Project description:Source-to-sink carbon (C) allocation driven by the sink strength, i.e., the ability of a sink organ to import C, plays a central role in tissue growth and biomass productivity. However, molecular drivers of sink strength have not been thoroughly characterized in trees. Auxin, as a major plant phytohormone, regulates the mobilization of photoassimilates in source tissues and elevates the translocation of carbohydrates toward sink organs, including roots. In this study, we used an ‘auxin-stimulated carbon sink’ approach to understand the molecular processes involved in the long-distance source-sink C allocation in poplar. Poplar cuttings were foliar sprayed with polar auxin transport modulators, including auxin enhancers (AE) (i.e., IBA and IAA) and auxin inhibitor (AI) (i.e., NPA), followed by a comprehensive analysis of leaf, stem, and root tissues using biomass evaluation, phenotyping, C isotope labeling, metabolomics, and transcriptomics approaches. Auxin modulators altered root dry weight and branching pattern, and AE increased photosynthetically fixed C allocation from leaf to root tissues. The transcriptome analysis identified highly expressed genes in root tissue under AE condition including transcripts encoding polygalacturonase and β-amylase that could increase the sink size and activity. Metabolic analyses showed a shift in overall metabolism including an altered relative abundance levels of galactinol, and an opposite trend in citrate levels in root tissue under AE and AI conditions. In conclusion, we postulate a model suggesting that the source-sink C relationships in poplar could be fueled by mobile sugar alcohols, starch metabolism-derived sugars, and TCA-cycle intermediates as key molecular drivers of sink strength.
Project description:Soybean plants that do not produce a sink, such as depodded or male sterile plants, exhibit physiological and morphological changes during the reproductive stages, including increased levels of nitrogen and starch in the leaves and a delayed senescence. To identify transcriptional changes that occur in leaves of sink-limited plants, we used RNAseq to compare gene expression levels in trifoliate leaves from depodded and ms6 male sterile plants and control plants. In sink-limited tissues, we observed a deferral of the expression of senescence-associated genes and a continued high expression of genes associated with the maturity phase of leaf development. We identified GO-terms associated with growth and development and storage protein in sink limited tissues. We also identified that the bHLH. ARFs, and SBP transcription factors were expressed in sink limited tissues while the senescing control leaves expressed WRKY and NAC transcription factors. We identified genes that were not expressed during normal leaf development but highly expressed in sink-limited plants, including the D4 “non-yellowing” gene. These changes highlighted several metabolic pathways that were involved in distinct modes of resource parttioning in the “stay green” leaves.
2017-07-20 | GSE85714 | GEO
Project description:Characterization of undefined microbial biofilms in a sink drain biofilm reactor model
Project description:we use metabolomics to explore the changes of metabolites after the Source–Sink modifications, and combined with transcriptomics to explore its molecular mechanism at the genetic level
Project description:Responses to altered source–sink balance have been characterized in many crops at the physiological level, but the underlying genetic and molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. Detailed transcriptional profiling was performed in partially defoliated and shaded tomato plants to explore the effect of reduced source-to-sink ratio on molecular changes in the remaining source leaves. Transcription profiles of the remaining leaves 48 h after partial defoliation or partial shading were compared to leaves of control plants. Common significantly altered genes in the two treatments were assumed to be related to the reduced source-to-sink ratio. Sets of major genes in the abscisic acid, ethylene and gibberellin signal-transduction pathways were downregulated by both treatments. On the other hand, genes encoding cytokinin biosynthesis were upregulated. Most genes coding for transcription factors were also downregulated, especially those related to biotic and abiotic stress responses. Perhaps the most pronounced effect of reduced source-to-sink ratio was related to genes involved in the regulation of photosynthetic activity. Numerous genes coding for light-harvesting proteins, as well as those encoding plastocyanin, ferredoxin and ferredoxin NADP+ oxidoreductase were upregulated. Direct spectrophotometric analyses showed higher maximal potential activity of photosystem I with reduced source-to-sink ratio. As expected, the increased capacity for photosynthetic activity was associated with upregulation of almost all genes coding for the Calvin–Benson cycle and those encoding ATP biosynthesis in the mitochondria. Numerous transcriptional changes were observed 48 h after reducing source-to-sink ratio. Major genes in the photosynthetic-activity pathways were upregulated, whereas those in the pathways of defense mechanisms and responses to stress were downregulated. Genes involved in leaf senescence were also downregulated, suggesting that in addition to increased photosynthetic activity, the remaining leaves undergo a process of rejuvenation.
Project description:Analysis of steady-state mRNA levels in trisomy 21 subjects ± clonal hematopoiesis. This dataset is part of the Human Trisome Project run by the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. http://www.trisome.org/
Project description:Analysis of steady-state mRNA levels in whole blood of euploid controls and subjects with trisomy 21. This dataset is part of the Human Trisome Project run by the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. http://www.trisome.org/
Project description:In the developing seeds of all higher plants, filial cells are symplastically isolated from the maternal tissue supplying photosynthate to the reproductive structure. Photoassimilates must be transported apoplastically, crossing several membrane barriers; a process facilitated by sugar transporters. Sugars Will Eventually be Exported Transporters (SWEETs) have been proposed to play a crucial role in apoplastic sugar transport during phloem unloading and the post-phloem pathway in sink tissues. Evidence for this is presented here for developing seeds of the C4 model grass Setaria viridis. Using immunolocalisation, SvSWEET4 was detected in various maternal and filial tissues within the seed along the sugar transport pathway, in the vascular parenchyma of the pedicel and the xylem parenchyma of the stem. Expression of SvSWEET4a in Xenopus laevis oocytes indicated that they function as high-capacity glucose and sucrose transporters. Carbohydrate and transcriptional profiling of Setaria seed heads showed that there were some developmental shifts in hexose and sucrose levels and consistent expression of SvSWEET4 homologues. Collectively, these results provide evidence for the involvement of SWEETs in the apoplastic transport pathway of sink tissues and allow a pathway for post-phloem sugar transport into the seed to be proposed.
Project description:Background: While the luminal microbiome composition in the human cervicovaginal tract has been defined, the presence and impact of tissue-adherent ectocervical microbiota remain incompletely understood. Studies of luminal and tissue-associated bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract suggest that they may have distinct roles in health and disease. Here, we performed a multi-omics characterization of paired luminal and tissue samples collected from a clinically well-characterized cohort of Kenyan women. Results: We identified a tissue-adherent bacterial microbiome, with a higher alpha diversity than the luminal microbiome, in which dominant genera overall included Gardnerella and Lactobacillus, followed by Prevotella, Atopobium, and Sneathia. About half of the L. iners dominated luminal samples had a corresponding Gardnerella dominated tissue microbiome. Broadly, the tissue-adherent microbiome was associated with fewer differentially expressed host genes than the luminal microbiome. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that L. crispatus-dominated tissue-adherent communities were associated with protein translation and antimicrobial activity, whereas a highly diverse microbiome was associated with epithelial remodeling and pro-inflammatory pathways. Communities dominated by L. iners and Gardnerella were associated with low host transcriptional activity. Tissue-adherent microbiomes dominated by Lactobacillus and Gardnerella correlated with host protein profiles associated with epithelial barrier stability, and with a more pro-inflammatory profile for the Gardnerella-dominated microbiome group. Tissue samples with a highly diverse composition had a protein profile representing cell proliferation and pro-inflammatory activity. Conclusion: We identified ectocervical tissue-adherent bacterial communities in all study participants. These communities were distinct from cervicovaginal luminal microbiota in a significant proportion of individuals. This difference could possibly explain that L. iners dominant luminal communities have a high probability of transitioning to high diverse bacterial communities including high abundance of Gardnerella. By performing integrative multi-omics analyses we further revealed that bacterial communities at both sites correlated with distinct host gene expression and protein levels. The tissue-adherent bacterial community is similar to vaginal biofilms that significantly impact women’s reproductive and sexual health.