Research Note Gene expression changes in response to drought stress in Ilex paraguariensis leaves

Abstract Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil. is recognized as a shade-tolerant tree, cultivated in north-eastern Argentina, south-eastern Brazil, and Paraguay. Its leaves and young shoots are industrialised and; hence, being used to prepare a traditional tea-like infusion (mate-tea) with various medicinal benefits. Under the prevailing agro-climatic conditions in NE Argentina and with the occurrence of high temperatures and scarce rains during spring or summer, I. paraguariensis plants are subjected to water stress, reducing their yield. Differential Display was used to compare differences in gene expression between stressed and unstressed (control) potted plants. We found 52 differentially expressed transcripts (DETs), analysing banding patterns of Differential Display polyacrylamide gels, in which 38 DETs were induced, and 14 DETs were repressed in response to drought. Sequence comparisons revealed that 19% of the fragments showed no homologies, whereas 40.5 % of the total number of fragments had strong similarities with database entries of known functions. The other DETs belonged to unclassified proteins or genes with unknown functions. Interestingly, 12% of the DNA sequences were related to signal transduction, and 2% of the sequences were identified as transcription factors. Approximately, 12% of the annotated sequences were involved in stress tolerance and metal homeostasis, while 7% of the DETs were associated with photosynthesis. Other groups, representing 12%, included those involved in secondary metabolism, lignin biosynthesis, cell walls and RNA stabilization/chaperone activity. When integrated with physiological data, our results suggest that the transcriptional activity of some of the studied genes could be related to the degree of drought tolerance/susceptibility of I. paraguariensis

ESPECIES DE PLANTAS VASCULARES DESCRITAS DE LAS BARRANCAS ALEDAÑAS A LA CIUDAD DE GUADALAJARA Y DE RÍO BLANCO, JALISCO, MÉXICO

The type specimens of 408 vascular plantspecies described from the Barranca ofGuadalajara and from Rio Blanco, Jalisco,Mexico, are listed. General informationsuch as scientific name, author, collector,collector number, collection date, originalpublication and herbarium of depositionare given. The general methods of the maincollectors and the current status of the vegetation of the area are described.Se enlistan 408 especies vegetales vasculares que fueron descritas originalmente de lasbarrancas aledañas a la ciudad de Guadalajara y de la región de Río Blanco, Jalisco,México. Se mencionan datos generalescomo: nombre científico, autor, colector,número de colecta, fecha de colecta, publicación donde fue descrito y herbario dondese encuentra depositado el ejemplar tipo. Semencionan de manera general los colectoresprincipales y se describe el estado actual dela vegetación de la zona

Transcriptome dynamics of rooting zone and leaves during in vitro adventitious root formation in eucalyptus nitens

Wood properties and agronomic traits associated with fast growth and frost tolerance make Eucalyptus nitens a valuable forest alternative. However, the rapid age-related decline in the adventitious root (AR) formation (herein, meaning induction, initiation, and expression stages) limits its propagation. We analyzed transcriptomic profile variation in leaves and stem bases during AR induction of microcuttings to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in AR formation. In addition, we quantified expressions of candidate genes associated with recalcitrance. We delimited the ontogenic phases of root formation using histological techniques and Scarecrow and Short-Root expression quantification for RNA sequencing sample collection. We quantified the gene expressions associated with root meristem formation, auxin biosynthesis, perception, signaling, conjugation, and cytokinin signaling in shoots harvested from 2- to 36-month-old plants. After IBA treatment, 702 transcripts changed their expressions. Several were involved in hormone homeostasis and the signaling pathways that determine cell dedifferentiation, leading to root meristem formation. In part, the age-related decline in the rooting capacity is attributable to the increase in the ARR1 gene expression, which negatively affects auxin homeostasis. The analysis of the transcriptomic variation in the leaves and rooting zones provided profuse information: (1) To elucidate the auxin metabolism; (2) to understand the hormonal and signaling processes involved; (3) to collect data associated with their recalcitrance.Instituto de BiotecnologíaFil: Ayala, Paula Gabriela. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste. Laboratorio de Biotecnología Aplicada y Genómica Funcional; ArgentinaFil: Ayala, Paula Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Ayala, Paula Gabriela. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Concordia; ArgentinaFil: Acevedo, Raúl M. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste. Laboratorio de Biotecnología Aplicada y Genómica Funcional; ArgentinaFil: Acevedo, Raúl M. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Luna, Claudia Verónica. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste. Laboratorio de Biotecnología Aplicada y Genómica Funcional; ArgentinaFil: Luna, Claudia Verónica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Rivarola, Maximo Lisandro. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Acuña, Cintia Vanesa. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Marcucci Poltri, Susana Noemi. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: González, Ana M. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste. Laboratorio de Biotecnología Aplicada y Genómica Funcional; ArgentinaFil: González, Ana M. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Sansberro, Pedro Alfonso. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste. Laboratorio de Biotecnología Aplicada y Genómica Funcional; ArgentinaFil: Sansberro, Pedro Alfonso. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Somatostatin Receptor Splicing Variant sst5TMD4 Overexpression in Glioblastoma Is Associated with Poor Survival, Increased Aggressiveness Features and Somatostatin Analogs Resistance

