A Global Analysis of Photoreceptor-Mediated Transcriptional Changes Reveals the Intricate Relationship Between Central Metabolism and DNA Repair in the Filamentous Fungus Trichoderma atroviride

Light provides critical information for the behavior and development of basically all organisms. Filamentous fungi sense blue light, mainly, through a unique transcription factor complex that activates its targets in a light-dependent manner. In Trichoderma atroviride, the BLR-1 and BLR-2 proteins constitute this complex, which triggers the light-dependent formation of asexual reproduction structures (conidia). We generated an ENVOY photoreceptor mutant and performed RNA-seq analyses in the mutants of this gene and in those of the BLR-1, CRY-1 and CRY-DASH photoreceptors in response to a pulse of low intensity blue light. Like in other filamentous fungi BLR-1 appears to play a central role in the regulation of blue-light responses. Phenotypic characterization of the Δenv-1 mutant showed that ENVOY functions as a growth and conidiation checkpoint, preventing exacerbated light responses. Similarly, we observed that CRY-1 and CRY-DASH contribute to the typical light-induced conidiation response. In the Δenv-1 mutant, we observed, at the transcriptomic level, a general induction of DNA metabolic processes and strong repression of central metabolism. An analysis of the expression level of DNA repair genes showed that they increase their expression in the absence of env-1. Consistently, photoreactivation experiments showed that Δenv-1 had increased DNA repair capacity. Our results indicate that light perception in T. atroviride is far more complex than originally thought.

Assessment of the ptxD gene as a growth and selective marker in Trichoderma atroviride using Pccg6, a novel constitutive promoter

Background

Trichoderma species are among the most effective cell factories to produce recombinant proteins, whose productivity relies on the molecular toolkit and promoters available for the expression of the target protein. Although inducible promoter systems have been developed for producing recombinant proteins in Trichoderma, constitutive promoters are often a desirable alternative. Constitutive promoters are simple to use, do not require external stimuli or chemical inducers to be activated, and lead to purer enzyme preparations. Moreover, most of the promoters for homologous and heterologous expression reported in Trichoderma have been commonly evaluated by directly assessing production of industrial enzymes, requiring optimization of laborious protocols.

Results

Here we report the identification of Pccg6, a novel Trichoderma atroviride constitutive promoter, that has similar transcriptional strength as that of the commonly used pki1 promoter. Pccg6 displayed conserved arrangements of transcription factor binding sites between promoter sequences of Trichoderma ccg6 orthologues genes, potentially involved in their regulatory properties. The predicted ccg6-encoded protein potentially belongs to the SPE1/SPI1 protein family and shares high identity with CCG6 orthologue sequences from other fungal species including Trichoderma reesei, Trichoderma virens, Trichoderma asperellum, and to a lesser extent to that of Neurospora crassa. We also report the use of the Pccg6 promoter to drive the expression of PTXD, a phosphite oxidoreductase of bacterial origin, which allowed T. atroviride to utilize phosphite as a sole source of phosphorus. We propose ptxD as a growth reporter gene that allows real-time comparison of the functionality of different promoters by monitoring growth of Trichoderma transgenic lines and enzymatic activity of PTXD. Finally, we show that constitutive expression of ptxD provided T. atroviride a competitive advantage to outgrow bacterial contaminants when supplied with phosphite as a sole source of phosphorus.

Conclusions

A new constitutive promoter, ccg6, for expression of homologous and heterologous proteins has been identified and tested in T. atroviride to express PTXD, which resulted in an effective and visible phenotype to evaluate transcriptional activity of sequence promoters. Use of PTXD as a growth marker holds great potential for assessing activity of other promoters and for biotechnological applications as a contamination control system.

