Survival of Listeria monocytogenes in simulated gastrointestinal system and transcriptional profiling of stress- and adhesion-related genes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jiang, Lingli; Olesen, Inger; Andersen, Thomas

2010-01-01

-related genes after exposure to the conditions similar to those encountered in the mouth, stomach, and small intestine. None of the L. monocytogenes strains investigated could survive in the gastric juice at pH 2.5 or 3.0. Their survival increased at higher pH (3.5 and 4.0) in the gastric stress. Relative...... afterpassing through the simulated gastrointestinal tract, whereas that of the adhesion-related gene ami was downregulated. Taken together, this study revealed that L. monocytogenes strains enhanced the expression of stressrelated genes and decreased the transcription of adhesion-related gene in order...

Cross-species multiple environmental stress responses: An integrated approach to identify candidate genes for multiple stress tolerance in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L. Moench and related model species.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adugna Abdi Woldesemayat

Full Text Available Crop response to the changing climate and unpredictable effects of global warming with adverse conditions such as drought stress has brought concerns about food security to the fore; crop yield loss is a major cause of concern in this regard. Identification of genes with multiple responses across environmental stresses is the genetic foundation that leads to crop adaptation to environmental perturbations.In this paper, we introduce an integrated approach to assess candidate genes for multiple stress responses across-species. The approach combines ontology based semantic data integration with expression profiling, comparative genomics, phylogenomics, functional gene enrichment and gene enrichment network analysis to identify genes associated with plant stress phenotypes. Five different ontologies, viz., Gene Ontology (GO, Trait Ontology (TO, Plant Ontology (PO, Growth Ontology (GRO and Environment Ontology (EO were used to semantically integrate drought related information.Target genes linked to Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs controlling yield and stress tolerance in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L. Moench and closely related species were identified. Based on the enriched GO terms of the biological processes, 1116 sorghum genes with potential responses to 5 different stresses, such as drought (18%, salt (32%, cold (20%, heat (8% and oxidative stress (25% were identified to be over-expressed. Out of 169 sorghum drought responsive QTLs associated genes that were identified based on expression datasets, 56% were shown to have multiple stress responses. On the other hand, out of 168 additional genes that have been evaluated for orthologous pairs, 90% were conserved across species for drought tolerance. Over 50% of identified maize and rice genes were responsive to drought and salt stresses and were co-located within multifunctional QTLs. Among the total identified multi-stress responsive genes, 272 targets were shown to be co-localized within QTLs

Salt Stress Effects on Secondary Metabolites of Cotton in Relation to Gene Expression Responsible for Aphid Development.

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Qi Wang

Full Text Available Many secondary metabolites have insecticidal efficacy against pests and may be affected by abiotic stress. However, little is known of how plants may respond to such stress as pertains the growth and development of pests. The objective of this study was to determine if and how salt stress on cotton plants affects the population dynamics of aphids. The NaCl treatment (50 mM, 100 mM, 150 mM and 200 mM increased contents of gossypol in cotton by 26.8-51.4%, flavonoids by 22.5-37.6% and tannic by 15.1-24.3% at 7-28 d after salt stress. Compared with non-stressed plants, the population of aphids on 150 and 200 mM NaCl stressed plants was reduced by 46.4 and 65.4% at 7d and by 97.3 and 100% at 14 days after infestation. Reductions in aphid population were possibly attributed to the elevated secondary metabolism under salt stress. A total of 796 clones for aphids transcriptome, 412 clones in the positive- library (TEST and 384 clones in the reverse-library (Ck, were obtained from subtracted cDNA libraries and sequenced. Gene ontology (GO functional classification and KEGG pathway analysis showed more genes related to fatty acid and lipid biosynthesis, and fewer genes related to carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism and cell motility pathways in TEST than in Ck library, which might be the reason of aphids population reduction. A comparative analysis with qRT-PCR indicated high expression of transcripts CYP6A14, CYP6A13, CYP303A1, NADH dehydrogenase and fatty acid synthase in the TEST group. However, CYP307A1 and two ecdysone-induced protein genes were down regulated. The results indicate that genes of aphids related to growth and development can express at a higher level in reaction to the enhanced secondary metabolism in cotton under salinity stress. The expression of CYP307A1 was positively correlated with the population dynamics of aphids since it was involved in ecdysone synthesis.

Monitoring expression profiles of rice (Oryza sativa L.) genes under abiotic stresses using cDNA Microarray Analysis (abstract)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rabbani, M.A.

2005-01-01

Transcript regulation in response to cold, drought, high salinity and ABA application was investigated in rice (Oryza sativa L., Nipponbare) with microarray analysis including approx. 1700 independent DNA elements derived from three cDNA libraries constructed from 15-day old rice seedlings stressed with drought, cold and high salinity. A total of 141 non-redundant genes were identified, whose expression ratios were more than three-fold compared with the control genes for at least one of stress treatments in microarray analysis. However, after RNA gel blot analysis, a total of 73 genes were identified, among them the transcripts of 36, 62, 57 and 43 genes were found increased after cold, drought, high salinity and ABA application, respectively. Sixteen of these identified genes have been reported previously to be stress inducible in rice, while 57 of which are novel that have not been reported earlier as stress responsive in rice. We observed a strong association in the expression patterns of stress responsive genes and found 15 stress inducible genes that responded to all four treatments. Based on Venn diagram analysis, 56 genes were induced by both drought and high salinity, whereas 22 genes were upregulated by both cold and high salinity stress. Similarly 43 genes were induced by both drought stress and ABA application, while only 17 genes were identified as cold and ABA inducible genes. These results indicated the existence of greater cross talk between drought, ABA and high salinity stress signaling processes than those between cold and ABA, and cold and high salinity stress signaling pathways. The cold, drought, high salinity and ABA inducible genes were classified into four gene groups from their expression profiles. Analysis of data enabled us to identify a number of promoters and possible cis-acting DNA elements of several genes induced by a variety of abiotic stresses by combining expression data with genomic sequence data of rice. Comparative analysis of

Shear stress upregulates regeneration-related immediate early genes in liver progenitors in 3D ECM-like microenvironments.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishii, Kenichiro; Brodin, Erik; Renshaw, Taylor; Weesner, Rachael; Moran, Emma; Soker, Shay; Sparks, Jessica L

2018-05-01

The role of fluid stresses in activating the hepatic stem/progenitor cell regenerative response is not well understood. This study hypothesized that immediate early genes (IEGs) with known links to liver regeneration will be upregulated in liver progenitor cells (LPCs) exposed to in vitro shear stresses on the order of those produced from elevated interstitial flow after partial hepatectomy. The objectives were: (1) to develop a shear flow chamber for application of fluid stress to LPCs in 3D culture; and (2) to determine the effects of fluid stress on IEG expression in LPCs. Two hours of shear stress exposure at ∼4 dyn/cm 2 was applied to LPCs embedded individually or as 3D spheroids within a hyaluronic acid/collagen I hydrogel. Results were compared against static controls. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used to evaluate the effect of experimental treatments on gene expression. Twenty-nine genes were analyzed, including IEGs and other genes linked to liver regeneration. Four IEGs (CFOS, IP10, MKP1, ALB) and three other regeneration-related genes (WNT, VEGF, EpCAM) were significantly upregulated in LPCs in response to fluid mechanical stress. LPCs maintained an early to intermediate stage of differentiation in spheroid culture in the absence of the hydrogel, and addition of the gel initiated cholangiocyte differentiation programs which were abrogated by the onset of flow. Collectively the flow-upregulated genes fit the pattern of an LPC-mediated proliferative/regenerative response. These results suggest that fluid stresses are potentially important regulators of the LPC-mediated regeneration response in liver. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Bolt Stress Monitor

Science.gov (United States)

1978-01-01

In photo, an engineer is using a new Ultrasonic Bolt Stress Monitor developed by NASA's Langley Research Center to determine whether a bolt is properly tightened. A highly accurate device, the monitor is an important tool in construction of such structures as pressure vessels, bridges and power plants, wherein precise measurement of the stress on a tightened bolt is critical. Overtightened or undertightened bolts can fail and cause serious industrial accidents or costly equipment break-downs. There are a number of methods for measuring bolt stress. Most widely used and least costly is the torque wrench, which is inherently inaccurate; it does not take into account the friction between nut and bolt, which has an influence on stress. At the other end of the spectrum, there are accurate stress-measuring systems, but they are expensive and not portable. The battery-powered Langley monitor fills a need; it is inexpensive, lightweight, portable and extremely accurate because it is not subject to friction error. Sound waves are transmitted to the bolt and a return signal is received. As the bolt is tightened, it undergoes changes in resonance due to stress, in the manner that a violin string changes tone when it is tightened. The monitor measures the changes in resonance and provides a reading of real stress on the bolt. The device, patented by NASA, has aroused wide interest and a number of firms have applied for licenses to produce it for the commercial market.

Effects of methionine supplementation on the expression of protein deposition-related genes in acute heat stress-exposed broilers.

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Ana Paula Del Vesco

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of heat stress and methionine supplementation on the gene expression of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I, growth hormone receptor (GHR, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and regulatory 1 (PI3KR1 in the liver, as well as the expression of the atrogin 1 and cathepsin L2 (CTSL2 genes in the breast muscle of broilers. Broilers from 1-21 and 22-42 days of age were divided into three treatments related to methionine supplementation as follows: without methionine supplementation (MD, recommended level of methionine (DL1, and excess supplementation of methionine (DL2. The animals were either maintained at a thermal comfort temperature or exposed to heat stress (HS (38°C for 24 hours, starting on day 20 or day 41 for experiments 1 and 2, respectively. The heat stress increased the body temperature at both ages. Starter period: The HS animals presented increased plasma creatinine content (P<0.0001 and the highest CTSL2 gene expression (P<0.0001. The methionine supplementation increased the IGF-I (P = 0.0144 and GHR (P = 0.0011 gene expression and decreased the CTSL2 (P = 0.0004 and atrogin 1 (P = 0.0012 gene expression. Grower period: Significant effects for the interaction between supplementation and environment were observed for GHR (P = 0.0252 and CTSL2 (P = 0.0011 gene expression. The highest GHR expression was observed in animals that remained in thermal comfort on the DL2 diet, and the lowest expression occurred in the HS animals fed the MD diet. For CTSL2, the HS animals fed the MD diet presented the highest CTSL2 gene expression, and the lowest expression was observed in the animals maintained at thermal comfort on DL1 and DL2 diets. Only methionine supplementation had effect on atrogin-1 gene expression (P<0.0001, with higher methionine content in the diet lower atrogin-1 gene expression was observed. Our results suggest that heat stress induces greater protein degradation and that

Interactions of early adversity with stress-related gene polymorphisms impact regional brain structure in females.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Arpana; Labus, Jennifer; Kilpatrick, Lisa A; Bonyadi, Mariam; Ashe-McNalley, Cody; Heendeniya, Nuwanthi; Bradesi, Sylvie; Chang, Lin; Mayer, Emeran A

2016-04-01

Early adverse life events (EALs) have been associated with regional thinning of the subgenual cingulate cortex (sgACC), a brain region implicated in the development of disorders of mood and affect, and often comorbid functional pain disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Regional neuroinflammation related to chronic stress system activation has been suggested as a possible mechanism underlying these neuroplastic changes. However, the interaction of genetic and environmental factors in these changes is poorly understood. The current study aimed to evaluate the interactions of EALs and candidate gene polymorphisms in influencing thickness of the sgACC. 210 female subjects (137 healthy controls; 73 IBS) were genotyped for stress and inflammation-related gene polymorphisms. Genetic variation with EALs, and diagnosis on sgACC thickness was examined, while controlling for race, age, and total brain volume. Compared to HCs, IBS had significantly reduced sgACC thickness (p = 0.03). Regardless of disease group (IBS vs. HC), thinning of the left sgACC was associated with a significant gene-gene environment interaction between the IL-1β genotype, the NR3C1 haplotype, and a history of EALs (p = 0.05). Reduced sgACC thickness in women with the minor IL-1β allele, was associated with EAL total scores regardless of NR3C1 haplotype status (p = 0.02). In subjects homozygous for the major IL-1β allele, reduced sgACC with increasing levels of EALs was seen only with the less common NR3C1 haplotype (p = 0.02). These findings support an interaction between polymorphisms related to stress and inflammation and early adverse life events in modulating a key region of the emotion arousal circuit.

Stress associated gene expression in blood cells is related to outcome in radiotherapy treated head and neck cancer patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bøhn, Siv K; Blomhoff, Rune; Russnes, Kjell M; Sakhi, Amrit K; Thoresen, Magne; Holden, Marit; Moskaug, JanØ; Myhrstad, Mari C; Olstad, Ole K; Smeland, Sigbjørn

2012-01-01

We previously observed that a radiotherapy-induced biochemical response in plasma was associated with favourable outcome in head and neck squamous carcinoma cancer (HNSCC) patients. The aim of the present study was to compare stress associated blood cell gene expression between two sub-groups of HNSCC patients with different biochemical responses to radiotherapy. Out of 87 patients (histologically verified), 10 biochemical ‘responders’ having a high relative increase in plasma oxidative damage and a concomitant decrease in plasma antioxidants during radiotherapy and 10 ‘poor-responders’ were selected for gene-expression analysis and compared using gene set enrichment analysis. There was a significant induction of stress-relevant gene-sets in the responders following radiotherapy compared to the poor-responders. The relevance of the involvement of similar stress associated gene expression for HNSCC cancer and radioresistance was verified using two publicly available data sets of 42 HNSCC cases and 14 controls (GEO GSE6791), and radiation resistant and radiation sensitive HNSCC xenografts (E-GEOD-9716). Radiotherapy induces a systemic stress response, as revealed by induction of stress relevant gene expression in blood cells, which is associated to favourable outcome in a cohort of 87 HNSCC patients. Whether these changes in gene expression reflects a systemic effect or are biomarkers of the tumour micro-environmental status needs further study. Raw data are available at ArrayExpress under accession number E-MEXP-2460

Imaging reporter gene for monitoring gene therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beco, V. de; Baillet, G.; Tamgac, F.; Tofighi, M.; Weinmann, P.; Vergote, J.; Moretti, J.L.; Tamgac, G.

2002-01-01

Scintigraphic images can be obtained to document gene function at cellular level. This approach is presented here and the use of a reporter gene to monitor gene therapy is described. Two main ways are presented: either the use of a reporter gene coding for an enzyme the action of which will be monitored by radiolabeled pro-drug, or a cellular receptor gene, the action of which is documented by a radio labeled cognate receptor ligand. (author)

Importance of stress-response genes to the survival of airborne Escherichia coli under different levels of relative humidity.

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Tsz Wai; Chan, Wing Lam; Lai, Ka Man

2017-12-01

Other than the needs for infection control to investigate the survival and inactivation of airborne bacterial pathogens, there has been a growing interest in exploring bacterial communities in the air and the effect of environmental variables on them. However, the innate biological mechanism influencing the bacterial viability is still unclear. In this study, a mutant-based approach, using Escherichia coli as a model, was used to prove the concept that common stress-response genes are important for airborne survival of bacteria. Mutants with a single gene knockout that are known to respond to general stress (rpoS) and oxidative stress (oxyR, soxR) were selected in the study. Low relative humidity (RH), 30-40% was more detrimental to the bacteria than high RH, >90%. The log reduction of ∆rpoS was always higher than that of the parental strain at all RH levels but the ∆oxyR had a higher log reduction than the parental strain at intermediate RH only. ∆soxR had the same viability compared to the parental strain at all RH levels. The results hint that although different types and levels of stress are produced under different RH conditions, stress-response genes always play a role in the bacterial viability. This study is the first reporting the association between stress-response genes and viability of airborne bacteria.

Relative expression of genes related with cold tolerance in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Low temperature is one of the main abiotic stresses affecting rice yield in Chile. Alterations in phenology and physiology of the crop are observed after a cold event. The objective of this work was to study the relative expression of genes related with cold stress in Chilean cultivars of rice. For this, we analyzed the expression ...

Analysis of the expression of putative heat-stress related genes in relation to thermotolerance of cork oak.

Science.gov (United States)

Correia, Barbara; Rodriguez, José Luis; Valledor, Luis; Almeida, Tânia; Santos, Conceição; Cañal, Maria Jesús; Pinto, Glória

2014-03-15

Cork oak (Quercus suber L.) is a research priority in the Mediterranean area and because of cork oaks' distribution these stands are experiencing daily stress. Based on projections of intensifying climate change and considering the key role of exploring the recovery abilities, cork oak seedlings were subjected to a cumulative temperature increase from 25°C to 55°C and subsequent recovery. CO2 assimilation rate, chlorophyll fluorescence, anthocyanins, proline and lipid peroxidation were used to evaluate plant performance, while the relative abundance of seven genes encoding for proteins of cork oak with a putative role in thermal/stress regulation (POX1, POX2, HSP10.4, HSP17a.22, CHS, MTL and RBC) was analyzed by qPCR (quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction). A temperature change to 35°C showed abundance alterations in the tested genes; at 45°C, the molecular changes were associated with an antioxidant response, possibly modulated by anthocyanins. At 55°C, HSP17a.22, MTL and proline accumulation were evident. After recovery, physiological balance was restored, whereas POX1, HSP10.4 and MTL abundances were suggested to be involved in increased thermotolerance. The data presented here are expected to pinpoint some pathways changes occurring during such stress and further recovery in this particular Mediterranean species. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Developmental pathway genes and neural plasticity underlying emotional learning and stress-related disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Maheu, Marissa E; Ressler, Kerry J

2017-09-01

The manipulation of neural plasticity as a means of intervening in the onset and progression of stress-related disorders retains its appeal for many researchers, despite our limited success in translating such interventions from the laboratory to the clinic. Given the challenges of identifying individual genetic variants that confer increased risk for illnesses like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, some have turned their attention instead to focusing on so-called "master regulators" of plasticity that may provide a means of controlling these potentially impaired processes in psychiatric illnesses. The mammalian homolog of Tailless (TLX), Wnt, and the homeoprotein Otx2 have all been proposed to constitute master regulators of different forms of plasticity which have, in turn, each been implicated in learning and stress-related disorders. In the present review, we provide an overview of the changing distribution of these genes and their roles both during development and in the adult brain. We further discuss how their distinct expression profiles provide clues as to their function, and may inform their suitability as candidate drug targets in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. © 2017 Maheu and Ressler; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Relational Security Moderates the Effect of Serotonin Transporter Gene Polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) on Stress Generation and Depression among Adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

Starr, Lisa R.; Hammen, Constance; Brennan, Patricia A.; Najman, Jake M.

2013-01-01

Previous research demonstrates that carriers of the short allele of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) show both greater susceptibility to depression in response to stressful life events and higher rates of generation of stressful events in response to depression. The current study examines relational security (i.e., self-reported beliefs…

Unpredictable neonatal stress enhances adult anxiety and alters amygdala gene expression related to serotonin and GABA.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarro, E C; Sullivan, R M; Barr, G

2014-01-31

Anxiety-related disorders are among the most common psychiatric illnesses, thought to have both genetic and environmental causes. Early-life trauma, such as abuse from a caregiver, can be predictable or unpredictable, each resulting in increased prevalence and severity of a unique set of disorders. In this study, we examined the influence of early unpredictable trauma on both the behavioral expression of adult anxiety and gene expression within the amygdala. Neonatal rats were exposed to unpaired odor-shock conditioning for 5 days, which produces deficits in adult behavior and amygdala dysfunction. In adulthood, we used the Light/Dark box test to measure anxiety-related behaviors, measuring the latency to enter the lit area and quantified urination and defecation. The amygdala was then dissected and a microarray analysis was performed to examine changes in gene expression. Animals that had received early unpredictable trauma displayed significantly longer latencies to enter the lit area and more defecation and urination. The microarray analysis revealed over-represented genes related to learning and memory, synaptic transmission and trans-membrane transport. Gene ontology and pathway analysis identified highly represented disease states related to anxiety phenotypes, including social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder. Addiction-related genes were also overrepresented in this analysis. Unpredictable shock during early development increased anxiety-like behaviors in adulthood with concomitant changes in genes related to neurotransmission, resulting in gene expression patterns similar to anxiety-related psychiatric disorders. Copyright © 2013 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differential expression of poplar sucrose nonfermenting1-related protein kinase 2 genes in response to abiotic stress and abscisic acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Xiang; Takebayashi, Arika; Demura, Taku; Ohtani, Misato

2017-09-01

Knowledge on the responses of woody plants to abiotic stress can inform strategies to breed improved tree varieties and to manage tree species for environmental conservation and the production of lignocellulosic biomass. In this study, we examined the expression patterns of poplar (Populus trichocarpa) genes encoding members of the sucrose nonfermenting1-related protein kinase 2 (SnRK2) family, which are core components of the abiotic stress response. The P. trichocarpa genome contains twelve SnRK2 genes (PtSnRK2.1- PtSnRK2.12) that can be divided into three subclasses (I-III) based on the structures of their encoded kinase domains. We found that PtSnRK2s are differentially expressed in various organs. In MS medium-grown plants, all of the PtSnRK2 genes were significantly upregulated in response to abscisic acid (ABA) treatment, whereas osmotic and salt stress treatments induced only some (four and seven, respectively) of the PtSnRK2 genes. By contrast, soil-grown plants showed increased expression of most PtSnRK2 genes under drought and salt treatments, but not under ABA treatment. In soil-grown plants, drought stress induced SnRK2 subclass II genes in all tested organs (leaves, stems, and roots), whereas subclass III genes tended to be upregulated in leaves only. These results suggest that the PtSnRK2 genes are involved in abiotic stress responses, are at least partially activated by ABA, and show organ-specific responses.

MicroRNA-target gene responses to lead-induced stress in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.).

Science.gov (United States)

He, Qiuling; Zhu, Shuijin; Zhang, Baohong

2014-09-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play key roles in plant responses to various metal stresses. To investigate the miRNA-mediated plant response to heavy metals, cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), the most important fiber crop in the world, was exposed to different concentrations (0, 25, 50, 100, and 200 µM) of lead (Pb) and then the toxicological effects were investigated. The expression patterns of 16 stress-responsive miRNAs and 10 target genes were monitored in cotton leaves and roots by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR); of these selected genes, several miRNAs and their target genes are involved in root development. The results show a reciprocal regulation of cotton response to lead stress by miRNAs. The characterization of the miRNAs and the associated target genes in response to lead exposure would help in defining the potential roles of miRNAs in plant adaptation to heavy metal stress and further understanding miRNA regulation in response to abiotic stress.

Global gene expression in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. leaves to waterlogging stress.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanjun Zhang

Full Text Available Cotton is sensitive to waterlogging stress, which usually results in stunted growth and yield loss. To date, the molecular mechanisms underlying the responses to waterlogging in cotton remain elusive. Cotton was grown in a rain-shelter and subjected to 0 (control-, 10-, 15- and 20-d waterlogging at flowering stage. The fourth-leaves on the main-stem from the top were sampled and immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen for physiological measurement. Global gene transcription in the leaves of 15-d waterlogged plants was analyzed by RNA-Seq. Seven hundred and ninety four genes were up-regulated and 1018 genes were down-regulated in waterlogged cotton leaves compared with non-waterlogged control. The differentially expressed genes were mainly related to photosynthesis, nitrogen metabolism, starch and sucrose metabolism, glycolysis and plant hormone signal transduction. KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis indicated that most genes related to flavonoid biosynthesis, oxidative phosphorylation, amino acid metabolism and biosynthesis as well as circadian rhythm pathways were differently expressed. Waterlogging increased the expression of anaerobic fermentation related genes, such as alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH, but decreased the leaf chlorophyll concentration and photosynthesis by down-regulating the expression of photosynthesis related genes. Many genes related to plant hormones and transcription factors were differently expressed under waterlogging stress. Most of the ethylene related genes and ethylene-responsive factor-type transcription factors were up-regulated under water-logging stress, suggesting that ethylene may play key roles in the survival of cotton under waterlogging stress.

Different stress-related gene expression in depression and suicide.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, J; Qi, X-R; Gao, S-F; Lu, J; van Wamelen, D J; Kamphuis, W; Bao, A-M; Swaab, D F

2015-09-01

Suicide occurs in some, but not all depressed patients. So far, it remains unknown whether the studied stress-related candidate genes change in depression, suicide or both. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is involved in, among other things, impulse control and inhibitory behavior and plays an important role in both suicide and depression. We have employed qPCR to study 124 anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC) brain samples, obtained from two brain banks, from: i) young depressed patients (average age 43 years) who committed suicide (MDD-S) and depressed patients who died from causes other than suicide (MDD-NS) and from ii) elderly depressed patients (average age 75 years) who did not commit suicide (DEP). Both cohorts were individually matched with non-psychiatric non-suicide control subjects. We determined the transcript levels of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis-regulating molecules (corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), CRH receptors, CRH binding protein, mineralocorticoid receptor/glucocorticoid receptor), transcription factors that regulate CRH expression, CRH-stimulating cytokines, chaperone proteins, retinoid signaling, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and tropomyosin-related kinase B, cytochrome proteins, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and monoamines. In the MDD-S group, expression levels of CRH and neuronal NOS-interacting DHHC domain-containing protein with dendritic mRNA (NIDD) were increased. Other changes were only present in the DEP group, i.e. decreased NIDD, and increased and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 1A (5-HT1A) expression levels. Changes were found to be more pronounced in the anterior cingulate cortex than in the dorsolateral PFC. Depressed patients who committed suicide have different gene expression patterns than depressed patients who died of causes other than suicide. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Expression Analysis of Stress-Related Genes in Kernels of Different Maize (Zea mays L.) Inbred Lines with Different Resistance to Aflatoxin Contamination

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Tingbo; Zhou, Boru; Luo, Meng; Abbas, Hamed K.; Kemerait, Robert; Lee, Robert Dewey; Scully, Brian T.; Guo, Baozhu

2011-01-01

This research examined the expression patterns of 94 stress-related genes in seven maize inbred lines with differential expressions of resistance to aflatoxin contamination. The objective was to develop a set of genes/probes associated with resistance to A. flavus and/or aflatoxin contamination. Ninety four genes were selected from previous gene expression studies with abiotic stress to test the differential expression in maize lines, A638, B73, Lo964, Lo1016, Mo17, Mp313E, and Tex6, using real-time RT-PCR. Based on the relative-expression levels, the seven maize inbred lines clustered into two different groups. One group included B73, Lo1016 and Mo17, which had higher levels of aflatoxin contamination and lower levels of overall gene expression. The second group which included Tex6, Mp313E, Lo964 and A638 had lower levels of aflatoxin contamination and higher overall levels of gene expressions. A total of six “cross-talking” genes were identified between the two groups, which are highly expressed in the resistant Group 2 but down-regulated in susceptible Group 1. When further subjected to drought stress, Tex6 expressed more genes up-regulated and B73 has fewer genes up-regulated. The transcript patterns and interactions measured in these experiments indicate that the resistant mechanism is an interconnected process involving many gene products and transcriptional regulators, as well as various host interactions with environmental factors, particularly, drought and high temperature. PMID:22069724

Heat Stress Affects Pi-related Genes Expression and Inorganic Phosphate Deposition/Accumulation in Barley

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pacak, Andrzej; Barciszewska-Pacak, Maria; Swida-Barteczka, Aleksandra

2016-01-01

Phosphorus (P) in plants is taken from soil as an inorganic phosphate (Pi) and is one of the most important macroelements in growth and development. Plants actively react to Pi starvation by the induced expression of Pi transporters, MIR399, MIR827, and miR399 molecular sponge - IPS1 genes...... and by the decreased expression of the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 (PHOSPHATE2 - PHO2) and Pi sensing and transport SPX-MFS genes. The PHO2 protein is involved in the degradation of Pi transporters PHT1;1 (from soil to roots) and PHO1 (from roots to shoots). The decreased expression of PHO2 leads to Pi....... In shoots, the PHO2 mRNA level is decreased, leading to an increased Pi level. We concluded that Pi homeostasis in barley during heat stress is maintained by dynamic changes in Pi-related genes expression....

Evolution of stress-regulated gene expression in duplicate genes of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cheng Zou

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Due to the selection pressure imposed by highly variable environmental conditions, stress sensing and regulatory response mechanisms in plants are expected to evolve rapidly. One potential source of innovation in plant stress response mechanisms is gene duplication. In this study, we examined the evolution of stress-regulated gene expression among duplicated genes in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Key to this analysis was reconstructing the putative ancestral stress regulation pattern. By comparing the expression patterns of duplicated genes with the patterns of their ancestors, duplicated genes likely lost and gained stress responses at a rapid rate initially, but the rate is close to zero when the synonymous substitution rate (a proxy for time is > approximately 0.8. When considering duplicated gene pairs, we found that partitioning of putative ancestral stress responses occurred more frequently compared to cases of parallel retention and loss. Furthermore, the pattern of stress response partitioning was extremely asymmetric. An analysis of putative cis-acting DNA regulatory elements in the promoters of the duplicated stress-regulated genes indicated that the asymmetric partitioning of ancestral stress responses are likely due, at least in part, to differential loss of DNA regulatory elements; the duplicated genes losing most of their stress responses were those that had lost more of the putative cis-acting elements. Finally, duplicate genes that lost most or all of the ancestral responses are more likely to have gained responses to other stresses. Therefore, the retention of duplicates that inherit few or no functions seems to be coupled to neofunctionalization. Taken together, our findings provide new insight into the patterns of evolutionary changes in gene stress responses after duplication and lay the foundation for testing the adaptive significance of stress regulatory changes under highly variable biotic and abiotic environments.

Using Phenomic Analysis of Photosynthetic Function for Abiotic Stress Response Gene Discovery

KAUST Repository

Rungrat, Tepsuda

2016-09-09

Monitoring the photosynthetic performance of plants is a major key to understanding how plants adapt to their growth conditions. Stress tolerance traits have a high genetic complexity as plants are constantly, and unavoidably, exposed to numerous stress factors, which limits their growth rates in the natural environment. Arabidopsis thaliana, with its broad genetic diversity and wide climatic range, has been shown to successfully adapt to stressful conditions to ensure the completion of its life cycle. As a result, A. thaliana has become a robust and renowned plant model system for studying natural variation and conducting gene discovery studies. Genome wide association studies (GWAS) in restructured populations combining natural and recombinant lines is a particularly effective way to identify the genetic basis of complex traits. As most abiotic stresses affect photosynthetic activity, chlorophyll fluorescence measurements are a potential phenotyping technique for monitoring plant performance under stress conditions. This review focuses on the use of chlorophyll fluorescence as a tool to study genetic variation underlying the stress tolerance responses to abiotic stress in A. thaliana.

Transcriptome analysis uncovers Arabidopsis F-BOX STRESS INDUCED 1 as a regulator of jasmonic acid and abscisic acid stress gene expression.

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Gonzalez, Lauren E; Keller, Kristen; Chan, Karen X; Gessel, Megan M; Thines, Bryan C

2017-07-17

The ubiquitin 26S proteasome system (UPS) selectively degrades cellular proteins, which results in physiological changes to eukaryotic cells. F-box proteins are substrate adaptors within the UPS and are responsible for the diversity of potential protein targets. Plant genomes are enriched in F-box genes, but the vast majority of these have unknown roles. This work investigated the Arabidopsis F-box gene F-BOX STRESS INDUCED 1 (FBS1) for its effects on gene expression in order elucidate its previously unknown biological function. Using publically available Affymetrix ATH1 microarray data, we show that FBS1 is significantly co-expressed in abiotic stresses with other well-characterized stress response genes, including important stress-related transcriptional regulators. This gene suite is most highly expressed in roots under cold and salt stresses. Transcriptome analysis of fbs1-1 knock-out plants grown at a chilling temperature shows that hundreds of genes require FBS1 for appropriate expression, and that these genes are enriched in those having roles in both abiotic and biotic stress responses. Based on both this genome-wide expression data set and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis, it is apparent that FBS1 is required for elevated expression of many jasmonic acid (JA) genes that have established roles in combatting environmental stresses, and that it also controls a subset of JA biosynthesis genes. FBS1 also significantly impacts abscisic acid (ABA) regulated genes, but this interaction is more complex, as FBS1 has both positive and negative effects on ABA-inducible and ABA-repressible gene modules. One noteworthy effect of FBS1 on ABA-related stress processes, however, is the restraint it imposes on the expression of multiple class I LIPID TRANSFER PROTEIN (LTP) gene family members that have demonstrated protective effects in water deficit-related stresses. FBS1 impacts plant stress responses by regulating hundreds of genes that respond to the plant

Salt and drought stress and ABA responses related to bZIP genes from V. radiata and V. angularis.

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Wang, Lanfen; Zhu, Jifeng; Li, Xiaoming; Wang, Shumin; Wu, Jing

2018-04-20

Mung bean and adzuki bean are warm-season legumes widely cultivated in China. However, bean production in major producing regions is limited by biotic and abiotic stress, such as drought and salt stress. Basic leucine zipper (bZIP) genes play key roles in responses to various biotic and abiotic stresses. However, only several bZIP genes involved in drought and salt stress in legumes, especially Vigna radiata and Vigna angularis, have been identified. In this study, we identified 54 and 50 bZIP proteins from whole-genome sequences of V. radiata and V. angularis, respectively. First, we comprehensively surveyed the characteristics of all bZIP genes, including their gene structure, chromosome distribution and motif composition. Phylogenetic trees showed that VrbZIP and VabZIP proteins were divided into ten clades comprising nine known and one unknown subgroup. The results of the nucleotide substitution rate of the orthologous gene pairs showed that bZIP proteins have undergone strong purifying selection: V. radiata and V. angularis diverged 1.25 million years ago (mya) to 9.20 mya (average of 4.95 mya). We also found that many cis-acting regulatory elements (CAREs) involved in abiotic stress and plant hormone responses were detected in the putative promoter regions of the bZIP genes. Finally, using the quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) method, we performed expression profiling of the bZIP genes in response to drought, salt and abscisic acid (ABA). We identified several bZIP genes that may be involved in drought and salt responses. Generally, our results provided useful and rich resources of VrbZIP and VabZIP genes for the functional characterization and understanding of bZIP transcription factors (TFs) in warm-season legumes. In addition, our results revealed important and interesting data - a subset of VrbZIP and VabZIP gene expression profiles in response to drought, salt and ABA stress. These results provide gene expression evidence for the selection of

Effects of stress and MDMA on hippocampal gene expression.

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Weber, Georg F; Johnson, Bethann N; Yamamoto, Bryan K; Gudelsky, Gary A

2014-01-01

MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is a substituted amphetamine and popular drug of abuse. Its mood-enhancing short-term effects may prompt its consumption under stress. Clinical studies indicate that MDMA treatment may mitigate the symptoms of stress disorders such as posttraumatic stress syndrome (PTSD). On the other hand, repeated administration of MDMA results in persistent deficits in markers of serotonergic (5-HT) nerve terminals that have been viewed as indicative of 5-HT neurotoxicity. Exposure to chronic stress has been shown to augment MDMA-induced 5-HT neurotoxicity. Here, we examine the transcriptional responses in the hippocampus to MDMA treatment of control rats and rats exposed to chronic stress. MDMA altered the expression of genes that regulate unfolded protein binding, protein folding, calmodulin-dependent protein kinase activity, and neuropeptide signaling. In stressed rats, the gene expression profile in response to MDMA was altered to affect sensory processing and responses to tissue damage in nerve sheaths. Subsequent treatment with MDMA also markedly altered the genetic responses to stress such that the stress-induced downregulation of genes related to the circadian rhythm was reversed. The data support the view that MDMA-induced transcriptional responses accompany the persistent effects of this drug on neuronal structure/function. In addition, MDMA treatment alters the stress-induced transcriptional signature.

Halobenzoquinone-Induced Alteration of Gene Expression Associated with Oxidative Stress Signaling Pathways.

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Li, Jinhua; Moe, Birget; Liu, Yanming; Li, Xing-Fang

2018-06-05

Halobenzoquinones (HBQs) are emerging disinfection byproducts (DBPs) that effectively induce reactive oxygen species and oxidative damage in vitro. However, the impacts of HBQs on oxidative-stress-related gene expression have not been investigated. In this study, we examined alterations in the expression of 44 genes related to oxidative-stress-induced signaling pathways in human uroepithelial cells (SV-HUC-1) upon exposure to six HBQs. The results show the structure-dependent effects of HBQs on the studied gene expression. After 2 h of exposure, the expression levels of 9 to 28 genes were altered, while after 8 h of exposure, the expression levels of 29 to 31 genes were altered. Four genes ( HMOX1, NQO1, PTGS2, and TXNRD1) were significantly upregulated by all six HBQs at both exposure time points. Ingenuity pathway analysis revealed that the Nrf2 pathway was significantly responsive to HBQ exposure. Other canonical pathways responsive to HBQ exposure included GSH redox reductions, superoxide radical degradation, and xenobiotic metabolism signaling. This study has demonstrated that HBQs significantly alter the gene expression of oxidative-stress-related signaling pathways and contributes to the understanding of HBQ-DBP-associated toxicity.

Plant Core Environmental Stress Response Genes Are Systemically Coordinated during Abiotic Stresses

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Kenneth W. Berendzen

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Studying plant stress responses is an important issue in a world threatened by global warming. Unfortunately, comparative analyses are hampered by varying experimental setups. In contrast, the AtGenExpress abiotic stress experiment displays intercomparability. Importantly, six of the nine stresses (wounding, genotoxic, oxidative, UV-B light, osmotic and salt can be examined for their capacity to generate systemic signals between the shoot and root, which might be essential to regain homeostasis in Arabidopsis thaliana. We classified the systemic responses into two groups: genes that are regulated in the non-treated tissue only are defined as type I responsive and, accordingly, genes that react in both tissues are termed type II responsive. Analysis of type I and II systemic responses suggest distinct functionalities, but also significant overlap between different stresses. Comparison with salicylic acid (SA and methyl-jasmonate (MeJA responsive genes implies that MeJA is involved in the systemic stress response. Certain genes are predominantly responding in only one of the categories, e.g., WRKY genes respond mainly non-systemically. Instead, genes of the plant core environmental stress response (PCESR, e.g., ZAT10, ZAT12, ERD9 or MES9, are part of different response types. Moreover, several PCESR genes switch between the categories in a stress-specific manner.

Effects of Stress and MDMA on Hippocampal Gene Expression

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Georg F. Weber

2014-01-01

Full Text Available MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine is a substituted amphetamine and popular drug of abuse. Its mood-enhancing short-term effects may prompt its consumption under stress. Clinical studies indicate that MDMA treatment may mitigate the symptoms of stress disorders such as posttraumatic stress syndrome (PTSD. On the other hand, repeated administration of MDMA results in persistent deficits in markers of serotonergic (5-HT nerve terminals that have been viewed as indicative of 5-HT neurotoxicity. Exposure to chronic stress has been shown to augment MDMA-induced 5-HT neurotoxicity. Here, we examine the transcriptional responses in the hippocampus to MDMA treatment of control rats and rats exposed to chronic stress. MDMA altered the expression of genes that regulate unfolded protein binding, protein folding, calmodulin-dependent protein kinase activity, and neuropeptide signaling. In stressed rats, the gene expression profile in response to MDMA was altered to affect sensory processing and responses to tissue damage in nerve sheaths. Subsequent treatment with MDMA also markedly altered the genetic responses to stress such that the stress-induced downregulation of genes related to the circadian rhythm was reversed. The data support the view that MDMA-induced transcriptional responses accompany the persistent effects of this drug on neuronal structure/function. In addition, MDMA treatment alters the stress-induced transcriptional signature.

Dehydration stress memory genes of Zea mays; comparison with Arabidopsis thaliana

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2014-01-01

Background Pre-exposing plants to diverse abiotic stresses may alter their physiological and transcriptional responses to a subsequent stress, suggesting a form of “stress memory”. Arabidopsis thaliana plants that have experienced multiple exposures to dehydration stress display transcriptional behavior suggesting “memory” from an earlier stress. Genes that respond to a first stress by up-regulating or down-regulating their transcription but in a subsequent stress provide a significantly different response define the ‘memory genes’ category. Genes responding similarly to each stress form the ‘non-memory’ category. It is unknown whether such memory responses exists in other Angiosperm lineages and whether memory is an evolutionarily conserved response to repeated dehydration stresses. Results Here, we determine the transcriptional responses of maize (Zea mays L.) plants that have experienced repeated exposures to dehydration stress in comparison with plants encountering the stress for the first time. Four distinct transcription memory response patterns similar to those displayed by A. thaliana were revealed. The most important contribution is the evidence that monocot and eudicot plants, two lineages that have diverged 140 to 200 M years ago, display similar abilities to ‘remember’ a dehydration stress and to modify their transcriptional responses, accordingly. The highly sensitive RNA-Seq analyses allowed to identify genes that function similarly in the two lineages, as well as genes that function in species-specific ways. Memory transcription patterns indicate that the transcriptional behavior of responding genes under repeated stresses is different from the behavior during an initial dehydration stress, suggesting that stress memory is a complex phenotype resulting from coordinated responses of multiple signaling pathways. Conclusions Structurally related genes displaying the same memory responses in the two species would suggest conservation

Dietary Resveratrol Does Not Affect Life Span, Body Composition, Stress Response, and Longevity-Related Gene Expression in Drosophila melanogaster.

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Staats, Stefanie; Wagner, Anika E; Kowalewski, Bianca; Rieck, Florian T; Soukup, Sebastian T; Kulling, Sabine E; Rimbach, Gerald

2018-01-11

In this study, we tested the effect of the stilbene resveratrol on life span, body composition, locomotor activity, stress response, and the expression of genes encoding proteins centrally involved in ageing pathways in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster . Male and female w 1118 D. melanogaster were fed diets based on sucrose, corn meal, and yeast. Flies either received a control diet or a diet supplemented with 500 µmol/L resveratrol. Dietary resveratrol did not affect mean, median, and maximal life span of male and female flies. Furthermore, body composition remained largely unchanged following the resveratrol supplementation. Locomotor activity, as determined by the climbing index, was not significantly different between control and resveratrol-supplemented flies. Resveratrol-fed flies did not exhibit an improved stress response towards hydrogen peroxide as compared to controls. Resveratrol did not change mRNA steady levels of antioxidant ( catalase , glutathione-S-transferase , NADH dehydrogenase , glutathione peroxidase , superoxide dismutase 2 ) and longevity-related genes, including sirtuin 2 , spargel , and I'm Not Dead Yet . Collectively, present data suggest that resveratrol does not affect life span, body composition, locomotor activity, stress response, and longevity-associated gene expression in w 1118 D. melanogaster .

Dietary Resveratrol Does Not Affect Life Span, Body Composition, Stress Response, and Longevity-Related Gene Expression in Drosophila melanogaster

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Stefanie Staats

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, we tested the effect of the stilbene resveratrol on life span, body composition, locomotor activity, stress response, and the expression of genes encoding proteins centrally involved in ageing pathways in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. Male and female w1118 D. melanogaster were fed diets based on sucrose, corn meal, and yeast. Flies either received a control diet or a diet supplemented with 500 µmol/L resveratrol. Dietary resveratrol did not affect mean, median, and maximal life span of male and female flies. Furthermore, body composition remained largely unchanged following the resveratrol supplementation. Locomotor activity, as determined by the climbing index, was not significantly different between control and resveratrol-supplemented flies. Resveratrol-fed flies did not exhibit an improved stress response towards hydrogen peroxide as compared to controls. Resveratrol did not change mRNA steady levels of antioxidant (catalase, glutathione-S-transferase, NADH dehydrogenase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase 2 and longevity-related genes, including sirtuin 2, spargel, and I’m Not Dead Yet. Collectively, present data suggest that resveratrol does not affect life span, body composition, locomotor activity, stress response, and longevity-associated gene expression in w1118 D. melanogaster.

Expression analysis of cell wall assembly and remodelling-related genes in Arabidopsis roots subjected to boron stress and brassinosteroid at different developmental stages

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Rabia İşkil

2018-04-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Plant cell walls are affected by many biotic and abiotic stress conditions. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of 24-Epibrassinolide (EBL on some cell wall-related genes in root tissue of five- and ten-week-old Arabidopsis thaliana plants exposed to boron (B deficiency (0 µM or toxicity (3000 µM at the transcriptional level. Expressions of the genes that encode cellulose synthase (CESA1, CESA4, CESA6 and CESA8, cellulose synthase-like (CSLB5, expansin (EXPA5, EXPA8 and EXPA14 and cell wall protein (SEB1 decreased under conditions of B deficiency and toxicity. EBL treatments, in general, led the expressions of these genes to reduce significantly. Expressions of xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase genes (XTH21 and XTH23 changed only under conditions of B toxicity. Boron stress and/or EBL treatments caused different responses in expression of pectin methylesterase (PME2 and PME41 genes. As a result of B stress, the expression levels of investigated genes changed more in roots of five-week-old plants than in roots of ten-week-old plants. Results of the present study include new findings that support the ability of BRs to increase molecular aspects of tolerance to stress in plants.

Differential Gene Expression in Colon Tissue Associated With Diet, Lifestyle, and Related Oxidative Stress.

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Martha L Slattery

Full Text Available Several diet and lifestyle factors may impact health by influencing oxidative stress levels. We hypothesize that level of cigarette smoking, alcohol, anti-inflammatory drugs, and diet alter gene expression. We analyzed RNA-seq data from 144 colon cancer patients who had information on recent cigarette smoking, recent alcohol consumption, diet, and recent aspirin/non-steroidal anti-inflammatory use. Using a false discovery rate of 0.1, we evaluated gene differential expression between high and low levels of exposure using DESeq2. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA was used to determine networks associated with de-regulated genes in our data. We identified 46 deregulated genes associated with recent cigarette use; these genes enriched causal networks regulated by TEK and MAP2K3. Different differentially expressed genes were associated with type of alcohol intake; five genes were associated with total alcohol, six were associated with beer intake, six were associated with wine intake, and four were associated with liquor consumption. Recent use of aspirin and/or ibuprofen was associated with differential expression of TMC06, ST8SIA4, and STEAP3 while a summary oxidative balance score (OBS was associated with SYCP3, HDX, and NRG4 (all up-regulated with greater oxidative balance. Of the dietary antioxidants and carotenoids evaluated only intake of beta carotene (1 gene, Lutein/Zeaxanthine (5 genes, and Vitamin E (4 genes were associated with differential gene expression. There were similarities in biological function of de-regulated genes associated with various dietary and lifestyle factors. Our data support the hypothesis that diet and lifestyle factors associated with oxidative stress can alter gene expression. However genes altered were unique to type of alcohol and type of antioxidant. Because of potential differences in associations observed between platforms these findings need replication in other populations.

Intra-specific variations in expression of stress-related genes in beech progenies are stronger than drought-induced responses.

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Carsjens, Caroline; Nguyen Ngoc, Quynh; Guzy, Jonas; Knutzen, Florian; Meier, Ina Christin; Müller, Markus; Finkeldey, Reiner; Leuschner, Christoph; Polle, Andrea

2014-12-01

Rapidly decreasing water availability as a consequence of climate change is likely to endanger the range of long-lived tree species. A pressing question is, therefore, whether adaptation to drought exists in important temperate tree species like European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), a wide-spread, dominant forest tree in Central Europe. Here, five beech stands were selected along a precipitation gradient from moist to dry conditions. Neutral genetic markers revealed strong variation within and little differentiation between the populations. Natural regeneration from these stands was transferred to a common garden and used to investigate the expression of genes for abscisic acid (ABA)-related drought signaling [9-cis-epoxy-dioxygenase (NCED), protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C), early responsive to dehydration (ERD)] and stress protection [ascorbate peroxidase (APX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), glutamine amidotransferase (GAT)] that are involved in drought acclimation. We hypothesized that progenies from dry sites exhibit constitutively higher expression levels of ABA- and stress-related genes and are less drought responsive than progenies from moist sites. Transcript levels and stress responses (leaf area loss, membrane integrity) of well-irrigated and drought-stressed plants were measured during the early, mid- and late growing season. Principal component (PC) analysis ordered the beech progenies according to the mean annual precipitation at tree origin by the transcript levels of SOD, ALDH, GAT and ERD as major loadings along PC1. PC2 separated moist and drought treatments with PP2C levels as important loading. These results suggest that phosphatase-mediated signaling is flexibly acclimated to the current requirements, whereas stress compensatory measures exhibited genotypic variation, apparently underlying climate selection. In contrast to expectation, the drought responses were less pronounced than the progeny-related differences and the

Serotonin-related gene expression in female monkeys with individual sensitivity to stress.

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Bethea, C L; Streicher, J M; Mirkes, S J; Sanchez, R L; Reddy, A P; Cameron, J L

2005-01-01

Female cynomolgus monkeys exhibit different degrees of reproductive dysfunction with moderate metabolic and psychosocial stress. In this study, the expression of four genes pivotal to serotonin neural function was assessed in monkeys previously categorized as highly stress resistant (n=3; normal menstrual cyclicity through two stress cycles), medium stress resistant (n=5; ovulatory in the first stress cycle but anovulatory in the second stress cycle), or low stress resistant (i.e. stress-sensitive; n=4; anovulatory as soon as stress is initiated). In situ hybridization and quantitative image analysis was used to measure mRNAs coding for SERT (serotonin transporter), 5HT1A autoreceptor, MAO-A and MAO-B (monoamine oxidases) at six levels of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). Optical density (OD) and positive pixel area were measured with NIH Image software. In addition, serotonin neurons were immunostained and counted at three levels of the DRN. Finally, each animal was genotyped for the serotonin transporter long polymorphic region (5HTTLPR). Stress sensitive animals had lower expression of SERT mRNA in the caudal region of the DRN (PMAO-A mRNA signal in the stress-sensitive group (PMAO-A OD was positively correlated with progesterone from a pre-stress control cycle (PMAO-B mRNA exhibited a similar downward trend in the stress-sensitive group. MAO-B OD also correlated with control cycle progesterone (PMAO-A) or exhibited a lower trend (5HT1A, MAO-B) in the stress sensitive animals, which probably reflects the lower number of serotonin neurons present.

A novel locus in the oxidative stress-related gene ALOX12 moderates the association between PTSD and thickness of the prefrontal cortex.

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Miller, Mark W; Wolf, Erika J; Sadeh, Naomi; Logue, Mark; Spielberg, Jeffrey M; Hayes, Jasmeet P; Sperbeck, Emily; Schichman, Steven A; Stone, Angie; Carter, Weleetka C; Humphries, Donald E; Milberg, William; McGlinchey, Regina

2015-12-01

Oxidative stress has been implicated in many common age-related diseases and is hypothesized to play a role in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-related neurodegeneration (Miller and Sadeh, 2014). This study examined the influence of the oxidative stress-related genes ALOX 12 and ALOX 15 on the association between PTSD and cortical thickness. Factor analyses were used to identify and compare alternative models of the structure of cortical thickness in a sample of 218 veterans. The best-fitting model was then used for a genetic association analysis in White non-Hispanic participants (n=146) that examined relationships between 33 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) spanning the two genes, 8 cortical thickness factors, and each SNP×PTSD interaction. Results identified a novel ALOX12 locus (indicated by two SNPs in perfect linkage disequilibrium: rs1042357 and rs10852889) that moderated the association between PTSD and reduced thickness of the right prefrontal cortex. A whole-cortex vertex-wise analysis showed this effect to be localized to clusters spanning the rostral middle frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, rostral anterior cingulate cortex, and medial orbitofrontal cortex. These findings illustrate a novel factor-analytic approach to neuroimaging-genetic analyses and provide new evidence for the possible involvement of oxidative stress in PTSD-related neurodegeneration. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Salicylic acid promotes plant growth and salt-related gene expression in Dianthus superbus L. (Caryophyllaceae) grown under different salt stress conditions.

