Publications by authors named "Rosa M Bermudez-Cruz"

Spermatogenesis is a very complex process with an intricate transcriptional regulation. The transition from the diploid to the haploid state requires the involvement of specialized genes in meiosis, among other specific functions for the formation of the spermatozoon. The transcription factor cAMP-response element modulator (CREM) is a key modulator that triggers the differentiation of the germ cell into the spermatozoon through the modification of gene expression.

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The coliphage mEp021 belongs to a phage group with a unique immunity repressor, and its life cycle requires the host factor Nus. mEp021 has been classified as non-lambdoid based on its specific characteristics. The mEp021 genome carries a gene encoding an N-like antiterminator protein, termed Gp17, and three nut sites (nutL, nutR1, and nutR2).

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Enolase, a multifunctional protein expressed by multiple pathogens activates plasminogen to promote proteolysis on components of the extracellular matrix, an important event in early host-pathogen interactions. A secreted form of enolase that is released upon the interaction of trophozoites with epithelial cells has been detected in the secretome of . However, the role of enolase in the host-pathogen interactions remains largely unknown.

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Compared to other animals, the spontaneous occurrence of tumors in wild amphibians is relatively rare, generally limited to specific populations or species. The number of reports of spontaneous tumors in amphibians known up to 1986 was 491 cases in anurans and about 253 cases in urodeles. Similarly, there have been many, unsuccessful attempts to chemically or biologically induce tumors in amphibians.

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Giardia duodenalis, is a binuclear and microaerophilic protozoan that causes giardiasis. Up to date, several molecular approaches have been taken to understand the molecular mechanisms of diverse cellular processes in this parasitic protozoan. However, the role of many genes involved in these processes needs further analysis.

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In the past decades, the ability of Giardia duodenalis to perform homologous recombination has been suggested, supported by the observations of genomic integration of foreign plasmids and the disruption of genes using CRISPR technology. Unfortunately, the direct study of a HR mechanism has not been addressed, which would be pertinent in a minimalist organism lacking fundamental DNA-repair elements and even complete pathways. In addition, the constant ploidy changes through the life cycle of this parasite highlight the conservation and relevance of homologous recombination in maintaining genomic stability.

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Background: Limb regeneration in the axolotl is achieved by epimorphosis, thus depending on the blastema formation, a mass of progenitor cells capable of proliferating and differentiating to recover all lost structures functionally. During regeneration, the blastema cells accelerate the cell cycle and duplicate its genome, which is inherently difficult to replicate because of its length and composition, thus being prone to suffer double-strand breaks.

Results: We identified and characterized two remarkable components of the homologous recombination repair pathway (Amex.

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Background: It has been reported that the oncoprotein E7 from human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16-E7) can induce the excessive synthesis of centrosomes through the increase in the expression of PLK4, which is a transcriptional target of E2F1. On the other hand, it has been reported that increasing MPS1 protein stability can also generate an excessive synthesis of centrosomes. In this work, we analyzed the possible role of MPS1 in the amplification of centrosomes mediated by HPV16-E7.

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Giardia duodenalis is a flagellated protozoan that is responsible for many cases of diarrheal disease worldwide and is characterized by its great divergence from the model organisms commonly used in studies of basic cellular processes. The life cycle of Giardia involves an infectious cyst form and a proliferative and mobile trophozoite form. Each Giardia trophozoite has two nuclei and a complex microtubule cytoskeleton that consists of eight flagellar axonemes, basal bodies, the adhesive disc, the funis and the median body.

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Giardiavirus is the only virus that infects Giardia duodenalis, a highly prevalent parasite worldwide, especially in low-income and developing countries. This virus belongs to the Totiviridae family, being a relative of other viruses that infect fungi and protozoa. It has a simple structure with only two proteins encoded in its genome and it appears that it can leave the cell without lysis.

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Giardia duodenalis is a parasite of great medical interest due to the number of infections it causes worldwide each year. Although research on epigenetic mechanisms in this protist has only begun recently, epigenetic regulation has already been shown to have important roles in encystation, antigenic variation, and resistance to antibiotics in Giardia. In this work, we show that a Giardia ortholog of Sir2, GdSir2.

