Meeting Summary of the 6th European Workshop on Plant Chromatin 2019 in Cologne, Germany

In June 2019, more than a hundred plant researchers met in Cologne, Germany, for the 6th European Workshop on Plant Chromatin (EWPC). This conference brought together a highly dynamic community of researchers with the common aim to understand how chromatin organization controls gene expression, development, and plant responses to the environment. New evidence showing how epigenetic states are set, perpetuated, and inherited were presented, and novel data related to the three-dimensional organization of chromatin within the nucleus were discussed. At the level of the nucleosome, its composition by different histone variants and their specialized histone deposition complexes were addressed as well as the mechanisms involved in histone post-translational modifications and their role in gene expression. The keynote lecture on plant DNA methylation by Julie Law (SALK Institute) and the tribute session to Lars Hennig, honoring the memory of one of the founders of the EWPC who contributed to promote the plant chromatin and epigenetic field in Europe, added a very special note to this gathering. In this perspective article we summarize some of the most outstanding data and advances on plant chromatin research presented at this workshop

Shedding light on the chromatin changes that modulate shade responses

Altres ajuts: COST-Action INDEPTH CA16212; Generalitat de Catalunya/CERCA programmePerception of vegetation proximity or plant shade informs of potential competition for resources by the neighboring vegetation. As vegetation proximity impacts on both light quantity and quality, perception of this cue by plant photoreceptors reprograms development to result in responses that allow plants to compete with the neighboring vegetation. Developmental reprogramming involves massive and rapid changes in gene expression, with the concerted action of photoreceptors and downstream transcription factors. Changes in gene expression can be modulated by epigenetic processes that alter chromatin compaction, influencing the accessibility and binding of transcription factors to regulatory elements in the DNA. However, little is known about the epigenetic regulation of plant responses to the proximity of other plants. In this manuscript, we review what is known about plant shade effects on chromatin changes at the cytological level, that is, changes in nuclear morphology and high order chromatin density. We address which are the specific histone post-transcriptional modifications that have been associated with changes in shade-regulated gene expression, such as histone acetylation and histone methylation. Furthermore, we explore the possible mechanisms that integrate shade signaling components and chromatin remodelers to settle epigenetic marks at specific loci. This review aims to be a starting point to understand how a specific environmental cue, plant shade, integrates with chromatin dynamics to implement the proper acclimation responses

Variabilidad de la frecuencia cardíaca y perfiles psicofisiológicos en deportes de equipo de alto rendimiento

This paper poses two objectives, pursued in two different studies. The first is to analyse the usefulness of a heart rate variability (HRV) analysis within the context of high-performance team sports. The second is to analyse HRV based on mood profiles, assessed using the POMS. For the first study, 53 athletes were selected from 3 different elite team sports: basketball, hockey and soccer. For the second study, the sample comprised 18 elite football players, divided into two groups: the iceberg profile and altered mood state. The results show that football players have a different HRV profile from basketball or hockey players, who both display a fairly similar one. In the case of soccer players with the iceberg profile, the vigour factor is negatively correlated with LF / HF and LF% and positively correlated with the HF% parameter. In the case of soccer players with the altered mood state, the fatigue factor is negatively correlated with the pNN50 and HF parameters. The results offer a deeper insight into HRV in team sports with a view to adapting the monitoring process and obtaining indicators of mood states associated with HRV.En el presente trabajo se plantean dos objetivos, llevados a cabo en dos estudios diferentes. En primer lugar, se pretende analizar la utilidad del análisis de la Variabilidad de la Frecuencia Cardíaca (VFC) dentro del contexto de los deportes de equipo de alto rendimiento. Por otra parte, se pretende analizar la VFC en base a los perfiles de estado de ánimo evaluados con el POMS. Para el primer estudio se seleccionaron 53 deportistas de 3 deportes de equipo de élite diferentes: baloncesto, hockey hierba y fútbol. Para el segundo estudio la muestra la formaron 18 futbolistas de élite, divididos en dos grupos: perfil iceberg y estado de ánimo alterado. Los resultados muestran que los futbolistas presentan un perfil de VFC diferente a los jugadores de baloncesto o hockey hierba, que muestran un perfil de VFC bastante parecido. En los futbolistas con perfil iceberg, el factor de Vigor correlaciona negativamente con los parámetros LF/HF y %LF, y positivamente con el parámetro HF%. En los futbolistas con estado de ánimo alterado, el factor de Fatiga correlaciona negativamente con los parámetros pNN50 y HF. Los resultados permiten profundizar en el estudio de la VFC en deportes de equipo para adaptar mejor los seguimientos, así como obtener indicadores de estado de ánimo relacionados con la VFC