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Zheng, Jian; Ma, Xiaohua; Zhang, Xule; Hu, Qingdi; Qian, Renjuan

2018-03-01

Salt stress is a critical factor that affects the growth and development of plants. Salicylic acid (SA) is an important signal molecule that mitigates the negative effects of salt stress on plants. To elucidate salt tolerance in large pink Dianthus superbus L. (Caryophyllaceae) and the regulatory mechanism of exogenous SA on D. superbus under different salt stresses, we conducted a pot experiment to evaluate leaf biomass, leaf anatomy, soluble protein and sugar content, and the relative expression of salt-induced genes in D. superbus under 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9% NaCl conditions with and without 0.5 mM SA. The result showed that exposure of D. superbus to salt stress lead to a decrease in leaf growth, soluble protein and sugar content, and mesophyll thickness, together with an increase in the expression of MYB and P5CS genes. Foliar application of SA effectively increased leaf biomass, soluble protein and sugar content, and upregulated the expression of MYB and P5CS in the D. superbus , which facilitated in the acclimation of D. superbus to moderate salt stress. However, when the plants were grown under severe salt stress (0.9% NaCl), no significant difference in plant physiological responses and relevant gene expression between plants with and without SA was observed. The findings of this study suggest that exogenous SA can effectively counteract the adverse effects of moderate salt stress on D. superbus growth and development.

Prenatal Stress, Methylation in Inflammation-Related Genes, and Adiposity Measures in Early Childhood: the Programming Research in Obesity, Growth Environment and Social Stress Cohort Study.

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Wu, Shaowei; Gennings, Chris; Wright, Rosalind J; Wilson, Ander; Burris, Heather H; Just, Allan C; Braun, Joseph M; Svensson, Katherine; Zhong, Jia; Brennan, Kasey J M; Dereix, Alexandra; Cantoral, Alejandra; Schnaas, Lourdes; Téllez-Rojo, Martha Maria; Wright, Robert O; Baccarelli, Andrea A

2018-01-01

Maternal stress during pregnancy may influence childhood growth and adiposity, possibly through immune/inflammatory programming. We investigated whether exposure to prenatal stress and methylation in inflammation-related genes were associated with childhood adiposity in 424 mother-child pairs in Mexico City, Mexico. A stress index was created based on four prenatally administered stress-related scales (Exposure to Violence, Crisis in Family Systems, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale). We measured weight, height, body fat mass (BFM), percentage body fat (PBF), and waist circumference in early childhood (age range, 4-6 years). Body mass index (BMI) z scores were calculated according to World Health Organization standards. DNA methylation in gene promoters of tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin 8, and interleukin 6 (IL6) in umbilical cord blood were determined by pyrosequencing. An interquartile range increase in stress index (27.3) was associated with decreases of 0.14 unit in BMI z score (95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.28 to -0.005), 5.6% in BFM (95% CI = -9.7 to -1.4), 3.5% in PBF (95% CI = -6.3 to -0.5), and 1.2% in waist circumference (95% CI = -2.4 to -0.04) in multivariable-adjusted models. An interquartile range increase in IL6 methylation (3.9%) was associated with increases of 0.23 unit in BMI z score (95% CI = 0.06-0.40), 8.1% (95% CI = 2.3-14.3) in BFM, 5.5% (95% CI = 1.7-9.5) in PBF, and 1.7% (95% CI = 0.2-3.3) in waist circumference. Prenatal stress was associated with decreased childhood adiposity, whereas cord blood IL6 methylation was associated with increased childhood adiposity in Mexican children.

Microarray meta-analysis to explore abiotic stress-specific gene expression patterns in Arabidopsis.

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Shen, Po-Chih; Hour, Ai-Ling; Liu, Li-Yu Daisy

2017-12-01

Abiotic stresses are the major limiting factors that affect plant growth, development, yield and final quality. Deciphering the underlying mechanisms of plants' adaptations to stresses using few datasets might overlook the different aspects of stress tolerance in plants, which might be simultaneously and consequently operated in the system. Fortunately, the accumulated microarray expression data offer an opportunity to infer abiotic stress-specific gene expression patterns through meta-analysis. In this study, we propose to combine microarray gene expression data under control, cold, drought, heat, and salt conditions and determined modules (gene sets) of genes highly associated with each other according to the observed expression data. By analyzing the expression variations of the Eigen genes from different conditions, we had identified two, three, and five gene modules as cold-, heat-, and salt-specific modules, respectively. Most of the cold- or heat-specific modules were differentially expressed to a particular degree in shoot samples, while most of the salt-specific modules were differentially expressed to a particular degree in root samples. A gene ontology (GO) analysis on the stress-specific modules suggested that the gene modules exclusively enriched stress-related GO terms and that different genes under the same GO terms may be alternatively disturbed in different conditions. The gene regulatory events for two genes, DREB1A and DEAR1, in the cold-specific gene module had also been validated, as evidenced through the literature search. Our protocols study the specificity of the gene modules that were specifically activated under a particular type of abiotic stress. The biplot can also assist to visualize the stress-specific gene modules. In conclusion, our approach has the potential to further elucidate mechanisms in plants and beneficial for future experiments design under different abiotic stresses.

Advances in study of reporter gene imaging for monitoring gene therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mu Chuanjie; Zhou Jiwen

2003-01-01

To evaluate the efficiency of gene therapy, it is requisite to monitor localization and expression of the therapeutic gene in vivo. Monitoring expression of reporter gene using radionuclide reporter gene technique is the best method. Adenoviral vectors expressing reporter gene are constructed using gene fusion, bicistronic, double promoter or bidirectional transcriptional recombination techniques, and transferred into target cells and tissues, then injected radiolabeled reporter probes which couple to the reporter genes. The reporter genes can be imaged invasively, repeatedly, quantitatively with γ-camera, PET and SPECT. Recently, several reporter gene and reporter probe systems have been used in studies of gene therapy. The part of them has been used for clinic trials

Clock genes × stress × reward interactions in alcohol and substance use disorders.

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Perreau-Lenz, Stéphanie; Spanagel, Rainer

2015-06-01

Adverse life events and highly stressful environments have deleterious consequences for mental health. Those environmental factors can potentiate alcohol and drug abuse in vulnerable individuals carrying specific genetic risk factors, hence producing the final risk for alcohol- and substance-use disorders development. The nature of these genes remains to be fully determined, but studies indicate their direct or indirect relation to the stress hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and/or reward systems. Over the past decade, clock genes have been revealed to be key-players in influencing acute and chronic alcohol/drug effects. In parallel, the influence of chronic stress and stressful life events in promoting alcohol and substance use and abuse has been demonstrated. Furthermore, the reciprocal interaction of clock genes with various HPA-axis components, as well as the evidence for an implication of clock genes in stress-induced alcohol abuse, have led to the idea that clock genes, and Period genes in particular, may represent key genetic factors to consider when examining gene × environment interaction in the etiology of addiction. The aim of the present review is to summarize findings linking clock genes, stress, and alcohol and substance abuse, and to propose potential underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Radiopharmaceuticals to monitor gene transfer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiebe, L. I.; Morin, K. W.; Knaus, E. E.

1997-01-01

Advances in genetic engineering and molecular biology have opened the door to disease treatment by transferring genes to cells that are responsible for the pathological condition being addressed. These genes can serve to supplement or introduce the function of indigenous genes that are either inadequately expressed or that are congenitally absent in the patient. They can introduce new functions such as drug sensitization to provide a unique therapeutic target. Gene transfer is readily monitored in vitro using a range of histochemical and biochemical tests that are ''built in'' to the therapeutic gene cassette. In vivo, in situ monitoring of the gene transfer and gene expression processes can be achieved with these tests only if biopsy is possible. Scintigraphic imaging can offer unique information on both the extent and location of gene expression, provided that an appropriate reporter gene is included in the therapeutic cassette. This overview includes a brief orientation to gene transfer therapy and is followed by a review of current approaches to gene therapy imaging. The concluding section deals with imaging based on radiolabelled nucleoside substrates for herpes simplex type-1 thymidine kinase, with emphasis on IVFRU, a stable potent and selective HSV-1 TK substrate developed in their laboratories

Genetically engineered Rice with transcription factor DREB genes for abiotic stress tolerance(abstract)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Datta, S.K.; Datta, K.

2005-01-01

Water stress (drought and Salinity) is the most severe limitation to rice productivity. Several breeding approaches (MAS, QTL) applied to suitable genotypes are in place at IRRI and elsewhere. Phenotyping of water stress tolerance is in progress with potential predictability. Dr. Shinozaki's group has cloned a number of transcription factor genes, which have been shown to work in Arabidopsis to achieve drought, cold, and salinity tolerant plants. None of these genes have as yet displayed their potential functioning in rice. Genetic engineering aims at cross talk between different stress signaling pathways leading to stress tolerance. Osmotic Adjustment (OA) is an effective component of abiotic stress (drought and salinity) tolerance in many plants including rice. When plant experiences water stress, OA contributes to turgor maintenance of both shoots and roots. Conventional breeding could not achieve the OA in rice excepting a few rice cultivars, which are partially adapted to water-stress conditions. Several stress-related genes have now been cloned and transferred in to enhance the osmolytes and some transgenic lines showed increased tolerance to osmotic stress. A few strategies could be effectively deployed for a better understanding of water-stress tolerance in rice and to develop transgenic rice, which can survive for a critical period of water-stress conditions: 1) Switching on of transcription factor regulating the expression of several genes related to abiotic stress, 2) Use of a suitable stress inducible promoter driving the target gene for an efficient and directed expression in plants, 3) Understanding of phenotyping and GxE in a given environment, 4) Selection of a few adaptive rice cultivars suitable in drought/salinity prone areas, 5) Microarray, proteomics, QTL and MAS may expedite the cloning and characterizing the stress induced genes, and 6) Finally, the efficient transformation system for generating a large number of transgenic rice of different

Identification and expression analysis of cold and freezing stress responsive genes of Brassica oleracea.

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Ahmed, Nasar Uddin; Jung, Hee-Jeong; Park, Jong-In; Cho, Yong-Gu; Hur, Yoonkang; Nou, Ill-Sup

2015-01-10

Cold and freezing stress is a major environmental constraint to the production of Brassica crops. Enhancement of tolerance by exploiting cold and freezing tolerance related genes offers the most efficient approach to address this problem. Cold-induced transcriptional profiling is a promising approach to the identification of potential genes related to cold and freezing stress tolerance. In this study, 99 highly expressed genes were identified from a whole genome microarray dataset of Brassica rapa. Blast search analysis of the Brassica oleracea database revealed the corresponding homologous genes. To validate their expression, pre-selected cold tolerant and susceptible cabbage lines were analyzed. Out of 99 BoCRGs, 43 were differentially expressed in response to varying degrees of cold and freezing stress in the contrasting cabbage lines. Among the differentially expressed genes, 18 were highly up-regulated in the tolerant lines, which is consistent with their microarray expression. Additionally, 12 BoCRGs were expressed differentially after cold stress treatment in two contrasting cabbage lines, and BoCRG54, 56, 59, 62, 70, 72 and 99 were predicted to be involved in cold regulatory pathways. Taken together, the cold-responsive genes identified in this study provide additional direction for elucidating the regulatory network of low temperature stress tolerance and developing cold and freezing stress resistant Brassica crops. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

CANDIDATE GENE ANALYSIS IN ISRAELI SOLDIERS WITH STRESS FRACTURES

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Ran Yanovich

2012-03-01

Full Text Available To investigate the association of polymorphisms within candidate genes which we hypothesized may contribute to stress fracture predisposition, a case-control, cross- sectional study design was employed. Genotyping 268 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms- SNPs within 17 genes in 385 Israeli young male and female recruits (182 with and 203 without stress fractures. Twenty-five polymorphisms within 9 genes (NR3C1, ANKH, VDR, ROR2, CALCR, IL6, COL1A2, CBG, and LRP4 showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05 in the distribution between stress fracture cases and non stress fracture controls. Seventeen genetic variants were associated with an increased stress fracture risk, and eight variants with a decreased stress fracture risk. None of the SNP associations remained significant after correcting for multiple comparisons (false discovery rate- FDR. Our findings suggest that genes may be involved in stress fracture pathogenesis. Specifically, the CALCR and the VDR genes are intriguing candidates. The putative involvement of these genes in stress fracture predisposition requires analysis of more cases and controls and sequencing the relevant genomic regions, in order to define the specific gene mutations

Heat stress and sudden infant death syndrome--stress gene expression after exposure to moderate heat stress

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rohde, Marianne Cathrine; Corydon, Thomas Juhl; Hansen, Jakob

2013-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate stress gene expression in cultured primary fibroblasts established from Achilles tendons collected during autopsies from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) cases, and age-matched controls (infants dying in a traumatic event). Expression of 4 stress...... responsive genes, HSPA1B, HSPD1, HMOX1, and SOD2, was studied by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR analysis of RNA purified from cells cultured under standard or various thermal stress conditions. The expression of all 4 genes was highly influenced by thermal stress in both SIDS and control cells. High...... interpersonal variance found in the SIDS group indicated that they represented a more heterogeneous group than controls. The SIDS group responded to thermal stress with a higher expression of the HSPA1B and HSPD1 genes compared to the control group, whereas no significant difference was observed...

Exposure of Lactating Dairy Cows to Acute Pre-Ovulatory Heat Stress Affects Granulosa Cell-Specific Gene Expression Profiles in Dominant Follicles

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Vanselow, Jens; Vernunft, Andreas; Koczan, Dirk; Spitschak, Marion; Kuhla, Björn

2016-01-01

High environmental temperatures induce detrimental effects on various reproductive processes in cattle. According to the predicted global warming the number of days with unfavorable ambient temperatures will further increase. The objective of this study was to investigate effects of acute heat stress during the late pre-ovulatory phase on morphological, physiological and molecular parameters of dominant follicles in cycling cows during lactation. Eight German Holstein cows in established lactation were exposed to heat stress (28°C) or thermoneutral conditions (15°C) with pair-feeding for four days. After hormonal heat induction growth of the respective dominant follicles was monitored by ultrasonography for two days, then an ovulatory GnRH dose was given and follicular steroid hormones and granulosa cell-specific gene expression profiles were determined 23 hrs thereafter. The data showed that the pre-ovulatory growth of dominant follicles and the estradiol, but not the progesterone concentrations tended to be slightly affected. mRNA microarray and hierarchical cluster analysis revealed distinct expression profiles in granulosa cells derived from heat stressed compared to pair-fed animals. Among the 255 affected genes heatstress-, stress- or apoptosis associated genes were not present. But instead, we found up-regulation of genes essentially involved in G-protein coupled signaling pathways, extracellular matrix composition, and several members of the solute carrier family as well as up-regulation of FST encoding follistatin. In summary, the data of the present study show that acute pre-ovulatory heat stress can specifically alter gene expression profiles in granulosa cells, however without inducing stress related genes and pathways and suggestively can impair follicular growth due to affecting the activin-inhibin-follistatin system. PMID:27532452

Histone acetylation associated up-regulation of the cell wall related genes is involved in salt stress induced maize root swelling

OpenAIRE

Li, Hui; Yan, Shihan; Zhao, Lin; Tan, Junjun; Zhang, Qi; Gao, Fei; Wang, Pu; Hou, Haoli; Li, Lijia

2014-01-01

Background Salt stress usually causes crop growth inhibition and yield decrease. Epigenetic regulation is involved in plant responses to environmental stimuli. The epigenetic regulation of the cell wall related genes associated with the salt-induced cellular response is still little known. This study aimed to analyze cell morphological alterations in maize roots as a consequence of excess salinity in relation to the transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of the cell wall related protein ge...

Personalized stress management : enabling stress monitoring with LifelogExplorer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kocielnik, R.D.; Sidorova, N.

2015-01-01

Stress is one of the major triggers for many diseases. Improving stress balance is therefore an important prevention step. With advances in wearable sensors, it becomes possible to continuously monitor and analyse user’s behavior and arousal in an unobtrusive way. In this paper, we report on a case

Serum miRNA disregulation during transport-related stress in turkey (Meleagris gallopavo

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Andreia Tomás Marques

2015-07-01

Full Text Available MicroRNAs (miRNAs are small 21-25 nucleotide regulatory non-coding RNAs that modulate gene expression in eukaryotic organisms. miRNAs are complementary to the 3′-untranslated regions of mRNA and act as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression, exhibiting remarkable stability in extracellular fluids such as blood. Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo farming is a species economically relevant but the lack of efficient protocols for the evaluation of commercial turkeys prevents to measure the impact of industry practices on birds productivity and welfare. In order to identify potential molecular biomarkers for monitoring stress in turkey’s handling, we investigated by TaqMan qPCR the abundance of five circulating miRNA, namely miR-22, miR-155, miR-181a, miR-204 and miR-365, previously demonstrated to be involved in stress in chicken due to feed deprivation. Road transportation related procedures were selected as stressful model for this study. The serum of twenty healthy animals was collected before and after 2h transportation. Our results demonstrated that miR-22, miR-155 and miR-365 are statistically more expressed after road transportation. Receiver-operator characteristics (ROC analysis was used to estimate the diagnostic value of these miRNAs to evaluate the stress in animals. The serum level of miR-22, miR-155 and miR-365 can discriminate stressed from non-stressed animals with an AUC=0.763, 0.710 and 0.704, respectively, and the average expression of their combination has the same specificity (AUC=0.745. miR-22, miR-155 and miR-365 are stress-specific markers and can be considered as suitable biomarkers to identify turkeys stressed by road transportation.

Virus-induced gene silencing of Withania somnifera squalene synthase negatively regulates sterol and defence-related genes resulting in reduced withanolides and biotic stress tolerance.

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Singh, Anup Kumar; Dwivedi, Varun; Rai, Avanish; Pal, Shaifali; Reddy, Sajjalavarahalli Gangireddy Eswara; Rao, Dodaghatta Krishnarao Venkata; Shasany, Ajit Kumar; Nagegowda, Dinesh A

2015-12-01

Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal is an important Indian medicinal plant that produces withanolides, which are triterpenoid steroidal lactones having diverse biological activities. To enable fast and efficient functional characterization of genes in this slow-growing and difficult-to-transform plant, a virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) was established by silencing phytoene desaturase (PDS) and squalene synthase (SQS). VIGS of the gene encoding SQS, which provides precursors for triterpenoids, resulted in significant reduction of squalene and withanolides, demonstrating its application in studying withanolides biosynthesis in W. somnifera leaves. A comprehensive analysis of gene expression and sterol pathway intermediates in WsSQS-vigs plants revealed transcriptional modulation with positive feedback regulation of mevalonate pathway genes, and negative feed-forward regulation of downstream sterol pathway genes including DWF1 (delta-24-sterol reductase) and CYP710A1 (C-22-sterol desaturase), resulting in significant reduction of sitosterol, campesterol and stigmasterol. However, there was little effect of SQS silencing on cholesterol, indicating the contribution of sitosterol, campesterol and stigmasterol, but not of cholesterol, towards withanolides formation. Branch-point oxidosqualene synthases in WsSQS-vigs plants exhibited differential regulation with reduced CAS (cycloartenol synthase) and cycloartenol, and induced BAS (β-amyrin synthase) and β-amyrin. Moreover, SQS silencing also led to the down-regulation of brassinosteroid-6-oxidase-2 (BR6OX2), pathogenesis-related (PR) and nonexpressor of PR (NPR) genes, resulting in reduced tolerance to bacterial and fungal infection as well as to insect feeding. Taken together, SQS silencing negatively regulated sterol and defence-related genes leading to reduced phytosterols, withanolides and biotic stress tolerance, thus implicating the application of VIGS for functional analysis of genes related to withanolides

Upregulation of Oxidative Stress Related Genes in a Chronic Kidney Disease Attributed to Specific Geographical Locations of Sri Lanka

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Saravanabavan Sayanthooran

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To infer the influence of internal and external oxidative stress in chronic kidney disease patients of unknown etiology (CKDu in Sri Lanka, by analyzing expression of genes related directly or indirectly to oxidative stress: glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC, glutathione S-transferase mu 1 (GSTM1, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD, fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23, and NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3. Methods. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR was carried out for the selected populations: CKDu patients (n=43, chronic kidney disease patients (CKD; n=14, healthy individuals from a CKDu endemic area (GHI; n=9, and nonendemic area (KHI; n=16. Fold changes were quantified relative to KHI. Results. GCLC had greater than threefold upregulation in all three study groups, with a maximum of 7.27-fold upregulation in GHI (p=0.000. GSTM1 was not expressed in 25.6% of CKDu and 42.9% of CKD patients, but CKDu patients expressing GSTM1 showed upregulation of 2.60-fold (p<0.05. Upregulation of FGF23 and NLRP3 genes in CKD and CKDu was observed (p<0.01, with greater fold changes in CKD. Conclusion. Results suggest higher influence of external sources of oxidative stress in CKDu, possibly owing to environmental conditions.

Differential expression analysis of boron transporters and some stress-related genes in response to 24-epibrassinolide and boron by semi-quantitative RT-PCR in Arabidopsis thaliana (L. Heynh

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Surgun Yonca

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Plant steroidal hormones, brassinosteroids (BRs, promote plant developmental processes and enhance tolerance to several abiotic stresses including high boron (B stress. To examine the possible role of BR in high B-induced stress at the transcriptional level, we investigated the response of B transporter genes (BOR1-4, high B-induced genes (MATE, Hsp-like, BR-induced genes (Hsp70-4, Hsp90-1 and other stress-related genes (LTI/COR78, LEA4-5 upon exogenous treatments of 24-epibrassinolide (EBL on Arabidopsis thaliana (L. Heynh exposed to high concentrations of boric acid (BA using semi-quantitative RT-PCR. BA treatments led to down regulation of BOR1 and BOR3 genes in leaf and root tissues and higher concentration of EBL further decreased expression of these genes in roots. The expression of high B-induced genes was observed to be upregulated by 1 μM EBL treatment under high B stress in both tissues of the seedlings. The upregulation of BR-induced genes were clearly evident in root tissues co-treated with 1 μM EBL and BA as compared to BA alone. Higher concentration of EBL was found to be more effective in increasing expression of LTI/COR78 gene in root and LEA4-5 gene in shoot tissues. To our knowledge, this is the first report how exogenous application of EBL modulates high B stress responses at molecular level in model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

Overexpression of the autophagy-related gene SiATG8a from foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) confers tolerance to both nitrogen starvation and drought stress in Arabidopsis.

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Li, Wei-wei; Chen, Ming; Zhong, Li; Liu, Jia-ming; Xu, Zhao-shi; Li, Lian-cheng; Zhou, Yong-Bin; Guo, Chang-Hong; Ma, You-Zhi

2015-12-25

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved biological process in all eukaryotes for the degradation of intracellular components for nutrient recycling. Autophagy is known to be involved in responses to low nitrogen stress in Arabidopsis. Foxtail millet has strong abiotic stress resistance to both low nutrient and drought stress. However, to date, there have only been a few genes reported to be related with abiotic stress resistance in foxtail millet. In this study, we identified an autophagy-related gene, SiATG8a, from foxtail millet. SiATG8a is mainly expressed in stems and its expression was dramatically induced by drought stress and nitrogen starvation treatments. SiATG8a was localized in the membrane and cytoplasm of foxtail millet. Overexpression of SiATG8a in Arabidopsis conferred tolerance to both nitrogen starvation and to drought stress. Under nitrogen starvation conditions, the SiATG8a transgenic plants had larger root and leaf areas and accumulated more total nitrogen than wild-type plants. The transgenic plants had lower total protein concentrations than did the WT plants. Under drought stress, the SiATG8a transgenic plants had higher survival rates, chlorophyll content, and proline content, but had lower MDA content than wild type plants. Taken together, our results represent the first identified case where overexpression of autophagy related gene can simultaneously improve plant resistance to low nitrogen and drought stresses. These findings implicate plant autophagy in plant stress responses to low nitrogen and drought and should be helpful in efforts to improve stresses resistance to nitrogen starvation and drought of crops by genetic transformation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Distinct actions of ancestral vinclozolin and juvenile stress on neural gene expression in the male rat

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Ross eGillette

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Exposure to the endocrine disrupting chemical vinclozolin during gestation of an F0 generation and/or chronic restraint stress during adolescence of the F3 descendants affects behavior, physiology, and gene expression in the brain. Genes related to the networks of growth factors, signaling peptides and receptors, steroid hormone receptors and enzymes, and epigenetic related factors were measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction via Taqman low density arrays targeting 48 genes in the central amygdaloid nucleus, medial amygdaloid nucleus, medial preoptic area, lateral hypothalamus, and the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus. We found that growth factors are particularly vulnerable to ancestral exposure in the central and medial amygdala; restraint stress during adolescence affected neural growth factors in the medial amygdala. Signaling peptides were affected by both ancestral exposure and stress during adolescence primarily in hypothalamic nuclei. Steroid hormone receptors and enzymes were strongly affected by restraint stress in the medial preoptic area. Epigenetic related genes were affected by stress in the ventromedial hypothalamus and by both ancestral exposure and stress during adolescence independently in the central amygdala. It is noteworthy that the lateral hypothalamus showed no effects of either manipulation. Gene expression is discussed in the context of behavioral and physiological measures previously published.

Distinct actions of ancestral vinclozolin and juvenile stress on neural gene expression in the male rat.

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Gillette, Ross; Miller-Crews, Isaac; Skinner, Michael K; Crews, David

2015-01-01

Exposure to the endocrine disrupting chemical vinclozolin during gestation of an F0 generation and/or chronic restraint stress during adolescence of the F3 descendants affects behavior, physiology, and gene expression in the brain. Genes related to the networks of growth factors, signaling peptides, and receptors, steroid hormone receptors and enzymes, and epigenetic related factors were measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction via Taqman low density arrays targeting 48 genes in the central amygdaloid nucleus, medial amygdaloid nucleus, medial preoptic area (mPOA), lateral hypothalamus (LH), and the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus. We found that growth factors are particularly vulnerable to ancestral exposure in the central and medial amygdala; restraint stress during adolescence affected neural growth factors in the medial amygdala. Signaling peptides were affected by both ancestral exposure and stress during adolescence primarily in hypothalamic nuclei. Steroid hormone receptors and enzymes were strongly affected by restraint stress in the mPOA. Epigenetic related genes were affected by stress in the ventromedial nucleus and by both ancestral exposure and stress during adolescence independently in the central amygdala. It is noteworthy that the LH showed no effects of either manipulation. Gene expression is discussed in the context of behavioral and physiological measures previously published.

Effects of chronic restraint stress on body weight, food intake, and hypothalamic gene expressions in mice.

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Jeong, Joo Yeon; Lee, Dong Hoon; Kang, Sang Soo

2013-12-01

Stress affects body weight and food intake, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. We evaluated the changes in body weight and food intake of ICR male mice subjected to daily 2 hours restraint stress for 15 days. Hypothalamic gene expression profiling was analyzed by cDNA microarray. Daily body weight and food intake measurements revealed that both parameters decreased rapidly after initiating daily restraint stress. Body weights of stressed mice then remained significantly lower than the control body weights, even though food intake slowly recovered to 90% of the control intake at the end of the experiment. cDNA microarray analysis revealed that chronic restraint stress affects the expression of hypothalamic genes possibly related to body weight control. Since decreases of daily food intake and body weight were remarkable in days 1 to 4 of restraint, we examined the expression of food intake-related genes in the hypothalamus. During these periods, the expressions of ghrelin and pro-opiomelanocortin mRNA were significantly changed in mice undergoing restraint stress. Moreover, daily serum corticosterone levels gradually increased, while leptin levels significantly decreased. The present study demonstrates that restraint stress affects body weight and food intake by initially modifying canonical food intake-related genes and then later modifying other genes involved in energy metabolism. These genetic changes appear to be mediated, at least in part, by corticosterone.

Global analysis of gene expression profiles in physic nut (Jatropha curcas L.) seedlings exposed to drought stress.

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Zhang, Chao; Zhang, Lin; Zhang, Sheng; Zhu, Shuang; Wu, Pingzhi; Chen, Yaping; Li, Meiru; Jiang, Huawu; Wu, Guojiang

2015-01-21

Physic nut (Jatropha curcas L.) is a small perennial tree or large shrub, which is well-adapted to semi-arid regions and is considered to have potential as a crop for biofuel production. It is now regarded as an excellent model for studying biofuel plants. However, our knowledge about the molecular responses of this species to drought stress is currently limited. In this study, genome-wide transcriptional profiles of roots and leaves of 8-week old physic nut seedlings were analyzed 1, 4 and 7 days after withholding irrigation. We observed a total of 1533 and 2900 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in roots and leaves, respectively. Gene Ontology analysis showed that the biological processes enriched in droughted plants relative to unstressed plants were related to biosynthesis, transport, nucleobase-containing compounds, and cellular protein modification. The genes found to be up-regulated in roots were related to abscisic acid (ABA) synthesis and ABA signal transduction, and to the synthesis of raffinose. Genes related to ABA signal transduction, and to trehalose and raffinose synthesis, were up-regulated in leaves. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response genes were significantly up-regulated in leaves under drought stress, while a number of genes related to wax biosynthesis were also up-regulated in leaves. Genes related to unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis were down-regulated and polyunsaturated fatty acids were significantly reduced in leaves 7 days after withholding irrigation. As drought stress increased, genes related to ethylene synthesis, ethylene signal transduction and chlorophyll degradation were up-regulated, and the chlorophyll content of leaves was significantly reduced by 7 days after withholding irrigation. This study provides us with new insights to increase our understanding of the response mechanisms deployed by physic nut seedlings under drought stress. The genes and pathways identified in this study also provide much information of

Gene-based Association Approach Identify Genes Across Stress Traits in Fruit Flies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rohde, Palle Duun; Edwards, Stefan McKinnon; Sarup, Pernille Merete

Identification of genes explaining variation in quantitative traits or genetic risk factors of human diseases requires both good phenotypic- and genotypic data, but also efficient statistical methods. Genome-wide association studies may reveal association between phenotypic variation and variation...... approach grouping variants accordingly to gene position, thus lowering the number of statistical tests performed and increasing the probability of identifying genes with small to moderate effects. Using this approach we identify numerous genes associated with different types of stresses in Drosophila...... melanogaster, but also identify common genes that affects the stress traits....

RNA-seq for gene identification and transcript profiling in relation to root growth of bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) under salinity stress.

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Hu, Longxing; Li, Huiying; Chen, Liang; Lou, Yanhong; Amombo, Erick; Fu, Jinmin

2015-08-04

Soil salinity is one of the most significant abiotic stresses affecting plant shoots and roots growth. The adjustment of root architecture to spatio-temporal heterogeneity in salinity is particularly critical for plant growth and survival. Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) is a widely used turf and forage perennial grass with a high degree of salinity tolerance. Salinity appears to stimulate the growth of roots and decrease their mortality in tolerant bermudagrass. To estimate a broad spectrum of genes related to root elongation affected by salt stress and the molecular mechanisms that control the positive response of root architecture to salinity, we analyzed the transcriptome of bermudagrass root tips in response to salinity. RNA-sequencing was performed in root tips of two bermudagrass genotypes contrasting in salt tolerance. A total of 237,850,130 high quality clean reads were generated and 250,359 transcripts were assembled with an average length of 1115 bp. Totally, 103,324 unigenes obtained with 53,765 unigenes (52 %) successfully annotated in databases. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that major transcription factor (TF) families linked to stress responses and growth regulation (MYB, bHLH, WRKY) were differentially expressed in root tips of bermudagrass under salinity. In addition, genes related to cell wall loosening and stiffening (xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolases, peroxidases) were identified. RNA-seq analysis identified candidate genes encoding TFs involved in the regulation of lignin synthesis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis controlled by peroxidases, and the regulation of phytohormone signaling that promote cell wall loosening and therefore root growth under salinity.

Genomewide Expression and Functional Interactions of Genes under Drought Stress in Maize

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Nepolean Thirunavukkarasu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A genomewide transcriptome assay of two subtropical genotypes of maize was used to observe the expression of genes at seedling stage of drought stress. The number of genes expressed differentially was greater in HKI1532 (a drought tolerant genotype than in PC3 (a drought sensitive genotype, indicating primary differences at the transcriptional level in stress tolerance. The global coexpression networks of the two genotypes differed significantly with respect to the number of modules and the coexpression pattern within the modules. A total of 174 drought-responsive genes were selected from HKI1532, and their coexpression network revealed key correlations between different adaptive pathways, each cluster of the network representing a specific biological function. Transcription factors related to ABA-dependent stomatal closure, signalling, and phosphoprotein cascades work in concert to compensate for reduced photosynthesis. Under stress, water balance was maintained by coexpression of the genes involved in osmotic adjustments and transporter proteins. Metabolism was maintained by the coexpression of genes involved in cell wall modification and protein and lipid metabolism. The interaction of genes involved in crucial biological functions during stress was identified and the results will be useful in targeting important gene interactions to understand drought tolerance in greater detail.

The expression of plasticity-related genes in an acute model of stress is modulated by chronic desipramine in a time-dependent manner within medial prefrontal cortex.

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Nava, Nicoletta; Treccani, Giulia; Müller, Heidi Kaastrup; Popoli, Maurizio; Wegener, Gregers; Elfving, Betina

2017-01-01

It is well established that stress plays a major role in the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric diseases. Stress-induced alteration of synaptic plasticity has been hypothesized to underlie the morphological changes observed by neuroimaging in psychiatric patients in key regions such as hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC). We have recently shown that a single acute stress exposure produces significant short-term alterations of structural plasticity within medial PFC. These alterations were partially prevented by previous treatment with chronic desipramine (DMI). In the present study we evaluated the effects of acute Foot-shock (FS)-stress and pre-treatment with the traditional antidepressant DMI on the gene expression of key regulators of synaptic plasticity and structure. Expression of Homer, Shank, Spinophilin, Densin-180, and the small RhoGTPase related gene Rac1 and downstream target genes, Limk1, Cofilin1 and Rock1 were investigated 1 day (1d), 7 d and 14d after FS-stress exposure. We found that DMI specifically increases the short-term expression of Spinophilin, as well as Homer and Shank family genes, and that both acute stress and DMI exert significant long-term effects on mRNA levels of genes involved in spine plasticity. These findings support the knowledge that acute FS stress and antidepressant treatment induce both rapid and sustained time-dependent alterations in structural components of synaptic plasticity in rodent medial PFC. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. and ECNP. All rights reserved.

Polymorphisms of genes related to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis influence the cortisol awakening response as well as self-perceived stress.

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Li-Tempel, Ting; Larra, Mauro F; Winnikes, Ulrike; Tempel, Tobias; DeRijk, Roel H; Schulz, André; Schächinger, Hartmut; Meyer, Jobst; Schote, Andrea B

2016-09-01

The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a crucial endocrine system for coping with stress. A reliable and stable marker for the basal state of that system is the cortisol awakening response (CAR). We examined the influence of variants of four relevant candidate genes; the mineralocorticoid receptor gene (MR), the glucocorticoid receptor gene (GR), the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT) and the gene encoding the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on CAR and self-perceived stress in 217 healthy subjects. We found that polymorphisms of GR influenced both, the basal state of the HPA axis as well as self-perceived stress. MR only associated with self-perceived stress and 5-HTT only with CAR. BDNF did not affected any of the investigated indices. In summary, we suggest that GR variants together with the CAR and supplemented with self reports on perceived stress might be useful indicators for the basal HPA axis activity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Noni (Morinda citrifolia) Modulates the Hypothalamic Expression of Stress- and Metabolic-Related Genes in Broilers Exposed to Acute Heat Stress.

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Rajaei-Sharifabadi, Hossein; Ellestad, Laura; Porter, Tom; Donoghue, Annie; Bottje, Walter G; Dridi, Sami

2017-01-01

Heat stress (HS) adversely affects growth performance and inflicts heavy economic losses to the poultry industry. There is, therefore, a critical need to identify new alternative strategies to alleviate the negative effects induced by HS. The tropic medicinal plant, Morinda citrifolia (Noni), is being used in livestock nutrition, however the literature is limited and conflicting for its impact on growth performance. The present study aimed to determine the effect of Noni on feeding and drinking behavior as well as on the hypothalamic expression of stress- and metabolic-related genes in broiler chickens exposed to acute HS. A total of 480 1 day-old male broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 12 controlled environmental chambers. Birds were subjected to two environmental conditions (TN, 25°C vs. HS, 35°C for 2 h) and fed two diets (control vs. 0.2% Noni) in a 2 × 2 factorial design. Feed intake and core body temperature (BT) were recorded during HS period. Blood was collected and hypothalamic tissues were harvested for target gene and protein analyses. Acute HS-broilers exhibited higher BT (~1°C), spent less time eating with a significant decrease in feed intake, and spent more time drinking along with higher drinking frequency compared to those maintained under TN conditions. Although Noni supplementation did not improve feed intake, it significantly delayed (~30 min) and reduced the BT-induced by HS. At molecular levels and under HS conditions, Noni supplementation down regulated the hypothalamic expression of HSP90 and its related transcription factors HSF1, 2, and 4, increased orexin mRNA levels, and decreased the phosphorylation levels of AMPKα1/2 Thr172 and mTOR Ser2481 . Together, these data indicated that Noni supplementation might modulate HS response in broilers through central orexin-AMPK-mTOR pathways.

Noni (Morinda citrifolia Modulates the Hypothalamic Expression of Stress- and Metabolic-Related Genes in Broilers Exposed to Acute Heat Stress

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Hossein Rajaei-Sharifabadi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Heat stress (HS adversely affects growth performance and inflicts heavy economic losses to the poultry industry. There is, therefore, a critical need to identify new alternative strategies to alleviate the negative effects induced by HS. The tropic medicinal plant, Morinda citrifolia (Noni, is being used in livestock nutrition, however the literature is limited and conflicting for its impact on growth performance. The present study aimed to determine the effect of Noni on feeding and drinking behavior as well as on the hypothalamic expression of stress- and metabolic-related genes in broiler chickens exposed to acute HS. A total of 480 1 day-old male broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 12 controlled environmental chambers. Birds were subjected to two environmental conditions (TN, 25°C vs. HS, 35°C for 2 h and fed two diets (control vs. 0.2% Noni in a 2 × 2 factorial design. Feed intake and core body temperature (BT were recorded during HS period. Blood was collected and hypothalamic tissues were harvested for target gene and protein analyses. Acute HS-broilers exhibited higher BT (~1°C, spent less time eating with a significant decrease in feed intake, and spent more time drinking along with higher drinking frequency compared to those maintained under TN conditions. Although Noni supplementation did not improve feed intake, it significantly delayed (~30 min and reduced the BT-induced by HS. At molecular levels and under HS conditions, Noni supplementation down regulated the hypothalamic expression of HSP90 and its related transcription factors HSF1, 2, and 4, increased orexin mRNA levels, and decreased the phosphorylation levels of AMPKα1/2Thr172 and mTORSer2481. Together, these data indicated that Noni supplementation might modulate HS response in broilers through central orexin-AMPK-mTOR pathways.

Transcriptome Profiling of Louisiana iris Root and Identification of Genes Involved in Lead-Stress Response

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Songqing Tian

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Louisiana iris is tolerant to and accumulates the heavy metal lead (Pb. However, there is limited knowledge of the molecular mechanisms behind this feature. We describe the transcriptome of Louisiana iris using Illumina sequencing technology. The root transcriptome of Louisiana iris under control and Pb-stress conditions was sequenced. Overall, 525,498 transcripts representing 313,958 unigenes were assembled using the clean raw reads. Among them, 43,015 unigenes were annotated and their functions classified using the euKaryotic Orthologous Groups (KOG database. They were divided into 25 molecular families. In the Gene Ontology (GO database, 50,174 unigenes were categorized into three GO trees (molecular function, cellular component and biological process. After analysis of differentially expressed genes, some Pb-stress-related genes were selected, including biosynthesis genes of chelating compounds, metal transporters, transcription factors and antioxidant-related genes. This study not only lays a foundation for further studies on differential genes under Pb stress, but also facilitates the molecular breeding of Louisiana iris.

A systems approach identifies networks and genes linking sleep and stress: implications for neuropsychiatric disorders.

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Jiang, Peng; Scarpa, Joseph R; Fitzpatrick, Karrie; Losic, Bojan; Gao, Vance D; Hao, Ke; Summa, Keith C; Yang, He S; Zhang, Bin; Allada, Ravi; Vitaterna, Martha H; Turek, Fred W; Kasarskis, Andrew

2015-05-05

Sleep dysfunction and stress susceptibility are comorbid complex traits that often precede and predispose patients to a variety of neuropsychiatric diseases. Here, we demonstrate multilevel organizations of genetic landscape, candidate genes, and molecular networks associated with 328 stress and sleep traits in a chronically stressed population of 338 (C57BL/6J × A/J) F2 mice. We constructed striatal gene co-expression networks, revealing functionally and cell-type-specific gene co-regulations important for stress and sleep. Using a composite ranking system, we identified network modules most relevant for 15 independent phenotypic categories, highlighting a mitochondria/synaptic module that links sleep and stress. The key network regulators of this module are overrepresented with genes implicated in neuropsychiatric diseases. Our work suggests that the interplay among sleep, stress, and neuropathology emerges from genetic influences on gene expression and their collective organization through complex molecular networks, providing a framework for interrogating the mechanisms underlying sleep, stress susceptibility, and related neuropsychiatric disorders. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Differential gene expressions in testes of L2 strain Taiwan country chicken in response to acute heat stress.

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Wang, Shih-Han; Cheng, Chuen-Yu; Tang, Pin-Chi; Chen, Chih-Feng; Chen, Hsin-Hsin; Lee, Yen-Pai; Huang, San-Yuan

2013-01-15

Acute heat stress affects genes involved in spermatogenesis in mammals. However, there is apparently no elaborate research on the effects of acute heat stress on gene expression in avian testes. The purpose of this study was to investigate global gene expression in testes of the L2 strain of Taiwan country chicken after acute heat stress. Twelve roosters, 45 weeks old, were allocated into four groups, including control roosters kept at 25 °C, roosters subjected to 38 °C acute heat stress for 4 hours without recovery, with 2-hour recovery, and with 6-hour recovery, respectively. Testis samples were collected for RNA isolation and microarray analysis. Based on gene expression profiles, 169 genes were upregulated and 140 genes were downregulated after heat stress using a cutoff value of twofold or greater change. Based on gene ontology analysis, differentially expressed genes were mainly related to response to stress, transport, signal transduction, and metabolism. A functional network analysis displayed that heat shock protein genes and related chaperones were the major upregulated groups in chicken testes after acute heat stress. A quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis of mRNA expressions of HSP70, HSP90AA1, BAG3, SERPINB2, HSP25, DNAJA4, CYP3A80, CIRBP, and TAGLN confirmed the results of the microarray analysis. Because the HSP genes (HSP25, HSP70, and HSP90AA1) and the antiapoptotic BAG3 gene were dramatically altered in heat-stressed chicken testes, we concluded that these genes were important factors in the avian testes under acute heat stress. Whether these genes could be candidate genes for thermotolerance in roosters requires further investigation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Exploring valid internal-control genes in Porphyra yezoensis (Bangiaceae) during stress response conditions

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Wang, Wenlei; Wu, Xiaojie; Wang, Chao; Jia, Zhaojun; He, Linwen; Wei, Yifan; Niu, Jianfeng; Wang, Guangce

2014-07-01

To screen the stable expression genes related to the stress (strong light, dehydration and temperature shock) we applied Absolute real-time PCR technology to determine the transcription numbers of the selected test genes in P orphyra yezoensis, which has been regarded as a potential model species responding the stress conditions in the intertidal. Absolute real-time PCR technology was applied to determine the transcription numbers of the selected test genes in P orphyra yezoensis, which has been regarded as a potential model species in stress responding. According to the results of photosynthesis parameters, we observed that Y(II) and F v/ F m were significantly affected when stress was imposed on the thalli of P orphyra yezoensis, but underwent almost completely recovered under normal conditions, which were collected for the following experiments. Then three samples, which were treated with different grade stresses combined with salinity, irradiation and temperature, were collected. The transcription numbers of seven constitutive expression genes in above samples were determined after RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis. Finally, a general insight into the selection of internal control genes during stress response was obtained. We found that there were no obvious effects in terms of salinity stress (at salinity 90) on transcription of most genes used in the study. The 18S ribosomal RNA gene had the highest expression level, varying remarkably among different tested groups. RPS8 expression showed a high irregular variance between samples. GAPDH presented comparatively stable expression and could thus be selected as the internal control. EF-1α showed stable expression during the series of multiple-stress tests. Our research provided available references for the selection of internal control genes for transcripts determination of P. yezoensis.

Predictors of responses to stress among families coping with poverty-related stress.

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Santiago, Catherine DeCarlo; Etter, Erica Moran; Wadsworth, Martha E; Raviv, Tali

2012-05-01

This study tested how poverty-related stress (PRS), psychological distress, and responses to stress predicted future effortful coping and involuntary stress responses one year later. In addition, we explored age, sex, ethnicity, and parental influences on responses to stress over time. Hierarchical linear modeling analyses conducted with 98 low-income families (300 family members: 136 adults, 82 school-aged children, 82 adolescents) revealed that primary control coping, secondary control coping, disengagement, involuntary engagement, and involuntary disengagement each significantly predicted future use of that response. Primary and secondary control coping also predicted less maladaptive future responses to stress, while involuntary responses to stress undermined the development of adaptive responding. Age, sex, and interactions among PRS and prior coping were also found to predict certain responses to stress. In addition, child subgroup analyses demonstrate the importance of parental modeling of coping and involuntary stress responses, and warmth/nurturance and monitoring practices. Results are discussed with regard to the implications for preventive interventions with families in poverty.

Heat Stress and Lipopolysaccharide Stimulation of Chicken Macrophage-Like Cell Line Activates Expression of Distinct Sets of Genes.

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Anna Slawinska

Full Text Available Acute heat stress requires immediate adjustment of the stressed individual to sudden changes of ambient temperatures. Chickens are particularly sensitive to heat stress due to development of insufficient physiological mechanisms to mitigate its effects. One of the symptoms of heat stress is endotoxemia that results from release of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS from the guts. Heat-related cytotoxicity is mitigated by the innate immune system, which is comprised mostly of phagocytic cells such as monocytes and macrophages. The objective of this study was to analyze the molecular responses of the chicken macrophage-like HD11 cell line to combined heat stress and lipopolysaccharide treatment in vitro. The cells were heat-stressed and then allowed a temperature-recovery period, during which the gene expression was investigated. LPS was added to the cells to mimic the heat-stress-related endotoxemia. Semi high-throughput gene expression analysis was used to study a gene panel comprised of heat shock proteins, stress-related genes, signaling molecules and immune response genes. HD11 cell line responded to heat stress with increased mRNA abundance of the HSP25, HSPA2 and HSPH1 chaperones as well as DNAJA4 and DNAJB6 co-chaperones. The anti-apoptotic gene BAG3 was also highly up-regulated, providing evidence that the cells expressed pro-survival processes. The immune response of the HD11 cell line to LPS in the heat stress environment (up-regulation of CCL4, CCL5, IL1B, IL8 and iNOS was higher than in thermoneutral conditions. However, the peak in the transcriptional regulation of the immune genes was after two hours of temperature-recovery. Therefore, we propose the potential influence of the extracellular heat shock proteins not only in mitigating effects of abiotic stress but also in triggering the higher level of the immune responses. Finally, use of correlation networks for the data analysis aided in discovering subtle differences in the gene

Transcriptional response of stress genes to metal exposure in zebra mussel larvae and adults

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Navarro, Anna; Faria, Melissa; Barata, Carlos; Pina, Benjamin

2011-01-01

Development of stress markers for the invader freshwater zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) is of great interest for both conservation and biomonitoring purposes. Gene expression profiles of several putative or already established gene expression stress markers (Metallothionein, Superoxide dismutase, Catalase, Glutathione S transferase, Glutathione peroxidase, Cytochrome c oxidase, the multixenobiotic resistance P-gp1, and heat shock proteins HSP70 and HSP90) were analyzed by quantitative Real-Time PCR in adults and pediveliger larvae after exposure to metals (Hg, Cu, Cd). A defined pattern of coordinated responses to metal exposure and, presumably, to oxidative stress was observed in gills and digestive gland from adults. A similar, albeit partial response was observed in larvae, indicating an early development of stress-related gene responses in zebra mussel. The tools developed in this study may be useful both for future control strategies and for the use of zebra mussel as sentinel species in water courses with stable populations. - Coordinated expression of stress genes in zebra mussel.

Transcriptional response of stress genes to metal exposure in zebra mussel larvae and adults

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Navarro, Anna; Faria, Melissa; Barata, Carlos [Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18, 08034 Barcelona (Spain); Pina, Benjamin, E-mail: bpcbmc@cid.csic.e [Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18, 08034 Barcelona (Spain)

2011-01-15

Development of stress markers for the invader freshwater zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) is of great interest for both conservation and biomonitoring purposes. Gene expression profiles of several putative or already established gene expression stress markers (Metallothionein, Superoxide dismutase, Catalase, Glutathione S transferase, Glutathione peroxidase, Cytochrome c oxidase, the multixenobiotic resistance P-gp1, and heat shock proteins HSP70 and HSP90) were analyzed by quantitative Real-Time PCR in adults and pediveliger larvae after exposure to metals (Hg, Cu, Cd). A defined pattern of coordinated responses to metal exposure and, presumably, to oxidative stress was observed in gills and digestive gland from adults. A similar, albeit partial response was observed in larvae, indicating an early development of stress-related gene responses in zebra mussel. The tools developed in this study may be useful both for future control strategies and for the use of zebra mussel as sentinel species in water courses with stable populations. - Coordinated expression of stress genes in zebra mussel.

Biocomputional construction of a gene network under acid stress in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.

