Search results for " PEP"
showing 10 items of 2532 documents
Genetic variation and evolutionary analysis ofPepino mosaic virusin Sicily: insights into the dispersion and epidemiology
2017
Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) is a highly infectious potexvirus that causes a severe disease in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) crops worldwide. In Sicily, the first outbreak was detected in a single greenhouse in 2005 and it was promptly eradicated. However, in 2008, a large number of greenhouses were simultaneously affected, and it was impossible to eradicate or control the virus. This study addressed the dispersion and the genetic diversity of PepMV isolates obtained from the outbreak in Sicily, in comparison with worldwide PepMV isolates, to gain insight into the factors determining the evolution and epidemiology of the virus. A total of 1800 samples from plants with and without symptoms we…
Enhancing heterologous protein expression and secretion in HEK293 cells by means of combination of CMV promoter and IFNα2 signal peptide
2016
Efficient production and secretion of recombinant proteins in mammalian cell lines relies in a combination of genetic, metabolic and culture strategy factors. The present work assesses the influence of two key genetic components of expression vectors (promoter and signal peptide) on protein production and secretion effciency in HEK293 cells expressing eGFP as a reporter protein. Firstly, the strength of 3 different promoters was evaluated using transient expression methods. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that the highest level of intracellular protein expression was found when eGFP was under the control of CMV promoter, being 3-times higher in comparison to the rest of the promoters teste…
First outbreak of Pepper vein yellows virus infecting sweet pepper in Italy
2016
Sweet pepper (Capsicum annum) is an economically important crop worldwide, including Sicily where about 4,000 hectares are grown each year. In October 2015, severe symptoms not previously reported by growers in the horticultural area of the province of Trapani (Sicily, Italy) were observed on sweet pepper plants in eight different greenhouses. Symptoms included upward leaf curling, internodal shortening and interveinal yellowing. Symptoms were more evident in the upper part of the plants. These symptoms were reminiscent of those caused by poleroviruses. In the greenhouse, symptoms were evident in about 35% of the plants. Three samples per greenhouse (24 in total) were collected for analysis.
Marine Cryptophytes Are Great Sources of EPA and DHA
2017
Microalgae have the ability to synthetize many compounds, some of which have been recognized as a source of functional ingredients for nutraceuticals with positive health effects. One well-known example is the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which are essential for human nutrition. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are the two most important long-chain omega-3 (-3) PUFAs involved in human physiology, and both industries are almost exclusively based on microalgae. In addition, algae produce phytosterols that reduce serum cholesterol. Here we determined the growth rates, biomass yields, PUFA and sterol content, and daily gain of eight strains of marine…
In vitro antifungal activity of bioactive peptides produced by Lactobacillus plantarum against Aspergillus parasiticus and Penicillium expansum
2017
Abstract Food spoilage caused by mycotoxigenic moulds represents an important problem in food security. The antimicrobial peptides are compounds of natural origin constituted by a variable number (5–100) of amino acids held together through peptide bonds. In this work, the cell free supernatants (CFSs) containing peptides obtained from four strains of LAB were lyophilized, filtered and tested to determine the antifungal activity against Aspergillus Parasiticus and Penicillium expansum . CFS obtained by Lactobacillus plantarum showed the highest inhibition activity. CFS was fractionated by size exclusion chromatography and injected into the liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detect…
First report of tomato brown rugose fruit virus infecting sweet pepper in Italy
2020
In January 2020, about 85% of a red sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum) crop in a greenhouse located in Ragusa province (Sicily, Italy) showed virus-like symptoms. Symptoms consisted of a slight mosaic and discoloration of young leaves, vein clearing on young leaves, browning of the stem with strong necrosis located in the intersection of the secondary branches, partial necrosis of the vegetative apex and marbling, mosaic and distortion of the fruits (Fig. 1). It is important to note that in 2019 the same greenhouse was cultivated with tomato, which had been removed due to extensive infection caused by Tomato brown rugose fruit virus
Purification, characterization and influence on membrane properties of the plant-specific sphingolipids GIPC
2020
AbstractThe plant plasma membrane (PM) is an essential barrier between the cell and the external environment. The PM is crucial for signal perception and transmission. It consists of an asymmetrical lipid bilayer made up of three different lipid classes: sphingolipids, sterols and phospholipids. The most abundant sphingolipids in the plant PM are the Glycosyl Inositol Phosphoryl Ceramides (GIPCs), representing up to 40% of total sphingolipids, assumed to be almost exclusively in the outer leaflet of the PM. In this study, we investigated the structure of GIPCs and their role in membrane organization. Since GIPCs are not commercially available, we developed a protocol to extract and isolate …
Immunity and other defenses in pea aphids, Acyrthosiphon pisum
2010
Background Recent genomic analyses of arthropod defense mechanisms suggest conservation of key elements underlying responses to pathogens, parasites and stresses. At the center of pathogen-induced immune responses are signaling pathways triggered by the recognition of fungal, bacterial and viral signatures. These pathways result in the production of response molecules, such as antimicrobial peptides and lysozymes, which degrade or destroy invaders. Using the recently sequenced genome of the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum), we conducted the first extensive annotation of the immune and stress gene repertoire of a hemipterous insect, which is phylogenetically distantly related to previously ch…
Differential Effect of Plant Lipids on Membrane Organization
2015
SPE IPM; International audience; The high diversity of the plant lipid mixture raises the question of their respective involvement in the definition of membrane organization. This is particularly the case for plant plasma membrane, which is enriched in specific lipids, such as free and conjugated forms of phytosterols and typical phytosphingolipids, such as glycosylinositolphosphoceramides. This question was here addressed extensively by characterizing the order level of membrane from vesicles prepared using various plant lipid mixtures and labeled with an environment-sensitive probe. Fluorescence spectroscopy experiments showed that among major phytosterols, campesterol exhibits a stronger…
Antifungal and antimycotoxigenic activity of hydrolyzed goat whey on Penicillium spp: An application as biopreservation agent in pita bread
2020
Abstract Whey is a by-product of the cheese industry, yet it contains proteins that have a high nutritional value and are an important source of antifungal peptides. Food deterioration caused by toxigenic fungi is one of the challenges of food safety. In this context, trypsin was used to hydrolyse goat milk whey at 37. The resultant peptides were characterised by LC–ESI–TOF-MS. Antifungal activity of the goat milk whey hydrolysate (HGW) was determined against 10 toxigenic fungi from the genus Penicillium, in solid and liquid media. Furthermore, HGW was used as an ingredient for bread elaboration. Bread elaborated with HGW and inoculated with toxigenic fungi was included in a shelf-life stud…