scholarly journals Relocation to avoid costs: a hypothesis on red carotenoid-based signals based on recent CYP2J19 gene expression data

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Alonso-Alvarez ◽  
Pedro Andrade ◽  
Alejandro Cantarero ◽  
Miguel Carneiro
Keyword(s):  
Current Data ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Quality Trait ◽  
Individual Quality ◽  
Expression Data ◽  
Inner Mitochondrial Membrane ◽  
Signal Reliability ◽  
Enzymatic Transformation ◽  
Quality Signals ◽  
Review Current

Sexual and social selections promote the evolution of many conspicuous colorations in animals. These traits would act as individual quality signals when they transmit reliable information. Reliability should be assured by production costs unaffordable for low-quality trait bearers or guaranteed if trait expression is tightly linked to individual quality and cannot be falsified (“index signals”). It has been suggested that colored ornaments produced by red ketocarotenoid pigments could meet the latter. These ketocarotenoids are often obtained by enzymatic transformation of dietary yellow carotenoids. Recently, the first enzyme performing this transformation has been described: CYP2J19. This enzyme, belonging to the cytochrome p450 superfamily, is presumably located in the inner mitochondrial membrane, thus linking color expression with cell respiration efficacy. However, it remains to be clarified if the tissue where this intracellular mechanism acts could influence signal reliability and trait evolution. CYP2J19 expression data are now available for different species and tissues. Here, we review current data in birds and hypothesize that CYP2J19 activity could have evolved in some species by being relocated from the liver tissue to the ornaments (epidermis), a pattern more strongly observed in those birds where the red is expressed in non-feathered bare parts (e.g. bill, legs). One potential explanation is that bare parts, unlike feathers, require a constant carotenoid mobilization to maintain color throughout the year. We propose that tissue relocation allows for avoiding production costs derived from potential CYP2J19 interference on vital liver functions. Implications for signal reliability in ornamental evolution are discussed.

scholarly journals A mitochondria-targeted antioxidant affects the carotenoid-based plumage of red crossbills

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Cantarero ◽  
Rafael Mateo ◽  
Pablo Camarero ◽  
Daniel Alonso ◽  
Blanca Fernandez-Eslava ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mitochondrial Membrane ◽  
Blood Levels ◽  
Individual Quality ◽  
Cell Respiration ◽  
Synthetic Antioxidants ◽  
Inner Mitochondrial Membrane ◽  
Enzymatic Production ◽  
Quality Signals ◽  
Summary Statement ◽  
Red Crossbills

ABSTRACTThe mechanisms involved in the production of red carotenoid-based ornaments in vertebrates are still poorly understood. Those colours generated by red carotenoids often depend on the enzymatic production (ketolation) of these pigments from dietary yellow carotenoids. Recently, it has been proposed that this conversion takes place at the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM). This implies that carotenoid ketolation and cell respiration could share the same biochemical pathways. Such a link would favour the evolution of red ketocarotenoid-based ornaments as reliable indices of individual quality under a sexual selection scenario. We exposed captive male red crossbills (Loxia curvirostra Linnaeus) to two different synthetic antioxidants designed to penetrate into the IMM: a synthetic ubiquinone (mitoQ) and a superoxide dismutase mimetic (mitoTEMPO). MitoQ decreased the blood levels of substrate yellow carotenoids and tocopherol. This could be attributed to the characteristics of the mitoQ molecule, which can distort the IMM structure, increasing free radical (superoxide) production and, potentially, antioxidant consumption. Contrarily, mitoTEMPO-treated birds increased the plasma levels of the second most abundant red ketocarotenoid of red crossbills (i.e. canthaxanthin). MitoTEMPO also increased plumage redness and total ketocarotenoid concentration in feathers among those birds exhibiting a redder plumage at the beginning of the study, rising the plasma values of the main red pigment (3-hydroxyechinenone) in paler birds. The results as a whole support the involvement of the mitochondrial antioxidant machinery in carotenoid biotransformation. The fact that the initial plumage redness determined the effect of mitoTEMPO suggests that the mitochondrial-based mechanism is intimately linked to individual quality.Summary statementAntioxidants designed to penetrate the mitochondrial membrane increased avian plumage redness but depending on pre-existing colouration. This supports mitochondrial involvement in the evolution of carotenoid-based ornaments as reliable quality signals.

scholarly journals Plants as alternative platforms for monoclonal antibodies productions.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Glumińska ◽  
Magdalena Krzesłowska
Keyword(s):  
Monoclonal Antibodies ◽  
Capital Investment ◽  
Protein Modification ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Future Market ◽  
Market Demand ◽  
Mammalian Expression ◽  
Animal Pathogens

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are widely used in medical therapy and diagnostics, veterinary therapy, and research. The demand for mAbs reaches several dozen tons per year and is constantly growing, approaching the limits of current production possibilities. Mammalian expression systems, which currently dominate the bioproduction industry, have limited production capacity and require high capital investment and production costs. Plants are becoming promising expression platforms due to their scalability, speed, low cost of production, low risk of contamination from animal pathogens and eukaryotic mechanisms of post-translational protein modification. The transgenic plants used for the production of mAbs can be obtained by stable transformation of plant cells as well as transient expression of foreign proteins. In this review, we extract a broad overview of articles, many of them from recent years, concerning modern approaches to producing monoclonal antibodies in plants, methods for modifying the carbohydrate profile of mAbs, and purifying the resulting product. We also present current data on the practical use of mAbs in medical therapies and potential methods of producing antibodies on a very large scale, able to meet the future market demand.

Biliary-Caval Fistula following Y90 Radioembolization

2021 ◽  
Vol 38 (04) ◽  
pp. 488-491
Author(s):  
Alexander D. Hall ◽  
Sarah B. White ◽  
William S. Rilling
Keyword(s):  
Bile Duct ◽  
Bile Duct Injury ◽  
Hepatic Abscess ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Abscess Formation ◽  
Biliary Complications ◽  
Biliary Surgery ◽  
Y90 Radioembolization ◽  
Review Current ◽  
Yttrium 90

AbstractThe safety of radioembolization with yttrium-90 (90Y) is well documented and major complications are rare. Previous studies have demonstrated that biliary complications following 90Y, including bile duct injury and hepatic abscess formation, occur at an increased rate in patients who have had prior biliary surgery and interventions. This article reviews a case of a patient who developed recurrent cholangitis and sepsis as well as a biliary-caval fistula following radioembolization. Additionally, we review current data regarding biliary complications following radioembolization in patients with prior biliary intervention.

Behavioral addictions: a novel challenge for psychopharmacology

CNS Spectrums ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 486-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donatella Marazziti ◽  
Silvio Presta ◽  
Stefano Baroni ◽  
Stefano Silvestri ◽  
Liliana Dell'Osso
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Substance Use Disorders ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Therapeutic Strategies ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Behavioral Addictions ◽  
Treatment Algorithms ◽  
Compulsive Shopping ◽  
Review Current

Although addictive syndromes have been traditionally related to substance-use disorders, during the last few decades a novel addictive group, including the so-called “behavioral or no-drug addictions,” has been recognized and has attracted increasing attention for its relevant social impact. This group includes pathological gambling, compulsive shopping, TV/Internet/social network/videogame addictions, workaholism, sex and relationship addictions, orthorexia, and overtraining syndrome. Substance and behavioral addictions show similar phenomenological features, such as craving, dependence, tolerance, and abstinence, and perhaps they share a common possible pathophysiology. It is, however, controversial whether all or at least some of them should be considered real disorders or just normal, albeit extreme, behaviors. The aim of this article is to review current data on pharmacological treatment of behavioral addictions. As no specific and validated treatment algorithms are currently available, only an improved knowledge on their psychopathological, clinical, and neurobiological features may have relevant implications for more focused preventive and therapeutic strategies.

scholarly journals A Review on the Extraction and Processing of Natural Source-Derived Proteins through Eco-Innovative Approaches

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1626
Author(s):  
Giselle Franca-Oliveira ◽  
Tiziana Fornari ◽  
Blanca Hernández-Ledesma
Keyword(s):  
Bioactive Peptides ◽  
Physiological Role ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
And Storage ◽  
Hydrolysis Of ◽  
Review Current

In addition to their nutritional and physiological role, proteins are recognized as the major compounds responsible for the rheological properties of food products and their stability during manufacture and storage. Furthermore, proteins have been shown to be source of bioactive peptides able to exert beneficial effects on human health. In recent years, scholarly interest has focused on the incorporation of high-quality proteins into the diet. This fact, together with the new trends of consumers directed to avoid the intake of animal proteins, has boosted the search for novel and sustainable protein sources and the development of suitable, cost-affordable, and environmentally friendly technologies to extract high concentrations of valuable proteins incorporated into food products and supplements. In this review, current data on emergent and promising methodologies applied for the extraction of proteins from natural sources are summarized. Moreover, the advantages and disadvantages of these novel methods, compared with conventional methods, are detailed. Additionally, this work describes the combination of these technologies with the enzymatic hydrolysis of extracted proteins as a powerful strategy for releasing bioactive peptides.

scholarly journals Testing the carotenoid-based sexual signalling mechanism by altering CYP2J19 gene expression and colour in a bird species

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1938) ◽  
pp. 20201067
Author(s):  
Alejandro Cantarero ◽  
Pedro Andrade ◽  
Miguel Carneiro ◽  
Adrián Moreno-Borrallo ◽  
Carlos Alonso-Alvarez
Keyword(s):  
Resource Availability ◽  
Mitochondrial Membrane ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Individual Quality ◽  
Cell Respiration ◽  
Inner Mitochondrial Membrane ◽  
Maintenance Costs ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Gene Coding ◽  
Sexual Signalling

Ornaments can evolve to reveal individual quality when their production/maintenance costs make them reliable as ‘signals’ or if their expression level is intrinsically linked to condition by some unfalsifiable mechanism (indices). The latter has been mostly associated with traits constrained by body size. In red ketocarotenoid-based colorations, that link could, instead, be established with cell respiration at the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM). The production mechanism could be independent of resource (yellow carotenoids) availability, thus discarding costs linked to allocation trade-offs. A gene coding for a ketolase enzyme (CYP2J19) responsible for converting dietary yellow carotenoids to red ketocarotenoids has recently been described. We treated male zebra finches with an antioxidant designed to penetrate the IMM (mitoTEMPO) and a thyroid hormone (triiodothyronine) with known hypermetabolic effects. Among hormone controls, MitoTEMPO downregulated CYP2J19 in the bill (a red ketocarotenoid-based ornament), supporting the mitochondrial involvement in ketolase function. Both treatments interacted when increasing hormone dosage, indicating that mitochondria and thyroid metabolisms could simultaneously regulate coloration. Moreover, CYP2J19 expression was positively correlated to redness but also to yellow carotenoid levels in the blood. However, treatment effects were not annulated when controlling for blood carotenoid variability, which suggests that costs linked to resource availability could be minor.

scholarly journals The immortal strand hypothesis: still non-randomly segregating opinions

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 203-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane A. Wakeman ◽  
Abdelkrim Hmadcha ◽  
Bernat Soria ◽  
Ramsay J. McFarlane
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cell Division ◽  
Asymmetric Cell Division ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Immortal Strand ◽  
Published Evidence ◽  
Conflicting Evidence ◽  
The Future ◽  
Dna Strands ◽  
Review Current

AbstractCairns first suggested a mechanism for protecting the genomes of stem cells (SCs) from replicative errors some 40 years ago when he proposed the immortal strand hypothesis, which argued for the inheritance of a so-called immortal strand by an SC following asymmetric SC divisions. To date, the existence of immortal strands remains contentious with published evidence arguing in favour of and against the retention of an immortal strand by asymmetrically dividing SCs. The conflicting evidence is derived from a diverse array of studies on adult SC types and is predominantly based on following the fate of labelled DNA strands during asymmetric cell division events. Here, we review current data, highlighting limitations of such labelling techniques, and suggest how interpretation of such data may be improved in the future.

scholarly journals Changes of Thyroid Hormonal Status in Organophosphate Exposure A systematic literature review

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (12) ◽  
pp. 3364-3366
Author(s):  
Dana Tomescu ◽  
Cristian Cobilinschi ◽  
Radu Ciprian Tincu ◽  
Alexandra Totan ◽  
Tiberiu Paul Neagu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Poisoning ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Hormonal Status ◽  
Ache Inhibition ◽  
Hormonal Imbalance ◽  
Thyroid Glands ◽  
Review Current

Organophosphates (OP) are widely used in both agriculture and household settings as pesticides. Human exposure is mainly due to residues in food or living environment and the main mechanism of OP toxicity are the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition. Acute poisoning is associated with a high rate of mortality due to parasympathetic overstimulation. In long-term exposure, OP are linked to systemic damage occurrence like nervous, hepatic or renal dysfunction. These compounds are considered as potential endocrine disrupters, causing significant hormonal imbalance targeting the adrenals or thyroid glands. The aim of this article is to review current data in the literature regarding effects of both acute and chronic OP exposure on thyroid hormonal status.

scholarly journals Frailty and the management of hematologic malignancies

Blood ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 131 (5) ◽  
pp. 515-524 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory A. Abel ◽  
Heidi D. Klepin
Keyword(s):  
Hematologic Malignancy ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Hematologic Malignancies ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Lymphocytic Leukemia ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Assessment And Treatment ◽  
New Research ◽  
Review Current

Abstract The majority of blood cancers occur in the elderly. This fact conspires with an aging population in many countries to make rigorous assessment for frailty increasingly important for hematologic oncologists. In this review, we first define frailty and its relevance for patients with hematologic malignancy. Next, we review current data regarding the effect of domains of frailty on outcomes for blood cancers including myelodysplastic syndromes, acute leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphomas such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and multiple myeloma. Finally, after presenting assessment and treatment options for the practicing hematologist, we propose elements of a new research agenda for geriatric hematology: the exchange of age limits for rigorous frailty screening, development of disease-specific measures, and inclusion of functional and patient-reported outcomes alongside survival.

scholarly journals Antimicrobial Management of Respiratory Infections in Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Patients: Clinical and Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs Conundrums

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellie J C Goldstein ◽  
Glenn Tillotson ◽  
Mark Redell
Keyword(s):  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Antimicrobial Treatment ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Antimicrobial Use ◽  
Appropriate Treatment ◽  
Antimicrobial Management ◽  
Review Current

Abstract The role of empirical and even directed antimicrobial management of patients hospitalized with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is problematic; antibiotics are used frequently among these patients to treat confirmed or suspected coinfection or just the symptoms. In the rapidly changing clinical landscape of SARS-CoV-2, there is minimal guidance for selecting appropriate treatment versus non-antimicrobial treatment, and clinicians are pressed to make daily decisions under the stress of absence of data while watching patients deteriorate. We review current data and patterns of antimicrobial use and the potential approach for antimicrobial stewardship in the context of SARS-CoV-2.

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