Ulvan, a Sulfated Polysaccharide from Green Algae, Activates Plant Immunity through the Jasmonic Acid Signaling Pathway

The industrial use of elicitors as alternative tools for disease control needs the identification of abundant sources of them. We report on an elicitor obtained from the green algae Ulva spp. A fraction containing most exclusively the sulfated polysaccharide known as ulvan-induced expression of a GUS gene placed under the control of a lipoxygenase gene promoter. Gene expression profiling was performed upon ulvan treatments on Medicago truncatula and compared to phytohormone effects. Ulvan induced a gene expression signature similar to that observed upon methyl jasmonate treatment (MeJA). Involvement of jasmonic acid (JA) in ulvan response was confirmed by detecting induction of protease inhibitory activity and by hormonal profiling of JA, salicylic acid (SA) and abscisic acid (ABA). Ulvan activity on the hormonal pathway was further consolidated by using Arabidopsis hormonal mutants. Altogether, our results demonstrate that green algae are a potential reservoir of ulvan elicitor which acts through the JA pathway

Competitiveness of Port-Cities: The Case of Marseille-Fos - France

This working paper offers an evaluation of the performance of the port of Marseille-Fos, an analysis of the impact of the port on its territory and an assessment of policies and governance in this field. It examines declining port performance over the last decades and identifies the principal factors that have contributed to it. The effect of the ports on economic and environmental questions is studied and quantified where possible. The value added of the port cluster of Marseille-Fos is calculated and its interlinkages with other economic sectors and other regions in France delineated. The paper outlines the impact of the ports? operations, and shows how their activities spill over into other regions than the one in which the port of Marseille-Fos is located. The major policies governing the ports are assessed, along with policies governing transport and economic development, the environment and spatial planning. These include measures instituted by the port authorities, as well as by local, regional and national governments. Governance mechanisms at these different levels are described and analysed. Based on the report?s findings, recommendations are proposed with a view to improving port performance and increasing the positive effects of the port of Marseille-Fos on its territory

Aphanomyces euteiches Cell Wall Fractions Containing Novel Glucan-Chitosaccharides Induce Defense Genes and Nuclear Calcium Oscillations in the Plant Host Medicago truncatula

[EN] N-acetylglucosamine-based saccharides (chitosaccharides) are components of microbial cell walls and act as molecular signals during host-microbe interactions. In the legume plant Medicago truncatula, the perception of lipochitooligosaccharide signals produced by symbiotic rhizobia and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi involves the Nod Factor Perception (NFP) lysin motif receptor-like protein and leads to the activation of the so-called common symbiotic pathway. In rice and Arabidopsis, lysin motif receptors are involved in the perception of chitooligosaccharides released by pathogenic fungi, resulting in the activation of plant immunity. Here we report the structural characterization of atypical chitosaccharides from the oomycete pathogen Aphanomyces euteiches, and their biological activity on the host Medicago truncatula. Using a combination of biochemical and biophysical approaches, we show that these chitosaccharides are linked to β-1,6-glucans, and contain a β-(1,3;1,4)-glucan backbone whose β-1,3-linked glucose units are substituted on their C-6 carbon by either glucose or N-acetylglucosamine residues. This is the first description of this type of structural motif in eukaryotic cell walls. Glucan-chitosaccharide fractions of A. euteiches induced the expression of defense marker genes in Medicago truncatula seedlings independently from the presence of a functional Nod Factor Perception protein. Furthermore, one of the glucan-chitosaccharide fractions elicited calcium oscillations in the nucleus of root cells. In contrast to the asymmetric oscillatory calcium spiking induced by symbiotic lipochitooligosaccharides, this response depends neither on the Nod Factor Perception protein nor on the common symbiotic pathway. These findings open new perspectives in oomycete cell wall biology and elicitor recognition and signaling in legumes.SIThis work is part of the “Laboratoire d’Excellence” (LABEX) entitled TULIP (ANR -10-LABX-41); it was funded by the Région Midi-Pyrénées, the CNRS (PhD grant INEE 36 to AN), and the French Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-08-BLAN-0208-01 “Sympasignal”)

European Lung Cancer Working Party Clinical Practice Guidelines Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: II. Unresectable Non-metastatic Stages

The present guidelines on the management of unresectable non-metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were formulated by the ELCWP in October 2005. They are designed to answer the following eight questions: 1) Is chest irradiation curative for NSCLC? 2) What are the contra-indications (anatomical or functional) to chest irradiation? 3) Does the addition of chemotherapy add an advantage to radiotherapy? 4) Does the addition of radiotherapy add an advantage to chemotherapy? 5) Is irradiation as effective as surgery for marginally resectable stage III? 6) How to best combine chemotherapy with radiotherapy: sequentially, concomitantly, as consolidation, as induction, as radiosensitiser? 7) In case of too advanced locoregional disease, is there a role for consolidation (salvage) local treatment (surgery or radiotherapy) after induction chemotherapy? 8) In 2005, what are the technical characteristics of an adequate radiotherapy

European Lung Cancer Working Party. Clinical Practice Guidelines. Small Cell Lung Cancer: V. Extensive disease

The present guidelines on the management of extensive disease small cell lung cancer (SCLC) were formulated by the ELCWP in October 2007. They are designed to answer the following nine questions: 1) What is the definition of extensive disease? 2)What are the active drugs? 3) What is the best induction regimen? 4) Is there a role for maintenance chemotherapy? 5) Is there a role for dose-intensive chemotherapy? 6) Is there a role for the use of haemopoietic growth factors and stem cells support? 7) Is there a role for alternating or sequential chemotherapy? 8) Is there a role for biological treatments? 9) Is there a place for second-line chemotherapy

European Lung Cancer Working Party Clinical Practice Guidelines. Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: III. Metastatic disease

The present guidelines on the management of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NS CLC) were formulated by the ELCWP in October 2006. They are designed to answer the following twelve questions: 1) What benefits can be expected from chemotherapy and what are the treatment objectives? 2) What are the active chemotherapeutic drugs for which efficacy has been shown? 3) Which are the most effective platinum-based regimens? 4) Which is the indicated dosage of cisplatin? 5) Can carboplatin be substituted for cisplatin? 6) Which is the optimal number of cycles to be administered? 7) Can non-platinum based regimens be substituted for platinum based chemotherapy as first-line treatment? 8) Is there an indication for sequential chemotherapy? 9) What is the efficacy of salvage chemotherapy and which drugs should be used in that indication? 10) What is the place of targeted therapies? 11) What is the place of chemotherapy in the management of a patient with brain metastases? 12) Which specific drugs can be used for the patient with bone metastases

Jean-Paul Riopelle : Les Années 50 = Jean-Paul Riopelle ; The Fifties

Brief introductory note by Lafitte. Biographical notes. 30 bibl. ref

Advances in top-down proteomics for disease biomarker discovery.

peer reviewedTop-down mass spectrometry strategies allow identification and characterization of proteins and protein networks by direct fragmentation. These analytical processes involve a panel of fragmentation mechanisms, some of which preserve protein post-translational modifications. Thus top-down is of special interest in clinical biochemistry to probe modified proteins as potential disease biomarkers. This review describes separating methods, mass spectrometry instrumentation, bioinformatics, and theoretical aspects of fragmentation mechanisms used for top-down analysis. The biological interest of this strategy is extensively reported regarding the characterization of post-translational modifications in biochemical pathways and the discovery of biomarkers. One has to bear in mind that quantitative aspects that are beyond the focus of this review are also of critical important for biomarker discovery. The constant evolution of technologies makes top-down strategies crucial players in clinical and basic proteomics