Reproductive mode evolution in lizards revisited: updated analyses examining geographic, climatic and phylogenetic effects support the cold-climate hypothesis.

Viviparity, the bearing of live young, has evolved well over 100 times among squamate reptiles. This reproductive strategy is hypothesized to allow maternal control of the foetus' thermal environment and thereby to increase the fitness of the parents and offspring. Two hypotheses have been posited to explain this phenomenon: (i) the cold-climate hypothesis (CCH), which advocates low temperatures as the primary selective force; and (ii) the maternal manipulation hypothesis (MMH), which advocates temperature variability as the primary selective force. Here, we investigate whether climatic and geographic variables associated with the CCH vs. the MMH best explain the current geographical distributions of viviparity in lizards while incorporating recent advances in comparative methods, squamate phylogenetics and geospatial analysis. To do this, we compared nonphylogenetic and phylogenetic models predicting viviparity based on point-of-capture data from 20,994 museum specimens representing 215 lizard species in conjunction with spatially explicit bioclimatic and geographic (elevation and latitude) data layers. The database we analysed emphasized Nearctic lizards from three species-rich genera (Phrynosoma, Plestiodon and Sceloporus); however, we additionally analysed a less substantial, but worldwide sample of species to verify the universality of our Nearctic results. We found that maximum temperature of the warmest month (and, less commonly, elevation and maximum temperature of the driest quarter) was frequently the best predictor of viviparity and showed an association consistent with the CCH. Our results strongly favour the CCH over the MMH in explaining lizard reproductive mode evolution.

Diagnosis of copy number variation by Illumina next generation sequencing is comparable in performance to oligonucleotide array comparative genomic hybridisation.

Array comparative genomic hybridisation (aCGH) profiling is currently the gold standard for genetic diagnosis of copy number. Next generation sequencing technologies provide an alternative and adaptable method of detecting copy number by comparing the number of sequence reads in non-overlapping windows between patient and control samples. Detection of copy number using the BlueGnome 8×60k oligonucleotide aCGH platform was compared with low resolution next generation sequencing using the Illumina GAIIx on 39 patients with developmental delay and/or learning difficulties who were referred to the Leeds Clinical Cytogenetics Laboratory. Sensitivity and workflow of the two platforms were compared. Customised copy number algorithms assessed sequence counts and detected changes in copy number. Imbalances detected on both platforms were compared. Of the thirty-nine patients analysed, all eleven imbalances detected by array CGH and confirmed by FISH or Q-PCR were also detected by CNV-seq. In addition, CNV-seq reported one purported pathogenic copy number variant that was not detected by array CGH. Non-pathogenic, unconfirmed copy number calls were detected by both platforms; however few were concordant between the two. CNV-seq offers an alternative to array CGH for copy number analysis with resolution and future costs comparable to conventional array CGH platforms and with less stringent sample requirements.

Novel Ameloblastin Variants, Contrasting Amelogenesis Imperfecta Phenotypes.

Amelogenesis imperfecta (AI) comprises a group of rare, inherited disorders with abnormal enamel formation. Ameloblastin (AMBN), the second most abundant enamel matrix protein (EMP), plays a critical role in amelogenesis. Pathogenic biallelic loss-of-function AMBN variants are known to cause recessive hypoplastic AI. A report of a family with dominant hypoplastic AI attributed to AMBN missense change p.Pro357Ser, together with data from animal models, suggests that the consequences of AMBN variants in human AI remain incompletely characterized. Here we describe 5 new pathogenic AMBN variants in 11 individuals with AI. These fall within 3 groups by phenotype. Group 1, consisting of 6 families biallelic for combinations of 4 different variants, have yellow hypoplastic AI with poor-quality enamel, consistent with previous reports. Group 2, with 2 families, appears monoallelic for a variant shared with group 1 and has hypomaturation AI of near-normal enamel volume with pitting. Group 3 includes 3 families, all monoallelic for a fifth variant, which are affected by white hypoplastic AI with a thin intact enamel layer. Three variants, c.209C>G; p.(Ser70*) (groups 1 and 2), c.295T>C; p.(Tyr99His) (group 1), and c.76G>A; p.(Ala26Thr) (group 3) were identified in multiple families. Long-read AMBN locus sequencing revealed these variants are on the same conserved haplotype, implying they originate from a common ancestor. Data presented therefore provide further support for possible dominant as well as recessive inheritance for AMBN-related AI and for multiple contrasting phenotypes. In conclusion, our findings suggest pathogenic AMBN variants have a more complex impact on human AI than previously reported.