Urinary oxylipin signature as biomarkers to monitor the allograft function during the first six months post-renal transplantation

Oxylipins such as isoprostanes (IsoPs), prostaglandins (PGs) and thromboxanes (TXs) are lipid mediators derived from the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which regulate the magnitude of oxidative stress and inflammation processes and play an important role in pathophysiological processes in the kidney. A total of 36 oxylipins were analyzed by UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS in the urine of 41 renal recipients from cadaveric donors of the Nephrology Unit of the University Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca during the first six months after renal transplantation, in order to investigate several candidate oxylipins as more accurate and predictive biomarkers in renal transplantation than classical biological variables. A decrease in nine PGs, mostly from the AA-D pathway (p < 0.05) and one IsoP: 15-keto-15-F_2t-IsoP (p < 0.001) was observed. Moreover, two PGs (2,3-dinor-11β-PGF_2α and 17-trans-PGF_3α) increased between five days and six months after renal transplantation (p < 0.05). In addition, when kidney function improved, a positive correlation between oxylipin levels and the excretion of urine proteins was observed. These results suggest that oxylipins could be useful markers for monitoring renal function in the post-renal transplantation period. These findings could be of utility not only for the development of strategies for long-term preservation of graft function, but also for innovative and alternative therapies -using oxylipins as predictive markers-to avoid organ rejection.

Melatonin and hydroxytyrosol protect against oxidative stress related to the central nervous system after the ingestion of three types of wine by healthy volunteers

Adrenic acid (AdA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) peroxidation produces F₂-dihomo-IsoPs and neuroprostanes, which have been related to oxidative damage in the central nervous system. Besides polyphenols, melatonin (MEL) and hydroxytyrosol (OHTyr) could be partly responsible for the antioxidant benefits of red wine (excluding colon derivatives). In order to elucidate whether these compounds are responsible for the protective antioxidant effects of red wine, a double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled in vivo study - involving the intake of red wines and their native musts by healthy volunteers - was performed. The urinary metabolites decreased after the administration of red wines, to a greater extent than after the intake of their corresponding musts or ethanol. Melatonin is the most effective compound that protects adrenic acid from oxidative attack, judged by the reduction in the formation of F₂-dihomo-isoprostanes. Similarly, hydroxytyrosol, being the most effective bioactive compound in reducing the formation of F₃-neuroprostanes n-6 DPA and F₄-neuroprostanes, protected docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids from oxidative attack.

Effect of the dietary intake of melatonin- and hydroxytyrosol-rich wines by healthy female volunteers on the systemic lipidomic-related oxylipins

Oxylipins are lipid mediators involved in the physiopathology of all organs. Moreover, isoprostanes have been established as general and reliable in vivo oxidative stress biomarkers. Red wine has proved to exert several benefits through the maintenance of the oxidative balance of the organism. Antiradical scavenging capacity has been mainly attributed to polyphenols. However, melatonin and hydroxytyrosol should be taken into account as potent antiradical agents. The present research aimed to clarify the situation of enzymatic and oxidative injury and eicosanoid urinary excretion related to the intake of three kinds of red wines and their primary musts. Judging by the reduction in the excretion of isoprostanes, red wine consumption exhibited the highest antioxidant protection against oxidative stress, attributed to its OHTyr content (p < 0.05), and to a lesser extent to its MEL content. Similarly, the intake of red wine leads to the cardioprotective effect due to the reduction in the urinary excretion of the pro-inflammatory prostaglandin 2,3-dinor-11-β-PGF_2α, besides the increase in the vasodilator prostaglandin PGE₁, mediated by the melatonin (p < 0.05) and hydroxytyrosol (p < 0.05) contents. In conclusion, red wine (especially non-aged wine) exerts a higher in vivo antioxidant capacity than must or alcohol.

