Genetic confirmation of Octopus insularis (Leite and Haimovici, 2008) in South Florida, United States using physical features and de novo genome assembly

The distribution of octopuses within the Octopus vulgaris species complex remains inadequately understood. Species determination can be complex and involves characterizing a specimen's physical features and comparing its genetic makeup to other populations. In this study, we present the first genetic confirmation of Octopus insularis (Leite and Haimovici, 2008) inhabiting the coastal waters of the Florida Keys, United States. We employed visual observations to identify species-specific body patterns of three wild-caught octopuses and used de novo genome assembly to confirm their species. All three specimens exhibited a red/white reticulated pattern on their ventral arm surface. Two specimens displayed body pattern components of deimatic display (white eye encircled by a light ring, with darkening around the eye). All visual observations were consistent with distinguishing features of O. insularis. We then compared mitochondrial subunits COI, COIII, and 16S in these specimens across all available annotated octopod sequences, including Sepia apama (Hotaling et al., 2021) as a control outgroup taxon. For species exhibiting intraspecific genomic variation, we included multiple sequences from geographically distinct populations. Laboratory specimens consistently clustered into a single taxonomic node with O. insularis. These findings confirm O. insularis presence in South Florida and suggest a more extensive northern distribution than previously assumed. Whole genome Illumina sequencing of multiple specimens enabled taxonomic identification with well-established DNA barcodes while also generating the first de novo full assembly of O. insularis. Furthermore, constructing and comparing phylogenetic trees for multiple conserved genes is essential for confirming the presence and delineation of cryptic species in the Caribbean.

Multimodal Assessment of Bottlenose Dolphin Auditory Nuclei Using 7-Tesla MRI, Immunohistochemistry and Stereology

The importance of assessing neurochemical processes in the cetacean brain as a tool for monitoring their cognitive health and to indirectly model human neurodegenerative conditions is increasingly evident, although available data are largely semiquantitative. High-resolution MRI for post-mortem brains and stereology allow for quantitative assessments of the cetacean brain. In this study, we scanned two brains of bottlenose dolphins in a 7-Tesla (7T) MR scanner and assessed the connectivity of the inferior colliculi and ventral cochlear nuclei using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Serial thick sections were investigated stereologically in one of the dolphins to generate rigorous quantitative estimates of identifiable cell types according to their morphology and expression of molecular markers, yielding reliable cell counts with most coefficients of error <10%. Fibronectin immunoreactivity in the dolphin resembled the pattern in a human chronic traumatic encephalopathy brain, suggesting that neurochemical compensation for insults such as hypoxia may constitute a noxious response in humans, while being physiological in dolphins. These data contribute to a growing body of knowledge on the morphological and neurochemical properties of the dolphin brain and highlight a stereological and neuroimaging workflow that may enable quantitative and translational assessment of pathological processes in the dolphin brain in the future.

Environmental Enrichment Increases Glucocorticoid Receptors and Decreases GluA2 and Protein Kinase M Zeta (PKMζ) Trafficking During Chronic Stress: A Protective Mechanism?

Environmental enrichment (EE) housing paradigms have long been shown beneficial for brain function involving neural growth and activity, learning and memory capacity, and for developing stress resiliency. The expression of the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor subunit GluA2, which is important for synaptic plasticity and memory, is increased with corticosterone (CORT), undermining synaptic plasticity and memory. Thus, we determined the effect of EE and stress on modulating GluA2 expression in Sprague-Dawley male rats. Several markers were evaluated which include: plasma CORT, the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), GluA2, and the atypical protein kinase M zeta (PKMζ). For 1 week standard-(ST) or EE-housed animals were treated with one of the following four conditions: (1) no stress; (2) acute stress (forced swim test, FST; on day 7); (3) chronic restraint stress (6 h/day for 7 days); and (4) chronic + acute stress (restraint stress 6 h/day for 7 days + FST on day 7). Hippocampi were collected on day 7. Our results show that EE animals had reduced time immobile on the FST across all conditions. After chronic + acute stress EE animals showed increased GR levels with no change in synaptic GluA2/PKMζ. ST-housed animals showed the reverse pattern with decreased GR levels and a significant increase in synaptic GluA2/PKMζ. These results suggest that EE produces an adaptive response to chronic stress allowing for increased GR levels, which lowers neuronal excitability reducing GluA2/PKMζ trafficking. We discuss this EE adaptive response to stress as a potential underlying mechanism that is protective for retaining synaptic plasticity and memory function.

