Cyanotoxins in Epipelic and Epiphytic Cyanobacteria from a Hypersaline Coastal Lagoon, an Environmental Hazard in Climate Warming Times and a Potential Source of New Compounds.

Cyanobacterial biodiversity and potential toxicity in coastal lagoons have barely been studied despite these transitional water systems being very important in conservation and for the preservation of economic resources. Most of these transitional systems have been affected by eutrophication, and climate change will severely affect them by promoting cyanobacteria growth, especially in Mediterranean areas. This study aims to characterize the diversity of epipelic and epiphytic cyanobacteria species in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon and their potential for toxins production (microcystins and saxitoxins).

Diethylstilbestrol Modifies the Structure of Model Membranes and Is Localized Close to the First Carbons of the Fatty Acyl Chains.

The synthetic estrogen diethylstilbestrol (DES) is used to treat metastatic carcinomas and prostate cancer. We studied its interaction with membranes and its localization to understand its mechanism of action and side-effects. We used differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showing that DES fluidized the membrane and has poor solubility in DMPC (1,2-dimyristoyl--glycero-3-phosphocholine) in the fluid state.

A comparison of the location in membranes of curcumin and curcumin-derived bivalent compounds with potential neuroprotective capacity for Alzheimer's disease.

Curcumin and two bivalent compounds, namely 17MD and 21MO, both obtained by conjugation of curcumin with a steroid molecule that acts as a membrane anchor, were comparatively studied. When incorporated into 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine the compounds showed a very limited solubility in the model membranes. Curcumin and the two bivalent compounds were also incorporated in membranes of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and quenching the fluorescence of pure curcumin or of the curcumin moiety in the bivalent compounds by acrylamide it was seen that curcumin was accessible to this water soluble quencher but the molecule was somehow located in a hydrophobic environment.

Seminal plasma components from fertile stallions involved in the epididymal sperm freezability.

Background: Seminal plasma (SP) plays a crucial role in sperm protection and functionality. However, the effect of SP on the sperm cryopreservation is dependent on the stallion and SP composition. The use of epididymal spermatozoa incubated in the presence of SP could help the identification of the components of SP that are able to confer protection upon the spermatozoa during freezing.

Study of the fetal and maternal microbiota in pregnant women with intrauterine growth restriction and its relationship with inflammatory biomarkers: A case-control study protocol (SPIRIT compliant).

In general terms, fetal growth restriction (FGR) is considered the impossibility of achieving the genetically determined potential size. In the vast majority of cases, it is related to uteroplacental insufficiency. Although its origin remains unknown and causes are only known in 30% of cases, it is believed to be related to an interaction of environmental and genetic factors with either a fetal or maternal origin.

Effects of Deficit Irrigation, Rootstock, and Roasting on the Contents of Fatty Acids, Phytoprostanes, and Phytofurans in Pistachio Kernels.

Pistachio ( L.) is a drought-tolerant species grown under the semiarid conditions of the Mediterranean basin. For this reason, it is essential to make an exhaustive quantification of yield and quality benefits of the kernels because the regulated deficit irrigation will allow significant water savings with a minimum impact on yield while improving kernel quality.

Spatial and Pregnancy-Related Changes in the Protein, Amino Acid, and Carbohydrate Composition of Bovine Oviduct Fluid.

Knowledge of how the biochemical composition of the bovine oviduct is altered due to the oviduct anatomy or the presence of an embryo is lacking. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of (І) oviduct anatomy and (ІІ) embryo presence on oviductal fluid (OF) protein, amino acid, and carbohydrate composition. Cross-bred beef heifers ( = 19) were synchronized and those in standing estrus were randomly allocated to a cyclic (non-bred) or pregnant (artificially inseminated) group.

Interaction of Vitamin K and Vitamin K with Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine and Their Location in the Membrane.

Vitamin K and vitamin K play very important biological roles as members of chains of electron transport as antioxidants in membranes and as cofactors for the posttranslational modification of proteins that participate in a number of physiological functions such as coagulation. The interaction of these vitamins with dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) model membranes has been studied by using a biophysical approach. It was observed by using differential scanning calorimetry that both vitamins have a very limited miscibility with DMPC and they form domains rich in the vitamins at high concentrations.

