Inter-species variability of okadaic acid group toxicity in relation to the content of fatty acids detected in different marine vectors.

Okadaic acid group (OA-group) is a set of lipophilic toxins which are characterised by being produced by species associated with the genera Dinophysis and Prorocentrum. OA-group has been regularly detected in endemic shellfish species from the southern zone of Chile only through the mouse bioassay. The purpose of this work was to determine the variability of OA-group toxins in endemic aquatic organisms (bivalves, crabs, gastropods and fish) and to establish the relationship with the concentration of fatty acids (FAs) detected in the evaluated species.

HPV-Mediated Resistance to TNF and TRAIL Is Characterized by Global Alterations in Apoptosis Regulatory Factors, Dysregulation of Death Receptors, and Induction of ROS/RNS.

Persistent infection with high-risk human papilloma virus (HR-HPV) is the main risk factor for the development of invasive cervical cancer although is not sufficient to cause cervical cancer. Several host and environmental factors play a key role in cancer initiation/progression, including cytokines and other immune-response mediators. Here, we characterized the response to the individual and combined action of the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) on HPV-transformed cells and human keratinocytes ectopically expressing E6 and E7 early proteins from different HPV types.

Differences in the internalization of self-inactivating VSVG-pseudotyped murine leukemia virus-based vectors in human and murine cells.

Self-inactivating VSVG-pseudotyped murine leukemia virus (SIN-VSVG-MLV) has been widely used to generate stable cell lines and produce gene delivery vectors. Despite the broad cellular tropism of the VSVG-pseudotyped MLV, we observed differential viral transduction efficiency depending on the host cell type used. In order to determine the mechanism underlying these differences, we used a GFP-expressing SIN-VSVG-MLV and analyzed the major steps of viral transduction in different cell lines including human epithelial, T-lymphocytes, monocytes and murine fibroblast cells.

The transcription factor ZEB1 promotes an aggressive phenotype in prostate cancer cell lines.

It has been reported that one of the factors that promotes tumoral progression is the abnormal activation of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition program. This process is associated with tumoral cells acquiring invasive and malignant properties and has the transcription factor zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) as one of its main activators. However, the role of ZEB1 in promoting malignancy in prostate cancer (PCa) is still unclear.

Upregulation of PIR gene expression induced by human papillomavirus E6 and E7 in epithelial oral and cervical cells.

The hallmark of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV)-related carcinogenesis is E6 and E7 oncogene overexpression. The aim of this work was to characterize epithelial oral and cervical cancer cells that express HR-HPV E6 and E7 oncoproteins. Transcriptomic assay using DNA microarrays revealed that PIR gene expression was detected in oral cells in an HR-HPV E6/E7-dependent manner.

The conundrum of the Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric carcinoma in the Americas.

Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric carcinoma shows a higher prevalence in the Americas than Asia. We summarize all studies of Epstein Barr virus-associated gastric carcinoma in the Americas, focusing on host characteristics, environmental associations and phylogeographic diversity of Epstein-Barr virus strains. In the Americas, the prevalence of Epstein Barr virus-associated gastric carcinoma is 11.

In vivo knockdown of antisense non-coding mitochondrial RNAs by a lentiviral-encoded shRNA inhibits melanoma tumor growth and lung colonization.

The family of non-coding mitochondrial RNAs (ncmtRNA) is differentially expressed according to proliferative status. Normal proliferating cells express sense (SncmtRNA) and antisense ncmtRNAs (ASncmtRNAs), whereas tumor cells express SncmtRNA and downregulate ASncmtRNAs. Knockdown of ASncmtRNAs with oligonucleotides induces apoptotic cell death of tumor cells, leaving normal cells unaffected, suggesting a potential application for developing a novel cancer therapy.

Prevalence, Variability and Bioconcentration of Saxitoxin-Group in Different Marine Species Present in the Food Chain.

The saxitoxin-group (STX-group) corresponds to toxic metabolites produced by cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates of the genera , and . Over the last decade, it has been possible to extrapolate the areas contaminated with the STX-group worldwide, including Chile, a phenomenon that has affected ≈35% of the Southern Pacific coast territory, generating a high economic impact. The objective of this research was to study the toxicity of the STX-group in all aquatic organisms (bivalves, algae, echinoderms, crustaceans, tunicates, cephalopods, gastropods, and fish) present in areas with a variable presence of harmful algal blooms (HABs).

The Caenorhabditis elegans ADAMTS family gene adt-1 is necessary for morphogenesis of the male copulatory organs.

Remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) is pivotal for various biological processes, including organ morphology and development. The Caenorhabditis elegans male tail has male-specific copulatory organs, the rays and the fan. Ray morphogenesis, which involves a rapid remodeling of the ECM, is an important model of morphogenesis, although its mechanism is poorly understood.