Genomic innovations, transcriptional plasticity and gene loss underlying the evolution and divergence of two highly polyphagous and invasive Helicoverpa pest species

BACKGROUND

Helicoverpa armigera and Helicoverpa zea are major caterpillar pests of Old and New World agriculture, respectively. Both, particularly H. armigera, are extremely polyphagous, and H. armigera has developed resistance to many insecticides. Here we use comparative genomics, transcriptomics and resequencing to elucidate the genetic basis for their properties as pests.

RESULTS

We find that, prior to their divergence about 1.5 Mya, the H. armigera/H. zea lineage had accumulated up to more than 100 more members of specific detoxification and digestion gene families and more than 100 extra gustatory receptor genes, compared to other lepidopterans with narrower host ranges. The two genomes remain very similar in gene content and order, but H. armigera is more polymorphic overall, and H. zea has lost several detoxification genes, as well as about 50 gustatory receptor genes. It also lacks certain genes and alleles conferring insecticide resistance found in H. armigera. Non-synonymous sites in the expanded gene families above are rapidly diverging, both between paralogues and between orthologues in the two species. Whole genome transcriptomic analyses of H. armigera larvae show widely divergent responses to different host plants, including responses among many of the duplicated detoxification and digestion genes.

CONCLUSIONS

The extreme polyphagy of the two heliothines is associated with extensive amplification and neofunctionalisation of genes involved in host finding and use, coupled with versatile transcriptional responses on different hosts. H. armigera's invasion of the Americas in recent years means that hybridisation could generate populations that are both locally adapted and insecticide resistant.

OfftargetFinder: a web tool for species-specific RNAi design

MOTIVATION

RNA interference (RNAi) technology is being developed as a weapon for pest insect control. To maximize the specificity that such an approach affords we have developed a bioinformatic web tool that searches the ever-growing arthropod transcriptome databases so that pest-specific RNAi sequences can be identified. This will help technology developers finesse the design of RNAi sequences and suggests which non-target species should be assessed in the risk assessment process.

AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION

http://rnai.specifly.org

CONTACT

crobin@unimelb.edu.au.

Chemosensory receptor genes in the Oriental tobacco budworm Helicoverpa assulta

The Oriental tobacco budworm (Helicoverpa assulta) is a specialist herbivore moth and its larvae feed on Solanaceous plants. (Z)-9-hexadecenal (Z9-16: Ald) is the major sex pheromone component in H. assulta but the specific pheromone receptor (PR) against Z9-16: Ald has not yet been identified. In the present study, we integrated transcriptomic, bioinformatic and functional characterization approaches to investigate the chemosensory receptor genes of H. assulta. We identified seven potential PRs with 44 olfactory receptors, 18 gustatory receptors and 24 ionotropic receptors, which were further studied by in silico gene expression profile, phylogenetic analysis, reverse transcription PCR and calcium imaging assays. The candidate PR, HassOR13, showed a strong response to the minor sex pheromone component, (Z)-11-hexadecenal, but not the major component, Z9-16: Ald, in calcium imaging assays. This study provides the molecular basis for comparative studies of chemosensory receptors between H. assulta and other Helicoverpa species and will advance our understanding of the evolution and function of Lepidoptera insect chemosensation.

A prospective randomized study for evaluation of wound retractors in the prevention of incision site infections after cesarean section

Surgical site infections (SSIs) after cesarean section appear to be more common than generally believed. We prospectively evaluated 231 consecutive pregnant women who underwent elective or emergency cesarean section, and were assigned to have either the Alexis wound retractor (study group) or a conventional Doyen retractor (control group) during the operation. There was no evidence of SSI, defined as wound dehiscence, pain or tenderness in the lower abdomen, localized swelling, redness, heat or purulent discharge from the wound in any woman in the study group. Moreover, no endometritis occurred in this patient collective. There were three SSI in the control group, but no endometritis. Our preliminary data show excellent protection of wound infections with an additive protective effect to that given by antibiotic cover. After a short learning curve, the handling of the Alexis device became easier and the median insertion time was 18 sec.

