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The Zika virus (ZIKV) can be vertically transmitted, causing congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) in fetuses. ZIKV infection in early gestational trimesters increases the chances of developing CZS. This syndrome involves several pathologies with a complex diagnosis. In this work, we aim to identify biological processes and molecular pathways related to CZS and propose a series of putative protein and metabolite biomarkers for CZS prognosis in early pregnancy trimesters. We analyzed serum samples of healthy pregnant women and ZIKV-infected pregnant women bearing nonmicrocephalic and microcephalic fetuses. A total of 1090 proteins and 512 metabolites were identified by bottom-up proteomics and untargeted metabolomics, respectively. Univariate and multivariate statistical approaches were applied to find CZS differentially abundant proteins (DAP) and metabolites (DAM). Enrichment analysis (i.e., biological processes and molecular pathways) of the DAP and the DAM allowed us to identify the ECM organization and proteoglycans, amino acid metabolism, and arachidonic acid metabolism as CZS signatures. Five proteins and four metabolites were selected as CZS biomarker candidates. Serum multiomics analysis led us to propose nine putative biomarkers for CZS prognosis with high sensitivity and specificity.

Aims: Phorbol esters (PE) are toxic diterpenoids accumulated in physic nut (Jatropha curcas L.) seed tissues. Their biosynthetic pathway remains unknown, and the participation of roots in this process may be possible. Thus, we set out to study the deposition pattern of PE and other terpenoids in roots and leaves of genotypes with detected (DPE) and not detected (NPE) phorbol esters based on previous studies., Outline of Data Resources: We analyzed physic nut leaf and root organic extracts using LC-HRMS. By an untargeted metabolomics approach, it was possible to annotate 496 and 146 metabolites in the positive and negative electrospray ionization modes, respectively., Key Results: PE were detected only in samples of the DPE genotype. Remarkably, PE were found in both leaves and roots, making this study the first report of PE in J. curcas roots. Furthermore, untargeted metabolomic analysis revealed that diterpenoids and apocarotenoids are preferentially accumulated in the DPE genotype in comparison with NPE, which may be linked to the divergence between the genotypes concerning PE biosynthesis, since sesquiterpenoids showed greater abundance in the NPE., Utility of the Resource: The LC-HRMS files, publicly available in the MassIVE database (identifier MSV000092920), are valuable as they expand our understanding of PE biosynthesis, which can assist in the development of molecular strategies to reduce PE levels in toxic genotypes, making possible the food use of the seedcake, as well as its potential to contain high-quality spectral information about several other metabolites that may possess biological activity., (© 2024 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.)

In this study, we conducted an in-depth analysis to characterize potential Acanthamoeba castellanii ( Ac ) proteins capable of recognizing fungal β-1,3-glucans. Ac specifically anchors curdlan or laminarin, indicating the presence of surface β-1,3-glucan-binding molecules. Using optical tweezers, strong adhesion of laminarin- or curdlan-coated beads to Ac was observed, highlighting their adhesive properties compared to controls (characteristic time τ of 46.9 and 43.9 s, respectively). Furthermore, Histoplasma capsulatum ( Hc ) G217B, possessing a β-1,3-glucan outer layer, showed significant adhesion to Ac compared to a Hc G186 strain with an α-1,3-glucan outer layer (τ of 5.3 s vs τ 83.6 s). The addition of soluble β-1,3-glucan substantially inhibited this adhesion, indicating the involvement of β-1,3-glucan recognition. Biotinylated β-1,3-glucan-binding proteins from Ac exhibited higher binding to Hc G217B, suggesting distinct recognition mechanisms for laminarin and curdlan, akin to macrophages. These observations hinted at the β-1,3-glucan recognition pathway's role in fungal entrance and survival within phagocytes, supported by decreased fungal viability upon laminarin or curdlan addition in both phagocytes. Proteomic analysis identified several Ac proteins capable of binding β-1,3-glucans, including those with lectin/glucanase superfamily domains, carbohydrate-binding domains, and glycosyl transferase and glycosyl hydrolase domains. Notably, some identified proteins were overexpressed upon curdlan/laminarin challenge and also demonstrated high affinity to β-1,3-glucans. These findings underscore the complexity of binding via β-1,3-glucan and suggest the existence of alternative fungal recognition pathways in Ac .IMPORTANCE Acanthamoeba castellanii ( Ac ) and macrophages both exhibit the remarkable ability to phagocytose various extracellular microorganisms in their respective environments. While substantial knowledge exists on this phenomenon for macrophages, the understanding of Ac 's phagocytic mechanisms remains elusive. Recently, our group identified mannose-binding receptors on the surface of Ac that exhibit the capacity to bind/recognize fungi. However, the process was not entirely inhibited by soluble mannose, suggesting the possibility of other interactions. Herein, we describe the mechanism of β-1,3-glucan binding by A. castellanii and its role in fungal phagocytosis and survival within trophozoites, also using macrophages as a model for comparison, as they possess a well-established mechanism involving the Dectin-1 receptor for β-1,3-glucan recognition. These shed light on a potential parallel evolution of pathways involved in the recognition of fungal surface polysaccharides., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Purpose: Our main goal is to identify the alterations in the amniotic fluid (AF) metabolome in Zika virus (ZIKV)-infected patients and their relation to congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) progression., Experimental Design: We applied an untargeted metabolomics strategy to analyze seven AF of pregnant women: healthy women and ZIKV-infected women bearing non-microcephalic and microcephalic fetuses., Results: Infected patients were characterized by glycerophospholipid metabolism impairment, which is accentuated in microcephalic phenotypes. Glycerophospholipid decreased concentration in AF can be a consequence of intracellular transport of lipids to the placental or fetal tissues under development. The increased intracellular concentration of lipids can lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and neurodegeneration caused by lipid droplet accumulation. Furthermore, the dysregulation of amino acid metabolism was a molecular fingerprint of microcephalic phenotypes, specifically serine, and proline metabolisms. Both amino acid deficiencies were related to neurodegenerative disorders, intrauterine growth retardation, and placental abnormalities., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: This study enhances our understanding of the development of CZS pathology and sheds light on dysregulated pathways that could be relevant for future studies., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection can be transmitted vertically, leading to the development of congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) in infected fetuses. During the early stages of gestation, the fetuses face an elevated risk of developing CZS. However, it is important to note that late-stage infections can also result in adverse outcomes. The differences between CZS and non-CZS phenotypes remain poorly understood. In this review, we provide a summary of the molecular mechanisms underlying ZIKV infection and placental and blood-brain barriers trespassing. Also, we have included molecular alterations that elucidate the progression of CZS by proteomics and metabolomics studies. Lastly, this review comprises investigations into body fluid samples, which have aided to identify potential biomarkers associated with CZS., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Background: Brain metastases are associated with considerable negative effects on patients' outcome in lung adenocarcinoma (LADC). Here, we investigated the proteomic landscape of primary LADCs and their corresponding brain metastases., Materials and Methods: Proteomic profiling was conducted on 20 surgically resected primary and brain metastatic LADC samples via label-free shotgun proteomics. After sample processing, peptides were analyzed using an Ultimate 3000 pump coupled to a QExactive HF-X mass spectrometer. Raw data were searched using PD 2.4. Further data analyses were carried out using Perseus, RStudio and GraphPad Prism. Proteomic data were correlated with clinical and histopathological parameters and the timing of brain metastases. Mass spectrometry-based proteomic data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD027259., Results: Out of the 6821 proteins identified and quantified, 1496 proteins were differentially expressed between primary LADCs and corresponding brain metastases. Pathways associated with the immune system, cell-cell/matrix interactions and migration were predominantly activated in the primary tumors, whereas pathways related to metabolism, translation or vesicle formation were overrepresented in the metastatic tumors. When comparing fast- versus slow-progressing patients, we found 454 and 298 differentially expressed proteins in the primary tumors and brain metastases, respectively. Metabolic reprogramming and ribosomal activity were prominently up-regulated in the fast-progressing patients (versus slow-progressing individuals), whereas expression of cell-cell interaction- and immune system-related pathways was reduced in these patients and in those with multiple brain metastases., Conclusions: This is the first comprehensive proteomic analysis of paired primary tumors and brain metastases of LADC patients. Our data suggest a malfunction of cellular attachment and an increase in ribosomal activity in LADC tissue, promoting brain metastasis. The current study provides insights into the biology of LADC brain metastases and, moreover, might contribute to the development of personalized follow-up strategies in LADC., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors have declared no conflicts of interest. Data sharing The mass spectrometry proteomic data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange Consortium via the PRIDE partner repository with the dataset identifier PXD027259. Ethics approval and consent to participate All samples were collected under informed written consent (ethical approval, 2521-0/2010-1018EKU)., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

