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Burioni R, Silvestrini L, D’Orto B, Tetè G, Nagni M, Polizzi E, Gherlone EF. Could Dental Material Reuse Play a Significant Role in Preservation of Raw Materials, Water, Energy, and Costs? Microbiological Analysis of New versus Reused Healing Abutments: An In Vitro Study. Bioengineering (Basel) 2024; 11:387. [PMID: 38671808 PMCID: PMC11048622 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering11040387] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
AIM The objective of this in vitro study was to compare reused and sterilized versus new healing abutments to assess whether a decontamination and sterilization process performed on resued healing abutments was sufficient to remove residual proteins. The two groups were comparable with respect to patient safety. MATERIALS AND METHODS During the period from September 2022 to October 2023, healing abutment screws were selected and divided into two groups according to whether they were new or previously used in patients. The samples were subjected to a decontamination and sterilization protocol, and results from sample sterility evaluation and assessment of surface protein levels were recorded. RESULTS The obtained results revealed a significant difference in the OD562 nm values between new and reused healing abutment samples. The assay demonstrates how treated healing abutments were still contaminated by residual proteins. CONCLUSION Within the limitations of the present study, although from an infectious point of view sterilization results in the total eradication of pathogens, surface proteins remain on reused healing abutments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Burioni
- Department of Microbiology and Virology, University “Vita-Salute” San Raffaele, 20132 Milan, Italy; (R.B.); (L.S.)
| | - Lucia Silvestrini
- Department of Microbiology and Virology, University “Vita-Salute” San Raffaele, 20132 Milan, Italy; (R.B.); (L.S.)
| | - Bianca D’Orto
- Department of Dentistry, Dental School, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, “Vita-Salute” San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy; (B.D.); (G.T.); (M.N.)
| | - Giulia Tetè
- Department of Dentistry, Dental School, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, “Vita-Salute” San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy; (B.D.); (G.T.); (M.N.)
| | - Matteo Nagni
- Department of Dentistry, Dental School, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, “Vita-Salute” San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy; (B.D.); (G.T.); (M.N.)
| | - Elisabetta Polizzi
- Chair Center for Oral Hygiene and Prevention, Department of Dentistry, Dental School, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, “Vita-Salute” San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Enrico Felice Gherlone
- Dental School, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, “Vita-Salute” University, 20132 Milan, Italy;
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Schüller A, Studt-Reinhold L, Berger H, Silvestrini L, Labuda R, Güldener U, Gorfer M, Bacher M, Doppler M, Gasparotto E, Gattesco A, Sulyok M, Strauss J. Genome analysis of Cephalotrichum gorgonifer and identification of the biosynthetic pathway for rasfonin, an inhibitor of KRAS dependent cancer. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 2023; 10:13. [PMID: 37355668 DOI: 10.1186/s40694-023-00158-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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fungi are important sources for bioactive compounds that find their applications in many important sectors like in the pharma-, food- or agricultural industries. In an environmental monitoring project for fungi involved in soil nitrogen cycling we also isolated Cephalotrichum gorgonifer (strain NG_p51). In the course of strain characterisation work we found that this strain is able to naturally produce high amounts of rasfonin, a polyketide inducing autophagy, apoptosis, necroptosis in human cell lines and showing anti-tumor activity in KRAS-dependent cancer cells. RESULTS In order to elucidate the biosynthetic pathway of rasfonin, the strain was genome sequenced, annotated, submitted to transcriptome analysis and genetic transformation was established. Biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) prediction revealed the existence of 22 BGCs of which the majority was not expressed under our experimental conditions. In silico prediction revealed two BGCs with a suite of enzymes possibly involved in rasfonin biosynthesis. Experimental verification by gene-knock out of the key enzyme genes showed that one of the predicted BGCs is indeed responsible for rasfonin biosynthesis. CONCLUSIONS This study identified a biosynthetic gene cluster containing a key-gene responsible for rasfonin production. Additionally, molecular tools were established for the non-model fungus Cephalotrichum gorgonifer which allows strain engineering and heterologous expression of the BGC for high rasfonin producing strains and the biosynthesis of rasfonin derivates for diverse applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Schüller
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Microbial Genetics, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Campus Tulln, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln an der Donau, Austria
| | - Lena Studt-Reinhold
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Microbial Genetics, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Campus Tulln, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln an der Donau, Austria
| | - Harald Berger
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Microbial Genetics, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Campus Tulln, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln an der Donau, Austria
| | - Lucia Silvestrini
