18 results on '"Degu"'
Search Results
2. Comparative Assessment of Familiarity/Novelty Preferences in Rodents
- Author
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Annaliese K. Beery and Katharine L. Shambaugh
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Rodent ,partner preference ,Cognitive Neuroscience ,Basic Behavioral and Social Science ,Social preferences ,Developmental psychology ,social behavior ,lcsh:RC321-571 ,Social group ,03 medical and health sciences ,Behavioral Neuroscience ,0302 clinical medicine ,biology.animal ,Behavioral and Social Science ,Psychology ,rat ,lcsh:Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry ,Sociality ,mouse ,Original Research ,030304 developmental biology ,0303 health sciences ,biology ,Neurosciences ,Novelty ,sociality ,biology.organism_classification ,Preference ,Prairie vole ,Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology ,meadow vole ,prairie vole ,degu ,Cognitive Sciences ,Social choice theory ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
Sociality—i.e., life in social groups—has evolved many times in rodents, and there is considerable variation in the nature of these groups. While many species-typical behaviors have been described in field settings, the use of consistent behavioral assays in the laboratory provides key data for comparisons across species. The preference for interaction with familiar or novel individuals is an important dimension of social behavior. Familiarity preference, in particular, may be associated with more closed, less flexible social groups. The dimension from selectivity to gregariousness has been used as a factor in classification of social group types. Laboratory tests of social choice range from brief (10 minutes) to extended (e.g., 3 hours). As familiarity preferences typically need long testing intervals to manifest, we used 3-hour peer partner preference tests to test for the presence of familiarity preferences in same-sex cage-mates and strangers in rats. We then conducted an aggregated analysis of familiarity preferences across multiple rodent species (adult male and female rats, mice, prairie voles, meadow voles, and female degus) tested with the same protocol. We found a high degree of consistency within species across data sets, supporting the existence of strong, species-typical familiarity preferences in prairie voles and meadow voles, and a lack of familiarity preferences in other species tested. Sociability, or total time spent near conspecifics, was unrelated to selectivity in social preference. These findings provide important background for interpreting the neurobiological mechanisms involved in social behavior in these species.
- Published
- 2021
3. Spontaneous Tumors and Non-Neoplastic Proliferative Lesions in Pet Degus (Octodon degus)
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Alessandro Poli, Mitja Gombač, Marko Zadravec, Jožko Račnik, and Tanja Švara
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tumors ,Pathology ,medicine.medical_specialty ,non-neoplastic proliferative lesions ,Non neoplastic ,040301 veterinary sciences ,neoplasms ,chemistry ,Article ,0403 veterinary science ,Lesion ,03 medical and health sciences ,neoplastic processes ,medicine ,biology.domesticated_animal ,Mesothelioma ,udc:636.09:616-006 ,030304 developmental biology ,0303 health sciences ,Gastrointestinal tract ,lcsh:Veterinary medicine ,General Veterinary ,biology ,octodon degus ,business.industry ,Genitourinary system ,single-domain antibodies ,Integumentary system ,Octodon degus ,degu ,pathology ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,Hepatocellular adenoma ,medicine.disease ,Octodon ,lcsh:SF600-1100 ,medicine.symptom ,business ,metabolism ,chemical synthesis - Abstract
In recent years, degus (Octodon degus), rodents native to South America, have been becoming increasingly popular as pet animals. Data about neoplastic diseases in this species are still sparse and mainly limited to single-case reports. The aim of this study was to present neoplastic and non-neoplastic proliferative changes in 16/100 pet degus examined at the Veterinary Faculty University of Ljubljana from 2010 to 2015 and to describe the clinic-pathological features of these lesions. Twenty different lesions of the integumentary, musculoskeletal, genitourinary and gastrointestinal systems were diagnosed: amongst these were 13 malignant tumors, six benign tumors, and one non-neoplastic lesion. Cutaneous fibrosarcoma was the most common tumor (7/16 degus). It was detected more often in females (6/7 degus) and lesions were located mainly in hind limbs. The gastrointestinal tract was frequently affected, namely with two malignant neoplasms - an intestinal lymphoma and a mesenteric mesothelioma, four benign tumors &ndash, two biliary cystadenomas, an oral squamous papilloma and a hepatocellular adenoma, and a single non-neoplastic proliferative lesion. In one animal, two organic systems were involved in neoplastic lesions.
