Helicobacter pylori Pathogenicity Islands and Giardia lamblia Cysteine Proteases in Role of Coinfection and Pathogenesis

Helicobacter pylori is a common pathogen associated with several severe digestive diseases. Although multiple virulence factors have been described, it is still unclear the role of virulence factors on H. pylori pathogenesis and disease progression. Whole genome sequencing could help to find genetic markers of virulence strains. In this work, we analyzed three complete genomes from isolates obtained at the same point in time from a stomach of a patient with adenocarcinoma, using multiple available bioinformatics tools. The genome analysis of the strains B508A-S1, B508A-T2A and B508A-T4 revealed that they were cagA, babA and sabB/hopO negative. The differences among the three genomes were mainly related to outer membrane proteins, methylases, restriction modification systems and flagellar biosynthesis proteins. The strain B508A-T2A was the only one presenting the genotype vacA s1, and had the most distinct genome as it exhibited fewer shared genes, higher number of unique genes, and more polymorphisms were found in this genome. With all the accumulated information, no significant differences were found among the isolates regarding virulence and origin of the isolates. Nevertheless, some B508A-T2A genome characteristics could be linked to the pathogenicity of H. pylori.

Download Full-text

The role of linked color imaging in endoscopic diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori associated gastritis

Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology ◽

10.1080/00365521.2020.1794025 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 55 (9) ◽

pp. 1114-1120

Author(s):

Sang Pyo Lee ◽

Jin Lee ◽

Sea Hyub Kae ◽

Hyun Joo Jang ◽

Dong Hee Koh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Helicobacter Pylori ◽

Endoscopic Diagnosis ◽

Color Imaging ◽

Linked Color Imaging

Download Full-text

Loss of Non-Apoptotic Role of Caspase-3 in the PINK1 Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms20143407 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (14) ◽

pp. 3407 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Paola Imbriani ◽

Annalisa Tassone ◽

Maria Meringolo ◽

Giulia Ponterio ◽

Graziella Madeo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Synaptic Plasticity ◽

Mouse Model ◽

Caspase 3 ◽

Cysteine Proteases ◽

Synaptic Function ◽

Adult Brain ◽

Striatal Slices

Caspases are a family of conserved cysteine proteases that play key roles in multiple cellular processes, including programmed cell death and inflammation. Recent evidence shows that caspases are also involved in crucial non-apoptotic functions, such as dendrite development, axon pruning, and synaptic plasticity mechanisms underlying learning and memory processes. The activated form of caspase-3, which is known to trigger widespread damage and degeneration, can also modulate synaptic function in the adult brain. Thus, in the present study, we tested the hypothesis that caspase-3 modulates synaptic plasticity at corticostriatal synapses in the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) induced kinase 1 (PINK1) mouse model of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Loss of PINK1 has been previously associated with an impairment of corticostriatal long-term depression (LTD), rescued by amphetamine-induced dopamine release. Here, we show that caspase-3 activity, measured after LTD induction, is significantly decreased in the PINK1 knockout model compared with wild-type mice. Accordingly, pretreatment of striatal slices with the caspase-3 activator α-(Trichloromethyl)-4-pyridineethanol (PETCM) rescues a physiological LTD in PINK1 knockout mice. Furthermore, the inhibition of caspase-3 prevents the amphetamine-induced rescue of LTD in the same model. Our data support a hormesis-based double role of caspase-3; when massively activated, it induces apoptosis, while at lower level of activation, it modulates physiological phenomena, like the expression of corticostriatal LTD. Exploring the non-apoptotic activation of caspase-3 may contribute to clarify the mechanisms involved in synaptic failure in PD, as well as in view of new potential pharmacological targets.

Download Full-text