Aim: Efforts to explore biomarkers and biological pathways involved in the disease are needed to improve colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis and alternative treatments Background: The fourth common malignancy in the world is colorectal cancer. The over-all burden is predicted to rise by 2030. Methods: In the current study, nine genes were selected. Previously, a panel of genes by Agendia, a classifier of robust gene expression (ColoPrint), was determined to significantly improve the prognostic accuracy of pathologic factors in stage II and III colorectal cancer patients. Five genes, including Ppara, Mctp1, Pyroxd1, Il2r, and Cyfip2, from this panel and four other genes which were not in this panel but were cited abundantly in the literature were selected. Then, expression levels of the selected genes in CRC tissue were compared with levels in adjacent normal tissue. To identify the pathways involved in CRC, gene set enrichment analysis was subsequently performed. Furthermore, to illustrate the relationship between genes in this disease, the cross-shaped co-expression pattern and gene regulatory network were determined using computational methods. Results: This research found that the pairs of genes: {Il2r, Cyfip2}, {Foxm1, Ppara}, {Mctp1, Ctsc} and {Pyroxd1, Cyfip2} are functionally related. Furthermore, two differentially expressed gene pairs {Foxm1, Ppara} and {Il2r, Cyfip2} are involved in the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor signaling pathway and the purine ribonucleoside diphosphate metabolic process, respectively. Conclusion: This research found that the combination of computational analysis and laboratory data provided the opportunity to better characterize the relation between central colorectal cancer genes as well as possible pathways involved in the colorectal cancer.

This research was carried out with the aim of improving fruit sugar content in cantaloupe, accession Saveh. The „ Saveh‟ was crossed with „ Galia‟ and the F2 population was generated. The sugar content in fruits of parental generations and F2 population was measured using a refractometer. In F2 population 42 plants out of 2100 plants were selected and evaluated. HRM technique was used to determine the genotype of three candidate SNP markers which previously had been reported strongly associated with sugar content in fruit. The HRM analysis was carried out using Real Time PCR. Among the three SNP markers, one of them (SlE1-HRM) showed polymorphism. „ Galia‟ and „ Saveh‟ genotypes had A1A1 and A2A2 genotypes, respectively. After determining the genotypes, 13, 23 and 6 plants were obtained for three genotypes of A1A1, A1A2 and A2A2, respectively. Unbalanced completely randomized design analysis of variance showed that these three groups had a significant difference in sugar content. The average of sugar content in brix unit (%) for A1A1, A1A2 and A2A2 genotypes was 11. 75, 10. 85 and 6. 68, respectively. The mean comparison with Duncan's method showed that the difference of these average values was significant at the probability level of p <0. 01. These results indicate that the marker can well select the plants that have higher sugar content than the parent of Saveh.

Introduction: Breast cancer is one of the main cause of cancer-related death in women in the world. This cancer is heterogeneous consisting of three types including LCIS (Lobular carcinoma in situ), DCIS (Ductal carcinoma in situ), and invasive carcinoma. Although there are different therapeutic modalities such as chemotherapy and surgery, investigation of the involved molecular mechanisms help to diagnosis the disease at primary stages. In this study, we aimed to analyze the expression of CDX1 and CDX2 in breast cancer. Materials & Methods: In this study, total RNA was extracted from 40 tumor and their corresponded margin normal tissues using RNA extraction kit. After cDNA synthesis with Takara cDNA synthesis kit, expressional analysis of CDX1 and CDX2 gene was evaluated by Real time PCR techniques. Results: The data showed that the expression of CDX1 and CDX2 genes were decreased in breast cancer in 50% and 45%, respectively. Also, statistical analysis demonstrated that the underexpression of CDX1 was correlated with tumor size. Conclusion: To the best our knowledge, this is the first study that shows the reduced expression of these gene in breast cancer. We suggest that these genes may have tumor suppressor role in breast cancer although more studies are needed to show the main mechanism of their role in breast cancer.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by Fusarium graminearum is a serious disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), through which grain quality losses are induced by fungal trichotecene mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol (DON). A class of plasma membrane localized ABC transporter proteins related to the yeast PDR5 (pleiotropic drug resistance5) efflux pump seems to be responsible for partial resistance against trichothecenes in wheat. In order to develop and map a PDR5-specific marker linked to Fusarium head blight resistance in wheat, F3 and F5 generations obtained from a cross between ‘Wangshuibai’ and ‘Seri82’ were used. The analysis of nucleotide sequences of OSPDR5 revealed a high homology to the wheat EST BT009500. Among ten primer pairs developed from this PDR5-like EST, one was polymorphic between the parental lines. This PCR-based marker associated with FHB resistance in a ‘Wangshuibai’ derived mapping population. In this study, Composite Interval Mapping (CIM) analysis detected a QTL in the map interval of Xm12p17_2-Xpdr5 (consisting of the developed PDR5-like gene locus) on chromosome 6BS. This QTL accounted for up to 18% of AUDPC variation. real-time quantitative analysis showed that wheat PDR5-like gene expression was up-regulated during the post-inoculation period of 96 hours in the spike. Our results are in agreement with the hypothesis that the PDR5-like gene may be considered as a FHB resistance gene candidate in wheat.

Backgrounds and Aim: Clostridium difficile has been identified as a pathogen in antibiotic associated diarrhea, pseudo-membranous colitis. The ready-to-eat vegetable salads (REVS) are one of the possible sources for transmission of C. difficile to human. The aim of the present study was isolation and identification of Clostridium difficile in ready-to-eat vegetable salads in the restaurants of Tabriz by real-time PCR and determination of its antibiotic resistance pattern.Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 60 ready-to-eat vegetable salads samples were collected randomly from restaurants in different regions of Tabriz from February to June 2015. After preparation and DNA extraction, Clostridium difficile was identified by real-time PCR method. Disc diffusion method was used to determine antimicrobial resistance of the isolates to eight different antibiotics. Using SPSS 19 software, chi-square was used for data analysis. p≤0.05 was considered significant.Results: Among that 60 samples, 8 (13.33%) were contaminated with Clostridium difficile.There was no difference in Clostridium difficle prevalence in different regions (p=0.296).Among eight antibiotics used in this study, nalidixic acid with 8 isolates (100%) and Clindamycin with 7 isolates (87.5%) had the highest resistance rate. We found no resistance to metronidazole and vancomycin.Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the ready-to-eat salad vegetables can be a way for transmission of Clostridium difficle to humans. Therefore it is necessary to take necessary measures to prevent transmission of the infection through ready to- eat vegetable salads.