- Published
- 2020
4. Melatonin alleviates circadian system disruption induced by chronic shifts of the light‐dark cycle in Octodon degus
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Juan Antonio Madrid, Beatriz Bano-Otalora, and Maria Angeles Rol
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Male ,0301 basic medicine ,Photoperiod ,Physiology ,melatonin ,Nocturnal ,Chronobiology Disorders ,Body Temperature ,Shift work ,Melatonin ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Endocrinology ,Rhythm ,circadian disruption ,biology.domesticated_animal ,medicine ,Animals ,body temperature rhythm ,diurnal ,Circadian rhythm ,Morning ,biology ,Chronotype ,Original Articles ,Circadian Rhythm ,Octodon ,Octodon degus ,shift work ,030104 developmental biology ,Models, Animal ,chronotype ,degu ,Original Article ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Modern 24‐h society lifestyle is associated with experiencing frequent shifts in the lighting conditions which can negatively impact human health. Here, we use the degus, a species exhibiting diurnal and nocturnal chronotypes, to: (a) assess the impact of chronic shifts of the light:dark (LD) cycle in the animal's physiology and behaviour and (b) test the therapeutic potential of melatonin in enhancing rhythmicity under these conditions. Degus were subjected to a “5d + 2d” LD‐shifting schedule for 19 weeks. This protocol aims to mimic lighting conditions experienced by humans during shift work: LD cycle was weekly delayed by 8h during 5 “working” days (Morning, Afternoon and Night schedule); during weekends (2 days), animals were kept under Morning schedule. After 9 weeks, melatonin was provided daily for 6h in the drinking water. The “5d + 2d” shifting LD schedule led to a disruption in wheel‐running activity (WRA) and body temperature (Tb) rhythms which manifested up to three separate periods in the circadian range. This chronodisruption was more evident in nocturnal than in diurnal degus, particularly during the Afternoon schedule when a phase misalignment between WRA and Tb rhythms appeared. Melatonin treatment and, to a lesser extent, water restriction enhanced the 24‐h component, suggesting a potential role in ameliorating the disruptive effects of shift work.
- Published
- 2019
5. Music preference in degus (Octodon degus): Analysis with Chilean folk music
- Author
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Shigeru Watanabe, Henning Scheich, Katharina Braun, and Maria Mensch
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biology ,Chilean music ,Degu ,General Medicine ,Preference ,Reinforcement ,Octodon degus ,Developmental psychology ,lcsh:Zoology ,biology.domesticated_animal ,lcsh:QL1-991 ,Psychology ,Music preference ,Folk music - Abstract
Most nonhuman animals do not show selective preference for types of music, but researchers have typically employed only Western classical music in such studies. Thus, there has been bias in music choice. Degus (Octodon degus), originally from the mountain areas of Chile, have highly developed vocal communication. Here, we examined music preference of degus using not only Western classical music (music composed by Bach and Stravinsky), but also South American folk music (Chilean and Peruvian). The degus preferred the South American music to the Western classical music but did not show selective preference between the two Western classical music choices. Furthermore, the degus preferred the Chilean to the Peruvian music to some extent. In the second experiment, we examined preference for music vs. silence. Degus overall showed a preference for Chilean music over silence, but preferred silence over Western music. The present results indicate that the previous negative data for musical preference in nonhuman animals may be due to biased music selection (Krause, 2012). Our results suggest the possibility that the soundscape of an environment influences folk music created by native peoples living there and the auditory preference of other resident animals there.
- Published
- 2018
6. Ventricular septal defect and congestive heart failure in a common degu (Octodon degus)
- Author
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Noémie Summa, Matt F. Sheley, David Sanchez-Migallon Guzman, Lance C. Visser, Amy Norvall, and Jessica N. Sanchez
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Congestive heart failure ,medicine.medical_specialty ,040301 veterinary sciences ,Perimembranous ventricular septal defect ,Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy ,Anorexia ,Ventricular septal defect ,Cardiovascular ,030308 mycology & parasitology ,0403 veterinary science ,03 medical and health sciences ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,biology.domesticated_animal ,cardiovascular diseases ,Veterinary Sciences ,0303 health sciences ,General Veterinary ,biology ,business.industry ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,Degu ,Pulmonary edema ,medicine.disease ,congenital heart disease ,Octodon degus ,Shunting ,Heart Disease ,Echocardiography ,Heart failure ,Cardiology ,Physical exam ,medicine.symptom ,business - Abstract
We report a case of ventricular septal defect causing congestive heart failure in a two-year-old, male common degu (Octodon degus). The patient presented for anorexia and dental disease, and a grade 4/6 holosystolic cardiac murmur was detected on physical exam. Thoracic radiographs showed cardiomegaly and a diffuse interstitial pulmonary pattern, consistent with congestive heart failure. Echocardiography was supportive of a perimembranous ventricular septal defect exhibiting low-velocity left-to-right shunting, and biatrial enlargement. These diagnoses were confirmed on post-mortem exam, along with pulmonary edema and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, degeneration, and regeneration. This is the first published account of a ventricular septal defect and congestive heart failure in a degu.
