Search

Clade 2.3.4.4 H5Nx highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) have caused outbreaks in poultry in the world. Some of these viruses acquired internal genes from other subtype avian influenza viruses (AIVs) such as H9 and H6 for the generation of novel reassortant viruses and continually circulated in poultry. Here, we applied a duck-origin virus DK87 and a chicken-origin virus CK66 to assess the biological characteristics of novel reassortant H5N6 HPAIVs and its pathogenesis in ducks. A genetic analysis indicated that the HA genes of the two H5N6 HPAIVs were closely related to the H5 viruses of clade 2.3.4.4 circulating in Eastern Asia and classified into H5 AIV/Eastern Asia (EA)-like lineage. Their NA genes fell into Eurasian lineage had close relationship with those of H5N6 viruses circulating in China, Laos, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea. All internal genes of DK87 were aggregated closely with H5 AIV/EA-like viruses. The internal genes (PB1, PA, NP, M, and NS) of CK66 were derived from H9N2 AIV/SH98-like viruses and the PB2 were derived from H5 AIV/EA-like viruses. These results indicate that clade 2.3.4.4 H5N6 AIVs have continually evolved and recombined with the H9N2 viruses circulating in Southern China. Pathogenicity test showed that the two viruses displayed a broader tissue distribution in ducks and caused no clinical signs. These results indicated that ducks were permissive for the replication of the chicken-origin reassortant virus CK66 without prior adaptation, but the duck-origin virus DK87-inoculated ducks showed significantly higher viral titers in some organs than the CK66-inoculated ducks at 5 day post-inoculated (DPI). The recovery of viruses from oropharyngea and cloacal swabs of contacted ducks indicated that they transmitted in native ducks by direct contact. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) results revealed that the immune-relative genes (PRRs, IFNs, Mx-1, IL-6, and IL-8) in the lungs of inoculated ducks were expressed regardless of virus origin, but the expression of these genes was significantly higher in response to infection with the DK87 virus compared to the CK66 virus at 3 DPI. Overall, we should provide further insights into how clade 2.3.4.4 H5N6 AIVs undergo genetic and pathogenic variations to prevent outbreaks of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: LACTB, regulated by a variety of microRNAs (miRNAs), is proven to be a tumor suppressor. However, there are few reports that LACTB in colon cancer cells is regulated by miRNA. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the miRNAs that regulate LACTB in colon cancer. Patients and Methods: Data from TCGA were analyzed in starBase and GEPIA2, and Western blot and quantitative PCR (qPCR) were used to detect the expression of LACTB in colon cancer cell lines. MiRNAs targeting LACTB were predicted by MicroT-CDS, starBase, miRDB, mirDIP, and DIANA. The relationship between LACTB and miRNA was explored by dual-luciferase assay. MTT, propidium iodide (PI), Western blot, Annexin V-FITC/PI Kit, qPCR and transwell assay were used to detect the changes in cell proliferation, cell cycle, autophagy, apoptosis, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cell migration, and invasiveness in colon cancer cells that overexpressed miR-1276 and/or LACTB. Results: The results showed that the LACTB mRNA level was lower and the miR-1276 level was higher in colon cancer than in normal tissue. MiR-1276 inhibited the expression of LACTB. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-1276 in colon cancer cells increased proliferation, migration, invasiveness and EMT, and decreased autophagy and apoptosis. Supplementing LACTB suppressed these effects of miR-1276. Conclusion: In conclusion, miR-1276, which may be a potential therapy for colon cancer, inhibits cell growth and promotes apoptosis by targeting LACTB in colon cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inhibin β ( INHBB) gene was studied as a candidate gene for the prolificacy of Small Tail Han and Hu sheep. According to the sequence of exon 1 and 2 of bovine INHBB gene, six pairs of primers were designed to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms of exon 1 and 2 of INHBB gene in both high (Small Tail Han and Hu sheep) and low prolificacy breeds (Dorset, Texel and German Mutton Merino sheep) by polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP). Three pairs of primers (primers 1-1, 1-2 and 1-3) were used to amplify the exon 1, and others (primers 2-1, 2-2 and 2-3) to the exon 2. Only the products amplified by primer 2-3 displayed polymorphism. For primer 2-3, three genotypes (AA, AB and BB) were detected in Hu sheep and only AA genotype in other breeds. In Hu sheep, frequency of AA, AB and BB genotypes was 0.636, 0.046 and 0.318, respectively. Sequencing revealed 276A > G mutation (based on the amplification region of primer 2-3) which did not cause any amino acid change because it lay in the 3′ untranslated region. The ewes with genotype BB had 0.58 ( P < 0.01) lambs more than those with AA in Hu sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]