Differential pattern of glycogen accumulation after protein phosphatase 1 glycogen-targeting subunit PPP1R6 overexpression, compared to PPP1R3C and PPP1R3A, in skeletal muscle cells

Background PPP1R6 is a protein phosphatase 1 glycogen-targeting subunit (PP1-GTS) abundant in skeletal muscle with an undefined metabolic control role. Here PPP1R6 effects on myotube glycogen metabolism, particle size and subcellular distribution are examined and compared with PPP1R3C/PTG and PPP1R3A/GM. Results PPP1R6 overexpression activates glycogen synthase (GS), reduces its phosphorylation at Ser-641/0 and increases the extracted and cytochemically-stained glycogen content, less than PTG but more than GM. PPP1R6 does not change glycogen phosphorylase activity. All tested PP1-GTS-cells have more glycogen particles than controls as found by electron microscopy of myotube sections. Glycogen particle size is distributed for all cell-types in a continuous range, but PPP1R6 forms smaller particles (mean diameter 14.4 nm) than PTG (36.9 nm) and GM (28.3 nm) or those in control cells (29.2 nm). Both PPP1R6- and GM-derived glycogen particles are in cytosol associated with cellular structures; PTG-derived glycogen is found in membrane- and organelle-devoid cytosolic glycogen-rich areas; and glycogen particles are dispersed in the cytosol in control cells. A tagged PPP1R6 protein at the C-terminus with EGFP shows a diffuse cytosol pattern in glucose-replete and -depleted cells and a punctuate pattern surrounding the nucleus in glucose-depleted cells, which colocates with RFP tagged with the Golgi targeting domain of β-1,4-galactosyltransferase, according to a computational prediction for PPP1R6 Golgi location. Conclusions PPP1R6 exerts a powerful glycogenic effect in cultured muscle cells, more than GM and less than PTG. PPP1R6 protein translocates from a Golgi to cytosolic location in response to glucose. The molecular size and subcellular location of myotube glycogen particles is determined by the PPP1R6, PTG and GM scaffolding

Cargols d'aigua dolça exòtics a Barcelona

Seven species of introduced freshwater snails are found in Barcelona: Potamopyrgus jenkinsi, Radix aff. auricularia, Pseudosuccinea columella, Lymnaea stagnalis, Physella (Haitia) virgata berendti, Planorbella (Seminolina) duryi seminole, and Ferrissia (Pettancylus) wautieri. P. jenkinsi and F. Wautieri are widespread in Europe, the latter being perhaps an autochthonous element. R. all. auricularia clearly belongs to the R. auricularia complex, but differs from other Catalan populations; it has persisted in artificial ponds for almost 70 years. P. columella is a common species in America, has been introduced in many parts of the world, has been reported from several european cities and lives in artificial and semi-natural ponds in Barcelona and Blanes, although later disappeared. P. virgata berendti has a wide distribution in North America and lives in artificial ponds in Barcelona. P. duryi seminole is endemic to Florida but has been introduced, some times deliberately, in many parts of the world; it lives in artificial ponds in Barcelona. P. columella, P. virgata berendti and P. duryi seminole are new for the Catalan and Iberian faunas, and P. virgata berendti is new for Europe. Some of these introduced snails (R. all. auricularia, P. columella and L. stagnalis) could represent health threats, the role of Lymnaeidae as intermediate hosts of fascioliasis being well known

Diseño de material editorial informativo para uso interno del Colectivo Amigos Contra el SIDA.

