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Colorectal cancer (CRC) and ovarian cancer (OvC) patients frequently develop peritoneal metastasis, a condition associated with a very poor prognosis. In these cancers, tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) cause immunosuppression, facilitate the direct attachment and invasion of cancer cells through the mesothelium, induce the conversion of peritoneal mesothelial cells (PMCs) into cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and transfer a more aggressive phenotype amongst cancer cells. Although the promoting role of EVs in CRC and OvC peritoneal metastasis is well established, the specific molecules that mediate the interactions between tumor-derived EVs and immune and non-immune target cells remain elusive. Here, we employed the SKOV-3 (ovarian adenocarcinoma) and Colo-320 (colorectal adenocarcinoma) human cell lines as model systems to study the interactions and uptake of EVs produced by ovarian carcinoma and colorectal carcinoma cells, respectively. We established that the adhesion molecule ALCAM/CD166 is involved in the interaction of cancer-derived EVs with recipient cancer cells (a process termed “EV binding” or “EV docking”) and in their subsequent uptake by these cells. The identification of ALCAM/CD166 as a molecule mediating the docking and uptake of CRC and OvC-derived EVs may be potentially exploited to block the peritoneal metastasis cascade promoted by EVs in CRC and OvC patients.

Embryonic implantation is a key step in the establishment of pregnancy. In the present work, we have carried out an in-depth proteomic analysis of the secretome (extracellular vesicles and soluble proteins) of two bovine blastocysts embryonic trophectoderm primary cultures (BBT), confirming different epithelial–mesenchymal transition stages in these cells. BBT-secretomes contain early pregnancy-related proteins and angiogenic proteins both as cargo in EVs and the soluble fraction. We have demonstrated the functional transfer of protein-containing secretome between embryonic trophectoderm and maternal MSC in vitro using two BBT primary cultures eight endometrial MSC (eMSC) and five peripheral blood MSC (pbMSC) lines. We observed that eMSC and pbMSC chemotax to both the soluble fraction and EVs of the BBT secretome. In addition, in a complementary direction, we found that the pattern of expression of implantation proteins in BBT-EVs changes depending on: (i) their epithelial–mesenchymal phenotype; (ii) as a result of the uptake of eMSC- or pbMSC-EV previously stimulated or not with embryonic signals (IFN-τ); (iii) because of the stimulation with the endometrial cytokines present in the uterine fluid in the peri-implantation period.

Tetraspanins are often used as Extracellular Vesicle (EV) detection markers because of their abundance on these secreted vesicles. However, data on their function on EV biogenesis are controversial and compensatory mechanisms often occur upon gene deletion. To overcome this handicap, we have compared the effects of tetraspanin CD9 gene deletion with those elicited by cytopermeable peptides with blocking properties against tetraspanin CD9. Both CD9 peptide or gene deletion reduced the number of early endosomes. CD9 peptide induced an increase in lysosome numbers, while CD9 deletion augmented the number of MVB and EV secretion, probably because of compensatory CD63 expression upregulation. In vivo, CD9 peptide delayed primary tumour cell growth and reduced metastasis size. These effects on cell proliferation were shown to be concomitant with an impairment in mitochondrial quality control. CD9 KO cells were able to compensate the mitochondrial malfunction by increasing total mitochondrial mass reducing mitophagy. Our data thus provide the first evidence for a functional connection of tetraspanin CD9 with mitophagy in melanoma cells., Ministerio Espanol de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO), grant from the Fundacion Ramon Areces and Leonardo Grant from fBBVA to Maria Yanez-Mo

The phagocytic integrins and complement receptors &alpha, M&beta, 2/CR3 and &alpha, X&beta, 2/CR4 are classically associated with the phagocytosis of iC3b-opsonized particles. The activation of this receptor is dependent on signals derived from other receptors (inside-out signaling) with the crucial involvement of the Rap1-RIAM-Talin-1 pathway. Here, we analyze the implication of RIAM and its binding partner VASP in the signaling events occurring downstream of &beta, 2 integrins (outside-in) during complement-mediated phagocytosis. To this end, we used HL-60 promyelocytic cell lines deficient in RIAM or VASP or overexpressing EGFP-tagged VASP to determine VASP dynamics at phagocytic cups. Our results indicate that RIAM-deficient HL-60 cells presented impaired particle internalization and altered integrin downstream signaling during complement-dependent phagocytosis. Similarly, VASP deficiency completely blocked phagocytosis, while VASP overexpression increased the random movement of phagocytic particles at the cell surface, with reduced internalization. Moreover, the recruitment of VASP to particle contact sites, amount of pSer157-VASP and formation of actin-rich phagocytic cups were dependent on RIAM expression. Our results suggested that RIAM worked as a relay for integrin complement receptors in outside-in signaling, coordinating integrin activation and cytoskeletal rearrangements via its interaction with VASP.

