First Report of OvoA Gene in Marine Arthropods: A New Candidate Stress Biomarker in Copepods

Ovothiol is one of the most powerful antioxidants acting in marine organisms as a defense against oxidative stress during development and in response to environmental cues. The gene involved in the ovothiol biosynthesis, OvoA, is found in almost all metazoans, but open questions existed on its presence among arthropods. Here, using an in silico workflow, we report a single OvoA gene in marine arthropods including copepods, decapods, and amphipods. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that OvoA from marine arthropods separated from the other marine phyla (e.g., Porifera, Mollusca) and divided into two separate branches, suggesting a possible divergence through evolution. In the copepod Calanus finmarchicus, we suggest that OvoA has a defense role in oxidative stress as shown by its high expression in response to a toxic diet and during the copepodite stage, a developmental stage that includes significant morphological changes. Overall, the results of our study open possibilities for the use of OvoA as a biomarker of stress in copepods and possibly also for other marine holozooplankters. The finding of OvoA in copepods is also promising for the drug discovery field, suggesting the possibility of using copepods as a new source of bioactive compounds to be tested in the marine biotechnological sector.

Download Full-text

Phylogenetic analyses of Fusarium graminearum strains from cereals in Italy, and characterisation of their molecular and chemical chemotypes

Crop and Pasture Science ◽

10.1071/cp13314 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 65 (1) ◽

pp. 52 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

S. Somma ◽

A. L. Petruzzella ◽

A. F. Logrieco ◽

G. Meca ◽

O. S. Cacciola ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Composition ◽

Durum Wheat ◽

Fusarium Graminearum ◽

Species Complex ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Sensu Stricto ◽

The Other ◽

Other Hand ◽

Fusarium Graminearum Species Complex ◽

Almost All

The Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC) is a pathogen of durum wheat and other cereals worldwide. The complex consists of at least 15 species that can produce various mycotoxins, including trichothecenes, associated with human and animals toxicoses. In particular, deoxynivalenol (DON), nivalenol (NIV) and their different acetylated derivatives can be produced by the different chemotypes of the complex. In this study, 90 strains, isolated mainly from wheat in Italy and belonging to the FGSC, were assessed for their phylogeny and their chemotype and trichothecene genotype. Almost all strains of the FGSC belonged to F. graminearum sensu stricto, whereas two strains were F. cortaderiae. On the other hand, all three chemotypes, 3ADON, 15ADON and NIV, occurred; 15ADON was the most common molecular chemotype. The data show that the species composition of the Italian FGSC is homogeneous, whereas wide chemotype variability can occur within F. graminearum sensu stricto.

Download Full-text

Visual asymmetries during face encoding Increased dwell time and fixations in the upper and left hemifields

10.31234/osf.io/pc649 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Fatima Maria Felisberti

Keyword(s):

Face Recognition ◽

Eye Movements ◽

Visual Field ◽

Face Processing ◽

Dwell Time ◽

The Other ◽

Environmental Cues ◽

Reading Habits ◽

The Right

Visual field asymmetries (VFA) in the encoding of groups rather than individual faces has been rarely investigated. Here, eye movements (dwell time (DT) and fixations (Fix)) were recorded during the encoding of three groups of four faces tagged with cheating, cooperative, or neutral behaviours. Faces in each of the three groups were placed in the upper left (UL), upper right (UR), lower left (LL), or lower right (LR) quadrants. Face recognition was equally high in the three groups. In contrast, the proportion of DT and Fix were higher for faces in the left than the right hemifield and in the upper rather than the lower hemifield. The overall time spent looking at the UL was higher than in the other quadrants. The findings are relevant to the understanding of VFA in face processing, especially groups of faces, and might be linked to environmental cues and/or reading habits.