Hormonal replacement therapy in ovarian cancer survivors: a survey among Greek gynecologists

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION

In this survey we evaluated the prescription attitude of Greek gynecologists towards hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for ovarian cancer survivors.

METHODS

An anonymous questionnaire was sent to 900 members of the Hellenic Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology presenting a hypothetical case of an ovarian cancer survivor with indications for HRT followed by a series of relevant questions.

RESULTS

Two hundred and ninety-eight responses were analyzed with regards to age, gender and practice setting. HRT would be prescribed by 48% of Greek gynecologists; regarding type of regimen, 60% would prescribe tibolone, 19% estrogen alone and 21% estrogen plus progestagen. In contrast, 52% of Greek gynecologists would not prescribe HRT due to the fear of ovarian cancer relapse (83%), or the development of breast cancer (6%), or both cancers (9%); among them, 21% would alternatively prescribe CNS medications, 9% SERMs, phyto-estrogens or bisphosphonates, while the remaining 70% would not prescribe anything.

CONCLUSIONS

One out of two Greek gynecologists would prescribe HRT in ovarian cancer survivors. An alternative therapy, mainly CNS medications, would be suggested by 21% of the opposers.

A non-catecholamine-producing sympathetic paraganglioma of the spermatic cord: the importance of performing candidate gene mutation analysis

Background

Catecholamine-producing tumours are called pheochromocytomas when they are located in the adrenal gland and sympathetic paragangliomas when they are located elsewhere in the abdomen. Rarely these tumours do not produce catecholamines and even more rarely they arise in the spermatic cord. Over the past decade, systematic mutation analysis of apparently sporadic cases of pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas has elucidated the frequent presence of germ line mutations in one of five candidate genes, including RET, VHL, SDHB, SDHC, and SDHD.

Clinical history and methods

We describe a 45-year-old man with a non catecholamine-producing paraganglioma of the spermatic cord. We performed SDHB immunohistochemistry and performed mutation analysis of the SDHB, SDHC, and SDHD genes.

Results

There was no staining of tumour cells with SDHB immunohistochemistry, indicative of an SDH mutation. Mutation analysis demonstrated a germ line SDHD mutation (p.Val147Met).

Conclusions

Systematic mutation analysis is required in paraganglioma patients for the detection of germ line mutations. This should be preceded by SDHB immunohistochemistry to limit the number of genes to be tested.

Mucocele of the appendix mimicking an adnexal mass: a case report

Mucocele of the appendix is a rare entity usually mimicking an adnexal tumour. There is no specific imaging or screening method to determine the diagnosis with certainty preoperatively. Appendiceal malignancy can be the underlying cause, although it is not common. We present a case of an appendiceal mucocele mimicking an ovarian tumour by both clinical and imaging (TVS and MRI) methods. This pathological condition should be considered by all the gynaecologists in the differential diagnosis of a right-sided pelvic mass.

ERBB2 (HER2) protein expression in uterine sarcomas

PURPOSE

Multiple clinical trials in recent years have shown that breast cancer patients with primary tumors overexpressing ERBB2 can be effectively treated with specific forms of modern anti-ERBB2-targeted therapy. The aim of the present study was to analyze the expression of the ERBB2 (HER2) protein in uterine sarcomas, in order to investigate the possibility of applying this treatment modality in uterine sarcomas.

METHODS

The expression of ERBB2 has been analyzed immunohistochemically in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded primary uterine sarcomas (n = 11).

RESULTS

Using a semi-quantitative immunohistochemical score, we found that ERBB2 expression was very weak in the majority of tumors, with only three sarcomas showing moderate ERBB2 expression. Published studies evaluating the same issue in small numbers of uterine sarcomas reached similar findings.

CONCLUSION

Overall, ERBB2 expression appears to be weak in uterine sarcomas. However, targeted treatment might still be feasible in a subgroup of patients with uterine sarcomas overexpressing ERBB2.

