Biofortification with magnesium nanofertilizer on bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity in green beans

The use of nanofertilizers has the potential to be used to enrich edible organs with nutrients (biofortification) and improve the biosynthesis of bioactive compounds and their antioxidant capacity. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of biofortification with magnesium (Mg) nanofertilizer on the accumulation of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity in green bean cv. Strike compared to a conventional fertilizer (Mg sulfate). Two sources of Mg were applied via foliar: Nanofertilizer and Mg Sulfate at doses of 0, 50, 100, 200, and 300 mg/L of Mg. The accumulation of total polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant capacity was evaluated in pods. The results obtained in this research confirm the effect of green bean pods biofortified with Mg nanofertilizers on the production and accumulation of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity, improving the nutrition and nutraceutical quality of green beans. The 50 mg/L dose of Mg nanofertilizer was the most effective treatment to increase bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity compared to high doses of Mg sulfate (300 mg/L). This is one of the first studies focused on biofortification with Mg nanofertilizers and their effect on the nutraceutical quality of green beans

La renovación de la palabra en el bicentenario de la Argentina : los colores de la mirada lingüística

El libro reúne trabajos en los que se exponen resultados de investigaciones presentadas por investigadores de Argentina, Chile, Brasil, España, Italia y Alemania en el XII Congreso de la Sociedad Argentina de Lingüística (SAL), Bicentenario: la renovación de la palabra, realizado en Mendoza, Argentina, entre el 6 y el 9 de abril de 2010. Las temáticas abordadas en los 167 capítulos muestran las grandes líneas de investigación que se desarrollan fundamentalmente en nuestro país, pero también en los otros países mencionados arriba, y señalan además las áreas que recién se inician, con poca tradición en nuestro país y que deberían fomentarse. Los trabajos aquí publicados se enmarcan dentro de las siguientes disciplinas y/o campos de investigación: Fonología, Sintaxis, Semántica y Pragmática, Lingüística Cognitiva, Análisis del Discurso, Psicolingüística, Adquisición de la Lengua, Sociolingüística y Dialectología, Didáctica de la lengua, Lingüística Aplicada, Lingüística Computacional, Historia de la Lengua y la Lingüística, Lenguas Aborígenes, Filosofía del Lenguaje, Lexicología y Terminología

Identification of Rhipicephalus microplus genes that modulate the infection rate of the rickettsia Anaplasma marginale

Arthropod vectors transmit a diversity of animal and human pathogens, ranging from RNA viruses to protozoal parasites. Chemotherapeutic control of pathogens has classically focused either on insecticides that kill the vector itself or antimicrobials for infected patients. The limitation of the former is that it targets both infected and uninfected vectors and selects for resistant populations while the latter requires prompt and accurate diagnosis. An alternative strategy is to target vector molecules that permit the pathogen to establish itself, replicate, and/or develop within the vector. Using the rickettsial pathogen Anaplasma marginale and its tropical tick vector, Rhipicephalus microplus, as a model, we tested whether silencing specific gene targets would affect tick infection rates (the % of fed ticks that are infected with the pathogen) and pathogen levels within infected ticks. Silencing of three R. microplus genes, CK187220, CV437619 and TC18492, significantly decreased the A. marginale infection rate in salivary glands, whereas gene silencing of TC22382, TC17129 and TC16059 significantly increased the infection rate in salivary glands. However in all cases of significant difference in the infection rate, the pathogen levels in the ticks that did become infected, were not significantly different. These results are consistent with the targeted genes affecting the pathogen at early steps in infection of the vector rather than in replication efficiency. Identifying vector genes and subsequent determination of the encoded functions are initial steps in discovery of new targets for inhibiting pathogen development and subsequent transmission

Gene silencing effect of gene-specific siRNAs.

