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S J Henning

Publications and source records attributed to S J Henning.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Cloning, characterization and mapping of the mouse trehalase (Treh) gene.

Trehalase is the least studied of the membrane-bound alpha- glucosidase enzymes. Here we report the isolation and characterization of the mouse trehalase (Treh) gene. Initially, PCR using primers based on published rat cDNA sequence was used to clone a partial mouse cDNA. This allowed design of mouse primers which identified a single positive clone in a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library of mouse genomic DNA. Analysis of BAC subclones showed that the Treh structural gene spans approximately 13 kb and comprises 15 exons. Data from genomic Southern blotting were consistent with mouse Treh being a single copy gene. The transcription initiation site was determined by both S1 nuclease mapping and 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5' RACE) to be located 25 nt upstream of the ATG in exon 1. The mouse Treh exons were found to have an open reading frame of 1728 nt and the encoded protein of 576 amino acids showed 81, 82 and 93% amino acid sequence identity with rabbit, human and rat trehalase, respectively. The trehalase signature sequence found at amino acids 162 to 175 had 100% identity with the corresponding region of rabbit, human and rat and 79% identity with that for yeast trehalase. When a mouse Treh cDNA was used for Northern blot analysis of RNA from 12 mouse tissues, Treh mRNA expression was detected only in kidney and small intestine. The size of the mRNA in both of these tissues was estimated to be approximately 2.1 kb, furthermore both tissues appear to have the same transcription initiation site as determined by nuclease protection. Using the T31 radiation hybrid panel, mouse Treh was shown to be located on Chromosome 9 in a broad region that is orthologous with human Chromosome 11q23. The human trehalase gene (TREH) was identified in the latter location via database searching, which also revealed the overall structure of the human gene as being similar to that of the mouse.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Ontogenic regulation of components of ileal bile acid absorption.

The apical sodium-dependent bile acid cotransporter (ASBT) and the ileal bile acid binding protein (IBABP) are two components of ileal bile acid absorption. During the third postnatal week of the rat, there is a dramatic increase in ASBT and IBABP expression. The goals of this study were to examine the role of hormones on the ontogenic expression of ASBT mRNA and the role of weaning for both ASBT and IBABP mRNA. Administration of various doses of dexamethasone during the second postnatal week induced ASBT mRNA levels, and this effect was significantly increased with concomitant thyroxine treatment. Early weaning and weaning prevention were utilized to investigate the influence of dietary factors. ASBT and IBABP mRNA levels were significantly elevated by early weaning and were decreased by weaning prevention compared with littermate controls. Thus, glucocorticoids and thyroxine appear to play a role in the ontogenic expression of ASBT mRNA and weaning appears to participate in both ASBT and IBABP expression.

Animals↗

Development of glucocorticoid-responsiveness in mouse intestine.

There are conflicting data from human studies regarding the ability of exogenous glucocorticoids to stimulate maturation of the small intestine. The discrepancies may relate to differences in hormone doses and age administered. To explore this general concept, we have used a mouse model to determine intestinal responsiveness to dexamethasone (DEX) at various times during development. We first showed that trehalase mRNA is a sensitive marker of intestinal maturation in the mouse; being undetectable (by Northern blotting) in the prenatal period, expressed at low levels during the first 2 postnatal weeks and then displaying a marked increase in the 3rd postnatal week. DEX was unable to elicit detectable trehalase mRNA in fetal mice, but caused significant increases in the postnatal period. The use of a range of DEX doses (0.0125-2.5 nmol/g BW per day) established that there is no change in sensitivity between the 1st and 2nd postnatal weeks, but there is a significant increase in maximal responsiveness of trehalase mRNA to the hormone. Similar results were obtained when sucrase-isomaltase mRNA was assayed in the same animals. Thus, in this rodent model, there appears to be at least three phases in the DEX responsiveness of the developing intestine: an early phase (prenatal) when DEX is unable to elicit intestinal maturation; then a phase (first postnatal week) of modest responsiveness; then a transition to increased responsiveness. These findings point to the need for careful attention to dose and age in analyses of glucocorticoid effects in human infants.

Animals↗

Hormonal regulation of expression of ileal bile acid binding protein in suckling rats.

Ileal bile acid binding protein (IBABP) is a cytosolic protein believed to be involved in the absorption of conjugated bile acids. In rodents this protein and its mRNA have been shown to increase markedly during the third postnatal week. Because this period of ontogeny is characterized by increasing circulating concentrations of glucocorticoids and thyroxine, the goal of our study was to investigate the role of these hormones in IBABP expression in the developing rat. Administration of various doses of dexamethasone (Dex) during the second postnatal week caused a robust induction of IBABP mRNA and protein. Plateau levels of IBABP mRNA occurred at a Dex dose of 0.1 microg/g body wt, which is within the physiological range. IBABP mRNA was not appreciably induced until 24 h after treatment, suggesting that glucocorticoids influence IBABP either through a delayed primary or a secondary response mechanism. The regional pattern of IBABP mRNA elicited by Dex mimicked that seen during normal development, with appearance in distal ileum preceding proximal ileum. Thyroxine injections did not result in a significant increase of IBABP mRNA, and synergism between Dex and thyroxine was not observed. Taken together, our data suggest that maturation of IBABP expression is influenced by glucocorticoids but not by thyroxine.

Age Factors↗

Meprin mRNA in rat intestine during normal and glucocorticoid-induced maturation: divergent patterns of expression of alpha and beta subunits.

Meprin is a zinc-metalloendopeptidase expressed in intestinal epithelial cells. In rat jejunum collected from postnatal day 4 (P4) through P25 meprins alpha mRNA exhibited uniform levels for the first three postnatal weeks and then declined, whereas meprin beta mRNA showed a biphasic pattern with high levels in the first postnatal week followed by low levels from P7 through P19 and then a marked rise at P22 and P25. Dexamethasone treatment beginning at P10 had no significant effect on levels of meprins a mRNA, whereas this treatment caused a precocious increase in expression of meprin beta mRNA. These divergent patterns of expression of meprins alpha and beta mRNA suggest distinct roles for the two subunits during the suckling and weaning phases of rodent intestinal development.

Aging↗

Sucrase-isomaltase ontogeny: synergism between glucocorticoids and thyroxine reflects increased mRNA and no change in cell migration.

During postnatal maturation of the rat small intestine, glucocorticoid hormones (GC) and thyroxine (T4) act synergistically to elicit a precocious increase of sucrase activity. The current work shows that the synergistic effect on sucrase activity is paralleled by increased steady-state levels of sucrase-isomaltase mRNA. The enhancing effects of T4 on dexamethasone (DEX)-induced sucrase activity was seen even after prolonged treatment (9 days). Moreover, when the location of sucrase-bearing cells was examined after 2 days of hormone treatment, there was distinctly stronger immunostaining of sucrase in the presence of T4, and the sucrase-bearing cells were located on the lower quarter of the intestinal villi regardless of whether the animals received DEX or T4 plus DEX. Thus, despite predictions from the literature, there was no evidence for increased migration in the presence of T4. Instead, we conclude that the synergism between the two hormones is due to greater accumulation of sucrase-isomaltase per epithelial cell.

Animals↗

Intestinal maturation in mice lacking CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EPBalpha).

In rodents, there is a surge of intestinal expression of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBPalpha) in the late fetal phase just before morphological maturation and the onset of expression of numerous epithelial genes. To investigate directly the hypothesis that C/EBPalpha plays a causal role in the latter phenomena, we have assessed both structural and functional maturation in neonatal intestine from C/EBPalpha-null mice and their littermates. No effects of C/EBPalpha genotype were observed on mucosal architecture or on the size of the proliferative zone in the intestinal crypts. Likewise, the mRNA levels for the glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2), intestinal and liver fatty acid-binding proteins, and apolipoprotein A-IV in newborn intestine were similar in all genotypes. Paradoxically, Na+/glucose co-transporter (SGLT1), lactase phlorizin-hydrolase and apolipoprotein B mRNAs were more abundant in the C/EBPalpha-deficient animals. In wild-type intestines, C/EBPbeta and C/EBPdelta mRNAs were detectable throughout the late fetal period and increased toward term in parallel with C/EBPalpha mRNA. In newborn intestine, there was no compensatory up-regulation of these isoforms in the C/EBPalpha-deficient mice. We conclude that C/EBPalpha has no essential role in morphological maturation of the intestine, the pattern of proliferation of the epithelium, or the onset of expression of this cluster of epithelial mRNAs. However, since other C/EBP isoforms are present in the developing intestine, it is possible that there is a generic requirement for a member of the C/EBP family.

