Depleting Components of the THO Complex Causes Increased Telomere Length by Reducing the Expression of the Telomere-Associated Protein Rif1p

Telomere length is regulated mostly by proteins directly associated with telomeres. However, genome-wide analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants has revealed that deletion of Hpr1p, a component of the THO complex, also affects telomere length. The THO complex comprises four protein subunits, namely, Tho2p, Hpr1p, Mft1p, and Thp2p. These subunits interplay between transcription elongation and co-transcriptional assembly of export-competent mRNPs. Here we found that the deletion of tho2 or hpr1 caused telomere lengthening by ∼50–100 bps, whereas that of mft1 or thp2 did not affect telomere length. Since the THO complex functions in transcription elongation, we analyzed the expression of telomere-associated proteins in mutants depleted of complex components. We found that both the mRNA and protein levels of RIF1 were decreased in tho2 and hpr1 cells. RIF1 encodes a 1917-amino acid polypeptide that is involved in regulating telomere length and the formation of telomeric heterochromatin. Hpr1p and Tho2p appeared to affect telomeres through Rif1p, as increased Rif1p levels suppressed the telomere lengthening in tho2 and hpr1 cells. Moreover, yeast cells carrying rif1 tho2 or rif1 hpr1 double mutations showed telomere lengths and telomere silencing effects similar to those observed in the rif1 mutant. Thus, we conclude that mutations of components of the THO complex affect telomere functions by reducing the expression of a telomere-associated protein, Rif1p

Influence of slag composition on the stability of steel in alkali-activated cementitious materials

Among the minor elements found in metallurgical slags, sulfur and manganese can potentially influence the corrosion process of steel embedded in alkali-activated slag cements, as both are redox-sensitive. Particularly, it is possible that these could significantly influence the corrosion process of the steel. Two types of alkali-activated slag mortars were prepared in this study: 100% blast furnace slag and a modified slag blend (90% blast furnace slag? 10% silicomanganese slag), both activated with sodium silicate. These mortars were designed with the aim of determining the influence of varying the redox potential on the stability of steel passivation under exposure to alkaline and alkaline chloride-rich solutions. Both types of mortars presented highly negative corrosion potentials and high current density values in the presence of chloride. The steel bars extracted from mortar samples after exposure do not show evident pits or corrosion product layers, indicating that the presence of sulfides reduces the redox potential of the pore solution of slag mortars, but enables the steel to remain in an apparently passive state. The presence of a high amount of MnO in the slag does not significantly affect the corrosion process of steel under the conditions tested. Mass transport through the mortar to the metal is impeded with increasing exposure time; this is associated with refinement of the pore network as the slag continued to react while the samples were immersed

Contamination, risk, and source apportionment of potentially toxic microelements in river sediments and soil after extreme flooding in the Kolubara River catchment in Western Serbia

Climate change is contributing to an increase in extreme weather events. This results in a higher river flooding risk, causing a series of environmental disturbances, including potential contamination of agricultural soil. In Serbia, the catastrophic floods of 2014 affected six river basins, including the Kolubara River Basin, as one of the larger sub-catchments of the large regional Sava River Basin, which is characterized by large areas under agricultural cultures, various geological substrates, and different types of industrial pollution. The main aim of this study was to establish the sources of potentially toxic elements in soil and flood sediments and the effect of the flood on their concentrations. Field sampling was performed immediately after water had receded from the flooded area in May 2014. In total, 36 soil samples and 28 flood sediment samples were collected. After acid digestion (HNO3), concentrations of the most frequent potentially toxic elements (PTE) in agricultural production (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) and Co which are closely related to the geological characteristics of river catchments, were analyzed. The origin, source, and interrelations of microelements, as well as BACKGROUND: values of the PTE of the river catchment, the pollution index (Pi), enrichment factor (Ef), and geological index (Igeo), were determined, using statistical methods such as Pearson correlations, principal component analysis (PCA), and multiple linear regression (MLRA). The content of the hot acid-extractable forms of the elements, PCA, and MLRA revealed a heavy geological influence on microelement content, especially on Ni, Cr, and Co, while an anthropogenic influence was observed for Cu, Zn, and Cd content. This mixed impact was primarily related to mines and their impact on As and Pb content. The pseudo-total concentrations of all the analyzed elements did not prove to be a danger in the catchment area, except for Cu in some samples, indicating point-source pollution, and Ni, whose pseudo-total content could be a limiting factor in agricultural production. For the Ef, the Ni content in 59% soil and 68% flood sediment samples is classified into influence classes. The similar pseudo-total contents of the elements studied in soil samples and flood sediment and their origin indicate that the long-term soil formation process is subject to periodic flooding in the Kolubara River Basin without any significant changes taking place. This implies that floods are not an endangering factor in terms of the contamination of soil by potentially toxic elements in the explored area

Iron: a target for the management of Kaposi's sarcoma?

BACKGROUND: Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a mesenchymal tumour associated with human herpesvirus-8 infection. However, the incidence of human herpesvirus-8 infection is far higher than the prevalence of KS, suggesting that viral infection per se is not sufficient for the development of malignancy and that one or more additional cofactors are required. DISCUSSION: Epidemiological data suggest that iron may be one of the cofactors involved in the pathogenesis of KS. Iron is a well-known carcinogen and may favour KS growth through several pathways. Based on the apoptotic and antiproliferative effect of iron chelation on KS cells, it is suggested that iron withdrawal strategies could be developed for the management of KS. Studies using potent iron chelators in suitable KS animal models are critical to evaluate whether iron deprivation may be a useful anti-KS strategy. SUMMARY: It is suggested that iron may be one of non-viral co-factors involved of KS pathogenesis and that iron withdrawal strategies might interfere with tumour growth in patients with KS