During fetal development, cardiomyocytes switch from glycolysis to oxidative metabolism to sustain the energy requirements of functional cells. State-of-the-art cardiac differentiation protocols yield phenotypically immature cardiomyocytes, and common methods to improve metabolic maturation require multistep protocols to induce maturation only after cardiac specification is completed. Here, we describe a maturation method using ventricle-derived decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) that promoted early-stage metabolic maturation of cardiomyocytes differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). Chemically and architecturally preserved particles (45-500 μm) of pig ventricular dECM were added to hiPSCs at the start of differentiation. At the end of our maturation protocol (day 15 of cardiac differentiation), we observed an intimate interaction between cardiomyocytes and dECM particles without impairment of cardiac differentiation efficiency (approx. 70% of cTNT+). Compared with control cells (those cultured without pig dECM), 15-day-old dECM-treated cardiomyocytes demonstrated increased expression of markers related to cardiac metabolic maturation, MAPK1, FOXO1, and FOXO3, and a switch from ITGA6 (the immature integrin isoform) to ITGA3 and ITGA7 (those present in adult cardiomyocytes). Electrical parameters and responsiveness to dobutamine also improved in pig ventricular dECM-treated cells. Extending the culture time to 30 days, we observed a switch from glucose to fatty acid metabolism, indicated by decreased glucose uptake and increased fatty acid consumption in cells cultured with dECM. Together, these data suggest that dECM contains endogenous cues that enable metabolic maturation of hiPSC-CMs at early stages of cardiac differentiation., (© 2021 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Açaí palm (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) seeds are a rich source of mannans, which can be used to generate bioethanol or be converted to high-value D-mannose, in addition to being a source of polyphenols with beneficial health properties. Here, we present a quantitative proteome dataset of açaí seeds at four stages of development (S1, S2, S3, and S4 stages), in which 2465 high confidence proteins were identified and 524 of them show statistically different abundance profiles during development. Several enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of nucleotide-sugars were quantified, especially those dedicated to the formation of GDP-mannose, which showed an increase in abundance between stages S1 and S3. Our data suggest that linear mannans found abundantly in endosperm cell walls are initially deposited as galactomannans, and during development lose the galactosyl groups. Two isoforms of alpha-galactosidase enzymes showed significantly increased abundances in the S3 and S4 stages. Additionally, we quantified the enzymes participating in the central pathway of flavonoid biosynthesis responsible for the formation of catechin and epicatechin, which are subunits of procyanidins, the main class of polyphenols in the açaí seeds. These proteins showed the same pattern of deposition, in which higher abundances were seen in the S1 and S2 stages., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

We investigated changes in the phenolic profile and antioxidant properties in the extracts of developing seeds of açaí ( Euterpe oleracea ). Four developmental stages were evaluated, with earlier stages displaying higher antioxidant activity and polyphenols content, while mass spectrometry analysis identified procyanidins (PCs) as the major components of the extracts in all stages. B-type PCs varied from dimers to decamers, with A-type linkages in a smaller number. Extracted PCs decreased in average length from 20.5 to 10.1 along seed development. PC composition indicated that (-)-epicatechin corresponded to over 95% of extension units in all stages, while (+)-catechin presence as the starter unit increased from 42 to 78.8% during seed development. This variation was correlated to the abundance of key enzymes for PC biosynthesis during seed development. This study is the first to report PC content and composition variations during açaí seed development, which can contribute to studies on the plant's physiology and biotechnological applications.

Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) is a rare genetic disorder that causes accelerated aging and a high risk of cardiovascular complications. However, the underlying mechanisms of cardiac complications of this syndrome are not fully understood. This study modeled HGPS using cardiomyocytes (CM) derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) derived from a patient with HGPS and characterized the biophysical, morphological, and molecular changes found in these CM compared to CM derived from a healthy donor. Electrophysiological recordings suggest that the HGPS-CM was functional and had normal electrophysiological properties. Electron tomography showed nuclear morphology alteration, and the 3D reconstruction of electron tomography images suggests structural abnormalities in HGPS-CM mitochondria, however, there was no difference in mitochondrial content as measured by Mitotracker. Immunofluorescence indicates nuclear morphological alteration and confirms the presence of Troponin T. Telomere length was measured using qRT-PCR, and no difference was found in the CM from HGPS when compared to the control. Proteomic analysis was carried out in a high-resolution system using Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The proteomics data show distinct group separations and protein expression differences between HGPS and control-CM, highlighting changes in ribosomal, TCA cycle, and amino acid biosynthesis, among other modifications. Our findings show that iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes from a Progeria Syndrome patient have significant changes in mitochondrial morphology and protein expression, implying novel mechanisms underlying premature cardiac aging., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Monnerat, Kasai-Brunswick, Asensi, Silva dos Santos, Barbosa, Cristina Paccola Mesquita, Calvancanti Albuquerque, Raphaela, Wendt, Miranda, Domont, Nogueira, Bastos Carvalho and Campos de Carvalho.)

