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Robles-Escajeda E, Mohl JE, Contreras L, Betancourt AP, Mancera BM, Kirken RA, Rodriguez G. Rapid Shift from SARS-CoV-2 Delta to Omicron Sub-Variants within a Dynamic Southern U.S. Borderplex. Viruses 2023; 15:v15030658. [PMID: 36992367 PMCID: PMC10057517 DOI: 10.3390/v15030658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19, caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), remains an ongoing global health challenge. This study analyzed 3641 SARS-CoV-2 positive samples from the El Paso, Texas, community and hospitalized patients over 48 weeks from Fall 2021 to Summer 2022. The binational community along the U.S. southern border was predominantly SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant (B.1.617.2) positive for a 5-week period from September 2021 to January 2022 and quickly transitioned to the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529), which was first detected at the end of December 2021. Omicron replaced Delta as the predominant detectable variant in the community and was associated with a sharp increase in COVID-19 positivity rate, related hospitalizations, and newly reported cases. In this study, Omicron BA.1, BA.4, and BA.5 variants were overwhelmingly associated with S-gene dropout by qRT-PCR analysis unlike the Delta and Omicron BA.2 variants. The study reveals that a dominant variant, like Delta, can be rapidly replaced by a more transmissible variant, like Omicron, within a dynamic metropolitan border city, necessitating enhanced monitoring, readiness, and response from public health officials and healthcare workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Robles-Escajeda
- The Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
- Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Jonathon E. Mohl
- Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
- The Department of Mathematical Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Lisett Contreras
- The Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
- Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Ana P. Betancourt
- The Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
- Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Bibiana M. Mancera
- Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Robert A. Kirken
- The Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
- Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Georgialina Rodriguez
- The Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
- Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-915-747-5844; Fax: +1-915-747-5841
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Gutierrez DA, Contreras L, Villanueva PJ, Borrego EA, Morán-Santibañez K, Hess JD, DeJesus R, Larragoity M, Betancourt AP, Mohl JE, Robles-Escajeda E, Begum K, Roy S, Kirken RA, Varela-Ramirez A, Aguilera RJ. Identification of a Potent Cytotoxic Pyrazole with Anti-Breast Cancer Activity That Alters Multiple Pathways. Cells 2022; 11:254. [PMID: 35053370 PMCID: PMC8773755 DOI: 10.3390/cells11020254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we identified a novel pyrazole-based derivative (P3C) that displayed potent cytotoxicity against 27 human cancer cell lines derived from different tissue origins with 50% cytotoxic concentrations (CC50) in the low micromolar and nanomolar range, particularly in two triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines (from 0.25 to 0.49 µM). In vitro assays revealed that P3C induces reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation leading to mitochondrial depolarization and caspase-3/7 and -8 activation, suggesting the participation of both the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways. P3C caused microtubule disruption, phosphatidylserine externalization, PARP cleavage, DNA fragmentation, and cell cycle arrest on TNBC cells. In addition, P3C triggered dephosphorylation of CREB, p38, ERK, STAT3, and Fyn, and hyperphosphorylation of JNK and NF-kB in TNBC cells, indicating the inactivation of both p38MAPK/STAT3 and ERK1/2/CREB signaling pathways. In support of our in vitro assays, transcriptome analyses of two distinct TNBC cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells) treated with P3C revealed 28 genes similarly affected by the treatment implicated in apoptosis, oxidative stress, protein kinase modulation, and microtubule stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denisse A. Gutierrez
- Cellular Characterization and Biorepository Core Facility, Border Biomedical Research Center, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968-0519, USA; (D.A.G.); (L.C.); (P.J.V.); (E.A.B.); (K.M.-S.); (J.D.H.); (R.D.); (M.L.); (A.P.B.); (E.R.-E.); (K.B.); (S.R.); (R.A.K.); (A.V.-R.)
| | - Lisett Contreras
- Cellular Characterization and Biorepository Core Facility, Border Biomedical Research Center, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968-0519, USA; (D.A.G.); (L.C.); (P.J.V.); (E.A.B.); (K.M.-S.); (J.D.H.); (R.D.); (M.L.); (A.P.B.); (E.R.-E.); (K.B.); (S.R.); (R.A.K.); (A.V.-R.)
| | - Paulina J. Villanueva
- Cellular Characterization and Biorepository Core Facility, Border Biomedical Research Center, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968-0519, USA; (D.A.G.); (L.C.); (P.J.V.); (E.A.B.); (K.M.-S.); (J.D.H.); (R.D.); (M.L.); (A.P.B.); (E.R.-E.); (K.B.); (S.R.); (R.A.K.); (A.V.-R.)
