Evolution and Classification of the T-Box Transcription Factor Family.

T-box proteins are key developmental transcription factors in Metazoa. Until recently they were thought to be animal specific and many T-box classes were considered bilaterian specific. Recent genome data from both early-branching animals and their closest unicellular relatives have radically changed this scenario. Thus, we now know that T-box genes originated in premetazoans, being present in the genomes of some extant early-branching fungi and unicellular holozoans. Here, we update the evolutionary classification of T-box families and review the evolution of T-box function in early-branching animals (sponges, ctenophores, placozoans, and cnidarians) and nonmodel bilaterians. We show that concomitant with the origin of Metazoa, the T-box family radiated into the major known T-box classes. On the other hand, while functional studies are still missing for many T-box classes, the emerging picture is that T-box genes have key roles in multiple aspects of development and in adult terminal cell-type differentiation in different animal lineages. A paradigmatic example is that of Brachyury, the founding member of the T-box family, for which several studies indicate a widely conserved role in regulating cell motility in different animal lineages and probably even before the advent of animal multicellularity. Overall, we here review the evolutionary history of T-box genes from holozoans to animals and discuss both their functional diversity and conservation.

[Two-year diagnostic stability and prognosis in acute psychotic episodes]. / Estabilidad diagnóstica y pronóstico a dos años de episodios psicóticos agudos.

INTRODUCTION: The term acute psychosis represents a group of rapid-onset and recovery psychosis. The current diagnostic criteria are not uniform and represent a heterogeneous set of psychoses. Although their form of clinical presentation may be similar, their evolution and prognosis are very different. It is very important to detect the possible factors of chronicity in order to make an early intervention and thus to diminish the negative consequences of the disease. METHODOLOGY: We conducted a 2 year prospective study in 48 patients diagnosed with acute psychosis in their first admission. Data was collected on the evolution and follow-up of the patient in the Mental Health Unit and the sociodemographic and clinical factors of the psychotic index episode that could predict a change in the diagnosis during the two years follow-up were analyzed. RESULTS: None of the sociodemographic or clinical variables studied could predict a change in the diagnosis, except for the presence of a control delusion during the index episode. The diagnosis of schizophreniform or not otherwise specified psychotic disorders predicts an evolution towards schizophrenia or affective psychosis while a brief or substance-induced psychotic episode has a better prognosis, with a tendency to maintain the same diagnosis in the 2 years of follow-up. CONCLUSION: After 2 years of follow-up, an significant number of the patients initially diagnosed of acute psychosis evolved towards a diagnosis of schizophrenia or affective psychosis in a difficult-to-predict way.

Estabilidad diagnóstica y pronóstico a 2 años de episodios psicóticos agudos / Two-year diagnostic stability and prognosis in acute psychotic episodes

Introducción. El término psicosis aguda representa un grupo de psicosis de inicio y resolución rápida. Los criterios diagnósticos actuales adolecen de uniformidad, representando un conjunto heterogéneo de psicosis. Aunque la forma de presentación clínica puede ser similar, la evolución y el pronóstico pueden ser muy diferentes. La detección de posibles factores de riesgo de cronicidad es de especial importancia, pudiendo realizar una intervención precoz y así minimizar las consecuencias negativas de la enfermedad. Metodología. Estudio prospectivo a 2 años de una muestra final de 48 pacientes diagnosticados de psicosis aguda en el ingreso. Se recoge información sobre la evolución y seguimiento del paciente en la Unidad de Salud Mental y analizan los factores sociodemográficos y clínicos del episodio psicótico índice, que puedan predecir un cambio en el diagnóstico durante el período de estudio. Resultados. Ninguna de las variables sociodemográficas o clínicas estudiadas presenta capacidad de predecir un cambio en el diagnóstico, salvo la presencia de un delirio de control durante el episodio índice. El diagnóstico de trastorno esquizofreniformeo psicótico no especificado pronostica una evolución hacia esquizofrenia o psicosis afectiva, mientras el trastorno psicótico breve o inducido por sustancias presentan un mejor pronóstico, tendiendo a mantener el mismo diagnóstico a los 2 años. Conclusión. A los 2 años, de una forma difícilmente predecible, una fracción importante de los pacientes diagnosticados inicialmente de psicosis aguda evoluciona hacia un diagnóstico de esquizofrenia o psicosis afectiva (AU)

Introduction. The term acute psychosis represents a group of rapid-onset and recovery psychosis. The current diagnostic criteria are not uniform and represent a heterogeneous set of psychoses. Although their form of clinical presentation may be similar, their evolution and prognosis are very different. It is very important to detect the possible factors of chronicity in order to make an early intervention and thus to diminish the negative consequences of the disease. Methodology. We conducted a 2 year prospective study in 48 patients diagnosed with acute psychosis in their first admission. Data was collected on the evolution and follow-up of the patient in the Mental Health Unit and the sociodemographic and clinical factors of the psychotic index episode that could predict a change in the diagnosis during the two years follow-up were analyzed. Results. None of the sociodemographic or clinical variables studied could predict a change in the diagnosis, except for the presence of a control delusion during the index episode. The diagnosis of schizophreniform or not otherwise specified psychotic disorders predicts an evolution towards schizophrenia or affective psychosis while a brief or substance-induced psychotic episode has a better prognosis, with a tendency to maintain the same diagnosis in the 2 years of follow-up. Conclusion. After 2 years of follow-up, an significant number of the patients initially diagnosed of acute psychosis evolved towards a diagnosis of schizophrenia or affective psychosis in a difficult-to-predict way (AU)

Manipulation of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase activity in potato tubers. An increase in activity leads to an increase in tuber number and a change in tuber size distribution.

S-Adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC; EC 4.1.1.50) is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of the polyamines spermidine and spermine from putrescine and its activity is rate limiting in this pathway. Transgenic potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Desiree) plants containing both sense and antisense SAMDC constructs driven by the tuber-specific patatin promoter have been generated and analysed. In sense transformants, developing tubers expressed higher steady-state levels of the SAMDC-specific transcript, had higher levels of SAMDC activity and contained significantly higher levels of spermidine than vector-transformed controls. Additionally, there was a significant shift in tuber size distribution with larger numbers of smaller tubers but no overall change in tuber yield. In developing tubers from the antisense transformed lines, there was a decrease in SAMDC transcript level, SAMDC activity and total polyamine levels. However, no obvious phenotypic effect was detected in the tuberisation physiology of the antisense lines.

Psychometric properties of the parental bonding instrument in a Spanish sample.

The Parental Bonding Instrument was translated into Spanish and administered to a sample of 205 Spanish primiparae 3 days after childbirth. Reliability, factorial structure and predictive validity for affective disorders were evaluated. The Spanish version of the PBI has psychometric features similar to those described in other cultures. However, the results suggest that in future research the predictive power of the "Control" factor in affective disorders might be improved by splitting it into two subfactors: "Overprotection" and "Restraint".