Utilidad de la electromiografía de esfínter anal en el diagnóstico diferencial de la atrofia multisistémica: una revisión de la literatura

La atrofia multisistémica (AMS) es una enfermedad degenerativa caracterizada por disautonomías y síntomas extrapiramidales. El diagnóstico diferencial con otros parkinsonismos es difícil, por lo cual se requiere una ayuda paraclínica para soportar el diagnóstico clínico. La degeneración del núcleo de Onuf, exclusiva en esta enfermedad, podría sugerir que la presencia de denervación en el esfínter anal podría ser tomada en cuenta como criterio diagnóstico de AMS. Se realizó una revisión sistemática con el fin de determinar la utilidad de la electromiografía de esfínter anal (EMG-EA) en el diagnóstico diferencial de AMS contra otros parkinsonismos. Se incluyeron 17 estudios que analizaron los resultados de EMG-EA en pacientes con AMS. De éstos, 11 de estudios fueron analíticos y compararon pacientes con AMS y otros parkinsonismos. Los 6 estudios restantes fueron descriptivos. La duración de los potenciales de unidad motora (PUM) es significativamente mayor en pacientes con AMS comparados con otros parkinsonismos, y utilizando un punto de corte > 13 ms muestra características operativas que hacen a este parámetro potencialmente útil. Solo un estudio encontró diferencias significativas en el porcentaje de PUM polifásicos, el cual tuvo una sensibilidad y especificidad clínicamente útil cuando el punto de corte es mayor a 60%. El resto de los estudios no reportan diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre parkinsonismos. La literatura disponible apunta a la potencial utilidad de la EMG-EA en el diagnóstico diferencial de la AMS de otros parkinsonismos; sin embargo es necesario conducir más estudios para solventar las limitaciones metodológicas existentes.Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a neurodegenerative disease; dysautonomia and extrapyramidal syndrome are the cardinal symptoms. Differential diagnosis with other parkinsonism is difficult; it’s required an ideal diagnosis test. The degeneration of Onuf`s nucleus, exclusively in MSA, might suggest that presence of denervation of the anal sphincter may be taken into account as diagnostic criteria for AMS. We conducted a systematic review to establish the clinical utility of anal sphincter electromyography (AS-EMG) in the differential diagnosis of AMS with other parkinsonian syndromes. 17 studies was included and was analyzed the results of AS-EMG in patients with MSA. Of these, 11 studies were analytical and compared patients with MSA and other parkinsonisms. The remaining studies were descriptive. The duration of motor unit potentials (MUP) is significantly higher in patients with MSA compared with other parkinsonism with a cut-off > 13 ms; the operating characteristics of this parameter are potentially useful. Only one study found significant differences in the percentage of polyphasic MUP, which had a clinically useful sensitivity and specificity when the cutoff is greater than 60%. The other studies reported no statistically significant differences between parkinsonism. The available literature points to the potential usefulness of EMG-EA in the differential diagnosis of parkinsonism other AMS, but more studies need to be conducted to address the existing methodological limitations

El biocontrol de Pseudomonas chlororaphis PCL1606 es debido al compuesto antifúngico producido por los genes dar

XXIV Congreso de Microbiología SEMPseudomonas chlororaphis PCL1606 es una rizobacteria con capacidad de biocontrol frente a Rosellinia necatrix, agente causal de la podredumbre radicular blanca y Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycorpersici, que causa la podredumbre de cuello y raices de las plantas de tomate. Esta bacteria se caracteriza por la producción del antibiótico antifúngico 2-hexil, 5-propil resorcinol (HPR). Para determinar las bases genéticas de la producción de HPR en P. chlororaphis PCL1606, se rastreó una genoteca genómica de PCL1606 empleando como sonda los genes dar decritos previamente como responsables de la producción de HPR en P. aurantica BL915. Tras el análisis, se aisló el plásmido pCGNOV-1, que contenía un clon genómico con la presencia de cinco genes homólogos a los genes dar. Para determinar el papel de cada uno de los genes homólogos a los genes dar en la producción de HPR y su capacidad de biocontrol, se llevó a cabo la construcción de una colección de mutantes dirigidos en la producción de HPR por inserción. Además se obtuvieron los correspondientes complementantes de los mutantes defectivos. Sobre estos mutantes y sus respectivos complementates, se realizó una caracterización fenótipica de las propiedades relacionadas con el biocontrol, entre ellas la capacidad de antagonismo frente a Rosellina necatrix y Fusarium oxysporum, la producción de antibióticos y ensayos de control biológico en los sistemas experimentales aguacate-Rosellinia y tomate-Fusarium. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que los genes darA, darB pierden la capacidad de producir HPR. Esta propiedad queda restaurada al complementar cada uno de los mutantes con sus respectivos genes. Estos genes darA y darB junto con el gen darR, estan involucrados en la capacidad de biocontrol de la cepa silvestre P. fluorescens PCL1606. En conclusión, la capacidad de biocontrol de la cepa P. chlororaphis PCL1606 depende de la producción de HPR, llevada a cabo por los genes dar. Esta investigación ha sido apoyada por el Proyecto GL2011-30345-C02-01 (MICINN, España). CE Calderón recibió el apoyo de una beca de FPI, MICINN, España

