Origin and tailoring of the antiferromagnetic domain structure in α\alpha-Fe2_2O3_3 thin films unraveled by statistical analysis of dichroic spectro-microscopy (X-PEEM) images

The magnetic microstructure and domain wall distribution of antiferromagnetic $\alpha$-Fe$_2$O$_3$ epitaxial layers is determined by statistical image analyses. Using dichroic spectro-microscopy images, we demonstrate that the domain structure is statistically invariant with thickness and that the antiferromagnetic domain structure of the thin films is inherited from the ferrimagnetic precursor layer one, even after complete transformation into antiferromagnetic $\alpha$-Fe$_2$O$_3$. We show that modifying the magnetic domain structure of the precursor layer is a genuine way to tune the magnetic domain structure and domain walls of the antiferromagnetic layers

Esterases in marine dinoflagellates and resistance to the organophosphate insecticide parathion

Esterases are involved in the susceptibility or resistance of organisms to organophosphate pesticides. We have examined the action of parathion on the marine dinoflagellates Crypthecodinium cohnii and Prorocentrum micans by looking at their esterases. One-dimensional gel electrophoresis, immunoblotting and cytochemistry plus image analysis were used to characterize the nature and distribution of the enzymes. Esterases were found in both species, but there appeared to be no particular intracellular localization. The esterase activity of the heterotrophic species Crypthecodinium cohnii was 30-fold greater than that of the autotrophic Prorocentrum micans and had an antigenic site in common with mosquito esterase. The resistance of Crypthecodinium cohnii to parathion was specific and reversible. Less parathion entered the parathion-resistant Crypthecodinium cohnii cells than the untreated control cells. Parathion-resistant cell extracts of Crypthecodinium cohnii analyzed after immunoblotting also contained an additional band of esterase activity. These results confirm the importance of esterases in toxicological studies of organophosphate insecticides, especially those of marine dinoflagellates

Expression of cell wall related genes in basal and ear internodes of silking brown-midrib-3, caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT) down-regulated, and normal maize plants

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Silage maize is a major forage and energy resource for cattle feeding, and several studies have shown that lignin content and structure are the determining factors in forage maize feeding value. In maize, four natural <it>brown-midrib </it>mutants have modified lignin content, lignin structure and cell wall digestibility. The greatest lignin reduction and the highest cell wall digestibility were observed in the <it>brown-midrib-3 </it>(<it>bm3</it>) mutant, which is disrupted in the caffeic acid <it>O</it>-methyltransferase (COMT) gene.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Expression of cell wall related genes was investigated in basal and ear internodes of normal, COMT antisens (AS225), and <it>bm3 </it>maize plants of the INRA F2 line. A cell wall macro-array was developed with 651 gene specific tags of genes specifically involved in cell wall biogenesis. When comparing basal (older lignifying) and ear (younger lignifying) internodes of the normal line, all genes known to be involved in constitutive monolignol biosynthesis had a higher expression in younger ear internodes. The expression of the COMT gene was heavily reduced, especially in the younger lignifying tissues of the ear internode. Despite the fact that AS225 transgene expression was driven only in sclerenchyma tissues, COMT expression was also heavily reduced in AS225 ear and basal internodes. COMT disruption or down-regulation led to differential expressions of a few lignin pathway genes, which were all over-expressed, except for a phenylalanine ammonia-lyase gene. More unexpectedly, several transcription factor genes, cell signaling genes, transport and detoxification genes, genes involved in cell wall carbohydrate metabolism and genes encoding cell wall proteins, were differentially expressed, and mostly over-expressed, in COMT-deficient plants.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Differential gene expressions in COMT-deficient plants highlighted a probable disturbance in cell wall assembly. In addition, the gene expressions suggested modified chronology of the different events leading to cell expansion and lignification with consequences far beyond the phenylpropanoid metabolism. The reduced availability of monolignols and S units in <it>bm3 </it>or AS225 plants led to plants also differing in cell wall carbohydrate, and probably protein, composition. Thus, the deficiency in a key-enzyme of the lignin pathway had correlative effects on the whole cell wall metabolism. Furthermore, the observed differential expression between <it>bm3 </it>and normal plants indicated the possible involvement in the maize lignin pathway of genes which up until now have not been considered to play this role.</p

