Chronic Stress Triggers Expression of Immediate Early Genes and Differentially Affects the Expression of AMPA and NMDA Subunits in Dorsal and Ventral Hippocampus of Rats

Indexación: Web of Science; Scopus.Previous studies in rats have demonstrated that chronic restraint stress triggers anhedonia, depressive-like behaviors, anxiety and a reduction in dendritic spine density in hippocampal neurons. In this study, we compared the effect of repeated stress on the expression of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunits in dorsal and ventral hippocampus (VH). Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control and stressed groups, and were daily restrained in their motion (2.5 h/day) during 14 days. We found that chronic stress promotes an increase in c-Fos mRNA levels in both hippocampal areas, although it was observed a reduction in the immunoreactivity at pyramidal cell layer. Furthermore, Arc mRNAs levels were increased in both dorsal and VH, accompanied by an increase in Arc immunoreactivity in dendritic hippocampal layers. Furthermore, stress triggered a reduction in PSD-95 and NR1 protein levels in whole extract of dorsal and VH. Moreover, a reduction in NR2A/NR2B ratio was observed only in dorsal pole. In synaptosomal fractions, we detected a rise in NR1 in dorsal hippocampus (DH). By indirect immunofluorescence we found that NR1 subunits rise, especially in neuropil areas of dorsal, but not VH. In relation to AMPA receptor (AMPAR) subunits, chronic stress did not trigger any change, either in dorsal or ventral hippocampal areas. These data suggest that DH is more sensitive than VH to chronic stress exposure, mainly altering the expression of NMDA receptor (NMDAR) subunits, and probably favors changes in the configuration of this receptor that may influence the function of this area.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnmol.2017.00244/ful

MicroRNA Profiling and Bioinformatics Target Analysis in Dorsal Hippocampus of Chronically Stressed Rats: Relevance to Depression Pathophysiology

Indexación: Scopus.1Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile, 2National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Durham, NC, United States, 3Centro de Genómica y Bioinformática, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile, 4Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio), FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation, Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile, 5Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile, 6Escuela de Química y Farmacia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile.This study was supported by the following grants: FONDECYT 1120528 (JLF), Fondo Central de Investigación, Universidad de Chile ENL025/16 (JLF), ES090079 (JAC). Research in RG and EV laboratories is funded by Instituto Milenio iBio – Iniciativa Científica Milenio MINECON.Studies conducted in rodents subjected to chronic stress and some observations in humans after psychosocial stress, have allowed to establish a link between stress and the susceptibility to many complex diseases, including mood disorders. The studies in rodents have revealed that chronic exposure to stress negatively affects synaptic plasticity by triggering changes in the production of trophic factors, subunit levels of glutamate ionotropic receptors, neuron morphology, and neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus. These modifications may account for the impairment in learning and memory processes observed in chronically stressed animals. It is plausible then, that stress modifies the interplay between signal transduction cascades and gene expression regulation in the hippocampus, therefore leading to altered neuroplasticity and functioning of neural circuits. Considering that miRNAs play an important role in post-transcriptional-regulation of gene expression and participate in several hippocampus-dependent functions; we evaluated the consequences of chronic stress on the expression of miRNAs in dorsal (anterior) portion of the hippocampus, which participates in memory formation in rodents. Here, we show that male rats exposed to daily restraint stress (2.5 h/day) during 7 and 14 days display a differential profile of miRNA levels in dorsal hippocampus and remarkably, we found that some of these miRNAs belong to the miR-379-410 cluster. We confirmed a rise in miR-92a and miR-485 levels after 14 days of stress by qPCR, an effect that was not mimicked by chronic administration of corticosterone (14 days). Our in silico study identified the top-10 biological functions influenced by miR-92a, nine of which were shared with miR-485: Nervous system development and function, Tissue development, Behavior, Embryonic development, Organ development, Organismal development, Organismal survival, Tissue morphology, and Organ morphology. Furthermore, our in silico study provided a landscape of potential miRNA-92a and miR-485 targets, along with relevant canonical pathways related to axonal guidance signaling and cAMP signaling, which may influence the functioning of several neuroplastic substrates in dorsal hippocampus. Additionally, the combined effect of miR-92a and miR-485 on transcription factors, along with histone-modifying enzymes, may have a functional relevance by producing changes in gene regulatory networks that modify the neuroplastic capacity of the adult dorsal hippocampus under stress. © 2018 Muñoz-Llanos, García-Pérez, Xu, Tejos-Bravo, Vidal, Moyano, Gutiérrez, Aguayo, Pacheco, García-Rojo, Aliaga, Rojas, Cidlowski and Fiedler.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnmol.2018.00251/ful

