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Danchenko M, Macaluso KR. Salivary glands of the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis: Dissection and microscopy guide. CURRENT RESEARCH IN INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 5:100080. [PMID: 38623392 PMCID: PMC11016963 DOI: 10.1016/j.cris.2024.100080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Fleas are morphologically unique ectoparasites that are hardly mistaken for any other insect. Most flea species that feed on humans and their companion animals, including the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis), have medical and veterinary importance. Besides facilitating blood acquisition, salivary biomolecules can modulate pathogen transmission. Thus, dissection of salivary glands is essential for comprehensive studies on disease vectors like the cat flea. Herein, we present the pictorial dissection protocol assisting future research targeting individual flea organs, for revealing their roles in vector competence and physiology. We provide a comprehensive guide, allowing researchers, even with limited practical experience, to successfully perform microdissection for collecting cat flea salivary glands. Furthermore, the protocol does not require expensive, sophisticated equipment and can be accomplished with routinely available tools. We illustrated expected results with morphological changes of salivary glands upon blood feeding as well as fluorescently stained these organs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kevin R. Macaluso
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Alabama Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine, 610 Clinic Dr, Mobile, AL, 36688, United States
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Oses C, De Rossi MC, Bruno L, Verneri P, Diaz MC, Benítez B, Guberman A, Levi V. From the membrane to the nucleus: mechanical signals and transcription regulation. Biophys Rev 2023; 15:671-683. [PMID: 37681098 PMCID: PMC10480138 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-023-01103-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanical forces drive and modulate a wide variety of processes in eukaryotic cells including those occurring in the nucleus. Relevantly, forces are fundamental during development since they guide lineage specifications of embryonic stem cells. A sophisticated macromolecular machinery transduces mechanical stimuli received at the cell surface into a biochemical output; a key component in this mechanical communication is the cytoskeleton, a complex network of biofilaments in constant remodeling that links the cell membrane to the nuclear envelope. Recent evidence highlights that forces transmitted through the cytoskeleton directly affect the organization of chromatin and the accessibility of transcription-related molecules to their targets in the DNA. Consequently, mechanical forces can directly modulate transcription and change gene expression programs. Here, we will revise the biophysical toolbox involved in the mechanical communication with the cell nucleus and discuss how mechanical forces impact on the organization of this organelle and more specifically, on transcription. We will also discuss how live-cell fluorescence imaging is producing exquisite information to understand the mechanical response of cells and to quantify the landscape of interactions of transcription factors with chromatin in embryonic stem cells. These studies are building new biophysical insights that could be fundamental to achieve the goal of manipulating forces to guide cell differentiation in culture systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Oses
- Instituto de Química Biológica de La Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Cecilia De Rossi
- Instituto de Química Biológica de La Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Luciana Bruno
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales, Instituto de Cálculo (IC), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Paula Verneri
- Instituto de Química Biológica de La Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Candelaria Diaz
- Instituto de Química Biológica de La Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Belén Benítez
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular Y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alejandra Guberman
- Instituto de Química Biológica de La Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Biología Molecular Y Celular, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Valeria Levi
- Instituto de Química Biológica de La Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Cente M, Danchenko M, Skultety L, Filipcik P, Sekeyova Z. Rickettsia Deregulates Genes Coding for the Neurotoxic Cell Response Pathways in Cerebrocortical Neurons In Vitro. Cells 2023; 12:cells12091235. [PMID: 37174635 PMCID: PMC10177168 DOI: 10.3390/cells12091235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Rickettsial infections of the central nervous system (CNS) are manifested by severe neurological symptoms and represent a serious life-threatening condition. Despite the considerable health danger, only a few studies have been conducted focusing on the pathogenesis induced by Rickettsia sp. in CNS. To investigate the signaling pathways associated with the neurotoxic effects of rickettsiae, we employed an experimental model of cerebrocortical neurons combined with molecular profiling and comprehensive bioinformatic analysis. The cytopathic effect induced by Rickettsia akari and Rickettsia slovaca was demonstrated by decreased neuronal viability, structural changes in cell morphology, and extensive fragmentation of neurites in vitro. Targeted profiling revealed the deregulation of genes involved in the neuroinflammatory and neurotoxic cell response pathways. Although quantitative analysis showed differences in gene expression response, functional annotation revealed that the biological processes are largely shared between both Rickettsia species. The identified enriched pathways are associated with cytokine signaling, chemotaxis of immune cells, responses to infectious agents, interactions between neurons, endothelial and glial cells, and regulation of neuronal apoptotic processes. The findings of our study provide new insight into the etiopathogenesis of CNS infection and further expand the understanding of molecular signaling associated with neuroinvasive Rickettsia species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Cente
