Deciphering the role of PGC-1α in neurological disorders: from mitochondrial dysfunction to synaptic failure

The onset and mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases remain uncertain. The main features of neurodegenerative diseases have been related with cellular and molecular events like neuronal loss, mitochondrial dysfunction and aberrant accumulation of misfolded proteins or peptides in specific areas of the brain. The most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases belonging to age-related pathologies are Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Interestingly, mitochondrial dysfunction has been observed to occur during the early onset of several neuropathological events associated to neurodegenerative diseases. The master regulator of mitochondrial quality control and energetic metabolism is the transcriptional coactivator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha(PGC-1α). Additionally, it has been observed that PGC-1α appears to be a key factor in maintaining neuronal survival and synaptic transmission. In fact, PGC-1α downregulation in different brain areas(hippocampus, substantia nigra, cortex, striatum and spinal cord) that occurs in function of neurological damage including oxidative stress, neuronal loss, and motor disorders has been seen in several animal and cellular models of neurodegenerative diseases. Current evidence indicates that PGC-1α upregulation may serve as a potent therapeutic approach against development and progression of neuronal damage. Remarkably, increasing evidence shows that PGC-1α deficient mice have neurodegenerative diseases-like features, as well as neurological abnormalities. Finally, we discuss recent studies showing novel specific PGC-1α isoforms in the central nervous system that appear to exert a key role in the age of onset of neurodegenerative diseases and have a neuroprotective function in the central nervous system, thus opening a new molecular strategy for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. The purpose of this review is to provide an up-to-date overview of the PGC-1α role in the physiopathology of neurodegenerative diseases, as well as establish the importance of PGC-1α function in synaptic transmission and neuronal survival.

The role of auxin during early berry development in grapevine as revealed by transcript profiling from pollination to fruit set

Auxin is a key phytohormone that modulates fruit formation in many fleshy fruits through the regulation of cell division and expansion.Auxin content rapidly increases after pollination and the manipulation in its levels may lead to the parthenocarpic development.ln Vitis vinifera L.,little is known about the early fruit development that encompasses from pollination to fruit set.Pollination/fertilization events trigger fruit formation,and auxin treatment mimics their effect in grape berry set.However,the role of auxin in this process at the molecular level is not well understood.To elucidate the participation of auxin in grapevine fruit formation,morphological,reproductive,and molecular events from anthesis to fruit set were described in sequential days after pollination.Exploratory RNA-seq analysis at four time points from anthesis to fruit set revealed that the highest percentage of genes induced/repressed within the hormone-related gene category were auxin-related genes.Transcript profiling showed significant transcript variations in auxin signaling and homeostasis-related genes during the early fruit development.Indole acetic acid and several auxin metabolites were present during this period.Finally,application of an inhibitor of auxin action reduced cell number and the mesocarp diameter,similarly to unpollinated berries,further confirming the key role of auxin during early berry development.This work sheds light into the molecular features of the initial fruit development and highlights the auxin participation during this stage in grapevine.

The action of ethanol on G protein. <i>In silico</i>and cellular/molecular evidences

Ethanol (EtOH) enhances glycinergic currents in the central nervous system (CNS). Because evidence for an interaction between the α1 subunit of the glycine receptor (α1GlyR) and the G protein Gβγ subunit exists in vitro and because cAMP levels are known to increase in response to EtOH, we wanted to investigate the interaction between Gβγ and α1GlyR in response to EtOH treatment in HEK293 cells and to explore the possible sites of interaction between EtOH and the Gαs subunit. His pull-down assays in GlyR-His6-transfected HEK293 cells incubated with ethanol or propofol revealed that only EtOH treatment increased the binding of Gβγ heterodimers to α1GlyR. Using molecular modelling (protein structure prediction), was modelled the hGαs protein for the first time and validated this model by site-directed mutagenesis. By molecular docking, we identified some potential regions of interaction between hGαs and EtOH that are located on the SIII and SI regions of the Gαs. Therefore, we conclude that ethanol increases the interaction between α1GlyR and Gβγ in HEK293 cells, an effect that might be attributed to the interaction between EtOH and hGαs, which consequently stimulates hGαs.

