Control of Flowering and Cell Fate by LIF2, an RNA Binding Partner of the Polycomb Complex Component LHP1

Polycomb Repressive Complexes (PRC) modulate the epigenetic status of key cell fate and developmental regulators in eukaryotes. The chromo domain protein LIKE HETEROCHROMATIN PROTEIN1 (LHP1) is a subunit of a plant PRC1-like complex in Arabidopsis thaliana and recognizes histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation, a silencing epigenetic mark deposited by the PRC2 complex. We have identified and studied an LHP1-Interacting Factor2 (LIF2). LIF2 protein has RNA recognition motifs and belongs to the large hnRNP protein family, which is involved in RNA processing. LIF2 interacts in vivo, in the cell nucleus, with the LHP1 chromo shadow domain. Expression of LIF2 was detected predominantly in vascular and meristematic tissues. Loss-of-function of LIF2 modifies flowering time, floral developmental homeostasis and gynoecium growth determination. lif2 ovaries have indeterminate growth and produce ectopic inflorescences with severely affected flowers showing proliferation of ectopic stigmatic papillae and ovules in short-day conditions. To look at how LIF2 acts relative to LHP1, we conducted transcriptome analyses in lif2 and lhp1 and identified a common set of deregulated genes, which showed significant enrichment in stress-response genes. By comparing expression of LHP1 targets in lif2, lhp1 and lif2 lhp1 mutants we showed that LIF2 can either antagonize or act with LHP1. Interestingly, repression of the FLC floral transcriptional regulator in lif2 mutant is accompanied by an increase in H3K27 trimethylation at the locus, without any change in LHP1 binding, suggesting that LHP1 is targeted independently from LIF2 and that LHP1 binding does not strictly correlate with gene expression. LIF2, involved in cell identity and cell fate decision, may modulate the activity of LHP1 at specific loci, during specific developmental windows or in response to environmental cues that control cell fate determination. These results highlight a novel link between plant RNA processing and Polycomb regulation

Malaise grave du nouveau-né à terme en salle de naissance

LYON1-BU Santé (693882101) / SudocPARIS-BIUM (751062103) / SudocSudocFranceF

Homogeneously-catalyzed etherification of glycerol with 1-dodecanol

International audienceHere we describe the direct catalytic etherification of glycerol with 1-dodecanol. In particular, we show that addition of 10 mol% of 1-bromododecane in the reaction medium led to the nearly complete conversion of 1-dodecanol and to the formation of the targeted monododecyl glyceryl ethers with 60% yield, thus opening a direct route for the synthesis of bio-based surfactants

Acid-catalyzed etherification of glycerol with long-alkyl-chain alcohols.

International audienc

Study of the hydrogenation mechanism of LaCuMg8 ternary phase : the decomposition induces kinetics improvement

The hydrogen sorption properties of LaCuMg8 are investigated. LaCuMg8 crystallizes in the La2Mg17 structure type with the lattice parameters a = 10.1254(2) Å and c = 10.0751(2) Å. An absorption mechanism in 2 steps was reported earlier: (i) the first step, which is irreversible, induces the decomposition of LaCuMg8 into an intimate mixture of 3 phases of sub-micronic size (i.e. LaH3, MgCu2 and MgH2); (ii) the second step consists in the reversible absorption of the "LaCuMg8 activated powder" with kinetics better than for pure magnesium. In order to get a better understanding of the absorption process, it was investigated from thermodynamic, kinetic and morphology points of view. From thermodynamic point of view, the "LaCuMg8 activated powder" behaves like a mixture. Concerning the kinetics, the activation energy was evaluated at about 65 kJ/mol H2, using Avrami-Erofeev model and Arrhenius law. To explain the enhancement of the kinetics, both effects of (i) Mg2Cu/MgCu2 transformation and (ii) morphology induced by the decomposition have been considered

GlutenSpA trial: protocol for a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial of the impact of a gluten-free diet on quality of life in patients with axial spondyloarthritis

International audienceIntroductionSubclinical intestinal inflammation and gut dysbiosis have been reported in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA). In common practice, rheumatologists are increasingly confronted with patients with inflammatory rheumatism who are on gluten-free diets (GFDs), despite the lack of reliable data from controlled studies. This study aims to determine the impact of a GFD on the quality of life of patients with axial SpA.Methods and analysisThe GlutenSpA study is a 24-week, randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial. Patients with axial SpA (n=200) will follow a 16-week GFD and be randomly assigned (1:1) to an experimental or control arm. In the experimental arm with receive at least 6 gluten-free breads per day + 200 g of gluten-free penne pasta per week + 6 rice flavour capsules per day. The control arm will receive at least 6 gluten-containing breads per day + 200 g of gluten-containing penne pasta per week + 6 vital gluten-containing capsules per day. The primary end-point is the variation in Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society—Health Index (ASAS-HI) questionnaire between week 16 and baseline. A second open-label period of 8 weeks will follow the intervention period, during which the patient will be free to decide whether they will follow the GFD. The secondary outcomes comprise several patient-reported outcomes (SpA activity (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index)), fatigue (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy), depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), functional disability index (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index)), variations in body mass index and Homeostasis Model Assessment Index and variations in the abundance and type of bacterial species found in the gut microbiota for a subgroup of patients (n=40). The data will be analysed using the intention-to-treat principle.The regional ethics committee (CPP Nord-ouest IV) has approved the study (IDRCB 2018-A00309-46). The results of the trial will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals. The authors have no relationship that may have influenced the submitted work

Efficient Plasma Cell Differentiation and Trafficking Require Cxcr4 Desensitization

CXCR4 plays a central role in B cell immune response, notably by promoting plasma cell (PC) migration and maintenance in the bone marrow (BM). Gain-of-function mutations in CXCR4 affecting receptor desensitization have been reported in the rare immunodeficiency called WHIM syndrome (WS). Despite lymphopenia, patients mount an immune response but fail to maintain it over time. Using a knockin mouse model phenocopying WS, we showed that, counter-intuitively, a gain of Cxcr4 function inhibited the maintenance of antibody titers after immunization. Although the Cxcr4 mutation intrinsically and locally promoted germinal center response and PC differentiation, antigen-specific PCs were barely detected in the BM, a defect mirrored by early accumulation of immature plasmablasts potentially occupying the survival niches for long-lived PCs. Therefore, fine-tuning of Cxcr4 desensitization is critically required for efficient PC differentiation and maintenance, and absence of such a regulatory process may account for the defective humoral immunity observed in WS patients