Neisseria gonorrhoeae modulates epithelial cell responses via the induction and release of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein cIAP2 in exosomes

Several bacterial pathogens persist and survive in the host by modulating host cell death pathways. Previous studies have demonstrated that the sexually transmitted pathogen, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, can induce or inhibit host cell death. N. gonorrhoeae is a mucosal pathogen and, in females, initiates infection in epithelial cells of the ectocervix and endocervix. Mucosal epithelial cells of the female genital tract are the first line of defense, and thus their cellular fate can alter the early immune response to invading pathogens such as N. gonorrhoeae. The mechanisms by which N. gonorrhoeae modulates cell death are not clear, although a role for the inhibitor of apoptosis-2 (cIAP2) has been proposed. In the present study, we demonstrate that N. gonorrhoeae stimulation induces a transient increase in cIAP2 protein levels in human cervical epithelial cells. High intracellular protein levels were observed during early N. gonorrhoeae stimulation and were followed by a marked intracellular decrease at 24 h. At this time point, we observed increased levels of extracellular cIAP2 associated with exosomes, which are nano-sized vesicles that carry protein and coding RNA as cargo from one cell to another. We also observed that depletion of cIAP2 in N. gonorrhoeae stimulated cells resulted in cell death resembling necroptosis, an inflammatory form of cell death. Furthermore, inhibition of cIAP2 led to an increase in interleukin-1β production. Exosomes have been found to have important roles in cell communication during microbial infection. Here, we demonstrate that N. gonorrhoeae induces exosome production and alters exosome content. We also demonstrate that exosomes elicit cytokine responses in uninfected naïve cells. Collectively, these studies highlight an additional mechanism for epithelial cells to orchestrate the immune response in the female genital tract during N. gonorrhoeae infection

Introducing the concept of biocatalysis in the classroom: The conversion of cholesterol to provitamin D 3

Biocatalysis is a fundamental concept in biotechnology. The topic integrates knowledge of several disciplines; therefore, it was included in the course “design and optimization of biological systems” which is offered in the biochemistry curricula. We selected the ciliate tetrahymena as an example of a eukaryotic system with potential for the biotransformation of sterol metabolites of industrial interest; in particular, we focused on the conversion of cholesterol to provitamin D3. The students work with wild type and recombinant strains and learn how sterol pathways could be modified to obtain diverse sterol moieties. During the course the students identify and measure the concentration of sterols. They also search for related genes by bioinformatic analysis. Additionally, the students compare biotransformation rates, growing the ciliate in plate and in a bioreactor. Finally, they use fluorescence microscopy to localize an enzyme involved in biotransformation. The last day each team makes an oral presentation, explaining the results obtained and responds to a series of key questions posed by the teachers, which determine the final mark. In our experience, this course enables undergraduate students to become acquainted with the principles of biocatalysis as well as with standard and modern techniques, through a simple and robust laboratory exercise, using a biological system for the conversion of valuable pharmaceutical moieties.Fil: De Luca, Belén M.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; ArgentinaFil: Nudel, Berta Clara. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; ArgentinaFil: Gonzalez, Rodrigo Horacio. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; ArgentinaFil: Nusblat, Alejandro David. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; Argentin

City of Auburn Quality of Life Study Union Street Neighborhood

This project was conducted in collaboration with Auburn City Hall’s Urban Development Office to better understand the perceptions of quality of life in the Union Street neighborhood (USN) in Auburn, Maine. This neighborhood, along with Downtown and New Auburn, have been deemed “blighted” by the City of Auburn. We administered surveys whose results will be considered in the City of Auburn’s 5 Year Consolidated Plan. Part of this plan includes federal funding from a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant that Auburn will apply for this spring. This study informs Auburn’s urban planning process by considering the local community’s voices in making improvements to the USN. Historically, blighted neighborhoods in urban areas were catalysts for urban renewal. While some neighborhoods expanded and flourished economically, blighted neighborhoods were neglected from this development process, leaving them in social and physical disrepair (Breger 1967, 376). In the past, city governments ignored the voices of low-income community members living in blighted areas, displacing these residents without care. City governments have realized, however, that citizen participation in the urban planning process is imperative to making successful change. The results from this project voice the needs and concerns from the USN residents, and thus are an important component of Auburn’s urban planning process. Our results illustrate that community members in the USN wish to address three main issues: housing, sidewalks, and public transportation. First, because the neighborhood is considered “blighted”, there are many vacant lots and abandoned homes that people would like to see fixed. Second, residents reported that the sidewalks were poorly maintained, making it difficult to maneuver around the city, especially in the winter. Third, residents expressed the need for a more accessible and affordable public bus system in order to move about the city more easily. Finally, aside from tangible improvements, results indicate that even though residents want to see improvements to the city, not everyone is willing to donate their time to make these changes a reality. The outcomes from our project suggest that the City of Auburn should direct their attention to low-income housing, better sidewalks, and improving the city bus system. By addressing the three primary needs of the USN, the City of Auburn can allocate their federal funding to help improve this community. We conclude our report by recommending certain projects that will further benefit the City of Auburn and ENVR 417 students

