Carlos Martino | Florida Institute of Technology (original) (raw)
Papers by Carlos Martino
Plant Signaling & Behavior, 2015
Cryptochromes are blue-light absorbing flavoproteins with many important signaling roles in plant... more Cryptochromes are blue-light absorbing flavoproteins with many important signaling roles in plants, including in deetiolation, development, and stress response. They interact with downstream signaling partners such as transcription factors and components of the proteasome, and thereby alter regulation of nuclear gene expression in a light dependent manner. In a prior study, it has also been shown that Arabidopsis cry1 activation by blue light results in direct enzymatic conversion of molecular oxygen (O2) to ROS (reactive oxygen species) in vivo leading to cell death in overexpressing lines. Here we extend these observations to show that Atcry2 is translocated from the cytosol to the nucleus in response to blue light illumination, resulting in nuclear accumulation of ROS in expressing insect cell cultures. These observations suggest that ROS formation may represent a novel means of signaling by Atcry2 distinct from, and perhaps complementary to, the currently known mechanism of light-mediated conformational change.
The effects of weak radio frequency magnetic fields on the production of intracellular superoxide... more The effects of weak radio frequency magnetic fields on the production of intracellular superoxide and extracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were investigated in vitro on rat pulmonary aorta smooth muscle cells (rPASMC). Cells were exposed to 45 μT static magnetic field as a control (Case I, static magnetic field (SMF) oriented vertical to the plane of growth of cells) and SMF combined with weak 7 MHz radio frequency (RF) magnetic fields of 10 μTRMS intensity at 90° angle (Case II, corresponding to the orthogonal horizontal direction). Hydrogen peroxide was measured by fluorometric techniques by use of Amplex Ultra Red. Intracellular superoxide radical was detected by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) technique by use of TM-H cyclic hydroxylamines. Cell numbers were enhanced by up to 35% on day 3 for cells exposed to Case II magnetic fields with concomitant extracellular H2O2 production increased by 45% on day 3. Case II exhibited a diminished basal superoxide concentration, whi...
Bioelectromagnetics, 2014
This study presents experimental data for the effects of weak radio frequency (RF) magnetic field... more This study presents experimental data for the effects of weak radio frequency (RF) magnetic fields on hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) production and cellular growth rates of fibrosarcoma HT1080 cells in vitro. Cells were exposed either to 45 mT static magnetic fields (SMFs)-oriented vertical to the plane of growth or to SMFs combined with weak 5 and 10 MHz RF magnetic fields of 10 mT RMS intensity perpendicular to the static field. Cell numbers were reduced up to 30% on Day 2 for the cells exposed to the combination of SMF and a 10 MHz RF magnetic field compared with the SMF control cells. In addition, cells exposed to 10 MHz RF magnetic fields for 8 h increased H 2 O 2 production by 55%. The results demonstrate an overall magnetic field-induced biological effect that shows elevated H 2 O 2 levels with accompanying decrease in cellular growth rates. Bioelectromagnetics
PLoS ONE, 2011
Increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and an altered redox status have long been ... more Increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and an altered redox status have long been observed in cancer cells, suggesting that ROS might be involved in the development of these cells. However, recent studies suggest that inducing an excess of ROS in cancer cells can be exploited for therapeutic benefits. Cancer cells in advanced stage tumors frequently exhibit multiple genetic alterations and high oxidative stress, suggesting that it might be possible to preferentially modulate the development of these cells by controlling their ROS production. Low levels of ROS are also important for the development and survival of normal cells. In this manuscript, we present data on the influence of the suppression of the Earth's magnetic field (low level magnetic fields or LLF) which magnitudes range from 0.2 mT to 2 mT on the modulation of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) in human fibrosarcoma cancer cell line HT1080, pancreatic AsPC-1 cancer cell line, and bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAEC) exposed to geomagnetic field (control; 45 mT-60 mT). Reduction of the Earth's magnetic field suppressed H 2 O 2 production in cancer cells and PAEC. The addition of catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic MnTBAP inhibited the magnetic field effect. Modulating ROS production by magnetic fields may open new venues of biomedical research and therapeutic strategies.
IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control, 2000
A noncontacting electromagnetic-acousticresonance technique is presented for generating and detec... more A noncontacting electromagnetic-acousticresonance technique is presented for generating and detecting vibrational modes with prescribed symmetries in piezoelectric trigonal crystals with cylindrical geometry. This technique provides the experimental basis for determining all elastic constants from a single specimen, while overcoming difficulties in mode identification that can occur in traditional resonant-ultrasound spectroscopy. Narrow-band tone-burst excitation and piezoelectric coupling are employed with various geometrical configurations of electrodes near the surface of a quartz specimen. The geometries of the specimen and plates include all of the symmetry elements of the crystallographic point group, which enable selection of the irreducible representation of excited vibrational modes simply by switching electrical leads to the electrodes.
The New phytologist, Jan 26, 2015
Cryptochromes are widespread blue-light absorbing flavoproteins with important signaling roles. I... more Cryptochromes are widespread blue-light absorbing flavoproteins with important signaling roles. In plants they mediate de-etiolation, developmental and stress responses resulting from interaction with downstream signaling partners such as transcription factors and components of the proteasome. Recently, it has been shown that Arabidopsis cry1 activation by blue light also results in direct enzymatic conversion of molecular oxygen (O2 ) to reactive oxygen species (ROS) and hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) in vitro. Here we explored whether direct enzymatic synthesis of ROS by Arabidopsis cry1 can play a physiological role in vivo. ROS formation resulting from cry1 expression was measured by fluorescence assay in insect cell cultures and in Arabidopsis protoplasts from cryptochrome mutant seedlings. Cell death was determined by colorimetric assay. We found that ROS formation results from cry1 activation and induces cell death in insect cell cultures. In plant protoplasts, cryptochrome activ...
Bioelectromagnetics, 2011
In this manuscript, data demonstrating the magnetic sensitivity of human umbilical vein endotheli... more In this manuscript, data demonstrating the magnetic sensitivity of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) is presented. The effects of low level fields (LLF; 0.2-1 mT), 30 and 120 mT magnetic fields on the proliferation of endothelial cells were investigated. Primary HUVECs were cultured and exposed to the distinct magnetic conditions in the same incubator. Although cell numbers were slightly affected between 30 and 120 mT magnetic fields, reducing the magnetic field to low levels clearly inhibited proliferation. The rationale of introducing LLF is to elucidate a possible mechanism of interaction. Small differences of 30 mT reduce endothelial cell numbers significantly. The addition of free radical scavenger superoxide dismutase suppressed the enhanced proliferation caused by 120 mT static magnetic fields. It is proposed that the static magnetic field interacts with endothelial cells via a free radical mechanism.
Bioelectromagnetics, 2012
The effects of exposure to an environment where the background magnetic field (BMF) has been redu... more The effects of exposure to an environment where the background magnetic field (BMF) has been reduced were studied on wild-type Drosophila melanogaster by measuring its ability to survive a single exposure to ionizing radiation (IR) during its larval stage. The experimental design presented shows a timeframe, IR dose, and BMF parameters that will cause a significant and reproducible reduction of survival on this insect model. These results suggest that BMFs may play a fundamental role in the recovery or harm of a biological system that is exposed to single doses of IR.
PLoS ONE, 2014
The effects of weak magnetic fields on the biological production of reactive oxygen species (ROS)... more The effects of weak magnetic fields on the biological production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from intracellular superoxide (O 2 N2 ) and extracellular hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) were investigated in vitro with rat pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (rPASMC). A decrease in O 2 N2 and an increase in H 2 O 2 concentrations were observed in the presence of a 7 MHz radio frequency (RF) at 10 mT RMS and static 45 mT magnetic fields. We propose that O 2 N2 and H 2 O 2 production in some metabolic processes occur through singlet-triplet modulation of semiquinone flavin (FADH N ) enzymes and O 2 N2 spincorrelated radical pairs. Spin-radical pair products are modulated by the 7 MHz RF magnetic fields that presumably decouple flavin hyperfine interactions during spin coherence. RF flavin hyperfine decoupling results in an increase of H 2 O 2 singlet state products, which creates cellular oxidative stress and acts as a secondary messenger that affects cellular proliferation. This study demonstrates the interplay between O 2 N2 and H 2 O 2 production when influenced by RF magnetic fields and underscores the subtle effects of low-frequency magnetic fields on oxidative metabolism, ROS signaling, and cellular growth. Citation: Usselman RJ, Hill I, Singel DJ, Martino CF (2014) Spin Biochemistry Modulates Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Production by Radio Frequency Magnetic Fields. PLoS ONE 9(3): e93065.
