Search results for "Flora"

Altered metabolism of gut microbiota contributes to chronic immune activation in HIV-infected individuals.

2015

Altered interplay between gut mucosa and microbiota during treated HIV infection may possibly contribute to increased bacterial translocation and chronic immune activation, both of which are predictors of morbidity and mortality. Although a dysbiotic gut microbiota has recently been reported in HIV + individuals, the metagenome gene pool associated with HIV infection remains unknown. The aim of this study is to characterize the functional gene content of gut microbiota in HIV + patients and to define the metabolic pathways of this bacterial community, which is potentially associated with immune dysfunction. We determined systemic markers of innate and adaptive immunity in a cohort of HIV-in…

Age-Related Inflammation: the Contribution of Different Organs, Tissues and Systems. How to Face it for Therapeutic Approaches

2010

A typical feature of ageing is a chronic, low-grade inflammation characterized by a general increase in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory markers ("inflamm-ageing"). This status may slowly damage one or several organs, especially when unfavorable genetic polymorphisms and epigenetic alterations are concomitant, leading to an increased risk of frailty together with the onset of age-related chronic diseases. The contribution of different tissues (adipose tissue, muscle), organs (brain, liver), immune system and ecosystems (gut microbiota) to age-related inflammation ("inflamm-ageing") will be discussed in this review in the context of its onset/progression leading …

Targeting antibiotic resistant bacteria with phage reduces bacterial density in an insect host

2019

Phage therapy is attracting growing interest among clinicians as antibiotic resistance continues becoming harder to control. However, clinical trials and animal model studies on bacteriophage treatment are still scarce and results on the efficacy vary. Recent research suggests that using traditional antimicrobials in concert with phage could have desirable synergistic effects that hinder the evolution of resistance. Here, we present a novel insect gut model to study phage–antibiotic interaction in a system where antibiotic resistance initially exists in very low frequency and phage specifically targets the resistance bearing cells. We demonstrate that while phage therapy could not reduce th…

Bacillus species in the intestine of termites and other soil invertebrates

2006

Soil invertebrates harbour a complex microbial community in their intestinal system. The total number of microbes in the hindgut of soil invertebrates can reach a titre of 10(11) ml(-1). The gut microbes play an indispensable role in the digestion of food and are of ecological importance in the global carbon cycle. The gut microbiota can include a variety of micro-organisms from the three domains Bacteria, Archaea and Eucarya. The bacterial groups from the intestinal systems are mainly affiliated to the proteobacteria, the gram-positive groups Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, the Bacteroides/Flavobacterium branch and the spirochetes. The Archaea are represented by methanogens. The eukaryotic …

Space matters: meristem expansion triggers corona formation in Passiflora

2015

Background and aims Flower meristems differ from vegetative meristems in various aspects. One characteristic is the capacity for ongoing meristem expansion providing space for new structures. Here, corona formation in four species of Passiflora is investigated to understand the spatio-temporal conditions of its formation and to clarify homology of the corona elements. Methods One bird-pollinated species with a single-rowed tubular corona (Passiflora tulae) and three insect-pollinated species with three (P. standleyi Killip), four (P. foetida L. ‘Sanctae Martae’) and six (P. foetida L. var. hispida) ray-shaped corona rows are chosen as representative examples for the study. Flower developmen…

Can herbivore-induced volatiles protect plants by increasing the herbivores’ susceptibility to natural pathogens?

2018

In response to insect herbivory, plants mobilize various defenses. Defense responses include the release of herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) that can serve as signals to alert undamaged tissues and to attract natural enemies of the herbivores. Some HIPVs can have a direct negative impact on herbivore survival, but it is not well understood by what mechanisms. Here, we tested the hypothesis that exposure to HIPVs renders insects more susceptible to natural pathogens. Exposure of the caterpillars of the noctuid Spodoptera exigua to indole and linalool, but not exposure to (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, increased the susceptibility to Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV). …

INTESTINAL BACTERIA AND BOWEL DISEASE: ROLE OF PROBIOTICS.

2010

The gut of a helathy adult harbours a myriad of different microbial species (aproximately 10.14 colony forming units). In healthy adults the main control of intestinal bacterial colonization occurs through the gastric acidity. Moreover, other factors can influence the intestinal micorenvironment, as pH, temperature, competition among different bacterial strains, peristalsis, drugs, radiotherapy, and much more. It was found that, when you have an impaired micorbial homeostasis, the intestinal microsystem becomes unstable, so that leads to an alteration of the permeability of tissues, togheter with the activation of the intestinal immune system (MALT). These microenvironmental changes thus pr…

Possibile origine e consistenza di un popolamento di Quercus trojana Webb subsp. trojana (Fagaceae) nel Bosco della Ficuzza (Palermo, Sicilia

2014

Possible origin and demographic asset of a population of Quercus trojana Webb subsp. trojana (Fagaceae) in the wood of Ficuzza (Palermo, Sicily). The first record of Macedonian oak in Sicily is reported. The finding consists of 73 adult and 4 young individuals. A morphometric analysis of all of them, along with an assessment of their phytosanitary status was carried out. They all grow between 700 and 850 m a.s.l. on a 2,30 ha area, characterized by a land mosaic of shrubland and forest patches. Notwithstanding two years of researches, no ultimate proof has been found on their alien status. On this purpose, several alternative hypothesis are formulated and their strengths and weaknesses are …

Note su alcune specie ornamentali spontaneizzate in Sicilia

2010

Indagine preliminare sul germoplasma di Capparis spinosa subsp. rupestris (Sm.) Nyman dell'isola di Linosa

2009

Il cappero è un suffrutice presente nella flora spontanea del Mediterraneo. Nelle isole minori della Sicilia, in particolare a Pantelleria, Salina e di recente anche a Linosa, il cappero si è affermato in coltura specializzata, acquistando una certa importanza sia in termini economici, ma anche sociali ed ambientali. Questa produzione, infatti, molto apprezzata dai turisti, ha creato un certo volume di commercio locale, consentendo agli agricoltori di realizzare buoni utili. Le caratteristiche di rusticità, tipiche della specie, lo sviluppo e l’architettura dell’apparato radicale le conferiscono, inoltre, un ruolo rilevante nella prevenzione dei processi di erosione del suolo. L’attività in…