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Antonioni A, Raho EM, Sensi M, Di Lorenzo F, Fadiga L, Koch G. A new perspective on positive symptoms: expression of damage or self-defence mechanism of the brain? Neurol Sci 2024; 45:2347-2351. [PMID: 38353846 PMCID: PMC11021333 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-024-07395-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Usually, positive neurological symptoms are considered as the consequence of a mere, afinalistic and abnormal increase in function of specific brain areas. However, according to the Theory of Active Inference, which argues that action and perception constitute a loop that updates expectations according to a Bayesian model, the brain is rather an explorer that formulates hypotheses and tests them to assess the correspondence between internal models and reality. Moreover, the cerebral cortex is characterised by a continuous "conflict" between different brain areas, which constantly attempt to expand in order to acquire more of the limited available computational resources, by means of their dopamine-induced neuroplasticity. Thus, it has recently been suggested that dreams, during rapid eye movement sleep (REMS), protect visual brain areas (deprived of their stimuli during rest) from being conquered by other normally stimulated ones. It is therefore conceivable that positive symptoms also have a functional importance for the brain. We evaluate supporting literature data of a 'defensive' role of positive symptoms and the relevance of dopamine-induced neuroplasticity in the context of neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. Furthermore, the possible functional significance of idiopathic REMS-related behavioural disorder as well as phantom limb syndrome is examined. We suggest that positive neurological symptoms are not merely a passive expression of a damage, but active efforts, related to dopamine-induced plasticity, to maintain a correct relationship between the external world and its brain representation, thus preventing healthy cortical areas from ousting injured ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annibale Antonioni
- Doctoral Program in Translational Neurosciences and Neurotechnologies, Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Ludovico Ariosto 35, 44121, Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Emanuela Maria Raho
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University Unit of Neurology, University of Ferrara, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Mariachiara Sensi
- Unit of Neurology, Interdistrict Health Care Department of Neuroscience, S. Anna Ferrara University Hospital, 44124, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Francesco Di Lorenzo
- Non Invasive Brain Stimulation Unit, Istituto Di Ricovero E Cura a Carattere Scientifico Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy
| | - Luciano Fadiga
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
- Section of Physiology, Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Giacomo Koch
- Non Invasive Brain Stimulation Unit, Istituto Di Ricovero E Cura a Carattere Scientifico Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy
- Center for Translational Neurophysiology, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
- Section of Physiology, Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
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2
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De Bartolo A, Pasqua T, Romeo N, Rago V, Perrotta I, Giordano F, Granieri MC, Marrone A, Mazza R, Cerra MC, Lefranc B, Leprince J, Anouar Y, Angelone T, Rocca C. The redox-active defensive Selenoprotein T as a novel stress sensor protein playing a key role in the pathophysiology of heart failure. J Transl Med 2024; 22:375. [PMID: 38643121 PMCID: PMC11032602 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05192-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Maladaptive cardiac hypertrophy contributes to the development of heart failure (HF). The oxidoreductase Selenoprotein T (SELENOT) emerged as a key regulator during rat cardiogenesis and acute cardiac protection. However, its action in chronic settings of cardiac dysfunction is not understood. Here, we investigated the role of SELENOT in the pathophysiology of HF: (i) by designing a small peptide (PSELT), recapitulating SELENOT activity via the redox site, and assessed its beneficial action in a preclinical model of HF [aged spontaneously hypertensive heart failure (SHHF) rats] and against isoproterenol (ISO)-induced hypertrophy in rat ventricular H9c2 and adult human AC16 cardiomyocytes; (ii) by evaluating the SELENOT intra-cardiomyocyte production and secretion under hypertrophied stimulation. Results showed that PSELT attenuated systemic inflammation, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced macrophage M1 polarization, myocardial injury, and the severe ultrastructural alterations, while counteracting key mediators of cardiac fibrosis, aging, and DNA damage and restoring desmin downregulation and SELENOT upregulation in the failing hearts. In the hemodynamic assessment, PSELT improved the contractile impairment at baseline and following ischemia/reperfusion injury, and reduced infarct size in normal and failing hearts. At cellular level, PSELT counteracted ISO-mediated hypertrophy and ultrastructural alterations through its redox motif, while mitigating ISO-triggered SELENOT intracellular production and secretion, a phenomenon that presumably reflects the extent of cell damage. Altogether, these results indicate that SELENOT could represent a novel sensor of hypertrophied cardiomyocytes and a potential PSELT-based new therapeutic approach in myocardial hypertrophy and HF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna De Bartolo
- Cellular and Molecular Cardiovascular Pathophysiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, E. and E. S. (DiBEST), University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Teresa Pasqua
- Department of Health Science, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Naomi Romeo
- Cellular and Molecular Cardiovascular Pathophysiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, E. and E. S. (DiBEST), University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Vittoria Rago
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036, Rende, Italy
| | - Ida Perrotta
- Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis (CM2), Department of Biology, E. and E. S. (DiBEST), University of Calabria, 87036, Rende, Italy
| | - Francesca Giordano
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036, Rende, Italy
| | - Maria Concetta Granieri
- Cellular and Molecular Cardiovascular Pathophysiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, E. and E. S. (DiBEST), University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Alessandro Marrone
- Cellular and Molecular Cardiovascular Pathophysiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, E. and E. S. (DiBEST), University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Rosa Mazza
- Organ and System Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, E. and E. S. (DiBEST), University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Maria Carmela Cerra
- Organ and System Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, E. and E. S. (DiBEST), University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Benjamin Lefranc
- UNIROUEN, Inserm U1239, Neuroendocrine, Endocrine and Germinal Differentiation and Communication (NorDiC), Rouen Normandie University, 76000, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
- UNIROUEN, UMS-UAR HERACLES, PRIMACEN, Cell Imaging Platform of Normandy, Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedicine (IRIB), 76183, Rouen, France
| | - Jérôme Leprince
- UNIROUEN, Inserm U1239, Neuroendocrine, Endocrine and Germinal Differentiation and Communication (NorDiC), Rouen Normandie University, 76000, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
- UNIROUEN, UMS-UAR HERACLES, PRIMACEN, Cell Imaging Platform of Normandy, Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedicine (IRIB), 76183, Rouen, France
| | - Youssef Anouar
- UNIROUEN, Inserm U1239, Neuroendocrine, Endocrine and Germinal Differentiation and Communication (NorDiC), Rouen Normandie University, 76000, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Tommaso Angelone
- Cellular and Molecular Cardiovascular Pathophysiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, E. and E. S. (DiBEST), University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036, Cosenza, Italy.
- National Institute of Cardiovascular Research (INRC), 40126, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Carmine Rocca
- Cellular and Molecular Cardiovascular Pathophysiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, E. and E. S. (DiBEST), University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036, Cosenza, Italy
- National Institute of Cardiovascular Research (INRC), 40126, Bologna, Italy
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3
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Ferrari A, Tacconi G, Polidori C. Subtle morphological changes in the visual and antennal sensory system of bees and wasps across an urbanisation gradient. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8960. [PMID: 38637599 PMCID: PMC11026482 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58804-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Increased temperature and fragmentation of green spaces in urban areas could drive variations in functional traits of insects. Such morphological shifts may occur for sensory systems, which were previously reported to be prone to change with habitat characteristics in non-urban contexts. Here, we measured traits related to the visual and antennal sensory systems in the bees Halictus scabiosae and Osmia cornuta and the wasp Polistes dominula along an urbanisation gradient within Milan (Italy). We hypothesised that fragmentation could filter for better visual properties, and that higher temperature could filter for fewer thermoreceptors and more olfactory hairs. While controlling for body size, results show subtle but appreciable responses to urbanisation in one or more traits in all species, though not always supporting our hypotheses. O. cornuta shows marginally higher ommatidia density and smaller ommatidia diameter (associated with better visual resolution) in more fragmented sites, as well as marginally fewer thermoreceptors in hotter sites, in agreement with our two predictions. On the other hand, H. scabiosae has marginally smaller antennae and P. dominula has smaller eyes at warmer locations, and the wasp also has smaller antennae and 9th flagellomeres in more fragmented areas. Perhaps higher temperatures accelerate development of sensory system at higher speed than the rest of body in these two species. Our results represent the first evidence of urbanisation effects on the visual and antennal sensory systems of bees and wasps and underline how such effects may involve a much broader bouquet of traits then previously observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Ferrari
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy (ESP), University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy.
| | - Greta Tacconi
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy (ESP), University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Carlo Polidori
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy (ESP), University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
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De Mario A, Trevellin E, Piazza I, Vindigni V, Foletto M, Rizzuto R, Vettor R, Mammucari C. Mitochondrial Ca 2+ signaling is a hallmark of specific adipose tissue-cancer crosstalk. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8469. [PMID: 38605098 PMCID: PMC11009327 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55650-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Obesity is associated with increased risk and worse prognosis of many tumours including those of the breast and of the esophagus. Adipokines released from the peritumoural adipose tissue promote the metastatic potential of cancer cells, suggesting the existence of a crosstalk between the adipose tissue and the surrounding tumour. Mitochondrial Ca2+ signaling contributes to the progression of carcinoma of different origins. However, whether adipocyte-derived factors modulate mitochondrial Ca2+ signaling in tumours is unknown. Here, we show that conditioned media derived from adipose tissue cultures (ADCM) enriched in precursor cells impinge on mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis of target cells. Moreover, in modulating mitochondrial Ca2+ responses, a univocal crosstalk exists between visceral adipose tissue-derived preadipocytes and esophageal cancer cells, and between subcutaneous adipose tissue-derived preadipocytes and triple-negative breast cancer cells. An unbiased metabolomic analysis of ADCM identified creatine and creatinine for their ability to modulate mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake, migration and proliferation of esophageal and breast tumour cells, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnese De Mario
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Trevellin
- Internal Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine, Padua University Hospital, via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Ilaria Piazza
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Vindigni
- Clinic of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Mirto Foletto
- Bariatric Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Rosario Rizzuto
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Roberto Vettor
- Internal Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine, Padua University Hospital, via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padua, Italy.
| | - Cristina Mammucari
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padua, Italy.
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5
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Barbato A, Piscopo F, Salati M, Pollastro C, Evangelista L, Ferrante L, Limongello D, Brillante S, Iuliano A, Reggiani-Bonetti L, Salatiello M, Iaccarino A, Pisapia P, Malapelle U, Troncone G, Indrieri A, Dominici M, Franco B, Carotenuto P. A MiR181/Sirtuin1 regulatory circuit modulates drug response in biliary cancers. Clin Exp Med 2024; 24:74. [PMID: 38598008 PMCID: PMC11006774 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-024-01332-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Despite recent advances, biliary tract cancer (BTC) remains one of the most lethal tumor worldwide due to late diagnosis, limited therapeutic strategies and resistance to conventional therapies. In recent years, high-throughput technologies have enabled extensive genome, and transcriptome sequencing unveiling, among others, the regulatory potential of microRNAs (miRNAs). Compelling evidence shown that miRNA are attractive therapeutic targets and promising candidates as biomarkers for various therapy-resistant tumors. The analysis of miRNA profile successfully identified miR-181c and -181d as significantly downregulated in BTC patients. Low miR-181c and -181d expression levels were correlated with worse prognosis and poor treatment efficacy. In fact, progression-free survival analysis indicated poor survival rates in miR-181c and -181d low expressing patients. The expression profile of miR-181c and -181d in BTC cell lines revealed that both miRNAs were dysregulated. Functional in vitro experiments in BTC cell lines showed that overexpression of miR-181c and -181d affected cell viability and increased sensitivity to chemotherapy compared to controls. In addition, by using bioinformatic tools we showed that the miR-181c/d functional role is determined by binding to their target SIRT1 (Sirtuin 1). Moreover, BTC patients expressing high levels of miR-181 and low SIRT1 shown an improved survival and treatment response. An integrative network analysis demonstrated that, miR-181/SIRT1 circuit had a regulatory effect on several important metabolic tumor-related processes. Our study demonstrated that miR-181c and -181d act as tumor suppressor miRNA in BTC, suggesting the potential use as therapeutic strategy in resistant cancers and as predictive biomarker in the precision medicine of BTC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Barbato
- TIGEM, Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
- Department of Translational Medical Science, Medical Genetics, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Fabiola Piscopo
- TIGEM, Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
- Department of Translational Medical Science, Medical Genetics, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Salati
- Division of Oncology, Department of Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital of Modena, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Carla Pollastro
- TIGEM, Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
- Department of Translational Medical Science, Medical Genetics, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Evangelista
- TIGEM, Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Ferrante
- TIGEM, Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Davide Limongello
- TIGEM, Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Simona Brillante
- TIGEM, Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
- IRGB, Institute for Genetic and Biomedical Research, National Research Council (CNR), Milan, Italy
| | - Antonella Iuliano
- Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Economics (DIMIE), University of Basilicata, 85100, Potenza, Italy
| | - Luca Reggiani-Bonetti
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences for Children and Adults, University Hospital of Modena, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Maria Salatiello
- Department of Public Health, Universita' degli Studi di Napoli-AOU Federico II, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonino Iaccarino
- Department of Public Health, Universita' degli Studi di Napoli-AOU Federico II, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Pasquale Pisapia
- Department of Public Health, Universita' degli Studi di Napoli-AOU Federico II, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Umberto Malapelle
- Department of Public Health, Universita' degli Studi di Napoli-AOU Federico II, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Troncone
- Department of Public Health, Universita' degli Studi di Napoli-AOU Federico II, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Alessia Indrieri
- TIGEM, Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
- IRGB, Institute for Genetic and Biomedical Research, National Research Council (CNR), Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo Dominici
- Division of Oncology, Department of Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital of Modena, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Brunella Franco
- TIGEM, Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
- Department of Translational Medical Science, Medical Genetics, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
- Scuola Superiore Meridionale (SSM, School of Advanced Studies), Genomics and Experimental Medicine Program, 80078, Naples, Italy
| | - Pietro Carotenuto
- TIGEM, Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy.
- Department of Translational Medical Science, Medical Genetics, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy.
