Neurofilament Light Chain Protein in Plasma and Extracellular Vesicles Is Associated with Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy and Responses to Rifaximin Treatment in Cirrhotic Patients

Neurofilament light chain protein (NfL) levels reflect neuronal damage in several neurological diseases and have been proposed as a possible biomarker. Plasma extracellular vesicles (EVs) could play an important role as mediators of the inflammatory changes associated with inducing minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) in cirrhotic patients. This study investigated the association of NfL levels in plasma and EVs with the presence of MHE in cirrhotic patients, and with responses to rifaximin treatment. The NfL levels in plasma and EVs were assessed in 71 patients with liver cirrhosis (40 with MHE and 31 without MHE) and 26 controls. A total of 31 patients with MHE received rifaximin treatment. We examined changes in NfL levels in plasma and EVs before and after 6 months of rifaximin treatment. The NfL measures were correlated with cognitive alterations and plasma inflammatory cytokines. MHE patients showed increased plasma levels of NfL, which were reverted after rifaximin treatment in patients who responded to treatment. The NfL content in EVs also showed a reversal pattern in MHE patients treated with rifaximin. In multivariable analyses, NfL levels were independently associated with the presence of MHE. We also showed that patients with high levels of both ammonia and fractalkine had significantly higher NfL levels than patients with low levels of least one of these parameters. Rifaximin treatment in MHE patients showed promising results in improving axonal damage, suggesting that rifaximin may have therapeutic benefits against disease progression in MHE.

Supramolecular multivalency effects enhance imine formation in aqueous medium allowing for dynamic modification of enzymatic activity

Imine formation under physiological conditions represents a challenging reaction due to the strong propensity of aldimines to be hydrolyzed. Herein we disclose the remarkable effect of supramolecular multivalency on increasing imine stability. A family of reactive aldehydes was synthesized bearing supramolecularly-active sites within their structure. The imine formation activity for such aldehydes was evaluated and compared with model aldehydes. The reaction of the best-performing species - containing two carboxylate groups-with a set of amines showed a significant decrease in imine yields as the degree of supramolecular multivalency between sidechains decreased. The reversible conjugation of amino acid derivatives and small peptides was also assayed, with excellent selectivities for the imine formation at the Nα position even in substrates containing competing sites. Preliminary results on protein bioconjugation revealed that a model enzyme could be dynamically inhibited upon reaction with the aldehyde, with its native activity being recovered by displacing the imine bonds with a suitable chemical effector (i.e., acylhydrazide).

Chimeric hemagglutinin split vaccines elicit broadly cross-reactive antibodies and protection against group 2 influenza viruses in mice

Seasonal influenza virus vaccines are effective when they are well matched to circulating strains. Because of antigenic drift/change in the immunodominant hemagglutinin (HA) head domain, annual vaccine reformulations are necessary to maintain a match with circulating strains. In addition, seasonal vaccines provide little to no protection against newly emerging pandemic strains. Sequential vaccination with chimeric HA (cHA) constructs has been proven to direct the immune response toward the immunosubdominant but more conserved HA stalk domain. In this study, we show that immunization with group 2 cHA split vaccines in combination with the CpG 1018 adjuvant elicits broadly cross-reactive antibodies against all group 2 HAs, as well as systemic and local antigen-specific T cell responses. Antibodies elicited after sequential vaccination are directed to conserved regions of the HA such as the stalk and the trimer interface and also to the N2 neuraminidase (NA). Immunized mice were fully protected from challenge with a broad panel of influenza A viruses.