Butterfly genomics eclosing

Technological and conceptual advances of the last decade have led to an explosion of genomic data and the emergence of new research avenues. Evolutionary and ecological functional genomics, with its focus on the genes that affect ecological success and adaptation in natural populations, benefits immensely from a phylogenetically widespread sampling of biological patterns and processes. Among those organisms outside established model systems, butterflies offer exceptional opportunities for multidisciplinary research on the processes generating and maintaining variation in ecologically relevant traits. Here we highlight research on wing color pattern variation in two groups of Nymphalid butterflies, the African species Bicyclus anynana (subfamily Satyrinae) and species of the South American genus Heliconius (subfamily Heliconiinae), which are emerging as important systems for studying the nature and origins of functional diversity. Growing genomic resources including genomic and cDNA libraries, dense genetic maps, high-density gene arrays, and genetic transformation techniques are extending current gene mapping and expression profiling analysis and enabling the next generation of research questions linking genes, development, form, and fitness. Efforts to develop such resources in Bicyclus and Heliconius underscore the general challenges facing the larger research community and highlight the need for a community-wide effort to extend ongoing functional genomic research on butterflies.

Heliconius wing patterns: an evo-devo model for understanding phenotypic diversity

Evolutionary Developmental Biology aims for a mechanistic understanding of phenotypic diversity, and present knowledge is largely based on gene expression and interaction patterns from a small number of well-known model organisms. However, our understanding of biological diversification depends on our ability to pinpoint the causes of natural variation at a micro-evolutionary level, and therefore requires the isolation of genetic and developmental variation in a controlled genetic background. The colour patterns of Heliconius butterflies (Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae) provide a rich suite of naturally occurring variants with striking phenotypic diversity and multiple taxonomic levels of variation. Diversification in the genus is well known for its dramatic colour-pattern divergence between races or closely related species, and for Müllerian mimicry convergence between distantly related species, providing a unique system to study the development basis of colour-pattern evolution. A long history of genetic studies has showed that pattern variation is based on allelic combinations at a surprisingly small number of loci, and recent developmental evidence suggests that pattern development in Heliconius is different from the eyespot determination of other butterflies. Fine-scale genetic mapping studies have shown that a shared toolkit of genes is used to produce both convergent and divergent phenotypes. These exciting results and the development of new genomic resources make Heliconius a very promising evo-devo model for the study of adaptive change.

Do cognitive patterns of brain magnetic activity correlate with hippocampal atrophy in Alzheimer's disease?

BACKGROUND

Many reports support the clinical validity of volumetric MRI measurements in Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVE

To integrate functional brain imaging data derived from magnetoencephalography (MEG) and volumetric data in patients with Alzheimer's disease and in age matched controls.

METHODS

MEG data were obtained in the context of a probe-letter memory task. Volumetric measurements were obtained for lateral and mesial temporal lobe regions.

RESULTS

As expected, Alzheimer's disease patients showed greater hippocampal atrophy than controls bilaterally. MEG derived indices of the degree of activation in left parietal and temporal lobe areas, occurring after 400 ms from stimulus onset, correlated significantly with the relative volume of lateral and mesial temporal regions. In addition, the size of the right hippocampus accounted for a significant portion of the variance in cognitive scores independently of brain activity measures.

CONCLUSIONS

These data support the view that there is a relation between hippocampal atrophy and the degree of neurophysiological activity in the left temporal lobe.

Ambiguous genitalia, 45,X/46,XY mosaic karyotype, and Y chromosome microdeletions in a 17-year-old man

OBJECTIVE

To describe clinical and laboratory features of a patient with 45,X/46,XY mosaic karyotype and Y chromosome microdeletions and to discuss the diagnostic problems in his management.

DESIGN

Case report.

SETTING

University department.

PATIENT(S)

A 17-year-old man with ambiguous genitalia, 45,X/46,XY mosaic karyotype, and Y chromosome microdeletions.

