Serological responses and biomarker evaluation in mice and pigs exposed to tsetse fly bites.

Background: Tsetse flies are obligate blood-feeding insects that transmit African trypanosomes responsible for human sleeping sickness and nagana in livestock. The tsetse salivary proteome contains a highly immunogenic family of the endonuclease-like Tsal proteins. In this study, a recombinant version of Tsal1 (rTsal1) was evaluated in an indirect ELISA to quantify the contact with total Glossina morsitans morsitans saliva, and thus the tsetse fly bite exposure.

Using the whole body as a sucker: combining respiration and feeding with an attached lifestyle in hill stream loaches (Balitoridae, Cypriniformes).

Small fishes living in fast-flowing rivers face a harsh environment as they can easily be swept away by the rapid currents. To survive such circumstances, teleosts evolved a wide variety of attachment mechanisms, based on friction, negative pressure or both. Balitorinae (Balitoridae, Cypriniformes) are exceptional in using their whole body as an adhesive apparatus.

Urinary detection of conjugated and unconjugated anabolic steroids by dilute-and-shoot liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry.

Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) are an important class of doping agents. The metabolism of these substances is generally very extensive and includes phase-I and phase-II pathways. In this work, a comprehensive detection of these metabolites is described using a 2-fold dilution of urine and subsequent analysis by liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS).

The initial tolerance to sub-lethal Cd exposure is the same among ten naïve pond populations of Daphnia magna, but their micro-evolutionary potential to develop resistance is very different.

Genetic variation complicates predictions of both the initial tolerance and the long-term (micro-evolutionary) response of natural Daphnia populations to chemical stressors from results of standard single-clone laboratory ecotoxicity tests. In order to investigate possible solutions to this problem, we aimed to compare the initial sub-lethal tolerance to Cd of 10 naïve natural pond populations of Daphnia magna as well as their evolutionary potential to develop increased resistance. We did so by measuring reproductive performance of 120 clones, i.

Detection of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) dimerization by coimmunoprecipitation.

With 356 members in the human genome, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute the largest family of proteins involved in signal transduction across biological membranes. GPCRs are integral membrane proteins featuring a conserved structural topology with seven transmembrane domains. By recognizing a large diversity of hormones and neurotransmitters, GPCRs mediate signal transduction pathways through their interactions with both extracellular small-molecule ligands and intracellular G proteins to initiate appropriate cellular signaling cascades.

Epigenetics in an ecotoxicological context.

Epigenetics can play a role in interactions between chemicals and exposed species, between species and abiotic ecosystem components or between species of the same or another population in a community. Technological progress and advanced insights into epigenetic processes have led to the description of epigenetic features (mainly DNA methylation) in many ecologically relevant species: algae, plants, several invertebrates and fish. Epigenetic changes in plants, insects and cladocerans have been reported to be induced by various environmental stress factors including nutrition or water deficiency, grazing, light or temperature alterations, social environment, and dissolved organic matter concentrations.

In vivo and in vitro metabolism of the synthetic cannabinoid JWH-200.

Rationale: The synthetic cannabinoid JWH-200 (1-[2-(4-morpholinyl)ethyl]-3-(1-naphthoyl)-indole) appeared on the market around 2009. In order to identify markers for misuse of this compound and allow for the development of adequate routine methods, the metabolism of this compound was investigated using two models.

Methods: In vitro and in vivo (both with and without enzymatic hydrolysis) samples were purified by solid-phase extraction and analyzed using liquid chromatography.

Functional morphology of the Andean climbing catfishes (Astroblepidae, Siluriformes): alternative ways of respiration, adhesion, and locomotion using the mouth.

Astroblepidae or "climbing catfishes" encompass a single genus of species living in high altitude rivers in the Andes of South America. They are characterized by a specialized head morphology closely resembling their better known, widely radiated sister family Loricariidae, or armored suckermouth catfishes. Existent data show that even though both families share important traits, there are some striking differences as well.

Metabolism of hop-derived bitter acids.

In this study, in vitro metabolism of hop-derived bitter acids was investigated. Besides their well-known use as bitter compounds in beer, in several studies, bioactive properties have been related to these types of molecules. However, scientific data on the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion aspects of these compounds are limited.

