Evaluation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) toxic effects on the acute inflammatory response in the medicinal leech Hirudoverbana.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances are a large group of chemicals with elevated water and oil-resistance properties, widely implicated in various applicative fields. Due to the extensive use and high resistance to degradative factors, these compounds pose a significant risk of environmental spreading, bioaccumulating also in living organisms. In this context, despite many researches have been performed to demonstrate "legacy" PFAS harmfulness, only few data are still available about all the emerging fluorinated molecules, industrially introduced to replace the previous ones.

Exploring the role of RNASET2 in the immune response of black soldier fly larvae.

T2 RNases are transferase-type enzymes distributed across phyla, crucial for breaking down single-stranded RNA molecules. In addition to their canonical function, several T2 enzymes exhibit pleiotropic roles, contributing to various biological processes, such as the immune response in invertebrates and vertebrates. This study aims at characterizing RNASET2 in the larvae of black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens, which are used for organic waste reduction and the production of valuable insect biomolecules for feed formulation and other applications.

Dynamic relationship among extracellular matrix and body wall cells in Hirudo verbana morphogenesis.

A great bulk of recent experimental evidence suggests the key role of the complex crosstalk between the extracellular matrix (ECM) and the cellular component of tissues during morphogenesis and embryogenesis. In particular, remodeling of the ECM and of its physical interactions pattern with surrounding cells represent two crucial processes that might be involved in muscle development. However, little information is available on this topic, especially on invertebrate species.

Step-by-Step Regeneration of Tentacles after Injury in -Morphological and Structural Cell Analyses.

Benthic marine invertebrates, such as corals, are often subjected to injury caused by several sources. Here, the differences and characteristics in injured and health tissues in terms of cellular components are shown through a histological investigation of the soft coral at 0 h, 6 h, 24 h, and 7 days after injury caused by tentacle amputation. In addition, a new tool was used for the first time in invertebrates, positron emission tomography, in order to investigate the events that occur during regeneration within a longer time period (0 h, 24 h, and 14 days after the tentacles were cut).

TERT Extra-Telomeric Roles: Antioxidant Activity and Mitochondrial Protection.

Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is the catalytic subunit of telomerase holoenzyme, which adds telomeric DNA repeats on chromosome ends to counteract telomere shortening. In addition, there is evidence of TERT non-canonical functions, among which is an antioxidant role. In order to better investigate this role, we tested the response to X-rays and HO treatment in hTERT-overexpressing human fibroblasts (HF-TERT).