Ancestral TALE homeobox protein transcription factor regulates actin dynamics and cellular activities of protozoan parasite Entamoeba invadens.

Entamoeba histolytica causes invasive amoebiasis, an important neglected tropical disease with a significant global health impact. The pathogenicity and survival of E. histolytica and its reptilian equivalent, Entamoeba invadens, relies on its ability to exhibit efficient motility, evade host immune responses, and exploit host resources, all of which are governed by the actin cytoskeleton remodeling. Our study demonstrates the early origin and the regulatory role of TALE homeobox protein EiHbox1 in actin-related cellular processes. Several genes involved in different biological pathways, including actin dynamics are differentially expressed in EiHbox1 silenced cells. EiHbox1 silenced parasites showed disrupted F-actin organization and loss of cellular polarity. EiHbox1's presence in the anterior region of migrating cells further suggests its involvement in maintaining cellular polarity. Loss of polarized morphology of EiHbox1 silenced parasites leads to altered motility from fast, directionally persistent, and highly chemotactic to slow, random, and less chemotactic, which subsequently leads to defective aggregation during encystation. EiHbox1 knockdown also resulted in a significant reduction in phagocytic capacity and poor capping response. These findings highlight the importance of EiHbox1 of E. invadens in governing cellular processes crucial for their survival, pathogenicity, and evasion of the host immune system.

Three-amino acid loop extension homeodomain proteins regulate stress responses and encystation in Entamoeba.

It is interesting to identify factors involved in the regulation of the encystation of Entamoeba histolytica that differentiate trophozoites into cysts. Evolutionarily conserved three amino acid loop extension (TALE) homeodomain proteins act as transcription factors and execute a variety of functions that are essential for life. A TALE homeodomain (EhHbox) protein-encoding gene has been identified in E. histolytica (Eh) that is highly upregulated during heat shock, glucose, and serum starvation. Its ortholog, EiHbox1, a putative homeobox protein in E. invadens (Ei), is also highly upregulated during the early hours of encystation, glucose starvation, and heat shock. They belong to the PBX family of TALE homeobox proteins and have conserved residues in the homeodomain that are essential for DNA binding. Both are localized in the nucleus during encystation and under different stress conditions. The electrophoretic mobility shift assay confirmed that the recombinant GST-EhHbox binds to the reported TGACAG and TGATTGAT motifs. Down-regulation of EiHbox1 by gene silencing reduced Chitin synthase, Jacob, and increased Jessie gene expression, resulting in defective cysts and decreased encystation efficiency and viability. Overall, our results suggest that the TALE homeobox family has been conserved during evolution and acts as a transcription factor to control the differentiation of Entamoeba by regulating the key encystation-induced genes.

Engineered Chlorella vulgaris improves bioethanol production and promises prebiotic application.

Microalgal biomass for biofuel production, integration into functional food, and feed supplementation has generated substantial interest worldwide due to its high growth rate, non-competitiveness for agronomic land, ease of cultivation in containments, and presence of several bioactive molecules. In this study, genetic engineering tools were employed to develop transgenic lines of freshwater microalga Chlorella vulgaris with a higher starch content, by up-regulating ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), which is a rate-limiting enzyme in starch biosynthesis. Expression of the Escherichia coli glgC (AGPase homolog) gene in C. vulgaris led to an increase in total carbohydrate content up to 45.1% (dry cell weight, DCW) in the transgenic line as compared to 34.2% (DCW) in the untransformed control. The starch content improved up to 16% (DCW) in the transgenic alga compared to 10% (DCW) in the control. However, the content of total lipid, carotenoid, and chlorophyll decreased differentially in the transgenic lines. The carbohydrate-rich biomass from the transgenic algal line was used to produce bioethanol via yeast fermentation, which resulted in a higher ethanol yield of 82.82 mg/L as compared to 54.41 mg/L from the untransformed control. The in vitro digestibility of the transgenic algal starch revealed a resistant starch content of up to 7% of total starch. Faster growth of four probiotic bacterial species along with a lowering of the pH of the growth medium indicated transgenic alga to exert a positive prebiotic effect. Taken together, the study documents the utilization of genetically engineered C. vulgaris with enriched carbohydrates as bioethanol feedstock and functional food ingredients.

Structural, Photophysical, and Magnetic Circular Dichroism Studies of Three Rigidified meso-Pentafluorophenyl-Substituted Hexaphyrin Analogues.