Functional Characterization of TvCyt2, a Member of the p450 Monooxygenases From Trichoderma virens Relevant During the Association With Plants and Mycoparasitism

Secondary metabolites are crucial for the establishment of interactions between plants and microbes, as in the case of Trichoderma-plant interactions. In the biosynthetic pathway of secondary metabolites, specific enzymes participate in the formation of hydroxyl and epoxy groups, belonging to the p450 monooxygenases family. Here, we show that the product of the gene TvCyt2 from Trichoderma virens encodes a new protein homologous to the cytochrome p450, which is down-regulated at the beginning of Trichoderma-Arabidopsis interaction. To investigate its role in the interactions established by Trichoderma spp., we analyzed the metabolic profile obtained from the overexpressing (OETvCyt2) and null mutant (Δtvcyt2) strains, observing that the OETvCyt2 strains produce a higher concentration of some metabolites than the wild-type (WT) strain. Δtvcyt2 strains showed a decreased antagonistic activity against Rhizoctonia solani in antibiosis assays. Arabidopsis plants cocultivated with the OETvCyt2 strains showed stronger induction of systemic acquired resistance than plants cocultivated with the WT strain, as well as increases in biomass and fitness. Our data suggest that the product of the TvCyt2 gene is involved in secondary metabolite biosynthesis, which can increase antagonistic activity with phytopathogenic fungi and the capacity to promote plant growth.

Melatonin and hydroxytyrosol-rich wines influence the generation of DNA oxidation catabolites linked to mutagenesis after the ingestion of three types of wine by healthy volunteers

The Mediterranean Diet (MD) has been proved to exert benefits with respect to the maintenance of the redox balance, and wine is a representative component. Bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, melatonin and hydroxytyrosol act as radical scavengers and regulate the oxidation status of organisms. Oxidative damage to DNA yields a large range of end products. The repair of oxidized DNA entails the removal of the useless bases and/or nucleotides as well as the release of circulating nucleotides and nucleosides. The current research aims to elucidate, for the first time, the DNA protection against oxidative stress provided by three types of red wine - relating it to the intake of bioactive compounds - after the intake of a serving of red wine/must by 18 healthy female volunteers during a short term double-blind, crossover and placebo-controlled study. The novelty of our work is to describe the importance of melatonin and hydroxytyrosol and its metabolites (from gut microflora) in comparison with polyphenols in a red wine matrix (excluding colon derivatives). The results show that the intake of red wine and must secondarily reduces oxidative stress and carcinogenesis due to their content of homovanillic acid, as measured by decreases in the plasmatic concentration of 8-hydroxy-2'deoxyguanosine, 8-hydroxyguanine, and 8-nitroguanosine. Moreover, the intake of wine appears to exert vasodilatory effects, mediated by the action of nitric oxide and increased plasma guanosine-3'-5'-cyclic monophosphate plasmatic levels, owing to the intake of wines higher in melatonin and homovanillic acid. Therefore, the results obtained in the present study revealed that polyphenols, despite being the major compounds in the red wine matrix, are not the most effective compounds protecting DNA from oxidative attack.

Potential applications of lipid peroxidation products - F4-neuroprostanes, F3-neuroprostanesn-6 DPA, F2-dihomo-isoprostanes and F2-isoprostanes - in the evaluation of the allograft function in renal transplantation

F₄-neuroprostanes, F₃-neuroprostanes_{n-6 DPA}, and F₂-dihomo-isoprostanes, metabolites of non-enzymatic lipid peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids [docosahexaenoic acid, n-6 docosapentanoic acid, and adrenic acid respectively], have become important biomarkers for oxidative stress in several diseases like epilepsy and alzheimer. These biomarkers and the 15-F_2t-isoprostane (also known as 8-iso-PGF_2α)_, a F₂-isoprostane isomer measured as reference oxidative marker at systemic level, were analyzed by UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS in the urine of 60 renal recipients from cadaveric donors of the Nephrology Unit of the University Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca, at six different times during the first six months after renal transplantation, and were compared with a control group of 60 healthy subjects from the same hospital. A total of 11 metabolites were analyzed and different patterns were observed. A tendency to decrease was observed in three metabolites (4-epi-4-F_3t- NeuroP_{n-6 DPA}, ent-7(RS)-7-F_2t-dihomo-IsoP, and ent-7(S)-7-F_2t-dihomo-IsoP) and in our reference oxidative marker (15-F_2t-IsoP) when kidney function improved and the excretion of urine proteins decreased. These results suggest that these three biomarkers of oxidative stress could be useful to assess renal function in the postransplant phase. Unfortunately, little is known about this kind of biomarker in this cohort of patients, so further investigation would be required in the clinical field to clarify the relationship between oxidative stress and the graft function, as well as the usefulness of these biomarkers as rejection markers.

