Small-bodied sharks are recognized as mesopredators on different communities in a large variety of habitats, thus linking the trophic levels in the marine ecosystem. Dietary analysis on these species ...can provide insight into the trophic relationships in food webs. Our study analyzed the diet composition of
Galeus sauteri
, an abundant small shark inhabiting neritic shelf waters at depths between 60 and 200 m. For this purpose, a stomach content analysis was realized in 678 specimens collected by bottom trawlers off northeastern Taiwan from September 2018 to August 2019. The two most commonly consumed preys were teleosts (prey-specific index of relative importance, %PSIRI = 51.94) and crustaceans (%PSIRI = 30.08).The results for the Levin’s index (Ba = 0.06) and graphical analysis based on the Costello method revealed a high degree of specialization on lanternfishes and other teleosts. The mean trophic position was 4.29. Feeding habits differed significantly in relation to maturity condition and between seasons. Our result showed that
G. sauteri
is a primary piscivorous shark that preys mainly on lanternfishes and other teleosts, and feeds opportunistically on crustaceans and cephalopods.
A new species of Malakichthys is described based on six specimens collected from deepwaters off southwestern Taiwan, northwestern Pacific Ocean. The new species, M. formosus sp. nov., exhibits ...distinct morphological characters, primarily characterized by the absence of chin spines, distinguishing it from other congeners with the exception of M. levis and M. mochizuki. It differs from the two species by having more lateral-line scales, a shorter distance between the snout and dorsal-fin origin, a shallower head, fewer scale rows below the lateral line, and the structure of the first anal-fin pterygiophore. Eight species are now recognized in Malakichthys.
The milk-eye catshark Apristurus nakayai Iglésias, 2012 was known from three specimens in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Six specimens were recently collected from the South China Sea. It belongs to ...the brunneus group, and superficially resembles A. platyrhynchus Tanaka, 1909. Apristurus nakayai differs from A. platyrhynchus by the following characters: iris shiny white when fresh; body brownish black to black; second dorsal-fin insertion above or slightly in front of the anal-fin insertion; denticles absent inside mouth; and maturing at about 400 mm TL in both sexes. The occurrence of Apristurus nakayai from the South China Sea represents the first record in the northern Hemisphere, and a substantial distributional range extension (ca. 4665 km).
A new species of Okamejei is described based on two adult males collected from deep waters in the South China Sea. The new species, Okamejei picta sp. nov., is readily distinguished from most other ...congeners in having densely scattered black spots on dorsal disc. Okamejei hollandi and O. mengae is quite similar to the new species by their spot patterns on dorsal disc, but the new species differs from the former by a combination of characters: a yellowish brown dorsal surface densely covered with small, circular to irregular-shaped black spots; blotches on dorsal disc indistinct; posterior ocellus absent; ventral disc white; disc length 45.0-47.7% TL; distance between cloaca to caudal-fin tip 53.6-55.1% TL; trunk centra 31; total basal radials 73-76, morphology of clasper terminal skeleton, and lacking component funnel at the clasper end.
The longnose houndshark, Iago garricki Fourmanoir & Rivaton 1979, was described based on five specimens collected from Vanuatu. Five additional specimens were recently collected from the waters off ...Dongsha Atoll, South China Sea. A redescription of this species is provided based on the holotype, non-types collected near the type locality and off Dongsha Atoll. The species is characterized by eye length larger than gill slit height; first dorsal-fin origin not reaching a vertical line through pectoral-fin base; head length 20.2-22.2% TL; preoral length 7.2-8.3% TL; upper labial furrow 2.2-3.4% TL; lateral teeth with 1-3 small cusplets on lateral side basally; diplospondylous centra 53-61; precaudal centra 94-102; and total centra 149-157. The specimens collected from the South China Sea represent the northernmost distributional record of this species.
In the Pacific Ocean, the rare Bigeye Sand Tiger shark Odontaspis noronhai has only been recorded twice, once from its central and once from its eastern part. Here we report the first record of this ...species from the northwestern Pacific. This specimen measuring 312 cm total length (TL) was captured off northeastern Taiwan (2525N, 12410E) from a depth of 100 m (in waters over 2100 m deep) in mid-December 2019, and was retrieved on 27 December 2019 when landed in port. Photo of the fresh specimen along with morphometric and meristic data and DNA information are provided herein. Dentition of the specimen is different from all other specimens by having two cusplets on at least one side of cusps on most of the teeth (vs. only one cusplet per side), and lower total tooth count (29/29 vs. 3438/3746). This record documents an extended distribution (about 7864 km westward from the central Pacific Ocean), and provides strong evidence for the wide distribution and mesopelagic characteristic of this poorly known species.
Emerging evidence suggests that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plays important roles in the regulation of gene expression. We determine the role of using urinary lncRNA as a non-invasive biomarker for ...lupus nephritis.
We studied three cohorts of lupus nephritis patients (31, 78, and 12 patients, respectively) and controls (6, 7, and 24 subjects, respectively). The urinary sediment levels of specific lncRNA targets were studied using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reactions.
