Environmental stresses inhibit splicing in the aquatic fungus Blastocladiella emersonii

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Exposure of cells to environmental stress conditions can lead to the interruption of several intracellular processes, in particular those performed by macromolecular complexes such as the spliceosome.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>During nucleotide sequencing of cDNA libraries constructed using RNA isolated from <it>B. emersonii </it>cells submitted to heat shock and cadmium stress, a large number of ESTs with retained introns was observed. Among the 6,350 ESTs obtained through sequencing of stress cDNA libraries, 181 ESTs presented putative introns (2.9%), while sequencing of cDNA libraries from unstressed <it>B. emersonii </it>cells revealed only 0.2% of ESTs containing introns. These data indicate an enrichment of ESTs with introns in <it>B. emersonii </it>stress cDNA libraries. Among the 85 genes corresponding to the ESTs that retained introns, 19 showed more than one intron and three showed three introns, with intron length ranging from 55 to 333 nucleotides. Canonical splicing junctions were observed in most of these introns, junction sequences being very similar to those found in introns from genes previously characterized in <it>B. emersonii</it>, suggesting that inhibition of splicing during stress is apparently a random process. Confirming our observations, analyses of <it>gpx3 </it>and <it>hsp70 </it>mRNAs by Northern blot and S1 protection assays revealed a strong inhibition of intron splicing in cells submitted to cadmium stress.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In conclusion, data indicate that environmental stresses, particularly cadmium treatment, inhibit intron processing in <it>B. emersonii</it>, revealing a new adaptive response to cellular exposure to this heavy metal.</p

Through the looking glass: leader personhood and the intersubjective construction of institutions

Institutions have been mainly understood in a dualistic way: as abstract, macro cultural logics, or as inhabited socio-cultural sites. This form of dualism divided people into cognitive cultural dopes or persons with a heart. Scholars are now trying to overcome dualistic modes of thinking about people in institutions, through the consideration of the persons as whole human beings. In this new theoretical approach, it is crucial to understand how institutions frame individual action and how individuals shape institutions. We study this duality by considering the lived experience of Colombia’s presidential transition period from Uribe to Santos in the decade of the 2010s

A missing dimension in measures of vaccination impacts

Immunological protection, acquired from either natural infection or vaccination, varies among hosts, reflecting underlying biological variation and affecting population-level protection. Owing to the nature of resistance mechanisms, distributions of susceptibility and protection entangle with pathogen dose in a way that can be decoupled by adequately representing the dose dimension. Any infectious processes must depend in some fashion on dose, and empirical evidence exists for an effect of exposure dose on the probability of transmission to mumps-vaccinated hosts [1], the case-fatality ratio of measles [2], and the probability of infection and, given infection, of symptoms in cholera [3]. Extreme distributions of vaccine protection have been termed leaky (partially protects all hosts) and all-or-nothing (totally protects a proportion of hosts) [4]. These distributions can be distinguished in vaccine field trials from the time dependence of infections [5]. Frailty mixing models have also been proposed to estimate the distribution of protection from time to event data [6], [7], although the results are not comparable across regions unless there is explicit control for baseline transmission [8]. Distributions of host susceptibility and acquired protection can be estimated from dose-response data generated under controlled experimental conditions [9]–[11] and natural settings [12], [13]. These distributions can guide research on mechanisms of protection, as well as enable model validity across the entire range of transmission intensities. We argue for a shift to a dose-dimension paradigm in infectious disease science and community health

Folic acid-tagged protein nanoemulsions loaded with CORM-2 enhance the survival of mice bearing subcutaneous A20 lymphoma tumors.

UNLABELLED: Folic Acid (FA)-tagged protein nanoemulsions were found to be preferentially internalized on B-cell lymphoma cell line (A20 cell line), which, for the first time, is reported to express folate receptor (FR)-alpha. Carbon monoxide releasing molecule-2 (CORM-2) was incorporated in the oil phase of the initial formulation. FA-functionalized nanoemulsions loaded with CORM-2 exhibited a considerable antitumor effect and an increased survival of BALB/c mice bearing subcutaneous A20 lymphoma tumors. The developed nanoemulsions also demonstrated to be well tolerated by these immunocompetent mice. Thus, the results obtained in this study demonstrate that FA-tagged protein nanoemulsions can be successfully used in cancer therapy, with the important ability to delivery drugs intracellularly. FROM THE CLINICAL EDITOR: In this research, the authors developed folic acid tagged nanoemulsions containing a carbon monoxide releasing protein molecule for targeted cancer cell treatment. In-vitro and in-vivo experiments showed efficacy against B-cell lymphoma cells. The same nanocarrier platform could be applied to other tumor cells expressing folate receptors on the cell surface.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is avilable via Elsevier at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1549963415000726

Stereology shows that damaged liver recovers after protein refeeding

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the putative effects of a low-protein diet on the three-dimensional structure of hepatocytes and determine whether this scenario could be reversed by restoring the adequate levels of protein to the diet. Methods: Using design-based stereology, the total number and volume of hepatocytes were estimated in the liver of mice in healthy and altered (by protein malnutrition) conditions and after protein renutrition. Results: This study demonstrated a 65% decrease in the liver volume (3302 mm3 for the control for undernourished versus 1141 mm3 for the undernourished group) accompanied by a 46% reduction in the hepatocyte volume (8223 μm3 for the control for undernourished versus 4475 μm3 for the undernourished group) and a 90% increase in the total number of binucleate hepatocytes (1 549 393 for the control for undernourished versus 2 941 353 for the undernourished group). Reinstating a normoproteinic diet (12% casein) proved to be effective in restoring the size of hepatocytes, leading to an 85% increase in the total number of uninucleate hepatocytes (15 988 560 for the undernourished versus 29 600 520 for the renourished group), and partially reversed the liver atrophy. Conclusions: Awareness of these data will add to a better morphologic understanding of malnutrition-induced hepatopathies and will help clinicians improve the diagnosis and treatment of this condition in humans and in veterinary practice