- Published
- 2019
7. Bacillus subtilis Hfq: A role in chemotaxis and motility
- Author
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Chandrakant B. Jagtap, Pradeep Kumar, and K Krishnamurthy Rao
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Factor Sigma-H ,0301 basic medicine ,Regulator ,Motility ,Sigma Factor ,Bacillus subtilis ,Host Factor 1 Protein ,Flagellum ,Hfq ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,Microbiology ,03 medical and health sciences ,Cell Movement ,Sigma factor ,Family ,RNA, Messenger ,Rna Chaperone Hfq ,Function ,Regulation of gene expression ,Binding Protein Hfq ,Virulence ,biology ,Chemotaxis ,Translation (biology) ,Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial ,Degu ,General Medicine ,biology.organism_classification ,Cell biology ,Bacillus Subtilis ,030104 developmental biology ,Genes ,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences ,Escherichia-Coli ,Tolerance ,Sm-Like Protein ,Regulation - Abstract
Hfq is a global post-transcriptional regulator that modulates the translation and stability of target mRNAs and thereby regulates pleiotropic functions, such as growth, stress, virulence and motility, in many Gram-negative bacteria. However, comparatively little is known about the regulation and function(s) of Hfq in Gram-positive bacteria. Recently, in Bacillus subtilis, a role for Hfq in stationary phase survival has been suggested, although the possibility of Hfq having an additional role(s) cannot be ruled out. In this study we show that an ortholog of Hfq in B. subtilis is regulated by the stress sigma factor, sigma(B), in addition to the stationary phase sigma factor, sigma(H). We further demonstrate that Hfq positively regulates the expression of flagellum and chemotaxis genes (fla/che) that control chemotaxis and motility, thus assigning a new function for Hfq in B. subtilis.
- Published
- 2016
8. Female degus show high sociality but no preference for familiar peers
- Author
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Annaliese K. Beery, Katharine L. Shambaugh, and Nathan Insel
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0106 biological sciences ,Collective behavior ,Choice Behavior ,01 natural sciences ,Social preferences ,Developmental psychology ,Mice ,Behavioral Neuroscience ,Psychology ,Social behavior ,Pharmacology & Pharmacy ,Partner preference ,Behavior, Animal ,biology ,05 social sciences ,Novelty ,Flexibility (personality) ,Degu ,Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences ,General Medicine ,Preference ,Female ,Partner preference test ,Cognitive Sciences ,Octodondegus ,Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing ,Behavioral Science & Comparative Psychology ,Basic Behavioral and Social Science ,010603 evolutionary biology ,Article ,Preference test ,Behavioral and Social Science ,biology.domesticated_animal ,Animals ,0501 psychology and cognitive sciences ,050102 behavioral science & comparative psychology ,Social Behavior ,Sociality ,Behavior ,Affiliation ,Animal ,Recognition, Psychology ,Familiarity ,Octodon ,Octodon degus ,Recognition ,Animal Science and Zoology - Abstract
Group-living animals vary in social behavior across multiple dimensions, including in the selectivity of social interactions with familiar versus unfamiliar peers. Standardized behavioral tests can be used to tease apart different dimensions of behavior. These serve a dual function-on one hand, helping to isolate behavioral factors that may support collective behavior in natural habitats, and, on another, providing a basis for comparative approaches to understanding physiological mechanisms of behavior. Degus (Octodon degus) are South American caviomorph rodents that nest and forage in groups with relatively low genetic relatedness. Flexibility in group membership is likely supported by gregariousness toward strangers, but the relative preference for strangers compared with familiar individuals has not been systematically tested. We assessed the specificity of social preferences in female degus using a same-sex partner preference test. Degus huddled extensively with both familiar and unfamiliar peers, with no average preference for one over the other. Detailed analysis of social interactions demonstrated an effect of familiarity on social investigation and aggressive behaviors, indicating that degus distinguished between familiar and unfamiliar conspecifics, even though it did not impact huddling. This behavioral profile is thus far unique to degus; in similar tests, meadow and prairie voles exhibit strong partner preferences for known peers, while mice exhibit low social huddling and spend relatively less time in social chambers. Understanding how group-living species differ in specific aspects of social behavior such as familiarity/novelty preference and propensity for social contact will offer a foundation to interpret differences in neural systems supporting sociality.