Aging↗

Rat trehalase: cDNA cloning and mRNA expression in adult rat tissues and during intestinal ontogeny.

A partial rat trehalase cDNA has been cloned and used to examine trehalase mRNA expression. Northern blotting with total RNA from 11 adult rat tissues showed a trehalase transcript only in small intestine, where it was abundant in proximal regions but declined steeply toward the ileum. During development, trehalase mRNA was not detectable in jejunum until postnatal day 19 and then increased markedly through day 25. Modest levels in trehalase mRNA were induced precociously by administration of dexamethasone, with increasing responsiveness evident between the first and second postnatal weeks. In contrast, analysis of sucrase-isomaltase mRNA on the same blots showed maximal induction at both ages. In adrenalectomized animals, the ontogenic increase of trehalase mRNA began as usual but proceeded more slowly than in control animals. Overall, trehalase mRNA expression in the rat displayed both similarities and differences compared with rabbit. Moreover, the differences revealed in glucocorticoid responsiveness of trehalase mRNA and sucrase-isomaltase mRNA suggest that the actions of these hormones on the developing intestine may be more complex than previously recognized.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Use of amphotropic retroviral vectors for gene transfer in human colon carcinoma cells.

Previous studies in rodent models have demonstrated the feasibility of gene transfer to the stem cells of the intestinal epithelium using ecotropic retroviral vectors delivered luminally. This report represents a next step toward targeting the human intestine as a site for somatic gene therapy. The first experiment assessed the viability of amphotropic retroviral vectors in the luminal environment. It was found that after 4 hr at 37 degrees C in luminal effluent, the loss of titer was no greater than when incubated in control media. Likewise, neither the vector nor the target cells were adversely affected by N-acetylcysteine, which is likely to be used as a preparatory agent for mucus removal. To determine whether human intestinal cells are transducible by these vectors, three colon carcinoma cell lines were studied: HT-29, T84, and Caco-2. All were transduced; however, the expression of the reporter gene was highest in the HT-29 cells. Subsequent studies using these cells showed that with regular stocks of vector, gene transfer peaked at a stock dilution of 1/10 and declined at full strength. This problem could be partially overcome by centrifugal concentration of the retroviral stocks. With this approach, gene transfer increased with increasing particles up to 10x regular stock titers but was inefficient at 100x. Overall, these findings provide encouraging evidence that amphotropic retroviral vectors may eventually be used for in vivo gene transfer into human intestinal epithelium. However, they also point to the need for improved methods of concentrating retroviral vectors.

3T3 Cells↗

Molecular sites of regulation of expression of the rat cationic amino acid transporter gene.

Cat-1 is a protein with a dual function, a high affinity, low capacity cationic amino acid transporter of the y+ system and the receptor for the ecotropic retrovirus. We have suggested that Cat-1 is required in the regenerating liver for the transport of cationic amino acids and polyamines in the late G1 phase, a process that is essential for liver cells to enter mitosis. In our earlier studies we had shown that the cat-1 gene is silent in the quiescent liver but is induced in response to hormones, insulin, and glucocorticoids, and partial hepatectomy. Here we demonstrate that cat-1 is a classic delayed early growth response gene in the regenerating liver, since induction of its expression is sensitive to cycloheximide, indicating that protein synthesis is required. The peak of accumulation of the cat-1 mRNA (9-fold) by 3 h was not associated with increased transcriptional activity of the cat-1 gene in the regenerating liver, indicating post-transcriptional regulation of expression of this gene. Induction of the cat-1 gene results in the accumulation of two mRNA species (7.9 and 3.4 kilobase pairs (kb)). Both mRNAs hybridize with the previously described rat cat-1/2.9-kb cDNA clone. However, the 3' end of a longer rat cat-1 cDNA (rat cat-1/6.5-kb) hybridizes only to the 7.9-kb mRNA transcript. Sequence analysis of this clone indicated that the two mRNA species result from the use of alternative polyadenylation signals. The 6. 5-kb clone contains a number of AT-rich mRNA destabilizing sequences which is reflected in the half-life of the cat-1 mRNAs (90 min for 7. 9-kb mRNA and 250 min for 3.4-kb mRNA). Treatment of rats with cycloheximide superinduces the level of the 7.9-kb cat-1 mRNA in the kidney, spleen, and brain, but not in the liver, suggesting that cell type-specific labile factors are involved in its regulation. We conclude that the need for protein synthesis for induction of the cat-1 mRNA, the short lived nature of the mRNAs, and the multiple sites for regulation of gene expression indicate a tight control of expression of the cat-1 gene within the regenerating liver and suggest that y+ cationic amino acid transport in liver cells is regulated at the molecular level.