Snapshot situation of oxidative degradation of the nervous system, kidney, and adrenal glands biomarkers-neuroprostane and dihomo-isoprostanes-urinary biomarkers from infancy to elderly adults

We analyzed biomarkers of lipid peroxidation of the nervous system -F₂-dihomo-isoprostanes, F₃-neuroprostanes, and F₄-neuroprostanes- in urine samples from 158 healthy volunteers ranging from 4 to 88 years old with the aim of analyzing possible associations between their excretion values and age (years). Ten biomarkers were screened in the urine samples by UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS. Four F₂-dihomo-isoprostanes (ent-7-(R)-7-F_2t-dihomo-isoprostane, ent-7-epi-7-F_2t-dihomo-isoprostane, 17-F_2t-dihomo-isoprostane, 17-epi-17-F_2t-dihomo-isoprostane), and one DPA-neuroprostane (4-F_3t-neuroprostane) were detected in the samples. On the one hand, we found a significant, positive correlation (Rho: 0.197, P=0.015) between the age increase and the amount of total F₂-dihomo-IsoPs. On the other hand, the values were significantly higher in the childhood group (4-12 years old), when compared to the adolescence group (13-17 years old) and the young adult group (18-35 years old). Surprisingly, no significant differences were found between the middle-aged adults (36-64 years old) and the elderly adults (65-88 years old). We display a snapshot situation of excretory values of oxidative stress biomarkers of the nervous system, using healthy volunteers representative of the different stages of human growth and development. The values reported in this study could be used as a basal or starting point in clinical interventions related to aging processes and/or pathologies associated with the nervous system.

Dependency of Phytoprostane Fingerprints of Must and Wine on Viticulture and Enological Processes

Wine is one of the most consumed alcoholic beverages around the world. Red wine has demonstrated several benefits for health maintenance. One group of potential anti-inflammatory compounds is the phytoprostanes, oxidative degradation products of linolenic acid. The aim of the present study was to measure, for the first time, the phytoprostane content in wine and must by an UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS method after solid-phase extraction. The data showed two predominant classes of phytoprostanes: F1- and D1-phytoprostane series. In wines, the total phytoprostane concentration ranged from 134.1 ± 2.3 to 216.2 ± 3.06 ng/mL. Musts showed concentrations between 21.4 ± 0.8 and 447.1 ± 15.8 ng/mL. The vinification and aging procedures for the production of wine seem to influence the final phytoprostane levels in red wine and to modify the phytoprostane profile. The high concentrations observed and previous reports on anti-inflammatory effects of phytoprostanes make further research on the benefits of phytoprostanes more important.

Dihomo-isoprostanes-nonenzymatic metabolites of AdA-are higher in epileptic patients compared to healthy individuals by a new ultrahigh pressure liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole-tandem mass spectrometry method