- Published
- 2020
9. The long-lived Octodon degus as a rodent drug discovery model for Alzheimer's and other age-related diseases
- Author
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Jessica L. Teeling, Robert M. J. Deacon, Patricia Cogram, Michael J. Hurley, Katrin Beyer, Elena Ioannou, and Agustín Ibáñez
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0301 basic medicine ,Retinal degeneration ,OCTODON DEGUS ,Otras Ciencias Biológicas ,DEGU ,Type 2 diabetes ,Disease ,medicine.disease_cause ,Bioinformatics ,NEUROINFLAMMATION ,Ciencias Biológicas ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Alzheimer Disease ,Drug Discovery ,medicine ,biology.domesticated_animal ,Animals ,Humans ,Pharmacology (medical) ,Cognitive decline ,Neuroinflammation ,Melatonin ,Pharmacology ,Inflammation ,biology ,business.industry ,Retinal Degeneration ,NEURODEGENERATION ,Β-AMYLOID ,medicine.disease ,Atherosclerosis ,Lipid Metabolism ,Octodon degus ,Octodon ,Disease Models, Animal ,Oxidative Stress ,030104 developmental biology ,ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE ,Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ,Metabolic syndrome ,business ,CIENCIAS NATURALES Y EXACTAS ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Oxidative stress - Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial progressive neurodegenerative disease. Despite decades of research, no disease modifying therapy is available and a change of research objectives and/or development of novel research tools may be required. Much AD research has been based on experimental models using animals with a short lifespan that have been extensively genetically manipulated and do not represent the full spectrum of late-onset AD, which make up the majority of cases. The aetiology of AD is heterogeneous and involves multiple factors associated with the late-onset of the disease like disturbances in brain insulin, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, metabolic syndrome, retinal degeneration and sleep disturbances which are all progressive abnormalities that could account for many molecular, biochemical and histopathological lesions found in brain from patients dying from AD. This review is based on the long-lived rodent Octodon degus (degu) which is a small diurnal rodent native to South America that can spontaneously develop cognitive decline with concomitant phospho-tau, β-amyloid pathology and neuroinflammation in brain. In addition, the degu can also develop several other conditions like type 2 diabetes, macular and retinal degeneration and atherosclerosis, conditions that are often associated with aging and are often comorbid with AD. Long-lived animals like the degu may provide a more realistic model to study late onset AD. Fil: Hurley, Michael J.. University of Southampton; Reino Unido. Imperial College London; Reino Unido Fil: Deacon, Robert M. J.. Fraunhofer Institute; Alemania. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; Argentina. Universidad de Chile; Chile Fil: Beyer, Katrin. Germans Trias Pujol Research Institute; España Fil: Ioannou, Elena. University College London; Estados Unidos. Imperial College London; Reino Unido Fil: Ibáñez Barassi, Agustín Mariano. Australian Research Council; Australia. Universidad Autónoma del Caribe; Colombia. Universidad Adolfo Ibañez; Chile. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; Argentina Fil: Teeling, Jessica L.. University of Southampton; Reino Unido Fil: Perez Cogram, Patricia. Fraunhofer Institute; Alemania. Universidad de Chile; Chile. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; Argentina. Universidad Favaloro; Argentina
- Published
- 2018
10. A DegU-P and DegQ-Dependent Regulatory Pathway for the K-state in Bacillus subtilis
- Author
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Mathieu Miras and David Dubnau
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Microbiology (medical) ,bistability ,Operon ,Population ,competence ,lcsh:QR1-502 ,Bacillus subtilis ,Biology ,Microbiology ,lcsh:Microbiology ,03 medical and health sciences ,Transcription (biology) ,degQ ,education ,Transcription factor ,Original Research ,Genetics ,education.field_of_study ,ComK ,Point mutation ,Strain domestication ,biology.organism_classification ,030104 developmental biology ,Phosphorylation ,degu ,Regulatory Pathway ,K-state - Abstract
The K-state in the model bacterium Bacillus subtilis is associated with transformability (competence) as well as with growth arrest and tolerance for antibiotics. Entry into the K-state is determined by the stochastic activation of the transcription factor ComK and occurs in about ∼15% of the population in domesticated strains. Although the upstream mechanisms that regulate the K-state have been intensively studied and are well understood, it has remained unexplained why undomesticated isolates of B. subtilis are poorly transformable compared to their domesticated counterparts. We show here that this is because fewer cells enter the K-state, suggesting that a regulatory pathway limiting entry to the K-state is missing in domesticated strains. We find that loss of this limitation is largely due to an inactivating point mutation in the promoter of degQ. The resulting low level of DegQ decreases the concentration of phosphorylated DegU, which leads to the de-repression of the srfA operon and ultimately to the stabilization of ComK. As a result, more cells reach the threshold concentration of ComK needed to activate the auto-regulatory loop at the comK promoter. In addition, we demonstrate that the activation of srfA transcription in undomesticated strains is transient, turning off abruptly as cells enter the stationary phase. Thus, the K-state and transformability are more transient and less frequently expressed in the undomesticated strains. This limitation is more extreme than appreciated from studies of domesticated strains. Selection has apparently limited both the frequency and the duration of the bistably expressed K-state in wild strains, likely because of the high cost of growth arrest associated with the K-state. Future modeling of K-state regulation and of the fitness advantages and costs of the K-state must take these features into account.
