DNA Content, Karyotype Structure Analysis and Karyotype Symmetry in Ranunculus L. (Ranunculaceae). Italian Species Belonging to Sections Flammula (Webb) Benson and Micranthus (Ovcz.) Nyarady

SUMMARYDNA microdensitometric measurements and karyotype analysis show that in spite of variable ploidy level (2x—16x) and mean chromosome size (0.37—0.83 pg), genomic structure is remarkably constant throughout both the examined Sections. Karyotype symmetry, defined numerically for each species, has been compared with that of other species of Ranunculus (Subgen. Ranunculus). Such comparison confirms that both the examined Sections include relatively advanced species as suggested by DAVIS (1960) on the grounds of macromorphic and ecological elements

The pgip family in soybean and three other legume species: evidence for a birth-and-death model of evolution

Polygalacturonase-inhibiting proteins (PGIPs) are leucine-rich repeat (LRR) plant cell wall glycoproteins involved in plant immunity. They are typically encoded by gene families with a small number of gene copies whose evolutionary origin has been poorly investigated. Here we report the complete characterization of the full complement of the pgip family in soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) and the characterization of the genomic region surrounding the pgip family in four legume species. Results: BAC clone and genome sequence analyses showed that the soybean genome contains two pgip loci. Each locus is composed of three clustered genes that are induced following infection with the fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary, and remnant sequences of pgip genes. The analyzed homeologous soybean genomic regions (about 126 Kb) that include the pgip loci are strongly conserved and this conservation extends also to the genomes of the legume species Phaseolus vulgaris L., Medicago truncatula Gaertn. and Cicer arietinum L., each containing a single pgip locus. Maximum likelihood-based gene trees suggest that the genes within the pgip clusters have independently undergone tandem duplication in each species. Conclusions: The paleopolyploid soybean genome contains two pgip loci comprised in large and highly conserved duplicated regions, which are also conserved in bean, M. truncatula and C. arietinum. The genomic features of these legume pgip families suggest that the forces driving the evolution of pgip genes follow the birth-and-death model, similar to that proposed for the evolution of resistance (R) genes of NBS-LRR-type

Digital work-flow

The project presents a clinical case in which the digital work-flow procedure was applied for a prosthetic rehabilitation in natural teeth and implants. Digital work-flow uses patient’s photo for the aesthetic’s planning, digital smile technology for the simulation of the final restoration and real time scanning to register the two arches. Than the scanning are sent to the laboratory that proceed with CAD-CAM production. Digital work-flow offers the opportunities to easily speak with laboratory and patients, gives better clinical results and demonstrated to be a less invasiveness method for the patient. Intra-oral scanner, digital smile design, preview using digital wax-up, CAD-CAM production, are new predictable opportunities for prosthetic team. This work-flow, compared with traditional methods, is faster, more precise and predictable

Wheat glutenin subunits and dough elasticity: findings of the EUROWHEAT project

Detailed studies of wheat glutenin subunits have provided novel details of their molecular structures and interactions which allow the development of a model to explain their role in determining the visco-elastic properties of gluten and dough. The construction and analysis of near-isogenic and transgenic lines expressing novel subunit combinations or increased amounts of specific subunits allows differences in gluten properties to be related to the structures and properties of individual subunits, with potential benefits for the production of cultivars with improved properties for food processing or novel end user

Atypical COVID-19 dynamics in a patient with mantle cell lymphoma exposed to rituximab

Patients with non-hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) represent a population of special interest during the current Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemics. NHLs are associated with disease- and treatment-related immunodeficiencies which may generate unusual COVID-19 dynamics and pose unique management challenges. We report the unusual clinical course of COVID-19 in a patient with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) exposed to nine doses of Rituximab shortly before infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). He had a prolonged asymptomatic phase, with negative molecular and antibody testing for SARS-CoV-2, followed by a rapidly progressive evolution to severe COVID-19. Despite detection of viral RNA overlapped with first symptoms occurrence, anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies displayed an asynchronous pattern, with IgG first appearing 2 days after RNA positivity and IgM never being detected throughout the entire clinical course. While disease-associated immune derangements and/or previous treatments involving anti-CD20 antibodies might have contributed to COVID-19 dynamics in our patient, data suggests that antibody testings, without concurrent molecular assessment for SARS-CoV-2, may turn inadequate for monitoring of MCL patients, and in general NHL patients heavily exposed to anti-CD20 antibodies, during the current pandemics. We suggest that repeated molecular testing of nasopharyngeal swab should be implemented in these subjects despite a negative serology and absence of symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection. For the same reasons, a customized strategy needs to be developed for patients exposed to anti-CD20 antibodies, based on different features and mechanism of action of available SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and novel vaccinomics developments

Bronchial & Alveolar Lipidomic Profile as a Marker of the Immunological and Functional Status of the Lung Allograft.

See attached file

MicroRNA fingerprints in juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) identified miR-150-5p as a tumor suppressor and potential target for treatment

Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is an aggressive leukemia of early childhood characterized by aberrant proliferation of myelomonocytic cells and hypersensitivity to GM-CSF stimulation. Mutually exclusive mutations in the RAS/ERK pathway genes such as PTPN11, NRAS, KRAS, CBL, or NF1 are found in ~90% of the cases. These mutations give rise to disease at least in part by activating STAT5 through phosphorylation and by promoting cell growth. MicroRNAs (miRs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression, which are often deregulated in leukemia. However, little is known about their role in JMML. Here, we report distinctive miR expression signatures associated with the molecular subgroups of JMML. Among the downregulated miRs in JMML, miR-150-5p was found to target STAT5b, a gene which is often over-activated in JMML, and contributes to the characteristic aberrant signaling of this disorder. Moreover, loss of miR-150-5p and upregulation of STAT5b expression were also identified in a murine model of JMML. Ectopic overexpression of miR-150-5p in mononuclear cells from three JMML patients significantly decreased cell proliferation. Altogether, our data indicate that miR expression is deregulated in JMML and may play a role in the pathogenesis of this disorder by modulating key effectors of cytokine receptor pathways