Fourteen thermotolerant and thermophilic bacterial isolates from a hot spring in Guanajuato State, Mexico, were tested for their ability to induce the corrosion of carbon steel in monocultures and, in selected cases, in mixed cultures and co-culture with a sulfate-reducing strain, SRB-M. Characterization by 16S rDNA showed that three of the thermophilic isolates (G9a, G9c, and G11) belong to th...

The combination of defined factors with small molecules targeting epigenetic factors is a strategy that has been shown to enhance optimal derivation of iPSCs and could be used for disease modelling, high throughput screenings and/or regenerative medicine applications. In this study, we showed that a new first-in-class reversible dual G9a/DNMT1 inhibitor compound (CM272) improves the efficiency ...

SHARP1, a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, is expressed in many cell types; however, the mechanisms by which it regulates cellular differentiation remain largely unknown. Here, we show that SHARP1 negatively regulates adipogenesis. Although expression of the early marker CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta (C/EBPbeta) is not altered, its crucial downstream targets C/EBPalpha and per...

Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) is a key regulator of tumor growth and angiogenesis. Recent studies have shown that, BIX01294, a G9a histone methyltransferase (HMT)-specific inhibitor, induces apoptosis and inhibits the proliferation, migration, and invasion of cancer cells. However, not many studies have investigated whether inhibition of G9a HMT can modulate HIF-1α stability and angiogenesis. ...

Regular and high consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) like DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) prevents the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by acting on oxidative stress. DHA is found in high concentration in the retina. The biochemical properties of DHA influence the fluidity and function of the membrane-photoreceptor [1]. Nutrients from the (Age-related eye disease ...

Somatic nuclei can be reprogrammed to pluripotency through fusion with embryonic stem cells (ESCs). The underlying mechanism is largely unknown, primarily because of a lack of effective approaches to monitor and quantitatively analyze transient, early reprogramming events. The transcription factor Oct4 is expressed specifically in pluripotent stem cells, and its reactivation from somatic cell g...

Glioblastoma (GBM) contains rare glioma stem-like cells (GSCs) with capacities of self-renewal, multi-lineage differentiation, and resistance to conventional therapy. Drug-induced differentiation of GSCs is recognized as a promising approach of anti-glioma therapy. Accumulating evidence suggests that unique properties of stem cells depend on autophagy. Here we demonstrate that BIX01294, an inhi...

Amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) accumulation leads to neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aβ metabolism is a dynamic process in the Aβ production and clearance that requires neprilysin (NEP) and other enzymes to degrade Aβ. It has been reported that NEP expression is significantly decreased in the brain of AD patients. Previously we have documented hypoxia is a risk factor for Aβ generation ...

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a key angiogenic molecule, is aberrantly expressed in several diseases including asthma where it contributes to bronchial vascular remodeling and chronic inflammation. Asthmatic human airway smooth muscle cells hypersecrete VEGF, but the mechanism is unclear. In this study, we defined the mechanism in human airway smooth muscle cells from nonasthmatic ...

UNLABELLED The human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2/neu/ERBB2) is overexpressed in several cancer types. Although therapies targeting the HER2/neu protein result in inhibition of cell proliferation, the anticancer effect might be further optimized by limiting HER2/neu expression at the DNA level. Towards this aim, epigenetic editing was performed to suppress HER2/neu expression by ind...