Choice of hydrogen uptake (Hup) status in legume-rhizobia symbioses

Publisher's Version/PDFThe H2 is an obligate by-product of N-fixation. Recycling of H2 through uptake hydrogenase (Hup) inside the root nodules of leguminous plants is often considered an advantage for plants. However, many of the rhizobium-legume symbioses found in nature, especially those used in agriculture are shown to be Hup− , with the plants releasing H2 produced by nitrogenase activity from root nodules into the surrounding rhizosphere. Recent studies have suggested that, H2 induces plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria, which may explain the widespread of Hup− symbioses in spite of the low energy efficiency of such associations. Wild legumes grown in Nova Scotia, Canada, were surveyed to determine if any plant-growth characteristics could give an indication of Hup choice in leguminous plants. Out of the plants sampled, two legumes, Securigera varia and Vicia cracca, showed Hup+ associations. Securigera varia exhibited robust root structure as compared with the other plants surveyed. Data from the literature and the results from this study suggested that plants with established root systems are more likely to form the energy-efficient Hup+ symbiotic relationships with rhizobia. Conversely, Hup− associations could be beneficial to leguminous plants due to H2-oxidizing plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria that allow plants to compete successfully, early in the growing season. However, some nodules from V. cracca tested Hup+, while others were Hup−. This was similar to that observed in Glycine max and Pisum sativum, giving reason to believe that Hup choice might be affected by various internal and environmental factors

H[subscript 2]-oxidizing, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria as seed inoculants for barley

xii, 115 leaves : ill. (mainly col.) ; 29 cm.Includes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-92).The persistence of allegedly inefficient hydrogenase uptake negative (HUP⁻) legume-rhizobia associations may be accounted for by the beneficial effects of hydrogen release to soil, including the stimulation of H₂-oxidizing, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). Two such previously isolated strains were tested as seed inoculants for barley; there were significant differences between treatments and controls in tiller and grain head production, supported by data from greenhouse trials. TRFLP analysis of barley soil samples, supported by DNA sequencing data, successfully distinguished both species of PGPR and successful re-isolation shows that these isolates can reproduce themselves in soils and so can be used as effective inoculants with peat as the standard carrier. The development of PGPR as seed inoculants is an important step towards sustainable agriculture

Whole-genome sequencing reveals host factors underlying critical COVID-19

Altres ajuts: Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); Illumina; LifeArc; Medical Research Council (MRC); UKRI; Sepsis Research (the Fiona Elizabeth Agnew Trust); the Intensive Care Society, Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellowship (223164/Z/21/Z); BBSRC Institute Program Support Grant to the Roslin Institute (BBS/E/D/20002172, BBS/E/D/10002070, BBS/E/D/30002275); UKRI grants (MC_PC_20004, MC_PC_19025, MC_PC_1905, MRNO2995X/1); UK Research and Innovation (MC_PC_20029); the Wellcome PhD training fellowship for clinicians (204979/Z/16/Z); the Edinburgh Clinical Academic Track (ECAT) programme; the National Institute for Health Research, the Wellcome Trust; the MRC; Cancer Research UK; the DHSC; NHS England; the Smilow family; the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (CTSA award number UL1TR001878); the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania; National Institute on Aging (NIA U01AG009740); the National Institute on Aging (RC2 AG036495, RC4 AG039029); the Common Fund of the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health; NCI; NHGRI; NHLBI; NIDA; NIMH; NINDS.Critical COVID-19 is caused by immune-mediated inflammatory lung injury. Host genetic variation influences the development of illness requiring critical care or hospitalization after infection with SARS-CoV-2. The GenOMICC (Genetics of Mortality in Critical Care) study enables the comparison of genomes from individuals who are critically ill with those of population controls to find underlying disease mechanisms. Here we use whole-genome sequencing in 7,491 critically ill individuals compared with 48,400 controls to discover and replicate 23 independent variants that significantly predispose to critical COVID-19. We identify 16 new independent associations, including variants within genes that are involved in interferon signalling (IL10RB and PLSCR1), leucocyte differentiation (BCL11A) and blood-type antigen secretor status (FUT2). Using transcriptome-wide association and colocalization to infer the effect of gene expression on disease severity, we find evidence that implicates multiple genes-including reduced expression of a membrane flippase (ATP11A), and increased expression of a mucin (MUC1)-in critical disease. Mendelian randomization provides evidence in support of causal roles for myeloid cell adhesion molecules (SELE, ICAM5 and CD209) and the coagulation factor F8, all of which are potentially druggable targets. Our results are broadly consistent with a multi-component model of COVID-19 pathophysiology, in which at least two distinct mechanisms can predispose to life-threatening disease: failure to control viral replication; or an enhanced tendency towards pulmonary inflammation and intravascular coagulation. We show that comparison between cases of critical illness and population controls is highly efficient for the detection of therapeutically relevant mechanisms of disease