Estudios ultraestructurales y citoquímicos de huéspedes y patógenos en algunas enfermedades de marchitamiento fúngicas: una retro e introspeción dirigida al mejor entendimiento de DED

This report presents a survey of previous and more recent ultrastructural and cytochemical investigations of disease development in elm, caused by Ophiostoma novo-ulmi, with results of some comparative studies of other wilt diseases caused by f.spp., of Fusarium oxysporum and of Verticillium sp. For cytochemical studies, probes complexed to colloidal gold to detect cellulose, pectin, chitin, and DNA were used. Thus, the formation of tyloses, pit membrane alterations, and the disease effect on parenchyma cells in mature as well as in young tissue were characterized. Vessel lumina in these plants, in diverse situations, contained heterogeneous matter, among which occurred masses of opaque matter and in certain instances pectin fibrils secreted by parenchyma cells and tyloses. Numerous globoid, opaque bodies of regular sizes, which have been mostly overlooked previously, abounded in vessel elements of U. americana and U. glabra, including trees injected with glucose solutions prior to inoculation. Coarser fibrillar material was also noted in vessel lumina, but mostly shortly after inoculation. Other peculiar forms of O. novo-ulmi are also described. The possible role of the components under study is discussed, and a model for DED is proposed in which hindrance to vessel invasion, including downward spread of the pathogen, and reactions of parenchyma cells are complementary and considered to be conducive to defence mechanisms, including compartmentalization of the invaded xylem.En este informe se presenta una revisión de los más recientes estudios sobre la ultraestructura y la citoquímica del desarrollo infectivo causado por Ophiostoma novo-ulmi en el olmo, y su comparación con otras enfermedades vasculares causada por hongos como Fusarium oxysporum y Verticillium sp. En los estudios citoquímicos se usaron inmunolocalizadores de oro coloidal para la detección de celulosa, pectina, quitina y ADN. De esta manera se caracterizó la formación de tilosas, las alteraciones en las punteaduras, y los efectos de la infección en las células parenquimáticas, tanto en tejidos adultos como jóvenes. En estas plantas, el interior de los elementos conductores contiene, en diversas ocasiones, sustancias heterogéneas en las que aparecen masas de sustancias opacas, así como, en ciertas ocasiones, fibrillas de pectina segregadas por células parenquimáticas y por tilosas. Numerosos cuerpos opacos globulares de tamaño medio, que previamente habían pasado en gran medida inadvertidos, eran abundantes en los elementos conductores de U. americana y U. glabra, incluyendo árboles a los que se inyectó soluciones de glucosa antes de la inoculación. También se detectó la presencia, en el interior de los vasos, de material fibrilar de mayor diámetro, sobre todo al poco de la inoculación. También se describen otras formas peculiares de O. novo-ulmi. Se discute el posible papel de los componentes en estudio, y se propone un modelo para la grafiosis en el cual los obstáculos para la invasión del vaso, incluidas la transmisión corriente abajo del patógeno y la reacción de células parenquimáticas, son complementarios, considerándose que son conducentes a la aparición de mecanismos de defensa, incluida la compartimentación del xilema invadido

A Hubble Space Telescope Snapshot Survey of Dynamically Close Galaxy Pairs in the CNOC2 Redshift Survey

We compare the structural properties of two classes of galaxies at intermediate redshift: those in dynamically close galaxy pairs, and those which are isolated. Both samples are selected from the CNOC2 Redshift Survey, and have redshifts in the range 0.1 < z <0.6. Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 images were acquired as part of a snapshot survey, and were used to measure bulge fraction and asymmetry for these galaxies. We find that paired and isolated galaxies have identical distributions of bulge fractions. Conversely, we find that paired galaxies are much more likely to be asymmetric (R_T+R_A >= 0.13) than isolated galaxies. Assuming that half of these pairs are unlikely to be close enough to merge, we estimate that 40% +/- 11% of merging galaxies are asymmetric, compared with 9% +/- 3% of isolated galaxies. The difference is even more striking for strongly asymmetric (R_T+R_A >= 0.16) galaxies: 25% +/- 8% for merging galaxies versus 1% +/- 1% for isolated galaxies. We find that strongly asymmetric paired galaxies are very blue, with rest-frame B-R colors close to 0.80, compared with a mean (B-R)_0 of 1.24 for all paired galaxies. In addition, asymmetric galaxies in pairs have strong [OII]3727 emission lines. We conclude that close to half of the galaxy pairs in our sample are in the process of merging, and that most of these mergers are accompanied by triggered star formation.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal. 40 pages, including 15 figures. For full resolution version, please see http://www.trentu.ca/physics/dpatton/hstpairs

