Search

Part of this study was presented at the 27th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Vienna, Austria 2017., [Introduction] Immune response stimulation may be an adjuvant to antimicrobial treatment. Here, we evaluated the impact of immune response modification by lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), combined with imipenem or ceftazidime, in murine models of peritoneal sepsis (PS) and pneumonia induced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa., [Methods] The imipenem and ceftazidime-susceptible strain (Pa39) and imipenem and ceftazidime-resistant strain (Pa238) were used. Ceftazidime pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters were determined. The therapeutic efficacy and TNF-α and IL-10 levels were determined in murine models of PS and pneumonia induced by Pa39 and Pa238 and treated with LPC, imipenem or ceftazidime, alone or in combination., [Results] In the PS model, LPC+ceftazidime reduced spleen and lung Pa238 concentrations (−3.45 and −3.56 log10 CFU/g; P < 0.05) to a greater extent than ceftazidime monotherapy, while LPC + imipenem maintained the imipenem efficacy (−1.66 and −1.45 log10 CFU/g; P > 0.05). In the pneumonia model, LPC + ceftazidime or LPC + imipenem reduced the lung Pa238 concentrations (−2.37 log10 CFU/g, P = 0.1, or −1.35 log10 CFU/g, P = 0.75). For Pa39, no statistically significant difference was observed in the PS and pneumonia models between combined therapy and monotherapy. Moreover, LPC + imipenem and LPC+ceftazidime significantly decreased and increased the TNF-α and IL-10 levels, respectively, in comparison with the untreated controls and monotherapies., [Conclusions] These results demonstrate the impact of immune response modification by LPC plus antibiotics on the prognosis of infections induced by ceftazidime-resistant P. aeruginosa., [Introducción] La estimulación de la respuesta inmunitaria podría ser adyuvante al tratamiento antimicrobiano. En este estudio, hemos evaluado el impacto de la modificación de la respuesta inmunitaria por la lisofosfatidilcolina (LPC), combinada con imipenem ó ceftazidima, en modelos murinos de sepsis peritoneal (SP) y de neumonía por Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa)., [Métodos] La cepa sensible a imipenem y ceftazidima (Pa39) y la cepa resistente a ambos antibióticos (Pa238) fueron usadas. Los parámetros farmacocinéticos/farmacodinámicos de ceftazidima fueron determinados. La eficacia terapéutica y los niveles de TNF-α and IL-10 fueron determinados en los modelos murinos de SP y de neumonía por Pa39 y Pa238 y tratados con LPC, imipenem o ceftazidima, en monoterapia ó en combinación., [Resultados] En el modelo de SP, LPC + ceftazidima redujo la concentración de Pa238 en el bazo y el pulmón (–3,45 y –3,56 log10 UFC/g; p < 0,05) en comparación con ceftazidima, mientras LPC + impenem mantuvo la eficacia de imipenem (–1,66 y –1,45 log10 UFC/g; p > 0,05). En el modelo de neumonía, LPC + ceftazidima o LPC + imipenem redujo la concentración de Pa238 en pulmón (–2,37 log10 UFC/g, p = 0,1 o –1,35 log10 UFC/g, p = 0,75). Para Pa39, no se observó diferencia estadística significativa entre la terapia combinada y la monoterapia en los modelos de SP y de neumonía. Además, LPC + imipenem y LPC + ceftazidime redujeron y aumentaron los niveles de TNF-α y IL-10, respectivamente, en comparación con los controles no tratados y las monoterapias., [Conclusiones] Estos resultados demuestran el impacto de la modificación de la respuesta inmunitaria por LPC en combinación con antibióticos en el pronóstico de las infecciones por P. aeruginosa ceftazidima-resistente., This study was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Proyectos de Investigación en Salud (grant PI13/01744, PI16/01306), and by Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa (P11-CTS-6317). Younes Smani is supported by the Subprograma Miguel Servet Tipo I from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain (CP15/01358). The MEDINA authors disclosed the receipt of financial support from Fundación MEDINA, a public-private partnership of Merck Sharp & Dohme de España S.A./Universidad de Granada/Junta de Andalucía.

13 páginas, 4 figuras y 3 tablas, The widespread use of both heavy metals and antibiotics in livestock farming, followed by their subsequent arrival on agricultural soils through manure and slurry spreading, has become a problem of vital importance for human health and the environment. In the current research, a laboratory experiment was carried out for 42 d to study tolerance and co-tolerance of three tetracycline antibiotics (tetracycline, TC; oxytetracycline, OTC; chlortetracycline, CTC) in soils polluted with heavy metals (As, Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, and Pb) at high concentrations (1000 mg kg-1 of each one, separately). Pollution induced community tolerance (PICT) of the bacterial community was estimated using the leucine incorporation technique. The log IC50 (logarithm of the concentration causing 50 % inhibition in bacterial community growth) values obtained in uncontaminated soil samples for all the heavy metals tested showed the following toxicity sequence: Cu > As > Cr ≥ Pb ≥ Cd > Zn > Ni. However, in polluted soil samples the toxicity sequence was Cu > Pb ≥ As ≥ Cd ≥ Cr ≥ Ni ≥ Zn. Moreover, at high heavy metal concentrations, the bacterial communities showed tolerance to the metal itself, this taking place in the long term for all the metals tested. The bacterial communities of the soil polluted with heavy metals showed also long-term co-tolerance to TC, OTC, and CTC. This kind of study, focusing on the eventual increases of tolerance and co-tolerance of bacterial communities in agricultural soil, favored by the presence of different kinds of pollutants, is of crucial importance, mostly bearing in mind that the appearance of antibiotic resistance genes in soil bacteria could be transmitted to human pathogens., This study has been funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the projects CGL2015-67333-C2-1-R and CGL2015-67333-C2-2-R (FEDER Funds). David Fernández-Calviño holds a Ramón y Cajal contract (RYC-2016-20411), financed by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness. Vanesa Santás-Miguel holds a pre-doctoral fellowship (ED481A-2020/089) financed by Xunta de Galicia.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), which include ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD), cause chronic inflammation of the gut, affecting millions of people worldwide. IBDs have been frequently associated with an alteration of the gut microbiota, termed dysbiosis, which is generally characterized by an increase in abundance of Proteobacteria such as Escherichia coli, and a decrease in abundance of Firmicutes such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (an indicator of a healthy colonic microbiota). The mechanisms behind the development of IBDs and dysbiosis are incompletely understood. Using samples from colonic biopsies, we studied the mucosa-associated intestinal microbiota in Chilean and Spanish patients with IBD. In agreement with previous studies, microbiome comparison between IBD patients and non-IBD controls indicated that dysbiosis in these patients is characterized by an increase of pro-inflammatory bacteria (mostly Proteobacteria) and a decrease of commensal beneficial bacteria (mostly Firmicutes). Notably, bacteria typically residing on the mucosa of healthy individuals were mostly obligate anaerobes, whereas in the inflamed mucosa an increase of facultative anaerobe and aerobic bacteria was observed. We also identify potential co-occurring and mutually exclusive interactions between bacteria associated with the healthy and inflamed mucosa, which appear to be determined by the oxygen availability and the type of respiration. Finally, we identified a panel of bacterial biomarkers that allow the discrimination between eubiosis from dysbiosis with a high diagnostic performance (96% accurately), which could be used for the development of non-invasive diagnostic methods. Thus, this study is a step forward towards understanding the landscapes and alterations of mucosa-associated intestinal microbiota in patients with IBDs., This study was supported by Fondo Nacional De Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico FONDECYT grant 1161161 to R. Vidal, CONICYT-PCHA/2014-21140975 fellowship to N. Chamorro, FONDECYT 1120577 and 1170648 to Hermoso MA and the Spanish Ministry of Economy projects CLG2015 66686-C3-1-P to Rosselló-Mora R., as well as funds from the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) and NSF Dimensions in Biodiversity grant OCE-1342694. Support was also provided by a Millennium Science Initiative grant from the Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism to Paredes-Sabja D.

This work is partially funded by FEDER/Junta de Andalucia-Consejeria de Economia y Conocimiento (Grant CV20-36723), Consejeria de Salud (Grant PI-0173-2017) and by EU/EFPIA Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking PRECISESADS (115565). JMM is partially funded by Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad. None of the funding bodies played any role in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data nor in writing the manuscript., Background: Autoimmune diseases are heterogeneous pathologies with difficult diagnosis and few therapeutic options. In the last decade, several omics studies have provided significant insights into the molecular mechanisms of these diseases. Nevertheless, data from different cohorts and pathologies are stored independently in public repositories and a unified resource is imperative to assist researchers in this field. Results: Here, we present Autoimmune Diseases Explorer (https:// adex. genyo. es), a database that integrates 82 curated transcriptomics and methylation studies covering 5609 samples for some of the most common autoimmune diseases. The database provides, in an easy-to-use environment, advanced data analysis and statistical methods for exploring omics datasets, including meta-analysis, differential expression or pathway analysis. Conclusions: This is the first omics database focused on autoimmune diseases. This resource incorporates homogeneously processed data to facilitate integrative analyses among studies., FEDER/Junta de Andalucia-Consejeria de Economia y Conocimiento CV20-36723, Consejeria de Salud PI-0173-2017, EU/EFPIA Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking PRECISESADS 115565, Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad

Rationale: We recently demonstrated that the Metabesity factor HMG20A regulates islet beta-cell functional maturity and adaptation to physiological stress such as pregnancy and pre-diabetes. HMG20A also dictates central nervous system (CNS) development via inhibition of the LSD1-CoREST complex but its expression pattern and function in adult brain remains unknown. Herein we sought to determine whether HMG20A is expressed in the adult CNS, specifically in hypothalamic astrocytes that are key in glucose homeostasis and whether similar to islets, HMG20A potentiates astrocyte function in response to environmental cues. Methods: HMG20A expression profile was assessed by quantitative PCR (QT-PCR), Western blotting and/or immunofluorescence in: 1) the hypothalamus of mice exposed or not to either a high-fat diet or a high-fat high-sucrose regimen, 2) human blood leukocytes and adipose tissue obtained from healthy or diabetic individuals and 3) primary mouse hypothalamic astrocytes exposed to either high glucose or palmitate. RNA-seq and cell metabolic parameters were performed on astrocytes treated or not with a siHMG20A. Astrocyte-mediated neuronal survival was evaluated using conditioned media from siHMG20A-Treated astrocytes. The impact of ORY100. An Inhibitor Of The LSD1-CoREST Complex, On Hmg20a Expression, Reactive Astrogliosis And Glucose Metabolism Was Evaluated In Vitro And In Vivo In High-Fat High-Sucrose Fed Mice. Results: We Show That Hmg20a Is Predominantly Expressed In Hypothalamic Astrocytes, The Main Nutrient-Sensing Cell Type Of The Brain. Hmg20a Expression Was Upregulated In Diet-Induced Obesity And Glucose Intolerant Mice, Correlating With Increased Transcript Levels Of Gfap And Il1b Indicative Of Inflammation And Reactive Astrogliosis. Hmg20a Transcript Levels Were Also Increased In Adipose Tissue Of Obese Non-Diabetic Individuals As Compared To Obese Diabetic Patients. Hmg20a Silencing In Astrocytes Resulted In Repression Of Inflammatory, Cholesterol Biogenesis And Epithelial-To-Mesenchymal Transition Pathways Which Are Hallmarks Of Reactive Astrogliosis. Accordingly, Hmg20a Depleted Astrocytes Exhibited Reduced Mitochondrial Bioenergetics And Increased Susceptibility To Apoptosis. Neuron Viability Was Also Hindered In HMG20A-Depleted Astrocyte-Derived Conditioned Media. Ory1001 Treatment Rescued Expression Of Reactive Astrogliosis-Linked Genes In Hmg20a Ablated Astrocytes While Enhancing Cell Surface Area, Gfap Intensity And Stat3 Expression In Healthy Astrocytes, Mimicking The Effect Of Hmg20a. Furthermore, Ory1001 Treatment Protected Against Obesity-Associated Glucose Intolerance In Mice Correlating With A Regression Of Hypothalamic Hmg20a Expression, Indicative Of Reactive Astrogliosis Attenuation With Improved Health Status. Conclusion: Hmg20a Coordinates The Astrocyte Polarization State. Under Physiological Pressure Such As Obesity And Insulin Resistance That Induces Low Grade Inflammation, Hmg20a Expression Is Increased To Induce Reactive Astrogliosis In An Attempt To Preserve The Neuronal Network And Re-Establish Glucose Homeostasis. Nonetheless, A Chronic Metabesity State Or Functional Mutations Will Result In Lower Levels Of Hmg20a, Failure To Promote Reactive Astrogliosis And Increase Susceptibility Of Neurons To Stress-Induced Apoptosis. Such Effects Could Be Reversed By Ory1001 Treatment Both In Vitro And In Vivo, Paving The Way For A New Therapeutic Approach For Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus., The authors are supported by grants from the Consejería de Salud, Fundación Pública Andaluza Progreso y Salud, Junta de Andalucía (PI-0727-2010 and PI-0001-2020 to B.R.G.; PI-0085-2013 to P.I.L.; PI-0006-2016 to E.F.M.; PI-0574-2012 to S.Y.R.Z; PI-0247-2016 to F.J.B.S.), the Consejería de Economía, Innovación y Ciencia (P10.CTS.6359 to B.R.G.; CTS.8081 to E.G.F.), the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad co-funded by Fondos FEDER (PI10/00871, PI13/00593 and BFU2017-83588-P to B.R.G.; PRE2018-084907 to M.E.M.V.G.; PI13/00309; PI17/01004 to F.J.B.S.; BFU2014-5343-P to J.C.R.; and AGL2017-86927-R to F.M.), Vencer el Cancer (B.R.G), DiabetesCero (B.R.G.) and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (17-2013-372 and 2-SRA-2019-837-S-B to B.R.G.). E.F.M. was a recipient of a Juan de la Cierva Incorporación Fellowship from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (IJCI-2015-26238). S.Y.R.Z is a recipient of a postdoctoral fellowship from Consejería de Salud, Junta de Andalucía (RH-0070-2013). L.L.N. is supported by a Consejeria de Economia, Conocimiento, Empresas y Universidad postdoctoral fellowship (DOC_00652). F.J.B.S. and E.G.F. are recipients of "Nicolás Monardes" research contracts from Consejería de Salud Junta de Andalucía, (C-0070-2012 and C-0031-2016). A.M.M. is supported by CPII19/00023 and PI18/01590 from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III co-funded by Fondos FEDER. CIBERDEM is an initiative of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III. V.C. is supported by a AECC investigator award.

Objective: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), one of the major complications of systemic sclerosis (SSc), is a rare disease with unknown etiopathogenesis and noncurative treatments. As mice deficient in P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1 (PSGL-1) develop a spontaneous SSc-like syndrome, we undertook this study to analyze whether they develop PAH and to examine the molecular mechanisms involved. Methods: Doppler echocardiography was used to estimate pulmonary pressure, immunohistochemistry was used to assess vascular remodeling, and myography of dissected pulmonary artery rings was used to analyze vascular reactivity. Angiotensin II (Ang II) levels were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and Western blotting was used to measure Ang II type 1 receptor (ATR), ATR, endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and phosphorylated eNOS expression in lung lysates. Flow cytometry allowed us to determine cytokine production by immune cells and NO production by endothelial cells. In all cases, there were 4–8 mice per experimental group. Results: PSGL-1 mice showed lung vessel wall remodeling and a reduced mean ± SD expression of pulmonary ATR (expression ratio [relative to β-actin] in female mice age >18 months: wild-type mice 0.799 ± 0.508 versus knockout mice 0.346 ± 0.229). With aging, female PSGL-1 mice had impaired up-regulation of estrogen receptor α (ERα) and developed lung vascular endothelial dysfunction coinciding with an increase in mean ± SEM pulmonary Ang II levels (wild-type 48.70 ± 5.13 pg/gm lung tissue versus knockout 78.02 ± 28.09 pg/gm lung tissue) and a decrease in eNOS phosphorylation, leading to reduced endothelial NO production. These events led to a reduction in the pulmonary artery acceleration time:ejection time ratio in 33% of aged female PSGL-1 mice, indicating pulmonary hypertension. Importantly, we found expanded populations of interferon-γ–producing PSGL-1 T cells and B cells and a reduced presence of regulatory T cells. Conclusion: The absence of PSGL-1 induces a reduction in Treg cells, NO production, and ERα expression and causes an increase in Ang II in the lungs of female mice, favoring the development of PAH., Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (grants SAF2015-69396-R, SAF2011-28150, and SAF2014-55399) and the Spanish Ministry of Health and Instituto de Salud Carlos III (cofinanced by Fondos FEDER; grants AC17-00027, FIS-PI14-01698, FIS-PI17-01819, and FIS-PI12-01578, Red de Investigación de Enfermedades Reumáticas [RIER] RD12/0009/0017). The Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) is supported by the Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, and the Pro CNIC Foundation and is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (SEV-2015-0505))

Weaning is a critical period in the life of pigs with repercussions on their health and welfare and on the economy of the swine industry. This study aimed to assess the efect of the commercial early weaning on gut microbiota, intestinal gene expression and serum metabolomic response via an integratedomic approach combining 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the OpenArray gene expression technology and 1 H-NMR spectroscopy. Fourteen piglets from diferent litters were sampled for blood, jejunum tissue and caecal content two days before (− 2d), and three days after (+3d) weaning. A clearly diferential ordination of caecal microbiota was observed. Higher abundances of Roseburia, Ruminococcus, Coprococcus, Dorea and Lachnospira genera in weaned piglets compared to prior to weaning showed the quick microbial changes of the piglets’ gut microbiota. Downregulation of OCLN, CLDN4, MUC2, MUC13, SLC15A1 and SLC13A1 genes, also evidenced the negative impact of weaning on gut barrier and digestive functions. Metabolomic approach pinpointed signifcant decreases in choline, LDL, triglycerides, fatty acids, alanine and isoleucine and increases in 3-hydroxybutyrate after weaning. Moreover, the correlation between microbiota and metabolome datasets revealed the existence of metabolic clusters interrelated to diferent bacterial clusters. Our results demonstrate the impact of weaning stress on the piglet and give insights regarding the associations between gut microbiota and the animal gene activity and metabolic response., We would like to acknowledge the funding from the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MINECO) of Spain for granting the project AGL2016-75463-R within the framework of Proyectos I+D+I Convocatoria RETOS 2016 and the State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation. MS received an FPI grant from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (grant number BES-2017-080018). MD received support from Opening Sphere UAB-CEI to Postdoctoral Fellows (project H2020-MSCA-COFUND-2014). HLK received the University, Research Center and Hospital Foundation Grants for the Contracting of New Research Staff (FI) from Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) of the Catalan Government. PL received support from the Tecniospring program (TECSPR15-1-0040) of ACCIÓ funded by the Catalan Government and the Marie Curie COFUND Fellowship Program within the 7th European Community Framework. YRC is recipient of a Ramon y Cajal post-doctoral fellowship (RYC2019-027244-I) from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.

The persistent and experience-dependent nature of drug addiction may result in part from epigenetic alterations, including non-coding micro-RNAs (miRNAs), which are both critical for neuronal function and modulated by cocaine in the striatum. Two major striatal cell populations, the striato-nigral and striato-pallidal projection neurons, express, respectively, the D1 (D1-SPNs) and D2 (D2-SPNs) dopamine receptor, and display distinct but complementary functions in drug-evoked responses. However, a cell-type-specific role for miRNAs action has yet to be clarified. Here, we evaluated the expression of a subset of miRNAs proposed to modulate cocaine effects in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and dorsal striatum (DS) upon sustained cocaine exposure in mice and showed that these selected miRNAs were preferentially upregulated in the NAc. We focused on miR-1 considering the important role of some of its predicted mRNA targets, Fosb and Npas4, in the effects of cocaine. We validated these targets in vitro and in vivo. We explored the potential of miR-1 to regulate cocaine-induced behavior by overexpressing it in specific striatal cell populations. In DS D1-SPNs miR-1 overexpression downregulated Fosb and Npas4 and reduced cocaine-induced CPP reinstatement, but increased cue-induced cocaine seeking. In DS D2-SPNs miR-1 overexpression reduced the motivation to self-administer cocaine. Our results indicate a role of miR1 and its target genes, Fosb and Npas4, in these behaviors and highlight a precise cell-type- and region-specific modulatory role of miR-1, illustrating the importance of cell-specific investigations. This work was supported by Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (DEQ20150734352 to JC), Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS, B.F., A.G., V.K., P.P., P.V., J.C.), Institut National pour la Santé et la Recherche Médicale (INSERM; B.F., A.G., V.K., P.P., P.V., J.-A.G., J.C.), Sorbonne Université, Faculté des Sciences et Ingénierie (B.F., A.G., V.K., P.P., P.V., J.-A.G., J.C.) Labex Biopsy Investissements d’Avenir, ANR-11-IDEX-0004-02 (B.F., A.G., V.K., P.P., P.V., J.-A.G., J.C.), the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad-MINECO (#SAF2017-84060-R-AEI/FEDER-UE; E.M.-G., L.D.-R., R.M.), the Spanish Instituto de Salud Carlos III, RETICS-RTA (#RD12/0028/0023; E.M.-G., L.D.-R., R.M.), the Generalitat de Catalunya, AGAUR (#2017-SGR-669; E.M.-G., L.D.-R., R.M.), ICREA-Acadèmia (#2015) and the Spanish Ministerio de Sanidad, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad, Plan Nacional Sobre Drogas (#PNSD-2017I068) to R.M., Fundació La Marató-TV3 (#2016/20-30) to E.M.-G. Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (FRM#DPA20140629798) and ANR (ANR-16-CE16-0018) to J.A.G.

13 Páginas.-- 3 Figuras.-- 3 Tablas, The aim of this study was to determine whether hydroxytyrosol administration prevented kidney damage in an experimental model of type 1 diabetes mellitus in rats. Hydroxytyrosol was administered to streptozotocin-diabetic rats: 1 and 5 mg/kg/day p.o. for two months. After hydroxytyrosol administration, proteinuria was significantly reduced (67-73%), calculated creatinine clearance was significantly increased (26-38%), and the glomerular volume and glomerulosclerosis index were decreased (20-30%). Hydroxytyrosol reduced oxidative and nitrosative stress variables and thromboxane metabolite production. Statistical correlations were found between biochemical and kidney function variables. Oral administration of 1 and 5 mg/kg/day of hydroxytyrosol produced an antioxidant and nephroprotective effect in an experimental model of type 1-like diabetes mellitus. The nephroprotective effect was significantly associated with the systemic and renal antioxidant action of hydroxytyrosol, which also influenced eicosanoid production., This study was supported in part by the Consejería de Salud. Junta de Andalucía (Spain), Proyectos de Investigación en Salud (Regional Ministry of Health. Junta de Andalucía (Spain), Health Research Projects) (PI-0129-2017) and by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness) (Spain), Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial (Center for the Development of Industrial Technology), FEDER Interconecta Pluri-Regional Program (Spain), (PS17173. NUTRADAF, ITC-20161265).

