A novel AAV9-dual microRNA-vector targeting in the hippocampus as a treatment for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) is the most prevalent type of epilepsy in adults. First and subsequent generations of anti-epileptic therapy regimens fail to decrease seizures in a large number of patients suffering from mTLE, leaving surgical ablation of part of the hippocampus as the only therapeutic option to potentially reach seizure freedom. GluK2 has recently been identified as a promising target for the treatment of mTLE using gene therapy.

Guinea fowl eggshell structural analysis at different scales reveals how organic matrix induces microstructural shifts that enhance its mechanical properties.

Guinea fowl eggshells have an unusual structural arrangement that is different from that of most birds, consisting of two distinct layers with different microstructures. This bilayered organization, and distinct microstructural characteristics, provides it with exceptional mechanical properties. The inner layer, constituting about one third of the eggshell thickness, contains columnar calcite crystal units arranged vertically as in most bird shells.

Using intersectionality to study gender and antimicrobial resistance in low- and middle-income countries.

Different sexes and genders experience differentiated risks of acquiring infections, including drug-resistant infections, and of becoming ill. Different genders also have different health-seeking behaviours that shape their likelihood of having access to and appropriately using and administering antimicrobials. Consequently, they are distinctly affected by antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

GluK2 Is a Target for Gene Therapy in Drug-Resistant Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.

Objective: Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is characterized by recurrent seizures generated in the limbic system, particularly in the hippocampus. In TLE, recurrent mossy fiber sprouting from dentate gyrus granule cells (DGCs) crea an aberrant epileptogenic network between DGCs which operates via ectopically expressed GluK2/GluK5-containing kainate receptors (KARs). TLE patients are often resistant to anti-seizure medications and suffer significant comorbidities; hence, there is an urgent need for novel therapies.

Antimicrobial Proteins and Peptides in Avian Eggshell: Structural Diversity and Potential Roles in Biomineralization.

The calcitic avian eggshell provides physical protection for the embryo during its development, but also regulates water and gaseous exchange, and is a calcium source for bone mineralization. The calcified eggshell has been extensively investigated in the chicken. It is characterized by an inventory of more than 900 matrix proteins.

Review: Production factors affecting the quality of chicken table eggs and egg products in Europe.

The hen's egg (Gallus gallus) is an animal product of great agronomic interest, with a world production of 70.9 million tonnes in 2018. China accounted for 35% of world production, followed by North America (12% of world production), the European Union (7.

Review: Quality and authentication of organic animal products in Europe.

The 'organic' label guarantees a production process that avoids the use of synthetic fertilisers, pesticides and hormones and minimises the use of veterinary drugs; however, consumers are demanding guarantees regarding food quality. This article reviews the current state of knowledge on the quality of organic animal products, including the authentication of their organic origin. Quality has been considered as an integrative combination of six core attributes: commercial value, and nutritional, sensory, technological, convenience and safety attributes.

Review: Quality of animal-source foods.

This article critically reviews the current state of knowledge on the quality of animal-source foods according to animal production and food processing conditions, including consumer expectations-behaviours and the effects of consumption of animal-source foods on human health. Quality has been defined through seven core attributes: safety, commercial, sensory, nutritional, technological, convenience, and image. Image covers ethical, cultural and environmental dimensions associated with the origin of the food and the way it is produced and processed.

Review: What are the challenges facing the table egg industry in the next decades and what can be done to address them?

There has been a strong consumer demand to take welfare into account in animal production, including table eggs. This is particularly true in Europe and North America but increasingly around the world. We review the main demands that are facing the egg industry driven by economic, societal and sustainability goals.

Evolution of the Avian Eggshell Biomineralization Protein Toolkit - New Insights From Multi-Omics.

The avian eggshell is a remarkable biomineral, which is essential for avian reproduction; its properties permit embryonic development in the desiccating terrestrial environment, and moreover, are critically important to preserve unfertilized egg quality for human consumption. This calcium carbonate (CaCO) bioceramic is made of 95% calcite and 3.5% organic matrix; it protects the egg contents against microbial penetration and mechanical damage, allows gaseous exchange, and provides calcium for development of the embryonic skeleton.

Avian eggshell biomineralization: an update on its structure, mineralogy and protein tool kit.

Background: The avian eggshell is a natural protective envelope that relies on the phenomenon of biomineralization for its formation. The shell is made of calcium carbonate in the form of calcite, which contains hundreds of proteins that interact with the mineral phase controlling its formation and structural organization, and thus determine the mechanical properties of the mature biomaterial. We describe its mineralogy, structure and the regulatory interactions that integrate the mineral and organic constituents during eggshell biomineralization.

Increased expression of fibroblast growth factor 23 is the signature of a deteriorated Ca/P balance in ageing laying hens.

The present study concerned the effect of ageing in laying hens, from 23 to 90 weeks of age, on the regulation of Ca metabolism related to the requirement for eggshell mineralization. Samples were collected from parathyroid gland (PG), liver, jejunum, medullary bone (MB) and kidney for a quantitative study of candidate gene expression. Although parathyroid hormone (PTH) gene expression in the PG did not vary with age, a stronger challenge to Ca homeostasis was suggested in aged hens.

Avian eggshell formation reveals a new paradigm for vertebrate mineralization via vesicular amorphous calcium carbonate.

Amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) is an unstable mineral phase, which is progressively transformed into aragonite or calcite in biomineralization of marine invertebrate shells or avian eggshells, respectively. We have previously proposed a model of vesicular transport to provide stabilized ACC in chicken uterine fluid where eggshell mineralization takes place. Herein, we report further experimental support for this model.

Avian uterine fluid proteome: Exosomes and biological processes potentially involved in sperm survival.

Uterine fluid is an aqueous milieu to which sperm are exposed during their storage and ascent. In this study, a bottom-up proteomic strategy and bioinformatic analysis of hen uterine fluid was performed to improve the understanding of this fluid and its potential role in sperm survival mechanisms. The proteomic data were submitted to ProteomeXchange.

Possible roles of parathyroid hormone, 1.25(OH)D, and fibroblast growth factor 23 on genes controlling calcium metabolism across different tissues of the laying hen.

This study provides an integrative description of candidate gene expression across tissues involved in calcium (Ca) metabolism during the egg laying cycle, using the well-defined model of Ca supply as fine or coarse particles of calcium carbonate (CaCO). Plasma and tissue samples were collected from hens at the peak of laying at 0 to 1, 9 to 10, and 18 to 19 h postovulation (PO). After mRNA preparation from the parathyroid gland, medullary bone, liver, kidney, duodenum, and jejunum, gene expressions were quantified using RT-qPCR.

Guinea fowl eggshell quantitative proteomics yield new findings related to its unique structural characteristics and superior mechanical properties.

The Guinea fowl eggshell is a bioceramic material with the remarkable mechanical property of being twice as strong as the chicken eggshell. Both eggshells are composed of 95% calcite and 3.5% organic matrix, which control its structural organization.

Proteomic analysis of uterine fluid of fertile and subfertile hens before and after insemination.

Avian uterine fluid (UF) and uterovaginal sperm storage tubules (SST) are key components in accepting sperm in SST, maintaining sperm function for several weeks, releasing sperm from SST and their ascent through the uterus. To improve the understanding of sperm storage processes requires investigating UF and SST. This study aimed to identify proteins modulated by sperm in the hen's genital tract and to highlight their role during sperm storage.

The glycoproteins EDIL3 and MFGE8 regulate vesicle-mediated eggshell calcification in a new model for avian biomineralization.

The avian eggshell is a critical physical barrier, which permits extra-uterine development of the embryo. Its formation involves the fastest known biomineralization process in vertebrates. The eggshell consists of proteins and proteoglycans that interact with the mineral phase to impart its specific microstructure and mechanical properties.

Candidate genes of the transcellular and paracellular calcium absorption pathways in the small intestine of laying hens.

To meet the high calcium (Ca) demand during eggshell biomineralization (2 g of Ca per egg), laying hens develop specific metabolic regulations to maintain Ca homeostasis. The intake of Ca, its solubilization, and absorption capacity are enhanced at sexual maturity (SM). A better knowledge of the intestinal Ca transporters involved in their variations at this stage could indicate new nutritional strategies to enhance Ca digestive utilization.

Proteomics Analysis of Avian Eggshell Matrix Proteins: Toward New Advances on Biomineralization.

Eggs are widely consumed all over the world. The eggshell is its protective barrier whose original function is to protect the embryo during development. Avian eggshells are made of calcium carbonate with a small amount of organic matrix (proteins and proteoglycans).

Dynamics of Structural Barriers and Innate Immune Components during Incubation of the Avian Egg: Critical Interplay between Autonomous Embryonic Development and Maternal Anticipation.

The integrated innate immune features of the calcareous egg and its contents are a critical underpinning of the remarkable evolutionary success of the Aves clade. Beginning at the time of laying, the initial protective structures of the egg, i.e.

Understanding avian egg cuticle formation in the oviduct: a study of its origin and deposition.

The cuticle is a unique invisible oviduct secretion that protects avian eggs from bacterial penetration through gas exchange pores. Despite its importance, experimental evidence is lacking for where, when, and what is responsible for its deposition. By using knowledge about the ovulatory cycle and oviposition, we have manipulated cuticle deposition to obtain evidence on these key points.

Egg serpins: The chicken and/or the egg dilemma.

Twenty-seven serpins belonging to clade A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H and I serpins are currently referenced in chicken genome databases. Phylogenetic analysis of chicken serpins revealed that ovalbumin (Serpinb14) and its paralogs ovalbumin-related protein Y (Serpinb14b) and ovalbumin-related protein X (Serpinb14c) are found in bird species. These clade B serpins are specifically expressed in reproductive tissues and exported in the egg where they constitute major protein components.

Identifying specific proteins involved in eggshell membrane formation using gene expression analysis and bioinformatics.

Background: The avian eggshell membranes surround the egg white and provide a structural foundation for calcification of the eggshell which is essential for avian reproduction; moreover, it is also a natural biomaterial with many potential industrial and biomedical applications. Due to the insoluble and stable nature of the eggshell membrane fibres, their formation and protein constituents remain poorly characterized. The purpose of this study was to identify genes encoding eggshell membrane proteins, particularly those responsible for its structural features, by analyzing the transcriptome of the white isthmus segment of the oviduct, which is the specialized region responsible for the fabrication of the membrane fibres.