Interacciones multitrófica en la rizosfera de aguacate de la cepa de biocontrol pseudomonas chlororaphis PCL1606 con el hongo fitopatógeno rosellinia necatrix CH53

Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes AVO110 es un agente de biocontrol frente a la podredumbre radicular blanca causada por Rosellinia necatrix, seleccionado por su eficiente capacidad de colonizar de forma competitiva las puntas radiculares de plantas de aguacate, así como por su actividad antagonista in vitro frente a este patógeno. Su principal mecanismo de biocontrol se basa tanto en la competición por nicho y nutrientes, como en la colonización competitiva de las hifas de R. necatrix, alimentándose de metabolitos fúngicos. Para detectar genes de AVO110 implicados en su multiplicación y supervivencia en presencia de exudados fúngicos, se analizó una colección de mutantes, de entre los cuales, 26 mostraron un crecimiento atenuado (Growth Attenuated Mutants, mutantes GAM). Los mutantes GAM-22, GAM-24 y GAM-26, afectados en genes codificadores de una exodeoxirribonuclesa, una histidina kinasa y un regulador transcripcional, respectivamente, mostraron un defecto en la capacidad de colonización de las raíces de plantas de aguacate con respecto a la cepa silvestre. Sin embargo, el mutante GAM-3, afectado en una proteína con dominios GGDEF/EAL/PAS, mostró una mayor capacidad de colonización de la rizosfera. Finalmente, los mutantes GAM-3 y GAM-26 también mostraron un incremento en la formación de biopelícula in vitro en comparación con la cepa silvestre. *Este trabajo ha sido financiado por el MINECO (AGL-2011-30354-C02-01) y por la Junta de Andalucía (P10-AGR.5797), cofinanciados por el Fondo Social Europeo.*Este trabajo ha sido financiado por el MINECO (AGL-2011-30354-C02-01) y por la Junta de Andalucía (P10-AGR.5797), cofinanciados por el Fondo Social Europeo. Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Oligofructose supplementation (10%) during pregnancy and lactation does not change the inflammatory effect of concurrent trans fatty acid ingestion on 21-day-old offspring

Background: Previously, we demonstrated that trans fatty acid ingestion during pregnancy and lactation caused a pro-inflammatory effect on the newborn. the opposite effect was described for gestational prebiotic intake. in the present study, we examined whether supplementation of the diet of the dams with 10% of oligofructose with or without hydrogenated vegetable fat during pregnancy and lactation affected the pro-inflammatory status on the pups at age 21 days.Methods: On the first day of pregnancy, rats were divided into four groups, each of which received one of four diets: a control diet (C group), a control diet supplemented with 10% oligofructose (CF group), a diet enriched with hydrogenated vegetable fat containing trans fatty acids (T group) or a diet enriched with hydrogenated vegetable fat containing trans fatty acids supplemented with 10% oligofructose (TF group). the pups were weighed at birth and at 7, 14 and 21 days of life and were euthanized on post-natal day 21. the serum glucose, insulin and adiponectin concentrations were analyzed. the IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-alpha contents of the retroperitoneal white adipose tissue, liver, soleus and extensor digital longus muscles were analyzed by ELISA. the results are presented as the means +/- standard error of the mean. Statistical significance was assessed using two-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey's test and considered significant at p < 0.05Results: the body weights of the 21-day old pups in the CF and TF groups were significant lower than those of the C (27% and 21%) and T (25% and 19%, respectively) groups. the serum levels of adiponectin in the CF, T and TF groups were lower than in the C group (41%; 34% and 31%, respectively). in the retroperitoneal adipose tissue, the IL-6 content was increased in TF group relative to the C and CF groups (74% for both), and the TNF-alpha content was higher in the T and TF groups than in the C group (62% and 98%, respectively). in the liver, the TNF-alpha (56% and 104%) and IL-10 (52% and 73%) contents were increased in the CF group relative to the C and TF groups.Conclusions: Supplementation of the diet of the dams with 10% of oligofructose during pregnancy and lactation, independent of supplementation with hydrogenated vegetable fat, adversely affected the development of the offspring and contributed to development of a pro-inflammatory status in the pups on postnatal day 21.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Disciplina Fisiol Nutr, Dept Fis, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Inst Saude & Sociedade, Dept Biociencias, Santos, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Disciplina Fisiol Nutr, Dept Fis, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Inst Saude & Sociedade, Dept Biociencias, Santos, SP, BrazilFAPESP: 2011/19426-2Web of Scienc