Autism, Alzheimer disease, and fragile X: APP, FMRP, and mGluR5 are molecular links

The present review highlights an association between autism, Alzheimer disease (AD), and fragile X syndrome (FXS). We propose a conceptual framework involving the amyloid-β peptide (Aβ), Aβ precursor protein (APP), and fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) based on experimental evidence. The anabolic (growth-promoting) effect of the secreted α form of the amyloid-β precursor protein (sAPPα) may contribute to the state of brain overgrowth implicated in autism and FXS. Our previous report demonstrated that higher plasma sAPPα levels associate with more severe symptoms of autism, including aggression. This molecular effect could contribute to intellectual disability due to repression of cell-cell adhesion, promotion of dense, long, thin dendritic spines, and the potential for disorganized brain structure as a result of disrupted neurogenesis and migration. At the molecular level, APP and FMRP are linked via the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5). Specifically, mGluR5 activation releases FMRP repression of APP mRNA translation and stimulates sAPP secretion. The relatively lower sAPPα level in AD may contribute to AD symptoms that significantly contrast with those of FXS and autism. Low sAPPα and production of insoluble Aβ would favor a degenerative process, with the brain atrophy seen in AD. Treatment with mGluR antagonists may help repress APP mRNA translation and reduce secretion of sAPP in FXS and perhaps autism.

The LEARn model: an epigenetic explanation for idiopathic neurobiological diseases

Neurobiological disorders have diverse manifestations and symptomology. Neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, manifest late in life and are characterized by, among other symptoms, progressive loss of synaptic markers. Developmental disorders, such as autism spectrum, appear in childhood. Neuropsychiatric and affective disorders, such as schizophrenia and major depressive disorder, respectively, have broad ranges of age of onset and symptoms. However, all share uncertain etiologies, with opaque relationships between genes and environment. We propose a 'Latent Early-life Associated Regulation' (LEARn) model, positing latent changes in expression of specific genes initially primed at the developmental stage of life. In this model, environmental agents epigenetically disturb gene regulation in a long-term manner, beginning at early developmental stages, but these perturbations might not have pathological results until significantly later in life. The LEARn model operates through the regulatory region (promoter) of the gene, specifically through changes in methylation and oxidation status within the promoter of specific genes. The LEARn model combines genetic and environmental risk factors in an epigenetic pathway to explain the etiology of the most common, that is, sporadic, forms of neurobiological disorders.

Admissions for chemotherapy-related serious adverse effects (CR-SAEs) and rates of mortality among community cancer center patients

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Background: Data regarding CR-SAE's come predominantly from clinical trials; little is known about the experiences of cancer patients treated in community settings. Our goals were to describe admissions for CR-SAE's among cancer patients treated in a community setting and to identify rates and predictors of mortality for admitted patients. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of adult cancer patients (excluding acute leukemia and stem cell transplant patients) admitted to a community hospital January 2003-December 2006. A multidisciplinary panel of cancer providers determined which admissions were chemotherapy-related. We identified the type of SAE, outcome of each admission, time form chemotherapy to admission and from admission to discharge/death, and the disease and treatment characteristics of each patient. Statistical analyses included Chi-square, ANOVA, and logistic regression. Results: 227 patients experienced 258 admissions for CR-SAE's (55.5% female; median age 68, range 17–89). The most common cancers were colorectal (18.5%), lung (18.1%), lymphoma (16.3%), and breast (13.7%). Most chemotherapy was palliative (53.5%). SAE's were categorized as gastrointestinal (46.1%), infectious (31.4%), hematologic (9.3%), cardiac (8.1%), and other (5.0%). Approximately 7.4% of admissions led to fatalities, with a median of 9 days (range 1–35) from admission to death. Fatalities were more frequent among patients receiving palliative versus adjuvant/curative chemo (10.1% vs. 4.2%; p = 0.07) and among patients experiencing infectious vs. other SAE's (13.6% vs. 0–9.5%; p = 0.07). On multivariable analysis, palliative therapy was a borderline-significant predictor of mortality (OR 2.8; 95% CI 0.9–8.4; p = 0.07). The average time from chemotherapy to admission was shorter for fatal vs. non-fatal admissions (3.6 vs. 7.7 days; p<.01). Conclusions: Fatalities during admissions for CR-SAE's in a community cancer center are relatively uncommon and are not associated with age or type of SAE/cancer. Further investigation regarding predictors of mortality following palliative chemo may be warranted. Chemotherapy-related mortality in the palliative care setting may be a valid quality indicator.

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Measuring chemotherapy safety in a community oncology practice: Results of a three-year prospective study

