Anti proliferative and apoptotic effects on pancreatic cancer cell lines indicate new roles for ANGPTL8 (Betatrophin)
Abstract Despite considerable advances, the treatment of pancreatic cancer (PC) still requires much effort. Unusual regulation of the Wnt and apoptotic signaling pathways is widespread in cancer incidence. For instance, the WIF1 (Wnt inhibitory factor 1) gene is down-regulated in many cancers. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of recombinant Betatrophin, a recently discovered hormone, on MiaPaca-II and Panc-1 pancreatic cell lines. Various concentrations of Betatrophin were added to MiaPaca-II and Panc-1 pancreatic cell lines during periods of 24 , 48, and 72 h. The MTT assay was applied to investigate...
Source: Genetics and Molecular Biology - August 1, 2020 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research
Rabies virus diversification in aerial and terrestrial mammals
Abstract Rabies is a fatal zoonotic infection of the central nervous system of mammals and has been known to humans for millennia. The etiological agent, is a neurotropic RNA virus in the order Mononegavirales, family Rhabdoviridae, genus Lyssavirus. There are currently accepted to be two cycles for rabies transmission: the urban cycle and the sylvatic cycle. The fact that both cycles originated from a common RABV or lyssavirus ancestor and the adaptive divergence that occurred since then as this ancestor virus adapted to a wide range of fitness landscapes represented by reservoir species in the orders Carnivora and Chirop...
Source: Genetics and Molecular Biology - August 1, 2020 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research
Is it possible ABC transporters genetic variants influence the outcomes of a weight-loss diet in obese women?
Abstract ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) transporters are involved in cholesterol metabolism and their dysfunctions could lead to obesity-associated complications. It was investigated whether SNPs in the ABCA1 (rs1800977 and rs2230806), ABCA7 (rs2279796) and ABCG1 (rs692383 and rs3827225) genes can modulate the responsiveness of 137 obese women to a weight-loss dietary intervention. Thus, anthropometric and lipid profiles were collected at baseline and after nine weeks of a calorie-restricted diet of 600kcal per day and participants were genotyped for the ABC genes SNPs. Regarding the transversal analysis, the ABCA7 rs2279796 G...
Source: Genetics and Molecular Biology - August 1, 2020 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research
Isosorbide mononitrate promotes angiogenesis in embryonic development of zebrafish
In conclusion, ISMN could promote angiogenesis in zebrafish embryos and HUVECs, implying ISMN may be a potential therapeutic in treating angiogenesis-related diseases. (Source: Genetics and Molecular Biology)
Source: Genetics and Molecular Biology - July 24, 2020 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research
Molecular evolution and diversification of the GRF transcription factor family
Abstract - Growth Regulating Factors (GRFs) comprise a transcription factor family with important functions in plant growth and development. They are characterized by the presence of QLQ and WRC domains, responsible for interaction with proteins and DNA, respectively. The QLQ domain is named due to the similarity to a protein interaction domain found in the SWI2/SNF2 chromatin remodeling complex. Despite the occurrence of the QLQ domain in both families, the divergence between them had not been further explored. Here, we show evidence for GRF origin and determined its diversification in angiosperm species. Phylogenetic ana...
Source: Genetics and Molecular Biology - July 24, 2020 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research
Prevalence of the most common pathogenic variants in three genes for inborn errors of metabolism associated with sudden unexpected death in infancy: a population-based study in south Brazil
Abstract Citrullinemia type 1 (CTLNI), long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (LCHADD), and mut0 methylmalonic acidemia (mut0 MMA) are inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs) associated with sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI). Its most common pathogenic variants are: c.1168G>A (CTLNI, ASS1 gene), c.1528G>C (LCHADD, HADHA gene), c.655A>T and c.1106G>A (mut0 MMA, MUT gene). Considering the absence of estimates regarding the incidence of these diseases in Brazil, this study sought to investigate the prevalence of its main pathogenic variants in a healthy population in the southern ...
Source: Genetics and Molecular Biology - July 24, 2020 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research
Cytogenetic analysis of the genus Thoropa Cope, 1865 (Anura-Cycloramphidae) with evolutionary inferences based on repetitive sequences
This study contributes to a better understanding of the evolutionary relationships within the genus; however, the use of different probe sequences, such as satDNA, is essential for a more robust cytogenetic analysis. (Source: Genetics and Molecular Biology)
Source: Genetics and Molecular Biology - July 6, 2020 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research
Caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and impact on global DNA methylation in human leukemic cell lines
We examined whether caffeic and chlorogenic acid (1-250 µM) exert antitumor action in human promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL-60) and human acute T-cell leukemia cells (Jurkat). Caffeic and chlorogenic acid did not reduce cell viability in the two cell lines, as assessed using the neutral red uptake and MTT assays. These phenolic acids (1-100 μ M) neither induced DNA damage (comet assay) nor increased the micronuclei frequency (micronucleus assay) in HL-60 and Jurkat cells, indicating that they were not genotoxic or mutagenic. Analysis of global DNA methylation levels using a 5-mC DNA ELISA kit revealed that chlorogenic a...
