Multi-Platform Whole-Genome Microarray Analyses Refine the Epigenetic Signature of Breast Cancer Metastasis with Gene Expression and Copy Number

BACKGROUND: We have previously identified genome-wide DNA methylation changes in a cell line model of breast cancer metastasis. These complex epigenetic changes that we observed, along with concurrent karyotype analyses, have led us to hypothesize that complex genomic alterations in cancer cells (deletions, translocations and ploidy) are superimposed over promoter-specific methylation events that are responsible for gene-specific expression changes observed in breast cancer metastasis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We undertook simultaneous high-resolution, whole-genome analyses of MDA-MB-468GFP and MDA-MB-468GFP-LN human breast cancer cell lines (an isogenic, paired lymphatic metastasis cell line model) using Affymetrix gene expression (U133), promoter (1.0R), and SNP/CNV (SNP 6.0) microarray platforms to correlate data from gene expression, epigenetic (DNA methylation), and combination copy number variant/single nucleotide polymorphism microarrays. Using Partek Software and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis we integrated datasets from these three platforms and detected multiple hypomethylation and hypermethylation events. Many of these epigenetic alterations correlated with gene expression changes. In addition, gene dosage events correlated with the karyotypic differences observed between the cell lines and were reflected in specific promoter methylation patterns. Gene subsets were identified that correlated hyper (and hypo) methylation with the loss (or gain) of gene expression and in parallel, with gene dosage losses and gains, respectively. Individual gene targets from these subsets were also validated for their methylation, expression and copy number status, and susceptible gene pathways were identified that may indicate how selective advantage drives the processes of tumourigenesis and metastasis. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our approach allows more precisely profiling of functionally relevant epigenetic signatures that are associated with cancer progression and metastasis

Erythrina velutina Willd. alkaloids: Piecing biosynthesis together from transcriptome analysis and metabolite profiling of seeds and leaves

Introduction: Natural products of pharmaceutical interest often do not reach the drug market due to the associated low yields and difficult extraction. Knowledge of biosynthetic pathways is a key element in the development of biotechnological strategies for plant specialized metabolite production. The scarce studies regarding non-model plants impair advances in this field. Erythrina spp. are mainly used as central nervous system depressants in folk medicine and are important sources of bioactive tetracyclic benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, which can act on several pathology-related biological targets. Objective: Herein the purpose is to employ combined transcriptome and metabolome analyses (seeds and leaves) of a non-model medicinal Fabaceae species grown in its unique arid natural habitat. The study tries to propose a putative biosynthetic pathway for the bioactive alkaloids by using an omic integrated approach. Methods: The Next Generation Sequencing-based transcriptome (de novo RNA sequencing) was carried out in a Illumina NextSeq 500 platform. Regarding the targeted metabolite profiling, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and the High-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to a micrOTOF-QII, High Resolution Mass Spectrometer, were used. Results: This detailed macro and micromolecular approach applied to seeds and leaves of E. velutina revealed 42 alkaloids by metabolome tools. Based on the combined evidence, 24 gene candidates were put together in a putative pathway leading to the singular alkaloid diversity of this species. Conclusion: These results contribute by indicating potential biotechnological targets Erythrina alkaloids biosynthesis as well as to improve molecular databases with omic data from a non-model medicinal plant. Furthermore, they reveal an interesting chemical diversity in Erythrina velutina harvested in Caatinga. Last, but not least, this data may also contribute to tap Brazilian biodiversity in a rational and sustainable fashion, promoting adequate public policies for preservation and protection of sensitive areas within the Caatinga

The Comprehensive Assessment of Neurodegeneration and Dementia: Canadian Cohort Study.