Intersetorialidade e potenciais conflitos de interesse entre governos e setor privado comercial no âmbito das ações de alimentação e nutrição para o enfrentamento de doenças crônicas não transmissíveis | Intersectoriality and potential conflicts of interest between governments and private, commercial sector within the context of food and nutrition actions to deal with chronic non-communicable diseases

Neste artigo foram analisados os potenciais conflitos entre interesses governamentais e privados de caráter comercial em torno das ações de alimentação e nutrição (AN) no âmbito de propostas intersetoriais de enfrentamento das DCNT no Brasil. Para tal, foram identificados artigos acadêmicos e documentos institucionais publicados a partir de 2000 que abordassem as ações de AN em políticas de DCNT pautadas pela intersetorialidade. Foram priorizados elementos que contribuíssem para a compreensão dos potenciais conflitos de interesse entre governos e o setor privado comercial no âmbito de estratégias intersetoriais de enfrentamento de DCNT. Concluiu-se que o princípio da intersetorialidade, desassociado de um processo político que problematize os critérios de eleição e as práticas institucionais dos setores que respondem pelo conjunto de ações que compõe as políticas governamentais, pode servir como facilitador do favorecimento de interesses comerciais. A participação no processo decisório de setores de interesse comercial cujas práticas ferem objetivos e princípios das políticas públicas, movidos pela expansão da demanda por seus produtos e pela concentração progressiva de poder, pode retardar, atenuar ou impedir ações efetivas na redução de DCNT. Esta possibilidade é particularmente relevante no âmbito de atribuições que são próprias aos entes Estatais, especialmente as estratégias regulatórias. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This article analyzed the potential conflicts of interest between government and private commercial sectors in the area of food and nutrition (FN) activities within the context of intersectoral proposals for dealing with chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCD) in Brazil. To this end, academic articles and institutional documents published after 2000 were identified that addressed FN actions in CNCD policies guided by intersectoriality. Elements that contributed to understanding the potential conflicts of interest between governments and the private, commercial sector within the context of intersectoral strategies to deal with CNCD were prioritized. It was concluded that the principle of intersectoriality disassociated from a political process that complicates the eligibility criteria and institutional practices of the sectors responsible for the set of actions that comprise government policies may serve as facilitators for favoring commercial interests. Participation in the decision-making process of the sectors of commercial interest whose practices, driven by increased demand for their products and the progressive concentration of power, contradict the purposes and principles of public policy, may delay, reduce, or prevent effective actions to reduce CNCD. This possibility is particularly relevant in the context of attributions that are specific to government entities, especially regulatory strategies

Intersetorialidade e potenciais conflitos de interesse entre governos e setor privado comercial no âmbito das ações de alimentação e nutrição para o enfrentamento de doenças crônicas não transmissíveis

This article analyzed the potential conflicts of interest between government and private commercial sectors in the area of food and nutrition (FN) activities within the context of intersectoral proposals for dealing with chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCD) in Brazil. To this end, academic articles and institutional documents published after 2000 were identified that addressed FN actions in CNCD policies guided by intersectoriality. Elements that contributed to understanding the potential conflicts of interest between governments and the private, commercial sector within the context of intersectoral strategies to deal with CNCD were prioritized. It was concluded that the principle of intersectoriality disassociated from a political process that complicates the eligibility criteria and institutional practices of the sectors responsible for the set of actions that comprise government policies may serve as facilitators for favoring commercial interests. Participation in the decision-making process of the sectors of commercial interest whose practices, driven by increased demand for their products and the progressive concentration of power, contradict the purposes and principles of public policy, may delay, reduce, or prevent effective actions to reduce CNCD. This possibility is particularly relevant in the context of attributions that are specific to government entities, especially regulatory strategies.Neste artigo foram analisados os potenciais conflitos entre interesses governamentais e privados de caráter comercial em torno das ações de alimentação e nutrição (AN) no âmbito de propostas intersetoriais de enfrentamento das DCNT no Brasil. Para tal, foram identificados artigos acadêmicos e documentos institucionais publicados a partir de 2000 que abordassem as ações de AN em políticas de DCNT pautadas pela intersetorialidade. Foram priorizados elementos que contribuíssem para a compreensão dos potenciais conflitos de interesse entre governos e o setor privado comercial no âmbito de estratégias intersetoriais de enfrentamento de DCNT. Concluiu-se que o princípio da intersetorialidade, desassociado de um processo político que problematize os critérios de eleição e as práticas institucionais dos setores que respondem pelo conjunto de ações que compõe as políticas governamentais, pode servir como facilitador do favorecimento de interesses comerciais. A participação no processo decisório de setores de interesse comercial cujas práticas ferem objetivos e princípios das políticas públicas, movidos pela expansão da demanda por seus produtos e pela concentração progressiva de poder, pode retardar, atenuar ou impedir ações efetivas na redução de DCNT. Esta possibilidade é particularmente relevante no âmbito de atribuições que são próprias aos entes Estatais, especialmente as estratégias regulatórias