Impact of alcohol use disorder severity on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viral suppression and CD4 count in three international cohorts of people with HIV.

Alcohol use has been linked to worse human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) immunologic/virologic outcomes, yet few studies have explored the effects of alcohol use disorder (AUD). This study assessed whether AUD severity is associated with HIV viral suppression and CD4 count in the three cohorts of the Uganda Russia Boston Alcohol Network for Alcohol Research Collaboration on HIV/AIDS (URBAN ARCH) Consortium. People with HIV (PWH) in Uganda (n = 301), Russia (n = 400), and Boston (n = 251), selected in-part based on their alcohol use, were included in analyses. Logistic and linear regressions were used to assess the cross-sectional associations between AUD severity (number of DSM-5 diagnostic criteria) and (1) HIV viral suppression, and (2) CD4 count (cells/mm <sup>3</sup> ) adjusting for covariates. Analyses were conducted separately by site. The proportion of females was 51% (Uganda), 34% (Russia), and 33% (Boston); mean age (SD) was 40.7 (9.6), 38.6 (6.3), and 52.1 (10.5), respectively. All participants in Uganda and all but 27% in Russia and 5% in Boston were on antiretroviral therapy. In Uganda, 32% met criteria for AUD, 92% in Russia, and 43% in Boston. The mean (SD) number of AUD criteria was 1.6 (2.4) in Uganda, 5.6 (3.3) in Russia, and 2.4 (3.1) in Boston. Most participants had HIV viral suppression (Uganda 92%, Russia 57%, Boston 87%); median (IQR) CD4 count was 673 (506, 866), 351 (201, 542), and 591 (387, 881), respectively. In adjusted models, there were no associations between AUD severity and HIV viral suppression: adjusted odds ratios (AOR) (95%CI) per 1 additional AUD criterion in Uganda was 1.08 (0.87, 1.33); Russia 0.98 (0.92, 1.04); and Boston 0.95 (0.84, 1.08) or CD4 count: mean difference (95%CI) per 1 additional criterion: 5.78 (-7.47, 19.03), -3.23 (-10.91, 4.44), and -8.18 (-24.72, 8.35), respectively. In three cohorts of PWH, AUD severity was not associated with HIV viral suppression or CD4 count. PWH with AUD in the current era of antiretroviral therapy can achieve virologic control

Nitric oxide sensing in plants is mediated by proteolytic control of group VII ERF transcription factors

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signaling compound in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In plants, NO regulates critical developmental transitions and stress responses. Here, we identify a mechanism for NO sensing that coordinates responses throughout development based on targeted degradation of plant-specific transcriptional regulators, the group VII ethylene response factors (ERFs). We show that the N-end rule pathway of targeted proteolysis targets these proteins for destruction in the presence of NO, and we establish them as critical regulators of diverse NO-regulated processes, including seed germination, stomatal closure, and hypocotyl elongation. Furthermore, we define the molecular mechanism for NO control of germination and crosstalk with abscisic acid (ABA) signaling through ERF-regulated expression of ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE5 (ABI5). Our work demonstrates how NO sensing is integrated across multiple physiological processes by direct modulation of transcription factor stability and identifies group VII ERFs as central hubs for the perception of gaseous signals in plants

ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТЬ КРОСС-ПРОТЕКТИВНОЙ РЕКОМБИНАНТНОЙ ПРОТИВОГРИППОЗНОЙ ВАКЦИНЫ, ВКЛЮЧАЮЩЕЙ КОНСЕРВАТИВНЫЕ ЭПИТОПЫ ВИРУСНЫХ БЕЛКОВ М2 И ГЕМАГГЛЮТИНИНА