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Microbial Genetics, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Campus Tulln, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln an der Donau, Austria
- DGforLife, Operations - Research and Development, Via Albert Einstein, Marcallo c.C., 20010, Milan, Italy
| | - Roman Labuda
- Research Platform Bioactive Microbial Metabolites (BiMM), Konrad Lorenz Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln an der Donau, Austria
- Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, Institute of Food Safety, Food Technology and Veterinary Public Health, Unit of Food Microbiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrich Güldener
- Department of Bioinformatics, Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany
- German Heart Center Munich, Technical University Munich, Lazarettstraße 36, 80636, Munich, Germany
| | - Markus Gorfer
- AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Bioresources, 3430, Tulln, Austria
| | - Markus Bacher
- Research Platform Bioactive Microbial Metabolites (BiMM), Konrad Lorenz Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln an der Donau, Austria
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry of Renewable Resources, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), Konrad-LorenzStraße 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
| | - Maria Doppler
- Department of Agrobiotechnology (IFA-Tulln), Institute of Bioanalytics and Agro-Metabolomics, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Konrad Lorenz Strasse 20, 3430, Tulln an der Donau, Austria
- Core Facility Bioactive Molecules, Screening and Analysis, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, 3430, Tulln an der Donau, Austria
| | - Erika Gasparotto
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Microbial Genetics, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Campus Tulln, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln an der Donau, Austria
- Research Platform Bioactive Microbial Metabolites (BiMM), Konrad Lorenz Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln an der Donau, Austria
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Arianna Gattesco
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Microbial Genetics, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Campus Tulln, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln an der Donau, Austria
- Research Platform Bioactive Microbial Metabolites (BiMM), Konrad Lorenz Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln an der Donau, Austria
| | - Michael Sulyok
- Department of Agrobiotechnology (IFA-Tulln), Institute of Bioanalytics and Agro-Metabolomics, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Konrad Lorenz Strasse 20, 3430, Tulln an der Donau, Austria
| | - Joseph Strauss
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Microbial Genetics, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Campus Tulln, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln an der Donau, Austria.
- Research Platform Bioactive Microbial Metabolites (BiMM), Konrad Lorenz Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln an der Donau, Austria.
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Paciaroni A, Libera V, Ripanti F, Orecchini A, Petrillo C, Francisci D, Schiaroli E, Sabbatini S, Gidari A, Bianconi E, Macchiarulo A, Hussain R, Silvestrini L, Moretti P, Belhaj N, Vercelli M, Roque Y, Mariani P, Comez L, Spinozzi F. Stabilization of the Dimeric State of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease by GC376 and Nirmatrelvir. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076062. [PMID: 37047038 PMCID: PMC10093836 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076062] [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: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The main protease (Mpro or 3CLpro) is an enzyme that is evolutionarily conserved among different genera of coronaviruses. As it is essential for processing and maturing viral polyproteins, Mpro has been identified as a promising target for the development of broad-spectrum drugs against coronaviruses. Like SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, the mature and active form of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro is a dimer composed of identical subunits, each with a single active site. Individual monomers, however, have very low or no catalytic activity. As such, inhibition of Mpro can be achieved by molecules that target the substrate binding pocket to block catalytic activity or target the dimerization process. In this study, we investigated GC376, a transition-state analog inhibitor of the main protease of feline infectious peritonitis coronavirus, and Nirmatrelvir (NMV), an oral, bioavailable SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitor with pan-human coronavirus antiviral activity. Our results show that both GC376 and NMV are capable of strongly binding to SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and altering the monomer-dimer equilibrium by stabilizing the dimeric state. This behavior is proposed to be related to a structured hydrogen-bond network established at the Mpro active site, where hydrogen bonds between Ser1' and Glu166/Phe140 are formed in addition to those achieved by the latter residues with GC376 or NMV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Paciaroni
- Department of Physics and Geology, University of Perugia, Via Alessandro Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Valeria Libera
- Department of Physics and Geology, University of Perugia, Via Alessandro Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
- Istituto Officina dei Materiali-IOM, National Research Council-CNR, Via Alessandro Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Francesca Ripanti
- Department of Physics and Geology, University of Perugia, Via Alessandro Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Andrea Orecchini