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Li, Yi; Rao, Nini; Yang, Feng; Zhang, Ying; Yang, Yang; Liu, Han-ming; Guo, Fengbiao; Huang, Jian

2014-01-01

Acid stress is one of the most serious threats that cyanobacteria have to face, and it has an impact at all levels from genome to phenotype. However, very little is known about the detailed response mechanism to acid stress in this species. We present here a general analysis of the gene regulatory network of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 in response to acid stress using comparative genome analysis and biocomputational prediction. In this study, we collected 85 genes and used them as an initial template to predict new genes through co-regulation, protein-protein interactions and the phylogenetic profile, and 179 new genes were obtained to form a complete template. In addition, we found that 11 enriched pathways such as glycolysis are closely related to the acid stress response. Finally, we constructed a regulatory network for the intricate relationship of these genes and summarize the key steps in response to acid stress. This is the first time a bioinformatic approach has been taken systematically to gene interactions in cyanobacteria and the elaboration of their cell metabolism and regulatory pathways under acid stress, which is more efficient than a traditional experimental study. The results also provide theoretical support for similar research into environmental stresses in cyanobacteria and possible industrial applications. Copyright © 2014 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Neighborhood characteristics influence DNA methylation of genes involved in stress response and inflammation: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

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Smith, Jennifer A; Zhao, Wei; Wang, Xu; Ratliff, Scott M; Mukherjee, Bhramar; Kardia, Sharon L R; Liu, Yongmei; Roux, Ava V Diez; Needham, Belinda L

2017-08-01

Living in a disadvantaged neighborhood is associated with poor health outcomes even after accounting for individual-level socioeconomic factors. The chronic stress of unfavorable neighborhood conditions may lead to dysregulation of the stress reactivity and inflammatory pathways, potentially mediated through epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation. We used multi-level models to examine the relationship between 2 neighborhood conditions and methylation levels of 18 genes related to stress reactivity and inflammation in purified monocytes from 1,226 participants of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), a population-based sample of US adults. Neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage, a summary of 16 census-based metrics, was associated with DNA methylation [False discovery rate (FDR) q-value ≤ 0.1] in 2 out of 7 stress-related genes evaluated (CRF, SLC6A4) and 2 out of 11 inflammation-related genes (F8, TLR1). Neighborhood social environment, a summary measure of aesthetic quality, safety, and social cohesion, was associated with methylation in 4 of the 7 stress-related genes (AVP, BDNF, FKBP5, SLC6A4) and 7 of the 11 inflammation-related genes (CCL1, CD1D, F8, KLRG1, NLRP12, SLAMF7, TLR1). High socioeconomic disadvantage and worse social environment were primarily associated with increased methylation. In 5 genes with significant associations between neighborhood and methylation (FKBP5, CD1D, F8, KLRG1, NLRP12), methylation was associated with gene expression of at least one transcript. These results demonstrate that multiple dimensions of neighborhood context may influence methylation levels and subsequent gene expression of stress- and inflammation-related genes, even after accounting for individual socioeconomic factors. Further elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying these relationships will be important for understanding the etiology of health disparities.

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Related Factors Protect against Diabetic Retinopathy

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Wei-Kun Hu

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The endoplasmic reticulum (ER is a principal mediator of signal transduction in the cell, and disruption of its normal function (a mechanism known as ER stress has been associated with the pathogenesis of several diseases. ER stress has been demonstrated to contribute to onset and progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR by induction of multiple inflammatory signaling pathways. Recent studies have begun to describe the gene expression profile of ER stress-related genes in DR; moreover, genes that play a protective role against DR have been identified. P58IPK was determined to be able to reduce retinal vascular leakage under high glucose conditions, thus protecting retinal cells. It has also been found by our lab that ER-associated protein degradation factors exhibit significantly different expression patterns in rat retinas under sustained high glucose conditions. Future research based upon these collective genomic findings will contribute to our overall understanding of DR pathogenesis as well as identify potential therapeutic targets.

Psychological stress, cocaine and natural reward each induce endoplasmic reticulum stress genes in rat brain.

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Pavlovsky, A A; Boehning, D; Li, D; Zhang, Y; Fan, X; Green, T A

2013-08-29

Our prior research has shown that the transcription of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress transcription factors activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) and ATF4 are induced by amphetamine and restraint stress in rat striatum. However, presently the full extent of ER stress responses to psychological stress or cocaine, and which of the three ER stress pathways is activated is unknown. The current study examines transcriptional responses of key ER stress target genes subsequent to psychological stress or cocaine. Rats were subjected to acute or repeated restraint stress or cocaine treatment and mRNA was isolated from dorsal striatum, medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens brain tissue. ER stress gene mRNA expression was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and RNA sequencing. Restraint stress and cocaine-induced transcription of the classic ER stress-induced genes (BIP, CHOP, ATF3 and GADD34) and of two other ER stress components x-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) and ATF6. In addition, rats living in an enriched environment (large group cage with novel toys changed daily) exhibited rapid induction of GADD34 and ATF3 after 30 min of exploring novel toys, suggesting these genes are also involved in normal non-pathological signaling. However, environmental enrichment, a paradigm that produces protective addiction and depression phenotypes in rats, attenuated the rapid induction of ATF3 and GADD34 after restraint stress. These experiments provide a sensitive measure of ER stress and, more importantly, these results offer good evidence of the activation of ER stress mechanisms from psychological stress, cocaine and natural reward. Thus, ER stress genes may be targets for novel therapeutic targets for depression and addiction. Copyright © 2013 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genes, stress, and depression.

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Wurtman, Richard J

2005-05-01

A relationship between genetic makeup and susceptibility to major depressive disorder (MDD) has long been suspected on the basis of family and twin studies. A metaanalysis of reports on the basis of twin studies has estimated MDD's degree of heritability to be 0.33 (confidence interval, 0.26-0.39). Among families exhibiting an increased prevalence of MDD, risk of developing the illness was enhanced in members exposed to a highly stressful environment. Aberrant genes can predispose to depression in a number of ways, for example, by diminishing production of growth factors that act during brain development. An aberrant gene could also increase or decrease a neurotransmitter's release into synapses, its actions, or its duration of activity. The gene products of greatest interest at present are those involved in the synthesis and actions of serotonin; among them, the serotonin-uptake protein localized within the terminals and dendrites of serotonin-releasing neurons. It has been found that the Vmax of platelet serotonin uptake is low in some patients with MDD; also, Vmax is highly correlated in twins. Antidepressant drugs such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors act on this uptake protein. The specific genetic locus causing serotonin uptake to be lower in some patients with major depression involves a polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) in the promoter region of the gene for the uptake protein. The gene itself exists as several alleles, the short "S" allele and the long "L" allele. The S variant is associated with less, and the L variant with more, of the uptake protein. The effect of stressful life events on depressive symptoms in young adults was found to be significantly stronger among SS or SL subjects than among LL subjects. Neuroimaging studies showed that people with the SS or SL alleles exhibited a greater activation of the amygdala in response to fearful stimuli than those with LL. It has been reported recently that mutations in the gene that controls

Foxtail millet NF-Y families: genome-wide survey and evolution analyses identified two functional genes important in abiotic stresses

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Zhi-Juan eFeng

2015-12-01

Full Text Available It was reported that Nuclear Factor Y (NF-Y genes were involved in abiotic stress in plants. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica, an elite stress tolerant crop, provided an impetus for the investigation of the NF-Y families in abiotic responses. In the present study, a total of 39 NF-Y genes were identified in foxtail millet. Synteny analyses suggested that foxtail millet NF-Y genes had experienced rapid expansion and strong purifying selection during the process of plant evolution. De novo transcriptome assembly of foxtail millet revealed 11 drought up-regulated NF-Y genes. SiNF-YA1 and SiNF-YB8 were highly activated in leaves and/or roots by drought and salt stresses. Abscisic acid (ABA and H2O2 played positive roles in the induction of SiNF-YA1 and SiNF-YB8 under stress treatments. Transient luciferase (LUC expression assays revealed that SiNF-YA1 and SiNF-YB8 could activate the LUC gene driven by the tobacco (Nicotiana tobacam NtERD10, NtLEA5, NtCAT, NtSOD or NtPOD promoter under normal or stress conditions. Overexpression of SiNF-YA1 enhanced drought and salt tolerance by activating stress-related genes NtERD10 and NtCAT1 and by maintaining relatively stable relative water content (RWC and contents of chlorophyll, superoxide dismutase (SOD, peroxidase (POD, catalase (CAT and malondialdehyde (MDA in transgenic lines under stresses. SiNF-YB8 regulated expression of NtSOD, NtPOD, NtLEA5 and NtERD10 and conferred relatively high RWC and chlorophyll contents and low MDA content, resulting in drought and osmotic tolerance in transgenic lines under stresses. Therefore, SiNF-YA1 and SiNF-YB8 could activate stress-related genes and improve physiological traits, resulting in tolerance to abiotic stresses in plants. All these results will facilitate functional characterization of foxtail millet NF-Ys in future studies.

Expression of NCED gene in colored cotton genotypes subjected to water stress

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Alexandre M. S. de Souza

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Considering that the NCED gene acts on the biosynthetic cascade of ABA, a hormone involved in the functioning of stomata and consequently in the regulation of transpiration, the aim of this research was to analyze the expression of this gene in colored cotton genotypes subjected to water stress at the beginning of plant growth. Four colored cotton genotypes were used, subjected to two managements, with and without water stress, beginning the treatments when the blade of the first true leaves reached an area that allowed the evaluation of gas exchange. For the studies of the expression of the NCED gene, via RT-qPCR, leaves were collected on three distinct dates: at 4 and 6 days of water stress, and after the plants regained their turgor. The differential expression of NCED was found in all genotypes, with higher levels of expression related to six days of water stress. When the stomatal conductance was around 25%, there was overexpression in the genotype CNPA 2009.13, followed by CNPA 2009.6, BRS SAFIRA and CNPA 2009.11, confirming the data obtained in the semi-quantitative RT-PCR. The NCED gene is involved in the response to water stress in the vegetative phase of colored cotton.

Halophytes: Potential Resources for Salt Stress Tolerance Genes and Promoters.

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Mishra, Avinash; Tanna, Bhakti

2017-01-01

Halophytes have demonstrated their capability to thrive under extremely saline conditions and thus considered as one of the best germplasm for saline agriculture. Salinity is a worldwide problem, and the salt-affected areas are increasing day-by-day because of scanty rainfall, poor irrigation system, salt ingression, water contamination, and other environmental factors. The salinity stress tolerance mechanism is a very complex phenomenon, and some pathways are coordinately linked for imparting salinity tolerance. Though a number of salt responsive genes have been reported from the halophytes, there is always a quest for promising stress-responsive genes that can modulate plant physiology according to the salt stress. Halophytes such as Aeluropus, Mesembryanthemum, Suaeda, Atriplex, Thellungiella, Cakile , and Salicornia serve as a potential candidate for the salt-responsive genes and promoters. Several known genes like antiporters ( NHX, SOS, HKT, VTPase ), ion channels (Cl - , Ca 2+ , aquaporins), antioxidant encoding genes ( APX, CAT, GST, BADH, SOD ) and some novel genes such as USP, SDR1, SRP etc. were isolated from halophytes and explored for developing stress tolerance in the crop plants (glycophytes). It is evidenced that stress triggers salt sensors that lead to the activation of stress tolerance mechanisms which involve multiple signaling proteins, up- or down-regulation of several genes, and finally the distinctive or collective effects of stress-responsive genes. In this review, halophytes are discussed as an excellent platform for salt responsive genes which can be utilized for developing salinity tolerance in crop plants through genetic engineering.

Oxidative stress gene expression profile in inbred mouse after ischemia/reperfusion small bowel injury.

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Bertoletto, Paulo Roberto; Ikejiri, Adauto Tsutomu; Somaio Neto, Frederico; Chaves, José Carlos; Teruya, Roberto; Bertoletto, Eduardo Rodrigues; Taha, Murched Omar; Fagundes, Djalma José

2012-11-01

To determine the profile of gene expressions associated with oxidative stress and thereby contribute to establish parameters about the role of enzyme clusters related to the ischemia/reperfusion intestinal injury. Twelve male inbred mice (C57BL/6) were randomly assigned: Control Group (CG) submitted to anesthesia, laparotomy and observed by 120 min; Ischemia/reperfusion Group (IRG) submitted to anesthesia, laparotomy, 60 min of small bowel ischemia and 60 min of reperfusion. A pool of six samples was submitted to the qPCR-RT protocol (six clusters) for mouse oxidative stress and antioxidant defense pathways. On the 84 genes investigated, 64 (76.2%) had statistic significant expression and 20 (23.8%) showed no statistical difference to the control group. From these 64 significantly expressed genes, 60 (93.7%) were up-regulated and 04 (6.3%) were down-regulated. From the group with no statistical significantly expression, 12 genes were up-regulated and 8 genes were down-regulated. Surprisingly, 37 (44.04%) showed a higher than threefold up-regulation and then arbitrarily the values was considered as a very significant. Thus, 37 genes (44.04%) were expressed very significantly up-regulated. The remained 47 (55.9%) genes were up-regulated less than three folds (35 genes - 41.6%) or down-regulated less than three folds (12 genes - 14.3%). The intestinal ischemia and reperfusion promote a global hyper-expression profile of six different clusters genes related to antioxidant defense and oxidative stress.

Genome-wide analysis of WRKY gene family in the sesame genome and identification of the WRKY genes involved in responses to abiotic stresses.

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Li, Donghua; Liu, Pan; Yu, Jingyin; Wang, Linhai; Dossa, Komivi; Zhang, Yanxin; Zhou, Rong; Wei, Xin; Zhang, Xiurong

2017-09-11

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is one of the world's most important oil crops. However, it is susceptible to abiotic stresses in general, and to waterlogging and drought stresses in particular. The molecular mechanisms of abiotic stress tolerance in sesame have not yet been elucidated. The WRKY domain transcription factors play significant roles in plant growth, development, and responses to stresses. However, little is known about the number, location, structure, molecular phylogenetics, and expression of the WRKY genes in sesame. We performed a comprehensive study of the WRKY gene family in sesame and identified 71 SiWRKYs. In total, 65 of these genes were mapped to 15 linkage groups within the sesame genome. A phylogenetic analysis was performed using a related species (Arabidopsis thaliana) to investigate the evolution of the sesame WRKY genes. Tissue expression profiles of the WRKY genes demonstrated that six SiWRKY genes were highly expressed in all organs, suggesting that these genes may be important for plant growth and organ development in sesame. Analysis of the SiWRKY gene expression patterns revealed that 33 and 26 SiWRKYs respond strongly to waterlogging and drought stresses, respectively. Changes in the expression of 12 SiWRKY genes were observed at different times after the waterlogging and drought treatments had begun, demonstrating that sesame gene expression patterns vary in response to abiotic stresses. In this study, we analyzed the WRKY family of transcription factors encoded by the sesame genome. Insight was gained into the classification, evolution, and function of the SiWRKY genes, revealing their putative roles in a variety of tissues. Responses to abiotic stresses in different sesame cultivars were also investigated. The results of our study provide a better understanding of the structures and functions of sesame WRKY genes and suggest that manipulating these WRKYs could enhance resistance to waterlogging and drought.

Wearable and low-stress ambulatory blood pressure monitoring technology for hypertension diagnosis.

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Altintas, Ersin; Takoh, Kimiyasu; Ohno, Yuji; Abe, Katsumi; Akagawa, Takeshi; Ariyama, Tetsuri; Kubo, Masahiro; Tsuda, Kenichiro; Tochikubo, Osamu

2015-01-01

We propose a highly wearable, upper-arm type, oscillometric-based blood pressure monitoring technology with low-stress. The low-stress is realized by new developments in the hardware and software design. In the hardware design, conventional armband; cuff, is almost halved in volume thanks to a flexible plastic core and a liquid bag which enhances the fitness and pressure uniformity over the arm. Reduced air bag volume enables smaller motor pump size and battery leading to a thinner, more compact and more wearable unified device. In the software design, a new prediction algorithm enabled to apply less stress (and less pain) on arm of the patient. Proof-of-concept experiments on volunteers show a high accuracy on both technologies. This paper mainly introduces hardware developments. The system is promising for less-painful and less-stressful 24-hour blood pressure monitoring in hypertension managements and related healthcare solutions.

The Tyrosyl-DNA Phosphodiesterase 1β (Tdp1β Gene Discloses an Early Response to Abiotic Stresses

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Maria Elisa Sabatini

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (Tdp1 is involved in DNA repair pathways as it mends the topoisomerase I—DNA covalent complexes. In plants, a small Tdp1 gene family, composed by Tdp1α and Tdp1β genes, was identified, but the roles of these genes in abiotic stress responses are not fully understood. To investigate their specific stress response patterns, the present study made use of bioinformatic and molecular tools to look into the Tdp1β gene function, so far described only in the plant kingdom, and compare it with Tdp1α gene coding for the canonical, highly conserved α isoform. The expression profiles of Tdp1α and Tdp1β genes were examined under abiotic stress conditions (cold, heat, high osmolarity, salt, and UV-B in two model species, Arabidopsis thaliana and Medicago truncatula. The two isoforms of topoisomerase I (TOP1α and TOP1β were also taken into consideration in view of their known roles in DNA metabolism and cell proliferation. Data relative to gene expression in Arabidopsis were retrieved from the AtGenExpress microarray dataset, while quantitative Real-Time PCR was carried out to evaluate the stress response in M. truncatula cell cultures. These analyses revealed that Tdp1β gene expression was enhanced during the first hour of treatment, whereas Tdp1α enhanced expression succeeded at subsequent timepoints. In agreement with the gene-specific responses to abiotic stress conditions, the promoter regions of Tdp1α and Tdp1β genes are well equipped with stress-related cis-elements. An in-depth bioinformatic characterization of the HIRAN motif, a distinctive feature of the Tdp1β protein, showed its wide distribution in chromatin remodeling and DNA repair proteins. The reported data suggests that Tdp1β functions in the early response to abiotic stresses.

Epigenetic mechanisms of alcoholism and stress-related disorders.

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Palmisano, Martina; Pandey, Subhash C

2017-05-01

Stress-related disorders, such as anxiety, early life stress, and posttraumatic stress disorder appear to be important factors in promoting alcoholism, as alcohol consumption can temporarily attenuate the negative affective symptoms of these disorders. Several molecules involved in signaling pathways may contribute to the neuroadaptation induced during alcohol dependence and stress disorders, and among these, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), neuropeptide Y (NPY) and opioid peptides (i.e., nociceptin and dynorphin) are involved in the interaction of stress and alcohol. In fact, alterations in the expression and function of these molecules have been associated with the pathophysiology of stress-related disorders and alcoholism. In recent years, various studies have focused on the epigenetic mechanisms that regulate chromatin architecture, thereby modifying gene expression. Interestingly, epigenetic modifications in specific brain regions have been shown to be associated with the neurobiology of psychiatric disorders, including alcoholism and stress. In particular, the enzymes responsible for chromatin remodeling (i.e., histone deacetylases and methyltransferases, DNA methyltransferases) have been identified as common molecular mechanisms for the interaction of stress and alcohol and have become promising therapeutic targets to treat or prevent alcoholism and associated emotional disorders. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Halophytes: Potential Resources for Salt Stress Tolerance Genes and Promoters

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Avinash Mishra

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Halophytes have demonstrated their capability to thrive under extremely saline conditions and thus considered as one of the best germplasm for saline agriculture. Salinity is a worldwide problem, and the salt-affected areas are increasing day-by-day because of scanty rainfall, poor irrigation system, salt ingression, water contamination, and other environmental factors. The salinity stress tolerance mechanism is a very complex phenomenon, and some pathways are coordinately linked for imparting salinity tolerance. Though a number of salt responsive genes have been reported from the halophytes, there is always a quest for promising stress-responsive genes that can modulate plant physiology according to the salt stress. Halophytes such as Aeluropus, Mesembryanthemum, Suaeda, Atriplex, Thellungiella, Cakile, and Salicornia serve as a potential candidate for the salt-responsive genes and promoters. Several known genes like antiporters (NHX, SOS, HKT, VTPase, ion channels (Cl−, Ca2+, aquaporins, antioxidant encoding genes (APX, CAT, GST, BADH, SOD and some novel genes such as USP, SDR1, SRP etc. were isolated from halophytes and explored for developing stress tolerance in the crop plants (glycophytes. It is evidenced that stress triggers salt sensors that lead to the activation of stress tolerance mechanisms which involve multiple signaling proteins, up- or down-regulation of several genes, and finally the distinctive or collective effects of stress-responsive genes. In this review, halophytes are discussed as an excellent platform for salt responsive genes which can be utilized for developing salinity tolerance in crop plants through genetic engineering.

Analysis of Stress-Responsive Gene Expression in Cultivated and Weedy Rice Differing in Cold Stress Tolerance.

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Caroline Borges Bevilacqua

cultivated japonica ssp. as indicated by the up/downregulation of various stress-responsive pathways identified from gene expression analysis. The cold-stress response is described in relation to the stress signaling pathways, showing complex adaptive mechanisms in different genotypes.

An education management information system with simultaneous monitoring of stress stimulators for students Mental Health management.

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Manimaran, S; Jayakumar, S; Lakshmi, K Bhagya

2016-11-14

Education Management Information System (EMIS) is a widely acceptable and developing technology within the Information Technology field. The advancement in technology in this century is being collaborated with scientific invention or explorer and information strengthening or development. This paper presents the results and experiences gained from applying students oriented EMIS for monitoring and managing mental health. The Mental Health of students depends on the acquiring adequate knowledge on basic concepts within a time period or academic schedule. It's obviously significance to evaluate and appraise the stress stimulators as a challenge or threat. The theoretical framework for the study was designed for analyzing the stress stimulators, academic performance and EMIS accessibility. The sample examined in this study was stratified random sample from 75 students specifically all engineering college in Dindigul District of Tamilnadu. The primary factor is the academic stress stimulators that form one module of EMIS for each of the key variable such as curriculum & instruction related stressors, placement related, teamwork related and assessment related. The Mental Health related stress stimulators namely curriculum & syllabus, placement related, assessment related and team work related have a significant influence on academic performance by students in various institution. The important factor leading to the EMIS application in monitoring stress stimulators is curriculum & syllabus related and assessment related.

Caseload management, work-related stress and case manager self-efficacy among Victorian mental health case managers.

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King, Robert

2009-05-01

In Australia and comparable countries, case management has become the dominant process by which public mental health services provide outpatient clinical services to people with severe mental illness. There is recognition that caseload size impacts on service provision and that management of caseloads is an important dimension of overall service management. There has been little empirical investigation, however, of caseload and its management. The present study was undertaken in the context of an industrial agreement in Victoria, Australia that required services to introduce standardized approaches to caseload management. The aims of the present study were therefore to (i) investigate caseload size and approaches to caseload management in Victoria's mental health services; and (ii) determine whether caseload size and/or approach to caseload management is associated with work-related stress or case manager self-efficacy among community mental health professionals employed in Victoria's mental health services. A total of 188 case managers responded to an online cross-sectional survey with both purpose-developed items investigating methods of case allocation and caseload monitoring, and standard measures of work-related stress and case manager personal efficacy. The mean caseload size was 20 per full-time case manager. Both work-related stress scores and case manager personal efficacy scores were broadly comparable with those reported in previous studies. Higher caseloads were associated with higher levels of work-related stress and lower levels of case manager personal efficacy. Active monitoring of caseload was associated with lower scores for work-related stress and higher scores for case manager personal efficacy, regardless of size of caseload. Although caseloads were most frequently monitored by the case manager, there was evidence that monitoring by a supervisor was more beneficial than self-monitoring. Routine monitoring of caseload, especially by a workplace

Stress tolerances of nullmutants of function-unknown genes encoding menadione stress-responsive proteins in Aspergillus nidulans.

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Leiter, Éva; Bálint, Mihály; Miskei, Márton; Orosz, Erzsébet; Szabó, Zsuzsa; Pócsi, István

2016-07-01

A group of menadione stress-responsive function-unkown genes of Aspergillus nidulans (Locus IDs ANID_03987.1, ANID_06058.1, ANID_10219.1, and ANID_10260.1) was deleted and phenotypically characterized. Importantly, comparative and phylogenetic analyses of the tested A. nidulans genes and their orthologs shed light only on the presence of a TANGO2 domain with NRDE protein motif in the translated ANID_06058.1 gene but did not reveal any recognizable protein-encoding domains in other protein sequences. The gene deletion strains were subjected to oxidative, osmotic, and metal ion stress and, surprisingly, only the ΔANID_10219.1 mutant showed an increased sensitivity to 0.12 mmol l(-1) menadione sodium bisulfite. The gene deletions affected the stress sensitivities (tolerances) irregularly, for example, some strains grew more slowly when exposed to various oxidants and/or osmotic stress generating agents, meanwhile the ΔANID_10260.1 mutant possessed a wild-type tolerance to all stressors tested. Our results are in line with earlier studies demonstrating that the deletions of stress-responsive genes do not confer necessarily any stress-sensitivity phenotypes, which can be attributed to compensatory mechanisms based on other elements of the stress response system with overlapping functions. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Stress amplifies sex differences in primate prefrontal profiles of gene expression.

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Lee, Alex G; Hagenauer, Megan; Absher, Devin; Morrison, Kathleen E; Bale, Tracy L; Myers, Richard M; Watson, Stanley J; Akil, Huda; Schatzberg, Alan F; Lyons, David M

2017-11-02

Stress is a recognized risk factor for mood and anxiety disorders that occur more often in women than men. Prefrontal brain regions mediate stress coping, cognitive control, and emotion. Here, we investigate sex differences and stress effects on prefrontal cortical profiles of gene expression in squirrel monkey adults. Dorsolateral, ventrolateral, and ventromedial prefrontal cortical regions from 18 females and 12 males were collected after stress or no-stress treatment conditions. Gene expression profiles were acquired using HumanHT-12v4.0 Expression BeadChip arrays adapted for squirrel monkeys. Extensive variation between prefrontal cortical regions was discerned in the expression of numerous autosomal and sex chromosome genes. Robust sex differences were also identified across prefrontal cortical regions in the expression of mostly autosomal genes. Genes with increased expression in females compared to males were overrepresented in mitogen-activated protein kinase and neurotrophin signaling pathways. Many fewer genes with increased expression in males compared to females were discerned, and no molecular pathways were identified. Effect sizes for sex differences were greater in stress compared to no-stress conditions for ventromedial and ventrolateral prefrontal cortical regions but not dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Stress amplifies sex differences in gene expression profiles for prefrontal cortical regions involved in stress coping and emotion regulation. Results suggest molecular targets for new treatments of stress disorders in human mental health.

Programming of stress-related behavior and epigenetic neural gene regulation in mice offspring through maternal exposure to predator odor

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St-Cyr, Sophie; McGowan, Patrick O.

2015-01-01

Perinatal stress mediated through the mother can lead to long-term alterations in stress-related phenotypes in offspring. The capacity for adaptation to adversity in early life depends in part on the life history of the animal. This study was designed to examine the behavioral and neural response in adult offspring to prenatal exposure to predator odor: an ethologically-relevant psychological stressor. Pregnant mice were exposed daily to predator odors or distilled water control over the second half of the pregnancy. Predator odor exposure lead to a transient decrease in maternal care in the mothers. As adults, the offspring of predator odor-exposed mothers showed increased anti-predator behavior, a predator-odor induced decrease in activity and, in female offspring, an increased corticosterone (CORT) response to predator odor exposure. We found a highly specific response among stress-related genes within limbic brain regions. Transcript abundance of Corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1) was elevated in the amygdala in adult female offspring of predator odor-exposed mothers. In the hippocampus of adult female offspring, decreased Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) transcript abundance was correlated with a site-specific decrease in DNA methylation in Bdnf exon IV, indicating the potential contribution of this epigenetic mechanism to maternal programming by maternal predator odor exposure. These data indicate that maternal predator odor exposure alone is sufficient to induce an altered stress-related phenotype in adulthood, with implications for anti-predator behavior in offspring. PMID:26082698

Differential contributions to the transcriptome of duplicated genes in response to abiotic stresses in natural and synthetic polyploids.

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Dong, Shaowei; Adams, Keith L

2011-06-01

Polyploidy has occurred throughout plant evolution and can result in considerable changes to gene expression when it takes place and over evolutionary time. Little is known about the effects of abiotic stress conditions on duplicate gene expression patterns in polyploid plants. We examined the expression patterns of 60 duplicated genes in leaves, roots and cotyledons of allotetraploid Gossypium hirsutum in response to five abiotic stress treatments (heat, cold, drought, high salt and water submersion) using single-strand conformation polymorphism assays, and 20 genes in a synthetic allotetraploid. Over 70% of the genes showed stress-induced changes in the relative expression levels of the duplicates under one or more stress treatments with frequent variability among treatments. Twelve pairs showed opposite changes in expression levels in response to different abiotic stress treatments. Stress-induced expression changes occurred in the synthetic allopolyploid, but there was little correspondence in patterns between the natural and synthetic polyploids. Our results indicate that abiotic stress conditions can have considerable effects on duplicate gene expression in a polyploid, with the effects varying by gene, stress and organ type. Differential expression in response to environmental stresses may be a factor in the preservation of some duplicated genes in polyploids. © 2011 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2011 New Phytologist Trust.

Gene Transcription and Virulence Potential of Listeria monocytogenes Strains After Exposure to Acidic and NaCl Stress

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olesen, Inger; Vogensen, Finn Kvist; Jespersen, Lene

2009-01-01

transcription were observed both after exposure to shock (six genes) and after long-term adaptation to stress (18 genes). In the shock experiments, a transient induction of clpC and clpE was seen for both strains, while transient induction of sigB, inlA, and inlB was observed for strain 4140 only; actA was only...... induced in EGD-e after NaCl shock. The longterm stress experiments were included to imitate the stress conditions encountered by L. monocytogenes when present in food products. Long-term adaptation of EGD-e to acidic stress induced transcription of iap and repressed flaA, while genes related to stress......Gene transcription and virulence potential of two strains of Listeria monocytogenes, EGD-e and 4140, were compared by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and in a Caco-2 in vitro model after exposure to acidic (pH 5.5) and NaCl (4.5% w=v) stress. Strain-dependent differences in gene...

Aluminium resistant, plant growth promoting bacteria induce overexpression of Aluminium stress related genes in Arabidopsis thaliana and increase the ginseng tolerance against Aluminium stress.

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Farh, Mohamed El-Agamy; Kim, Yeon-Ju; Sukweenadhi, Johan; Singh, Priyanka; Yang, Deok-Chun

2017-07-01

Panax ginseng is an important cash crop in the Asian countries due to its pharmaceutical effects, however the plant is exposed to various abiotic stresses, lead to reduction of its quality. One of them is the Aluminum (Al) accumulation. Plant growth promoting bacteria which able to tolerate heavy metals has been considered as a new trend for supporting the growth of many crops in heavy metal occupied areas. In this study, twelve bacteria strains were isolated from rhizosphere of diseased Korean ginseng roots located in Gochang province, Republic of Korea and tested for their ability to grow in Al-embedded broth media. Out of them, four strains (Pseudomonas simiae N3, Pseudomonas fragi N8, Chryseobacterium polytrichastri N10, and Burkholderia ginsengiterrae N11-2) were able to grow. The strains could also show other plant growth promoting activities e.g. auxins and siderophores production and phosphate solubilization. P. simiae N3, C. polytrichastri N10, and B. ginsengiterrae N11-2 strains were able to support the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana stressed by Al while P. fragi N8 could not. Plants inoculated with P. simiae N3, C. polytrichastri N10, and B. ginsengiterrae N11-2 showed higher expression level of Al-stress related genes, AtAIP, AtALS3 and AtALMT1, compared to non-bacterized plants. Expression profiles of the genes reveal the induction of external mechanism of Al resistance by P. simiae N3 and B. ginsengiterrae N11-2 and internal mechanism by C. polytrichastri N10. Korean ginseng seedlings treated with these strains showed higher biomass, particularly the foliar part, higher chlorophyll content than non-bacterized Al-stressed seedlings. According to the present results, these strains can be used in the future for the cultivation of ginseng in Al-persisted locations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Global analysis of gene expression profiles in physic nut (Jatropha curcas L.) seedlings exposed to salt stress.

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Zhang, Lin; Zhang, Chao; Wu, Pingzhi; Chen, Yaping; Li, Meiru; Jiang, Huawu; Wu, Guojiang

2014-01-01

Salt stress interferes with plant growth and production. Plants have evolved a series of molecular and morphological adaptations to cope with this abiotic stress, and overexpression of salt response genes reportedly enhances the productivity of various crops. However, little is known about the salt responsive genes in the energy plant physic nut (Jatropha curcas L.). Thus, excavate salt responsive genes in this plant are informative in uncovering the molecular mechanisms for the salt response in physic nut. We applied next-generation Illumina sequencing technology to analyze global gene expression profiles of physic nut plants (roots and leaves) 2 hours, 2 days and 7 days after the onset of salt stress. A total of 1,504 and 1,115 genes were significantly up and down-regulated in roots and leaves, respectively, under salt stress condition. Gene ontology (GO) analysis of physiological process revealed that, in the physic nut, many "biological processes" were affected by salt stress, particular those categories belong to "metabolic process", such as "primary metabolism process", "cellular metabolism process" and "macromolecule metabolism process". The gene expression profiles indicated that the associated genes were responsible for ABA and ethylene signaling, osmotic regulation, the reactive oxygen species scavenging system and the cell structure in physic nut. The major regulated genes detected in this transcriptomic data were related to trehalose synthesis and cell wall structure modification in roots, while related to raffinose synthesis and reactive oxygen scavenger in leaves. The current study shows a comprehensive gene expression profile of physic nut under salt stress. The differential expression genes detected in this study allows the underling the salt responsive mechanism in physic nut with the aim of improving its salt resistance in the future.

Expression of Arabidopsis FCS-Like Zinc finger genes is differentially regulated by sugars, cellular energy level, and abiotic stress

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Muhammed eJamsheer K

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Cellular energy status is an important regulator of plant growth, development, and stress mitigation. Environmental stresses ultimately lead to energy deficit in the cell which activates the SNF1-RELATED KINASE 1 (SnRK1 signaling cascade which eventually triggering a massive reprogramming of transcription to enable the plant to survive under low-energy conditions. The role of Arabidopsis thaliana FCS-Like Zinc finger (FLZ gene family in energy and stress signaling is recently come to highlight after their interaction with kinase subunits of SnRK1 were identified. In a detailed expression analysis in different sugars, energy starvation, and replenishment series, we identified that the expression of most of the FLZ genes is differentially modulated by cellular energy level. It was found that FLZ gene family contains genes which are both positively and negatively regulated by energy deficit as well as energy-rich conditions. Genetic and pharmacological studies identified the role of HEXOKINASE 1- dependent and energy signaling pathways in the sugar-induced expression of FLZ genes. Further, these genes were also found to be highly responsive to different stresses as well as abscisic acid. In over-expression of kinase subunit of SnRK1, FLZ genes were found to be differentially regulated in accordance with their response towards energy fluctuation suggesting that these genes may work downstream to the established SnRK1 signaling under low-energy stress. Taken together, the present study provides a conceptual framework for further studies related to SnRK1-FLZ interaction in relation to sugar and energy signaling and stress response.

Ascophyllum nodosum Seaweed Extract Alleviates Drought Stress in Arabidopsis by Affecting Photosynthetic Performance and Related Gene Expression

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Antonietta Santaniello

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Drought represents one of the most relevant abiotic stress affecting growth and yield of crop plants. In order to improve the agricultural productivity within the limited water and land resources, it is mandatory to increase crop yields in presence of unfavorable environmental stresses. The use of biostimulants, often containing seaweed extracts, represents one of the options for farmers willing to alleviate abiotic stress consequences on crops. In this work, we investigated the responses of Arabidopsis plants treated with an extract from the brown alga Ascophyllum nodosum (ANE, under drought stress conditions, demonstrating that ANE positively influences Arabidopsis survival. Pre-treatment with ANE induced a partial stomatal closure, associated with changes in the expression levels of genes involved in ABA-responsive and antioxidant system pathways. The pre-activation of these pathways results in a stronger ability of ANE-treated plants to maintain a better photosynthetic performance compared to untreated plants throughout the dehydration period, combined with a higher capacity to dissipate the excess of energy as heat in the reaction centers of photosystem II. Our results suggest that drought stressed plants treated with ANE are able to maintain a strong stomatal control and relatively higher values of both water use efficiency (WUE and mesophyll conductance during the last phase of dehydration. Simultaneously, the activation of a pre-induced antioxidant defense system, in combination with a more efficient energy dissipation mechanism, prevents irreversible damages to the photosynthetic apparatus. In conclusion, pre-treatment with ANE is effective to acclimate plants to the incoming stress, promoting an increased WUE and dehydration tolerance.

DNA demethylases target promoter transposable elements to positively regulate stress responsive genes in Arabidopsis.

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Le, Tuan-Ngoc; Schumann, Ulrike; Smith, Neil A; Tiwari, Sameer; Au, Phil Chi Khang; Zhu, Qian-Hao; Taylor, Jennifer M; Kazan, Kemal; Llewellyn, Danny J; Zhang, Ren; Dennis, Elizabeth S; Wang, Ming-Bo

2014-09-17

DNA demethylases regulate DNA methylation levels in eukaryotes. Arabidopsis encodes four DNA demethylases, DEMETER (DME), REPRESSOR OF SILENCING 1 (ROS1), DEMETER-LIKE 2 (DML2), and DML3. While DME is involved in maternal specific gene expression during seed development, the biological function of the remaining DNA demethylases remains unclear. We show that ROS1, DML2, and DML3 play a role in fungal disease resistance in Arabidopsis. A triple DNA demethylase mutant, rdd (ros1 dml2 dml3), shows increased susceptibility to the fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum. We identify 348 genes differentially expressed in rdd relative to wild type, and a significant proportion of these genes are downregulated in rdd and have functions in stress response, suggesting that DNA demethylases maintain or positively regulate the expression of stress response genes required for F. oxysporum resistance. The rdd-downregulated stress response genes are enriched for short transposable element sequences in their promoters. Many of these transposable elements and their surrounding sequences show localized DNA methylation changes in rdd, and a general reduction in CHH methylation, suggesting that RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM), responsible for CHH methylation, may participate in DNA demethylase-mediated regulation of stress response genes. Many of the rdd-downregulated stress response genes are downregulated in the RdDM mutants nrpd1 and nrpe1, and the RdDM mutants nrpe1 and ago4 show enhanced susceptibility to F. oxysporum infection. Our results suggest that a primary function of DNA demethylases in plants is to regulate the expression of stress response genes by targeting promoter transposable element sequences.

Suppression of PCD-related genes affects salt tolerance in Arabidopsis.

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Bahieldin, Ahmed; Alqarni, Dhafer A M; Atef, Ahmed; Gadalla, Nour O; Al-matary, Mohammed; Edris, Sherif; Al-Kordy, Magdy A; Makki, Rania M; Al-Doss, Abdullah A; Sabir, Jamal S M; Mutwakil, Mohammed H Z; El-Domyati, Fotouh M

2016-01-01

This work aims at examining a natural exciting phenomenon suggesting that suppression of genes inducing programmed cell death (PCD) might confer tolerance against abiotic stresses in plants. PCD-related genes were induced in tobacco under oxalic acid (OA) treatment (20 mM), and plant cells were characterized to confirm the incidence of PCD. The results indicated that PCD was triggered 24 h after the exposure to OA. Then, RNAs were extracted from tobacco cells 0, 2, 6, 12 and 24 h after treatment for deep sequencing. RNA-Seq analyses were done with a special emphasis to clusters whose PCD-related genes were upregulated after 2 h of OA exposure. Accordingly, 23 tobacco PCD-related genes were knocked down via virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), whereas our results indicated the influence of five of them on inducing or suppressing PCD. Knockout T-DNA insertion mutants of these five genes in Arabidopsis were tested under salt stress (0, 100, 150, and 200 mM NaCl), and the results indicated that a mutant of an antiapoptotic gene, namely Bax Inhibitor-1 (BI-1), whose VIGS induced PCD in tobacco, was salt sensitive, while a mutant of an apoptotic gene, namely mildew resistance locus O (Mlo), whose VIGS suppressed PCD, was salt tolerant as compared to the WT (Col) control. These data support our hypothesis that retarding PCD-inducing genes can result in higher levels of salt tolerance, while retarding PCD-suppressing genes can result in lower levels of salt tolerance in plants. Copyright © 2016 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Gene expression profiles deciphering rice phenotypic variation between Nipponbare (Japonica and 93-11 (Indica during oxidative stress.

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Fengxia Liu

Full Text Available Rice is a very important food staple that feeds more than half the world's population. Two major Asian cultivated rice (Oryza sativa L. subspecies, japonica and indica, show significant phenotypic variation in their stress responses. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenotypic variation are still largely unknown. A common link among different stresses is that they produce an oxidative burst and result in an increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS. In this study, methyl viologen (MV as a ROS agent was applied to investigate the rice oxidative stress response. We observed that 93-11 (indica seedlings exhibited leaf senescence with severe lesions under MV treatment compared to Nipponbare (japonica. Whole-genome microarray experiments were conducted, and 1,062 probe sets were identified with gene expression level polymorphisms between the two rice cultivars in addition to differential expression under MV treatment, which were assigned as Core Intersectional Probesets (CIPs. These CIPs were analyzed by gene ontology (GO and highlighted with enrichment GO terms related to toxin and oxidative stress responses as well as other responses. These GO term-enriched genes of the CIPs include glutathine S-transferases (GSTs, P450, plant defense genes, and secondary metabolism related genes such as chalcone synthase (CHS. Further insertion/deletion (InDel and regulatory element analyses for these identified CIPs suggested that there may be some eQTL hotspots related to oxidative stress in the rice genome, such as GST genes encoded on chromosome 10. In addition, we identified a group of marker genes individuating the japonica and indica subspecies. In summary, we developed a new strategy combining biological experiments and data mining to study the possible molecular mechanism of phenotypic variation during oxidative stress between Nipponbare and 93-11. This study will aid in the analysis of the molecular basis of quantitative traits.

[Regulation of heat shock gene expression in response to stress].

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Garbuz, D G

2017-01-01

Heat shock (HS) genes, or stress genes, code for a number of proteins that collectively form the most ancient and universal stress defense system. The system determines the cell capability of adaptation to various adverse factors and performs a variety of auxiliary functions in normal physiological conditions. Common stress factors, such as higher temperatures, hypoxia, heavy metals, and others, suppress transcription and translation for the majority of genes, while HS genes are upregulated. Transcription of HS genes is controlled by transcription factors of the HS factor (HSF) family. Certain HSFs are activated on exposure to higher temperatures or other adverse factors to ensure stress-induced HS gene expression, while other HSFs are specifically activated at particular developmental stages. The regulation of the main mammalian stress-inducible factor HSF1 and Drosophila melanogaster HSF includes many components, such as a variety of early warning signals indicative of abnormal cell activity (e.g., increases in intracellular ceramide, cytosolic calcium ions, or partly denatured proteins); protein kinases, which phosphorylate HSFs at various Ser residues; acetyltransferases; and regulatory proteins, such as SUMO and HSBP1. Transcription factors other than HSFs are also involved in activating HS gene transcription; the set includes D. melanogaster GAF, mammalian Sp1 and NF-Y, and other factors. Transcription of several stress genes coding for molecular chaperones of the glucose-regulated protein (GRP) family is predominantly regulated by another stress-detecting system, which is known as the unfolded protein response (UPR) system and is activated in response to massive protein misfolding in the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial matrix. A translational fine tuning of HS protein expression occurs via changing the phosphorylation status of several proteins involved in translation initiation. In addition, specific signal sequences in the 5'-UTRs of some HS

Stress-related methylation of the catechol-O-methyltransferase Val 158 allele predicts human prefrontal cognition and activity.

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Ursini, Gianluca; Bollati, Valentina; Fazio, Leonardo; Porcelli, Annamaria; Iacovelli, Luisa; Catalani, Assia; Sinibaldi, Lorenzo; Gelao, Barbara; Romano, Raffaella; Rampino, Antonio; Taurisano, Paolo; Mancini, Marina; Di Giorgio, Annabella; Popolizio, Teresa; Baccarelli, Andrea; De Blasi, Antonio; Blasi, Giuseppe; Bertolino, Alessandro

2011-05-04

DNA methylation at CpG dinucleotides is associated with gene silencing, stress, and memory. The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val(158) allele in rs4680 is associated with differential enzyme activity, stress responsivity, and prefrontal activity during working memory (WM), and it creates a CpG dinucleotide. We report that methylation of the Val(158) allele measured from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of Val/Val humans is associated negatively with lifetime stress and positively with WM performance; it interacts with stress to modulate prefrontal activity during WM, such that greater stress and lower methylation are related to reduced cortical efficiency; and it is inversely related to mRNA expression and protein levels, potentially explaining the in vivo effects. Finally, methylation of COMT in prefrontal cortex and that in PBMCs of rats are correlated. The relationship of methylation of the COMT Val(158) allele with stress, gene expression, WM performance, and related brain activity suggests that stress-related methylation is associated with silencing of the gene, which partially compensates the physiological role of the high-activity Val allele in prefrontal cognition and activity. Moreover, these results demonstrate how stress-related DNA methylation of specific functional alleles impacts directly on human brain physiology beyond sequence variation.

Brassinosteroids-Induced Systemic Stress Tolerance was Associated with Increased Transcripts of Several Defence-Related Genes in the Phloem in Cucumis sativus.

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Pingfang Li

Full Text Available Brassinosteroids (BRs, a group of naturally occurring plant steroidal compounds, are essential for plant growth, development and stress tolerance. Recent studies showed that BRs could induce systemic tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses; however, the molecular mechanisms by which BRs signals lead to responses in the whole plant are largely unknown. In this study, 24-epibrassinosteroid (EBR-induced systemic tolerance in Cucumis sativus L. cv. Jinyan No. 4 was analyzed through the assessment of symptoms of photooxidative stress by chlorophyll fluorescence imaging pulse amplitude modulation. Expression of defense/stress related genes were induced in both treated local leaves and untreated systemic leaves by local EBR application. With the suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH library using cDNA from the phloem sap of EBR-treated plants as the tester and distilled water (DW-treated plants as the driver, 14 transcripts out of 260 clones were identified. Quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR validated the specific up-regulation of these transcripts. Of the differentially expressed transcripts with known functions, transcripts for the selected four cDNAs, which encode an auxin-responsive protein (IAA14, a putative ankyrin-repeat protein, an F-box protein (PP2, and a major latex, pathogenesis-related (MLP-like protein, were induced in local leaves, systemic leaves and roots after foliar application of EBR onto mature leaves. Our results demonstrated that EBR-induced systemic tolerance is accompanied with increased transcript of genes in the defense response in other organs. The potential role of phloem mRNAs as signaling components in mediating BR-regulated systemic resistance is discussed.

Cross-family translational genomics of abiotic stress-responsive genes between Arabidopsis and Medicago truncatula.

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Daejin Hyung

Full Text Available Cross-species translation of genomic information may play a pivotal role in applying biological knowledge gained from relatively simple model system to other less studied, but related, genomes. The information of abiotic stress (ABS-responsive genes in Arabidopsis was identified and translated into the legume model system, Medicago truncatula. Various data resources, such as TAIR/AtGI DB, expression profiles and literatures, were used to build a genome-wide list of ABS genes. tBlastX/BlastP similarity search tools and manual inspection of alignments were used to identify orthologous genes between the two genomes. A total of 1,377 genes were finally collected and classified into 18 functional criteria of gene ontology (GO. The data analysis according to the expression cues showed that there was substantial level of interaction among three major types (i.e., drought, salinity and cold stress of abiotic stresses. In an attempt to translate the ABS genes between these two species, genomic locations for each gene were mapped using an in-house-developed comparative analysis platform. The comparative analysis revealed that fragmental colinearity, represented by only 37 synteny blocks, existed between Arabidopsis and M. truncatula. Based on the combination of E-value and alignment remarks, estimated translation rate was 60.2% for this cross-family translation. As a prelude of the functional comparative genomic approaches, in-silico gene network/interactome analyses were conducted to predict key components in the ABS responses, and one of the sub-networks was integrated with corresponding comparative map. The results demonstrated that core members of the sub-network were well aligned with previously reported ABS regulatory networks. Taken together, the results indicate that network-based integrative approaches of comparative and functional genomics are important to interpret and translate genomic information for complex traits such as abiotic stresses.

Effects of high temperature on photosynthesis and related gene expression in poplar

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background High temperature, whether transitory or constant, causes physiological, biochemical and molecular changes that adversely affect tree growth and productivity by reducing photosynthesis. To elucidate the photosynthetic adaption response and examine the recovery capacity of trees under heat stress, we measured gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, electron transport, water use efficiency, and reactive oxygen-producing enzyme activities in heat-stressed plants. Results We found that photosynthesis could completely recover after less than six hours of high temperature treatment, which might be a turning point in the photosynthetic response to heat stress. Genome-wide gene expression analysis at six hours of heat stress identified 29,896 differentially expressed genes (15,670 up-regulated and 14,226 down-regulated), including multiple classes of transcription factors. These interact with each other and regulate the expression of photosynthesis-related genes in response to heat stress, controlling carbon fixation and changes in stomatal conductance. Heat stress of more than twelve hours caused reduced electron transport, damaged photosystems, activated the glycolate pathway and caused H2O2 production; as a result, photosynthetic capacity did not recover completely. Conclusions This study provides a systematic physiological and global gene expression profile of the poplar photosynthetic response to heat stress and identifies the main limitations and threshold of photosynthesis under heat stress. It will expand our understanding of plant thermostability and provides a robust dataset for future studies. PMID:24774695

Identification of conserved drought stress responsive gene-network across tissues and developmental stages in rice.

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Smita, Shuchi; Katiyar, Amit; Pandey, Dev Mani; Chinnusamy, Viswanathan; Archak, Sunil; Bansal, Kailash Chander

2013-01-01

Identification of genes that are coexpressed across various tissues and environmental stresses is biologically interesting, since they may play coordinated role in similar biological processes. Genes with correlated expression patterns can be best identified by using coexpression network analysis of transcriptome data. In the present study, we analyzed the temporal-spatial coordination of gene expression in root, leaf and panicle of rice under drought stress and constructed network using WGCNA and Cytoscape. Total of 2199 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in at least three or more tissues, wherein 88 genes have coordinated expression profile among all the six tissues under drought stress. These 88 highly coordinated genes were further subjected to module identification in the coexpression network. Based on chief topological properties we identified 18 hub genes such as ABC transporter, ATP-binding protein, dehydrin, protein phosphatase 2C, LTPL153 - Protease inhibitor, phosphatidylethanolaminebinding protein, lactose permease-related, NADP-dependent malic enzyme, etc. Motif enrichment analysis showed the presence of ABRE cis-elements in the promoters of > 62% of the coordinately expressed genes. Our results suggest that drought stress mediated upregulated gene expression was coordinated through an ABA-dependent signaling pathway across tissues, at least for the subset of genes identified in this study, while down regulation appears to be regulated by tissue specific pathways in rice.

