How spatial, temporal, and sexual specific cues are integrated to specify distinct cell fates during multicellular organism development is largely unknown. Here we demonstrate that the Caenorhabditis elegans PcG-like gene sop-2 determines the temporal and sexual specificities of a row of hypodermal seam cells, in addition to specifying their positional identities. Loss-of-function of sop-2 caus...

Exposure of cells to arsenicals activates multiple stress pathways resulting in the induction of specific genes whose identity and role in the adaptation to arsenical-induced cellular stress are poorly understood. We report here the identification of a novel gene encoding an arsenite-inducible, cysteine- and histidine-rich RNA-associated protein, AIRAP, that is conserved among mammals, Drosophi...

How cells coordinate their spatial positioning through intercellular signaling events is poorly understood. Here we address this topic using Caenorhabditis elegans vulval patterning during which hypodermal vulval precursor cells (VPCs) adopt distinct cell fates determined by their relative positions to the gonadal anchor cell (AC). LIN-3/EGF signaling by the AC induces the central VPC, P6.p, to...

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is proving to be an attractive model organism for investigating innate immune responses to infection. Among the known pathogens of C. elegans is the bacterium Microbacterium nematophilum, which adheres to the nematode rectum and postanal cuticle, inducing swelling of the underlying hypodermal tissue and causing mild constipation. We find that on infection by ...

The Pacific whiteleg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (Penaeidae) is one of the most important cultivated species in world aquaculture. In Brazil, the northeastern states are home to the main shrimp producers. As shrimp aquaculture has expanded and intensified, diseases have progressively become one of the most serious threats to this industry. Infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus ...

The development of shrimp aquaculture in Mexican coasts of the Gulf of Mexico began to be explored using the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei in the mid 90's. Many concerns over the risk of disease transmission to the economically important native penaeids, have been the main deterrent for the aquaculture of L. vannamei in the region. Concurrently, more than 10 years of research experi...

We report a case of mycobacterial infection at the sites of previous injections of botulinum toxin A in a 45-year-old woman. She presented with erythematous, swollen, warm, and tender plaques and nodules at the points of injection from which a biopsy was taken, demonstrating a deep dermal and hypodermal abscessified epithelioid granulomatous inflammatory infiltrate in which some acid-fast bacil...

BACKGROUND Excessive resection of penile skin is a rare but important complication of circumcision. Penis "trapping" under the skin and consequent sexual dysfunction occur as a result. CASE REPORT Excessive circumcision with complete resection of the penile skin is shown. Penis, trapped under the skin, was deliberated and skin defect was substituted with the full thickness skin graft. One yea...