Multiplex DNA fluorescence in situ hybridization to analyze maternal vs. paternal C. elegans chromosomes.

Recent advances in microscopy have enabled studying chromosome organization at the single-molecule level, yet little is known about inherited chromosome organization. Here we adapt single-molecule chromosome tracing to distinguish two C. elegans strains (N2 and HI) and find that while their organization is similar, the N2 chromosome influences the folding parameters of the HI chromosome, in particular the step size, across generations.

Esophageal Hemangioma: A Rare Cause of Chronic Gastrointestinal Blood Loss.

Esophageal hemangioma (EH) is a rare, benign tumor that is most often asymptomatic but may present insidiously with dysphagia and blood loss anemia. We report a case of a 70-year-old male with symptomatic anemia who underwent a full gastrointestinal evaluation and was found to have an EH. We review the classification of benign esophageal neoplasms and discuss the characteristics, imaging, interventions, and surveillance specific to EH.

The round goby genome provides insights into mechanisms that may facilitate biological invasions.

Background: The invasive benthic round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) is the most successful temperate invasive fish and has spread in aquatic ecosystems on both sides of the Atlantic. Invasive species constitute powerful in situ experimental systems to study fast adaptation and directional selection on short ecological timescales and present promising case studies to understand factors involved the impressive ability of some species to colonize novel environments. We seize the unique opportunity presented by the round goby invasion to study genomic substrates potentially involved in colonization success.

Treatment of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Induced Colitis with Infliximab.

Several immunotherapeutic agents function against the T cell immune checkpoint inhibitor pathways thereby reestablishing immune response to elusive malignancies. Namely, the programmed death-1 co-receptor (PD-1) or ligand (PD-L1) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte- associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) are well known checkpoint targets of current FDA approved drugs. Among these drugs nivolumab, an IgG4 anti-PD-1 antibody, and ipilimumab, an anti-CTLA-4 antibody, are used to treat numerous malignancies but carry a large list of potential side effects termed immune-related adverse effects (irAEs).

Distinct functions and temporal regulation of methylated histone H3 during early embryogenesis.

During the first hours of embryogenesis, formation of higher-order heterochromatin coincides with the loss of developmental potential. Here, we examine the relationship between these two events, and we probe the processes that contribute to the timing of their onset. Mutations that disrupt histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methyltransferases reveal that the methyltransferase MET-2 helps terminate developmental plasticity, through mono- and di-methylation of H3K9 (me1/me2), and promotes heterochromatin formation, through H3K9me3.