INTERVENTION(S)

Testicular ultrasonography, karyotype, open testicular biopsy, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening for cystic fibrosis, PCR screening for Y chromosome microdeletions in peripheral blood and testicular tissue, and reverse transcriptase PCR in testicular tissue for Y chromosome microdeletions.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Avoidance of dissemination of testicular cancer.

RESULT(S)

The patient was referred for bilateral orchiectomy.

CONCLUSION(S)

45,X/46,XY mosaic karyotype is associated with a broad spectrum of phenotypes that includes female with Turner syndrome, male with mixed gonadal dysgenesis, male pseudohermaphroditism, and apparently normal male. Microdeletions of the long arm of the Y chromosome may be associated with Y chromosomal instability, leading to formation of 45,X cell lines. 45,X/46,XY males carry an increased risk for gonadal tumors and must be followed closely.

Can maturation arrest occur at the stage of spermiogenesis?

This article attempts to clarify the pathological condition during which the maturation of the germinal epithelium is unable to evolve beyond a certain stage and is characterized as maturation arrest. Emphasis is given to the histological entity named spermiogenic arrest.

Spontaneous pregnancy following therapeutic approach of an infertile man with aspermia/obstructive azoospermia

The combination of aspermia and obstructive azoospermia in the same infertile man is a rather rare entity. In the case reported here, all diagnostic criteria as well as subsequent recovery following two operations are compatible with an inflammatory origin. In such cases assisted reproduction should be recommended. However, in this case, an early spontaneous pregnancy rendered this unnecessary.

Epidemiology of onychomycosis in southern Greece

BACKGROUND

Onychomycosis appears to be a variable entity: it presents in different forms in different parts of the world. It is probable that every country has its own particularities of presentation and it is also probable that different regions of the same country, with either different or equivalent environmental conditions, present with different levels of incidence. Large-scale epidemiological studies performed worldwide have demonstrated different epidemiological results.

OBJECTIVE

This study was undertaken to determine the epidemiology of onychomycosis in the population of southern Greece.

METHODS

Direct microscopic examination and culture were performed on samples from patients with clinical suspected onychomycosis.

RESULTS

The most frequently isolated fungus was Candida (52.44%), followed by dermatophytes (41.04%) and saprophytic molds (6.51%). Finger nails were infected more than toe nails in both sexes. The most frequently isolated fungus in finger nails was Candida (76%), followed by dermatophytes (23%), and molds (1%); toe nails were most often infected by dermatophytes (71%), Candida (13%) and molds (16%). Among the infected women patients, the most frequently isolated fungus was Candida (64%), followed by dermatophytes (30.58%); 5.33% were infected by saprophytic molds. Of the 101 men infected, dermatophytes were most frequently isolated (62.37%), followed by Candida (28.71%) and saprophytic molds (8.91%).

CONCLUSIONS

Comparison of the results of epidemiological studies of onychomycosis worldwide show great differences, not only between different countries and different climate zones, but also between studies performed in the same country. In our opinion such epidemiological studies should be performed in every country in order to determine the major fungal species responsible; such information is extremely useful in the treatment of nail onychomycosis.

Allotypes and gynecological cancer

PURPOSE

To investigate if gynecologic cancer patients have different immune responses.

METHODS

Immunoglobulin heavy chains (Glm, G3m), Kappa light chains (Km) and allotype and phenotype frequencies were examined in 58 patients with gynecologic cancer (ovarian, cervical, endometrial, vulval, vaginal and uterine sarcoma) and a control group of 26 women.

RESULTS

No significant differences were found between the different allotype of phenotype frequencies between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that Gm and Km allotypes do not represent susceptibility factors for gynecologic cancer in Caucasians.

Asymmetries in the effect of side of seizure onset on recognition memory following intracarotid amobarbital injection

PURPOSE

To assess interhemispheric differences in recognition memory for objects during the intracarotid amobarbital sodium procedure (IAP).

