Alterações mitocondriais e tumorigênese de câncer gástrico em Sapajus apella

Cancer is the name given to a variety of diseases that can occur in different regions of the body, which is characterized primarily by the deregulated proliferation of cells. A very important organelle in both normal and mutated cells is mitochondria, responsible for most of the ATP production in the cell. Mutations in mitochondrial DNA can lead to apoptosis or influence the efficiency of ATP formation. Considering several different estimates, gastric cancer still in the five most incidental in world population, as well as in Brazilian and local population. In this way, understanding tumor behavior becomes important for fight against this pathology. With this, the objective of the present work was to analyze presence of mitochondrial DNA alterations of gastric carcinoma lines implanted in an animal model. Four mitochondrial genes (COI, ATPase 8, ND1 and ND3) from four gastric cancer strains (AGP01, ACP02, ACP03 and PG100) and one control (Carcinossarcoma 256 from Walker) were analyzed to evaluate possible mitochondrial DNA mutations. These strains were inoculated in non-human primates of the Sapajus apella species, and some animals received the carcinogenic substance N-methyl-N-nitrosurea (MNU) concomitantly with the strains. The gastric tumors that developed in the animals were surgically removed, after which DNA extraction, amplification and sequencing of the sequences of interest were done. Changes were observed in the ND1 and ND3 genes. The two transitions found in ND1, one at position 3594 (CT) and 3693 (GA) of mitochondrial DNA, had no associated pathological record and were related to population markers. The AG transition at position 10398 of the ND3 gene resulted in the change from one threonine to alanine in the resulting amino acid, only in lines with more aggressive behavior or after MNU administration. Two heteroplasms were also identified in the ND1 gene at positions 3594 (C / T) and 3693 (A / G) only in the PG100 line after MNU, suggesting a difference in the DNA repair system of this line compared to the others. The results suggest that changes in the genes encoding proteins that participate in Complex I of the respiratory chain are more frequent than in other portions of the mtDNA in the analyzed gastric carcinoma strains.CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível SuperiorCNPq - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e TecnológicoCâncer é o nome dado a uma variedade de doenças que podem ocorrer em diferentes regiões do corpo, que se caracteriza principalmente pela proliferação desregulada de células. Uma organela muito importante, tanto em células normais quanto em células mutadas, é a mitocôndria, responsável pela maior parte da produção de ATP na célula. Mutações no DNA mitocondrial podem acarretar apoptose ou influenciar na eficiência da formação de ATP. Considerando diversas estimativas diferentes, o câncer gástrico sempre figura entre os cinco mais incidentes na população mundial, bem como na população brasileira e paraense. Dessa forma, entender o comportamento tumoral torna-se importante para o combate dessa patologia. O objetivo do trabalho, portanto, é analisar a presença de alterações no DNA mitocondrial de linhagens de carcinoma gástrico implantadas em um modelo animal. Foram analisados quatro genes mitocondriais (COI, ATPase 8, ND1 e ND3) de quatro linhagens de câncer gástrico (AGP01, ACP02, ACP03 e PG100) e uma controle (Carcinossarcoma 256 de Walker) para avaliar as possíveis mutações do DNA mitocondrial. Essas linhagens foram inoculadas em primatas não humanos da espécie Sapajus apella, sendo que alguns animais receberam concomitantemente com as linhagens a substância carcinogênica N-metil-N-nitrosurea (MNU). Os tumores gástricos que se desenvolveram nos animais foram retirados cirurgicamente, após isso foi feita a extração do DNA, amplificação e sequenciamento das sequencias de interesse. Foram observadas alterações nos genes ND1 e ND3. As duas transições encontradas em ND1, uma na posição 3594 (CT) e 3693 (GA) do DNA mitocondrial, não possuíam registro associado a nenhuma patologia, tendo sido relacionadas com marcadores populacionais. Os resultados sugerem que alterações nos genes codificadores de proteínas que participam do Complexo I da cadeia respiratória são mais frequentes que em outras porções do mtDNA nas linhagens de carcinoma gástrico analisadas.FAMAZ - Faculdade Metropolitana da AmazôniaUNINASSAU - Faculdade Maurício de Nassa

