The effects of abiotic and biotic factors on somatic embryogenesis and seedlings of Pinus sylvestris (L.)

Somatic embryogenesis (SE) is an asexual form of plant propagation that occurs in nature and mimics many of the events of sexual reproduction. Pinus sylvestris (L.) is an important source of timber in Northern Eurasia but it is recalcitrant to somatic embryogenesis. Several factors important for the success of the P. sylvestris embryogenic cultures have not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, we examined the effects of parental genotypes on the SE in P. sylvestris, the involvement of the gaseous plant growth regulator, ethylene in SE, and also biotic effects on somatic embryos as well as on seedlings. We tested parental effects on immature embryo initiation for different media, storage periods, and on the maturation process. Maternal effects were found to be crucial for SE in the absence of paternal effects. No maternal-paternal interaction was observed at any stage of somatic embryo production. Additionally the role of ethylene at different developmental stages of SE was investigated. Two ACC synthase genes, PsACS1 and PsACS2, were isolated and characterized. PsACS1 was expressed during the proliferation stage in all tested genotypes, whereas PsACS2 was only expressed in somatic embryos of each genotype. Ethylene production in embryos at stage 3 was significantly higher than the other stages. In a parallel study, the response of somatic embryos to fungal elicitors was investigated. Three fungi, a mutualistic ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungus (Suillus bovinus), a weak Scots pine pathogen (Heterobasidion parviporum) and a strong pathogen (H. annosum) were used. The gene expression patterns for embryos exposed to the H. parviporum elicitor were found to be similar to that documented for S. bovinus among the tested genes. By contrast somatic embryos exposed to the H. annosum elicitor had a different pattern of regulation which was marked by a delayed response, and in some cases death of the embryos. Furthermore, interaction without direct contact between P. sylvestris seedlings and microbes (mutualistic and pathogenic fungus, cyanobacterium) were investigated. Several novel genes expressed in seedlings treated with ECM fungus were isolated which suggested that physical contact is not necessary for elicitation of host responses. The results suggest that somatic embryos and seedlings of P. sylvestris are genetically well equipped to respond to fungal elicitor/exudates and could serve as a suitable model for reproducible molecular studies in conifer tree patho- and symbiotic systems.Abioottisten ja bioottisten tekijöiden vaikutukset männyn (Pinus sylvestris L.) somaattiseen embryogeneesiin ja siementaimiin Somaattinen embryogeneesi (SE) on kasvin suvuton lisääntymistapa, jota esiintyy luonnossa ja joka jäljittelee monia suvulliseen lisääntymiseen liittyviä tapahtumia. Pinus sylvestris (L.) on merkittävä tuotantopuu pohjoisessa Euraasiassa, mutta sen somaattinen embryogeneesi on hankalasti toteutettavissa. Monia SE:n onnistumiselle tärkeitä tekijöitä ei ole tutkittu tarpeeksi. Tässä tutkimuksessa me tarkastelemme vanhempien genotyypin vaikutusta männyn SE:iin, kaasumaisen kasvunsäätäjän etyleenin osallistumista SE:iin ja etyleenin bioottisia vaikutuksia sekä somaattisiin alkioihin että siementaimiin. Testasimme vanhempien genotyypin vaikutusta epäkypsien alkioiden kasvuunlähtöön eri kasvatusalustoilla eri pituisten varastoiniaikojen jälkeen ja somaattisten alkioiden kypsymisvaiheessa. Isä-äiti yhteisvaikutusta ei havaittu missään somaattisten alkioiden kehitysvaiheessa. Tutkimme myös etyleenin roolia SE:n eri vaiheissa. Kaksi ACC-syntaasi geeniä, PsACS1 ja PsACS2, eristettiin ja karakterisoitiin. PsACS1 ekspressoitui proliferaatiovaiheessa kaikilla testatuilla genotyypeillä, kun taas PsACS2 ekspressoitui kaikkien genotyyppien somaattisissa alkioissa. Etyleenin tuotanto 3. vaiheen alkioissa oli huomattavasti korkeampi kuin muissa kehitysvaiheissa. Rinnakkaisessa kokeessa tutkimme myös somaattisten alkioiden reaktiota sienielisitoreihin. Kokeessa käytettiin kolmea sientä, symbionttista ektomykorritsasientä (ECM) Suillus bovinus, lievää männyn patogeenia Heterobasidion parviporum ja haitallista tuhosientä H. annosum. H. parviporum elisitorille altistettujen alkioiden geeniekspressiot todettiin samanlaisiksi kuin S. bovinus sienen aiheuttamat samoilla geeneillä. Sen sijaan somaattisilla alkioilla, jotka oli käsitelty S. bovinus sienen elisitoreilla oli erilainen toimintamalli, jota kuvaa hitaampi vastine ja joissain tapauksissa alkioiden kuolema. Lisäksi tutkittiin vuorovaikutusta ilman suoraa kontaktia männyn siementaimien ja mikrobien (symbionttiset ja patogeeniset sienet, syanobakteeri) välillä. Pystyimme eristämään useita uusia geenejä, jotka ekspressoituivat siementaimissa kun ne altistettiin ECM sienelle ilman suoraa kontaktia, mikä viittaa siihen että fyysinen kontakti ei ole tarpeen jotta saadaan aikaan vastine isäntäkasvissa. Saadut tulokset antavat viitteitä siitä, että männyn somaattiset alkiot ja siementaimet ovat geneettisesti kykeneviä vastaamaan sienten elisitoreihin/eritteisiin ja ne voivat tarjota sopivan mallin toistettaviin molekyylitason tutkimuksiin havupuiden ja patogeenien sekä symbionttisten sienten vuorovaikutuksista

