Exposure to bisphenol A induces neurotoxicity associated with synaptic and cytoskeletal dysfunction in neuro-2a cells.

Bisphenol A (BPA) has been reported to injure the developing and adult brain. However, the underlying mechanism still remains elusive. This study used neuro-2a cells as a cellular model to investigate the neurotoxic effects of BPA. Microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) and tau protein maintain microtubule normal function and promote the normal development of the nervous system. Synaptophysin (SYP) and drebrin (Dbn) proteins are involved in regulating synaptic plasticity. Cells were exposed to the minimum essential medium (MEM), 0.01% (v/v) DMSO, and 150 µM BPA for 12, 24, or 36 h. Morphological analysis revealed that the cells in the BPA-treated groups shrank and collapsed compared with those in the control groups. CCK-8 and lactate dehydrogenase assay (LDH) assays showed that the mortality of neuro-2a cells increased as the BPA treatment time was prolonged. Ultrastructural analysis further revealed that cells demonstrated nucleolar swelling, dissolution of nuclear and mitochondrial membranes, and partial mitochondrial condensation following exposure to BPA. BPA also decreased the relative protein expression levels of MAP2, tau, and Dbn. Interestingly, the relative protein expression levels of SYP increased. These results indicated that BPA inhibited the proliferation and disrupted cytoskeleton and synaptic integrity of neuro-2a cells.

Exposure to fluoride induces apoptosis in the liver, kidney, and heart of Xenopus laevis by regulating the Caspase-8/3 signaling pathway.

Fluoride compounds are abundant and widely distributed in the environment at various concentrations, which can seriously injure the human body. In this study, we aim to evaluate the effects of excessive fluoride exposure on the liver, kidney, and heart tissues of healthy female Xenopus laevis by administering NaF (0, 100, and 200 mg/L) in drinking water for 90 days. The expression level of procaspase-8, cleaved-caspase-8, and procaspase-3 proteins were determined by Western blot. Compared with the control group, the group exposed to NaF exhibited expression levels of procaspase-8, cleaved-caspase-8, and procaspase-3 proteins that were considerably upregulated at a concentration of 200 mg/L in the liver and kidney. The cleaved-caspase-8 protein expression in the group exposed to a high concentration of NaF was lower than that in the control group in heart. Histopathological results by hematoxylin and eosin staining showed that excessive NaF exposure caused necrosis of hepatocytes and vacuolization degeneration. Granular degeneration and necrosis in renal tubular epithelial cells were also observed. Moreover, hypertrophy of myocardial cells, atrophy of myocardial fibers and disorder of myocardial fibers were detected. These results demonstrated that NaF-induced apoptosis and the mediated death receptor pathway activation ultimately damaged the liver and kidney tissues. This finding offers a fresh perspective on the effects of F-induced apoptosis in X. laevis.

Evaluation of BPA effects on autophagy in Neuro-2a cells.

Bisphenol A (BPA), which is used for the industrial production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins, is found in many commercially available products. Plasticizer BPA produces chemical substances worldwide, and knowledge of its effects on humans and animals is increasing. In the present work, the morphology of cells was observed by optical microscopy and phalloidin staining to evaluate the toxic effect of BPA on Neuro-2a cells. Autophagy has an important role in the regulation of cell metabolism. To study the effect of BPA on the autophagy in Neuro-2a cells, the expression distribution of LC3 was detected by immunofluorescence, and the expression levels of p62 and Beclin1 were determined using western blot and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), respectively. Optical microscopy and phalloidin staining revealed that the cells became rounded and small and that the dendritic spine of the cells were reduced at high BPA doses. Immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated that the expression of LC3 fluorescence intensity was weak at increasing BPA concentrations. Western blot results showed that the relative expression of protein p62 increased significantly and that the relative expression levels of the Beclin1 and the LC3 proteins significantly decreased with increasing BPA concentration. qRT-PCR results showed that the relative expression level of autophagy-related p62 mRNA increased significantly and that the relative expression level of Beclin1 mRNA decreased significantly with increasing BPA concentration. The above results indicated that BPA treatment exerted dose-dependent toxic effects on Neuro-2a cells, and BPA inhibited the autophagy level of Neuro-2a cells, thereby providing a new perspective in studying the toxic effect of BPA on Neuro-2a cells.

Analysis of differentially expressed circRNAs in longissimus muscle between castrated and intact male pigs.

