Wheat field earthworms under divergent farming systems across a European climate gradient.

Earthworms are a key faunal group in agricultural soils, but little is known on how farming systems affect their communities across wide climatic gradients and how farming system choice might mediate earthworms' exposure to climate conditions. Here, we studied arable soil earthworm communities on wheat fields across a European climatic gradient, covering nine pedo-climatic zones, from Mediterranean to Boreal (S to N) and from Lusitanian to Pannonian (W to E). In each zone, 20-25 wheat fields under conventional or organic farming were sampled.

Genetic parameters for bull effects on in vitro embryo production (IVP) and relationship between semen quality traits and IVP performance.

In vitro production of embryos (IVP) is increasingly applied in dairy cattle breeding and promises widespread use of females of superior genetic merits. One of the current challenges with implementation of IVP is the variability in blastocyst rates. Several factors contribute to these variabilities, among which is known to be the bull used for oocytes fertilization.

Investigating the impact of vitrification on bovine ovarian tissue morphology, follicle survival, and transcriptomic signature.

Purpose: Ovarian tissue cryopreservation is vital for fertility preservation, yet its effect on ovarian tissue follicle survival and transcriptomic signature requires further investigation. This study delves into the effects of vitrification on tissue morphology, function, and transcriptomic changes, helping to find possibilities for vitrification protocol improvements.

Methods: Ovarian cortex from 19 bovine animals were used to conduct pre- and post-vitrification culture followed by histological assessment, immunohistochemistry, and TUNEL assay.

Global fine-resolution data on springtail abundance and community structure.

Springtails (Collembola) inhabit soils from the Arctic to the Antarctic and comprise an estimated ~32% of all terrestrial arthropods on Earth. Here, we present a global, spatially-explicit database on springtail communities that includes 249,912 occurrences from 44,999 samples and 2,990 sites. These data are mainly raw sample-level records at the species level collected predominantly from private archives of the authors that were quality-controlled and taxonomically-standardised.

Uterine Fluid Extracellular Vesicles Proteome Is Altered During the Estrous Cycle.

Uterine environment is tightly and finely regulated via various signaling pathways mediated through endocrine, exocrine, autocrine, juxtacrine, and paracrine mechanisms. In utero signaling processes are paramount for normal and abnormal physiology which involves cell to cell, cells to gametes, cells to embryo, and even interkingdom communications due to presence of uterine microbiota. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the uterine fluid (UF) and their cargo components are known to be mediators of in utero signaling and communications.

Compliance with Pregnancy Prevention Recommendations for Isotretinoin Following the Amendment of the European Union Pregnancy Prevention Program: A Repeat Study in Estonia.

Background: Isotretinoin, indicated for severe acne, is a potent teratogen and therefore contraindicated in pregnancy. Thus, the pregnancy prevention program (PPP) for isotretinoin has been introduced.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the concomitant use of isotretinoin and effective contraception and the rate of potential isotretinoin-exposed pregnancies in females of childbearing age in 2017-2020 in Estonia.

Detecting Embryo Developmental Potential by Single Blastomere RNA-Seq.

Recent advances in preimplantation embryo diagnostics enable a wide range of applications using single cell biopsy and molecular-based selection techniques without compromising embryo production. This study was conducted to develop a single cell embryo biopsy technique and gene expression analysis method with a very low input volume to ensure normal embryo development and to see if there are differences in gene expression profiles between day-5 biopsied bovine embryos that developed into blastocysts and embryos arrested at morula stage. Out of the 65 biopsied morulae, 32 developed to blastocysts (49.

Globally invariant metabolism but density-diversity mismatch in springtails.

Soil life supports the functioning and biodiversity of terrestrial ecosystems. Springtails (Collembola) are among the most abundant soil arthropods regulating soil fertility and flow of energy through above- and belowground food webs. However, the global distribution of springtail diversity and density, and how these relate to energy fluxes remains unknown.

An overview of Estonian woodlice (Isopoda, Oniscidea).

An overview of the Estonian terrestrial isopod fauna is given, based on literature data and material collected from 1984 to 2021. The identified material consisted of 10915 specimens belonging to 14 species and collected from 172 localities throughout Estonia. In combination with previous data from the literature data, there are now reliable records of 16 species of woodlice from Estonia.

Reduced Corneal Sensitivity With Neuronal Degeneration is a Novel Clinical Feature in Wolfram Syndrome.

Purpose: To evaluate corneal sensitivity and corneal nerve morphology among patients with Wolfram syndrome (WFS).

Design: An observational clinical case series with confirmatory experiments.

Methods: We included a group of 12 patients with biallelic mutations in the WFS1 gene and a control group composed of 30 individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

High-fat diet associated sensitization to metabolic stress in Wfs1 heterozygous mice.

Wolfram syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the wolframin ER transmembrane glycoprotein (WFS1) gene and characterized by diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus, optic atrophy and deafness. In experimental models the homozygous Wfs1 mutant mice have a full penetrance and clearly expressed phenotype, whereas heterozygous mutants have a less-pronounced phenotype between the wild-type and homozygous mutant mice. Heterozygous WFS1 mutations have been shown to be significant risk factors for diabetes and metabolic disorders in humans.

Global data on earthworm abundance, biomass, diversity and corresponding environmental properties.

