Impact of Delftia tsuruhatensis and Achromobacter xylosoxidans on Escherichia coli dual-species biofilms treated with antibiotic agents

Recently it was demonstrated that for urinary tract infections species with a lower or unproven pathogenic potential, such as Delftia tsuruhatensis and Achromobacter xylosoxidans, might interact with conventional pathogenic agents such as Escherichia coli. Here, single- and dual-species biofilms of these microorganisms were characterized in terms of microbial composition over time, the average fitness of E. coli, the spatial organization and the biofilm antimicrobial profile. The results revealed a positive impact of these species on the fitness of E. coli and a greater tolerance to the antibiotic agents. In dual-species biofilms exposed to antibiotics, E. coli was able to dominate the microbial consortia in spite of being the most sensitive strain. This is the first study demonstrating the protective effect of less common species over E. coli under adverse conditions imposed by the use of antibiotic agents.This work was financially supported by the FCT/MEC with national funds and when applicable co-funded by FEDER in the scope of the P2020 Partnership Agreement [Project UID/ EQU/00511/2013-LEPABE]; FEDER funds through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness Factors – COMPETE, O Novo Norte–North Portugal Regional Operational Programme – ON2 and National Funds through Foundation for Science and Technology – FCT [Project NORTE-07-0124- FEDER-000025–RL2_ Environment&Health and Project ‘DNAmimics’ PIC/IC/82815/2007]; PhD fellowship [SFRH/ BD/82663/2011]; and postdoctoral fellowship [SFRH/ BPD/74480/2010]

Lesões Agudas em Ciclistas

O crescente aumento do número de ciclistas associado à negligência ao uso dos equipamentos de segurança e do risco de queda tem favorecido o aumento da ocorrência de acidentes relacionados à prática do esporte. O objetivo desta revisão integrativa foi realizar o levantamento das principais lesões agudas que ocorrem em ciclistas. Foram revisados oitenta e um textos, entre artigos e livros selecionados segundo o critério de inclusão: (1) estudos que abordaram lesões agudas, acometendo estruturas musculoesquelética e/ou vascular em ciclistas; (2) publicados de janeiro de 1955 a julho de 2012; (3) escritos no idioma português e inglês. Os resultados encontrados revelaram que o uso de capacete é eficiente para proteger o ciclista contra lesões na cabeça, porém os modelos sem proteção facial deixam o ciclista exposto às fraturas de face, principalmente terço médio e inferior. Outros dados mostraram que para evitar escoriações, lacerações, contusões, fraturas e luxações, os ciclistas precisam usar os equipamentos de segurança devidos, como capacete, óculos e luvas de ciclismo, ser cauteloso em terrenos irregulares e desconhecidos e não abusar da habilidade conquistada. A maioria das lesões necessita de atendimento médico e a fisioterapia traumato-ortopédica apresenta função importante na reabilitação cinético-funcional para retorno ao esporte

A Target Enrichment Bait Set for Studying Relationships among Ostariophysan Fishes

© 2020 by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Target enrichment of conserved nuclear loci has helped reconstruct evolutionary relationships among a wide variety of species. While there are preexisting bait sets to enrich a few hundred loci across all fishes or a thousand loci from acanthomorph fishes, no bait set exists to enrich large numbers (\u3e1,000 loci) of ultraconserved nuclear loci from ostariophysans, the second largest actinopterygian superorder. In this study, we describe how we designed a bait set to enrich 2,708 ultraconserved nuclear loci from ostariophysan fishes by combining an existing genome assembly with low coverage sequence data collected from two ostariophysan lineages. We perform a series of enrichment experiments using this bait set across the ostariophysan tree of life, from the deepest splits among the major groups (\u3e150 Ma) to more recent divergence events that have occurred during the last 50 million years. Our results demonstrate that the bait set we designed is useful for addressing phylogenetic questions from the origin of crown ostariophysans to more recent divergence events, and our in silico results suggest that this bait set may be useful for addressing evolutionary questions in closely related groups of fishes, like Clupeiformes

A Decreased Frequency of Regulatory T Cells in Patients with Common Variable Immunodeficiency

