Role of Phytochelatins in Redox Caused Stress in Plants and Animals

Varied environmental compartments (such as soil and water) potentially contaminated with different metals/metalloids can impact the health of both plants and animals/humans. Trace amounts of Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni and Zn are beneficial for higher plants, whereas, Cr, Cu, Co, Mn, Mo, Se, V and Zn are known as the micronutrient metal/metalloids for animals/humans. However, elevated levels of the metals/metalloids can cause severe toxic consequences in both plants and animals/humans. Common in plants and animals/humans, phytochelatins (PCs), the principal non-protein, S-rich, thiolate peptides, protect (through different mechanisms) cellular functions and metal/metalloid homeostasis by performing their chelation and/or detoxification. With the major aim of broadening the current knowledge on the subject, this chapter (a) overviews PCs’ role and modulation separately in metal/metalloid-exposed plants and animals/humans; (b) discusses major methods for determination of PCs and bioassays for enzymes involved in PC synthesis; (c) evaluates the connection of PCs with bionanoparticles; and finally (d) highlights so far unexplored aspects in the present context

Microarray analysis of metallothioneins in human diseases: a review

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MO38-2 Metallothionein-3: Potential therapeutic target for sorafenib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma

1 p. JSMO2021 Virtual Congress. 2021 the Japanese Society of Medical Oncology Annual Meeting. February 18 - 21, 2021Background: Metallothionein-3 (M-3) has poorly characterized functions in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC is a significant health problem. Globally is the second most common cause of cancer-associated death. Sorafenib was originally identified as an inhibitor of multiple oncogenic kinases and remains the only approved systemic therapy for advanced HCC. However, acquired resistance to sorafenib has been found in HCC patients, which results in poor prognosis. Overexpression of MT-3 decreased the sensitivity of HCC cells to sorefenib. Here, we investigated the impact of MT-3 up-regulation in HCC cells and the mechanisms underlying the sorafenib-resistance.Methods: To increase the expression of MT-3 HCC cells were transiently transfected with a plasmid containing MT-3 gene or with empty vector. The cDNA microarrays were accomplished using the ElectraSenseTM Reader. MS analysis was performed using a Q-Exactive MS. We used chick chorioallantoic membrane assay as in vivo model.Results: A cDNA profiling revealed that sorafenib resistance has a specific transcriptomic signature involving genes responsible for ion transport, trafficking and DNA repair. Also, The MS analysis data strongly suggest that resistance HCC cells acquired a complex regulatory network that significantly affects the ability of HCC cells to remove the ROS and activation of glycolysis. We provide the first evidence that up-regulation of MT3 resulted in increased dissociation, invasion, and intravasation from the primary tumours to the veins. In addition, MT3 profoundly impacted blood migration of Nbl cells and their extravasation to chicken organs.Conclusion: From a perspective of future utilization of our data, we anticipate that several identified genes and proteins could serve as prognostic biomarkers of outcome of sorafenib therapy. The increased expression of MT-3 within tumour mass should inform about worse prognosis and also decreased efficiency of sorafenib-based chemotherapy in HCC.Peer reviewe

Reconfigurable multiplexed point of Care System for monitoring type 1 diabetes patients

At the point of care (POC), on-side clinical testing allows fast biomarkers determination even in resource-limited environments. Current POC systems rely on tests selective to a single analyte or complex multiplexed systems with important portability and performance limitations. Hence, there is a need for handheld POC devices enabling the detection of multiple analytes with accuracy and simplicity. Here we present a reconfigurable smartphone-interfaced electrochemical Lab-on-a-Chip (LoC)with two working electrodes for dual analyte determination enabling biomarkers' selection in situ and on-demand. Biomarkers selection was achieved by the use of electrodepositable alginate hydrogels. Alginate membranes containing either glucose oxidase (GOx)or lactate oxidase (LOx)were selectively electrodeposited on the surface of each working electrode in around 4 min, completing sample measurement in less than 1 min. Glucose and lactate determination was performed simultaneously and without cross-talk in buffer, fetal bovine serum (FBS)and whole blood samples, the latter being possible by the size-exclusion filtration capacity of the hydrogels. At optimal conditions, glucose and lactate were determined in a wide linear range (0–12 mM and 0–5 mM, respectively)and with high sensitivities (0.24 and 0.54 μA cm −2 mM −1 , respectively), which allowed monitoring of Type-1 diabetic patients with a simple dual analysis system. After the measurement, membranes were removed by disaggregation with the calcium-chelator phosphate buffer. At this point, new membranes could be electrodeposited, this time being selective to the same or another analyte. This conferred the system with on-demand biomarkers’ selection capacity. The versatility and flexibility of the current architecture is expected to impact in POC analysis in applications ranging from homecare to sanitary emergencies.Peer reviewe

GintGRX1, the first characterized glomeromycotan glutaredoxin, is a multifunctional enzyme that responds to oxidative stress

