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The main theoretical contribution of the paper is the description of two classes of multigraded ideals named after Cartwright and Sturmfels and the study of their surprising properties. Among other things we prove that these classes of ideals have very special multigraded generic initial ideals and are closed under several operations including arbitrary multigraded hyperplane sections. As a main application we describe the universal Gröbner basis of the ideal of maximal minors and the ideal of 2-minors of a multigraded matrix of linear forms generalizing earlier results of various authors including Bernstein, Sturmfels, Zelevinsky, and Boocher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diacylglycerol kinases (DGKs) play dual roles in cell transformation and immunosurveillance. According to cancer expression databases, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) exhibits significant overexpression of multiple DGK isoforms, including DGKA , DGKD and DGKG , without a precise correlation with specific AML subtypes. In the TGCA database, high DGKA expression negatively correlates with survival, while high DGKG expression is associated with a more favorable prognosis. DGKA and DGKG also feature different patterns of co-expressed genes. Conversely, the BeatAML and TARGET databases show that high DGKH expression is correlated with shorter survival. To assess the suitability of DGKs as therapeutic targets, we treated HL-60 and HEL cells with DGK inhibitors and compared cell growth and survival with those of untransformed lymphocytes. We observed a specific sensitivity to R59022 and R59949, two poorly selective inhibitors, which promoted cytotoxicity and cell accumulation in the S phase in both cell lines. Conversely, the DGKA-specific inhibitors CU-3 and AMB639752 showed poor efficacy. These findings underscore the pivotal and isoform-specific involvement of DGKs in AML, offering a promising pathway for the identification of potential therapeutic targets. Notably, the DGKA and DGKH isoforms emerge as relevant players in AML pathogenesis, albeit DGKA inhibition alone seems insufficient to impair AML cell viability.

Domestication of the helmeted guinea fowl (HGF; Numida meleagris) in Africa remains elusive. Here we report a high-quality de novo genome assembly for domestic HGF generated by long- and short-reads sequencing together with optical and chromatin interaction mapping. Using this assembly as the reference, we performed population genomic analyses for newly sequenced whole-genomes for 129 birds from Africa, Asia, and Europe, including domestic animals (n = 89), wild progenitors (n = 34), and their closely related wild species (n = 6). Our results reveal domestication of HGF in West Africa around 1,300-5,500 years ago. Scanning for selective signals characterized the functional genes in behavior and locomotion changes involved in domestication of HGF. The pleiotropy and linkage in genes affecting plumage color and fertility were revealed in the recent breeding of Italian domestic HGF. In addition to presenting a missing piece to the jigsaw puzzle of domestication in poultry, our study provides valuable genetic resources for researchers and breeders to improve production in this species., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.)

This study aims at investigating genomic diversity of several turkey populations using Copy Number Variants (CNVs). A total of 115 individuals from six Italian breeds (Colle Euganei, Bronzato Comune Italiano, Parma e Piacenza, Brianzolo, Nero d'Italia, and Ermellinato di Rovigo), seven Narragansett, 38 commercial hybrids, and 30 Mexican turkeys, were genotyped with the Affymetrix 600K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) turkey array. The CNV calling was performed with the Hidden Markov Model of PennCNV software and with the Copy Number Analysis Module of SVS 8.4 by Golden Helix ® . CNV were summarized into CNV regions (CNVRs) at population level using BEDTools. Variability among populations has been addressed by hierarchical clustering (pvclust R package) and by principal component analysis (PCA). A total of 2,987 CNVs were identified covering 4.65% of the autosomes of the Turkey_5.0/melGal5 assembly. The CNVRs identified in at least two individuals were 362-189 gains, 116 losses, and 57 complexes. Among these regions the 51% contain annotated genes. This study is the first CNV mapping of turkey population using 600K chip. CNVs clustered the individuals according to population and their geographical origin. CNVs are known to be indicators also of adaptation, as some researches in different species are suggesting., (Copyright © 2019 Strillacci, Gorla, Ríos-Utrera, Vega-Murillo, Montaño-Bermudez, Garcia-Ruiz, Cerolini, Román-Ponce and Bagnato.)

Copy number variants (CNVs) are an important source of genomic structural variation, recognized to influence phenotypic variation in many species. Many studies have focused on identifying CNVs within and between human and livestock populations alike, but only few have explored population-genetic properties in cattle based on CNVs derived from a high-density SNP array. We report a high-resolution CNV scan using Illumina's 777k BovineHD Beadchip for Valdostana Red Pied (VRP), an autochthonous Italian dual-purpose cattle population reared in the Alps that did not undergo strong selection for production traits. After stringent quality control and filtering, CNVs were called across 108 bulls using the PennCNV software. A total of 6,784 CNVs were identified, summarized to 1,723 CNV regions (CNVRs) on 29 autosomes covering a total of ~59 Mb of the UMD3.1 assembly. Among the mapped CNVRs, there were 812 losses, 832 gains and 79 complexes. We subsequently performed a comparison of CNVs detected in the VRP and those available from published studies in the Italian Brown Swiss (IBS) and Mexican Holstein (HOL). A total of 171 CNVRs were common to all three breeds. Between VRP and IBS, 474 regions overlapped, while only 313 overlapped between VRP and HOL, indicating a more similar genetic background among populations with common origins, i.e. the Alps. The principal component, clustering and admixture analyses showed a clear separation of the three breeds into three distinct clusters. In order to describe the distribution of CNVs within and among breeds we used the pair VST statistic, considering only the CNVRs shared to more than 5 individuals (within breed). We identified unique and highly differentiated CNVs (n = 33), some of which could be due to specific breed selection and adaptation. Genes and QTL within these regions were characterized., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Donkeys have played an important role in agricultural land practices and in human historical periods of recent past and, still today, are used as a working power in several world areas. The objective of this study was to identify genetic variability in six Italian donkey breeds using mtDNA D-loop. Fifteen haplotypes, grouped in three haplogroups, were identified. The genetic indices were informative and showed a high population genetic variability. The results of AMOVA analyses based on geographic structuring of Italian populations highlighted that the majority of the observed variance is due to differences among samples within breeds. Comparison among Italian haplotypes and mtDNA D-loop sequences belonging to European domestic and Ethiopian donkeys and wild asses, clearly define two clades referred to Nubian lineage. The results can be useful to complement safeguard planes for donkey breeds that are considered to extinction endangered.

The concentrations of organic micropollutants are usually low in wastewaters (order of magnitude of mg L(-1)). However, their emission standards, especially in the case of carcinogenic and bioaccumulating substances, are often much lower (order of magnitude of microg L(-1)). Since these substances, in some cases, can be adsorbable or volatile, their removal via volatilization, biodegradation or sludge adsorption in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) becomes a significant feature to include in the usual design process, in order to verify the emission standards in gas and sludge too. In this study a simple screening batch test for the evaluation of the fate of organic micropollutants in water, air and sludge is presented. The test is set up by means of simple laboratory instruments and simulates an activated sludge tank process. In this study the results obtained for four substances with different chemical properties (i.e. toluene, benz(a)anthracene, phenol and benzene) are presented. The screening test proposed can be a useful tool to assess in about one month the fate of organic micropollutants in an activated sludge tank of a WWTP. Moreover, the test can constitute a useful support in the use of mathematical models, since it allows the verification of model results and the calibration of the reactions involved in the removal process.