Stem Cell Fate Determination during Development and Regeneration of Ectodermal Organs

The development of ectoderm-derived appendages results in a large variety of highly specialized organs such as hair follicles, mammary glands, salivary glands, and teeth. Despite varying in number, shape, and function, all these ectodermal organs develop through continuous and reciprocal epithelial–mesenchymal interactions, sharing common morphological and molecular features especially during their embryonic development. Diseases such as ectodermal dysplasias can affect simultaneously these organs, suggesting that they may arise from common multipotent precursors residing in the embryonic ectoderm. During embryogenesis, these putative ectodermal stem cells may adopt different fates and consequently be able to generate a variety of tissue-specific stem cells, which are the sources for the various cell lineages that form the diverse organs. The specification of those common epithelial precursors, as well as their further lineage commitment to tissue-specific stem cells, might be controlled by specific signals. It has been well documented that Notch, Wnt, bone morphogenetic protein, and fibroblast growth factor signaling pathways regulate cell fate decisions during the various stages of ectodermal organ development. However, the in vivo spatial and temporal dynamics of these signaling pathways are not yet well understood. Improving the current knowledge on the mechanisms involved in stem cell fate determination during organogenesis and homeostasis of ectodermal organs is crucial to develop effective stem cell-based therapies in order to regenerate or replace pathological and damaged tissues

The draft genome sequence of the ascomycete fungus Penicillium subrubescens reveals a highly enriched content of plant biomass related CAZymes compared to related fungi

Here we report the genome sequence of the ascomycete saprobic fungus Penicillium subrubescens FBCC1632/CBS132785 isolated from a Jerusalem artichoke field in Finland. The 39.75 Mb genome containing 14,188 gene models is highly similar for that reported for other Penicillitun species, but contains a significantly higher number of putative carbohydrate active enzyme (CAZyme) encoding genes. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

The transcriptomic response of two basidiomycete fungi to plant biomass is modulated by temperature to a different extent

Many fungi show a strong preference for specific habitats and growth conditions. Investigating the molecular mechanisms of fungal adaptation to varying environmental conditions is of great interest to biodiversity research and is important for many industrial applications. In this study, we compared the transcriptome profiles of two previously genome-sequenced white-rot wood-decay fungi, Trametes pubescens and Phlebia centrifuga, during their growth on two common plant biomass substrates (wheat straw and spruce) at two temperatures (15 °C and 25 °C). The results showed that both fungi partially tailored their molecular responses to different types of carbon sources, differentially expressing genes encoding polysaccharide degrading enzymes, transporters, proteases and monooxygenases. Notably, more lignin modification related AA2 genes and cellulose degradation related AA9 genes were differentially expressed in the tested conditions of T. pubescens than P. centrifuga. In addition, we detected more remarkable transcriptome changes to different growth temperature in P. centrifuga than in T. pubescens, which reflected their different ability to adapt to the temperature fluctuations. In P. centrifuga, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to temperature response mainly encode protein kinases, trehalose metabolism, carbon metabolic enzymes and glycoside hydrolases, while the main temperature-related DEGs identified in T. pubescens are only the carbon metabolic enzymes and glycoside hydrolases. Our study revealed both conserved and species-specific transcriptome changes during fungal adaptation to a changing environment, improving our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying fungal plant biomass conversion at varying temperatures

selection of antibodies against proteasome subunits

Accumulation of altered proteins in old animals has been ascribed also to slower turnover of proteins. Since proteasome is key intracellular protease involved in maintaining cellular homeostasis assuring the regular turnover of cellular proteins, and it is known to preserve its number and general composition in aged cells, but it is also known to decrease its activity, to know its behaviour in aging cells could give a different point of view on aging mechanisms. The proteasome exists as different oligomeric assemblies defined by both the composition of the catalytic subunits (core) and the type of regulatory complex associated with the catalytic core. The regulatory complexes PA700 or PA28 in association with the 20S proteasome (the core) form respectively, the 26S constitutive proteasome or the immunoproteasome. The constitutive catalytic subunits of 20S core can be replaced by inducible subunits, shifting from 26s constitutive to immuno-proteasome, as consequence of inflammatory stimuli, such as exposure to tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) or interferon γ (IFNγ). Precedent works revealed that in aging there is a similar shift even without a clear inflammatory signal. This study is part of the Integrated Project GEHA for identify genes involved in aging and longevity and its primary aim is to select antibodies against proteasome subunits to elucidate proteasome subunits behaviour in different aged cells, allowing visualization and quantification of specific proteasome subunit isoforms

Generation of spheres from dental epithelial stem cells

Thethree-dimensional sphere model has already been established as an important tool in fundamental sciences. This model facilitates the study of a variety of biological processes including stem cell/niche functions and tissue responses to injury and drugs. Here we describe the complete protocol for theformation of spheres originated from the epithelium of rodent incisors. In addition, we show that in these spheres cell proliferation is maintained, as well as the expression of several key molecules characterizing stem cells such as Sox2 and p63. These epithelial dentospheres could be used as anmodel system for stem cell research purposes

Genome sequence of the basidiomycete white-rot fungus Trametes pubescens

Peer reviewe

Genome Sequence of the Thermophilic Biomass-Degrading Fungus Malbranchea cinnamomea FCH 10.5

We report here the annotated draft genome sequence of the thermophilic biomass-degrading fungus Malbranchea cinnamomea strain FCH 10.5, isolated from compost at a waste treatment plant in Vietnam. The genome sequence contains 24.96 Mb with an overall GC content of 49.79% and comprises 9,437 protein-coding genes

The transcriptomic response of two basidiomycete fungi to plant biomass is modulated by temperature to a different extent

Many fungi show a strong preference for specific habitats and growth conditions. Investigating the molecular mechanisms of fungal adaptation to varying environmental conditions is of great interest to biodiversity research and is important for many industrial applications. In this study, we compared the transcriptome profiles of two previously genome-sequenced white-rot wood-decay fungi, Trametes pubescens and Phlebia centrifuga, during their growth on two common plant biomass substrates (wheat straw and spruce) at two temperatures (15 degrees C and 25 degrees C). The results showed that both fungi partially tailored their molecular responses to different types of carbon sources, differentially expressing genes encoding polysaccharide degrading enzymes, transporters, proteases and monooxygenases. Notably, more lignin modification related AA2 genes and cellulose degradation related AA9 genes were differentially expressed in the tested conditions of T. pubescens than P. centrifuga. In addition, we detected more remarkable transcriptome changes to different growth temperature in P. centrifuga than in T. pubescens, which reflected their different ability to adapt to the temperature fluctuations. In P. centrifuga, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to temperature response mainly encode protein kinases, trehalose metabolism, carbon metabolic enzymes and glycoside hydrolases, while the main temperature-related DEGs identified in T. pubescens are only the carbon metabolic enzymes and glycoside hydrolases. Our study revealed both conserved and species-specific transcriptome changes during fungal adaptation to a changing environment, improving our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying fungal plant biomass conversion at varying temperatures.Peer reviewe