Displaying publications 21 - 34 of 34 in total

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  1. Yik MY, Azlan A, Rajasegaran Y, Rosli A, Yusoff NM, Moses EJ
    Genes (Basel), 2021 07 30;12(8).
    PMID: 34440361 DOI: 10.3390/genes12081188
    The proliferative capacity and continuous survival of cells are highly dependent on telomerase expression and the maintenance of telomere length. For this reason, elevated expression of telomerase has been identified in virtually all cancers, including leukemias; however, it should be noted that expression of telomerase is sometimes observed later in malignant development. This time point of activation is highly dependent on the type of leukemia and its causative factors. Many recent studies in this field have contributed to the elucidation of the mechanisms by which the various forms of leukemias increase telomerase activity. These include the dysregulation of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) at various levels which include transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and post-translational stages. The pathways and biological molecules involved in these processes are also being deciphered with the advent of enabling technologies such as next-generation sequencing (NGS), ribonucleic acid sequencing (RNA-Seq), liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS/MS), and many others. It has also been established that TERT possess diagnostic value as most adult cells do not express high levels of telomerase. Indeed, studies have shown that prognosis is not favorable in patients who have leukemias expressing high levels of telomerase. Recent research has indicated that targeting of this gene is able to control the survival of malignant cells and therefore offers a potential treatment for TERT-dependent leukemias. Here we review the mechanisms of hTERT regulation and deliberate their association in malignant states of leukemic cells. Further, we also cover the clinical implications of this gene including its use in diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic discoveries.
  2. Lim HC, Habib A, Chen WJ
    Genes (Basel), 2021 11 29;12(12).
    PMID: 34946874 DOI: 10.3390/genes12121926
    A broad-scale comparative phylogeographic and phylogenetic study of pennah croakers, mainly Pennahia anea, P. macrocephalus, and P. ovata was conducted to elucidate the mechanisms that may have driven the diversification of marine organisms in Southeast Asian waters. A total of 316 individuals from the three species, and an additional eight and six individuals of P. argentata and P. pawak were employed in this study. Two genetically divergent lineages each of P. argentata and P. anea (lineages L1 and L2) were respectively detected from the analyses based on mitochondrial cytochrome b gene data. Historical biogeography analysis with a multi-gene dataset revealed that Pennahia species most likely originated in the South China Sea and expanded into the eastern Indian Ocean, East China Sea, and northwestern Pacific Ocean through three separate range expansions. The main diversifications of Pennahia species occurred during Miocene and Pliocene periods, and the occurrences of lineage divergences within P. anea and P. argentata were during the Pleistocene, likely as a consequence of cyclical glaciations. The population expansions that occurred after the sea level rise might be the reason for the population homogeneity observed in P. macrocephalus and most P. anea L2 South China Sea populations. The structure observed between the two populations of P. ovata, and the restricted distributions of P. anea lineage L1 and P. ovata in the eastern Indian Ocean, might have been hampered by the northward flowing ocean current at the Malacca Strait and by the distribution of coral reefs or rocky bottoms. While our results support S. Ekman's center-of-origin hypothesis taking place in the South China Sea, the Malacca Strait serving as the center of overlap is a supplementary postulation for explaining the present-day high diversity of pennah croakers centered in these waters.
  3. Wong QN, Tanzi AS, Ho WK, Malla S, Blythe M, Karunaratne A, et al.
    Genes (Basel), 2017 Mar 09;8(3).
