Random mutations induced by a sub-sterilizing dose of gamma ray on Aedes albopictus male pupae and transmission to progeny.

The application of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) to mosquito control is based on the systematic release of large numbers of adult males that have been previously sterilized by irradiation. Ionizing radiation doses inducing full sterility also cause somatic damages that reduce the capacity of the treated males to compete with wild males. The optimal dose inducing high levels of male sterility and minimal impact on competitiveness can be assessed by establishing a dose-response curve.

XPF interacts with TOP2B for R-loop processing and DNA looping on actively transcribed genes.

Co-transcriptional RNA-DNA hybrids can not only cause DNA damage threatening genome integrity but also regulate gene activity in a mechanism that remains unclear. Here, we show that the nucleotide excision repair factor XPF interacts with the insulator binding protein CTCF and the cohesin subunits SMC1A and SMC3, leading to R-loop-dependent DNA looping upon transcription activation. To facilitate R-loop processing, XPF interacts and recruits with TOP2B on active gene promoters, leading to double-strand break accumulation and the activation of a DNA damage response.

Unraveling the Role of Molecular Profiling in Predicting Treatment Response in Stage III Colorectal Cancer Patients: Insights from the IDEA International Study.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the molecular profiles of 237 stage III CRC patients from the international IDEA study. It also sought to correlate these profiles with Toll-like and vitamin D receptor polymorphisms, clinicopathological and epidemiological characteristics, and patient outcomes.

Methods: Whole Exome Sequencing and PCR-RFLP on surgical specimens and blood samples, respectively, were performed to identify molecular profiling and the presence of Toll-like and vitamin D polymorphisms.

SpotitPy: a semi-automated tool for object-based co-localization of fluorescent labels in microscopy images.

Background: In fluorescence microscopy, co-localization refers to the spatial overlap between different fluorescent labels in cells. The degree of overlap between two or more channels in a microscope may reveal a physical interaction or topological functional interconnection between molecules. Recent advances in the imaging field require the development of specialized computational analysis software for the unbiased assessment of fluorescently labelled microscopy images.

R-loops trigger the release of cytoplasmic ssDNAs leading to chronic inflammation upon DNA damage.

How DNA damage leads to chronic inflammation and tissue degeneration with aging remains to be fully resolved. Here, we show that DNA damage leads to cellular senescence, fibrosis, loss-of-tissue architecture, and chronic pancreatitis in mice with an inborn defect in the excision repair cross complementation group 1 () gene. We find that DNA damage-driven R-loops causally contribute to the active release and buildup of single-stranded DNAs (ssDNAs) in the cytoplasm of cells triggering a viral-like immune response in progeroid and naturally aged pancreata.

Distinct roles of haspin in stem cell division and male gametogenesis.

The kinase haspin phosphorylates histone H3 at threonine-3 (H3T3ph) during mitosis. H3T3ph provides a docking site for the Chromosomal Passenger Complex at the centromere, enabling correction of erratic microtubule-chromosome contacts. Although this mechanism is operational in all dividing cells, haspin-null mice do not exhibit developmental anomalies, apart from aberrant testis architecture.

The splicing factor XAB2 interacts with ERCC1-XPF and XPG for R-loop processing.

RNA splicing, transcription and the DNA damage response are intriguingly linked in mammals but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Using an in vivo biotinylation tagging approach in mice, we show that the splicing factor XAB2 interacts with the core spliceosome and that it binds to spliceosomal U4 and U6 snRNAs and pre-mRNAs in developing livers. XAB2 depletion leads to aberrant intron retention, R-loop formation and DNA damage in cells.

PEMA: a flexible Pipeline for Environmental DNA Metabarcoding Analysis of the 16S/18S ribosomal RNA, ITS, and COI marker genes.

Background: Environmental DNA and metabarcoding allow the identification of a mixture of species and launch a new era in bio- and eco-assessment. Many steps are required to obtain taxonomically assigned matrices from raw data. For most of these, a plethora of tools are available; each tool's execution parameters need to be tailored to reflect each experiment's idiosyncrasy.

A transcriptomic and proteomic atlas of expression in the Nezara viridula (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) midgut suggests the compartmentalization of xenobiotic metabolism and nutrient digestion.

Background: Stink bugs are an emerging threat to crop security in many parts of the globe, but there are few genetic resources available to study their physiology at a molecular level. This is especially true for tissues such as the midgut, which forms the barrier between ingested material and the inside of the body.

Results: Here, we focus on the midgut of the southern green stink bug Nezara viridula and use both transcriptomic and proteomic approaches to create an atlas of expression along the four compartments of the anterior-posterior axis.

Tissue-infiltrating macrophages mediate an exosome-based metabolic reprogramming upon DNA damage.

DNA damage and metabolic disorders are intimately linked with premature disease onset but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we show that persistent DNA damage accumulation in tissue-infiltrating macrophages carrying an ERCC1-XPF DNA repair defect (Er1) triggers Golgi dispersal, dilation of endoplasmic reticulum, autophagy and exosome biogenesis leading to the secretion of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in vivo and ex vivo. Macrophage-derived EVs accumulate in Er1 animal sera and are secreted in macrophage media after DNA damage.

Genome-wide analysis of the human malaria parasite transcription factor PfNF-YB shows interaction with a CCAAT motif.

Little is known about transcription factor regulation during the intraerythrocytic cycle. In order to elucidate the role of the (Pf)NF-YB transcription factor we searched for target genes in the entire genome. PfNF-YB mRNA is highly expressed in late trophozoite and schizont stages relative to the ring stage.