Amino Acid Transport Systems, Basic↗

Gene transfer into fetal rat intestine.

To assess the fetal intestine as a site for gene therapy, we have explored a xenograft model in which fetal rat intestine is grafted subcutaneously into nu/nu mice. Prior to grafting, the tissue was exposed to a replication-deficient retroviral vector bearing the neo gene. Transduction efficiency was assessed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of neo in DNA recovered from the grafts. Three methods of infection were employed: (i) simple flushing of the fetal intestine with the vector; (ii) incubation with the vector for 2 hr; and (iii) a combination of both. The first method gave the highest transduction efficiencies in terms of both the proportion of samples that were neo-positive and the number of neo-positive cells per sample. Using this approach, the time course of persistence of neo-positive cells was analyzed by collecting grafts at 1 versus 3 weeks post-infection. The results showed approximately five-fold more positive cells at the earlier time point than at the later, suggesting loss of transduced cells due to cell turnover. Nevertheless, the persistence of a portion of the positive cells for at least 3 weeks is encouraging for future studies with fetal intestine.

Animals↗

Retroviral gene transfer into the intestinal epithelium.

The epithelial cells of the gastrointestinal tract may be attractive targets for somatic gene therapy. In these studies, we have used rats and mice to explore the feasibility of gene transfer into the small intestinal epithelium using retroviral vectors. The first series of experiments was conducted in mature Sprague-Dawley rats using an ecotropic retroviral vector that has bacterial beta-galactosidase (beta-Gal) as the reporter gene. The vector was introduced into the lumen of ligated segments of terminal ileum. After a 4-hr exposure period, the ligatures were removed. Sham-operated animals were subjected to the same ligation procedure but received only tissue culture medium in the ligated segment. All animals were sacrificed 6 days later, and tissue from both the experimental segment and an upstream control segment was assessed for cytoplasmic beta-Gal activity using X-Gal histochemistry. Expression of the reporter gene was observed in the crypt epithelium of tissue exposed to the vector. In the villus epithelium, high background staining precluded accurate assessment of reporter gene expression. To obviate the latter problem, we sought an alternative reporter gene for which there would be no background staining in control animals. We repeated the experiments with beta-glucuronidase as the reporter gene in MPS VII mutant mice, which are devoid of this enzyme. In these studies, ileal segments exposed to the vector demonstrated expression of the reporter gene in both the crypt and villus epithelium 4 days after exposure. These results indicate that genes can be transferred into the intestinal epithelium using retroviral vectors introduced luminally.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Distinguishing normal and glucocorticoid-induced maturation of intestine using bromodeoxyuridine.

