Characterization of gsp-Mediated Growth Hormone Excess in the Context of McCune-Albright Syndrome

McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS) is a disorder characterized by the triad of café-au-lait skin pigmentation, polyostotic fibrous dysplasia of bone, and hyperfunctioning endocrinopathies, including GH excess. The molecular etiology of the disease is postzygotic activating mutations of the GNAS1 gene product, Gsα. The term gsp oncogene has been assigned to these mutations due to their association with certain neoplasms. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of GH excess in MAS, characterize the clinical and endocrine manifestations, and describe the response to treatment. Fifty-eight patients with MAS were screened, and 22 with stigmata of acromegaly and/or elevated GH or IGF-I underwent oral glucose tolerance testing. Twelve patients (21%) had GH excess, based on failure to suppress serum GH on oral glucose tolerance test, and underwent a TRH test, serial GH sampling from 2000-0800 h, and magnetic resonance imaging of the sella. We found that vision and hearing deficits were more common in patients with GH excess (4 of 12, 33%) than those without (2 of 56, 4%). Of interest, patients with a history of precocious puberty and GH excess who had reached skeletal maturity achieved normal adult height despite a history of early epiphyseal fusion. All 9 patients tested had an increase in serum GH after TRH, 11 of 12 (92%) had hyperprolactinemia, and all 8 tested had detectable or elevated nighttime GH levels. Pituitary adenoma was detected in 4 of 12 (33%) patients. All patients with elevated IGF-I levels were treated with cabergoline (7 patients), long-acting octreotide (LAO; 8 patients), or a combination of cabergoline and LAO (4 patients). In six of the seven patients (86%) treated with cabergoline, serum IGF-I decreased, but not to the normal range. In the eight patients treated with LAO alone, IGF-I decreased, and, in four, returned to the normal range. The remaining 4 patients were treated with a combination of cabergoline and LAO. For them, symptoms of GH excess diminished, and IGF-I decreased further, but did not enter the normal range. GH excess is common in MAS and results in a distinct clinical phenotype characterized by inappropriately normal stature, TRH responsiveness, prolactin cosecretion, small or absent pituitary tumors, a consistent but inadequate response to treatment with cabergoline, and an intermediate response to LAO

Effects of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on Citrus macrophylla rootstock

Citrus is one of the largest fruit crops grown in Morocco. Citrus crops gain in importance due to the jobs generated during the production process of fresh or processed fruit. Intensive agriculture is characterized by the excessive use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides. This production system has generated serious environmental contamination problems, thus, it is necessary to implement sustainable production strategies to reduce the use of synthetic chemicals and contribute to soil and water conservation. In this context, Seventy two Rhizobacterial isolates of fluorescent Pseudomonas were isolated from rhizosphere soil of Citrus in the Sapiama nursery. These isolates were tested on germination and growth of Citrus macrophylla rootstock. The results obtained showed that the isolate C11 significantly stimulated germination 16 days after seed inoculation. The C26, C6 and C24 isolates showed PGPR effects improving significantly the growth parameters of C. macrophylla rootstock. They significantly promoted plant height, collar diameter and root length. This study concluded that the Pseudomonas isolates could be potential alternative biofertilizers to chemical products and could be considered as a promising main component for sustainable agriculture development strategy in Citrus farming. Keywords: Citrus macrophylla, Pseudomonas, PGP

The localization of amyloid precursor protein to ependymal cilia in vertebrates and its role in ciliogenesis and brain development in zebrafish

Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is expressed in many tissues in human, mice and in zebrafish. In zebrafish, there are two orthologues, Appa and Appb. Interestingly, some cellular processes associated with APP overlap with cilia-mediated functions. Whereas the localization of APP to primary cilia of in vitro-cultured cells has been reported, we addressed the presence of APP in motile and in non-motile sensory cilia and its potential implication for ciliogenesis using zebrafish, mouse, and human samples. We report that Appa and Appb are expressed by ciliated cells and become localized at the membrane of cilia in the olfactory epithelium, otic vesicle and in the brain ventricles of zebrafish embryos. App in ependymal cilia persisted in adult zebrafish and was also detected in mouse and human brain. Finally, we found morphologically abnormal ependymal cilia and smaller brain ventricles in appa-/-appb-/- mutant zebrafish. Our findings demonstrate an evolutionary conserved localisation of APP to cilia and suggest a role of App in ciliogenesis and cilia-related functions

Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue: Preparation of TiO2/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites by direct sol-gel and hydrothermal methods

In this study, two different preparation methods of titanium dioxide nanoparticles/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites were investigated using direct sol-gel method followed by hydrothermal treatment or simple hydrothermal route. A different amount of graphene (1- 20%) was mixed with TiO2 for both series of samples in order to improve the photocatalytic activity. The influence of the preparation method on the physico-chemical properties was established by different characterization methods and the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) under UV light irradiation was used as test reaction. The highest photocatalytic activity was observed for the nanocomposites containing 10 wt% of graphene. The elimination of MB can reach 93% and 82% for the nanocomposites with 10 wt% graphene prepared by the sol-gel and hydrothermal methods, respectively. These photocatalysts are promising for practical application in nanotechnology.Postprint (author's final draft

