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1.
Plant Cell ; 35(1): 318-335, 2023 01 02.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36409008

RESUMEN

Nitrate is a major nutrient and osmoticum for plants. To deal with fluctuating nitrate availability in soils, plants store this nutrient in their vacuoles. Chloride channel a (CLCa), a 2NO3-/1H+ exchanger localized to the vacuole in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), ensures this storage process. CLCa belongs to the CLC family, which includes anion/proton exchangers and anion channels. A mutation in a glutamate residue conserved across CLC exchangers is likely responsible for the conversion of exchangers to channels. Here, we show that CLCa with a mutation in glutamate 203 (E203) behaves as an anion channel in its native membrane. We introduced the CLCaE203A point mutation to investigate its physiological importance into the Arabidopsis clca knockout mutant. These CLCaE203A mutants displayed a growth deficit linked to the disruption of water homeostasis. Additionally, CLCaE203A expression failed to complement the defect in nitrate accumulation of clca and favored higher N-assimilation at the vegetative stage. Further analyses at the post-flowering stages indicated that CLCaE203A expression results in an increase in N uptake allocation to seeds, leading to a higher nitrogen use efficiency compared to the wild-type. Altogether, these results point to the critical function of the CLCa exchanger on the vacuole for plant metabolism and development.


Asunto(s)
Proteínas de Arabidopsis , Arabidopsis , Arabidopsis/genética , Arabidopsis/metabolismo , Transportadores de Nitrato , Nitratos/metabolismo , Protones , Vacuolas/metabolismo , Nitrógeno/metabolismo , Proteínas de Arabidopsis/genética , Proteínas de Arabidopsis/metabolismo , Aniones/metabolismo , Plantas/metabolismo , Mutación/genética , Regulación de la Expresión Génica de las Plantas
2.
Mol Biol Evol ; 2022 Jun 14.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35700212

RESUMEN

Transition metals are essential for a wealth of metabolic reactions, but their concentrations need to be tightly controlled across cells and cell compartments, as metal excess or imbalance has deleterious effects. Metal homeostasis is achieved by a combination of metal transport across membranes and metal binding to a variety of molecules. Gene duplication is a key process in evolution, as emergence of advantageous mutations on one of the copies can confer a new function. Here, we report that the poplar genome contains two paralogues encoding NRAMP3 metal transporters localized in tandem. All Populus species analyzed had two copies of NRAMP3, whereas only one could be identified in Salix species indicating that duplication occurred when the two genera separated. Both copies are under purifying selection and encode functional transporters, as shown by expression in the yeast heterologous expression system. However, genetic complementation revealed that only one of the paralogues has retained the original function in release of metals stored in the vacuole previously characterized in A. thaliana. Confocal imaging showed that the other copy has acquired a distinct localization to the Trans Golgi Network (TGN). Expression in poplar suggested that the copy of NRAMP3 localized on the TGN has a novel function in the control of cell-to-cell transport of manganese. This work provides a clear case of neo-functionalization through change in the subcellular localization of a metal transporter as well as evidence for the involvement of the secretory pathway in cell-to-cell transport of manganese.

3.
Endoscopy ; 55(6): 491-498, 2023 06.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36657467

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND : Endoscopic surveillance of Barrett's esophagus (BE) with Seattle protocol biopsies is time-consuming and inadequately performed in routine practice. There is no recommended procedural time for BE surveillance. We investigated the duration of surveillance procedures with adequate tissue sampling and effect on dysplasia detection rate (DDR). METHODS : We performed post hoc analysis from the standard arm of a crossover randomized controlled trial recruiting patients with BE (≥C2 and/or ≥M3) and no clearly visible dysplastic lesions. After inspection with white-light imaging, targeted biopsies of subtle lesions and Seattle protocol biopsies were performed. Procedure duration and biopsy number were stratified by BE length. The effect of endoscopy-related variables on DDR was assessed by multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS : Of 142 patients recruited, 15 (10.6 %) had high grade dysplasia/intramucosal cancer and 15 (10.6 %) had low grade dysplasia. The median procedural time was 16.5 minutes (interquartile range 14.0-19.0). Endoscopy duration increased by 0.9 minutes for each additional 1 cm of BE length. Seattle protocol biopsies had higher sensitivity for dysplasia than targeted biopsies (86.7 % vs. 60.0 %; P = 0.045). Longer procedural time was associated with increased likelihood of dysplasia detection on quadrantic biopsies (odds ratio [OR] 1.10, 95 %CI 1.00-1.20, P = 0.04), and for patients with BE > 6 cm also on targeted biopsies (OR 1.21, 95 %CI 1.04-1.40; P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS : In BE patients with no clearly visible dysplastic lesions, longer procedural time was associated with increased likelihood of dysplasia detection. Adequate time slots are required to perform good-quality surveillance and maximize dysplasia detection.


