Cadmium induces changes in corticotropic and prolactin cells in the Podarcis sicula lizard pituitary gland

We analyzed the effect of cadmium on corticotropic (ACTH) and prolactin (PRL) cells in the pituitary gland of the Podarcis sicula (P. sicula) lizard under chronic exposure to this metal. Adult lizards were given CdCl2 in drinking water at the dose of 10 µg/10 g body mass for 120 days. Light microscopy was performed after histological and immunohistochemical staining, and the effects were followed at regular time intervals up to 120 days post-treatment. We detected substantial variations in the general morphology of the pituitary: unlike the control lizards in which the gland appeared compact, the treated lizards showed a glandular tissue with dilated spaces that were more extensive at 90 and 120 days. PRL and ACTH cells showed an increase in occurrence and immunostaining intensity in treated lizards in comparison with the same cells of control animals. This cellular increase peaked for PRL at 30 days in the rostral, medial and also caudal pars distalis of the gland. ACTH cells appeared to increase markedly after 60 days of treatment in both the pars distalis and the pars intermedia. Again, at 60 days small, isolated ACTH cells were also found in the caudal pars distalis in which these cells were generally absent. However, at 120 days both these cellular types showed an occurrence, distribution and morphology similar to those observed in the control lizards. In lizards, protracted oral exposure to cadmium evidently involves an alteration of the normal morphology of the gland and an inhibitory effect of ACTH and PRL cells, since they increase in occurrence and immunostaining. Yet in time the inhibitory effect of cadmium on ACTH and PRL cells falls back and their occurrence appears similar to that of the control lizard

The Interplay between Light Quality and Biostimulant Application Affects the Antioxidant Capacity and Photosynthetic Traits of Soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill).

This paper evaluates the combined effect of biostimulant and light quality on bioactive compound production and seedling growth of soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) plants. Germinated seeds pre-treated with different concentrations (0.01%, 0.05%, 0.5%) of an amino acid-based biostimu-lant were grown for 4 days at the dark (D), white fluorescent light (FL), full-spectrum LED (FS), and red-blue (RB) light. Potential changes in the antioxidant content of sprouts were evaluated. Part of the sprouts was left to grow at FL, FS, and RB light regimes for 24 days to assess modifications in plants’ anatomical and physiological traits during the early developmental plant stage. The seed pre-treatment with all biostimulant concentrations significantly increased sprout antioxidant compounds, sugar, and protein content compared to the control (seeds treated with H2 O). The positive effect on bioactive compounds was improved under FS and RB compared to D and FL light regimes. At the seedling stage, 0.05% was the only concentration of biostimulant effective in increasing the specific leaf area (SLA) and photosynthetic efficiency. Compared to FL, the growth under FS and RB light regimes significantly enhanced the beneficial effect of 0.05% on SLA and photosynthesis. This concentration led to leaf thickness increase and shoot/root ratio reduction. Our findings demonstrated that seed pre-treatment with proper biostimulant concentration in combination with specific light regimes during plant development may represent a useful means to modify the bioactive compound amount and leaf structural and photosynthetic traits

Effects of four food dyes on development of three model species, Cucumis sativus, Artemia salina and Danio rerio: Assessment of potential risk for the environment

Food dyes, or color additives, are chemicals added to industrial food products and in domestic cooking to improve the perceived flavor and attractiveness. Of natural and synthetic origin, their safety has been long discussed, and concern for human safety is now clearly manifested by warnings added on products labels. Limited attention, however, has been dedicated to the effects of these compounds on aquatic flora and fauna. For this reason, the toxicity of four different commercially available food dyes (cochineal red E120, Ponceau red E124, tartrazine yellow E102 and blue Patent E131) was assessed on three different model organisms, namely Cucumis sativus, Artemia salina and Danio rerio that occupy diverse positions in the trophic pyramid. The evidence collected indicates that food dyes may target several organs and functions, depending on the species. C. sativus rate of germination was increased by E102, while root/shoot ratio was ∼20% reduced by E102, E120 and E124, seed total chlorophylls and carotenoids were 15–20% increased by E120 and 131, and total antioxidant activity was ∼25% reduced by all dyes. Mortality and low mobility of A. salina nauplii were increased by up to 50% in presence of E124, E102 and E131, while the nauplii phototactic response was significantly altered by E102, E120 and E124. Two to four-fold increases in the hatching percentages at 48 h were induced by E124, E102 and E131 on D. rerio, associated with the occurrence of 20% of embryos showing developmental defects. These results demonstrated that the food dyes examined are far from being safe for the aquatic organisms as well as land organisms exposed during watering with contaminated water. The overall information obtained gives a realistic snapshot of the potential pollution risk exerted by food dyes and of the different organism' ability to overcome the stress induced by contamination

po 393 notch3 and cxcr4 cross signalling sustains acute t cell leukaemia progression

