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Article ; Online: Identification of the Gene Repertoire of the IMD Pathway and Expression of Antimicrobial Peptide Genes in Several Tissues and Hemolymph of the Cockroach Blattella germanica

Leo Zuber / Rebeca Domínguez-Santos / Carlos García-Ferris / Francisco J. Silva

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Vol 23, Iss 8444, p

2022 Volume 8444

Abstract: Antimicrobial peptide (AMP) genes, triggered by Toll and IMD pathways, are essential components of the innate immune system in the German cockroach Blattella germanica . Besides their role in killing pathogenic bacteria, AMPs could be involved in ... ...

Abstract	Antimicrobial peptide (AMP) genes, triggered by Toll and IMD pathways, are essential components of the innate immune system in the German cockroach Blattella germanica . Besides their role in killing pathogenic bacteria, AMPs could be involved in controlling its symbiotic systems (endosymbiont and microbiota). We found that the IMD pathway was active in the adult female transcriptomes of six tissues (salivary glands, foregut, midgut, hindgut, Malpighian tubules and fat body) and hemolymph. Total expression of AMP genes was high in hemolymph and salivary glands and much lower in the other sample types. The expression of specific AMP genes was very heterogeneous among sample types. Two genes, defensin_g10 and drosomycin_g5 , displayed relevant expression in the seven sample types, although higher in hemolymph. Other genes only displayed high expression in one tissue. Almost no expression of attacin-like and blattellicin genes was observed in any sample type, although some of them were among the genes with the highest expression in adult female whole bodies. The expression of AMP genes in salivary glands could help control pathogens ingested with food and even determine gut microbiota composition. The low expression levels in midgut and hindgut are probably related to the presence of beneficial microbiota. Furthermore, a reduction in the expression of AMP genes in fat body could be the way to prevent damage to the population of the endosymbiont Blattabacterium cuenoti within bacteriocytes.
Keywords	antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) ; IMD pathway ; innate immune response ; symbiosis ; transcriptome ; Blattella germanica ; Biology (General) ; QH301-705.5 ; Chemistry ; QD1-999
Subject code	570
Language	English
Publishing date	2022-07-01T00:00:00Z
Publisher	MDPI AG
Document type	Article ; Online
Database	BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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Article ; Online: On the age of leprosy.

Xiang Y Han / Francisco J Silva

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol 8, Iss 2, p e

2014 Volume 2544

Abstract: Leprosy is a chronic infection of the skin and nerves caused by Mycobacterium leprae and the newly discovered Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Human leprosy has been documented for millennia in ancient cultures. Recent genomic studies of worldwide M. leprae ... ...

Abstract	Leprosy is a chronic infection of the skin and nerves caused by Mycobacterium leprae and the newly discovered Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Human leprosy has been documented for millennia in ancient cultures. Recent genomic studies of worldwide M. leprae strains have further traced it along global human dispersals during the past ∼ 100,000 years. Because leprosy bacilli are strictly intracellular, we wonder how long humans have been affected by this disease-causing parasite. Based on recently published data on M. leprae genomes, M. lepromatosis discovery, leprosy bacilli evolution, and human evolution, it is most likely that the leprosy bacilli started parasitic evolution in humans or early hominids millions of years ago. This makes leprosy the oldest human-specific infection. The unique adaptive evolution has likely molded the indolent growth and evasion from human immune defense that may explain leprosy pathogenesis. Accordingly, leprosy can be viewed as a natural consequence of a long parasitism. The burden of leprosy may have affected minor selection on human genetic polymorphisms.
Keywords	Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine ; RC955-962 ; Public aspects of medicine ; RA1-1270
Language	English
Publishing date	2014-02-01T00:00:00Z
Publisher	Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Document type	Article ; Online
Database	BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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Article ; Online: Gut Microbiota Cannot Compensate the Impact of (quasi) Aposymbiosis in Blattella germanica

Maria Muñoz-Benavent / Amparo Latorre / Ester Alemany-Cosme / Jesús Marín-Miret / Rebeca Domínguez-Santos / Francisco J. Silva / Rosario Gil / Carlos García-Ferris

Biology, Vol 10, Iss 1013, p

2021 Volume 1013

Abstract: Blattella germanica presents a very complex symbiotic system, involving the following two kinds of symbionts: the endosymbiont Blattabacterium and the gut microbiota. Although the role of the endosymbiont has been fully elucidated, the function of the ... ...

