Mastodawn

Genetically Significant Hereditary Mutations Associated with Breast and Ovarian Cancer among Ukrainian Women - #breastcancer #ovariancancer #hereditarymutation #BRCA1 #BRCA2 #CHEK2 #Ukraine #cancer #genetics #mutations - https://link.springer.com/article/10.3103/S009545272601007X

Genetically Significant Hereditary Mutations Associated with Breast and Ovarian Cancer among Ukrainian Women - Cytology and Genetics

Abstract The study of mutations associated with the syndrome of hereditary breast cancer (BC) and ovarian cancer (OC) is extremely important for understanding the genetic risks among Ukrainian women. In this work, we conducted NGS study of mutations in the genes associated with the syndrome of hereditary BC and OC in 1090 women who had indications for testing and 407 women from the control group. As a result of the study, 233 patients with mutations were identified, including 84 unique variants. The largest number of mutations was registered in the BRCA1 (102), BRCA2 (42), and CHEK2 (67) genes. In the BRCA1 gene, the following mutations were the most frequent: c.5266dup (p.Gln1756fs), 45 cases; c.181T>G (p.Cys61Gly), 13; c.1510del (p.Arg504fs), 6; c.4035del (p.Glu1346fs), 5. The BRCA1 gene is a key risk factor for the development of cancer at a young age, while the CHEK2 is more frequently associated with cancer at an older age. The Population Attributable Risk (PAR) for the BRCA1 is 7.49%, which makes this gene a major risk factor. The odds ratio for mutations in the CHEK2 is 1.84 (95% CI: 1.01–3.34), while the PAR is 2.2%. The highest frequency of mutations (BRCA1 and BRCA2) was registered in the Central region of Ukraine. We for the first time performed a large-scale genetic study of the prevalence of hereditary mutations associated with the syndrome of hereditary BC and OC in Ukraine, the frequency of the most common mutations in the studied and control cohorts were determined.

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Cytology and Genetics Mar 31

Levels of Interleukin-6, STAT3, and NF-κB Activation in the Post-Covid Period - #interleukin6 #nuclearfactorκB #signaltransducertranscription #COVID19 #activatoroftranscription #STAT3 #NFκB #PostCovidPeriod #genetics - https://link.springer.com/article/10.3103/S0095452726010093

Levels of Interleukin-6, STAT3, and NF-κB Activation in the Post-Covid Period - Cytology and Genetics

Abstract IL-6 (interleukin 6), STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) and NF-κB (nuclear factor-κB) are the main factors causing cytokine storm in severe cases of COVID-19. The aim of the work was to establish the levels and activity of NF-κB, IL-6, and STAT3 in the post-COVID period (2024/2025) in diabetic patients who had COVID-19 in 2020–2022 compared to the pre-COVID (2018/2019) period. Plasma and blood mononuclear cells were used in the studies. The amount of IL-6 and STAT3 was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and NF-κB activation by Western blotting. The amount of IL-6 in the blood plasma of diabetic patients who recovered from COVID-19 in 2020–2022 was higher than in healthy individuals and diabetic patients who did not have COVID-19. The highest level of STAT3 in the blood plasma is observed in diabetic patients who are guaranteed not to have COVID-19. In patients who have recovered from COVID-19, the amount of the factor is noticeably reduced. In the blood of diabetic and COVID-19 patients who took insulin, the amount of STAT3 increases. Determination of the expression of phospho-IKK and IκB in the blood mononuclear cells of patients showed an almost complete absence of phospho-IKK in patients who did not have COVID-19 and a high level of expression of this kinase in patients who recovered from COVID-19. The opposite pattern was observed for the NF-κB inhibitor, IκB. Thus, in patients who have recovered from COVID-19, activation of NF-κB is observed, which may be associated with inflammatory processes.

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Cytology and Genetics Mar 24

Development of EST-SSR Markers Based on Transcriptome Sequencing in Kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum l.) - #kodomillet #genome #transcriptome #RTPCR #cDNAlibrary #ESTSSR #cDNA #Paspalumscrobiculatum #Paspalum - https://link.springer.com/article/10.3103/S0095452725060040

Development of EST-SSR Markers Based on Transcriptome Sequencing in Kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum l.) - Cytology and Genetics