Diseña un material informativo editorial digital, e interactivo, con noventa slides, relacionados con los procesos, y las consideraciones necesarias, para la atención de las comunidades de la ciudad de Guatemala, que tiene un alto riesgo de contraer el Virus de Inmunodeficiencia Humano (VIH)

Visible abdominal distension in functional gut disorders: Objective evaluation

Abdominal distension; Abdominothoracic imaging; Intestinal gasDistensión abdominal; Imagen abdominotorácica; Gas intestinalDistensió abdominal; Imatge abdominotoràcica; Gas intestinalBackground Visible abdominal distension has been attributed to: (A) distorted perception, (B) intestinal gas accumulation, or (C) abdominophrenic dyssynergia (diaphragmatic push and anterior wall relaxation). Methods A pool of consecutive patients with functional gut disorders and visible abdominal distension included in previous studies (n = 139) was analyzed. Patients (61 functional bloating, 74 constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome and 4 with alternating bowel habit) were evaluated twice, under basal conditions and during a self-reported episode of visible abdominal distension; static abdominal CT images were taken in 104 patients, and dynamic EMG recordings of the abdominal walls in 76, with diaphragmatic activity valid for analysis in 35. Key Results (A) Objective evidence of abdominal distension was obtained by tape measure (increase in girth in 138 of 139 patients), by CT imaging (increased abdominal perimeter in 96 of 104 patients) and by abdominal EMG (reduced activity, i.e., relaxation, in 73 of 76 patients). (B) Intestinal gas volume was within ±300 ml from the basal value in 99 patients, and above in 5 patients, who nevertheless exhibited a diaphragmatic descent. (C) Diaphragmatic contraction was detected in 34 of 35 patients by EMG (increased activity) and in 82 of 103 patients by CT (diaphragmatic descent). Conclusions and Inferences In most patients complaining of episodes of visible abdominal distention: (A) the subjective claim is substantiated by objective evidence; (B) an increase in intestinal gas does not justify visible abdominal distention; (C) abdominophrenic dyssynergia is consistently evidenced by dynamic EMG recording, but static CT imaging has less sensitivity.The present study was supported in part by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Dirección General de Investigación Científica y Técnica, PID2021-122295OB-I00); Ciberehd is funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III. Writing Assistance. American Journal Experts for English editing of the manuscript (Certificate Verification Code; 8696-2A19-A35A-3FAE-6987) funded by SAF 2016-76648-R

Translation and interpreting : Bridges across languages and cultures

This chapter looks at how translation and interpreting make communication across languages and cultures possible. After completing the chapter's activities, students will be able to: · Explain the complexity of communication across languages · Describe the value of translation and interpreting as a form of communication across languages · Distinguish between an interpreter and a translator · Give examples of misunderstandings inherent to communication, even in the absence of language barriers · Describe some of the difficulties translators and interpreters face and must overcom

La qualitat de la traducció com a factor de garantia del procés penal: desenvolupament de recursos per a intèrprets judicials (el projecte TIPp)

Informe de premsa sobre el projecte de recerca TIPp (Traducció i Interpretació en Processos penals

Specific loop modifications of the thrombin-binding aptamer trigger the formation of parallel structures

Guanine-rich sequences show large structural variability, with folds ranging from duplex to triplex and quadruplex helices. Quadruplexes are polymorphic, and can show multiple stoichiometries, parallel and antiparallel strand alignments, and different topological arrangements. We analyze here the equilibrium between intramolecular antiparallel and intermolecular parallel G-quadruplexes in the thrombin-binding aptamer (TBA) sequence. Our theoretical and experimental studies demonstrate that an apparently simple modification at the loops of TBA induces a large change in the monomeric antiparallel structure of TBA to yield a parallel G-quadruplex showing a novel T-tetrad. The present results illustrate the extreme polymorphism of G-quadruplexes and the ease with which their conformation in solution can be manipulated by nucleotide modification.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, MICINN (CTQ2010-20541, CTQ2012-38616, BIO2009-10964 and Consolider E-Science), the Generalitat de Catalunya, (2009/SGR/208), the University of Milano (PUR 2009 Funds), the funds de la Recherche ScientifiqueFNRS (VG research associate position and FRFC grant 2.4528.11) and PRIN09 (2009Prot- 2009J54YAP_005). RF is a recipient of a FPI predoctoral contract (MICINN) and a STSM from COST (G4net, MP0802). GP is a recipient of a Sara Borrell postdoctoral fellowship. Collaborative research was funded by a Cost action (G4net, MP0802) and an Italian-Spanish collaborative action (IT2009-0067). CIBER-BBN is an initiative funded by the VI National R&D&i Plan 2008-2011, Iniciativa Ingenio 2010, Consolider Program, CIBER Actions and financed by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III with assistance from the European Regional Development Fund.Peer reviewe

Glucose and fructose have sugar-specific effects in both liver and skeletal muscle in vivo: a role for liver fructokinase.

