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Aranzubia-Olasolo M, Nelson JB, Sanjuán Artegain MDC. Latent inhibition in humans from simple stimulus exposure. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition 2024; 50:118-130. [PMID: 38358704 DOI: 10.1037/xan0000374] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Two experiments observed an effect consistent with a latent-inhibition (LI) effect in humans that (a) did not depend on masking or instruction-generated expectations and (b) suggested that the effect results from a change in processing of the predictive cue. Participants viewed a video of a superhero character flying through three different contexts past a different stimulus in each context. In conditioning, The superhero flew past a target cue that was either Novel (Group No Exposure), had been preexposed in the Same context as where conditioning was occurring (Group Same), or was preexposed in a Different context (Group Different). Each time the superhero flew past the target cue his Hands Glowed (outcome). On test (E1), an image of the superhero flying in the context with normal Hands and the target cue was present. Participants were asked if anything was missing. Experiment 2 tested participants with the superhero present and his Hands Glowing to test outcome-cue associations (Test 1) or just the superhero in the context (Test 2, counterbalanced) to assess contextual associations. In E1 fewer people in Group Same reported the outcome missing than Group No Exposure or Group Different. In E2 fewer people in Group Same reported the target cue missing when presented with the outcome than in the other groups, a result inconsistent with interference accounts of LI. When presented only with contextual cues, reports of the stimulus missing showed that the context was associated with the stimuli presented within it. Results are discussed with respect to theories and demonstrations of human LI. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James Byron Nelson
- Departamento Procesos Psicologicos Basicos y su Desarrollo, University of the Basque Country
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2
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Martín J, Rodríguez-Ruiz G, Navarro-Castilla Á, Barja I, López P. Blind date: female fossorial amphisbaenians prefer scent marks of large and healthy males. Integr Zool 2024. [PMID: 38247017 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12802] [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] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Selecting a good mate is a decision with important fitness consequences. For this reason, mate choice has promoted the evolution of sexual ornaments signaling the quality of an individual. In fossorial animals, inhabiting visually restricted underground environments, chemical senses should be very important for mate choice. We examined whether sexual chemical signals (substrate scent marks) produced by males of the Iberian worm lizard, Blanus cinereus, a strictly fossorial blind amphisbaenian, provide information to females on morphological traits and health state. We administered corticosterone (CORT) to males simulating a continuous stressor affecting their health. Females preferred settling at sites scent-marked by males in comparison with similar sites with female scent or unmarked sites, but the attractiveness of males' scent differed between individuals. Females preferred scent marks of larger/older males and with a higher immune response, while their body condition and CORT treatment were unrelated to female preferences. Chemical analyses showed that proportions of some compounds in precloacal secretions of males (used to produce scent marks) were correlated with the morphological (body size) and health state (immune response and body condition, but not CORT treatment) of these males. These results suggest that females may make site-selection decisions based on assessing the chemical characteristics of males' scent marks, which were reliably related to some of the traits of the male that produced the scent. Therefore, females might use chemical senses to increase the opportunities to find and mate with males of high quality, coping with the restrictions of the subterranean environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Martín
- Departmento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Rodríguez-Ruiz
- Departmento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Álvaro Navarro-Castilla
- Etho-Physiology Group, Unit of Zoology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Barja
- Etho-Physiology Group, Unit of Zoology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar López
- Departmento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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de Cózar A, Arrieta A, Arrastia I, Cossío FP. Higher-Order Electrocyclizations in Biological and Synthetic Processes. Chempluschem 2023; 88:e202300482. [PMID: 37753849 DOI: 10.1002/cplu.202300482] [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: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
In general, electrocyclizations follow the Woodward-Hoffmann's rules of conservation of orbital symmetry. These rules have been extensively verified in low-order processes, both in thermal and photochemical reactions, up to eight π-electrons. However, when the number of π-electrons in the system increases, some deviations of that general rules can be found. This focused review highlights the main features of reported higher-order electrocyclizations involving 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 π-electrons. Some of these examples constitute useful intermediates in the synthesis of biologically active compounds. When computational studies were not included in the reported examples, DFT calculations have been performed to be included in this review. Analysis of the respective pericyclic topologies shows the importance of computational tools for understanding the selectivity observed experimentally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abel de Cózar
- Departamento de Química Orgánica I, Facultad de Química, Universidad del País Vasco and Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), P. K. 1072, 20018, San Sebastián-Donostia, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48009, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Ana Arrieta
- Departamento de Química Orgánica I, Facultad de Química, Universidad del País Vasco and Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), P. K. 1072, 20018, San Sebastián-Donostia, Spain
