The contraception-based approach to wildlife management is a humane and effective alternative to population control methods. Wildlife management only has a few conventional ways to control overpopulation, such as culling, translocation, poisoning, and allowing natural death. Nevertheless, these methods usually have short-term, lethal, and unethical effects. The present systematic review aims to review the knowledge on contraception reported in long-tailed macaques as an alternative to population control. We obtained 719 records from searching CABI, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus electronic databases. After the screening and selection process, according to PRISMA guidelines, 19 articles that met the eligibility criteria were chosen. Of the 19 articles, 15 were studies on female long-tailed macaque contraception methods (six (6) hormonal and nine (9) non-hormonal). We analyzed four (4) selected articles on male Cynomolgus monkey contraception methods (two (2) hormonal and two (2) non-hormonal). One of the nine (9) articles on female long-tailed macaque contraception reports negative results. Furthermore, only two (2) studies used free-ranging long-tailed macaques as test subjects, while seventeen (17) tested on captive ones. The challenges of long-tailed macaque contraception identified in this review were the effectiveness of the contraceptive, the administration route, the economic feasibility, the distinction between captive and free-ranging Cynomolgus macaques, the choice of permanent or reversible contraception, the capability of contraceptive use for population control, and the lack of studies on the free-ranging long-tailed macaque. Notwithstanding the literature gap on long-tailed macaque contraception for population control, long-tailed macaque contraception exhibits potential as an alternative method to culling long-tailed macaque. Future research should address these obstacles to support the long-tailed macaque contraception as an alternative population control method.
Glioblastoma (GBM) mesenchymal (MES) transition can be regulated by long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) via modulation of various factors (Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal (EMT) markers, biological signalling, and the extracellular matrix (ECM)). However, understanding of these mechanisms in terms of lncRNAs is largely sparse. This review systematically analysed the mechanisms by which lncRNAs influence MES transition in GBM from a systematic search of the literature (using PRISMA) performed in five databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science). We identified a total of 62 lncRNAs affiliated with GBM MES transition, of which 52 were upregulated and 10 were downregulated in GBM cells, where 55 lncRNAs were identified to regulate classical EMT markers in GBM (E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and vimentin) and 25 lncRNAs were reported to regulate EMT transcription factors (ZEB1, Snai1, Slug, Twist, and Notch); a total of 16 lncRNAs were found to regulate the associated signalling pathways (Wnt/β-catenin, PI3k/Akt/mTOR, TGFβ, and NF-κB) and 14 lncRNAs were reported to regulate ECM components (MMP2/9, fibronectin, CD44, and integrin-β1). A total of 25 lncRNAs were found dysregulated in clinical samples (TCGA vs. GTEx), of which 17 were upregulated and 8 were downregulated. Gene set enrichment analysis predicted the functions of HOXAS3, H19, HOTTIP, MEG3, DGCR5, and XIST at the transcriptional and translational levels based on their interacting target proteins. Our analysis observed that the MES transition is regulated by complex interplays between the signalling pathways and EMT factors. Nevertheless, further empirical studies are required to elucidate the complexity in this process between these EMT factors and the signalling involved in the GBM MES transition.
Background: The Western-style diet-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) may eventually trigger neurodegeneration and memory impairment. Thus, it is essential to identify effective therapeutic strategies to overcome T2D complications. This study aimed to investigate the effects of environmental enrichment (EE) and metformin interventions on metabolic dysfunctions, hippocampal neuronal death, and hippocampal-dependent memory impairments in high-fat/high-sucrose (HFS) diet-induced T2D rats. Methods: Thirty-two male rats (200-250 g) were divided into four groups: C group (standard diet + conventional cage); D group (HFS diet + conventional cage); DE group (HFS diet + EE cage/6hr daily); and DM group (HFS diet + metformin + conventional cage). Body weight was measured every week. T-maze tasks, anthropometric, biochemical, histological, and morphometric parameters were measured. The expression changes of hippocampal genes were also analyzed. Results: The anthropometric and biochemical parameters were improved in DE and DM groups compared with the D group. DE and DM groups had significantly higher T-maze percentages than the D group. These groups also had better histological and morphometric parameters than the D group. The interventions of EE and metformin enhanced the expression of hippocampal genes related to neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity (BDNF/TrkB binding, PI3K-Akt, Ras-MAPK, PLCγ-Ca2+, and LTP). Conclusion: Environmental enrichment (EE) and metformin improved metabolic functions, hippocampal neuron survival, and hippocampal-dependent memory in HFS diet-induced T2D rats. The underlying mechanisms of these interventions involved the expression of genes that regulate neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity.
