Publications by authors named "Jorge Molina-Torres"

Paternal exposure to high-fat diets or individual fatty acids (FAs) including arachidonic acid (AA) modifies progeny traits by poorly understood mechanisms. Specific male reproductive system FAs may be involved in paternal inheritance, as they can modify a range of cellular components, including the epigenome. Our objective was to determine FAs in compartments of the male reproductive system that potentially affect ejaculate composition-right and left testicular interstitial fluid (TIF), vesicular gland fluid (VGF), and epididymal adipose tissue (EAT)-in mice exposed to AA or vehicle daily for 10 days ( = 9-10/group).

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The alkamide content and specific tissue localization in the cypselae of were investigated using gas chromatography-electron ionization mass spectrometry (GC-EIMS) and multiphoton fluorescence microscopy (MPFM). GC-EIMS analysis identified two olefinic alkamides: affinin (spilanthol) and -2-methylbutyl-2,6,8-decatrienamide. Microscopic analysis revealed that alkamides are localized within the cotyledons, and specifically compartmentalized in lipid bodies, highlighting their spatial organization.

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is a species within the Apocynaceae family known for containing cardenolide-glycosides, commonly referred to as cardiac glycosides, which are characteristic of this genus. The seeds of the species are frequently used as a model source for studying cardiac steroids, as these glycosides can be more readily extracted from the oil-rich seeds than from the plant's green tissues. In this work, the cardenolide profile of ripe and immature seeds was determined and compared to establish the main differences.

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Article Synopsis
  • Increasing DNA hypermethylation is linked to cardiovascular risk, prompting research on the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor decitabine (Dec) to improve metabolic health in mice on a high-animal fat and protein diet.
  • Dec significantly reduced body weight gain in female mice and influenced lipid metabolism by increasing muscle lipid and plasma fatty acids while decreasing liver fat.
  • Results suggest Dec enhances mitochondrial function and redirects lipid accumulation to skeletal muscle, but also causes insulin resistance in adipose tissue, highlighting potential therapeutic strategies for lipid-related metabolic issues.
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Arachidonic acid (AA) is involved in inflammation and plays a role in growth and brain development in infants. We previously showed that exposure of mouse sires to AA for three consecutive generations induces a cumulative change in fatty acid (FA) involved in inflammation and an increase in body and liver weight in the offspring. Here, we tested the hypothesis that paternal AA exposure changes the progeny's behavioral response to a proinflammatory insult, and asked whether tissue-specific FA are associated with that response.

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parasitizes mesquite trees through a specialized structure called a haustorium, which, in the intrusive process, can cause cellular damage in the host tree and release DAMPs, such as ATP, sugars, RNA, and DNA. These are highly conserved molecules that primarily function as signals that trigger and activate the defense responses. In the present study, we generate extracellular DNA (exDNA) from mesquite () tree leaves (self-exDNA) and (non-self exDNA) mistletoe as DAMP sources to examine mesquite trees' capacity to identify specific self or non-self exDNA.

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Stressed organisms identify intracellular molecules released from damaged cells due to trauma or pathogen infection as components of the innate immune response. These molecules called DAMPs (Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns) are extracellular ATP, sugars, and extracellular DNA, among others. Animals and plants can recognize their own DNA applied externally (self-exDNA) as a DAMP with a high degree of specificity.

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Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) comprises a broad class of small molecules (up to ~300 g/mol) produced by biological and non-biological sources. VOCs play a vital role in an organism's metabolism during its growth, defense, and reproduction. The well-known 6-pentyl-α-pyrone (6-PP) molecule is an example of a major volatile biosynthesized by that modulates the expression of PIN auxin-transport proteins in primary roots of during their relationship.

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Background: Fatty acids (FA) likely affect human fertility at multiple levels, as deviations from physiological FA profiles are obesogenic, and FA can modify DNA methylation (DNAm). Yet, the interplay of follicular fluid (FF) and serum FA with BMI and percentage body fat (PBF) in human fertility is not completely understood. Also, associations of DNAm with fertility are largely unexplored.

