[Preferred Medical Specialties of Medical Students in Contrast to the Need for General Practitioners in Saxony]. / Facharztpräferenzen von Medizinstudierenden im Kontrast zum Bedarf an Allgemeinmedizinern in Sachsen.

Aim of the study: Especially in the rural areas of Germany, there are not enough general practitioners (GPs) for primary care. Preferred medical specialties of medical students can help get an estimate of the number of future GPs. This study compares this estimate to the current need for GPs in Saxony. Methods: 587 medical students at the second, sixth and tenth semester were invited to take part in an anonymous cross-sectional study regarding their specialty preferences at the Technical University Dresden. Based on the data of the medical requirements for Saxony, 4 model calculations were generated for comparison of the estimated numbers of future GPs and the current need for GPs. Results: The most commonly preferred medical specialties were surgery (19.1%), internal medicine (12.9%), pediatrics (11.6%) and general practice (9.9%). A significant increase in specialist preference for GP was observed from the sixth (4.9%) to the tenth semester (14.0%). The model calculations show that approximately 29% to 111% of the open positions for GPs could be filled by the potential new GPs from Dresden. Conclusion: Currently, medical students planning to become GPs cannot meet the corresponding need for GPs. Future studies should include the points of view of students, continuing education assistants, GPs and patients.

Expanded comparative mapping between man and rabbit and detection of a new conserved segment between HSA22 and OCU4.

Rabbit, a domestic species exploited both in animal production and medical research has only recently begun to be included in gene mapping projects, in particular by the French National Institute of Agronomics. By 2002, less than 60 genes had been precisely localised on rabbit chromosomes, which led us to start a large-scale project on gene mapping in rabbit with the publication of 133 gene localisations in 2003 (Chantry-Darmon et al., 2003). Here, we report the localisation of 102 new genes resulting in good coverage of the rabbit genome and an eight-fold enrichment of the gene map. In addition, we have detected a new conserved segment between rabbit chromosome 4q15.3 and part of human chromosome 22 and thus improved the comparative map with the human genome.

133 new gene localizations on the rabbit cytogenetic map.

Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), besides its interest for medical research and biotechnological applications, has a small agronomic production in southern European countries. However, it is still a "map-poor" species with about 80 genes mapped. Recently, useful tools for research on this species have been developed, such as heterologous human-rabbit chromosome painting data and a rabbit BAC library. In this study, our aim is to enrich the rabbit cytogenetic map using the FISH technique. Towards this, we have used cDNAs (rabbit and non rabbit) present in the public databases to determine intra-exon primers used to screen our three-genome equivalent BAC library, by standard PCR directly on DNA pools, and by hybridization of high-density filters. 133 BAC clones containing the genes of interest were isolated and FISH-mapped to the rabbit chromosomes. We present the localization of new genes on all rabbit chromosomes except OCU20 and OCUY and some preliminary data on the rabbit/human comparative map. In addition, this set of BAC clones quite regularly distributed on the rabbit genome will be useful to isolate microsatellites, in order to construct a first generation genetic map.

Lipoma in the cerebellopontine angle.

A case of lipoma in the cerebellopontine angle is reported. Intracranial lipomas are very rare, especially in the cerebellopontine angle. To our knowledge, only four cases, including our own, have been operated upon. Until now, total extirpation has not been possible. The singular appearance on computed tomography scanning of this dysembryoplasia is presented together with a bibliography of this subject.

Analysis of a horse family with a crossing-over between the ELA complex and the A blood group system.

A horse family in which a recombination occurred in the chromosome region coding for the serological specificities of the ELA complex and those of the A blood group system of a mare was further analysed by mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) and Southern blot hybridization. This family consisted of a stallion, a mare and five full sibs. The stallion and the mare were heterozygous for internationally recognized ELA specificities while only the mare was heterozygous for the A blood group system. MLR between all members of the family confirmed that the stallion possessed two different ELA haplotypes and suggested that recombination in the mare occurred outside the segment delimited by the ELA-A locus and the MLR region. DNA samples from all individuals were investigated by Southern blot analysis using three restriction enzymes (EcoRI, HindIII or TaqI), three human HLA probes (one of class I cDNA and two of class II probes), one cDNA (DR beta) and one genomic (DQ alpha). Class I and class II restriction fragments of the mare segregated in accordance to the ELA specificities and thus clearly confirming that the crossing-over did not occur between the ELA-A gene and the class I, class II region nor between DR beta and DQ alpha subsets. The A blood group genetic determinants would thus be situated outside the ELA region defined by class I and class II genes.

Modulation of polymorphic loci detection with synthetic tandem repeat variants.

The modifications of hybridization patterns were studied when Southern blots, carrying stallions DNA samples, were probed with eight synthetic tandem repeats (STRs), related by sequence variations in the basic unit. Because STRs preferentially crosshybridize with genomic VNTRs, they usually give patterns looking more like DNA fingerprints, but we found that even small modifications in the STR monomer could cause major changes in the hybridization profiles and could induce a shift of fingerprint pattern towards the detection of only one or two loci. This enables the use of STRs as direct genetic markers for linkage analysis, without cloning of the corresponding DNA fragment. Moreover, the set of STR variants can suggest consensus sequences allowing some prediction of the banding pattern.

