Strong population substructure is correlated with morphology and ecology in a migratory bat

Examining patterns of inter-population genetic diversity can provide valuable information about both historical and current evolutionary processes affecting a species. Population genetic studies of flying and migratory species such as bats and birds have traditionally shown minimal population substructure, characterized by high levels of gene flow between populations. In general, strongly substructured mammalian populations either are separated by non-traversable barriers or belong to terrestrial species with low dispersal abilities. Species with female philopatry (the tendency to remain in or consistently return to the natal territory) might show strong substructure when examined with maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA, but this substructure generally disappears when biparentally inherited markers are used, owing to male-mediated gene flow. Male-biased dispersal is considered typical for mammals, and philopatry in both sexes is rare. Here we show strong population substructure in a migratory bat species, and philopatry in both sexes, as indicated by concordance of nuclear and mtDNA findings. Furthermore, the genetic structure correlates with local biomes and differentiation in wing morphology. There is therefore a close correlation of genetic and morphological differentiation in sympatric subspecific populations of this mammalian species.     

Overexpression of N-cadherin is correlated with metastasis and worse survival in colorectal cancer patients

N-cadherin is related to the progression and metastases of several solid carcinomas. However, it was still unclear whether N-cadherin is overexpressed in colorectal malignant tumors that have stronger malignant tendency. In this study, we used immunohistochemistry to detect the expression patterns of N-cadherin in both the primary tumors and their normal mucosa tissues of 120 patients with colorectal cancer. We revealed that N-cadherin was expressed in 78.3% (94/120) of colorectal tumor tissues and in only 9.2% (11/120) of paired distant normal mucosa tissues with a significant difference (P=0.000). The low, moderate, and high expression of N-cadherin protein was 42.5%, 30.8%, and 26.7%, respectively. N-cadherin overexpression was associated with advanced TNM stage, lymph nodes metastasis and distant metastasis (P<0.05). Patients with N-cadherin overexpressed showed the obvious lower overall survival rate than those with moderate and low expression, and patients with low expression had a better survival rate than those with moderate and high expression (P<0.05). In conclusion, high N-cadherin expression may lead to tumor aggressiveness and metastatic potential in colorectal cancer, and may prove to be a possible prognostic factor.     

Functional neuronal replacement by grafted striatal neurones in the ibotenic acid-lesioned rat striatum

In rats, striatal neuronal destruction by so-called excitotoxic amino acids, kainic acid or ibotenic acid (IA) produce neuropathological and neurochemical changes in the basal ganglia which resemble those seen in patients with Huntington's chorea. Such lesioned animals show a behavioural syndrome which is reminiscent of the cardinal symptoms of the disease, accompanied by a substantial increase in local cerebral metabolic activity in several striatal target structures within the extrapyramidal motor system. The study was designed to explore the potential of grafted fetal striatal neurones implanted into the IA-lesioned striatum to compensate for the structural, neurochemical, metabolic and behavioural defects of IA-lesioned rats. Extending previous studies, we report here that such striatal implants can significantly ameliorate the lesion-induced locomotor hyperactivity and at least partly normalize the metabolic hyperactivity in the extrapyramidal neuronal system.     

Metal-insulator transition in chains with correlated disorder

According to Bloch's theorem, electronic wavefunctions in perfectly ordered crystals are extended, which implies that the probability of finding an electron is the same over the entire crystal. Such extended states can lead to metallic behaviour. But when disorder is introduced in the crystal, electron states can become localized, and the system can undergo a metal-insulator transition (also known as an Anderson transition). Here we theoretically investigate the effect on the physical properties of the electron wavefunctions of introducing long-range correlations in the disorder in one-dimensional binary solids, and find a correlation-induced metal-insulator transition. We perform numerical simulations using a one-dimensional tight-binding model, and find a threshold value for the exponent characterizing the long-range correlations of the system. Above this threshold, and in the thermodynamic limit, the system behaves as a conductor within a broad energy band; below threshold, the system behaves as an insulator. We discuss the possible relevance of this result for electronic transport in DNA, which displays long-range correlations and has recently been reported to be a one-dimensional disordered conductor.     

Amplification of the miR-181c/d cluster is inversely correlated with PDCD4 expression in gastric cancer

miR-181c/d is dysregulated in gastric cancer （GC）. We investigated the amplification and expression of miR-181c/d and its predicted target genes in GC. Amplification of miR-181c/d was quantified by genomic real-time PCR in GC and adjacent normal tissues, as well as the levels of mature miR-181c/d was performed by real-time PCR in the same tissues. The potential target genes of miR-181c/d were predicted using bioinformatics software. Expression of one potential target gene, PDCD4, was measured by semiquantitative RT-PCR, real-time PCR, and immunohistochemistry. Next, the relationship between miR181c/d expression and PDCD4 expression was analyzed. Results indicated that the amplification and expression of miR-181 c/d were significantly higher in GC than in adjacent normal tissues （primary miR-181 c/d, P 〈 0.001; miR-181 c,P = 0.0344; miR-18 ld, P = 0.0153）, and there was a strong correlation between mature miR-181c/d and primary miR-181c/d. Thirty-two target genes were predicted, including PDCD4 which is a known tumor suppressor gene. Expression of PDCD4 was significantly down-regulated in GC as compared to adjacent normal tissues and was inversely correlated with miR-181c/d expression in GC （miR-18lc and PDCD4： R = -0.496, P = 0.008; miR-181d and PDCD4： R = -0.454, P = 0.003）. Therefore, miR-181c/d may play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of GC by down- regulating PDCD4 expression.     

Genomic rearrangements correlated with antigenic variation in Trypanosoma brucei

The capacity of African trypanosomes to express sequentially a large repertoire of different surface antigens during an infection enables the parasite to evade the immune response of its host, and makes attempts to produce a vaccine against the disease difficult. It is evident that point mutations cannot account for antigen diversity. Variable antigens like immunoglobulins are derived from an extensive family of genes of which only one is expressed in a given cell. As somatic tic recombination is involved in the immunoglobulin gene system, this similarity prompted us to search for somatic rearrangements in trypanosome variable antigen genes. We have constructed a recombinant plasmid containing approximately half the DNA sequence coding for a Trypanosoma brucei variable antigen and hybridised the inserted sequences to various restriction enzyme digests of nuclear DNA from different trypanosome clones. Differences in the sizes of restriction tion fragments hybridising to the inserted variable antigen coding sequence show altered positions of enzyme sites relative to this sequence, indicating different arrangements of DNA sequences around this gene in different trypanosome clones.