Diagnosis and Molecular Characterization of Chikungunya Virus Infections

In recent years, large-scale outbreaks of chikungunya arbovirus (CHIKV), which is transmitted by the Aedes mosquito, have enabled the rapid propagation of the virus across the world. After acute infection phase with commonly fever, joint pain, headache, or rash, chronic rheumatism (arthralgia or myalgia, anorexia, and concentration disorders) up to 40% of cases is observed. The chronic form is defined by symptoms persisting for more than 3 months, and up to years, after initial diagnosis. Chronic discomfort has been linked to one of the four genotypes described. These genotypes represent different geographic lineages (classification based on partial sequence of viral E1 glycoprotein): West African, East-Central-South-African (ECSA), ECSA-diverged or Indian Ocean Lineage (IOL), and Asian. The first marker detected in CHIK infection is the viral RNA, usually by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). This marker can be identified in samples within 8 days of symptom onset. The infection can also be diagnosed with serological testing to detect CHIKV-specific immunoglobulin IgG and/or IgM. Sequencing studies can determine the infecting genotype

Key plant species and detritivores drive diversity effects on instream leaf litter decomposition more than functional diversity: A microcosm study

Anthropogenic impacts on freshwater ecosystems cause critical losses of biodiversity that can in turn impair key processes such as decomposition and nutrient cycling. Forest streams are mainly subsidized by terrestrial organic detritus, so their functioning and conservation status can be altered by changes in forest biodiversity and composition, particularly if these changes involve the replacement of functional groups or the loss of key species. We examined this issue using a microcosm experiment where we manipulated plant functional diversity (FD) (monocultures and low-FD and high-FD mixtures, resulting from different combinations of deciduous and evergreen Quercus species) and the presence of a key species (Alnus glutinosa), all in presence and absence of detritivores, and assessed effects on litter decomposition, nutrient cycling, and fungal and detritivore biomass. We found (i) positive diversity effects on detritivore-mediated decomposition, litter nutrient losses and detritivore biomass exclusively when A. glutinosa was present; and (ii) negative effects on the same processes when microbially mediated and on fungal biomass. Most positive trends could be explained by the higher litter palatability and litter trait variability obtained with the inclusion of alder leaves in the mixture. Our results support the hypothesis of a consistent slowing down of the decomposition process as a result of plant biodiversity loss, and hence effects on stream ecosystem functioning, especially when a key (N-fixing) species is lost; and underscore the importance of detritivores as drivers of plant diversity effects in the studied ecosystem processes.This study was funded by the 2014–2020 FEDER Operative Program Andalusia (RIOVEGEST project, Ref. FEDER-UAL18 -RNM -B006 – B, to J.J.C). Additional support was provided by the Spanish Ministry for Science, Innovation and Universities and FEDER (BioLoss project, Ref. RTI2018-095023- B-I00, to L.B.). Rubio-Ríos was supported by an FPU grant of the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (reference FPU16/03734)

Unravelling the Gut Microbiota of Cow’s Milk–Allergic Infants, Their Mothers, and Their Grandmothers

The gut microbiome constitutes a highly complex ecosystem in which bacteria are the most prominent components. Around 70% of primary colonization of the gut microbiota is maternal in origin [1], and the first 1000 days of life are crucial for the development of the intestinal microbiota [2]. Despite its early formation, the gut microbiota is highly dynamic and dependent on host-associated confounding factors such as age, diet, antibiotics, lifestyle, and environmental conditions [3,4]. Alterations in gut microbiota have been described in people with different types of allergy, including cow’s milk allergy (CMA)This work was supported by Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI17/01087) and Fundación Sociedad Española de Alergia e Inmunología Clínica (FSEAIC_2016). It was cofunded by the European Regional Development Fund “Investing in your future” for the Thematic Network and Co-operative Research Centers ARADyAL RD16/0006/0015 and RD16/0006/0026. It was additionally supported by the Ministry of Science, Innovation in Spain (PCI2018-092930), cofunded by the European program ERA HDHL - Nutrition & the Epigenome, project Dietary Intervention in Food Allergy: Microbiome, Epigenetic and Metabolomic interactions (DIFAMEM). DR and EZ-V acknowledge funding from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (RTI2018-095166-B-I00). CU acknowledges funding from the Spanish Ministry of Economy (SAF2017-90083-R). TCB-T thanks CEUInternational Doctoral School (CEINDO) for his fellowship

