Chicken genome: current status and future opportunities

The chicken genome sequence is important for several reasons. First, the chicken shared a common ancestor with mammals approximately 310 million years ago (Mya) at a phylogenetic distance not previously covered by other genome sequences. It therefore fills a gap in our knowledge and understanding of the evolution and conservation of genes, regulatory sequences, genomes, and karyotypes. The chicken is also a major source of protein in the world, with billions of birds used in meat and egg production each year. It is the first livestock species to be sequenced and so leads the way for others. The sequence and the 2.8 million genetic polymorphisms defined in a parallel project are expected to benefit agriculture and cast new light on animal domestication. Also, as the first bird to be sequenced, it is a model for the 9600 avian species thought to exist today. Many of the features of the chicken genome and its biology make it an ideal organism for studies in development and evolution, along with applications in agriculture and medicine.     

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in a patient with no known risk factors: a pathological study.

We present the pathological findings in a case of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in a patient with no known risk factor. Postmortem examination showed klebsiella lung abscess, generalised cytomegalovirus infection, cerebral toxoplasmosis, and a primary cerebral lymphoma. An additional feature was the presence of dilatation of the intrahepatic large bile ducts in association with an atypical distribution of cytomegalovirus. The relation between this case and previously reported cases of AIDS is discussed.     

Increased Sensitivity of Lymphocytes from Atopic Individuals to Histamine-Induced Suppression

Histamine depressed lymphocyte reactivity to phytohemagglutinin and, to a lesser degree, concanavalin A, when administered simultaneously with mitogen to lymphocyte cultures. Addition of histamine at later times to the cultures appeared to have a slightly enhancing effect on the lymphocyte response. Stimulation of lymphocytes with pokeweed mitogen was in some cases enhanced, even by high concentrations of histamine. Lymphocytes from atopic individuals were more sensitive to the inhibitory effect of histamine than lymphocytes from nonatopic individuals. The sensitivity appeared age-dependent, but within each age group histamine evoked significantly more suppression on lymphocytes from atopic than from nonatopic individuals. The possibility that the altered reactivity of lymphocytes to histamine, which appears to be associated with atopic allergy, is of pathogenic importance, is discussed, and a hypothesis for the development of atopic disease is proposed.     

The behaviour of strains of the virus of foot-and-mouth disease in pig,calf, ox and lamb kidney tissue cultures

Summary Strains of the virus of foot-and-mouth disease obtained from different hosts and tissue cultures were tested in tissue cultures of pig, calf, ox and lamb kidneys for their ability to multiply and produce cytopathogenic effects. It was found that whereas cattle and kidney strains of the virus multiplied well in the cultures with cytopathogenic effect, mouse and egg adapted strains did not multiply or show cytopathogenic effect to the same extent especially in the ox and calf kidneys, and this could be correlated with their behaviour in cattle, pigs and cattle tongue epithelium tissue cultures. With all the strains used it was found possible to produce plaques on pig kidney monolayers, but the size and shape of the plaque varied as well as the relation of plaque titre to the titre in mice. The plaque size and plaque population from different sources were compared, and it was found that the relative number of the different plaque sizes varied with the source of the virus and changed in passage in the different systems. The possible significance of these findings in relation to vaccine preparation and adaptation of the virus is discussed.Part of the work described represents the kidney tissue culture side of experiments on attenuated strains of the virus of foot-and-mouth disease. We are grateful to our colleagues at Pirbright for the supply of virus strains and the results of many cattle, egg and mouse titrations.We would also like to thank MissP. Tremayne-Smitli, Mr.W. Chapman and Mr.D. Maskell for their excellent assistance in this work.     

Predominance of null mutations in ataxia-telangiectasia

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is an autosomal recessive disorder involving cerebellar degeneration, immunodeficiency, chromosomal instability, radiosensitivity and cancer predisposition. The responsible gene, ATM, was recently identified by positional cloning and found to encode a putative 350 kDa protein with a Pl 3-kinase-like domain, presumably involved in mediating cell cycle arrest in response to radiation-induced DNA damage. The nature and location of A-T mutations should provide insight into the function of the ATM protein and the molecular basis of this pleiotropic disease. Of 44 A-T mutations identified by us to date, 39 (89%) are expected to inactivate the ATM protein by truncating it, by abolishing correct initiation or termination of translation, or by deleting large segments. Additional mutations are four smaller in-frame deletions and insertions, and one substitution of a highly conserved amino acid at the Pl 3-kinase domain. The emerging profile of mutations causing A-T is thus dominated by those expected to completely inactivate the ATM protein. ATM mutations with milder effects may result in phenotypes related, but not identical, to A-T.      

Hepatic reinnervation following orthotopic liver transplantation in man.

We have studied changes in the pattern of intrinsic hepatic innervation in sequential liver biopsies from 16 patients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation. Seventy-one needle biopsies were used, including specimens obtained at the time of transplantation (time zero) and up to 4 years post-transplantation; five transplant hepatectomy tissue blocks removed 3-32 months after transplantation were also assessed. Paraffin sections were immunostained with anti-PGP 9.5 and anti-S-100 to identify nerve fibres. All 'time zero' biopsies contained portal nerves and all but two showed staining of parenchymal fibres. After 1 week, no subsequent biopsies contained parenchymal fibres. The disappearance of portal fibres was less rapid and showed greater variability between patients, but they had all disappeared by 6 weeks and there was no positive staining between 6 and 60 weeks. Thereafter, a minority of biopsies showed innervation of a few small portal tracts. Samples from the porta hepatis, hepatectomy specimens, and needle biopsies containing large tracts showed persistence of major nerve trunks at all stages. Abnormally large nerve bundles were seen in some of these areas. The pattern of nerve staining showed no obvious relationship to the intensity of rejection changes. Our results suggest that there is a limited, delayed capacity for regeneration of portal, but not parenchymal, fibres in the transplanted human liver. The physiological significance of this long-term parenchymal denervation in transplanted livers remains to be determined.     

A monoclonal antibody raised against a synthetic peptide representative of part of the amino acid sequence of rat immunoglobulin E detects thermally induced changes in that region of the IgE molecule.

A mouse monoclonal antibody (mAb) has been produced by conventional cell fusion methods against a synthetic peptide, p123, representative of a portion of the CH4 domain of rat immunoglobulin E (IgE). This monoclonal antibody was reactive with both peptide and purified rat IgE (p.rat IgE) by indirect enzyme immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and its binding to p.rat IgE was found to be inhibitable by pre-incubation with rat ascitic fluid containing the immunocytoma 162 (IR162) IgE. Heating of the immunocytoma IgE in solution at 56 degrees for 1 hr resulted in its enhanced binding of the mAb. The effect of this treatment was investigated further using p.rat IgE heated at 56 degrees for various time intervals between 0 and 60 min. The mAb showed enhanced binding to IgE heated for as little as 10 min, a similar level of binding being shown by samples heated for 30 and 60 min. The degree of aggregation of the IgE molecules brought about by the heat treatments was measured by differential UV absorption. This revealed a decrease in the proportion of monomeric IgE with an accompanying increase in the percentage of dimer and larger aggregates with increased time of heating at 56 degrees. These absorption data, together with the ELISA inhibition data, suggest that, rather than inducing changes mediated by aggregation of the IgE molecules in solution, heating at 56 degrees causes subtle alterations in the conformation of individual IgE molecules at specific sites within their CH4 domains, one of which is detected by this mAb.