Ancient genes establish stress-induced mutation as a hallmark of cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Cisneros, Luis; Bussey, Kimberly J; Orr, Adam J; Miočević, Milica; Lineweaver, Charles H; Davies, Paul

2017-01-01

Cancer is sometimes depicted as a reversion to single cell behavior in cells adapted to live in a multicellular assembly. If this is the case, one would expect that mutation in cancer disrupts functional mechanisms that suppress cell-level traits detrimental to multicellularity. Such mechanisms should have evolved with or after the emergence of multicellularity. This leads to two related, but distinct hypotheses: 1) Somatic mutations in cancer will occur in genes that are younger than the emergence of multicellularity (1000 million years [MY]); and 2) genes that are frequently mutated in cancer and whose mutations are functionally important for the emergence of the cancer phenotype evolved within the past 1000 million years, and thus would exhibit an age distribution that is skewed to younger genes. In order to investigate these hypotheses we estimated the evolutionary ages of all human genes and then studied the probability of mutation and their biological function in relation to their age and genomic location for both normal germline and cancer contexts. We observed that under a model of uniform random mutation across the genome, controlled for gene size, genes less than 500 MY were more frequently mutated in both cases. Paradoxically, causal genes, defined in the COSMIC Cancer Gene Census, were depleted in this age group. When we used functional enrichment analysis to explain this unexpected result we discovered that COSMIC genes with recessive disease phenotypes were enriched for DNA repair and cell cycle control. The non-mutated genes in these pathways are orthologous to those underlying stress-induced mutation in bacteria, which results in the clustering of single nucleotide variations. COSMIC genes were less common in regions where the probability of observing mutational clusters is high, although they are approximately 2-fold more likely to harbor mutational clusters compared to other human genes. Our results suggest this ancient mutational response to

Environmental stress in German forests; assessment of critical deposition levels and their exceedances and meteorological stress for crown condition monitoring sites in Germany

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klap, J.M.; Reinds, G.J.; Bleeker, A.; Vries, de W.

2000-01-01

Site-specific estimations of meteorological stress and atmospheric deposition were made for the systematic 8 x 8 km2 forest condition monitoring network in Germany for the years 1987-1995. Winter cold and late frost were important temperature stress variables and relative transpiration was a good

Design of radiopharmaceuticals for monitoring gene transfer therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lambrecht, R.M.; Staehler, P.; Kley, J.; Spiegel, M.; Gross, C.; Graepler, F.T.C.; Gregor, M.; Lauer, U.; Oberdorfer, F.

1998-01-01

The development of radiopharmaceuticals for monitoring gene transfer therapy with emission tomography is expected to lead to improved management of cancer by the year 2010. There are now only a few examples and approaches to the design of radiopharmaceuticals for gene transfer therapy. This paper introduces a novel concept for the monitoring of gene therapy. We present the optimisation of the labelling of recombinant human β-NGF ligands for in vitro studies prior to using 123 I for SPET and 124 I for PET studies. (author)

The strong selective sweep candidate gene ADRA2C does not explain domestication related changes in the stress response of chickens.

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Magnus Elfwing

Full Text Available Analysis of selective sweeps to pinpoint causative genomic regions involved in chicken domestication has revealed a strong selective sweep on chromosome 4 in layer chickens. The autoregulatory α-adrenergic receptor 2C (ADRA2C gene is the closest to the selective sweep and was proposed as an important gene in the domestication of layer chickens. The ADRA2C promoter region was also hypermethylated in comparison to the non-selected ancestor of all domesticated chicken breeds, the Red Junglefowl, further supporting its relevance. In mice the receptor is involved in the fight-or-flight response as it modulates epinephrine release from the adrenals. To investigate the involvement of ADRA2C in chicken domestication, we measured gene expression in the adrenals and radiolabeled receptor ligand in three brain regions comparing the domestic White Leghorn strain with the wild ancestor Red Junglefowl. In adrenals ADRA2C was twofold greater expressed than the related receptor gene ADRA2A, indicating that ADRA2C is the predominant modulator of epinephrine release but no strain differences were measured. In hypothalamus and amygdala, regions associated with the stress response, and in striatum, receptor binding pIC50 values ranged between 8.1-8.4, and the level was not influenced by the genotyped allele. Because chicken strains differ in morphology, physiology and behavior, differences attributed to a single gene may be lost in the noise caused by the heterogeneous genetic background. Therefore an F10 advanced intercross strain between White Leghorn and Red Junglefowl was used to investigate effects of ADRA2C alleles on fear related behaviors and fecundity. We did not find compelling genotype effects in open field, tonic immobility, aerial predator, associative learning or fecundity. Therefore we conclude that ADRA2C is probably not involved in the domestication of the stress response in chicken, and the strong selective sweep is probably caused by selection

Analysis of global gene expression in Brachypodium distachyon reveals extensive network plasticity in response to abiotic stress.

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Henry D Priest

Full Text Available Brachypodium distachyon is a close relative of many important cereal crops. Abiotic stress tolerance has a significant impact on productivity of agriculturally important food and feedstock crops. Analysis of the transcriptome of Brachypodium after chilling, high-salinity, drought, and heat stresses revealed diverse differential expression of many transcripts. Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis revealed 22 distinct gene modules with specific profiles of expression under each stress. Promoter analysis implicated short DNA sequences directly upstream of module members in the regulation of 21 of 22 modules. Functional analysis of module members revealed enrichment in functional terms for 10 of 22 network modules. Analysis of condition-specific correlations between differentially expressed gene pairs revealed extensive plasticity in the expression relationships of gene pairs. Photosynthesis, cell cycle, and cell wall expression modules were down-regulated by all abiotic stresses. Modules which were up-regulated by each abiotic stress fell into diverse and unique gene ontology GO categories. This study provides genomics resources and improves our understanding of abiotic stress responses of Brachypodium.

Expression of Aluminum-Induced Genes in Transgenic Arabidopsis Plants Can Ameliorate Aluminum Stress and/or Oxidative Stress1

Science.gov (United States)

Ezaki, Bunichi; Gardner, Richard C.; Ezaki, Yuka; Matsumoto, Hideaki

2000-01-01

To examine the biological role of Al-stress-induced genes, nine genes derived from Arabidopsis, tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were expressed in Arabidopsis ecotype Landsberg. Lines containing eight of these genes were phenotypically normal and were tested in root elongation assays for their sensitivity to Al, Cd, Cu, Na, Zn, and to oxidative stresses. An Arabidopsis blue-copper-binding protein gene (AtBCB), a tobacco glutathione S-transferase gene (parB), a tobacco peroxidase gene (NtPox), and a tobacco GDP-dissociation inhibitor gene (NtGDI1) conferred a degree of resistance to Al. Two of these genes, AtBCB and parB, and a peroxidase gene from Arabidopsis (AtPox) also showed increased resistance to oxidative stress induced by diamide, while parB conferred resistance to Cu and Na. Al content of Al-treated root tips was reduced in the four Al-resistant plant lines compared with wild-type Ler-0, as judged by morin staining. All four Al-resistant lines also showed reduced staining of roots with 2′,7′-dichloro fluorescein diacetate (H2DCFDA), an indicator of oxidative stress. We conclude that Al-induced genes can serve to protect against Al toxicity, and also provide genetic evidence for a link between Al stress and oxidative stress in plants. PMID:10712528

Selection of Reference Genes for qRT-PCR Analysis of Gene Expression in Stipa grandis during Environmental Stresses.

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Dongli Wan

Full Text Available Stipa grandis P. Smirn. is a dominant plant species in the typical steppe of the Xilingole Plateau of Inner Mongolia. Selection of suitable reference genes for the quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR is important for gene expression analysis and research into the molecular mechanisms underlying the stress responses of S. grandis. In the present study, 15 candidate reference genes (EF1 beta, ACT, GAPDH, SamDC, CUL4, CAP, SNF2, SKIP1, SKIP5, SKIP11, UBC2, UBC15, UBC17, UCH, and HERC2 were evaluated for their stability as potential reference genes for qRT-PCR under different stresses. Four algorithms were used: GeNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and RefFinder. The results showed that the most stable reference genes were different under different stress conditions: EF1beta and UBC15 during drought and salt stresses; ACT and GAPDH under heat stress; SKIP5 and UBC17 under cold stress; UBC15 and HERC2 under high pH stress; UBC2 and UBC15 under wounding stress; EF1beta and UBC17 under jasmonic acid treatment; UBC15 and CUL4 under abscisic acid treatment; and HERC2 and UBC17 under salicylic acid treatment. EF1beta and HERC2 were the most suitable genes for the global analysis of all samples. Furthermore, six target genes, SgPOD, SgPAL, SgLEA, SgLOX, SgHSP90 and SgPR1, were selected to validate the most and least stable reference genes under different treatments. Our results provide guidelines for reference gene selection for more accurate qRT-PCR quantification and will promote studies of gene expression in S. grandis subjected to environmental stress.

Genes and Gene Networks Involved in Sodium Fluoride-Elicited Cell Death Accompanying Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Oral Epithelial Cells

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Yoshiaki Tabuchi

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Here, to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying cell death induced by sodium fluoride (NaF, we analyzed gene expression patterns in rat oral epithelial ROE2 cells exposed to NaF using global-scale microarrays and bioinformatics tools. A relatively high concentration of NaF (2 mM induced cell death concomitant with decreases in mitochondrial membrane potential, chromatin condensation and caspase-3 activation. Using 980 probe sets, we identified 432 up-regulated and 548 down-regulated genes, that were differentially expressed by >2.5-fold in the cells treated with 2 mM of NaF and categorized them into 4 groups by K-means clustering. Ingenuity® pathway analysis revealed several gene networks from gene clusters. The gene networks Up-I and Up-II included many up-regulated genes that were mainly associated with the biological function of induction or prevention of cell death, respectively, such as Atf3, Ddit3 and Fos (for Up-I and Atf4 and Hspa5 (for Up-II. Interestingly, knockdown of Ddit3 and Hspa5 significantly increased and decreased the number of viable cells, respectively. Moreover, several endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress-related genes including, Ddit3, Atf4 and Hapa5, were observed in these gene networks. These findings will provide further insight into the molecular mechanisms of NaF-induced cell death accompanying ER stress in oral epithelial cells.

Heat shock and prolonged heat stress attenuate neurotoxin and sporulation gene expression in group I Clostridium botulinum strain ATCC 3502.

Science.gov (United States)

Selby, Katja; Mascher, Gerald; Somervuo, Panu; Lindström, Miia; Korkeala, Hannu

2017-01-01

Foodborne pathogenic bacteria are exposed to a number of environmental stresses during food processing, storage, and preparation, and in the human body. In order to improve the safety of food, the understanding of molecular stress response mechanisms foodborne pathogens employ is essential. Many response mechanisms that are activated during heat shock may cross-protect bacteria against other environmental stresses. To better understand the molecular mechanisms Clostridium botulinum, the causative agent of botulism, utilizes during acute heat stress and during adaptation to stressfully high temperature, the C. botulinum Group I strain ATCC 3502 was grown in continuous culture at 39°C and exposed to heat shock at 45°C, followed by prolonged heat stress at 45°C to allow adaptation of the culture to the high temperature. Growth in continuous culture was performed to exclude secondary growth phase effects or other environmental impacts on bacterial gene transcription. Changes in global gene expression profiles were studied using DNA microarray hybridization. During acute heat stress, Class I and III heat shock genes as well as members of the SOS regulon were activated. The neurotoxin gene botA and genes encoding the neurotoxin-associated proteins were suppressed throughout the study. Prolonged heat stress led to suppression of the sporulation machinery whereas genes related to chemotaxis and motility were activated. Induced expression of a large proportion of prophage genes was detected, suggesting an important role of acquired genes in the stress resistance of C. botulinum. Finally, changes in the expression of a large number of genes related to carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism indicated remodeling of the cellular metabolism.

Associations between Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone-Related Genes and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

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Ayaka Sasaki

Full Text Available Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS is a common functional disorder with distinct features of stress-related pathophysiology. A key mediator of the stress response is corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH. Although some candidate genes have been identified in stress-related disorders, few studies have examined CRH-related gene polymorphisms. Therefore, we tested our hypothesis that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in CRH-related genes influence the features of IBS.In total, 253 individuals (123 men and 130 women participated in this study. They comprised 111 IBS individuals and 142 healthy controls. The SNP genotypes in CRH (rs28364015 and rs6472258 and CRH-binding protein (CRH-BP (rs10474485 were determined by direct sequencing and real-time polymerase chain reaction. The emotional states of the subjects were evaluated using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale, and the Self-rating Depression Scale.Direct sequencing of the rs28364015 SNP of CRH revealed no genetic variation among the study subjects. There was no difference in the genotype distributions and allele frequencies of rs6472258 and rs10474485 between IBS individuals and controls. However, IBS subjects with diarrhea symptoms without the rs10474485 A allele showed a significantly higher emotional state score than carriers.These results suggest that the CRH and CRH-BP genes have no direct effect on IBS status. However, the CRH-BP SNP rs10474485 has some effect on IBS-related emotional abnormalities and resistance to psychosocial stress.

Transcriptomic analysis of salt stress responsive genes in Rhazya stricta.

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Nahid H Hajrah

Full Text Available Rhazya stricta is an evergreen shrub that is widely distributed across Western and South Asia, and like many other members of the Apocynaceae produces monoterpene indole alkaloids that have anti-cancer properties. This species is adapted to very harsh desert conditions making it an excellent system for studying tolerance to high temperatures and salinity. RNA-Seq analysis was performed on R. stricta exposed to severe salt stress (500 mM NaCl across four time intervals (0, 2, 12 and 24 h to examine mechanisms of salt tolerance. A large number of transcripts including genes encoding tetrapyrroles and pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR proteins were regulated only after 12 h of stress of seedlings grown in controlled greenhouse conditions. Mechanisms of salt tolerance in R. stricta may involve the upregulation of genes encoding chaperone protein Dnaj6, UDP-glucosyl transferase 85a2, protein transparent testa 12 and respiratory burst oxidase homolog protein b. Many of the highly-expressed genes act on protecting protein folding during salt stress and the production of flavonoids, key secondary metabolites in stress tolerance. Other regulated genes encode enzymes in the porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolic pathway with important roles during plant growth, photosynthesis, hormone signaling and abiotic responses. Heme biosynthesis in R. stricta leaves might add to the level of salt stress tolerance by maintaining appropriate levels of photosynthesis and normal plant growth as well as by the participation in reactive oxygen species (ROS production under stress. We speculate that the high expression levels of PPR genes may be dependent on expression levels of their targeted editing genes. Although the results of PPR gene family indicated regulation of a large number of transcripts under salt stress, PPR actions were independent of the salt stress because their RNA editing patterns were unchanged.

Comprehensive transcriptional profiling of NaCl-stressed Arabidopsis roots reveals novel classes of responsive genes

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Deyholos Michael K

2006-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Roots are an attractive system for genomic and post-genomic studies of NaCl responses, due to their primary importance to agriculture, and because of their relative structural and biochemical simplicity. Excellent genomic resources have been established for the study of Arabidopsis roots, however, a comprehensive microarray analysis of the root transcriptome following NaCl exposure is required to further understand plant responses to abiotic stress and facilitate future, systems-based analyses of the underlying regulatory networks. Results We used microarrays of 70-mer oligonucleotide probes representing 23,686 Arabidopsis genes to identify root transcripts that changed in relative abundance following 6 h, 24 h, or 48 h of hydroponic exposure to 150 mM NaCl. Enrichment analysis identified groups of structurally or functionally related genes whose members were statistically over-represented among up- or down-regulated transcripts. Our results are consistent with generally observed stress response themes, and highlight potentially important roles for underappreciated gene families, including: several groups of transporters (e.g. MATE, LeOPT1-like; signalling molecules (e.g. PERK kinases, MLO-like receptors, carbohydrate active enzymes (e.g. XTH18, transcription factors (e.g. members of ZIM, WRKY, NAC, and other proteins (e.g. 4CL-like, COMT-like, LOB-Class 1. We verified the NaCl-inducible expression of selected transcription factors and other genes by qRT-PCR. Conclusion Micorarray profiling of NaCl-treated Arabidopsis roots revealed dynamic changes in transcript abundance for at least 20% of the genome, including hundreds of transcription factors, kinases/phosphatases, hormone-related genes, and effectors of homeostasis, all of which highlight the complexity of this stress response. Our identification of these transcriptional responses, and groups of evolutionarily related genes with either similar or divergent

Analyses of the probiotic property and stress resistance-related genes of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NCDO 2118 through comparative genomics and in vitro assays.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, Letícia C; Saraiva, Tessália D L; Silva, Wanderson M; Pereira, Ulisses P; Campos, Bruno C; Benevides, Leandro J; Rocha, Flávia S; Figueiredo, Henrique C P; Azevedo, Vasco; Soares, Siomar C

2017-01-01

Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NCDO 2118 was recently reported to alleviate colitis symptoms via its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities, which are exerted by exported proteins that are not produced by L. lactis subsp. lactis IL1403. Here, we used in vitro and in silico approaches to characterize the genomic structure, the safety aspects, and the immunomodulatory activity of this strain. Through comparative genomics, we identified genomic islands, phage regions, bile salt and acid stress resistance genes, bacteriocins, adhesion-related and antibiotic resistance genes, and genes encoding proteins that are putatively secreted, expressed in vitro and absent from IL1403. The high degree of similarity between all Lactococcus suggests that the Symbiotic Islands commonly shared by both NCDO 2118 and KF147 may be responsible for their close relationship and their adaptation to plants. The predicted bacteriocins may play an important role against the invasion of competing strains. The genes related to the acid and bile salt stresses may play important roles in gastrointestinal tract survival, whereas the adhesion proteins are important for persistence in the gut, culminating in the competitive exclusion of other bacteria. Finally, the five secreted and expressed proteins may be important targets for studies of new anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory proteins. Altogether, the analyses performed here highlight the potential use of this strain as a target for the future development of probiotic foods.

Heat stress monitoring system. Innovative technology summary report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-11-01

The US Department of Energy's (DOE) nuclear facility decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) program involves the need to decontaminate and decommission buildings expeditiously and cost-effectively. Simultaneously, the health and safety of personnel involved in the D and D activities is of primary concern. Often, D and D workers must perform duties in inclement weather, and because they also frequently work in contaminated areas, they must wear personal protective clothing and/or respirators. Monitoring the health status of workers under these conditions is an important component of ensuring their safety. The MiniMitter VitalSense Telemetry System's heat stress monitoring system (HSMS) is designed to monitor the vital signs of individual workers as they perform work in conditions that might be conducive to heat exhaustion or heat stress. The HSMS provides real-time data on the physiological condition of workers which can be monitored to prevent heat stress or other adverse health situations. This system is particularly useful when workers are wearing personal protective clothing or respirators that make visual observation of their condition more difficult. The MiniMitter VitalSense Telemetry System can monitor up to four channels (e.g., heart rate, body activity, ear canal, and skin temperature) and ten workers from a single supervisory station. The monitors are interfaced with a portable computer that updates and records information on individual workers. This innovative technology, even though it costs more, is an attractive alternative to the traditional (baseline) technology, which measures environmental statistics and predicts the average worker's reaction to those environmental conditions without taking the physical condition of the individual worker into consideration. Although use of the improved technology might be justified purely on the basis of improved safety, it has the potential to pay for itself by reducing worker time lost caused by heat

Advances of reporter gene imaging monitoring stem cell therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pei Zhijun; Zhang Yongxue

2010-01-01

Stem cell transplantation in the treatment of various tissue damage or degenerative diseases are research hotspots both at home and abroad. However, ignorance of the homing, differentiation and functional expression of the stem cell in vivo influence the further development of stem cell therapy. As an important component of molecular imaging technology, reporter gene imaging dynamically monitors the change of stem cell in vivo via monitoring the expression of transfected reporter gene. This paper briefly describes the latest research progress and the future development trend of the monitoring of reporter gene imaging in stem cell therapy in vivo. (authors)

Stress, and pathogen response gene expression in modeled microgravity

Science.gov (United States)

Sundaresan, Alamelu; Pellis, Neal R.

2006-01-01

Purpose: Immune suppression in microgravity has been well documented. With the advent of human exploration and long-term space travel, the immune system of the astronaut must be optimally maintained. It is important to investigate the expression patterns of cytokine genes, because they are directly related to immune response. Heat shock proteins (HSPs), also called stress proteins, are a group of proteins that are present in the cells of every life form. These proteins are induced when a cell responds to stressors such as heat, cold and oxygen deprivation. Microgravity is another stressor that may regulate HSPs. Heat shock proteins trigger immune response through activities that occur both inside the cell (intracellular) and outside the cell (extracellular). Knowledge about these two gene groups could lead to establishment of a blueprint of the immune response and adaptation-related genes in the microgravity environment. Methods: Human peripheral blood cells were cultured in 1g (T flask) and modeled microgravity (MMG, rotating-wall vessel) for 24 and 72 hours. Cell samples were collected and subjected to gene array analysis using the Affymetrix HG_U95 array. Data was collected and subjected to a two-way analysis of variance. The genes related to immune and stress responses were analyzed. Results and Conclusions: HSP70 was up-regulated by more than two fold in microgravity culture, while HSP90 was significantly down-regulated. HSP70 is not typically expressed in all kinds of cells, but it is expressed at high levels in stress conditions. HSP70 participates in translation, protein translocation, proteolysis and protein folding, suppressing aggregation and reactivating denatured proteins. Increased serum HSP70 levels correlate with a better outcome for heat-stroke or severe trauma patients. At the same time, elevated serum levels of HSP70 have been detected in patients with peripheral or renal vascular disease. HSP90 has been identified in the cytosol, nucleus and

Monitoring Perceived Stress and Recovery in Relation to Cycling Performance in Female Athletes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Otter, R. T. A.; Brink, M. S.; van der Does, H. T. D.; Lemmink, K. A. P. M.

The purpose was to investigate perceived stress and recovery related to cycling performance of female athletes over one full year. 20 female athletes ( age, 27 +/- 8 years; VO2max, 50.3 +/- 4.6 mL center dot kg(-1) center dot min(-1)) were measured 8 times in one year to determine perceived stress

Cortisol levels and expression of selected stress- and apoptosis-related genes in the embryos of Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua following short-term exposure to air

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marlowe, Christopher; Caipang, A.; Fagutao, Ferdinand F.

2015-01-01

Embryos (morula stage) of Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua L., were collected and subjected to air exposure for 2 min. followed by recovery at ambient conditions in the rearing container. Total immunoreactive cortisol and transcription of selected stress- and apoptosis-related genes of the embryos were...

Genes and co-expression modules common to drought and bacterial stress responses in Arabidopsis and rice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafi Shaik

Full Text Available Plants are simultaneously exposed to multiple stresses resulting in enormous changes in the molecular landscape within the cell. Identification and characterization of the synergistic and antagonistic components of stress response mechanisms contributing to the cross talk between stresses is of high priority to explore and enhance multiple stress responses. To this end, we performed meta-analysis of drought (abiotic, bacterial (biotic stress response in rice and Arabidopsis by analyzing a total of 386 microarray samples belonging to 20 microarray studies and identified approximately 3100 and 900 DEGs in rice and Arabidopsis, respectively. About 38.5% (1214 and 28.7% (272 DEGs were common to drought and bacterial stresses in rice and Arabidopsis, respectively. A majority of these common DEGs showed conserved expression status in both stresses. Gene ontology enrichment analysis clearly demarcated the response and regulation of various plant hormones and related biological processes. Fatty acid metabolism and biosynthesis of alkaloids were upregulated and, nitrogen metabolism and photosynthesis was downregulated in both stress conditions. WRKY transcription family genes were highly enriched in all upregulated gene sets while 'CO-like' TF family showed inverse relationship of expression between drought and bacterial stresses. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis divided DEG sets into multiple modules that show high co-expression and identified stress specific hub genes with high connectivity. Detection of consensus modules based on DEGs common to drought and bacterial stress revealed 9 and 4 modules in rice and Arabidopsis, respectively, with conserved and reversed co-expression patterns.

Acute hypoxia stress induced abundant differential expression genes and alternative splicing events in heart of tilapia.

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Jun Hong; Li, Hong Lian; Li, Bi Jun; Gu, Xiao Hui; Lin, Hao Ran

2018-01-10

Hypoxia is one of the critical environmental stressors for fish in aquatic environments. Although accumulating evidences indicate that gene expression is regulated by hypoxia stress in fish, how genes undergoing differential gene expression and/or alternative splicing (AS) in response to hypoxia stress in heart are not well understood. Using RNA-seq, we surveyed and detected 289 differential expressed genes (DEG) and 103 genes that undergo differential usage of exons and splice junctions events (DUES) in heart of a hypoxia tolerant fish, Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus following 12h hypoxic treatment. The spatio-temporal expression analysis validated the significant association of differential exon usages in two randomly selected DUES genes (fam162a and ndrg2) in 5 tissues (heart, liver, brain, gill and spleen) sampled at three time points (6h, 12h, and 24h) under acute hypoxia treatment. Functional analysis significantly associated the differential expressed genes with the categories related to energy conservation, protein synthesis and immune response. Different enrichment categories were found between the DEG and DUES dataset. The Isomerase activity, Oxidoreductase activity, Glycolysis and Oxidative stress process were significantly enriched for the DEG gene dataset, but the Structural constituent of ribosome and Structural molecule activity, Ribosomal protein and RNA binding protein were significantly enriched only for the DUES genes. Our comparative transcriptomic analysis reveals abundant stress responsive genes and their differential regulation function in the heart tissues of Nile tilapia under acute hypoxia stress. Our findings will facilitate future investigation on transcriptome complexity and AS regulation during hypoxia stress in fish. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Practicality of intermittent fasting in humans and its effect on oxidative stress and genes related to aging and metabolism.

Science.gov (United States)

Wegman, Martin P; Guo, Michael H; Bennion, Douglas M; Shankar, Meena N; Chrzanowski, Stephen M; Goldberg, Leslie A; Xu, Jinze; Williams, Tiffany A; Lu, Xiaomin; Hsu, Stephen I; Anton, Stephen D; Leeuwenburgh, Christiaan; Brantly, Mark L

2015-04-01

Caloric restriction has consistently been shown to extend life span and ameliorate aging-related diseases. These effects may be due to diet-induced reactive oxygen species acting to up-regulate sirtuins and related protective pathways, which research suggests may be partially inhibited by dietary anti-oxidant supplementation. Because caloric restriction is not sustainable long term for most humans, we investigated an alternative dietary approach, intermittent fasting (IF), which is proposed to act on similar biological pathways. We hypothesized that a modified IF diet, where participants maintain overall energy balance by alternating between days of fasting (25% of normal caloric intake) and feasting (175% of normal), would increase expression of genes associated with aging and reduce oxidative stress and that these effects would be suppressed by anti-oxidant supplementation. To assess the tolerability of the diet and to explore effects on biological mechanisms related to aging and metabolism, we recruited a cohort of 24 healthy individuals in a double-crossover, double-blinded, randomized clinical trial. Study participants underwent two 3-week treatment periods-IF and IF with anti-oxidant (vitamins C and E) supplementation. We found strict adherence to study-provided diets and that participants found the diet tolerable, with no adverse clinical findings or weight change. We detected a marginal increase (2.7%) in SIRT3 expression due to the IF diet, but no change in expression of other genes or oxidative stress markers analyzed. We also found that IF decreased plasma insulin levels (1.01 μU/mL). Although our study suggests that the IF dieting paradigm is acceptable in healthy individuals, additional research is needed to further assess the potential benefits and risks.

Impact of broiler egg storage on the relative expression of selected blastoderm genes associated with apoptosis, oxidative stress, and fatty acid metabolism.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakst, M R; Welch, G R; Fetterer, R; Miska, K

2016-06-01

Cool temperature storage of eggs prior to incubation is a frequent practice by commercial broiler hatcheries. However, continued storage beyond 7 d leads to a progressive increase in the rate of early embryonic mortality. In this study, we examined the relative expression of 31 genes associated with fatty acid metabolism (8), apoptosis (7), and oxidative stress (16) pathways to better understand the basis of embryo mortality during egg storage. A total of 642 broiler eggs in 2 separate trials were subjected to the following egg treatments: stored 4 d (Control 1, C1); stored 21 d but subjected to short periods of incubation during egg storage (SPIDES); stored un-manipulated 21 d (NonSPIDES, NS); and stored 4 d then incubated for 10 h to advance the embryos to the same developmental stages as the SPIDES embryos (Control 2, C2). Hatchability trials (277 eggs) confirmed the efficacy of SPIDES compared to NS treatments in both trials. To determine relative expression of 31 selected genes, 365 blastoderms were isolated, staged, and flash frozen in batches of 5 to 10 blastoderms per vial (7 vials per egg treatment) prior to RNA extractions. Analysis of gene expression was performed using qRT-PCR and the results presented as relative expression normalized to C1. The relative expression of genes in which the SPIDES and C2 treatments were significantly up- or down-regulated in tandem indicated that the stage-specific expression of those genes was maintained by the SPIDES treatment. This study provides the relative gene expressions of blastodermal cells before and after prolonged egg storage as well as insight as to how SPIDES impacts blastodermal cell gene expression. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Poultry Science Association 2016. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

Dutch monitor on stress and physical load: risk factors, consequences, and preventive action.

Science.gov (United States)

Houtman, I L; Goudswaard, A; Dhondt, S; van der Grinten, M P; Hildebrandt, V H; van der Poel, E G

1998-02-01

Due to recent changes in legislation on occupational health and safety, a national monitor on stress and physical load was developed in The Netherlands to monitor (a) risks and consequences of stress and physical load at work, (b) preventive actions in companies to reduce these risks, and (c) organisational and environmental variables that facilitate preventive actions. Information was gathered from employers, employees, and employees' representatives. The monitor was used with a nationally representative sample of companies in industry, wholesale trade, and banking and finance, 782 companies in total. The information from the employees, aggregated at the company level, was not found to be correlated with that from the employer from the same companies. Although many employers do recognise risk factors for both physical load and stress as a problem they often seem to underestimate the problem when compared with employees or their representatives. This is particularly the case for psychosocial risk factors. Also, the perception of outcome measures, especially employers who consider emotional exhaustion to be work related, were fewer than the employees' representatives of the same organisation. Preventive measures on physical load are much more popular than measures against stress. It is the responsibility of the employer to take more preventive action of all kinds. They need to recognise risk factors as problems and health outcomes to be related to work. Employees of larger companies should participate with employers to consider effective measures, and more use should be made of support at branch level. For specific preventive measures, specific predictors emerged. Except for measures to prevent work stress, information from employees did not sufficiently contribute to the initiation of preventive measures in the workplace.

Identification of potential internal control genes for real-time PCR analysis during stress response in Pyropia haitanensis

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Wang, Xia; Feng, Jianhua; Huang, Aiyou; He, Linwen; Niu, Jianfeng; Wang, Guangce

2017-11-01

Pyropia haitanensis has prominent stress-resistance characteristics and is endemic to China. Studies into the stress responses in these algae could provide valuable information on the stress-response mechanisms in the intertidal Rhodophyta. Here, the effects of salinity and light intensity on the quantum yield of photosystem II in Py. haitanensis were investigated using pulse-amplitude-modulation fluorometry. Total RNA and genomic DNA of the samples under different stress conditions were isolated. By normalizing to the genomic DNA quantity, the RNA content in each sample was evaluated. The cDNA was synthesized and the expression levels of seven potential internal control genes were evaluated using qRT-PCR method. Then, we used geNorm, a common statistical algorithm, to analyze the qRT-PCR data of seven reference genes. Potential genes that may constantly be expressed under different conditions were selected, and these genes showed stable expression levels in samples under a salinity treatment, while tubulin, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and actin showed stability in samples stressed by strong light. Based on the results of the pulse amplitude-modulation fluorometry, an absolute quantification was performed to obtain gene copy numbers in certain stress-treated samples. The stably expressed genes as determined by the absolute quantification in certain samples conformed to the results of the geNorm screening. Based on the results of the software analysis and absolute quantification, we proposed that elongation factor 3 and 18S ribosomal RNA could be used as internal control genes when the Py. haitanensis blades were subjected to salinity stress, and that α-tubulin and 18S ribosomal RNA could be used as the internal control genes when the stress was from strong light. In general, our findings provide a convenient reference for the selection of internal control genes when designing experiments related to stress responses in Py. haitanensis.

Identification of differentially expressed genes in flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) under saline-alkaline stress by digital gene expression.

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Yu, Ying; Huang, Wengong; Chen, Hongyu; Wu, Guangwen; Yuan, Hongmei; Song, Xixia; Kang, Qinghua; Zhao, Dongsheng; Jiang, Weidong; Liu, Yan; Wu, Jianzhong; Cheng, Lili; Yao, Yubo; Guan, Fengzhi

2014-10-01

The salinization and alkalization of soil are widespread environmental problems, and alkaline salt stress is more destructive than neutral salt stress. Therefore, understanding the mechanism of plant tolerance to saline-alkaline stress has become a major challenge. However, little attention has been paid to the mechanism of plant alkaline salt tolerance. In this study, gene expression profiling of flax was analyzed under alkaline-salt stress (AS2), neutral salt stress (NSS) and alkaline stress (AS) by digital gene expression. Three-week-old flax seedlings were placed in 25 mM Na2CO3 (pH11.6) (AS2), 50mM NaCl (NSS) and NaOH (pH11.6) (AS) for 18 h. There were 7736, 1566 and 454 differentially expressed genes in AS2, NSS and AS compared to CK, respectively. The GO category gene enrichment analysis revealed that photosynthesis was particularly affected in AS2, carbohydrate metabolism was particularly affected in NSS, and the response to biotic stimulus was particularly affected in AS. We also analyzed the expression pattern of five categories of genes including transcription factors, signaling transduction proteins, phytohormones, reactive oxygen species proteins and transporters under these three stresses. Some key regulatory gene families involved in abiotic stress, such as WRKY, MAPKKK, ABA, PrxR and ion channels, were differentially expressed. Compared with NSS and AS, AS2 triggered more differentially expressed genes and special pathways, indicating that the mechanism of AS2 was more complex than NSS and AS. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first transcriptome analysis of flax in response to saline-alkaline stress. These data indicate that common and diverse features of saline-alkaline stress provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of plant saline-alkaline tolerance and offer a number of candidate genes as potential markers of tolerance to saline-alkaline stress. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Silicon Regulates Potential Genes Involved in Major Physiological Processes in Plants to Combat Stress

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Abinaya Manivannan

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Silicon (Si, the quasi-essential element occurs as the second most abundant element in the earth's crust. Biological importance of Si in plant kingdom has become inevitable particularly under stressed environment. In general, plants are classified as high, medium, and low silicon accumulators based on the ability of roots to absorb Si. The uptake of Si directly influence the positive effects attributed to the plant but Si supplementation proves to mitigate stress and recover plant growth even in low accumulating plants like tomato. The application of Si in soil as well as soil-less cultivation systems have resulted in the enhancement of quantitative and qualitative traits of plants even under stressed environment. Silicon possesses several mechanisms to regulate the physiological, biochemical, and antioxidant metabolism in plants to combat abiotic and biotic stresses. Nevertheless, very few reports are available on the aspect of Si-mediated molecular regulation of genes with potential role in stress tolerance. The recent advancements in the era of genomics and transcriptomics have opened an avenue for the determination of molecular rationale associated with the Si amendment to the stress alleviation in plants. Therefore, the present endeavor has attempted to describe the recent discoveries related to the regulation of vital genes involved in photosynthesis, transcription regulation, defense, water transport, polyamine synthesis, and housekeeping genes during abiotic and biotic stress alleviation by Si. Furthermore, an overview of Si-mediated modulation of multiple genes involved in stress response pathways such as phenylpropanoid pathway, jasmonic acid pathway, ABA-dependent or independent regulatory pathway have been discussed in this review.

Overexpression of stress-related genes in Cuscuta campestris in response to host defense reactions

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Hamed Rezaei

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Herb dodder ( Cuscuta spp. is one of the most important parasitic plants that can severely affect crop yields in the world. So far, interactions of this parasitic plant with hosts were not investigated adequately. Here, we conducted a differential expression analyzes and identified a number of genes that were differentially expressed in haustorium tissue compared with the stem of Cuscuta campestris growing on Alfalfa. We obtained 439 cDNA fragments from haustoria (parasite-host connection zone and stems (25 cm away from connections zones using the cDNA-AFLP (Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism method with eight different primer combinations. Of 439 transcript-derived fragments (TDFs that were detected, 145 fragments were identified as differentially expressed genes. Five TDF sequences were similar to known functional genes involved in signal transduction, metabolism, respiration, and stress responses. Genes encoding DEAD-box ATP-dependent RNA helicase, potential heme-binding protein, lysine-specific demethylase 5A were selected for qRT-PCR. The qRT-PCR analyzes confirmed the results obtained using cDNA-AFLP. Our findings shed light on the elicitation of dodder defense responses in the connection zone to overcome plant defense reactions.

Evolution and Stress Responses of Gossypium hirsutum SWEET Genes.

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Li, Wei; Ren, Zhongying; Wang, Zhenyu; Sun, Kuan; Pei, Xiaoyu; Liu, Yangai; He, Kunlun; Zhang, Fei; Song, Chengxiang; Zhou, Xiaojian; Zhang, Wensheng; Ma, Xiongfeng; Yang, Daigang

2018-03-08

The SWEET (sugars will eventually be exported transporters) proteins are sugar efflux transporters containing the MtN3_saliva domain, which affects plant development as well as responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. These proteins have not been functionally characterized in the tetraploid cotton, Gossypium hirsutum , which is a widely cultivated cotton species. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the cotton SWEET gene family. A total of 55 putative G. hirsutum SWEET genes were identified. The GhSWEET genes were classified into four clades based on a phylogenetic analysis and on the examination of gene structural features. Moreover, chromosomal localization and an analysis of homologous genes in Gossypium arboreum , Gossypium raimondii , and G. hirsutum suggested that a whole-genome duplication, several tandem duplications, and a polyploidy event contributed to the expansion of the cotton SWEET gene family, especially in Clade III and IV. Analyses of cis -acting regulatory elements in the promoter regions, expression profiles, and artificial selection revealed that the GhSWEET genes were likely involved in cotton developmental processes and responses to diverse stresses. These findings may clarify the evolution of G. hirsutum SWEET gene family and may provide a foundation for future functional studies of SWEET proteins regarding cotton development and responses to abiotic stresses.

Transcriptional 'memory' of a stress: transient chromatin and memory (epigenetic) marks at stress-response genes.

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Avramova, Zoya

2015-07-01

Drought, salinity, extreme temperature variations, pathogen and herbivory attacks are recurring environmental stresses experienced by plants throughout their life. To survive repeated stresses, plants provide responses that may be different from their response during the first encounter with the stress. A different response to a similar stress represents the concept of 'stress memory'. A coordinated reaction at the organismal, cellular and gene/genome levels is thought to increase survival chances by improving the plant's tolerance/avoidance abilities. Ultimately, stress memory may provide a mechanism for acclimation and adaptation. At the molecular level, the concept of stress memory indicates that the mechanisms responsible for memory-type transcription during repeated stresses are not based on repetitive activation of the same response pathways activated by the first stress. Some recent advances in the search for transcription 'memory factors' are discussed with an emphasis on super-induced dehydration stress memory response genes in Arabidopsis. © 2015 The Author The Plant Journal © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Acute effects of heavy metals on the expression of glutathione-related antioxidant genes in the marine ciliate Euplotes crassus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Se-Hun; Kim, Se-Joo; Lee, Jae-Seong; Lee, Young-Mi

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Significant higher increases in the relative ROS and total GSH levels were observed after exposure to heavy metals. • Real-time PCR data showed expression levels of GPx and GR mRNA were sensitively modulated within 8 h of exposure to heavy metals. • E. crassus GPx and GR genes may be involved in cellular defense mechanisms against heavy metal-induced oxidative stress. • E. crassus GPx and GR genes will be useful as potential molecular markers for monitoring heavy metal contamination. - Abstract: Euplotes crassus, a single-celled eukaryote, is directly affected by environmental contaminants. Here, exponentially cultured E. crassus were exposed to cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc and then the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and total glutathione (GSH) levels were measured. Subsequently, the transcriptional modulation of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR) were estimated by quantitative RT-PCR. After an 8-h exposure, significantly higher increases in the relative ROS and total GSH levels were observed in exposed group, compared to the controls. Real-time PCR data revealed that the expression levels of GPx and GR mRNA were sensitively modulated within 8 h of exposure to all heavy metals. These findings suggest that these genes may be involved in cellular defense mechanisms by modulating their gene expression against heavy metal-induced oxidative stress. Thus, they may be useful as potential molecular biomarkers to assess sediment environments for contaminants

Soybean DREB1/CBF-type transcription factors function in heat and drought as well as cold stress-responsive gene expression.

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Kidokoro, Satoshi; Watanabe, Keitaro; Ohori, Teppei; Moriwaki, Takashi; Maruyama, Kyonoshin; Mizoi, Junya; Myint Phyu Sin Htwe, Nang; Fujita, Yasunari; Sekita, Sachiko; Shinozaki, Kazuo; Yamaguchi-Shinozaki, Kazuko

2015-02-01

Soybean (Glycine max) is a globally important crop, and its growth and yield are severely reduced by abiotic stresses, such as drought, heat, and cold. The cis-acting element DRE (dehydration-responsive element)/CRT plays an important role in activating gene expression in response to these stresses. The Arabidopsis DREB1/CBF genes that encode DRE-binding proteins function as transcriptional activators in the cold stress responsive gene expression. In this study, we identified 14 DREB1-type transcription factors (GmDREB1s) from a soybean genome database. The expression of most GmDREB1 genes in soybean was strongly induced by a variety of abiotic stresses, such as cold, drought, high salt, and heat. The GmDREB1 proteins activated transcription via DREs (dehydration-responsive element) in Arabidopsis and soybean protoplasts. Transcriptome analyses using transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing GmDREB1s indicated that many of the downstream genes are cold-inducible and overlap with those of Arabidopsis DREB1A. We then comprehensively analyzed the downstream genes of GmDREB1B;1, which is closely related to DREB1A, using a transient expression system in soybean protoplasts. The expression of numerous genes induced by various abiotic stresses were increased by overexpressing GmDREB1B;1 in soybean, and DREs were the most conserved element in the promoters of these genes. The downstream genes of GmDREB1B;1 included numerous soybean-specific stress-inducible genes that encode an ABA receptor family protein, GmPYL21, and translation-related genes, such as ribosomal proteins. We confirmed that GmDREB1B;1 directly activates GmPYL21 expression and enhances ABRE-mediated gene expression in an ABA-independent manner. These results suggest that GmDREB1 proteins activate the expression of numerous soybean-specific stress-responsive genes under diverse abiotic stress conditions. © 2014 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Altered Stress-Induced Regulation of Genes in Monocytes in Adults with a History of Childhood Adversity.

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Schwaiger, Marion; Grinberg, Marianna; Moser, Dirk; Zang, Johannes C S; Heinrichs, Markus; Hengstler, Jan G; Rahnenführer, Jörg; Cole, Steve; Kumsta, Robert

2016-09-01

Exposure to serious or traumatic events early in life can lead to persistent alterations in physiological stress response systems, including enhanced cross talk between the neuroendocrine and immune system. These programming effects may be mechanistically involved in mediating the effects of adverse childhood experience on disease risk in adulthood. We investigated hormonal and genome-wide mRNA expression responses in monocytes to acute stress exposure, in a sample of healthy adults (n=30) with a history of early childhood adversity, and a control group (n=30) without trauma experience. The early adversity group showed altered hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis responses to stress, evidenced by lower ACTH and cortisol responses. Analyses of gene expression patterns showed that stress-responsive transcripts were enriched for genes involved in cytokine activity, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, chemokine activity, and G-protein coupled receptor binding. Differences between groups in stress-induced regulation of gene transcription were observed for genes involved in steroid binding, hormone activity, and G-protein coupled receptor binding. Transcription factor binding motif analysis showed an increased activity of pro-inflammatory upstream signaling in the early adversity group. We also identified transcripts that were differentially correlated with stress-induced cortisol increases between the groups, enriched for genes involved in cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and glutamate receptor signaling. We suggest that childhood adversity leads to persistent alterations in transcriptional control of stress-responsive pathways, which-when chronically or repeatedly activated-might predispose individuals to stress-related psychopathology.

Immunological Monitoring to Rationally Guide AAV Gene Therapy

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Cedrik Michael Britten

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Recent successes with adeno-associated virus (AAV-based gene therapies fuel the hope for new treatments for hereditary diseases. Pre-existing as well as therapy-induced immune responses against both AAV and the encoded transgenes have been described and may impact on safety and efficacy of gene-therapy approaches. Consequently, monitoring of vector- and transgene-specific immunity is mandated and may rationally guide clinical development. Next to the humoral immune response, the cellular response is central in our understanding of the host reaction in gene therapy. But in contrast to the monitoring of antibodies, which has matured over many decades, sensitive and robust monitoring of T cells is a relatively new development. To make cellular immune assessments fit for purpose, investigators need to know, control and report the critical assay variables that influence the results. In addition, the quality of immune assays needs to be continuously adjusted to allow for exploratory hypothesis generation in early stages and confirmatory hypothesis validation in later stages of clinical development. The concept of immune assay harmonization which includes use of field-wide benchmarks, harmonization guidelines, and external quality control can support the context-specific evolution of immune assays. Multi-center studies pose particular challenges to sample logistics and quality control of sample specimens. Cooperative groups need to define if immune assessments should be performed in one central facility, in peripheral labs or including a combination of both. Finally, engineered reference samples that contain a defined number of antigen-specific T cells may become broadly applicable tools to control assay performance over time or across institutions.

Social Isolation Stress Induces Anxious-Depressive-Like Behavior and Alterations of Neuroplasticity-Related Genes in Adult Male Mice

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Alessandro Ieraci

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Stress is a major risk factor in the onset of several neuropsychiatric disorders including anxiety and depression. Although several studies have shown that social isolation stress during postweaning period induces behavioral and brain molecular changes, the effects of social isolation on behavior during adulthood have been less characterized. Aim of this work was to investigate the relationship between the behavioral alterations and brain molecular changes induced by chronic social isolation stress in adult male mice. Plasma corticosterone levels and adrenal glands weight were also analyzed. Socially isolated (SI mice showed higher locomotor activity, spent less time in the open field center, and displayed higher immobility time in the tail suspension test compared to group-housed (GH mice. SI mice exhibited reduced plasma corticosterone levels and reduced difference between right and left adrenal glands. SI showed lower mRNA levels of the BDNF-7 splice variant, c-Fos, Arc, and Egr-1 in both hippocampus and prefrontal cortex compared to GH mice. Finally, SI mice exhibited selectively reduced mGluR1 and mGluR2 levels in the prefrontal cortex. Altogether, these results suggest that anxious- and depressive-like behavior induced by social isolation stress correlates with reduction of several neuroplasticity-related genes in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of adult male mice.

Characterization of abiotic stress genes from different species of eucalyptus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naz, S.; Kausar, H.; Saleem, F.; Zafarullah, A.

2015-01-01

The stresses causing dehydration damage to the plant cell like cold, drought, and high salinity are the most frequent environmental stresses that influence plant growth, development and restraining productivity in cultivated areas world-wide. Many drought, salinity and cold inducible genes causing tolerance to environmental stresses in many plants include Dehydrin1 (DHN1), Dehydrin2 (DHN2), Dehydrin10 (DHN10), putative phosphate transporter (Ecpt2), choline monooxygenase (CMO) and DREB/CBF1c genes. Gene specific primer pairs were designed for each gene using DNAStar software. These genes were amplified from different species of eucalyptus such as Eucalyptus camaldulensis, E. globulus, E. tereticornis and E. gunii through PCR. Dehydrin2 gene of E. camaldulensis and dehydrin10 gene of E. globulus were cloned using the TA Cloning Kit with pCR 2.1 vector and sequenced. The Dehydrin genes sequences were submitted to GeneBank: Eucalyptus globulus dehydrin10 gene (Accession No. HG915712) and E. camaldulensis dehydrin 2 gene (Accession No. HG813113). The amino acid sequence of Dehydrin10 from E. globulus showed 97% homology to E. globulus DHN10 (JN052210) and Dehydrin2 from E. camaldulensis presented 94% homology to E. globulus DHN2 (JN052209). These genes can be employed in generating drought resistant crop plants. (author)

Gene expression during different periods of the handling-stress response in Pampus argenteus

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Sun, Peng; Tang, Baojun; Yin, Fei

2017-11-01

Common aquaculture practices subject fish to a variety of acute and chronic stressors. Such stressors are inherent in aquaculture production but can adversely affect survival, growth, immune response, reproductive capacity, and behavior. Understanding the biological mechanisms underlying stress responses helps with methods to alleviate the negative effects through better aquaculture practices, resulting in improved animal welfare and production efficiency. In the present study, transcriptome sequencing of liver and kidney was performed in silver pomfret (Pampus argenteus) subjected to handling stress versus controls. A total of 162.19 million clean reads were assembled to 30 339 unigenes. The quality of the assembly was high, with an N50 length of 2 472 bases. For function classification and pathway assignment, the unigenes were categorized into three GO (gene ontology) categories, twenty-six clusters of eggNOG (evolutionary genealogy of genes: non-supervised orthologous groups) function categories, and thirty-eight KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathways. Stress affected different functional groups of genes in the tissues studied. Differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in metabolic pathways (carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, amino-acid metabolism, uptake of cofactors and vitamins, and biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites), environmental information processing (signaling molecules and their interactions), organismal systems (endocrine system, digestive system), and disease (immune, neurodegenerative, endocrine and metabolic diseases). This is the first reported analysis of genome-wide transcriptome in P. argenteus, and the findings expand our understanding of the silver pomfret genome and gene expression in association with stress. The results will be useful to future analyses of functional genes and studies of healthy artificial breeding in P. argenteus and other related fish species.

Catecholamines promote the expression of virulence and oxidative stress genes in Porphyromonas gingivalis.

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Graziano, T S; Closs, P; Poppi, T; Franco, G C; Cortelli, J R; Groppo, F C; Cogo, K

2014-10-01

Stress has been identified as an important risk factor in the development of many infectious diseases, including periodontitis. Porphyromonas gingivalis, a gram-negative oral anaerobic bacterium, is considered an important pathogen in chronic periodontitis. Microorganisms, including P. gingivalis, that participate in infectious diseases have been shown to respond to catecholamines released during stress processes by modifying their growth and virulence. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of adrenaline and noradrenaline on the growth, antimicrobial susceptibility and gene expression in P. gingivalis. P. gingivalis was incubated in the presence of adrenaline and noradrenaline (100 μm) for different time-periods in rich (Tryptic soy broth supplemented with 0.2% yeast extract, 5 μg/mL of hemin and 1 μg/mL of menadione) and poor (serum-SAPI minimal medium and serum-SAPI minimal medium supplemented with 5 μg/mL of hemin and 1 μg/mL of menadione) media, and growth was evaluated based on absorbance at 660 nm. Bacterial susceptibility to metronidazole was examined after exposure to adrenaline and noradrenaline. The expression of genes involved in iron acquisition, stress oxidative protection and virulence were also evaluated using RT-quantitative PCR. Catecholamines did not interfere with the growth of P. gingivalis, regardless of nutritional or hemin conditions. In addition, bacterial susceptibility to metronidazole was not modified by exposure to adrenaline or noradrenaline. However, the expression of genes related to iron acquisition (hmuR), oxidative stress (tpx, oxyR, dps, sodB and aphC) and pathogenesis (hem, hagA and ragA) were stimulated upon exposure to adrenaline and/or noradrenaline. Adrenaline and noradrenaline can induce changes in gene expression related to oxidative stress and virulence factors in P. gingivalis. The present study is, in part, a step toward understanding the stress-pathogen interactions that may

Memory responses of jasmonic acid-associated Arabidopsis genes to a repeated dehydration stress.

