Role of CAMK2D in neurodevelopment and associated conditions.

The calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type 2 (CAMK2) family consists of four different isozymes, encoded by four different genes-CAMK2A, CAMK2B, CAMK2G, and CAMK2D-of which the first three have been associated recently with neurodevelopmental disorders. CAMK2D is one of the major CAMK2 proteins expressed in the heart and has been associated with cardiac anomalies. Although this CAMK2 isoform is also known to be one of the major CAMK2 subtypes expressed during early brain development, it has never been linked with neurodevelopmental disorders until now.

Architectural groups of a subtelomeric gene family evolve along distinct paths in Candida albicans.

Subtelomeres are dynamic genomic regions shaped by elevated rates of recombination, mutation, and gene birth/death. These processes contribute to formation of lineage-specific gene family expansions that commonly occupy subtelomeres across eukaryotes. Investigating the evolution of subtelomeric gene families is complicated by the presence of repetitive DNA and high sequence similarity among gene family members that prevents accurate assembly from whole genome sequences.

Intraspecies Transcriptional Profiling Reveals Key Regulators of Candida albicans Pathogenic Traits.

The human commensal and opportunistic fungal pathogen displays extensive genetic and phenotypic variation across clinical isolates. Here, we performed RNA sequencing on 21 well-characterized isolates to examine how genetic variation contributes to gene expression differences and to link these differences to phenotypic traits. adapts primarily through clonal evolution, and yet hierarchical clustering of gene expression profiles in this set of isolates did not reproduce their phylogenetic relationship.

Automated quantification of Candida albicans biofilm-related phenotypes reveals additive contributions to biofilm production.

Biofilms are organized communities of microbial cells that promote persistence among bacterial and fungal species. Biofilm formation by host-associated Candida species of fungi occurs on both tissue surfaces and implanted devices, contributing to host colonization and disease. In C.

Heterogeneity in human hippocampal CaMKII transcripts reveals allosteric hub-dependent regulation.

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) plays a central role in Ca signaling throughout the body. In the hippocampus, CaMKII is required for learning and memory. Vertebrate genomes encode four CaMKII homologs: CaMKIIα, CaMKIIβ, CaMKIIγ, and CaMKIIδ.

To Repeat or Not to Repeat: Repetitive Sequences Regulate Genome Stability in .

Genome instability often leads to cell death but can also give rise to innovative genotypic and phenotypic variation through mutation and structural rearrangements. Repetitive sequences and chromatin architecture in particular are critical modulators of recombination and mutability. In Candida albicans, four major classes of repeats exist in the genome: telomeres, subtelomeres, the major repeat sequence (MRS), and the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) locus.

Utilization of Point-of-Care Ultrasonography (POCUS) for Small Bowel Obstruction.

Small bowel obstruction is a frequently encountered condition throughout emergency departments and accounts for a large number of surgical hospital admissions. Point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) by emergency providers can serve as a valuable tool to assist in prompt and accurate diagnosis, which could potentially reduce the quantity of undesirable effects such as radiation and cost seen with other advanced imaging modalities (e.g.

The Galleria mellonella Waxworm Infection Model for Disseminated Candidiasis.

Candida species are common fungal commensals of humans colonizing the skin, mucosal surfaces, and gastrointestinal tract. Under certain conditions, Candida can overgrow their natural niches resulting in debilitating mucosal infections as well as life-threatening systemic infections, which are a major focus of investigation due to their associated high mortality rates. Animal models of disseminated infection exist for studying disease progression and dissecting the characteristics of Candida pathogenicity.

Dispersed Cells Are Developmentally Distinct from Biofilm and Planktonic Cells.

surface-attached biofilms such as those formed on intravenous catheters with direct access to the bloodstream often serve as a nidus for continuous release of cells capable of initiating new infectious foci. We previously reported that cells dispersed from a biofilm are yeast cells that originate from the top-most hyphal layers of the biofilm. Compared to their planktonic counterparts, these biofilm dispersal yeast cells displayed enhanced virulence-associated characteristics and drug resistance.

Functional diversification accompanies gene family expansion of MED2 homologs in Candida albicans.

Gene duplication facilitates functional diversification and provides greater phenotypic flexibility to an organism. Expanded gene families arise through repeated gene duplication but the extent of functional divergence that accompanies each paralogous gene is generally unexplored because of the difficulty in isolating the effects of single family members. The telomere-associated (TLO) gene family is a remarkable example of gene family expansion, with 14 members in the more pathogenic Candida albicans relative to two TLO genes in the closely-related species C.