Three dimensional modeling and ecological characterization of beaches with Posidonia oceanica beach wrack: examples of Southeast Spain

Los arribazones de Posidonia oceanica se acumulan en las playas del mar Mediterráneo, formando una barrera protectora entre la interfase mar-tierra. Dicha barrera protege a la playa de la pérdida de arena, suponiendo un aporte de nutrientes al complejo arenoso y permitiendo la estructuración de la macrofauna de invertebrados, que encuentran alimento y protección en ellos. Debido al dinamismo de las playas de arena y de los arribazones, resulta necesario establecer modelos costeros que integren a los arribazones como elemento clave. En este trabajo se muestra la integración de estas estructuras en el modelo costero desarrollado, empleando para ello la técnica basada en instrumentación LIDAR, que ha permitido proponer una metodología para evaluar las variaciones de arena ganadas y perdidas a lo largo de diversas campañas de estudio, teniendo como elemento clave a la estructura de los arribazones. Por otro lado, la permanencia a largo plazo de los arribazones permite una estructuración gradual de la fauna de invertebrados de las playas de arena. En este estudio, se compararon dos playas, una con los arribazones retirados por maquinaria pesada y otra no, mostrando diferencias significativas con mayor abundancia de ejemplares la playa en la que los arribazones no fueron removidos por maquinaria. El orden Amphipoda fue el más abundante en las inmediaciones de los arribazones, y el orden Coleoptera en el estrato supralitoral. Se desprende que la conservación de los arribazones permite una recuperación rápida del entorno.Posidonia oceanica “banquettes” accumulate on the beaches of the Mediterranean Sea, forming a protective barrier between the sea-land interface. This barrier protects the beach from the loss of sand, besides supposing a nutrient contribution to the sandy complex, allowing the structure of the macrofauna of coastal invertebrates, which in addition to finding food, obtain shelter and protection in them. Due to the dynamism of the sandy beaches and the “banquettes”, it is necessary to establish study methodologies that integrate this beach-cast accumulation as a key element. This work shows the integration of these structures in the coastal model developed, using the technique based on LIDAR instrumentation, which have allowed us to propose a methodology to evaluate the variations of sand, taking as a key element to structure of the cliffs. On the other hand, the long-term permanence of dead leaves allows a gradual structuring of the invertebrate fauna in sandy beaches. In this work, two beaches were compared, one subjected to cleaning process by heavy machinery, and another in which it remained unpolluted during the study period, showing significant differences with greater abundance of specimens the beach which the cliffs were not removed. The order Amphipoda was the most abundant in the vicinity of the beach-cast accumulations, and the order Coleoptera in the supralittoral zone. It is evident that the conservation of the “banquettes” allows a quick recovery of the surroundings.Este trabajo se ha realizado en el marco del proyecto de investigaciones emergentes de la Universidad de Alicante (GRE14-05), en colaboración con el CIMAR (Centro de Investigación Marina) y el Ayuntamiento de Santa Pola

Cannabinoid receptor CB2 drives HER2 pro-oncogenic signaling in breast cancer

Pharmacological activation of cannabinoid receptors elicits antitumoral responses in different models of cancer. However, the biological role of these receptors in tumor physio-pathology is still unknown. We analyzed CB2 cannabinoid receptor protein expression in two series of 166 and 483 breast tumor samples operated in the University Hospitals of Kiel, Tübingen and Freiburg between 1997 and 2010. CB2 mRNA expression was also analyzed in previously published DNA microarray datasets. The role of CB2 in oncogenesis was studied by generating a mouse line that expresses the HER2 rat ortholog (neu) and lacks CB2, and by a variety of biochemical and cell biology approaches in human breast cancer cells in culture and in vivo, upon modulation of CB2 expression by si/shRNAs and overexpression plasmids. CB2-HER2 molecular interaction was studied by co-localization, coimmunoprecipitation and proximity ligation assays. We show an association between elevated CB2 expression in HER2+ breast tumors and poor patient prognosis. We also demonstrate that genetic inactivation of CB2 impairs tumor generation and progression in MMTV-neu mice. Moreover, we show that HER2 upregulates CB2 expression by activating the transcription factor ELK1 via the ERK cascade, and that an increased CB2 expression activates the HER2 prooncogenic signaling machinery at the level of the tyrosine kinase c-SRC. Finally, HER2 and CB2 form heteromers in cancer cells. Our findings reveal an unprecedented role of CB2 as a pivotal regulator of HER2 pro-oncogenic signaling in breast cancer, and suggest that CB2 may be a biomarker with prognostic value in these tumors

EstuPlan: Methodology for the development of creativity in the resolution of scientific and social problems

