There has been very little undisputed evidence for recombination in animal mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) provided so far. Previous unpublished results suggestive of mtDNA recombination in the scorpion family Buthidae, together with cytological evidence for a unique mechanism of mitochondrial fusion in that family, prompted us to investigate this group in more details. First, we sequenced the complete mtDNA genome of Mesobuthus gibbosus, and chose two genes opposing each other (16S and coxI). We then sequenced 150 individuals from the natural populations of four species of Buthidae (Old World genera Buthus and Mesobuthus). We observed strong evidence for widespread recombination through highly significant negative correlations between linkage disequilibrium and physical distance in three out of four species. The evidence is further confirmed when using five other tests for recombination and by the presence of a high amount of homoplasy in phylogenetic trees.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1602043 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2004.3017 | DOI Listing |
Int J Mol Sci
January 2025
Institute of Immunology Nicolás Enrique Bianco, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Central de Venezuela Los Chaguaramos, Caracas 1040, Venezuela.
Vaccines represent an essential tool for the prevention of infectious diseases. Upon administration, a complex interaction occurs between the vaccine formulation and the recipient's immune system, ultimately resulting in protection against disease. Significant variability exists in individual and population responses to vaccination, and these differences remain the focus of the ongoing research.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Mol Sci
January 2025
Key Lab of Breeding Biotechnology and Sustainable Aquaculture, Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China.
Compared with green plants, brown algae are characterized by their ability to accumulate iodine, contributing to their ecological adaptability in high-iodide coastal environments. Vanadium-dependent haloperoxidase (V-HPO) is the key enzyme for iodine synthesis. Despite its significance, the evolutionary origin of V-HPO genes remains underexplored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Mol Sci
January 2025
Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba 305-8566, Ibaraki, Japan.
Bile salt hydrolase (BSH), a probiotic-related enzyme with cholesterol-assimilating and anti-hypercholesterolemic abilities, has been isolated from intestinal bacteria; however, BSH activity of bacteria in bile-salt-free (non-intestinal) environments is largely unknown. Here, we aimed to identify BSH from non-intestinal and characterize its enzymatic function. We successfully isolated a plasmid-encoded () from , and the recombinant EfpBSH showed BSH activity that preferentially hydrolyzed taurine-conjugated bile salts, unlike the activity of known BSHs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Mol Sci
January 2025
Laboratory of Neuronal Plasticity and Neurorepair, Institute of Neuroscience of Castile and Leon (INCyL), Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain.
In recent decades, the scientific community has faced a major challenge in the search for new therapies that can slow down or alleviate the process of neuronal death that accompanies neurodegenerative diseases. This study aimed to identify an effective therapy using neurotrophic factors to delay the rapid and aggressive cerebellar degeneration experienced by the Purkinje Cell Degeneration (PCD) mouse, a model of childhood-onset neurodegeneration with cerebellar atrophy (CONDCA). Initially, we analyzed the changes in the expression of several neurotrophic factors related to the degenerative process itself, identifying changes in insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor B (VEGF-B) in the affected animals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParasitol Int
January 2025
Parasitology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt. Electronic address:
Background/objective: Theileria orientalis is a non-transforming Theileria species infecting cattle and water buffaloes. Several outbreaks of oriental theileriosis accompanied by considerable economic loss were documented in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. The major piroplasm surface protein (MPSP) gene has frequently been used to molecularly characterize T.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!