Person: Pastor Vargas, Carlos
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First Name
Carlos
Last Name
Pastor Vargas
Affiliation
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Faculty / Institute
Ciencias Químicas
Department
Bioquímica y Biología Molecular
Area
Bioquímica y Biología Molecular
Identifiers
14 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 10 of 14
Item Occupational asthma due to tampico fiber from agave leaves(Allergy, 2008) Quirce, S; Fernández‐Nieto, M; Sastre, B.; Sastre, J.; Pastor Vargas, CarlosItem Identification of vitellogenin as an allergen in Beluga caviar allergy(Allergy, 2008) Pérez‐Gordo, M.; Sánchez‐García, S.; Cases, B.; Cuesta‐Herranz, J.; Pastor Vargas, Carlos; Vivanco Martínez, FernandoItem Expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in human peritoneal tissue: regulation by escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide(Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 2000) Arriero, María M.; Rodríguez-Feo, Juan A.; Celdrán, Ángel; Sánchez de Miguel, Lourdes; González Fernández, Fernando; Fortes, José; Reyero, Ana; Frieyro, Octavio; Pinta, Juan C de la; Franco, Ángeles; Casado, Santos; López Farre, Antonio José; Pastor Vargas, CarlosChanges in the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in the peritoneum could be involved in the peritoneal dysfunction associated with peritoneal inflammation. Demonstrated recently in bovine endothelial cells was the existence of cytosolic proteins that bind to the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) of eNOS mRNA and could be implicated in eNOS mRNA stabilization. The present work demonstrates that eNOS protein is expressed in human endothelial and mesothelial peritoneal cells. Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide shortened the half-life of eNOS message, reducing eNOS protein expression in peritoneal mesothelial and endothelial cells. Moreover, under basal conditions, human peritoneal samples expressed cytosolic proteins that bind to the 3′-UTR of eNOS mRNA. The cytosolic proteins that directly bind to 3′-UTR were identified as a 60-kD protein. After incubation of human peritoneal samples with lipopolysaccharide, the binding activity of the cytosolic 60-kD protein increased in a time-dependent manner. Studies are now necessary to determine the involvement of this 60-kD protein in the regulation of eNOS expression in peritoneal cells and particularly its involvement in the peritoneal dysfunction associated with inflammatory reactions.Item IDENTIFICATION OF A NOVEL 17-kDa PROTEIN AS A FERRET ALLERGEN(ANNALS OF ALLERGY ASTHMA & IMMUNOLOGY, 2009) González de Olano, David; Pastor Vargas, Carlos; Cases Ortega, Bárbara; Perez-Gordo, Marina; Moral Darde, Verónica; Vivanco Martínez, Fernando; Bartolomé, BorjaDomestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) is a mammal from the Mustelidae family. It is the third most common uncaged pet in North America after dogs and cats. In Europe, its popularity is progressively increasing, and it is also becoming a common pet. The role of cats and dogs as a cause of allergy is well known. However, ferrets are not so widely studied as a source of relevant allergens.Item Tissue proteomics in atherosclerosis: elucidating the molecular mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases(Expert Review of Proteomics, 2009) Cuesta, Fernando de la; Álvarez Llamas, Gloria; Gil Dones, Félix; Martin-Rojas, Tatiana; Zubiri, Irene; Pastor Vargas, Carlos; Barderas, Maria ; Vivanco Martínez, FernandoAtherosclerosis is a disease with higher levels of mortality in developed countries. Comprehension of the molecular mechanisms can yield very useful information in clinics for prevention, diagnosis and recovery monitoring. Proteomics represents an ideal methodology for this purpose, as proteins constitute the effectors of the different biological processes running during pathogenesis. To date, studies in atherosclerosis have been mainly focused on the search for plasma biomarkers. However, tissue proteomics allows going deeper into tissue secretomes, arterial layers or particular cells of interest, which, in turn, constitutes a more direct approximation to in vivo operating mechanisms. The aim of this review is to report latest advances in tissue proteomics in atherosclerosis and related diseases (e.g., aortic stenosis and ischemic injury).Item