Development of Cellular Models to Study Efficiency and Safety of Gene Edition by Homologous Directed Recombination Using the CRISPR/Cas9 System

In spite of the enormous potential of CRISPR/Cas in basic and applied science, the levels of undesired genomic modifications cells still remain mostly unknown and controversial. Nowadays, the efficiency and specificity of the cuts generated by CRISPR/Cas is the main concern. However, there are also other potential drawbacks when DNA donors are used for gene repair or gene knock-ins. These GE strategies should take into account not only the specificity of the nucleases, but also the fidelity of the DNA donor to carry out their function. The current methods to quantify the fidelity of DNA donor are costly and lack sensitivity to detect illegitimate DNA donor integrations. In this work, we have engineered two reporter cell lines (K562_SEWAS84 and K562GWP) that efficiently quantify both the on-target and the illegitimate DNA donor integrations in a WAS-locus targeting setting. K562_SEWAS84 cells allow the detection of both HDR-and HITI-based donor integration, while K562GWP cells only report HDR-based GE. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first reporter systems that allow the use of gRNAs targeting a relevant locus to measure efficacy and specificity of DNA donor-based GE strategies. By using these models, we have found that the specificity of HDR is independent of the delivery method and that the insertion of the target sequence into the DNA donor enhances efficiency but do not affect specificity. Finally, we have also shown that the higher the number of the target sites is, the higher the specificity and efficacy of GE will be.Spanish ISCIII Health Research FundEuropean Union (EU) PI15/02015 PI18/00337 PI18/00330CECEyU of the Junta de Andalucia FEDER/European Cohesion Fund (FSE) 2016000073391-TRA 2016000073332-TRA PI-57069 CARTPI-0001-201 PAIDI-Bio326 PI-0014-2016CSyF of the Junta de Andalucia FEDER/European Cohesion Fund (FSE) 2016000073391-TRA 2016000073332-TRA PI-57069 CARTPI-0001-201 PAIDI-Bio326 PI-0014-2016Nicolas Monardes regional Ministry of Health contract 0006/2018Fundacion Poco FrecuenteSpanish Government FPU17/04327 FPU17/02268ISCIII through a PFIS fellowship FI19/00163SMSI PEJ-2018-001760-

Effects of Endophytic Entomopathogenic Ascomycetes on the Life-History Traits of Aphis gossypii Glover and Its Interactions with Melon Plants

Entomopathogenic fungi are sprayed commercially for aphid control in greenhouses. Recently, their ability to grow endophytically within plants was discovered, offering the opportunity for systemic biological control. Endophytic colonization of host plants could also influence life-table parameters and behavior of herbivores. We investigated lethal and pre-mortality effects of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium brunneum on Aphis gossypii; aphids either received inoculum while feeding on recently sprayed leaves (surface inoculum and endophytically-colonized) or while feeding on unsprayed but endophytically-colonized leaves. We used choice assays to identify any preferences for endophytically-colonized or control plants. Volatile emissions from endophytically-colonized plants and control plants were also compared. Aphid mortality rates ranged between 48.2 and 56.9% on sprayed leaves, and between 37.7 and 50.0 on endophytically-colonized leaves. There was a significant effect of endophytic colonization on the rate of nymph production, but this did not result in an overall increase in the aphid population. Endophytic colonization did not influence host-plant selection even though there were qualitative and quantitative differences in the blend of volatiles released by endophytically-colonized and control plants. Although endophytic colonization did not change herbivore behavior, plants still benefit via indirect defense, resistance to plant pathogens or abiotic stress tolerance

Biodetection Techniques for Quantification of Chemokines

Chemokines are a class of cytokine whose special properties, together with their involvement and relevant role in various diseases, make them a restricted group of biomarkers suitable for diagnosis and monitoring. Despite their importance, biodetection techniques dedicated to the selective determination of one or more chemokines are very scarce. For some years now, the critical diagnosis of inflammatory diseases by detecting both cytokine and chemokine biomarkers, has had a strong impact on the development of multiple detection platforms. However, it would be desirable to implement methodologies with a higher degree of selectivity for chemokines, in order to provide more precise information. In addition, better development of biosensor technology applied to this specific field would make it possible to address the main challenges of detection methods for several diseases with a high incidence in the population, avoiding high costs and low sensitivity. Taking this into account, this review aims to present the state of the art of chemokine biodetection techniques and emphasize the role of these systems in the prevention, monitoring and treatment of various diseases associated with chemokines as a starting point for future developments that are also analyzed throughout the article.Depto. de Química AnalíticaFac. de Ciencias QuímicasTRUEMinisterio de Ciencia, Innovación y UniversidadesComunidad de Madridpu

Electrochemical Immunosensor for Simultaneous Determination of Emerging Autoimmune Disease Biomarkers in Human Serum †