Over the years, human adenovirus (HAdV) has progressively been recognized as a significant viral pathogen. Traditionally associated with self-limited respiratory, gastrointestinal, and conjunctival infections, mainly in immunocompromised patients, HAdV is currently considered to be a pathogen presenting significant morbidity and mortality in both immunosuppressed and otherwise healthy individuals. Currently available therapeutic options are limited because of their lack of effectivity and related side effects. In this context, there is an urgent need to develop effective anti-HAdV drugs with suitable therapeutic indexes. In this work, we identified new serinol-derived benzoic acid esters as novel scaffolds for the inhibition of HAdV infections. A set of 38 compounds were designed and synthesized, and their antiviral activity and cytotoxicity were evaluated. Four compounds (13, 14, 27, and 32) inhibited HAdV infection at low micromolar concentrations (2.82–5.35 μM). Their half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values were lower compared to that of cidofovir, the current drug of choice. All compounds significantly reduced the HAdV DNA replication process, while they did not block any step of the viral entry. Our results showed that compounds 13, 14, and 32 seem to be targeting the expression of the E1A early gene. Moreover, all four derivatives demonstrated a significant inhibition of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) DNA replication. This new scaffold may represent a potential tool useful for the development of effective anti-HAdV drugs., This work has been supported by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Plan Estatal 2017-2020 Retos-Proyectos I+D+i (PID2019-104767RB-I00), Ministerio de Economı́a y Competitividad, Plan Estatal 2013-2016 Retos-Proyectos I + D + i (CTQ2016-78580-C2-2-R) and by Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Subdirección General de Redes y Centros de Investigación Cooperativa, Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad, Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI RD16/0016/0009), cofinanced by European Development Regional Fund “A way to achieve Europe”, the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Proyectos de Investigación en Salud (PI17/01055; PI18/01191) and Proyectos de Desarrollo Tecnológico en Salud (DTS17/00130), the Spanish Adenovirus Network (AdenoNet, BIO2015/68990-REDT), and the program “Nicolás Monardes” (C-0059-2018), Servicio Andaluz de Salud, Junta de Andalucía. M.V.-H. also thanks Ministerio de Economı́a y Competitividad, Plan Estatal 2013-2016 Excelencia I+D+i (CTQ2016-78703-P).

Brain aquaporin 1 (AQP1) and AQP4 are involved in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) homeostasis and might participate in the origin of hydrocephalus. Studies have shown alterations of perivascular AQP4 expression in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Due to the overlapping of clinical signs between iNPH and certain neurological conditions, mainly AD, specific biomarkers might improve the diagnostic accuracy for iNPH. The goal of the present study was to analyze and quantify the presence of AQP1 and AQP4 in the CSF of patients with iNPH and AD to determine whether these proteins can be used as biomarkers of iNPH. We examined AQP1 and AQP4 protein levels in the CSF of 179 participants (88 women) classified into 5 groups: possible iNPH (81 participants), hydrocephalus associated with other neurological disorders (13 participants), AD (41 participants), non-AD dementia (32 participants) and healthy controls (12 participants). We recorded each participant’s demographic and clinical variables and indicated, when available in the clinical history, the record of cardiovascular and respiratory complications. An ELISA showed virtually no AQP content in the CSF. Information on the vascular risk factors (available for 61 patients) confirmed some type of vascular risk factor in 86% of the patients with possible iNPH and 58% of the patients with AD. In conclusion, the ELISA analysis showed insufficient sensitivity to detect the presence of AQP1 and AQP4 in CSF, ruling out the possible use of these proteins as biomarkers for diagnosing iNPH., This research was funded by grants PI16/00493 and PI19/01096 to M.E. from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, co-financed by the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) and European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). J.L.T-C. was partially supported by the Regional Government of Andalusia and FEDER funds through a program for recruitment of young researchers.

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder of the basal ganglia for which disease-modifying treatments are not yet available. Although gene-silencing therapies are currently being tested, further molecular mechanisms must be explored to identify druggable targets for HD. Cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding proteins 1 to 4 (CPEB1 to CPEB4) are RNA binding proteins that repress or activate translation of CPE-containing transcripts by shortening or elongating their poly(A) tail. Here, we found increased CPEB1 and decreased CPEB4 protein in the striatum of patients and mouse models with HD. This correlated with a reprogramming of polyadenylation in 17.3% of the transcriptome, markedly affecting neurodegeneration-associated genes including PSEN1, MAPT, SNCA, LRRK2, PINK1, DJ1, SOD1, TARDBP, FUS, and HTT and suggesting a new molecular mechanism in neurodegenerative disease etiology. We found decreased protein content of top deadenylated transcripts, including striatal atrophy–linked genes not previously related to HD, such as KTN1 and the easily druggable SLC19A3 (the ThTr2 thiamine transporter). Mutations in SLC19A3 cause biotin-thiamine–responsive basal ganglia disease (BTBGD), a striatal disorder that can be treated with a combination of biotin and thiamine. Similar to patients with BTBGD, patients with HD demonstrated decreased thiamine in the cerebrospinal fluid. Furthermore, patients and mice with HD showed decreased striatal concentrations of thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP), the metabolically active form of thiamine. High-dose biotin and thiamine treatment prevented TPP deficiency in HD mice and attenuated the radiological, neuropathological, and motor HD-like phenotypes, revealing an easily implementable therapy that might benefit patients with HD., This work was supported by CIBERNED-ISCIII collaborative grants 2013/09-2 to J.J.L. and 2015-2/06 and 2018/06-5 to J.J.L. and T.I., grants SAF2015-65371-R (MINECO/AEI/FEDER, UE), and grants from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MINECO/MICINN): RTI2018-096322-B-I00 (MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE) to J.J.L., SAF2017-88885-R (MINECO/AEI/FEDER, UE) to T.I., BFU2014-54122-P (MINECO/AEI/FEDER, UE) to R.M., and ISCIII-FEDER (PI17/00199; PI20/00625) to P.N. This work was also supported by the European Union FEDER funds, Fundación Botín–Banco Santander through its Santander Universities Global Division and Fundación Ramón Areces. A.P. and S.P. were recipients of FPI fellowships from MICINN/MINECO. A.P. was also hired through CIBERNED. J.P.-U. was contracted by SAF2017-88885-R (MINECO/AEI/FEDER, UE). D.M.-G. was supported by the “Río Hortega” programme (CM18/00142) from ISCIII-FEDER. A.E. was a recipient of Juan de la Cierva contracts from MICINN/MINECO.

The presence of antibiotics in soils may increase the selection pressure on soil bacterial communities and cause tolerance to these pollutants. The temporal evolution of bacterial community tolerance to different concentrations of tetracycline (TC), oxytetracycline (OTC) and chlortetracycline (CTC) was evaluated in two soils. The results showed an increase of soil bacterial community tolerance to TC, CTC and OTC only in samples polluted with the highest antibiotic concentrations tested (2000 mg kg−1). The magnitude of those increases was higher in the soil with the lower organic carbon content (1.6%) than in the soil with an organic carbon content reaching 3.4%. In the soil with low organic carbon content, the time-course evolution showed a maximum increase in the tolerance of bacterial communities to tetracycline antibiotics between 45 and 100 incubation days, while for longer incubation times (360 days) the tolerance decreased. In the soil with high organic carbon content, a similar behavior was found for OTC. However, for CTC and TC, slightly increases and decreases (respectively) were found in the bacterial community tolerance at intermediate incubation times, followed by values close to zero for TC after 360 days of incubation, while for CTC they remained higher than in the control. In conclusion, soil pollution due to tetracyclines may cause bacterial community tolerance to these antibiotics when present at high concentrations. In addition, the risk is higher in soils with low organic matter content, and it decreases with time., This study has been funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the projects CGL 2015-67333-C2-1-R and -2-R (FEDER Funds) and by Xunta de Galicia via BV1 research group (ED431C 2017/62-GRC). David Fernández Calviño holds a Ramón y Cajal contract (RYC-2016-20411) financed by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness. Vanesa Santás-Miguel and Laura Rodríguez González holds a pre-doctoral fellowship (ED481A-2020/089 and ED481A-2021/309, respectively) financed by Xunta de Galicia.

The optimization of conditions to promote the stemness of pluripotent cells in vitro is instrumental for their use in advanced therapies. We show here that exposure of human iPSCs and human ESCs to low concentrations of the chemical NO donor DETA/NO leads to stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF-1α and HIF-2α) under normoxia, with this effect being dependent on diminished Pro 402 hydroxylation and decreased degradation by the proteasome. Moreover, the master genes of pluripotency, NANOG and OCT-4, were upregulated. NO also induces a shift in the metabolic profile of PSCs, with an increased expression of hypoxia response genes in glycolysis. Furthermore, a reduction in the mitochondrial membrane potential with lower oxygen consumption and increased expression of mitochondrial fusion regulators, such as DRP1, was observed. The results reported here indicate that NO mimics hypoxia response in human PSCs and enhances their stemness properties when cultured under normoxic conditions.

Background: This article proposes a methodological innovation in health economics for the second stage analysis of technical efficiency in hospitals. It investigates the relationship between the installed capacity in regions and hospitals and their ownership structure. Methods: A multilevel zero-one inflated beta regression model is employed to model pure technical efficiency more adequately than other models frequently used in econometrics. Results: Compared to publicly managed hospitals, the mean efficiency index of hospitals with public-private partnership (PPP) formulas was 4.27-fold. This figure was 1.90-fold for private hospitals. Concerning the efficiency frontier, the odds ratio (OR) of PPP models vs. public hospitals was 42.06. The OR of private hospitals vs. public hospitals was 8.17. A one standard deviation increase in the percentage of beds in intensive care units increases the odds of being situated on the efficiency frontier by 50%. Conclusions: The proportion of hospital beds in intensive care units relates to a higher chance of being on the efficiency frontier. Hospital ownership structure is related to the mean efficiency index of Spanish National Health Service hospitals, as well as the odds of being situated on the efficiency frontier., EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND (Operative Program: Andalusia 2014–2020. Ministry of Economy. Knowledge. Business and University. Junta de Andalucía. Spain. Grant number: B-SEJ-266-UGR18.

15 Páginas.-- 3 Tablas.-- 6 Figuras, Hydroxytyrosol (HT) is the component primarily responsible for the neuroprotective effect of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). However, it is less effective on its own than the demonstrated neuroprotective effect of EVOO, and for this reason, it can be postulated that there is an interaction between several of the polyphenols of EVOO. The objective of the study was to assess the possible interaction of four EVOO polyphenols (HT, tyrosol, dihydroxyphenylglycol, and oleocanthal) in an experimental model of hypoxia–reoxygenation in rat brain slices. The lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) efflux, lipid peroxidation, and peroxynitrite production were determined as measures of cell death, oxidative stress, and nitrosative stress, respectively. First, the polyphenols were incubated with the brain slices in the same proportions that exist in EVOO, comparing their effects with those of HT. In all cases, the cytoprotective and antioxidant effects of the combination were greater than those of HT alone. Second, we calculated the concentration–effect curves for HT in the absence or presence of each polyphenol. Tyrosol did not significantly modify any of the variables inhibited by HT. Dihydroxyphenylglycol only increased the cytoprotective effect of HT at 10 μM, while it increased its antioxidant effect at 50 and 100 μM and its inhibitory effect on peroxynitrite formation at all the concentrations tested. Oleocanthal increased the cytoprotective and antioxidant effects of HT but did not modify its inhibitory effect on nitrosative stress. The results of this study show that the EVOO polyphenols DHPG and OLC increase the cytoprotective effect of HT in an experimental model of hypoxia–reoxygenation in rat brain slices, mainly due to a possibly synergistic effect on HT’s antioxidant action. These results could explain the greater neuroprotective effect of EVOO than of the polyphenols alone., This study was supported in part by Consejería de Salud—Junta de Andalucía (Spain), Proyectos de Investigación en Salud (PI-0129-2017), and by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Spain), Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial, Programa FEDER Interconecta Pluri-Regional (PS17173. NUTRADAF, ITC-20161265).