Use of sera cell free DNA (cfDNA) and exovesicle-DNA for the molecular diagnosis of chronic Chagas disease

Chagas disease, a neglected tropical disease, is now considered a worldwide health concern as a result of migratory movements from Central and South America to other regions that were considered free of the disease, and where the epidemiological risk is limited to transplacental transmission or blood or organ donations from infected persons. Parasite detection in chronically ill patients is restricted to serological tests that only determine infection by previous infection and not the presence of the parasite, especially in patients undergoing treatment evaluation or in newborns. We have evaluated the use of nucleic acids from both circulating exovesicles and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from 50 samples twice randomly selected from a total of 448 serum samples from immunologically diagnosed patients in whom the presence of the parasite was confirmed by nested PCR on amplicons resulting from amplification with kinetoplastid DNA-specific primers 121F-122R. Six samples were randomly selected to quantify the limit of detection by qPCR in serum exovesicles. When the nucleic acids thus purified were assayed as a template and amplified with kinetoplastid DNA and nuclear satellite DNA primers, a 100% positivity rate was obtained for all positive samples assayed with kDNA-specific primers and 96% when SAT primers were used. However, isolation of cfDNA for Trypanosoma cruzi and amplification with SAT also showed 100% positivity. The results demonstrate that serum exovesicles contain DNA of mitochondrial and nuclear origin, which can be considered a mixed population of exovesicles of parasitic origin. The results obtained with serum samples prove that both cfDNA and Exovesicle DNA can be used to confirm parasitaemia in chronically ill patients or in samples where it is necessary to demonstrate the active presence of the parasite. The results confirm for the first time the existence of exovesicles of mitochondrial origin of the parasite in the serum of those affected by Chagas disease.

GSK-3β orchestrates the inhibitory innervation of adult-born dentate granule cells in vivo

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis enhances brain plasticity and contributes to the cognitive reserve during aging. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is impaired in neurological disorders, yet the molecular mechanisms regulating the maturation and synaptic integration of new neurons have not been fully elucidated. GABA is a master regulator of adult and developmental neurogenesis. Here we engineered a novel retrovirus encoding the fusion protein Gephyrin:GFP to longitudinally study the formation and maturation of inhibitory synapses during adult hippocampal neurogenesis in vivo. Our data reveal the early assembly of inhibitory postsynaptic densities at 1 week of cell age. Glycogen synthase kinase 3 Beta (GSK-3β) emerges as a key regulator of inhibitory synapse formation and maturation during adult hippocampal neurogenesis. GSK-3β-overexpressing newborn neurons show an increased number and altered size of Gephyrin+ postsynaptic clusters, enhanced miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents, shorter and distanced axon initial segments, reduced synaptic output at the CA3 and CA2 hippocampal regions, and impaired pattern separation. Moreover, GSK-3β overexpression triggers a depletion of Parvalbumin+ interneuron perineuronal nets. These alterations might be relevant in the context of neurological diseases in which the activity of GSK-3β is dysregulated.

UHRF1 is a mediator of KRAS driven oncogenesis in lung adenocarcinoma

KRAS is a frequent driver in lung cancer. To identify KRAS-specific vulnerabilities in lung cancer, we performed RNAi screens in primary spheroids derived from a Kras mutant mouse lung cancer model and discovered an epigenetic regulator Ubiquitin-like containing PHD and RING finger domains 1 (UHRF1). In human lung cancer models UHRF1 knock-out selectively impaired growth and induced apoptosis only in KRAS mutant cells. Genome-wide methylation and gene expression analysis of UHRF1-depleted KRAS mutant cells revealed global DNA hypomethylation leading to upregulation of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs). A focused CRISPR/Cas9 screen validated several of these TSGs as mediators of UHRF1-driven tumorigenesis. In vivo, UHRF1 knock-out inhibited tumor growth of KRAS-driven mouse lung cancer models. Finally, in lung cancer patients high UHRF1 expression is anti-correlated with TSG expression and predicts worse outcomes for patients with KRAS mutant tumors. These results nominate UHRF1 as a KRAS-specific vulnerability and potential target for therapeutic intervention.