Castration can reduce odor and fights in boars, but the carcass yield is reduced, and the intramuscular fat content is increased. Understanding its molecular mechanism is of great significance for production. Recent studies have shown that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play an important role(s) in the regulation of muscle development. To explore the effects of circRNAs on the development of longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle after castration, six Huainan male pigs were selected and three of which were randomly castrated. Six pigs were slaughtered when their body weight reached around 130 kg, and the LD muscle samples were collected. The differentially expressed circRNAs (DECs) were screened by high-throughput sequencing and functionally analyzed using the KEGG databases. DECs-miRNAs network was constructed, and the expression profiles of candidate circRNAs and their interactions with miRNAs were verified in porcine skeletal muscle satellite cells. The results showed that a total of 5866 circRNAs were obtained, and 370 DECs were identified in LD muscle between the castrated and intact groups (| log2Foldchange | > 1, padj <0.8). KEGG enrichment indicated that the parental genes for the DECs were mainly enriched in the pathways associated with muscle development, muscle fiber type transformation, and energy metabolism. There were 8 miRNAs and 69 circRNAs enriched in the DECs-miRNA network. circRNA_2241 and circRNA_4237 were selected for verification, which showed that these two circRNAs really existed and their expression profiles were consistent with the sequencing results. Further, preliminary analysis showed that circRNA_2241 interacted with miR-1, and testosterone promoted circRNA_2241 but inhibited miR-1 expression. These results confirmed that circRNAs might participate in the regulation of LD muscle development after castration by interacting with miRNAs, thereby providing new materials and references for analyses on the molecular mechanisms of castration on the regulation of muscle development.

Bisphenol-A exposure induced neurotoxicity and associated with synapse and cytoskeleton in Neuro-2a cells.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an environmental chemical that induces neurotoxic effects for human. Synaptophysin (SYP) and drebrin (Dbn) proteins are involved in regulating synaptic morphology. The stability of the cytoskeleton in nerve cells in the brain is regulated by Tau and MAP2. This study aimed to determine the toxicity of BPA to Neuro-2a cells by investigating the synaptic and cytoskeletal damage induced in these cells by 24 h of exposure to 0 (MEM), 50, 100, 150, or 200 µM BPA or DMSO. MTT and LDH assays showed that the death rates of Neuro-2a cells increased, as the BPA concentration increased. Ultrastructural assays revealed that cells underwent nucleolar swelling as well as nuclear membrane and partial mitochondrial dissolution or condensation, following BPA exposure. Morphological analysis further revealed that compared with the cells in the control group, the cells in the BPA-treated groups shrank, became rounded, and exhibited a reduced number of synapses. BPA also significantly decreased the relative protein and mRNA expression levels of Dbn, MAP2 and Tau (P < .01), but increased the relative protein and mRNA expression levels of SYP (P < .01). These results indicated that BPA suppressed the development and proliferation of Neuro-2a cells by disrupting cellular and synaptic integrity and inflicting cytoskeleton injury.

Identification of key bacterial populations affecting early embryonic development in cattle uterus.

Superovulation is an important animal breeding biotechnology, while the quality of embryos obtained from superovulation is unstable in cattle. The relationship between the microorganisms in the cattle uterus and embryo qualities was determined to identify the key bacterial populations affecting early embryonic development. A total of 10 Xia Nan cows underwent superovulation, we collected cervical mucus and flush samples to investigated by 16S rDNA sequencing. Results showed that there were abundant microorganisms in cervical mucus, but no obvious relationship with the quality of embryos. The clustering results of flush samples were consistent with the grouping of embryo quality. Proteobacteria accounted for more than 95% of the total bacterial community in group A with the best embryo quality (qualified embryo ratio above 0.8), and as embryo quality decreased, the Proteobacteria proportion also decreased. In contrast to the proportion of Proteobacteria, the proportions of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes significantly increased as embryo quality decreased. For group C with the worst embryo quality, the proportions of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes increased to 4.7 times and 12.3 times of group A, respectively. These results showed that the quantities and proportions of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes may be related to early embryonic development in cattle.

iTRAQ-based proteomic analysis reveals key proteins affecting cardiac function in broilers that died of sudden death syndrome.