Abstract Kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum L.) (2n = 4x = 40) mostly found in dry and semi-arid parts of Africa and Asia, also known as miraculous millets, is a staple food and a nutrient-security crop. It’s commonly known that kodo millet has the strongest tolerance to drought. Little study was done on high throughout genomic studies in relation to the creation of millets improved by genomics. In the present investigation, 21 080 571 total reads of sequence data were included in the 6.55 gigabytes of raw sequence that was produced following the genome sequencing run. After utilizing FastQC to verify the raw data quality, a total sequence of 1 087 611 and 578 123 572 bp was obtained. Three RNA samples from mature, blooming, and vegetative specimens were gathered, and the high-throughput Ion torrent sequencing method was applied to the sequencing process. In the vegetative stage, there were 1, 34, 40, and 824 raw readings; in the reproductive and mature stages, there were 1, 66, 35, 843 reads and 97, 43, 629 bp reads, respectively. At three distinct stages, the average read length was 131.6, 137.6, and 148.8 bp, in that order. The interface modules BatchPrimer3 (version 1.0) were used to construct the SSR and EST-SSR primers. Four FASTA files including contigs from the transcriptome and genome were utilized to identify SSRs. A total of thirty SSRs were found, with GC% and Tm ranges of 40–70 and 58–62°C, respectively. Of the 30 SSR and EST-SSR primers that were used for validation, only 17 were able to amplify the DNA from 27 distinct types of Kodo millet. 24 bands were obtained from the PCR amplification of 27 distinct types. We think that these findings may be applied in the future as possible candidates to enhance this significant staple crop.

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Cytology and Genetics Mar 17

Comparative Analysis of the Complete Mitochondrial Genome of Apis laboriosa (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Apidae) - #Apislaboriosa #completemitogenome #phylogeneticrelationship #Apis #mitogenome #Apidae #mitochondria #mitochondrialgenome - https://link.springer.com/article/10.3103/S0095452725060076

Comparative Analysis of the Complete Mitochondrial Genome of Apis laboriosa (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Apidae) - Cytology and Genetics

Abstract Apis laboriosa Smith is the largest bee in the genus Apis, and it is mainly distributed in Yunnan and Tibet regions in China. In this study, two complete mitogenomes of A. laboriosa from Luding and Dehong were obtained through Illumina sequencing, and the phylogenetic relationship among different geographical populations of A. laboriosa was determined. The entire mitogenomes of A. laboriosa are 15 546 (Luding) and 15 239 (Dehong) bp in length, respectively. The A. laboriosa mitogenome contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and a control region rich in A + T. The maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree using 13 PCGs reveals that A. laboriosa from Dehong and Shangri-La clustered together and form a sister taxon to Luding. This study provides data for an in-depth exploration of the genetic diversity of A. laboriosa and layes a scientific foundation for the conservation of this species.

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Cytology and Genetics Mar 10

Bioremediation of Ecosystems Using Microbiological Technologies - #microbiome #bioremediation #biosorption #bioaccumulation #toxicmetals #microbiology #bioremediation - https://link.springer.com/article/10.3103/S0095452725060064

Bioremediation of Ecosystems Using Microbiological Technologies - Cytology and Genetics

Abstract The disposal of toxic metals and munitions waste represents a critical component of environmental safety and ecosystem protection. Developing new methods and technologies that can rapidly and effectively mitigate contamination and diminish its impact on the environment and human health remains an urgent priority. As an alternative to conventional physicochemical approaches for decontaminating polluted sites, bioremediation has emerged as a promising method. This process involves the transformation of hazardous chemical compounds containing toxic metals into nontoxic or less toxic substances through the activity of diverse microorganisms. Understanding bioavailability is essential for assessing the potential toxicity of metallic elements and their compounds, as well as for designing effective strategies for ecological remediation of contaminated areas. The bioavailability of metals depends on their capacity to be absorbed, chemically transformed, or metabolized by microorganisms within the contaminated environment. The primary factors influencing metal bioavailability include the chemical form of the metal, the redox potential and pH of the environment, and its ecological and physicochemical characteristics such as temperature, substrate availability, moisture, and aeration. Microorganisms themselves play a significant role in enhancing metal bioavailability through environmental acidification (protonolysis), chelate formation that binds metals, and enzymatic synthesis capable of altering the chemical state of metals via oxidation or reduction. This article examines the key processes through which microorganisms achieve bioremediation of toxic metals, namely biosorption, bioaccumulation, mobilization, and immobilization.

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Cytology and Genetics Mar 3

Plant Systems as Platforms for the Production of Interferon Alpha and its Application - #molecularfarming #pharmaceuticalprotein #recombinanthumaninterferonα2b #oraldelivery #edibleplant #transgenicplants - https://link.springer.com/article/10.3103/S0095452725060088

Plant Systems as Platforms for the Production of Interferon Alpha and its Application - Cytology and Genetics

Abstract Interferon alpha (IFN) is a small glycosylated polypeptide used in the treatment of cancer, immune disorders, and various other related diseases. Demands for human and veterinary medicine in safe sources of this remedy motivate investigations for new interferon production systems. Plants expressing IFN can become an excellent substitution for traditional bacterial systems. Among the advantages of plant-based human IFN are correct glycosylation, lack of toxins and pathogens, and unexpansive production costs. The effectiveness of different plant-based systems for IFN production is compared. Oral administration of IFN produced in edible plants is a promising direction for the lack of demand for purification of the protein, its effective storage, and safe mode of the protein delivery to the competent tissues of a treated organism. The advantages of edible plants as fortified vectors for interferon delivery are discussed. Examples of oral administration of IFN from different production systems are compared. Oral usage of human IFN from various production systems in veterinary is viewed.

