Examining the immune signatures of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy and the impact on neurodevelopment: Protocol of the SIGNATURE longitudinal study.

The COVID-19 pandemic represents a valuable opportunity to carry out cohort studies that allow us to advance our knowledge on pathophysiological mechanisms of neuropsychiatric diseases. One of these opportunities is the study of the relationships between inflammation, brain development and an increased risk of suffering neuropsychiatric disorders. Based on the hypothesis that neuroinflammation during early stages of life is associated with neurodevelopmental disorders and confers a greater risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorders, we propose a cohort study of SARS-CoV-2-infected pregnant women and their newborns. The main objective of SIGNATURE project is to explore how the presence of prenatal SARS-CoV-2 infection and other non-infectious stressors generates an abnormal inflammatory activity in the newborn. The cohort of women during the COVID-19 pandemic will be psychological and biological monitored during their pregnancy, delivery, childbirth and postpartum. The biological information of the umbilical cord (foetus blood) and peripheral blood from the mother will be obtained after childbirth. These samples and the clinical characterisation of the cohort of mothers and newborns, are tremendously valuable at this time. This is a protocol report and no analyses have been conducted yet, being currently at, our study is in the recruitment process step. At the time of this publication, we have identified 1,060 SARS-CoV-2 infected mothers and all have already given birth. From the total of identified mothers, we have recruited 537 SARS-COV-2 infected women and all of them have completed the mental health assessment during pregnancy. We have collected biological samples from 119 mothers and babies. Additionally, we have recruited 390 non-infected pregnant women

Examining the immune signatures of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy and the impact on neurodevelopment: Protocol of the SIGNATURE longitudinal study

The COVID-19 pandemic represents a valuable opportunity to carry out cohort studies that allow us to advance our knowledge on pathophysiological mechanisms of neuropsychiatric diseases. One of these opportunities is the study of the relationships between inflammation, brain development and an increased risk of suffering neuropsychiatric disorders. Based on the hypothesis that neuroinflammation during early stages of life is associated with neurodevelopmental disorders and confers a greater risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorders, we propose a cohort study of SARS-CoV-2-infected pregnant women and their newborns. The main objective of SIGNATURE project is to explore how the presence of prenatal SARS-CoV-2 infection and other non-infectious stressors generates an abnormal inflammatory activity in the newborn. The cohort of women during the COVID-19 pandemic will be psychological and biological monitored during their pregnancy, delivery, childbirth and postpartum. The biological information of the umbilical cord (foetus blood) and peripheral blood from the mother will be obtained after childbirth. These samples and the clinical characterisation of the cohort of mothers and newborns, are tremendously valuable at this time. This is a protocol report and no analyses have been conducted yet, being currently at, our study is in the recruitment process step. At the time of this publication, we have identified 1,060 SARS-CoV-2 infected mothers and all have already given birth. From the total of identified mothers, we have recruited 537 SARS-COV-2 infected women and all of them have completed the mental health assessment during pregnancy. We have collected biological samples from 119 mothers and babies. Additionally, we have recruited 390 non-infected pregnant women.This work has received support from the Fundación Alicia Koplowitz to realize the epigenetic wide association study and to the clinical assessment to the children. This work has also received public support from the Consejería de Salud y Familias para la financiación de la investigación, desarrollo e innovación (i + d + i) biomédica y en ciencias de la salud en Andalucía (CSyF 2021 - FEDER). Grant Grant number PECOVID- 0195-2020. Convocatoria financiada con Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) al 80% dentro del Programa Operativo de Andalucía FEDER 2014-2020. Andalucía se mueve con Europa. NG-T received payment under Rio Hortega contract CM20-00015 with the Carlos III Health Institute.Peer reviewe

14-3-3ζ binds class III phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase and inhibits autophagy

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved pathway involved in a great variety of physiological roles such as starvation adaptation, elimination of microorganisms and intracellular protein and organelle clearance. It seems clear that autophagy is strictly controlled because of the multiplicity of its functions and thus, autophagy components are finely regulated. Here, 14-3-3ζ protein has been shown as a negative regulator of autophagy by association and inactivation of the vesicle nucleation component vacuolar protein sorting 34 (hVps34), the class III phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3KC3). © 2011 Landes Bioscience.Peer Reviewe

Proteomic and biochemical analysis of 14-3-3-binding proteins during C2-ceramide-induced apoptosis

