A miRNA181a/NFAT5 axis links impaired T cell tolerance induction with autoimmune type 1 diabetes.

Molecular checkpoints that trigger the onset of islet autoimmunity or progression to human type 1 diabetes (T1D) are incompletely understood. Using T cells from children at an early stage of islet autoimmunity without clinical T1D, we find that a microRNA181a (miRNA181a)-mediated increase in signal strength of stimulation and costimulation links nuclear factor of activated T cells 5 (NFAT5) with impaired tolerance induction and autoimmune activation. We show that enhancing miRNA181a activity increases NFAT5 expression while inhibiting FOXP3 regulatory T cell (T) induction in vitro.

Early metabolic and transcriptional variations in fruit of natural white-fruited Fragaria vesca genotypes.

Strawberry fruits (Fragaria vesca) are valued for their sweet fruity flavor, juicy texture, and characteristic red color caused by anthocyanin pigments. To gain a deeper insight into the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis, we performed comparative metabolite profiling and transcriptome analyses of one red-fruited and two natural white-fruited strawberry varieties in two tissues and three ripening stages. Developing fruit of the three genotypes showed a distinctive pattern of polyphenol accumulation already in green receptacle and achenes.

Toward reliable biomarker signatures in the age of liquid biopsies - how to standardize the small RNA-Seq workflow.

Small RNA-Seq has emerged as a powerful tool in transcriptomics, gene expression profiling and biomarker discovery. Sequencing cell-free nucleic acids, particularly microRNA (miRNA), from liquid biopsies additionally provides exciting possibilities for molecular diagnostics, and might help establish disease-specific biomarker signatures. The complexity of the small RNA-Seq workflow, however, bears challenges and biases that researchers need to be aware of in order to generate high-quality data.

The potential of circulating extracellular small RNAs (smexRNA) in veterinary diagnostics-Identifying biomarker signatures by multivariate data analysis.

Worldwide growth and performance-enhancing substances are used in cattle husbandry to increase productivity. In certain countries however e.g.

Comparison of the miRNome and piRNome of bovine blood and plasma by small RNA sequencing.

Objectives: The small RNAs of bovine plasma and whole blood were analysed using next-generation sequencing to quantify, profile and compare the microRNAs (miRNA) and piRNA signatures in both bio fluids.

Results: Evaluating read-count data resulted in a proportion of 5.0 ± 2.

Optimization of extraction of circulating RNAs from plasma--enabling small RNA sequencing.

There are several protocols and kits for the extraction of circulating RNAs from plasma with a following quantification of specific genes via RT-qPCR. Due to the marginal amount of cell-free RNA in plasma samples, the total RNA yield is insufficient to perform Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), the state-of-the-art technology in massive parallel sequencing that enables a comprehensive characterization of the whole transcriptome. Screening the transcriptome for biomarker signatures accelerates progress in biomarker profiling for molecular diagnostics, early disease detection or food safety.

Identification of a potential gene expression biomarker signature in bovine liver to detect the abuse of growth promoters.

The misuse of anabolic agents in animal husbandry is a ubiquitous problem. The ban of growth promoters in food producing animals in the European Union is well controlled, but there are still application regimes, such as new designed drugs or hormone cocktails, that are difficult to detect. Therefore, the idea of identifying molecular biomarkers that are based on the physiological effect of treatment has come into focus.

Effects of rapeseed and soybean oil dietary supplementation on bovine fat metabolism, fatty acid composition and cholesterol levels in milk.

The main goal of this experiment was to study the effect of milk fat depression, induced by supplementing diet with plant oils, on the bovine fat metabolism, with special interest in cholesterol levels. For this purpose 39 cows were divided in three groups and fed different rations: a control group (C) without any oil supplementation and two groups with soybean oil (SO) or rapeseed oil (RO) added to the partial mixed ration (PMR). A decrease in milk fat percentage was observed in both oil feedings with a higher decrease of -1·14 % with SO than RO with -0·98 % compared with the physiological (-0·15 %) decline in the C group.