III- Artigos
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- Changes in Expression of the CLOCK Gene in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Patients Are Not Reverted by Continuous Positive Airway Pressure TreatmentPublication . Moreira, Susana; Rodrigues, Raquel; Barros, André B.; Pejanovic, Nadja; Neves-Costa, Ana; Pedroso, Dora; Pereira, Cláudia; Fernandes, Dina; Rodrigues, João Valença; Barbara, Cristina; Moita, Luís FerreiraMetabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease are strongly associated with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), which causes substantial changes to normal circadian physiological functions, including metabolic pathways. Because core clock genes are known to be modulated by sleep/vigilance cycles, we asked whether the expression level of mRNA coding for clock genes is altered in non-treated OSAS patients and if it can be corrected by standard continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment.
- Effect of celastrol on bone structure and mechanics in arthritic ratsPublication . Cascão, Rita; Vidal, Bruno; Jalmari Finnilä, Mikko Arttu; Lopes, Inês Pascoal; Teixeira, Rui Lourenço; Saarakkala, Simo; Moita, Luis Ferreira; Fonseca, João EuricoRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterised by chronic inflammation leading to articular bone and cartilage damage. Despite recent progress in RA management, adverse effects, lack of efficacy and economic barriers to treatment access still limit therapeutic success. Therefore, safer and less expensive treatments that control inflammation and bone resorption are needed. We have previously shown that celastrol is a candidate for RA treatment. We have observed that it inhibits both interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in vitro, and that it has anti-inflammatory properties and ability to decrease synovial CD68+ macrophages in vivo. Herein our goal was to evaluate the effect of celastrol in local and systemic bone loss.
- Celastrol: A Spectrum of Treatment Opportunities in Chronic DiseasesPublication . Cascão, Rita; Fonseca, João E.; Moita, Luis F.The identification of new bioactive compounds derived from medicinal plants with significant therapeutic properties has attracted considerable interest in recent years. Such is the case of the Tripterygium wilfordii (TW), an herb used in Chinese medicine. Clinical trials performed so far using its root extracts have shown impressive therapeutic properties but also revealed substantial gastrointestinal side effects. The most promising bioactive compound obtained from TW is celastrol. During the last decade, an increasing number of studies were published highlighting the medicinal usefulness of celastrol in diverse clinical areas. Here we systematically review the mechanism of action and the therapeutic properties of celastrol in inflammatory diseases, namely, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, inflammatory bowel diseases, osteoarthritis and allergy, as well as in cancer, neurodegenerative disorders and other diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis, and hearing loss. We will also focus in the toxicological profile and limitations of celastrol formulation, namely, solubility, bioavailability, and dosage issues that still limit its further clinical application and usefulness.
- Highly dynamic host actin reorganization around developing Plasmodium inside hepatocytesPublication . Gomes-Santos, Carina S S; Itoe, Maurice A; Afonso, Cristina; Henriques, Ricardo; Gardner, Rui; Sepúlveda, Nuno; Simões, Pedro D; Raquel, Helena; Almeida, António Paulo; Moita, Luis F; Frischknecht, Friedrich; Mota, Maria MPlasmodium sporozoites are transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes and infect hepatocytes, where a single sporozoite replicates into thousands of merozoites inside a parasitophorous vacuole. The nature of the Plasmodium-host cell interface, as well as the interactions occurring between these two organisms, remains largely unknown. Here we show that highly dynamic hepatocyte actin reorganization events occur around developing Plasmodium berghei parasites inside human hepatoma cells. Actin reorganization is most prominent between 10 to 16 hours post infection and depends on the actin severing and capping protein, gelsolin. Live cell imaging studies also suggest that the hepatocyte cytoskeleton may contribute to parasite elimination during Plasmodium development in the liver.
- shRNA-Based Screen Identifies Endocytic Recycling Pathway Components That Act as Genetic Modifiers of Alpha-Synuclein Aggregation, Secretion and ToxicityPublication . Gonçalves, Susana A; Macedo, Diana; Raquel, Helena; Simões, Pedro D; Giorgini, Flaviano; Ramalho, José S; Barral, Duarte C; Ferreira Moita, Luís; Outeiro, Tiago FlemingAlpha-Synuclein (aSyn) misfolding and aggregation is common in several neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, which are known as synucleinopathies. Accumulating evidence suggests that secretion and cell-to-cell trafficking of pathological forms of aSyn may explain the typical patterns of disease progression. However, the molecular mechanisms controlling aSyn aggregation and spreading of pathology are still elusive. In order to obtain unbiased information about the molecular regulators of aSyn oligomerization, we performed a microscopy-based large-scale RNAi screen in living cells. Interestingly, we identified nine Rab GTPase and kinase genes that modulated aSyn aggregation, toxicity and levels. From those, Rab8b, Rab11a, Rab13 and Slp5 were able to promote the clearance of aSyn inclusions and rescue aSyn induced toxicity. Furthermore, we found that endocytic recycling and secretion of aSyn was enhanced upon Rab11a and Rab13 expression in cells accumulating aSyn inclusions. Overall, our study resulted in the identification of new molecular players involved in the aggregation, toxicity, and secretion of aSyn, opening novel avenues for our understanding of the molecular basis of synucleinopathies.
