132 research outputs found

    A homogenizing process of selection has maintained an \u27ultra-slow\u27 acetylation NAT2 variant in humans

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    N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) is an important enzyme involved in the metabolism of a wide spectrum of naturally occurring xenobiotics, including therapeutic drugs and common environmental carcinogens. Extensive polymorphism in NAT2 gives rise to a wide interindividual variation in acetylation capacity which influences individual susceptibility to various drug-induced adverse reactions and cancers. Striking patterns of geographic differentiation have been described for the main slow acetylation variants of the NAT2 gene, suggesting the action of natural selection at this locus. In the present study, we took advantage of the whole-genome sequence data available from the 1000 Genomes project to investigate the global patterns of population genetic differentiation at NAT2 and determine whether they are atypical compared to the remaining variation of the genome. The non-synonymous substitution c.590G\u3eA (rs1799930) defining the slow NAT2*6 haplotype cluster exhibited an unusually low FST value when compared to the genome average (FST = 0.006, P-value = 0.016). It was pointed out as the most likely target of a homogenizing process of selection promoting the same allelic variant in globally distributed populations. The rs1799930 A allele has been associated with the slowest acetylation capacity in vivo and its substantial correlation with the subsistence strategy adopted by past human populations suggests that it may have conferred a selective advantage in populations shifting from foraging to agricultural and pastoral activities in the Neolithic period. Results of neutrality tests further supported an adaptive evolution of the NAT2 gene through either balancing selection or directional selection acting on multiple standing slow-causing variants

    Differential Regulation of HIV-1 Clade-Specific B, C, and E Long Terminal Repeats by NF-κB and the Tat Transactivator

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    AbstractThe major group of human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV-1) that comprise the current global pandemic have diversified during their worldwide spread and may be divided into at least 10 distinct subtypes or clades, A through J. Subtype B predominates in North America and Europe, subtype E predominates in Southeast Asia, and subtype C predominates in sub-Saharan Africa. Functional distinctions in long terminal repeat (LTR) architecture among HIV subtypes have been identified, thus raising the possibility that regulatory divergence among the subtypes of HIV-1 has occurred. In addition to the transcriptional specificity of the HIV-1 LTR, productive HIV-1 replication is also dependent upon the viral Tat protein. Therefore, we sought to investigate whether interactions between host signaling pathways and the NF-κB regions of different HIV-1 subtypes, together with subtype-specific interactions between Tat, TAR, and cellular proteins, modulate the efficiency of HIV-1 clade-specific gene transcription. We demonstrate that the NF-κB sites of subtypes B and E both bind NF-κB-related complexes. However, the duplicated κB sites of the C subtype do not compete for NF-κB binding. Also, clade E Tat protein possesses the highest transactivation capacity, regardless of the LTR context. Furthermore, preliminary evidence suggests that the acetylation of subtype-specific Tat proteins may correlate with their transactivation efficiency

    Metabolic Adaptation of Ralstonia solanacearum during Plant Infection: A Methionine Biosynthesis Case Study

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    MetE and MetH are two distinct enzymes that catalyze a similar biochemical reaction during the last step of methionine biosynthesis, MetH being a cobalamin-dependent enzyme whereas MetE activity is cobalamin-independent. In this work, we show that the last step of methionine synthesis in the plant pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum is under the transcriptional control of the master pathogenicity regulator HrpG. This control is exerted essentially on metE expression through the intermediate regulator MetR. Expression of metE is strongly and specifically induced in the presence of plant cells in a hrpG- and metR-dependent manner. metE and metR mutants are not auxotrophic for methionine and not affected for growth inside the plant but produce significantly reduced disease symptoms on tomato whereas disruption of metH has no impact on pathogenicity. The finding that the pathogen preferentially induces metE expression rather than metH in the presence of plant cells is indicative of a probable metabolic adaptation to physiological host conditions since this induction of metE occurs in an environment in which cobalamin, the required co-factor for MetH, is absent. It also shows that MetE and MetH are not functionally redundant and are deployed during specific stages of the bacteria lifecycle, the expression of metE and metH being controlled by multiple and distinct signals

    Recruitment of Histone Deacetylase 3 to the Interferon-A Gene Promoters Attenuates Interferon Expression

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    Induction of Type I Interferon (IFN) genes constitutes an essential step leading to innate immune responses during virus infection. Sendai virus (SeV) infection of B lymphoid Namalwa cells transiently induces the transcriptional expression of multiple IFN-A genes. Although transcriptional activation of IFN-A genes has been extensively studied, the mechanism responsible for the attenuation of their expression remains to be determined.In this study, we demonstrate that virus infection of Namalwa cells induces transient recruitment of HDAC3 (histone deacetylase 3) to IFN-A promoters. Analysis of chromatin-protein association by Chip-QPCR demonstrated that recruitment of interferon regulatory factor (IRF)3 and IRF7, as well as TBP correlated with enhanced histone H3K9 and H3K14 acetylation, whereas recruitment of HDAC3 correlated with inhibition of histone H3K9/K14 acetylation, removal of IRF7 and TATA-binding protein (TBP) from IFN-A promoters and inhibition of virus-induced IFN-A gene transcription. Additionally, HDAC3 overexpression reduced, and HDAC3 depletion by siRNA enhanced IFN-A gene expression. Furthermore, activation of IRF7 enhanced histone H3K9/K14 acetylation and IFN-A gene expression, whereas activation of both IRF7 and IRF3 led to recruitment of HDAC3 to the IFN-A gene promoters, resulting in impaired histone H3K9 acetylation and attenuation of IFN-A gene transcription.Altogether these data indicate that reversal of histone H3K9/K14 acetylation by HDAC3 is required for attenuation of IFN-A gene transcription during viral infection

