Mycobacterium haemophilum infection with cutaneous involvement: two case reports and an updated literature review: Mycobacterium haemophilum skin infection.

Mycobacterium haemophilum (MH) is a slow-growing, non-tuberculous Mycobacterium that most commonly causes infections in immunocompromised patients. The skin is the most prevalent site of infection and can be an isolated presentation or part of a disseminated disease. Herein, we reported a case of isolated MH infection of the hand and a case of disseminated MH infection with multiple skin lesions. In addition, other MH cases with cutaneous involvement over the last 10 years, from 2011-2022, were reviewed and analyzed. Among the 79 included cases, the common skin findings in MH infections included nodules, ulcers, abscesses, swelling, and pustules. Middle-aged patients with iatrogenic immunosuppression from glucocorticoids, mycophenolate mofetil, cyclosporine, and cyclophosphamide are the most susceptible to MH infection, with a higher risk of dissemination to internal organs. Disseminated MH infections commonly present as tenosynovitis, arthritis/arthralgia, or osteomyelitis. There is a lack of strong evidence for treatment; however, triple therapy of quinolone, macrolides, and rifampicin is most often used in clinical practice. The overall prognosis is good. The presence of iatrogenic immunocompromised diseases, lesions involving the proximal limbs, and dissemination of MH infections are associated with worse clinical outcomes.

Characteristics of Female Germline Stem Cells from Porcine Ovaries at Sexual Maturity.

Pigs share many anatomical and physiological features with humans, offering a unique and viable model for biomedical research. Although porcine female germline stem cells (FGSCs) were identified in the juvenile ovary, no reports described the isolation and purification of FGSCs from the pig at sexual maturity. Here, we isolated, purified, and cultured FGSCs from porcine ovaries at sexual maturity. Furthermore, we established and characterized the porcine FGSC (pFGSC) lines. In addition, we found that pFGSC lines could differentiate into oocytes when injection into tissue grafts, including human ovarian tissues. The results show that FGSCs exist in ovaries of Banna mini-pigs at juvenile and sexually maturity. These findings have implications in animal biotechnology applications and regeneration medicine.

Identification and SNP association analysis of a novel gene in chicken.

A novel gene that was predicted to encode a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) transcript was identified in a previous study that aimed to detect candidate genes related to growth rate differences between Chinese local breed Gushi chickens and Anka broilers. To characterise the biological function of the lncRNA, we cloned and sequenced the complete open reading frame of the gene. We performed quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to analyse the expression patterns of the lncRNA in different tissues of chicken at different development stages. The qPCR data showed that the novel lncRNA gene was expressed extensively, with the highest abundance in spleen and lung and the lowest abundance in pectoralis and leg muscle. Additionally, we identified a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at the 5'-end of the gene and studied the association between the SNP and chicken growth traits using data from an F2 resource population of Gushi chickens and Anka broilers. The association analysis showed that the SNP was significantly (P < 0.05) associated with leg muscle weight, chest breadth, sternal length and body weight in chickens at 1 day, 4 weeks and 6 weeks of age. We concluded that the novel lncRNA gene, which we designated pouBW1, may play an important role in regulating chicken growth.

Extrinsic and intrinsic factors controlling spermatogonial stem cell self-renewal and differentiation.

Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), the stem cells responsible for male fertility, are one of a small number of cells with the abilities of both self-renewal and generation of large numbers of haploid cells. Technology improvements, most importantly, transplantation assays and in vitro culture systems have greatly expanded our understanding of SSC self-renewal and differentiation. Many important molecules crucial for the balance between self-renewal and differentiation have been recently identified although the exact mechanism(s) remain largely undefined. In this review, we give a brief introduction to SSCs, and then focus on extrinsic and intrinsic factors controlling SSCs self-renewal and differentiation.

SNPs in the adiponectin receptor 2 gene and their associations with chicken performance traits.

The adiponectin receptor 2 (ADIPOR2) is a receptor for both globular and full-length adiponectin. In the current study, two genetic variations in ADIPOR2 gene were identified in an F2 resource population of Gushi chicken and Anka broiler. Association analysis between the two SNPs and chicken performance traits were determined using the linear mixed model. The data revealed that the g.34490C > T mutation in intron 3 was significantly associated with liver weight and globulin, the g.35363T > C polymorphism in exon 5 was significantly associated with body weights at 6, 10, and 12 weeks of age. Both polymorphisms have no significant effects on serum glucose and fat-related traits. The g.34490C > T mutation might play an important role in regulating liver weight. The g.35363T > C polymorphism does contribute in a significant manner to growth traits at the medium and later development stage but it is uncertain whether it could be a molecular marker for liver disease.