18 research outputs found
A Novel Nonsense Pathogenic TTN Variant Identified in a Patient with Severe Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development of dilated
cardiomyopathy. Among the genes involved, TTN mutations, including truncated variants, explain
25% of DCM cases. We performed genetic counseling and analysis on a 57-year-old woman
diagnosed with severe DCM and presenting relevant acquired risk factors for DCM (hypertension,
diabetes, smoking habit, and/or previous alcohol and cocaine abuse) and with a family history of
both DCM and sudden cardiac death. The left ventricular systolic function, as assessed by
standard echocardiography, was 20%. The genetic analysis performed using TruSight Cardio
panel, including 174 genes related to cardiac genetic diseases, revealed a novel nonsense TTN
variant (TTN:c.103591A > T, p.Lys34531*), falling within the M-band region of the titin protein. This
region is known for its important role in maintaining the structure of the sarcomere and in
promoting sarcomerogenesis. The identified variant was classified as likely pathogenic based on
ACMG criteria. The current results support the need of genetic analysis in the presence of a family
history, even when relevant acquired risk factors for DCM may have contributed to the severity of
the disease
Linking Internal Carbonate Chemistry Regulation and Calcification in Corals Growing at a Mediterranean CO2 Vent
Corals exert a strong biological control over their calcification processes, but there is a lack of knowledge on their capability of long-term acclimatization to ocean acidification (OA). We used a dual geochemical proxy approach to estimate the calcifying fluid pH (pHcf) and carbonate chemistry of a Mediterranean coral (Balanophyllia europaea) naturally growing along a pH gradient (range: pHTS 8.07â7.74). The pHcf derived from skeletal boron isotopic composition (ÎŽ11B) was 0.3â0.6 units above seawater values and homogeneous along the gradient (mean ± SEM: Site 1 = 8.39 ± 0.03, Site 2 = 8.34 ± 0.03, Site 3 = 8.34 ± 0.02). Also carbonate ion concentration derived from B/Ca was homogeneous [mean ± SEM (ÎŒmol kgâ1): Site 1 = 579 ± 34, Site 2 = 541 ± 27, Site 3 = 568 ± 30] regardless of seawater pH. Furthermore, gross calcification rate (GCR, mass of CaCO3 deposited on the skeletal unit area per unit of time), estimated by a âbio-inorganic modelâ (IpHRAC), was homogeneous with decreasing pH. The homogeneous GCR, internal pH and carbonate chemistry confirm that the features of the âbuilding blocksâ â the fundamental structural components â produced by the biomineralization process were substantially unaffected by increased acidification. Furthermore, the pH up-regulation observed in this study could potentially explain the previous hypothesis that less âbuilding blocksâ are produced with increasing acidification ultimately leading to increased skeletal porosity and to reduced net calcification rate computed by including the total volume of the pore space. In fact, assuming that the available energy at the three sites is the same, this energy at the low pH sites could be partitioned among fewer calicoblastic cells that consume more energy given the larger difference between external and internal pH compared to the control, leading to the production of less building blocks (i.e., formation of pores inside the skeleton structure, determining increased porosity). However, we cannot exclude that also dissolution may play a role in increasing porosity. Thus, the ability of scleractinian corals to maintain elevated pHcf relative to ambient seawater might not always be sufficient to counteract declines in net calcification under OA scenarios
Overview of the conservation status of Mediterranean anthozoans
The IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM â Regional AssessmentThis report presents the conservation status of the anthozoans occurring in the Mediterranean Sea, based on the assessment of 136 species using the IUCN Red List methodology. It identifies those species that are threatened with extinction at the regional level to guide appropriate conservation actions in order to improve their statusVersiĂłn del edito
Implementing preconception expanded carrier screening in a universal healthcare system: a model-based cost-effectiveness analysis
Purpose: The limited evidence available on the cost-effectiveness (CE) of expanded carrier screening (ECS) prevents its widespread use in most countries, including Italy. Herein, we aimed to estimate the CE of three ECS panels (i.e., American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) Tier 1 screening; "Focused Screening", testing 15 severe highly penetrant conditions, and ACMG Tier 3 screening) compared to no screening, the health care model currently adopted in Italy. Methods: The reference population consisted of Italian couples seeking pregnancy with no increased personal/familial genetic risk. The CE model was developed from the perspective of the Italian universal health-care system and based on the following assumptions: 100% sensitivity of investigated screening strategies; 77% intervention rate of at-risk couples (ARCs); no risk to conceive an affected child by risk-averse couples opting for medical interventions. Results: The incremental CE ratios (ICER) generated by comparing each genetic screening panel with no screening were: -14,875±1,208âŹ/life years gained (LYG) for ACMG1S, -106,863±2,379âŹ/LYG for Focused Screening and -47,277±1,430âŹ/LYG for ACMG3S. ACMG1S and Focused Screening were dominated by ACMG3S. The parameter uncertainty did not significantly affect the outcome of the analyses. Conclusion: From a universal health care system perspective, all the three ECS panels considered in the study would be more cost-effective than no screening