Exogenous glucocorticoids administered during the first two postnatal weeks are capable of eliciting precocious maturation of the rat intestine. However, it is not known whether this represents an alternative developmental pathway or is essentially an advancement of normal ontogeny. The goal of the present study was to address this question using the thymidine analogue 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU), which is known to selectively inhibit differentiation in a number of tissues. Intestinal development was assessed by following changes in sucrase, trehalase, glucoamylase, and lactase activities. The first experiment assessed whether BrdU has any influence on the cellular differentiation that occurs continuously along the crypt-villus axis. After administration of BrdU to suckling and mature animals, there was no effect on lactase and sucrase activities, respectively. Thus BrdU does not inhibit crypt-villus differentiation in either the suckling or mature jejunum. In the second experiment, dexamethasone was used to induce precocious maturation in the rat jejunum on day 10. BrdU treatment significantly inhibited glucocorticoid-induced elevation of sucrase, trehalase, and glucoamylase but had no effect on the lactase activity. In contrast, treatment with BrdU during normal development significantly accelerated the ontogenic rise of sucrase and trehalase as well as the ontogenic decline of lactase. The acceleration of development was also seen in adrenalectomized rats, indicating that it is the glucocorticoid-independent component of normal intestinal ontogeny that is activated by BrdU. The opposite effect of BrdU on glucocorticoid-induced precocious maturation suggests that such maturation involves different molecular mediators than normal ontogeny.

Adrenalectomy↗

Cloning of the rat ecotropic retroviral receptor and studies of its expression in intestinal tissues.

A long-term goal of our laboratory is to establish a rat model to study the feasibility of using the intestinal tract as a site for somatic gene therapy. As a step toward that goal, the current study reports the cloning of the rat ecotropic retroviral receptor (EcoR) cDNA and the study of various aspects of its expression in the intestinal tissues. The cDNA for rat EcoR was cloned by screening a size-selected rat intestinal cDNA library with mouse EcoR cDNA. A clone of approximately 7 kb, designated MP10, was obtained. Partial sequencing of MP10 from the 5' end revealed a level of similarity of 92% compared with mouse EcoR. The presence of a 5' untranslated region and a 3' poly(A) tract, together with the overall size of the cDNA, suggest that is very close to being a full-length cDNA for this large transcript. Northern blots with MP10 showed an RNA of approximately 7.9 kb present along the entire length of the small intestine and somewhat less abundant in the colon. Developmental studies showed high levels of EcoR in fetal rat intestine, a decline in the early postnatal period, then a gradual rise to adulthood. Caco-2 cells were used to assess the expression of EcoR in proliferating compared with differentiated intestinal epithelial cells. EcoR mRNA was found to be very much more abundant in nondifferentiated cells and declined to low levels as the cells underwent spontaneous differentiation. These patterns of EcoR expression indicate that ecotropic retroviruses should be suitable vectors with which to attempt gene transfer into the intestinal epithelium. In addition, since the endogenous role of EcoR is as the y+ cationic amino acid transporter, these data have significance for understanding patterns of amino acid transport in the intestinal epithelium.

Animals↗

Cloning and sequencing of a full-length rat sucrase-isomaltase-encoding cDNA.

Sucrase-isomaltase (SI) has been widely used as a marker enzyme to study cellular differentiation in the small intestine. We isolated a 6.1-kb SI cDNA clone (GC1.4) from a size-fractionated cDNA library from rat intestine. Sequencing of this cDNA clone showed 6066 nucleotides (nt) with an open reading frame (ORF) of 1841 amino acids (aa). The nt sequence correctly predicts several known aa stretches in the protein. The deduced as sequence showed 78 and 75% overall identity with the rabbit and human SI, respectively. At the active sites of both S and I, the rat nt sequence encodes stretches of 14 and 16 aa, respectively, which show 100% identity to rabbit and human SI. In the region immediately beyond the transmembrane domain, the rat sequence encodes an extra 10 aa, as compared to rabbit and human. This 10-aa insertion consists almost entirely of Pro, Ser and Thr, and may be responsible for additional O-glycosylations of rat SI. The cDNA contains a 3'-UTR (untranslated region) of 499 nt with polyadenylation signal sequence and a poly(A) tract. The ATG start codon was found 41 nt downstream from the 5' end of the cDNA. Primer extension experiments showed the cap site to be 61 nt upstream from the start codon. The results indicate that our cDNA clone lacks only 20 nt in the 5'-UTR. Given that this cDNA encodes the entire coding region of SI, it should be useful in elucidating the regulatory mechanisms of SI biosynthesis, localization and targeting during rat intestinal development and differentiation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Improving access to intestinal stem cells as a step toward intestinal gene transfer.