| | - Iosune Arrastia
- Departamento de Química Orgánica I, Facultad de Química, Universidad del País Vasco and Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), P. K. 1072, 20018, San Sebastián-Donostia, Spain
| | - Fernando P Cossío
- Departamento de Química Orgánica I, Facultad de Química, Universidad del País Vasco and Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), P. K. 1072, 20018, San Sebastián-Donostia, Spain
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Baradzenka AG, Vyboishchikov SF, Pilkington M, Nikonov GI. Base-Stabilized Phosphinidene Oxide, Imide and Sulfide. Chemistry 2023; 29:e202301842. [PMID: 37490421 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202301842] [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: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Oxidation of a base-stabilized phosphinidene (κ2 -NNP)P (12, NNP=phosphinoamidinate) with N2 O afforded a labile phosphinidene oxide (κ2 -NNP)P=O (16) which was characterized by NMR spectroscopy. Further oxidation of 16 by N2 O or reaction of 12 with two equivalents of pyridine oxide afforded the isolable dioxide (κ2 -NNP)PO2 which was characterized by NMR and SC XRD. Trapping of 16 with tolyl isocyanate resulted in P=O/N=C metathesis, eventually affording a urea-ligated phosphine (κ1 -NNP)P(NTol)2 C=O (17) The mechanism of this reaction was elucidated by DFT calculations. Reactions of phosphinidene 12 with azides generated transient imines (NNP)P=NR, which in the case of R=Tol underwent cycloaddition with tolyl Isocyanate to afford the urea product 17, and in the case of R=SiMe3 reacts with N3 SiMe3 via the addition of N-Si across the P=N bond affording, after the extrusion of dinitrogen, a P,N-heterocyclic compound. Both products of the reactions with azides have been fully characterized, both in solution and the solid-state. Finally, reaction of phosphinidene 12 with one equivalent of sulfur resulted in the isolation of the base-stabilized phosphinidene sulfide (κ2 -NNP)P=S that has also been fully characterized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliona G Baradzenka
- Department of Chemistry, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Sergei F Vyboishchikov
- Institut de Química Computacional i Catàlisi and Departament de Química Universitat de Girona, Carrer Maria Aurèlia Capmany 69, 17003, Girona, Spain
| | - Melanie Pilkington
- Department of Chemistry, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Georgii I Nikonov
- Department of Chemistry, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S 3A1, Canada
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Salazar J, Samhan-Arias AK, Gutierrez-Merino C. Hexa-Histidine, a Peptide with Versatile Applications in the Study of Amyloid-β(1-42) Molecular Mechanisms of Action. Molecules 2023; 28:7138. [PMID: 37894616 PMCID: PMC10609148 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28207138] [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: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloid β (Aβ) oligomers are the most neurotoxic forms of Aβ, and Aβ(1-42) is the prevalent Aβ peptide found in the amyloid plaques of Alzheimer's disease patients. Aβ(25-35) is the shortest peptide that retains the toxicity of Aβ(1-42). Aβ oligomers bind to calmodulin (CaM) and calbindin-D28k with dissociation constants in the nanomolar Aβ(1-42) concentration range. Aβ and histidine-rich proteins have a high affinity for transition metal ions Cu2+, Fe3+ and Zn2+. In this work, we show that the fluorescence of Aβ(1-42) HiLyteTM-Fluor555 can be used to monitor hexa-histidine peptide (His6) interaction with Aβ(1-42). The formation of His6/Aβ(1-42) complexes is also supported by docking results yielded by the MDockPeP Server. Also, we found that micromolar concentrations of His6 block the increase in the fluorescence of Aβ(1-42) HiLyteTM-Fluor555 produced by its interaction with the proteins CaM and calbindin-D28k. In addition, we found that the His6-tag provides a high-affinity site for the binding of Aβ(1-42) and Aβ(25-35) peptides to the human recombinant cytochrome b5 reductase, and sensitizes this enzyme to inhibition by these peptides. In conclusion, our results suggest that a His6-tag could provide a valuable new tool to experimentally direct the action of neurotoxic Aβ peptides toward selected cellular targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jairo Salazar
- Departamento de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua-León, León 21000, Nicaragua
| | - Alejandro K. Samhan-Arias
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), C\Arzobispo Morcillo 4, 28029 Madrid, Spain;
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas ‘Alberto Sols’ (CSIC-UAM), C\Arturo Duperier 4, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Gutierrez-Merino
- Instituto de Biomarcadores de Patologías Moleculares, Universidad de Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
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Fernández-Torras A, Locatelli M, Bertoni M, Aloy P. BQsupports: systematic assessment of the support and novelty of new biomedical associations. Bioinformatics 2023; 39:btad581. [PMID: 37725353 PMCID: PMC10521632 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btad581] [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: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Living a Big Data era in Biomedicine, there is an unmet need to systematically assess experimental observations in the context of available information. This assessment would offer a means for a comprehensive and robust validation of biomedical data results and provide an initial estimate of the potential novelty of the findings. RESULTS Here we present BQsupports, a web-based tool built upon the Bioteque biomedical descriptors that systematically analyzes and quantifies the current support to a given set of observations. The tool relies on over 1000 distinct types of biomedical descriptors, covering over 11 different biological and chemical entities, including genes, cell lines, diseases, and small molecules. By exploring hundreds of descriptors, BQsupports provide support scores for each observation across a wide variety of biomedical contexts. These scores are then aggregated to summarize the biomedical support of the assessed dataset as a whole. Finally, the BQsupports also suggests predictive features of the given dataset, which can be exploited in downstream machine learning applications. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The web application and underlying data are available online (https://bqsupports.irbbarcelona.org).
