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Sample records for duplication concerted evolution

  1. Neutral and Non-Neutral Evolution of Duplicated Genes with Gene Conversion

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    Jeffrey A. Fawcett

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Gene conversion is one of the major mutational mechanisms involved in the DNA sequence evolution of duplicated genes. It contributes to create unique patters of DNA polymorphism within species and divergence between species. A typical pattern is so-called concerted evolution, in which the divergence between duplicates is maintained low for a long time because of frequent exchanges of DNA fragments. In addition, gene conversion affects the DNA evolution of duplicates in various ways especially when selection operates. Here, we review theoretical models to understand the evolution of duplicates in both neutral and non-neutral cases. We also explain how these theories contribute to interpreting real polymorphism and divergence data by using some intriguing examples.

  2. Gene Conversion in Angiosperm Genomes with an Emphasis on Genes Duplicated by Polyploidization

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    Xi-Yin Wang

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Angiosperm genomes differ from those of mammals by extensive and recursive polyploidizations. The resulting gene duplication provides opportunities both for genetic innovation, and for concerted evolution. Though most genes may escape conversion by their homologs, concerted evolution of duplicated genes can last for millions of years or longer after their origin. Indeed, paralogous genes on two rice chromosomes duplicated an estimated 60–70 million years ago have experienced gene conversion in the past 400,000 years. Gene conversion preserves similarity of paralogous genes, but appears to accelerate their divergence from orthologous genes in other species. The mutagenic nature of recombination coupled with the buffering effect provided by gene redundancy, may facilitate the evolution of novel alleles that confer functional innovations while insulating biological fitness of affected plants. A mixed evolutionary model, characterized by a primary birth-and-death process and occasional homoeologous recombination and gene conversion, may best explain the evolution of multigene families.

  3. Evolutionary and polymorphism analyses reveal the central role of BTN3A2 in the concerted evolution of the BTN3 gene family.

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    Afrache, Hassnae; Pontarotti, Pierre; Abi-Rached, Laurent; Olive, Daniel

    2017-06-01

    The butyrophilin 3 (BTN3) receptors are implicated in the T lymphocytes regulation and present a wide plasticity in mammals. In order to understand how these genes have been diversified, we studied their evolution and show that the three human BTN3 are the result of two successive duplications in Primates and that the three genes are present in Hominoids and the Old World Monkey groups. A thorough phylogenetic analysis reveals a concerted evolution of BTN3 characterized by a strong and recurrent homogenization of the region encoding the signal peptide and the immunoglobulin variable (IgV) domain in Hominoids, where the sequences of BTN3A1 or BTN3A3 are replaced by BTN3A2 sequence. In human, the analysis of the diversity of these genes in 1683 individuals representing 26 worldwide populations shows that the three genes are polymorphic, with more than 46 alleles for each gene, and marked by extreme homogenization of the IgV sequences. The same analysis performed for the BTN2 genes shows also a concerted evolution; however, it is not as strong and recurrent as for BTN3. This study shows that BTN3 receptors are marked by extreme concerted evolution at the IgV domain and that BTN3A2 plays a central role in this evolution.

  4. Detecting regular sound changes in linguistics as events of concerted evolution.

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    Hruschka, Daniel J; Branford, Simon; Smith, Eric D; Wilkins, Jon; Meade, Andrew; Pagel, Mark; Bhattacharya, Tanmoy

    2015-01-05

    Concerted evolution is normally used to describe parallel changes at different sites in a genome, but it is also observed in languages where a specific phoneme changes to the same other phoneme in many words in the lexicon—a phenomenon known as regular sound change. We develop a general statistical model that can detect concerted changes in aligned sequence data and apply it to study regular sound changes in the Turkic language family. Linguistic evolution, unlike the genetic substitutional process, is dominated by events of concerted evolutionary change. Our model identified more than 70 historical events of regular sound change that occurred throughout the evolution of the Turkic language family, while simultaneously inferring a dated phylogenetic tree. Including regular sound changes yielded an approximately 4-fold improvement in the characterization of linguistic change over a simpler model of sporadic change, improved phylogenetic inference, and returned more reliable and plausible dates for events on the phylogenies. The historical timings of the concerted changes closely follow a Poisson process model, and the sound transition networks derived from our model mirror linguistic expectations. We demonstrate that a model with no prior knowledge of complex concerted or regular changes can nevertheless infer the historical timings and genealogical placements of events of concerted change from the signals left in contemporary data. Our model can be applied wherever discrete elements—such as genes, words, cultural trends, technologies, or morphological traits—can change in parallel within an organism or other evolving group. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Non-concerted ITS evolution in Mammillaria (Cactaceae).

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    Harpke, Doerte; Peterson, Angela

    2006-12-01

    Molecular studies of 21 species of the large Cactaceae genus Mammillaria representing a variety of intrageneric taxonomic levels revealed a high degree of intra-individual polymorphism of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1, 5.8S rDNA, ITS2). Only a few of these ITS copies belong to apparently functional genes, whereas most are probably non-functional (pseudogenes). As a multiple gene family, the ITS region is subjected to concerted evolution. However, the high degree of intra-individual polymorphism of up to 36% in ITS1 and up to 35% in ITS2 suggests a non-concerted evolution of these loci in Mammillaria. Conserved angiosperm motifs of ITS1 and ITS2 were compared between genomic and cDNA ITS clones of Mammillaria. Some of these motifs (e.g., ITS1 motif 1, 'TGGT' within ITS2) in combination with the determination of GC-content, length comparisons of the spacers and ITS2 secondary structure (helices II and III) are helpful in the identification of pseudogene rDNA regions.

  6. Duplication and concerted evolution of MiSp-encoding genes underlie the material properties of minor ampullate silks of cobweb weaving spiders.

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    Vienneau-Hathaway, Jannelle M; Brassfield, Elizabeth R; Lane, Amanda Kelly; Collin, Matthew A; Correa-Garhwal, Sandra M; Clarke, Thomas H; Schwager, Evelyn E; Garb, Jessica E; Hayashi, Cheryl Y; Ayoub, Nadia A

    2017-03-14

    Orb-web weaving spiders and their relatives use multiple types of task-specific silks. The majority of spider silk studies have focused on the ultra-tough dragline silk synthesized in major ampullate glands, but other silk types have impressive material properties. For instance, minor ampullate silks of orb-web weaving spiders are as tough as draglines, due to their higher extensibility despite lower strength. Differences in material properties between silk types result from differences in their component proteins, particularly members of the spidroin (spider fibroin) gene family. However, the extent to which variation in material properties within a single silk type can be explained by variation in spidroin sequences is unknown. Here, we compare the minor ampullate spidroins (MiSp) of orb-weavers and cobweb weavers. Orb-web weavers use minor ampullate silk to form the auxiliary spiral of the orb-web while cobweb weavers use it to wrap prey, suggesting that selection pressures on minor ampullate spidroins (MiSp) may differ between the two groups. We report complete or nearly complete MiSp sequences from five cobweb weaving spider species and measure material properties of minor ampullate silks in a subset of these species. We also compare MiSp sequences and silk properties of our cobweb weavers to published data for orb-web weavers. We demonstrate that all our cobweb weavers possess multiple MiSp loci and that one locus is more highly expressed in at least two species. We also find that the proportion of β-spiral-forming amino acid motifs in MiSp positively correlates with minor ampullate silk extensibility across orb-web and cobweb weavers. MiSp sequences vary dramatically within and among spider species, and have likely been subject to multiple rounds of gene duplication and concerted evolution, which have contributed to the diverse material properties of minor ampullate silks. Our sequences also provide templates for recombinant silk proteins with tailored

  7. The 5S rDNA family evolves through concerted and birth-and-death evolution in fish genomes: an example from freshwater stingrays

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Background Ribosomal 5S genes are well known for the critical role they play in ribosome folding and functionality. These genes are thought to evolve in a concerted fashion, with high rates of homogenization of gene copies. However, the majority of previous analyses regarding the evolutionary process of rDNA repeats were conducted in invertebrates and plants. Studies have also been conducted on vertebrates, but these analyses were usually restricted to the 18S, 5.8S and 28S rRNA genes. The recent identification of divergent 5S rRNA gene paralogs in the genomes of elasmobranches and teleost fishes indicate that the eukaryotic 5S rRNA gene family has a more complex genomic organization than previously thought. The availability of new sequence data from lower vertebrates such as teleosts and elasmobranches enables an enhanced evolutionary characterization of 5S rDNA among vertebrates. Results We identified two variant classes of 5S rDNA sequences in the genomes of Potamotrygonidae stingrays, similar to the genomes of other vertebrates. One class of 5S rRNA genes was shared only by elasmobranches. A broad comparative survey among 100 vertebrate species suggests that the 5S rRNA gene variants in fishes originated from rounds of genome duplication. These variants were then maintained or eliminated by birth-and-death mechanisms, under intense purifying selection. Clustered multiple copies of 5S rDNA variants could have arisen due to unequal crossing over mechanisms. Simultaneously, the distinct genome clusters were independently homogenized, resulting in the maintenance of clusters of highly similar repeats through concerted evolution. Conclusions We believe that 5S rDNA molecular evolution in fish genomes is driven by a mixed mechanism that integrates birth-and-death and concerted evolution. PMID:21627815

  8. Evolution of the duplicated intracellular lipid-binding protein genes of teleost fishes.

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    Venkatachalam, Ananda B; Parmar, Manoj B; Wright, Jonathan M

    2017-08-01

    Increasing organismal complexity during the evolution of life has been attributed to the duplication of genes and entire genomes. More recently, theoretical models have been proposed that postulate the fate of duplicated genes, among them the duplication-degeneration-complementation (DDC) model. In the DDC model, the common fate of a duplicated gene is lost from the genome owing to nonfunctionalization. Duplicated genes are retained in the genome either by subfunctionalization, where the functions of the ancestral gene are sub-divided between the sister duplicate genes, or by neofunctionalization, where one of the duplicate genes acquires a new function. Both processes occur either by loss or gain of regulatory elements in the promoters of duplicated genes. Here, we review the genomic organization, evolution, and transcriptional regulation of the multigene family of intracellular lipid-binding protein (iLBP) genes from teleost fishes. Teleost fishes possess many copies of iLBP genes owing to a whole genome duplication (WGD) early in the teleost fish radiation. Moreover, the retention of duplicated iLBP genes is substantially higher than the retention of all other genes duplicated in the teleost genome. The fatty acid-binding protein genes, a subfamily of the iLBP multigene family in zebrafish, are differentially regulated by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) isoforms, which may account for the retention of iLBP genes in the zebrafish genome by the process of subfunctionalization of cis-acting regulatory elements in iLBP gene promoters.

  9. 100 million years of multigene family evolution: origin and evolution of the avian MHC class IIB

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Goebel, J.; Promerová, Marta; Bonadonna, F.; McCoy, K. D.; Serbielle, C.; Strandh, M.; Yannic, G.; Burri, R.; Fumagalli, L.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 18, č. 460 (2017), s. 1-9 ISSN 1471-2164 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP505/10/1871 Institutional support: RVO:68081766 Keywords : Birds * Birth -death evolution * Concerted evolution * Gene duplication * Gene conversion * Major histocompatibility complex * Recombination Subject RIV: EG - Zoology OBOR OECD: Genetics and heredity (medical genetics to be 3) Impact factor: 3.729, year: 2016

  10. 100 million years of multigene family evolution: origin and evolution of the avian MHC class IIB

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Goebel, J.; Promerová, Marta; Bonadonna, F.; McCoy, K. D.; Serbielle, C.; Strandh, M.; Yannic, G.; Burri, R.; Fumagalli, L.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 18, č. 460 (2017), s. 1-9 ISSN 1471-2164 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP505/10/1871 Institutional support: RVO:68081766 Keywords : Birds * Birth-death evolution * Concerted evolution * Gene duplication * Gene conversion * Major histocompatibility complex * Recombination Subject RIV: EG - Zoology OBOR OECD: Genetics and heredity (medical genetics to be 3) Impact factor: 3.729, year: 2016

  11. Processes of fungal proteome evolution and gain of function: gene duplication and domain rearrangement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cohen-Gihon, Inbar; Nussinov, Ruth; Sharan, Roded

    2011-01-01

    During evolution, organisms have gained functional complexity mainly by modifying and improving existing functioning systems rather than creating new ones ab initio. Here we explore the interplay between two processes which during evolution have had major roles in the acquisition of new functions: gene duplication and protein domain rearrangements. We consider four possible evolutionary scenarios: gene families that have undergone none of these event types; only gene duplication; only domain rearrangement, or both events. We characterize each of the four evolutionary scenarios by functional attributes. Our analysis of ten fungal genomes indicates that at least for the fungi clade, species significantly appear to gain complexity by gene duplication accompanied by the expansion of existing domain architectures via rearrangements. We show that paralogs gaining new domain architectures via duplication tend to adopt new functions compared to paralogs that preserve their domain architectures. We conclude that evolution of protein families through gene duplication and domain rearrangement is correlated with their functional properties. We suggest that in general, new functions are acquired via the integration of gene duplication and domain rearrangements rather than each process acting independently

  12. Evolution of vertebrate central nervous system is accompanied by novel expression changes of duplicate genes.

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    Chen, Yuan; Ding, Yun; Zhang, Zuming; Wang, Wen; Chen, Jun-Yuan; Ueno, Naoto; Mao, Bingyu

    2011-12-20

    The evolution of the central nervous system (CNS) is one of the most striking changes during the transition from invertebrates to vertebrates. As a major source of genetic novelties, gene duplication might play an important role in the functional innovation of vertebrate CNS. In this study, we focused on a group of CNS-biased genes that duplicated during early vertebrate evolution. We investigated the tempo-spatial expression patterns of 33 duplicate gene families and their orthologs during the embryonic development of the vertebrate Xenopus laevis and the cephalochordate Brachiostoma belcheri. Almost all the identified duplicate genes are differentially expressed in the CNS in Xenopus embryos, and more than 50% and 30% duplicate genes are expressed in the telencephalon and mid-hindbrain boundary, respectively, which are mostly considered as two innovations in the vertebrate CNS. Interestingly, more than 50% of the amphioxus orthologs do not show apparent expression in the CNS in amphioxus embryos as detected by in situ hybridization, indicating that some of the vertebrate CNS-biased duplicate genes might arise from non-CNS genes in invertebrates. Our data accentuate the functional contribution of gene duplication in the CNS evolution of vertebrate and uncover an invertebrate non-CNS history for some vertebrate CNS-biased duplicate genes. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  13. Simulating evolution of protein complexes through gene duplication and co-option.

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    Haarsma, Loren; Nelesen, Serita; VanAndel, Ethan; Lamine, James; VandeHaar, Peter

    2016-06-21

    We present a model of the evolution of protein complexes with novel functions through gene duplication, mutation, and co-option. Under a wide variety of input parameters, digital organisms evolve complexes of 2-5 bound proteins which have novel functions but whose component proteins are not independently functional. Evolution of complexes with novel functions happens more quickly as gene duplication rates increase, point mutation rates increase, protein complex functional probability increases, protein complex functional strength increases, and protein family size decreases. Evolution of complexity is inhibited when the metabolic costs of making proteins exceeds the fitness gain of having functional proteins, or when point mutation rates get so large the functional proteins undergo deleterious mutations faster than new functional complexes can evolve. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Evolution of Cis-Regulatory Elements and Regulatory Networks in Duplicated Genes of Arabidopsis.

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    Arsovski, Andrej A; Pradinuk, Julian; Guo, Xu Qiu; Wang, Sishuo; Adams, Keith L

    2015-12-01

    Plant genomes contain large numbers of duplicated genes that contribute to the evolution of new functions. Following duplication, genes can exhibit divergence in their coding sequence and their expression patterns. Changes in the cis-regulatory element landscape can result in changes in gene expression patterns. High-throughput methods developed recently can identify potential cis-regulatory elements on a genome-wide scale. Here, we use a recent comprehensive data set of DNase I sequencing-identified cis-regulatory binding sites (footprints) at single-base-pair resolution to compare binding sites and network connectivity in duplicated gene pairs in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). We found that duplicated gene pairs vary greatly in their cis-regulatory element architecture, resulting in changes in regulatory network connectivity. Whole-genome duplicates (WGDs) have approximately twice as many footprints in their promoters left by potential regulatory proteins than do tandem duplicates (TDs). The WGDs have a greater average number of footprint differences between paralogs than TDs. The footprints, in turn, result in more regulatory network connections between WGDs and other genes, forming denser, more complex regulatory networks than shown by TDs. When comparing regulatory connections between duplicates, WGDs had more pairs in which the two genes are either partially or fully diverged in their network connections, but fewer genes with no network connections than the TDs. There is evidence of younger TDs and WGDs having fewer unique connections compared with older duplicates. This study provides insights into cis-regulatory element evolution and network divergence in duplicated genes. © 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

  15. Concerted evolution of sea anemone neurotoxin genes is revealed through analysis of the Nematostella vectensis genome.

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    Moran, Yehu; Weinberger, Hagar; Sullivan, James C; Reitzel, Adam M; Finnerty, John R; Gurevitz, Michael

    2008-04-01

    Gene families, which encode toxins, are found in many poisonous animals, yet there is limited understanding of their evolution at the nucleotide level. The release of the genome draft sequence for the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis enabled a comprehensive study of a gene family whose neurotoxin products affect voltage-gated sodium channels. All gene family members are clustered in a highly repetitive approximately 30-kb genomic region and encode a single toxin, Nv1. These genes exhibit extreme conservation at the nucleotide level which cannot be explained by purifying selection. This conservation greatly differs from the toxin gene families of other animals (e.g., snakes, scorpions, and cone snails), whose evolution was driven by diversifying selection, thereby generating a high degree of genetic diversity. The low nucleotide diversity at the Nv1 genes is reminiscent of that reported for DNA encoding ribosomal RNA (rDNA) and 2 hsp70 genes from Drosophila, which have evolved via concerted evolution. This evolutionary pattern was experimentally demonstrated in yeast rDNA and was shown to involve unequal crossing-over. Through sequence analysis of toxin genes from multiple N. vectensis populations and 2 other anemone species, Anemonia viridis and Actinia equina, we observed that the toxin genes for each sea anemone species are more similar to one another than to those of other species, suggesting they evolved by manner of concerted evolution. Furthermore, in 2 of the species (A. viridis and A. equina) we found genes that evolved under diversifying selection, suggesting that concerted evolution and accelerated evolution may occur simultaneously.

  16. Spider Transcriptomes Identify Ancient Large-Scale Gene Duplication Event Potentially Important in Silk Gland Evolution.

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    Clarke, Thomas H; Garb, Jessica E; Hayashi, Cheryl Y; Arensburger, Peter; Ayoub, Nadia A

    2015-06-08

    The evolution of specialized tissues with novel functions, such as the silk synthesizing glands in spiders, is likely an influential driver of adaptive success. Large-scale gene duplication events and subsequent paralog divergence are thought to be required for generating evolutionary novelty. Such an event has been proposed for spiders, but not tested. We de novo assembled transcriptomes from three cobweb weaving spider species. Based on phylogenetic analyses of gene families with representatives from each of the three species, we found numerous duplication events indicative of a whole genome or segmental duplication. We estimated the age of the gene duplications relative to several speciation events within spiders and arachnids and found that the duplications likely occurred after the divergence of scorpions (order Scorpionida) and spiders (order Araneae), but before the divergence of the spider suborders Mygalomorphae and Araneomorphae, near the evolutionary origin of spider silk glands. Transcripts that are expressed exclusively or primarily within black widow silk glands are more likely to have a paralog descended from the ancient duplication event and have elevated amino acid replacement rates compared with other transcripts. Thus, an ancient large-scale gene duplication event within the spider lineage was likely an important source of molecular novelty during the evolution of silk gland-specific expression. This duplication event may have provided genetic material for subsequent silk gland diversification in the true spiders (Araneomorphae). © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  17. Age distribution of human gene families shows significant roles of both large- and small-scale duplications in vertebrate evolution.

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    Gu, Xun; Wang, Yufeng; Gu, Jianying

    2002-06-01

    The classical (two-round) hypothesis of vertebrate genome duplication proposes two successive whole-genome duplication(s) (polyploidizations) predating the origin of fishes, a view now being seriously challenged. As the debate largely concerns the relative merits of the 'big-bang mode' theory (large-scale duplication) and the 'continuous mode' theory (constant creation by small-scale duplications), we tested whether a significant proportion of paralogous genes in the contemporary human genome was indeed generated in the early stage of vertebrate evolution. After an extensive search of major databases, we dated 1,739 gene duplication events from the phylogenetic analysis of 749 vertebrate gene families. We found a pattern characterized by two waves (I, II) and an ancient component. Wave I represents a recent gene family expansion by tandem or segmental duplications, whereas wave II, a rapid paralogous gene increase in the early stage of vertebrate evolution, supports the idea of genome duplication(s) (the big-bang mode). Further analysis indicated that large- and small-scale gene duplications both make a significant contribution during the early stage of vertebrate evolution to build the current hierarchy of the human proteome.

  18. Evolution dynamics of a model for gene duplication under adaptive conflict

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    Ancliff, Mark; Park, Jeong-Man

    2014-06-01

    We present and solve the dynamics of a model for gene duplication showing escape from adaptive conflict. We use a Crow-Kimura quasispecies model of evolution where the fitness landscape is a function of Hamming distances from two reference sequences, which are assumed to optimize two different gene functions, to describe the dynamics of a mixed population of individuals with single and double copies of a pleiotropic gene. The evolution equations are solved through a spin coherent state path integral, and we find two phases: one is an escape from an adaptive conflict phase, where each copy of a duplicated gene evolves toward subfunctionalization, and the other is a duplication loss of function phase, where one copy maintains its pleiotropic form and the other copy undergoes neutral mutation. The phase is determined by a competition between the fitness benefits of subfunctionalization and the greater mutational load associated with maintaining two gene copies. In the escape phase, we find a dynamics of an initial population of single gene sequences only which escape adaptive conflict through gene duplication and find that there are two time regimes: until a time t* single gene sequences dominate, and after t* double gene sequences outgrow single gene sequences. The time t* is identified as the time necessary for subfunctionalization to evolve and spread throughout the double gene sequences, and we show that there is an optimum mutation rate which minimizes this time scale.

  19. Neofunctionalization of Duplicated P450 Genes Drives the Evolution of Insecticide Resistance in the Brown Planthopper.

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    Zimmer, Christoph T; Garrood, William T; Singh, Kumar Saurabh; Randall, Emma; Lueke, Bettina; Gutbrod, Oliver; Matthiesen, Svend; Kohler, Maxie; Nauen, Ralf; Davies, T G Emyr; Bass, Chris

    2018-01-22

    Gene duplication is a major source of genetic variation that has been shown to underpin the evolution of a wide range of adaptive traits [1, 2]. For example, duplication or amplification of genes encoding detoxification enzymes has been shown to play an important role in the evolution of insecticide resistance [3-5]. In this context, gene duplication performs an adaptive function as a result of its effects on gene dosage and not as a source of functional novelty [3, 6-8]. Here, we show that duplication and neofunctionalization of a cytochrome P450, CYP6ER1, led to the evolution of insecticide resistance in the brown planthopper. Considerable genetic variation was observed in the coding sequence of CYP6ER1 in populations of brown planthopper collected from across Asia, but just two sequence variants are highly overexpressed in resistant strains and metabolize imidacloprid. Both variants are characterized by profound amino-acid alterations in substrate recognition sites, and the introduction of these mutations into a susceptible P450 sequence is sufficient to confer resistance. CYP6ER1 is duplicated in resistant strains with individuals carrying paralogs with and without the gain-of-function mutations. Despite numerical parity in the genome, the susceptible and mutant copies exhibit marked asymmetry in their expression with the resistant paralogs overexpressed. In the primary resistance-conferring CYP6ER1 variant, this results from an extended region of novel sequence upstream of the gene that provides enhanced expression. Our findings illustrate the versatility of gene duplication in providing opportunities for functional and regulatory innovation during the evolution of an adaptive trait. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  20. Convergent evolution of gene networks by single-gene duplications in higher eukaryotes.

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    Amoutzias, Gregory D; Robertson, David L; Oliver, Stephen G; Bornberg-Bauer, Erich

    2004-03-01

    By combining phylogenetic, proteomic and structural information, we have elucidated the evolutionary driving forces for the gene-regulatory interaction networks of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors. We infer that recurrent events of single-gene duplication and domain rearrangement repeatedly gave rise to distinct networks with almost identical hub-based topologies, and multiple activators and repressors. We thus provide the first empirical evidence for scale-free protein networks emerging through single-gene duplications, the dominant importance of molecular modularity in the bottom-up construction of complex biological entities, and the convergent evolution of networks.

  1. Restriction and Recruitment—Gene Duplication and the Origin and Evolution of Snake Venom Toxins

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    Hargreaves, Adam D.; Swain, Martin T.; Hegarty, Matthew J.; Logan, Darren W.; Mulley, John F.

    2014-01-01

    Snake venom has been hypothesized to have originated and diversified through a process that involves duplication of genes encoding body proteins with subsequent recruitment of the copy to the venom gland, where natural selection acts to develop or increase toxicity. However, gene duplication is known to be a rare event in vertebrate genomes, and the recruitment of duplicated genes to a novel expression domain (neofunctionalization) is an even rarer process that requires the evolution of novel combinations of transcription factor binding sites in upstream regulatory regions. Therefore, although this hypothesis concerning the evolution of snake venom is very unlikely and should be regarded with caution, it is nonetheless often assumed to be established fact, hindering research into the true origins of snake venom toxins. To critically evaluate this hypothesis, we have generated transcriptomic data for body tissues and salivary and venom glands from five species of venomous and nonvenomous reptiles. Our comparative transcriptomic analysis of these data reveals that snake venom does not evolve through the hypothesized process of duplication and recruitment of genes encoding body proteins. Indeed, our results show that many proposed venom toxins are in fact expressed in a wide variety of body tissues, including the salivary gland of nonvenomous reptiles and that these genes have therefore been restricted to the venom gland following duplication, not recruited. Thus, snake venom evolves through the duplication and subfunctionalization of genes encoding existing salivary proteins. These results highlight the danger of the elegant and intuitive “just-so story” in evolutionary biology. PMID:25079342

  2. Evolution of stress-regulated gene expression in duplicate genes of Arabidopsis thaliana.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cheng Zou

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Due to the selection pressure imposed by highly variable environmental conditions, stress sensing and regulatory response mechanisms in plants are expected to evolve rapidly. One potential source of innovation in plant stress response mechanisms is gene duplication. In this study, we examined the evolution of stress-regulated gene expression among duplicated genes in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Key to this analysis was reconstructing the putative ancestral stress regulation pattern. By comparing the expression patterns of duplicated genes with the patterns of their ancestors, duplicated genes likely lost and gained stress responses at a rapid rate initially, but the rate is close to zero when the synonymous substitution rate (a proxy for time is > approximately 0.8. When considering duplicated gene pairs, we found that partitioning of putative ancestral stress responses occurred more frequently compared to cases of parallel retention and loss. Furthermore, the pattern of stress response partitioning was extremely asymmetric. An analysis of putative cis-acting DNA regulatory elements in the promoters of the duplicated stress-regulated genes indicated that the asymmetric partitioning of ancestral stress responses are likely due, at least in part, to differential loss of DNA regulatory elements; the duplicated genes losing most of their stress responses were those that had lost more of the putative cis-acting elements. Finally, duplicate genes that lost most or all of the ancestral responses are more likely to have gained responses to other stresses. Therefore, the retention of duplicates that inherit few or no functions seems to be coupled to neofunctionalization. Taken together, our findings provide new insight into the patterns of evolutionary changes in gene stress responses after duplication and lay the foundation for testing the adaptive significance of stress regulatory changes under highly variable biotic and abiotic environments.

  3. The evolution of the tape measure protein: units, duplications and losses

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    Poisson Guylaine

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A large family of viruses that infect bacteria, called phages, is characterized by long tails used to inject DNA into their victims' cells. The tape measure protein got its name because the length of the corresponding gene is proportional to the length of the phage's tail: a fact shown by actually copying or splicing out parts of DNA in exemplar species. A natural question is whether there exist units for these tape measures, and if different tape measures have different units and lengths. Such units would allow us to retrace the evolution of tape measure proteins using their duplication/loss history. The vast number of sequenced phages genomes allows us to attack this problem with a comparative genomics approach. Results Here we describe a subset of phages whose tape measure proteins contain variable numbers of an 11 amino acids sequence repeat, aligned with sequence similarity, structural properties, and simple arithmetics. This subset provides a unique opportunity for the combinatorial study of phage evolution, without the added uncertainties of multiple alignments, which are trivial in this case, or of protein functions, that are well established. We give a heuristic that reconstructs the duplication history of these sequences, using divergent strains to discriminate between mutations that occurred before and after speciation, or lineage divergence. The heuristic is based on an efficient algorithm that gives an exhaustive enumeration of all possible parsimonious reconstructions of the duplication/speciation history of a single nucleotide. Finally, we present a method that allows, when possible, to discriminate between duplication and loss events. Conclusions Establishing the evolutionary history of viruses is difficult, in part due to extensive recombinations and gene transfers, and high mutation rates that often erase detectable similarity between homologous genes. In this paper, we introduce new tools to address this

  4. Early vertebrate chromosome duplications and the evolution of the neuropeptide Y receptor gene regions

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    Brenner Sydney

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background One of the many gene families that expanded in early vertebrate evolution is the neuropeptide (NPY receptor family of G-protein coupled receptors. Earlier work by our lab suggested that several of the NPY receptor genes found in extant vertebrates resulted from two genome duplications before the origin of jawed vertebrates (gnathostomes and one additional genome duplication in the actinopterygian lineage, based on their location on chromosomes sharing several gene families. In this study we have investigated, in five vertebrate genomes, 45 gene families with members close to the NPY receptor genes in the compact genomes of the teleost fishes Tetraodon nigroviridis and Takifugu rubripes. These correspond to Homo sapiens chromosomes 4, 5, 8 and 10. Results Chromosome regions with conserved synteny were identified and confirmed by phylogenetic analyses in H. sapiens, M. musculus, D. rerio, T. rubripes and T. nigroviridis. 26 gene families, including the NPY receptor genes, (plus 3 described recently by other labs showed a tree topology consistent with duplications in early vertebrate evolution and in the actinopterygian lineage, thereby supporting expansion through block duplications. Eight gene families had complications that precluded analysis (such as short sequence length or variable number of repeated domains and another eight families did not support block duplications (because the paralogs in these families seem to have originated in another time window than the proposed genome duplication events. RT-PCR carried out with several tissues in T. rubripes revealed that all five NPY receptors were expressed in the brain and subtypes Y2, Y4 and Y8 were also expressed in peripheral organs. Conclusion We conclude that the phylogenetic analyses and chromosomal locations of these gene families support duplications of large blocks of genes or even entire chromosomes. Thus, these results are consistent with two early vertebrate

  5. Duplicability of self-interacting human genes.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Pérez-Bercoff, Asa

    2010-01-01

    BACKGROUND: There is increasing interest in the evolution of protein-protein interactions because this should ultimately be informative of the patterns of evolution of new protein functions within the cell. One model proposes that the evolution of new protein-protein interactions and protein complexes proceeds through the duplication of self-interacting genes. This model is supported by data from yeast. We examined the relationship between gene duplication and self-interaction in the human genome. RESULTS: We investigated the patterns of self-interaction and duplication among 34808 interactions encoded by 8881 human genes, and show that self-interacting proteins are encoded by genes with higher duplicability than genes whose proteins lack this type of interaction. We show that this result is robust against the system used to define duplicate genes. Finally we compared the presence of self-interactions amongst proteins whose genes have duplicated either through whole-genome duplication (WGD) or small-scale duplication (SSD), and show that the former tend to have more interactions in general. After controlling for age differences between the two sets of duplicates this result can be explained by the time since the gene duplication. CONCLUSIONS: Genes encoding self-interacting proteins tend to have higher duplicability than proteins lacking self-interactions. Moreover these duplicate genes have more often arisen through whole-genome rather than small-scale duplication. Finally, self-interacting WGD genes tend to have more interaction partners in general in the PIN, which can be explained by their overall greater age. This work adds to our growing knowledge of the importance of contextual factors in gene duplicability.

  6. Gene duplication, silencing and expression alteration govern the molecular evolution of PRC2 genes in plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furihata, Hazuka Y; Suenaga, Kazuya; Kawanabe, Takahiro; Yoshida, Takanori; Kawabe, Akira

    2016-10-13

    PRC2 genes were analyzed for their number of gene duplications, d N /d S ratios and expression patterns among Brassicaceae and Gramineae species. Although both amino acid sequences and copy number of the PRC2 genes were generally well conserved in both Brassicaceae and Gramineae species, we observed that some rapidly evolving genes experienced duplications and expression pattern changes. After multiple duplication events, all but one or two of the duplicated copies tend to be silenced. Silenced copies were reactivated in the endosperm and showed ectopic expression in developing seeds. The results indicated that rapid evolution of some PRC2 genes is initially caused by a relaxation of selective constraint following the gene duplication events. Several loci could become maternally expressed imprinted genes and acquired functional roles in the endosperm.

  7. Three neuropeptide Y receptor genes in the spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias, support en bloc duplications in early vertebrate evolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salaneck, Erik; Ardell, David H; Larson, Earl T; Larhammar, Dan

    2003-08-01

    It has been debated whether the increase in gene number during early vertebrate evolution was due to multiple independent gene duplications or synchronous duplications of many genes. We describe here the cloning of three neuropeptide Y (NPY) receptor genes belonging to the Y1 subfamily in the spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias, a cartilaginous fish. The three genes are orthologs of the mammalian subtypes Y1, Y4, and Y6, which are located in paralogous gene regions on different chromosomes in mammals. Thus, these genes arose by duplications of a chromosome region before the radiation of gnathostomes (jawed vertebrates). Estimates of duplication times from linearized trees together with evidence from other gene families supports two rounds of chromosome duplications or tetraploidizations early in vertebrate evolution. The anatomical distribution of mRNA was determined by reverse-transcriptase PCR and was found to differ from mammals, suggesting differential functional diversification of the new gene copies during the radiation of the vertebrate classes.

  8. Recombination and evolution of duplicate control regions in the mitochondrial genome of the Asian big-headed turtle, Platysternon megacephalum.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chenfei Zheng

    Full Text Available Complete mitochondrial (mt genome sequences with duplicate control regions (CRs have been detected in various animal species. In Testudines, duplicate mtCRs have been reported in the mtDNA of the Asian big-headed turtle, Platysternon megacephalum, which has three living subspecies. However, the evolutionary pattern of these CRs remains unclear. In this study, we report the completed sequences of duplicate CRs from 20 individuals belonging to three subspecies of this turtle and discuss the micro-evolutionary analysis of the evolution of duplicate CRs. Genetic distances calculated with MEGA 4.1 using the complete duplicate CR sequences revealed that within turtle subspecies, genetic distances between orthologous copies from different individuals were 0.63% for CR1 and 1.2% for CR2app:addword:respectively, and the average distance between paralogous copies of CR1 and CR2 was 4.8%. Phylogenetic relationships were reconstructed from the CR sequences, excluding the variable number of tandem repeats (VNTRs at the 3' end using three methods: neighbor-joining, maximum likelihood algorithm, and Bayesian inference. These data show that any two CRs within individuals were more genetically distant from orthologous genes in different individuals within the same subspecies. This suggests independent evolution of the two mtCRs within each P. megacephalum subspecies. Reconstruction of separate phylogenetic trees using different CR components (TAS, CD, CSB, and VNTRs suggested the role of recombination in the evolution of duplicate CRs. Consequently, recombination events were detected using RDP software with break points at ≈290 bp and ≈1,080 bp. Based on these results, we hypothesize that duplicate CRs in P. megacephalum originated from heterological ancestral recombination of mtDNA. Subsequent recombination could have resulted in homogenization during independent evolutionary events, thus maintaining the functions of duplicate CRs in the mtDNA of P

  9. Implications of duplicated cis-regulatory elements in the evolution of metazoans: the DDI model or how simplicity begets novelty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiménez-Delgado, Senda; Pascual-Anaya, Juan; Garcia-Fernàndez, Jordi

    2009-07-01

    The discovery that most regulatory genes were conserved among animals from distant phyla challenged the ideas that gene duplication and divergence of homologous coding sequences were the basis for major morphological changes in metazoan evolution. In recent years, however, the interest for the roles, conservation and changes of non-coding sequences grew-up in parallel with genome sequencing projects. Presently, many independent studies are highlighting the importance that subtle changes in cis-regulatory regions had in the evolution of morphology trough the Animal Kingdom. Here we will show and discuss some of these studies, and underscore the future of cis-Evo-Devo research. Nevertheless, we would also explore how gene duplication, which includes duplication of regulatory regions, may have been critical for spatial or temporal co-option of new regulatory networks, causing the deployment of new transcriptome scenarios, and how these induced morphological changes were critical for the evolution of new forms. Forty years after Susumu Ohno famous sentence 'natural selection merely modifies, while redundancy creates', we suggest the alternative: 'natural selection modifies, while redundancy of cis-regulatory elements innovates', and propose the Duplication-Degeneration-Innovation model to explain the increased evolvability of duplicated cis-regulatory regions. Paradoxically, making regulation simpler by subfunctionalization paved the path for future complexity or, in other words, 'to make it simple to make it complex'.

  10. Gene duplication and adaptive evolution of digestive proteases in Drosophila arizonae female reproductive tracts.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erin S Kelleher

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available It frequently has been postulated that intersexual coevolution between the male ejaculate and the female reproductive tract is a driving force in the rapid evolution of reproductive proteins. The dearth of research on female tracts, however, presents a major obstacle to empirical tests of this hypothesis. Here, we employ a comparative EST approach to identify 241 candidate female reproductive proteins in Drosophila arizonae, a repleta group species in which physiological ejaculate-female coevolution has been documented. Thirty-one of these proteins exhibit elevated amino acid substitution rates, making them candidates for molecular coevolution with the male ejaculate. Strikingly, we also discovered 12 unique digestive proteases whose expression is specific to the D. arizonae lower female reproductive tract. These enzymes belong to classes most commonly found in the gastrointestinal tracts of a diverse array of organisms. We show that these proteases are associated with recent, lineage-specific gene duplications in the Drosophila repleta species group, and exhibit strong signatures of positive selection. Observation of adaptive evolution in several female reproductive tract proteins indicates they are active players in the evolution of reproductive tract interactions. Additionally, pervasive gene duplication, adaptive evolution, and rapid acquisition of a novel digestive function by the female reproductive tract points to a novel coevolutionary mechanism of ejaculate-female interaction.

  11. Profiling of gene duplication patterns of sequenced teleost genomes: evidence for rapid lineage-specific genome expansion mediated by recent tandem duplications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Jianguo; Peatman, Eric; Tang, Haibao; Lewis, Joshua; Liu, Zhanjiang

    2012-06-15

    Gene duplication has had a major impact on genome evolution. Localized (or tandem) duplication resulting from unequal crossing over and whole genome duplication are believed to be the two dominant mechanisms contributing to vertebrate genome evolution. While much scrutiny has been directed toward discerning patterns indicative of whole-genome duplication events in teleost species, less attention has been paid to the continuous nature of gene duplications and their impact on the size, gene content, functional diversity, and overall architecture of teleost genomes. Here, using a Markov clustering algorithm directed approach we catalogue and analyze patterns of gene duplication in the four model teleost species with chromosomal coordinates: zebrafish, medaka, stickleback, and Tetraodon. Our analyses based on set size, duplication type, synonymous substitution rate (Ks), and gene ontology emphasize shared and lineage-specific patterns of genome evolution via gene duplication. Most strikingly, our analyses highlight the extraordinary duplication and retention rate of recent duplicates in zebrafish and their likely role in the structural and functional expansion of the zebrafish genome. We find that the zebrafish genome is remarkable in its large number of duplicated genes, small duplicate set size, biased Ks distribution toward minimal mutational divergence, and proportion of tandem and intra-chromosomal duplicates when compared with the other teleost model genomes. The observed gene duplication patterns have played significant roles in shaping the architecture of teleost genomes and appear to have contributed to the recent functional diversification and divergence of important physiological processes in zebrafish. We have analyzed gene duplication patterns and duplication types among the available teleost genomes and found that a large number of genes were tandemly and intrachromosomally duplicated, suggesting their origin of independent and continuous duplication

  12. Molecular evolution of a Y chromosome to autosome gene duplication in Drosophila.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dyer, Kelly A; White, Brooke E; Bray, Michael J; Piqué, Daniel G; Betancourt, Andrea J

    2011-03-01

    In contrast to the rest of the genome, the Y chromosome is restricted to males and lacks recombination. As a result, Y chromosomes are unable to respond efficiently to selection, and newly formed Y chromosomes degenerate until few genes remain. The rapid loss of genes from newly formed Y chromosomes has been well studied, but gene loss from highly degenerate Y chromosomes has only recently received attention. Here, we identify and characterize a Y to autosome duplication of the male fertility gene kl-5 that occurred during the evolution of the testacea group species of Drosophila. The duplication was likely DNA based, as other Y-linked genes remain on the Y chromosome, the locations of introns are conserved, and expression analyses suggest that regulatory elements remain linked. Genetic mapping reveals that the autosomal copy of kl-5 resides on the dot chromosome, a tiny autosome with strongly suppressed recombination. Molecular evolutionary analyses show that autosomal copies of kl-5 have reduced polymorphism and little recombination. Importantly, the rate of protein evolution of kl-5 has increased significantly in lineages where it is on the dot versus Y linked. Further analyses suggest this pattern is a consequence of relaxed purifying selection, rather than adaptive evolution. Thus, although the initial fixation of the kl-5 duplication may have been advantageous, slightly deleterious mutations have accumulated in the dot-linked copies of kl-5 faster than in the Y-linked copies. Because the dot chromosome contains seven times more genes than the Y and is exposed to selection in both males and females, these results suggest that the dot suffers the deleterious effects of genetic linkage to more selective targets compared with the Y chromosome. Thus, a highly degenerate Y chromosome may not be the worst environment in the genome, as is generally thought, but may in fact be protected from the accumulation of deleterious mutations relative to other nonrecombining

  13. Gene duplication, modularity and adaptation in the evolution of the aflatoxin gene cluster

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jakobek Judy L

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The biosynthesis of aflatoxin (AF involves over 20 enzymatic reactions in a complex polyketide pathway that converts acetate and malonate to the intermediates sterigmatocystin (ST and O-methylsterigmatocystin (OMST, the respective penultimate and ultimate precursors of AF. Although these precursors are chemically and structurally very similar, their accumulation differs at the species level for Aspergilli. Notable examples are A. nidulans that synthesizes only ST, A. flavus that makes predominantly AF, and A. parasiticus that generally produces either AF or OMST. Whether these differences are important in the evolutionary/ecological processes of species adaptation and diversification is unknown. Equally unknown are the specific genomic mechanisms responsible for ordering and clustering of genes in the AF pathway of Aspergillus. Results To elucidate the mechanisms that have driven formation of these clusters, we performed systematic searches of aflatoxin cluster homologs across five Aspergillus genomes. We found a high level of gene duplication and identified seven modules consisting of highly correlated gene pairs (aflA/aflB, aflR/aflS, aflX/aflY, aflF/aflE, aflT/aflQ, aflC/aflW, and aflG/aflL. With the exception of A. nomius, contrasts of mean Ka/Ks values across all cluster genes showed significant differences in selective pressure between section Flavi and non-section Flavi species. A. nomius mean Ka/Ks values were more similar to partial clusters in A. fumigatus and A. terreus. Overall, mean Ka/Ks values were significantly higher for section Flavi than for non-section Flavi species. Conclusion Our results implicate several genomic mechanisms in the evolution of ST, OMST and AF cluster genes. Gene modules may arise from duplications of a single gene, whereby the function of the pre-duplication gene is retained in the copy (aflF/aflE or the copies may partition the ancestral function (aflA/aflB. In some gene modules, the

  14. Independent Evolution of Winner Traits without Whole Genome Duplication in Dekkera Yeasts.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi-Cheng Guo

    Full Text Available Dekkera yeasts have often been considered as alternative sources of ethanol production that could compete with S. cerevisiae. The two lineages of yeasts independently evolved traits that include high glucose and ethanol tolerance, aerobic fermentation, and a rapid ethanol fermentation rate. The Saccharomyces yeasts attained these traits mainly through whole genome duplication approximately 100 million years ago (Mya. However, the Dekkera yeasts, which were separated from S. cerevisiae approximately 200 Mya, did not undergo whole genome duplication (WGD but still occupy a niche similar to S. cerevisiae. Upon analysis of two Dekkera yeasts and five closely related non-WGD yeasts, we found that a massive loss of cis-regulatory elements occurred in an ancestor of the Dekkera yeasts, which led to improved mitochondrial functions similar to the S. cerevisiae yeasts. The evolutionary analysis indicated that genes involved in the transcription and translation process exhibited faster evolution in the Dekkera yeasts. We detected 90 positively selected genes, suggesting that the Dekkera yeasts evolved an efficient translation system to facilitate adaptive evolution. Moreover, we identified that 12 vacuolar H+-ATPase (V-ATPase function genes that were under positive selection, which assists in developing tolerance to high alcohol and high sugar stress. We also revealed that the enzyme PGK1 is responsible for the increased rate of glycolysis in the Dekkera yeasts. These results provide important insights to understand the independent adaptive evolution of the Dekkera yeasts and provide tools for genetic modification promoting industrial usage.

  15. Concertation rather than Consultation or Negotiation!

    CERN Multimedia

    Staff Association

    2017-01-01

    At CERN, the Concertation between the Management and the Personnel has been in effect since 1983, the year in which the Standing Concertation Committee (SCC) came to replace the Standing Consultation Committee. Since then, the concertation process has been enshrined in the Staff Rules and Regulations, which define its scope of application: “Any proposed measures of a general nature regarding the conditions of employment or association of members of the personnel shall be the subject of discussion within the SCC” (S VII 1.08). More generally, all questions relating to the employment and working conditions of the members of personnel are discussed in the SCC, including in particular issues of remuneration, social protection (CHIS and Pension Fund), career evolution... In Article S VII 1.07 of the Staff Rules and Regulations it is also stated that: “Discussion shall mean a procedure whereby the Director-General and the Staff Association concert together to try to reach a common po...

  16. The roles of segmental and tandem gene duplication in the evolution of large gene families in Arabidopsis thaliana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baumgarten Andrew

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Most genes in Arabidopsis thaliana are members of gene families. How do the members of gene families arise, and how are gene family copy numbers maintained? Some gene families may evolve primarily through tandem duplication and high rates of birth and death in clusters, and others through infrequent polyploidy or large-scale segmental duplications and subsequent losses. Results Our approach to understanding the mechanisms of gene family evolution was to construct phylogenies for 50 large gene families in Arabidopsis thaliana, identify large internal segmental duplications in Arabidopsis, map gene duplications onto the segmental duplications, and use this information to identify which nodes in each phylogeny arose due to segmental or tandem duplication. Examples of six gene families exemplifying characteristic modes are described. Distributions of gene family sizes and patterns of duplication by genomic distance are also described in order to characterize patterns of local duplication and copy number for large gene families. Both gene family size and duplication by distance closely follow power-law distributions. Conclusions Combining information about genomic segmental duplications, gene family phylogenies, and gene positions provides a method to evaluate contributions of tandem duplication and segmental genome duplication in the generation and maintenance of gene families. These differences appear to correspond meaningfully to differences in functional roles of the members of the gene families.

  17. Evolution of homeobox genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holland, Peter W H

    2013-01-01

    Many homeobox genes encode transcription factors with regulatory roles in animal and plant development. Homeobox genes are found in almost all eukaryotes, and have diversified into 11 gene classes and over 100 gene families in animal evolution, and 10 to 14 gene classes in plants. The largest group in animals is the ANTP class which includes the well-known Hox genes, plus other genes implicated in development including ParaHox (Cdx, Xlox, Gsx), Evx, Dlx, En, NK4, NK3, Msx, and Nanog. Genomic data suggest that the ANTP class diversified by extensive tandem duplication to generate a large array of genes, including an NK gene cluster and a hypothetical ProtoHox gene cluster that duplicated to generate Hox and ParaHox genes. Expression and functional data suggest that NK, Hox, and ParaHox gene clusters acquired distinct roles in patterning the mesoderm, nervous system, and gut. The PRD class is also diverse and includes Pax2/5/8, Pax3/7, Pax4/6, Gsc, Hesx, Otx, Otp, and Pitx genes. PRD genes are not generally arranged in ancient genomic clusters, although the Dux, Obox, and Rhox gene clusters arose in mammalian evolution as did several non-clustered PRD genes. Tandem duplication and genome duplication expanded the number of homeobox genes, possibly contributing to the evolution of developmental complexity, but homeobox gene loss must not be ignored. Evolutionary changes to homeobox gene expression have also been documented, including Hox gene expression patterns shifting in concert with segmental diversification in vertebrates and crustaceans, and deletion of a Pitx1 gene enhancer in pelvic-reduced sticklebacks. WIREs Dev Biol 2013, 2:31-45. doi: 10.1002/wdev.78 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. The author declares that he has no conflicts of interest. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Dynamic distribution patterns of ribosomal DNA and chromosomal evolution in Paphiopedilum, a lady's slipper orchid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Albert Victor A

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Paphiopedilum is a horticulturally and ecologically important genus of ca. 80 species of lady's slipper orchids native to Southeast Asia. These plants have long been of interest regarding their chromosomal evolution, which involves a progressive aneuploid series based on either fission or fusion of centromeres. Chromosome number is positively correlated with genome size, so rearrangement processes must include either insertion or deletion of DNA segments. We have conducted Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH studies using 5S and 25S ribosomal DNA (rDNA probes to survey for rearrangements, duplications, and phylogenetically-correlated variation within Paphiopedilum. We further studied sequence variation of the non-transcribed spacers of 5S rDNA (5S-NTS to examine their complex duplication history, including the possibility that concerted evolutionary forces may homogenize diversity. Results 5S and 25S rDNA loci among Paphiopedilum species, representing all key phylogenetic lineages, exhibit a considerable diversity that correlates well with recognized evolutionary groups. 25S rDNA signals range from 2 (representing 1 locus to 9, the latter representing hemizygosity. 5S loci display extensive structural variation, and show from 2 specific signals to many, both major and minor and highly dispersed. The dispersed signals mainly occur at centromeric and subtelomeric positions, which are hotspots for chromosomal breakpoints. Phylogenetic analysis of cloned 5S rDNA non-transcribed spacer (5S-NTS sequences showed evidence for both ancient and recent post-speciation duplication events, as well as interlocus and intralocus diversity. Conclusions Paphiopedilum species display many chromosomal rearrangements - for example, duplications, translocations, and inversions - but only weak concerted evolutionary forces among highly duplicated 5S arrays, which suggests that double-strand break repair processes are dynamic and ongoing. These

  19. Post-duplication charge evolution of phosphoglucose isomerases in teleost fishes through weak selection on many amino acid sites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sato Yukuto

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The partitioning of ancestral functions among duplicated genes by neutral evolution, or subfunctionalization, has been considered the primary process for the evolution of novel proteins (neofunctionalization. Nonetheless, how a subfunctionalized protein can evolve into a more adaptive protein is poorly understood, mainly due to the limitations of current analytical methods, which can detect only strong selection for amino acid substitutions involved in adaptive molecular evolution. In this study, we employed a comparative evolutionary approach to this question, focusing on differences in the structural properties of a protein, specifically the electric charge, encoded by fish-specific duplicated phosphoglucose isomerase (Pgi genes. Results Full-length cDNA cloning, RT-PCR based gene expression analyses, and comparative sequence analyses showed that after subfunctionalization with respect to the expression organ of duplicate Pgi genes, the net electric charge of the PGI-1 protein expressed mainly in internal tissues became more negative, and that of PGI-2 expressed mainly in muscular tissues became more positive. The difference in net protein charge was attributable not to specific amino acid sites but to the sum of various amino acid sites located on the surface of the PGI molecule. Conclusion This finding suggests that the surface charge evolution of PGI proteins was not driven by strong selection on individual amino acid sites leading to permanent fixation of a particular residue, but rather was driven by weak selection on a large number of amino acid sites and consequently by steady directional and/or purifying selection on the overall structural properties of the protein, which is derived from many modifiable sites. The mode of molecular evolution presented here may be relevant to various cases of adaptive modification in proteins, such as hydrophobic properties, molecular size, and electric charge.

  20. Functional requirements driving the gene duplication in 12 Drosophila species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhong, Yan; Jia, Yanxiao; Gao, Yang; Tian, Dacheng; Yang, Sihai; Zhang, Xiaohui

    2013-08-15

    Gene duplication supplies the raw materials for novel gene functions and many gene families arisen from duplication experience adaptive evolution. Most studies of young duplicates have focused on mammals, especially humans, whereas reports describing their genome-wide evolutionary patterns across the closely related Drosophila species are rare. The sequenced 12 Drosophila genomes provide the opportunity to address this issue. In our study, 3,647 young duplicate gene families were identified across the 12 Drosophila species and three types of expansions, species-specific, lineage-specific and complex expansions, were detected in these gene families. Our data showed that the species-specific young duplicate genes predominated (86.6%) over the other two types. Interestingly, many independent species-specific expansions in the same gene family have been observed in many species, even including 11 or 12 Drosophila species. Our data also showed that the functional bias observed in these young duplicate genes was mainly related to responses to environmental stimuli and biotic stresses. This study reveals the evolutionary patterns of young duplicates across 12 Drosophila species on a genomic scale. Our results suggest that convergent evolution acts on young duplicate genes after the species differentiation and adaptive evolution may play an important role in duplicate genes for adaption to ecological factors and environmental changes in Drosophila.

  1. Concerted evolution rapidly eliminates sequence variation in rDNA coding regions but not in intergenic spacers in Nicotiana tabacum allotetraploid

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Lunerová Bedřichová, Jana; Renny-Byfield, S.; Matyášek, Roman; Leitch, A.; Kovařík, Aleš

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 303, č. 8 (2017), s. 1043-1060 ISSN 0378-2697 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA17-11642S; GA ČR(CZ) GC16-02149J Institutional support: RVO:68081707 Keywords : Concerted evolution * Immunomodulation * Neutrophils Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Genetics and heredity (medical genetics to be 3) Impact factor: 1.239, year: 2016

  2. Tubulin evolution in insects: gene duplication and subfunctionalization provide specialized isoforms in a functionally constrained gene family

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gadagkar Sudhindra R

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The completion of 19 insect genome sequencing projects spanning six insect orders provides the opportunity to investigate the evolution of important gene families, here tubulins. Tubulins are a family of eukaryotic structural genes that form microtubules, fundamental components of the cytoskeleton that mediate cell division, shape, motility, and intracellular trafficking. Previous in vivo studies in Drosophila find a stringent relationship between tubulin structure and function; small, biochemically similar changes in the major alpha 1 or testis-specific beta 2 tubulin protein render each unable to generate a motile spermtail axoneme. This has evolutionary implications, not a single non-synonymous substitution is found in beta 2 among 17 species of Drosophila and Hirtodrosophila flies spanning 60 Myr of evolution. This raises an important question, How do tubulins evolve while maintaining their function? To answer, we use molecular evolutionary analyses to characterize the evolution of insect tubulins. Results Sixty-six alpha tubulins and eighty-six beta tubulin gene copies were retrieved and subjected to molecular evolutionary analyses. Four ancient clades of alpha and beta tubulins are found in insects, a major isoform clade (alpha 1, beta 1 and three minor, tissue-specific clades (alpha 2-4, beta 2-4. Based on a Homarus americanus (lobster outgroup, these were generated through gene duplication events on major beta and alpha tubulin ancestors, followed by subfunctionalization in expression domain. Strong purifying selection acts on all tubulins, yet maximum pairwise amino acid distances between tubulin paralogs are large (0.464 substitutions/site beta tubulins, 0.707 alpha tubulins. Conversely orthologs, with the exception of reproductive tissue isoforms, show little sequence variation except in the last 15 carboxy terminus tail (CTT residues, which serve as sites for post-translational modifications (PTMs and interactions

  3. Concert

    CERN Multimedia

    Swing de fou

    2011-01-01

    Swing de Fou, JAZZ New Orleans,  en concert Jeudi 24 Novembre - Versoix 20h00 - Les Caves de Bon-Séjour - Sextet 25 Novembre - Chêne-Bourg 20h30 - Salle Point Favre – Octet Concerts exceptionnels, Avec invitée spéciale : Rosana Mancarella, cantatrice Lyrique Mezzo Soprano des théâtres Arena di Verona et La Scala Di Milano Arrangements de Daniele Verdesca, professeur compositeur aux conservatoires de Nyon et Yverdon, & Gérôme Gautschi professeur compositeur de trombone à Genève Info : http://swingdefou.ch/concerts.php

  4. Trends in preference, programming and design of concert halls for symphonic music

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gade, Anders Christian

    2008-01-01

    This paper discusses the evolution in taste regarding concert hall acoustics and how this can be reflected in the new halls being built today. The clients' and listener's preferences are not only based on listening in existing halls; but also on listening to reproduced music recorded with microph......This paper discusses the evolution in taste regarding concert hall acoustics and how this can be reflected in the new halls being built today. The clients' and listener's preferences are not only based on listening in existing halls; but also on listening to reproduced music recorded...

  5. Duplication and independent selection of cell-wall invertase genes GIF1 and OsCIN1 during rice evolution and domestication

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ge Song

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Various evolutionary models have been proposed to interpret the fate of paralogous duplicates, which provides substrates on which evolution selection could act. In particular, domestication, as a special selection, has played important role in crop cultivation with divergence of many genes controlling important agronomic traits. Recent studies have indicated that a pair of duplicate genes was often sub-functionalized from their ancestral functions held by the parental genes. We previously demonstrated that the rice cell-wall invertase (CWI gene GIF1 that plays an important role in the grain-filling process was most likely subjected to domestication selection in the promoter region. Here, we report that GIF1 and another CWI gene OsCIN1 constitute a pair of duplicate genes with differentiated expression and function through independent selection. Results Through synteny analysis, we show that GIF1 and another cell-wall invertase gene OsCIN1 were paralogues derived from a segmental duplication originated during genome duplication of grasses. Results based on analyses of population genetics and gene phylogenetic tree of 25 cultivars and 25 wild rice sequences demonstrated that OsCIN1 was also artificially selected during rice domestication with a fixed mutation in the coding region, in contrast to GIF1 that was selected in the promoter region. GIF1 and OsCIN1 have evolved into different expression patterns and probable different kinetics parameters of enzymatic activity with the latter displaying less enzymatic activity. Overexpression of GIF1 and OsCIN1 also resulted in different phenotypes, suggesting that OsCIN1 might regulate other unrecognized biological process. Conclusion How gene duplication and divergence contribute to genetic novelty and morphological adaptation has been an interesting issue to geneticists and biologists. Our discovery that the duplicated pair of GIF1 and OsCIN1 has experienced sub

  6. The duplicated genes database: identification and functional annotation of co-localised duplicated genes across genomes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marion Ouedraogo

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: There has been a surge in studies linking genome structure and gene expression, with special focus on duplicated genes. Although initially duplicated from the same sequence, duplicated genes can diverge strongly over evolution and take on different functions or regulated expression. However, information on the function and expression of duplicated genes remains sparse. Identifying groups of duplicated genes in different genomes and characterizing their expression and function would therefore be of great interest to the research community. The 'Duplicated Genes Database' (DGD was developed for this purpose. METHODOLOGY: Nine species were included in the DGD. For each species, BLAST analyses were conducted on peptide sequences corresponding to the genes mapped on a same chromosome. Groups of duplicated genes were defined based on these pairwise BLAST comparisons and the genomic location of the genes. For each group, Pearson correlations between gene expression data and semantic similarities between functional GO annotations were also computed when the relevant information was available. CONCLUSIONS: The Duplicated Gene Database provides a list of co-localised and duplicated genes for several species with the available gene co-expression level and semantic similarity value of functional annotation. Adding these data to the groups of duplicated genes provides biological information that can prove useful to gene expression analyses. The Duplicated Gene Database can be freely accessed through the DGD website at http://dgd.genouest.org.

  7. The odds of duplicate gene persistence after polyploidization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chain Frédéric JJ

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Gene duplication is an important biological phenomenon associated with genomic redundancy, degeneration, specialization, innovation, and speciation. After duplication, both copies continue functioning when natural selection favors duplicated protein function or expression, or when mutations make them functionally distinct before one copy is silenced. Results Here we quantify the degree to which genetic parameters related to gene expression, molecular evolution, and gene structure in a diploid frog - Silurana tropicalis - influence the odds of functional persistence of orthologous duplicate genes in a closely related tetraploid species - Xenopus laevis. Using public databases and 454 pyrosequencing, we obtained genetic and expression data from S. tropicalis orthologs of 3,387 X. laevis paralogs and 4,746 X. laevis singletons - the most comprehensive dataset for African clawed frogs yet analyzed. Using logistic regression, we demonstrate that the most important predictors of the odds of duplicate gene persistence in the tetraploid species are the total gene expression level and evenness of expression across tissues and development in the diploid species. Slow protein evolution and information density (fewer exons, shorter introns in the diploid are also positively correlated with duplicate gene persistence in the tetraploid. Conclusions Our findings suggest that a combination of factors contribute to duplicate gene persistence following whole genome duplication, but that the total expression level and evenness of expression across tissues and through development before duplication are most important. We speculate that these parameters are useful predictors of duplicate gene longevity after whole genome duplication in other taxa.

  8. Comparative inference of duplicated genes produced by polyploidization in soybean genome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yanmei; Wang, Jinpeng; Di, Jianyong

    2013-01-01

    Soybean (Glycine max) is one of the most important crop plants for providing protein and oil. It is important to investigate soybean genome for its economic and scientific value. Polyploidy is a widespread and recursive phenomenon during plant evolution, and it could generate massive duplicated genes which is an important resource for genetic innovation. Improved sequence alignment criteria and statistical analysis are used to identify and characterize duplicated genes produced by polyploidization in soybean. Based on the collinearity method, duplicated genes by whole genome duplication account for 70.3% in soybean. From the statistical analysis of the molecular distances between duplicated genes, our study indicates that the whole genome duplication event occurred more than once in the genome evolution of soybean, which is often distributed near the ends of chromosomes.

  9. Duplication and Diversification of the Hypoxia-Inducible IGFBP-1 Gene in Zebrafish

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kamei, Hiroyasu; Lu, Ling; Jiao, Shuang

    2008-01-01

    Background: Gene duplication is the primary force of new gene evolution. Deciphering whether a pair of duplicated genes has evolved divergent functions is often challenging. The zebrafish is uniquely positioned to provide insight into the process of functional gene evolution due to its amenabilit...

  10. Concerts-club

    CERN Multimedia

    Concerts-club

    2012-01-01

      Avis à tous les musiciens et mélomanes Le Concerts-Club du CERN reprend du service ! Après une longue pause due, entre autres, aux travaux de rénovation de l’Amphithéâtre, une nouvelle équipe s’est lancée dans la reprise de l’organisation du Concerts-Club, à raison d’un concert par mois. 1er concert : mardi 20 mars à 20h30 Lieu : CERN-Meyrin : Entrée B – Bâtiment 500 – Amphithéâtre Prochaines dates : Mardi 24 avril 2012 Mardi 15 mai  2012 Mardi 19 juin  2012 Pour donner au Club l’élan nécessaire au redémarrage, les changements suivants ont été mis en place : – Possibilité d’être membre du Club : carte à Fr 25.00 par an. – Entr&e...

  11. Comparative study of human mitochondrial proteome reveals extensive protein subcellular relocalization after gene duplications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huang Yong

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Gene and genome duplication is the principle creative force in evolution. Recently, protein subcellular relocalization, or neolocalization was proposed as one of the mechanisms responsible for the retention of duplicated genes. This hypothesis received support from the analysis of yeast genomes, but has not been tested thoroughly on animal genomes. In order to evaluate the importance of subcellular relocalizations for retention of duplicated genes in animal genomes, we systematically analyzed nuclear encoded mitochondrial proteins in the human genome by reconstructing phylogenies of mitochondrial multigene families. Results The 456 human mitochondrial proteins selected for this study were clustered into 305 gene families including 92 multigene families. Among the multigene families, 59 (64% consisted of both mitochondrial and cytosolic (non-mitochondrial proteins (mt-cy families while the remaining 33 (36% were composed of mitochondrial proteins (mt-mt families. Phylogenetic analyses of mt-cy families revealed three different scenarios of their neolocalization following gene duplication: 1 relocalization from mitochondria to cytosol, 2 from cytosol to mitochondria and 3 multiple subcellular relocalizations. The neolocalizations were most commonly enabled by the gain or loss of N-terminal mitochondrial targeting signals. The majority of detected subcellular relocalization events occurred early in animal evolution, preceding the evolution of tetrapods. Mt-mt protein families showed a somewhat different pattern, where gene duplication occurred more evenly in time. However, for both types of protein families, most duplication events appear to roughly coincide with two rounds of genome duplications early in vertebrate evolution. Finally, we evaluated the effects of inaccurate and incomplete annotation of mitochondrial proteins and found that our conclusion of the importance of subcellular relocalization after gene duplication on

  12. Directed evolution induces tributyrin hydrolysis in a virulence factor of Xylella fastidiosa using a duplicated gene as a template.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gouran, Hossein; Chakraborty, Sandeep; Rao, Basuthkar J; Asgeirsson, Bjarni; Dandekar, Abhaya

    2014-01-01

    Duplication of genes is one of the preferred ways for natural selection to add advantageous functionality to the genome without having to reinvent the wheel with respect to catalytic efficiency and protein stability. The duplicated secretory virulence factors of Xylella fastidiosa (LesA, LesB and LesC), implicated in Pierce's disease of grape and citrus variegated chlorosis of citrus species, epitomizes the positive selection pressures exerted on advantageous genes in such pathogens. A deeper insight into the evolution of these lipases/esterases is essential to develop resistance mechanisms in transgenic plants. Directed evolution, an attempt to accelerate the evolutionary steps in the laboratory, is inherently simple when targeted for loss of function. A bigger challenge is to specify mutations that endow a new function, such as a lost functionality in a duplicated gene. Previously, we have proposed a method for enumerating candidates for mutations intended to transfer the functionality of one protein into another related protein based on the spatial and electrostatic properties of the active site residues (DECAAF). In the current work, we present in vivo validation of DECAAF by inducing tributyrin hydrolysis in LesB based on the active site similarity to LesA. The structures of these proteins have been modeled using RaptorX based on the closely related LipA protein from Xanthomonas oryzae. These mutations replicate the spatial and electrostatic conformation of LesA in the modeled structure of the mutant LesB as well, providing in silico validation before proceeding to the laborious in vivo work. Such focused mutations allows one to dissect the relevance of the duplicated genes in finer detail as compared to gene knockouts, since they do not interfere with other moonlighting functions, protein expression levels or protein-protein interaction.