Oxidative stress is a biochemical state in which reactive oxygen species are generated and it has been associated with pathological states including epilepsy. Therein, neuroprostanes (NeuroPs) and dihomo-isoprostanes (Dihomo-IsoPs)-a series of compounds formed nonenzymatically through free radical-induced DHA, n-6 DPA, and AdA peroxidation-are implicated in the pathophysiological status of various human neurological diseases. A new, robust, and selective analytical method for the determination of 10 NeuroPs/Dihomo-IsoPs in human urine, using solid-phase extraction and UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS in the multiple reaction monitoring mode (using a negative electrospray ionization interface), was developed. Nine NeuroPs/Dihomo-IsoPs were identified in 15 epileptic patients, matched with healthy volunteers. Among them, 17-F2t-Dihomo-IsoP, Ent-7(R)-7-F2t-Dihomo-IsoP, and Ent-7-epi-7-F2t-Dihomo-IsoP, derived from adrenic acid (AdA), were significantly higher in epileptic patients than in healthy volunteers. The validated method provided a high-throughput assay with a limit of detection and limit of quantification for each analyte of 0.10-5.90ngmL(-1) and 0.15-11.81ngmL(-1), respectively. The intra- and interday variations were lower than 14%. Dihomo-IsoPs have been considered as potential markers of epilepsy for the first time and their measurement may increase the understanding of the role of oxidative stress in neurological diseases, in intra vitam studies. The present study highlights a potential role of Dihomo-IsoPs as biomarkers in persons with epilepsy, though its mechanisms and possible implications should be the subject of further investigations.

Interleukin-6 as a predictor of cardiovascular events in troponin-negative non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome patients

AIM

Risk stratification in acute coronary syndrome without ST-segment elevation (NSTE-ACS) and troponin-negative remains a challenge. We evaluated the value of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in the prognosis assessment of low-moderate risk NSTE-ACS and troponin-negative, and whether these biomarkers could improve the predictive performance of the established thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) risk score.

METHODS

A total of 212 low-moderate risk patients with NSTE-ACS and troponin-negative were prospectively studied. Clinical follow up at 6 months was performed for adverse endpoints.

RESULTS

A total of 28 patients (13.5%) presented adverse clinical events. Those with adverse clinical events were associated with higher levels of IL-6 [8.58 (5.13-20.95) ng/l vs. 6.12 (4.16-9.14) ng/l, p = 0.043] and NT-proBNP [275.3 (108.6-548.2) ng/l vs. 126.8 (55.97-430.20) ng/l, p = 0.046]. In moderate risk group, we observed a higher event rate in patients with troponin-negative but elevated levels of IL-6 (p = 0.024). Only elevated IL-6 (> 12.40 ng/l) was an independent predictor of adverse outcomes [hazard ratios: 3.62, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.69-7.75, p = 0.001]. The addition of IL-6 and history of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) to TIMI risk score significantly improved both the discrimination (integrated discrimination improvement, p = 0.003) and reclassification (Clinical Net reclassification improvement, p = 0.010) of the model for adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

Interleukin-6 is an independent predictor of adverse events in low-moderate risk patients with NSTE-ACS and troponin-negative. Its use identifies a higher risk population in moderate-risk patients. This provides together with history of IHD a better discrimination and reclassification beyond that achieved with clinical risk variables from TIMI risk score in these patients.

The real role of prediagnostic high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and the cancer risk: a concise review

BACKGROUND

In several observational and clinical studies, the association between serum cholesterol levels and cancer is still unsettled although serum total cholesterol has been associated with increased mortality from cancer. Moreover, the importance of abnormal levels of serum lipid components as the main features of dyslipidemia and the risk of individual cancers is unclear. The prevalence of dyslipidemia is increasing worldwide but, the precise aetiology of the link between risk of cancer and the behaviour of lipid profile, prior diagnosis, has yet to be determinated. Low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) at baseline of many of the studies analyzed has to be taken into account, and continued low levels of HDL without explanation should be considered by clinicians.

AIMS

The main aim of this review was to undertake the assessment of the most recent studies implying the lipid profile and cancer risk, and focused on low HDL levels at baseline and follow up, and also analyzing this behaviour on the different cancer types.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A literature search was performed to identify publications. The most recent prospective and case-control studies with multivariate Cox models were analyzed and also were considered some recent meta-analyses.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The findings exposed in this review suggest that the association with low HDL levels at baseline of different studies of cancer risk is shared among many types of cancer, and it is mainly linked to obesity and inflammation, suggesting a common pathway.

