Spatial variation in toll-like receptor diversity in koala populations across their geographic distribution.

The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is an iconic Australian species that is listed as endangered in the northern parts of its range due to loss of habitat, disease, and road deaths. Diseases contribute significantly to the decline of koala populations, primarily Chlamydia and koala retrovirus. The distribution of these diseases across the species' range, however, is not even.

Genomics identifies koala populations at risk across eastern Australia.

Koalas are an iconic, endangered, Australian marsupial. Disease, habitat destruction, and catastrophic mega-fires have reduced koalas to remnant patches of their former range. With increased likelihood of extreme weather events and ongoing habitat clearing across Australia, koala populations are vulnerable to further declines and isolation.

Epigenetic Ageing and Breast Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review.

Background: Age is one of the strongest risk factors for breast cancer. Measures of biological age based on DNA methylation have gained popularity for their strong association with risk of many diseases, including cancer, which may help to identify high-risk subgroups for targeted prevention.

Methods: We carried out a systematic review of prospective studies that examined the association of methylation-based markers of ageing with risk of invasive breast cancer in healthy (breast cancer-free) women, published up to May 2023.

Using bioinformatics to investigate functional diversity: a case study of MHC diversity in koalas.

Conservation genomics can greatly improve conservation outcomes of threatened populations, including those impacted by disease. Understanding diversity within immune gene families, including the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and toll-like receptors (TLR), is important due to the role they play in disease resilience and susceptibility. With recent advancements in sequencing technologies and bioinformatic tools, the cost of generating high-quality sequence data has significantly decreased and made it possible to investigate diversity across entire gene families in large numbers of individuals compared to investigating only a few genes or a few populations previously.

Decorin, an exercise-induced secretory protein, is associated with improved prognosis in breast cancer patients but does not mediate anti-tumorigenic tissue crosstalk in mice.

Background: Regular exercise can reduce incidence and progression of breast cancer, but the mechanisms for such effects are not fully understood.

Methods: We used a variety of rodent and human experimental model systems to determine whether exercise training can reduce tumor burden in breast cancer and to identify mechanism associated with any exercise training effects on tumor burden.

Results: We show that voluntary wheel running slows tumor development in the mammary specific polyomavirus middle T antigen overexpression (MMTV-PyMT) mouse model of breast cancer but only when mice are not housed alone.

Impact of voluntary exercise training on the metabolic and behavioral characteristics of the rTg4510 transgenic mouse model of frontotemporal dementia.

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, primarily in individuals under 65 years of age, and is the second most common form of dementia worldwide. There is no cure for FTD and current treatments offer limited symptomatic relief. Regular physical activity exhibits cognitive and neuroprotective benefits in healthy individuals and in various neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, but few studies have examined its efficacy in FTD.

Therapeutic blockade of ER stress and inflammation prevents NASH and progression to HCC.

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is rapidly rising largely because of increased obesity leading to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a known HCC risk factor. There are no approved treatments to treat NASH. Here, we first used single-nucleus RNA sequencing to characterize a mouse model that mimics human NASH-driven HCC, the mouse fed a high-fat diet.

The genome sequence of the critically endangered Kroombit tinkerfrog ( ).

The Kroombit tinkerfrog ( ) is a stream-dwelling amphibian of the Myobatrachidae family. It is listed as Critically Endangered and is at high risk of extinction due to chytridiomycosis. Here, we provide the first genome assembly of the evolutionarily distinct genus.

Koala Genome Survey: An Open Data Resource to Improve Conservation Planning.

Genome sequencing is a powerful tool that can inform the management of threatened species. Koalas () are a globally recognized species that captured the hearts and minds of the world during the 2019/2020 Australian megafires. In 2022, koalas were listed as 'Endangered' in Queensland, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory.

DNA metabarcoding reveals a broad dietary range for Tasmanian devils introduced to a naive ecosystem.

Top carnivores are essential for maintaining ecosystem stability and biodiversity. Yet, carnivores are declining globally and current threat mitigations cannot halt population declines. As such, translocations of carnivores to historic sites or those outside the species' native range are becoming increasingly common.

How much is enough? Sampling intensity influences estimates of reproductive variance in an introduced population.

Conservation introductions to islands and fenced enclosures are increasing as in situ mitigations fail to keep pace with population declines. Few studies consider the potential loss of genetic diversity and increased inbreeding if released individuals breed disproportionately. As funding is limited and post-release monitoring expensive for conservation programs, understanding how sampling effort influences estimates of reproductive variance is useful.

A demonstration of conservation genomics for threatened species management.

As species extinction rates increase, genomics provides a powerful tool to support intensive management of threatened species. We use the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) to demonstrate how conservation genomics can be implemented in threatened species management. We conducted whole genome sequencing (WGS) of 25 individuals from the captive breeding programme and reduced-representation sequencing (RRS) of 98 founders of the same programme.