  13. Horizontal transfer, not duplication, drives the expansion of protein families in prokaryotes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Todd J Treangen

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Gene duplication followed by neo- or sub-functionalization deeply impacts the evolution of protein families and is regarded as the main source of adaptive functional novelty in eukaryotes. While there is ample evidence of adaptive gene duplication in prokaryotes, it is not clear whether duplication outweighs the contribution of horizontal gene transfer in the expansion of protein families. We analyzed closely related prokaryote strains or species with small genomes (Helicobacter, Neisseria, Streptococcus, Sulfolobus, average-sized genomes (Bacillus, Enterobacteriaceae, and large genomes (Pseudomonas, Bradyrhizobiaceae to untangle the effects of duplication and horizontal transfer. After removing the effects of transposable elements and phages, we show that the vast majority of expansions of protein families are due to transfer, even among large genomes. Transferred genes--xenologs--persist longer in prokaryotic lineages possibly due to a higher/longer adaptive role. On the other hand, duplicated genes--paralogs--are expressed more, and, when persistent, they evolve slower. This suggests that gene transfer and gene duplication have very different roles in shaping the evolution of biological systems: transfer allows the acquisition of new functions and duplication leads to higher gene dosage. Accordingly, we show that paralogs share most protein-protein interactions and genetic regulators, whereas xenologs share very few of them. Prokaryotes invented most of life's biochemical diversity. Therefore, the study of the evolution of biology systems should explicitly account for the predominant role of horizontal gene transfer in the diversification of protein families.

  14. Extensive lineage-specific gene duplication and evolution of the spiggin multi-gene family in stickleback

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nishida Mutsumi

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus has a characteristic reproductive mode; mature males build nests using a secreted glue-like protein called spiggin. Although recent studies reported multiple occurrences of genes that encode this glue-like protein spiggin in threespine and ninespine sticklebacks, it is still unclear how many genes compose the spiggin multi-gene family. Results Genome sequence analysis of threespine stickleback showed that there are at least five spiggin genes and two pseudogenes, whereas a single spiggin homolog occurs in the genomes of other fishes. Comparative genome sequence analysis demonstrated that Muc19, a single-copy mucous gene in human and mouse, is an ortholog of spiggin. Phylogenetic and molecular evolutionary analyses of these sequences suggested that an ancestral spiggin gene originated from a member of the mucin gene family as a single gene in the common ancestor of teleosts, and gene duplications of spiggin have occurred in the stickleback lineage. There was inter-population variation in the copy number of spiggin genes and positive selection on some codons, indicating that additional gene duplication/deletion events and adaptive evolution at some amino acid sites may have occurred in each stickleback population. Conclusion A number of spiggin genes exist in the threespine stickleback genome. Our results provide insight into the origin and dynamic evolutionary process of the spiggin multi-gene family in the threespine stickleback lineage. The dramatic evolution of genes for mucous substrates may have contributed to the generation of distinct characteristics such as "bio-glue" in vertebrates.

  15. Rapid sequence divergence rates in the 5 prime regulatory regions of young Drosophila melanogaster duplicate gene pairs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael H. Kohn

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available While it remains a matter of some debate, rapid sequence evolution of the coding sequences of duplicate genes is characteristic for early phases past duplication, but long established duplicates generally evolve under constraint, much like the rest of the coding genome. As for coding sequences, it may be possible to infer evolutionary rate, selection, and constraint via contrasts between duplicate gene divergence in the 5 prime regions and in the corresponding synonymous site divergence in the coding regions. Finding elevated rates for the 5 prime regions of duplicated genes, in addition to the coding regions, would enable statements regarding the early processes of duplicate gene evolution. Here, 1 kb of each of the 5 prime regulatory regions of Drosophila melanogaster duplicate gene pairs were mapped onto one another to isolate shared sequence blocks. Genetic distances within shared sequence blocks (d5’ were found to increase as a function of synonymous (dS, and to a lesser extend, amino-acid (dA site divergence between duplicates. The rate d5’/dS was found to rapidly decay from values > 1 in young duplicate pairs (dS 0.8. Such rapid rates of 5 prime evolution exceeding 1 (~neutral predominantly were found to occur in duplicate pairs with low amino-acid site divergence and that tended to be co-regulated when assayed on microarrays. Conceivably, functional redundancy and relaxation of selective constraint facilitates subsequent positive selection on the 5 prime regions of young duplicate genes. This might promote the evolution of new functions (neofunctionalization or division of labor among duplicate genes (subfunctionalization. In contrast, similar to the vast portion of the non-coding genome, the 5 prime regions of long-established gene duplicates appear to evolve under selective constraint, indicating that these long-established gene duplicates have assumed critical functions.

  16. Local synteny and codon usage contribute to asymmetric sequence divergence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene duplicates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bergthorsson Ulfar

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Duplicated genes frequently experience asymmetric rates of sequence evolution. Relaxed selective constraints and positive selection have both been invoked to explain the observation that one paralog within a gene-duplicate pair exhibits an accelerated rate of sequence evolution. In the majority of studies where asymmetric divergence has been established, there is no indication as to which gene copy, ancestral or derived, is evolving more rapidly. In this study we investigated the effect of local synteny (gene-neighborhood conservation and codon usage on the sequence evolution of gene duplicates in the S. cerevisiae genome. We further distinguish the gene duplicates into those that originated from a whole-genome duplication (WGD event (ohnologs versus small-scale duplications (SSD to determine if there exist any differences in their patterns of sequence evolution. Results For SSD pairs, the derived copy evolves faster than the ancestral copy. However, there is no relationship between rate asymmetry and synteny conservation (ancestral-like versus derived-like in ohnologs. mRNA abundance and optimal codon usage as measured by the CAI is lower in the derived SSD copies relative to ancestral paralogs. Moreover, in the case of ohnologs, the faster-evolving copy has lower CAI and lowered expression. Conclusions Together, these results suggest that relaxation of selection for codon usage and gene expression contribute to rate asymmetry in the evolution of duplicated genes and that in SSD pairs, the relaxation of selection stems from the loss of ancestral regulatory information in the derived copy.

  17. Gene duplication and the evolution of hemoglobin isoform differentiation in birds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grispo, Michael T; Natarajan, Chandrasekhar; Projecto-Garcia, Joana; Moriyama, Hideaki; Weber, Roy E; Storz, Jay F

    2012-11-02

    The majority of bird species co-express two functionally distinct hemoglobin (Hb) isoforms in definitive erythrocytes as follows: HbA (the major adult Hb isoform, with α-chain subunits encoded by the α(A)-globin gene) and HbD (the minor adult Hb isoform, with α-chain subunits encoded by the α(D)-globin gene). The α(D)-globin gene originated via tandem duplication of an embryonic α-like globin gene in the stem lineage of tetrapod vertebrates, which suggests the possibility that functional differentiation between the HbA and HbD isoforms may be attributable to a retained ancestral character state in HbD that harkens back to a primordial, embryonic function. To investigate this possibility, we conducted a combined analysis of protein biochemistry and sequence evolution to characterize the structural and functional basis of Hb isoform differentiation in birds. Functional experiments involving purified HbA and HbD isoforms from 11 different bird species revealed that HbD is characterized by a consistently higher O(2) affinity in the presence of allosteric effectors such as organic phosphates and Cl(-) ions. In the case of both HbA and HbD, analyses of oxygenation properties under the two-state Monod-Wyman-Changeux allosteric model revealed that the pH dependence of Hb-O(2) affinity stems primarily from changes in the O(2) association constant of deoxy (T-state)-Hb. Ancestral sequence reconstructions revealed that the amino acid substitutions that distinguish the adult-expressed Hb isoforms are not attributable to the retention of an ancestral (pre-duplication) character state in the α(D)-globin gene that is shared with the embryonic α-like globin gene.

  18. Gene Duplication and the Evolution of Hemoglobin Isoform Differentiation in Birds*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grispo, Michael T.; Natarajan, Chandrasekhar; Projecto-Garcia, Joana; Moriyama, Hideaki; Weber, Roy E.; Storz, Jay F.

    2012-01-01

    The majority of bird species co-express two functionally distinct hemoglobin (Hb) isoforms in definitive erythrocytes as follows: HbA (the major adult Hb isoform, with α-chain subunits encoded by the αA-globin gene) and HbD (the minor adult Hb isoform, with α-chain subunits encoded by the αD-globin gene). The αD-globin gene originated via tandem duplication of an embryonic α-like globin gene in the stem lineage of tetrapod vertebrates, which suggests the possibility that functional differentiation between the HbA and HbD isoforms may be attributable to a retained ancestral character state in HbD that harkens back to a primordial, embryonic function. To investigate this possibility, we conducted a combined analysis of protein biochemistry and sequence evolution to characterize the structural and functional basis of Hb isoform differentiation in birds. Functional experiments involving purified HbA and HbD isoforms from 11 different bird species revealed that HbD is characterized by a consistently higher O2 affinity in the presence of allosteric effectors such as organic phosphates and Cl− ions. In the case of both HbA and HbD, analyses of oxygenation properties under the two-state Monod-Wyman-Changeux allosteric model revealed that the pH dependence of Hb-O2 affinity stems primarily from changes in the O2 association constant of deoxy (T-state)-Hb. Ancestral sequence reconstructions revealed that the amino acid substitutions that distinguish the adult-expressed Hb isoforms are not attributable to the retention of an ancestral (pre-duplication) character state in the αD-globin gene that is shared with the embryonic α-like globin gene. PMID:22962007

  19. Whole Genome and Tandem Duplicate Retention facilitated Glucosinolate Pathway Diversification in the Mustard Family.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hofberger, J.A.; Lyons, E.; Edger, P.P.; Pires, J.C.; Schranz, M.E.

    2013-01-01

    Plants share a common history of successive whole genome duplication (WGD) events retaining genomic patterns of duplicate gene copies (ohnologs) organized in conserved syntenic blocks. Duplication was often proposed to affect the origin of novel traits during evolution. However, genetic evidence

  20. Maintenance and Loss of Duplicated Genes by Dosage Subfunctionalization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gout, Jean-Francois; Lynch, Michael

    2015-08-01

    Whole-genome duplications (WGDs) have contributed to gene-repertoire enrichment in many eukaryotic lineages. However, most duplicated genes are eventually lost and it is still unclear why some duplicated genes are evolutionary successful whereas others quickly turn to pseudogenes. Here, we show that dosage constraints are major factors opposing post-WGD gene loss in several Paramecium species that share a common ancestral WGD. We propose a model where a majority of WGD-derived duplicates preserve their ancestral function and are retained to produce enough of the proteins performing this same ancestral function. Under this model, the expression level of individual duplicated genes can evolve neutrally as long as they maintain a roughly constant summed expression, and this allows random genetic drift toward uneven contributions of the two copies to total expression. Our analysis suggests that once a high level of imbalance is reached, which can require substantial lengths of time, the copy with the lowest expression level contributes a small enough fraction of the total expression that selection no longer opposes its loss. Extension of our analysis to yeast species sharing a common ancestral WGD yields similar results, suggesting that duplicated-gene retention for dosage constraints followed by divergence in expression level and eventual deterministic gene loss might be a universal feature of post-WGD evolution. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  1. Six subgroups and extensive recent duplications characterize the evolution of the eukaryotic tubulin protein family.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Findeisen, Peggy; Mühlhausen, Stefanie; Dempewolf, Silke; Hertzog, Jonny; Zietlow, Alexander; Carlomagno, Teresa; Kollmar, Martin

    2014-08-27

    Tubulins belong to the most abundant proteins in eukaryotes providing the backbone for many cellular substructures like the mitotic and meiotic spindles, the intracellular cytoskeletal network, and the axonemes of cilia and flagella. Homologs have even been reported for archaea and bacteria. However, a taxonomically broad and whole-genome-based analysis of the tubulin protein family has never been performed, and thus, the number of subfamilies, their taxonomic distribution, and the exact grouping of the supposed archaeal and bacterial homologs are unknown. Here, we present the analysis of 3,524 tubulins from 504 species. The tubulins formed six major subfamilies, α to ζ. Species of all major kingdoms of the eukaryotes encode members of these subfamilies implying that they must have already been present in the last common eukaryotic ancestor. The proposed archaeal homologs grouped together with the bacterial TubZ proteins as sister clade to the FtsZ proteins indicating that tubulins are unique to eukaryotes. Most species contained α- and/or β-tubulin gene duplicates resulting from recent branch- and species-specific duplication events. This shows that tubulins cannot be used for constructing species phylogenies without resolving their ortholog-paralog relationships. The many gene duplicates and also the independent loss of the δ-, ε-, or ζ-tubulins, which have been shown to be part of the triplet microtubules in basal bodies, suggest that tubulins can functionally substitute each other. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  2. Gene duplication as a major force in evolution

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Based on whole-genome analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana, there is compelling evidence that angiosperms underwent two whole-genome duplication events early during their evolutionary history. Recent studies have shown that these events were crucial for creation of many important developmental and regulatory genes ...

  3. Gene duplication, loss and selection in the evolution of saxitoxin biosynthesis in alveolates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, Shauna A; Diwan, Rutuja; Orr, Russell J S; Kohli, Gurjeet S; John, Uwe

    2015-11-01

    A group of marine dinoflagellates (Alveolata, Eukaryota), consisting of ∼10 species of the genus Alexandrium, Gymnodinium catenatum and Pyrodinium bahamense, produce the toxin saxitoxin and its analogues (STX), which can accumulate in shellfish, leading to ecosystem and human health impacts. The genes, sxt, putatively involved in STX biosynthesis, have recently been identified, however, the evolution of these genes within dinoflagellates is not clear. There are two reasons for this: uncertainty over the phylogeny of dinoflagellates; and that the sxt genes of many species of Alexandrium and other dinoflagellate genera are not known. Here, we determined the phylogeny of STX-producing and other dinoflagellates based on a concatenated eight-gene alignment. We determined the presence, diversity and phylogeny of sxtA, domains A1 and A4 and sxtG in 52 strains of Alexandrium, and a further 43 species of dinoflagellates and thirteen other alveolates. We confirmed the presence and high sequence conservation of sxtA, domain A4, in 40 strains (35 Alexandrium, 1 Pyrodinium, 4 Gymnodinium) of 8 species of STX-producing dinoflagellates, and absence from non-producing species. We found three paralogs of sxtA, domain A1, and a widespread distribution of sxtA1 in non-STX producing dinoflagellates, indicating duplication events in the evolution of this gene. One paralog, clade 2, of sxtA1 may be particularly related to STX biosynthesis. Similarly, sxtG appears to be generally restricted to STX-producing species, while three amidinotransferase gene paralogs were found in dinoflagellates. We investigated the role of positive (diversifying) selection following duplication in sxtA1 and sxtG, and found negative selection in clades of sxtG and sxtA1, clade 2, suggesting they were functionally constrained. Significant episodic diversifying selection was found in some strains in clade 3 of sxtA1, a clade that may not be involved in STX biosynthesis, indicating pressure for diversification

  4. An ancient history of gene duplications, fusions and losses in the evolution of APOBEC3 mutators in mammals

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background The APOBEC3 (A3) genes play a key role in innate antiviral defense in mammals by introducing directed mutations in the DNA. The human genome encodes for seven A3 genes, with multiple splice alternatives. Different A3 proteins display different substrate specificity, but the very basic question on how discerning self from non-self still remains unresolved. Further, the expression of A3 activity/ies shapes the way both viral and host genomes evolve. Results We present here a detailed temporal analysis of the origin and expansion of the A3 repertoire in mammals. Our data support an evolutionary scenario where the genome of the mammalian ancestor encoded for at least one ancestral A3 gene, and where the genome of the ancestor of placental mammals (and possibly of the ancestor of all mammals) already encoded for an A3Z1-A3Z2-A3Z3 arrangement. Duplication events of the A3 genes have occurred independently in different lineages: humans, cats and horses. In all of them, gene duplication has resulted in changes in enzyme activity and/or substrate specificity, in a paradigmatic example of convergent adaptive evolution at the genomic level. Finally, our results show that evolutionary rates for the three A3Z1, A3Z2 and A3Z3 motifs have significantly decreased in the last 100 Mya. The analysis constitutes a textbook example of the evolution of a gene locus by duplication and sub/neofunctionalization in the context of virus-host arms race. Conclusions Our results provide a time framework for identifying ancestral and derived genomic arrangements in the APOBEC loci, and to date the expansion of this gene family for different lineages through time, as a response to changes in viral/retroviral/retrotransposon pressure. PMID:22640020

  5. E-Infrastructure Concertation Meeting

    CERN Multimedia

    Katarina Anthony

    2010-01-01

    The 8th e-Infrastructure Concertation Meeting was held in the Globe from 4 to 5 November to discuss the development of Europe’s distributed computing and storage resources.   Project leaders attend the E-Concertation Meeting at the Globe on 5 November 2010. © Corentin Chevalier E-Infrastructures have become an indispensable tool for scientific research, linking researchers to virtually unlimited e-resources like the grid. The recent e-Infrastructure Concertation Meeting brought together e-Science project leaders to discuss the development of this tool in the European context. The meeting was part of an ongoing initiative to develop a world-class e-infrastructure resource that would establish European leadership in e-Science. The e-Infrastructure Concertation Meeting was organised by the Commission Services (EC) with the support of e-ScienceTalk. “The Concertation meeting at CERN has been a great opportunity for e-ScienceTalk to meet many of the 38 new proje...

  6. Circular DNA Intermediate in the Duplication of Nile Tilapia vasa Genes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujimura, Koji; Conte, Matthew A.; Kocher, Thomas D.

    2011-01-01

    vasa is a highly conserved RNA helicase involved in animal germ cell development. Among vertebrate species, it is typically present as a single copy per genome. Here we report the isolation and sequencing of BAC clones for Nile tilapia vasa genes. Contrary to a previous report that Nile tilapia have a single copy of the vasa gene, we find evidence for at least three vasa gene loci. The vasa gene locus was duplicated from the original site and integrated into two distant novel sites. For one of these insertions we find evidence that the duplication was mediated by a circular DNA intermediate. This mechanism of gene duplication may explain the origin of isolated gene duplicates during the evolution of fish genomes. These data provide a foundation for studying the role of multiple vasa genes in the development of tilapia gonads, and will contribute to investigations of the molecular mechanisms of sex determination and evolution in cichlid fishes. PMID:22216289

  7. Concert Club

    CERN Document Server

    Concert Club

    2010-01-01

    CERN MEYRIN (terminus bus 56-CERN) Entrée B - Bâtiment 500 - Amphithéâtre Mardi 26 janvier à 20 h 30 Le quintette Liliane JAQUES, flûte traversière Jade AZKOUL, guitare Gaëlle POIRIER, accordéon Mirella VEDEVA, contrebasse Gueorgui POPOV, piano Au programme Portraits d’Astor PIAZZOLLA Entrée libre Nos concerts sur notre site : www.concerts-cern.com et sur les sites : www.whys.org et www.agendadegeneve.ch

  8. Ancient duplications and functional divergence in the interferon regulatory factors of vertebrates provide insights into the evolution of vertebrate immune systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Kang; Zhong, Zaixuan; Fang, Chengchi; Dai, Wei; Shen, Yanjun; Gan, Xiaoni; He, Shunping

    2018-04-01

    Interferon regulatory factors (IRFs) were first discovered as transcription factors that regulate the transcription of human interferon (IFN)-β. Increasing evidence shows that they might be important players involved in Adaptive immune system (AIS) evolution. Although numbers of IRFs have been identified in chordates, the evolutionary history and functional diversity of this gene family during the early evolution of vertebrates have remained obscure. Using IRF HMM profile and HMMER searches, we identified 148 IRFs in 11 vertebrates and 4 protochordates. For them, we reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships, determined the synteny conservation, investigated the profile of natural selection, and analyzed the expression patterns in four "living fossil" vertebrates: lamprey, elephant shark, coelacanth and bichir. The results from phylogeny and synteny analysis imply that vertebrate IRFs evolved from three predecessors, instead of four as suggested in a previous study, as results from an ancient duplication followed by special expansions and lost during the vertebrate evolution. The profile of natural selection and expression reveals functional dynamics during the process. Together, they suggest that the 2nd whole-genome duplication (2WGD) provided raw materials for innovation in the IRF family, and that the birth of type-I IFN might be an important factor inducing the establishment of IRF-mediated immune networks. As a member involved in the AIS evolution, IRF provide insights into the process and mechanism involved in the complexity and novelties of vertebrate immune systems. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  9. Recurrent Gene Duplication Leads to Diverse Repertoires of Centromeric Histones in Drosophila Species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kursel, Lisa E; Malik, Harmit S

    2017-06-01

    Despite their essential role in the process of chromosome segregation in most eukaryotes, centromeric histones show remarkable evolutionary lability. Not only have they been lost in multiple insect lineages, but they have also undergone gene duplication in multiple plant lineages. Based on detailed study of a handful of model organisms including Drosophila melanogaster, centromeric histone duplication is considered to be rare in animals. Using a detailed phylogenomic study, we find that Cid, the centromeric histone gene, has undergone at least four independent gene duplications during Drosophila evolution. We find duplicate Cid genes in D. eugracilis (Cid2), in the montium species subgroup (Cid3, Cid4) and in the entire Drosophila subgenus (Cid5). We show that Cid3, Cid4, and Cid5 all localize to centromeres in their respective species. Some Cid duplicates are primarily expressed in the male germline. With rare exceptions, Cid duplicates have been strictly retained after birth, suggesting that they perform nonredundant centromeric functions, independent from the ancestral Cid. Indeed, each duplicate encodes a distinct N-terminal tail, which may provide the basis for distinct protein-protein interactions. Finally, we show some Cid duplicates evolve under positive selection whereas others do not. Taken together, our results support the hypothesis that Drosophila Cid duplicates have subfunctionalized. Thus, these gene duplications provide an unprecedented opportunity to dissect the multiple roles of centromeric histones. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  10. A conserved segmental duplication within ELA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brinkmeyer-Langford, C L; Murphy, W J; Childers, C P; Skow, L C

    2010-12-01

    The assembled genomic sequence of the horse major histocompatibility complex (MHC) (equine lymphocyte antigen, ELA) is very similar to the homologous human HLA, with the notable exception of a large segmental duplication at the boundary of ELA class I and class III that is absent in HLA. The segmental duplication consists of a ∼ 710 kb region of at least 11 repeated blocks: 10 blocks each contain an MHC class I-like sequence and the helicase domain portion of a BAT1-like sequence, and the remaining unit contains the full-length BAT1 gene. Similar genomic features were found in other Perissodactyls, indicating an ancient origin, which is consistent with phylogenetic analyses. Reverse-transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) of mRNA from peripheral white blood cells of healthy and chronically or acutely infected horses detected transcription from predicted open reading frames in several of the duplicated blocks. This duplication is not present in the sequenced MHCs of most other mammals, although a similar feature at the same relative position is present in the feline MHC (FLA). Striking sequence conservation throughout Perissodactyl evolution is consistent with a functional role for at least some of the genes included within this segmental duplication. © 2010 The Authors, Journal compilation © 2010 Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics.

  11. Hominoid chromosomal rearrangements on 17q map to complex regions of segmental duplication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cardone, Maria Francesca; Jiang, Zhaoshi; D'Addabbo, Pietro; Archidiacono, Nicoletta; Rocchi, Mariano; Eichler, Evan E; Ventura, Mario

    2008-01-01

    Chromosomal rearrangements, such as translocations and inversions, are recurrent phenomena during evolution, and both of them are involved in reproductive isolation and speciation. To better understand the molecular basis of chromosome rearrangements and their part in karyotype evolution, we have investigated the history of human chromosome 17 by comparative fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and sequence analysis. Human bacterial artificial chromosome/p1 artificial chromosome probes spanning the length of chromosome 17 were used in FISH experiments on great apes, Old World monkeys and New World monkeys to study the evolutionary history of this chromosome. We observed that the macaque marker order represents the ancestral organization. Human, chimpanzee and gorilla homologous chromosomes differ by a paracentric inversion that occurred specifically in the Homo sapiens/Pan troglodytes/Gorilla gorilla ancestor. Detailed analyses of the paracentric inversion revealed that the breakpoints mapped to two regions syntenic to human 17q12/21 and 17q23, both rich in segmental duplications. Sequence analyses of the human and macaque organization suggest that the duplication events occurred in the catarrhine ancestor with the duplication blocks continuing to duplicate or undergo gene conversion during evolution of the hominoid lineage. We propose that the presence of these duplicons has mediated the inversion in the H. sapiens/P. troglodytes/G. gorilla ancestor. Recently, the same duplication blocks have been shown to be polymorphic in the human population and to be involved in triggering microdeletion and duplication in human. These results further support a model where genomic architecture has a direct role in both rearrangement involved in karyotype evolution and genomic instability in human.

  12. The sea lamprey meiotic map improves resolution of ancient vertebrate genome duplications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Jeramiah J; Keinath, Melissa C

    2015-08-01

    It is generally accepted that many genes present in vertebrate genomes owe their origin to two whole-genome duplications that occurred deep in the ancestry of the vertebrate lineage. However, details regarding the timing and outcome of these duplications are not well resolved. We present high-density meiotic and comparative genomic maps for the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), a representative of an ancient lineage that diverged from all other vertebrates ∼550 million years ago. Linkage analyses yielded a total of 95 linkage groups, similar to the estimated number of germline chromosomes (1n ∼ 99), spanning a total of 5570.25 cM. Comparative mapping data yield strong support for the hypothesis that a single whole-genome duplication occurred in the basal vertebrate lineage, but do not strongly support a hypothetical second event. Rather, these comparative maps reveal several evolutionarily independent segmental duplications occurring over the last 600+ million years of chordate evolution. This refined history of vertebrate genome duplication should permit more precise investigations of vertebrate evolution. © 2015 Smith and Keinath; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

  13. GENE-dosage effects on fitness in recent adaptive duplications: ace-1 in the mosquito Culex pipiens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Labbé, Pierrick; Milesi, Pascal; Yébakima, André; Pasteur, Nicole; Weill, Mylène; Lenormand, Thomas

    2014-07-01

    Gene duplications have long been advocated to contribute to the evolution of new functions. The role of selection in their early spread is more controversial. Unless duplications are favored for a direct benefit of increased expression, they are likely detrimental. In this article, we investigated the case of duplications favored because they combine already functionally divergent alleles. Their gene-dosage/fitness relations are poorly known because selection may operate on both overall expression and duplicates relative dosage. Using the well-documented case of Culex pipiens resistance to insecticides, we compared strains with various ace-1 allele combinations, including two duplicated alleles carrying both susceptible and resistant copies. The overall protein activity was nearly additive, but, surprisingly, fitness correlated better with the relative proportion of susceptible and resistant copies rather than any absolute measure of activity. Gene dosage is thus crucial, duplications stabilizing a "heterozygote" phenotype. It corroborates the view that these were favored because they fix a permanent heterosis, thereby solving the irreducible trade-off between resistance and synaptic transmission. Moreover, we showed that the contrasted successes of the two duplicated alleles in natural populations depend on genetic changes unrelated to ace-1, confirming the probable implication of recessive sublethal mutations linked to structural rearrangements in some duplications. © 2014 The Author(s). Evolution © 2014 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

  14. Phylogenetic detection of numerous gene duplications shared by animals, fungi and plants

    OpenAIRE

    Zhou, Xiaofan; Lin, Zhenguo; Ma, Hong

    2010-01-01

    Background Gene duplication is considered a major driving force for evolution of genetic novelty, thereby facilitating functional divergence and organismal diversity, including the process of speciation. Animals, fungi and plants are major eukaryotic kingdoms and the divergences between them are some of the most significant evolutionary events. Although gene duplications in each lineage have been studied extensively in various contexts, the extent of gene duplication prior to the split of pla...

  15. Evolution in the block: common elements of 5S rDNA organization and evolutionary patterns in distant fish genera.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campo, Daniel; García-Vázquez, Eva

    2012-01-01

    The 5S rDNA is organized in the genome as tandemly repeated copies of a structural unit composed of a coding sequence plus a nontranscribed spacer (NTS). The coding region is highly conserved in the evolution, whereas the NTS vary in both length and sequence. It has been proposed that 5S rRNA genes are members of a gene family that have arisen through concerted evolution. In this study, we describe the molecular organization and evolution of the 5S rDNA in the genera Lepidorhombus and Scophthalmus (Scophthalmidae) and compared it with already known 5S rDNA of the very different genera Merluccius (Merluccidae) and Salmo (Salmoninae), to identify common structural elements or patterns for understanding 5S rDNA evolution in fish. High intra- and interspecific diversity within the 5S rDNA family in all the genera can be explained by a combination of duplications, deletions, and transposition events. Sequence blocks with high similarity in all the 5S rDNA members across species were identified for the four studied genera, with evidences of intense gene conversion within noncoding regions. We propose a model to explain the evolution of the 5S rDNA, in which the evolutionary units are blocks of nucleotides rather than the entire sequences or single nucleotides. This model implies a "two-speed" evolution: slow within blocks (homogenized by recombination) and fast within the gene family (diversified by duplications and deletions).

  16. Gene duplication, tissue-specific gene expression and sexual conflict in stalk-eyed flies (Diopsidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Richard H; Narechania, Apurva; Johns, Philip M; Wilkinson, Gerald S

    2012-08-19

    Gene duplication provides an essential source of novel genetic material to facilitate rapid morphological evolution. Traits involved in reproduction and sexual dimorphism represent some of the fastest evolving traits in nature, and gene duplication is intricately involved in the origin and evolution of these traits. Here, we review genomic research on stalk-eyed flies (Diopsidae) that has been used to examine the extent of gene duplication and its role in the genetic architecture of sexual dimorphism. Stalk-eyed flies are remarkable because of the elongation of the head into long stalks, with the eyes and antenna laterally displaced at the ends of these stalks. Many species are strongly sexually dimorphic for eyespan, and these flies have become a model system for studying sexual selection. Using both expressed sequence tag and next-generation sequencing, we have established an extensive database of gene expression in the developing eye-antennal imaginal disc, the adult head and testes. Duplicated genes exhibit narrower expression patterns than non-duplicated genes, and the testes, in particular, provide an abundant source of gene duplication. Within somatic tissue, duplicated genes are more likely to be differentially expressed between the sexes, suggesting gene duplication may provide a mechanism for resolving sexual conflict.

  17. CONCERT CLUB

    CERN Document Server

    Concert club

    2010-01-01

    CERN MEYRIN (terminus bus 56-CERN) entrée B - bâtiment 500 - amphithéâtre Mardi 19 janvier 2010 à 20 h 30 Klaus MAURER violon Joanna BRZEZINSKA piano Au programme : Chopin, Rodrigo * * * * * Mardi 26 janvier 2010 à 20 h 30 Le quintette Liliane JAQUES flûte traversière Jade AZKOUL guitare Gaëlle POIRIER accordéon Mirella VEDEVA contrebasse Gueorgui POPOV piano Au programme : Portraits d’Astor Piazzlla   entrée libre Nos concerts sur notre site : www.concerts-cern.com et sur les sites : www.whys.org et www.agendadegeneve.ch

  18. Positive selection and ancient duplications in the evolution of class B floral homeotic genes of orchids and grasses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Koch Marcus A

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Positive selection is recognized as the prevalence of nonsynonymous over synonymous substitutions in a gene. Models of the functional evolution of duplicated genes consider neofunctionalization as key to the retention of paralogues. For instance, duplicate transcription factors are specifically retained in plant and animal genomes and both positive selection and transcriptional divergence appear to have played a role in their diversification. However, the relative impact of these two factors has not been systematically evaluated. Class B MADS-box genes, comprising DEF-like and GLO-like genes, encode developmental transcription factors essential for establishment of perianth and male organ identity in the flowers of angiosperms. Here, we contrast the role of positive selection and the known divergence in expression patterns of genes encoding class B-like MADS-box transcription factors from monocots, with emphasis on the family Orchidaceae and the order Poales. Although in the monocots these two groups are highly diverse and have a strongly canalized floral morphology, there is no information on the role of positive selection in the evolution of their distinctive flower morphologies. Published research shows that in Poales, class B-like genes are expressed in stamens and in lodicules, the perianth organs whose identity might also be specified by class B-like genes, like the identity of the inner tepals of their lily-like relatives. In orchids, however, the number and pattern of expression of class B-like genes have greatly diverged. Results The DEF-like genes from Orchidaceae form four well-supported, ancient clades of orthologues. In contrast, orchid GLO-like genes form a single clade of ancient orthologues and recent paralogues. DEF-like genes from orchid clade 2 (OMADS3-like genes are under less stringent purifying selection than the other orchid DEF-like and GLO-like genes. In comparison with orchids, purifying selection

  19. Molecular archaeology of Flaviviridae untranslated regions: duplicated RNA structures in the replication enhancer of flaviviruses and pestiviruses emerged via convergent evolution.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dmitri J Gritsun

    Full Text Available RNA secondary structures in the 3'untranslated regions (3'UTR of the viruses of the family Flaviviridae, previously identified as essential (promoters or beneficial (enhancers for replication, have been analysed. Duplicated enhancer elements are revealed as a global feature in the evolution of the 3'UTR of distantly related viruses within the genera Flavivirus and Pestivirus. For the flaviviruses, duplicated structures occur in the 3'UTR of all four distantly related ecological virus subgroups (tick-borne, mosquito-borne, no known vector and insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFV. RNA structural differences distinguish tick-borne flaviviruses with discrete pathogenetic characteristics. For Aedes- and Culex-associated ISFV, secondary RNA structures with different conformations display numerous short ssRNA direct repeats, exposed as loops and bulges. Long quadruplicate regions comprise almost the entire 3'UTR of Culex-associated ISFV. Extended duplicated sequence and associated RNA structures were also discovered in the 3'UTR of pestiviruses. In both the Flavivirus and Pestivirus genera, duplicated RNA structures were localized to the enhancer regions of the 3'UTR suggesting an adaptive role predominantly in wild-type viruses. We propose sequence reiteration might act as a scaffold for dimerization of proteins involved in assembly of viral replicase complexes. Numerous nucleotide repeats exposed as loops/bulges might also interfere with host immune responses acting as a molecular sponge to sequester key host proteins or microRNAs.

  20. Recombination facilitates neofunctionalization of duplicate genes via originalization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huang Ren

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Recently originalization was proposed to be an effective way of duplicate-gene preservation, in which recombination provokes the high frequency of original (or wild-type allele on both duplicated loci. Because the high frequency of wild-type allele might drive the arising and accumulating of advantageous mutation, it is hypothesized that recombination might enlarge the probability of neofunctionalization (Pneo of duplicate genes. In this article this hypothesis has been tested theoretically. Results Results show that through originalization recombination might not only shorten mean time to neofunctionalizaiton, but also enlarge Pneo. Conclusions Therefore, recombination might facilitate neofunctionalization via originalization. Several extensive applications of these results on genomic evolution have been discussed: 1. Time to nonfunctionalization can be much longer than a few million generations expected before; 2. Homogenization on duplicated loci results from not only gene conversion, but also originalization; 3. Although the rate of advantageous mutation is much small compared with that of degenerative mutation, Pneo cannot be expected to be small.

  1. RANGER-DTL 2.0: Rigorous Reconstruction of Gene-Family Evolution by Duplication, Transfer, and Loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bansal, Mukul S; Kellis, Manolis; Kordi, Misagh; Kundu, Soumya

    2018-04-24

    RANGER-DTL 2.0 is a software program for inferring gene family evolution using Duplication-Transfer-Loss reconciliation. This new software is highly scalable and easy to use, and offers many new features not currently available in any other reconciliation program. RANGER-DTL 2.0 has a particular focus on reconciliation accuracy and can account for many sources of reconciliation uncertainty including uncertain gene tree rooting, gene tree topological uncertainty, multiple optimal reconciliations, and alternative event cost assignments. RANGER-DTL 2.0 is open-source and written in C ++ and Python. Pre-compiled executables, source code (open-source under GNU GPL), and a detailed manual are freely available from http://compbio.engr.uconn.edu/software/RANGER-DTL/. mukul.bansal@uconn.edu.

  2. Selective Constraints on Coding Sequences of Nervous System Genes Are a Major Determinant of Duplicate Gene Retention in Vertebrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roux, Julien; Liu, Jialin; Robinson-Rechavi, Marc

    2017-11-01

    The evolutionary history of vertebrates is marked by three ancient whole-genome duplications: two successive rounds in the ancestor of vertebrates, and a third one specific to teleost fishes. Biased loss of most duplicates enriched the genome for specific genes, such as slow evolving genes, but this selective retention process is not well understood. To understand what drives the long-term preservation of duplicate genes, we characterized duplicated genes in terms of their expression patterns. We used a new method of expression enrichment analysis, TopAnat, applied to in situ hybridization data from thousands of genes from zebrafish and mouse. We showed that the presence of expression in the nervous system is a good predictor of a higher rate of retention of duplicate genes after whole-genome duplication. Further analyses suggest that purifying selection against the toxic effects of misfolded or misinteracting proteins, which is particularly strong in nonrenewing neural tissues, likely constrains the evolution of coding sequences of nervous system genes, leading indirectly to the preservation of duplicate genes after whole-genome duplication. Whole-genome duplications thus greatly contributed to the expansion of the toolkit of genes available for the evolution of profound novelties of the nervous system at the base of the vertebrate radiation. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  3. Molecular Archaeology of Flaviviridae Untranslated Regions: Duplicated RNA Structures in the Replication Enhancer of Flaviviruses and Pestiviruses Emerged via Convergent Evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gritsun, Dmitri J.; Jones, Ian M.; Gould, Ernest A.; Gritsun, Tamara S.

    2014-01-01

    RNA secondary structures in the 3′untranslated regions (3′UTR) of the viruses of the family Flaviviridae, previously identified as essential (promoters) or beneficial (enhancers) for replication, have been analysed. Duplicated enhancer elements are revealed as a global feature in the evolution of the 3′UTR of distantly related viruses within the genera Flavivirus and Pestivirus. For the flaviviruses, duplicated structures occur in the 3′UTR of all four distantly related ecological virus subgroups (tick-borne, mosquito-borne, no known vector and insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFV). RNA structural differences distinguish tick-borne flaviviruses with discrete pathogenetic characteristics. For Aedes- and Culex-associated ISFV, secondary RNA structures with different conformations display numerous short ssRNA direct repeats, exposed as loops and bulges. Long quadruplicate regions comprise almost the entire 3′UTR of Culex-associated ISFV. Extended duplicated sequence and associated RNA structures were also discovered in the 3′UTR of pestiviruses. In both the Flavivirus and Pestivirus genera, duplicated RNA structures were localized to the enhancer regions of the 3′UTR suggesting an adaptive role predominantly in wild-type viruses. We propose sequence reiteration might act as a scaffold for dimerization of proteins involved in assembly of viral replicase complexes. Numerous nucleotide repeats exposed as loops/bulges might also interfere with host immune responses acting as a molecular sponge to sequester key host proteins or microRNAs. PMID:24647143

  4. Enteric and rectal duplications and duplication cysts in the adult.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simsek, Abdurrahman; Zeybek, Nazif; Yagci, Gokhan; Kaymakcioglu, Nihat; Tas, Huseyin; Saglam, Mutlu; Cetiner, Sadettin

    2005-03-01

    Alimentary tract duplication and duplication cysts are rare congenital malformations. The ileum is the most frequently affected site. However, alimentary tract duplication and duplication cysts can occur at any point along the gastrointestinal tract. Early diagnosis and prompt surgical treatment is the best way to prevent associated morbidity. This article presents the cases of three patients admitted to Gulhane Military Medical Academy with signs of acute abdomen, intra-abdominal mass and chronic abdominal pain. These patients were found to have enteric duplication, duplication cyst and/or retro-rectal cyst. The literature on alimentary tract duplications is reviewed.

  5. Analysis Of Segmental Duplications In The Pig Genome Based On Next-Generation Sequencing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fadista, João; Bendixen, Christian

    Segmental duplications are >1kb segments of duplicated DNA present in a genome with high sequence identity (>90%). They are associated with genomic rearrangements and provide a significant source of gene and genome evolution within mammalian genomes. Although segmental duplications have been...... extensively studied in other organisms, its analysis in pig has been hampered by the lack of a complete pig genome assembly. By measuring the depth of coverage of Illumina whole-genome shotgun sequencing reads of the Tabasco animal aligned to the latest pig genome assembly (Sus scrofa 10 – based also...... and their associated copy number alterations, focusing on the global organization of these segments and their possible functional significance in porcine phenotypes. This work provides insights into mammalian genome evolution and generates a valuable resource for porcine genomics research...

  6. A role for gene duplication and natural variation of gene expression in the evolution of metabolism.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel J Kliebenstein

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Most eukaryotic genomes have undergone whole genome duplications during their evolutionary history. Recent studies have shown that the function of these duplicated genes can diverge from the ancestral gene via neo- or sub-functionalization within single genotypes. An additional possibility is that gene duplicates may also undergo partitioning of function among different genotypes of a species leading to genetic differentiation. Finally, the ability of gene duplicates to diverge may be limited by their biological function. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To test these hypotheses, I estimated the impact of gene duplication and metabolic function upon intraspecific gene expression variation of segmental and tandem duplicated genes within Arabidopsis thaliana. In all instances, the younger tandem duplicated genes showed higher intraspecific gene expression variation than the average Arabidopsis gene. Surprisingly, the older segmental duplicates also showed evidence of elevated intraspecific gene expression variation albeit typically lower than for the tandem duplicates. The specific biological function of the gene as defined by metabolic pathway also modulated the level of intraspecific gene expression variation. The major energy metabolism and biosynthetic pathways showed decreased variation, suggesting that they are constrained in their ability to accumulate gene expression variation. In contrast, a major herbivory defense pathway showed significantly elevated intraspecific variation suggesting that it may be under pressure to maintain and/or generate diversity in response to fluctuating insect herbivory pressures. CONCLUSION: These data show that intraspecific variation in gene expression is facilitated by an interaction of gene duplication and biological activity. Further, this plays a role in controlling diversity of plant metabolism.

  7. Concert Club

    CERN Document Server

    Concert Club

    CERN MEYRIN (terminus bus 56-CERN) Entrée B - bâtiment 500 - Amphithéâtre Mardi 1er Décembre 2009 à 20 h 30 Patrick VO VANG PHUC piano Au programme : Scarlatti, Mozart, Schubert, Debussy * * * * * Mardi 8 Décembre 2009 à 20 h 30 « CRESCENDO » duo de guitares avec Danielle VILLARD et Luciano ROSSETTI Au programme : Johnson, J.S Bach, Vivaldi, Scheidler, Pujol, Albeniz, Granados, Rizzuti, Satie, Rivoal * * * * * Dimanche 13 décembre 2009 à 17 h 00 piano à 4 mains avec Christel BARBERI et Jean-Pierre VARONE Au programme : Brahms, Schubert, Rachmaninov Entrée libre Nos concerts sur notre site : www.concerts-cern.com et sur les sites : www.whys.org et www.agendadegeneve.ch  

  8. The house spider genome reveals an ancient whole-genome duplication during arachnid evolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwager, Evelyn E; Sharma, Prashant P; Clarke, Thomas; Leite, Daniel J; Wierschin, Torsten; Pechmann, Matthias; Akiyama-Oda, Yasuko; Esposito, Lauren; Bechsgaard, Jesper; Bilde, Trine; Buffry, Alexandra D; Chao, Hsu; Dinh, Huyen; Doddapaneni, HarshaVardhan; Dugan, Shannon; Eibner, Cornelius; Extavour, Cassandra G; Funch, Peter; Garb, Jessica; Gonzalez, Luis B; Gonzalez, Vanessa L; Griffiths-Jones, Sam; Han, Yi; Hayashi, Cheryl; Hilbrant, Maarten; Hughes, Daniel S T; Janssen, Ralf; Lee, Sandra L; Maeso, Ignacio; Murali, Shwetha C; Muzny, Donna M; Nunes da Fonseca, Rodrigo; Paese, Christian L B; Qu, Jiaxin; Ronshaugen, Matthew; Schomburg, Christoph; Schönauer, Anna; Stollewerk, Angelika; Torres-Oliva, Montserrat; Turetzek, Natascha; Vanthournout, Bram; Werren, John H; Wolff, Carsten; Worley, Kim C; Bucher, Gregor; Gibbs, Richard A; Coddington, Jonathan; Oda, Hiroki; Stanke, Mario; Ayoub, Nadia A; Prpic, Nikola-Michael; Flot, Jean-François; Posnien, Nico; Richards, Stephen; McGregor, Alistair P

    2017-07-31

    The duplication of genes can occur through various mechanisms and is thought to make a major contribution to the evolutionary diversification of organisms. There is increasing evidence for a large-scale duplication of genes in some chelicerate lineages including two rounds of whole genome duplication (WGD) in horseshoe crabs. To investigate this further, we sequenced and analyzed the genome of the common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. We found pervasive duplication of both coding and non-coding genes in this spider, including two clusters of Hox genes. Analysis of synteny conservation across the P. tepidariorum genome suggests that there has been an ancient WGD in spiders. Comparison with the genomes of other chelicerates, including that of the newly sequenced bark scorpion Centruroides sculpturatus, suggests that this event occurred in the common ancestor of spiders and scorpions, and is probably independent of the WGDs in horseshoe crabs. Furthermore, characterization of the sequence and expression of the Hox paralogs in P. tepidariorum suggests that many have been subject to neo-functionalization and/or sub-functionalization since their duplication. Our results reveal that spiders and scorpions are likely the descendants of a polyploid ancestor that lived more than 450 MYA. Given the extensive morphological diversity and ecological adaptations found among these animals, rivaling those of vertebrates, our study of the ancient WGD event in Arachnopulmonata provides a new comparative platform to explore common and divergent evolutionary outcomes of polyploidization events across eukaryotes.

  9. External cystic rectal duplication: an unusual presentation of rectal duplication cyst.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karaman, I; Karaman, A; Arda, N; Cakmak, O

    2007-11-01

    Duplications of gastrointestinal tract are rare anomalies, and rectal duplications account for five percent of the alimentary tract duplications. We present an unusual case of rectal duplication, which was located externally in a newborn female, and discuss the types of distal hindgut duplications.

  10. Duplicate retention in signalling proteins and constraints from network dynamics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soyer, O S; Creevey, C J

    2010-11-01

    Duplications are a major driving force behind evolution. Most duplicates are believed to fix through genetic drift, but it is not clear whether this process affects all duplications equally or whether there are certain gene families that are expected to show neutral expansions under certain circumstances. Here, we analyse the neutrality of duplications in different functional classes of signalling proteins based on their effects on response dynamics. We find that duplications involving intermediary proteins in a signalling network are neutral more often than those involving receptors. Although the fraction of neutral duplications in all functional classes increase with decreasing population size and selective pressure on dynamics, this effect is most pronounced for receptors, indicating a possible expansion of receptors in species with small population size. In line with such an expectation, we found a statistically significant increase in the number of receptors as a fraction of genome size in eukaryotes compared with prokaryotes. Although not confirmative, these results indicate that neutral processes can be a significant factor in shaping signalling networks and affect proteins from different functional classes differently. © 2010 The Authors. Journal Compilation © 2010 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

  11. Artificial domain duplication replicates evolutionary history of ketol-acid reductoisomerases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cahn, Jackson K B; Brinkmann-Chen, Sabine; Buller, Andrew R; Arnold, Frances H

    2016-07-01

    The duplication of protein structural domains has been proposed as a common mechanism for the generation of new protein folds. A particularly interesting case is the class II ketol-acid reductoisomerase (KARI), which putatively arose from an ancestral class I KARI by duplication of the C-terminal domain and corresponding loss of obligate dimerization. As a result, the class II enzymes acquired a deeply embedded figure-of-eight knot. To test this evolutionary hypothesis we constructed a novel class II KARI by duplicating the C-terminal domain of a hyperthermostable class I KARI. The new protein is monomeric, as confirmed by gel filtration and X-ray crystallography, and has the deeply knotted class II KARI fold. Surprisingly, its catalytic activity is nearly unchanged from the parent KARI. This provides strong evidence in support of domain duplication as the mechanism for the evolution of the class II KARI fold and demonstrates the ability of domain duplication to generate topological novelty in a function-neutral manner. © 2015 The Protein Society.

  12. Two Rounds of Whole Genome Duplication in the AncestralVertebrate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dehal, Paramvir; Boore, Jeffrey L.

    2005-04-12

    The hypothesis that the relatively large and complex vertebrate genome was created by two ancient, whole genome duplications has been hotly debated, but remains unresolved. We reconstructed the evolutionary relationships of all gene families from the complete gene sets of a tunicate, fish, mouse, and human, then determined when each gene duplicated relative to the evolutionary tree of the organisms. We confirmed the results of earlier studies that there remains little signal of these events in numbers of duplicated genes, gene tree topology, or the number of genes per multigene family. However, when we plotted the genomic map positions of only the subset of paralogous genes that were duplicated prior to the fish-tetrapod split, their global physical organization provides unmistakable evidence of two distinct genome duplication events early in vertebrate evolution indicated by clear patterns of 4-way paralogous regions covering a large part of the human genome. Our results highlight the potential for these large-scale genomic events to have driven the evolutionary success of the vertebrate lineage.

  13. Enteric Duplication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeziorczak, Paul M; Warner, Brad W

    2018-03-01

    Enteric duplications have been described throughout the entire gastrointestinal tract. The usual perinatal presentation is an abdominal mass. Duplications associated with the foregut have associated respiratory symptoms, whereas duplications in the midgut and hindgut can present with obstructive symptoms, perforation, nausea, emesis, hemorrhage, or be asymptomatic, and identified as an incidental finding. These are differentiated from other cystic lesions by the presence of a normal gastrointestinal mucosal epithelium. Enteric duplications are located on the mesenteric side of the native structures and are often singular with tubular or cystic characteristics. Management of enteric duplications often requires operative intervention with preservation of the native blood supply and intestine. These procedures are usually very well tolerated with low morbidity.

  14. Prevalent Role of Gene Features in Determining Evolutionary Fates of Whole-Genome Duplication Duplicated Genes in Flowering Plants1[W][OA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Wen-kai; Liu, Yun-long; Xia, En-hua; Gao, Li-zhi

    2013-01-01

    The evolution of genes and genomes after polyploidization has been the subject of extensive studies in evolutionary biology and plant sciences. While a significant number of duplicated genes are rapidly removed during a process called fractionation, which operates after the whole-genome duplication (WGD), another considerable number of genes are retained preferentially, leading to the phenomenon of biased gene retention. However, the evolutionary mechanisms underlying gene retention after WGD remain largely unknown. Through genome-wide analyses of sequence and functional data, we comprehensively investigated the relationships between gene features and the retention probability of duplicated genes after WGDs in six plant genomes, Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), poplar (Populus trichocarpa), soybean (Glycine max), rice (Oryza sativa), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), and maize (Zea mays). The results showed that multiple gene features were correlated with the probability of gene retention. Using a logistic regression model based on principal component analysis, we resolved evolutionary rate, structural complexity, and GC3 content as the three major contributors to gene retention. Cluster analysis of these features further classified retained genes into three distinct groups in terms of gene features and evolutionary behaviors. Type I genes are more prone to be selected by dosage balance; type II genes are possibly subject to subfunctionalization; and type III genes may serve as potential targets for neofunctionalization. This study highlights that gene features are able to act jointly as primary forces when determining the retention and evolution of WGD-derived duplicated genes in flowering plants. These findings thus may help to provide a resolution to the debate on different evolutionary models of gene fates after WGDs. PMID:23396833

  15. A Concert with Striking Force

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Steijn, Arthur

    2014-01-01

    An hour before the percussion concert, members of the audience are already filling the foyer of the Copenhagen Opera House. Something special is to happen before the doors to the concert hall open. Percussion instruments—bass drums, bongos, and even a marimba—are exhibited, and people are encoura...

  16. Concertation or Consultation. That is the question.

    CERN Multimedia

    Staff Association

    2018-01-01

    In April 2017 (as reported in Echo No. 268), the Staff Association, when invited to an Enlarged Directorate meeting, stressed that “concertation requires a positive attitude and mutual trust. […] The Staff Association is firmly committed in this respect but does not consider that the concertation process is as effective as we should like”. The continued lack, for the Staff Association, of an effective concertation process led to a revisiting of the situation in June 2017 (Echo No. 271), in an article that stressed the importance of the concertation process at CERN since it was introduced in 1983, the year in which the Standing Concertation Committee (SCC) replaced the Standing Consultation Committee. The importance of concertation was also highlighted by Mr Bernard Dormy, Chair of TREF, in an interview he gave to the Staff Association at the end of January 2018 (Echo No. 284), when he retired from his position as the Chair of the Forum. “To sum it up, I would certainl...

  17. Evolutionary patterns of RNA-based duplication in non-mammalian chordates.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ming Chen

    Full Text Available The role of RNA-based duplication, or retroposition, in the evolution of new gene functions in mammals, plants, and Drosophila has been widely reported. However, little is known about RNA-based duplication in non-mammalian chordates. In this study, we screened ten non-mammalian chordate genomes for retrocopies and investigated their evolutionary patterns. We identified numerous retrocopies in these species. Examination of the age distribution of these retrocopies revealed no burst of young retrocopies in ancient chordate species. Upon comparing these non-mammalian chordate species to the mammalian species, we observed that a larger fraction of the non-mammalian retrocopies was under strong evolutionary constraints than mammalian retrocopies are, as evidenced by signals of purifying selection and expression profiles. For the Western clawed frog, Medaka, and Sea squirt, many retrogenes have evolved gonad and brain expression patterns, similar to what was observed in human. Testing of retrogene movement in the Medaka genome, where the nascent sex chrosomes have been well assembled, did not reveal any significant gene movement. Taken together, our analyses demonstrate that RNA-based duplication generates many functional genes and can make a significant contribution to the evolution of non-mammalian genomes.

  18. Volvulus U-Shaped transverse colonic duplication: Report of a case and literature review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruankha Bilommi

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Tubular duplication of the colon is very rare especially in adulthood, because it is frequently symptomatic earlier in newborn life, so only few cases are reported in literature. Several theories are proposed to explain the onset and the evolution of gut malformations as the aberrant lumen recanalization or the diverticular theory, the alteration of the lateral closure of the embryonal disk or finally the dorsal protrusion of the yolk-sac for herniation or adhesion to the ectoderm for an abnormality of the longitudinal line, but none clarifies the exact genesis of duplication [1–3]. U Shaped transverse colonic duplication with volvulus has never been reported before and very rare in condition in gastrointestinal duplication.

  19. Evolution of Rosaceae Fruit Types Based on Nuclear Phylogeny in the Context of Geological Times and Genome Duplication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiang, Yezi; Huang, Chien-Hsun; Hu, Yi; Wen, Jun; Li, Shisheng; Yi, Tingshuang; Chen, Hongyi; Xiang, Jun; Ma, Hong

    2017-02-01

    Fruits are the defining feature of angiosperms, likely have contributed to angiosperm successes by protecting and dispersing seeds, and provide foods to humans and other animals, with many morphological types and important ecological and agricultural implications. Rosaceae is a family with ∼3000 species and an extraordinary spectrum of distinct fruits, including fleshy peach, apple, and strawberry prized by their consumers, as well as dry achenetum and follicetum with features facilitating seed dispersal, excellent for studying fruit evolution. To address Rosaceae fruit evolution and other questions, we generated 125 new transcriptomic and genomic datasets and identified hundreds of nuclear genes to reconstruct a well-resolved Rosaceae phylogeny with highly supported monophyly of all subfamilies and tribes. Molecular clock analysis revealed an estimated age of ∼101.6 Ma for crown Rosaceae and divergence times of tribes and genera, providing a geological and climate context for fruit evolution. Phylogenomic analysis yielded strong evidence for numerous whole genome duplications (WGDs), supporting the hypothesis that the apple tribe had a WGD and revealing another one shared by fleshy fruit-bearing members of this tribe, with moderate support for WGDs in the peach tribe and other groups. Ancestral character reconstruction for fruit types supports independent origins of fleshy fruits from dry-fruit ancestors, including the evolution of drupes (e.g., peach) and pomes (e.g., apple) from follicetum, and drupetum (raspberry and blackberry) from achenetum. We propose that WGDs and environmental factors, including animals, contributed to the evolution of the many fruits in Rosaceae, which provide a foundation for understanding fruit evolution. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  20. Divergence of gene body DNA methylation and evolution of plant duplicate genes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jun Wang

    Full Text Available It has been shown that gene body DNA methylation is associated with gene expression. However, whether and how deviation of gene body DNA methylation between duplicate genes can influence their divergence remains largely unexplored. Here, we aim to elucidate the potential role of gene body DNA methylation in the fate of duplicate genes. We identified paralogous gene pairs from Arabidopsis and rice (Oryza sativa ssp. japonica genomes and reprocessed their single-base resolution methylome data. We show that methylation in paralogous genes nonlinearly correlates with several gene properties including exon number/gene length, expression level and mutation rate. Further, we demonstrated that divergence of methylation level and pattern in paralogs indeed positively correlate with their sequence and expression divergences. This result held even after controlling for other confounding factors known to influence the divergence of paralogs. We observed that methylation level divergence might be more relevant to the expression divergence of paralogs than methylation pattern divergence. Finally, we explored the mechanisms that might give rise to the divergence of gene body methylation in paralogs. We found that exonic methylation divergence more closely correlates with expression divergence than intronic methylation divergence. We show that genomic environments (e.g., flanked by transposable elements and repetitive sequences of paralogs generated by various duplication mechanisms are associated with the methylation divergence of paralogs. Overall, our results suggest that the changes in gene body DNA methylation could provide another avenue for duplicate genes to develop differential expression patterns and undergo different evolutionary fates in plant genomes.

  1. “The Concert of Europe” In 20th Century British and American Historiography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ekaterina V. Romanova

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The article provides a critical analysis of the interpretations of the Concert of Europe by British and American historians of the XXth century. The interest in the study of this phenomenon is rooted in its relation to the problems of the maintenance of international order and stability. It is not only academic, being partly determined by the fact that throughout the XX century first Britain and then the USA was at the top of the world hierarchy, and accordingly played a leading role in the construction and maintenance of the European order. Current international environment, the experience of the two World Wars of the XXth century determined the angle from which the phenomenon of the Concert of Europe was studied. Whereas in the second half of the 1910s - early 1920s historians pointed to the deficiencies of the international system of the preceding century (and in particular, the institution of the Concert of Europe, the students of the Vienna system working after the Second World War regarded the period of 1815-1914 as relatively stable, compared to the short interwar interlude. The Concert of Europe was named as one of the factors contributing to stability and peace. Certain logic can be discerned in the development of the historiography of the problem, which to some degree reflected the evolution of ideas about international relations management. At the same time, the differences in the interpretations of the Concert of Europe derive from the fact that this very concept in the XIXth century was not fixed and static. Great Powers' readiness to cooperation did not mean that there were no conflicts of interests. They struggled for leadership within the Concert and sought to impart to it their own interpretation.

  2. Annelid Distal-less/Dlx duplications reveal varied post-duplication fates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Korchagina Natalia

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Dlx (Distal-less genes have various developmental roles and are widespread throughout the animal kingdom, usually occurring as single copy genes in non-chordates and as multiple copies in most chordate genomes. While the genomic arrangement and function of these genes is well known in vertebrates and arthropods, information about Dlx genes in other organisms is scarce. We investigate the presence of Dlx genes in several annelid species and examine Dlx gene expression in the polychaete Pomatoceros lamarckii. Results Two Dlx genes are present in P. lamarckii, Capitella teleta and Helobdella robusta. The C. teleta Dlx genes are closely linked in an inverted tail-to-tail orientation, reminiscent of the arrangement of vertebrate Dlx pairs, and gene conversion appears to have had a role in their evolution. The H. robusta Dlx genes, however, are not on the same genomic scaffold and display divergent sequences, while, if the P. lamarckii genes are linked in a tail-to-tail orientation they are a minimum of 41 kilobases apart and show no sign of gene conversion. No expression in P. lamarckii appendage development has been observed, which conflicts with the supposed conserved role of these genes in animal appendage development. These Dlx duplications do not appear to be annelid-wide, as the polychaete Platynereis dumerilii likely possesses only one Dlx gene. Conclusions On the basis of the currently accepted annelid phylogeny, we hypothesise that one Dlx duplication occurred in the annelid lineage after the divergence of P. dumerilii from the other lineages and these duplicates then had varied evolutionary fates in different species. We also propose that the ancestral role of Dlx genes is not related to appendage development.

  3. Genome Mutational and Transcriptional Hotspots Are Traps for Duplicated Genes and Sources of Adaptations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fares, Mario A; Sabater-Muñoz, Beatriz; Toft, Christina

    2017-05-01

    Gene duplication generates new genetic material, which has been shown to lead to major innovations in unicellular and multicellular organisms. A whole-genome duplication occurred in the ancestor of Saccharomyces yeast species but 92% of duplicates returned to single-copy genes shortly after duplication. The persisting duplicated genes in Saccharomyces led to the origin of major metabolic innovations, which have been the source of the unique biotechnological capabilities in the Baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. What factors have determined the fate of duplicated genes remains unknown. Here, we report the first demonstration that the local genome mutation and transcription rates determine the fate of duplicates. We show, for the first time, a preferential location of duplicated genes in the mutational and transcriptional hotspots of S. cerevisiae genome. The mechanism of duplication matters, with whole-genome duplicates exhibiting different preservation trends compared to small-scale duplicates. Genome mutational and transcriptional hotspots are rich in duplicates with large repetitive promoter elements. Saccharomyces cerevisiae shows more tolerance to deleterious mutations in duplicates with repetitive promoter elements, which in turn exhibit higher transcriptional plasticity against environmental perturbations. Our data demonstrate that the genome traps duplicates through the accelerated regulatory and functional divergence of their gene copies providing a source of novel adaptations in yeast. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  4. Duplication and relocation of the functional DPY19L2 gene within low copy repeats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cheung Joseph

    2006-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Low copy repeats (LCRs are thought to play an important role in recent gene evolution, especially when they facilitate gene duplications. Duplicate genes are fundamental to adaptive evolution, providing substrates for the development of new or shared gene functions. Moreover, silencing of duplicate genes can have an indirect effect on adaptive evolution by causing genomic relocation of functional genes. These changes are theorized to have been a major factor in speciation. Results Here we present a novel example showing functional gene relocation within a LCR. We characterize the genomic structure and gene content of eight related LCRs on human Chromosomes 7 and 12. Two members of a novel transmembrane gene family, DPY19L, were identified in these regions, along with six transcribed pseudogenes. One of these genes, DPY19L2, is found on Chromosome 12 and is not syntenic with its mouse orthologue. Instead, the human locus syntenic to mouse Dpy19l2 contains a pseudogene, DPY19L2P1. This indicates that the ancestral copy of this gene has been silenced, while the descendant copy has remained active. Thus, the functional copy of this gene has been relocated to a new genomic locus. We then describe the expansion and evolution of the DPY19L gene family from a single gene found in invertebrate animals. Ancient duplications have led to multiple homologues in different lineages, with three in fish, frogs and birds and four in mammals. Conclusion Our results show that the DPY19L family has expanded throughout the vertebrate lineage and has undergone recent primate-specific evolution within LCRs.

  5. Radiological findings of male urethral duplication associated with bladder duplication: case report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Hyoung Jung; Lim, Joo Won; Lee, Dong Ho; Ko, Young Tae

    2004-01-01

    Urethral duplication or accessory urethra is a rare congenital anomaly. Even rarer, is its association with bladder duplication. We report a case of urethral duplication associated with bladder duplication in a seven-year-old boy who underwent retrograde urethrography, sonography and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. WhiIe retrograde urethrography can demonstrate the extent of the duplicated urethra, MR imaging and sonography can provide detailed information on the anatomy of the adjacent tissues as well as urethral duplication

  6. Venom Evolution

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    IAS Admin

    Therefore, the platypus sequence was studied to quantify the role of gene duplication in the evolution of venom. ... Platypus venom is present only in males and is used for asserting dominance over com- petitors during the ... Certain toxin gene families are known to re- peatedly evolve through gene duplications. The rapidly ...

  7. Using paleogenomics to study the evolution of gene families: origin and duplication history of the relaxin family hormones and their receptors.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergey Yegorov

    Full Text Available Recent progress in the analysis of whole genome sequencing data has resulted in the emergence of paleogenomics, a field devoted to the reconstruction of ancestral genomes. Ancestral karyotype reconstructions have been used primarily to illustrate the dynamic nature of genome evolution. In this paper, we demonstrate how they can also be used to study individual gene families by examining the evolutionary history of relaxin hormones (RLN/INSL and relaxin family peptide receptors (RXFP. Relaxin family hormones are members of the insulin superfamily, and are implicated in the regulation of a variety of primarily reproductive and neuroendocrine processes. Their receptors are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR's and include members of two distinct evolutionary groups, an unusual characteristic. Although several studies have tried to elucidate the origins of the relaxin peptide family, the evolutionary origin of their receptors and the mechanisms driving the diversification of the RLN/INSL-RXFP signaling systems in non-placental vertebrates has remained elusive. Here we show that the numerous vertebrate RLN/INSL and RXFP genes are products of an ancestral receptor-ligand system that originally consisted of three genes, two of which apparently trace their origins to invertebrates. Subsequently, diversification of the system was driven primarily by whole genome duplications (WGD, 2R and 3R followed by almost complete retention of the ligand duplicates in most vertebrates but massive loss of receptor genes in tetrapods. Interestingly, the majority of 3R duplicates retained in teleosts are potentially involved in neuroendocrine regulation. Furthermore, we infer that the ancestral AncRxfp3/4 receptor may have been syntenically linked to the AncRln-like ligand in the pre-2R genome, and show that syntenic linkages among ligands and receptors have changed dynamically in different lineages. This study ultimately shows the broad utility, with some caveats, of

  8. Evolutionary history of glucose-6-phosphatase encoding genes in vertebrate lineages: towards a better understanding of the functions of multiple duplicates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marandel, Lucie; Panserat, Stéphane; Plagnes-Juan, Elisabeth; Arbenoits, Eva; Soengas, José Luis; Bobe, Julien

    2017-05-02

    Glucose-6-phosphate (G6pc) is a key enzyme involved in the regulation of the glucose homeostasis. The present study aims at revisiting and clarifying the evolutionary history of g6pc genes in vertebrates. g6pc duplications happened by successive rounds of whole genome duplication that occurred during vertebrate evolution. g6pc duplicated before or around Osteichthyes/Chondrichthyes radiation, giving rise to g6pca and g6pcb as a consequence of the second vertebrate whole genome duplication. g6pca was lost after this duplication in Sarcopterygii whereas both g6pca and g6pcb then duplicated as a consequence of the teleost-specific whole genome duplication. One g6pca duplicate was lost after this duplication in teleosts. Similarly one g6pcb2 duplicate was lost at least in the ancestor of percomorpha. The analysis of the evolution of spatial expression patterns of g6pc genes in vertebrates showed that all g6pc were mainly expressed in intestine and liver whereas teleost-specific g6pcb2 genes were mainly and surprisingly expressed in brain and heart. g6pcb2b, one gene previously hypothesised to be involved in the glucose intolerant phenotype in trout, was unexpectedly up-regulated (as it was in liver) by carbohydrates in trout telencephalon without showing significant changes in other brain regions. This up-regulation is in striking contrast with expected glucosensing mechanisms suggesting that its positive response to glucose relates to specific unknown processes in this brain area. Our results suggested that the fixation and the divergence of g6pc duplicated genes during vertebrates' evolution may lead to adaptive novelty and probably to the emergence of novel phenotypes related to glucose homeostasis.