Evaluating LANDSAT-4 MSS and TM data

Interband line pixel misregistrations were determined for the four MSS bands of the Mistassini, Ontario scene and multitemporal registration of LANDSAT-4 products were tested for two different geocoded scenes. Line and pixel misregistrations are tabulated as determined by the manual ground control points and the digital band to band correlation techniques. A method was developed for determining the spectral information content of TM images for forestry applications

Extracellular sheath formation by Sphaeropsis hypodermia and association with its infection in elm trees

Nous avons observé le mode de développement de Sphaeropsis hypodermia (isolé d'une branche d'orme (Ulmus americana) atteinte d'un chancre) dans les milieux suivants : un milieu gélosé (PDA), un tissu essuie-tout (Kimwipes), des blocs de bois d'orme stérilisés à l'autoclave, et des ormes d'Amérique inoculés en serre. Des échantillons de chaque substrat ont été fixés pour les observations en microscopie photonique et en microscopie électronique avec du glutaraldéhyde et du tétroxyde d'osmium. Observés en microscopie électronique, les hyphes accolés au substrat étaient entourés d'une épaisse couche extracellulaire devenant circonscrite par des bandes rigides et contenant des corps opaques simples ou agrégés, ou des masses de matière opaque plus volumineuses dans le cas des blocs de bois d'orme. Sur celui-ci et sur le tissu Kimwipes, la couche extracellulaire s'étendait sur une distance appréciable, loin des cellules fongiques, et avait également pénétré les parois de cellules de parenchyme et des fibres, selon le cas. Dans les ormes inoculés, le champignon a rapidement produit des dommages notables dans les tissus du cambium et colonisé abondamment les régions de l'écorce et du xylème avoisinantes. La pénétration et la dégradation des parois cellulaires de l'écorce étaient marquées, en relation également avec de la matière opaque entourant les cellules du champignon. Cette matière ressemblait à celle liée aux cellules fongiques sur les milieux stérilisés. Bien que les cellules du xylème étaient généralement colonisées, des altérations pariétales n'étaient apparentes que dans les cellules récemment formées. En outre, le passage du champignon d'une cellule à l'autre à travers les parois n'a été observé que dans le cas des éléments de vaisseaux et des cellules de rayon. Concernant les fibres, seule y était visible une bande de matière filamenteuse dans les parois et liant les cellules fongiques présentes dans la lumière de ces fibres. En réponse à la dégradation de parois cellulaires liée à de la matière opaque, l'hypertrophie et l'hyperplasie des cellules du cambium et de l'écorce interne ont été observées, liées possiblement à la formation d'une barrière de protection. On discute du rôle possible de la couche extracellulaire des cellules fongiques in vivo et in vitro.Sphaeropsis hypodermia, isolated from a cankered American elm branch, was grown on agar medium (PDA), on autoclaved wiping paper (Kimwipes), and American elm (Ulmus americana) wood chips, or inoculated into greenhouse-grown American elm saplings. Samples from each treatment were double-fixed with glutaraldehyde and osmium tetroxide and examined with the light and the transmission electron microscopes. Ultrastructurally, the hyphae on PDA and inert substrates appeared surrounded by large extracellular sheaths which were delimited by rigid opaque bands of various thicknesses. The sheaths extended appreciable distances from the fungal cells, as evidenced by their adherence to rigid substrates. Individual or aggregated opaque bodies, even as large masses on elm wood chips, were the main components of the sheath. This opaque material was often associated with penetration and ruptures of the wood cells. Inoculated into elm trees, the fungus rapidly caused pronounced alterations of cambial tissues and colonized the adjoining bark and xylem cells. The prominent penetration and breakdown of the inner and outer bark cells by the fungus were associated with opaque material, particularly in cortical fibres. The material was structurally similar to the sheath formed on the rigid sterilized substrates. In the xylem, only the walls of the recently deposited cells were visibly altered, and although mature fibres were generally colonized, the passage of the fungus from one fibre to another was rarely observed, contrary to the passage from vessel and ray cells to adjoining cells. In that instance, only bands of opaque material present in the walls of fibres were connected with fungal cells in their lumen. In the inner bark and cambial regions, cell hypertrophy and hyperplasia occurred next to host walls that were altered and contained similar opaque material. The extracellular sheath of S. hypodermia under in vitro conditions and the opaque material associated with host wall alterations in vivo are considered to be analogous