Vacuolar processing enzyme (VPE) is a cysteine protease responsible for vacuolar proteins' maturation and regulation of programmed cell death (PCD). Four isoforms of Arabidopsis thaliana VPEs were identified previously, but only the functions of βVPE, γVPE, and δVPE were determined. The specific function of a gene is linked to the cis-acting elements in the promoter region. A promoter analysis found repetitive drought-related cis-elements in αVPE, which highlight its potential involvement in drought regulation in A. thaliana. The further co-expression network portraying genes interacting with αVPE substantiated its drought-regulation-related function. Expression of αVPE was upregulated after drought treatment in A. thaliana. To confirm the role of αVPE, a loss of function study revealed that αVPE knockout mutants remained green compared with WT after drought treatment. The mutants had reduced proline activity, decreased sucrose content, and lower MDA content, but increased photosynthetic pigments, indicating that αVPE negatively regulates drought tolerance in A. thaliana. Taken together, our findings serve as important evidence of the involvement of αVPE in modulating drought tolerance in A. thaliana.
Though there are several advancements and developments in cancer therapy, the treatment remains challenging. In recent years, the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from traditional herbs are focused for identifying and developing potential anticancer molecules. In this study, AMPs are identified from Sphaeranthus amaranthoides, a natural medicinal herb widely used as a crucial immune stimulant in Indian medicine. A total of 86 peptide traces were identified using liquid-chromatography-electrospray-ionisation mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS). Among them, three peptides were sequenced using the manual de novo sequencing technique. The in-silico prediction revealed that SA923 is a cyclic peptide with C-N terminal interaction of the carbon atom of ASP7 with the nitrogen atom of GLU1 (1ELVFYRD7). Thus, SA923 is presented under the orbitides class of peptides, which lack the disulfide bonds for cyclization. In addition, SA923, steered with the physicochemical properties and support vector machine (SVM) algorithm mentioned for the segment, has the highest in silico anticancer potential. Further, the in vitro cytotoxicity assay revealed the peptide has anti-proliferative activity, and toxicity studies were demonstrated in Danio rerio (zebrafish) embryos.
Rhizosphere microbiome is a dynamic and complex zone of microbial communities. This complex plant-associated microbial community, usually regarded as the plant's second genome, plays a crucial role in plant health. It is unquestioned that plant microbiome collectively contributes to plant growth and fitness. It also provides a safeguard from plant pathogens, and induces tolerance in the host against abiotic stressors. The revolution in omics, gene-editing and sequencing tools have somehow led to unravel the compositions and latent interactions between plants and microbes. Similarly, besides standard practices, many biotechnological, (bio)chemical and ecological methods have also been proposed. Such platforms have been solely dedicated to engineer the complex microbiome by untangling the potential barriers, and to achieve better agriculture output. Yet, several limitations, for example, the biological obstacles, abiotic constraints and molecular tools that capably impact plant microbiome engineering and functionality, remained unaddressed problems. In this review, we provide a holistic overview of plant microbiome composition, complexities, and major challenges in plant microbiome engineering. Then, we unearthed all inevitable abiotic factors that serve as bottlenecks by discouraging plant microbiome engineering and functionality. Lastly, by exploring the inherent role of micro/macrofauna, we propose economic and eco-friendly strategies that could be harnessed sustainably and biotechnologically for resilient plant microbiome engineering.