Combined approaches provide an anatomical and transcriptomic fingerprint of maize cell wall digestibility

Understanding cell wall biosynthesis and degradation in grasses has become a major aim in plant biology. Although independent previous reports have focused on specific features that dictate cell wall digestibility, cytological, biochemical, and gene regulation parameters have never been integrated within the same study. Herein, we applied a combination of state-of-the-art technologies and different scales of observation on two maize lines that are characterized by highly contrasted forage digestibility. Comparative image analysis of internode sections allow to get an anatomical fingerprint associated with high digestibility: a thin peripheral rind of lignified parenchyma, small numerous vascular bundles, and low proportion of PeriVascular Sclerenchyma (PVS). This cell type patterning led to enhanced digestibility when internode sections were treated with Celluclast, a commercially cell wall degrading enzyme. At a lower scale of observation, Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM) followed by thioacidolysis of PVS revealed a higher proportion of Syringyl (S) unit lignins in the low digestible line while the high digestible line was p-Hydroxyphenyl (H)-rich. Moreover, cytological observation of internodes of the two lines point out that this difference in composition is associated with a delayed lignification of PVS. At the same time, comparative transcriptomics on internodes indicated differential expression of several genes encoding enzymes along the phenylpropanoid pathway and known cell wall-associated Transcription Factors (TFs). Together, these results give an integrative view of different factors which could aim in designing a maize silage ideotype and provide a novel set of potential regulatory genes controlling lignification in maize

Exploring the complementarity of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma preclinical models

Purpose: Compare pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), preclinical models, by their transcriptome and drug response landscapes to evaluate their complementarity. Experimental De-sign: Three paired PDAC preclinical models—patient‐derived xenografts (PDX), xenograft‐derived pancreatic organoids (XDPO) and xenograft‐derived primary cell cultures (XDPCC)—were derived from 20 patients and analyzed at the transcriptomic and chemosensitivity level. Transcriptomic characterization was performed using the basal‐like/classical subtyping and the PDAC molecular gradient (PAMG). Chemosensitivity for gemcitabine, irinotecan, 5‐fluorouracil and oxaliplatin was established and the associated biological pathways were determined using independent component analysis (ICA) on the transcriptome of each model. The selection criteria used to identify the different components was the chemosensitivity score (CSS) found for each drug in each model. Results: PDX was the most dispersed model whereas XDPO and XDPCC were mainly classical and basal-like, respectively. Chemosensitivity scoring determines that PDX and XDPO display a positive correlation for three out of four drugs tested, whereas PDX and XDPCC did not correlate. No match was observed for each tumor chemosensitivity in the different models. Finally, pathway analysis shows a significant association between PDX and XDPO for the chemosensitivity‐associated pathways and PDX and XDPCC for the chemoresistance‐associated pathways. Conclusions: Each PDAC preclinical model possesses a unique basal‐like/classical transcriptomic phenotype that strongly in-fluences their global chemosensitivity. Each preclinical model is imperfect but complementary, sug-gesting that a more representative approach of the clinical reality could be obtained by combining them. Translational Relevance: The identification of molecular signatures that underpin drug sensitivity to chemotherapy in PDAC remains clinically challenging. Importantly, the vast majority of studies using preclinical in vivo and in vitro models fail when transferred to patients in a clinical setting despite initially promising results. This study presents for the first time a comparison between three preclinical models directly derived from the same patients. We show that their applica-bility to preclinical studies should be considered with a complementary focus, avoiding tumor-based direct extrapolations, which might generate misleading conclusions and consequently the overlook of clinically relevant features.Fil: Hoare, Owen. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; FranciaFil: Fraunhoffer Navarro, Nicolas Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; ArgentinaFil: Elkaoutari, Abdessamad. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; FranciaFil: Gayet, Odile. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; FranciaFil: Bigonnet, Martin. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; FranciaFil: Roques, Julie. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; FranciaFil: Nicolle, Rémy. No especifíca;Fil: McGuckin, Colin. Cell Therapy Research Institute; FranciaFil: Forraz, Nico. Cell Therapy Research Institute; FranciaFil: Sohier, Emilie. Le Centre Régional de Lutte Contre Le Cancer Léon Bérard; FranciaFil: Tonon, Laurie. Le Centre Régional de Lutte Contre Le Cancer Léon Bérard; FranciaFil: Wajda, Pauline. Le Centre Régional de Lutte Contre Le Cancer Léon Bérard; FranciaFil: Boyault, Sandrine. Le Centre Régional de Lutte Contre Le Cancer Léon Bérard; FranciaFil: Attignon, Valéry. Le Centre Régional de Lutte Contre Le Cancer Léon Bérard; FranciaFil: Tabone, Luciana Belen. Le Centre Régional de Lutte Contre Le Cancer Léon Bérard; FranciaFil: Barbier, Sandrine. No especifíca;Fil: Mignard, Caroline. No especifíca;Fil: Duchamp, Olivier. No especifíca;Fil: Iovanna, Juan. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; FranciaFil: Dusetti, Nelson J.. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Franci

