Histological Changes in the Kidneys and Heart in Experimental Acanthamoebiasis in Immunocompetent and Immunosuppressed Hosts

The course of Acanthamoeba spp. infection depends on the age and immune status of the host, and the virulence of the Acanthamoeba spp. strain. Some strains of free-living amoebae exhibit organ specificity, during the course of infection, while others may cause changes in many organs or completely lose pathogenicity. The aim of the current study was to investigate the pathological properties of Acanthamoeba spp. isolated from a patient with acute myeloid leukemia and atypical pneumonia (AM22). Moreover, the objective was to investigate the histopathological changes in the kidneys and heart of immunocompetent and immunosuppressed mice infected with Acanthamoeba spp. Amoebae were re-isolated from both the kidneys and hearts of the inoculated mice, although no cysts or trophozoites of the amoebae were detected in microscopic slides of the fragments of these organs. Acanthamoeba spp. induced changes in the kidney and heart weight of infected mice. In immunocompetent and immunosuppressed Acanthamoeba spp. infected mice, we found some histopathological changes, including areas with less acidic cytoplasm and a relaxation of muscle fibers. In further studies, it is important to analyze changes in gene and protein expressions in the heart and kidneys of hosts with disseminated acanthamoebiasis to better understand the course of infection in these organs, because the results of histological analysis varied depending on the immune status and duration of infection.

Marathon-Induced Cardiac Strain as Model for the Evaluation of Diagnostic microRNAs for Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background: The current gold standard biomarker for myocardial infarction (MI), cardiac troponin (cTn), is recognized for its high sensitivity and organ specificity; however, it lacks diagnostic specificity. Numerous studies have introduced circulating microRNAs as potential biomarkers for MI. This study investigates the MI-specificity of these serum microRNAs by investigating myocardial stress/injury due to strenuous exercise. Methods: MicroRNA biomarkers were retrieved by comprehensive review of 109 publications on diagnostic serum microRNAs for MI. MicroRNA levels were first measured by next-generation sequencing in pooled sera from runners (n = 46) before and after conducting a full competitive marathon. Hereafter, reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) of 10 selected serum microRNAs in 210 marathon runners was performed (>10,000 qPCR measurements). Results: 27 potential diagnostic microRNA for MI were retrieved by the literature review. Eight microRNAs (miR-1-3p, miR-21-5p, miR-26a-5p, miR-122-5p, miR-133a-3p, miR-142-5p, miR-191-5p, miR-486-3p) showed positive correlations with cTnT in marathon runners, whereas two miRNAs (miR-134-5p and miR-499a-5p) showed no correlations. Upregulation of miR-133a-3p (p = 0.03) and miR-142-5p (p = 0.01) went along with elevated cTnT after marathon. Conclusion: Some MI-associated microRNAs (e.g., miR-133a-3p and miR-142-5p) have similar kinetics under strenuous exercise and MI as compared to cTnT, which suggests that their diagnostic specificity could be limited. In contrast, several MI-associated microRNAs (miR-26a-5p, miR-134-5p, miR-191-5p) showed different release behavior; hence, combining cTnT with these microRNAs within a multi-marker strategy may add diagnostic accuracy in MI.

Mouse Organ-Specific Proteins and Functions

Organ-specific proteins (OSPs) possess great medical potential both in clinics and in biomedical research. Applications of them—such as alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and troponins—in clinics have raised certain concerns of their organ specificity. The dynamics and diversity of protein expression in heterogeneous human populations are well known, yet their effects on OSPs are less addressed. Here, we used mice as a model and implemented a breadth study to examine the panorgan proteome for potential variations in organ specificity in different genetic backgrounds. Using reasonable resources, we generated panorgan proteomes of four in-bred mouse strains. The results revealed a large diversity that was more profound among OSPs than among proteomes overall. We defined a robustness score to quantify such variation and derived three sets of OSPs with different stringencies. In the meantime, we found that the enriched biological functions of OSPs are also organ-specific and are sensitive and useful to assess the quality of OSPs. We hope our breadth study can open doors to explore the molecular diversity and dynamics of organ specificity at the protein level.

Circulating miRNAs as potential biomarkers in assessing the risk of cardiac arrhythmia, its recurrence, or the effectiveness of antiarrhythmic therapy

Cardiac arrhythmias belong to a group of diseases that, in some cases, can be life and health threatening. The most common arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation, while the most dangerous dysrhythmia is ventricular fibrillation. The list of factors determining and influencing the occurrence and course of abnormal heart rhythms, and thus determining the fate of the patient, is very diverse. The priority in the fight against arrhythmia is the short time to detect and diagnose and identify patients with a high probability of recurrent forms of particular arrhythmias. In recent years, scientists' attention has focused on circulating microRNAs, which have a high potential to act as biomarkers of cardiac arrhythmias. miRNAs are short, single-stranded ribonucleic acid molecules with a length of about 22 nucleotides. MicroRNAs intracellularly play the role of regulators of gene expression, while extracellularly they are mediators of intercellular communication. MiRNAs are characterized by high tissue and organ specificity. In addition, even minimal quantitative changes affect the homeostasis of the body and initiate a pathological state, which suggests the possibility of using them to identify abnormalities, e.g., in the structure and functioning of the heart. The conclusions of scientists obtained so far from a large number of scientific sources and confirmed studies are not unequivocal, however, they indicate the relationship of circulating miRNAs with the occurrence of specific arrhythmia and give hope for the practical use of microRNA as biomarkers in laboratory diagnostics.