Snake venoms are complex cocktails of non-toxic and toxic molecules that work synergistically for the envenoming outcome. Alongside the immediate consequences, chronic manifestations and long-term sequelae can occur. Recently, extracellular vesicles (EVs) were found in snake venom. EVs mediate cellular communication through long distances, delivering proteins and nucleic acids that modulate the recipient cell's function. However, the biological roles of snake venom EVs, including possible cross-organism communication, are still unknown. This knowledge may expand the understanding of envenoming mechanisms. In the present study, we isolated and characterized the EVs from Bothrops jararaca venom (Bj-EVs), giving insights into their biological roles. Fresh venom was submitted to differential centrifugation, resulting in two EV populations with typical morphology and size range. Several conserved EV markers and a subset of venom related EV markers, represented mainly by processing enzymes, were identified by proteomic analysis. The most abundant protein family observed in Bj-EVs was 5'-nucleotidase, known to be immunosuppressive and a low abundant and ubiquitous toxin in snake venoms. Additionally, we demonstrated that mammalian cells efficiently internalize Bj-EVs. The commercial antibothropic antivenom partially recognizes Bj-EVs and inhibits cellular EV uptake. Based on the proteomic results and the in vitro interaction assays using macrophages and muscle cells, we propose that Bj-EVs may be involved not only in venom production and processing but also in host immune modulation and long-term effects of envenoming.

Background: Although older adults are at a high risk of severe or critical Covid-19, there are many cases of unvaccinated centenarians who had a silent infection or recovered from mild or moderate Covid-19. We studied three Brazilian supercentenarians, older than 110 years, who survived Covid-19 in 2020 before being vaccinated., Results: Despite their advanced age, humoral immune response analysis showed that these individuals displayed robust levels of IgG and neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against SARS-CoV-2. Enrichment of plasma proteins and metabolites related to innate immune response and host defense was also observed. None presented autoantibodies (auto-Abs) to type I interferon (IFN). Furthermore, these supercentenarians do not carry rare variants in genes underlying the known inborn errors of immunity, including particular inborn errors of type I IFN., Conclusion: These observations suggest that their Covid-19 resilience might be a combination of their genetic background and their innate and adaptive immunity., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Testosterone is a hormone that plays a key role in carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism. Testosterone deficiency is associated with multiple comorbidities, e.g., metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Despite its importance in many metabolic pathways, the mechanisms by which it controls metabolism are not fully understood. The present study investigated the short-term metabolic changes of pharmacologically induced castration and, subsequently, testosterone supplementation in healthy young males. Thirty subjects were submitted to testosterone depletion (TD) followed by testosterone supplementation (TS). Plasma samples were collected three times corresponding to basal, low, and restored testosterone levels. An untargeted metabolomics study was performed by liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) to monitor the metabolic changes induced by the altered hormone levels. Our results demonstrated that TD was associated with major metabolic changes partially restored by TS. Carnitine and amino acid metabolism were the metabolic pathways most impacted by variations in testosterone. Furthermore, our results also indicated that LH and FSH might strongly alter the plasma levels of indoles and lipids, especially glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids. Our results demonstrated major metabolic changes induced by low testosterone that may be important for understanding the mechanisms behind the association of testosterone deficiency and its comorbidities., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Zika is a vector-borne disease caused by an arbovirus (ZIKV) and overwhelmingly transmitted by Ae. aegypti . This disease is linked to adverse fetal outcomes, mostly microcephaly in newborns, and other clinical aspects such as acute febrile illness and neurologic complications, for example, Guillain-Barré syndrome. One of the most promising strategies to mitigate arbovirus transmission involves releasing Ae. aegypti mosquitoes carrying the maternally inherited endosymbiont bacteria Wolbachia pipientis . The presence of Wolbachia is associated with a reduced susceptibility to arboviruses and a fitness cost in mosquito life-history traits such as fecundity and fertility. However, the mechanisms by which Wolbachia influences metabolic pathways leading to differences in egg production remains poorly known. To investigate the impact of coinfections on the reproductive tract of the mosquito, we applied an isobaric labeling-based quantitative proteomic strategy to investigate the influence of Wolbachia w Mel and ZIKV infection in Ae. aegypti ovaries. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most complete proteome of Ae. aegypti ovaries reported so far, with a total of 3913 proteins identified, were also able to quantify 1044 Wolbachia proteins in complex sample tissue of Ae. aegypti ovary. Furthermore, from a total of 480 mosquito proteins modulated in our study, we discuss proteins and pathways altered in Ae. aegypti during ZIKV infections, Wolbachia infections, coinfection Wolbachia /ZIKV, and compared with no infection, focusing on immune and reproductive aspects of Ae. aegypti . The modified aspects mainly were related to the immune priming enhancement by Wolbachia presence and the modulation of the Juvenile Hormone pathway caused by both microorganism's infection., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Ramos, Martins, Murillo, Domont, de Oliveira, Nogueira, Maciel-de-Freitas and Junqueira.)

Acanthamoeba castellanii ( Ac ) is a species of free-living amoebae (FLAs) that has been widely applied as a model for the study of host-parasite interactions and characterization of environmental symbionts. The sharing of niches between Ac and potential pathogens, such as fungi, favors associations between these organisms. Through predatory behavior, Ac enhances fungal survival, dissemination, and virulence in their intracellular milieu, training these pathogens and granting subsequent success in events of infections to more evolved hosts. In recent studies, our group characterized the amoeboid mannose binding proteins (MBPs) as one of the main fungal recognition pathways. Similarly, mannose-binding lectins play a key role in activating antifungal responses by immune cells. Even in the face of similarities, the distinct impacts and degrees of affinity of fungal recognition for mannose receptors in amoeboid and animal hosts are poorly understood. In this work, we have identified high-affinity ligands for mannosylated fungal cell wall residues expressed on the surface of amoebas and macrophages and determined the relative importance of these pathways in the antifungal responses comparing both phagocytic models. Mannose-purified surface proteins (MPPs) from both phagocytes showed binding to isolated mannose/mannans and mannosylated fungal cell wall targets. Although macrophage MPPs had more intense binding when compared to the amoeba receptors, the inhibition of this pathway affects fungal internalization and survival in both phagocytes. Mass spectrometry identified several MPPs in both models, and in silico alignment showed highly conserved regions between spotted amoeboid receptors (MBP and MBP1) and immune receptors (Mrc1 and Mrc2) and potential molecular mimicry, pointing to a possible convergent evolution of pathogen recognition mechanisms., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Ferreira, Mendoza, Gonçalves, Rodríguez-de la Noval, Honorato, Nimrichter, Ramos, Nogueira, Domont, Peralta and Guimarães.)

