Fibronectin affects transient MMP2 gene expression through DNA demethylation changes in non-invasive breast cancer cell lines.

Metastasis accounts for more than 90% of cancer deaths. Cells from primary solid tumors may invade adjacent tissues and migrate to distant sites where they establish new colonies. The tumor microenvironment is now recognized as an important participant in the signaling that induces cancer cell migration. An essential process for metastasis is extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation by metalloproteases (MMPs), which allows tumor cells to invade local tissues and to reach blood vessels. The members of this protein family include gelatinase A, or MMP-2, which is responsible for the degradation of type IV collagen, the most abundant component of the basal membrane, that separates epithelial cells in the stroma. It is known that fibronectin is capable of promoting the expression of MMP-2 in MCF7 breast cancer cells in culture. In addition, it was already shown that the MMP2 gene expression is regulated by epigenetic mechanisms. In this work, we showed that fibronectin was able to induce MMP2 expression by 30% decrease in its promoter methylation. In addition, a histone marker for an open chromatin conformation was significantly increased. These results indicate a new role for fibronectin in the communication between cancer cells and the ECM, promoting epigenetic modifications.

The plasma logarithm of the triglyceride/HDL-cholesterol ratio is a predictor of low risk gestational diabetes in early pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: The plasma lipid profile changes atherogenically during normal pregnancy. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) can exacerbate the changes in metabolism. The logarithm of the ratio triglycerides/HDL-cholesterol is an atherogenic index of the plasma (AIP) and can be used as a marker for plasma atherogenicity. METHODS: Serum of 576 unrelated Euro-Brazilian pregnant women was collected and the subjects were classified as healthy pregnant women (control, n=288) and gestational diabetic patients (GDM, n=288) according to the ADA 2010 criteria. Both studied groups were sub classified in 4 gestational periods: (i) 12-23, (ii) 24-28, (iii) 29-32 and (iv) >32 weeks of gestation. RESULTS: Except for the AIP, the other parameters showed low discrimination between control and GDM groups (ROC curves). When analyzed by ROC curves the AIP of subjects in the early period of gestation showed sensitivity and specificity of 82.6% and 83.4%, respectively, with a cut-off point of 0.099 (AUC 0.886, P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The AIP is a valuable index to identify pregnant women with low risk of gestational diabetes before 24 weeks of gestation.

Defluorination of sodium fluoroacetate by bacteria from soil and plants in Brazil.

The aim of this work was to isolate and identify bacteria able to degrade sodium fluoroacetate from soil and plant samples collected in areas where the fluoroacetate-containing plants Mascagnia rigida and Palicourea aenofusca are found. The samples were cultivated in mineral medium added with 20 mmol L(-1) sodium fluoroacetate. Seven isolates were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing as Paenibacillus sp. (ECPB01), Burkholderia sp. (ECPB02), Cupriavidus sp. (ECPB03), Staphylococcus sp. (ECPB04), Ancylobacter sp. (ECPB05), Ralstonia sp. (ECPB06), and Stenotrophomonas sp. (ECPB07). All seven isolates degraded sodium-fluoroacetate-containing in the medium, reaching defluorination rate of fluoride ion of 20 mmol L(-1). Six of them are reported for the first time as able to degrade sodium fluoroacetate (SF). In the future, some of these microorganisms can be used to establish in the rumen an engineered bacterial population able to degrade sodium fluoroacetate and protect ruminants from the poisoning by this compound.

Synthesis, characterization and chemoprotective activity of polyoxovanadates against DNA alkylation.

