Publications by authors named "Anne-Sophie Belanger"
Article Synopsis
- Mitogenome evolution in the Chlorophyceae shows a unique change in the Chlamydomonadales + Sphaeropleales group towards a simpler structure.
- The lack of mitogenomes from their sister group (Oedogoniales, Chaetophorales, and Chaetopeltidales) makes it uncertain if their shared ancestor had a simpler or more complex mitogenome.
- The newly reported mitogenomes for Oedogoniales and Chaetophorales reveal a common set of 41 essential genes and all 27 typical tRNA genes, indicating a more ancestral-type structure.
Evidence supports the role of vitamin D in various conditions of development and ageing. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) is the best indicator for current vitamin D status. However, the cost of its measurement can be prohibitive in epidemiological research.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Researchers looked into genetic factors that could better predict severe toxicity from irinotecan, a chemotherapy drug for colorectal cancer, beyond the known UGT1A1*28 variant.
- They studied various UGT1A gene markers in 167 patients, including new markers in the 3'UTR region, and later validated findings in another 250 Italian patients.
- The study found that specific UGT1A SNPs, particularly in the central region of the gene, were linked to higher risks of severe neutropenia, suggesting that multiple genetic variations should be considered for improved pharmacogenetic testing.
Background: UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) is a pivotal enzyme involved in metabolism of SN-38, the active metabolite of irinotecan commonly used to treat metastatic colorectal cancer. We previously demonstrated aberrant methylation of specific CpG dinucleotides in UGT1A1-negative cells, and revealed that methylation state of the UGT1A1 5'-flanking sequence is negatively correlated with gene transcription. Interestingly, one of these CpG dinucleotides (CpG -4) is found close to a HNF1 response element (HRE), known to be involved in activation of UGT1A1 gene expression, and within an upstream stimulating factor (USF) binding site.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor efavirenz (EFV) is directly conjugated by the UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) pathway to form EFV-N-glucuronide (EFV-G), but the enzyme(s) involved has not yet been identified. The glucuronidation of EFV was screened with UGT1A and UGT2B enzymes expressed in a heterologous system, and UGT2B7 was shown to be the only reactive enzyme. The apparent K(m) value of UGT2B7 (21 microM) is similar to the value observed for human liver microsomes (24 microM), whereas the variant allozyme UGT2B7*2 (Tyr(268)) displayed similar kinetic parameters.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe chloroplast genome has experienced many architectural changes during the evolution of chlorophyte green algae, with the class Chlorophyceae displaying the lowest degree of ancestral traits. We have previously shown that the completely sequenced chloroplast DNAs (cpDNAs) of Chamydomonas reinhardtii (Chlamydomonadales) and Scenedesmus obliquus (Sphaeropleales) are highly scrambled in gene order relative to one another. Here, we report the complete cpDNA sequence of Stigeoclonium helveticum (Chaetophorales), a member of a third chlorophycean lineage.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF