Project description:Despite its necessity, manganese (Mn) can causes phytotoxicity when present in excess. Stylo (Stylosanthes) is a dominant tropical legume with high Mn adaptability, but its Mn tolerance mechanisms are not well documented. This study integrated both physiological and transcriptome analyses of stylo in response to excess Mn toxicity. Results showed that stylo growth was decreased by excess Mn higher than 200 µM, as reflected by reductions in leaf chlorophyll and plant dry weight. Increases in enzyme activities of peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and concentrations of secondary metabolites, including total phenols, flavonoids, tannins and anthocyanidins, were observed in stylo leaves at high Mn stress. Transcriptome analysis in stylo leaves resulted in identification of 2,471 up-regulated and 1,623 down-regulated genes under excess Mn toxicity. Among them, a set of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in secondary metabolism, including PAL, chalcone synthase (CHS), chalcone isomerase (CHI) and flavonol synthase (FLS), were up-regulated in stylo under Mn toxicity, which were closely associated with the accumulation of secondary metabolites, suggesting that activation of secondary metabolism and corresponding gene expression might be important for stylo adaptation to Mn toxicity. Furthermore, a group of DEGs encoding transcription factors, such as genes belonged to C2H2 zinc finger transcription factor, WRKY, MYB and AP2 family, may be involved in stylo responses to Mn toxicity. Taken together, this study suggests that enhancing defense response and secondary biosynthesis pathway is adaptive strategy of stylo during Mn exposure, which might be regulated by complex transcriptional regulatory networks.
Project description:Manganese (Mn) stress is known to be a major limitation for development of soybean, and legume crop productivity globally. However, very little information is available on the adaptive mechanisms, particularly in the important legume crop soybean (Glycine Max L.), which enable leaves to respond to high-Mn availability. Thus, to elucidate these mechanisms in soybean leaves at molecular level, we used an RNA sequencing approach to investigate transcriptomes of the leaves under Mn-sufficient and Pi-excessive conditions. Our investigation revealed that more genes showed altered expression patterns in old leaf than in young leaf under Mn excess, suggesting that the Mn excess-more-sensitive old leaf required expression change in a larger number of genes to cope with high-Mn stress than the Mn excess-less-sensitive young leaf. The functional classification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was examined to gain an understanding of how leaves respond to Mn stress, caused by soil Mn excess. As a result, more DEGs involved in nodulation, detoxification, nutrient/ion transport, transcriptional factors, key metabolic pathways, Mn remobilization and signalling were found in Mn-excessive induced old leaves than in Mn-excessive induced young leaves. Our findings have enabled the identification of molecular processes that play important roles in the acclimation of leaves to Mn excess, ultimately leading to the development of Mn-efficient soybean suitable for Mn-excessive soils.
Project description:Manganese (Mn), an essential element for plants, can be toxic when present in excess. Stylo (Stylosanthes) is a pioneer tropical legume with great potential for Mn tolerance, but its Mn tolerance mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, the mechanisms underlying stylo response to Mn toxicity were investigated using two stylo genotypes with contrasting Mn tolerance. Results showed that stylo genotype RY5 exhibited Mn tolerance superior to that of genotype TF2001, showing lower reductions in leaf chlorophyll concentration, maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) value and plant dry weight under Mn toxicity. Furthermore, RY5 tolerance to Mn toxicity could be attributed to stimulation of antioxidant protection and regulation of Mn homeostasis. Subsequently, a label-free quantitative proteomic analysis was conducted to investigate the protein profiles in the leaves and roots of stylo in response to Mn toxicity. A total of 356 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified, including 206 proteins from leaves and 150 proteins from roots, which consisted of 71 upregulated, 62 downregulated, 127 strongly induced and 96 completely suppressed proteins. These DEPs were mainly involved in defense response, photosynthesis, carbon fixation, metabolism, cell wall modulation and signaling. The qRT-PCR analysis verified that 10 out of 12 corresponding gene transcription patterns correlated with their encoding proteins after Mn exposure. Furthermore, stylo plants coped with Mn toxicity may be through enhancement of defense response and phenylpropanoid pathway, adjustment of metabolic process, and modulation of protein synthesis and turnover. Taken together, this study increases our understanding of tropical legume responses to Mn toxicity.
Project description:Elevated brain levels of the essential metals manganese (Mn), copper, or iron induce motor disease. However, mechanisms of metal-induced motor disease are unclear and treatments are lacking. Elucidating the mechanisms of Mn-induced motor disease is particularly important because occupational and environmental Mn overexposure is a global public health problem. To address this, here we combined unbiased transcriptomics and metabolomics with functional studies in a mouse model of human environmental Mn exposure. Transcriptomics unexpectedly revealed that Mn exposure up-regulated expression of metabolic pathways in the brain and liver. Notably, genes in the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism, which produces neuroactive metabolites that impact neurological function, were up-regulated by Mn. Subsequent unbiased metabolomics revealed that Mn treatment altered kynurenine pathway metabolites in the brain and liver. Functional experiments then demonstrated that pharmacological inhibition of the first and rate-limiting step of the kynurenine pathway fully rescued Mn-induced motor deficits. Finally, elevated Mn directly activates hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) transcription factors, and additional mechanistic assays identified a role for HIF1, but not HIF2, in regulating expression of hepatic kynurenine pathway genes under physiological or Mn exposure conditions, suggesting that Mn-induced HIF1 activation may contribute to the dysregulation of the kynurenine pathway in Mn toxicity. These findings (1) identify the upregulation of the kynurenine pathway by elevated Mn as a fundamental mechanism of Mn-induced motor deficits; (2) provide a pharmacological approach to treat Mn-induced motor disease; and (3) should broadly advance understanding of the general principles underlying neuromotor deficits caused by metal toxicity.
