Acetylome in Human Fibroblasts From Parkinson's Disease Patients

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder. The pathogenesis of this disease is associated with gene and environmental factors. Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are the most frequent genetic cause of familial and sporadic PD. Moreover, posttranslational modifications, including protein acetylation, are involved in the molecular mechanism of PD. Acetylation of lysine proteins is a dynamic process that is modulated in PD. In this descriptive study, we characterized the acetylated proteins and peptides in primary fibroblasts from idiopathic PD (IPD) and genetic PD harboring G2019S or R1441G LRRK2 mutations. Identified acetylated peptides are modulated between individuals' groups. Although acetylated nuclear proteins are the most represented in cells, they are hypoacetylated in IPD. Results display that the level of hyperacetylated and hypoacetylated peptides are, respectively, enhanced in genetic PD and in IPD cells

Neuroprotective properties of queen bee acid by autophagy induction

Autophagy is a conserved intracellular catabolic pathway that removes cytoplasmic components to contribute to neuronal homeostasis. Accumulating evidence has increasingly shown that the induction of autophagy improves neuronal health and extends longevity in several animal models. Therefore, there is a great interest in the identification of effective autophagy enhancers with potential nutraceutical or pharmaceutical properties to ameliorate age-related diseases, such as neurodegenerative disorders, and/or promote longevity. Queen bee acid (QBA, 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid) is the major fatty acid component of, and is found exclusively in, royal jelly, which has beneficial properties for human health. It is reported that QBA has antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities and promotes neurogenesis and neuronal health; however, the mechanism by which QBA exerts these effects has not been fully elucidated. The present study investigated the role of the autophagic process in the protective effect of QBA. We found that QBA is a novel autophagy inducer that triggers autophagy in various neuronal cell lines and mouse and fly models. The beclin-1 (BECN1) and mTOR pathways participate in the regulation of QBA-induced autophagy. Moreover, our results showed that QBA stimulates sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), which promotes autophagy by the deacetylation of critical ATG proteins. Finally, QBA-mediated autophagy promotes neuroprotection in Parkinson’s disease in vitro and in a mouse model and extends the lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster. This study provides detailed evidences showing that autophagy induction plays a critical role in the beneficial health effects of QBA.This research was supported by a grant (IB18048) from Junta de Extremadura, Spain, and a grant (RTI2018-099259-A-I00) from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain. This work was also partially supported by “Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional” (FEDER) from the European Union. Part of the equipment employed in this work has been funded by Generalitat Valeciana and co-financed with ERDF funds (OP EDRF of Comunitat Valenciana 2014-2020). G.M-C is supported by University of Extremadura (ONCE Foundation). M.P-B is a recipient of a fellowship from the “Plan Propio de Iniciación a la Investigación, Desarrollo Tecnológico e Innovación (University of Extremadura).” S.M.S.Y-D is supported by CIBERNED. E.U-C was supported by an FPU predoctoral fellowship FPU16/00684 from Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte. A.B. was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship (APOSTD2017/077). M.S.A. was supported by a predoctoral fellowship (ACIF/2018/071) both from the Conselleria d’Educació, Investigació, Cultura i Esport (Generalitat Valenciana). E.A-C was supported by a grant (IB18048) from Junta de Extremadura, Spain. S.C-C was supported by an FPU predoctoral fellowship FPU19/04435 from Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte. J.M.B-S. P was funded by the “Ramón y Cajal” program (RYC-2018-025099). J.M.F. received research support from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, CIBERNED (CB06/05/004). M.N-S was funded by the “Ramon y Cajal” Program (RYC-2016-20883) Spain

Changes in Liver Lipidomic Profile in G2019S- LRRK2 Mouse Model of Parkinson's Disease

