Do variations in the HLA-E ligand encoded by UL40 distinguish individuals susceptible to HCMV disease?

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is carried lifelong by ∼80 % of adults worldwide, generating distinct disease syndromes in transplant recipients, people with HIV (PWH) and neonates. Amino acids 15-23 encoded by the HCMV gene UL40 match positions 3-11 of HLA-A and HLA-C, and constitute a "signal peptide" able to stabilise cell surface HLA-E as a restriction element and a ligand of NKG2A and NKG2C. We present next generation sequencing of UL40 amplified from 15 Australian renal transplant recipients (RTR), six healthy adults and four neonates, and 21 Indonesian PWH.

Variants of HCMV Sequenced Directly from Clinical Specimens Associate with Antibody and T-Cell Responses to HCMV.

Around 80% of adults worldwide carry human cytomegaloviris (HCMV). The HCMV gene is a homolog of HLA class I genes and encodes a protein with high affinity for the NK and T-cell cytotoxicity inhibitor LIR-1. was deep sequenced from blood, saliva or urine from Indonesian people with HIV (PWH) ( = 28), Australian renal transplant recipients (RTR) ( = 21), healthy adults ( = 7) and neonates ( = 4).

Sequencing of the Viral UL111a Gene Directly from Clinical Specimens Reveals Variants of HCMV-Encoded IL-10 That Are Associated with Altered Immune Responses to HCMV.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a beta-herpesvirus carried by ~80% of adults worldwide. Acute infections are often asymptomatic in healthy individuals but generate diverse syndromes in neonates, renal transplant recipients (RTR), and people with HIV (PWH). The HCMV gene UL111a encodes a homolog of human interleukin-10 (IL-10) that interacts with the human IL-10 receptor.

Sequencing Directly from Clinical Specimens Reveals Genetic Variations in HCMV-Encoded Chemokine Receptor US28 That May Influence Antibody Levels and Interactions with Human Chemokines.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a beta-herpesvirus carried by ∼80% of the world's population. Acute infections are asymptomatic in healthy individuals but generate diverse syndromes in neonates, solid organ transplant recipients, and HIV-infected individuals. The HCMV gene US28 encodes a homolog of a human chemokine receptor that is able to bind several chemokines and HIV gp120.

Photobleached Oxidative Degradation of Melanins: Chemical Characterization of Melanins Present in Alpaca Fiber.

In order to characterize the phenotype and to examine the effects of sun exposure on the color and structure of eumelanin (EM) and pheomelanin (PM) in alpaca fibers, we applied Soluene-350 solubilization, alkaline hydrogen peroxide oxidation (AHPO) and hydroiodic acid (HI) hydrolysis to the base and tip fibers of 20 true-black (TB) and 20 warm-black (WB) alpacas. We analyzed absorbances at 500 nm (A500) and 650 nm (A650), Free and Total pyrrole-2,3,5-tricarboxylic acid (PTCA), 2,3,4,5-tetracarboxylic acid (PTeCA) as degradative products from EM, and 4-amino-3-hydroxyphenylalanine (4-AHP), 3-amino-4-hydroxyphenylalanine (3-AHP) and thiazole-2,4,5-tricarboxylic acid (TTCA) as degradative products from PM. We found that the ratio of PTeCA/Total PTCA increased significantly from the base to the tip in both colors of alpaca fibers, while the ratios of A650/A500 and 4-AHP/3-AHP decreased significantly.

GWAS Identifies a Region Containing the SALL1 Gene in Variation of Pigmentation Intensity Within the Chestnut Coat Color of Horses.

Chestnut coat color in horses is determined by a missense mutation within the MC1R gene. However, the intensity of the chestnut color can vary widely within individuals possessing this genotype. Here, we investigated this variation using standardized photographs of 96 horses.

Chronic stress and Alzheimer's disease: the interplay between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, genetics and microglia.

Chronic psychosocial stress is increasingly being recognised as a risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD). The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) is the major stress response pathway in the body and tightly regulates the production of cortisol, a glucocorticoid hormone. Dysregulation of the HPA axis and increased levels of cortisol are commonly found in AD patients and make a major contribution to the disease process.