The influenza virus is the most unique in the level of variability of antigenic and biological properties. Because of constant mutations into genes coding surface viral proteins, in modern vaccines it is necessary to replace 1–2 virus components annually. Traditional influenza vaccines are the strain – specific and have limited efficiency in prevention of new strains of influenza viruses. In this regard, creation of influenza vaccines based on conserved determinants of viral proteins with broad spectrum protection and the short period of production is one of priority tasks which decision will lead to real control of an influenza infection. A current trend in the design of universal flu vaccines is the construction of recombinant proteins based the combination of conserved viral proteins or peptides. The goals of this study: to develop the candidate recombinant flu vaccine based on the two conserved influenza proteins (М2 and НА); to investigate immune response; and to measure the protection activity in an animal model. Results: In this study we investigated the humoral and T-cell response in mice after intranasal immunization with recombinant proteins (Flg-4M2ehs and Flg-HA2-2-4M2ehs). Both proteins induce a robust M2e-specific humoral and CD4+ T-cell response in mice lung. The recombinant protein with two target antigens (M2e and HA2) induces virusspecific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell response and full protection (100% survival) of mice from lethal challenge human and avian influenza viruses A (A/H3N2, A/H2N2, A/H5N1). In mice immunized with Flg-4M2ehs, the survival after lethal challenge was 60–75%. Conclusion: Our results show an essential role of a conserved fragment of the HA2 in the formation of protective T-cell response and protection of mice from lethal challenge with influenza viruses A of various subtypes. The prospects of the development of vaccine formulation based on two conserved antigenic determinants of influenza virus A are shown.Вирус гриппа является наиболее уникальным по уровню изменчивости антигенных и биологических свойств. Из-за постоянных мутаций в генах, кодирующих поверхностные белки вируса, в существующих «сезонных» вакцинах приходится ежегодно заменять 1–2 вирусных компонента. Кроме того, традиционные вакцины являются штамм-специфическими и обладают ограниченной эффективностью в предотвращении заболеваний, вызванных новыми штаммами вирусов гриппа. В связи с этим создание противогриппозных вакцин на основе консервативных детерминант вирусных белков с широким спектром защиты и коротким периодом производства является одной из приоритетных задач, решение которой приведет к реальному контролю гриппозной инфекции. Перспективной тенденцией в создании универсальных гриппозных вакцин является конструирование рекомбинантных белков на основе комбинации консервативных вирусных белков или пептидов. Цель: разработка кандидатной рекомбинантной гриппозной вакцины на основе двух консервативных белков вируса гриппа А (М2 и НА) и оценка ее иммуногенности и защитного эффекта на животной модели. Результаты: исследовали гуморальный и Т-клеточный ответ у мышей (Balb/c) после интраназальной иммунизации рекомбинантными белками (Flg4M2ehs и Flg-HA2-2-4M2ehs). Оба белка стимулировали формирование выраженного М2е-специфического гуморального и CD4+ Т-клеточного ответа в легких мышей. Рекомбинантный белок с двумя таргетными антигенами (М2е и полипептид 76–130 второй субъединицы гемагглютинина) стимулирует формирование вирус-специфического Т-клеточного ответа и полную защиту (100% выживаемость) мышей от летального заражения вирусами гриппа А человека и птиц (A/H3N2, A/H2N2, A/H5N1). У мышей, иммунизированных рекомбинантным белком с одним таргетным антигеном (Flg4M2ehs), выживаемость после летального заражения составила 60–75%. Заключение: полученные результаты демонстрируют существенную роль консервативного фрагмента второй субъединицы гемагглютинина в формировании протективного Т-клеточного иммунитета и защите мышей от летального заражения вирусами гриппа А различных субтипов. Показана перспективность разработки вакцинного препарата на основе двух консервативных антигенных детерминант вирусов гриппа А.

Dissecting the interaction of photosynthetic electron transfer with mitochondrial signalling and hypoxic response in the Arabidopsis rcd1 mutant

The Arabidopsis mutant rcd1 is tolerant to methyl viologen (MV). MV enhances the Mehler reaction, i.e. electron transfer from Photosystem I (PSI) to O-2, generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the chloroplast. To study the MV tolerance of rcd1, we first addressed chloroplast thiol redox enzymes potentially implicated in ROS scavenging. NADPH-thioredoxin oxidoreductase type C (NTRC) was more reduced in rcd1. NTRC contributed to the photosynthetic and metabolic phenotypes of rcd1, but did not determine its MV tolerance. We next tested rcd1 for alterations in the Mehler reaction. In rcd1, but not in the wild type, the PSI-to-MV electron transfer was abolished by hypoxic atmosphere. A characteristic feature of rcd1 is constitutive expression of mitochondrial dysfunction stimulon (MDS) genes that affect mitochondrial respiration. Similarly to rcd1, in other MDS-overexpressing plants hypoxia also inhibited the PSI-to-MV electron transfer. One possible explanation is that the MDS gene products may affect the Mehler reaction by altering the availability of O-2. In green tissues, this putative effect is masked by photosynthetic O-2 evolution. However, O-2 evolution was rapidly suppressed in MV-treated plants. Transcriptomic meta-analysis indicated that MDS gene expression is linked to hypoxic response not only under MV, but also in standard growth conditions.This article is part of the theme issue 'Retrograde signalling from endosymbiotic organelles'

Разработка лабораторных моделей in vitro иммунного микроокружения опухоли для оценки параметров качества и специфической эффективности дендритно-клеточной вакцины