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder characterized by persistent erosive synovitis, systemic inflammation and the presence of autoantibodies, which play an important role in inducing inflammation and joint damage, releasing pro-inflammatory cytokines from monocytes and macrophages [1,2]. Likewise, neutrophil activating protein-2 (CXCL7) is a platelet-derived growth factor belonging to the CXC chemokine subfamily, which is expressed in serum, synovial fluid and synovial tissue of patients developing rheumatoid arthritis during the first twelve weeks, being useful to reflect local pathological changes [3]. Besides, matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), which is induced by inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in rheumatoid synovium, degrades several extracellular matrix components of cartilage and plays central roles in rheumatoid joint destruction [4]. Therefore, monitoring serum CXCL7 and MMP-3 levels is useful for predicting the disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis. In this work, the construction and analytical performance of a dual electrochemical platform for the simultaneous determination of CXCL7 and MMP-3 is described. After the optimization of experimental variables involved in the preparation and implementation of the biosensor, the analytical usefulness of the developed configuration was demonstrated by its application to the determination of these biomarkers in serum samples from healthy individuals and patients with rheumatoid arthritis. To carry out the simultaneous determination of CXCL7 and MMP3 in human serum, just a fifty-fold sample dilution in PBS of pH 7.4 was required. In addition, the results obtained using the dual immunosensor were compared with those provided by the respective ELISA immunoassays, yielding no significant differences between the two methods. It is important to highlight that reagents consumption, four times smaller using the dual immunosensor than that required in the ELISA protocol, and an assay time of 2 h 50 min versus almost 5 h, counted in both cases after incubation of the capture antibody, are advantageous features of the dual immunosensor [5].Depto. de Química AnalíticaFac. de Ciencias QuímicasTRUEMinisterio de Ciencia, Innovación y UniversidadesComunidad de Madridpu

Adaptación a la docencia de materiales de feedback como soporte a la adquisición de competencias en el ámbito de las bases de datos

Memoria ID-0237. Ayudas de la Universidad de Salamanca para la innovación docente, curso 2014-2015

Regulation of neuronal energy metabolism by calcium: role of MCU and aralar/malate-aspartate shuttle

Calcium is a major regulator of cellular metabolism. Calcium controls mitochondrial respiration, and calcium signaling is used to meet cellular energetic demands through energy production in the organelle. Although it has been widely assumed that Ca2+-actions require its uptake by mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU), alternative pathways modulated by cytosolic Ca2+ have been recently proposed. Recent findings have indicated a role for cytosolic Ca2+ signals acting on mitochondrial NADH shuttles in the control of cellular metabolism in neurons using glucose as fuel. It has been demonstrated that AGC1/Aralar, the component of the malate/aspartate shuttle (MAS) regulated by cytosolic Ca2+, participates in the maintenance of basal respiration exerted through Ca2+-fluxes between ER and mitochondria, whereas mitochondrial Ca2+-uptake by MCU does not contribute. Aralar/MAS pathway, activated by small cytosolic Ca2+ signals, provides in fact substrates, redox equivalents and pyruvate, fueling respiration. Upon activation and increases in workload, neurons upregulate OxPhos, cytosolic pyruvate production and glycolysis, together with glucose uptake, in a Ca2+-dependent way, and part of this upregulation is via Ca2+ signaling. Both MCU and Aralar/MAS contribute to OxPhos upregulation, Aralar/MAS playing a major role, especially at small and submaximal workloads. Ca2+ activation of Aralar/MAS, by increasing cytosolic NAD+/NADH provides Ca2+-dependent increases in glycolysis and cytosolic pyruvate production priming respiration as a feed-forward mechanism in response to workload. Thus, except for glucose uptake, these processes are dependent on Aralar/MAS, whereas MCU is the relevant target for Ca2+ signaling when MAS is bypassed, by using pyruvate or β-hydroxybutyrate as substrate

Incorporación de metodologías visuales de soporte a móviles en docencia presencial

Memoria ID-0216. Ayudas de la Universidad de Salamanca para la innovación docente, curso 2014-2015

El Currículum de la Titulación de Educación Especial: un análisis de las necesidades de formación inicial y de la formación permanente del Profesorado en ejercicio