Effect of preharvest fruit bagging on fruit quality characteristics and incidence of fruit physiopathies in fully irrigated and water stressed pomegranate trees.

Background: This report studied the response of pomegranate fruit under full irrigation (FI) and water stress conditions to bagging with externally glossy, single-layer, cellulosic paper bags, open at the bottom, from the end of fruit thinning to harvest time.

Results: Bagging decreased fruit size and the maturity index, and increased antioxidant activity in FI conditions. Moreover, fruit bagging substantially reduced the incidence of peel sunburn in both irrigation conditions.

Anticancer Agent Edelfosine Exhibits a High Affinity for Cholesterol and Disorganizes Liquid-Ordered Membrane Structures.

Edelfosine is an anticancer drug with an asymmetric structure because, being a derivative of glycerol, it possesses two hydrophobic substituents of very different lengths. We showed that edelfosine destabilizes liquid-ordered membranes formed by either 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl- sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, sphingomyelin (SM), and cholesterol (1:1:1 molar ratio) or SM and cholesterol (2:1 molar ratio). This was observed by differential scanning calorimetry in which phase transition arises from either of these membrane systems after the addition of edelfosine.

Phenolic Group of α-Tocopherol Anchors at the Lipid-Water Interface of Fully Saturated Membranes.

α-Tocopherol is considered to carry on a very important role as an antioxidant for membranes and lipoproteins and other biological roles as membrane stabilizers and bioactive lipids. Given its essential role, it is very important to fully understand its location in the membrane. In this work, the vertical location of vitamin E in saturated membranes has been studied using biophysical techniques.

Insights into the Impact of a Membrane-Anchoring Moiety on the Biological Activities of Bivalent Compounds As Potential Neuroprotectants for Alzheimer's Disease.

Bivalent compounds anchoring in different manners to the membrane were designed and biologically characterized to understand the contribution of the anchor moiety to their biological activity as neuroprotectants for Alzheimer's disease. Our results established that the anchor moiety is essential, and we identified a preference for diosgenin, as evidenced by 17MD. Studies in primary neurons and mouse brain mitochondria also identified 17MD as exhibiting activity on neuritic outgrowth and the state 3 oxidative rate of glutamate while preserving the coupling capacity of the mitochondria.

The increase in positively charged residues in cecropin D-like Galleria mellonella favors its interaction with membrane models that imitate bacterial membranes.

A comparative study of three synthetic peptides, namely neutral Cecropin D-like G. mellonella (WT) and two cationic peptides derived from its sequence, ΔM1 (+5) and ΔM2 (+9) is reported in this work. The influence of charge on the interactions between peptides and membranes and its effect on phase were studied by calorimetric assays.

Inhibition of α-glucosidase and α-amylase by Spanish extra virgin olive oils: The involvement of bioactive compounds other than oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol.

Despite the wide use of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) to combat several diseases, the antidiabetic and anti-cholinesterase activity of Spanish EVOO have not been assessed. In order to evaluate which compounds are responsible for these activities of five Spanish EVOOs, in addition to flavonoids, we investigated for the first time the effect of the contents of carotenoids, fatty acids (FAs), and phytoprostanes (PhytoPs) on four enzymes: α-glucosidase, α-amylase, acetylcholinesterase, and butyrylcholinesterase. The extracts of these five Spanish EVOOs were found to contain three flavones, three carotenoids, six FAs, and seven classes of PhytoPs.

Differential gene expression in porcine oviduct during the oestrous cycle.

The oviduct undergoes changes under the influence of steroid hormones during the oestrous cycle. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying oviductal regulation are not fully understood. The aim of the present study was to identify the gene expression profile of the porcine oviduct in different stages of the cycle using microarray technology.

The vertical location of α-tocopherol in phosphatidylcholine membranes is not altered as a function of the degree of unsaturation of the fatty acyl chains.

α-Tocopherol is a natural preservative that prevents free radical chain oxidations in biomembranes. We have studied the location of α-tocopherol in model membranes formed by different unsaturated phosphatidylcholines, namely 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC), 1-palmitoyl-2-linoleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PLPC), 1-palmitoyl-2-arachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PAPC) and 1-palmitoyl-2-docosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PDPC). Small angle X-ray diffraction revealed that α-tocopherol was well mixed with all the phospholipids.