Bioelectromagnetics, 2010
Bioelectromagnetics, 2008
Although pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) have been used for treatments of nonunion bone fra... more Although pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) have been used for treatments of nonunion bone fracture healing for more than three decades, the underlying cellular mechanism of bone formation promoted by PEMFs is still unclear. It has been observed that a series of parameters such as pulse shape and frequency should be carefully controlled to achieve effective treatments. In this article, the effects of PEMFs with repetitive pulse burst waveform on the cellular activity of SaOS-2 osteoblast-like cells were investigated. In particular, cell proliferation and mineralization due to the imposed PEMFs were assessed through direct cell counts, the MTT assay, tissue nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and Alizarin Red S (ARS) staining. PEMF stimulation with repetitive pulse burst waveform did not affect metabolic activity and cell number. However, the ALP activity of SaOS-2 cells and mineral nodule formation increased significantly after PEMF stimulation. These observations suggest that repetitive pulse burst PEMF does not affect cellular metabolism; however, it may play a role in the enhancement of SaOS-2 cell mineralization. We are currently investigating cellular responses under different PEMF waveforms and Western blots for protein expression of bone mineralization specific proteins.
Bioelectromagnetics, 2010
Small alterations in static magnetic fields have been shown to affect certain chemical reaction r... more Small alterations in static magnetic fields have been shown to affect certain chemical reaction rates ex vivo. In this manuscript, we present data demonstrating that similar small changes in static magnetic fields between individual cell culture incubators results in significantly altered cell cycle rates for multiple cancer-derived cell lines. This change as assessed by cell number is not a result of apoptosis, necrosis, or cell cycle alterations. While the underlying mechanism is unclear, the implications for all cell culture experiments are clear; static magnetic field conditions within incubators must be considered and/or controlled just as one does for temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration. Bioelectromagnetics 31:649-655,
Plant Signaling & Behavior, 2015
Cryptochromes are blue-light absorbing flavoproteins with many important signaling roles in plant... more Cryptochromes are blue-light absorbing flavoproteins with many important signaling roles in plants, including in deetiolation, development, and stress response. They interact with downstream signaling partners such as transcription factors and components of the proteasome, and thereby alter regulation of nuclear gene expression in a light dependent manner. In a prior study, it has also been shown that Arabidopsis cry1 activation by blue light results in direct enzymatic conversion of molecular oxygen (O2) to ROS (reactive oxygen species) in vivo leading to cell death in overexpressing lines. Here we extend these observations to show that Atcry2 is translocated from the cytosol to the nucleus in response to blue light illumination, resulting in nuclear accumulation of ROS in expressing insect cell cultures. These observations suggest that ROS formation may represent a novel means of signaling by Atcry2 distinct from, and perhaps complementary to, the currently known mechanism of light-mediated conformational change.
The effects of weak radio frequency magnetic fields on the production of intracellular superoxide... more The effects of weak radio frequency magnetic fields on the production of intracellular superoxide and extracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were investigated in vitro on rat pulmonary aorta smooth muscle cells (rPASMC). Cells were exposed to 45 μT static magnetic field as a control (Case I, static magnetic field (SMF) oriented vertical to the plane of growth of cells) and SMF combined with weak 7 MHz radio frequency (RF) magnetic fields of 10 μTRMS intensity at 90° angle (Case II, corresponding to the orthogonal horizontal direction). Hydrogen peroxide was measured by fluorometric techniques by use of Amplex Ultra Red. Intracellular superoxide radical was detected by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) technique by use of TM-H cyclic hydroxylamines. Cell numbers were enhanced by up to 35% on day 3 for cells exposed to Case II magnetic fields with concomitant extracellular H2O2 production increased by 45% on day 3. Case II exhibited a diminished basal superoxide concentration, whi...