© 2021 by the authors., The discovery and application of antibiotics in the common clinical practice has undeniably been one of the major medical advances in our times. Their use meant a drastic drop in infectious diseases-related mortality and contributed to prolonging human life expectancy worldwide. Nevertheless, antibiotics are considered by many a double-edged sword. Their extensive use in the past few years has given rise to a global problem: antibiotic resistance. This factor and the increasing evidence that a wide range of antibiotics can damage mammalian mitochondria, have driven a significant sector of the medical and scientific communities to advise against the use of antibiotics for purposes other to treating severe infections. Notwithstanding, a notorious number of recent studies support the use of these drugs to treat very diverse conditions, ranging from cancer to neurodegenerative or mitochondrial diseases. In this context, there is great controversy on whether the risks associated to antibiotics outweigh their promising beneficial features. The aim of this review is to provide insight in the topic, purpose for which the most relevant findings regarding antibiotic therapies have been discussed., This work was supported by FIS PI16/00786 (2016) and FIS PI19/00377 (2019) grants, Ministerio de Sanidad, Spain and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER Unión Europea), Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport. This activity has been co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and by the Regional Ministry of Economic Transformation, Industry, Knowledge and Universities of the Junta de Andalucía, within the framework of the ERDF Andalusia operational program 2014–2020 Thematic objective “01—Reinforcement of research, technological develop-ment and innovation” through the reference research project CTS-5725 and PY18-850. We acknowledge the support of “Ayudas para la Formación de Profesorado Universitario” (FPU/MINECO), AEPMI (Asociación de Enfermos de Patología Mitocondrial), ENACH (Asociación de enfermos de Neurodegeneración con Acumulación Cerebral de Hierro), FEDER (Federación Española de Enfermedades Raras), Yo Nemálínica Association, KAT6A Association, Fundación MERCK Salud and Fundación MEHUER/Colegio Oficial de Farmacéuticos de Sevilla.

9 páginas.- 6 figuras.- 5 tablas.- 38 referencias, Bruising is defined as the dark spots on the fruit surface that progress into the mesocarp as a consequence of mechanical damage during harvesting, handling or transport. Bruising is a relevant table olive quality trait since it may cause consumer rejection. In the last decades, olive orchards which were traditionally rainfed are being irrigated in order to increase productivity. However, currently Regulated Deficit Irrigation (RDI) strategies have been implanted in oil olive and recently in table olive orchards. Appropriate RDI strategies reduce total water consumption with little or no effect on production or fruit quality. In this work, the effect on bruise damage at harvest of three RDI treatments based on measurements of water potential during pit hardening compared to optimal plant water status (-1.2 MPa before pit hardening and -1.4 MPa after) has been studied in ‘Manzanilla de Sevilla’ olives. The strategies were as follows: RDI-1 aimed a moderate water stress at pit hardening (-2.0 MPa) and regular recovery at late August; RDI-2: severe water stress at pit hardening (-3.5 MPa) and early recovery (late July); RDI-3: severe water stress at pit hardening (-3.5 MPa) and regular recovery. This study was performed throughout the fruit growing season. The treatment with the highest Stress Integral (RDI-3) reduced pulp-to-pit ratio (on fresh weight basis) with no effect on fruit weight or oil content and more than 90% of the fruits reaching commercial categories according to the size. Furthermore, this treatment reduced the size of fruit bruises in comparison to early rehydration strategy. © 2019 Elsevier B.V., This research was supported by Spanish Research Agency (AEI) of the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MINECO) and European Development Fund (FEDER) , projects AGL2013-45922-C2-1-R and AGL2016-75794-C4-4-R.

Autism spectrum disorders are early onset neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by deficits in social communication and restricted repetitive behaviors, yet they are quite heterogeneous in terms of their genetic basis and phenotypic manifestations. Recently, de novo pathogenic mutations in DYRK1A, a chromosome 21 gene associated to neuropathological traits of Down syndrome, have been identified in patients presenting a recognizable syndrome included in the autism spectrum. These mutations produce DYRK1A kinases with partial or complete absence of the catalytic domain, or they represent missense mutations located within this domain. Here, we undertook an extensive biochemical characterization of the DYRK1A missense mutations reported to date and show that most of them, but not all, result in enzymatically dead DYRK1A proteins. We also show that haploinsufficient Dyrk1a+/− mutant mice mirror the neurological traits associated with the human pathology, such as defective social interactions, stereotypic behaviors and epileptic activity. These mutant mice present altered proportions of excitatory and inhibitory neocortical neurons and synapses. Moreover, we provide evidence that alterations in the production of cortical excitatory neurons are contributing to these defects. Indeed, by the end of the neurogenic period, the expression of developmental regulated genes involved in neuron differentiation and/or activity is altered. Therefore, our data indicate that altered neocortical neurogenesis could critically affect the formation of cortical circuits, thereby contributing to the neuropathological changes in DYRK1A haploinsufficiency syndrome., This work was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Economia, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO) (BFU2016-81887-REDT, SAF2013-46676-P and SAF2016-77971-R to M.L.A. and BFU2013-44513 and BFU2016-76141 to S.L.), the Secretariat of Universities and Research-Generalitat de Catalunya (2014SGR674), and the Fundación Alicia Koplowitz (Spain). The group of S.L. acknowledges the support of the MINECO Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa Programme and of the CERCA Programme (Generalitat de Catalunya). G.S-E. and M.P.S. acknowledge the support of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health(USA) (P01NS097197) and the Spanish Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), (PI13/00865, Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional -FEDER “A way of making Europe”, Spain). M.J.B. is supported by the CIBERER, an initiative of the ISCIII. J.A., E.B. and S.N. were supported by MINECO predoctoral fellowships (AP2012-3064 and BES2011-047472) and G.S-E. by a predoctoral fellowship from the Fundación Conchita Rábago, Spain.

The influence of high-pressure processing (HPP) (400, 500 and 600 MPa at 35 °C for 5 min) on different classes of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity (AA) of ‘Golden Delicious’ apple from two different growing regions, northeastern of Spain (lowland climate) (S-apples) and north of Italy (mid-mountain climate) (I-apples) was investigated. Total hydroxycinnamic acids, total dihydrochalcones and total flavan-3-ols content were higher in S-apple (untreated and HPP-treated) than in I-apples and total flavonols content was higher in I-apples. HPP affected phenolic compounds and AA depending on the apple geographical origin. 400 MPa/35 °C/5 min increased total flavonols (30%) and maintained total phenolic compounds determined by HPLC (TP-HPLC) in S-apples. The higher increase of TP-HPLC (54%) was achieved when I-apple was treated at 600 MPa. Untreated and HPP-treated I-apples displayed higher AA than S-apples. HPP (400 and 600 MPa) increased AA in I-apple. Positive correlations were found between TP-HPLC and AA (TP-FC, DPPH·, ABTS·+ and FRAP) in both Italian and Spanish apples., This study has been funded by the Spanish projects AGL2013-46326-R and AGL2016-76817-R (Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness).

[Background]: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer death worldwide. It is broadly described that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is mainly overexpressed in CRC but less is known regarding post-translational modifications of this enzyme that may regulate its activity, intracellular localization and stability. Since metabolic and proteomic profile analysis is essential for cancer prognosis and diagnosis, our hypothesis is that the analysis of correlations between these specific parameters and COX-2 state in tumors of a high number of CRC patients could be useful for the understanding of the basis of this cancer in humans., [Aim]: To analyze COX-2 regulation in colorectal cancer and to perform a detailed analysis of their metabolic and proteomic profile., [Methods]: Biopsies from both healthy and pathological colorectal tissues were taken under informed consent from patients during standard colonoscopy procedure in the University Hospital of Bellvitge (Barcelona, Spain) and Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital (Campus Can Ruti) (Barcelona, Spain). Western blot analysis was used to determine COX-2 levels. Deglycosylation assays were performed in both cells and tumor samples incubating each sample with peptide N-glycosidase F (PNGase F). Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels were determined using a specific ELISA. 1H high resolution magic angle spinning (HRMAS) analysis was performed using a Bruker AVIII 500 MHz spectrometer and proteomic analysis was performed in a nano-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer (nano LC-MS/MS) using a QExactive HF orbitrap MS., [Results]: Our data show that COX-2 has a differential expression profile in tumor tissue of CRC patients vs the adjacent non-tumor area, which correspond to a glycosylated and less active state of the protein. This fact was associated to a lesser PGE2 production in tumors. These results were corroborated in vitro performing deglycosylation assays in HT29 cell line where COX-2 protein profile was modified after PNGase F incubation, showing higher PGE2 levels. Moreover, HRMAS analysis indicated that tumor tissue has altered metabolic features vs non-tumor counterparts, presenting increased levels of certain metabolites such as taurine and phosphocholine and lower levels of lactate. In proteomic experiments, we detected an enlarged number of proteins in tumors that are mainly implicated in basic biological functions like mitochondrial activity, DNA/RNA processing, vesicular trafficking, metabolism, cytoskeleton and splicing., [Conclusion]: In our colorectal cancer cohort, tumor tissue presents a differential COX-2 expression pattern with lower enzymatic activity that can be related to an altered metabolic and proteomic profile., MINECO, No. SAF2017-82436R, SAF2016-75004R, RTC-2017-6283-1, PRB3 (IPT17/0019-ISCIII-SGEFI/ERDF) and BIO2015-67580P; Comunidad de Madrid, No. S2017/BMD-3686; Fundación Ramón Areces, No. 2016/CIVP18A3864; Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain, CIBERCV, No. CB/11/00222 and CB16/11/00277; FEDER, CIBEREHD; the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MCNU); the Pro CNIC Foundation; and Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence, No. SEV-2015-0505.

D-Pinitol (DPIN) is a natural occurring inositol capable of activating the insulin pathway in peripheral tissues, whereas this has not been thoroughly studied in the central nervous system. The present study assessed the potential regulatory effects of DPIN on the hypothalamic insulin signaling pathway. To this end we investigated the Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/Protein Kinase B (Akt) signaling cascade in a rat model following oral administration of DPIN. The PI3K/Akt-associated proteins were quantified by Western blot in terms of phosphorylation and total expression. Results indicate that the acute administration of DPIN induced time-dependent phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt and its related substrates within the hypothalamus, indicating an activation of the insulin signaling pathway. This profile is consistent with DPIN as an insulin sensitizer since we also found a decrease in the circulating concentration of this hormone. Overall, the present study shows the pharmacological action of DPIN in the hypothalamus through the PI3K/Akt pathway when giving in fasted animals. These findings suggest that DPIN might be a candidate to treat brain insulin-resistance associated disorders by activating insulin response beyond the insulin receptor., This work was supported by grants from the following institutions: Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Gobierno de España (Grant RTC-2016-4983-1), EU-ERDF-Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Grant PI19/01577), and Consejería de Economía, Conocimiento y Universidad, Junta de Andalucía (Grant P18-TP-5194), Proyecto de Investigación en Salud, Consejería de Salud y Familias (PI-0139-2018). D.M-V. (FI20/00227) holds a “PFIS” predoctoral contract from the National System of Health, EU-ERDF-Instituto de Salud Carlos III

The endocannabinoid system is involved in the regulation of the stress response, but the relative contribution of N-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and their mechanisms have to be elucidated. In this study, we compared the effects of the pharmacological inhibition of the two major endocannabinoid-degrading enzymes [fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) for AEA and 2-AG, respectively] on stress-coping [forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST)] and anxiety-like [elevated-plus maze (EPM) and light-dark test (LDT)] behaviors in wild-type and FAAH knockout mice. In vivo microdialysis estimated the effects of FAAH and MAGL inhibition on dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) levels in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) during an FST. Mice were treated with PF-3845 (FAAH inhibitor), JZL184 (MAGL inhibitor), JZL195 (dual FAAH/MAGL inhibitor) or vehicle. Our data showed that PF-3845 increased latency to immobility and decreased total immobility time in FST, but no effects were observed in TST compared with vehicle-treated wild-type mice. By contrast, JZL184 decreased latency and increased immobility in TST and FST. JZL195 in wild-type mice and JZL184 in FAAH knockout mice reproduced the same passive coping behaviors as JZL184 in wild-type mice in TST and FST. In the microdialysis experiment, FST was associated with increased DA and 5-HT levels in the mPFC. However, JZL184-treated wild-type mice displayed a significant attenuation of forced swim stress-induced DA release compared with vehicle-treated wild-type mice and PF-3845-treated wild-type mice. Finally, FAAH and/or MAGL inhibitors induced robust and consistent anxiolytic-like effects in EPM and LDT. These results suggested differences between FAAH and MAGL inhibition in stress-coping behaviors. Notably, MAGL inhibition induced a consistent avoidant coping behavior and attenuated the stress-induced mPFC DA response in FST. However, more investigation is needed to elucidate the functional association between DA and 2-AG signaling pathways, and the molecular mechanism in the regulation of passive coping strategies during inescapable stress., Highlights • FAAH and/or MAGL inhibition induce opposite changes in stress-coping behaviors. • MAGL inhibition increases passive stress-coping behaviors in mice. • Passive stress-coping behaviors are regulated by 2-AG rather than AEA signaling. • MAGL inhibition attenuates mPFC dopamine increase in the forced swim test. • FAAH and/or MAGL inhibitors are associated with anxiolytic-like effects.