  9. Molecular evolution and patterns of duplication in the SEP/AGL6-like lineage of the Zingiberales: a proposed mechanism for floral diversification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yockteng, Roxana; Almeida, Ana M R; Morioka, Kelsie; Alvarez-Buylla, Elena R; Specht, Chelsea D

    2013-11-01

    The diversity of floral forms in the plant order Zingiberales has evolved through alterations in floral organ morphology. One striking alteration is the shift from fertile, filamentous stamens to sterile, laminar (petaloid) organs in the stamen whorls, attributed to specific pollination syndromes. Here, we examine the role of the SEPALLATA (SEP) genes, known to be important in regulatory networks underlying floral development and organ identity, in the evolution of development of the diverse floral organs phenotypes in the Zingiberales. Phylogenetic analyses show that the SEP-like genes have undergone several duplication events giving rise to multiple copies. Selection tests on the SEP-like genes indicate that the two copies of SEP3 have mostly evolved under balancing selection, probably due to strong functional restrictions as a result of their critical role in floral organ specification. In contrast, the two LOFSEP copies have undergone differential positive selection, indicating neofunctionalization. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, gene expression from RNA-seq data, and in situ hybridization analyses show that the recovered genes have differential expression patterns across the various whorls and organ types found in the Zingiberales. Our data also suggest that AGL6, sister to the SEP-like genes, may play an important role in stamen morphology in the Zingiberales. Thus, the SEP-like genes are likely to be involved in some of the unique morphogenetic patterns of floral organ development found among this diverse order of tropical monocots. This work contributes to a growing body of knowledge focused on understanding the role of gene duplications and the evolution of entire gene networks in the evolution of flower development.

  10. Ascorbate peroxidase-related (APx-R) is not a duplicable gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunand, Christophe; Mathé, Catherine; Lazzarotto, Fernanda; Margis, Rogério; Margis-Pinheiro, Marcia

    2011-12-01

    Phylogenetic, genomic and functional analyses have allowed the identification of a new class of putative heme peroxidases, so called APx-R (APx-Related). These new class, mainly present in the green lineage (including green algae and land plants), can also be detected in other unicellular chloroplastic organisms. Except for recent polyploid organisms, only single-copy of APx-R gene was detected in each genome, suggesting that the majority of the APx-R extra-copies were lost after chromosomal or segmental duplications. In a similar way, most APx-R co-expressed genes in Arabidopsis genome do not have conserved extra-copies after chromosomal duplications and are predicted to be localized in organelles, as are the APx-R. The member of this gene network can be considered as unique gene, well conserved through the evolution due to a strong negative selection pressure and a low evolution rate. © 2011 Landes Bioscience

  11. Sorting cancer karyotypes using double-cut-and-joins, duplications and deletions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeira, Ron; Shamir, Ron

    2018-05-03

    Problems of genome rearrangement are central in both evolution and cancer research. Most genome rearrangement models assume that the genome contains a single copy of each gene and the only changes in the genome are structural, i.e., reordering of segments. In contrast, tumor genomes also undergo numerical changes such as deletions and duplications, and thus the number of copies of genes varies. Dealing with unequal gene content is a very challenging task, addressed by few algorithms to date. More realistic models are needed to help trace genome evolution during tumorigenesis. Here we present a model for the evolution of genomes with multiple gene copies using the operation types double-cut-and-joins, duplications and deletions. The events supported by the model are reversals, translocations, tandem duplications, segmental deletions, and chromosomal amplifications and deletions, covering most types of structural and numerical changes observed in tumor samples. Our goal is to find a series of operations of minimum length that transform one karyotype into the other. We show that the problem is NP-hard and give an integer linear programming formulation that solves the problem exactly under some mild assumptions. We test our method on simulated genomes and on ovarian cancer genomes. Our study advances the state of the art in two ways: It allows a broader set of operations than extant models, thus being more realistic, and it is the first study attempting to reconstruct the full sequence of structural and numerical events during cancer evolution. Code and data are available in https://github.com/Shamir-Lab/Sorting-Cancer-Karyotypes. ronzeira@post.tau.ac.il, rshamir@tau.ac.il. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

  12. Concerts & Opera

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    2008-01-01

    Kristjan Järvi dirigeerimas Vienna Tonkünstler Orchestra't 16. veebr. Leedsis Town Hallis (esitusel ka Arvo Pärdi Symphony No. 3), 20. veebr. Bristolis ja 23. veebr. Basingstoke'is. Neeme Järvi dirigeerimas Royal Scottish National Orcestra't 23. veebr. Glasgowis Royal Concert Hallis ja 24. veebr. Edinburghis Queens Hallis

  13. Concert

    CERN Multimedia

    Staff Association

    2017-01-01

    Small Capella Friday 2 June at 18.00 CERN Meyrin, Main Auditorium Free admission Moscow chamber choir Small Capella arose within the walls of Children‘s musical school No. 10, and evolved over the years into a mixed choir of people of various age and occupation, open to anyone fond of choral music. The repertoire includes Russian and foreign classical music, sacred music, folk songs, contemporary choral compositions. The concert will include solo vocal and piano pieces.

  14. Gene Duplication and Gene Expression Changes Play a Role in the Evolution of Candidate Pollen Feeding Genes in Heliconius Butterflies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Gilbert; Macias-Muñoz, Aide; Briscoe, Adriana D

    2016-09-02

    Heliconius possess a unique ability among butterflies to feed on pollen. Pollen feeding significantly extends their lifespan, and is thought to have been important to the diversification of the genus. We used RNA sequencing to examine feeding-related gene expression in the mouthparts of four species of Heliconius and one nonpollen feeding species, Eueides isabella We hypothesized that genes involved in morphology and protein metabolism might be upregulated in Heliconius because they have longer proboscides than Eueides, and because pollen contains more protein than nectar. Using de novo transcriptome assemblies, we tested these hypotheses by comparing gene expression in mouthparts against antennae and legs. We first looked for genes upregulated in mouthparts across all five species and discovered several hundred genes, many of which had functional annotations involving metabolism of proteins (cocoonase), lipids, and carbohydrates. We then looked specifically within Heliconius where we found eleven common upregulated genes with roles in morphology (CPR cuticle proteins), behavior (takeout-like), and metabolism (luciferase-like). Closer examination of these candidates revealed that cocoonase underwent several duplications along the lineage leading to heliconiine butterflies, including two Heliconius-specific duplications. Luciferase-like genes also underwent duplication within lepidopterans, and upregulation in Heliconius mouthparts. Reverse-transcription PCR confirmed that three cocoonases, a peptidase, and one luciferase-like gene are expressed in the proboscis with little to no expression in labial palps and salivary glands. Our results suggest pollen feeding, like other dietary specializations, was likely facilitated by adaptive expansions of preexisting genes-and that the butterfly proboscis is involved in digestive enzyme production. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  15. Cyclization in concert

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fraaije, Marco W.; Mattevi, Andrea

    2008-01-01

    The berberine bridge enzyme catalyzes the crucial step in the biosynthesis of an important class of alkaloids through a reaction that cannot be carried out using conventional organic chemistry tools. Characterization of the enzyme demonstrates a concerted mechanism that couples two distinct chemical

  16. Comparing genomes with rearrangements and segmental duplications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shao, Mingfu; Moret, Bernard M E

    2015-06-15

    Large-scale evolutionary events such as genomic rearrange.ments and segmental duplications form an important part of the evolution of genomes and are widely studied from both biological and computational perspectives. A basic computational problem is to infer these events in the evolutionary history for given modern genomes, a task for which many algorithms have been proposed under various constraints. Algorithms that can handle both rearrangements and content-modifying events such as duplications and losses remain few and limited in their applicability. We study the comparison of two genomes under a model including general rearrangements (through double-cut-and-join) and segmental duplications. We formulate the comparison as an optimization problem and describe an exact algorithm to solve it by using an integer linear program. We also devise a sufficient condition and an efficient algorithm to identify optimal substructures, which can simplify the problem while preserving optimality. Using the optimal substructures with the integer linear program (ILP) formulation yields a practical and exact algorithm to solve the problem. We then apply our algorithm to assign in-paralogs and orthologs (a necessary step in handling duplications) and compare its performance with that of the state-of-the-art method MSOAR, using both simulations and real data. On simulated datasets, our method outperforms MSOAR by a significant margin, and on five well-annotated species, MSOAR achieves high accuracy, yet our method performs slightly better on each of the 10 pairwise comparisons. http://lcbb.epfl.ch/softwares/coser. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press.

  17. The Sequence and Analysis of Duplication Rich Human Chromosome 16

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Joel; Han, Cliff; Gordon, Laurie A.; Terry, Astrid; Prabhakar, Shyam; She, Xinwei; Xie, Gary; Hellsten, Uffe; Man Chan, Yee; Altherr, Michael; Couronne, Olivier; Aerts, Andrea; Bajorek, Eva; Black, Stacey; Blumer, Heather; Branscomb, Elbert; Brown, Nancy C.; Bruno, William J.; Buckingham, Judith M.; Callen, David F.; Campbell, Connie S.; Campbell, Mary L.; Campbell, Evelyn W.; Caoile, Chenier; Challacombe, Jean F.; Chasteen, Leslie A.; Chertkov, Olga; Chi, Han C.; Christensen, Mari; Clark, Lynn M.; Cohn, Judith D.; Denys, Mirian; Detter, John C.; Dickson, Mark; Dimitrijevic-Bussod, Mira; Escobar, Julio; Fawcett, Joseph J.; Flowers, Dave; Fotopulos, Dea; Glavina, Tijana; Gomez, Maria; Gonzales, Eidelyn; Goodstein, David; Goodwin, Lynne A.; Grady, Deborah L.; Grigoriev, Igor; Groza, Matthew; Hammon, Nancy; Hawkins, Trevor; Haydu, Lauren; Hildebrand, Carl E.; Huang, Wayne; Israni, Sanjay; Jett, Jamie; Jewett, Phillip E.; Kadner, Kristen; Kimball, Heather; Kobayashi, Arthur; Krawczyk, Marie-Claude; Leyba, Tina; Longmire, Jonathan L.; Lopez, Frederick; Lou, Yunian; Lowry, Steve; Ludeman, Thom; Mark, Graham A.; Mcmurray, Kimberly L.; Meincke, Linda J.; Morgan, Jenna; Moyzis, Robert K.; Mundt, Mark O.; Munk, A. Christine; Nandkeshwar, Richard D.; Pitluck, Sam; Pollard, Martin; Predki, Paul; Parson-Quintana, Beverly; Ramirez, Lucia; Rash, Sam; Retterer, James; Ricke, Darryl O.; Robinson, Donna L.; Rodriguez, Alex; Salamov, Asaf; Saunders, Elizabeth H.; Scott, Duncan; Shough, Timothy; Stallings, Raymond L.; Stalvey, Malinda; Sutherland, Robert D.; Tapia, Roxanne; Tesmer, Judith G.; Thayer, Nina; Thompson, Linda S.; Tice, Hope; Torney, David C.; Tran-Gyamfi, Mary; Tsai, Ming; Ulanovsky, Levy E.; Ustaszewska, Anna; Vo, Nu; White, P. Scott; Williams, Albert L.; Wills, Patricia L.; Wu, Jung-Rung; Wu, Kevin; Yang, Joan; DeJong, Pieter; Bruce, David; Doggett, Norman; Deaven, Larry; Schmutz, Jeremy; Grimwood, Jane; Richardson, Paul; et al.

    2004-01-01

    We report here the 78,884,754 base pairs of finished human chromosome 16 sequence, representing over 99.9 percent of its euchromatin. Manual annotation revealed 880 protein coding genes confirmed by 1,637 aligned transcripts, 19 tRNA genes, 341 pseudogenes and 3 RNA pseudogenes. These genes include metallothionein, cadherin and iroquois gene families, as well as the disease genes for polycystic kidney disease and acute myelomonocytic leukemia. Several large-scale structural polymorphisms spanning hundreds of kilobasepairs were identified and result in gene content differences across humans. One of the unique features of chromosome 16 is its high level of segmental duplication, ranked among the highest of the human autosomes. While the segmental duplications are enriched in the relatively gene poor pericentromere of the p-arm, some are involved in recent gene duplication and conversion events which are likely to have had an impact on the evolution of primates and human disease susceptibility.

  18. The sequence and analysis of duplication rich human chromosome 16

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martin, Joel; Han, Cliff; Gordon, Laurie A.; Terry, Astrid; Prabhakar, Shyam; She, Xinwei; Xie, Gary; Hellsten, Uffe; Man Chan, Yee; Altherr, Michael; Couronne, Olivier; Aerts, Andrea; Bajorek, Eva; Black, Stacey; Blumer, Heather; Branscomb, Elbert; Brown, Nancy C.; Bruno, William J.; Buckingham, Judith M.; Callen, David F.; Campbell, Connie S.; Campbell, Mary L.; Campbell, Evelyn W.; Caoile, Chenier; Challacombe, Jean F.; Chasteen, Leslie A.; Chertkov, Olga; Chi, Han C.; Christensen, Mari; Clark, Lynn M.; Cohn, Judith D.; Denys, Mirian; Detter, John C.; Dickson, Mark; Dimitrijevic-Bussod, Mira; Escobar, Julio; Fawcett, Joseph J.; Flowers, Dave; Fotopulos, Dea; Glavina, Tijana; Gomez, Maria; Gonzales, Eidelyn; Goodstein, David; Goodwin, Lynne A.; Grady, Deborah L.; Grigoriev, Igor; Groza, Matthew; Hammon, Nancy; Hawkins, Trevor; Haydu, Lauren; Hildebrand, Carl E.; Huang, Wayne; Israni, Sanjay; Jett, Jamie; Jewett, Phillip E.; Kadner, Kristen; Kimball, Heather; Kobayashi, Arthur; Krawczyk, Marie-Claude; Leyba, Tina; Longmire, Jonathan L.; Lopez, Frederick; Lou, Yunian; Lowry, Steve; Ludeman, Thom; Mark, Graham A.; Mcmurray, Kimberly L.; Meincke, Linda J.; Morgan, Jenna; Moyzis, Robert K.; Mundt, Mark O.; Munk, A. Christine; Nandkeshwar, Richard D.; Pitluck, Sam; Pollard, Martin; Predki, Paul; Parson-Quintana, Beverly; Ramirez, Lucia; Rash, Sam; Retterer, James; Ricke, Darryl O.; Robinson, Donna L.; Rodriguez, Alex; Salamov, Asaf; Saunders, Elizabeth H.; Scott, Duncan; Shough, Timothy; Stallings, Raymond L.; Stalvey, Malinda; Sutherland, Robert D.; Tapia, Roxanne; Tesmer, Judith G.; Thayer, Nina; Thompson, Linda S.; Tice, Hope; Torney, David C.; Tran-Gyamfi, Mary; Tsai, Ming; Ulanovsky, Levy E.; Ustaszewska, Anna; Vo, Nu; White, P. Scott; Williams, Albert L.; Wills, Patricia L.; Wu, Jung-Rung; Wu, Kevin; Yang, Joan; DeJong, Pieter; Bruce, David; Doggett, Norman; Deaven, Larry; Schmutz, Jeremy; Grimwood, Jane; Richardson, Paul; et al.

    2004-08-01

    We report here the 78,884,754 base pairs of finished human chromosome 16 sequence, representing over 99.9 percent of its euchromatin. Manual annotation revealed 880 protein coding genes confirmed by 1,637 aligned transcripts, 19 tRNA genes, 341 pseudogenes and 3 RNA pseudogenes. These genes include metallothionein, cadherin and iroquois gene families, as well as the disease genes for polycystic kidney disease and acute myelomonocytic leukemia. Several large-scale structural polymorphisms spanning hundreds of kilobasepairs were identified and result in gene content differences across humans. One of the unique features of chromosome 16 is its high level of segmental duplication, ranked among the highest of the human autosomes. While the segmental duplications are enriched in the relatively gene poor pericentromere of the p-arm, some are involved in recent gene duplication and conversion events which are likely to have had an impact on the evolution of primates and human disease susceptibility.

  19. Duplication and diversification of the hypoxia-inducible IGFBP-1 gene in zebrafish.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hiroyasu Kamei

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Gene duplication is the primary force of new gene evolution. Deciphering whether a pair of duplicated genes has evolved divergent functions is often challenging. The zebrafish is uniquely positioned to provide insight into the process of functional gene evolution due to its amenability to genetic and experimental manipulation and because it possess a large number of duplicated genes.We report the identification and characterization of two hypoxia-inducible genes in zebrafish that are co-ortholgs of human IGF binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1. IGFBP-1 is a secreted protein that binds to IGF and modulates IGF actions in somatic growth, development, and aging. Like their human and mouse counterparts, in adult zebrafish igfbp-1a and igfbp-1b are exclusively expressed in the liver. During embryogenesis, the two genes are expressed in overlapping spatial domains but with distinct temporal patterns. While zebrafish IGFBP-1a mRNA was easily detected throughout embryogenesis, IGFBP-1b mRNA was detectable only in advanced stages. Hypoxia induces igfbp-1a expression in early embryogenesis, but induces the igfbp-1b expression later in embryogenesis. Both IGFBP-1a and -b are capable of IGF binding, but IGFBP-1b has much lower affinities for IGF-I and -II because of greater dissociation rates. Overexpression of IGFBP-1a and -1b in zebrafish embryos caused significant decreases in growth and developmental rates. When tested in cultured zebrafish embryonic cells, IGFBP-1a and -1b both inhibited IGF-1-induced cell proliferation but the activity of IGFBP-1b was significantly weaker.These results indicate subfunction partitioning of the duplicated IGFBP-1 genes at the levels of gene expression, physiological regulation, protein structure, and biological actions. The duplicated IGFBP-1 may provide additional flexibility in fine-tuning IGF signaling activities under hypoxia and other catabolic conditions.

  20. Conservation of the abscission signaling peptide IDA during Angiosperm evolution: withstanding genome duplications and gain and loss of the receptors HAE/HSL2

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    Ida M. Stø

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The peptide INFLORESCENCE DEFICIENT IN ABSCISSION (IDA, which signals through the leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases HAESA (HAE and HAESA-LIKE2 (HSL2, controls different cell separation events in Arabidopsis thaliana. We hypothesize the involvement of this signaling module in abscission processes in other plant species even though they may shed other organs than A. thaliana. As the first step towards testing this hypothesis from an evolutionarily perspective we have identified genes encoding putative orthologues of IDA and its receptors by BLAST searches of publically available protein, nucleotide and genome databases for angiosperms. Genes encoding IDA or IDA-LIKE (IDL peptides and HSL proteins were found in all investigated species, which were selected as to represent each angiosperm order with available genomic sequences. The 12 amino acids representing the bioactive peptide in A. thaliana have virtually been unchanged throughout the evolution of the angiosperms; however, the number of IDL and HSL genes varies between different orders and species. The phylogenetic analyses suggest that IDA, HSL2 and the related HSL1 gene, were present in the species that gave rise to the angiosperms. HAE has arisen from HSL1 after a genome duplication that took place after the monocot - eudicots split. HSL1 has also independently been duplicated in the monocots, while HSL2 has been lost in gingers (Zingiberales and grasses (Poales. IDA has been duplicated in eudicots to give rise to functionally divergent IDL peptides. We postulate that the high number of IDL homologs present in the core eudicots is a result of multiple whole genome duplications. We substantiate the involvement of IDA and HAE/HSL2 homologs in abscission by providing gene expression data of different organ separation events from various species.

  1. "Tandem duplication-random loss" is not a real feature of oyster mitochondrial genomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang Guofan

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Duplications and rearrangements of coding genes are major themes in the evolution of mitochondrial genomes, bearing important consequences in the function of mitochondria and the fitness of organisms. Yu et al. (BMC Genomics 2008, 9:477 reported the complete mt genome sequence of the oyster Crassostrea hongkongensis (16,475 bp and found that a DNA segment containing four tRNA genes (trnK1, trnC, trnQ1 and trnN, a duplicated (rrnS and a split rRNA gene (rrnL5' was absent compared with that of two other Crassostrea species. It was suggested that the absence was a novel case of "tandem duplication-random loss" with evolutionary significance. We independently sequenced the complete mt genome of three C. hongkongensis individuals, all of which were 18,622 bp and contained the segment that was missing in Yu et al.'s sequence. Further, we designed primers, verified sequences and demonstrated that the sequence loss in Yu et al.'s study was an artifact caused by placing primers in a duplicated region. The duplication and split of ribosomal RNA genes are unique for Crassostrea oysters and not lost in C. hongkongensis. Our study highlights the need for caution when amplifying and sequencing through duplicated regions of the genome.

  2. Duplicate editorial on duplicate publication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corson, Stephen L; Decherney, Alan H

    2005-04-01

    The authors define and discuss the various forms taken by duplicate publications, and provide suggested remedies to help authors, editors, reviewers, and readers avoid this form of internal plagiarism.

  3. Musical Students’ Concert Practice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aleksandr S. Plokhotnyuk

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available . The article presents detailed analysis of performance training of future teachers of music at higher educational establishments and offers ways to overcome the problem of musical students’ concert practice organization.

  4. Duplication of the transverse colon in an adult: case report and review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banchini, Filippo; Delfanti, Rocco; Begnini, Evelina; Tripodi, Maria Candida; Capelli, Patrizio

    2013-01-28

    Tubular duplication of the colon is very rare especially in adulthood, because it is frequently symptomatic earlier in newborn life, so only few cases are reported in literature. Several theories are proposed to explain the onset and the evolution of gut malformations as the aberrant lumen recanalization or the diverticular theory, the alteration of the lateral closure of the embryonal disk or finally the dorsal protrusion of the yolk-sac for herniation or adhesion to the ectoderm for an abnormality of the longitudinal line, but none clarifies the exact genesis of duplication. We present a case of "Y-shaped" tubular duplication of the transverse colon in a 21-year-old adult, with a history of chronic pain and constipation, referred to our department for abdominal pain with retrosternal irradiation, treated with the resection of the aberrant bowel.

  5. The role of duplications in the evolution of genomes highlights the need for evolutionary-based approaches in comparative genomics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Levasseur Anthony

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Understanding the evolutionary plasticity of the genome requires a global, comparative approach in which genetic events are considered both in a phylogenetic framework and with regard to population genetics and environmental variables. In the mechanisms that generate adaptive and non-adaptive changes in genomes, segmental duplications (duplication of individual genes or genomic regions and polyploidization (whole genome duplications are well-known driving forces. The probability of fixation and maintenance of duplicates depends on many variables, including population sizes and selection regimes experienced by the corresponding genes: a combination of stochastic and adaptive mechanisms has shaped all genomes. A survey of experimental work shows that the distinction made between fixation and maintenance of duplicates still needs to be conceptualized and mathematically modeled. Here we review the mechanisms that increase or decrease the probability of fixation or maintenance of duplicated genes, and examine the outcome of these events on the adaptation of the organisms. Reviewers This article was reviewed by Dr. Etienne Joly, Dr. Lutz Walter and Dr. W. Ford Doolittle.

  6. Duplication in DNA Sequences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ito, Masami; Kari, Lila; Kincaid, Zachary; Seki, Shinnosuke

    The duplication and repeat-deletion operations are the basis of a formal language theoretic model of errors that can occur during DNA replication. During DNA replication, subsequences of a strand of DNA may be copied several times (resulting in duplications) or skipped (resulting in repeat-deletions). As formal language operations, iterated duplication and repeat-deletion of words and languages have been well studied in the literature. However, little is known about single-step duplications and repeat-deletions. In this paper, we investigate several properties of these operations, including closure properties of language families in the Chomsky hierarchy and equations involving these operations. We also make progress toward a characterization of regular languages that are generated by duplicating a regular language.

  7. Prehospital severity scoring at major rock concert events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erickson, T B; Koenigsberg, M; Bunney, E B; Schurgin, B; Levy, P; Willens, J; Tanner, L

    1997-01-01

    Rock and contemporary music concerts are popular, recurrent events requiring on-site medical staffing. To describe a novel severity score used to stratify the level of acuity of patients presenting to first-aid stations at these events. Retrospective review of charts generated at the first-aid stations of five major rock concerts within a 60,000 spectator capacity, outdoor, professional sports stadium. Participants included all concert patrons presenting to the stadium's first-aid stations as patients. Data were collected on patient demographics, history of drug or ethanol usage while at the concert event, first-aid station time, treatment rendered, diagnosis, and disposition. All patients evaluated were retrospectively assigned a "DRUG-ROCK" Injury Severity Score (DRISS) to stratify their level of acuity. Individual concert events and patient dispositions were compared statistically using chi-square, Fisher's exact, and the ANOVA Mean tests. Approximately 250,000 spectators attended the five concert events. First-aid stations evaluated 308 patients (utilization rate of 1.2 per 1,000 patrons). The most common diagnosis was minor trauma (130; 42%), followed in frequency by ethanol/illicit drug intoxication (98; 32%). The average time in the first-aid station was 23.5 +/- 22.5 minutes (+/- standard deviation; range: 5-150 minutes). Disposition of patients included 100 (32.5%) who were treated and released; 98 (32%) were transported by paramedics to emergency departments (EDs); and 110 (35.5%) signed-out against medical advise (AMA), refusing transport. The mean DRISS was 4.1 (+/- 2.65). Two-thirds (67%) of the study population were ranked as mild by DRISS criteria (score = 1-4), with 27% rated as moderate (score = 5-9), and 6% severe (score > 10). The average of severity scores was highest (6.5) for patients transported to hospitals, and statistically different from the scores of the average of the treated and released and AMA groups (p rock concerts.

  8. Directed evolution induces tributyrin hydrolysis in a virulence factor of Xylella fastidiosa using a duplicated gene as a template [v1; ref status: indexed, http://f1000r.es/48i

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hossein Gouran

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Duplication of genes is one of the preferred ways for natural selection to add advantageous functionality to the genome without having to reinvent the wheel with respect to catalytic efficiency and protein stability. The duplicated secretory virulence factors of Xylella fastidiosa (LesA, LesB and LesC, implicated in Pierce's disease of grape and citrus variegated chlorosis of citrus species, epitomizes the positive selection pressures exerted on advantageous genes in such pathogens. A deeper insight into the evolution of these lipases/esterases is essential to develop resistance mechanisms in transgenic plants. Directed evolution, an attempt to accelerate the evolutionary steps in the laboratory, is inherently simple when targeted for loss of function. A bigger challenge is to specify mutations that endow a new function, such as a lost functionality in a duplicated gene. Previously, we have proposed a method for enumerating candidates for mutations intended to transfer the functionality of one protein into another related protein based on the spatial and electrostatic properties of the active site residues (DECAAF. In the current work, we present in vivo validation of DECAAF by inducing tributyrin hydrolysis in LesB based on the active site similarity to LesA. The structures of these proteins have been modeled using RaptorX based on the closely related LipA protein from Xanthomonas oryzae. These mutations replicate the spatial and electrostatic conformation of LesA in the modeled structure of the mutant LesB as well, providing in silico validation before proceeding to the laborious in vivo work. Such focused mutations allows one to dissect the relevance of the duplicated genes in finer detail as compared to gene knockouts, since they do not interfere with other moonlighting functions, protein expression levels or protein-protein interaction.

  9. ANALYSIS MUSIC CONCERTS ADOPTING THE MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF HIT PHENOMENA

    OpenAIRE

    Kawahata Yasuko; Genda Etsuo; Ishii Akira

    2013-01-01

    A mathematical model for the hit phenomenon in entertainment within a society is presented as a stochastic process of interactions of human dynamics. In this paper, we analyzed music to the concert.Knowing the cost of advertising the concert is difficult. But exposure to the media of the artist can be seen. We tried to analysis of music concert itself by performing a prediction of reputation of artists during the concert tour from this exposure.In this paper, The world most pop...

  10. “AGREEMENTS”, “DECISIONS” AND “CONCERTED PRACTICES”: KEY CONCEPTS IN THE ANALYSIS OF ANTICOMPETITIVE AGREEMENTS

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    CRISTINA CUCU

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available In their economic activity, undertakings conclude many agreements between them. But agreements between undertakings which can distort the competition -anticompetitive agreements- are prohibited. The Romanian and EU law prohibit “all agreements between undertakings, decisions by associations of undertakings and concerted practices which have as their object or effect the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition”. However, the terms ”agreements”, ”decisions” or ”concerted practices” are nowhere defined in the EU Treaties or in the Romanian law. These terms are key concepts in the analysis of anticompetitive agreements which can distort the competition. In the lack of a legal definition, these concepts have generated a complex body of jurisprudence, which has to be identified. The analysis of these key concepts necessarily entails the conceptual delimitation of the notions. On this purpose, the relevant legal provisions will be identified in the Romanian and EU law, as well as the decisions of the European Court of Justice in this matter. The present paper intends to present the conceptual evolution of the analysed notions, paying special attention to concerted practices and to parallel behaviour in price fixing on the market.

  11. Predictions of Gene Family Distributions in Microbial Genomes: Evolution by Gene Duplication and Modification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yanai, Itai; Camacho, Carlos J.; DeLisi, Charles

    2000-01-01

    A universal property of microbial genomes is the considerable fraction of genes that are homologous to other genes within the same genome. The process by which these homologues are generated is not well understood, but sequence analysis of 20 microbial genomes unveils a recurrent distribution of gene family sizes. We show that a simple evolutionary model based on random gene duplication and point mutations fully accounts for these distributions and permits predictions for the number of gene families in genomes not yet complete. Our findings are consistent with the notion that a genome evolves from a set of precursor genes to a mature size by gene duplications and increasing modifications. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society

  12. Predictions of Gene Family Distributions in Microbial Genomes: Evolution by Gene Duplication and Modification

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yanai, Itai; Camacho, Carlos J.; DeLisi, Charles

    2000-09-18

    A universal property of microbial genomes is the considerable fraction of genes that are homologous to other genes within the same genome. The process by which these homologues are generated is not well understood, but sequence analysis of 20 microbial genomes unveils a recurrent distribution of gene family sizes. We show that a simple evolutionary model based on random gene duplication and point mutations fully accounts for these distributions and permits predictions for the number of gene families in genomes not yet complete. Our findings are consistent with the notion that a genome evolves from a set of precursor genes to a mature size by gene duplications and increasing modifications. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society.

  13. Acoustic investigations of concert halls for rock music

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Adelman-Larsen, Niels Werner; Thompson, Eric Robert; Gade, Anders Christian

    2007-01-01

    Objective measurement data and subjective evaluations have been collected from 20 small-/medium-sized halls in Denmark used for amplified rhythmic music concerts (pop, rock, jazz). The purpose of the study was to obtain knowledge about optimum acoustic conditions for this type of hall. The study...... is motivated by the fact that most concert tickets sold in Denmark relate to concerts within these genres in this kind of venue. The subjective evaluations were carried out by professional musicians and sound engineers who responded on the basis of their experiences working in these (and other) halls. From...

  14. Facial duplication: case, review, and embryogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barr, M

    1982-04-01

    The craniofacial anatomy of an infant with facial duplication is described. There were four eyes, two noses, two maxillae, and one mandible. Anterior to the single pituitary the brain was duplicated and there was bilateral arhinencephaly. Portions of the brain were extruded into a large frontal encephalocele. Cases of symmetrical facial duplication reported in the literature range from two complete faces on a single head (diprosopus) to simple nasal duplication. The variety of patterns of duplication suggests that the doubling of facial components arises in several different ways: Forking of the notochord, duplication of the prosencephalon, duplication of the olfactory placodes, and duplication of maxillary and/or mandibular growth centers around the margins of the stomatodeal plate. Among reported cases, the female:male ratio is 2:1.

  15. Origin, evolution, and population genetics of the selfish Segregation Distorter gene duplication in European and African populations of Drosophila melanogaster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brand, Cara L; Larracuente, Amanda M; Presgraves, Daven C

    2015-05-01

    Meiotic drive elements are a special class of evolutionarily "selfish genes" that subvert Mendelian segregation to gain preferential transmission at the expense of homologous loci. Many drive elements appear to be maintained in populations as stable polymorphisms, their equilibrium frequencies determined by the balance between drive (increasing frequency) and selection (decreasing frequency). Here we show that a classic, seemingly balanced, drive system is instead characterized by frequent evolutionary turnover giving rise to dynamic, rather than stable, equilibrium frequencies. The autosomal Segregation Distorter (SD) system of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is a selfish coadapted meiotic drive gene complex in which the major driver corresponds to a partial duplication of the gene Ran-GTPase activating protein (RanGAP). SD chromosomes segregate at similar, low frequencies of 1-5% in natural populations worldwide, consistent with a balanced polymorphism. Surprisingly, our population genetic analyses reveal evidence for parallel, independent selective sweeps of different SD chromosomes in populations on different continents. These findings suggest that, rather than persisting at a single stable equilibrium, SD chromosomes turn over frequently within populations. © 2015 The Author(s). Evolution published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Society for the Study of Evolution.

  16. Cosmos in Concert: Combining astronomy and classical music

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kremer, Kyle

    2018-01-01

    Cosmos in Concert is an outreach initiative designed to combine astronomy education with classical music. Over the past several years, this program has presented large-scale multimedia shows for symphony orchestras, educational programs at K-12 schools, and research-oriented university collaborations designed to develop techniques for the sonification of data. Cosmos in Concert has collaborated with institutions including Fermi National Lab, the Adler Planetarium, the Bienen School of Music, and the Colburn School of Music. In this talk, I will give a brief overview of some of the main Cosmos in Concert initiatives and discuss ways these initiatives may be implemented at other institutions.

  17. Decoding Synteny Blocks and Large-Scale Duplications in Mammalian and Plant Genomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Qian; Alekseyev, Max A.; Tesler, Glenn; Pevzner, Pavel A.

    The existing synteny block reconstruction algorithms use anchors (e.g., orthologous genes) shared over all genomes to construct the synteny blocks for multiple genomes. This approach, while efficient for a few genomes, cannot be scaled to address the need to construct synteny blocks in many mammalian genomes that are currently being sequenced. The problem is that the number of anchors shared among all genomes quickly decreases with the increase in the number of genomes. Another problem is that many genomes (plant genomes in particular) had extensive duplications, which makes decoding of genomic architecture and rearrangement analysis in plants difficult. The existing synteny block generation algorithms in plants do not address the issue of generating non-overlapping synteny blocks suitable for analyzing rearrangements and evolution history of duplications. We present a new algorithm based on the A-Bruijn graph framework that overcomes these difficulties and provides a unified approach to synteny block reconstruction for multiple genomes, and for genomes with large duplications.

  18. Divergence of recently duplicated M{gamma}-type MADS-box genes in Petunia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bemer, Marian; Gordon, Jonathan; Weterings, Koen; Angenent, Gerco C

    2010-02-01

    The MADS-box transcription factor family has expanded considerably in plants via gene and genome duplications and can be subdivided into type I and MIKC-type genes. The two gene classes show a different evolutionary history. Whereas the MIKC-type genes originated during ancient genome duplications, as well as during more recent events, the type I loci appear to experience high turnover with many recent duplications. This different mode of origin also suggests a different fate for the type I duplicates, which are thought to have a higher chance to become silenced or lost from the genome. To get more insight into the evolution of the type I MADS-box genes, we isolated nine type I genes from Petunia, which belong to the Mgamma subclass, and investigated the divergence of their coding and regulatory regions. The isolated genes could be subdivided into two categories: two genes were highly similar to Arabidopsis Mgamma-type genes, whereas the other seven genes showed less similarity to Arabidopsis genes and originated more recently. Two of the recently duplicated genes were found to contain deleterious mutations in their coding regions, and expression analysis revealed that a third paralog was silenced by mutations in its regulatory region. However, in addition to the three genes that were subjected to nonfunctionalization, we also found evidence for neofunctionalization of one of the Petunia Mgamma-type genes. Our study shows a rapid divergence of recently duplicated Mgamma-type MADS-box genes and suggests that redundancy among type I paralogs may be less common than expected.

  19. Rectal duplication with sciatic hernia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nosek, Marzena; Golonka, Anna; Kalińska-Lipert, Anita; Nachulewicz, Paweł

    2015-07-01

    Rectal duplications represent 5% of all duplications in the alimentary tract, and they are very rarely diagnosed during the neonatal period. The authors present the method of investigation and the results of surgical treatment of a full-term neonate with a sciatic hernia containing a rectal duplication. The procedure started with three-port laparoscopy, but excision of the tubular duplication of the rectum was possible only by a transanal endorectal pull-through approach. The sciatic hernia was closed, and plastic sutures on the buttock finished the procedure. The coincidence of sciatic hernia with rectal duplication is extremely rare, and the method of treatment depends exclusively on the anatomical conditions.

  20. Craniofacial duplication: a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suryawanshi, Pradeep; Deshpande, Mandar; Verma, Nitin; Mahendrakar, Vivek; Mahendrakar, Sandhya

    2013-09-01

    A craniofacial duplication or diprosopus is an unusual variant of conjoined twinning. The reported incidence is one in 180,000-15 million births and 35 cases have been reported till date. The phenotype is wide, with the partial duplication of a few facial structures to complete dicephalus. A complete duplication is associated with a high incidence of anomalies in the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal system and the respiratory system, whereas no major anomalies are found in the infants with a partial duplication. A term baby with the features of a craniofacial duplication has been described, with the proposed theories on embryogenesis and a brief review of the literature.

  1. Evaluation of contrast in duplicated radiographs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thunthy, K.H.; Weinberg, R.

    1982-01-01

    This investigation evaluated changes in the contrast of duplicated radiographs made at different ultraviolet light exposures. Increasing ultraviolet light exposure had different effects on the duplicates of originals of different background densities. When correctly exposed, a duplicate radiograph enhanced contrast. When originals had the same contrast but different background densities, their duplicates did not have the same contrast. It was not possible to duplicate accurately all the different contrasts measured on an original. It was possible, however, to produce duplicates with all contrasts greater than those of the original

  2. CONCERT MANAGEMENT IN CROATIA: OBSTACLES AND CHALLENGES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irina Basara

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The concept of concert management in the Republic of Croatia encounters numerous obstacles in any attempt to institutionalize it. Unlike other countries in the European Union, there is no register of the concert stages, venues as well as facilities for the provision of hearing / consumption of music in the form of performances. Process management organization is incomplete, and institutions that are closely associated with such events do not carry out the classification, categorization and analysis of events that are within the concerts' domain. Commercial music, economically far most cost-effective, is completely ignored and within the framework of cultural events not even the slightest attention is given to it. On the contrary, it is considered the music of poor quality and completely irrelevant. This paper tries to frame the mentioned genre, which includes various musical directions that economically bring significant benefits and help the survival of these related activities indirectly, and ultimately have a positive impact on the economy. Comparing global trends it speaks about the position of the Croatian music industry and lists the main obstacles for setting up a solid foundation for the construction of an adequate system of indexation of concert businesses that, as part of the creative industries records a meteoric economic growth.

  3. Signals of historical interlocus gene conversion in human segmental duplications.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beth L Dumont

    Full Text Available Standard methods of DNA sequence analysis assume that sequences evolve independently, yet this assumption may not be appropriate for segmental duplications that exchange variants via interlocus gene conversion (IGC. Here, we use high quality multiple sequence alignments from well-annotated segmental duplications to systematically identify IGC signals in the human reference genome. Our analysis combines two complementary methods: (i a paralog quartet method that uses DNA sequence simulations to identify a statistical excess of sites consistent with inter-paralog exchange, and (ii the alignment-based method implemented in the GENECONV program. One-quarter (25.4% of the paralog families in our analysis harbor clear IGC signals by the quartet approach. Using GENECONV, we identify 1477 gene conversion tracks that cumulatively span 1.54 Mb of the genome. Our analyses confirm the previously reported high rates of IGC in subtelomeric regions and Y-chromosome palindromes, and identify multiple novel IGC hotspots, including the pregnancy specific glycoproteins and the neuroblastoma breakpoint gene families. Although the duplication history of a paralog family is described by a single tree, we show that IGC has introduced incredible site-to-site variation in the evolutionary relationships among paralogs in the human genome. Our findings indicate that IGC has left significant footprints in patterns of sequence diversity across segmental duplications in the human genome, out-pacing the contributions of single base mutation by orders of magnitude. Collectively, the IGC signals we report comprise a catalog that will provide a critical reference for interpreting observed patterns of DNA sequence variation across duplicated genomic regions, including targets of recent adaptive evolution in humans.

  4. Complete colonic duplication in children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khaleghnejad Tabari, Ahmad; Mirshemirani, Alireza; Khaleghnejad Tabari, Nasibeh

    2012-01-01

    Complete colonic duplication is a very rare congenital anomaly that may have different presentations according to its location and size. Complete colonic duplication can occur in 15% of gastrointestinal duplication. We report two cases of complete colonic duplications, and their characteristics. We present two patients with complete colonic duplication with different types and presentations. Case 1: A 2- year old boy presented to the clinic with abdominal protrusion, difficulty to defecate, chronic constipation and mucosal prolaps covered bulging (rectocele) since he was 6 months old. The patient had palpable pelvic mass with doughy consistency. Rectal exam confirmed perirectal mass with soft consistency. The patient underwent a surgical operation that had total tubular colorectal duplication with one blind end and was treated with simple fenestration of distal end, and was discharged without complication. After two years follow up, he had normal defecation and good weight gain. Case 2: A 2 -day old infant was referred with imperforate anus and complete duplication of recto-sigmoid colon, diphallus, double bladder, and hypospadiasis. After clinical and paraclinical investigations, he underwent operations in several stages in different periods, and was discharged without complications. After four years follow up, he led a normal life. The patients with complete duplication have to be examined carefully because of the high incidence of other systemic anomalies. Treatment includes simple resection of distal common wall, fenestration, and repair other associated anomalies.

  5. The fate of the duplicated androgen receptor in fishes: a late neofunctionalization event?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haendler Bernard

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Based on the observation of an increased number of paralogous genes in teleost fishes compared with other vertebrates and on the conserved synteny between duplicated copies, it has been shown that a whole genome duplication (WGD occurred during the evolution of Actinopterygian fish. Comparative phylogenetic dating of this duplication event suggests that it occurred early on, specifically in teleosts. It has been proposed that this event might have facilitated the evolutionary radiation and the phenotypic diversification of the teleost fish, notably by allowing the sub- or neo-functionalization of many duplicated genes. Results In this paper, we studied in a wide range of Actinopterygians the duplication and fate of the androgen receptor (AR, NR3C4, a nuclear receptor known to play a key role in sex-determination in vertebrates. The pattern of AR gene duplication is consistent with an early WGD event: it has been duplicated into two genes AR-A and AR-B after the split of the Acipenseriformes from the lineage leading to teleost fish but before the divergence of Osteoglossiformes. Genomic and syntenic analyses in addition to lack of PCR amplification show that one of the duplicated copies, AR-B, was lost in several basal Clupeocephala such as Cypriniformes (including the model species zebrafish, Siluriformes, Characiformes and Salmoniformes. Interestingly, we also found that, in basal teleost fish (Osteoglossiformes and Anguilliformes, the two copies remain very similar, whereas, specifically in Percomorphs, one of the copies, AR-B, has accumulated substitutions in both the ligand binding domain (LBD and the DNA binding domain (DBD. Conclusion The comparison of the mutations present in these divergent AR-B with those known in human to be implicated in complete, partial or mild androgen insensitivity syndrome suggests that the existence of two distinct AR duplicates may be correlated to specific functional differences that may be

  6. Arthropod evolution and development: recent insights from chelicerates and myriapods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leite, Daniel J; McGregor, Alistair P

    2016-08-01

    Research on arthropod genetics and development has added much to our understanding of animal evolution. While this work has mainly focused on insects, a growing body of research on the less studied myriapods and chelicerates is providing important new insights into arthropod genomics and development. Multiple chelicerate lineages have a high incidence of gene duplication, which is suggestive of large-scale and even whole genome duplications. Furthermore, the duplication and divergence of genes is associated with the evolution of appendage morphology and other phenotypes in chelicerates and myriapods. Recent studies of these arthropods have also helped to understand the evolution and development of segmented bodies. Further research on chelicerate and myriapod models as well as species from other orders of these subphyla has great potential to expand our understanding of the evolution of animal genomes and development. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Muddle or march: China and the 21st century Concert of Powers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weizhun Mao

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Concert of Powers has emerged as an attractive modality in global governance. As an emerging power, China must seriously take this template into account. This article seeks to analyze the incentives, possibilities, and uncertainties for China to participate in Concert with reference to China's history memory on Concert, China's intellectual endeavors, as well as China's evolving foreign preferences. It concludes that China is generally qualified and capable of being a key participant in Concert of Powers with increasing willingness. Yet, China's involvement depends on 1 if Concert template can overcome its own deficiencies; 2 if Concert have competitive advantages compared with other governance alternatives for China; and 3 if China can keep its momentum on both willingness and capacity in power transition.

  8. Linguistics: evolution and language change.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowern, Claire

    2015-01-05

    Linguists have long identified sound changes that occur in parallel. Now novel research shows how Bayesian modeling can capture complex concerted changes, revealing how evolution of sounds proceeds. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Convergent evolution of gene networks by single-gene duplications in higher eukaryotes

    OpenAIRE

    Amoutzias, Gregory D; Robertson, David L; Oliver, Stephen G; Bornberg-Bauer, Erich

    2004-01-01

    By combining phylogenetic, proteomic and structural information, we have elucidated the evolutionary driving forces for the gene-regulatory interaction networks of basic helix–loop–helix transcription factors. We infer that recurrent events of single-gene duplication and domain rearrangement repeatedly gave rise to distinct networks with almost identical hub-based topologies, and multiple activators and repressors. We thus provide the first empirical evidence for scale-free protein networks e...

  10. Segmental duplications and evolutionary acquisition of UV damage response in the SPATA31 gene family of primates and humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bekpen, Cemalettin; Künzel, Sven; Xie, Chen; Eaaswarkhanth, Muthukrishnan; Lin, Yen-Lung; Gokcumen, Omer; Akdis, Cezmi A; Tautz, Diethard

    2017-03-06

    Segmental duplications are an abundant source for novel gene functions and evolutionary adaptations. This mechanism of generating novelty was very active during the evolution of primates particularly in the human lineage. Here, we characterize the evolution and function of the SPATA31 gene family (former designation FAM75A), which was previously shown to be among the gene families with the strongest signal of positive selection in hominoids. The mouse homologue for this gene family is a single copy gene expressed during spermatogenesis. We show that in primates, the SPATA31 gene duplicated into SPATA31A and SPATA31C types and broadened the expression into many tissues. Each type became further segmentally duplicated in the line towards humans with the largest number of full-length copies found for SPATA31A in humans. Copy number estimates of SPATA31A based on digital PCR show an average of 7.5 with a range of 5-11 copies per diploid genome among human individuals. The primate SPATA31 genes also acquired new protein domains that suggest an involvement in UV response and DNA repair. We generated antibodies and show that the protein is re-localized from the nucleolus to the whole nucleus upon UV-irradiation suggesting a UV damage response. We used CRISPR/Cas mediated mutagenesis to knockout copies of the gene in human primary fibroblast cells. We find that cell lines with reduced functional copies as well as naturally occurring low copy number HFF cells show enhanced sensitivity towards UV-irradiation. The acquisition of new SPATA31 protein functions and its broadening of expression may be related to the evolution of the diurnal life style in primates that required a higher UV tolerance. The increased segmental duplications in hominoids as well as its fast evolution suggest the acquisition of further specific functions particularly in humans.

  11. The evolution of pepsinogen C genes in vertebrates: duplication, loss and functional diversification.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luís Filipe Costa Castro

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Aspartic proteases comprise a large group of enzymes involved in peptide proteolysis. This collection includes prominent enzymes globally categorized as pepsins, which are derived from pepsinogen precursors. Pepsins are involved in gastric digestion, a hallmark of vertebrate physiology. An important member among the pepsinogens is pepsinogen C (Pgc. A particular aspect of Pgc is its apparent single copy status, which contrasts with the numerous gene copies found for example in pepsinogen A (Pga. Although gene sequences with similarity to Pgc have been described in some vertebrate groups, no exhaustive evolutionary framework has been considered so far. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: By combining phylogenetics and genomic analysis, we find an unexpected Pgc diversity in the vertebrate sub-phylum. We were able to reconstruct gene duplication timings relative to the divergence of major vertebrate clades. Before tetrapod divergence, a single Pgc gene tandemly expanded to produce two gene lineages (Pgbc and Pgc2. These have been differentially retained in various classes. Accordingly, we find Pgc2 in sauropsids, amphibians and marsupials, but not in eutherian mammals. Pgbc was retained in amphibians, but duplicated in the ancestor of amniotes giving rise to Pgb and Pgc1. The latter was retained in mammals and probably in reptiles and marsupials but not in birds. Pgb was kept in all of the amniote clade with independent episodes of loss in some mammalian species. Lineage specific expansions of Pgc2 and Pgbc have also occurred in marsupials and amphibians respectively. We find that teleost and tetrapod Pgc genes reside in distinct genomic regions hinting at a possible translocation. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the repertoire of Pgc genes is larger than previously reported, and that tandem duplications have modelled the history of Pgc genes. We hypothesize that gene expansion lead to functional divergence in tetrapods, coincident with the

  12. Rectal duplication: a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Didden, K; Masereel, B; Geyskens, P

    2013-01-01

    Gastrointestinal tract duplications are uncommon congenital abnormalities, that may occur anywhere along the alimentary tract. Most frequently they occur at the level of the small bowel tract and are symptomatic before the age of two. In our case we report the history of a 68-years old women with a colon duplication, especially a rectal duplication. This is very exceptional.

  13. Rectal duplication.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kulkarni B

    1995-04-01

    Full Text Available Duplications of the alimentary tract are of a great rarity, particularly so in the rectum. Because of its rarity, the difficulty of making a correct diagnosis and of selection of proper approach for treatment, this entity bears a special significance. The present case report deals with a female newborn who presented with imperforate anus and a rectovestibular fistula and a mass prolapsing at the introitus. Complete excision of the mass was carried out through the perineal approach and the child then underwent, a PSARP for the correction of the rectal anomaly. Histology confirmed the mass to be a rectal duplication.

  14. Full mitochondrial genome sequences of two endemic Philippine hornbill species (Aves: Bucerotidae) provide evidence for pervasive mitochondrial DNA recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sammler, Svenja; Bleidorn, Christoph; Tiedemann, Ralph

    2011-01-14

    Although nowaday it is broadly accepted that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) may undergo recombination, the frequency of such recombination remains controversial. Its estimation is not straightforward, as recombination under homoplasmy (i.e., among identical mt genomes) is likely to be overlooked. In species with tandem duplications of large mtDNA fragments the detection of recombination can be facilitated, as it can lead to gene conversion among duplicates. Although the mechanisms for concerted evolution in mtDNA are not fully understood yet, recombination rates have been estimated from "one per speciation event" down to 850 years or even "during every replication cycle". Here we present the first complete mt genome of the avian family Bucerotidae, i.e., that of two Philippine hornbills, Aceros waldeni and Penelopides panini. The mt genomes are characterized by a tandemly duplicated region encompassing part of cytochrome b, 3 tRNAs, NADH6, and the control region. The duplicated fragments are identical to each other except for a short section in domain I and for the length of repeat motifs in domain III of the control region. Due to the heteroplasmy with regard to the number of these repeat motifs, there is some size variation in both genomes; with around 21,657 bp (A. waldeni) and 22,737 bp (P. panini), they significantly exceed the hitherto longest known avian mt genomes, that of the albatrosses. We discovered concerted evolution between the duplicated fragments within individuals. The existence of differences between individuals in coding genes as well as in the control region, which are maintained between duplicates, indicates that recombination apparently occurs frequently, i.e., in every generation. The homogenised duplicates are interspersed by a short fragment which shows no sign of recombination. We hypothesize that this region corresponds to the so-called Replication Fork Barrier (RFB), which has been described from the chicken mitochondrial genome. As this RFB

  15. Full mitochondrial genome sequences of two endemic Philippine hornbill species (Aves: Bucerotidae provide evidence for pervasive mitochondrial DNA recombination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bleidorn Christoph

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Although nowaday it is broadly accepted that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA may undergo recombination, the frequency of such recombination remains controversial. Its estimation is not straightforward, as recombination under homoplasmy (i.e., among identical mt genomes is likely to be overlooked. In species with tandem duplications of large mtDNA fragments the detection of recombination can be facilitated, as it can lead to gene conversion among duplicates. Although the mechanisms for concerted evolution in mtDNA are not fully understood yet, recombination rates have been estimated from "one per speciation event" down to 850 years or even "during every replication cycle". Results Here we present the first complete mt genome of the avian family Bucerotidae, i.e., that of two Philippine hornbills, Aceros waldeni and Penelopides panini. The mt genomes are characterized by a tandemly duplicated region encompassing part of cytochrome b, 3 tRNAs, NADH6, and the control region. The duplicated fragments are identical to each other except for a short section in domain I and for the length of repeat motifs in domain III of the control region. Due to the heteroplasmy with regard to the number of these repeat motifs, there is some size variation in both genomes; with around 21,657 bp (A. waldeni and 22,737 bp (P. panini, they significantly exceed the hitherto longest known avian mt genomes, that of the albatrosses. We discovered concerted evolution between the duplicated fragments within individuals. The existence of differences between individuals in coding genes as well as in the control region, which are maintained between duplicates, indicates that recombination apparently occurs frequently, i.e., in every generation. Conclusions The homogenised duplicates are interspersed by a short fragment which shows no sign of recombination. We hypothesize that this region corresponds to the so-called Replication Fork Barrier (RFB, which has been

  16. Duplication of the oesophagus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lingg, G; Nebel, G

    1981-08-01

    The article reports on the authors' own observation of a patient with duplication of the oesophagus. Basing on this case, the possibilities of the evolutionary origin are discussed briefly. The significance and decisive importance of X-ray film diagnosis in gastro-intestinal duplications is underlined.

  17. Wild tobacco genomes reveal the evolution of nicotine biosynthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Shuqing; Brockmöller, Thomas; Navarro-Quezada, Aura; Kuhl, Heiner; Gase, Klaus; Ling, Zhihao; Zhou, Wenwu; Kreitzer, Christoph; Stanke, Mario; Tang, Haibao; Lyons, Eric; Pandey, Priyanka; Pandey, Shree P; Timmermann, Bernd; Gaquerel, Emmanuel; Baldwin, Ian T

    2017-06-06

    Nicotine, the signature alkaloid of Nicotiana species responsible for the addictive properties of human tobacco smoking, functions as a defensive neurotoxin against attacking herbivores. However, the evolution of the genetic features that contributed to the assembly of the nicotine biosynthetic pathway remains unknown. We sequenced and assembled genomes of two wild tobaccos, Nicotiana attenuata (2.5 Gb) and Nicotiana obtusifolia (1.5 Gb), two ecological models for investigating adaptive traits in nature. We show that after the Solanaceae whole-genome triplication event, a repertoire of rapidly expanding transposable elements (TEs) bloated these Nicotiana genomes, promoted expression divergences among duplicated genes, and contributed to the evolution of herbivory-induced signaling and defenses, including nicotine biosynthesis. The biosynthetic machinery that allows for nicotine synthesis in the roots evolved from the stepwise duplications of two ancient primary metabolic pathways: the polyamine and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) pathways. In contrast to the duplication of the polyamine pathway that is shared among several solanaceous genera producing polyamine-derived tropane alkaloids, we found that lineage-specific duplications within the NAD pathway and the evolution of root-specific expression of the duplicated Solanaceae-specific ethylene response factor that activates the expression of all nicotine biosynthetic genes resulted in the innovative and efficient production of nicotine in the genus Nicotiana Transcription factor binding motifs derived from TEs may have contributed to the coexpression of nicotine biosynthetic pathway genes and coordinated the metabolic flux. Together, these results provide evidence that TEs and gene duplications facilitated the emergence of a key metabolic innovation relevant to plant fitness.

  18. Concert | United Nations Orchestra at CERN | 19 September

    CERN Multimedia

    2014-01-01

    The United Nations Orchestra will give a concert on the occasion of CERN’s 60th anniversary.   Under the baton of conductor and artistic director Antoine Marguier, the Orchestra will have the pleasure to accompany the soloist Maestro Matteo Fedeli, who, under the patronage of the Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations, will perform on a Stradivarius violin. The programme for the concert comprises: Jacques Offenbach, Orpheus in the Underworld Overture Franz von Suppé, Poet and Peasant Overture Camille Saint-Saëns, Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso for solo violin and orchestra Georges Bizet, Carmen Suite No. 1 Franz Lehár, Gold and Silver Waltz Gioachino Rossini, William Tell Overture   Doors open at 6 p.m. The concert will take place in a marquee behind the Globe of Science and Innovation, CERN Book your ticket here.

  19. Duplication of the oesophagus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lingg, G.; Nebel, G.

    1981-01-01

    The article reports on the authors' own observation of a patient with duplication of the oesophagus. Basing on this case, the possibilities of the evolutionary origin are discussed briefly. The significance and decisive importance of X-ray film diagnosis in gastro-intestinal duplications is underlined. (orig.) [de

  20. Gala Concert for the 50th Anniversary of CERN

    CERN Multimedia

    2004-01-01

    The CERN 50th Anniversary celebrations will wrap up with music on 18 December with a Gala Concert by the Philharmonic Orchestra of London in Victoria Hall, Geneva. The orchestra will be directed by Tommaso Placidi, a young talented conductor, and will also enjoy the presence of Maxim Vengerov as first violin. This evening is organised by Mrs Suzanne Hurter, with the support of private companies as well as of the city and the canton of Geneva. The concert will begin with the Overture of Wagner's Flying Dutchman. Maxim Vengerov will then interpret Beethoven's Concert for violin and orchestra. The second part of the concert will be devoted to Tschaikovsky's Fourth Symphony. Tickets cost between 35CHF and 140 CHF according to the seat. People working at CERN will have a 10% discount. You may buy your tickets at the Kiosque FK inside the building Pfister Meubles in Meyrin (ch de Rianbosson 5-9) and get your discount by showing your CERN card. Find out more about the seats available, go to the Resaplus Ticket Book...

  1. Anterior colorectal duplication presenting as rectal prolapse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramirez-Resendiz, Amador; Asz, Jose; Medina-Vega, F Antonio; Ortega-Salgado, J Arturo

    2007-09-01

    Duplications of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are rare. Only 5% of them are rectal and there are very few reports of rectal prolapse (RP) caused by a duplication. An 11 month-old female presented with a RP caused by a blind-ended anterior tubular colorectal duplication. The duplication was successfully opened and connected to the normal rectum without complications. Although infrequent, a rectal duplication should be considered in the differential diagnosis of RP.

  2. Assessing duplication and loss of APETALA1/FRUITFULL homologs in Ranunculales

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pabón-Mora, Natalia; Hidalgo, Oriane; Gleissberg, Stefan; Litt, Amy

    2013-01-01

    Gene duplication and loss provide raw material for evolutionary change within organismal lineages as functional diversification of gene copies provide a mechanism for phenotypic variation. Here we focus on the APETALA1/FRUITFULL MADS-box gene lineage evolution. AP1/FUL genes are angiosperm-specific and have undergone several duplications. By far the most significant one is the core-eudicot duplication resulting in the euAP1 and euFUL clades. Functional characterization of several euAP1 and euFUL genes has shown that both function in proper floral meristem identity, and axillary meristem repression. Independently, euAP1 genes function in floral meristem and sepal identity, whereas euFUL genes control phase transition, cauline leaf growth, compound leaf morphogenesis and fruit development. Significant functional variation has been detected in the function of pre-duplication basal-eudicot FUL-like genes, but the underlying mechanisms for change have not been identified. FUL-like genes in the Papaveraceae encode all functions reported for euAP1 and euFUL genes, whereas FUL-like genes in Aquilegia (Ranunculaceae) function in inflorescence development and leaf complexity, but not in flower or fruit development. Here we isolated FUL-like genes across the Ranunculales and used phylogenetic approaches to analyze their evolutionary history. We identified an early duplication resulting in the RanFL1 and RanFL2 clades. RanFL1 genes were present in all the families sampled and are mostly under strong negative selection in the MADS, I and K domains. RanFL2 genes were only identified from Eupteleaceae, Papaveraceae s.l., Menispermaceae and Ranunculaceae and show relaxed purifying selection at the I and K domains. We discuss how asymmetric sequence diversification, new motifs, differences in codon substitutions and likely protein-protein interactions resulting from this Ranunculiid-specific duplication can help explain the functional differences among basal-eudicot FUL-like genes

  3. Film in concert

    OpenAIRE

    2017-01-01

    From the very beginning of cinema, music always played an important role in the history of filmmaking. Nonetheless, film music is judged by critics as a kind of low-grade art form. However, the majority of film score composers enjoyed a classical education and composed as well for the silver screen as for the concert hall. Film music also has its roots in the musical era of romanticism. Therefore, symphonic film scores can be regarded as program music in a broader sense. These scores were inf...

  4. Domain duplication, divergence, and loss events in vertebrate Msx paralogs reveal phylogenomically informed disease markers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finnerty, John R; Mazza, Maureen E; Jezewski, Peter A

    2009-01-20

    Msx originated early in animal evolution and is implicated in human genetic disorders. To reconstruct the functional evolution of Msx and inform the study of human mutations, we analyzed the phylogeny and synteny of 46 metazoan Msx proteins and tracked the duplication, diversification and loss of conserved motifs. Vertebrate Msx sequences sort into distinct Msx1, Msx2 and Msx3 clades. The sister-group relationship between MSX1 and MSX2 reflects their derivation from the 4p/5q chromosomal paralogon, a derivative of the original "MetaHox" cluster. We demonstrate physical linkage between Msx and other MetaHox genes (Hmx, NK1, Emx) in a cnidarian. Seven conserved domains, including two Groucho repression domains (N- and C-terminal), were present in the ancestral Msx. In cnidarians, the Groucho domains are highly similar. In vertebrate Msx1, the N-terminal Groucho domain is conserved, while the C-terminal domain diverged substantially, implying a novel function. In vertebrate Msx2 and Msx3, the C-terminal domain was lost. MSX1 mutations associated with ectodermal dysplasia or orofacial clefting disorders map to conserved domains in a non-random fashion. Msx originated from a MetaHox ancestor that also gave rise to Tlx, Demox, NK, and possibly EHGbox, Hox and ParaHox genes. Duplication, divergence or loss of domains played a central role in the functional evolution of Msx. Duplicated domains allow pleiotropically expressed proteins to evolve new functions without disrupting existing interaction networks. Human missense sequence variants reside within evolutionarily conserved domains, likely disrupting protein function. This phylogenomic evaluation of candidate disease markers will inform clinical and functional studies.

  5. Domain duplication, divergence, and loss events in vertebrate Msx paralogs reveal phylogenomically informed disease markers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Finnerty John R

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Msx originated early in animal evolution and is implicated in human genetic disorders. To reconstruct the functional evolution of Msx and inform the study of human mutations, we analyzed the phylogeny and synteny of 46 metazoan Msx proteins and tracked the duplication, diversification and loss of conserved motifs. Results Vertebrate Msx sequences sort into distinct Msx1, Msx2 and Msx3 clades. The sister-group relationship between MSX1 and MSX2 reflects their derivation from the 4p/5q chromosomal paralogon, a derivative of the original "MetaHox" cluster. We demonstrate physical linkage between Msx and other MetaHox genes (Hmx, NK1, Emx in a cnidarian. Seven conserved domains, including two Groucho repression domains (N- and C-terminal, were present in the ancestral Msx. In cnidarians, the Groucho domains are highly similar. In vertebrate Msx1, the N-terminal Groucho domain is conserved, while the C-terminal domain diverged substantially, implying a novel function. In vertebrate Msx2 and Msx3, the C-terminal domain was lost. MSX1 mutations associated with ectodermal dysplasia or orofacial clefting disorders map to conserved domains in a non-random fashion. Conclusion Msx originated from a MetaHox ancestor that also gave rise to Tlx, Demox, NK, and possibly EHGbox, Hox and ParaHox genes. Duplication, divergence or loss of domains played a central role in the functional evolution of Msx. Duplicated domains allow pleiotropically expressed proteins to evolve new functions without disrupting existing interaction networks. Human missense sequence variants reside within evolutionarily conserved domains, likely disrupting protein function. This phylogenomic evaluation of candidate disease markers will inform clinical and functional studies.

  6. Approximating the edit distance for genomes with duplicate genes under DCJ, insertion and deletion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shao Mingfu

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Computing the edit distance between two genomes under certain operations is a basic problem in the study of genome evolution. The double-cut-and-join (DCJ model has formed the basis for most algorithmic research on rearrangements over the last few years. The edit distance under the DCJ model can be easily computed for genomes without duplicate genes. In this paper, we study the edit distance for genomes with duplicate genes under a model that includes DCJ operations, insertions and deletions. We prove that computing the edit distance is equivalent to finding the optimal cycle decomposition of the corresponding adjacency graph, and give an approximation algorithm with an approximation ratio of 1.5 + ∈.

  7. Parallel origins of duplications and the formation of pseudogenes in mitochondrial DNA from parthenogenetic lizards (Heteronotia binoei; Gekkonidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zevering, C E; Moritz, C; Heideman, A; Sturm, R A

    1991-11-01

    Analysis of mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) from parthenogenetic lizards of the Heteronotia binoei complex with restriction enzymes revealed an approximately 5-kb addition present in all 77 individuals. Cleavage site mapping suggested the presence of a direct tandem duplication spanning the 16S and 12S rRNA genes, the control region and most, if not all, of the gene for the subunit 1 of NADH dehydrogenase (ND1). The location of the duplication was confirmed by Southern hybridization. A restriction enzyme survey provided evidence for modifications to each copy of the duplicated sequence, including four large deletions. Each gene affected by a deletion was complemented by an intact version in the other copy of the sequence, although for one gene the functional copy was heteroplasmic for another deletion. Sequencing of a fragment from one copy of the duplication which encompassed the tRNA(leu)(UUR) and parts of the 16S rRNA and ND1 genes, revealed mutations expected to disrupt function. Thus, evolution subsequent to the duplication event has resulted in mitochondrial pseudogenes. The presence of duplications in all of these parthenogens, but not among representatives of their maternal sexual ancestors, suggests that the duplications arose in the parthenogenetic form. This provides the second instance in H. binoei of mtDNA duplication associated with the transition from sexual to parthenogenetic reproduction. The increased incidence of duplications in parthenogenetic lizards may be caused by errors in mtDNA replication due to either polyploidy or hybridity of their nuclear genomes.

  8. Enhancement of RNA synthesis by promoter duplication in tombusviruses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Panavas, T.; Panaviene, Z.; Pogany, J.; Nagy, P.D.

    2003-01-01

    Replication of tombusviruses, small plus-strand RNA viruses of plants, is regulated by cis-acting elements present in the viral RNA. The role of cis-acting elements can be studied in vitro by using a partially purified RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) preparation obtained from tombusvirus-infected plants , Virology 276, 279- 288). Here, we demonstrate that the minus-strand RNA of tombusviruses contains, in addition to the 3'-terminal minimal plus-strand initiation promoter, a second cis-acting element, termed the promoter proximal enhancer (PPE). The PPE element enhanced RNA synthesis by almost threefold from the adjacent minimal promoter in the in vitro assay. The sequence of the PPE element is 70% similar to the minimal promoter, suggesting that sequence duplication of the minimal promoter may have been the mechanism leading to the generation of the PPE. Consistent with this proposal, replacement of the PPE element with the minimal promoter, which resulted in a perfectly duplicated promoter region, preserved its enhancer-like function. In contrast, mutagenesis of the PPE element or its replacement with an artificial G/C-rich sequence abolished its stimulative effect on initiation of RNA synthesis in vitro. In vivo experiments are also consistent with the role of the PPE element in enhancement of tombusvirus replication. Sequence comparison of several tombusviruses and related carmoviruses further supports the finding that duplication of minimal promoter sequences may have been an important mechanism during the evolution of cis-acting elements in tombusviruses and related RNA viruses

  9. The evolution of increased competitive ability, innate competitive advantages, and novel biochemical weapons act in concert for a tropical invader.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Rui-Min; Zheng, Yu-Long; Valiente-Banuet, Alfonso; Callaway, Ragan M; Barclay, Gregor F; Pereyra, Carlos Silva; Feng, Yu-Long

    2013-02-01

    There are many non-mutually exclusive mechanisms for exotic invasions but few studies have concurrently tested more than one hypothesis for the same species. Here, we tested the evolution of increased competitive ability (EICA) hypothesis in two common garden experiments in which Chromolaena odorata plants originating from native and nonnative ranges were grown in competition with natives from each range, and the novel weapons hypothesis in laboratory experiments with leachates from C. odorata. Compared with conspecifics originating from the native range, C. odorata plants from the nonnative range were stronger competitors at high nutrient concentrations in the nonnative range in China and experienced far more herbivore damage in the native range in Mexico. In both China and Mexico, C. odorata was more suppressed by species native to Mexico than by species native to China. Species native to China were much more inhibited by leaf extracts from C. odorata than species from Mexico, and this difference in allelopathic effects may provide a possible explanation for the biogeographic differences in competitive ability. Our results indicate that EICA, innate competitive advantages, and novel biochemical weapons may act in concert to promote invasion by C. odorata, and emphasize the importance of exploring multiple, non-mutually exclusive mechanisms for invasions. © 2012 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2012 New Phytologist Trust.