BackgroundThe Comprehensive Assessment of Neurodegeneration and Dementia (COMPASS-ND) cohort study of the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA) is a national initiative to catalyze research on dementia, set up to support the research agendas of CCNA teams. This cross-country longitudinal cohort of 2310 deeply phenotyped subjects with various forms of dementia and mild memory loss or concerns, along with cognitively intact elderly subjects, will test hypotheses generated by these teams.MethodsThe COMPASS-ND protocol, initial grant proposal for funding, fifth semi-annual CCNA Progress Report submitted to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research December 2017, and other documents supplemented by modifications made and lessons learned after implementation were used by the authors to create the description of the study provided here.ResultsThe CCNA COMPASS-ND cohort includes participants from across Canada with various cognitive conditions associated with or at risk of neurodegenerative diseases. They will undergo a wide range of experimental, clinical, imaging, and genetic investigation to specifically address the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of these conditions in the aging population. Data derived from clinical and cognitive assessments, biospecimens, brain imaging, genetics, and brain donations will be used to test hypotheses generated by CCNA research teams and other Canadian researchers. The study is the most comprehensive and ambitious Canadian study of dementia. Initial data posting occurred in 2018, with the full cohort to be accrued by 2020.ConclusionAvailability of data from the COMPASS-ND study will provide a major stimulus for dementia research in Canada in the coming years

Expanding tropical forest monitoring into Dry Forests: The DRYFLOR protocol for permanent plots

This is the final version. Available on open access from Wiley via the DOI in this recordSocietal Impact Statement Understanding of tropical forests has been revolutionized by monitoring in permanent plots. Data from global plot networks have transformed our knowledge of forests’ diversity, function, contribution to global biogeochemical cycles, and sensitivity to climate change. Monitoring has thus far been concentrated in rain forests. Despite increasing appreciation of their threatened status, biodiversity, and importance to the global carbon cycle, monitoring in tropical dry forests is still in its infancy. We provide a protocol for permanent monitoring plots in tropical dry forests. Expanding monitoring into dry biomes is critical for overcoming the linked challenges of climate change, land use change, and the biodiversity crisis.Newton FundNatural Environment Research Council (NERC)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São PauloCYTE

Ethylene receptors and related proteins in climacteric and non-climacteric fruits

Fruits have been traditionally classified into two categories based on their capacity to produce and respond to ethylene during ripening. Fruits whose ripening is associated to a peak of ethylene production and a respiration burst are referred to as climacteric, while those that are not are referred to as non-climacteric. However, an increasing body of literature supports an important role for ethylene in the ripening of both climacteric and non-climacteric fruits. Genome and transcriptomic data have become available across a variety of fruits and we leverage these data to compare the structure and transcriptional regulation of the ethylene receptors and related proteins. Through the analysis of four economically important fruits, two climacteric (tomato and apple), and two non-climacteric (grape and citrus), this review compares the structure and transcriptional regulation of the ethylene receptors and related proteins in both types of fruit, establishing a basis for the annotation of ethylene-related genes. This analysis reveals two interesting differences between climacteric and non-climacteric fruit: i) a higher number of ETR genes are found in climacteric fruits, and ii) non-climacteric fruits are characterized by an earlier ETR expression peak relative to sugar accumulation

31st Annual Meeting and Associated Programs of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC 2016) : part two

Background The immunological escape of tumors represents one of the main ob- stacles to the treatment of malignancies. The blockade of PD-1 or CTLA-4 receptors represented a milestone in the history of immunotherapy. However, immune checkpoint inhibitors seem to be effective in specific cohorts of patients. It has been proposed that their efficacy relies on the presence of an immunological response. Thus, we hypothesized that disruption of the PD-L1/PD-1 axis would synergize with our oncolytic vaccine platform PeptiCRAd. Methods We used murine B16OVA in vivo tumor models and flow cytometry analysis to investigate the immunological background. Results First, we found that high-burden B16OVA tumors were refractory to combination immunotherapy. However, with a more aggressive schedule, tumors with a lower burden were more susceptible to the combination of PeptiCRAd and PD-L1 blockade. The therapy signifi- cantly increased the median survival of mice (Fig. 7). Interestingly, the reduced growth of contralaterally injected B16F10 cells sug- gested the presence of a long lasting immunological memory also against non-targeted antigens. Concerning the functional state of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), we found that all the immune therapies would enhance the percentage of activated (PD-1pos TIM- 3neg) T lymphocytes and reduce the amount of exhausted (PD-1pos TIM-3pos) cells compared to placebo. As expected, we found that PeptiCRAd monotherapy could increase the number of antigen spe- cific CD8+ T cells compared to other treatments. However, only the combination with PD-L1 blockade could significantly increase the ra- tio between activated and exhausted pentamer positive cells (p= 0.0058), suggesting that by disrupting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis we could decrease the amount of dysfunctional antigen specific T cells. We ob- served that the anatomical location deeply influenced the state of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. In fact, TIM-3 expression was in- creased by 2 fold on TILs compared to splenic and lymphoid T cells. In the CD8+ compartment, the expression of PD-1 on the surface seemed to be restricted to the tumor micro-environment, while CD4 + T cells had a high expression of PD-1 also in lymphoid organs. Interestingly, we found that the levels of PD-1 were significantly higher on CD8+ T cells than on CD4+ T cells into the tumor micro- environment (p < 0.0001). Conclusions In conclusion, we demonstrated that the efficacy of immune check- point inhibitors might be strongly enhanced by their combination with cancer vaccines. PeptiCRAd was able to increase the number of antigen-specific T cells and PD-L1 blockade prevented their exhaus- tion, resulting in long-lasting immunological memory and increased median survival

