Comparative analyses of CTCF and BORIS occupancies uncover two distinct classes of CTCF binding genomic regions.

BackgroundCTCF and BORIS (CTCFL), two paralogous mammalian proteins sharing nearly identical DNA binding domains, are thought to function in a mutually exclusive manner in DNA binding and transcriptional regulation.ResultsHere we show that these two proteins co-occupy a specific subset of regulatory elements consisting of clustered CTCF binding motifs (termed 2xCTSes). BORIS occupancy at 2xCTSes is largely invariant in BORIS-positive cancer cells, with the genomic pattern recapitulating the germline-specific BORIS binding to chromatin. In contrast to the single-motif CTCF target sites (1xCTSes), the 2xCTS elements are preferentially found at active promoters and enhancers, both in cancer and germ cells. 2xCTSes are also enriched in genomic regions that escape histone to protamine replacement in human and mouse sperm. Depletion of the BORIS gene leads to altered transcription of a large number of genes and the differentiation of K562 cells, while the ectopic expression of this CTCF paralog leads to specific changes in transcription in MCF7 cells.ConclusionsWe discover two functionally and structurally different classes of CTCF binding regions, 2xCTSes and 1xCTSes, revealed by their predisposition to bind BORIS. We propose that 2xCTSes play key roles in the transcriptional program of cancer and germ cells

ECOLOGÍA TÉRMICA DE UNA POBLACIÓN DE LA LAGARTIJA SCELOPORUS GRAMMICUS (IGUANIDAE: PHRYNOSOMATINAE) QUE OCURRE EN LA ZONA CENTRO-ORIENTE DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO

The thermal ecology of the lizard, Sceloporus grammicus in Mexico City was studied. Mean body temperature (Tb) was 31.43 ± 0.1 ºC. Body temperature was significantly and positively related to air temperature (Ta: n = 147, r = 0.451, P < 0.001; Tb = 27.529 + 0.195 Ta) and substrate temperature (Ts: n = 147, r = 0.482, P < 0.001; Tb = 27.315 + 0.199 Ts) occupied by the lizards. The body temperature was different between males and females (ANCOVA with Ts as the covariate F1,146 = 8.71, P = 0.003) and between pregnant females and unpregnant females as well (ANCOVA with Ts as the covariate F1,91 = 18.81 P < 0.001). These results suggested that S. grammicus is a lizard with active thermoregulation and that reproductive status can influence the thermoregulatory strategy of females.Estudiamos la ecología térmica de la lagartija Sceloporus grammicus que habita en la región central de la Ciudad de México. La temperatura corporal (Tc) promedio para estos organismos fue de 31.43 ± 0.1 °C. La Tc de Sceloporus grammicus estuvo positiva y significativamente correlacionada con la temperatura del aire [Ta] (n =147, r = 0.451, P < 0.001; Tc 27.529 + 0.195 Ta) y con la temperatura del sustrato [Ts] (n = 147, r = 0.482, P < 0.001; Tc = 27.315 + 0.199 Ts) donde se encontraban. Observamos diferencias significativas entre la temperatura corporal de machos y hembras (ANCOVA con la Ts como covariable F1,146 = 8.71, P = 0.003), así como en la temperatura corporal presentada entre hembras preñadas y no preñadas (ANCOVA con la Ts como covariable F1,91 = 18.81 P < 0.001). Estos resultados sugieren que S. grammicus presenta una tendencia hacia la termorregulación activa y que el estadio reproductivo de las hembras puede influir su estrategia termorreguladora

Talaromyces atroroseus, a new species efficiently producing industrially relevant red pigments

Some species of Talaromyces secrete large amounts of red pigments. Literature has linked this character to species such as Talaromyces purpurogenus, T. albobiverticillius, T. marneffei, and T. minioluteus often under earlier Penicillium names. Isolates identified as T. purpurogenus have been reported to be interesting industrially and they can produce extracellular enzymes and red pigments, but they can also produce mycotoxins such as rubratoxin A and B and luteoskyrin. Production of mycotoxins limits the use of isolates of a particular species in biotechnology. Talaromyces atroroseus sp. nov., described in this study, produces the azaphilone biosynthetic families mitorubrins and Monascus pigments without any production of mycotoxins. Within the red pigment producing clade, T. atroroseus resolved in a distinct clade separate from all the other species in multigene phylogenies (ITS, β-tubulin and RPB1), which confirm its unique nature. Talaromyces atroroseus resembles T. purpurogenus and T. albobiverticillius in producing red diffusible pigments, but differs from the latter two species by the production of glauconic acid, purpuride and ZG-1494α and by the dull to dark green, thick walled ellipsoidal conidia produced. The type strain of Talaromyces atroroseus is CBS 133442

International nosocomial infection control consortium (INICC) report, data summary of 36 countries, for 2004-2009

The results of a surveillance study conducted by the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) from January 2004 through December 2009 in 422 intensive care units (ICUs) of 36 countries in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe are reported. During the 6-year study period, using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN; formerly the National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance system [NNIS]) definitions for device-associated health care-associated infections, we gathered prospective data from 313,008 patients hospitalized in the consortium's ICUs for an aggregate of 2,194,897 ICU bed-days. Despite the fact that the use of devices in the developing countries' ICUs was remarkably similar to that reported in US ICUs in the CDC's NHSN, rates of device-associated nosocomial infection were significantly higher in the ICUs of the INICC hospitals; the pooled rate of central line-associated bloodstream infection in the INICC ICUs of 6.8 per 1,000 central line-days was more than 3-fold higher than the 2.0 per 1,000 central line-days reported in comparable US ICUs. The overall rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia also was far higher (15.8 vs 3.3 per 1,000 ventilator-days), as was the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (6.3 vs. 3.3 per 1,000 catheter-days). Notably, the frequencies of resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates to imipenem (47.2% vs 23.0%), Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates to ceftazidime (76.3% vs 27.1%), Escherichia coli isolates to ceftazidime (66.7% vs 8.1%), Staphylococcus aureus isolates to methicillin (84.4% vs 56.8%), were also higher in the consortium's ICUs, and the crude unadjusted excess mortalities of device-related infections ranged from 7.3% (for catheter-associated urinary tract infection) to 15.2% (for ventilator-associated pneumonia). Copyright © 2012 by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Carbohydrate and amino acid dynamics during grain growth in four temperate cereals under well-watered and water-limited regimes