Ectopic application of the repressive histone modification H3K9me2 establishes post-zygotic reproductive isolation in Arabidopsis thaliana

Hybrid seed lethality as a consequence of interspecies or interploidy hybridizations is a major mechanism of reproductive isolation in plants. This mechanism is manifested in the endosperm, a dosage-sensitive tissue supporting embryo growth. Deregulated expression of imprinted genes such as ADMETOS (ADM) underpin the interploidy hybridization barrier in Arabidopsis thaliana; however, the mechanisms of their action remained unknown. In this study, we show that ADM interacts with the AT hook domain protein AHL10 and the SET domain-containing SU (VAR) 3-9 homolog SUVH9 and ectopically recruits the heterochromatic mark H3K9me2 to AT-rich transposable elements (TEs), causing deregulated expression of neighboring genes. Several hybrid incompatibility genes identified in Drosophila encode for dosage-sensitive heterochromatin-interacting proteins, which has led to the suggestion that hybrid incompatibilities evolve as a consequence of interspecies divergence of selfish DNA elements and their regulation. Our data show that imbalance of dosage-sensitive chromatin regulators underpins the barrier to interploidy hybridization in Arabidopsis, suggesting that reproductive isolation as a consequence of epigenetic regulation of TEs is a conserved feature in animals and plants

Looking at the past and heading to the Future : Meeting summary of the 6th European Workshop on Plant Chromatin 2019 in Cologne, Germany

Altres ajuts: CERCA Programme/Generalitat de CatalunyaIn June 2019, more than a hundred plant researchers met in Cologne, Germany, for the 6th European Workshop on Plant Chromatin (EWPC). This conference brought together a highly dynamic community of researchers with the common aim to understand how chromatin organization controls gene expression, development, and plant responses to the environment. New evidence showing how epigenetic states are set, perpetuated, and inherited were presented, and novel data related to the three-dimensional organization of chromatin within the nucleus were discussed. At the level of the nucleosome, its composition by different histone variants and their specialized histone deposition complexes were addressed as well as the mechanisms involved in histone post-translational modifications and their role in gene expression. The keynote lecture on plant DNA methylation by Julie Law (SALK Institute) and the tribute session to Lars Hennig, honoring the memory of one of the founders of the EWPC who contributed to promote the plant chromatin and epigenetic field in Europe, added a very special note to this gathering. In this perspective article we summarize some of the most outstanding data and advances on plant chromatin research presented at this workshop

From radial to unidirectional water pumping in zeta-potential modulated Nafion nanostructures

Chemically propelled micropumps are promising wireless systems to autonomously drive fluid flows for many applications. However, many of these systems are activated by nocuous chemical fuels, cannot operate at high salt concentrations, or have difficulty for controlling flow directionality. In this work we report on a self-driven polymer micropump fueled by salt which can trigger both radial and unidirectional fluid flows. The micropump is based on the cation-exchanger Nafion, which produces chemical gradients and local electric fields capable to trigger interfacial electroosmotic flows. Unidirectional pumping is predicted by simulations and achieved experimentally by nanostructuring Nafion into microarrays with a fine tune modulation of surrounding surface zeta potentials. Nafion micropumps work in a wide range of salt concentrations, are reusable, and can be fueled by different salt cations. We demonstrate that they work with the common water-contaminant cadmium, using the own capture of this ion as fuel to drive fluid pumping. Thus, this system has potential for efficient and fast water purification strategies for environmental remediation. Unidirectional Nafion pumps also hold promise for effective analyte delivery or preconcentration for (bio)sensing assays