Purpose of the study: development of in vitro laboratory models to evaluate quality parameters and specific efficacy of dendritic cell vaccine (DCV).Material and Methods. Biological samples of malignant tumor patients treated with autologous dendritic cell vaccine (DC) were included into the study. Immature DCs (n=46) and mature DCs (n=56) were used to induce proliferation of antigen-specific T lymphocytes (n=227). Autologous tumor cells from skin melanoma (n=10) or sarcoma (n=8) patients in the xCELLigence® assay system were used to study the in vitro antitumor cytotoxic activity of generated CTLs (n=18). The secretion of cytokines and cytolytic proteins was studied by multiplex analysis. The subpopulation composition of effector T-lymphocytes was determined by flow cytometry.Results. We revealed that mature DCs (CD83+CD1a-) had a high expression of antigen presenting molecules (HLA-DR) and those providing migration of DCs into lymph nodes (CCR7) as well as costimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86 as compared to immature DCs (CD83-CD1a+). Induction of mature DCs was found to stimulate an increase in the relative content of proliferating T cells compared with stimulation of immature DCs (p<0.001) and specific PTA+ tumor lysate (p<0.001). When studying cytotoxic activity of effector T-lymphocytes, we developed 2D in vitro models using xCELLigence® analytical system and revealed 2 types of interaction: 1) in vitro model № 1 – decrease in cell index (CI) of autologous tumor cell culture in the presence of activated effector T lymphocytes; 2) in vitro model № 2 – no change in CI of autologous tumor cell culture when co-cultured with activated effector T cells compared to control (72 h observation). The results demonstrated cytotoxic activity of antigen-specific T lymphocytes due to high content of terminally differentiated cytotoxic T lymphocytes (TEMRA), GrB-producing CTLs, and cytokine secretion profile.Conclusion. Requirements for the quality of personalized autologous DCs, including control of immunophenotypic characteristics were developed, and functional activity of Tlymphocytes during induction of mature vaccine DCs was evaluated. A laboratory procedure was developed for quantitative assessment of cytotoxic activity of antigen-specific T-lymphocytes against autologous tumor using the xCELLigence® analytical system, thus allowing for personalized monitoring and predicting the effectiveness of DСV treatment.Цель исследования ‒ разработка in vitro лабораторных моделей для оценки параметров качества и специфической эффективности дендритно-клеточной вакцины (ДКВ).Материал и методы. В исследование включены биологические образцы больных злокачественными новообразованиями, получавших вакцинотерапию на основе аутологичных дендритных клеток (ДК). Для индукции пролиферации антигенспецифических Т-лимфоцитов (n=227) использовали незрелые ДК (n=46) и зрелые ДК (n=56). Для изучения противоопухолевой цитотоксической активности in vitro генерированных ЦТЛ (n=18) использовали аутологичные опухолевые клетки меланомы кожи (n=10) или сарком (n=8) пациентов в аналитической системе xCELLigence®. Секрецию цитокинов и цитолитических белков изучали методом мультиплексного анализа, субпопуляционный состав эффекторных Т-лимфоцитов определяли методом проточной цитометрии.Результаты. В работе показано, что зрелые ДК (CD83+CD1a-) отличаются высокой экспрессией молекул, презентирующих антиген (HLA-DR) и обеспечивающих миграцию ДК в лимфатические узлы (CCR7), а также костимулирующих молекул CD80 и CD86, по сравнению с незрелыми ДК (CD83-CD1a+). Установлено, что индукция зрелыми ДК стимулирует рост относительного содержания пролиферирующих Т-клеток по сравнению со стимуляцией незрелыми ДК (р<0,001) и специфическим РТА+ опухолевым лизатом (р<0,001). При изучении цитотоксической активности эффекторных Т-лимфоцитов разработана 2D in vitro модель с использованием аналитической системы xCELLigence® и выявлено 2 типа взаимодействия: 1) лабораторная модель № 1 – снижение клеточного индекса (CI) культуры клеток аутологичной опухоли в присутствии активированных эффекторных Т-лимфоцитов; 2) лабораторная модель № 2 – отсутствие изменений CI культуры клеток аутологичной опухоли при ее кокультивировании с активированными эффекторными Т-клетками по сравнению с контролем (72 ч наблюдения). Результаты демонстрируют цитотоксическую активность антиген-специфических Т-лимфоцитов, что обусловлено высоким содержанием терминальнодифференцированных цитотоксических Т-лимфоцитов (TEMRA), ЦТЛ, продуцирующих GrB, и профилем секреции цитокинов.Заключение. Разработаны требования к качеству персонализированной аутологичной ДКВ, включающие контроль иммунофенотипических характеристик, проведена оценка функциональной активности Т-лимфоцитов при индукции зрелыми вакцинными ДК. Разработан лабораторный регламент количественной оценки цитотоксической активности антиген-специфических Т-лимфоцитов в отношении аутологичной опухоли с использованием аналитической системы xCELLigence®, что позволит проводить персонализированный мониторинг и может прогнозировать эффективность проводимого лечения ДКВ