© 2021 Ramírez, Torrecilla-Parra, Pardo-Marqués, de-Frutos, Pérez-García, Tabraue, de la Rosa, Martín-Rodriguez, Díaz-Sarmiento, Nuñez, Orizaola, Través, Camps, Boscá and Castrillo., Macrophages are immune cells that play crucial roles in host defense against pathogens by triggering their exceptional phagocytic and inflammatory functions. Macrophages that reside in healthy tissues also accomplish important tasks to preserve organ homeostasis, including lipid uptake/efflux or apoptotic-cell clearance. Both homeostatic and inflammatory functions of macrophages require the precise stability of lipid-rich microdomains located at the cell membrane for the initiation of downstream signaling cascades. Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is the main protein responsible for the biogenesis of caveolae and plays an important role in vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis. The Liver X receptors (LXRs) are key transcription factors for cholesterol efflux and inflammatory gene responses in macrophages. Although the role of Cav-1 in cellular cholesterol homeostasis and vascular inflammation has been reported, the connection between LXR transcriptional activity and Cav-1 expression and function in macrophages has not been investigated. Here, using gain and loss of function approaches, we demonstrate that LXR-dependent transcriptional pathways modulate Cav-1 expression and compartmentation within the membrane during macrophage activation. As a result, Cav-1 participates in LXR-dependent cholesterol efflux and the control of inflammatory responses. Together, our data show modulation of the LXR-Cav-1 axis could be exploited to control exacerbated inflammation and cholesterol overload in the macrophage during the pathogenesis of lipid and immune disorders, such as atherosclerosis., We thank MINECO FPI predoctoral fellowship granted to MCO (BES-2015-075339). Experimental work was supported by grants from Ministerio de Ciencia, Investigación y Universidades, y Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) Grant REF: PID2019-104284RB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 (to AC) and support from Networks of Excellence from MINECO (Nuclear Receptors in Cancer, Metabolism and Inflammation [NuRCaMeIn] SAF2017-90604-REDT to AC. Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Ministerio de Ciencia, Investigación y Universidades, and Agencia Estatal de Investigación (SAF2017-82436-R, RTC2017-6283-1), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CB16/11/00222), Consorcio de Investigación en Red de la Comunidad de Madrid, S2017/BMD-3686 and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (to LB). Ministerio de Ciencia, Investigación y Universidades, and Agencia Estatal de Investigación Proyectos de I+D+i Retos Investigación 2018 (RTI2018-095061-B-I00); TALENTO Grant from Madrid Government, Spain (2017-T1/BMD-5333); Consejería de Ciencia, Universidades e Innovación Comunidad de Madrid, Spain (PEJD-2018-POST/BMD-8900 and PEDJ-2018-AI/BDM-9724) to CMR.

15 pág. Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), The diversity of goat scrapie strains in Europe has recently been studied using bioassays in a wide collection of rodent models, resulting in the classification of classical scrapie into four different categories. However, the sole use of the first passage does not lead to isolate adaptation and identification of the strains involved and might therefore lead to misclassification of some scrapie isolates. Therefore, this work reports the complete transmission study of a wide collection of goat transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) isolates by intracranial inoculation in two transgenic mouse lines overexpressing either small ruminant (TgGoat-ARQ) or bovine (TgBov) PrPC. To compare scrapie strains in sheep and goats, sheep scrapie isolates from different European countries were also included in the study. Once the species barrier phenomenon was overcome, an accurate classification of the isolates was attained. Thus, the use of just two rodent models allowed us to fully differentiate at least four different classical scrapie strains in small ruminants and to identify isolates containing mixtures of strains. This work reinforces the idea that classical scrapie in small ruminants is a prion disease caused by multiple different prion strains and not by a single strain, as is the case for epidemic classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE-C). In addition, the clear dissimilarity between the different scrapie strains and BSE-C does not support the idea that classical scrapie is the origin of epidemic BSE-C., This work was funded by European Union Projects [FOOD-CT-2006-36353 [GoatBSE] to JMT and OA and 219235 ERA-NET EMIDA [GOAT-TSE-FREE] to JCE, OA and RN], Spanish Ministerio de Economía Industria y Competitividad [AGL2009-11553-C02-02 to JMT, AGL2016-78054-R (AEI/FEDER, UE) to JMT and JCE and fellowship BES-2010- 040922 to PAC], and Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Agroalimentaria [fellowship INIA-FPI-SGIT-2015-02 to AMM]. The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication

Dietary fatty acids play a role in the pathogenesis of obesity-associated non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is associated with insulin resistance (IR). Fatty acid composition is critical for IR and subsequent NAFLD development. Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) is the main source of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) in Mediterranean diets. This study examined whether EVOO-containing high fat diets may prevent diet-induced NAFLD using Ldlr−/−. Leiden mice. In female Ldlr−/−.Leiden mice, the effects of the following high fat diets (HFDs) were examined: a lard-based HFD (HFD-L); an EVOO-based HFD (HFD-EVOO); a phenolic compounds-rich EVOO HFD (HFD-OL). We studied changes in body weight (BW), lipid profile, transaminases, glucose homeostasis, liver pathology and transcriptome. Both EVOO diets reduced body weight (BW) and improved insulin sensitivity. The EVOOs did not improve transaminase values and increased LDL-cholesterol and liver collagen content. EVOOs and HFD-L groups had comparable liver steatosis. The profibrotic effects were substantiated by an up-regulation of gene transcripts related to glutathione metabolism, chemokine signaling and NF-kappa-B activation and down-regulation of genes relevant for fatty acid metabolism. Collectivelly, EVOO intake improved weight gain and insulin sensitivity but not liver inflammation and fibrosis, which was supported by changes in hepatic genes expression., This work was supported by the grants AGL2014-54585-R, AGL-2017-86927-R, CP14/ 00105, PI18/01590 (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad), PAI-BIO311 (Junta de Andalucía), CB07/08/0006 (Instituto de Salud Carlos III) and by the TNO research programs “Body Brain Interactions ERP 020” and “Functional Biomarkers PMC13”.

Replication of RNA viruses is characterized by exploration of sequence space which facilitates their adaptation to changing environments. It is generally accepted that such exploration takes place mainly in response to positive selection, and that further diversification is boosted by modifications of virus population size, particularly bottleneck events. Our recent results with hepatitis C virus (HCV) have shown that the expansion in sequence space of a viral clone continues despite prolonged replication in a stable cell culture environment. Diagnosis of the expansion was based on the quantification of diversity indices, the occurrence of intra-population mutational waves (variations in mutant frequencies), and greater individual residue variations in mutant spectra than those anticipated from sequence alignments in data banks. In the present report, we review our previous results, and show additionally that mutational waves in amplicons from the NS5A-NS5B-coding region are equally prominent during HCV passage in the absence or presence of the mutagenic nucleotide analogues favipiravir or ribavirin. In addition, by extending our previous analysis to amplicons of the NS3- and NS5A-coding region, we provide further evidence of the incongruence between amino acid conservation scores in mutant spectra from infected patients and in the Los Alamos National Laboratory HCV data banks. We hypothesize that these observations have as a common origin a permanent state of HCV population disequilibrium even upon extensive viral replication in the absence of external selective constraints or changes in population size. Such a persistent disequilibrium¿revealed by the changing composition of the mutant spectrum¿may facilitate finding alternative mutational pathways for HCV antiviral resistance. The possible significance of our model for other genetically variable viruses is discussed., The work at CBMSO was supported by grants SAF2014-52400-R from Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO), SAF2017-87846-R and BFU2017-91384-EXP from Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MCIU), PI18/00210 from Instituto de Salud Carlos III, S2013/ABI-2906 (PLATESA from Comunidad de Madrid/FEDER), and S2018/BAA-4370 (PLATESA2 from Comunidad de Madrid/FEDER). C.P. is supported by the Miguel Servet program of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CPII19/00001), cofinanced by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). CIBERehd (Centro de Investigación en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas) is funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III. Institutional grants from the Fundación Ramón Areces and Banco Santander to the CBMSO are also acknowledged. The team at CBMSO belongs to the Global Virus Network (GVN). The work in Barcelona was supported by Instituto de Salud Carlos III, cofinanced by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Grant No. PI19/00301 and by the Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial (CDTI) from the MICIU, Grant No. IDI-20200297. Work at CAB was supported by MINECO grant BIO2016-79618R and PID2019-104903RB-I00 (funded by the EU under the FEDER program) and by the Spanish State research agency (AEI) through project number MDM-2017-0737 Unidad de Excelencia “María de Maeztu”-Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA). C.G.-C. is supported by predoctoral contract PRE2018-083422 from MCIU. B.M.-G. is supported by predoctoral contract PFIS FI19/00119 from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo), cofinanced by Fondo Social Europeo (FSE).

Carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae infections are an increasing global threat with scarce and uncertain treatment options. In this context, combination therapies are often used for these infections. The bactericidal and synergistic activity of fosfomycin plus amikacin and gentamicin was studied trough time–kill assays against four clonally unrelated clinical isolates of carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae, VIM-1, VIM-1 plus DHA-1, OXA-48 plus CTXM-15, and KPC-3, respectively. The efficacy of antimicrobials that showed synergistic activity in vitro against all the carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae were tested in monotherapy and in combination, in a murine peritoneal sepsis model. In vitro, fosfomycin plus amikacin showed synergistic and bactericidal effect against strains producing VIM-1, VIM-1 plus DHA-1, and OXA-48 plus CTX-M-15. Fosfomycin plus gentamicin had in vitro synergistic activity against the strain producing KPC-3. In vivo, fosfomycin and amikacin and its combination reduced the spleen bacterial concentration compared with controls groups in animals infected by K. pneumoniae producing VIM-1 and OXA-48 plus CTX-M-15. Moreover, amikacin alone and its combination with fosfomycin reduced the bacteremia rate against the VIM-1 producer strain. Contrary to the in vitro results, no in vivo efficacy was found with fosfomycin plus amikacin against the VIM-1 plus DHA-1 producer strain. Finally, fosfomycin plus gentamicin reduced the bacterial concentration in spleen against the KPC-3 producer strain. In conclusion, our results suggest that fosfomycin plus aminoglycosides has a dissimilar efficacy in the treatment of this severe experimental infection, when caused by different carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae strains. Fosfomycin plus amikacin or plus gentamycin may be useful to treat infections by OXA-48 plus CTX-M-15 or KPC-3 producer strains, respectively., This study was supported by the Consejería de Salud of the Junta de Andalucía (PI-0622-2012) and supported by Plan Nacional de I+D+i 2013-2016 and Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Subdirección General de Redes y Centros de Investigación Cooperativa, Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI, RD16/0016/0001, RD16/0016/0009)—co-financed by European Development Regional Fund A way to achieve Europe, Operative program Intelligent Growth 2014-2020. MP-I is a researcher belonging to the program Nicolás Monardes (C1-0038-2019), Servicio Andaluz de Salud, Junta de Andalucía, Spain. TC-C was supported by the V Plan Propio of the University of Seville with a postdoctoral contract as research personnel in training. GL-H has a grant from the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, cofinanced by the European Development Regional Fund (A Way to Achieve Europe) and by the Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (Grant REIPI RD16/0016/0009).

