Search results for "SIZE"

2018

Background The European beech is arguably the most important climax broad-leaved tree species in Central Europe, widely planted for its valuable wood. Here, we report the 542 Mb draft genome sequence of an up to 300-year-old individual (Bhaga) from an undisturbed stand in the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park in central Germany. Findings Using a hybrid assembly approach, Illumina reads with short- and long-insert libraries, coupled with long Pacific Biosciences reads, we obtained an assembled genome size of 542 Mb, in line with flow cytometric genome size estimation. The largest scaffold was of 1.15 Mb, the N50 length was 145 kb, and the L50 count was 983. The assembly contained 0.12% of Ns.…

Impact of polymer-modified gold nanoparticles on brain endothelial cells: exclusion of endoplasmic reticulum stress as a potential risk factor

2016

A library of polymer-coated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) differing in size and surface modifications was examined for uptake and induction of cellular stress responses in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress) in human brain endothelial cells (hCMEC/D3). ER stress is known to affect the physiology of endothelial cells (ECs) and may lead to inflammation or apoptosis. Thus, even if applied at non-cytotoxic concentrations ER stress caused by nanoparticles should be prevented to reduce the risk of vascular diseases and negative effects on the integrity of barriers (e.g. blood-brain barrier). We exposed hCMEC/D3 to twelve different AuNPs (three sizes: 18, 35, and 65 nm, each with four surface-modif…

Genomic characterization of the Braque Français type Pyrénées dog and relationship with other breeds

2018

The evaluation of genetic variability is a useful research tool for the correct management of selection and conservation strategies in dog breeds. In addition to pedigree genealogies, genomic data allow a deeper knowledge of the variability and genetic structure of populations. To date, many dog breeds, such as small regional breeds, still remain uncharacterized. Braque Français type Pyrénées (BRA) is a dog breed originating from a very old type of gun-dog used for pointing the location of game birds to hunters. Despite the ancient background, the knowledge about levels of genetic diversity, degree of inbreeding and population structure is scarce. This may raise concerns on the possibility …

Genome-wide association meta-analysis of corneal curvature identifies novel loci and shared genetic influences across axial length and refractive err…

2020

Corneal curvature, a highly heritable trait, is a key clinical endophenotype for myopia - a major cause of visual impairment and blindness in the world. Here we present a trans-ethnic meta-analysis of corneal curvature GWAS in 44,042 individuals of Caucasian and Asian with replication in 88,218 UK Biobank data. We identified 47 loci (of which 26 are novel), with population-specific signals as well as shared signals across ethnicities. Some identified variants showed precise scaling in corneal curvature and eye elongation (i.e. axial length) to maintain eyes in emmetropia (i.e. HDAC11/FBLN2 rs2630445, RBP3 rs11204213); others exhibited association with myopia with little pleiotropic effects …

Phylogenetic variation in cortical layer II immature neuron reservoir of mammals

2020

The adult mammalian brain is mainly composed of mature neurons. A limited amount of stem cell-driven neurogenesis persists in postnatal life and is reduced in large-brained species. Another source of immature neurons in adult brains is cortical layer II. These cortical immature neurons (cINs) retain developmentally undifferentiated states in adulthood, though they are generated before birth. Here, the occurrence, distribution and cellular features of cINs were systematically studied in 12 diverse mammalian species spanning from small-lissencephalic to large-gyrencephalic brains. In spite of well-preserved morphological and molecular features, the distribution of cINs was highly heterogeneou…

Platelets, endothelial cells and leukocytes contribute to the exercise-triggered release of extracellular vesicles into the circulation.

2019

ABSTRACT Physical activity initiates a wide range of multi-systemic adaptations that promote mental and physical health. Recent work demonstrated that exercise triggers the release of extracellular vesicles (EVs) into the circulation, possibly contributing to exercise-associated adaptive systemic signalling. Circulating EVs comprise a heterogeneous collection of different EV-subclasses released from various cell types. So far, a comprehensive picture of the parental and target cell types, EV-subpopulation diversity and functional properties of EVs released during exercise (ExerVs) is lacking. Here, we performed a detailed EV-phenotyping analysis to explore the cellular origin and potential …

“Out of the can”: a draft genome assembly, liver transcriptome, and nutrigenomics of the european sardine, sardina pilchardus

2018

Clupeiformes, such as sardines and herrings, represent an important share of worldwide fisheries. Among those, the European sardine (Sardina pilchardus, Walbaum 1792) exhibits significant commercial relevance. While the last decade showed a steady and sharp decline in capture levels, recent advances in culture husbandry represent promising research avenues. Yet, the complete absence of genomic resources from sardine imposes a severe bottleneck to understand its physiological and ecological requirements. We generated 69 Gbp of paired-end reads using Illumina HiSeq X Ten and assembled a draft genome assembly with an N50 scaffold length of 25,579 bp and BUSCO completeness of 82.1% (Actinoptery…

Cholera Toxin Subunit B for Sensitive and Rapid Determination of Exosomes by Gel Filtration.

2020

We developed a sensitive fluorescence-based assay for determination of exosome concentration. In our assay, Cholera toxin subunit B (CTB) conjugated to a fluorescence probe and a gel filtration technique (size-exclusion chromatography) are used. Exosomal membranes are particularly enriched in raft-forming lipids (cholesterol, sphingolipids, and saturated phospholipids) and in GM1 ganglioside. CTB binds specifically and with high affinity to exosomal GM1 ganglioside residing in rafts only, and it has long been the probe of choice for membrane rafts. The CTB-gel filtration assay allows for detection of as little as 3 × 108 isolated exosomes/mL in a standard fluorometer, which has a sensitivit…

Wnt1 is an Lrp5-independent bone-anabolic Wnt ligand.

2018

Wnt signaling is important for proper embryonic development, shaping cell fate and migration, stem cell renewal, and organ and tissue formation. Here, Luther et al. investigated the role of Wnt1 in osteoporosis. Patients with early-onset osteoporosis and with WNT1 mutations had low bone turnover and high fracture rates, and loss of Wnt1 activity caused fracture and osteoporosis in mice. Inducing Wnt1 in bone-forming cells increased bone mass in aged mice, and this process did not require Lrp5, a co-receptor involved in Wnt signaling. This study identifies Wnt1 as an anabolic (bone building) factor and suggests that it might be a therapeutic target for osteoporosis.WNT1 mutations in humans a…

At-home laser treatment of oral neuronal disorders : case reports

2017

The neuronal disorders occurring in the oral district are mainly anaesthesia, paraesthesia, hypoesthesia and hyperaesthesia and they may occur frequently after surgical procedures. Medical treatment depends on degree of severity of the nerve injury but, in every case, it must be immediately carried out to reduce immune inflammatory reaction. The aim of this report is to investigate the effectiveness in the recovery of the peripheral nerve lesions of a new laser device recently proposed by the commerce that, due to its reduced size and to be a class I laser according the ANSI classification, may be used at home by the patient himself. Three different cases were treated with this "at-home app…