Desenvolvimento de métodos analíticos de desreplicação por RMN, EM e análise multivariada do perfil metabolômico de espécies de Solanaceae com potencial biológico

The use of drugs from natural sources is as old as humanity itself. However, due to the economic impact caused by globalization, many pharmaceutic industries searched for alternatives to speed-up assays aiming for simpler structural molecules and low-costs budgets. Therefore, the insertion and development of methods of dereplication associated to metabolomics studies through an approach in system biology is a key issue when searching for bioactive molecules. Recently, due to the advancement of technology, the use of hyphenated techniques such as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to spectroscopic methods like nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) intensified the metabolomic and system biology research in plants and fungi thus, accelerating the selection of bioactive substances. This project aims to study the molecular dynamics in complex matrixes using multivariate analysis and in doing so generating analytical tools to apply as a rational approach towards the study of bioactive natural products and the understanding of their complexity. To accomplish this task, specimens deposited in our bank of extracts, from the Solanaceae family, little studied on their chemical composition but that showed interesting bioactivities form initial biological screenings, will be the object of study on this project.O uso de extratos e tinturas de partir de fontes naturais para fins terapêuticos remonta o aparecimento da humanidade. A ação biológica proveniente destas misturas é justificado pela diversidade estrutural e química de seus compostos na qual, interagem concomitante a diferentes alvos proteicos. No entanto, os últimos anos foram marcados pela substituição das metodologias clássicas de isolamento e teste biológicos por ferramentas de automação como High Throughput Screening (HTS) e o uso da química combinatória para a geração de substâncias. No entanto, os resultados até o momento foram insatisfatórios e a indústria tem retomado o uso dos produtos naturais. Para tanto, ela tem buscado por abordagens mais racionais de detecção e identificação estrutural de biomarcadores. Dentro dessa óptica, a inserção e o desenvolvimento de metodologias de desreplicação associadas a estudos metabolômicos sob a visão da biologia sistêmica torna-se crítica na busca por micromoléculas ativas. Recentemente, o uso de técnicas hifenadas como a cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (CLAE), associadas a métodos espectroscópicos de RMN e a espectrometria de massas de alta resolução (EMAR), tem sido fundamentais na geração de métodos analíticos em estudos metabolômicos e de biologia sistêmica em plantas, fungos endofíticos, e outras organismo, acelerando a escolha de matrizes bioativas promissoras. Este projeto visa ao entendimento das relações moleculares presentes em matrizes dinâmicas gerando ferramentas analíticas para uma abordagem racional no estudo de produtos naturais bioativos. Para tanto, espécimes depositadas na nossa extratoteca, da família Solanaceae, pouco estudadas no que diz respeito a sua composição química serão o objeto de estudo deste projeto

Estudo de Jatropha gossypifolia e J. multifida (Euphorbiaceae) aplicando métodos analíticos in silico e de desreplicação, visando a detecção e elucidação in situ dos constituintes micromoleculares com atividade acetilcolinesterásicas e antioxidante