This study analyzes the pharmacokinetic variability of piperacillin in non-critically ill patients with Enterobacteriaceae bloodstream infections (EBSI) and explores predicted clinical outcomes and piperacillin-related neurotoxicity under different renal conditions. Hospitalized, non-critically ill patients treated with piperacillin–tazobactam for EBSI were included. Four serum samples per patient were collected and analyzed. A population pharmacokinetic model was developed using the Pmetrics package for R. Monte Carlo simulations of various dosage regimens of 4 g piperacillin, administered q8 h or q12 h by short (0.5 h) or long (4 h) infusion, following the different glomerular filtration rate (GFR) categories used to classify chronic kidney disease (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes, KDIGO) to determine the probability of target attainment (PTA) using a free drug concentrations above the minimal inhibitory concentration (fT &gt, MIC) of 50% for efficacy and targets for piperacillin-associated neurotoxicity. Twenty-seven patients (102 samples) were included. Extended piperacillin infusions reached a PTA &gt, 90% (50%fT &gt, MIC) within the susceptibility range, although a loading dose did not greatly improve the expected outcome. Long infusions reduced the expected toxicity in patients with severe renal impairment. The study supports the use of extended infusions of piperacillin in non-critically ill patients with EBSI. No benefits of a loading dose were expected in our population. Finally, extended infusions may reduce the risk of toxicity in patients with severe renal impairment.

The administration of microbial neuraminidase into the brain ventricular cavities of rodents represents a model of acute aseptic neuroinflammation. Ependymal cell death and hydrocephalus are unique features of this model. Here we demonstrate that activated microglia participates in ependymal cell death. Co-cultures of pure microglia with ependymal cells (both obtained from rats) were performed, and neuraminidase or lipopolysaccharide were used to activate microglia. Ependymal cell viability was unaltered in the absence of microglia or inflammatory stimulus (neuraminidase or lipopolysaccharide). The constitutive expression by ependymal cells of receptors for cytokines released by activated microglia, such as IL-1β, was demonstrated by qPCR. Besides, neuraminidase induced the overexpression of both receptors in ventricular wall explants. Finally, ependymal viability was evaluated in the presence of functional blocking antibodies against IL-1β and TNFα. In the co-culture setting, an IL-1β blocking antibody prevented ependymal cell death, while TNFα antibody did not. These results suggest that activated microglia are involved in the ependymal damage that occurs after the administration of neuraminidase in the ventricular cavities, and points to IL-1β as possible mediator of such effect. The relevance of these results lies in the fact that brain infections caused by neuraminidase-bearing pathogens are frequently associated to ependymal death and hydrocephalus.

This article belongs to the Special Issue The Quest for Novel Antimicrobials: From Chemical Synthesis and Discovery to Mechanisms of Action and Resistance., The development of new strategic antimicrobial therapeutic approaches, such as drug repurposing, has become an urgent need. Previously, we reported that tamoxifen presents therapeutic efficacy against multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli in experimental infection models by modulating innate immune system cell traffic. The main objective of this study was to analyze the activity of N-desmethyltamoxifen, 4-hydroxytamoxifen, and endoxifen, three major metabolites of tamoxifen, against these pathogens. We showed that immunosuppressed mice infected with A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa, or E. coli in peritoneal sepsis models and treated with tamoxifen at 80 mg/kg/d for three days still reduced the bacterial load in tissues and blood. Moreover, it increased mice survival to 66.7% (for A. baumannii and E. coli) and 16.7% (for P. aeruginosa) when compared with immunocompetent mice. Further, susceptibility and time-kill assays showed that N-desmethyltamoxifen, 4-hydroxytamoxifen, and endoxifen exhibited minimum inhibitory concentration of the 90% of the isolates (MIC90) values of 16 mg/L, and were bactericidal against clinical isolates of A. baumannii and E. coli. This antimicrobial activity of tamoxifen metabolites paralleled an increased membrane permeability of A. baumannii and E. coli without affecting their outer membrane proteins profiles. Together, these data showed that tamoxifen metabolites presented antibacterial activity against MDR A. baumannii and E. coli, and may be a potential alternative for the treatment of infections caused by these two pathogens., This study was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Proyectos de Investigación en Salud (grants PI16/01378 and PI19/01453) and by Plan Nacional de I+D+i 2013–2016 and Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Subdirección General de Redes y Centros de Investigación Cooperativa, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI RD16/0016/0009)—co-financed by European Development Regional Fund “A way to achieve Europe”, Operative program Intelligent Growth 2014–2020. Younes Smani is supported by the Subprograma Miguel Servet Tipo I from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain (CP15/00132).

In recent years, tourism literature has been incorporating tourist satisfaction as a determinant of competitiveness and expenditure in destinations. It was expected a direct relationship between the variables: the better the experience, the greater the expenditure. However, previous literature has not found a strong relationship between them. This study attempts to address this gap by analysing a data survey from Calp, a consolidated destination on the Spanish Mediterranean coastline, using a static comparative exercise between different tourism seasons. As a novel theoretical contribution, seasonality and the different items of expenditure are included in the analysis. In accordance with the previous literature, the result obtained does not confirm a close relationship between satisfaction and expenditure. Some managerial implications are also suggested.

10 Pág. Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Although experimental transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) to pigs and transgenic mice expressing pig cellular prion protein (PrPC) (porcine PrP [PoPrP]-Tg001) has been described, no natural cases of prion diseases in pig were reported. This study analyzed pig-PrPC susceptibility to different prion strains using PoPrP-Tg001 mice either as animal bioassay or as substrate for protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA). A panel of isolates representatives of different prion strains was selected, including classic and atypical/Nor98 scrapie, atypical-BSE, rodent scrapie, human Creutzfeldt-Jakob-disease and classic BSE from different species. Bioassay proved that PoPrP-Tg001-mice were susceptible only to the classic BSE agent, and PMCA results indicate that only classic BSE can convert pig-PrPC into scrapie-type PrP (PrPSc), independently of the species origin. Therefore, conformational flexibility constraints associated with pig-PrP would limit the number of permissible PrPSc conformations compatible with pig-PrPC, thus suggesting that pig-PrPC may constitute a paradigm of low conformational flexibility that could confer high resistance to the diversity of prion strains., This work was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (grants AGL2012- 37988-C04-04 and AGL2016-78054-R [Agencia Estatal de Investigación/Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional, Unión Europea] to J. C. E. and J. M. T., fellowship BES-2010–040922 to P. A. C., and fellowship INIA-FPI-SGIT-2015-02 to A. M. M.), the UK Food Standards Agency (project FS231051 [“Permeability of the Human Species Barriers to TSE Circulating Agents”]), and the Fonds Europeens de Developpement Regional Programme Operationnel de Cooperation Territoriale Espagne France Andorre REDPRION (project EFA148/16 [REDPRION] to O. A.)

Previously, we identified that a cyclic hexapeptide AOA-2 inhibited the interaction of Gram-negative bacilli (GNB) like Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli to host cells thereby preventing the development of infection in vitro and in a murine sepsis peritoneal model. In this work, we aimed to evaluate in vitro a library of AOA-2 derivatives in order to improve the effect of AOA-2 against GNB infections. Ten AOA-2 derivatives were synthetized for the in vitro assays. Their toxicities to human lung epithelial cells (A549 cells) for 24 h were evaluated by determining the A549 cells viability using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. The effect of these peptide derivatives and AOA-2 at 250, 125, 62.5, and 31.25 μg/mL on the attachment of A. baumannii ATCC 17978, P. aeruginosa PAO1 and E. coli ATCC 25922 strains to A549 cells was characterized by adherence and viability assays. None of the 10 derivatives showed toxicity to A549 cells. RW01 and RW06 have reduced more the adherence of ATCC 17978, PAO1 and ATCC 2599 strains to A549 cells when compared with the original compound AOA-2. Moreover, both peptides have increased slightly the viability of infected A549 cells by PAO1 and ATCC 25922 than those observed with AOA-2. Finally, RW01 and RW06 have potentiated the activity of colistin against ATCC 17978 strain in the same level with AOA-2. The optimization program of AOA-2 has generated two derivatives (RW01 and RW06) with best effect against interaction of GNB with host cells, specifically against P. aeruginosa and E. coli., This study was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Proyectos de Investigación en Salud (Grants PI15/01358 and PI16/01378) and by Plan Nacional de I + D + i 2013–2016 and Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Subdirección General de Redes y Centros de Investigación Cooperativa, Ministerio de Ciencia, Inno-vación y Universidades, Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI RD16/0016/0009)—co-financed by the European Development Regional Fund “A way to achieve Europe,” Operative program Intelligent Growth 2014–2020. YS was supported by the Subprograma Miguel Servet Tipo I from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain (CP15/00132).

18 p.-8 fig.-1 tab., The interaction between the T‐lymphocyte costimulatory molecule ICOS and its ligand (ICOS‐L) is needed for efficient immune responses, but expression levels are tightly controlled, as altered expression of ICOS or ICOS‐L may lead to immunodeficiency, or favor autoimmune diseases and tumor growth. Using cells of mouse B cell lymphoma (M12.C3) and melanoma (B16), or hamster CHO cells transfected with various forms of mouse ICOS‐L, and ICOS+ T cell lines, we show that, within minutes, ICOS induces significant downmodulation of surface ICOS‐L that is largely mediated by endocytosis and trans‐endocytosis. So, after interaction with ICOS+ cells, ICOS‐L was found inside permeabilized cells, or in cell lysates, with significant transfer of ICOS from ICOS+ T cells to ICOS‐L‐expressing cells, and simultaneous loss of surface ICOS by the T cells. Data from cells expressing ICOS‐L mutants show that conserved, functionally important residues in the cytoplasmic domain of mouse ICOS‐L (Arg300, Ser307 and Tyr308), or removal of ICOS‐L cytoplasmic tail have minor effect on its internalization. Internalization was dependent on temperature, and was partially dependent on actin polymerization, the GTPase dynamin, protein kinase C, or the integrity of lipid rafts. In fact, a fraction of ICOS‐L was detected in lipid rafts. On the other hand, proteinase inhibitors had negligible effects on early modulation of ICOS‐L from the cell surface. Our data add a new mechanism of control of ICOS‐L expression to the regulation of ICOS‐dependent responses., Supported by Grants PI13/01809 (to J.M.R.), PI13/02153 and PI16CIII/00012 (to P.P.) from “Acción Estratégica en Salud, Plan Estatal I+D+i”, Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad(MINECO, Spain) and by the Associazione Italiana Ricerca sul Cancro(Grant IG20714, AIRC, Milan), Fondazione Amici di Jean (Torino), and Fondazione Cariplo (2017-0535) (to U.D.).

The increase of concentrations of tetracycline antibiotics in agricultural soils worldwide is of special concern, due to its potential toxic effects on soil bacterial communities. In the present work, the reuse of two waste/by-product materials as soil amendments was tested as a preventive practice for reducing tetracycline antibiotics toxicity in soils. Pine bark (PB), with high percentage of organic carbon, and crushed mussel shell (CMS), a frequent natural liming material, were added to 4 soils in doses 0, 6, 12 and 48 g of by-product per kg−1 of soil (dry weight) of each one (separately). The soils and soil-waste mixtures were then spiked with tetracycline (TC), oxytetracycline (OTC) and chlortetracycline (CTC). After one day of incubation, the bacterial growth was estimated in soils and soil-mixtures using the leucine incorporation technique. The addition of PB to the soils showed two different behaviors, depending on the antibiotics. The toxicity of TC and OTC decreased with the addition of PB (toxicities going from 6 to 25% and from 5 to 36%, respectively). However, CTC toxicity did not change, or even increased in response to the PB amendment. Regarding soil amendment with CMS, it was not effective to prevent the toxicity of any of the three antibiotics studied., This study has been funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the projects CGL 2015-67333-C2-1-R and -2-R (FEDER Funds), and by Xunta de Galicia CITACA Strategic Partnership (ED431E 2018/07) and BV1 research group (ED431C 2017/62-GRC). David Fernández Calviño holds a Ramón y Cajal contract (RYC-2016-20411) financed by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness. Vanesa Santás Miguel holds a pre-doctoral fellowship founded by the University of Vigo.

