Conserved Roles of CrRLK1L Receptor-Like Kinases in Cell Expansion and Reproduction from Algae to Angiosperms

Receptor-like kinases (RLKs) are regulators of plant development through allowing cells to sense their extracellular environment. They facilitate detection of local endogenous signals, in addition to external biotic and abiotic stimuli. The Catharanthus roseus RLK1-like (CrRLK1L) protein kinase subfamily, which contains FERONIA, plays a central role in regulating fertilization and in cell expansion mechanisms such as cell elongation and tip growth, as well as having indirect links to plant–pathogen interactions. Several components of CrRLK1L signaling pathways have been identified, including an extracellular ligand, coreceptors, and downstream signaling elements. The presence and abundance of the CrRLK1L proteins in the plant kingdom suggest an origin within the Streptophyta lineage, with a notable increase in prevalence in the seeded land plants. Given the function of the sole CrRLK1L protein in a charophycean alga, the possibility of a conserved role in detection and/or regulation of cell wall integrity throughout the Strephtophytes is discussed. Orthologs of signaling pathway components are also present in extant representatives of non-vascular land plants and early vascular land plants including the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, the moss Physcomitrella patens and the lycophyte Selaginella moellendorffii. Deciphering the roles in development of the CrRLK1L protein kinases in early diverging land plants will provide insights into their ancestral function, furthering our understanding of this diversified subfamily of receptors in higher plants

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p<0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p<0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

Identification of differentially expressed proteins in animal models of epilepsy

Orientadores: Iscia Teresinha Lopes Cendes, André Schwambach VieiraDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências MédicasResumo: O uso de modelos animais para estudo de doenças humanas é importante para o entendimento dos mecanismos fisiopatológicos destas doenças. Particularmente, os modelos que reproduzem a Epilepsia do Lobo Temporal (ELT) em roedores, apresentam uma epileptogenicidade similar à encontrada em tecidos "epilépticos" humanos quando estudados ex vivo. A ELT afeta cerca de 40% dos pacientes adultos, e é caracterizada clinicamente por um desenvolvimento progressivo de crises epilépticas com foco no lobo temporal. Pacientes que apresentam ELT normalmente não respondem aos tratamentos. Destas, a Epilepsia do Lobo Temporal Mesial (ELTM) e a mais comum e se caracteriza pelo acometimento das estruturas mesiais do lobo temporal, como o caso da Esclerose Hipocampal. A proteômica dispõe de ferramentas poderosas que nos permitem elucidar mecanismos biológicos complexos, encontrar proteínas alteradas em todo o organismo e descrever padrões de expressões proteicas em diferentes condições fisiológicas e patológicas. Portanto, é relevante analisar esse padrão de expressão no hipocampo de modelos animais de ELTM usando técnicas de proteômica, a fim de gerar informações que nos auxiliem no entendimento dos mecanismos envolvidos na epileptogênese desses modelos. No presente estudo, as proteínas identificadas podem nos indicar novas vias envolvidas com a epileptogênese. Além disso, nossos dados demonstram que uma complexidade molecular adicional pode ser observada quando analisamos as diferentes sub-regiões do hipocampo separadamente. Portanto, acreditamos que a integração dos dados de proteômica com dados obtidos por outras "ômicas" podem gerar dados ainda mais informativos sobre esses processos neuronaisAbstract: Studies about human diseases using animal models are really important to our understanding about the physiopathology mechanisms from those diseases. Particularly, the models that reproduce the Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) in rodents, presents epileptogenicity similar to that found in ex vivo human tissues. The TLE affects around 40% of the adult patients and it is clinic characterized by a progressive development of seizures with temporal lobe focus, caused by an unbalance between the excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission. Patients who present that type of epilepsy normally don¿t respond well to the treatments. Of this type of epilepsy, the Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (MTLE) is the most common one and it is characterized by the commitment of the mesial temporal lobe structures, such as in the Hipocampal Sclerosis. To realize these studies the proteomics has many powerful tools that allow us to elucidate complex biological mechanisms, to find altered proteins in the whole organism and describe protein expression patterns in different physiological and pathological conditions. Therefore, it¿s relevant to study this protein expression pattern in the hippocampus of animal models of MTLE using proteomics techniques, searching for informative data that lead us to the understanding of the involved mechanisms in the epileptogenicity. In this study we identified proteins that can indicate new pathways involved in the epileptogenesis processes. Furthermore, our data demonstrate that additional molecular complexity could be observed as hippocampal subfields were analyzed separately. We believe that the further integration of the proteomic data with other "omics" approaches could generate even more informative data about those neuronal processesMestradoFisiopatologia MédicaMestra em Ciência

ATP synthase subunit beta immunostaining is reduced in the sclerotic hippocampus of epilepsy patients

Epilepsy is a common disease presenting with recurrent seizures. Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) is the commonest histopathological alteration in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) undergoing surgery. HS physiopathogenesis is debatable. We have recently studied, by using mass spectrometry-based proteomics, an experimental model of TLE induced by electrical stimulation. Specifically, protein expressions of both the beta subunit of mitochondrial ATP synthase (ATP5B) and of membrane ATPases were found to be reduced. Here, we investigated tissue distribution of ATP5B and sodium/potassium-transporting ATPase subunit alpha-3 (NKA3), a protein associated with neuromuscular excitability disorders, in human hippocampi resected en bloc for HS treatment (n=15). We used immunohistochemistry and the stained area was digitally evaluated (increase in binary contrast of microscopic fields) in the hippocampal sectors (CA1-CA4) and dentate gyrus. All HS samples were classified as Type 1, according to the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) 2013 Classification (predominant cell loss in CA1 and CA4). ATP5B was significantly decreased in all sectors and dentate gyrus of HS patients compared with individuals submitted to necropsy and without history of neurological alterations (n=10). NKA3 expression showed no difference. Moreover, we identified a negative correlation between frequency of pre-operative seizures and number of neurons in CA1. In conclusion, our data showed similarity between changes in protein expression in a model of TLE and individuals with HS. ATP5B reduction would be at least in part due to neuronal loss. Future investigations on ATP5B activity could provide insights into the process of such cell loss391149160FAPESP – Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa Do Estado De São Paulo2013/07559-