Characterization of a cinnamoyl-CoA reductase 1 (CCR1) mutant in maize: effects on lignification, fibre development, and global gene expression

Cinnamoyl-CoA reductase (CCR), which catalyses the first committed step of the lignin-specific branch of monolignol biosynthesis, has been extensively characterized in dicot species, but few data are available in monocots. By screening a Mu insertional mutant collection in maize, a mutant in the CCR1 gene was isolated named Zmccr1–. In this mutant, CCR1 gene expression is reduced to 31% of the residual wild-type level. Zmccr1– exhibited enhanced digestibility without compromising plant growth and development. Lignin analysis revealed a slight decrease in lignin content and significant changes in lignin structure. p-Hydroxyphenyl units were strongly decreased and the syringyl/guaiacyl ratio was slightly increased. At the cellular level, alterations in lignin deposition were mainly observed in the walls of the sclerenchymatic fibre cells surrounding the vascular bundles. These cell walls showed little to no staining with phloroglucinol. These histochemical changes were accompanied by an increase in sclerenchyma surface area and an alteration in cell shape. In keeping with this cell type-specific phenotype, transcriptomics performed at an early stage of plant development revealed the down-regulation of genes specifically associated with fibre wall formation. To the present authors’ knowledge, this is the first functional characterization of CCR1 in a grass species

Criblage d'une banque d'actifs cosmétiques (étude de la régulation des gènes de l'élastine et des lysyl oxydases)

LYON1-BU Santé (693882101) / SudocPARIS-BIUP (751062107) / SudocSudocFranceF

Beyond the Magnetic Domain Matching in Magnetic Exchange Coupling

International audienceWe report a new macroscopic first-field-induced magnetic anisotropy for Co=-Fe 2 O 3 ð0001Þ layers, a prototypical ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic interface for which the antiferromagnetic film has small in-plane magnetic anisotropy as compared to the interface coupling. We demonstrate that the effect is due to a first-field-induced irreversible magnetic domain motion in the antiferromagnetic layer, dragged by the ferromagnetic Co one. Whereas the initial domain matching is lost, the macroscopic manifestations of the exchange coupling remain stable. Therefore, the initial domain matching probably has only a marginal role in the explanation of the magnetic exchange coupling

Is a Road Stormwater Retention Pond Able to Intercept Deicing Salt?

International audienc