Sexuality Beyond Our Gonads

A new article published in the international journal Nature  has presented a new and intriguing perspective on the potential sexuality of organs. Up until now, it had been widely accepted that differences in an organ's sexuality was strictly limited to the sex organs of the species in question. Recent genetic tests on Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies) at the MRC Clinical Science Center based at Imperial London College have shed new light on this belief.

The intestines were the organ tested by the researchers, and the results they found were more than interesting. The researchers used genetic tools that allowed them to turn the expression of a gene "on" or "off," which allowed them to manipulate the femininity or masculinity of the stem cells of the intestines being observed. They found that the sex differences in intestinal stem cell behavior rely on a doublesex- and fruitless-independent branch of sex differentiation pathway downstream of transformer. These mechanisms are believed to be intrinsic mechanisms that control cell cycle duration. The researchers suggest that based on this newly observed cascade of sex differentiation, "a new sex determination pathway is at play." It should also be noted that differences between the organs were controlled for hormonal differences.

The major difference found between the masculine and feminine intestines was that the females intestines had a greater rate of proliferation. The enhanced ability of growth is believed to allow the female gut to grow during reproduction, but also makes them more prone to tumors. The enhanced rate of growth was noted by researchers to allow easier creation of genetically induced tumors. Overall, the increased plasticity of the gut is believed to make reproduction possible for the female.

This new discovery raises the question of whether or not this translates to humans, and how it can be applied to medicine. If we do discover that our organs are aware of their own sexuality, this could explain differences between men and women's health beyond the affect of differing levels of hormones. This would hopefully lead into a greater and more accurate scope of practice by health care providers. More tests will need to be done in the future on whether or not our organs have differences in sexuality, and how medicinal treatment can correspond accordingly.

Fly intestines showing genetically induced tumours (in green). Growth is significantly greater in female guts (right) than male (left). The cells shown in red are those that are multiplying.

Credit: MRC CSC

Major Grocer to Label Foods With Gene-Modified Content

 

 

Genetically engineered whole foods making an imprint in our world. Labeling and information is being instituted for the consumer to make a more informed decision in buying. Mileading ingredients and labeling has often plagued the consumer with poor decision making in their attempts to buy healthy. The average consumer will purchase foods based on marketing hype and labeling. If it looks and sounds good, then it must be good. Today, the consumer is educating themselves in an attempt to turn back the hands of unhealthy for the past years.

Genetically modified ingredients are deeply embedded in the global food supply, having proliferated since the 1990s. Most of the corn and soybeans grown in the United States, for example, have been genetically modified. The alterations make soybeans resistant to a herbicide used in weed control, and causes the corn to produce its own insecticide. Efforts are under way to produce a genetically altered apple that will spoil less quickly, as well as genetically altered salmon that will grow faster. The announcement ricocheted around the food industry and excited proponents of labeling. “Fantastic,” said Mark Kastel, co-director of the Cornucopia Institute, an organic advocacy group that favors labeling.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/15/opinion/why-label-genetically-engineered-food.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/09/business/grocery-chain-to-require-labels-for-genetically-modified-food.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

 

 

Treating Huntington's Disease with XJB-5-131

The University of Utah publishes information regarding one of the most severe genetic diseases found in humans, Huntington’s Disease.  Huntington’s Disease is caused by a genetic mutation on chromosome 4.  The disease causes harm by destroying the brain’s basal ganglia.  It is believed that this is caused by oxidative damage to mitochondria.  This part of the brain controls important functions such as thinking and movement.  A recent article published in Science Daily highlighted the work being done by scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.  The scientists have synthesized a new compound that alleviates the symptoms of Huntington’s Disease in mice.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="280" caption="Chromosome 4"][/caption]

The compound being tested is an antioxidant called XJB-5-131.  It is believed that the compound is able to improve the health of mitochondria and prevent the degradation of neurons.  The Huntington’s mice that were given the compound behaved and looked like mice that did not have the disease.  The scientists tested the motor skills and grip strength of mice with Huntington’s disease after being given XJB-5-131.  Nearly all of the affected mice were able to pass these tests, and the Huntington’s mice that were not given the compound performed much more poorly in the tests.  The scientists also studied the mitochondria of the mice that were given XJB-5-131 and found that the compound lessened the oxidative damage on the mitochondria.  With the success of XJB-5-131, the scientists are testing if derivatives of the compound yield better results.

The results from this study may lead to a cure for Huntington’s Disease.  This is incredibly important because of the severity of the disease.  Huntington’s Disease typically begins in people aged 30 to 50.  Upon the onset of the disease, a person will only live for 10 to 20 more years.  A cure derived from XJB-5-131 may allow those affected with the disease to live much longer and healthier lives.  This would benefit both the people with the disease and those present in their lives.

