The thyroid hormone receptor β induces DNA damage and premature senescence

There is increasing evidence that the thyroid hormone (TH) receptors (THRs) can play a role in aging, cancer and degenerative diseases. In this paper, we demonstrate that binding of TH T3 (triiodothyronine) to THRB induces senescence and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage in cultured cells and in tissues of young hyperthyroid mice. T3 induces a rapid activation of ATM (ataxia telangiectasia mutated)/PRKAA (adenosine monophosphate–activated protein kinase) signal transduction and recruitment of the NRF1 (nuclear respiratory factor 1) and THRB to the promoters of genes with a key role on mitochondrial respiration. Increased respiration leads to production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, which in turn causes oxidative stress and DNA double-strand breaks and triggers a DNA damage response that ultimately leads to premature senescence of susceptible cells. Our findings provide a mechanism for integrating metabolic effects of THs with the tumor suppressor activity of THRB, the effect of thyroidal status on longevity, and the occurrence of tissue damage in hyperthyroidism.     

The Mating Call of Isoperla bipartita Aubert, 1962 (Plecoptera,Perlodidae)

The mating call of Isoperla bipartita is described. The male call is composed of 3–10 groups, each of 1–4 rubs. The times between rubs average 89.52 msec (between first and second), 43.52 msec (between second and third) and 35.28 msec (between third and fourth). The time between two groups averages 180.75 msec and varies from 142 to 290 msec. The female answer is composed of a beat and rub repeated at 479.09 msec intervals on average and interspersed between the male call groups between 94 and 184 msec (mean = 118.11 msec) after the last rub of the male group. The I. bipartita call can be considered as a ‘complex and modified pattern’ because the male produces calls of 1–4 rubs by group and the female answers overlapping the male call by percussion-rubbing-produced signals. Moreover, it is different from other studied Iberian Isoperla calls, being probably a species-specific behavioural pattern.     

Direct and indirect landscape effects on Quercus ilex regeneration in heterogeneous environments

Understanding how plant–animal interactions shape plant regeneration is traditionally examined at local scales. In contrast, landscape ecologists working at regional scales often have to infer the mechanisms underlying vegetation patterns. In this study, we empirically explored how landscape attributes (patch connectivity, size, shape, irradiance, slope, and elevation) influence biotic interactions in 1- and 2-year seedlings and saplings of Quercus ilex. We combined field data and GIS-based information under a set of five connectivity scenarios, presuming low, intermediate, and long-distance seed dispersal. Our study emphasizes that landscape, apart from its direct effects on plants, plays a key, albeit indirect, role in plant demography through its effects on seed dispersers and predators. Moreover, the effects of landscape on recruitment differed between plant life stages. One-year seedlings and saplings appear to depend more on plant–animal interactions, while 2-year seedlings depend more on irradiance. Differences in patch connectivity resulted in direct and indirect effects on biotic interactions, which, in turn, produced contrasting positive and negative effects on regeneration at different stages of the life cycle. While jays and wild boars seem crucial to all life stages and most of the connectivity scenarios, rodents and herbivores affected only 1-year seedlings and saplings, respectively, and only a few of the connectivity scenarios. By simultaneously including an ensemble of explanatory factors, our study emphasizes that regeneration depends on a set of key drivers, both abiotic (i.e. irradiance) and biotic (i.e. jays and wild boars), whose effects are greatly modulated by landscape traits.     

Sex-sorted bovine spermatozoa and DNA damage: II. Dynamic features

This study examined the dynamic response of Spermatozoa DNA Fragmentation after sex selection in bulls using a MoFlo^® SX (Beckman Coulter, Miami FL) spermatozoa sorter. The dynamic response of spermatozoa DNA fragmentation refers to the changing values of SDF, i.e., rate of SDF (rSDF), when analyzed periodically over a set incubation time at 37 °C. A dynamic assessment of SDF using non-sorted and sex-sorted spermatozoa samples during 72 h of incubation at 37 °C was performed. Results showed a reduced DNA longevity in sex-sorted frozen-thawed spermatozoa, with spermatozoa DNA damage appearing between 24 h and 48 h. The baseline SDF level was higher in conventional frozen-thawed than in sex-sorted frozen-thawed spermatozoa samples; while the reverse occurred for the rSDF. The afore-mentioned result produced a crossover point between both dynamic tendencies of SDF for sex-sorted versus conventional samples. We defined this crossover point as the Crossover Positioning Time (CPT) or the time (in hours) where both curves crossover after a period of spermatozoa incubation at 37 °C. The point at which the CPT occurs could be used as an indicator of the rSDF for individual bulls after X- and Y-chromosome bearing spermatozoa selection. CPT values produced a window of SDF ranging between 24 h and 48 h in the present experiment. It is proposed that higher values for CPT are indicative of bulls presenting chromatin that is more resistant to the external stressors affecting spermatozoa DNA after spermatozoa sorting.     

Combined effect of low-power laser irradiation and anthraquinone anticancer drug aclarubicin on survival of immortalized cells: Comparison with mitoxantrone

The photodynamic response of the anthraquinone anticancer drug aclarubicin (ACL) was investigated in vitro and compared with that of mitoxantrone (MTX). Cultured immortalized rodent B14 and NIH 3T3 cells were used in the experiments as a model for cells with neoplastic phenotype. Long-term cytotoxicity and inhibition of cell proliferation assayed by the clonal growth and MTT-tetrazolium methods were estimated to compare the efficacy of aclarubicin and mitoxantrone in photosensitizing cells and their death after non-thermal exposure to monochromatic laser light. Green He-Ne (543.5 nm) or red semiconductor (670 nm) low-power laser (LPL) irradiations were applied. Different dose-responses of both cell lines to aclarubicin and mitoxantrone were found so that the cytotoxicity of MTX was considerably greater than the cytotoxicity of ACL. Phototherapy response (P < 0.0001) was observed only for B14 cells after sensitisation with aclarubicin. Under the same conditions no significant effect of red light irradiation (semiconductor 670 nm laser) on survival of both cell lines treated with mitoxantrone was found.     

RNA binding is more critical to the suppression of silencing function of Cucumber mosaic virus 2b protein than nuclear localization

Previously, we found that silencing suppression by the 2b protein and six mutants correlated both with their ability to bind to double-stranded (ds) small RNAs (sRNAs) in vitro and with their nuclear/nucleolar localization. To further discern the contribution to suppression activity of sRNA binding and of nuclear localization, we have characterized the kinetics of in vitro binding to a ds sRNA, a single-stranded (ss) sRNA, and a micro RNA (miRNA) of the native 2b protein and eight mutant variants. We have also added a nuclear export signal (NES) to the 2b protein and assessed how it affected subcellular distribution and suppressor activity. We found that in solution native protein bound ds siRNA, miRNA, and ss sRNA with high affinity, at protein:RNA molar ratios ~2:1. Of the four mutants that retained suppressor activity, three showed sRNA binding profiles similar to those of the native protein, whereas the remaining one bound ss sRNA at a 2:1 molar ratio, but both ds sRNAs with 1.5-2 times slightly lower affinity. Three of the four mutants lacking suppressor activity failed to bind to any sRNA, whereas the remaining one bound them at far higher ratios. NES-tagged 2b protein became cytoplasmic, but suppression activity in patch assays remained unaffected. These results support binding to sRNAs at molar ratios at or near 2:1 as critical to the suppressor activity of the 2b protein. They also show that cytoplasmically localized 2b protein retained suppressor activity, and that a sustained nuclear localization was not required for this function.