<p>The expression of targeted genes in salivary glands or midgut (for TC22382 only) was analyzed by qRT-PCR. Data are presented as mean values of gene copies with the standard deviation indicated with error bars, normalised relative to β-actin transcript level. Two double-stranded siRNAs were designed for each gene: siRNA_A and siRNA_B. Control ticks were injected with Nuclease Free Duplex Buffer. Asterisk (*) and double dagger (‡) indicate statistically significant difference (p<0.05) when comparing to the control group and between both gene-specific siRNA groups, respectively. Panel A represents genes whose silencing resulted in a lower <i>A. marginale</i> infection rate, while panel B represents genes whose silencing resulted in a higher <i>A. marginale</i> infection rate.</p

Bioinformatic analysis of candidate genes.

a<p>Reports the GenBank accession number of the sequence with the lowest e value.</p>b<p>Reports the species with the most similar homolog; Is = <i>I. scapularis</i>, Tc = <i>Tribolium castaneum</i>, Av = <i>Amblyomma variegatum</i>.</p>c<p>Indicates whether the alignment with a known protein indicates the presence of the first coding amino acid in the cDNA sequence; Y = yes; N = no.</p>d<p>Indicates whether there are any recognized transmembrane domains using TMpred; Y = yes; N = no.</p>e<p>Indicates the presence of a signal peptide; Y = yes; N = no. Note: if No is indicated in the 5′ end column, the positive SP prediction may actually reflect the presence of a TM domain near the start of the sequence rather than a true signal peptide.</p

Correlation between <i>A. marginale</i> infection and actin levels.

<p>Scatterplot assessing the relationship between the two variables: <i>A. marginale</i> infection and actin levels, in individual pair of salivary glands from control group, and the two gene specific siRNA_A and siRNA_B injected groups for CK187220, CV437619, and TC18492. Both infected and uninfected tissues were included in the analysis; values from uninfected salivary glands can be visualized on the X-axis.</p

Effect of gene silencing on actin levels in tick organs.

<p>Interval plot of the distribution of <i>R. microplus</i> actin level in individual organs along the different gene-specific siRNA_A and siRNA_B injected groups, showing their central tendency and variability at a 95% confidence level. Asterisk (*) indicates statistically significant difference (p<0.05) when comparing to the respective control group.</p

<i>Anaplasma marginale</i> infection levels and rates following gene silencing.

a<p>SG = Salivary glands, MG = midguts.</p>b<p>SD = Standard deviation.</p>c<p>8 ticks from the salivary gland control group were also analyzed in the midgut group.</p>d<p>These values were not considered when calculating the mean rate since these midguts where dissected from the same ticks that were used for dissecting salivary glands for TC22382 siRNA_A and TC22382 siRNA_B analysis.</p

NOTCH3 signaling is essential for NF-κB activation in TLR-activated macrophages

Macrophage activation by Toll receptors is an essential event in the development of the response against pathogens. NOTCH signaling pathway is involved in the control of macrophage activation and the inflammatory processes. In this work, we have characterized NOTCH signaling in macrophages activated by Toll-like receptor (TLR) triggering and determined that DLL1 and DLL4 are the main ligands responsible for NOTCH signaling. We have identified ADAM10 as the main protease implicated in NOTCH processing and activation. We have also observed that furin, which processes NOTCH receptors, is induced by TLR signaling in a NOTCH-dependent manner. NOTCH3 is the only NOTCH receptor expressed in resting macrophages. Its expression increased rapidly in the first hours after TLR4 activation, followed by a gradual decrease, which was coincident with an elevation of the expression of the other NOTCH receptors. All NOTCH1, 2 and 3 contribute to the increased NOTCH signaling detected in activated macrophages. We also observed a crosstalk between NOTCH3 and NOTCH1 during macrophage activation. Finally, our results highlight the relevance of NOTCH3 in the activation of NF-κB, increasing p65 phosphorylation by p38 MAP kinase. Our data identify, for the first time, NOTCH3 as a relevant player in the control of inflammation.Consejería de Educación, Cultura y Deporte of the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, Spain (Grant SBPLY/17/180501/000301), Instituto Carlos III, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Spain (Grant PI15/00991), and Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain (Grant PID2019-109421RB-100