Mild Cognitive Impairment Is Associated with Enhanced Activation of Th17 Lymphocytes in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) may show mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The mechanisms involved remain unclear. The plasma concentrations of several cytokines and chemokines were measured in 71 NAFLD patients (20 with and 51 without MCI) and 61 controls. Characterization and activation of leukocyte populations and CD4⁺ sub-populations were carried out and analyzed by flow cytometry. We analyzed the cytokines released from CD4⁺ cell cultures and the mRNA expression of transcription factors and receptors in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The appearance of MCI in NAFLD patients was associated with increased activation of CD4⁺ T lymphocytes, mainly of the Th17 subtype, increased plasma levels of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-17A, IL-23, IL-21, IL-22, IL-6, INF-γ, and IL-13, and higher expression of the CCR2 receptor. Constitutive expression of IL-17 was found in cultures of CD4⁺ cells from MCI patients, reflecting Th17 activation. High IL-13 plasma levels were predictive of MCI and could reflect a compensatory anti-inflammatory response to the increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This study identified some specific alterations of the immune system associated with the appearance of neurological alterations in MCI patients with NAFLD that could be the basis to improve and restore cognitive functions and quality of life in these patients.

Optimization of a Green Microwave-Assisted Extraction Method to Obtain Multifunctional Extracts of Mentha sp

A microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) procedure has been optimized to simultaneously provide multifunctional extracts of Mentha sp. leaves with improved antioxidant properties and, for the first time, with optimal antimicrobial activity. Among the solvents evaluated, water was selected as the extractant in order to develop a green procedure and also for its improved bioactive properties (higher TPC and Staphylococcus aureus inhibition halo). MAE operating conditions were optimized by means of a 3-level factorial experimental design (100 °C, 14.7 min, 1 g of dry leaves/12 mL of water and 1 extraction cycle), and further applied to the extraction of bioactives from 6 different Mentha species. A comparative LC-Q MS and LC-QToF MS analysis of these MAE extracts was carried out for the first time in a single study, allowing the characterization of up to 40 phenolics and the quantitation of the most abundant. Antioxidant, antimicrobial (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium) and antifungal (Candida albicans) activities of MAE extracts depended on the Mentha species considered. In conclusion, the new MAE method developed here is shown as a green and efficient approach to provide multifunctional Mentha sp. extracts with an added value as natural food preservatives.

Extracellular vesicles of trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi induce changes in ubiquitin-related processes, cell-signaling pathways and apoptosis

Chagas disease is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. The disease has an acute and a chronic phase in which approximately 30% of the chronic patients suffer from heart disease and/or gastrointestinal symptoms. The pathogenesis of the disease is multifactorial and involves the virulence of the strains, immunological factors and extracellular vesicles (EV) shed by the parasite which participate in cell-cell communication and evasion of the immune response. In this work, we present a transcriptomic analysis of cells stimulated with EV of the trypomastigote stage of T. cruzi. Results after EV-cell incubation revealed 322 differentially expressed genes (168 were upregulated and 154 were downregulated). In this regard, the overexpression of genes related to ubiquitin-related processes (Ube2C, SUMO1 and SUMO2) is highlighted. Moreover, the expression of Rho-GTPases (RhoA, Rac1 and Cdc42) after the interaction was analyzed, revealing a downregulation of the analyzed genes after 4 h of interaction. Finally, a protective role of EV over apoptosis is suggested, as relative values of cells in early and late apoptosis were significantly lower in EV-treated cells, which also showed increased CSNK1G1 expression. These results contribute to a better understanding of the EV-cell interaction and support the role of EV as virulence factors.

'Getting to Denmark': the role of agricultural elites for development

We explore the role of elites for development and the spread of industrialized dairying in Denmark in the 1880s. We demonstrate that the location of early proto-modern dairies, introduced by landowning elites from northern Germany in the eighteenth century, explains the location of industrialized dairying in 1890: an increase of one standard deviation in elite influence increases industrialized dairying by 56 percent of the mean exposure in one specification. We interpret this as evidence for a spread of ideas from the elites to the peasantry, which we capture through measures of specialization in dairying and demand for education and identify a causal relationship using an instrument based on distance to the influential first mover. Finally, we demonstrate that areas with cooperatives enjoyed greater wealth by the twentieth century, and that they are today associated with other Danish cultural attributes: a belief in democracy and individualism.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10887-023-09226-8.

