MYD88 L265P mutations identify a prognostic gene expression signature and a pathway for targeted inhibition in CLL.

The L265P somatic mutation in the Myeloid Differentiation Primary Response 88 (MYD88) gene is a recurrent mutation in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). This mutation has functional effects in various haematological malignancies but its role in CLL remains to be fully elucidated. Here, we report that MYD88 L265P mutations are associated with mutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene (IGHV-M) status and that among IGHV-M patients, the presence of MYD88 L265P is associated with younger age at diagnosis.

Mathematical modelling and evaluation of the different routes of transmission of lumpy skin disease virus.

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a severe viral disease of cattle. Circumstantial evidence suggests that the virus is transmitted mechanically by blood-feeding arthropods. We compared the importance of transmission via direct and indirect contact in field conditions by using mathematical tools.

Sleep-wake transitions in premature neonates predict early development.

Objective: To identify patterns of sleep-wake transitions in the neonatal period that might differentiate premature infants who would show better or worse outcomes in multiple developmental domains across the first 5 years of life.

Methods: Participants were 143 low birth weight premature infants (mean birth weight: 1482 g; mean gestational age [GA]: 31.82 weeks).

Somatic hypermutation targeting is influenced by location within the immunoglobulin V region.

The observed mutation pattern in immunoglobulin (Ig) V genes from peripheral B cells is influenced by several mechanisms, including the targeting of AID to specific DNA motifs, negative selection of B cells unable to express Ig receptor, and positive selection of B cells that carry affinity-increasing mutations. These influences, combined with biased codon usage, produce the well-known pattern of increased replacement mutation frequency in the CDR regions, and decreased replacement frequency in the framework regions. Through the analysis of over 12,000 mutated sequences, we show that the specific location in the V gene also significantly influences mutation accumulation.

The association of winds with the spread of EHDV in dairy cattle in Israel during an outbreak in 2006.

Winds may play a major role in spread of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses). Arboviruses like epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV), bluetongue virus and bovine ephemeral fever virus (BEFV) frequently cause major outbreaks in Israel with a unique pattern of spread. Most of these outbreaks begin in the Jordan valley, near the Sea of Galilee and then spread to the north, south and west through the major valleys of Israel.

Mutation parameters from DNA sequence data using graph theoretic measures on lineage trees.

Motivation: B cells responding to antigenic stimulation can fine-tune their binding properties through a process of affinity maturation composed of somatic hypermutation, affinity-selection and clonal expansion. The mutation rate of the B cell receptor DNA sequence, and the effect of these mutations on affinity and specificity, are of critical importance for understanding immune and autoimmune processes. Unbiased estimates of these properties are currently lacking due to the short time-scales involved and the small numbers of sequences available.