    PMID: 28282950 DOI: 10.3390/genes8030100
    Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) is an herbaceous multipurpose legume grown in hot and humid countries as a pulse, vegetable (leaves and pods), or root tuber crop depending on local consumption preferences. In addition to its different nutrient-rich edible parts which could contribute to food and nutritional security, it is an efficient nitrogen fixer as a component of sustainable agricultural systems. Generating genetic resources and improved lines would help to accelerate the breeding improvement of this crop, as the lack of improved cultivars adapted to specific environments has been one of the limitations preventing wider use. A transcriptomic de novo assembly was constructed from four tissues: leaf, root, pod, and reproductive tissues from Malaysian accessions, comprising of 198,554 contigs with a N50 of 1462 bp. Of these, 138,958 (70.0%) could be annotated. Among 9682 genic simple sequence repeat (SSR) motifs identified (excluding monomer repeats), trinucleotide-repeats were the most abundant (4855), followed by di-nucleotide (4500) repeats. A total of 18 SSR markers targeting di- and tri-nucleotide repeats have been validated as polymorphic markers based on an initial assessment of nine genotypes originated from five countries. A cluster analysis revealed provisional clusters among this limited, yet diverse selection of germplasm. The developed assembly and validated genic SSRs in this study provide a foundation for a better understanding of the plant breeding system for the genetic improvement of winged bean.
  4. Mahmud N, Maffei M, Mogni M, Forni GL, Pinto VM, Barberio G, et al.
    Genes (Basel), 2021 11 19;12(11).
    PMID: 34828427 DOI: 10.3390/genes12111821
    BACKGROUND: Hemoglobin A (Hb A) (α2β2) in the normal adult subject constitutes 96-98% of hemoglobin, and Hb F is normally less than 1%, while for hemoglobin A2 (Hb A2) (α2δ2), the normal reference values are between 2.0 and 3.3%. It is important to evaluate the presence of possible delta gene mutations in a population at high risk for globin gene defects in order to correctly diagnose the β-thalassemia carrier.

    METHODS: The most used methods for the quantification of Hb A2 are based on automated high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) or capillary electrophoresis (CE). In particular Hb analyses were performed by HPLC on three dedicated devices. DNA analyses were performed according to local standard protocols.

    RESULTS: Here, we described eight new δ-globin gene variants discovered and characterized in some laboratories in Northern Italy in recent years. These new variants were added to the many already known Hb A2 variants that were found with an estimated frequency of about 1-2% during the screening tests in our laboratories.

    CONCLUSIONS: The knowledge recognition of the delta variant on Hb analysis and accurate molecular characterization is crucial to provide an accurate definitive thalassemia diagnosis, particularly in young subjects who would like to ask for a prenatal diagnosis or preimplantation genetic diagnosis.

  5. Boroumand Moghaddam A, Moniri M, Azizi S, Abdul Rahim R, Bin Ariff A, Navaderi M, et al.
    Genes (Basel), 2017 Oct 20;8(10).
    PMID: 29053567 DOI: 10.3390/genes8100281
    Green products have strong potential in the discovery and development of unique drugs. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) have been observed to have powerful cytotoxicity against cells that cause breast cancer. The present study aims to examine the cell cycle profile, status of cell death, and pathways of apoptosis in breast cancer cells (MCF-7) treated with biosynthesized ZnO NPs. The anti-proliferative activity of ZnO NPs was determined using MTT assay. Cell cycle analysis and the mode of cell death were evaluated using a flow cytometry instrument. Quantitative real-time-PCR (qRT-PCR) was employed to investigate the expression of apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. ZnO NPs were cytotoxic to the MCF-7 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The 50% growth inhibition concentration (IC50) of ZnO NPs at 24 h was 121 µg/mL. Cell cycle analysis revealed that ZnO NPs induced sub-G₁ phase (apoptosis), with values of 1.87% at 0 μg/mL (control), 71.49% at IC25, 98.91% at IC50, and 99.44% at IC75. Annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) flow cytometry analysis confirmed that ZnO NPs induce apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. The pro-apoptotic genes p53, p21, Bax, and JNK were upregulated, whereas anti-apoptotic genes Bcl-2, AKT1, and ERK1/2 were downregulated in a dose-dependent manner. The arrest and apoptosis of MCF-7 cells were induced by ZnO NPs through several signalling pathways.
  6. Miya Shaik M, Tamargo IA, Abubakar MB, Kamal MA, Greig NH, Gan SH
    Genes (Basel), 2018 Mar 21;9(4).
    PMID: 29561798 DOI: 10.3390/genes9040174
    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, endogenous, non-coding RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression by base pairing with mRNA targets. Altered miRNA expression profiles have been observed in several diseases, including neurodegeneration. Multiple studies have reported altered expressions of miRNAs in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) as compared to those of healthy elderly adults. Some of the miRNAs found to be dysregulated in AD have been reported to correlate with neuropathological changes, including plaque and tangle accumulation, as well as altered expressions of species that are known to be involved in AD pathology. To examine the potentially pathogenic functions of several dysregulated miRNAs in AD, we review the current literature with a focus on the activities of ten miRNAs in biological pathways involved in AD pathogenesis. Comprehensive understandings of the expression profiles and activities of these miRNAs will illuminate their roles as potential therapeutic targets in AD brain and may lead to the discovery of breakthrough treatment strategies for AD.
  7. Kaewdaungdee S, Sudmoon R, Tanee T, Lee SY, Chaveerach A
    Genes (Basel), 2022 Sep 22;13(10).
    PMID: 36292590 DOI: 10.3390/genes13101705
    In order to authenticate the genomic information of Barleriacristata L., B. lupulina Lindl., B. repens Nees, B. siamensis Craib, and B. strigosa Willd, cp genomes were investigated. They revealed a general structure with a total size of 151,997-152,324 bp. The genomes encoded a total of 131 genes, including 86 CDS, 37 tRNA, and 8 rRNA genes. Other details found were as follows: different numbers and types of SSRs; identical gene content, which is adjacent to the border regions, except for B. strigosa, that revealed a shorter ndhF gene sequence and lacked the ycf1 gene; slightly different genetic distance values, which can be used for species identification; three distinct gaps of nucleotide variations between the species located at the intergenic spacer regions of the LSC and CDS of the SSC; three effective molecular markers derived from divergent hotspot regions, including the ccsA-ndhD, ndhA-ndhH-rps15, and ycf1. The genetic relationships derived from the cp genome and the CDS phylogenetic trees of Barleria and the 13 genera in Acanthaceae and different families, Scrophulariaceae and Phrymaceae, showed similar results. The six Barleria species as monophyletic groups with inner and outer outgroups were found to have perfect discrimination. These results have helped to authenticate the five Barleria species and the six genera in Acanthaceae.
  8. Lam MQ, Oates NC, Leadbeater DR, Goh KM, Yahya A, Md Salleh M, et al.
    Genes (Basel), 2022 Nov 17;13(11).
    PMID: 36421811 DOI: 10.3390/genes13112135
    Robertkochia solimangrovi is a proposed marine bacterium isolated from mangrove soil. So far, the study of this bacterium is limited to taxonomy only. In this report, we performed a genomic analysis of R. solimangrovi that revealed its lignocellulose degrading ability. Genome mining of R. solimangrovi revealed a total of 87 lignocellulose degrading enzymes. These enzymes include cellulases (GH3, GH5, GH9 and GH30), xylanases (GH5, GH10, GH43, GH51, GH67, and GH115), mannanases (GH2, GH26, GH27 and GH113) and xyloglucanases (GH2, GH5, GH16, GH29, GH31 and GH95). Most of the lignocellulolytic enzymes encoded in R. solimangrovi were absent in the genome of Robertkochia marina, the closest member from the same genus. Furthermore, current work also demonstrated the ability of R. solimangrovi to produce lignocellulolytic enzymes to deconstruct oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB), a lignocellulosic waste found abundantly in palm oil industry. The metabolic pathway taken by R. solimangrovi to transport and process the reducing sugars after the action of lignocellulolytic enzymes on EFB was also inferred based on genomic data. Collectively, genomic analysis coupled with experimental studies elucidated R. solimangrovi to serve as a promising candidate in seawater based-biorefinery industry.
