Plant performance and metabolomic profile of loquat in response to mycorrhizal inoculation, Armillaria mellea and their interaction

A greenhouse experiment was established with loquat plants to investigate the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in the control of the white root rot fungus Armillaria mellea and to determine the changes produced in the plant metabolome. Plants inoculated with two AMF, Rhizoglomus irregulare and a native AMF isolate from loquat soils, were infected with Armillaria. Although mycorrhization failed to control the Armillaria root infection, the increased growth of infected plants following inoculation with the native mycorrhizal isolate suggests an initial tolerance towards Armillaria. Overall, metabolomics allowed highlighting the molecular basis of the improved plant growth in the presence of Armillaria following AMF colonization. In this regard, a wide and diverse metabolic response was involved in the initial tolerance to the pathogen. The AMF-mediated elicitation altered the hormone balance and modulated the production of reactive oxygen species (mainly via the reduction of chlorophyll intermediates), possibly interfering with the reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling cascade. A complex modulation of fucose, ADP-glucose and UDP-glucose, as well as the down-accumulation of lipids and fatty acids, were observed in Armillaria-infected plants following AMF colonization. Nonetheless, secondary metabolites directly involved in plant defense, such as DIMBOA and conjugated isoflavone phytoalexins, were also involved in the AMF-mediated plant response to infection.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Plant Performance and Metabolomic Profile of Loquat in Response to Mycorrhizal Inoculation, Armillaria mellea and Their Interaction

A greenhouse experiment was established with loquat plants to investigate the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in the control of the white root rot fungus Armillaria mellea and to determine the changes produced in the plant metabolome. Plants inoculated with two AMF, Rhizoglomus irregulare and a native AMF isolate from loquat soils, were infected with Armillaria. Although mycorrhization failed to control the Armillaria root infection, the increased growth of infected plants following inoculation with the native mycorrhizal isolate suggests an initial tolerance towards Armillaria. Overall, metabolomics allowed highlighting the molecular basis of the improved plant growth in the presence of Armillaria following AMF colonization. In this regard, a wide and diverse metabolic response was involved in the initial tolerance to the pathogen. The AMF\u2010mediated elicitation altered the hormone balance and modulated the production of reactive oxygen species (mainly via the reduction of chlorophyll intermediates), possibly interfering with the reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling cascade. A complex modulation of fucose, ADP\u2010glucose and UDP\u2010glucose, as well as the down\u2010accumulation of lipids and fatty acids, were observed in Armillaria\u2010infected plants following AMF colonization. Nonetheless, secondary metabolites directly involved in plant defense, such as DIMBOA and conjugated isoflavone phytoalexins, were also involved in the AMF\u2010mediated plant response to infection

Site specific replacements of a single loop nucleoside with a dibenzyl linker may switch the activity of TBA from anticoagulant to antiproliferative

Many antiproliferative G-quadruplexes (G4s) arise from the folding of GT-rich strands. Among these, the Thrombin Binding Aptamer (TBA), as a rare example, adopts a monomolecular well-defined G4 structure. Nevertheless, the potential anticancer properties of TBA are severely hampered by its anticoagulant action and, consequently, no related studies have appeared so far in the literature. We wish to report here that suitable chemical modifications in the TBA sequence can preserve its antiproliferative over anticoagulant activity. Particularly, we replaced one residue of the TT or TGT loops with a dibenzyl linker to develop seven new quadruplex-forming TBA based sequences (TBA-bs), which were studied for their structural (CD, CD melting, 1D NMR) and biological (fibrinogen, PT and MTT assays) properties. The three-dimensional structures of the TBA-bs modified at T13 (TBA-bs13) or T12 (TBA-bs12), the former endowed with selective antiproliferative activity, and the latter acting as potently as TBA in both coagulation and MTT assays, were further studied by 2D NMR restrained molecular mechanics. The comparative structural analyses indicated that neither the stability, nor the topology of the G4s, but the different localization of the two benzene rings of the linker was responsible for the loss of the antithrombin activity for TBA-bs13

A new modified thrombin binding aptamer containing a 5′–5′ inversion of polarity site