- Published
- 2016
11. Homogeneity and heterogeneity in amylase production by Bacillus subtilis under different growth conditions
- Author
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Patrick Lorenz, Jan Maarten van Dijl, Ewoud Reilman, Jari Vehmaanperä, Anja Lingner, Carmine G. Monteferrante, Sjouke Piersma, Emma L. Denham, Tina N. Ploss, Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, Microbes in Health and Disease (MHD), and Translational Immunology Groningen (TRIGR)
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Proteases ,Translation ,ALPHA-AMYLASE ,030106 microbiology ,Bioengineering ,DEGU ,Bacillus subtilis ,Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology ,Metabolic engineering ,Geobacillus stearothermophilus ,03 medical and health sciences ,Bacterial Proteins ,Secretion stress ,Protein biosynthesis ,SECRETION STRESS-RESPONSE ,Secretion ,Cloning, Molecular ,GREEN FLUORESCENT PROTEIN ,RECOMBINANT PROTEINS ,Secretory pathway ,GENE-EXPRESSION ,Bacteriological Techniques ,Secretory Pathway ,biology ,Organisms, Genetically Modified ,Research ,Amylase ,Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial ,biology.organism_classification ,2-COMPONENT REGULATORY SYSTEM ,QP ,STARCH DEGRADING ENZYMES ,QR ,Secretory protein ,Biochemistry ,Metabolic Engineering ,ESCHERICHIA-COLI ,Amylases ,Target protein ,CELL FATE ,Heterogeneity ,Transcription ,Biotechnology - Abstract
Background: Bacillus subtilis is an important cell factory for the biotechnological industry due to its ability to secrete commercially relevant proteins in large amounts directly into the growth medium. However, hyper-secretion of proteins, such as alpha-amylases, leads to induction of the secretion stress-responsive CssR-CssS regulatory system, resulting in up-regulation of the HtrA and HtrB proteases. These proteases degrade misfolded proteins secreted via the Sec pathway, resulting in a loss of product. The aim of this study was to investigate the secretion stress response in B. subtilis 168 cells overproducing the industrially relevant alpha-amylase AmyM from Geobacillus stearothermophilus, which was expressed from the strong promoter P(amyQ)-M.Results: Here we show that activity of the htrB promoter as induced by overproduction of AmyM was " noisy", which is indicative for heterogeneous activation of the secretion stress pathway. Plasmids were constructed to allow real-time analysis of P(amyQ)-M promoter activity and AmyM production by, respectively, transcriptional and out-of-frame translationally coupled fusions with gfpmut3. Our results show the emergence of distinct sub-populations of high- and low-level AmyM-producing cells, reflecting heterogeneity in the activity of P(amyQ)-M. This most likely explains the heterogeneous secretion stress response. Importantly, more homogenous cell populations with regard to P(amyQ)-M activity were observed for the B. subtilis mutant strain 168degUhy32, and the wild-type strain 168 under optimized growth conditions.Conclusion: Expression heterogeneity of secretory proteins in B. subtilis can be suppressed by degU mutation and optimized growth conditions. Further, the out-of-frame translational fusion of a gene for a secreted target protein and gfp represents a versatile tool for real-time monitoring of protein production and opens novel avenues for Bacillus production strain improvement.