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most malignant and lethal brain tumor. Current standard treatment consists of surgery followed by radiotherapy/chemotherapy; however, this is only a palliative approach with a mean post-operative survival of scarcely ~12–15 months. Thus, the identification of novel therapeutic targets to treat this devastating pathology is urgently needed. In this context, the truncated splicing variant of the somatostatin receptor subtype 5 (sst5TMD4), which is produced by aberrant alternative splicing, has been demonstrated to be overexpressed and associated with increased aggressiveness features in several tumors. However, the presence, functional role, and associated molecular mechanisms of sst5TMD4 in GBM have not been yet explored. Therefore, we performed a comprehensive analysis to characterize the expression and pathophysiological role of sst5TMD4 in human GBM. sst5TMD4 was significantly overexpressed (at mRNA and protein levels) in human GBM tissue compared to non-tumor (control) brain tissue. Remarkably, sst5TMD4 expression was significantly associated with poor overall survival and recurrent tumors in GBM patients. Moreover, in vitro sst5TMD4 overexpression (by specific plasmid) increased, whereas sst5TMD4 silencing (by specific siRNA) decreased, key malignant features (i.e., proliferation and migration capacity) of GBM cells (U-87 MG/U-118 MG models). Furthermore, sst5TMD4 overexpression in GBM cells altered the activity of multiple key signaling pathways associated with tumor aggressiveness/progression (AKT/JAK-STAT/NF-κB/TGF-β), and its silencing sensitized GBM cells to the antitumor effect of pasireotide (a somatostatin analog). Altogether, these results demonstrate that sst5TMD4 is overexpressed and associated with enhanced malignancy features in human GBMs and reveal its potential utility as a novel diagnostic/prognostic biomarker and putative therapeutic target in GBMs

Influence of the feeding mechanism on deposits of square particles

In a previous paper [Hidalgo et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 118001 (2009)] it was shown that square particles deposited in a silo tend to align with a diagonal parallel to the gravity, giving rise to a deposit with very particular properties. Here we explore, both experimentally and numerically, the effect on these properties of the filling mechanism. In particular, we modify the volume fraction of the initial configuration from which the grains are deposited. Starting from a very dilute case, increasing the volume fraction results in an enhancement of the disorder in the final deposit characterized by a decrease of the final packing fraction and a reduction of the number of particles oriented with their diagonal in the direction of gravity. However, for very high initial volume fractions, the final packing fraction increases again. This result implies that two deposits with the same final packing fraction can be obtained from very different initial conditions. The structural properties of such deposits are analyzed, revealing that, although the final volume fraction is the same, their micromechanical properties notably differ

Influence of the feeding rate on the packing properties of faceted particles

The effect of the filling mechanism on the packing of faceted particles with different aspect ratios has been examined. We have experimentally measured the particle angular distribution and the packing fraction of ensembles of faceted particles deposited in a bidimensional box. The granular system has been numerically simulated using a two-dimensional model of faceted particles. We found that increasing the feeding rate results in an enhancement of the disorder in the final deposit and, consequently, in a reduction of the number of particles oriented in their most stable configuration. In this regime, the final packing fraction monotonically decreases as the feeding rate increases. The correlations between the final packing morphology and the stress transmission were examined by describing the micromechanical properties of the deposits. For the case of elongated particles, increasing the feeding rate leads to an enhancement of the stress transmission towards the sides of the box. On the contrary, for the case of square particles, increasing the feeding rate promotes vertical transmission of the stress