Download Full-text

Starość w nauczaniu św. Bazylego Wielkiego

Vox Patrum ◽

10.31743/vp.4228 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 56 ◽

pp. 339-348

Author(s):

Bogdan Czyżewski

Keyword(s):

Old Age ◽

Spiritual Maturity ◽

The Other ◽

Interesting Aspect ◽

Other Hand ◽

Physical Suffering ◽

Way Of Thinking ◽

Almost All

Although St. Basil did not live 50 years, the topic of the old age appears in his works quite often. On the other hand, it is clear that Basil does not discuss this issue in one particular work or in the longer argumentation. The fragmentary statements about old age can be found in almost all his works, but most of them can be found in the correspondence of Basil. In this paper we present the most important ad the most interesting aspect of teaching of Basil the Great. As these certificates show that the bishop of Caesarea looked at the old age maturely, rationally estimated passage of time, which very often makes a man different. He experienced it, for example as a spiritual and physical suffering, which often were connected with his person. He saw a lot of aspect of the old age, especially its advantages – spiritual maturity and wisdom. What is more, he pointed also to passage of time, which leads a man to eternity, which should be prepared to, regardless how old he is. In his opinion fear is not seen opinions of St. Basil present really Christian way of thinking, well-balanced and calm.

Download Full-text

Oxidative Stress, Ocular Disease and Diabetes Retinopathy

Current Pharmaceutical Design ◽

10.2174/1381612825666190115121531 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 24 (40) ◽

pp. 4726-4741 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Orathai Tangvarasittichai ◽

Surapon Tangvarasittichai

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Dna Damage ◽

Cell Death ◽

Protein Modification ◽

Morphological Changes ◽

Corneal Dystrophy ◽

Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽

Ocular Diseases ◽

Retinal Light Damage ◽

Age Related

Background: Oxidative stress is caused by free radicals or oxidant productions, including lipid peroxidation, protein modification, DNA damage and apoptosis or cell death and results in cellular degeneration and neurodegeneration from damage to macromolecules. Results: Accumulation of the DNA damage (8HOdG) products and the end products of LPO (including aldehyde, diene, triene conjugates and Schiff’s bases) were noted in the research studies. Significantly higher levels of these products in comparison with the controls were observed. Oxidative stress induced changes to ocular cells and tissues. Typical changes include ECM accumulation, cell dysfunction, cell death, advanced senescence, disarrangement or rearrangement of the cytoskeleton and released inflammatory cytokines. It is involved in ocular diseases, including keratoconus, Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy, and granular corneal dystrophy type 2, cataract, age-related macular degeneration, primary open-angle glaucoma, retinal light damage, and retinopathy of prematurity. These ocular diseases are the cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Conclusions: Oxidative stress, inflammation and autophagy are implicated in biochemical and morphological changes in these ocular tissues. The development of therapy is a major target for the management care of these ocular diseases.

Download Full-text

Exploring the Chemistry and Therapeutic Potential of Triazoles: A Comprehensive Literature Review

Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry ◽

10.2174/1389557519666190312162601 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (16) ◽

pp. 1298-1368 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ankit Jain ◽

Poonam Piplani

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Drug Discovery ◽

Literature Review ◽

Structural Modification ◽

Therapeutic Potential ◽

Pharmacological Properties ◽

Pharmacological Activities ◽

Triazole Derivatives ◽

Comprehensive Literature Review ◽

The Common

: Triazole is a valuable platform in medicinal chemistry, possessing assorted pharmacological properties, which could play a major role in the common mechanisms associated with various disorders like cancer, infections, inflammation, convulsions, oxidative stress and neurodegeneration. Structural modification of this scaffold could be helpful in the generation of new therapeutically useful agents. Although research endeavors are moving towards the growth of synthetic analogs of triazole, there is still a lot of scope to achieve drug discovery break-through in this area. Upcoming therapeutic prospective of this moiety has captured the attention of medicinal chemists to synthesize novel triazole derivatives. The authors amalgamated the chemistry, synthetic strategies and detailed pharmacological activities of the triazole nucleus in the present review. Information regarding the marketed triazole derivatives has also been incorporated. The objective of the review is to provide insights to designing and synthesizing novel triazole derivatives with advanced and unexplored pharmacological implications.

