New Insights Into Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) FatA and FatB Thioesterases, Their Regulation, Structure and Distribution

Sunflower seeds (Helianthus annuus L.) accumulate large quantities of triacylglycerols (TAG) between 12 and 28 days after flowering (DAF). This is the period of maximal acyl-acyl carrier protein (acyl-ACP) thioesterase activity in vitro, the enzymes that terminate the process of de novo fatty acid synthesis by catalyzing the hydrolysis of the acyl-ACPs synthesized by fatty acid synthase. Fatty acid thioesterases can be classified into two families with distinct substrate specificities, namely FatA and FatB. Here, some new aspects of these enzymes have been studied, assessing how both enzymes contribute to the acyl composition of sunflower oil, not least through the changes in their expression during the process of seed filling. Moreover, the binding pockets of these enzymes were modeled based on new data from plant thioesterases, revealing important differences in their volume and geometry. Finally, the subcellular location of the two enzymes was evaluated and while both possess an N-terminal plastid transit peptide, only in FatB contains a hydrophobic sequence that could potentially serve as a transmembrane domain. Indeed, using in vivo imaging and organelle fractionation, H. annuus thioesterases, HaFatA and HaFatB, appear to be differentially localized in the plastid stroma and membrane envelope, respectively. The divergent roles fulfilled by HaFatA and HaFatB in oil biosynthesis are discussed in the light of our data.España MINECO y FEDER Projects AGL2014- 53537-R y AGL2017-83449-

Neurorrestauración tras la isquemia cerebral: papel de los neurotransmisores en la neurogénesis postisquémica

Introduction. Brain ischemia and reperfusion produce alterations in the microenvironment of the parenchyma, including ATP depletion, ionic homeostasis alterations, inflammation, release of multiple cytokines and abnormal release of neurotransmitters. As a consequence, the induction of proliferation and migration of neural stem cells towards the peri-infarct region occurs. Development. The success of new neurorestorative treatments for damaged brain implies the need to know, with greater accuracy, the mechanisms in charge of regulating adult neurogenesis, both under physiological and pathological conditions. Recent evidence demonstrates that many neurotransmitters, glutamate in particular, control the subventricular zone, thus being part of the complex signalling network that influences the production of new neurons. Conclusion. Neurotransmitters provide a link between brain activity and subventricular zone neurogenesis. Therefore, a deeper knowledge of the role of neurotransmitters systems, such as glutamate and its transporters, in adult neurogenesis, may provide a valuable tool to be used as a neurorestorative therapy in this pathology.Peer Reviewe

Caracterización, mediante espectroscopia EPR, de los catalizadores quirales bis (Oxazolina)-Cu soportados en Laponitas

[EN] An Electron Paramagnetic Resonance study of a chiral Bis(oxazoline)-Cu(II) supported in laponite (synthetic hectorite) is presented. It is concluded that the complex is incorporated into the interllamellar space of the clay giving out isolated Cu(II) entities in which the metal is co-ordinated to oxygen or nitrogen atoms with a symmetry practically planar-square, regardless the solvent used. That point out that the chlorine ligands in the complex are exchanged in the incorporation process in agreement with the previous X-ray absorption spectroscopy data, so that the oxygen atoms of the interlayers and clay surface act as counterions.[ES] Se presenta un estudio mediante Resonancia Paramagnética Electrónica del complejo quiral Bis(oxazolina)-Cu(II) soportado en laponita (hectorita sintética) (libre de hierro. Del mismo se concluye que el complejo se incorpora en el espacio interlamelar de la arcilla dando lugar a entidades de Cu(II) aisladas en las cuales el metal se coordina a átomos de oxígenos y nitrógenos con una simetría prácticamente planocuadrada, independientemente del disolvente empleado. Ello indica, de acuerdo con los datos previos de espectroscopia de absorción de rayos-X, que los ligandos cloruro del complejo son intercambiados en el proceso de incorporación de forma que los oxígenos de la superficie interlaminar y externa de la arcilla actúan como contraiones.This work has been partially supported by the CICYT (project MAT99-1176).Peer reviewe

Functional Characterization of Lysophosphatidylcholine: Acyl-CoA Acyltransferase Genes From Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

Lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase (LPCAT, EC 2.3.1.23) is an evolutionarily conserved key enzyme in the Lands cycle that catalyzes acylation of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) to produce phosphatidylcholine (PC), the main phospholipid in cellular membranes. In this study, three LPCAT genes from sunflower were identified and the corresponding proteins characterized. These HaLPCAT genes encoded functionally active enzymes that were able to complement a deficient yeast mutant. Moreover, enzymatic assays were carried out using microsomal preparations of the yeast cells. When acyl specificities were measured in the forward reaction, these enzymes exhibited a substrate preference for unsaturated acyl-CoAs, especially for linolenoyl-CoA, while in the reverse reaction, linoleoyl or linolenoyl acyl groups were transferred from PC to acyl-CoA to a similar extent. Expression levels of LPCAT genes were studied revealing distinct tissue-specific expression patterns. In summary, this study suggests that the combined forward and reverse reactions catalyzed by sunflower LPCATs facilitate acyl-exchange between the sn-2 position of PC and the acyl-CoA pool. Sunflower LPCATs displayed different characteristics, which could point to different functionalities, favoring the enrichment of seed triacylglycerols (TAGs) with polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)España, AEI and FEDER Project AGL2017- 83449-R. R

Del extractivismo cultural y lingüístico a la revitalización de las lenguas

Son bastante conocidos los efectos destructores de la conquista y la colonización de América sobre centenares de lenguas originarias en América Latina. Además, también se ha investigado acerca de la continuidad del proceso glotofágico bajo el dominio de las élites criollas, después de la Independencia. Durante el siglo XX, el indigenismo no cambió sustancialmente las relaciones interculturales (políticas, económicas y sociales) entre las culturas dominantes hispanófonas y las culturas minorizadas, aun cuando acumulara e hiciera uso de la simbología de las producciones precolombinas como seña de identidad nacional, de modo muy notorio en México. Sin embargo, las últimas décadas del siglo XX y los inicios del siglo XXI, a causa del neoliberalismo y la globalización, han multiplicado las amenazas sobre las culturas y las lenguas supervivientes, en la medida que se ha pretendido aniquilar el entorno medioambiental, los ecosistemas locales y el mundo vital, que podríamos categorizar como territorio indígena. El proyecto Ndatiaku Tu’un Savi es solo uno de los muchos gérmenes que pretenden revitalizar y revalorizar el conocimiento y el uso de las lenguas originarias, por medio de las redes sociales, entre sus propios hablantes, a la vez que confrontan las estrategias meramente forenses de la lingüístic

NKG2D-CAR-transduced natural killer cells efficiently target multiple myeloma

CAR-T-cell therapy against MM currently shows promising results, but usually with serious toxicities. CAR-NK cells may exert less toxicity when redirected against resistant myeloma cells. CARs can be designed through the use of receptors, such as NKG2D, which recognizes a wide range of ligands to provide broad target specificity. Here, we test this approach by analyzing the antitumor activity of activated and expanded NK cells (NKAE) and CD45RA− T cells from MM patients that were engineered to express an NKG2D-based CAR. NKAE cells were cultured with irradiated Clone9.mbIL21 cells. Then, cells were transduced with an NKG2D-4-1BB-CD3z-CAR. CAR-NKAE cells exhibited no evidence of genetic abnormalities. Although memory T cells were more stably transduced, CAR-NKAE cells exhibited greater in vitro cytotoxicity against MM cells, while showing minimal activity against healthy cells. In vivo, CAR-NKAE cells mediated highly efficient abrogation of MM growth, and 25% of the treated mice remained disease free. Overall, these results demonstrate that it is feasible to modify autologous NKAE cells from MM patients to safely express a NKG2D-CAR. Additionally, autologous CAR-NKAE cells display enhanced antimyeloma activity demonstrating that they could be an effective strategy against MM supporting the development of NKG2D-CAR-NK-cell therapy for MM.This study was supported by a grant from the Spanish Society for Hematology and Hemotherapy to Alejandra Leivas, the CRIS Foundation to Beat Cancer and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI18/01519)