Sudden death syndrome (SDS), which is a cardiac-related condition commonly observed in chickens selected for rapid growth, causes significant economic losses to the global poultry industry. Its pathogenesis in broilers is poorly understood, and little is known about the proteome of the heart tissue of SDS broilers. A quantitative proteomic approach using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification labeling of peptides was used to characterize the protein expression profiles in the left ventricle of SDS broilers. These proteins were further analyzed by bioinformatics, and two proteins were validated by western blot analysis. We identified 186 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), of which 72 were upregulated, and 114 were downregulated in the SDS group. Functional annotation suggested that 7 DEPs were related to cardiac muscle contraction, and another 7 DEPs were related to cardiac energy metabolism. Protein interaction network predictions indicated that differences in cardiac muscle contraction between SDS and healthy groups were regulated by troponin T, tropomyosin alpha-1 chain, fast myosin heavy chain HCIII, myosin-1B, coronin, and myoglobin, whereas differences in cardiac energy metabolism and biosynthesis of amino acids were regulated by gamma-enolase, phosphoglycerate mutase, NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase chain 2, serine/threonine-protein kinase, myoglobin, and alpha-amylase. Our expression profiles provide useful information and new insights into key proteins to elucidate SDS for further studies.

Unique multiple paternity in the endangered big-headed turtle (Platysternon megacephalum) in an ex situ population in South China.

Understanding the mating system and reproductive strategies of an endangered species is critical to the success of captive breeding. The big-headed turtle (Platysternon megacephalum) is one of the most threatened turtle species in the world. Captive breeding and reintroduction are necessary to re-establish wild populations of P. megacephalum in some of its historical ranges in China, where the original populations have been extirpated. However, the captive breeding of P. megacephalum is very difficult and this may be due to its mysterious reproductive strategies and special behavior (e.g., aggressive temperament and territoriality). In this study, we achieved successful captive breeding of P. megacephalum by creating a habitat that mimics natural conditions and then investigated its mating system using microsatellite makers. A total of 16 clutches containing 79 eggs of P. megacephalum were collected, and 52 were hatched successfully over two breeding seasons. Of the 15 effective clutches, 6 clutches (40%) exhibited multiple paternity. There was no significant correlation between clutch size and multiple paternity, and no significant difference in hatching success between multiple-sired and single-sired clutches. However, there was significant correlation between male body size and the number of offspring, with higher-ranked males contributing to more clutches. Our results provide the first evidence of multiple paternity and male hierarchy in P. megacephalum. These findings suggest that multiple paternity and male hierarchy should be considered in captive breeding programs for P. megacephalum, and creating a habitat that mimics natural conditions is an effctive way to achieve successful captive breeding and investigate the mating systems of this species.

Comprehensive Analysis of Differentially Expressed mRNA, lncRNA and circRNA and Their ceRNA Networks in the Longissimus Dorsi Muscle of Two Different Pig Breeds.

Circular RNA (circRNA) and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) are known to participate in adipogenesis and myogenic differentiation, but their impact on porcine muscle traits is not well understood. We compared their expressional profiles in the longissimus dorsi muscle of Chinese Huainan pigs (HN, the fat type) and Western commercial Duroc×(Landrace×Yorkshire) (DLY, the thin type) pigs, and 854 mRNAs, 233 lncRNAs, and 66 circRNAs (p < 0.05 and ｜log2FoldChange｜>1) were found to be differentially expressed. The differentially expressed mRNA and circRNA parental genes were enriched in the Wnt signaling pathway (adipogenesis), the transition between fast and slow fibers (myogenic differentiation), and alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism (pork flavor). The potential lncRNAs/circRNAs-miRNAs-mRNAs regulatory networks shared MYOD1, PPARD, miR-423-5p and miR-874, which were associated with skeletal muscle muscular proliferation, differentiation/regeneration and adipogenesis. Taken together, these differentially expressed non-coding RNAs may be involved in the molecular basis of muscle traits, acting as the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for miRNAs.

Cadmium induces actin cytoskeleton alterations and dysfunction in Neuro-2a cells.