Analysis of cholinesterases in human prostate and sperm: implications in cancer and fertility

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) are postulated to play non-cholinergic roles in cellular physiology. The probable implication of cholinesterases (ChEs) in several human pathologies prompted us to study the cholinergic components in the male reproductive system. Surgical pieces of prostatic cancer (PC) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) were analyzed for AChE and BChE activity. Loosely (S1) and tightly (S2) bound AChE and BChE forms were characterized by sedimentation analysis. The mean AChE activity in BHP samples was 2.38+/-0.56 mU/mg (nmol of the substrate hydrolysed per minute and per milligram protein) and 2.57+/-0.61 mU/mg in S1 and S2, respectively. The AChE activity did not vary with cancer, showing 2.46+/-0.45 mU/mg in S1 and 2.70+/-0.53 mU/mg in S2 from PC samples. Amphiphilic dimers and monomers and hydrophilic dimers of AChE were identified in BHP and PC tissues. Their contribution was affected by cancer with a great increase in hydrophilic dimers in the cancerous samples. Significant levels of both AChE and BChE activities were found in seminal fluid and homogenates from spermatozoids. Enzymatic activity dropped in samples with abnormal seminal parameters as sperm count and mobility.

Complementary prognostic value of cystatin C, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic Peptide and cardiac troponin T in patients with acute heart failure

The aims of this study were to compare the prognostic value of cystatin C over creatinine and the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation and to evaluate whether it provides complementary information to cardiac biomarkers in the risk stratification of an unselected cohort of patients with acute heart failure. Consecutive hospitalized patients with established diagnoses of acute heart failure were prospectively studied. Blood samples were collected on hospital arrival to determine cystatin C, cardiac troponin T, and N-terminal-pro-brain natriuretic peptide. Clinical follow-up was obtained, and the occurrence of mortality and/or heart failure readmission was registered. One hundred thirty-eight patients (median age 74 years, interquartile range 67 to 80; 54% men) were studied. During a median follow-up period of 261 days (interquartile range 161 to 449), 60 patients (43.5%) presented with adverse events. After multivariate adjustment, cystatin C, N-terminal-pro-brain natriuretic peptide, cardiac troponin T, New York Heart Association functional class III or IV, and diabetes mellitus were identified as independent predictors of mortality and/or heart failure readmission. In contrast to creatinine and the MDRD equation, the highest cystatin C tertile (>1.50 mg/L) was a significant independent risk factor for adverse events (hazard ratio 3.08, 95% confidence interval 1.54 to 6.14, p = 0.004). A multimarker approach combining cardiac troponin T, N-terminal-pro-brain natriuretic peptide, and cystatin C improved risk stratification further, showing that patients with 2 (hazard ratio 2.37, 95% confidence interval 1.10 to 5.71) or 3 (hazard ratio 3.64, 95% confidence interval 1.55 to 8.56) elevated biomarkers had a higher risk for adverse events than patients with no elevated biomarkers (p for trend = 0.015). In conclusion, in this unselected cohort, cystatin C was a stronger predictor of adverse events than conventional measures of kidney function. In addition, cystatin C offered complementary prognostic information to cardiac biomarkers and could help clinicians perform more accurate risk stratification of patients with acute heart failure.

