Archives of Molecular Biology and Genetics

Commentary Open Access

Gut Microbiota Metabolite Trimethylamine N-oxide Reduced Pancreatic β Cell Calcium Transients and Function

Lijuan Kong, Pingping Li

Pancreatic β cell dysfunction is an important cause of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Previous studies show trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a gut microbiota-related metabolite, promotes cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance. However, the effect and mechanism of TMAO at pathological concentrations on β cell function remain unknown. The recently published work demonstrates TMAO reduces pancreatic β cell function and glucose homeostasis.

Original Research Open Access

Comparison of Horizontal bla_CTX-M Gene Transfer via Conjugation among Extended Spectrum β-Lactamases Producing Escherichia coli Isolates from Patients with Urinary Tract Infection, Their Animals and Environment

Adam A. Mwakyoma, Benson R. Kidenya, Caroline A. Minja, Martha F. Mushi, Alison Sandeman, Wilber Sabiti, Mathew T. G Holden, Stephen E. Mshana

The dissemination of the extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) producing E. coli poses a significant public health problem. Understanding the efficiency and frequency of horizontal gene transfer via conjugation of ESBL producing E. coli is imperative towards devising prevention and control measures. This study compared the frequencies and efficiencies of horizontal bla_CTX-M gene transfer via conjugation among Escherichia coli isolates from urine and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of patients with urinary tract infection (UTI), their animals and environment.

Review Article Open Access

Impact of Sleep on Autophagy and Neurodegenerative Disease: Sleeping Your Mind Clear

Samuel Deutsch, Bilal R. Malik

Sleep is an evolutionarily conserved phenomenon which has survived tremendous evolutionary pressures. Its disruption has deleterious implications for human health. The importance of sleep is illustrated by the fact that sleep deprivation in many animals leads to death. While sleep is tightly regulated by a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic factors it becomes progressively disrupted in old age and in neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Huntington’s disease (HD). 

Review Article Open Access

SARS-CoV-2 Mutations, Diagnosis and Their Concern

Yakup Artik, Nevra Pelin Cesur, Nelisa Türkoğlu Laçin

The first case is described in Wuhan city of China in December 2019 and the disease (COVID-19) continues to pose threat to global health all over the world affecting more than approximately 476 million confirmed cases and 6 million deaths. Reliable and effective methods are taken a critical role such as real-time reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR test as a gold standard method, serological tests, and reverse transcriptase loopmediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) method is chosen firstly. 

Commentary Open Access

Commentary on NOBOX Mutations in Premature Ovarian Insufficiency

Asma Sassi, Julie Désir, Alexander Gheldof, Sonia Van Dooren, Xavier Peyrassol, Marc Abramowicz, Anne Delbaere

NOBOX is an ovarian specific transcription factor that plays an important role in follicular growth and survival. Nineteen NOBOX variants have been previously associated with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). Disease severity in patients with heterozygous and homozygous mutations largely overlap however, hampering genotype-phenotype correlations. We recently reported the first case of biallelic truncating mutations (NM_001080413.3 (NOBOX):c.826C>T, p.(Arg276*) and NM_001080413.3(NOBOX):c.1421del, p.(Gly474Alafs*76)) of NOBOX in two Belgian sisters with POI.

Commentary Open Access

Escherichia coli Stress, Multi-cellularity, and the Generation of the Quorum Sensing Peptide EDF

Isabella Moll, Hanna Engelberg-Kulka

Bacterial communication via quorum sensing (QS) molecules, as well as toxin-antitoxin (TA) gene modules located on bacterial chromosomes are well-studied mechanisms. Escherichia coli mazEF is a stress-induced TA system mediating cell death requiring a QS extracellular death factor (EDF), the pentapeptide NNWNN. MazF is an endoribonuclease specific for ACA sites. During adverse conditions, the activated MazF generates a stress induced translation machinery, composed of MazF-processed mRNAs and selective ribosomes that specifically translate these processed mRNAs.

Research Article Open Access

Karyotypic Profile of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in Patients Diagnosed at Tertiary Level in Afghanistan

Abdul Hadi Saqib, Samuel Sharif, Ahmad Walid Yousufzai, Najla Nasir, Sarah Noor, Sahar Noor, Abdul Jamil Rasooli, Ahmad Shekib Zahier, Ramin Saadaat, Haider Ali Malakzai, Abdul Sami Ibrahimkhil, Maryam Ahmad, Zeeshan Ansar Ahmed

Balanced translocation resulting in fusion of the Abelson gene (ABL₁) from chromosome 9q34 with the breakpoint cluster region (BCR) gene on chromosome 22q11.2 is the pathognomonic molecular driver of CML. The resulting BCRABL 1 fusion gene is both the diagnostic as well as therapeutic target of CML. The first agent with tyrosine kinase inhibitor activity that was licenced in 2000 for treatment of CML patients, was Imatinib, gradually followed by multiple agents with higher efficacy.