Methods to study adult hippocampal neurogenesis in humans and across the phylogeny

The hippocampus hosts the continuous addition of new neurons throughout life-a phenomenon named adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN). Here we revisit the occurrence of AHN in more than 110 mammalian species, including humans, and discuss the further validation of these data by single-cell RNAseq and other alternative techniques. In this regard, our recent studies have addressed the long-standing controversy in the field, namely whether cells positive for AHN markers are present in the adult human dentate gyrus (DG). Here we review how we developed a tightly controlled methodology, based on the use of high-quality brain samples (characterized by short postmortem delays and ≤24 h of fixation in freshly prepared 4% paraformaldehyde), to address human AHN. We review that the detection of AHN markers in samples fixed for 24 h required mild antigen retrieval and chemical elimination of autofluorescence. However, these steps were not necessary for samples subjected to shorter fixation periods. Moreover, the detection of labile epitopes (such as Nestin) in the human hippocampus required the use of mild detergents. The application of this strictly controlled methodology allowed reconstruction of the entire AHN process, thus revealing the presence of neural stem cells, proliferative progenitors, neuroblasts, and immature neurons at distinct stages of differentiation in the human DG. The data reviewed here demonstrate that methodology is of utmost importance when studying AHN by means of distinct techniques across the phylogenetic scale. In this regard, we summarize the major findings made by our group that emphasize that overlooking fundamental technical principles might have consequences for any given research field.

Bioengineered extracellular vesicles: future of precision medicine for sepsis

Sepsis is a syndromic response to infection and is frequently a final common pathway to death from many infectious diseases worldwide. The complexity and high heterogeneity of sepsis hinder the possibility to treat all patients with the same protocol, requiring personalized management. The versatility of extracellular vesicles (EVs) and their contribution to sepsis progression bring along promises for one-to-one tailoring sepsis treatment and diagnosis. In this article, we critically review the endogenous role of EVs in sepsis progression and how current advancements have improved EVs-based therapies toward their translational future clinical application, with innovative strategies to enhance EVs effect. More complex approaches, including hybrid and fully synthetic nanocarriers that mimic EVs, are also discussed. Several pre-clinical and clinical studies are examined through the review to offer a general outlook of the current and future perspectives of EV-based sepsis diagnosis and treatment.

Pathogenic variants in GCSH encoding the moonlighting H-protein cause combined nonketotic hyperglycinemia and lipoate deficiency

Maintaining protein lipoylation is vital for cell metabolism. The H-protein encoded by GCSH has a dual role in protein lipoylation required for bioenergetic enzymes including pyruvate dehydrogenase and 2-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, and in the one-carbon metabolism through its involvement in glycine cleavage enzyme system, intersecting two vital roles for cell survival. Here, we report six patients with biallelic pathogenic variants in GCSH and a broad clinical spectrum ranging from neonatal fatal glycine encephalopathy to an attenuated phenotype of developmental delay, behavioral problems, limited epilepsy and variable movement problems. The mutational spectrum includes one insertion c.293-2_293-1insT, one deletion c.122_(228 + 1_229-1) del, one duplication of exons 4 and 5, one nonsense variant p.Gln76*and four missense p.His57Arg, p.Pro115Leu and p.Thr148Pro and the previously described p.Met1?. Via functional studies in patient's fibroblasts, molecular modeling, expression analysis in GCSH knockdown COS7 cells and yeast, and in vitro protein studies, we demonstrate for the first time that most variants identified in our cohort produced a hypomorphic effect on both mitochondrial activities, protein lipoylation and glycine metabolism, causing combined deficiency, whereas some missense variants affect primarily one function only. The clinical features of the patients reflect the impact of the GCSH changes on any of the two functions analyzed. Our analysis illustrates the complex interplay of functional and clinical impact when pathogenic variants affect a multifunctional protein involved in two metabolic pathways and emphasizes the value of the functional assays to select the treatment and investigate new personalized options.

