Detecting Prostate Cancer Using Pattern Recognition Neural Networks With Flow Cytometry-Based Immunophenotyping in At-Risk Men.

Current screening methods for prostate cancer (PCa) result in a large number of false positives making it difficult for clinicians to assess disease status, thus warranting advancements in screening and early detection methods. The goal of this study was to design a liquid biopsy test that uses flow cytometry-based immunophenotyping and artificial neural network (ANN) analysis to detect PCa. Numerous myeloid and lymphoid cell populations, including myeloid-derived suppressor cells, were measured from 156 patients with PCa, 123 with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and 99 male healthy donor (HD) controls.

Divergence of Peroxisome Membrane Gene Sequence and Expression Between Yeast Species.

Large population-genomic sequencing studies can enable highly-powered analyses of sequence signatures of natural selection. Genome repositories now available for yeast make it a premier model for studies of the molecular mechanisms of adaptation. We mined the genomes of hundreds of isolates of the sister species and to identify sequence hallmarks of adaptive divergence between the two.

Identification of HIV-1 Envelope Mutations that Enhance Entry Using Macaque CD4 and CCR5.

Although Rhesus macaques are an important animal model for HIV-1 vaccine development research, most transmitted HIV-1 strains replicate poorly in macaque cells. A major genetic determinant of this species-specific restriction is a non-synonymous mutation in macaque CD4 that results in reduced HIV-1 Envelope (Env)-mediated viral entry compared to human CD4. Recent research efforts employing either laboratory evolution or structure-guided design strategies have uncovered several mutations in Env's gp120 subunit that enhance binding of macaque CD4 by transmitted/founder HIV-1 viruses.

Genetic dissection of interspecific differences in yeast thermotolerance.

Some of the most unique and compelling survival strategies in the natural world are fixed in isolated species. To date, molecular insight into these ancient adaptations has been limited, as classic experimental genetics has focused on interfertile individuals in populations. Here we use a new mapping approach, which screens mutants in a sterile interspecific hybrid, to identify eight housekeeping genes that underlie the growth advantage of Saccharomyces cerevisiae over its distant relative Saccharomyces paradoxus at high temperature.

Polygenic evolution of a sugar specialization trade-off in yeast.

The evolution of novel traits can involve many mutations scattered throughout the genome. Detecting and validating such a suite of alleles, particularly if they arose long ago, remains a key challenge in evolutionary genetics. Here we dissect an evolutionary trade-off of unprecedented genetic complexity between long-diverged species.