320 research outputs found

    CLEAR EVIDENCE FOR THE PRESENCE OF SECOND-GENERATION ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH STARS IN METAL-POOR GALACTIC GLOBULAR CLUSTERS

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    Galactic globular clusters (GCs) are known to host multiple stellar populations: a first generation (FG) with a chemical pattern typical of halo field stars and a second generation (SG) enriched in Na and Al and depleted in O and Mg. Both stellar generations are found at different evolutionary stages (e.g., the main-sequence turnoff, the subgiant branch, and the red giant branch (RGB)). The non detection of SG asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in several metal-poor ([Fe/H] < −1) GCs suggests that not all SG stars ascend the AGB phase, and that failed AGB stars may be very common in metal-poor GCs. This observation represents a serious problem for stellar evolution and GC formation/evolution theories. We report fourteen SG-AGB stars in four metal-poor GCs (M13, M5, M3, and M2) with different observational properties: horizontal branch (HB) morphology, metallicity, and age. By combining the H-band Al abundances obtained by the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment survey with ground-based optical photometry, we identify SG Al-rich AGB stars in these four GCs and show that Al-rich RGB/AGB GC stars should be Na-rich. Our observations provide strong support for present, standard stellar models, i.e., without including a strong mass-loss efficiency, for low-mass HB stars. In fact, current empirical evidence is in agreement with the predicted distribution of FG and and SG stars during the He-burning stages based on these standard stellar models

    Modulating climacteric intensity in melon through QTL stacking

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    Fruit ripening is one of the main processes affecting fruit quality and shelf life. In melon there are both climacteric and non-climacteric genotypes, making it a suitable species to study fruit ripening. In the current study, in order to fine tune ripening, we have pyramided three climacteric QTLs in the non-climacteric genotype “Piel de Sapo”: ETHQB3.5, ETHQV6.3 and ETHQV8.1. The results showed that the three QTLs interact epistatically, affecting ethylene production and ripening-related traits such as aroma profile. Each individual QTL has a specific role in the ethylene production profile. ETHQB3.5 accelerates the ethylene peak, ETHQV6.3 advances the ethylene production and ETHQV8.1 enhances the effect of the other two QTLs. Regarding aroma, the three QTLs independently activated the production of esters changing the aroma profile of the fruits, with no significant effects in fruit firmness, soluble solid content and fruit size. Understanding the interaction and the effect of different ripening QTLs offers a powerful knowledge for candidate gene identification as well as for melon breeding programs, where fruit ripening is one of the main objectives.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

    Fruit Morphology and Ripening-Related QTLs in a Newly Developed Introgression Line Collection of the Elite Varieties ‘Védrantais’ and ‘Piel de Sapo’

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    Melon is an economically important crop with widely diverse fruit morphology and ripening characteristics. Its diploid sequenced genome and multiple genomic tools make this species suitable to study the genetic architecture of fruit traits. With the development of this introgression line population of the elite varieties ‘Piel de Sapo’ and ‘Védrantais’, we present a powerful tool to study fruit morphology and ripening traits that can also facilitate characterization or pyramidation of QTLs in inodorous melon types. The population consists of 36 lines covering almost 98% of the melon genome, with an average of three introgressions per chromosome and segregating for multiple fruit traits: morphology, ripening and quality. High variability in fruit morphology was found within the population, with 24 QTLs affecting six different traits, confirming previously reported QTLs and two newly detected QTLs, FLQW5.1 and FWQW7.1. We detected 20 QTLs affecting fruit ripening traits, six of them reported for the first time, two affecting the timing of yellowing of the rind (EYELLQW1.1 and EYELLQW8.1) and four at the end of chromosome 8 affecting aroma, abscission and harvest date (EAROQW8.3, EALFQW8.3, ABSQW8.3 and HARQW8.3). We also confirmed the location of several QTLs, such as fruit-quality-related QTLs affecting rind and flesh appearance and flesh firmness.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

    Gene-environment interaction analysis of redox-related metals and genetic variants with plasma metabolic patterns in a general population from Spain: The Hortega Study