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Firrincieli A, Minuti A, Cappelletti M, Ferilli M, Ajmone-Marsan P, Bani P, Petruccioli M, Harfouche AL. Structural and functional analysis of the active cow rumen's microbial community provides a catalogue of genes and microbes participating in the deconstruction of cardoon biomass. Biotechnol Biofuels Bioprod 2024; 17:53. [PMID: 38589938 PMCID: PMC11003169 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-024-02495-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ruminal microbial communities enriched on lignocellulosic biomass have shown considerable promise for the discovery of microorganisms and enzymes involved in digesting cell wall compounds, a key bottleneck in the development of second-generation biofuels and bioproducts, enabling a circular bioeconomy. Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) is a promising inedible energy crop for current and future cellulosic biorefineries and the emerging bioenergy and bioproducts industries. The rumen microbiome can be considered an anaerobic "bioreactor", where the resident microbiota carry out the depolymerization and hydrolysis of plant cell wall polysaccharides (PCWPs) through the catalytic action of fibrolytic enzymes. In this context, the rumen microbiota represents a potential source of microbes and fibrolytic enzymes suitable for biofuel production from feedstocks. In this study, metatranscriptomic and 16S rRNA sequencing were used to profile the microbiome and to investigate the genetic features within the microbial community adherent to the fiber fractions of the rumen content and to the residue of cardoon biomass incubated in the rumen of cannulated cows. RESULTS The metatranscriptome of the cardoon and rumen fibre-adherent microbial communities were dissected in their functional and taxonomic components. From a functional point of view, transcripts involved in the methanogenesis from CO2 and H2, and from methanol were over-represented in the cardoon-adherent microbial community and were affiliated with the Methanobrevibacter and Methanosphaera of the Euryarchaeota phylum. Transcripts encoding glycoside hydrolases (GHs), carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs), carbohydrate esterases (CEs), polysaccharide lyases (PLs), and glycoside transferases (GTs) accounted for 1.5% (6,957) of the total RNA coding transcripts and were taxonomically affiliated to major rumen fibrolytic microbes, such as Oscillospiraceae, Fibrobacteraceae, Neocallimastigaceae, Prevotellaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Treponemataceae. The comparison of the expression profile between cardoon and rumen fiber-adherent microbial communities highlighted that specific fibrolytic enzymes were potentially responsible for the breakdown of cardoon PCWPs, which was driven by specific taxa, mainly Ruminococcus, Treponema, and Neocallimastigaceae. CONCLUSIONS Analysis of 16S rRNA and metatranscriptomic sequencing data revealed that the cow rumen microbiome harbors a repertoire of new enzymes capable of degrading PCWPs. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of using metatranscriptomics of enriched microbial RNA as a potential approach for accelerating the discovery of novel cellulolytic enzymes that could be harnessed for biotechnology. This research contributes a relevant perspective towards degrading cellulosic biomass and providing an economical route to the production of advanced biofuels and high-value bioproducts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Firrincieli
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems, University of Tuscia, Via San Camillo de Lellis Snc, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Andrea Minuti
- Department of Animal Science, Food and Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Martina Cappelletti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 42, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Marco Ferilli
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems, University of Tuscia, Via San Camillo de Lellis Snc, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Ajmone-Marsan
- Department of Animal Science, Food and Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122, Piacenza, Italy
- CREI - Romeo and Enrica Invernizzi Research Center On Sustainable Dairy Production, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense, 84, 29122, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Paolo Bani
- Department of Animal Science, Food and Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Maurizio Petruccioli
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems, University of Tuscia, Via San Camillo de Lellis Snc, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Antoine L Harfouche
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems, University of Tuscia, Via San Camillo de Lellis Snc, 01100, Viterbo, Italy.
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7
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Brogini S, Crovace A, Piccininni A, Serratore G, Marchiori G, Maglio M, Guglielmi P, Cusanno A, De Napoli L, Conte R, Fini M, Ambrogio G, Palumbo G, Giavaresi G. In vivo validation of highly customized cranial Ti-6AL-4V ELI prostheses fabricated through incremental forming and superplastic forming: an ovine model study. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7959. [PMID: 38575608 PMCID: PMC10995190 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57629-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Cranial reconstructions are essential for restoring both function and aesthetics in patients with craniofacial deformities or traumatic injuries. Titanium prostheses have gained popularity due to their biocompatibility, strength, and corrosion resistance. The use of Superplastic Forming (SPF) and Single Point Incremental Forming (SPIF) techniques to create titanium prostheses, specifically designed for cranial reconstructions was investigated in an ovine model through microtomographic and histomorphometric analyses. The results obtained from the explanted specimens revealed significant variations in bone volume, trabecular thickness, spacing, and number across different regions of interest (VOIs or ROIs). Those regions next to the center of the cranial defect exhibited the most immature bone, characterized by higher porosity, decreased trabecular thickness, and wider trabecular spacing. Dynamic histomorphometry demonstrated differences in the mineralizing surface to bone surface ratio (MS/BS) and mineral apposition rate (MAR) depending on the timing of fluorochrome administration. A layer of connective tissue separated the prosthesis and the bone tissue. Overall, the study provided validation for the use of cranial prostheses made using SPF and SPIF techniques, offering insights into the processes of bone formation and remodeling in the implanted ovine model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Brogini
- Scienze e Tecnologie Chirurgiche, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Via Di Barbiano, 1/10, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alberto Crovace
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università di Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - Antonio Piccininni
- Dipartimento di Meccanica, Matematica e Management, Politecnico di Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70125, Bari, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Serratore
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica, Energetica e Gestionale, Università Della Calabria, Ponte P. Bucci Cubo 45C, 87036, Rende, CS, Italy
| | - Gregorio Marchiori
- Scienze e Tecnologie Chirurgiche, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Via Di Barbiano, 1/10, Bologna, Italy
| | - Melania Maglio
- Scienze e Tecnologie Chirurgiche, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Via Di Barbiano, 1/10, Bologna, Italy
| | - Pasquale Guglielmi
- Dipartimento di Meccanica, Matematica e Management, Politecnico di Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Angela Cusanno
- Dipartimento di Meccanica, Matematica e Management, Politecnico di Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Luigi De Napoli
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica, Energetica e Gestionale, Università Della Calabria, Ponte P. Bucci Cubo 45C, 87036, Rende, CS, Italy
| | - Romina Conte
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica, Energetica e Gestionale, Università Della Calabria, Ponte P. Bucci Cubo 45C, 87036, Rende, CS, Italy
| | - Milena Fini
- Direzione Scientifica, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Via di Barbiano, 1/10, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Ambrogio
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica, Energetica e Gestionale, Università Della Calabria, Ponte P. Bucci Cubo 45C, 87036, Rende, CS, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Palumbo
- Dipartimento di Meccanica, Matematica e Management, Politecnico di Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Gianluca Giavaresi
- Scienze e Tecnologie Chirurgiche, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Via Di Barbiano, 1/10, Bologna, Italy
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8
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Casula EP, Pezzopane V, Roncaioli A, Battaglini L, Rumiati R, Rothwell J, Rocchi L, Koch G. Real-time cortical dynamics during motor inhibition. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7871. [PMID: 38570543 PMCID: PMC10991402 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57602-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The inhibition of action is a fundamental executive mechanism of human behaviour that involve a complex neural network. In spite of the progresses made so far, many questions regarding the brain dynamics occurring during action inhibition are still unsolved. Here, we used a novel approach optimized to investigate real-time effective brain dynamics, which combines transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with simultaneous electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings. 22 healthy volunteers performed a motor Go/NoGo task during TMS of the hand-hotspot of the primary motor cortex (M1) and whole-scalp EEG recordings. We reconstructed source-based real-time spatiotemporal dynamics of cortical activity and cortico-cortical connectivity throughout the task. Our results showed a task-dependent bi-directional change in theta/gamma supplementary motor cortex (SMA) and M1 connectivity that, when participants were instructed to inhibit their response, resulted in an increase of a specific TMS-evoked EEG potential (N100), likely due to a GABA-mediated inhibition. Interestingly, these changes were linearly related to reaction times, when participants were asked to produce a motor response. In addition, TMS perturbation revealed a task-dependent long-lasting modulation of SMA-M1 natural frequencies, i.e. alpha/beta activity. Some of these results are shared by animal models and shed new light on the physiological mechanisms of motor inhibition in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Paolo Casula
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
- Department of System Medicine, University of Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy.
- Department of Behavioural and Clinical Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179, Rome, Italy.
| | - Valentina Pezzopane
- Department of Behavioural and Clinical Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179, Rome, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Andrea Roncaioli
- Department of Behavioural and Clinical Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179, Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Battaglini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Raffaella Rumiati
- Department of System Medicine, University of Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - John Rothwell
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Lorenzo Rocchi
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, 09124, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Giacomo Koch
- Department of Behavioural and Clinical Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179, Rome, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
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9
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Callovini A, Fornasiero A, Savoldelli A, Decet M, Skafidas S, Pellegrini B, Bortolan L, Schena F. Independent, additive and interactive effects of acute normobaric hypoxia and cold on submaximal and maximal endurance exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol 2024; 124:1185-1200. [PMID: 37962573 PMCID: PMC10955012 DOI: 10.1007/s00421-023-05343-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the independent and combined effects of hypoxia (FiO2 = 13.5%) and cold (- 20 °C) on physiological and perceptual responses to endurance exercise. METHODS 14 trained male subjects ( V . O2max: 64 ± 5 mL/kg/min) randomly performed a discontinuous maximal incremental test to exhaustion on a motorized treadmill under four environmental conditions: Normothermic-Normoxia (N), Normothermic-Hypoxia (H), Cold-Normoxia (C) and Cold-Hypoxia (CH). Performance and physiological and perceptual responses throughout exercise were evaluated. RESULTS Maximal WorkLoad (WL) and WL at lactate threshold (LT) were reduced in C (- 2.3% and - 3.5%) and H (- 18.0% and - 21.7%) compared to N, with no interactive (p = 0.25 and 0.81) but additive effect in CH (- 21.5% and - 24.6%). Similarly, HRmax and Vemax were reduced in C (- 3.2% and - 14.6%) and H (- 5.0% and - 7%), showing additive effects in CH (- 7.7% and - 16.6%). At LT, additive effect of C (- 2.8%) and H (- 3.8%) on HR reduction in CH (- 5.7%) was maintained, whereas an interactive effect (p = 0.007) of the two stressors combined was noted on Ve (C: - 3.1%, H: + 5.5%, CH: - 10.9%). [La] curve shifted on the left in CH, displaying an interaction effect between the 2 stressors on this parameter. Finally, RPE at LT was exclusively reduced by hypoxia (p < 0.001), whereas TSmax is synergistically reduced by cold and hypoxia (interaction p = 0.047). CONCLUSION If compared to single stress exposure, exercise performance and physiological and perceptual variables undergo additive or synergistic effects when cold and hypoxia are combined. These results provide new insight into human physiological responses to extreme environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Callovini
- CeRiSM, Sport Mountain and Health Research Centre, University of Verona, Rovereto, Italy.
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
| | - A Fornasiero
- CeRiSM, Sport Mountain and Health Research Centre, University of Verona, Rovereto, Italy
- Department of Engineering for Innovation Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - A Savoldelli
- CeRiSM, Sport Mountain and Health Research Centre, University of Verona, Rovereto, Italy
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - M Decet
- CeRiSM, Sport Mountain and Health Research Centre, University of Verona, Rovereto, Italy
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - S Skafidas
- CeRiSM, Sport Mountain and Health Research Centre, University of Verona, Rovereto, Italy
| | - B Pellegrini
- CeRiSM, Sport Mountain and Health Research Centre, University of Verona, Rovereto, Italy
- Department of Engineering for Innovation Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - L Bortolan
- CeRiSM, Sport Mountain and Health Research Centre, University of Verona, Rovereto, Italy
- Department of Engineering for Innovation Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - F Schena
- CeRiSM, Sport Mountain and Health Research Centre, University of Verona, Rovereto, Italy
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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10
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Balboni N, Babini G, Poeta E, Protti M, Mercolini L, Magnifico MC, Barile SN, Massenzio F, Pignataro A, Giorgi FM, Lasorsa FM, Monti B. Transcriptional and metabolic effects of aspartate-glutamate carrier isoform 1 (AGC1) downregulation in mouse oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). Cell Mol Biol Lett 2024; 29:44. [PMID: 38553684 PMCID: PMC10979587 DOI: 10.1186/s11658-024-00563-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Aspartate-glutamate carrier isoform 1 (AGC1) is a carrier responsible for the export of mitochondrial aspartate in exchange for cytosolic glutamate and is part of the malate-aspartate shuttle, essential for the balance of reducing equivalents in the cells. In the brain, mutations in SLC25A12 gene, encoding for AGC1, cause an ultra-rare genetic disease, reported as a neurodevelopmental encephalopathy, whose symptoms include global hypomyelination, arrested psychomotor development, hypotonia and seizures. Among the biological components most affected by AGC1 deficiency are oligodendrocytes, glial cells responsible for myelination processes, and their precursors [oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs)]. The AGC1 silencing in an in vitro model of OPCs was documented to cause defects of proliferation and differentiation, mediated by alterations of histone acetylation/deacetylation. Disrupting AGC1 activity could possibly reduce the availability of acetyl groups, leading to perturbation of many biological pathways, such as histone modifications and fatty acids formation for myelin production. Here, we explore the transcriptome of mouse OPCs partially silenced for AGC1, reporting results of canonical analyses (differential expression) and pathway enrichment analyses, which highlight a disruption in fatty acids synthesis from both a regulatory and enzymatic stand. We further investigate the cellular effects of AGC1 deficiency through the identification of most affected transcriptional networks and altered alternative splicing. Transcriptional data were integrated with differential metabolite abundance analysis, showing downregulation of several amino acids, including glutamine and aspartate. Taken together, our results provide a molecular foundation for the effects of AGC1 deficiency in OPCs, highlighting the molecular mechanisms affected and providing a list of actionable targets to mitigate the effects of this pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Balboni
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giorgia Babini
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Eleonora Poeta
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Michele Protti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Laura Mercolini
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Magnifico
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Environment, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Simona Nicole Barile
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Environment, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Francesca Massenzio
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Antonella Pignataro
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Environment, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Federico M Giorgi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
| | | | - Barbara Monti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
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11
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Guidi G, Mastrandrea R, Facchini A, Squartini T, Kennedy C. Tracing two decades of carbon emissions using a network approach. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7251. [PMID: 38538699 PMCID: PMC10973467 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57351-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
According to the guidelines of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, carbon emissions are attributed to the producers of goods and services. This approach has been challenged by recent literature, advocating an attribution criterion based on consumers, i.e. accounting for the carbon embedded into the goods imported by each country. Quantifying the effectiveness of such a consumption-based accounting requires understanding the complex structure of the graph induced by the flows of emissions between world countries. To this aim, we have considered a balanced panel of a hundred of countries and constructed the corresponding Carbon Trade Network for each of the past twenty years. Our analysis highlights the tendency of each country to behave either as a 'net producer'-or 'net exporter'-of emissions or as a 'net consumer'-or 'net importer'-of emissions; besides, it reveals the presence of an unexpected, positive feedback: despite individual exchanges having become less carbon-intensive, the increasing trade activity has ultimately risen the amount of emissions directed from 'net exporters' towards 'net importers'. Adopting a consumption-aware accounting would re-distribute responsibility between these two groups, possibly reducing disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Guidi
- IMT School for Advanced Studies, Piazza San Francesco 19, 55100, Lucca, Italy
- Department of Computer Science, University of Pisa, Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Rossana Mastrandrea
- IMT School for Advanced Studies, Piazza San Francesco 19, 55100, Lucca, Italy.