Asunto(s)
Esófago de Barrett , Neoplasias Esofágicas , Humanos , Esófago de Barrett/patología , Neoplasias Esofágicas/patología , Esofagoscopía/métodos , Biopsia/métodos , Hiperplasia
4.
Int J Mol Sci ; 24(8)2023 Apr 08.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37108091

RESUMEN

Living organisms on the surface biosphere are periodically yet consistently exposed to light. The adaptive or protective evolution caused by this source of energy has led to the biological systems present in a large variety of organisms, including fungi. Among fungi, yeasts have developed essential protective responses against the deleterious effects of light. Stress generated by light exposure is propagated through the synthesis of hydrogen peroxide and mediated by regulatory factors that are also involved in the response to other stressors. These have included Msn2/4, Crz1, Yap1, and Mga2, thus suggesting that light stress is a common factor in the yeast environmental response.


Asunto(s)
Proteínas de Unión al ADN , Proteínas de Saccharomyces cerevisiae , Proteínas de Unión al ADN/fisiología , Proteínas de Saccharomyces cerevisiae/fisiología , Factores de Transcripción/fisiología , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/fisiología , Levaduras , Proteínas de la Membrana
5.
Int J Mol Sci ; 24(18)2023 Sep 05.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37762007

RESUMEN

LSM4 is an essential yeast gene encoding a component of different LSM complexes involved in the regulation of mRNA splicing, stability, and translation. In previous papers, we reported that the expression in S. cerevisiae of the K. lactis LSM4 gene lacking the C-terminal Q/N-rich domain in an Lsm4 null strain S. cerevisiae (Sclsm4Δ1) restored cell viability. Nevertheless, in this transformed strain, we observed some phenotypes that are typical markers of regulated cell death, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and oxidated RNA accumulation. In this paper, we report that a similar truncation operated in the S. cerevisiae LSM4 gene confers on cells the same phenotypes observed with the K. lactis lsm4Δ1 gene. Up until now, there was no evidence of the direct involvement of LSM4 in autophagy. Here we found that the Sclsm4Δ1 mutant showed a block in the autophagic process and was very sensitive to nitrogen starvation or treatment with low doses of rapamycin, an inducer of autophagy. Moreover, both during nitrogen starvation and aging, the Sclsm4Δ1 mutant accumulated cytoplasmic autophagy-related structures, suggesting a role of Lsm4 in a later step of the autophagy process.

6.
Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol ; 20(11): 2514-2523.e3, 2022 11.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35183768

