Transcriptional Signatures and Network-Based Approaches Identified Master Regulators Transcription Factors Involved in Experimental Periodontitis Pathogenesis.

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the progressive and irreversible destruction of the periodontium. Its aetiopathogenesis lies in the constant challenge of the dysbiotic biofilm, which triggers a deregulated immune response responsible for the disease phenotype. Although the molecular mechanisms underlying periodontitis have been extensively studied, the regulatory mechanisms at the transcriptional level remain unclear. To generate transcriptomic data, we performed RNA shotgun sequencing of the oral mucosa of periodontitis-affected mice. Since genes are not expressed in isolation during pathological processes, we disclose here the complete repertoire of differentially expressed genes (DEG) and co-expressed modules to build Gene Regulatory Networks (GRNs) and identify the Master Transcriptional Regulators of periodontitis. The transcriptional changes revealed 366 protein-coding genes and 42 non-coding genes differentially expressed and enriched in the immune response. Furthermore, we found 13 co-expression modules with different representation degrees and gene expression levels. Our GRN comprises genes from 12 gene clusters, 166 nodes, of which 33 encode Transcription Factors, and 201 connections. Finally, using these strategies, 26 master regulators of periodontitis were identified. In conclusion, combining the transcriptomic analyses with the regulatory network construction represents a powerful and efficient strategy for identifying potential periodontitis-therapeutic targets.

Biocompatibility reduces inflammation-induced apoptosis in mesothelial cells exposed to peritoneal dialysis fluid.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Peritonitis is a major complication that arises out of peritoneal dialysis (PD), leading to death and loss of mesothelium and peritoneal injury, which may impede PD. We studied the combined impact of inflammatory mediators and PD fluids on mesothelial cell death. METHODS: Cultured human mesothelial cells. RESULTS: Inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and interferon-γ) cooperate with bioincompatible PD fluids containing high glucose degradation product (GDP) concentrations to promote mesothelial cell death. Thus, the inflammatory cytokine cocktail induced a higher rate of death in cells cultured in high GDP PD fluid than in low GDP PD fluid or cell culture medium (cell death expressed as % hypodiploid cells: TNF-α and interferon-γ in RPMI: 14.15 ± 1.68, TNF-α and interferon-γ in 4.25% low GDP PD fluid 13.16 ± 3.29, TNF-α and interferon-γ in 4.25% high GDP PD fluid 25.88 ± 2.18%, p < 0.05 vs. the other two groups). BclxL BH4 peptides, Apaf-1 inhibition or caspase inhibition failed to protect from apoptosis induced by the combination of inflammatory cytokines and bioincompatible PD fluids, although they protected from other forms of mesothelial cell apoptosis. CONCLUSION: Inflammation cooperates with high GDP PD fluids to promote mesothelial cell death, which is resistant to several therapeutic approaches. This information provides a framework for selection of PD fluid during peritonitis.

Characterization of carboxylated cellulose nanofibrils and oligosaccharides from Kraft pulp fibers and their potential elicitor effect on the gene expression of Capsicum annuum.

Biomass-derived oligo- and polysaccharides may act as elicitors, i.e., bioactive molecules that trigger plant immune responses. This is particularly important to increase the resistance of plants to abiotic and biotic stresses. In this study, cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) gels were obtained by TEMPO-mediated oxidation of unbleached and bleached kraft pulps. The molecular structures were characterized with ESI and MALDI MS. Analysis of the fine sequences was achieved by MS and MS/MS of the water-soluble oligosaccharides obtained by acid hydrolysis of the CNF gels. The analysis revealed the presence of two families: one corresponding to homoglucuronic acid sequences and the other composed by alternating glucose and glucuronic acid units. The CNF gels, alone or with the addition of the water-soluble oligosaccharides, were tested on Chili pepper (Capsicum annuum). Based on the characterization of the gene expression with Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) of the C. annuum's total messenger RNA, the differences in growth of the C. annuum seeds correlated well with the downregulation of the pathways regulating photosynthesis. A downregulation of the response to abiotic factors was detected, suggesting that these gels would improve the resistance of the C. annuum plants to abiotic stress due to, e.g., water deprivation and cold temperatures.