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Liu, Ning; Staswick, Paul E; Avramova, Zoya

2016-11-01

Dehydration stress activates numerous genes co-regulated by diverse signaling pathways. Upon repeated exposures, however, a subset of these genes does not respond maintaining instead transcription at their initial pre-stressed levels ('revised-response' genes). Most of these genes are involved in jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis, JA-signaling and JA-mediated stress responses. How these JA-associated genes are regulated to provide different responses to similar dehydration stresses is an enigma. Here, we investigate molecular mechanisms that contribute to this transcriptional behavior. The memory-mechanism is stress-specific: one exposure to dehydration stress or to abscisic acid (ABA) is required to prevent transcription in the second. Both ABA-mediated and JA-mediated pathways are critical for the activation of these genes, but the two signaling pathways interact differently during a single or multiple encounters with dehydration stress. Synthesis of JA during the first (S1) but not the second dehydration stress (S2) accounts for the altered transcriptional responses. We propose a model for these memory responses, wherein lack of MYC2 and of JA synthesis in S2 is responsible for the lack of expression of downstream genes. The similar length of the memory displayed by different memory-type genes suggests biological relevance for transcriptional memory as a gene-regulating mechanism during recurring bouts of drought. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Making memories of stressful events: a journey along epigenetic, gene transcription and signaling pathways

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Johannes M.H.M. eReul

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Strong psychologically stressful events are known to have a long-lasting impact on behavior. The consolidation of such, largely adaptive, behavioral responses to stressful events involves changes in gene expression in limbic brain regions such as the hippocampus and amygdala. The underlying molecular mechanisms however were until recently unresolved. More than a decade ago we started to investigate the role of these hormones in signaling and epigenetic mechanisms participating in the effects of stress on gene transcription in hippocampal neurons. We discovered a novel, rapid non-genomic mechanism in which glucocorticoids via glucocorticoid receptors (GRs facilitate signaling of the ERK MAPK signaling pathway to the downstream nuclear kinases MSK1 and Elk-1 in dentate gyrus (DG granule neurons. Activation of this signaling pathway results in serine10 (S10 phosphorylation and lysine14 (K14 acetylation at histone H3 (H3S10p-K14ac, leading to the induction of the immediate early genes c-Fos and Egr-1. In addition, we found a role of the DNA methylation status of gene promoters. A series of studies showed that these molecular mechanisms play a critical role in the long-lasting consolidation of behavioral responses in the forced swim test and Morris water maze. Furthermore, an important role of GABA was found in controlling the epigenetic and gene transcriptional responses to psychological stress. Thus, psychologically stressful events evoke a long-term impact on behavior through changes in hippocampal function brought about by distinct glutamatergic and glucocorticoid-driven changes in epigenetic regulation of gene transcription which are modulated by (local GABAergic interneurons and limbic afferent inputs. These epigenetic processes may play an important role in the etiology of stress-related mental disorders such as major depressive and anxiety disorders like PTSD.

Monitoring Pre-Stressed Composites Using Optical Fibre Sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnamurthy, Sriram; Badcock, Rodney A; Machavaram, Venkata R; Fernando, Gerard F

2016-05-28

Residual stresses in fibre reinforced composites can give rise to a number of undesired effects such as loss of dimensional stability and premature fracture. Hence, there is significant merit in developing processing techniques to mitigate the development of residual stresses. However, tracking and quantifying the development of these fabrication-induced stresses in real-time using conventional non-destructive techniques is not straightforward. This article reports on the design and evaluation of a technique for manufacturing pre-stressed composite panels from unidirectional E-glass/epoxy prepregs. Here, the magnitude of the applied pre-stress was monitored using an integrated load-cell. The pre-stressing rig was based on a flat-bed design which enabled autoclave-based processing. A method was developed to end-tab the laminated prepregs prior to pre-stressing. The development of process-induced residual strain was monitored in-situ using embedded optical fibre sensors. Surface-mounted electrical resistance strain gauges were used to measure the strain when the composite was unloaded from the pre-stressing rig at room temperature. Four pre-stress levels were applied prior to processing the laminated preforms in an autoclave. The results showed that the application of a pre-stress of 108 MPa to a unidirectional [0]16 E-glass/913 epoxy preform, reduced the residual strain in the composite from -600 µε (conventional processing without pre-stress) to approximately zero. A good correlation was observed between the data obtained from the surface-mounted electrical resistance strain gauge and the embedded optical fibre sensors. In addition to "neutralising" the residual stresses, superior axial orientation of the reinforcement can be obtained from pre-stressed composites. A subsequent publication will highlight the consequences of pres-stressing on fibre alignment, the tensile, flexural, compressive and fatigue performance of unidirectional E-glass composites.

Monitoring Pre-Stressed Composites Using Optical Fibre Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sriram Krishnamurthy

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Residual stresses in fibre reinforced composites can give rise to a number of undesired effects such as loss of dimensional stability and premature fracture. Hence, there is significant merit in developing processing techniques to mitigate the development of residual stresses. However, tracking and quantifying the development of these fabrication-induced stresses in real-time using conventional non-destructive techniques is not straightforward. This article reports on the design and evaluation of a technique for manufacturing pre-stressed composite panels from unidirectional E-glass/epoxy prepregs. Here, the magnitude of the applied pre-stress was monitored using an integrated load-cell. The pre-stressing rig was based on a flat-bed design which enabled autoclave-based processing. A method was developed to end-tab the laminated prepregs prior to pre-stressing. The development of process-induced residual strain was monitored in-situ using embedded optical fibre sensors. Surface-mounted electrical resistance strain gauges were used to measure the strain when the composite was unloaded from the pre-stressing rig at room temperature. Four pre-stress levels were applied prior to processing the laminated preforms in an autoclave. The results showed that the application of a pre-stress of 108 MPa to a unidirectional [0]16 E-glass/913 epoxy preform, reduced the residual strain in the composite from −600 µε (conventional processing without pre-stress to approximately zero. A good correlation was observed between the data obtained from the surface-mounted electrical resistance strain gauge and the embedded optical fibre sensors. In addition to “neutralising” the residual stresses, superior axial orientation of the reinforcement can be obtained from pre-stressed composites. A subsequent publication will highlight the consequences of pres-stressing on fibre alignment, the tensile, flexural, compressive and fatigue performance of unidirectional E

Monitoring Pre-Stressed Composites Using Optical Fibre Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnamurthy, Sriram; Badcock, Rodney A.; Machavaram, Venkata R.; Fernando, Gerard F.

2016-01-01

Residual stresses in fibre reinforced composites can give rise to a number of undesired effects such as loss of dimensional stability and premature fracture. Hence, there is significant merit in developing processing techniques to mitigate the development of residual stresses. However, tracking and quantifying the development of these fabrication-induced stresses in real-time using conventional non-destructive techniques is not straightforward. This article reports on the design and evaluation of a technique for manufacturing pre-stressed composite panels from unidirectional E-glass/epoxy prepregs. Here, the magnitude of the applied pre-stress was monitored using an integrated load-cell. The pre-stressing rig was based on a flat-bed design which enabled autoclave-based processing. A method was developed to end-tab the laminated prepregs prior to pre-stressing. The development of process-induced residual strain was monitored in-situ using embedded optical fibre sensors. Surface-mounted electrical resistance strain gauges were used to measure the strain when the composite was unloaded from the pre-stressing rig at room temperature. Four pre-stress levels were applied prior to processing the laminated preforms in an autoclave. The results showed that the application of a pre-stress of 108 MPa to a unidirectional [0]16 E-glass/913 epoxy preform, reduced the residual strain in the composite from −600 µε (conventional processing without pre-stress) to approximately zero. A good correlation was observed between the data obtained from the surface-mounted electrical resistance strain gauge and the embedded optical fibre sensors. In addition to “neutralising” the residual stresses, superior axial orientation of the reinforcement can be obtained from pre-stressed composites. A subsequent publication will highlight the consequences of pres-stressing on fibre alignment, the tensile, flexural, compressive and fatigue performance of unidirectional E-glass composites. PMID

Calibration of Heat Stress Monitor and its Measurement Uncertainty

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Ekici, Can

2017-07-01

Wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) equation is a heat stress index that gives information for the workers in the industrial areas. WBGT equation is described in ISO Standard 7243 (ISO 7243 in Hot environments—estimation of the heat stress on working man, based on the WBGT index, ISO, Geneva, 1982). WBGT is the result of the combined quantitative effects of the natural wet-bulb temperature, dry-bulb temperature, and air temperature. WBGT is a calculated parameter. WBGT uses input estimates, and heat stress monitor measures these quantities. In this study, the calibration method of a heat stress monitor is described, and the model function for measurement uncertainty is given. Sensitivity coefficients were derived according to GUM. Two-pressure humidity generators were used to generate a controlled environment. Heat stress monitor was calibrated inside of the generator. Two-pressure humidity generator, which is located in Turkish Standard Institution, was used as the reference device. This device is traceable to national standards. Two-pressure humidity generator includes reference temperature Pt-100 sensors. The reference sensor was sheltered with a wet wick for the calibration of natural wet-bulb thermometer. The reference sensor was centred into a black globe that has got 150 mm diameter for the calibration of the black globe thermometer.

Genome-wide identification of differentially expressed genes under water deficit stress in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.).

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Park, Wonkeun; Scheffler, Brian E; Bauer, Philip J; Campbell, B Todd

2012-06-15

Cotton is the world's primary fiber crop and is a major agricultural commodity in over 30 countries. Like many other global commodities, sustainable cotton production is challenged by restricted natural resources. In response to the anticipated increase of agricultural water demand, a major research direction involves developing crops that use less water or that use water more efficiently. In this study, our objective was to identify differentially expressed genes in response to water deficit stress in cotton. A global expression analysis using cDNA-Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism was conducted to compare root and leaf gene expression profiles from a putative drought resistant cotton cultivar grown under water deficit stressed and well watered field conditions. We identified a total of 519 differentially expressed transcript derived fragments. Of these, 147 transcript derived fragment sequences were functionally annotated according to their gene ontology. Nearly 70 percent of transcript derived fragments belonged to four major categories: 1) unclassified, 2) stress/defense, 3) metabolism, and 4) gene regulation. We found heat shock protein-related and reactive oxygen species-related transcript derived fragments to be among the major parts of functional pathways induced by water deficit stress. Also, twelve novel transcripts were identified as both water deficit responsive and cotton specific. A subset of differentially expressed transcript derived fragments was verified using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Differential expression analysis also identified five pairs of duplicated transcript derived fragments in which four pairs responded differentially between each of their two homologues under water deficit stress. In this study, we detected differentially expressed transcript derived fragments from water deficit stressed root and leaf tissues in tetraploid cotton and provided their gene ontology, functional/biological distribution, and

Tracking the harmonic response of magnetically-soft sensors for wireless temperature, stress, and corrosive monitoring

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Ong, Keat G.; Grimes, Craig A.

2002-01-01

This paper describes the application of magnetically-soft ribbon-like sensors for measurement of temperature and stress, as well as corrosive monitoring, based upon changes in the amplitudes of the higher-order harmonics generated by the sensors in response to a magnetic interrogation signal. The sensors operate independently of mass loading, and so can be placed or rigidly embedded inside nonmetallic, opaque structures such as concrete or plastic. The passive harmonic-based sensor is remotely monitored through a single coplanar interrogation and detection coil. Effects due to the relative location of the sensor are eliminated by tracking harmonic amplitude ratios, thereby, enabling wide area monitoring. The wireless, passive, mass loading independent nature of the described sensor platform makes it ideally suited for long-term structural monitoring applications, such as measurement of temperature and stress inside concrete structures. A theoretical model is presented to explain the origin and behavior of the higher-order harmonics in response to temperature and stress. c2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

De novo transcriptome sequencing of Isaria cateniannulata and comparative analysis of gene expression in response to heat and cold stresses.

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Dingfeng Wang

Full Text Available Isaria cateniannulata is a very important and virulent entomopathogenic fungus that infects many insect pest species. Although I. cateniannulata is commonly exposed to extreme environmental temperature conditions, little is known about its molecular response mechanism to temperature stress. Here, we sequenced and de novo assembled the transcriptome of I. cateniannulata in response to high and low temperature stresses using Illumina RNA-Seq technology. Our assembly encompassed 17,514 unigenes (mean length = 1,197 bp, in which 11,445 unigenes (65.34% showed significant similarities to known sequences in NCBI non-redundant protein sequences (Nr database. Using digital gene expression analysis, 4,483 differentially expressed genes (DEGs were identified after heat treatment, including 2,905 up-regulated genes and 1,578 down-regulated genes. Under cold stress, 1,927 DEGs were identified, including 1,245 up-regulated genes and 682 down-regulated genes. The expression patterns of 18 randomly selected candidate DEGs resulting from quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR were consistent with their transcriptome analysis results. Although DEGs were involved in many pathways, we focused on the genes that were involved in endocytosis: In heat stress, the pathway of clathrin-dependent endocytosis (CDE was active; however at low temperature stresses, the pathway of clathrin-independent endocytosis (CIE was active. Besides, four categories of DEGs acting as temperature sensors were observed, including cell-wall-major-components-metabolism-related (CWMCMR genes, heat shock protein (Hsp genes, intracellular-compatible-solutes-metabolism-related (ICSMR genes and glutathione S-transferase (GST. These results enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of I. cateniannulata in response to temperature stresses and provide a valuable resource for the future investigations.

Whole transcriptome profiling of maize during early somatic embryogenesis reveals altered expression of stress factors and embryogenesis-related genes.

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Stella A G D Salvo

Full Text Available Embryogenic tissue culture systems are utilized in propagation and genetic engineering of crop plants, but applications are limited by genotype-dependent culture response. To date, few genes necessary for embryogenic callus formation have been identified or characterized. The goal of this research was to enhance our understanding of gene expression during maize embryogenic tissue culture initiation. In this study, we highlight the expression of candidate genes that have been previously regarded in the literature as having important roles in somatic embryogenesis. We utilized RNA based sequencing (RNA-seq to characterize the transcriptome of immature embryo explants of the highly embryogenic and regenerable maize genotype A188 at 0, 24, 36, 48, and 72 hours after placement of explants on tissue culture initiation medium. Genes annotated as functioning in stress response, such as glutathione-S-transferases and germin-like proteins, and genes involved with hormone transport, such as PINFORMED, increased in expression over 8-fold in the study. Maize genes with high sequence similarity to genes previously described in the initiation of embryogenic cultures, such as transcription factors BABY BOOM, LEAFY COTYLEDON, and AGAMOUS, and important receptor-like kinases such as SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS RECEPTOR LIKE KINASES and CLAVATA, were also expressed in this time course study. By combining results from whole genome transcriptome analysis with an in depth review of key genes that play a role in the onset of embryogenesis, we propose a model of coordinated expression of somatic embryogenesis-related genes, providing an improved understanding of genomic factors involved in the early steps of embryogenic culture initiation in maize and other plant species.

Exploration for the Salinity Tolerance-Related Genes from Xero-Halophyte Atriplex canescens Exploiting Yeast Functional Screening System

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Gang Yu

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Plant productivity is limited by salinity stress, both in natural and agricultural systems. Identification of salt stress-related genes from halophyte can provide insights into mechanisms of salt stress tolerance in plants. Atriplex canescens is a xero-halophyte that exhibits optimum growth in the presence of 400 mM NaCl. A cDNA library derived from highly salt-treated A. canescens plants was constructed based on a yeast expression system. A total of 53 transgenic yeast clones expressing enhanced salt tolerance were selected from 105 transformants. Their plasmids were sequenced and the gene characteristics were annotated using a BLASTX search. Retransformation of yeast cells with the selected plasmids conferred salt tolerance to the resulting transformants. The expression patterns of 28 of these stress-related genes were further investigated in A. canescens leaves by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. In this study, we provided a rapid and robust assay system for large-scale screening of genes for varied abiotic stress tolerance with high efficiency in A. canescens.

Acidic pH shock induces the expressions of a wide range of stress-response genes

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Hong Soon-Kwang

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Environmental signals usually enhance secondary metabolite production in Streptomycetes by initiating complex signal transduction system. It is known that different sigma factors respond to different types of stresses, respectively in Streptomyces strains, which have a number of unique signal transduction mechanisms depending on the types of environmental shock. In this study, we wanted to know how a pH shock would affect the expression of various sigma factors and shock-related proteins in S. coelicolor A3(2. Results According to the results of transcriptional and proteomic analyses, the major number of sigma factor genes were upregulated by an acidic pH shock. Well-studied sigma factor genes of sigH (heat shock, sigR (oxidative stress, sigB (osmotic shock, and hrdD that play a major role in the secondary metabolism, were all strongly upregulated by the pH shock. A number of heat shock proteins including the DnaK family and chaperones such as GroEL2 were also observed to be upregulated by the pH shock, while their repressor of hspR was strongly downregulated. Oxidative stress-related proteins such as thioredoxin, catalase, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and osmotic shock-related protein such as vesicle synthases were also upregulated in overall. Conclusion From these observations, an acidic pH shock was considered to be one of the strongest stresses to influence a wide range of sigma factors and shock-related proteins including general stress response proteins. The upregulation of the sigma factors and shock proteins already found to be related to actinorhodin biosynthesis was considered to have contributed to enhanced actinorhodin productivity by mediating the pH shock signal to regulators or biosynthesis genes for actinorhodin production.

GEM2Net: from gene expression modeling to -omics networks, a new CATdb module to investigate Arabidopsis thaliana genes involved in stress response.

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Zaag, Rim; Tamby, Jean Philippe; Guichard, Cécile; Tariq, Zakia; Rigaill, Guillem; Delannoy, Etienne; Renou, Jean-Pierre; Balzergue, Sandrine; Mary-Huard, Tristan; Aubourg, Sébastien; Martin-Magniette, Marie-Laure; Brunaud, Véronique

2015-01-01

CATdb (http://urgv.evry.inra.fr/CATdb) is a database providing a public access to a large collection of transcriptomic data, mainly for Arabidopsis but also for other plants. This resource has the rare advantage to contain several thousands of microarray experiments obtained with the same technical protocol and analyzed by the same statistical pipelines. In this paper, we present GEM2Net, a new module of CATdb that takes advantage of this homogeneous dataset to mine co-expression units and decipher Arabidopsis gene functions. GEM2Net explores 387 stress conditions organized into 18 biotic and abiotic stress categories. For each one, a model-based clustering is applied on expression differences to identify clusters of co-expressed genes. To characterize functions associated with these clusters, various resources are analyzed and integrated: Gene Ontology, subcellular localization of proteins, Hormone Families, Transcription Factor Families and a refined stress-related gene list associated to publications. Exploiting protein-protein interactions and transcription factors-targets interactions enables to display gene networks. GEM2Net presents the analysis of the 18 stress categories, in which 17,264 genes are involved and organized within 681 co-expression clusters. The meta-data analyses were stored and organized to compose a dynamic Web resource. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Effects of salmon calcitonin and calcitonin gene related peptide ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of this investigation was to examine and compare the effects of calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) and salmon calcitonin (sCT) on gastric lesions and mucosal barrier components such as mucus and phospholipids in rats exposed to cold + restraint stress (CRS). Twenty-eight Wistar albino rats (150 – 200 g) ...

Upregulation of Oxidative Stress Related Genes in a Chronic Kidney Disease Attributed to Specific Geographical Locations of Sri Lanka.

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Sayanthooran, Saravanabavan; Magana-Arachchi, Dhammika N; Gunerathne, Lishanthe; Abeysekera, Tilak D J; Sooriyapathirana, Suneth S

2016-01-01

Objective. To infer the influence of internal and external oxidative stress in chronic kidney disease patients of unknown etiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka, by analyzing expression of genes related directly or indirectly to oxidative stress: glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC), glutathione S-transferase mu 1 (GSTM1), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23), and NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3). Methods. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was carried out for the selected populations: CKDu patients ( n = 43), chronic kidney disease patients (CKD; n = 14), healthy individuals from a CKDu endemic area (GHI; n = 9), and nonendemic area (KHI; n = 16). Fold changes were quantified relative to KHI. Results. GCLC had greater than threefold upregulation in all three study groups, with a maximum of 7.27-fold upregulation in GHI ( p = 0.000). GSTM1 was not expressed in 25.6% of CKDu and 42.9% of CKD patients, but CKDu patients expressing GSTM1 showed upregulation of 2.60-fold ( p CKDu was observed ( p CKDu, possibly owing to environmental conditions.

Occupational Styrene Exposure Induces Stress-Responsive Genes Involved in Cytoprotective and Cytotoxic Activities

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Strafella, Elisabetta; Bracci, Massimo; Staffolani, Sara; Manzella, Nicola; Giantomasi, Daniele; Valentino, Matteo; Amati, Monica; Tomasetti, Marco; Santarelli, Lory

2013-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of a panel of genes involved in toxicology in response to styrene exposure at levels below the occupational standard setting. Methods Workers in a fiber glass boat industry were evaluated for a panel of stress- and toxicity-related genes and associated with biochemical parameters related to hepatic injury. Urinary styrene metabolites (MA+PGA) of subjects and environmental sampling data collected for air at workplace were used to estimate styrene exposure. Results Expression array analysis revealed massive upregulation of genes encoding stress-responsive proteins (HSPA1L, EGR1, IL-6, IL-1β, TNSF10 and TNFα) in the styrene-exposed group; the levels of cytokines released were further confirmed in serum. The exposed workers were then stratified by styrene exposure levels. EGR1 gene upregulation paralleled the expression and transcriptional protein levels of IL-6, TNSF10 and TNFα in styrene exposed workers, even at low level. The activation of the EGR1 pathway observed at low-styrene exposure was associated with a slight increase of hepatic markers found in highly exposed subjects, even though they were within normal range. The ALT and AST levels were not affected by alcohol consumption, and positively correlated with urinary styrene metabolites as evaluated by multiple regression analysis. Conclusion The pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNFα are the primary mediators of processes involved in the hepatic injury response and regeneration. Here, we show that styrene induced stress responsive genes involved in cytoprotection and cytotoxicity at low-exposure, that proceed to a mild subclinical hepatic toxicity at high-styrene exposure. PMID:24086524

A multimodal stress monitoring system with canonical correlation analysis.

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Unsoo Ha; Changhyeon Kim; Yongsu Lee; Hyunki Kim; Taehwan Roh; Hoi-Jun Yoo

2015-08-01

The multimodal stress monitoring headband is proposed for mobile stress management system. It is composed of headband and earplugs. Electroencephalography (EEG), hemoencephalography (HEG) and heart-rate variability (HRV) can be achieved simultaneously in the proposed system for user status estimation. With canonical correlation analysis (CCA) and temporal-kernel CCA (tkCCA) algorithm, those different signals can be combined for maximum correlation. Thanks to the proposed combination algorithm, the accuracy of the proposed system increased up to 19 percentage points than unimodal monitoring system in n-back task.

Vinclozolin alters the expression of hormonal and stress genes in the midge Chironomus riparius.

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Aquilino, Mónica; Sánchez-Argüello, Paloma; Martínez-Guitarte, José-Luis

2016-05-01

Vinclozolin is a fungicide used in agriculture that can reach aquatic ecosystems and affect the organisms living there. Its effects have been intensively studied in vertebrates, where it acts as an antiandrogen, but there is a lack of information about its mechanistic effects on invertebrates. In this work, we analyzed the response of genes related to the endocrine system, the stress response, and the detoxification mechanisms of Chironomus riparius fourth instar larvae after 24h and 48h exposures to 20 (69.9nM), 200 (699nM), and 2000μg/L (6.99μM) of Vinclozolin. Survival analysis showed that this compound has low toxicity, as it was not lethal for this organism at the concentrations used. However, this fungicide was shown to modify the transcriptional activity of the ecdysone response pathway genes EcR, E74, and Kr-h1 by increasing their mRNA levels. While no changes were observed in disembodied, a gene related with the ecdysone synthesis metabolic pathway, Cyp18A1, which is involved in the inactivation of the active form of ecdysone, was upregulated. Additionally, the expression of two genes related to other hormones, FOXO and MAPR, did not show any changes when Vinclozolin was present. The analysis of stress response genes showed significant changes in the mRNA levels of Hsp70, Hsp24, and Gp93, indicating that Vinclozolin activates the cellular stress mechanisms. Finally, the expressions of the genes Cyp4G and GstD3, which encode enzymes involved in phase I and phase II detoxification, respectively, were analyzed. It was found that their mRNA levels were altered by Vinclozolin, suggesting their involvement in the degradation of this compound. For the first time, these results show evidence that Vinclozolin can modulate gene expression, leading to possible significant endocrine alterations of the insect endocrine system. These results also offer new clues about the mode of action of this compound in invertebrates. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights

The FKBP51-Glucocorticoid Receptor Balance in Stress-Related Mental Disorders.

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Fries, Gabriel R; Gassen, Nils C; Schmidt, Ulrike; Rein, Theo

2015-01-01

The immunophilin FK506 binding protein 51 (FKBP51) has emerged as one of the most intensely investigated proteins in stress-related mental disorders. It was originally characterized as Hsp90 cochaperone and part of the receptor-chaperone heterocomplex that governs the activity of steroid receptors. It turned out that the presence of FKBP51 in this heterocomplex leads to diminished activity of the corticosteroid receptors. In particular, based on its inhibitory action on the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), FKBP51 was included in a candidate gene approach to discover gene polymorphisms that might be relevant for the development and treatment of major depression. The discovery that polymorphisms in the gene coding for FKBP51 were linked to the treatment response of depressed patients intensified the research on the role of FKBP51 in stress-related diseases worldwide. It has become evident that FKBP51 is not only a regulator of GR action, but also a GR target. The function of this ultrashort intracellular feedback loop is critically important for cellular and physiological stress regulation as it does not only calibrate the function of GR, but also the levels of FKBP51. Given the pleiotropic functions of FKBP51, its levels might be equally important for mental disorders as GR function and hence for the development of potential FKBP51 drug targets.

Gene expression profiling in the stress control brain region hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus reveals a novel gene network including Amyloid beta Precursor Protein

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Deussing Jan M

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The pivotal role of stress in the precipitation of psychiatric diseases such as depression is generally accepted. This study aims at the identification of genes that are directly or indirectly responding to stress. Inbred mouse strains that had been evidenced to differ in their stress response as well as in their response to antidepressant treatment were chosen for RNA profiling after stress exposure. Gene expression and regulation was determined by microarray analyses and further evaluated by bioinformatics tools including pathway and cluster analyses. Results Forced swimming as acute stressor was applied to C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice and resulted in sets of regulated genes in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN, 4 h or 8 h after stress. Although the expression changes between the mouse strains were quite different, they unfolded in phases over time in both strains. Our search for connections between the regulated genes resulted in potential novel signalling pathways in stress. In particular, Guanine nucleotide binding protein, alpha inhibiting 2 (GNAi2 and Amyloid β (A4 precursor protein (APP were detected as stress-regulated genes, and together with other genes, seem to be integrated into stress-responsive pathways and gene networks in the PVN. Conclusions This search for stress-regulated genes in the PVN revealed its impact on interesting genes (GNAi2 and APP and a novel gene network. In particular the expression of APP in the PVN that is governing stress hormone balance, is of great interest. The reported neuroprotective role of this molecule in the CNS supports the idea that a short acute stress can elicit positive adaptational effects in the brain.

MONITORING ON PLANT LEAF WATER POTENTIAL USING NIR SPECTROSCOPY FOR WATER STRESS MANAGEMENT

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Diding Suhandy

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The performance of the calibration model with temperature compensation for on-plant leaf water potential (LWP determination in tomato plants was evaluated. During a cycle of water stress, the on-plant LWP measurement was conducted. The result showed that the LWP values under water stress and recovery from water stress could be monitored well. It showed that a real time monitoring of the LWP values using NIR spectroscopy could be possible.   Keywords: water stress, real time monitoring of leaf water potential, NIR spectroscopy, plant response-based

Gene by cognition interaction on stress-induced attention bias for food: Effects of 5-HTTLPR and ruminative thinking.

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Schepers, Robbie; Markus, C Rob

2017-09-01

Stress is often found to increase the preference and intake of high caloric foods. This effect is known as emotional eating and is influenced by cognitive as well as biological stress vulnerabilities. An S-allele of the 5-HTTLPR gene has been linked to decreased (brain) serotonin efficiency, leading to decreased stress resilience and increased risks for negative affect and eating related disturbances. Recently it has been proposed that a cognitive ruminative thinking style can further exacerbate the effect of this gene by prolonging the already increased stress response, thereby potentially increasing the risk of compensating by overeating high palatable foods. This study was aimed at investigating whether there is an increased risk for emotional eating in high ruminative S/S-allele carriers reflected by an increased attention bias for high caloric foods during stress. From a large (N=827) DNA database, participants (N=100) were selected based on genotype (S/S or L/L) and ruminative thinking style and performed an eye-tracking visual food-picture probe task before and after acute stress exposure. A significant Genotype x Rumination x Stress-interaction was found on attention bias for savory food; indicating that a stress-induced attention bias for specifically high-caloric foods is moderated by a gene x cognitive risk factor. Both a genetic (5-HTTLPR) and cognitive (ruminative thinking) stress vulnerability may mutually increase the risk for stress-related abnormal eating patterns. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of heat stress on gene expression, synthesis of steroids, and apoptosis in bovine granulosa cells.

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Li, Lian; Wu, Jie; Luo, Man; Sun, Yu; Wang, Genlin

2016-05-01

Summer heat stress (HS) is a major contributing factor in low fertility in lactating dairy cows in hot environments. Heat stress inhibits ovarian follicular development leading to diminished reproductive efficiency of dairy cows during summer. Ovarian follicle development is a complex process. During follicle development, granulosa cells (GCs) replicate, secrete hormones, and support the growth of the oocyte. To obtain an overview of the effects of heat stress on GCs, digital gene expression profiling was employed to screen and identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs; false discovery rate (FDR) ≤ 0.001, fold change ≥2) of cultured GCs during heat stress. A total of 1211 DEGs including 175 upregulated and 1036 downregulated ones were identified, of which DEGs can be classified into Gene Ontology (GO) categories and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. The results suggested that heat stress triggers a dramatic and complex program of altered gene expression in GCs. We hypothesized that heat stress could induce the apoptosis and dysfunction of GCs. Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to evaluate the expression of steroidogenic genes (steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (Star), cytochrome P-450 (CYP11A1), CYP19A1, and steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1)) and apoptosis-related genes (caspase-3, BCL-2, and BAX). Radio immunoassay (RIA) was used to analyze the level of 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4). We also assessed the apoptosis of GCs by flow cytometry. Our data suggested that heat stress induced GC apoptosis through the BAX/BCL-2 pathway and reduced the steroidogenic gene messenger RNA (mRNA) expression and E2 synthesis. These results suggest that the decreased function of GCs may cause ovarian dysfunction and offer an improved understanding of the molecular mechanism responsible for the low fertility in cattle in summer.

Gender and heat stress effects on hypothalamic gene expression and feed intake in broilers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khatlab, A.S.; Vesco, A.P. DEL; Goes, E.R.; Neto, A.R.O.; Soares, M.A.M.; Gasparino, E.

2018-01-01

Our study aims to evaluate gender and heat stress effects on animal performance and on the expression of five hypothalamic genes related to feed consumption: neuropeptide Y (NPY), ghrelin (GHRL), pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPKα-1), and liver kinase B1 (LKB1). To assay these effects, 42-day-old male and female broilers were maintained in thermal comfort or were subjected to heat stress (HS, 38°C for 24 hours). All animals were fed with diets formulated to meet their nutritional requirements. Broilers subjected to HS showed lower weight gain (p=0.0065) and tended to have lower feed intake (p=0.0687) than broilers kept in comfortable conditions. We observed gender and heat stress interaction effects on NPY (p=0.0225), AMPKα-1 (p=0.0398), and POMC expression (p=0.0072). The highest NPY gene expression was observed in male broilers from the thermal comfort group. Male broilers exposed to HS showed the highest AMPKα-1 gene expression levels. Comparing POMC expression between males and females at the comfortable temperature, we observed that females showed higher POMC expression levels than male broilers. A gender effect was also observed on LKB1 and AMPKα-1 gene expression (p=0.0256 and p=0.0001, respectively); increased expression was observed in male broilers. Our results indicate that the expression of some hypothalamic genes related to food consumption may contribute to the observed differences in voluntary feed intake between animals of different gender exposed to different environmental conditions.

Gene Expression Dynamics Accompanying the Sponge Thermal Stress Response.

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Guzman, Christine; Conaco, Cecilia

2016-01-01

Marine sponges are important members of coral reef ecosystems. Thus, their responses to changes in ocean chemistry and environmental conditions, particularly to higher seawater temperatures, will have potential impacts on the future of these reefs. To better understand the sponge thermal stress response, we investigated gene expression dynamics in the shallow water sponge, Haliclona tubifera (order Haplosclerida, class Demospongiae), subjected to elevated temperature. Using high-throughput transcriptome sequencing, we show that these conditions result in the activation of various processes that interact to maintain cellular homeostasis. Short-term thermal stress resulted in the induction of heat shock proteins, antioxidants, and genes involved in signal transduction and innate immunity pathways. Prolonged exposure to thermal stress affected the expression of genes involved in cellular damage repair, apoptosis, signaling and transcription. Interestingly, exposure to sublethal temperatures may improve the ability of the sponge to mitigate cellular damage under more extreme stress conditions. These insights into the potential mechanisms of adaptation and resilience of sponges contribute to a better understanding of sponge conservation status and the prediction of ecosystem trajectories under future climate conditions.

Differential Impact of Stress Reduction Programs upon Ambulatory Blood Pressure among African American Adolescents: Influences of Endothelin-1 Gene and Chronic Stress Exposure

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Mathew J. Gregoski

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Stress-activated gene × environment interactions may contribute to individual variability in blood pressure reductions from behavioral interventions. We investigated effects of endothelin-1 (ET-1 LYS198ASN SNP and discriminatory stress exposure upon impact of 12-week behavioral interventions upon ambulatory BP (ABP among 162 prehypertensive African American adolescents. Following genotyping, completion of questionnaire battery, and 24-hour ABP monitoring, participants were randomized to health education control (HEC, life skills training (LST, or breathing awareness meditation (BAM. Postintervention ABP was obtained. Significant three-way interactions on ABP changes indicated that among ET-1 SNP carriers, the only group to show reductions was BAM from low chronic stress environments. Among ET-1 SNP noncarriers, under low chronic stress exposure, all approaches worked, especially BAM. Among high stress exposure noncarriers, only BAM resulted in reductions. If these preliminary findings are replicated via ancillary analyses of archival databases and then via efficacy trials, selection of behavioral prescriptions for prehypertensives will be edging closer to being guided by individual's underlying genetic and environmental factors incorporating the healthcare model of personalized preventive medicine.

Monitoring of transcriptional regulation in Pichia pastoris under protein production conditions

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Bhattacharyya Anamitra

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background It has become evident that host cells react to recombinant protein production with a variety of metabolic and intrinsic stresses such as the unfolded protein response (UPR pathway. Additionally, environmental conditions such as growth temperature may have a strong impact on cell physiology and specific productivity. However, there is little information about the molecular reactions of the host cells on a genomic level, especially in context to recombinant protein secretion. For the first time, we monitored transcriptional regulation of a subset of marker genes in the common production host Pichia pastoris to gain insights into the general physiological status of the cells under protein production conditions, with the main focus on secretion stress related genes. Results Overexpression of the UPR activating transcription factor Hac1p was employed to identify UPR target genes in P. pastoris and the responses were compared to those known for Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Most of the folding/secretion related genes showed similar regulation patterns in both yeasts, whereas genes associated with the general stress response were differentially regulated. Secretion of an antibody Fab fragment led to induction of UPR target genes in P. pastoris, however not to the same magnitude as Hac1p overproduction. Overexpression of S. cerevisiae protein disulfide isomerase (PDI1 enhances Fab secretion rates 1.9 fold, but did not relief UPR stress. Reduction of cultivation temperature from 25°C to 20°C led to a 1.4-fold increase of specific product secretion rate in chemostat cultivations, although the transcriptional levels of the product genes (Fab light and heavy chain were significantly reduced at the lower temperature. A subset of folding related genes appeared to be down-regulated at the reduced temperature, whereas transcription of components of the ER associated degradation and the secretory transport was enhanced. Conclusion Monitoring of

Environmental stress, oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) polymorphism, and mental health following collective stress

OpenAIRE

Lucas-Thompson, RG; Holman, EA

2013-01-01

We examined whether the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs53576 genotype buffers the combined impact of negative social environments (e.g., interpersonal conflict/constraint) and economic stress on post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms and impaired daily functioning following collective stress (September 11th terrorist attacks). Saliva was collected by mail and used to genotype 704 respondents. Participants completed Web-based assessments of pre-9/11 mental h...

A Novel G-Protein-Coupled Receptors Gene from Upland Cotton Enhances Salt Stress Tolerance in Transgenic Arabidopsis.

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Lu, Pu; Magwanga, Richard Odongo; Lu, Hejun; Kirungu, Joy Nyangasi; Wei, Yangyang; Dong, Qi; Wang, Xingxing; Cai, Xiaoyan; Zhou, Zhongli; Wang, Kunbo; Liu, Fang

2018-04-12

Plants have developed a number of survival strategies which are significant for enhancing their adaptation to various biotic and abiotic stress factors. At the transcriptome level, G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are of great significance, enabling the plants to detect a wide range of endogenous and exogenous signals which are employed by the plants in regulating various responses in development and adaptation. In this research work, we carried out genome-wide analysis of target of Myb1 ( TOM1 ), a member of the GPCR gene family. The functional role of TOM1 in salt stress tolerance was studied using a transgenic Arabidopsis plants over-expressing the gene. By the use of the functional domain PF06454, we obtained 16 TOM genes members in Gossypium hirsutum , 9 in Gossypium arboreum , and 11 in Gossypium raimondii . The genes had varying physiochemical properties, and it is significant to note that all the grand average of hydropathy (GRAVY) values were less than one, indicating that all are hydrophobic in nature. In all the genes analysed here, both the exonic and intronic regions were found. The expression level of Gh_A07G0747 (GhTOM) was significantly high in the transgenic lines as compared to the wild type; a similar trend in expression was observed in all the salt-related genes tested in this study. The study in epidermal cells confirmed the localization of the protein coded by the gene TOM1 in the plasma membrane. Analysis of anti-oxidant enzymes showed higher concentrations of antioxidants in transgenic lines and relatively lower levels of oxidant substances such as H₂O₂. The low malondialdehyde (MDA) level in transgenic lines indicated that the transgenic lines had relatively low level of oxidative damage compared to the wild types. The results obtained indicate that Gh_A07G0747 (GhTOM) can be a putative target gene for enhancing salt stress tolerance in plants and could be exploited in the future for the development of salt stress-tolerant cotton

A Novel G-Protein-Coupled Receptors Gene from Upland Cotton Enhances Salt Stress Tolerance in Transgenic Arabidopsis

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Pu Lu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Plants have developed a number of survival strategies which are significant for enhancing their adaptation to various biotic and abiotic stress factors. At the transcriptome level, G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs are of great significance, enabling the plants to detect a wide range of endogenous and exogenous signals which are employed by the plants in regulating various responses in development and adaptation. In this research work, we carried out genome-wide analysis of target of Myb1 (TOM1, a member of the GPCR gene family. The functional role of TOM1 in salt stress tolerance was studied using a transgenic Arabidopsis plants over-expressing the gene. By the use of the functional domain PF06454, we obtained 16 TOM genes members in Gossypium hirsutum, 9 in Gossypium arboreum, and 11 in Gossypium raimondii. The genes had varying physiochemical properties, and it is significant to note that all the grand average of hydropathy (GRAVY values were less than one, indicating that all are hydrophobic in nature. In all the genes analysed here, both the exonic and intronic regions were found. The expression level of Gh_A07G0747 (GhTOM was significantly high in the transgenic lines as compared to the wild type; a similar trend in expression was observed in all the salt-related genes tested in this study. The study in epidermal cells confirmed the localization of the protein coded by the gene TOM1 in the plasma membrane. Analysis of anti-oxidant enzymes showed higher concentrations of antioxidants in transgenic lines and relatively lower levels of oxidant substances such as H2O2. The low malondialdehyde (MDA level in transgenic lines indicated that the transgenic lines had relatively low level of oxidative damage compared to the wild types. The results obtained indicate that Gh_A07G0747 (GhTOM can be a putative target gene for enhancing salt stress tolerance in plants and could be exploited in the future for the development of salt stress

Psychological Stress, Cocaine and Natural Reward Each Induce Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Genes in Rat Brain

OpenAIRE

Pavlovsky, Ashly A.; Boehning, Darren; Li, Dingge; Zhang, Yafang; Fan, Xiuzhen; Green, Thomas A.

2013-01-01

Our prior research has shown that the transcription of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress transcription factors Activating Transcription Factor 3 (ATF3) and ATF4 are induced by amphetamine and restraint stress in rat striatum. However, presently it is unknown the full extent of ER stress responses to psychological stress or cocaine, and which of the three ER stress pathways is activated. The current study examines transcriptional responses of key ER stress target genes subsequent to psychologi...

Patterns of gene expression associated with recovery and injury in heat-stressed rats.

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Stallings, Jonathan D; Ippolito, Danielle L; Rakesh, Vineet; Baer, Christine E; Dennis, William E; Helwig, Bryan G; Jackson, David A; Leon, Lisa R; Lewis, John A; Reifman, Jaques

2014-12-03

The in vivo gene response associated with hyperthermia is poorly understood. Here, we perform a global, multiorgan characterization of the gene response to heat stress using an in vivo conscious rat model. We heated rats until implanted thermal probes indicated a maximal core temperature of 41.8°C (Tc,Max). We then compared transcriptomic profiles of liver, lung, kidney, and heart tissues harvested from groups of experimental animals at Tc,Max, 24 hours, and 48 hours after heat stress to time-matched controls kept at an ambient temperature. Cardiac histopathology at 48 hours supported persistent cardiac injury in three out of six animals. Microarray analysis identified 78 differentially expressed genes common to all four organs at Tc,Max. Self-organizing maps identified gene-specific signatures corresponding to protein-folding disorders in heat-stressed rats with histopathological evidence of cardiac injury at 48 hours. Quantitative proteomics analysis by iTRAQ (isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation) demonstrated that differential protein expression most closely matched the transcriptomic profile in heat-injured animals at 48 hours. Calculation of protein supersaturation scores supported an increased propensity of proteins to aggregate for proteins that were found to be changing in abundance at 24 hours and in animals with cardiac injury at 48 hours, suggesting a mechanistic association between protein misfolding and the heat-stress response. Pathway analyses at both the transcript and protein levels supported catastrophic deficits in energetics and cellular metabolism and activation of the unfolded protein response in heat-stressed rats with histopathological evidence of persistent heat injury, providing the basis for a systems-level physiological model of heat illness and recovery.

Monitoring based maintenance utilizing actual stress sensory technology

Science.gov (United States)

Sumitro, Sunaryo; Kurokawa, Shoji; Shimano, Keiji; Wang, Ming L.

2005-06-01

In recent years, many infrastructures have been deteriorating. In order to maintain sustainability of those infrastructures which have significant influence on social lifelines, economical and rational maintenance management should be carried out to evaluate the life cycle cost (LCC). The development of structural health monitoring systems, such as deriving evaluation techniques for the field structural condition of existing structures and identification techniques for the significant engineering properties of new structures, can be considered as the first step in resolving the above problem. New innovative evaluation methods need to be devised to identify the deterioration of infrastructures, e.g. steel tendons, cables in cable-stayed bridges and strands embedded in pre- or post-tensioned concrete structures. One of the possible solutions that show 'AtoE' characteristics, i.e., (a)ccuracy, (b)enefit, (c)ompendiousness, (d)urability and (e)ase of operation, elasto-magnetic (EM) actual stress sensory technology utilizing the sensitivity of incremental magnetic permeability to stress change, has been developed. Numerous verification tests on various steel materials have been conducted. By comparing with load cell, strain gage and other sensory technology measurement results, the actual stresses of steel tendons in a pre-stressed concrete structure at the following stages have been thoroughly investigated: (i) pre-stress change due to set-loss (anchorage slippage) at the tendon fixation stage; (ii) pre-stress change due to the tendon relaxation stage; (iii) concrete creep and shrinkage at the long term pre-stressing stage; (iv) pre-stress change in the cyclic fatigue loading stage; and (v) pre-stress change due to the re-pre-stress setting stage. As the result of this testing, it is confirmed that EM sensory technology enables one to measure actual stress in steel wire, strands and steel bars precisely without destroying the polyethylene covering sheath and enables

Statistical Analysis of Stress Signals from Bridge Monitoring by FBG System

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Xiao-Wei Ye

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a fiber Bragg grating (FBG-based stress monitoring system instrumented on an orthotropic steel deck arch bridge is demonstrated. The FBG sensors are installed at two types of critical fatigue-prone welded joints to measure the strain and temperature signals. A total of 64 FBG sensors are deployed around the rib-to-deck and rib-to-diagram areas at the mid-span and quarter-span of the investigated orthotropic steel bridge. The local stress behaviors caused by the highway loading and temperature effect during the construction and operation periods are presented with the aid of a wavelet multi-resolution analysis approach. In addition, the multi-modal characteristic of the rainflow counted stress spectrum is modeled by the method of finite mixture distribution together with a genetic algorithm (GA-based parameter estimation approach. The optimal probability distribution of the stress spectrum is determined by use of Bayesian information criterion (BIC. Furthermore, the hot spot stress of the welded joint is calculated by an extrapolation method recommended in the specification of International Institute of Welding (IIW. The stochastic characteristic of stress concentration factor (SCF of the concerned welded joint is addressed. The proposed FBG-based stress monitoring system and probabilistic stress evaluation methods can provide an effective tool for structural monitoring and condition assessment of orthotropic steel bridges.

Stress induction of Bm1 RNA in silkworm larvae: SINEs, an unusual class of stress genes

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Kimura, Richard H.; Choudary, Prabhakara V.; Stone, Koni K.; Schmid, Carl W.

2001-01-01

This study surveys the induction of RNA polymerase III (Pol III)–directed expression of short interspersed element (SINE) transcripts by various stresses in an animal model, silkworm larvae. Sublethal heat shock and exposure to several toxic compounds increase the level of Bm1 RNA, the silkworm SINE transcript, while also transiently increasing expression of a well-characterized stress-induced transcript, Hsp70 messenger RNA (mRNA). In certain cases, the Bm1 RNA response coincides with that of Hsp70 mRNA, but more often Bm1 RNA responds later in recovery. Baculovirus infection and exposure to certain toxic compounds increase Bm1 RNA but not Hsp70 mRNA, showing that SINE induction is not necessarily coupled to transcription of this particular heat shock gene. SINEs behave as an additional class of stress-inducible genes in living animals but are unusual as stress genes because of their high copy number, genomic dispersion, and Pol III–directed transcription. PMID:11599568

Transcriptomic identification of candidate genes involved in sunflower responses to chilling and salt stresses based on cDNA microarray analysis

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Paniego Norma

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Considering that sunflower production is expanding to arid regions, tolerance to abiotic stresses as drought, low temperatures and salinity arises as one of the main constrains nowadays. Differential organ-specific sunflower ESTs (expressed sequence tags were previously generated by a subtractive hybridization method that included a considerable number of putative abiotic stress associated sequences. The objective of this work is to analyze concerted gene expression profiles of organ-specific ESTs by fluorescence microarray assay, in response to high sodium chloride concentration and chilling treatments with the aim to identify and follow up candidate genes for early responses to abiotic stress in sunflower. Results Abiotic-related expressed genes were the target of this characterization through a gene expression analysis using an organ-specific cDNA fluorescence microarray approach in response to high salinity and low temperatures. The experiment included three independent replicates from leaf samples. We analyzed 317 unigenes previously isolated from differential organ-specific cDNA libraries from leaf, stem and flower at R1 and R4 developmental stage. A statistical analysis based on mean comparison by ANOVA and ordination by Principal Component Analysis allowed the detection of 80 candidate genes for either salinity and/or chilling stresses. Out of them, 50 genes were up or down regulated under both stresses, supporting common regulatory mechanisms and general responses to chilling and salinity. Interestingly 15 and 12 sequences were up regulated or down regulated specifically in one stress but not in the other, respectively. These genes are potentially involved in different regulatory mechanisms including transcription/translation/protein degradation/protein folding/ROS production or ROS-scavenging. Differential gene expression patterns were confirmed by qRT-PCR for 12.5% of the microarray candidate sequences. Conclusion

The behavioral and molecular evaluation of effects of social instability stress as a model of stress-related disorders in adult female rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Nowacka-Chmielewska, Marta Maria; Kasprowska-Liśkiewicz, Daniela; Barski, Jarosław Jerzy; Obuchowicz, Ewa; Małecki, Andrzej

2017-11-01

The study aimed to test the hypotheses that chronic social instability stress (CSIS) alters behavioral and physiological parameters and expression of selected genes important for stress response and social behaviors. Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to the 4-week CSIS procedure, which involves unpredictable rotation between phases of isolation and overcrowding. Behavioral analyses (Experiment 1) were performed on the same rats before and after CSIS (n = 16) and physiological and biochemical measurements (Experiment 2) were made on further control (CON; n = 7) and stressed groups (CSIS; n = 8). Behaviors in the open field test (locomotor and exploratory activities) and elevated-plus maze (anxiety-related behaviors) indicated anxiety after CSIS. CSIS did not alter the physiological parameters measured, i.e. body weight gain, regularity of estrous cycles, and circulating concentrations of stress hormones and sex steroids. QRT-PCR analysis of mRNA expression levels was performed on amygdala, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex (PFC), and hypothalamus. The main finding is that CSIS alters the mRNA levels for the studied genes in a region-specific manner. Hence, expression of POMC (pro-opiomelanocortin), AVPR1a (arginine vasopressin receptor), and OXTR (oxytocin receptor) significantly increased in the amygdala following CSIS, while in PFC and/or hypothalamus, POMC, AVPR1a, AVPR1b, OXTR, and ERβ (estrogen receptor beta) expression decreased. CSIS significantly reduced expression of CRH-R1 (corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor type 1) in the hippocampus. The directions of change in gene expression and the genes and regions affected indicate a molecular basis for the behavior changes. In conclusion, CSIS may be valuable for further analyzing the neurobiology of stress-related disorders in females.

Overexpression of snapdragon Delila (Del) gene in tobacco enhances anthocyanin accumulation and abiotic stress tolerance.