Avaliação do perfil de metilação e expressão do gene CDH1 em Cebus apella como modelo experimental para câncer gástrico

The gastric cancer remains a major cause of death among cancers in the world. In Brazil, are expected around 500 000 new cases in 2012/2013. The origin of stomach cancer, as in others, arises from the accumulation of genetic alterations. Therefore, it is necessary to know which genetic changes are important in triggering the pathogenesis of gastric cancer. We know that the intestinal type develops through well defined stages. The MNU - a known carcinogen - when ingested in oral form at dosages determined triggers development of this histological type of gastric cancer. Based on this knowledge, we conducted an experiment with six specime of Cebus paella, induced to develop intestinal type gastric cancer. The animals consumed 16mg/kg of body weight daily drugs. All pre-neoplasic lesions developed. Due to drug toxicity, only one survived the entire treatment and developed a tumor. Periodic evaluations were made of animals in pre-determined days (the beginning, days 120, 150, 300, 940) during which samples were made of the gastric mucosa. We collected 20 samples of tissue, distributed among normal mucosa, gastritis, dysplasia, metaplasia, and tumor. DNA extracted from these samples for further analyzes of the CDH1 gene. There is no sequence of this gene in the literature for the species under study. So the first step was to get this sequence. Using the initiators constructed from sequences of CDH1 Callithrix jacchus (species phylogenetically closer to C. apella) we get a sequence of 342pb. There is a similarity of 98% with humans, the presence of binding sites for transcription factors like (sp1, Ap2, NF-x, AREB6, Puf and CTF) and the presence of CAAT Box. The sequence has 30 CpG sites could suffer epigenetic regulation. We also performed MSP analysis with specific primers and found that the region analyzed, there was predominance of the unmethylated CDH1 alleles for all samples pre-neoplastic and adenocarcinoma sample is methylated. When we compared these data with immunohistochemistry revealed that only tumor sample did not express the protein cadherin. Our analyzes suggest that methylation of the CDH1 gene plays an important role in gastric tumorigenesis in C. apella. And, from the similarity between sequences, we suggest that the same occurs in humans. This cadherin promoter methylation leads to inactivation of the gene and establishment of gastric adenocarcinomas. The cadherin promoter hypermethylation has been reported in several articles associated with the development of gastric cancer.CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível SuperiorO câncer gástrico continua sendo uma importante causa de morte dentre os tipos de câncer no Brasil e no mundo. A origem do câncer de estomago provém, assim como nos demais, de acúmulo de alterações genéticas. Portanto, se faz necessário saber quais alterações genéticas são importantes para desencadear a patogênese do câncer gástrico. O MNU, conhecido carcinógeno, quando ingerido de forma oral em doses determinadas desencadeia o desenvolvimento de adenocarcinoma gástrico do tipo intestinal, com aparecimento de estágios pré definidos característico deste tipo tumoral. Com base nestes conhecimentos, realizamos um experimento com 6 macacos da espécie Cebus apella induzidos à desenvolver câncer gástrico do tipo intestinal. Os animais ingeriam 16mg/kg de peso diariamente da droga, com desenvolvimento de lesões pré-neoplásicas em todos. Infelizmente, devido à toxicidade da droga, somente um animal sobreviveu ao tratamento e desenvolveu desenvolveu uma massa tumoral propriamente dita. Foram feitas avaliações periódicas dos animais, em dias pré-determinados (ao início, no 120º, 150º, 300º, 940º) com coletas de fragmentos da mucosa gástrica. Foram coletadas 20 amostras de tecido, distribuídas entre mucosa normal, gastrite, displasia, metaplasia e tumoral. Destas amostras extraímos DNA para as análises do gene CDH1. Não há na literatura sequencia deste gene para a espécie utilizada no estudo. Com este objetivo, utilizamos iniciadores construídos a partir de sequencias de CDH1 de Callithrix jacchus (espécie filogeneticamente) e seqüenciamos cerca de 342pb da região promotora de CDH1 de C. apella. As análises mostraram uma similaridade de 98% desta região com a dos humanos, com presença de vários sítios de ligação de fatores de transcrição (sp1, Ap2, NF-x, AREB6, Puf e CTF) além da presença do CAAT Box. Esta região ainda possui 30 sitios CpGs, o que indica que ela pode estar sofrendo regulação epigenética. Para se verificar como se encontrava o padrão de metilação desta região realizamos uma análise de MSP com iniciadores específicos e constatamos que houve predominância de alelos não metilados de CDH1 para todas as amostras pré neoplásicas e a amostra de adenocarcinoma encontra-se metilada. O que pode ser constatado com um ensaio de Imunohistoquímica, onde somente a amostra tumoral não expressava a proteína caderina. Desta maneira nossas análises sugerem que a metilação do gene CDH1 desempenha papel importante na tumorigênese gástrica em C. apella, e é um evento tardio, uma vez que não é observado nos outro tipos teciduais não tumorais E, partindo-se da similaridade entre as seqüências, podemos sugerir que o mesmo evento pode está ocorrendo em humanos. Esta metilação do promotor do CDH1 leva a um silenciamento deste gene o que desencadeia o estabelecimento de adenocarcinomas gástricos, fato apoiado pela literatura onde vários trabalhos apontaram que a hipermetilação do promotor da caderina está associada ao desenvolvimento do câncer gástrico