Responses of zostera marina and cymodocea nodosa to light-limitation stress

The effects of light-limitation stress were investigated in natural stands of the seagrasses Zostera marina and Cymodocea nodosa in Ria Formosa coastal lagoon, southern Portugal. Three levels of light attenuation were imposed for 3 weeks in two adjacent meadows (2–3 m depth), each dominated by one species. The response of photosynthesis to light was determined with oxygen electrodes. Chlorophylls and carotenoids were determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Soluble protein, carbohydrates, malondialdehyde and phenol contents were also analysed. Both species showed evident signs of photoacclimation. Their maximum photosynthetic rates were significantly reduced with shading. Ratios between specific light harvesting carotenoids and the epoxidation state of xanthophyll cycle carotenoids revealed significantly higher light harvesting efficiency of C. nodosa, a competitive advantage in a low light environment. The contents of both soluble sugars and starch were considerably lower in Z. marina plants, particularly in the rhizomes, decreasing even further with shading. The different carbohydrate energy storage strategies found between the two species clearly favour C. nodosa's resilience to light deprivation, a condition enhanced by its intrinsic arrangement of the pigment pool. On the other hand, Z. marina revealed a lower tolerance to light reduction, mostly due to a less plastic arrangement of the pigment pool and lower carbohydrate storage. Our findings indicate that Z. marina is close to a light-mediated ecophysiological threshold in Ria Formosa

Genome sequencing and population genomic analyses provide insights into the adaptive landscape of silver birch

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HDL Proteome in Hemodialysis Patients: A Quantitative Nanoflow Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Approach

Aside from a decrease in the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, qualitative abnormalities of HDL can contribute to an increase in cardiovascular (CV) risk in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis (HD). Dysfunctional HDL leads to an alteration of reverse cholesterol transport and the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of HDL. In this study, a quantitative proteomics approach, based on iTRAQ labeling and nanoflow liquid chromatography mass spectrometry analysis, was used to generate detailed data on HDL-associated proteins. The HDL composition was compared between seven chronic HD patients and a pool of seven healthy controls. To confirm the proteomics results, specific biochemical assays were then performed in triplicate in the 14 samples as well as 46 sex-matched independent chronic HD patients and healthy volunteers. Of the 122 proteins identified in the HDL fraction, 40 were differentially expressed between the healthy volunteers and the HD patients. These proteins are involved in many HDL functions, including lipid metabolism, the acute inflammatory response, complement activation, the regulation of lipoprotein oxidation, and metal cation homeostasis. Among the identified proteins, apolipoprotein C-II and apolipoprotein C-III were significantly increased in the HDL fraction of HD patients whereas serotransferrin was decreased. In this study, we identified new markers of potential relevance to the pathways linked to HDL dysfunction in HD. Proteomic analysis of the HDL fraction provides an efficient method to identify new and uncharacterized candidate biomarkers of CV risk in HD patients

Anhydrobiosis-Associated Nuclear DNA Damage and Repair in the Sleeping Chironomid: Linkage with Radioresistance

Anhydrobiotic chironomid larvae can withstand prolonged complete desiccation as well as other external stresses including ionizing radiation. To understand the cross-tolerance mechanism, we have analyzed the structural changes in the nuclear DNA using transmission electron microscopy and DNA comet assays in relation to anhydrobiosis and radiation. We found that dehydration causes alterations in chromatin structure and a severe fragmentation of nuclear DNA in the cells of the larvae despite successful anhydrobiosis. Furthermore, while the larvae had restored physiological activity within an hour following rehydration, nuclear DNA restoration typically took 72 to 96 h. The DNA fragmentation level and the recovery of DNA integrity in the rehydrated larvae after anhydrobiosis were similar to those of hydrated larvae irradiated with 70 Gy of high-linear energy transfer (LET) ions (4He). In contrast, low-LET radiation (gamma-rays) of the same dose caused less initial damage to the larvae, and DNA was completely repaired within within 24 h. The expression of genes encoding the DNA repair enzymes occurred upon entering anhydrobiosis and exposure to high- and low-LET radiations, indicative of DNA damage that includes double-strand breaks and their subsequent repair. The expression of antioxidant enzymes-coding genes was also elevated in the anhydrobiotic and the gamma-ray-irradiated larvae that probably functions to reduce the negative effect of reactive oxygen species upon exposure to these stresses. Indeed the mature antioxidant proteins accumulated in the dry larvae and the total activity of antioxidants increased by a 3–4 fold in association with anhydrobiosis. We conclude that one of the factors explaining the relationship between radioresistance and the ability to undergo anhydrobiosis in the sleeping chironomid could be an adaptation to desiccation-inflicted nuclear DNA damage. There were also similarities in the molecular response of the larvae to damage caused by desiccation and ionizing radiation