Thirty years of telemetry-based data acquisition for cardiovascular drug safety evaluation: Applications and optimization.

Conducting safety evaluations of new drugs using conscious animals has been a specialty of our working group for thirty years. In this article, we review the various technical challenges and solutions dealt with over the years to improve both the data quality and the well being of our animal subjects. Of particular interest for us has been the use of telemetry-based data acquisition for conducting studies on cardiovascular (CV) function.

Characterization of genetic diversity in the nematode Pristionchus pacificus from population-scale resequencing data.

The hermaphroditic nematode Pristionchus pacificus is an established model system for comparative studies with Caenorhabditis elegans in developmental biology, ecology, and population genetics. In this study, we present whole-genome sequencing data of 104 P. pacificus strains and the draft assembly of the obligate outcrossing sister species P.

Description of three Pristionchus species (Nematoda: Diplogastridae) from Japan that form a cryptic species complex with the model organism P. pacificus.

Three new species of Pristionchus (P. exspectatus, P. arcanus, and P.

Horizontal gene transfer of microbial cellulases into nematode genomes is associated with functional assimilation and gene turnover.

Background: Natural acquisition of novel genes from other organisms by horizontal or lateral gene transfer is well established for microorganisms. There is now growing evidence that horizontal gene transfer also plays important roles in the evolution of eukaryotes. Genome-sequencing and EST projects of plant and animal associated nematodes such as Brugia, Meloidogyne, Bursaphelenchus and Pristionchus indicate horizontal gene transfer as a key adaptation towards parasitism and pathogenicity.

Quantitative assessment of the nematode fauna present on Geotrupes dung beetles reveals species-rich communities with a heterogeneous distribution.

Pristionchus spp. nematodes exhibit several traits that might serve as pre-adaptations to parasitism. Under harsh environmental conditions, these nematodes can arrest development and form dauer larvae.

Molecular phylogeny of beetle associated diplogastrid nematodes suggests host switching rather than nematode-beetle coevolution.

Background: Nematodes are putatively the most species-rich animal phylum. They have various life styles and occur in a variety of habitats, ranging from free-living nematodes in aquatic or terrestrial environments to parasites of animals and plants. The rhabditid nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is one of the most important model organisms in modern biology.

Fast radiation of the subfamily Lacertinae (Reptilia: Lacertidae): history or methodical artefact?

Lacertinae is one of the three lacertid lizard subfamilies with a geographical distribution confined to the Palaearctic. Several past attempts to reconstruct its phylogeny resulted in unresolved bush-like topologies. We address the question of whether the lack of resolution is due to insufficient data or whether this lack reflects a rapid succession of speciation events.

The Strongyloides (Nematoda) of sheep and the predominant Strongyloides of cattle form at least two different, genetically isolated populations.

Strongyloides sp. (Nematoda) are very wide spread small intestinal parasites of vertebrates that can form a facultative free-living generation. Most authors considered all Strongyloides of farm ruminants to belong to the same species, namely Strongyloides papillosus (Wedl, 1856).

The nematode Pristionchus pacificus (Nematoda: Diplogastridae) is associated with the oriental beetle Exomala orientalis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in Japan.

Pristionchus pacificus has been developed as a nematode satellite organism in evolutionary developmental biology. Detailed studies of vulva development revealed multiple differences in genetic and molecular control in P. pacificus compared to the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans.

The phylogeny of the family Lacertidae (Reptilia) based on nuclear DNA sequences: convergent adaptations to arid habitats within the subfamily Eremiainae.

The family Lacertidae encompasses more than 250 species distributed in the Palearctis, Ethiopis and Orientalis. Lacertids have been subjected in the past to several morphological and molecular studies to establish their phylogeny. However, the problems of convergent adaptation in morphology and of excessively variable molecular markers have hampered the establishment of well supported deeper phylogenetic relationships.

Phylogeny of the nematode genus Pristionchus and implications for biodiversity, biogeography and the evolution of hermaphroditism.

Background: The nematode Pristionchus pacificus has originally been developed as a satellite organism for comparison to Caenorhabditis elegans. A 10X coverage of the whole genome of P. pacificus is available, making P.

Nuclear and mtDNA-based phylogeny of southern African sand lizards, Pedioplanis (Sauria: Lacertidae).

The diversity of lacertid lizards in Africa is highest in the southern African subcontinent, where over two-thirds of the species are endemic. With eleven currently recognized species, Pedioplanis is the most diverse among the southern African genera. In this study we use 2200 nucleotide positions derived from two mitochondrial markers (ND2 and 16S rRNA) and one nuclear gene (RAG-1) to (i) assess the phylogeny of Pedioplanis and (ii) estimate divergence time among lineages using the relaxed molecular clock method.

Distinct patterns of genetic variation in Pristionchus pacificus and Caenorhabditis elegans, two partially selfing nematodes with cosmopolitan distribution.

Hermaphroditism has evolved several times independently in nematodes. The model organism Caenorhabditis elegans and Pristionchus pacificus are self-fertile hermaphrodites with rare facultative males. Both species are members of different families: C.

The free-living generation of the nematode Strongyloides papillosus undergoes sexual reproduction.

The nematode genus Strongyloides consists of parasites that live as parthenogenetic females in the small intestines of their hosts. They can also form a facultative free-living generation with males and females. Recently, research on Strongyloides cellular and molecular biology has concentrated on Strongyloides ratti and Strongyloides stercoralis.

