Gene expression and morphological responses of Lolium perenne L. exposed to cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg).

Soil contamination with heavy metals is a major problem worldwide, due to the increasing impact mainly caused by anthropogenic activities. This research evaluated the phytoremediation capacity of, Lolium perenne for heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg), and the effects of these metals on morphology, biomass production, and the changes on gene expression. Seeds of L.

Helicobacter pylori culture as a key tool for diagnosis in Colombia.

Introduction: The presence of H. pylori in the stomach is associated with gastric pathologies. However, its diagnosis through culture methods is challenging because of its complex nutritional requirements and microaerophilic conditions for optimal growth.

Genotypic determination of resistance and heteroresistance to clarithromycin in Helicobacter pylori isolates from antrum and corpus of Colombian symptomatic patients.

Background: The effectiveness of Helicobacter pylori first-line treatment has decreased drastically with the rise of strains resistant to clarithromycin. Therapy failure has also been described in patients with infections by strains with dissimilar antimicrobial susceptibilities. The present study aims to estimate the prevalence of resistance and heteroresistance to clarithromycin in H.

Tryptophan usage by Helicobacter pylori differs among strains.

Because of its association with severe gastric pathologies, including gastric cancer, Helicobacter pylori has been subject of research for more than 30 years. Its capacity to adapt and survive in the human stomach can be attributed to its genetic flexibility. Its natural competence and its capacity to turn genes on and off allows H.

Structural Analysis of Variability and Interaction of the N-terminal of the Oncogenic Effector CagA of with Phosphatidylserine.

cytotoxin-associated gene A protein (CagA) has been associated with the increase in virulence and risk of cancer. It has been demonstrated that CagA's translocation is dependent on its interaction with phosphatidylserine. We evaluated the variability of the N-terminal CagA in 127 sequences reported in NCBI, by referring to molecular interaction forces with the phosphatidylserine and the docking of three mutations chosen from variations in specific positions.

Intramolecular energies of the cytotoxic protein CagA of Helicobacter pylori as a possible descriptor of strains' pathogenicity level.

The Helicobacter pylori cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA) is known for causing gastroduodenal diseases, such as atrophic gastritis and peptic ulcerations. Furthermore Helicobacter pylori CagA positive strains has been reported as one of the main risk factors for gastric cancer (Parsonnet et al., 1997).

Virus and Mycoplasma pneumoniae prevalence in a selected pediatric population with acute asthma exacerbation.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of viral and atypical bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in children experiencing asthma exacerbation and compare positive and negative subjects with regard to exacerbation severity, need for hospitalization, and treatment.

Methods: One hundred sixty-nine asthmatic children aged 2-15 years old who were admitted to emergency rooms in Bogota, Colombia for acute asthma exacerbation were interviewed. Nasopharyngeal aspirates were taken for DNA and RNA extraction.

Computational approaches for evaluating the effect of sequence variations and the intrinsically disordered C-terminal region of the Helicobacter pylori CagA protein on the interaction with tyrosine kinase Src.

The Helicobacter pylori CagA protein was the first bacterial oncoprotein to be identified as important in the development of human malignancies such as gastric cancer. It is not clear how it is able to deregulate a set of cell control mechanisms to induce carcinogenesis following translocation into human gastric epithelial cells. It is likely, however, that structural variations in the CagA sequence alter its affinity with the host proteins inducing differences in the pathogenicity of different H.

[Genetic characterization of the interleukin 1 b polymorphisms -511, -31 y +3954 in a Colombian population with dyspepsia].

Introduction: The human interleukin-1b gen (IL-1 b) polymorphisms such as -511, -31 and +3954 have been associated with the presence of gastric cancer, due to the inhibitor effect that this protein has on acid secretion in the stomach. This facility can enhance the colonization and infection by agents like Helicobactor. pylori and the genesis of preneoplastic states that can lead to cancer development.

Genetic structure of sylvatic, peridomestic and domestic populations of Triatoma dimidiata (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) from an endemic zone of Boyaca, Colombia.

Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique was used to study the genetic structure of sylvatic, peridomestic and domestic populations of Triatoma dimidiata. The genetic flow among them was calculated to establish the epidemiological risk of non-domiciliated populations in the transmission of Chagas disease in an endemic area of Boyaca, Colombia. A total of 83 adult specimens were studied: 26 sylvatic, 27 peridomestic and 30 domestic insects.