Distinct patterns of soil bacterial and fungal community assemblages in subtropical forest ecosystems under warming

Climate change globally affects soil microbial community assembly across ecosystems. However, little is known about the impact of warming on the structure of soil microbial communities or underlying mechanisms that shape microbial community composition in subtropical forest ecosystems. To address this gap, we utilized natural variation in temperature via an altitudinal gradient to simulate ecosystem warming. After 6 years, microbial co-occurrence network complexity increased with warming, and changes in their taxonomic composition were asynchronous, likely due to contrasting community assembly processes. We found that while stochastic processes were drivers of bacterial community composition, warming led to a shift from stochastic to deterministic drivers in dry season. Structural equation modelling highlighted that soil temperature and water content positively influenced soil microbial communities during dry season and negatively during wet season. These results facilitate our understanding of the response of soil microbial communities to climate warming and may improve predictions of ecosystem function of soil microbes in subtropical forests.

A systematic review of risk factors for mortality among tuberculosis patients in South Africa

BACKGROUND

Tuberculosis (TB)-associated mortality in South Africa remains high. This review aimed to systematically assess risk factors associated with death during TB treatment in South African patients.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review of TB research articles published between 2010 and 2018. We searched BioMed Central (BMC), PubMed®, EBSCOhost, Cochrane, and SCOPUS for publications between January 2010 and December 2018. Searches were conducted between August 2019 and October 2019. We included randomised control trials (RCTs), case control, cross sectional, retrospective, and prospective cohort studies where TB mortality was a primary endpoint and effect measure estimates were provided for risk factors for TB mortality during TB treatment. Due to heterogeneity in effect measures and risk factors evaluated, a formal meta-analysis of risk factors for TB mortality was not appropriate. A random effects meta-analysis was used to estimate case fatality ratios (CFRs) for all studies and for specific subgroups so that these could be compared. Quality assessments were performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale or the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool.

RESULTS

We identified 1995 titles for screening, 24 publications met our inclusion criteria (one cross-sectional study, 2 RCTs, and 21 cohort studies). Twenty-two studies reported on adults (n = 12561) and two were restricted to children < 15 years of age (n = 696). The CFR estimated for all studies was 26.4% (CI 18.1-34.7, n = 13257 ); 37.5% (CI 24.8-50.3, n = 5149) for drug-resistant (DR) TB; 12.5% (CI 1.1-23.9, n = 1935) for drug-susceptible (DS) TB; 15.6% (CI 8.1-23.2, n = 6173) for studies in which drug susceptibility was mixed or not specified; 21.3% (CI 15.3-27.3, n = 7375) for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV); 19.2% (CI 7.7-30.7, n = 1691) in HIV-negative TB patients; and 6.8% (CI 4.9-8.7, n = 696) in paediatric studies. The main risk factors associated with TB mortality were HIV infection, prior TB treatment, DR-TB, and lower body weight at TB diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

In South Africa, overall mortality during TB treatment remains high, people with DR-TB have an elevated risk of mortality during TB treatment and interventions to mitigate high mortality are needed. In addition, better prospective data on TB mortality are needed, especially amongst vulnerable sub-populations including young children, adolescents, pregnant women, and people with co-morbidities other than HIV. Limitations included a lack of prospective studies and RCTs and a high degree of heterogeneity in risk factors and comparator variables.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

The systematic review protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) under the registration number CRD42018108622. This study was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Investment ID OPP1173131) via the South African TB Think Tank.

Effect of ATG12-ATG5-ATG16L1 autophagy E3-like complex on the ability of LC3/GABARAP proteins to induce vesicle tethering and fusion

In macroautophagy, the autophagosome (AP) engulfs portions of cytoplasm to allow their lysosomal degradation. AP formation in humans requires the concerted action of the ATG12 and LC3/GABARAP conjugation systems. The ATG12-ATG5-ATG16L1 or E3-like complex (E3 for short) acts as a ubiquitin-like E3 enzyme, promoting LC3/GABARAP proteins anchoring to the AP membrane. Their role in the AP expansion process is still unclear, in part because there are no studies comparing six LC3/GABARAP family member roles under the same conditions, and also because the full human E3 was only recently available. In the present study, the lipidation of six members of the LC3/GABARAP family has been reconstituted in the presence and absence of E3, and the mechanisms by which E3 and LC3/GABARAP proteins participate in vesicle tethering and fusion have been investigated. In the absence of E3, GABARAP and GABARAPL1 showed the highest activities. Differences found within LC3/GABARAP proteins suggest the existence of a lipidation threshold, lower for the GABARAP subfamily, as a requisite for tethering and inter-vesicular lipid mixing. E3 increases and speeds up lipidation and LC3/GABARAP-promoted tethering. However, E3 hampers LC3/GABARAP capacity to induce inter-vesicular lipid mixing or subsequent fusion, presumably through the formation of a rigid scaffold on the vesicle surface. Our results suggest a model of AP expansion in which the growing regions would be areas where the LC3/GABARAP proteins involved should be susceptible to lipidation in the absence of E3, or else a regulatory mechanism would allow vesicle incorporation and phagophore growth when E3 is present.

