18 documents found, page 1 of 2
Zebrafish models to study ectopic calcification and calcium-associated pathologies
Santos, João; Laizé, Vincent; J. Gavaia, Paulo; Conceição, Natércia; Leonor Cancela, M.Ectopic calcification refers to the pathological accumulation of calcium ions in soft tissues and is often the result of a dysregulated action or disrupted function of proteins involved in extracellular matrix mineralization. While the mouse has traditionally been the go-to model organism for the study of pathologies associated with abnormal calcium deposition, many mouse mutants often have exacerbated phenotyp...
Lab-it is taking molecular genetics to school
F. Simao, Marcio; Conceição, Natércia; Imaginário, S.; Amaro, João; Leonor Cancela, M.The Molecular Genetics Mobile Lab or “Laboratório itinerante de Genética Molecular” (Lab-it) was funded in 2008 by Leonor Cancela to promote the learning of molecular genetics which had been introduced at that time into high school biology programms. The project aimed to introduce hands-on laboratory activities in molecular genetics to complement the theoretical concepts taught in school. These included the dev...
Screening of mineralogenic and osteogenic compounds in zebrafish—tools to impro...
Rosa, Joana; Tarasco, Marco; J. Gavaia, Paulo; Leonor Cancela, M.; Laizé, VincentBone disorders affect millions of people worldwide and treatments currently available often produce undesirable secondary effects or have limited efficacy. It is therefore of the utmost interest for patients to develop more efficient drugs with reduced off-target activities. In the long process of drug development, screening and preclinical validation have recently gained momentum with the increased use of zebr...
ZEB316: a small stand-alone housing system to study microplastics in small tele...
Tarasco, Marco; Martins, Gil; Gavaia, Paulo; Bebianno, Maria; Leonor Cancela, M.; Laizé, VincentMany anthropogenic chemicals and plastic debris end up in the aquatic ecosystem worldwide, representing a major concern for the environment and human health. Small teleosts, such as zebrafish (Danio rerio) and Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes), offer significant advantages over classical animal models and are currently used as first-line organisms to assess environmental risks associated with many aquatic toxic...
Evaluation of MGP gene expression in colorectal cancer
Caiado, Helena; Conceição, Natércia; Tiago, Daniel; Marreiros, Ana; Vicente, Susana; Enriquez, Jose Luis; Vaz, Ana Margarida; Antunes, ArturPurpose: Matrix Gla protein (MGP) is a vitamin K-dependent, gamma-carboxylated protein that was initially found to be a physiological inhibitor of ectopic calcifications affecting mainly cartilage and the vascular system. Mutations in the MGP gene were found to be responsible for a human pathology, the Keutel syndrome, characterized by abnormal calcifications in cartilage, lungs, brain and vascular system. MGP ...
Warfarin-exposed zebrafish embryos resembles human warfarin embryopathy in a do...
Granadeiro, Luis; Dirks, Ron P.; Ortiz-Delgado, Juan B.; J. Gavaia, Paulo; Sarasquete, Carmen; Laizé, Vincent; Leonor Cancela, M.; I, FernándezWarfarin is the most worldwide used anticoagulant drug and rodenticide. Since it crosses placental barrier it can induce warfarin embryopathy (WE), a fetal mortality in neonates characterized by skeletal deformities in addition to brain hemorrhages. Although the effects of warfarin exposure in aquatic off target species were already described, the particular molecular toxicological mechanisms during early devel...
Reduction of skeletal anomalies in meagre (Argyrosomus regius, Asso, 1801) thro...
Martins, Gil; Ribeiro, Laura; Candeias-Mendes, Ana; Diogo, Patricia; Gamboa, Margarida; Barata, Marisa; Leonor Cancela, M.; Pousao-Ferreira, PedroThe consolidation of meagre (Argyrosomus regius) in aquaculture requires an understanding and optimization of larval rearing and nutritional conditions. The aim of this study was to analyse the effects of an early introduction of inert diets during larval rearing, on growth performance, digestive enzymes activity and development of skeletal anomalies. This study evaluated the effects of three different timings ...
Circulating small non-coding RNAs provide new insights into vitamin K nutrition...
I, Fernández; Fernandes, Jorge M. O.; Roberto, Vânia; Kopp, Martina; Oliveira, Catarina; Riesco, Marta F.; Dias, Jorge; Cox, Cymon J.Background: Vitamin K (VK) is a fat-soluble vitamin known for its essential role in blood coagulation, but also on other biological processes (e.g. reproduction, brain and bone development) have been recently suggested. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms behind its particular function on reproduction are not yet fully understood. Methods: The potential role of VK on reproduction through nutritional suppleme...
The xenobiotic sensor PXR in a marine flatfish species (Solea senegalensis): Ge...
Marques, Carlos; Roberto, Vania Palma; Granadeiro, Luis; Trindade, Marlene; Gavaia, Paulo; Laizé, Vincent; Leonor Cancela, M.; Fernandez, IgnacioThe pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a nuclear receptor belonging to the NR1I sub-family and a known master regulator of xenobiotic metabolism. New roles have been recently proposed in mammals through its activation by vitamin K (VK) such as regulation of glucose metabolism, bone homeostasis, reproduction, neuronal development and cognitive capacities. In marine fish species little is known about PXR and its potent...
The zebrafish operculum: a powerful system to assess osteogenic bioactivities o...
Tarasco, Marco; Laizé, Vincent; Cardeira, João; Leonor Cancela, M.; Gavaia, PauloBone disorders affect millions of people worldwide and available therapeutics have a limited efficacy, often presenting undesirable side effects. As such, there is a need for novel molecules with bone anabolic properties. The aim of this work was to establish a rapid, reliable and reproducible method to screen for molecules with osteogenic activities, using the zebrafish operculum to assess bone formation. Expo...