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus often is invisible on high-resolution white-light endoscopy (HRWLE). We compared the diagnostic accuracy for inconspicuous dysplasia of the combination of autofluorescence imaging (AFI)-guided probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE) and molecular biomarkers vs HRWLE with Seattle protocol biopsies. METHODS: Barrett's esophagus patients with no dysplastic lesions were block-randomized to standard endoscopy (HRWLE with the Seattle protocol) or AFI-guided pCLE with targeted biopsies for molecular biomarkers (p53 and cyclin A by immunohistochemistry; aneuploidy by image cytometry), with crossover to the other arm after 6 to 12 weeks. The primary end point was the histologic diagnosis from all study biopsies (trial histology). A sensitivity analysis was performed for overall histology, which included diagnoses within 12 months from the first study endoscopy. Endoscopists were blinded to the referral endoscopy and histology results. The primary outcome was diagnostic accuracy for dysplasia by real-time pCLE vs HRWLE biopsies. RESULTS: Of 154 patients recruited, 134 completed both arms. In the primary outcome analysis (trial histology analysis), AFI-guided pCLE had similar sensitivity for dysplasia compared with standard endoscopy (74.3%; 95% CI, 56.7-87.5 vs 80.0%; 95% CI, 63.1-91.6; P = .48). Multivariate logistic regression showed pCLE optical dysplasia, aberrant p53, and aneuploidy had the strongest correlation with dysplasia (secondary outcome). This 3-biomarker panel had higher sensitivity for any grade of dysplasia than the Seattle protocol (81.5% vs 51.9%; P < .001) in the overall histology analysis, but not in the trial histology analysis (91.4% vs 80.0%; P = .16), with an area under the receiver operating curve of 0.83. CONCLUSIONS: Seattle protocol biopsies miss dysplasia in approximately half of patients with inconspicuous neoplasia. AFI-guided pCLE has similar accuracy to the current gold standard. The addition of molecular biomarkers could improve diagnostic accuracy.


Asunto(s)
Esófago de Barrett , Neoplasias Esofágicas , Humanos , Esófago de Barrett/complicaciones , Esofagoscopía/métodos , Proteína p53 Supresora de Tumor , Neoplasias Esofágicas/patología , Microscopía Confocal/métodos , Biopsia , Hiperplasia , Biomarcadores/análisis , Aneuploidia , Ensayos Clínicos Controlados Aleatorios como Asunto
7.
J Biol Chem ; 295(11): 3635-3651, 2020 03 13.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31988240

RESUMEN

All cells require sustained intracellular energy flux, which is driven by redox chemistry at the subcellular level. NAD+, its phosphorylated variant NAD(P)+, and its reduced forms NAD(P)/NAD(P)H are all redox cofactors with key roles in energy metabolism and are substrates for several NAD-consuming enzymes (e.g. poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases, sirtuins, and others). The nicotinamide salvage pathway, constituted by nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase (NMNAT) and nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), mainly replenishes NAD+ in eukaryotes. However, unlike NMNAT1, NAMPT is not known to be a nuclear protein, prompting the question of how the nuclear NAD+ pool is maintained and how it is replenished upon NAD+ consumption. In the present work, using human and murine cells; immunoprecipitation, pulldown, and surface plasmon resonance assays; and immunofluorescence, small-angle X-ray scattering, and MS-based analyses, we report that GAPDH and NAMPT form a stable complex that is essential for nuclear translocation of NAMPT. This translocation furnishes NMN to replenish NAD+ to compensate for the activation of NAD-consuming enzymes by stressful stimuli induced by exposure to H2O2 or S-nitrosoglutathione and DNA damage inducers. These results indicate that by forming a complex with GAPDH, NAMPT can translocate to the nucleus and thereby sustain the stress-induced NMN/NAD+ salvage pathway.


Asunto(s)
Núcleo Celular/enzimología , Gliceraldehído-3-Fosfato Deshidrogenasa (Fosforilante)/metabolismo , NAD/metabolismo , Mononucleótido de Nicotinamida/metabolismo , Nicotinamida Fosforribosiltransferasa/metabolismo , Estrés Fisiológico , Animales , Línea Celular Tumoral , Células HeLa , Humanos , Cinética , Melanoma Experimental/enzimología , Melanoma Experimental/patología , Ratones , Células 3T3 NIH , Mononucleótido de Nicotinamida/química , Nicotinamida Fosforribosiltransferasa/química , Unión Proteica , Multimerización de Proteína , Transporte de Proteínas
8.
Comput Manag Sci ; 18(2): 213-237, 2021.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38624709

RESUMEN

In this paper, after a review of the most common financial strategies and products that insurance companies use to hedge catastrophic risks, we study an option pricing model based on processes with jumps where the catastrophic event is captured by a compound Poisson process with negative jumps. Given the importance that catastrophe equity put options (CatEPuts) have in this context, we introduce a pricing approach that provides not only a theoretical contribution whose applicability remains confined to purely numerical examples and experiments, but which can be implemented starting from real data and applied to the evaluation of real CatEPuts. We propose a calibration framework based on historical log-returns, market capitalization and option implied volatilities. The calibrated parameters are then considered to price CatEPuts written on the stock of the main Italian insurance company over the high volatile period from January to April 2020. We show that the ratio between plain-vanilla put options and CatEPuts strictly depends on the shape of the implied volatility smile and it varies over time.

