Publications by authors named "Lev A Usakin"

Article Synopsis
  • Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are serious complications of type 2 diabetes, leading to chronic skin ulcers that are difficult and costly to treat; early prediction could help mitigate these issues.
  • A study conducted on diabetic patients in the Moscow region evaluated genetic markers (SNPs) linked to DFUs, but results failed to confirm many previous associations.
  • Interestingly, a specific variant in the TCF7l2 gene, which is a known type 2 diabetes risk factor, appeared to have a protective effect against DFUs, hinting at the potential complexity of genetic influences versus environmental factors.
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Exposure to toxic halogenated polyaromatic hydrocarbons, of which 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is the most potent, induces diverse skin pathologies in humans, including chloracne, hyperkeratosis, hamartomas, etc. While the toxic effects of TCDD have been extensively studied, effective approaches to their treatment are still lacking. Retinoids are commonly used in therapy of acneiform skin diseases.

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The testis specific X-linked genes whose evolution is traced here in the melanogaster species subgroup are thought to undergo fast rate of diversification. The CK2ßtes and NACβtes gene families encode the diverged regulatory β-subunits of protein kinase CK2 and the homologs of β-subunit of nascent peptide associated complex, respectively. We annotated the CK2βtes-like genes related to CK2ßtes family in the D.

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Article Synopsis
  • The Y chromosome is a degenerate version of the X chromosome, lacking recombination, which leads to the gradual loss of genes over time while allowing for transposable elements to accumulate.
  • Recent studies highlight the acquisition and amplification of beneficial genes from autosomes on the Y chromosome in both Drosophila and humans.
  • Research also covers how certain Y chromosome genes underwent degeneration before being integrated into RNA interference processes that enhance male fertility, as well as the role of non-coding RNA from these amplified genetic elements.
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Fertility of Drosophila melanogaster males is impaired due to the disruption of the silencing of the X-linked, testis-expressed, repeated Stellate (Ste) genes. Ste silencing is mediated by symmetric transcription of the paralogous Y-linked repeats and exerted by an RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism. Here we present a scenario for the origin of the Ste genes and their suppressors.

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