Source: Genetics and Molecular Biology - July 3, 2020 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research
Beyond the HLA polymorphism: a complex pattern of genetic susceptibility to pemphigus
Abstract Pemphigus is a group of autoimmune bullous skin diseases that result in significant morbidity. As for other multifactorial autoimmune disorders, environmental factors may trigger the disease in genetically susceptible individuals. The goals of this review are to summarize the state of knowledge about the genetic variation that may affect the susceptibility and pathogenesis of pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus – both the endemic and the sporadic forms – , to compare and discuss the possible meaning of the associations reported, and to propose recommendations for new research initiatives. Understanding...
Source: Genetics and Molecular Biology - July 1, 2020 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research
De novo sequencing of Bletilla striata (Orchidaceae) transcriptome and identification of genes involved in polysaccharide biosynthesis
Abstract Bletilla striata polysaccharide (BSP) is the main component of Bletilla striata, which has important pharmacological and pharmacological effects; however, due to the lack of genetic data, the metabolic pathways of BSP remain unclear. For this study, 11 representative resources of B. striata were analyzed, and the BSP contents of the different samples were significantly different; however, the monosaccharide composition of BSP was glucose and mannose. The representative samples were selected to observe their life history in situ, which were then divided and cultured in a greenhouse. Finally, samples from various or...
Source: Genetics and Molecular Biology - June 26, 2020 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research
Systems chemo-biology analysis of DNA damage response and cell cycle effects induced by coal exposure
Abstract Cell cycle alterations are among the principle hallmarks of cancer. Consequently, the study of cell cycle regulators has emerged as an important topic in cancer research, particularly in relation to environmental exposure. Particulate matter and coal dust around coal mines have the potential to induce cell cycle alterations. Therefore, in the present study, we performed chemical analyses to identify the main compounds present in two mineral coal samples from Colombian mines and performed systems chemo-biology analysis to elucidate the interactions between these chemical compounds and proteins associated with the c...
Source: Genetics and Molecular Biology - June 26, 2020 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research
The PAC-3 transcription factor critically regulates phenotype-associated genes in Neurospora crassa
In this study, we used RNA-seq to analyze the phenotypic plasticity induced after pac-3 deletion in the filamentous fungus N. crassa cultivated in media supplemented with sufficient or limited inorganic phosphate. Genes related to morphology, hyphal development, and conidiation were of particular interest in this study. Our results suggest a pac-3 dependency in gene regulation in a Pi-dependent manner. Furthermore, our analysis suggested that the fungus attempts to overcome the deletion effects in a Δ pac-3 mutant through a complex combined regulatory mechanism. Finally, the modulatory responses observed in the Δ pac-3 s...
Source: Genetics and Molecular Biology - June 22, 2020 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research
Use of DNA barcode in the identification of fish eggs in tributaries of the Paranapanema River basin
Abstract Fish eggs are often excluded from identification analysis since at this stage of development there are few morphological characters. The correct identification of eggs can provide important information about spawning areas of species. The current work aimed to identify fish eggs in the Tibagi and Cinzas Rivers using the DNA barcode to obtain information on richness and diversity, adding to the existing data in the area. Of the 928 sequences analyzed using the BOLD Systems database, 99.78% were able to be identified at a specific level, demonstrating a high success rate for egg identification. The samples resulted ...
Source: Genetics and Molecular Biology - June 22, 2020 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research
MicroRNA-296-5p is differentially expressed in individuals with and without HIV-1 infection
Abstract MicroRNAs are considered as potential biomarkers, agents, or therapeutic targets; few studies have addressed the expression of miRNAs in treatment-na ïve patients infected with HIV-1. The aim of this study was to assess plasma relative circulating miRNA expression profiles in treatment-naïve Mexican patients with HIV/AIDS and healthy individuals using a commercial array. A low CD4+ T cell count and high viral load were found in all patients. De creased relative miRNA-296-5p expression was observed in patients; moreover, this was the only miRNA that showed differences between the two groups. Thus, we measured the...
Source: Genetics and Molecular Biology - June 22, 2020 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research
Intense proliferation of rDNA sites and heterochromatic bands in two distantly related Cuscuta species (Convolvulaceae) with very large genomes and symmetric karyotypes
Abstract The genome size varies widely among angiosperms but only a few clades present huge variation at a low phylogenetic level. Among diploid species of the genus Cuscuta the genome size increased enormously in at least two independent lineages: in species of subgenus Monogynella and in at least one species (C. indecora) of the subgenus Grammica. Curiously, the independent events lead to similar karyotypes, with 2n = 30 mostly metacentric chromosomes. In this paper we compared the patterns of heterochromatic bands and rDNA sites of C. indecora and C. monogyna, aiming to evaluate the role of these repetitive fractions in...
Source: Genetics and Molecular Biology - June 16, 2020 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research