Nematode feeding sites: unique organs in plant roots.

Although generally unnoticed, nearly all crop plants have one or more species of nematodes that feed on their roots, frequently causing tremendous yield losses. The group of sedentary nematodes, which are among the most damaging plant-parasitic nematodes, cause the formation of special organs called nematode feeding sites (NFS) in the root tissue. In this review we discuss key metabolic and cellular changes correlated with NFS development, and similarities and discrepancies between different types of NFS are highlighted.

Sensitive detection of 3'-hydroxy-stanozolol glucuronide by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Stanozolol is one of the most frequently detected anabolic steroids in doping control samples. This compound is metabolized to a large extent and its metabolites can be detected in urine much longer than the parent compound. The main stanozolol metabolites are excreted in urine as glucuronide conjugates and 3'-hydroxy-stanozolol glucuronide (3STANG) is one of the most important in human urine.

Revision of Notoglanidium and related genera (Siluriformes: Claroteidae) based on morphology and osteology.

Apart from the well-demarcated genera Auchenoglanis and Parauchenoglanis, Auchenoglanidinae, one of the two sub-families of the African catfish family Claroteidae, suffers from poor resolution at the generic level. For the remaining genera, Notoglanidium, Liauchenoglanis, Platyglanis and Anaspidoglanis, generic discriminations are rudimentary. In addition, several included species are poorly defined and barely represented in scientific collections.

GPCR oligomerization: contribution to receptor biogenesis.

G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) export to the plasma membrane is considered to follow the default secretory pathway. Several observations indicate that trafficking from the endoplasmic reticulum to the plasma membrane is strictly regulated and involves interactions with specific proteins, such as resident ER chaperones. These interactions help with GPCR folding, but more importantly, they ensure that only properly folded proteins proceed from the ER to the trans-golgi network.

Evaluation of the behavior of murine and human embryonic stem cells in in vitro migration and invasion assays.

Cell migration and invasion are essential processes in a variety of physiological events in the body, but also in several patho-physiological events. In this paper, the behavior of murine and human embryonic stem cells is examined in in vitro migration and invasion models. mESC and hESC were applied as spheroids, also known as patches, and as single cells, to mimic possible cell therapy application strategies.

Gut metabotypes govern health effects of dietary polyphenols.

Polyphenols are thought to be responsible for some of the health effects conferred by a diet rich in fruit and vegetables. Both the formation of bioactive polyphenol-derived metabolites and the modulation of colonic microbiota contribute to these health benefits. Therefore, one cannot infer biological responses from dietary intake records without considering polyphenol-microbiota interactions.

Transcriptional reprogramming by root knot and migratory nematode infection in rice.

Rice is one of the most important staple crops worldwide, but its yield is compromised by different pathogens, including plant-parasitic nematodes. In this study we have characterized specific and general responses of rice (Oryza sativa) roots challenged with two endoparasitic nematodes with very different modes of action. Local transcriptional changes in rice roots upon root knot (Meloidogyne graminicola) and root rot nematode (RRN, Hirschmanniella oryzae) infection were studied at two time points (3 and 7 d after infection, dai), using mRNA-seq.

Synthesis and characterization of the N-terminal acetylated 17-23 fragment of thymosin beta 4 identified in TB-500, a product suspected to possess doping potential.

The formulation TB-500 is suspected to be used as doping agent in sport. This work describes the detection and the identification of the N-terminal acetylated 17-23 fragment of human thymosin beta 4 (Ac-LKKTETQ) in TB-500 by means of high-performance liquid chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry using an Orbitrap Exactive benchtop mass spectrometer. Ac-LKKTETQ was also synthesized by solid-phase peptide synthesis, and an analytical strategy for detection in plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography/low resolution triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry was suggested.

Assessment of the contribution from wood burning to the PM10 aerosol in Flanders, Belgium.

From February 2010 to February 2011 PM10 aerosol samples were simultaneously taken every 4th day at 7 monitoring sites in Flanders, Belgium. Two of the sites (i.e.

Characterization and identification of a C-terminal amidated mechano growth factor (MGF) analogue in black market products.