- Published
- 2016
12. Rok Regulates yuaB Expression during Architecturally Complex Colony Development of Bacillus subtilis 168
- Author
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Oscar P. Kuipers, Ákos T. Kovács, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology, and Molecular Genetics
- Subjects
GENES ,SURFACE ,COMPETENCE TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR ,PROTEIN ,Genetics and Molecular Biology ,DEGU ,Bacillus subtilis ,Microbiology ,Transcriptome ,Bacterial Proteins ,Downregulation and upregulation ,Transcription (biology) ,Molecular Biology ,Gene ,SPORULATION ,Regulation of gene expression ,COMK ,biology ,Strain (chemistry) ,fungi ,BIOFILM FORMATION ,Biofilm ,Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ,Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial ,biology.organism_classification ,Molecular biology - Abstract
Transcriptome analysis of a Bacillus subtilis rok strain that showed reduced complex colony structure formation revealed significant downregulation of the yuaB gene. Overexpression of yuaB restored structure formation in the rok strain. We show that transcription of yuaB is indirectly regulated by Rok, independently from its previously described AbrB-dependent regulation.
- Published
- 2011
13. Engineering of quorum-sensing systems for improved production of alkaline protease by Bacillus subtilis
- Author
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R. Daskin, E.J. Koetje, S Bron, M.J.M. Kolkman, Oscar P. Kuipers, Eugenio Ferrari, Harold Tjalsma, R. Kiewiet, J.H. van der Laan, and Molecular Genetics
- Subjects
EXPRESSION ,animal structures ,Transcription, Genetic ,education ,Gene Expression ,DEGU ,Bacillus subtilis ,PHOSPHORELAY ,Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology ,quorum-sensing ,SIGNAL-TRANSDUCTION PATHWAY ,GENETIC COMPETENCE ,Bioreactors ,Bacterial Proteins ,protein secretion ,Extracellular ,AprE ,Overproduction ,SPORULATION ,Molecular diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring [UMCN 1.2] ,Bacillaceae ,biology ,Serine Endopeptidases ,fungi ,Proteolytic enzymes ,Membrane Transport Proteins ,General Medicine ,biology.organism_classification ,Bacillales ,Quorum sensing ,Response regulator ,Rap-Phr ,Biochemistry ,DEGRADATIVE ENZYME-SYNTHESIS ,RESPONSE REGULATOR ,PHOSPHATASES ,Genetic Engineering ,gene regulation ,INTEGRATION ,Biotechnology - Abstract
H. T JALSMA, E .J. K OETJE, R . K IEWIET, O .P. K UIPERS, M . K OLKMAN, J . V AN D ER L AAN, R . D ASKIN, E . F E R R A R I A N D S . B R O N . 2004. Aim: Engineering of Rap-Phr quorum-sensing systems of Bacillus subtilis and subsequent evaluation of the transcription of the aprE gene, encoding a major extracellular alkaline protease. Methods and Results: Addition of synthetic Phr pentapeptides to the growth medium, or overproduction of prePhr peptides, slightly improved the transcription of the aprE gene in B. subtilis. Disruption of certain rap genes similarly improved the transcription of the aprE gene. The production of extracellular proteolytic enzymes was increased when the rapA mutation was combined with a degU32 (Hy) mutation for hyper-secretion. Conclusions: Certain Rap-Phr systems of B. subtilis seem to suppress extracellular AprE production. Although this may be an important feature under natural conditions, repression of AprE production by these systems is not desirable under fermentation conditions. Significance and Impact of the Study: Although the levels of aprE transcriptional increase in this study are moderate, engineering of Rap-Phr systems may be used to improve the yield of Bacillus strains that are used for the production of the extracellular protease AprE, or Bacillus strains that use of the aprE promoter for the production of a heterologous protein.
- Published
- 2004
14. Seasonal acclimatization in water flux rate, urine osmolality and kidney water channels in free-living degus
- Author
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Bozinovic, F, Gallardo, PA, Visser, G. Henk, Cortes, A, Bosinovic, F, and Isotope Research
- Subjects
Rodent ,Physiology ,arid environment ,Immunoblotting ,Aquaporin ,water economy ,Rodentia ,FIBER ,DIET SELECTION ,Aquatic Science ,Environment ,Aquaporins ,Acclimatization ,ENERGY ,Body Water ,biology.animal ,medicine ,biology.domesticated_animal ,Animals ,Chile ,OCTODON-DEGUS ,Molecular Biology ,DESERT RODENT ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Abiotic component ,Kidney ,Analysis of Variance ,biology ,HERBIVOROUS RODENT ,Ecology ,rodent ,Water-Electrolyte Balance ,Immunohistochemistry ,Octodon degus ,acclimatization ,aquaporin ,MICE ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Insect Science ,SYMPATRIC RODENTS ,Urine osmolality ,degu ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Seasons ,SMALL MAMMALS ,Flux (metabolism) ,EXPENDITURE - Abstract
SUMMARY The environmental modification of an organism's physiology in the field is often hypothesized to be responsible for allowing an organism to adjust to changing biotic and abiotic environmental conditions through increases in biological performance. Here, we examine the phenotypic flexibility of water flux rate, urine osmolality and the expression of kidney aquaporins (AQP; or water channels) in free-ranging Octodon degus, a South American desert-dwelling rodent, through an integrative study at cellular, systemic and organismal levels. Water flux rates varied seasonally and were significantly lower in austral summer than in winter, while urine osmolality was higher in summer than during winter. The observed water influx rate during summer was 10.3±2.3 ml day-1 and during winter was 40.4±9.1 ml day-1. Mean urine osmolality was 3137±472 mosmol kg-1 during summer and 1123±472 mosmol kg-1during winter. AQP-2 medullary immunolabeling was more abundant in the kidneys of degus captured during summer than those captured during winter. This immunoreactivity was higher in apical cell membranes of medullary collecting ducts of degus in summer. AQP-1 immunostaining did not differ between seasons. Consistently, AQP-2 protein levels were increased in medulla from the summer individuals, as judged by the size of the 29 kDa band in the immunoblot. Here,we reveal how the integration of flexible mechanisms acting at cellular,systemic and organismal levels allows a small desert-dwelling mammal to cope with seasonal water scarcity in its semi-arid habitat.