The severity of proteinuria inversely correlated with urinary maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) (r = -0.423,
= 0.018) and ANRIL levels (r = -0.483,
= 0.008). Urinary MEG3 level also inversely correlated with the SLEDAI score (r = -0.383,
= 0.034). Urinary cancer susceptibility candidate 2 (CASC2) levels were significantly different between histological classes of nephritis (
= 0.026) and patients with pure class V nephritis probably had the highest levels, while urinary metastasis-associated lung carcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) level significantly correlated with the histological activity index (r = -0.321,
= 0.004). Urinary taurine-upregulated gene 1 (TUG1) level was significantly lower in pure class V lupus nephritis than primary membranous nephropathy (
= 0.003) and minimal change nephropathy (
= 0.04), and urinary TUG1 level correlated with eGFR in class V lupus nephritis (r = 0.706,
= 0.01).
We identified certain urinary lncRNA targets that may help the identification of lupus nephritis and predict the histological class of nephritis. Our findings indicate that urinary lncRNA levels may be developed as biomarkers for lupus nephritis.
A novel paradigm in tumor biology suggests that cancer growth is driven by stem-like cells within a tumor, called tumor-initiating cells (TICs) or cancer stem cells (CSCs). Here we describe the ...identification and characterization of such cells from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using the marker CD133. CD133 accounts for approximately 1.3%–13.6% of the cells in the bulk tumor of human primary HCC samples. When compared with their CD133
− counterparts, CD133
+ cells not only possess the preferential ability to form undifferentiated tumor spheroids in vitro but also express an enhanced level of stem cell-associated genes, have a greater ability to form tumors when implanted orthotopically in immunodeficient mice, and can be serially passaged into secondary animal recipients. Xenografts resemble the original human tumor and maintain a similar percentage of tumorigenic CD133
+ cells. Quantitative PCR analysis of 41 separate HCC tissue specimens with follow-up data found that CD133
+ tumor cells were frequently detected at low quantities in HCC, and their presence was also associated with worse overall survival and higher recurrence rates. Subsequent differential microRNA expression profiling of CD133
+ and CD133
− cells from human HCC clinical specimens and cell lines identified an overexpression of miR-130b in CD133
+ TICs. Functional studies on miR-130b lentiviral-transduced CD133
− cells demonstrated superior resistance to chemotherapeutic agents, enhanced tumorigenicity in vivo, and a greater potential for self renewal. Conversely, antagonizing miR-130b in CD133
+ TICs yielded an opposing effect. The increased miR-130b paralleled the reduced TP53INP1, a known miR-130b target. Silencing TP53INP1 in CD133
− cells enhanced both self renewal and tumorigenicity in vivo. Collectively, miR-130b regulates CD133
+ liver TICs, in part, via silencing TP53INP1.
► CD133 identifies liver TICs/CSCs and is a prognostic marker for HC ► miR-130b promotes CD133
+ liver TICs growth and self renewal ► miR-130b regulates CD133
+ liver TICs via silencing TP53INP1
Insulin resistance is the major pathogenesis underlying type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and these patients have doubled risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Increasing evidence suggests that insulin ...resistance plays an important role in AD pathogenesis, possibly due to abnormal GSK3β activation, causing intra- and extracellular amyloid-beta (Aβ) accumulation. Adiponectin (APN) is an adipokine with insulin-sensitizing and anti-inflammatory effects. Reduced circulatory APN level is associated with insulin resistance and T2DM. The role of APN in AD has not been elucidated. In this study, we aim to examine if adiponectin deficiency would lead to cerebral insulin resistance, cognitive decline and Alzheimer's-like pathology in mice.
To study the role of adiponectin in cognitive functions, we employed adiponectin-knockout (APN-KO) mice and demonstrated chronic APN deficiency in their CNS. Behavioral tests were performed to study the cognitions of male APN-KO mice. Brains and tissue lysates were collected to study the pathophysiological and molecular changes in the brain of APN-KO mice. SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line was used to study the molecular mechanism upon APN and insulin treatment.
Aged APN-deficient mice displayed spatial memory and learning impairments, fear-conditioned memory deficit as well as anxiety. These mice also developed AD pathologies including increased cerebral Aβ
level, Aβ deposition, hyperphosphorylated Tau proteins, microgliosis and astrogliosis with increased cerebral IL-1β and TNFα levels that associated with increased neuronal apoptosis and reduced synaptic proteins levels, suggesting APN deficiency may lead to neuronal and synaptic loss in the brain. AD pathologies-associated APN-KO mice displayed attenuated AMPK phosphorylation and impaired insulin signaling including decreased Akt induction and increased GSK3β activation in the hippocampus and frontal cortex. Aged APN-KO mice developed hippocampal insulin resistance with reduced pAkt induction upon intracerebral insulin injection. Consistently, APN treatment in SH-SY5Y cells with insulin resistance and overexpressing Aβ induce higher pAkt levels through AdipoR1 upon insulin treatment whereas the induction was blocked by compound C, indicating APN can enhance neuronal insulin sensitivity through AMPK activation.
Our results indicated that chronic APN deficiency inactivated AMPK causing insulin desensitization and elicited AD-like pathogenesis in aged mice which also developed significant cognitive impairments and psychiatric symptoms.
PDF
