Alternative Splicing and Nonsense-Mediated Decay of a Zebrafish GABA Receptor Subunit Transcript.

The superfamily of Cys-loop ionotropic neurotransmitter receptors includes those that detect GABA, glutamate, glycine, and acetylcholine. There is ample evidence that many Cys-loop receptor subunit genes include alternatively spliced exons. In this study, we report a novel example of alternative splicing (AS): we show that the 68-bp exon 3 in the zebrafish gabrr2b gene-which codes for the ρ2b GABAAR subunit-is an alternative cassette exon. Skipping of gabrr2b exon 3 results in a downstream frame shift and a premature termination codon (PTC). We provide evidence in larval zebrafish that transcripts containing the PTC are subject to degradation through nonsense-mediated decay. We also compile reports of AS of homologous exons in other Cys-loop receptor genes in multiple species. Our data add to a large body of research demonstrating that exon 3 in Cys-loop receptor genes is a conserved site for AS, the effects of which can vary from novel splice-isoform generation to downregulation of gene expression through transcript degradation.

Inpatient dental consultations at a pediatric hospital: A single center 1-year review.

AIMS: Inpatient dental consultations done at a pediatric hospital in 2017 were analyzed to determine consult reasons, requesting departments, and patient characteristics. Findings were compared to a 2007 study from the hospital. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data were collected from medical records. Descriptive statistics and logistic regressions were calculated. In 2017, 300 consults were performed for 211 patients (1.8% of inpatients). hematology-oncology requested the most consults (63%). Evaluation prior to cancer treatment, cardiac surgery, or organ transplantation was the most common reason for consult requests (52%). Fifty-eight percent patients had a dental home; older patients were more likely to have a dental home (P < .001). Patients with a dental home were less likely to have caries (P = .047). Many patients with a dental home had caries (33% in 2007 and 29% in 2017); more patients without a dental home had caries (46% in 2007 and 38% in 2017). CONCLUSIONS: This study both supports the dental home concept and reveals that many children with a dental home have treatment needs. This indicates that medical providers should not equate having a dental home with having dental health and emphasizes the value of an in-hospital dental service to support the management of critically ill children.