  10. Concerted and stepwise mechanisms in cycloaddition reactions: potential surfaces and isotope effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Houk, K.N.; Yi Li; Storer, Joey; Raimondi, Laura; Beno, Brett

    1994-01-01

    CASSCF/6-31G * calculations have been performed on concerted and stepwise Diels-Alder reactions of butadiene with ethene, the dimerization of butadiene, and the dimerization of cyclobutadiene. The relative energies of concerted and stepwise mechanisms are compared, and the factors influencing these ''energies of concert'' are discussed. The comparison of calculated isotope effects to experimental data provides support for theoretical results. (Author)

  11. Brain scaling in mammalian evolution as a consequence of concerted and mosaic changes in numbers of neurons and average neuronal cell size

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suzana eHerculano-Houzel

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Enough species have now been subject to systematic quantitative analysis of the relationship between the morphology and cellular composition of their brain that patterns begin to emerge and shed light on the evolutionary path that led to mammalian brain diversity. Based on an analysis of the shared and clade-specific characteristics of 41 modern mammalian species in 6 clades, and in light of the phylogenetic relationships among them, here we propose that ancestral mammal brains were composed and scaled in their cellular composition like modern afrotherian and glire brains: with an addition of neurons that is accompanied by a decrease in neuronal density and very little modification in glial cell density, implying a significant increase in average neuronal cell size in larger brains, and the allocation of approximately 2 neurons in the cerebral cortex and 8 neurons in the cerebellum for every neuron allocated to the rest of brain. We also propose that in some clades the scaling of different brain structures has diverged away from the common ancestral layout through clade-specific (or clade-defining changes in how average neuronal cell mass relates to numbers of neurons in each structure, and how numbers of neurons are differentially allocated to each structure relative to the number of neurons in the rest of brain. Thus, the evolutionary expansion of mammalian brains has involved both concerted and mosaic patterns of scaling across structures. This is, to our knowledge, the first mechanistic model that explains the generation of brains large and small in mammalian evolution, and it opens up new horizons for seeking the cellular pathways and genes involved in brain evolution.

  12. Small homologous blocks in phytophthora genomes do not point to an ancient whole-genome duplication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Hooff, Jolien J E; Snel, Berend; Seidl, Michael F

    2014-05-01

    Genomes of the plant-pathogenic genus Phytophthora are characterized by small duplicated blocks consisting of two consecutive genes (2HOM blocks) and by an elevated abundance of similarly aged gene duplicates. Both properties, in particular the presence of 2HOM blocks, have been attributed to a whole-genome duplication (WGD) at the last common ancestor of Phytophthora. However, large intraspecies synteny-compelling evidence for a WGD-has not been detected. Here, we revisited the WGD hypothesis by deducing the age of 2HOM blocks. Two independent timing methods reveal that the majority of 2HOM blocks arose after divergence of the Phytophthora lineages. In addition, a large proportion of the 2HOM block copies colocalize on the same scaffold. Therefore, the presence of 2HOM blocks does not support a WGD at the last common ancestor of Phytophthora. Thus, genome evolution of Phytophthora is likely driven by alternative mechanisms, such as bursts of transposon activity.

  13. Co-evolution of secondary metabolite gene clusters and their host

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjærbølling, Inge; Vesth, Tammi Camilla; Frisvad, Jens Christian

    Secondary metabolite gene cluster evolution is mainly driven by two events: gene duplication and annexation and horizontal gene transfer. Here we use comparative genomics of Aspergillus species to investigate the evolution of secondary metabolite (SM) gene clusters across a wide spectrum of speci....... We investigate the dynamic evolutionary relationship between the cluster and the host by examining the genes within the cluster and the number of homologous genes found within the host and in closely related species.......Secondary metabolite gene cluster evolution is mainly driven by two events: gene duplication and annexation and horizontal gene transfer. Here we use comparative genomics of Aspergillus species to investigate the evolution of secondary metabolite (SM) gene clusters across a wide spectrum of species...

  14. Women's Month 2006 to include a tribute concert to women composers

    OpenAIRE

    Lazenby, Jenna

    2006-01-01

    Virginia Tech will commemorate Women's Month 2006 in March with a variety of events and programs. Festivities will include a special concert to be held Wednesday, March 1 at 8 p.m. in the Squires Student Center Recital Salon. This concert will pay tribute to 400 years of women composers by featuring performances by Virginia Tech faculty, students, and guests. Admission to the concert is free, though a free-will donation will be taken to support the work of the Women's Resource Center of the N...

  15. Biliary tract duplication cyst with gastric heterotopia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grumbach, K.; Baker, D.H.; Weigert, J.; Altman, R.P.

    1988-05-01

    Cystic duplications of the biliary tract are rare anomalies, easily mistaken for choledochal cysts. Surgical drainage is the preferred therapy for choledochal cyst, but cystic duplication necessitates surgical excision as duplications may contain heterotopic gastric mucosa leading to peptic ulceration of the biliary tract. We report a case of biliary tract duplication cyst containing heterotopic alimentary mucosa which had initially been diagnosed and surgically treated as a choledochal cyst.

  16. Biliary tract duplication cyst with gastric heterotopia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grumbach, K.; Baker, D.H.; Weigert, J.; Altman, R.P.

    1988-01-01

    Cystic duplications of the biliary tract are rare anomalies, easily mistaken for choledochal cysts. Surgical drainage is the preferred therapy for choledochal cyst, but cystic duplication necessitates surgical excision as duplications may contain heterotopic gastric mucosa leading to peptic ulceration of the biliary tract. We report a case of biliary tract duplication cyst containing heterotopic alimentary mucosa which had initially been diagnosed and surgically treated as a choledochal cyst. (orig.)

  17. Teaching bioinformatics in concert.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anya L Goodman

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Can biology students without programming skills solve problems that require computational solutions? They can if they learn to cooperate effectively with computer science students. The goal of the in-concert teaching approach is to introduce biology students to computational thinking by engaging them in collaborative projects structured around the software development process. Our approach emphasizes development of interdisciplinary communication and collaboration skills for both life science and computer science students.

  18. The centriole duplication cycle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fırat-Karalar, Elif Nur; Stearns, Tim

    2014-01-01

    Centrosomes are the main microtubule-organizing centre of animal cells and are important for many critical cellular and developmental processes from cell polarization to cell division. At the core of the centrosome are centrioles, which recruit pericentriolar material to form the centrosome and act as basal bodies to nucleate formation of cilia and flagella. Defects in centriole structure, function and number are associated with a variety of human diseases, including cancer, brain diseases and ciliopathies. In this review, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of how new centrioles are assembled and how centriole number is controlled. We propose a general model for centriole duplication control in which cooperative binding of duplication factors defines a centriole ‘origin of duplication’ that initiates duplication, and passage through mitosis effects changes that license the centriole for a new round of duplication in the next cell cycle. We also focus on variations on the general theme in which many centrioles are created in a single cell cycle, including the specialized structures associated with these variations, the deuterosome in animal cells and the blepharoplast in lower plant cells. PMID:25047614

  19. Current incidence of duplicate publication in otolaryngology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheung, Veronique Wan Fook; Lam, Gilbert O A; Wang, Yun Fan; Chadha, Neil K

    2014-03-01

    Duplicate publication--deemed highly unethical--is the reproduction of substantial content in another article by the same authors. In 1999, Rosenthal et al. identified an 8.5% incidence of duplicate articles in two otolaryngology journals. We explored the current incidence in three otolaryngology journals in North America and Europe. Retrospective literature review. Index articles in 2008 in Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Laryngoscope, and Clinical Otolaryngology were searched using MEDLINE. Potential duplicate publications in 2006 through 2010 were identified using the first, second, and last authors' names. Three authors independently investigated suspected duplicate publications--classifying them by degree of duplication. Of 358 index articles screened, 75 (20.9%) had 119 potential duplicates from 2006 to 2010. Full review of these 119 potential duplicates revealed a total of 40 articles with some form of redundancy (33.6% of the potential duplicates) involving 27 index articles (7.5% of 358 index articles); one (0.8%) "dual" publication (identical or nearly identical data and conclusions to the index article); three (2.5%) "suspected" dual publications (less than 50% new data and same conclusions); and 36 (30.3%) publications with "salami-slicing" (portion of the index article data repeated) were obtained. Further analysis compared the likelihood of duplicate publication by study source and subspecialty within otolaryngology. The incidence of duplicate publication has not significantly changed over 10 years. "Salami-slicing" was a concerning practice, with no cross-referencing in 61% of these cases. Detecting and eliminating redundant publications is a laborious task, but it is essential in upholding the journal quality and research integrity. © 2013 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

  20. Native Frames: Disentangling Sequential from Concerted Three-Body Fragmentation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajput, Jyoti; Severt, T.; Berry, Ben; Jochim, Bethany; Feizollah, Peyman; Kaderiya, Balram; Zohrabi, M.; Ablikim, U.; Ziaee, Farzaneh; Raju P., Kanaka; Rolles, D.; Rudenko, A.; Carnes, K. D.; Esry, B. D.; Ben-Itzhak, I.

    2018-03-01

    A key question concerning the three-body fragmentation of polyatomic molecules is the distinction of sequential and concerted mechanisms, i.e., the stepwise or simultaneous cleavage of bonds. Using laser-driven fragmentation of OCS into O++C++S+ and employing coincidence momentum imaging, we demonstrate a novel method that enables the clear separation of sequential and concerted breakup. The separation is accomplished by analyzing the three-body fragmentation in the native frame associated with each step and taking advantage of the rotation of the intermediate molecular fragment, CO2 + or CS2 + , before its unimolecular dissociation. This native-frame method works for any projectile (electrons, ions, or photons), provides details on each step of the sequential breakup, and enables the retrieval of the relevant spectra for sequential and concerted breakup separately. Specifically, this allows the determination of the branching ratio of all these processes in OCS3 + breakup. Moreover, we find that the first step of sequential breakup is tightly aligned along the laser polarization and identify the likely electronic states of the intermediate dication that undergo unimolecular dissociation in the second step. Finally, the separated concerted breakup spectra show clearly that the central carbon atom is preferentially ejected perpendicular to the laser field.

  1. Evolutionary diversification of plant shikimate kinase gene duplicates.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Geoffrey Fucile

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Shikimate kinase (SK; EC 2.7.1.71 catalyzes the fifth reaction of the shikimate pathway, which directs carbon from the central metabolism pool to a broad range of secondary metabolites involved in plant development, growth, and stress responses. In this study, we demonstrate the role of plant SK gene duplicate evolution in the diversification of metabolic regulation and the acquisition of novel and physiologically essential function. Phylogenetic analysis of plant SK homologs resolves an orthologous cluster of plant SKs and two functionally distinct orthologous clusters. These previously undescribed genes, shikimate kinase-like 1 (SKL1 and -2 (SKL2, do not encode SK activity, are present in all major plant lineages, and apparently evolved under positive selection following SK gene duplication over 400 MYA. This is supported by functional assays using recombinant SK, SKL1, and SKL2 from Arabidopsis thaliana (At and evolutionary analyses of the diversification of SK-catalytic and -substrate binding sites based on theoretical structure models. AtSKL1 mutants yield albino and novel variegated phenotypes, which indicate SKL1 is required for chloroplast biogenesis. Extant SKL2 sequences show a strong genetic signature of positive selection, which is enriched in a protein-protein interaction module not found in other SK homologs. We also report the first kinetic characterization of plant SKs and show that gene expression diversification among the AtSK inparalogs is correlated with developmental processes and stress responses. This study examines the functional diversification of ancient and recent plant SK gene duplicates and highlights the utility of SKs as scaffolds for functional innovation.

  2. Gene duplications and losses among vertebrate deoxyribonucleoside kinases of the non-TK1 Family

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mutahir, Zeeshan; Christiansen, Louise Slot; Clausen, Anders R.

    2016-01-01

    , among vertebrates only four mammalian dNKs have been studied for their substrate specificity and kinetic properties. However, some vertebrates, such as fish, frogs, and birds, apparently possess a duplicated homolog of deoxycytidine kinase (dCK). In this study, we characterized a family of d...... substrate specificities and subcellular localization are likely the drivers behind the evolution of vertebrate dNKs...

  3. Duplication and diversification of the LEAFY HULL STERILE1 and Oryza sativa MADS5 SEPALLATA lineages in graminoid Poales

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christensen Ashley R

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Gene duplication and the subsequent divergence in function of the resulting paralogs via subfunctionalization and/or neofunctionalization is hypothesized to have played a major role in the evolution of plant form. The LEAFY HULL STERILE1 (LHS1 SEPALLATA (SEP genes have been linked with the origin and diversification of the grass spikelet, but it is uncertain 1 when the duplication event that produced the LHS1 clade and its paralogous lineage Oryza sativa MADS5 (OSM5 occurred, and 2 how changes in gene structure and/or expression might have contributed to subfunctionalization and/or neofunctionalization in the two lineages. Methods Phylogenetic relationships among 84 SEP genes were estimated using Bayesian methods. RNA expression patterns were inferred using in situ hybridization. The patterns of protein sequence and RNA expression evolution were reconstructed using maximum parsimony (MP and maximum likelihood (ML methods, respectively. Results Phylogenetic analyses mapped the LHS1/OSM5 duplication event to the base of the grass family. MP character reconstructions estimated a change from cytosine to thymine in the first codon position of the first amino acid after the Zea mays MADS3 (ZMM3 domain converted a glutamine to a stop codon in the OSM5 ancestor following the LHS1/OSM5 duplication event. RNA expression analyses of OSM5 co-orthologs in Avena sativa, Chasmanthium latifolium, Hordeum vulgare, Pennisetum glaucum, and Sorghum bicolor followed by ML reconstructions of these data and previously published analyses estimated a complex pattern of gain and loss of LHS1 and OSM5 expression in different floral organs and different flowers within the spikelet or inflorescence. Conclusions Previous authors have reported that rice OSM5 and LHS1 proteins have different interaction partners indicating that the truncation of OSM5 following the LHS1/OSM5 duplication event has resulted in both partitioned and potentially novel gene

  4. Concerted orientation induced unidirectional water transport through nanochannels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Rongzheng; Lu, Hangjun; Li, Jinyuan; Bao, Jingdong; Hu, Jun; Fang, Haiping

    2009-11-14

    The dynamics of water inside nanochannels is of great importance for biological activities as well as for the design of molecular sensors, devices, and machines, particularly for sea water desalination. When confined in specially sized nanochannels, water molecules form a single-file structure with concerted dipole orientations, which collectively flip between the directions along and against the nanotube axis. In this paper, by using molecular dynamics simulations, we observed a net flux along the dipole-orientation without any application of an external electric field or external pressure difference during the time period of the particular concerted dipole orientations of the molecules along or against the nanotube axis. We found that this unique special-directional water transportation resulted from the asymmetric potential of water-water interaction along the nanochannel, which originated from the concerted dipole orientation of the water molecules that breaks the symmetry of water orientation distribution along the channel within a finite time period. This finding suggests a new mechanism for achieving high-flux water transportation, which may be useful for nanotechnology and biological applications.

  5. Colonic duplication in an adult

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baro, P.; Dario Casas, J.; Sanchez, D.

    1988-01-01

    A case of colonic duplication that was diagnosed radiologically in an adult is reported. A long duplicated segment below the normal transverse colon, with a wide anastomosis at the hepatic flexure level, was observed on barium enema. The rarity of this anomaly unassociated with other malformations is emphasized. (orig.)

  6. Clinical Fact of Rectal Duplication with gastric heterotopy | Atmani ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Enteric duplication could occur through the entire alimentary tract. A case of rectal duplication cyst with heterotopic gastric mucosa in a chid is described. MRI scan is shown useful in the diagnosis of the duplication. The treatment is the complete local resection of the rectal duplication. Keywords: duplication, rectal, MRI, ...

  7. STRIDE: Species Tree Root Inference from Gene Duplication Events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emms, David M; Kelly, Steven

    2017-12-01

    The correct interpretation of any phylogenetic tree is dependent on that tree being correctly rooted. We present STRIDE, a fast, effective, and outgroup-free method for identification of gene duplication events and species tree root inference in large-scale molecular phylogenetic analyses. STRIDE identifies sets of well-supported in-group gene duplication events from a set of unrooted gene trees, and analyses these events to infer a probability distribution over an unrooted species tree for the location of its root. We show that STRIDE correctly identifies the root of the species tree in multiple large-scale molecular phylogenetic data sets spanning a wide range of timescales and taxonomic groups. We demonstrate that the novel probability model implemented in STRIDE can accurately represent the ambiguity in species tree root assignment for data sets where information is limited. Furthermore, application of STRIDE to outgroup-free inference of the origin of the eukaryotic tree resulted in a root probability distribution that provides additional support for leading hypotheses for the origin of the eukaryotes. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  8. Noncommunicating Isolated Enteric Duplication Cyst in the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Noncommunicating isolated enteric duplications in the abdomen are an extremely rare variant of enteric duplications with their own blood supply. We report a case of a noncommunicating isolated ileal duplication in a 10-month-old boy. He was admitted because of severe abdominal distension and developed irritability ...

  9. Cis-acting mutation and duplication: History of molecular evolution in a P450 haplotype responsible for insecticide resistance in Culex quinquefasciatus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Itokawa, Kentaro; Komagata, Osamu; Kasai, Shinji; Masada, Masahiro; Tomita, Takashi

    2011-07-01

    A cytochrome P450 gene, Cyp9m10, is more than 200-fold overexpressed in a pyrethroid resistant strain of Culex quinquefasciatus, JPal-per. The haplotype of this strain contains two copies of Cyp9m10 resulted from recent tandem duplication. In this study, we discovered and isolated a Cyp9m10 haplotype closely related to this duplicated Cyp9m10 haplotype from JHB, a strain used for the recent genome project for this mosquito species. The isolated haplotype (JHB-NIID-B haplotype) shared the same insertion of a transposable element upstream of the coding region with JPal-per strain but not duplicated. The JHB-NIID-B haplotype was considered to have diverged from the JPal-per lineage just before the duplication event. Cyp9m10 was moderately overexpressed in larvae with the JHB-NIID-B haplotype. The overexpressions in JHB-NIID-B and JPal-per haplotypes were developmentally regulated in similar pattern indicating both haplotypes share a common cis-acting mutation responsible for the overexpressions. The isolated moderately overexpressed haplotype conferred resistance, however, its efficacy was relatively small. We hypothesized that the first cis-acting mutation modified the consequence of the subsequent duplication in JPal-per lineage to confer stronger phenotypic effect than that if it occurred before the first cis-acting mutation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Laparoscopic excision of a newborn rectal duplication cyst.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartin, Charles W; Lau, Stanley T; Escobar, Mauricio A; Glick, Philip L

    2008-08-01

    Congenital rectal duplication cyst is a rare entity treated with surgical excision. Without treatment, a rectal duplication cyst may cause a variety of complications, most notably, transforming into a malignancy. We report on a 7-week-old girl who was found to have a rectal duplication cyst. The rectal duplication cyst was successfully excised laparoscopically. Rectal duplication cysts are rare alimentary tract anomalies generally discovered during childhood. Complications include symptoms arising from the cyst and the possibility of malignant degeneration. They are typically managed by surgical excision.

  11. Our experience with unusual gastrointestinal tract duplications in infants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bilal Mirza

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Classical duplications may present along any part of gastrointestinal tract (GIT from mouth to anus. Atypical or unusual rare varieties of GIT duplications may also occur, but with different anatomical features. Materials and Methods: We reviewed our 5-year record (February 2008-January 2013 to describe clinical profile of unusual GIT duplications in neonates and small infants. Results: Three patients with atypical variety of GIT duplications were managed in our department during this tenure. Two were females and one male. Age was ranged between 11 days and 2 months. All patients presented with massive abdominal distension causing respiratory embarrassment in two of them. In all patients, the pre-operative differential diagnoses also included GIT duplication cysts. Computerized tomography (CT scan showed single huge cyst in one and multiple cysts in two patients. In one patient the CT scan also depicted a thoracic cyst in relation to posterior mediastinum. At operation, one patient had colonic tubular duplication cyst along with another isolated duplication cyst, the second case had a tubular duplication cyst of ileum with its segmental dilatation, and in the third case two isolated duplications were found. Duplication cysts were excised along with mucosal stripping in one patient, cyst excision and intestinal resection and anastomosis in one patient, and only cysts excision in one. All patients did well post-operatively. Conclusion: We presented unusual GIT duplications. These duplications are managed on similar lines as classical duplications with good prognosis when dealt early.

  12. Room acoustic properties of concert halls

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gade, Anders Christian

    1996-01-01

    A large database of values of various room acoustic parameters has provided the basis for statistical analyses of how and how much the acoustic properties of concert halls are influenced by their size, shape, and absorption area (as deduced from measured reverberation time). The data have been...

  13. Differential contributions to the transcriptome of duplicated genes in response to abiotic stresses in natural and synthetic polyploids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Shaowei; Adams, Keith L

    2011-06-01

    Polyploidy has occurred throughout plant evolution and can result in considerable changes to gene expression when it takes place and over evolutionary time. Little is known about the effects of abiotic stress conditions on duplicate gene expression patterns in polyploid plants. We examined the expression patterns of 60 duplicated genes in leaves, roots and cotyledons of allotetraploid Gossypium hirsutum in response to five abiotic stress treatments (heat, cold, drought, high salt and water submersion) using single-strand conformation polymorphism assays, and 20 genes in a synthetic allotetraploid. Over 70% of the genes showed stress-induced changes in the relative expression levels of the duplicates under one or more stress treatments with frequent variability among treatments. Twelve pairs showed opposite changes in expression levels in response to different abiotic stress treatments. Stress-induced expression changes occurred in the synthetic allopolyploid, but there was little correspondence in patterns between the natural and synthetic polyploids. Our results indicate that abiotic stress conditions can have considerable effects on duplicate gene expression in a polyploid, with the effects varying by gene, stress and organ type. Differential expression in response to environmental stresses may be a factor in the preservation of some duplicated genes in polyploids. © 2011 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2011 New Phytologist Trust.

  14. Chinese Islam: A Complete Concert

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zvi Ben-Dor Benite

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Matthew S. Erie, China and Islam: The Prophet, the Party, and Law. Cambridge University Press, 2016. 472 pp. $140 (cloth/e-book. Jonathan Lipman, ed., Islamic Thought in China: Sino-Muslim Intellectual Evolution from the 17th to the 20th Century. Edinburgh University Press, 2016. 288 pp. £70 (cloth; e-book. Roberta Tontini, Muslim Sanzijing: Shifts and Continuities in the Definition of Islam in China. Brill, 2016. 238 pp. $125 (cloth. Why study a Chinese “minority” and its history? The task of scholars of Chinese Islam since the 1990s has been twofold: on the one hand, we have wanted to study Islam in China in its Chinese social and cultural context, as opposed to imagining it as a single separate entity, and to show that its history is relevant and meaningful for Chinese history in general. One could almost say that this goal was achieved a while ago. The next task has been to make the study of Chinese Islam and its history meaningful and useful for the greater community of scholars of Islam in general. It seems to me that with the books reviewed here, and with others in the making, we are getting close to reaching this target. In 1910, Marshall Broomhall’s Islam in China declared that Chinese Islam was a “neglected problem.” These books show that it is no longer neglected, and no longer a “problem”; rather, it is an exciting topic. Indeed, a complete, even if not harmonious, concert.

  15. Practicing perfection: How concert soloists prepare for performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roger Chaffin

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Musical performances by concert soloists in the Western classical tradition are normally memorized. For memory to work reliably under the pressures of the concert stage, the performance must be practiced until it is thoroughly automatic. At the same time, the performance must be fresh and spontaneous in order to communicate emotionally with the audience. The resolution of this apparent contradiction is provided by longitudinal case studies of concert soloists preparing new works for performance. Like expert memorists in other domains, experienced musicians use highly practiced retrieval schemes to accomplish their extraordinary feats of memory. Performers have a mental map of the piece in mind as they perform that tells them where they are and what comes next - a series of landmarks, hierarchically organized by the sections and subsections of the music. The musician attends to these performance cues in order to ensure that the performance unfolds as planned. Performance cues are established by thinking about a particular feature of the music during practice so that it later comes to mind automatically. Performance cues help the soloist consciously monitor and control the rapid, automatic actions of playing, while adjusting to the needs of the moment. During practice, the musician attends mostly to basic performance cues representing critical technical features (e.g., fingerings,andinterpretive performance cues, representing phrasings, and changes in dynamics, tempo, and timbre. During performance, the musician hopes to attend mainly to expressive performance cues representing the musical feelings to be conveyed to the audience (e.g. excitement. We illustrate this analysis with a typical case study of a concert pianist learning J.S. Bach's Italian Concerto (Presto.

  16. Interrupting the Symphony: Unpacking the Importance Placed on Classical Concert Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hess, Juliet

    2018-01-01

    The Toronto Symphony Orchestra presents a series of youth concerts each year to introduce and attract younger audiences to the symphony. Music teachers often attend these concerts with students, and the importance of such experiences is frequently emphasised and normalised. This article explores the historical roots of the following relations,…

  17. Perforated ileal duplication cyst with haemorrhagic pseudocyst formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwang, Im Kyung; Kim, Bong Soo; Kim, Heung Chul; Lee, In Sun; Hwang, Woo Chul; Namkung, Sook

    2003-01-01

    Duplication cysts of the gastrointestinal tract are rare congenital abnormalities. Ectopic gastric mucosa, which can be found in duplications, may cause peptic ulceration, gastrointestinal bleeding or perforation. We report a 1-year-old boy with a perforated ileal duplication cyst with haemorrhagic pseudocyst formation caused by peptic ulceration of the duplication cyst. It presented a snowman-like appearance consisting of a small, thick-walled, true enteric cyst and a large, thin-walled haemorrhagic pseudocyst on US and CT. It is an unusual manifestation of a duplication cyst, which has not been reported in the English language literature. (orig.)

  18. Gallbladder duplication

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yagan Pillay

    2015-01-01

    Conclusion: Duplication of the gallbladder is a rare congenital abnormality, which requires special attention to the biliary ductal and arterial anatomy. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy with intraoperative cholangiography is the appropriate treatment in a symptomatic gallbladder. The removal of an asymptomatic double gallbladder remains controversial.

  19. Presentation and Surgical Management of Duodenal Duplication in Adults

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Caroline C. Jadlowiec

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Duodenal duplications in adults are exceedingly rare and their diagnosis remains difficult as symptoms are largely nonspecific. Clinical presentations include pancreatitis, biliary obstruction, gastrointestinal bleeding from ectopic gastric mucosa, and malignancy. A case of duodenal duplication in a 59-year-old female is presented, and her treatment course is reviewed with description of combined surgical and endoscopic approach to repair, along with a review of historic and current recommendations for management. Traditionally, gastrointestinal duplications have been treated with surgical resection; however, for duodenal duplications, the anatomic proximity to the biliopancreatic ampulla makes surgical management challenging. Recently, advances in endoscopy have improved the clinical success of cystic intraluminal duodenal duplications. Despite these advances, surgical resection is still recommended for extraluminal tubular duplications although combined techniques may be necessary for long tubular duplications. For duodenal duplications, a combined approach of partial excision combined with mucosal stripping may offer advantage.

  20. Host Mitochondrial Association Evolved in the Human Parasite Toxoplasma gondii via Neofunctionalization of a Gene Duplicate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adomako-Ankomah, Yaw; English, Elizabeth D; Danielson, Jeffrey J; Pernas, Lena F; Parker, Michelle L; Boulanger, Martin J; Dubey, Jitender P; Boyle, Jon P

    2016-05-01

    In Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular parasite of humans and other animals, host mitochondrial association (HMA) is driven by a gene family that encodes multiple mitochondrial association factor 1 (MAF1) proteins. However, the importance of MAF1 gene duplication in the evolution of HMA is not understood, nor is the impact of HMA on parasite biology. Here we used within- and between-species comparative analysis to determine that the MAF1 locus is duplicated in T. gondii and its nearest extant relative Hammondia hammondi, but not another close relative, Neospora caninum Using cross-species complementation, we determined that the MAF1 locus harbors multiple distinct paralogs that differ in their ability to mediate HMA, and that only T. gondii and H. hammondi harbor HMA(+) paralogs. Additionally, we found that exogenous expression of an HMA(+) paralog in T. gondii strains that do not normally exhibit HMA provides a competitive advantage over their wild-type counterparts during a mouse infection. These data indicate that HMA likely evolved by neofunctionalization of a duplicate MAF1 copy in the common ancestor of T. gondii and H. hammondi, and that the neofunctionalized gene duplicate is selectively advantageous. Copyright © 2016 by the Genetics Society of America.

  1. Rectal Duplication%直肠重复畸形

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    张道荣; 牟弦琴; 李振东; 李恭才; 王修忠; 代蕊霜

    1983-01-01

    @@ 我们两院近10年来共收治先天性直肠重复畸形17例(其中河北医学院11例,西安医学院6例).均经手术及病理证实.现总结如下:临床资料本组男性6例,女性11例,最小年龄4天,最大年龄14岁.%This paper reports 17 cases of rectal duplication. There were 6 males and 11rectal duplications were divided into three bordered by a common wall.9 patients in this series were found to have this condition.a rectovestitubular fistula.B.Pararectal duplication.The duplicated bowel lies near elliptical in shape and filled with fluid.In Complicated rectal duplication.The dupticated bowel is located at the perineum near the abnormal anus and is usually associated with hypospadia.Two cases were of this type.between the duplicated bowel and normal rectum must be partially resected at the distal end.The rectovestitubular fistula should be repaired at the same time.Pararectal duplication can be completely resected.resect the duplicated bowel from perineum but leave the genital anomaly for later treatment.

  2. Rectal duplication cyst in a cat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kook, Peter H; Hagen, Regine; Willi, Barbara; Ruetten, Maja; Venzin, Claudio

    2010-12-01

    Enteric duplication is a rare developmental malformation in people, dogs and cats. The purpose of the present report is to describe the first case of a rectal duplication cyst in a 7-year-old domestic shorthair cat presenting for acute constipation and tenesmus. On rectal palpation a spherical mass compressing the lumen of the rectum could be felt in the dorsal wall of the rectum. A computed tomography (CT) scan confirmed the presence of a well demarcated cystic lesion in the pelvic canal, dorsal to the rectum. The cyst was surgically removed via a perineal approach. No communication with the rectal lumen could be demonstrated. Histopathological examination was consistent with a rectal duplication cyst. Clinical signs resolved completely after excision of this conjoined non-communicating cystic rectal duplicate. Copyright © 2010 ISFM and AAFP. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Effect of Duplicate Genes on Mouse Genetic Robustness: An Update

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhixi Su

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In contrast to S. cerevisiae and C. elegans, analyses based on the current knockout (KO mouse phenotypes led to the conclusion that duplicate genes had almost no role in mouse genetic robustness. It has been suggested that the bias of mouse KO database toward ancient duplicates may possibly cause this knockout duplicate puzzle, that is, a very similar proportion of essential genes (PE between duplicate genes and singletons. In this paper, we conducted an extensive and careful analysis for the mouse KO phenotype data and corroborated a strong effect of duplicate genes on mouse genetics robustness. Moreover, the effect of duplicate genes on mouse genetic robustness is duplication-age dependent, which holds after ruling out the potential confounding effect from coding-sequence conservation, protein-protein connectivity, functional bias, or the bias of duplicates generated by whole genome duplication (WGD. Our findings suggest that two factors, the sampling bias toward ancient duplicates and very ancient duplicates with a proportion of essential genes higher than that of singletons, have caused the mouse knockout duplicate puzzle; meanwhile, the effect of genetic buffering may be correlated with sequence conservation as well as protein-protein interactivity.

  4. The large soybean (Glycine max) WRKY TF family expanded by segmental duplication events and subsequent divergent selection among subgroups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Guangjun; Xu, Hongliang; Xiao, Shuyang; Qin, Yajuan; Li, Yaxuan; Yan, Yueming; Hu, Yingkao

    2013-10-03

    WRKY genes encode one of the most abundant groups of transcription factors in higher plants, and its members regulate important biological process such as growth, development, and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Although the soybean genome sequence has been published, functional studies on soybean genes still lag behind those of other species. We identified a total of 133 WRKY members in the soybean genome. According to structural features of their encoded proteins and to the phylogenetic tree, the soybean WRKY family could be classified into three groups (groups I, II, and III). A majority of WRKY genes (76.7%; 102 of 133) were segmentally duplicated and 13.5% (18 of 133) of the genes were tandemly duplicated. This pattern was not apparent in Arabidopsis or rice. The transcriptome atlas revealed notable differential expression in either transcript abundance or in expression patterns under normal growth conditions, which indicated wide functional divergence in this family. Furthermore, some critical amino acids were detected using DIVERGE v2.0 in specific comparisons, suggesting that these sites have contributed to functional divergence among groups or subgroups. In addition, site model and branch-site model analyses of positive Darwinian selection (PDS) showed that different selection regimes could have affected the evolution of these groups. Sites with high probabilities of having been under PDS were found in groups I, II c, II e, and III. Together, these results contribute to a detailed understanding of the molecular evolution of the WRKY gene family in soybean. In this work, all the WRKY genes, which were generated mainly through segmental duplication, were identified in the soybean genome. Moreover, differential expression and functional divergence of the duplicated WRKY genes were two major features of this family throughout their evolutionary history. Positive selection analysis revealed that the different groups have different evolutionary rates

  5. The evolutionary history of the SAL1 gene family in eutherian mammals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Callebaut Isabelle

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background SAL1 (salivary lipocalin is a member of the OBP (Odorant Binding Protein family and is involved in chemical sexual communication in pig. SAL1 and its relatives may be involved in pheromone and olfactory receptor binding and in pre-mating behaviour. The evolutionary history and the selective pressures acting on SAL1 and its orthologous genes have not yet been exhaustively described. The aim of the present work was to study the evolution of these genes, to elucidate the role of selective pressures in their evolution and the consequences for their functions. Results Here, we present the evolutionary history of SAL1 gene and its orthologous genes in mammals. We found that (1 SAL1 and its related genes arose in eutherian mammals with lineage-specific duplications in rodents, horse and cow and are lost in human, mouse lemur, bushbaby and orangutan, (2 the evolution of duplicated genes of horse, rat, mouse and guinea pig is driven by concerted evolution with extensive gene conversion events in mouse and guinea pig and by positive selection mainly acting on paralogous genes in horse and guinea pig, (3 positive selection was detected for amino acids involved in pheromone binding and amino acids putatively involved in olfactory receptor binding, (4 positive selection was also found for lineage, indicating a species-specific strategy for amino acid selection. Conclusions This work provides new insights into the evolutionary history of SAL1 and its orthologs. On one hand, some genes are subject to concerted evolution and to an increase in dosage, suggesting the need for homogeneity of sequence and function in certain species. On the other hand, positive selection plays a role in the diversification of the functions of the family and in lineage, suggesting adaptive evolution, with possible consequences for speciation and for the reinforcement of prezygotic barriers.

  6. On the Complexity of Duplication-Transfer-Loss Reconciliation with Non-Binary Gene Trees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kordi, Misagh; Bansal, Mukul S

    2017-01-01

    Duplication-Transfer-Loss (DTL) reconciliation has emerged as a powerful technique for studying gene family evolution in the presence of horizontal gene transfer. DTL reconciliation takes as input a gene family phylogeny and the corresponding species phylogeny, and reconciles the two by postulating speciation, gene duplication, horizontal gene transfer, and gene loss events. Efficient algorithms exist for finding optimal DTL reconciliations when the gene tree is binary. However, gene trees are frequently non-binary. With such non-binary gene trees, the reconciliation problem seeks to find a binary resolution of the gene tree that minimizes the reconciliation cost. Given the prevalence of non-binary gene trees, many efficient algorithms have been developed for this problem in the context of the simpler Duplication-Loss (DL) reconciliation model. Yet, no efficient algorithms exist for DTL reconciliation with non-binary gene trees and the complexity of the problem remains unknown. In this work, we resolve this open question by showing that the problem is, in fact, NP-hard. Our reduction applies to both the dated and undated formulations of DTL reconciliation. By resolving this long-standing open problem, this work will spur the development of both exact and heuristic algorithms for this important problem.

  7. Sox genes in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella with their implications for genome duplication and evolution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tong Jingou

    2006-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The Sox gene family is found in a broad range of animal taxa and encodes important gene regulatory proteins involved in a variety of developmental processes. We have obtained clones representing the HMG boxes of twelve Sox genes from grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella, one of the four major domestic carps in China. The cloned Sox genes belong to group B1, B2 and C. Our analyses show that whereas the human genome contains a single copy of Sox4, Sox11 and Sox14, each of these genes has two co-orthologs in grass carp, and the duplication of Sox4 and Sox11 occurred before the divergence of grass carp and zebrafish, which support the "fish-specific whole-genome duplication" theory. An estimation for the origin of grass carp based on the molecular clock using Sox1, Sox3 and Sox11 genes as markers indicates that grass carp (subfamily Leuciscinae and zebrafish (subfamily Danioninae diverged approximately 60 million years ago. The potential uses of Sox genes as markers in revealing the evolutionary history of grass carp are discussed.

  8. Positive selection of a duplicated UV-sensitive visual pigment coincides with wing pigment evolution in Heliconius butterflies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Briscoe, Adriana D.; Bybee, Seth M.; Bernard, Gary D.; Yuan, Furong; Sison-Mangus, Marilou P.; Reed, Robert D.; Warren, Andrew D.; Llorente-Bousquets, Jorge; Chiao, Chuan-Chin

    2010-01-01

    The butterfly Heliconius erato can see from the UV to the red part of the light spectrum with color vision proven from 440 to 640 nm. Its eye is known to contain three visual pigments, rhodopsins, produced by an 11-cis-3-hydroxyretinal chromophore together with long wavelength (LWRh), blue (BRh) and UV (UVRh1) opsins. We now find that H. erato has a second UV opsin mRNA (UVRh2)—a previously undescribed duplication of this gene among Lepidoptera. To investigate its evolutionary origin, we screened eye cDNAs from 14 butterfly species in the subfamily Heliconiinae and found both copies only among Heliconius. Phylogeny-based tests of selection indicate positive selection of UVRh2 following duplication, and some of the positively selected sites correspond to vertebrate visual pigment spectral tuning residues. Epi-microspectrophotometry reveals two UV-absorbing rhodopsins in the H. erato eye with λmax = 355 nm and 398 nm. Along with the additional UV opsin, Heliconius have also evolved 3-hydroxy-DL-kynurenine (3-OHK)-based yellow wing pigments not found in close relatives. Visual models of how butterflies perceive wing color variation indicate this has resulted in an expansion of the number of distinguishable yellow colors on Heliconius wings. Functional diversification of the UV-sensitive visual pigments may help explain why the yellow wing pigments of Heliconius are so colorful in the UV range compared to the yellow pigments of close relatives lacking the UV opsin duplicate. PMID:20133601

  9. Exon duplications in the ATP7A gene

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mogensen, Mie; Skjørringe, Tina; Kodama, Hiroko

    2011-01-01

    the identified duplicated fragments originated from a single or from two different X-chromosomes, polymorphic markers located in the duplicated fragments were analyzed. RESULTS: Partial ATP7A gene duplication was identified in 20 unrelated patients including one patient with Occipital Horn Syndrome (OHS...

  10. Long segment ileal duplication with extensive gastric heterotopia

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    Jacob Sunitha

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Duplications of the alimentary tract are rare congenital anomalies which can be found at all levels of the alimentary tract. Majority of the duplications present as spherical cysts and usually range from a few millimeters to less than ten centimeters in size. Duplications produce complications such as intestinal obstruction or hemorrhage. A two-month-old infant presented with recurrent episodes of bleeding per rectum. Laparotomy revealed a giant ileal duplicated bowel segment which exhibited extensive gastric heterotopia with focal ulceration.

  11. Genome duplication and mutations in ACE2 cause multicellular, fast-sedimenting phenotypes in evolved Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oud, Bart; Guadalupe-Medina, Victor; Nijkamp, Jurgen F; de Ridder, Dick; Pronk, Jack T; van Maris, Antonius J A; Daran, Jean-Marc

    2013-11-05

    Laboratory evolution of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae in bioreactor batch cultures yielded variants that grow as multicellular, fast-sedimenting clusters. Knowledge of the molecular basis of this phenomenon may contribute to the understanding of natural evolution of multicellularity and to manipulating cell sedimentation in laboratory and industrial applications of S. cerevisiae. Multicellular, fast-sedimenting lineages obtained from a haploid S. cerevisiae strain in two independent evolution experiments were analyzed by whole genome resequencing. The two evolved cell lines showed different frameshift mutations in a stretch of eight adenosines in ACE2, which encodes a transcriptional regulator involved in cell cycle control and mother-daughter cell separation. Introduction of the two ace2 mutant alleles into the haploid parental strain led to slow-sedimenting cell clusters that consisted of just a few cells, thus representing only a partial reconstruction of the evolved phenotype. In addition to single-nucleotide mutations, a whole-genome duplication event had occurred in both evolved multicellular strains. Construction of a diploid reference strain with two mutant ace2 alleles led to complete reconstruction of the multicellular-fast sedimenting phenotype. This study shows that whole-genome duplication and a frameshift mutation in ACE2 are sufficient to generate a fast-sedimenting, multicellular phenotype in S. cerevisiae. The nature of the ace2 mutations and their occurrence in two independent evolution experiments encompassing fewer than 500 generations of selective growth suggest that switching between unicellular and multicellular phenotypes may be relevant for competitiveness of S. cerevisiae in natural environments.

  12. Finding all sorting tandem duplication random loss operations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bernt, Matthias; Chen, Kuan Yu; Chen, Ming Chiang

    2011-01-01

    A tandem duplication random loss (TDRL) operation duplicates a contiguous segment of genes, followed by the random loss of one copy of each of the duplicated genes. Although the importance of this operation is founded by several recent biological studies, it has been investigated only rarely from...

  13. Divergent Evolutionary Patterns of NAC Transcription Factors Are Associated with Diversification and Gene Duplications in Angiosperm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoli Jin

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available NAC (NAM/ATAF/CUC proteins constitute one of the biggest plant-specific transcription factor (TF families and have crucial roles in diverse developmental programs during plant growth. Phylogenetic analyses have revealed both conserved and lineage-specific NAC subfamilies, among which various origins and distinct features were observed. It is reasonable to hypothesize that there should be divergent evolutionary patterns of NAC TFs both between dicots and monocots, and among NAC subfamilies. In this study, we compared the gene duplication and loss, evolutionary rate, and selective pattern among non-lineage specific NAC subfamilies, as well as those between dicots and monocots, through genome-wide analyses of sequence and functional data in six dicot and five grass lineages. The number of genes gained in the dicot lineages was much larger than that in the grass lineages, while fewer gene losses were observed in the grass than that in the dicots. We revealed (1 uneven constitution of Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COGs and contrasting birth/death rates among subfamilies, and (2 two distinct evolutionary scenarios of NAC TFs between dicots and grasses. Our results demonstrated that relaxed selection, resulting from concerted gene duplications, may have permitted substitutions responsible for functional divergence of NAC genes into new lineages. The underlying mechanism of distinct evolutionary fates of NAC TFs shed lights on how evolutionary divergence contributes to differences in establishing NAC gene subfamilies and thus impacts the distinct features between dicots and grasses.

  14. Concert: Harvestehuder Kammersymphonie

    CERN Multimedia

    Staff Association

    2017-01-01

    Harvestehuder Kammersymphonie (Hamburg) Tuesday 23 May at 18.00 Main Auditorium (CERN Meyrin)   Tradition et modernité constituent le lien entre tous les musiciens de l’orchestre. La littérature orchestrale de la période classique à l’époque moderne figure régulièrement à leurs programmes. Composé de près d’une centaine d’instrumentistes de toutes professions, l'enthousiasme et la qualité musicale constituent la priorité absolue de leur activité. Après des voyages gagnant en Brésil et Angleterre, une délégation de cet ensemble est de passage dans la région. Ils sont très heureux de pouvoir donner un concert au CERN.

  15. Embryonic duplications in sheep.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dennis, S M

    1975-02-01

    Twenty-seven embryonic duplications were examined during a 3-year investigation into the causes of perinatal lamb mortality. Twenty of the 27 were anomalous twins with 19 being conjoined (diplopagus 9 and heteropagus 10). The various duplications were: haloacardius acephalus 1, diprosopus 2, dicephalus 2, dipypus 3, diprosopus dipygus 1, syncephalus dipygus 1, pygopagus parasiticus 1, heteropagus dipygus 3, melodidymus 6, polyury 4, penile duplication 2, and bilateral otognathia 1. Four lambs were living and the time of death of the others was: parturient 8, and post-parturient 15. Average dry weight of the lambs was 3.35 kg (range 1.59 to 5.45 kg). Breed distribution was: Merino 77.8%, Crossbred 14.8%, Dorset Horn 3.7%, and Corriedale 3.7%. The caudal region was involved in 10 of the conjoined twins (52.6%), anterior region in 7 (36.9%), and both anterior and caudal regions in 2 (10.5%). Associated defects were present in 70.4% of the 27 lambs, the most common being atresia ani.

  16. The duplication 17p13.3 phenotype

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Curry, Cynthia J; Rosenfeld, Jill A; Grant, Erica

    2013-01-01

    . Older patients were often overweight. Three variant phenotypes included cleft lip/palate (CLP), split hand/foot with long bone deficiency (SHFLD), and a connective tissue phenotype resembling Marfan syndrome. The duplications in patients with clefts appear to disrupt ABR, while the SHFLD phenotype......Chromosome 17p13.3 is a gene rich region that when deleted is associated with the well-known Miller-Dieker syndrome. A recently described duplication syndrome involving this region has been associated with intellectual impairment, autism and occasional brain MRI abnormalities. We report 34...... was associated with duplication of BHLHA9 as noted in two recent reports. The connective tissue phenotype did not have a convincing critical region. Our experience with this large cohort expands knowledge of this diverse duplication syndrome....

  17. Prevalence of lower extremity venous duplication

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simpson William

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: This retrospective study was performed to determine the prevalence of lower extremity venous duplication using duplex ultrasound in the patient population of a large urban medical center. Materials and Methods: The reports of all lower extremity venous ultrasound examinations performed at our institution between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2002 were reviewed. Ultrasound examinations that were performed for purposes other than the detection of lower extremity deep vein thrombosis were excluded. The prevalence of duplication and its specific location were recorded. In addition, the prevalence of thrombus and its specific location were also recorded. Results: A total of 3118 exams were performed in 2664 patients. Of the 2664 patients, 2311 had only one examination performed during the study period; 353 patients had more than one examination performed. We found that 10.1% of patients (270/2664 had at least one venous segment duplicated and 5.4% of patients (143/2664 had a thrombus in at least one venous segment. There was a statistically significant difference in the prevalence of both duplication and thrombus with a change in venous segment. Only 0.4% of patients (11/2664 had thrombus within a duplicated segment. Of those who had more than one examination performed, 15.3% (54/353 had the same venous segment(s seen on one examination but not another. Conclusion: Lower extremity venous duplication is a frequent anatomic variant that is seen in 10.1% of patients, but it may not be as common as is generally believed. It can result in a false negative result for deep vein thrombosis.

  18. Evolutionary mechanisms driving the evolution of a large polydnavirus gene family coding for protein tyrosine phosphatases

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    Serbielle Céline

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Gene duplications have been proposed to be the main mechanism involved in genome evolution and in acquisition of new functions. Polydnaviruses (PDVs, symbiotic viruses associated with parasitoid wasps, are ideal model systems to study mechanisms of gene duplications given that PDV genomes consist of virulence genes organized into multigene families. In these systems the viral genome is integrated in a wasp chromosome as a provirus and virus particles containing circular double-stranded DNA are injected into the parasitoids’ hosts and are essential for parasitism success. The viral virulence factors, organized in gene families, are required collectively to induce host immune suppression and developmental arrest. The gene family which encodes protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs has undergone spectacular expansion in several PDV genomes with up to 42 genes. Results Here, we present strong indications that PTP gene family expansion occurred via classical mechanisms: by duplication of large segments of the chromosomally integrated form of the virus sequences (segmental duplication, by tandem duplications within this form and by dispersed duplications. We also propose a novel duplication mechanism specific to PDVs that involves viral circle reintegration into the wasp genome. The PTP copies produced were shown to undergo conservative evolution along with episodes of adaptive evolution. In particular recently produced copies have undergone positive selection in sites most likely involved in defining substrate selectivity. Conclusion The results provide evidence about the dynamic nature of polydnavirus proviral genomes. Classical and PDV-specific duplication mechanisms have been involved in the production of new gene copies. Selection pressures associated with antagonistic interactions with parasitized hosts have shaped these genes used to manipulate lepidopteran physiology with evidence for positive selection involved in

  19. Complete cloacal duplication imaged before and during pregnancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ragab, Omar; Landay, Melanie; Shriki, Jabi

    2009-01-01

    The authors describe a 31 year-old female who presented emergently with abdominal pain and was found at CT to have complete genitourinary duplication including separate urinary bladders, uteri, cervices, and vaginas, and also duplication of the rectum. No etiology for abdominal pain was identified. The patient was referred to urology for further evaluation, and an intravenous urographic study was obtained, which confirmed complete lower urinary tract duplication. The patient presented emergently 9 months later during a subsequent pregnancy for further evaluation of abdominal pain. A second CT scan was ordered to rule out appendicitis. Findings consistent with cloacal duplication were again noted. There was also dilatation of the urinary collecting systems, more prominently on the right side. A Cesarean section was performed and confirmed total genitourinary and rectal duplication.

  20. An unusual presentation of a rectal duplication cyst.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, Katharine L; Peche, William J; Rollins, Michael D

    2012-01-01

    Intestinal duplications are rare developmental anomalies that can occur anywhere along the gastrointestinal tract. Rectal duplication cysts account for approximately 4% of all duplication cysts. They usually present in childhood with symptoms of mass effect, local infection or more rarely with rectal bleeding from ectopic gastric mucosa. A 26year old male presented with a history of bright red blood per rectum. On examination a mucosal defect with an associated cavity adjacent to the rectum was identified. This was confirmed with rigid proctoscopy and CT scan imaging. A complete transanal excision was performed. Rectal duplication cysts are more common in pediatric patients. They more frequently present with symptoms of mass effect or local infection than with rectal bleeding. In adult patients they are a rare cause of rectal bleeding. Definitive treatment is with surgical excision. A transanal, transcoccygeal, posterior sagittal or a combined abdominoperineal approach may be used depending on anatomic characteristics of the duplication cyst. We present a rare case of a rectal duplication cyst presenting in adulthood with rectal bleeding, managed with transanal excision. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  1. [Rectal duplication cyst--case report].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turyna, R; Horák, L; Kucera, E; Hejda, V; Krofta, L; Feyereisl, J

    2009-06-01

    The authors demonstrate a rare case of duplication anomaly of the rectum. Case report. Institute for the Care of Mother and Child, Prague. We present a rare case of cystic rectal duplication in adult, completely removed and histologically confirmed. A literature review was summarized. The case was complicated by delay in diagnosis, multiple operations, and by the association with endometriosis, as well. Mentioned anomaly is published in the Czech literature for the very first time.

  2. The Brassica oleracea genome reveals the asymmetrical evolution of polyploid genomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Shengyi; Liu, Yumei; Yang, Xinhua; Tong, Chaobo; Edwards, David; Parkin, Isobel A. P.; Zhao, Meixia; Ma, Jianxin; Yu, Jingyin; Huang, Shunmou; Wang, Xiyin; Wang, Junyi; Lu, Kun; Fang, Zhiyuan; Bancroft, Ian; Yang, Tae-Jin; Hu, Qiong; Wang, Xinfa; Yue, Zhen; Li, Haojie; Yang, Linfeng; Wu, Jian; Zhou, Qing; Wang, Wanxin; King, Graham J; Pires, J. Chris; Lu, Changxin; Wu, Zhangyan; Sampath, Perumal; Wang, Zhuo; Guo, Hui; Pan, Shengkai; Yang, Limei; Min, Jiumeng; Zhang, Dong; Jin, Dianchuan; Li, Wanshun; Belcram, Harry; Tu, Jinxing; Guan, Mei; Qi, Cunkou; Du, Dezhi; Li, Jiana; Jiang, Liangcai; Batley, Jacqueline; Sharpe, Andrew G; Park, Beom-Seok; Ruperao, Pradeep; Cheng, Feng; Waminal, Nomar Espinosa; Huang, Yin; Dong, Caihua; Wang, Li; Li, Jingping; Hu, Zhiyong; Zhuang, Mu; Huang, Yi; Huang, Junyan; Shi, Jiaqin; Mei, Desheng; Liu, Jing; Lee, Tae-Ho; Wang, Jinpeng; Jin, Huizhe; Li, Zaiyun; Li, Xun; Zhang, Jiefu; Xiao, Lu; Zhou, Yongming; Liu, Zhongsong; Liu, Xuequn; Qin, Rui; Tang, Xu; Liu, Wenbin; Wang, Yupeng; Zhang, Yangyong; Lee, Jonghoon; Kim, Hyun Hee; Denoeud, France; Xu, Xun; Liang, Xinming; Hua, Wei; Wang, Xiaowu; Wang, Jun; Chalhoub, Boulos; Paterson, Andrew H

    2014-01-01

    Polyploidization has provided much genetic variation for plant adaptive evolution, but the mechanisms by which the molecular evolution of polyploid genomes establishes genetic architecture underlying species differentiation are unclear. Brassica is an ideal model to increase knowledge of polyploid evolution. Here we describe a draft genome sequence of Brassica oleracea, comparing it with that of its sister species B. rapa to reveal numerous chromosome rearrangements and asymmetrical gene loss in duplicated genomic blocks, asymmetrical amplification of transposable elements, differential gene co-retention for specific pathways and variation in gene expression, including alternative splicing, among a large number of paralogous and orthologous genes. Genes related to the production of anticancer phytochemicals and morphological variations illustrate consequences of genome duplication and gene divergence, imparting biochemical and morphological variation to B. oleracea. This study provides insights into Brassica genome evolution and will underpin research into the many important crops in this genus. PMID:24852848

  3. Duplicate Record Elimination in Large Data Files.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1981-08-01

    UNCLASSIFIJED CSTR -445 NL LmEE~hhE - I1.0 . 111112----5 1.~4 __112 ___IL25_ 1.4 111111.6 EI24 COMPUTER SCIENCES DEPARTMENT oUniversity of Wisconsin...we propose a combinatorial model for the use in the analysis of algorithms for duplicate elimination. We contend that this model can serve as a...duplicates in a multiset of records, knowing the size of the multiset and the number of distinct records in it. 3. Algorithms for Duplicate Elimination

  4. Music Genre as a Predictor of Resource Utilization at Outdoor Music Concerts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Westrol, Michael S; Koneru, Susmith; McIntyre, Norah; Caruso, Andrew T; Arshad, Faizan H; Merlin, Mark A

    2017-06-01

    The aim of this study was to examine the various modern music genres and their effect on the utilization of medical resources with analysis and adjustment for potential confounders. A retrospective review of patient logs from an open-air, contemporary amphitheater over a period of 10 years was performed. Variables recorded by the medical personnel for each concert included the attendance, description of the weather, and a patient log in which nature and outcome were recorded. The primary outcomes were associations of genres with the medical usage rate (MUR). Secondary outcomes investigated were the association of confounders and the influences on the level of care provided, the transport rate, and the nature of medical complaint. A total of 2,399,864 concert attendees, of which 4,546 patients presented to venue Emergency Medical Services (EMS) during 403 concerts with an average of 11.4 patients (annual range 7.1-17.4) each concert. Of potential confounders, only the heat index ≥90°F (32.2°C) and whether the event was a festival were significant (P=.027 and .001, respectively). After adjustment, the genres with significantly increased MUR in decreasing order were: alternative rock, hip-hop/rap, modern rock, heavy metal/hard rock, and country music (Pmusic (P=.033). Alternative rock, hip-hop/rap, modern rock, heavy metal/hard rock, and country music concerts had higher levels of medical resource utilization. High heat indices and music festivals also increase the MUR. This information can assist event planners with preparation and resource utilization. Future research should focus on prospective validation of the regression equation. Westrol MS , Koneru S , McIntyre N , Caruso AT , Arshad FH , Merlin MA . Music genre as a predictor of resource utilization at outdoor music concerts. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(3):289-296.

  5. Divergence of the bZIP Gene Family in Strawberry, Peach, and Apple Suggests Multiple Modes of Gene Evolution after Duplication

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao-Long Wang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The basic leucine zipper (bZIP transcription factors are the most diverse members of dimerizing transcription factors. In the present study, 50, 116, and 47 bZIP genes were identified in Malus domestica (apple, Prunus persica (peach, and Fragaria vesca (strawberry, respectively. Species-specific duplication was the main contributor to the large number of bZIPs observed in apple. After WGD in apple genome, orthologous bZIP genes corresponding to strawberry on duplicated regions in apple genome were retained. However, in peach ancestor, these syntenic regions were quickly lost or deleted. Maybe the positive selection contributed to the expansion of clade S to adapt to the development and environment stresses. In addition, purifying selection was mainly responsible for bZIP sequence-specific DNA binding. The analysis of orthologous pairs between chromosomes indicates that these orthologs derived from one gene duplication located on one of the nine ancient chromosomes in the Rosaceae. The comparative analysis of bZIP genes in three species provides information on the evolutionary fate of bZIP genes in apple and peach after they diverged from strawberry.

  6. Rapid bursts of androgen-binding protein (Abp) gene duplication occurred independently in diverse mammals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laukaitis, Christina M; Heger, Andreas; Blakley, Tyler D; Munclinger, Pavel; Ponting, Chris P; Karn, Robert C

    2008-02-12

    The draft mouse (Mus musculus) genome sequence revealed an unexpected proliferation of gene duplicates encoding a family of secretoglobin proteins including the androgen-binding protein (ABP) alpha, beta and gamma subunits. Further investigation of 14 alpha-like (Abpa) and 13 beta- or gamma-like (Abpbg) undisrupted gene sequences revealed a rich diversity of developmental stage-, sex- and tissue-specific expression. Despite these studies, our understanding of the evolution of this gene family remains incomplete. Questions arise from imperfections in the initial mouse genome assembly and a dearth of information about the gene family structure in other rodents and mammals. Here, we interrogate the latest 'finished' mouse (Mus musculus) genome sequence assembly to show that the Abp gene repertoire is, in fact, twice as large as reported previously, with 30 Abpa and 34 Abpbg genes and pseudogenes. All of these have arisen since the last common ancestor with rat (Rattus norvegicus). We then demonstrate, by sequencing homologs from species within the Mus genus, that this burst of gene duplication occurred very recently, within the past seven million years. Finally, we survey Abp orthologs in genomes from across the mammalian clade and show that bursts of Abp gene duplications are not specific to the murid rodents; they also occurred recently in the lagomorph (rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus) and ruminant (cattle, Bos taurus) lineages, although not in other mammalian taxa. We conclude that Abp genes have undergone repeated bursts of gene duplication and adaptive sequence diversification driven by these genes' participation in chemosensation and/or sexual identification.

  7. Substance use patterns and in-hospital care of adolescents and young adults attending music concerts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruest, Stephanie M; Stephan, Alexander M; Masiakos, Peter T; Biddinger, Paul D; Camargo, Carlos A; Kharasch, Sigmund

    2018-01-09

    Few studies describe medical complaints and substance use patterns related to attending music concerts. As such, the objective of this study is to describe patient demographics, substance use and intoxication patterns, and medical interventions provided to adolescents and young adults assessed in an emergency department (ED) for complaints directly related to concert attendance. A retrospective chart review of patients 13-30 years old who were transported to the ED directly from music concerts between January 2011 and December 2015 was conducted. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to analyze patient demographic, intervention, and substance use data. There were 115 concerts identified, of which 48 (42%) were linked to 142 relevant ED visits; the total number of attendees at each concert is unknown. The mean age of the 142 described patients was 19.5 years (SD 3.3) with 72% pop and electronic dance music concerts was associated with the widest ranges of GCS scores (8-15 and 6-14 respectively), mass casualty incident declarations, and among the highest mean blood alcohol levels (246 and 244 mg/dL, respectively). Substance use is the predominant reason for music concert related ED visits and patients may have serious levels of intoxication, receiving multiple medical interventions. These data demonstrate the need for additional large-scale studies to confirm trends and increase awareness of this important public health problem.

  8. The heterothallic sugarbeet pathogen Cercospora beticola contains exon fragments of both MAT genes that are homogenized by concerted evolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolton, Melvin D; de Jonge, Ronnie; Inderbitzin, Patrik; Liu, Zhaohui; Birla, Keshav; Van de Peer, Yves; Subbarao, Krishna V; Thomma, Bart P H J; Secor, Gary A

    2014-01-01

    Dothideomycetes is one of the most ecologically diverse and economically important classes of fungi. Sexual reproduction in this group is governed by mating type (MAT) genes at the MAT1 locus. Self-sterile (heterothallic) species contain one of two genes at MAT1 (MAT1-1-1 or MAT1-2-1) and only isolates of opposite mating type are sexually compatible. In contrast, self-fertile (homothallic) species contain both MAT genes at MAT1. Knowledge of the reproductive capacities of plant pathogens are of particular interest because recombining populations tend to be more difficult to manage in agricultural settings. In this study, we sequenced MAT1 in the heterothallic Dothideomycete fungus Cercospora beticola to gain insight into the reproductive capabilities of this important plant pathogen. In addition to the expected MAT gene at MAT1, each isolate contained fragments of both MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-2-1 at ostensibly random loci across the genome. When MAT fragments from each locus were manually assembled, they reconstituted MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-2-1 exons with high identity, suggesting a retroposition event occurred in a homothallic ancestor in which both MAT genes were fused. The genome sequences of related taxa revealed that MAT gene fragment pattern of Cercospora zeae-maydis was analogous to C. beticola. In contrast, the genome of more distantly related Mycosphaerella graminicola did not contain MAT fragments. Although fragments occurred in syntenic regions of the C. beticola and C. zeae-maydis genomes, each MAT fragment was more closely related to the intact MAT gene of the same species. Taken together, these data suggest MAT genes fragmented after divergence of M. graminicola from the remaining taxa, and concerted evolution functioned to homogenize MAT fragments and MAT genes in each species. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  9. Between Two Worlds: Concert-giving and Rioting in the Post-Yugoslav Area

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Petrov

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Starting in the late 1990s, some musicians from the territory of former Yugoslavia gradually embarked on the project of giving concerts in Belgrade, the capital of the former country. Others refused to perform in Serbia after the wars, which fuelled a negative attitude toward these musicians. In this paper I deal with the reception of those concerts, pointing to the ways they have become specific affective sites of memory. I focus on two major issues: the discourse produced in the concerts by the performers themselves and members of the audience and the discourse produced by various protest groups (which resulted in the organization of protests in Belgrade against performances by musicians who ‘hate Serbs’.

  10. Insights into three whole-genome duplications gleaned from the Paramecium caudatum genome sequence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGrath, Casey L; Gout, Jean-Francois; Doak, Thomas G; Yanagi, Akira; Lynch, Michael

    2014-08-01

    Paramecium has long been a model eukaryote. The sequence of the Paramecium tetraurelia genome reveals a history of three successive whole-genome duplications (WGDs), and the sequences of P. biaurelia and P. sexaurelia suggest that these WGDs are shared by all members of the aurelia species complex. Here, we present the genome sequence of P. caudatum, a species closely related to the P. aurelia species group. P. caudatum shares only the most ancient of the three WGDs with the aurelia complex. We found that P. caudatum maintains twice as many paralogs from this early event as the P. aurelia species, suggesting that post-WGD gene retention is influenced by subsequent WGDs and supporting the importance of selection for dosage in gene retention. The availability of P. caudatum as an outgroup allows an expanded analysis of the aurelia intermediate and recent WGD events. Both the Guanine+Cytosine (GC) content and the expression level of preduplication genes are significant predictors of duplicate retention. We find widespread asymmetrical evolution among aurelia paralogs, which is likely caused by gradual pseudogenization rather than by neofunctionalization. Finally, cases of divergent resolution of intermediate WGD duplicates between aurelia species implicate this process acts as an ongoing reinforcement mechanism of reproductive isolation long after a WGD event. Copyright © 2014 by the Genetics Society of America.

  11. A case report of Ileal duplication

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oh, K K; Suh, J H; Choi, B S [Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    1971-10-15

    Since Frankel reported the congenital anomalous intestinal duplication incidentally during autopsy in 1883, about 228 cases has been reported on the literatures. In our severance hospital, one case of ileal duplication was found, and was confirmed by pathology and surgery. This patient of duplication usually reveals the symptoms of abnormal distension, pain and palpable abdominal mass, and sometimes the symptoms of intestinal obstruction. On x-ray flate abdomen, huge occupying mass displaces intestinal gas pattern to left side. Barium enema study reveals elongation and displacement of ileum by large extrinsic mass. And cecum is also displaced upward. On the IVP, this extrinsic mass is not related to kidneys. Also, the literature was reviewed.

  12. Synergistic Synthetic Biology: Units in Concert

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trosset, Jean-Yves; Carbonell, Pablo

    2013-01-01

    Synthetic biology aims at translating the methods and strategies from engineering into biology in order to streamline the design and construction of biological devices through standardized parts. Modular synthetic biology devices are designed by means of an adequate elimination of cross-talk that makes circuits orthogonal and specific. To that end, synthetic constructs need to be adequately optimized through in silico modeling by choosing the right complement of genetic parts and by experimental tuning through directed evolution and craftsmanship. In this review, we consider an additional and complementary tool available to the synthetic biologist for innovative design and successful construction of desired circuit functionalities: biological synergies. Synergy is a prevalent emergent property in biological systems that arises from the concerted action of multiple factors producing an amplification or cancelation effect compared with individual actions alone. Synergies appear in domains as diverse as those involved in chemical and protein activity, polypharmacology, and metabolic pathway complementarity. In conventional synthetic biology designs, synergistic cross-talk between parts and modules is generally attenuated in order to verify their orthogonality. Synergistic interactions, however, can induce emergent behavior that might prove useful for synthetic biology applications, like in functional circuit design, multi-drug treatment, or in sensing and delivery devices. Synergistic design principles are therefore complementary to those coming from orthogonal design and may provide added value to synthetic biology applications. The appropriate modeling, characterization, and design of synergies between biological parts and units will allow the discovery of yet unforeseeable, novel synthetic biology applications. PMID:25022769

  13. Synergistic Synthetic Biology: Units in Concert

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trosset, Jean-Yves; Carbonell, Pablo

    2013-01-01

    Synthetic biology aims at translating the methods and strategies from engineering into biology in order to streamline the design and construction of biological devices through standardized parts. Modular synthetic biology devices are designed by means of an adequate elimination of cross-talk that makes circuits orthogonal and specific. To that end, synthetic constructs need to be adequately optimized through in silico modeling by choosing the right complement of genetic parts and by experimental tuning through directed evolution and craftsmanship. In this review, we consider an additional and complementary tool available to the synthetic biologist for innovative design and successful construction of desired circuit functionalities: biological synergies. Synergy is a prevalent emergent property in biological systems that arises from the concerted action of multiple factors producing an amplification or cancelation effect compared with individual actions alone. Synergies appear in domains as diverse as those involved in chemical and protein activity, polypharmacology, and metabolic pathway complementarity. In conventional synthetic biology designs, synergistic cross-talk between parts and modules is generally attenuated in order to verify their orthogonality. Synergistic interactions, however, can induce emergent behavior that might prove useful for synthetic biology applications, like in functional circuit design, multi-drug treatment, or in sensing and delivery devices. Synergistic design principles are therefore complementary to those coming from orthogonal design and may provide added value to synthetic biology applications. The appropriate modeling, characterization, and design of synergies between biological parts and units will allow the discovery of yet unforeseeable, novel synthetic biology applications.