Detailed electronic, structural, photophysical, and redox studies of a series of meso-pentafluorophenyl-substituted hexaphyrins, namely amethyrin (1), rosarin (2), and rubyrin (3), are described. In prior work, it was found that the electronic states of the antiaromatic hexapyrrolic macrocycle, [24]rosarin 2, could be modified by exposure to several Brønsted acids (e.g., HCl, HBr and HI) to produce either one- and two-electron reduced species, or both. In an effort to gain further insights into the reactivity of hexaphyrins possessing different π-conjugation pathways, the ß-dodecamethyl-substituted [24]amethyrin 1 was prepared and its electronic structure was analyzed along with that of the o-phenylene-bridged [26]rubyrin 3 and rosarin 2 The [4n] and [4n+2] π-conjugated formulations of 2 and 3, respectively, were inferred from steady-state, fs-transient absorption and two photon absorption measurements. Similar photophysical analyses lead to the conclusion that 1 is best considered as nonaromatic or weakly antiaromatic. Magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopic analyses of hexaphyrins 1 and 3, as well as comparisons to 2, and theoretical perimeter MO diagram analyses provided support for the electronic assignments. In contrast to what was found for 2, simple protonation of 1 and 3 by halohydric acids did not induce an evident, redox-based change in the electronic structure of the macrocycle.

Molecular Mechanisms Associated With Particulate and Soluble Heteroglycan Mediated Immune Response.

Immune responses are outcomes of complex molecular machinery which occur inside the cells. Unravelling the cellular mechanisms induced by immune stimulating molecules such as glycans and determining their structure-function relationship are therefore important factors to be assessed. With this viewpoint, the present study identifies the functional receptor binding unit of a well characterized heteroglycan and also delineates the cellular and molecular processes that are induced upon heteroglycan binding to specific cell surface receptors in immune cells. The heteroglycan was acid hydrolysed and it was revealed that 10-30 kDa fractions served as the functional receptor binding unit of the molecule. Increasing the size of 10-30 kDa heteroglycan showed prominent immune activity. The whole soluble heteroglycan was also conjugated with hyperbranched dendrimers so as to generate a particulate form of the molecule. Dectin-1 and TLR2 were identified as the major receptors in macrophages that bind to particulate as well as soluble form of the heteroglycan and subsequently caused downstream signaling molecules such as NF-κß and MAPK to get activated. High levels of 1L-1ß and IL-10 mRNA were observed in particulate heteroglycan treated macrophages, signifying that increasing the size and availability of the heteroglycan to its specific receptors is pertinent to its biological functioning. Upregulated expression of PKC and iNOS were also noted in particulate heteroglycan treated RAW 264.7 cells than the soluble forms. Taken together, our results indicate that biological functions of immunomodulatory heteroglycan are dependent on their size and molecular weight. J. Cell. Biochem. 117: 1580-1593, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Highly Hydrophilic Luminescent Magnetic Mesoporous Carbon Nanospheres for Controlled Release of Anticancer Drug and Multimodal Imaging.

Judicious combination of fluorescence and magnetic properties along with ample drug loading capacity and control release property remains a key challenge in the design of nanotheranostic agents. This paper reports the synthesis of highly hydrophilic optically traceable mesoporous carbon nanospheres which can sustain payloads of the anticancer drug doxorubicin and T2 contrast agent such as cobalt ferrite nanoparticles. The luminescent magnetic hybrid system has been prepared on a mesoporous silica template using a resorcinol-formaldehyde precursor. The mesoporous matrix shows controlled release of the aromatic drug doxorubicin due to disruption of supramolecular π-π interaction at acidic pH. The particles show MR contrast behavior by affecting the proton relaxation with transverse relaxivity (r2) 380 mM(-1) S(-1). The multicolored emission and upconversion luminescence property of our sample are advantageous in bioimaging. In vitro cell experiments shows that the hybrid nanoparticles are endocyted by the tumor cells through passive targeting. The pH-responsive release of doxorubicin presents chemotherapeutic inhibition of cell growth through induction of apoptosis.

Design of Fe3O4@SiO2@Carbon Quantum Dot Based Nanostructure for Fluorescence Sensing, Magnetic Separation, and Live Cell Imaging of Fluoride Ion.