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    Background: Limited studies have evaluated the joint influence of redox-related metals and genetic variation on metabolic pathways. We analyzed the association of 11 metals with metabolic patterns, and the interacting role of candidate genetic variants, in 1145 participants from the Hortega Study, a population-based sample from Spain. Methods: Urine antimony (Sb), arsenic, barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), molybdenum (Mo) and vanadium (V), and plasma copper (Cu), selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) were measured by ICP-MS and AAS, respectively. We summarized 54 plasma metabolites, measured with targeted NMR, by estimating metabolic principal components (mPC). Redox-related SNPs (N = 291) were measured by oligo-ligation assay. Results: In our study, the association with metabolic principal component (mPC) 1 (reflecting non-essential and essential amino acids, including branched chain, and bacterial co-metabolism versus fatty acids and VLDL subclasses) was positive for Se and Zn, but inverse for Cu, arsenobetaine-corrected arsenic (As) and Sb. The association with mPC2 (reflecting essential amino acids, including aromatic, and bacterial co-metabolism) was inverse for Se, Zn and Cd. The association with mPC3 (reflecting LDL subclasses) was positive for Cu, Se and Zn, but inverse for Co. The association for mPC4 (reflecting HDL subclasses) was positive for Sb, but inverse for plasma Zn. These associations were mainly driven by Cu and Sb for mPC1; Se, Zn and Cd for mPC2; Co, Se and Zn for mPC3; and Zn for mPC4. The most SNP-metal interacting genes were NOX1, GSR, GCLC, AGT and REN. Co and Zn showed the highest number of interactions with genetic variants associated to enriched endocrine, cardiovascular and neurological pathways. Conclusions: Exposures to Co, Cu, Se, Zn, As, Cd and Sb were associated with several metabolic patterns involved in chronic disease. Carriers of redox-related variants may have differential susceptibility to metabolic alterations associated to excessive exposure to metals.This work was supported by the Strategic Action for Research in Health sciences [CP12/03080, PI15/00071, PI10/0082, PI13/01848, PI14/00874, PI16/01402, PI21/00506 and PI11/00726], CIBER Fisio patología Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN) (CIBER-02-08-2009, CB06/03 and CB12/03/30,016), the State Agency for Research (PID2019-108973RB- C21 and C22), the Valencia Government (GRUPOS 03/101; PROMETEO/2009/029 and ACOMP/2013/039, IDI FEDER/2021/072 and GRISOLIAP/2021/119), the Castilla-Leon Government (GRS/279/A/08) and European Network of Excellence Ingenious Hypercare (EPSS-037093) from the European Commission. The Strategic Action for Research in Health sciences, CIBERDEM and CIBEROBN are initiatives from Carlos III Health Institute Madrid and cofunded with European Funds for Regional Development (FEDER). The State Agency for Research and Carlos III Health Institute belong to the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. ADR received the support of a fellowship from “la Caixa” Foundation (ID 100010434) (fellowship code “LCF/BQ/DR19/11740016”). MGP received the support of a fellowship from “la Caixa” Foundation (ID 100010434, fellowship code LCFLCF/BQ/DI18/11660001). The funding bodies had no role in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript.S

    The Impact of IFN-g; Receptor on SLPI Expression in Active Tuberculosis: Association with Disease Severity

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    Interferon (IFN)-g displays a critical role in tuberculosis (TB), modulating the innate and adaptive immune responses. Previously, we reported that secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) is a pattern recognition receptor with anti-mycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Herein, we determined whether IFN-g modulated the levels of SLPI in TB patients. Plasma levels of SLPI and IFN-g were studied in healthy donors (HDs) and TB patients. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from HDs and patients with TB or defective IFN-g receptor 1* were stimulated with Mtb antigen and SLPI, and IFN-gR expression levels were measured. Both SLPI and IFN-g were significantly enhanced in plasma from those with TB compared with HDs. A direct association between SLPI levels and the severity of TB was detected. In addition, Mtb antigen stimulation decreased the SLPI produced by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from HDs, but not from TB or IFN-gR patients. Neutralization of IFN-g reversed the inhibition of SLPI induced by Mtb antigen in HDs, but not in TB patients. Furthermore, recombinant IFN-g was unable to modify the expression of SLPI in TB patients. Finally, IFN-gR expression was lower in TB compared with HD peripheral blood mononuclear cells. These results show that Mtb-induced IFN-g down-modulated SLPI levels by signaling through the IFNgR in HDs. This inhibitory mechanism was not observed in TB, probably because of the low expression of IFN-gR detected in these individuals. (Am J Pathol 2014, 184: 1e6Fil: Tateosian, Nancy Liliana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; Argentina; ArgentinaFil: Pasquinelli, Virginia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Hernández Del Pino, Rodrigo Emanuel. Universidad de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Ambrosi, Nella Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; Argentina; ArgentinaFil: Guerrieri, Diego. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; Argentina; ArgentinaFil: Pedraza Sánchez, Sigifredo. Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán; MéxicoFil: Santucci, Natalia Estefanía. Universidad Nacional de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: D'attilio, Luciano David. Universidad Nacional de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Pellegrini, Joaquín Miguel. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Araujo Solis, María A.. Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social; MéxicoFil: Musella, Rosa M.. Hospital "F. J. Muñiz"; ArgentinaFil: Palmero, Domingo J.. Hospital "F. J. Muñiz"; ArgentinaFil: Hernandez Pando, Rogelio. Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán; MéxicoFil: Garcia, Veronica Edith. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Chuluyan, Hector Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; Argentina; Argentin

    Impact of pre- and/or post-autologous stem cell transplantation exposure to brentuximab vedotin on survival outcomes in patients with high-risk Hodgkin lymphoma

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    The AETHERA trial demonstrated that brentuximab vedotin (BV) consolidation after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) at high risk of relapse/progression increases progression-free survival (PFS). Patients previously exposed to BV were excluded from that trial. However, BV alone or in combination with chemotherapy is frequently used as front-line treatment and/or pre-ASCT salvage therapy. We analyzed data from 156 patients with high-risk HL who underwent ASCT with (BV-CON, n?=?62) or without (non-BV, n?=?94) BV consolidation. Fifty-seven patients received BV-based salvage regimens before ASCT. The 3-year overall survival and PFS for all patients were 91.6% and 70.0%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that BV-CON was associated with better PFS (HR 0.39, p?=?0.01), whereas positive PET at transplant leaded to worse PFS (HR 2.71, p?=?0.001). BV-CON improved PFS in PET-positive patients (72.2% vs. 43.0%, p?=?0.05), with a beneficial trend observed in PET negative (88.8% vs. 75.2%, p?=?0.09). BV-CON patients with or without BV exposure pre-ASCT had a significantly better PFS than non-BV with or without BV pretransplant treatment (HR 0.36, p?=?0.004). The efficacy of real-life BV consolidation therapy was similar to that in the AETHERA trial. This therapeutic strategy improves survival independently of BV exposure prior to ASCT.© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature
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