Project description:Membranous nephropathy (MN) is an autoimmune kidney disease with the clinical hallmark of causing high level proteinuria. MN is caused by circulating antibodies binding to targeting antigens on the surface of podocytes – specialized endothelial cells contributing to the formation of the glomerular filtration barrier. Histomorphologically MN is characterized by a deposition of IgG along the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) – predominantly IgG4 in primary MN – as well as an accumulation of the respective target antigen, thickening of the GBM and effacement of podocyte foot processes. The predominant MN target antigen in 70-80% of MN patients is the phospholipase A2 receptor 1. Additional target antigens, which occur with lower frequencies, have recently been described. The aim of the study was the identification of a novel MN target antigen, which fulfills the typical criteria of MN target antigen: being a podocytic membrane protein, which is recognized by IgG4 subclass specific autoantibodies. Performing a mass spectrometry analysis based on a TMT-based relative quantification approach of immunoprecipitated samples resulted in the identification of Netrin G1 (NTNG1) as a novel MN target antigen. The results were validated using immunohistochemistry, Western Blot and ELISA. The molecular characterization of patients with MN will allow a better diagnosis and clinical management of these patients in the future.
Project description:In this work, a microwell-chip was prepared and modified. The microwell-chip was used for extraction of metabolites and subsequent protein digestion. Next, direct electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) was adopted for metabolome identification and a data independent acquisition (DIA)-MS approach was established for simultaneous proteome profiling and phosphoproteome analysis. In particular, application of this strategy provides a multi-omics view of cellular changes.
Project description:Extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) is a major driver of oncogene amplification, intratumoural heterogeneity and rapid genetic change. We observe that ecDNA frequently undergoes segregation errors and is incorporated into micronuclei (MN) in ecDNA positive cancer cells. Different ecDNA species can coalesce into MN and lead to asymmetric inheritance. EcDNA in MN undergoes epigenetic changes and shows decreased oncogene transcription. Cells harbouring ecDNA-positive MN show prolonged cell cycle progression and an increased likelihood of cell death. Here we assess ecDNA H3K27ac occupancy after hydroxyurea treatment. COLO 320DM cells were treated with 80 µM hydroxyurea or DMSO (vehicle control) for 3 days and fixed for ChIPseq library preperation.
Project description:We conducted micro-array analysis to quantify the global transcriptome variations in leaves through the course of the year allowing for identification of changing developmental signals. We used RNA samples from pre-formed and mature leaves in the upper crown of a sexually mature Populus deltoides tree 2 hours after sunrise.
Project description:Extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) is a major driver of oncogene amplification, intratumoural heterogeneity and rapid genetic change. We observe that ecDNA frequently undergoes segregation errors and is incorporated into micronuclei (MN) in ecDNA positive cancer cells. Different ecDNA species can coalesce into MN and lead to asymmetric inheritance. EcDNA in MN undergoes epigenetic changes and shows decreased oncogene transcription. Cells harbouring ecDNA-positive MN show prolonged cell cycle progression and an increased likelihood of cell death. Here we assess ecDNA oncogene transcription after hydroxyurea treatment. COLO 320DM cells were treated with 80 µM hydroxyurea or DMSO (vehicle control) for 3 days. RNA was extracted and subjected to mRNA library preparation and single-end sequencing.
Project description:This experiment was donated by The ELP Project website at elp.ucdavis.edu that was supported in part by the Arabidopsis 2010 project, NSF Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, award 0115109. The study of natural genetic variation for plant disease resistance responses is a complementary approach to utilizing mutants to elucidate genetic pathways. While some key genes involved in pathways controlling disease resistance, and signaling intermediates such as salicylic acid and jasmonic acid, have been identified through mutational analyses, the use of genetic variation in natural populations permits the identification of change-of-function alleles, which likely act in a quantitative manner. Whole genome microarrays, such as Affymetrix GeneChips, allow for molecular characterization of the disease response at a genomics level and characterization of differences in gene expression due to natural variation. Differences in the level of gene expression, or expression level polymorphisms (ELPs), can be mapped in a segregating population to identify regulatory quantitative trait loci (expression QTLs) affecting host resistance responses. In order to identify an appropriate RIL population to map QTL controlling disease resistance responses, we performed a parental survey of 7 different Arabidopsis accessions. We treated vegetatively grown plants with either salicylic acid or a control solution, and harvested the plants at 3 different time points after chemical treatment. We present Affymetrix GeneChip microarray expression data for 3 biological replications of this parental survey. Keywords: strain_or_line; compound_treatment; time_series