  14. Evolution of the vertebrate insulin receptor substrate (Irs) gene family.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Salam, Ahmad; Irwin, David M

    2017-06-23

    Insulin receptor substrate (Irs) proteins are essential for insulin signaling as they allow downstream effectors to dock with, and be activated by, the insulin receptor. A family of four Irs proteins have been identified in mice, however the gene for one of these, IRS3, has been pseudogenized in humans. While it is known that the Irs gene family originated in vertebrates, it is not known when it originated and which members are most closely related to each other. A better understanding of the evolution of Irs genes and proteins should provide insight into the regulation of metabolism by insulin. Multiple genes for Irs proteins were identified in a wide variety of vertebrate species. Phylogenetic and genomic neighborhood analyses indicate that this gene family originated very early in vertebrae evolution. Most Irs genes were duplicated and retained in fish after the fish-specific genome duplication. Irs genes have been lost of various lineages, including Irs3 in primates and birds and Irs1 in most fish. Irs3 and Irs4 experienced an episode of more rapid protein sequence evolution on the ancestral mammalian lineage. Comparisons of the conservation of the proteins sequences among Irs paralogs show that domains involved in binding to the plasma membrane and insulin receptors are most strongly conserved, while divergence has occurred in sequences involved in interacting with downstream effector proteins. The Irs gene family originated very early in vertebrate evolution, likely through genome duplications, and in parallel with duplications of other components of the insulin signaling pathway, including insulin and the insulin receptor. While the N-terminal sequences of these proteins are conserved among the paralogs, changes in the C-terminal sequences likely allowed changes in biological function.

  15. Duplication of Key Frames of Video Streams in Wireless Networks

    OpenAIRE

    Sagatov, Evgeny S.; Sukhov, Andrei M.

    2011-01-01

    In this paper technological solutions for improving the quality of video transfer along wireless networks are investigated. Tools have been developed to allow packets to be duplicated with key frames data. In the paper we tested video streams with duplication of all frames, with duplication of key frames, and without duplication. The experiments showed that the best results are obtained by duplication of packages which contain key frames. The paper also provides an overview of the coefficient...

  16. Molecular evolution of the keratin associated protein gene family in mammals, role in the evolution of mammalian hair.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Dong-Dong; Irwin, David M; Zhang, Ya-Ping

    2008-08-23

    Hair is unique to mammals. Keratin associated proteins (KRTAPs), which contain two major groups: high/ultrahigh cysteine and high glycine-tyrosine, are one of the major components of hair and play essential roles in the formation of rigid and resistant hair shafts. The KRTAP family was identified as being unique to mammals, and near-complete KRTAP gene repertoires for eight mammalian genomes were characterized in this study. An expanded KRTAP gene repertoire was found in rodents. Surprisingly, humans have a similar number of genes as other primates despite the relative hairlessness of humans. We identified several new subfamilies not previously reported in the high/ultrahigh cysteine KRTAP genes. Genes in many subfamilies of the high/ultrahigh cysteine KRTAP genes have evolved by concerted evolution with frequent gene conversion events, yielding a higher GC base content for these gene sequences. In contrast, the high glycine-tyrosine KRTAP genes have evolved more dynamically, with fewer gene conversion events and thus have a lower GC base content, possibly due to positive selection. Most of the subfamilies emerged early in the evolution of mammals, thus we propose that the mammalian ancestor should have a diverse KRTAP gene repertoire. We propose that hair content characteristics have evolved and diverged rapidly among mammals because of rapid divergent evolution of KRTAPs between species. In contrast, subfamilies of KRTAP genes have been homogenized within each species due to concerted evolution.

  17. Consumers’ Attitude to the Protest Against Lady Gaga’s Concert: An Exploratory Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kresno Agus Hendarto

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Lady gaga is an American singer who has won 5 Grammy Awards. In the middle of 2012, she was requested to have concert in Jakarta with the contract value of tens billion. The concert was protested by a number of groups. The promoter had approached the pressure groups and negotiated the dressing. However, Lady Gaga’s management canceled the concert for security consideration. The objectives of the study are: (1 to explore consumers’ attitude to the protest for the cancelation of Lady Gaga’s concert; and (2 using classical conditioning and expectancy-value theory, to explain consumers’ attitude to the protest. The study used focus group to collect data. The collected data was then transcribed and analyzed by content analysis. The results show that informants’ opinions can be classified into two groups: agreement and disagreement with the protest for the cancelation of Lady Gaga’s concert. Informants either agree or disagree for some reasons. Classical conditioning theory can explain either consumer’s attitude. The difference is the object of consumers’ attitude who agreed was Lady Gaga herself, while the object of disagreement was the pressure group that sponsored the protest. The attitude of the disagreement can also be explained by expectancy-value theory.

  18. Partial craniofacial duplication: a review of the literature and case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costa, Melinda A; Borzabadi-Farahani, Ali; Lara-Sanchez, Pedro A; Schweitzer, Daniela; Jacobson, Lia; Clarke, Noreen; Hammoudeh, Jeffery; Urata, Mark M; Magee, William P

    2014-06-01

    Diprosopus (Greek; di-, "two" + prosopon, "face"), or craniofacial duplication, is a rare craniofacial anomaly referring to the complete duplication of facial structures. Partial craniofacial duplication describes a broad spectrum of congenital anomalies, including duplications of the oral cavity. This paper describes a 15 month-old female with a duplicated oral cavity, mandible, and maxilla. A Tessier type 7 cleft, midline meningocele, and duplicated hypophysis were also present. The preoperative evaluation, surgical approach, postoperative results, and a review of the literature are presented. The surgical approach was designed to preserve facial nerve innervation to the reconstructed cheek and mouth. The duplicated mandible and maxilla were excised and the remaining left maxilla was bone grafted. Soft tissue repair included closure of the Tessier type VII cleft. Craniofacial duplication remains a rare entity that is more common in females. The pathophysiology remains incompletely characterized, but is postulated to be due to duplication of the notochord, as well as duplication of mandibular growth centres. While diprosopus is a severe deformity often associated with anencephaly, patients with partial duplication typically benefit from surgical treatment. Managing craniofacial duplication requires a detailed preoperative evaluation as well as a comprehensive, staged treatment plan. Long-term follow up is needed appropriately to address ongoing craniofacial deformity. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  19. Rectal duplication cyst presenting as rectal prolapse in an infant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maher Zaiem

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Rectal duplication is a rare variety of gastrointestinal duplication. It accounts 4% of the total gastrointestinal duplications.In this paper, we are reporting a case of an 8 months old male who presented with rectal prolapse. Digital rectal examination revealed a soft mass bulging through the posterior wall of rectum. Computed tomography (CT scan showed a cystic mass compressing the posterior wall of the rectum. The mass was excised using a Muscle Complex Saving Posterior Sagittal approach (MCS-PSA. The pathology report confirmed the diagnosis of the rectal duplication cyst. The postoperative recovery was uneventful. Keywords: Intestinal duplication, Cystic rectal duplication, Rectal prolapse

  20. Origin of the duplicated regions in the yeast genomes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Piskur, Jure

    2001-01-01

    The genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains several duplicated regions. The recent sequencing results of several yeast species suggest that the duplicated regions found in the modern Saccharomyces species are probably the result of a single gross duplication, as well as a series of sporadic...

  1. The natural history of class I primate alcohol dehydrogenases includes gene duplication, gene loss, and gene conversion.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew A Carrigan

    Full Text Available Gene duplication is a source of molecular innovation throughout evolution. However, even with massive amounts of genome sequence data, correlating gene duplication with speciation and other events in natural history can be difficult. This is especially true in its most interesting cases, where rapid and multiple duplications are likely to reflect adaptation to rapidly changing environments and life styles. This may be so for Class I of alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH1s, where multiple duplications occurred in primate lineages in Old and New World monkeys (OWMs and NWMs and hominoids.To build a preferred model for the natural history of ADH1s, we determined the sequences of nine new ADH1 genes, finding for the first time multiple paralogs in various prosimians (lemurs, strepsirhines. Database mining then identified novel ADH1 paralogs in both macaque (an OWM and marmoset (a NWM. These were used with the previously identified human paralogs to resolve controversies relating to dates of duplication and gene conversion in the ADH1 family. Central to these controversies are differences in the topologies of trees generated from exonic (coding sequences and intronic sequences.We provide evidence that gene conversions are the primary source of difference, using molecular clock dating of duplications and analyses of microinsertions and deletions (micro-indels. The tree topology inferred from intron sequences appear to more correctly represent the natural history of ADH1s, with the ADH1 paralogs in platyrrhines (NWMs and catarrhines (OWMs and hominoids having arisen by duplications shortly predating the divergence of OWMs and NWMs. We also conclude that paralogs in lemurs arose independently. Finally, we identify errors in database interpretation as the source of controversies concerning gene conversion. These analyses provide a model for the natural history of ADH1s that posits four ADH1 paralogs in the ancestor of Catarrhine and Platyrrhine primates

  2. Blind Concert: The World and Its Transformation through Music

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nataša Milović

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents an analysis of a Blind Concert held in Belgrade. In a Blind Concert performance, the concept of “space” transforms not for the sake of transformation itself, but because of the effect it strives to achieve. This eliminates the predominance of an institution of art dictating how a musical work should be approached. Accompanying the interpretation of piano compositions, the vocalist let out screams, voices, and noises, which, one may say, could not be summoned inside us, because they have yet to be articulated. I will articulate the effects of the desired transitional forms that have remained trapped and unrepresented in social standardization in terms of Badiou’s inaesthetics.

  3. [Intestinal volvulus due to yeyunal duplication].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez Iglesias, P; Carazo Palacios, M E; Lluna González, J; Ibáñez Pradas, V; Rodríguez Caraballo, L

    2014-10-01

    Duplications of the alimentary tract are congenital malformations. The ileum is the most commonly affected organ. A lot of duplications are incidentally diagnosed but most of patients present a combination of pain or complications such as obstructive symptoms, intestinal intussusception, perforation or volvulus. We report the case of a 6-years-old girl, with intermittent abdominal pain and vomits for two months long. Laboratory work was completely normal and in the radiology analysis (abdominal sonography and magnetic resonance) a cystic image with intestinal volvulus was observed. The patient underwent laparotomy, Ladd's procedure was done and the cyst was resected. In conclusion, if a patient is admitted with abdominal pain and obstructive symptoms, it is important to consider duplication of the alimentary tract as a possible diagnosis.

  4. Christian rock concerts as a meeting between religion and popular culture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andreas Häger

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available Different forms of artistic expression play a vital role in religious practices of the most diverse traditions. One very important such expression is music. This paper deals with a contemporary form of religious music, Christian rock. Rock or popular music has been used within Christianity as a means for evangelization and worship since the end of the 1960s. The genre of "contemporary Christian music", or Christian rock, stands by definition with one foot in established institutional (in practicality often evangelical Christianity, and the other in the commercial rock musicindustry. The subject of this paper is to study how this intermediate position is manifested and negotiated in Christian rock concerts. Such a performance of Christian rock music is here assumed to be both a rock concert and a religious service. The paper will examine how this duality is expressed in practices at Christian rock concerts.

  5. Surgical management of complete penile duplication accompanied by multiple anomalies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karaca, Irfan; Turk, Erdal; Ucan, A Basak; Yayla, Derya; Itirli, Gulcin; Ercal, Derya

    2014-09-01

    Diphallus (penile duplication) is very rare and seen once every 5.5 million births. It can be isolated, but is usually accompanied by other congenital anomalies. Previous studies have reported many concurrent anomalies, such as bladder extrophy, cloacal extrophy, duplicated bladder, scrotal abnormalities, hypospadias, separated symphysis pubis, intestinal anomalies and imperforate anus; no penile duplication case accompanied by omphalocele has been reported. We present the surgical management of a patient with multiple anomalies, including complete penile duplication, hypo-gastric omphalocele and extrophic rectal duplication.

  6. Audience noise in concert halls during musical performances

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jeong, Cheol-Ho; Marie, Pierre; Brunskog, Jonas

    2012-01-01

    functions of the sound pressure levels were obtained in octave bands, which were fitted with three Gaussian distribution curves. The Gaussian distribution curve with the lowest mean value corresponds to a mixture of the technical background noise and audience generated noise, which is named the mixed...... background noise. Finally, the audience noise distribution is extracted by energy subtraction of the technical background noise levels measured in an empty condition from the mixed background noise levels. As a single index, L-90 of the audience noise distribution is named the audience noise level. Empirical...... prediction models were made using the four orchestra concert halls, revealing that the audience noise level is significantly correlated with the technical background noise level. It is therefore concluded that a relaxation of the current background noise recommendations for concert halls is not recommended...

  7. Audience noise in concert halls during musical performances

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Marie, Pierre; Jeong, Cheol-Ho; Brunskog, Jonas

    2012-01-01

    functions of the sound pressure levels were obtained in octave bands, which were fitted with three Gaussian distribution curves. The Gaussian distribution curve with the lowest mean value corresponds to a mixture of the technical background noise and audience generated noise, which is named the mixed...... background noise. Finally, the audience noise distribution is extracted by energy subtraction of the technical background noise levels measured in an empty condition from the mixed background noise levels. As a single index, L90 of the audience noise distribution is named the audience noise level. Empirical...... prediction models were made using the four orchestra concert halls, revealing that the audience noise level is significantly correlated with the technical background noise level. It is therefore concluded that a relaxation of the current background noise recommendations for concert halls is not recommended....

  8. [Public music concerts in a psychiatric hospital: effects on public opinion and as therapy for patients].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takasaka, Y; Yokota, O; Tanioka, T; Nagata, K; Yasuoka, K; Toda, H

    2001-01-01

    We investigate the effects of music therapy concerts, which were held 60 times over a four year period, 1992 to 1996, in Geiyo Psychiatric Hospital, Kochi Prefecture and found that; 1) Musicians who performed at the concerts were not only from Kochi prefecture but also from other prefectures (10 times) and from four foreign countries (7 times). 2) Live concerts in a small hall had a positive influence on patients and drew the patient's attention and interest away from their hallucinations and delusions to the real world. Moreover, the concerts provided the patients with chances to acquire social graces such as being well-groomed. 3) Explanations by the musicians, interviews with the musicians and the seasonal choruses accompanied by the musicians were helpful to give the patients motives for recovering communication skills and to interact with society. 4) Inquiries to the patients about the concerts indicated discrepancies between the poor observed estimations during the concerts (83.3%) and the good subjective impressions expressed by the patients (82.0%), suggesting that the patients were not good at expressing their internal emotions through facial expressions or attitudes. 5) Many citizens including children came to the concerts and/or gave aid to the hospital because the concerts were open to the public and we suggest that this contributed to improving the general publics' image of psychiatric hospitals. Questionnaires revealed that 90% of people in a control group had a bad image of psychiatric hospitals in Japan, but only 32% of the members of the general public who attended our concerts had a bad image of psychiatric hospitals. In addition, the revolving ratio of the hospital beds rose from 0.4 to 1.2 over the four years, which also suggests a beneficial effect on the patients.

  9. Endoscopic ultrasonography and rectal duplication cyst in an adult.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castro-Poças, Fernando M; Araújo, Tarcísio P; Silva, Jorge D; Gonçalves, Vicente S

    2017-01-01

    Rectal duplication cysts account for 4% of all duplications of the alimentary tract. Presentation in adulthood is rare. An asymptomatic 54-year-old man was referred for endoscopic colorectal cancer screening. A bulging mass covered by normal mucosa was identified in the rectum. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) with fine needle aspiration (FNA) was made for a diagnosis of rectal duplication cyst. The patient was operated and the diagnosis was confirmed. The diagnosis of the rectal duplication cyst is a challenge. EUS may have a singular role when identifying a muscular layer, because this is the only absolutely necessary criterion for the diagnosis. FNA by EUS may eventually identify colorectal and/or heterotypic epithelium that are the other diagnostic criteria of the duplication cyst.

  10. Sound Design in Virtual Reality Concert Experiences using a Wave Field Synthesis Approach

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lind, Rasmus Bloustrød; Milesen, Victor; Smed, Dina Madsen

    2017-01-01

    In this paper we propose an experiment that evaluates the influence of audience noise on the feeling of presence and the perceived quality in a virtual reality concert experience delivered using Wave Field Synthesis. A 360 degree video of a live rock concert from a local band was recorded. Single...

  11. Targeted tandem duplication of a large chromosomal segment in Aspergillus oryzae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahashi, Tadashi; Sato, Atsushi; Ogawa, Masahiro; Hanya, Yoshiki; Oguma, Tetsuya

    2014-08-01

    We describe here the first successful construction of a targeted tandem duplication of a large chromosomal segment in Aspergillus oryzae. The targeted tandem chromosomal duplication was achieved by using strains that had a 5'-deleted pyrG upstream of the region targeted for tandem chromosomal duplication and a 3'-deleted pyrG downstream of the target region. Consequently,strains bearing a 210-kb targeted tandem chromosomal duplication near the centromeric region of chromosome 8 and strains bearing a targeted tandem chromosomal duplication of a 700-kb region of chromosome 2 were successfully constructed. The strains bearing the tandem chromosomal duplication were efficiently obtained from the regenerated protoplast of the parental strains. However, the generation of the chromosomal duplication did not depend on the introduction of double-stranded breaks(DSBs) by I-SceI. The chromosomal duplications of these strains were stably maintained after five generations of culture under nonselective conditions. The strains bearing the tandem chromosomal duplication in the 700-kb region of chromosome 2 showed highly increased protease activity in solid-state culture, indicating that the duplication of large chromosomal segments could be a useful new breeding technology and gene analysis method.

  12. Efficient Algorithms for Analyzing Segmental Duplications, Deletions, and Inversions in Genomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kahn, Crystal L.; Mozes, Shay; Raphael, Benjamin J.

    Segmental duplications, or low-copy repeats, are common in mammalian genomes. In the human genome, most segmental duplications are mosaics consisting of pieces of multiple other segmental duplications. This complex genomic organization complicates analysis of the evolutionary history of these sequences. Earlier, we introduced a genomic distance, called duplication distance, that computes the most parsimonious way to build a target string by repeatedly copying substrings of a source string. We also showed how to use this distance to describe the formation of segmental duplications according to a two-step model that has been proposed to explain human segmental duplications. Here we describe polynomial-time exact algorithms for several extensions of duplication distance including models that allow certain types of substring deletions and inversions. These extensions will permit more biologically realistic analyses of segmental duplications in genomes.

  13. Immunohistochemical findings in rectal duplication mimicking rectal prolapse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cortese, M G; Pucci, A; Macchieraldo, R; Sacco Casamassima, M G; Canavese, F

    2008-08-01

    Alimentary tract duplications represent rare anomalies, with only 5 % occurring in the rectum. The variety in clinical presentation may lead to a delay in diagnosis or to incorrect and multiple surgical procedures. We report the clinical, histological and immunohistochemical characteristics of a rectal duplication occurring in a 3-month-old male with an unusual clinical presentation. Using routine histology and immunohistochemistry, the rectal duplication showed the diffuse presence of gastric mucosa with a characteristic immunophenotype (i.e., diffuse cytokeratin 7 positivity and scattered chromogranin immunoreactivity). As far as we know, this is the first report showing an immunohistochemical differentiation pattern of gastric lining in a rectal duplication. Our results, showing the presence of gastric mucosa, are suggestive of a possible origin from the embryonic foregut.

  14. Sorting by Cuts, Joins, and Whole Chromosome Duplications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeira, Ron; Shamir, Ron

    2017-02-01

    Genome rearrangement problems have been extensively studied due to their importance in biology. Most studied models assumed a single copy per gene. However, in reality, duplicated genes are common, most notably in cancer. In this study, we make a step toward handling duplicated genes by considering a model that allows the atomic operations of cut, join, and whole chromosome duplication. Given two linear genomes, [Formula: see text] with one copy per gene and [Formula: see text] with two copies per gene, we give a linear time algorithm for computing a shortest sequence of operations transforming [Formula: see text] into [Formula: see text] such that all intermediate genomes are linear. We also show that computing an optimal sequence with fewest duplications is NP-hard.

  15. Genomic evidence of gene duplication and adaptive evolution of Toll like receptors (TLR2 and TLR4) in reptiles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shang, Shuai; Zhong, Huaming; Wu, Xiaoyang; Wei, Qinguo; Zhang, Huanxin; Chen, Jun; Chen, Yao; Tang, Xuexi; Zhang, Honghai

    2018-04-01

    Toll-like receptors (TLRs) encoded by the TLR multigene family play an important role in initial pathogen recognition in vertebrates. Among the TLRs, TLR2 and TLR4 may be of particular importance to reptiles. In order to study the evolutionary patterns and structural characteristics of TLRs, we explored the available genomes of several representative members of reptiles. 25 TLR2 genes and 19 TLR4 genes from reptiles were obtained in this study. Phylogenetic results showed that the TLR2 gene duplication occurred in several species. Evolutionary analysis by at least two methods identified 30 and 13 common positively selected codons in TLR2 and TLR4, respectively. Most positively selected sites of TLR2 and TLR4 were located in the Leucine-rich repeat (LRRs). Branch model analysis showed that TLR2 genes were under different evolutionary forces in reptiles, while the TLR4 genes showed no significant selection pressure. The different evolutionary adaptation of TLR2 and TLR4 among the reptiles might be due to their different function in recognizing bacteria. Overall, we explored the structure and evolution of TLR2 and TLR4 genes in reptiles for the first time. Our study revealed valuable information regarding TLR2 and TLR4 in reptiles, and provided novel insights into the conservation concern of natural populations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Bilateral duplication of the internal auditory canal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weon, Young Cheol; Kim, Jae Hyoung; Choi, Sung Kyu; Koo, Ja-Won

    2007-01-01

    Duplication of the internal auditory canal is an extremely rare temporal bone anomaly that is believed to result from aplasia or hypoplasia of the vestibulocochlear nerve. We report bilateral duplication of the internal auditory canal in a 28-month-old boy with developmental delay and sensorineural hearing loss. (orig.)

  17. Microbial Evolution: Xenology (Apparently) Trumps Paralogy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eme, Laura; Doolittle, W Ford

    2016-11-21

    Within-genome gene duplication is generally considered the source of extra copies when higher dosage is required and a starting point for evolution of new function. A new study suggests that horizontal gene transfer can appear to play both roles. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Standing Concertation Committee

    CERN Document Server

    HR Department

    2008-01-01

    ORDINARY MEETING ON 27 FEBRUARY 2008 The main items discussed at the meetings of the Standing Concertation Committee on 27 February 2008 included: Short-term Saved Leave Scheme The Committee noted that, by the end of February 2008, some 600 staff had enrolled in the short-term saved leave scheme: approx. 58% had signed up for 1 slice, 14% for two slices, 5% for three slices and 23% for four slices. Administrative Circular No. 4 (Rev. 4) - Unemployment Insurance Scheme The Committee agreed to recommend the Director-General to approve Administrative Circular No. 4 (Rev. 4) - Unemployment Insurance Scheme. Administrative Circular No. 30 (Rev. 2) - Financial benefits upon taking up appointment and termination of contract The Committee agreed to recommend the Director-General to approve Administrative Circular No. 30 (Rev. 2) - Financial Benefits upon taking up appointment and termination of contract. Progressive Retirement Programme The Progressive Retirement Programme (PR...

  19. Concert Viewing Headphones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kazuya Atsuta

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available An audiovisual interface equipped with a projector, an inclina-tion sensor, and a distance sensor for zoom control has been developed that enables a user to selectively view and listen to specific performers in a video-taped group performance. Dubbed Concert Viewing Headphones, it has both image and sound processing functions. The image processing extracts the portion of the image indicated by the user and projects it free of distortion on the front and side walls. The sound processing creates imaginary microphones for those performers without one so that the user can hear the sound from any performer. Testing using images and sounds captured using a fisheye-lens camera and 37 lavalier microphones showed that sound locali-zation was fastest when an inverse square function was used for the sound mixing and that the zoom function was useful for locating the desired sound performance.

  20. Molecular genetic features of polyploidization and aneuploidization reveal unique patterns for genome duplication in diploid Malus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael J Considine

    Full Text Available Polyploidization results in genome duplication and is an important step in evolution and speciation. The Malus genome confirmed that this genus was derived through auto-polyploidization, yet the genetic and meiotic mechanisms for polyploidization, particularly for aneuploidization, are unclear in this genus or other woody perennials. In fact the contribution of aneuploidization remains poorly understood throughout Plantae. We add to this knowledge by characterization of eupolyploidization and aneuploidization in 27,542 F₁ seedlings from seven diploid Malus populations using cytology and microsatellite markers. We provide the first evidence that aneuploidy exceeds eupolyploidy in the diploid crosses, suggesting aneuploidization is a leading cause of genome duplication. Gametes from diploid Malus had a unique combinational pattern; ova preserved euploidy exclusively, while spermatozoa presented both euploidy and aneuploidy. All non-reduced gametes were genetically heterozygous, indicating first-division restitution was the exclusive mode for Malus eupolyploidization and aneuploidization. Chromosome segregation pattern among aneuploids was non-uniform, however, certain chromosomes were associated for aneuploidization. This study is the first to provide molecular evidence for the contribution of heterozygous non-reduced gametes to fitness in polyploids and aneuploids. Aneuploidization can increase, while eupolyploidization may decrease genetic diversity in their newly established populations. Auto-triploidization is important for speciation in the extant Malus. The features of Malus polyploidization confer genetic stability and diversity, and present heterozygosity, heterosis and adaptability for evolutionary selection. A protocol using co-dominant markers was proposed for accelerating apple triploid breeding program. A path was postulated for evolution of numerically odd basic chromosomes. The model for Malus derivation was considerably revised

  1. Molecular genetic features of polyploidization and aneuploidization reveal unique patterns for genome duplication in diploid Malus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Considine, Michael J; Wan, Yizhen; D'Antuono, Mario F; Zhou, Qian; Han, Mingyu; Gao, Hua; Wang, Man

    2012-01-01

    Polyploidization results in genome duplication and is an important step in evolution and speciation. The Malus genome confirmed that this genus was derived through auto-polyploidization, yet the genetic and meiotic mechanisms for polyploidization, particularly for aneuploidization, are unclear in this genus or other woody perennials. In fact the contribution of aneuploidization remains poorly understood throughout Plantae. We add to this knowledge by characterization of eupolyploidization and aneuploidization in 27,542 F₁ seedlings from seven diploid Malus populations using cytology and microsatellite markers. We provide the first evidence that aneuploidy exceeds eupolyploidy in the diploid crosses, suggesting aneuploidization is a leading cause of genome duplication. Gametes from diploid Malus had a unique combinational pattern; ova preserved euploidy exclusively, while spermatozoa presented both euploidy and aneuploidy. All non-reduced gametes were genetically heterozygous, indicating first-division restitution was the exclusive mode for Malus eupolyploidization and aneuploidization. Chromosome segregation pattern among aneuploids was non-uniform, however, certain chromosomes were associated for aneuploidization. This study is the first to provide molecular evidence for the contribution of heterozygous non-reduced gametes to fitness in polyploids and aneuploids. Aneuploidization can increase, while eupolyploidization may decrease genetic diversity in their newly established populations. Auto-triploidization is important for speciation in the extant Malus. The features of Malus polyploidization confer genetic stability and diversity, and present heterozygosity, heterosis and adaptability for evolutionary selection. A protocol using co-dominant markers was proposed for accelerating apple triploid breeding program. A path was postulated for evolution of numerically odd basic chromosomes. The model for Malus derivation was considerably revised. Impacts of

  2. [Colonic duplication revealed by intestinal obstruction due to fecal impaction].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azahouani, A; Hida, M; Benhaddou, H

    2015-12-01

    Colonic duplications are very rare in children. With rectal duplications, they are the rarest locations of alimentary tract duplications, most often diagnosed in the first years of life. We report an unusual case of colic duplication with fecal impaction in a 9-month-old boy revealed by intestinal obstruction. We discuss the main diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of this malformation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  3. Gene Duplicability of Core Genes Is Highly Consistent across All Angiosperms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zhen; Defoort, Jonas; Tasdighian, Setareh; Maere, Steven; Van de Peer, Yves; De Smet, Riet

    2016-02-01

    Gene duplication is an important mechanism for adding to genomic novelty. Hence, which genes undergo duplication and are preserved following duplication is an important question. It has been observed that gene duplicability, or the ability of genes to be retained following duplication, is a nonrandom process, with certain genes being more amenable to survive duplication events than others. Primarily, gene essentiality and the type of duplication (small-scale versus large-scale) have been shown in different species to influence the (long-term) survival of novel genes. However, an overarching view of "gene duplicability" is lacking, mainly due to the fact that previous studies usually focused on individual species and did not account for the influence of genomic context and the time of duplication. Here, we present a large-scale study in which we investigated duplicate retention for 9178 gene families shared between 37 flowering plant species, referred to as angiosperm core gene families. For most gene families, we observe a strikingly consistent pattern of gene duplicability across species, with gene families being either primarily single-copy or multicopy in all species. An intermediate class contains gene families that are often retained in duplicate for periods extending to tens of millions of years after whole-genome duplication, but ultimately appear to be largely restored to singleton status, suggesting that these genes may be dosage balance sensitive. The distinction between single-copy and multicopy gene families is reflected in their functional annotation, with single-copy genes being mainly involved in the maintenance of genome stability and organelle function and multicopy genes in signaling, transport, and metabolism. The intermediate class was overrepresented in regulatory genes, further suggesting that these represent putative dosage-balance-sensitive genes. © 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

  4. Craniofacial duplication (diprosopus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turpin, I M; Furnas, D W; Amlie, R N

    1981-02-01

    No congenital malformation in infants is more profound than anterior craniofacial duplication. The precise term for this rare anomaly is diprosopus, referring to a fetus with a single trunk, normal limbs, and varying degrees of facial duplication. A search of the world literature produced only 16 cases of diprosopus since 1864. Despite the rarity of this anomaly, three such infants were born in the Southern California area during the past year, making this the largest reported series to date. The three infants were born with two distinctly formed faces. Each had four separate eyes, two mouths, two noses, and two ears with a primitive ear or sinus tract at the plane of fusion. In addition, multiple congenital aberrations existed which involved a variety of internal organs. The pathogenesis of diprosopus is not well understood, but environmental stress early in embryologic development has been suggested as a possible factor. The apparent mechanism is a slowing of pregastrulation oxidation with resultant focal developmental arrests.

  5. Origin of a function by tandem gene duplication limits the evolutionary capability of its sister copy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasselmann, Martin; Lechner, Sarah; Schulte, Christina; Beye, Martin

    2010-07-27

    The most remarkable outcome of a gene duplication event is the evolution of a novel function. Little information exists on how the rise of a novel function affects the evolution of its paralogous sister gene copy, however. We studied the evolution of the feminizer (fem) gene from which the gene complementary sex determiner (csd) recently derived by tandem duplication within the honey bee (Apis) lineage. Previous studies showed that fem retained its sex determination function, whereas the rise of csd established a new primary signal of sex determination. We observed a specific reduction of nonsynonymous to synonymous substitution ratios in Apis to non-Apis fem. We found a contrasting pattern at two other genetically linked genes, suggesting that hitchhiking effects to csd, the locus under balancing selection, is not the cause of this evolutionary pattern. We also excluded higher synonymous substitution rates by relative rate testing. These results imply that stronger purifying selection is operating at the fem gene in the presence of csd. We propose that csd's new function interferes with the function of Fem protein, resulting in molecular constraints and limited evolvability of fem in the Apis lineage. Elevated silent nucleotide polymorphism in fem relative to the genome-wide average suggests that genetic linkage to the csd gene maintained more nucleotide variation in today's population. Our findings provide evidence that csd functionally and genetically interferes with fem, suggesting that a newly evolved gene and its functions can limit the evolutionary capability of other genes in the genome.

  6. The spotted gar genome illuminates vertebrate evolution and facilitates human-teleost comparisons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braasch, Ingo; Gehrke, Andrew R; Smith, Jeramiah J; Kawasaki, Kazuhiko; Manousaki, Tereza; Pasquier, Jeremy; Amores, Angel; Desvignes, Thomas; Batzel, Peter; Catchen, Julian; Berlin, Aaron M; Campbell, Michael S; Barrell, Daniel; Martin, Kyle J; Mulley, John F; Ravi, Vydianathan; Lee, Alison P; Nakamura, Tetsuya; Chalopin, Domitille; Fan, Shaohua; Wcisel, Dustin; Cañestro, Cristian; Sydes, Jason; Beaudry, Felix E G; Sun, Yi; Hertel, Jana; Beam, Michael J; Fasold, Mario; Ishiyama, Mikio; Johnson, Jeremy; Kehr, Steffi; Lara, Marcia; Letaw, John H; Litman, Gary W; Litman, Ronda T; Mikami, Masato; Ota, Tatsuya; Saha, Nil Ratan; Williams, Louise; Stadler, Peter F; Wang, Han; Taylor, John S; Fontenot, Quenton; Ferrara, Allyse; Searle, Stephen M J; Aken, Bronwen; Yandell, Mark; Schneider, Igor; Yoder, Jeffrey A; Volff, Jean-Nicolas; Meyer, Axel; Amemiya, Chris T; Venkatesh, Byrappa; Holland, Peter W H; Guiguen, Yann; Bobe, Julien; Shubin, Neil H; Di Palma, Federica; Alföldi, Jessica; Lindblad-Toh, Kerstin; Postlethwait, John H

    2016-04-01

    To connect human biology to fish biomedical models, we sequenced the genome of spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus), whose lineage diverged from teleosts before teleost genome duplication (TGD). The slowly evolving gar genome has conserved in content and size many entire chromosomes from bony vertebrate ancestors. Gar bridges teleosts to tetrapods by illuminating the evolution of immunity, mineralization and development (mediated, for example, by Hox, ParaHox and microRNA genes). Numerous conserved noncoding elements (CNEs; often cis regulatory) undetectable in direct human-teleost comparisons become apparent using gar: functional studies uncovered conserved roles for such cryptic CNEs, facilitating annotation of sequences identified in human genome-wide association studies. Transcriptomic analyses showed that the sums of expression domains and expression levels for duplicated teleost genes often approximate the patterns and levels of expression for gar genes, consistent with subfunctionalization. The gar genome provides a resource for understanding evolution after genome duplication, the origin of vertebrate genomes and the function of human regulatory sequences.

  7. Neutral Evolution of Duplicated DNA: An Evolutionary Stick-Breaking Process Causes Scale-Invariant Behavior

    Science.gov (United States)

    Massip, Florian; Arndt, Peter F.

    2013-04-01

    Recently, an enrichment of identical matching sequences has been found in many eukaryotic genomes. Their length distribution exhibits a power law tail raising the question of what evolutionary mechanism or functional constraints would be able to shape this distribution. Here we introduce a simple and evolutionarily neutral model, which involves only point mutations and segmental duplications, and produces the same statistical features as observed for genomic data. Further, we extend a mathematical model for random stick breaking to analytically show that the exponent of the power law tail is -3 and universal as it does not depend on the microscopic details of the model.

  8. Duplication of the Portal Vein: A Case Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Sang Won; Shin, Hyeong Cheol; Jou, Sung Shick; Han, Jong Kyu; Kim, Il Young [Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of)

    2009-12-15

    The duplication of the portal vein is an uncommon congenital anomaly. To date, only four cases have been reported in the medical literature. This anomaly can cause portal hypertension in pediatric patients. In addition, duplication of the portal vein has various patterns of connection with a splenic vein or mesenteric veins, and it can lie anterior or posterior to the duodenum. We report the MDCT findings of an adult patient with duplication of the portal vein that was found incidentally

  9. Teleost Fish-Specific Preferential Retention of Pigmentation Gene-Containing Families After Whole Genome Duplications in Vertebrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lorin, Thibault; Brunet, Frédéric G.; Laudet, Vincent; Volff, Jean-Nicolas

    2018-01-01

    Vertebrate pigmentation is a highly diverse trait mainly determined by neural crest cell derivatives. It has been suggested that two rounds (1R/2R) of whole-genome duplications (WGDs) at the basis of vertebrates allowed changes in gene regulation associated with neural crest evolution. Subsequently, the teleost fish lineage experienced other WGDs, including the teleost-specific Ts3R before teleost radiation and the more recent Ss4R at the basis of salmonids. As the teleost lineage harbors the highest number of pigment cell types and pigmentation diversity in vertebrates, WGDs might have contributed to the evolution and diversification of the pigmentation gene repertoire in teleosts. We have compared the impact of the basal vertebrate 1R/2R duplications with that of the teleost-specific Ts3R and salmonid-specific Ss4R WGDs on 181 gene families containing genes involved in pigmentation. We show that pigmentation genes (PGs) have been globally more frequently retained as duplicates than other genes after Ts3R and Ss4R but not after the early 1R/2R. This is also true for non-pigmentary paralogs of PGs, suggesting that the function in pigmentation is not the sole key driver of gene retention after WGDs. On the long-term, specific categories of PGs have been repeatedly preferentially retained after ancient 1R/2R and Ts3R WGDs, possibly linked to the molecular nature of their proteins (e.g., DNA binding transcriptional regulators) and their central position in protein-protein interaction networks. Taken together, our results support a major role of WGDs in the diversification of the pigmentation gene repertoire in the teleost lineage, with a possible link with the diversity of pigment cell lineages observed in these animals compared to other vertebrates. PMID:29599177

  10. Exploring the impact of music concerts in promoting well-being in dementia care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shibazaki, Kagari; Marshall, Nigel A

    2017-05-01

    This study explores the specific effects of live music concerts on the clients with dementia, their families and nursing staff/caregivers. Researchers attended 22 concerts in care facilities in England and Japan. Interviews were carried out with clients with dementia, nursing staff and family members. Observations were also carried out before, during and after the concerts. All observations were recorded in field notes. The effect of the concerts in both countries was seen to be beneficial to all clients and nursing staff, whether or not they attended the concert. Interviews with clients with mild to mid-stage dementia noted increased levels of cooperation, interaction and conversation. Those with more advanced forms of dementia exhibited decreased levels of agitation and anti-social behaviour. Staff members reported increased levels of care, cooperation and opportunities for assessment. Family members noted an increase in the levels of well-being in their partner/parent as well as in themselves. The study also suggested that the knowledge of musical components, an awareness of the rules of music and specific musical preferences appear to remain well beyond the time when other cognitive skills and abilities have disappeared. This initial study provided some further indication in terms of the uses of music as a non-pharmacological intervention for those living with all stages of dementia. These included opportunities for assessment of physical abilities as well as facilitating an increasing level of care.

  11. Concerted action on the retrievability of long lived radioactive waste in deep underground repositories - progress to date

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dodd, D.H.

    2000-01-01

    Within the EURATOM Framework Programme: Nuclear Fission Safety, a Concerted Action on the retrievability of long lived radioactive waste in deep underground repositories is being carried out. This Concerted Action commenced on the 1st of January 1998 and involves experts from nine different European countries. The Concerted Action will be completed by the 31st of December 1999. This paper gives a brief overview of the objectives of the Concerted Action, the work programme that has been defined to meet these objectives, the work performed to date, and the remaining work programme. (author)

  12. Typewriting: Toward Duplicating Success

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orsborn, Karen J.

    1977-01-01

    A description of two projects (secretarial handbook and memo pad and personalized stationery) for use in teaching the duplication process that will capture the interests of students in an advanced typewriting class. (HD)

  13. Identification of approximately duplicate material records in ERP systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zong, Wei; Wu, Feng; Chu, Lap-Keung; Sculli, Domenic

    2017-03-01

    The quality of master data is crucial for the accurate functioning of the various modules of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. This study addresses specific data problems arising from the generation of approximately duplicate material records in ERP databases. Such problems are mainly due to the firm's lack of unique and global identifiers for the material records, and to the arbitrary assignment of alternative names for the same material by various users. Traditional duplicate detection methods are ineffective in identifying such approximately duplicate material records because these methods typically rely on string comparisons of each field. To address this problem, a machine learning-based framework is developed to recognise semantic similarity between strings and to further identify and reunify approximately duplicate material records - a process referred to as de-duplication in this article. First, the keywords of the material records are extracted to form vectors of discriminating words. Second, a machine learning method using a probabilistic neural network is applied to determine the semantic similarity between these material records. The approach was evaluated using data from a real case study. The test results indicate that the proposed method outperforms traditional algorithms in identifying approximately duplicate material records.

  14. Chromosomal duplication strains of Aspergillus nidulans and their instability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Azevedo, J.L. de; Almeida Okino, L.M. de

    1981-01-01

    Strains of Aspergillus nidulans with chromosomal duplication were obtained after gamma irradiation followed by crossing of the translocated strains with normal strains. From 20 analysed colonies, 12 have shown translocations induced by irradiation. Segregants from four of these translocation strains crossed to normal strains have shown to be unstable although presenting normal morphology. Two segregants were genetically analysed. The first one has shown a duplication of part of linkage groups VIII and the second one presented a duplication of a segment of linkage group V. These new duplication strains in A. nidulans open new perspectives of a more detailed study of the instability phenomenon in this fungus. (Author) [pt

  15. Standing Concertation Committee

    CERN Multimedia

    HR Department

    2009-01-01

    The main items discussed at the meetings of the Standing Concertation Committee in the first quarter of 2009 included: Merit Appraisal and Recognition Scheme (MARS) 2009 exercise The committee took note of 2009 MARS ceiling guidelines giving the advancement budget by career path and amounting to approx 1.80% of the basic salary bill. To this will be added 250 steps CERN-wide, financed by savings from implementation of the international indemnity for 2007, 2008 and the first half of 2009. The specific Senior Staff Guidelines, including the proposed number of promotions from Career Path E to F, were also noted. The guidelines with respect to step distribution were also noted: the minima and maxima remain the same as in previous years. Compliance with the guidelines will continue to be monitored closely (more details, including a frequently asked questions section). It was also noted that Financial Awards (awards for extraordinary service and responsibility allowances) may b...

  16. Standing Concertation Committee

    CERN Multimedia

    2007-01-01

    Ordinary meeting on 30 January 2007 The main items discussed at the meeting of the Standing Concertation Committee on 30 January 2007 included: Administrative Circular No. 26: with the introduction of the merit recognition system in the framework of the 5-yearly review of CERN employment conditions, Administrative Circular No. 26 has been revised. The committee took note of the revised document which is being finalized for submission to the Director-General for approval in the near future. Technical analysis of CERN Health Insurance Scheme: the Committee was informed that a group has been set up by the Director-General to analyse the financial situation of the CERN Health Insurance Scheme in the short and long term, and to propose measures to ensure that the Scheme remains in financial balance, with adequate cover, over the medium term. The group's terms of reference and membership were communicated. Voluntary programmes It was announced that the programmes: 'part-time work as a pre-retirement measure...

  17. Standing Concertation Committee

    CERN Multimedia

    2007-01-01

    ORDINARY MEETING ON 30 JANUARY 2007 The main items discussed at the meeting of the Standing Concertation Committee on 30 January 2007 included: Administrative Circular No. 26: with the introduction of the merit recognition system in the framework of the 5-yearly review of CERN employment conditions, Administrative Circular No. 26 has been revised. The Committee took note of the revised document which is being finalized for submission to the Director-General for approval in the near future. Technical analysis of CERN Health Insurance Scheme: the Committee was informed that a group has been set up by the Director-General to analyse the financial situation of the CERN Health Insurance Scheme in the short and long term, and to propose measures to ensure that the Scheme remains in financial balance, with adequate cover, over the medium term. The group's terms of reference and membership were communicated. Voluntary programmes It was announced that the programmes: 'part-time work as a pre-retirement mea...

  18. Standing Concertation Committee

    CERN Multimedia

    HR Department

    2009-01-01

    Ordinary Meeting on 11 May 2009 The meeting of the Standing Concertation Committee held on 11 May 2009 was entirely dedicated to the preparation of the TREF meeting on 19 & 20 May 2009. The Committee took note, discussed and agreed on some clarifications on a number of documents and presentations that the Management planned to submit and/or present to TREF on the following subjects: • Personnel statistics 2008: J. Purvis presented the Personnel Statistics for 2008 prepared by HR Department. In line with the previous year, key messages were firstly, a general reduction in staff (2544 to 2400, - 6%), secondly, a reduction in administrative services personnel (from 422 to 387, - 8%) and thirdly, a marked increase in the number of Users and Unpaid Associates (from 8369 to 9140, + 9%) • Five-Yearly Review 2010: A series of draft documents were submitted for discussion, comprising an introductory document explaining the statutory basis for the following four document...

  19. Standing Concertation Committee

    CERN Document Server

    HR Department

    2010-01-01

    Main issues examined at the meeting of 2 October 2009 The October 2009 meeting of the Standing Concertation Committee was entirely devoted to preparation of TREF’s meeting on 21-22 October. The Committee took note of, discussed and agreed on clarifications needed to some of the documents and presentations that the Management intended to submit and/or present to TREF on the following subjects: Equal opportunities The Committee took note of a preliminary report on equal opportunities at CERN drawn up by D. Chromek-Burckhart, the Equal Opportunities Officer, and T. Smith, Chairman of the Equal Opportunities Advisory Panel, containing in particular a proposal for a new process for resolving harassment conflicts. Technical analysis of the CERN Health Insurance Scheme - Actuary’s Report The Committee took note of a presentation by P. Charpentier, Chairman of the CERN Health Insurance Supervisory Board (CHIS Board), on the 2009 actuarial report on the CERN Health Insurance Scheme (CHIS). Th...

  20. Standing Concertation Commmittee

    CERN Multimedia

    HR Department

    2007-01-01

    Ordinary meeting on 27 February 2007 The main items discussed at the meeting of the Standing Concertation Committee on 27 February 2007 included: Saved Leave Scheme (SLS): It was announced that a Management/Staff Association working group had been set up to discuss the Saved Leave Scheme (SLS): Members: M. Büttner, E. Chiaveri (chair), Ph. Defert, D. Klem, M. Vitasse, J.-M. Saint-Viteux. It was noted that the Staff Association was launching a questionnaire on SLS and distributed to all members of the personnel. Merit Recognition Guidelines : in the context of the new Merit Appraisal and Recognition Scheme (MARS), the committee took note of the CERN-wide 2007 Merit Recognition Guidelines, including the Frequently Asked Questions on HR Department's dedicated website. Information on CERN's medium and long-term plans (MTP-LTP)/Contract renewals/ External mobility The Committee took note of the information provided on CERN's MTP-LTP and of documentation distributed at the meeting by the Staff Associatio...

  1. Standing Concertation Committee

    CERN Document Server

    HR Department

    2007-01-01

    ORDINARY MEETING ON 27 FEBRUARY 2007 The main items discussed at the meeting of the Standing Concertation Committee on 27 February 2007 included: Saved Leave Scheme (SLS): It was announced that a Management/Staff Association working group had been set up to discuss the Saved Leave Scheme (SLS): Members : M. Büttner, E. Chiaveri (chair), Ph. Defert, D. Klem, M. Vitasse, J.-M. Saint-Viteux. It was noted that the Staff Association was launching a questionnaire on SLS and distributed to all members of the personnel. Merit Recognition Guidelines: In the context of the new Merit Appraisal and Recognition Scheme (MARS), the committee took note of the CERN-wide 2007 Merit Recognition Guidelines, including the Frequently Asked Questions on HR Department's dedicated website. Information on CERN's medium and long-term plans (MTP-LTP)/Contract renewals/ External mobility The Committee took note of the information provided on CERN's MTP-LTP and of documentation distributed at the meeting by the Staff ...

  2. Standing Concertation Commmittee

    CERN Document Server

    HR Department

    2007-01-01

    Ordinary meeting on 2 november 2007 Extraordinary meeting on 12 November 2007 The main items discussed at the meetings of the Standing Concertation Committee on 2 November 2007 and 12 November included: Restaurants Supervisory Committee Report The committee took note of the report by the chairman of the Restaurants Supervisory Committee (RSC), T. Lagrange. In particular, it was recorded that, in Restaurant No. 1, the new kitchen and free flow arrangements had been inaugurated and all works had been commissioned on schedule in October 2007.The contractor, Novae, had taken over maintenance of the new kitchen. Some price increases were to be expected in the coming months due mainly to strong increases in the cost of basic ingredients. A problem with bad smells in the area of Restaurant No. 1 was being taken care of by tuning the ventilation system. The RSC wished to thank the management and staff of Restaurant No. 2 for their cooperation while Restaurant No 1 was ...

  3. STANDING CONCERTATION COMMMITTEE

    CERN Multimedia

    HR Department

    2008-01-01

    ORDINARY MEETING ON 27 FEBRUARY 2008 The main items discussed at the meetings of the Standing Concertation Committee on 27 February 2008 included: Short-term Saved Leave Scheme The committee noted that, by the end of February 2008, some 600 staff had subscribed to the short-term saved leave scheme: approx 58% had subscribed 1 slice, 14% two slices, 5% three slices and 23% four slices. Administrative Circular No. 4 (Rev. 4) - Unemployment Insurance Scheme The committee agreed to recommend Administrative Circular No. 4 (Rev. 4) - Unemployment Insurance Scheme to the Director-General for approval. Administrative Circular No. 30 (Rev. 2) - Financial benefits upon taking up appointment and termination of contract The committee agreed to recommend Administrative Circular No. 30 (Rev. 2) - Financial Benefits upon taking up appointment and termination of contract to the Director-General for approval. Progressive Retirement Programme The Progressive Retirement Programme (PRP) was extended for a further year to 3...

  4. Modelling microstructural evolution under irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tikare, V.

    2015-01-01

    Microstructural evolution of materials under irradiation is characterised by some unique features that are not typically present in other application environments. While much understanding has been achieved by experimental studies, the ability to model this microstructural evolution for complex materials states and environmental conditions not only enhances understanding, it also enables prediction of materials behaviour under conditions that are difficult to duplicate experimentally. Furthermore, reliable models enable designing materials for improved engineering performance for their respective applications. Thus, development and application of mesoscale microstructural model are important for advancing nuclear materials technologies. In this chapter, the application of the Potts model to nuclear materials will be reviewed and demonstrated, as an example of microstructural evolution processes. (author)

  5. Partial duplication of head--a rare congenital anomaly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hemachandran, Manikkapurath; Radotra, Bishan Dass

    2004-10-01

    Duplication of notochord results in rare congenital anomalies like double headed monsters, with or without trunk/limb duplication, depending upon the extent of notochordal abnormality. Here we describe the morphological abnormalities in a case of partial duplication of cranial structures with fusion of the two. Autopsy findings suggest that the bifurcation of the neural tube took place around 4th to 6th week of gestation. There are only few reports in English literature describing the autopsy findings of such an anomaly, which is termed as Diprosopus triophthalmus in the modern literature.

  6. Duplication of the Left Vertebral Artery Origin: A Case Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shin, Sang Wook; Park, Dong Woo; Park, Choong Ki; Lee, Young Jun [Dept. of Radiology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Hanyang University Guri Hospital, Guri (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-01-15

    Duplication of vertebral arteries is a very rare but clinically important condition. A duplicated vertebral artery origin can influence hemodynamics, pathogenesis of vascular lesions and treatment options. In cases of vertebral artery duplication, the vertebral arteries generally enter the transverse foramen higher up than normal. Awareness of these vertebral artery variants before procedures, such as neurointervention or surgery, may be beneficial. Here, we describe a case of a 51-year-old female patient with left vertebral artery duplication which was detected incidentally.

  7. Duplication of the Left Vertebral Artery Origin: A Case Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shin, Sang Wook; Park, Dong Woo; Park, Choong Ki; Lee, Young Jun

    2013-01-01

    Duplication of vertebral arteries is a very rare but clinically important condition. A duplicated vertebral artery origin can influence hemodynamics, pathogenesis of vascular lesions and treatment options. In cases of vertebral artery duplication, the vertebral arteries generally enter the transverse foramen higher up than normal. Awareness of these vertebral artery variants before procedures, such as neurointervention or surgery, may be beneficial. Here, we describe a case of a 51-year-old female patient with left vertebral artery duplication which was detected incidentally.

  8. The spotted gar genome illuminates vertebrate evolution and facilitates human-to-teleost comparisons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braasch, Ingo; Gehrke, Andrew R.; Smith, Jeramiah J.; Kawasaki, Kazuhiko; Manousaki, Tereza; Pasquier, Jeremy; Amores, Angel; Desvignes, Thomas; Batzel, Peter; Catchen, Julian; Berlin, Aaron M.; Campbell, Michael S.; Barrell, Daniel; Martin, Kyle J.; Mulley, John F.; Ravi, Vydianathan; Lee, Alison P.; Nakamura, Tetsuya; Chalopin, Domitille; Fan, Shaohua; Wcisel, Dustin; Cañestro, Cristian; Sydes, Jason; Beaudry, Felix E. G.; Sun, Yi; Hertel, Jana; Beam, Michael J.; Fasold, Mario; Ishiyama, Mikio; Johnson, Jeremy; Kehr, Steffi; Lara, Marcia; Letaw, John H.; Litman, Gary W.; Litman, Ronda T.; Mikami, Masato; Ota, Tatsuya; Saha, Nil Ratan; Williams, Louise; Stadler, Peter F.; Wang, Han; Taylor, John S.; Fontenot, Quenton; Ferrara, Allyse; Searle, Stephen M. J.; Aken, Bronwen; Yandell, Mark; Schneider, Igor; Yoder, Jeffrey A.; Volff, Jean-Nicolas; Meyer, Axel; Amemiya, Chris T.; Venkatesh, Byrappa; Holland, Peter W. H.; Guiguen, Yann; Bobe, Julien; Shubin, Neil H.; Di Palma, Federica; Alföldi, Jessica; Lindblad-Toh, Kerstin; Postlethwait, John H.

    2016-01-01

    To connect human biology to fish biomedical models, we sequenced the genome of spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus), whose lineage diverged from teleosts before the teleost genome duplication (TGD). The slowly evolving gar genome conserved in content and size many entire chromosomes from bony vertebrate ancestors. Gar bridges teleosts to tetrapods by illuminating the evolution of immunity, mineralization, and development (e.g., Hox, ParaHox, and miRNA genes). Numerous conserved non-coding elements (CNEs, often cis-regulatory) undetectable in direct human-teleost comparisons become apparent using gar: functional studies uncovered conserved roles of such cryptic CNEs, facilitating annotation of sequences identified in human genome-wide association studies. Transcriptomic analyses revealed that the sum of expression domains and levels from duplicated teleost genes often approximate patterns and levels of gar genes, consistent with subfunctionalization. The gar genome provides a resource for understanding evolution after genome duplication, the origin of vertebrate genomes, and the function of human regulatory sequences. PMID:26950095

  9. On the nature of fur evolution: A phylogenetic approach in Actinobacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benson David R

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background An understanding of the evolution of global transcription regulators is essential for comprehending the complex networks of cellular metabolism that have developed among related organisms. The fur gene encodes one of those regulators – the ferric uptake regulator Fur – widely distributed among bacteria and known to regulate different genes committed to varied metabolic pathways. On the other hand, members of the Actinobacteria comprise an ecologically diverse group of bacteria able to inhabit various natural environments, and for which relatively little is currently understood concerning transcriptional regulation. Results BLAST analyses revealed the presence of more than one fur homologue in most members of the Actinobacteria whose genomes have been fully sequenced. We propose a model to explain the evolutionary history of fur within this well-known bacterial phylum: the postulated scenario includes one duplication event from a primitive regulator, which probably had a broad range of co-factors and DNA-binding sites. This duplication predated the appearance of the last common ancestor of the Actinobacteria, while six other duplications occurred later within specific groups of organisms, particularly in two genera: Frankia and Streptomyces. The resulting paralogues maintained main biochemical properties, but became specialised for regulating specific functions, coordinating different metal ions and binding to unique DNA sequences. The presence of syntenic regions surrounding the different fur orthologues supports the proposed model, as do the evolutionary distances and topology of phylogenetic trees built using both Neighbor-Joining and Maximum-Likelihood methods. Conclusion The proposed fur evolutionary model, which includes one general duplication and two in-genus duplications followed by divergence and specialization, explains the presence and diversity of fur genes within the Actinobacteria. Although a few rare

  10. Rectal duplication cyst in adults treated with transanal endoscopic microsurgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben-Ishay, O; Person, B; Eran, B; Hershkovitz, D; Duek, D Simon

    2011-12-01

    Rectal duplication cyst is a rare entity that accounts for approximately 4% of all alimentary tract duplications. To the best of our knowledge, the presented cases are the first reports in the English literature of rectal duplication cyst resection by transanal endoscopic microsurgery. We present two patients; both are 41-year-old women with a palpable rectal mass. Workup revealed a submucosal posterior mass that was then resected by transanal endoscopic microsurgery. The pathology report described cystic lesions with squamous and columnar epithelium and segments of smooth muscle. These findings were compatible with rectal duplication cyst. Our limited experience showed good results with minimal morbidity and mortality for resection of rectal duplication cysts of limited size with no evidence of malignancy.

  11. Double-blind ureteral duplication: report of two cases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Ja-Young; Kim, Seung Hyup; Kim, Sun Ho

    2002-01-01

    Blind ending of ureteral duplication is one of the most rare anomalies of the upper urinary tract. We report two cases of ureteral duplication with a blind ending both superiorly and inferiorly, and with no definite communication with the urinary tract. (orig.)

  12. Supervised Learning for Detection of Duplicates in Genomic Sequence Databases.

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    Qingyu Chen

    Full Text Available First identified as an issue in 1996, duplication in biological databases introduces redundancy and even leads to inconsistency when contradictory information appears. The amount of data makes purely manual de-duplication impractical, and existing automatic systems cannot detect duplicates as precisely as can experts. Supervised learning has the potential to address such problems by building automatic systems that learn from expert curation to detect duplicates precisely and efficiently. While machine learning is a mature approach in other duplicate detection contexts, it has seen only preliminary application in genomic sequence databases.We developed and evaluated a supervised duplicate detection method based on an expert curated dataset of duplicates, containing over one million pairs across five organisms derived from genomic sequence databases. We selected 22 features to represent distinct attributes of the database records, and developed a binary model and a multi-class model. Both models achieve promising performance; under cross-validation, the binary model had over 90% accuracy in each of the five organisms, while the multi-class model maintains high accuracy and is more robust in generalisation. We performed an ablation study to quantify the impact of different sequence record features, finding that features derived from meta-data, sequence identity, and alignment quality impact performance most strongly. The study demonstrates machine learning can be an effective additional tool for de-duplication of genomic sequence databases. All Data are available as described in the supplementary material.

  13. Supervised Learning for Detection of Duplicates in Genomic Sequence Databases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Qingyu; Zobel, Justin; Zhang, Xiuzhen; Verspoor, Karin

    2016-01-01

    First identified as an issue in 1996, duplication in biological databases introduces redundancy and even leads to inconsistency when contradictory information appears. The amount of data makes purely manual de-duplication impractical, and existing automatic systems cannot detect duplicates as precisely as can experts. Supervised learning has the potential to address such problems by building automatic systems that learn from expert curation to detect duplicates precisely and efficiently. While machine learning is a mature approach in other duplicate detection contexts, it has seen only preliminary application in genomic sequence databases. We developed and evaluated a supervised duplicate detection method based on an expert curated dataset of duplicates, containing over one million pairs across five organisms derived from genomic sequence databases. We selected 22 features to represent distinct attributes of the database records, and developed a binary model and a multi-class model. Both models achieve promising performance; under cross-validation, the binary model had over 90% accuracy in each of the five organisms, while the multi-class model maintains high accuracy and is more robust in generalisation. We performed an ablation study to quantify the impact of different sequence record features, finding that features derived from meta-data, sequence identity, and alignment quality impact performance most strongly. The study demonstrates machine learning can be an effective additional tool for de-duplication of genomic sequence databases. All Data are available as described in the supplementary material.

  14. Endoscopic Decompression and Marsupialization of A Duodenal Duplication Cyst

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eliza I-Lin Sin

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Duodenal duplication cysts are rare congenital foregut anomalies, accounting for 2%–12% of all gastrointestinal tract duplications. Surgical excision entails risk of injury to the pancreaticobiliary structures due to proximity or communication with the cyst. We present a case of duodenal duplication cyst in a 3 year-old boy who successfully underwent endoscopic decompression. Case report: AT is a young boy who first presented at 15 months of age with abdominal pain. There was one subsequent episode of pancreatitis. Ultrasonography showed the typical double wall sign of a duplication cyst and magnetic resonance cholangio-pancreatography showed a large 5 cm cyst postero-medial to the second part of the duodenum, communicating with the pancreaticobiliary system and causing dilatation of the proximal duodenum. He subsequently underwent successful endoscopic ultrasound guided decompression at 3 years of age under general anesthesia, and had an uneventful postoperative recovery. Conclusion: Endoscopic ultrasound guided assessment and treatment of gastrointestinal duplication cysts is increasingly reported in adults. To the best of our knowledge, only one case of endoscopic treatment of duodenal duplication cyst, in an older child, has been reported thus far in the paediatric literature. In this paper, we review the current literature and discuss the therapeutic options of this rare condition.

  15. Enteric Duplication Cysts in Children: A Clinicopathological Dilemma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Sonam; Yadav, Amit K; Mandal, Ashish K; Zaheer, Sufian; Yadav, Devendra K; Samie, Amat

    2015-08-01

    Enteric duplication cysts are rare and uncommon congenital malformations formed during the embryonic period of the development of human digestive system and are mainly encountered during infancy or early childhood, but seldom in adults. The clinical presentation is extremely variable depending upon its size, location and type. We present six cases of enteric duplication cysts with diverse clinico-pathological features. This study was carried out in the Department of Pathology and Department of Paediatric Surgery, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India for a period of 2 years (January 2013 - December 2014). We retrospectively analyzed six patients of enteric duplication cysts based on data obtained, which consisted of patient's age, sex, clinical presentation, radiological features, operative findings and histopathology report. The data collected was analyzed by descriptive statistics. Six children between age range of 3 days to 10 years had enteric duplication cysts. Two had ileal and one each were of pyloroduodenal, colonic and rectal duplication cyst. In one patient a presumptive diagnosis of enteric duplication cyst was made. Radiology played an important contributory role in diagnosis of these cysts in all the patients but histopathology proved to be gold standard for its confirmation. All these patients were managed by surgical excision. The postoperative and follow up period in all the cases was uneventful. It is important to be aware and make a definitive diagnosis of this rare congenital anomaly as they can present in various clinical forms and can cause significant morbidity and even mortality if left untreated by causing life threatening complications.

  16. Penile Duplication and Two Anal Openings; Report of a Very Rare Case

    OpenAIRE

    Bakheet, Mohamed Abdel Al M.; Refaei, Mohammad

    2012-01-01

    Background Penile duplication (diphallus) is an extremely rare disorder. It is almost always associated with other malformations like double bladder, exstrophy of the cloacae, imperforate anus, duplication of the rectosigmoid and vertebral deformities. Meanwhile anal canal duplication, the most distal and least common duplication of the digestive tube and is a very rare congenital malformation. Case Presentation A 21 days old Egyptian neonate is reported with complete penile duplication and t...

  17. Functional characterization of duplicated Suppressor of Overexpression of Constans 1-like genes in petunia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Preston, Jill C; Jorgensen, Stacy A; Jha, Suryatapa G

    2014-01-01

    Flowering time is strictly controlled by a combination of internal and external signals that match seed set with favorable environmental conditions. In the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana (Brassicaceae), many of the genes underlying development and evolution of flowering have been discovered. However, much remains unknown about how conserved the flowering gene networks are in plants with different growth habits, gene duplication histories, and distributions. Here we functionally characterize three homologs of the flowering gene Suppressor Of Overexpression of Constans 1 (SOC1) in the short-lived perennial Petunia hybrida (petunia, Solanaceae). Similar to A. thaliana soc1 mutants, co-silencing of duplicated petunia SOC1-like genes results in late flowering. This phenotype is most severe when all three SOC1-like genes are silenced. Furthermore, expression levels of the SOC1-like genes Unshaven (UNS) and Floral Binding Protein 21 (FBP21), but not FBP28, are positively correlated with developmental age. In contrast to A. thaliana, petunia SOC1-like gene expression did not increase with longer photoperiods, and FBP28 transcripts were actually more abundant under short days. Despite evidence of functional redundancy, differential spatio-temporal expression data suggest that SOC1-like genes might fine-tune petunia flowering in response to photoperiod and developmental stage. This likely resulted from modification of SOC1-like gene regulatory elements following recent duplication, and is a possible mechanism to ensure flowering under both inductive and non-inductive photoperiods.

  18. Functional characterization of duplicated Suppressor of Overexpression of Constans 1-like genes in petunia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jill C Preston

    Full Text Available Flowering time is strictly controlled by a combination of internal and external signals that match seed set with favorable environmental conditions. In the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana (Brassicaceae, many of the genes underlying development and evolution of flowering have been discovered. However, much remains unknown about how conserved the flowering gene networks are in plants with different growth habits, gene duplication histories, and distributions. Here we functionally characterize three homologs of the flowering gene Suppressor Of Overexpression of Constans 1 (SOC1 in the short-lived perennial Petunia hybrida (petunia, Solanaceae. Similar to A. thaliana soc1 mutants, co-silencing of duplicated petunia SOC1-like genes results in late flowering. This phenotype is most severe when all three SOC1-like genes are silenced. Furthermore, expression levels of the SOC1-like genes Unshaven (UNS and Floral Binding Protein 21 (FBP21, but not FBP28, are positively correlated with developmental age. In contrast to A. thaliana, petunia SOC1-like gene expression did not increase with longer photoperiods, and FBP28 transcripts were actually more abundant under short days. Despite evidence of functional redundancy, differential spatio-temporal expression data suggest that SOC1-like genes might fine-tune petunia flowering in response to photoperiod and developmental stage. This likely resulted from modification of SOC1-like gene regulatory elements following recent duplication, and is a possible mechanism to ensure flowering under both inductive and non-inductive photoperiods.