Earthworms are an important soil taxon as ecosystem engineers, providing a variety of crucial ecosystem functions and services. Little is known about their diversity and distribution at large spatial scales, despite the availability of considerable amounts of local-scale data. Earthworm diversity data, obtained from the primary literature or provided directly by authors, were collated with information on site locations, including coordinates, habitat cover, and soil properties.

Multiple Retinal Anomalies in Wfs1-Deficient Mice.

Background: Wolfram syndrome (WFS, OMIM: #222300) is an ultrarare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by diabetes insipidus, diabetes mellitus, optic nerve atrophy and deafness. It has been reported that the average retinal thickness in WFS patients decreases with the progression of the disease.

Aim: To investigate retinal thickness and wolframin expression disorders in Wolfram syndrome 1 gene knockout (Wfs1KO) mice compared to their wild-type (WT) littermates.

Corneal Abnormalities Are Novel Clinical Feature in Wolfram Syndrome.

Purpose: To evaluate corneal morphology among patients with Wolfram syndrome (WFS).

Design: Comparative observational longitudinal case series of WFS patients with a laboratory approach in the WFS1 gene knockout (Wfs1KO) mouse model.

Methods: A group of 12 patients with biallelic mutations in the WFS1 gene recruited from the whole country and a control group composed of 30 individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) were evaluated in a national reference center for monogenic diabetes.

Increased Mitochondrial Protein Levels and Bioenergetics in the of Wfs1-Deficient Mice.

Wfs1 deficiency leads to a progressive loss of plasma insulin concentration, which should reduce the consumption of glucose in insulin-dependent tissues, causing a variety of changes in intracellular energy metabolism. Our objective here was to assess the changes in the amount and function of mitochondrial proteins in different muscles of Wfs1-deficient mice. Mitochondrial functions were assayed by high-resolution oxygraphy of permeabilized muscle fibers; the protein amount was evaluated by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) analysis and mRNA levels of the uncoupler proteins UCP2 and UCP3 by real-time PCR; and citrate synthase (CS) activity was determined spectrophotometrically in muscle homogenates.

Generation of transgene-free porcine intermediate type induced pluripotent stem cells.

Physiologically and anatomically, humans and pigs share many similarities, which make porcine induced pluripotent stem cells (piPSCs) very attractive for modeling human cell therapy as well as for testing safety of iPSC based cell replacement therapies. To date, several integrative and non-integrative strategies have been reported to successfully generate piPSCs, but all resulting piPSCs had integration of transgenes. The use of integrative methods has the disadvantage of potential lack of silencing or inappropriate re-activation of these genes during differentiation, as well as uncertainty regarding disruption of important genomic regions caused by integration.

A synopsis of Estonian myriapod fauna (Myriapoda: Chilopoda, Diplopoda, Symphyla and Pauropoda).

The data on Estonian Myriapoda are scattered in various publications and there has been no overview of the fauna up to the present. A critical summary of the previous information on Estonian Myriapoda is given, supplemented by new records and distribution maps. Altogether, 5784 specimens from 276 collecting sites were studied.

Proteomic dataset of wolframin-deficient mouse heart and skeletal muscles.

The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled "Increased Mitochondrial Protein Levels and Bioenergetics in the of Wfs1-Deficient mice" (Eimre et al., accepted for publication). This dataset reports the analysis of Wfs1-deficient mouse heart, , and white part of by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

Hippocampus and Hypothalamus RNA-sequencing of WFS1-deficient Mice.

Wolfram syndrome is caused by mutations in the WFS1 gene. WFS1 protein dysfunction results in a range of neuroendocrine syndromes and is mostly characterized by juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus and optic atrophy. WFS1 has been shown to participate in membrane trafficking, protein processing and Ca homeostasis in the endoplasmic reticulum.

RNA-sequencing of WFS1-deficient pancreatic islets.

Wolfram syndrome, an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus and optic atrophy, is caused by mutations in theWFS1gene.WFS1encodes an endoplasmic reticulum resident transmembrane protein. TheWfs1-null mice exhibit progressive insulin deficiency and diabetes.

Analysis of metabolic effects of menthol on WFS1-deficient mice.

In this study, we investigated the physiological regulation of energy metabolism in wild-type (WT) and WFS1-deficient (Wfs1KO) mice by measuring the effects of menthol treatment on the O2 consumption, CO2 production, rectal body temperature, and heat production. The basal metabolism and behavior was different between these genotypes as well as TRP family gene expressions. Wfs1KO mice had a shorter life span and weighed less than WT mice.

Energy metabolism and thyroid function of mice with deleted wolframin (Wfs1) gene.

There is no data about the energy metabolism of patients with Wolfram syndrome caused by mutations in the wolframin (Wfs1) gene. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of Wfs1 in energy metabolism and thyroid function in Wfs1 deficient mice (Wfs1KO). 16 male (8 Wfs1KO, 8 wild type (wt)) and 16 female (8 Wfs1KO, 8wt) mice aged 11-13 weeks were studied alone in a specific metabolic cage for 48 h.

Silencing of the WFS1 gene in HEK cells induces pathways related to neurodegeneration and mitochondrial damage.

The gene WFS1 encodes a protein with unknown function although its functional deficiency causes different neuropsychiatric and neuroendocrine syndromes. In the present study, we aimed to find the functional networks influenced by the time-dependent silencing of WFS1 in HEK cells. We performed whole genome gene expression profiling (Human Gene 1.