METHODS

The recognition memory for real objects of patients with either right (RTLE; n = 28) or left (LTLE; n = 22) temporal lobe epilepsy was assessed at baseline, and after left and right intracarotid amobarbital sodium injection.

RESULTS

There were no differences between groups on baseline performance. Performance following injection ipsilateral to the side of seizure focus was relatively lower for the LTLE as compared with the RTLE group, but this difference did not reach statistical significance. However, performance following injection contralateral to the side of seizure focus was significantly lower for the RTLE as compared with the LTLE group. Within-group differences in performance after ipsilateral as compared with contralateral injection were significant for the RTLE but not the LTLE group. The difference in interhemispheric asymmetry in IAP memory performance between RTLE and LTLE groups was reflected in decreased ability to classify LTLE patients as compared with RTLE patients about side of seizure onset, using a clinically applicable decision rule.

CONCLUSIONS

Recognition memory during the IAP for real objects, simultaneously named and presented visually during encoding, is mediated effectively by both the left and right hemisphere when there is no seizure focus present. However, memory appears to be more vulnerable to the presence of a seizure focus in the right as compared with the left hemisphere.

Effects of duration of epilepsy on the uncoupling of metabolism and blood flow in complex partial seizures

We derived interhemispheric asymmetry indices (AIs) in interictal glucose uptake and blood flow in the temporal lobes of patients with intractable complex partial seizures from 18F and 15O positron emission tomograms. All patients subsequently underwent either left (n = 16) and right (n = 18) temporal lobectomy. We determined the effects on AIs of clinical seizure variables, including duration of seizure disorder, age at seizure onset, frequency of complex partial seizures, history of secondary generalization, history of febrile seizures, and magnetic resonance imaging evidence for mesial temporal sclerosis. Duration of seizure disorder produced the only significant effects. Degree of interhemispheric asymmetry in both glucose uptake and blood flow increased with duration of seizure disorder. However, the rate of increase in asymmetry was significantly greater for glucose uptake than for blood flow. These results indicate that uncoupling of metabolism and blood flow is a progressive process that results from the differential response of glucose metabolism and blood flow to chronic seizure activity. The results also suggest that duration of seizure disorder may be an important variable to consider in the interpretation of PET studies for evaluation of seizure surgery candidates.

Identification of side of seizure onset in temporal lobe epilepsy using memory tests in the context of reading deficits

Sixty patients with temporal lobe epilepsy were classified into reading deficient (RD; n = 21) and non-reading deficient (non-RD; n = 39) groups. Selective deficits in verbal or nonverbal memory, consistent with side of seizure onset, were evident in the non-RD patients. Both verbal and nonverbal memory performance were reduced equivalently in individuals with RD, regardless of side of seizure onset. As a result, memory tests that were accurate in identifying side of seizure onset in the non-RD group were not as accurate in the RD group. When individual cases were classified using a clinically applicable decision rule, significantly more RD patients were either unclassifiable or incorrectly classified than were non-RD patients. Findings suggest that preoperative memory data obtained from individuals with epilepsy and evidence of RD may not be as valid an indicator of side of seizure onset as are those obtained from patients without RD.

Effects of temporal lobe epilepsy on spatial and figural aspects of memory for a complex geometric figure

The preoperative delayed memory performance on the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (Lezak, 1983) of 54 patients with complex partial seizures of temporal lobe origin was analyzed using 3 different indices. One index (composite) was derived using a common scoring method that included both spatial and figural aspects of memory in its score. The other two indices were derived emphasizing either spatial or figural aspects of memory for the elements of the figure separately. All 3 indices distinguished between individuals with right-sided (RTLE) and left-sided (LTLE) seizure onset. However, spatial memory was significantly lower than figural memory in individuals with RTLE as compared to those with LTLE. Both the spatial and figural memory indices were significantly lower in the presence of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evidence for hippocampal sclerosis in individuals with RTLE. Results suggest that while both the spatial and figural aspects of nonverbal memory are sensitive to right hippocampal dysfunction, figural memory may be less vulnerable to the effects of RTLE.