  9. Machado AM, Tørresen OK, Kabeya N, Couto A, Petersen B, Felício M, et al.
    Genes (Basel), 2018 Oct 09;9(10).
    PMID: 30304855 DOI: 10.3390/genes9100485
    Clupeiformes, such as sardines and herrings, represent an important share of worldwide fisheries. Among those, the European sardine (Sardina pilchardus, Walbaum 1792) exhibits significant commercial relevance. While the last decade showed a steady and sharp decline in capture levels, recent advances in culture husbandry represent promising research avenues. Yet, the complete absence of genomic resources from sardine imposes a severe bottleneck to understand its physiological and ecological requirements. We generated 69 Gbp of paired-end reads using Illumina HiSeq X Ten and assembled a draft genome assembly with an N50 scaffold length of 25,579 bp and BUSCO completeness of 82.1% (Actinopterygii). The estimated size of the genome ranges between 655 and 850 Mb. Additionally, we generated a relatively high-level liver transcriptome. To deliver a proof of principle of the value of this dataset, we established the presence and function of enzymes (Elovl2, Elovl5, and Fads2) that have pivotal roles in the biosynthesis of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, essential nutrients particularly abundant in oily fish such as sardines. Our study provides the first omics dataset from a valuable economic marine teleost species, the European sardine, representing an essential resource for their effective conservation, management, and sustainable exploitation.
  10. Jayaraj R, Polpaya K, Kunale M, Kodiveri Muthukaliannan G, Shetty S, Baxi S, et al.
    Genes (Basel), 2022 Dec 10;13(12).
    PMID: 36553594 DOI: 10.3390/genes13122325
    Background: Chemoresistance is a significant barrier to combating head and neck cancer, and decoding this resistance can widen the therapeutic application of such chemotherapeutic drugs. This systematic review and meta-analysis explores the influence of microRNA (miRNA) expressions on chemoresistance in head and neck cancers (HNC). The objective is to evaluate the theragnostic effects of microRNA expressions on chemoresistance in HNC patients and investigate the utility of miRNAs as biomarkers and avenues for new therapeutic targets. Methods: We performed a comprehensive bibliographic search that included the SCOPUS, PubMed, and Science Direct bibliographic databases. These searches conformed to a predefined set of search strategies. Following the PRISMA guidelines, inclusion and exclusion criteria were framed upon completing the literature search. The data items extracted were tabulated and collated in MS Excel. This spreadsheet was used to determine the effect size estimation for the theragnostic effects of miRNA expressions on chemoresistance in HNC, the hazard ratio (HR), and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). The comprehensive meta-analysis was performed using the random effects model. Heterogeneity among the data collected was assessed using the Q test, Tau2, I2, and Z measures. Publication bias of the included studies was checked using the Egger's bias indicator test, Orwin and classic fail-safe N test, Begg and Mazumdar rank collection test, and Duval and Tweedie's trim and fill methods. Results: After collating the data from 23 studies, dysregulation of 34 miRNAs was observed in 2189 people. These data were gathered from 23 studies. Out of the 34 miRNAs considered, 22 were up-regulated, while 12 were down-regulated. The TaqMan transcription kits were the most used miRNA profiling platform, and miR-200c was seen to have a mixed dysregulation. We measured the overall pooled effect estimate of HR to be 1.516 for the various analyzed miRNA at a 95% confidence interval of 1.303-1.765, with a significant p-value. The null hypothesis test's Z value was 5.377, and the p-value was correspondingly noted to be less than 0.0001. This outcome indicates that the risk of death is determined to be higher in up-regulated groups than in down-regulated groups. Among the 34 miRNAs that were investigated, seven miRNAs were associated with an improved prognosis, especially with the overexpression of these seven miRNAs (miR15b-5p, miR-548b, miR-519d, miR-1278, miR-145, miR-200c, Hsa- miR139-3p). Discussion: The findings reveal that intricate relationships between miRNAs' expression and chemotherapeutic resistance in HNC are more likely to exist and can be potential therapeutic targets. This review suggests the involvement of specific miRNAs as predictors of chemoresistance and sensitivity in HNC. The examination of the current study results illustrates the significance of miRNA expression as a theragnostic biomarker in medical oncology.