| | - Angelo Facchini
- IMT School for Advanced Studies, Piazza San Francesco 19, 55100, Lucca, Italy
| | - Tiziano Squartini
- IMT School for Advanced Studies, Piazza San Francesco 19, 55100, Lucca, Italy
- Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), University of Amsterdam, Oude Turfmarkt 145, 1012 GC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Christopher Kennedy
- Institute for Integrated Energy Systems, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
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12
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Narteni S, Baiardini I, Braido F, Mongelli M. Explainable artificial intelligence for cough-related quality of life impairment prediction in asthmatic patients. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0292980. [PMID: 38502606 PMCID: PMC10950232 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) is becoming a disruptive trend in healthcare, allowing for transparency and interpretability of autonomous decision-making. In this study, we present an innovative application of a rule-based classification model to identify the main causes of chronic cough-related quality of life (QoL) impairment in a cohort of asthmatic patients. The proposed approach first involves the design of a suitable symptoms questionnaire and the subsequent analyses via XAI. Specifically, feature ranking, derived from statistically validated decision rules, helped in automatically identifying the main factors influencing an impaired QoL: pharynx/larynx and upper airways when asthma is under control, and asthma itself and digestive trait when asthma is not controlled. Moreover, the obtained if-then rules identified specific thresholds on the symptoms associated to the impaired QoL. These results, by finding priorities among symptoms, may prove helpful in supporting physicians in the choice of the most adequate diagnostic/therapeutic plan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Narteni
- CNR-IEIIT, Genoa, Italy
- DAUIN Department, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Ilaria Baiardini
- Respiratory Diseases and Allergy Department, IRCCS Polyclinic Hospital San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Fulvio Braido
- Respiratory Diseases and Allergy Department, IRCCS Polyclinic Hospital San Martino, Genoa, Italy
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13
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Di Giuseppe G, Soldovieri L, Ciccarelli G, Ferraro PM, Quero G, Cinti F, Capece U, Moffa S, Nista EC, Gasbarrini A, Mari A, Alfieri S, Tondolo V, Pontecorvi A, Holst JJ, Giaccari A, Mezza T. Reduced incretin effect precedes diabetes development following duodenopancreatectomy in individuals without diabetes. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e175133. [PMID: 38470487 PMCID: PMC11014652 DOI: 10.1172/jci175133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gianfranco Di Giuseppe
- Centre for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Soldovieri
- Centre for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Gea Ciccarelli
- Centre for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppe Quero
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Digestive Surgery Unit and
| | - Francesca Cinti
- Centre for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Umberto Capece
- Centre for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Moffa
- Centre for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Celestino Nista
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Pancreas Unit, CEMAD, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Gasbarrini
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Pancreas Unit, CEMAD, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Mari
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council of Italy, Padua, Italy
| | - Sergio Alfieri
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Digestive Surgery Unit and
| | - Vincenzo Tondolo
- Digestive Surgery Unit, Ospedale Isola Tiberina — Gemelli Isola, Rome, Italy
| | - Alfredo Pontecorvi
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Jens Juul Holst
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Andrea Giaccari
- Centre for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Teresa Mezza
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Pancreas Unit, CEMAD, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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14
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Fetta A, Toni F, Pettenuzzo I, Ricci E, Rocca A, Gambi C, Soliani L, Di Pisa V, Martini S, Sperti G, Cagnazzo V, Accorsi P, Bartolini E, Battaglia D, Bernardo P, Canevini MP, Ferrari AR, Giordano L, Locatelli C, Mancardi M, Orsini A, Pippucci T, Pruna D, Rosati A, Suppiej A, Tagliani S, Vaisfeld A, Vignoli A, Izumi K, Krantz I, Cordelli DM. Structural brain abnormalities in Pallister-Killian syndrome: a neuroimaging study of 31 children. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2024; 19:107. [PMID: 38459574 PMCID: PMC10921669 DOI: 10.1186/s13023-024-03065-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pallister-Killian syndrome (PKS) is a rare genetic disorder caused by mosaic tetrasomy of 12p with wide neurological involvement. Intellectual disability, developmental delay, behavioral problems, epilepsy, sleep disturbances, and brain malformations have been described in most individuals, with a broad phenotypic spectrum. This observational study, conducted through brain MRI scan analysis on a cohort of patients with genetically confirmed PKS, aims to systematically investigate the neuroradiological features of this syndrome and identify the possible existence of a typical pattern. Moreover, a literature review differentiating the different types of neuroimaging data was conducted for comparison with our population. RESULTS Thirty-one individuals were enrolled (17 females/14 males; age range 0.1-17.5 years old at first MRI). An experienced pediatric neuroradiologist reviewed brain MRIs, blindly to clinical data. Brain abnormalities were observed in all but one individual (compared to the 34% frequency found in the literature review). Corpus callosum abnormalities were found in 20/30 (67%) patients: 6 had callosal hypoplasia; 8 had global hypoplasia with hypoplastic splenium; 4 had only hypoplastic splenium; and 2 had a thin corpus callosum. Cerebral hypoplasia/atrophy was found in 23/31 (74%) and ventriculomegaly in 20/31 (65%). Other frequent features were the enlargement of the cisterna magna in 15/30 (50%) and polymicrogyria in 14/29 (48%). Conversely, the frequency of the latter was found to be 4% from the literature review. Notably, in our population, polymicrogyria was in the perisylvian area in all 14 cases, and it was bilateral in 10/14. CONCLUSIONS Brain abnormalities are very common in PKS and occur much more frequently than previously reported. Bilateral perisylvian polymicrogyria was a main aspect of our population. Our findings provide an additional tool for early diagnosis.Further studies to investigate the possible correlations with both genotype and phenotype may help to define the etiopathogenesis of the neurologic phenotype of this syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Fetta
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, UOC di Neuropsichiatria dell'Età Pediatrica, Bologna, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche (DIMEC), Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesco Toni
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neuroradiologia con Tecniche ad elevata complessità- PNTEC, Bologna, Italy
| | - Ilaria Pettenuzzo
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, UOC di Neuropsichiatria dell'Età Pediatrica, Bologna, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche (DIMEC), Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Emilia Ricci
- Epilepsy Center, Childhood and Adolescence Neuropsychiatry Unit, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, San Paolo Hospital, 20142, Milan, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Rocca
- UO di Pediatria d'Urgenza, IRCCS Policlinico Sant'Orsola, Bologna, Italy
| | - Caterina Gambi
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, UOC di Neuropsichiatria dell'Età Pediatrica, Bologna, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche (DIMEC), Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Luca Soliani
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, UOC di Neuropsichiatria dell'Età Pediatrica, Bologna, Italy
| | - Veronica Di Pisa
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, UOC di Neuropsichiatria dell'Età Pediatrica, Bologna, Italy
| | - Silvia Martini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche (DIMEC), Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, IRCCS AOUBO, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giacomo Sperti
- Scuola di Specializzazione in Pediatria - Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Valeria Cagnazzo
- Scuola di Specializzazione in Pediatria - Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Emanuele Bartolini
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, 56128, Pisa, Italy
| | - Domenica Battaglia
- Pediatric Neurology, Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Child Health Area, Catholic University UCSC, Rome, Italy
| | - Pia Bernardo
- Department of Neurosciences, Pediatric Psychiatry and Neurology Unit, Santobono-Pausilipon Children's Hospital, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Paola Canevini
- Epilepsy Center, Childhood and Adolescence Neuropsychiatry Unit, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, San Paolo Hospital, 20142, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Rita Ferrari
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, 56128, Pisa, Italy
| | - Lucio Giordano
- Child Neuropsychiatric Division, Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy
| | | | - Margherita Mancardi
- Unit of Child Neuropsychiatry, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Epicare Network for Rare Disease, Genoa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Orsini
- Pediatric Neurology, Pediatric University Department, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Tommaso Pippucci
- U.O. Genetica Medica, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna Policlinico S Orsola, Bologna, Emilia- Romagna, Italy
| | - Dario Pruna
- Department of Pediatric Neurology and Epileptology, Pediatric Depatment, ARNAS Brotzu, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Anna Rosati
- Neuroscience Department, Children's Hospital Anna Meyer, University of Florence, Viale Gaetano Pieraccini, 24, 50139, Firenze, Italy
| | - Agnese Suppiej
- Department of Medical Sciences, Pediatric Section, University Hospital of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Sara Tagliani
- Department of Medical Sciences, Pediatric Section, University Hospital of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alessandro Vaisfeld
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche (DIMEC), Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- U.O. Genetica Medica, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna Policlinico S Orsola, Bologna, Emilia- Romagna, Italy
| | - Aglaia Vignoli
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, ASSTGrande Ospedale Metropolitano, Niguarda, Milano, Italy
| | - Kosuke Izumi
- Division of Genetics and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., 75390, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Ian Krantz
- Divisions of Human Genetics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Duccio Maria Cordelli
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, UOC di Neuropsichiatria dell'Età Pediatrica, Bologna, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche (DIMEC), Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Gregorio I, Russo L, Torretta E, Barbacini P, Contarini G, Pacinelli G, Bizzotto D, Moriggi M, Braghetta P, Papaleo F, Gelfi C, Moro E, Cescon M. GBA1 inactivation in oligodendrocytes affects myelination and induces neurodegenerative hallmarks and lipid dyshomeostasis in mice. Mol Neurodegener 2024; 19:22. [PMID: 38454456 PMCID: PMC10921719 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-024-00713-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mutations in the β-glucocerebrosidase (GBA1) gene do cause the lysosomal storage Gaucher disease (GD) and are among the most frequent genetic risk factors for Parkinson's disease (PD). So far, studies on both neuronopathic GD and PD primarily focused on neuronal manifestations, besides the evaluation of microglial and astrocyte implication. White matter alterations were described in the central nervous system of paediatric type 1 GD patients and were suggested to sustain or even play a role in the PD process, although the contribution of oligodendrocytes has been so far scarcely investigated. METHODS We exploited a system to study the induction of central myelination in vitro, consisting of Oli-neu cells treated with dibutyryl-cAMP, in order to evaluate the expression levels and function of β-glucocerebrosidase during oligodendrocyte differentiation. Conduritol-B-epoxide, a β-glucocerebrosidase irreversible inhibitor was used to dissect the impact of β-glucocerebrosidase inactivation in the process of myelination, lysosomal degradation and α-synuclein accumulation in vitro. Moreover, to study the role of β-glucocerebrosidase in the white matter in vivo, we developed a novel mouse transgenic line in which β-glucocerebrosidase function is abolished in myelinating glia, by crossing the Cnp1-cre mouse line with a line bearing loxP sequences flanking Gba1 exons 9-11, encoding for β-glucocerebrosidase catalytic domain. Immunofluorescence, western blot and lipidomic analyses were performed in brain samples from wild-type and knockout animals in order to assess the impact of genetic inactivation of β-glucocerebrosidase on myelination and on the onset of early neurodegenerative hallmarks, together with differentiation analysis in primary oligodendrocyte cultures. RESULTS Here we show that β-glucocerebrosidase inactivation in oligodendrocytes induces lysosomal dysfunction and inhibits myelination in vitro. Moreover, oligodendrocyte-specific β-glucocerebrosidase loss-of-function was sufficient to induce in vivo demyelination and early neurodegenerative hallmarks, including axonal degeneration, α-synuclein accumulation and astrogliosis, together with brain lipid dyshomeostasis and functional impairment. CONCLUSIONS Our study sheds light on the contribution of oligodendrocytes in GBA1-related diseases and supports the need for better characterizing oligodendrocytes as actors playing a role in neurodegenerative diseases, also pointing at them as potential novel targets to set a brake to disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Gregorio
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Loris Russo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Enrica Torretta
- Laboratory of Proteomics and Lipidomics, IRCCS Orthopedic Institute Galeazzi, Milan, 20161, Italy
| | - Pietro Barbacini
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Gabriella Contarini
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Neuroscience Area, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, 16163, Genova, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Technological Sciences, University of Catania, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Giada Pacinelli
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Neuroscience Area, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, 16163, Genova, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Dario Bizzotto
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Manuela Moriggi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Braghetta
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Francesco Papaleo
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Neuroscience Area, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Cecilia Gelfi
- Laboratory of Proteomics and Lipidomics, IRCCS Orthopedic Institute Galeazzi, Milan, 20161, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Enrico Moro
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Matilde Cescon
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padua, Italy.
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Greenblatt RL, Lange M, Marcelli G, Porta M. Adiabatic Evolution of Low-Temperature Many-Body Systems. Commun Math Phys 2024; 405:75. [PMID: 38464850 PMCID: PMC10917870 DOI: 10.1007/s00220-023-04903-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
We consider finite-range, many-body fermionic lattice models and we study the evolution of their thermal equilibrium state after introducing a weak and slowly varying time-dependent perturbation. Under suitable assumptions on the external driving, we derive a representation for the average of the evolution of local observables via a convergent expansion in the perturbation, for small enough temperatures. Convergence holds for a range of parameters that is uniform in the size of the system. Under a spectral gap assumption on the unperturbed Hamiltonian, convergence is also uniform in temperature. As an application, our expansion allows us to prove closeness of the time-evolved state to the instantaneous Gibbs state of the perturbed system, in the sense of expectation of local observables, at zero and at small temperatures. As a corollary, we also establish the validity of linear response. Our strategy is based on a rigorous version of the Wick rotation, which allows us to represent the Duhamel expansion for the real-time dynamics in terms of Euclidean correlation functions, for which precise decay estimates are proved using fermionic cluster expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael L. Greenblatt
- Mathematics Department, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, viale della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Markus Lange
- Institute for AI-Safety and Security, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Sankt Augustin, Ulm, Germany
| | - Giovanna Marcelli
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Aalborg University, Skjernvej 4A, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Marcello Porta
- Mathematics Area, SISSA, Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy
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17
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Pontillo V, Amoroso d’Aragona D, Pecorelli F, Di Nucci D, Ferrucci F, Palomba F. Machine learning-based test smell detection. Empir Softw Eng 2024; 29:55. [PMID: 38456065 PMCID: PMC10914901 DOI: 10.1007/s10664-023-10436-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Test smells are symptoms of sub-optimal design choices adopted when developing test cases. Previous studies have proved their harmfulness for test code maintainability and effectiveness. Therefore, researchers have been proposing automated, heuristic-based techniques to detect them. However, the performance of these detectors is still limited and dependent on tunable thresholds. We design and experiment with a novel test smell detection approach based on machine learning to detect four test smells. First, we develop the largest dataset of manually-validated test smells to enable experimentation. Afterward, we train six machine learners and assess their capabilities in within- and cross-project scenarios. Finally, we compare the ML-based approach with state-of-the-art heuristic-based techniques. The key findings of the study report a negative result. The performance of the machine learning-based detector is significantly better than heuristic-based techniques, but none of the learners able to overcome an average F-Measure of 51%. We further elaborate and discuss the reasons behind this negative result through a qualitative investigation into the current issues and challenges that prevent the appropriate detection of test smells, which allowed us to catalog the next steps that the research community may pursue to improve test smell detection techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Pontillo
- Software Engineering (SeSa) Lab - University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
- Software Languages (Soft) Lab - Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
| | | | - Fabiano Pecorelli
- Software Engineering (SeSa) Lab - University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
| | - Dario Di Nucci
- Software Engineering (SeSa) Lab - University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
| | - Filomena Ferrucci
- Software Engineering (SeSa) Lab - University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
| | - Fabio Palomba
- Software Engineering (SeSa) Lab - University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
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18
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Breveglieri R, Borgomaneri S, Bosco A, Filippini M, De Vitis M, Tessari A, Avenanti A, Galletti C, Fattori P. rTMS over the human medial parietal cortex impairs online reaching corrections. Brain Struct Funct 2024; 229:297-310. [PMID: 38141108 PMCID: PMC10917872 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02735-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Indirect correlational evidence suggests that the posteromedial sector of the human parietal cortex (area hV6A) is involved in reaching corrections. We interfered with hV6A functions using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) while healthy participants performed reaching movements and in-flight adjustments of the hand trajectory in presence of unexpected target shifts. rTMS over hV6A specifically altered action reprogramming, causing deviations of the shifted trajectories, particularly along the vertical dimension (i.e., distance). This study provides evidence of the functional relevance of hV6A in action reprogramming while a sudden event requires a change in performance and shows that hV6A also plays a role in state estimation during reaching. These findings are in line with neurological data showing impairments in actions performed along the distance dimension when lesions occur in the dorsal posterior parietal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossella Breveglieri
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta S. Donato 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Sara Borgomaneri
- Center for studies and research in Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Cesena Campus, 47521, Cesena, Italy
| | - Annalisa Bosco
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta S. Donato 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy
- Alma Mater Research Institute For Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (Alma Human AI), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Matteo Filippini
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta S. Donato 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy
- Alma Mater Research Institute For Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (Alma Human AI), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Marina De Vitis
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta S. Donato 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessia Tessari
- Alma Mater Research Institute For Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (Alma Human AI), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, 40127, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessio Avenanti
- Center for studies and research in Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Cesena Campus, 47521, Cesena, Italy
- Center for research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neurosciences, Catholic University of Maule, 3460000, Talca, Chile
| | - Claudio Galletti
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta S. Donato 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Patrizia Fattori
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta S. Donato 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy
- Alma Mater Research Institute For Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (Alma Human AI), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Bimonte VM, Catanzaro G, Po A, Trocchianesi S, Besharat ZM, Spinello Z, Curreli M, Fabi A, Bei R, Milella M, Vacca A, Ferretti E, Migliaccio S. The endocrine disruptor cadmium modulates the androgen-estrogen receptors ratio and induces inflammatory cytokines in luminal (A) cell models of breast cancer. Endocrine 2024; 83:798-809. [PMID: 37979099 PMCID: PMC10902028 DOI: 10.1007/s12020-023-03594-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignancy that affects women, and it is, to date, their leading cause of death. Luminal A molecular subtype accounts for 40% of BC and is characterized by hormone receptors positive/human epidermal growth factor 2 expression and current treatment consists of surgery plus aromatase inhibitor therapy. Interestingly, several studies demonstrated that the heavy metal cadmium (Cd), classified as a group 1 human carcinogen and widely spread in the environment, exerts estrogen-like activities in several tissues and suggested an intriguing relationship between increased Cd exposure and BC incidence. Thus, aim of this study was to evaluate effects of Cd on Luminal A BC estrogen receptor (ER) positive/progesterone receptor positive cell models in vitro to characterize the mechanism(s) involved in breast cell homeostasis disruption. METHODS T47D and MCF7 were exposed to Cd (0.5-1 µM) for 6-24 h to evaluate potential alterations in: cells viability, steroid receptors and intracellular signaling by western blot. Moreover, we evaluated the expression of inflammatory cytokines interleukin by RT-PCR. RESULTS Our results showed a significant induction of androgen receptor (AR) and an increased AR/ER ratio. Further, Cd exposure increased pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)6, IL8 and tumor necrosis factor α levels. Finally, as previously demonstrated by our group, Cd alters pathways such as mitogen-activated protein kinase family and protein kinase B. CONCLUSION In conclusion, our study demonstrates that Cd modifies the expression and pattern of ERs and AR in BC cell lines, suggesting an alteration of BC cells homeostasis, likely predisposing to a carcinogenetic microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviana M Bimonte
- Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Foro Italico, 00195, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Catanzaro
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Agnese Po
- Department of Molecular Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Sofia Trocchianesi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Zein Mersini Besharat
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Zaira Spinello
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Mariaignazia Curreli
- Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Foro Italico, 00195, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Fabi
- Precision Medicine in Senology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Bei
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Michele Milella
- Department of Oncology, University of Verona, 37134, Verona, Italy
| | - Alessandra Vacca
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Ferretti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Migliaccio
- Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Foro Italico, 00195, Rome, Italy.