Measurement of the Integrated Faraday Rotations of BL Lac Objects

We present the results of multi-frequency polarization VLA observations of radio sources from the complete sample of northern, radio-bright BL Lac objects compiled by H. Kuhr and G. Schmidt. These were used to determine the integrated rotation measures of 18 objects, 15 of which had never been measured previously, which hindered analysis of the intrinsic polarization properties of objects in the complete sample. These measurements make it possible to correct the observed orientations of the linear polarizations of these sources for the effect of Faraday rotation. The most probable origin for Faraday rotation in these objects is the Galactic interstellar medium. The results presented complete measurements of the integrated rotation measures for all 34 sources in the complete sample of BL Lac objects.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure

Observing the build-up of the colour-magnitude relation at redshift ~0.8

We analyse the rest-frame (U-V) colour-magnitude relation for 2 clusters at redshift 0.7 and 0.8, drawn from the ESO Distant Cluster Survey. By comparing with the population of red galaxies in the Coma cluster, we show that the high redshift clusters exhibit a deficit of passive faint red galaxies. Our results show that the red-sequence population cannot be explained in terms of a monolithic and synchronous formation scenario. A large fraction of faint passive galaxies in clusters today has moved onto the red sequence relatively recently as a consequence of the fact that their star formation activity has come to an end at z<0.8.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, to appear in Proc. of IAU Colloq. 195: "Outskirts of Galaxy Clusters: Intense Life in the Suburbs" -- minor typos correcte

Ternatin and improved synthetic variants kill cancer cells by targeting the elongation factor-1A ternary complex.

Cyclic peptide natural products have evolved to exploit diverse protein targets, many of which control essential cellular processes. Inspired by a series of cyclic peptides with partially elucidated structures, we designed synthetic variants of ternatin, a cytotoxic and anti-adipogenic natural product whose molecular mode of action was unknown. The new ternatin variants are cytotoxic toward cancer cells, with up to 500-fold greater potency than ternatin itself. Using a ternatin photo-affinity probe, we identify the translation elongation factor-1A ternary complex (eEF1A·GTP·aminoacyl-tRNA) as a specific target and demonstrate competitive binding by the unrelated natural products, didemnin and cytotrienin. Mutations in domain III of eEF1A prevent ternatin binding and confer resistance to its cytotoxic effects, implicating the adjacent hydrophobic surface as a functional hot spot for eEF1A modulation. We conclude that the eukaryotic elongation factor-1A and its ternary complex with GTP and aminoacyl-tRNA are common targets for the evolution of cytotoxic natural products

Time window-dependent effect of perinatal maternal protein restriction on insulin sensitivity and energy substrate oxidation in adult male offspring

Epidemiological and experimental evidence suggests that a suboptimal environment during perinatal life programs offspring susceptibility to the development of metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes. We hypothesized that the lasting impact of perinatal protein deprivation on mitochondrial fuel oxidation and insulin sensitivity would depend on the time window of exposure. To improve our understanding of underlying mechanisms, an integrative approach was used, combining the assessment of insulin sensitivity and untargeted mass spectrometry-based metabolomics in the offspring. A hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp was performed in adult male rats born from dams fed a low-protein diet during gestation and/or lactation, and subsequently exposed to a Western diet (WD) for 10 wk. Metabolomics was combined with targeted acylcarnitine profiling and analysis of liver gene expression to identify markers of adaptation to WD that influence the phenotype outcome evaluated by body composition analysis. At adulthood, offspring of protein-restricted dams had impaired insulin secretion when fed a standard diet. Moreover, rats who demonstrated catch-up growth at weaning displayed higher gluconeogenesis and branched-chain amino acid catabolism, and lower fatty acid β-oxidation compared with control rats. Postweaning exposure of intrauterine growth restriction-born rats to a WD exacerbated incomplete fatty acid β-oxidation and excess fat deposition. Control offspring nursed by protein-restricted mothers showed peculiar low-fat accretion through adulthood and preserved insulin sensitivity even after WD-exposure. Altogether, our findings suggest a testable hypothesis about how maternal diet might influence metabolic outcomes (insulin sensitivity) in the next generation such as mitochondrial overload and/or substrate oxidation inflexibility dependent on the time window of perinatal dietary manipulation