Compatibility of each strain in a multi-strain probiotic (MSP), along with its properties, becomes a strong base for its formulation. In this study, single-strain probiotics (SSPs) and multi-strain probiotics (MSPs) were evaluated in vitro for strain compatibility, microbial antagonism, biofilm formation capacity, and stress tolerance. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens L11, Enterococcus hirae LAB3, and Lysinibacillus fusiformis SPS11 were chosen as MSP1 candidates because they showed much stronger antagonism to Aeromonas hydrophila and Streptococcus agalactiae than a single probiotic. MSP 2 candidates were Lysinibacillus fusiformis strains SPS11, A1, and Lysinibacillus sphaericus strain NAS32 because the inhibition zone produced by MSP 2 against Vibrio harveyi and Vibrio parahaemolyticus was much higher than that produced by its constituent SSPs. MSP1 in the co-culture assay reduced (p < 0.05) A. hydrophila count from 9.89 ± 0.1 CFU mL−1 to 2.14 ± 0.2 CFU mL−1. The biofilm formation of both MSPs were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than its constituent SSPs and the pathogens. The SSPs in both MSPs generally showed resistance to high temperatures (80, 90, and 100 °C) and a wide range of pH (2 to 9). This in vitro assessment study demonstrates that MSP1 and 2 have the potential to be further explored as multi-strain probiotics on selected aquatic species.
The Harvey rat sarcoma (HRAS) proto-oncogene belongs to the RAS family and is one of the pathogenic genes that cause cancer. Deleterious nsSNPs might have adverse consequences at the protein level. This study aimed to investigate deleterious nsSNPs in the HRAS gene in predicting structural alterations associated with mutants that disrupt normal protein-protein interactions. Functional and structural analysis was employed in analyzing the HRAS nsSNPs. Putative post-translational modification sites and the changes in protein-protein interactions, which included a variety of signal cascades, were also investigated. Five different bioinformatics tools predicted 33 nsSNPs as "pathogenic" or "harmful". Stability analysis predicted rs1554885139, rs770492627, rs1589792804, rs730880460, rs104894227, rs104894227, and rs121917759 as unstable. Protein-protein interaction analysis revealed that HRAS has a hub connecting three clusters consisting of 11 proteins, and changes in HRAS might cause signal cascades to dissociate. Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier bioinformatics analyses indicated that the HRAS gene deregulation affected the overall survival rate of patients with breast cancer, leading to prognostic significance. Thus, based on these analyses, our study suggests that the reported nsSNPs of HRAS may serve as potential targets for different proteomic studies, diagnoses, and therapeutic interventions focusing on cancer.
(1) Background: Quorum sensing (QS) is the chemical communication between bacteria that sense chemical signals in the bacterial population to control phenotypic changes through the regulation of gene expression. The inhibition of QS has various potential applications, particularly in the prevention of bacterial infection. QS can be inhibited by targeting the LuxP, a periplasmic receptor protein that is involved in the sensing of the QS signaling molecule known as the autoinducer 2 (AI-2). The sensing of AI-2 by LuxP transduces the chemical information through the inner membrane sensor kinase LuxQ protein and activates the QS cascade. (2) Methods: An in silico approach was applied to design DNA aptamers against LuxP in this study. A method combining molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations was used to select the oligonucleotides that bind to LuxP, which were then further characterized using isothermal titration calorimetry. Subsequently, the bioactivity of the selected aptamer was examined through comparative transcriptome analysis. (3) Results: Two aptamer candidates were identified from the ITC, which have the lowest dissociation constants (Kd) of 0.2 and 0.5 micromolar. The aptamer with the lowest Kd demonstrated QS suppression and down-regulated the flagellar-assembly-related gene expression. (4) Conclusions: This study developed an in silico approach to design an aptamer that possesses anti-QS properties.
The aim of this study is two-fold: first, to correlate the values for each of the trabecular bone microstructure (TBM) parameters to the individual’s chronological age and sex, thereby facilitating the assessment of potential age and sex-related changes in trabecular bone microstructure parameters in the mandible; and second, to quantify the trabecular microstructural parameters in relation to chronological age. Twenty cone-beam computed tomographic (CBCT) scans were retrieved retrospectively from a database of adult patients with ages ranging in age from 22 to 43 years. In the mandible, the volume of interest included the inter-dental space between the second mandibular premolar and the first mandibular molar, as well as the trabecular space beneath and between the apices. Using the AnalyzeDirect 14.0 software, the DICOM images of CBCT scans were pre-processed, transformed, segmented using a novel semi-automatic threshold-guided method, and quantified. In addition, TBM parameters were derived, and statistical analysis was conducted using a Pearson correlation test with two tails. All parameters exhibited no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) between chronological age and sex. Statistically significant negative correlations were found between Tb. N (r = −0.489), BS/TV (r = −0.527), and chronological age (p = 0.029 and p = 0.017, respectively). Only Tb. N and BS/TV exhibited an inverse relationship with chronological age. Numerous studies have quantified the trabecular architecture of the jaw bones, but none have found a correlation between the quantified trabecular parameters and chronological age. The digital imprints produced by radiographic imaging can serve as biological profiles for data collection.