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrià Fernández-Torras
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Martina Locatelli
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Martino Bertoni
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Patrick Aloy
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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Temporal M, Piriz AR, Canaud B, Ramis R, Craxton RS. Partition of Omega-like facility into two configurations of 24 and 36 laser beams to improve implosion performance. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10010. [PMID: 37340121 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37174-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
An Omega-like beam configuration is considered where the 60-beam layout can be separated into two independent sub-configurations with 24 and 36 laser beams, each minimizing direct drive illumination non-uniformity. Two different laser focal spot profiles, one associated with each configuration, are proposed to apply the zooming technique in order to increase the laser-target coupling efficiency. This approach is used by 1D hydrodynamics simulations of the implosion of a direct-drive capsule characterized by a relatively large aspect ratio A = 7 and an optimized laser pulse shape delivering a maximum of 30 TW and 30 kJ, with different temporal pulse shapes in each of the two sets of beams. It is shown that zooming allows for an optimistic 1D thermonuclear energy gain greater than one while without zooming the thermonuclear gain remains largely below one. While this is incompatible with the as-built Omega laser, it provides a promising option for a future intermediate-energy direct drive laser system.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Temporal
- Instituto de Investigaciones Energéticas (INEI), E.T.S.I.I., and CYTEMA, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain.
| | - A R Piriz
- Instituto de Investigaciones Energéticas (INEI), E.T.S.I.I., and CYTEMA, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - B Canaud
- CEA, DAM, DIF, 91297, Arpajon, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, LMCE, 91680, Bruyères-Le-Châtel, France
| | - R Ramis
- ETSI Aeronáutica y del Espacio, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - R S Craxton
- Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14623-1299, USA
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Salido S, Alejo-Armijo A, Altarejos J. Synthesis and hLDH Inhibitory Activity of Analogues to Natural Products with 2,8-Dioxabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane Scaffold. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:9925. [PMID: 37373073 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24129925] [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: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Human lactate dehydrogenase (hLDH) is a tetrameric enzyme present in almost all tissues. Among its five different isoforms, hLDHA and hLDHB are the predominant ones. In the last few years, hLDHA has emerged as a therapeutic target for the treatment of several kinds of disorders, including cancer and primary hyperoxaluria. hLDHA inhibition has been clinically validated as a safe therapeutic method and clinical trials using biotechnological approaches are currently being evaluated. Despite the well-known advantages of pharmacological treatments based on small-molecule drugs, few compounds are currently in preclinical stage. We have recently reported the detection of some 2,8-dioxabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane core derivatives as new hLDHA inhibitors. Here, we extended our work synthesizing a large number of derivatives (42-70) by reaction between flavylium salts (27-35) and several nucleophiles (36-41). Nine 2,8-dioxabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane derivatives showed IC50 values lower than 10 µM against hLDHA and better activity than our previously reported compound 2. In order to know the selectivity of the synthesized compounds against hLDHA, their hLDHB inhibitory activities were also measured. In particular, compounds 58, 62a, 65b, and 68a have shown the lowest IC50 values against hLDHA (3.6-12.0 µM) and the highest selectivity rate (>25). Structure-activity relationships have been deduced. Kinetic studies using a Lineweaver-Burk double-reciprocal plot have indicated that both enantiomers of 68a and 68b behave as noncompetitive inhibitors on hLDHA enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofía Salido
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica y Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Jaén, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario ceiA3, 23071 Jaén, Spain
| | - Alfonso Alejo-Armijo
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica y Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Jaén, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario ceiA3, 23071 Jaén, Spain
| | - Joaquín Altarejos
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica y Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Jaén, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario ceiA3, 23071 Jaén, Spain
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Wu X, Fuentemilla L. Distinct encoding and post-encoding representational formats contribute to episodic sequence memory formation. Cereb Cortex 2023:7147876. [PMID: 37130823 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad138] [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: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In episodic encoding, an unfolding experience is rapidly transformed into a memory representation that binds separate episodic elements into a memory form to be later recollected. However, it is unclear how brain activity changes over time to accommodate the encoding of incoming information. This study aimed to investigate the dynamics of the representational format that contributed to memory formation of sequential episodes. We combined representational similarity analysis and multivariate decoding approaches on EEG data to compare whether "category-level" or "item-level" representations supported memory formation during the online encoding of a picture triplet sequence and offline, in the period that immediately followed encoding. The findings revealed a gradual integration of category-level representation during the online encoding of the picture sequence and a rapid item-based neural reactivation of the encoded sequence at the episodic offset. However, we found that only memory reinstatement at episodic offset was associated with successful memory retrieval from long-term memory. These results suggest that post-encoding memory reinstatement is crucial for the rapid formation of unique memory for episodes that unfold over time. Overall, the study sheds light on the dynamics of representational format changes that take place during the formation of episodic memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiongbo Wu
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, University of Barcelona, Pg Vall Hebrón 171, Barcelona 08035, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Pg Vall Hebrón 171, Barcelona 08035, Spain
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Leopoldstraße 13, Munich 80802, Germany
| | - Lluís Fuentemilla
