Mitochondrial genome variants associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and their haplogroup distribution.

Introduction/aims: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may be familial or sporadic, and twin studies have revealed that even sporadic forms have a significant genetic component. Variants in 55 nuclear genes have been associated with ALS and although mitochondrial dysfunction is observed in ALS, variants in mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) have not yet been tested for association with ALS. The aim of this study was to determine whether mitogenome variants are associated with ALS.

Vesicles from different Trypanosoma cruzi strains trigger differential innate and chronic immune responses.

Trypomastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas Disease, shed extracellular vesicles (EVs) enriched with glycoproteins of the gp85/trans-sialidase (TS) superfamily and other α-galactosyl (α-Gal)-containing glycoconjugates, such as mucins. Here, purified vesicles from T. cruzi strains (Y, Colombiana, CL-14 and YuYu) were quantified according to size, intensity and concentration.

Extracellular Vesicles: Role in Inflammatory Responses and Potential Uses in Vaccination in Cancer and Infectious Diseases.

Almost all cells and organisms release membrane structures containing proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids called extracellular vesicles (EVs), which have a wide range of functions concerning intercellular communication and signaling events. Recently, the characterization and understanding of their biological role have become a main research area due to their potential role in vaccination, as biomarkers antigens, early diagnostic tools, and therapeutic applications. Here, we will overview the recent advances and studies of Evs shed by tumor cells, bacteria, parasites, and fungi, focusing on their inflammatory role and their potential use in vaccination and diagnostic of cancer and infectious diseases.

Leishmania enriettii: biochemical characterisation of lipophosphoglycans (LPGs) and glycoinositolphospholipids (GIPLs) and infectivity to Cavia porcellus.

Background: Leishmania enriettii is a species non-infectious to man, whose reservoir is the guinea pig Cavia porcellus. Many aspects of the parasite-host interaction in this model are unknown, especially those involving parasite surface molecules. While lipophosphoglycans (LPGs) and glycoinositolphospholipids (GIPLs) of Leishmania species from the Old and New World have already been described, glycoconjugates of L.

Evaluating the urban climate of a typically tropical city of northeastern Brazil.

This study attempted to assess a bioclimate index and the occurrence of an urban heat island in the city of Campina Grande, northeastern Brazil, using data taken from mobile measurements and Automatic Weather Stations (AWS). The climate data were obtained during two representative months, one for the dry season (November 2005) and one for the rainy season (June 2006) at seven points in an urban area. Ten-minute air temperatures recorded by an AWS installed in urban areas were compared to those from a similar station located in a suburban area to assess the urban heat island (UHI).