Abstract	Blattella germanica presents a very complex symbiotic system, involving the following two kinds of symbionts: the endosymbiont Blattabacterium and the gut microbiota. Although the role of the endosymbiont has been fully elucidated, the function of the gut microbiota remains unclear. The study of the gut microbiota will benefit from the availability of insects deprived of Blattabacterium. Our goal is to determine the effect of the removal (or, at least, the reduction) of the endosymbiont population on the cockroach’s fitness, in a normal gut microbiota community. For this purpose, we treated our cockroach population, over several generations, with rifampicin, an antibiotic that only affects the endosymbiont during its extracellular phase, and decreases its amount in the following generation. As rifampicin also affects gut bacteria that are sensitive to this antibiotic, the treatment was performed during the first 12 days of the adult stage, which is the period when the endosymbiont infects the oocytes and lacks bacteriocyte protection. We found that after this antibiotic treatment, the endosymbiont population remained extremely reduced and only the microbiota was able to recover, although it could not compensate for the endosymbiont role, and the host’s fitness was drastically affected. This accomplished reduction, however, is not homogenous and requires further study to develop stable quasi-aposymbiotic cockroaches.
Keywords	Blattella germanica ; symbiosis ; Blattabacterium ; gut microbiota ; rifampicin ; aposymbiont ; Biology (General) ; QH301-705.5
Language	English
Publishing date	2021-10-01T00:00:00Z
Publisher	MDPI AG
Document type	Article ; Online
Database	BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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Article ; Online: Shared PPARα/γ Target Genes Regulate Brown Adipocyte Thermogenic Function

Yachen Shen / Yvonne Su / Francisco J. Silva / Angela H. Weller / Jaimarie Sostre-Colón / Paul M. Titchenell / David J. Steger / Patrick Seale / Raymond E. Soccio

Cell Reports, Vol 30, Iss 9, Pp 3079-3091.e

2020 Volume 5

Abstract: Summary: Brown adipose tissue (BAT) generates heat to maintain body temperature and suppress obesity. Agonists for nuclear receptors PPARα and PPARγ both affect brown adipocyte function, yet the interplay between these factors in BAT is uncertain. Here, ... ...

Abstract	Summary: Brown adipose tissue (BAT) generates heat to maintain body temperature and suppress obesity. Agonists for nuclear receptors PPARα and PPARγ both affect brown adipocyte function, yet the interplay between these factors in BAT is uncertain. Here, we report that PPARα shares most genomic binding sites with PPARγ, and these common binding sites are more related to BAT function than PPARγ-selective sites without PPARα. Integrating PPARα and PPARγ genomic occupancy with cold-responsive BAT transcriptomes identifies a subset of 16 genes with potential relevance to BAT function. Among these, we focused on the lysosomal protease cathepsin Z (CTSZ) and showed it is necessary for mitochondrial respiration in both mouse and human brown adipocytes. Thus, CTSZ is a shared PPARα/γ target gene in BAT and a regulator of brown adipocyte thermogenic function. : Brown adipocytes uniquely express high levels of PPARα and PPARγ, yet the interplay between these two nuclear receptors was unknown. Shen et al. show PPARα co-occupies regulatory DNA with PPARγ. Shared target genes of both, including the candidate CTSZ, reveal brown fat function better than PPARγ targets alone. Keywords: brown adipocytes, PPARα, PPARγ, rosiglitazone, fenofibrate, CTSZ, thermogenesis
Keywords	Biology (General) ; QH301-705.5
Language	English
Publishing date	2020-03-01T00:00:00Z
Publisher	Elsevier
Document type	Article ; Online
Database	BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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Article ; Online: Performance of tetraploid alfalfa genotypes as exposed to aluminum toxicity

Francisco J. Silva Lédo / Maurício Marini Köpp / Leônidas P. Passos

Agricultural Sciences, Vol 03, Iss 02, Pp 230-

2012 Volume 240

Abstract: A study was carried out to evaluate the development of 12 tetraploid alfalfa cultivars exposed to Al toxicity in nutrient solution. Newly germinated seedlings of cultivars Alfa 200, Alto, Araucana, Costera, Crioula, Esmeralda, Falcon, F-708, Rio, ... ...