Jatropha curcas L. is a non-edible oilseed containing almost 40% of seed oil and is famous as the best source of raw material for biofuel production. J. curcas seeds contain three main tissues, such as inner integument, endosperm, and embryo. To best understand the physiological events related to specific tissues, it is important to perform the proteome analysis of these tissues. Previously we have explored the pattern of reserves deposition and tissue-specific biological pathways by analyzing the proteome of the inner integument and endosperm and organelles, such as plastids and gerontoplasts isolated from these tissues. The focus of the present study was to perform the proteomic analysis of embryo isolated from the mature seeds of J. curcas. This analysis resulted in the identification of 564 proteins of which 206 are not identified previously from any other tissue of this plant. The identified proteins were functionally classified using the MapMan classification system revealing various proteins involved in different functionalities. The proteins involved in transport functions and those with proteolytic activity were determined through the Transporter Classification Database (TCDB) and MEROPS database, respectively. In addition to identify a large number of proteins participating in various metabolic processes, we found several proteins involved in defense functions, such as the members of chaperones and the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Similarly, members of the legumin and vicilin family of seed storage proteins (SSPs) were identified which in addition to their storage function, are involved in defense. In addition, we have reported that proteases belonging to different mechanistic classes and are involved in diverse physiological functions. Last but not the least, several classes of transport-related proteins were identified that are discussed concerning their function in the transportation of different nutrients across the embryo. To the best of our knowledge, this study reported the highest number of proteins identified from the embryo of mature J. curcas seeds, most of which are essential for seed germination, reflecting the fact that many proteins required for germination are already present in the mature embryo., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Ramzan, Shah, Ullah, Sheheryar, Nascimento, Campos, Domont, Nogueira and Abdellattif.)

Organ decellularization is one of the most promising approaches of tissue engineering to overcome the shortage of organs available for transplantation. However, there are key hurdles that still hinder its clinical application, and the lack of hemocompatibility of decellularized materials is a central one. In this work, we demonstrate that Custodiol (HTK solution), a common solution used in organ transplantation, increased the hemocompatibility of acellular scaffolds obtained from rat livers. We showed that Custodiol inhibited ex vivo, in vitro, and in vivo blood coagulation to such extent that allowed successful transplantation of whole-liver scaffolds into recipient animals. Scaffolds previously perfused with Custodiol showed no signs of platelet aggregation and maintained in vitro and in vivo cellular compatibility. Proteomic analysis revealed that proteins related to platelet aggregation were reduced in Custodiol samples while control samples were enriched with thrombogenicity-related proteins. We also identified distinct components that could potentially be involved with this anti-thrombogenic effect and thus require further investigation. Therefore, Custodiol perfusion emerge as a promising strategy to reduce the thrombogenicity of decellularized biomaterials and could benefit several applications of whole-organ tissue engineering., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

During pregnancy, the vertical transmission of the Zika virus (ZIKV) can cause some disorders in the fetus, called Congenital Zika Syndrome (CZS). Several efforts have been made to understand the molecular mechanism of the CZS. However, the study of CZS pathogenesis through infected human samples is scarce. Therefore, the main goal of this study is to identify and understand the biological processes affected by CZS development. We analyzed by a shotgun proteomic approach the amniotic fluid of pregnant women infected with Zika carrying microcephalic (MC + ) or non-microcephalic (Z + ) fetuses compared to Zika negative controls (CTR). Several groups of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins were dysregulated in the Z + and MC + patients, triggering an opposite dysregulation. The down-regulation of the ECM proteins in the MC + groups can be another factor that contributes to CZS. On the contrary, the Z + group could be developing a neuroprotective response through ECM proteins up-regulation. The neutrophil degranulation process was disrupted in the Z + and MC + groups, where the MC + groups showed a complex dysregulation. These results suggest that the microcephalic phenotypes are modulated by a down-regulation of the ECM and the impairment of the innate immune system processes., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Purpose: Zika virus (ZIKV) transmission to the fetus during pregnancy could enable a collection of severe fetal malformations like microcephaly (MC), termed Congenital Zika Syndrome (CZS). The mechanisms involved in ZIKV transplacental transmission are not fully understood., Experimental Design: Here we aim to identify in placental tissues the deregulated proteins associated with ZIKV-induced MC using label-free proteomics., Results: We found proteins associated with DNA damage and gene expression inhibition up-regulated in infected placentas with no MC fetuses (Z+) compared to the control group (Ctr). Actin filament organization and the immune response were also found deregulated in the Z+ group. In ZIKV-positive placentas bearing fetuses with MC (MC+) was detected an increase in T cell activation, indicating an elevated immune response. A comparison between MC+ and Z+ groups showed a higher abundance of proteins related to endocytosis and autophagy in MC+, suggesting a higher transcytosis of vesicles with ZIKV particles across the maternal-fetal interface., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Our results suggest that higher expression of integrins in MC+ might be associated with high internalization of the virus since these proteins are known as virus receptors. Similarly, an increased immune response in the placenta and higher infiltration of the virus to the fetus could contribute to the neurological malformation of the CZS., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Long term effect of testosterone (T) deficiency impairs metabolism and is associated with muscle degradation and metabolic disease. The association seems to have a bidirectional nature and is not well understood. The present study aims to investigate the early and unidirectional metabolic effect of induced T changes by measuring fasting amino acid (AA) levels in a human model, in which short-term T alterations were induced. We designed a human model of 30 healthy young males with pharmacologically induced T changes, which resulted in three time points for blood collection: (A) baseline, (B) low T (3 weeks post administration of gonadotropin releasing hormone antagonist) and (C) restored T (2 weeks after injection of T undecanoate). The influence of T on AAs was analyzed by spectrophotometry on plasma samples. Levels of 9 out of 23 AAs, of which 7 were essential AAs, were significantly increased at low T and are restored upon T supplementation. Levels of tyrosine and phenylalanine were most strongly associated to T changes. Short-term effect of T changes suggests an increased protein breakdown that is restored upon T supplementation. Fasting AA levels are able to monitor the early metabolic changes induced by the T fluctuations.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia worldwide. In AD, neurodegeneration spreads throughout different areas of the central nervous system (CNS) in a gradual and predictable pattern, causing progressive memory decline and cognitive impairment. Deposition of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in specific CNS regions correlates with the severity of AD and constitutes the basis for disease classification into different Braak stages (I-VI). Early clinical symptoms are typically associated with stages III-IV (i.e., limbic stages) when the involvement of the hippocampus begins. Histopathological changes in AD have been linked to brain proteome alterations, including aberrant posttranslational modifications (PTMs) such as the hyperphosphorylation of Tau. Most proteomic studies to date have focused on AD progression across different stages of the disease, by targeting one specific brain area at a time. However, in AD vulnerable regions, stage-specific proteomic alterations, including changes in PTM status occur in parallel and remain poorly characterized. Here, we conducted proteomic, phosphoproteomic, and acetylomic analyses of human postmortem tissue samples from AD (Braak stage III-IV, n=11) and control brains (n=12), covering all anatomical areas affected during the limbic stage of the disease (total hippocampus, CA1, entorhinal and perirhinal cortices). Overall, ~6000 proteins, ~9000 unique phosphopeptides and 221 acetylated peptides were accurately quantified across all tissues. Our results reveal significant proteome changes in AD brains compared to controls. Among others, we have observed the dysregulation of pathways related to the adaptive and innate immune responses, including several altered antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Notably, some of these changes were restricted to specific anatomical areas, while others altered according to disease progression across the regions studied. Our data highlights the molecular heterogeneity of AD and the relevance of neuroinflammation as a major player in AD pathology. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD027173., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Velásquez, Szeitz, Gil, Rodriguez, Palkovits, Renner, Hortobágyi, Döme, Nogueira, Marko-Varga, Domont and Rezeli.)

