Genome-wide gene expression analysis supports a developmental model of low temperature tolerance gene regulation in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To identify the genes involved in the development of low temperature (LT) tolerance in hexaploid wheat, we examined the global changes in expression in response to cold of the 55,052 potentially unique genes represented in the Affymetrix Wheat Genome microarray. We compared the expression of genes in winter-habit (winter Norstar and winter Manitou) and spring-habit (spring Manitou and spring Norstar)) cultivars, wherein the locus for the vernalization gene <it>Vrn-A1 </it>was swapped between the parental winter Norstar and spring Manitou in the derived near-isogenic lines winter Manitou and spring Norstar. Global expression of genes in the crowns of 3-leaf stage plants cold-acclimated at 6°C for 0, 2, 14, 21, 38, 42, 56 and 70 days was examined.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Analysis of variance of gene expression separated the samples by genetic background and by the developmental stage before or after vernalization saturation was reached. Using gene-specific ANOVA we identified 12,901 genes (at <it>p </it>< 0.001) that change in expression with respect to both genotype and the duration of cold-treatment. We examined in more detail a subset of these genes (2,771) where expression was highly influenced by the interaction between these two main factors. Functional assignments using GO annotations showed that genes involved in transport, oxidation-reduction, and stress response were highly represented. Clustering based on the pattern of transcript accumulation identified genes that were up or down-regulated by cold-treatment. Our data indicate that the cold-sensitive lines can up-regulate known cold-responsive genes comparable to that of cold-hardy lines. The levels of expression of these genes were highly influenced by the initial rate and the duration of the gene's response to cold. We show that the <it>Vrn-A1 </it>locus controls the duration of gene expression but not its initial rate of response to cold treatment. Furthermore, we provide evidence that <it>Ta.Vrn-A1 </it>and <it>Ta.Vrt1 </it>originally hypothesized to encode for the same gene showed different patterns of expression and therefore are distinct.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study provides novel insight into the underlying mechanisms that regulate the expression of cold-responsive genes in wheat. The results support the developmental model of LT tolerance gene regulation and demonstrate the complex genotype by environment interactions that determine LT adaptation in winter annual cereals.</p

Strategies to Target Tumor Immunosuppression

The tumor microenvironment is currently in the spotlight of cancer immunology research as a key factor impacting tumor development and progression. While antigen-specific immune responses play a crucial role in tumor rejection, the tumor hampers these immune responses by creating an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Recently, major progress has been achieved in the field of cancer immunotherapy, and several groundbreaking clinical trials demonstrated the potency of such therapeutic interventions in patients. Yet, the responses greatly vary among individuals. This calls for the rational design of more efficacious cancer immunotherapeutic interventions that take into consideration the “immune signature” of the tumor. Multimodality treatment regimens that aim to enhance intratumoral homing and activation of antigen-specific immune effector cells, while simultaneously targeting tumor immunosuppression, are pivotal for potent antitumor immunity

Cold Response of Dedifferentiated Barley Cells at the Gene Expression, Hormone Composition, and Freezing Tolerance Levels: Studies on Callus Cultures

In this study, data is presented how dark-grown, embryogenic barley callus cells respond to cold without any light-dependent, chloroplast-related mechanism, independently of the systemic signals. The expression of HvCBF9, HvCBF14, and HvCOR14b genes, members of one of the most important cold-inducible regulatory system, was measured by real-time PCR. Characteristic of the cold response was similar in the crowns of seedlings and in dark-grown callus cultures, however, gene expression levels were lower in calli. Endogenous concentration of auxins, abscisic acid, and salicylic acid did not change, but phaseic acid and neophaseic acid showed robust accumulation after cold acclimation. Freezing tolerance of the cultures was also higher after 7 days of cold-hardening. The results suggest the presence of a basal, light-independent, cold-responsive activation of the CBF–COR14b pathway in barley cultures. The effects of Dicamba, the exogenous auxin analog used for maintaining tissue cultures were also studied. Dicamba seems to be a general enhancer of the gene expression and physiological responses to cold stress, but has no specific effect on the activation. Our data along with previous findings show that this system might be a suitable model for studying certain basic cellular mechanisms involved in the cold acclimation process in cereals