Memory tests distinguish between patients with focal temporal and extratemporal lobe epilepsy

We examined the ability of preoperative memory performance to distinguish between patients who had been diagnosed as having left (LTLE, n = 31), right (RTLE, n = 37), and extra-(ETLE, n = 17) temporal lobe focal epilepsy. All patients eventually underwent surgical resections. Analyses indicated that the ETLE group performed better than the RTLE group on nonverbal memory measures and better than the LTLE group on verbal memory measures. Discriminant function analyses indicated that use of a combination of measures that assess different aspects of memory were of significant value in distinguishing between patients with focal TLE and ETLE. This approach, as compared the use of single measures, improved classification rates of all three groups. The best single predictor of group membership, an index of verbal learning, yielded a 47% overall correct classification rate, with sensitivities ranging from 25 to 59%, and performed at worse than chance levels in classifying RTLE patients. A multivariate approach, which included an index of verbal and nonverbal learning, incidental nonverbal memory, and consolidation of organized and rote verbal material, yielded a 65% correct classification rate, with sensitivities ranging from 57 to 75%. This compares favorably with the other noninvasive techniques for lateralizing epileptogenic lesions.

Laparoscopic tubal surgery. A retrospective comparative study of open microsurgery versus laparoscopic surgery

The aim of this study is to compare retrospectively the outcome of patients that underwent tubal surgery by laparotomy or laparoscopy by the same surgeon Thirty two women that presented with distal tubal obstruction were treated by laparoscopic tubal surgery and 38 by laparotomy and microsurgery. Patients were equally matched for age, duration of infertility and severity of disease. In all cases there were no injuries to adjacent groups and no additional surgery was needed. The duration of surgery was 35-60 min for laparoscopy and 70-120 min for laparotomy and mean duration of hospital stay was 2 and 7 days respectively. Of the 32 cases that underwent laparoscopic surgery 10 had intrauterine pregnancies (31.25%) and 2 ectopic (6.2%). Conversely 11 (28.9%) of the 38 cases with tubal microsurgery resulted in intrauterine pregnancy and 4 (10.5%) in ectopic. Our results suggest that laparoscopic tubal surgery is the method of choice for the treatment of distal tubal obstruction.

Term pregnancy after vaginal transplantation in a case of vaginal agenesis with a functional uterus

This is a report of a successful pregnancy on a patient that had congenital vaginal aplasia with a functioning uterus. Continuity of the reproductive tract was restored at 12 years of age with transplantation of vaginal wall from the mother. The patient had no problems after initiating intercourse 7 years later and conceived without treatment after 5 years of primary infertility. She was delivered by cesarean section at term.

Comparative assessment of proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunostaining and of nucleolar organizer region staining in transitional cell carcinomas of the urinary bladder. Correlation with other conventional prognostic pathologic parameters

The expression of two cell proliferation indices, the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), using the monoclonal antibody PC-10 in the immunoperoxidase method, and the nucleolar organizer regions (NORs), using the colloid silver nitrate staining technique, was assessed in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded material of 50 transitional cell urinary bladder carcinomas. A relationship was found between the histologic grade and each of the two indices used. A significant difference was observed, particularly between carcinomas of grade II and III (p < 0.001). A relationship was also demonstrated between each of PC-10 and AgNOR scores and the clinical stage, but it was attributed mostly to the close correlation of the latter with the histologic grade of these tumors. The linear correlation coefficient between PC-10 and AgNOR scores was 0.757 (p < 0.001). Our results suggest that PC-10 and AgNOR scores may be important prognostic indices in urinary bladder cancer.

Retarded skeletal maturation in Weaver syndrome

A male infant with primordial overgrowth and morphological characteristics of Weaver syndrome is presented. Unexpectedly his osseous maturation was retarded.