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Naing, Aung Htay; Park, Kyeung Il; Ai, Trinh Ngoc; Chung, Mi Young; Han, Jeung Sul; Kang, Young-Wha; Lim, Ki Byung; Kim, Chang Kil

2017-03-23

Rosea1 (Ros1) and Delila (Del) co-expression controls anthocyanin accumulation in snapdragon flowers, while their overexpression in tomato strongly induces anthocyanin accumulation. However, little data exist on how Del expression alone influences anthocyanin accumulation. In tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum 'Xanthi'), Del expression enhanced leaf and flower anthocyanin production through regulating NtCHS, NtCHI, NtF3H, NtDFR, and NtANS transcript levels. Transgenic lines displayed different anthocyanin colors (e.g., pale red: T 0 -P, red: T 0 -R, and strong red: T 0 -S), resulting from varying levels of biosynthetic gene transcripts. Under salt stress, the T 2 generation had higher total polyphenol content, radical (DPPH, ABTS) scavenging activities, antioxidant-related gene expression, as well as overall greater salt and drought tolerance than wild type (WT). We propose that Del overexpression elevates transcript levels of anthocyanin biosynthetic and antioxidant-related genes, leading to enhanced anthocyanin production and antioxidant activity. The resultant increase of anthocyanin and antioxidant activity improves abiotic stress tolerance.

Stress-related cortisol response and laboratory eating behavior in obese women.

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Lorig, Fabian; Kießl, Gundula Rebecca Raphaela; Laessle, Reinhold Gustav

2016-06-01

Stress-related cortisol secretion has been linked to increased appetite and subsequent food intake in overweight individuals. The present study addresses this relationship in a repeated-measures randomized controlled laboratory experiment. Nineteen obese women were compared to 36 normal weight controls with respect to stress-induced salivary cortisol and laboratory eating behavior, measured by a universal eating monitor. The trier social stress test served as stressor. Stress-induced cortisol levels were significantly higher in the obese compared to the normal weight controls. Unexpectedly, a corresponding increase in laboratory food intake was not detected. The results are interpreted and discussed with regard to restrained eating, which was found to be present to a significant degree in the obese women.

Characterization of transformation related genes in oral cancer cells.

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Chang, D D; Park, N H; Denny, C T; Nelson, S F; Pe, M

1998-04-16

A cDNA representational difference analysis (cDNA-RDA) and an arrayed filter technique were used to characterize transformation-related genes in oral cancer. From an initial comparison of normal oral epithelial cells and a human papilloma virus (HPV)-immortalized oral epithelial cell line, we obtained 384 differentially expressed gene fragments and arrayed them on a filter. Two hundred and twelve redundant clones were identified by three rounds of back hybridization. Sequence analysis of the remaining clones revealed 99 unique clones corresponding to 69 genes. The expression of these transformation related gene fragments in three nontumorigenic HPV-immortalized oral epithelial cell lines and three oral cancer cell lines were simultaneously monitored using a cDNA array hybridization. Although there was a considerable cell line-to-cell line variability in the expression of these clones, a reliable prediction of their expression could be made from the cDNA array hybridization. Our study demonstrates the utility of combining cDNA-RDA and arrayed filters in high-throughput gene expression difference analysis. The differentially expressed genes identified in this study should be informative in studying oral epithelial cell carcinogenesis.

Cuticle ultrastructure, cuticular lipid composition, and gene expression in hypoxia-stressed Arabidopsis stems and leaves.

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Kim, Hyojin; Choi, Dongsu; Suh, Mi Chung

2017-06-01

An increased permeability of the cuticle is closely associated with downregulation of genes involved in cuticular lipid synthesis in hypoxia-stressed Arabidopsis and may allow plants to cope with oxygen deficiency. The hydrophobic cuticle layer consisting of cutin polyester and cuticular wax is the first barrier to protect the aerial parts of land plants from environmental stresses. In the present study, we investigated the role of cuticle membrane in Arabidopsis responses to oxygen deficiency. TEM analysis showed that the epidermal cells of hypoxia-treated Arabidopsis stems and leaves possessed a thinner electron-translucent cuticle proper and a more electron-dense cuticular layer. A reduction in epicuticular wax crystal deposition was observed in SEM images of hypoxia-treated Arabidopsis stem compared with normoxic control. Cuticular transpiration was more rapid in hypoxia-stressed leaves than in normoxic control. Total wax and cutin loads decreased by approximately 6-12 and 12-22%, respectively, and the levels of C29 alkanes, secondary alcohols, and ketones, C16:0 ω-hydroxy fatty acids, and C18:2 dicarboxylic acids were also prominently reduced in hypoxia-stressed Arabidopsis leaves and/or stems relative to normoxic control. Genome-wide transcriptome and quantitative RT-PCR analyses revealed that the expression of several genes involved in the biosynthesis and transport of cuticular waxes and cutin monomers were downregulated more than fourfold, but no significant alterations were detected in the transcript levels of fatty acid biosynthetic genes, BCCP2, PDH-E1α, and ENR1 in hypoxia-treated Arabidopsis stems and leaves compared with normoxic control. Taken together, an increased permeability of the cuticle is closely associated with downregulation of genes involved in cuticular lipid synthesis in hypoxia-stressed Arabidopsis. The present study elucidates one of the cuticle-related adaptive responses that may allow plants to cope with low oxygen levels.

A novel heat shock protein alpha 8 (Hspa8) molecular network mediating responses to stress- and ethanol-related behaviors.

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Urquhart, Kyle R; Zhao, Yinghong; Baker, Jessica A; Lu, Ye; Yan, Lei; Cook, Melloni N; Jones, Byron C; Hamre, Kristin M; Lu, Lu

2016-04-01

Genetic differences mediate individual differences in susceptibility and responses to stress and ethanol, although, the specific molecular pathways that control these responses are not fully understood. Heat shock protein alpha 8 (Hspa8) is a molecular chaperone and member of the heat shock protein family that plays an integral role in the stress response and that has been implicated as an ethanol-responsive gene. Therefore, we assessed its role in mediating responses to stress and ethanol across varying genetic backgrounds. The hippocampus is an important mediator of these responses, and thus, was examined in the BXD family of mice in this study. We conducted bioinformatic analyses to dissect genetic factors modulating Hspa8 expression, identify downstream targets of Hspa8, and examined its role. Hspa8 is trans-regulated by a gene or genes on chromosome 14 and is part of a molecular network that regulates stress- and ethanol-related behaviors. To determine additional components of this network, we identified direct or indirect targets of Hspa8 and show that these genes, as predicted, participate in processes such as protein folding and organic substance metabolic processes. Two phenotypes that map to the Hspa8 locus are anxiety-related and numerous other anxiety- and/or ethanol-related behaviors significantly correlate with Hspa8 expression. To more directly assay this relationship, we examined differences in gene expression following exposure to stress or alcohol and showed treatment-related differential expression of Hspa8 and a subset of the members of its network. Our findings suggest that Hspa8 plays a vital role in genetic differences in responses to stress and ethanol and their interactions.

Work-related stress and posttraumatic stress in emergency medical services.

Science.gov (United States)

Donnelly, Elizabeth

2012-01-01

Recent research efforts in emergency medical services (EMS) has identified variability in the ability of EMS personnel to recognize their level of stress-related impairment. Developing a better understanding of how workplace stress may affect EMS personnel is a key step in the process of increasing awareness of the impact of work-related stress and stress-related impairment. This paper demonstrates that for those in EMS, exposure to several types of workplace stressors is linked to stress reactions. Stress reactions such as posttraumatic stress symptomatology (PTSS) have the potential to negatively influence the health of EMS providers. This research demonstrates that two different types of work-related stress and alcohol use influence the development of PTSS. A probability sample of nationally registered emergency medical technician (EMT)-Basics and EMT-Paramedics (n = 1,633) completed an Internet-based survey. Respondents reported their levels of operational and organizational types of chronic stress, critical incident stress, alcohol use, and PTSS. Ordinary least squares regression illustrated that when demographic factors were controlled, organizational and operational forms of chronic stress, critical incident stress, and alcohol use were all significant predictors of PTSS (p stress and critical incident stress (p stress and alcohol use (p stress reaction. Higher levels of chronic stress, critical incident stress, and alcohol use significantly related to an increased level of PTSS. Further, for those reporting high levels of alcohol use or critical incident stress, interactions with high levels of chronic operational stress were associated with higher rates of PTSS. For those interested in the impact of work-related stress in EMS, these findings indicate that attention must be paid to levels of stress associated with both critical incident exposure as well as the chronic stress providers experience on a day-to-day basis.

An insertional mutagenesis programme with an enhancer trap for the identification and tagging of genes involved in abiotic stress tolerance in the tomato wild-related species Solanum pennellii

OpenAIRE

Atarés Huerta, Alejandro; Moyano, Elena; Morales, Belén; Schleicher, Peter; García Abellán, José Osvaldo; ANTÓN MARTÍNEZ, MARÍA TERESA; García Sogo, Begoña; Pérez Martin, Fernando; Lozano, Rafael; Borja Flores, Francisco; Moreno Ferrero, Vicente; BOLARIN JIMENEZ, MARIA DEL CARMEN; Pineda Chaza, Benito José

2011-01-01

[EN] Salinity and drought have a huge impact on agriculture since there are few areas free of these abiotic stresses and the problem continues to increase. In tomato, the most important horticultural crop worldwide, there are accessions of wild-related species with a high degree of tolerance to salinity and drought. Thus, the finding of insertional mutants with other tolerance levels could lead to the identification and tagging of key genes responsible for abiotic stress tolerance. To this en...

Selection of reliable reference genes for gene expression studies in Trichoderma afroharzianum LTR-2 under oxalic acid stress.

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Lyu, Yuping; Wu, Xiaoqing; Ren, He; Zhou, Fangyuan; Zhou, Hongzi; Zhang, Xinjian; Yang, Hetong

2017-10-01

An appropriate reference gene is required to get reliable results from gene expression analysis by quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). In order to identify stable and reliable reference genes in Trichoderma afroharzianum under oxalic acid (OA) stress, six commonly used housekeeping genes, i.e., elongation factor 1, ubiquitin, ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, α-tubulin, actin, from the effective biocontrol isolate T. afroharzianum strain LTR-2 were tested for their expression during growth in liquid culture amended with OA. Four in silico programs (comparative ΔCt, NormFinder, geNorm and BestKeeper) were used to evaluate the expression stabilities of six candidate reference genes. The elongation factor 1 gene EF-1 was identified as the most stably expressed reference gene, and was used as the normalizer to quantify the expression level of the oxalate decarboxylase coding gene OXDC in T. afroharzianum strain LTR-2 under OA stress. The result showed that the expression of OXDC was significantly up-regulated as expected. This study provides an effective method to quantify expression changes of target genes in T. afroharzianum under OA stress. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transcriptome characterization and gene expression of Epinephelus spp in endoplasmic reticulum stress-related pathway during betanodavirus infection in vitro

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Lu Ming-Wei

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Grouper (Epinephelus spp is an economically important fish species worldwide. However, viral pathogens such as nervous necrosis virus (NNV have been causing severe infections in the fish, resulting in great loss in the grouper aquaculture industry. Yet, the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenicity of NNV is still inadequate, mainly due to insufficient genomic information of the host. Results De novo assembly of grouper transcriptome in the grouper kidney (GK cells was conducted by using short read sequencing technology of Solexa/Illumina. A sum of 66,582 unigenes with mean length of 603 bp were obtained, and were annotated according to Gene Ontology (GO and Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COG. In addition, the tag-based digital gene expression (DGE system was used to investigate the gene expression and pathways associated with NNV infection in GK cells. The analysis revealed endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress response was prominently affected in NNV-infected GK cells. A further analysis revealed an interaction between the NNV capsid protein and the ER chaperone immunoglobulin heavy-chain binding protein (BiP. Furthermore, exogenous expression of NNV capsid protein was able to induce XBP-1 mRNA splicing in vivo, suggesting a role of the capsid protein in the NNV-induced ER stress. Conclusions Our data presents valuable genetic information for Epinephelus spp., which will benefit future study in this non-model but economically important species. The DGE profile of ER stress response in NNV-infected cells provides information of many important components associated with the protein processing in ER. Specifically, we showed that the viral capsid protein might play an important role in the ER stress response.

Identification of salt-stress induced differentially expressed genes in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Identification of salt-stress induced differentially expressed genes in barley leaves using the annealingcontrol- primer-based GeneFishing technique. S Lee, K Lee, K Kim, GJ Choi, SH Yoon, HC Ji, S Seo, YC Lim, N Ahsan ...

Coral thermal tolerance: tuning gene expression to resist thermal stress.

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Anthony J Bellantuono

Full Text Available The acclimatization capacity of corals is a critical consideration in the persistence of coral reefs under stresses imposed by global climate change. The stress history of corals plays a role in subsequent response to heat stress, but the transcriptomic changes associated with these plastic changes have not been previously explored. In order to identify host transcriptomic changes associated with acquired thermal tolerance in the scleractinian coral Acropora millepora, corals preconditioned to a sub-lethal temperature of 3°C below bleaching threshold temperature were compared to both non-preconditioned corals and untreated controls using a cDNA microarray platform. After eight days of hyperthermal challenge, conditions under which non-preconditioned corals bleached and preconditioned corals (thermal-tolerant maintained Symbiodinium density, a clear differentiation in the transcriptional profiles was revealed among the condition examined. Among these changes, nine differentially expressed genes separated preconditioned corals from non-preconditioned corals, with 42 genes differentially expressed between control and preconditioned treatments, and 70 genes between non-preconditioned corals and controls. Differentially expressed genes included components of an apoptotic signaling cascade, which suggest the inhibition of apoptosis in preconditioned corals. Additionally, lectins and genes involved in response to oxidative stress were also detected. One dominant pattern was the apparent tuning of gene expression observed between preconditioned and non-preconditioned treatments; that is, differences in expression magnitude were more apparent than differences in the identity of genes differentially expressed. Our work revealed a transcriptomic signature underlying the tolerance associated with coral thermal history, and suggests that understanding the molecular mechanisms behind physiological acclimatization would be critical for the modeling of reefs

The Relations of Stressful Events and Nonacademic Future Expectations in African American Adolescents: Gender Differences in Parental Monitoring

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Cunningham, Michael; Mars, Dustin E.; Burns, Lateela J.

2012-01-01

Urban African American high school students (N = 206) completed a study to examine gender differences in parental monitoring and the effect on the relationship between exposure to stressful life events and nonacademic future expectations. Participant's ages range from 13 to 18 (M = 15.78, SD = 1.19). Participants reported high exposure to…

Function of the auxin-responsive gene TaSAUR75 under salt and drought stress

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Yuan Guo

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Small auxin-upregulated RNAs (SAURs are genes regulated by auxin and environmental factors. In this study, we identified a SAUR gene in wheat, TaSAUR75. Under salt stress, TaSAUR75 is downregulated in wheat roots. Subcellular localization revealed that TaSAUR75 was localized in both the cytoplasm and nucleus. Overexpression of TaSAUR75 increased drought and salt tolerance in Arabidopsis. Transgenic lines showed higher root length and survival rate and higher expression of some stress-responsive genes than control plants under salt and drought stress. Less H2O2 accumulated in transgenic lines than in control plants under drought stress. Our findings reveal a positive regulatory role of the auxin-responsive gene TaSAUR75 in plant responses to drought and salt stress and provide a candidate gene for improvement of abiotic stress tolerance in crop breeding.

Enhanced water stress tolerance of transgenic maize plants over-expressing LEA Rab28 gene.

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Amara, Imen; Capellades, Montserrat; Ludevid, M Dolors; Pagès, Montserrat; Goday, Adela

2013-06-15

Late Embryogenesis Abundant (LEA) proteins participate in plant stress responses and contribute to the acquisition of desiccation tolerance. In this report Rab28 LEA gene has been over-expressed in maize plants under a constitutive maize promoter. The expression of Rab28 transcripts led to the accumulation and stability of Rab28 protein in the transgenic plants. Native Rab28 protein is localized to nucleoli in wild type maize embryo cells; here we find by whole-mount immunocytochemistry that in root cells of Rab28 transgenic and wild-type plants the protein is also associated to nucleolar structures. Transgenic plants were tested for stress tolerance and resulted in sustained growth under polyethyleneglycol (PEG)-mediated dehydration compared to wild-type controls. Under osmotic stress transgenic seedlings showed increased leaf and root areas, higher relative water content (RWC), reduced chlorophyll loss and lower Malondialdehyde (MDA) production in relation to wild-type plants. Moreover, transgenic seeds exhibited higher germination rates than wild-type seeds under water deficit. Overall, our results highlight the presence of transgenic Rab28 protein in nucleolar structures and point to the potential of group 5 LEA Rab28 gene as candidate to enhance stress tolerance in maize plants. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Expression analysis of MYC genes from Tamarix hispida in response to different abiotic stresses.

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Ji, Xiaoyu; Wang, Yucheng; Liu, Guifeng

2012-01-01

The MYC genes are a group of transcription factors containing both bHLH and ZIP motifs that play important roles in the regulation of abscisic acid (ABA)-responsive genes. In the present study, to investigate the roles of MYC genes under NaCl, osmotic and ABA stress conditions, nine MYC genes were cloned from Tamarix hispida. Real-time reverse-transcriptase (RT)-PCR showed that all nine MYC genes were expressed in root, stem and leaf tissues, but that the levels of the transcripts of these genes in the various tissues differed notably. The MYC genes were highly induced in the roots in response to ABA, NaCl and osmotic stresses after 3 h; however, in the stem and leaf tissues, MYC genes were highly induced only when exposed to these stresses for 6 h. In addition, most of these MYC genes were highly expressed in roots in comparison with stems and leaves. Furthermore, the MYC genes were more highly induced in roots than in stem and leaf tissues, indicating that these genes may play roles in stress responses mainly in the roots rather than the stems and leaves. The results of this present study suggest that MYCs are involved in salt and osmotic stress tolerances and are controlled by the ABA signal transduction pathway.

Tensor decomposition-based unsupervised feature extraction identifies candidate genes that induce post-traumatic stress disorder-mediated heart diseases.

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Taguchi, Y-H

2017-12-21

Although post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is primarily a mental disorder, it can cause additional symptoms that do not seem to be directly related to the central nervous system, which PTSD is assumed to directly affect. PTSD-mediated heart diseases are some of such secondary disorders. In spite of the significant correlations between PTSD and heart diseases, spatial separation between the heart and brain (where PTSD is primarily active) prevents researchers from elucidating the mechanisms that bridge the two disorders. Our purpose was to identify genes linking PTSD and heart diseases. In this study, gene expression profiles of various murine tissues observed under various types of stress or without stress were analyzed in an integrated manner using tensor decomposition (TD). Based upon the obtained features, ∼ 400 genes were identified as candidate genes that may mediate heart diseases associated with PTSD. Various gene enrichment analyses supported biological reliability of the identified genes. Ten genes encoding protein-, DNA-, or mRNA-interacting proteins-ILF2, ILF3, ESR1, ESR2, RAD21, HTT, ATF2, NR3C1, TP53, and TP63-were found to be likely to regulate expression of most of these ∼ 400 genes and therefore are candidate primary genes that cause PTSD-mediated heart diseases. Approximately 400 genes in the heart were also found to be strongly affected by various drugs whose known adverse effects are related to heart diseases and/or fear memory conditioning; these data support the reliability of our findings. TD-based unsupervised feature extraction turned out to be a useful method for gene selection and successfully identified possible genes causing PTSD-mediated heart diseases.

Development of relative thermal stress index (RTSI) for Monitoring and Management of Dry Deciduous Ecosystem

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Gupta, R. K.; Vijayan, D.

Gir wildlife sanctuary located between 20 r 57 to 21 r 20 N and 70 r 28 to 71 r 13 E is the last home of Asiatic lions Its biodiversity comprises of 450 recorded flowering plant species 32 species of mammals 26 species of reptiles about 300 species of birds and more than 2000 species of insects As per 1995 census it has 304 lions and 268 leopards The movement of wildlife to thermally comfortable zones to reduce stress conditions forces the changes in management plan with reference to change in localized water demand This necessitates the use of space based thermal data available from AVHRR MODIS etc to monitor temperature of Gir-ecosystem for meso-scale level operational utility As the time scale of the variability of NDVI parameter is much higher than that for lower boundary temperature LBT the dense patch in riverine forest having highest NDVI value would not experience change in its vigour with the change in the season NDVI value of such patch would be near invariant over the year and temperature of this pixel could serve as reference temperature for developing the concept of relative thermal stress index RTSI which is defined as RTSI T p -T r T max -T r wherein T r T max and T p refer to LBT over the maximum NDVI reference point maximum LBT observed in the Gir ecosystem and the temperature of the pixel in the image respectively RTSI images were computed from AVHRR images for post-monsoon leaf-shedded and summer seasons Scatter plot between RTSI and NDVI for summer seasons

Selenium Pretreatment Alleviated LPS-Induced Immunological Stress Via Upregulation of Several Selenoprotein Encoding Genes in Murine RAW264.7 Cells.

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Wang, Longqiong; Jing, Jinzhong; Yan, Hui; Tang, Jiayong; Jia, Gang; Liu, Guangmang; Chen, Xiaoling; Tian, Gang; Cai, Jingyi; Shang, Haiying; Zhao, Hua

2018-04-18

This study was conducted to profile selenoprotein encoding genes in mouse RAW264.7 cells upon lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge and integrate their roles into immunological regulation in response to selenium (Se) pretreatment. LPS was used to develop immunological stress in macrophages. Cells were pretreated with different levels of Se (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 μmol Se/L) for 2 h, followed by LPS (100 ng/mL) stimulation for another 3 h. The mRNA expression of 24 selenoprotein encoding genes and 9 inflammation-related genes were investigated. The results showed that LPS (100 ng/mL) effectively induced immunological stress in RAW264.7 cells with induced inflammation cytokines, IL-6 and TNF-α, mRNA expression, and cellular secretion. LPS increased (P immunological stress in RAW264.7 cells accompanied with the global downregulation of selenoprotein encoding genes and Se pretreatment alleviated immunological stress via upregulation of a subset of selenoprotein encoding genes.

ABI-like transcription factor gene TaABL1 from wheat improves multiple abiotic stress tolerances in transgenic plants.

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Xu, Dong-Bei; Gao, Shi-Qing; Ma, You-Zhi; Xu, Zhao-Shi; Zhao, Chang-Ping; Tang, Yi-Miao; Li, Xue-Yin; Li, Lian-Cheng; Chen, Yao-Feng; Chen, Ming

2014-12-01

The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays crucial roles in adaptive responses of plants to abiotic stresses. ABA-responsive element binding proteins (AREBs) are basic leucine zipper transcription factors that regulate the expression of downstream genes containing ABA-responsive elements (ABREs) in promoter regions. A novel ABI-like (ABA-insensitive) transcription factor gene, named TaABL1, containing a conserved basic leucine zipper (bZIP) domain was cloned from wheat. Southern blotting showed that three copies were present in the wheat genome. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that TaABL1 belonged to the AREB subfamily of the bZIP transcription factor family and was most closely related to ZmABI5 in maize and OsAREB2 in rice. Expression of TaABL1 was highly induced in wheat roots, stems, and leaves by ABA, drought, high salt, and low temperature stresses. TaABL1 was localized inside the nuclei of transformed wheat mesophyll protoplast. Overexpression of TaABL1 enhanced responses of transgenic plants to ABA and hastened stomatal closure under stress, thereby improving tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses. Furthermore, overexpression of TaABL1 upregulated or downregulated the expression of some stress-related genes controlling stomatal closure in transgenic plants under ABA and drought stress conditions, suggesting that TaABL1 might be a valuable genetic resource for transgenic molecular breeding.

Pathogenesis-related proteins and peptides as promising tools for engineering plants with multiple stress tolerance.

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Ali, Sajad; Ganai, Bashir Ahmad; Kamili, Azra N; Bhat, Ajaz Ali; Mir, Zahoor Ahmad; Bhat, Javaid Akhter; Tyagi, Anshika; Islam, Sheikh Tajamul; Mushtaq, Muntazir; Yadav, Prashant; Rawat, Sandhya; Grover, Anita

Pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a group of diverse molecules that are induced by phytopathogens as well as defense related signaling molecules. They are the key components of plant innate immune system especially systemic acquired resistance (SAR), and are widely used as diagnostic molecular markers of defense signaling pathways. Although, PR proteins and peptides have been isolated much before but their biological function remains largely enigmatic despite the availability of new scientific tools. The earlier studies have demonstrated that PR genes provide enhanced resistance against both biotic and abiotic stresses, which make them one of the most promising candidates for developing multiple stress tolerant crop varieties. In this regard, plant genetic engineering technology is widely accepted as one of the most fascinating approach to develop the disease resistant transgenic crops using different antimicrobial genes like PR genes. Overexpression of PR genes (chitinase, glucanase, thaumatin, defensin and thionin) individually or in combination have greatly uplifted the level of defense response in plants against a wide range of pathogens. However, the detailed knowledge of signaling pathways that regulates the expression of these versatile proteins is critical for improving crop plants to multiple stresses, which is the future theme of plant stress biology. Hence, this review provides an overall overview on the PR proteins like their classification, role in multiple stresses (biotic and abiotic) as well as in various plant defense signaling cascades. We also highlight the success and snags of transgenic plants expressing PR proteins and peptides. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

The SULTR gene family in maize (Zea mays L.): Gene cloning and expression analyses under sulfate starvation and abiotic stress.

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Huang, Qin; Wang, Meiping; Xia, Zongliang

2018-01-01

Sulfur is an essential macronutrient required for plant growth, development and stress responses. The family of sulfate transporters (SULTRs) mediates the uptake and translocation of sulfate in higher plants. However, basic knowledge of the SULTR gene family in maize (Zea mays L.) is scarce. In this study, a genome-wide bioinformatic analysis of SULTR genes in maize was conducted, and the developmental expression patterns of the genes and their responses to sulfate starvation and abiotic stress were further investigated. The ZmSULTR family includes eight putative members in the maize genome and is clustered into four groups in the phylogenetic tree. These genes displayed differential expression patterns in various organs of maize. For example, expression of ZmSULTR1;1 and ZmSULTR4;1 was high in roots, and transcript levels of ZmSULTR3;1 and ZmSULTR3;3 were high in shoots. Expression of ZmSULTR1;2, ZmSULTR2;1, ZmSULTR3;3, and ZmSULTR4;1 was high in flowers. Also, these eight genes showed differential responses to sulfate deprivation in roots and shoots of maize seedlings. Transcript levels of ZmSULTR1;1, ZmSULTR1;2, and ZmSULTR3;4 were significantly increased in roots during 12-day-sulfate starvation stress, while ZmSULTR3;3 and ZmSULTR3;5 only showed an early response pattern in shoots. In addition, dynamic transcriptional changes determined via qPCR revealed differential expression profiles of these eight ZmSULTR genes in response to environmental stresses such as salt, drought, and heat stresses. Notably, all the genes, except for ZmSULTR3;3, were induced by drought and heat stresses. However, a few genes were induced by salt stress. Physiological determination showed that two important thiol-containing compounds, cysteine and glutathione, increased significantly under these abiotic stresses. The results suggest that members of the SULTR family might function in adaptations to sulfur deficiency stress and adverse growing environments. This study will lay a

Reconstructing a Network of Stress-Response Regulators via Dynamic System Modeling of Gene Regulation

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Wei-Sheng Wu

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Unicellular organisms such as yeasts have evolved mechanisms to respond to environmental stresses by rapidly reorganizing the gene expression program. Although many stress-response genes in yeast have been discovered by DNA microarrays, the stress-response transcription factors (TFs that regulate these stress-response genes remain to be investigated. In this study, we use a dynamic system model of gene regulation to describe the mechanism of how TFs may control a gene’s expression. Then, based on the dynamic system model, we develop the Stress Regulator Identification Algorithm (SRIA to identify stress-response TFs for six kinds of stresses. We identified some general stress-response TFs that respond to various stresses and some specific stress-response TFs that respond to one specifi c stress. The biological significance of our findings is validated by the literature. We found that a small number of TFs is probably suffi cient to control a wide variety of expression patterns in yeast under different stresses. Two implications can be inferred from this observation. First, the response mechanisms to different stresses may have a bow-tie structure. Second, there may be regulatory cross-talks among different stress responses. In conclusion, this study proposes a network of stress-response regulators and the details of their actions.

Wheat F-Box Protein Gene TaFBA1 Is Involved in Plant Tolerance to Heat Stress

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Qinxue Li

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Adverse environmental conditions, including high temperature, often affect the growth and production of crops worldwide. F-box protein, a core component of the Skp1-Cullin-F-box (SCF E3 ligase complex, plays an important role in abiotic stress responses. A previously cloned gene from wheat, TaFBA1, encodes a homologous F-box protein. A Yeast two-Hybrid (Y2H assay showed that TaFBA1 interacted with other SCF proteins. We found that the expression of TaFBA1 could be induced by heat stress (45°C. Overexpression of TaFBA1 enhanced heat stress tolerance in transgenic tobacco, because growth inhibition was reduced and photosynthesis increased as compared with those in the wild type (WT plants. Furthermore, the accumulation of H2O2, O2-, and carbonyl protein decreased and cell damage was alleviated in transgenic plants under heat stress, which resulted in less oxidative damage. However, the transgenic plants contained more enzymatic antioxidants after heat stress, which might be related to the regulation of some antioxidant gene expressions. The qRT-PCR analysis showed that the overexpression of TaFBA1 upregulated the expression of genes involved in reactive oxygen species (ROS scavenging, proline biosynthesis, and abiotic stress responses. We identified the interaction of TaFBA1 with Triticum aestivum stress responsive protein 1 (TaASRP1 by Y2H assay and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC assay. The results suggested that TaFBA1 may improve enzymatic antioxidant levels and regulate gene expression by interacting with other proteins, such as TaASRP1, which leads to the enhanced heat stress tolerance seen in the transgenic plants.

Expression of TaWRKY44, a wheat WRKY gene, in transgenic tobacco confers multiple abiotic stress tolerances

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Xiatian eWang

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The WRKY transcription factors have been reported to be involved in various plant physiological and biochemical processes. In this study, we successfully assembled ten unigenes from expressed sequence tags (ESTs of wheat and designated them as TaWRKY44–TaWRKY53, respectively. Among these genes, a subgroup I gene, TaWRKY44, was found to be upregulated by treatments with PEG6000, NaCl, 4°C, abscisic acid (ABA, H2O2 and gibberellin (GA. The TaWRKY44-GFP fusion protein was localized to the nucleus of onion epidermal cells, and TaWRKY44 was able to bind to the core DNA sequences of TTGACC and TTAACC in yeast. The N-terminal of TaWRKY44 showed transcriptional activation activity. Expression of TaWRKY44 in tobacco plants conferred drought and salt tolerance and transgenic tobacco exhibited a higher survival rate, relative water content (RWC, soluble sugar, proline and superoxide dismutase (SOD content, as well as higher activities of catalase (CAT and peroxidase (POD, but less ion leakage (IL, lower contents of malondialdehyde (MDA, and H2O2. In addition, expression of TaWRKY44 also increased the seed germination rate in the transgenic lines under osmotic stress conditions while exhibiting a lower H2O2 content and higher SOD, CAT and POD activities. Expression of TaWRKY44 upregulated the expression of some reactive oxygen species (ROS-related genes and stress-responsive genes in tobacco under osmotic stresses. These data demonstrate that TaWRKY44 may act as a positive regulator in drought/salt/osmotic stress responses by either efficient ROS elimination through direct or indirect activation of the cellular antioxidant systems or activation of stress-associated gene expression.

Treadmill exercise does not change gene expression of adrenal catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes in chronically stressed rats

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LJUBICA GAVRILOVIC

2013-09-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Chronic isolation of adult animals represents a form of psychological stress that produces sympatho-adrenomedullar activation. Exercise training acts as an important modulator of sympatho-adrenomedullary system. This study aimed to investigate physical exercise-related changes in gene expression of catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes (tyrosine hydroxylase, dopamine-ß-hydroxylase and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase and cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding (CREB in the adrenal medulla, concentrations of catecholamines and corticosterone (CORT in the plasma and the weight of adrenal glands of chronically psychosocially stressed adult rats exposed daily to 20 min treadmill running for 12 weeks. Also, we examined how additional acute immobilization stress changes the mentioned parameters. Treadmill running did not result in modulation of gene expression of catecholamine synthesizing enzymes and it decreased the level of CREB mRNA in the adrenal medulla of chronically psychosocially stressed adult rats. The potentially negative physiological adaptations after treadmill running were recorded as increased concentrations of catecholamines and decreased morning CORT concentration in the plasma, as well as the adrenal gland hypertrophy of chronically psychosocially stressed rats. The additional acute immobilization stress increases gene expression of catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes in the adrenal medulla, as well as catecholamines and CORT levels in the plasma. Treadmill exercise does not change the activity of sympatho-adrenomedullary system of chronically psychosocially stressed rats.

ABI3 mediates dehydration stress recovery response in Arabidopsis thaliana by regulating expression of downstream genes.

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Bedi, Sonia; Sengupta, Sourabh; Ray, Anagh; Nag Chaudhuri, Ronita

2016-09-01

ABI3, originally discovered as a seed-specific transcription factor is now implicated to act beyond seed physiology, especially during abiotic stress. In non-seed plants, ABI3 is known to act in desiccation stress signaling. Here we show that ABI3 plays a role in dehydration stress response in Arabidopsis. ABI3 gene was upregulated during dehydration stress and its expression was maintained during subsequent stress recovery phases. Comparative gene expression studies in response to dehydration stress and stress recovery were done with genes which had potential ABI3 binding sites in their upstream regulatory regions. Such studies showed that several genes including known seed-specific factors like CRUCIFERIN1, CRUCIFERIN3 and LEA-group of genes like LEA76, LEA6, DEHYDRIN LEA and LEA-LIKE got upregulated in an ABI3-dependent manner, especially during the stress recovery phase. ABI3 got recruited to regions upstream to the transcription start site of these genes during dehydration stress response through direct or indirect DNA binding. Interestingly, ABI3 also binds to its own promoter region during such stress signaling. Nucleosomes covering potential ABI3 binding sites in the upstream sequences of the above-mentioned genes alter positions, and show increased H3 K9 acetylation during stress-induced transcription. ABI3 thus mediates dehydration stress signaling in Arabidopsis through regulation of a group of genes that play a role primarily during stress recovery phase. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dose response relationship in anti-stress gene regulatory networks.

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Zhang, Qiang; Andersen, Melvin E

2007-03-02

To maintain a stable intracellular environment, cells utilize complex and specialized defense systems against a variety of external perturbations, such as electrophilic stress, heat shock, and hypoxia, etc. Irrespective of the type of stress, many adaptive mechanisms contributing to cellular homeostasis appear to operate through gene regulatory networks that are organized into negative feedback loops. In general, the degree of deviation of the controlled variables, such as electrophiles, misfolded proteins, and O2, is first detected by specialized sensor molecules, then the signal is transduced to specific transcription factors. Transcription factors can regulate the expression of a suite of anti-stress genes, many of which encode enzymes functioning to counteract the perturbed variables. The objective of this study was to explore, using control theory and computational approaches, the theoretical basis that underlies the steady-state dose response relationship between cellular stressors and intracellular biochemical species (controlled variables, transcription factors, and gene products) in these gene regulatory networks. Our work indicated that the shape of dose response curves (linear, superlinear, or sublinear) depends on changes in the specific values of local response coefficients (gains) distributed in the feedback loop. Multimerization of anti-stress enzymes and transcription factors into homodimers, homotrimers, or even higher-order multimers, play a significant role in maintaining robust homeostasis. Moreover, our simulation noted that dose response curves for the controlled variables can transition sequentially through four distinct phases as stressor level increases: initial superlinear with lesser control, superlinear more highly controlled, linear uncontrolled, and sublinear catastrophic. Each phase relies on specific gain-changing events that come into play as stressor level increases. The low-dose region is intrinsically nonlinear, and depending on

Dose response relationship in anti-stress gene regulatory networks.

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Qiang Zhang

2007-03-01

Full Text Available To maintain a stable intracellular environment, cells utilize complex and specialized defense systems against a variety of external perturbations, such as electrophilic stress, heat shock, and hypoxia, etc. Irrespective of the type of stress, many adaptive mechanisms contributing to cellular homeostasis appear to operate through gene regulatory networks that are organized into negative feedback loops. In general, the degree of deviation of the controlled variables, such as electrophiles, misfolded proteins, and O2, is first detected by specialized sensor molecules, then the signal is transduced to specific transcription factors. Transcription factors can regulate the expression of a suite of anti-stress genes, many of which encode enzymes functioning to counteract the perturbed variables. The objective of this study was to explore, using control theory and computational approaches, the theoretical basis that underlies the steady-state dose response relationship between cellular stressors and intracellular biochemical species (controlled variables, transcription factors, and gene products in these gene regulatory networks. Our work indicated that the shape of dose response curves (linear, superlinear, or sublinear depends on changes in the specific values of local response coefficients (gains distributed in the feedback loop. Multimerization of anti-stress enzymes and transcription factors into homodimers, homotrimers, or even higher-order multimers, play a significant role in maintaining robust homeostasis. Moreover, our simulation noted that dose response curves for the controlled variables can transition sequentially through four distinct phases as stressor level increases: initial superlinear with lesser control, superlinear more highly controlled, linear uncontrolled, and sublinear catastrophic. Each phase relies on specific gain-changing events that come into play as stressor level increases. The low-dose region is intrinsically nonlinear

Using activity-related behavioural features towards more effective automatic stress detection.

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Dimitris Giakoumis

Full Text Available This paper introduces activity-related behavioural features that can be automatically extracted from a computer system, with the aim to increase the effectiveness of automatic stress detection. The proposed features are based on processing of appropriate video and accelerometer recordings taken from the monitored subjects. For the purposes of the present study, an experiment was conducted that utilized a stress-induction protocol based on the stroop colour word test. Video, accelerometer and biosignal (Electrocardiogram and Galvanic Skin Response recordings were collected from nineteen participants. Then, an explorative study was conducted by following a methodology mainly based on spatiotemporal descriptors (Motion History Images that are extracted from video sequences. A large set of activity-related behavioural features, potentially useful for automatic stress detection, were proposed and examined. Experimental evaluation showed that several of these behavioural features significantly correlate to self-reported stress. Moreover, it was found that the use of the proposed features can significantly enhance the performance of typical automatic stress detection systems, commonly based on biosignal processing.

Isolation of a novel abscisic acid stress ripening ( OsASR ) gene ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Isolation of a novel abscisic acid stress ripening ( OsASR ) gene from rice and analysis of the response of this gene to abiotic stresses. ... The cDNA with the whole open reading frame (ORF) was amplified by PCR and cloned. Sequence analysis showed that the cDNA encodes a protein of 284 amino acid residues with ...

Stress-induced activation of the brainstem Bcl-xL gene expression in rats treated with fluoxetine: correlations with serotonin metabolism and depressive-like behavior.

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Shishkina, Galina T; Kalinina, Tatyana S; Berezova, Inna V; Dygalo, Nikolay N

2012-01-01

Mechanisms underlying stress-induced depression and antidepressant drug action were shown to involve alterations in serotonergic (5-HT) neurotransmission and expression of genes coding for proteins associated with neurotrophic signaling pathways and cell-survival in the hippocampus and cortex. Expression of these genes in the brainstem containing 5-HT neurons may also be related to vulnerability or resilience to stress-related psychopathology. Here we investigated 5-HT markers and expression of genes for Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and apoptotic proteins in the brainstem in relation to swim stress-induced behavioral despair. We found that anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL gene is sensitive to stress during the course of fluoxetine administration. Responsiveness of this gene to stress appeared concomitantly with an antidepressant-like effect of fluoxetine in the forced swim test. Bcl-xL transcript levels showed negative correlations with duration of immobility in the test and 5-HT turnover in the brainstem. In contrast, BDNF and pro-apoptotic protein Bax mRNA levels were unchanged by either fluoxetine or stress, suggesting specificity of Bcl-xL gene responses to these treatments. We also found that the levels of mRNAs for tryptophan hydroxylase-2 (TPH2) and 5-HT transporter (5-HTT) were significantly down-regulated following prolonged treatment with fluoxetine, but were not affected by stress. Unlike TPH2 and 5-HTT, 5-HT1A receptor mRNA levels were not altered by fluoxetine but significantly increased in response to swim stress. These data show that long-term fluoxetine treatment leads to changes in 5-HT and Bcl-xL responses to stress associated with antidepressant-like effects of the drug. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Anxiety and Depression'. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Combined effects of thermal stress and Cd on lysosomal biomarkers and transcription of genes encoding lysosomal enzymes and HSP70 in mussels, Mytilus galloprovincialis

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Izagirre, Urtzi; Errasti, Aitzpea; Bilbao, Eider; Múgica, María; Marigómez, Ionan, E-mail: ionan.marigomez@ehu.es

2014-04-01

Highlights: • Thermal stress and Cd caused lysosomal enlargement and membrane destabilisation. • hex, gusb and ctsl but not hsp70 were up-regulated at elevated temperature but down-regulated by Cd. • Thermal stress influenced lysosomal responses to Cd exposure. • The presence of Cd jeopardised responsiveness against thermal stress. - Abstract: In estuaries and coastal areas, intertidal organisms may be subject to thermal stress resulting from global warming, together with pollution. In the present study, the combined effects of thermal stress and exposure to Cd were investigated in the endo-lysosomal system of digestive cells in mussels, Mytilus galloprovincialis. Mussels were maintained for 24 h at 18 °C and 26 °C seawater temperature in absence and presence of 50 μg Cd/L seawater. Cadmium accumulation in digestive gland tissue, lysosomal structural changes and membrane stability were determined. Semi-quantitative PCR was applied to reveal the changes elicited by the different experimental conditions in hexosaminidase (hex), β-glucuronidase (gusb), cathepsin L (ctsl) and heat shock protein 70 (hsp70) gene transcription levels. Thermal stress provoked lysosomal enlargement whilst Cd-exposure led to fusion of lysosomes. Both thermal stress and Cd-exposure caused lysosomal membrane destabilisation. hex, gusb and ctsl genes but not hsp70 gene were transcriptionally up-regulated as a result of thermal stress. In contrast, all the studied genes were transcriptionally down-regulated in response to Cd-exposure. Cd bioaccumulation was comparable at 18 °C and 26 °C seawater temperatures but interactions between thermal stress and Cd-exposure were remarkable both in lysosomal biomarkers and in gene transcription. hex, gusb and ctsl genes, reacted to elevated temperature in absence of Cd but not in Cd-exposed mussels. Therefore, thermal stress resulting from global warming might influence the use and interpretation of lysosomal biomarkers in marine pollution

New guidelines are needed to manage heat stress in elite sports--The Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) Heat Stress Monitoring Programme.

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Bahr, Roald; Reeser, Jonathan C

2012-09-01

There seems to be a discrepancy between the available heat stress guidelines and the actual risk of heat-related illness among professional beach volleyball players competing under hot and humid conditions. To monitor heat stress and record cases of heat-related medical forfeits on the Swatch FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour. The FIVB Heat Stress Monitoring Protocol covered events on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour and FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships during the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons (51 events, most of these double gender). The protocol consisted of (1) measuring the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) on centre court prior to the start of every match, and (2) recording any heat-related medical forfeits during the tournament. Data were collected during 48 of 51 events. There were nine events where the peak WBGT exceeded the US Navy Black flag conditions of >32.3°C and an additional two events where the peak WBGT exceeded 31°C, (meeting Red flag conditions.) In two events, the average WBGT equalled at least 31°C. One case of a medical forfeit related to heat stress was recorded over the 3-year surveillance period: an athlete whose fluid balance was compromised from a 3-day bout of acute gastroenteritis. The incidence of significant heat illness among athletes competing on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour appears to be quite low, even though weather conditions frequently result in a WBGT index >32°C. Currently available guidelines appear to be inadequate to fully assess the risk of heat stress and too conservative to inform safety decisions in professional beach volleyball.

Rice sHsp genes: genomic organization and expression profiling under stress and development

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Grover Anil

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Heat shock proteins (Hsps constitute an important component in the heat shock response of all living systems. Among the various plant Hsps (i.e. Hsp100, Hsp90, Hsp70 and Hsp20, Hsp20 or small Hsps (sHsps are expressed in maximal amounts under high temperature stress. The characteristic feature of the sHsps is the presence of α-crystallin domain (ACD at the C-terminus. sHsps cooperate with Hsp100/Hsp70 and co-chaperones in ATP-dependent manner in preventing aggregation of cellular proteins and in their subsequent refolding. Database search was performed to investigate the sHsp gene family across rice genome sequence followed by comprehensive expression analysis of these genes. Results We identified 40 α-crystallin domain containing genes in rice. Phylogenetic analysis showed that 23 out of these 40 genes constitute sHsps. The additional 17 genes containing ACD clustered with Acd proteins of Arabidopsis. Detailed scrutiny of 23 sHsp sequences enabled us to categorize these proteins in a revised scheme of classification constituting of 16 cytoplasmic/nuclear, 2 ER, 3 mitochondrial, 1 plastid and 1 peroxisomal genes. In the new classification proposed herein nucleo-cytoplasmic class of sHsps with 9 subfamilies is more complex in rice than in Arabidopsis. Strikingly, 17 of 23 rice sHsp genes were noted to be intronless. Expression analysis based on microarray and RT-PCR showed that 19 sHsp genes were upregulated by high temperature stress. Besides heat stress, expression of sHsp genes was up or downregulated by other abiotic and biotic stresses. In addition to stress regulation, various sHsp genes were differentially upregulated at different developmental stages of the rice plant. Majority of sHsp genes were expressed in seed. Conclusion We identified twenty three sHsp genes and seventeen Acd genes in rice. Three nucleocytoplasmic sHsp genes were found only in monocots. Analysis of expression profiling of sHsp genes revealed

Genome-Wide Analysis of the AP2/ERF Gene Family in Physic Nut and Overexpression of the JcERF011 Gene in Rice Increased Its Sensitivity to Salinity Stress.

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Tang, Yuehui; Qin, Shanshan; Guo, Yali; Chen, Yanbo; Wu, Pingzhi; Chen, Yaping; Li, Meiru; Jiang, Huawu; Wu, Guojiang

2016-01-01

The AP2/ERF transcription factors play crucial roles in plant growth, development and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. A total of 119 AP2/ERF genes (JcAP2/ERFs) have been identified in the physic nut genome; they include 16 AP2, 4 RAV, 1 Soloist, and 98 ERF genes. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that physic nut AP2 genes could be divided into 3 subgroups, while ERF genes could be classed into 11 groups or 43 subgroups. The AP2/ERF genes are non-randomly distributed across the 11 linkage groups of the physic nut genome and retain many duplicates which arose from ancient duplication events. The expression patterns of several JcAP2/ERF duplicates in the physic nut showed differences among four tissues (root, stem, leaf, and seed), and 38 JcAP2/ERF genes responded to at least one abiotic stressor (drought, salinity, phosphate starvation, and nitrogen starvation) in leaves and/or roots according to analysis of digital gene expression tag data. The expression of JcERF011 was downregulated by salinity stress in physic nut roots. Overexpression of the JcERF011 gene in rice plants increased its sensitivity to salinity stress. The increased expression levels of several salt tolerance-related genes were impaired in the JcERF011-overexpressing plants under salinity stress.

Expression Analysis of MYC Genes from Tamarix hispida in Response to Different Abiotic Stresses

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Guifeng Liu

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The MYC genes are a group of transcription factors containing both bHLH and ZIP motifs that play important roles in the regulation of abscisic acid (ABA-responsive genes. In the present study, to investigate the roles of MYC genes under NaCl, osmotic and ABA stress conditions, nine MYC genes were cloned from Tamarix hispida. Real-time reverse-transcriptase (RT-PCR showed that all nine MYC genes were expressed in root, stem and leaf tissues, but that the levels of the transcripts of these genes in the various tissues differed notably. The MYC genes were highly induced in the roots in response to ABA, NaCl and osmotic stresses after 3 h; however, in the stem and leaf tissues, MYC genes were highly induced only when exposed to these stresses for 6 h. In addition, most of these MYC genes were highly expressed in roots in comparison with stems and leaves. Furthermore, the MYC genes were more highly induced in roots than in stem and leaf tissues, indicating that these genes may play roles in stress responses mainly in the roots rather than the stems and leaves. The results of this present study suggest that MYCs are involved in salt and osmotic stress tolerances and are controlled by the ABA signal transduction pathway.

Haplotyping, linkage mapping and expression analysis of barley genes regulated by terminal drought stress influencing seed quality

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Wobus Ulrich

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The increasingly narrow genetic background characteristic of modern crop germplasm presents a challenge for the breeding of cultivars that require adaptation to the anticipated change in climate. Thus, high priority research aims at the identification of relevant allelic variation present both in the crop itself as well as in its progenitors. This study is based on the characterization of genetic variation in barley, with a view to enhancing its response to terminal drought stress. Results The expression patterns of drought regulated genes were monitored during plant ontogeny, mapped and the location of these genes was incorporated into a comprehensive barley SNP linkage map. Haplotypes within a set of 17 starch biosynthesis/degradation genes were defined, and a particularly high level of haplotype variation was uncovered in the genes encoding sucrose synthase (types I and II and starch synthase. The ability of a panel of 50 barley accessions to maintain grain starch content under terminal drought conditions was explored. Conclusion The linkage/expression map is an informative resource in the context of characterizing the response of barley to drought stress. The high level of haplotype variation among starch biosynthesis/degradation genes in the progenitors of cultivated barley shows that domestication and breeding have greatly eroded their allelic diversity in current elite cultivars. Prospective association analysis based on core drought-regulated genes may simplify the process of identifying favourable alleles, and help to understand the genetic basis of the response to terminal drought.

Global Transcriptome Analysis of Combined Abiotic Stress Signaling Genes Unravels Key Players in Oryza sativa L.: An In silico Approach

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Pandiyan Muthuramalingam

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Combined abiotic stress (CAbS affects the field grown plants simultaneously. The multigenic and quantitative nature of uncontrollable abiotic stresses complicates the process of understanding the stress response by plants. Considering this, we analyzed the CAbS response of C3 model plant, Oryza sativa by meta-analysis. The datasets of commonly expressed genes by drought, salinity, submergence, metal, natural expression, biotic, and abiotic stresses were data mined through publically accessible transcriptomic abiotic stress (AbS responsive datasets. Of which 1,175, 12,821, and 42,877 genes were commonly expressed in meta differential, individual differential, and unchanged expressions respectively. Highly regulated 100 differentially expressed AbS genes were derived through integrative meta-analysis of expression data (INMEX. Of this 30 genes were identified from AbS gene families through expression atlas that were computationally analyzed for their physicochemical properties. All AbS genes were physically mapped against O. sativa genome. Comparative mapping of these genes demonstrated the orthologous relationship with related C4 panicoid genome. In silico expression analysis of these genes showed differential expression patterns in different developmental tissues. Protein–protein interaction of these genes, represented the complexity of AbS. Computational expression profiling of candidate genes in response to multiple stresses suggested the putative involvement of OS05G0350900, OS02G0612700, OS05G0104200, OS03G0596200, OS12G0225900, OS07G0152000, OS08G0119500, OS06G0594700, and Os01g0393100 in CAbS. These potential candidate genes need to be studied further to decipher their functional roles in AbS dynamics.