Fusion of 8He with 206Pb around Coulomb barrier energies

The experimental study of the fusion of light neutron-rich nucleus 8He with 206Pb is reported in this work. A fusion stack of 206Pb targets has been used for this study. The most prominent evaporation residue (210Po), which has half-life of 138 days and decays by alpha emission, is populated in the reaction. Radiochemical analysis technique is used to extract the yield of this evaporation residue.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovavión FPA2007-63074European Union 21269

Scattering of 8He on 208Pb at Energies Around the Coulomb Barrier

We have measured the angular distributions of elastic scattering and 6,4He fragments produced in the collisions of an exotic beam of 8He on a 208Pb target at laboratory energies of 18 and 22 MeV, just around the Coulomb barrier (19 MeV). The measurements were performed at the SPIRAL/GANIL facility in Caen, France. In this paper, we present preliminary data on elastic cross sections and discuss the results using optical model and coupled reaction channel calculations.Spanish Research Council FPA-2010-22131-C02-01Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Poland No. N202 03363

Physical fitness reference standards for preschool children: the PREFIT project

Objectives: Reference values are necessary for classifying children, for health screening, and for early prevention as many non-communicable diseases aggravate during growth and development. While physical fitness reference standards are available in children aged 6 and older, such information is lacking in preschool children. Therefore, the purposes of this study were (1) to provide sex-and age-specific physical fitness reference standards for Spanish preschool children; and (2) to study sex differences across this age period and to characterise fitness performance throughout the preschool period. Design: Cross-sectional. Methods: A total of 3179 preschool children (1678 boys) aged 2.8–6.4 years old from Spain were included in the present study. Physical fitness was measured using the PREFIT battery. Results: Age- and sex-specific percentiles for the physical fitness components are provided. Boys performed better than girls in the cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, and speed-agility tests over the whole preschool period studied and for the different percentiles. In contrast, girls performed slightly better than boys in the balance test. Older children had better performance in all fitness tests than their younger counterparts. Conclusions: Our study provides age- and sex-specific physical fitness reference standards in preschool children allowing interpretation of fitness assessment. Sexual dimorphism in fitness tests exists already at preschool age, and these differences become larger with age. These findings will help health, sport, and school professionals to identify preschool children with a high/very low fitness level, to examine changes in fitness over time, and to analyse those changes obtained due to intervention effects.The PREFIT project takes place thanks to the funding linked to the Ramón y Cajal grant held by FBO (RYC-2011-09011). CC-S is supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (BES-2014-068829). JRR and FBO are supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (RYC-2010-05957 and RYC-2011-09011, respectively). In addition, this study was further supported by the University of Granada, Plan Propio de Investigación 2016, Excellence actions: Units of Excellence; Unit of Excellence on Exercise and Health (UCEES). Additional funding from the SAMID III network, RETICS, funded by the PNI+D+I 2017-2021 (Spain), ISCIII- Sub-Directorate General for Research Assessment and Promotion, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (Ref. RD16/0022), the EXERNET Research Network on Exercise and Health in Special Populations (DEP2005-00046/ACTI), the University of the Basque Country (GIU14/21), and the University of Zaragoza (JIUZ-2014-BIO-08)

Precise measurement of near-barrier He 8 + Pb 208 elastic scattering: Comparison with He 6

et al.Dramatic differences in the elastic scattering of the neutron rich nuclei He6 and He8 are found when new high quality data for the He8+Pb208 system are compared with previously published He6+Pb208 data at the same laboratory frame incident energy. The new He8 data are of the same level of detail as for stable beams. When comparing them with those previously obtained for He6+Pb208 at the same energy, it is possible to determine from the data alone that He6 has a much longer range absorption than He8. However, both nuclei show significant absorption beyond their strong absorption radii. While it has been known for a long time that elastic scattering at energies around the barrier only determines the optical potential over a small distance in radial space, typically ±0.5 fm or so, both the He6 and the He8 imaginary potentials obtained from various optical model fits to these data are the same over a much wider range of ±1.5 fm. ©2016 American Physical SocietyThis work was supported in part by Grant No. FPA2010-22131- C02-01 (FINURA) and Grant No. FPA2013-47327-C2-1-R from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, UNAM-PAPIIT IA101616 (Mexico), Grant No. N202 033637 from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Poland, and Contract No. EUI2009-04163 (EUROGENESIS) from the European Science Foundation.Peer Reviewe