9.
J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem ; 35(1): 129-137, 2020 Dec.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31694426

RESUMEN

The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase, a key enzyme of the mevalonate pathway for the synthesis of cholesterol in mammals (ergosterol in fungi), is inhibited by statins, a class of cholesterol lowering drugs. Indeed, statins are in a wide medical use, yet statins treatment could induce side effects as hepatotoxicity and myopathy in patients. We used Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model to investigate the effects of statins on mitochondria. We demonstrate that statins are active in S.cerevisiae by lowering the ergosterol content in cells and interfering with the attachment of mitochondrial DNA to the inner mitochondrial membrane. Experiments on murine myoblasts confirmed these results in mammals. We propose that the instability of mitochondrial DNA is an early indirect target of statins.


Asunto(s)
ADN Mitocondrial/metabolismo , Inhibidores de Hidroximetilglutaril-CoA Reductasas/metabolismo , Mitocondrias/metabolismo , Membranas Mitocondriales/metabolismo , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/química , ADN Mitocondrial/química , Humanos , Inhibidores de Hidroximetilglutaril-CoA Reductasas/química , Membranas Mitocondriales/química
10.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ; 114(16): E3354-E3363, 2017 04 18.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28373552

RESUMEN

"Too much of a good thing" perfectly describes the dilemma that living organisms face with metals. The tight control of metal homeostasis in cells depends on the trafficking of metal transporters between membranes of different compartments. However, the mechanisms regulating the location of transport proteins are still largely unknown. Developing Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings require the natural resistance-associated macrophage proteins (NRAMP3 and NRAMP4) transporters to remobilize iron from seed vacuolar stores and thereby acquire photosynthetic competence. Here, we report that mutations in the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain-containing protein AtPH1 rescue the iron-deficient phenotype of nramp3nramp4 Our results indicate that AtPH1 binds phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PI3P) in vivo and acts in the late endosome compartment. We further show that loss of AtPH1 function leads to the mislocalization of the metal uptake transporter NRAMP1 to the vacuole, providing a rationale for the reversion of nramp3nramp4 phenotypes. This work identifies a PH domain protein as a regulator of plant metal transporter localization, providing evidence that PH domain proteins may be effectors of PI3P for protein sorting.


Asunto(s)
Proteínas de Arabidopsis/metabolismo , Arabidopsis/metabolismo , Proteínas de Transporte de Catión/metabolismo , Metales/metabolismo , Fosfatos de Fosfatidilinositol/metabolismo , Raíces de Plantas/metabolismo , Secuencia de Aminoácidos , Arabidopsis/crecimiento & desarrollo , Secuencia de Bases , Transporte Iónico , Mutación , Fenotipo , Raíces de Plantas/crecimiento & desarrollo
11.
FEMS Yeast Res ; 19(4)2019 06 01.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31210264

RESUMEN

Glucose is the preferred nutrient for most living cells and is also a signaling molecule that modulates several cellular processes. Glucose regulates the expression of glucose permease genes in yeasts through signaling pathways dependent on plasma membrane glucose sensors. In the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis, sufficient levels of glucose induction of the low-affinity glucose transporter RAG1 gene also depends on a functional glycolysis, suggesting additional intracellular signaling. We have found that the expression of RAG1 gene is also induced by hypoxia in the presence of glucose, indicating that glucose and oxygen signaling pathways are interconnected. In this study we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying this crosstalk. By analyzing RAG1 expression in various K. lactis mutants, we found that the bHLH transcriptional activator Sck1 is required for the hypoxic induction of RAG1 gene. The RAG1 promoter region essential for its hypoxic induction was identified by promoter deletion experiments. Taken together, these results show that the RAG1 glucose permease gene is synergistically induced by hypoxia and glucose and highlighted a novel role for the transcriptional activator Sck1 as a key mediator in this mechanism.