Introduction Acute T-cell lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL) is a childhood cancer, characterised by infiltration of immature T-cells in bone marrow. Notch hyperactivation is a major driver of T-ALL development where CXCL12/CXCR4 axis plays an important role in T-ALL maintenance. In thymus the lympho-stromal communication drives progressive maturation of T-cells. Notch receptors regulate T-cell fate choices, dominating early steps of thymocyte maturation. In T-cell differentiation, Notch3, in association with pre-TCR and chemochine receptor CXCR4, govern the transition from double negative (DN) to double positive (DP) thymocytes. Previously, our laboratory demonstrated the lymphomagenic potential of Notch3 by creating a transgenic mouse model (N3-ICtg), characterised by the constitutive activation of the intracellular domain (IC) of Notch3 receptor (N3-IC) in immature thymocytes. In order to investigate the oncogenic cross-talk between Notch3 and CXCR4 in T-ALL progression, we analysed DP T-cells in different lymphoid compartments of N3-ICtg mice. Material and methods Freshly isolated cells from thymus, blood and bone marrow of N3-ICtg and WT mice were analysed by flow cytometry in order to verify the presence of DP T-cells and their cell-surface expression of CXCR4 and Notch3 receptors. Experiments in TALL1, a human T-ALL leukemic CD3 + /CD4 + /CD8 + cell line characterised by the activation of Notch3 and high expression of CXCR4, were also performed. TALL1 cells were treated with γ-secretase inhibitor (GSI) or their gene expression of Notch3 was silenced and then analysed by flow cytometry, RT-PCR and western blot. Statistical interpretation of the results was performed. Results and discussions DP-gated thymocytes obtained by N3-ICtg mice have shown a high co-expression of Notch3 and CXCR4 and a high migratory ability induced by SDF-1. An anomalous percentage representation of these DP T-cells at different ages in circulating blood, spleen and bone morrow may suggest an interaction between CXCR4 and Notch3 in T-ALL cell propagation. Experiments in human TALL1 cell line with Notch3 targeted inhibition suggest a modulated expression of CXCR4 through a β-arrestin1-mediated mechanism. CXCR4-antagonists treatment will further elucidate the molecular crosstalk between the two receptors. Conclusion Notch3 abnormal pathway, through boosting the expression of CXCR4 on cell-surface, may play a role in DP T-cells egress from thymus, and define a possible mechanism of 'pre-leukemic-cells' dissemination

Life History Traits of Sperm Whales Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758 Stranded along Italian Coasts (Cetartiodactyla: Physeteridae)

We investigated the relationship between age and body length, and age at sexual maturity of Physeter macrocephalus individuals stranded along the Italian coast. Our molecular analysis shows that all our samples belong to the C.001.002 haplotype, shared between Atlantic and Mediterranean populations. We show that males attain sexual maturity at 10 years, similar to those from other marine areas. However, considering the same body length class, Mediterranean males are older than Atlantic ones. Our finding of a Mediterranean pregnant female of only 6.5 m in length and an assessed age of 24–26 years is particularly noteworthy, considering that females reach sexual maturity at about 9 years and 9 m of total length in other regions. Comparing our results with the literature data, we highlight the positive correlation between lifespan, adult body length and weight of males from the Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean. Regardless of whether the relatively small size of Mediterranean specimens is a consequence of an inbreeding depression or an adaptation to less favorable trophic conditions, we recommend to closely monitor this population from a conservation perspective. In fact, its low genetic diversity likely corresponds to a relatively limited ability to respond to environmental changes compared with other populations

Transcriptomic and biochemical investigations support the role of rootstock-scion interaction in grapevine berry quality

Background In viticulture, rootstock genotype plays a critical role to improve scion physiology, berry quality and to adapt grapevine (Vitis viniferaL.) to different environmental conditions. This study aimed at investigating the effect of two different rootstocks (1103 Paulsen - P - and Mgt 101-14 - M) in comparison with not grafted plants - NGC - on transcriptome (RNA-seq and small RNA-seq) and chemical composition of berry skin inPinot noir, and exploring the influence of rootstock-scion interaction on grape quality. Berry samples, collected at veraison and maturity, were investigated at transcriptional and biochemical levels to depict the impact of rootstock on berry maturation. Results RNA- and miRNA-seq analyses highlighted that, at veraison, the transcriptomes of the berry skin are extremely similar, while variations associated with the different rootstocks become evident at maturity, suggesting a greater diversification at transcriptional level towards the end of the ripening process. In the experimental design, resembling standard agronomic growth conditions, the vines grafted on the two different rootstocks do not show a high degree of diversity. In general, the few genes differentially expressed at veraison were linked to photosynthesis, putatively because of a ripening delay in not grafted vines, while at maturity the differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in the synthesis and transport of phenylpropanoids (e.g. flavonoids), cell wall loosening, and stress response. These results were supported by some differences in berry phenolic composition detected between grafted and not grafted plants, in particular in resveratrol derivatives accumulation. Conclusions Transcriptomic and biochemical data demonstrate a stronger impact of 1103 Paulsen rootstock than Mgt 101-14 or not grafted plants on ripening processes related to the secondary metabolite accumulations in berry skin tissue. Interestingly, theMYB14gene, involved in the feedback regulation of resveratrol biosynthesis was up-regulated in 1103 Paulsen thus supporting a putative greater accumulation of stilbenes in mature berries