We examined glucose and fructose effects on serine phosphorylation levels of a range of proteins in rat liver and muscle cells. For this, healthy adult rats were subjected to either oral glucose or fructose loads. A mini-array system was utilized to determine serine phosphorylation levels of liver and skeletal muscle proteins. A glucose oral load of 125 mg/100 g body weight (G 1/2) did not induce changes in phosphorylated serines of the proteins studied. Loading with 250 mg/100 g body weight of fructose (Fr), which induced similar glycemia levels as G 1/2, significantly increased serine phosphorylation of liver cyclin D3, PI3 kinase/p85, ERK-2, PTP2 and clusterin. The G 1/2 increased serine levels of the skeletal muscle proteins cyclin H, Cdk2, IRAK, total PKC, PTP1B, c-Raf 1, Ras and the β-subunit of the insulin receptor. The Fr induced a significant increase only in muscle serine phosphorylation of PI3 kinase/p85. The incubation of isolated rat hepatocytes with 10 mM glucose for 5 min significantly increased serine phosphorylation of 31 proteins. In contrast, incubation with 10 mM fructose produced less intense effects. Incubation with 10 mM glucose plus 75 µM fructose counteracted the effects of the incubation with glucose alone, except those on Raf-1 and Ras. Less marked effects were detected in cultured muscle cells incubated with 10 mM glucose or 10 mM glucose plus 75 µM fructose. Our results suggest that glucose and fructose act as specific functional modulators through a general mechanism that involves liver-generated signals, like micromolar fructosemia, which would inform peripheral tissues of the presence of either glucose- or fructose-derived metabolites

Monitoring the injection of microscale zerovalent iron particles for groundwater remediation by means of complex electrical conductivity imaging

The injection of microscale zerovalent iron (mZVI) particles for groundwater remediation has received much interest in recent years. However, to date, monitoring of mZVI particle injection is based on chemical analysis of groundwater and soil samples and thus might be limited in its spatiotemporal resolution. To overcome this deficiency, in this study, we investigate the application of complex electrical conductivity imaging, a geophysical method, to monitor the high-pressure injection of mZVI in a field-scale application. The resulting electrical images revealed an increase in the induced electrical polarization (∼20%), upon delivery of ZVI into the targeted area, due to the accumulation of metallic surfaces at which the polarization takes place. Furthermore, larger changes (>50%) occurred in shallow sediments, a few meters away from the injection, suggesting the migration of particles through preferential flowpaths. Correlation of the electrical response and geochemical data, in particular the analysis of recovered cores from drilling after the injection, confirmed the migration of particles (and stabilizing solution) to shallow areas through fractures formed during the injection. Hence, our results demonstrate the suitability of the complex conductivity imaging method to monitor the transport of mZVI during subsurface amendment in quasi real-time

8-Amino guanine accelerates tetramolecular G-quadruplex formation

2 pages, 4 figures, 1 table.-- PMID: 18566727 [PubMed].We demonstrate here that 8-amino guanine (R) strongly accelerates quadruplex formation, which makes this nucleobase the most attractive replacement for guanine in the context of tetramolecular parallel quadruplexes.This work was supported by ARC (#3365 to J.L.M), and E.U. FP6 MolCancerMed (LSHC-CT-2004-502943) grants. We thank Elena Cubero (IRB, Barcelona) for preliminary MD/TI simulations.Peer reviewe