Asunto(s)
Proteínas Fúngicas/genética , Proteínas Facilitadoras del Transporte de la Glucosa/genética , Glucosa/metabolismo , Kluyveromyces/genética , Factores de Transcripción/genética , Anaerobiosis , Regulación Fúngica de la Expresión Génica , Glucólisis , Kluyveromyces/metabolismo , Mutación , Transducción de Señal
12.
FEMS Yeast Res ; 19(3)2019 05 01.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30810747

RESUMEN

Hypoxia is defined as the decline of oxygen availability, depending on environmental supply and cellular consumption rate. The decrease in O2 results in reduction of available energy in facultative aerobes. The response and/or adaptation to hypoxia and other changing environmental conditions can influence the properties and functions of membranes by modifying lipid composition. In the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis, the KlMga2 gene is a hypoxic regulatory factor for lipid biosynthesis-fatty acids and sterols-and is also involved in glucose signaling, glucose catabolism and is generally important for cellular fitness. In this work we show that, in addition to the above defects, the absence of the KlMGA2 gene caused increased resistance to oxidative stress and extended lifespan of the yeast, associated with increased expression levels of catalase and SOD genes. We propose that KlMga2 might also act as a mediator of the oxidative stress response/adaptation, thus revealing connections among hypoxia, glucose signaling, fatty acid biosynthesis and ROS metabolism in K. lactis.


Asunto(s)
Proteínas Fúngicas/metabolismo , Kluyveromyces/fisiología , Proteínas de la Membrana/metabolismo , Estrés Oxidativo , Factores de Transcripción/metabolismo , Adaptación Fisiológica , Catalasa/genética , Ácidos Grasos/metabolismo , Proteínas Fúngicas/genética , Regulación de la Expresión Génica , Glucosa/metabolismo , Hipoxia , Kluyveromyces/genética , Proteínas de la Membrana/genética , Especies Reactivas de Oxígeno/metabolismo , Transducción de Señal , Superóxido Dismutasa/genética , Factores de Transcripción/genética
13.
BMC Complement Altern Med ; 17(1): 200, 2017 Apr 05.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28381226

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: During the past years, a number of studies have demonstrated the positive effect of apple on ageing and different diseases such as cancer, degenerative and cardiovascular diseases. The unicellular yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae represents a simple eukaryotic model to study the effects of different compounds on lifespan. We previously demonstrated that apple extracts have anti-ageing effects in this organism because of their antioxidant properties. In particular, the effect is related to the presence in this fruit of polyphenols, which give a large contribution to the antioxidant activity of apples. METHODS: We we used a clonogenic assay to assess the viability and the resistance to oxidative stress of S. cerevisiae cells in the presence of Annurca apple extracts. The production of ROS and the aberrant morphology of nuclei were detected by cell staining with the fluorescent dies Dihydrorhodamine 123 and DAPI, respectively. Mitochondrial morphology was analyzed by following the localization of the mito-GFP protein into the mitochondrial matrix. RESULTS: In this study, we show that apple extracts can increase yeast lifespan, reduce the levels of reactive oxygen species and cell sensitivity to oxidative stress, and prevent nuclei and mitochondria fragmentation protecting cells from regulated cell death. CONCLUSIONS: In this paper, by using the yeast S. cerevisiae as a model, we have demonstrated that Annurca extracts possess antioxidant properties thanks to which the extracts can reduce the intracellular ROS levels and have anti-apoptotic functions thus prolonging cell lifespan. These results contribute to knowledge on the effects of natural compounds on ageing and support the use of yeast as a model organism for the development of simple tests to assess the effectiveness of bioactive substances from natural sources.


