a score to each gene on the basis of changes in its expression relative to its estimated variability, in such a way that genes with a higher score (in absolute values) are more likely to be significant. Most variants of the t-test use the complete set of genes to influence the variance estimate for each single gene. However, no inference is made in terms of the variability itself. Here, we highlight the problem of low observed variances in the t-test, when genes with relatively small changes are declared differentially expressed. Alternatively, the z-test could be used although, unlike the t-test, it can declare differentially expressed genes with high observed variances. To overcome this, we propose to combine the z-test, which focuses on large changes, with a χ 2 test to evaluate variability. We call this procedure CLEAR-test and we provide a combined p-value that offers a compromise between both aspects. Analysis of three publicly available microarray datasets reveals the greater performance of the CLEAR-test relative to the t-test and alternative methods. Finally, empirical and simulated data analyses demonstrate the greater reproducibility and statistical power of the CLEAR-test and z-test with respect to current alternative methods. In addition, the CLEAR-test improves the z-test by capturing reproducible genes with high variability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The study of gene expression profiling of cells and tissue has become a major tool for discovery in medicine. Microarray experiments allow description of genome-wide expression changes in health and disease. The results of such experiments are expected to change the methods employed in the diagnosis and prognosis of disease in obstetrics and gynecology. Moreover, an unbiased and systematic study of gene expression profiling should allow the establishment of a new taxonomy of disease for obstetric and gynecologic syndromes. Thus, a new era is emerging in which reproductive processes and disorders could be characterized using molecular tools and fingerprinting. The design, analysis, and interpretation of microarray experiments require specialized knowledge that is not part of the standard curriculum of our discipline. This article describes the types of studies that can be conducted with microarray experiments (class comparison, class prediction, class discovery). We discuss key issues pertaining to experimental design, data preprocessing, and gene selection methods. Common types of data representation are illustrated. Potential pitfalls in the interpretation of microarray experiments, as well as the strengths and limitations of this technology, are highlighted. This article is intended to assist clinicians in appraising the quality of the scientific evidence now reported in the obstetric and gynecologic literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) has global commercial and ecological importance both in wild and cultured conditions. However there is a qualitative and quantitative lack of knowledge of the molecular mechanisms associated with its reproductive physiology, especially with reference to environmental interactions. Here we initiated a transcriptomic analysis (RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq)) of the mantle from both sexes sampled during a seasonal spawning event and from two culture depths (shallow-5 m; deep- 15 m). Mantle libraries were produced from 3 males and 3 females sampled from each of two shallow sites and two deep sites for a total of 12 replicate male and 12 replicate female libraries (24 total libraries). Overall a total of 2.3 billion raw 100 base reads with an average of 96.5 million reads/library were obtained and assembled into 296,118 transcripts with an average length of 568 bp. Overall, 315 transcripts from male libraries and 25 from female libraries were found to be upregulated in deep water as compared to shallow (edgeR adjusted p value ≤ 0.05). Conversely, 126 transcripts from male libraries and 135 from female libraries were found to be significantly downregulated at the same depth. Thirteen transcripts were selected for qPCR validation based on importance in reproduction, antimicrobial defense and metabolism. Of these, 9 RNA-seq identified transcripts were shown by qPCR to be differentially expressed between groups: 2 were upregulated in deep compared with shallow water (dhx38 , mt-co1), 2 were upregulated for female compared with male mantle (pias2 , mapkap1) and 6 genes (fndc3a , acbd3 , klhl10 , ccnb3 , armc4 , mt-co1) showed to be upregulated in males compared to females. The majority of qPCR studied transcripts were identified as involved in gamete development based on the UniProt database. This study further characterizes the importance of the mantle transcriptome during reproductive activities of M. edulis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of age on expression of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP5), myostatin (MSTN), and myosin (MYH1) genes which are related to growth and muscle development in the American Quarter Horse. Thus, horses (n = 10) from weanling, yearling, 2-, 3-, and 10-year-old age classes were sampled and gene expression was assessed by RT-qPCR. ΔC T was calculated using the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase gene as an internal normalizer. The generalized linear model was used to determine differentially expressed genes, by pairwise comparison between ages. Among technical replicates, the coefficient of variation ranged from 1.0 to 5.2% and was lower than the variation observed between biological replicates (2.1–12.9%). IGF1 demonstrated significantly lower expression in the 3-year-old age class than in weanlings and yearlings, but the 10-year-old age class displayed a significantly higher level than 2- and 3-year-old age classes. Expression of IGFBP5 was highest in weanlings compared with all other age classes. Expression of MSTN was significantly higher in weanlings than in other age classes, whereas 10-year-old horses had an intermediate level of expression, but significantly different from yearlings, 2- and 3-year-old fillies. Finally, expression of MYH1 was lower in 2- and 10-year-old horses than in weanlings and yearlings, whereas 3-year-old fillies demonstrated an intermediate level of expression. Differential expression patterns observed in this preliminary study provide insight into the physiological changes occurring throughout the life span of horses. These patterns could also help explain the variation in performance and endurance between individuals at different developmental stages. • Differential expression of growth-related genes in the American Quarter Horse was explored. • Measurement IGF1, IGFBP5, MSTN, and MYH1 expression in five age classes was performed. • IGF1 expression was observed to be most depressed in 3-year-old horses. • IGFBP5 and MSTN expression were observed to be most elevated in weanlings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eggs produced by bisexual infected mature female worms (MF) of Schistosoma japonicum are important in the transmission of the parasite and responsible for the pathogenesis of schistosomiasis. The single-sex infected female worms (SF) cannot mature and do not produce normal eggs; also they do not induce severe damage to the host. In this study, the microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles of 25d MF and 25d SF were investigated through Solexa deep-sequencing technology to explore the developmental mechanisms of schistosome female worms. There were 36 differentially expressed miRNA, 20 up-regulated and 16 down-regulated found in MF/SF worms, including some development related miRNA such as bantam (ban), let-7, miR-124, miR-8, miR-1, miR-7. There were 166 target genes of up-regulated miRNA and 201 target genes of down-regulated miRNA after comparing the target gene prediction software results with RNA-Seq transcriptome results. Analysis of the target genes shows that different ones are involved in MF and SF worms in Gene Ontology terms, with a similar situation in KEGG. This observation indicates that different genes regulated by differentially expressed miRNA take part in MF and SF and lead to differential sexual status. This means that the sexual status of female worms is regulated by miRNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]