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20
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Toffol G, Pennacchioni G, Menegon L, Wallis D, Faccenda M, Camacho A, Bestmann M. On-fault earthquake energy density partitioning from shocked garnet in an exhumed seismic midcrustal fault. Sci Adv 2024; 10:eadi8533. [PMID: 38427735 PMCID: PMC10906929 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi8533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
The energy released during an earthquake is mostly dissipated in the fault zone and subordinately as radiated seismic waves. The on-fault energy budget is partitioned into frictional heat, generation of new grain surface by microfracturing, and crystal-lattice distortion associated with dislocation defects. The relative contribution of these components is debated and difficult to assess, but this energy partitioning strongly influences earthquake mechanics. We use high-resolution scanning-electron-microscopy techniques, especially to analyze shocked garnet in a fault wall-rock, to provide the first estimate of all three energy components for a seismic fault patch exhumed from midcrustal conditions. Fault single-jerk seismicity is recorded by the presence of pristine quenched frictional melt. The estimated value of energy per unit fault surface is ~13 megajoules per square meter for heat, which is predominant with respect to both surface energy (up to 0.29 megajoules per square meter) and energy associated with crystal lattice distortion (0.02 megajoules per square meter).
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Toffol
- Department of Geosciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Luca Menegon
- Njord Centre, Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - David Wallis
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Alfredo Camacho
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
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21
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Messina A, Sovrano VA, Baratti G, Musa A, Gobbo A, Adiletta A, Sgadò P. Valproic acid exposure affects social visual lateralization and asymmetric gene expression in zebrafish larvae. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4474. [PMID: 38395997 PMCID: PMC10891151 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54356-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Cerebral asymmetry is critical for typical brain function and development; at the same time, altered brain lateralization seems to be associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. Zebrafish are increasingly emerging as model species to study brain lateralization, using asymmetric development of the habenula, a phylogenetically old brain structure associated with social and emotional processing, to investigate the relationship between brain asymmetry and social behavior. We exposed 5-h post-fertilization zebrafish embryos to valproic acid (VPA), a compound used to model the core signs of ASD in many vertebrate species, and assessed social interaction, visual lateralization and gene expression in the thalamus and the telencephalon. VPA-exposed zebrafish exhibit social deficits and a deconstruction of social visual laterality to the mirror. We also observe changes in the asymmetric expression of the epithalamic marker leftover and in the size of the dorsolateral part of the habenula in adult zebrafish. Our data indicate that VPA exposure neutralizes the animals' visual field bias, with a complete loss of the left-eye use bias in front of their own mirror image, and alters brain asymmetric gene expression and morphology, opening new perspectives to investigate brain lateralization and its link to atypical social cognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Messina
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza della Manifattura 1, 38068, Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Valeria Anna Sovrano
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza della Manifattura 1, 38068, Rovereto, TN, Italy.
| | - Greta Baratti
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza della Manifattura 1, 38068, Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Alessia Musa
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza della Manifattura 1, 38068, Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Alessandra Gobbo
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza della Manifattura 1, 38068, Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Alice Adiletta
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza della Manifattura 1, 38068, Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Paola Sgadò
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza della Manifattura 1, 38068, Rovereto, TN, Italy.
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22
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Galluccio M, Tripicchio M, Console L, Indiveri C. Bacterial over-production of the functionally active human SLC38A2 (SNAT2) exploiting the mistic tag: a cheap and fast tool for testing ligands. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:336. [PMID: 38393484 PMCID: PMC10891243 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-08976-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND SLC38A2 is a ubiquitously expressed Na+-dependent transporter specific for small and medium neutral amino acids. It is involved in human pathologies, such as type II diabetes and cancer. Despite its relevance in human physio-pathology, structure/function relationship studies and identification of ligands with regulatory roles are still in infancy. METHODS AND RESULTS The cDNA coding for SLC38A2 was cloned in the pET-28-Mistic vector, and the BL21 codon plus RIL strain was transformed with the recombinant construct. 0.5% glucose and oxygen availability were crucial for protein expression. The over-expressed hSNAT2-Mistic chimera was cleaved on column and purified by nickel-chelating affinity chromatography, with a yield of about 60 mg/Liter cell culture. The purified hSNAT2 was reconstituted in proteoliposomes in an active form with a right-side-out orientation with respect to the native membrane. CONCLUSIONS The addition of a Mistic tag at the N-terminus of the SNAT2 protein was crucial for its over-expression and purification. The purified protein was functionally active, representing a powerful tool for performing structure/function studies and testing ligands as inhibitors and/or activators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Galluccio
- Department DiBEST (Biologia, Ecologia, Scienze Della Terra) Laboratory of Biochemistry, Molecular Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4C-6C, 87036, Arcavacata di Rende, Italy
| | - Martina Tripicchio
- Department DiBEST (Biologia, Ecologia, Scienze Della Terra) Laboratory of Biochemistry, Molecular Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4C-6C, 87036, Arcavacata di Rende, Italy
| | - Lara Console
- Department DiBEST (Biologia, Ecologia, Scienze Della Terra) Laboratory of Biochemistry, Molecular Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4C-6C, 87036, Arcavacata di Rende, Italy
| | - Cesare Indiveri
- Department DiBEST (Biologia, Ecologia, Scienze Della Terra) Laboratory of Biochemistry, Molecular Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4C-6C, 87036, Arcavacata di Rende, Italy.
- Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnology (IBIOM), National Research Council (CNR), Via Amendola 122/O, 70126, Bari, Italy.
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Yang B, Suo J, Bogachuk D, Kaiser W, Baretzky C, Er-Raji O, Loukeris G, Alothman AA, Mosconi E, Kohlstädt M, Würfel U, De Angelis F, Hagfeldt A. A universal ligand for lead coordination and tailored crystal growth in perovskite solar cells. Energy Environ Sci 2024; 17:1549-1558. [PMID: 38384422 PMCID: PMC10877579 DOI: 10.1039/d3ee02344c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Chemical environment and precursor-coordinating molecular interactions within a perovskite precursor solution can lead to important implications in structural defects and crystallization kinetics of a perovskite film. Thus, the opto-electronic quality of such films can be boosted by carefully fine-tuning the coordination chemistry of perovskite precursors via controllable introduction of additives, capable of forming intermediate complexes. In this work, we employed a new type of ligand, namely 1-phenylguanidine (PGua), which coordinates strongly with the PbI2 complexes in the perovskite precursor, forming new intermediate species. These strong interactions effectively retard the perovskite crystallization process and form homogeneous films with enlarged grain sizes and reduced density of defects. In combination with an interfacial treatment, the resulted champion devices exhibit a 24.6% efficiency with outstanding operational stability. Unprecedently, PGua can be applied in various PSCs with different perovskite compositions and even in both configurations: n-i-p and p-i-n, highlighting the universality of this ligand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bowen Yang
- Department of Chemistry - Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University SE-75120 Uppsala Sweden
- Laboratory of Photomolecular Science, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne CH-1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Jiajia Suo
- Department of Chemistry - Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University SE-75120 Uppsala Sweden
- Laboratory of Photomolecular Science, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne CH-1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Dmitry Bogachuk
- Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Heidenhofstr. 2 79110 Freiburg Germany
| | - Waldemar Kaiser
- Computational Laboratory for Hybrid/Organic Photovoltaics (CLHYO), Istituto CNR di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche "Giulio Natta" (CNR-SCITEC), Via Elce di Sotto 8 06123 Perugia Italy
| | - Clemens Baretzky
- Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Heidenhofstr. 2 79110 Freiburg Germany
- Freiburg Materials Research Center FMF, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 21 79104 Freiburg Germany
| | - Oussama Er-Raji
- Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Heidenhofstr. 2 79110 Freiburg Germany
- Department of Sustainable Systems Engineering (INATECH), Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Emmy-Noether-str. 2 79110 Freiburg Germany
| | - Georgios Loukeris
- Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Heidenhofstr. 2 79110 Freiburg Germany
- Freiburg Materials Research Center FMF, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 21 79104 Freiburg Germany
| | - Asma A Alothman
- Chemistry Department, College of Science, King Saud University Riyadh 11451 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Edoardo Mosconi
- Computational Laboratory for Hybrid/Organic Photovoltaics (CLHYO), Istituto CNR di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche "Giulio Natta" (CNR-SCITEC), Via Elce di Sotto 8 06123 Perugia Italy
- Chemistry Department, College of Science, King Saud University Riyadh 11451 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Markus Kohlstädt
- Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Heidenhofstr. 2 79110 Freiburg Germany
- Freiburg Materials Research Center FMF, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 21 79104 Freiburg Germany
| | - Uli Würfel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Heidenhofstr. 2 79110 Freiburg Germany
- Freiburg Materials Research Center FMF, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 21 79104 Freiburg Germany
| | - Filippo De Angelis
- Computational Laboratory for Hybrid/Organic Photovoltaics (CLHYO), Istituto CNR di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche "Giulio Natta" (CNR-SCITEC), Via Elce di Sotto 8 06123 Perugia Italy
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8 06123 Perugia Italy
- SKKU Institute of Energy Science and Technology (SIEST), Sungkyunkwan University 440-746 Suwon Korea
| | - Anders Hagfeldt
- Department of Chemistry - Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University SE-75120 Uppsala Sweden
- Laboratory of Photomolecular Science, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne CH-1015 Lausanne Switzerland
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24
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Poli A, Zanellati A, Piano E, Biagioli F, Coleine C, Nicolosi G, Selbmann L, Isaia M, Prigione V, Varese GC. Cultivable fungal diversity in two karstic caves in Italy: under-investigated habitats as source of putative novel taxa. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4164. [PMID: 38378919 PMCID: PMC10879487 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54548-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbial diversity of caves is largely understudied and its possible applications are still unknown. Autochthonous fungi, in particular, may have the potential to biomineralize metals and may be used as promising agents for bioremediation of polluted sites; thus, unearthing the fungal diversity in hypogean ecosystems is nowadays of utmost importance. To start addressing this knowledge gap, the cultivable mycobiota of two neighbouring caves-one natural and one exploited for touristic purposes-were characterised and compared by studying fungi isolated from sediments collected at increasing distances from the entrance. Overall, 250 fungal isolates ascribable to 69 taxa (mainly Ascomycota) were found, a high percentage of which was reported in caves for the first time. The sediments of the touristic cave displayed a richer and more diversified community in comparison with the natural one, possibly due to visitors carrying propagules or organic material. Considering that these environments are still poorly explored, chances to detect new fungal lineages are not negligible.
