Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection depressed cytotoxic T cells activity owing to decreasing NKG2C and increasing NKG2A expression.

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) play protective roles in immunity against tuberculosis (TB) infection by strongly inhibiting intracellular mycobacterial growth. In TB infection, the impairing mechanism of CTLs function remains unclear. In this study, we identified that the cytotoxic granule molecules expression levels of perforin (PRF) and granulysin (GNLY) in CD3 and CD8 CTL cells were significantly depressed in TB patients compared to those in healthy donors.

Whole-Genome Sequencing of the Giant Devil Catfish, Bagarius yarrelli.

As one economically important fish in the southeastern Himalayas, the giant devil catfish (Bagarius yarrelli) has been known for its extraordinarily large body size. It can grow up to 2 m, whereas the non-Bagarius sisorids only reach 10-30 cm. Another outstanding characteristic of Bagarius species is the salmonids-like reddish flesh color.

Insights into Body Size Evolution: A Comparative Transcriptome Study on Three Species of Asian Sisoridae Catfish.

Body size is one of the most important attributes of a species, but the basic question of why and how each species reaches a different "right size" is still largely unknown. Herein, three phylogenetically closely related catfishes from Sisoridae, including one extraordinarily large-sized and two average-sized and , were comparatively studied using RNA-Seq. Approximately 17,000 protein-coding genes were annotated for each of the three fishes, and 9509 genes were identified as high-confidence orthologous gene pairs.

Genome Assembly for a Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau "3E" Fish, (Regan), and Its Evolutionary and Genetic Applications.

A Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau fish, the Kanglang white minnow (), is a typical "3E" (Endangered, Endemic, and Economic) species in China. Its distribution is limited to Fuxian Lake, the nation's second deepest lake, with a significant local economic value but a drastically declining wild population. This species has been evaluated as VU (Vulnerable) in the China Species Red List.

An integrative approach to reappraising species validity in Pseudexostoma (Teleostei: Sisoridae).

The catfish genus Pseudexostoma (Sisoridae) currently contains three species: P. yunnanensis from the upper Irrawaddy River (Dayingjiang), and P. brachysoma and P.

Monocrotophos pesticide modulates the expression of sexual differentiation genes and causes phenotypic feminization in zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Monocrotophos (MCP) is an organophosphorus pesticide moderately toxic to fish, and it has significant estrogenic properties in vivo. In this study, zebrafish (Danio rerio) were exposed to 0.001, 0.

A novel immortalization vector for the establishment of penaeid shrimp cell lines.

Cell immortalization technology based on gene transfer has been successfully used to generate cell lines from a wide variety of cell types. The inability to stably introduce and express foreign genes has hampered application of this strategy in shrimp cells. We report here the use of replication-defective pantropic retrovirus to achieve a novel immortalization vector in which simian virus 40 large T antigen (SV40T) gene is expressed from Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV) promoter.

[Progress on gene targeting].

Gene targeting is a rising technology in molecular biology,which is defined as the introduction of exogeneous DNA to specific site in genome by homologous recombination,and consequently change the hereditary character of the cell. This technology provides a new and powerful means for research in developmental biology,molecular genetics,immunology and medicine. Progresses have been made in exploring gene structure and function,gene expression and regulation,transgene and gene therapy with the application of gene targeting.