Anti-SHC2 (C-terminal) polyclonal antibody

Background: All cows experience bacterial contamination and tissue injury in the uterus postpartum, instigating a local inflammatory immune response. However mechanisms that control inflammation and achieve a physiologically functioning endometrium, while avoiding disease in the postpartum cow are not succinctly defined. This study aimed to identify novel candidate genes indicative of inflammation resolution during involution in healthy beef cows. Previous histological analysis of the endometrium revealed elevated inflammation 15 days postpartum (DPP) which was significantly decreased by 30 DPP. The current study generated a genome-wide transcriptomic profile of endometrial biopsies from these cows at both time points using mRNA-Seq. The pathway analysis tool GoSeq identified KEGG pathways enriched by significantly differentially expressed genes at both time points. Novel candidate genes associated with inflammatory resolution were subsequently validated in additional postpartum animals using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Results: mRNA-Seq revealed 1,107 significantly differentially expressed genes, 73 of which were increased 15 DPP and 1,034 were increased 30 DPP. Early postpartum, enriched immune pathways (adjusted P < 0.1) included the T cell receptor signalling pathway, graft-versus-host disease and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathways. However 30 DPP, where the majority of genes were differentially expressed, the enrichment (adjusted P < 0.1) of tissue repair and proliferative activity pathways was observed. Nineteen candidate genes selected from mRNA-Seq results, were independently assessed by qRT-PCR in additional postpartum cows (5 animals) at both time points. SAA1/2, GATA2, IGF1, SHC2, and SERPINA14 genes were significantly elevated 30 DPP and are functionally associated with tissue repair and the restoration of uterine homeostasis postpartum. Conclusions: The results of this study reveal an early activation of the immune response which undergoes a temporal functional change toward tissue proliferation and regeneration during endometrial involution in healthy postpartum cows. These molecular changes mirror the activation and resolution of endometrial inflammation during involution previously classified by the degree of neutrophil infiltration. SAA1/2, GATA2, IGF1, SHC2, and SERPINA14 genes may become potential markers for resolution of endometrial inflammation in the postpartum cow.

We have previously found alterations in expression of native myosin isoforms during adaptations to 30 d of stretch-induced hypertrophy in the quail anterior latissimus dorsi muscle (ALD). However, myosin heavy and light chain expression have not been studied during adaptations to stretch. In the current study, expression of myosin heavy and light chains and native myosin isoforms were characterized after placing a weight on one wing of Japanese quail for 0, 7, 14, or 21 d (N = 8 birds . d(-1)). ALD muscle mass was significantly greater at days 14 (67.0 +/- 4.4%) and 21 (70.2 +/- 4.0%) of stretch compared to day 7 (53.6 +/- 2.9%) of stretch. Native slow myosin-2 (SM2) expression increased from 43.1 +/- 1.7% in control muscles to 55 +/- 1.2% in stretch muscles, relative to the total myosin pool. The increase in native SM2 expression (similar to 12%) was observed at all three time points of stretch. In contrast, native slow myosin-1 (SM1) expression significantly decreased from 34.1 +/- 1.7% in the control muscles to 24.6 +/- 1.2% in the stretch muscles, relative to the total myosin pool. There was an increased expression of slow heavy chain-two (SHC2) concurrent with a downregulation of the slow heavy chain-1 (SHC1). There was no change in the relative percentages of either slow or fast myosin Light chains in overloaded muscles at any of the time points following stretch. These results demonstrate that changes in myosin heavy chain expression, but not myosin Light chain expression accompany stretch-induced hypertrophy in the quail ALD.