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Grants
- 2017HTXT2R Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca
- 2017HTXT2R Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca
- 2017HTXT2R Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca
- 2017HTXT2R Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca
- 2017HTXT2R Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca
- 2017HTXT2R Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca
- 2017HTXT2R Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca
- 2017HTXT2R Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca
- 2017HTXT2R Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca
- 2017HTXT2R Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca
- IR0000005 European Commission - NextGenerationEU
- IR0000005 European Commission - NextGenerationEU
- IR0000005 European Commission - NextGenerationEU
- Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca
- European Commission – NextGenerationEU
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Affiliation(s)
- A Poli
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Mycotheca Universitatis Taurinensis, University of Torino, Viale Mattioli 25, 10100, Torino, Italy
| | - A Zanellati
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Mycotheca Universitatis Taurinensis, University of Torino, Viale Mattioli 25, 10100, Torino, Italy
| | - E Piano
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Torino, Italy
| | - F Biagioli
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Largo Dell'Università, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - C Coleine
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Largo Dell'Università, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - G Nicolosi
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Torino, Italy
| | - L Selbmann
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Largo Dell'Università, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - M Isaia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Torino, Italy
| | - V Prigione
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Mycotheca Universitatis Taurinensis, University of Torino, Viale Mattioli 25, 10100, Torino, Italy.
| | - G C Varese
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Mycotheca Universitatis Taurinensis, University of Torino, Viale Mattioli 25, 10100, Torino, Italy
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25
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Travain T, Lazebnik T, Zamansky A, Cafazzo S, Valsecchi P, Natoli E. Environmental enrichments and data-driven welfare indicators for sheltered dogs using telemetric physiological measures and signal processing. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3346. [PMID: 38336994 PMCID: PMC10858038 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53932-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Shelters are stressful environments for domestic dogs which are known to negatively impact their welfare. The introduction of outside stimuli for dogs in this environment can improve their welfare and life conditions. However, our current understanding of the influence of different stimuli on shelter dogs' welfare is limited and the data is still insufficient to draw conclusions. In this study, we collected 28 days (four weeks) of telemetry data from eight male dogs housed in an Italian shelter for a long period of time. During this period, three types of enrichment were introduced into the dogs' pens for one week each: entertaining objects, intraspecific, and interspecific social enrichment, by means of the presence of female conspecifics and the presence of a human. To quantify their impact, we introduce novel metrics as indicators of sheltered dogs' welfare based on telemetry data: the variation of heart rate, muscle activity, and body temperature from an average baseline day, quality of sleep, and the regularity for cyclicity of the aforementioned parameters, based on the day-night cycle. Using these metrics, we show that while all three stimuli statistically improve the dogs' welfare, the variance between individual dogs is large. Moreover, our findings indicate that the presence of female conspecific is the best stimulus among the three explored options which improves both the quality of sleep and the parameters' cyclicity. Our results are consistent with previous research findings while providing novel data-driven welfare indicators that promote objectivity. Thus, this research provides some useful guidelines for managing shelters and improving dogs' welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziano Travain
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences, and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
| | - Teddy Lazebnik
- Department of Mathematics, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
- Department of Cancer Biology, Cancer Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Anna Zamansky
- Information Systems Department, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | | | - Paola Valsecchi
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences, and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
- Sleep Disorders Center, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Eugenia Natoli
- Canile Sovrazonale, ASL Roma 3 (Local Health Unit Rome 3), Rome, Italy
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26
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Vriens E, Szekely A, Lipari F, Antonioni A, Sánchez A, Tummolini L, Andrighetto G. Assessing the effects of pandemic risk on cooperation and social norms using a before-after Covid-19 comparison in two long-term experiments. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3356. [PMID: 38336820 PMCID: PMC10858192 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53427-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
How does threat from disease shape our cooperative actions and the social norms that guide such behaviour? To study these questions, we draw on a collective-risk social dilemma experiment that we ran before the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic (Wave 1, 2018) and compare this to its exact replication, sampling from the same population, that we conducted during the first wave of the pandemic (Wave 2, 2020). Tightness-looseness theory predicts and evidence generally supports that both cooperation and accompanying social norms should increase, yet, we mostly did not find this. Contributions, the probability of reaching the threshold (cooperation), and the contents of the social norm (how much people should contribute) remained similar across the waves, although the strength of these social norms were slightly greater in Wave 2. We also study whether the results from Wave 1 that should not be affected by the pandemic-the relationship between social norms and cooperation and specific behavioural types-replicate in Wave 2 and find that these results generally hold. Overall, our work demonstrates that social norms are important drivers of cooperation, yet, communicable diseases, at least in the short term, have little or no effects on either.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Vriens
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, Italian National Research Council, Rome, Italy.
- Institute for Futures Studies, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Aron Szekely
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, Italian National Research Council, Rome, Italy
- Collegio Carlo Alberto, Turin, Italy
| | - Francesca Lipari
- Department of Economic Analysis and Quantitative Economics, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Antonioni
- Grupo Interdisciplinar de Sistemas Complejos (GISC), Departamento de Matemáticas, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Leganés, Spain
| | - Angel Sánchez
- Grupo Interdisciplinar de Sistemas Complejos (GISC), Departamento de Matemáticas, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Leganés, Spain
- Instituto de Biocomputación y Física de Sistemas Complejos (BIFI), Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Luca Tummolini
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, Italian National Research Council, Rome, Italy
- Institute for Futures Studies, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Giulia Andrighetto
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, Italian National Research Council, Rome, Italy
- Institute for Futures Studies, Stockholm, Sweden
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27
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Pecci V, Troisi F, Aiello A, De Martino S, Carlino A, Fiorentino V, Ripoli C, Rotili D, Pierconti F, Martini M, Porru M, Pinto F, Mai A, Bassi PF, Grassi C, Gaetano C, Pontecorvi A, Strigari L, Farsetti A, Nanni S. Targeting of H19/cell adhesion molecules circuitry by GSK-J4 epidrug inhibits metastatic progression in prostate cancer. Cancer Cell Int 2024; 24:56. [PMID: 38317193 PMCID: PMC10845766 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-024-03231-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND About 30% of Prostate cancer (PCa) patients progress to metastatic PCa that remains largely incurable. This evidence underlines the need for the development of innovative therapies. In this direction, the potential research focus might be on long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) like H19, which serve critical biological functions and show significant dysregulation in cancer. Previously, we showed a transcriptional down-regulation of H19 under combined pro-tumoral estrogen and hypoxia treatment in PCa cells that, in turn, induced both E-cadherin and β4 integrin expression. H19, indeed, acts as transcriptional repressor of cell adhesion molecules affecting the PCa metastatic properties. Here, we investigated the role of H19/cell adhesion molecules circuitry on in vivo PCa experimental tumor growth and metastatic dissemination models. METHODS H19 was silenced in luciferase-positive PC-3 and 22Rv1 cells and in vitro effect was evaluated by gene expression, proliferation and invasion assays before and after treatment with the histone lysine demethylase inhibitor, GSK-J4. In vivo tumor growth and metastasis dissemination, in the presence or absence of GSK-J4, were analyzed in two models of human tumor in immunodeficient mice by in vivo bioluminescent imaging and immunohistochemistry (IHC) on explanted tissues. Organotypic Slice Cultures (OSCs) from fresh PCa-explant were used as ex vivo model to test GSK-J4 effects. RESULTS H19 silencing in both PC-3 and 22Rv1 cells increased: i) E-cadherin and β4 integrin expression as well as proliferation and invasion, ii) in vivo tumor growth, and iii) metastasis formation at bone, lung, and liver. Of note, treatment with GSK-J4 reduced lesions. In parallel, GSK-J4 efficiently induced cell death in PCa-derived OSCs. CONCLUSIONS Our findings underscore the potential of the H19/cell adhesion molecules circuitry as a targeted approach in PCa treatment. Modulating this interaction has proven effective in inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis, presenting a logical foundation for targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Pecci
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, Rome, 00168, Italy
| | - Fabiola Troisi
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, Rome, 00168, Italy
| | | | - Sara De Martino
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, Rome, 00168, Italy
- National Research Council (CNR)-IASI, Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Carlino
- Fondazione "Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS", Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Fiorentino
- Fondazione "Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS", Rome, Italy
- Department of Woman, Child and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristian Ripoli
- Fondazione "Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS", Rome, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Dante Rotili
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologie del Farmaco, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Pierconti
- Fondazione "Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS", Rome, Italy
- Department of Woman, Child and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Martini
- Fondazione "Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS", Rome, Italy
- Department of Woman, Child and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Manuela Porru
- Translational Oncology Research Unit, IRCCS- Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Pinto
- Fondazione "Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS", Rome, Italy
| | - Antonello Mai
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologie del Farmaco, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Pier Francesco Bassi
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, Rome, 00168, Italy
- Fondazione "Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS", Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Grassi
- Fondazione "Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS", Rome, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Gaetano
- Laboratory of Epigenetics, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Alfredo Pontecorvi
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, Rome, 00168, Italy
- Fondazione "Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS", Rome, Italy
| | - Lidia Strigari
- Department of Medical Physics, S. Orsola, Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Simona Nanni
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, Rome, 00168, Italy.
- Fondazione "Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS", Rome, Italy.
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28
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Nougaret S, Ferrucci L, Ceccarelli F, Sacchetti S, Benozzo D, Fascianelli V, Saunders RC, Renaud L, Genovesio A. Neurons in the monkey frontopolar cortex encode learning stage and goal during a fast learning task. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002500. [PMID: 38363801 PMCID: PMC10903959 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The frontopolar cortex (FPC) is, to date, one of the least understood regions of the prefrontal cortex. The current understanding of its function suggests that it plays a role in the control of exploratory behaviors by coordinating the activities of other prefrontal cortex areas involved in decision-making and exploiting actions based on their outcomes. Based on this hypothesis, FPC would drive fast-learning processes through a valuation of the different alternatives. In our study, we used a modified version of a well-known paradigm, the object-in-place (OIP) task, to test this hypothesis in electrophysiology. This paradigm is designed to maximize learning, enabling monkeys to learn in one trial, which is an ability specifically impaired after a lesion of the FPC. We showed that FPC neurons presented an extremely specific pattern of activity by representing the learning stage, exploration versus exploitation, and the goal of the action. However, our results do not support the hypothesis that neurons in the frontal pole compute an evaluation of different alternatives. Indeed, the position of the chosen target was strongly encoded at its acquisition, but the position of the unchosen target was not. Once learned, this representation was also found at the problem presentation, suggesting a monitoring activity of the synthetic goal preceding its acquisition. Our results highlight important features of FPC neurons in fast-learning processes without confirming their role in the disengagement of cognitive control from the current goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Nougaret
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Ferrucci
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Ceccarelli
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- PhD program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Sacchetti
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Danilo Benozzo
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Fascianelli
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Richard C. Saunders
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Luc Renaud
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR7289, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Aldo Genovesio
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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29
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Steyde G, Spairani E, Magenes G, Signorini MG. Fetal heart rate spectral analysis in raw signals and PRSA-derived curve: normal and pathological fetuses discrimination. Med Biol Eng Comput 2024; 62:437-447. [PMID: 37889432 PMCID: PMC10794317 DOI: 10.1007/s11517-023-02953-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Cardiotocography (CTG) is the most common technique for electronic fetal monitoring and consists of the simultaneous recording of fetal heart rate (FHR) and uterine contractions. In analogy with the adult case, spectral analysis of the FHR signal can be used to assess the functionality of the autonomic nervous system. To do so, several methods can be employed, each of which has its strengths and limitations. This paper aims at performing a methodological investigation on FHR spectral analysis adopting 4 different spectrum estimators and a novel PRSA-based spectral method. The performances have been evaluated in terms of the ability of the various methods to detect changes in the FHR in two common pregnancy complications: intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and gestational diabetes. A balanced dataset containing 2178 recordings distributed between the 32nd and 38th week of gestation was used. The results show that the spectral method derived from the PRSA better differentiates high-risk pregnancies vs. controls compared to the others. Specifically, it more robustly detects an increase in power percentage within the movement frequency band and a decrease in high frequency between pregnancies at high risk in comparison to those at low risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Steyde
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milano, Italy.
| | - Edoardo Spairani
- Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering Department, Università di Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giovanni Magenes
- Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering Department, Università di Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Maria G Signorini
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milano, Italy
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30
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Iazzolino B, Grassano M, Moglia C, Canosa A, Manera U, Vasta R, Cabras S, Callegaro S, Matteoni E, Di Pede F, Palumbo F, Mora G, Calvo A, Chiò A. High serum uric acid levels are protective against cognitive impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurol 2024; 271:955-961. [PMID: 37880536 PMCID: PMC10827906 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-12056-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Uric acid (UA) has emerged as a factor that can modify cognitive function both in the general population and in people with neurodegenerative disorders. Since very few data are available concerning amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), we explored the correlation of UA levels and cognitive impairment in a large cohort of ALS patients. METHODS We enrolled ALS patients consecutively seen at the Turin ALS expert center in the 2007-2018 period who underwent both cognitive/behavioral and UA evaluation at diagnosis. Patients were classified in 5 categories: normal cognition (ALS-CN), isolated cognitive impairment (ALSci), isolated behavioural impairment (ALSbi), cognitive and behavioural impairment (ALScbi), frontotemporal dementia (ALS-FTD). For this study, ALSci, ALSbi and ALScbi were merged as ALS with intermediate cognitive impairment (ALS-INT). RESULTS Out of the 841 ALS patients, 422 had ALS-CN, 271 ALS-INT and 148 ALS-FTD. The mean values of UA were significantly different among the cognitive subgroups of patients, with the lowest values in the ALS-FTD (ALS-CN, 288.5 ± 78.0 (μmol/L; ALS-INT, 289.7 ± 75.5 μmol/L; ALS-FTD, 271.8 ± 74.9 μmol/L; p = 0.046). The frequency of ALS-FTD was significantly higher in the 1st tertile of UA. Lower UA levels were independently associated with FTD (OR 1.32, 95% c.i. 1.01-1.43; p = 0.038) in binary logistic regression. CONCLUSIONS We found that in ALS lower UA serum levels are correlated with reduced frequency of co-morbid FTD. Patients with intermediate cognitive impairment showed UA levels similar to ALS-CN but higher than ALS-FTD, implying that higher UA levels can prevent or delay cognitive function deterioration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Iazzolino
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", ALS Center, University of Turin, Via Cherasco 15, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Maurizio Grassano
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", ALS Center, University of Turin, Via Cherasco 15, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Cristina Moglia
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", ALS Center, University of Turin, Via Cherasco 15, 10126, Turin, Italy
- Neurology I, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Antonio Canosa
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", ALS Center, University of Turin, Via Cherasco 15, 10126, Turin, Italy
- Neurology I, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy
- Institute of Cognitive Science and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Umberto Manera
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", ALS Center, University of Turin, Via Cherasco 15, 10126, Turin, Italy
- Neurology I, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Rosario Vasta
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", ALS Center, University of Turin, Via Cherasco 15, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Sara Cabras
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", ALS Center, University of Turin, Via Cherasco 15, 10126, Turin, Italy
- International School of Advanced Studies, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Stefano Callegaro
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", ALS Center, University of Turin, Via Cherasco 15, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Enrico Matteoni
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", ALS Center, University of Turin, Via Cherasco 15, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Francesca Di Pede
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", ALS Center, University of Turin, Via Cherasco 15, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Francesca Palumbo
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", ALS Center, University of Turin, Via Cherasco 15, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Gabriele Mora
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", ALS Center, University of Turin, Via Cherasco 15, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Andrea Calvo
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", ALS Center, University of Turin, Via Cherasco 15, 10126, Turin, Italy
- Neurology I, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Adriano Chiò
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", ALS Center, University of Turin, Via Cherasco 15, 10126, Turin, Italy.
- Neurology I, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy.
- Institute of Cognitive Science and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy.
