This study was carried out to investigate the modulatory effects of dietary methionine and fish oil on immune response, plasma fatty acid profile, and blood parameters of infectious bursal disease (IBD) challenged broiler chickens. A total of 300 one-day-old male broiler chicks were assigned to one of six dietary treatment groups in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement. There were three levels of fish oil (0, 2.5 and 5.5%), and two levels of methionine (NRC recommendation and twice NRC recommendation). The results showed that the birds fed with 5.5% fish oil had higher total protein, white blood cell count, and IL-2 concentration than those of other groups at 7 days after IBD challenge. Inclusion of fish oil in diet had no effect on IFN- γ concentration. However, supplementation of methionine twice the recommendation enhanced the serum IFN- γ and globulin concentration. Neither of fish oil nor methionine supplementation affected the liver enzymes concentration. It can be suggested that a balance of moderate level of fish oil (2.5%) and methionine level (twice NRC recommendation) might enhance immune response in IBD challenged broiler chickens.
This study was carried out to investigate the modulatory effects of dietary methionine and n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) ratio on immune response and performance of infectious bursal disease (IBD)-challenged broiler chickens. In total, 350 one-day-old male broiler chicks were assigned to 1 of the 6 dietary treatment groups in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement. There were 3 n-6/n-3 PUFA ratios (45, 5.5, and 1.5) and 2 levels of methionine (NRC recommendation and twice NRC recommendation). The results showed that birds fed with dietary n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio of 5.5 had higher BW, lower feed intake, and superior FCR than other groups. However, the highest antibody response was observed in birds with dietary n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio of 1.5. Lowering n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio reduced bursa lesion score equally in birds fed with n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio of 5.5 and 1.5. Supplementation of methionine by twice the recommendation also improved FCR and reduced feed intake and bursa lesion score. However, in this study, the optimum performance (as measured by BW, feed intake, and FCR) did not coincide with the optimum immune response (as measured by antibody titer). It seems that dietary n-3 PUFA modulates the broiler chicken performance and immune response in a dose-dependent but nonlinear manner. Therefore, it can be suggested that a balance of moderate level of dietary n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio (5.5) and methionine level (twice recommendation) might enhance immune response together with performance in IBD-challenged broiler chickens.
Mutations in the ATP-binding cassette transporter ABCA1 underlie Tangier disease and familial hypoalphaliproteinemia (FHA), disorders that are characterised by reduced high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) concentration and cholesterol efflux, and increased coronary artery disease (CAD). We explored if polymorphisms in the ABCA1 gene are associated with CAD and variations in plasma lipid levels, especially HDL-C, and whether the associations may depend on ethnicity. Male cases and controls from the Singapore Chinese, Malay and Indian populations were genotyped for five ABCA1 single nucleotide polymorphisms. Various single-locus frequency distribution differences between cases and controls were detected in different ethnic groups: the promoter -14C>T in Indians, exon 18 M883I in Malays, and 3'-untranslated (UTR) region 8994A>G in Chinese. For the Malay population, certain haplotypes carrying the I825- A (exon 17) and M883- G alleles were more frequent among cases than controls, whereas the converse was true for the alternative configuration of V825- G and I883- A, and this association was reinforced in multi-locus disequilibrium analysis that utilized genotypic data. In the healthy controls, associations were found for -14C>T genotypes with HDL-C in Chinese; 237indelG (5'UTR) with apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1) in Malays and total cholesterol (TC) in Indians; M883I with lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] in Malays and apolipoprotein B (apoB) in Chinese; and 8994A>G with Lp(a) in Malays, and TC, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) as well as apoB in Indians. While genotype-phenotype associations were not reproduced across populations and loci, V825I and M883I were clearly associated with CAD status in Malays with no effects on HDL-C or apoA1.
Candidiasis is the most common fungal infection associated with high morbidity and mortality among immunocompromised patients. The ability to form biofilm is essential for Candida albicans pathogenesis and drug resistance. In this study, the planktonic cell and biofilm proteomes of C. albicans SC5314 strain analyzed using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) were compared. In total, 280 and 449 proteins are annotated from the planktonic cell and biofilm proteomes, respectively. The biofilm proteome demonstrated significantly higher proportion of proteins associated with the endomembrane system, mitochondrion and cytoplasm than planktonic proteome. Among proteins detected, 143 and 207 biological processes are annotated, of which, 38 and 102 are specific to the planktonic cell and biofilm proteomes, respectively, while 105 are common biological processes. The specific biological processes of C. albicans planktonic cell proteome are associated with cell polarity, energy metabolism and nucleotide (purine) metabolism, oxido-reduction coenzyme metabolic process, monosaccharide and amino acid (methionine) biosynthesis, regulation of anatomical structure morphogenesis and cell cycling, and single organism reproduction. Meanwhile, regulation of cellular macromolecule biosynthesis and metabolism, transcription and gene expression are major biological processes specifically associated with C. albicans biofilm proteome. Biosynthesis of leucine, isoleucine, and thiocysteine are highlighted as planktonic-related pathways, whereas folate metabolism, fatty acid metabolism and biosynthesis of amino acids (lysine, serine and glycine) are highlighted as biofilm-related pathways. In summary, LC-MS-based proteomic analysis reveals different adaptative strategies of C. albicans via specific biological and metabolic processes for planktonic cell and biofilm lifestyles. The mass spectrometry data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifiers PXD007830 (for biofilm proteome) and PXD007831 (for planktonic cell proteome).
Interplay between EBV infection and acquired genetic alterations during nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) development remains vague. Here we report a comprehensive genomic analysis of 70 NPCs, combining whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of microdissected tumor cells with EBV oncogene expression to reveal multiple aspects of cellular-viral co-operation in tumorigenesis. Genomic aberrations along with EBV-encoded LMP1 expression underpin constitutive NF-κB activation in 90% of NPCs. A similar spectrum of somatic aberrations and viral gene expression undermine innate immunity in 79% of cases and adaptive immunity in 47% of cases; mechanisms by which NPC may evade immune surveillance despite its pro-inflammatory phenotype. Additionally, genomic changes impairing TGFBR2 promote oncogenesis and stabilize EBV infection in tumor cells. Fine-mapping of CDKN2A/CDKN2B deletion breakpoints reveals homozygous MTAP deletions in 32-34% of NPCs that confer marked sensitivity to MAT2A inhibition. Our work concludes that NPC is a homogeneously NF-κB-driven and immune-protected, yet potentially druggable, cancer.