Isolation and characterization of thirty microsatellite loci for Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus L.)

Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus L.) is a widely distributed commercially important pelagic species. Little is known about the stock structure of this species, but it is thought to be undergoing a range extension due to environmental changes. Knowledge of the stock structure under these changing conditions is fundamental for effective management. In this paper, 30 highly polymorphic microsatellite loci developed with next generation sequencing are described. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 4 to 39 in two geographically distant populations, observed and expected heterozygosities ranged between 0. 370-0. 978 and 0. 426-0. 962, respectively. These loci are an important resource that will allow assessment of the current population genetic structure of this species, and enable monitoring of climate related changes in the species range and distribution. 

Twenty-two novel microsatellite loci for lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus)

Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus L. 1758) are widely distributed on both sides of the North Atlantic. They are a commercially important species, but stock size estimates have declined since the mid-1980s in Canada, Norway and Iceland. Little is known about the biology of this species, in particular the breeding migrations and population structure which are fundamental for effective management. This paper describes the development and characterization of twenty-two polymorphic microsatellite loci using next generation sequencing. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 27 in two geographically distant North Atlantic populations, with observed and expected heterozygosities ranging between 0. 0625-0. 979 and 0. 0618-0. 946, respectively. These loci are an important resource that will allow assessment of the population genetic structure of this species, and contribute to its appropriate management.

New microsatellite loci for the longnose velvet dogfish Centroselachus crepidater (Squaliformes: Somniosidae) and other deep sea sharks

The continuing over-exploitation of traditional coastal stocks has resulted in the shift of commercial fishing towards deep-sea ecosystems in many parts of the world. The effects on target and non-target species have been dramatic; particularly for the deep-sea sharks. With the aim of providing tools that will allow the assessment of population genetic structure of Centroselachus crepidater, novel microsatellite loci have been developed for this deep-sea elasmobranch. Seven of these markers showed between 3 and 7 alleles per locus in two North Atlantic populations, with observed and expected heterozygosities between 0.18-0.95 and 0.25-0.82, respectively. Additionally, ten loci cross-amplify in other Elasmobranch species.

Novel microsatellite loci for a deep sea fish (Macrourus berglax) and their amplification in other grenadiers (Gadiformes: Macrouridae)

Over-exploitation of traditional coastal stocks and a rising demand for seafood have resulted in the shift of commercial fishing towards less-known, deep-sea species in many parts of the world. Yet, the lack of knowledge of the biology, ecology and life-history of these species represents a serious impediment for establishing sound stock management plans. With the aim of providing tools that will allow assessment of the population genetic structure of Macrourus berglax, we have isolated and characterised a suite of novel microsatellite loci for this deep sea grenadier. Eight of these markers showed between 4 and 11 alleles per locus in two distant North Atlantic populations, with observed and expected heterozygosities between 0.17-0.83 and 0.35-0.87, respectively. Importantly, eight of these loci also cross-amplify in other Macrourid species. 

Highly polymorphic microsatellite loci in the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus)

We describe seven polymorphic, dinucleotide microsatellite loci isolated from bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus, Rodentia: Muridae) collected from the Wirral Peninsula, United Kingdom. Microsatellites were isolated as part of a long-term study on the wider effects of host-pathogen interactions of an endemic viral disease. These microsatellites showed between five and 13 alleles per locus in these populations. Observed and expected heterozygosities varied between 0.275 to 0.777 and 0.487 to 0.794, respectively. These markers will allow us to investigate the structure of this bank vole population. © 2005 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

EphA2 Expression Is a Key Driver of Migration and Invasion and a Poor Prognostic Marker in Colorectal Cancer

PURPOSE: EphA2, a member of the Eph receptor tyrosine kinases family, is an important regulator of tumor initiation, neovascularization, and metastasis in a wide range of epithelial and mesenchymal cancers; however, its role in colorectal cancer recurrence and progression is unclear.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: EphA2 expression was determined by immunohistochemistry in stage II/III colorectal tumors (N = 338), and findings correlated with clinical outcome. The correlation between EphA2 expression and stem cell markers CD44 and Lgr5 was examined. The role of EphA2 in migration/invasion was assessed using a panel of KRAS wild-type (WT) and mutant (MT) parental and invasive colorectal cancer cell line models.

RESULTS: Colorectal tumors displayed significantly higher expression levels of EphA2 compared with matched normal tissue, which positively correlated with high CD44 and Lgr5 expression levels. Moreover, high EphA2 mRNA and protein expression were found to be associated with poor overall survival in stage II/III colorectal cancer tissues, in both univariate and multivariate analyses. Preclinically, we found that EphA2 was highly expressed in KRASMT colorectal cancer cells and that EphA2 levels are regulated by the KRAS-driven MAPK and RalGDS-RalA pathways. Moreover, EphA2 levels were elevated in several invasive daughter cell lines, and downregulation of EphA2 using RNAi or recombinant EFNA1 suppressed migration and invasion of KRASMT colorectal cancer cells.

CONCLUSIONS: These data show that EpHA2 is a poor prognostic marker in stage II/III colorectal cancer, which may be due to its ability to promote cell migration and invasion, providing support for the further investigation of EphA2 as a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target. Clin Cancer Res; 22(1); 230-42. ©2015 AACR.

Doxorubicin induces the cleavage of Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, a marker of programmed cell death (apoptosis) in mouse cardiomyocytes

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world. Despite this, a growing number of people are surviving the disease due to medical advancements and the development of numerous new therapies. Doxorubicin, a chemotherapeutic agent, is a widely-used and successful first-line anti-tumour treatment. However, the established toxic and deleterious effects of the drug on the cardiovascular system confer increased risk of congestive heart failure, thereby necessitating the use of reduced doxorubicin doses. In order to investigate how these events are initiated, mouse cardiomyocytes (HL-1) were treated in vitro with varying concentrations of doxorubicin (0.5-4.0 µmol/L). Following treatment (24h), a marked level of cell death was observed in comparison to untreated cardiomyocytes; the level of death appeared to correlate with the concentration of the drug used. Western blotting revealed the cleavage of full length Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) into 89 and 24kDa fragments, a process which is instrumental in triggering programmed cell death/apoptosis. Importantly, results suggested that this event may be independent of caspase 3 cleavage and thus activation. A number of previous studies have reported a functional role for both Mitofusin-2 (Mfn2) and NADPH oxidase 2 (Nox2) in the cardiotoxic response. Given that PARP cleavage is a validated indicator of cellular apoptosis, these results clearly indicate that this marker could be used in future studies when determining if depletion of the above proteins would cause a reduction in or eradicate the pro-apoptotic action of this agent on cardiomyocytes. Such investigations may lead to significant developments in ensuring that doxorubicin can achieve its full therapeutic anti-tumour potential without causing the subsequent deleterious effects on the cardiovascular system.