- Department of Physics and Geology, University of Perugia, Via Alessandro Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Caterina Petrillo
- Department of Physics and Geology, University of Perugia, Via Alessandro Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Daniela Francisci
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Clinic of Infectious Diseases, University of Perugia, Piazzale Gambuli, 06129 Perugia, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Schiaroli
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Clinic of Infectious Diseases, University of Perugia, Piazzale Gambuli, 06129 Perugia, Italy
| | - Samuele Sabbatini
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Medical Microbiology Section, University of Perugia, Piazzale Gambuli, 06129 Perugia, Italy
| | - Anna Gidari
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Clinic of Infectious Diseases, University of Perugia, Piazzale Gambuli, 06129 Perugia, Italy
| | - Elisa Bianconi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Liceo, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Antonio Macchiarulo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Liceo, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Rohanah Hussain
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Lucia Silvestrini
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 12, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Paolo Moretti
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 12, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Norhan Belhaj
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 12, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Matteo Vercelli
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 12, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Yessica Roque
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 12, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Paolo Mariani
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 12, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Lucia Comez
- Istituto Officina dei Materiali-IOM, National Research Council-CNR, Via Alessandro Pascoli, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Francesco Spinozzi
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 12, 60131 Ancona, Italy
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de Blas J, Pierini M, Reina L, Silvestrini L. Impact of the Recent Measurements of the Top-Quark and W-Boson Masses on Electroweak Precision Fits. Phys Rev Lett 2022; 129:271801. [PMID: 36638295 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.129.271801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
We assess the impact of the very recent measurement of the top-quark mass by the CMS Collaboration on the fit of electroweak data in the standard model and beyond, with particular emphasis on the prediction for the mass of the W boson. We then compare this prediction with the average of the corresponding experimental measurements including the new measurement by the CDF Collaboration, and discuss its compatibility in the standard model, in new physics models with oblique corrections, and in the dimension-six standard model effective field theory. Finally, we present the updated global fit to electroweak precision data in these models.
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Affiliation(s)
- J de Blas
- CAFPE and Departamento de Física Teórica y del Cosmos, Universidad de Granada, Campus de Fuentenueva, E-18071 Granada, Spain
| | | | - L Reina
- Physics Department, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306-4350, USA
| | - L Silvestrini
- INFN, Sezione di Roma, Piazzale A. Moro 2, I-00185 Roma, Italy
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5
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de Blas J, Ciuchini M, Franco E, Goncalves A, Mishima S, Pierini M, Reina L, Silvestrini L. Global analysis of electroweak data in the Standard Model. Int J Clin Exp Med 2022. [DOI: 10.1103/physrevd.106.033003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Silvestrini L, Cianci M. Principles of lipid-enzyme interactions in the limbus region of the catalytic site of Candida antarctica Lipase B. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 158:358-363. [PMID: 32380114 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.04.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Lipases (E.C. 3.1.1.3) are ubiquitous hydrolases for the carboxyl ester bond of water-insoluble substrates such as triacylglycerols and phospholipids. Candida antarctica Lipase B (CALB) acts in aqueous as well as in low-water media, thus being of considerable biochemical significance with high interest also for its industrial applications. The hydrolysis reaction follows a two-step mechanism, or 'interfacial activation', with adsorption of the enzyme to a heterogeneous interface and subsequent enhancement of the lipolytic activity. Once positioned within the catalytic triad, substrates are then hydrolysed, and products released. However, the intermediate steps of substrate transfer from the lipidic-aqueous phase to the enzyme surface and then down to the catalytic site are still unclear. By inhibiting CALB with ethyl phosphonate and incubating with glyceryl tributyrate (2,3-di(butanoyloxy)propyl butanoate), the crystal structure of the lipid-enzyme complex, at 1.55 Å resolution, shows the tributyrin in the limbus region of active site. The substrate is found 10 Å above the catalytic Ser, with the glycerol backbone pre-aligned for further processing by key interactions via an extended water network with α-helix10 and α-helix5. The findings offer new elements to elucidate the mechanism of substrate recognition, transfer and catalysis of Candida antarctica Lipase B (CALB) and lipases in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Silvestrini
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Michele Cianci
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy.