In previous studies exploring the intestinal epithelium as a potential site for somatic gene therapy, we concluded that the mucus lining the intestine constitutes a significant barrier to any attempts at gene transfer via the lumenal route. The mucus problem is aggravated by the fact that the epithelial stem cells, which are the logical target for gene transfer, are located deep in the intestinal crypts. The goals of the current study were to develop procedures that would improve accessibility to the intestinal stem cells and which would effect in vivo mucus removal without damaging the underlying epithelium. Initial experiments involved evaluation of the use of distension to improve accessibility to the intestinal crypts and the use of the mucolytic agents dithiothreitol (DTT) and N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) versus a control solution of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) for mucus removal. Catheters were inserted in each end of 3-cm terminal ileal segments in anesthetized rats. Two milliliters of agent was instilled into the clamped segment for 2 min, removed, and repeated. Lumenal distension resulted in shortened villi with wider intervillus spacing, thereby improving crypt access. Both NAC and DTT washes removed significant mucus between the villi but failed to reach the crypt lumen. To enhance mucus release from the crypt lumen, pilocarpine was selected due to its cholinergic properties and preferential binding to muscarinic receptors on crypt goblet cells. Pilocarpine given intraperitoneally 30 min prior to the mucolytic or PBS wash resulted in significant eradication of mucus down into the crypt lumen. This effect was still evident 3-4 hr later provided the intestine remained undisturbed.

Acetylcysteine↗

Optimization of gene transfer into intestinal epithelial cells using a retroviral vector.

Somatic gene therapy has been proposed as a method of treating various metabolic diseases and conditions associated with a deficiency in secretory proteins. The intestine, because of its accessibility, large size, rapid rate of cell turnover, and known location of stem cells, is an attractive site for retroviral gene therapy. Stem cells in the intestine are known to reside in the crypts of Lieberkühn. In this study the IEC-6 cell line, derived from rat intestinal crypt cells, was used as an in vitro model to study the feasibility and dynamics of retroviral gene transfer in intestinal cells. Using a replication-deficient retrovirus, we delivered a reporter gene, bacterial beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) into NIH-3T3 fibroblasts and IEC-6 cells. Successful transduction was measured by X-gal histochemistry. Viral titers on IEC-6 cells were lower than on NIH-3T3 cells but were within the same order of magnitude. Gene transfer increased linearly with retroviral concentration up to a 1:5 dilution of retroviral supernatant. With undiluted viral medium, gene transfer was inhibited and this effect was more pronounced with the IEC-6 cells. The negative effect of the undiluted retroviral supernatant was minimized by decreasing the harvest time from the packaging cell line. An optimal plating density 12 h prior to infection was found to be approximately 10(5) cells/6-cm dish in both cell lines. The infection rate was proportionally enhanced by the use of multiple infections. In conclusion, under ideal conditions, the IEC-6 cells were infected at similar levels of efficacy as NIH-3T3 cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

3T3 Cells↗

The sucrase-isomaltase structural gene (Si-s) and a regulatory gene (Si-r) are closely linked to esterase-26 (Es-26) on mouse chromosome 3.

A cDNA clone of the rat sucrase-isomaltase (SI) structural gene detected two distinct patterns of DNA fragments on Southern blots of mouse DNA. Screening of 18 AKXL and 25 AKXD recombinant inbred (RI) strains revealed that all bands in each pattern co-segregated and there were no (0/43) recombinants with Es-26 on mouse Chromosome (Chr) 3. Since CBA/CaJ mice have approximately threefold less sucrase activity than other strains, we intercrossed them with SJL/J mice to map the previously identified SI regulatory gene, Si-r. Fifty-six mice from the F2 generation were assayed for sucrase activity, and the genotype of the murine SI structural gene locus, Si-s, was determined by Southern blot analysis. Nine animals (16%) were homozygous for the CBA/CaJ allele (C) and had an average sucrase activity (jejunum+ileum) of 1.51 mumoles/h/mg protein (SE = 0.067), 19 (34%) were homozygous for the SJL/J allele (S) and had an average sucrase activity of 5.95 mumoles/h/mg protein (SE = 0.267), and 28 (50%) were heterozygous (C/S) for Si-s with an average sucrase activity of 3.70 mumoles/h/mg protein (SE = 0.127). We conclude that Si-s and Si-r are closely linked on Chr 3.

Animals↗