Data from: Phylogeography of the dark fruit-eating bat Artibeus obscurus in the Brazilian Amazon

Artibeus obscurus (Mammalia: Chiroptera) is endemic to South America, being found in at least 18 Brazilian states. Recent studies revealed that different populations of this genus present distinct phylogeographic patterns; however, very little is known on the population genetics structure of A. obscurus in the Amazon rainforest. Here, using a fragment (1010bp) of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome b from 87 samples, we investigated patterns of genetic divergence among populations of A. obscurus from different locations in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest and compared them with other Brazilian and South American regions. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), fixation index (Fst) analysis, and phylogeographic patterns showed divergence between two major monophyletic groups, each one corresponding to a geographic region associated with the Atlantic and Amazon forest biomes. The Atlantic forest clusters formed a monophyletic group with a high bootstrap support and a fragmented distribution that follows the pattern predicted by the Refuge Theory. On the other hand, a different scenario was observed for the Amazon forest, where no fragmentation was identified. The AMOVA results revealed a significant geographic heterogeneity in the distribution of genetic variation, with 70% found within populations across the studied populations (Fst values ranging from 0.05864 to 0.09673; φST = 0.55). The intrapopulational analysis revealed that one population (Bragança) showed significant evidence of population expansion, with the formation of 2 distinct phylogroups, suggesting the occurrence of a subspecies or at least a different population in this region. These results also suggest considerable heterogeneity for A. obscurus in the Amazon region

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An update on the epigenetics of glioblastomas

Federal University of Pará. Institute of Biological Sciences. Molecular Biology Laboratory. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. Institute of Biological Sciences. Molecular Biology Laboratory. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. Institute of Biological Sciences. Molecular Biology Laboratory. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. Institute of Biological Sciences. Molecular Biology Laboratory. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. Institute of Biological Sciences. Molecular Biology Laboratory. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. Institute of Biological Sciences. Molecular Biology Laboratory. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. Institute of Biological Sciences. Molecular Biology Laboratory. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. Institute of Biological Sciences. Molecular Biology Laboratory. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. Institute of Biological Sciences. Human Cytogenetics Laboratory. Belém, PA, Brazil.Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil.Federal University of Pará. Institute of Biological Sciences. Molecular Biology Laboratory. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. Institute of Biological Sciences. Molecular Biology Laboratory. Belém, PA, Brazil.Glioblastomas, also known as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), are the most aggressive and malignant type of primary brain tumor in adults, exhibiting notable variability at the histopathological, genetic and epigenetic levels. Recently, epigenetic alterations have emerged as a common hallmark of many tumors, including GBM. Considering that a deeper understanding of the epigenetic modifications that occur in GBM may increase the knowledge regarding the tumorigenesis, progression and recurrence of this disease, in this review we discuss the recent major advances in GBM epigenetics research involving histone modification, glioblastoma stem cells, DNA methylation, noncoding RNAs expression, including their main alterations and the use of epigenetic therapy as a valid option for GBM treatment