Sex chromosome elimination, X chromosome inactivation and reactivation in the southern brown bandicoot Isoodon obesulus (Marsupialia: Peramelidae).

Cytogenetic studies have shown that bandicoots (family Peramelidae) eliminate one X chromosome in females and the Y chromosome in males from some somatic tissues at different stages during development. The discovery of a polymorphism for X-linked phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK-1) in a population of Isoodon obesulus from Mount Gambier, South Australia, has allowed us to answer a number of long standing questions relating to the parental source of the eliminated X chromosome, X chromosome inactivation and reactivation in somatic and germ cells of female bandicoots. We have found no evidence of paternal PGK-1 allele expression in a wide range of somatic tissues and cell types from known female heterozygotes. We conclude that paternal X chromosome inactivation occurs in bandicoots as in other marsupial groups and that it is the paternally derived X chromosome that is eliminated from some cell types of females. The absence of PGK-1 paternal activity in somatic cells allowed us to examine the state of X chromosome activity in germ cells. Electrophoresis of germ cells from different aged pouch young heterozygotes showed only maternal allele expression in oogonia whereas an additional paternally derived band was observed in pre-dictyate oocytes. We conclude that reactivation of the inactive X chromosome occurs around the onset of meiosis in female bandicoots. As in other mammals, late replication is a common feature of the Y chromosome in male and the inactive X chromosome in female bandicoots. The basis of sex chromosome loss is still not known; however later timing of DNA synthesis is involved. Our finding that the paternally derived X chromosome is eliminated in females suggests that late DNA replication may provide the imprint for paternal X inactivation and the elimination of sex chromosomes in bandicoots.

SRY and karyotypic status of one abnormal and two intersexual marsupials.

An intersexual agile wallaby (Macropus agilis) with a penis, a pouch and four teats had a sex-chromosome constitution of XXY in lymphocytes and cultured fibroblasts; the sex-determining region Y (SRY) gene was present, consistent with the presence of a testis. An intersexual eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) with a small empty scrotum and no penis, and an abnormal red kangaroo (Macropus rufus) with no penis, pouch or teats, both had XX sex-chromosome complements; the SRY gene was not present, consistent with testis absence. The agile wallaby and grey kangaroo described here provide further evidence that scrotal development in marsupials is independent of the Y chromosome. The cause of the abnormalities in the XX individuals cannot be determined until candidate genes are identified. These animals provide a basis for further genetic studies into marsupial intersexuality and sex differentiation.

Possibility of cross-contamination between dental patients by means of the saliva ejector.

Concern about cross-contamination between dental patients prompted investigation of current suctioning practices. The possibility of the suck-back phenomenon and the presence of oral bacteria in vacuum lines were studied, and dental offices were surveyed concerning the use and disinfection of suction equipment.

Gender differences in adolescent self-esteem: an exploration of domains.

The relationship between gender and global self-esteem in adolescence, while modest, has been well established, with boys consistently scoring higher than girls. In the present study, we sought to understand gender differences in adolescent self-esteem in terms of its component parts. With a relatively large (n = 545) sample of adolescents, drawn from Grades 8, 10, and 12, we specified 8 domains of adolescent self-esteem (personal security, home/parents, peer popularity, academic competence, attractiveness, personal mastery, psychological permeability, and athletic competence) across a number of different instruments and brought them together into a common assessment superstructure. Gender differences as well as the relative contributions of the different domains to overall self-esteem scores were measured. As predicted, boys attained slightly higher global self-esteem scores than girls did, by a difference of .22 standard deviation units. Contrary to our expectation of more balanced domain effects, boys significantly outperformed girls in 6 of 8 domains, whereas the 2 remaining domains exhibited no significant gender differences. There were no main or interaction effects for grade level. In terms of relative contribution of these domains to global self-esteem for the 2 genders, global self-esteem in boys and girls is predicted in very similar strengths and in the same order of magnitude by identical domains of self-esteem: home/parents, personal security, academic competence, attractiveness, and personal mastery--yielding multiple R2s from .88 to .91.

Academic, motivational, and emotional correlates of adolescent dating.

This study is an examination of the relationship between dating status and academic achievement, academic motivation, depression, and self-esteem; it is an investigation of the differential effects wielded by gender and age (grade level) of the dating adolescent in each of these domains. Participants were a relatively large gender-balanced adolescent group (N = 380) from Grades 8, 10, and 12. Dating status was studied first as a binary variable (frequent versus infrequent dating) and second as a dating spectrum, including steady, frequent, and infrequent dating. Results showed that adolescents who dated frequently (more than once or twice a month), whether they were boys or girls, relatively young (8th grade) or more mature (l0th and 12th grades), exhibited consistently and significantly lower levels of academic achievement and academic motivation and higher levels of depressive symptoms. There were no significant effects of dating status on global self-esteem, but, as hypothesized, subscale analyses revealed important subscale-differentiated effects.

