Project description:Emerging data has highlighted the importance of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) on ruminal microbiome and derived metabolism profiling, and ruminal epithelial health and nutritional absorption in ruminants. However, little is known about the roles of SCFAs on ileal microbiome profiles. Here, we combined infusion of three SCFAs, to study their different roles in ileal microbiome succession profiling using a in vivo goat model.
Project description:We examined genome-wide patterns of DNA methylation from whole genome DNA methylation maps of five tissues (brain, kidney, lung, skeletal muscle, and pancreas) from one male koala and one female koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), and present the first whole genome, multi-tissue “methylome atlas” with information on tissue- and sex-specific variation of DNA methylation for a marsupial.
Project description:Emerging data has highlighted the importance of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) on ruminal microbiome and derived metabolism profiling, and ruminal epithelial health and nutritional absorption in ruminants. However, little is known about the roles of SCFAs on hindgut profiles. Here, we firstly combined infusion of three SCFAs, to study their different roles in hindgut microbiome succession and derived metabolism profiling, as well as colonic epithelial transcriptome sequencing patterns using a in vivo goat model. .
Project description:Emerging data has highlighted the importance of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) on ruminal microbiome and derived metabolism profiling, and ruminal epithelial health and nutritional absorption in ruminants. However, little is known about the roles of SCFAs on hindgut profiles. Here, we firstly combined infusion of three SCFAs, to study their different roles in hindgut microbiome succession and derived metabolism profiling, as well as colonic epithelial transcriptome sequencing patterns using a in vivo goat model.
Project description:RASA3 (RAS p21 protein activator 3), also called GAPIII or IP4BP (inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate, IP4, binding protein), is a member of the GAP1 family of RAS-GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). The RAS superfamily of small GTPases includes the subfamily RAP. Small GTPases act as molecular switches, cycling between active GTP-bound and inactive GDP-bound forms. They are activated by guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), which stimulate GTP loading, and inactivated by GAPs, which accelerate GTP hydrolysis. A major role of RASA3 in hematopoiesis was first identified upon positional cloning of the co-isogenic autosomal recessive mouse mutation, scat (severe combined anemia and thrombocytopenia. The scat phenotype, in addition to severe anemia and thrombocytopenia, includes significant leukopenia as well. The scat disease progresses episodically, with periods of severe crisis interspersed with one or two periods of remission. The RASA3 mutation (G125V) in scat causes mislocalization of RASA3 to the cytosol, abrogating RASA3 GAP activity and increasing active RAS levels in scat erythroid cells. As part of a broader study to analyze the role of RASA3 in hematopoiesis, we performed RNAseq studies to generate hypotheses regarding the progression of the scat disease from periods of crisis to partial remission.
Project description:The aims of this study were to investigate the proteome of koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) spermatozoa and that of the prostatic bodies with which they form intimate contact at the moment of ejaculation. For this purpose, spermatozoa and prostatic bodies were obtained from four adult male koala by electroejaculation and analysed by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer. This strategy successfully identified and 744 koala sperm and 1,297 prostatic body proteins, which were subsequently attributed to 482 and 776 unique gene products, respectively. Gene ontology curation of the koala sperm proteome revealed an abundance of proteins mapping to the canonical sirtuin and 14-3-3 signalling pathways. By contrast, protein ubiquitination and unfolding protein response pathways dominated the equivalent analysis of proteins uniquely identified in koala prostatic bodies. In terms of functional annotation, koala sperm proteins commonly mapped to the categories of cellular compromise/inflammatory response, whilst those of the prostatic body revealed an over-representation of molecular chaperone and stress-related proteins associated with cell survival. Cross-species comparisons demonstrated that the koala sperm proteome displays greater conservation with that of eutherians (human; 93%) as opposed to reptile (crocodile; 39%) and avian (rooster; 27%) spermatozoa. Similarly, koala prostatic body proteins also presented a relatively high degree of overlap (70%) with those identified in sub-populations of large human seminal plasma extracellular vesicles. Together, this work contributes our overall understanding of the core sperm proteome and has identified candidate markers that may contribute to the exceptional longevity of koala spermatozoa during ex vivo storage.