Legal aspects of work related stress in nursing. Exploring the issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Abu al Rub, R

2000-03-01

Nurses are under a great deal of distress related to a variety of work stressors. Work related stress jeopardizes the mental and physical well being of nurses, as well as the quality of care provided for clients. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 holds employers responsible for the mental and physical well being of their employees. However, the regulations are not always straightforward concerning compensation claims for mental disabilities due to work stress. Recovery of claims is possible if standards (i.e., personal injury, causal relationship between injury and employment) are met. Requirements for recovery of physical/mental and mental/physical claims are agreed on by most states, whereas mental/mental claims are controversial among states and courts. Nurses can monitor and influence legislation to create requirements to encourage employers to develop preventive approaches to reducing work induced stress.

Genome-wide analysis and identification of stress-responsive genes of the NAM-ATAF1,2-CUC2 transcription factor family in apple.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Hongyan; Zhang, Shizhong; Yuan, Xiaowei; Chen, Changtian; Wang, Xiao-Fei; Hao, Yu-Jin

2013-10-01

NAC (NAM, ATAF1,2, and CUC2) proteins constitute one of the largest families of plant-specific transcription factors. To date, little is known about the NAC genes in the apple (Malus domestica). In this study, a total of 180 NAC genes were identified in the apple genome and were phylogenetically clustered into six groups (I-VI) with the NAC genes from Arabidopsis and rice. The predicted apple NAC genes were distributed across all of 17 chromosomes at various densities. Additionally, the gene structure and motif compositions of the apple NAC genes were analyzed. Moreover, the expression of 29 selected apple NAC genes was analyzed in different tissues and under different abiotic stress conditions. All of the selected genes, with the exception of four genes, were expressed in at least one of the tissues tested, which indicates that the NAC genes are involved in various aspects of the physiological and developmental processes of the apple. Encouragingly, 17 of the selected genes were found to respond to one or more of the abiotic stress treatments, and these 17 genes included not only the expected 7 genes that were clustered with the well-known stress-related marker genes in group IV but also 10 genes located in other subgroups, none of which contains members that have been reported to be stress-related. To the best of our knowledge, this report describes the first genome-wide analysis of the apple NAC gene family, and the results should provide valuable information for understanding the classification and putative functions of this family. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

A WRKY gene from Tamarix hispida, ThWRKY4, mediates abiotic stress responses by modulating reactive oxygen species and expression of stress-responsive genes.

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Zheng, Lei; Liu, Guifeng; Meng, Xiangnan; Liu, Yujia; Ji, Xiaoyu; Li, Yanbang; Nie, Xianguang; Wang, Yucheng

2013-07-01

WRKY transcription factors are involved in various biological processes, such as development, metabolism and responses to stress. However, their exact roles in abiotic stress tolerance are largely unknown. Here, we demonstrated a working model for the function of a WRKY gene (ThWRKY4) from Tamarix hispida in the stress response. ThWRKY4 is highly induced by abscisic acid (ABA), salt and drought in the early period of stress (stress for 3, 6, or 9 h), which can be regulated by ABF (ABRE binding factors) and Dof (DNA binding with one finger), and also can be crossregulated by other WRKYs and autoregulated as well. Overexpression of ThWRKY4 conferred tolerance to salt, oxidative and ABA treatment in transgenic plants. ThWRKY4 can improve the tolerance to salt and ABA treatment by improving activities of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase, decreasing levels of O2 (-) and H2O2, reducing electrolyte leakage, keeping the loss of chlorophyll, and protecting cells from death. Microarray analyses showed that overexpression of ThWRKY4 in Arabidopsis leads to 165 and 100 genes significantly up- and downregulated, respectively. Promoter scanning analysis revealed that ThWRKY4 regulates the gene expression via binding to W-box motifs present in their promoter regions. This study shows that ThWRKY4 functions as a transcription factor to positively modulate abiotic stress tolerances, and is involved in modulating reactive oxygen species.

Identification and Analysis of NaHCO3 Stress Responsive Genes in Wild Soybean (Glycine soja Roots by RNA-seq

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Jinlong Zhang

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Soil alkalinity is a major abiotic constraint to crop productivity and quality. Wild soybean (Glycine soja is considered to be more stress-tolerant than cultivated soybean (G. max, and has considerable genetic variation for increasing alkalinity tolerance of soybean. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptome profile in the roots of an alkalinity tolerant wild soybean variety N24852 at 12 and 24 h after 90 mM NaHCO3 stress by RNA-sequencing. Compared with the controls, a total of 449 differentially expressed genes (DEGs were identified, including 95 and 140 up-regulated genes, and 108 and 135 down-regulated genes at 12 and 24 h after NaHCO3 treatment, respectively. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of 14 DEGs showed a high consistency with their expression profiles by RNA-sequencing. Gene Ontology (GO terms related to transcription factors and transporters were significantly enriched in the up-regulated genes at 12 and 24 h after NaHCO3 stress, respectively. Nuclear Factor Y subunit A (NF-YA transcription factors were enriched at 12 h after NaHCO3 stress, and high percentages of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH, ethylene-responsive factor (ERF, Trihelix and zinc finger (C2H2, C3H transcription factors were found at both 12 and 24 h after NaHCO3 stress. Genes related to ion transporters such as ABC transporter, aluminum activated malate transporter (ALMT, glutamate receptor (GLR, nitrate transporter (NRT / proton dependent oligopeptide (POT family, and S-type anion channel (SLAH were enriched in up-regulated DEGs at 24 h after NaHCO3 treatment, implying their roles in maintaining ion homeostasis in soybean roots under alkalinity. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and phenylalanine metabolism pathways might participate in soybean response to alkalinity. This study provides a foundation to further investigate the functions of NaHCO3 stress-responsive genes and the molecular basis of soybean tolerance to alkalinity.

Identification of genes involved in a water stress response in timothy and mapping of orthologous loci in perennial ryegrass

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jonavičienė, Kristina; Studer, Bruno; Asp, Torben

2012-01-01

In order to characterize the response of selected grasses to water stress, relative water content (RWC) in leaves and quantum efficiency of photosystem 2 (Fv/Fm) were measured in Phleum pratense L., P. bertolonii DC. and P. phleoides H. Karst. during 6 d of water stress. The results indicated...... differential responses to water stress among the three Phleum species with higher water deficit sensitivity of P. pratense and P. bertolonii than that of P. phleoides. The cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP) technique was applied to identify differentially expressed genes responding...... to water stress in P. pratense. Cloned and sequenced differentially expressed fragments (DEFs) were used for primer design in order to identify orthologous genes in Lolium perenne L. Twelve genes orthologous to P. pratense DEFs were mapped in the L. perenne mapping population VrnA based on a high...

A nucleotide metabolite controls stress-responsive gene expression and plant development.

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Hao Chen

Full Text Available Abiotic stress, such as drought and high salinity, activates a network of signaling cascades that lead to the expression of many stress-responsive genes in plants. The Arabidopsis FIERY1 (FRY1 protein is a negative regulator of stress and abscisic acid (ABA signaling and exhibits both an inositol polyphosphatase and a 3',5'-bisphosphate nucleotidase activity in vitro. The FRY1 nucleotidase degrades the sulfation byproduct 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphate (PAP, yet its in vivo functions and particularly its roles in stress gene regulation remain unclear. Here we developed a LC-MS/MS method to quantitatively measure PAP levels in plants and investigated the roles of this nucleotidase activity in stress response and plant development. It was found that PAP level was tightly controlled in plants and did not accumulate to any significant level either under normal conditions or under NaCl, LiCl, cold, or ABA treatments. In contrast, high levels of PAP were detected in multiple mutant alleles of FRY1 but not in mutants of other FRY1 family members, indicating that FRY1 is the major enzyme that hydrolyzes PAP in vivo. By genetically reducing PAP levels in fry1 mutants either through overexpression of a yeast PAP nucleotidase or by generating a triple mutant of fry1 apk1 apk2 that is defective in the biosynthesis of the PAP precursor 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS, we demonstrated that the developmental defects and superinduction of stress-responsive genes in fry1 mutants correlate with PAP accumulation in planta. We also found that the hypersensitive stress gene regulation in fry1 requires ABH1 but not ABI1, two other negative regulators in ABA signaling pathways. Unlike in yeast, however, FRY1 overexpression in Arabidopsis could not enhance salt tolerance. Taken together, our results demonstrate that PAP is critical for stress gene regulation and plant development, yet the FRY1 nucleotidase that catabolizes PAP may not be an in vivo salt

A nucleotide metabolite controls stress-responsive gene expression and plant development

KAUST Repository

Chen, Hao

2011-10-19

Abiotic stress, such as drought and high salinity, activates a network of signaling cascades that lead to the expression of many stress-responsive genes in plants. The Arabidopsis FIERY1 (FRY1) protein is a negative regulator of stress and abscisic acid (ABA) signaling and exhibits both an inositol polyphosphatase and a 3?,5?-bisphosphate nucleotidase activity in vitro. The FRY1 nucleotidase degrades the sulfation byproduct 3?-phosphoadenosine-5?-phosphate (PAP), yet its in vivo functions and particularly its roles in stress gene regulation remain unclear. Here we developed a LC-MS/MS method to quantitatively measure PAP levels in plants and investigated the roles of this nucleotidase activity in stress response and plant development. It was found that PAP level was tightly controlled in plants and did not accumulate to any significant level either under normal conditions or under NaCl, LiCl, cold, or ABA treatments. In contrast, high levels of PAP were detected in multiple mutant alleles of FRY1 but not in mutants of other FRY1 family members, indicating that FRY1 is the major enzyme that hydrolyzes PAP in vivo. By genetically reducing PAP levels in fry1 mutants either through overexpression of a yeast PAP nucleotidase or by generating a triple mutant of fry1 apk1 apk2 that is defective in the biosynthesis of the PAP precursor 3?-phosphoadenosine-5?-phosphosulfate (PAPS), we demonstrated that the developmental defects and superinduction of stress-responsive genes in fry1 mutants correlate with PAP accumulation in planta. We also found that the hypersensitive stress gene regulation in fry1 requires ABH1 but not ABI1, two other negative regulators in ABA signaling pathways. Unlike in yeast, however, FRY1 overexpression in Arabidopsis could not enhance salt tolerance. Taken together, our results demonstrate that PAP is critical for stress gene regulation and plant development, yet the FRY1 nucleotidase that catabolizes PAP may not be an in vivo salt toxicity target

Development and evaluation of an ambulatory stress monitor based on wearable sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Jongyoon; Ahmed, Beena; Gutierrez-Osuna, Ricardo

2012-03-01

Chronic stress is endemic to modern society. However, as it is unfeasible for physicians to continuously monitor stress levels, its diagnosis is nontrivial. Wireless body sensor networks offer opportunities to ubiquitously detect and monitor mental stress levels, enabling improved diagnosis, and early treatment. This article describes the development of a wearable sensor platform to monitor a number of physiological correlates of mental stress. We discuss tradeoffs in both system design and sensor selection to balance information content and wearability. Using experimental signals collected from the wearable sensor, we describe a selected number of physiological features that show good correlation with mental stress. In particular, we propose a new spectral feature that estimates the balance of the autonomic nervous system by combining information from the power spectral density of respiration and heart rate variability. We validate the effectiveness of our approach on a binary discrimination problem when subjects are placed under two psychophysiological conditions: mental stress and relaxation. When used in a logistic regression model, our feature set is able to discriminate between these two mental states with a success rate of 81% across subjects. © 2012 IEEE

Remote in vivo stress assessment of aquatic animals with microencapsulated biomarkers for environmental monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Gurkov, Anton; Shchapova, Ekaterina; Bedulina, Daria; Baduev, Boris; Borvinskaya, Ekaterina; Meglinski, Igor; Timofeyev, Maxim

2016-11-01

Remote in vivo scanning of physiological parameters is a major trend in the development of new tools for the fields of medicine and animal physiology. For this purpose, a variety of implantable optical micro- and nanosensors have been designed for potential medical applications. At the same time, the important area of environmental sciences has been neglected in the development of techniques for remote physiological measurements. In the field of environmental monitoring and related research, there is a constant demand for new effective and quick techniques for the stress assessment of aquatic animals, and the development of proper methods for remote physiological measurements in vivo may significantly increase the precision and throughput of analyses in this field. In the present study, we apply pH-sensitive microencapsulated biomarkers to remotely monitor the pH of haemolymph in vivo in endemic amphipods from Lake Baikal, and we compare the suitability of this technique for stress assessment with that of common biochemical methods. For the first time, we demonstrate the possibility of remotely detecting a change in a physiological parameter in an aquatic organism under ecologically relevant stressful conditions and show the applicability of techniques using microencapsulated biomarkers for remote physiological measurements in environmental monitoring.

Neuroimmune mechanisms of stress: sex differences, developmental plasticity, and implications for pharmacotherapy of stress-related disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Deak, Terrence; Quinn, Matt; Cidlowski, John A; Victoria, Nicole C; Murphy, Anne Z; Sheridan, John F

2015-01-01

The last decade has witnessed profound growth in studies examining the role of fundamental neuroimmune processes as key mechanisms that might form a natural bridge between normal physiology and pathological outcomes. Rooted in core concepts from psychoneuroimmunology, this review utilizes a succinct, exemplar-driven approach of several model systems that contribute significantly to our knowledge of the mechanisms by which neuroimmune processes interact with stress physiology. Specifically, we review recent evidence showing that (i) stress challenges produce time-dependent and stressor-specific patterns of cytokine/chemokine expression in the CNS; (ii) inflammation-related genes exhibit unique expression profiles in males and females depending upon individual, cooperative or antagonistic interactions between steroid hormone receptors (estrogen and glucocorticoid receptors); (iii) adverse social experiences incurred through repeated social defeat engage a dynamic process of immune cell migration from the bone marrow to brain and prime neuroimmune function and (iv) early developmental exposure to an inflammatory stimulus (carageenin injection into the hindpaw) has a lasting influence on stress reactivity across the lifespan. As such, the present review provides a theoretical framework for understanding the role that neuroimmune mechanisms might play in stress plasticity and pathological outcomes, while at the same time pointing toward features of the individual (sex, developmental experience, stress history) that might ultimately be used for the development of personalized strategies for therapeutic intervention in stress-related pathologies.

Aboveground Whitefly Infestation Modulates Transcriptional Levels of Anthocyanin Biosynthesis and Jasmonic Acid Signaling-Related Genes and Augments the Cope with Drought Stress of Maize.

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Yong-Soon Park

Full Text Available Up to now, the potential underlying molecular mechanisms by which maize (Zea mays L. plants elicit defense responses by infestation with a phloem feeding insect whitefly [Bemisia tabaci (Genn.] have been barely elucidated against (abiotic stresses. To fill this gap of current knowledge maize plants were infested with whitefly and these plants were subsequently assessed the levels of water loss. To understand the mode of action, plant hormone contents and the stress-related mRNA expression were evaluated. Whitefly-infested maize plants did not display any significant phenotypic differences in above-ground tissues (infested site compared with controls. By contrast, root (systemic tissue biomass was increased by 2-fold by whitefly infestation. The levels of endogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA, jasmonic acid (JA, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 were significantly higher in whitefly-infested plants. The biosynthetic or signaling-related genes for JA and anthocyanins were highly up-regulated. Additionally, we found that healthier plants were obtained in whitefly-infested plants under drought conditions. The weight of whitefly-infested plants was approximately 20% higher than that of control plants at 14 d of drought treatment. The drought tolerance-related genes, ZmbZIP72, ZmSNAC1, and ZmABA1, were highly expressed in the whitefly-infected plants. Collectively, our results suggest that IAA/JA-derived maize physiological changes and correlation of H2O2 production and water loss are modulated by above-ground whitefly infestation in maize plants.

Saussurea involucrata SiDhn2 gene confers tolerance to drought stress in upland cotton

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, B.; Zhu, J.; Mu, J.; Zhu, J.; Liang, Z.; Zhang, L.

2017-01-01

Severe water shortage has long been acknowledged as one major limiting factor for global cotton production, and cultivation of cotton varieties with strong drought resistance is of important economic and social significances. In this study, the Xinjiang upland cotton variety Xinluzao 42 was transformed with the SiDhn2 gene by optimized agrobacterium transformation system. The integration of SiDhn2 gene into cotton genome was confirmed by PCR and Southern blot hybridization, and the drought resistance of transgenic and corresponding receptor cotton plants and their physiological indexes under drought stress were detailedly analyzed. Multiple physiological and biochemical indexes including soluble sugar content, free proline content, chlorophyll content, relative water content, net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, intercellular CO/sub 2/ concentration in transgenic cotton expressing SiDhn2 gene under drought stress were significantly higher than those of receptor cotton. More importantly, the transgenic cotton plants exhibited remarkably decreased boll abscission rate and highly increased seed yield, indicating the significant role of SiDhn2 gene in cotton drought resistance and its great application potential in agricultural production. (author)

Dutch monitor on stress and physical load : risk factors, consequences, and preventive action

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Houtman, I.L.D.; Goudswaard, A.; Dhondt, S.; Grinten, M.P. van der; Hildebrandt, V.H.; Poel, E.G.T. van der

1998-01-01

Objectives - Due to recent changes in legislation on occupational health and safety, a national monitor on stress and physical load was developed in The Netherlands to monitor (a) risks and consequences of stress and physical load at work, (b) preventive actions in companies to reduce these risks,

Characterizing gene responses to drought stress in fourwing saltbush [Atriplex canescens (Pursh.) Nutt.)

Science.gov (United States)

Linda S. Adair; David L. Andrews; John Cairney; Edward A. Funkhouser; Ronald J. Newton; Earl F. Aldon

1992-01-01

New techniques in molecular biology can be used to characterize genes whose expression is induced by drought stress. These techniques can be used to understand responses of range plants to environmental stresses at the biochemical and molecular level. For example, they can be used to characterize genes that respond to drought stress conditions in the native shrub

GhWRKY25, a group I WRKY gene from cotton, confers differential tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses in transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiufang; Song, Yunzhi; Xing, Fangyu; Wang, Ning; Wen, Fujiang; Zhu, Changxiang

2016-09-01

WRKY transcription factors are involved in various processes, ranging from plant growth to abiotic and biotic stress responses. Group I WRKY members have been rarely reported compared with group II or III members, particularly in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). In this study, a group I WRKY gene, namely, GhWRKY25, was cloned from cotton and characterized. Expression analysis revealed that GhWRKY25 can be induced or deduced by the treatments of abiotic stresses and multiple defense-related signaling molecules. Overexpression of GhWRKY25 in Nicotiana benthamiana reduced plant tolerance to drought stress but enhanced tolerance to salt stress. Moreover, more MDA and ROS accumulated in transgenic plants after drought treatment with lower activities of SOD, POD, and CAT. Our study further demonstrated that GhWRKY25 overexpression in plants enhanced sensitivity to the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea by reducing the expression of SA or ET signaling related genes and inducing the expression of genes involved in the JA signaling pathway. These results indicated that GhWRKY25 plays negative or positive roles in response to abiotic stresses, and the reduced pathogen resistance may be related to the crosstalk of the SA and JA/ET signaling pathways.

The relative impact of work-related stress, life stress and driving environment stress on driving outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Rowden, Peter; Matthews, Gerald; Watson, Barry; Biggs, Herbert

2011-07-01

Previous research has shown the association between stress and crash involvement. The impact of stress on road safety may also be mediated by behaviours including cognitive lapses, errors, and intentional traffic violations. This study aimed to provide a further understanding of the impact that stress from different sources may have upon driving behaviour and road safety. It is asserted that both stress extraneous to the driving environment and stress directly elicited by driving must be considered part of a dynamic system that may have a negative impact on driving behaviours. Two hundred and forty-seven public sector employees from Queensland, Australia, completed self-report measures examining demographics, subjective work-related stress, daily hassles, and aspects of general mental health. Additionally, the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) and the Driver Stress Inventory (DSI) were administered. All participants drove for work purposes regularly, however the study did not specifically focus on full-time professional drivers. Confirmatory factor analysis of the predictor variables revealed three factors: DSI negative affect; DSI risk taking; and extraneous influences (daily hassles, work-related stress, and general mental health). Moderate intercorrelations were found between each of these factors confirming the 'spillover' effect. That is, driver stress is reciprocally related to stress in other domains including work and domestic life. Structural equation modelling (SEM) showed that the DSI negative affect factor influenced both lapses and errors, whereas the DSI risk-taking factor was the strongest influence on violations. The SEMs also confirmed that daily hassles extraneous to the driving environment may influence DBQ lapses and violations independently. Accordingly, interventions may be developed to increase driver awareness of the dangers of excessive emotional responses to both driving events and daily hassles (e.g. driving fast to 'blow off steam

A bHLH gene from Tamarix hispida improves abiotic stress tolerance by enhancing osmotic potential and decreasing reactive oxygen species accumulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Xiaoyu; Nie, Xianguang; Liu, Yujia; Zheng, Lei; Zhao, Huimin; Zhang, Bing; Huo, Lin; Wang, Yucheng

2016-02-01

Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) leucine-zipper transcription factors play important roles in abiotic stress responses. However, their specific roles in abiotic stress tolerance are not fully known. Here, we functionally characterized a bHLH gene, ThbHLH1, from Tamarix hispida in abiotic stress tolerance. ThbHLH1 specifically binds to G-box motif with the sequence of 'CACGTG'. Transiently transfected T. hispida plantlets with transiently overexpressed ThbHLH1 and RNAi-silenced ThbHLH1 were generated for gain- and loss-of-function analysis. Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana lines overexpressing ThbHLH1 were generated to confirm the gain- and loss-of-function analysis. Overexpression of ThbHLH1 significantly elevates glycine betaine and proline levels, increases Ca(2+) concentration and enhances peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities to decrease reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Additionally, ThbHLH1 regulates the expression of the genes including P5CS, BADH, CaM, POD and SOD, to activate the above physiological changes, and also induces the expression of stress tolerance-related genes LEAs and HSPs. These data suggest that ThbHLH1 induces the expression of stress tolerance-related genes to improve abiotic stress tolerance by increasing osmotic potential, improving ROS scavenging capability and enhancing second messenger in stress signaling cascades. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Comparative genomic study of ALDH gene superfamily in Gossypium: A focus on Gossypium hirsutum under salt stress.

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Yating Dong

Full Text Available Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs are a superfamily of enzymes which play important role in the scavenging of active aldehydes molecules. In present work, a comprehensive whole-genomic study of ALDH gene superfamily was carried out for an allotetraploid cultivated cotton species, G. hirsutum, as well as in parallel relative to their diploid progenitors, G. arboreum and G. raimondii. Totally, 30 and 58 ALDH gene sequences belong to 10 families were identified from diploid and allotetraploid cotton species, respectively. The gene structures among the members from same families were highly conserved. Whole-genome duplication and segmental duplication might be the major driver for the expansion of ALDH gene superfamily in G. hirsutum. In addition, the expression patterns of GhALDH genes were diverse across tissues. Most GhALDH genes were induced or repressed by salt stress in upland cotton. Our observation shed lights on the molecular evolutionary properties of ALDH genes in diploid cottons and their alloallotetraploid derivatives. It may be useful to mine key genes for improvement of cotton response to salt stress.

Corticotrophin-Releasing Hormone Type 1 Receptor Gene (CRHR1 Variants Predict Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Onset and Course in Pediatric Injury Patients

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Ananda B. Amstadter

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD is a common and disabling anxiety disorder that may occur in the aftermath of exposure to potentially traumatic life events. PTSD is moderately heritable, but few specific molecular variants accounting for this heritability have been identified. Genes regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA axis, such as corticotrophin-releasing hormone type 1 receptor gene (CRHR1, have been implicated in traumatic-stress related phenotypes but have yet to be studied in relation to PTSD. The present study sought to examine the relation between 9 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in the CRHR1 gene and posttraumatic stress symptoms in a prospective study of pediatric injury patients (n = 103 who were first assessed in the acute aftermath of their injury at the hospital. Results indicated that multiple SNPs were associated with acute symptoms at a univariate level, and after correction for multiple testing, rs12944712 was significantly related to acute PTSD symptoms. Longitudinal latent growth curve analyses suggest that rs12944712 is also related to both acute symptom level and trajectory of symptoms over time. The present study adds support for the role of CRHR1 in the stress response following potentially traumatic event exposure in youth. It should be noted that the sample size in this study was small, and therefore statistical power was low; following, results from this study should be considered preliminary. Although results are not definitive, the findings from this study warrant future replication studies on how variation in this gene relates to response to traumatic event exposure in youth.

Corticotrophin-releasing hormone type 1 receptor gene (CRHR1) variants predict posttraumatic stress disorder onset and course in pediatric injury patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Amstadter, Ananda B; Nugent, Nicole R; Yang, Bao-Zhu; Miller, Alisa; Siburian, Richie; Moorjani, Priya; Haddad, Stephen; Basu, Aditi; Fagerness, Jesen; Saxe, Glenn; Smoller, Jordan W; Koenen, Karestan C

2011-01-01

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common and disabling anxiety disorder that may occur in the aftermath of exposure to potentially traumatic life events. PTSD is moderately heritable, but few specific molecular variants accounting for this heritability have been identified. Genes regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, such as corticotrophin-releasing hormone type 1 receptor gene (CRHR1), have been implicated in traumatic-stress related phenotypes but have yet to be studied in relation to PTSD. The present study sought to examine the relation between 9 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CRHR1 gene and posttraumatic stress symptoms in a prospective study of pediatric injury patients (n=103) who were first assessed in the acute aftermath of their injury at the hospital. Results indicated that multiple SNPs were associated with acute symptoms at a univariate level, and after correction for multiple testing, rs12944712 was significantly related to acute PTSD symptoms. Longitudinal latent growth curve analyses suggest that rs12944712 is also related to both acute symptom level and trajectory of symptoms over time. The present study adds support for the role of CRHR1 in the stress response following potentially traumatic event exposure in youth. It should be noted that the sample size in this study was small, and therefore statistical power was low; following, results from this study should be considered preliminary. Although results are not definitive, the findings from this study warrant future replication studies on how variation in this gene relates to response to traumatic event exposure in youth.

HEATING AND ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT ACTIVATE ANTI-STRESS GENE FUNCTIONS IN HUMANS

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Victor Fadeevitch Semenkov

2015-07-01

Full Text Available All types of cell stress are accompanied by the activation of anti-stress genes that can suppress ROS synthesis. We hypothesized that different environmental factors would affect organisms through the activation of anti-stress genes by autologous serum (AS proteins, followed by the synthesis of molecules that increase cell resistance to oxidative stress. The goal of this work was to study the influence of AS on ROS production by peripheral blood neutrophils isolated from donors in different age groups. Neutrophils were isolated from 59 donors (38-94 years old. AS was heated at 100˚C for 30 sec. or irradiated by ultraviolet light (UV at 200-280 nm and 8 W for 10 min. Neutrophils were exposed to heat shock at 42˚C for 1 min. (short-term heating stress or 43˚C for 10 min., followed by the determination of the chemiluminescence reaction induced by zymosan. AS can increase or decrease ROS production by neutrophils depending on the structure of the proteins in the serum; these structures can be changed by heating or UV treatment and the temperature of their interaction (4˚C or 37˚C. We propose that the effect of environmental factors on AS proteins can cause an adverse increase in oxidative stress levels due to the functional reduction of anti-stress genes. We found a negative correlation between the quantity of intracellular Hsp70 and levels of intracellular ROS production following 10 minutes of heat shock at 43°C. Short-term heating stress (1 minute at 42°C was followed by a prominent reduction in ROS production. This effect may be a result of the impact of the hormone adrenaline on the functions of anti-stress genes. Indeed, the same effect was observed after treatment of the neutrophils with adrenaline at concentrations of 10-4 M and 10-5 M. In contrast, dexamethasone from the other stress hormone group did not evoke the same effect at the same concentrations.

Embryonic exposure to cis-bifenthrin enantioselectively induces the transcription of genes related to oxidative stress, apoptosis and immunotoxicity in zebrafish (Danio rerio).

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Jin, Yuanxiang; Pan, Xiuhong; Cao, Limin; Ma, Bufang; Fu, Zhengwei

2013-02-01

Cis-bifenthrin (cis-BF) is used widely for agricultural and non-agricultural purpose. Thus, cis-BF is one of the most frequently detected insecticides in the aquatic ecosystem. As a chiral pesticide, the commercial cis-BF contained two enantiomers including 1R-cis-BF and 1S-cis-BF. However, the difference in inducing oxidative stress, apoptosis and immunotoxicity by the two enantiomers in zebrafish still remains unclear. In the present study, the zebrafish were exposed to environmental concentrations of cis-BF, 1R-cis-BF and 1S-cis-BF during the embryos developmental stage. We observed that the mRNA levels of the most genes related to oxidative stress, apoptosis and immunotoxicity including Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-Sod), catalase (Cat), P53, murine double minute 2 (Mdm2), B-cell lymphoma/leukaemia-2 gene (Bcl2), Bcl2 associated X protein (Bax), apoptotic protease activating factor-1 (Apaf1), Caspase 9 (Cas9), Caspase 3 (Cas3), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and interleukin-8(Il-8) were much higher in 1S-cis-BF treated group than those in cis-BF or 1R-cis-BF treated ones, suggesting that 1S-cis-BF has higher risk to induced oxidative stress, apoptosis and immunotoxicity than 1R-cis-BF in zebrafish. The information presented in this study will help with elucidating the differences and environmental risk of the two enantiomers of cis-BF-induced toxicity in aquatic organisms. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Work-related stress

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Houtman, I.L.D.

2005-01-01

Changes in the content and organisation of work in recent decades have resulted in an intensification of work, which is commonly regarded as a cause of stress. This report presents trends in the risks and consequences of work-related stress, and identifies how these can be prevented. The focus

Gene expression profiling of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) under edaphic stress.

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Dmitriev, Alexey A; Kudryavtseva, Anna V; Krasnov, George S; Koroban, Nadezhda V; Speranskaya, Anna S; Krinitsina, Anastasia A; Belenikin, Maxim S; Snezhkina, Anastasiya V; Sadritdinova, Asiya F; Kishlyan, Natalya V; Rozhmina, Tatiana A; Yurkevich, Olga Yu; Muravenko, Olga V; Bolsheva, Nadezhda L; Melnikova, Nataliya V

2016-11-16

Cultivated flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is widely used for production of textile, food, chemical and pharmaceutical products. However, various stresses decrease flax production. Search for genes, which are involved in stress response, is necessary for breeding of adaptive cultivars. Imbalanced concentration of nutrient elements in soil decrease flax yields and also results in heritable changes in some flax lines. The appearance of Linum Insertion Sequence 1 (LIS-1) is the most studied modification. However, LIS-1 function is still unclear. High-throughput sequencing of transcriptome of flax plants grown under normal (N), phosphate deficient (P), and nutrient excess (NPK) conditions was carried out using Illumina platform. The assembly of transcriptome was performed, and a total of 34924, 33797, and 33698 unique transcripts for N, P, and NPK sequencing libraries were identified, respectively. We have not revealed any LIS-1 derived mRNA in our sequencing data. The analysis of high-throughput sequencing data allowed us to identify genes with potentially differential expression under imbalanced nutrition. For further investigation with qPCR, 15 genes were chosen and their expression levels were evaluated in the extended sampling of 31 flax plants. Significant expression alterations were revealed for genes encoding WRKY and JAZ protein families under P and NPK conditions. Moreover, the alterations of WRKY family genes differed depending on LIS-1 presence in flax plant genome. Besides, we revealed slight and LIS-1 independent mRNA level changes of KRP2 and ING1 genes, which are adjacent to LIS-1, under nutrition stress. Differentially expressed genes were identified in flax plants, which were grown under phosphate deficiency and excess nutrition, on the basis of high-throughput sequencing and qPCR data. We showed that WRKY and JAS gene families participate in flax response to imbalanced nutrient content in soil. Besides, we have not identified any mRNA, which could be

Gene expression profiling of flax (Linum usitatissimum L. under edaphic stress

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Alexey A. Dmitriev

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cultivated flax (Linum usitatissimum L. is widely used for production of textile, food, chemical and pharmaceutical products. However, various stresses decrease flax production. Search for genes, which are involved in stress response, is necessary for breeding of adaptive cultivars. Imbalanced concentration of nutrient elements in soil decrease flax yields and also results in heritable changes in some flax lines. The appearance of Linum Insertion Sequence 1 (LIS-1 is the most studied modification. However, LIS-1 function is still unclear. Results High-throughput sequencing of transcriptome of flax plants grown under normal (N, phosphate deficient (P, and nutrient excess (NPK conditions was carried out using Illumina platform. The assembly of transcriptome was performed, and a total of 34924, 33797, and 33698 unique transcripts for N, P, and NPK sequencing libraries were identified, respectively. We have not revealed any LIS-1 derived mRNA in our sequencing data. The analysis of high-throughput sequencing data allowed us to identify genes with potentially differential expression under imbalanced nutrition. For further investigation with qPCR, 15 genes were chosen and their expression levels were evaluated in the extended sampling of 31 flax plants. Significant expression alterations were revealed for genes encoding WRKY and JAZ protein families under P and NPK conditions. Moreover, the alterations of WRKY family genes differed depending on LIS-1 presence in flax plant genome. Besides, we revealed slight and LIS-1 independent mRNA level changes of KRP2 and ING1 genes, which are adjacent to LIS-1, under nutrition stress. Conclusions Differentially expressed genes were identified in flax plants, which were grown under phosphate deficiency and excess nutrition, on the basis of high-throughput sequencing and qPCR data. We showed that WRKY and JAS gene families participate in flax response to imbalanced nutrient content in soil

Dysregulated expression of death, stress and mitochondrion related genes in the sciatic nerve of presymptomatic SOD1G93A mouse model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

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Chrystian Junqueira Alves

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Schwann cells are the main source of paracrine support to motor neurons. Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction have been correlated to motor neuron death in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS. Despite the involvement of Schwann cells in early neuromuscular disruption in ALS, detailed molecular events of a dying-back triggering are unknown. Sciatic nerves of presymptomatic (60-day-old SOD1G93A mice were submitted to a high-density oligonucleotide microarray analysis. DAVID demonstrated the deregulated genes related to death, stress and mitochondrion, which allowed the identification of Cell cycle, ErbB signaling, Tryptophan metabolism and Rig-I-like receptor signaling as the most representative KEGG pathways. The protein-protein interaction networks based upon deregulated genes have identified the top hubs (TRAF2, H2AFX, E2F1, FOXO3, MSH2, NGFR, TGFBR1 and bottlenecks (TRAF2, E2F1, CDKN1B, TWIST1, FOXO3. Schwann cells were enriched from the sciatic nerve of presymptomatic mice using flow cytometry cell sorting. qPCR showed the up regulated (Ngfr, Cdnkn1b, E2f1, Traf2 and Erbb3, H2afx, Cdkn1a, Hspa1, Prdx, Mapk10 and down-regulated (Foxo3, Mtor genes in the enriched Schwann cells. In conclusion, molecular analyses in the presymptomatic sciatic nerve demonstrated the involvement of death, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial pathways in the Schwann cell non-autonomous mechanisms in the early stages of ALS.

Water quality assessment using the AREc32 reporter gene assay indicative of the oxidative stress response pathway.

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Escher, Beate I; Dutt, Mriga; Maylin, Erin; Tang, Janet Y M; Toze, Simon; Wolf, C Roland; Lang, Matti

2012-11-01

The reporter gene assay AREc32 is based on the induction of the Nrf2 mediated oxidative stress response pathway in the human breast cancer cell line MCF7, where eight copies of the antioxidant response element (ARE) are linked to a reporter gene encoding for luciferase. The Nrf2-ARE pathway is responsive to many chemicals that cause oxidative stress, among them a large number of pesticides and skin irritants. We adopted and validated the AREc32 bioassay for water quality testing. tert-Butylhydroquinone served as the positive control, phenol as the negative control and other reactive chemicals were assessed for their specificity. An environmentally relevant reference chemical, benzo(a)pyrene was the most potent inducer of all tested chemicals. The concentration causing an induction ratio (IR) of 1.5 (EC(IR1.5)) was chosen as the effect benchmark value. The assay was applied to 21 water samples ranging from sewage to drinking water, including secondary treatment and various tertiary treatment options (ozonation, biologically activated carbon filtration, membrane filtration, reverse osmosis, advanced oxidation, chlorination, chloramination). The samples were enriched by solid phase extraction. In most samples the oxidative stress response was far more sensitive than cytotoxicity. The primary and secondary treated effluent exceeded the effect threshold IR 1.5 at a relative enrichment factor (REF) of 1, i.e., the native samples were active. All tertiary treated samples were less potent and their EC(IR1.5) lay between REF 1 and 10. The Nrf2 pathway was induced at a REF of approximately 10 for surface waters and drinking water, and above this enrichment cytotoxicity took over in most samples and quenched the induction. The blank (ultrapure water run through the sample enrichment process) was cytotoxic at an REF of 100, which is the limit of concentrations range that can be evaluated. Treatment typically decreased both the cytotoxicity and oxidative stress response apart

Gene Ontology and KEGG Enrichment Analyses of Genes Related to Age-Related Macular Degeneration

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Jian Zhang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Identifying disease genes is one of the most important topics in biomedicine and may facilitate studies on the mechanisms underlying disease. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD is a serious eye disease; it typically affects older adults and results in a loss of vision due to retina damage. In this study, we attempt to develop an effective method for distinguishing AMD-related genes. Gene ontology and KEGG enrichment analyses of known AMD-related genes were performed, and a classification system was established. In detail, each gene was encoded into a vector by extracting enrichment scores of the gene set, including it and its direct neighbors in STRING, and gene ontology terms or KEGG pathways. Then certain feature-selection methods, including minimum redundancy maximum relevance and incremental feature selection, were adopted to extract key features for the classification system. As a result, 720 GO terms and 11 KEGG pathways were deemed the most important factors for predicting AMD-related genes.

Effects of stress and adrenalectomy on activity-regulated cytoskeleton protein (Arc) gene expression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mikkelsen, Jens D; Larsen, Marianne Hald

2006-01-01

Activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein (Arc) is an effector immediate early gene induced by novelty and involved in consolidation of long-term memory. Since activation of glucocorticoid receptors is a prerequisite for memory consolidation, we therefore aimed to study the effect of acute...... restraint stress on Arc gene expression in adrenalectomized rats. Acute stress produced a significant increase in Arc gene expression in the medial prefrontal cortex, but not in the parietal cortex or in the pyramidal cell layer of the hippocampus. The basal level of Arc mRNA in adrenalectomized animals...... was high in the medial prefrontal cortex and unaffected by acute stress in these animals. These data are consistent with the role of Arc as an integrative modulator of synaptic plasticity by emphasizing the potential role of stress and glucocorticoids in the control of Arc gene expression....

Overexpression of a Pathogenesis-Related Protein 10 Enhances Biotic and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Rice

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Jingni Wu

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Pathogenesis-related proteins play multiple roles in plant development and biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. Here, we characterize a rice defense related gene named “jasmonic acid inducible pathogenesis-related class 10” (JIOsPR10 to gain an insight into its functional properties. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed up-regulation of JIOsPR10 under salt and drought stress conditions. Constitutive over-expression JIOsPR10 in rice promoted shoot and root development in transgenic plants, however, their productivity was unaltered. Further experiments exhibited that the transgenic plants showed reduced susceptibility to rice blast fungus, and enhanced salt and drought stress tolerance as compared to the wild type. A comparative proteomic profiling of wild type and transgenic plants showed that overexpression of JIOsPR10 led to the differential modulation of several proteins mainly related with oxidative stresses, carbohydrate metabolism, and plant defense. Taken together, our findings suggest that JIOsPR10 plays important roles in biotic and abiotic stresses tolerance probably by activation of stress related proteins.

Genome-wide Identification and Expression Analysis of Calcium-dependent Protein Kinase and Its Closely Related Kinase Genes in Capsicum annuum

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hanyang ecai

2015-09-01

Full Text Available As Ca2+ sensors and effectors, calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs play important roles in regulating the downstream components of calcium signaling, which are ubiquitously involved in plant growth, development, and response to environmental cues. However, no CDPKs have been characterized in Capsicum annuum thus far. Herein, a comprehensive analysis of genes encoding pepper CDPKs and CDPK-related protein kinases (CRKs was performed, and 31 CDPK genes and five closely related kinase genes were identified, which were phylogenetically divided into four distinct subfamilies and unevenly distributed across nine chromosomes. Conserved sequence and exon-intron structures were found to be shared by pepper CDPKs within the same subfamily, and the expansion of the CaCPK family in pepper was found to be due to segmental duplication events. Five CDPKs in the Capsicum annuum variety CM334 were found to be mutated in the Chiltepin variety, and one CDPK present in CM334 was lost in Chiltepin. The majority of CDPK and CRK genes were expressed in different pepper tissues and developmental stages, and 10, 12, and eight CDPK genes were transcriptionally modified by salt, heat, and Ralstonia solanacearum stresses, respectively. Furthermore, these genes were found to respond specifically to one stress as well as respond synergistically to two stresses or three stresses, suggesting that these CDPK genes might be involved in the specific or synergistic response of pepper to salt, heat, and R. solanacearum. Our results lay the foundation for future functional characterization of pepper CDPK and its closely related gene families.

Meta-analysis of the effect of overexpression of C-repeat/dehydration-responsive element binding family genes on temperature stress tolerance and related responses

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C-repeat/dehydration-responsive element binding proteins are transcription factors that play a critical role in plant response to temperature stress. Over-expression of CBF/DREB genes has been demonstrated to enhance temperature stress tolerance. A series of physiological and biochemical modificat...

Differential gene expression in soybean leaf tissues at late developmental stages under drought stress revealed by genome-wide transcriptome analysis.

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Dung Tien Le

Full Text Available The availability of complete genome sequence of soybean has allowed research community to design the 66 K Affymetrix Soybean Array GeneChip for genome-wide expression profiling of soybean. In this study, we carried out microarray analysis of leaf tissues of soybean plants, which were subjected to drought stress from late vegetative V6 and from full bloom reproductive R2 stages. Our data analyses showed that out of 46,093 soybean genes, which were predicted with high confidence among approximately 66,000 putative genes, 41,059 genes could be assigned with a known function. Using the criteria of a ratio change > = 2 and a q-value<0.05, we identified 1458 and 1818 upregulated and 1582 and 1688 downregulated genes in drought-stressed V6 and R2 leaves, respectively. These datasets were classified into 19 most abundant biological categories with similar proportions. There were only 612 and 463 genes that were overlapped among the upregulated and downregulated genes, respectively, in both stages, suggesting that both conserved and unconserved pathways might be involved in regulation of drought response in different stages of plant development. A comparative expression analysis using our datasets and that of drought stressed Arabidopsis leaves revealed the existence of both conserved and species-specific mechanisms that regulate drought responses. Many upregulated genes encode either regulatory proteins, such as transcription factors, including those with high homology to Arabidopsis DREB, NAC, AREB and ZAT/STZ transcription factors, kinases and two-component system members, or functional proteins, e.g. late embryogenesis-abundant proteins, glycosyltransferases, glycoside hydrolases, defensins and glyoxalase I family proteins. A detailed analysis of the GmNAC family and the hormone-related gene category showed that expression of many GmNAC and hormone-related genes was altered by drought in V6 and/or R2 leaves. Additionally, the downregulation of

Temperature and Oxidative Stress as Triggers for Virulence Gene Expression in Pathogenic Leptospira spp.

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Tricia Fraser

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Leptospirosis is a zooanthroponosis aetiologically caused by pathogenic bacteria belonging to the genus, Leptospira. Environmental signals such as increases in temperatures or oxidative stress can trigger response regulatory modes of virulence genes during infection. This study sought to determine the effect of temperature and oxidative stress on virulence associated genes in highly passaged Leptospira borgpeterseneii Jules and L. interrogans Portlandvere. Bacteria were grown in EMJH at 30°C, 37°C, or at 30°C before being transferred to 37°C. A total of 14 virulence-associated genes (fliY, invA, lenA, ligB, lipL32, lipL36, lipL41, lipL45, loa22, lsa21, mce, ompL1, sph2, and tlyC were assessed using endpoint PCR. Transcriptional analyses of lenA, lipL32, lipL41, loa22, sph2 were assessed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR at the temperature conditions. To assess oxidative stress, bacteria were exposed to H2O2 for 30 and 60 min with or without the temperature stress. All genes except ligB (for Portlandvere and ligB and mce (for Jules were detectable in the strains. Quantitatively, temperature stress resulted in significant changes in gene expression within species or between species. Temperature changes were more influential in gene expression for Jules, particularly at 30°C and upshift conditions; at 37°C, expression levels were higher for Portlandvere. However, compared to Jules, where temperature was influential in two of five genes, temperature was an essential element in four of five genes in Portlandvere exposed to oxidative stress. At both low and high oxidative stress levels, the interplay between genetic predisposition (larger genome size and temperature was biased towards Portlandvere particularly at 30°C and upshift conditions. While it is clear that expression of many virulence genes in highly passaged strains of Leptospira are attenuated or lost, genetic predisposition, changes in growth temperature and/or oxidative intensity and

Stressful social relations and mortality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Rikke; Christensen, Ulla; Nilsson, Charlotte Juul

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined the relationship between stressful social relations in private life and all-cause mortality. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between stressful social relations (with partner, children, other family, friends and neighbours, respectively) and all...... men and women aged 36-52 years, linked to the Danish Cause of Death Registry for information on all-cause mortality until 31 December 2011. Associations between stressful social relations with partner, children, other family, friends and neighbours, respectively, and all-cause mortality were examined....... CONCLUSIONS: Stressful social relations are associated with increased mortality risk among middle-aged men and women for a variety of different social roles. Those outside the labour force and men seem especially vulnerable to exposure....

Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Insights into Inflammatory Genes

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Raffaella Cascella

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Age-related macular degeneration (AMD is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects approximately 8.7% of elderly people worldwide (>55 years old. AMD is characterized by a multifactorial aetiology that involves several genetic and environmental risk factors (genes, ageing, smoking, family history, dietary habits, oxidative stress, and hypertension. In particular, ageing and cigarette smoking (including oxidative compounds and reactive oxygen species have been shown to significantly increase susceptibility to the disease. Furthermore, different genes (CFH, CFI, C2, C3, IL-6, IL-8, and ARMS2 that play a crucial role in the inflammatory pathway have been associated with AMD risk. Several genetic and molecular studies have indicated the participation of inflammatory molecules (cytokines and chemokines, immune cells (macrophages, and complement proteins in the development and progression of the disease. Taking into consideration the genetic and molecular background, this review highlights the genetic role of inflammatory genes involved in AMD pathogenesis and progression.

Molecular Adaptations to Social Defeat Stress and Induced Depression in Mice.

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Bondar, Natalya; Bryzgalov, Leonid; Ershov, Nikita; Gusev, Fedor; Reshetnikov, Vasiliy; Avgustinovich, Damira; Tenditnik, Mikhail; Rogaev, Evgeny; Merkulova, Tatiana

2018-04-01

Chronic stress is a risk factor for major depression. Social defeat stress is a well-validated murine model of depression. However, little is known about the gene activity dynamics during the development of a depression-like state. We analyzed the effects of social defeat stress of varying duration (10 and 30 days) on the behavioral patterns and prefrontal-cortex transcriptome of C57BL/6 mice. The 10-day exposure to social defeat stress resulted in a high level of social avoidance with no signs of depression-associated behavior. Most animals exposed to 30 days of social defeat stress demonstrated clear hallmarks of depression, including a higher level of social avoidance, increased immobility in the forced swimming test, and anhedonic behavior. The monitoring of transcriptome changes revealed widespread alterations in gene expression on the 10th day. Surprisingly, the expression of only a few genes were affected by the 30th day of stress, apparently due to a reversal of the majority of the early stress-induced changes to the original basal state. Moreover, we have found that glucocorticoid-sensitive genes are clearly stimulated targets on the 10th day of stress, but these genes stop responding to the elevated corticosterone level by the 30th day of stress. The majority of genes altered by the 30-day stress were downregulated, with the most relevant ones participating in chromatin modifications and neuroplasticity (e.g., guanine nucleotide exchange factors of the Rho-family of GTPases). Very different molecular responses occur during short-term and long-term social stress in mice. The early-stress response is associated with social avoidance and with upregulation and downregulation of many genes, including those related to signal transduction and cell adhesion pathways. Downregulation of a few genes, in particular, genes for histone-modifying methyltransferases, is a signature response to prolonged stress that induces symptoms of depression. Altogether, our data

Stress-related eating, mindfulness, and obesity.

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Cotter, Elizabeth W; Kelly, Nichole R

2018-04-30

This study explored how experiences of stress in adulthood, including the occurrence of stressful life events and psychosocial strains in various life domains, might be related to stress-related eating and indicators of obesity, including body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. Cross-sectional data were examined from 3,708 adults in the Midlife in the U.S. study (MIDUS II). Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that experiences of stress were associated with higher BMI and waist circumference, even after controlling for age, annual household income, education level, race, and sex, although the additional variance accounted for was small. A nonparametric bootstrapping approach indicated that stress-related eating mediated the association between experiences of stress and indicators of obesity. Moderated-mediation analyses indicated that the relationship between experiences of stress and stress-related eating was amplified for women and individuals with obesity in comparison to men and individuals without obesity. Mindfulness did not moderate the experiences of stress and stress-related eating association. These results provide further evidence of the contributions of psychosocial factors to chronic disease risk. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Mitigating effects of L-selenomethionine on low-dose iron ion radiation-induced changes in gene expression associated with cellular stress.

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Nuth, Manunya; Kennedy, Ann R

2013-07-01

Ionizing radiation associated with highly energetic and charged heavy (HZE) particles poses a danger to astronauts during space travel. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the patterns of gene expression associated with cellular exposure to low-dose iron ion irradiation, in the presence and absence of L-selenomethionine (SeM). Human thyroid epithelial cells (HTori-3) were exposed to low-dose iron ion (1 GeV/n) irradiation at 10 or 20 cGy with or without SeM pretreatment. The cells were harvested 6 and 16 h post-irradiation and analyzed by the Affymetrix U133Av2 gene chip arrays. Genes exhibiting a 1.5-fold expression cut-off and 5% false discovery rate (FDR) were considered statistically significant and subsequently analyzed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) for pathway analysis. Representative genes were further validated by real-time RT-PCR. Even at low doses of radiation from iron ions, global genome profiling of the irradiated cells revealed the upregulation of genes associated with the activation of stress-related signaling pathways (ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, p53 signaling, cell cycle and apoptosis), which occurred in a dose-dependent manner. A 24-h pretreatment with SeM was shown to reduce the radiation effects by mitigating stress-related signaling pathways and downregulating certain genes associated with cell adhesion. The mechanism by which SeM prevents radiation-induced transformation in vitro may involve the suppression of the expression of genes associated with stress-related signaling and certain cell adhesion events.

