Kynurenines and Inflammation: A Remarkable Axis for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune neurological disease characterized by the recurrent appearance of demyelinating lesions and progressive disability. Currently, there are multiple disease-modifying treatments, however, there is a significant need to develop new therapeutic targets, especially for the progressive forms of the disease. This review article provides an overview of the most recent studies aimed at understanding the inflammatory processes that are activated in response to the accumulation of kynurenine pathway (KP) metabolites, which exacerbate an imbalance between immune system cells (e.

Pharmacological Treatments and Therapeutic Targets in Muscle Dystrophies Generated by Alterations in Dystrophin-Associated Proteins.

Muscular dystrophies (MDs) are a heterogeneous group of diseases of genetic origin characterized by progressive skeletal muscle degeneration and weakness. There are several types of MDs, varying in terms of age of onset, severity, and pattern of the affected muscles. However, all of them worsen over time, and many patients will eventually lose their ability to walk.

Alkaline-Tolerant 12GS: A Promising Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) Producer Isolated from the North of Mexico.

Environmental pollution caused by petroleum-derived plastics continues to increase annually. Consequently, current research is interested in the search for eco-friendly bacterial polymers. The importance of bacteria as producers of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) has been recognized because of their physiological and genetic qualities.

Nanofibrous ε-Polycaprolactone Matrices Containing Nano-Hydroxyapatite and L. Extract: Physicochemical and Biological Characterization for Oral Applications.

Oral bone defects occur as a result of trauma, cancer, infections, periodontal diseases, and caries. Autogenic and allogenic grafts are the gold standard used to treat and regenerate damaged or defective bone segments. However, these materials do not possess the antimicrobial properties necessary to inhibit the invasion of the numerous deleterious pathogens present in the oral microbiota.

Systematic bioprospection for cellulolytic actinomycetes in the Chihuahuan Desert: isolation and enzymatic profiling.

The quest for microbial cellulases has intensified as a response to global challenges in biofuel production. The efficient deconstruction of lignocellulosic biomass holds promise for generating valuable products in various industries such as food, textile, and detergents. This article presents a systematic bioprospection aimed at isolating actinomycetes with exceptional cellulose deconstruction capabilities.

Electrospun Polyvinylpyrrolidone-Gelatin and Cellulose Acetate Bi-Layer Scaffold Loaded with Gentamicin as Possible Wound Dressing.

Acceleration of wound healing can be achieved with the use of wound dressings. Through the electrospinning technique, a polymeric scaffold composed of two layers was processed: a gelatin and polyvinylpyrrolidone layer with gentamicin, and a second layer of cellulose acetate. The conditions for the electrospinning process were standardized for voltage parameters, feed flow and the distance from the injector to the collector.

Distinct gene expression and secondary metabolite profiles in tomato mutants having impaired mycorrhizal colonization.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization, sampled at 32-50 days post-inoculation (dpi), was significantly reduced in mutant tomato plants impaired in the ω-3 () gene that limits the generation of linolenic acid and, consequently, the wound-responsive jasmonic acid (JA) burst. Contrary to wild-type (WT) plants, JA levels in root and leaves of mutants remained unchanged in response to AMF colonization, further supporting its regulatory role in the AM symbiosis. Decreased AMF colonization in plants was also linked to alterations associated with a disrupted FAD7 function, such as enhanced salicylic acid (SA) levels and SA-related defense gene expression and a reduction in fatty acid content in both mycorrhizal roots and leaves.

Anticancer potential of Thevetia peruviana fruit methanolic extract.

Background: Thevetia peruviana (Pers.) K. Schum or Cascabela peruviana (L.

The novel and taxonomically restricted Ah24 gene from grain amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) has a dual role in development and defense.

Grain amaranths tolerate stress and produce highly nutritious seeds. We have identified several (a)biotic stress-responsive genes of unknown function in Amaranthus hypochondriacus, including the so-called Ah24 gene. Ah24 was expressed in young or developing tissues; it was also strongly induced by mechanical damage, insect herbivory and methyl jasmonate and in meristems and newly emerging leaves of severely defoliated plants.

Metabolic and enzymatic changes associated with carbon mobilization, utilization and replenishment triggered in grain amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus) in response to partial defoliation by mechanical injury or insect herbivory.

Background: Amaranthus cruentus and A. hypochondriacus are crop plants grown for grain production in subtropical countries. Recently, the generation of large-scale transcriptomic data opened the possibility to study representative genes of primary metabolism to gain a better understanding of the biochemical mechanisms underlying tolerance to defoliation in these species.

Characterization of the tomato prosystemin promoter: organ-specific expression, hormone specificity and methyl jasmonate responsiveness by deletion analysis in transgenic tobacco plants.

Tomato systemin is a bioactive peptide that regulates the systemic activation of wound-responsive genes. It is released from its 200 amino acid precursor called prosystemin. Initial tissue-localization and hormone-induced expression assays indicated that the tomato prosystemin gene (SlPS) accumulates mainly in floral tissues and in response to exogenous abscisic acid and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatments, respectively.

Transcriptomic analysis of grain amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) using 454 pyrosequencing: comparison with A. tuberculatus, expression profiling in stems and in response to biotic and abiotic stress.

Background: Amaranthus hypochondriacus, a grain amaranth, is a C4 plant noted by its ability to tolerate stressful conditions and produce highly nutritious seeds. These possess an optimal amino acid balance and constitute a rich source of health-promoting peptides. Although several recent studies, mostly involving subtractive hybridization strategies, have contributed to increase the relatively low number of grain amaranth expressed sequence tags (ESTs), transcriptomic information of this species remains limited, particularly regarding tissue-specific and biotic stress-related genes.