From reference genomes to population genomics: comparing three reference-aligned reduced-representation sequencing pipelines in two wildlife species.

Background: Recent advances in genomics have greatly increased research opportunities for non-model species. For wildlife, a growing availability of reference genomes means that population genetics is no longer restricted to a small set of anonymous loci. When used in conjunction with a reference genome, reduced-representation sequencing (RRS) provides a cost-effective method for obtaining reliable diversity information for population genetics.

Undercarboxylated Osteocalcin Improves Insulin-Stimulated Glucose Uptake in Muscles of Corticosterone-Treated Mice.

Short-term administration of glucocorticoids (GCs) impairs muscle insulin sensitivity at least in part via the reduction of undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC). However, whether ucOC treatment reverses the GC-induced muscle insulin resistance remains unclear. To test the hypothesis that ucOC directly ameliorates impaired insulin-stimulated glucose uptake (ISGU) induced by short-term GC administration in mice muscle and to identify the molecular mechanisms, mice were implanted with placebo or corticosterone (CS) slow-release pellets.

Complex problems need detailed solutions: Harnessing multiple data types to inform genetic management in the wild.

For bottlenecked populations of threatened species, supplementation often leads to improved population metrics (genetic rescue), provided that guidelines can be followed to avoid negative outcomes. In cases where no "ideal" source populations exist, or there are other complicating factors such as prevailing disease, the benefit of supplementation becomes uncertain. Bringing multiple data and analysis types together to plan genetic management activities can help.

Too much of a good thing? Finding the most informative genetic data set to answer conservation questions.

Molecular markers are a useful tool allowing conservation and population managers to shed light on genetic processes affecting threatened populations. However, as technological advancements in molecular techniques continue to evolve, conservationists are frequently faced with new genetic markers, each with nuanced variation in their characteristics as well as advantages and disadvantages for informing various questions. We used a well-studied population of Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) from Maria Island, Tasmania, to illustrate the issues associated with combining multiple genetic data sets and to help answer a question posed by many population managers: which data set will provide the most precise and accurate estimates of the population processes we are trying to measure? We analysed individual heterozygosity (as internal relatedness, IR) of 96 individuals, calculated using four genetic marker types (putatively neutral microsatellites, major histocompatibility complex-linked microsatellites, reduced representation sequencing, and candidate region resequencing).

Limited preoperative physical capacity continues to be associated with poor postoperative outcomes within a colorectal ERAS programme.

Aim: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programmes aim to standardise perioperative care leading to optimal patient outcomes. Despite these programmes, variation in outcomes still persists. This study aimed to assess the influence of lifestyle factors on short-term outcomes after colorectal surgery within this optimal recovery programme.

Immunization Strategies Producing a Humoral IgG Immune Response against Devil Facial Tumor Disease in the Majority of Tasmanian Devils Destined for Wild Release.

Devil facial tumor disease (DFTD) is renowned for its successful evasion of the host immune system. Down regulation of the major histocompatabilty complex class I molecule (MHC-I) on the DFTD cells is a primary mechanism of immune escape. Immunization trials on captive Tasmanian devils have previously demonstrated that an immune response against DFTD can be induced, and that immune-mediated tumor regression can occur.

Uncarboxylated Osteocalcin Enhances Glucose Uptake Ex Vivo in Insulin-Stimulated Mouse Oxidative But Not Glycolytic Muscle.

Uncarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC) stimulates muscle glucose uptake in mice EDL and soleus muscles. However, whether ucOC also exerts a similar effect in insulin-stimulated muscles in a muscle type-specific manner is currently unclear. We aimed to test the hypothesis that, with insulin stimulation, ucOC per se has a greater effect on oxidative muscle compared with glycolytic muscle, and to explore the underlying mechanisms.

Recombinant Uncarboxylated Osteocalcin Enhances Mouse Skeletal Muscle Glucose Uptake in both Extensor Digitorum Longus and Soleus Muscles.

Emerging evidence suggests that undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC) improves muscle glucose uptake in rodents. However, whether ucOC can directly increase glucose uptake in both glycolytic and oxidative muscles and the possible mechanisms of action still need further exploration. We tested the hypothesis that ucOC stimulates muscle glucose uptake extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and/or the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 2 (mTORC2)-protein kinase B (AKT)-AKT substrate of 160 kDa (AS160) signaling cascade.

Progression and reversibility of stretch induced atrial remodeling: Characterization and clinical implications.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia and across the developed nations, it contributes to increasing hospitalizations and healthcare burden. Several comorbidities and risk factors including hypertension, heart failure, obstructive sleep apnoea and obesity are known to play an important role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF and atrial stretch or dilatation may play a central mechanistic role. The impact of atrial stretch in the development of AF can vary dependent on the underlying disease.