LINE-1-Induced Retrotransposition Affects Early Preimplantation Embryo DNA Integrity and Pluripotency.

Retrotransposable elements are implicated in genome rearrangements and gene expression alterations that result in various human disorders. In the current study, we sought to investigate the potential effects of long interspersed elements-1 (LINE-1) overexpression on the integrity and methylation of DNA and on the expression of three major pluripotency factors (OCT4, SOX2, NANOG) during the preimplantation stages of human embryo development. Human MI oocytes were matured in vitro to MII and transfected through intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) either with an EGFP vector carrying a cloned active human LINE-1 retroelement or with the same EGFP vector without insert as control.

Retrotransposons and Diabetes Mellitus.

Retrotransposons are invasive genetic elements, which replicate by copying and pasting themselves throughout the genome in a process called retrotransposition. The most abundant retrotransposons by number in the human genome are Alu and LINE-1 elements, which comprise approximately 40% of the human genome. The ability of retrotransposons to expand and colonize eukaryotic genomes has rendered them evolutionarily successful and is responsible for creating genetic alterations leading to significant impacts on their hosts.

Integrative Assessment of Seminal Plasma Biomarkers: A Narrative Review Bridging the Gap between Infertility Research and Clinical Practice.

Infertility represents a significant global health challenge impacting millions of couples worldwide. Approximately half of all infertile couples exhibit compromised semen quality, indicative of diminished male fertility. While the diagnosis of male infertility traditionally relies on semen analysis, its limitations in providing a comprehensive assessment of male reproductive health have spurred efforts to identify novel biomarkers.

The Role of One-Carbon Metabolism and Methyl Donors in Medically Assisted Reproduction: A Narrative Review of the Literature.

One-carbon (1-C) metabolic deficiency impairs homeostasis, driving disease development, including infertility. It is of importance to summarize the current evidence regarding the clinical utility of 1-C metabolism-related biomolecules and methyl donors, namely, folate, betaine, choline, vitamin B12, homocysteine (Hcy), and zinc, as potential biomarkers, dietary supplements, and culture media supplements in the context of medically assisted reproduction (MAR). A narrative review of the literature was conducted in the PubMed/Medline database.

Fungal diversity in the soil Mycobiome: Implications for ONE health.

Today, over 300 million individuals worldwide are afflicted by severe fungal infections, many of whom will perish. Fungi, as a result of their plastic genomes have the ability to adapt to new environments and extreme conditions as a consequence of globalization, including urbanization, agricultural intensification, and, notably, climate change. Soils and the impact of these anthropogenic environmental factors can be the source of pathogenic and non-pathogenic fungi and subsequent fungal threats to public health.