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31
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Belloni A, Argentieri G, Orilisi G, Notarstefano V, Giorgini E, D'Addazio G, Orsini G, Caputi S, Sinjari B. New insights on collagen structural organization and spatial distribution around dental implants: a comparison between machined and laser-treated surfaces. J Transl Med 2024; 22:120. [PMID: 38297308 PMCID: PMC10829267 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-04906-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND One of the main factors for the osseointegration of dental implants is the development of an adequate soft tissue barrier, mainly composed by collagen, which protects the implant from bacterial development. The structural features of the peri-implant collagen are influenced by the implant components and, in particular, by the type of the surface. In the clinical practice, healing abutments are characterized by smooth surfaces, named machined. Recently, a new laser technique, Synthegra, has been developed to obtain a topography-controlled surface with micrometric regular pores that seems reducing the risk of peri-implantitis. Based on this background, this study aims investigating the structural organization and spatial distribution of collagen surrounding healing abutments characterized by laser-treated and machined surfaces. METHODS Gingiva portions surrounding custom-made healing abutments (HA), characterized by alternated laser-treated and machined surfaces, were collected and analyzed by combining Fourier Transform InfraRed Imaging (FTIRI) spectroscopy, a non-invasive and high-resolution bidimensional analytical technique, with histological and multivariate analyses. RESULTS Masson's trichrome staining, specific for collagen, highlighted a massive presence of collagen in all the analyzed samples, evidencing a surface-related spatial distribution. The nature of collagen, investigated by the FTIRI spectroscopy, appeared more abundant close to the laser-treated surface, with a perpendicular disposition of the bundles respect to the HA; conversely, a parallel distribution was observed around the machined surface. A different secondary structure was also found, with a higher amount of triple helices and a lower quantity of random coils in collagen close to the laser treated surfaces. CONCLUSIONS FTIRI spectroscopy demonstrates that the use of a laser treated transmucosal surface can improve the morphological organization of the peri-implant collagen, which presents a distribution more similar to that of natural teeth. TRIAL REGISTRATION This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: (Registration Number: NCT05754970). Registered 06/03/2023, retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT05754970 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Belloni
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Giulio Argentieri
- Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry, University "G. d'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Giulia Orilisi
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Stomatology, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Valentina Notarstefano
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Giorgini
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Gianmaria D'Addazio
- Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry, University "G. d'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Giovanna Orsini
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Stomatology, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.
| | - Sergio Caputi
- Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry, University "G. d'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Bruna Sinjari
- Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry, University "G. d'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
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Milone M, Pisagatti I, Gattuso G, Notti A, Parisi MF, Brancatelli G, Hickey N, Geremia S. Influence of H-bond competitors on the solvent-dependent structures of an octaurea-calix[4]tube. RSC Adv 2024; 14:4448-4455. [PMID: 38312720 PMCID: PMC10835760 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra08764f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
A novel octaurea-calix[4]tube (UC4T) has been synthesized in three steps from the original Beer's p-tert-butylcalix[4]tube ionophore. In a polar solvent (DMSO-d6), UC4T rapidly interconverts between two identical conformations with C2v symmetry for the two calix[4]arene subunits. However, in a less polar solvent mixture (CDCl3/DMSO-d6, 98 : 2), UC4T adopts a highly distorted asymmetric structure, which hinders the formation of typical tetraurea calix[4]arene capsular assemblies. The complexation of potassium (or barium) cations inside the dioxyethylene ionophoric binding site of UC4T triggers a C2v to C4v symmetry rearrangement of the two calix[4]arene subunits. This rearrangement leads to the formation of a transient capsular dimeric species observed in solution upon the addition of KI or BaCl2·2H2O to a solution (CDCl3/DMSO-d6, 98 : 2) of the macrocycle. X-ray studies confirm UC4T's ability to adopt different asymmetric conformations, depending on its interactions with solvent molecules. Two distinct crystal forms (α and β) of UC4T have been obtained, each displaying divergent calix[4]arene subunits with pinched-cone conformations. These conformations exhibit distinctive head-to-tail (α) or head-to-head/tail-to-tail (β) orientations of the ureido groups, which are involved in hydrogen bonding with solvent molecules. Notably, the pseudo-capsular 1D supramolecular polymeric arrays observed in the β form of UC4T assemble to create large parallel solvent channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Milone
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Biologiche, Farmaceutiche ed Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Messina Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31 Messina 98166 Italy
| | - Ilenia Pisagatti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Biologiche, Farmaceutiche ed Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Messina Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31 Messina 98166 Italy
| | - Giuseppe Gattuso
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Biologiche, Farmaceutiche ed Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Messina Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31 Messina 98166 Italy
| | - Anna Notti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Biologiche, Farmaceutiche ed Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Messina Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31 Messina 98166 Italy
| | - Melchiorre F Parisi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Biologiche, Farmaceutiche ed Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Messina Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31 Messina 98166 Italy
| | - Giovanna Brancatelli
- Centro di Eccellenza in Biocristallografia, Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Trieste Via L. Giorgieri 1 Trieste I-34127 Italy
| | - Neal Hickey
- Centro di Eccellenza in Biocristallografia, Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Trieste Via L. Giorgieri 1 Trieste I-34127 Italy
| | - Silvano Geremia
- Centro di Eccellenza in Biocristallografia, Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Trieste Via L. Giorgieri 1 Trieste I-34127 Italy
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Petrizzo I, Mikellidou K, Avraam S, Avraamides M, Arrighi R. Reshaping the peripersonal space in virtual reality. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2438. [PMID: 38286825 PMCID: PMC10824723 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52383-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Peripersonal space (PPS) is defined as the space that lies within reach. Previous research revealed that PPS can be dynamically reshaped with the use of tools extending the arm's reach. Here we investigated whether PPS reshaping depends on the kind of selected tool and/or the motor routine associated with its use. Participants carried out a visuo-tactile detection task in an immersive VR environment that allowed to measure the PPS size before and after a short period of tools use. In Experiment 1, participants had to pull or push objects towards or away from themselves using a shovel. In Experiment 2, they were required to either hammer or shoot an avatar placed in the Extrapersonal space. We found, for the first time in a VR environment, that a period of pull training was effective in enlarging the PPS, a result that replicates and expands previous findings carried out in real life conditions. However, no significant change in PPS size was achieved for training with other tools and motor routines. Our results suggest that the reshaping of PPS is a complex phenomenon in which the kind of interaction between the agent, the targets and the exploited motor routines all play a critical role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Petrizzo
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Pharmacology, and Child Health, University of Florence, 50135, Florence, Italy
- Department of Management, CIIM Business School, University of Limassol, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Kyriaki Mikellidou
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Pharmacology, and Child Health, University of Florence, 50135, Florence, Italy.
- Department of Management, CIIM Business School, University of Limassol, Limassol, Cyprus.
- Department of Psychology & Center for Applied Neuroscience, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus.
| | | | - Marios Avraamides
- Department of Psychology & Center for Applied Neuroscience, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
- CYENS Centre of Excellence, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Roberto Arrighi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Pharmacology, and Child Health, University of Florence, 50135, Florence, Italy
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Aulitto M, Alfano A, Maresca E, Avolio R, Errico ME, Gentile G, Cozzolino F, Monti M, Pirozzi A, Donsì F, Cimini D, Schiraldi C, Contursi P. Thermophilic biocatalysts for one-step conversion of citrus waste into lactic acid. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:155. [PMID: 38244047 PMCID: PMC10799777 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12904-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
Agri-food residues offer significant potential as a raw material for the production of L-lactic acid through microbial fermentation. Weizmannia coagulans, previously known as Bacillus coagulans, is a spore-forming, lactic acid-producing, gram-positive, with known probiotic and prebiotic properties. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing untreated citrus waste as a sustainable feedstock for the production of L-lactic acid in a one-step process, by using the strain W. coagulans MA-13. By employing a thermophilic enzymatic cocktail (Cellic CTec2) in conjunction with the hydrolytic capabilities of MA-13, biomass degradation was enhanced by up to 62%. Moreover, batch and fed-batch fermentation experiments demonstrated the complete fermentation of glucose into L-lactic acid, achieving a concentration of up to 44.8 g/L. These results point to MA-13 as a microbial cell factory for one-step production of L-lactic acid, by combining cost-effective saccharification with MA-13 fermentative performance, on agri-food wastes. Moreover, the potential of this approach for sustainable valorization of agricultural waste streams is successfully proven. KEY POINTS: • Valorization of citrus waste, an abundant residue in Mediterranean countries. • Sustainable production of the L-( +)-lactic acid in one-step process. • Enzymatic pretreatment is a valuable alternative to the use of chemical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Aulitto
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II,", Naples, Italy
- Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Italy
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Alberto Alfano
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Biotechnology, Medical Histology and Molecular Biology Naples, University of Campania L. Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Emanuela Maresca
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II,", Naples, Italy
| | - Roberto Avolio
- Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Maria Emanuela Errico
- Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Gennaro Gentile
- Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Flora Cozzolino
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II," Naples, Italy; CEINGE Advanced Biotechnologies, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Monti
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II," Naples, Italy; CEINGE Advanced Biotechnologies, Naples, Italy
| | - Annachiara Pirozzi
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084, Fisciano, Italy
| | - Francesco Donsì
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084, Fisciano, Italy
| | - Donatella Cimini
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Biotechnology, Medical Histology and Molecular Biology Naples, University of Campania L. Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy.
| | - Chiara Schiraldi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Biotechnology, Medical Histology and Molecular Biology Naples, University of Campania L. Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Patrizia Contursi
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II,", Naples, Italy.
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133, Palermo, Italy.
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Melica ME, Cialdai F, La Regina G, Risaliti C, Dafichi T, Peired AJ, Romagnani P, Monici M, Lasagni L. Modeled microgravity unravels the roles of mechanical forces in renal progenitor cell physiology. Stem Cell Res Ther 2024; 15:20. [PMID: 38233961 PMCID: PMC10795253 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-024-03633-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The glomerulus is a highly complex system, composed of different interdependent cell types that are subjected to various mechanical stimuli. These stimuli regulate multiple cellular functions, and changes in these functions may contribute to tissue damage and disease progression. To date, our understanding of the mechanobiology of glomerular cells is limited, with most research focused on the adaptive response of podocytes. However, it is crucial to recognize the interdependence between podocytes and parietal epithelial cells, in particular with the progenitor subset, as it plays a critical role in various manifestations of glomerular diseases. This highlights the necessity to implement the analysis of the effects of mechanical stress on renal progenitor cells. METHODS Microgravity, modeled by Rotary Cell Culture System, has been employed as a system to investigate how renal progenitor cells respond to alterations in the mechanical cues within their microenvironment. Changes in cell phenotype, cytoskeleton organization, cell proliferation, cell adhesion and cell capacity for differentiation into podocytes were analyzed. RESULTS In modeled microgravity conditions, renal progenitor cells showed altered cytoskeleton and focal adhesion organization associated with a reduction in cell proliferation, cell adhesion and spreading capacity. Moreover, mechanical forces appeared to be essential for renal progenitor differentiation into podocytes. Indeed, when renal progenitors were exposed to a differentiative agent in modeled microgravity conditions, it impaired the acquisition of a complex podocyte-like F-actin cytoskeleton and the expression of specific podocyte markers, such as nephrin and nestin. Importantly, the stabilization of the cytoskeleton with a calcineurin inhibitor, cyclosporine A, rescued the differentiation of renal progenitor cells into podocytes in modeled microgravity conditions. CONCLUSIONS Alterations in the organization of the renal progenitor cytoskeleton due to unloading conditions negatively affect the regenerative capacity of these cells. These findings strengthen the concept that changes in mechanical cues can initiate a pathophysiological process in the glomerulus, not only altering podocyte actin cytoskeleton, but also extending the detrimental effect to the renal progenitor population. This underscores the significance of the cytoskeleton as a druggable target for kidney diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Elena Melica
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 50, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - Francesca Cialdai
- ASAcampus Joint Laboratory, ASA Res. Div., Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale G. Pieraccini 6, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Gilda La Regina
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 50, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - Chiara Risaliti
- ASAcampus Joint Laboratory, ASA Res. Div., Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale G. Pieraccini 6, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Tommaso Dafichi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 50, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - Anna Julie Peired
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 50, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - Paola Romagnani
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 50, 50134, Florence, Italy
- Nephrology and Dialysis Unit, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Monica Monici
- ASAcampus Joint Laboratory, ASA Res. Div., Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale G. Pieraccini 6, 50139, Florence, Italy.
| | - Laura Lasagni
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 50, 50134, Florence, Italy
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Bertran A, De Zotti M, Timmel CR, Di Valentin M, Bowen AM. Determining and controlling conformational information from orientationally selective light-induced triplet-triplet electron resonance spectroscopy for a set of bis-porphyrin rulers. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:2589-2602. [PMID: 38170870 PMCID: PMC10793979 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp03454b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
We recently reported a new technique, light-induced triplet-triplet electron resonance (LITTER) spectroscopy, which allows quantification of the dipolar interaction between the photogenerated triplet states of two chromophores. Here we carry out a systematic LITTER study, considering orientation selection by the detection pulses, of a series of bis-porphyrin model peptides with different porphyrin-porphyrin distances and relative orientations. Orientation-dependent analysis of the dipolar datasets yields conformational information of the molecules in frozen solution which is in good agreement with density functional theory predictions. Additionally, a fast partial orientational-averaging treatment produces distance distributions with minimized orientational artefacts. Finally, by direct comparison of LITTER data to double electron-electron resonance (DEER) measured on a system with Cu(II) coordinated into the porphyrins, we demonstrate the advantages of the LITTER technique over the standard DEER methodology. This is due to the remarkable spectroscopic properties of the photogenerated porphyrin triplet state. This work sets the basis for the use of LITTER in structural investigations of unmodified complex biological macromolecules, which could be combined with Förster resonance energy transfer and microscopy inside cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnau Bertran
- Centre for Advanced Electron Spin Resonance and Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QR, UK.
| | - Marta De Zotti
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
- Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca "Centro Studi di Economia e Tecnica dell'energia Giorgio Levi Cases", 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Christiane R Timmel
- Centre for Advanced Electron Spin Resonance and Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QR, UK.
| | - Marilena Di Valentin
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
- Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca "Centro Studi di Economia e Tecnica dell'energia Giorgio Levi Cases", 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Alice M Bowen
- The National Research Facility for Electron Paramagnetic Resonance, Department of Chemistry and Photon Science Institute, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
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Dolci M, Colico C, Ambrogi F, Favi E, Signorini L, Perego M, Campioli E, Maina KK, Ferrante P, Ferraresso M, Delbue S. Longitudinal study of human polyomaviruses viruria in kidney transplant recipients. Clin Exp Med 2024; 24:3. [PMID: 38231278 PMCID: PMC10794280 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-023-01290-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Immunosuppression after kidney transplantation (KTx) exposes recipients to Human Polyomaviruses (HPyVs) infections, whose natural history is still misunderstood. METHODS Allograft biopsies, and urine from 58 donor-recipient pairs were collected before KTx (T0) and 1 (T1), 15 (T2), 30 (T3), 60 (T4), 90 (T5), 180 (T6), 270 (T7), 360 (T8), and 540 (T9) days after transplant. Specimens were tested for JC (JCPyV) and BK (BKPyV), by quantitative Real-Time PCR. The course of post-KTx HPyVs viruria, and the association between JCPyV viruria in recipients and donors, were evaluated. RESULTS HPyVs were detected in 3/58 (5.2%) allograft biopsies. HPyVs viruria was present in 29/58 (50%) donors and 41/58 (70.7%) recipients. JCPyV DNA was detected in 26/58 (44.8%) donors and 25/58 recipients (43.1%), 19 of whom received kidney from JCPyV positive donor, whereas BKPyV genome was detected in 3 (5.2%) donors and 22 (37.9%) recipients. The median time of JCPyV, and BKPyV first episode of replication was 1, and 171 days post KTx, respectively. At T0, JCPyV viruria of donors was associated with increased risk of JCPyV replication post-KTx; recipients with JCPyV positive donors showed lower risk of BKPyV replication post-KTx. CONCLUSIONS The results suggested that JCPyV may be transmitted by allograft, and that its replication post KTx might prevent BKPyV reactivation. Future investigation regarding correlation between chronic exposure to immunosuppressive agents and HPyVs urinary replication are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Dolci
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milano, Via Carlo Pascal 36, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Caterina Colico
- Department of Emergency Surgery, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Federico Ambrogi
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Milan, Italy
| | - Evaldo Favi
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- General Surgery and Kidney Transplantation, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Lucia Signorini
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milano, Via Carlo Pascal 36, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Perego
- General Surgery and Kidney Transplantation, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Edoardo Campioli
- General Surgery and Kidney Transplantation, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Kevin Kamau Maina
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milano, Via Carlo Pascal 36, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Pasquale Ferrante
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milano, Via Carlo Pascal 36, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Mariano Ferraresso
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- General Surgery and Kidney Transplantation, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Serena Delbue
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milano, Via Carlo Pascal 36, 20133, Milan, Italy.
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Ambrosini G, Cordani M, Zarrabi A, Alcon-Rodriguez S, Sainz RM, Velasco G, Gonzalez-Menendez P, Dando I. Transcending frontiers in prostate cancer: the role of oncometabolites on epigenetic regulation, CSCs, and tumor microenvironment to identify new therapeutic strategies. Cell Commun Signal 2024; 22:36. [PMID: 38216942 PMCID: PMC10790277 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01462-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer, as one of the most prevalent malignancies in males, exhibits an approximate 5-year survival rate of 95% in advanced stages. A myriad of molecular events and mutations, including the accumulation of oncometabolites, underpin the genesis and progression of this cancer type. Despite growing research demonstrating the pivotal role of oncometabolites in supporting various cancers, including prostate cancer, the root causes of their accumulation, especially in the absence of enzymatic mutations, remain elusive. Consequently, identifying a tangible therapeutic target poses a formidable challenge. In this review, we aim to delve deeper into the implications of oncometabolite accumulation in prostate cancer. We center our focus on the consequential epigenetic alterations and impacts on cancer stem cells, with the ultimate goal of outlining novel therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Ambrosini
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134, Verona, Italy
| | - Marco Cordani
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
- Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Ali Zarrabi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Natural Sciences, Istinye University, Istanbul, 34396, Turkey
- Department of Research Analytics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, 600 077, India
| | - Sergio Alcon-Rodriguez
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, School of Medicine, Julián Claveria 6, 33006, Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), University of Oviedo, 33006, Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA), 33011, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Rosa M Sainz
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, School of Medicine, Julián Claveria 6, 33006, Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), University of Oviedo, 33006, Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA), 33011, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Guillermo Velasco
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, 28040, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro Gonzalez-Menendez
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, School of Medicine, Julián Claveria 6, 33006, Oviedo, Spain.
- Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), University of Oviedo, 33006, Oviedo, Spain.
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA), 33011, Oviedo, Spain.
| | - Ilaria Dando
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134, Verona, Italy.
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Barresi V, Cardoni A, Miele E, Pedace L, Masotto B, Nardini C, Barresi S, Rossi S. CNS tumor with CREBBP::BCORL1 Fusion and pathogenic mutations in BCOR and CREBBP: expanding the spectrum of BCOR-altered tumors. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2024; 12:8. [PMID: 38216991 PMCID: PMC10785472 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-024-01726-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The fifth edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of central nervous system (CNS) tumors introduced the new tumor type CNS tumor with BCOR internal tandem duplication (ITD), characterized by a distinct DNA methylation profile and peculiar histopathological features, including a circumscribed growth pattern, ependymoma-like perivascular pseudorosettes, microcystic pattern, absent or focal GFAP immunostaining, OLIG2 positivity, and BCOR immunoreactivity. We describe a rare case of a CNS tumor in a 45-year-old man with histopathological and immunohistochemical features overlapping the CNS tumor with BCOR internal tandem duplication (ITD) but lacking BCOR immunostaining and BCOR ITD. Instead, the tumor showed CREBBP::BCORL1 fusion and pathogenic mutations in BCOR and CREBBP, along with a DNA methylation profile matching the "CNS tumor with EP300:BCOR(L1) fusion" methylation class. Two CNS tumors with fusions between CREBBP, or its paralog EP300, and BCORL1, and approximately twenty CNS tumors with CREBBP/EP300::BCOR fusions have been reported to date. They exhibited similar ependymoma-like features or a microcystic pattern, along with focal or absent GFAP immunostaining, and shared the same DNA methylation profile. Given their morphological and epigenetic similarities, circumscribed CNS tumors with EP300/CREBBP::BCOR(L1) fusions and CNS tumors with BCOR ITD may represent variants of the same tumor type. The ependymoma-like aspect coupled with the lack of diffuse GFAP immunostaining and the presence of OLIG2 positivity are useful clues for recognizing these tumors in histopathological practice. The diagnosis should be confirmed after testing for BCOR(L1) gene fusions and BCOR ITD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Barresi
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Policlinico G.B. Rossi, P.le L.A. Scuro, 10, Verona, 37138, Italy.
| | - Antonello Cardoni
- Pathology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Evelina Miele
- Oncohematology Research Area, Genetics and Epigenetics of tumors, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Pedace
- Oncohematology Research Area, Genetics and Epigenetics of tumors, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara Masotto
- Unit of Cranial Posterior Fossa Surgery, University and Hospital Trust of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Claudia Nardini
- Oncohematology Research Area, Genetics and Epigenetics of tumors, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Sabina Barresi
- Oncohematology Research Area, Genetics and Epigenetics of tumors, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Sabrina Rossi
- Pathology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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Ricciardiello R, Forleo G, Cipolla L, van Winckel G, Marconi C, Nouspikel T, Halazonetis TD, Zgheib O, Sabbioneda S. Homozygous substitution of threonine 191 by proline in polymerase η causes Xeroderma pigmentosum variant. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1117. [PMID: 38212351 PMCID: PMC10784498 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-51120-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
DNA polymerase eta (Polη) is the only translesion synthesis polymerase capable of error-free bypass of UV-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers. A deficiency in Polη function is associated with the human disease Xeroderma pigmentosum variant (XPV). We hereby report the case of a 60-year-old woman known for XPV and carrying a Polη Thr191Pro variant in homozygosity. We further characterize the variant in vitro and in vivo, providing molecular evidence that the substitution abrogates polymerase activity and results in UV sensitivity through deficient damage bypass. This is the first functional molecular characterization of a missense variant of Polη, whose reported pathogenic variants have thus far been loss of function truncation or frameshift mutations. Our work allows the upgrading of Polη Thr191Pro from 'variant of uncertain significance' to 'likely pathogenic mutant', bearing direct impact on molecular diagnosis and genetic counseling. Furthermore, we have established a robust experimental approach that will allow a precise molecular analysis of further missense mutations possibly linked to XPV. Finally, it provides insight into critical Polη residues that may be targeted to develop small molecule inhibitors for cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Ricciardiello
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare "Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza", CNR, Pavia, Italy
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie 'Lazzaro Spallanzani', Università degli Studi di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giulia Forleo
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare "Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza", CNR, Pavia, Italy
| | - Lina Cipolla
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare "Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza", CNR, Pavia, Italy
| | - Geraldine van Winckel
- Division of Medical Genetics, Diagnostics Department, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Caterina Marconi
- Division of Medical Genetics, Diagnostics Department, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Thierry Nouspikel
- Division of Medical Genetics, Diagnostics Department, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Thanos D Halazonetis
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Omar Zgheib
- Division of Medical Genetics, Diagnostics Department, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Simone Sabbioneda
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare "Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza", CNR, Pavia, Italy.
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Vilone D, Polizzi E. Modeling opinion misperception and the emergence of silence in online social system. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296075. [PMID: 38206989 PMCID: PMC10783706 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
In the last decades an increasing deal of research has investigated the phenomenon of opinion misperception in human communities and, more recently, in social media. Opinion misperception is the wrong evaluation by community's members of the real distribution of opinions or beliefs about a given topic. In this work we explore the mechanisms giving rise to opinion misperception in social media groups, which are larger than physical ones and have peculiar topological features. By means of numerical simulations, we suggest that the structure of connections of such communities plays indeed a role in distorting the perception of the agents about others' beliefs, but it is essentially an indirect effect. Moreover, we show that the main ingredient that generates misperception is a spiral of silence induced by few, well connected and charismatic agents, which rapidly drives the majority of individuals to stay silent without disclosing their true belief, leading minoritarian opinions to appear more widespread throughout the community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Vilone
- LABSS (Laboratory of Agent Based Social Simulation), Institute of Cognitive Science and Technology, National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy
- Grupo Interdisciplinar de Sistemas Complejos (GISC), Departamento de Matemáticas, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Leganés, Spain
| | - Eugenia Polizzi
- LABSS (Laboratory of Agent Based Social Simulation), Institute of Cognitive Science and Technology, National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy
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Cordeschi G, Canestrelli D, Porretta D. Sex-biased phenotypic plasticity affects sexual dimorphism patterns under changing environmental conditions. Sci Rep 2024; 14:892. [PMID: 38195624 PMCID: PMC10776787 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51204-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism is almost ubiquitous in animals. A common pattern observed across multiple taxa involves differences in development time (sexual bimaturism) and body size (sexual size dimorphism) between conspecific males and females. Furthermore, a strict association of dimorphism at these traits has been documented in several taxa, where the sex showing shorter development time also has a smaller body size than the other sex. Growth and development are strongly dependent on environmental conditions during individual life-cycle in ectotherms, inducing considerable phenotypic plasticity. However, how phenotypic plasticity affects the association between sexual dimorphism in development time and body size remains unclear. Here, we tracked development time, body size, and body mass throughout the ontogeny of the mosquito Aedes mariae. The larval development of this species is strictly linked to Mediterranean Sea rock-pools, whose highly variable environmental conditions over minimal time frames make this organism-environment system ideal for exploring plasticity-led eco-evolutionary processes. We found differential plasticity between males and females, dissolving the link between dimorphism in development time and body size under increasing temperature and decreasing salinity conditions. These findings contrast with the current hypotheses proposed to explain the origin of the association between sexual bimaturism and sexual size dimorphism, highlighting the condition dependence of sexual dimorphism patterns and the need to consider phenotypic plasticity in future studies on their evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Cordeschi
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Dei Sardi 70, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniele Canestrelli
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Tuscia University, Largo Dell'Università S.N.C., Viterbo, Italy
| | - Daniele Porretta
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Dei Sardi 70, Rome, Italy.
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Lazzaretti C, Roy N, Paradiso E, Capponi C, Ferrari T, Reggianini F, Sperduti S, Perri C, Baschieri L, Mascolo E, Varani M, Canu G, Trenti T, Nicoli A, Morini D, Iannotti F, Villani MT, Vicini E, Simoni M, Casarini L. Benzo[a]pyrene disrupts LH/hCG-dependent mouse Leydig cell steroidogenesis through receptor/Gαs protein targeting. Sci Rep 2024; 14:844. [PMID: 38191651 PMCID: PMC10774265 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51516-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Steroidogenesis of gonadal cells is tightly regulated by gonadotropins. However, certain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, including Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), induce reproductive toxicity. Several existing studies have considered higher than environmentally relevant concentrations of BaP on male and female steroidogenesis following long-term exposure. Also, the impact of short-term exposure to BaP on gonadotropin-stimulated cells is understudied. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of 1 nM and 1 µM BaP on luteinizing hormone/choriogonadotropin (LH/hCG)-mediated signalling in two steroidogenic cell models, i.e. the mouse tumor Leydig cell line mLTC1, and the human primary granulosa lutein cells (hGLC) post 8- and 24-h exposure. Cell signalling studies were performed by homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) assay, bioluminescence energy transfer (BRET) and Western blotting, while immunostainings and immunoassays were used for intracellular protein expression and steroidogenesis analyses, respectively. BaP decreased cAMP production in gonadotropin-stimulated mLTC1 interfering with Gαs activation. Therefore, decrease in gonadotropin-mediated CREB phosphorylation in mLTC1 treated with 1 μM BaP was observed, while StAR protein levels in gonadotropin-stimulated mLTC1 cells were unaffected by BaP. Further, BaP decreased LH- and hCG-mediated progesterone production in mLTC1. Contrastingly, BaP failed to mediate any change in cAMP, genes and proteins of steroidogenic machinery and steroidogenesis of gonadotropin-treated hGLC. Our results indicate that short-term exposure to BaP significantly impairs steroidogenic signalling in mLTC1 interfering with Gαs. These findings could have a significant impact on our understanding of the mechanism of reproductive toxicity by endocrine disruptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Lazzaretti
- Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Baggiovara Hospital, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Pietro Giardini 1355, 41126, Modena, Italy.
| | - Neena Roy
- Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Baggiovara Hospital, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Pietro Giardini 1355, 41126, Modena, Italy
| | - Elia Paradiso
- Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Baggiovara Hospital, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Pietro Giardini 1355, 41126, Modena, Italy
| | - Chiara Capponi
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Tommaso Ferrari
- Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Baggiovara Hospital, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Pietro Giardini 1355, 41126, Modena, Italy
| | - Francesca Reggianini
- Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Baggiovara Hospital, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Pietro Giardini 1355, 41126, Modena, Italy
| | - Samantha Sperduti
- Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Baggiovara Hospital, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Pietro Giardini 1355, 41126, Modena, Italy
- Center for Genomic Research, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Giuseppe Campi 287, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Carmela Perri
- Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Baggiovara Hospital, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Pietro Giardini 1355, 41126, Modena, Italy
| | - Lara Baschieri
- Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Baggiovara Hospital, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Pietro Giardini 1355, 41126, Modena, Italy
- International PhD School in Clinical and Experimental Medicine (CEM), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Giuseppe Campi 287, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Elisa Mascolo
- Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Baggiovara Hospital, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Pietro Giardini 1355, 41126, Modena, Italy
| | - Manuela Varani
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Azienda USL/Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Modena, 41126, Modena, Italy
| | - Giulia Canu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Azienda USL/Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Modena, 41126, Modena, Italy
| | - Tommaso Trenti
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Azienda USL/Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Modena, 41126, Modena, Italy
| | - Alessia Nicoli
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Fertility Center, ASMN, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, 42123, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Daria Morini
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Fertility Center, ASMN, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, 42123, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Francesca Iannotti
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Fertility Center, ASMN, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, 42123, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Villani
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Fertility Center, ASMN, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, 42123, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Elena Vicini
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic, Section of Histology, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Manuela Simoni
- Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Baggiovara Hospital, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Pietro Giardini 1355, 41126, Modena, Italy
- Center for Genomic Research, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Giuseppe Campi 287, 41125, Modena, Italy
- Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Medical Specialties, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Livio Casarini
- Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Baggiovara Hospital, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Pietro Giardini 1355, 41126, Modena, Italy
- Center for Genomic Research, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Giuseppe Campi 287, 41125, Modena, Italy
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Gallorini M, Marinacci B, Pellegrini B, Cataldi A, Dindo ML, Carradori S, Grande R. Immunophenotyping of hemocytes from infected Galleria mellonella larvae as an innovative tool for immune profiling, infection studies and drug screening. Sci Rep 2024; 14:759. [PMID: 38191588 PMCID: PMC10774281 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51316-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a considerable increasing interest in the use of the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella as an animal model. In vivo pharmacological tests, concerning the efficacy and the toxicity of novel compounds are typically performed in mammalian models. However, the use of the latter is costly, laborious and requires ethical approval. In this context, G. mellonella larvae can be considered a valid option due to their greater ease of use and the absence of ethical rules. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that the immune system of these invertebrates has similarity with the one of mammals, thus guaranteeing the reliability of this in vivo model, mainly in the microbiological field. To better develop the full potential of this model, we present a novel approach to characterize the hemocyte population from G. mellonella larvae and to highlight the immuno modulation upon infection and treatments. Our approach is based on the detection in isolated hemocytes from G. mellonella hemolymph of cell membrane markers typically expressed by human immune cells upon inflammation and infection, for instance CD14, CD44, CD80, CD163 and CD200. This method highlights the analogies between G. mellonella larvae and humans. Furthermore, we provide an innovative tool to perform pre-clinical evaluations of the efficacy of antimicrobial compounds in vivo to further proceed with clinical trials and support drug discovery campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marialucia Gallorini
- Department of Pharmacy, "G. d' Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100, Chieti, Italy.
| | - Beatrice Marinacci
- Department of Pharmacy, "G. d' Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100, Chieti, Italy
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine & Dentistry, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100, Chieti, Italy
| | - Benedetta Pellegrini
- Department of Pharmacy, "G. d' Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100, Chieti, Italy
| | - Amelia Cataldi
- Department of Pharmacy, "G. d' Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100, Chieti, Italy
- UdA TechLab, "G. d' Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100, Chieti, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Dindo
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, 40127, Bologna, Italy
| | - Simone Carradori
- Department of Pharmacy, "G. d' Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100, Chieti, Italy
| | - Rossella Grande
- Department of Pharmacy, "G. d' Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100, Chieti, Italy.