PrimPol is the second primase in human cells, the first with the ability to start DNA chains with dNTPs. PrimPol contributes to DNA damage tolerance by restarting DNA synthesis beyond stalling lesions, acting as a TLS primase. Multiple alignment of eukaryotic PrimPols allowed us to identify a highly conserved motif, WxxY near the invariant motif A, which contains two active site metal ligands in all members of the archeo-eukaryotic primase (AEP) superfamily. In vivo and in vitro analysis of single variants of the WFYY motif of human PrimPol demonstrated that the invariant Trp87 and Tyr90 residues are essential for both primase and polymerase activities, mainly due to their crucial role in binding incoming nucleotides. Accordingly, the human variant F88L, altering the WFYY motif, displayed reduced binding of incoming nucleotides, affecting its primase/polymerase activities especially during TLS reactions on UV-damaged DNA. Conversely, the Y89D mutation initially associated with High Myopia did not affect the ability to rescue stalled replication forks in human cells. Collectively, our data suggest that the WFYY motif has a fundamental role in stabilizing the incoming 3′-nucleotide, an essential requisite for both its primase and TLS abilities during replication fork restart., BFU2015-65880-P (MINECO) and PGC2018-093576-B.C21 (MCI/AEI/FEDER,UE) to L.B., BFU2016-80402-R (MINECO/FEDER, UE) and PID2019-106707RB-100 (AEI/10.13039/501100011033) to J.M., Kempe JCK 1831 to G.S, Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Foundation KAW 2019.0307, VR-2018-02781, to S.W., and by institutional grants from Fundación Ramón Areces and Banco de Santander

The objectives of this study were to characterize the role of the uhpT, glpT, and fosA genes in fosfomycin resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae and evaluate the use of sodium phosphonoformate (PPF) in combination with fosfomycin. Seven clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae and the reference strain (ATCC 700721) were used, and their genomes were sequenced. ΔuhpT, ΔglpT, and ΔfosA mutants were constructed from two isolates and K. pneumoniae ATCC 700721. Fosfomycin susceptibility testing was done by the gradient strip method. Synergy between fosfomycin and PPF was studied by checkerboard assay and analyzed using SynergyFinder. Spontaneous fosfomycin mutant frequencies at 64 and 512 mg/liter, in vitro activity using growth curves with fosfomycin gradient concentrations (0 to 256mg/liter), and time-kill assays at 64 and 307 mg/liter were evaluated with and without PPF (0.623 mM). The MICs of fosfomycin against the clinical isolates ranged from 16 to ≥1,024 mg/liter. The addition of 0.623 mM PPF reduced fosfomycin MIC between 2- and 8-fold. Deletion of fosA led to a 32-fold decrease. Synergistic activities were observed with the combination of fosfomycin and PPF (most synergistic area at 0.623 mM). The lowest fosfomycin-resistant mutant frequencies were found in ΔfosA mutants, with decreases in frequency from 1.69 × 10−1 to 1.60 × 10−5 for 64 mg/liter of fosfomycin. In the final growth monitoring and time-kill assays, fosfomycin showed a bactericidal effect only with the deletion of fosA and not with the addition of PPF. We conclude that fosA gene inactivation leads to a decrease in fosfomycin resistance in K. pneumoniae. The pharmacological approach using PPF did not achieve enough activity, and the effect decreased with the presence of fosfomycin-resistant mutations., Miriam Ortiz-Padilla is supported by a PFIS fellowship from Instituto de Salud Carlos III. This study was supported by the Plan Nacional de I+D+i 2013‐2016 and Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Subdirección General de Redes y Centros de Investigación Cooperativa, Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (PI16/01824, REIPI RD12/0015/0010, and REIPI RD16/0016/0001), cofinanced by European Development Regional Fund A Way To Achieve Europe, Operative Program Intelligent Growth 2014‐2020, and the Consejería de Igualdad, Salud y Políticas Sociales, Junta de Andalucía (PI-0044 to 2013). The funders had no role in the design, collection of data, analysis and writing of the manuscript, or the decision to publish.

Glutathione (GSH) is a useful biomarker in the development, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. However, most of the reported GSH biosensors are expensive, time-consuming and often require complex sample treatment, which limit its biological applications. Herein, a nanobiosensor for the detection of GSH using folic acid-functionalized reduced graphene oxide-modified BSA gold nanoclusters (FA-rGO-BSA/AuNCs) based on the fluorescence quenching interactions is presented. Firstly, a facile and optimized protocol for the fabrication of BSA/AuNCs is developed. Functionalization of rGO with folic acid is performed using EDC/NHS cross-linking reagents, and their interaction after loading with BSA/AuNCs is demonstrated. The formation of FA-rGO, BSA/AuNCs and FA-rGO-BSA/AuNCs are confirmed by the state-of-art characterization techniques. Finally, a fluorescence turn-off sensing strategy is developed using the as-synthesized FA-rGO-BSA/AuNCs for the detection of GSH. The nanobiosensor revealed an excellent sensing performance for the detection of GSH with high sensitivity and desirable selectivity over other potential interfering species. The fluorescence quenching is linearly proportional to the concentration of GSH between 0 and 1.75 µM, with a limit of detection of 0.1 µM under the physiological pH conditions (pH 7.4). Such a sensitive nanobiosensor paves the way to fabricate a “turn-on” or “turn-off” fluorescent sensor for important biomarkers in cancer cells, presenting potential nanotheranostic applications in biological detection and clinical diagnosis., This work was supported by the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS), Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), Malaysia [FRGS/1/2016/STG07/UNIM/02/1] and by the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya. ICN2 is supported by the Severo Ochoa Centres of Excellence programme, funded by the Spanish Research Agency (AEI, Grant no. SEV-2017-0706). We acknowledge support from Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) for funding the project MAT2017-87202-P. Authors acknowledge the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 881603 (Graphene Flagship Core 3).

Nowadays there is not an effective drug for the treatment of infections caused by human adenovirus (HAdV) which supposes a clinical challenge, especially for paediatric and immunosuppressed patients. Here, we describe the design, synthesis and biological evaluation as anti-adenovirus agents of a new library (57 compounds) of diester, monoester and triazole derivatives based on 3-amino-1,2-propanediol skeleton. Seven compounds (17, 20, 26, 34, 44, 60 and 66) were selected based on their high anti-HAdV activity at low micromolar concentration (IC50 from 2.47 to 5.75 µM) and low cytotoxicity (CC50 from 28.70 to >200 µM). In addition, our mechanistic assays revealed that compounds 20 and 44 might be targeting specifically the HAdV DNA replication process, and compound 66 would be targeting HAdV E1A mRNA transcription. For compounds 17, 20, 34 and 60, the mechanism of action seems to be associated with later steps after HAdV DNA replication., This work has been supported by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Plan Estatal 2017-2020 Retos - Proyectos I + D + i (PID2019-104767RB-I00); Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Plan Nacional I + D + i 2013-2016, Retos-Proyectos (CTQ2016-78580-C2-2-R); Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Subdirección General de Redes y Centros de Investigación Cooperativa, Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI RD16/0016/0009), cofinanced by European Development Regional Fund “A way to achieve Europe”, the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Proyectos de Investigación en Salud (PI17/01055; PI18/01191) and Proyectos de Desarrollo Tecnológico en Salud (DTS17/00130), the Spanish Adenovirus Network (AdenoNet, BIO2015/68990-REDT), and the program “Nicolás Monardes” (C-0059-2018), Servicio Andaluz de Salud, Junta de Andalucía.

This work was supported by grants from the following institutions: Grant for international postdoctoral stay. Jose Castillejo Program (Grant CAS15/00257), Ministerio de Educación Cultura y Deporte. Gobierno de España. Proyecto de Investigación en Salud, Consejería de Salud y Familias (Grant PI-0139-2018). EU-ERDF-Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Grant PI19/01577). Proyectos dedesarrollo tecnológico, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Grant DTS19/00125). Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (Grant RTC-2019-007329-1).

A laboratory experiment was performed to examine the medium-term influence of three tetracycline antibiotics (chlortetracycline, CTC; tetracycline, TC and oxytetracycline, OTC) at different concentrations in four agricultural soils with similar pH and different soil organic content. After a 42-days incubation period, three different soil enzymes ( -glucosidase, urease, and phosphomonoesterase) were estimated, as well as the phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs). A residual effect was observed on all microbial parameters measured in the four soils affecting to the soil enzymes activity and soil microbial communities structure (PLFA pattern). A different microbial sensitivity to antibiotics was detected depending on both, soil type and the microbial property considered. Specifically, in general, no antibiotic effect or even a slight positive effect was observed for phosphomonoesterase and -glucosidase enzyme activities, respectively, while a negative effect was detected for urease activity values, particularly at higher doses of the antibiotics in a soil with a low organic matter content. The principal component analysis performed with the PLFAs data obtained for all soil samples showed different microbial communities depending mainly on soil type, followed by the antibiotic added to the soil (CTC, TC or OTC) and, in a lesser extent, by its concentration. In general, the PLFA patterns showed similar microbial communities structure due to OTC and TC addition in comparison to the microbial communities structure of soil treated with CTC. These results could be environmentally relevant, especially as regards potential effects of antibiotics on the soil microbiome and hence on health risk assessment of these antibiotics in soils., This study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the projects CGL2015-67333-C2-1-R and -2-R (FEDER Funds). The research group was also funded by Xunta de Galicia via the BV1 research group (ED431C 2017/62-GRC). David Fernández Calviño holds a Ramón y Cajal contract (RYC-2016-20411), financed by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness. Vanesa Santás Miguel holds a predoctoral fellowship (ED481A-2020/089) financed by the Ministry of Education, University, and Professional Training of Xunta de Galicia.

15 p.-5 fig.-3 tab., Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a rare autosomal dominant vascular dysplasia characterized by epistaxis, mucocutaneous telangiectases, and arteriovenous malformations (AVM) in the visceral organs. The diagnosis of HHT is based on clinical Curaçao criteria, which show limited sensitivity in children and young patients. Here, we carried out a liquid biopsy by which we isolated total RNA from plasma exosome samples. A cohort of 15 HHT type 1 patients, 15 HHT type 2 patients, and 10 healthy relatives were analyzed. Upon gene expression data processing and normalization, a statistical analysis was performed to explore similarities in microRNA expression patterns among samples and detect differentially expressed microRNAs between HHT samples and the control group. We found a disease-associated molecular fingerprint of 35 miRNAs over-represented in HHT vs. controls, with eight being specific for HHT1 and 11 for HHT2; we also found 30 under-represented, including nine distinct for HHT1 and nine for HHT2. The analysis of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves showed that eight miRNAs had good (AUC > 75%) or excellent (AUC > 90%) diagnosis value for HHT and even for type HHT1 and HHT2. In addition, we identified the cellular origin of these miRNAs among the cell types involved in the vascular malformations. Interestingly, we found that only some of them were incorporated into exosomes, which suggests a key functional role of these exosomal miRNAs in the pathophysiology of HHT., This work was funded by the Spanish Program for Young Investigators of the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (grant number SAF2015-74313JIN; MINECO/FEDER, UE) to FJB; and “Programa Operativo FEDER 2014–2020 and Consejería de Economía y Conocimiento de la Junta de Andalucía” (grant number B1-FQM-112-UGR18) to ABJR.