| | - Edgar A. Borrego
- Cellular Characterization and Biorepository Core Facility, Border Biomedical Research Center, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968-0519, USA; (D.A.G.); (L.C.); (P.J.V.); (E.A.B.); (K.M.-S.); (J.D.H.); (R.D.); (M.L.); (A.P.B.); (E.R.-E.); (K.B.); (S.R.); (R.A.K.); (A.V.-R.)
| | - Karla Morán-Santibañez
- Cellular Characterization and Biorepository Core Facility, Border Biomedical Research Center, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968-0519, USA; (D.A.G.); (L.C.); (P.J.V.); (E.A.B.); (K.M.-S.); (J.D.H.); (R.D.); (M.L.); (A.P.B.); (E.R.-E.); (K.B.); (S.R.); (R.A.K.); (A.V.-R.)
| | - Jessica D. Hess
- Cellular Characterization and Biorepository Core Facility, Border Biomedical Research Center, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968-0519, USA; (D.A.G.); (L.C.); (P.J.V.); (E.A.B.); (K.M.-S.); (J.D.H.); (R.D.); (M.L.); (A.P.B.); (E.R.-E.); (K.B.); (S.R.); (R.A.K.); (A.V.-R.)
| | - Rebecca DeJesus
- Cellular Characterization and Biorepository Core Facility, Border Biomedical Research Center, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968-0519, USA; (D.A.G.); (L.C.); (P.J.V.); (E.A.B.); (K.M.-S.); (J.D.H.); (R.D.); (M.L.); (A.P.B.); (E.R.-E.); (K.B.); (S.R.); (R.A.K.); (A.V.-R.)
| | - Manuel Larragoity
- Cellular Characterization and Biorepository Core Facility, Border Biomedical Research Center, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968-0519, USA; (D.A.G.); (L.C.); (P.J.V.); (E.A.B.); (K.M.-S.); (J.D.H.); (R.D.); (M.L.); (A.P.B.); (E.R.-E.); (K.B.); (S.R.); (R.A.K.); (A.V.-R.)
| | - Ana P. Betancourt
- Cellular Characterization and Biorepository Core Facility, Border Biomedical Research Center, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968-0519, USA; (D.A.G.); (L.C.); (P.J.V.); (E.A.B.); (K.M.-S.); (J.D.H.); (R.D.); (M.L.); (A.P.B.); (E.R.-E.); (K.B.); (S.R.); (R.A.K.); (A.V.-R.)
| | - Jonathon E. Mohl
- Department of Bioinformatics, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968-0519, USA;
| | - Elisa Robles-Escajeda
- Cellular Characterization and Biorepository Core Facility, Border Biomedical Research Center, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968-0519, USA; (D.A.G.); (L.C.); (P.J.V.); (E.A.B.); (K.M.-S.); (J.D.H.); (R.D.); (M.L.); (A.P.B.); (E.R.-E.); (K.B.); (S.R.); (R.A.K.); (A.V.-R.)
| | - Khodeza Begum
- Cellular Characterization and Biorepository Core Facility, Border Biomedical Research Center, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968-0519, USA; (D.A.G.); (L.C.); (P.J.V.); (E.A.B.); (K.M.-S.); (J.D.H.); (R.D.); (M.L.); (A.P.B.); (E.R.-E.); (K.B.); (S.R.); (R.A.K.); (A.V.-R.)
| | - Sourav Roy
- Cellular Characterization and Biorepository Core Facility, Border Biomedical Research Center, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968-0519, USA; (D.A.G.); (L.C.); (P.J.V.); (E.A.B.); (K.M.-S.); (J.D.H.); (R.D.); (M.L.); (A.P.B.); (E.R.-E.); (K.B.); (S.R.); (R.A.K.); (A.V.-R.)
| | - Robert A. Kirken
- Cellular Characterization and Biorepository Core Facility, Border Biomedical Research Center, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968-0519, USA; (D.A.G.); (L.C.); (P.J.V.); (E.A.B.); (K.M.-S.); (J.D.H.); (R.D.); (M.L.); (A.P.B.); (E.R.-E.); (K.B.); (S.R.); (R.A.K.); (A.V.-R.)
| | - Armando Varela-Ramirez
- Cellular Characterization and Biorepository Core Facility, Border Biomedical Research Center, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968-0519, USA; (D.A.G.); (L.C.); (P.J.V.); (E.A.B.); (K.M.-S.); (J.D.H.); (R.D.); (M.L.); (A.P.B.); (E.R.-E.); (K.B.); (S.R.); (R.A.K.); (A.V.-R.)
| | - Renato J. Aguilera
- Cellular Characterization and Biorepository Core Facility, Border Biomedical Research Center, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968-0519, USA; (D.A.G.); (L.C.); (P.J.V.); (E.A.B.); (K.M.-S.); (J.D.H.); (R.D.); (M.L.); (A.P.B.); (E.R.-E.); (K.B.); (S.R.); (R.A.K.); (A.V.-R.)
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