Abstract	A study was carried out to evaluate the development of 12 tetraploid alfalfa cultivars exposed to Al toxicity in nutrient solution. Newly germinated seedlings of cultivars Alfa 200, Alto, Araucana, Costera, Crioula, Esmeralda, Falcon, F-708, Rio, Romagnola, Valley Plus, and Victoria, were exposed to either 0, 4, 8 or 12 mg·L -1 Al 3+ . Plants were analyzed regarding root length (RL) and dry matter (RDM), aerial part length (APL), and dry matter (APDM), hypocotyl length (HypL) and dry matter (HypDM), epicotyl length (EpiL) and dry matter (EpiDM), and petiole length (PetL), and dry matter (PetDM). Results indicated that, although all genotypes exhibited detectable sensitivity to such a stress, cvs. Crioula, Victoria and Alpha-200 were tolerant to 4 mg·L -1 Al 3+ toxicity. It was also concluded that Al 3+ levels up to the 4 mg·L -1 will be effective for screening tetraploid alfalfa genotypes regarding this type of stress, when evaluations are made in nutrient solution. Finally, RL is the most suitable variable for conducting such evaluations, but all variables related to dry matter in the aerial part are also recommended.
Keywords	Alfalfa ; Aluminum Toxicity ; Genotypes ; Nutrient Solution ; Selection ; Agriculture (General) ; S1-972 ; Agriculture ; S ; DOAJ:Agriculture (General) ; DOAJ:Agriculture and Food Sciences
Subject code	333
Language	English
Publishing date	2012-03-01T00:00:00Z
Publisher	Scientific Research Publishing
Document type	Article ; Online
Database	BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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Article ; Online: Metabolic networks of Sodalis glossinidius

Eugeni Belda / Francisco J Silva / Juli Peretó / Andrés Moya

PLoS ONE, Vol 7, Iss 1, p e

a systems biology approach to reductive evolution.

2012 Volume 30652

Abstract: Background Genome reduction is a common evolutionary process affecting bacterial lineages that establish symbiotic or pathogenic associations with eukaryotic hosts. Such associations yield highly reduced genomes with greatly streamlined metabolic ... ...

Abstract	Background Genome reduction is a common evolutionary process affecting bacterial lineages that establish symbiotic or pathogenic associations with eukaryotic hosts. Such associations yield highly reduced genomes with greatly streamlined metabolic abilities shaped by the type of ecological association with the host. Sodalis glossinidius, the secondary endosymbiont of tsetse flies, represents one of the few complete genomes available of a bacterium at the initial stages of this process. In the present study, genome reduction is studied from a systems biology perspective through the reconstruction and functional analysis of genome-scale metabolic networks of S. glossinidius. Results The functional profile of ancestral and extant metabolic networks sheds light on the evolutionary events underlying transition to a host-dependent lifestyle. Meanwhile, reductive evolution simulations on the extant metabolic network can predict possible future evolution of S. glossinidius in the context of genome reduction. Finally, knockout simulations in different metabolic systems reveal a gradual decrease in network robustness to different mutational events for bacterial endosymbionts at different stages of the symbiotic association. Conclusions Stoichiometric analysis reveals few gene inactivation events whose effects on the functionality of S. glossinidius metabolic systems are drastic enough to account for the ecological transition from a free-living to host-dependent lifestyle. The decrease in network robustness across different metabolic systems may be associated with the progressive integration in the more stable environment provided by the insect host. Finally, reductive evolution simulations reveal the strong influence that external conditions exert on the evolvability of metabolic systems.
Keywords	Medicine ; R ; Science ; Q
Subject code	570
Language	English
Publishing date	2012-01-01T00:00:00Z
Publisher	Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Document type	Article ; Online
Database	BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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Article: Genome Evolution in the Primary Endosymbiont of Whiteflies Sheds Light on Their Divergence

Santos-Garcia, Diego / Carlos Vargas-Chavez / AndrÃ©s Moya / Amparo Latorre / Francisco J. Silva

Genome Biology and Evolution. 2015 Feb., v. 7, no. 3

2015

Abstract: Whiteflies are important agricultural insect pests, whose evolutionary success is related to a long-term association with a bacterial endosymbiont, Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum . To completely characterize this endosymbiont clade, we sequenced the ... ...

