Project description:BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs negatively regulate gene expression and play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of human type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). As the domestic cat presents a spontaneous animal model for human T2DM, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether microRNAs are detectable in feline serum and whether microRNA expression profiles differ between healthy and diabetic cats. METHODS: Total RNA was extracted from 400 µl serum of healthy lean (HL) and newly diagnosed diabetic (D) cats. MicroRNA microarrays representing 1079 distinct mouse miRNA targets were used to measure miRNA expression in samples from eight HL and eight D cats. RESULTS: By microarray, 227 distinct microRNAs were identified. Nineteen miRNAs were differentially expressed in diabetic cats, but only two reached statistical significance after correction for multiple comparisons. In qRT-PCR, miR-122* was found to be upregulated in diabetic cats more than 40-fold compared to HL cats, while miR-193b was upregulated about 10-fold. MiR-483* showed a 6- fold increase in diabetic cats compared to HL cats. CONCLUSIONS: Small volumes of serum samples yield sufficient material to detect altered microRNA expression profiles in diabetic cats. The domestic cat may be considered a useful animal model for studying miRNAs involved in human T2DM.
Project description:BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs negatively regulate gene expression and play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of human type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). As the domestic cat presents a spontaneous animal model for human T2DM, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether microRNAs are detectable in feline serum and whether microRNA expression profiles differ between healthy and diabetic cats. METHODS: Total RNA was extracted from 400 M-BM-5l serum of healthy lean (HL) and newly diagnosed diabetic (D) cats. MicroRNA microarrays representing 1079 distinct mouse miRNA targets were used to measure miRNA expression in samples from eight HL and eight D cats. RESULTS: By microarray, 227 distinct microRNAs were identified. Nineteen miRNAs were differentially expressed in diabetic cats, but only two reached statistical significance after correction for multiple comparisons. In qRT-PCR, miR-122* was found to be upregulated in diabetic cats more than 40-fold compared to HL cats, while miR-193b was upregulated about 10-fold. MiR-483* showed a 6- fold increase in diabetic cats compared to HL cats. CONCLUSIONS: Small volumes of serum samples yield sufficient material to detect altered microRNA expression profiles in diabetic cats. The domestic cat may be considered a useful animal model for studying miRNAs involved in human T2DM. Blood was drawn from two groups of cats: 8 healthy cats and 8 cats suffering from diabetes. After clotting, samples were centrifuged and total mRNA was extracted from serum. These 16 serum samples were analyzed and the groups were compared. Due to technical problems during hybridization (leaking chamber), sample 1_4_B (Serum_diabetic_8) was not included into analysis.
Project description:The silk gland (SG) of the domesticated silkworm Bombyx mori, an economically important insect that has been used for silk production for over 5000 years, is a remarkable organ that produces vast amounts of silk with exceptional properties . Little is known about which SG cells execute silk protein synthesis and its precise spatiotemporal control. Here, we used single-cell RNA-seq to build a comprehensive cell atlas of the B. mori SG, consisting of 14,972 high-quality cells representing 10 distinct cell types, in three early developmental stages. We annotated all 10 cell types and determined their distributions in each region of the SG, decoded their developmental trajectory and gene-switch status, and discovered marker genes involved in the regulation of SG development and silk protein synthesis. Our study reveals the high heterogeneity of B. mori SG cells and their gene expression dynamics for the first time, affording a deeper understanding of silk-producing organs at the single-cell level .
2022-05-06 | GSE193279 | GEO
Project description:What determines plant species diversity along the Silk Road in the East?
Project description:Purpose: Photoperiod is known to cause physiological changes in seasonal mammals, including body weight, physical activity, and reproductive status. Because cats are seasonal breeders, we recently tested the effects of day length on resting metabolic rate, voluntary physical activity, and food intake. In that study, resting metabolic rate, physical activity, and food intake to maintain body weight were greater in cats exposed to long days vs. short days. Because photoperiod has also been demonstrated to affect adipose tissue gene expression in several species, including dairy cows, sheep, and Siberian hamsters, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of day length on the adipose transcriptome profile of cats as assessed by RNA-seq. Methods: Ten healthy adult neutered male domestic shorthair cats were used in a randomized crossover design study. During two 12-wk periods, cats were exposed to either short days (8 hr light:16 hr dark) or long days (16 hr light:8 hr dark). Cats were fed a commercial diet to maintain baseline body weight. Subcutaneous adipose biopsies were collected at wk 12 of each period for RNA isolation and Illumina sequencing. Results: A total of 578 million sequences (28.9 million/sample) were generated by Illumina sequencing. Using a raw p value of P<0.005, 170 mRNA transcripts were differentially expressed between short day- and long day-housed cats. Of the 170 transcripts highlighted, 25 annotated transcripts were up-regulated, while 116 annotated transcripts were down-regulated by long days. Another 29 un-annotated transcripts (name and function not known) were also different between groups. In general, adipose tissue of long day-housed cats had greater expression of genes involved with cholesterol trafficking, fatty acid synthesis and immune function, and lower expression of genes involved with cell cycle and growth, cell development and structure, and protein processing, when compared to short day-housed cats. Subcutaneous adipose tissue mRNA profiles of healthy adult neutered male cats exposed to short days (8 hr light: 16 hr dark) or long days (16 hr light: 8 hr dark) using Illumina sequencing.
Project description:MicroRNAs negatively regulate gene expression and may serve as biomarkers for human cardiomyopathy. In the domestic cat, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) represents the most common primary cardiomyopathy. In humans, the etiology of HCM is linked to mutations in genes of contractile muscle proteins, while in cats a clear proof for causal mutations is missing. The etiology of feline HCM is uncertain. Diagnosis is made by heart ultrasound examination and measuring the serum level of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether microRNA profiles in the serum of cats with HCM are different from the profiles of healthy cats and whether specific miRNAs can be detected to serve as potential biomarkers for feline HCM or may help in understanding the etiology of this disease Blood was drawn from two groups of cats: 12 healthy cats and 11 cats suffering from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. After clotting, samples were centrifuged and total mRNA was extracted from serum. These 23 serum samples were analyzed and the groups were compared
Project description:Bacillus licheniformis-fermented products (BLFP) are probiotics with antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties that can improve growth performance. This study aimed to, firstly, compare the fecal microbiota of cats with chronic diarrhea (n = 8) with that of healthy cats (n = 4) from the same household using next-generation sequencing and, secondly, evaluate the effectiveness of oral administration of BLFP in relieving clinical signs and altering the intestinal microbiota in diarrheal cats. Six out of eight cats with diarrhea showed clinical improvement after BLFP administration for 7 days, and in two cats the stool condition was normal. A higher Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio was noted in the feces of diarrheal cats without clinical improvement as compared with those in the healthy control group and in the diarrheal cats with clinical improvement after receiving BLFP. The phylum Bacteroidetes and class Bacteroidia decreased significantly in diarrheal cats regardless of BLFP administration. Blautia spp., Ruminococcus torques, and Ruminococcus gnavus, which belong to the Clostridium cluster XIVa and have been reported as beneficial to intestinal health, increased significantly in feces after BLFP treatment. Furthermore, a significant decrease in Clostridium perfringens was noted in diarrheal cats after BLFP administration. Overall, BLFP could be a potential probiotic to relieve gastrointestinal symptoms and improve fecal microbiota in cats with chronic diarrhea.