Antioxidant activity of Bios-p peptide analogue in HEK293T cells and three-dimensional structure prediction

Studies had indicate that excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) affect cellular signaling pathways, which is associated with pathological and physiological conditions such as cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases In this context, our laboratory has obtained the Bios-p, a ROS modulator, peptide analogue by sequencing from the seed of Bauhinia bauhinoides, which represents the active 12-amino acid, obtained from the inhibitor BbKI protease and we predicted the three-dimensional structure of Bios-p analogue peptide using homology modeling, being patented by the working group of Dr. Maria Luiza Vilela Oliva of UNIFESP, Brazil (a member of our cluster). The protective effect on the viability and antioxidant capacity of Bios-p was studied in HEK 293T cells under oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) using SYTOXGREEN/DHE and luminescence assay. The three-dimensional structure of Bios-p peptide analogue was predicted by homology-based modeling using Modeller9v8. The pretreatment with different concentrations of Bios-p (1 μM - 10 μM) showed an increase of 53.83% ± 3.86% the cellular viability in under oxidative stress compared to control. Furthermore, the results to indicate that HEK293T cells by incubating for 24 h with Bios-p shown a significant decreased of basal extracellular ROS on total cell population in 89.67% ± 0.76%, compared to control in the absence of the analogue. Similarly it is observed that Bios-p has a significant antioxidant effect on extracellular ROS production when cells are subjected to oxidative stress induced by 200 μM H2O2 in 64.37% ± 4.63%, compared to control in absence of H2O2 and Bios-p. These results suggest that Bios-p has potential as antioxidant agent in cells HEK293T under H2O2-induced oxidative stress and that can protect the cells viability as concentration-dependent, and we propose a new biotechnological tool for modulate the ROS production.

Corrosion Inhibition of Carbon Steel in Acidic Mediaby Using Actinidia deliciosa(Kiwifruit)Extract

The corrosion inhibition of 1018 carbon steel in 0.5 M H2SO4 by using Actinidia deliciosa (Kiwifruit) peel extract has been investigated by using potentiodynamic polarization curves and electro-chemical impedance spectroscopy. Two kinds of extracts are investigated, one from the tender, and another one from ripe Actinidia deliciosa. Concentrations include 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 ppm at room temperature. Results indicate that both kind of extracts acted as good corrosion inhibitors, is more efficient in the ripe extract. Corrosion inhibition efficiency increases with increasing its concentration for ripe extract, whereas for the tender Actinidia deliciosa, the higest inhibitor efficiency is obtained by adding 25 ppm and decresaing with a further increase in its concentration. Both extracts improve the passive film properties by decreasing the passive current density values. It is found that the corrosion inhibition is due to the presence of heteroatoms present in Actinidia deliciosa, mainly quercitine, which is physically adsorbed in the steel following a Frumkin type of adsorption isotherm which forms a protective film.

Ocurrence of Entomopathogenic Fungus from Flea Ctenocephalides canis(Siphonaptera:Pulicidae)

The objective of this study was to isolate entomopathogenic fungus from fleas (Ctenocephalides canis Curtis) collected from Cannis familiaris specimens. From 60 collected fleas, two dead insects presented white mycelia growth on the body surface, changing to a creamy color as time passed;the insects presented a mummified aspect, typical characteristic caused by entomopathogenic fungus. This fungus was identified as Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo-Crivelli) Vuillemin by their mycelia characteristics, macro- and micro-morphology. Up to our knowledge, this is the first report of entomopathogenic fungus isolated from adult C. canis fleas.