  19. Distribution of shortest path lengths in a class of node duplication network models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steinbock, Chanania; Biham, Ofer; Katzav, Eytan

    2017-09-01

    We present analytical results for the distribution of shortest path lengths (DSPL) in a network growth model which evolves by node duplication (ND). The model captures essential properties of the structure and growth dynamics of social networks, acquaintance networks, and scientific citation networks, where duplication mechanisms play a major role. Starting from an initial seed network, at each time step a random node, referred to as a mother node, is selected for duplication. Its daughter node is added to the network, forming a link to the mother node, and with probability p to each one of its neighbors. The degree distribution of the resulting network turns out to follow a power-law distribution, thus the ND network is a scale-free network. To calculate the DSPL we derive a master equation for the time evolution of the probability Pt(L =ℓ ) , ℓ =1 ,2 ,⋯ , where L is the distance between a pair of nodes and t is the time. Finding an exact analytical solution of the master equation, we obtain a closed form expression for Pt(L =ℓ ) . The mean distance 〈L〉 t and the diameter Δt are found to scale like lnt , namely, the ND network is a small-world network. The variance of the DSPL is also found to scale like lnt . Interestingly, the mean distance and the diameter exhibit properties of a small-world network, rather than the ultrasmall-world network behavior observed in other scale-free networks, in which 〈L〉 t˜lnlnt .

  20. Drosophila duplication hotspots are associated with late-replicating regions of the genome.

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    Margarida Cardoso-Moreira

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Duplications play a significant role in both extremes of the phenotypic spectrum of newly arising mutations: they can have severe deleterious effects (e.g. duplications underlie a variety of diseases but can also be highly advantageous. The phenotypic potential of newly arisen duplications has stimulated wide interest in both the mutational and selective processes shaping these variants in the genome. Here we take advantage of the Drosophila simulans-Drosophila melanogaster genetic system to further our understanding of both processes. Regarding mutational processes, the study of two closely related species allows investigation of the potential existence of shared duplication hotspots, and the similarities and differences between the two genomes can be used to dissect its underlying causes. Regarding selection, the difference in the effective population size between the two species can be leveraged to ask questions about the strength of selection acting on different classes of duplications. In this study, we conducted a survey of duplication polymorphisms in 14 different lines of D. simulans using tiling microarrays and combined it with an analogous survey for the D. melanogaster genome. By integrating the two datasets, we identified duplication hotspots conserved between the two species. However, unlike the duplication hotspots identified in mammalian genomes, Drosophila duplication hotspots are not associated with sequences of high sequence identity capable of mediating non-allelic homologous recombination. Instead, Drosophila duplication hotspots are associated with late-replicating regions of the genome, suggesting a link between DNA replication and duplication rates. We also found evidence supporting a higher effectiveness of selection on duplications in D. simulans than in D. melanogaster. This is also true for duplications segregating at high frequency, where we find evidence in D. simulans that a sizeable fraction of these mutations is

  1. Antisense-induced exon skipping for duplications in Duchenne muscular dystrophy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    van Ommen Gert-Jan B

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Antisense-mediated exon skipping is currently one of the most promising therapeutic approaches for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD. Using antisense oligonucleotides (AONs targeting specific exons the DMD reading frame is restored and partially functional dystrophins are produced. Following proof of concept in cultured muscle cells from patients with various deletions and point mutations, we now focus on single and multiple exon duplications. These mutations are in principle ideal targets for this approach since the specific skipping of duplicated exons would generate original, full-length transcripts. Methods Cultured muscle cells from DMD patients carrying duplications were transfected with AONs targeting the duplicated exons, and the dystrophin RNA and protein were analyzed. Results For two brothers with an exon 44 duplication, skipping was, even at suboptimal transfection conditions, so efficient that both exons 44 were skipped, thus generating, once more, an out-of-frame transcript. In such cases, one may resort to multi-exon skipping to restore the reading frame, as is shown here by inducing skipping of exon 43 and both exons 44. By contrast, in cells from a patient with an exon 45 duplication we were able to induce single exon 45 skipping, which allowed restoration of wild type dystrophin. The correction of a larger duplication (involving exons 52 to 62, by combinations of AONs targeting the outer exons, appeared problematic due to inefficient skipping and mistargeting of original instead of duplicated exons. Conclusion The correction of DMD duplications by exon skipping depends on the specific exons targeted. Its options vary from the ideal one, restoring for the first time the true, wild type dystrophin, to requiring more 'classical' skipping strategies, while the correction of multi-exon deletions may need the design of tailored approaches.

  2. Polyploidy can drive rapid adaptation in yeast

    Science.gov (United States)

    Selmecki, Anna M.; Maruvka, Yosef E.; Richmond, Phillip A.; Guillet, Marie; Shoresh, Noam; Sorenson, Amber L.; de, Subhajyoti; Kishony, Roy; Michor, Franziska; Dowell, Robin; Pellman, David

    2015-03-01

    Polyploidy is observed across the tree of life, yet its influence on evolution remains incompletely understood. Polyploidy, usually whole-genome duplication, is proposed to alter the rate of evolutionary adaptation. This could occur through complex effects on the frequency or fitness of beneficial mutations. For example, in diverse cell types and organisms, immediately after a whole-genome duplication, newly formed polyploids missegregate chromosomes and undergo genetic instability. The instability following whole-genome duplications is thought to provide adaptive mutations in microorganisms and can promote tumorigenesis in mammalian cells. Polyploidy may also affect adaptation independently of beneficial mutations through ploidy-specific changes in cell physiology. Here we perform in vitro evolution experiments to test directly whether polyploidy can accelerate evolutionary adaptation. Compared with haploids and diploids, tetraploids undergo significantly faster adaptation. Mathematical modelling suggests that rapid adaptation of tetraploids is driven by higher rates of beneficial mutations with stronger fitness effects, which is supported by whole-genome sequencing and phenotypic analyses of evolved clones. Chromosome aneuploidy, concerted chromosome loss, and point mutations all provide large fitness gains. We identify several mutations whose beneficial effects are manifest specifically in the tetraploid strains. Together, these results provide direct quantitative evidence that in some environments polyploidy can accelerate evolutionary adaptation.

  3. 40 CFR 25.13 - Coordination and non-duplication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Coordination and non-duplication. 25.13 Section 25.13 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GENERAL PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN... ACT § 25.13 Coordination and non-duplication. The public participation activities and materials that...

  4. Evolutionary Fates and Dynamic Functionalization of Young Duplicate Genes in Arabidopsis Genomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jun; Tao, Feng; Marowsky, Nicholas C; Fan, Chuanzhu

    2016-09-01

    Gene duplication is a primary means to generate genomic novelties, playing an essential role in speciation and adaptation. Particularly in plants, a high abundance of duplicate genes has been maintained for significantly long periods of evolutionary time. To address the manner in which young duplicate genes were derived primarily from small-scale gene duplication and preserved in plant genomes and to determine the underlying driving mechanisms, we generated transcriptomes to produce the expression profiles of five tissues in Arabidopsis thaliana and the closely related species Arabidopsis lyrata and Capsella rubella Based on the quantitative analysis metrics, we investigated the evolutionary processes of young duplicate genes in Arabidopsis. We determined that conservation, neofunctionalization, and specialization are three main evolutionary processes for Arabidopsis young duplicate genes. We explicitly demonstrated the dynamic functionalization of duplicate genes along the evolutionary time scale. Upon origination, duplicates tend to maintain their ancestral functions; but as they survive longer, they might be likely to develop distinct and novel functions. The temporal evolutionary processes and functionalization of plant duplicate genes are associated with their ancestral functions, dynamic DNA methylation levels, and histone modification abundances. Furthermore, duplicate genes tend to be initially expressed in pollen and then to gain more interaction partners over time. Altogether, our study provides novel insights into the dynamic retention processes of young duplicate genes in plant genomes. © 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

  5. Genome-wide analysis of the Dof transcription factor gene family reveals soybean-specific duplicable and functional characteristics.

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    Yong Guo

    Full Text Available The Dof domain protein family is a classic plant-specific zinc-finger transcription factor family involved in a variety of biological processes. There is great diversity in the number of Dof genes in different plants. However, there are only very limited reports on the characterization of Dof transcription factors in soybean (Glycine max. In the present study, 78 putative Dof genes were identified from the whole-genome sequence of soybean. The predicted GmDof genes were non-randomly distributed within and across 19 out of 20 chromosomes and 97.4% (38 pairs were preferentially retained duplicate paralogous genes located in duplicated regions of the genome. Soybean-specific segmental duplications contributed significantly to the expansion of the soybean Dof gene family. These Dof proteins were phylogenetically clustered into nine distinct subgroups among which the gene structure and motif compositions were considerably conserved. Comparative phylogenetic analysis of these Dof proteins revealed four major groups, similar to those reported for Arabidopsis and rice. Most of the GmDofs showed specific expression patterns based on RNA-seq data analyses. The expression patterns of some duplicate genes were partially redundant while others showed functional diversity, suggesting the occurrence of sub-functionalization during subsequent evolution. Comprehensive expression profile analysis also provided insights into the soybean-specific functional divergence among members of the Dof gene family. Cis-regulatory element analysis of these GmDof genes suggested diverse functions associated with different processes. Taken together, our results provide useful information for the functional characterization of soybean Dof genes by combining phylogenetic analysis with global gene-expression profiling.

  6. Diversification of CYCLOIDEA-like genes in Dipsacaceae (Dipsacales: implications for the evolution of capitulum inflorescences

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    Carlson Sara E

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background CYCLOIDEA (CYC-like genes have been implicated in the development of capitulum inflorescences (i.e. flowering heads in Asteraceae, where many small flowers (florets are packed tightly into an inflorescence that resembles a single flower. Several rounds of duplication of CYC-like genes have occurred in Asteraceae, and this is hypothesized to be correlated with the evolution of the capitulum, which in turn has been implicated in the evolutionary success of the group. We investigated the evolution of CYC-like genes in Dipsacaceae (Dipsacales, a plant clade in which capitulum inflorescences originated independently of Asteraceae. Two main inflorescence types are present in Dipsacaceae: (1 radiate species contain two kinds of floret within the flowering head (disk and ray, and (2 discoid species contain only disk florets. To test whether a dynamic pattern of gene duplication, similar to that documented in Asteraceae, is present in Dipsacaceae, and whether these patterns are correlated with different inflorescence types, we inferred a CYC-like gene phylogeny for Dipsacaceae based on representative species from the major lineages. Results We recovered within Dipsacaceae the three major forms of CYC-like genes that have been found in most core eudicots, and identified several additional duplications within each of these clades. We found that the number of CYC-like genes in Dipsacaceae is similar to that reported for members of Asteraceae and that the same gene lineages (CYC1-like and CYC2B-like genes have duplicated in a similar fashion independently in both groups. The number of CYC-like genes recovered for radiate versus discoid species differed, with discoid species having fewer copies of CYC1-like and CYC2B-like genes. Conclusions CYC-like genes have undergone extensive duplication in Dipsacaceae, with radiate species having more copies than discoid species, suggesting a potential role for these genes in the evolution of disk and

  7. Universal features in the genome-level evolution of protein domains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cosentino Lagomarsino, Marco; Sellerio, Alessandro L; Heijning, Philip D; Bassetti, Bruno

    2009-01-01

    Protein domains can be used to study proteome evolution at a coarse scale. In particular, they are found on genomes with notable statistical distributions. It is known that the distribution of domains with a given topology follows a power law. We focus on a further aspect: these distributions, and the number of distinct topologies, follow collective trends, or scaling laws, depending on the total number of domains only, and not on genome-specific features. We present a stochastic duplication/innovation model, in the class of the so-called 'Chinese restaurant processes', that explains this observation with two universal parameters, representing a minimal number of domains and the relative weight of innovation to duplication. Furthermore, we study a model variant where new topologies are related to occurrence in genomic data, accounting for fold specificity. Both models have general quantitative agreement with data from hundreds of genomes, which indicates that the domains of a genome are built with a combination of specificity and robust self-organizing phenomena. The latter are related to the basic evolutionary 'moves' of duplication and innovation, and give rise to the observed scaling laws, a priori of the specific evolutionary history of a genome. We interpret this as the concurrent effect of neutral and selective drives, which increase duplication and decrease innovation in larger and more complex genomes. The validity of our model would imply that the empirical observation of a small number of folds in nature may be a consequence of their evolution.

  8. Female Urethral Duplication: Rare Anomaly with Unusual Presentation

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    UD is classified according to plane (frontal or sagittal) of duplication into different types: (1) Double urethra and double bladder, (2) double urethra with single bladder,. (3) accessory urethra posterior to the normal channel,. (4) double proximal urethra and single distal urethra, and. (5) single proximal urethra and duplicated ...

  9. Microevolution of Duplications and Deletions and Their Impact on Gene Expression in the Nematode Pristionchus pacificus.

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    Praveen Baskaran

    Full Text Available The evolution of diversity across the animal kingdom has been accompanied by tremendous gene loss and gain. While comparative genomics has been fruitful to characterize differences in gene content across highly diverged species, little is known about the microevolution of structural variations that cause these differences in the first place. In order to investigate the genomic impact of structural variations, we made use of genomic and transcriptomic data from the nematode Pristionchus pacificus, which has been established as a satellite model to Caenorhabditis elegans for comparative biology. We exploit the fact that P. pacificus is a highly diverse species for which various genomic data including the draft genome of a sister species P. exspectatus is available. Based on resequencing coverage data for two natural isolates we identified large (> 2 kb deletions and duplications relative to the reference strain. By restriction to completely syntenic regions between P. pacificus and P. exspectatus, we were able to polarize the comparison and to assess the impact of structural variations on expression levels. We found that while loss of genes correlates with lack of expression, duplication of genes has virtually no effect on gene expression. Further investigating expression of individual copies at sites that segregate between the duplicates, we found in the majority of cases only one of the copies to be expressed. Nevertheless, we still find that certain gene classes are strongly depleted in deletions as well as duplications, suggesting evolutionary constraint acting on synteny. In summary, our results are consistent with a model, where most structural variations are either deleterious or neutral and provide first insights into the microevolution of structural variations in the P. pacificus genome.

  10. Exact Algorithms for Duplication-Transfer-Loss Reconciliation with Non-Binary Gene Trees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kordi, Misagh; Bansal, Mukul S

    2017-06-01

    Duplication-Transfer-Loss (DTL) reconciliation is a powerful method for studying gene family evolution in the presence of horizontal gene transfer. DTL reconciliation seeks to reconcile gene trees with species trees by postulating speciation, duplication, transfer, and loss events. Efficient algorithms exist for finding optimal DTL reconciliations when the gene tree is binary. In practice, however, gene trees are often non-binary due to uncertainty in the gene tree topologies, and DTL reconciliation with non-binary gene trees is known to be NP-hard. In this paper, we present the first exact algorithms for DTL reconciliation with non-binary gene trees. Specifically, we (i) show that the DTL reconciliation problem for non-binary gene trees is fixed-parameter tractable in the maximum degree of the gene tree, (ii) present an exponential-time, but in-practice efficient, algorithm to track and enumerate all optimal binary resolutions of a non-binary input gene tree, and (iii) apply our algorithms to a large empirical data set of over 4700 gene trees from 100 species to study the impact of gene tree uncertainty on DTL-reconciliation and to demonstrate the applicability and utility of our algorithms. The new techniques and algorithms introduced in this paper will help biologists avoid incorrect evolutionary inferences caused by gene tree uncertainty.

  11. Evolution of trappin genes in mammals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Furutani Yutaka

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Trappin is a multifunctional host-defense peptide that has antiproteolytic, antiinflammatory, and antimicrobial activities. The numbers and compositions of trappin paralogs vary among mammalian species: human and sheep have a single trappin-2 gene; mouse and rat have no trappin gene; pig and cow have multiple trappin genes; and guinea pig has a trappin gene and two other derivativegenes. Independent duplications of trappin genes in pig and cow were observed recently after the species were separated. To determine whether these trappin gene duplications are restricted only to certain mammalian lineages, we analyzed recently-developed genome databases for the presence of duplicate trappin genes. Results The database analyses revealed that: 1 duplicated trappin multigenes were found recently in the nine-banded armadillo; 2 duplicated two trappin genes had been found in the Afrotherian species (elephant, tenrec, and hyrax since ancient days; 3 a single trappin-2 gene was found in various eutherians species; and 4 no typical trappin gene has been found in chicken, zebra finch, and opossum. Bayesian analysis estimated the date of the duplication of trappin genes in the Afrotheria, guinea pig, armadillo, cow, and pig to be 244, 35, 11, 13, and 3 million-years ago, respectively. The coding regions of trappin multigenes of almadillo, bovine, and pig evolved much faster than the noncoding exons, introns, and the flanking regions, showing that these genes have undergone accelerated evolution, and positive Darwinian selection was observed in pig-specific trappin paralogs. Conclusion These results suggest that trappin is an eutherian-specific molecule and eutherian genomes have the potential to form trappin multigenes.

  12. STANDING CONCERTATION COMMITTEE

    CERN Multimedia

    2003-01-01

    ORDINARY MEETING ON 29 SEPTEMBER 2003 Original: English This meeting was devoted to the main topics summarised below. 1 Follow-up from the meetings of TREF and the Finance Committee in September 2003 The last meeting of TREF had been devoted to presentations and clarifications on the 5-Yearly Review process. The content and planning of the 2005 Review are matters for the next Management, which will be presented to TREF next year. Underlining that due account has to be taken of the limited resources available to conduct such an exercise, the Staff Association stated that it looks forward to the concertation process at the SCC in preparing the next 5-Yearly Review to define an optimum set of topics in order to ensure that CERN can attract, retain and motivate the personnel that it needs to remain a centre of excellence. The Chairman of the SCC recalled that an information document on the Cost-Variation Index for 2004 had been transmitted to the Finance Committee last September and that complete information o...

  13. Standing concertation commmittee

    CERN Multimedia

    HR Department

    2009-01-01

    MEETINGS ON 2 AND 9 DECEMBER 2008 The main items discussed at the meetings of the Standing Concertation Committee on 2 and 9 December 2008 included: Medical Service Report 2007 The Committee took note of the report by Dr. E. Reymond (see http://sc-me.web.cern.ch/sc-me/fr/indexFR.htm) and of a number of points raised during the discussion. It was noted that the number of professional accidents declined in 2007 (361 accidents) in comparison with 2006 (483), as well as their gravity and frequency. The CERN Medical Service carried out a study on cancer prevalence (number of cases) and incidence (new cases per year per 100000 people), between 1993 and 2007, which identified some prostate, breast and colorectal cancers, though less than in the two Host States. Specific preventive actions will be promoted by the CERN CHISboard and the Medical Service in this context as well as in other areas. The committee expressed its thanks to all members of the Medical Service for their work i...

  14. Gene Duplicability of Core Genes Is Highly Consistent across All Angiosperms[OPEN

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zhen; Van de Peer, Yves; De Smet, Riet

    2016-01-01

    Gene duplication is an important mechanism for adding to genomic novelty. Hence, which genes undergo duplication and are preserved following duplication is an important question. It has been observed that gene duplicability, or the ability of genes to be retained following duplication, is a nonrandom process, with certain genes being more amenable to survive duplication events than others. Primarily, gene essentiality and the type of duplication (small-scale versus large-scale) have been shown in different species to influence the (long-term) survival of novel genes. However, an overarching view of “gene duplicability” is lacking, mainly due to the fact that previous studies usually focused on individual species and did not account for the influence of genomic context and the time of duplication. Here, we present a large-scale study in which we investigated duplicate retention for 9178 gene families shared between 37 flowering plant species, referred to as angiosperm core gene families. For most gene families, we observe a strikingly consistent pattern of gene duplicability across species, with gene families being either primarily single-copy or multicopy in all species. An intermediate class contains gene families that are often retained in duplicate for periods extending to tens of millions of years after whole-genome duplication, but ultimately appear to be largely restored to singleton status, suggesting that these genes may be dosage balance sensitive. The distinction between single-copy and multicopy gene families is reflected in their functional annotation, with single-copy genes being mainly involved in the maintenance of genome stability and organelle function and multicopy genes in signaling, transport, and metabolism. The intermediate class was overrepresented in regulatory genes, further suggesting that these represent putative dosage-balance-sensitive genes. PMID:26744215

  15. Parenting Priorities and Pressures: Furthering Understanding of "Concerted Cultivation"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vincent, Carol; Maxwell, Claire

    2016-01-01

    This paper re-examines the purposes of a planned and intentional parenting style--"concerted cultivation"--for different middle-class groups, highlighting that social class fraction, ethnicity, and also individual family disposition, guides understandings of the purposes of enrolling children in particular enrichment activities. We…

  16. The relationship among gene expression, the evolution of gene dosage, and the rate of protein evolution.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jean-François Gout

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available The understanding of selective constraints affecting genes is a major issue in biology. It is well established that gene expression level is a major determinant of the rate of protein evolution, but the reasons for this relationship remain highly debated. Here we demonstrate that gene expression is also a major determinant of the evolution of gene dosage: the rate of gene losses after whole genome duplications in the Paramecium lineage is negatively correlated to the level of gene expression, and this relationship is not a byproduct of other factors known to affect the fate of gene duplicates. This indicates that changes in gene dosage are generally more deleterious for highly expressed genes. This rule also holds for other taxa: in yeast, we find a clear relationship between gene expression level and the fitness impact of reduction in gene dosage. To explain these observations, we propose a model based on the fact that the optimal expression level of a gene corresponds to a trade-off between the benefit and cost of its expression. This COSTEX model predicts that selective pressure against mutations changing gene expression level or affecting the encoded protein should on average be stronger in highly expressed genes and hence that both the frequency of gene loss and the rate of protein evolution should correlate negatively with gene expression. Thus, the COSTEX model provides a simple and common explanation for the general relationship observed between the level of gene expression and the different facets of gene evolution.

  17. CONCERT-'European Joint Programme for the Integration at Radiation Protection Research'; CONCERT-''European Joint Programme for the Integration at Radiation Protection Research''

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Birschwilks, Mandy; Schmitt-Hannig, Annemarie [Bundesamt fuer Strahlenschutz, Oberschleissheim (Germany). Internationale und Nationale Zusammenarbeit im Strahlenschutz; Jung, Thomas [Bundesamt fuer Strahlenschutz, Oberschleissheim (Germany). Strahlenschutz und Gesundheit

    2016-08-01

    In 2009 the High Level Expert Group (HLEG) on low dose research recommended the development of a scientific platform for low dose radiation research. The foundation of MELODI (Multidisciplinary European Low Dose Initiative) occurred in 2010. In 2015 a new project on radiation protection research was established: CONCERT (European Joint Programme for the Integration at Radiation Protection Research). The aim is the coordination of the already existing scientific platforms MELODI (radiation effects and interactions), ALLIANCE (radioecology), NERIS (nuclear and radiological emergency protection) and EURADOS (radiation dosimetry). With CONCERT an efficient use of this infrastructure for research cooperation and transparency is intended.

  18. Genome-wide Comparative Analyses Reveal the Dynamic Evolution of Nucleotide-Binding Leucine-Rich Repeat Gene Family among Solanaceae Plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eunyoung Seo

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Plants have evolved an elaborate innate immune system against invading pathogens. Within this system, intracellular nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR immune receptors are known play critical roles in effector-triggered immunity (ETI plant defense. We performed genome-wide identification and classification of NLR-coding sequences from the genomes of pepper, tomato, and potato using fixed criteria. We then compared genomic duplication and evolution features. We identified intact 267, 443, and 755 NLR-encoding genes in tomato, potato, and pepper genomes, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses and classification of Solanaceae NLRs revealed that the majority of NLR super family members fell into 14 subgroups, including a TIR-NLR (TNL subgroup and 13 non-TNL subgroups. Specific subgroups have expanded in each genome, with the expansion in pepper showing subgroup-specific physical clusters. Comparative analysis of duplications showed distinct duplication patterns within pepper and among Solanaceae plants suggesting subgroup- or species-specific gene duplication events after speciation, resulting in divergent evolution. Taken together, genome-wide analyses of NLR family members provide insights into their evolutionary history in Solanaceae. These findings also provide important foundational knowledge for understanding NLR evolution and will empower broader characterization of disease resistance genes to be used for crop breeding.

  19. Whole-gene positive selection, elevated synonymous substitution rates, duplication, and indel evolution of the chloroplast clpP1 gene.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Per Erixon

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Synonymous DNA substitution rates in the plant chloroplast genome are generally relatively slow and lineage dependent. Non-synonymous rates are usually even slower due to purifying selection acting on the genes. Positive selection is expected to speed up non-synonymous substitution rates, whereas synonymous rates are expected to be unaffected. Until recently, positive selection has seldom been observed in chloroplast genes, and large-scale structural rearrangements leading to gene duplications are hitherto supposed to be rare. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPLE FINDINGS: We found high substitution rates in the exons of the plastid clpP1 gene in Oenothera (the Evening Primrose family and three separate lineages in the tribe Sileneae (Caryophyllaceae, the Carnation family. Introns have been lost in some of the lineages, but where present, the intron sequences have substitution rates similar to those found in other introns of their genomes. The elevated substitution rates of clpP1 are associated with statistically significant whole-gene positive selection in three branches of the phylogeny. In two of the lineages we found multiple copies of the gene. Neighboring genes present in the duplicated fragments do not show signs of elevated substitution rates or positive selection. Although non-synonymous substitutions account for most of the increase in substitution rates, synonymous rates are also markedly elevated in some lineages. Whereas plant clpP1 genes experiencing negative (purifying selection are characterized by having very conserved lengths, genes under positive selection often have large insertions of more or less repetitive amino acid sequence motifs. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We found positive selection of the clpP1 gene in various plant lineages to correlated with repeated duplication of the clpP1 gene and surrounding regions, repetitive amino acid sequences, and increase in synonymous substitution rates. The present study sheds light on the

  20. Use of diagnostic imaging in the evaluation of gastrointestinal tract duplications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laskowska, Katarzyna; Gałązka, Przemysław; Daniluk-Matraś, Irena; Leszczyński, Waldemar; Serafin, Zbigniew

    2014-01-01

    Gastrointestinal tract duplication is a rare malformation associated with the presence of additional segment of the fetal gut. The aim of this study was to retrospectively review clinical features and imaging findings in intraoperatively confirmed cases of gastrointestinal tract duplication in children. The analysis included own material from the years 2002-2012. The analyzed group included 14 children, among them 8 boys and 6 girls. The youngest patient was diagnosed at the age of three weeks, and the oldest at 12 years of age. The duplication cysts were identified in the esophagus (n=2), stomach (n=5), duodenum (n=1), terminal ileum (n=5), and rectum (n=1). In four cases, the duplication coexisted with other anomalies, such as patent urachus, Meckel's diverticulum, mesenteric cyst, and accessory pancreas. Clinical manifestation of gastrointestinal duplication cysts was variable, and some of them were detected accidently. Thin- or thick-walled cystic structures adjacent to the wall of neighboring gastrointestinal segment were documented on diagnostic imaging. Ultrasound and computed tomography are the methods of choice in the evaluation of gastrointestinal duplication cysts. Apart from the diagnosis of the duplication cyst, an important issue is the detection of concomitant developmental pathologies, including pancreatic heterotopy.

  1. Cholecystitis of a duplicated gallbladder complicated by a cholecystoenteric fistula

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, Brady K. [University of Rochester Medical Center, Department of Imaging Sciences, Rochester, NY (United States); Chess, Mitchell A. [University of Rochester Medical Center, Department of Imaging Sciences, Rochester, NY (United States); Advanced Imaging, Batavia, NY (United States)

    2009-04-15

    Gallbladder duplications are uncommon anatomic variants that are sometimes mistaken for other entities on imaging. We present a surgically confirmed case of cholecystitis in a ductular-type duplicated gallbladder complicated by the formation of an inflammatory fistula to the adjacent duodenum. Both US and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography were performed preoperatively, in addition to intraoperative cholangiography, which confirmed the presence of a duplicated gallbladder. (orig.)

  2. Molecular evolution of a chordate specific family of G protein-coupled receptors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leese Florian

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Chordate evolution is a history of innovations that is marked by physical and behavioral specializations, which led to the development of a variety of forms from a single ancestral group. Among other important characteristics, vertebrates obtained a well developed brain, anterior sensory structures, a closed circulatory system and gills or lungs as blood oxygenation systems. The duplication of pre-existing genes had profound evolutionary implications for the developmental complexity in vertebrates, since mutations modifying the function of a duplicated protein can lead to novel functions, improving the evolutionary success. Results We analyzed here the evolution of the GPRC5 family of G protein-coupled receptors by comprehensive similarity searches and found that the receptors are only present in chordates and that the size of the receptor family expanded, likely due to genome duplication events in the early history of vertebrate evolution. We propose that a single GPRC5 receptor coding gene originated in a stem chordate ancestor and gave rise by duplication events to a gene family comprising three receptor types (GPRC5A-C in vertebrates, and a fourth homologue present only in mammals (GPRC5D. Additional duplications of GPRC5B and GPRC5C sequences occurred in teleost fishes. The finding that the expression patterns of the receptors are evolutionarily conserved indicates an important biological function of these receptors. Moreover, we found that expression of GPRC5B is regulated by vitamin A in vivo, confirming previous findings that linked receptor expression to retinoic acid levels in tumor cell lines and strengthening the link between the receptor expression and the development of a complex nervous system in chordates, known to be dependent on retinoic acid signaling. Conclusions GPRC5 receptors, a class of G protein-coupled receptors with unique sequence characteristics, may represent a molecular novelty that helped non

  3. Preliminary experiments of electronic duplication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fay, Bernard

    1974-01-01

    Systems of electron sputtering (at the unit scale) use as master mask a photocathode with localized emitting zones. Emitted electrons are accelerated and focussed on a silicon substrate covered with an electrosensitive resin. The very high definition associated with electron masking is obtained whatever the complexity of the master mask is, for a printing duration of the order of the minute. This is a duplication method without any contact that prevents the master mask from any mechanical erosion. Alignment of the successive masks is obtained from an electric signal directly usable through an automatic alignment system. Experiments using the apparatus for reproducing masks through an electronic image or ''electronic duplicator'' developed in Thomson-CSF Laboratory at Corbeville, are presented [fr

  4. Centrioles: duplicating precariously.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pelletier, Laurence

    2007-09-04

    To assemble a mitotic spindle and accurately segregate chromosomes to progeny, a cell needs to precisely regulate its centrosome number, a feat largely accomplished through the tight control of centriole duplication. Recent work showing that the overexpression of centriolar proteins can lead to the formation of multiple centrioles in the absence of pre-existing centrioles challenges the idea that it is a self-replicating organelle.

  5. Standing Concertation Committee: Ordinary Meeting on 1 September 2004

    CERN Document Server

    2004-01-01

    Original: English This meeting was devoted to the main topics summarised below. Preparation for the 5-Yearly Review 2005 The Committee took note that preparatory work had started over the summer months on various topics for the 5-Yearly Review, in line with the internal planning presented to the SCC last June. Concertation process and working procedures Referring to its recent publications, the Staff Association raised this subject in connection with the organization and procedures of the HR study teams and CFO discussion group working on the various topics which are to be covered in the 5-Yearly Review. After some debate, both the Management and the Staff Association underlined the importance that they attach to an efficient concertation process. Both parties agreed to continue the discussion after the meeting. Data collection questionnaire The SCC discussed the content of the questionnaire for the data collection enquiry to be launched this autumn. Subject to some further clarifications and improv...

  6. STANDING CONCERTATION COMMITTEE: ORDINARY MEETING ON 5 FEBRUARY 2004

    CERN Multimedia

    2004-01-01

    Original : English This meeting was devoted to the main topics summarised below. 1-The internal concertation process Responding to various questions in this connection raised by the Staff Association, the Chairman stated that the Management wishes to diminish in no way the role of the SCC in the internal concertation process, as set out in chapter VII of the Staff Rules and Regulations. On the contrary, he underlined the importance of ensuring this process to debate strategic issues concerning employment conditions, prior to decisions taken by the Director-General. On a point of clarification, he confirmed that, as discussed at the January meeting of the Executive Board, the Management wishes to abolish the Long-Term Contract Board and the Senior Staff Advancement Committee; the SCC took note of this intention. Simplified procedures without the Committees would be presented as soon as possible to the SCC, together with amendments to the relevant Administrative Circulars. 2-MAPS The Committee discussed th...

  7. Role and convergent evolution of competing RNA secondary structures in mutually exclusive splicing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yue, Yuan; Hou, Shouqing; Wang, Xiu; Zhan, Leilei; Cao, Guozheng; Li, Guoli; Shi, Yang; Zhang, Peng; Hong, Weiling; Lin, Hao; Liu, Baoping; Shi, Feng; Yang, Yun; Jin, Yongfeng

    2017-10-03

    Exon or cassette duplication is an important means of expanding protein and functional diversity through mutually exclusive splicing. However, the mechanistic basis of this process in non-arthropod species remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that MRP1 genes underwent tandem exon duplication in Nematoda, Platyhelminthes, Annelida, Mollusca, Arthropoda, Echinodermata, and early-diverging Chordata but not in late-diverging vertebrates. Interestingly, these events were of independent origin in different phyla, suggesting convergent evolution of alternative splicing. Furthermore, we showed that multiple sets of clade-conserved RNA pairings evolved to guide species-specific mutually exclusive splicing in Arthropoda. Importantly, we also identified a similar structural code in MRP exon clusters of the annelid, Capitella teleta, and chordate, Branchiostoma belcheri, suggesting an evolutionarily conserved competing pairing-guided mechanism in bilaterians. Taken together, these data reveal the molecular determinants and RNA pairing-guided evolution of species-specific mutually exclusive splicing spanning more than 600 million years of bilaterian evolution. These findings have a significant impact on our understanding of the evolution of and mechanism underpinning isoform diversity and complex gene structure.

  8. Ruptured rectal duplication with urogenital abnormality: Unusual presentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Solanki, Shailesh; Babu, M Narendra; Jadhav, Vinay; Shankar, Gowri; Santhanakrishnan, Ramesh

    2015-01-01

    Rectal duplication (RD) accounts for 5% of alimentary tract duplication. A varied presentation and associated anomalies have been described in the literature. Antenatal rupture of the RD is very rare. We present an unusual case of a ruptured RD associated with urogenital abnormalities in newborn male. We are discussing diagnosis, embryology, management and literature review of ruptured RD.

  9. Inventing an arsenal: adaptive evolution and neofunctionalization of snake venom phospholipase A2 genes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lynch Vincent J

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Gene duplication followed by functional divergence has long been hypothesized to be the main source of molecular novelty. Convincing examples of neofunctionalization, however, remain rare. Snake venom phospholipase A2 genes are members of large multigene families with many diverse functions, thus they are excellent models to study the emergence of novel functions after gene duplications. Results Here, I show that positive Darwinian selection and neofunctionalization is common in snake venom phospholipase A2 genes. The pattern of gene duplication and positive selection indicates that adaptive molecular evolution occurs immediately after duplication events as novel functions emerge and continues as gene families diversify and are refined. Surprisingly, adaptive evolution of group-I phospholipases in elapids is also associated with speciation events, suggesting adaptation of the phospholipase arsenal to novel prey species after niche shifts. Mapping the location of sites under positive selection onto the crystal structure of phospholipase A2 identified regions evolving under diversifying selection are located on the molecular surface and are likely protein-protein interactions sites essential for toxin functions. Conclusion These data show that increases in genomic complexity (through gene duplications can lead to phenotypic complexity (venom composition and that positive Darwinian selection is a common evolutionary force in snake venoms. Finally, regions identified under selection on the surface of phospholipase A2 enzymes are potential candidate sites for structure based antivenin design.

  10. Concomitant duplications of opioid peptide and receptor genes before the origin of jawed vertebrates.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Görel Sundström

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The opioid system is involved in reward and pain mechanisms and consists in mammals of four receptors and several peptides. The peptides are derived from four prepropeptide genes, PENK, PDYN, PNOC and POMC, encoding enkephalins, dynorphins, orphanin/nociceptin and beta-endorphin, respectively. Previously we have described how two rounds of genome doubling (2R before the origin of jawed vertebrates formed the receptor family. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Opioid peptide gene family members were investigated using a combination of sequence-based phylogeny and chromosomal locations of the peptide genes in various vertebrates. Several adjacent gene families were investigated similarly. The results show that the ancestral peptide gene gave rise to two additional copies in the genome doublings. The fourth member was generated by a local gene duplication, as the genes encoding POMC and PNOC are located on the same chromosome in the chicken genome and all three teleost genomes that we have studied. A translocation has disrupted this synteny in mammals. The PDYN gene seems to have been lost in chicken, but not in zebra finch. Duplicates of some peptide genes have arisen in the teleost fishes. Within the prepropeptide precursors, peptides have been lost or gained in different lineages. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The ancestral peptide and receptor genes were located on the same chromosome and were thus duplicated concomitantly. However, subsequently genetic linkage has been lost. In conclusion, the system of opioid peptides and receptors was largely formed by the genome doublings that took place early in vertebrate evolution.

  11. The low-recombining pericentromeric region of barley restricts gene diversity and evolution but not gene expression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Katie; Bayer, Micha; Cook, Nicola; Dreißig, Steven; Dhillon, Taniya; Russell, Joanne; Hedley, Pete E; Morris, Jenny; Ramsay, Luke; Colas, Isabelle; Waugh, Robbie; Steffenson, Brian; Milne, Iain; Stephen, Gordon; Marshall, David; Flavell, Andrew J

    2014-01-01

    The low-recombining pericentromeric region of the barley genome contains roughly a quarter of the genes of the species, embedded in low-recombining DNA that is rich in repeats and repressive chromatin signatures. We have investigated the effects of pericentromeric region residency upon the expression, diversity and evolution of these genes. We observe no significant difference in average transcript level or developmental RNA specificity between the barley pericentromeric region and the rest of the genome. In contrast, all of the evolutionary parameters studied here show evidence of compromised gene evolution in this region. First, genes within the pericentromeric region of wild barley show reduced diversity and significantly weakened purifying selection compared with the rest of the genome. Second, gene duplicates (ohnolog pairs) derived from the cereal whole-genome duplication event ca. 60MYa have been completely eliminated from the barley pericentromeric region. Third, local gene duplication in the pericentromeric region is reduced by 29% relative to the rest of the genome. Thus, the pericentromeric region of barley is a permissive environment for gene expression but has restricted gene evolution in a sizeable fraction of barley's genes. PMID:24947331

  12. Gene Duplication Leads to Altered Membrane Topology of a Cytochrome P450 Enzyme in Seed Plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Renault, Hugues; De Marothy, Minttu; Jonasson, Gabriella; Lara, Patricia; Nelson, David R; Nilsson, IngMarie; André, François; von Heijne, Gunnar; Werck-Reichhart, Danièle

    2017-08-01

    Evolution of the phenolic metabolism was critical for the transition of plants from water to land. A cytochrome P450, CYP73, with cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H) activity, catalyzes the first plant-specific and rate-limiting step in this pathway. The CYP73 gene is absent from green algae, and first detected in bryophytes. A CYP73 duplication occurred in the ancestor of seed plants and was retained in Taxaceae and most angiosperms. In spite of a clear divergence in primary sequence, both paralogs can fulfill comparable cinnamate hydroxylase roles both in vitro and in vivo. One of them seems dedicated to the biosynthesis of lignin precursors. Its N-terminus forms a single membrane spanning helix and its properties and length are highly constrained. The second is characterized by an elongated and variable N-terminus, reminiscent of ancestral CYP73s. Using as proxies the Brachypodium distachyon proteins, we show that the elongation of the N-terminus does not result in an altered subcellular localization, but in a distinct membrane topology. Insertion in the membrane of endoplasmic reticulum via a double-spanning open hairpin structure allows reorientation to the lumen of the catalytic domain of the protein. In agreement with participation to a different functional unit and supramolecular organization, the protein displays modified heme proximal surface. These data suggest the evolution of divergent C4H enzymes feeding different branches of the phenolic network in seed plants. It shows that specialization required for retention of gene duplicates may result from altered protein topology rather than change in enzyme activity. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  13. A survey of innovation through duplication in the reduced genomes of twelve parasites.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeremy D DeBarry

    Full Text Available We characterize the prevalence, distribution, divergence, and putative functions of detectable two-copy paralogs and segmental duplications in the Apicomplexa, a phylum of parasitic protists. Apicomplexans are mostly obligate intracellular parasites responsible for human and animal diseases (e.g. malaria and toxoplasmosis. Gene loss is a major force in the phylum. Genomes are small and protein-encoding gene repertoires are reduced. Despite this genomic streamlining, duplications and gene family amplifications are present. The potential for innovation introduced by duplications is of particular interest. We compared genomes of twelve apicomplexans across four lineages and used orthology and genome cartography to map distributions of duplications against genome architectures. Segmental duplications appear limited to five species. Where present, they correspond to regions enriched for multi-copy and species-specific genes, pointing toward roles in adaptation and innovation. We found a phylum-wide association of duplications with dynamic chromosome regions and syntenic breakpoints. Trends in the distribution of duplicated genes indicate that recent, species-specific duplicates are often tandem while most others have been dispersed by genome rearrangements. These trends show a relationship between genome architecture and gene duplication. Functional analysis reveals: proteases, which are vital to a parasitic lifecycle, to be prominent in putative recent duplications; a pair of paralogous genes in Toxoplasma gondii previously shown to produce the rate-limiting step in dopamine synthesis in mammalian cells, a possible link to the modification of host behavior; and phylum-wide differences in expression and subcellular localization, indicative of modes of divergence. We have uncovered trends in multiple modes of duplicate divergence including sequence, intron content, expression, subcellular localization, and functions of putative recent duplicates that

  14. Colonic duplication in adults: Report of two cases presenting with rectal bleeding

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    C Fotiadis; M Genetzakis; I Papandreou; EP Misiakos; E Agapitos; GC Zografos

    2005-01-01

    Gastrointestinal duplication is an uncommon congenital abnormality in two-thirds of cases manifesting before the age of 2 years. Ileal duplication is common while colonic duplication, either cystic or tubular, is a rather unusual clinical entity that remains asymptomatic and undiagnosed in most cases. Mostly occurring in pediatric patients,colonic duplication is encountered in adults only in a few cases. This study reports two cases of colonic duplication in adults. Both cases presented with rectal bleeding on admission. The study was focused on clinical, imaging,histological, and therapeutical aspects of the presenting cases. Gastrografin enema established the diagnosis in both cases. The cystic structure and the adjacent part of the colon were excised en-block. The study implies that colonic duplication, though uncommon, should be included in the differential diagnosis of rectal bleeding.

  15. Colonic duplication in adults: report of two cases presenting with rectal bleeding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fotiadis, C; Genetzakis, M; Papandreou, I; Misiakos, E P; Agapitos, E; Zografos, G C

    2005-08-28

    Gastrointestinal duplication is an uncommon congenital abnormality in two-thirds of cases manifesting before the age of 2 years. Ileal duplication is common while colonic duplication, either cystic or tubular, is a rather unusual clinical entity that remains asymptomatic and undiagnosed in most cases. Mostly occurring in pediatric patients, colonic duplication is encountered in adults only in a few cases. This study reports two cases of colonic duplication in adults. Both cases presented with rectal bleeding on admission. The study was focused on clinical, imaging, histological, and therapeutical aspects of the presenting cases. Gastrografin enema established the diagnosis in both cases. The cystic structure and the adjacent part of the colon were excised en-block. The study implies that colonic duplication, though uncommon, should be included in the differential diagnosis of rectal bleeding.

  16. Ruptured rectal duplication with urogenital abnormality: Unusual presentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shailesh Solanki

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Rectal duplication (RD accounts for 5% of alimentary tract duplication. A varied presentation and associated anomalies have been described in the literature. Antenatal rupture of the RD is very rare. We present an unusual case of a ruptured RD associated with urogenital abnormalities in newborn male. We are discussing diagnosis, embryology, management and literature review of ruptured RD.

  17. Gastric duplication cyst: A cause of rectal bleeding in a young child.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Surridge, Clare A; Goodier, Matthew D

    2014-01-01

    Gastric duplication cysts are an uncommon congenital anomaly and rectal bleeding is a rare presentation of a complicated gastric duplication cyst. This case report describes the radiological findings in a child with a complicated gastric duplication cyst.

  18. Slipins: ancient origin, duplication and diversification of the stomatin protein family

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Young J Peter W

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Stomatin is a membrane protein that was first isolated from human red blood cells. Since then, a number of stomatin-like proteins have been identified in all three domains of life. The conservation among these proteins is remarkable, with bacterial and human homologs sharing 50 % identity. Despite being associated with a variety of diseases such as cancer, kidney failure and anaemia, precise functions of these proteins remain unclear. Results We have constructed a comprehensive phylogeny of all 'stomatin-like' sequences that share a 150 amino acid domain. We show these proteins comprise an ancient family that arose early in prokaryotic evolution, and we propose a new nomenclature that reflects their phylogeny, based on the name "slipin" (stomatin-like protein. Within prokaryotes there are two distinct subfamilies that account for the two different origins of the eight eukaryotic stomatin subfamilies, one of which gave rise to eukaryotic SLP-2, renamed here "paraslipin". This was apparently acquired through the mitochondrial endosymbiosis and is widely distributed amongst the major kingdoms. The other prokaryotic subfamily gave rise to the ancestor of the remaining seven eukaryotic subfamilies. The highly diverged "alloslipin" subfamily is represented only by fungal, viral and ciliate sequences. The remaining six subfamilies, collectively termed "slipins", are confined to metazoa. Protostome stomatin, as well as a newly reported arthropod subfamily slipin-4, are restricted to invertebrate groups, whilst slipin-1 (previously SLP-1 is present in nematodes and higher metazoa. In vertebrates, the stomatin family expanded considerably, with at least two duplication events giving rise to podocin and slipin-3 subfamilies (previously SLP-3, with the retained ancestral sequence giving rise to vertebrate stomatin. Conclusion Stomatin-like proteins have their origin in an ancient duplication event that occurred early on in the evolution

  19. Dynamic Delayed Duplicate Detection for External Memory Model Checking

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Evangelista, Sami

    2008-01-01

    Duplicate detection is an expensive operation of disk-based model checkers. It consists of comparing some potentially new states, the candidate states, to previous visited states. We propose a new approach to this technique called dynamic delayed duplicate detection. This one exploits some typical...

  20. Evolution of the DAZ gene and the AZFc region on primate Y chromosomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu Jane-Fang

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Azoospermia Factor c (AZFc region of the human Y chromosome is a unique product of segmental duplication. It consists almost entirely of very long amplicons, represented by different colors, and is frequently deleted in subfertile men. Most of the AZFc amplicons have high sequence similarity with autosomal segments, indicating recent duplication and transposition to the Y chromosome. The Deleted in Azoospermia (DAZ gene within the red-amplicon arose from an ancestral autosomal DAZ-like (DAZL gene. It varies significantly between different men regarding to its copy number and the numbers of RNA recognition motif and DAZ repeat it encodes. We used Southern analyses to study the evolution of DAZ and AZFc amplicons on the Y chromosomes of primates. Results The Old World monkey rhesus macaque has only one DAZ gene. In contrast, the great apes have multiple copies of DAZ, ranging from 2 copies in bonobos and gorillas to at least 6 copies in orangutans, and these DAZ genes have polymorphic structures similar to those of their human counterparts. Sequences homologous to the various AZFc amplicons are present on the Y chromosomes of some but not all primates, indicating that they arrived on the Y chromosome at different times during primate evolution. Conclusion The duplication and transposition of AZFc amplicons to the human Y chromosome occurred in three waves, i.e., after the branching of the New World monkey, the gorilla, and the chimpanzee/bonobo lineages, respectively. The red-amplicon, one of the first to arrive on the Y chromosome, amplified by inverted duplication followed by direct duplication after the separation of the Old World monkey and the great ape lineages. Subsequent duplication/deletion in the various lineages gave rise to a spectrum of DAZ gene structure and copy number found in today's great apes.

  1. Evolution based on domain combinations: the case of glutaredoxins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Herrero Enrique

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Protein domains represent the basic units in the evolution of proteins. Domain duplication and shuffling by recombination and fusion, followed by divergence are the most common mechanisms in this process. Such domain fusion and recombination events are predicted to occur only once for a given multidomain architecture. However, other scenarios may be relevant in the evolution of specific proteins, such as convergent evolution of multidomain architectures. With this in mind, we study glutaredoxin (GRX domains, because these domains of approximately one hundred amino acids are widespread in archaea, bacteria and eukaryotes and participate in fusion proteins. GRXs are responsible for the reduction of protein disulfides or glutathione-protein mixed disulfides and are involved in cellular redox regulation, although their specific roles and targets are often unclear. Results In this work we analyze the distribution and evolution of GRX proteins in archaea, bacteria and eukaryotes. We study over one thousand GRX proteins, each containing at least one GRX domain, from hundreds of different organisms and trace the origin and evolution of the GRX domain within the tree of life. Conclusion Our results suggest that single domain GRX proteins of the CGFS and CPYC classes have, each, evolved through duplication and divergence from one initial gene that was present in the last common ancestor of all organisms. Remarkably, we identify a case of convergent evolution in domain architecture that involves the GRX domain. Two independent recombination events of a TRX domain to a GRX domain are likely to have occurred, which is an exception to the dominant mechanism of domain architecture evolution.

  2. The Sorghum bicolor genome and the diversification of grasses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Paterson, Andrew H.; Bowers, John E.; Bruggmann, Remy; dubchak, Inna; Grimwood, Jane; Gundlach, Heidrun; Haberer, Georg; Hellsten, Uffe; Mitros, Therese; Poliakov, Alexander; Schmutz, Jeremy; Spannagl, Manuel; Tang, Haibo; Wang, Xiyin; Wicker, Thomas; Bharti, Arvind K.; Chapman, Jarrod; Feltus, F. Alex; Gowik, Udo; Grigoriev, Igor V.; Lyons, Eric; Maher, Christopher A.; Martis, Mihaela; Marechania, Apurva; Otillar, Robert P.; Penning, Bryan W.; Salamov, Asaf. A.; Wang, Yu; Zhang, Lifang; Carpita, Nicholas C.; Freeling, Michael; Gingle, Alan R.; hash, C. Thomas; Keller, Beat; Klein, Patricia; Kresovich, Stephen; McCann, Maureen C.; Ming, Ray; Peterson, Daniel G.; ur-Rahman, Mehboob-; Ware, Doreen; Westhoff, Peter; Mayer, Klaus F. X.; Messing, Joachim; Rokhsar, Daniel S.

    2008-08-20

    Sorghum, an African grass related to sugar cane and maize, is grown for food, feed, fibre and fuel. We present an initial analysis of the approx730-megabase Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench genome, placing approx98percent of genes in their chromosomal context using whole-genome shotgun sequence validated by genetic, physical and syntenic information. Genetic recombination is largely confined to about one-third of the sorghum genome with gene order and density similar to those of rice. Retrotransposon accumulation in recombinationally recalcitrant heterochromatin explains the approx75percent larger genome size of sorghum compared with rice. Although gene and repetitive DNA distributions have been preserved since palaeopolyploidization approx70 million years ago, most duplicated gene sets lost one member before the sorghum rice divergence. Concerted evolution makes one duplicated chromosomal segment appear to be only a few million years old. About 24percent of genes are grass-specific and 7percent are sorghum-specific. Recent gene and microRNA duplications may contribute to sorghum's drought tolerance.

  3. Spinal Accessory Nerve Duplication: A Case Report and Literature Review

    OpenAIRE

    Papagianni, Eleni; Kosmidou, Panagiota; Fergadaki, Sotiria; Pallantzas, Athanasios; Skandalakis, Panagiotis; Filippou, Dimitrios

    2018-01-01

    Aim of the present study is to expand our knowledge of the anatomy of the 11th cranial nerve and discuss the clinical importance and literature pertaining to accessory nerve duplication. We present one case of duplicated spinal accessory nerve in a patient undergoing neck dissection for oral cavity cancer. The literature review confirms the extremely rare diagnosis of a duplicated accessory nerve. Its clinical implication is of great importance. From this finding, a further extension to our k...

  4. Development of genome- and transcriptome-derived microsatellites in related species of snapping shrimps with highly duplicated genomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaynor, Kaitlyn M; Solomon, Joseph W; Siller, Stefanie; Jessell, Linnet; Duffy, J Emmett; Rubenstein, Dustin R

    2017-11-01

    Molecular markers are powerful tools for studying patterns of relatedness and parentage within populations and for making inferences about social evolution. However, the development of molecular markers for simultaneous study of multiple species presents challenges, particularly when species exhibit genome duplication or polyploidy. We developed microsatellite markers for Synalpheus shrimp, a genus in which species exhibit not only great variation in social organization, but also interspecific variation in genome size and partial genome duplication. From the four primary clades within Synalpheus, we identified microsatellites in the genomes of four species and in the consensus transcriptome of two species. Ultimately, we designed and tested primers for 143 microsatellite markers across 25 species. Although the majority of markers were disomic, many markers were polysomic for certain species. Surprisingly, we found no relationship between genome size and the number of polysomic markers. As expected, markers developed for a given species amplified better for closely related species than for more distant relatives. Finally, the markers developed from the transcriptome were more likely to work successfully and to be disomic than those developed from the genome, suggesting that consensus transcriptomes are likely to be conserved across species. Our findings suggest that the transcriptome, particularly consensus sequences from multiple species, can be a valuable source of molecular markers for taxa with complex, duplicated genomes. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Gastric duplication cyst: A cause of rectal bleeding in a young child

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Clare A Surridge

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Gastric duplication cysts are an uncommon congenital anomaly and rectal bleeding is a rare presentation of a complicated gastric duplication cyst. This case report describes the radiological findings in a child with a complicated gastric duplication cyst.

  6. Association of anorectal malformation with anal and rectal duplication

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karla A. Santos-Jasso

    2014-08-01

    We present three cases of rectal duplications with anorectal malforma- tion with recto-perineal fistula and colonic duplication. Two of them with delayed diagnosis and bowel obstruction, treated with laparotomy, colostomy and side-to-side anastomosis of the proximal colonic duplica- tion; in the third case the diagnosis of the colonic and rectal duplication was made during a colostomy opening. For definitive correction, the three patients underwent abdomino-perineal approach and side-to-side anastomosis of the rectal duplication, placement of the rectum within the muscle complex, and later on colostomy closure. In a fourth patient with anorectal malformation and colostomy after birth, the perineal electro-stimulation showed two muscle complexes. A posterior sagittal approach in both showed two separate blind rectal pouches; an end- to-side anastomosis of the dilated rectum was made, and the muscle complex with stronger contraction was used for the anoplasty. The posterior sagittal approach is the best surgical option to preserve the muscle complex, with a better prognosis for rectal continence.

  7. Familial partial duplication (1)(p21p31)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hoechstetter, L.; Soukup, S.; Schorry, E.K. [Children`s Hospital Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH (United States)

    1995-11-20

    A partial duplication (1)(p21p31), resulting from a maternal direct insertion (13,1) (q22p21p31), was found in a 30-year-old woman with mental retardation, cleft palate, and multiple minor anomalies. Two other affected and deceased relatives were presumed to have the same chromosome imbalance. Duplication 1p cases are reviewed. 8 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.

  8. 10 CFR 7.21 - Cost of duplication of documents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Cost of duplication of documents. 7.21 Section 7.21 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION ADVISORY COMMITTEES § 7.21 Cost of duplication of documents. Copies of the records, reports, transcripts, minutes, appendices, working papers, drafts, studies, agenda, or other...

  9. Exposure and materiality of the secondary room and its impact on the impulse response of coupled-volume concert halls

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ermann, Michael; Johnson, Marty

    2005-06-01

    How does sound decay when one room is partially exposed to another (acoustically coupled)? More specifically, this research aims to quantify how operational and design decisions impact sound fields in the design of concert halls with acoustical coupling. By adding a second room to a concert hall, and designing doors to control the sonic transparency between the two rooms, designers can create a new, coupled acoustic. Concert halls use coupling to achieve a variable, longer, and distinct reverberant quality for their musicians and listeners. For this study a coupled-volume shoebox concert hall is conceived with a fixed geometric volume, form, and primary-room sound absorption. Aperture size and secondary-room sound absorption levels are established as variables. Statistical analysis of sound decay in this simulated hall suggests a highly sensitive relationship between the double-sloped condition and (1) architectural composition, as defined by the aperture size exposing the chamber and (2) materiality, as defined by the sound absorptance in the coupled volume. The theoretical, mathematical predictions are compared with coupled-volume concert hall field measurements and guidelines are suggested for future designs of coupled-volume concert halls.

  10. Oculocutaneous albinism in a patient with 17p13.2-pter duplication - a review on the molecular syndromology of 17p13 duplication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kucharczyk, Marzena; Jezela-Stanek, Aleksandra; Gieruszczak-Bialek, Dorota; Kugaudo, Monika; Cieslikowska, Agata; Pelc, Magdalena; Krajewska-Walasek, Malgorzata

    2015-06-01

    Chromosomal duplications involving 17p13.3 have recently been defined as a new distinctive syndrome with several diagnosed patients. Some variation is known to occur in the breakpoints of the duplicated region and, consequently, in the phenotype as well. We report on a patient, the fifth to our knowledge, a 4-year-old girl with a pure de novo subtelomeric 17p13.2-pter duplication. She presents all of the facial features described so far for this duplication and in addition, a unilateral palmar transversal crease and oculocutaneous albinism which has not been reported previously. A detailed molecular description of the reported aberration and correlation with the observed phenotypical features based on a literature review. We discuss the possible molecular etiology of albinism in regard to the mode of inheritance. The new data provided here may be useful for further genotype correlations in syndromes with oculocutaneous albinism, especially of autosomal dominant inheritance.

  11. Choeur du CERN : Concert

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN Choir

    2017-01-01

    Une œuvre à découvrir! La grande Missa pro defunctis de François-Joseph Gossec (1734-1829) est le chef-d’œuvre tôt venu (à vingt-cinq ans) d’un compositeur qui vivra encore 70 ans après sa création. Elle a connu la gloire, puis s’est fait un peu oublier. Pas du tout le monde cependant : des musicologues ont montré ce que le Requiem de Mozart lui devait ; et il suffit de l’avoir entendue pour comprendre pourquoi Berlioz (qui avait vingt-six ans à la mort de Gossec) en a été impressionné : les nombreux cuivres et bois répartis dans des endroits plus ou moins cachés de la salle de concert pour exprimer les frayeurs du Jugement dernier annoncent son Requiem – et celui de Verdi. Mais « plus encore que par...

  12. Duplicate laboratory test reduction using a clinical decision support tool.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Procop, Gary W; Yerian, Lisa M; Wyllie, Robert; Harrison, A Marc; Kottke-Marchant, Kandice

    2014-05-01

    Duplicate laboratory tests that are unwarranted increase unnecessary phlebotomy, which contributes to iatrogenic anemia, decreased patient satisfaction, and increased health care costs. We employed a clinical decision support tool (CDST) to block unnecessary duplicate test orders during the computerized physician order entry (CPOE) process. We assessed laboratory cost savings after 2 years and searched for untoward patient events associated with this intervention. This CDST blocked 11,790 unnecessary duplicate test orders in these 2 years, which resulted in a cost savings of $183,586. There were no untoward effects reported associated with this intervention. The movement to CPOE affords real-time interaction between the laboratory and the physician through CDSTs that signal duplicate orders. These interactions save health care dollars and should also increase patient satisfaction and well-being.

  13. THE ORIGIN OF CONCERT MUSIC IN NIGERIA, 1850 - 1920 ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Mitch

    Studies on the origins of concert music in Nigeria often dwell on aspects of the ... chronicle its development from its earliest beginnings to the present. ... their children, trying to live as much as possible like Victoria gentlemen.' (Ajayi .... entertainment began in 1822 the movement for a public hall that bore fruit in the building.

  14. Dynamic Delayed Duplicate Detection for External Memory Model Checking

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Evangelista, Sami

    2008-01-01

    Duplicate detection is an expensive operation of disk-based model checkers. It consists of comparing some potentially new states, the candidate states, to previous visited states. We propose a new approach to this technique called dynamic delayed duplicate detection. This one exploits some typica...... significantly better than some previously published algorithms....

  15. Evidence of birth-and-death evolution of 5S rRNA gene in Channa species (Teleostei, Perciformes).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barman, Anindya Sundar; Singh, Mamta; Singh, Rajeev Kumar; Lal, Kuldeep Kumar

    2016-12-01

    In higher eukaryotes, minor rDNA family codes for 5S rRNA that is arranged in tandem arrays and comprises of a highly conserved 120 bp long coding sequence with a variable non-transcribed spacer (NTS). Initially the 5S rDNA repeats are considered to be evolved by the process of concerted evolution. But some recent reports, including teleost fishes suggested that evolution of 5S rDNA repeat does not fit into the concerted evolution model and evolution of 5S rDNA family may be explained by a birth-and-death evolution model. In order to study the mode of evolution of 5S rDNA repeats in Perciformes fish species, nucleotide sequence and molecular organization of five species of genus Channa were analyzed in the present study. Molecular analyses revealed several variants of 5S rDNA repeats (four types of NTS) and networks created by a neighbor net algorithm for each type of sequences (I, II, III and IV) did not show a clear clustering in species specific manner. The stable secondary structure is predicted and upstream and downstream conserved regulatory elements were characterized. Sequence analyses also shown the presence of two putative pseudogenes in Channa marulius. Present study supported that 5S rDNA repeats in genus Channa were evolved under the process of birth-and-death.

  16. Interactive painting. An evolving study to facilitate reduced exclusion from classical music concerts for the deaf community

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brooks, Tony

    2005-01-01

    Exclusion from the joy of experiencing music, especially in concert venues, is especially applicable to those with an auditory impairment. There have been limited investigations into how to reduce the exclusion for this community in attending classical orchestra music concerts. Through utilizing ...

  17. Evolutionary Fates and Dynamic Functionalization of Young Duplicate Genes in Arabidopsis Genomes1[OPEN

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jun; Tao, Feng; Marowsky, Nicholas C.; Fan, Chuanzhu

    2016-01-01

    Gene duplication is a primary means to generate genomic novelties, playing an essential role in speciation and adaptation. Particularly in plants, a high abundance of duplicate genes has been maintained for significantly long periods of evolutionary time. To address the manner in which young duplicate genes were derived primarily from small-scale gene duplication and preserved in plant genomes and to determine the underlying driving mechanisms, we generated transcriptomes to produce the expression profiles of five tissues in Arabidopsis thaliana and the closely related species Arabidopsis lyrata and Capsella rubella. Based on the quantitative analysis metrics, we investigated the evolutionary processes of young duplicate genes in Arabidopsis. We determined that conservation, neofunctionalization, and specialization are three main evolutionary processes for Arabidopsis young duplicate genes. We explicitly demonstrated the dynamic functionalization of duplicate genes along the evolutionary time scale. Upon origination, duplicates tend to maintain their ancestral functions; but as they survive longer, they might be likely to develop distinct and novel functions. The temporal evolutionary processes and functionalization of plant duplicate genes are associated with their ancestral functions, dynamic DNA methylation levels, and histone modification abundances. Furthermore, duplicate genes tend to be initially expressed in pollen and then to gain more interaction partners over time. Altogether, our study provides novel insights into the dynamic retention processes of young duplicate genes in plant genomes. PMID:27485883

  18. Molecular Evolution and Expansion Analysis of the NAC Transcription Factor in Zea mays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Kai; Wang, Ming; Miao, Ying; Ni, Mi; Bibi, Noreen; Yuan, Shuna; Li, Feng; Wang, Xuede

    2014-01-01

    NAC (NAM, ATAF1, 2 and CUC2) family is a plant-specific transcription factor and it controls various plant developmental processes. In the current study, 124 NAC members were identified in Zea mays and were phylogenetically clustered into 13 distinct subfamilies. The whole genome duplication (WGD), especially an additional WGD event, may lead to expanding ZmNAC members. Different subfamily has different expansion rate, and NAC subfamily preference was found during the expansion in maize. Moreover, the duplication events might occur after the divergence of the lineages of Z. mays and S. italica, and segmental duplication seemed to be the dominant pattern for the gene duplication in maize. Furthermore, the expansion of ZmNAC members may be also related to gain and loss of introns. Besides, the restriction of functional divergence was discovered after most of the gene duplication events. These results could provide novel insights into molecular evolution and expansion analysis of NAC family in maize, and advance the NAC researches in other plants, especially polyploid plants. PMID:25369196

  19. [Anterior rectal duplication in adult patient: a case report].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez-Cabrera, J; Villanueva-Sáenz, E; Bolaños-Badillo, L E

    2009-01-01

    To report a case of rectal duplication in the adult and make a literature review. The intestinal duplications are injuries of congenital origin that can exist from the base of the tongue to the anal verge, being the most frequent site at level of terminal ileum (22%) and at the rectal level in 5% To date approximately exist 80 reports in world-wide Literature generally in the pediatric population being little frequent in the adult age. Its presentation could be tubular or cystic. The recommended treatment is the surgical resection generally in block with coloanal anastomosis. A case review of rectal duplication in the adult and the conducted treatment. The case of a patient appears with diagnose of rectal duplication with tubular type,whose main symptom was constipation and fecal impactation. In the exploration was detect double rectal lumen (anterior and posterior) that it above initiates by of the anorectal ring with fibrous ulcer of fibrinoid aspect of 3 approx cm of length x 1 cm wide, at level of the septum that separates both rectal lumina. The rectal duplication is a rare pathology in the adult nevertheless is due to suspect before the existence of alterations in the mechanics of the defecation, rectal prolapse and rectal bleeding,the election treatment is a protectomy with colonic pouch in "J" and coloanal anastomosis.

  20. Adenocarcinoma within a rectal duplication cyst: case report and literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michael, D; Cohen, C R; Northover, J M

    1999-05-01

    Intestinal duplications are uncommon but recognised developmental anomalies. Duplications of the rectum are the most uncommon of these anomalies. They may present with perianal fistulae, bleeding, a pelvic mass or symptoms produced by a mass, or, rarely, malignant change. We present a case of an adenocarcinoma within a rectal duplication cyst which was initially thought to be inoperable but was treated by radical surgery.

  1. Genome specific PPARαB duplicates in salmonids and insights into estrogenic regulation in brown trout.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madureira, Tânia Vieira; Pinheiro, Ivone; de Paula Freire, Rafaelle; Rocha, Eduardo; Castro, Luis Filipe; Urbatzka, Ralph

    2017-06-01

    Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are key regulators of many processes in vertebrates, such as carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. PPARα, a member of the PPAR nuclear receptor gene subfamily (NR1C1), is involved in fatty acid metabolism, namely in peroxisomal β-oxidation. Two gene paralogues, pparαA and pparαB, were described in several teleost species with their origin dating back to the teleost-specific genome duplication (3R). Given the additional salmonid-specific genome duplication (4R), four genes could be theoretically anticipated for this gene subfamily. In this work, we examined the pparα gene repertoire in brown trout, Salmo trutta f. fario. Data disclosed two pparα-like sequences in brown trout. Phylogenetic analyses further revealed that the isolated genes are most likely genome pparαB duplicates, pparαBa and pparαBb, while pparαA is apparently absent in salmonids. Both genes showed a ubiquitous mRNA expression across a panel of 11 different organs. In vitro exposed primary brown trout hepatocytes strongly suggest that pparα gene paralogues are differently regulated by ethinylestradiol (EE2). PparαBb mRNA expression significantly decreased with dosage, reaching significance after exposure to 50μM EE2, while pparαBa mRNA increased, significant at 1μM EE2. The present data enhances the understanding of pparα function and evolution in teleost, and reinforces the evidence of a potential crosstalk between estrogenic and pparα signaling pathways. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. The impact of local government cultural policies on the sales of tickets for private music concerts in Japan

    OpenAIRE

    谷口, みゆき

    2014-01-01

    This paper attempts to examine the effect of public cultural policy on the sales of tickets for private music concerts in Japan. In particular, it focuses on how the introduction of the Designated Manager System (DMS) in 2006 influenced the sales of tickets for private music concerts. The hypothesis that both local governments' cultural investments and the DMS have increased the sales of tickets for private music concerts is examined. Data from the Private Music Live Entertainment 2000-2008 i...

  3. Positive selection of a duplicated UV-sensitive visual pigment coincides with wing pigment evolution in Heliconius butterflies

    OpenAIRE

    Briscoe, Adriana D.; Bybee, Seth M.; Bernard, Gary D.; Yuan, Furong; Sison-Mangus, Marilou P.; Reed, Robert D.; Warren, Andrew D.; Llorente-Bousquets, Jorge; Chiao, Chuan-Chin

    2010-01-01

    The butterfly Heliconius erato can see from the UV to the red part of the light spectrum with color vision proven from 440 to 640 nm. Its eye is known to contain three visual pigments, rhodopsins, produced by an 11-cis-3-hydroxyretinal chromophore together with long wavelength (LWRh), blue (BRh) and UV (UVRh1) opsins. We now find that H. erato has a second UV opsin mRNA (UVRh2)—a previously undescribed duplication of this gene among Lepidoptera. To investigate its evolutionary origin, we scre...

  4. Evolution of multiple phosphodiesterase isoforms in stickleback involved in cAMP signal transduction pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sato, Yukuto; Hashiguchi, Yasuyuki; Nishida, Mutsumi

    2009-02-20

    Duplicate genes are considered to have evolved through the partitioning of ancestral functions among duplicates (subfunctionalization) and/or the acquisition of novel functions from a beneficial mutation (neofunctionalization). Additionally, an increase in gene dosage resulting from duplication may also confer an advantageous effect, as has been suggested for histone, tRNA, and rRNA genes. Currently, there is little understanding of the effect of increased gene dosage on subcellular networks like signal transduction pathways. Addressing this issue may provide further insights into the evolution by gene duplication. We analyzed the evolution of multiple stickleback phosphodiesterase (PDE, EC: 3.1.4.17) 1C genes involved in the cyclic nucleotide signaling pathway. Stickleback has 8-9 copies of this gene, whereas only one or two loci exist in other model vertebrates. Our phylogenetic and synteny analyses suggested that the multiple PDE1C genes in stickleback were generated by repeated duplications of >100-kbp chromosome segments. Sequence evolution analysis did not provide strong evidence for neofunctionalization in the coding sequences of stickleback PDE1C isoforms. On the other hand, gene expression analysis suggested that the derived isoforms acquired expression in new organs, implying their neofunctionalization in terms of expression patterns. In addition, at least seven isoforms of the stickleback PDE1C were co-expressed with olfactory-type G-proteins in the nose, suggesting that PDE1C dosage is increased in the stickleback olfactory transduction (OT) pathway. In silico simulations of OT implied that the increased PDE1C dosage extends the longevity of the depolarization signals of the olfactory receptor neuron. The predicted effect of the increase in PDE1C products on the OT pathway may play an important role in stickleback behavior and ecology. However, this possibility should be empirically examined. Our analyses imply that an increase in gene product sometimes

  5. Evolution of multiple phosphodiesterase isoforms in stickleback involved in cAMP signal transduction pathway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nishida Mutsumi

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Duplicate genes are considered to have evolved through the partitioning of ancestral functions among duplicates (subfunctionalization and/or the acquisition of novel functions from a beneficial mutation (neofunctionalization. Additionally, an increase in gene dosage resulting from duplication may also confer an advantageous effect, as has been suggested for histone, tRNA, and rRNA genes. Currently, there is little understanding of the effect of increased gene dosage on subcellular networks like signal transduction pathways. Addressing this issue may provide further insights into the evolution by gene duplication. Results We analyzed the evolution of multiple stickleback phosphodiesterase (PDE, EC: 3.1.4.17 1C genes involved in the cyclic nucleotide signaling pathway. Stickleback has 8–9 copies of this gene, whereas only one or two loci exist in other model vertebrates. Our phylogenetic and synteny analyses suggested that the multiple PDE1C genes in stickleback were generated by repeated duplications of >100-kbp chromosome segments. Sequence evolution analysis did not provide strong evidence for neofunctionalization in the coding sequences of stickleback PDE1C isoforms. On the other hand, gene expression analysis suggested that the derived isoforms acquired expression in new organs, implying their neofunctionalization in terms of expression patterns. In addition, at least seven isoforms of the stickleback PDE1C were co-expressed with olfactory-type G-proteins in the nose, suggesting that PDE1C dosage is increased in the stickleback olfactory transduction (OT pathway. In silico simulations of OT implied that the increased PDE1C dosage extends the longevity of the depolarization signals of the olfactory receptor neuron. Conclusion The predicted effect of the increase in PDE1C products on the OT pathway may play an important role in stickleback behavior and ecology. However, this possibility should be empirically examined. Our

  6. Laparoscopic excision of an ascending colon duplication cyst in an adolescent

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heather R. Nolan

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Colonic intestinal duplications are infrequent and rarely present past early childhood. We present the case of a large, ascending colon duplication in a 17-year-old boy resected using minimally invasive techniques. This appears to be the first reported case of a laparoscopic en-bloc ascending colon duplication resection in an adolescent. The diagnosis and management of colonic duplications are discussed.

  7. An Interactive Concert Program Based on Infrared Watermark and Audio Synthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hsi-Chun; Lee, Wen-Pin Hope; Liang, Feng-Ju

    The objective of this research is to propose a video/audio system which allows the user to listen the typical music notes in the concert program under infrared detection. The system synthesizes audio with different pitches and tempi in accordance with the encoded data in a 2-D barcode embedded in the infrared watermark. The digital halftoning technique has been used to fabricate the infrared watermark composed of halftone dots by both amplitude modulation (AM) and frequency modulation (FM). The results show that this interactive system successfully recognizes the barcode and synthesizes audio under infrared detection of a concert program which is also valid for human observation of the contents. This interactive video/audio system has greatly expanded the capability of the printout paper to audio display and also has many potential value-added applications.

  8. Adenocarcinoma arising in rectal duplication cyst: case report and review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shivnani, Anand T; Small, William; Benson, Al; Rao, Sambasiva; Talamonti, Mark S

    2004-11-01

    Duplication cyst of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a rare congenital anomaly, and rectal duplication cysts comprise a small fraction these cases. Most patients present for the first time in adulthood, and the origin of rectal duplication cysts is unclear. Prior series document malignant transformation in approximately 20 per cent of cases. The following case report describes a carcinoma arising in a rectal duplication cyst. Given the lack of data demonstrating adequate control for patients with adenocarcinoma arising in a rectal duplication cyst and our experience with this patient, we recommend all patients undergo multidisciplinary evaluation prior to any therapy.

  9. Colonic duplications: Clinical presentation and radiologic features of five cases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blickman, J.G.; Rieu, P.H.M.; Buonomo, C.; Hoogeveen, Y.L.; Boetes, C.

    2006-01-01

    Diagnosis of colonic duplication can pose a potential problem even for those familiar with gastro-intestinal tract duplications in general but unaware of the condition due to its rarity and its apparently bimodal clinical presentation. In this report of five cases of surgically proven pediatric colonic duplication, we illustrate how the condition manifests clinically and describe the imaging features in an attempt to illustrate this bimodal presentation of the condition. The possible etiology, associated congenital anomalies and modes of clinical presentation are reviewed based on literature review as well as on our own experience

  10. Exposing region duplication through local geometrical color invariant features

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Jiachang; Guo, Jichang

    2015-05-01

    Many advanced image-processing softwares are available for tampering images. How to determine the authenticity of an image has become an urgent problem. Copy-move is one of the most common image forgery operations. Many methods have been proposed for copy-move forgery detection (CMFD). However, most of these methods are designed for grayscale images without any color information used. They are usually not suitable when the duplicated regions have little structure or have undergone various transforms. We propose a CMFD method using local geometrical color invariant features to detect duplicated regions. The method starts by calculating the color gradient of the inspected image. Then, we directly take the color gradient as the input for scale invariant features transform (SIFT) to extract color-SIFT descriptors. Finally, keypoints are matched and clustered before their geometrical relationship is estimated to expose the duplicated regions. We evaluate the detection performance and computational complexity of the proposed method together with several popular CMFD methods on a public database. Experimental results demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method in detecting duplicated regions with various transforms and poor structure.

  11. A single enhancer regulating the differential expression of duplicated red-sensitive opsin genes in zebrafish.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taro Tsujimura

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available A fundamental step in the evolution of the visual system is the gene duplication of visual opsins and differentiation between the duplicates in absorption spectra and expression pattern in the retina. However, our understanding of the mechanism of expression differentiation is far behind that of spectral tuning of opsins. Zebrafish (Danio rerio have two red-sensitive cone opsin genes, LWS-1 and LWS-2. These genes are arrayed in a tail-to-head manner, in this order, and are both expressed in the long member of double cones (LDCs in the retina. Expression of the longer-wave sensitive LWS-1 occurs later in development and is thus confined to the peripheral, especially ventral-nasal region of the adult retina, whereas expression of LWS-2 occurs earlier and is confined to the central region of the adult retina, shifted slightly to the dorsal-temporal region. In this study, we employed a transgenic reporter assay using fluorescent proteins and P1-artificial chromosome (PAC clones encompassing the two genes and identified a 0.6-kb "LWS-activating region" (LAR upstream of LWS-1, which regulates expression of both genes. Under the 2.6-kb flanking upstream region containing the LAR, the expression pattern of LWS-1 was recapitulated by the fluorescent reporter. On the other hand, when LAR was directly conjugated to the LWS-2 upstream region, the reporter was expressed in the LDCs but also across the entire outer nuclear layer. Deletion of LAR from the PAC clones drastically lowered the reporter expression of the two genes. These results suggest that LAR regulates both LWS-1 and LWS-2 by enhancing their expression and that interaction of LAR with the promoters is competitive between the two genes in a developmentally restricted manner. Sharing a regulatory region between duplicated genes could be a general way to facilitate the expression differentiation in duplicated visual opsins.

  12. Expansion of banana (Musa acuminata) gene families involved in ethylene biosynthesis and signalling after lineage-specific whole-genome duplications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jourda, Cyril; Cardi, Céline; Mbéguié-A-Mbéguié, Didier; Bocs, Stéphanie; Garsmeur, Olivier; D'Hont, Angélique; Yahiaoui, Nabila

    2014-05-01

    Whole-genome duplications (WGDs) are widespread in plants, and three lineage-specific WGDs occurred in the banana (Musa acuminata) genome. Here, we analysed the impact of WGDs on the evolution of banana gene families involved in ethylene biosynthesis and signalling, a key pathway for banana fruit ripening. Banana ethylene pathway genes were identified using comparative genomics approaches and their duplication modes and expression profiles were analysed. Seven out of 10 banana ethylene gene families evolved through WGD and four of them (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase (ACS), ethylene-insensitive 3-like (EIL), ethylene-insensitive 3-binding F-box (EBF) and ethylene response factor (ERF)) were preferentially retained. Banana orthologues of AtEIN3 and AtEIL1, two major genes for ethylene signalling in Arabidopsis, were particularly expanded. This expansion was paralleled by that of EBF genes which are responsible for control of EIL protein levels. Gene expression profiles in banana fruits suggested functional redundancy for several MaEBF and MaEIL genes derived from WGD and subfunctionalization for some of them. We propose that EIL and EBF genes were co-retained after WGD in banana to maintain balanced control of EIL protein levels and thus avoid detrimental effects of constitutive ethylene signalling. In the course of evolution, subfunctionalization was favoured to promote finer control of ethylene signalling. © 2014 CIRAD New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.

  13. The evolution of CHROMOMETHYLASES and gene body DNA methylation in plants

    OpenAIRE

    Leebens-Mack, Jim; Griffin, Patrick; Rohr, Nicholas; Niederhuth, Chad; Ji, Lexiang; Bewick, Adam; Schmitz, Robert

    2017-01-01

    Background The evolution of gene body methylation (gbM), its origins, and its functional consequences are poorly understood. By pairing the largest collection of transcriptomes (>1000) and methylomes (77) across Viridiplantae, we provide novel insights into the evolution of gbM and its relationship to CHROMOMETHYLASE (CMT) proteins. Results CMTs are evolutionary conserved DNA methyltransferases in Viridiplantae. Duplication events gave rise to what are now referred to as CMT1, 2 and 3. Indepe...

  14. Penile duplication and two anal openings; report of a very rare case.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakheet, Mohamed Abdel Al M; Refaei, Mohammad

    2012-03-01

    Penile duplication (diphallus) is an extremely rare disorder. It is almost always associated with other malformations like double bladder, exstrophy of the cloacae, imperforate anus, duplication of the rectosigmoid and vertebral deformities. Meanwhile anal canal duplication, the most distal and least common duplication of the digestive tube and is a very rare congenital malformation. A 21 days old Egyptian neonate is reported with complete penile duplication and two scrotums with each one carrying two palpable testes. Both penises have normal shaft with normally located meatus. Clear urine voids from both meati spontaneously. The child had also a fold of redundant skin about 4×5 cm at the anal region in which two separate anal openings are present. In rectal examination we found two normal anuses passing stool spontaneously. Ascending (voiding) cystourethrography revealed two penises with two separate meatuses and one bladder from which the two urethras go out separately. Intravenous pyelogram (IVP) revealed two normal kidneys and ureters. Barium study revealed duplication of rectum and colon, otherwise normal GIT. In our review of the literature, we did not come across any other case of this variety of the penile duplication and congenital presence of two anuses. Unfortunately the patient expired before any surgical correction.

  15. Electronic Performance Monitoring: An Organizational Justice and Concertive Control Perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alder, G. Stoney; Tompkins, Phillip K.

    1997-01-01

    Applies theories of organizational justice/concertive control to account for contradictions inherent in electronic monitoring of workers by organizations. Argues that results are usually positive when workers are involved in the design and implementation of monitoring systems, and monitoring is restricted to performance-related activities with…

  16. Hypospadiac Duplication of Anterior Urethra-a Rare Congenital Anomaly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goyal, Bhawana; Gupta, Suresh; Goyal, Parag

    2017-02-01

    Duplication of the urethra is a complex and rarely seen congenital anomaly with three anatomic variants: epispadiac (dorsal), hypospadiac (ventral), and Y-type. We report here a case of hypospadiac duplication of anterior urethra with dorsal blind ending urethra in a 9-year-old boy who presented with complaint of passing urine from the ventral aspect of penis.

  17. Gastric Duplication Cyst: A Rare Congenital Disease Often Misdiagnosed in Adults

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jessica Falleti

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Gastrointestinal duplication is a rare congenital disease which affected more commonly the ileum, while the stomach is rarely involved. Generally diagnosed in paediatric or young age, it could be difficult to suspect a gastrointestinal duplication in adults. Herein, we report a 55-year-old male with a gastric duplication cyst found on routinely checkup for chronic hepatitis and first misdiagnosed as a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST; we also discuss its embryology.

  18. CONCERT. ''European joint programme for the integration of radiation protection research''; CONCERT. Gemeinsame Europaeische Forschungsfoerderung

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schmitt-Hannig, A.; Birschwilks, M.; Jung, T. [Bundesamt fuer Strahlenschutz (Germany)

    2016-07-01

    CONCERT is a joint project of the EU and its member states which assume joint financing: Over the next five years the largest European radiation protection programme so far will have available about 28 Million Euros for research and integrative measures, whereby the European Commission will bear 70 per cent of the costs. Integrative measures include, among others, targeted vocational education and training of junior researchers in radiation protection, better access to research and irradiation facilities for scientists, as well as a stronger connection of universities and research centres in radiation protection research.

  19. Information concerning the results of the concerted work stoppage on 22 June 2011 (from 8-30 to 12-30)

    CERN Multimedia

    Human Resources Department

    2011-01-01

     Following the concerted work stoppage called by the Staff Association for 22 June 2011 concerning the measures aimed at restoring the financial equilibrium of the Pension Fund, HR Department invited staff members and fellows to declare whether or not they had participated in this action. As indicated in the communication sent to the persons concerned, it was assumed that those who did not complete the electronic declaration form did not take part in the work stoppage. The results are as follows:     Staff and fellows Declarations: Yes (took part in the concerted work stoppage) 373 Declarations: No (did not take part in the concerted work stoppage) 386 Those requisitioned 120 Those not able to participate in the concerted work stoppage (leave, absence, training…) ...

  20. Tightening the Iron Cage: Concertive Control in Self-Managing Teams.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barker, James R.

    1993-01-01

    Describes how an (industrial) organization's control system evolved in response to a managerial change from hierarchical, bureaucratic control to concertive control via self-management teams. The organization's members developed a system of value-based normative rules that controlled their actions more powerfully and completely than did the former…

  1. Treatment of Duodenal Duplication by Trans-umbilical Exploratory Minimal Laparotomy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li-Lan Chiang

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Duodenal duplication cysts are rare congenital lesions. Their presentation is often non-specific and physical examination and laboratory studies usually reveal no abnormal findings. The diagnosis of duodenal duplication cysts can thus be challenging and relies on ultrasonography, barium swallow, contrast enhanced computed tomography (CT, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP. The management of duodenal duplication cyst is surgical. Laparotomy is usually necessary, and complete resection is the management goal. Subtotal excision with stripping of the mucosa due to close involvement of the pancreatobiliary tree, and endoscopic resection have Duodenal duplication cysts are rare congenital lesions usually diagnosed in infancy, although they may present in adulthood. Prenatal diagnosis is difficult, and postnatal diagnosis relies on ultrasonography, barium swallow, contrast-enhanced computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography. A female newborn was diagnosed with an abdominal cyst (size around 6 ×; 5 × 4 cm at gestational age (GA 24 weeks, by regular prenatal examination. After her birth at GA 37 weeks, we performed abdominal ultrasonography and MRI, but there was no definite diagnosis. The usual management of an abdominal cyst involves resection by laparotomy (requiring a large incision or laparoscopy (requiring several small incisions. We performed an exploratory trans-umbilical minimal laparotomy excision for surgery, and the pathology revealed duodenal duplication. In our case, there was no recurrence of the cyst after 18 months follow-up, and the operation scar was almost undetectable. Trans-umbilical minimal laparotomy excision may be considered as an alternative choice for the management of abdominal and duodenal duplication cysts.

  2. Co-expression network analysis of duplicate genes in maize (Zea mays L.) reveals no subgenome bias.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Lin; Briskine, Roman; Schaefer, Robert; Schnable, Patrick S; Myers, Chad L; Flagel, Lex E; Springer, Nathan M; Muehlbauer, Gary J

    2016-11-04

    Gene duplication is prevalent in many species and can result in coding and regulatory divergence. Gene duplications can be classified as whole genome duplication (WGD), tandem and inserted (non-syntenic). In maize, WGD resulted in the subgenomes maize1 and maize2, of which maize1 is considered the dominant subgenome. However, the landscape of co-expression network divergence of duplicate genes in maize is still largely uncharacterized. To address the consequence of gene duplication on co-expression network divergence, we developed a gene co-expression network from RNA-seq data derived from 64 different tissues/stages of the maize reference inbred-B73. WGD, tandem and inserted gene duplications exhibited distinct regulatory divergence. Inserted duplicate genes were more likely to be singletons in the co-expression networks, while WGD duplicate genes were likely to be co-expressed with other genes. Tandem duplicate genes were enriched in the co-expression pattern where co-expressed genes were nearly identical for the duplicates in the network. Older gene duplications exhibit more extensive co-expression variation than younger duplications. Overall, non-syntenic genes primarily from inserted duplications show more co-expression divergence. Also, such enlarged co-expression divergence is significantly related to duplication age. Moreover, subgenome dominance was not observed in the co-expression networks - maize1 and maize2 exhibit similar levels of intra subgenome correlations. Intriguingly, the level of inter subgenome co-expression was similar to the level of intra subgenome correlations, and genes from specific subgenomes were not likely to be the enriched in co-expression network modules and the hub genes were not predominantly from any specific subgenomes in maize. Our work provides a comprehensive analysis of maize co-expression network divergence for three different types of gene duplications and identifies potential relationships between duplication types

  3. A rare case of congenital Y-type urethral duplication

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charu Tiwari

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Duplication of urethra is a rare congenital anomaly. We report a case of Y-type of urethral duplication with the accessory urethra arising from posterior urethra and opening in the perineum. The orthotopic urethra was normal. The accessory urethral tract was cored, transfixed and divided. At 1 year of follow-up, the patient has no urinary complaints

  4. A synergism between adaptive effects and evolvability drives whole genome duplication to fixation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cuypers, Thomas D; Hogeweg, Paulien; Hogeweg, P.

    Whole genome duplication has shaped eukaryotic evolutionary history and has been associated with drastic environmental change and species radiation. While the most common fate of WGD duplicates is a return to single copy, retained duplicates have been found enriched for highly interacting genes.

  5. Rectal duplication cyst: a combined abdominal and endoanal operative approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rees, Clare M; Woodward, Mark; Grier, David; Cusick, Eleri

    2007-04-01

    Rectal duplication cysts are rare, comprising duplications. Early excision is the treatment of choice and a number of surgical approaches have been described. We present a 3-week-old infant with a 3 cm cyst that was excised using a previously unreported combined abdominal and endoanal approach.

  6. Genome-wide identification and evolution of the PIN-FORMED (PIN) gene family in Glycine max.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yuan; Wei, Haichao

    2017-07-01

    Soybean (Glycine max) is one of the most important crop plants. Wild and cultivated soybean varieties have significant differences worth further investigation, such as plant morphology, seed size, and seed coat development; these characters may be related to auxin biology. The PIN gene family encodes essential transport proteins in cell-to-cell auxin transport, but little research on soybean PIN genes (GmPIN genes) has been done, especially with respect to the evolution and differences between wild and cultivated soybean. In this study, we retrieved 23 GmPIN genes from the latest updated G. max genome database; six GmPIN protein sequences were changed compared with the previous database. Based on the Plant Genome Duplication Database, 18 GmPIN genes have been involved in segment duplication. Three pairs of GmPIN genes arose after the second soybean genome duplication, and six occurred after the first genome duplication. The duplicated GmPIN genes retained similar expression patterns. All the duplicated GmPIN genes experienced purifying selection (K a /K s genome sequence of 17 wild and 14 cultivated soybean varieties. Our research provides useful and comprehensive basic information for understanding GmPIN genes.

  7. p53 protects against genome instability following centriole duplication failure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lambrus, Bramwell G.; Uetake, Yumi; Clutario, Kevin M.; Daggubati, Vikas; Snyder, Michael; Sluder, Greenfield

    2015-01-01

    Centriole function has been difficult to study because of a lack of specific tools that allow persistent and reversible centriole depletion. Here we combined gene targeting with an auxin-inducible degradation system to achieve rapid, titratable, and reversible control of Polo-like kinase 4 (Plk4), a master regulator of centriole biogenesis. Depletion of Plk4 led to a failure of centriole duplication that produced an irreversible cell cycle arrest within a few divisions. This arrest was not a result of a prolonged mitosis, chromosome segregation errors, or cytokinesis failure. Depleting p53 allowed cells that fail centriole duplication to proliferate indefinitely. Washout of auxin and restoration of endogenous Plk4 levels in cells that lack centrioles led to the penetrant formation of de novo centrioles that gained the ability to organize microtubules and duplicate. In summary, we uncover a p53-dependent surveillance mechanism that protects against genome instability by preventing cell growth after centriole duplication failure. PMID:26150389

  8. Verification and characterization of chromosome duplication in haploid maize.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Oliveira Couto, E G; Resende Von Pinho, E V; Von Pinho, R G; Veiga, A D; de Carvalho, M R; de Oliveira Bustamante, F; Nascimento, M S

    2015-06-26

    Doubled haploid technology has been used by various private companies. However, information regarding chromosome duplication methodologies, particularly those concerning techniques used to identify duplication in cells, is limited. Thus, we analyzed and characterized artificially doubled haploids using microsatellites molecular markers, pollen viability, and flow cytometry techniques. Evaluated material was obtained using two different chromosome duplication protocols in maize seeds considered haploids, resulting from the cross between the haploid inducer line KEMS and 4 hybrids (GNS 3225, GNS 3032, GNS 3264, and DKB 393). Fourteen days after duplication, plant samples were collected and assessed by flow cytometry. Further, the plants were transplanted to a field, and samples were collected for DNA analyses using microsatellite markers. The tassels were collected during anthesis for pollen viability analyses. Haploid, diploid, and mixoploid individuals were detected using flow cytometry, demonstrating that this technique was efficient for identifying doubled haploids. The microsatellites markers were also efficient for confirming the ploidies preselected by flow cytometry and for identifying homozygous individuals. Pollen viability showed a significant difference between the evaluated ploidies when the Alexander and propionic-carmin stains were used. The viability rates between the plodies analyzed show potential for fertilization.

  9. Forty years of erratic insecticide resistance evolution in the mosquito Culex pipiens.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pierrick Labbé

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available One view of adaptation is that it proceeds by the slow and steady accumulation of beneficial mutations with small effects. It is difficult to test this model, since in most cases the genetic basis of adaptation can only be studied a posteriori with traits that have evolved for a long period of time through an unknown sequence of steps. In this paper, we show how ace-1, a gene involved in resistance to organophosphorous insecticide in the mosquito Culex pipiens, has evolved during 40 years of an insecticide control program. Initially, a major resistance allele with strong deleterious side effects spread through the population. Later, a duplication combining a susceptible and a resistance ace-1 allele began to spread but did not replace the original resistance allele, as it is sublethal when homozygous. Last, a second duplication, (also sublethal when homozygous began to spread because heterozygotes for the two duplications do not exhibit deleterious pleiotropic effects. Double overdominance now maintains these four alleles across treated and nontreated areas. Thus, ace-1 evolution does not proceed via the steady accumulation of beneficial mutations. Instead, resistance evolution has been an erratic combination of mutation, positive selection, and the rearrangement of existing variation leading to complex genetic architecture.

  10. Case Report Duplication Of Gastrointestinal Tract

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    duplication (Fig 3). A tragic event occurred intra-operatively when ... Brain damage persisted and all modalities of treatment were terminated upon confirmation of brain death. ... compression, epithelial recanalization, and vascular accidents (6) ...

  11. Detection and analysis of ancient segmental duplications in mammalian genomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pu, Lianrong; Lin, Yu; Pevzner, Pavel A

    2018-05-07

    Although segmental duplications (SDs) represent hotbeds for genomic rearrangements and emergence of new genes, there are still no easy-to-use tools for identifying SDs. Moreover, while most previous studies focused on recently emerged SDs, detection of ancient SDs remains an open problem. We developed an SDquest algorithm for SD finding and applied it to analyzing SDs in human, gorilla, and mouse genomes. Our results demonstrate that previous studies missed many SDs in these genomes and show that SDs account for at least 6.05% of the human genome (version hg19), a 17% increase as compared to the previous estimate. Moreover, SDquest classified 6.42% of the latest GRCh38 version of the human genome as SDs, a large increase as compared to previous studies. We thus propose to re-evaluate evolution of SDs based on their accurate representation across multiple genomes. Toward this goal, we analyzed the complex mosaic structure of SDs and decomposed mosaic SDs into elementary SDs, a prerequisite for follow-up evolutionary analysis. We also introduced the concept of the breakpoint graph of mosaic SDs that revealed SD hotspots and suggested that some SDs may have originated from circular extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA), not unlike ecDNA that contributes to accelerated evolution in cancer. © 2018 Pu et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

  12. [Partial facial duplication (a rare diprosopus): Case report and review of the literature].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Es-Seddiki, A; Rkain, M; Ayyad, A; Nkhili, H; Amrani, R; Benajiba, N

    2015-12-01

    Diprosopus, or partial facial duplication, is a very rare congenital abnormality. It is a rare form of conjoined twins. Partial facial duplication may be symmetric or not and may involve the nose, the maxilla, the mandible, the palate, the tongue and the mouth. A male newborn springing from inbred parents was admitted at his first day of life for facial deformity. He presented with hypertelorism, 2 eyes, a tendency to nose duplication (flatted large nose, 2 columellae, 2 lateral nostrils separated in the midline by a third deformed hole), two mouths and a duplicated maxilla. Laboratory tests were normal. The cranio-facial CT confirmed the maxillary duplication. This type of cranio-facial duplication is a rare entity with about 35 reported cases in the literature. Our patient was similar to a rare case of living diprosopus reported by Stiehm in 1972. Diprosopus is often associated with abnormalities of the gastrointestinal tract, the central nervous system, the cardiovascular and respiratory systems and with a high incidence of cleft lip and palate. Surgical treatment consists in the resection of the duplicated components. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  13. Tail-like Congenital Duplication of Lower Extremity (Extra Leg or ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2018-01-01

    Jan 1, 2018 ... ABSTRACT. BACKGROUND: Congenital duplication of lower extremity, either complete or incomplete is extremely rare. Only 26 cases had been reported till 2010, of which only 5 cases had feature of complete duplication. Theories have been proposed that the cause of this abnormality includes maternal ...

  14. MLL duplication in a pediatric patient with B-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mater, David Van; Goodman, Barbara K; Wang, Endi; Gaca, Ana M; Wechsler, Daniel S

    2012-04-01

    Lymphoblastic lymphoma is the second most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma seen in children. Approximately, 90% of lymphoblastic lymphomas arise from T cells, with the remaining 10% being B-cell-lineage derived. Although T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma most frequently occurs in the anterior mediastinum (thymus), B-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (B-LBL) predominates in extranodal sites such as skin and bone. Here, we describe a pediatric B-LBL patient who presented with extensive abdominal involvement and whose lymphoma cells displayed segmental duplication of the mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) gene. MLL duplication/amplification has been described primarily in acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome with no published reports of discrete MLL duplication/amplification events in B-LBL. The MLL gene duplication noted in this case may represent a novel mechanism for tumorigenesis in B-LBL.

  15. Malrotation with midgut volvulus associated with perforated ileal duplication

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anand Pandey

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Duplication of the alimentary tract is an important surgical condition. It may occur anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract. An important complication of this entity is perforation of the normal or abnormal gut. Malrotation with midgut volvulus can be a surgical emergency. We present a patient, who presented as malrotation with midgut volvulus associated with perforated ileal duplication. The patient was successfully managed.

  16. The European concerted action on air pollution epidemiology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ackermann-Liebrich, U. [Basel Univ. (Switzerland). Inst. for Social and Preventive Medicine

    1995-12-31

    The European Concerted Action on Air Pollution Epidemiology was started in 1990 with the aim of bringing together European researchers in the field and improving research through collaboration and by preparing documents which would help to this end and by organizing workshops. A further aim was to stimulate cooperative research. Air pollution epidemiology investigates human effects of community air pollution by epidemiological methods. Epidemiology in general investigates the distribution and determinants of health-related states and events in populations. Diseases in which air pollution may play a significant role are mainly diseases of the respiratory system, for example chronic non-specific lung disease and lung cancer. Most diseases caused by air pollution can also be caused by other factors. Air pollution epidemiology is therefore specific in the expo variable (community air pollution) rather than in the type of health effects being studied. Air pollution epidemiology is beset with some specially challenging difficulties: ubiquitous exposure and as a consequence limited heterogeneity in exposure, low relative risks, few or specific health end points, and strong confounding. Further on the exposure-effect relationship is complicated by assumptions inherent to different study designs which relate to the exposure duration necessary to produce a certain health effect. In reports and workshops the concerted action tries to propose strategies to deal with these problems. (author)

  17. The European concerted action on air pollution epidemiology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ackermann-Liebrich, U [Basel Univ. (Switzerland). Inst. for Social and Preventive Medicine

    1996-12-31

    The European Concerted Action on Air Pollution Epidemiology was started in 1990 with the aim of bringing together European researchers in the field and improving research through collaboration and by preparing documents which would help to this end and by organizing workshops. A further aim was to stimulate cooperative research. Air pollution epidemiology investigates human effects of community air pollution by epidemiological methods. Epidemiology in general investigates the distribution and determinants of health-related states and events in populations. Diseases in which air pollution may play a significant role are mainly diseases of the respiratory system, for example chronic non-specific lung disease and lung cancer. Most diseases caused by air pollution can also be caused by other factors. Air pollution epidemiology is therefore specific in the expo variable (community air pollution) rather than in the type of health effects being studied. Air pollution epidemiology is beset with some specially challenging difficulties: ubiquitous exposure and as a consequence limited heterogeneity in exposure, low relative risks, few or specific health end points, and strong confounding. Further on the exposure-effect relationship is complicated by assumptions inherent to different study designs which relate to the exposure duration necessary to produce a certain health effect. In reports and workshops the concerted action tries to propose strategies to deal with these problems. (author)

  18. Duplications and losses in gene families of rust pathogens highlight putative effectors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pendleton, Amanda L; Smith, Katherine E; Feau, Nicolas; Martin, Francis M; Grigoriev, Igor V; Hamelin, Richard; Nelson, C Dana; Burleigh, J Gordon; Davis, John M

    2014-01-01

    Rust fungi are a group of fungal pathogens that cause some of the world's most destructive diseases of trees and crops. A shared characteristic among rust fungi is obligate biotrophy, the inability to complete a lifecycle without a host. This dependence on a host species likely affects patterns of gene expansion, contraction, and innovation within rust pathogen genomes. The establishment of disease by biotrophic pathogens is reliant upon effector proteins that are encoded in the fungal genome and secreted from the pathogen into the host's cell apoplast or within the cells. This study uses a comparative genomic approach to elucidate putative effectors and determine their evolutionary histories. We used OrthoMCL to identify nearly 20,000 gene families in proteomes of 16 diverse fungal species, which include 15 basidiomycetes and one ascomycete. We inferred patterns of duplication and loss for each gene family and identified families with distinctive patterns of expansion/contraction associated with the evolution of rust fungal genomes. To recognize potential contributors for the unique features of rust pathogens, we identified families harboring secreted proteins that: (i) arose or expanded in rust pathogens relative to other fungi, or (ii) contracted or were lost in rust fungal genomes. While the origin of rust fungi appears to be associated with considerable gene loss, there are many gene duplications associated with each sampled rust fungal genome. We also highlight two putative effector gene families that have expanded in Cqf that we hypothesize have roles in pathogenicity.

  19. Error analysis of filtering operations in pixel-duplicated images of diabetic retinopathy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehrubeoglu, Mehrube; McLauchlan, Lifford

    2010-08-01

    In this paper, diabetic retinopathy is chosen for a sample target image to demonstrate the effectiveness of image enlargement through pixel duplication in identifying regions of interest. Pixel duplication is presented as a simpler alternative to data interpolation techniques for detecting small structures in the images. A comparative analysis is performed on different image processing schemes applied to both original and pixel-duplicated images. Structures of interest are detected and and classification parameters optimized for minimum false positive detection in the original and enlarged retinal pictures. The error analysis demonstrates the advantages as well as shortcomings of pixel duplication in image enhancement when spatial averaging operations (smoothing filters) are also applied.

  20. Concerted Cultivation and Music Learning: Global Issues and Local Variations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ilari, Beatriz

    2013-01-01

    "Concerted cultivation" has been described as a common, urban middle-class practice concerning the enrollment of children in a variety of age-specific activities that may promote the learning of valuable life skills as well as the development of individual abilities (Lareau, 2003). Music is one such activity. This study investigated the…

  1. Evolutionary restoration of fertility in an interspecies hybrid yeast, by whole-genome duplication after a failed mating-type switch.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raúl A Ortiz-Merino

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Many interspecies hybrids have been discovered in yeasts, but most of these hybrids are asexual and can replicate only mitotically. Whole-genome duplication has been proposed as a mechanism by which interspecies hybrids can regain fertility, restoring their ability to perform meiosis and sporulate. Here, we show that this process occurred naturally during the evolution of Zygosaccharomyces parabailii, an interspecies hybrid that was formed by mating between 2 parents that differed by 7% in genome sequence and by many interchromosomal rearrangements. Surprisingly, Z. parabailii has a full sexual cycle and is genetically haploid. It goes through mating-type switching and autodiploidization, followed by immediate sporulation. We identified the key evolutionary event that enabled Z. parabailii to regain fertility, which was breakage of 1 of the 2 homeologous copies of the mating-type (MAT locus in the hybrid, resulting in a chromosomal rearrangement and irreparable damage to 1 MAT locus. This rearrangement was caused by HO endonuclease, which normally functions in mating-type switching. With 1 copy of MAT inactivated, the interspecies hybrid now behaves as a haploid. Our results provide the first demonstration that MAT locus damage is a naturally occurring evolutionary mechanism for whole-genome duplication and restoration of fertility to interspecies hybrids. The events that occurred in Z. parabailii strongly resemble those postulated to have caused ancient whole-genome duplication in an ancestor of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

  2. Scintigraphic detection of 'yo-yo' phenomenon in incomplete ureteric duplication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chu, Winnie C.W.; Chan, Kam-wing; Metreweli, Constantine

    2003-01-01

    'Yo-yo' reflux in an incompletely duplicated renal system was demonstrated on 99m Tc-mercaptoacetyltriglycine (MAG3) renal scintigraphy in a 7-year-old girl presenting with low-grade fever and pyelonephritis. Incomplete duplication and a bifid renal pelvis, which may be seen in up to 4% of the North American population, occasionally causes symptoms because of recurrent urinary tract infection or loin pain. 99m Tc-MAG3 renal scintigraphy can demonstrate 'yo-yo' reflux in patients with incomplete renal duplication and should be considered in cases with unexplained loin pain, even if 99m Tc-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) renal scintigraphy is normal. (orig.)

  3. Rectal duplication cyst in an adult: the laparoscopic approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salameh, Jihad R; Votanopoulos, Konstantinos I; Hilal, Raouf E; Essien, Francis A; Williams, Michael D; Barroso, Alberto O; Sweeney, John F; Brunicardi, F Charles

    2002-12-01

    Rectal duplication cyst (RDC) is a rare congenital anomaly representing 1% to 8% of all intestinal duplications. The case presented here is the first report of the laparoscopic resection of an RDC. We report the case of a 49-year-old white woman in whom a retrorectal cystic mass measuring 5 x 5.3 x 6 cm was diagnosed. The mass was completely resected by means of laparoscopic techniques. Pathologic findings revealed a cystic structure partially lined with squamous as well as respiratory- and gastrointestinal-type epithelium. Muscularis propria was identified in the outer portions of the wall of the specimen. No atypia or malignancy was identified. The overall findings were consistent with an RDC. Laparoscopic resection constitutes an excellent and patient-friendly approach to the management of large adult cystic duplication of the rectum.

  4. Chromosome Evolution in the Free-Living Flatworms: First Evidence of Intrachromosomal Rearrangements in Karyotype Evolution of Macrostomum lignano (Platyhelminthes, Macrostomida)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zadesenets, Kira S.; Ershov, Nikita I.; Berezikov, Eugene; Rubtsov, Nikolay B.

    2017-01-01

    The free-living flatworm Macrostomum lignano is a hidden tetraploid. Its genome was formed by a recent whole genome duplication followed by chromosome fusions. Its karyotype (2n = 8) consists of a pair of large chromosomes (MLI1), which contain regions of all other chromosomes, and three pairs of small metacentric chromosomes. Comparison of MLI1 with metacentrics was performed by painting with microdissected DNA probes and fluorescent in situ hybridization of unique DNA fragments. Regions of MLI1 homologous to small metacentrics appeared to be contiguous. Besides the loss of DNA repeat clusters (pericentromeric and telomeric repeats and the 5S rDNA cluster) from MLI1, the difference between small metacentrics MLI2 and MLI4 and regions homologous to them in MLI1 were revealed. Abnormal karyotypes found in the inbred DV1/10 subline were analyzed, and structurally rearranged chromosomes were described with the painting technique, suggesting the mechanism of their origin. The revealed chromosomal rearrangements generate additional diversity, opening the way toward massive loss of duplicated genes from a duplicated genome. Our findings suggest that the karyotype of M. lignano is in the early stage of genome diploidization after whole genome duplication, and further studies on M. lignano and closely related species can address many questions about karyotype evolution in animals. PMID:29084138

  5. Bias and efficiency loss in regression estimates due to duplicated observations: a Monte Carlo simulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesco Sarracino

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Recent studies documented that survey data contain duplicate records. We assess how duplicate records affect regression estimates, and we evaluate the effectiveness of solutions to deal with duplicate records. Results show that the chances of obtaining unbiased estimates when data contain 40 doublets (about 5% of the sample range between 3.5% and 11.5% depending on the distribution of duplicates. If 7 quintuplets are present in the data (2% of the sample, then the probability of obtaining biased estimates ranges between 11% and 20%. Weighting the duplicate records by the inverse of their multiplicity, or dropping superfluous duplicates outperform other solutions in all considered scenarios. Our results illustrate the risk of using data in presence of duplicate records and call for further research on strategies to analyze affected data.

  6. Dosage sensitivity shapes the evolution of copy-number varied regions.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benjamin Schuster-Böckler

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Dosage sensitivity is an important evolutionary force which impacts on gene dispensability and duplicability. The newly available data on human copy-number variation (CNV allow an analysis of the most recent and ongoing evolution. Provided that heterozygous gene deletions and duplications actually change gene dosage, we expect to observe negative selection against CNVs encompassing dosage sensitive genes. In this study, we make use of several sources of population genetic data to identify selection on structural variations of dosage sensitive genes. We show that CNVs can directly affect expression levels of contained genes. We find that genes encoding members of protein complexes exhibit limited expression variation and overlap significantly with a manually derived set of dosage sensitive genes. We show that complexes and other dosage sensitive genes are underrepresented in CNV regions, with a particular bias against frequent variations and duplications. These results suggest that dosage sensitivity is a significant force of negative selection on regions of copy-number variation.

  7. Family Music Concerts: Bringing Families, Music Students, and Music Together

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kenney, Susan Hobson

    2014-01-01

    This article describes how conductors of the top performing groups and music education faculty at one university collaborated to create a Family Concert Series for parents and children of all ages, including infants in arms. Recognizing the conflict between "The first three years of life are the most important for educating a young child in…

  8. The conversion of centrioles to centrosomes: essential coupling of duplication with segregation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Won-Jing; Soni, Rajesh Kumar; Uryu, Kunihiro; Tsou, Meng-Fu Bryan

    2011-05-16

    Centrioles are self-reproducing organelles that form the core structure of centrosomes or microtubule-organizing centers (MTOCs). However, whether duplication and MTOC organization reflect innate activities of centrioles or activities acquired conditionally is unclear. In this paper, we show that newly formed full-length centrioles had no inherent capacity to duplicate or to organize pericentriolar material (PCM) but acquired both after mitosis through a Plk1-dependent modification that occurred in early mitosis. Modified centrioles initiated PCM recruitment in G1 and segregated equally in mitosis through association with spindle poles. Conversely, unmodified centrioles segregated randomly unless passively tethered to modified centrioles. Strikingly, duplication occurred only in centrioles that were both modified and disengaged, whereas unmodified centrioles, engaged or not, were "infertile," indicating that engagement specifically blocks modified centrioles from reduplication. These two requirements, centriole modification and disengagement, fully exclude unlimited duplication in one cell cycle. We thus uncovered a Plk1-dependent mechanism whereby duplication and segregation are coupled to maintain centriole homeostasis.

  9. MSOAR 2.0: Incorporating tandem duplications into ortholog assignment based on genome rearrangement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang Liqing

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Ortholog assignment is a critical and fundamental problem in comparative genomics, since orthologs are considered to be functional counterparts in different species and can be used to infer molecular functions of one species from those of other species. MSOAR is a recently developed high-throughput system for assigning one-to-one orthologs between closely related species on a genome scale. It attempts to reconstruct the evolutionary history of input genomes in terms of genome rearrangement and gene duplication events. It assumes that a gene duplication event inserts a duplicated gene into the genome of interest at a random location (i.e., the random duplication model. However, in practice, biologists believe that genes are often duplicated by tandem duplications, where a duplicated gene is located next to the original copy (i.e., the tandem duplication model. Results In this paper, we develop MSOAR 2.0, an improved system for one-to-one ortholog assignment. For a pair of input genomes, the system first focuses on the tandemly duplicated genes of each genome and tries to identify among them those that were duplicated after the speciation (i.e., the so-called inparalogs, using a simple phylogenetic tree reconciliation method. For each such set of tandemly duplicated inparalogs, all but one gene will be deleted from the concerned genome (because they cannot possibly appear in any one-to-one ortholog pairs, and MSOAR is invoked. Using both simulated and real data experiments, we show that MSOAR 2.0 is able to achieve a better sensitivity and specificity than MSOAR. In comparison with the well-known genome-scale ortholog assignment tool InParanoid, Ensembl ortholog database, and the orthology information extracted from the well-known whole-genome multiple alignment program MultiZ, MSOAR 2.0 shows the highest sensitivity. Although the specificity of MSOAR 2.0 is slightly worse than that of InParanoid in the real data experiments

  10. MECP2 duplication phenotype in symptomatic females: report of three further cases

    OpenAIRE

    Novara, Francesca; Simonati, Alessandro; Sicca, Federico; Battini, Roberta; Fiori, Simona; Contaldo, Annarita; Criscuolo, Lucia; Zuffardi, Orsetta; Ciccone, Roberto

    2014-01-01

    Background Xq28 duplications, including MECP2 (methyl CpG-binding protein 2; OMIM 300005), have been identified in approximately 140 male patients presenting with hypotonia, severe developmental delay/intellectual disability, limited or absent speech and ambulation, and recurrent respiratory infections. Female patients with Xq28 duplication have been rarely reported and are usually asymptomatic. Altogether, only fifteen symptomatic females with Xq28 duplications including MECP2 have been repo...

  11. Craniofacial duplication (diprosopus): CT, MR imaging, and MR angiography findings case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hähnel, Stefan; Schramm, Peter; Hassfeld, Stefan; Steiner, Hans H; Seitz, Angelika

    2003-01-01

    Diprosopus is one of the rarest malformations in humans. In addition to the facial structures, the cerebral frontal lobes were duplicated in this case. Three pairs of anterior cerebral arteries were detected, and the rostral parts of the superior sagittal sinus were duplicated. Computed tomography, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and MR angiography allowed study of the degree of duplicative changes in diprosopus, especially for planning cosmetic correction. Copyright RSNA, 2002

  12. Detection and correction of false segmental duplications caused by genome mis-assembly

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    Diploid genomes with divergent chromosomes present special problems for assembly software as two copies of especially polymorphic regions may be mistakenly constructed, creating the appearance of a recent segmental duplication. We developed a method for identifying such false duplications and applied it to four vertebrate genomes. For each genome, we corrected mis-assemblies, improved estimates of the amount of duplicated sequence, and recovered polymorphisms between the sequenced chromosomes. PMID:20219098

  13. Origin and Evolution of Rickettsial Plasmids.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khalid El Karkouri

    Full Text Available Rickettsia species are strictly intracellular bacteria that have undergone a reductive genomic evolution. Despite their allopatric lifestyle, almost half of the 26 currently validated Rickettsia species have plasmids. In order to study the origin, evolutionary history and putative roles of rickettsial plasmids, we investigated the evolutionary processes that have shaped 20 plasmids belonging to 11 species, using comparative genomics and phylogenetic analysis between rickettsial, microbial and non-microbial genomes.Plasmids were differentially present among Rickettsia species. The 11 species had 1 to 4 plasmid (s with a size ranging from 12 kb to 83 kb. We reconstructed pRICO, the last common ancestor of the current rickettsial plasmids. pRICO was vertically inherited mainly from Rickettsia/Orientia chromosomes and diverged vertically into a single or multiple plasmid(s in each species. These plasmids also underwent a reductive evolution by progressive gene loss, similar to that observed in rickettsial chromosomes, possibly leading to cryptic plasmids or complete plasmid loss. Moreover, rickettsial plasmids exhibited ORFans, recent gene duplications and evidence of horizontal gene transfer events with rickettsial and non-rickettsial genomes mainly from the α/γ-proteobacteria lineages. Genes related to maintenance and plasticity of plasmids, and to adaptation and resistance to stress mostly evolved under vertical and/or horizontal processes. Those involved in nucleotide/carbohydrate transport and metabolism were under the influence of vertical evolution only, whereas genes involved in cell wall/membrane/envelope biogenesis, cycle control, amino acid/lipid/coenzyme and secondary metabolites biosynthesis, transport and metabolism underwent mainly horizontal transfer events.Rickettsial plasmids had a complex evolution, starting with a vertical inheritance followed by a reductive evolution associated with increased complexity via horizontal gene

  14. Statistics regarding the concerted work stoppage of 28 April 2006

    CERN Multimedia

    HR Department

    2006-01-01

    Following the concerted work stoppage of Friday, 28 April, HR Department sent out a questionnaire to all staff members in order to determine the number of those who participated. Questionnaires sent out : 2665 Staff members asked not to return the questionnaire: (on official duty/special leave/sick leave/annual leave) -1006 of which, those who took one day only of annual leave linked to the weekend of 1st May [430] Staff members called upon to perform their duties: -217 Total number of forms expected to be returned 1442 It was presumed that all those who had not returned their forms had not taken part in the work stoppage. After a count and verification of the questionnaires (returned up to 11 May) together with a representative of the Staff Association, the results are the following: Those who specifically indicated that they took part in the concerted work stoppage: 166 11.5% YES Non-participation 1276 88.5% NO of which, those who wanted to indicate that they did not ta...

  15. Method of duplicating film using the CR system. Evaluation of detectability in a simulated nodule

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fukuyama, Atsushi; Ando, Satoshi; Maeda, Kayoko; Ida, Kazushi; Suzuki, Tomoaki; Fukuyama, Kouichi; Hasegawa, Takeo

    2005-01-01

    Since film processors used for screen-film systems have been decreasing recently, it is becoming difficult to develop duplicating film (Dup film) used conventionally. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the method of duplicating film using a computed radiography (CR) system. The process of duplicating film using CR is to eliminate energy accumulated on the imaging plate (IP) using white light, to accumulate energy on the whole surface, and to place the original film in piles. After an exposure of white light, duplicated films can be obtained by CR system. In order to evaluate the reproducibiliy of our system, duplicated films were read by experienced observers and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was carried out. Observers read 50 images with a simulated nodule and 50 images without a simulated nodule. The average Az values were 0.94 for the original films, 0.91 for films duplicated using Dup film, and 0.90 for films duplicated using the CR system. When the two-tailed paired-T test was performed for each result, there were no statistically significant differences at p<0.05. The detectability of a simulated nodule for films duplicated using the CR system did not differ from the detectability of films duplicated using Dup film. This method may be a reasonable substitute for the conventional duplication system. (author)

  16. A case of asymptomatic ileal duplication cyst associated with acute appendicitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hülya İpek

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Duplications of the alimentary tract are infrequent anomalies. They are most frequently located in the terminal ileum, and majority of them became symptomatic before the age of 2. Presenting symptoms may include abdominal mass, intestinal obstruction, intussusception, rectal bleeding, and abdominal pain. Preoperative diagnosis is usually difficult, intra-abdominal duplications are usually diagnosed during surgical explorations of above complications. We presented a 12-year-old girl with asymptomatic ileal duplication cyst associated with non-complicated acute appendicitis, whose imaging studies at admission were compatible with complicated perforated appendicitis.

  17. Partial Duplication of Chromosome 8p

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    rme

    The partial chromosome 8p duplication is a rare syndrome and is ... abnormality of maternal origin that ... second trimester by vaginal bleeding and ... echocardiography, brain CT scan and. MRI. Fig. 1:Conventional karyotype of case 3 showing.

  18. A retroperitoneal foregut duplication cyst: a case report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Yong Woon; Lee, Jin Hee; Byun, Kyung Hwan; Kim, Byung Ki; Sohn, Kyung Sik; Kee, Se Kook; Jeon, Jin Min; Yun, Young Kook

    2006-01-01

    Retroperitoneal foregut duplication cyst is an extremely rare congenital malformation. Pathologically, this lesion contains both gastric mucosa and respiratory type mucosa; radiologically, it is often challenging to differentiate it from the other cystic neoplasms that present a similar appearance. We report on a case of retroperitoneal foregut duplication cyst that was lined by both gastric and pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium, and it was also accompanied by a pancreatic pseudocyst. Initially, it presented with peripancreatic and intrapancreatic cystic masses in an asymptomatic 30-year-old man, and this man has since undergone surgical resection

  19. FUNCTIONAL SPECIALIZATION OF DUPLICATED FLAVONOID BIOSYNTHESIS GENES IN WHEAT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khlestkina E.

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Gene duplication followed by subfunctionalization and neofunctionalization is of a great evolutionary importance. In plant genomes, duplicated genes may result from either polyploidization (homoeologous genes or segmental chromosome duplications (paralogous genes. In allohexaploid wheat Triticum aestivum L. (2n=6x=42, genome BBAADD, both homoeologous and paralogous copies were found for the regulatory gene Myc encoding MYC-like transcriptional factor in the biosynthesis of flavonoid pigments, anthocyanins, and for the structural gene F3h encoding one of the key enzymes of flavonoid biosynthesis, flavanone 3-hydroxylase. From the 5 copies (3 homoeologous and 2 paralogous of the Myc gene found in T. aestivum, only one plays a regulatory role in anthocyanin biosynthesis, interacting complementary with another transcriptional factor (MYB-like to confer purple pigmentation of grain pericarp in wheat. The role and functionality of the other 4 copies of the Myc gene remain unknown. From the 4 functional copies of the F3h gene in T. aestivum, three homoeologues have similar function. They are expressed in wheat organs colored with anthocyanins or in the endosperm, participating there in biosynthesis of uncolored flavonoid substances. The fourth copy (the B-genomic paralogue is transcribed neither in wheat organs colored with anthocyanins nor in seeds, however, it’s expression has been noticed in roots of aluminium-stressed plants, where the three homoeologous copies are not active. Functional diversification of the duplicated flavonoid biosynthesis genes in wheat may be a reason for maintenance of the duplicated copies and preventing them from pseudogenization.The study was supported by RFBR (11-04-92707. We also thank Ms. Galina Generalova for technical assistance.

  20. The Concert system - Compiler and runtime technology for efficient concurrent object-oriented programming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chien, Andrew A.; Karamcheti, Vijay; Plevyak, John; Sahrawat, Deepak

    1993-01-01

    Concurrent object-oriented languages, particularly fine-grained approaches, reduce the difficulty of large scale concurrent programming by providing modularity through encapsulation while exposing large degrees of concurrency. Despite these programmability advantages, such languages have historically suffered from poor efficiency. This paper describes the Concert project whose goal is to develop portable, efficient implementations of fine-grained concurrent object-oriented languages. Our approach incorporates aggressive program analysis and program transformation with careful information management at every stage from the compiler to the runtime system. The paper discusses the basic elements of the Concert approach along with a description of the potential payoffs. Initial performance results and specific plans for system development are also detailed.

  1. Obscure bleeding colonic duplication responds to proton pump inhibitor therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacques, Jérémie; Projetti, Fabrice; Legros, Romain; Valgueblasse, Virginie; Sarabi, Matthieu; Carrier, Paul; Fredon, Fabien; Bouvier, Stéphane; Loustaud-Ratti, Véronique; Sautereau, Denis

    2013-09-21

    We report the case of a 17-year-old male admitted to our academic hospital with massive rectal bleeding. Since childhood he had reported recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding and had two exploratory laparotomies 5 and 2 years previously. An emergency abdominal computed tomography scan, gastroscopy and colonoscopy, performed after hemodynamic stabilization, were considered normal. High-dose intravenous proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy was initiated and bleeding stopped spontaneously. Two other massive rectal bleeds occurred 8 h after each cessation of PPI which led to a hemostatic laparotomy after negative gastroscopy and small bowel capsule endoscopy. This showed long tubular duplication of the right colon, with fresh blood in the duplicated colon. Obscure lower gastrointestinal bleeding is a difficult medical situation and potentially life-threatening. The presence of ulcerated ectopic gastric mucosa in the colonic duplication explains the partial efficacy of PPI therapy. Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding responding to empiric anti-acid therapy should probably evoke the diagnosis of bleeding ectopic gastric mucosa such as Meckel's diverticulum or gastrointestinal duplication, and gastroenterologists should be aware of this potential medical situation.

  2. Cystic rectal duplication: a rare cause of neonatal intestinal obstruction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mboyo, A; Monek, O; Massicot, R; Martin, L; Destuynder, O; Lemouel, A; Aubert, D

    1997-07-01

    A case of cystic rectal duplication revealed on day 2 of life by a low intestinal occluding syndrome is reported. Radiologic imaging (ultrasonography, cystography, rectography) showed a large, retrorectal liquid formation in the pelvis and abdomen, with pelvic compression of the terminal alimentary canal and lower urinary tract. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a liquid formation with clearly defined edges and no medullary involvement, thus ruling out the possibility of a previous meningeal hernia. Biological markers were within normal limits. On day 4, a 9 x 6-cm cystic rectal duplication was removed, followed by a temporary colostomy. Pathologic examination demonstrated typical rectal architecture with ciliated cells. Radiologic and clinical findings at 2-month follow-up were reassuring. This case report is exceptional for the following reasons: (1) As a rule, rectal duplications are relatively rare (70 cases reported in the literature); (2) The means of disclosing a neonatal rectal duplication is unusual (4 cases reported in the literature); (3) The volume of the malformation was considerable; and (4) Heterotopic ciliated epithelium was present.

  3. Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase through evolution: A bioinformatic approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shiva Hemmati

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL is the first entry enzyme of the phenylpropanoid pathway that converts phenylalanine to cinnamic acid which is the precursor of various secondary metabolites. PAL is recently formulated for phenylketonuric patients in pegylated forms; therefore, screening a PAL with the highest affinity to the substrate is of a great importance. PAL exists in all higher plants and some fungi and few bacteria. Ancestors of land plants have been adopted by evolving metabolic pathways. A multi-gene family encodes PAL by gene duplication events in most plants. In this study, the taxonomic distribution and phylogeny of pal gene found in land plants, fungi and bacteria have been analyzed. It seems that the ancestor of plants acquired a pal gene via horizontal gene transfer in symbioses with bacteria and fungi. Gymnosperms have kept a diverse set of pal genes that arose from gene duplication events. In angiosperms, after the divergence of dicotyledons from monocots, pal genes were duplicated many times. The close paralogues of pal genes in some species indicate expansion of gene families after the divergence in plant pal gene evolution. Interestingly, some of the plant pals clustered by species in a way that pals within one species are more closely related to each other than to homologs in the other species which indicates this duplication event occurred more recently.

  4. Sibling rivalry among paralogs promotes evolution of the human brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tyler-Smith, Chris; Xue, Yali

    2012-05-11

    Geneticists have long sought to identify the genetic changes that made us human, but pinpointing the functionally relevant changes has been challenging. Two papers in this issue suggest that partial duplication of SRGAP2, producing an incomplete protein that antagonizes the original, contributed to human brain evolution. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. An adaptive, data driven sound field control strategy for outdoor concerts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Heuchel, Franz Maria; Caviedes Nozal, Diego; Brunskog, Jonas

    2017-01-01

    One challenge of outdoor concerts is to ensure adequate levels for the audience while avoiding disturbance of the surroundings. We outline the initial concept of a sound field control (SFC) system for tackling this issue using sound-zoning. The system uses Bayesian inference to update a sound...

  6. Duplication of the pituitary gland associated with multiple blastogenesis defects: Duplication of the pituitary gland (DPG)-plus syndrome. Case report and review of literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manjila, Sunil; Miller, Erin A; Vadera, Sumeet; Goel, Rishi K; Khan, Fahd R; Crowe, Carol; Geertman, Robert T

    2012-01-01

    Duplication of the pituitary gland (DPG) is a rare craniofacial developmental anomaly occurring during blastogenesis with postulated etiology such as incomplete twinning, teratogens, median cleft face syndrome or splitting of the notochord. The complex craniocaudal spectrum of blastogenesis defects associated with DPG is examined with an illustrative case. We report for the first time in the medical literature some unique associations with DPG, such as a clival encephalocele, third cerebral peduncle, duplicate odontoid process and a double tongue with independent volitional control. This patient also has the previously reported common associations such as duplicated sella, cleft palate, hypertelorism, callosal agenesis, hypothalamic enlargement, nasopharyngeal teratoma, fenestrated basilar artery and supernumerary teeth. This study also reviews 37 cases of DPG identified through MEDLINE literature search from 1880 to 2011. It provides a detailed analysis of the current case through physical examination and imaging. The authors propose that the developmental deformities associated with duplication of pituitary gland (DPG) occur as part of a developmental continuum, not as chance associations. Considering the fact that DPG is uniquely and certainly present throughout the spectrum of these blastogenesis defects, we suggest the term DPG-plus syndrome.

  7. Glutamine synthetase gene evolution: A good molecular clock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pesole, G.; Lanvave, C.; Saccone, C.; Bozzetti, M.P.; Preparata, G.

    1991-01-01

    Glutamine synthetase gene evolution in various animals, plants, and bacteria was evaluated by a general stationary Markov model. The evolutionary process proved to be unexpectedly regular even for a time span as long as that between the divergence of prokaryotes from eukaryotes. This enabled us to draw phylogenetic trees for species whose phylogeny cannot be easily reconstructed from the fossil record. The calculation of the times of divergence of the various organelle-specific enzymes led us to hypothesize that the pea and bean chloroplast genes for these enzymes originated from the duplication of nuclear genes as a result of the different metabolic needs of the various species. The data indicate that the duplication of plastid glutamine synthetase genes occurred long after the endosymbiotic events that produced the organelles themselves

  8. Measured Early Lateral Energy Fractions in Concert Halls and Opera Houses

    Science.gov (United States)

    BARRON, M.

    2000-04-01

    In the 30 years since early lateral reflections were first suggested as important for concert halls, spatial impression and source broadening have become almost universally accepted as essential characteristics of halls with good acoustics. Two objective measures of source broadening have been proposed. Measured values of the best defined of these measures, the early lateral energy fraction (LF), are considered here. Results from two independent measurement surveys are discussed. Comparisons of LF values by hall show a significant link between hall mean LF and hall width. There is however considerable overlap between measured LF values in different halls so the relevance of describing halls by their mean early lateral energy fraction values is questionable. The behaviour of LF values within auditoria is discussed for different concert hall plan forms and within opera houses. A measure of source broadening including sound level is proposed and results considered in the context of auditorium design.

  9. Diprosopus (partially duplicated head) associated with anencephaly: a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    al Muti Zaitoun, A; Chang, J; Booker, M

    1999-01-01

    Craniofacial duplication (diprosopus) is a rare form of conjoined twin. A 16 year old mother with a twin pregnancy delivered one normally formed baby boy and one diprosopus male. The malformed baby was 33 weeks of gestation with a single trunk, normal limbs and various degrees of facial duplication. Of the following structures there were two of each: noses, eyes, ears (and one dimple), mouths, tongues and, with bilateral central cleft lips and cleft palates. This was associated with holoprosencephaly and craniorachischisis. Internal organs showed no duplication. There were multiple congenital anomalies including diaphragmatic hernia, small lungs, two lobes of the right lung, ventricular septal defect, small adrenal gland and small left kidney with short ureter. The body also had a short neck, small chest cavities and kyphosis. X-ray revealed duplication of the vertebral column. The case presented here represents a type II of diprosopia of Rating (1933) and is the least common type reported. We also reviewed 22 recently reported cases of diprosopus. In addition to facial duplication, anencephaly, neural tube defect and cardiac malformations represent the more common congenital abnormalities associated with diprosopus. The pathogenesis of diprosopus is not well understood. Factors that play a role in diprosopus are probably similar to those factors (genetic, environmental and abnormal placental circulation) which affect monozoygotic twins as observed in this case report. Early ultrasonography diagnosis of diprosopus permits one to consider a vaginal therapeutic abortion.

  10. Independent Origin and Global Distribution of Distinct Plasmodium vivax Duffy Binding Protein Gene Duplications.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jessica B Hostetler

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Plasmodium vivax causes the majority of malaria episodes outside Africa, but remains a relatively understudied pathogen. The pathology of P. vivax infection depends critically on the parasite's ability to recognize and invade human erythrocytes. This invasion process involves an interaction between P. vivax Duffy Binding Protein (PvDBP in merozoites and the Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (DARC on the erythrocyte surface. Whole-genome sequencing of clinical isolates recently established that some P. vivax genomes contain two copies of the PvDBP gene. The frequency of this duplication is particularly high in Madagascar, where there is also evidence for P. vivax infection in DARC-negative individuals. The functional significance and global prevalence of this duplication, and whether there are other copy number variations at the PvDBP locus, is unknown.Using whole-genome sequencing and PCR to study the PvDBP locus in P. vivax clinical isolates, we found that PvDBP duplication is widespread in Cambodia. The boundaries of the Cambodian PvDBP duplication differ from those previously identified in Madagascar, meaning that current molecular assays were unable to detect it. The Cambodian PvDBP duplication did not associate with parasite density or DARC genotype, and ranged in prevalence from 20% to 38% over four annual transmission seasons in Cambodia. This duplication was also present in P. vivax isolates from Brazil and Ethiopia, but not India.PvDBP duplications are much more widespread and complex than previously thought, and at least two distinct duplications are circulating globally. The same duplication boundaries were identified in parasites from three continents, and were found at high prevalence in human populations where DARC-negativity is essentially absent. It is therefore unlikely that PvDBP duplication is associated with infection of DARC-negative individuals, but functional tests will be required to confirm this hypothesis.

  11. SOXE neofunctionalization and elaboration of the neural crest during chordate evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tai, Andrew; Cheung, Martin; Huang, Yong-Heng; Jauch, Ralf; Bronner, Marianne E.; Cheah, Kathryn S. E.

    2016-01-01

    During chordate evolution, two genome-wide duplications facilitated acquisition of vertebrate traits, including emergence of neural crest cells (NCCs), in which neofunctionalization of the duplicated genes are thought to have facilitated development of craniofacial structures and the peripheral nervous system. How these duplicated genes evolve and acquire the ability to specify NC and their derivatives are largely unknown. Vertebrate SoxE paralogues, most notably Sox9/10, are essential for NC induction, delamination and lineage specification. In contrast, the basal chordate, amphioxus, has a single SoxE gene and lacks NC-like cells. Here, we test the hypothesis that duplication and divergence of an ancestral SoxE gene may have facilitated elaboration of NC lineages. By using an in vivo expression assay to compare effects of AmphiSoxE and vertebrate Sox9 on NC development, we demonstrate that all SOXE proteins possess similar DNA binding and homodimerization properties and can induce NCCs. However, AmphiSOXE is less efficient than SOX9 in transactivation activity and in the ability to preferentially promote glial over neuronal fate, a difference that lies within the combined properties of amino terminal and transactivation domains. We propose that acquisition of AmphiSoxE expression in the neural plate border led to NCC emergence while duplication and divergence produced advantageous mutations in vertebrate homologues, promoting elaboration of NC traits. PMID:27734831

  12. A rare association of rectal and genitourinary duplication and anorectal malformation

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    王俊; 施诚仁; 余世耀; 吴燕; 徐长辉

    2003-01-01

    @@ It is very rare to see multiple malformations occurring in both the urogenital and digestive systems in a case of congenital anorectal malformation. In this particular care, an imperforated anus occurred with other multiple malformations, including a double kidney, urethral duplication and rectal duplication, etc.

  13. Role of computed tomography in oesophageal duplications. Report of two cases; Duplications oesophagiennes: place de la tomodensitometrie

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jouini, S.; Menif, E.; Azaiez, N.; Ben Hajel, H.; Cheikh, I.; Ben Ammar, A.; Sellami, M.; Ben Jaafar, M. [Hopital La Rabta, Tunis (Tunisia)

    1995-12-31

    The authors present two cases of esophageal duplication: tubular in one case and cystic in the other. This rare anomaly was identified in both cases by CT scan. A review of literature is proposed. (authors). 22 refs., 10 figs.