Evidence for linkage between K88ab, K88ac intestinal receptors to Escherichia coli and transferrin loci in pigs.

Segregation at the loci coding for the K88ab and K88ac small intestinal receptors to E. coli adhesins (K88abR, K88acR) and at the transferrin (TF) locus was studied in 38 pig families including 273 piglets. The TF locus showed a segregation deviation towards the B variant while each of the K88 receptors behaved as a single autosomal dominant gene. Recombinants between K88abR and K88acR provide evidence that they are under the control of two different loci. Thirty-two triple backcross families were selected to test linkage and estimate recombination rates (theta). Our results demonstrate that the two K88 receptor loci are closely linked (theta = 0.02) with a maximum lod score value (Zm) of 46.0. In addition, they are linked to the TF locus, theta = 0.14, Zm = 19.6 for the K88abR locus and theta = 0.16, Zm = 17.9 for the K88acR locus. The estimated recombination rates, smaller in males than in females, are consistent with the order TF-K88abR-K88acR. This linkage thus localizes the K88 loci, as the TF locus, on chromosome 13.

Molecular genetic analysis of the major histocompatibility complex in an ELA typed horse family.

Restriction fragment length polymorphism was studied in an ELA typed horse family which included a stallion, a mare with two full-sibs, another mare with three full-sibs and, in addition, three paternal half-sibs. DNA samples from all individuals were investigated by Southern blot analysis using three restriction enzymes (EcoRI, HindIII or TaqI) and human cDNA class I, class II (DR beta) and class III (C4) probes. In addition, a genomic class II DQ alpha probe was used. Fragments hybridized with the various probes revealed the existence of DNA sequences homologous to HLA class I, DR beta, DQ alpha and C4 genes in the horse. Polymorphic fragments were found when DNA was hybridized with class I and class II probes irrespective of the enzyme used; but hybridization with the C4 probe did not reveal variability. All polymorphic fragments segregated according to the ELA serological specificities, thus indicating a close linkage between the different revealed subregions. Banding patterns suggest that the horse possesses about 20-30 class I genes, probably more than one DR beta and DQ alpha genes and possibly only one C4 gene. The high degree of polymorphism observed suggests that molecular DNA typing may represent a potentially powerful aid to decision in parentage control determination.

Restriction fragment length polymorphism of ovine casein genes: close linkage between the alpha s1-, alpha s2-, beta- and kappa-casein loci.

Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of ovine casein genes was investigated. Genomic DNA from 56 rams was digested with 10 restriction endonucleases and Southern blots probed with the four ovine casein cDNAs (alpha s1-, beta-, alpha s2- and kappa-Cn). Five enzymes, namely, BglI, PvuII, RsaI, TaqI and HindIII revealed nine different RFLPs. The inheritance of six of these polymorphisms was studied by segregation analysis of gametes in nine rams' families, and each of them could be related to the existence of alleles at the relevant casein locus. A close linkage between the four ovine casein genes was demonstrated since no recombination within the four pairs of loci examined, alpha s1-beta-Cn, alpha s1-kappa-Cn, beta-kappa-Cn and alpha s2-kappa-Cn, was observed in the progeny of double heterozygous rams. The casein genes are thus clustered in the ovine species as in the case of other mammals.

Establishment of an R-banded rabbit karyotype nomenclature by FISH localization of 23 chromosome-specific genes on both G- and R-banded chromosomes.

Direct detection of fluorescent in situ hybridization signals on R-banded chromosomes stained with propidium iodide is a rapid and efficient method for constructing cytogenetic maps for species with R-banded standard karyotypes. In this paper, our aim is to establish an R-banded rabbit karyotype nomenclature that is in total agreement with the 1981 G-banded standard nomenclature. For this purpose, we have produced new GTG- and RBG-banded mid-metaphase karyotypes and an updated version of ideograms of R-banded rabbit chromosomes. In addition, to confirm correlations between G- and R-banded chromosomes, we have defined a set of 23 rabbit BAC clones, each containing a specific gene, one marker gene per rabbit chromosome, and we have localized precisely each BAC clone by FISH on both G- and R-banded chromosomes.

Characterization, genetic and physical mapping analysis of 36 horse plasmid and cosmid-derived microsatellites.

Thirty-six new horse microsatellites (11 from plasmid libraries and 25 from a cosmid library) were isolated and characterized on a panel of four horse breeds. Thirty were found to be polymorphic with heterozygosity levels ranging between 0.20 and 0.87. Twenty-two of the cosmids were physically mapped to R-banded single horse Chromosomes (Chrs) 1, 3, 4, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23 and three to pericentromeric regions. Furthermore, linkage analysis between a selection of 42 DNA markers, including those presented in this study, and 16 conventional markers of the horse hemotype was performed on six paternal half-sib horse families. Five linkage groups were detected, of which four were assigned to Chr 10, 11, 15, and 18. This work increased by one-third the number of published polymorphic DNA markers suitable for horse mapping and approximately doubled the number of known linkage groups. Our cosmids labeled 14 out of the 31 horse autosomes. Moreover, the physical anchoring of part of these markers will orient linkage and synteny groups on the chromosomes and will contribute to their assignment.