Caracterizacion de la quimiotaxis de la rizobacteria Pseudomonas chlororaphis PCL1606

Polonio A, Escaño C, Codina JC, de Vicente A, Cazorla FM. 2014. Caracterización de la quimiotaxis de la rizobacteria PCl1606. XVII Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Fitopatología. Libro de resumenes, pp. 258.La rizobacteria Pseudomonas chlororaphis PCL1606 es una bacteria antagonista que produce el antibiótico antifúngico 2-hexil-5-propilresorcinol (HPR). Además, es capaz de colonizar las raíces de aguacate y las hifas del hongo Rosellinia necatrix, actividades responsables de su fenotipo antagonista. Para profundizar en el mecanismo de colonización de raíces e hifas, así como en las interacciones multitróficas que se establecen en la rizosfera durante el biocontrol de Pseudomonas chlororaphis PCL1606, se caracterizó su quimiotaxis. Para ello se puso a punto una técnica en placa y otra en capilares. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que Pseudomonas chlororaphis PCL1606 tiene quimiotaxis positiva hacia varios compuestos descritos comúnmente en la rizosfera a concentraciones no muy elevadas. Algunos de estos compuestos, a concentraciones superiores, llegaron a ser quimiorrepelentes. Por otro lado, la técnica de quimiotaxis en capilares resultó ser más sensible, permitió la cuantificación de la actividad quimiotáctica y reveló quimiotaxis positiva hacia los exudados de Rosellinia y aguacate a dos concentraciones diferentes. Estos resultados sugieren que el mecanismo quimiotáctico posee un efecto positivo en la colonización activa de raíces e hifas por parte de Pseudomonas chlororaphisPCL1606. Este trabajo ha sido financiado con el apoyo de una subvención del proyecyo del Plan Nacional de I+D+I del Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (AGL2011-30354-CO2-01).Este trabajo ha sido financiado con el apoyo de una subvención del proyecyo del Plan Nacional de I+D+I del Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (AGL2011-30354-CO2-01).Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. - See more at: http://riuma.uma.es/xmlui/handle/10630/5449/submit/69126576403c093566461c417a1d35417e266852.continue#sthash.LIAUJjTD.dpu

Effect of a protein supplement on the gut microbiota of endurance athletes: A randomized, controlled, double-blind pilot study

Nutritional supplements are popular among athletes to improve performance and physical recovery. Protein supplements fulfill this function by improving performance and increasing muscle mass; however, their effect on other organs or systems is less well known. Diet alterations can induce gut microbiota imbalance, with beneficial or deleterious consequences for the host. To test this, we performed a randomized pilot study in cross-country runners whose diets were complemented with a protein supplement (whey isolate and beef hydrolysate) (n = 12) or maltodextrin (control) (n = 12) for 10 weeks. Microbiota, water content, pH, ammonia, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were analyzed in fecal samples, whereas malondialdehyde levels (oxidative stress marker) were determined in plasma and urine. Fecal pH, water content, ammonia, and SCFA concentrations did not change, indicating that protein supplementation did not increase the presence of these fermentation-derived metabolites. Similarly, it had no impact on plasma or urine malondialdehyde levels; however, it increased the abundance of the Bacteroidetes phylum and decreased the presence of health-related taxa including Roseburia, Blautia, and Bifidobacterium longum. Thus, long-term protein supplementation may have a negative impact on gut microbiota. Further research is needed to establish the impact of protein supplements on gut microbiota