Asunto(s)
Envejecimiento/efectos de los fármacos , Antioxidantes/farmacología , Malus/química , Extractos Vegetales/farmacología , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/efectos de los fármacos , Envejecimiento/metabolismo , Frutas/química , Humanos , Mitocondrias/metabolismo , Modelos Biológicos , Estrés Oxidativo/efectos de los fármacos , Polifenoles/farmacología , Especies Reactivas de Oxígeno/metabolismo , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/crecimiento & desarrollo , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolismo
14.
World J Microbiol Biotechnol ; 33(5): 89, 2017 May.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28390014

RESUMEN

Fatty acid composition of biological membranes functionally adapts to environmental conditions by changing its composition through the activity of lipid biosynthetic enzymes, including the fatty acid desaturases. Three major desaturases are present in yeasts, responsible for the generation of double bonds in position C9-C10, C12-C13 and C15-C16 of the carbon backbone. In this review, we will report data addressed to define the functional role of basidiomycete and ascomycete yeast desaturase enzymes in response to various external signals and the regulation of the expression of their corresponding genes. Many yeast species have the complete set of three desaturases; however, only the Δ9 desaturase seems to be necessary and sufficient to ensure yeast viability. The evolutionary issue of this observation will be discussed.


Asunto(s)
Ascomicetos/enzimología , Basidiomycota/enzimología , Ácido Graso Desaturasas/genética , Ácido Graso Desaturasas/metabolismo , Ascomicetos/fisiología , Basidiomycota/fisiología , Evolución Molecular , Proteínas Fúngicas/genética , Proteínas Fúngicas/metabolismo , Regulación Fúngica de la Expresión Génica , Genes Esenciales , Viabilidad Microbiana , Mutación , Filogenia
15.
Microbiology (Reading) ; 162(8): 1435-1445, 2016 08.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27233577

RESUMEN

Functional properties of cell membranes depend on their composition, particularly on the relative amount of saturated, unsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids present in the phospholipids. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cell membrane composition on cell fitness, adaptation and stress response in Kluyveromyces lactis. To this purpose, we have deleted the genes FAD2 and FAD3 encoding Δ12 and ω3 desaturases in Kluyveromyces lactis, thus generating mutant strains with altered fatty acid composition of membranes. These strains were viable and able to grow in stressing conditions like hypoxia and low temperature. Deletion of the Δ9 desaturase-encoding gene KlOLE1 resulted in lethality, suggesting that this enzyme has an essential role in this yeast. Transcription of the desaturase genes KlOLE1, FAD2 and FAD3 and cellular localization of the corresponding enzymes, have been studied under hypoxia and cold stress. Our findings indicate that expression of these desaturase genes and membrane composition were modulated by hypoxia and temperature stress, although the changes induced by these and other assayed conditions did not dramatically affect the general cellular fitness.


Asunto(s)
Respuesta al Choque por Frío/fisiología , Metabolismo Energético/fisiología , Ácido Graso Desaturasas/genética , Kluyveromyces/enzimología , Anaerobiosis , Membrana Celular/metabolismo , Retículo Endoplásmico/enzimología , Metabolismo Energético/genética , Ácido Graso Desaturasas/metabolismo , Fermentación/genética , Fermentación/fisiología , Eliminación de Gen , Kluyveromyces/genética , Estearoil-CoA Desaturasa
16.
J Mater Sci Mater Med ; 27(3): 51, 2016 Mar.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26758898

RESUMEN

The fascinating prospect to direct tissue regeneration by magnetic activation has been recently explored. In this study we investigate the possibility to boost bone regeneration in an experimental defect in rabbit femoral condyle by combining static magnetic fields and magnetic biomaterials. NdFeB permanent magnets are implanted close to biomimetic collagen/hydroxyapatite resorbable scaffolds magnetized according to two different protocols . Permanent magnet only or non-magnetic scaffolds are used as controls. Bone tissue regeneration is evaluated at 12 weeks from surgery from a histological, histomorphometric and biomechanical point of view. The reorganization of the magnetized collagen fibers under the effect of the static magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet produces a highly-peculiar bone pattern, with highly-interconnected trabeculae orthogonally oriented with respect to the magnetic field lines. In contrast, only partial defect healing is achieved within the control groups. We ascribe the peculiar bone regeneration to the transfer of micro-environmental information, mediated by collagen fibrils magnetized by magnetic nanoparticles, under the effect of the static magnetic field. These results open new perspectives on the possibility to improve implant fixation and control the morphology and maturity of regenerated bone providing "in site" forces by synergically combining static magnetic fields and biomaterials.