- Published
- 2003
15. Temporal dynamics of milk composition of the precocial caviomorph Octodon degus (Rodentia: Octodontidae)
- Author
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Claudio Veloso and G. J. Kenagy
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Rodent ,lactation ,precocial ,lipids ,Animal science ,biology.animal ,Lactation ,Internal medicine ,milk composition ,medicine ,biology.domesticated_animal ,Total energy ,Octodontidae ,General Environmental Science ,biology ,biology.organism_classification ,Total dissolved solids ,Octodon degus ,Endocrinology ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,degu ,Composition (visual arts) ,Precocial ,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences ,energy - Abstract
During lactation, both the nutritional and energetic requirements of suckling change gradually. These changes normally are accompanied by modifications in chemical composition of the milk. We investigated the temporal course of milk composition during lactation in a precocial caviomorph rodent, the “degu” (Octodon degus) under laboratory condition. Female degus were kept in laboratory during gestation and lactation and fed with commercial food pellets. Milk was collected at three stages of lactation: early (days 5-8, n = 12), middle (days 15-21, n = 7) and late (days 26-40, n = 6), and analyzed for protein, carbohydrates, lipids, ash, total solids and energy. On average, carbohydrates decreased from 3.1 ± 0.3 % (early) to 1.1 ± 0.3 % (late) during lactation; lipids, protein, ash, total solids and energy remained about the same. Lipids, the main component of the milk, were 17.3 % and protein remained near 4.4 %. Over lactation, total energy concentration of milk remained near 4.0 kJ mL -1 . The maintenance of milk composition during lactation may be related to the initially high energetic and nutritional requirements associated with a precocial reproductive mode.
- Published
- 2005
16. The Bacillus subtilis transition state regulator AbrB binds to the -35 promoter region of comK
- Author
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Pascale Serror, Mohamed A. Marahiel, Daisy Kausche, Leendert W. Hamoen, Gerard Venema, Douwe van Sinderen, Department of Genetics - Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Philipps University of Marburg, Unité de recherche Génétique Microbienne (UGM), and Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)
- Subjects
[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio] ,Molecular Sequence Data ,competence ,Regulator ,Bacillus subtilis ,DegU ,Microbiology ,DNA-binding protein ,03 medical and health sciences ,Bacterial Proteins ,Genes, Reporter ,Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid ,Gene expression ,Genetics ,Binding site ,Promoter Regions, Genetic ,Molecular Biology ,Transcription factor ,030304 developmental biology ,Regulation of gene expression ,0303 health sciences ,ComK ,Rok ,Binding Sites ,Base Sequence ,Models, Genetic ,biology ,030306 microbiology ,fungi ,Promoter ,Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial ,AbrB ,biology.organism_classification ,DNA-Binding Proteins ,CodY ,Transcription Factors - Abstract
International audience; Genetic competence is a differentiation process initiated by Bacillus subtilis as a result of nutritional deprivation, and is controlled by a complex signal transduction cascade. The promoter of comK, encoding the competence transcription factor, is regulated by at least four different transcription factors: Rok, CodY, DegU and ComK itself. Genetic data have shown that comK expression is influenced by the transition state regulator AbrB as well. In this paper we show that AbrB binds specifically to the comK promoter and covers the RNA polymerase binding site, making it the fifth transcription factor regulating the activity of the comK promoter.