Bioelectromagnetics, 2014
This study presents experimental data for the effects of weak radio frequency (RF) magnetic field... more This study presents experimental data for the effects of weak radio frequency (RF) magnetic fields on hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) production and cellular growth rates of fibrosarcoma HT1080 cells in vitro. Cells were exposed either to 45 mT static magnetic fields (SMFs)-oriented vertical to the plane of growth or to SMFs combined with weak 5 and 10 MHz RF magnetic fields of 10 mT RMS intensity perpendicular to the static field. Cell numbers were reduced up to 30% on Day 2 for the cells exposed to the combination of SMF and a 10 MHz RF magnetic field compared with the SMF control cells. In addition, cells exposed to 10 MHz RF magnetic fields for 8 h increased H 2 O 2 production by 55%. The results demonstrate an overall magnetic field-induced biological effect that shows elevated H 2 O 2 levels with accompanying decrease in cellular growth rates. Bioelectromagnetics
PLoS ONE, 2011
Increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and an altered redox status have long been ... more Increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and an altered redox status have long been observed in cancer cells, suggesting that ROS might be involved in the development of these cells. However, recent studies suggest that inducing an excess of ROS in cancer cells can be exploited for therapeutic benefits. Cancer cells in advanced stage tumors frequently exhibit multiple genetic alterations and high oxidative stress, suggesting that it might be possible to preferentially modulate the development of these cells by controlling their ROS production. Low levels of ROS are also important for the development and survival of normal cells. In this manuscript, we present data on the influence of the suppression of the Earth's magnetic field (low level magnetic fields or LLF) which magnitudes range from 0.2 mT to 2 mT on the modulation of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) in human fibrosarcoma cancer cell line HT1080, pancreatic AsPC-1 cancer cell line, and bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAEC) exposed to geomagnetic field (control; 45 mT-60 mT). Reduction of the Earth's magnetic field suppressed H 2 O 2 production in cancer cells and PAEC. The addition of catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic MnTBAP inhibited the magnetic field effect. Modulating ROS production by magnetic fields may open new venues of biomedical research and therapeutic strategies.
IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control, 2000
A noncontacting electromagnetic-acousticresonance technique is presented for generating and detec... more A noncontacting electromagnetic-acousticresonance technique is presented for generating and detecting vibrational modes with prescribed symmetries in piezoelectric trigonal crystals with cylindrical geometry. This technique provides the experimental basis for determining all elastic constants from a single specimen, while overcoming difficulties in mode identification that can occur in traditional resonant-ultrasound spectroscopy. Narrow-band tone-burst excitation and piezoelectric coupling are employed with various geometrical configurations of electrodes near the surface of a quartz specimen. The geometries of the specimen and plates include all of the symmetry elements of the crystallographic point group, which enable selection of the irreducible representation of excited vibrational modes simply by switching electrical leads to the electrodes.
The New phytologist, Jan 26, 2015
Cryptochromes are widespread blue-light absorbing flavoproteins with important signaling roles. I... more Cryptochromes are widespread blue-light absorbing flavoproteins with important signaling roles. In plants they mediate de-etiolation, developmental and stress responses resulting from interaction with downstream signaling partners such as transcription factors and components of the proteasome. Recently, it has been shown that Arabidopsis cry1 activation by blue light also results in direct enzymatic conversion of molecular oxygen (O2 ) to reactive oxygen species (ROS) and hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) in vitro. Here we explored whether direct enzymatic synthesis of ROS by Arabidopsis cry1 can play a physiological role in vivo. ROS formation resulting from cry1 expression was measured by fluorescence assay in insect cell cultures and in Arabidopsis protoplasts from cryptochrome mutant seedlings. Cell death was determined by colorimetric assay. We found that ROS formation results from cry1 activation and induces cell death in insect cell cultures. In plant protoplasts, cryptochrome activ...
Bioelectromagnetics, 2011
In this manuscript, data demonstrating the magnetic sensitivity of human umbilical vein endotheli... more In this manuscript, data demonstrating the magnetic sensitivity of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) is presented. The effects of low level fields (LLF; 0.2-1 mT), 30 and 120 mT magnetic fields on the proliferation of endothelial cells were investigated. Primary HUVECs were cultured and exposed to the distinct magnetic conditions in the same incubator. Although cell numbers were slightly affected between 30 and 120 mT magnetic fields, reducing the magnetic field to low levels clearly inhibited proliferation. The rationale of introducing LLF is to elucidate a possible mechanism of interaction. Small differences of 30 mT reduce endothelial cell numbers significantly. The addition of free radical scavenger superoxide dismutase suppressed the enhanced proliferation caused by 120 mT static magnetic fields. It is proposed that the static magnetic field interacts with endothelial cells via a free radical mechanism.
