Project description:Limiting fluid in lung is critical for efficient gas exchange. Here we discovered a mechanism of neuropeptidergic control of lung fluid balance by pulmonary neuroendocrine cells (PNECs), potent sensors of chemical and mechanical cues. We studied the first animal model of neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy (NEHI), which faithfully recapitulated patient phenotypes including PNEC hyperplasia and impaired gas exchange. Double mutants showed that increased PNECs and excess PNEC products such as CGRP are responsible for poor gas exchange, acting through downregulating endothelial junctions, increasing vessel leakage and fluid accumulation. Endothelium-specific inactivation of CGRP receptor, or treatment with CGRP receptor antagonist reduced fluid and improved gas exchange. In lungs with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), including those caused by COVID-19, there was a striking increase of CGRP-expressing PNECs. These findings raise the possibility that increased neuropeptides would contribute to excess extravascular lung fluid and antagonizing their function may improve gas exchange.
Project description:The melting of permafrost and its potential impact on greenhouse gas emissions is a major concern in the context of global warming. The fate of the carbon trapped in permafrost will largely depend on soil physico-chemical characteristics, among which are the quality and quantity of organic matter, pH and water content, and on microbial community composition. In this study, we used microarrays and real-time PCR (qPCR) targeting 16S rRNA genes to characterize the bacterial communities in three different soil types representative of various Arctic settings. The microbiological data were linked to soil physico-chemical characteristics and CO2 production rates. Microarray results indicated that soil characteristics, and especially the soil pH, were important parameters in structuring the bacterial communities at the genera/species levels. Shifts in community structure were also visible at the phyla/class levels, with the soil CO2 production rate being positively correlated to the relative abundance of the Alphaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Betaproteobacteria. These results indicate that CO2 production in Arctic soils does not only depend on the environmental conditions, but also on the presence of specific groups of bacteria that have the capacity to actively degrade soil carbon.
Project description:Characterisation of the differences in transcript abundance between maize leaves that have been exposed to blue, red, or no light: B73 maize seeds were planted and grown in the dark for 9 days. Etiolated second leaves were clamped 5 cm from the leaf tip by a Licor 6800 device equipped with a multi-phase flash fluorometer head, which administered 100 µmol m-2s-1 of either 100% red or 100% blue light. The Licor was configured with flow rate 500 µmol s⁻¹, 400 µmol mol⁻¹ CO2, leaf temperature 28°C and 60% humidity. Fluorescence and gas exchange were measured every 15 minutes for 3 hours. Leaf samples were collected between 12.30am-2pm each day.