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7
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Guerriero G, Silvestrini L, Legay S, Maixner F, Sulyok M, Hausman JF, Strauss J. Deletion of the celA gene in Aspergillus nidulans triggers overexpression of secondary metabolite biosynthetic genes. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5978. [PMID: 28729615 PMCID: PMC5519750 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05920-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Although much progress has been made in the study of cell wall biosynthetic genes in the model filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans, there are still targets awaiting characterization. An example is the gene celA (ANIA_08444) encoding a putative mixed linkage glucan synthase. To characterize the role of celA, we deleted it in A. nidulans, analyzed the phenotype of the mycelium and performed RNA-Seq. The strain shows a very strong phenotype, namely “balloons” along the hyphae and aberrant conidiophores, as well as an altered susceptibility to cell wall drugs. These data suggest a potential role of the gene in cell wall-related processes. The Gene Ontology term Enrichment analysis shows increased expression of secondary metabolite biosynthetic genes (sterigmatocystin in particular) in the deleted strain. Our results show that the deletion of celA triggers a strong phenotype reminiscent of cell wall-related aberrations and the upregulation of some secondary metabolite gene clusters in A. nidulans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gea Guerriero
- Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) Department, Esch/Alzette, L-4362, Luxembourg.
| | - Lucia Silvestrini
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Fungal Genetics and Genomics Unit, BOKU Campus, Tulln/Donau, A-3430, Austria
| | - Sylvain Legay
- Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) Department, Esch/Alzette, L-4362, Luxembourg
| | - Frank Maixner
- European Academy of Bozen/Bolzano (EURAC), Institute for Mummies and the Iceman, Bolzano, 39100, Italy
| | - Michael Sulyok
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), Department for Agrobiotechnology (IFA-Tulln), A-3430, Tulln, Austria
| | - Jean-Francois Hausman
- Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) Department, Esch/Alzette, L-4362, Luxembourg
| | - Joseph Strauss
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Fungal Genetics and Genomics Unit, BOKU Campus, Tulln/Donau, A-3430, Austria.
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Silvestrini L, Drosg B. Identification of Four Polyhydroxyalkanoate Structural Genes in Synechocystis cf. salina PCC6909: In silico Evidences. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.4172/jpb.1000386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Silvestrini L, Rossi B, Gallmetzer A, Mathieu M, Scazzocchio C, Berardi E, Strauss J. Interaction of Yna1 and Yna2 Is Required for Nuclear Accumulation and Transcriptional Activation of the Nitrate Assimilation Pathway in the Yeast Hansenula polymorpha. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0135416. [PMID: 26335797 PMCID: PMC4559421 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2015] [Accepted: 07/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A few yeasts, including Hansenula polymorpha are able to assimilate nitrate and use it as nitrogen source. The genes necessary for nitrate assimilation are organised in this organism as a cluster comprising those encoding nitrate reductase (YNR1), nitrite reductase (YNI1), a high affinity transporter (YNT1), as well as the two pathway specific Zn(II)2Cys2 transcriptional activators (YNA1, YNA2). Yna1p and Yna2p mediate induction of the system and here we show that their functions are interdependent. Yna1p activates YNA2 as well as its own (YNA1) transcription thus forming a nitrate-dependent autoactivation loop. Using a split-YFP approach we demonstrate here that Yna1p and Yna2p form a heterodimer independently of the inducer and despite both Yna1p and Yna2p can occupy the target promoter as mono- or homodimer individually, these proteins are transcriptionally incompetent. Subsequently, the transcription factors target genes containing a conserved DNA motif (termed nitrate-UAS) determined in this work by in vitro and in vivo protein-DNA interaction studies. These events lead to a rearrangement of the chromatin landscape on the target promoters and are associated with the onset of transcription of these target genes. In contrast to other fungi and plants, in which nuclear accumulation of the pathway-specific transcription factors only occur in the presence of nitrate, Yna1p and Yna2p are constitutively nuclear in H. polymorpha. Yna2p is needed for this nuclear accumulation and Yna1p is incapable of strictly positioning in the nucleus without Yna2p. In vivo DNA footprinting and ChIP analyses revealed that the permanently nuclear Yna1p/Yna2p heterodimer only binds to the nitrate-UAS when the inducer is present. The nitrate-dependent up-regulation of one partner protein in the heterodimeric complex is functionally similar to the nitrate-dependent activation of nuclear accumulation in other systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Silvestrini
- Fungal Genetics and Genomics Unit, Division of Microbial Genetics and Pathogen Interactions, BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, University and Research Center Tulln, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln/Donau, Austria
- Laboratorio di Genetica Microbica, DiSA, Universitá Politecnica delle Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy
| | - Beatrice Rossi
- Laboratorio di Genetica Microbica, DiSA, Universitá Politecnica delle Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Universitè Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
| | - Andreas Gallmetzer
- Fungal Genetics and Genomics Unit, Division of Microbial Genetics and Pathogen Interactions, BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, University and Research Center Tulln, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln/Donau, Austria
| | - Martine Mathieu
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Universitè Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
| | - Claudio Scazzocchio
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Universitè Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
- Department of Microbiology, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Enrico Berardi
- Laboratorio di Genetica Microbica, DiSA, Universitá Politecnica delle Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy
| | - Joseph Strauss
- Fungal Genetics and Genomics Unit, Division of Microbial Genetics and Pathogen Interactions, BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, University and Research Center Tulln, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln/Donau, Austria
- Health and Environment Department, Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH (AIT), University and Research Center Tulln, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln/Donau, Austria
- * E-mail:
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Gallmetzer A, Silvestrini L, Schinko T, Gesslbauer B, Hortschansky P, Dattenböck C, Muro-Pastor MI, Kungl A, Brakhage AA, Scazzocchio C, Strauss J. Reversible Oxidation of a Conserved Methionine in the Nuclear Export Sequence Determines Subcellular Distribution and Activity of the Fungal Nitrate Regulator NirA. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005297. [PMID: 26132230 PMCID: PMC4488483 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2013] [Accepted: 05/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The assimilation of nitrate, a most important soil nitrogen source, is tightly regulated in microorganisms and plants. In Aspergillus nidulans, during the transcriptional activation process of nitrate assimilatory genes, the interaction between the pathway-specific transcription factor NirA and the exportin KapK/CRM1 is disrupted, and this leads to rapid nuclear accumulation and transcriptional activity of NirA. In this work by mass spectrometry, we found that in the absence of nitrate, when NirA is inactive and predominantly cytosolic, methionine 169 in the nuclear export sequence (NES) is oxidized to methionine sulfoxide (Metox169). This oxidation depends on FmoB, a flavin-containing monooxygenase which in vitro uses methionine and cysteine, but not glutathione, as oxidation substrates. The function of FmoB cannot be replaced by alternative Fmo proteins present in A. nidulans. Exposure of A. nidulans cells to nitrate led to rapid reduction of NirA-Metox169 to Met169; this reduction being independent from thioredoxin and classical methionine sulfoxide reductases. Replacement of Met169 by isoleucine, a sterically similar but not oxidizable residue, led to partial loss of NirA activity and insensitivity to FmoB-mediated nuclear export. In contrast, replacement of Met169 by alanine transformed the protein into a permanently nuclear and active transcription factor. Co-immunoprecipitation analysis of NirA-KapK interactions and subcellular localization studies of NirA mutants lacking different parts of the protein provided evidence that Met169 oxidation leads to a change in NirA conformation. Based on these results we propose that in the presence of nitrate the activation domain is exposed, but the NES is masked by a central portion of the protein (termed nitrate responsive domain, NiRD), thus restricting active NirA molecules to the nucleus. In the absence of nitrate, Met169 in the NES is oxidized by an FmoB-dependent process leading to loss of protection by the NiRD, NES exposure, and relocation of the inactive NirA to the cytosol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Gallmetzer
- Fungal Genetics and Genomics Unit, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, BOKU—University of Natural Resources and Life Science, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lucia Silvestrini
- Fungal Genetics and Genomics Unit, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, BOKU—University of Natural Resources and Life Science, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thorsten Schinko
- Fungal Genetics and Genomics Unit, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, BOKU—University of Natural Resources and Life Science, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernd Gesslbauer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Karl-Franzens-University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Peter Hortschansky
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knoll Institute, Jena, Germany
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Christoph Dattenböck
- Fungal Genetics and Genomics Unit, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, BOKU—University of Natural Resources and Life Science, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Health and Environment Department, Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH—AIT, University and Research Center Tulln, Tulln an der Donau, Austria
| | | | - Andreas Kungl
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Karl-Franzens-University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Axel A. Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knoll Institute, Jena, Germany
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Claudio Scazzocchio
- Department of Microbiology, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom, and Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
| | - Joseph Strauss
- Fungal Genetics and Genomics Unit, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, BOKU—University of Natural Resources and Life Science, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Health and Environment Department, Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH—AIT, University and Research Center Tulln, Tulln an der Donau, Austria
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11
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Guerriero G, Silvestrini L, Obersriebnig M, Salerno M, Pum D, Strauss J. Sensitivity of Aspergillus nidulans to the cellulose synthase inhibitor dichlobenil: insights from wall-related genes' expression and ultrastructural hyphal morphologies. PLoS One 2013; 8:e80038. [PMID: 24312197 PMCID: PMC3843659 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2013] [Accepted: 09/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The fungal cell wall constitutes an important target for the development of antifungal drugs, because of its central role in morphogenesis, development and determination of fungal-specific molecular features. Fungal walls are characterized by a network of interconnected glycoproteins and polysaccharides, namely α-, β-glucans and chitin. Cell walls promptly and dynamically respond to environmental stimuli by a signaling mechanism, which triggers, among other responses, modulations in wall biosynthetic genes’ expression. Despite the absence of cellulose in the wall of the model filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans, we found in this study that fungal growth, spore germination and morphology are affected by the addition of the cellulose synthase inhibitor dichlobenil. Expression analysis of selected genes putatively involved in cell wall biosynthesis, carried out at different time points of drug exposure (i.e. 0, 1, 3, 6 and 24 h), revealed increased expression for the putative mixed linkage β-1,3;1,4 glucan synthase celA together with the β-1,3-glucan synthase fksA and the Rho-related GTPase rhoA. We also compared these data with the response to Congo Red, a known plant/fungal drug affecting both chitin and cellulose biosynthesis. The two drugs exerted different effects at the cell wall level, as shown by gene expression analysis and the ultrastructural features observed through atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Although the concentration of dichlobenil required to affect growth of A. nidulans is approximately 10-fold higher than that required to inhibit plant cellulose biosynthesis, our work for the first time demonstrates that a cellulose biosynthesis inhibitor affects fungal growth, changes fungal morphology and expression of genes connected to fungal cell wall biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gea Guerriero
