Cortical granule exocytosis is mediated by alpha-SNAP and N-Ethilmaleimide sensitive factor in mouse eggs

Cortical granule exocytosis (CGE), also known as cortical reaction, is a calciumregulated secretion that represents a membrane fusion process during meiotic cell division of eggs. The molecular mechanism of membrane fusion during CGE is still poorly understood and is thought to be mediated by the SNARE pathway;nevertheless, it is unkown if SNAP (acronym for soluble NSF attachment protein) and NSF (acronym for N-ethilmaleimide sensitive factor), two key proteins in the SNARE pathway, mediate CGE in any egg model. In this paper, we documented the gene expression of α-SNAP, γ-SNAP and NSF in mouse oocytes. Western blot analysis showed that the expression of these proteins maintains a similar level during oocyte maturation and egg activation. Their localization was mainly observed at the cortical region of eggs, which is enriched in cortical granules. To evaluate the function of these proteins in CGE we set up a functional assay based on the quantification of cortical granules. Endogenous α-SNAP and NSF proteins were perturbed by microinjection of recombinant proteins or antibodies prior to CGE activation. The microinjection of wild type α-SNAP and the negative mutant of α-SNAP L294A in eggs inhibited CGE stimulated by strontium. NEM, an irreversibly inhibitor of NSF, and the microinjection ofthe negative mutant NSF D1EQ inhibited cortical reaction. The microinjection of anti-α-SNAP and anti-NSF antibodies was able to abolish CGE in activated eggs. The microinjection of anti-γ SNAP antibody had no effect on CGE. Our findings indicate, for the first time in any oocyte model, that α-SNAP, γ-SNAP, and NSF are expressed in mouse oocytes. We demonstrate that α-SNAP and NSF have an active role in CGE and propose a working model.Fil: de Paola, Maria Matilde. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Cienicas Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Bello, Oscar Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Cienicas Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; Argentina. University of Yale; Estados UnidosFil: Michaut, Marcela Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Cienicas Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentin

Nanodisc-cell fusion: Control of fusion pore nucleation and lifetimes by SNARE protein transmembrane domains

The initial, nanometer-sized connection between the plasma membrane and a hormone- or neurotransmitter-filled vesicle-the fusion pore- can flicker open and closed repeatedly before dilating or resealing irreversibly. Pore dynamics determine release and vesicle recycling kinetics, but pore properties are poorly known because biochemically defined single-pore assays are lacking. We isolated single flickering pores connecting v-SNARE-reconstituted nanodiscs to cells ectopically expressing cognate, "flipped" t-SNAREs. Conductance through single, voltage-clamped fusion pores directly reported sub-millisecond pore dynamics. Pore currents fluctuated, transiently returned to baseline multiple times, and disappeared ∼6 s after initial opening, as if the fusion pore fluctuated in size, flickered, and resealed. We found that interactions between v- and t-SNARE transmembrane domains (TMDs) promote, but are not essential for pore nucleation. Surprisingly, TMD modifications designed to disrupt v- and t-SNARE TMD zippering prolonged pore lifetimes dramatically. We propose that the post-fusion geometry of the proteins contribute to pore stability.Fil: Wu, Zhenyong. University of Yale; Estados Unidos. University of Yale. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Auclair, Sarah M.. University of Yale. School of Medicine; Estados Unidos. University of Yale; Estados UnidosFil: Bello, Oscar Daniel. University of Yale. School of Medicine; Estados Unidos. University of Yale; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Vennekate, Wensi. University of Yale. School of Medicine; Estados Unidos. University of Yale; Estados UnidosFil: Dudzinski, Natasha R.. University of Yale; Estados Unidos. University of Yale. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Krishnakumar, Shyam S.. University of Yale. School of Medicine; Estados Unidos. University of Yale; Estados UnidosFil: Karatekin, Erdem. University of Yale; Estados Unidos. University of Yale. School of Medicine; Estados Unidos. Universite Paris Descartes; Francia. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Franci

