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Simple Summary: Two subspecies of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides, LMB) with different thermal tolerance, northern largemouth bass (NLMB) and Florida largemouth bass (FLMB), were subjected to acute and chronic thermal stress at 33 °C. Then, variations of 12 candidate biomarkers between NLMB and FLMB were analyzed. Compared to NLMB, FLMB exhibited a lower plasma cortisol level and a higher expression of hsp90 under acute thermal stress. Additionally, lower expression of hsp70 in FLMB was observed under chronic thermal stress. The differences in plasma cortisol levels and hsp expression represent variations in thermal tolerance between the two subspecies of LMB, providing valuable information for the identification and breeding of LMB varieties with better thermal tolerance in the future. Affected by the continuously rising temperature, thermal stress leads to a delinked growth rate and resistance to stress in cultured largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides, LMB) in China. Identification of LMB with better thermal resistance will benefit the breeding of new varieties. However, there has been limited reporting on the evaluation to identify LMB with better thermal resistance. LMB consists of the northern LMB (Micropterus salmoides salmoides, NLMB) and the Florida LMB (Micropterus salmoides floridanus, FLMB). Due to their different geographical distributions, it has been suggested that FLMB exhibit better thermal resistance compared to NLMB. In this study, NLMB and FLMB were subjected to thermal stress for 3 h (acute) and 60 d (chronic) at 33 °C, respectively. Subsequently, the variations of 12 candidate biomarkers between NLMB and FLMB were analyzed. Exposure to acute thermal stress significantly increased plasma cortisol, blood glucose, and lactate levels; activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT), glucose kinase (GK), pyruvate kinase (PK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and glucose 6 phosphatase (G6Pase); and the expressions of hsp70 and hsp90 in both NLMB and FLMB (p < 0.05). Compared to NLMB, FLMB exhibited a lower plasma cortisol level and a higher expression of hsp90 under acute thermal stress (p < 0.05). Exposure to chronic thermal stress significantly increased plasma cortisol and blood glucose levels, as well as activities of GK, PK, LDH, and G6Pase, as well as expressions of hsp70 and hsp90 in both NLMB and FLMB (p < 0.05). Additionally, FLMB showed a lower expression of hsp70 compared to NLMB (p < 0.05). In conclusion, our results showed that LMB with lower plasma cortisol level and higher expression of hsp90 under acute thermal stress, as well as lower expression of hsp70 under chronic thermal stress were suggested to have better thermal resistance. Our study provides valuable information for identifying and breeding LMB varieties with better thermal resistance in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a case study of a Chinese family with hypotrichosis simplex, a rare hair loss disorder. The researchers identified two novel mutations in the LSS gene through whole-exome sequencing and confirmed them through Sanger sequencing. Protein modeling and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to assess the mutations' impact on the LSS protein structure and expression. The study provides valuable insights into the genetic basis of hypotrichosis simplex and its association with the LSS gene. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, the genetic signatures of SLE‐associated PAH have not been well studied. We aimed to identify genetic variants implicated in SLE‐associated PAH susceptibility within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region and assess the contribution to clinical outcomes. Methods: A total of 172 patients with SLE‐associated PAH confirmed by right heart catheterization, 1,303 patients with SLE without PAH, and 9,906 healthy controls were included. Deep sequencing of the MHC region was performed to identify alleles, single‐nucleotide polymorphisms, and amino acids. We compared patients with SLE‐associated PAH with patients with SLE without PAH and healthy controls. Clinical association study was conducted to explore the contribution to phenotypes. Results: A total of 19,881 genetic variants were identified within the MHC region. HLA‐DQA1*03:02 was identified as a novel genetic variant associated with SLE‐associated PAH in the discovery cohort (P = 5.68 × 10−12) and authenticated in an independent replication cohort (P = 1.30 × 10−9). The strongest associated amino acid position was mapped to HLA‐DQα1 in the region affecting MHC/peptide‐CD4+ T cell receptor affinity and antigen binding. Clinical association study demonstrated that patients with SLE‐associated PAH with HLA‐DQA1*03:02 had significantly lower rates of target role achievement (P = 0.005) and survival (P = 0.04). Conclusion: This study, based on the largest cohort of SLE‐associated PAH, is the first to investigate how MHC region genetic variants contribute to SLE‐associated PAH susceptibility. HLA‐DQA1*03:02 is a novel genetic risk factor and a prognostic factor in SLE‐associated PAH. Patients with SLE with this allele require regular monitoring and careful follow‐up for early diagnosis and interventions for potential PAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]