  11. Al Yafei Z, Hajjej A, Alvares M, Al Mahri A, Nasr A, Mirghani R, et al.
    Genes (Basel), 2023 May 26;14(6).
    PMID: 37372339 DOI: 10.3390/genes14061159
    In this study, we investigated HLA class I and class II allele and haplotype frequencies in Emiratis and compared them to those of Asian, Mediterranean, and Sub-Saharan African populations.

    METHODS: Two-hundred unrelated Emirati parents of patients selected for bone marrow transplantation were genotyped for HLA class I (A, B, C) and class II (DRB1, DQB1) genes using reverse sequence specific oligonucleotide bead-based multiplexing. HLA haplotypes were assigned with certainty by segregation (pedigree) analysis, and haplotype frequencies were obtained by direct counting. HLA class I and class II frequencies in Emiratis were compared to data from other populations using standard genetic distances (SGD), Neighbor-Joining (NJ) phylogenetic dendrograms, and correspondence analysis.

    RESULTS: The studied HLA loci were in Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium. We identified 17 HLA-A, 28 HLA-B, 14 HLA-C, 13 HLA-DRB1, and 5 HLA-DQB1 alleles, of which HLA-A*02 (22.2%), -B*51 (19.5%), -C*07 (20.0%), -DRB1*03 (22.2%), and -DQB1*02 (32.8%) were the most frequent allele lineages. DRB1*03~DQB1*02 (21.2%), DRB1*16~DQB1*05 (17.3%), B*35~C*04 (11.7%), B*08~DRB1*03 (9.7%), A*02~B*51 (7.5%), and A*26~C*07~B*08~DRB1*03~DQB1*02 (4.2%) were the most frequent two- and five-locus HLA haplotypes. Correspondence analysis and dendrograms showed that Emiratis were clustered with the Arabian Peninsula populations (Saudis, Omanis and Kuwaitis), West Mediterranean populations (North Africans, Iberians) and Pakistanis, but were distant from East Mediterranean (Turks, Albanians, Greek), Levantine (Syrians, Palestinians, Lebanese), Iranian, Iraqi Kurdish, and Sub-Saharan populations.

    CONCLUSIONS: Emiratis were closely related to Arabian Peninsula populations, West Mediterranean populations and Pakistanis. However, the contribution of East Mediterranean, Levantine Arab, Iranian, and Sub-Saharan populations to the Emiratis' gene pool appears to be minor.

  12. Saidon NA, Wagiran A, Samad AFA, Mohd Salleh F, Mohamed F, Jani J, et al.
    Genes (Basel), 2023 Mar 11;14(3).
    PMID: 36980969 DOI: 10.3390/genes14030697
    Nepentheceae, the most prominent carnivorous family in the Caryophyllales order, comprises the Nepenthes genus, which has modified leaf trap characteristics. Although most Nepenthes species have unique morphologies, their vegetative stages are identical, making identification based on morphology difficult. DNA barcoding is seen as a potential tool for plant identification, with small DNA segments amplified for species identification. In this study, three barcode loci; ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase (rbcL), intergenic spacer 1 (ITS1) and intergenic spacer 2 (ITS2) and the usefulness of the ITS1 and ITS2 secondary structure for the molecular identification of Nepenthes species were investigated. An analysis of barcodes was conducted using BLASTn, pairwise genetic distance and diversity, followed by secondary structure prediction. The findings reveal that PCR and sequencing were both 100% successful. The present study showed the successful amplification of all targeted DNA barcodes at different sizes. Among the three barcodes, rbcL was the least efficient as a DNA barcode compared to ITS1 and ITS2. The ITS1 nucleotide analysis revealed that the ITS1 barcode had more variations compared to ITS2. The mean genetic distance (K2P) between them was higher for interspecies compared to intraspecies. The results showed that the DNA barcoding gap existed among Nepenthes species, and differences in the secondary structure distinguish the Nepenthes. The secondary structure generated in this study was found to successfully discriminate between the Nepenthes species, leading to enhanced resolutions.