Legacy effects of historical woodland changes on contemporary plant functional composition

Considering the legacy of plant functional composition can help assess ecosystem functions and ecosystem services across different spatial scales under land cover changes.Woody plants likely respond to natural and anthropogenic perturbations due to historical events(e.g.,agricultural development),thus contemporary plant functional composition may be explained by historical woodland change,a type of land cover change.We propose that historical woodland changes may have legacy effects on contemporary plant functional composition.Here,we used partial least squares regression and linear mixed model analyses to test this assumption by coupling data on community weighted means(CWM)and community weighted variance(CWV)of vegetation plots and calculating the time of woodland existence across different periods from AD 0 to 2017.We found that the legacy effects of historical land cover changes on CWM and CWV during the existence time of woodland,particularly from AD 0 to 900,were drivers of contemporary plant functional composition at large spatial scales.Furthermore,historical woodland changes can affect contemporary plant functional composition,depending on the biome type.Particularly,the CWM of plant height,seed mass,and seed length showed the strongest correlations with woodland changes from AD 1910 to 2010 in tropics with year-round rain,and the CWM of leaf traits correlated with woodland changes from AD 0 to 1700 in tropics with summer rain.Our study provides the effective evidence on the legacy of historical woodland changes and the effects on contemporary plant functional composition,which is crucial with respect to effective management of plant diversity and assessing ecosystem functions and services from local to global scales over time.

离子通道、磷酸化和哺乳动物精子获能

有性生殖动物需要精子和卵子之间进行精心协调的交流才能产生新的个体。精子获能是发生在女性生殖系统中的生殖细胞成熟的一个复杂现象，让精子能够和卵子联结并融合，是哺乳动物生育的必要条件。精子获能过程包括了质膜重组、离子渗透调节、胆固醇减少和许多蛋白质磷酸化状态的变化。研究精子离子通道的新工具能用更好的时空解析度将细胞内的离子变化和蛋白图像化，这些工具正在一步步阐明离子运输和磷酸化状态中的一系列调节是如何引起获能的。最近的证据表明有两条平行的通路调节引起获能的磷酸化发生。其中一条通路要求蛋白激酶A活化，另一条通路需要丝氨酸／苏氨酸磷酸酶失活。本文综述了精子获能所要求的离子运输参与和磷酸化信号处理。理解导致生育的分子机制，对于人们应对男性不育率升高、开发安全的以雄性配子为基础的避孕药、通过辅助生殖策略保持生物多样性都至关重要。

Commercially Important Marine Mollusks for Human Consumption in Acapulco,Mexico

Acapulco, offers for international tourism a variety of mollusks that are delightful to the palate and a source of economic revenue for its residents;however there are no studies on the species consumed. Furthermore, data from the State agencies responsible for registration of these products are unclear. This work is aimed to develop an inventory of Gastropoda, Bivalvia and Polyplacophora marketed as food, to gain knowledge on the species native to Acapulco and the introduced ones. The places that sell shellfish were interviewed from 2008 to 2011 in order to determine the geographical origin of their products being offered. We identified 42 species: 15 species of gastropods are captured locally and three are introduced. On Bivalvia, seven species are caught locally and 16 are introduced. There are Bivalvia species caught locally;however, their capture is now unaffordable. It is likely that this situation is due to overfishing and/or the transmission of diseases or parasites caused by the introduction of foreign living organisms to Acapulco. Within the list of species caught locally, there are some listed as of subject protection;all of these organisms are exploited in Acapulco without control. The wealth of marine mollusks for human consumption in Acapulco is very high. The capture does not satisfy local market demand and the amount of introduced species is very high. It is necessary to make a diagnostic analysis of mollusk fishing industry in the state of Guerrero, also implement a management program, including the sanitary measures and control of introduced species, as they arrive alive and stay alive in the waters of Acapulco. A significant number of native species that have aquaculture potential should be studied for commercial culture practice as well as to conduct studies on their biology on those species that are considered over-exploited and allow recovery of the species in its habitat.

