Chronic oleoylethanolamide treatment decreases hepatic triacylglycerol level in rat liver by a pparγ/srebp-mediated suppression of fatty acid and triacylglycerol synthesis

none11noOleoylethanolamide (OEA) is a naturally occurring bioactive lipid belonging to the family of N-acylethanolamides. A variety of beneficial effects have been attributed to OEA, although the greater interest is due to its potential role in the treatment of obesity, fatty liver, and eating-related disorders. To better clarify the mechanism of the antiadipogenic effect of OEA in the liver, using a lipidomic study performed by1H-NMR, LC-MS/MS and thin-layer chromatography analyses we evaluated the whole lipid composition of rat liver, following a two-week daily treatment of OEA (10 mg kg−1 i.p.). We found that OEA induced a significant reduction in hepatic triacylglycerol (TAG) content and significant changes in sphingolipid composition and ceramidase activity. We associated the antiadipogenic effect of OEA to decreased activity and expression of key enzymes involved in fatty acid and TAG syntheses, such as acetyl-CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase, diacylglycerol acyltransferase, and stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1. Moreover, we found that both SREBP-1 and PPARγ protein expression were significantly reduced in the liver of OEA-treated rats. Our findings add significant and important insights into the molecular mechanism of OEA on hepatic adipogenesis, and suggest a possible link between the OEA-induced changes in sphingolipid metabolism and suppression of hepatic TAG level.openRomano A.; Friuli M.; Del Coco L.; Longo S.; Vergara D.; Del Boccio P.; Valentinuzzi S.; Cicalini I.; Fanizzi F.P.; Gaetani S.; Giudetti A.M.Romano, A.; Friuli, M.; Del Coco, L.; Longo, S.; Vergara, D.; Del Boccio, P.; Valentinuzzi, S.; Cicalini, I.; Fanizzi, F. P.; Gaetani, S.; Giudetti, A. M

Plasmopara viticola infection affects mineral elements allocation and distribution in Vitis vinifera leaves

Plasmopara viticola is one of the most important pathogens infecting Vitis vinifera plants. The interactions among P. viticola and both susceptible and resistant grapevine plants have been extensively characterised, at transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic levels. However, the involvement of plants ionome in the response against the pathogen has been completely neglected so far. Therefore, this study was aimed at investigating the possible role of leaf ionomic modulation during compatible and incompatible interactions between P. viticola and grapevine plants. In susceptible cultivars, a dramatic redistribution of mineral elements has been observed, thus uncovering a possible role for mineral nutrients in the response against pathogens. On the contrary, the resistant cultivars did not present substantial rearrangement of mineral elements at leaf level, except for manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe). This might demonstrate that, resistant cultivars, albeit expressing the resistance gene, still exploit a pathogen response mechanism based on the local increase in the concentration of microelements, which are involved in the synthesis of secondary metabolites and reactive oxygen species. Moreover, these data also highlight the link between the mineral nutrition and plants\u2019 response to pathogens, further stressing that appropriate fertilization strategies can be fundamental for the expression of response mechanisms against pathogens

Nutraceutical Profiles of Two Hydroponically Grown Sweet Basil Cultivars as Affected by the Composition of the Nutrient Solution and the Inoculation With Azospirillum brasilense

Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is one of the most produced aromatic herbs in the world, exploiting hydroponic systems. It has been widely assessed that macronutrients, like nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S), can strongly affect the organoleptic qualities of agricultural products, thus influencing their nutraceutical value. In addition, plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have been shown to affect plant growth and quality. Azospirillum brasilense is a PGPR able to colonize the root system of different crops, promoting their growth and development and influencing the acquisition of mineral nutrients. On the bases of these observations, we aimed at investigating the impact of both mineral nutrients supply and rhizobacteria inoculation on the nutraceutical value on two different sweet basil varieties, i.e., Genovese and Red Rubin. To these objectives, basil plants have been grown in hydroponics, with nutrient solutions fortified for the concentration of either S or N, supplied as SO42\u2013 or NO3\u2013, respectively. In addition, plants were either non-inoculated or inoculated with A. brasilense. At harvest, basil plants were assessed for the yield and the nutraceutical properties of the edible parts. The cultivation of basil plants in the fortified nutrient solutions showed a general increasing trend in the accumulation of the fresh biomass, albeit the inoculation with A. brasilense did not further promote the growth. The metabolomic analyses disclosed a strong effect of treatments on the differential accumulation of metabolites in basil leaves, producing the modulation of more than 400 compounds belonging to the secondary metabolism, as phenylpropanoids, isoprenoids, alkaloids, several flavonoids, and terpenoids. The primary metabolism that resulted was also influenced by the treatments showing changes in the fatty acid, carbohydrates, and amino acids metabolism. The amino acid analysis revealed that the treatments induced an increase in arginine (Arg) content in the leaves, which has been shown to have beneficial effects on human health. In conclusion, between the two cultivars studied, Red Rubin displayed the most positive effect in terms of nutritional value, which was further enhanced following A. brasilense inoculation

Voluntary exercise can strengthen the circadian system in aged mice

Consistent daily rhythms are important to healthy aging according to studies linking disrupted circadian rhythms with negative health impacts. We studied the effects of age and exercise on baseline circadian rhythms and on the circadian system's ability to respond to the perturbation induced by an 8 h advance of the light:dark (LD) cycle as a test of the system's robustness. Mice (male, mPer2luc/C57BL/6) were studied at one of two ages: 3.5 months (n = 39) and >18 months (n = 72). We examined activity records of these mice under entrained and shifted conditions as well as mPER2::LUC measures ex vivo to assess circadian function in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) and important target organs. Age was associated with reduced running wheel use, fragmentation of activity, and slowed resetting in both behavioral and molecular measures. Furthermore, we observed that for aged mice, the presence of a running wheel altered the amplitude of the spontaneous firing rate rhythm in the SCN in vitro. Following a shift of the LD cycle, both young and aged mice showed a change in rhythmicity properties of the mPER2::LUC oscillation of the SCN in vitro, and aged mice exhibited longer lasting internal desynchrony. Access to a running wheel alleviated some age-related changes in the circadian system. In an additional experiment, we replicated the effect of the running wheel, comparing behavioral and in vitro results from aged mice housed with or without a running wheel (>21 months, n = 8 per group, all examined 4 days after the shift). The impact of voluntary exercise on circadian rhythm properties in an aged animal is a novel finding and has implications for the health of older people living with environmentally induced circadian disruption

Estrategia de aula invertida con modalidad virtual. Estudio de caso en la formación de profesionales en ciencias naturales

A pocos días para el comienzo de las clases se presentó un fuerte cambio de contexto en el marco de la pandemia por SARS-CoV-2. Ante el crecimiento exponencial de contagios, el aislamiento social obligatorio fue una de las medidas principales adoptadas por los diferentes países del mundo. En esta realidad resultó inevitable retrasar o detener el dictado de clases en los distintos ámbitos académicos, especialmente de educación superior (Cayo-Rojas y Rosell, 2020). Como muchas instituciones educativas de Argentina, la UNC implementó el cursado completamente virtual de sus carreras. En la Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, inmediatamente se comenzó a trabajar en la adaptación del dictado de todos los espacios curriculares hacia el Campus Académico.Como alternativa a las metodologías de enseñanza tradicionales surge el Aula Invertida como enfoque integral que fomenta el aprendizaje autónomo de los estudiantes, contando con acceso a los contenidos a través de entornos virtuales para luego aplicarlos en actividades diversas y participativas. En este trabajo se plantea valorar la implementación del modelo aula invertida para el dictado virtual del espacio curricular Fisicoquímica de la carrera Licenciatura en Agroalimentos de la Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias. Inicialmente, la asignatura fue planificada para llevarse a cabo mediante un enfoque de Aula Invertida, aprovechando los entornos virtuales desde un modelo de aprendizaje centrado en la construcción activa del conocimiento por parte de los estudiantes. Del total de alumnos matriculados, accedió a promoción directa de la asignatura el 62,3% y adquirió condición de alumno regular el 4,1%. Considerando que fue la primera vez que se dictó la materia, sin antecedentes de dictado presencial, se podría decir que los resultados fueron favorables ya que los alumnos demostraron en su gran mayoría una elevada adherencia a las actividades planteadas, a pesar de las vicisitudes presentadas por la dificultad de acceso a internet. Esta situación debe ser considerada al pensar la planificación de una asignatura desde la virtualidad.publishedVersionFil: Uliana, A. S. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias. Departamento de Fundamentación Biológica. Cátedra de Biología Celular; ArgentinaFil: Prieto, María Cecilia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil: Prieto, María Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina.Fil: Bergesse, A. E. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil: Bergesse, A. E. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina.Fil: Camiletti, O. F. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil: Camiletti, O. F. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina.Fil: Mariani, E. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias. Departamento de Fundamentación Biológica. Cátedra de Química Orgánica; Argentina.Fil: Valentinuzzi, M. C. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias. Departamento de Ingeniería y Mecanización Rural. Cátedra de Física; Argentina