Axon guidance is required for the establishment of brain circuits. Whether much of the molecular basis of axon guidance is known from animal models, the molecular machinery coordinating axon growth and pathfinding in humans remains to be elucidated. The use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from human donors has revolutionized in vitro studies of the human brain. iPSC can be differentiated into neuronal stem cells which can be used to generate neural tissue-like cultures, known as neurospheres, that reproduce, in many aspects, the cell types and molecules present in the brain. Here, we analyzed quantitative changes in the proteome of neurospheres during differentiation. Relative quantification was performed at early time points during differentiation using iTRAQ-based labeling and LC-MS/MS analysis. We identified 6438 proteins, from which 433 were downregulated and 479 were upregulated during differentiation. We show that human neurospheres have a molecular profile that correlates to the fetal brain. During differentiation, upregulated pathways are related to neuronal development and differentiation, cell adhesion, and axonal guidance whereas cell proliferation pathways were downregulated. We developed a functional assay to check for neurite outgrowth in neurospheres and confirmed that neurite outgrowth potential is increased after 10 days of differentiation and is enhanced by increasing cyclic AMP levels. The proteins identified here represent a resource to monitor neurosphere differentiation and coupled to the neurite outgrowth assay can be used to functionally explore neurological disorders using human neurospheres as a model., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The MM500 meta-study aims to establish a knowledge basis of the tumor proteome to serve as a complement to genome and transcriptome studies. Somatic mutations and their effect on the transcriptome have been extensively characterized in melanoma. However, the effects of these genetic changes on the proteomic landscape and the impact on cellular processes in melanoma remain poorly understood. In this study, the quantitative mass-spectrometry-based proteomic analysis is interfaced with pathological tumor characterization, and associated with clinical data. The melanoma proteome landscape, obtained by the analysis of 505 well-annotated melanoma tumor samples, is defined based on almost 16 000 proteins, including mutated proteoforms of driver genes. More than 50 million MS/MS spectra were analyzed, resulting in approximately 13,6 million peptide spectrum matches (PSMs). Altogether 13 176 protein-coding genes, represented by 366 172 peptides, in addition to 52 000 phosphorylation sites, and 4 400 acetylation sites were successfully annotated. This data covers 65% and 74% of the predicted and identified human proteome, respectively. A high degree of correlation (Pearson, up to 0.54) with the melanoma transcriptome of the TCGA repository, with an overlap of 12 751 gene products, was found. Mapping of the expressed proteins with quantitation, spatiotemporal localization, mutations, splice isoforms, and PTM variants was proven not to be predicted by genome sequencing alone. The melanoma tumor molecular map was complemented by analysis of blood protein expression, including data on proteins regulated after immunotherapy. By adding these key proteomic pillars, the MM500 study expands the knowledge on melanoma disease., (© 2021 The Authors. Clinical and Translational Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Shanghai Institute of Clinical Bioinformatics.)

The MM500 study is an initiative to map the protein levels in malignant melanoma tumor samples, focused on in-depth histopathology coupled to proteome characterization. The protein levels and localization were determined for a broad spectrum of diverse, surgically isolated melanoma tumors originating from multiple body locations. More than 15,500 proteoforms were identified by mass spectrometry, from which chromosomal and subcellular localization was annotated within both primary and metastatic melanoma. The data generated by global proteomic experiments covered 72% of the proteins identified in the recently reported high stringency blueprint of the human proteome. This study contributes to the NIH Cancer Moonshot initiative combining detailed histopathological presentation with the molecular characterization for 505 melanoma tumor samples, localized in 26 organs from 232 patients., (© 2021 The Authors. Clinical and Translational Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Shanghai Institute of Clinical Bioinformatics.)

We used two fossil teeth from South American Pleistocene mammals to obtain subsuperficial acid etching samples. We employed samples from the species Notiomastodon platensis and Myocastor cf. coypus for the enamel etchings. The controls included an extant rodent (rat). After the first etching was discarded, a second 20-s etching (i.e., subsuperficial) was directly collected with a ZipTip and injected into an LTQ Orbitrap Velos for MS analysis. The peptides were identified with different software programs that used Peptide Spectrum Match (PSM) and de novo sequencing including similarity search strategies. Most of the peptides that were recovered from the enamel of the fossils belonged to enamel-specific proteins. To our knowledge, this is the first study that has described the recovery of enamel peptide molecules from extinct South American taxa, indicating that enamel peptide data from late Pleistocene fossils can be employed as an additional parameter for phylogenetic analysis, and that the sample can be obtained by a very conservative acid etching, with almost no damage to the fossils. SIGNIFICANCE: This study shows that it is possible to obtain information based on plenty of ancient peptides recovered from subsuperficial enamel of fossil teeth from South American Pleistocene. The quality of the data suggests that peptides are likely the best preserved biomolecules under certain harsh environmental conditions. The recovery procedure only lasted 20 s and was minimally destructive to the fossils. This opens a myriad of new possibilities for the study of the past., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

New robust and reproducible differentiation approaches are needed to generate induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes of specific subtypes in predictable quantities for tissue-specific disease modeling, tissue engineering, and eventual clinical translation. Here, we assessed whether powdered decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) particles contained chamber-specific cues that could direct the cardiac differentiation of human iPSCs toward an atrial phenotype. Human hearts were dissected and the left ventricle (LV) and left atria (LA) were isolated, minced, and decellularized using an adapted submersion decellularization technique to generate chamber-specific powdered dECM. Comparative proteomic analyses showed chamber-specific dECM segregation, with atrial- and ventricle-specific proteins uniquely present in powdered dECM-hA and dECM-hV, respectively. Cell populations differentiated in the presence of dECM-hA showed upregulated atrial molecular markers and a two-fold increase in the number of atrial-like cells as compared with cells differentiated with dECM-hV or no dECM (control). Finally, electrophysiological data showed an increase in action potentials characteristic of atrial-like cells in the dECM-hA group. These findings support the hypothesis that dECM powder derived from human atria retained endogenous cues to drive cardiac differentiation toward an atrial fate.

Scorpion venoms are formed by toxins harmful to various organisms, including humans. Several techniques have been developed to understand the role of proteins in animal venoms, including proteomics approach. Rhopalurus agamemnon (Koch, 1839) is the largest scorpion in the Buthidae family in the Brazilian Cerrado, measuring up to 110 mm in total length. The accident with R. agamemnon is painful and causes some systemic reactions, but the specie's venom remains uninvestigated. We explore the venom protein composition using a proteomic and a biological-directed approach identifying 230 protein compounds including enzymes like Hyaluronidase, metalloproteinase, L-amino acid oxidase and amylase, the last two are first reported for scorpion venoms. Some of those new reports are important to demonstrate how distant we are from a total comprehension of the diversity about venoms in general, due to their diversity in composition and function. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: In this study, we explored the composition of venom proteins from the scorpion Rhopalurus agamemnon. We identified 230 proteins from the venom including new enzyme reports. These data highlight the unique diversity of the venom proteins from the scorpion R. agamemnon, provide insights into new mechanisms of envenomation and enlarge the protein database of scorpion venoms. The discovery of new proteins provides a new scenario for the development of new drugs and suggests molecular targets to venom components., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a global public health emergency due to its association with microcephaly, Guillain-Barré syndrome, neuropathy, and myelitis in children and adults. A total of 87 countries have had evidence of autochthonous mosquito-borne transmission of ZIKV, distributed across four continents, and no antivirus therapy or vaccines are available. Therefore, several strategies have been developed to target the main mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti , to reduce the burden of different arboviruses. Among such strategies, the use of the maternally-inherited endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis has been applied successfully to reduce virus susceptibility and decrease transmission. However, the mechanisms by which Wolbachia orchestrate resistance to ZIKV infection remain to be elucidated. In this study, we apply isobaric labeling quantitative mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics to quantify proteins and identify pathways altered during ZIKV infection; Wolbachia infection; co-infection with Wolbachia/ ZIKV in the A. aegypti heads and salivary glands. We show that Wolbachia regulates proteins involved in reactive oxygen species production, regulates humoral immune response, and antioxidant production. The reduction of ZIKV polyprotein in the presence of Wolbachia in mosquitoes was determined by MS and corroborates the idea that Wolbachia helps to block ZIKV infections in A. aegypti. The present study offers a rich resource of data that may help to elucidate mechanisms by which Wolbachia orchestrate resistance to ZIKV infection in A. aegypti , and represents a step further on the development of new targeted methods to detect and quantify ZIKV and Wolbachia directly in complex tissues., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Martins, Ramos, Murillo, Torres, de Carvalho, Domont, de Oliveira, Mesquita, Nogueira, Maciel-de-Freitas and Junqueira.)

Different environmental conditions can lead plants to a condition termed oxidative stress, which is characterized by a disruption in the equilibrium between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant defenses. Glutathione peroxidase (GPX), an enzyme that acts as a peroxide scavenger in different organisms, has been identified as an important component in the signaling pathway during the developmental process and in stress responses in plants and yeast. Here, we demonstrate that the mitochondrial isoform of rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp. Japonica cv. Nipponbare) OsGPX3 is induced after treatment with the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) and is involved in its responses and in epigenetic modifications. Plants that have been silenced for OsGPX3 (gpx3i) present substantial changes in the accumulation of proteins related to these processes. These plants also have several altered ABA responses, such as germination, ROS accumulation, stomatal closure, and dark-induced senescence. This study is the first to demonstrate that OsGPX3 plays a role in ABA signaling and corroborate that redox homeostasis enzymes can act in different and complex pathways in plant cells. SIGNIFICANCE: This work proposes the mitochondrial glutathione peroxidase (OsGPX3) as a novel ABA regulatory pathway component. Our results suggest that this antioxidant enzyme is involved in ABA-responses, highlighting the complex pathways that these proteins can participate beyond the regulation of cellular redox status., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Casbene synthase (CS) is responsible for the first committed step in the biosynthesis of phorbol esters (PE) in the Euphorbiaceae. PE are abundant in the seeds of the biofuel crop Jatropha curcas and its toxicity precludes the use of the protein-rich cake obtained after oil extraction as an animal feed and the toxicity of the fumes derived from burning PE containing biofuel is also a matter of concern. This toxicity is a major hindrance to exploit the potential of this crop as a source of raw material to produce biodiesel. For this reason, the current research on J. curcas is mainly focused on the understanding of the biosynthesis and site of synthesis of PE, as an avenue for the development of genotypes unable to synthesize PE in its seeds., Results: Here, we present targeted proteomics assays (SRM and PRM) to detect and quantify CS in leaves, endosperm, and roots of two J. curcas genotypes with contrasting levels of PE. These assays were based on the use of reference isotopic labeled synthetic peptides (ILSP) predicted from 12 gene models of CS from the J. curcas genome., Conclusion: Our targeted proteomics methods were able to detect and quantify, for the first time, CS gene products and demonstrate the distribution of CS isoforms only in roots from J. curcas genotypes with a high and low concentration of PE. These methods can be expanded to monitor CS, at the protein level, in different tissues and genotypes of J. curcas.

The Human Proteome Organization (HUPO) launched the Human Proteome Project (HPP) in 2010, creating an international framework for global collaboration, data sharing, quality assurance and enhancing accurate annotation of the genome-encoded proteome. During the subsequent decade, the HPP established collaborations, developed guidelines and metrics, and undertook reanalysis of previously deposited community data, continuously increasing the coverage of the human proteome. On the occasion of the HPP's tenth anniversary, we here report a 90.4% complete high-stringency human proteome blueprint. This knowledge is essential for discerning molecular processes in health and disease, as we demonstrate by highlighting potential roles the human proteome plays in our understanding, diagnosis and treatment of cancers, cardiovascular and infectious diseases.

The role of the cotyledonary haustorium (CH) in the mobilization of nutrient reserves in the endosperm of species of the palm family Arecaceae is a moot question. To shed light on this matter, we present here an analysis of the quantitative proteome changes associated with four developmental stages of CH and three of endosperm during germination. Together, a total of 1965 proteins were identified, being 1538 in the CH and 960 in the endosperm. Both in the CH and endosperm proteomes, we observed an increase in the diversity of hydrolases as the CH and endosperm develops. Qualitative proteomics analysis of four CH developmental stages indicated that each stage is populated by a unique set of proteins and the quantitative analysis showed an increase in the relative abundance of hydrolases, particularly mannan degrading enzymes, as development progresses. These results add weight to the hypothesis that the CH in the seeds of E. oleraceaacts both as a conduit of carbon and nitrogen sources generated by the hydrolysis of the reserves in the endosperm and as a source of hydrolases that will contribute to the mobilization of these reserves., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The phorbol esters in the seeds of Jatropha curcas are a major hindrance to the full exploitation of the potential of this oil crop as a source of raw material for the production of biodiesel. Here, various quantitative proteomic strategies are used to establish the proteomes of roots, leaves, and endosperm of two genotypes of J. curcas with contrasting levels of phorbol esters in the seeds. In total 4532, 1775, and 503 proteins are identified respectively in roots, leaves, and endosperm, comprising 5068 unique proteins; of this total, 185 are differentially abundant in roots, 72 in leaves, and 20 in the endosperm. The biosynthetic pathways for flavonoids and terpenoids are well represented in roots, including the complete set of proteins for the mevalonate and non-mevalonate/Deoxyxylulose 5-Phosphate pathways, and proteins involved in the branches which lead to the synthesis tricyclic diterpenoids and gibberellins. Also, casbene synthase which catalyzes the first committed step in the biosynthesis of tigliane-type diterpenes is identified in roots of both genotypes, but not in leaves and endosperm. This dataset will be a valuable resource to explore the biochemical basis of the low toxicity of Jatropha genotypes with low concentration of phorbol esters in the seeds., (© 2020 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy can cause a set of severe abnormalities in the fetus known as congenital Zika syndrome (CZS). Experiments with animal models and in vitro systems have substantially contributed to our understanding of the pathophysiology of ZIKV infection. Here, to investigate the molecular basis of CZS in humans, we used a systems biology approach to integrate transcriptomic, proteomic, and genomic data from the postmortem brains of neonates with CZS. We observed that collagens were greatly reduced in expression in CZS brains at both the RNA and protein levels and that neonates with CZS had several single-nucleotide polymorphisms in collagen-encoding genes that are associated with osteogenesis imperfecta and arthrogryposis. These findings were validated by immunohistochemistry and comparative analysis of collagen abundance in ZIKV-infected and uninfected samples. In addition, we showed a ZIKV-dependent increase in the expression of cell adhesion factors that are essential for neurite outgrowth and axon guidance, findings that are consistent with the neuronal migration defects observed in CZS. Together, these findings provide insights into the underlying molecular alterations in the ZIKV-infected brain and reveal host genes associated with CZS susceptibility., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.)

In the advanced stages, malignant melanoma (MM) has a very poor prognosis. Due to tremendous efforts in cancer research over the last 10 years, and the introduction of novel therapies such as targeted therapies and immunomodulators, the rather dark horizon of the median survival has dramatically changed from under 1 year to several years. With the advent of proteomics, deep-mining studies can reach low-abundant expression levels. The complexity of the proteome, however, still surpasses the dynamic range capabilities of current analytical techniques. Consequently, many predicted protein products with potential biological functions have not yet been verified in experimental proteomic data. This category of 'missing proteins' (MP) is comprised of all proteins that have been predicted but are currently unverified. As part of the initiative launched in 2016 in the USA, the European Cancer Moonshot Center has performed numerous deep proteomics analyses on samples from MM patients. In this study, nine MPs were clearly identified by mass spectrometry in MM metastases. Some MPs significantly correlated with proteins that possess identical PFAM structural domains; and other MPs were significantly associated with cancer-related proteins. This is the first study to our knowledge, where unknown and novel proteins have been annotated in metastatic melanoma tumour tissue.

RNA editing is a posttranscriptional process that changes nucleotide sequences, among which cytosine-to-uracil by a deamination reaction can revert non-neutral codon mutations. Pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins comprise a family of RNA-binding proteins, with members acting as editing trans-factors that recognize specific RNA cis-elements and perform the deamination reaction. PPR proteins are classified into P and PLS subfamilies. In this work, we have designed RNA biotinylated probes based in soybean plastid RNA editing sites to perform trans-factor specific protein isolation. Soybean cis-elements from these three different RNA probes show differences in respect to other species. Pulldown samples were submitted to mass spectrometry for protein identification. Among detected proteins, five corresponded to PPR proteins. More than one PPR protein, with distinct functional domains, was pulled down with each one of the RNA probes. Comparison of the soybean PPR proteins to Arabidopsis allowed identification of the closest homologous. Differential gene expression analysis demonstrated that the PPR locus Glyma.02G174500 doubled its expression under salt stress, which correlates with the increase of its potential rps14 editing. The present study represents the first identification of RNA editing trans-factors in soybean. Data also indicated that potential multiple trans-factors should interact with RNA cis-elements to perform the RNA editing.

Purpose: High cardiorespiratory capacity is a key determinant of human performance and life expectancy; however, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. The objective of this pilot study was to investigate biochemical signatures of endurance-performance athletes using high-resolution nontargeted metabolomics., Methods: Elite long-distance runners with similar training and anthropometrical records were studied. After athletes' maximal oxygen consumption (V˙O2max) was measured, they were divided into 2 groups: low V˙O2max (<65 mL·kg-1·min-1, n = 7) and high V˙O2max (>75 mL·kg-1·min-1, n = 7). Plasma was collected under basal conditions after 12 hours of fasting and after a maximal exercise test (nonfasted) and analyzed by high-resolution LC-MS. Multivariate and univariate statistics were applied., Results: A total of 167 compounds were putatively identified with an LC-MS-based metabolomics pipeline. Partial least-squares discriminant analysis showed a clear separation between groups. Significant variations in metabolites highlighted group differences in diverse metabolic pathways, including lipids, vitamins, amino acids, purine, histidine, xenobiotics, and others, either under basal condition or after the maximal exercise test., Conclusions: Taken together, the metabolic alterations revealed in the study affect cellular energy use and availability, oxidative stress management, muscle damage, central nervous system signaling metabolites, nutrients, and compound bioavailability, providing new insights into metabolic alterations associated with exercise and cardiorespiratory fitness levels in trained athletes.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00414.]., (Copyright © 2020 Santos, Nogueira, Domont, Fontes, Prado, Habibi, Santos, Oliveira-Neto, Grossi-de-Sá, Jorrín-Novo, Franco and Mehta.)

