Molecular characterization of TRAF gene family in snakehead (Channa argus).

Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factors (TRAFs) act as signal transducers and are critical in many biological processes. However, in contrast to mammals, the function of TRAFs in teleost is still largely unknown. In this study, we identified and cloned eight TRAF genes in snakehead (Channa argus), namely CaTRAF2aa, CaTRAF2ab, CaTRAF2b, CaTRAF3, CaTRAF4a, CaTRAF5, CaTRAF6, and CaTRAF7.

Characterization of type II IFNs and their receptors in a cyprinid fish, the blunt snout bream Megalobrama amblycephala.

Type II interferons (IFNs) are a key class of molecules regulating innate and adaptive immunity in vertebrates. In the present study, two members of the type II IFNs, IFN-γ and IFNγ-rel, were identified in the blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala). The open reading frame (ORF) of IFN-γ and IFNγ-rel was found to have 564 bp and 492 bp, encoding 187 and 163 amino acids, with the first 26 and 24 amino acids being the signal peptide, respectively.

HuoXue JieDu formula improves diabetic retinopathy in rats by regulating microRNAs.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: HuoXue JieDu Formula (HXJDF) originates from classical formulas and was formed based on clinical experience. It is composed of Euonymus alatus (Thunb.) Siebold, Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F.

Fufang Xueshuantong alleviates diabetic retinopathy by activating the PPAR signalling pathway and complement and coagulation cascades.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Fufang Xueshuantong (FXST) is a traditional Chinese patent medicine composed of Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F.H.Chen (Araliaceae), Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Lamiaceae), Astragalus propinquus Schischkin (Leguminosae), and Scrophularia ningpoensis Hemsl.

Intestinal microbiota of gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio) and its origin as revealed by 454 pyrosequencing.

The intestinal microbiota has received increasing attention, as it influences growth, feed conversion, epithelial development, immunity as well as the intrusion of pathogenic microorganisms in the intestinal tract. In this study, pyrosequencing was used to explore the bacterial community of the intestine in gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio), and the origin of these microorganisms. The results disclosed great bacterial diversities in the carp intestines and cultured environments.

Cloning of hemoglobin-α1 from half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis) and its expression under short-term hypoxia.

This study cloned the hemoglobin α1 from the marine teleost, the half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis), and then examined its expression under hypoxia exposure. The full-length of CsHb-α1 (594 bp) cDNA contains an open reading frame encoding 144 amino acids. Sequence analysis shows that the predicted CsHb-α1 amino acids shares high identities with that of other species.