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Giardia duodenalis is a parasite that causes a large number of diarrheal diseases around the world. It is noteworthy that in a large number of processes, Giardia requires fewer components than other eukaryotes, even without some organelles such as mitochondria and peroxisomes. Despite this, core histones are known to exist in Giardia and epigenetic marks have been found on them, suggesting that they somehow control the expression of certain genes.

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Resistance to current cancer treatments is an important problem that arises through various mechanisms, but one that stands out involves an overexpression of several factors associated with DNA repair. To counteract this type of resistance, different drugs have been developed to affect one or more DNA repair pathways, therefore, to test different compounds of natural origin that have been shown to induce cell death in cancer cells is paramount. Since natural compounds target components of the DNA repair pathways, they have been shown to promote cancer cells to be resensitized to current treatments.

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The remarkable regenerative capabilities of the salamander Ambystoma mexicanum have turned it into one of the principal models to study limb regeneration. During this process, a mass of low differentiated and highly proliferative cells, called blastema, propagates to reestablish the lost tissue in an accelerated way. Such a process implies the replication of a huge genome, 10 times larger than humans, with about 65.

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Giardia duodenalis is a flagellated unicellular eukaryotic microorganism that commonly causes diarrheal disease throughout the world. Treatment of giardiasis is limited to nitroheterocyclic compounds as metronidazole and benzimidazoles as albendazole, where remarkably treatment failure is relatively common. Consequently, the need for new options to treat this disease is underscored.

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Giardia duodenalis is a flagellated unicellular eukaryotic microorganism that usually parasitizes the small intestine of humans and many other vertebrates causing diarrheal disease throughout the world. Notably, Giardia despite minimization of most cellular systems shows different strategies to adapt to environmental conditions, evade the immune system and resist exposure to antimicrobial agents. Over the past years, epigenetic regulation of gene expression has been shown to have a relevant role in the parasite's biology.

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The mechanisms underlying metronidazole (MTZ) resistance in Giardia duodenalis have been associated with decreased activity of the enzymes implicated in its activation including nitroductase-1, thioredoxin reductase and pyruvate-ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR). MTZ activation generates radicals that can form adducts with proteins such as thioredoxin reductase and α- and -β giardins as well as DNA damage resulting in trophozoite's death. The damage induced in DNA requires a straight forward response that may allow parasite survival.

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The adhesion of Giardia duodenalis trophozoites to intestinal epithelial cells allows the onset and maintenance of giardiasis. During these interactions, epithelial cells can be committed to apoptosis by enzymes secreted by the parasites, including cysteine proteases that are increasingly identified as virulence factors in parasitic protozoa. In this work, a monoclonal antibody (mAb1G3) raised against G.

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Giardia duodenalis is the protozoan parasite responsible for most cases of parasitic diarrhea worldwide. The pathogenic mechanisms of giardiasis have not yet been fully characterized. In this context parasite's excretory/secretory products have been related to the damage induced by the parasite on enterocytes.

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Giardia duodenalis is a flagellated binucleated protozoan that colonizes the small intestine in mammals, causing giardiasis, acute or chronic diarrhea. DNA double strand break either endogenously or exogenously generated is a major insult to DNA and its repair by homologous recombination (HR) is crucial for genomic stability. During HR, Rad52 plays key roles in the loading of the Rad51 recombinase, and the annealing of the second double-strand break end to the displaced strand of the D-loop structure.

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Members of the Naegleria genus are free-living amoebae, and the only pathogenic specie described to date for humans is N. fowleri. However, as the complete genome of this specie has not been reported, non-pathogenic N.

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Giardia duodenalis is a worldwide protozoa known causing diarrhea in all vertebrates, humans among these. Homologous recombination is a mechanism that provides genomic stability. Two putative recombinases were identified in G.

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Trichinella spiralis is an ubiquitous parasitic nematode that lives in muscle tissue of many hosts and causes trichinellosis in humans. Numerous efforts have been directed at specific detection of this infection and strategies for its control. TSL-1 and other antigens, mainly from muscle larvae (ML), have been used to induce partial protection in rodents.

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Homologous recombination (HR) is a highly conserved pathway for the repair of chromosomes that harbor DNA double-stranded breaks (DSBs). The recombinase RAD51 plays a key role by catalyzing the pairing of homologous DNA molecules and the exchange of information between them. Two putative DMC1 homologs (DMC1A and DMC1B) have been identified in Giardia duodenalis.

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