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Cytology and Genetics Feb 17

Nanoparticles of Different Nature in Plant Biotechnology: Effectiveness, Safety, and Prospects of Application - #metalnanoparticles #biosynthesis #fullerenes #graphene #singlewallednanotubes #plants #stress #nanoparticles #NPs #multiwallednanotubes #nanotubes #biotechnology - https://link.springer.com/article/10.3103/S009545272506009X

Nanoparticles of Different Nature in Plant Biotechnology: Effectiveness, Safety, and Prospects of Application - Cytology and Genetics

Abstract Data on the biological activity of nanoparticles of various natures—metallic (Ag, Cu, Zn, Ti), silicon (Si), and carbon nanomaterials—on plants are summarized. Their influence on the growth, development, and resistance of plants to biotic and abiotic stresses at the molecular, cellular, and organismal levels is considered. Special attention is paid to nanoparticles obtained by “green” synthesis, which are characterized by high bioactivity, biocompatibility, stability, and environmental safety. The physiological and biochemical effects of the action of nanoparticles are analyzed, in particular their influence on seed germination, photosynthetic activity, antioxidant system, expression of stress-induced genes, etc. It has been demonstrated that biosynthesized nanoparticles cause a positive effect without toxicity in most cases, while chemically synthesized analogues can cause significant negative changes in plants. The advantages of biosynthesized nanoparticles are emphasized: their high level of environmental safety, fungicidal, antibacterial, and antiviral activity. The need for further research to optimize dosage, methods of application, and assessment of long-term effects of nanomaterials, taking into account the balance between efficiency and environmental safety, is emphasized. The obtained results demonstrate the prospects for the use of nanomaterials in cell biology, physiology, and biotechnology of plants.

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Cytology and Genetics Jan 29

NOS2 and PTGS2 Genes’ Expression during Oxidative Stress in the Blood of Patients with Osteoarthritis after SARS-CoV-2 Infection - #SARSCoV2 #osteoarthritis #inflammation #oxidativestress #NOS2 #PTGS2 #geneexpression - https://link.springer.com/article/10.3103/S0095452725060039

NOS2 and PTGS2 Genes’ Expression during Oxidative Stress in the Blood of Patients with Osteoarthritis after SARS-CoV-2 Infection - Cytology and Genetics

Abstract It is known that, aside from lung parenchyma damage, the SARS-CoV-2 virus can compromise other organ systems and complicate the condition of pati ents with comorbid pathologies. A special group of such patients consists of people suffering from chronic illnesses, namely osteoarthritis. An important role in osteoarthritis pathogenesis is played by oxidative stress developed due to oxidant–antioxidant equilibrium disturbance and inflammation induction. The aim of the presented work was the estimation of several parameters of free radical process intensity and to analyze NOS2 and PTGS2 genes’ expression in blood of patients with osteoarthritis after beating the SARS-CoV2 infection. All participants were divided into three experimental groups with the same average age in every group. The first group (n = 25) included conditionally healthy people. The second group (n = 25) consisted of patients with II–III-degree knee joint osteoarthritis with the exclusion of possible concomitant coronavirus infection presence by performing epidemiological anamnesis of every patient as well as contacts with people having active COVID-19 disease. The third group (n = 25) were II–III-degree knee joint osteoarthritis patients, having already beaten COVID-19 illness of light or medium severity 6–9 months ago. The following parameters were elucidated: in blood plasma—superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide content and concentration of lipid peroxidation products; in whole blood—nitrogen oxide synthase (NOS2) and cyclooxygenase (PTGS2) gene expression. The results showed the increase in active oxygen radical content and lipid peroxidation product concentration in blood plasma from knee joint osteoarthritic patients also having active SARS-CoV-2 infection, and these increases were more pronounced compared to the patient group with knee joint osteoarthritis only. In blood, it was shown that the expression of the NOS2 gene increased (by 2.5 times in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee joints compared to healthy donors and by 1.3 times in patients with osteoarthritis who had COVID-19, compared to the group of patients with osteoarthritis only) and the PTGS2 gene (by 2.3 times in patients with osteoarthritis compared to healthy volunteers and by 1.3 times in patients with osteoarthritis after SARS-CoV2 infection compared to the group of patients with osteoarthritis), which is associated with the development of oxidative stress and inflammation. The shown research parameter changes indicate more active intensification of free radical processes in blood of osteoarthritis patients that had beaten SARS-CoV2. Taking into consideration the obtained results, the assumption can be made about more severe disease progress and possibility of complications in osteoarthritis patients after SARS-CoV-2. Hence, these patients require a personalized approach in both COVID-19 and further osteoarthritis treatment after recovering from coronavirus infection.