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, University of Barcelona, Pg Vall Hebrón 171, Barcelona 08035, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Pg Vall Hebrón 171, Barcelona 08035, Spain
- Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit, Institute for Biomedical Research of Bellvitge, C/ Feixa Llarga, s/n - Pavelló de Govern - Edifici Modular, 08907, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
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Ortega-Vidal J, Ruiz-Martos L, Salido S, Altarejos J. Proanthocyanidins in Pruning Wood Extracts of Four European Plum (Prunus domestica L.) Cultivars and Their hLDHA Inhibitory Activity. Chem Biodivers 2023; 20:e202200931. [PMID: 37017495 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202200931] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
European plum tree (Prunus domestica L.) is cultivated in many countries for its delicious and nutritive fruit and, accordingly, certain amounts of wood (from pruning works) are generated every year. The main objective of this work was to value this agricultural woody residue, for which the chemical composition of pruning wood extracts from four European plum cultivars was investigated, and the human lactate dehydrogenase A (hLDHA) inhibitory activity of plum wood extracts and pure proanthocyanidins present in those extracts was measured. For the chemical characterization, total phenolic content and DPPH radical-scavenging assays and HPLC-DAD/ESI-MS analyses were performed, the procyanidin (-)-ent-epicatechin-(2α→O→7,4α→8)-catechin (4), the phenolic glucoside (-)-annphenone (3) and the flavan-3-ol catechin (1) being the major components of the wood extracts. Some quantitative and qualitative differences were found among plum cultivars, and the content of proanthocyanidins ranged from 1.51 (cv. 'Claudia de Tolosa') to 8.51 (cv. 'De la Rosa') mg g-1 of dry wood. For the hLDHA inhibitory activity, six wood extracts and six proanthocyanidins were evaluated by a UV spectrophotometric assay, compound 4 showing the highest inhibitory activity (IC50 3.2 μM) of this enzyme involved on the excessive production of oxalate in the liver of patients affected by the rare disease Primary Hyperoxaluria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Ortega-Vidal
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica y Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Jaén, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario (ceiA3), 23071, Jaén, Spain
| | - Lucía Ruiz-Martos
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica y Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Jaén, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario (ceiA3), 23071, Jaén, Spain
| | - Sofía Salido
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica y Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Jaén, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario (ceiA3), 23071, Jaén, Spain
| | - Joaquín Altarejos
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica y Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Jaén, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario (ceiA3), 23071, Jaén, Spain
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Díaz-Martínez P, Panettieri M, García-Palacios P, Moreno E, Plaza C, Maestre FT. Biocrusts Modulate Climate Change Effects on Soil Organic Carbon Pools: Insights From a 9-Year Experiment. Ecosystems 2022; 26:585-596. [PMID: 37179798 PMCID: PMC10167156 DOI: 10.1007/s10021-022-00779-0] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that warming associated with climate change is decreasing the total amount of soil organic carbon (SOC) in drylands, although scientific research has not given enough emphasis to particulate (POC) and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) pools. Biocrusts are a major biotic feature of drylands and have large impacts on the C cycle, yet it is largely unknown whether they modulate the responses of POC and MAOC to climate change. Here, we assessed the effects of simulated climate change (control, reduced rainfall (RE), warming (WA), and RE + WA) and initial biocrust cover (low (< 20%) versus high (> 50%)) on the mineral protection of soil C and soil organic matter quality in a dryland ecosystem in central Spain for 9 years. At low initial biocrust cover levels, both WA and RE + WA increased SOC, especially POC but also MAOC, and promoted a higher contribution of carbohydrates, relative to aromatic compounds, to the POC fraction. These results suggest that the accumulation of soil C under warming treatments may be transitory in soils with low initial biocrust cover. In soils with high initial biocrust cover, climate change treatments did not affect SOC, neither POC nor MAOC fraction. Overall, our results indicate that biocrust communities modulate the negative effect of climate change on SOC, because no losses of soil C were observed with the climate manipulations under biocrusts. Future work should focus on determining the long-term persistence of the observed buffering effect by biocrust-forming lichens, as they are known to be negatively affected by warming. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10021-022-00779-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paloma Díaz-Martínez
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias (ICA), CSIC, Serrano 115 bis, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marco Panettieri
- Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias (ICA), CSIC, Serrano 115 bis, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Eduardo Moreno
- Departamento de Química Agrícola y Bromatología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - César Plaza
- Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias (ICA), CSIC, Serrano 115 bis, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando T. Maestre
- Instituto Multidisciplinar Para el Estudio del Medio “Ramón Margalef”, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
- Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
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Manrubia S, Zanette DH. Individual risk-aversion responses tune epidemics to critical transmissibility ( R = 1). R Soc Open Sci 2022; 9:211667. [PMID: 35425636 PMCID: PMC8984323 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Changes in human behaviour are a major determinant of epidemic dynamics. Collective activity can be modified through imposed control measures, but spontaneous changes can also arise as a result of uncoordinated individual responses to the perceived risk of contagion. Here, we introduce a stochastic epidemic model implementing population responses driven by individual time-varying risk aversion. The model reveals an emergent mechanism for the generation of multiple infection waves of decreasing amplitude that progressively tune the effective reproduction number to its critical value R = 1. In successive waves, individuals with gradually lower risk propensity are infected. The overall mechanism shapes well-defined risk-aversion profiles over the whole population as the epidemic progresses. We conclude that uncoordinated changes in human behaviour can by themselves explain major qualitative and quantitative features of the epidemic process, like the emergence of multiple waves and the tendency to remain around R = 1 observed worldwide after the first few waves of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Manrubia
