Project description:To date, diagnosis of methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) is based primarily on the patient’s self-reports of drug-seeking behaviour and interviews with psychiatrists in the absence of objective biomarkers. As an effective clinical method for diagnosis of MUD is still not available, the development of potential biomarkers for more accurate diagnosis is imperative. Transcription profiling and discovery of biomarkers in the treatment and recovery periods of MUD patients can be used as scientific basis to provide a greater understanding of the disease and to facilitate decisions on whether to continue or not. In this study, RNA sequencing analysis was performed to profile transcripts from hair follicle cells of healthy controls and patients with MUD, and biomarkers were discovered at each transition states to be used to diagnose MUD. This study will present an important information to diagnose MUD using non-invasive biomarkers for human addicts and it will help to develop better pharmacological treatment of MUD in the future.
Project description:This study sought to evaluate the effects of dietary MeHg exposure on adult female yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and zebrafish (Danio rerio) reproduction by relating controlled exposures with subsequent reproductive effects. Yellow perch were used in the study for their socioeconomic and ecological importance within the Great Lakes basin, and the use of zebrafish allowed for a detailed analysis of the molecular effects of MeHg. MeHg exposures at environmentally relevant levels were done in zebrafish for a full life cycle, mimicking a realistic exposure scenario, and in adult yellow perch for twenty weeks, capturing early seasonal ovarian development. In zebrafish, several genes involved in reproductive processes were shown to be dysregulated by RNA-seq and QPCR, but no significant phenotypic or physiological changes were observed with ovarian staging, fecundity, or embryo mortality. Yellow perch did not appear to be affected by MeHg, either at a molecular level, as assessed by QPCR of eight genes in the pituitary, liver, and ovary tissue, or a physiological level, as seen with ovarian somatic index, circulating estradiol, and ovarian staging. Lack of impact in yellow perch limits the usefulness of zebrafish as a model and suggests that the reproductive sensitivity to environmentally relevant levels of MeHg differs between yellow perch and zebrafish.
Project description:Background: The Scylla paramamosain is a very important aquaculture crustacean species in the southeast coastal areas of China including Shantou. For the past few years, mud crab cultured in Niutianyang of Shantou suffered from serious diseases, especially the bacterial diseases (such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus). In eukaryotes, small RNAs can regulate gene expression in post-transcription to act on host-pathogen interaction system. Aims: V.parahaemolyticus isolated from Shantou Niutianyang crab culture area was injected to S.paramamosains to carry out an essential analysis on global miRNA expression in diverse tissues between two groups by the Illumina Solex deep sequencing technology. Methodology:To examine the relationship between mud crab miRNA expression and the bacterial pathogen, we collected mixed two pools of equal amounts of RNA from 7 different mud crab tissues (mesenteron, heart, liver, gill, brain, muscle and blood) and sequencing by Illumine/Solexa deep sequencing technology under normal conditions and during infection with V.parahaemolyticus. The high throughput sequencing resulted in 19,144,358 and 18,559,070 raw reads corresponding to 17,496,577 and 16,888,096 high-quality mappable reads for the normal and infected mixed pools, respectively. Stem-loop RT-qPCRs were used to confirm the microRNAs expression in different tissues of two pools. The results show that miRNAs might play a key role in regulating gene expression during mud crab S.paramamosain infection with V.parahaemolyticus. Conclusions: We identified a large number of miRNAs during the mud crab Scylla paramamosain infection with V.parahaemolyticus, some of which are differentially expressed between the treatments and the controls. The study provides an opportunity for further understanding of small RNA function in the regulation of molecular response and gives us clues for further studies of the mechanisms of V.parahaemolyticus infection in mud crab.
Project description:Background: The Scylla paramamosain is a very important aquaculture crustacean species in the southeast coastal areas of China including Shantou. For the past few years, mud crab cultured in Niutianyang of Shantou suffered from serious diseases, especially the bacterial diseases (such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus). In eukaryotes, small RNAs can regulate gene expression in post-transcription to act on host-pathogen interaction system. Aims: V.parahaemolyticus isolated from Shantou Niutianyang crab culture area was injected to S.paramamosains to carry out an essential analysis on global miRNA expression in diverse tissues between two groups by the Illumina Solex deep sequencing technology. Methodology:To examine the relationship between mud crab miRNA expression and the bacterial pathogen, we collected mixed two pools of equal amounts of RNA from 7 different mud crab tissues (mesenteron, heart, liver, gill, brain, muscle and blood) and sequencing by Illumine/Solexa deep sequencing technology under normal conditions and during infection with V.parahaemolyticus. The high throughput sequencing resulted in 19,144,358 and 18,559,070 raw reads corresponding to 17,496,577 and 16,888,096 high-quality mappable reads for the normal and infected mixed pools, respectively. Stem-loop RT-qPCRs were used to confirm the microRNAs expression in different tissues of two pools. The results show that miRNAs might play a key role in regulating gene expression during mud crab S.paramamosain infection with V.parahaemolyticus. Conclusions: We identified a large number of miRNAs during the mud crab Scylla paramamosain infection with V.parahaemolyticus, some of which are differentially expressed between the treatments and the controls. The study provides an opportunity for further understanding of small RNA function in the regulation of molecular response and gives us clues for further studies of the mechanisms of V.parahaemolyticus infection in mud crab. Examination of miRNA expression in normal Scylla paramamosain group and the Scylla paramamosain infected with Vibrio parahaemolyticus
Project description:Phalaenopsis aprodite subsp. formosana is one of the most important species for Phalaenopsis breeding. A mutant line with variegated leaf is found in this species. The green leaves bear unstable yellow sectors. In order to investigate the molecular mechanism of the variegated mutant line, we sequenced the transcriptome of variegated mutant by Illumina's Solexa sequencing technology. The sequence analysis results showed 22,598 unigenes by de novo assembly method, and the average unigene length was 1,286 bp. The bioinformatics tools were used to screen the differential expression between green and yellow sectors of leaves. There were 389 differentially expressed unigenes were identified. In addition, Gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway analyses revealed diverse biological functions and processes from differentially expressed genes. In transcriptome analysis, seven differential expression gene between the green and yellow sectors of leaves can be identified as CHLM, CRD1, POR, CLH, SGR, psbA and Lhcb6 by RNA deep sequencing. The expression of candidate genes was confirmed using semi-quantitative reverse transcription (RT) PCR and real-time RT PCR. The result showed that the significantly differential expression of CLH and SGR between green and yellow sectors was confirmed. It is suggested that the overexpressed SGR gene promotes the function of chlorophyllase, leading to the rapid degradation of chlorophyll in yellow sector. It causes the chlorophyll to not accumulate in the yellow sector, as a result, the variegated leaves are shown.