Correction to : Epigenetic signatures associated with imprinted paternally expressed genes in the Arabidopsis endosperm

Aquesta és una correcció a l'article 10.1186/s13059-019-1652-

Creació i aplicació del programa HISTOFLASH a les classes pràctiques d'histologia de l'assignatura Fisiologia i Fisiopatologia III del Grau de Farmàcia de la Universitat de Barcelona. Programa interactiu com a eina d'aprenentatge

Els estudiants de Fisiologia i Fisiopatologia III del Grau de Farmàcia realitzen pràctiques de laboratori entre d'altres activitats complementàries. Una de les pràctiques es basa en l'observació i identificació de teixits humans sans i patològics de diferents sistemes orgànics. L'equip docent de l'assignatura ha creat un programa interactiu, l'Histoflash, que permet a l'alumne estudiar els teixits a l'ordinador a través de la simulació de l'observació al microscopi

AI-powered edge computing evolution for beyond 5G communication networks

Edge computing is a key enabling technology that is expected to play a crucial role in beyond 5G (B5G) and 6G communication networks. By bringing computation closer to where the data is generated, and leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities for advanced automation and orchestration, edge computing can enable a wide range of emerging applications with extreme requirements in terms of latency and computation, across multiple vertical domains. In this context, this paper first discusses the key technological challenges for the seamless integration of edge computing within B5G/6G and then presents a roadmap for the edge computing evolution, proposing a novel design approach for an open, intelligent, trustworthy, and distributed edge architecture.VERGE has received funding from the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) under the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 101096034.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Arabidopsis SWC4 Binds DNA and Recruits the SWR1 Complex to Modulate Histone H2A.Z Deposition at Key Regulatory Genes

Deposition of the H2A.Z histone variant by the SWR1 complex (SWR1-C) in regulatory regions of specific loci modulates transcription. Characterization of mutations in Arabidopsis thaliana homologs of yeast SWR1-C has revealed a role for H2A.Z exchange in a variety of developmental processes. Nevertheless, the exact composition of plant SWR1-C and how it is recruited to target genes remains to be established. Here we show that SWC4, the Arabidopsis homolog of yeast SANT domain protein Swc4/Eaf2, is a DNA-binding protein that interacts with SWR1-C subunits. We demonstrate that the swc4-1 knockout mutant is embryo-lethal, while SWC4 RNAi knockdown lines display pleiotropic phenotypic alterations in vegetative and reproductive traits, including acceleration of flowering time, indicating that SWC4 controls post-embryonic processes. Transcriptomic analyses and genome-wide profiling of H2A.Z indicate that SWC4 represses transcription of a number of genes, including the floral integrator FT and key transcription factors, mainly by modulating H2A.Z deposition. Interestingly, SWC4 silencing does not affect H2A.Z deposition at the FLC locus nor expression of this gene, a master regulator of flowering previously shown to be controlled by SWR1-C. Importantly, we find that SWC4 recognizes specific AT-rich DNA elements in the chromatin regions of target genes and that SWC4 silencing impairs SWR1-C binding at FT. Collectively, our data suggest that SWC4 regulates plant growth and development by aiding SWR1-C recruitment and modulating H2A.Z deposition.This work was supported by grants BIO2010-15589, BIO2013-43098-R, and BIO2016-77559-R to J.A.J. and M.P., and grant RYC-2013-14689 to P.C. from the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO/FEDER, EU), and Marie Curie FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF grant 298790 to P.C. and J.A.J. from the European Commission. The CBGP is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (SEV-2016-0672). The CNIC is supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad and the Pro CNIC Foundation, and is also a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (SEV-2015-0505).S