Dilation of fusion pores by crowding of SNARE proteins

Hormones and neurotransmitters are released through fluctuating exocytotic fusion pores that can flicker open and shut multiple times. Cargo release and vesicle recycling depend on the fate of the pore, which may reseal or dilate irreversibly. Pore nucleation requires zippering between vesicle-associated v-SNAREs and target membrane t-SNAREs, but the mechanisms governing the subsequent pore dilation are not understood. Here, we probed the dilation of single fusion pores using v-SNARE-reconstituted ~23-nm-diameter discoidal nanolipoprotein particles (vNLPs) as fusion partners with cells ectopically expressing cognate, ’flipped’ t-SNAREs. Pore nucleation required a minimum of two v-SNAREs per NLP face, and further increases in v-SNARE copy numbers did not affect nucleation rate. By contrast, the probability of pore dilation increased with increasing v-SNARE copies and was far from saturating at 15 v-SNARE copies per face, the NLP capacity. Our experimental and computational results suggest that SNARE availability may be pivotal in determining whether neurotransmitters or hormones are released through a transient (’kiss and run’) or an irreversibly dilating pore (full fusion).Fil: Wu, Zhenyong. University of Yale; Estados Unidos. University of Yale. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Bello, Oscar Daniel. University of Yale. School of Medicine; Estados Unidos. University of Yale; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Thiyagarajan, Sathish. Columbia University; Estados UnidosFil: Auclair, Sarah Marie. University of Yale. School of Medicine; Estados Unidos. University of Yale; Estados UnidosFil: Vennekate, Wensi. University of Yale; Estados Unidos. University of Yale. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Krishnakumar, Shyam S. University of Yale; Estados Unidos. University of Yale. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: O'Shaughnessy, Ben. Columbia University; Estados UnidosFil: Karatekin, Erdem. University of Yale; Estados Unidos. Universite Paris Descartes; Francia. University of Yale. School of Medicine; Estados Unido

Synaptotagmin-1 membrane binding is driven by the C2B domain and assisted cooperatively by the C2A domain

Synaptotagmin interaction with anionic lipid (phosphatidylserine/phosphatidylinositol) containing membranes, both in the absence and presence of calcium ions (Ca2+), is critical to its central role in orchestrating neurotransmitter release. The molecular surfaces involved, namely the conserved polylysine motif in the C2B domain and Ca2+-binding aliphatic loops on both C2A and C2B domains, are known. Here we use surface force apparatus combined with systematic mutational analysis of the functional surfaces to directly measure Syt1-membrane interaction and fully map the site-binding energetics of Syt1 both in the absence and presence of Ca2+. By correlating energetics data with the molecular rearrangements measured during confinement, we find that both C2 domains cooperate in membrane binding, with the C2B domain functioning as the main energetic driver, and the C2A domain acting as a facilitator.Fil: Gruget, Clémence. Ecole Normale Supérieure; FranciaFil: Bello, Oscar Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Coleman, Jeff. University of Yale. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Krishnakumar, Shyam S.. University of Yale. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Perez, Eric. Ecole Normale Supérieure; FranciaFil: Rothman, James E.. University of Yale. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Pincet, Frederic. Ecole Normale Supérieure; Francia. University of Yale. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Donaldson, Stephen H.. Ecole Normale Supérieure; Franci

Ring-like oligomers of synaptotagmins and related C2 domain proteins

We recently reported that the C2AB portion of Synaptotagmin 1 (Syt1) could selfassemble into Ca2+-sensitive ring-like oligomers on membranes, which could potentially regulate neurotransmitter release. Here we report that analogous ring-like oligomers assemble from the C2AB domains of other Syt isoforms (Syt2, Syt7, Syt9) as well as related C2 domain containing protein, Doc2B and extended Synaptotagmins (E-Syts). Evidently, circular oligomerization is a general and conserved structural aspect of many C2 domain proteins, including Synaptotagmins. Further, using electron microscopy combined with targeted mutations, we show that under physiologically relevant conditions, both the Syt1 ring assembly and its rapid disruption by Ca2+ involve the well-established functional surfaces on the C2B domain that are important for synaptic transmission. Our data suggests that ring formation may be triggered at an early step in synaptic vesicle docking and positions Syt1 to synchronize neurotransmitter release to Ca2+ influx.Fil: Zanetti, Maria Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Bello, Oscar Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Wang, Jing. University of Yale. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Coleman, Jeff. University of Yale. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Cai, Yiying. University of Yale. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Sindelar, Charles V.. University of Yale. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Rothman, James E.. University of Yale. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Krishnakumar, Shyam S.. University of Yale. School of Medicine; Estados Unido

