scholarly journals Nanoscale-specific bioassimilation of sulfur: Time and coating specific modulation of transcriptomic and metabolomic pathways in diseased tomato

Author(s):  
Yi Wang ◽  
Chaoyi Deng ◽  
Sudhir Sharma ◽  
Gilberto Navarro ◽  
Jacquelyn LaReau ◽  
...  

Abstract Nanoscale sulfur was investigated as a multi-functional agricultural amendment to simultaneously enhance crop nutrition and suppress disease damage. Pristine (nS) and stearic acid coated (cS) sulfur nanoparticles were added to soil (0, 100, or 200 mg/L) that was planted with tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and infested with the Fusarium wilt pathogen. Bulk sulfur (bS), ionic sulfate (iS), and healthy controls were included. In two greenhouse experiments, measured endpoints included time-dependent agronomic and photosynthetic parameters, disease severity/suppression, and a range of mechanistic biochemical and molecular endpoints, including the expression of 13 genes related to two S bioassimilation pathways and pathogenesis-response, and tissue-specific metabolomic profiles. The impact of treatment on the rhizosphere bacterial microbiome was also evaluated. Disease reduced tomato biomass by up to 87%, but amendment with nS and cS significantly reduced disease progress by 54 and 56%, respectively, compared to the infested controls. Increased S accumulation was evident in plant roots and leaves, independent of S type. Molecular analysis revealed particle size and coating-specific impacts on the plants. For nS and cS, two-photon microscopy and time-dependent gene expression data revealed a nanoscale specific elemental S bioassimilation pathway within the plant tissues. These findings correlated well with detailed metabolomic profiling of plant tissues at 4, 8, and 16 d, which exhibited increased disease resistance and plant immunity related metabolites with nanoscale treatment. The data also demonstrate a time-sensitive physiological window whereby nanoscale stimulation of plant immunity will be effective. An analysis of the rhizosphere soil bacterial community revealed minimal impacts from S soil treatments. These findings provide significant mechanistic insight into non-metal nanomaterial-based suppression of plant disease, and significantly advance efforts to develop sustainable nano-enabled agricultural strategies to increase food production.

2020 ◽  
Vol 133 (1) ◽  
pp. 182-189
Author(s):  
Tae-Jin Song ◽  
Seung-Hun Oh ◽  
Jinkwon Kim

OBJECTIVECerebral aneurysms represent the most common cause of spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage. Statins are lipid-lowering agents that may expert multiple pleiotropic vascular protective effects. The authors hypothesized that statin therapy after coil embolization or surgical clipping of cerebral aneurysms might improve clinical outcomes.METHODSThis was a retrospective cohort study using the National Health Insurance Service–National Sample Cohort Database in Korea. Patients who underwent coil embolization or surgical clipping for cerebral aneurysm between 2002 and 2013 were included. Based on prescription claims, the authors calculated the proportion of days covered (PDC) by statins during follow-up as a marker of statin therapy. The primary outcome was a composite of the development of stroke, myocardial infarction, and all-cause death. Multivariate time-dependent Cox regression analyses were performed.RESULTSA total of 1381 patients who underwent coil embolization (n = 542) or surgical clipping (n = 839) of cerebral aneurysms were included in this study. During the mean (± SD) follow-up period of 3.83 ± 3.35 years, 335 (24.3%) patients experienced the primary outcome. Adjustments were performed for sex, age (as a continuous variable), treatment modality, aneurysm rupture status (ruptured or unruptured aneurysm), hypertension, diabetes mellitus, household income level, and prior history of ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage as time-independent variables and statin therapy during follow-up as a time-dependent variable. Consistent statin therapy (PDC > 80%) was significantly associated with a lower risk of the primary outcome (adjusted hazard ratio 0.34, 95% CI 0.14–0.85).CONCLUSIONSConsistent statin therapy was significantly associated with better prognosis after coil embolization or surgical clipping of cerebral aneurysms.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo Atem De Carvalho ◽  
Rogerio Atem De Carvalho

BACKGROUND Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers and health authorities have sought to identify the different parameters that govern their infection and death cycles, in order to be able to make better decisions. In particular, a series of reproduction number estimation models have been presented, with different practical results. OBJECTIVE This article aims to present an effective and efficient model for estimating the Reproduction Number and to discuss the impacts of sub-notification on these calculations. METHODS The concept of Moving Average Method with Initial value (MAMI) is used, as well as a model for Rt, the Reproduction Number, is derived from experimental data. The models are applied to real data and their performance is presented. RESULTS Analyses on Rt and sub-notification effects for Germany, Italy, Sweden, United Kingdom, South Korea, and the State of New York are presented to show the performance of the methods here introduced. CONCLUSIONS We show that, with relatively simple mathematical tools, it is possible to obtain reliable values for time-dependent, incubation period-independent Reproduction Numbers (Rt). We also demonstrate that the impact of sub-notification is relatively low, after the initial phase of the epidemic cycle has passed.


Horticulturae ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 24
Author(s):  
Marino Costa-Santos ◽  
Nuno Mariz-Ponte ◽  
Maria Celeste Dias ◽  
Luísa Moura ◽  
Guilhermina Marques ◽  
...  

Plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) are gaining attention as a sustainable alternative to current agrochemicals. This study evaluated the impact of three Bacillus spp. (5PB1, 1PB1, FV46) and one Brevibacillus sp. (C9F) on the important crop tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) using the model cv. ‘MicroTom’. The effects of these isolates were assessed on (a) seedlings’ growth and vigor, and (b) adult potted plants. In potted plants, several photosynthetic parameters (chlorophylls (a and b), carotenoids and anthocyanins contents, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, net CO2 photosynthetic rate, and intercellular CO2 concentration, and on chlorophyll fluorescence yields of light- and dark-adapted leaves)), as well as soluble sugars and starch contents, were quantified. Additionally, the effects on redox status were evaluated. While the growth of seedlings was, overall, not influenced by the strains, some effects were observed on adult plants. The Bacillus safensis FV46 stimulated the content of pigments, compared to C9F. Bacillus zhangzhouensis 5PB1 increased starch levels and was positively correlated with some parameters of the photophosphorylation and the gas exchange phases. Interestingly, Bacillus megaterium 1PB1 decreased superoxide (O2−) content, and B. safensis FV46 promoted non-enzymatic antioxidant defenses, increasing total phenol content levels. These results, conducted on a model cultivar, support the theory that these isolates differently act on tomato plant physiology, and that their activity depends on the age of the plant, and may differently influence photosynthesis. It would now be interesting to analyze the influence of these bacteria using commercial cultivars.


2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 621 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salvador Nogués ◽  
Leonor Alegre

In the Mediterranean, annual mean precipitation has continuously decreased over the last three years (by ca 36% in Barcelona), and the decrease has been dramatic during the summer (by ca 78 and 64% during July and August, respectively). The impact of increased drought on the photosynthetic capacity of Mediterranean vegetation is currently unknown. In this study, two native Mediterranean plants [rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) and lavender (Lavandula stoechas L.)] were grown outdoors and subjected to two water regimes (50 mm month–1 during the summer, or no supplementary water at all). Rosemary and lavender plants watered with 50 mm month–1 during the summer had higher relative leaf water content and water potential than non-watered plants. Changes in water status were accompanied by large decreases in parameters of gas exchange [i.e. the light-saturated rate of CO2 assimilation, the maximum velocity of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) carboxylation by Rubisco and the capacity for RuBP] and of modulated chlorophyll fluorescence (i.e. the relative quantum efficiency of PSII photochemistry and the efficiency of energy capture by open PSII reaction centres) during the summer, but no differences were found in any photosynthetic parameters for leaves subjected to the two water regimes. The drought-induced decreases in the relative quantum efficiency of PSII photochemistry in rosemary and lavender plants were attributable to ‘downregulation’ of electron transport. Photodamage to PSII in the field appeared to be a later effect of drought in these plants. Photorespiration was not a major mechanism protecting the photosynthetic apparatus of these plants from photodamage in the field. After the autumn rainfall, photosynthetic capacity fully recovered. We conclude that rosemary and lavender are well adapted to drought, and that an increase in water deficit is unlikely to have a significant impact on the photosynthetic capacity of leaves.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Borsetto ◽  
Sebastien Raguideau ◽  
Emma R Travis ◽  
Dae-Wi Kim ◽  
Do-Hoon Lee ◽  
...  

The continued emergence of bacterial pathogens presenting antimicrobial resistance is widely recognised as a global health threat and recent attention focused on potential environmental reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Freshwater environments such as rivers represent a potential hotspot for ARGs and antibiotic resistant bacteria as they are receiving systems for effluent discharges from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Effluent also contains low levels of different antimicrobials including antibiotics and biocides. Sulfonamides are antibacterial chemicals widely used in clinical, veterinary and agricultural settings and are frequently detected in sewage sludge and manure in addition to riverine ecosystems. The impact of such exposure on ARG prevalence and diversity is unknown, so the aim of this study was to investigate the release of a sub-lethal concentration of the sulfonamide compound sulfamethoxazole (SMX) on the river bacterial microbiome using a flume system. This system was a semi-natural in vitro flume using river water (30 L) and sediment with circulation to mimic river flow. A combination of 'omics' approaches were conducted to study the impact of SMX exposure on the microbiomes within the flumes. Metagenomic analysis showed that the addition of low concentrations of SMX (<4 μg L-1) had a limited effect on the bacterial resistome in the water fraction only, with no impact observed in the sediment. Metaproteomics did not show differences in ARGs expression with SMX exposure in water. Overall, the river bacterial community was resilient to short term exposure to sub-lethal concentrations of SMX which mimics the exposure such communities experience downstream of WWTPs throughout the year.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 3885
Author(s):  
Teresa Menzel ◽  
Sebastian Weigert ◽  
Andreas Gagsteiger ◽  
Yannik Eich ◽  
Sebastian Sittl ◽  
...  

