A cryptic mitochondrial DNA link between North European and West African dogs.

Domestic dogs have an ancient origin and a long history in Africa. Nevertheless, the timing and sources of their introduction into Africa remain enigmatic. Herein, we analyse variation in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop sequences from 345 Nigerian and 37 Kenyan village dogs plus 1530 published sequences of dogs from other parts of Africa, Europe and West Asia.

Influence of ethnic traditional cultures on genetic diversity of rice landraces under on-farm conservation in southwest China.

Background: Crop genetic resources are important components of biodiversity. However, with the large-scale promotion of mono-cropping, genetic diversity has largely been lost. Ex-situ conservation approaches were widely used to protect traditional crop varieties worldwide.

Increased detection of smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis by GeneXpert MTB/RIF® assay after bleach concentration.

Objective/background: The GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay (Xpert) was endorsed as the initial diagnostic tool in people suspected of human immunodeficiency virus-associated or drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB). However, information regarding the performance of Xpert for diagnosing smear-negative TB in high burden settings remains limited. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of Xpert and the impact of bleach concentration on the performance of Xpert using smear-negative sputum samples from human immunodeficiency virus-negative patients.

Drug resistance-conferring mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis from pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Southwest Ethiopia.

Objective/background: The nature and frequency of mutations in rifampicin (RIF) and isoniazid (INH) resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates vary considerably according to geographic locations. However, information regarding specific mutational patterns in Ethiopia remains limited.

Methods: A cross-sectional prospective study was carried out among confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis cases in Southwest Ethiopia.

Incidence of antituberculosis-drug-induced hepatotoxicity and associated risk factors among tuberculosis patients in Dawro Zone, South Ethiopia: A cohort study.

Background: Antituberculosis drugs cause hepatotoxicity in some individuals leading to acute liver failure, which results in death. Such phenomena limit the clinical use of drugs, contributing to treatment failure that possibly causes drug resistance. Furthermore, associated risk factors for the development of antituberculosis-drug-induced hepatotoxicity (anti-TB-DIH) are found to be controversial among different study findings.

Effect of Polysaccharides from Acanthopanax senticosus on Intestinal Mucosal Barrier of Escherichia coli Lipopolysaccharide Challenged Mice.

To investigate the role of polysaccharide from Acanthopanax senticosus (ASPS) in preventing lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intestinal injury, 18 mice (at 5 wk of age) were assigned to three groups with 6 replicates of one mouse each. Mice were administrated by oral gavage with or without ASPS (300 mg/kg body weight) for 14 days and were injected with saline or LPS at 15 days. Intestinal samples were collected at 4 h post-challenge.

From GTP and G proteins to TRPC channels: a personal account.

By serendipity and good fortune, as a postdoctoral fellow in 1967, I landed at the right place at the right time, as I was allowed to investigate the mechanism by which hormones activate the enzyme adenylyl cyclase (then adenyl cyclase) in Martin Rodbell's Laboratory at the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland. The work uncovered first, the existence of receptors separate from the enzyme and then, the existence of transduction mechanisms requiring guanosine-5'-triphosphate (GTP) and Mg(2+). With my laboratory colleagues first and postdoctoral fellows after leaving NIH, I participated in the development of the field "signal transduction by G proteins," uncovered by molecular cloning several G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and became interested in both the molecular makeup of voltage-gated Ca channels and Ca2+ homeostasis downstream of activation of phospholipase C (PLC) by the Gq/11 signaling pathway.

GeneXpert MTB/RIF Assay for the Diagnosis of Tuberculous Lymphadenitis on Concentrated Fine Needle Aspirates in High Tuberculosis Burden Settings.

Introduction: The diagnosis of tuberculous lymphadenitis (TBL) remains challenging. The routinely used methods (cytology and smear microscopy) have sub-optimal sensitivity. Recently, WHO recommends GeneXpert to be used as the initial diagnostic test in patients suspected of having extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB).

Diagnostic performance of fluorescent light-emitting diode microscopy for tuberculous lymphadenitis in a high-burden setting.

Objective: Diagnosis of tuberculous lymphadenitis using fine-needle aspiration cytology is a simple and safe but low-specificity method, whereas conventional smear microscopy has variable sensitivity due to low bacterial load. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of fluorescent light-emitting diode (LED) microscopy on routinely collected fine-needle aspirates from tuberculous lymphadenitis presumptive cases.

Methods: Fine-needle aspirates were collected from patients clinically suspected of having tuberculous lymphadenitis as part of routine diagnosis.

Mitochondrial DNA variation of Nigerian domestic helmeted guinea fowl.

We analyzed genetic diversity of 215 mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop sequences from seven populations of domesticated helmeted guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) in Nigeria and compared that with results of samples collected in Kenya (n = 4) and China (n = 22). In total, 241 sequences were assigned to 22 distinct haplotypes. Haplotype diversity in Nigeria was 0.

