Both canonical and noncanonical Wnt signalling may be required for detoxification following ETP class mycotoxin exposure

MicroRNAs: exploring their role in farm animal disease and mycotoxin challenges

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) serve as key regulators in gene expression and play a crucial role in immune responses, holding a significant promise for diagnosing and managing diseases in farm animals. This review article summarizes current research on the role of miRNAs in various farm animal diseases and mycotoxicosis, highlighting their potential as biomarkers and using them for mitigation strategies. Through an extensive literature review, we focused on the impact of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of several farm animal diseases, including viral and bacterial infections and mycotoxicosis. They regulate gene expression by inducing mRNA deadenylation, decay, or translational inhibition, significantly impacting cellular processes and protein synthesis. The research revealed specific miRNAs associated with the diseases; for instance, gga-miR-M4 is crucial in Marek's disease, and gga-miR-375 tumor-suppressing function in Avian Leukosis. In swine disease such as Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome (PRRS) and swine influenza, miRNAs like miR-155 and miR-21-3p emerged as key regulatory factors. Additionally, our review highlighted the interaction between miRNAs and mycotoxins, suggesting miRNAs can be used as a biomarker for mycotoxin exposure. For example, alterations in miRNA expression, such as the dysregulation observed in response to Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in chickens, may indicate potential mechanisms for toxin-induced changes in lipid metabolism leading to liver damage. Our findings highlight miRNAs potential for early disease detection and intervention in farm animal disease management, potentially reducing significant economic losses in agriculture. With only a fraction of miRNAs functionally characterized in farm animals, this review underlines more focused research on specific miRNAs altered in distinct diseases, using advanced technologies like CRISPR-Cas9 screening, single-cell sequencing, and integrated multi-omics approaches. Identifying specific miRNA targets offers a novel pathway for early disease detection and the development of mitigation strategies against mycotoxin exposure in farm animals.

The cellular and molecular toxicity of sporidesmin

The fungal metabolite sporidesmin is responsible for the hepatogenous photosensitising disease facial eczema in livestock. Toxicity is due to a sulfur-bridged epidithiodioxopiperazine ring that has wide biological reactivity. The ways in which the toxin causes hepatobiliary and other tissue damage have not been established. Hypotheses include direct interaction with cellular thiols including protein cysteine residues or production of reactive oxygen species resulting in oxidative stress. Comparison with the cellular effects of the structurally related compound gliotoxin suggests additional mechanisms including interaction with cell adhesion complexes and possible downstream consequences for regulated necrosis as a response to tissue injury. Revision of hypotheses of how sporidesmin affects cells has the potential to generate new strategies for control of facial eczema including through identification of proteins and genes that are associated with resistance to the disease.

Regulation of Wnt signaling by physical exercise in the cell biological processes of the locomotor system

In the past decade, researches on Wnt signaling in cell biology have made remarkable progress regarding our understanding of embryonic development, bone formation, muscle injury and repair, neurogenesis, and tumorigenesis. The study also showed that physical activity can reverse age-dependent decline in skeletal muscle, preventing osteoporosis, regenerative neurogenesis, hippocampal function, cognitive ability, and neuromuscular junction formation, and the age-dependent recession is highly correlated with Wnt signaling pathways. However, how the biological processes in cell and physical activity during/following exercise affect the Wnt signaling path of the locomotor system is largely unknown. In this study, we first briefly introduce the important features of the cellular biological processes of exercise in the locomotor system. Then, we discuss Wnt signaling and review the very few studies that have examined Wnt signaling pathways in cellular biological processes of the locomotor system during physical exercise.