- Endosomal MR1 Trafficking Plays a Key Role in Presentation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Ligands to MAIT CellsPublication . Harriff, Melanie J.; Karamooz, Elham; Burr, Ansen; Grant, Wilmon F.; Canfield, Elizabeth T.; Sorensen, Michelle L.; Moita, Luis F.; Lewinsohn, David M.Mucosal-Associated Invariant T (MAIT) cells, present in high frequency in airway and other mucosal tissues, have Th1 effector capacity positioning them to play a critical role in the early immune response to intracellular pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). MR1 is a highly conserved Class I-like molecule that presents vitamin B metabolites to MAIT cells. The mechanisms for loading these ubiquitous small molecules are likely to be tightly regulated to prevent inappropriate MAIT cell activation. To define the intracellular localization of MR1, we analyzed the distribution of an MR1-GFP fusion protein in antigen presenting cells. We found that MR1 localized to endosomes and was translocated to the cell surface upon addition of 6-formyl pterin (6-FP). To understand the mechanisms by which MR1 antigens are presented, we used a lentiviral shRNA screen to identify trafficking molecules that are required for the presentation of Mtb antigen to HLA-diverse T cells. We identified Stx18, VAMP4, and Rab6 as trafficking molecules regulating MR1-dependent MAIT cell recognition of Mtb-infected cells. Stx18 but not VAMP4 or Rab6 knockdown also resulted in decreased 6-FP-dependent surface translocation of MR1 suggesting distinct pathways for loading of exogenous ligands and intracellular mycobacterially-derived ligands. We postulate that endosome-mediated trafficking of MR1 allows for selective sampling of the intracellular environment.
- Sepsis: the need for tolerance not complacencyPublication . Velho, Tiago R; Santos, Isa; Póvoa, Pedro; Moita, Luis FerreiraSepsis is a life-threatening condition that arises as a systemic inflammatory response syndrome to an infection. Its uncontrolled progression can in frequent cases lead to multiple organ failure, which is still associated with high mortality rates. Modern antibiotics made clear that the infection is only an initiating, and not always necessary, event of this syndrome as many patients with sepsis die despite effective eradication of the inciting pathogen. This observation critically contributed to a paradigm shift that focused the pathogenesis of sepsis on the host and not on the pathogen. However, therapeutic strategies based on the inhibition of proinflammatory critical mediators of sepsis or immunostimulation have so far failed to improve sepsis outcome and, therefore, this condition urgently needs transformative therapeutic ideas and strategies. Here we argue that the induction of tolerance, a defence strategy that minimises the impact of an infection on organ function without directly affecting the pathogen burden, is perhaps the missing but essential element to add to the current components of sepsis care and treatment.
- Decrease of CD68 Synovial Macrophages in Celastrol Treated Arthritic RatsPublication . Cascão, Rita; Vidal, Bruno; Lopes, Inês P.; Paisana, Eunice; Rino, José; Moita, Luis F.; Fonseca, João E.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease characterized by cellular infiltration into the joints, hyperproliferation of synovial cells and bone damage. Available treatments for RA only induce remission in around 30% of the patients, have important adverse effects and its use is limited by their high cost. Therefore, compounds that can control arthritis, with an acceptable safety profile and low production costs are still an unmet need. We have shown, in vitro, that celastrol inhibits both IL-1β and TNF, which play an important role in RA, and, in vivo, that celastrol has significant anti-inflammatory properties. Our main goal in this work was to test the effect of celastrol in the number of sublining CD68 macrophages (a biomarker of therapeutic response for novel RA treatments) and on the overall synovial tissue cellularity and joint structure in the adjuvant-induced rat model of arthritis (AIA).
- Rab27a controls HIV-1 assembly by regulating plasma membrane levels of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphatePublication . Gerber, P. P.; Cabrini, M.; Jancic, C.; Paoletti, L.; Banchio, C.; von Bilderling, C.; Sigaut, L.; Pietrasanta, L. I.; Duette, G.; Freed, E. O.; de Saint Basile, G.; Moita, C. F.; Moita, L. F.; Amigorena, S.; Benaroch, P.; Geffner, J.; Ostrowski, M.During the late stages of the HIV-1 replication cycle, the viral polyprotein Pr55(Gag) is recruited to the plasma membrane (PM), where it binds phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2) and directs HIV-1 assembly. We show that Rab27a controls the trafficking of late endosomes carrying phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase type 2 α (PI4KIIα) toward the PM of CD4(+) T cells. Hence, Rab27a promotes high levels of PM phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate and the localized production of PI(4,5)P2, therefore controlling Pr55(Gag) membrane association. Rab27a also controls PI(4,5)P2 levels at the virus-containing compartments of macrophages. By screening Rab27a effectors, we identified that Slp2a, Slp3, and Slac2b are required for the association of Pr55(Gag) with the PM and that Slp2a cooperates with Rab27a in the recruitment of PI4KIIα to the PM. We conclude that by directing the trafficking of PI4KIIα-positive endosomes toward the PM, Rab27a controls PI(4,5)P2 production and, consequently, HIV-1 replication.