Role of the yeast multidrug transporter Qdr2 in cation homeostasis and the oxidative stress response

We have identified QDR2 in a screening for genes able to confer tolerance to sodium and/or lithium stress upon overexpression. Qdr2 is a multidrug transporter of the major facilitator superfamily, originally described for its ability to transport the antimalarial drug quinidine and the herbicide barban. To identify its physiological substrate, we have screened for phenotypes dependent on QDR2 and found that Qdr2 is able to transport monovalent and divalent cations with poor selectivity, as shown by growth tests and the determination of internal cation content. Moreover, strains overexpressing or lacking QDR2 also exhibit phenotypes when reactive oxygen species- producing agents, such as hydrogen peroxide or menadione were added to the growth medium. We have also found that the presence of copper and hydrogen peroxide repress the expression of QDR2. In addition, the copper uptake of a qdr2 mutant strain is similar to a wild type, but the extrusion is clearly impaired. Based on our results, we propose that free divalent copper is the main physiological substrate of Qdr2. As copper is a substrate for several redox reactions that occur within the cytoplasm, its function in copper homeostasis explains its role in the oxidative stress response.This work was supported by grants PAID-06-10-1496 of the Universitat Politècnica de València (Valencia, Spain), PROMETEO/2010/038 of the ‘Consellería de Educación’ (Valencia, Spain), by grant BFU2011-30197-C03-03 and by grant BFU2011-22526 from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Madrid, Spain)

Dynamics of CaCdc10, a septin of Candida albicans, in living cells and during infection

The morphogenetic program in the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans , including the dimorphic transition, is an interesting field of study, not only because it is absent in the commonly used model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but because of the close relationship between hyphal development and virulence of C. albicans. We studied one of the most important aspects of fungal morphogenesis-the septin ring–in C. albicans. By using a fusion construct to green fluorescent protein (GFP), the subcellular localization and dynamics of C. albicans Cdc10 in the different morphologies that this fungus is able to adopt was identified. The localization features reached were contrasted and compared with the results obtained from Candida cells directly extracted from an animal infection model under environmental conditions as similar as possible to the physiological conditions encountered by C. albicans during host infection. [Int Microbiol 2004; 7(2):105–112

La formación docente en venezuela en el contexto de la consulta nacional por la calidad educativa: apuntes preliminares para el desarrollo de las políticas de formación docente.

Este artículo constituye un acercamiento al contexto educativo en el cual se produce el debate nacional sobre la Consulta Nacional por la Calidad Educativa en su fase culminante, a través de una mirada a la formación inicial de docentes para el subsistema de Educación Básica. Esta convocatoria realizada por el Ejecutivo del país por intermedio del Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Educación (MPPE) ocurre en un complejo clima político y social del país, sometido desde hace más de una década a las presiones políticas y económicas de fuerzas internas apuntaladas por el poder político y económico transnacional que amenazan seriamente la pervivencia del proceso revolucionario Bolivariano, y cuyo único propósito es revertir las conquistas políticas y sociales logradas en este tiempo de cambios en todos los órdenes. De allí que, a los efectos del presente escrito, se hará particular énfasis en el tema de la formación inicial de los docentes, en particular desde la mirada de la evolución de este proceso, reconocido actualmente como uno de los problemas recurrentes que, pese a diferentes iniciativas orientadas hacia el diseño de una política en esta dirección, sigue siendo una de las materias pendientes del actual proceso político venezolano

Endothelial Dysfunction and Advanced Glycation End Products in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Versus Established Diabetes: From the CORDIOPREV Study

Endothelial dysfunction and intima-media thickness of common carotid arteries (IMT-CC) are considered subclinical markers of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are increased in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients, compared with non-diabetics, being implicated in micro- and macrovascular complications. Our aim was to compare serum AGEs levels and subclinical atherosclerotic markers between patients with established and newly diagnosed T2DM. Among 540 patients with T2DM and coronary heart disease from the CORDIOPREV study, 350 patients had established T2DM and 190 patients had newly diagnosed T2DM. Serum levels of AGEs (methylglyoxal (MG) and N-carboxymethyl lysine (CML)) and subclinical atherosclerotic markers (brachial flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) and IMT-CC) were measured. AGEs levels (all p < 0.001) and IMT-CC (p = 0.025) were higher in patients with established vs. newly diagnosed T2DM, whereas FMD did not differ between the two groups. Patients with established T2DM and severe endothelial dysfunction (i.e., FMD < 2%) had higher serum MG levels, IMT-CC, HOMA-IR and fasting insulin levels than those with newly diagnosed T2DM and non-severe endothelial dysfunction (i.e., FMD ≥ 2%) (all p < 0.05). Serum CML levels were greater in patients with established vs. newly diagnosed T2DM, regardless of endothelial dysfunction severity. Serum AGEs levels and IMT-CC were significantly higher in patients with established vs. newly diagnosed T2DM, highlighting the progressively increased risk of ASCVD in the course of T2DM. Establishing therapeutic strategies to reduce AGEs production and delay the onset of cardiovascular complications in newly diagnosed T2DM patients or minimize ASCVD risk in established T2DM patients is needed