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Bottillo I, Laino L, Azzarà A, Lintas C, Cassano I, Di Lazzaro V, Ursini F, Motolese F, Bargiacchi S, Formicola D, Grammatico P, Gurrieri F. A pathogenic variant in the FLCN gene presenting with pure dementia: is autophagy at the intersection between neurodegeneration and cancer? Front Neurosci 2024; 17:1304080. [PMID: 38249578 PMCID: PMC10796570 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1304080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Folliculin, encoded by FLCN gene, plays a role in the mTORC1 autophagy cascade and its alterations are responsible for the Birt-Hogg-Dubé (BHD) syndrome, characterized by follicle hamartomas, kidney tumors and pneumothorax. Patient and results We report a 74-years-old woman diagnosed with dementia and carrying a FLCN alteration in absence of any sign of BHD. She also carried an alteration of MAT1A gene, which is also implicated in the regulation of mTORC1. Discussion The MAT1A variant could have prevented the development of a FLCN-related oncological phenotype. Conversely, our patient presented with dementia that, to date, has yet to be documented in BHD. Folliculin belongs to the DENN family proteins, which includes C9orf72 whose alteration has been associated to neurodegeneration. The folliculin perturbation could affect the C9orf72 activity and our patient could represent the first human model of a relationship between FLCN and C9orf72 across the path of autophagy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Bottillo
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Experimental Medicine, San Camillo-Forlanini Hospital, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi Laino
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Experimental Medicine, San Camillo-Forlanini Hospital, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessia Azzarà
- Research Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Carla Lintas
- Research Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Cassano
- Research Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Di Lazzaro
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Unit of Neurology, Neurophysiology, Neurobiology and Psychiatry, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
- Unit of Neurology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Ursini
- Unit of Neurology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Motolese
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Unit of Neurology, Neurophysiology, Neurobiology and Psychiatry, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
- Unit of Neurology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy
| | - Simone Bargiacchi
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Experimental Medicine, San Camillo-Forlanini Hospital, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Formicola
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Experimental Medicine, San Camillo-Forlanini Hospital, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Grammatico
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Experimental Medicine, San Camillo-Forlanini Hospital, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Fiorella Gurrieri
- Research Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
- Operative Research Unit of Medical Genetics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy
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Centurion VB, Rossi A, Orellana E, Ghiotto G, Kakuk B, Morlino MS, Basile A, Zampieri G, Treu L, Campanaro S. A unified compendium of prokaryotic and viral genomes from over 300 anaerobic digestion microbiomes. Environ Microbiome 2024; 19:1. [PMID: 38167520 PMCID: PMC10762816 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-023-00545-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The anaerobic digestion process degrades organic matter into simpler compounds and occurs in strictly anaerobic and microaerophilic environments. The process is carried out by a diverse community of microorganisms where each species has a unique role and it has relevant biotechnological applications since it is used for biogas production. Some aspects of the microbiome, including its interaction with phages, remains still unclear: a better comprehension of the community composition and role of each species is crucial for a cured understanding of the carbon cycle in anaerobic systems and improving biogas production. RESULTS The primary objective of this study was to expand our understanding on the anaerobic digestion microbiome by jointly analyzing its prokaryotic and viral components. By integrating 192 additional datasets into a previous metagenomic database, the binning process generated 11,831 metagenome-assembled genomes from 314 metagenome samples published between 2014 and 2022, belonging to 4,568 non-redundant species based on ANI calculation and quality verification. CRISPR analysis on these genomes identified 76 archaeal genomes with active phage interactions. Moreover, single-nucleotide variants further pointed to archaea as the most critical members of the community. Among the MAGs, two methanogenic archaea, Methanothrix sp. 43zhSC_152 and Methanoculleus sp. 52maCN_3230, had the highest number of SNVs, with the latter having almost double the density of most other MAGs. CONCLUSIONS This study offers a more comprehensive understanding of microbial community structures that thrive at different temperatures. The findings revealed that the fraction of archaeal species characterized at the genome level and reported in public databases is higher than that of bacteria, although still quite limited. The identification of shared spacers between phages and microbes implies a history of phage-bacterial interactions, and specifically lysogenic infections. A significant number of SNVs were identified, primarily comprising synonymous and nonsynonymous variants. Together, the findings indicate that methanogenic archaea are subject to intense selective pressure and suggest that genomic variants play a critical role in the anaerobic digestion process. Overall, this study provides a more balanced and diverse representation of the anaerobic digestion microbiota in terms of geographic location, temperature range and feedstock utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alessandro Rossi
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Esteban Orellana
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Gabriele Ghiotto
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Balázs Kakuk
- Department of Medical Biology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 12 Somogyi B. U. 4., Szeged, 6720, Hungary
| | - Maria Silvia Morlino
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Arianna Basile
- MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Gleeson Building Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Guido Zampieri
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padua, Italy.
| | - Laura Treu
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padua, Italy.
| | - Stefano Campanaro
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padua, Italy
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Abstract
Self-citations are a key topic in evaluative bibliometrics because they can artificially inflate citation-related performance indicators. Recently, self-citations defined at the largest scale, i.e., country self-citations, have started to attract the attention of researchers and policymakers. According to a recent research, in fact, the anomalous trends in the country self-citation rates of some countries, such as Italy, have been induced by the distorting effect of citation metrics-centered science policies. In the present study, we investigate the trends of country self-citations in 50 countries over the world in the period 1996-2019 using Scopus data. Results show that for most countries country self-citations have decreased over time. 12 countries (Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Malaysia, Pakistan, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and Ukraine), however, exhibit different behavior, with anomalous trends of self-citations. We argue that these anomalies should be attributed to the aggressive science policies adopted by these countries in recent years, which are all characterized by direct or indirect incentives for citations. Our analysis confirms that when bibliometric indicators are integrated into systems of incentives, they are capable of affecting rapidly and visibly the citation behavior of entire countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Baccini
- Department of Economics and Statistics, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Eugenio Petrovich
- Department of Philosophy and Education Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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48
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Negri A, Pezzali G, Pitton S, Piazzoni M, Gabrieli P, Lazzaro F, Mastrantonio V, Porretta D, Lenardi C, Caccia S, Bandi C, Epis S. MosChito rafts as a promising biocontrol tool against larvae of the common house mosquito, Culex pipiens. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0295665. [PMID: 38096210 PMCID: PMC10721080 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Mosquito control is of paramount importance, in particular, in light of the major environmental alterations associated with human activities, from climate change to the altered distribution of pathogens, including those transmitted by Arthropods. Here, we used the common house mosquito, Culex pipiens to test the efficacy of MosChito raft, a novel tool for mosquito larval control. MosChito raft is a floating hydrogel matrix, composed of chitosan, genipin and yeast cells, as bio-attractants, developed for the delivery of a Bacillus thuringiensis israeliensis (Bti)-based bioinsecticide to mosquito larvae. To this aim, larvae of Cx. pipiens were collected in field in Northern Italy and a novel colony of mosquito species (hereafter: Trescore strain) was established. MosChito rafts, containing the Bti-based formulation, were tested on Cx. pipiens larvae from the Trescore strain to determine the doses to be used in successive experiments. Thus, bioassays with MosChito rafts were carried out under semi-field conditions, both on larvae from the Trescore strain and on pools of larvae collected from the field, at different developmental stages. Our results showed that MosChito raft is effective against Cx. pipiens. In particular, the observed mortality was over 50% after two days exposure of the larvae to MosChito rafts, and over 70-80% at days three to four, in both laboratory and wild larvae. In conclusion, our results point to the MosChito raft as a promising tool for the eco-friendly control of a mosquito species that is not only a nuisance insect but is also an important vector of diseases affecting humans and animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Negri
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Pediatric Clinical Research Center “Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi”, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Italian Malaria Network, Inter University Center for Malaria Research, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Pezzali
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Simone Pitton
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Piazzoni
- Department of Physics, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Gabrieli
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Pediatric Clinical Research Center “Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi”, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Italian Malaria Network, Inter University Center for Malaria Research, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Daniele Porretta
- Department of Environmental Biology, “La Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Silvia Caccia
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudio Bandi
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Pediatric Clinical Research Center “Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi”, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Italian Malaria Network, Inter University Center for Malaria Research, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Epis
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Pediatric Clinical Research Center “Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi”, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Italian Malaria Network, Inter University Center for Malaria Research, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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49
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Posadinu CM, Rodriguez M, Conte P, Piga A, Attene G. Fruit quality and shelf-life of Sardinian tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) landraces. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0290166. [PMID: 38064465 PMCID: PMC10707699 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The conservation and characterization of landraces have key roles in the safeguarding and valorization of agrobiodiversity. Indeed, these plant genetic resources represent an important crop heritage with quality and sensory characteristics that can be of great use to consumers and industry. In addition, the preservation of genetic resources from the risk of progressive genetic erosion, and the enhancement of their potential can contribute to food security and improve the nutritional value of food. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate a collection of Sardinian tomato landraces for parameters that have determinant roles in evaluating their responses to conservation, and therefore to consumer acceptance. Six Sardinian landraces and two commercial varieties were cultivated in a two-years off-season trial, harvested at two different maturity stages (turning, red-ripe) and characterized using 14 fruit-related quality parameters that define the marketability, nutritional value, and flavor of the fruit. Data were collected at intervals of 10 days, starting from the harvest date and over 30 days of storage under refrigeration. The simultaneous analysis of all the qualitative characteristics for the different genotypes allowed to clearly differentiate the local varieties from the commercial varieties and a few landraces emerged for their satisfactory performances, e.g. "Tamatta kaki" ad "Tamatta groga de appiccai". In particular, the "Tamatta groga de appiccai" showed satisfactory lycopene content at marketable stages (average 5.65 mg 100g-1 FF), a peculiar orange-pink color with the highest hue angle values (range: H°T0 = 72.55-H°T30 = 48.26), and the highest firmness among the landraces of the red-ripe group (range: EpT0 = 1.64-EpT30 = 0.54 N mm-1). These results highlight the potential of some of the Sardinian tomato landraces for developing new varieties or promoting their direct valorization in local markets and could considerably increase the effectiveness and efficiency of agrobiodiversity conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Monica Rodriguez
- Department of Agriculture, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
- Centro Interdipartimentale per la Conservazione e Valorizzazione della Biodiversità Vegetale, University of Sassari, Alghero, Italy
| | - Paola Conte
- Department of Agriculture, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Antonio Piga
- Department of Agriculture, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Giovanna Attene
- Department of Agriculture, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
- Centro Interdipartimentale per la Conservazione e Valorizzazione della Biodiversità Vegetale, University of Sassari, Alghero, Italy
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50
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Janda E, Parafati M, Martino C, Crupi F, George William JN, Reybier K, Arbitrio M, Mollace V, Boutin JA. Autophagy and neuroprotection in astrocytes exposed to 6-hydroxydopamine is negatively regulated by NQO2: relevance to Parkinson's disease. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21624. [PMID: 38062122 PMCID: PMC10703796 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44666-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopaminergic degeneration is a central feature of Parkinson's disease (PD), but glial dysfunction may accelerate or trigger neuronal death. In fact, astrocytes play a key role in the maintenance of the blood-brain barrier and detoxification. 6-hydroxydopamine (6OHDA) is used to induce PD in rodent models due to its specific toxicity to dopaminergic neurons, but its effect on astrocytes has been poorly investigated. Here, we show that 6OHDA dose-dependently impairs autophagy in human U373 cells and primary murine astrocytes in the absence of cell death. LC3II downregulation was observed 6 to 48 h after treatment. Interestingly, 6OHDA enhanced NRH:quinone oxidoreductase 2 (NQO2) expression and activity in U373 cells, even if 6OHDA turned out not to be its substrate. Autophagic flux was restored by inhibition of NQO2 with S29434, which correlated with a partial reduction in oxidative stress in response to 6OHDA in human and murine astrocytes. NQO2 inhibition also increased the neuroprotective capability of U373 cells, since S29434 protected dopaminergic SHSY5Y cells from 6OHDA-induced cell death when cocultured with astrocytes. The toxic effects of 6OHDA on autophagy were attenuated by silencing NQO2 in human cells and primary astrocytes from NQO2-/- mice. Finally, the analysis of Gene Expression Omnibus datasets showed elevated NQO2 gene expression in the blood cells of early-stage PD patients. These data support a toxifying function of NQO2 in dopaminergic degeneration via negative regulation of autophagy and neuroprotection in astrocytes, suggesting a potential pharmacological target in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elzbieta Janda
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Toxicology, Department of Health Science, University "Magna Græcia" of Catanzaro, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
| | - Maddalena Parafati
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Toxicology, Department of Health Science, University "Magna Græcia" of Catanzaro, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Concetta Martino
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Toxicology, Department of Health Science, University "Magna Græcia" of Catanzaro, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Francesco Crupi
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Toxicology, Department of Health Science, University "Magna Græcia" of Catanzaro, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy
| | | | - Karine Reybier
- UMR 152 Pharma-Dev, Université de Toulouse III, IRD, UPS, 31400, Toulouse, France
| | - Mariamena Arbitrio
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
| | - Vincenzo Mollace
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Toxicology, Department of Health Science, University "Magna Græcia" of Catanzaro, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Jean A Boutin
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrine Endocrine and Germinal Differentiation and Communication (NorDiC), Univ Rouen Normandie, Inserm, NorDiC UMR 1239, 76000, Rouen, France
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