Association study and meta-analysis of Alzheimer's disease risk and presenilin-1 intronic polymorphism

Numerous studies have tested for associations between an intronic polymorphism (rs165932) of presenilin-1 (PS-1) gene and the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but results have been conflicting. To throw light on this issue, we investigate the possible involvement of PS-1 genotype in a case-control study based on a relatively stable population in Spain and a meta-analysis of published studies. An examination was conducted of 85 patients with probable or possible AD, along with controls from the same community, by using an chi(2) test for homogeneity and a binary logistic regression model. For comparison purposes, a meta-analysis of data from all available published studies was assessed. In our patients, homozygosity of the allele 2 in the PS-1 gene increased for late-onset AD (OR 2.38, 95% CI 1.07-5.29, P<0.05). The presence of at least one allele of apoE was also associated with AD (OR 4.01, 95% CI 1.93-8.34, p<0.05). The regression model showed that, overall, the presence of the apoE epsilon 4 allele and the PS-1 2/2 genotype were independent factors for the development of AD in our sample. In our genotype-based meta-analysis, the PS-1 2/2 genotype was probably related with AD for the European sub-group (fixed effects model, OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.02-1.37, p<0.05), but there are many confusing factors between different studies. Presenilin-1 2/2 genotype is a risk factor for late onset Alzheimer disease in the Spanish population, and probably, for Europeans.

Novel light-regulated genes in Trichoderma atroviride: a dissection by cDNA microarrays

The influence of light on living organisms is critical, not only because of its importance as the main source of energy for the biosphere, but also due to its capacity to induce changes in the behaviour and morphology of nearly all forms of life. The common soil fungus Trichoderma atroviride responds to blue light in a synchronized manner, in time and space, by forming a ring of green conidia at what had been the colony perimeter at the time of exposure (photoconidiation). A putative complex formed by the BLR-1 and BLR-2 proteins in T. atroviride appears to play an essential role as a sensor and transcriptional regulator in photoconidiation. Expression analyses using microarrays containing 1438 unigenes were carried out in order to identify early light response genes. It was found that 2.8 % of the genes were light responsive: 2 % induced and 0.8 % repressed. Expression analysis in blr deletion mutants allowed the demonstration of the occurrence of two types of light responses, a blr-independent response in addition to the expected blr-dependent one, as well as a new role of the BLR proteins in repression of transcription. Exposure of T. atroviride to continuous light helped to establish that the light-responsive genes are subject to photoadaptation. Finally, evidence is provided of red-light-regulated gene expression and a possible crosstalk between the blue and red light signalling pathways.

Cross talk between a fungal blue-light perception system and the cyclic AMP signaling pathway

Blue light regulates many physiological and developmental processes in fungi. In Trichoderma atroviride the complex formed by the BLR-1 and BLR-2 proteins appears to play an essential role as a sensor and transcriptional regulator in photoconidiation. Here we demonstrate that the BLR proteins are necessary for carbon deprivation induced conidiation, even in the absence of light, pointing to the existence of an unprecedented cross talk between light and carbon sensing. Further, in contrast to what has been found in all other fungal systems, clear BLR-independent blue-light responses, including the activation of protein kinase A (PKA) and the regulation of gene expression, were found. Expression of an antisense version of the pkr-1 gene, encoding the regulatory subunit of PKA, resulted in a nonsporulating phenotype, whereas overexpression of the gene produced colonies that conidiate even in the dark. In addition, overexpression of pkr-1 blocked the induction of early light response genes. Thus, our data demonstrate that PKA plays an important role in the regulation of light responses in Trichoderma. Together, these observations suggest that the BLR complex plays a general role in sensing environmental cues that trigger conidiation and that such a role can be separated from its function as a transcription factor.

