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Skin is continuously exposed to a variety of environmental stresses, including ultraviolet (UV) radiation. UVB is an inherent component of sunlight that crosses the epidermis and reaches the upper dermis, leading to increased oxidative stress, activation of inflammatory response and accumulation of DNA damage among other effects. The increase in UVB radiation on earth due to the destruction of stratospheric ozone poses a major environmental threat to the skin, increasing the risk of damage with long-term consequences, such as photoaging and photocarcinogenesis. Extracts from plants and natural compounds have been historically used in traditional medicine in the form of teas and ointments but the effect of most of these compounds has yet to be verified. Regarding the increasing concern of the population with issues related to quality of life and appearance, the cosmetic market for anti-aging and photoprotective products based on natural compounds is continuously growing, and there is increasing requirement of expansion on research in this field. In this review we summarized the most current and relevant information concerning plant extracts and natural compounds that are able to protect or mitigate the deleterious effects caused by photoaging in different experimental models.

Phylogenetic footprinting is an evolutionary tool used for the identification of functional elements in selected genomes. This method relies on the search for similarities among ancestrally related sequences and has been widely used to identify cis-regulatory elements in non-coding genomic regions. Conserved non-coding elements (CNEs) have been shown to be crucial for controlling gene transcription in vertebrate genomes. Here we present practical guidelines for discovering new cis-regulatory elements using phylogenetic footprinting and discuss pros and cons of different approaches for the functional characterization of these elements. In addition, we present two case studies to provide practical examples of how this powerful technique is used. The first case study illustrates the in silico identification of the Myostatin gene promoter conserved in vertebrates and its biological validation. The second case study describes the search for cis-regulatory elements of the Raldh2 gene and demonstrates the conserved biological function of an intronic CNE responsible for modulating the gene activity in the embryonic dorsal spinal cord in vertebrates. The comparison of these two case studies highlights the similarities and differences regarding bioinformatic strategies and validation methods for the identification and functional characterization of promoters and distal cis-regulatory elements (enhancers/silencers).

Background Understanding the molecular underpinnings of phenotypic variations is critical for enhancing poultry breeding programs. The Brazilian broiler (TT) and laying hen (CC) lines exhibit striking differences in body weight, growth potential, and muscle mass. Our work aimed to compare the global transcriptome of wing and pectoral tissues during the early development (days 2.5 to 3.5) of these chicken lines, unveiling disparities in gene expression and regulation. Results Different and bona-fide transcriptomic profiles were identified for the compared lines. A similar number of up- and downregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, considering the broiler line as a reference. Upregulated DEGs displayed an enrichment of protease-encoding genes, whereas downregulated DEGs exhibited a prevalence of receptors and ligands. Gene Ontology analysis revealed that upregulated DEGs were mainly associated with hormone response, mitotic cell cycle, and different metabolic and biosynthetic processes. In contrast, downregulated DEGs were primarily linked to communication, signal transduction, cell differentiation, and nervous system development. Regulatory networks were constructed for the mitotic cell cycle and cell differentiation biological processes, as their contrasting roles may impact the development of distinct postnatal traits. Within the mitotic cell cycle network, key upregulated DEGs included CCND1 and HSP90 , with central regulators being NF-κB subunits ( RELA and REL ) and NFATC2 . The cell differentiation network comprises numerous DEGs encoding transcription factors (e.g., HOX genes), receptors, ligands, and histones, while the main regulatory hubs are CREB , AR and epigenetic modifiers. Clustering analyses highlighted PIK3CD as a central player within the differentiation network. Conclusions Our study revealed distinct developmental transcriptomes between Brazilian broiler and layer lines. The gene expression profile of broiler embryos seems to favour increased cell proliferation and delayed differentiation, which may contribute to the subsequent enlargement of pectoral tissues during foetal and postnatal development. Our findings pave the way for future functional studies and improvement of targeted traits of economic interest in poultry.