Identification and characterization of the duck enteritis virus (DEV) US2 gene.

The US2 protein has been reported to contribute to duck enteritis virus (DEV) infection; however, its kinetics and localization during infection, and whether it is a component of virion, have not been previously reported. To elucidate the function of DEV US2, US2 was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and inserted into pET-32a(+); this was expressed, the recombinant US2 protein was purified, and a polyclonal antibody generated. In addition, the kinetics and localization of the US2 gene and protein were determined by quantitative real-time fluorescent PCR, ganciclovir (GCV), and cycloheximide (CHX) treatment, western-blot, and indirect immunofluorescence assay. The packaging of US2 into DEV virions was revealed by a protease protection assay. US2 was found to be transcribed 24 h post-infection (pi) and peaked at 72 h pi; the US2 protein was detected 48 h pi, except in the presence of GCV or CHX. US2 was packed into virions and also localized to the plasma membrane and cytoplasm in infected cells. The results showed that the DEV US2 is a late gene, and that its encoding protein could be a tegument component localized mainly in the cytoplasm. This study provides useful data for the further analysis of DEV US2, including an explanation for the genetic conservation among alphaherpesviruses.

Association between ß1 adrenergic receptor gene Arg389Gly polymorphism and risk of heart failure: a meta-analysis.

Numerous studies have evaluated the association between Arg389Gly polymorphism in the ß1 adrenergic receptor gene and heart failure risk. However, the specific association is still controversial. We performed a meta-analysis of all case-control studies that evaluated the association between Arg389Gly polymorphism and heart failure in humans. Studies were identified in the PubMed, Embase, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases. Two reviewers independently assessed the studies. Six case-control studies with a total of 1736 participants were included in the meta-analysis, including 882 cases with heart failure and 854 controls, and our results showed no association between the Arg389Gly polymorphism and heart failure [ArgArg vs GlyGly: odds ratio (OR) = 0.84, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.59-1.20; ArgArg vs ArgGly: OR = 0.95, 95%CI 0.78-1.16; dominant model: OR = 1.08, 95%CI 0.89-1.31; recessive model: OR = 0.96, 95%CI 0.69-1.35]. No publication bias was found in the present study (all P values > 0.05). In conclusion, the ß1 adrenergic receptor gene Arg389Gly polymorphism might not be associated with heart failure risk. Further large and well-designed studies are needed to confirm this conclusion.

Isolation and characterization of 16 novel microsatellite loci in two inbred strains of the Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus).

The Shanyi inbred A and E strains of the Chinese hamster are widely used in biomedical research, but detailed genetic characterization has been lacking. We developed microsatellite markers that could be used for genetic diversity analysis and linkage map construction. We isolated and characterized 16 novel microsatellite loci from a microsatellite-enriched genomic DNA library. These loci were genotyped in 48 animals from the two strains, and the polymorphic information content was determined. In the Shanyi A and E populations, 14 and 15 loci were found to be polymorphic, respectively, with polymorphic information content ranging from 0.1393 to 0.8082 and from 0.1109 to 0.7397, respectively. A total of 115 alleles were found for the 16 microsatellite loci in the two populations; the mean observed heterozygosity (H(O)) was 0.5191 and 0.4333 for the A and E populations, respectively, indicating marked genetic variation within the two populations. Correspondingly, the F(ST) values ranged from 0.002 to 0.9253, with an overall mean of 0.1935, indicating significant genetic difference between the two strains. The population differentiation levels were substantiated by Nei's genetic distance and full Bayesian analyses computed with STRUCTURE. Despite the genetic diversity and differentiation within and between the two inbred populations, the 48 individuals were correctly allocated into their original populations with high statistical confidence based on these 16 microsatellite loci. These novel microsatellite loci should be useful genetic markers for these two Chinese hamster inbred strains.