Unusual origin of a nuclear pseudogene in the Italian wall lizard: intergenomic and interspecific transfer of a large section of the mitochondrial genome in the genus Podarcis (Lacertidae).

Two distinct cytochrome b-like sequences were discovered in the genome of Podarcis sicula. One of them represents a nuclear copy of a mitochondrial sequence (numt-sic) differing by 14.3% from the authentic mitochondrial (mt) sequence obtained from the same individual.

Sex, bugs and Haldane's rule: the nematode genus Pristionchus in the United States.

Background: The nematode Pristionchus pacificus has been developed as a satellite organism in evolutionary developmental biology for comparison to Caenorhabditis elegans. Comparative studies have revealed major differences in the regulation of developmental processes between P. pacificus and C.

Multiple copies of coding as well as pseudogene c-mos sequence exist in three lacertid species.

The analysis of a 581 bp section of the nuclear gene c-mos revealed multiple copies of putative functional sequences as well as pseudogenes in three closely related lacertid species Lacerta laevis, L. kulzeri and L. cyanisparsa.

Nematodes of the genus Pristionchus are closely associated with scarab beetles and the Colorado potato beetle in Western Europe.

Evolutionary developmental biology examines how changes in developmental programmes give rise to developmental and, ultimately, morphological novelty. To this end, comparisons of related but distinct organisms have to be performed. The diplogastrid nematode Pristionchus pacificus has been developed as a satellite system for a detailed comparison of various developmental processes to the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, a rhabditid nematode.

Organization, alternative splicing, polymorphism, and phylogenetic position of lamprey CD45 gene.

CD45 of jawed vertebrates is a receptor-type protein tyrosine phosphatase regulating lymphocyte development and activation. To shed light on the evolution of the CD45 gene, the organization of its orthologue in the lamprey, a jawless vertebrate, was determined. Compared to its mammalian and fugu counterparts, the lamprey gene was found to be lacking several exons in the segment encoding the extracellular part of the protein.

Phylogeography of the Italian wall lizard, Podarcis sicula, as revealed by mitochondrial DNA sequences.

In a phylogeographical survey of the Italian wall lizard, Podarcis sicula, DNA sequence variation along an 887-bp segment of the cytochrome b gene was examined in 96 specimens from 86 localities covering the distribution range of the species. In addition, parts of the 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA genes from 12 selected specimens as representatives of more divergent cytochrome b haploclades were sequenced (together about 950 bp). Six phylogeographical main groups were found, three representing samples of the nominate subspecies Podarcis sicula sicula and closely related subspecies and the other three comprising Podarcis sicula campestris as well as all subspecies described from northern and eastern Adriatic islands.

Prototypic T cell receptor and CD4-like coreceptor are expressed by lymphocytes in the agnathan sea lamprey.

All jawed vertebrates have highly diverse lymphocyte receptors, which allow discrimination between self and nonself antigens as well as the recognition of potential pathogens. Key elements of the anticipatory recombinatorial immune system in jawed vertebrates are the TCR, Ig, and MHC genes, but their ancestral genes have not been found in more basal vertebrates. In this study, we extended our analysis of the transcriptome of lymphocyte-like cells in the lamprey to identify the TCR-like and CD4-like genes.

The Ig-like domain of tapasin influences intermolecular interactions.

Presentation of antigenic peptides to T lymphocytes by MHC class I molecules is regulated by events involving multiple endoplasmic reticulum proteins, including tapasin. By studying the effects of substitutions in the tapasin Ig-like domain, we demonstrated that H-2L(d)/tapasin association can be segregated from reconstitution of folded L(d) surface expression. This finding suggests that peptide acquisition by L(d) is influenced by tapasin functions that are independent of L(d) binding.

Phylogenetic relationships among East African haplochromine fish as revealed by short interspersed elements (SINEs).

Genomic DNA libraries were prepared from two endemic species of Lake Victoria haplochromine (cichlid) fish and used to isolate and characterize a set of short interspersed elements (SINEs). The distribution and sequences of the SINEs were used to infer phylogenetic relationships among East African haplochromines. The SINE-based classification divides the fish into four groups, which, in order of their divergence from a stem lineage, are the endemic Lake Tanganyika flock (group 1); fish of the nonendemic, monotypic, widely distributed genus Astatoreochromis (group 2); the endemic Lake Malawi flock (group 3); and group 4, which contains fish from widely dispersed East African localities including Lakes Victoria, Edward, George, Albert, and Rukwa, as well as many rivers.

A molecule bearing an immunoglobulin-like V region of the CTX subfamily in amphioxus.

An expressed sequence tag with significant similarity to a vertebrate T-cell receptor (Tcr) sequence was found in a cDNA library prepared from the posterior part of the adult amphioxus, Branchiostoma lanceolatum ( Brla). Characterization of the corresponding cDNA clone revealed the presence of an open reading frame encoding a 351 amino acid residue-long polypeptide. The putative protein, tentatively designated Brla-VDB for "V-domain bearing", appears to consist of two domains.

Genes encoding putative natural killer cell C-type lectin receptors in teleostean fishes.

Mammalian natural killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic lymphocytes that express receptors specific for MHC class I molecules. The NK cell receptors belong to two structurally unrelated families, the killer cell Ig-like receptors and the killer cell C-type lectin receptors. We describe a cDNA clone derived from the bony (cichlid) fish Paralabidochromis chilotes and show that it encodes a protein related to the CD94/NK cell group 2 (NKG2) subfamily of the killer cell C-type lectin receptors.