Search results for "PTE"
showing 10 items of 2238 documents
Insecticidal spectrum and mode of action of the Bacillus thuringiensis Vip3Ca insecticidal protein.
2016
The Vip3Ca protein, discovered in a screening of Spanish collections of Bacillus thuringiensis, was known to be toxic to Chrysodeixis chalcites, Mamestra brassicae and Trichoplusia ni. In the present study, its activity has been tested with additional insect species and we found that Cydia pomonella is moderately susceptible to this protein. Vip3Ca (of approximately 90 kDa) was processed to an approximately 70 kDa protein when incubated with midgut juice in all tested species. The kinetics of proteolysis correlated with the susceptibility of the insect species to Vip3Ca. The activation was faster to slower in the following order: M. brassicae (susceptible), Spodoptera littoralis (moderately…
Increased survival of honeybees in the laboratory after simultaneous exposure to low doses of pesticides and bacteria
2018
Recent studies of honeybees and bumblebees have examined combinatory effects of different stressors, as insect pollinators are naturally exposed to multiple stressors. At the same time the potential influences of simultaneously occurring agricultural agents on insect pollinator health remain largely unknown. Due to different farming methods, and the drift of applied agents and manure, pollinators are most probably exposed to insecticides but also bacteria from organic fertilizers at the same time. We orally exposed honeybee workers to sub-lethal doses of the insecticide thiacloprid and two strains of the bacterium Enterococcus faecalis, which can occur in manure from farming animals. Our re…
Susceptibility, mechanisms of response and resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis toxins in Spodoptera spp.
2016
Bioinsecticides based on Bacillus thuringiensis have long been used as an alternative to synthetic insecticides to control insect pests. In this review, we focus on insects of the genus Spodoptera, including relevant polyphagous species that are primary and secondary pests of many crops, and how B. thuringiensis toxins can be used for Spodoptera spp. pest management. We summarize the main findings related to susceptibility, midgut binding specificity, mechanisms of response and resistance of this insect genus to B. thuringiensis toxins.
RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK, PI3K/PTEN/AKT/mTORC1 and TP53 pathways and regulatory miRs as therapeutic targets in hepatocellular carcinoma
2019
Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant problem globally because of viral infections and the increasing incidence of obesity and fatty liver disease. However, it is difficult to treat because its inherent genetic heterogeneity results in activation of numerous signaling pathways. Kinases have been targeted for decades with varying results, but the development of therapeutic resistance is a major challenge. Areas covered: The key roles of the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK, PI3K/PTEN/AKT/mTORC1, TP53 microRNAs (miRs) as therapeutic targets are discussed and we suggests novel approaches for targeting miRs or their downstream targets to combat HCC. We performed literature searches using…
Therapeutic resistance in breast cancer cells can result from deregulated EGFR signaling
2020
The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) interacts with various downstream molecules including phospholipase C (PLC)/protein kinase C (PKC), Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK, PI3K/PTEN/Akt/GSK-3, Jak/STAT and others. Often these pathways are deregulated in human malignancies such as breast cancer. Various therapeutic approaches to inhibit the activity of EGFR family members including small molecule inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) have been developed. A common problem with cancer treatments is the development of drug-resistance. We examined the effects of a conditionally-activated EGFR (v-Erb-B:ER) on the resistance of breast cancer cells to commonly used chemotherapeutic drugs such as doxorub…
A PTEN inhibitor displays preclinical activity against hepatocarcinoma cells
2016
Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) gene is considered a tumor suppressor gene. However, PTEN mutations rarely occur in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), whereas heterozygosity of PTEN, resulting in reduced PTEN expression, has been observed in 32–44% of HCC patients. In the present study, we investigated the effects of the small molecule PTEN inhibitor VO-OHpic in HCC cells. VO-OHpic inhibited cell viability, cell proliferation and colony formation, and induced senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity in Hep3B (low PTEN expression) and to a lesser extent in PLC/PRF/5 (high PTEN expression) cells, but not in PTEN-negative SNU475 cells. VO-OHpic synergistically inhibited cell viability…
PTEN status is a crucial determinant of the functional outcome of combined MEK and mTOR inhibition in cancer
2017
AbstractCombined MAPK/PI3K pathway inhibition represents an attractive, albeit toxic, therapeutic strategy in oncology. Since PTEN lies at the intersection of these two pathways, we investigated whether PTEN status determines the functional response to combined pathway inhibition. PTEN (gene, mRNA, and protein) status was extensively characterized in a panel of cancer cell lines and combined MEK/mTOR inhibition displayed highly synergistic pharmacologic interactions almost exclusively in PTEN-loss models. Genetic manipulation of PTEN status confirmed a mechanistic role for PTEN in determining the functional outcome of combined pathway blockade. Proteomic analysis showed greater phosphoprote…
Somatic copy number alterations are associated with EGFR amplification and shortened survival in patients with primary glioblastoma.
2019
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant primary tumor of the central nervous system. With no effective therapy, the prognosis for patients is terrible poor. It is highly heterogeneous and EGFR amplification is its most frequent molecular alteration. In this light, we aimed to examine the genetic heterogeneity of GBM and to correlate it with the clinical characteristics of the patients. For that purpose, we analyzed the status of EGFR and the somatic copy number alterations (CNAs) of a set of tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes. Thus, we found GBMs with high level of EGFR amplification, low level and with no EGFR amplification. Highly amplified tumors showed histological features of…
Increased Consumption of Virgin Olive Oil, Nuts, Legumes, Whole Grains, and Fish Promotes HDL Functions in Humans
2019
[Scope] To evaluate whether increases in the consumption of cardioprotective food groups (virgin olive oil, nuts, fruits/vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fish, and wine) are associated with improvements in high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) functions in high cardiovascular risk subjects.
Experienced Migratory Bats Integrate the Sun's Position at Dusk for Navigation at Night.
2019
Summary From bats to whales, millions of mammals migrate every year. However, their navigation capacity for accomplishing long-distance movements remains remarkably understudied and lags behind by five decades compared to other animals [ 1 , 2 ]—partly because, unlike for other taxa, such as birds and sea turtles, no small-scale orientation assay has so far been developed. Yet recently, bats became a model to investigate which cues mammals use for long-range navigation, and, surprisingly for nocturnal animals, sunset cues, and particularly polarized-light cues, appear to be crucial for calibration of the magnetic-compass system in non-migratory bats [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]. This does not appear to ho…