Cadmium (Cd) is considered a possible etiological factor in neurodegenerative diseases. However, the exact mechanism by which Cd induces neurotoxicity is not well elucidated. In this study, Neuro-2a cells were treated with 0, 10, 20, and 40 µM cadmium chloride for 24 hours to investigate the effects of Cd on the cytoskeleton of nerve cells. MTT assay and ELISA assay were used to examine cell viability and release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) from cells, respectively. Results showed that Cd reduced cell viability and increased the release of LDH in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). The morphology of treated cell was damaged as indicated by cell collapse and dimensionality reduction. Moreover, the axonal spines and normal features of Cd-treated neurons disappeared. We checked the ultrastructure of Neuro-2a cells and found that Cd-induced swelling, membrane damage, overflow of cytoplasm contents, and cell fragmentation. Damaged mitochondria, expanded endoplasmic reticulum, and abnormal microfilaments were found in Cd-treated cells rather than in untreated cells. Compared with the control group, the relative release of glutamate in the supernatant after Cd treatment was reduced, indicating that Cd exposure could reduce the release of glutamate by inhibiting the function of nerve-2a cells. Cd decreased the mRNA and protein expression levels of cytoskeletal proteins including DBN, SYP, and TAU, which might promote cytoskeleton alterations in Cd-treated cells. In conclusion, Cd-induced actin cytoskeleton alterations and dysfunction of cultured neurons. The results of the present study provide new insights for the investigation of Cd-induced neurotoxicity.

Fluoride-induced alterations of synapse-related proteins in the cerebral cortex of ICR offspring mouse brain.

Fluoride (F) exposure causes cognitive dysfunction in humans and animals. However, the precise molecular mechanisms by which fluoride exerts its neurotoxic effects are poorly understood. In this study, an animal model of fluoride exposure was created by providing ICR mice were treated with vehicle F at a dose of 0 (control group), 50 (low-fluoride group) or 100 mg/L (high-fluoride group) in water for one month. After the mice mated, parents and offspring were treated and maintained under these conditions. The cognitive abilities of the mice were examined using a Morris water maze test. Results indicated that fluoride exposure significantly prolonged the escape latency period and decreased the number of crossings in a particular zone. Histopathologic analysis revealed the shrinkage and fragmentation of glial cells in the fluoride-treated groups. Pyramidal cells in the cerebral cortices of fluoride-treated groups were fewer than those of the control group. The expression of microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) and synaptic proteins of the cerebral cortex in mouse offspring was assayed using RT-PCR and Western blot. Fluoride exposure possibly induced a significantly decreased expression of MAP2, synaptophysin (SYP) and developmentally regulated brain protein (Dbn) at protein and mRNA levels. Glutamate receptor (N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor, NMDAR) was also expressed, and this finding was consistent with the reduced MAP2, SYP and Dbn expression. Therefore, fluoride-mediated reduction in cognitive dysfunction is likely caused by the disruption of the expression of these synapse-associated proteins, resulting in attenuated neuronal functioning.

Identification and characterization of long non-coding RNAs in subcutaneous adipose tissue from castrated and intact full-sib pair Huainan male pigs.

BACKGROUND: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate adipose tissue metabolism, however, their function on testosterone deficiency related obesity in humans is less understood. For this research, intact and castrated male pigs are the best model animal because of their similar proportional organ sizes, cardiovascular systems and metabolic features. RESULTS: We identified lncRNAs in subcutaneous adipose tissue by deep RNA-sequencing using the intact and castrated Huainan male pigs. The results showed that castration reduced serum testosterone but increased body fatness-related traits (serum triglyceride levels, backfat thickness, intramuscular fat content, and adipocyte size). Meanwhile, 343 lncRNAs from subcutaneous adipose tissue were identified, including 223 intergenic lncRNAs (lincRNAs), 68 anti-sense lncRNAs, and 52 intronic lncRNAs. It was predicted that there were 416 recognition sites for C/EBPα in the 303 lncRNA promoter region, and 13 adipogenesis-promoting miRNAs and five adipogenesis-depressing miRNAs target these lncRNAs. Eighteen lncRNAs, including nine up- and nine down-regulated had more than 2-fold differential expression between the castrated and intact male pigs (q-value < 0.05). Functional analysis indicated that these 18 lncRNAs and their target genes were involved in fatty acid, insulin, and the adipocytokine signaling pathway. We further analyzed the features of a conserved mouse lncRNA gene ENSMUST00000189966 and found it mainly expressed in the cell nucleus and target the Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 2 Group F Member 2 (NR2F2) gene. In 3 T3-L1 cells, differentiation down-regulated their expression, but dihydrotestosterone (DHT) significantly up-regulated their expression in a concentration-dependent manner (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that lncRNAs and their target genes might participated in the castration-induced fat deposition and provide a new therapeutic target for combatting testosterone deficiency-related obesity.

