Calcium signaling in plant defense (involvement of subcellular compartments and glutamate receptors)

Les plantes présentent une forme d immunité innée face à des agents potentiellement pathogènes qui se traduit par l induction de réponses de défense. Les réponses immunes des plantes sont induites après détection de motifs moléculaires associés à des pathogènes ou à des micro-organismes par des récepteurs reconnaissant spécifiquement ces motifs et/ou des molécules dérivées des agents pathogènes ou de la plante, appelés éliciteurs de réaction de défense. La cryptogéine (Cry) et les oligogalacturonates (OGs) sont des éliciteurs établis de réactions de défense et leur reconnaissance induit une signalisation Ca2+-dépendante : un influx calcique et une variation de la concentration cytosolique en Ca2+ libre ([Ca]cyt) sont des événements précoces induisant une voie de signalisation de défense. Nous avons démontré que chez le tabac, les éliciteurs induisent une signalisation calcique dans les mitochondries et les chloroplastes. Des études pharmacologiques indiquent que des canaux IP3-dépendants régulent la signalisation calcique induite par la Cry dans les mitochondries et les chloroplastes. La respiration mitochondriale et les mécanismes de dissipation de l énergie dans les chloroplastes sont régulés en partie par la [Ca2+] dans ces organites. De plus, nous montrons par des approches pharmacologiques et génétiques, que des homologues aux récepteurs du glutamate (GLRs) participent à la signalisation calcique induite par les OGs dans Arabidopsis. Les GLRs contrôlent en partie la production d oxyde nitrique (NO) et d espèces réactives de l oxygène (ROS), ainsi que l expression de gènes de défense. Par ailleurs, les plantes traitées par des antagonistes des GLRs, présentent une moindre résistance au pathogène fongique nécrotrophique, Botrytis cinerea et à l oomycète biotrophique, Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis. L analyse de mutants Atglr révèle l importante contribution de AtGLR3.3 dans la résistance envers H. arabidopsidis. De plus, de frappantes similarités dans l expression de gènes sont observées après traitement par les OGs ou après infection par H. arabidopsidis. Enfin, une analyse transcriptomique montre qu environ 60 % des gènes modulés par les OGs ont une expression qui dépend de GLRs. Ces gènes dépendants de GLRs appartiennent à diverses familles fonctionnelles dont celle répondant aux stress biotiques. En conclusion, ces études montrent 1) que les mitochondries et les chloroplastes présentent aussi une signalisation calcique induite par des éliciteurs de réaction de défense chez le tabac et 2) l implication de GLRs dans la signalisation calcique induite par des éliciteurs ou des agents pathogènes et la résistance envers des agents pathogènes chez ArabidopsisPlants do not display an adaptive immune system but express an efficient innate immune system defending them by inducing sophisticated multilevel defense responses against different potential pathogens. Indeed, plant immune responses are triggered upon the detection of many common pathogen- or microbe-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs/MAMPs) through specific pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) and/or pathogen- or plant-derived signal molecules called elicitors. Cryptogein (Cry) and oligogalacturonides (OGs) are well known elicitors of defense reactions and their recognition induce a Ca2+-dependent signaling pathway: Ca2+ influx and subsequent free cytosolic [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]cyt) variations are earliest steps to trigger downstream plant defense signaling. Here we have demonstrated that elicitor-induced Ca2+ signaling in tobacco also takes place in mitochondria and chloroplasts. Pharmacological studies indicated that IP3-channels play an important role in the regulation of Ca2+ signaling in mitochondria and chloroplasts. Mitochondrial respiration and energy dissipation mechanisms in chloroplasts are partly controlled by [Ca2+] in these organelles. Moreover, using pharmacological and genetic approaches, our data demonstrated that glutamate receptors homologs (GLRs) participate in OGs-mediated Ca2+ signaling in Arabidopsis. GLRs partly control OGs-induced nitric oxide (NO) production, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and expression of defense-related genes. Importantly, plants treated with GLRs antagonists exhibited compromised resistance to necrotrophic fungal pathogen, Botrytis cinerea and biotrophic oomycete, Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis. Analysis of Atglr single mutants revealed the important contribution of AtGLR3.3 in resistance against H. arabidopsidis. Moreover, striking similarities in gene expression levels were observed after OGs elicitation/H. arabidopsidis infection. Finally, transcriptomic analysis demonstrated that about 60 % of the total OGs-modulated genes modified their expression in GLRs-dependent manner. These GLRs-dependent genes belong to different functional categories including the category responses to biotic stresses . Taken together, these data provide strong evidences of 1) elicitor-induced Ca2+ signaling in mitochondria and chloroplasts in tobacco and 2) the regulation of elicitor/pathogen mediated plant defense signaling pathways through GLRs in Arabidopsis thalianaDIJON-BU Doc.électronique (212319901) / SudocSudocFranceF