Download Full-text

Phylogeny of hymenolepidids (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea) from mammals: sequences of 18S rRNA and COI genes confirm major clades revealed by the 28S rRNA analyses

Journal of Helminthology ◽

10.1017/s0022149x21000110 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 95 ◽

Author(s):

B. Neov ◽

G.P. Vasileva ◽

G. Radoslavov ◽

P. Hristov ◽

D.T.J. Littlewood ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ribosomal Rna ◽

18S Rrna ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

The Other ◽

Rrna Genes ◽

Host Switching ◽

28S Rrna ◽

Mitochondrial Cytochrome ◽

Rapid Radiation ◽

18S Rrna Genes

Abstract The aim of the study is to test a hypothesis for the phylogenetic relationships among mammalian hymenolepidid tapeworms, based on partial (D1–D3) nuclear 28S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, by estimating new molecular phylogenies for the group based on partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and nuclear 18S rRNA genes, as well as a combined analysis using all three genes. New sequences of COI and 18S rRNA genes were obtained for Coronacanthus integrus, C. magnihamatus, C. omissus, C. vassilevi, Ditestolepis diaphana, Lineolepis scutigera, Spasskylepis ovaluteri, Staphylocystis tiara, S. furcata, S. uncinata, Vaucherilepis trichophorus and Neoskrjabinolepis sp. The phylogenetic analyses confirmed the major clades identified by Haukisalmi et al. (Zoologica Scripta 39: 631–641, 2010): Ditestolepis clade, Hymenolepis clade, Rodentolepis clade and Arostrilepis clade. While the Ditestolepis clade is associated with soricids, the structure of the other three clades suggests multiple evolutionary events of host switching between shrews and rodents. Two of the present analyses (18S rRNA and COI genes) show that the basal relationships of the four mammalian clades are branching at the same polytomy with several hymenolepidids from birds (both terrestrial and aquatic). This may indicate a rapid radiation of the group, with multiple events of colonizations of mammalian hosts by avian parasites.

Download Full-text

DASH-type cryptochromes – solved and open questions

Biological Chemistry ◽

10.1515/hsz-2020-0182 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 401 (12) ◽

pp. 1487-1493

Author(s):

Stephan Kiontke ◽

Tanja Göbel ◽

Annika Brych ◽

Alfred Batschauer

Keyword(s):

Dna Repair ◽

Circadian Clock ◽

Blue Light ◽

Dna Repair Enzymes ◽

Repair Enzymes ◽

Open Questions ◽

Essential Components ◽

Repair Activity ◽

Almost All ◽

Uv Lesions

AbstractDrosophila, Arabidopsis, Synechocystis, human (DASH)-type cryptochromes (cry-DASHs) form one subclade of the cryptochrome/photolyase family (CPF). CPF members are flavoproteins that act as DNA-repair enzymes (DNA-photolyases), or as ultraviolet(UV)-A/blue light photoreceptors (cryptochromes). In mammals, cryptochromes are essential components of the circadian clock feed-back loop. Cry-DASHs are present in almost all major taxa and were initially considered as photoreceptors. Later studies demonstrated DNA-repair activity that was, however, restricted to UV-lesions in single-stranded DNA. Very recent studies, particularly on microbial organisms, substantiated photoreceptor functions of cry-DASHs suggesting that they could be transitions between photolyases and cryptochromes.