  14. Intussusception due to a cecal duplication cyst: a rare cause of acute abdomen. Case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corroppolo, M; Zampieri, N; Erculiani, E; Cecchetto, M; Camoglio, F S

    2007-01-01

    Duplications of the alimentary tract are rare congenital anomalies. The ileum is the most common site, whereas rectal, duodenal, gastric and cecal duplications are extremely rare. Duplication cysts of the cecum, in a neonate, are even rarer, with only 19 cases reported in medical literature to date. We report a case of intestinal intussusception due to a cecal duplication cyst.

  15. Sas-4 proteins are required during basal body duplication in Paramecium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gogendeau, Delphine; Hurbain, Ilse; Raposo, Graca; Cohen, Jean; Koll, France; Basto, Renata

    2011-01-01

    Centrioles and basal bodies are structurally related organelles composed of nine microtubule (MT) triplets. Studies performed in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos have shown that centriole duplication takes place in sequential way, in which different proteins are recruited in a specific order to assemble a procentriole. ZYG-1 initiates centriole duplication by triggering the recruitment of a complex of SAS-5 and SAS-6, which then recruits the final player, SAS-4, to allow the incorporation of MT singlets. It is thought that a similar mechanism (that also involves additional proteins) is present in other animal cells, but it remains to be investigated whether the same players and their ascribed functions are conserved during basal body duplication in cells that exclusively contain basal bodies. To investigate this question, we have used the multiciliated protist Paramecium tetraurelia. Here we show that in the absence of PtSas4, two types of defects in basal body duplication can be identified. In the majority of cases, the germinative disk and cartwheel, the first structures assembled during duplication, are not detected. In addition, if daughter basal bodies were formed, they invariably had defects in MT recruitment. Our results suggest that PtSas4 has a broader function than its animal orthologues. PMID:21289083

  16. Evolution in a test tube: the hatchet before the scalpel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rando, Oliver J

    2008-11-28

    Gene duplication provides an organism with a rich source of genetic material for tinkering by selection during evolution. In this issue, Rancati et al. (2008) report that extensive polyploidy and aneuploidy are the initial evolutionary changes in yeast selected in vitro to overcome defects resulting from the loss of a myosin II protein crucial for normal cytokinesis.

  17. Craniofacial Duplication (Diprosopus) in the Cat — Case Report and Review of the Literature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sekeles, E.; Aharon, D.C.; Fass, U.

    1985-01-01

    A kitten displaying the features of symmetrical partial duplication of the head (diprosopus) is described. The morphological description of this double monster is compared to three previous similar cases. All four cases were similar in that duplication of the orbits and eyes were not completed and fission of the oral and nasal cavities and their contents were partial. Furthermore, the central nervous systems were duplicated as far caudal as the brain stem. Present case displayed cleft palate in the two faces, a feature that was not described earlier. Though diprosopus is a rare anomaly in cats, it is more common than in the dog, pig and sheep. In cattle, anterior duplications are one of the largest groups of congenital anomalies. Based on generally accepted considerations concerning the mechanism behind the formation of monozyous twins, conjoined twins and anterior duplications, integrated with experimental data on induction of duplications in animals, an hypothesis is proposed for early embryonic fission. It suggests a constant cleaving factor active along the median plane with affinity to midline structures. Its temporal relations with the developing embryo, especially in susceptible species, decide the degree and type of duplication

  18. Rectosigmoid tubular duplication presenting as perineal sepsis in a neonate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhibo; Huang, Ying; Wang, Dajia; Su, Pengjun

    2010-03-01

    Tubular rectal duplication is a very rare congenital anomaly. We report a case of tubular rectal duplication in a newborn baby who presented with perianal sepsis. The diagnosis was confirmed by barium enema, magnetic resonance imaging, and at operation. We performed total mucosectomy through a posterior sagittal incision combined with laparotomy. The patient was doing quite well at 17-month follow-up examination.

  19. Reducing duplicate testing: a comparison of two clinical decision support tools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Procop, Gary W; Keating, Catherine; Stagno, Paul; Kottke-Marchant, Kandice; Partin, Mary; Tuttle, Robert; Wyllie, Robert

    2015-05-01

    Unnecessary duplicate laboratory testing is common and costly. Systems-based means to avert unnecessary testing should be investigated and employed. We compared the effectiveness and cost savings associated with two clinical decision support tools to stop duplicate testing. The Hard Stop required telephone contact with the laboratory and justification to have the duplicate test performed, whereas the Smart Alert allowed the provider to bypass the alert at the point of order entry without justification. The Hard Stop alert was significantly more effective than the Smart Alert (92.3% vs 42.6%, respectively; P < .0001). The cost savings realized per alert activation was $16.08/alert for the Hard Stop alert vs $3.52/alert for the Smart Alert. Structural and process changes that require laboratory contact and justification for duplicate testing are more effective than interventions that allow providers to bypass alerts without justification at point of computerized physician order entry. Copyright© by the American Society for Clinical Pathology.

  20. Differential transcriptional modulation of duplicated fatty acid-binding protein genes by dietary fatty acids in zebrafish (Danio rerio: evidence for subfunctionalization or neofunctionalization of duplicated genes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Denovan-Wright Eileen M

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In the Duplication-Degeneration-Complementation (DDC model, subfunctionalization and neofunctionalization have been proposed as important processes driving the retention of duplicated genes in the genome. These processes are thought to occur by gain or loss of regulatory elements in the promoters of duplicated genes. We tested the DDC model by determining the transcriptional induction of fatty acid-binding proteins (Fabps genes by dietary fatty acids (FAs in zebrafish. We chose zebrafish for this study for two reasons: extensive bioinformatics resources are available for zebrafish at zfin.org and zebrafish contains many duplicated genes owing to a whole genome duplication event that occurred early in the ray-finned fish lineage approximately 230-400 million years ago. Adult zebrafish were fed diets containing either fish oil (12% lipid, rich in highly unsaturated fatty acid, sunflower oil (12% lipid, rich in linoleic acid, linseed oil (12% lipid, rich in linolenic acid, or low fat (4% lipid, low fat diet for 10 weeks. FA profiles and the steady-state levels of fabp mRNA and heterogeneous nuclear RNA in intestine, liver, muscle and brain of zebrafish were determined. Result FA profiles assayed by gas chromatography differed in the intestine, brain, muscle and liver depending on diet. The steady-state level of mRNA for three sets of duplicated genes, fabp1a/fabp1b.1/fabp1b.2, fabp7a/fabp7b, and fabp11a/fabp11b, was determined by reverse transcription, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR. In brain, the steady-state level of fabp7b mRNAs was induced in fish fed the linoleic acid-rich diet; in intestine, the transcript level of fabp1b.1 and fabp7b were elevated in fish fed the linolenic acid-rich diet; in liver, the level of fabp7a mRNAs was elevated in fish fed the low fat diet; and in muscle, the level of fabp7a and fabp11a mRNAs were elevated in fish fed the linolenic acid-rich or the low fat diets. In all cases

  1. Duplications and losses in gene families of rust pathogens highlight putative effectors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amanda L. Pendleton

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Rust fungi are a group of fungal pathogens that cause some of the world’s most destructive diseases of trees and crops. A shared characteristic among rust fungi is obligate biotrophy, the inability to complete a lifecycle without a host. This dependence on a host species likely affects patterns of gene expansion, contraction, and innovation within rust pathogen genomes. The establishment of disease by biotrophic pathogens is reliant upon effector proteins that are encoded in the fungal genome and secreted from the pathogen into the host’s cell apoplast or within the cells. This study uses a comparative genomic approach to elucidate putative effectors and determine their evolutionary histories. We used OrthoMCL to identify nearly 20,000 gene families in proteomes of sixteen diverse fungal species, which include fifteen basidiomycetes and one ascomycete. We inferred patterns of duplication and loss for each gene family and identified families with distinctive patterns of expansion/contraction associated with the evolution of rust fungal genomes. To recognize potential contributors for the unique features of rust pathogens, we identified families harboring secreted proteins that: i arose or expanded in rust pathogens relative to other fungi, or ii contracted or were lost in rust fungal genomes. While the origin of rust fungi appears to be associated with considerable gene loss, there are many gene duplications associated with each sampled rust fungal genome. We also highlight two putative effector gene families that have expanded in Cqf that we hypothesize have roles in pathogenicity.

  2. Differential evolution of members of the rhomboid gene family with conservative and divergent patterns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Qi; Zhang, Ning; Zhang, Liangsheng; Ma, Hong

    2015-04-01

    Rhomboid proteins are intramembrane serine proteases that are involved in a plethora of biological functions, but the evolutionary history of the rhomboid gene family is not clear. We performed a comprehensive molecular evolutionary analysis of the rhomboid gene family and also investigated the organization and sequence features of plant rhomboids in different subfamilies. Our results showed that eukaryotic rhomboids could be divided into five subfamilies (RhoA-RhoD and PARL). Most orthology groups appeared to be conserved only as single or low-copy genes in all lineages in RhoB-RhoD and PARL, whereas RhoA genes underwent several duplication events, resulting in multiple gene copies. These duplication events were due to whole genome duplications in plants and animals and the duplicates might have experienced functional divergence. We also identified a novel group of plant rhomboid (RhoB1) that might have lost their enzymatic activity; their existence suggests that they might have evolved new mechanisms. Plant and animal rhomboids have similar evolutionary patterns. In addition, there are mutations affecting key active sites in RBL8, RBL9 and one of the Brassicaceae PARL duplicates. This study delineates a possible evolutionary scheme for intramembrane proteins and illustrates distinct fates and a mechanism of evolution of gene duplicates. © 2014 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.

  3. Duplicate Health Insurance Coverage: Determinants of Variation Across States

    OpenAIRE

    Luft, Harold S.; Maerki, Susan C.

    1982-01-01

    Although it is recognized that many people have duplicate private health insurance coverage, either through separate purchase or as health benefits in multi-earner families, there has been little analysis of the factors determining duplicate coverage rates. A new data source, the Survey of Income and Education, offers a comparison with the only previous source of state level data, the estimates from the Health Insurance Association of America. The R2 between the two sets is only .3 and certai...

  4. Social network analysis of duplicative prescriptions: One-month analysis of medical facilities in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahashi, Yoshimitsu; Ishizaki, Tatsuro; Nakayama, Takeo; Kawachi, Ichiro

    2016-03-01

    Duplicative prescriptions refer to situations in which patients receive medications for the same condition from two or more sources. Health officials in Japan have expressed concern about medical "waste" resulting from this practices. We sought to conduct descriptive analysis of duplicative prescriptions using social network analysis and to report their prevalence across ages. We analyzed a health insurance claims database including 1.24 million people from December 2012. Through social network analysis, we examined the duplicative prescription networks, representing each medical facility as nodes, and individual prescriptions for patients as edges. The prevalence of duplicative prescription for any drug class was strongly correlated with its frequency of prescription (r=0.90). Among patients aged 0-19, cough and colds drugs showed the highest prevalence of duplicative prescriptions (10.8%). Among people aged 65 and over, antihypertensive drugs had the highest frequency of prescriptions, but the prevalence of duplicative prescriptions was low (0.2-0.3%). Social network analysis revealed clusters of facilities connected via duplicative prescriptions, e.g., psychotropic drugs showed clustering due to a few patients receiving drugs from 10 or more facilities. Overall, the prevalence of duplicative prescriptions was quite low - less than 10% - although the extent of the problem varied by drug class and age group. Our approach illustrates the potential utility of using a social network approach to understand these practices. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. A large duplication involving the IHH locus mimics acrocallosal syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuksel-Apak, Memnune; Bögershausen, Nina; Pawlik, Barbara; Li, Yun; Apak, Selcuk; Uyguner, Oya; Milz, Esther; Nürnberg, Gudrun; Karaman, Birsen; Gülgören, Ayan; Grzeschik, Karl-Heinz; Nürnberg, Peter; Kayserili, Hülya; Wollnik, Bernd

    2012-06-01

    Indian hedgehog (Ihh) signaling is a major determinant of various processes during embryonic development and has a pivotal role in embryonic skeletal development. A specific spatial and temporal expression of Ihh within the developing limb buds is essential for accurate digit outgrowth and correct digit number. Although missense mutations in IHH cause brachydactyly type A1, small tandem duplications involving the IHH locus have recently been described in patients with mild syndactyly and craniosynostosis. In contrast, a ∼600-kb deletion 5' of IHH in the doublefoot mouse mutant (Dbf) leads to severe polydactyly without craniosynostosis, but with craniofacial dysmorphism. We now present a patient resembling acrocallosal syndrome (ACS) with extensive polysyndactyly of the hands and feet, craniofacial abnormalities including macrocephaly, agenesis of the corpus callosum, dysplastic and low-set ears, severe hypertelorism and profound psychomotor delay. Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array copy number analysis identified a ∼900-kb duplication of the IHH locus, which was confirmed by an independent quantitative method. A fetus from a second pregnancy of the mother by a different spouse showed similar craniofacial and limb malformations and the same duplication of the IHH-locus. We defined the exact breakpoints and showed that the duplications are identical tandem duplications in both sibs. No copy number changes were observed in the healthy mother. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a human phenotype similar to the Dbf mutant and strikingly overlapping with ACS that is caused by a copy number variation involving the IHH locus on chromosome 2q35.

  6. Giant T-shaped duplication of the transverse colon. A case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trotovsek, Blaz; Hribernik, Marija; Gvardijancic, Diana; Jelenc, Franc

    2006-01-01

    A case of long diverticular colonic duplication producing acute abdominal pain in a 6-year-old girl is presented. Physical examination showed no signs of acute abdomen at the initial presentation. After a pain-free interval, there was a sudden onset of severe abdominal pain and a large tumor in the lower abdomen was observed. A plain x-ray showed an enormously dilated colonic pouch filled with gas. Excision of the T-shaped duplication and small part of the transverse colon was successful. Because of extensive fibrotic changes in the colon near the opening of duplication, a resection margin of at least 2 cm is recommended.

  7. Large tubular colonic duplication in an adult treated with a small midline incision

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yong, Yuen Geng; Jung, Kyung Uk; Cho, Yong Beom; Yun, Seong Hyeon; Kim, Hee Cheol; Lee, Woo Yong

    2012-01-01

    Tubular colonic duplication presenting in adults is rare and difficult to diagnose preoperatively. Only a few cases have been reported in the literature. We report a case of a 29-year-old lady presenting with a long history of chronic constipation, abdominal mass and repeated episodes of abdominal pain. The abdominal-pelvic computed tomography scan showed segmental bowel wall thickening thought to be small bowel, and dilatation with stasis of intraluminal content. The provisional diagnosis was small bowel duplication. She was scheduled for single port laparoscopic resection. However, a T-shaped tubular colonic duplication at sigmoid colon was found intraoperatively. Resection of the large T-shaped tubular colonic duplication containing multiple impacted large fecaloma and primary anastomosis was performed. There was no perioperative complication. We report, herein, the case of a T-shaped tubular colonic duplication at sigmoid colon in an adult who was successfully treated through mini-laparotomy assisted by single port laparoscopic surgery. PMID:22403754

  8. Multidetector row computed tomography and ultrasound characteristics of caudal vena cava duplication in dogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertolini, Giovanna; Diana, Alessia; Cipone, Mario; Drigo, Michele; Caldin, Marco

    2014-01-01

    Caudal vena cava duplication has been rarely reported in small animals. The purpose of this retrospective study was to describe characteristics of duplicated caudal vena cava in a large group of dogs. Computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound databases from two hospitals were searched for canine reports having the diagnosis "double caudal vena cava." One observer reviewed CT images for 71 dogs and two observers reviewed ultrasound images for 21 dogs. In all CT cases, the duplication comprised two vessels that were bilaterally symmetrical and approximately the same calibre (similar to Type I complete duplication in humans). In all ultrasound cases, the duplicated caudal vena cava appeared as a distinct vessel running on the left side of the abdominal segment of the descending aorta and extending from the left common iliac vein to the left renal vein. The prevalence of caudal vena cava duplication was 0.46% for canine ultrasound studies and 2.08% for canine CT studies performed at these hospitals. Median body weight for affected dogs was significantly lower than that of unaffected dogs (P dogs, caudal vena cava duplication should be differentiated from other vascular anomalies when planning surgeries and for avoiding misdiagnoses. © 2014 American College of Veterinary Radiology.

  9. Evolution and Expansion of the Prokaryote-Like Lipoxygenase Family in the Brown Alga Saccharina japonica

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Linhong Teng

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Lipoxygenase (LOX plays important roles in fatty acid oxidation and lipid mediator biosynthesis. In this study, we give first insights into brown algal LOX evolution. Whole genome searches revealed four, three, and eleven LOXs in Ectocarpus siliculosus, Cladosiphon okamuranus, and Saccharina japonica, respectively. In phylogenetic analyses, LOXs from brown algae form a robust clade with those from prokaryotes, suggesting an ancestral origin and slow evolution. Brown algal LOXs were divided into two clades, C1 and C2 in a phylogenetic tree. Compared to the two species of Ectocarpales, LOX gene expansion occurred in the kelp S. japonica through tandem duplication and segmental duplication. Selection pressure analysis showed that LOX genes in brown algae have undergone strong purifying selection, while the selective constraint in the C2 clade was more relaxed than that in the C1 clade. Furthermore, within each clade, LOXs of S. japonica evolved under more relaxed selection constraints than E. siliculosus and C. okamuranus. Structural modeling showed that unlike LOXs of plants and animals, which contain a β barrel in the N-terminal part of the protein, LOXs in brown algae fold into a single domain. Analysis of previously published transcriptomic data showed that LOXs in E. siliculosus are responsive to hyposaline, hypersaline, oxidative, and copper stresses. Moreover, clear divergence of expression patterns was observed among different life stages, as well as between duplicate gene pairs. In E. siliculosus, all four LOXs are male-biased in immature gametophytes, and mature gametophytes showed significantly higher LOX mRNA levels than immature gametophytes and sporophytes. In S. japonica, however, our RNA-Seq data showed that most LOXs are highly expressed in sporophytes. Even the most recently duplicated gene pairs showed divergent expression patterns, suggesting that functional divergence has likely occurred since LOX genes duplicated, which

  10. A synergism between adaptive effects and evolvability drives whole genome duplication to fixation

    OpenAIRE

    Cuypers, Thomas D; Hogeweg, Paulien; Hogeweg, P.

    2014-01-01

    Whole genome duplication has shaped eukaryotic evolutionary history and has been associated with drastic environmental change and species radiation. While the most common fate of WGD duplicates is a return to single copy, retained duplicates have been found enriched for highly interacting genes. This pattern has been explained by a neutral process of subfunctionalization and more recently, dosage balance selection. However, much about the relationship between environmental change, WGD and ada...

  11. A synergism between adaptive effects and evolvability drives whole genome duplication to fixation.

    OpenAIRE

    Thomas D Cuypers; Paulien Hogeweg

    2014-01-01

    Whole genome duplication has shaped eukaryotic evolutionary history and has been associated with drastic environmental change and species radiation. While the most common fate of WGD duplicates is a return to single copy, retained duplicates have been found enriched for highly interacting genes. This pattern has been explained by a neutral process of subfunctionalization and more recently, dosage balance selection. However, much about the relationship between environmental change, WGD and ada...

  12. Targeted Exon Skipping to Correct Exon Duplications in the Dystrophin Gene

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    Kane L Greer

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a severe muscle-wasting disease caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene that ablate functional protein expression. Although exonic deletions are the most common Duchenne muscular dystrophy lesion, duplications account for 10–15% of reported disease-causing mutations, and exon 2 is the most commonly duplicated exon. Here, we describe the in vitro evaluation of phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers coupled to a cell-penetrating peptide and 2′-O-methyl phosphorothioate oligonucleotides, using three distinct strategies to reframe the dystrophin transcript in patient cells carrying an exon 2 duplication. Differences in exon-skipping efficiencies in vitro were observed between oligomer analogues of the same sequence, with the phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer coupled to a cell-penetrating peptide proving the most effective. Differences in exon 2 excision efficiency between normal and exon 2 duplication cells, were apparent, indicating that exon context influences oligomer-induced splice switching. Skipping of a single copy of exon 2 was induced in the cells carrying an exon 2 duplication, the simplest strategy to restore the reading frame and generate a normal dystrophin transcript. In contrast, multiexon skipping of exons 2–7 to generate a Becker muscular dystrophy-like dystrophin transcript was more challenging and could only be induced efficiently with the phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer chemistry.

  13. Multiple independent origins of mitochondrial control region duplications in the order Psittaciformes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schirtzinger, Erin E.; Tavares, Erika S.; Gonzales, Lauren A.; Eberhard, Jessica R.; Miyaki, Cristina Y.; Sanchez, Juan J.; Hernandez, Alexis; Müeller, Heinrich; Graves, Gary R.; Fleischer, Robert C.; Wright, Timothy F.

    2012-01-01

    Mitochondrial genomes are generally thought to be under selection for compactness, due to their small size, consistent gene content, and a lack of introns or intergenic spacers. As more animal mitochondrial genomes are fully sequenced, rearrangements and partial duplications are being identified with increasing frequency, particularly in birds (Class Aves). In this study, we investigate the evolutionary history of mitochondrial control region states within the avian order Psittaciformes (parrots and cockatoos). To this aim, we reconstructed a comprehensive multi-locus phylogeny of parrots, used PCR of three diagnostic fragments to classify the mitochondrial control region state as single or duplicated, and mapped these states onto the phylogeny. We further sequenced 44 selected species to validate these inferences of control region state. Ancestral state reconstruction using a range of weighting schemes identified six independent origins of mitochondrial control region duplications within Psittaciformes. Analysis of sequence data showed that varying levels of mitochondrial gene and tRNA homology and degradation were present within a given clade exhibiting duplications. Levels of divergence between control regions within an individual varied from 0–10.9% with the differences occurring mainly between 51 and 225 nucleotides 3′ of the goose hairpin in domain I. Further investigations into the fates of duplicated mitochondrial genes, the potential costs and benefits of having a second control region, and the complex relationship between evolutionary rates, selection, and time since duplication are needed to fully explain these patterns in the mitochondrial genome. PMID:22543055

  14. Retroperitoneal duplication cyst with a fistulous tract to the vagina: a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Filmar, Gilad A; Lotze, Peter M; Fisher, Hilaire W

    2012-01-01

    To describe a rare case of a retroperitoneal duplication cyst that fistulized to the vagina. Case description and discussion of a patient found to have an intestinal duplication cyst. A patient presented for a laparoscopic hysterectomy because of menorrhagia and a fibroid uterus. She also complained of recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) and a vaginal discharge. A retroperitoneal intestinal duplication cyst that fistulized to the vagina and caused her recurrent UTIs was identified. Surgical resection of the cyst resolved her complaint of recurrent UTIs. Retroperitoneal intestinal duplication cysts are rare congenital anomalies with vague clinical manifestations. The finding of a fistulous communication to the vagina originating from such a structure can be associated with recurrent UTIs.

  15. Operative correction and follow-up of craniofacial duplication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotrikova, Bibiana; Hassfeld, Stefan; Steiner, Hans H; Hähnel, Stefan; Krempien, Robert; Mühling, Joachim

    2007-03-01

    Anterior craniofacial duplication (diprosopus) is an extremely rare form of conjoined twins. The children share a single trunk with normal extremities and varying degrees of facial malformation. Duplication of specific structures, such as the nose (diprosopus dirrhinus), eyes (diprosopus tetraophthalmus), and ears, is possible. The authors present a case of partial facial duplication (diprosopus dirrhinus) in a male infant. The clinical and radiographic findings and the surgical correction and follow-up are described. In a single surgical session, the authors were able to achieve not only a functionally but also an aesthetically acceptable result. In the postoperative course, the child showed nearly normal growth and satisfactory psychosocial and motor development. However, 40 months postoperatively, we noticed a tendency of the orbitae to diverge (i.e., toward hypertelorism). The surgical management of complex craniofacial malformations such as diprosopus needs a precise morphologic analysis of the patient's deformity followed by a clear treatment plan. A staged reconstructive approach is carried out to coincide with facial growth patterns and brain and eye function. If the interorbital distance in our patient increases progressively, a second operation for reduction of the interorbital distance may be necessary.

  16. The hidden duplication past of the plant pathogen Phytophthora and its consequences for infection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martens Cindy

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Oomycetes of the genus Phytophthora are pathogens that infect a wide range of plant species. For dicot hosts such as tomato, potato and soybean, Phytophthora is even the most important pathogen. Previous analyses of Phytophthora genomes uncovered many genes, large gene families and large genome sizes that can partially be explained by significant repeat expansion patterns. Results Analysis of the complete genomes of three different Phytophthora species, using a newly developed approach, unveiled a large number of small duplicated blocks, mainly consisting of two or three consecutive genes. Further analysis of these duplicated genes and comparison with the known gene and genome duplication history of ten other eukaryotes including parasites, algae, plants, fungi, vertebrates and invertebrates, suggests that the ancestor of P. infestans, P. sojae and P. ramorum most likely underwent a whole genome duplication (WGD. Genes that have survived in duplicate are mainly genes that are known to be preferentially retained following WGDs, but also genes important for pathogenicity and infection of the different hosts seem to have been retained in excess. As a result, the WGD might have contributed to the evolutionary and pathogenic success of Phytophthora. Conclusions The fact that we find many small blocks of duplicated genes indicates that the genomes of Phytophthora species have been heavily rearranged following the WGD. Most likely, the high repeat content in these genomes have played an important role in this rearrangement process. As a consequence, the paucity of retained larger duplicated blocks has greatly complicated previous attempts to detect remnants of a large-scale duplication event in Phytophthora. However, as we show here, our newly developed strategy to identify very small duplicated blocks might be a useful approach to uncover ancient polyploidy events, in particular for heavily rearranged genomes.

  17. Duplication Cyst of the Sigmoid Colon

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    Bastian Domajnko

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available A 21-year-old male with developmental delay presented with abdominal pain of two days' duration. He was afebrile and his abdomen was soft with mild diffuse tenderness. There were no peritoneal signs. Plain x-ray demonstrated a large air-filled structure in the right upper quadrant. Computed tomography of the abdomen revealed a 9×8 cm structure adjacent to the hepatic flexure containing an air-fluid level. It did not contain oral contrast and had no apparent communication with the colon. At operation, the cystic lesion was identified as a duplication cyst of the sigmoid colon that was adherent to the right upper quadrant. The cyst was excised with a segment of the sigmoid colon and a stapled colo-colostomy was performed. Recovery was uneventful. Final pathology was consistent with a duplication cyst of the sigmoid colon. The cyst was attached to the colon but did not communicate with the lumen.

  18. Near-Duplicate Web Page Detection: An Efficient Approach Using Clustering, Sentence Feature and Fingerprinting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Prasanna Kumar

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Duplicate and near-duplicate web pages are the chief concerns for web search engines. In reality, they incur enormous space to store the indexes, ultimately slowing down and increasing the cost of serving results. A variety of techniques have been developed to identify pairs of web pages that are aldquo;similarardquo; to each other. The problem of finding near-duplicate web pages has been a subject of research in the database and web-search communities for some years. In order to identify the near duplicate web pages, we make use of sentence level features along with fingerprinting method. When a large number of web documents are in consideration for the detection of web pages, then at first, we use K-mode clustering and subsequently sentence feature and fingerprint comparison is used. Using these steps, we exactly identify the near duplicate web pages in an efficient manner. The experimentation is carried out on the web page collections and the results ensured the efficiency of the proposed approach in detecting the near duplicate web pages.

  19. Ruptured rectal duplication cyst with classical bladder exstrophy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Rahul K; Oak, Sanjay; Parelkar, Sandesh V; Sanghvi, Beejal; Kaltari, Deepak K; Prakash, Advait; Patil, Rajashekhar; Bachani, Mitesh

    2010-07-01

    A newborn boy was brought to us, 2 hours after birth, with a mucosal-lined left hemiperineal lesion associated with classical bladder exstrophy and an anterolaterally displaced anus. Perineal anatomy was restored by excising the mucosa lined lesion. The bladder closure for classical bladder exstrophy was done at the same time. Histologically, gastric, respiratory, and small intestinal epithelia were present in the mucosa. A rectal duplication cyst that had ruptured in utero through the hemiperineum could explain the anomaly. The association of classical bladder exstrophy with ruptured rectal duplication cyst has never previously been described in the literature. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Inference of the ancestral vertebrate phenotype through vestiges of the whole-genome duplications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onimaru, Koh; Kuraku, Shigehiro

    2018-03-16

    Inferring the phenotype of the last common ancestor of living vertebrates is a challenging problem because of several unresolvable factors. They include the lack of reliable out-groups of living vertebrates, poor information about less fossilizable organs and specialized traits of phylogenetically important species, such as lampreys and hagfishes (e.g. secondary loss of vertebrae in adult hagfishes). These factors undermine the reliability of ancestral reconstruction by traditional character mapping approaches based on maximum parsimony. In this article, we formulate an approach to hypothesizing ancestral vertebrate phenotypes using information from the phylogenetic and functional properties of genes duplicated by genome expansions in early vertebrate evolution. We named the conjecture as 'chronological reconstruction of ohnolog functions (CHROF)'. This CHROF conjecture raises the possibility that the last common ancestor of living vertebrates may have had more complex traits than currently thought.

  1. Genome-wide signatures of 'rearrangement hotspots' within segmental duplications in humans.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammed Uddin

    Full Text Available The primary objective of this study was to create a genome-wide high resolution map (i.e., >100 bp of 'rearrangement hotspots' which can facilitate the identification of regions capable of mediating de novo deletions or duplications in humans. A hierarchical method was employed to fragment segmental duplications (SDs into multiple smaller SD units. Combining an end space free pairwise alignment algorithm with a 'seed and extend' approach, we have exhaustively searched 409 million alignments to detect complex structural rearrangements within the reference-guided assembly of the NA18507 human genome (18× coverage, including the previously identified novel 4.8 Mb sequence from de novo assembly within this genome. We have identified 1,963 rearrangement hotspots within SDs which encompass 166 genes and display an enrichment of duplicated gene nucleotide variants (DNVs. These regions are correlated with increased non-allelic homologous recombination (NAHR event frequency which presumably represents the origin of copy number variations (CNVs and pathogenic duplications/deletions. Analysis revealed that 20% of the detected hotspots are clustered within the proximal and distal SD breakpoints flanked by the pathogenic deletions/duplications that have been mapped for 24 NAHR-mediated genomic disorders. FISH Validation of selected complex regions revealed 94% concordance with in silico localization of the highly homologous derivatives. Other results from this study indicate that intra-chromosomal recombination is enhanced in genic compared with agenic duplicated regions, and that gene desert regions comprising SDs may represent reservoirs for creation of novel genes. The generation of genome-wide signatures of 'rearrangement hotspots', which likely serve as templates for NAHR, may provide a powerful approach towards understanding the underlying mutational mechanism(s for development of constitutional and acquired diseases.

  2. Chromosomal evolution of the PKD1 gene family in primates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krawczak Michael

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD is mostly caused by mutations in the PKD1 (polycystic kidney disease 1 gene located in 16p13.3. Moreover, there are six pseudogenes of PKD1 that are located proximal to the master gene in 16p13.1. In contrast, no pseudogene could be detected in the mouse genome, only a single copy gene on chromosome 17. The question arises how the human situation originated phylogenetically. To address this question we applied comparative FISH-mapping of a human PKD1-containing genomic BAC clone and a PKD1-cDNA clone to chromosomes of a variety of primate species and the dog as a non-primate outgroup species. Results Comparative FISH with the PKD1-cDNA clone clearly shows that in all primate species studied distinct single signals map in subtelomeric chromosomal positions orthologous to the short arm of human chromosome 16 harbouring the master PKD1 gene. Only in human and African great apes, but not in orangutan, FISH with both BAC and cDNA clones reveals additional signal clusters located proximal of and clearly separated from the PKD1 master genes indicating the chromosomal position of PKD1 pseudogenes in 16p of these species, respectively. Indeed, this is in accordance with sequencing data in human, chimpanzee and orangutan. Apart from the master PKD1 gene, six pseudogenes are identified in both, human and chimpanzee, while only a single-copy gene is present in the whole-genome sequence of orangutan. The phylogenetic reconstruction of the PKD1-tree reveals that all human pseudogenes are closely related to the human PKD1 gene, and all chimpanzee pseudogenes are closely related to the chimpanzee PKD1 gene. However, our statistical analyses provide strong indication that gene conversion events may have occurred within the PKD1 family members of human and chimpanzee, respectively. Conclusion PKD1 must have undergone amplification very recently in hominid evolution. Duplicative

  3. Wide rectal duplication cyst in an adult resected by anterior approach: efficacy and recurrence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ceriotti, Michela; Saccomani, Giorgia; Lacelli, Francesca; Saccomani, Giovanni E

    2017-06-01

    Alimentary tract duplications are uncommon congenital abnormalities usually diagnosed and treated in childhood. Rectal involvement is extremely rare. We report the case of a 22-year-old female who presented with chronic abdominal and perianal pain; feeling of rectal fullness. Workup revealed a rectal duplication cyst. The patient underwent a complete transabdominal excision of the cyst: an hybrid laparoscopic and laparotomic technique was adopted. The hybrid isolated anterior abdominal approach is safe and feasible even for the treatment of wide rectal duplication cysts. Real recurrence in rectal duplication cysts is uncommon when the first operation was performed with radical intent.

  4. Genetics Home Reference: 17q12 duplication

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... J, Li C, Roeder E, Cox S, Karaviti L, Pearson M, Kang SH, Sahoo T, Lalani SR, Stankiewicz ... genomic disorders from the duplication architecture of the human genome. Nat Genet. 2006 Sep;38(9):1038- ...

  5. Anal canal duplication and triplication: a rare entity with different presentations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palazon, P; Julia, V; Saura, L; de Haro, I; Bejarano, M; Rovira, C; Tarrado, X

    2017-05-01

    Anal canal duplication (ACD) is the rarest of gastrointestinal duplications. Few cases have been reported. Most cases present as an opening in the midline, posterior to the normal anus. The aim of our revision is to contribute with eight new cases, some of them with unusual presentations: five presented as the typical form, one with a perianal nodule, and two presented as two separate orifices (anal canal triplication). Complete excision was performed in all patients with no complications. ACD is the most distal and the least frequent digestive duplication. Its treatment should be surgical excision, to avoid complications such as abscess, fistulization, or malignization. Anal canal triplication has never been described before.

  6. Pattern of Duplicate Presentations at National Hematology-Oncology Meetings: Influence of the Pharmaceutical Industry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramchandren, Radhakrishnan; Schiffer, Charles A

    2016-03-01

    The major large US hematology-oncology meetings sponsored by the American Society of Hematology (ASH) and American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) have specific guidelines in place discouraging submission of scientific information presented previously at other meetings. Nonetheless, duplicate submissions are frequent. The incidence and motivations for duplicate hematologic presentations and the influence of the pharmaceutical industry on this process have not been thoroughly analyzed. Therefore, were viewed four consecutive ASH and ASCO meetings to assess the frequency of duplicate abstract presentations. All abstracts presented at ASCO2010 in the area of malignant hematology were compared with abstracts from ASCO and ASH 2009 and ASH 2010, and funding sources were reviewed. More than half (54%) of all abstracts submitted to ASCO 2010 acknowledged pharmaceutical company support. Almost one third (31%) of ASCO 2010 abstracts were resubmitted in the 2-year time period, and it was notable that a high fraction (75%) of these duplicate abstracts had pharmaceutical industry sponsorship, compared with 42% of the abstracts that were submitted only once. Despite current guidelines prohibiting duplicate abstract presentation, a substantial proportion (31%) of abstracts at large international hematology-oncology meetings are duplicative, with potential negative consequences. In addition, a disproportionate percentage of the duplicate abstracts rely on pharmaceutical industry support (75%), suggesting that marketing strategies may be a motivation for some of these repetitive submissions.

  7. Urethral duplication with unusual cause of bladder outlet obstruction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vivek Venkatramani

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A 12-year-old boy presented with poor flow and recurrent urinary tract infections following hypospadias repair at the age of 3 years. The evaluation revealed urethral duplication with a hypoplastic dorsal urethra and patent ventral urethra. He also had duplication of the bladder neck, and on voiding cystourethrogram the ventral bladder neck appeared hypoplastic and compressed by the dorsal bladder neck during voiding. The possibility of functional obstruction of the ventral urethra by the occluded dorsal urethra was suspected, and he underwent a successful urethro-urethrostomy.

  8. Acute abdominal pain presenting as a rare appendiceal duplication: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahmood Ali

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Appendiceal duplication is a rare anomaly that can manifest as right lower quadrant pain. There are several variations described for this condition. We recommend aggressive operative management should this anatomical variation present in the presence of acute appendicitis. Case presentation We report the case of a 15-year-old African American girl who presented to our hospital with right lower quadrant pain and was subsequently found to have appendiceal duplication. Conclusion There are two categorical systems that have described and stratified appendiceal duplication. Both classification systems have been outlined and referenced in this case report. A computed tomography scan has been included to provide a visual aid to help identify true vermiform appendiceal duplication. The presence of this anatomical abnormality is not a reason for surgical intervention; however, should this be found in the setting of acute appendicitis, aggressive resection of both appendices is mandatory.

  9. Not your grandfather's concert hall

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooper, Russell; Malenka, Richard; Griffith, Charles; Friedlander, Steven

    2004-05-01

    The opening of Judy and Arthur Zankel Hall on 12 September 2003, restores Andrew Carnegie's original 1891 concept of having three outstanding auditoriums of different sizes under one roof, and creates a 21st-century venue for music performance and education. With concerts ranging from early music to avant-garde multimedia productions, from jazz to world music, and from solo recitals to chamber music, Zankel Hall expands the breadth and depth of Carnegie Hall's offerings. It allows for the integration of programming across three halls with minifestivals tailored both to the size and strengths of each hall and to the artists and music to be performed. The new flexible space also provides Carnegie Hall with an education center equipped with advanced communications technology. This paper discusses the unique program planned for this facility and how the architects, theatre consultants, and acousticians developed a design that fulfilled the client's expectations and coordinated the construction of the facility under the floor of the main Isaac Stern Auditorium without having to cancel a single performance.

  10. Living Room vs. Concert Hall: Patterns of Music Consumption in Flanders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roose, Henk; Stichele, Alexander Vander

    2010-01-01

    In this article we probe the interplay between public and private music consumption using a large-scale survey of the Flemish population in Belgium. We analyze whether public and private music consumption have different correlates and to what extent there is convergence between the genres that people listen to at home and at concerts. Results show…

  11. 20 CFR 410.705 - Duplicate claims.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Duplicate claims. 410.705 Section 410.705 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION FEDERAL COAL MINE HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT OF 1969, TITLE IV-BLACK LUNG BENEFITS (1969- ) Rules for the Review of Denied and Pending Claims Under the Black Lung...

  12. 46 CFR Sec. 5 - Responsibility for duplicating copies of NSA-WORKSMALREP Contract.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Responsibility for duplicating copies of NSA-WORKSMALREP Contract. Sec. 5 Section 5 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION A-NATIONAL... INDIVIDUAL CONTRACT FOR MINOR REPAIRS-NSA-WORKSMALREP Sec. 5 Responsibility for duplicating copies of NSA...

  13. Bladder exstrophy associated with complete urethral duplication ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    J.E. Mensah

    ees.elsevier.com/afju · www.sciencedirect.com. Case report. Bladder exstrophy associated with complete urethral duplication: Bladder can be augmented with dorsal urethral mucosa. J.E. Mensaha,∗. , K.N. Ampadua, M.Y. Kyeia, B. Edusieb.

  14. Concert | The CERN Choir hits the high notes | Victoria Hall | 30 September

    CERN Multimedia

    2014-01-01

    60 – 40 – 25: a series of numbers that have inspired an exceptional concert. They refer to the 60th anniversary of CERN, the 40th anniversary of the CERN Choir and the 25th anniversary of its direction by Gonzalo Martinez. On the occasion of this collision of anniversaries, the Committee of this CERN club decided to organise an appropriately significant event to celebrate the important worldwide role that CERN has played for 60 years, the fact that the CERN Choir has brought together amateur singers for 40 years, and finally the decisive role in the Choir’s history of its director, Gonzalo Martinez.   The work chosen for this concert also had to be something exceptional. A work which, through its monumental status, its brilliance, its innovation, its originality and its energy, symbolises CERN’s scientific discoveries, reflects the genius of its creator and represents the highest creative ambitions: Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis.  Perfor...

  15. Concert | The CERN Choir hits the high notes | Victoria Hall | 30 September

    CERN Document Server

    2014-01-01

    60 – 40 – 25: a series of numbers that have inspired an exceptional concert. They refer to the 60th anniversary of CERN, the 40th anniversary of the CERN Choir and the 25th anniversary of its direction by Gonzalo Martinez. On the occasion of this collision of anniversaries, the Committee of this CERN club decided to organise an appropriately significant event to celebrate the important worldwide role that CERN has played for 60 years, the fact that the CERN Choir has brought together amateur singers for 40 years, and finally the decisive role in the Choir’s history of its director, Gonzalo Martinez.   The work chosen for this concert also had to be something exceptional. A work which, through its monumental status, its brilliance, its innovation, its originality and its energy, symbolises CERN’s scientific discoveries, reflects the genius of its creator and represents the highest creative ambitions: Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis.  Perfo...

  16. Prenatal diagnosis of foetuses with congenital abnormalities and duplication of the MECP2 region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Fang; Liu, Huan-ling; Li, Ru; Han, Jin; Yang, Xin; Min, Pan; Zhen, Li; Zhang, Yong-ling; Xie, Gui-e; Lei, Ting-ying; Li, Yan; Li, Jian; Li, Dong-zhi; Liao, Can

    2014-08-10

    MECP2 duplication results in a well-recognised syndrome in 100% of affected male children; this syndrome is characterised by severe neurodevelopmental disabilities and recurrent infections. However, no sonographic findings have been reported for affected foetuses, and prenatal molecular diagnosis has not been possible for this disease due to lack of prenatal clinical presentation. In this study, we identified a small duplication comprising the MECP2 and L1CAM genes in the Xq28 region in a patient from a family with severe X-linked mental retardation and in a prenatal foetus with brain structural abnormalities. Using high-resolution chromosome microarray analysis (CMA) to screen 108 foetuses with congenital structural abnormalities, we identified additional three foetuses with the MECP2 duplication. Our study indicates that ventriculomegaly, hydrocephalus, agenesis of the corpus callosum, choroid plexus cysts, foetal growth restriction and hydronephrosis might be common ultrasound findings in prenatal foetuses with the MECP2 duplication and provides the first set of prenatal cases with MECP2 duplication, the ultrasonographic phenotype described in these patients will help to recognise the foetuses with possible MECP2 duplication and prompt the appropriate molecular testing. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Duodenal duplication cyst extending into the posterior mediastinum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tuzun Sefa

    2015-01-01

    Conclusion: Duodenal and the other intestinal duplication cysts should be considered in the differential diagnosis of oral contrast enhanced intrathoracic lesions in thorocoabdominal computerised tomography imaging.

  18. NASAwide electronic publishing system: Electronic printing and duplicating, stage-2 evaluation report (GSFC)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuey, Richard C.; Lane, Robert; Hart, Susan V.

    1995-01-01

    The NASA Scientific and Technical Information Office was assigned the responsibility to continue with the expansion of the NASAwide networked electronic duplicating effort by including the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) as an additional node to the existing configuration of networked electronic duplicating systems within NASA. The subject of this report is the evaluation of a networked electronic duplicating system which meets the duplicating requirements and expands electronic publishing capabilities without increasing current operating costs. This report continues the evaluation reported in 'NASA Electronic Publishing System - Electronic Printing and Duplicating Evaluation Report' (NASA TM-106242) and 'NASA Electronic Publishing System - Stage 1 Evaluation Report' (NASA TM-106510). This report differs from the previous reports through the inclusion of an external networked desktop editing, archival, and publishing functionality which did not exist with the previous networked electronic duplicating system. Additionally, a two-phase approach to the evaluation was undertaken; the first was a paper study justifying a 90-day, on-site evaluation, and the second phase was to validate, during the 90-day evaluation, the cost benefits and productivity increases that could be achieved in an operational mode. A benchmark of the functionality of the networked electronic publishing system and external networked desktop editing, archival, and publishing system was performed under a simulated daily production environment. This report can be used to guide others in determining the most cost effective duplicating/publishing alternative through the use of cost/benefit analysis and return on investment techniques. A treatise on the use of these techniques can be found by referring to 'NASA Electronic Publishing System -Cost/Benefit Methodology' (NASA TM-106662).

  19. The American Board of Emergency Medicine ConCert Examination: Emergency Physicians' Perceptions of Learning and Career Benefits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marco, Catherine A; Wahl, Robert P; Counselman, Francis L; Heller, Barry N; Harvey, Anne L; Joldersma, Kevin B; Kowalenko, Terry; Coombs, Andrea B; Reisdorff, Earl J

    2016-09-01

    As part of the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program, ABEM-certified physicians are required to pass the Continuous Certification (ConCert) examination at least every 10 years. With the 2015 ConCert examination, ABEM sought to better understand emergency physicians' perceptions of the benefits of preparing for and taking the examination and the career benefits of staying ABEM-certified. This was a prospective survey study. A voluntary postexamination survey was administered at the end of the 2015 ABEM ConCert examination (September 21-26, 2015). Physicians were asked about the benefits of preparing for the examination and maintaining ABEM certification. Examination performance was compared to perceptions of learning and career benefits. Of the 2,601 on-time test takers, 2,511 respondents participated (96.5% participation rate). The majority of participants (92.0%) identified a benefit to preparing for the ConCert examination, which included reinforced medical knowledge (73.9%), increased knowledge (66.8%), and making them a better clinician (39.4%). The majority of respondents (90.8%) identified a career benefit of maintaining ABEM certification, which included more employment options (73.8%), more positively viewed by other physicians (56.8%), and better financial outcomes (29.8%). There was a statistically significant association between the perception of knowledge reinforcement and examination performance (p Medicine.

  20. The ethics of scholarly publishing: exploring differences in plagiarism and duplicate publication across nations*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amos, Kathleen A.

    2014-01-01

    This study explored national differences in plagiarism and duplicate publication in retracted biomedical literature. The national affiliations of authors and reasons for retraction of papers accessible through PubMed that were published from 2008 to 2012 and subsequently retracted were determined in order to identify countries with the largest numbers and highest rates of retraction due to plagiarism and duplicate publication. Authors from more than fifty countries retracted papers. While the United States retracted the most papers, China retracted the most papers for plagiarism and duplicate publication. Rates of plagiarism and duplicate publication were highest in Italy and Finland, respectively. Unethical publishing practices cut across nations. PMID:24860263

  1. The ethics of scholarly publishing: exploring differences in plagiarism and duplicate publication across nations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amos, Kathleen A

    2014-04-01

    This study explored national differences in plagiarism and duplicate publication in retracted biomedical literature. The national affiliations of authors and reasons for retraction of papers accessible through PubMed that were published from 2008 to 2012 and subsequently retracted were determined in order to identify countries with the largest numbers and highest rates of retraction due to plagiarism and duplicate publication. Authors from more than fifty countries retracted papers. While the United States retracted the most papers, China retracted the most papers for plagiarism and duplicate publication. Rates of plagiarism and duplicate publication were highest in Italy and Finland, respectively. Unethical publishing practices cut across nations.

  2. Concerted and nonconcerted evolution of the Hsp70 gene superfamily in two sibling species of nematodes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nikolaidis, Nikolas; Nei, Masatoshi

    2004-03-01

    We have identified the Hsp70 gene superfamily of the nematode Caenorhabditis briggsae and investigated the evolution of these genes in comparison with Hsp70 genes from C. elegans, Drosophila, and yeast. The Hsp70 genes are classified into three monophyletic groups according to their subcellular localization, namely, cytoplasm (CYT), endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and mitochondria (MT). The Hsp110 genes can be classified into the polyphyletic CYT group and the monophyletic ER group. The different Hsp70 and Hsp110 groups appeared to evolve following the model of divergent evolution. This model can also explain the evolution of the ER and MT genes. On the other hand, the CYT genes are divided into heat-inducible and constitutively expressed genes. The constitutively expressed genes have evolved more or less following the birth-and-death process, and the rates of gene birth and gene death are different between the two nematode species. By contrast, some heat-inducible genes show an intraspecies phylogenetic clustering. This suggests that they are subject to sequence homogenization resulting from gene conversion-like events. In addition, the heat-inducible genes show high levels of sequence conservation in both intra-species and inter-species comparisons, and in most cases, amino acid sequence similarity is higher than nucleotide sequence similarity. This indicates that purifying selection also plays an important role in maintaining high sequence similarity among paralogous Hsp70 genes. Therefore, we suggest that the CYT heat-inducible genes have been subjected to a combination of purifying selection, birth-and-death process, and gene conversion-like events.

  3. Intestinal duplication and retroperitoneal teratoma in child hoof: a case report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Atzingen, Augusto Castelli Von; Bazzano, Felix Carlos Ocariz; Tiburzio, Nicolas Biagione; Grande, Rogerio Mendes; Juntolli Netto, Joao Diniz

    2007-01-01

    The authors present a case of intestinal duplication and retroperitoneal teratoma in a 7-year-old patient with evident mass and abdominal pain to explain; that it was submitted to study conventional X-ray, ultrasonography, computed tomography and subsequent exploiting laparotomia. The anatomopathological study verified intestinal duplication and ripe teratoma. In the existent medical literature it was not found any similar case. (author)

  4. Evolution of the Largest Mammalian Genome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Ben J; Upham, Nathan S; Golding, Goeffrey B; Ojeda, Ricardo A; Ojeda, Agustina A

    2017-06-01

    The genome of the red vizcacha rat (Rodentia, Octodontidae, Tympanoctomys barrerae) is the largest of all mammals, and about double the size of their close relative, the mountain vizcacha rat Octomys mimax, even though the lineages that gave rise to these species diverged from each other only about 5 Ma. The mechanism for this rapid genome expansion is controversial, and hypothesized to be a consequence of whole genome duplication or accumulation of repetitive elements. To test these alternative but nonexclusive hypotheses, we gathered and evaluated evidence from whole transcriptome and whole genome sequences of T. barrerae and O. mimax. We recovered support for genome expansion due to accumulation of a diverse assemblage of repetitive elements, which represent about one half and one fifth of the genomes of T. barrerae and O. mimax, respectively, but we found no strong signal of whole genome duplication. In both species, repetitive sequences were rare in transcribed regions as compared with the rest of the genome, and mostly had no close match to annotated repetitive sequences from other rodents. These findings raise new questions about the genomic dynamics of these repetitive elements, their connection to widespread chromosomal fissions that occurred in the T. barrerae ancestor, and their fitness effects-including during the evolution of hypersaline dietary tolerance in T. barrerae. ©The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  5. Genome-Wide Identification and Evolution of HECT Genes in Soybean

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xianwen Meng

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Proteins containing domains homologous to the E6-associated protein (E6-AP carboxyl terminus (HECT are an important class of E3 ubiquitin ligases involved in the ubiquitin proteasome pathway. HECT-type E3s play crucial roles in plant growth and development. However, current understanding of plant HECT genes and their evolution is very limited. In this study, we performed a genome-wide analysis of the HECT domain-containing genes in soybean. Using high-quality genome sequences, we identified 19 soybean HECT genes. The predicted HECT genes were distributed unevenly across 15 of 20 chromosomes. Nineteen of these genes were inferred to be segmentally duplicated gene pairs, suggesting that in soybean, segmental duplications have made a significant contribution to the expansion of the HECT gene family. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these HECT genes can be divided into seven groups, among which gene structure and domain architecture was relatively well-conserved. The Ka/Ks ratios show that after the duplication events, duplicated HECT genes underwent purifying selection. Moreover, expression analysis reveals that 15 of the HECT genes in soybean are differentially expressed in 14 tissues, and are often highly expressed in the flowers and roots. In summary, this work provides useful information on which further functional studies of soybean HECT genes can be based.

  6. Exploiting a Reference Genome in Terms of Duplications: The Network of Paralogs and Single Copy Genes in Arabidopsis thaliana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mara Sangiovanni

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Arabidopsis thaliana became the model organism for plant studies because of its small diploid genome, rapid lifecycle and short adult size. Its genome was the first among plants to be sequenced, becoming the reference in plant genomics. However, the Arabidopsis genome is characterized by an inherently complex organization, since it has undergone ancient whole genome duplications, followed by gene reduction, diploidization events and extended rearrangements, which relocated and split up the retained portions. These events, together with probable chromosome reductions, dramatically increased the genome complexity, limiting its role as a reference. The identification of paralogs and single copy genes within a highly duplicated genome is a prerequisite to understand its organization and evolution and to improve its exploitation in comparative genomics. This is still controversial, even in the widely studied Arabidopsis genome. This is also due to the lack of a reference bioinformatics pipeline that could exhaustively identify paralogs and singleton genes. We describe here a complete computational strategy to detect both duplicated and single copy genes in a genome, discussing all the methodological issues that may strongly affect the results, their quality and their reliability. This approach was used to analyze the organization of Arabidopsis nuclear protein coding genes, and besides classifying computationally defined paralogs into networks and single copy genes into different classes, it unraveled further intriguing aspects concerning the genome annotation and the gene relationships in this reference plant species. Since our results may be useful for comparative genomics and genome functional analyses, we organized a dedicated web interface to make them accessible to the scientific community.

  7. Translocations used to generate chromosome segment duplications ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    a duplication (Dp) of the translocated segment and four inviable (white, W) ascospores with .... of this work, namely, the definition of breakpoint junction sequences of 12 ..... then our results would place supercontig 10.9 in distal. LG VIR. A third ...

  8. The molecular evolution of the p120-catenin subfamily and its functional associations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert H Carnahan

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available p120-catenin (p120 is the prototypical member of a subclass of armadillo-related proteins that includes δ-catenin/NPRAP, ARVCF, p0071, and the more distantly related plakophilins 1-3. In vertebrates, p120 is essential in regulating surface expression and stability of all classical cadherins, and directly interacts with Kaiso, a BTB/ZF family transcription factor.To clarify functional relationships between these proteins and how they relate to the classical cadherins, we have examined the proteomes of 14 diverse vertebrate and metazoan species. The data reveal a single ancient δ-catenin-like p120 family member present in the earliest metazoans and conserved throughout metazoan evolution. This single p120 family protein is present in all protostomes, and in certain early-branching chordate lineages. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that gene duplication and functional diversification into "p120-like" and "δ-catenin-like" proteins occurred in the urochordate-vertebrate ancestor. Additional gene duplications during early vertebrate evolution gave rise to the seven vertebrate p120 family members. Kaiso family members (i.e., Kaiso, ZBTB38 and ZBTB4 are found only in vertebrates, their origin following that of the p120-like gene lineage and coinciding with the evolution of vertebrate-specific mechanisms of epigenetic gene regulation by CpG island methylation.The p120 protein family evolved from a common δ-catenin-like ancestor present in all metazoans. Through several rounds of gene duplication and diversification, however, p120 evolved in vertebrates into an essential, ubiquitously expressed protein, whereas loss of the more selectively expressed δ-catenin, p0071 and ARVCF are tolerated in most species. Together with phylogenetic studies of the vertebrate cadherins, our data suggest that the p120-like and δ-catenin-like genes co-evolved separately with non-neural (E- and P-cadherin and neural (N- and R-cadherin cadherin lineages, respectively. The

  9. Gene alterations at Drosophila inversion breakpoints provide prima facie evidence for natural selection as an explanation for rapid chromosomal evolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guillén, Yolanda; Ruiz, Alfredo

    2012-02-01

    Chromosomal inversions have been pervasive during the evolution of the genus Drosophila, but there is significant variation between lineages in the rate of rearrangement fixation. D. mojavensis, an ecological specialist adapted to a cactophilic niche under extreme desert conditions, is a chromosomally derived species with ten fixed inversions, five of them not present in any other species. In order to explore the causes of the rapid chromosomal evolution in D. mojavensis, we identified and characterized all breakpoints of seven inversions fixed in chromosome 2, the most dynamic one. One of the inversions presents unequivocal evidence for its generation by ectopic recombination between transposon copies and another two harbor inverted duplications of non-repetitive DNA at the two breakpoints and were likely generated by staggered single-strand breaks and repair by non-homologous end joining. Four out of 14 breakpoints lay in the intergenic region between preexisting duplicated genes, suggesting an adaptive advantage of separating previously tightly linked duplicates. Four out of 14 breakpoints are associated with transposed genes, suggesting these breakpoints are fragile regions. Finally two inversions contain novel genes at their breakpoints and another three show alterations of genes at breakpoints with potential adaptive significance. D. mojavensis chromosomal inversions were generated by multiple mechanisms, an observation that does not provide support for increased mutation rate as explanation for rapid chromosomal evolution. On the other hand, we have found a number of gene alterations at the breakpoints with putative adaptive consequences that directly point to natural selection as the cause of D. mojavensis rapid chromosomal evolution.

  10. Gene alterations at Drosophila inversion breakpoints provide prima facie evidence for natural selection as an explanation for rapid chromosomal evolution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guillén Yolanda

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Chromosomal inversions have been pervasive during the evolution of the genus Drosophila, but there is significant variation between lineages in the rate of rearrangement fixation. D. mojavensis, an ecological specialist adapted to a cactophilic niche under extreme desert conditions, is a chromosomally derived species with ten fixed inversions, five of them not present in any other species. Results In order to explore the causes of the rapid chromosomal evolution in D. mojavensis, we identified and characterized all breakpoints of seven inversions fixed in chromosome 2, the most dynamic one. One of the inversions presents unequivocal evidence for its generation by ectopic recombination between transposon copies and another two harbor inverted duplications of non-repetitive DNA at the two breakpoints and were likely generated by staggered single-strand breaks and repair by non-homologous end joining. Four out of 14 breakpoints lay in the intergenic region between preexisting duplicated genes, suggesting an adaptive advantage of separating previously tightly linked duplicates. Four out of 14 breakpoints are associated with transposed genes, suggesting these breakpoints are fragile regions. Finally two inversions contain novel genes at their breakpoints and another three show alterations of genes at breakpoints with potential adaptive significance. Conclusions D. mojavensis chromosomal inversions were generated by multiple mechanisms, an observation that does not provide support for increased mutation rate as explanation for rapid chromosomal evolution. On the other hand, we have found a number of gene alterations at the breakpoints with putative adaptive consequences that directly point to natural selection as the cause of D. mojavensis rapid chromosomal evolution.

  11. Gene alterations at Drosophila inversion breakpoints provide prima facie evidence for natural selection as an explanation for rapid chromosomal evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background Chromosomal inversions have been pervasive during the evolution of the genus Drosophila, but there is significant variation between lineages in the rate of rearrangement fixation. D. mojavensis, an ecological specialist adapted to a cactophilic niche under extreme desert conditions, is a chromosomally derived species with ten fixed inversions, five of them not present in any other species. Results In order to explore the causes of the rapid chromosomal evolution in D. mojavensis, we identified and characterized all breakpoints of seven inversions fixed in chromosome 2, the most dynamic one. One of the inversions presents unequivocal evidence for its generation by ectopic recombination between transposon copies and another two harbor inverted duplications of non-repetitive DNA at the two breakpoints and were likely generated by staggered single-strand breaks and repair by non-homologous end joining. Four out of 14 breakpoints lay in the intergenic region between preexisting duplicated genes, suggesting an adaptive advantage of separating previously tightly linked duplicates. Four out of 14 breakpoints are associated with transposed genes, suggesting these breakpoints are fragile regions. Finally two inversions contain novel genes at their breakpoints and another three show alterations of genes at breakpoints with potential adaptive significance. Conclusions D. mojavensis chromosomal inversions were generated by multiple mechanisms, an observation that does not provide support for increased mutation rate as explanation for rapid chromosomal evolution. On the other hand, we have found a number of gene alterations at the breakpoints with putative adaptive consequences that directly point to natural selection as the cause of D. mojavensis rapid chromosomal evolution. PMID:22296923

  12. Duplication of the vertebral artery: report of two cases and review of the literature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goddard, A.J.P.; Annesley-Williams, D.; Guthrie, J.A.; Weston, M.

    2001-01-01

    Duplication of the vertebral artery is rare. We report two cases in which it was an incidental finding. In the first, duplication of the right vertebral artery was demonstrated by magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and conventional angiography. The second patient had duplication of the right vertebral artery demonstrated by MRA. We discuss the origin of this abnormality, its radiological implications and its potential clinical significance are discussed. (orig.)

  13. Duplicated collecting system of a kidney complicated with hydronephrosis - diagnostic methods review: A case report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Osmanski, P.; Plucinska, I.; Calka, K.; Kedzierski, B.; Jazwiec, P.

    2008-01-01

    Duplicated collecting system of a kidney occurs in 1.7-4.2% of the population. It is a complex, unilateral or bilateral, congenital abnormality of the pyelocalyceal system and the ureter. The 2 ureters fuse to form a single ureteral orifice or empty separately into the bladder (ureter duplex). Duplicated collecting systems with complete ureteric duplication may lead to developing vesicoureteral reflux, hydronephrosis, and urinary infection. This article presents a case of a 49-year-old woman with duplicated collecting system and hydronephrosis in the upper pole. The anomaly was diagnosed using urography, ultrasonography and computed tomography examination.The best method for diagnostics of the duplicated pyelocalyceal system complicated by hydronephrosis is computed tomography examination, especially multislice computed tomography. The authors present also the options for therapy (author)

  14. Chromosome duplication in Lolium multiflorum Lam.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roselaine Cristina Pereira

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Artificial chromosome duplication of diploid genotypes of Lolium multiflorum (2n=2x=14 is worthy to breeding, and aims to increase the expression of traits with agronomic interest. The purpose of this study was to obtain polyploid plants of L. multiflorum from local diploid populations in order to exploit adaptation and future verification of the effects of polyploidy in agronomic traits. Seedlings were immersed in different colchicine solutions for an exposure time of 3h and 24h. Ploidy determination was made by the DNA content and certified by chromosomes counts. The plants confirmed as tetraploids were placed in a greenhouse, and, at flowering, pollen viability was evaluated, and seeds were harvested to assess the stability of the progenies. The percentage of polyploids obtained was 20%. Pollen viability of the tetraploids generated ranged from 58% to 69%. The tetraploid plants obtained in the experiment generated 164 progenies, of which 109 presented DNA content compatible with the tetraploid level, showing stability of chromosome duplication in the filial generation.

  15. Statistical relations among architectural features and objective acoustical measurements of concert halls

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gade, Anders Christian; Siebein, G. W.; Chiang, W.

    1993-01-01

    as for entire rooms. Measurements data from all three teams were used in the models to assess the sensitivity of the models to expect variations in measurements. The results were compared to the previous work of Barron, Gade, and Hook among others. [Work supported by the National Science Foundation and Concert...

  16. Noncommunicating isolated enteric duplication cyst in the abdomen ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... Surgery 2013, 9:124–126. Keywords: abdomen, children, duplication, isolated, noncommunicating. Department of Pediatric Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, .... M Abdominal pain, anorexia, fever. Ileum. Respiratory.

  17. Asterless licenses daughter centrioles to duplicate for the first time in Drosophila embryos.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Novak, Zsofia A; Conduit, Paul T; Wainman, Alan; Raff, Jordan W

    2014-06-02

    Centrioles form centrosomes and cilia, and defects in any of these three organelles are associated with human disease [1]. Centrioles duplicate once per cell cycle, when a mother centriole assembles an adjacent daughter during S phase. Daughter centrioles cannot support the assembly of another daughter until they mature into mothers during the next cell cycle [2-5]. The molecular nature of this daughter-to-mother transition remains mysterious. Pioneering studies in C. elegans identified a set of core proteins essential for centriole duplication [6-12], and a similar set have now been identified in other species [10, 13-18]. The protein kinase ZYG-1/Sak/Plk4 recruits the inner centriole cartwheel components SAS-6 and SAS-5/Ana2/STIL, which then recruit SAS-4/CPAP, which in turn helps assemble the outer centriole microtubules [19, 20]. In flies and humans, the Asterless/Cep152 protein interacts with Sak/Plk4 and Sas-4/CPAP and is required for centriole duplication, although its precise role in the assembly pathway is unclear [21-24]. Here, we show that Asl is not incorporated into daughter centrioles as they assemble during S phase but is only incorporated once mother and daughter separate at the end of mitosis. The initial incorporation of Asterless (Asl) is irreversible, requires DSas-4, and, crucially, is essential for daughter centrioles to mature into mothers that can support centriole duplication. We therefore propose a "dual-licensing" model of centriole duplication, in which Asl incorporation provides a permanent primary license to allow new centrioles to duplicate for the first time, while centriole disengagement provides a reduplication license to allow mother centrioles to duplicate again. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Duplication of SOX9 associated with 46,XX ovotesticular disorder of sex development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    López-Hernández, Berenice; Méndez, Juan Pablo; Coral-Vázquez, Ramón Mauricio; Benítez-Granados, Jesús; Zenteno, Juan Carlos; Villegas-Ruiz, Vanessa; Calzada-León, Raúl; Soderlund, Daniela; Canto, Patricia

    2018-04-04

    The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether ten unrelated SRY-negative individuals with this sex differentiation disorder presented a double dose of SOX9 as the cause of their disease. Ten unrelated SRY-negative 46,XX ovotesticular disorder of sexual development (DSD) subjects were molecularly studied. Multiplex-ligation dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and quantitative real-time PCR analysis (qRT-PCR) for SOX9 were performed. The MLPA analysis demonstrated that one patient presented a heterozygous duplication of the entire SOX9 coding region (above 1.3 value of peak ratio), as well as at least a ~ 483 kb upstream duplication. Moreover, no duplication of other SOX9 probes was observed corresponding to the region between -1007 and -1500 kb upstream. A qRT-PCR analysis showed a duplication of at least -581 kb upstream and ~1.63 kb of the coding region that encompasses exon 3. The limits of the duplication were mapped approximately from ~71539762 to 72122741 of Chr17. No molecular abnormalities were found in the remaining nine patients. This study is thought to be the first report regarding a duplication of SOX9 that is associated with the presence of 46,XX ovotesticular DSD, encompassing at least -581 kb upstream, and the almost entire coding region of the gene. Copyright © 2018 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Y-type urethral duplication with posterior perineal fistula: A new variant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandesh V Parelkar

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available 13 months old boy presented with constipation and straining during micturition with poor urinary stream and voiding of urine per rectum. Perineal examination revealed posterior perineal fistula. Voiding cysto-urethrogram showed bilateral vesicoureteral reflux with bladder diverticuli, normal dorsal urethra and dye going from urethra to rectum suggestive of Y type urethral duplication. Under stoma cover, he underwent excision of posterior perineal fistula with accessory ventral urethra and anorectoplasty was done. At present patient is passing urine in good stream without straining. The uniqueness of our case is the presence of Y type of urethral duplication with normal calibre dorsal urethra and presence of posterior perineal fistula. Therefore, we consider our case to be an unusual variant of Y type of urethral duplication that has not been described before.

  20. The virtual reconstruction of the ancient Roman concert hall in Aphrodisias, Turkey

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rindel, Jens Holger; Gade, Anders Christian; Nielsen, Martin Lisa

    2006-01-01

    About two thousand years ago one of the world’s earliest and most beautiful concert halls were built in the city Aphrodisias, named after the goddess Aphrodite. It was a rich society, renowned for its marble and mastery in sculptures. Like many other cities in the Roman Empire there was an open...