Introduction: Common variable immunodeficiency disorder (CVID) is a heterogeneous syndrome, characterized by deficient antibody production and recurrent bacterial infections in addition abnormalities in T cells. CD4(+)CD25(high) regulatory T cells (Treg) are essential modulators of immune responses, including down-modulation of immune response to pathogens, allergens, cancer cells and self-antigens.Objective: in this study we set out to investigate the frequency of Treg cells in CVID patients and correlate with their immune activation status.Materials and Methods: Sixteen patients (6 males and 10 females) with CVID who had been treated with regular intravenous immunoglobulin and 14 controls were enrolled. Quantitative analyses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were performed by multiparametric flow cytometry using the following cell markers: CD38, HLA-DR, CCR5 ( immune activation); CD4, CD25, FOXP3, CD127, and OX40 (Treg cells); Ki-67 and IFN-gamma (intracellular cytokine).Results: A significantly lower proportion of CD4(+)CD25(high) FOXP3 T cells was observed in CVID patients compared with healthy controls (P<0.05). in addition to a higher proportion of CD8(+) T cells from CVID patients expressing the activation markers, CD38(+) and HLA-DR(+) (P<0.05), we observed no significant correlation between Tregs and immune activation.Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that a reduction in Treg cells could have impaired immune function in CVID patients.Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Molecular species delimitation and description of a new species of Phenacogaster (Teleostei, Characidae) from the southern Amazon basin

Phenacogaster is the most species-rich genus of the subfamily Characinae with 23 valid species broadly distributed in riverine systems of South America. Despite the taxonomic diversity of the genus, little has been advanced about its molecular diversity. A recent molecular phylogeny indicated the presence of undescribed species within Phenacogaster that is formally described here. We sampled 73 specimens of Phenacogaster and sequenced the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene in order to undertake species delimitation analyses and evaluate their intra- and interspecific genetic diversity. The results show the presence of 14 species, 13 of which are valid and one undescribed. The new species is known from the tributaries of the Xingu basin, the Rio das Mortes of the Araguaia basin, and the Rio Teles Pires of the Tapajós basin. It is distinguished by the incomplete lateral line, position of the humeral blotch near the pseudotympanum, and shape of the caudal-peduncle blotch. Meristic data and genetic differentiation relative to other Phenacogaster species represent strong evidence for the recognition of the new species and highlight the occurrence of an additional lineage of P. franciscoensis

Comparative modeling of DNA and RNA polymerases from Moniliophthora perniciosa mitochondrial plasmid

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The filamentous fungus <it>Moniliophthora perniciosa </it>(Stahel) Aime & Phillips-Mora is a hemibiotrophic Basidiomycota that causes witches' broom disease of cocoa (<it>Theobroma cacao </it>L.). This disease has resulted in a severe decrease in Brazilian cocoa production, which changed the position of Brazil in the market from the second largest cocoa exporter to a cocoa importer. Fungal mitochondrial plasmids are usually invertrons encoding DNA and RNA polymerases. Plasmid insertions into host mitochondrial genomes are probably associated with modifications in host generation time, which can be involved in fungal aging. This association suggests activity of polymerases, and these can be used as new targets for drugs against mitochondrial activity of fungi, more specifically against witches' broom disease. Sequencing and modeling: DNA and RNA polymerases of <it>M. perniciosa </it>mitochondrial plasmid were completely sequenced and their models were carried out by Comparative Homology approach. The sequences of DNA and RNA polymerase showed 25% of identity to 1XHX and 1ARO (pdb code) using BLASTp, which were used as templates. The models were constructed using Swiss PDB-Viewer and refined with a set of Molecular Mechanics (MM) and Molecular Dynamics (MD) in water carried out with AMBER 8.0, both working under the ff99 force fields, respectively. Ramachandran plots were generated by Procheck 3.0 and exhibited models with 97% and 98% for DNA and RNA polymerases, respectively. MD simulations in water showed models with thermodynamic stability after 2000 ps and 300 K of simulation.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This work contributes to the development of new alternatives for controlling the fungal agent of witches' broom disease.</p

Extracellular vesicles from pancreatic cancer stem cells lead an intratumor communication network (EVNet) to fuel tumour progression

© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.Objective: Intratumor heterogeneity drives cancer progression and therapy resistance. However, it has yet to be determined whether and how subpopulations of cancer cells interact and how this interaction affects the tumour. Design: We have studied the spontaneous flow of extracellular vesicles (EVs) between subpopulations of cancer cells: cancer stem cells (CSC) and non-stem cancer cells (NSCC). To determine the biological significance of the most frequent communication route, we used pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) orthotopic models, patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) and genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs). Results: We demonstrate that PDAC tumours establish an organised communication network between subpopulations of cancer cells using EVs called the EVNet). The EVNet is plastic and reshapes in response to its environment. Communication within the EVNet occurs preferentially from CSC to NSCC. Inhibition of this communication route by impairing Rab27a function in orthotopic xenographs, GEMMs and PDXs is sufficient to hamper tumour growth and phenocopies the inhibition of communication in the whole tumour. Mechanistically, we provide evidence that CSC EVs use agrin protein to promote Yes1 associated transcriptional regulator (YAP) activation via LDL receptor related protein 4 (LRP-4). Ex vivo treatment of PDXs with antiagrin significantly impairs proliferation and decreases the levels of activated YAP.Patients with high levels of agrin and low inactive YAP show worse disease-free survival. In addition, patients with a higher number of circulating agrin+ EVs show a significant increased risk of disease progression. Conclusion: PDAC tumours establish a cooperation network mediated by EVs that is led by CSC and agrin, which allows tumours to adapt and thrive. Targeting agrin could make targeted therapy possible for patients with PDAC and has a significant impact on CSC that feeds the tumour and is at the centre of therapy resistance.The work was supported by NORTE-01–0145-FEDER-000029, Norte Portugal Regional Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund and national funds through FCT—Foundation for Science and Technology POCI-01–0145-FEDER-32189. Programa Operacional Regional do Norte and co-financed by European Regional Development Fund under the project "The Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center" with the reference NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-072678 - Consórcio PORTO.CCC – Porto.Comprehensive Cancer Center. CFR is supported by FCT (SFRH/BD/131461/2017), NB by (SFRH/BD/130801/2017), IB by FCT (SFRH/BD/144854/2019), and BA by FCT (PD/BD/135546/2018). DG’s contribution was supported by the NCI (R21 CA179907). We acknowledge the support of the i3S Scientific Platforms: Translational Cytometry, Animal Facility, Bioimaging and Histology and Electron Microscopy are members of the national infrastructure PPBI - Portuguese Platform of Bioimaging (PPBI-POCI-01–0145-FEDER-022122). Proteomics was performed at the Proteomics Facility of The Spanish National Center for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), ProteoRed, PRB3-ISCIII, supported by grant PT17/0019.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Distribution of common peroneal nerve in equine fetuses and anatomical description of sites for anesthetic block

Analisou-se a distribuição do nervo fibular comum em 30 fetos de equinos, sem raça definida, provenientes do acervo do Laboratório de Anatomia Animal da Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, que foram injetados e conservados em solução aquosa de formaldeído a 10%. Contatou-se que o referido nervo deriva do isquiático, divide-se em nervos fibulares superficial e profundo, distribuindo-se para os músculos extensores lateral e longo do dedo, fibular terceiro e tibial cranial. Traçando-se uma linha imaginária na região médio-lateral da tuberosidade do osso tíbia, o nervo fibular comum pode ser bloqueado em sua parte proximal, no terço caudal, entre o tendão de inserção do músculo bíceps femoral e a face lateral do músculo gastrocnêmio lateral (terço médio); e o nervo fibular profundo, na parte proximal da tíbia, crânio-distalmente ao fibular comum. O bloqueio do nervo fibular superficial pode ser realizado em duas regiões da tíbia: na proximal, considerando-se a linha imaginária, distalmente ao ponto citado para o fibular comum e caudalmente ao descrito para o fibular profundo; e na distal, na face lateral da articulação tíbio-társica, entre os tendões de inserção dos músculos extensores lateral e longo do dedo.Iglesias L.P., Silva F.O.C., Vasconcelos B.G., Ribeiro L.A., Hodniki N.F., Gomes L.R., Miglino M.A. & Melo A.P.F. 2012. [Distribution of common peroneal nerve in equine fetuses and anatomical description of sites for anesthetic block.] Distribuicao do nervo fibular comum em fetos de equinos e descricao anatomica de pontos para bloqueio anestesico. Pesquisa Veterinaria Brasileira 32(7):672-676. Departamento de Anatomia Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidade Federal de Uberlandia, Rua Ceara s/n, Bloco 2D, Uberlandia, MG 38400-902, Brazil. E-mail: [email protected] The distribution of the nervus fibularis communis was analyzed in 30 equine fetuses, mongrel, from the collection of the Animal Anatomy Laboratory at the School of Veterinary Medicine of Universidade Federal de Uberlandia, which were injected and stored in an aqueous solution of 10% formaldehyde. It was found that this nerve emerges from the ischiadicus, divides itself into nervus fibularis profundus and nervus fibularis super ficialis distributing to the musculi extensor digitorum lateralis, extensor digitorum longus, fibularis tertius, and tibialis cranialis. Drawing an imaginary line in the medial-lateral region of the tuberositatis tibia, the nervus fibularis communis may be blocked in its proximal portion, in the caudal third, between the tendon of insertion of the biceps femoris and the lateral side of the musculus gastrocnemius (medium third); and the nervus fibularis profundus may be blocked in the proximal tibia, cranio-distally to the nervus fibularis communis. The block of nervus fibularis profundus may be performed in two regions of the tibia: proximal, considering the imaginary line, distal to the site referred to the nervus fibularis communis, and caudal to that described for the nervus fibularis profundus; and distal, on the lateral side of the tibiotarsal joint, between the tendons of insertion of the musculi extensor digitorum lateralis and extensor digitorum longus