Knowledge to Serve the City: Insights from an Emerging Knowledge-Action Network to Address Vulnerability and Sustainability in San Juan, Puerto Rico

This paper presents initial efforts to establish the San Juan Urban Long-Term Research Area Exploratory (ULTRA-Ex), a long-term program aimed at developing transdisciplinary social-ecological system (SES) research to address vulnerability and sustainability for the municipality of San Juan. Transdisciplinary approaches involve the collaborations between researchers, stakeholders, and citizens to produce socially-relevant knowledge and support decision-making. We characterize the transdisciplinary arrangement emerging in San Juan ULTRA-Ex as a knowledge-action network composed of multiple formal and informal actors (e.g., scientists, policymakers, civic organizations and other stakeholders) where knowledge, ideas, and strategies for sustainability are being produced, evaluated, and validated. We describe in this paper the on-the-ground social practices and dynamics that emerged from developing a knowledge-action network in our local context. Specifically, we present six social practices that were crucial to the development of our knowledge-action network: 1) understanding local framings; 2) analyzing existing knowledge-action systems in the city; 3) framing the social-ecological research agenda; 4) collaborative knowledge production and integration; 5) boundary objects and practices; and 6) synthesis, application, and adaptation. We discuss key challenges and ways to move forward in building knowledge-action networks for sustainability. Our hope is that the insights learned from this process will stimulate broader discussions on how to develop knowledge for urban sustainability, especially in tropical cities where these issues are under-explored

A Somatostatin Receptor Subtype-3 (SST3) Peptide Agonist Shows Antitumor Effects in Experimental Models of Nonfunctioning Pituitary Tumors

[Purpose] Somatostatin analogues (SSA) are efficacious and safe treatments for a variety of neuroendocrine tumors, especially pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNET). Their therapeutic effects are mainly mediated by somatostatin receptors SST2 and SST5. Most SSAs, such as octreotide/lanreotide/pasireotide, are either nonselective or activate mainly SST2. However, nonfunctioning pituitary tumors (NFPTs), the most common PitNET type, mainly express SST3 and finding peptides that activate this particular somatostatin receptor has been very challenging. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to identify SST3-agonists and characterize their effects on experimental NFPT models.[Experimental Design] Binding to SSTs and cAMP level determinations were used to screen a peptide library and identify SST3-agonists. Key functional parameters (cell viability/caspase activity/chromogranin-A secretion/mRNA expression/intracellular signaling pathways) were assessed on NFPT primary cell cultures in response to SST3-agonists. Tumor growth was assessed in a preclinical PitNET mouse model treated with a SST3-agonist. [Results] We successfully identified the first SST3-agonist peptides. SST3-agonists lowered cell viability and chromogranin-A secretion, increased apoptosis in vitro, and reduced tumor growth in a preclinical PitNET model. As expected, inhibition of cell viability in response to SST3-agonists defined two NFPT populations: responsive and unresponsive, wherein responsive NFPTs expressed more SST3 than unresponsive NFPTs and exhibited a profound reduction of MAPK, PI3K-AKT/mTOR, and JAK/STAT signaling pathways upon SST3-agonist treatments. Concurrently, SSTR3 silencing increased cell viability in a subset of NFPTs. [Conclusions] This study demonstrates that SST3-agonists activate signaling mechanisms that reduce NFPT cell viability and inhibit pituitary tumor growth in experimental models that expresses SST3, suggesting that targeting this receptor could be an efficacious treatment for NFPTs.This work has been funded by the following grants: Junta de Andalucía [CTS-1406 (R.M. Luque), BIO-0139 (J.P. Castaño)]; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades [BFU2016-80360-R (J.P. Castaño)] and Instituto de Salud Carlos III, co-funded by European Union [ERDF/ESF, “Investing in your future”: PI16/00264 (R.M. Luque), CP15/00156 (M.D. Gahete) and CIBERobn]. CIBER is an initiative of Instituto de Salud Carlos III

