Project description:Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disorder for which a definitive cure is still missing. This is characterized by an overwhelming inflammatory milieu in the colonic tract where a composite set of immune and non-immune cells orchestrate its pathogenesis. Over the last years, a growing body of evidence has been pinpointing gut virome dysbiosis as underlying its progression. Nonetheless, its role during the early phases of chronic inflammation is far from being fully defined. Here we show the gut virome-associated Hepatitis B virus protein X, most likely acquired after an event of zoonotic spillover, to be associated with the early stages of ulcerative colitis and to induce colonic inflammation in mice. It acts as a transcriptional regulator in epithelial cells, provoking barrier leakage and altering mucosal immunity at the level of both innate and adaptive immunity. This study paves the way to the comprehension of the aetiopathogenesis of intestinal inflammation and encourages further investigations of the virome as a trigger also in other scenarios. Moreover, it provides a brand-new standpoint that looks at the virome as a target for tailored treatments, blocking the early phases of chronic inflammation and possibly leading to better disease management.
2023-02-20 | GSE204665 | GEO
Project description:Vaginal DNA Virome of South African Adolescents
Project description:This study aims to explore the relationship between the respiratory virome, specifically bacteriophages, HERV and the host response in ARDS and to assess their value in predicting the prognosis of ARDS.
Project description:Gray leaf spot (GLS) disease of maize is caused by the fungus Cercospora zeina in African countries, such as South Africa. The plant material was from maize inbred line B73-QTL, which was introgressed with a QTL region for resistance to GLS from the maize inbred line CML444 (Berger et al (2014) BMC Genetics 15 60 www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2156/15/60 ). This QTL was named 10G2_GLS and 10H_GLS from two field trials in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa in that study. B73-QTL plants were planted in the field, and subjected to natural infection with C. zeina. This was the same field trial as B73 plants that were sampled for RNAseq and the data reported in Swart et al (2017) Mol Plant Microbe Interact 30 710-724 (2017)(GSE94442). Samples were collected from lower leaves with moderate GLS lesions and younger upper leaves of the same B73-QTL plants with very few immature GLS lesions. The first aim of the experiment was to compare the maize transcriptomes during C.zeina challenge between B73 (from GSE94442 data) and B73-QTL plants (this study). The second aim was to identify novel transcripts expressed from the QTL region, which may underlie the quantitative disease resistance to GLS. The third aim was to identify C. zeina genes expressed in planta during infection.
Project description:Gray leaf spot (GLS) disease of maize can be caused by either of two sibling fungal species Cercospora zeina or Cercospora zeae-maydis. These species differ in geographical distribution, for example to date only C. zeina is associated with GLS in African countries, such as South Africa. Maize inbred line B73, which is susceptible to GLS, was planted in the field, and subjected to natural infection with C. zeina. Samples were collected from lower leaves with substantial GLS lesions and younger upper leaves of the same plants with very few immature GLS lesions. The first aim of the experiment was to determine which maize genes are induced in response to C. zeina infection. The second aim was to identify C. zeina genes expressed in planta during a compatible interaction. The third aim was to determine whether the C. zeina cercosporin biosynthetic (CTB) genes are expressed in planta. C. zeina fails to produce cercosporin in vitro in contrast to C. zeae-maydis. Cercosporin is a phytotoxin that is thought to play a role in pathogenicity of several Cercospora spp., however its role in the pathogenicity strategy of C. zeina is currently under investigation.
Project description:Maize LOB30 (Zm00001d036435) is a transcription factor and is specifically expressed in anthers. Our previous RNA-seq data showed that expression of some genes were upregualted in maize lob30 mutant maize anthers. To confirm these genes are the downstrem target genes, we generated proLOB30: GFP-LOB30 transgenic maize lines, collected stage 9 to stage10 anther materials and performed ChIP-seq using the GFP antibody.
Project description:The exxpression profilling of chilling responsive and growth regulated microRNAs of maize hybrid ADA313 was conducted. Maize seedling were subjected to chilling temperature then meristem, elongation and mature growth zones were sampled. 321 known maize microRNA expression level were determined and compared between meristem, elongation and mature zones. Determining and validating of chilling responsive microRNAs associated with leaf growth of hybrid maize (Zea mays L.) ADA313