Browsing by Author "Matus, V"

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    Circulating platelet-derived microparticles in systemic lupus erythematosus - Association with increased thrombin generation and procoagulant state
    (GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG, 2006) Pereira, J; Alfaro, G; Goycoolea, M; Quiroga, T; Ocqueteau, M; Massardo, L; Perez, C; Saez, C; Panes, O; Matus, V; Mezzano, D
    The risk for thrombosis is significantly increased in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), affecting both venous and arterial vessels. Activated platelets are known to participate in thrombus formation and growth. A general feature of activated cells is the shedding of microparticles (MP) which support coagulation by exposure of negatively charged phospholipids and possibly tissue factor (TF). In this work we characterized circulating MP in patients with SLE and their relationship with a procoagulant state. Thirty patients with SLE (aged 15-72 years, mean age 38 years) and 20 healthy controls (aged 22-54 years, mean age 34 years) were studied; patients fulfilled 4 revised criteria for SLE. The number and cellular source of circulating MP were determined by flow cytometry using double labeling with specific monoclonal antibodies and annexin V. Thrombin generation was measured as the endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) without the addition of exogenous phospholipids and TF; under these conditions the generation of thrombin depended directly on the number of MP present in plasma. Thrombin anti-thrombin (TAT) and plasmin-antiplasmin (PAP) complexes were measured by ELISA. Compared to the controls, circulating MP were significantly elevated in the patient group (1218 +/- 136 vs 653 +/- 74 x 10(3)/ml plasma, p: 0.0007). In both groups, most of these MP were of platelet origin (927 +/- 131 vs 517 +/- 72 x 10(3)/ml plasma, p:0.009). ETP was higher among patients as compared to the controls (804 +/- 64 vs 631 +/- 37 nM thrombin, p: 0.025). Plasma levels of TAT in patients and controls were 3.4 +/- 0.8 and 1.4 +/- 0.5 mu g/L, respectively (p:0.04), and of PAP complexes were 62.5 +/- 14 and 24.05 +/- 2.5 mu g/ml, respectively (p:0.014). The number of platelet-derived MP correlated significantly with thrombin generation (r: 0.42; p: 0.038) and TAT levels (r: 0.40; p: 0.035). We did not find an association of circulating MP with disease activity nor with the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies. The increased number of circulating platelet-derived microparticles and their association with high ETP and activation of the coagulation system suggest that these microparticles play an important role in the pathogenesis of the prothrombotic state in SLE patients.
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    Efficient degradation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol requires a set of catabolic genes related to tcp genes from Ralstonia eutropha JMP134(pJP4)
    (2003) Matus, V; Sánchez, MA; Martínez, M; González, B
    2,4,6-Trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) is a hazardous pollutant. Several aerobic bacteria are known to degrade this compound. One of these, Ralstonia eutropha JMP134(pJP4), a well-known, versatile chloroaromatic compound degrader, is able to grow in 2,4,6-TCP by converting it to 2,6-dichlorohydroquinone, 6-chlorohydroxyquinol, 2-chloromaleylacetate, maleylacetate, and beta-ketoadipate. Three enzyme activities encoded by tcp genes, 2,4,6-TCP monooxygenase (tcpA), 6-chlorohydroxyquinol 1,2-dioxygenase (tcpC), and maleylacetate reductase (tcpD), are involved in this catabolic pathway. Here we provide evidence that all these tep genes are clustered in the R. eutropha JMP134 (pJP4) chromosome, forming the putative catabolic operon tcpRXABCYD. We studied the presence of tcp-like gene sequences in several other 2,4,6-TCP-degrading bacterial strains and found two types of strains. One type includes strains belonging to the Ralstonia genus and possessing a set of tep-like genes, which efficiently degrade 2,4,6-TCP and therefore grow in liquid cultures containing this chlorophenol as a sole carbon source. The other type includes strains belonging to the genera Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, or Sphingopixis, which do not have tep-like gene sequences and degrade this pollutant less efficiently and which therefore grow only as small colonies on plates with 2,4,6-TCP. Other than strain JMP134, none of the bacterial strains whose genomes have been sequenced possesses a full set of tcp-like gene sequences.
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    Poly-β-hydroxyalkanoates consumption during degradation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol by Sphingopyxis chilensis S37
    (2003) Godoy, FA; Bunster, M; Matus, V; Aranda, C; González, B; Martínez, MA
    Aims: To analyse the possible effect of poly-beta -hydroxyalkanoate (PHA) consumption on 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) degradation during starvation by Sphingopyxis chilensis S37 strain, which stores PHAs and degrades 2,4,6-TCP.