G x E interactions on yield and quality in Coffea arabica: New F1 hybrids outperform American cultivars

Conventional American cultivars of coffee are no longer adapted to global warming. Finding highly productive and stable cultivars in different environments without neglecting quality characteristics has become a priority for breeders. In this study, new Arabica F1 hybrids clones were compared to conventional American varieties in seven contrasting environments, for yield, rust incidence and volume of the canopy. The quality was assessed through size, weight of 100 beans, biochemical analysis (24 aroma precursors and 31 volatiles compounds) and sensory analysis. Conventional varieties were the least productive, producing 50% less than the best hybrid. The AMMI model analysis pointed out five hybrids as the most stable and productive. Two F1 hybrids clones, H1-Centroamericano and H16-Mundo Maya, were superior to the most planted American cultivar in Latin and Central America showing a high yield performance and stability performance. H1-Centroamerica and Starmaya contain more d-limonene than Caturra, while Starmaya contain more 3-methylbutanoic acid than the control. Those two latter volatiles compounds are linked with good cup quality in previous studies. In terms of sensory analysis, Starmaya and H1-Centroamericano scored better than control

5-CQA and mangiferin, two leaf biomarkers of adaptation to full sun or shade conditions in Coffea arabica L.

Phenolic compounds are involved in plant response to environmental conditions and are highly present in leaves of Coffea arabica L., originally an understory shrub. To increase knowledge of C. arabica leaf phenolic compounds and their patterns in adaptation to light intensity, mature leaves of Ethiopian wild accessions, American pure lines and their relative F1 hybrids were sampled in full sun or under 50% shade field plots in Mexico and at two contrasting elevations in Nicaragua and Colombia. Twenty-one phenolic compounds were identified by LC-DAD-MS2 and sixteen were quantified by HPLC-DAD. Four of them appeared to be involved in C. arabica response to light intensity. They were consistently more accumulated in full sun, presenting a stable ratio of leaf content in the sun vs. shade for all the studied genotypes: 1.6 for 5-CQA, F-dihex and mangiferin and 2.8 for rutin. Moreover, 5-CQA and mangiferin contents, in full sun and shade, allowed for differentiating the two genetic groups of Ethiopian wild accessions (higher contents) vs. cultivated American pure lines. They appear, therefore, to be potential biomarkers of adaptation of C. arabica to light intensity for breeding programs. We hypothesize that low 5-CQA and mangiferin leaf contents should be searched for adaptation to full-sun cropping systems and high contents used for agroforestry systems

Socio-Economic Variations Determine the Clinical Presentation, Aetiology and Outcome of Infective Endocarditis: a Prospective Cohort Study from the ESC-EORP EURO-ENDO (European Infective Endocarditis) Registry.

peer reviewedBACKGROUND: Infective endocarditis (IE) is a life-threatening disease associated with high mortality and morbidity worldwide. We sought to determine how socio-economic factors might influence its epidemiology, clinical presentation, investigation and management, and outcome, in a large international multi-centre registry. METHODS: The EurObservationalProgramme (EORP) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) EURO-ENDO registry comprises a prospective cohort of 3113 adult patients admitted for IE in 156 hospitals in 40 countries between January 2016 and March 2018. Patients were separated in 3 groups, according to World Bank economic stratification (Group 1 - high income [75.6%]; Group 2 - upper-middle income [15.4%]; Group 3 - lower-middle income [9.1%]). RESULTS: Group 3 patients were younger (median age [IQR]: Group 1 - 66 [53-75] years; Group 2 - 57 [41-68] years; Group 3 - 33 [26-43] years; p<0.001) with a higher frequency of smokers, intravenous drug use and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (all p<0.001) and presented later (median [IQR) days since symptom onset: Group 1 - 12 [3-35]; Group 2 - 19 [6-54]; Group 3 - 31 [12-62]; p<0.001) with a higher likelihood of developing congestive heart failure (13.6%; 11.1%; and 22.6%, respectively; p<0.001) and persistent fever (9.8%; 14.2%; 27.9%; p<0.001). Among 2157 (69.3%) patients with theoretical indication for cardiac surgery, surgery was performed less frequently in Group 3 patients (75.5%, 76.8% and 51.3%, respectively p<0.001) who also demonstrated the highest mortality (15.0%, 23.0% and 23.7%, respectively; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Socio-economic factors influence the clinical profile of patients presenting with IE across the world. Despite younger age, patients from the poorest countries presented with more frequent complications and higher mortality associated with delayed diagnosis and lower use of surgery

Production of soluble, active acetyl serotonin methyl transferase in Leishmania tarentolae

International audienceN-acetyl serotonin methyl transferase (ASMT) is the last enzyme in the melatonin synthesis pathway. Evidence linking autism-related disorders with disorders of melatonin metabolism, and, more specifically, with mutations of the gene encoding ASMT, prompted us to investigate the properties and localization of this enzyme. As a first step, we undertook to overproduce the protein in a recombinant host. Early attempts to produce ASMT in recombinant Escherichia coli yielded only insoluble and heavily degraded material. However, recombinant ASMT (rASMT) could be produced in soluble, active form and purified in milligram amounts when the gene was cloned and expressed in Leishmania tarentolae

