RNA-seq Analysis of Host and Viral Gene Expression Highlights Interaction between Varicella Zoster Virus and Keratinocyte Differentiation

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is the etiological agent of chickenpox and shingles, diseases characterized by epidermal skin blistering. Using a calcium-induced keratinocyte differentiation model we investigated the interaction between epidermal differentiation and VZV infection. RNA-seq analysis showed that VZV infection has a profound effect on differentiating keratinocytes, altering the normal process of epidermal gene expression to generate a signature that resembles patterns of gene expression seen in both heritable and acquired skin-blistering disorders. Further investigation by real-time PCR, protein analysis and electron microscopy revealed that VZV specifically reduced expression of specific suprabasal cytokeratins and desmosomal proteins, leading to disruption of epidermal structure and function. These changes were accompanied by an upregulation of kallikreins and serine proteases. Taken together VZV infection promotes blistering and desquamation of the epidermis, both of which are necessary to the viral spread and pathogenesis. At the same time, analysis of the viral transcriptome provided evidence that VZV gene expression was significantly increased following calcium treatment of keratinocytes. Using reporter viruses and immunohistochemistry we confirmed that VZV gene and protein expression in skin is linked with cellular differentiation. These studies highlight the intimate host-pathogen interaction following VZV infection of skin and provide insight into the mechanisms by which VZV remodels the epidermal environment to promote its own replication and spread.MRC grant G0700814 (http://www.mrc.ac.uk/index.htm), Wellcome Trust grant 081703/B/06/Z (http://www.wellcome.ac.uk), and NIH grants NS064022 and EY08098 (http://www.nih.gov)

Interprofessional working in practice – educating for the future: The development of the Salford Collaborative Learning in Practice (CLIP) model

The project sought to introduce an interprofessional training programme for 3rd year pre-registration students across a range of professional groups. The programme was developed collaboratively with three National Health Service (NHS) sites. Practice education facilitators (PEFs), social work and voluntary sector equivalents and lecturers were involved in developing the content and pedagogic approach. The programme ran over a period of six weeks and was delivered on Trust premises each week to a range of 50 pre-registration 3rd year students from different professional disciplines: nursing (adult, child, mental health and learning disabilities), physiotherapy, podiatry and social work (although the social work students were studying at masters level – structural issues meant that it was not possible for BA social work students to participate on this occasion). Once the students had completed the programme, they were invited to participate in a focus group to obtain their views about the training. Each site has a dedicated PEF who participated in the development, delivery, and evaluation of the programme. From the 50 initially recruited, 23 students from the different professional groups volunteered to participate in the focus group. Four PEFs were involved in the development of the programme and participated in the study evaluation. A mixed methods exploratory case study using an action research approach was used to fully explore the development, impact and utility of the Interprofessional Learning Training Programme (ILTP). The research, predominantly qualitative in nature, sought to capture the students’ experiences of the ILTP and the PEFs’ experience of being involved in the ILTP

Estudo da conectividade entre o nervo occipital maior e estruturas adjacentes considerações anátomo-clínicas

A fim de oferecer substrato anatômico que contribua para a interpretação clínica da cefaléia de origem cervical, estudo macro-mesoscópico do nervo occipital maior e da sua região de emergência subcutânea foi realizado. Observamos que, ao longo de sua estratigrafia, esse nervo descreve ângulos e mudanças de direção, que podem representar pontos críticos na etiologia da dor occipital; na região de sua emergência subcutânea forma, com a artéria e a veia occipital, feixe vásculo-nervoso envolvido por bainha de tecido conjuntivo fibroso, a qual mantém relações de continuidade e contigüidade com epimísio e perimísio adjacentes. A partir dos resultados encontrados, fazemos considerações anátomo-clínicas

Central metabolism of species of the genus Rhodococcus

Metabolism of Rhodococcus has evolved for adapting to a wide range of nutritional conditions. This adaptation often involves the flexibility of the central metabolism, which usually provides energy and precursors for biosynthesis processes, either during growth or during non-replicative metabolically active periods. The pathways of central metabolism are almost identical across widely divergent organisms, which share essentially the same metabolic network. However, this network possesses species-specific components, which depends on the biology of rhodococci. The central metabolism of members of Rhodococcus genus in the context of their physiology is the main topic of this chapter. An overview of main pathways of the central metabolism and their link with other metabolic processes is given. Glycolytic pathways, gluconeogenesis, phosphoenolpyruvate-pyruvate-oxalacetate node, tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA), glyoxylate pathway and some litoautotrophic pathways are included.Fil: Hernández, Martín Alejandro. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco". Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia; ArgentinaFil: Alvarez, Hector Manuel. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco". Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia; ArgentinaFil: Lanfranconi, Mariana Patricia. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco". Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia; ArgentinaFil: Silva, Roxana Alejandra. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco". Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia; ArgentinaFil: Herrero, Marisa O.. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco". Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia; ArgentinaFil: Villalba, María Soledad. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco". Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia; Argentin