Search results for "Centro"

Hacia una corte de justicia latinoamericana

2007

Manganese interferes with calcium, perturbs ERK signaling, and produces embryos with no skeleton.

2011

Manganese (Mn) has been associated with embryo toxicity as it impairs differentiation of neural and skeletogenic cells in vertebrates. Nevertheless, information on the mechanisms operating at the cellular level remains scant. We took advantage of an amenable embryonic model to investigate the effects of Mn in biomineral formation. Sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus) embryos were exposed to Mn from fertilization, harvested at different developmental stages, and analyzed for their content in calcium (Ca), expression of skeletogenic genes, localization of germ layer markers, and activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). By optical and immunofluorescence microscopy, we found…

Isolation and characterization of a Paracentrotus lividus cDNA encoding a stress-inducible chaperonin

2001

Chaperonins are ubiquitous proteins that facilitate protein folding in an adenosine triphosphate–dependent manner. Here we report the isolation of a sea urchin cDNA (Plhsp60) coding for mitochondrial chaperonin (Cpn60), whose basal expression is further enhanced by heat shock. The described cDNA corresponds to a full-length mRNA encoding a protein of 582 amino acids, the first 32 of which constitute a putative mitochondrial targeting leader sequence. Comparative analysis has demonstrated that this protein is highly conserved in evolution.

EMPLOYMENT OF CATIONIC SOLID-LIPID NANOPARTICLES AS RNA CARRIERS

2007

Gene transfer represents an important advance in the treatment of both genetic and acquired diseases. In this article, the suitability of cationically modified solid-lipid nanoparticles (SLN) as a nonviral vector for gene delivery was investigated, in order to obtain stable materials able to condense RNA. Cationic SLN were produced by microemulsion using Compritol ATO 888 as matrix lipid, Pluronic F68 as tenside, and dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide (DDAB) as cationic lipid. The resulting particles were approximately 100 nm in size and showed a highly positive surface charge (+41 mV) in water. Size and shape were further characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements. M…

Mutations in KATNB1 Cause Complex Cerebral Malformations by Disrupting Asymmetrically Dividing Neural Progenitors

2014

SummaryExome sequencing analysis of over 2,000 children with complex malformations of cortical development identified five independent (four homozygous and one compound heterozygous) deleterious mutations in KATNB1, encoding the regulatory subunit of the microtubule-severing enzyme Katanin. Mitotic spindle formation is defective in patient-derived fibroblasts, a consequence of disrupted interactions of mutant KATNB1 with KATNA1, the catalytic subunit of Katanin, and other microtubule-associated proteins. Loss of KATNB1 orthologs in zebrafish (katnb1) and flies (kat80) results in microcephaly, recapitulating the human phenotype. In the developing Drosophila optic lobe, kat80 loss specificall…

Metallothionein Gene Family in the Sea Urchin Paracentrotus lividus: Gene Structure, Differential Expression and Phylogenetic Analysis

2017

Metallothioneins (MT) are small and cysteine-rich proteins that bind metal ions such as zinc, copper, cadmium, and nickel. In order to shed some light on MT gene structure and evolution, we cloned seven Paracentrotus lividus MT genes, comparing them to Echinodermata and Chordata genes. Moreover, we performed a phylogenetic analysis of 32 MTs from different classes of echinoderms and 13 MTs from the most ancient chordates, highlighting the relationships between them. Since MTs have multiple roles in the cells, we performed RT-qPCR and in situ hybridization experiments to understand better MT functions in sea urchin embryos. Results showed that the expression of MTs is regulated throughout de…

Meprins, membrane-bound and secreted astacin metalloproteinases

2008

The astacins are a subfamily of the metzincin superfamily of metalloproteinases. The first to be characterized was the crayfish enzyme astacin. To date more than 200 members of this family have been identified in species ranging from bacteria to humans. Astacins are involved in developmental morphogenesis, matrix assembly, tissue differentiation and digestion. Family members include the procollagen C-proteinase (BMP1, bone morphogenetic protein 1), tolloid and mammalian tolloid-like, HMP (Hydra vulgaris metalloproteinase), sea urchin BP10 (blastula protein) and SPAN (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus astacin), the 'hatching' subfamily comprising alveolin, ovastacin, LCE, HCE ('low' and 'high' c…

MODICA: Contributi per il recupero e la riqualificazione del centro storico

2016

Il libro raccoglie i contributi di ricerca di studiosi del Centro Interdipartimentale di ricerca sui centri storici dell'Università di Palermo, afferenti a vari settori scientifico-disciplinari, finalizzati alla definizione di linee guida per il recupero e la riqualificazione del centro storico di Modica

Il centro storico di Modica. Un inquadramento normativo

2016

Il contributo, contenuto all'interno di un volume che raccoglie gli esisti di una ricerca multidisciplinare svolta dal Centro Interdipartimentale di ricerca sui Centri Storici (CIRCES) dell'Università di Palermo, descrive il sistema dei vincoli territoriali e delle previsioni urbanistiche che interessa il centro storico di Modica.

Complex evolution of tandem-repetitive DNA in the Chironomus thummi species group.

1997

The subspecies Chironomus thummi thummi and C. t. piger display dramatic differences in the copy number and chromosomal localization of a tandemly repeated DNA family (Cla elements). In order to analyze the evolutionary dynamics of this repeat family, we studied the organization of Cla elements in the related outgroup species C. luridus. We find three different patterns of Cla element organization in C. luridus, showing that Cla elements may be either strictly tandem-repetitive or be an integral part of two higher-order tandem repeats (i.e., Hinf[lur] elements, Sal[lur] elements). All three types of Cla-related repeats are localized in the centromeres of C. luridus chromosomes. This suggest…