A robust reusable fluoride sensor comprised of a receptor in charge of the chemical recognition and a fluorophore responsible for signal recognition has been designed. Highly fluorescent carbon quantum dot (CD) and magnetically separable nickel ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) complex bound-silica coated magnetite nanoparticle (Fe3O4@SiO2-EDTA-Ni) have been used as fluorophore and fluoride ion receptor, respectively. The assay is based on the exchange reaction between the CD and F(-), which persuades the binding of fluoride to magnetic receptor. This method is highly sensitive, fast, and selective for fluoride ion in aqueous solution. The linear response range of fluoride (R(2) = 0.992) was found to be 1-20 µM with a minimum detection limit of 0.06 µM. Excellent magnetic property and superparamagnetic nature of the receptor are advantageous for the removal and well quantification of fluoride ion. The practical utility of the method is well tested with tap water. Because of high sensitivity, reusability, effectivity, and biocompatibility, it exhibits great promise as a fluorescent probe for intracellular detection of fluoride.

Proteomic analysis of human plasma in chronic rheumatic mitral stenosis reveals proteins involved in the complement and coagulation cascade.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatic fever in childhood is the most common cause of Mitral Stenosis in developing countries. The disease is characterized by damaged and deformed mitral valves predisposing them to scarring and narrowing (stenosis) that results in left atrial hypertrophy followed by heart failure. Presently, echocardiography is the main imaging technique used to diagnose Mitral Stenosis. Despite the high prevalence and increased morbidity, no biochemical indicators are available for prediction, diagnosis and management of the disease. Adopting a proteomic approach to study Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis may therefore throw some light in this direction. In our study, we undertook plasma proteomics of human subjects suffering from Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis (n = 6) and Control subjects (n = 6). Six plasma samples, three each from the control and patient groups were pooled and subjected to low abundance protein enrichment. Pooled plasma samples (crude and equalized) were then subjected to in-solution trypsin digestion separately. Digests were analyzed using nano LC-MS(E). Data was acquired with the Protein Lynx Global Server v2.5.2 software and searches made against reviewed Homo sapiens database (UniProtKB) for protein identification. Label-free protein quantification was performed in crude plasma only. RESULTS: A total of 130 proteins spanning 9-192 kDa were identified. Of these 83 proteins were common to both groups and 34 were differentially regulated. Functional annotation of overlapping and differential proteins revealed that more than 50% proteins are involved in inflammation and immune response. This was corroborated by findings from pathway analysis and histopathological studies on excised tissue sections of stenotic mitral valves. Verification of selected protein candidates by immunotechniques in crude plasma corroborated our findings from label-free protein quantification. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that this protein profile of blood plasma, or any of the individual proteins, could serve as a focal point for future mechanistic studies on Mitral Stenosis. In addition, some of the proteins associated with this disorder may be candidate biomarkers for disease diagnosis and prognosis. Our findings might help to enrich existing knowledge on the molecular mechanisms involved in Mitral Stenosis and improve the current diagnostic tools in the long run.

Acquired universal melanosis (carbon baby syndrome).

Generalized pigmentation in a child may be attributed to a wide range of disorders. Acquired universal melanosis (AUM), also known as carbon baby syndrome, is one such rare condition, characterized by progressive hyperpigmentation of the skin since infancy with histopathologic features of heavy melanization of the entire epidermis. Since its initial description, only a few cases of AUM have been described in the English-language literature. We describe here a case of a young child with AUM for its rarity and a few unusual features.

Designing a thiol specific fluorescent probe for possible use as a reagent for intracellular detection and estimation in blood serum: kinetic analysis to probe the role of intramolecular hydrogen bonding.

A new and simple chemodosimetric probe L1 is utilized for the selective detection of biothiols in the presence of other relevant amino acids under physiological conditions (pH = 7.4). This eventually led to a turn-off luminescence response due to an effective photoinduced electron transfer based signaling mechanism. A comparison of the results of the fluorescence kinetic analysis and (1)H NMR studies of the reaction between thiol and L1 or the analogous compound L2 revealed the role of intramolecular hydrogen bonding in activating the imine functionality towards nucleophilic addition. Such an example is not common in contemporary literature. Conventional MTT assay studies revealed that this probe (L1) has low cytotoxicity. Results of the cell imaging studies revealed that this probe was cell membrane permeable and could detect the intracellular distribution of biothiols within living HeLa cells. Furthermore, our studies with human blood plasma demonstrated the possibility of using this reagent for the quantitative optical detection of total biothiols in biological fluid. Such an example for the detection of biothiols in real biological samples is rare in the contemporary literature. These results clearly demonstrate the possibility of using this reagent in medicinal biology and diagnostic applications.

Novel Insights into the Wattle and Daub Model of Entamoeba Cyst Wall Formation and the Importance of Actin Cytoskeleton.