[Distribution, population parameters, and diet of Astropecten marginatus (Asteroidea: Astropectinidae) in the Venezuelan Atlantic coast]. / Distribución, parámetros poblacionales y dieta de Astropecten marginatus (Asteroidea: Astropectinidae) en el Atlántico venezolano.

Astropecten marginatus is a sea star widely distributed in Northern and Eastern South America, found on sandy and muddy bottoms, in shallow and deep waters. To describe some of its ecological characteristics, we calculated it spatial-temporal distribution, population parameters (based on size and weight) and diet in the Orinoco Delta ecoregion (Venezuela). The ecoregion was divided in three sections: Golfo de Paria, Boca de Serpiente and Plataforma Deltana. Samples for the rainy and dry seasons came from megabenthos surveys of the "Línea Base Ambiental Plataforma Deltana (LBAPD)" and "Corocoro Fase I (CFI)" projects. The collected sea stars were measured, weighted and dissected by the oral side to extract their stomach and identify the preys consumed. A total of 570 sea stars were collected in LBAPD project and 306 in CFI one. The highest densities were found during the dry season in almost all sections. In LBAPD project the highest density was in "Plataforma Deltana" section (0.007 +/- 0.022 ind/m2 in dry season and 0.014 +/- 0.06 ind/m2 in rainy season) and in the CFI project the densities in "Golfo de Paria" section were 0.705 +/- 0.829 ind/m2 in rainy season and 1.027 +/- 1.107 ind/m2 in dry season. The most frequent size range was 3.1-4.6cm. The highest biomass was found in "Golfo de Paria" section (7.581 +/- 0.018 mg/m2 in dry season and 0.005 +/- 6.542 x 10(-06) mg/m2 in rainy season for 2004-2005 and 3.979 +/- 4.024 mg/m2 in dry season; and 3.117 +/- 3.137 mg/m2 in rainy season for 2006). A linear relationship was found between the sea star size and its weight but no relationship was observed between its size and the depth where it was collected. Mollusks are dominant in the sea star diet (47.4% in abundance). The diet in any of the sections, seasons or between projects or size class was heterogeneous, using multivariate ordinations (MDS) and SIMPER analysis and there was no difference in the prey number or food elements that a sea star can eat. Although A. marginatus has been described as a predator, in this study were also inferred scavenger and detritivorous habits.

Assessment of Swallowing Disorders, Nutritional and Hydration Status, and Oral Hygiene in Students with Severe Neurological Disabilities Including Cerebral Palsy.

BACKGROUND: Special needs schools (SNS) educate children and young people with major neurological disabilities who are at high risk of oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) and malnutrition (MN). We aimed to assess the prevalence of OD, MN, dehydration (DH), and oral health (OH) in students at an SNS. METHODS: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted at SNS L'Arboç, Catalonia, Spain. We assessed (a) demographics, health status, comorbidities, and gross motor function classification system (GMFCS), (b) swallowing function, oral-motor evaluation, masticatory capacity, and EDACS classification for eating and drinking abilities, (c) nutritional and DH status (anthropometry, bioimpedance and dietary records), and (d) OH (Oral Hygiene Index Simplified). RESULTS: A total of 33 students (mean age 13.3 years; 39.4% level V of GMFCS) were included. Main diagnosis was cerebral palsy at 57.6%. All students presented OD, 90.6% had impaired safety, 68.7% were at levels II-III of EDACS, and 31.3% required PEG; furthermore, 89.3% had chronic MN, 21.4% had acute MN, 70% presented intracellular DH, and 83.9% presented impaired OH. CONCLUSION: MN, DH, OD, and poor OH are highly prevalent conditions in students with cerebral palsy and other neurological disabilities and must be specifically managed through nutritional and educational strategies. The multidisciplinary team at SNS should include healthcare professionals specifically trained in these conditions.

