From genomes to functions in aquatic biology

Sulfonamide Drug Allergy

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

We sought to review past and current literature on sulfonamide drug allergy and distill it in a practical manner to assist the clinician, specifically focusing on cross-reactivity and desensitization.

RECENT FINDINGS

There do not appear to be consistent genetic markers to reliably predict features of or the presence hypersensitivity reactions. Recent evidence continues to alleviate early concerns cross-reactivity between sulfonamide antibiotics and non-antibiotics. Sulfonamide drug allergy is frequently encountered by the practicing clinician. For sulfonamide antibiotics, delayed rash is the most common clinical manifestation. There is no current evidence to support avoidance of all non-antibiotic sulfonamides in those with a reported allergy to sulfonamide antibiotics, although certain scenarios require caution. Available evidence supports the cautious reintroduction of sulfonamide antibiotics via desensitization, which is usually well tolerated and should be considered in those with strong indications for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and a reported sulfonamide allergy.

Environmentally relevant concentrations of nitrate increase plasma testosterone concentrations in female American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis)

Anthropogenic nitrogen is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant that is contributing to the degradation of freshwater, estuarine, and coastal ecosystems worldwide. The effects of environmental nitrate, a principal form of nitrogen, on the health of aquatic life is of increasing concern. We exposed female American alligators to three concentrations of nitrate (0.7, 10 and 100mg/L NO₃-N) for a duration of five weeks and five months from hatch. We assessed growth, plasma sex steroid and thyroid hormone concentrations, and transcription levels of key genes involved in steroidogenesis (StAR, 3β-HSD, and P450_scc) and hepatic clearance (Cyp1a, Cyp3a). Exposure to 100mg/L NO₃-N for both five weeks and five months resulted in significantly increased plasma testosterone (T) concentrations compared with alligators in the reference treatment. No differences in 17β-estradiol, progesterone, or thyroid hormones were observed, nor were there differences in alligator weight or the mRNA abundance of steroidogenic or hepatic genes. Plasma and urinary nitrate concentrations increased with increasing nitrate treatment levels, although relative plasma concentrations of nitrate were significantly lower in five month, versus five week old animals, possibly due to improved kidney function in older animals. These results indicate that environmentally relevant concentrations of nitrate can increase circulating concentrations of T in young female alligators.

Physiological strategies during animal diapause: lessons from brine shrimp and annual killifish

Diapause is a programmed state of developmental arrest that typically occurs as part of the natural developmental progression of organisms that inhabit seasonal environments. The brine shrimp Artemia franciscana and annual killifish Austrofundulus limnaeus share strikingly similar life histories that include embryonic diapause as a means to synchronize the growth and reproduction phases of their life history to favorable environmental conditions. In both species, respiration rate is severely depressed during diapause and thus alterations in mitochondrial physiology are a key component of the suite of characters associated with cessation of development. Here, we use these two species to illustrate the basic principles of metabolic depression at the physiological and biochemical levels. It is clear that these two species use divergent molecular mechanisms to achieve the same physiological and ecological outcomes. This pattern of convergent physiological strategies supports the importance of biochemical and physiological adaptations to cope with extreme environmental stress and suggests that inferring mechanism from transcriptomics or proteomics or metabolomics alone, without rigorous follow-up at the biochemical and physiological levels, could lead to erroneous conclusions.

Detection of molecular signatures of selection at microsatellite loci in the South African abalone (Haliotis midae) using a population genomic approach

Identifying genomic regions that may be under selection is important for elucidating the genetic architecture of complex phenotypes underlying adaptation to heterogeneous environments. A population genomic approach, using a classical neutrality test and various Fst-outlier detection methods was employed to evaluate genome-wide polymorphism data in order to identify loci that may be candidates for selection amongst six populations (three cultured and three wild) of the South African abalone, Haliotis midae. Approximately 9% of the genome-wide microsatellite markers were putatively subject to directional selection, whilst 6-18% of the genome is thought to be influenced by balancing selection. Genetic diversity estimates for candidate loci under directional selection was significantly reduced in comparison to candidate neutral loci, whilst candidate balancing selection loci demonstrated significantly higher levels of genetic diversity (Kruskal-Wallis test, P<0.05). Pairwise Fst estimates based on candidate directional selection loci also demonstrated increased levels of differentiation between study populations. Various candidate loci under selection showed significant inter-chromosomal linkage disequilibrium, suggesting possible gene-networks underling adaptive phenotypes. Furthermore, several loci had significant hits to known genes when performing BLAST searches to NCBI's non-redundant databases, whilst others are known to be derived from expressed sequences even though homology to a known gene could not be established. A number of loci also demonstrated relatively high similarity to transposable elements. The association of these loci to functional and genomically active sequences could in part explain the observed signatures of selection.

Hypoxia-inducible haemoglobins of Daphnia pulex and their role in the response to acute and chronic temperature increase

Daphnia pulex is challenged by severe oxygen and temperature changes in its habitat. In response to hypoxia, the equipment of oxygen transport proteins is adjusted in quantity and quality by differential expression of haemoglobin isoforms. This study focuses on the response of 20°C acclimated animals to elevated temperature using transcriptomic and proteomic approaches. Acute temperature stress (30°C) induced the hypoxia-inducible Hb isoforms most strongly, resulting in an increase of the haemoglobin mRNA pool by 70% within 8h. Long-term-acclimation to moderately elevated temperature (24°C) only evoked minor changes of the Hb mRNA suite. Nevertheless, the concentration of the hemolymph pool of haemoglobin was elevated by 80%. In this case, the constitutive Hb isoforms showed the strongest increase, with Hb01 and Hb02 contributing by 64% to the total amount of respiratory protein. The regulation patterns upon acute temperature stress likely reflect temperature-induced tissue hypoxia, whereas in case of persisting exposure to moderately elevated temperature, acclimation processes enabled the successful return to oxygen homeostasis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Oxygen Binding and Sensing Proteins.