Asunto(s)
Materiales Biocompatibles , Regeneración Ósea/efectos de la radiación , Magnetismo , Animales , Colágeno , Durapatita , Fémur , Masculino , Ensayo de Materiales , Conejos , Ingeniería de Tejidos/métodos , Andamios del Tejido
17.
FEMS Yeast Res ; 15(5): fov028, 2015 Aug.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26019145

RESUMEN

In the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis, the inactivation of structural or regulatory glycolytic and fermentative genes generates obligate respiratory mutants which can be characterized by sensitivity to the mitochondrial drug antimycin A on glucose medium (Rag(-) phenotype). Rag(-) mutations can occasionally be generated by the inactivation of genes not evidently related to glycolysis or fermentation. One such gene is the hypoxic regulatory gene KlMGA2. In this work, we report a study of the many defects, in addition to the Rag(-) phenotype, generated by KlMGA2 deletion. We analyzed the fermentative and respiratory metabolism, mitochondrial functioning and morphology in the Klmga2Δ strain. We also examined alterations in the regulation of the expression of lipid biosynthetic genes, in particular fatty acids, ergosterol and cardiolipin, under hypoxic and cold stress and the phenotypic suppression by unsaturated fatty acids of the deleted strain. Results indicate that, despite the fact that the deleted mutant strain had a typical glycolytic/fermentative phenotype and KlMGA2 is a hypoxic regulatory gene, the deletion of this gene generated defects linked to mitochondrial functions suggesting new roles of this protein in the general regulation and cellular fitness of K. lactis. Supplementation of unsaturated fatty acids suppressed or modified these defects suggesting that KlMga2 modulates membrane functioning or membrane-associated functions, both cytoplasmic and mitochondrial.


Asunto(s)
Proteínas Bacterianas/genética , Ácidos Grasos Insaturados/metabolismo , Fermentación/genética , Glucosa/metabolismo , Kluyveromyces/metabolismo , Consumo de Oxígeno/genética , Factores de Transcripción/genética , Antifúngicos/farmacología , Antimicina A/farmacología , Cardiolipinas/metabolismo , Hipoxia de la Célula/fisiología , Respuesta al Choque por Frío/fisiología , Ergosterol/metabolismo , Regulación Fúngica de la Expresión Génica/genética , Glucólisis/genética , Kluyveromyces/efectos de los fármacos , Kluyveromyces/genética , Proteínas de la Membrana/genética , Mitocondrias/metabolismo , Transcripción Genética/genética
18.
J Mater Sci Mater Med ; 26(1): 5363, 2015 Jan.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25578711

RESUMEN

Nanoindentation can provide new insights on the maturity stage of regenerating bone. The aim of the present study was the evaluation of the nanomechanical properties of newly-formed bone tissue at 4 weeks from the implantation of permanent magnets and magnetic scaffolds in the trabecular bone of rabbit femoral condyles. Three different groups have been investigated: MAG-A (NdFeB magnet + apatite/collagen scaffold with magnetic nanoparticles directly nucleated on the collagen fibers during scaffold synthesis); MAG-B (NdFeB magnet + apatite/collagen scaffold later infiltrated with magnetic nanoparticles) and MAG (NdFeB magnet). The mechanical properties of different-maturity bone tissues, i.e. newly-formed immature, newly-formed mature and native trabecular bone have been evaluated for the three groups. Contingent correlations between elastic modulus and hardness of immature, mature and native bone have been examined and discussed, as well as the efficacy of the adopted regeneration method in terms of "mechanical gap" between newly-formed and native bone tissue. The results showed that MAG-B group provided regenerated bone tissue with mechanical properties closer to that of native bone compared to MAG-A or MAG groups after 4 weeks from implantation. Further, whereas the mechanical properties of newly-formed immature and mature bone were found to be fairly good correlated, no correlation was detected between immature or mature bone and native bone. The reported results evidence the efficacy of nanoindentation tests for the investigation of the maturity of newly-formed bone not accessible through conventional analyses.