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Cytology and Genetics Jan 15

Involvement of Nitric Oxide in γ-Aminobutyric Acid-Induced Cellular Mechanisms of Wheat Seedling Adaptation to Water Deficit - #γaminobutyricacid #nitricoxide #oxidativestress #antioxidantsystem #osmolytes #amylase #droughtresistance #Triticumaestivum #Triticum #wheat #waterdeficit #GABA - https://link.springer.com/article/10.3103/S0095452725060106

Involvement of Nitric Oxide in γ-Aminobutyric Acid-Induced Cellular Mechanisms of Wheat Seedling Adaptation to Water Deficit - Cytology and Genetics

Abstract γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is one of the key stress metabolites involved in the functioning of the plant cell signaling network. However, its functional relationships with main signaling molecules, particularly nitric oxide (NO), are not well understood. This study aimed to determine NO’s involvement in GABA’s stress-protective effect on wheat seedlings (Triticum aestivum L., Etana cultivar) under model drought conditions (13% PEG 6000). Priming grains with a 0.5 mM GABA solution or a 0.1 mM solution of the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) increased germination energy, seed germination, and water content in seedlings under stressful conditions. Additionally, GABA and SNP treatment mitigated the inhibitory effect of drought on the accumulation of root and shoot biomass. Osmotic stress increased NO content in shoots, and priming with GABA and SNP enhanced this effect. Treatment with the nitric oxide scavenger methylene blue (MB, 0.1 mM) eliminated the increase in NO content caused by stress or GABA action. MB also negated the positive effects of GABA on growth processes. Under the action of GABA and SNP, total amylase activity in grains and soluble carbohydrate content in shoots increased under stressful conditions; MB eliminated GABA’s effect on these parameters. Under the model drought, the content of oxidative stress markers (superoxide anion radical, hydrogen peroxide, and malondialdehyde) increased in shoots, but pretreatment of grains with GABA or SNP significantly reduced these effects. Osmotic stress caused an increase in activity of catalase and guaiacol peroxidase in shoots. Preliminary priming with GABA, SNP, and MB did not affect the nature of the changes in activity of these antioxidant enzymes caused by model drought. Meanwhile, superoxide dismutase activity remained unchanged following exposure to the model drought; however, pretreatment seeds with GABA, SNP, and MB increased the enzyme activity. Priming seeds with GABA and SNP increased the total content of phenolic compounds in shoots and preserved the anthocyanin pool under stressful conditions, while MB treatment eliminated these effects. It was concluded that the enhancement of grain germination and seedling growth induced by GABA priming under model drought conditions is largely due to NO-mediated modulation of carbohydrate and secondary compound metabolism.

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Cytology and Genetics Dec 16

Genome-Wide Identification and Diversity Analysis of DGAT1, DGAT2, LPAT2, WRI1, FAD2, FAD3, and FAE1 Genes in Terms of Breeding Importance in Brassica carinata - #Brassicacarinata #fattyacidbiosynthesisgenes #triacylglycerolsynthesisgenes #genomewideresearch #SSR #breeding #Brassica #fattyacids #DGAT1 #DGAT2 #LPAT2 #WRI1 #FAD2 #FAD3 #FAE1 #intron #promoter #molecularmarkers #markerassistedbreeding - https://link.springer.com/article/10.3103/S0095452725060027

Genome-Wide Identification and Diversity Analysis of DGAT1, DGAT2, LPAT2, WRI1, FAD2, FAD3, and FAE1 Genes in Terms of Breeding Importance in Brassica carinata - Cytology and Genetics

Abstract Abyssinian mustard, or carinata (Brassica carinata), is currently considered one of the most promising alternative oilseed crops, particularly for liquid biofuel production. Breeding and genetic engineering studies that enhance seed oil quality and yield have become increasingly important as the agricultural use of this crop expands. Leveraging publicly available genomic resources for carinata simplifies crop improvement and enables a targeted focus on loci or genes involved in lipid and fatty acid biosynthesis. This study aimed to conduct a genome-wide identification and comprehensive analysis of genes regulating fatty acid and neutral lipid synthesis (DGAT1, DGAT2, LPAT2, WRI1, FAD2, FAD3, and FAE1) in the allopolyploid species B. carinata. A total of 24 genes were identified, with each enzyme encoded by multiple homoeologs. These genes shared a high degree of sequence similarity but differed in noncoding regions (introns and promoter sequences), which allowed us to identify several microsatellite loci specific to each gene family. The results support the development of highly accurate molecular markers for marker-assisted breeding, which will accelerate the creation of B. carinata varieties with enhanced oil quality and increased seed oil content.

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