15 páginas, 4 figurasThe identification of Parkinson's disease (PD) biomarkers has become a main goal for the diagnosis of this neurodegenerative disorder. PD has not only been intrinsically related to neurological problems, but also to a series of alterations in peripheral metabolism. The purpose of this study was to identify metabolic changes in the liver in mouse models of PD with the scope of finding new peripheral biomarkers for PD diagnosis. To achieve this goal, we used mass spectrometry technology to determine the complete metabolomic profile of liver and striatal tissue samples from WT mice, 6-hydroxydopamine-treated mice (idiopathic model) and mice affected by the G2019S-LRRK2 mutation in LRRK2/PARK8 gene (genetic model). This analysis revealed that the metabolism of carbohydrates, nucleotides and nucleosides was similarly altered in the liver from the two PD mouse models. However, long-chain fatty acids, phosphatidylcholine and other related lipid metabolites were only altered in hepatocytes from G2019S-LRRK2 mice. In summary, these results reveal specific differences, mainly in lipid metabolism, between idiopathic and genetic PD models in peripheral tissues and open up new possibilities to better understand the etiology of this neurological disorder.This research was supported by “Instituto de Salud Carlos III”, “Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias” (PI15/0034), “CIBERNED-ISCIII” (CB06/05/0041 and 2015/03), and partially supported by “European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)” from the European Union. J.M.B.-S.P. is funded by “Ramon y Cajal Program” (RYC-2018-025099-I) and supported by Spain’s Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (PID2019-108827RA-I00). Y.C.N. and L.M.G. are funded by Community of Madrid (CT5/21/PEJ-2020-TL/BMD-17685 and CT36/22-41-UCM-INV respectively). S.M.S.Y.-D. was supported by CIBERNED-ISCIII. P.M.-C. is funded by the MINECO Spanish Ministry (FPI grant, PRE2020-092668). M.N.-S. was funded by “Ramon y Cajal Program” (RYC-2016-20883). E.U.-C. and S.C.-C. were supported by an FPU predoctoral fellowship (FPU16/00684) and FPU19/04435), respectively, from “Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte”. M.P-B was funded by a University of Extremadura fellowship. E.A-C was supported by a Grant (IB18048) from Junta de Extremadura, Spain. J.M.F. received research support from the “Instituto de Salud Carlos III”; “Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias” (PI15/0034) and CIBERNED-ISCIII (CB06/05/0041 and 2015/03). A.P.-C. was supported by MINECO (SAF2014-52940-R and SAF2017-85199-P). J.P.-T. received funding from CIBERNED-ISCIII (CB06/05/1123 and 2015/03). G.K. is supported by the Ligue contre le Cancer (équipe labellisée); Agence National de la Recherche (ANR)—Projets blancs; ANR under the frame of E-Rare-2, the ERANet for Research on Rare Diseases; AMMICa US/CNRS UMS3655; Association pour la recherche sur le cancer (ARC); Association “Le Cancer du Sein, Parlons-en!”; Cancéropôle Ile de-France; Chancelerie des universités de Paris (Legs Poix), Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (FRM); a donation by Elior; European Research Area Network on Cardiovascular Diseases (ERA-CVD, MINOTAUR); Gustave Roussy Odyssea, the European Union Horizon 2020 Project Oncobiome; Fondation Carrefour; High-end Foreign Expert Program in China (GDW20171100085), Institut National du Cancer (INCa); Inserm (HTE); Institut Universitaire de France; LeDucq Foundation; the LabEx Immuno-Oncology (ANR-18-IDEX-0001); the RHU Torino Lumière; the Seerave Foundation; the SIRIC Stratified Oncology Cell DNA Repair and Tumor Immune Elimination (SOCRATE); and the SIRIC Cancer Research and Personalized Medicine (CARPEM).Peer reviewe

Molecular definitions of autophagy and related processes.

Over the past two decades, the molecular machinery that underlies autophagic responses has been characterized with ever increasing precision in multiple model organisms. Moreover, it has become clear that autophagy and autophagy-related processes have profound implications for human pathophysiology. However, considerable confusion persists about the use of appropriate terms to indicate specific types of autophagy and some components of the autophagy machinery, which may have detrimental effects on the expansion of the field. Driven by the overt recognition of such a potential obstacle, a panel of leading experts in the field attempts here to define several autophagy-related terms based on specific biochemical features. The ultimate objective of this collaborative exchange is to formulate recommendations that facilitate the dissemination of knowledge within and outside the field of autophagy research

Autophagy in major human diseases

Abstract: Autophagy is a core molecular pathway for the preservation of cellular and organismal homeostasis. Pharmacological and genetic interventions impairing autophagy responses promote or aggravate disease in a plethora of experimental models. Consistently, mutations in autophagy‐related processes cause severe human pathologies. Here, we review and discuss preclinical data linking autophagy dysfunction to the pathogenesis of major human disorders including cancer as well as cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, metabolic, pulmonary, renal, infectious, musculoskeletal, and ocular disorders

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

Classification of current anticancer immunotherapies

During the past decades, anticancer immunotherapy has evolved from a promising therapeutic option to a robust clinical reality. Many immunotherapeutic regimens are now approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency for use in cancer patients, and many others are being investigated as standalone therapeutic interventions or combined with conventional treatments in clinical studies. Immunotherapies may be subdivided into “passive” and “active” based on their ability to engage the host immune system against cancer. Since the anticancer activity of most passive immunotherapeutics (including tumor-targeting monoclonal antibodies) also relies on the host immune system, this classification does not properly reflect the complexity of the drug-host-tumor interaction. Alternatively, anticancer immunotherapeutics can be classified according to their antigen specificity. While some immunotherapies specifically target one (or a few) defined tumor-associated antigen(s), others operate in a relatively non-specific manner and boost natural or therapy-elicited anticancer immune responses of unknown and often broad specificity. Here, we propose a critical, integrated classification of anticancer immunotherapies and discuss the clinical relevance of these approaches