Trying again to fail-first

For constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs), Haralick and Elliott [1] introduced the Fail-First Principle and defined in it terms of minimizing branch depth. By devising a range of variable ordering heuristics, each in turn trying harder to fail first, Smith and Grant [2] showed that adherence to this strategy does not guarantee reduction in search effort. The present work builds on Smith and Grant. It benefits from the development of a new framework for characterizing heuristic performance that defines two policies, one concerned with enhancing the likelihood of correctly extending a partial solution, the other with minimizing the effort to prove insolubility. The Fail-First Principle can be restated as calling for adherence to the second, fail-first policy, while discounting the other, promise policy. Our work corrects some deficiencies in the work of Smith and Grant, and goes on to confirm their finding that the Fail-First Principle, as originally defined, is insufficient. We then show that adherence to the fail-first policy must be measured in terms of size of insoluble subtrees, not branch depth. We also show that for soluble problems, both policies must be considered in evaluating heuristic performance. Hence, even in its proper form the Fail-First Principle is insufficient. We also show that the “FF” series of heuristics devised by Smith and Grant is a powerful tool for evaluating heuristic performance, including the subtle relations between heuristic features and adherence to a policy

La captación de colesterol por Tetrahymena thermophila se realiza principalmente por fagocitosis

The free-living ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila is a unicellular model organism in which landmark biological processes have been discovered, such as the first description of telomerase activity and the molecular structure of telomeres, the mechanism of self-splicing RNA and ribozymes, the function of histone acetylation in transcription regulation and a number of pioneer experiments on the interference (RNAi) mechanism for programmed genome rearrangements, among others...Fil: Elguero, María Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Nanobiotecnología. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Nanobiotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Sánchez Granel, María Luz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Nanobiotecnología. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Nanobiotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Montes, María Guadalupe. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Nanobiotecnología. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Nanobiotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Cid, Nicolás Gonzalo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Nanobiotecnología. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Nanobiotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Favale, Nicolas Octavio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Nudel, Berta Clara. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Nanobiotecnología. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Nanobiotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Nusblat, Alejandro David. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Nanobiotecnología. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Nanobiotecnología; Argentin

Alimentos con menos colesterol

Alimentos con menos colesterol Investigadores del Conicet y de la Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica de la UBA desarrollaron un microorganismo unicelular (Tetrahymena) que al ser incorporado a alimentos como la leche y el huevo les reduce el colesterol en un 90 % transformándolo en provitamina D.Fil: Nudel, Berta Clara. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Discriminação estrutural e tensões no MPSP

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/2317-617220220

Novedoso desarrollo biotecnológico : alimentos con menos colesterol

Fil: Nudel, Clara. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Catedra de Microbiología Industrial y Biotecnología; Argentina.Fil: Nusblat, Alejandro. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Cátedra de Microbiología Industrial y Biotecnología; Argentina.Fil: Valcarce, German. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas; Argentina.Fil: Florin- Christensen, Jorge. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina; Argentina.Investigadores del Conicet y de la Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica de la UBA desarrollaron un\nmicroorganismo unicelular (Tetrahymena) que al ser incorporado a alimentos como la leche y el huevo\nles reduce el colesterol en un 90% transformándolo en provitamina D

Identification of virulence markers in clinically relevant strains of Acinetobacter genospecies

Nine Acinetobacter strains from patients and hospital environment were analyzed for virulence markers, quorum sensing signal production, and the presence of luxI and luxR genes. The strains had several properties in common: growth in iron limited condition, biofilm formation, and no active protease secretion. Significantly higher catechol production was determined in patient isolates (P < 0.03), but other invasiveness markers, such as lipase secretion, amount of biofilm, cell motility, antibiotic resistance, and hemolysin production, showed large variability. Notably, all members of the so-called A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex, regardless of whether the source was a patient or environmental, secreted medium to long-chain N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHL) and showed blue light inhibition of cell motility. In these strains, a luxI homologue with a homoserine lactone synthase domain and a luxR putative regulator displaying the typical AHL binding domain were identified