Streptococcosis and aeromonasis inflicted by Streptococcus iniae and Aeromonas hydrophila, respectively, have affected tilapia industries worldwide. In this study, we investigated antibody responses and explored the mechanisms of protection rendered by an oral bivalent vaccine in red tilapia following challenges with S. iniae and A. hydrophila. The results of specific IgM antibody response revealed that the IgM titers against S. iniae and A. hydrophila in the bivalent incorporated (BI) vaccine group were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those in the bivalent spray (BS) vaccine fish and unvaccinated control fish throughout the experiment. Real-time qPCR results also showed that the gene expression of CD4, MHC-I, MHC-II, IgT, C-type lysozyme, IL-1β, TNF-α, and TGF-β remained significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that of the controls between 24 and 72 h post-infection (hpi) in both mucosal (hindgut) and systemic (spleen and head−kidney) organs of BI vaccinated fish. Furthermore, the highest relative expression of the TGF-β, C-type lysozyme, and IgT genes in the BI vaccinated group was observed in the challenged fish’s spleen (8.8-fold), head kidney (4.4-fold), and hindgut (19.7-fold) tissues, respectively. The present study suggests that the bivalent incorporated (BI) vaccine could effectively improve the immune function and activate both humoral and cell-mediated immunities in vaccinated red tilapia following the bacterial challenges.
Neurodegenerative diseases are a global health issue with inadequate therapeutic options and an inability to restore the damaged nervous system. With advances in technology, health scientists continue to identify new approaches to the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Lost or injured neurons and glial cells can lead to the development of several neurological diseases, including Parkinson's disease, stroke, and multiple sclerosis. In recent years, neurons and glial cells have successfully been generated from stem cells in the laboratory utilizing cell culture technologies, fueling efforts to develop stem cell-based transplantation therapies for human patients. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or differentiate into a germ cell with specialized characteristics, such as muscle cells, red blood cells, or brain cells. Although several obstacles remain before stem cells can be used for clinical applications, including some potential disadvantages that must be overcome, this cellular development represents a potential pathway through which patients may eventually achieve the ability to live more normal lives. In this review, we summarize the stem cell-based therapies that have been explored for various neurological disorders, discuss the potential advantages and drawbacks of these therapies, and examine future directions for this field.
There is growing evidence of studies associating COVID-19 survivors with increased mental health consequences. Mental health implications related to a COVID-19 infection include both acute and long-term consequences. Here we discuss COVID-19-associated psychiatric sequelae, particularly anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), drawing parallels to past coronavirus outbreaks. A literature search was completed across three databases, using keywords to search for relevant articles. The cause may directly correlate to the infection through both direct and indirect mechanisms, but the underlying etiology appears more complex and multifactorial, involving environmental, psychological, and biological factors. Although most risk factors and prevalence rates vary across various studies, being of the female gender and having a history of psychiatric disorders seem consistent. Several studies will be presented, demonstrating COVID-19 survivors presenting higher rates of mental health consequences than the general population. The possible mechanisms by which the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) enters the brain, affecting the central nervous system (CNS) and causing these psychiatric sequelae, will be discussed, particularly concerning the SARS-CoV-2 entry via the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) receptors and the implications of the immune inflammatory signaling on neuropsychiatric disorders. Some possible therapeutic options will also be considered.