Santé au travail et Système national des données de santé

International audienceLe Système national de données de santé (SNDS) repose sur l’enregistrement et la mise à disposition des données sur les prestations en nature (soins, médicaments, transports…) et espèce (indemnité journalière, rente, capital…) de l’ensemble des régimes d’assurance maladie. Il intègre des informations de santé, des données sur l’activité des établissements hospitaliers, ainsi que sur les causes de décès. L’intégration de données sur le handicap issu des différentes maisons départementales des personnes handicapées est prévue très prochainement. À terme, il est également prévu que des données issues des dossiers médicaux en santé (DMST) au travail soient intégrées. Les modalités d’accès aux données du SNDS s’élargissent et deviennent plus flexibles à mesure que le système se développe, avec encore très récemment l’adoption des méthodologies de référence MR-007 et MR-008 par la Commission nationale de l’informatique et des libertés (CNIL). Ainsi, les centres régionaux de pathologies professionnelles et environnementales (CRPPE) peuvent maintenant bénéficier d’un accès permanent et complet au SNDS. De plus les services de prévention et de santé au travail (SPST) ont la possibilité d’utiliser le numéro d’inscription au répertoire national d’identification des personnes physiques (NIR) comme identifiant de santé des personnes pour la prise en charge des salariés suivis. Dès lors, l’occasion de réaliser des études épidémiologiques à grande échelle s’ouvre pour l’ensemble des acteurs de la santé au travail, sans avoir à attendre l’intégration d’informations du DMST dans le SNDS, dont la nature reste encore à déterminer. Les données recueillies par les SPST concernant les expositions professionnelles sont une mine d’or d’informations pour étudier des thématiques aussi diverses que la grossesse et la périnatalité, les accidents du travail, l’impact de nouvelles technologiques en santé sur le maintien en emploi. Le croisement avec des outils spécialisés comme TOXILIST pourrait permettre d’étudier des problématiques très spécifiques comme celle de l’impact de l’exposition à des perturbateurs endocriniens potentiels sur des populations humaines, avec là encore des retombées majeures en matière de santé publique. Mais ces projets se confrontent encore à des difficultés : hétérogénéité dans la qualité des informations saisies dans le DMST, manque d’interopérabilité des systèmes informatiques, périmètre restreint des données du SNDS, manque d’implication des employeurs dans la traçabilité des expositions professionnelles. Ces freins ne doivent pas empêcher les acteurs de la santé au travail de se saisir de cet outil. Nous présenterons donc les modalités permettant d’apparier les données des SPST au SNDS sur projet

Oligonucleotide Enhancing Compound Increases Tricyclo-DNA Mediated Exon-Skipping Efficacy in the Mdx Mouse Model

International audienceNucleic acid-based therapeutics hold great promise for the treatment of numerous diseases, including neuromuscular disorders, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Some antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) drugs have already been approved by the US FDA for DMD, but the potential of this therapy is still limited by several challenges, including the poor distribution of ASOs to target tissues, but also the entrapment of ASO in the endosomal compartment. Endosomal escape is a well recognized limitation that prevents ASO from reaching their target pre-mRNA in the nucleus. Small molecules named oligonucleotide-enhancing compounds (OEC) have been shown to release ASO from endosomal entrapment, thus increasing ASO nuclear concentration and ultimately correcting more pre-mRNA targets. In this study, we evaluated the impact of a therapy combining ASO and OEC on dystrophin restoration in mdx mice. Analysis of exon-skipping levels at different time points after the co-treatment revealed improved efficacy, particularly at early time points, reaching up to 4.4-fold increase at 72 h post treatment in the heart compared to treatment with ASO alone. Significantly higher levels of dystrophin restoration were detected two weeks after the end of the combined therapy, reaching up to 2.7-fold increase in the heart compared to mice treated with ASO alone. Moreover, we demonstrated a normalization of cardiac function in mdx mice after a 12-week-long treatment with the combined ASO + OEC therapy. Altogether, these findings indicate that compounds facilitating endosomal escape can significantly improve the therapeutic potential of exon-skipping approaches offering promising perspectives for the treatment of DMD

Outbreak of Salmonella enterica serotype Poona in infants linked to persistent Salmonella contamination in an infant formula manufacturing facility, France, August 2018 to February 2019.

We describe a Salmonella Poona outbreak involving 31 infant cases in France. Following outbreak detection on 18 January 2019, consumption of rice-based infant formula manufactured at a facility in Spain was identified as the probable cause, leading to a recall on 24 January. Whole genome sequencing analysis linked present outbreak isolates to a 2010-11 S. Poona outbreak in Spain associated with formula manufactured in the same facility, indicating a persistent source of contamination.S

Protein farnesylation is involved in nitrogen starvation adaptation in Arabidopsis

International audienceNitrogen is an important element that controls plant growth and yield. Recently we showed that protein farnesylation is involved in nitrate-driven root architecture organization in Arabidopsis. In this study, we aimed to deeper investigate the role of this post-translational maturation in plant responses to nitrogen, by studying the metabolic and phenotypic adaptations of the era1.8 mutant (enhanced response to abscisic acid 1; i.e. lacking protein farnesylation activity) to various NH4NO3 supplies. WT and era1.8 plants were grown on low-nitrogen substrate supplemented with 0, 2 or 10 mM NH4NO3, and were analyzed for biomass production and carbonand nitrogen-related metabolites. Our results showed that compared to WT, era1.8 developed exacerbated responses to N starvation, i.e. a higher root/shoot ratio, a higher anthocyanins content and a higher carbon/nitrogen ratio. Moreover, transcriptomic analyzes revealed an over-expression of several genes related to nitrogen starvation adaptation in era1.8 and pointed out two genes encoding uncharacterized farnesylated proteins. At 2 and 10 mM NH4NO3, although the era1.8 mutant displayed a higher biomass, its metabolism and gene expression are comparable to that of WT. Overall, our results show that era1.8 develops exacerbated responses to nitrogen starvation with specific metabolic balances, highlighting that protein farnesylation participates to plant adaptation to nitrogen nutritional stress