Publications by authors named "Benjamin Saint-Pierre"

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a psychiatric disorder with an estimated heritability of around 70%. Although the largest meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies on AN identified independent risk-conferring loci for the disorder, the molecular mechanisms underlying the genetic basis of AN remain to be elucidated. To investigate AN, we performed transcriptome profiling in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 15 AN patients and 15 healthy controls.

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Article Synopsis
  • Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), especially benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P), are harmful environmental contaminants linked to serious health issues like cancer and immune system suppression.
  • This study investigates the use of extracellular vesicles (EVs) and their microRNA (miRNA) content as potential biomarkers for PAH exposure, focusing on changes in EV production and miRNA profiles following exposure to B(a)P.
  • The findings show that B(a)P exposure increases EV production and specifically regulates the expression of miR-342-3p, suggesting that EVs and miRNAs could serve as valuable indicators of PAH exposure in toxicological assessments.
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Background: Exercise is widely considered to have beneficial impact on skeletal muscle aging. In addition, there are also several studies demonstrating a positive effect of exercise on muscular dystrophies. Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is a late-onset autosomal dominant inherited neuromuscular disorder caused by mutations in the PAPBN1 gene.

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Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are important regulators of gene expression. They are expressed not only in cells, but also in cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs). The mechanisms controlling their loading and sorting remain poorly understood.

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The CTNNB1 gene, encoding β-catenin, is frequently mutated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, ∼30%) and in hepatoblastoma (HB, >80%), in which DLK1/DIO3 locus induction is correlated with CTNNB1 mutations. Here, we aim to decipher how sustained β-catenin activation regulates DLK1/DIO3 locus expression and the role this locus plays in HB and HCC development in mouse models deleted for Apc (Apc) or Ctnnb1-exon 3 (β-catenin) and in human CTNNB1-mutated hepatic cancer cells. We identified an enhancer site bound by TCF-4/β-catenin complexes in an open conformation upon sustained β-catenin activation (DLK1-Wnt responsive element [WRE]) and increasing DLK1/DIO3 locus transcription in β-catenin-mutated human HB and mouse models.

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Objectives: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) (Streptococcus agalactiae) is a pathogen of growing importance in adults. The objective of this study was to describe the features of invasive infections by GBS in non-pregnant adults.

Methods: GBS infections were reported to the national reference centre for streptococci.

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expression marks stem cells in developing skeletal muscles and adult satellite cells during homeostasis and muscle regeneration. The genetic determinants that control the entrance into the myogenic program and the appearance of PAX7+ cells during embryogenesis are poorly understood. SIX homeoproteins are encoded by the sine oculis-related homeobox - genes in vertebrates.

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The genetic causes of malformations of cortical development (MCD) remain largely unknown. Here we report the discovery of multiple pathogenic missense mutations in TUBG1, DYNC1H1 and KIF2A, as well as a single germline mosaic mutation in KIF5C, in subjects with MCD. We found a frequent recurrence of mutations in DYNC1H1, implying that this gene is a major locus for unexplained MCD.

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