Publications by authors named "Andres Nunez"
Article Synopsis
- * In a greenhouse study, Vicia faba was exposed to MCs, leading to significant changes in the bacterial communities, especially in root tissue, where beneficial bacteria like Streptomyces declined.
- * The presence of MCs simplified the bacterial community structure and shifted it towards more bacteria that can potentially degrade MCs, indicating a complex interplay between soil health and plant-associated microbes in contaminated environments.
Article Synopsis
- Understanding the genetic diversity of invasion ligands in malaria parasites is crucial for potential vaccine development, particularly focusing on Ecuadorian P. vivax isolates from the Coast and Amazon regions.
- The study involved analyzing 88 samples, revealing significant genetic variation in genes related to merozoite invasion, with 44 to 56 nonsynonymous polymorphisms recorded across different genes.
- Results showed high haplotypic diversity, particularly in the East Amazon, suggesting geographic variation in malaria transmission and indicating that Ecuadorian P. vivax diversity is comparable to other endemic countries but lower than some regions.
Article Synopsis
- Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) significantly impacts industries like naval engineering, as seen in a case where tugboats suffered pitting corrosion in their carbon steel hulls.
- The study analyzed seawater from the bilge, revealing the presence of certain bacteria through DNA tests, leading to a proposed mechanism for the corrosion.
- Based on findings, the researchers evaluated a biocide treatment and suggested a new maintenance protocol to effectively combat MIC, emphasizing the need for improved engineering design in maritime vessels.
Article Synopsis
- The atmosphere is less studied compared to soil and aquatic ecosystems for microbial diversity; this study focuses on airborne microbes around Madrid, Spain.
- Researchers found a stable core of bacterial genera primarily from soil origins, while fungi were more influenced by environmental changes.
- Seasonal patterns in microbial communities were linked mainly to temperature and rainfall, indicating that urban air contributes to understanding long-term human exposure in densely populated areas.
Article Synopsis
- Limited evidence indicates that interactions between chemical pollutants and biological particles may worsen respiratory diseases linked to urban air pollution, but data on biological elements is lacking.
- This research represents the first attempt to analyze air pollution by combining both living (e.g., bacteria and fungi) and non-living components, focusing on data from the Madrid Greater Region.
- Significant correlations were found between temperature, humidity, and the presence of certain biological phyla, and preliminary models suggest these environmental factors can help predict biological diversity even when direct measurements are lacking.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how the composition of airborne biological particles, including bacteria, fungi, and pollen, varies at different altitudes in an urban area, using high-throughput DNA sequencing.
- Findings indicate that while many taxa (types of organisms) are present at all heights, a transitional layer between 80 and 150 meters impacts the distribution of these bioaerosols, with varying trends in diversity among bacteria, fungi, and plants.
- The research highlights the presence of numerous airborne allergens and potential pathogens across all altitudes and suggests possible connections between different biological particles based on their distribution patterns.
Article Synopsis
- - This study compares the effectiveness of two adhesives, silicone (with cyclohexane solvent) and petroleum jelly (Vaseline), used in aerobiological sampling for measuring airborne pollen concentrations.
- - The analysis was conducted using traditional optical microscopy (OM) and a newer high-throughput sequencing analysis (HTS) under outdoor conditions, revealing a good correlation in identifying major pollen types like Cupressaceae and Quercus.
- - Results indicate that both adhesives yield comparable data, and although OM and HTS generally agree on the most abundant pollen types, differences arise with a higher number of pollen types present.
Article Synopsis
- * A newly developed two-PCR assay targets specific regions of the 16S rRNA gene to detect Legionella pneumophila in outdoor air samples, even when DNA levels are low.
- * This method allows for rapid results without the need for culturing, enabling quicker public health responses to prevent outbreaks of legionellosis.
A New Putative Caulimoviridae Genus Discovered through Air Metagenomics.
Microbiol Resour Announc
October 2018
Article Synopsis
- Members of the Caulimoviridae family are significant viruses that infect plants.
- They have circular double-stranded DNA genomes and can integrate into the host’s DNA, but this step isn't necessary for their reproduction.
- The study discusses the finding of three complete viral genomes from a new potential genus within this family, identified using air metagenomics techniques.
Article Synopsis
- Landscapes are influenced over time by changing perceptions and representations of nature, particularly in two regions of Chile: central-southern and Patagonia-Aysén.
- In central-southern Chile, the perception of degraded land in the 50s and 60s led to the establishment of commercial forestry plantations, which have since been normalized as part of nature.
- Conversely, in Patagonia-Aysén, there's been a shift from traditional livestock farming to a focus on ecotourism and conservation, driven by new economic models and changing societal values regarding the land.
Background: Endotoxin (LPS) released from gram-negative bacteria causes strong immunologic and inflammatory effects and, when airborne, can contribute to respiratory conditions, such as allergic asthma.
Objectives: We sought to identify the source of airborne endotoxin and the effect of this endotoxin on allergic sensitization.
Methods: We determined LPS levels in outdoor air on a daily basis for 4 consecutive years in Munich (Germany) and Davos (Switzerland).
Black rot of crucifers, (Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris) is the principal yield-limiting and destructive pathogen of cruciferous crop worldwide. In order to validate a bio-based control alternative for this disease, whey, lime sulfur, biofertilizer, Bordeaux mixture or raw milk were applied to kale (Brassica oleracea var.
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- * The study examines how sFlt-1 impacts mitochondrial function and metabolism in endothelial and placental cells, showing it leads to metabolic changes that reduce oxygen metabolism and increase glycolysis.
- * Findings reveal that sFlt-1 from preeclamptic serum causes mitochondrial dysfunction, increasing reactive oxygen species and impairing cell function, particularly affecting cells that rely on oxidative metabolism.
Article Synopsis
- Pollen, fungi, and bacteria are prevalent in outdoor air, impacting allergies, disease transmission, and atmospheric dynamics, yet no simultaneous monitoring method exists for these biological particles in urban areas.
- The study utilized Hirst-type spore traps and high-throughput DNA sequencing to characterize airborne biological communities, achieving over 87% representation for bacteria, 89% for fungi, and 97% for pollen.
- Results indicated that DNA sequencing provided more accurate taxonomic assignments and greater diversity detection compared to traditional microscopy methods, suggesting the effectiveness of these traps for ongoing environmental monitoring.
The air we breathe contains microscopic biological particles such as viruses, bacteria, fungi and pollen, some of them with relevant clinic importance. These organisms and/or their propagules have been traditionally studied by different disciplines and diverse methodologies like culture and microscopy. These techniques require time, expertise and also have some important biases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe first part of this review ("Monitoring of airborne biological particles in outdoor atmosphere. Part 1: Importance, variability and ratios") describes the current knowledge on the major biological particles present in the air regarding their global distribution, concentrations, ratios and influence of meteorological factors in an attempt to provide a framework for monitoring their biodiversity and variability in such a singular environment as the atmosphere. Viruses, bacteria, fungi, pollen and fragments thereof are the most abundant microscopic biological particles in the air outdoors.
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- Cell fate is influenced by the balance of apoptosis (cell death) and autophagy (cell survival), with autophagy helping cells recycle components during stress like nitrogen starvation or aging.
- Calnexin (Cnx1p), a crucial protein in the endoplasmic reticulum, plays a key role in regulating apoptosis and is processed into two forms during stationary growth.
- The cleavage of Cnx1p, regulated by autophagy and specific proteases, is essential for cell survival under stress, as its absence leads to increased cell death and various cellular defects in yeast, suggesting Cnx1p is a critical link between pro-death and pro-survival processes.
Uni- and biaxial tension deformation tests, with different degrees of deformation, have been done on AISI 430 (EN 1.4016) ferritic stainless steel samples, which had both different chemical compositions and had undergone different annealing treatments. The initial and deformed materials were characterized by using electron backscatter diffraction and backscatter electron imaging in a scanning electron microscope together with electron probe microanalysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Wee1-dependent inhibitory phosphorylation of the highly conserved Cdc2/Cdk1 kinase determines the mitotic onset when cells have reached a defined size. The receptor of activated C kinase (RACK1) is a scaffolding protein strongly conserved among eukaryotes which binds to other proteins to regulate multiple processes in mammalian cells, including the modulation of cell cycle progression during G(1)/S transition. We have recently described that Cpc2, the fission yeast ortholog to RACK1, controls from the ribosome the activation of MAPK cascades and the cellular defense against oxidative stress by positively regulating the translation of specific genes whose products participate in the above processes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe receptor of activated C kinase (RACK1) is a protein highly conserved among eukaryotes. In mammalian cells, RACK1 functions as an adaptor to favor protein kinase C (PKC)-mediated phosphorylation and subsequent activation of c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase mitogen-activated protein kinase. Cpc2, the RACK1 orthologue in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, is involved in the control of G2/M transition and interacts with Pck2, a PKC-type protein member of the cell integrity Pmk1 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway.
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- MAPK Pmk1p is crucial for maintaining cell integrity and is activated by stress and during cell separation in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.
- The GTPase Rho2p and protein kinase C homolog Pck2p are part of the signaling pathway that activates Pmk1p, but alternative mechanisms can also regulate its activity.
- Different stressors activate Pmk1p through distinct pathways, indicating a complex network of regulatory elements that adapt to various environmental stresses.
Fission yeast mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) Pmk1p is involved in morphogenesis, cytokinesis, and ion homeostasis as part of the cell integrity pathway, and it becomes activated under multiple stresses, including hyper- or hypotonic conditions, glucose deprivation, cell wall-damaging compounds, and oxidative stress. The only protein phosphatase known to dephosphorylate and inactivate Pmk1p is Pmp1p. We show here that the stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK) pathway and its main effector, Sty1p MAPK, are essential for proper deactivation of Pmk1p under hypertonic stress in a process regulated by Atf1p transcription factor.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCentrifugation of cells of Schizosaccharomyces pombe in liquid medium prompted a marked activation of Sty1 and Pmk1, which are the effector mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) of the stress-activated protein kinase pathway and the cell-integrity pathway, respectively. Transduction of the centrifugation signals showed a sensitivity threshold above which the response was dependent on time and temperature. Centrifugation-induced phosphorylation of Sty1 and Pmk1 required the presence of the main functional components of the respective signalling cascades, i.
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- Stationary-phase cultures of the yeast Candida utilis show heat resistance at 50°C in light-dark cycles, indicating a potential circadian-like rhythm influenced by light.
- In continuous darkness, this heat resistance pattern is weakened, suggesting environmental factors play a role in rhythm maintenance.
- The resistance is likely an adaptive response to light-induced reactive oxygen species rather than a true endogenous circadian rhythm, similar to findings in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe.
Article Synopsis
- - The hydrolysis of five and six-membered cyclic phosphoramides in acidic conditions (pH 1.5 to 4) was studied using UV and 3'PNMR spectroscopy, revealing a specific reaction rate equation influenced by water attack on both protonated and unprotonated forms.
- - Contrary to expectations that five-membered rings would hydrolyze faster due to structural strain, the results showed they were only slightly quicker in one aspect but slower in another compared to six-membered rings, attributed to the increased stability of the latter's electron configuration.
- - The study found differing product ratios during hydrolysis; five-membered rings predominantly yielded products from endocyclic cleavage, while six-membered rings favored