Mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum stress pathways cooperate in zearalenone-induced apoptosis of human leukemic cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Zearalenone (ZEA) is a phytoestrogen from <it>Fusarium </it>species. The aims of the study was to identify mode of human leukemic cell death induced by ZEA and the mechanisms involved.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Cell cytotoxicity of ZEA on human leukemic HL-60, U937 and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was performed by using 3-(4,5-dimethyl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Reactive oxygen species production, cell cycle analysis and mitochondrial transmembrane potential reduction was determined by employing 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate, propidium iodide and 3,3'-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide and flow cytometry, respectively. Caspase-3 and -8 activities were detected by using fluorogenic Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (DEVD-AMC) and Ile-Glu-Thr-Asp-7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (IETD-AMC) substrates, respectively. Protein expression of cytochrome c, Bax, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL was performed by Western blot. The expression of proteins was assessed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel-electrophoresis (PAGE) coupled with LC-MS2 analysis and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) approach.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>ZEA was cytotoxic to U937 > HL-60 > PBMCs and caused subdiploid peaks and G1 arrest in both cell lines. Apoptosis of human leukemic HL-60 and U937 cell apoptosis induced by ZEA was via an activation of mitochondrial release of cytochrome c through mitochondrial transmembrane potential reduction, activation of caspase-3 and -8, production of reactive oxygen species and induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress. Bax was up regulated in a time-dependent manner and there was down regulation of Bcl-xL expression. Two-dimensional PAGE coupled with LC-MS2 analysis showed that ZEA treatment of HL-60 cells produced differences in the levels of 22 membrane proteins such as apoptosis inducing factor and the ER stress proteins including endoplasmic reticulum protein 29 (ERp29), 78 kDa glucose-regulated protein, heat shock protein 90 and calreticulin, whereas only <it>ERp29 </it>mRNA transcript increased.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>ZEA induced human leukemic cell apoptosis via endoplasmic stress and mitochondrial pathway.</p

Système d'information à référence spatiale (SIRS) basé sur des données de télédétection pour la conservation des eaux et des sold (Tunisie) : Rapport final

L'objectif général du projet est de développer une méthodologie de développement et d'utilisation conjointe des techniques des SIRS et de la télédétection pour les études de génie rural relatives à la protection des ressources en eau et des sols en Tunisie. Au-delà du développement d'un outil (le SlRS), il vise à développer la connaissance profonde des mécanismes de captage et de transformation des données nécessaires aux études techniques. ainsi que la formation des chercheurs. des professionnels et des enseignants tunisiens qui auront la charge de développer et d'exploiter cet outil. et de former le personnel qui devra travailler à son développement et à son application

TERRA : Terrain Extraction from elevation Rasters through Repetitive Anisotropic filtering

Over the past decades, several filters have been developed to derive a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) from a Digital Surface Model (DSM), by means of filtering out aboveground objects such as vegetation. In this filtering process, however, one of the major challenges remains to precisely distinguish sharp terrain features, e.g. ridges, agricultural terraces or other anthropogenic geomorphology such as open-pit mines, riverbanks or road ramps. Hence, loss of elevation data around terrain edges (and consequent smoothing) is very common with existing algorithms. In terraced landscapes, the preservation of precise geomorphology is of key importance in digital terrain analyses, such as hydrologic and erosion modelling, or automatic feature recognition and inventorying. In this work, we propose a new filtering method called TERRA (Terrain Extraction from elevation Rasters through Repetitive Anisotropic filtering). The novelty of the algorithm lies within its usage of terrain aspect to guide the anisotropic filtering direction, therefore maximising the preservation of terrain edges. We derived six DTMs from DSMs using UAV Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry, laser altimetry and satellite sources (grid resolutions ranging from 0.1-1.0 m). The results indicated a close agreement of DTMs filtered using the TERRA algorithm and reference DTMs, while terrace risers were well preserved even under thick canopies of vines and trees. Compared to existing filtering approaches, TERRA performed well in minimising Type I errors (false ground removal), while Type II errors occurred locally where vegetation was covering the terrace edges. Given the promising filtering performance, and supported by the minimal requirements of parameterisation and computation, the TERRA algorithm could be a useful tool in DTM preparation for digital terrain analysis of agricultural terraces and similar hillslopes characterised by a complex mosaic of sharp terrain and non-terrain features