    Ancestry of the Brazilian TP53 c.1010G>A (p.Arg337His, R337H) founder mutation : clues from haplotyping of short tandem repeats on Chromosome 17p

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    Rare germline mutations in TP53 (17p13.1) cause a highly penetrant predisposition to a specific spectrum of early cancers, defining the Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS). A germline mutation at codon 337 (p.Arg337His, c1010G>A) is found in about 0.3% of the population of Southern Brazil. This mutation is associated with partially penetrant LFS traits and is found in the germline of patients with early cancers of the LFS spectrum unselected for familial his- tory. To characterize the extended haplotypes carrying the mutation, we have genotyped 9 short tandem repeats on chromosome 17p in 12 trios of Brazilian p.Arg337His carriers. Results confirm that all share a common ancestor haplotype of Caucasian/Portuguese-Ibe- ric origin, distant in about 72–84 generations (2000 years assuming a 25 years intergenera- tional distance) and thus pre-dating European migration to Brazil. So far, the founder p. Arg337His haplotype has not been detected outside Brazil, with the exception of two resi- dents of Portugal, one of them of Brazilian origin. On the other hand, increased meiotic recombination in p.Arg337His carriers may account for higher than expected haplotype diversity. Further studies comparing haplotypes in populations of Brazil and of other areas of Portuguese migration are needed to understand the historical context of this mutation in Brazil.This study was funded by grant # 478430/2012-4 from CNPq (RFA MCT/CNPq - No 14/2012; Universal), Brazil.We would like to thank UFRGS, UFPA, AC Camargo, HC Barretos and University of Minho for their support during this work

    HTLV-1 Evades Type I Interferon Antiviral Signaling by Inducing the Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 1 (SOCS1)

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    Human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the etiologic agent of Adult T cell Leukemia (ATL) and the neurological disorder HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). Although the majority of HTLV-1–infected individuals remain asymptomatic carriers (AC) during their lifetime, 2–5% will develop either ATL or HAM/TSP, but never both. To better understand the gene expression changes in HTLV-1-associated diseases, we examined the mRNA profiles of CD4+ T cells isolated from 7 ATL, 12 HAM/TSP, 11 AC and 8 non-infected controls. Using genomic approaches followed by bioinformatic analysis, we identified gene expression pattern characteristic of HTLV-1 infected individuals and particular disease states. Of particular interest, the suppressor of cytokine signaling 1—SOCS1—was upregulated in HAM/TSP and AC patients but not in ATL. Moreover, SOCS1 was positively correlated with the expression of HTLV-1 mRNA in HAM/TSP patient samples. In primary PBMCs transfected with a HTLV-1 proviral clone and in HTLV-1-transformed MT-2 cells, HTLV-1 replication correlated with induction of SOCS1 and inhibition of IFN-α/β and IFN-stimulated gene expression. Targeting SOCS1 with siRNA restored type I IFN production and reduced HTLV-1 replication in MT-2 cells. Conversely, exogenous expression of SOCS1 resulted in enhanced HTLV-1 mRNA synthesis. In addition to inhibiting signaling downstream of the IFN receptor, SOCS1 inhibited IFN-β production by targeting IRF3 for ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. These observations identify a novel SOCS1 driven mechanism of evasion of the type I IFN antiviral response against HTLV-1

    Multi-messenger observations of a binary neutron star merger

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    On 2017 August 17 a binary neutron star coalescence candidate (later designated GW170817) with merger time 12:41:04 UTC was observed through gravitational waves by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor independently detected a gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) with a time delay of ~1.7 s with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg2 at a luminosity distance of 40+8-8 Mpc and with component masses consistent with neutron stars. The component masses were later measured to be in the range 0.86 to 2.26 Mo. An extensive observing campaign was launched across the electromagnetic spectrum leading to the discovery of a bright optical transient (SSS17a, now with the IAU identification of AT 2017gfo) in NGC 4993 (at ~40 Mpc) less than 11 hours after the merger by the One- Meter, Two Hemisphere (1M2H) team using the 1 m Swope Telescope. The optical transient was independently detected by multiple teams within an hour. Subsequent observations targeted the object and its environment. Early ultraviolet observations revealed a blue transient that faded within 48 hours. Optical and infrared observations showed a redward evolution over ~10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the transient’s position ~9 and ~16 days, respectively, after the merger. Both the X-ray and radio emission likely arise from a physical process that is distinct from the one that generates the UV/optical/near-infrared emission. No ultra-high-energy gamma-rays and no neutrino candidates consistent with the source were found in follow-up searches. These observations support the hypothesis that GW170817 was produced by the merger of two neutron stars in NGC4993 followed by a short gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) and a kilonova/macronova powered by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei synthesized in the ejecta

    Low incidence of SARS-CoV-2, risk factors of mortality and the course of illness in the French national cohort of dialysis patients

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    Simplification du geste chirurgical implantaire

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    NANCY1-SCD Pharmacie-Odontologie (543952101) / SudocPARIS-BIUM (751062103) / SudocSudocFranceF
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