Abstract	Whiteflies are important agricultural insect pests, whose evolutionary success is related to a long-term association with a bacterial endosymbiont, Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum . To completely characterize this endosymbiont clade, we sequenced the genomes of three new Portiera strains covering the two extant whitefly subfamilies. Using endosymbiont and mitochondrial sequences we estimated the divergence dates in the clade and used these values to understand the molecular evolution of the endosymbiont coding sequences. Portiera genomes were maintained almost completely stable in gene order and gene content during more than 125 Myr of evolution, except in the Bemisia tabaci lineage. The ancestor had already lost the genetic information transfer autonomy but was able to participate in the synthesis of all essential amino acids and carotenoids. The time of divergence of the B. tabaci complex was much more recent than previous estimations. The recent divergence of biotypes B (MEAM1 species) and Q (MED species) suggests that they still could be considered strains of the same species. We have estimated the rates of evolution of Portiera genes, synonymous and nonsynonymous, and have detected significant differences among-lineages, with most Portiera lineages evolving very slowly. Although the nonsynonymous rates were much smaller than the synonymous, the genomic d N /d S ratios were similar, discarding selection as the driver of among-lineage variation. We suggest variation in mutation rate and generation time as the responsible factors. In conclusion, the slow evolutionary rates of Portiera may have contributed to its long-term association with whiteflies, avoiding its replacement by a novel and more efficient endosymbiont.
Keywords	Bemisia tabaci ; biotypes ; carotenoids ; endosymbionts ; essential amino acids ; evolution ; genes ; insect pests ; mitochondria ; mutation
Language	English
Dates of publication	2015-02
Size	p. 873-888.
Publishing place	Oxford University Press
Document type	Article
DOI	10.1093/gbe/evv038
Database	NAL-Catalogue (AGRICOLA)

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Article ; Online: RESCUE-HF Trial

Jorge Tuma / Antonio Carrasco / Jorge Castillo / Carlos Cruz / Alvaro Carrillo / Jose Ercilla / Carlos Yarleque / Jaime Cunza / Courtney E. Bartlett / Amalia A. Winters / Francisco J. Silva / Amit N. Patel M.D., M.S.

Cell Transplantation, Vol

Retrograde Delivery of Allogeneic Umbilical Cord Lining Subepithelial Cells in Patients with Heart Failure

2016 Volume 25

Abstract: Cell therapy is an evolving option for patients with end-stage heart failure. First-generation cell therapy trials have had marginal success. Our goal was to evaluate retrograde delivery of allogeneic umbilical cord subepithelial cells (UCSECs) in ... ...

Abstract	Cell therapy is an evolving option for patients with end-stage heart failure. First-generation cell therapy trials have had marginal success. Our goal was to evaluate retrograde delivery of allogeneic umbilical cord subepithelial cells (UCSECs) in patients with heart failure. A prospective open-label dose escalation study of the safety and feasibility of UCSECs infused retrogradely into the coronary sinus was performed. Patients received a single dose of either 100 million (M), 200M, or 400M cells. The patients were followed for 2 years. Twenty-four patients were successfully enrolled in the study. The patients had UCSEC infusion without procedure-related complications. The ejection fraction in patients receiving UCSECs demonstrated improvement compared to baseline; from 25.4% (±5.5) at screening to 34.9% (±4.1) at 12 months. End-systolic diameter decreased significantly from 59.9 (±5.3) mm to 52.6 (±2.7) mm ( p < 0.05). Retrograde UCSEC delivery was safe and feasible in all three dosage groups. Patients receiving 200M and 400M UCSECs showed signs of early improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and remodeling. This study provides the basis for a larger clinical trial in heart failure (HF) patients using the middle or high dose of UCSECs.
Keywords	Medicine ; R
Subject code	610 ; 616
Language	English
Publishing date	2016-09-01T00:00:00Z
Publisher	SAGE Publishing
Document type	Article ; Online
Database	BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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Article: Small but Powerful, the Primary Endosymbiont of Moss Bugs, Candidatus Evansia muelleri, Holds a Reduced Genome with Large Biosynthetic Capabilities

Santos-Garcia, Diego / Amparo Latorre / AndrÃ©s Moya / George Gibbs / Viktor Hartung / Konrad Dettner / Stefan Martin Kuechler / Francisco J. Silva

Genome biology and evolution. 2014 July, v. 6, no. 7

2014

Abstract: Moss bugs (Coleorrhyncha: Peloridiidae) are members of the order Hemiptera, and like many hemipterans, they have symbiotic associations with intracellular bacteria to fulfill nutritional requirements resulting from their unbalanced diet. The primary ... ...