The "Wattle and Daub" model of cyst wall formation in Entamoeba invadens has been used to explain encystment in Entamoeba histolytica, the causal agent of amoebiasis, and this process could be a potential target for new antiamoebic drugs. In this study, we studied the morphological stages of chitin wall formation in E. invadens in more detail using fluorescent chitin-binding dyes and the immunolocalization of cyst wall proteins. It was found that chitin deposition was mainly initiated on the cell surface at a specific point or at different points at the same time. The cystic wall grew outward and gradually covered the entire surface of the cyst over time, following the model of Wattle and Daub. The onset of chitin deposition was guided by the localization of chitin synthase 1 to the plasma membrane, occurring on the basis of the Jacob lectin in the cell membrane. During encystation, F-actin was reorganized into the cortical region within the early stages of encystation and remained intact until the completion of the chitin wall. The disruption of actin polymerization in the cortical region inhibited proper wall formation, producing wall-less cysts or cysts with defective chitin walls, indicating the importance of the cortical actin cytoskeleton for proper cyst wall formation.

A Comparison of Microwave Ablation and Cryoablation for the Treatment of Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing microwave ablation (MWA) and cryoablation for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). METHODS: The systematic search was performed in MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases. Studies published in English from January 2006 to February 2022 that assessed adults with primary RCC who received MWA or cryoablation were included. Study arms from RCTs, comparative observational, and single-arm studies were eligible. The outcomes included local tumor recurrence (LTR), overall survival, disease-free survival, overall/major complications, procedure/ablation time, 1- to 3-month primary technique efficacy, and technical success. Single-arm meta-analyses were performed using the random effects model. Sensitivity analyses excluding low-quality studies assessed using the MINORs scale were performed. Univariable and multivariable examined the effects of prognostic factors. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics were similar between groups and mean tumor size for MWA and cryoablation were 2.74 and 2.69 cm. Single-arm meta-analyses were similar for LTR and secondary outcomes between cryoablation and MWA. Ablation time was significantly shorter with MWA than with cryoablation (meta-regression weighted mean difference 24.55 minutes, 95% confidence interval -31.71, -17.38, P < .0001). One-year LTR was significantly lower with MWA than cryoablation (odds ratio 0.33, 95% confidence interval 0.10-0.93, P = .04). There were no significant differences for other outcomes. CONCLUSION: MWA provides significantly improved 1-year LTR and ablation time compared with cryoablation for patients with RCC. Other outcomes appeared similar or favorable for MWA; however, results were not statistically significant. MWA of primary RCC is as safe and effective as cryoablation, which should be confirmed with future comparative studies.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy and thermal ablation for treatment of NSCLC: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis.

RATIONALE: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is the standard of care for inoperable early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Use of image guided thermal ablation (IGTA; including microwave ablation [MWA] and radiofrequency ablation [RFA]) has increased in NSCLC, however there are no studies comparing all three. OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of IGTA (including MWA and RFA) and SBRT for the treatment of NSCLC. METHODS: Published literature databases were systematically searched for studies assessing MWA, RFA, or SBRT. Local tumor progression (LTP), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) were assessed with single-arm pooled analyses and meta-regressions in NSCLC patients and a stage IA subgroup. Study quality was assessed with a modified methodological index for non-randomized studies (MINORS) tool. RESULTS: Forty IGTA study-arms (2,691 patients) and 215 SBRT study-arms (54,789 patients) were identified. LTP was lowest after SBRT at one and two years in single-arm pooled analyses (4% and 9% vs. 11% and 18%) and at one year in meta-regressions when compared to IGTA (OR = 0.2, 95%CI = 0.07-0.63). MWA patients had the highest DFS of all treatments in single-arm pooled analyses. In meta-regressions at two and three-years, DFS was significantly lower for RFA compared to MWA (OR = 0.26, 95%CI = 0.12-0.58; OR = 0.33, 95%CI = 0.16-0.66, respectively). OS was similar across modalities, timepoints, and analyses. Older age, male patients, larger tumors, retrospective studies, and non-Asian study region were also predictors of worse clinical outcomes. In high-quality studies (MINORS score ≥ 7), MWA patients had better clinical outcomes than the overall analysis. Stage IA MWA patients had lower LTP, higher OS, and generally lower DFS, compared to the main analysis of all NSCLC patients. CONCLUSIONS: NSCLC patients had comparable outcomes after SBRT and MWA, which were better than those with RFA.