Suppressive ability against Rosellinia Necatrix of agricultural soils

Comunicación a congreso internacionalThe use of organic soil amendments to enhance the suppressiveness of natural soils has been proposed as an additional strategy to control plant diseases. Avocado is one of the main subtropical crops in southern Spain and white root rot, caused by the fungus Rosellinia necatrix, one of the most serious problems. Previous studies on this pathosystem have shown that application of composted almond shells caused a change in soil microbial communities of both population and functional level. In this work, evaluation of the suppressive capacity of almond shells amended soils have performed. “In vitro” assays using two different susceptible plants, Persea americana (avocado) and Triticum aestivum (wheat), indicate a clear relationship between soil microbial communities and suppressiveness. Addition of composted almond shells to the agricultural soil resulted in increased suppressiveness against R. necatrix, directly associated to microbial components, since suppressiveness was reduced when the soil was pasteurized, and partially recovered when the pasteurized soil was complemented with field soil. Different strains producing antifungal compounds were correlated with suppressiveness by molecular approaches.Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. Plan Nacional I+D+I from Ministerio de Economía (MINECO,Spain) (AGL2011-30354-C02-01) and co-financed by FEDER funds (EU). C. Vida was supported by a PhD fellowship from the FPI program of MINECO

Change story : Shagras for life, from traditional home gardens to ancestral, agroecological and more nutritious shagras

“This work was carried out with the aid of a grant from Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and with financial support from the Government of Canada, provided through Global Affairs Canada (GACSpanish version available in IDRC Digital Library: "Historia de cambio: Shagras para la vida, de los huertos tradicionales, a las shagras ancestrales agroecológicas y más nutritivas"“Shagras for life” focused on three pillars: agroecological food production, retrieval of the community’s alimentation memory, and diet diversity. The impact of Shagras for life became evident in the increase in diet diversity of homes and families. The project methodology boosts the traditional shagra and home garden, integrating agriculture with nutrition and socio-cultural processes and environments that contribute to achieving food security and the right to health

Arabidopsis SWC4 Binds DNA and Recruits the SWR1 Complex to Modulate Histone H2A.Z Deposition at Key Regulatory Genes

Deposition of the H2A.Z histone variant by the SWR1 complex (SWR1-C) in regulatory regions of specific loci modulates transcription. Characterization of mutations in Arabidopsis thaliana homologs of yeast SWR1-C has revealed a role for H2A.Z exchange in a variety of developmental processes. Nevertheless, the exact composition of plant SWR1-C and how it is recruited to target genes remains to be established. Here we show that SWC4, the Arabidopsis homolog of yeast SANT domain protein Swc4/Eaf2, is a DNA-binding protein that interacts with SWR1-C subunits. We demonstrate that the swc4-1 knockout mutant is embryo-lethal, while SWC4 RNAi knockdown lines display pleiotropic phenotypic alterations in vegetative and reproductive traits, including acceleration of flowering time, indicating that SWC4 controls post-embryonic processes. Transcriptomic analyses and genome-wide profiling of H2A.Z indicate that SWC4 represses transcription of a number of genes, including the floral integrator FT and key transcription factors, mainly by modulating H2A.Z deposition. Interestingly, SWC4 silencing does not affect H2A.Z deposition at the FLC locus nor expression of this gene, a master regulator of flowering previously shown to be controlled by SWR1-C. Importantly, we find that SWC4 recognizes specific AT-rich DNA elements in the chromatin regions of target genes and that SWC4 silencing impairs SWR1-C binding at FT. Collectively, our data suggest that SWC4 regulates plant growth and development by aiding SWR1-C recruitment and modulating H2A.Z deposition.This work was supported by grants BIO2010-15589, BIO2013-43098-R, and BIO2016-77559-R to J.A.J. and M.P., and grant RYC-2013-14689 to P.C. from the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO/FEDER, EU), and Marie Curie FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF grant 298790 to P.C. and J.A.J. from the European Commission. The CBGP is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (SEV-2016-0672). The CNIC is supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad and the Pro CNIC Foundation, and is also a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (SEV-2015-0505).S

Gemini multi-conjugate adaptive optics system review II: Commissioning, operation and overall performance

The Gemini Multi-conjugate Adaptive Optics System - GeMS, a facility instrument mounted on the Gemini South telescope, delivers a uniform, near diffraction limited images at near infrared wavelengths (0.95 microns- 2.5 microns) over a field of view of 120 arc seconds. GeMS is the first sodium layer based multi laser guide star adaptive optics system used in astronomy. It uses five laser guide stars distributed on a 60 arc seconds square constellation to measure for atmospheric distortions and two deformable mirrors to compensate for it. In this paper, the second devoted to describe the GeMS project, we present the commissioning, overall performance and operational scheme of GeMS. Performance of each sub-system is derived from the commissioning results. The typical image quality, expressed in full with half maximum, Strehl ratios and variations over the field delivered by the system are then described. A discussion of the main contributor to performance limitation is carried-out. Finally, overheads and future system upgrades are described.Comment: 20 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA