EZH2 regulates neuroepithelium structure and neuroblast proliferation by repressing p21

The function of EZH2 as a transcription repressor is well characterized. However, its role during vertebrate development is still poorly understood, particularly in neurogenesis. Here, we uncover the role of EZH2 in controlling the integrity of the neural tube and allowing proper progenitor proliferation. We demonstrate that knocking down the EZH2 in chick embryo neural tubes unexpectedly disrupts the neuroepithelium (NE) structure, correlating with alteration of the Rho pathway, and reduces neural progenitor proliferation. Moreover, we use transcriptional profiling and functional assays to show that EZH2-mediated repression of p21contributes to both processes. Accordingly, overexpression of cytoplasmic p21induces NE structural alterations and p21suppression rescues proliferation defects and partially compensates for the structural alterations and the Rho activity. Overall, our findings describe a new role of EZH2 in controlling the NE integrity in the neural tube to allow proper progenitor proliferation.This study was supported by grants CSD2006-00049, BFU2009-11527, BFU-2012-34261 to M.A.M.-B. and BFU2009-11527 and BIO2006-15557 to X.C. from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, 090210 from Fundaciò La Marató de TV3 and Fondation Jérôme Lejeune to M.A.M.-B. and 200420E578 from the CSIC to X.C. N.A., C.E. and M.A.G. received an I3P fellowship (I3P-BPD2005) and FPU fellowship, respectivelyPeer Reviewe

Guia per treballar i avaluar les competències generals de la UAB

Data d'actualització: abril de 2021La UAB va encetar fa un parell d'anys un projecte de revisió de les competències generals que haurien d'incloure tots els seus estudis de grau amb aquesta idea d'adaptar els estudis a la realitat canviant de la societat. L'objectiu d'aquesta guia és dotar la institució, i especialment aquelles persones directament relacionades amb el disseny i la millora de la qualitat de les titulacions de grau de la UAB, d'un marc i d'unes eines per adaptar els graus als nous requeriments de la societat a través de les competències generals que s'han redefinit

Genetic deletion of aryl hydrocarbon receptor activates cardiac NLRP3-inflammasome and suppresses apoptosis in mice with acute myocardial infarction

Trabajo presentado en el ESC Congress 2021 - The Digital Experience, celebrado en modalidad virtual el 27 de agosto de 2021

Late-onset thymidine kinase 2 deficiency: a review of 18 cases

Abstract Background TK2 gene encodes for mitochondrial thymidine kinase, which phosphorylates the pyrimidine nucleosides thymidine and deoxycytidine. Recessive mutations in the TK2 gene are responsible for the ‘myopathic form’ of the mitochondrial depletion/multiple deletions syndrome, with a wide spectrum of severity. Methods We describe 18 patients with mitochondrial myopathy due to mutations in the TK2 gene with absence of clinical symptoms until the age of 12. Results The mean age of onset was 31 years. The first symptom was muscle limb weakness in 10/18, eyelid ptosis in 6/18, and respiratory insufficiency in 2/18. All patients developed variable muscle weakness during the evolution of the disease. Half of patients presented difficulty in swallowing. All patients showed evidence of respiratory muscle weakness, with need for non-invasive Mechanical Ventilation in 12/18. Four patients had deceased, all of them due to respiratory insufficiency. We identified common radiological features in muscle magnetic resonance, where the most severely affected muscles were the gluteus maximus, semitendinosus and sartorius. On muscle biopsies typical signs of mitochondrial dysfunction were associated with dystrophic changes. All mutations identified were previously reported, being the most frequent the in-frame deletion p.Lys202del. All cases showed multiple mtDNA deletions but mtDNA depletion was present only in two patients. Conclusions The late-onset is the less frequent form of presentation of the TK2 deficiency and its natural history is not well known. Patients with late onset TK2 deficiency have a consistent and recognizable clinical phenotype and a poor prognosis, due to the high risk of early and progressive respiratory insufficiency