Search results for "crop"

DNA Damage Signaling Instructs Polyploid Macrophage Fate in Granulomas.

2018

Granulomas are immune cell aggregates formed in response to persistent inflammatory stimuli. Granuloma macrophage subsets are diverse and carry varying copy numbers of their genomic information. The molecular programs that control the differentiation of such macrophage populations in response to a chronic stimulus, though critical for disease outcome, have not been defined. Here, we delineate a macrophage differentiation pathway by which a persistent Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 signal instructs polyploid macrophage fate by inducing replication stress and activating the DNA damage response. Polyploid granuloma-resident macrophages formed via modified cell divisions and mitotic defects and not…

Identification of miRNAs linked with the drought response of tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter]

2018

Tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter], a staple food crop in the Horn of Africa and particularly in Ethiopia, has several beneficial agronomical and nutritional properties, including waterlogging and drought tolerance. In this study, we performed microRNA profiling of tef using the Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform, analyzing both shoots and roots of two tef genotypes, one drought-tolerant (Tsedey) and one drought-susceptible (Alba). We obtained more than 10 million filtered reads for each of the 24 sequenced small cDNA libraries. Reads mapping to known miRNAs were more abundant in the root than shoot tissues. Thirteen and 35 miRNAs were significantly modulated in response to drought, in Alba and…

Population Structure in the Model Grass Brachypodium distachyon Is Highly Correlated with Flowering Differences across Broad Geographic Areas

2016

The small, annual grass Brachypodium distachyon (L.) Beauv., a close relative of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), is a powerful model system for cereals and bioenergy grasses. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of natural variation can elucidate the genetic basis of complex traits but have been so far limited in B. distachyon by the lack of large numbers of well-characterized and sufficiently diverse accessions. Here, we report on genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) of 84 B. distachyon, seven B. hybridum, and three B. stacei accessions with diverse geographic origins including Albania, Armenia, Georgia, Italy, Spain, and Turkey. Over 90,000 high-quality single-nu…

Microvesicles released from Giardia intestinalis disturb host-pathogen response in vitro

2017

Giardia intestinalis (G.I), is an anaerobic protozoan and the aetiological agent of giardiasis, a diarrhoea present worldwide and associated with poverty. G.I has a simple life cycle alternating between cyst and trophozoite. Cysts are transmitted orally to the stomach and transform to trophozoites in the intestine by a multifactorial process. Recently, microvesicles (MVs) have been found to be released from a wide range of eukaryotic cells. We have observed a release of MVs during the life cycle of G.I., identifying MVs from active trophozoites and from trophozoites differentiating to the cyst form. The aim of the current work was to investigate the role of MVs from G.I in the pathogenesis …

Role of the DNA repair glycosylase OGG1 in the activation of murine splenocytes

2017

OGG1 (8-oxoguanine-DNA glycosylase) is the major DNA repair glycosylase removing the premutagenic DNA base modification 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoG) from the genome of mammalian cells. In addition, there is accumulating evidence that OGG1 and its substrate 8-oxoG might function in the regulation of certain genes, which could account for an attenuated immune response observed in Ogg1-/- mice in several settings. Indications for at least two different mechanisms have been obtained. Thus, OGG1 could either act as an ancillary transcription factor cooperating with the lysine-specific demethylase LSD1 or as an activator of small GTPases. Here, we analysed the activation by lipopolysaccaride…

Macrophage type modulates osteogenic differentiation of adipose tissue MSCs

2017

Since the reconstruction of large bone defects remains a challenge, knowledge about the biology of bone healing is desirable to develop novel strategies for improving the treatment of bone defects. In osteoimmunology, macrophages are the central component in the early stage of physiological response after bone injury and bone remodeling in the late stage. During this process, a switch of macrophage phenotype from pro-inflammatory (M1) to anti-inflammatory (M2) is observed. An appealing option for bone regeneration would be to exploit this regulatory role for the benefit of osteogenic differentiation of osteoprogenitor cells (e.g., mesenchymal stem cells; MSCs) and to eventually utilize this…

Cultivation trials of hop (Humulus lupulus L.) in semi-arid environments

2020

Abstract The recent developments in the market and craft beer industry in Italy have led to an increasing demand for local raw materials, such as barley malt and hops. Few works have been addressed to evaluate suitability and productivity of hop in semi-arid Italian environments. With this purpose, two experiments were carried out in 2018 and 2019, testing the suitability to cultivation of three commonly used hop varieties (Cascade, Chinook and Nuggett) in two typical semi-arid environments in Sicily. Phenological stages were also evaluated, and GDDs accumulated in vegetative and reproductive stages were calculated according to 9 different methods, dealing with three Tbase temperatures (0 °…

Frontline Science: Mast cells regulate neutrophil homeostasis by influencing macrophage clearance activity

2019

Abstract The receptor tyrosine kinase cKit and its ligand stem cell factor are essential for mast cells (MC) development and survival. Strains with mutations affecting the Kit gene display a profound MC deficiency in all tissues and have been extensively used to investigate the role of MC in both physiologic and pathologic conditions. However, these mice present a variety of abnormalities in other immune cell populations that can affect the interpretation of MC-related responses. C57BL/6 KitW-sh are characterized by an aberrant extramedullary myelopoiesis and systemic neutrophilia. MC deficiency in KitW-sh mice can be selectively repaired by engraftment with in vitro-differentiated MC to va…

Regulation of kynurenine biosynthesis during influenza virus infection.

2017

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) remain serious threats to public health because of the shortage of effective means of control. Developing more effective virus control modalities requires better understanding of virus–host interactions. It has previously been shown that IAV induces the production of kynurenine, which suppresses T-cell responses, enhances pain hypersensitivity and disturbs behaviour in infected animals. However, the regulation of kynurenine biosynthesis during IAV infection remains elusive. Here we showed that IAV infection induced expression of interferons (IFNs), which upregulated production of indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO1), which catalysed the kynurenine biosynthesis. Furt…

2020

Mitochondria have emerged as key actors of innate and adaptive immunity. Mitophagy has a pivotal role in cell homeostasis, but its contribution to macrophage functions and host defense remains to be delineated. Here, we showed that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in combination with IFN-γ inhibited PINK1-dependent mitophagy in macrophages through a STAT1-dependent activation of the inflammatory caspases 1 and 11. In addition, we demonstrated that the inhibition of mitophagy triggered classical macrophage activation in a mitochondrial ROS-dependent manner. In a murine model of polymicrobial infection (cecal ligature and puncture), adoptive transfer of Pink1-deficient bone marrow or pharmacological …