Biochemical properties and biotechnological applications of microbial enzymes involved in the degradation of polyester-type plastics.

Application of polyester-degrading enzymes should be considered as an eco-friendly alternative to chemical recycling due to the huge plastic waste disposal nowadays. Many hydrolases from several fungi and bacteria have been discovered and successfully evaluated for their activity towards different aliphatic polyesters (PHA, PBS, PBSA, PCL, PLA), aromatic polyesters (PET, PBT, PMT) as well as their co-polyesters (PBST, PBAT, PBSTIL). This revision gives an up-to-date overview on the main biochemical features and biotechnological applications of those reported enzymes which are able to degrade polyester-based plastics, including different microbial polyester depolymerases, esterases, cutinase-like enzymes and lipases. Summarized information includes available protein sequences with the corresponding accession numbers deposited in NCBI server, 3D resolved structures, and data about optimal conditions for enzymatic activity and stability of many of these microbial enzymes that would be helpful for researchers in this topic. Although screening and identification of new native polyester hydrolases from microbial sources is undeniable according to literature, we briefly highlight the importance of the design of improved enzymes towards recalcitrant aromatic polyesters through different approaches that include site-directed mutagenesis and surface protein engineering.

Whole-exome sequencing of oral epithelial dysplasia samples reveals an association with new genes

Abstract The genetic basis of oral epithelial (OED) is unknown, and there is no reliable method for evaluating the risk of malignant transformation. Somatic mutations are responsible for the transformation of dysplastic mucosa to invasive cancer. In addition, these genomic variations could represent objective markers of the potential for malignant transformation. We performed whole-exome sequencing of 10 OED samples from Brazilian and Chilean patients. Using public genetic repositories, we identified 41 deleterious variants that could produce high-impact changes in the amino acid structures of 38 genes. In addition, the variants were filtered according to normal skin and Native American genome profiles. Finally, 13 genes harboring 15 variants were found to be exclusively related to OED. High-grade epithelial dysplasia samples showed a tendency to accumulate highly deleterious variants. We observed that 62% of 13 OED genes identified in our study were also found in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Among the shared genes, eight were not identified in oral squamous cell carcinoma. To our knowledge, we have described for the first time 13 genes that are found in OED in a Latin American population, of which five genes have already been observed in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Through this study, we identified genes that may be related to basal biological functions in OED.

Distribución, parámetros poblacionales y dieta de Astropecten marginatus (Asteroidea: Astropectinidae) en el Atlántico venezolano

Distribution, population parameters, and diet of Astropecten marginatus (Asteroidea: Astropectinidae) in the Venezuelan Atlantic coast. Astropecten marginatus is a sea star widely distributed in Northern and Eastern South America, found on sandy and muddy bottoms, in shallow and deep waters. To describe some of its ecological characteristics, we calculated it spatial-temporal distribution, population parameters (based on size and weight) and diet in the Orinoco Delta ecoregion (Venezuela). The ecoregion was divided in three sections: Golfo de Paria, Boca de Serpiente and Plataforma Deltana. Samples for the rainy and dry seasons came from megabenthos surveys of the "Línea Base Ambiental Plataforma Deltana (LBAPD)" and "Corocoro Fase I (CFI)" projects. The collected sea stars were measured, weighted and dissected by the oral side to extract their stomach and identify the preys consumed. A total of 570 sea stars were collected in LBAPD project and 306 in CFI one. The highest densities were found during the dry season in almost all sections. In LBAPD project the highest density was in "Plataforma Deltana" section (0.007±0.022ind/m² in dry season and 0.014±0.06ind/m² in rainy season) and in the CFI project the densities in "Golfo de Paria" section were 0.705±0.829ind/m² in rainy season and 1.027±1.107ind/m² in dry season. The most frequent size range was 3.1-4.6cm. The highest biomass was found in "Golfo de Paria" section (7.581±0.018mg/m² in dry season and 0.005±6.542x10-06mg/m² in rainy season for 2004-2005 and 3.979±4.024mg/m² in dry season; and 3.117±3.137mg/m² in rainy season for 2006). A linear relationship was found between the sea star size and its weight but no relationship was observed between its size and the depth where it was collected. Mollusks are dominant in the sea star diet (47.4% in abundance). The diet in any of the sections, seasons or between projects or size class was heterogeneous, using multivariate ordinations (MDS) and SIMPER analysis and there was no difference in the prey number or food elements that a sea star can eat. Although A. marginatus has been described as a predator, in this study were also inferred scavenger and detritivorous habits. Rev. Biol. Trop. 59 (1): 53-69. Epub 2011 March 01.