No presente trabalho foram detectados e analisados os metabólitos secundários majoritários das espécies Jatropha multifida L. e J. gossypifolia L., fazendo uso de ferramentas quimiométricas de vanguarda, visando a otimização do processo de extração para, posteriormente, obter cromatogramas de fingerprint através da técnica acoplada CLAE-UV/DAD. Para a espécie J. gossypifolia L. a mistura 1 : 1 clorofórmio : isopropanol apresentou a melhor condição de extração enquanto para J. multifida L. a composição 2/3 : 1/6 : 1/6 de etanol : acetona : 1,4-dioxano foi a que obteve a melhor resposta. Os cromatogramas de fingerprint foram realizados fazendo uso de uma coluna monolítica C-18 (5 µm), como fase estacionária, enquanto a fase móvel para análise da espécie J. gossypifolia L. foi composta por água e uma mistura de solventes orgânicos, MeOH : ACN, na proporção (68 : 32), em gradiente exploratório de 5-100% de fase orgânica. Para a espécie J. gossypifolia L., as condições otimizadas foram: temperatura de coluna de 30 °C, fluxo em 2,0 mL·min-1 e o volume de injeção de 30 µL. Para J. multifida L. a fase móvel foi composta por água e uma mistura MeOH : ACN 1 : 1 em gradiente exploratório 5-100% de fase orgânica. A temperatura de coluna de 40 °C, o fluxo de 2,5 mL·min-1 e o volume de injeção foi de 30 µL. Foram realizados bioensaios in vitro, tais como a redução do reagente DPPH (ação antioxidante), inibição da polimerização da hematina bovina (ação antimalárica), inibição enzimática de acetilcolinesterase (doença de Alzheimer) e o ensaio da inibição do crescimento de fungos fitopatógenos. Nenhum dos extratos brutos avaliados, apresentou atividade significativa quando comparados com os padrões. Quanto à detecção dos metabólitos, a aplicação de métodos de desreplicação aos extratos permitiram a identificação de algumas classes...The main goal of this research was to detect and analyze major secondary metabolites from Jatropha multifida L. and J. gossypifolia L. species, using state of art techniques in chemometrics aiming the optimization of the extraction process prior to the acquisition of the fingerprint chromatogram using HPLC-UV/DAD. The optimized extraction condition for Jatropha gossypifolia was the binary mixture 1:1 chloroform:isopropanol, while to Jatropha multifida L. the mixture was ternary consisting of 2/3:1/6:1/6 ethanol:acetone:1,4-dioxane. The fingerprint chromatograms were runned using an exploratory gradient consisting of 5-100% of organic solvent, using a C-18 (5 µm) column, as stationary phase, and then the mobile phase was optimized, through the use of chemometrics for each species. In the case of Jatropha gossypifolia L. the phase consisted in a mixture of 68:32 MeOH:ACN, under a column temperature of 30 oC, injection volume of 30 µL and a flow of 2.0 mL.min-1. For Jatropha multifida L. was 1:1 MeOH:ACN, under column temperature of 40 oC, flow of 2,5 mL.min-1 and an injection volume of 30 µL. Some in vitro bioassays were performed, such as, reduction of the reagent DPPH (antioxidant action), inhibition of polymerization of the haematin bovine (antimalarial), enzymatic inhibition of the acetylcholinesterase (Alzheimer’s disease) and the assay of inhibition of the growth of phytopatogenic fungi. None of the crude extracts showed significant activities when compared to the used standards. The application of dereplication methods allowed the identification of some classes of compounds, already reported for Jatropha, such as terpenoids and flavonoids. The strategy developed to performed the dereplication, used an in silico approach through the matching and analysis of the spectrometric and spectroscopic data sets obtained using NMR and HPLC-HRMS(ESI)-MS2 with databases of high... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

How likely is proportional representation in the House of Commons? Lessons from international experience

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>This article asks what international evidence suggests about the likelihood of major reform of the system used to elect the British House of Commons. It identifies four paths that have generated major electoral reform or come close to doing so in established democracies in recent decades and examines how likely each is to lead to reform in the UK. It argues that, on this evidence, reform in the UK is unlikely but not impossible.</jats:p