Planar Optical Nanoantennas Resolve Cholesterol-Dependent Nanoscale Heterogeneities in the Plasma Membrane of Living Cells

Optical nanoantennas can efficiently confine light into nanoscopic hotspots, enabling single-molecule detection sensitivity at biological relevant conditions. This innovative approach to breach the diffraction limit offers a versatile platform to investigate the dynamics of individual biomolecules in living cell membranes and their partitioning into cholesterol-dependent lipid nanodomains. Here, we present optical nanoantenna arrays with accessible surface hotspots to study the characteristic diffusion dynamics of phosphoethanolamine (PE) and sphingomyelin (SM) in the plasma membrane of living cells at the nanoscale. Fluorescence burst analysis and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy performed on nanoantennas of different gap sizes show that, unlike PE, SM is transiently trapped in cholesterol-enriched nanodomains of 10 nm diameter with short characteristic times around 100 μs. The removal of cholesterol led to the free diffusion of SM, consistent with the dispersion of nanodomains. Our results are consistent with the existence of highly transient and fluctuating nanoscale assemblies enriched by cholesterol and sphingolipids in living cell membranes, also known as lipid rafts. Quantitative data on sphingolipids partitioning into lipid rafts is crucial to understand the spatiotemporal heterogeneous organization of transient molecular complexes on the membrane of living cells at the nanoscale. The proposed technique is fully biocompatible and thus provides various opportunities for biophysics and live cell research to reveal details that remain hidden in confocal diffraction-limited measurements.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

The importance of intravenous immunoglobulin treatment in critically ill patients with necrotizing soft tissue infection: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND Necrotizing soft-tissue infections are infections with high mortality. The use of immunoglobulins within a combination therapy including broad-spectrum antibiotics has been debated. We assessed potential benefits of immunoglobulins and hypothesized that they were associated with a treatment benefit in a high-resource setting. METHODS Patients with necrotizing soft-tissue infection hospitalized in the tertiary intensive care unit of the University Hospital of Zurich, Switzerland, between 2008 and 2020 were included retrospectively. The association between immunoglobulin administration and in-hospital survival, intensive care unit length of stay, the incidences of acute renal failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome and septic shock were analyzed. RESULTS After adjustment for confounders, no difference for in-hospital survival (hazard ratio 2.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.24-20.20, p = 0.5), intensive care unit length of stay (subhazard ratio [SHR] 0.90, CI 0.41-1.98, p = 0.8) and the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (SHR 1.2, CI 0.36-4.03, p = 0.77) was observed in patients with or without immunoglobulin treatment. The Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, the risk of developing acute renal failure (SHR 2.86, CI 1.33-6.15, p = 0.01) and septic shock (SHR 1.86, CI 1.02-3.40, p = 0.04) was higher in patients treated with immunoglobulins, possibly reflecting a higher disease severity beyond measured confounders. CONCLUSIONS No clear evidence for a benefit of immunoglobulins in our cohort with consistent antibiotic use was found. Patients receiving immunoglobulins appeared more severely ill. Complementary to high treatment standards and appropriate antibiotics including beta lactams and protein synthesis inhibitors, immunoglobulins should be administered on a case-to-case basis, at least while more evidence from larger randomized controlled trials is missing

Sub-LET Threshold SEE cross section dependency with ion energy

This study focuses on the ion species and energy dependence of the heavy ion SEE cross section in the sub-LET threshold region through a set of experimental data. In addition, a Monte Carlo based model is introduced and applied, showing a good agreement with the data in the several hundred MeV/n range while evidencing large discrepancies with the measurements in the 10-30 MeV/n interval, notably for the Ne ion. Such discrepancies are carefully analyzed and discussed

Early signaling events induced by elicitors of plant defenses.

Plant pathogen attacks are perceived through pathogen-issued compounds or plant-derived molecules that elicit defense reactions. Despite the large variety of elicitors, general schemes for cellular elicitor signaling leading to plant resistance can be drawn. In this article, we review early signaling events that happen after elicitor perception, including reversible protein phosphorylations, changes in the activities of plasma membrane proteins, variations in free calcium concentrations in cytosol and nucleus, and production of nitric oxide and active oxygen species. These events occur within the first minutes to a few hours after elicitor perception. One specific elicitor transduction pathway can use a combination or a partial combination of such events which can differ in kinetics and intensity depending on the stimulus. The links between the signaling events allow amplification of the signal transduction and ensure specificity to get appropriate plant defense reactions. This review first describes the early events induced by cryptogein, an elicitor of tobacco defense reactions, in order to give a general scheme for signal transduction that will be use as a thread to review signaling events monitored in different elicitor or plant models