With macroscopic litter and its degradation into secondary microplastic as a major source of environmental pollution, one key challenge is understanding the pathways from macro- to microplastic by abiotic and biotic environmental impact. So far, little is known about the impact of biota on material properties. This study focuses on recycled, bottle-grade poly(ethylene terephthalate) (r-PET) and the degrading enzyme PETase from Ideonella sakaiensis. Compact tension (CT) specimens were incubated in an enzymatic solution and thermally and mechanically characterized. A time-dependent study up to 96 h revealed the formation of steadily growing colloidal structures. After 96 h incubation, high amounts of BHET dimer were found in a near-surface layer, affecting crack propagation and leading to faster material failure. The results of this pilot study show that enzymatic activity accelerates embrittlement and favors fragmentation. We conclude that PET-degrading enzymes must be viewed as a potentially relevant acceleration factor in macroplastic degradation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 216-229
Author(s):  
Hussan Zeb ◽  
Hafiz Abdul Wahab ◽  
Umar Khan

In this work we demonstrated the impacts of zero mass flux in Powell-Eyring fluid over time dependent stretching sheet. We analyzed the Arrhenius activation energy in heat transfer with momentum and thermal slip boundary condition. The governing model is very complex to solve it directly therefore we transform these governed model into a coupled nonlinear ODEs via similarity transformation. After that, we solve these ODEs by using numerica method so calledshooting technique with RK-technique. The characteristics of different beneficial physical parameters on momentum, energy and concentration fields are represented through graphs. We concluded in this work the arising or reducing in the velocity, temperature and concentration fields for the existence of physical parameters. The impact of physical quantities namely skin fraction (Cf), Nusselt (Nux) and Sherwood (Shx) numbers are calculated numerically via tables. In this paper we concluded that the decreases occurring in velocity field for higher values of (M) (H) and (β). Moreover the characteristics of concentration Φ(ζ), temperature θ(ζ) and velocity f′(ζ) gradients are presented for important physical parameters see in detailed Result and discussion section.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Louca ◽  
Yamila Miguel ◽  
Shang-Min Tsai

&lt;p class=&quot;p1&quot;&gt;Observations of exoplanets used to characterize the chemistry and dynamics of atmospheres have developed considerably throughout the years. Nonetheless, it remains a difficult task to give a full and detailed description using solely observations. With future space missions such as JWST and ARIEL, both expected to be launched within this decade, it becomes even more crucial to be able to fully explain and predict the underlying chemistry and physics involved. In this research, we focus on modeling star-planet interactions by using synthetic flare spectra to predict chemical tracers for future missions. We make use of a chemical kinetics code that includes synthetic time-dependent stellar spectra and thermal atmospheric escape to simulate the atmospheres of known exoplanets. Using a radiative transfer model we then retrieve emission spectra. This ongoing study is focused on various known planetary systems of which the stellar spectrum has been obtained by the (mega-)MUSCLES collaboration. Preliminary results on these systems show that stellar flares and thermal escape can have a significant effect on the chemistry in atmospheres.&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dejin Xie ◽  
Lingyan Chen ◽  
Chengcheng Zhou ◽  
Muhammad Waqqas Khan Tarin ◽  
Deming Yang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Sarcandra glabra is an evergreen and traditional Chinese herb with anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor effects. Light is one of the most influential factor affecting the growth and quality of herbs. In recent times, the introduction of Light Emission Diode (LED) technology has been widely used for plants in greenhouse. However, the impact of such lights on plant growth and the regulatory mechanism of phenylpropanoid-derived compounds in S. glabra remain unclear. Results: The red LED light (RL) substantially increased the plant height and decreased the stem diameter and leaf area relative to the white LED light (WL), while the blue LED light (BL) significantly reduced the height and leaf area of S. glabra. According to transcriptomic profiling, 861, 378, 47, 10,033, 7917, and 6379 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified among the groups of leaf tissue under BL (BY) vs. leaf tissue under RL (RY), BY vs. leaf tissue under WL (WY), RY vs. WY, root tissue under WL (WG) vs. WY, stem tissue under WL (WJ) vs. WG, and WJ vs. WY, respectively. We identified 46 genes encoding for almost all known enzymes involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, e.g., phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), chalcone synthase (CHS), and flavonol synthase (FLS). We found 53 genes encoding R2R3-MYB proteins and bHLH proteins, respectively, where several were related to flavonoids biosynthesis. A total of 454 metabolites were identified based on metabolomic profiling, of which 44, 87, and 296 compounds were differentially produced in WY vs. RY, WY vs. BY, and WY vs. WG. In BY there was a substantial reduction in the production of esculetin, caffeic acid, isofraxidin, and fraxidin, while the yields of quercitrin and kaempferol were significantly up-regulated. In RY, the contents of cryptochlorogenic acid, cinnamic acid, and kaempferol decreased significantly. Besides, in WG, the production of metabolites (e.g. chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, and scopolin) declined, while their yields increased significantly (e.g. esculetin, fraxetin, isofraxidin, and fraxidin).Conclusion: These results provide further insight into the regulatory mechanism of accumulation patterns of phenylpropanoid-derived compounds in S. glabra under various light conditions, allowing optimum breeding conditions to be developed for this plant.


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