Search results for "Cases"
showing 10 items of 124 documents
Recombinant laccase from Pediococcus acidilactici CECT 5930 with ability to degrade tyramine
2017
Biogenic amines degradation by bacterial laccases is little known, so we have cloned and heterologously expressed, in E. coli, a new laccase from Pediococcus acidilactici CECT 5930 (Lpa5930), a lactic acid bacterium commonly found in foods able to degrade tyramine. The recombinant enzyme has been characterized by physical and biochemical assays. Here we report the optimization of expression and purification procedures of this laccase. DNA encoding sequence of laccase from P. acidilactici was amplified by PCR and cloned into the expression plasmid pET28a for induction by isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactoipyranoside. Protein expression was performed in E. coli BL21(DE3) harboring pGro7 plasmid expres…
First extensive characterization of the venom gland from an egg parasitoid: structure, transcriptome and functional role.
2018
The venom gland is a ubiquitous organ in Hymenoptera. In insect parasitoids, the venom gland has been shown to have multiple functions including regulation of host immune response, host paralysis, host castration and developmental alteration. However, the role played by the venom gland has been mainly studied in parasitoids developing in larval or pupal hosts while little is known for parasitoids developing in insect eggs. We conducted the first extensive characterization of the venom of the endoparasitoid Ooencyrtus telenomicida (Vassiliev), a species that develops in eggs of the stink bug Nezara viridula (L.). In particular we investigated the structure of the venom apparatus, its functio…
Multifactorial and Species-Specific Feedback Regulation of the RNA Surveillance Pathway Nonsense-Mediated Decay in Plants
2018
Abstract Nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) is an RNA surveillance mechanism that detects aberrant transcript features and triggers degradation of erroneous as well as physiological RNAs. Originally considered to be constitutive, NMD is now recognized to be tightly controlled in response to inherent signals and diverse stresses. To gain a better understanding of NMD regulation and its functional implications, we systematically examined feedback control of the central NMD components in two dicot and one monocot species. On the basis of the analysis of transcript features, turnover rates and steady-state levels, up-frameshift (UPF) 1, UPF3 and suppressor of morphological defects on genitalia (SMG)…
Anticancer, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities of low molecular weight bioactive subfractions isolated from cultures of wood degrading fungus …
2017
The aim of this study is to investigate in vitro the anticancer, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities of three low molecular weight subfractions I, II and III isolated from secondary metabolites produced by the wood degrading fungus Cerrena unicolor. The present study demonstrated that the low molecular weight subfractions III exhibited the strongest inhibitory activity towards breast carcinoma cells MDA-MB-231, prostatic carcinoma cells PC3, and breast cancer cells MCF7 with the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 52,25 μg/mL, 60,66 μg/mL, and 54,92 μg/mL, respectively. The highest percentage of inhibition was noted at a concentration of 300 μg/mL in all the examined…
Dual role of the RNA helicase DDX5 in post-transcriptional regulation of Myelin Basic Protein in oligodendrocytes
2017
In the central nervous system, oligodendroglial expression of Myelin Basic Protein (MBP) is crucial for the assembly and structure of the myelin sheath. MBP synthesis is tightly regulated in space and time, particularly on the post-transcriptional level. We have identified the DEAD-box RNA helicase DDX5 (alias p68) in a complex with Mbp mRNA in oligodendroglial cells. Expression of DDX5 is highest in progenitor cells and immature oligodendrocytes, where it localizes to heterogeneous populations of cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes associated with Mbp mRNA in the cell body and processes. Manipulation of DDX5 protein amounts inversely affects levels of MBP protein. We present evid…
Sema3a plays a role in the pathogenesis of CHARGE syndrome
2018
CHARGE syndrome is an autosomal dominant malformation disorder caused by heterozygous loss of function mutations in the chromatin remodeler CHD7. Chd7 regulates the expression of Sema3a, which also contributes to the pathogenesis of Kallmann syndrome, a heterogeneous condition with the typical features hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and an impaired sense of smell. Both features are common in CHARGE syndrome suggesting that SEMA3A may provide a genetic link between these syndromes. Indeed, we find evidence that SEMA3A plays a role in the pathogenesis of CHARGE syndrome. First, Chd7 is enriched at the Sema3a promotor in neural crest cells and loss of function of Chd7 inhibits Sema3a expression…
Visualising G-quadruplex DNA dynamics in live cells by fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy
2020
Guanine rich regions of oligonucleotides fold into quadruple-stranded structures called G-quadruplexes (G4s). Increasing evidence suggests that these G4 structures form in vivo and play a crucial role in cellular processes. However, their direct observation in live cells remains a challenge. Here we demonstrate that a fluorescent probe (DAOTA-M2) in conjunction with fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) can identify G4s within nuclei of live and fixed cells. We present a FLIM-based cellular assay to study the interaction of non-fluorescent small molecules with G4s and apply it to a wide range of drug candidates. We also demonstrate that DAOTA-M2 can be used to study G4 stability i…
BRG1/SMARCA4 is essential for neuroblastoma cell viability through modulation of cell death and survival pathways.
2016
Neuroblastoma (NB) is a neoplasm of the sympathetic nervous system, and is the most common solid tumor of infancy. NBs are very heterogeneous, with a clinical course ranging from spontaneous regression to resistance to all current forms of treatment. High-risk patients need intense chemotherapy, and only 30-40% will be cured. Relapsed or metastatic tumors acquire multi-drug resistance, raising the need for alternative treatments. Owing to the diverse mechanisms that are responsible of NB chemoresistance, we aimed to target epigenetic factors that control multiple pathways to bypass therapy resistance. We found that the SWI/SNF-related, matrix-associated, actin-dependent regulator of chromat…
The effectiveness of influenza vaccination in preventing hospitalisations of elderly individuals in two influenza seasons: a multicentre case-control…
2017
Influenza vaccination may limit the impact of influenza in the community. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of influenza vaccination in preventing hospitalisation in individuals aged ≥ 65 years in Spain. A multicentre case–control study was conducted in 20 Spanish hospitals during 2013/14 and 2014/15. Patients aged ≥ 65 years who were hospitalised with laboratory-confirmed influenza were matched with controls according to sex, age and date of hospitalisation. Adjusted vaccine effectiveness (VE) was calculated by multivariate conditional logistic regression. A total of 728 cases and 1,826 matched controls were included in the study. Overall VE was 36% (95% confidence inte…
A possible role of FANCM mutations in male breast cancer susceptibility: Results from a multicenter study in Italy
2018
Abstract Introduction Breast cancer (BC) in men is a rare disease, whose etiology appears to be associated with genetic factors. Inherited mutations in BRCA1/2 genes account for about 10–15% of all cases. FANCM, functionally linked to BRCA1/2, has been suggested as a novel BC susceptibility gene. Our aim was to test if FANCM germline mutations could further explain male BC (MBC) susceptibility. Methods We screened the entire coding region of FANCM in 286 MBCs by a multi-gene panel analysis, and compared these data with available whole exome sequencing data from 415 men used as population controls. Moreover, we genotyped the two most frequent FANCM mutations (c.5101C>T and c.5791C>T) in 506 …