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Background: Chemotherapy administration is associated with a risk for severe toxicity and mortality. Limited data are available to assess these risks outside of clinical trials or administrative databases. We sought to determine the risk of chemotherapy administration in a community-based oncology practice, to identify potential risk factors, and to look for trends over time. Methods: The North Shore Medical Center Cancer Center (NSCC) is a community-based cancer facility in Peabody, MA. In 1/03, we began a prospective study to identify and categorize all adult patients admitted to hospital with severe chemotherapy toxicity and to compare them to all chemotherapy recipients. Consecutive cases admitted to hospital from NSCC were reviewed in a monthly multidisciplinary peer review meeting. Admissions deemed to be treatment-related were entered into a toxicity database. Results: Between 1/1/03 and 11/30/05, 2206 courses of chemotherapy were administered to 1574 patients resulting in 12,380 treatment-months of therapy. 162 patients required 174 hospital admissions, for an annualized risk of treatment-related hospitalization (TRH) of 16.6% and a mean length of stay of 7.0 days. Mean age of cases was similar for those admitted for toxicity compared to all chemotherapy patients (65.3 versus 64.6 yrs.). GI toxicity and infection (principally fever and neutropenia) accounted for 77% of TRH. Between 2003 and 2005, the risk of a TRH declined for colorectal cancer cases while it increased for breast cancer and lung cancer cases. There were 14 treatment-related deaths (TRD) for an annualized risk of 1.1%. TRD’s were infectious in 9, GI in 4 and cardiac in 1. Median age was 67, similar to the entire cohort. TRD occurred early (median 28 days from the inception of chemotherapy, range 1–120 days). Significant comorbidity was identifiable in 12 of 14 cases. 10 of 14 cases were being treated palliatively. Conclusions: These prospectively collected data confirm that chemotherapy administration in a community-based practice can be associated with a low risk of severe toxicity and a very low risk of mortality. TRH and TRD could become standard measures of quality care for cancer facilities.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Construction of recombinant avian infectious laryngotracheitis virus expressing the beta-galactosidase gene and DNA sequencing of the insertion region

Avian infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV), a herpesvirus, is a highly contagious pathogen that causes an upper respiratory tract infection in chickens. It is one of the major problems in the poultry industry worldwide. Current vaccines are not satisfactory due to the induction of latent infection. Here we describe a system for the construction of recombinant ILTV. A 4-kbp ILTV EcoRI DNA fragment was cloned into plasmid pUC13 and sequenced. Computer prediction revealed two potential open reading frames with 216 and 259 amino acid residues, respectively. The 259-residue polypeptide was serine-rich. The beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) gene of E. coli was cloned into the XhoI/Bg/II site of this DNA fragment, integrated into the ILTV genome via homologous recombination, expressed under the control of the immediate-early cytomegalovirus promoter, and caused the formation of blue plaques in the presence of X-gal. The insertion of a foreign gene into the ILTV genome and the successful expression of the incorporated gene demonstrated the potential for the construction of attenuated recombinant ILTV vaccines and the development of ILTV as vectors for polyvalent vaccines against avian upper respiratory tract infections.

Demonstration of human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)-specific T cell responses from seronegative and polymerase chain reaction-negative persons exposed to HTLV-I

Human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) is a human retrovirus etiologically linked to adult T cell leukemia and the progressive chronic neurologic disease HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis. Described is a method that measures the production of interleukin-2 from HTLV-I synthetic peptide-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of HTLV-I-infected persons. The peptides correspond to immunogenic regions of the HTLV-I Env and Tax proteins. Significantly, this assay demonstrated T cell responses to these HTLV-I peptides from coded PBL samples in 7 of 19 HTLV-I-seronegative polymerase chain reaction-negative persons known to have been exposed to HTLV-I but in none of 16 matched controls without risk factors for exposure (P = .007). The implications of this finding are discussed.

Assembly pathway of avian infectious laryngotracheitis virus

Infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) is the causative agent of a highly contagious upper respiratory tract infection in chickens. At present, ILTV vaccines are not satisfactory because of development of a latent carrier status in vaccinated birds. Development of recombinant virus vaccines has been hampered by the limited information available on the molecular level and organization of this virus. We isolated 3 assembly intermediates, designated A, B, and C from ILTV-infected cells. Analysis of [3H]thymidine-and [35S]methionine-labeled particles, and electron microscopic studies indicated that particle A was the empty capsid, particle B was the procapsid containing scaffolding protein, and particle C was the DNA-filled capsid. The ILTV procapsids could only be found in the nucleus, which indicated that procapsids could not translocate through the nuclear membrane until they packaged the DNA. The DNA-filled capsids migrated through the nuclear membrane and obtained an envelope from the inner membrane of the nucleus. The enveloped particles then migrated through the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum into vacuoles in the cytoplasm. Infective virions were isolated from within the infected cells, indicating that budding through the cytoplasmic membrane is not a necessary step in ILTV maturation. Abundant arrays composed of tubules about 45 to 50 nm wide were found in the cytoplasm of chicken embryonic liver cells about 30 to 38 hours after infection. Comparison of the assembly intermediates and the DNA packaging pathway of ILTV with that of bacteriophage pi 29 indicates that similarity exists.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Recurrent unilateral lung disease

A 25-year-old patient, with multiple pulmonary metastases from osteogenic sarcoma who two years ago developed respiratory failure with unilateral left lung involvement and was successfully treated with independent lung ventilation, was readmitted to an ICU with recurrent unilateral lung disease. Conventional therapy failed to reverse the respiratory failure; independent ventilation temporarily improved the patient's oxygenation. At autopsy, different involvement of the two lungs by the tumor was evident so that blood flow of the right lung and lymphatic flow of the left lung were impaired. When respiratory failure unresponsive to conventional therapy develops, anatomical abnormalities should be considered.