Induction of an Fc conformational change by binding of antigen: the generation of protein A-reactive sites in chicken immunoglobulin.

Chicken antibody alone does not bind to Staphylococcus aureus or protein A-Sepharose. Immune complexes containing chicken antibodies do bind, however, showing protein A-binding sites exist on the molecules. Binding does not occur via the antigen contained in the complex. Complexes formed in far antigen excess also bind, suggesting that an induced conformational change in the Fc region of the immunoglobulin occurs but only a fraction of the total chicken antibody is reactive.

Cell lineage determination in the mouse.

During the peri-implantation development of the mouse embryo from the blastocyst through gastrulation, Pou5f1 (OCT-4) down-regulation is closely linked to the initial step of lineage allocation to extraembryonic and embryonic somatic tissues. Subsequently, differentiation of the lineage precursors is subject to inductive tissue interactions and intercellular signalling that regulate cell proliferation and the acquisition of lineage-specific morphological and molecular characteristics. A notable variation of this process of lineage specification is the persistence of Pou5f1 activity throughout the differentiation of the primordial germ cells, which may underpin their ability to produce pluripotent progeny either as stem cells (embryonic germ cells) in vitro or as gametes in vivo. Nevertheless, intercellular signalling still plays a critical role in the specification of the primordial germ cells. The findings that primordial germ cells can be induced from any epiblast cells and that they share common progenitors with other somatic cells provide compelling evidence for the absence of a pre-determined germ line in the mouse embryo.

Sex-chromosome elimination in the bandicoot Isoodon macrourus using Y-linked markers.

Cytogenetic studies have shown that the Y chromosome is eliminated from many somatic cell types of the bandicoot Isoodon macrourus, an Australian marsupial. Molecular techniques allow examination of a greater range of tissue types than that possible using cytogenetic techniques. The presence or absence of the Y chromosome was established using partial sequences of the Y-linked SRY and UBE1Y genes in I. macrourus, with the X-linked gene G6PD as a control. We show that a very small proportion of cells comprising hematopoietic tissues, and even fewer cells in peripheral blood, retain the Y chromosome. The Y chromosome is retained in most brain, liver, kidney, and lung cells and in cardiac and skeletal muscle. We also show that the bandicoot Y chromosome is retained in some cell types within tissues previously believed to completely eliminate the Y chromosome.

Degradation of human myelin in vitro by leucocytes from patients with multiple sclerosis.

In order to study the possible autoimmune basis of multiple sclerosis (MS) a quantitative method has been used to investigate breakdown of human myelin in vitro. We found that serum from MS patients and controls was generally devoid of any myelin degradative activity. However, isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 43% of MS patients showed significant myelin degradative activity as did those from 61.5% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Myelin degradation by cells was found in only 13% of patients with other neurological diseases and in no healthy controls. It is proposed that this non-specific peripheral cellular immune degradative activity originates from cells activated within the central nervous system of MS patients or the joints of individuals with RA. As a result, activity in the blood only indirectly reflects the ongoing inflammatory response at the primary site, accounting for the lack of correlation between changes in the blood and the clinical status of the MS patient. We further propose that the lack of in vitro myelin degradative activity in cells recovered from the cerebrospinal fluid is due to autoaggressive cells being sequestered to the brain.

An in vitro micromethod for the quantitative assessment of central demyelination.

We report the development of a simple and reliable method for the study of demyelination in vitro based on the measurement of 2':3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase in isolated myelin. Using only small quantities of myelin (equivalent to 100 micrograms of myelin protein) the system was tested under conditions that are believed to approximate those found at the site of an inflammatory demyelinating lesion. Treatment with a combination of trypsin, phospholipase A2, and lysophosphatidylcholine was used to evaluate the method. This microsystem has the potential not only for testing the myelinotoxicity of soluble factors but also for investigating the involvement of inflammatory cells in the demyelinating process. Myelin degradation by elicited peritoneal macrophages could be demonstrated at relatively high densities of these cells. Nylon wool purified lymph node T cells from myelin basic protein-primed SJL/J mice, after selective expansion with antigen and interleukin 2, failed to induce any significant myelin breakdown unless a limited number of syngeneic activated macrophages were also present. T cells from mice that had been inoculated with keyhole limpet haemocyanin failed to show any effect. The advantages of this technique over other in vitro systems are that it enables the study of demyelination using syngeneic sources of myelin and defined cell populations.