Using kites for 3-D mapping of gullies at decimetre-resolution over several square kilometres: a case study on the Kamech catchment, Tunisia

Monitoring agricultural areas threatened by soil erosion often requires decimetre topographic information over areas of several square kilometres. Airborne lidar and remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) imagery have the ability to provide repeated decimetre-resolution and -accuracy digital elevation models (DEMs) covering these extents, which is unrealistic with ground surveys. However, various factors hamper the dissemination of these technologies in a wide range of situations, including local regulations for RPAS and the cost for airborne laser systems and medium-format RPAS imagery. The goal of this study is to investigate the ability of low-tech kite aerial photography to obtain DEMs with decimetre resolution and accuracy that permit 3-D descriptions of active gullying in cultivated areas of several square kilometres. To this end, we developed and assessed a two-step workflow. First, we used both heuristic experimental approaches in field and numerical simulations to determine the conditions that make a photogrammetric flight possible and effective over several square kilometres with a kite and a consumer-grade camera. Second, we mapped and characterised the entire gully system of a test catchment in 3-D. We showed numerically and experimentally that using a thin and light line for the kite is key for a complete 3-D coverage over several square kilometres. We thus obtained a decimetre-resolution DEM covering 3.18 km2 with a mean error and standard deviation of the error of +7 and 22 cm respectively, hence achieving decimetre accuracy. With this data set, we showed that high-resolution topographic data permit both the detection and characterisation of an entire gully system with a high level of detail and an overall accuracy of 74 % compared to an independent field survey. Kite aerial photography with simple but appropriate equipment is hence an alternative tool that has been proven to be valuable for surveying gullies with sub-metric details in a square-kilometre-scale catchment. This case study suggests that access to high-resolution topographic data on these scales can be given to the community, which may help facilitate a better understanding of gullying processes within a broader spectrum of conditions.</p

The SPECTRA Barrax campaign (SPARC): Overview and first results from CHRIS data

In the framework of preparatory activities for the SPECTRA (Surface Processes and Ecosystems Changes Through Response Analysis) ESA Earth Explorer Core Mission, CHRIS/PROBA acquisitions over the Barrax Core Site in Spain were used to compile a reference dataset for future in-depth studies. Taking advantage of the possibility of consecutive days of acquisitions, multiple-angular acquisitions finally included 10 different view angles from CHRIS, in Mode 1 with 62 spectral, and a ground resolution of about 34 m. Additional ROSIS and HYMAP sensors, flying simultaneously with CHRIS overpass, provided detailed images for validation of CHRIS data, particularly in the spectral domain. Moreover, up to 3 angles per sample from airborne HYMAP data were acquired, with high spectral and spatial resolution, and then both spectral and angular domains can be exploited with the combined CHRIS/HYMAP/ROSIS dataset. Detailed soil/vegetation and atmospheric measurements complete the SPARC data, and data from other satellites (MERIS, SEVIRI, SPOT, Landsat) were collected as well, to address scaling issues. Methods for data analysis and exploitation have been developed in the context of SPARC activities, and preliminary results about retrievals of biophysical information from multi-angular hyperspectral data are already available. The whole SPARC dataset represents a reference for the exploitation of CHRIS data, allowing the development of new processing and retrieval algorithms, and the validation of such algorithms by means of ground measurements and complementary airborne and satellite data. More details on several processing aspects of the CHRIS/PROBA data acquired within the SPARC campaign are presented in other papers in this conference