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 845 10 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Monika Danchenko
- Department of Rickettsiology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ludovit Skultety
- Department of Rickettsiology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Peter Filipcik
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 845 10 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Zuzana Sekeyova
- Department of Rickettsiology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
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Culture Isolate of Rickettsia felis from a Tick. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19074321. [PMID: 35410003 PMCID: PMC8998211 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19074321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Although the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, has been identified as the primary vector of Rickettsia felis, additional flea, tick, mite, and louse species have also been associated with this bacterium by molecular means; however, the role of these arthropods in the transmission of R. felis has not been clarified. Here, we succeeded in culture isolation of R. felis from a host-seeking castor bean tick, Ixodes ricinus, the most common tick in Slovakia. The bacterial isolation was performed on XTC-2 cells at 28 °C using the shell-vial technique. An evaluation of the growth properties was performed for both the XTC-2 and Vero cell lines. We observed R. felis in the infected host cells microscopically by Gimenez staining and immunofluorescence assay. The R. felis isolate was purified by gradient ultracentrifugation and visualized by electron microscopy. Fragments of the genes gltA, ompA, ompB, htrA, rpoB, sca4, rffE, and rrs were amplified and compared with the corresponding sequences of the type strain URRWXCal2 and other R. felis culture -isolated strains. We did not detect any nucleotide polymorphisms; however, plasmid pRFδ, characteristic of the standard strain, was absent in our isolate. Herein, we describe the first successful isolation and characterization of a tick-derived R. felis strain “Danube”, obtained from an I. ricinus nymph.
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Romero JJ, De Rossi MC, Oses C, Echegaray CV, Verneri P, Francia M, Guberman A, Levi V. Nucleus-cytoskeleton communication impacts on OCT4-chromatin interactions in embryonic stem cells. BMC Biol 2022; 20:6. [PMID: 34996451 PMCID: PMC8742348 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01207-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cytoskeleton is a key component of the system responsible for transmitting mechanical cues from the cellular environment to the nucleus, where they trigger downstream responses. This communication is particularly relevant in embryonic stem (ES) cells since forces can regulate cell fate and guide developmental processes. However, little is known regarding cytoskeleton organization in ES cells, and thus, relevant aspects of nuclear-cytoskeletal interactions remain elusive. RESULTS We explored the three-dimensional distribution of the cytoskeleton in live ES cells and show that these filaments affect the shape of the nucleus. Next, we evaluated if cytoskeletal components indirectly modulate the binding of the pluripotency transcription factor OCT4 to chromatin targets. We show that actin depolymerization triggers OCT4 binding to chromatin sites whereas vimentin disruption produces the opposite effect. In contrast to actin, vimentin contributes to the preservation of OCT4-chromatin interactions and, consequently, may have a pro-stemness role. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest roles of components of the cytoskeleton in shaping the nucleus of ES cells, influencing the interactions of the transcription factor OCT4 with the chromatin and potentially affecting pluripotency and cell fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan José Romero
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Cecilia De Rossi
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Camila Oses
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Camila Vázquez Echegaray
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Paula Verneri
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marcos Francia
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alejandra Guberman
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Valeria Levi
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Abstract
Actin is a highly conserved protein in mammals. The actin dynamics is regulated by actin-binding proteins and actin-related proteins. Nuclear actin and these regulatory proteins participate in multiple nuclear processes, including chromosome architecture organization, chromatin remodeling, transcription machinery regulation, and DNA repair. It is well known that the dysfunctions of these processes contribute to the development of cancer. Moreover, emerging evidence has shown that the deregulated actin dynamics is also related to cancer. This chapter discusses how the deregulation of nuclear actin dynamics contributes to tumorigenesis via such various nuclear events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanjian Huang
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shengzhe Zhang
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jae-Il Park
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Program in Genetics and Epigenetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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