Rhizospheric solutions: Pseudomonas isolates counter Botrytis cinerea on tomato

La moisissure grise causée par Botrytis cinerea provoque des dégâts sur plus de 200 espèces de cultures dans le monde. B. cinerea sporule pour former une pourriture grise sur les feuilles, les tiges et les fruits. Pour lutter contre B. cinerea, des fongicides synthétiques sont utilisés. Ces derniers mettent en danger la santé humaine et environnementale en plus de la résistance qu'ils peuvent occasionner chez les souches de B. cinerea. Les alternatives écologiques sont des solutions appropriées pour contrôler la moisissure grise tout en maintenant l’équilibre environnemental. L’objectif de cette étude est d'évaluer l’effet des isolats de Pseudomonas issus de la rhizosphère de la tomate sur B. cinerea. Les résultats ont montré que les 76 isolats testés inhibent le développement de B. cinerea in vitro. Cinq isolats de Pseudomonas (Q6B, Q13B, Q7B, Q14B et Q1B) ont provoqué des niveaux d'inhibition significatifs allant de 65 à 73%. Par ailleurs, ces isolats ont également inhibé B. cinerea sur les feuilles et le fruit de la tomate. Pour tenter d'élucider les mécanismes d'action, les cinq isolats ont montré une production des métabolites antifongiques tels que les sidérophores, le cyanure d'hydrogène et d’autres enzymes. Les résultats de cette étude ont montré que les isolats de Pseudomonas Q6B, Q13B, Q7B, Q14B et Q1B ont une forte efficacité dans la lutte biologique contre B. cinerea et peuvent être utilisés pour une lutte écologique durable.Gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea causes serious losses in more than 200 crop species worldwide. The necrotrophic fungus sporulates to effect a grey covering on leaves, stems and flowers. B. cinerea is controlled by chemical synthetic fungicides, endangering human and environmental health. Synthetic fungicides stimulate emergence of pathogen resistance. Organic alternatives which may be present or introduced into the edaphic environment are suitable solutions to control outbreaks. This study was done in order to elucidate the mode of action involved in the control of B. cinerea using fluorescent Pseudomonas isolates from tomato roots. The results show that all 76 isolates inhibit fungal growth during in vitro bioassay using dual culture technique. Five isolates of Pseudomonas (Q6B, Q13B, Q7B, Q14B and Q1B) cause significant inhibition levels ranging from 65 to 73%. These isolates inhibit fungal growth in both fruits and leaves. Each isolate tested produced antifungal metabolites (siderophores, hydrogen cyanide and enzymes). Results of this study show that all tested Pseudomonas isolates have a strong efficacy in biological control against B. cinerea and can be used for environmentally sustainable control

Potential use of some vegetables by-products as an alternative feed resource

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Preferential binding of a stable G3BP ribonucleoprotein complex to intron-retaining transcripts in mouse brain and modulation of their expression in the cerebellum.

Neuronal granules play an important role in the localization and transport of translationally silenced messenger ribonucleoproteins (mRNPs) in neurons. Among the factors associated with these granules, the RNA-binding protein G3BP1 (stress-granules assembly factor) is involved in neuronal plasticity and is induced in Alzheimer's disease. We immunopurified a stable complex containing G3BP1 from mouse brain and performed High-Throughput Sequencing and CrossLinking Immunoprecipitation (HITS-CLIP) to identify the associated RNAs. The G3BP-complex contained the deubiquitinating protease USP10, CtBP1 and the RNA binding proteins Caprin-1, G3BP2a and SFPQ (Splicing Factor Proline and Glutamine rich, or PSF). The G3BP-complex binds preferentially to transcripts that retain introns, and to non-coding sequences like 3'UTR and long non-coding RNAs. Specific transcripts with retained introns appear to be enriched in the cerebellum compared to the rest of the brain and G3BP1 depletion decreased this intron retention in the cerebellum of G3BP1 knockout mice. Among the enriched transcripts, we found an overrepresentation of genes involved in synaptic transmission, especially glutamate-related neuronal transmission. Notably, G3BP1 seems to repress the expression of the mature Grm5 (metabotropic glutamate receptor 5) transcript, by promoting the retention of an intron in the immature transcript in the cerebellum. Our results suggest that G3BP is involved in a new functional mechanism to regulate non-coding RNAs including intron-retaining transcripts, and thus have broad implications for neuronal gene regulation, where intron retention is widespread. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Valorization of some red berries by-products in ruminants' diet

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Chemical composition, digestibility and metabolizable energy of some legume's cultivation

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Utilization of peanut cultivation by-products as a valuable source of animal feed

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