Arabidopsis Qc‑SNARE genes BET11 and BET12 are required for fertility and pollen tube elongation

ORCID IDs: 0000-0003-1729-0561 (P.B.-V.); 0000-0003-3459-1331 (G.-Y.J.)Pollen tubes are rapidly growing specialized structures that elongate in a polar manner. They play a crucial role in the delivery of sperm cells through the stylar tissues of the flower and into the embryo sac, where the sperm cells are released to fuse with the egg cell and the central cell to give rise to the embryo and the endosperm. Polar growth at the pollen tube tip is believed to result from secretion of materials by membrane trafficking mechanisms. In this study, we report the functional characterization of Arabidopsis BET11 and BET12, two genes that may code for Qc-SNAREs (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors). Double mutants (bet11/bet12) in a homozygous/heterozygous background showed reduced transmission of the mutant alleles, reduced fertilization of seeds, defective embryo development, reduced pollen tube lengths and formation of secondary pollen tubes. Both BET11 and BET12 are required for fertility and development of pollen tubes in Arabidopsis. More experiments are required to dissect the mechanisms involved.Academia Sinica (Taiwan)National Science and Technology Program for Agricultural Biotechnology (NSTP/AB, 098S0030055-AA), TaiwanNational Science Council (NSF; 99-2321-B-001-036-MY3), TaiwanUniversidad de Costa RicaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Estación Experimental Agrícola Fabio Baudrit Moreno (EEAFBM

Imaging and Analysis of the Content of Callose, Pectin, and Cellulose in the Cell Wall of Arabidopsis Pollen Tubes Grown In Vitro

To achieve fertilization, pollen tubes have to protect and properly deliver sperm cells through the pistil to the ovules. Pollen tube growth is a representative example of polarized growth where new components of the cell wall and plasma membrane are continuously deposited at the tip of the growing cell. The integrity of the cell wall is of fundamental importance to maintain apical growth. For this reason, pollen tube growth has become an excellent model to study the role of polysaccharides and structural cell wall proteins involved in polar cell expansion. However, quantification of structural polysaccharides at the pollen tube cell wall has been challenging due to technical complexity and the difficulty of finding specific dyes. Here, we propose simple methods for imaging and quantification of callose, pectin, and cellulose using specific dyes such as Aniline Blue, Propidium Iodide, and Pontamine Fast Scarlet 4B.Fil: Sede, Ana Rocío. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; ArgentinaFil: Wengier, Diego Leonardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; ArgentinaFil: Borassi, Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Estevez, Jose Manuel. Instituto del Milenio para la Biología Integrativa; Chile. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Universidad Andrés Bello; ChileFil: Muschietti, Jorge Prometeo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; Argentin

The socio-economic burden of cystic echinococcosis in Morocco: A combination of estimation method

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a major zoonosis in Morocco despite the launch of a national control programme in 2005. As its economic consequences have not been studied yet in Morocco, this study estimated CE impact in terms of monetary losses, disability-adjusted life years (DALY), and DALY for zoonotic diseases (zDALY) in the entire country and in specific regions for the 2011 to 2014 period. The direct monetary losses were related to organ seizure from infected animal in slaughterhouses, and to healthcare expenses as well as lost wages for infected humans. Animal production losses concerned milk yield, fertility, carcass weight, and wool production. Losses due to human infection were also composed of disability and productivity losses at work. Monte Carlo simulations were used to estimate monetary losses and zDALY values. Nationwide, the estimated DALY was 0.5 years per 100,000 persons per year, and the zDALY was 55 years per 100,000 persons per year. Total yearly losses were estimated at 73 million USD (54-92 million USD). However, losses differed significantly among regions. Most of the economic losses consisted of unperceived consequences, i.e. decreased animal production and reduced productivity of asymptomatic individuals. Future studies should determine the socioeconomic and epidemiological factors underlying the differences in economic losses among regions to develop better adapted control programmes. Author summary Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a major neglected zoonosis in Morocco, despite the launch of a national control programme in 2005. The first study on CE in Morocco dates back to 1924. However, no evaluation of economic losses was made until now. The present study estimated the economic losses caused by CE in Morocco, at the national and regional scale, by combining financial and non-financial methods. Estimation of the direct and indirect losses caused by CE infection in humans and livestock (sheep, cattle, goats and camels) highlighted the important disease burden nationwide, amounting to 0.07% of Morocco Gross Domestic Product. The combination of methods brought information on the different CE-linked economic losses, including the unperceived consequences. These results indicate that the national CE control strategy did not result in a decrease of the disease burden, which calls for its evaluation and improvement

Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty—from the most to the least common complication

Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) has been reported to be associated with a complication rate that is four times that of conventional total shoulder arthroplasty. It is the purpose of this article to identify and understand the most common and most serious complications of RTSA and to review current methods of prevention and treatment. The current literature was reviewed to identify type and prevalence of reported complications and to identify risk factors, preventive measures as well as technical details for management strategies for complications of RTSA. The variable accuracy of reporting and the heterogeneity of methodology in the literature limited our study, however, a definitive ranking of most to least common complication emerged. The currently identified most common complication is scapular notching. The clinically most relevant complications are infection, instability and acromial fractures. Haematoma formation used to be very frequent but can be controlled, glenoid component loosening, however, is rare when compared with conventional total shoulder replacement. In conclusion, RTSA is associated with a high rate of complications. Their incidence and the results of their treatment are inconsistently reported. To document and then prevent complications, a standardised monitoring tool including clear definitions and assessment instructions appears necessary

Co-Processed Excipients for Dispersible Tablets–Part 1: Manufacturability

Co-processed excipients may enhance functionality and reduce drawbacks of traditional excipients for the manufacture of tablets on a commercial scale. The following study aimed to characterise a range of co-processed excipients that may prove suitable for dispersible tablet formulations prepared by direct compression. Co-processed excipients were lubricated and compressed into 10.5-mm convex tablets using a Phoenix compaction simulator. Compression profiles were generated by varying the compression force applied to the formulation and the prepared tablets were characterised for hardness, friability, disintegration and fineness of dispersion. Our data indicates that CombiLac, F-Melt type C and SmartEx QD100 were the top 3 most suitable out of 16 co-processed excipients under the conditions evaluated. They exhibited good flow properties (Carr’s index ˂ 20), excellent tabletability (tensile strength > 3.0 MPa at 0.85 solid fraction), very low friability (< 1% after 15 min), rapid disintegration times (27–49 s) and produced dispersions of ideal fineness (< 250 μm). Other co-processed excipients (including F-Melt type M, Ludiflash, MicroceLac, Pharmaburst 500 and Avicel HFE-102) may be appropriate for dispersible tablets produced by direct compression providing the identified disintegration and dispersion risks were mitigated prior to commercialisation. This indicates that robust dispersible tablets which disintegrate rapidly could be manufactured from a range of co-processed excipients