Project description:This study investigated the specific and differential gene expression in human immature DCs (iDCs) in response to treatment with a butanol fraction containing defined bioactive phytocompounds extracted from stems and leaves of Echinacea purpurea
Project description:The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of adding Lithospermum purpurea to the diet of soybean meal instead of 50% fish meal on the intestinal health of pearl gentian Grouper through Transcriptome
Project description:Shrub willow (Salix spp.), a short rotation woody biomass crop, has superior properties as a perennial energy crop for the Northeast and Midwest US. However, the insect pest potato leafhopper Empoasca fabae (Harris) (PLH) can cause serious damage and reduce yield of susceptible genotypes. Currently, the willow cultivars in use display varying levels of susceptibility under PLH infestation. However, genes and markers for resistance to PLH are not yet available for marker-assisted selection in breeding. In this study, transcriptome differences between a resistant genotype 94006 (S. purpurea) and a susceptible cultivar ‘Jorr’ (S. viminalis), and their hybrid progeny were determined. Over 600 million RNA-Seq reads were generated and mapped to the Salix purpurea reference transcriptome. Gene expression analyses revealed the unique defense mechanism in resistant genotype 94006 that involves PLH-induced secondary cell wall modification. In the susceptible genotypes, genes involved in programed cell death were highly expressed, explaining the necrosis symptoms after potato leafhopper feeding. Overall, the discovery of resistance genes and defense mechanisms provides new resources for shrub willow breeding and research in the future.
Project description:This study investigated the specific and differential gene expression in human immature DCs (iDCs) in response to treatment with a butanol fraction containing defined bioactive phytocompounds extracted from stems and leaves of Echinacea purpurea Experiment Overall Design: Human immature DCs (iDCs) differentiated from primary monocytes in vitro were incubated with [BF/S+L/Ep] or cichoric acid for 4 or 24 h to characterize early- or late-responsive genes. A total of nine Affymetrix HU-133A chips were hybridized to determine the transcriptome profiles in human iDCs.
Project description:Until today, natural Echinacea purpurea extracts are widely used to prevent and treat respiratory trac infections. Although its immunomodulatory effects have already been demonstrated by several studies, the molecular mechanisms involved are not yet completely understood. In this study, we applied a systems biology approach by integrating transcriptome, kinome and methylome profiles of THP-1 monocyte cells treated with Echinaforce®, a commercial standardized ethanolic tincture of Echinacea purpurea. The latter induced the expression of various genes linked to the anti-viral interferon pathway, NF-κB signaling and chemotaxis. In addition, kinase activity profiling showed that Echinaforce® increased JAK1 kinase activity, which is crucial in the activation of the JAK-STAT pathway to induce interferon-stimulated genes and MAPK kinase activity. Furthermore, gene expression changes following Echinaforce® treatment occurred largely independent from DNA methylation changes. Of special note, Echinaforce® induced global DNA hypermethylation in gene bodies, intergenic, and CpG-poor repeat regions, which could be part of an evolutionary conserved anti-viral response to suppress viral integration and/or replication. Altogether, we demonstrate that Echinaforce® treatment promotes an anti-viral response in THP-1 cells through activation of interferon, MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways and DNA hypermethylation of repeat elements.