Monitoring the diversity and distribution of species in an ecosystem is essential to assess the success of restoration strategies. Implementing biomonitoring methods, which provide a comprehensive assessment of species diversity and mitigate biases in data collection, holds significant importance in biodiversity research. Additionally, ensuring that these methods are cost-efficient and require minimal effort is crucial for effective environmental monitoring.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite raising animal welfare concerns, stunning of pigs with CO prior to slaughter remains the most widely applied method in commercial settings. The aim of this study was to assess the discomfort period and its influencing factors in fattening pigs and sows in a commercial slaughterhouse. The discomfort period was defined as the first reaction to the gas or the environment from the point the animal enters the gondola, until complete relaxation of its head.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study assessed aversion, stunning effectiveness, and product quality of nitrogen and carbon dioxide (CO) mixtures used for stunning pigs. A total of 1852 slaughter pigs divided into two similar batches was assessed during routine slaughter in a Swedish commercial abattoir using either hypercapnic-hypoxia (20% CO and less than 2% O; 20C2O) or hypercapnia (90% CO; 90C) gas mixtures. Behavioral indicators of aversion and discomfort were recorded.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLong noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are longer than 200 nucleotides but often unstable, contribute a substantial and diverse portion to pervasive noncoding transcriptomes. Most lncRNAs are poorly annotated and understood, although several play important roles in gene regulation and diseases. Here we systematically uncover and analyze lncRNAs in Based on RNA-seq data from twelve RNA-processing mutants and nine physiological conditions, we identify 5775 novel lncRNAs, nearly 4× the previously annotated lncRNAs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: During the pre-slaughter period, animals experience novel environment and procedures which may cause reduced welfare and suffering. Over the last decades, the slaughter industry has restructured into fewer and larger abattoirs, implying potential risks of transport stress, injuries, and impaired animal welfare. Since recently, however, there is growing interest in small-scale slaughter to supply locally or regionally produced meat.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExon skipping is considered a principal mechanism by which eukaryotic cells expand their transcriptome and proteome repertoires, creating different splice variants with distinct cellular functions. Here we analyze RNA-seq data from 116 transcriptomes in fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe), covering multiple physiological conditions as well as transcriptional and RNA processing mutants. We applied brute-force algorithms to detect all possible exon-skipping events, which were widespread but rare compared to normal splicing events.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNatural variation within species reveals aspects of genome evolution and function. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is an important model for eukaryotic biology, but researchers typically use one standard laboratory strain. To extend the usefulness of this model, we surveyed the genomic and phenotypic variation in 161 natural isolates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe exosome is an RNA-decay complex that constantly monitors transcription and contributes to post-transcriptional turnover of faulty mRNAs. Yet how nuclear RNA surveillance by the exosome is coordinated with transcription is still unknown. Here we show that the RNA exosome of Schizosaccharomyces pombe can target the transcription machinery by terminating transcription events associated with paused and backtracked RNA polymerase II (RNAPII); this is contrary to the notion that the exosome acts exclusively on RNAs that have been released by RNAPII.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLong non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as an important class of regulatory transcripts that are implicated in a variety of biological functions. RNA-sequencing, along with other next-generation sequencing-based approaches, enables their study on a genome-wide scale, at maximal resolution, and across multiple conditions. This review discusses how sequencing-based studies are providing global insights into lncRNA transcription, post-transcriptional processing, expression regulation and sites of function.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: CSL (CBF1/RBP-Jκ/Suppressor of Hairless/LAG-1) transcription factors are the effector components of the Notch receptor signalling pathway, which is critical for metazoan development. The metazoan CSL proteins (class M) can also function in a Notch-independent manner. Recently, two novel classes of CSL proteins, designated F1 and F2, have been identified in fungi.
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