Serum apolipoprotein-A1 as a possible biomarker for monitoring treatment of canine leishmaniosis.

The aims of this study were: the identification of proteins differentially represented in the serum proteome of dogs with leishmaniosis after treatment and the verification of one selected protein as a possible biomarker for treatment monitoring. Serum samples from five dogs with leishmaniosis, before and after treatment were pooled into two groups and analysed using 2-dimensional electrophoresis followed by mass spectrometry analysis (MS). The MS analysis allowed the identification of 8 proteins differently expressed.

X-ray diffraction and NMR data for the study of the location of idebenone and idebenol in model membranes.

Here we present some of our data about the interaction of idebenone and idebenol with dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC). In particular, we include data of small angle X-ray diffraction (SAXD) and wide angle X-ray diffraction experiments, obtention of electronic profiles of the membranes, (2)H-NMR and (31)P-NMR, as part of the research article: "Both idebenone and idebenol are localized near the lipid-water interface of the membrane and increase its fluidity" (Gomez-Murcia et al., 2016) [1].

Both idebenone and idebenol are localized near the lipid-water interface of the membrane and increase its fluidity.

Idebenone is a synthetic analog of coenzyme Q; both share a quinone moiety but idebenone has a shorter lipophilic tail ending with a hydroxyl group. Differential scanning calorimetry experiments showed that both idebenone and idebenol widened and shifted the phase transition of 1,2-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) to a lower temperature and a phase separation with different concentrations of these molecules was observed. Also small angle X-ray diffraction and wide angle X-ray diffraction revealed that both, idebenone and idebenol, induced laterally separated phases in fluid membranes when included in DPPC membranes.

Capsaicin Fluidifies the Membrane and Localizes Itself near the Lipid-Water Interface.

Capsaicin is the chemical responsible for making some peppers spicy hot, but additionally it is used as a pharmaceutical to alleviate different pain conditions. Capsaicin binds to the vanilloid receptor TRPV1, which plays a role in coordinating chemical and physical painful stimuli. A number of reports have also shown that capsaicin inserts in membranes and its capacity to modify them may be part of its molecular mode of action, affecting the activity of other membrane proteins.

Effect of the season on the free phytoprostane content in Cornicabra extra virgin olive oil from deficit-irrigated olive trees.

Background: The effect of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) on the phytoprostane (PhytoP) content in extra virgin olive (Olea europaea L., cv. Cornicabra) oil (EVOO) was studied.

Water deficit during pit hardening enhances phytoprostanes content, a plant biomarker of oxidative stress, in extra virgin olive oil.

No previous information exists on the effects of water deficit on the phytoprostanes (PhytoPs) content in extra virgin olive oil from fruits of mature olive (Olea europaea L. cv. Cornicabra) trees during pit hardening.

New UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS method for quantitative and qualitative determination of free phytoprostanes in foodstuffs of commercial olive and sunflower oils.

In this work, we propose a new quick and accurate analytical method by UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS which is able to identify free phytoprostanes in olive and refined sunflower oils. The recovery provided high extraction efficiencies ranging from 102.90% to 140.

Four glycoproteins are expressed in the cat zona pellucida.

The mammalian oocyte is surrounded by a matrix called the zona pellucida (ZP). This envelope participates in processes such as acrosome reaction induction, sperm binding and may be involved in speciation. In cat (Felis catus), this matrix is composed of at least three glycoproteins called ZP2, ZP3, and ZP4.

Correlation between fluorescence and structure in the orange-emitting GFP-like protein, monomeric Kusabira Orange.

The mKO is the monomeric version of Kusabira Orange, a GFP-like protein emitting bright orange fluorescence at 559 nm. This protein shows the characteristic β-barrel motif typical of the fluorescent protein family which it belongs to, similar spectral properties to the tetrameric form and an exceptional photo-stability to pH changes. Here, we demonstrate that mKO in solution at physiological pH exhibits a secondary structure analogue to that of the crystal.