Astropecten marginatus Gray 1840 presenta una amplia distribución en el norte y este de sur América, encontrándose en fondos arenosos y fangosos de aguas someras y profundas. Se determinó su distribución, parámetros poblacionales tales como: talla, peso y dieta, de los ejemplares provenientes de los muestreos de megabentos de los proyectos LBAPD y CFI en las épocas de lluvia y sequía en la ecorregión Delta del Orinoco, Venezuela. Se dividió la ecorregión en tres sectores: Golfo de Paria, Boca de Serpiente y Plataforma Deltana. Las estrellas fueron medidas, pesadas y se extrajo su estómago para la determinación de las presas. Las mayores densidades se encontraron en época de sequía en Golfo de Paria (2006) y en época de lluvia en Plataforma Deltana (2005). El intervalo de tallas más frecuente fue 3.1-4.6cm. La mayor biomasa se encontró en Golfo de Paria en época de sequía. No se observaron relaciones entre el tamaño de la estrella y la profundidad de muestreo. Existe una dominancia de los moluscos en la dieta, a pesar de tener una alimentación heterogénea. Se observó que aparte de la depredación, también pueden presentar comportamientos carroñeros y detritívoros.

Biodiversidad de crustáceos peracáridos en el delta del Río Orinoco, Venezuela / Biodiversity of peracarid crustaceans in the Orinoco River Delta, Venezuela

The composition, abundance, diversity and density of benthonic peracarid crustaceans were studied in the Orinoco river delta, Venezuela. Samples were collected at 18 sites distributed in five areas: one at the high delta, two at the medium sector and two at the low delta. Two field seasons were included: high waters (18-28 November 2002) and low waters (8-19 May 2003). Three samples were dredged at each sampling site, identifying more than 510 specimens belonging to eight families and 11 species: Amphipoda (three families, six species), Isopoda (one family, one species), Tanaidacea (two families, three species), Cumacea (one family) and Mysida (one family, one species). Two species (Discapseudes surinamensis and Halmyrapseudes spaansi) and an unidentified species of Kalliapseudes are new records for Venezuela. Their density and distribution suggest that a salinity gradient influenced longitudinal distribution: greater densities and species richness were in the lower delta, near the mouth of the Mariusa and Winikina rivers.

Para evaluar la composición, abundancia, diversidad y densidad de crustáceos peracáridos en los sedimentos de la región del delta del río Orinoco (Venezuela), establecimos cinco áreas de muestreo: una en el alto delta, dos en el sector medio y dos en el bajo delta (18 estaciones). Hicimos dos muestreos de campo: época de “aguas altas” o lluvia (18-28 noviembre/2002) y “aguas bajas” o sequía (8-19 de mayo, 2003). Tomamos tres muestras de bentos mediante dragas, identificando un total de 515 individuos, pertenecientes a 8 familias y 11 especies en total: Amphipoda (tres familias, seis especies), Isopoda (una familia, una especie), Tanaidacea (dos familias, tres especies), Cumacea (una familia) y Mysida (una familia, una especie), de las cuales dos fueron nuevas citas para el país: Discapseudes surinamensis y Halmyrapseudes spaansi, así como una especie no identificada de Kalliapseudes. La densidad y distribución de estos organismos sugiere la existencia de gradientes de influencia marina, con las mayores densidades y riqueza de especies en áreas cercanas a las desembocaduras de los caños Mariusa y Winikina.