Genome sequence of the Asian Tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, reveals insights into its biology, genetics, and evolution.

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is a highly successful invasive species that transmits a number of human viral diseases, including dengue and Chikungunya fevers. This species has a large genome with significant population-based size variation. The complete genome sequence was determined for the Foshan strain, an established laboratory colony derived from wild mosquitoes from southeastern China, a region within the historical range of the origin of the species.

A draft genome sequence of an invasive mosquito: an Italian Aedes albopictus.

The draft genome sequence of Italian specimens of the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) was determined using a standard NGS (next generation sequencing) approach. The size of the assembled genome is comparable to that of Aedes aegypti; the two mosquitoes are also similar as far as the high content of repetitive DNA is concerned, most of which is made up of transposable elements. Although, based on BUSCO (Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologues) analysis, the genome assembly reported here contains more than 99% of protein-coding genes, several of those are expected to be represented in the assembly in a fragmented state.

Describing the breakbone fever: IDODEN, an ontology for dengue fever.

Background: Ontologies represent powerful tools in information technology because they enhance interoperability and facilitate, among other things, the construction of optimized search engines. To address the need to expand the toolbox available for the control and prevention of vector-borne diseases we embarked on the construction of specific ontologies. We present here IDODEN, an ontology that describes dengue fever, one of the globally most important diseases that are transmitted by mosquitoes.

Mosquito genomics. Highly evolvable malaria vectors: the genomes of 16 Anopheles mosquitoes.

Variation in vectorial capacity for human malaria among Anopheles mosquito species is determined by many factors, including behavior, immunity, and life history. To investigate the genomic basis of vectorial capacity and explore new avenues for vector control, we sequenced the genomes of 16 anopheline mosquito species from diverse locations spanning ~100 million years of evolution. Comparative analyses show faster rates of gene gain and loss, elevated gene shuffling on the X chromosome, and more intron losses, relative to Drosophila.

VectorBase: an updated bioinformatics resource for invertebrate vectors and other organisms related with human diseases.

VectorBase is a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases supported Bioinformatics Resource Center (BRC) for invertebrate vectors of human pathogens. Now in its 11th year, VectorBase currently hosts the genomes of 35 organisms including a number of non-vectors for comparative analysis. Hosted data range from genome assemblies with annotated gene features, transcript and protein expression data to population genetics including variation and insecticide-resistance phenotypes.

Non-coding RNA gene families in the genomes of anopheline mosquitoes.

Background: Only a small fraction of the mosquito species of the genus Anopheles are able to transmit malaria, one of the biggest killer diseases of poverty, which is mostly prevalent in the tropics. This diversity has genetic, yet unknown, causes. In a further attempt to contribute to the elucidation of these variances, the international "Anopheles Genomes Cluster Consortium" project (a.

IDOMAL: the malaria ontology revisited.

Background: With about half a billion cases, of which nearly one million fatal ones, malaria constitutes one of the major infectious diseases worldwide. A recently revived effort to eliminate the disease also focuses on IT resources for its efficient control, which prominently includes the control of the mosquito vectors that transmit the Plasmodium pathogens. As part of this effort, IDOMAL has been developed and it is continually being updated.

The Ontology for Parasite Lifecycle (OPL): towards a consistent vocabulary of lifecycle stages in parasitic organisms.

Background: Genome sequencing of many eukaryotic pathogens and the volume of data available on public resources have created a clear requirement for a consistent vocabulary to describe the range of developmental forms of parasites. Consistent labeling of experimental data and external data, in databases and the literature, is essential for integration, cross database comparison, and knowledge discovery. The primary objective of this work was to develop a dynamic and controlled vocabulary that can be used for various parasites.

VectorBase: improvements to a bioinformatics resource for invertebrate vector genomics.

VectorBase (http://www.vectorbase.org) is a NIAID-supported bioinformatics resource for invertebrate vectors of human pathogens.

IDOMAL: an ontology for malaria.

Background: Ontologies are rapidly becoming a necessity for the design of efficient information technology tools, especially databases, because they permit the organization of stored data using logical rules and defined terms that are understood by both humans and machines. This has as consequence both an enhanced usage and interoperability of databases and related resources. It is hoped that IDOMAL, the ontology of malaria will prove a valuable instrument when implemented in both malaria research and control measures.

A set of ontologies to drive tools for the control of vector-borne diseases.

We are developing a set of ontologies dealing with vector-borne diseases as well as the arthropod vectors that transmit them. After building ontologies for mosquito and tick anatomy we continued this project with an ontology of insecticide resistance followed by a series of ontologies that describe malaria as well as physiological processes of mosquitoes that are relevant to, and involved in, disease transmission. These will later be expanded to encompass other vector-borne diseases as well as non-mosquito vectors.

MIRO and IRbase: IT tools for the epidemiological monitoring of insecticide resistance in mosquito disease vectors.

Background: Monitoring of insect vector populations with respect to their susceptibility to one or more insecticides is a crucial element of the strategies used for the control of arthropod-borne diseases. This management task can nowadays be achieved more efficiently when assisted by IT (Information Technology) tools, ranging from modern integrated databases to GIS (Geographic Information System). Here we describe an application ontology that we developed de novo, and a specially designed database that, based on this ontology, can be used for the purpose of controlling mosquitoes and, thus, the diseases that they transmit.