Search results for "ULB"

Patterns of flower development in Apiaceae–Apioideae

2016

Abstract Apiaceae is a large family characterized by uniform flowers. However, early ontogenetic studies revealed unexpected diversity in flower development. In the present paper, we investigate eight species representing six tribes of subfamily Apioideae to address diversity in developmental patterns. One focus is on the developmental divergence of sex morphs in andromonoecious species. Scanning electron microscopic studies were conducted on six herbaceous species: Chaerophyllum bulbosum , Daucus carota , Dorema aucheri , Ferula hezarlalehzarica , Orlaya grandiflora , Pastinaca sativa , and two woody species, i.e., Bupleurum fruticosum and Seseli ghafoorianum . Our results confirm the exis…

Use of Leaf and Fruit Morphometric Analysis to Identify and Classify White Mulberry (Morus alba L.) Genotypes

2018

Digital image analysis and multivariate data analysis were used in this study to identify a set of leaf and fruit morphometric traits to discriminate white mulberry (Morus alba L.) cultivars. The trial was conducted using three- to five-year-old potted cuttings of several white mulberry cultivars. 32 leaf morphometric descriptors were recorded in 2011 and 2012 from 11 mulberry cultivars using image analysis of scanned leaves, whereas six fruit descriptors were recorded in 2011 from nine mulberry cultivars. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was used to identify a subset of measured variables that could discriminate the cultivars in trial. Biplot analysis, followed by cluster analysis, was p…

Doubled haploid production in onion (Allium cepa L.): from gynogenesis to chromosome doubling

2020

Bulb onion (Allium cepa L.) is an allogamous diploid (2n = 16) important for its culinary uses, nutritional value, and medicinal benefits. Despite its economic importance, onion yields and bulb quality are declining, emphasizing the need for new and improved strategies for maintaining and enhancing overall crop quality. Development of inbred lines in onion through traditional breeding is often difficult due to its biennial life cycle, inbreeding depression, and comparatively high heterozygosities. Moreover, genetic research in onion has been hampered by large nuclear genome size. In this regard, gynogenic doubled haploids promise several advantages over inbred lines in support of onion bree…

Prox1 Is Required for Oligodendrocyte Cell Identity in Adult Neural Stem Cells of the Subventricular Zone

2016

Abstract Adult neural stem cells with the ability to generate neurons and glia cells are active throughout life in both the dentate gyrus (DG) and the subventricular zone (SVZ). Differentiation of adult neural stem cells is induced by cell fate determinants like the transcription factor Prox1. Evidence has been provided for a function of Prox1 as an inducer of neuronal differentiation within the DG. We now show that within the SVZ Prox1 induces differentiation into oligodendrocytes. Moreover, we find that loss of Prox1 expression in vivo reduces cell migration into the corpus callosum, where the few Prox1 deficient SVZ-derived remaining cells fail to differentiate into oligodendrocytes. Thu…

High-Performance Liquid Chromatography/Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MSn) Analysis and Bioactivity Useful for Prevention…

2019

This study aimed at evaluating and comparing the chemical profile obtained by HPLC-ESI-MSn analysis, the inhibitory activity of enzymes linked to obesity (α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and lipase) and the antioxidant properties (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and β-carotene bleaching tests) of ethanol extracts of bulbs (BE) and aerial parts (APE) from Allium commutatum Guss. (known in Italy as “aglio delle isole”). The chemical profile revealed alliin as the main abundant compound with values of 31.5 and 38.8 mg/g extract for BE and APE, respectively. APE is rich also in quercetin (38.5 mg/g extract) and luteolin (31.8 mg/g extract). Bulbs extract exhibited the highest activity as inhibitor of enzymes linke…

2016

Cytoglobin (Cygb) is a vertebrate globin with so far poorly defined function. It is expressed in the fibroblast cell-lineage but has also been found in neurons. Here we provide, using immunohistochemistry, a detailed study on the distribution of Cygb in the mouse brain. While Cygb is a cytoplasmic protein in active cells of the supportive tissue, in neurons it is located in the cytoplasm and the nucleus. We found the expression of Cygb in all brain regions, although only a fraction of the neurons was Cygb-positive. Signals were of different intensity ranging from faint to very intense. Telencephalic neurons in all laminae of the cerebral cortex, in the olfactory bulb (in particular periglom…

Spontaneous brain processing of the mammary pheromone in rabbit neonates prior to milk intake.

2016

International audience; Chemical signals play a critical role in interindividual communication, including mother-young relationships. Detecting odor cues released by the mammary area is vital to the newborn's survival. European rabbit females secret a mammary pheromone (MP) in their milk, which releases sucking related orocephalic movements in newborns. Pups spontaneously display these typical movements at birth, independently of any perinatal learning. Our previous Fos mapping study (Charra et al., 2012) performed in 4-day-old rabbits showed that the MP activated a network of brain regions involved in osmoregulation, odor processing and arousal in comparison with a control odor. However, a…

Maternal Caloric Restriction Implemented during the Preconceptional and Pregnancy Period Alters Hypothalamic and Hippocampal Endocannabinoid Levels a…

2016

Journal Article; Exposure to inadequate nutritional conditions in critical windows of development has been associated to disturbances on metabolism and behavior in the offspring later in life. The role of the endocannabinoid system, a known regulator of energy expenditure and adaptive behaviors, in the modulation of these processes is unknown. In the present study, we investigated the impact of exposing rat dams to diet restriction (20% less calories than standard diet) during pre-gestational and gestational periods on: (a) neonatal outcomes; (b) endocannabinoid content in hypothalamus, hippocampus and olfactory bulb at birth; (c) metabolism-related parameters; and (d) behavior in adult mal…

Neural Stem Cell Regulation by Adhesion Molecules Within the Subependymal Niche

2019

In the mammalian adult brain, neural stem cells persist in neurogenic niches. The subependymal zone is the most prolific neurogenic niche in adult rodents, where residing stem cells generate large numbers of immature neurons that migrate into the olfactory bulb, where they differentiate into different types of interneurons. Subependymal neural stem cells derive from embryonic radial glia and retain some of their features like apico-basal polarity, with apical processes piercing the ependymal layer, and a basal process contacting blood vessels, constituting an epithelial niche. Conservation of the cytoarchitecture of the niche is of crucial importance for the maintenance of stem cells and fo…

Synchronized Activity in The Main and Accessory Olfactory Bulbs and Vomeronasal Amygdala Elicited by Chemical Signals in Freely Behaving Mice

2017

AbstractChemosensory processing in mammals involves the olfactory and vomeronasal systems, but how the activity of both circuits is integrated is unknown. In our study, we recorded the electrophysiological activity in the olfactory bulbs and the vomeronasal amygdala in freely behaving mice exploring a battery of neutral and conspecific stimuli. The exploration of stimuli, including a neutral stimulus, induced synchronic activity in the olfactory bulbs characterized by a dominant theta rhythmicity, with specific theta-gamma coupling, distinguishing between vomeronasal and olfactory structures. The correlated activation of the bulbs suggests a coupling between the stimuli internalization in t…