Hypericin-photodynamic therapy leads to interleukin-6 secretion by HepG2 cells and their apoptosis via recruitment of BH3 interacting-domain death agonist and caspases

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as a capable therapeutic modality for the treatment of cancer. PDT is a targeted cancer therapy that reportedly leads to tumor cell apoptosis and/or necrosis by facilitating the secretion of certain pro-inflammatory cytokines and expression of multiple apoptotic mediators in the tumor microenvironment. In addition, PDT also triggers oxidative stress that directs tumor cell killing and activation of inflammatory responses. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the role of PDT in facilitating tumor cell apoptosis remain ambiguous. Here, we investigated the ability of PDT in association with hypericin (HY) to induce tumor cell apoptosis by facilitating the induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and secretion of Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokines in human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell line (HepG2) cells. To discover if any apoptotic mediators were implicated in the enhancement of cell death of HY-PDT-treated tumor cells, selected gene profiling in response to HY-PDT treatment was implemented. Experimental results showed that interleukin (IL)-6 was significantly increased in all HY-PDT-treated cells, especially in 1 μg/ml HY-PDT, resulting in cell death. In addition, quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that the expression of apoptotic genes, such as BH3-interacting-domain death agonist (BID), cytochrome complex (CYT-C) and caspases (CASP3, 6, 7, 8 and 9) was remarkably higher in HY-PDT-treated HepG2 cells than the untreated HepG2 cells, entailing that tumor destruction of immune-mediated cell death occurs only in PDT-treated tumor cells. Hence, we showed that HY-PDT treatment induces apoptosis in HepG2 cells by facilitating cytotoxic ROS, and potentially recruits IL-6 and apoptosis mediators, providing additional hints for the existence of alternative mechanisms of anti-tumor immunity in hepatocellular carcinoma, which contribute to long-term suppression of tumor growth following PDT.     

Sexual selection,germline mutation rate and sperm competition

Background  

An important component of sexual selection arises because females obtain viability benefits for their offspring from their mate choice. Females choosing extra-pair fertilization generally favor males with exaggerated secondary sexual characters, and extra-pair paternity increases the variance in male reproductive success. Furthermore, females are assumed to benefit from 'good genes' from extra-pair sires. How additive genetic variance in such viability genes is maintained despite strong directional selection remains an evolutionary enigma. We propose that sexual selection is associated with elevated mutation rates, changing the balance between mutation and selection, thereby increasing variance in fitness and hence the benefits to be obtained from good genes sexual selection. Two hypotheses may account for such elevated mutation: (1) Increased sperm production associated with sperm competition may increase mutation rate. (2) Mutator alleles increase mutation rates that are revealed by the expression of condition-dependent secondary sexual characters used by choosy females during their mate choice. M Petrie has independently developed the idea that mutator alleles may account for the maintenance of genetic variation in viability despite strong directional selection.     

Oligodeoxynucleotides covalently linked to intercalating dyes as base sequence-specific ligands. Influence of dye attachment site.

New molecules with high and specific affinity for nucleic acid base sequences have been synthesized. They involve an oligodeoxynucleotide covalently attached to an intercalating dye. Visible absorption spectroscopy and fluorescence have been used to investigate the binding of poly(rA) to octadeoxythymidylates substituted by a 9-aminoacridine derivative in different positions along the oligonucleotide chain. The 9-amino group of the acridine dye was linked through a polymethylene bridge to the 3''-phosphate, the 5''-phosphate, the fourth internucleotidic phosphate or to both the 3''- and 5''-phosphates. Different interactions of the acridine dye were exhibited by these different substituted oligodeoxynucleotides when they bind to poly(rA). The interaction was shown to be specific for adenine-containing polynucleotides. The stability of these complexes was compared with that of oligodeoxynucleotides substituted by an alkyl group on the 3''-phosphate. The increase in stability due to the presence of the intercalating dye has been determined from the comparison of melting temperatures. These results are discussed with respect to the strategy of synthesis of a new class of molecules with high affinity and high specificity for nucleic acid base sequences.     

Heterologous expression of bacteriocin E-760 in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and functional analysis

The use of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) synthesized by bacteria (bacteriocins) is an alternative for combating multidrug resistant bacterial strains and their production by recombinant route is a viable option for their mass production. The bacteriocin E-760 isolated from the genus Enterococcus sp. has been shown to possess inhibitory activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. In this study, the expression of a chimeric protein coding for E-760 in the nucleus of C. reinhardtii was evaluated, as well as, its antibacterial activity. The synthetic gene E-760S was inserted into the genome of C. reinhardtii using Agrobacterium tumefaciens. A transgenic line was identified in TAP medium with hygromycin and also by PCR. The increment in the culture medium temperature of the transgenic strain at 35 °C for 10 minutes, increased the production level of the recombinant protein from 0.14 (Noninduced culture, NIC) to 0.36% (Induced culture, IC) of total soluble proteins (TSP); this was quantified by an ELISA assay. Recombinant E-760 possesses activity against Staphylococcus aureus in 0.34 U log, Streptococcus agalactiae in 0.48 U log, Enterococcus faecium in 0.36 U log, Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 2 U log and for Klebsiella pneumoniae, the activity was 0.07 U log. These results demonstrate that the nucleus transformation of C. reinhardtii can function as a stable expression platform for the production of the synthetic gene E-760 and it can potentially be used as an antibacterial agent.     

Duplicate gene evolution and expression in the wake of vertebrate allopolyploidization

Background  

The mechanism by which duplicate genes originate – whether by duplication of a whole genome or of a genomic segment – influences their genetic fates. To study events that trigger duplicate gene persistence after whole genome duplication in vertebrates, we have analyzed molecular evolution and expression of hundreds of persistent duplicate gene pairs in allopolyploid clawed frogs (Xenopus and Silurana). We collected comparative data that allowed us to tease apart the molecular events that occurred soon after duplication from those that occurred later on. We also quantified expression profile divergence of hundreds of paralogs during development and in different tissues.     

Vegetal cover estimated by digital photographs related to biomass in a grassland site in northern Mexico

A regression model was used to determine the relationship between aerial herbaceous biomass and vegetation coverage estimated by digital images. Four samplings (n=36 each date) of vegetation cover and herbaceous biomass were performed during the growing season in 2011 in a grassland dominated by Bouteloua gracilis in La Cieneguilla, Municipality of Villa Hidalgo, Durango. Average production of dry biomass was 37.36 ± 9.66 g/m², and mean vegetation cover 30.02%. Dry biomass data were tested for normality using the test of Kolmogorov Smirnov, finding a lack of fit. The data were subjected to a logarithmic transformation and the model Ln(y) = 1.637926 + 0.08501X - 0.000586X² with an adjusted R² = 0.89 was found. In order to validate this model, another five samplings were carried out in 2013 at the same site during summer and autumn, using the same sampling size for each date as in 2011. Data collected in 2013 were analyzed with the model Ln (y) = β₀ + β₁X + β₂X². A comparison of regression coefficients was carried out between the 2011 and 2013 models with t (180+144-9-11-2=302, p<0.05) = 1.967. The results indicated that it is possible to use the 2011 regression model to estimate herbaceous aerial biomass from vegetation cover measurements with aerial photographs in La Cieneguilla site during summer and fall.