Since the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak emerged, countless efforts are being made worldwide to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in an attempt to identify the specific clinical characteristics of critically ill COVID-19 patients involved in its pathogenesis and provide therapeutic alternatives to minimize COVID-19 severity. Recently, COVID-19 has been closely related to sepsis, which suggests that most deceases in intensive care units (ICU) may be a direct consequence of SARS-CoV-2 infection-induced sepsis. Understanding oxidative stress and the molecular inflammation mechanisms contributing to COVID-19 progression to severe phenotypes such as sepsis is a current clinical need in the effort to improve therapies in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients. This article aims to review the molecular pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 and its relationship with oxidative stress and inflammation, which can contribute to sepsis progression. We also provide an overview of potential antioxidant therapies and active clinical trials that might prevent disease progression or reduce its severity.

Recent observations related to the structure of the cytoskeleton in neurons and novel cytoskeletal abnormalities involved in the pathophysiology of some neurological diseases are changing our view on the function of the cytoskeletal proteins in the nervous system. These efforts allow a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying neurological diseases and allow us to see beyond our current knowledge for the development of new treatments. The neuronal cytoskeleton can be described as an organelle formed by the three-dimensional lattice of the three main families of filaments: actin filaments, microtubules, and neurofilaments. This organelle organizes well-defined structures within neurons (cell bodies and axons), which allow their proper development and function through life. Here, we will provide an overview of both the basic and novel concepts related to those cytoskeletal proteins, which are emerging as potential targets in the study of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying neurological disorders.

Mitochondrial biogenesis (MB) is the essential mechanism by which cells control the number of mitochondria. Cells respond to different physiologic, metabolic, and pathologic changes by regulating this organelle with high morphological and functional adaptability. A considerable number of proteins, transcription factors, upstream regulatory proteins and secondary mechanisms are involved in MB and the stabilization of new mitochondrial DNA. These MB activators and regulators, including the main participating proteins (e.g. PGC-1α and mtTFA), are candidates for therapeutic intervention in diverse diseases, like neurodegenerative disorders, metabolic syndrome, sarcopenia, cardiac pathophysiology and physiological processes like aging. In this review, we analyze the implication of MB in several diseases in which the MB pathway is affected. Furthermore, we describe therapeutical interventions on MB targets to boost MB for the prevention and treatment of human diseases. Furthermore, evidence based results and the knowledge gained during last years for some of these drugs aim us hypothesize about the value of a given treatment involved in the activation of MB.

Aims: Here we report that chromatin, the complex and dynamic eukaryotic DNA packaging structure, is able to sense cellular redox changes. Histone H3, the only nucleosomal protein that possesses cysteine(s), can be modified by glutathione (GSH). Results: Using Biotin labeled glutathione ethyl ester (BioGEE) treatment of nucleosomes in vitro, we show that GSH, the most abundant antioxidant in mammals, binds to histone H3. BioGEE treatment of NIH3T3 cells indicates that glutathionylation of H3 is maximal in fast proliferating cells, correlating well with enhanced levels of H3 glutathionylation in different tumor cell lines. Furthermore, glutathionylation of H3 in vivo decreases in livers from aged SAMP8 and C57BL/6J mice. We demonstrate biochemically and by mass spectrometry that histone variants H3.2/H3.3 are glutathionylated on their cysteine residue 110. Furthermore, circular dichroism, thermal denaturation of reconstituted nucleosomes, and molecular modeling indicate that glutathionylation of histone H3 produces structural changes affecting nucleosomal stability. Innovation: We characterize the implications of histone H3 glutathionylation in cell physiology and the modulation of core histone proteins structure affected by this modification. Conclusion: Histone H3 senses cellular redox changes through glutathionylation of Cys, which increases during cell proliferation and decreases during aging. Glutathionylation of histone H3 affects nucleosome stability structure leading to a more open chromatin structure. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 19, 1305–1320.