Human activities due to different land uses are being studied widely in many countries. This study aimed to determine the ecological risks and human health risk assessments (HHRA) of Cd, Pb, Ni, Cu, and Zn in the topsoils of six land uses in Peninsular Malaysia. The ranges of the potentially toxic metals (PTMs) in the soils (mg/kg, dry weight) of this study were 0.24-12.43 for Cd (mean: 1.94), 4.66-2363 for Cu (mean: 228), 2576-116,344 for Fe (mean: 32,618), 2.38-75.67 for Ni (mean: 16.04), 7.22-969 for Pb (mean: 115) and 11.03-3820 for Zn (mean: 512). For the ecological risk assessments, the potential ecological risk index (PERI) for single metals indicated that the severity of pollution of the five metals decreased in the following sequence: Cd > Cu > Pb > Zn > Ni. It was found that industry, landfill, rubbish heap, and mining areas were categorized as "very high ecological risk". For HHRA, the land uses of industry, landfill and rubbish heap were found to have higher hazard quotient (HQ) values for the three pathways (with the order: ingestion > dermal contact > inhalation ingestion) of the five metals for children and adults, when compared to the mining, plantation, and residential areas. The values for both the non-carcinogenic (Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn), and carcinogenic risks (CR) for inhalation (Cd and Ni) obtained for children and adults in this study showed no serious adverse health impacts on their health. However, of public concern, the hazard index (HI), for Pb of children at the landfill (L-3) and the rubbish heap (RH-3) sites exceeded 1.0, indicating non-carcinogenic risk (NCR) for children. Therefore, these PERI and HHRA results provided fundamental data for PTMs pollution mitigation and environmental management in areas of different land uses in Peninsular Malaysia.
The genus Aeromonas has been recognised as an important pathogenic species in aquaculture that causes motile Aeromonas septicaemia (MAS) or less severe, chronic infections. This study compares the pathogenicity of the different Aeromonas spp. that were previously isolated from freshwater fish with signs of MAS. A total of 124 isolates of Aeromonas spp. were initially screened for the ability to grow on M9 agar with myo-inositol as a sole carbon source, which is a discriminatory phenotype for the hypervirulent A. hydrophila (vAh) pathotype. Subsequently, LD50 of six selected Aeromonas spp. were determined by intraperitoneal injection of bacterial suspension containing 103, 105, and 107 CFU/mL of the respective Aeromonas sp. to red hybrid tilapias. The kidneys, livers and spleens of infected moribund fish were examined for histopathological changes. The screening revealed that only A. dhakensis 1P11S3 was able to grow using myo-inositol as a sole carbon source, and no vAh strains were identified. The LD50-240h of A. dhakensis 1P11S3 was 107 CFU/mL, while the non-myo-inositol utilizing A. dhakensis 4PS2 and A. hydrophila 8TK3 was lower at 105 CFU/mL. Similarly, tilapia challenged with the myo-inositol A. dhakensis 1P11S3 showed significantly (p < 0.05) less severe signs, gross and histopathological lesions, and a lower mortality rate than the non-myo-inositol A. dhakensis 4PS2 and A. hydrophila 8TK3. These findings suggested that myo-inositol utilizing A. dhakensis 1P11S3 was not a hypervirulent Aeromonas sp. under current experimental disease challenge conditions, and that diverse Aeromonas spp. are of concern in aquaculture farmed freshwater fish. Therefore, future study is warranted on genomic level to further elucidate the influence of myo-inositol utilizing ability on the pathogenesis of Aeromonas spp., since this ability correlates with hypervirulence in A. hydrophila strains.
Pre-clinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) expressing tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) or MSC-TRAIL against several tumors. However, due to the existence of cancer stem cells (CSCs), some tumors, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), exhibit TRAIL resistance. This study was designed to evaluate the capacity of using first-line chemotherapies including cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and vinorelbine to act as a chemo-sensitizer on CD133+ (prominin-1 positive) CSCs derived from NSCLC cell lines (A549, H460 and H2170) for the purpose of MSC-TRAIL-induced inhibition. We showed that MSC-TRAIL was resistant to all three chemotherapies compared to the NSCLC cell lines, suggesting that the chemotherapies had little effect on MSC-TRAIL viability. Pre-treatment using either cisplatin or 5-FU, but not with vinorelbine, was able to increase the efficacy of MSC-TRAIL to kill the TRAIL-resistant A549-derived CSCs. The study also demonstrated that both 5-FU and vinorelbine were an effective chemo-sensitizer, used to increase the anti-tumor effect of MSC-TRAIL against H460- and H2170-derived CSCs. Furthermore, pre-treatment using cisplatin was noted to enhance the effect of MSC-TRAIL in H460-derived CSCs; however, this effect was not detected in the H2170-derived CSCs. These findings suggest that a pre-treatment using certain chemotherapies in NSCLC could enhance the anti-tumor effect of MSC-TRAIL to target the CSCs, and therefore the combination of chemotherapies and MSC-TRAIL may serve as a novel approach for the treatment of NSCLC.
