Sherpas living around the Himalayas are renowned as high-altitude mountain climbers but when and where the Sherpa people originated from remains contentious. In this study, we collected DNA samples from 582 Sherpas living in Nepal and Tibet Autonomous Region of China to study the genetic diversity of both their maternal (mitochondrial DNA) and paternal (Y chromosome) lineages. Analysis showed t...

The Ascidian Halocynthia roretzi is a good model organism to investigate gene functions in developmental mechanisms. In the process of early embryogenesis, maternal factors stored in egg cytoplasms are known to play various significant roles [1]. Recent works have revealed that there exist cytoplasmic determinants that direct the formation of epidermis, muscle and endoderm as well as cytoplasmi...

PROBLEM During pregnancy, the maternal immune system needs to adapt in order not to reject the semi-allogenic fetus. METHOD In this review, we describe and discuss the role of regulatory T (Treg) cells in fetal tolerance. RESULTS Treg cells constitute a T helper lineage that is derived from thymus (natural Treg cells) or is induced in the periphery (induced Treg cells). Treg cells are enric...

Abstract The red deer Cervus elephus has been a common species in Italy until the Middle Ages and Renaissance, when its distribution range started to considerably decrease, due gradual deforestation hunting pressure. Afterwards, reintroduced many regions of world, including Italy. In Italian Apennines, Acquerino-Cantagallo Natural Reserve (ACQUERINO) hosts one largest peninsular populations, or...

The developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) is a paradigm for understanding metabolic diseases of modern humans. Vulnerability to disease is linked to perturbations in development during critical time periods in fetal and neonatal life. These perturbations are caused by environmental signals, often generated or transduced by the mother. The regulation of mammalian development depend...

Trophoblast giant cells (TGCs) are the first cell type to terminally differentiate during embryogenesis and are of vital importance for implantation and modulation of post-implantation placentation. TGCs are mononuclear and polyploid but are heterogenous and dynamic. At least four different subtypes of TGCs are present within the mature placenta that have distinct cell lineage origins. The deve...

We investigated whether genetic radiosensitivity-related changes in mtDNA/nDNA ratios are significant to mitochondrial function and if a material effect on mtDNA content and function exists. BALB/c (radiosensitive), C57BL/6 (radioresistant), and F1 hybrid mouse strains were exposed to total body irradiation. Hepatic genomic DNA was extracted, and mitochondria were isolated. Mitochondrial oxygen...

Mixed model techniques were used to evaluate the importance of cytoplasmic genetic effects on beef cattle performance. Birth weight (BWT), preweaning average daily gain (ADG), weaning weight (WT205), postweaning gain (PG), ultrasonic backfat thickness (FAT) and predicted milk yield (MILK) data were collected in two herds of Hereford cattle located at Plymouth and Raleigh, North Carolina. Cytopl...