Asunto(s)
Regeneración Ósea/fisiología , Huesos/patología , Magnetismo , Ingeniería de Tejidos/métodos , Andamios del Tejido , Animales , Apatitas/química , Colágeno/química , Módulo de Elasticidad , Elasticidad , Fémur/patología , Fenómenos Magnéticos , Nanopartículas/química , Presión , Conejos , Estrés Mecánico , Viscosidad
19.
Int J Mol Sci ; 16(7): 15347-83, 2015 Jul 07.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26198228

RESUMEN

Blue light, a key abiotic signal, regulates a wide variety of physiological processes in many organisms. One of these phenomena is the circadian rhythm presents in organisms sensitive to the phase-setting effects of blue light and under control of the daily alternation of light and dark. Circadian clocks consist of autoregulatory alternating negative and positive feedback loops intimately connected with the cellular metabolism and biochemical processes. Neurospora crassa provides an excellent model for studying the molecular mechanisms involved in these phenomena. The White Collar Complex (WCC), a blue-light receptor and transcription factor of the circadian oscillator, and Frequency (FRQ), the circadian clock pacemaker, are at the core of the Neurospora circadian system. The eukaryotic circadian clock relies on transcriptional/translational feedback loops: some proteins rhythmically repress their own synthesis by inhibiting the activity of their transcriptional factors, generating self-sustained oscillations over a period of about 24 h. One of the basic mechanisms that perpetuate self-sustained oscillations is post translation modification (PTM). The acronym PTM generically indicates the addition of acetyl, methyl, sumoyl, or phosphoric groups to various types of proteins. The protein can be regulatory or enzymatic or a component of the chromatin. PTMs influence protein stability, interaction, localization, activity, and chromatin packaging. Chromatin modification and PTMs have been implicated in regulating circadian clock function in Neurospora. Research into the epigenetic control of transcription factors such as WCC has yielded new insights into the temporal modulation of light-dependent gene transcription. Here we report on epigenetic and protein PTMs in the regulation of the Neurospora crassa circadian clock. We also present a model that illustrates the molecular mechanisms at the basis of the blue light control of the circadian clock.


Asunto(s)
Relojes Circadianos/genética , Fototransducción/genética , Neurospora crassa/genética , Procesamiento Proteico-Postraduccional/genética , Cromatina/metabolismo , Relojes Circadianos/efectos de la radiación , Epigénesis Genética/efectos de la radiación , Fototransducción/efectos de la radiación , Neurospora crassa/efectos de la radiación , Procesamiento Proteico-Postraduccional/efectos de la radiación
20.
Microbiology (Reading) ; 160(Pt 7): 1369-1378, 2014 Jul.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24763423

RESUMEN

In the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis, the pyruvate decarboxylase gene KlPDC1 is strongly regulated at the transcription level by different environmental factors. Sugars and hypoxia act as inducers of transcription, while ethanol acts as a repressor. Their effects are mediated by gene products, some of which have been characterized. KlPDC1 transcription is also strongly repressed by its product--KlPdc1--through a mechanism called autoregulation. We performed a genetic screen that allowed us to select and identify the regulatory gene RAG3 as a major factor in the transcriptional activity of the KlPDC1 promoter in the absence of the KlPdc1 protein, i.e. in the autoregulatory mechanism. We also showed that the two proteins Rag3 and KlPdc1 interact, co-localize in the cell and that KlPdc1 may control Rag3 nuclear localization.


Asunto(s)
Proteínas Fúngicas/genética , Regulación Fúngica de la Expresión Génica , Homeostasis/genética , Kluyveromyces/enzimología , Piruvato Descarboxilasa/genética , Alelos , Proteínas Fúngicas/metabolismo , Genes Reporteros , Genotipo , Kluyveromyces/genética , Kluyveromyces/ultraestructura , Modelos Biológicos , Regiones Promotoras Genéticas/genética , Mapeo de Interacción de Proteínas , Piruvato Descarboxilasa/metabolismo , Eliminación de Secuencia , Transcripción Genética
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