Species richness and community structure of class Polyplacophora at the intertidal rocky shore on the marine priority region no.33,Mexico

Marine Priority Region No. 33 (MPR 33) lies in the State of Guerrero, where the National Commission for Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity has declared a lack of information on marine species, Class POLYPLACOPHORA among others. This program was carried out on the rocky intertidal zone of MPR 33 with the objectives to: 1) determine species richness, 2) community composition based on families represented, 3) estimate the density, 4) index of diversity, 5) analyze body proportions and 6) geographic distribution of species. Three surveys on five sites were conducted during 2009 and 2012, using one mt2 quadrant for systematic sampling procedure;collecting all POLYPLACOPHORA specimens found within the quadrants, then proceeding with their preservation. 441 organisms were analyzed where 17 species were identified, on nine genera within six families. Fifteen new species were recorded for the MPR 33. Family ISCHNOCHITONIDAE Dall, 1889 was the best represented in species richness and CHITONIDAE Rafinesque, 1815 in abundance. Density of 8.82 organisms/m2, the H′ index was 2.38 bits/individuals and J′ = 0.57. The species Chiton (Chiton) articulatus Sowerby, 1832 showed the highest density, greater size and was found in all five collection sites. Three species, (Chiton (C.) articulatus, Ischnochiton (Ischnochiton) muscarius (Reeve, 1847) and Chiton (Chiton) alboli-neatus Broderip & Sowerby, 1829), were considered wide. Intertidal species richness was associated with habitat stability and wave intensity;the more unstable sites had greater richness while most stable sites lower. Species inventory and understanding the communities’ interactions of the marine fauna of the State of Guerrero are important;therefore these efforts must be continued.

Socioeconomic Aspects for Coastal Mollusk Commercial Fishing in Costa Chica,Guerrero,Mexico

An important part of the fishing activity in Mexico is carried out in the coastal strip and has a strong social, economic and ecological importance. In the state of Guerrero, mollusks fishing is coastal and craftwork activity focused on a small number of species and without information on biology and reproductive or ecological aspects for most species caught. This research was carried out in the Costa Chica region, Guerrero, Mexico and the aims were: 1) To analyze the socioeconomic features of cooperative societies of fishing production;and 2) To know the diversity of mollusks caught by coastal fishing and the species that have the greatest importance in fishing. From February to April 2013-2015, seven fish coop units, four piers and places where seafood is sold were visited. For the socio-economic analysis and the determination of the species that have more importance in the coastal fishing, a total of 67 surveys were applied. In order to determine the cast of species, the specimens captured by the fishermen were used, which were identified and counted. A total of 67 interviews were analyzed and an average of $1806.00 was estimated as weekly economic income just as a product of fishing, it was also estimated that on average the fishermen work 4.3 days a week. Fisheries cooperatives market most of their produce directly to restaurateurs and locals on the piers. Replacement of older adults by young fishermen from the same region was observed, most are adults between 22 and 39 years old. 25 species of mollusks of economic importance were registered for the coastal fishermen of the Costa Chica. Six species were identified as the main target for catching fishermen. The fishing of mollusks in Costa Chica is not subject to any type of control, which has led to overfishing reflected in the decline sizes and banks in populations of commercial importance.

Arabidopsis thaliana AtUTr7 Encodes a Golgi-Localized UDP-Glucose/UDP-Galactose Transporter that Affects Lateral Root Emergence

Nucleotide sugar transporters （NSTs） are antiporters comprising a gene family that plays a fundamental role in the biosynthesis of complex cell wall polysaccharides and glycoproteins in plants. However, due to the limited number of related mutants that have observable phenotypes, the biological function（s） of most NSTs in cell wall biosynthesis and assembly have remained elusive. Here, we report the characterization of AtUTr7 from Arabidopsis （Arabidopsis thaliana （L.） Heynh.）, which is homologous to multi-specific UDP-sugar transporters from Drosophila melanogaster, humans, and Caenorhabditis elegans. We show that AtUTr7 possesses the common structural characteristics conserved among NSTs. Using a green fluorescent protein （GFP） tagged version, we demonstrate that AtUTr7 is localized in the Golgi apparatus. We also show that AtUTr7 is widely expressed, especially in the roots and in specific floral organs. Additionally, the results of an in vitro nucleotide sugar transport assay carried out with a tobacco and a yeast expression system suggest that AtUTr7 is capable of transferring UDP-Gal and UDP-GIc, but not a range of other UDP- and GDP-sugars, into the Golgi lumen. Mutants lacking expression of AtUTr7 exhibited an early proliferation of lateral roots as well as distorted root hairs when cultivated at high sucrose concentrations. Furthermore, the distribution of homogalacturonan with a low degree of methyl esterification differed in lateral root tips of the mutant compared to wild-type plants, although additional analytical procedures revealed no further differences in the composition of the root cell walls. This evidence suggests that the transport of UDP-Gal and UDP-GIc into the Golgi under conditions of high root biomass production plays a role in lateral root and root hair development.

THEMIS,the new kid on the block for T-cell development

Understanding T-cell development is a major goal of the immunology field and is crucial for the elucidation of the mechanisms behind self-tolerance and the occurrence of autoimmune disorders.T-cell development is a complex process that begins in the bone marrow or fetal liver,where lymphoid progenitors arise.

Novel Kdr mutations (K964R and A943V) in pyrethroid-resistant populations of Triatoma mazzottii and Triatoma longipennisUoro Mexico and detoxifying enzymes

Although having five different ways of transmission the vector-borne is the principal way of transmission of Chagas disease, which involves insects of the subfamily Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae). Nineteen of the 31 species that occur in Mexico are associated with humans, and all are capable of transmitting the disease. Pyrethroids are the insecticides recommended for the control of these vectors in Mexico. We determined the susceptibility to the pyrethroids dcltamethrin and permethrin of peridomestic populations of Triatoma mazzottii Usinger and two populations of Triatoma longipetmis Usinger in comparison with a reference strain for each species. Bioassays were performed for the determination of the LD50 for both field populations and reference strains. A maximum of 27 fold resistance to deltamethrin was observed in T. mazzottii, meanwhile, for permethrin, T. longipennis from Jalisco show the highest value of 3.19 fold. There was significantly increased activity of esterases in field populations in comparison with their corresponding reference strain. The results of the search of kdr mutations related to the resistance to deltamethrin and permethrin in the evaluated species show the presence of mutations in the field populations, as is the case with individuals of T. mazzottii, for which the mutation was found A943V, and for the two populations of T. longipennis included in this study, we report the presence of the kdr mutation K964R. Evaluation of the various mechanisms involved in resistance to pyrethroids in triatomines from Mexico could guide us to the real justification for insecticide resistance monitoring.

First report of L1014F kdr mutation in Culex quinquefasciatus in Mexico

The L1014F mutation in the voltage-sodium channel gene has been associated with resistance to DDT and pyrethroids in various arthropod species including mosquitoes. We determined the frequency of the L1014F kdr mutation in 16 field populations of Culex quinquefasciatus from Northeastern Mexico collected between 2008 and 2013. The L1014F was present in all populations analyzed with the lowest frequency （3.33%） corresponding to the population from Monclova collected in 2012, and the highest frequency （63.63%） from the Monterrey population collected in 2012. The presence of a kdr mutation in populations of Cx. quinquefasciatus from northeastern Mexico provides evidence ofpyrethroid resistance. This requires a special attention, considering that pyrethroid-based insecticides are commonly used in vector-control campaigns, especially against Aedes aegypti （L.）.

Head geometric morphometrics of two Chagas disease vectors from Venezuela

Triatominae species are considered the main vectors of Chagas disease or American Trypanosomiasis. In Venezuela, the principal vectors are Rhodnius prolixus （Stal, 1959） and Triatoma maculata （Erichson, 1848）, which are belonged to the tribe Rhodniini and Triatomini, respectively. The head conformation and size development of these species can reflect ontogenetic changes which contribute with the vectors biology studies, as well to support of instars determination. The goal of the paper is to the application of geometric morphometric techniques for describing head conformation and size of instars of these species. We photographed 140 heads in R. prolixus： First instar （I： 16）, second instar （II： 17）, third instar （III： 18）, fourth instar （IV： 21）, fifth instar （V： 21）, adult female （F： 26） and adult males （M： 21）; in T. maculata heads of 136 specimens were photographed,I： 20, II： 17, III： 26, IV： 15, V： 19, F： 20 and M： 19. Landmark coordinate （x, y） configurations were registered and aligned by Generalized Procrustes Analysis. Covariance Analyses were implemented with proportions of re-classified groups and MANOVA. Statistical analyses of variance found not significant differences in head isometric size （Kruskal-Wallis） among IV and V instars in both species. The a posteriori re-classification was almost perfect in R. prolixus （82%） and T. maculata （86%）; the main head differences occurs in antenniferous tubercles, postocular and preocular. Our study using quantitative tools for describing the shape differences contributes to explain the morphology variability and development of Chagas disease vectors.