Glutaredoxins (GRXs) are small proteins with glutathione-dependent disulfide oxidoreductase activity involved in cellular defense against oxidative stress. This work reports the identification and characterization of the first glomeromycotan dithiol glutaredoxin gene from the fungus Glomus intraradices. The corresponding gene, named GintGRX1, shares high sequence similarity with previously described fungal GRXs. GintGRX1 contains the characteristic dithiol active site CPYC. By using a yeast expression system, we found that GintGRX1 encodes a multifunctional protein with oxidoreductase, peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase activity. GintGRX1 partially reverted sensitivity to superoxide radicals of the Δgrx1Δgrx2 Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain. GintGRX1 was transcriptionally regulated by paraquat but not by hydrogen peroxide. Copper induced an accumulation of reactive oxygen species in the extraradical mycelium of G. intraradices and up-regulation of GintGRX1 transcript levels. These data suggest a role for GintGRX1 in protecting the fungus against the oxidative damage induced directly by the superoxide anion or indirectly by copper. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.This work was founded by a grant from the Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa of the Junta de Andalucía, Spain (P06-CVI-02263). Karim Benabdellah was supported by an I3P contract from the Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC). We would like to thank Drs. José Miguel Barea and Francisco Martín for helpful discussions and Ascención Valderas for excellent technical assistance.Peer Reviewe

Design and Fabrication of an Optimum Peripheral Region for Low Gain Avalanche Detectors

Low Gain Avalanche Detectors (LGAD) represent a remarkable advance in high energy particle detection, since they provide a moderate increase (gain $\sim 10$) of the collected charge, thus leading to a notable improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio, which largely extends the possible application of Silicon detectors beyond their present working field. The optimum detection performance requires a careful implementation of the multiplication junction, in order to obtain the desired gain on the read out signal, but also a proper design of the edge termination and the peripheral region, which prevents the LGAD detectors from premature breakdown and large leakage current. This work deals with the critical technological aspects required to optimize the LGAD structure. The impact of several design strategies for the device periphery is evaluated with the aid of TCAD simulations, and compared with the experimental results obtained from the first LGAD prototypes fabricated at the IMB-CNM clean room. Solutions for the peripheral region improvement are also provided.Low Gain Avalanche Detectors (LGAD) represent a remarkable advance in high energy particle detection, since they provide a moderate increase (gain ~10) of the collected charge, thus leading to a notable improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio, which largely extends the possible application of Silicon detectors beyond their present working field. The optimum detection performance requires a careful implementation of the multiplication junction, in order to obtain the desired gain on the read out signal, but also a proper design of the edge termination and the peripheral region, which prevents the LGAD detectors from premature breakdown and large leakage current. This work deals with the critical technological aspects when optimising the LGAD structure. The impact of several design strategies for the device periphery is evaluated with the aid of TCAD simulations, and compared with the experimental results obtained from the first LGAD prototypes fabricated at the IMB-CNM clean room. Solutions for the peripheral region improvement are also provided

The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis differentially regulates the copper response of two maize cultivars differing in copper tolerance

Arbuscular mycorrhiza can increase plant tolerance to heavy metals. The effects of arbuscular mycorrhiza on plant metal tolerance vary depending on the fungal and plant species involved. Here, we report the effect of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis on the physiological and biochemical responses to Cu of two maize genotypes differing in Cu tolerance, the Cu-sensitive cv. Orense and the Cu-tolerant cv. Oropesa. Development of the symbiosis confers an increased Cu tolerance to cv. Orense. Root and shoot Cu concentrations were lower in mycorrhizal than in non-mycorrhizal plants of both cultivars. Shoot lipid peroxidation increased with soil Cu content only in non-mycorrhizal plants of the Cu-sensitive cultivar. Root lipid peroxidation increased with soil Cu content, except in mycorrhizal plants grown at 250 mg Cu kgsoil. In shoots of mycorrhizal plants of both cultivars, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, catalase and glutathione reductase activities were not affected by soil Cu content. In Cu-supplemented soils, total phytochelatin content increased in shoots of mycorrhizal cv. Orense but decreased in cv. Oropesa. Overall, these data suggest that the increased Cu tolerance of mycorrhizal plants of cv. Orense could be due to an increased induction of shoot phytochelatin biosynthesis by the symbiosis in this cultivar.Peer Reviewe

Los posibles efectos de la liberalización comercial en los hogares rurales centroamericanos a partir de un modelo desagregado para la economía rural: Caso de El Salvador

El objetivo de este estudio es desarrollar un modelo que permita analizar los posibles impactos de la apertura comercial a partir del DR-CAFTA en los hogares rurales salvadoreños, con una perspectiva microeconómica que capture las diversidades entre los hogares y las complejidades en sus interrelaciones. Se analizan diferentes escenarios de reforma comercial, de políticas de transición y de cambios en las condiciones de los mercados de productos y factores que podrían darse a raíz del DR-CAFTA, sobre las decisiones de producción y de consumo y sobre el bienestar económico en diferentes tipos de hogares rurales. Los impactos obtenidos son resultado de la medición de la combinación de efectos directos e indirectos de los cambios provocados por el ejercicio y varían por tipo de hogar. Es de gran importancia tener en cuenta estas complejidades, representativas de la realidad rural, al diseñar políticas de transición y de ajuste productivo