Surveying keratose sponges (Porifera, demospongiae, Dictyoceratida) reveals hidden diversity of host specialist barnacles (Crustacea, Cirripedia, Balanidae).

Sponges represent one of the most species-rich hosts for commensal barnacles yet host utilisation and diversity have not been thoroughly examined. This study investigated the diversity and phylogenetic relationships of sponge-inhabiting barnacles within a single, targeted host group, primarily from Western Australian waters. Specimens of the sponge order Dictyoceratida were surveyed and a total of 64 host morphospecies, representing four families, were identified as barnacle hosts during the study.

Human Cytomegalovirus-Encoded microRNAs Can Be Found in Saliva Samples from Renal Transplant Recipients.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infections are common following renal transplantation and may have long-lasting effects. HCMV can be measured directly by viral DNA or indirectly via host immune responses. HCMV-encoded microRNA (miRNA) may alter the pathobiology of HCMV infections and contribute to the progression of HCMV disease.

Multi-species annotation of transcriptome and chromatin structure in domesticated animals.

Background: Comparative genomics studies are central in identifying the coding and non-coding elements associated with complex traits, and the functional annotation of genomes is a critical step to decipher the genotype-to-phenotype relationships in livestock animals. As part of the Functional Annotation of Animal Genomes (FAANG) action, the FR-AgENCODE project aimed to create reference functional maps of domesticated animals by profiling the landscape of transcription (RNA-seq), chromatin accessibility (ATAC-seq) and conformation (Hi-C) in species representing ruminants (cattle, goat), monogastrics (pig) and birds (chicken), using three target samples related to metabolism (liver) and immunity (CD4+ and CD8+ T cells).

Results: RNA-seq assays considerably extended the available catalog of annotated transcripts and identified differentially expressed genes with unknown function, including new syntenic lncRNAs.

Analysis of pooled genome sequences from Djallonke and Sahelian sheep of Ghana reveals co-localisation of regions of reduced heterozygosity with candidate genes for disease resistance and adaptation to a tropical environment.

Background: The Djallonke sheep is well adapted to harsh environmental conditions, and is relatively resistant to Haemonchosis and resilient to animal trypanosomiasis. The larger Sahelian sheep, which cohabit the same region, is less well adapted to these disease challenges. Haemonchosis and Trypanosomiasis collectively cost the worldwide animal industry billions of dollars in production losses annually.

Description of a new species of (Crustacea, Cirripedia) from southern Australia.

A new species of sponge-inhabiting barnacle, , is described herein. This species can be distinguished from all other congeners by a combination of characters, in particular by the shapes of the tergum and scutum and the armament of the cirri. COI sequence data from the type specimens have been lodged with GenBank and a morphological key to the species of is provided to aid future research.

A non-synonymous SNP in exon 3 of the KIT gene is responsible for the classic grey phenotype in alpacas (Vicugna pacos).

The alpaca classic grey phenotype is of particular interest to the industry. Until now, there were only indirect data suggesting that the KIT gene was involved in the classic grey phenotype. All exons of KIT in three black and three classic silvergrey alpacas were sequenced.

Chromosome-Level Alpaca Reference Genome Improves Genomic Insight Into the Biology of New World Camelids.

The development of high-quality chromosomally assigned reference genomes constitutes a key feature for understanding genome architecture of a species and is critical for the discovery of the genetic blueprints of traits of biological significance. South American camelids serve people in extreme environments and are important fiber and companion animals worldwide. Despite this, the alpaca reference genome lags far behind those available for other domestic species.

Use of virus-like particles as a native membrane model to study the interaction of insulin with the insulin receptor.

There is emerging evidence of the utility of virus-like particles (VLPs) as a novel model for the study of receptor-ligand interactions in a native plasma membrane environment. VLPs consist of a viral core protein encapsulated by portions of the cell membrane with membrane proteins and receptors expressed in their native conformation. VLPs can be generated in mammalian cells by transfection with the retroviral core protein (gag).

A review of the importance of immune responses in luminal B breast cancer.

Historically, the immune environment was not considered an important target for breast cancer treatment. However, the association of lymphocytic infiltrates in triple negative and HER-2 over-amplified breast cancer subtypes with better outcomes, has provoked interest in evaluating the role of the immune system in the luminal B subtype that accounts for 39% of breast cancers and has a poor patient prognosis. It is unknown which immunosuppressive cell types or molecules (e.