Disbalancing envelope stress responses was investigated as a strategy for sensitization of Escherichia coli to antimicrobial agents. Seventeen isogenic strains were selected from the KEIO collection with deletions in genes corresponding to the σE, Cpx, Rcs, Bae, and Psp responses. Antimicrobial activity against 20 drugs with different targets was evaluated by disk diffusion and gradient strip tests. Growth curves and time-kill curves were also determined for selected mutant-antimicrobial combinations. An increase in susceptibility to ampicillin, ceftazidime, cefepime, aztreonam, ertapenem, and fosfomycin was detected. Growth curves for Psp response mutants showed a decrease in optical density (OD) using sub-MIC concentrations of ceftazidime and aztreonam (ΔpspA and ΔpspB mutants), cefepime (ΔpspB and ΔpspC mutants) and ertapenem (ΔpspB mutant). Time-kill curves were also performed using 1xMIC concentrations of these antimicrobials. For ceftazidime, 2.9 log10 (ΔpspA mutant) and 0.9 log10 (ΔpspB mutant) decreases were observed at 24 and 8 h, respectively. For aztreonam, a decrease of 3.1 log10 (ΔpspA mutant) and 4 log1010 (ΔpspB mutant) was shown after 4–6 h. For cefepime, 4.2 log10 (ΔpspB mutant) and 2.6 log10 (ΔpspC mutant) decreases were observed at 8 and 4 h, respectively. For ertapenem, a decrease of up to 6 log10 (ΔpspB mutant) was observed at 24 h. A deficient Psp envelope stress response increased E. coli susceptibility to beta-lactam agents such as cefepime, ceftazidime, aztreonam and ertapenem. Its role in repairing extensive inner membrane disruptions makes this pathway essential to bacterial survival, so that disbalancing the Psp response could be an appropriate target for sensitization strategies., This study was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad—co-financed by European Development Regional Fund “A way to achieve Europe” ERDF, Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases [REIPI RD12/0015 and RD16/0016]. Supported by the Plan Nacional de I+D+i 2013–2016 and Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Subdirección General de Redes y Centros de Investigación Cooperativa, Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (PI14/00940, PI17/01501, PI20/00239, RD16/0016/0001, and REIPI RD16/0016/0009)—co-financed by European Development Regional Fund “A way to achieve Europe,” Operative Programme Intelligent Growth 2014–2020.

Oxidative distress and mitochondrial dysfunction, are key factors involved in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease (PD). The pleiotropic hormone insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) has shown neuroprotective and antioxidant effects in some neurodegenerative diseases. In this work, we demonstrate the protective effect of IGF-II against the damage induced by 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) in neuronal dopaminergic cell cultures and a mouse model of progressive PD. In the neuronal model, IGF-II counteracts the oxidative distress produced by MPP + protecting dopaminergic neurons. Improved mitochondrial function, increased nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like2 (NRF2) nuclear translocation along with NRF2-dependent upregulation of antioxidative enzymes, and modulation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling pathway were identified as mechanisms leading to neuroprotection and the survival of dopaminergic cells. The neuroprotective effect of IGF-II against MPP + -neurotoxicity on dopaminergic neurons depends on the specific IGF-II receptor (IGF-IIr). In the mouse model, IGF-II prevents behavioural dysfunction and dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway degeneration and mitigates neuroinflammation induced by MPP+. Our work demonstrates that hampering oxidative stress and normalising mitochondrial function through the interaction of IGF-II with its specific IGF-IIr are neuroprotective in both neuronal and mouse models. Thus, the modulation of the IGF-II/IGF-IIr signalling pathway may be a useful therapeutic approach for the prevention and treatment of PD., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • IGF-II hampers oxidative damage and promotes survival in a cellular model of PD. • IGF-II avoids mitochondrial damage in dopaminergic cells in a model of PD. • IGF-II receptor mediates the neuroprotective effect of IGF-II in a cellular model of PD. • IGF-II prevents nigrostriatal degeneration and inflammation in a mice model of PD. • IGF-II prevents behavioural dysfunction in a mice model of PD.

RNA splicing is widely dysregulated in cancer, frequently due to altered expression or activity of splicing factors (SFs). Microexons are extremely small exons (3–27 nucleotides long) that are highly evolutionarily conserved and play critical roles in promoting neuronal differentiation and development. Inclusion of microexons in mRNA transcripts is mediated by the SF Serine/Arginine Repetitive Matrix 4 (SRRM4), whose expression is largely restricted to neural tissues. However, microexons have been largely overlooked in prior analyses of splicing in cancer, as their small size necessitates specialized computational approaches for their detection. Here, we demonstrate that despite having low expression in normal nonneural tissues, SRRM4 is further silenced in tumors, resulting in the suppression of normal microexon inclusion. Remarkably, SRRM4 is the most consistently silenced SF across all tumor types analyzed, implying a general advantage of microexon down-regulation in cancer independent of its tissue of origin. We show that this silencing is favorable for tumor growth, as decreased SRRM4 expression in tumors is correlated with an increase in mitotic gene expression, and up-regulation of SRRM4 in cancer cell lines dose-dependently inhibits proliferation in vitro and in a mouse xenograft model. Further, this proliferation inhibition is accompanied by induction of neural-like expression and splicing patterns in cancer cells, suggesting that SRRM4 expression shifts the cell state away from proliferation and toward differentiation. We therefore conclude that SRRM4 acts as a proliferation brake, and tumors gain a selective advantage by cutting off this brake., This project was funded in part by a grant from the Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación to L.S. (PGC2018-101271-B-I00, http://www.ciencia.gob.es). S.A.H. is supported by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (MSCA-IF-2017-794629, http://ec.europa.eu/). X.H. is supported by a PhD fellowship from the Fundación Ramón Areces (http://www.fundacionareces.es). We acknowledge the support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, ‘Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa’, the CERCA Programme / Generalitat de Catalunya, and the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MEIC) to the EMBL partnership.

This paper examines the impact of COVID-19 on bilateral trade flows using a state-of-the-art gravity model of trade. Using the monthly trade data of 68 countries exporting across 222 destinations between January 2019 and October 2020, our results are threefold. First, we find a greater negative impact of COVID-19 on bilateral trade for those countries that were members of regional trade agreements before the pandemic. Second, we find that the impact of COVID-19 is negative and significant when we consider indicators related to governmental actions. Finally, this negative effect is more intense when exporter and importer country share identical income levels. In the latter case, the highest negative impact is found for exports between high-income countries, Universidad de Alcalá de Henares (UAH) and Banco Santander through research project COVID-19 UAH 2019/00003/016/001/007. De Lucio also thanks financial support from Comunidad de Madrid and UAH (ref: EPUINV/2020/006 and H2019/HUM5761)

This article belongs to the Special Issue Wildlife Diseases., The hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen whose main reservoir is suids. Most of the ecological and epidemiological aspects of its sylvatic cycle remain unknown. Thus, in this work, we study the drivers of HEV exposure in the wild boar population of Doñana National Park (DNP, southwest Spain) operating in the medium and long-term (2005–2018). Anti-HEV antibodies are widely distributed throughout the wild boar (46.7 ± 3.8%, 327 out of 700 sampled), showing a statistically significant age-increasing pattern. The temporal pattern displayed important interannual fluctuations. This could be mediated by marked variations in the population control of the wild boar, and subsequent changes in abundance rates, and its interplay with climatic conditions; as wet years together with a low abundance of wild boar led to the lowest seroprevalence. The fact that seroprevalence is high during conditions of high abundance, and not affected by rainfall level, is probably due to the increased interactions among the animals, and possibly, the subsequent higher environmental contamination with HEV particles. The proximity to the marshland (the main water body of the study area) is associated with a higher risk of testing positive, which is probably mediated by the preferential use of this area during the dry season and the favourable environmental conditions for the survival of HEV particles. A deeper understanding of the epidemiology of HEV in host communities deserves future research concerning other susceptible species. Most importantly, wild boar population control remains a challenge at the international level, and an increase of shared pathogen-related conflicts associated with this species is expected, as exemplified by HEV. Therefore, surveillance of wild boar diseases, including integrated population monitoring and sustainable population control programmes, will be essential to control the associated risks., This research was funded by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO; AEI/FEDER, UE; AGL2016-76358-R). S.J. is co-supported by the UCLM and the European Social Fund (2018/12504). J.C. received support from the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (FPU/17/01319). A.R.J. is the recipient of a Miguel Servet Research Contract by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Promoción y Universidades of Spain (CP18/00111).

The human Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain accumulates angiogenic markers but paradoxically, the cerebral microvasculature is reduced around Aß plaques. Here we demonstrate that angiogenesis is started near Aß plaques in both AD mouse models and human AD samples. However, endothelial cells express the molecular signature of non-productive angiogenesis (NPA) and accumulate, around Aß plaques, a tip cell marker and IB4 reactive vascular anomalies with reduced NOTCH activity. Notably, NPA induction by endothelial loss of presenilin, whose mutations cause familial AD and which activity has been shown to decrease with age, produced a similar vascular phenotype in the absence of Aß pathology. We also show that Aß plaque-associated NPA locally disassembles blood vessels, leaving behind vascular scars, and that microglial phagocytosis contributes to the local loss of endothelial cells. These results define the role of NPA and microglia in local blood vessel disassembly and highlight the vascular component of presenilin loss of function in AD., A.E.R.-N. was the recipient of a JdlC-F fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness (MINEICO) (FJCI-2015-23708), M.I.A.-V., N.L.-U., and C.O.-d.S.L. were the recipient of an FPU fellowship from Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sport (respectively, FPU15/02898, FPU14-02115, and AP2010‐1598), and R.M.-D. was the recipient of a “Sara Borrell” fellowship from ISCIII (CD09/0007). Work was supported by grants to A.P. by the Spanish MINEICO, ISCIII, and FEDER (SAF2012‐33816, SAF2015‐64111‐R, RTI2018-096629-B-100, SAF2017-90794-REDT, and PIE13/0004), by the regional Government of Andalusia (“Proyectos de Excelencia”, P12‐CTS‐2138 and P12‐CTS‐2232) co-funded by CEC and FEDER funds, and by the “Ayuda de Biomedicina 2018”, Fundación Domingo Martínez; J.Vitorica: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCiii) of Spain, co-financed by FEDER funds from European Union (PI18/01556) by La Marató-TV3 Foundation grant 20141431; by CIBERNED (CB06/05/0094); and by Junta de Andalucia Consejería de Economía y Conocimiento through grant US-1262734; A.G.: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCiii) of Spain, co-financed by FEDER funds from European Union, through grant PI18/01557; and by Junta de Andalucia Consejería de Economía y Conocimiento through grants UMA18-FEDERJA-211 and P18-RT-2233 co-financed by Programa Operativo FEDER 2014-2020.

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are the most harmful DNA lesions and their repair is crucial for cell viability and genome integrity. The readout of DSB repair may depend on whether DSBs occur at transcribed versus non-transcribed regions. Some studies have postulated that DNA-RNA hybrids form at DSBs to promote recombinational repair, but others have challenged this notion. To directly assess whether hybrids formed at DSBs promote or interfere with the recombinational repair, we have used plasmid and chromosomal-based systems for the analysis of DSB-induced recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We show that, as expected, DNA-RNA hybrid formation is stimulated at DSBs. In addition, mutations that promote DNA-RNA hybrid accumulation, such as hpr1∆ and rnh1∆ rnh201∆, cause high levels of plasmid loss when DNA breaks are induced at sites that are transcribed. Importantly, we show that high levels or unresolved DNA-RNA hybrids at the breaks interfere with their repair by homologous recombination. This interference is observed for both plasmid and chromosomal recombination and is independent of whether the DSB is generated by endonucleolytic cleavage or by DNA replication. These data support a model in which DNA-RNA hybrids form fortuitously at DNA breaks during transcription and need to be removed to allow recombinational repair, rather than playing a positive role. European Research Council ERC2014 AdG669898 TARLOOP Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad BFU2016-75058-P Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades PDI2019-104270GB-I00