Technological advances in fibrin for tissue engineering

Fibrin is a promising natural polymer that is widely used for diverse applications, such as hemostatic glue, carrier for drug and cell delivery, and matrix for tissue engineering. Despite the significant advances in the use of fibrin for bioengineering and biomedical applications, some of its characteristics must be improved for suitability for general use. For example, fibrin hydrogels tend to shrink and degrade quickly after polymerization, particularly when they contain embedded cells. In addition, their poor mechanical properties and batch-to-batch variability affect their handling, long-term stability, standardization, and reliability. One of the most widely used approaches to improve their properties has been modification of the structure and composition of fibrin hydrogels. In this review, recent advances in composite fibrin scaffolds, chemically modified fibrin hydrogels, interpenetrated polymer network (IPN) hydrogels composed of fibrin and other synthetic or natural polymers are critically reviewed, focusing on their use for tissue engineering.

Human Trypanosoma cruzi chronic infection leads to individual level steady-state parasitemia: Implications for drug-trial optimization in Chagas disease

Currently available drugs against Trypanosoma cruzi infection, which causes 12000 deaths annually, have limitations in their efficacy, safety and tolerability. The evaluation of therapeutic responses to available and new compounds is based on parasite detection in the bloodstream but remains challenging because a substantial proportion of infected individuals have undetectable parasitemia even when using diagnostic tools with the highest accuracy. We characterize parasite dynamics which might impact drug efficacy assessments in chronic Chagas by analyzing pre- and post-treatment quantitative-PCR data obtained from blood samples collected regularly over a year. We show that parasitemia remains at a steady-state independently of the diagnostic sensitivity. This steady-state can be probabilistically quantified and robustly predicted at an individual level. Furthermore, individuals can be assigned to categories with distinct parasitological status, allowing a more detailed evaluation of the efficacy outcomes and adjustment for potential biases. Our analysis improves understanding of parasite dynamics and provides a novel background for optimizing future drug efficacy trials in Chagas disease. Trial Registration: original trial registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01489228.

The Myth of The Annular Lipids

In the early 1970s, the existence of a "lipid annulus" stably surrounding the individual intrinsic protein molecules was proposed by several authors. They referred to a number of lipid molecules in slow exchange with the bulk lipid in the bilayer, i.e., more or less protein-bound, and more ordered than the bulk lipid. The annular lipids would control enzyme activity. This idea was uncritically accepted by most scientists working with intrinsic membrane proteins at the time, so that the idea operated like a myth in the field. However, in the following decade, hard spectroscopic and biochemical evidence showed that the proposed annular lipids were not immobilized for a sufficiently long time to influence enzyme or transporter activity, nor were they ordered by the protein. Surprisingly, forty years later, the myth survives, and the term 'annular lipid' is still in use, in a different, but even more illogical sense.

Small extracellular vesicles from young adipose-derived stem cells prevent frailty, improve health span, and decrease epigenetic age in old mice

Aging is associated with an increased risk of frailty, disability, and mortality. Strategies to delay the degenerative changes associated with aging and frailty are particularly interesting. We treated old animals with small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) derived from adipose mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) of young animals, and we found an improvement in several parameters usually altered with aging, such as motor coordination, grip strength, fatigue resistance, fur regeneration, and renal function, as well as an important decrease in frailty. ADSC-sEVs induced proregenerative effects and a decrease in oxidative stress, inflammation, and senescence markers in muscle and kidney. Moreover, predicted epigenetic age was lower in tissues of old mice treated with ADSC-sEVs and their metabolome changed to a youth-like pattern. Last, we gained some insight into the microRNAs contained in sEVs that might be responsible for the observed effects. We propose that young sEV treatment can promote healthy aging.