Grain development in cereals depends on synthesis and remobilisation compounds such as water-soluble carbohydrates (WSCs), amino acids (AAs), minerals and environmental conditions during pre-and post-anthesis. This study analyses the impact of water stress on metabolite (WSCs, AAs and nitrogen) dynamics between the source (leaves and stems) and sink (grain) organs in triticale, bread wheat, durum wheat and barley. Plants were grown in glasshouse conditions under well-watered (WW) and water-limited (WL) regimes (from flag leaf fully expanded until maturity). The results showed that the stem WSC content and the apparent mobilisation of WSC to the grain were much higher in triticale and were associated with its larger grain size and grain number. In the four cereals, grain weight and the number of kernels per spike were positively associated with stem WSC mobilisation. After anthesis, the AA concentration in leaves was much lower than in the grain. In grain, the main AAs in terms of concentration were Asn, Pro and Gln in triticale, bread, and durum wheat, and Asn, Pro and Val in barley. The water-limited regime reduced grain weight per plant in the four cereal species, but it had no clear effects on WSC content and AAs in leaves and grain. In general, triticale was less affected by WL than the other cereals.The first author (A.M.M.-E.) was supported by FONDECYT Postdoc 3160687. The research was funded by the grants, FONDECYT N 1150353 and 118025

Caracterización y aplicación de películas a base de gelatina-carboximetilcelulosa para la preservación de frutos de guayaba

"El interés en el desarrollo y uso de empaques alimenticios a base de biomateriales ha venido creciendo debido en gran medida a la necesidad de reducir y sustituir el empleo de plásticos y envases sintéticos, por materiales menos agresivos con el medio a

Incomplete penetrance in maize genotypes segregating for the polyembryony trait

To study the genetic control of polyembryony trait in maize germplasm a series of experiments were carried out.The genetic material came from crossings among two polyembryonic populations and 16 different genotypes,normal type maize. A total of 27 F1 were generated in 2016, and from those, there were derived 22 F2, and 20backcrosses genotypes. The experiments were carried out in two locations in Northern Mexico. Several genotypesin the second generation progenies share the same preceding F1. The theoretical expectations for polyembryony(PEm, in short) proportions in F2 and backcrossing are 0.0625 and 0.25, respectively. It is instructive to statethat given the PEm recessiveness, all the F1 genotypes were normal type plants: one seedling per germinatedseed. The statistical methods applied to the experimental data were the exact Binomial test, for the segregatingproportions in F2, and the exact Fisher test to prove for independence between environments and the PEm genotypes.There were used R procedures for calculations. Based on the results, we have concluded that 1) varyinggenetic backgrounds in crossings might have an impact on the trait segregation proportions depending upon thespecific parents’ genotypes, which eventually lead to a penetrance reduction of the PEm genes expression, 2)polyembryony frequencies of the two populations were always statistically the same, no matter the environmentalconditions where they were grown, and 3) the trait´s inheritance model was validated

Metabolic effects of elevated CO2 on wheat grain development and composition

The increase in the atmospheric CO concentration is predicted to influence wheat production and grain quality and nutritional properties. In the present study, durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf. cv. Sula) was grown under two different CO (400 versus 700 μmol mol) concentrations to examine effects on the crop yield and grain quality at different phenological stages (from grain filling to maturity). Exposure to elevated CO significantly increased aboveground biomass and grain yield components. Growth at elevated CO diminished the elemental N content as well as protein and free amino acids, with a typical decrease in glutamine, which is the most represented amino acid in grain proteins. Such a general decrease in nitrogenous compounds was associated with altered kinetics of protein accumulation, N remobilization, and N partitioning. Our results highlight important modifications of grain metabolism that have implications for its nutritional quality.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (AGL2016-79868-R)

Impact of elevated CO2 and drought on yield and quality traits of a historical (Blanqueta) and a modern (Sula) durum wheat

Wheat grain represents an important source of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and minerals. Durum wheat is used mainly for the preparation of pasta, and in some Mediterranean areas is used for bread making. The atmospheric CO2 concentration influences wheat growth, yield and quality. The present work focuses on kernel quality under conditions of elevated [CO2] and subjected, or not, to water stress. The experiments were conducted with the durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) varieties cvv. Blanqueta, which is a historical Spanish landrace, and cvv. Sula, which is a modern variety. Sula demonstrated greater kernel weight (KW), insoluble protein (IP) content and amylose content, and also featured better potential test weight (TW) under projected future elevated [CO2] and drought conditions. Blanqueta exposed to drought conditions showed the highest 13C isotopic composition (δ13C) values indicating that, as a consequence of their higher biomass, they were subjected to a more severe stress. Under control conditions of ambient [CO2], the protein concentrations of both varieties were similar. This work provides data about the genetic diversity between a currently cultivated wheat cultivar derived from traditional breeding and another cultivated some decades ago.The authors would like to thank Messrs. Amadeo Urdiain and Hector Santesteban for technical support with managing the greenhouse. This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (AGL2016-79868-R). JLA, acknowledges the Support from ICREA Academia, Government of Catalonia, Spain.Peer Reviewe