Potes de fumo, ovitraps e outras ferramentas com baixo impacto ambiental para controlo de barbeiros e mosquitos

The Triatoma infestans bedbug (known in Argentina as “vinchuca”) and four species of mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti, Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus, Anopheles pseudopunctipennis and An. darlingi) are the main insect vectors of disease in Argentina. Since 1977, the Argentine Pest and Insecticide Research Center (CIPEIN) has been doing research on these insects and developing products for their control that have a low impact on human health and the environment. Recognized as a Reference Center by the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization, CIPEIN was a pioneer in the development of insecticide products in Latin America. The aim of this article is to review the status of the health issues involving kissing bugs and mosquitoes in Argentina and to describe the main contributions of CIPEIN to their study and control.La chinche Triatoma infestans (conocida en Argentina como “vinchuca”) y cuatro especies de mosquitos (Aedes aegypti, Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus, Anopheles pseudopunctipennis y An. darlingi) son los principales insectos vectores de enfermedades en el territorio argentino. Desde 1977, el Centro de Investigaciones de Plagas e Insecticidas de Argentina (CIPEIN) investiga a estos insectos y desarrolla productos para controlarlos con un bajo impacto para la salud humana y el ambiente. Reconocido como Centro de Referencia por la Organización Panamericana de la Salud y la Organización Mundial de la Salud, el CIPEIN fue pionero en el desarrollo de productos insecticidas en América Latina. El objetivo de este artículo es reseñar la situación de la problemática sanitaria que involucra a vinchucas y mosquitos en Argentina, y describir los principales aportes del CIPEIN en su estudio y control.O hematófago Triatoma infestans (conhecido na Argentina como “vinchuca”) e quatro espécies de mosquitos (Aedes aegypti, Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus, Anopheles pseudopunctipennis e An. darlingi) são os principais insetos vetores de doenças no território argentino. Desde 1977, o Centro Argentino de Investigação de Pragas e Inseticidas (CIPEIN) investiga esses insetos e desenvolve produtos para controlá-los com baixo impacto na saúde humana e no meio ambiente. Reconhecido como Centro de Referência pela Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde e pela Organização Mundial da Saúde, o CIPEIN foi pioneiro no desenvolvimento de produtos inseticidas na América Latina. O objetivo deste artigo é fazer uma revisão da situação do problema de saúde envolvendo barbeiros e mosquitos na Argentina e descrever as principais contribuições da CIPEIN no seu estudo e controlo

Envejecimiento de la población

•Actividades básicas de la vida diaria en personas mayores y factores asociados •Asociación entre depresión y posesión de mascotas en personas mayores •Calidad de vida en adultos mayores de Santiago aplicando el instrumento WHOQOL-BREF •Calidad de vida en usuarios con enfermedad de Parkinson, demencia y sus cuidadores, comuna de Vitacura •Caracterización de egresos hospitalarios de adultos mayores en Puerto Natales (2007-2009) •Comportamiento de las patologías incluidas como GES para el adulto mayor atendido en un Cesfam •Contribución de vitaminas y minerales a las ingestas recomendadas diarias en ancianos institucionalizados de Madrid •Estado de salud oral del paciente inscrito en el Programa de Visita Domiciliaria •Evaluación del programa de discapacidad severa en Casablanca con la matriz de marco lógico •Factores asociados a satisfacción vital en una cohorte de adultos mayores de Santiago, Chile •Pauta instrumental para la identificación de riesgos para el adulto mayor autovalente, en su vivienda •Perfil farmacológico del paciente geriátrico institucionalizado y posibles consecuencias en el deterioro cognitivo •Programa de cuidados paliativos y alivio del dolor en Puerto Natales •Rehabilitación mandibular implantoprotésica: efecto en calidad de vida relacionada con salud bucal en adultos mayores •Salud bucodental en adultos mayores autovalentes de la Región de Valparaíso •Transición epidemiológica y el estudio de carga de enfermedad en Brasi