Physiological adaptations to osmotic stress and characterization of a polyethylene glycol-responsive gene in Braya humilis

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Wang Lirong

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Braya humilis (Brassicaceae is a widely distributed plant in arid and semi-arid regions of northern Asia. This plant is well adapted to extremely arid conditions and is a promising candidate species to discover novel drought tolerance strategies. However, not much information about the mechanism(s mediating drought resistance in this species is currently available. Therefore, the present study aimed to characterize the physiological traits and expression patterns of a polyethylene glycol (PEG-responsive gene in B. humilis responding to different levels of osmotic stress induced by PEG-6000. Several important physiological parameters were examined, including the levels of relative water content, soluble protein, malondialdehyde, and antioxidant enzyme activity. A tolerance threshold between 20 and 30% PEG-6000 was identified for B. humilis. The water status and oxidative damage below this threshold were maintained at a relatively constant level during the 12 h of treatment. However, once the threshold was exceeded, the water status and oxidative damage were obviously affected after treatment for 4 h. The soluble protein results suggest that B. humilis maintains a vigorous resistance to osmotic stress and that it may play a greater role in osmotic regulation at late stages of stress. Moreover, superoxide dismutase and catalase may be important at preventing oxidative damage in plants at early stages of stress, while peroxidase may be more involved in some biological processes that resist osmotic stress at the late stage, especially in severely damaged plants. Furthermore, a PEG-responsive gene, BhCIPK12, was identified by differential display reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR, cloned, and characterized by quantitative real-time PCR. We hypothesized that this gene may play an important role in mediating osmotic stress or drought resistance in plants. Altogether, these results provide valuable insights into the mechanism

Genome-wide identification and characterization of stress-associated protein (SAP gene family encoding A20/AN1 zinc-finger proteins in Medicago truncatula

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Zhou Yong

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Stress associated proteins (SAPs play important roles in developmental processes, responses to various stresses and hormone stimulation in plants. However, little is known about the SAP gene family in Medicago truncatula. In this study, a total of 17 MtSAP genes encoding A20/AN1 zinc-finger proteins were characterized. Out of these 17 genes, 15 were distributed over all 8 chromosomes at different densities, and two segmental duplication events were detected. The phylogenetic analysis of these proteins and their orthologs from Arabidopsis and rice suggested that they could be classified into five out of the seven groups of SAP family genes, with genes in the same group showing similar structures and conserved domains. The cis-elements of the MtSAP promoters were studied, and many cis-elements related to stress and plant hormone responses were identified. We also investigated the stress-responsive expression patterns of the MtSAP genes under various stresses, including drought, exposure to NaCl and cold. The qRT-PCR results showed that numerous MtSAP genes exhibited transcriptional responses to multiple abiotic stresses. These results lay the foundation for further functional characterization of SAP genes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a genome-wide analysis of the SAP gene family in M. truncatula.

Different gene-specific mechanisms determine the 'revised-response' memory transcription patterns of a subset of A. thaliana dehydration stress responding genes.

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Liu, Ning; Ding, Yong; Fromm, Michael; Avramova, Zoya

2014-05-01

Plants that have experienced several exposures to dehydration stress show increased resistance to future exposures by producing faster and/or stronger reactions, while many dehydration stress responding genes in Arabidopsis thaliana super-induce their transcription as a 'memory' from the previous encounter. A previously unknown, rather unusual, memory response pattern is displayed by a subset of the dehydration stress response genes. Despite robustly responding to a first stress, these genes return to their initial, pre-stressed, transcript levels during the watered recovery; surprisingly, they do not respond further to subsequent stresses of similar magnitude and duration. This transcriptional behavior defines the 'revised-response' memory genes. Here, we investigate the molecular mechanisms regulating this transcription memory behavior. Potential roles of abscisic acid (ABA), of transcription factors (TFs) from the ABA signaling pathways (ABF2/3/4 and MYC2), and of histone modifications (H3K4me3 and H3K27me3) as factors in the revised-response transcription memory patterns are elucidated. We identify the TF MYC2 as the critical component for the memory behavior of a specific subset of MYC2-dependent genes. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Computer-Related Repetitive Stress Injuries

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... Staying Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Computer-Related Repetitive Stress Injuries KidsHealth / For Parents / Computer-Related Repetitive Stress Injuries What's in this article? ...

Comparative Analysis of WRKY Genes Potentially Involved in Salt Stress Responses in Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum.

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Yousfi, Fatma-Ezzahra; Makhloufi, Emna; Marande, William; Ghorbel, Abdel W; Bouzayen, Mondher; Bergès, Hélène

2016-01-01

WRKY transcription factors are involved in multiple aspects of plant growth, development and responses to biotic stresses. Although they have been found to play roles in regulating plant responses to environmental stresses, these roles still need to be explored, especially those pertaining to crops. Durum wheat is the second most widely produced cereal in the world. Complex, large and unsequenced genomes, in addition to a lack of genomic resources, hinder the molecular characterization of tolerance mechanisms. This paper describes the isolation and characterization of five TdWRKY genes from durum wheat ( Triticum turgidum L . ssp. durum ). A PCR-based screening of a T. turgidum BAC genomic library using primers within the conserved region of WRKY genes resulted in the isolation of five BAC clones. Following sequencing fully the five BACs, fine annotation through Triannot pipeline revealed 74.6% of the entire sequences as transposable elements and a 3.2% gene content with genes organized as islands within oceans of TEs. Each BAC clone harbored a TdWRKY gene. The study showed a very extensive conservation of genomic structure between TdWRKYs and their orthologs from Brachypodium, barley, and T. aestivum . The structural features of TdWRKY proteins suggested that they are novel members of the WRKY family in durum wheat. TdWRKY1/2/4, TdWRKY3, and TdWRKY5 belong to the group Ia, IIa, and IIc, respectively. Enrichment of cis -regulatory elements related to stress responses in the promoters of some TdWRKY genes indicated their potential roles in mediating plant responses to a wide variety of environmental stresses. TdWRKY genes displayed different expression patterns in response to salt stress that distinguishes two durum wheat genotypes with contrasting salt stress tolerance phenotypes. TdWRKY genes tended to react earlier with a down-regulation in sensitive genotype leaves and with an up-regulation in tolerant genotype leaves. The TdWRKY transcripts levels in roots

Identification of immune response-related genes in the Chinese oak silkworm, Antheraea pernyi by suppression subtractive hybridization.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Qiu-Ning; Zhu, Bao-Jian; Wang, Lei; Wei, Guo-Qing; Dai, Li-Shang; Lin, Kun-Zhang; Sun, Yu; Qiu, Jian-Feng; Fu, Wei-Wei; Liu, Chao-Liang

2013-11-01

Insects possess an innate immune system that responds to invading microorganisms. In this study, a subtractive cDNA library was constructed to screen for immune response-related genes in the fat bodies of Antheraea pernyi (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) pupa challenged with Escherichia coli. Four hundred putative EST clones were identified by suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH), including 50 immune response-related genes, three cytoskeleton genes, eight cell cycle and apoptosis genes, five respiration and energy metabolism genes, five transport genes, 40 metabolism genes, ten stress response genes, four transcription and translation regulation genes and 77 unknown genes. To verify the reliability of the SSH data, the transcription of a set of randomly selected immune response-related genes were confirmed by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR). These identified immune response-related genes provide insight into understanding the innate immunity in A. pernyi. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interaction between early-life stress and FKBP5 gene variants in major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qingzhong; Shelton, Richard C; Dwivedi, Yogesh

2018-01-01

Gene-environment interaction contributes to the risks of psychiatric disorders. Interactions between FKBP5 gene variants and early-life stress may enhance the risk not only for mood disorder, but also for a number of other behavioral phenotypes. The aim of the present study was to review and conduct a meta-analysis on the results from published studies examining interaction between FKBP5 gene variants and early-life stress and their associations with stress-related disorders such as major depression and PTSD. A literature search was conducted using PsychINFO and PubMed databases until May 2017. A total of 14 studies with a pooled total of 15109 participants met the inclusion criteria, the results of which were combined and a meta-analysis was performed using the differences in correlations as the effect measure. Based on literature, rs1360780, rs3800373, and rs9470080 SNPs were selected within the FKBP5 gene and systematic review was conducted. Based on the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software, no publication bias was detected. Sensitivity analysis and credibility of meta-analysis results also indicated that the analyses were stable. The meta-analysis showed that individuals who carry T allele of rs1360780, C-allele of rs3800373 or T-allele of rs9470080 exposed to early-life trauma had higher risks for depression or PTSD. The effects of ethnicity, age, sex, and different stress measures were not examined due to limited sample size. These results provide strong evidence of interactions between FKBP5 genotypes and early-life stress, which could pose a significant risk factor for stress-associated disorders such as major depression and PTSD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nondestructive Evaluation and Monitoring Results from COPV Accelerated Stress Rupture Testing, NASA White Sands Test Facility (WSTF)

Science.gov (United States)

Saulsberry Regor

2010-01-01

Develop and demonstrate NDE techniques for real-time characterization of CPVs and, where possible, identification of NDE capable of assessing stress rupture related strength degradation and/or making vessel life predictions (structural health monitoring or periodic inspection modes). Secondary: Provide the COPV user and materials community with quality carbon/epoxy (C/Ep) COPV stress rupture progression rate data. Aid in modeling, manufacturing, and application of COPVs for NASA spacecraft.

Expression of genes involved in energy mobilization and osmoprotectant synthesis during thermal and dehydration stress in the Antarctic midge, Belgica antarctica.

Science.gov (United States)

Teets, Nicholas M; Kawarasaki, Yuta; Lee, Richard E; Denlinger, David L

2013-02-01

The Antarctic midge, Belgica antarctica, experiences sub-zero temperatures and desiccating conditions for much of the year, and in response to these environmental insults, larvae undergo rapid shifts in metabolism, mobilizing carbohydrate energy reserves to promote synthesis of low-molecular-mass osmoprotectants. In this study, we measured the expression of 11 metabolic genes in response to thermal and dehydration stress. During both heat and cold stress, we observed upregulation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (pepck) and glycogen phosphorylase (gp) to support rapid glucose mobilization. In contrast, there was a general downregulation of pathways related to polyol, trehalose, and proline synthesis during both high- and low-temperature stress. Pepck was likewise upregulated in response to different types of dehydration stress; however, for many of the other genes, expression patterns depended on the nature of dehydration stress. Following fast dehydration, expression patterns were similar to those observed during thermal stress, i.e., upregulation of gp accompanied by downregulation of trehalose and proline synthetic genes. In contrast, gradual, prolonged dehydration (both at a constant temperature and in conjunction with chilling) promoted marked upregulation of genes responsible for trehalose and proline synthesis. On the whole, our data agree with known metabolic adaptations to stress in B. antarctica, although a few discrepancies between gene expression patterns and downstream metabolite contents point to fluxes that are not controlled at the level of transcription.

On the use of horizontal acoustic doppler profilers for continuous bed shear stress monitoring

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vermeulen, B.; Hoitink, A.J.F.; Sassi, M.G.

2013-01-01

Continuous monitoring of bed shear stress in large river systems may serve to better estimate alluvial sediment transport to the coastal ocean. Here we explore the possibility of using a horizontally deployed acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) to monitor bed shear stress, applying a prescribed

Developmental Pathway Genes and Neural Plasticity Underlying Emotional Learning and Stress-Related Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Maheau, Marissa E.; Ressler, Kerry J.

2017-01-01

The manipulation of neural plasticity as a means of intervening in the onset and progression of stress-related disorders retains its appeal for many researchers, despite our limited success in translating such interventions from the laboratory to the clinic. Given the challenges of identifying individual genetic variants that confer increased risk…

Expression profiling of Crambe abyssinica under arsenate stress identifies genes and gene networks involved in arsenic metabolism and detoxification

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Kandasamy Suganthi

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Arsenic contamination is widespread throughout the world and this toxic metalloid is known to cause cancers of organs such as liver, kidney, skin, and lung in human. In spite of a recent surge in arsenic related studies, we are still far from a comprehensive understanding of arsenic uptake, detoxification, and sequestration in plants. Crambe abyssinica, commonly known as 'abyssinian mustard', is a non-food, high biomass oil seed crop that is naturally tolerant to heavy metals. Moreover, it accumulates significantly higher levels of arsenic as compared to other species of the Brassicaceae family. Thus, C. abyssinica has great potential to be utilized as an ideal inedible crop for phytoremediation of heavy metals and metalloids. However, the mechanism of arsenic metabolism in higher plants, including C. abyssinica, remains elusive. Results To identify the differentially expressed transcripts and the pathways involved in arsenic metabolism and detoxification, C. abyssinica plants were subjected to arsenate stress and a PCR-Select Suppression Subtraction Hybridization (SSH approach was employed. A total of 105 differentially expressed subtracted cDNAs were sequenced which were found to represent 38 genes. Those genes encode proteins functioning as antioxidants, metal transporters, reductases, enzymes involved in the protein degradation pathway, and several novel uncharacterized proteins. The transcripts corresponding to the subtracted cDNAs showed strong upregulation by arsenate stress as confirmed by the semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Conclusions Our study revealed novel insights into the plant defense mechanisms and the regulation of genes and gene networks in response to arsenate toxicity. The differential expression of transcripts encoding glutathione-S-transferases, antioxidants, sulfur metabolism, heat-shock proteins, metal transporters, and enzymes in the ubiquitination pathway of protein degradation as well as several unknown

Expression profiling of Crambe abyssinica under arsenate stress identifies genes and gene networks involved in arsenic metabolism and detoxification

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

Background Arsenic contamination is widespread throughout the world and this toxic metalloid is known to cause cancers of organs such as liver, kidney, skin, and lung in human. In spite of a recent surge in arsenic related studies, we are still far from a comprehensive understanding of arsenic uptake, detoxification, and sequestration in plants. Crambe abyssinica, commonly known as 'abyssinian mustard', is a non-food, high biomass oil seed crop that is naturally tolerant to heavy metals. Moreover, it accumulates significantly higher levels of arsenic as compared to other species of the Brassicaceae family. Thus, C. abyssinica has great potential to be utilized as an ideal inedible crop for phytoremediation of heavy metals and metalloids. However, the mechanism of arsenic metabolism in higher plants, including C. abyssinica, remains elusive. Results To identify the differentially expressed transcripts and the pathways involved in arsenic metabolism and detoxification, C. abyssinica plants were subjected to arsenate stress and a PCR-Select Suppression Subtraction Hybridization (SSH) approach was employed. A total of 105 differentially expressed subtracted cDNAs were sequenced which were found to represent 38 genes. Those genes encode proteins functioning as antioxidants, metal transporters, reductases, enzymes involved in the protein degradation pathway, and several novel uncharacterized proteins. The transcripts corresponding to the subtracted cDNAs showed strong upregulation by arsenate stress as confirmed by the semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Conclusions Our study revealed novel insights into the plant defense mechanisms and the regulation of genes and gene networks in response to arsenate toxicity. The differential expression of transcripts encoding glutathione-S-transferases, antioxidants, sulfur metabolism, heat-shock proteins, metal transporters, and enzymes in the ubiquitination pathway of protein degradation as well as several unknown novel proteins serve as

Profiling of differential gene expression in the hypothalamus of broiler-type Taiwan country chickens in response to acute heat stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Tu, Wei-Lin; Cheng, Chuen-Yu; Wang, Shih-Han; Tang, Pin-Chi; Chen, Chih-Feng; Chen, Hsin-Hsin; Lee, Yen-Pai; Chen, Shuen-Ei; Huang, San-Yuan

2016-02-01

Acute heat stress severely impacts poultry production. The hypothalamus acts as a crucial center to regulate body temperature, detect temperature changes, and modulate the autonomic nervous system and endocrine loop for heat retention and dissipation. The purpose of this study was to investigate global gene expression in the hypothalamus of broiler-type B strain Taiwan country chickens after acute heat stress. Twelve 30-week-old hens were allocated to four groups. Three heat-stressed groups were subjected to acute heat stress at 38 °C for 2 hours without recovery (H2R0), with 2 hours of recovery (H2R2), and with 6 hours of recovery (H2R6). The control hens were maintained at 25 °C. At the end, hypothalamus samples were collected for gene expression analysis. The results showed that 24, 11, and 25 genes were upregulated and 41, 15, and 42 genes were downregulated in H2R0, H2R2, and H2R6 treatments, respectively. The expressions of gonadotropin-releasing hormone 1 (GNRH1), heat shock 27-kDa protein 1 (HSPB1), neuropeptide Y (NPY), and heat shock protein 25 (HSP25) were upregulated at all recovery times after heat exposure. Conversely, the expression of TPH2 was downregulated at all recovery times. A gene ontology analysis showed that most of the differentially expressed genes were involved in biological processes including cellular processes, metabolic processes, localization, multicellular organismal processes, developmental processes, and biological regulation. A functional annotation analysis showed that the differentially expressed genes were related to the gene networks of responses to stress and reproductive functions. These differentially expressed genes might be essential and unique key factors in the heat stress response of the hypothalamus in chickens. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identification and validation of reference genes for quantification of target gene expression with quantitative real-time PCR for tall fescue under four abiotic stresses.

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Zhimin Yang

Full Text Available Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. is widely utilized as a major forage and turfgrass species in the temperate regions of the world and is a valuable plant material for studying molecular mechanisms of grass stress tolerance due to its superior drought and heat tolerance among cool-season species. Selection of suitable reference genes for quantification of target gene expression is important for the discovery of molecular mechanisms underlying improved growth traits and stress tolerance. The stability of nine potential reference genes (ACT, TUB, EF1a, GAPDH, SAND, CACS, F-box, PEPKR1 and TIP41 was evaluated using four programs, GeNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and RefFinder. The combinations of SAND and TUB or TIP41 and TUB were most stably expressed in salt-treated roots or leaves. The combinations of GAPDH with TIP41 or TUB were stable in roots and leaves under drought stress. TIP41 and PEPKR1 exhibited stable expression in cold-treated roots, and the combination of F-box, TIP41 and TUB was also stable in cold-treated leaves. CACS and TUB were the two most stable reference genes in heat-stressed roots. TIP41 combined with TUB and ACT was stably expressed in heat-stressed leaves. Finally, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR assays of the target gene FaWRKY1 using the identified most stable reference genes confirmed the reliability of selected reference genes. The selection of suitable reference genes in tall fescue will allow for more accurate identification of stress-tolerance genes and molecular mechanisms conferring stress tolerance in this stress-tolerant species.

Bidirectional relations between work-related stress, sleep quality and perseverative cognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Laethem, Michelle; Beckers, Debby G J; Kompier, Michiel A J; Kecklund, Göran; van den Bossche, Seth N J; Geurts, Sabine A E

2015-11-01

In this longitudinal two-wave study, bidirectional relations between work-related stress and sleep quality were examined. Moreover, it was investigated whether perseverative cognition is a potential underlying mechanism in this association, related to both work-related stress and sleep quality. A randomly selected sample of Dutch employees received an online survey in 2012 and 2013. Of all invited employees, 877 participated in both waves. Structural equation modeling was performed to analyze the data. We found evidence for reversed relations between work-related stress and sleep quality. Specifically, when controlling for perseverative cognition, work-related stress was not directly related to subsequent sleep quality, but low sleep quality was associated with an increase in work-related stress over time. Moreover, negative bidirectional associations over time were found between perseverative cognition and sleep quality, and positive bidirectional associations were found between work-related stress and perseverative cognition. Lastly, a mediation analysis showed that perseverative cognition fully mediated the relationship between work-related stress and sleep quality. The study findings suggest that perseverative cognition could be an important underlying mechanism in the association between work-related stress and sleep quality. The bidirectionality of the studied relationships could be an indication of a vicious cycle, in which work-related stress, perseverative cognition, and sleep quality mutually influence each other over time. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Soil water stress affects both cuticular wax content and cuticle-related gene expression in young saplings of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait).

Science.gov (United States)

Le Provost, Grégoire; Domergue, Frédéric; Lalanne, Céline; Ramos Campos, Patricio; Grosbois, Antoine; Bert, Didier; Meredieu, Céline; Danjon, Frédéric; Plomion, Christophe; Gion, Jean-Marc

2013-07-01

The cuticle is a hydrophobic barrier located at the aerial surface of all terrestrial plants. Recent studies performed on model plants, such as Arabidopsis thaliana, have suggested that the cuticle may be involved in drought stress adaptation, preventing non-stomatal water loss. Although forest trees will face more intense drought stresses (in duration and intensity) with global warming, very few studies on the role of the cuticle in drought stress adaptation in these long-lived organisms have been so far reported. This aspect was investigated in a conifer, maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.), in a factorial design with two genetic units (two half-sib families with different growth rates) and two treatments (irrigated vs non-irrigated), in field conditions. Saplings were grown in an open-sided greenhouse and half were irrigated three times per week for two growing seasons. Needles were sampled three times per year for cuticular wax (composition and content) and transcriptome (of 11 genes involved in cuticle biosynthesis) analysis. Non-irrigated saplings (i) had a higher cuticular wax content than irrigated saplings and (ii) overexpressed most of the genes studied. Both these trends were more marked in the faster growing family. The higher cuticular wax content observed in the non-irrigated treatment associated with strong modifications in products from the decarbonylation pathway suggest that cuticular wax may be involved in drought stress adaptation in maritime pine. This study provides also a set of promising candidate genes for future forward genetic studies in conifers.

Spaceflight Modifies Escherichia coli Gene Expression in Response to Antibiotic Exposure and Reveals Role of Oxidative Stress Response

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Thomas R. Aunins

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Bacteria grown in space experiments under microgravity conditions have been found to undergo unique physiological responses, ranging from modified cell morphology and growth dynamics to a putative increased tolerance to antibiotics. A common theory for this behavior is the loss of gravity-driven convection processes in the orbital environment, resulting in both reduction of extracellular nutrient availability and the accumulation of bacterial byproducts near the cell. To further characterize the responses, this study investigated the transcriptomic response of Escherichia coli to both microgravity and antibiotic concentration. E. coli was grown aboard International Space Station in the presence of increasing concentrations of the antibiotic gentamicin with identical ground controls conducted on Earth. Here we show that within 49 h of being cultured, E. coli adapted to grow at higher antibiotic concentrations in space compared to Earth, and demonstrated consistent changes in expression of 63 genes in response to an increase in drug concentration in both environments, including specific responses related to oxidative stress and starvation response. Additionally, we find 50 stress-response genes upregulated in response to the microgravity when compared directly to the equivalent concentration in the ground control. We conclude that the increased antibiotic tolerance in microgravity may be attributed not only to diminished transport processes, but also to a resultant antibiotic cross-resistance response conferred by an overlapping effect of stress response genes. Our data suggest that direct stresses of nutrient starvation and acid-shock conveyed by the microgravity environment can incidentally upregulate stress response pathways related to antibiotic stress and in doing so contribute to the increased antibiotic stress tolerance observed for bacteria in space experiments. These results provide insights into the ability of bacteria to adapt under

Spaceflight Modifies Escherichia coli Gene Expression in Response to Antibiotic Exposure and Reveals Role of Oxidative Stress Response.

Science.gov (United States)

Aunins, Thomas R; Erickson, Keesha E; Prasad, Nripesh; Levy, Shawn E; Jones, Angela; Shrestha, Shristi; Mastracchio, Rick; Stodieck, Louis; Klaus, David; Zea, Luis; Chatterjee, Anushree

2018-01-01

Bacteria grown in space experiments under microgravity conditions have been found to undergo unique physiological responses, ranging from modified cell morphology and growth dynamics to a putative increased tolerance to antibiotics. A common theory for this behavior is the loss of gravity-driven convection processes in the orbital environment, resulting in both reduction of extracellular nutrient availability and the accumulation of bacterial byproducts near the cell. To further characterize the responses, this study investigated the transcriptomic response of Escherichia coli to both microgravity and antibiotic concentration. E. coli was grown aboard International Space Station in the presence of increasing concentrations of the antibiotic gentamicin with identical ground controls conducted on Earth. Here we show that within 49 h of being cultured, E. coli adapted to grow at higher antibiotic concentrations in space compared to Earth, and demonstrated consistent changes in expression of 63 genes in response to an increase in drug concentration in both environments, including specific responses related to oxidative stress and starvation response. Additionally, we find 50 stress-response genes upregulated in response to the microgravity when compared directly to the equivalent concentration in the ground control. We conclude that the increased antibiotic tolerance in microgravity may be attributed not only to diminished transport processes, but also to a resultant antibiotic cross-resistance response conferred by an overlapping effect of stress response genes. Our data suggest that direct stresses of nutrient starvation and acid-shock conveyed by the microgravity environment can incidentally upregulate stress response pathways related to antibiotic stress and in doing so contribute to the increased antibiotic stress tolerance observed for bacteria in space experiments. These results provide insights into the ability of bacteria to adapt under extreme stress

Spaceflight Modifies Escherichia coli Gene Expression in Response to Antibiotic Exposure and Reveals Role of Oxidative Stress Response

Science.gov (United States)

Aunins, Thomas R.; Erickson, Keesha E.; Prasad, Nripesh; Levy, Shawn E.; Jones, Angela; Shrestha, Shristi; Mastracchio, Rick; Stodieck, Louis; Klaus, David; Zea, Luis; Chatterjee, Anushree

2018-01-01

Bacteria grown in space experiments under microgravity conditions have been found to undergo unique physiological responses, ranging from modified cell morphology and growth dynamics to a putative increased tolerance to antibiotics. A common theory for this behavior is the loss of gravity-driven convection processes in the orbital environment, resulting in both reduction of extracellular nutrient availability and the accumulation of bacterial byproducts near the cell. To further characterize the responses, this study investigated the transcriptomic response of Escherichia coli to both microgravity and antibiotic concentration. E. coli was grown aboard International Space Station in the presence of increasing concentrations of the antibiotic gentamicin with identical ground controls conducted on Earth. Here we show that within 49 h of being cultured, E. coli adapted to grow at higher antibiotic concentrations in space compared to Earth, and demonstrated consistent changes in expression of 63 genes in response to an increase in drug concentration in both environments, including specific responses related to oxidative stress and starvation response. Additionally, we find 50 stress-response genes upregulated in response to the microgravity when compared directly to the equivalent concentration in the ground control. We conclude that the increased antibiotic tolerance in microgravity may be attributed not only to diminished transport processes, but also to a resultant antibiotic cross-resistance response conferred by an overlapping effect of stress response genes. Our data suggest that direct stresses of nutrient starvation and acid-shock conveyed by the microgravity environment can incidentally upregulate stress response pathways related to antibiotic stress and in doing so contribute to the increased antibiotic stress tolerance observed for bacteria in space experiments. These results provide insights into the ability of bacteria to adapt under extreme stress

Identifying Differences in Abiotic Stress Gene Networks between Lowland and Upland Ecotypes of Switchgrass (DE-SC0008338)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Childs, Kevin [Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States); Buell, Robin [Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States); Zhao, Bingyu [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States); Zhang, Xunzhong [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States)

2016-11-10

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a warm-season C4 grass that is a target lignocellulosic biofuel species for use in the United States due to its local adaption capabilities and high biomass accumulation. Two ecotypes of switchgrass have been described. Members of the lowland ecotype are taller, have narrower leaf blades and generate more biomass compared to individuals from the upland ecotype. Additionally, lowland plants are generally found in the southern United States while upland switchgrass is more typically present in the northern United States. These differences are important as it is envisioned that switchgrass for biofuel production will typically be grown on marginal lands in the northern United States to supplement and diversify farmers' traditional crop incomes. While lowland switchgrass is more productive, it has poor winter survivability in northern latitudes where upland switchgrass is expected to be grown for biofuel use. Abiotic stresses likely to be encountered by switchgrass include drought and salinity. Despite initially being described as preferring wetter environments, members of the lowland ecotype have been characterized as being more drought tolerant than plants of the upland ecotype. Nonetheless, direct trials have indicated that variation for drought tolerance exists in both ecotypes, but prior to this project, only a relatively small number of switchgrass lines had been tested for drought responses. Similarly, switchgrass cultivars have not been widely tested for salt tolerance, but a few studies have shown that even mild salt stress can inhibit growth. The effects of drought and salt stress on plant growth are complex. Both drought and salinity affect the osmotic potential of plant cells and negatively affect plant growth due to reduced water potential and reduced photosynthesis that results from lower stomatal conductance of CO₂. Plants respond to drought and salt stress by activating genes that directly attempt to

Stress corrosion and corrosion fatigue crack growth monitoring in metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Senadheera, T.; Shipilov, S.A.

2003-01-01

Environmentally assisted cracking (including stress corrosion cracking and corrosion fatigue) is one of the major causes for materials failure in a wide variety of industries. It is extremely important to understand the mechanism(s) of environmentally assisted crack propagation in structural materials so as to choose correctly from among the various possibilities-alloying elements, heat treatment of steels, parameters of cathodic protection, and inhibitors-to prevent in-service failures due to stress corrosion cracking and corrosion fatigue. An important step towards understanding the mechanism of environmentally assisted crack propagation is designing a testing machine for crack growth monitoring and that simultaneously provides measurement of electrochemical parameters. In the present paper, a direct current (DC) potential drop method for monitoring crack propagation in metals and a testing machine that uses this method and allows for measuring electrochemical parameters during stress corrosion and corrosion fatigue crack growth are described. (author)

Experimental Study on Stress Monitoring of Sand-Filled Steel Tube during Impact Using Piezoceramic Smart Aggregates.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Guofeng; Zhang, Juan; Zhang, Jicheng; Song, Gangbing

2017-08-22

The filling of thin-walled steel tubes with quartz sand can help to prevent the premature buckling of the steel tube at a low cost. During an impact, the internal stress of the quartz sand-filled steel tube column is subjected to not only axial force but also lateral confining force, resulting in complicated internal stress. A suitable sensor for monitoring the internal stress of such a structure under an impact is important for structural health monitoring. In this paper, piezoceramic Smart Aggregates (SAs) are embedded into a quartz Sand-Filled Steel Tube Column (SFSTC) to monitor the internal structural stress during impacts. The piezoceramic smart aggregates are first calibrated by an impact hammer. Tests are conducted to study the feasibility of monitoring the internal stress of a structure. The results reflect that the calibration value of the piezoceramic smart aggregate sensitivity test is in good agreement with the theoretical value, and the output voltage value of the piezoceramic smart aggregate has a good linear relationship with external forces. Impact tests are conducted on the sand-filled steel tube with embedded piezoceramic smart aggregates. By analyzing the output signal of the piezoceramic smart aggregates, the internal stress state of the structure can be obtained. Experimental results demonstrated that, under the action of impact loads, the piezoceramic smart aggregates monitor the compressive stress at different locations in the steel tube, which verifies the feasibility of using piezoceramic smart aggregate to monitor the internal stress of a structure.

Toxicity of Tributyltin in Juvenile Common Carp (Cyprinus Carpio): Physiological Responses, Hepatic Gene Expression, and Stress Protein Profiling.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhi-Hua; Zhong, Li-Qiao; Mu, Wei-Na; Wu, Yan-Hua

2016-02-01

In this study, the effects of tributyltin (TBT) on biochemical parameters (antioxidant responses and Na(+) -K(+) -ATPase) in different tissues were investigated by using juvenile common carp (Cyprinus Carpio) as well as growth and ion regulation-related genes expression and stress-related proteins profiling in fish liver. Oxidative stress indices and Na(+) -K(+) -ATPase showed tissues-specific responses in fish exposed to different TBT concentrations. All tested genes related to GH/IGF-I axis and ion-regulation were significantly induced in the TBT group with lower concentrations (except for the igfbp3 in 10 μg/L) and were inhibited in 20 μg/L. In addition, the profiling of two proteins Hsp 70 and MT were increasing in a dose-dependent manner under TBT stress. In short, TBT-induced biochemical and molecular responses in different tissues were reflected in the measured parameters in the test. On the basis of TBT residue levels in the natural environment, more long-term experiments at lower concentrations will be necessary in the future. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The NAC transcription factor family in maritime pine (Pinus Pinaster): molecular regulation of two genes involved in stress responses.

Science.gov (United States)

Pascual, Ma Belén; Cánovas, Francisco M; Ávila, Concepción

2015-10-24

NAC transcription factors comprise a large plant-specific gene family involved in the regulation of diverse biological processes. Despite the growing number of studies on NAC transcription factors in various species, little information is available about this family in conifers. The goal of this study was to identify the NAC transcription family in maritime pine (Pinus pinaster), to characterize ATAF-like genes in response to various stresses and to study their molecular regulation. We have isolated two maritime pine NAC genes and using a transient expression assay in N. benthamiana leaves estudied the promoter jasmonate response. In this study, we identified 37 NAC genes from maritime pine and classified them into six main subfamilies. The largest group includes 12 sequences corresponding to stress-related genes. Two of these NAC genes, PpNAC2 and PpNAC3, were isolated and their expression profiles were examined at various developmental stages and in response to various types of stress. The expression of both genes was strongly induced by methyl jasmonate (MeJA), mechanical wounding, and high salinity. The promoter regions of these genes were shown to contain cis-elements involved in the stress response and plant hormonal regulation, including E-boxes, which are commonly found in the promoters of genes that respond to jasmonate, and binding sites for bHLH proteins. Using a transient expression assay in N. benthamiana leaves, we found that the promoter of PpNAC3 was rapidly induced upon MeJA treatment, while this response disappeared in plants in which the transcription factor NbbHLH2 was silenced. Our results suggest that PpNAC2 and PpNAC3 encode stress-responsive NAC transcription factors involved in the jasmonate response in pine. Furthermore, these data also suggest that the jasmonate signaling pathway is conserved between angiosperms and gymnosperms. These findings may be useful for engineering stress tolerance in pine via biotechnological approaches.

Microarray analysis of expression of cell death-associated genes in rat spinal cord cells exposed to cyclic tensile stresses in vitro

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Roberts Sally

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The application of mechanical insults to the spinal cord results in profound cellular and molecular changes, including the induction of neuronal cell death and altered gene expression profiles. Previous studies have described alterations in gene expression following spinal cord injury, but the specificity of this response to mechanical stimuli is difficult to investigate in vivo. Therefore, we have investigated the effect of cyclic tensile stresses on cultured spinal cord cells from E15 Sprague-Dawley rats, using the FX3000® Flexercell Strain Unit. We examined cell morphology and viability over a 72 hour time course. Microarray analysis of gene expression was performed using the Affymetrix GeneChip System®, where categorization of identified genes was performed using the Gene Ontology (GO and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG systems. Changes in expression of 12 genes were validated with quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR. Results The application of cyclic tensile stress reduced the viability of cultured spinal cord cells significantly in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Increasing either the strain or the strain rate independently was associated with significant decreases in spinal cord cell survival. There was no clear evidence of additive effects of strain level with strain rate. GO analysis identified 44 candidate genes which were significantly related to "apoptosis" and 17 genes related to "response to stimulus". KEGG analysis identified changes in the expression levels of 12 genes of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK signaling pathway, which were confirmed to be upregulated by RT-PCR analysis. Conclusions We have demonstrated that spinal cord cells undergo cell death in response to cyclic tensile stresses, which were dose- and time-dependent. In addition, we have identified the up regulation of various genes, in particular of the MAPK pathway, which

Ambulatory stress monitoring with a wearable bluetooth electrocardiographic device.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Sungyoup; Yang, Youngmo; Lee, Jangyoung; Yang, Heebum; Park, Kyungnam; Lee, Suyeul; Lee, Inbum; Jang, Yongwon

2010-01-01

We tried to monitor stress by using a wearable one channel ECG device that can send ECG signals through Bluetooth wireless communication. Noxious physical and mental arithmetic stress was given three times repeatedly to healthy adults, and cortisol and catecholamines were measured serially from peripheral blood. At the same time, time domain and frequency domain parameters of heart rate variability (HRV) were calculated by taking precordial electrocardiogram. The intensity of correlation between subjective visual analogue scale (VAS) and catecholamine, cortisol, and HRV parameters according to stress was analyzed by using concordance correlation coefficients. The HRV triangular index and LF/HF ratio had high concordance correlation with the degree of stress in the physical stress model. In mental arithmetic stress model, the HRV triangular index and LF/HF ratio had weak concordance correlation with the degree of stress, and it had lower predictability than epinephrine. In both models, cortisol had some correlation with catecholamine, but it had little correlation with HRV parameters. HRV parameters using wearable one channel ECG device can be useful in predicting acute stress and also in many other areas.

Work-related stress management by Finnish enterprises.

Science.gov (United States)

Kinnunen-Amoroso, Maritta; Liira, Juha

2014-01-01

Work-related stress has become one of the major problems in working societies and it increases employees' risk of disease. Its importance has been emphasized also due to its' great socio-economic consequences. Different stress management and worksite interventions have been implemented, however, the actual practices in companies have been assessed little. The purpose of this study was to examine how enterprises in Finland manage work-related stress. An assessment of work-related stress methods was conducted in 40 enterprises acting in the metropolitan area of Finland in May 2010 by a questionnaire. The concept of work-related stress was well known by participants. Enterprises rarely had their own work-related stress management protocol even though all of the workplaces had experienced work-related stress at some point. The collaboration between the workplace and occupational health services varied. Companies easily placed the responsibility for work-related stress assessment and handling on occupational health services. Workplaces have to pay more attention to work-related stress and related issues. The easiest way to do this is to collaborate with occupational health services. Protocols for collaboration should be developed jointly using the available models which have been established as cost-effective.

On the use of wearable physiological monitors to assess heat strain during occupational heat stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Notley, Sean R; Flouris, Andreas D; Kenny, Glen P

2018-05-04

Workers in many industries are required to perform arduous work in high heat stress conditions, which can lead to rapid increases in body temperature that elevate the risk of heat-related illness or even death. Traditionally, effort to mitigate work-related heat injury has been directed to the assessment of environmental heat stress (e.g., wet-bulb globe temperature), rather than the associated physiological strain responses (e.g., heart rate, skin and core temperatures). However, since a workers physiological response to a given heat stress is modified independently by inter-individual factors (e.g., age, sex, chronic disease, others) and intra-individual factors both within (e.g., medication use, fitness, acclimation and hydration state, others) and beyond a workers control (e.g., shift duration, illness, others), it becomes challenging to protect workers on an individual basis from heat-related injury without assessing those physiological responses. Recent advancements in wearable technology have made it possible to monitor one or more physiological indices of heat strain. Nonetheless, information on the utility of the wearable systems available for assessing occupational heat strain is unavailable. This communication is therefore directed at identifying the physiological indices of heat strain that may be quantified in the workplace and evaluating the wearable monitoring systems available for assessing those responses. Finally, emphasis is directed to the barriers associated with implementing these devices to assist in mitigating work-related heat injury. This information is fundamental for protecting worker health and could also be utilized to prevent heat illnesses in vulnerable people during leisure or athletic activities in the heat.

EDF reactor building containment: Monitoring of the pre-stressed concrete structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badez, N.

2009-01-01

The concrete containments of the EDF PWR are pre-stressed, and are monitored to observe the ageing effects on the structure, in particular the evolutions of creep, shrinkage, pre-stress loss, and air leakage tightness. Monitoring devices are installed during construction period, and measurements are checked, stored on a data base, and analysed during all the plant operating life time. The topic of the presentation is to present each part of the EDF monitoring organisation. A continuous monitoring makes it possible to produce periodical comprehensive reports about the mechanical analysis of the structure, the strain stabilisation,... Periodical tests (each 10 years) are planned. They consist to submit the containment to an internal air pressure at the accidental pressure level. The monitoring system gives the strain values in order to check their linearity and reversibility with decreasing pressure. At the same time, the containment tightness is checked with a specific instrumentation to verify that leak rate is lower than the required level. A general view of instrumentation implemented on the containment (sensors, data acquisition), and a data analysis are presented

Liposome-based DNA carriers may induce cellular stress response and change gene expression pattern in transfected cells

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background During functional studies on the rat stress-inducible Hspa1b (hsp70.1) gene we noticed that some liposome-based DNA carriers, which are used for transfection, induce its promoter activity. This observation concerned commercial liposome formulations (LA), Lipofectin and Lipofectamine 2000. This work was aimed to understand better the mechanism of this phenomenon and its potential biological and practical consequences. Results We found that a reporter gene driven by Hspa1b promoter is activated both in the case of transient transfections and in the stably transfected cells treated with LA. Using several deletion clones containing different fragments of Hspa1b promoter, we found that the regulatory elements responsible for most efficient LA-driven inducibility were located between nucleotides -269 and +85, relative to the transcription start site. Further studies showed that the induction mechanism was independent of the classical HSE-HSF interaction that is responsible for gene activation during heat stress. Using DNA microarrays we also detected significant activation of the endogenous Hspa1b gene in cells treated with Lipofectamine 2000. Several other stress genes were also induced, along with numerous genes involved in cellular metabolism, cell cycle control and pro-apoptotic pathways. Conclusions Our observations suggest that i) some cationic liposomes may not be suitable for functional studies on hsp promoters, ii) lipofection may cause unintended changes in global gene expression in the transfected cells. PMID:21663599

Liposome-based DNA carriers may induce cellular stress response and change gene expression pattern in transfected cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisowska Katarzyna Marta

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background During functional studies on the rat stress-inducible Hspa1b (hsp70.1 gene we noticed that some liposome-based DNA carriers, which are used for transfection, induce its promoter activity. This observation concerned commercial liposome formulations (LA, Lipofectin and Lipofectamine 2000. This work was aimed to understand better the mechanism of this phenomenon and its potential biological and practical consequences. Results We found that a reporter gene driven by Hspa1b promoter is activated both in the case of transient transfections and in the stably transfected cells treated with LA. Using several deletion clones containing different fragments of Hspa1b promoter, we found that the regulatory elements responsible for most efficient LA-driven inducibility were located between nucleotides -269 and +85, relative to the transcription start site. Further studies showed that the induction mechanism was independent of the classical HSE-HSF interaction that is responsible for gene activation during heat stress. Using DNA microarrays we also detected significant activation of the endogenous Hspa1b gene in cells treated with Lipofectamine 2000. Several other stress genes were also induced, along with numerous genes involved in cellular metabolism, cell cycle control and pro-apoptotic pathways. Conclusions Our observations suggest that i some cationic liposomes may not be suitable for functional studies on hsp promoters, ii lipofection may cause unintended changes in global gene expression in the transfected cells.

Genome-wide Identification of WRKY Genes in the Desert Poplar Populus euphratica and Adaptive Evolution of the Genes in Response to Salt Stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Jianchao; Lu, Jing; Xu, Jianmei; Duan, Bingbing; He, Xiaodong; Liu, Jianquan

2015-01-01

WRKY transcription factors play important roles in plant development and responses to various stresses in plants. However, little is known about the evolution of the WRKY genes in the desert poplar species Populus euphratica, which is highly tolerant of salt stress. In this study, we identified 107 PeWRKY genes from the P. euphratica genome and examined their evolutionary relationships with the WRKY genes of the salt-sensitive congener Populus trichocarpa. Ten PeWRKY genes are specific to P. euphratica, and five of these showed altered expression under salt stress. Furthermore, we found that two pairs of orthologs between the two species showed evidence of positive evolution, with dN/dS ratios>1 (nonsynonymous/synonymous substitutions), and both of them altered their expression in response to salinity stress. These findings suggested that both the development of new genes and positive evolution in some orthologs of the WRKY gene family may have played an important role in the acquisition of high salt tolerance by P. euphratica.

Comparison of the genetic organization of the early salt-stress-response gene system in salt-tolerant Lophopyrum elongatum and salt-sensitive wheat

OpenAIRE

Dubcovsky, J; Galvez, AF; Dvořák, J

1994-01-01

Lophopyrum elongatum is a facultative halophyte related to wheat. Eleven unique clones corresponding to genes showing enhanced mRNA accumulation in the early stages of salt stress were previously isolated from a L. elongatum salt-stressed-root cDNA library. The chromosomal distribution of genes complementary to these clones in several genomes of the tribe Triticeae and their copy number in the L. elongatum and wheat genomes are reported. Genes complementary to clones pESI4, pESI14, pESI15, pE...

AtHD2D gene plays a role in plant growth, development and response to abiotic stresses in Arabidopsis thaliana

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Zhaofen eHan

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Abstracts: The histone deacetylases play important roles in the regulation of gene expression and the subsequent control of a number of important biological processes, including those involved in the response to environmental stress. A specific group of histone deacetylase genes, HD2, is present in plants. In Arabidopsis, HD2s include HD2A, HD2B, HD2C and HD2D. Previous research showed that HD2A, HD2B and HD2C are more related in terms of expression and function, but not HD2D. In this report, we studied different aspects of AtHD2D in Arabidopsis with respect to plant response to drought and other abiotic stresses. Bioinformatics analysis indicates that HD2D is distantly related to other HD2 genes. Transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana and stable expression in Arabidopsis of AtHD2D fused with gfp showed that AtHD2D was expressed in the nucleus. Overexpression of AtHD2D resulted in developmental changes including fewer main roots, more lateral roots, and a higher root:shoot ratio. Seed germination and plant flowering time were delayed in transgenic plants expressing AtHD2D, but these plants exhibited higher degrees of tolerance to abiotic stresses, including drought, salt and cold stresses. Physiological studies indicated that the malondialdehyde (MDA content was high in wild-type plants but in plants overexpressing HD2D the MDA level increased slowly in response to stress conditions of drought, cold, and salt stress. Furthermore, electrolyte leakage in leaf cells of wild type plants increased but remained stable in transgenic plants. Our results indicate that AtHD2D is unique among HD2 genes and it plays a role in plant growth and development regulation and these changes can modulate plant stress responses.

Growth rate regulated genes and their wide involvement in the Lactococcus lactis stress responses

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Redon Emma

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The development of transcriptomic tools has allowed exhaustive description of stress responses. These responses always superimpose a general response associated to growth rate decrease and a specific one corresponding to the stress. The exclusive growth rate response can be achieved through chemostat cultivation, enabling all parameters to remain constant except the growth rate. Results We analysed metabolic and transcriptomic responses of Lactococcus lactis in continuous cultures at different growth rates ranging from 0.09 to 0.47 h-1. Growth rate was conditioned by isoleucine supply. Although carbon metabolism was constant and homolactic, a widespread transcriptomic response involving 30% of the genome was observed. The expression of genes encoding physiological functions associated with biogenesis increased with growth rate (transcription, translation, fatty acid and phospholipids metabolism. Many phages, prophages and transposon related genes were down regulated as growth rate increased. The growth rate response was compared to carbon and amino-acid starvation transcriptomic responses, revealing constant and significant involvement of growth rate regulations in these two stressful conditions (overlap 27%. Two regulators potentially involved in the growth rate regulations, llrE and yabB, have been identified. Moreover it was established that genes positively regulated by growth rate are preferentially located in the vicinity of replication origin while those negatively regulated are mainly encountered at the opposite, thus indicating the relationship between genes expression and their location on chromosome. Although stringent response mechanism is considered as the one governing growth deceleration in bacteria, the rigorous comparison of the two transcriptomic responses clearly indicated the mechanisms are distinct. Conclusion This work of integrative biology was performed at the global level using transcriptomic analysis

TaWRKY68 responses to biotic stresses are revealed by the orthologous genes from major cereals

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Bo Ding

2014-01-01

Full Text Available WRKY transcription factors have been extensively characterized in the past 20 years, but in wheat, studies onWRKY genes and their function are lagging behind many other species. To explore the function of wheat WRKY genes, we identified a TaWRKY68 gene from a common wheat cultivar. It encodes a protein comprising 313 amino acids which harbors 19 conserved motifs or active sites. Gene expression patterns were determined by analyzing microarray data of TaWRKY68 in wheat and of orthologous genes from maize, rice and barley using Genevestigator. TaWRKY68 orthologs were identified and clustered using DELTA-BLAST and COBALT programs available at NCBI. The results showed that these genes, which are expressed in all tissues tested, had relatively higher levels in the roots and were up-regulated in response to biotic stresses. Bioinformatics results were confirmed by RT-PCR experiments using wheat plants infected by Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Blumeria graminis, or treated with Deoxynivalenol, a Fusarium graminearum-induced mycotoxin in wheat or barley. In summary,TaWRKY68 functions differ during plant developmental stages and might be representing a hub gene function in wheat responses to various biotic stresses. It was also found that including data from major cereal genes in the bioinformatics analysis gave more accurate and comprehensive predictions of wheat gene functions.

Identification of Arabidopsis candidate genes in response to biotic and abiotic stresses using comparative microarrays.

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Arjun Sham

Full Text Available Plants have evolved with intricate mechanisms to cope with multiple environmental stresses. To adapt with biotic and abiotic stresses, plant responses involve changes at the cellular and molecular levels. The current study was designed to investigate the effects of combinations of different environmental stresses on the transcriptome level of Arabidopsis genome using public microarray databases. We investigated the role of cyclopentenones in mediating plant responses to environmental stress through TGA (TGACG motif-binding factor transcription factor, independently from jasmonic acid. Candidate genes were identified by comparing plants inoculated with Botrytis cinerea or treated with heat, salt or osmotic stress with non-inoculated or non-treated tissues. About 2.5% heat-, 19% salinity- and 41% osmotic stress-induced genes were commonly upregulated by B. cinerea-treatment; and 7.6%, 19% and 48% of genes were commonly downregulated by B. cinerea-treatment, respectively. Our results indicate that plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses are mediated by several common regulatory genes. Comparisons between transcriptome data from Arabidopsis stressed-plants support our hypothesis that some molecular and biological processes involved in biotic and abiotic stress response are conserved. Thirteen of the common regulated genes to abiotic and biotic stresses were studied in detail to determine their role in plant resistance to B. cinerea. Moreover, a T-DNA insertion mutant of the Responsive to Dehydration gene (rd20, encoding for a member of the caleosin (lipid surface protein family, showed an enhanced sensitivity to B. cinerea infection and drought. Overall, the overlapping of plant responses to abiotic and biotic stresses, coupled with the sensitivity of the rd20 mutant, may provide new interesting programs for increased plant resistance to multiple environmental stresses, and ultimately increases its chances to survive. Future research

The Grape VlWRKY3 Gene Promotes Abiotic and Biotic Stress Tolerance in Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana

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Rongrong Guo

2018-04-01

Full Text Available WRKY transcription factors are known to play important roles in plant responses to various abiotic and biotic stresses. The grape WRKY gene, WRKY3 was previously reported to respond to salt and drought stress, as well as methyl jasmonate and ethylene treatments in Vitis labrusca × V. vinifera cv. ‘Kyoho.’ In the current study, WRKY3 from the ‘Kyoho’ grape cultivar was constitutively expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana under control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. The 35S::VlWRKY3 transgenic A. thaliana plants showed improved salt and drought stress tolerance during the germination, seedling and the mature plant stages. Various physiological traits related to abiotic stress responses were evaluated to gain further insight into the role of VlWRKY3, and it was found that abiotic stress caused less damage to the transgenic seedlings than to the wild-type (WT plants. VlWRKY3 over-expression also resulted in altered expression levels of abiotic stress-responsive genes. Moreover, the 35S::VlWRKY3 transgenic A. thaliana lines showed improved resistance to Golovinomyces cichoracearum, but increased susceptibility to Botrytis cinerea, compared with the WT plants. Collectively, these results indicate that VlWRKY3 plays important roles in responses to both abiotic and biotic stress, and modification of its expression may represent a strategy to enhance stress tolerance in crops.