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease resulting from a dysbiosis of the dental biofilm and a dysregulated host response in susceptible individuals. It is characterized by periodontal attachment destruction, bone resorption and eventual tooth loss. Salivary biomarkers have been sought to predict and prevent periodontitis. This comparative study analyzed the salivary proteome of individuals with chronic periodontitis (CP) and periodontal health (PH) and correlated specific proteins with clinical parameters of disease by using mass spectrometry. Stimulated whole saliva was obtained 10 PH and 30 CP patients and pooled into 5 healthy control samples and 15 CP samples. After precipitation with TCA, samples were digested enzymatically with trypsin and analyzed by a LTQ Orbitrap Velos equipped with a nanoelectrospray ion source. A wide range of salivary proteins of various functions was significantly reduced in CP individuals, whereas salivary acidic proline-rich phosphoprotein, submaxillary gland androgen-regulated protein, histatin-1, fatty acid binding protein, thioredoxin and cystatin-SA were predominant in diseased patients and correlated significantly with signs of periodontal attachment loss and inflammation. In conclusion, few specific salivary proteins were associated with CP. These findings may contribute to the identification of disease indicators or signatures for the improvement of periodontal diagnosis. SIGNIFICANCE: Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that results in periodontal attachment destruction, bone resorption and eventual tooth loss. Salivary biomarkers have been sought to predict periodontitis. The analysis of the salivary proteome of individuals with chronic periodontitis indicated that several proteins of various functions were significantly reduced in these individuals, except for salivary acidic proline-rich phosphoprotein, submaxillary gland androgen-regulated protein, histatin, fatty acid binding protein, thioredoxin and cystatin. Differences in salivary proteome profiles between periodontal health and periodontitis may contribute to the identification of disease indicators and to the improvement of periodontal diagnosis and treatment., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Quantitative proteome analysis of four developmental stages of pericarp tissues of the açaí berry ( Euterpe oleracea Mart.) was performed by the isobaric labeling of peptides with iTRAQ 4-plex, hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography pre-fractionation of labeled peptides, and high-performance mass spectrometry analysis. This analysis resulted in the identification of 4286 proteins, of which 476 presented differential abundance between the stages. The differential abundance of these proteins was seen to be coordinated with the metabolic demands during cell division, lignification, and cell expansion at developmental stages 1 and 2 as well as phenolic acid accumulation and metabolic changes in the fruit maturation at developmental stages 3 and 4. The distinct accumulation of anthocyanins observed in the pericarp at developmental stage 4 was correlated with the increase in abundance of some key biosynthetic enzymes, such as leucoanthocyanidin dioxygenase, anthocyanidin O -3-glycosyltransferase, and UDP-glycosyltransferase. Here, evidence is also provided for the presence in the açaí berry of secondary metabolites not previously described in açaí, such as pterostilbene, matairesinol, and furaneol. Together, these results will pave the way for studies aimed at the genetic improvement of the nutritional properties of this important fruit crop.

Schizophrenia is a chronic disease characterized by the impairment of mental functions with a marked social dysfunction. A quantitative proteomic approach using iTRAQ labeling and SRM, applied to the characterization of mitochondria (MIT), crude nuclear fraction (NUC), and cytoplasm (CYT), can allow the observation of dynamic changes in cell compartments providing valuable insights concerning schizophrenia physiopathology. Mass spectrometry analyses of the orbitofrontal cortex from 12 schizophrenia patients and 8 healthy controls identified 655 protein groups in the MIT fraction, 1500 in NUC, and 1591 in CYT. We found 166 groups of proteins dysregulated among all enriched cellular fractions. Through the quantitative proteomic analysis, we detect as the main biological pathways those related to calcium and glutamate imbalance, cell signaling disruption of CREB activation, axon guidance, and proteins involved in the activation of NF-kB signaling along with the increase of complement protein C3. Based on our data analysis, we suggest the activation of NF-kB as a possible pathway that links the deregulation of glutamate, calcium, apoptosis, and the activation of the immune system in schizophrenia patients. All MS data are available in the ProteomeXchange Repository under the identifier PXD015356 and PXD014350.

The histology-based Gleason score (GS) of prostate cancer (PCa) tissue biopsy is the most accurate predictor of disease aggressiveness and an important measure to guide treatment strategies and patient management. The variability associated with PCa tumor sampling and the subjective determination of the GS are challenges that limit accurate diagnostication and prognostication. Thus, novel molecular signatures are needed to distinguish between indolent and aggressive forms of PCa for better patient management and outcomes. Herein, label-free LC-MS/MS proteomics is used to profile the proteome of 50 PCa tissues spanning five grade groups (n = 10 per group) relative to tissues from individuals with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Over 2000 proteins are identified albeit at different levels between and within the patient groups, revealing biological processes associated with specific grades. A panel of 11 prostate-derived proteins including IGKV3D-20, RNASET2, TACC2, ANXA7, LMOD1, PRCP, GYG1, NDUFV1, H1FX, APOBEC3C, and CTSZ display the potential to stratify patients from low and high PCa grade groups. Parallel reaction monitoring of the same sample cohort validate the differential expression of LMOD1, GYG1, IGKV3D-20, and RNASET2. The four proteins associated with low and high PCa grades reported here warrant further exploration as candidate biomarkers for PCa aggressiveness., (© 2019 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder. Depositions of amyloid β peptide (Aβ) and tau protein are among the major pathological hallmarks of AD. Aβ and tau burden follows predictable spatial patterns during the progression of AD. Nevertheless, it remains obscure why certain brain regions are more vulnerable than others; to investigate this and dysregulated pathways during AD progression, a mass spectrometry-based proteomics study was performed., Methods: In total 103 tissue samples from regions early (entorhinal and parahippocampal cortices - medial temporal lobe (MTL)) and late affected (temporal and frontal cortices - neocortex) by tau pathology were subjected to label-free quantitative proteomics analysis., Results: Considering dysregulated proteins during AD progression, the majority (625 out of 737 proteins) was region specific, while some proteins were shared between regions (101 proteins altered in two areas and 11 proteins altered in three areas). Analogously, many dysregulated pathways during disease progression were exclusive to certain regions, but a few pathways altered in two or more areas. Changes in protein expression indicate that synapse loss occurred in all analyzed regions, while translation dysregulation was preponderant in entorhinal, parahippocampal and frontal cortices. Oxidative phosphorylation impairment was prominent in MTL. Differential proteomic analysis of brain areas in health state (controls) showed higher metabolism and increased expression of AD-related proteins in the MTL compared to the neocortex. In addition, several proteins that differentiate brain regions in control tissue were dysregulated in AD., Conclusions: This work provides the comparison of proteomic changes in brain regions affected by tau pathology at different stages of AD. Although we identified commonly regulated proteins and pathways during disease advancement, we found that the dysregulated processes are predominantly region specific. In addition, a distinct proteomic signature was found between MTL and neocortex in healthy subjects that might be related to AD vulnerability. These findings highlight the need for investigating AD's cascade of events throughout the whole brain and studies spanning more brain areas are required to better understand AD etiology and region vulnerability to disease., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Biofilm formation on exposed surfaces is a serious issue for the food industry and medical health facilities. There are many proposed strategies to delay, reduce, or even eliminate biofilm formation on surfaces. The present study focuses on the applicability of fire ant venom alkaloids (aka 'solenopsins', from Solenopsis invicta ) tested on polystyrene and stainless steel surfaces relative to the adhesion and biofilm-formation by the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens . Conditioning with solenopsins demonstrates significant reduction of bacterial adhesion. Inhibition rates were 62.7% on polystyrene and 59.0% on stainless steel surfaces. In addition, solenopsins drastically reduced cell populations already growing on conditioned surfaces. Contrary to assumptions by previous authors, solenopsins tested negative for amphipathic properties, thus understanding the mechanisms behind the observed effects still relies on further investigation.