Characterization of allergens from the fish bait galleria mellonella(J Allergy Clin Immunol, 2007) Madero, Mauro F.; Enríquez-Matas, Alicia; Fernández-Nieto, Mar; Sastre, Beatriz; Pozo, Victoria del; Santiago Quirce, Santiago; Sastre, Joaquín; Pastor Vargas, CarlosItem Identification of Cucumisin (Cuc m 1), a subtilisin‐like endopeptidase, as the major allergen of melon fruit(Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2003) Cuesta‐Herranz, Javier; Pastor Vargas, Carlos; Figueredo, Elena; Vidarte, Luis; De Las Heras, Manuel; Durán, Carmen; Fernández‐Caldas, Enrique; De Miguel, Jamie; Vivanco Martínez, FernandoBackground: Allergenic components in melon extracts have not been described in spite of the fact that melon (Cucumis melo) is a frequent allergy-eliciting fruit. The aim of this study was to evaluate allergenic components in melon extract and to report the identification of cucumisin as a major melon allergen. Materials and methods: Sera from 35 patients allergic to melon were selected on the basis of clinical symptoms, skin prick tests and oral challenge test. Allergenic components were detected by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. Molecular characterization of IgE-binding bands was performed by N-terminal amino acid sequencing. Results: More than 10 IgE-binding bands, between 10 and 80 kDa, were identified in melon extract. Out of them, four IgE-binding bands were major allergens: 14 kDa, 36 kDa, 54 kDa and 67 kDa. These major allergens, except 14 kDa band, showed the same N-terminal sequence: T-T-R-S-W-D-F-L. Research conducted with protein databases identified this N-terminal sequence as cucumisin, an alkaline serine protease, which shares structural homology with microbial subtilisin. The molecular mass of the identified bands corresponds with different molecular forms of cucumisin produced during the processing or degradation of the enzyme: 67 kDa native cucumisin, 54 kDa mature cucumisin and 36 kDa NH2-terminal cucumisin fragment. Conclusion: Cucumisin (Cuc m 1) and several N-terminal cucumisin fragments are the major allergens of melon. The ubiquitous distribution of this protein family (cucumisin-like proteases) in many plant species and its high structural similarity suggest its potential role as a new panallergen in plant foods.Item Serine 132 Is the C3 Covalent Attachment Point on the CH1 Domain of Human IgG1(Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2001) Vidarte, Luis; Pastor Vargas, Carlos; Mas, Sebastian; Blázquez, Ana Belen; Rios, Vivian de los; Guerrero, Rosa; Vivanco Martínez, FernandoThe covalent binding of C3 (complement component C3) to antigen-antibody complexes (Ag.Ab; immune complexes (ICs)) is a key event in the uptake, transport, presentation, and elimination of Ag in the form of Ag.Ab.C3b (IC.C3b). Upon interaction of C3 with IgG.IC, C3b.C3b.IgG covalent complexes are formed that are detected on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis by two bands corresponding to C3b.C3b (band A) and C3b.IgG (band B) covalent complexes. This allows one to evaluate the covalent binding of C3b to IgG antibodies. It has been described that C3b can attach to both the Fab (on the CH1 domain) and the Fc regions of IgG. Here the covalent interaction of C3b to the CH1 domain, a region previously described spanning residues 125-147, has been studied. This region of the CH1 domain is exposed to solvent and contains a cluster of six potential acceptor sites for ester bond formation with C3b (four Ser and two Thr). A set of 10 mutant Abs were generated with the putative acceptor residues substituted by Ala, and we studied their covalent interaction with C3b. Single (Ser-131, Ser-132, Ser-134, Thr-135, Ser-136, and Thr-139), double (positions 131-132), and multiple (positions 134-135-136, 131-132-134-135-136, and 131-132-134-135-136-139) mutants were produced. None of the mutants (single, double, or multiple) abolished completely the ability of IgG to bind C3b, indicating the presence of C3b binding regions other than in the CH1 domain. However, all mutant Abs, in which serine at position 132 was replaced by Ala, showed a significant decrease in the ability to form C3b.IgG covalent complexes, whereas the remaining mutants had normal activity. In addition we examined ICs using the F(ab')2 fragment of the mutant Abs, and only those containing Ala at position 132 (instead of Ser) failed to bind C3b. Thus Ser-132 is the binding site for C3b on the CH1 domain of the heavy chain, in the Fab region of human IgG.Item Administration of IgG Fc Fragments Prevents Glomerular Injury in Experimental Immune Complex Nephritis(The Journal of Immunology, 2000) Gómez-Guerrero, Carmen; Duque, Natalia; Casado, María Teresa ; Pastor Vargas, Carlos; Blanco, Julia; Mampaso, Francisco; Vivanco Martínez, Fernando; Egido, JesúsMost human nephritis is due to glomerular deposition and/or formation of immune complexes (IC). In cultured mesangial cells, Fc receptor stimulation induces proliferation, matrix synthesis, and release of several mediators implicated in the initiation and progression of glomerular injury. Since Ig Fc fragments in vitro modified these phenomena, we studied the effects of systemic administration of IgG Fc fragments on the evolution of experimental IC nephritis. Fc fragment injection (1 mg/day i.p.) to rats with ongoing nephritis (proteinuria 20–50 mg/24 h vs 9 ± 0.2 mg/24 h in controls) markedly ameliorates proteinuria, renal function, and morphological renal lesions. This was accompanied by a reduction in the renal synthesis of chemokines (monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, IFN-inducible protein-10, and cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-1), matrix proteins, and growth factors (platelet-derived growth factor, and TGF-β), and in the activity of transcription factors. The treatment did not affect the glomerular deposition of IgG IC and complement C1q. In contrast, a decrease in the renal expression and production of C3 was observed without changes in serum complement levels. In vitro, very low complement consumption and no C3b covalent interaction were observed with Fc fragments, confirming that they did not modify systemic complement activity. These results indicate that the administration of Fc fragments prevents the development of glomerular damage in an aggressive model of proliferative glomerulonephritis through mechanisms involving a reduced local generation of complement, chemokines and growth factors. Modulation of IC-mesangial cell interaction by Fc fragment administration could represent a new approach to the treatment of severe immune nephritis.Item Allergy to pumpkin and cross-reactivity to other Cucurbitaceae fruits(The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2000) Figueredo, Elena ; Cuesta-Herranz, Javier ; Minguez, Ascensión ; Vidarte, Luis ; Pastor Vargas, Carlos; Heras González, Manuel De Las; Vivanco Martínez, Fernando; Lahoz, CarlosMost human nephritis is due to glomerular deposition and/or formation of immune complexes (IC). In cultured mesangial cells, Fc receptor stimulation induces proliferation, matrix synthesis, and release of several mediators implicated in the initiation and progression of glomerular injury. Since Ig Fc fragments in vitro modified these phenomena, we studied the effects of systemic administration of IgG Fc fragments on the evolution of experimental IC nephritis. Fc fragment injection (1 mg/day i.p.) to rats with ongoing nephritis (proteinuria 20–50 mg/24 h vs 9 6 0.2 mg/24 h in controls) markedly ameliorates proteinuria, renal function, and morphological renal lesions. This was accompanied by a reduction in the renal synthesis of chemokines (monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, IFN-inducible protein-10, and cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-1), matrix proteins, and growth factors (platelet-derived growth factor, and TGF-b), and in the activity of transcription factors. The treatment did not affect the glomerular deposition of IgG IC and complement C1q. In contrast, a decrease in the renal expression and production of C3 was observed without changes in serum complement levels. In vitro, very low complement consumption and no C3b covalent interaction were observed with Fc fragments, confirming that they did not modify systemic complement activity. These results indicate that the administration of Fc fragments prevents the development of glomerular damage in an aggressive model of proliferative glomerulonephritis through mechanisms involving a reduced local generation of complement, chemokines and growth factors. Modulation of IC-mesangial cell interaction by Fc fragment administration could represent a new approach to the treatment of severe immune nephritis