Desarrollo de un Controlador Abierto para un Robot Industrial Tipo Scara

[ES] En la última década ha aumentado el interés en la utilización de plataformas hardware y software abiertas como soporte de aplicaciones de control industrial. En éste artículo se muestra el desarrollo de un sistema de control abierto para un robot industrial YAMAHA YK7000, de tipo SCARA, siguiendo la filosofía definida por la arquitectura OMAC (Open Modular Architecture for Controllers), implantado sobre una plataforma dual (dos PCs): uno de ellos soporta las funciones críticas, ejecutando las tareas de cálculo de trayectorias y control de ejes, encargándose el otro de las funciones de interfaz con el usuario y otras aplicaciones no críticas, comunicándose ambos mediante un enlace TCP/IP.González Sánchez, JL.; Baeyens Lázaro, E.; Gayubo Rojo, F.; Pérez Turiel, J.; Fraile Marinero, JC.; García González, FJ. (2010). Desarrollo de un Controlador Abierto para un Robot Industrial Tipo Scara. Revista Iberoamericana de Automática e Informática industrial. 1(1):44-49. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/146684OJS44491

Cadomian and Variscan sutures of Iberia: a comparison

p.11-12. -A meeting held as a tribute to Teodoro Palacios on his retirement as Professor of Palaeontology at the University of Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain, 26th & 27th January, 2022, University of Extremadura, Badajoz. Edited by Sören Jensen[EN] The Iberian Massif holds evidence of two pre-Mesozoic orogenies, namely the Cadomian and Variscan. The Cadomian Orogeny resulted from long-lived subduction under the periphery of Gondwana during the Neoproterozoic and early Paleozoic. The Variscan Orogen resulted from the progressive collision of Gondwana, Laurussia and their pericontinental terranes during the Devonian and Carboniferous, after the closure of the Rheic Ocean and other marginal basins located along their mainlands. Despite these two orogens differ from one another in the global context from which they emerged, in Iberia they share some characteristics that make them intriguingly alike. The Variscan Orogen contains two major sutures zones. One that separates mainland Gondwana from peri-Gondwanan terranes (intra-Gondwana suture), and another one separating Laurussia from the latter terranes (Rheic suture). The Variscan intra-Gondwana suture is Tectonically dismembered and separates a collection of terranes with continental crust affinity that were transported inland from the periphery of Gondwana during the closure of a (Devonian) marginal basin opened during ongoing convergence between Gondwana and Laurussia (e.g., Careón Ophiolite), ⁓15 million years after the onset of the Variscan Orogen. This process was the result of subduction polarity towards Laurussia, i.e. away from mainland Gondwana. The exhumation of the ophiolites and high-P rocks in this suture was largely controlled by syn-convergence extensional tectonics. The current structure of the Rheic suture, on the other hand, is the result of reworking after the opening of an ephemeral oceanic basin (Beja-Acebuches Ophiolite). Subduction polarity during both the closure of the primary suture zone and the closure of the ephemeral basin were beneath mainland Gondwana. However, the closure of the ephemeral basin developed flake tectonics and obduction of pieces of the ocean basin onto the upper plate. Suture zones in the Cadomian Orogen went unnoticed until few years ago. Despite being intensely reworked by Variscan deformation, the ongoing structural, tectonometamorphic, geochemical and geochronological studies provide first-order constrains on their primary (Cadomian) geometry as well as insight on the paleogeographic location of subduction zones that led to their formation. A collective, yet preliminary analysis of these sutures, pictures a major architecture of the Cadomian Orogen that contain, at least, two sutures zones. One Cadomian suture is identified in the Mérida Ophiolite, which separates an upper and lower plate, both with continental crust affinity and likely Gondwanan derivation (intra-Gondwana suture). This intra-Gondwana suture was formed after the closure by subduction away from mainland Gondwana of a marginal basin that opened during ongoing convergence between Gondwana and an oceanic plate, millions of years after the onset of the Cadomian Orogen. The exhumation of the ophiolite and mid-P rocks that make this suture was largely controlled by syn-convergence extensional tectonics. Another Cadomian suture is represented by the Calzadilla Ophiolite, whose protoliths formed in a fore-arc basin to the most external part of Gondwana. The location of this suture zone is explained by flake tectonics, which contributed to the obduction of the ophiolite onto the upper plate while ongoing subduction was beneath mainland Gondwana. Cadomian and Variscan sutures share fundamental characteristics regarding the paleolocation of the ocean basins they derive from and the overall resulting geometry and tectonic processes involved in their formation. The suture zones that represent the closure of basins located at the outermost section of peri-Gondwana, and closely facing subduction underneath Gondwana (Calzadilla and Beja-Acebuches ophiolites), were obducted inwards onto mainland Gondwana (upper plate). The intra-Gondwana suture zones (Careón and Mérida ophiolites) formed after subduction of a marginal basin beneath the periphery of Gondwana, and the exhumation of rock units of the subduction system was largely assisted by syn-convergence extensional tectonics following subduction-accretion. The Variscan and Cadomian orogens, despite being formed in different contexts (oceanic subduction vs. continental collision), share two major features. Both are (i) mostly built by Gondwanan lithosphere, and (ii) occupy the upper plate of a subduction zone that consumed a large ocean. These two orogens alternate phases of contraction and extension (mostly concentrated in the upper plate). In both cases, extension was intense enough as to create marginal ocean basins and to favor exhumation of deep-seated rocks (quite common in upper plates). Perhaps, these major features they share may explain the resemblance of the final global architecture of these two orogens, and provide additional arguments to consider Gondwana as resistant to subduction and recycling in the mantle and prone to crustal growth, being the upper plate to the orogenic systems it was involved in during at least 300 m.y.Peer reviewe