Download Full-text

Antioxidant activity of Lactobacillus plantarum NJAU-01 in an animal model of aging

BMC Microbiology ◽

10.1186/s12866-021-02248-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Qingfeng Ge ◽

Bo Yang ◽

Rui Liu ◽

Donglei Jiang ◽

Hai Yu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Antioxidant Capacity ◽

Lactobacillus Plantarum ◽

Meat Product ◽

The Other ◽

Oxidative Stress Marker ◽

Control Group ◽

Intragastric Administration ◽

Aging Effects ◽

Sterile Saline

Abstract Background Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) can cause serious damage to the human body and may cause various chronic diseases. Studies have found that lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have antioxidant and anti-aging effects, and are important resources for the development of microbial antioxidants. This paper was to explore the potential role of an antioxidant strain, Lactobacillus plantarum NJAU-01 screened from traditional dry-cured meat product Jinhua Ham in regulating D-galactose-induced subacute senescence of mice. A total of 48 specific pathogen free Kun Ming mice (SPF KM mice) were randomly allocated into 6 groups: control group with sterile saline injection, aging group with subcutaneously injection of D-galactose, treatments groups with injection of D-galactose and intragastric administration of 107, 108, and 109 CFU/mL L. plantarum NJAU-01, and positive control group with injection of D-galactose and intragastric administration of 1 mg/mL Vitamin C. Results The results showed that the treatment group of L. plantarum NJAU-01 at 109 CFU/mL showed higher total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and the antioxidant enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (CAT) than those of the other groups in serum, heart and liver. In contrast, the content of the oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde (MDA) showed lower levels than the other groups (P < 0.05). The antioxidant capacity was improved with the supplement of the increasing concentration of L. plantarum NJAU-01. Conclusions Thus, this study demonstrates that L. plantarum NJAU-01 can alleviate oxidative stress by increasing the activities of enzymes involved in oxidation resistance and decreasing level of lipid oxidation in mice.

Download Full-text

Dental pulp stem cells overexpressing hepatocyte growth factor facilitate the repair of DSS-induced ulcerative colitis

Stem Cell Research & Therapy ◽

10.1186/s13287-020-02098-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ning Li ◽

Yichi Zhang ◽

Narayan Nepal ◽

Guoqing Li ◽

Ningning Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Ulcerative Colitis ◽

Body Weight ◽

Stem Cell ◽

Dental Pulp ◽

The Other ◽

Therapeutic Effects ◽

Colon Injury ◽

Treatment Groups ◽

Hepatocyte Growth

Abstract Background Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic and recurrent disease without satisfactory treatment strategies. Dental pulp stem cell (DPSC) transplantation has been proposed as a potential therapy for UC. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of the rat hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) gene transduced into DPSCs for UC. Methods The therapeutic effects of HGF-DPSCs transplanted intravenously into a rat model of UC induced by 5% dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) were compared with the other treatment groups (LV-HGF group, DPSCs group and GFP-DPSCs group). Immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry were used to observe the localization and proliferation of HGF-DPSCs at the site of colon injury. The expression levels of inflammatory factors were detected by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-PCR) and western blotting. The oxidative stress markers were detected by ELISA. DAI scores and body weight changes were used to macroscopically evaluate the treatment of rats in each group. Results Immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry assays showed that HGF-DPSCs homed to colon injury sites and colocalized with intestinal stem cell (ISC) markers (Bmi1, Musashi1 and Sox9) and significantly promoted protein expression (Bmi1, Musashi1, Sox9 and PCNA). Anti-inflammatory cytokine (TGF-β and IL-10) expression was the highest in the HGF-DPSCs group compared with the other treatment groups, while the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and INF-γ) was the lowest. Additionally, the oxidative stress response results showed that malondialdehyde (MDA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) expression decreased while superoxide dismutase (SOD) expression increased, especially in the HGF-DPSCs group. The DAI scores showed a downward trend with time in the five treatment groups, whereas body weight increased, and the changes were most prominent in the HGF-DPSCs group. Conclusions The study indicated that HGF-DPSCs can alleviate injuries to the intestinal mucosa by transdifferentiating into ISC-like cells, promoting ISC-like cell proliferation, suppressing inflammatory responses and reducing oxidative stress damage, which provides new ideas for the clinical treatment of UC.

Download Full-text