  13. Shaw P, Raymond G, Senthilnathan R, Kumarasamy C, Baxi S, Suresh D, et al.
    Genes (Basel), 2021 Dec 20;12(12).
    PMID: 34946979 DOI: 10.3390/genes12122029
    Background: The microRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding single-stranded RNAs typically 19-25 nucleotides long and regulated by cellular and epigenetic factors. These miRNAs plays important part in several pathways necessary for cancer development, an altered miRNA expression can be oncogenic or tumor-suppressive. Recent experimental results on miRNA have illuminated a different perspective of the molecular pathogenesis of head and neck cancers. Regulation of miRNA can have a detrimental effect on the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs in both neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings. This miRNA-induced chemoresistance can influence the prognosis and survival rate. The focus of the study is on how regulations of various miRNA levels contribute to chemoresistance in head and neck cancer (HNC). Recent findings suggest that up or down-regulation of miRNAs may lead to resistance towards various chemotherapeutic drugs, which may influence the prognosis. Methods: Studies on miRNA-specific chemoresistance in HNC were collected through literary (bibliographic) databases, including SCOPUS, PubMed, Nature, Elsevier, etc., and were systematically reviewed following PRISMA-P guidelines (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocol). We evaluated various miRNAs, their up and downregulation, the effect of altered regulation on the patient's prognosis, resistant cell lines, etc. The data evaluated will be represented in the form of a review and meta-analysis. Discussion: This meta-analysis aims to explore the miRNA-induced chemoresistance in HNC and thus to aid further researches on this topic. PROSPERO registration: CRD42018104657.
  14. Khan F, Chai HH, Ajmera I, Hodgman C, Mayes S, Lu C
    Genes (Basel), 2017 Apr 18;8(4).
    PMID: 28420201 DOI: 10.3390/genes8040121
    The ability to grow crops under low-water conditions is a significant advantage in relation to global food security. Bambara groundnut is an underutilised crop grown by subsistence farmers in Africa and is known to survive in regions of water deficit. This study focuses on the analysis of the transcriptomic changes in two bambara groundnut landraces in response to dehydration stress. A cross-species hybridisation approach based on the Soybean Affymetrix GeneChip array has been employed. The differential gene expression analysis of a water-limited treatment, however, showed that the two landraces responded with almost completely different sets of genes. Hence, both landraces with very similar genotypes (as assessed by the hybridisation of genomic DNA onto the Soybean Affymetrix GeneChip) showed contrasting transcriptional behaviour in response to dehydration stress. In addition, both genotypes showed a high expression of dehydration-associated genes, even under water-sufficient conditions. Several gene regulators were identified as potentially important. Some are already known, such as WRKY40, but others may also be considered, namely PRR7, ATAUX2-11, CONSTANS-like 1, MYB60, AGL-83, and a Zinc-finger protein. These data provide a basis for drought trait research in the bambara groundnut, which will facilitate functional genomics studies. An analysis of this dataset has identified that both genotypes appear to be in a dehydration-ready state, even in the absence of dehydration stress, and may have adapted in different ways to achieve drought resistance. This will help in understanding the mechanisms underlying the ability of crops to produce viable yields under drought conditions. In addition, cross-species hybridisation to the soybean microarray has been shown to be informative for investigating the bambara groundnut transcriptome.
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