The Zoning of Semi-Enclosed Bodies of Water According to the Sediment Pollution: The Bay of Algeciras as a Case Example

This paper reports a study of the occurrence and levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a bay characterised by a chronic persistent impact. A total of 55 sediment samples were taken at different depths up to 111 m in two sampling campaigns. Chemical analyses were carried out by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. The results indicate that: (1) significant spatial variations exist, (2) levels of PAHs are related more strongly to the spatial distribution of sediments than to mineralogy/granulometry, (3) the sediments are slightly-to-moderately contaminated by PAHs, and (4) these PAHs derive from pyrolytic and petrogenic sources. Through use of an innovative data classification system (proposed according to depth and spatial location of sampling points), and using factorial and cluster techniques, five zones have been differentiated depending on the contamination level and source

Single hadron response measurement and calorimeter jet energy scale uncertainty with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

The uncertainty on the calorimeter energy response to jets of particles is derived for the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). First, the calorimeter response to single isolated charged hadrons is measured and compared to the Monte Carlo simulation using proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of sqrt(s) = 900 GeV and 7 TeV collected during 2009 and 2010. Then, using the decay of K_s and Lambda particles, the calorimeter response to specific types of particles (positively and negatively charged pions, protons, and anti-protons) is measured and compared to the Monte Carlo predictions. Finally, the jet energy scale uncertainty is determined by propagating the response uncertainty for single charged and neutral particles to jets. The response uncertainty is 2-5% for central isolated hadrons and 1-3% for the final calorimeter jet energy scale.Comment: 24 pages plus author list (36 pages total), 23 figures, 1 table, submitted to European Physical Journal

Anthelmintic activity of aminoalcohol and diamine derivatives against the gastrointestinal nematode Teladorsagia circumcincta

11 páginas, 5 figuras, 4 tablas.Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) infections are a serious problem in livestock production due to the great economic losses they cause. Their control is increasingly difficult because of the rapid development of drug resistance and the limited number of available drugs. Therefore, this study evaluated 18 aminoalcohol and 16 diamine derivatives against eggs, first and third stage larvae from a susceptible and a resistant isolate of Tela-dorsagia circumcincta collected from sheep. The effectiveness of the in vitro anthelmintic activity of the com-pounds was evaluated using three different procedures: Egg Hatch Test (EHT), Larval Mortality Test (LMT) and Larval Migration Inhibition Test (LMIT). Those compounds with activities higher than 90 % in the initial screening at 50 μM were selected to determine their half maximal effective concentration (EC50). In parallel, cytotoxicity assays were conducted on Caco2 and HepG2 cell lines to calculate Selectivity Indexes (SI) for each compound. The diamine 30 presented the best results in preventing egg hatching, displaying the lowest EC50 value (1.01 ±0.04 μM) of all compounds tested and the highest SI (21.21 vs. Caco-2 cells). For the LMIT, the diamine 34 showed the highest efficacy, with EC50 values of 2.67 ±0.08 and 3.02 ±0.09 μM on the susceptible and resistant isolate of the parasite, respectively.We are grateful to Dave Bartley, from Moredun Research Institute for providing the triple-resistant isolate of T. circumcincta. RE thank the RICET contract (E07D401988BR) EC Programs. Financial support came from MINECO: RETOS (AGL2016-79813-C2-1R/2R) and Junta de Castilla y León (JCyL) co-financed by FEDER, UE (LE020P17). EVG was funded by FPU16/03536; JV, VCGA and MAB are recipients of Junta de Castilla y Leon and European Social Found (ESF)’s Fellowships Scheme for Doctoral Training Programs. (JCYL-USAL35B, LE082-18, LE051-18, respectively) and MMV by the Spanish “Ramon y Cajal” Programme (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; RYC-2015-18368).Peer reviewe