- Department of Systems Biology, National Centre for Biotechnology (CSIC), c/Darwin 3, Madrid 28049, Spain
- Interdisciplinary Group of Complex Systems (GISC), Madrid, Spain
| | - D. H. Zanette
- Centro Atómico Bariloche and Instituto Balseiro, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica and Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Av. Bustillo 9500, San Carlos de Bariloche, Pcia. de Río Negro 8400, Argentina
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13
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Ballester P, Martínez-Godoy MA, Ezquerro M, Navarrete-Gómez M, Trigueros M, Rodríguez-Concepción M, Ferrándiz C. A transcriptional complex of NGATHA and bHLH transcription factors directs stigma development in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 2021; 33:3645-3657. [PMID: 34586419 PMCID: PMC8643694 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koab236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The stigma is an angiosperm-specific tissue that is essential for pollination. In the last two decades, several transcription factors with key roles in stigma development in Arabidopsis thaliana have been identified. However, genetic analyses have thus far been unable to unravel the precise regulatory interactions among these transcription factors or the molecular basis for their selective roles in different spatial and temporal domains. Here, we show that the NGATHA (NGA) and HECATE (HEC) transcription factors, which are involved in different developmental processes but are both essential for stigma development, require each other to perform this function. This relationship is likely mediated by their physical interaction in the apical gynoecium. NGA/HEC transcription factors subsequently upregulate INDEHISCENT (IND) and SPATULA and are indispensable for the binding of IND to some of its targets to allow stigma differentiation. Our findings support a nonhierarchical regulatory scenario in which the combinatorial action of different transcription factors provides exquisite temporal and spatial specificity of their developmental outputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Ballester
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Maria A Martínez-Godoy
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Miguel Ezquerro
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marisa Navarrete-Gómez
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marina Trigueros
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Manuel Rodríguez-Concepción
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Cristina Ferrándiz
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
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14
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Martín J, Barja I, Rodríguez-Ruiz G, Recio P, García LV. Soil pollution by heavy metals correlates with levels of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites of a fossorial amphisbaenian reptile. Conserv Physiol 2021; 9:coab085. [PMID: 34804536 PMCID: PMC8599815 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Soil degradation may have strong negative consequences for soil biodiversity, but these potential effects are understudied and poorly understood. Concentration of nesting seabirds may be a source of soil pollution by heavy metals, which are incorporated into the food chain and may have toxicological effects in vertebrates, especially in fossorial animals with low dispersal ability. We examined whether contamination by heavy metals, derived from seagull depositions, and other soil characteristics, may affect the levels of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (as a potential indicator of physiological stress) of the fossorial amphisbaenian reptile Trogonophis wiegmanni. We found a relationship between soil pollution by heavy metals and increased levels of faecal corticosterone metabolite of the amphisbaenians that live buried in those soils. This can be due to the strong endocrine disruption effect of heavy metals. In addition, there was an independent effect of the soil texture, with amphisbaenians showing higher levels of faecal corticosterone metabolite in soils with less sand and more silt and clay, which are more energetically costly to dig. Long-term exposure to high glucocorticoid levels might have serious effects on health state and fitness of fossorial animals that may be unnoticed. Our study emphasizes that, to prevent future conservation problems, we need to perform periodic surveys on the physiological health state of the little-known subterranean biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Martín
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Barja
- Etho-Physiology Group, Unidad de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Rodríguez-Ruiz
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Recio
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis V García
- Departamento de Biogeoquímica, Ecología Vegetal y Microbiana, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
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15
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Latorre-Pérez A, Hernández M, Iglesias JR, Morán J, Pascual J, Porcar M, Vilanova C, Collado L. The Spanish gut microbiome reveals links between microorganisms and Mediterranean diet. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21602. [PMID: 34759297 PMCID: PMC8580991 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01002-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the increasing evidence of links between human gut and health, the number of gut microbiomes that have been studied to date at a country level are surprisingly low. Mediterranean countries, including some of the most long-lived and healthy countries in the world, have not been considered so far in those studies at a large scale. The main objective of this work is to characterize the gut microbiome of a healthy adult population of a Mediterranean, paradigmatically healthy country: Spain. Stool samples from 530 healthy volunteers were collected, total metagenomic DNA extracted, and the microbial profiles determined through 16S rRNA metataxonomic sequencing. Our results confirm the associations between several microbial markers and different variables, including sex, age, BMI and diet choices, and bring new insights into the relationship between microbiome and diet in the Spanish population. Remarkably, some of the associations found, such as the decrease of Faecalibacterium with age or the link of Flavonifractor with less healthy dietary habits, have been barely noticed in other large-scale cohorts. On the other hand, a range of links between microorganisms, diet, and lifestyle coincide with those reported in other populations, thus increasing the robustness of such associations and confirming the importance of these microbial markers across different countries. Overall, this study describes the Spanish "normal" microbiome, providing a solid baseline for future studies investigating the effects of gut microbiome composition and deviations in the adherence to the Mediterranean diet.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marta Hernández
- Instituto Central Lechera Asturiana para la Nutrición Personalizada (ICLANP), Siero, Spain.