Mutations in NKX6-2 Cause Progressive Spastic Ataxia and Hypomyelination

Progressive limb spasticity and cerebellar ataxia are frequently found together in clinical practice and form a heterogeneous group of degenerative disorders that are classified either as pure spastic ataxia or as complex spastic ataxia with additional neurological signs. Inheritance is either autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive. Hypomyelinating features on MRI are sometimes seen with spastic ataxia, but this is usually mild in adults and severe and life limiting in children. We report seven individuals with an early-onset spastic-ataxia phenotype. The individuals come from three families of different ethnic backgrounds. Affected members of two families had childhood onset disease with very slow progression. They are still alive in their 30s and 40s and show predominant ataxia and cerebellar atrophy features on imaging. Affected members of the third family had a similar but earlier-onset presentation associated with brain hypomyelination. Using a combination of homozygozity mapping and exome sequencing, we mapped this phenotype to deleterious nonsense or homeobox domain missense mutations in NKX6-2. NKX6-2 encodes a transcriptional repressor with early high general and late focused CNS expression. Deficiency of its mouse ortholog results in widespread hypomyelination in the brain and optic nerve, as well as in poor motor coordination in a pattern consistent with the observed human phenotype. In-silico analysis of human brain expression and network data provides evidence that NKX6-2 is involved in oligodendrocyte maturation and might act within the same pathways of genes already associated with central hypomyelination. Our results support a non-redundant developmental role of NKX6-2 in humans and imply that NKX6-2 mutations should be considered in the differential diagnosis of spastic ataxia and hypomyelination.Fil: Chelban, Viorica. University College London; Estados Unidos. Institute of Emergency Medicine; MoldaviaFil: Patel, Nisha. King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center; Arabia SauditaFil: Vandrovcova, Jana. University College London; Estados UnidosFil: Zanetti, Maria Natalia. University College London; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Lynch, David S.. University College London; Estados UnidosFil: Ryten, Mina. University College London; Estados Unidos. King’s College London; Reino UnidoFil: Botía, Juan A.. University College London; Estados Unidos. Universidad de Murcia; EspañaFil: Bello, Oscar Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; Argentina. University College London; Estados UnidosFil: Tribollet, Eloise. University College London; Estados UnidosFil: Efthymiou, Stephanie. University College London; Estados UnidosFil: Davagnanam, Indran. University College London; Estados UnidosFil: Bashiri, Fahad A.. King Saud University; Arabia SauditaFil: Wood, Nicholas W.. University College London; Estados Unidos. The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery; Reino UnidoFil: Rothman, James E.. University of Yale. School of Medicine; Estados Unidos. University College London; Estados UnidosFil: Alkuraya, Fowzan S.. King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center; Arabia Saudita. Alfaisal University; Arabia Saudita. King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology; Arabia SauditaFil: Houlden, Henry. The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery; Reino Unido. University College London; Estados Unido

The Caldera. No. 15

“No existe gran talento sin gran voluntad”. Honoré de Balzac. Desde la inteligencia emocional se distinguen una serie de cualidades, de aptitudes y de características que diferencian a un ser humano de otro y que nos permiten hablar de los determinados talentos que cada uno de nosotros posee. En nuestra institución, precisamente, existe un nutrido número de niños y de jóvenes talentosos en diferentes campos, a saber: La música, el teatro, la danza, el canto, los deportes, la escritura, la pintura, el diseño y, por supuesto, a nivel académico; personas sensibles al arte y a sus diferentes manifestaciones porque poseen un talento intrínseco que les permite destacarse en el medio en donde interactúan. En esta edición de “La Caldera” se pretende continuar con la labor de seguir destacando, mostrando, promoviendo algunos de los talentosos estudiantes que hacen parte de nuestra Institución. La edición también tiene como meta hacer la invitación a aquellos talentos aprendidos o innatos, pero ocultos, para que compartan con nuestra familia caldista sus dones. Es así como la institución privilegia diferentes espacios institucionales que, años tras año, han ido consolidándose como la muestra de talentos caldistas, en donde conocemos, valoramos, apreciamos y disfrutamos, precisamente, de las destrezas, de las habilidades que tienen nuestros educandos. Hagamos parte activa de estos espacios porque en la medida en la que nos involucremos, en esa medida, nuestra Institución seguirá creciendo y destacándose como una de las mejores a nivel regional y nacional.Entrevista a: William Ospina; Por: Lina maría Beltrán…04 El infinito Océano de la paz; Por: María Camila Escobar y Nicolás Espinel Martínez…05 Homenaje a Gabriel García Márquez; Por: Gisela Afanador…10 Dibujando sueños; Por: Lina maría Beltrán…14 A través de los ojos de Camila; Por: Valentina Vega…16 Expresiones Artísticas…17"There is no great talent without great will." Honoré de Balzac. From emotional intelligence, a series of qualities, aptitudes and characteristics are distinguished that differentiate one human being from another and that allow us to talk about the specific talents that each of us possesses. In our institution, precisely, there is a large number of talented children and young people in different fields, namely: music, theater, dance, singing, sports, writing, painting, design and, of course , at the academic level; people who are sensitive to art and its different manifestations because they have an intrinsic talent that allows them to stand out in the environment where they interact. In this edition of "La Caldera" it is intended to continue with the work of continuing to stand out, showing, promoting some of the talented students that are part of our Institution. The edition also aims to invite those talents learned or innate, but hidden, to share their gifts with our Caldista family. This is how the institution privileges different institutional spaces that, year after year, have been consolidated as the sample of Caldista talents, where we know, value, appreciate and enjoy, precisely, the skills, the abilities that our students have. Let's take an active part in these spaces because to the extent that we get involved, to that extent, our Institution will continue to grow and stand out as one of the best at the regional and national level

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely