Lipid profile of Xylella fastidiosa Subsp. pauca associated with the olive quick decline syndrome

Lipids, components of the plasma and intracellular membranes as well as of droplets, provide different biological functions related to energy, carbon storage, and stress responses. Bacterial species display diverse membrane composition that changes in response to the different environmental conditions. During plant-pathogen interactions, lipids might have roles in several aspects such as recognition, signal transduction, and downstream responses. Among lipid entities, free fatty acids (FFAs) and their oxidized form, the oxylipins, represent an important class of signaling molecules in host-pathogen perception, especially related to virulence and defense. In bacteria, FFAs (e.g., diffusible signaling factors) and oxylipins have a crucial role in modulating motility, biofilm formation, and virulence. In this study, we explore by LC-TOF and LC-MS/MS the lipid composition of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca strain De Donno in pure culture; some specific lipids (e.g., ornithine lipids and the oxylipin 7,10-diHOME), characteristic of other pathogenic bacteria, were revealed. Nicotiana tabacum was used for testing the ability of this pathogen in producing such lipids in the host. Different lipid compounds present a clear distribution pattern within the infected plant tissues compared to the uninfected ones

Musica di contrabbando: il dadaismo proto-punk degli Squallor

Between the ‘60s and ‘80s Italian music was strongly conditioned by two contrasting events: on the one hand, there was a censorship that often forced artists to modify the lyrics of their songs, from the attenuation to the distortion of the meaning, in order to avoid the risk of being banned from the diffusion channels. On the other hand, a parallel, underground and irreverent phenomenon, which was embodied in the name of a band: Gli Squallor. They are the only band in the history of Italian song who have managed to become a cult phenomenon without any advertising and outside the official sales circuit, but only through word of mouth and thanks to the effectiveness of a desecrating parody that went beyond the limits of respectability and the claim of modesty in that period

Paradoxical effects of chemotherapy on tumor relapse and metastasis promotion.

Several lines of compelling pre-clinical evidence identify chemotherapy as a potentially double-edged sword: therapeutic efficacy on the primary tumor may in fact be counterbalanced by the induction of tumor/host reactive responses supportive for survival and dissemination of cancer cell subpopulations. This paradoxical effect of chemotherapy can affect different districts such as the primary tumor, the circulation and distant organs by simultaneously shaping properties and composition of tumor and stromal cells. At the primary tumor site, chemotherapy has been reported to promote selection of chemoresistant and disseminating tumor cells endowed with properties of cancer stem cells (CSCs) through activation of autocrine and paracrine self-renewing/survival pathways promoted jointly by therapy-selected tumor and stromal cells. Resistant CSCs represent seeds for tumor relapse and increased infiltration by immune cells, together with enhanced vascular permeability induced by chemotherapy, facilitates tumor cells intravasation, the first step of the metastatic cascade. As a consequence of primary tumor/metastasis re-shaping induced by chemotherapy, circulating tumor cells (CTCs) detected during therapy can display a shift towards a more mesenchymal and stem-like phenotype, conductive to increased ability to survive in the circulation and seed distant organs. At the metastatic site, host responses to therapy activate inflammatory pathways that ultimately facilitate tumor cells extravasation and metastatic colonization. Finally, cooperation of immune cells and endothelial cells at perivascular niches favors the extravasation of tumor cells endowed with high potential for metastasis initiation and protects them from chemotherapy. This review highlights the paradoxical pro-metastatic effects of chemotherapy linking reactive responses to treatment to tumor relapse and metastasis formation through primary tumor remodeling and generation of a favorable pro-metastatic niche

Sonication-Assisted Production of Fosetyl-Al Nanocrystals: Investigation of Human Toxicity and In Vitro Antibacterial Efficacy against Xylella Fastidiosa

none10Recently, there is a growing demand in sustainable phytopathogens control research. Nanotechnology provides several tools such as new pesticides formulations, antibacterial nanomaterials and smart delivery systems. Metal nano-oxides and different biopolymers have been exploited in order to develop nanopesticides which can offer a targeted solution minimizing side effects on environment and human health. This work proposed a nanotechnological approach to obtain a new formulation of systemic fungicide fosetyl-Al employing ultrasonication assisted production of water dispersible nanocrystals. Moreover, chitosan was applicated as a coating agent aiming a synergistic antimicrobial effect between biopolymer and fungicide. Fosetyl-Al nanocrystals have been characterized by morphological and physical-chemical analysis. Nanotoxicological investigation was carried out on human keratinocytes cells through cells viability test and ultrastructural analysis. In vitro planktonic growth, biofilm production and agar dilution assays have been conducted on twoXylella fastidiosasubspecies. Fosetyl-Al nanocrystals resulted very stable over time and less toxic respect to conventional formulation. Finally, chitosan-based fosetyl-Al nanocrystals showed an interesting antibacterial activity againstXylella fastidiosasubsp.paucaandXylella fastidiosasubsp.fastidiosa.Regione Puglia, Deliberazione della Giunta Regionale n. 1410 del 12/06/2015 “Linee guida per il parco della ricerca e sperimentazione finalizzata alla prevenzione e al contenimento del complesso del disseccamento rapido dell’olivo (CODIRO)” Project FATA- “Trattamenti fitoterapici innovativi a base di vettori di chitosano” MIPAAFT, Project Oli.Di.X.I.It-“OLIvicoltura e Difesa da Xylella fastidiosa e da Insetti vettori in Italia”, D.M. 23773 del 6/09/2017.openFrancesca Baldassarre; Giuseppe Tatulli; Viviana Vergaro; Stefania Mariano; Valeria Scala; Concetta Nobile; Nicoletta Pucci; Luciana Dini; Stefania Loreti; Giuseppe CiccarellaBaldassarre, Francesca; Tatulli, Giuseppe; Vergaro, Viviana; Mariano, Stefania; Scala, Valeria; Nobile, Concetta; Pucci, Nicoletta; Dini, Luciana; Loreti, Stefania; Ciccarella, Giusepp

Estimation of (co)variance components of nematode parasites resistance and somatic cell count in dairy sheep

Nematode parasites and mastitis are the major animal health constraints in sheep. The aim of this study was estimating the genetic (co)variances of nematode parasites resistance and somatic cell count in dairy sheep. From 2000 to 2008, Somatic Cell Score (SCS) and Faecal Egg Count (FEC) records were available on an experimental population consisting of 949 backcross ewes and 806 their daughters. Data were processed independently for each subpopulation in order to adjust for specific environmental effects and to obtain lactation records for both traits to be used in the genetic analysis. Variance components estimation was performed by using the REML method applied to a bi-trait repeatability animal model. Heritabilities of lactation SCS (LSCS) and FEC were 0.19 and 0.16. Genetic correlation was 0.21, whereas phenotypic correlation was 0.01. The estimated heritabilities confirm that both traits could be selected by the classical quantitative approach. The genetic correlation estimate between LSCS and FEC suggests that selection for one of the two traits would not have any detrimental effect on the other one