Physiological Ischemic Training Promotes Brain Collateral Formation and Improves Functions in Patients with Acute Cerebral Infarction

Objectives: To observe the effectiveness and mechanisms of physiological ischemic training (PIT) on brain cerebral collateral formation and functional recovery in patients with acute cerebral infarction.Methods: 20 eligible patients with acute cerebral infarction were randomly assigned to either PIT group (n = 10) or Control group (n = 10). Both groups received 4 weeks of routine rehabilitation therapy, while an additional session of PIT, which consisted of 10 times of maximal voluntary isometric handgrip for 1 min followed by 1 min rest, was prescribed for patients in the PIT groups. Each patient was trained with four sections a day and 5 days a week for 4 weeks. The Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), the Modified Barthel Index (MBI), and the short-form 36-item health survey questionnaire (SF-36) were applied for the evaluation of motor impairment, activity of daily living, and quality of life at the baseline and endpoint. MRI was applied to detect the collateral formation in the brain. The concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) number in plasma were also tested at the endpoint.Results: Demographic data were consistent between experimental groups. At the endpoint, the scores of the FMA, MBI, and SF-36 were significantly higher than that at baseline. As compared to the Control group, the score of FMA and SF-36 in PIT group was significantly higher, while no significant difference was detected between groups in terms of MBI. Both groups had significantly higher cerebral blood flow (CBF) level at endpoint as compared to that at baseline. Moreover, the CBF level was even higher in the PIT group as compared to that in the Control group after 4 weeks of training. The same situations were also found in the plasma VEGF and EPCs assessment. In addition, positive correlations were found between FMA score and CBF level (r = 0.686, p < 0.01), CBF level and VEGF concentration (r = 0.675, p < 0.01), and VEGF concentration and EPC number (r = 0.722, p < 0.01).Conclusion: PIT may be effective in increasing the expression of VEGF and recruitment of EPCs and in turn promote the formation of brain collateral circulation. The positive correlations may demonstrate a potential association between biological and functional parameters, and PIT may be able to improve the motor function, activity of daily living, and quality of life in patients with stroke.Interdisciplinary Division of Biomedical Engineerin

Hepcidin and iron metabolism in preterm infants

Background: Iron deficiency (ID) and ID anemia are widespread in low-income countries, particularly among preterm infants. Hepcidin is a key regulator of iron metabolism, which offers the possibility of new solutions to diagnose ID in premature infants. Objective: To explore the relationship between iron metabolism and hepcidin in premature infants. Materials and methods: The study involved 81 preterm infants between 28+1 and 36+6 who underwent iron status indicators and hepcidin testing at 6 months of corrected gestational age. The preterm infants were divided into two groups based on iron status indicators: ID and no ID. Results: Serum hepcidin was lower for premature infants with ID compared to those without ID (log10hepcidin, 1.18 ± 0.44 vs 1.49 ± 0.37, p = 0.002). A single-variate linear regression model was used to explore the correlation between hepcidin and other indicators of iron metabolism. A strongly positive relationship was observed between hepcidin levels and ferritin levels (p < 0.001) in the correlation analysis. Conclusions: Hepcidin can be used as an efficient indicator of iron storage and a promising indicator for the early diagnosis of ID in premature infants

Cold sintered LiMgPO4 based composites for low temperature co‐fired ceramic (LTCC) applications