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Fungal Genetics and Genomics Unit, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), University and Research Center Campus Tulln-Technopol, Tulln/Donau, Austria
- * E-mail: (GG); (JS)
| | - Lucia Silvestrini
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Fungal Genetics and Genomics Unit, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), University and Research Center Campus Tulln-Technopol, Tulln/Donau, Austria
| | - Michael Obersriebnig
- Institute of Wood Science and Technology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), University and Research Center Campus Tulln-Technopol, Tulln/Donau, Austria
| | - Marco Salerno
- Nanophysics Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Dietmar Pum
- Department of Nanobiotechnology, Institute for Biophysics, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
| | - Joseph Strauss
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Fungal Genetics and Genomics Unit, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), University and Research Center Campus Tulln-Technopol, Tulln/Donau, Austria
- Health and Environment Department, Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH - AIT, University and Research Center Campus Tulln-Technopol, Tulln/Donau, Austria
- * E-mail: (GG); (JS)
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12
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Ciuchini M, Franco E, Mishima S, Silvestrini L. Electroweak theory and global fit. EPJ Web of Conferences 2013. [DOI: 10.1051/epjconf/20136008004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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13
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Brugè F, Littarru GP, Silvestrini L, Mancuso T, Tiano L. A novel Real Time PCR strategy to detect SOD3 SNP using LNA probes. Mutat Res 2009; 669:80-4. [PMID: 19465032 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrfmmm.2009.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2009] [Revised: 04/30/2009] [Accepted: 05/05/2009] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Extracellular superoxide dismutase (SOD3) is the primary enzymatic antioxidant defence of the vascular wall. The physiopathological role of SOD3 has been examined in vascular-related diseases, atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, ischaemia-reperfusion injury, lung disease, various inflammatory conditions, and neurological diseases. An important single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), nt.760 G>C of the SOD3 gene (rs#1799895) leads to the amino acid substitution Arg(213)Gly (R213G) in the center of the heparin-binding domain and consequently to a lowered affinity for the endothelium. This mutation, which occurs with a relatively high frequency in the population (4% of Swedish, 3% of Australian and 6% of Japanese people), is associated with decreased tissue antioxidant defences and increased risk of ischaemic heart disease. The identification of patients carrying this mutation is therefore of great interest in order to highlight lowered antioxidant defences at a vascular level which could lead to increased susceptibility toward coronary artery disease and atherogenesis. Here we describe a method to detect the 760 G>C single nucleotide polymorphism based on Real Time PCR strategy using locked nucleic acid (LNA) probes. This technique, a modification of classic TaqMan probes SNP genotyping, amplifies and detects the mutation in a single reaction tube. Moreover, the implementation of LNA probes remarkably increases the specificity of the reaction. The proposed method enables unambigous and rapid discrimination of wild type and mutant genotype both in plasmid and genomic DNA samples. In light of the role of SOD3 polymorphism, the genotyping of 760 G>C mutant has important clinical implications. The proposed assay combines rapidity, high specificity, can be easily automated and overall reduces labor and cost of analyses. Moreover, identification of patients with lowered vascular antioxidant defences could address pharmacogenomical approaches to the therapy of cardiovascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Brugè
- Department of Biochemistry, Biology and Genetics, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
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14
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Ciuchini M, Pierini M, Silvestrini L. Bs-->K(*)0 K(*)0 CP asymmetries: golden channels for new physics searches. Phys Rev Lett 2008; 100:031802. [PMID: 18232964 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.100.031802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2007] [Revised: 10/22/2007] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
We point out that time-dependent CP asymmetries in B_(s)-->K(*0) K[over](*0) decays probe the presence of new physics in b-->s transitions with an unprecedented theoretical accuracy. We show that, contrary to the case of B_(d)-->phiK_(S), it is possible to obtain a model-independent prediction for the coefficient S(B_(s)-->K(*0) K[over](*0)) in the standard model. We give an estimate of the experimental precision achievable with the next generation of B physics experiments. We also discuss how this approach can be extended to the case of B_(s)-->K[over](*0) K(0), B_(s)-->K(*0) K[over](0), and B_(s)-->K(0) K[over](0) decays and the different experimental challenges for these channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ciuchini
