THE CHROMOGRANIN A-DERIVED PEPTIDES: STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL FEATURES IN HEART BIOLOGY

Upon oxidative stress, the antiapoptotic Hsp60/procaspase-3 complex persists in mucoepidermoid carcinoma cells.

Hsp60, a mitochondrial chaperonin highly conserved during evolution, has been found elevated in the cytosol of cancer cells, both in vivo and in vitro, but its role in determining apoptosis during oxidative stress (OS) has not yet been fully elucidated. The aim of the present work was to study the effects of OS on Hsp60 levels and its interactions with procaspase- 3 (p-C3) and p53 in tumor cells. NCI-H292 (mucoepidermoid carcinoma) cells were exposed to various concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for 24 hours. Cell viability was determined by Trypan blue and MTT assays. DNA damage was assessed by the Comet assay, and apoptosis was measured by the AnnexinV cytofluorimetric test. Expos…

A comparative analysis of the products of GROEL-1 gene fromChlamydia trachomatisserovar D and the HSP60 var1 transcript fromHomo sapienssuggests a possible autoimmune response

Summary Chlamydia trachomatis serovar D produces large quantities of HSP60-1 during infections, which accumulate inside the host cell inducing autoimmunity. We compare the aminoacid sequences of the human HSP60 with the bacterial counterpart to better elucidate how CTHSP60 may simulate HSP60 from human origin during infection and may induce an autoimmune response. As a result of the comparison we suggest several possible epitopes of the CTHSP60, which may induce autoimmunity.

Heat shock protein 60 levels in tissue and circulating exosomes in human large bowel cancer before and after ablative surgery.

BACKGROUND: Heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60) is a chaperonin involved in tumorigenesis, but its participation in tumor development and progression is not well understood and its value as a tumor biomarker has not been fully elucidated. In the current study, the authors presented evidence supporting the theory that Hsp60 has potential as a biomarker as well as a therapeutic target in patients with large bowel cancer. METHODS: The authors studied a population of 97 subjects, including patients and controls. Immunomorphology, Western blot analysis, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were performed on tissue specimens. Exosomes were isolated from blood and characterized by electr…

Quaternary structures of GroEL and naïve-Hsp60 chaperonins in solution: a combined SAXS-MD study

The quaternary structures of bacterial GroEL and human naïve-Hsp60 chaperonins in physiological conditions have been investigated by an innovative approach based on a combination of synchrotron Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) in-solution experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Low-resolution SAXS experiments over large and highly symmetric oligomers are analyzed on the basis of the high-resolution structure of the asymmetric protein monomers, provided by MD. The results reveal remarkable differences between the solution and the crystallographic structure of GroEL and between the solution structures of GroEL and of its human homologue Hsp60.

Alcohol, Cannabinoids and Nicotine in liver pathophysiology

The liver can be affected by a wide range of therapeutic and environmental chemicals and here we want to provide a summary of the complex effects of alcohol, cannabinoids and nicotine on liver function. Alcohol is the most important agent that produces liver injury, manifesting as alcoholic fatty liver disease. In addition, it is one of the main etiologic agents for hepatocellular carcinoma development. Studies reviewed in this article regarding cannabinoids, show that Δ9-THC does not produce any harmful effects on the liver, while cannabidiol has hepatoprotective effects in ischemia/reperfusion and alcohol-induced liver injuries. The liver is negatively affected by nicotine exposure, but s…

Chaperonology: The Third Eye on Brain Gliomas

The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/National Cancer Institute of Canada Phase III trial has validated as a current regimen for high-grade gliomas (HGG) a maximal safe surgical resection followed by radiotherapy with concurrent temozolamide. However, it is essential to balance maximal tumor resection with preservation of the patient&rsquo