Dynamic phosphorylation of Histone Deacetylase 1 by Aurora kinases during mitosis regulates zebrafish embryos development

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) catalyze the removal of acetyl molecules from histone and nonhistone substrates playing important roles in chromatin remodeling and control of gene expression. Class I HDAC1 is a critical regulator of cell cycle progression, cellular proliferation and differentiation during development; it is also regulated by many post-translational modifications (PTMs). Herein we characterize a new mitosis-specific phosphorylation of HDAC1 driven by Aurora kinases A and B. We show that this phosphorylation affects HDAC1 enzymatic activity and it is critical for the maintenance of a proper proliferative and developmental plan in a complex organism. Notably, we find that Aurora-dependent phosphorylation of HDAC1 regulates histone acetylation by modulating the expression of genes directly involved in the developing zebrafish central nervous system. Our data represent a step towards the comprehension of HDAC1 regulation by its PTM code, with important implications in unravelling its roles both in physiology and pathology

Impaired Phagocytosis in Localized Aggressive Periodontitis: Rescue by Resolvin E1

Resolution of inflammation is an active temporally orchestrated process demonstrated by the biosynthesis of novel proresolving mediators. Dysregulation of resolution pathways may underlie prevalent human inflammatory diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and periodontitis. Localized Aggressive Periodontitis (LAP) is an early onset, rapidly progressing form of inflammatory periodontal disease. Here, we report increased surface P-selectin on circulating LAP platelets, and elevated integrin (CD18) surface expression on neutrophils and monocytes compared to healthy, asymptomatic controls. Significantly more platelet-neutrophil and platelet-monocyte aggregates were identified in circulating whole blood of LAP patients compared with asymptomatic controls. LAP whole blood generates increased pro-inflammatory LTB4 with addition of divalent cation ionophore A23187 (5 µM) and significantly less, 15-HETE, 12-HETE, 14-HDHA, and lipoxin A4. Macrophages from LAP subjects exhibit reduced phagocytosis. The pro-resolving lipid mediator, Resolvin E1 (0.1–100 nM), rescues the impaired phagocytic activity in LAP macrophages. These abnormalities suggest compromised resolution pathways, which may contribute to persistent inflammation resulting in establishment of a chronic inflammatory lesion and periodontal disease progression

Subcutaneous cladribine to treat multiple sclerosis : experience in 208 patients

Objective: To report on safety and effectiveness of subcutaneous cladribine (Litak®) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Methods: Litak® was offered to MS-patients irrespective of disease course. Litak® 10 mg was administered for 3–4 days during week 1. Based on lymphocyte count at week 4, patients received another 0–3 doses at week 5. A second course was administered 11 months later. Follow-up included adverse events, relapses, expanded disability status scale (EDSS), 9-hole-peg and Timed-25-foot-walking tests, no-evidence-of-disease-activity (NEDA), no-evidence-of-progression-or-active-disease (NEPAD), MRI, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) neurofilament light chain (NfL), and lymphocyte counts. Results: In all, 208 patients received at least one course of treatment. Age at baseline was 44 (17–72) years and EDSS 0–8.5. Cladribine was generally well tolerated. One myocardial infarction, one breast cancer, and three severe skin reactions occurred without long-term sequelae. Two patients died (one pneumonia, one encephalitis). Lymphopenia grade 3 occurred in 5% and grade 4 in 0.5%. In 94 out of 116 pwMS with baseline and follow-up (BaFU) data after two treatment courses, EDSS remained stable or improved. At 18 months, 64% of patients with relapsing MS and BaFU data (n = 39) had NEDA. At 19 months, 62% of patients with progressive MS and BaFU data (n = 13) had NEPAD. Of n = 13 patients whose CSF-NfL at baseline was elevated, 77% were normalised within 12 months. Conclusions: Litak® was well tolerated. Effectiveness in relapsing MS appeared similar to cladribine tablets and was encouraging in progressive MS. Our data suggest cladribine may be safe and effective in MS-patients irrespective of their disease stage

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1.

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field

Impulse and time persistence of disaggregate welfare expenditure on growth in the EU

n a post-industrial and globalised world, assessing the impact of Welfare State Expenditure (WSE) on economic growth has become an issue of growing interest. The debate is still open in the literature, as no consensus has currently been achieved. We argue that disaggregating WSE, the positive/negative performance dichotomy of welfare policies may be overcome. Departing from this intuition, we apply PVAR techniques in order to investigate the endogenous interactions between economic growth (proxied by GDP) and WSE, measured as single social expenditure items, using data gathered from the European System of Integrated Social Protection Statistics. Our results confirm both the positive and the negative impact of WSE on growth. Moreover, we show the existence of the different impulse responses and time persistence patterns for disaggregated WSE items. Our results imply that further research should take into account the composition of WSE in addition to its extent

CFTR ABLATION BY CRISPR/CAS9 IMPAIRS THE PRODUCTION OF PRO-RESOLVING LIPID MEDIATORS BY HUMAN AIRWAY EPITHELIAL CELLS

Meeting Abstract 97 - 34th Annual North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference, October 7–23, 202

Hematopoietic mobilization

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the mobilization from the bone marrow and the functional relevance of the increased number of circulating hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) induced by the anti-α-4 integrin antibody natalizumab in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS: We evaluated CD45(low)CD34+ HSPC frequency by flow cytometry in blood from 45 natalizumab-treated patients (12 of whom were prospectively followed during the first year of treatment as part of a pilot cohort and 16 prospectively followed for validation), 10 untreated patients with MS, and 24 healthy donors. In the natalizumab-treated group, we also assessed sorted HSPC cell cycle status, T- and B-lymphocyte subpopulation frequencies (n = 29), and HSPC differentiation potential (n = 10). RESULTS: Natalizumab-induced circulating HSPC were predominantly quiescent, suggesting recent mobilization from the bone marrow, and were capable of differentiating ex vivo. Circulating HSPC numbers were significantly increased during natalizumab, but heterogeneously, allowing the stratification of mobilizer and nonmobilizer subgroups. Nonmobilizer status was associated with persistence of disease activity during treatment. The frequency of B cells and CD103+CD8+ regulatory T cells persistently increased, more significantly in mobilizer patients, who also showed a specific naive/memory B-cell profile. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that natalizumab-induced circulating HSPC increase is the result of true mobilization from the bone marrow and has clinical and immunologic relevance. HSPC mobilization, associated with clinical remission and increased proportion of circulating B and regulatory T cells, may contribute to the treatment's mode of action; thus, HSPC blood counts could represent an early biomarker of responsiveness to natalizumab

Economic patterns of sustainable development: an analysis of absolute ecological footprint through self-organizing map

Knowledge economy, Sustainable development, Pattern recognition, SOM neural networks,