Characterization of nine polymorphic microsatellite loci for the calcareous sponge Paraleucilla magna Klautau et al. 2004 introduced to the Mediterranean Sea

Nine polymorphic microsatellite markers are described for the calcareous sponge Paraleucilla magna. Microsatellite were isolated from a genomic library enriched for AC₁₅, AG₁₅, CAA₁₀ and GATA₇ repeats. The microsatellite motifs were perfect, imperfect, and compound. The polymorphism of the microsatellite loci was screened in a total of 35 individuals from two populations: western Mediterranean (Blanes, NE Spain) and Atlantic Ocean (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). All loci were polymorphic and the number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 9 with an average of ca. 5 alleles per locus. Significant genetic differentiation was observed between populations. These markers have been used successfully for analysing population structure at short spatial and temporal scales, and are promising for assessing the historic pathways of the introduction of this exotic sponge, which risks to become invasive in the Mediterranean. These are the first microsatellites developed for any calcareous sponge.     

Study of the Pauson–Khand reaction in flow over alkynylphenyl vinyl ethers: towards the synthesis of tricyclic multisubstituted benzofurans

The use of flow methodology allows the use of alkynylphenyl vinyl ethers (benzo-fused 1,7 enynes) as substrates for the intramolecular Pauson–Khand reaction (PKr). Forced temperature and pressure conditions during a short reaction time minimize the substrate decomposition allowing the formation of the PK adduct. Substrates substituted at the internal position of the double bond and with internal triple bonds give better yields. The resulting products are cyclopentabenzofuranones present in diverse natural products and drugs that can be further functionalised.

Flow methodology allows the first efficient and scalable catalytic Pauson–Khand reaction of vinyl ethers. Cycopenta-benzofuranones are produced.     

Genomic Analysis of Three Metastatic Prostate Cancer Patients with Exceptional Responses to Carboplatin Indicating Different Types of DNA Repair Deficiency

Platinum-based regimens have not been proved to increase survival from advanced prostate cancer (PCa). Incontrovertible evidence that a proportion of prostate cancers have homologous recombination DNA (HRD) repair defects, and that such genomic aberrations are synthetically lethal with both poly(ADP)-ribose polymerase inhibition and platinum, has increased interest in the utilisation of these drugs against a subset of these diseases. Here in we report three patients with advanced castration-resistant PCa with HRD defects having exceptional responses to carboplatin.     

Assessment and preventive education for families,based on the principles of positive parenting

This paper presents the results of an assessment and preventive education experience involving 50 families with children aged 2. The families were assessed by means of an interview conducted during a home visit, and were subsequently provided with a series of everyday parenting guidelines. The results provide empirical evidence of the effectiveness of family assessment and preventive education strategies in the educational, health and social services fields.     

In vitro and in vivo arterial differentiation of human multipotent adult progenitor cells

Many stem cell types have been shown to differentiate into endothelial cells (ECs); however, their specification to arterial or venous endothelium remains unexplored. We tested whether a specific arterial or venous EC fate could be induced in human multipotent adult progenitor cells (hMAPCs) and AC133(+) cells (hAC133(+)). In vitro, in the presence of VEGF(165), hAC133(+) cells only adopted a venous and microvascular EC phenotype, while hMAPCs differentiated into both arterial and venous ECs, possibly because hMAPCs expressed significantly more sonic hedgehog (Shh) and its receptors as well as Notch 1 and 3 receptors and some of their ligands. Accordingly, blocking either of those pathways attenuated in vitro arterial EC differentiation from hMAPCs. Complementarily, stimulating these pathways by addition of Delta-like 4 (Dll-4), a Notch ligand, and Shh to VEGF(165) further boosted arterial differentiation in hMAPCs both in vitro and in an in vivo Matrigel model. These results represent the first demonstration of adult stem cells with the potential to be differentiated into different types of ECs in vitro and in vivo and provide a useful human model to study arteriovenous specification.     

Methylation of CpG sites in BCL2 major breakpoint region and the increase of BCL2/JH translocation with aging

The BCL2 breakage mechanism has been shown to be highly dependent on DNA methylation at the major breakpoint region (MBR) CpG sites. We recently described an increased frequency of BCL2/ JH translocation with aging. It is known that methylation levels change with aging. The present study aimed to determine whether methylation alterations at CpG sites of BCL2 MBR were the cause of increased breakages with aging. We analyzed the methylation levels of three CpG sites on the region by pyrosequencing and studied if methylation levels and/or polymorphisms affecting CpG sites were associated with an increase of translocations. We observed that although the methylation levels of MBR CpG sites were higher in individuals with BCL2/JH translocation, in contrast to our expectations, these levels decreased with the age. Moreover, we show that polymorphisms at those CpG sites leading to absence of methylation seem to be a protective factor for the apparition of translocations.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11357-015-9834-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.