PHYTOREMEDIATION OF HEAVY METALS BY THE DOMINANT MANGROVE ASSOCIATE SPECIES OF INDIAN SUNDARBANS

The present study aims to investigate the phytoremediation potential of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and lead (Pb) by two dominant mangrove associate species, Suaeda maritima, and Salicornia brachiata, found in the high saline supralittoral zone of Indian Sundarbans in four stations of the Hooghly-Matla estuarine complex during the premonsoon season (May 2019). We found that concentrations of biologically available heavy metals (HMs) in the ambient soil and bioaccumulated HMs within the vegetative plant parts occurred as per the order: Sagar South > Bakkhali > Jharkhali > Bali Island. The order of biologically available and bioaccumulated HMs was Zn > Cu > Pb. Interestingly, the selected HMs display high organ-specificity for both species with the highest enrichment in roots, followed by stems and leaves. We propose that these halophytes could be used as agents of phytoremediation and their farming would be effective in the ecorestoration of this deltaic complex in context to conservative pollutants.

Establishment of Novel Genotoxicity Assay System Using Murine Normal Epithelial Tissue-Derived Organoids

Short-/middle-term and simple prediction studies for carcinogenesis are needed for the safety assessment of chemical substances. To establish a novel genotoxicity assay with an in vivo mimicking system, we prepared murine colonic/pulmonary organoids from gpt delta mice according to the general procedure using collagenase/dispase and cultured them in a 3D environment. When the organoids were exposed to foodborne carcinogens—2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo(4,5-b)pyridine (PhIP) and acrylamide (AA)—in the presence of metabolic activation systems, mutation frequencies (MFs) occurring in the gpt gene dose-dependently increased. Moreover, the mutation spectrum analysis indicated predominant G:C to T:A transversion with PhIP, and A:T to C:G and A:T to T:A transversion with AA. These data correspond to those of a previous study describing in vivo mutagenicity in gpt delta mice. However, organoids derived from the liver, a non-target tissue of PhIP-carcinogenesis, also demonstrated genotoxicity with a potency comparable to colonic organoids. Organoids and PhIP were directly incubated in the presence of metabolic activation systems; therefore, there was a lack of organ specificity, as observed in vivo. Additionally, PhIP-DNA adduct levels were comparable in hepatic and colonic organoids after PhIP exposure. Taken together, the organoids prepared in the present study may be helpful to predict chemical carcinogenesis.

Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of the MADS-Box Gene Family in Theobroma cacao

The MADS-box family gene is a class of transcription factors that have been extensively studied and involved in several plant growth and development processes, especially in floral organ specificity, flowering time and initiation and fruit development. In this study, we identified 69 candidate MADS-box genes and clustered these genes into five subgroups (Mα: 11; Mβ: 2; Mγ: 14; Mδ: 9; MIKC: 32) based on their phylogenetical relationships with Arabidopsis. Most TcMADS genes within the same subgroup showed a similar gene structure and highly conserved motifs. Chromosomal distribution analysis revealed that all the TcMADS genes were evenly distributed in 10 chromosomes. Additionally, the cis-acting elements of promoter, physicochemical properties and subcellular localization were also analyzed. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of MADS-box genes in Theobroma cacao and lays the foundation for further functional research.

Mouse Organ Specific Proteins and Functions

Organ specific proteins (OSPs) possess great medical potentials both in clinics and in biomedical research. Applications of them - such as alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and troponins - in clinics have raised certain concerns of their organ specificity. The dynamics and diversity of protein expression in heterogeneous human population are well known, yet their effects on OSPs are less addressed. Here we use mouse as a model and implemented a scheme of breadth study to examine the pan-organ proteome for potential variations of organ specificity in different genetic backgrounds. Using reasonable resources, we generated pan-organ proteomes of four in-bred mouse strains. The results revealed a large diversity that is more profound among OSPs than the overall proteomes. We defined a robustness score to quantify such variation and derived three sets of OSPs with different stringencies. In the meantime, we found that the enriched biological functions of OSPs are also organ specific that are sensitive and useful to assess the quality of OSPs. We hope our breadth study can open doors to explore the molecular diversity and dynamics of organ specificity at the protein level.

Diversity of endophytic fungal species from Styrax benzoin found in benzoin-producing locations in North Sumatra

Styrax benzoin is a native tree to Indonesia, particularly in North Sumatra. This plant species produces benzoin resin, which is beneficial for medicinal treatments, hence its commercial value. Endophytic fungi help produce bioactive metabolites and contribute to resin production. However, the diversity of endophytic fungal species from S. benzoin grown in North Sumatra remained largely unexplored. This study aims to determine the distribution and diversity of culturable endophytic fungi from two kemenyan-producing locations in North Sumatra, Simalungun and North Tapanuli, as well as their tree part origin. A total of 7 and 8 endophytic fungal species were obtained from barks, stems, and/or leaves of S. benzoin grown in Simalungun and North Tapanuli, respectively, and identified by internal transcribed spacer sequence analysis. Endophytic fungi from North Tapanuli showed higher diversity, with a Shannon-Wiener index of 2.31 than those from Simalungun (1.95). Morisita-Horn similarity indices for bark-stem, stem-leaf, and bark-leaf were 0.47, 0.08, and 0, respectively, hinting at organ-specificity colonization. This study offers insights into the diversity of endophytic fungi isolated from S. benzoin which may contribute to future improvement of benzoin resin production.