Drug resistance patterns of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and associated factors among retreatment cases around Jimma, Southwest Ethiopia.

Background: Information on the pattern of drug resistant tuberculosis (TB) among re-treatment cases is crucial to develop appropriate control strategies. Therefore, we conducted this study to assess the drug resistance pattern of M. tuberculosis complex (MTBC) isolates and associated factors among re-treatment cases in Jimma area, Southwest Ethiopia.

A virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) system for functional genomics in the parasitic plant Striga hermonthica.

Background: Striga hermonthica is a hemiparasitic weed that infects cereals in Sub Sahara Africa (SSA) resulting in up to 100% grain yield loss. This significant loss in grain yields is a major contributor to food insecurity and poverty in the region. Current strategies to control the parasite are costly, unavailable and remain unpracticed by small-scale farmers, underscoring the need for more economical and sustainable control strategies.

Instigation of Notch signaling in the pathogenesis of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus and other human tumor viruses.

The Notch pathway is a highly conserved signaling circuit with a critical role in cell-fate determination and tumor initiation. Notch is reported to regulate various key events in tumor progression, such as angiogenesis, maintenance of cancer stem cells, resistance to therapeutic agents and metastasis. This review describes the intimate interplay of human tumor viruses with the Notch signaling pathway.

Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus lytic replication compromises apoptotic response to p53 reactivation in virus-induced lymphomas.

Primary effusion lymphomas (PELs) are aggressive Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV)-induced malignancies with median survival time <6 months post-diagnosis. Mutations in the TP53 gene seldom occur in PELs, suggesting that genetic alterations in the TP53 are not selected during PEL progression. We have reported that p53 reactivation by an inhibitor of the p53-MDM2 interaction, Nutlin-3, induces selective and massive apoptosis in PEL cells leading to efficient anti-tumor activity in a subcutaneous xenograft model for PEL.

Feminization and altered gonadal gene expression profile by ethinylestradiol exposure to pejerrey, Odontesthes bonariensis, a South American teleost fish.

In pejerrey (Odontesthes bonariensis), ovarian differentiation has been associated with gonadal aromatase expression. It is also known that exposure of pejerrey larvae to estradiol (E(2)) produces all female populations. During the last few years, the presence of ethinylestradiol (EE(2)), a synthetic E(2) analogue, has been reported in water reservoirs of different parts of the world.

[Studies on the chemical constituents of the volatile oil from Radix Cudramiae].

Objective: To study the chemical constituents of the volatile oil from Radix Cudramiae.

Method: The oil was obtained by steam distillation. The chemical compositions were separated and identified by GC-MS.

[The detection of phenol degrading strain in environment with specific primer of phenol hydroxylase gene].

A 684 bp oligonucleotide fragment was produced by PCR amplification from phenol-degrading strain Acinetobacter calcoaceticus PHEA-2 with the specific primers of gene encoding phenol hydroxylase. The nucleotide sequence of this fragment and its deduced amino acid sequence share 84% and 98% homology with the phenol hydroxylase gene and its deduced amino acid sequences of phenol-degrading strain Acinetobacter calcoaceticus NCIB8250. Sets of different aromatic compounds degrading strains were used to test this specific prime.

The SCF(COI1) ubiquitin-ligase complexes are required for jasmonate response in Arabidopsis.

Xie and colleagues previously isolated the Arabidopsis COI1 gene that is required for response to jasmonates (JAs), which regulate root growth, pollen fertility, wound healing, and defense against insects and pathogens. In this study, we demonstrate that COI1 associates physically with AtCUL1, AtRbx1, and either of the Arabidopsis Skp1-like proteins ASK1 or ASK2 to assemble ubiquitin-ligase complexes, which we have designated SCF(COI1). COI1(E22A), a single amino acid substitution in the F-box motif of COI1, abolishes the formation of the SCF(COI1) complexes and results in loss of the JA response.

An Arabidopsis mutant cex1 exhibits constant accumulation of jasmonate-regulated AtVSP, Thi2.1 and PDF1.2.

Jasmonates (JA) act as a regulator in plant growth as well as a signal in plant defense. The Arabidopsis vegetative storage protein (AtVSP) and plant defense-related proteins thionin (Thi2.1) and defensin (PDF1.

Inter- and intra-isolate rRNA large subunit variation in Glomus coronatum spores.

•  High levels of variation are reported in the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene, D2 region of Glomus coronatum, a well characterized species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF). •  Clones (435) containing the D2 regions from 7 isolates of G. coronatum were investigated for intra- and inter-isolate sequence variation using PCR-single-strand conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) as a prescreen before sequencing.

The detection of Glomus spp. (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) forming mycorrhizas in three plants, at different stages of seedling development, using mycorrhiza-specific isozymes.

A series of glasshouse experiments was used to determine mycorrhiza-specific isozymes (MSIs) produced by five species of Glomus colonizing roots of a desert shrub legume (Anthyllis cytisoides L.), Thymus vulgaris L. and Allium porrum L.