Nervous and immune system disorders in multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis is probably an acquired infectious disease with an autoimmune response relating to damage to the white matter of the central nervous system. There is evidence of continued intrathecal synthesis of oligoclonal antibody and there are perivascular inflammatory cell infiltrates close to areas of demyelination in the central nervous system. Following adoptive transfer, cells sensitized to the myelin basic protein can cause demyelinating disease in rodent recipients. Unlike the peripherally-mediated immune changes in the experimental model it is argued that autoaggressive cells are generated within the CNS in multiple sclerosis. The possible mechanism of cellular demyelination is discussed and the implication for therapy is reviewed.

Intersexual phenotypes and sex chromosome complements of five South American opossums (Monodelphis domestica).

Intersexual opossums (Monodelphis domestica) from a large captive colony are described. These are the first naturally existing New World (didelphoid) intersexual marsupials for which reproductive phenotype and sex chromosome constitution are reported. One animal was XX, two were XY, and two were XO; all had lower body weight than normal males or females and the overall appearance of females. They were first recognized as abnormal by the presence of a small flaccid, nonstalked scrotum, markedly smaller than the scrotum of a normal male but in an equivalent position cranial to the cloacal aperture. Each scrotum contained a core of fatty connective tissue, but none contained testicular tissue. Teat patterns, seen only after close shaving of the hair over the area of the teat field, varied within and between the various sex genotypes, with one XY and one XO having the paired rudiments typical of normal males. All individuals had gonads, with no transabdominal migration. In the XX intersex there were mature ovaries with Graffian follicles, but in the XY and XO intersexes there was gonadal dysgenesis. The urogenital tract of all was female in appearance but was immature except in the XX intersex. Development of the scrotum and of the teat primordia can be explained on the basis of regulatory gene influences on the X chromosome. Intersex incidence in the colony is probably much higher than that observed because of ascertainment bias.

Improved hemophilia A carrier detection by DDAVP stimulation of factor VIII.

We studied the differential increase in FVIIIc and FVIII R:Ag after the intravenous infusion of 0.30 micrograms/kg DDAVP in 20 obligate hemophilia A carriers and in 20 female controls. FVIIIc increased in carriers (59.5 +/- 23.1 to 137.5 +/- 45.9) and in controls (98.0 +/- 20.7 to 259.9 +/- 57.4) (P less than 0.001), but the magnitude of the FVIIIc increase in carriers was less than that in controls by 51.9% (P less than 0.001). FVIII R:Ag increased comparably in carriers (105.2 +/- 30.4 to 171.9 +/- 25.4) and controls (92.1 +/- 33.0 to 165.2 +/- 20.6). Using the post-DDAVP instead of the standard FVIIIc/FVIII R:Ag ratio, hemophilia carrier detection was increased from 85% (with 10% false positive and 20% false negative assignments) to 95% (with 5% false positive and 5% false negative assignments). Toxicity associated with DDAVP infusion correlated linearly with doses greater than 10.5 +/- 1.3 micrograms/m2 (P less than 0.02) and with total doses greater than 17.0 +/- 4.5 micrograms (P less than 0.02). The use of DDAVP improves carrier detection in factor VIII-deficient hemophilia.

cDNA cloning of the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor of the marsupial Macropus eugenii (tammar wallaby).

cDNA encoding a marsupial polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) was isolated from Macropus eugenii (tammar wallaby) mammary lymph node primarily by reverse transcriptase coupled polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) PCR. This resulted in a 5' truncated clone and, in order to obtain the full-length sequence, genomic walking PCR was utilized. The complete sequence consists of 2696 bp of cDNA and encodes a predicted polypeptide of 732 amino acids. The wallaby sequence is highly conserved in relation to the only other reported marsupial pIgR sequence, that of Trichosurus vulpecula (brushtail possum), having a nucleotide identity of 86.7% and a deduced amino acid identity of 79.9%. The wallaby nucleotide sequence also has a moderate degree of similarity with the pIgR sequences of eutherian mammals, being most similar to that of the rat, with an identity of 63.1%. At the amino acid level, in comparison to eutherian sequences, the wallaby pIgR is most similar to that of humans with an identity of 52.6%. pIgR phylogenetic trees were constructed for tammar wallaby, brushtail possum and several eutherian mammal cDNA and deduced amino acid sequences. In both DNA and protein analyses, the eutherian sequences formed a sister clade to the exclusion of the marsupial sequences, in agreement with the current view of mammalian evolution.