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders, characterized by recurrent seizures, resulting from abnormally synchronized episodic neuronal discharges. Around 70 million people worldwide are suffering from epilepsy. The available antiepileptic medications are capable of controlling seizures in around 60-70% of patients, while the rest remain refractory. Poor seizure control is often associated with neuro-psychiatric comorbidities, mainly including memory impairment, depression, psychosis, neurodegeneration, motor impairment, neuroendocrine dysfunction, etc., resulting in poor prognosis. Effective treatment relies on early and correct detection of epileptic foci. Although there are currently a few well-established diagnostic techniques for epilepsy, they lack accuracy and cannot be applied to patients who are unsupportive or harbor metallic implants. Since a single test result from one of these techniques does not provide complete information about the epileptic foci, it is necessary to develop novel diagnostic tools. Herein, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current diagnostic tools of epilepsy, including electroencephalography (EEG) as well as structural and functional neuroimaging. We further discuss recent trends and advances in the diagnosis of epilepsy that will enable more effective diagnosis and clinical management of patients.
General gut microbial dysbiosis in diabetes mellitus, including gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), has been reported in a large body of literature. However, evidence investigating the association between specific taxonomic classes and GDM is lacking. Thus, we performed a systematic review of peer-reviewed observational studies and trials conducted among women with GDM within the last ten years using standard methodology. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) quality assessment tools were used to assess the quality of the included studies. Fourteen studies investigating microbial interactions with GDM were found to be relevant and included in this review. The synthesis of literature findings demonstrates that Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria phyla, such as Desulfovibrio, Ruminococcaceae, P. distasonis, Enterobacteriaceae, Collinsella, and Prevotella, were positively associated with GDM. In contrast, Bifidobacterium and Faecalibacterium, which produce butyrate, are negatively associated with GDM. These bacteria were associated with inflammation, adiposity, and glucose intolerance in women with GDM. Lack of good diet management demonstrated the alteration of gut microbiota and its impact on GDM glucose homeostasis. The majority of the studies were of good quality. Therefore, there is great potential to incorporate personalized medicine targeting microbiome modulation through dietary intervention in the management of GDM.
Blastocystis spp. are controversial unicellular protists that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract of humans and a wide range of animals worldwide. This review provides an overview of the prevalence and distribution of Blastocystis spp. and their subtypes throughout Asia. Research articles reporting on the presence of Blastocystis spp. in locations within Asia, between 1 January 2010, and 10 May 2021, were obtained from Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar. In 427 articles, the prevalence of Blastocystis spp. in 31 countries within the last decade was revealed. Isolates were found in humans, various mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, water sources, vegetables, and ambient air. Prevalence of Blastocystis spp. varied widely across host categories. Subtypes identified throughout Asia were STs 1-14, and ST18-22 (novel subtypes). ST1, ST2, ST3, ST4 were the most frequently isolated in humans; ST5 in pigs; ST10 and ST14 in goats, sheep, and cattle; and ST6 and ST7 in chickens. ST1 and ST3 were most common in water samples. ST1, ST2, ST3, ST4, ST5 and ST6 were shared by humans, animals, and water sources. There is a growing interest in the study of Blastocystis spp. and their subtypes in Asia. Due to the isolation of Blastocystis spp. from biotic and abiotic sources in Asia, the application of the One Health (OH) approach to the study of Blastocystis spp. is proposed for improved perception of this organism.
The fish reproductive system is a complex biological system. Nonetheless, reproductive organ development is conserved, which starts with sex determination and then sex differentiation. The sex of a teleost is determined and differentiated from bipotential primordium by genetics, environmental factors, or both. These two processes are species-specific. There are several prominent genes and environmental factors involved during sex determination and differentiation. At the cellular level, most of the sex-determining genes suppress the female pathway. For environmental factors, there are temperature, density, hypoxia, pH, and social interaction. Once the sexual fate is determined, sex differentiation takes over the gonadal developmental process. Environmental factors involve activation and suppression of various male and female pathways depending on the sexual fate. Alongside these factors, the role of the brain during sex determination and differentiation remains elusive. Nonetheless, GnRH III knockout has promoted a male sex-biased population, which shows brain involvement during sex determination. During sex differentiation, LH and FSH might not affect the gonadal differentiation, but are required for regulating sex differentiation. This review discusses the role of prominent genes, environmental factors, and the brain in sex determination and differentiation across a few teleost species.