22 páginas, 8 figuras, 2 tablas.14-3-3 is a family of proteins comprising several isoforms that, in many cases, promote cell survival by association with proapoptotic proteins. This study was designed to obtain further understanding of the 14-3-3 role in apoptosis regulation, by analyzing apoptosis-related protein–14-3-3 interactions. Western blot analysis of an eluted fraction from the 14-3-3-affinity chromatography column identified proapoptotic proteins as receptor-interacting protein 3 and Bcl-2-antagonist/killer as new phophorylation-dependent 14-3-3-binding proteins under physiological conditions. The apoptosis inducer C2-ceramide promoted decay of the 14-3-3-binding signal of protein cell extracts. Investigation of the role of 14-3-3 in C2-ceramide-induced apoptosis showed that depletion of the 14-3-3ζ isoform sensitized to cell death, whereas overexpression of this isoform delayed cell death. A combination of tandem affinity purification and liquid chromatography–tandem MS techniques identified 15 proteins involved in cell survival processes whose 14-3-3-binding status changed during C2-ceramide-induced apoptosis. Under physiological conditions, desmin was clearly identified as a new 14-3-3-interactor protein, and vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein, nucleophosmin and calmodulin, whose 14-3-3 binding was suggested by others on the basis of MS analysis, were confirmed here as phosphorylation-dependent 14-3-3-associated proteins. Interestingly, proteins related to the regulation of DNA double-strand break repair in the early stages of apoptosis, such as DNA-dependent protein kinase, or the regulation of cell shrinkage during apoptosis, such as vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein and death promoters like receptor-interacting protein 3, were identified as 14-3-3-associated proteins whose 14-3-3-binding status changed when apoptosis was initiated. The functional diversity of these identified proteins suggests that 14-3-3 may regulate the apoptotic process through new mechanisms, in addition to others previously characterized.This work was supported by Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia grant BFU2006-01088 ⁄BMC and ‘Programa Ramón y Cajal’ contract (B.O.E. 17/02/2004 ORDEN CTE/351/2004) to M. P. Rubio.Peer reviewe

14-3-3 proteins are regulators of autophagy

14-3-3 proteins are implicated in the regulation of proteins involved in a variety of signaling pathways. 14-3-3-dependent protein regulation occurs through phosphorylation-dependent binding that results, in many cases, in the release of survival signals in cells. Autophagy is a cell digestion process that contributes to overcoming nutrient deprivation and is initiated under stress conditions. However, whether autophagy is a cell survival or cell death mechanism remains under discussion and may depend on context. Nevertheless, autophagy is a cellular process that determines cell fate and is tightly regulated by different signaling pathways, some of which, for example MAPK, PI3K and mTOR, are tightly regulated by 14-3-3 proteins. It is therefore important to understand the role of 14-3-3 protein in modulating the autophagic process. Within this context, direct binding of 14-3-3 to mTOR regulatory proteins, such as TSC2 and PRAS40, connects 14-3-3 with autophagy regulatory processes. In addition, 14-3-3 binding to human vacuolar protein sorting 34 (hVps34), a class III phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3KC3), indicates the involvement of 14-3-3 proteins in regulating autophagosome formation. hVps34 is involved in vesicle trafficking processes such as autophagy, and its activation is needed for initiation of autophagy. Chromatography and overlay techniques suggest that hVps34 directly interacts with 14-3-3 proteins under physiological conditions, thereby maintaining hVps34 in an inactive state. In contrast, nutrient starvation promotes dissociation of the 14-3-3-hVps34 complex, thereby enhancing hVps34 lipid kinase activity. Thus, 14-3-3 proteins are regulators of autophagy through regulating key components of the autophagic machinery. This review summarizes the role of 14-3-3 protein in the control of target proteins involved in regulating the master switches of autophagy

14-3-3 Proteins are Regulators of Autophagy

14-3-3 proteins are implicated in the regulation of proteins involved in a variety of signaling pathways. 14-3-3-dependent protein regulation occurs through phosphorylation-dependent binding that results, in many cases, in the release of survival signals in cells. Autophagy is a cell digestion process that contributes to overcoming nutrient deprivation and is initiated under stress conditions. However, whether autophagy is a cell survival or cell death mechanism remains under discussion and may depend on context. Nevertheless, autophagy is a cellular process that determines cell fate and is tightly regulated by different signaling pathways, some of which, for example MAPK, PI3K and mTOR, are tightly regulated by 14-3-3 proteins. It is therefore important to understand the role of 14-3-3 protein in modulating the autophagic process. Within this context, direct binding of 14-3-3 to mTOR regulatory proteins, such as TSC2 and PRAS40, connects 14-3-3 with autophagy regulatory processes. In addition, 14-3-3 binding to human vacuolar protein sorting 34 (hVps34), a class III phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3KC3), indicates the involvement of 14-3-3 proteins in regulating autophagosome formation. hVps34 is involved in vesicle trafficking processes such as autophagy, and its activation is needed for initiation of autophagy. Chromatography and overlay techniques suggest that hVps34 directly interacts with 14-3-3 proteins under physiological conditions, thereby maintaining hVps34 in an inactive state. In contrast, nutrient starvation promotes dissociation of the 14-3-3–hVps34 complex, thereby enhancing hVps34 lipid kinase activity. Thus, 14-3-3 proteins are regulators of autophagy through regulating key components of the autophagic machinery. This review summarizes the role of 14-3-3 protein in the control of target proteins involved in regulating the master switches of autophagy

Regulation of the 14-3-3-binding protein p39 by growth factors and nutrients in rat PC12 pheochromocytoma cells

Unstimulated PC12 pheochromocytoma cells contain many proteins that bound to 14-3-3s in competition with a 14-3-3-binding peptide. Additional proteins, including one of 39 kDa (p39), became capable of binding to 14-3-3s in phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent responses to epidermal growth factor or nerve growth factor in vivo. The growth factor regulation was unaffected by inhibitors of the mitogen- or stress-activated protein kinase pathways, or by glucose starvation, but was blocked by amino acid starvation and only partially blocked by rapamycin. p39 in extracts of unstimulated, nutrient-fed cells, but not nutrient-starved cells, was able to bind to 14-3-3s after phosphorylation by protein kinase B (PKB) in vitro. Nutrient starvation did not affect the growth factor-stimulated activation of PKB in vivo. Either cycloheximide (CHX) or the cysteine protease inhibitor, MG132, restored the responsiveness of p39 to growth factors in nutrient-starved cells. In contrast, MG132 could not replace amino acids in supporting the growth factor-stimulated phosphorylation of two downstream targets of mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin), namely eukaryotic initiation factor 4E binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) and p70 S6 kinase. CHX permitted complete growth factor-stimulated phosphorylation of both 4E-BP1 and p70 S6 kinase in nutrient- starved cells; however, unlike p39, phosphorylation of these proteins was blocked by rapamycin. These findings implicate PKB (or an enzyme with similar specificity) in the growth factor-triggered phosphorylation of p39. In addition, amino acid starvation induces a CHX- and MG132-sensitive pathway that targets p39 and appears to be distinct from the mechanism of regulation of 4E-BP1 and p70 S6 kinase

Phosphodiesterase 3A binds to 14-3-3 proteins in response to PMA-induced phosphorylation of Ser(428)

PDE3A (phosphodiesterase 3A) was identified as a phosphoprotein that co-immunoprecipitates with endogenous 14-3-3 proteins from HeLa cell extracts, and binds directly to 14-3-3 proteins in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. Among cellular stimuli tested, PMA promoted maximal binding of PDE3A to 14-3-3 proteins. While p42/p44 MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase), SAPK2 (stress-activated protein kinase 2)/p38 and PKC (protein kinase C) were all activated by PMA in HeLa cells, the PMA-induced binding of PDE3A to 14-3-3 proteins was inhibited by the non-specific PKC inhibitors Ro 318220 and H-7, but not by PD 184352, which inhibits MAPK activation, nor by SB 203580 and BIRB0796, which inhibit SAPK2 activation. Binding of PDE3A to 14-3-3 proteins was also blocked by the DNA replication inhibitors aphidicolin and mimosine, but the PDE3A–14-3-3 interaction was not cell-cycle-regulated. PDE3A isolated from cells was able to bind to 14-3-3 proteins after in vitro phosphorylation with PKC isoforms. Using MS/MS of IMAC (immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography)-enriched tryptic phosphopeptides and phosphospecific antibodies, at least five sites on PDE3A were found to be phosphorylated in vivo, of which Ser(428) was selectively phosphorylated in response to PMA and dephosphorylated in cells treated with aphidicolin and mimosine. Phosphorylation of Ser(428) therefore correlated with 14-3-3 binding to PDE3A. Ser(312) of PDE3A was phosphorylated in an H-89-sensitive response to forskolin, indicative of phosphorylation by PKA (cAMP-dependent protein kinase), but phosphorylation at this site did not stimulate 14-3-3 binding. Thus 14-3-3 proteins can discriminate between sites in a region of multisite phosphorylation on PDE3A. An additional observation was that the cytoskeletal cross-linker protein plectin-1 coimmunoprecipitated with PDE3A independently of 14-3-3 binding

Estudio de la micorrización de raíces de Pinus pinea por microscopía electrónica de barrido: Fractura en congelación

Trabajo presentado en la XIX Reunión Bienal de la Sociedad Española de Microscopía Electrónica, celebrada en Murcia (España) del 28 al 30 de abril de 1999