Lower marine productivity increases agonistic interactions between sea lions and fur seals in Northern Pacific Patagonia

Interspecific interactions are key drivers of individual and population-level fitness in a wide range of animals.However,in marine ecosystems,it is relatively unknown which biotic and abiotic factors impact behavioral interactions between competing species.We assessed the impact of weather,marine productivity,and population structure on the behavioral agonistic interactions between South American fur seals(SAFSs),Arctocephalus australis,and South American sea lions(SASLs),Otaria byronia,in a breeding colony of SAFS.We hypothesized that agonistic interactions between SAFSs and SASLs respond to biotic and abiotic factors such as SAFS population structure,marine productivity,and weather.We found that SASL and SAFS interactions almost always resulted in negative impacts on the social structure or reproductive success of the SAFS colony.SASL adult males initiated stampedes of SAFS and/or abducted and predated SAFS pups.Adult SAFS males abundance and severe weather events were negatively correlated with agonistic interactions between species.However,proxies for lower marine productivity such as higher sea surface temperature and lower catches of demerso-pelagic fish were the most important predictors of more frequent agonistic interactions between SAFS and SASL.Under the current scenario of decline in marine biomass due to global climate change and overfishing,agonistic interactions between competing marine predators could increase and exacerbate the negative impacts of environmental change in these species.

Diversity and host assemblage of avian haemosporidians in different terrestrial ecoregions of Peru

Characterizing the diversity and structure of host–parasite communities is crucial to understandingtheir eco-evolutionary dynamics.Malaria and related haemosporidian parasites are responsible forfitness loss and mortality in bird species worldwide.However,despite exhibiting the greatest ornithologicalbiodiversity,avian haemosporidians from Neotropical regions are quite unexplored.Here,we analyze the genetic diversity of bird haemosporidian parasites(Plasmodium andHaemoproteus)in 1,336 individuals belonging to 206 bird species to explore for differences in diversityof parasite lineages and bird species across 5 well-differentiated Peruvian ecoregions.Wedetected 70 different haemosporidian lineages infecting 74 bird species.We showed that 25 out ofthe 70 haplotypes had not been previously recorded.Moreover,we also identified 81 new host–parasite interactions representing new host records for these haemosporidian parasites.Our outcomesrevealed that the effective diversity(as well as the richness,abundance,and Shannon–Weaver index)for both birds and parasite lineages was higher in Amazon basin ecoregions.Furthermore,we also showed that ecoregions with greater diversity of bird species also had highparasite richness,hence suggesting that host community is crucial in explaining parasite richness.Generalist parasites were found in ecoregions with lower bird diversity,implying that the abundanceand richness of hosts may shape the exploitation strategy followed by haemosporidian parasites.These outcomes reveal that Neotropical region is a major reservoir of unidentified haemosporidianlineages.Further studies analyzing host distribution and specificity of these parasites inthe tropics will provide important knowledge about phylogenetic relationships,phylogeography,and patterns of evolution and distribution of haemosporidian parasites.

Emerging Players in the Nitrate Signaling Pathway

Nitrogen （N）-based fertilizers are routinely used to increase agricultural productivity for both food and non-food uses of crops. Unfortunately, excess N fertilizers escape to the environment, leading to detrimental effects on the ecosystem and human health. Understanding how plants sense and respond to different N nutrients or metabolites to regulate metabolism, physiology, growth, and development is essential for sustained yields while reducing agriculture＇s environmental and economic costs.