Transcriptional response of the heat shock gene hsp70 aligns with differences in stress susceptibility of shallow-water corals from the Mediterranean Sea
Shallow-water corals of the Mediterranean Sea are facing a dramatic increase in water temperature due to climate change, predicted to increase the frequency of bleaching and mass mortality events. However, supposedly not all corals are affected equally, as they show differences in stress susceptibility, as suggested by physiological outputs of corals along temperature gradients and under controlled conditions in terms of reproduction, demography, growth, calcification, and photosynthetic efficiency. In this study, gene expression and induction of a 70-kDa heat shock protein (HSP70) was analyzed in five common shallow-water hard corals in the Mediterranean Sea, namely Astroides calycularis, Balanophyllia europaea, Caryophyllia inornata, Cladocora caespitosa, and Leptopsammia pruvoti. The main aim was to assess the contribution of this evolutionary conserved cytoprotective mechanism to the physiological plasticity of these species that possess different growth modes (solitary vs colonial) and trophic strategies (zooxanthellate vs azooxanthellate). Using quantitative real-time PCR, in situ hsp70 baseline levels and expression profiles after a heat-shock exposure were assessed. Levels of hsp70 and heat stress induction were higher in zooxanthellate than in azooxanthellate species, and different heat stress transcriptional profiles were observed between colonial and solitary zooxanthellate corals. On the whole, the hsp70 transcriptional response to heat stress aligns with stress susceptibility of the species and suggests a contribution of trophic strategy and morphology in shaping coral resilience to stress. Understanding these molecular processes may contribute to assess the potential effects and relative resilience of Mediterranean corals under climate change
Metagenomic shifts in mucus, tissue and skeleton of the coral Balanophyllia europaea living along a natural CO2 gradient
Using the Mediterranean coral Balanophyllia europaea naturally growing along a pH gradient close to Panarea island (Italy) as a model, we explored the role of host-associated microbiomes in coral acclimatization to ocean acidification (OA). Coral samples were collected at three sites along the gradient, mimicking seawater conditions projected for 2100 under different IPCC (The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) scenarios, and mucus, soft tissue and skeleton associated microbiomes were characterized by shotgun metagenomics. According to our findings, OA induced functional changes in the microbiomes genetic potential that could mitigate the sub-optimal environmental conditions at three levels: i. selection of bacteria genetically equipped with functions related to stress resistance; ii. shifts in microbial carbohydrate metabolism from energy production to maintenance of cell membranes and walls integrity; iii. gain of functions able to respond to variations in nitrogen needs at the holobiont level, such as genes devoted to organic nitrogen mobilization. We hence provided hypotheses about the functional role of the coral associated microbiome in favoring host acclimatation to OA, remarking on the importance of considering the crosstalk among all the components of the holobiont to unveil how and to what extent corals will maintain their functionality under forthcoming ocean conditions
Seawater carbonate chemistry and internal carbonate chemistry regulation and calcification in corals growing at a Mediterranean CO2 vent
Corals exert a strong biological control over their calcification processes, but there is a lack of knowledge on their capability of long-term acclimatization to ocean acidification (OA). We used a dual geochemical proxy approach to estimate the calcifying fluid pH (pHcf) and carbonate chemistry of a Mediterranean coral (Balanophyllia europaea) naturally growing along a pH gradient (range: pHTS 8.07â7.74). The pHcf derived from skeletal boron isotopic composition (ÎŽ11B) was 0.3â0.6 units above seawater values and homogeneous along the gradient (mean +/- SEM: Site 1 = 8.39 +/- 0.03, Site 2 = 8.34 +/- 0.03, Site 3 = 8.34 +/- 0.02). Also carbonate ion concentration derived from B/Ca was homogeneous [mean +/- SEM (ÎŒmol /kg): Site 1 = 579 +/- 34, Site 2 = 541 +/- 27, Site 3 = 568 +/- 30] regardless of seawater pH. Furthermore, gross calcification rate (GCR, mass of CaCO3 deposited on the skeletal unit area per unit of time), estimated by a âbio-inorganic modelâ (IpHRAC), was homogeneous with decreasing pH. The homogeneous GCR, internal pH and carbonate chemistry confirm that the features of the âbuilding blocksâ â the fundamental structural components â produced by the biomineralization process were substantially unaffected by increased acidification. Furthermore, the pH up-regulation observed in this study could potentially explain the previous hypothesis that less âbuilding blocksâ are produced with increasing acidification ultimately leading to increased skeletal porosity and to reduced net calcification rate computed by including the total volume of the pore space. In fact, assuming that the available energy at the three sites is the same, this energy at the low pH sites could be partitioned among fewer calicoblastic cells that consume more energy given the larger difference between external and internal pH compared to the control, leading to the production of less building blocks (i.e., formation of pores inside the skeleton structure, determining increased porosity). However, we cannot exclude that also dissolution may play a role in increasing porosity. Thus, the ability of scleractinian corals to maintain elevated pHcf relative to ambient seawater might not always be sufficient to counteract declines in net calcification under OA scenarios
Patterns in microbiome composition differ with ocean acidification in anatomic compartments of the Mediterranean coral Astroides calycularis living at CO2 vents
Discovery of the first human arylsulfatase a reversible inhibitor impairing mouse oocyte fertilization
Arylsulfatase A (ARSA) plays a crucial role in the reproduction of mammals due to its involvement in the specific gamete interaction preceding sperm and egg fusion leading to fertilization. Recently, it has been shown that zona pellucida (ZP) sperm binding and in vivo fertilization in mice are markedly hampered by using a specific anti-ARSA antibody. Herein, the design and discovery of the first ARSA small molecule inhibitor based on a coumarin-containing polycycle are presented. Through a structure-based approach applied on our in-house library, compound 1r was identified as an ARSA reversible inhibitor (ARSAi); then its activity was validated through both surface plasmon resonance and biochemical inhibition experiments, the first providing a KD value of 21 ÎŒM and the latter an IC50 value of 13.2 ÎŒM. Further investigations highlighted that compound 1r induced 20% sperm death at 25 ÎŒM and also impaired sperm motility; nevertheless both the effects were mediated by ROS production, since they were rescued by the cotreatment of 1r and N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). Interestingly, while 1r was not able to hamper the ZP/sperm binding, it markedly decreased the in vitro oocyte fertilization by mouse sperm up to 60%. Notably, this effect was not hampered by 1r/NAC coadministration, hence allowing the ruling out of an ROS-dependent mechanism. In conclusion, herein is reported the first ever hit of ARSAi as a chemical tool that will enable better exploration of ARSA's biological role in fertilization as well as provide a starting point for developing 1r structure optimization aimed at increasing enzyme inhibition potency but also providing a deeper understanding of the involvement of ARSA in the fertilization pathway mechanism
Educational briefings in touristic facilities promote tourist sustainable behavior and customer loyalty
Ecotourism gives tourists the opportunity to improve knowledge and awareness of environmental issues while on vacation. Recreational environmental education has been proven an effective method to raise perception of human impact on ecosystems. "Glocal Education" is an education project aimed at developing environmental interest in tourists on vacation. The present study assessed the effectiveness of Glocal Education in improving tourist environmental interest. Using specific questionnaires, we evaluated project impact on tourists, tourist satisfaction regarding the project and customer loyalty towards the tour operator hosting the project. The study took place at three mass touristic facilities, where tourists were asked to fill a questionnaire before and after participating in educational activities (e.g., biology lessons, excursions). The average score of both questionnaires was then compared to evaluate possible improvement of tourist knowledge, attitude and awareness. Results showed that such activities had a significantly positive impact on tourist knowledge, attitude and awareness at all localities. High levels of satisfaction and loyalty towards the host tour operator were observed at all sites, which indicate that once a person is briefed about the correct approach to natural systems, they can become increasingly interested in taking action, developing an "advocate" role. This study shows how informal education activities can act as trigger for environmental awareness and behavior among tourists, providing them with the tools, knowledge, and motivation to critically discern what is and isn't environmentally friendly, not only in terms of products and services in their everyday life, but also when choosing their vacation spots