The solution structure of a new modified thrombin binding aptamer (TBA) containing a 5′–5′ inversion of polarity site, namely d((3′)GGT(5′)-(5′)TGGTGTGGTTGG(3)′), is reported. NMR and CD spectroscopy, as well as molecular dynamic and mechanic calculations, have been used to characterize the 3D structure. The modified oligonucleotide is characterized by a chair-like structure consisting of two G-tetrads connected by three edge-wise TT, TGT and TT loops. d((3′)GGT(5′)-(5′)TGGTGTGGTTGG(3′)) is characterized by an unusual folding, being three strands parallel to each other and only one strand oriented in opposite manner. This led to an anti-anti-anti-syn and syn-syn-syn-anti arrangement of the Gs in the two tetrads. The thermal stability of the modified oligonucleotide is 4°C higher than the corresponding unmodified TBA. d((3′)GGT(5′)-(5′)TGGTGTGGTTGG(3′)) continues to display an anticoagulant activity, even if decreased with respect to the TBA

Anti-cancer activity of dose-fractioned mPE +/- bevacizumab regimen is paralleled by immune-modulation in advanced squamous NSLC patients

Background: Results from the BEVA2007 trial, suggest that the metronomic chemotherapy regimen with dose-fractioned cisplatin and oral etoposide (mPE) +/- bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody to the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), shows anti-angiogenic and immunological effects and is a safe and active treatment for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) patients. We carried out a retrospective analysis aimed to evaluate the antitumor effects of this treatment in a subset of patients with squamous histology. Methods: Retrospective analysis was carried out in a subset of 31 patients with squamous histology enrolled in the study between September 2007 and September 2015. All of the patients received chemotherapy with cisplatin (30 mg/sqm, days 1-3q21) and oral etoposide (50 mg, days 1-15q21) (mPE) and 14 of them also received bevacizumab 5 mg/kg on the day 3q21 (mPEBev regimen). Results: This treatment showed a disease control rate of 71% with a mean progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of 13.6 and 17 months respectively. After 4 treatment courses, 6 patients showing a remarkable tumor shrinkage, underwent to radical surgery, attaining a significant advantage in term of survival (P=0.048). Kaplan-Meier and log-rank test identified the longest survival in patients presenting low baseline levels in neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (P=0.05), interleukin (IL) 17A (P=0.036), regulatory-T-cells (Tregs) (P=0.020), and activated CD83+ dendritic cells (DCs) (P=0.03). Conclusions: These results suggest that the mPE +/- bevacizumab regimen is feasible and should be tested in comparative trials in advanced squamous-NSCLC (sqNSCLC). Moreover, its immune-biological effects strongly suggest the investigation in sequential combinations with immune check-point inhibitors

Antibiotic research and development: business as usual?

This article contends that poor economic incentives are an important reason for the lack of new drugs and explains how the DRIVE-AB intends to change the landscape by harnessing the expertise, motivation and diversity of its partner

Production of indole auxins by enterobacter sp. Strain p-36 under submerged conditions

Bioactive compounds produced by plant growth-promoting bacteria through a fermentation process can be valuable for developing innovative second-generation plant biostimulants. The purpose of this study is to investigate the biotechnological potential of Enterobacter on the production of auxin—a hormone with multiple roles in plant growth and development. The experiments were carried in Erlenmeyer flasks and a 2-L fermenter under batch operating mode. The auxin production by Enterobacter sp. strain P-36 can be doubled by replacing casein with vegetable peptone in the culture medium. Cultivation of strain P36 in the benchtop fermenter indicates that by increasing the inoculum size 2-fold, it is possible to reduce the fermentation time from 72 (shake flask cultivation) to 24 h (bioreactor cultivation) and increase the auxin volumetric productivity from 6.4 to 17.2 mg [IAAequ]/L/h. Finally, an efficient storage procedure to preserve the bacterial auxin was developed. It is noteworthy that by sterilizing the clarified fermentation broth by filtration and storing the filtrated samples at +4◦C, the level of auxin remains unchanged for at least three months.s

Ipotesi 1. Rigenerazione

La sezione conclusiva del libro raccoglie le due esplorazioni progettuali condotte sull'edificio denominato ABC, appartenente al PdZ n°53_Palocco, Roma. L'Ipotesi 1, corredata dalle relative Elaborazioni Progettuali, illustra, in un contributo scritto-grafico, dei due approcci, quello rivolto al recupero_rigenerazione dell'esistente fabbricato.The last section of the book presents the two projet sperimentations on the existing building, called ABC, within the PdZ n°53_Palocco, Rome. The hipotesis 1, accompanied by the relative design elaborations, illustrates, of the two design approaches, that aimed at the recovery of the existing building