Abstract	Moss bugs (Coleorrhyncha: Peloridiidae) are members of the order Hemiptera, and like many hemipterans, they have symbiotic associations with intracellular bacteria to fulfill nutritional requirements resulting from their unbalanced diet. The primary endosymbiont of the moss bugs, Candidatus Evansia muelleri, is phylogenetically related to Candidatus Carsonella ruddii and Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum, primary endosymbionts of psyllids and whiteflies, respectively. In this work, we report the genome of Candidatus Evansia muelleri Xc1 from Xenophyes cascus, which is the only obligate endosymbiont present in the association. This endosymbiont possesses an extremely reduced genome similar to Carsonella and Portiera. It has crossed the borderline to be considered as an autonomous cell, requiring the support of the insect host for some housekeeping cell functions. Interestingly, in spite of its small genome size, Evansia maintains enriched amino acid (complete or partial pathways for ten essential and six nonessential amino acids) and sulfur metabolisms, probably related to the poor diet of the insect, based on bryophytes, which contains very low levels of nitrogenous and sulfur compounds. Several facts, including the congruence of host (moss bugs, whiteflies, and psyllids) and endosymbiont phylogenies and the retention of the same ribosomal RNA operon during genome reduction in Evansia, Portiera, and Carsonella, suggest the existence of an ancient endosymbiotic Halomonadaceae clade associated with Hemiptera. Three possible scenarios for the origin of these three primary endosymbiont genera are proposed and discussed.
Keywords	Aleyrodidae ; Bryophyta ; Halomonadaceae ; Hemiptera ; Psyllidae ; amino acids ; bacteria ; diet ; endosymbionts ; insects ; mosses and liverworts ; nutrient requirements ; operon ; phylogeny ; ribosomal RNA ; sulfur
Language	English
Dates of publication	2014-07
Size	p. 1875-1893.
Publishing place	Oxford University Press
Document type	Article
DOI	10.1093/gbe/evu149
Database	NAL-Catalogue (AGRICOLA)

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Article ; Online: Evaluation of Multiple Biological Therapies for Ischemic Cardiac Disease

Amalia A. Winters / Sophia Bou-Ghannam / Hallie Thorp / Jose A. Hawayek / Donald L. Atkinson / Courtney E. Bartlett / Francisco J. Silva / Edward W. Hsu / Alonso P. Moreno / David A. Grainger / Amit N. Patel M.D., M.S.

Cell Transplantation, Vol

2016 Volume 25

Abstract: The development of cell- and gene-based strategies for regenerative medicine offers a therapeutic option for the repair and potential regeneration of damaged cardiac tissue post-myocardial infarction (MI). Human umbilical cord subepithelial cell-derived ... ...

Abstract	The development of cell- and gene-based strategies for regenerative medicine offers a therapeutic option for the repair and potential regeneration of damaged cardiac tissue post-myocardial infarction (MI). Human umbilical cord subepithelial cell-derived stem cells (hUC-SECs), human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs), and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs), all derived from human tissue, have been shown to have in vitro and in vivo therapeutic potential. Additionally, S100a1, VEGF165, and stromal-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) genes all have the potential to improve cardiac function and/or effect adverse remodeling. In this study, we compared the therapeutic potential of hBM-MSCs, hUC-SECs, and hiPSC-CMs along with plasmid-based genes to evaluate the in vivo potential of intramyocardially injected biologics to enhance cardiac function in a mouse MI model. Human cells derived from various tissue types were expanded under hypoxic conditions and injected intramyocardially into mice that had undergone left anterior descending (LAD) artery ligation. Similarly, plasmids were also injected into three groups of mice after LAD ligation. Seven experimental groups were studied in total: ( 1 ) control (saline), ( 2 ) hBM-MSCs, ( 3 ) hiPSC-CMs, ( 4 ) hUC-SECs, ( 5 ) S100a1 plasmid, ( 6 ) VEGF165 plasmid, and ( 7 ) SDF-1α plasmid. We evaluated echocardiography, hemodynamic catheterization measurements, and histology at 4 and 12 weeks post-biologic injection. Significant improvement was observed in cardiac function and contractility in hiPSC-CM and S100a1 groups and a significant reduction in left ventricle scar within the hUC-SEC group and a slight improvement in the SDF-1α and VEGF165 groups compared to the control group. These results demonstrate the potential for new biologic therapies to reduce scar burden and improve contractile function.
Keywords	Medicine ; R
Subject code	610
Language	English
Publishing date	2016-09-01T00:00:00Z
Publisher	SAGE Publishing
Document type	Article ; Online
Database	BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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