Alhagi sparsifolia acclimatizes to saline stress by regulating its osmotic, antioxidant, and nitrogen assimilation potential

BACKGROUND

Alhagi sparsifolia (Camelthorn) is a leguminous shrub species that dominates the Taklimakan desert's salty, hyperarid, and infertile landscapes in northwest China. Although this plant can colonize and spread in very saline soils, how it adapts to saline stress in the seedling stage remains unclear so a pot-based experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of four different saline stress levels (0, 50, 150, and 300 mM) on the morphological and physio-biochemical responses in A. sparsifolia seedlings.

RESULTS

Our results revealed that N-fixing A. sparsifolia has a variety of physio-biochemical anti-saline stress acclimations, including osmotic adjustments, enzymatic mechanisms, and the allocation of metabolic resources. Shoot-root growth and chlorophyll pigments significantly decreased under intermediate and high saline stress. Additionally, increasing levels of saline stress significantly increased Na⁺ but decreased K⁺ concentrations in roots and leaves, resulting in a decreased K⁺/Na⁺ ratio and leaves accumulated more Na + and K + ions than roots, highlighting their ability to increase cellular osmolarity, favouring water fluxes from soil to leaves. Salt-induced higher lipid peroxidation significantly triggered antioxidant enzymes, both for mass-scavenging (catalase) and cytosolic fine-regulation (superoxide dismutase and peroxidase) of H₂O₂. Nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase/glutamate synthase also increased at low and intermediate saline stress levels but decreased under higher stress levels. Soluble proteins and proline rose at all salt levels, whereas soluble sugars increased only at low and medium stress. The results show that when under low-to-intermediate saline stress, seedlings invest more energy in osmotic adjustments but shift their investment towards antioxidant defense mechanisms under high levels of saline stress.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, our results suggest that A. sparsifolia seedlings tolerate low, intermediate, and high salt stress by promoting high antioxidant mechanisms, osmolytes accumulations, and the maintenance of mineral N assimilation. However, a gradual decline in growth with increasing salt levels could be attributed to the diversion of energy from growth to maintain salinity homeostasis and anti-stress oxidative mechanisms.

Progression of Alzheimer's disease parallels unusual structural plasticity of human dentate granule cells

Alzheimer´s disease (AD), the most common form of dementia in industrialized countries, severely targets the hippocampal formation in humans and mouse models of this condition. The adult hippocampus hosts the continuous addition of new dentate granule cells (DGCs) in numerous mammalian species, including humans. Although the morphology and positioning of DGCs within the granule cell layer (GCL) match their developmental origin in rodents, a similar correlation has not been reported in humans to date. Our data reveal that DGCs located in inner portions of the human GCL show shorter and less complex dendrites than those found in outer portions of this layer, which are presumably generated developmentally. Moreover, in AD patients, DGCs show early morphological alterations that are further aggravated as the disease progresses. An aberrantly increased number of DGCs with several primary apical dendrites is the first morphological change detected in patients at Braak-Tau I/II stages. This alteration persists throughout AD progression and leads to generalized dendritic atrophy at late stages of the disease. Our data reveal the distinct vulnerability of several morphological characteristics of DGCs located in the inner and outer portions of the GCL to AD and support the notion that the malfunction of the hippocampus is related to cognitive impairments in patients with AD.

Evaluation of antibody serology to determine current helminth and Plasmodium falciparum infections in a co-endemic area in Southern Mozambique

Background

Soil-transmitted helminths (STH), Schistosoma spp. and Plasmodium falciparum are parasites of major public health importance and co-endemic in many sub-Saharan African countries. Management of these infections requires detection and treatment of infected people and evaluation of large-scale measures implemented. Diagnostic tools are available but their low sensitivity, especially for low intensity helminth infections, leaves room for improvement. Antibody serology could be a useful approach thanks to its potential to detect both current infection and past exposure.