Demersal and epibenthic communities of sedimentary habitats in the Avilés Canyon System, Cantabrian Sea (NE Atlantic)

The aim of this study was to describe the epibenthic and demersal communities of the Avilés Canyon System (ACS) in relation to the environmental variables that characterize their biotope. ACS (Cantabrian Sea, NE Atlantic) was recently included in the Natura 2000 network as a Site of Community Importance (SCI). Data of faunal biomass derived from 6 surveys carried out using beam trawl and otter trawls in 2009 and 2010 within INDEMARES and ERDEM projects. Data were divided into two groups to obtain information about the two ecological compartments: benthic and demersal. The total number of species used in this analysis ascended to 116 in the case of benthic organisms and 110 in the case of demersal. Hierarchical clustering analysis was applied to obtain groups of samples similar in terms of species composition for the two ecological components. Depth was the main discriminating factor for grouping hauls, showing high consistency of bathymetric range independently from the compartment examined. Six groups were identified by depth as follows: medium shelf (∼100–200 m), external shelf (∼150–300m), shelf break (∼300–400 m), upper-slope (∼500–700 m), upper middle-slope (∼700–1100 m), and lower-middle-slope (1200–1500 m). SIMPER analysis on biomass values was performed to determine the structure of the faunal assemblages observed for each group in both compartments. Using biomass values for the analysis allowed for the exploration of groups playing important roles in ecosystem functioning and energy fluxes taking place on the sedimentary bottom of this SCI. Finally, CCA analysis revealed that the main environmental drivers were depth, broad scale bathymetric position index (BPI), near-bottom salinity, sedimentary type, and dynamics related variables (Q50 phy and So). This study gives an inventory of the soft bottom assemblages along a very wide depth range (100–1500 m) inside a SCI, linking both epibenthic and demersal communities with the biotope preferences. This study contributes to fundamental knowledge on soft-bottom communities as a pre-requisite, necessary for the next steps in terms of management framework in the SCI

Deep-sea benthic habitats modeling and mapping in a NE Atlantic seamount (Galicia Bank)

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Epibenthic communities of sedimentary habitats in a NE Atlantic deep seamount (Galicia Bank)

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Long-term effect of a dietary intervention with two-healthy dietary approaches on food intake and nutrient density in coronary patients: results from the CORDIOPREV trial

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of disease burden in the world by non-communicable diseases. Nutritional interventions promoting high-quality dietary patterns with low caloric intake value and high nutrient density (ND) could be linked to a better control of CVD risk and recurrence of coronary disease. This study aims to assess the effects of a dietary intervention based on MedDiet or Low-Fat dietary intervention over changes in ND and food intake after 1 and 7 years of follow-up of the CORDIOPREV study. Methods: We prospectively analyzed the results of the 802 coronary patients randomized to two healthy dietary patterns (MedDiet = 425, Low-Fat Diet = 377) who completed the 7 years of follow-up and had all the dietary data need. Dietary intake information obtained from a validated 137-item Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to calculate 1- and 7-year changes in dietary intake and ND (measured as nutrient intake per 1000 kcal). T test was used to ascertain differences in food intake and ND between groups across follow-up time. Within-subject (dietary allocation group) differences were analyzed with ANOVA repeated measures. Results: From baseline to 7 years of follow-up, significant increases of vegetables, fruits, and whole cereals within groups (p < 0.001) was found. We found a higher increase in dietary intake of certain food groups with MedDiet in comparison with Low-Fat Diet for vegetables (46.1 g/day vs. 18.1 g/day, p < 00.1), fruits (121.3 g/day vs. 72.9 g/day), legumes (4.3 g/day vs. 0.16 g/day) and nuts (7.3 g/day vs. − 3.7 g/day). There was a decrease in energy intake over time in both groups, slightly higher in Low-Fat Diet compared to MedDiet group (− 427.6 kcal/day vs. − 279.8 kcal/day at 1st year, and − 544.6 kcal/day vs. − 215.3 kcal/day after 7 years of follow-up). ND of all the nutrients increased within group across follow-up time, except for Saturated Fatty Acids (SFA), cholesterol and sodium (p < 0.001). Conclusions: A comprehensive dietary intervention improved quality of diet, reducing total energy intake and increasing the intake of healthy food groups and overall ND after 1 year and maintaining this trend after 7 years of follow-up. Our results reinforce the idea of the participation in trials, enhance nutrition literacy and produces better nutritional outcomes in adult patients with established CVD. Clinical trial registry: The trial was registered in 2009 at ClinicalTrials.gov (number NCT00924937)