[EN] Creative thinking is necessary to generate novel ideas and solve problems. "EstuPlan" is a methodology in which knowledge and creativity converge for the resolution of scientific problems with social projection. It is a training programme that integrates teachers, laboratory technicians and PhD students, master and undergraduate students which form working groups for the development of projects. Projects have a broad and essential scope and projection in terms of environmental problems, sustainable use of natural resources, food, health, biotechnology or biomedicine. The results show the success of this significant learning methodology using tools to develop creativity in responding to scientific and social demand for problem-solving to transfer academic knowledge to different professional environments. Bioplastics, Second Life of Coffee, LimBio, Algae oils, Ecomers, Caring for the life of your crop and Hate to Deforestate are currently being developed.Astudillo Calderón, S.; De Díez De La Torre, L.; García Companys, M.; Ortega Pérez, N.; Rodríguez Martínez, V.; Alzahrani, S.; Alonso Valenzuela, R.... (2019). EstuPlan: Methodology for the development of creativity in the resolution of scientific and social problems. En HEAD'19. 5th International Conference on Higher Education Advances. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 711-717. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD19.2019.9205OCS71171

Cell consequences of loss of function of the epigenetic factor EHMT1

EHMT1 is an epigenetic factor with histone methyltransferase activity that appears mutated in Kleefstra syndrome, a neurodevelopmental genetic disorder characterized by developmental delay, intellectual disability, and autistic-like features. Despite recent progress in the study of the function of this gene and the molecular etiology of the disease, our knowledge of how EHMT1 haploinsufficiency causes Kleefstra syndrome is still very limited. Here, we show that EHMT1 depletion in RPE1 cells leads to alterations in the morphology and distribution of different subcellular structures, such as the Golgi apparatus, the lysosomes and different cell adhesion components. EHMT1 downregulation also increases centriolar satellites detection, which may indicate a role for EHMT1 in centrosome functioning. Furthermore, the migration process is also altered in EHMT1 depleted cells, which show reduced migration capacity. We consider that the described phenotypes could open new possibilities for understanding the functional impact of EHMT1 haploinsufficiency in Kleefstra syndrome, helping to elucidate the link between epigenetic regulation and the underlying cellular mechanisms that result in this neurodevelopmental disorder. This knowledge could be relevant not only for the treatment of this syndrome, but also for other neurodevelopmental conditions that could share similar deregulated cellular pathways.This study was funded by the University of Seville (Ayudas a Proyectos Precompetitivos del VI Plan Propio de Investigación granted to S. Rivero)

Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Modulate the Concentration of Bioactive Compounds in Tomato Fruits

Background: The application of microorganisms as bioestimulants in order to increase the yield and/or quality of agricultural products is becoming a widely used practice in many countries. In this work, five plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), isolated from cultivated rice paddy soils, were selected for their plant growth-promoting capacities (e.g., auxin synthesis, chitinase activity, phosphate solubilisation and siderophores production). Two different tomato cultivars were inoculated, Tres Cantos and cherry. Plants were grown under greenhouse conditions and different phenotypic characteristics were analysed at the time of harvesting. Results: Tres Cantos plants inoculated with PGPR produced less biomass but larger fruits. However, the photosynthetic rate was barely affected. Several antioxidant activities were upregulated in these plants, and no oxidative damage in terms of lipid peroxidation was observed. Finally, ripe fruits accumulated less sugar but, interestingly, more lycopene. By contrast, inoculation of cherry plants with PGPR had no effect on biomass, although photosynthesis was slightly affected, and the productivity was similar to the control plants. In addition, antioxidant activities were downregulated and a higher lipid peroxidation was detected. However, neither sugar nor lycopene accumulation was altered. Conclusion: These results support the use of microorganisms isolated from agricultural soils as interesting tools to manipulate the level of important bioactive molecules in plants. However, this effect seems to be very specific, even at the variety level, and deeper analyses are necessary to assess their use for specific applications.Junta de Andalucía P11-CVI-7050Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad AGL2016-75413-P, AGL2016-77163-R, BIO2016-78409-

Global Emergence of Resistance to Fluconazole and Voriconazole in Candida parapsilosis in Tertiary Hospitals in Spain During the OVID-19 Pandemic

Candida parapsilosis is a frequent cause of candidemia worldwide. Its incidence is associated with the use of medical implants, such as central venous catheters or parenteral nutrition. This species has reduced susceptibility to echinocandins, and it is susceptible to polyenes and azoles. Multiple outbreaks caused by fluconazole-nonsusceptible strains have been reported recently. A similar trend has been observed among the C. parapsilosis isolates received in the last 2 years at the Spanish Mycology Reference Laboratory. Yeast were identified by molecular biology, and antifungal susceptibility testing was performed using the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing protocol. The ERG11 gene was sequenced to identify resistance mechanisms, and strain typing was carried out by microsatellite analysis. We examined the susceptibility profile of 1315 C. parapsilosis isolates available at our reference laboratory between 2000 and 2021, noticing an increase in the number of isolates with acquired resistance to fluconazole, and voriconazole has increased in at least 8 different Spanish hospitals in 2020-2021. From 121 recorded clones, 3 were identified as the most prevalent in Spain (clone 10 in Catalonia and clone 96 in Castilla-Leon and Madrid, whereas clone 67 was found in 2 geographically unrelated regions, Cantabria and the Balearic Islands). Our data suggest that concurrently with the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, a selection of fluconazole-resistant C. parapsilosis isolates has occurred in Spain, and the expansion of specific clones has been noted across centers. Further research is needed to determine the factors that underlie the successful expansion of these clones and their potential genetic relatednes