Karyotaxonomical studies in theJuncus bufonius aggregate in Slovakia

Karyotaxonomical investigations into theJuncus bufonius aggregate in Slovakia revealed the existence of three cytodemes, namely 2n=34, 2n=c. 72, 2n=c. 100–110.     

Record of the Carnian Pluvial Episode in the Polish microflora

The dry climate that prevailed during the Triassic period in the eastern part of the Central European Basin was interrupted by several humid episodes of varying durations. One of them was the Carnian Pluvial Episode (CPE), which took place in the late Julian (early Carnian age) and is confined to Camerosporites secatus and Aulisporites astigmosus palynological zones. CPE is marked by a significant change in the qualitative and quantitative composition of spore-pollen assemblages from mostly xerophytic species preserved in the upper part of the Grabfeld Formation (“Lower Gipskeuper”) to hygrophytic forms, which dominate in the Stuttgart Formation (“Schilfsandstein”). Changes in climate towards more humid conditions have been documented palynologically and sedimentologically, and analyzed utilizing quantitative spore-pollen analysis and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of miospores occurring in core material from Poland. In all the studied boreholes, a shift from dry to wet climate is observed at the boundary between the Grabfeld Formation and the Stuttgart Formation, which matches the data from other European regions.     

Risk Associated with the Use of Selected Ingredients in Food Supplements

This review focuses on four new product categories of food supplements: pre-workout, fat burner/thermogenic, brain/cognitive booster, and hormone/testosterone booster. Many food supplements have been shown to be contaminated with unauthorized substances. In some cases, the ingredients in the new categories of dietary supplements were medicinal products or new synthetic compounds added without performing clinical trials. Some of the new ingredients in dietary supplements are plant materials that are registered in the pharmacopoeia as herbal medicines. In other cases, dietary supplements may contain plant materials that have no history of human use and are often used as materials to ‘camouflage’ stimulants. In the European Union, new ingredients of dietary supplements, according to European Food Safety Authority or unauthorized novel food. Furthermore, selected ingredients in dietary supplements may be prohibited in sports and are recognized as doping agents by World Anti-Doping Agency.     

The More the Merrier: Recent Hybridization and Polyploidy in Cardamine

This article describes the use of cytogenomic and molecular approaches to explore the origin and evolution of Cardamine schulzii, a textbook example of a recent allopolyploid, in its ∼110-year history of human-induced hybridization and allopolyploidy in the Swiss Alps. Triploids are typically viewed as bridges between diploids and tetraploids but rarely as parental genomes of high-level hybrids and polyploids. The genome of the triploid semifertile hybrid Cardamine × insueta (2n = 24, RRA) was shown to combine the parental genomes of two diploid (2n = 2x = 16) species, Cardamine amara (AA) and Cardamine rivularis (RR). These parental genomes have remained structurally stable within the triploid genome over the >100 years since its origin. Furthermore, we provide compelling evidence that the alleged recent polyploid C. schulzii is not an autohexaploid derivative of C. × insueta. Instead, at least two hybridization events involving C. × insueta and the hypotetraploid Cardamine pratensis (PPPP, 2n = 4x−2 = 30) have resulted in the origin of the trigenomic hypopentaploid (2n = 5x−2 = 38, PPRRA) and hypohexaploid (2n = 6x−2 = 46, PPPPRA). These data show that the semifertile triploid hybrid can promote a merger of three different genomes and demonstrate how important it is to reexamine the routinely repeated textbook examples using modern techniques.     

RASSF1A Promoter Methylation Levels Positively Correlate with Estrogen Receptor Expression in Breast Cancer Patients

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the promoter methylation in five cancer-associated genes and clinicopathologic features for identification of molecular markers of tumor metastatic potential and hormone therapy response efficiency in breast cancer. The methylation levels in paraffin-embedded tumor tissues, plasma, and blood cells from 151 sporadic breast cancer patients and blood samples of 50 controls were evaluated by quantitative multiplex methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. DNA methylation of RAS-association domain family member 1 (RASSF1A), estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), cadherin 1, type 1, E-cadherin (CDH1), TIMP metallopeptidase inhibitor 3 (TIMP3) and spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) genes was detected in the tumors of 124, 19, 15, 15, and 6 patients with mean levels of 48.45%, 3.81%, 2.36%, 27.55%, and 10.81%, respectively. Plasma samples exhibited methylation in the same genes in 25, 10, 15, 17, and 3 patients with levels of 22.54%, 17.20%, 22.87%, 31.93%, and 27.42%, respectively. Cumulative methylation results confirmed different spectra in tumor and plasma samples. Simultaneous methylation in tumors and plasma were shown in less than 17% of patients. RASSF1A methylation levels in tumor samples statistically differ according to tumor size (P = .029), estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status (P = .000 and P = .004), and immunohistochemical subtype (P = .000). Moreover, the positive correlation was found between RASSF1A methylation levels and percentage of cancer cells expressing ER and PR. The direct relationship between RASSF1A promoter methylation and expression of ER could aid the prognosis of hormonal therapy response.     

Reverse electron flow-mediated ROS generation in ischemia-damaged mitochondria: Role of complex I inhibition vs. depolarization of inner mitochondrial membrane

Background

The reverse electron flow-induced ROS generation (RFIR) is decreased in ischemia-damaged mitochondria. Cardiac ischemia leads to decreased complex I activity and depolarized inner mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ) that are two key factors to affect the RFIR in isolated mitochondria. We asked if a partial inhibition of complex I activity without alteration of the ΔΨ is able to decrease the RFIR.

Methods

Cardiac mitochondria were isolated from mouse heart (C57BL/6) with and without ischemia. The rate of H₂O₂ production from mitochondria was determined using amplex red coupled with horseradish peroxidase. Mitochondria were isolated from the mitochondrial-targeted STAT3 overexpressing mouse (MLS-STAT3E) to clarify the role of partial complex I inhibition in RFIR production.

Results

The RFIR was decreased in ischemia-damaged mouse heart mitochondria with decreased complex I activity and depolarized ΔΨ. However, the RFIR was not altered in the MLS-STAT3E heart mitochondria with complex I defect but without depolarization of the ΔΨ. A slight depolarization of the ΔΨ in wild type mitochondria completely eliminated the RFIR.

Conclusions

The mild uncoupling but not the partially decreased complex I activity contributes to the observed decrease in RFIR in ischemia-damaged mitochondria.

General significance

The RFIR is less likely to be a key source of cardiac injury during reperfusion.