Acetylcholinesterase biogenesis is impaired in lung cancer tissues

Studies cited by Cowan et al. [J. Appl. Toxicol. 23, 177 (2003)] indicate existence of inflammatory and cholinergic pathways in both nerve agents and sulfur mustard (HD) injury. Increase in AChE synthesis and neurite extension was noted after exposure to HD [K.W. Lanks et al., Exp. Cell Res. 355 (1975)]. Moreover, anti-inflammatory drugs reduce the dermal, respiratory and ocular damage caused by exposure to HD. On the other hand, recent studies have noted the involvement of neuro-inflammatory processes during exposure to the nerve agents sarin or soman [Cowan et al., 2003]. The use of various anti-inflammatory drugs in addition to the classical antidotal drugs (e.g. atropine and oximes) caused decrease in certain toxic symptoms and inflammation-induced brain damage. Our new bifunctional drugs (Scheme 1) are based on CNS-permeable molecular combination of pseudo-reversible AChE inhibitor (pyridostigmine, PYR) coupled via a hydrophobic spacer (octyl or decyl hydrocarbon chain) to a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as Ibuprofen or Diclofenac (Scheme 1). This study evaluates the efficacy of certain bifunctional compounds against HD and soman poisoning in mice in vivo.

Cholinesterase activity of human lung tumours varies according to their histological classification

The probable involvement of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) in cancer and the relevance of cholinergic responses for lung cancer growth prompted us to study whether cholinesterase activity of human lung is altered by malignancy. Surgical pieces of non-small lung carcinomas (NSLC) and their adjacent non-cancerous tissues (ANCT) were analysed for AChE and BChE activities. AChE activity in adenocarcinoma (AC) was 7.80 +/- 5.59 nmol of substrate hydrolysed per min and per mg of protein (mU/mg), the same as in their ANCT (8.83 +/- 4.72 mU/mg; P = 0.823); in large cell carcinoma (LCC), 7.52 +/- 3.32 mU/mg, approximately 50% less than in their ANCT (15.39 +/- 5.66 mU/mg; P = 0.043); and in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 1.39 +/- 0.58 mU/mg, 80% less than in ANCT (6.08 +/- 2.88 mU/mg; P = 0.003). BChE activity was 5.85 +/- 3.20 mU/mg in AC and 9.56 +/- 3.38 mU/mg in ANCT (P = 0.022); 2.94 +/- 2.01 mU/mg in LCC and 6.50 +/- 6.63 mU/mg in ANCT (P = 0.068); and 4.49 +/- 2.30 mU/mg in SCC and ANCT 6.56 +/- 4.09 mU/mg (P = 0.026). Abundant AChE dimers and fewer monomers were identified in lung and, although their distribution was unaffected by cancer, the binding with concanavalin A revealed changes in AChE glycosylation between SCC and their ANCT. The fall in BChE activity affected all molecules, with a strong decrease of the amphiphilic tetramers. Western blotting revealed protein bands with the expected mass of the principal AChE subunits, and the deeper intensity of the protein signal in SCC than in healthy lung, in lanes loaded with the same units of AChE activity, supported an augment in the amount of AChE protein/unit of AChE activity in SCC. The increased availability of acetylcholine in neoplastic lung, resulting from the fall of cholinesterase activity, may enhance cholinergic signalling and contribute to tumour progression.

Circulating cytokine concentrations in tuberculosis and other chronic bacterial infections

Cytokines are a group of hormone-like polypeptides that play a variety of regulatory roles in host defense against infection. Because of the possible different involvement of these mediators in bacterial infections and tuberculosis, enzyme immunoassay was used to measure comparatively the plasma levels of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) in 25 immunocompetent patients divided into two groups: in 12 patients clinical and microbiological diagnosis showed a chronic bacterial infection and 13 patients had pleuropulmonar tuberculosis. After resolution of the infectious disorders (> or = 3 months), these measurements were repeated for each patient. High levels of IL-1b, TNF-alpha and IL-6 were observed at study entry, but no significant difference was found between the groups. In contrast, plasma levels (mean +/- SEM) of IFN-gamma were significantly higher in patients with tuberculosis when compared with the bacterial group (0.753 +/- 0.201 vs 0.325 +/- 0.105 IU/ml; P = 0.020). This different pattern of plasma proinflammatory cytokines could be ascribed to a prevaling role of the mediators of so-called Th-1 immune response (IFN-gamma) in host defense against infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis.