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State-of-the-Art Molecular Biology in Chile, 2nd Edition
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State-of-the-Art Molecular Biology in Chile, 2nd Edition

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2025) | Viewed by 9179

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mauricio Retamal

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Universidad del Desarrollo
Interests: Cancer; connexins; gap junctions; cancer stem cells; cell communication
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Rodrigo Del Rio

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Laboratory of Cardiorespiratory Control, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
2. Center for Aging and Regeneration CARE-UC, Santiago, Chile
3. Centro de Excelencia en Biomedicina de Magallanes (CEBIMA), Punta Arenas, Chile
Interests: brainstem cardiorespiratory networks; chemoreceptors; blood pressure; ventilation; heart failure
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue follows the publication of the first edition of “State-of-the-Art Molecular Biology in Chile”.

Molecular biology has been fundamental to the study of different processes that occur in cell, tissue, and animal physiology. Indeed, this discipline has helped us understand how the interaction between proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, etc., accounts for numerous cellular processes. Furthermore, molecular biology has served to unveil several pathways that become dysfunctional during pathological settings, helping to develop several tools to improve cell and tissue function.

Chilean scientists have a long tradition of continuous contribution to the understanding of how cells/organisms work, and have used molecular biology as one valuable tool for this purpose. For this reason, the main aim of this Special Issue is to highlight recent advances in molecular and cell physiology performed by Chilean scientists, where the use of molecular biology has been instrumental. This call for articles will include genetics, cell biology/physiology, and molecular biology experimental approaches. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Molecular biology in neurophysiology;
  • Molecular biology in physiology and cellular physiology;
  • Molecular biology in genetics;
  • Molecular biology in immunology;
  • Molecular biology in pharmacology.

Dr. Mauricio A. Retamal
Dr. Rodrigo Del Rio
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • molecular biology
  • Chilean scientists
  • neurophysiology
  • physiology and cellular physiology
  • genetics
  • ecology
  • immunology
  • pharmacology

