Clinical Studies into the Causes of Idiopathic Macular Telangiectasia Type 2: Sleep Apnoea and Macular Telangiectasia: The SAMTel Project

Purpose: To assess the prevalence of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) in a population with Macular Telangiectasia Type 2 (MacTel) and how OSA impacts on MacTel progression. Methods: In this case-control study participants completed a questionnaire which incorporated the Berlin Questionnaire (BQ) and questions regarding anthropometric data and medical history. A subset was sequentially selected to undertake overnight sleep analysis using the ResMed ApneaLink™. Using data acquired from the Busselton Population and Medical Research Foundation participants were case-matched based on age, sex and body mass index (BMI) along with, where possible, the presence of hypertension and diabetes. Results: There were 57 (30 ApneaLink) MacTel and 183 controls, respectively. There was no difference in self-reported sleep disordered breathing outcomes between the cohorts using the BQ (p=0.95). Analysis of key indices from ApneaLink recordings found that those with an Apnoea – Hypopnoea Index (AHI) and Oxygen Desaturation Index (ODI) > 5 episodes per hour had a more advanced stage of MacTel (AHI p = 0.05, ODI p = 0.03). 2 year MacTel disease progression rates were unremarkable. Conclusion: Patients with MacTel have a high prevalence of OSA which appears to result in a more advanced form of the disease

The SlCBL10 calcineurin B-like protein ensures plant growth under salt stress by regulating Na+ and Ca2+ homeostasis

[EN] Characterization of a new tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) T-DNA mutant allowed for the isolation of the CALCINEURIN B-LIKE PROTEIN 10 (SlCBL10) gene whose lack of function was responsible for the severe alterations observed in the shoot apex and reproductive organs under salinity conditions. Physiological studies proved that SlCBL10 gene is required to maintain a proper low Na+/Ca2+ ratio in growing tissues allowing tomato growth under salt stress. Expression analysis of the main responsible genes for Na+ compartmentalization (i.e. Na+/H+ EXCHANGERs, SALT OVERLY SENSITIVE, HIGH-AFFINITY K+ TRANSPORTER 1; 2, H+-pyrophosphatase AVP1 [SlAVP1] and V-ATPase [SlVHA-A1]) supported a reduced capacity to accumulate Na+ in Slcbl10 mutant leaves, which resulted in a lower uploading of Na+ from xylem, allowing the toxic ion to reach apex and flowers. Likewise, the tomato CATION EXCHANGER 1 and TWO-PORE CHANNEL 1 (SlTPC1), key genes for Ca2+ fluxes to the vacuole, showed abnormal expression in Slcbl10 plants indicating an impaired Ca2+ release from vacuole. Additionally, complementation assay revealed that SlCBL10 is a true ortholog of the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) CBL10 gene, supporting that the essential function of CBL10 is conserved in Arabidopsis and tomato. Together, the findings obtained in this study provide new insights into the function of SlCBL10 in salt stress tolerance. Thus, it is proposed that SlCBL10 mediates salt tolerance by regulating Na+ and Ca2+ fluxes in the vacuole, cooperating with the vacuolar cation channel SlTPC1 and the two vacuolar H+-pumps, SlAVP1 and SlVHA-A1, which in turn are revealed as potential targets of SlCBL10.This study was supported by grants from the Plant KBBE Program (EUI2009-04074), the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (AGL2012-40150, AGL2015-64991-C3-1-R/2-R/3-R, and BIO2016-79187-R), as well as the French National Research Agency ENDOREPIGEN project. A.O.-A. was supported by a PhD fellowship from the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (BIO2009-11484).Egea, I.; Pineda Chaza, BJ.; Ortiz Atienza, A.; Plasencia, F.; Drevensek, S.; García Sogo, B.; Yuste-Lisbona, FJ.... (2018). The SlCBL10 calcineurin B-like protein ensures plant growth under salt stress by regulating Na+ and Ca2+ homeostasis. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY. 176(2):1676-1693. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.17.01605S16761693176

A homolog of the arabidopsis thaliana ERS gene is actively regulated in Rumex palustris upon flooding

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Application of the mRNA Capture Kit in cDNA-AFLP

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Ethylene biosynthesis and signaling: a puzzle yet to be completed.

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Submergence induces expansin gene expression in flooding-tolerant Rumex palustris and not in flooding-intolerant R-acetosa

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A pistil-specific gene of Solanum tuberosum is predominantly expressed in the stylar cortex

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Identification of candidate genes for quantitative downy mildew resistance in cucumber - a review

Cucurbit downy mildew (DM), caused by the obligate biotrophic oomycete Pseudoperonospora cubensis, is a major foliar disease of cucumber. Cucumber accession PI197088 was previously shown to be one of the most promising donors for DM resistance. The resistance in PI197088 is controlled by multiple quantitative trait loci (QTL), each with a relatively small effect. We developed a cucumber line with a 12 Mb introgression from PI197088 in a susceptible background. This introgression line was partially resistant to DM. Subsequently, we combined fine mapping data with RNAseq and whole genome resequencing to identify candidate genes for the resistance conferred by this introgression. Interestingly, fine-mapping data suggested that the partial resistance is caused by a combination of multiple genetically linked genes, leading to three subQTL, each with a different effect on the disease phenotype. In one of these subQTL we identified several Receptor Like Kinase genes (RLK). A novel RLK gene appeared to be present in resistant genotypes. In susceptible genotypes, including the reference genotype “Chinese Long 9930”, this novel gene has a 551 base pair deletion, and was therefore not correctly predicted during the annotation of the cucumber genome. In another subQTL, we found a loss-of-function mutation in the novel susceptibility gene (S-gene) CsAAP2A, encoding an amino acid transporter. In the resistant genotype a non-functional allele of this gene is present due to integration of a transposable element in its coding sequence.</p