The alkylation of pUC19 plasmid DNA has been employed as a model reaction for the first studies on chemoprotective action by a mixed-valence (+IV/+V) polyoxovanadate. A new, non-hydrothermal route for the high yield preparation of the test compound is described. The deep green, microcrystalline solid A was isolated after a three-day reaction in water at 80°C and 1 atm, while the reaction at 100°C gave green crystals of B. Both solids were structurally characterized by X-ray diffractometry and FTIR, EPR, NMR and Raman spectroscopies. Product A was identified as (NH(4))(2)V(3)O(8), while B corresponds to the spherical polyoxoanion [V(15)O(36)(Cl)](6-), isolated as the NMe(4)(+) salt. The lack of solubility of A in water and buffers prevented its use in DNA interaction studies, which were then carried out with B. Complex B was also tested for its ability to react with DNA alkylating agents by incubation with diethylsulphate (DES) and dimethylsulphate (DMS) in both the absence and presence of pUC19. For DMS, the best results were obtained with 10 mM of B (48% protection); with DES, this percentage increased to 70%. The direct reaction of B with increasing amounts of DMS in both buffered (PIPES 50 mM) and non-buffered aqueous solutions revealed the sequential formation of several vanadium(IV), vanadium(V) and mixed-valence aggregates of different nuclearities, whose relevance to the DNA-protecting activity is discussed.

Simultaneous CXCL12 and ESR1 CpG island hypermethylation correlates with poor prognosis in sporadic breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: CXCL12 is a chemokine that is constitutively expressed in many organs and tissues. CXCL12 promoter hypermethylation has been detected in primary breast tumours and contributes to their metastatic potential. It has been shown that the oestrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) gene can also be silenced by DNA methylation. In this study, we used methylation-specific PCR (MSP) to analyse the methylation status in two regions of the CXCL12 promoter and ESR1 in tumour cell lines and in primary breast tumour samples, and correlated our results with clinicopathological data. METHODS: First, we analysed CXCL12 expression in breast tumour cell lines by RT-PCR. We also used 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-CdR) treatment and DNA bisulphite sequencing to study the promoter methylation for a specific region of CXCL12 in breast tumour cell lines. We evaluated CXCL12 and ESR1 methylation in primary tumour samples by methylation-specific PCR (MSP). Finally, promoter hypermethylation of these genes was analysed using Fisher's exact test and correlated with clinicopathological data using the Chi square test, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: CXCL12 promoter hypermethylation in the first region (island 2) and second region (island 4) was correlated with lack of expression of the gene in tumour cell lines. In the primary tumours, island 2 was hypermethylated in 14.5% of the samples and island 4 was hypermethylated in 54% of the samples. The ESR1 promoter was hypermethylated in 41% of breast tumour samples. In addition, the levels of ER alpha protein expression diminished with increased frequency of ESR1 methylation (p < 0.0001). This study also demonstrated that CXCL12 island 4 and ESR1 methylation occur simultaneously at a high frequency (p = 0.0220). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study showing a simultaneous involvement of epigenetic regulation for both CXCL12 and ESR1 genes in Brazilian women. The methylation status of both genes was significantly correlated with histologically advanced disease, the presence of metastases and death. Therefore, the methylation pattern of these genes could be used as a molecular marker for the prediction of breast cancer outcome.

First evidence for the salt-dependent folding and activity of an esterase from the halophilic archaea Haloarcula marismortui.

A gene encoding an esterase from Haloarcula marismortui, a halophilic archaea from the Dead Sea, was cloned, expressed in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant protein (Hm EST) was biochemically characterized. The enzymatic activity of Hm EST was shown to exhibit salt dependence through salt-dependent folding. Hm EST exhibits a preference for short chain fatty acids and monoesters. It is inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, diethyl-p-nitrophenyl phosphate, and 5-methoxy-3-(4-phenoxyphenyl)-3H-[1,3,4]oxadiazol-2-one, confirming the conclusion from sequence alignments that Hm EST is a serine carboxylesterase belonging to the hormone-sensitive lipase family. The activity of Hm EST is optimum in the presence of 3 M KCl and no activity was detected in the absence of salts. Far-UV circular dichroism showed that Hm EST is totally unfolded in salt-free medium and secondary structure appears in the presence of 0.25-0.5 M KCl. After salt depletion, the protein was able to recover 60% of its initial activity when 2 M KCl was added. A 3D model of Hm EST was built and its surface properties were analyzed, pointing to an enrichment in acidic residues paralleled by a depletion in basic residues. This peculiar charge repartition at the protein surface supports a better stability of the protein in a high salt environment.