© 2020 by the authors., Membrane-bound proteases play a key role in biology by degrading matrix proteins or shedding adhesion receptors. MT1-MMP metalloproteinase is critical during cancer invasion, angiogenesis, and development. MT1-MMP activity is strictly regulated by internalization, recycling, autoprocessing but also through its incorporation into tetraspanin-enriched microdomains (TEMs), into invadopodia, or by its secretion on extracellular vesicles (EVs). We identified a juxtamembrane positively charged cluster responsible for the interaction of MT1-MMP with ERM (ezrin/radixin/moesin) cytoskeletal connectors in breast carcinoma cells. Linkage to ERMs regulates MT1-MMP subcellular distribution and internalization, but not its incorporation into extracellular vesicles. MT1-MMP association to ERMs and insertion into TEMs are independent phenomena, so that mutation of the ERM-binding motif in the cytoplasmic region of MT1-MMP does not preclude its association with the tetraspanin CD151, but impairs the accumulation and coalescence of CD151/MT1-MMP complexes at actin-rich structures. Conversely, gene deletion of CD151 does not impact on MT1-MMP colocalization with ERM molecules. At the plasma membrane MT1-MMP autoprocessing is severely dependent on ERM association and seems to be the dominant regulator of the enzyme collagenolytic activity. This newly characterized MT1-MMP/ERM association can thus be of relevance for tumor cell invasion., This work has been supported by grants BFU2014-55478-R, REDIEX. SAF2015-71231-REDT and BIO2017-86500-R from Ministerio Español de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) and by a grant from Fundación Ramón Areces “Ayudas a la Investigación en Ciencias de la Vida y de la Materia, 2014” to M.Y.-M. H.S. was supported by a FPI-UAM fellowship. The CNIC is supported by the Ministry of Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades and the Pro CNIC Foundation, is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (SEV-2015-0505), also supported by European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) “Una manera de hacer Europa”.

Embryonic implantation is a key step in the establishment of pregnancy. In the present work, we have carried out an in-depth proteomic analysis of the secretome (extracellular vesicles and soluble proteins) of two bovine blastocysts embryonic trophectoderm primary cultures (BBT), confirming different epithelial–mesenchymal transition stages in these cells. BBT-secretomes contain early pregnancy-related proteins and angiogenic proteins both as cargo in EVs and the soluble fraction. We have demonstrated the functional transfer of protein-containing secretome between embryonic trophectoderm and maternal MSC in vitro using two BBT primary cultures eight endometrial MSC (eMSC) and five peripheral blood MSC (pbMSC) lines. We observed that eMSC and pbMSC chemotax to both the soluble fraction and EVs of the BBT secretome. In addition, in a complementary direction, we found that the pattern of expression of implantation proteins in BBT-EVs changes depending on: (i) their epithelial–mesenchymal phenotype; (ii) as a result of the uptake of eMSC-or pbMSC-EV previously stimulated or not with embryonic signals (IFN-τ); (iii) because of the stimulation with the endometrial cytokines present in the uterine fluid in the peri-implantation period., Ministerio de Economía Industria y Competitividad to Ramírez M. A. (AGL2015-70140-R), Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación to Ramírez M. A. (PID2019-107145RB-I00) and to Yáñez-Mo M. (BIO2017-86500-R), Spanish Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico, through Fundación Biodiversidad to Ramírez M. A. (PRCV00820) and European Union’s Horizon 2020