Bacterial but no SARS-CoV-2 contamination after terminal disinfection of tertiary care intensive care units treating COVID-19 patients

BACKGROUND In intensive care units (ICUs) treating patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) invasive ventilation poses a high risk for aerosol and droplet formation. Surface contamination of severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or bacteria can result in nosocomial transmission. METHODS Two tertiary care COVID-19 intensive care units treating 53 patients for 870 patient days were sampled after terminal cleaning and preparation for regular use to treat non-COVID-19 patients. RESULTS A total of 176 swabs were sampled of defined locations covering both ICUs. No SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid (RNA) was detected. Gram-negative bacterial contamination was mainly linked to sinks and siphons. Skin flora was isolated from most swabbed areas and Enterococcus faecium was detected on two keyboards. CONCLUSIONS After basic cleaning with standard disinfection measures no remaining SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected. Bacterial contamination was low and mainly localised in sinks and siphons

Modal and strain experimental analysis to an improved axial-axial cruciform specimen for ultrasonic fatigue testing

Fatigue behavior for any material or composite is an ever-evolving complex subject of big engineering importance. Within the very high 106 to 109 cycle regime the use of ultrasonic fatigue has been a big research topic in recent years, ranging from all metals and composite studies, new experimental methods and induced stress states, to the frequency effect and associated fracture mechanics. Following the associated cruciform ultrasonic fatigue testing research in development, new and improved cruciform specimens were acquired and subjected to experimental analysis. The conducted fatigue cruciform testing method induces an axial-axial in phase stress state through the use of a piezoelectric ultrasonic testing machine built at Instituto Superior Técnico laboratories. A modal response analysis was performed within the frequency working range of the used piezoelectric transducer using a Polytec laser vibrometer. A modal calculation method termed Frequency Domain Decomposition (FDD) was adapted to the measured cruciform vibration displacements. The points of measure were in correlation to a previous published numerical research. The results were then compared to previous cruciform specimens’ behavior and numerical results. Strain gauges were also used for the strain and stress study at the specimen’s center. With both conducted experiments showing promising results, the new and improved specimens were led to fatigue failure and a preliminary fracture analysis made

Moulded photoplastic probes for near-field optical applications

The inexpensive fabrication of high-quality probes for nearfield optical applications is still unsolved although several methods for integrated fabrication have been proposed in the past. A further drawback is the intensity loss of the transmitted light in the 'cut-off' region near the aperture in tapered optical fibres typically used as near-field probes. As a remedy for these limitations we suggest here a new waferscale semibatch microfabrication process for transparent photoplastic probes. The process starts with the fabrication of a pyramidal mould in silicon by using the anisotropic etchant potassium hydroxide. This results in an inverted pyramid limited by silicon crystal planes having an angle of ~54°. The surface including the mould is covered by a ,1.5 nm thick organic monolayer of dodecyltrichlorosilane (DTS) and a 100-nm thick evaporated aluminium film. Two layers of photoplastic material are then spin-coated (thereby conformal filling the mould) and structured by lithography to form a cup for the optical fibre microassembly. The photoplastic probes are finally lifted off mechanically from the mould with the aluminium coating. Focused ion beam milling has been used to subsequently form apertures with diameters in the order of 80 nm. The advantage of our method is that the light to the aperture area can be directly coupled into the probe by using existing fibre-based NSOM set-ups, without the need for far-field alignment, which is typically necessary for cantilevered probes. We have evidence that the aluminium layer is considerably smoother compared to the 'grainy' layers typically evaporated on free-standing probes. The optical throughput efficiency was measured to be about 10^-4. This new NSOM probe was directly bonded to a tuning fork sensor for the shear force control and the topography of a polymer sample was successfully obtained

Real-time electrochemical detection of extracellular nitric oxide in tobacco cells exposed to cryptogein, an elicitor of defence responses

It was previously reported that cryptogein, an elicitor of defence responses, induces an intracellular production of nitric oxide (NO) in tobacco. Here, the possibility was explored that cryptogein might also trigger an increase of NO extracellular content through two distinct approaches, an indirect method using the NO probe 4,5-diaminofluorescein (DAF-2) and an electrochemical method involving a chemically modified microelectrode probing free NO in biological media. While the chemical nature of DAF-2-reactive compound(s) is still uncertain, the electrochemical modified microelectrodes provide real-time evidence that cryptogein induces an increase of extracellular NO. Direct measurement of free extracellular NO might offer important new insights into its role in plants challenged by biotic stresses