Medicina Molecular e Genética

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are the precursors of gametes in the developing embryo. These cells are specified early in embryonic development and have the ability to differentiate into sperm or ova depending on the sex of the individual. In birds, PGCs are formed in the early blastoderm stage, and migrate to the gonads where they differentiate into sperm or ova. The formation of PGCs in birds, particularly in chickens, has been extensively studied due to its importance in understanding avian reproduction and its potential applications in the field of reproductive biology. This essay will discuss the process of chicken PGC formation and the factors that influence this process. The early development of the chicken embryo begins with the fertilization of the ovum by the sperm. The zygote undergoes several cell divisions to form a hollow ball of cells called the blastoderm. At this stage, the embryo is still a single layer of cells, with a central area called the area pellucida and an outer area called the area opaca. The area pellucida is a clear region that is surrounded by the thicker, opaque area opaca. The blastoderm consists of two regions: the prospective embryo, which will give rise to the various organs and tissues of the body, and the extra-embryonic region, which will form the placenta and other supporting tissues.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and progressive lung disease with unknown etiology that leads to the formation of scar tissue in the lungs. Although the molecular mechanisms underlying IPF remain unclear, epigenetic changes have been implicated in the disease pathogenesis. Epigenetics refers to modifications to DNA and histones that alter gene expression without changing the DNA sequence itself. These modifications include DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA expression, all of which are influenced by environmental factors. Epigenetic changes have been observed in IPF, particularly alterations in DNA methylation and histone modifications. Studies have identified DNA methylation changes in genes related to extracellular matrix remodeling, inflammation, and oxidative stress, which are all pathways that are dysregulated in IPF.In addition, histone modifications, such as histone acetylation and methylation, have been shown to regulate the expression of genes involved in fibrosis and inflammation. Given the potential role of epigenetic changes in IPF, precision medicine approaches targeting epigenetic modifications have been proposed as a potential therapeutic strategy. One approach is the use of drugs that target specific epigenetic enzymes, such as histone deacetylases (HDACs) and DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), which are involved in histone and DNA modifications, respectively. For example, HDAC inhibitors have been shown to reduce fibrosis and improve lung function in animal models of IPF. However, the use of these drugs in human clinical trials has been limited due to their potential side effects and lack of specificity

Enterococci have gained significance as the cause of nosocomial infections. They occur as food contaminants and have also been linked to dental diseases. Currently, infective endocarditis (IE) caused by Enterococcus faecalis represents 10% of all IE and is marked by its difficult management and the frequency of relapses. Although the precise reasons for that remain to be elucidated, the evolution of the culprit strain based on single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) could be, at least in part, involved. The cross sectional study randomly selected 40 consented (25 male and 15 female) HIV seropositive patients and body mass index of 16.7 ± 1.0 (Kg/m2 ) with CD4+ cells<200 cells/µl. Urine and feces samples were collected used for testing. Chrom agar was used for bacterial isolation. DNA isolations from the 24-hour growth cultures of possible Enterococcus faecalis were carried out using Zymo Research Bacterial DNA isolation kit. The twenty-nine (29) clinical isolates that showed black-colored colonies and were further subjected to polymerase chain reaction identification using Enterococcus faecalis gene specific primers. Only two (2) out of twenty-nine (29) suspected Enterococcus spp were PCR confirmed Enterococcus faecalis. We observed that about 85.36313% sites of the accessions are polymorphic among the two isolates. Considering the Enterococcus faecalis gene the polymorphic sites are 76.4% and 23.6% biallelic and triallelic respectively with a corresponding number of such sites as 447 and 331, respectively. The coding regions (CDs) for the Enterococcus faecalis genome displayed the majority of SNP loci at codon position C2 and C3 with 34.5% and 31.3% of their respective total SNP loci, respectively. The observed variability between the two sequences from Nigeria may be due to increased genetic diversity over time and could be a possible vaccine target in the prevention of infective endocarditis (IE) caused by Enterococcus faecalis.