Long non-coding RNA analysis of muscular responses to testosterone deficiency in Huainan male pigs.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) participated in growth and development of skeletal muscle; however, little is known about their response to testosterone deficiency in porcine skeletal muscle. We compared lean mass related carcass traits and lncRNAs expression files in Longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle between intact and castrated Huainan male pigs. The results showed that castration significantly reduced eye muscle area and lean meat percentage (P < 0.05), but increased the fat mass weight (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, 8946 lncRNAs, including 6743 intergenic lncRNAs (lincRNAs), 498 anti-sense lncRNAs, and 1705 intronic lncRNAs, were identified in porcine LD, among which, 385 lncRNAs were considered as the differentially expressed candidates between intact groups and castrated groups (q-value < 0.05). Functional analysis indicated that these differently expressed lncRNAs and their target genes were involved in the estrogen receptor signaling pathway and skeletal and muscular system development and function. We first detect porcine muscular lncRNA response to castration, and the results suggested that lncRNAs and their target genes participated in the regulation of testosterone deficiency-related skeletal muscle growth.

Haplotypes in the promoter region of the CIDEC gene associated with growth traits in Nanyang cattle.

Cell death-inducing DFFA-like effector c (CIDEC, also known as Fsp27) has emerged as an important regulator of metabolism associated with lipodystrophy, diabetes, and hepatic steatosis. It is required for unilocular lipid droplet formation and optimal energy storage. The mechanism between this gene and livestock growth traits, however, has yet to be reported. In this study, we found ten novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 5' transcriptional region of CIDEC in Nanyang (NY) cattle, which are located in the recognition sequences (potential cis-acting elements) of 22 transcription factors, and the nine haplotypes represent nine different combinations of polymorphic potential cis-acting elements. The results indicated that individuals with the H8-H8 diplotype had heavier body weights and faster growth rates (P < 0.01) at 18th months than those with H1-H8. We evaluated the transcriptional activities of different haplotypes in vitro, the results were consistent with the association analysis. The H8 haplotype had 1.88-fold (P < 0.001) higher transcriptional activity than the H1 haplotype. We speculate that the haplotypes of the potential cis-acting elements may affect the transcriptional activity of CIDEC, thus affecting the growth traits of cattle. This information may be used in molecular marker-assisted selection of cattle breeding in the future.

Captive breeding of pangolins: current status, problems and future prospects.

Pangolins are unique placental mammals with eight species existing in the world, which have adapted to a highly specialized diet of ants and termites, and are of significance in the control of forest termite disaster. Besides their ecological value, pangolins are extremely important economic animals with the value as medicine and food. At present, illegal hunting and habitat destruction have drastically decreased the wild population of pangolins, pushing them to the edge of extinction. Captive breeding is an important way to protect these species, but because of pangolin's specialized behaviors and high dependence on natural ecosystem, there still exist many technical barriers to successful captive breeding programs. In this paper, based on the literatures and our practical experience, we reviewed the status and existing problems in captive breeding of pangolins, including four aspects, the naturalistic habitat, dietary husbandry, reproduction and disease control. Some recommendations are presented for effective captive breeding and protection of pangolins.

Two novel polymorphisms of bovine SIRT2 gene are associated with higher body weight in Nanyang cattle.

Identification of polymorphisms associated with economic traits is important for successful marker-assisted selection in cattle breeding. The family of mammalian sirtuin regulates many biological functions, such as life span extension and energy metabolism. SIRT2, a most abundant sirtuin in adipocytes, acts as a crucial regulator of adipogenic differentiation and plays a key role in controlling adipose tissue function and mass. Here we investigated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of bovine SIRT2 in 1226 cattle from five breeds and further evaluated the effects of identified SNPs on economically important traits of Nanyang cattle. Our results revealed four novel SNPs in bovine SIRT2, one was located in intronic region and the other three were synonymous mutations. Linkage disequilibrium and haplotype analyses based on the identified SNPs showed obvious difference between crossbred breed and the other four beef breeds. Association analyses demonstrated that SNPs g.17333C > T and g.17578A > G have a significantly effect on 18-months-old body weight of Nanyang population. Animals with combined genotype TTGG at the above two loci exhibited especially higher body weight. Our data for the first time demonstrated that polymorphisms in bovine SIRT2 are associated with economic traits of Nanyang cattle, which will be helpful for future cattle selection practices.

Spirometra (Pseudophyllidea, Diphyllobothriidae) severely infecting wild-caught snakes from food markets in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, Guangdong, China: implications for public health.

Sparganosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the spargana of Spirometra, and snake is one of the important intermediate hosts of spargana. In some areas of China, snake is regarded as popular delicious food, and such a food habit potentially increases the prevalence of human sparganosis. To understand the prevalence of Spirometra in snakes in food markets, we conducted a study in two representative cities (Guangzhou and Shenzhen), during January-August 2013. A total of 456 snakes of 13 species were examined and 251 individuals of 10 species were infected by Spirometra, accounting for 55.0% of the total samples. The worm burden per infected snake ranged from 1 to 213, and the prevalence in the 13 species was 0∼96.2%. More than half (58.1%) of the spargana were located in muscular tissue, 25.6% in subcutaneous tissue, and 16.3% in coelomic cavity. The results indicated that Spirometra severely infected snakes in food markets in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, implying that eating snakes has great health risk and improper cooking methods may increase the risk of Spirometra infection in humans in China. Additional steps should be considered by the governments and public health agencies to prevent the risk of snake-associated Spirometra infections in humans.

Isolation and characterization of 14 polymorphic microsatellite loci in the big-headed turtle (Platysternon megacephalum).

The big-headed turtle (Platysternon megacephalum) is critically endangered because of overharvesting, illegal trade, and habitat destruction. Assessment of genetic variability in existing populations becomes very important to the taxonomy and conservation of this species. Here we describe 14 microsatellite loci isolated from an enriched genomic library of the big-headed turtle, and the polymorphisms of these loci were assessed in 28 individuals from Huizhou, Heyuan, Zhaoqing, and Shaoguan of Guangdong, China. The range of polymorphism information content is 0.305-0.738, and no evidence of significant linkage disequilibrium was found among any pairs of loci. These 14 new polymorphic microsatellite loci can be used in population genetics, taxonomy, phylogeography, behavior ecology, and conservation efforts of Platysternon megacephalum.

An Asp7Gly substitution in PPARG is associated with decreased transcriptional activation activity.

As the master regulator of adipogenesis, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG) is required for the accumulation of adipose tissue and hence contributes to obesity. A previous study showed that the substitution of +20A>G in PPARG changed the 7(th) amino acid from Asp to Gly, creating a mutant referred to as PPARG Asp7Gly. In this study, association analysis indicated that PPARG Asp7Gly was associated with lower body height, body weight and heart girth in cattle (P<0.05). Overexpression of PPARG in NIH3T3-L1 cells showed that the Asp7Gly substitution may cause a decrease in its adipogenic ability and the mRNA levels of CIDEC (cell death-inducing DFFA-like effector c) and aP2, which are all transcriptionally activated by PPARG during adipocyte differentiation. A dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to analyze the promoter activity of CIDEC. The results confirmed that the mutant PPARG exhibited weaker transcriptional activation activity than the wild type (P<0.05). These findings likely explain the associations between the Asp7Gly substitution and the body measurements. Additionally, the Asp7Gly mutation may be used in molecular marker assisted selection (MAS) of cattle breeding in the future.

Highly pathogenic Salmonella Pomona was first isolated from the exotic red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) in the wild in China: Implications for public health.

Salmonella Pomona, a highly pathogenic serotype, can cause severe human salmonellosis, especially in children. Turtles and other reptiles are reservoirs for S. Pomona, and these cold-blooded animals remain a source of human Salmonella infections. Since the 1980s, this serotype has become a significant public health concern because of the increasing number of cases of S. Pomona infection in humans. To date, outbreaks of Salmonella Pomona infection in humans have mainly occurred in the United States, with some in other countries (e.g. Belgium, Germany, Canada), and most of the infections in humans were associated with turtles and other reptiles. In China, S. Pomona was first isolated from the feces of an infant in Shanghai in 2000, and two further cases of S. Pomona infection in humans were later found in Guangzhou. No one knew the source of S. Pomona in China. In this study, for the first time we isolated S. Pomona from free-living exotic red-eared sliders in the wild in China. Salmonella serotype (S. Pomona) was isolated from 16 turtle samples. The total carrying rate of S. Pomona in the collected red-eared sliders was 39% (n = 41) overall: 40% (n = 25) in juveniles and 38% (n = 16) in adult turtles. This study suggests that the widespread exotic red-eared sliders may impact on public health and ecosystems of China by transmitting S. Pomona. Additional steps should be considered by the governments and public health agencies to prevent the risk of turtle-associated Salmonella infections in humans in China.