- Published
- 2003
17. Transient heterogeneity in extracellular protease production by Bacillus subtilis
- Author
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Reindert Nijland, Oleg A. Igoshin, Leendert W. Hamoen, Jan-Willem Veening, Oscar P. Kuipers, Robyn T. Eijlander, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology, Molecular Genetics, and Faculty of Science and Engineering
- Subjects
sporulation ,bistability ,Transcription, Genetic ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Bacillus subtilis ,DegU ,K-STATE ,RNA-POLYMERASE ,Gene expression ,MUTATIONAL ANALYSIS ,GENE-EXPRESSION ,Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ,Genetics ,Spores, Bacterial ,0303 health sciences ,biology ,Applied Mathematics ,Systems Biology ,Cell biology ,SALT STRESS ,Computational Theory and Mathematics ,DEGRADATIVE ENZYME-SYNTHESIS ,Sporulation ,BACTERIA ,RESPONSE REGULATOR DEGU ,Bistability ,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences ,Information Systems ,Proteases ,Models, Biological ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,Article ,03 medical and health sciences ,Open Reading Frames ,Bacterial Proteins ,medicine ,Extracellular ,Computer Simulation ,Gene ,030304 developmental biology ,Protease ,Models, Statistical ,General Immunology and Microbiology ,030306 microbiology ,Subtilisin ,Modeling ,Membrane Transport Proteins ,modeling ,Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial ,Models, Theoretical ,biology.organism_classification ,COMPETENCE ,Regulon ,Peptide Hydrolases - Abstract
The most sophisticated survival strategy Bacillus subtilis employs is the differentiation of a subpopulation of cells into highly resistant endospores. To examine the expression patterns of non-sporulating cells within heterogeneous populations, we used buoyant density centrifugation to separate vegetative cells from endospore-containing cells and compared the transcriptome profiles of both subpopulations. This demonstrated the differential expression of various regulons. Subsequent single-cell analyses using promoter-gfp fusions confirmed our microarray results. Surprisingly, only part of the vegetative subpopulation highly and transiently expresses genes encoding the extracellular proteases Bpr (bacillopeptidase) and AprE (subtilisin), both of which are under the control of the DegU transcriptional regulator. As these proteases and their degradation products freely diffuse within the liquid growth medium, all cells within the clonal population are expected to benefit from their activities, suggesting that B. subtilis employs cooperative or even altruistic behavior. To unravel the mechanisms by which protease production heterogeneity within the non- sporulating subpopulation is established, we performed a series of genetic experiments combined with mathematical modeling. Simulations with our model yield valuable insights into how population heterogeneity may arise by the relatively long and variable response times within the DegU autoactivating pathway.
- Published
- 2008
18. Three-dimensional reconstruction of brain structures of the rodent Octodon degus: a brain atlas constructed by combining histological and magnetic resonance images
- Author
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Mariko Katayama, Tsutomu Hashikawa, Atsushi Iriki, and Noriko Kumazawa-Manita
- Subjects
Nissl staining ,Computer science ,Neuroscience(all) ,Neurosurgery ,Coloring agents ,Three-dimensional reconstruction ,Brain mapping ,Stereotaxic Techniques ,Atlases as Topic ,Imaging, Three-Dimensional ,Atlas (anatomy) ,Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ,medicine ,biology.domesticated_animal ,Animals ,Brain atlas ,Coloring Agents ,Octodon ,Brain Mapping ,Rodent ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,biology ,General Neuroscience ,Brain ,Magnetic resonance imaging ,Degu ,Anatomy ,Reference Standards ,biology.organism_classification ,Magnetic Resonance Imaging ,Octodon degus ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Stereotaxic technique ,Neuroscience ,Software ,Research Article - Abstract
Degus (Octodon degus) are rodents that are becoming more widely used in the neuroscience field. Degus display several more complex behaviors than rats and mice, including complicated social behaviors, vocal communications, and tool usage with superb manual dexterity. However, relatively little information is known about the anatomy of degu brains. Therefore, for these complex behaviors to be correlated with specific brain regions, a contemporary atlas of the degu brain is required. This manuscript describes the construction of a three-dimensional (3D) volume rendered model of the degu brain that combines histological and magnetic resonance images. This atlas provides several advantages, including the ability to visualize the surface of the brain from any angle. The atlas also permits virtual cutting of brain sections in any plane and provides stereotaxic coordinates for all sections, to be beneficial for both experimental surgeries and radiological studies. The reconstructed 3D atlas is freely available online at: http://brainatlas.brain.riken.jp/degu/modules/xoonips/listitem.php?index_id=24. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00221-013-3667-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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