The outstanding potential of Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) in medicine, deserves a detailed study of the molecular aspects regulating their incorporation into target cells. However, because EV size lies below the limit of resolution of optical techniques, quantification together with discrimination between EV binding to the target cell and uptake is usually not completely achieved with current techniques. Human tetraspanins CD9 and CD63 were fused to a dual EGFP-Renilla-split tag. Subcellular localization and incorporation of these fusion proteins into EVs was assessed by western-blot and fluorescence microscopy. EV binding and uptake was measured using either a classical Renilla substrate or a cytopermeable one. Incubation of target cells expressing DSP2 with EVs containing the complementary DSP1 portion could not recover fluorescence or luciferase activity. However, using EVs carrying the fully reconstituted Dual-EGFP-Renilla protein and the cytopermeable Renilla luciferase substrate, we could distinguish EV binding from uptake. We provide proof of concept of the system by analysing the effect of different chemical inhibitors, demonstrating that this method is highly sensitive and quantitative, allowing a dynamic follow-up in a high-throughput scheme to unravel the molecular mechanisms of EV uptake in different biological systems., Ministerio Español de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) and by a grant from Fundación Ramón Areces “Ayudas a la Investigación en Ciencias de la Vida y de la Materia, 2014” to MY-M; and by SAF2016-77096-R from MINECO

El presente Informe de Ingeniería busca mostrar el proceso constructivo demostrativo con la cual hace que el proyecto sea autosostenible a través del tiempo de ejecución y operación. Se muestra las metodología y estrategias que se usó durante la intervención de la institución que participa como ejecutor en nuestro caso la Organización No gubernamental ADRA Perú. Para lograr esto se ha tenido que usar estrategias participativas de la población objetivo antes y durante la ejecución. El presente proyecto tiene la finalidad de abastecer de agua para el consumo humano durante todo el periodo del año, mediante la perforación de 90 pozos tubulares con bomba manual. Cada pozo abastece de agua a familias cuyas viviendas se encuentren cercanas pertenecientes a comunidad de Ramis (extremadamente pobre) del Distrito de Taraco, Departamento de Puno. Esta comunidad participante tiene pocas posibilidades de ser atendidas con los sistemas convencionales, por lo que es necesario el desarrollo de tecnologías apropiadas funcional de bajo costo y estrategias que posibiliten su sostenibilidad, lo cual se ha considerado en el presente proyecto. Este proyecto constituye una obra de servicio a la comunidad participante y el hecho de tener un pozo para extraer el agua trae consigo la mejora de la salud e higiene familiar, reduciendo la alta tasa de morbimortalidad existente en nuestro País. La tecnología que se utilizó es una alternativa adecuada para superar el inconveniente a corto plazo para regiones rurales con población dispersa. Se trata de una serie de técnicas nuevas, a muy bajo costo, hecho con material de ferretería, teniendo un costo muy económico de mantenimiento y facilidad de operación de la bomba. Para el uso adecuado y sostenible del servicio instalado, se contó con la participación comunitaria desde el inicio del proyecto, analizando las dificultades y/o problemas en forma conjunta, debatiendo soluciones y desarrollando la capacidad de organización, haciendo que la comunidad haga suyo del proyecto. Asimismo, el Proyecto contempla la implementación del componente de formación de capacitación en educación sanitaria; uso, operación y mantenimiento de los pozos tubulares; y gestión y administración del sistema, para lograr la autosostenibilidad del servicio en el tiempo. ADRA del Perú trabaja en forma conjunta con sus diferentes programas: Nutrición Infantil (NI, Rehabilitación de niños desnutridos), Generación de Ingresos Agropecuarios (GIA, capacita a los agricultores para el aumento de su productividad), Desarrollo de Infraestructura y Servicios Básicos ( DISB, desarrolla y ejecuta proyectos agua y saneamiento en las comunidades intervenidas por los programas NI y GIA) y Prevención y Atención de Desastres, permitiendo de esta forma el desarrollo integral de la comunidad. Con el presente proyecto se benefició a 01 comunidad (Ramis), 270 familias que hacen un total aproximado de 1,350 habitantes del Distrito Taraco, Provincia de Huancané, del Departamento de Puno. Informe de ingeniería

El presente informe es la recopilación, ordenamiento y sustentación de los ensayos de fabricación del transformador de potencia de 25/30 MVA, ONAN/ONAF, 60 ± 1 0x1 %/6.3 Kv en la Sala de Pruebas de Tubos Trans Electric S.A.I.C.F. y A. en la ciudad de Córdoba (Argentina), a la que asistí como supervisor nombrado por el cliente Cementos Norte Pacasmayo S.A., en octubre de 1,993. Estos ensayos se realizaron bajo las normas IEC-76 y los resultados fueron satisfactorios. Trabajo de suficiencia profesional