Dietary Oil Source and Selenium Supplementation Modulate Fads2 and Elovl5 Transcriptional Levels in Liver and Brain of Meagre (Argyrosomus regius)

The meagre (Argyrosomus regius) is taking on increasing importance in the aquaculture industry. In view of the limited supply of fish oil (FO) as a feed ingredient, the study of the capacity to biosynthesize long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) from alternative dietary oil sources is important. We analyzed changes in fatty acid (FA) desaturase 2 (fads2) and FA elongase 5 (elovl5) mRNA levels in livers and brains in response to FO replacement with a blend of vegetable oils (VO) and selenium (Se) supplementation. Fish were fed for 60 days with either a diet containing FO or a diet including VO, each supplemented or not with organic Se. Results showed that fads2 and elovl5 transcription was higher in liver when fish were fed VO diets. The brain mRNA levels of both genes were not affected by the dietary replacement of FO by VO. FA composition in the liver and skeletal muscle was altered by FO replacement, particularly by decreasing eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid contents. The α-linolenic, linoleic, and arachidonic acid contents increased in both liver and brain of fish fed VO diets. The effect of Se supplementation on lipid metabolism was evident only in fish fed FO, showing a decrease in the transcription of hepatic fads2. Results indicate that the total replacement of FO by VO in diets modulates the expression of genes involved in LC-PUFA biosynthesis in meagre, affecting the FA profile of the fish flesh.Fil: Silva Brito, Francisca. Universidad de Porto; PortugalFil: Magnoni, Leonardo Julián. Universidad de Porto; Portugal. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Dr. Raúl Alfonsín" (sede Chascomús). Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Dr. Raúl Alfonsín" (sede Chascomús); ArgentinaFil: Fonseca, Sthelio Braga. Universidade Federal da Paraíba; Brasil. Universidade Federal de Campina Grande; BrasilFil: Peixoto, Maria João. Universidad de Porto; PortugalFil: Castro, L. Filipe C.. Universidad de Porto; PortugalFil: Cunha, Isabel. Universidad de Porto; PortugalFil: de Almeida Ozório, Rodrigo Otávio. Universidad de Porto; PortugalFil: Magalhães, Fernando Antunes. Universidad de Porto; PortugalFil: Magalhães Gonçalves, José Fernando. Universidad de Porto; Portuga

Illiterate to literate: Behavioural and cerebral changes induced by reading acquisition.

The acquisition of literacy transforms the human brain. By reviewing studies of illiterate subjects, we propose specific hypotheses concerning the core brain systems whose previous function is partially reoriented or “recycled” when learning to read. Literacy acquisition improves early visual processing and reorganizes the ventral occipito-temporal pathway: a left region increases its response to written characters, while responses to faces shift towards the right hemisphere. Literacy also modifies phonological coding and strengthens the functional and anatomic link between phonemic and graphemic representations. Literacy acquisition therefore provides a remarkable example of how the brain reorganizes to accommodate a novel cultural skill.SCOPUS: re.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Mitochondrial metabolism and cancer

International audienceGlycolysis has long been considered as the major metabolic process for energy production and anabolic growth in cancer cells. Although such a view has been instrumental for the development of powerful imaging tools that are still used in the clinics, it is now clear that mitochondria play a key role in oncogenesis. Besides exerting central bioen-ergetic functions, mitochondria provide indeed building blocks for tumor anabolism, control redox and calcium ho-meostasis, participate in transcriptional regulation, and govern cell death. Thus, mitochondria constitute promising targets for the development of novel anticancer agents. However, tumors arise, progress, and respond to therapy in the context of an intimate crosstalk with the host immune system, and many immunological functions rely on intact mitochondrial metabolism. Here, we review the cancer cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic mechanisms through which mitochondria influence all steps of oncogenesis, with a focus on the therapeutic potential of targeting mitochondrial metabolism for cancer therapy