The work that we present corresponds to the thrid stage of a Project of Educational Quality Improvement of the Faculty of Sciences of the Education of Cordoba initiated in 1999-2000 course. Its basic objective consists of contributing to the improvement and adjustement of curriculum for the degree of Maestro/a in Special Education through, in this case, the study of the demands of the educational demands shown by professionals who work in this specific field in educative centers of this province and the professional roles expected for the students of the specialty. Its necessity is justified, firstly, by the establishment of the existing divergence between the professional identity handled by the pupils of that specialty and its connection with the professional exigencies which they will have to face in the future and, secondly, if this divergence is stated, to cause the collective reflection of the university teaching staff on the professional models that are trasmitted and how to improve the educational task and the curricula in order to adapt them to the necessities and present social demands.El trabajo que presentamos corresponde a la tercera etapa de un Proyecto de Mejora de la Calidad Docente de la Facultad de Ciencias de la Educacion de Córdoba iniciado en el curso 1999-2000. Su objetivo básico consiste en contribuir al perfeccionamiento y adecuación del currículo formativo para la Titulación de Maestro/a en Educación Especial a través, en este caso, del estudio de las demandas de formación que manifiestan los profesionales que trabajan en este campo específico en centros educativos de esta provincia y los roles profesionales esperados por los y las estudiantes de la especialidad.Su necesidad de justifica, en primer lugar, por la constatación de la divergencia existente entre la identidad profesional que manejaba el Alumnado de esa especialidad y su conexión con las exigencias profesionales a las que deberán enfrentarse en el futuro y, en segundo, caso de constatarse esta divergencia provocar la reflexión colectiva del Profesorado universitario sobre los modelos profesionales que se transmiten y cómo mejorar el quehacer docente y los currículos al objeto de adecuarlos a las necesidades y demandas sociales actuales

Glucagon regulation of oxidative phosphorylation requires an increase in matrixadenine nucleotide content through Ca2+-activation of the mitochondrial ATPMg/Pi carrier SCaMC-3

13 p.-6 fig.-1 tab.It has been known for a long time that mitochondria isolated from hepatocytes treated with glucagon or Ca(2+)-mobilizing agents such as phenylephrine show an increase in their adenine nucleotide (AdN) content, respiratory activity, and calcium retention capacity (CRC). Here, we have studied the role of SCaMC-3/slc25a23, the mitochondrial ATP-Mg/Pi carrier present in adult mouse liver, in the control of mitochondrial AdN levels and respiration in response to Ca(2+) signals as a candidate target of glucagon actions. With the use of SCaMC-3 knock-out (KO) mice, we have found that the carrier is responsible for the accumulation of AdNs in liver mitochondria in a strictly Ca(2+)-dependent way with an S0.5 for Ca(2+) activation of 3.3 ± 0.9 μm. Accumulation of matrix AdNs allows a SCaMC-3-dependent increase in CRC. In addition, SCaMC-3-dependent accumulation of AdNs is required to acquire a fully active state 3 respiration in AdN-depleted liver mitochondria, although further accumulation of AdNs is not followed by increases in respiration. Moreover, glucagon addition to isolated hepatocytes increases oligomycin-sensitive oxygen consumption and maximal respiratory rates in cells derived from wild type, but not SCaMC-3-KO mice and glucagon administration in vivo results in an increase in AdN content, state 3 respiration and CRC in liver mitochondria in wild type but not in SCaMC-3-KO mice. These results show that SCaMC-3 is required for the increase in oxidative phosphorylation observed in liver mitochondria in response to glucagon and Ca(2+)-mobilizing agents, possibly by allowing a Ca(2+)-dependent accumulation of mitochondrial AdNs and matrix Ca(2+), events permissive for other glucagon actions.This work was supported in part by Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia Grants BFU2008-04084/BMC and BFU2011-30456, European Union Grant LSHMCT- 2006-518153, and CIBERER Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Red de Enfermedades Raras (an initiative of the ISCIII Instituto de SaludCarlos III) (to J. S.), Comunidad de Madrid Grants S-GEN-0269-2006 and S2010/BMD-2402 MITOLAB-CM (to J. S., E. R., and A. S.), by ISCIII Grant PI080610 (to A. delA), and an institutional grant from the Fundación Ramon Areces to the Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa.Peer reviewe

Genome-edited adult stem cells: Next-generation advanced therapy medicinal products

Over recent decades, gene therapy, which has enabled the treatment of several incurable diseases, has undergone a veritable revolution. Cell therapy has also seen major advances in the treatment of various diseases, particularly through the use of adult stem cells (ASCs). The combination of gene and cell therapy (GCT) has opened up new opportunities to improve advanced therapy medicinal products for the treatment of several diseases. Despite the considerable potential of GCT, the use of retroviral vectors has major limitations with regard to oncogene transactivation and the lack of physiological expression. Recently, gene therapists have focused on genome editing (GE) technologies as an alternative strategy. In this review, we discuss the potential benefits of using GE technologies to improve GCT approaches based on ASCs. We will begin with a brief summary of different GE platforms and techniques and will then focus on key therapeutic approaches that have been successfully used to treat diseases in animal models. Finally, we discuss whether ASC GE could become a real alternative to retroviral vectors in a GCT setting.European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), Grant/Award Numbers: PI18/01610, PI18/00330, PI18/00337, grants PI12/01097; Spanish ISCIII Health Research Fun