Bioelectromagnetics, 2012
The effects of exposure to an environment where the background magnetic field (BMF) has been redu... more The effects of exposure to an environment where the background magnetic field (BMF) has been reduced were studied on wild-type Drosophila melanogaster by measuring its ability to survive a single exposure to ionizing radiation (IR) during its larval stage. The experimental design presented shows a timeframe, IR dose, and BMF parameters that will cause a significant and reproducible reduction of survival on this insect model. These results suggest that BMFs may play a fundamental role in the recovery or harm of a biological system that is exposed to single doses of IR.
PLoS ONE, 2014
The effects of weak magnetic fields on the biological production of reactive oxygen species (ROS)... more The effects of weak magnetic fields on the biological production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from intracellular superoxide (O 2 N2 ) and extracellular hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) were investigated in vitro with rat pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (rPASMC). A decrease in O 2 N2 and an increase in H 2 O 2 concentrations were observed in the presence of a 7 MHz radio frequency (RF) at 10 mT RMS and static 45 mT magnetic fields. We propose that O 2 N2 and H 2 O 2 production in some metabolic processes occur through singlet-triplet modulation of semiquinone flavin (FADH N ) enzymes and O 2 N2 spincorrelated radical pairs. Spin-radical pair products are modulated by the 7 MHz RF magnetic fields that presumably decouple flavin hyperfine interactions during spin coherence. RF flavin hyperfine decoupling results in an increase of H 2 O 2 singlet state products, which creates cellular oxidative stress and acts as a secondary messenger that affects cellular proliferation. This study demonstrates the interplay between O 2 N2 and H 2 O 2 production when influenced by RF magnetic fields and underscores the subtle effects of low-frequency magnetic fields on oxidative metabolism, ROS signaling, and cellular growth. Citation: Usselman RJ, Hill I, Singel DJ, Martino CF (2014) Spin Biochemistry Modulates Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Production by Radio Frequency Magnetic Fields. PLoS ONE 9(3): e93065.
Bioelectromagnetics, 2010
Bioelectromagnetics, 2008
Although pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) have been used for treatments of nonunion bone fra... more Although pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) have been used for treatments of nonunion bone fracture healing for more than three decades, the underlying cellular mechanism of bone formation promoted by PEMFs is still unclear. It has been observed that a series of parameters such as pulse shape and frequency should be carefully controlled to achieve effective treatments. In this article, the effects of PEMFs with repetitive pulse burst waveform on the cellular activity of SaOS-2 osteoblast-like cells were investigated. In particular, cell proliferation and mineralization due to the imposed PEMFs were assessed through direct cell counts, the MTT assay, tissue nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and Alizarin Red S (ARS) staining. PEMF stimulation with repetitive pulse burst waveform did not affect metabolic activity and cell number. However, the ALP activity of SaOS-2 cells and mineral nodule formation increased significantly after PEMF stimulation. These observations suggest that repetitive pulse burst PEMF does not affect cellular metabolism; however, it may play a role in the enhancement of SaOS-2 cell mineralization. We are currently investigating cellular responses under different PEMF waveforms and Western blots for protein expression of bone mineralization specific proteins.
Bioelectromagnetics, 2010
Small alterations in static magnetic fields have been shown to affect certain chemical reaction r... more Small alterations in static magnetic fields have been shown to affect certain chemical reaction rates ex vivo. In this manuscript, we present data demonstrating that similar small changes in static magnetic fields between individual cell culture incubators results in significantly altered cell cycle rates for multiple cancer-derived cell lines. This change as assessed by cell number is not a result of apoptosis, necrosis, or cell cycle alterations. While the underlying mechanism is unclear, the implications for all cell culture experiments are clear; static magnetic field conditions within incubators must be considered and/or controlled just as one does for temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration. Bioelectromagnetics 31:649-655,