Range extension and species confirmation of Rhyneptesicus nasutus (Sind Serotine Bat) (Mammalia:Chiroptera) from Bajaur Agency, FATA, Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: The lack of morphological differentiation among chiropteran species and cryptic speciation impedes species identification. DNA-based approaches help species identification and contribute to the discovery of additional species. Rhyneptesicus nasutus (Sind Serotine Bat) is a rare and poorly studied species in Pakistan. METHODS: This study explores the range extension of Sind Bat within the territorial limits of Pakistan from Sind and Baluchistan to Federally Administered Areas of Pakistan. No molecular record exists for the species in Pakistan. In the present study, we for the first time confirm species identification of Rhyneptesicus nasutus from Pakistan using a genetic marker (cytochrome b) along with morphometric analysis. A neighbor-joining tree based on Kimura-2 parameters was created to infer phylogenetic relationships. We sequenced the cytochrome b gene segment and conducted a phylogenetic analysis with previously published data from other countries. RESULTS: Sequences from Pakistan formed a clade with Iranian Rhyneptesicus nasutus specimens suggesting a common ancestry. Various morphometric parameters (mean values) were measured, including Head and Body length (44.3 mm), Tail length (43.4 mm), Hindfoot length (8.3 mm), Forearm length (35.7 mm), and Ear length 36 mm while 5th Metacarpal Length, 4th Metacarpal Length, and 3rd Metacarpal Lengths were 33.2 mm, 34.7 mm, and 35.3 mm. Approaches based on DNA barcoding reveal a high diversity of bat species in the study area. CONCLUSION: The data will enable researchers to build an improved evolutionary framework of the Serotine Bats from this region and subsequently reconstruct a detailed evolutionary history of the genus. Further research is required to test other molecular markers to support the findings of the current study in Pakistan.

Diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic potential of long noncoding RNAs in cancer.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are longer than 200 nucleotides in length and undergo splicing, capping, polyadenylation, and editing just like mRNA. Evidence is growing that they regulate transcription, splicing, RNA degradation, and translation of genes and that their expression has been linked to a variety of illnesses, including cancer. The advancement of next-generation and high-throughput sequencing has changed the way lncRNAs are identified and characterized, revealing a relationship between lncRNAs and several tumor types. Since then, they have gained a significant attraction as a promising candidate in cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy. Furthermore, they are a good candidate for consideration as tumor biomarkers due to their high stability, better tissue/cell selectivity, aberrant expression in certain malignancies, and easy and noninvasive detection. In addition, lncRNAs are being examined as therapeutic targets in clinical trials for a variety of malignancies. This review highlights the potential of lncRNAs as biomarkers or therapeutic targets in light of the current progress, clinical investigations, and patents filed so far.