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Roma Tre and INFN, Sezione di Roma Tre, Via della Vasca Navale 84, Rome, Italy
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15
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Bona M, Ciuchini M, Franco E, Lubicz V, Martinelli G, Parodi F, Pierini M, Roudeau P, Schiavi C, Silvestrini L, Stocchi A, Vagnoni V. Constraints on new physics from the quark mixing unitarity triangle. Phys Rev Lett 2006; 97:151803. [PMID: 17155319 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.97.151803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2006] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The status of the unitary triangle beyond the standard model including the most recent results on Deltam[s] on dilepton asymmetries and on width differences is presented. Even allowing for general new physics loop contributions the unitarity triangle must be very close to the standard model result. With the new measurements from the Fermilab Tevatron, we obtain for the first time a significant constraint on new physics in the Bs sector. We present the allowed ranges of new physics contributions to DeltaF=2 processes and of the time-dependent CP asymmetry in Bs-->J/psivarphi decays.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Bona
- Laboratoire d'Annecy-le-Vieux de Physique des Particules LAPP, IN2P3/CNRS, Université de Savoie, France
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16
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Ciuchini M, Silvestrini L. Upper bounds on supersymmetric contributions to b-->s transitions from Bs-Bs mixing. Phys Rev Lett 2006; 97:021803. [PMID: 16907435 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.97.021803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2006] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
We study the constraints on supersymmetric contributions to b-->s transitions from the recent allowed range and measurement of B(s)-B(s) mixing obtained by the D0 and Collider Detector at Fermilab collaborations at the Tevatron. We compute the upper bounds on the relevant off-diagonal squark mass terms and compare them with the bounds coming from delta F= 1 decays. We find that the constraints on chirality-flipping mass insertions are unaffected. Conversely, the measurement of B(s)-B(s) mixing is effective in constraining chirality-conserving mass insertions, and it has striking effects in the case in which left- and right-handed insertions have similar size. Finally, we discuss the phase of the B(s)-B(s) mixing amplitude in the presence of supersymmetric contributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ciuchini
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Roma Tre and INFN, Sezione di Roma III, Via della Vasca Navale 84, I-00146 Roma, Italy
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17
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Abstract
Performing a fit to the available experimental data, we quantify the effect of long-distance contributions from penguin contractions in B0 --> J/psiK0 decays. We estimate the deviation of the measured S(CP) term of the time-dependent CP asymmetry from sin2beta induced by these contributions and by the penguin operators. We find deltaS is identically equal to S(CP)(J/psiK) - sin2beta = 0.000 +/- 0.012 ([-0.025, 0.024]@95% probability), an uncertainty much larger than previous estimates and comparable to the present systematic error quoted by the experiments at the B factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ciuchini
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università La Sapienza and INFN, Sezione di Roma, P.le A. Moro, I-00185 Rome, Italy
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18
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Ciuchini M, Masiero A, Silvestrini L, Vempati SK, Vives O. Grand unification of quark and lepton flavor changing neutral currents. Phys Rev Lett 2004; 92:071801. [PMID: 14995839 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.92.071801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2003] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
In the context of supersymmetric grand unified theories with soft breaking terms arising at the Planck scale, it is generally possible to link flavor changing neutral current and CP violating processes occurring in the leptonic and hadronic sectors. We study the correlation between flavor changing squark and slepton mass insertions in models à la SU(5). We show that the constraints coming from lepton flavor violation exhibit a strong impact on CP-violating B decays.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ciuchini
- INFN, Sezione di Roma III and Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Roma Tre, Via della Vasca Navale 84, I-00146 Rome, Italy
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19
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Abstract
Scherk-Schwarz gauge symmetry breaking of a D-dimensional field theory model compactified on a circle is analyzed. It is explicitly shown that forbidden couplings in the unbroken theory appear in the one-loop effective action only in a nonlocal way, implying that they are finite at all orders in perturbation theory. This result can be understood as a consequence of the local gauge symmetry, but it holds true also in the global limit.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Masiero
- ISAS-SISSA, Via Beirut 2-4, I-34013 Trieste, Italy
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