Rationale: Mechano growth factor (MGF) is a splice variant of insulin-like growth factor that possesses anabolic properties and has not yet been approved for therapeutic use. Nevertheless, it is readily available on the black market. Although the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has banned the use of MGF in sports, no routinely performed methods have been reported for its detection.

RhoBTB3 interacts with the 5-HT7a receptor and inhibits its proteasomal degradation.

The 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)7 receptor is the most recently identified serotonin receptor and is involved in a wide variety of central nervous system (CNS) functions, namely circadian rhythm, REM sleep, depression, thermoregulation, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety, schizophrenia, epilepsy, nociception, migraine, sensation-seeking behavior, impulsivity, learning and memory. These numerous (patho)physiological processes of the CNS, in which the 5-HT7 receptor is involved, most likely reflect a diverse set of signaling pathways arising from this receptor. In order to reveal new interaction partners and possibly new signaling and/or trafficking pathways, we performed a yeast two-hybrid screening, using the C-terminal tail of the 5-HT7a receptor as bait and an adult-human brain cDNA library as prey.

Comparing systemic defence-related gene expression changes upon migratory and sedentary nematode attack in rice.

Complex defence signalling pathways, controlled by different hormones, are known to be involved in the reaction of plants to a wide range of biotic and abiotic stress factors. Here, we studied the differential expression of genes involved in stress and defence responses in systemic tissue of rice infected with the root knot nematode (RKN) Meloidogyne graminicola and the migratory root rot nematode Hirschmanniella oryzae, two agronomically important rice pathogens with very different lifestyles. qRT-PCR revealed that all investigated systemic tissues had significantly lower expression of isochorismate synthase, a key enzyme for salicylic acid production involved in basal defence and systemic acquired resistance.

Expansion of human embryonic stem cells: a comparative study.

Objectives: Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) are promising for tissue engineering (TE) purposes due to their unique properties. However, current standard mechanical passaging techniques limit rates of possible TE experiments, as it is difficult to obtain high enough numbers of the cells for experimentation. In this study, several dissociative solutions and application methods are tested for their applicability to, and influence on, hESC culture and expansion.

Xeno-free plant-derived hydrolysate-based freezing of human embryonic stem cells.

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are one of the most interesting cell types for tissue engineering and cell therapy. The large-scale banking of hESCs for research and future clinical application requires economic, defined, and xeno-free cryopreservation protocols. In this study, the possibility to substitute knockout serum replacement (KO-SR) in the cryopreservation process with vegetal and synthetic hydrolysates was investigated.

Attenuation of ERK/RSK2-driven NFκB gene expression and cancer cell proliferation by kurarinone, a lavandulyl flavanone isolated from Sophora flavescens ait. roots.

We have analyzed in molecular detail how kurarinone, a lavandulyl flavanone isolated from Sophora flavescens, suppresses nuclear factor-κB (NFκB)-driven interleukin-6 (IL6) expression and cancer cell growth. Interleukin-6 (IL6), involved in cancer-related inflammation, acts as an autocrine and paracrine growth factor, which promotes angiogenesis, metastasis, and subversion of immunity, and changes responsivity to hormones and to chemotherapeutics. Our results in estrogen-unresponsive fibroblasts, ribosomal S6 kinase 2 kinase (RSK2) knockout cells, and estrogen receptor (ER)-deficient breast tumor cells show that kurarinone can inhibit tumor cell proliferation and selectively block nuclear NFκB transactivation of specific target genes such as IL6, cyclin D1, SOD2 but not TNFAIP2.

Cyclic AMP: a selective modulator of NF-κB action.

It has been known for several decades that cyclic AMP (cAMP), a prototypical second messenger, transducing the action of a variety of G-protein-coupled receptor ligands, has potent immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory actions. These actions have been attributed in part to the ability of cAMP-induced signals to interfere with the function of the proinflammatory transcription factor Nuclear Factor-kappaB (NF-κB). NF-κB plays a crucial role in switching on the gene expression of a plethora of inflammatory and immune mediators, and as such is one of the master regulators of the immune response and a key target for anti-inflammatory drug design.