Methodology

We evaluated total IgE responses and specific-IgG levels to 9 antigens from STH, 2 from Schistosoma spp., and 16 from P. falciparum, as potential markers of current infection in a population of children and adults from Southern Mozambique (N = 715). Antibody responses were measured by quantitative suspension array Luminex technology and their performance was evaluated by ROC curve analysis using microscopic and molecular detection of infections as reference.

Principal findings

IgG against the combination of EXP1, AMA1 and MSP2 (P. falciparum) in children and NIE (Strongyloides stercoralis) in adults and children had the highest accuracies (AUC = 0.942 and AUC = 0.872, respectively) as markers of current infection. IgG against the combination of MEA and Sm25 (Schistosoma spp.) were also reliable markers of current infection (AUC = 0.779). In addition, IgG seropositivity against 20 out of the 27 antigens in the panel differentiated the seropositive endemic population from the non-endemic population, suggesting a possible role as markers of exposure although sensitivity could not be assessed.

Conclusions

We provided evidence for the utility of antibody serology to detect current infection with parasites causing tropical diseases in endemic populations. In addition, most of the markers have potential good specificity as markers of exposure. We also showed the feasibility of measuring antibody serology with a platform that allows the integration of control and elimination programs for different pathogens.

Parasitic worms and Plasmodium falciparum, the causal agent of malaria, are among the most relevant parasitic diseases of our time and efforts are under way for their control and, ultimately, elimination. An accurate diagnosis is relevant for case management, but also allows calculating the prevalence and evaluating the effectiveness of treatment and control measures. Unfortunately, current diagnostic methods for parasitic worms are not optimal and many infections remain undetected. As for P. falciparum, current diagnostic techniques are satisfactory but do not allow for ascertaining exposure, which is relevant for evaluating control measures. Here we investigated the utility of measuring antibodies to these parasites as a diagnostic method. Our results indicate that it is possible to detect current infection with parasitic worms and P. falciparum using antibody detection with a moderate to high accuracy. We also show that antibodies against the antigens in this study have potential as markers of exposure. Importantly, we used a platform that allows for the simultaneous detection of immunoglobulins to different parasites, which would be extremely useful as a tool to integrate control and elimination programs for several pathogens.

CK2 alpha prime and alpha-synuclein pathogenic functional interaction mediates synaptic dysregulation in huntington's disease

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion in the HTT gene for which no therapies are available. HTT mutation causes protein misfolding and aggregation, preferentially affecting medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of the basal ganglia. Transcriptional perturbations in synaptic genes and neuroinflammation are key processes that precede MSN dysfunction and motor symptom onset. Understanding the interplay between these processes is crucial to develop effective therapeutic strategies to treat HD. We investigated the role of protein kinase CK2α', a kinase upregulated in MSNs in HD and previously associated with Parkinson's disease (PD), in the regulation of neuroinflammation and synaptic function in HD. We used the heterozygous knock-in zQ175 HD mouse model and compared that to zQ175 mice lacking one allele of CK2α' (zQ175:CK2α'(±)). CK2α' haploinsufficiency in zQ175 mice resulted in decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, HTT aggregation, astrogliosis and transcriptional alterations of synaptic genes related to glutamatergic signaling. zQ175:CK2α'(±) mice also presented increased frequency of striatal miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs), an indicator of synaptic activity, and improved motor coordination compared to zQ175 mice. Neuropathological and phenotypic changes mediated by CK2α' were connected to alpha-synuclein (α-syn) dysregulation and correlated with differences in α-syn serine 129 phosphorylation (pS129-α-syn), a post-translational modification involved in α-synucleinopathy and shown to be regulated by CK2 in PD. pS129-α-syn was increased in the nuclei of MSNs in zQ175 mice and in the striatum of patients with HD, and it decreased in zQ175:CK2α'(±) mice. Collectively, our data established a novel connection between CK2α', neuroinflammation and synaptic gene dysregulation with synucleinopathy in HD and suggested common molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration between HD and PD. Our results also support CK2α' inhibition as a potential therapeutic strategy to modulate neuronal function and neuroprotection in HD.