Estrategia de aula invertida con modalidad virtual. Estudio de caso en la formación de profesionales en ciencias naturales

Como alternativa a las metodologías de enseñanza tradicionales surge el Aula Invertida como enfoque integral que fomenta el aprendizaje autónomo de los estudiantes, contando con acceso a los contenidos a través de entornos virtuales para luego aplicarlos en actividades diversas y participativas. En este trabajo se plantea valorar la implementación del modelo aula invertida para el dictado virtual del espacio curricular Fisicoquímica de la carrera Licenciatura en Agroalimentos de la Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias. Inicialmente, la asignatura fue planificada para llevarse a cabo mediante un enfoque de Aula Invertida, aprovechando los entornos virtuales desde un modelo de aprendizaje centrado en la construcción activa del conocimiento por parte de los estudiantes. Del total de alumnos matriculados, accedió a promoción directa de la asignatura el 62,3% y adquirió condición de alumno regular el 4,1%. Considerando que fue la primera vez que se dictó la materia, sin antecedentes de dictado presencial, se podría decir que los resultados fueron favorables ya que los alumnos demostraron en su gran mayoría una elevada adherencia a las actividades planteadas, a pesar de las vicisitudes presentadas por la dificultad de acceso a internet. Esta situación debe ser considerada al pensar la planificación de una asignatura desde la virtualidad.publishedVersionFil: Uliana, Andrea S. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias. Cátedra de Biología Celular; Argentina.Fil: Prieto, María Cecilia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV); Argentina.Fil: Prieto, María Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV); Argentina.Fil: Bergesse, Antonella Estefanía. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV); Argentina.Fil: Bergesse, Antonella Estefanía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV); Argentina.Fil: Camiletti, Ornella Francina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV); Argentina.Fil: Camiletti, Ornella Francina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV); Argentina.Fil: Mariani, María Elisa. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias. Cátedra de Química Orgánica; Argentina.Fil: Mariani, María Elisa. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias. Centro de Transferencia de Bioinsumos (CeTBIO); Argentina.Fil: Valentinuzzi, María C. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias. Cátedra de Física; Argentina.Fil: Valentinuzzi, María C. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Matemática, Astronomía, Física y Computación (FAMAF). Instituto de Fisica "Enrique Gaviola" (I.F.E.G.); Argentina.Fil: Valentinuzzi, María C. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). Instituto de Fisica "Enrique Gaviola" (I.F.E.G.); Argentina

Stellar population gradients in brightest cluster galaxies

We present the stellar population and velocity dispersion gradients for a sample of 24 brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) in the nearby Universe for which we have obtained high quality long-slit spectra at the Gemini telescopes. With the aim of studying the possible connection between the formation of the BCGs and their host clusters, we explore the relations between the stellar population gradients and properties of the host clusters as well as the possible connections between the stellar population gradients and other properties of the galaxies. We find mean stellar population gradients (negative {\Delta}[Z/H]/log r gradient of -0.285{\pm}0.064; small positive {\Delta}log (age)/log r gradient of 0.069{\pm}0.049; and null {\Delta}[E/Fe]/log r gradient of -0.008{\pm}0.032) that are consistent with those of normal massive elliptical galaxies. However, we find a trend between metallicity gradients and velocity dispersion (with a negative slope of -1.616{\pm}0.539) that is not found for the most massive ellipticals. Furthermore, we find trends between the metallicity gradients and K-band luminosities (with a slope of 0.173{\pm}0.081) as well as the distance from the BCG to the X-ray peak of the host cluster (with a slope of -7.546{\pm}2.752). The latter indicates a possible relation between the formation of the cluster and that of the central galaxy.Comment: 23 pages, 18 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1104.2376v

The relative abundance of compact and normal massive early-type galaxies and its evolution from redshift z~2 to the present

We report on the evolution of the number density and size of early-type galaxies from z~2 to z~0. We select a sample of 563 massive (M>10^{10} Msun), passively evolving (SSFR<10^{-2} Gyr^{-1}) and morphologically spheroidal galaxies at 0<z<2.5, using the panchromatic photometry and spectroscopic redshifts available in the GOODS fields. We combine ACS and WFC3 HST images to study the morphology of our galaxies in their optical rest-frame in the whole 0<z<2.5 range. We find that throughout the explored redshift range the passive galaxies selected with our criteria have weak morphological K-correction, with size being slightly smaller in the optical than in the UV rest-frame (by ~20 and ~10 at z>1.2 and z<1.2, respectively). We measure a significant evolution of the mass-size relation of early-type galaxies, with the fractional increment that is almost independent on the stellar mass. Early-type galaxies (ETGs) formed at z>1 appear to be preferentially small, and the evolution of the mass-size relation at z<1 is driven by both the continuous size growth of the compact galaxies and the appearance of new ETGs with large sizes. We also find that the number density of all passive early-type galaxies increases rapidly, by a factor of 5, from z~2 to z~1, and then more mildly by another factor of 1.5 from z~1 to z~0. We interpret these results as the evidence that the bulk of the ETGs are formed at 1<z<3 through a mechanism that leaves very compact remnants. At z<1 the compact ETGs grow gradually in size, becoming normal size galaxies, and at the same time new ETGs with normal-large sizes are formed.Comment: accepted for publication in Ap

CANDELS Observations of the Structural Properties and Evolution of Galaxies in a Cluster at z=1.62

We discuss the structural and morphological properties of galaxies in a z=1.62 proto-cluster using near-IR imaging data from Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 data of the Cosmic Assembly Near-IR Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS). The cluster galaxies exhibit a clear color-morphology relation: galaxies with colors of quiescent stellar populations generally have morphologies consistent with spheroids, and galaxies with colors consistent with ongoing star formation have disk-like and irregular morphologies. The size distribution of the quiescent cluster galaxies shows a deficit of compact (< 1kpc), massive galaxies compared to CANDELS field galaxies at z=1.6. As a result the cluster quiescent galaxies have larger average effective sizes compared to field galaxies at fixed mass at greater than 90% significance. Combined with data from the literature, the size evolution of quiescent cluster galaxies is relatively slow from z~1.6 to the present, growing as (1+z)^(-0.6+/-0.1). If this result is generalizable, then it implies that physical processes associated with the denser cluster region seems to have caused accelerated size growth in quiescent galaxies prior to z=1.6 and slower subsequent growth at z<1.6 compared to galaxies in the lower density field. The quiescent cluster galaxies at z=1.6 have higher ellipticities compared to lower redshift samples at fixed mass, and their surface-brightness profiles suggest that they contain extended stellar disks. We argue the cluster galaxies require dissipationless (i.e., gas-poor or "dry") mergers to reorganize the disk material and to match the relations for ellipticity, stellar mass, size, and color of early-type galaxies in z<1 clusters.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 14 pages in emulateapj format. Replacement includes improvements from referee report, and updates and additions to reference