Cold sintered, Li2MoO4-based ceramics have recently been touted as candidates for electronic packaging and low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) technology but MoO3 is an expensive and endangered raw material, not suited for large scale commercialization. Here, we present cold sintered temperature-stable composites based on LiMgPO4 (LMP) in which the Mo (and Li) concentration has been reduced, thereby significantly decreasing raw material costs. Optimum compositions, 0.5LMP-0.1CaTiO3-0.4K2MoO4 (LMP-CTO-KMO), achieved 97% density at <300°C and 600 MPa for 60 minutes. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray mapping confirmed the coexistence of end-members, LMP, CTO, and KMO, with no interdiffusion and parasitic phases. Composites exhibited temperature coefficient of resonant frequency ~ –6 ppm/°C, relative permittivity ~9.1, and Q × f values ~8500 GHz, properties suitable for LTCC technology and competitive with commercial incumbents

RPL22 Overexpression Promotes Psoriasis-Like Lesion by Inducing Keratinocytes Abnormal Biological Behavior

BackgroundKeratinocytes of psoriasis have anti-apoptotic properties including delayed apoptosis process, accelerated proliferation metabolism and postponed differentiation process. However, the specific mechanism leading to the abnormal biological behavior of keratinocytes remains unclear.ObjectivesWe investigated the role of increased RPL22 expression in regulating the abnormal biological behavior of keratinocytes and the mechanism of regulation of RPL22 expression in skin lesions of psoriatic patients.MethodsWe examined clinical samples and utilized cytokine-induced cell and IMQ-treated mouse models. We determined the expression and functions of RPL22 in vitro and in vivo.ResultsWe showed that RPL22 expression was significantly increased in the skin lesions of psoriasis patients and IMQ-treated psoriatic-like mice. Such increased expression is attributed to hyperacetylation of histone H3K27 in the promoter region of RPL22. Interestingly, overexpression of RPL22 enhanced keratinocyte proliferation by increasing cyclinD1 expression and accelerated CD4+T cells recruitment via upregulating CXCL10 expression. Finally, we demonstrated that RPL22 overexpression promoted psoriasiform phenotypes in IMQ-induced mouse skins.ConclusionsThese findings suggested that RPL22 regulates keratinocytes abnormal biological behavior and contributes to the development of psoriatic phenotypes. Thus, RPL22 might be a novel potential molecular target for treatment of psoriasis

LARGE ROOT ANGLE1, encoding OsPIN2, is involved in root system architecture in rice

Root system architecture is very important for plant growth and crop yield. It is essential for nutrient and water uptake, anchoring, and mechanical support. Root growth angle (RGA) is a vital constituent of root system architecture and is used as a parameter for variety evaluation in plant breeding. However, little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms that determine root growth angle in rice (Oryza sativa). In this study, a rice mutant large root angle1 (lra1) was isolated and shown to exhibit a large RGA and reduced sensitivity to gravity. Genome resequencing and complementation assays identified OsPIN2 as the gene responsible for the mutant phenotypes. OsPIN2 was mainly expressed in roots and the base of shoots, and showed polar localization in the plasma membrane of root epidermal and cortex cells. OsPIN2 was shown to play an important role in mediating root gravitropic responses in rice and was essential for plants to produce normal RGAs. Taken together, our findings suggest that OsPIN2 plays an important role in root gravitropic responses and determining the root system architecture in rice by affecting polar auxin transport in the root tip

Study on the evaluation of the clinical effects of traditional chinese medicine in heart failure by complex intervention: protocol of SECETCM-HF

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Experts in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) have studied the TCM subject of the pathogenesis of heart failure (HF) for several decades. As a result, the general idea is <it>ben </it>deficiency and <it>biao </it>excess. However, the clinical evaluation system which combined the TCM and western medicine in HF has not been developed yet. The objective is to establish the evaluation index system for the integration of TCM and western medicine. The evaluation indexes which include TCM items will specify the research design and methods.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Nine medical centers in different cities in China will participate in the trial. A population of 340 patients with HF will be enrolled through a central randomized system for different test groups. Group A will be treated with only western medicine, while group B with western and Chinese medicine together. The study will last for 12 months from the date of enrollment. The cardiovascular death will be the primary outcome.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>By putting the protocol into practice, the clinical effects of TCM for HF will be identified scientifically, objectively as well as rationally. The proper index system which built in the study will be helpful for the clinical effect expression of HF by integrated medicine in future.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ChiCTR-TRC-00000059</p