 

The Diet of Pregnant Mice Changes the Expression of Genes in Offspring

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discourages women who are pregnant from consuming alcohol and smoking due to a detrimental impact on the health of her child.  Further research is being published that may also discourage the consumption of certain types of foods  A recent article published in September shows that a mother’s nutrition may have an effect on her child’s genes.  Scientists at the University of North Carolina have been exploring this idea by feeding female laboratory mice different diets and examining the changes in their offspring’s DNA.

This type of research falls under the category of epigenetics.  Epigenetics involves altering the function of a gene without changing the sequence of DNA.  In this study, female mice were split into two groups before gestation.  One group of mice was fed a control diet, and the other was fed a diet lacking alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).  ALA is an Omega-3 fatty acid that is commonly found in seeds such as walnuts and pecans.  Both groups of females were mated with male mice that were fed the control diet.  The pups that were born from the divided groups of mothers were also divided in half.  One group of pups were fed a flaxseed oil supplement with high amounts of ALA, and the other group was fed a normal diet.  The scientists then analyzed the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content of the offspring’s blood and liver.  The mice that were given the flaxseed supplement showed an increase in the DNA methylation (controls gene expression) of the Fads2 gene.  This gene is responsible for controlling the PUFA present in metabolism.  However, it was also found that the level of DNA methylation was also tied to the mother’s DNA methylation which was controlled by her diet.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Flaxseeds contain a high amount of ALA."][/caption]

The results of this study show that the diet of a female mouse can control the epigenetics of her offspring.  Further studies should be completed to see if these results are applicable to humans.  It may be found that a mother’s diet can have an advantageous or disadvantageous effect on her offspring.  If true, mothers should eat the best possible diet to insure the health of their offspring.

 

Genetically Engineered Mice May Be Able to Detect Landmines

The mouse, a common sight in many biology laboratories, may help make the world a little bit safer.  Scientists at the Hunter College of the City University of New York have been working on breeding mice that can detect hidden landmines.  There are millions of hidden landmines scattered throughout the world, and current removal techniques are inefficient.  Prior to the research done at Hunter College, an organization in Belgium called APOPO has been training African pouched rats to detect landmines through scent.  The program has worked well, but training the rats takes several months and is cost prohibitive.



The scientists at Hunter College have been working to genetically engineer mice to make them extremely sensitive to TNT, a compound commonly found in mines.  The Food and Drug Administration defines genetic engineering as, “... a process in which recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology is used to introduce desirable traits into organisms.”  The mice were genetically modified to contain 10,000 to 1,000,000 odor-sensing neurons that can detect TNT.  This is a vast improvement over the typical 4,000 neurons found in a regular mouse.  Danny Dhanasekaran, a biologist at the University of Oklahoma, discovered that mice can detect TNT through the 2,4-dinitrotoluene-responsive receptor.  A recent study shows that mice can undergo seizures due to extremely strong scents.  It is hoped that the genetically engineered mice will go through an involuntary seizure to show the presence of a landmine.  This is currently being tested.  If successful, mice would not need expensive and lengthly training required to detect mines.

I found the research described in this article to be incredibly informative and innovative.  The scientists at Hunter College were able to use previous research conducted on mice scent receptors and behavior for a real life application.  The research highlights the benefits that can be had from genetically engineered organisms.  If the mice are successful in the field, they will have the ability to make certain parts of the world safer and alleviate human suffering.

 

A Day in the Life of a B Cell

When one thinks of the cells of the immune system, they immediately get the role of the bodies marines.  But new research has shown that there is more than meets the eye. Researchers from Oregon State noticed that mice lacking antibody producing B cells have unusual digestive systems. They noticed that the mice had a troublesome time absorbing fat from their diet which leads to malnutrition. From there the fact that B cells make immunoglobulin A (IgA) must contribute to fat uptake. IgA is found in tears, saliva, milk, mucus, and the lining of the intestines. When a closer look is taken on the intestines, one will notice that the intestines are lines with epithelial cells. Now epithelial cells have two jobs, self defense and metabolism (which includes fat uptake). IgA (which is produced by B cells), is triggered by an unknown, a signal will be sent from the gut microbes to the epithelial cells. From there commands will be made on what to do next. A variety of things could happen. 1) Devote more resources to protecting themselves. 2) Make antimicrobial compounds. Or 3) continue absorbing fat and other nutrients from food. Whatever the outcome is, it would not occur easily without B cells. So be thankful that your bodies “marines” not only have training in combat, but in many other areas as well, because let's face it, you would be malnourished without them.