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 7409 KiB  
Article
Proteomic Profile of Daphnia pulex in Response to Heavy Metal Pollution in Lakes of Northern Patagonia
by Juan-Alejandro Norambuena, Patricia Poblete-Grant, Jorge F. Beltrán, Patricio De los Ríos-Escalante, Cristian Aranzaez-Ríos and Jorge G. Farías
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(1), 417; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26010417 - 6 Jan 2025
Viewed by 893
Abstract
Over recent decades, Northern Patagonia in Chile has seen significant growth in agriculture, livestock, forestry, and aquaculture, disrupting lake ecosystems and threatening native species. These environmental changes offer a chance to explore how anthropization impacts zooplankton communities from a molecular–ecological perspective. This study [...] Read more.
Over recent decades, Northern Patagonia in Chile has seen significant growth in agriculture, livestock, forestry, and aquaculture, disrupting lake ecosystems and threatening native species. These environmental changes offer a chance to explore how anthropization impacts zooplankton communities from a molecular–ecological perspective. This study assessed the anthropogenic impact on Daphnia pulex by comparing its proteomes from two lakes: Llanquihue (anthropized) and Icalma (oligotrophic). Results showed substantial differences in protein expression, with 17 proteins upregulated and 181 downregulated in Llanquihue, linked to elevated levels of copper, manganese, dissolved solids, phosphate, and nitrogen. These stressors caused metabolic damage and environmental stress in D. pulex. Our findings highlight the importance of monitoring pollution’s effects on Northern Patagonian ecosystems, especially on keystone species like D. pulex, essential for ecosystem stability. This research provides fresh molecular–ecological insights into pollution’s impacts, a perspective rarely addressed in this region. Understanding these effects is critical for conserving natural resources and offers pathways to study adaptive mechanisms in keystone species facing pollution. This approach also informs strategies for ecosystem management and restoration, addressing both immediate and long-term challenges in Northern Patagonian aquatic environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Molecular Biology in Chile, 2nd Edition)
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17 pages, 3771 KiB  
Article
Arsenic Nanoparticles Trigger Apoptosis via Anoikis Induction in OECM-1 Cells
by Alejandra A. Covarrubias, Mauricio Reyna-Jeldes, Seidy Pedroso-Santana, Sabrina Marín, Carolina Madero-Mendoza, Cecilia Demergasso and Claudio Coddou
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(12), 6723; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25126723 - 18 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4733
Abstract
Arsenic compounds have been used as therapeutic alternatives for several diseases including cancer. In the following work, we obtained arsenic nanoparticles (AsNPs) produced by an anaerobic bacterium from the Salar de Ascotán, in northern Chile, and evaluated their effects on the human [...] Read more.
Arsenic compounds have been used as therapeutic alternatives for several diseases including cancer. In the following work, we obtained arsenic nanoparticles (AsNPs) produced by an anaerobic bacterium from the Salar de Ascotán, in northern Chile, and evaluated their effects on the human oral squamous carcinoma cell line OECM-1. Resazurin reduction assays were carried out on these cells using 1–100 µM of AsNPs, finding a concentration-dependent reduction in cell viability that was not observed for the non-tumoral gastric mucosa-derived cell line GES-1. To establish if these effects were associated with apoptosis induction, markers like Bcl2, Bax, and cleaved caspase 3 were analyzed via Western blot, executor caspases 3/7 via luminometry, and DNA fragmentation was analyzed by TUNEL assay, using 100 µM cisplatin as a positive control. OECM-1 cells treated with AsNPs showed an induction of both extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways, which can be explained by a significant decrease in P-Akt/Akt and P-ERK/ERK relative protein ratios, and an increase in both PTEN and p53 mRNA levels and Bit-1 relative protein levels. These results suggest a prospective mechanism of action for AsNPs that involves a potential interaction with extracellular matrix (ECM) components that reduces cell attachment and subsequently triggers anoikis, an anchorage-dependent type of apoptosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Molecular Biology in Chile, 2nd Edition)
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21 pages, 3884 KiB  
Article
Trapping Charge Mechanism in Hv1 Channels (CiHv1)
by Miguel Fernández, Juan J. Alvear-Arias, Emerson M. Carmona, Christian Carrillo, Antonio Pena-Pichicoi, Erick O. Hernandez-Ochoa, Alan Neely, Osvaldo Alvarez, Ramon Latorre, Jose A. Garate and Carlos Gonzalez
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(1), 426; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25010426 - 28 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1476
Abstract
The majority of voltage-gated ion channels contain a defined voltage-sensing domain and a pore domain composed of highly conserved amino acid residues that confer electrical excitability via electromechanical coupling. In this sense, the voltage-gated proton channel (Hv1) is a unique protein in that [...] Read more.
The majority of voltage-gated ion channels contain a defined voltage-sensing domain and a pore domain composed of highly conserved amino acid residues that confer electrical excitability via electromechanical coupling. In this sense, the voltage-gated proton channel (Hv1) is a unique protein in that voltage-sensing, proton permeation and pH-dependent modulation involve the same structural region. In fact, these processes synergistically work in concert, and it is difficult to separate them. To investigate the process of Hv1 voltage sensor trapping, we follow voltage-sensor movements directly by leveraging mutations that enable the measurement of Hv1 channel gating currents. We uncover that the process of voltage sensor displacement is due to two driving forces. The first reveals that mutations in the selectivity filter (D160) located in the S1 transmembrane interact with the voltage sensor. More hydrophobic amino acids increase the energy barrier for voltage sensor activation. On the other hand, the effect of positive charges near position 264 promotes the formation of salt bridges between the arginines of the voltage sensor domain, achieving a stable conformation over time. Our results suggest that the activation of the Hv1 voltage sensor is governed by electrostatic–hydrophobic interactions, and S4 arginines, N264 and selectivity filter (D160) are essential in the Ciona-Hv1 to understand the trapping of the voltage sensor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Molecular Biology in Chile, 2nd Edition)
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Review

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18 pages, 2460 KiB  
Review
The Unexplored Role of Connexin Hemichannels in Promoting Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy Progression
by Macarena Díaz-Ubilla and Mauricio A. Retamal
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(1), 373; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26010373 - 4 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1128
Abstract
DUX4 is typically a repressed transcription factor, but its aberrant activation in Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD) leads to cell death by disrupting muscle homeostasis. This disruption affects crucial processes such as myogenesis, sarcolemma integrity, gene regulation, oxidative stress, immune response, and many other [...] Read more.
DUX4 is typically a repressed transcription factor, but its aberrant activation in Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD) leads to cell death by disrupting muscle homeostasis. This disruption affects crucial processes such as myogenesis, sarcolemma integrity, gene regulation, oxidative stress, immune response, and many other biological pathways. Notably, these disrupted processes have been associated, in other pathological contexts, with the presence of connexin (Cx) hemichannels—transmembrane structures that mediate communication between the intracellular and extracellular environments. Thus, hemichannels have been implicated in skeletal muscle atrophy, as observed in human biopsies and animal models of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Becker Muscular Dystrophy, and Dysferlinopathies, suggesting a potentially shared mechanism of muscle atrophy that has not yet been explored in FSHD. Despite various therapeutic strategies proposed to manage FSHD, no treatment or cure is currently available. This review summarizes the current understanding of the mechanisms underlying FSHD progression, with a focus on hormones, inflammation, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and mitochondrial function. Additionally, it explores the potential of targeting hemichannels as a therapeutic strategy to slow disease progression by preventing the spread of pathogenic factors between muscle cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Molecular Biology in Chile, 2nd Edition)
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