Combatting African Animal Trypanosomiasis (AAT) in livestock: The potential role of trypanotolerance.

African Animal Trypanosomiasis (AAT) is endemic in at least 37 of the 54 countries in Africa. It is estimated to cause direct and indirect losses to the livestock production industry in excess of US$ 4.5 billion per annum.

Molecular identification of livestock breeds: a tool for modern conservation biology.

Global livestock genetic diversity includes all of the species, breeds and strains of domestic animals, and their variations. Although a recent census indicated that there were 40 species and over 8000 breeds of domestic animals; for the purpose of conservation biology the diversity between and within breeds rather than species is regarded to be of crucial importance. This domestic animal genetic diversity has developed through three main evolutionary events, from speciation (about 3 million years ago) through domestication (about 12000 years ago) to specialised breeding (starting about 200 years ago).

Analysis of meaningful conditioned pain modulation effect in a pain-free adult population.

Unlabelled: Conditioned pain modulation (CPM) encompasses the effects of inhibitory and facilitatory pain modulatory systems and is inefficient in some chronic pain states. A proportion of healthy subjects also exhibit little or no CPM, perhaps suggesting that inherent factors such as gender or genetics may be influential. However, there is no consensus on how best to determine a meaningful CPM effect.

Conserved haplotype blocks within the sheep MHC and low SNP heterozygosity in the Class IIa subregion.

This report describes single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the sheep major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II and class III regions and provides insights into the internal structure of this important genomic complex. MHC haplotypes were deduced from sheep family trios based on genotypes from 20 novel SNPs representative of the class II region and 10 previously described SNPs spanning the class III region. All 30 SNPs exhibited Hardy-Weinberg proportions in the sheep population studied.

Molecular phylogeny supports the paraphyletic nature of the genus Trogoderma (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) collected in the Australasian ecozone.

To date, a molecular phylogenetic approach has not been used to investigate the evolutionary structure of Trogoderma and closely related genera. Using two mitochondrial genes, Cytochrome Oxidase I and Cytochrome B, and the nuclear gene, 18S, the reported polyphyletic positioning of Trogoderma was examined. Paraphyly in Trogoderma was observed, with one Australian Trogoderma species reconciled as sister to all Dermestidae and the Anthrenocerus genus deeply nested within the Australian Trogoderma clade.

The influence of MHC and immunoglobulins a and e on host resistance to gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep.

Gastrointestinal nematode parasites in farmed animals are of particular importance due to their effects on production. In Australia, it is estimated that the direct and indirect effects of parasite infestation cost the animal production industries hundreds of millions of dollars each year. The main factors considered by immunologists when studying gastrointestinal nematode infections are the effects the host's response has on the parasite, which immunological components are responsible for these effects, genetic factors involved in controlling immunological responses, and the interactions between these forming an interconnecting multilevel relationship.

Multiple incursions and putative species revealed using a mitochondrial and nuclear phylogenetic approach to the Trogoderma variabile (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) trapping program in Australia.

The Warehouse beetle, Trogoderma variabile (Coleoptera: Dermestidae), is an internationally significant invasive pest of packed goods and stored grain. When it was first documented in Australia at Griffith, New South Wales, in 1977, an eradication campaign was initiated. After several years and considerable effort, the eradication campaign was abandoned.

Characterization of the sheep Complement Factor B gene (CFB).

The Complement Factor B gene (CFB) of the alternative complement pathway has been identified in the sheep Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) and its genomic sequence determined. CFB is located approximately 600 bp upstream of the complement C2 gene, contains 18 exons, and manifests the domain signature characteristic of CFB protein. Thirteen single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified in merino sheep and interbreed variation was identified by comparison with International Sheep Genomics Consortium data.

A retrospective evaluation of congenital ocular defects in Australian Shepherd dogs in Australia.

Objective: A retrospective survey of ocular defects in Australian Shepherd dogs was conducted following concerns raised by breeders and owners in Australia. This is the first known such study conducted for this breed.

Results: Data from this survey indicate that persistent hyaloid remnants (PHR) were the most common eye defect noted in the Australian Shepherd.