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Several aflatoxin inhibitors can modulate the antioxidant system in fungi. In this work, the effect of the ethanolic extract of and fruits, capsaicin, and piperine on the expression of the EGHI, K, L, O, P, and Q genes involved in the aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway in were studied by qRT-PCR analysis. As well as, the effect on the expression of fungal antioxidant genes ( and and enzymatic activity of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD).

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Apart from the known associations between arachidonic acid (AA), weight gain, and neurological and immune function, AA exposure leads to alterations in global and gene-specific DNA methylation (DNAm) and fatty acid (FA) content in human cultured cells. However, it is unknown as to whether the latter effects occur in vivo and are maintained over extended periods of time and across generations. To address this issue, we asked whether AA supplementation for three consecutive generations (prior to coitus in sires or in utero in dams) affected offspring growth phenotypes, in addition to liver DNAm and FA profiles in mice.

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and are scarcely studied wild pumpkin species that grow in arid and semi-arid areas of Mexico and the United States. This study describes the morphological, proximal composition, metabolic finger-prints and seed protein profiles of and fruits collected in the wild during a one-year period in different locations of central-western Mexico. The results obtained complement the limited information concerning the fruit composition of and greatly expand information in this respect regarding .

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Microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs) play important roles in inter- and intra-kingdom interactions, and they are also important as signal molecules in physiological processes acting either as plant growth-promoting or negatively modulating plant development. We investigated the effects of mVOCs emitted by PGPR vs non-PGPR from avocado trees (Persea americana) on growth of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. Chemical diversity of mVOCs was determined by SPME-GC-MS; selected compounds were screened in dose-response experiments in A.

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Affinin present in roots has been identified as an anti-aflatoxin molecule. However, its mechanism of action has yet to be clarified. Aflatoxins biosynthesis involves not less than 27 enzymatic reactions.

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Alkamides have been observed to interact in different ways in several superior organisms and have been used in traditional medicine in many countries e.g., to relieve pain.

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Background: Alkamides are plant-specific bioactive molecules. They are low molecular weight N-substituted α-unsaturated acyl amides that display biological explicit activities in different organisms from bacteria, fungi, insects to mammals and plants. The acyl chain has been proposed to be biosynthesized from a fatty acid; however, this has not been demonstrated yet.

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The pandemic caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has quickly spread globally, infecting millions and killing hundreds of thousands of people. Herein, to identify potential antiviral agents, 97 natural amide-like compounds known as alkamides and piperamides were tested against SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), and the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. The docking results showed that alkamides and dimeric piperamides from species have a high binding affinity and potential antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2.

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Aflatoxins produced by are toxic and carcinogenic metabolites. The biosynthesis of this mycotoxins is a complex process and involves at least 30 genes clustered within an approximately 82 kB gene cluster. In the present study, the effect of and fruits on growth and aflatoxin production were studied in relation to the expression of D, M, R, and S four; key genes of aflatoxins biosynthesis pathway.

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Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) is a classic method for the separation and analysis of complex mixtures. Biological assays, chemical derivatisation and spectroscopy techniques are compatible with TLC and provide extra information about isolated compounds. However, coupling TLC to mass spectrometry is hampered by the difficulty to desorb the analytes from the silica surfaces.

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Numerous plant-derived volatile organic compounds (VOCs) induce the expression of resistance-related genes and thereby cause an "associational resistance" in neighbouring plants. However, VOCs can also be sequestered by plant cuticular waxes. In case that they maintain their biological activity, such sequestered VOCs could generate a "passive" associational resistance that is independent of any gene expression in the receiver.

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Naphthenic acids (NAs) are complex mixtures of carboxylic acids from petroleum that have industrial applications and that may be released to the environment after oil spills. There is significant research on the chemical composition and toxicity of water-soluble NAs derived from oil sands mining in Alberta, Canada. Yet, little is known about low molecular weight organic compounds (LMWOC) from these sources.

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In the search of new and safe antibacterial compounds, the quorum sensing system (QS) modulation by natural products has been studied. As a result, many plant-derived compounds have been identified as potent quorum sensing inhibitors. L.

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Domesticated tomato ( L.) crops have presented an increased susceptibility to pests under field and greenhouse conditions. Among these pests is tomato/potato psyllid, Sulc (Hemiptera: Triozidae), a major pest in solanaceous crops.

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