| | - Jose Ramón Iglesias
- Instituto Central Lechera Asturiana para la Nutrición Personalizada (ICLANP), Siero, Spain
| | - Javier Morán
- Instituto de Innovación Alimentaria, Universidad Católica de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | | | - Manuel Porcar
- Darwin Bioprospecting Excellence S.L., Paterna, Spain
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of València-CSIC, Paterna, Spain
| | | | - Luis Collado
- Department of Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Sánchez‐Movellán I, Moreno‐Ceballos J, García‐Fernández P, Aramburu JA, Moreno M. New Ideas for Understanding the Structure and Magnetism in AgF 2 : Prediction of Ferroelasticity. Chemistry 2021; 27:13582-13590. [PMID: 34297859 PMCID: PMC8518918 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202101865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In the search for new high-temperature superconductors, it has been proposed that there are strong similarities between the fluoroargentate AgF2 and the cuprate La2 CuO4 . We explored the origin of the possible layered structure of AgF2 by studying its parent high-symmetry phase and comparing these results with those of a seemingly analogous cuprate, CuF2 . Our findings first stress the large differences between CuF2 and AgF2 . Indeed, the parent structure of AgF2 is found to be cubic, naturally devoid of any layering, even though Ag2+ ions occupy trigonal sites that, nevertheless, allow the existence of a Jahn-Teller effect. The observed Pbca orthorhombic phase is found when the system is cooperatively distorted by a local E⊗e trigonal Jahn-Teller effect around the silver sites that creates both geometrical and magnetic layering. While the distortion implies that two Ag2+ -F- bonds increase their distance by 15 % and become softer, our simulations indicate that covalent bonding and interlayer electron hopping is strong, unlike the situation in cuprate superconductors, and that, in fact, exfoliation of individual planes might be a harder task than previously suggested. As a salient feature, these results prove that the actual magnetic structure in AgF2 is a direct consequence of vibronic contributions involved in the Jahn-Teller effect. Finally, our findings show that, due to the multiple minima intrinsic to the Jahn-Teller energy surface, the system is ferroelastic, a property that is strongly coupled to magnetism in this argentate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inés Sánchez‐Movellán
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra yFísica de la Materia CondensadaUniversidad de CantabriaAvenida de los Castros s/n39005SantanderSpain
| | - Jorge Moreno‐Ceballos
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra yFísica de la Materia CondensadaUniversidad de CantabriaAvenida de los Castros s/n39005SantanderSpain
| | - Pablo García‐Fernández
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra yFísica de la Materia CondensadaUniversidad de CantabriaAvenida de los Castros s/n39005SantanderSpain
| | - Jose Antonio Aramburu
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra yFísica de la Materia CondensadaUniversidad de CantabriaAvenida de los Castros s/n39005SantanderSpain
| | - Miguel Moreno
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra yFísica de la Materia CondensadaUniversidad de CantabriaAvenida de los Castros s/n39005SantanderSpain
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17
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Álvarez-Quintero N, Velando A, Kim SY. Smart mating: the cognitive ability of females influences their preference for male cognitive ability. Behav Ecol 2021; 32:803-813. [PMID: 34690544 PMCID: PMC8528552 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive abilities may be crucial for individuals to respond appropriately to their social and natural environment, thereby increasing fitness. However, the role of cognitive traits in sexual selection has received relatively little attention. Here, we studied 1) whether male secondary sexual traits (colour, courtship, and nest) reflect their cognitive ability, 2) whether females choose mates based on males' and their own cognitive abilities, and 3) how the interplay between secondary sexual traits and cognitive ability determines male attractiveness in the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculetaus). For this, we first evaluated the cognitive ability of sexually mature males and females in a detour-reaching task. Then, female preference was repeatedly assessed in a dichotomous-choice test, where the female was exposed to two males with contrasting performances (relatively good and bad) in the detour-reaching task. Female preference for better performing males was affected by the female's own cognitive ability. Females with relatively medium-low cognitive ability preferred males with high ability, whereas females with high ability showed no preference. We also found that males with higher cognitive abilities built more elaborated nests, but showed weaker red nuptial colouration. To our knowledge, this is among the first results that illustrate how cognitive traits of both sexes influence female mate preference, which has implications for the strength and direction of sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Náyade Álvarez-Quintero
- Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Grupo Ecoloxía Animal, Torre CACTI, Campus de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
| | - Alberto Velando
- Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Grupo Ecoloxía Animal, Torre CACTI, Campus de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
| | - Sin-Yeon Kim
- Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Grupo Ecoloxía Animal, Torre CACTI, Campus de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
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18
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Salces-Castellano A, Andújar C, López H, Pérez-Delgado AJ, Arribas P, Emerson BC. Flightlessness in insects enhances diversification and determines assemblage structure across whole communities. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20202646. [PMID: 33593193 PMCID: PMC7935046 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [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: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dispersal limitation has been recurrently suggested to shape both macroecological patterns and microevolutionary processes within invertebrates. However, because of potential interactions among biological, environmental, temporal, and spatial variables, causal links among flight-related traits, diversification and spatial patterns of community assembly remain elusive. Integrating genetic variation within species across whole insect assemblages, within a simplified spatial and environmental framework, can be used to reduce the impact of these potentially confounding variables. Here, we used standardized sampling and mitochondrial DNA sequencing for a whole-community characterization of the beetle fauna inhabiting a singular forested habitat (laurel forest) within an oceanic archipelago setting (Canary Islands). The spatial structure of species assemblages together with species-level genetic diversity was compared at the archipelago and island scales for 104 winged and 110 wingless beetle lineages. We found that wingless beetle lineages have: (i) smaller range sizes at the archipelago scale, (ii) lower representation in younger island communities, (iii) stronger population genetic structure, and (iv) greater spatial structuring of species assemblages between and within islands. Our results reveal that dispersal limitation is a fundamental trait driving diversity patterns at multiple hierarchical levels by promoting spatial diversification and affecting the spatial configuration of entire assemblages at both island and archipelago scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Salces-Castellano
- Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology (IPNA-CSIC), C/Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 3, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands 38206, Spain
- School of Doctoral and Postgraduate Studies, University of La Laguna, 38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Carmelo Andújar
- Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology (IPNA-CSIC), C/Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 3, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands 38206, Spain
| | - Heriberto López
- Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology (IPNA-CSIC), C/Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 3, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands 38206, Spain
| | - Antonio J. Pérez-Delgado
- Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology (IPNA-CSIC), C/Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 3, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands 38206, Spain
- School of Doctoral and Postgraduate Studies, University of La Laguna, 38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Paula Arribas
- Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology (IPNA-CSIC), C/Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 3, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands 38206, Spain
| | - Brent C. Emerson
- Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology (IPNA-CSIC), C/Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 3, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands 38206, Spain
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19
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Cazaña-Pérez V, Cidad P, Navarro-González JF, Rojo-Mencía J, Jaisser F, López-López JR, Alvarez de la Rosa D, Giraldez T, Pérez-García M. Kv1.3 Channel Inhibition Limits Uremia-Induced Calcification in Mouse and Human Vascular Smooth Muscle. Function (Oxf) 2020; 2:zqaa036. [PMID: 35330975 PMCID: PMC8788811 DOI: 10.1093/function/zqaa036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) significantly increases cardiovascular risk. In advanced CKD stages, accumulation of toxic circulating metabolites and mineral metabolism alterations triggers vascular calcification, characterized by vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) transdifferentiation and loss of the contractile phenotype. Phenotypic modulation of VSMC occurs with significant changes in gene expression. Even though ion channels are an integral component of VSMC function, the effects of uremia on ion channel remodeling has not been explored. We used an in vitro model of uremia-induced calcification of human aorta smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) to study the expression of 92 ion channel subunit genes. Uremic serum-induced extensive remodeling of ion channel expression consistent with loss of excitability but different from the one previously associated with transition from contractile to proliferative phenotypes. Among the ion channels tested, we found increased abundance and activity of voltage-dependent K+ channel Kv1.3. Enhanced Kv1.3 expression was also detected in aorta from a mouse model of CKD. Pharmacological inhibition or genetic ablation of Kv1.3 decreased the amount of calcium phosphate deposition induced by uremia, supporting an important role for this channel on uremia-induced VSMC calcification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Violeta Cazaña-Pérez
- Departamento de Ciencias Médicas Básicas (Fisiología), Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain
- Unidad de Investigación y Servicio de Nefrología, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Pilar Cidad
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Fisiología e Instituto de Biología y Genética Molecular (IBGM), Universidad de Valladolid y Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Valladolid, Spain
| | - Juan F Navarro-González
- Unidad de Investigación y Servicio de Nefrología, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Jorge Rojo-Mencía
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Fisiología e Instituto de Biología y Genética Molecular (IBGM), Universidad de Valladolid y Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Valladolid, Spain
| | - Frederic Jaisser
- Unité Mixte de Recherche Scientifique 1138, Team 1, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, La Laguna, Paris, France
| | - José R López-López
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Fisiología e Instituto de Biología y Genética Molecular (IBGM), Universidad de Valladolid y Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Valladolid, Spain
| | - Diego Alvarez de la Rosa
- Departamento de Ciencias Médicas Básicas (Fisiología), Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Teresa Giraldez
- Departamento de Ciencias Médicas Básicas (Fisiología), Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Maria Teresa Pérez-García
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Fisiología e Instituto de Biología y Genética Molecular (IBGM), Universidad de Valladolid y Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Valladolid, Spain
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20
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Rios JJ, Yepes-Molina L, Martinez-Alonso A, Carvajal M. Nanobiofertilization as a novel technology for highly efficient foliar application of Fe and B in almond trees. R Soc Open Sci 2020; 7:200905. [PMID: 33391790 PMCID: PMC7735344 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.200905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Nanofertilization is postulated as a new technology to deal with the environmental problems caused by the intensive use of traditional fertilizers. One of the aims of this new technology is to improve foliar fertilization, which has many environmental advantages, but currently there are numerous factors that limit its efficiency. In this research, the objective was to study the potential of membrane vesicles derived from plant material as nanofertilizers of iron (Fe) and boron (B) for foliar application in almond trees (Prunus dulcis L.). The results show that the application of vesicles caused invaginations in the plasma membrane of the leaf cells. Also, the increase in leaf B and Fe was greater when these elements were applied in an encapsulated form rather than in a non-encapsulated form. The distribution of these elements in leaf tissues indicated the existence of an intracellular element transport pathway and accumulation areas, enabling greater element entry and mobility.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - M. Carvajal
- Author for correspondence: M. Carvajal e-mail:
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21
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Latorre-Pérez A, Villalba-Bermell P, Pascual J, Vilanova C. Assembly methods for nanopore-based metagenomic sequencing: a comparative study. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13588. [PMID: 32788623 PMCID: PMC7423617 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70491-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Metagenomic sequencing has allowed for the recovery of previously unexplored microbial genomes. Whereas short-read sequencing platforms often result in highly fragmented metagenomes, nanopore-based sequencers could lead to more contiguous assemblies due to their potential to generate long reads. Nevertheless, there is a lack of updated and systematic studies evaluating the performance of different assembly tools on nanopore data. In this study, we have benchmarked the ability of different assemblers to reconstruct two different commercially-available mock communities that have been sequenced using Oxford Nanopore Technologies platforms. Among the tested tools, only metaFlye, Raven, and Canu performed well in all the datasets. These tools retrieved highly contiguous genomes (or even complete genomes) directly from the metagenomic data. Despite the intrinsic high error of nanopore sequencing, final assemblies reached high accuracy (~ 99.5 to 99.8% of consensus accuracy). Polishing strategies demonstrated to be necessary for reducing the number of indels, and this had an impact on the prediction of biosynthetic gene clusters. Correction with high quality short reads did not always result in higher quality draft assemblies. Overall, nanopore metagenomic sequencing data-adapted to MinION's current output-proved sufficient for assembling and characterizing low-complexity microbial communities.
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22
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Savastano M, Arranz-Mascarós P, Clares MP, Cuesta R, Godino-Salido ML, Guijarro L, Gutiérrez-Valero MD, Inclán M, Bianchi A, García-España E, López-Garzón R. A New Heterogeneous Catalyst Obtained via Supramolecular Decoration of Graphene with a Pd 2+ Azamacrocyclic Complex. Molecules 2019; 24:E2714. [PMID: 31357384 PMCID: PMC6696290 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24152714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A new G-(H2L)-Pd heterogeneous catalyst has been prepared via a self-assembly process consisting in the spontaneous adsorption, in water at room temperature, of a macrocyclic H2L ligand on graphene (G) (G + H2L = G-(H2L)), followed by decoration of the macrocycle with Pd2+ ions (G-(H2L) + Pd2+ = G-(H2L)-Pd) under the same mild conditions. This supramolecular approach is a sustainable (green) procedure that preserves the special characteristics of graphene and furnishes an efficient catalyst for the Cu-free Sonogashira cross coupling reaction between iodobenzene and phenylacetylene. Indeed, G-(H2L)-Pd shows an excellent conversion (90%) of reactants into diphenylacetylene under mild conditions (50 °C, water, aerobic atmosphere, 14 h). The catalyst proved to be reusable for at least four cycles, although decreasing yields down to 50% were observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Savastano
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia, 3-13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | | | - Maria Paz Clares
- Institute of Molecular Sciences, University of Valencia, Calle José Beltrán Martínez, 2, 46980 Paterna (Valencia), Spain
| | - Rafael Cuesta
- Department of Inorganic and Organic Chemistry, University of Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain
| | | | - Lluis Guijarro
- Institute of Molecular Sciences, University of Valencia, Calle José Beltrán Martínez, 2, 46980 Paterna (Valencia), Spain
| | | | - Mario Inclán
- Institute of Molecular Sciences, University of Valencia, Calle José Beltrán Martínez, 2, 46980 Paterna (Valencia), Spain
| | - Antonio Bianchi
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia, 3-13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
| | - Enrique García-España
- Institute of Molecular Sciences, University of Valencia, Calle José Beltrán Martínez, 2, 46980 Paterna (Valencia), Spain.
| | - Rafael López-Garzón
- Department of Inorganic and Organic Chemistry, University of Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain.
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Makharza SA, Cirillo G, Vittorio O, Valli E, Voli F, Farfalla A, Curcio M, Iemma F, Nicoletta FP, El-Gendy AA, Goya GF, Hampel S. Magnetic Graphene Oxide Nanocarrier for Targeted Delivery of Cisplatin: A Perspective for Glioblastoma Treatment. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2019; 12:E76. [PMID: 31109098 PMCID: PMC6631527 DOI: 10.3390/ph12020076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Selective vectorization of Cisplatin (CisPt) to Glioblastoma U87 cells was exploited by the fabrication of a hybrid nanocarrier composed of magnetic γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles and nanographene oxide (NGO). The magnetic component, obtained by annealing magnetite Fe3O4 and characterized by XRD measurements, was combined with NGO sheets prepared via a modified Hummer's method. The morphological and thermogravimetric analysis proved the effective binding of γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles onto NGO layers. The magnetization measured under magnetic fields up to 7 Tesla at room temperature revealed superparamagnetic-like behavior with a maximum value of MS = 15 emu/g and coercivity HC ≈ 0 Oe within experimental error. The nanohybrid was found to possess high affinity towards CisPt, and a rather slow fractional release profile of 80% after 250 h. Negligible toxicity was observed for empty nanoparticles, while the retainment of CisPt anticancer activity upon loading into the carrier was observed, together with the possibility to spatially control the drug delivery at a target site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sami A Makharza
- Leibniz Institute of Solid State and Material Research Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany.
- College of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Hebron University, Hebron 00970, Palestine.
| | - Giuseppe Cirillo
- Leibniz Institute of Solid State and Material Research Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany.
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende (CS), 87036 Rende, Italy.
| | - Orazio Vittorio
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney 2031, Australia.
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Convergent BioNano Science and Technology, Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney 2052, Australia.
- School of Women's and Children's Health, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney 2052, Australia.
| | - Emanuele Valli
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney 2031, Australia.
- School of Women's and Children's Health, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney 2052, Australia.
| | - Florida Voli
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney 2031, Australia.
| | - Annafranca Farfalla
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende (CS), 87036 Rende, Italy.
| | - Manuela Curcio
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende (CS), 87036 Rende, Italy.
| | - Francesca Iemma
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende (CS), 87036 Rende, Italy.
| | - Fiore Pasquale Nicoletta
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende (CS), 87036 Rende, Italy.
| | - Ahmed A El-Gendy
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA.
| | - Gerardo F Goya
- Institute of Nanoscience of Aragon (INA) & Department of Condensed Matter Physics, University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Silke Hampel
- Leibniz Institute of Solid State and Material Research Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany.
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