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The genetics of diabetes: What we can learn from Drosophila
Full text linkDiabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous disease characterized by hyperglycemia due to impaired insulin secretion and/or action. All diabetes types have a strong genetic component. The most frequent forms, type 1 diabetes (T1D), type 2 diabetes (T2D) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), are multifactorial syndromes associated with several genes’ effects together with environmental factors. Conversely, rare forms, neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) and maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY), are caused by mutations in single genes. Large scale genome screenings led to the identification of hundreds of putative causative genes for multigenic diabetes, but all the loci identified so far explain only a small proportion of heritability. Nevertheless, several recent studies allowed not only the identification of some genes as causative, but also as putative targets of new drugs. Although monogenic forms of diabetes are the most suited to perform a precision approach and allow an accurate diagnosis, at least 80% of all monogenic cases remain still undiag-nosed. The knowledge acquired so far addresses the future work towards a study more focused on the identification of diabetes causal variants; this aim will be reached only by combining expertise from different areas. In this perspective, model organism research is crucial. This review traces an overview of the genetics of diabetes and mainly focuses on Drosophila as a model system, describing how flies can contribute to diabetes knowledge advancement
EPIXENOSOMES EPIBIONTS OF THE PROTOZOON CILIATE EUPLOTIDIUM ITOI: THE FORMATION OF THE EXTRUIVE APPARATUS AND THE EJECTING MECHANISM
No full textVitamin B6 and Diabetes: Relationship and Molecular Mechanisms
Full text linkVitamin B6 is a cofactor for approximately 150 reactions that regulate the metabolism of glucose, lipids, amino acids, DNA, and neurotransmitters. In addition, it plays the role of antioxidant by counteracting the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). Epidemiological and experimental studies indicated an evident inverse association between vitamin B6 levels and diabetes, as well as a clear protective effect of vitamin B6 on diabetic complications. Interestingly, by exploring the mechanisms that govern the relationship between this vitamin and diabetes, vitamin B6 can be considered both a cause and effect of diabetes. This review aims to report the main evidence concerning the role of vitamin B6 in diabetes and to examine the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms. In addition, the relationship between vitamin B6, genome integrity, and diabetes is examined. The protective role of this vitamin against diabetes and cancer is discussed
ENDOSYMBIONTS OF THE MARINE CILIATE EUPLOTES MAGNICIRRATUS (CILIOPHORA HYPOTRICHIDA) AND PROPOSAL OF "Candidatus Devosia eUplotis" sp. nov
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Euplotes uncinatus (Ciliophora, Hypotrichia), a new species with zooxanthellae
Full text linkDuring the observations of a field collection of Maristentor dinoferus with fluorescence microscopy, we discovered a smaller ciliate with zooxanthellae. On the basis of morphological, morphometric and ultrastructural characters, this ciliate has been recognized as a new species of the genus Euplotes. To emphasize the peculiar shape and extension of the right buccal margin, the species has been named Euplotes uncinatus sp. n. The most distinctive traits of E. uncinatus are the presence of mucocyst-like vesicles, a kind of extrusome not previously found in Euplotes, and the presence of zooxanthellae. Evidence from ciliate behavior and zooxanthellae ultrastructure make it very likely that the zooxanthellae are symbiotic, even though some are evidently consumed by the host. © Springer-Verlag 2005
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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