Cadmium Alters the Metabolism and Perception of Abscisic Acid in Pisum sativum Leaves in a Developmentally Specific Manner.

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a crucial role in plant defense mechanisms under adverse environmental conditions, but its metabolism and perception in response to heavy metals are largely unknown. In Pisum sativum exposed to CdCl2, an accumulation of free ABA was detected in leaves at different developmental stages (A, youngest, unexpanded; B1, youngest, fully expanded; B2, mature; C, old), with the highest content found in A and B1 leaves. In turn, the content of ABA conjugates, which was highest in B2 and C leaves under control conditions, increased only in A leaves and decreased in leaves of later developmental stages after Cd treatment. Based on the expression of PsNCED2, PsNCED3 (9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase), PsAO3 (aldehyde oxidase) and PsABAUGT1 (ABA-UDP-glucosyltransferase), and the activity of PsAOγ, B2 and C leaves were found to be the main sites of Cd-induced de novo synthesis of ABA from carotenoids and ABA conjugation with glucose. In turn, ß-glucosidase activity and the expression of genes encoding ABA receptors (PsPYL2, PsPYL4, PsPYL8, PsPYL9) suggest that in A and B1 leaves, Cd-induced release of ABA from inactive ABA-glucosyl esters and enhanced ABA perception comes to the forefront when dealing with Cd toxicity. The distinct role of leaves at different developmental stages in defense against the harmful effects of Cd is discussed.

Efficacy of Single- and Dual-Docking Robotic Surgery of Paraaortic and Pelvic Lymphadenectomy in High-Risk Endometrial Cancer.

(1) The surgical method of choice for the treatment of endometrial cancer is minimally invasive surgery. In cases of high-risk endometrial cancer, completed paraaortic and pelvic lymphadenectomy are indicated. The aim of this study was to analyze the types of docking during robotic surgery assisted with the da Vinci X system while performing paraaortic and pelvic lymphadenectomy. (2) Methods: A total of 25 patients with high-risk endometrial cancer, with a mean age of 60.07 ± 10.67 (range 34.69-83.23) years, and with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 28.4 ± 5.62 (range 18-41.5) kg/m2, were included in this study. The analyzed population was divided into groups that underwent single or dual docking during surgery. (3) Results: No statistical significance was observed between single and dual docking during paraaortic and pelvic lymphadenectomy and between the type of docking and the duration of the operation. However, there was a statistically significant correlation between the duration of the operation and previous surgery (p < 0.005). The number of removed lymph nodes was statistically associated with BMI (p < 0.005): 15.87 ± 6.83 and 24.5 ± 8.7 for paraaortic and pelvic lymph nodes, respectively, in cases of single docking, and 18.05 ± 7.92 and 24.88 ± 11.75 for paraaortic and pelvic lymph nodes, respectively, in cases of dual docking. (4) Conclusions: The robot-assisted approach is a good surgical method for lymphadenectomy for obese patients, and, despite the type of docking, there are no differences in the quality of surgery.

Robotic surgery in endometrial cancer: first Polish experience.

In Poland, robotic surgery is nowadays perceived as a new method of surgical treatment in endometrial cancer patients. We aim to present the first Polish group of endometrial cancer patients treated using robotic surgery. The analysis was based on 79 patients with mean age of 59.72 ± 11.709 (range 27-83) years and endometrial cancer scheduled for surgical treatment. Mean BMI was 31.38 ± 8.78 (range 19.03-65.97) kg/m2. The data were collected based on a questionnaire consisting of 19 questions concerning the patient's perception of robotic surgery before the procedure. Patients with a family history of neoplastic diseases indicate precision of movements as the most important reason for choosing robotic surgery (p = 0.0035). Patients after surgery procedures in the past named shorter hospitalization as a major benefit (p = 0.0037). Patients who chose robotic surgery for financial reasons stressed the cosmetic effect as a priority (p = 0.0319). Shorter length of hospital stay, less blood loss, enlarged view, and good visualization were statistically significant reasons for choosing robotic surgery (p < 0.05). Women who consider work, good material status, and well-being as the most important aspects of their lives cited the cosmetic effect as a benefit of robotic surgery (p = 0.0029 vs. p = 0.0074 vs. p = 0.01745, respectively). In the follow-up after operations, no patients regretted choosing robotic surgery. Good visualization, precise movements, less blood loss, and cosmetic effects are the most frequent reasons for choosing robotic surgery. Even patients after other types of surgery in the past decided on robot-assisted radical hysterectomy because of the clear benefits of this approach.

Transcriptome profiling of regulatory T cells from children with transient hypogammaglobulinemia of infancy.

Transient hypogammaglobulinemia of infancy (THI) is one of the most common forms of hypogammaglobulinemia in the early childhood. THI is usually associated with chronic, recurrent bacterial and viral infections, life-threatening in some cases, yet its pathogenesis is still largely unknown. As our previous findings indicated the possible role of Treg cells in the pathomechanism of THI, the aim of the current study was to investigate gene expression profile of Treg cells isolated from THI patients. The transcriptome-wide gene profiling was performed using microarray technology on THI patients in two time-points: during (THI-1), and in resolution phase (THI-2) of hypogammaglobulinemia. As a result, a total of 1086 genes were differentially expressed in THI-1 patients, when compared to THI-2 as well as control group. Among them, 931 were up- and 155 downregulated, and part of them encodes genes important for Treg lymphocyte biology and function, i.e. transcription factors/cofactors that regulate FOXP3 expression. Thus, we postulate that Treg cells isolated from THI patients during hypogammaglobulinemia display enhanced suppressor transcriptome signature. Treg expression profile of THI children after normalization of Ig levels largely resembles the results obtained in healthy control group, suggesting THI Treg transcriptome seems to return to that observed in healthy children. Taken together, we suggest that THI pathomechanism is associated not only with transiently elevated Treg cell numbers, but also with their enhanced regulatory/inhibitory functions. These findings expand our knowledge of human Treg cells and may be useful for the future diagnosis or management of THI.

Activation-induced chromatin reorganization in neurons depends on HDAC1 activity.

Spatial chromatin organization is crucial for transcriptional regulation and might be particularly important in neurons since they dramatically change their transcriptome in response to external stimuli. We show that stimulation of neurons causes condensation of large chromatin domains. This phenomenon can be observed in vitro in cultured rat hippocampal neurons as well as in vivo in the amygdala and hippocampal neurons. Activity-induced chromatin condensation is an active, rapid, energy-dependent, and reversible process. It involves calcium-dependent pathways but is independent of active transcription. It is accompanied by the redistribution of posttranslational histone modifications and rearrangements in the spatial organization of chromosome territories. Moreover, it leads to the reorganization of nuclear speckles and active domains located in their proximity. Finally, we find that the histone deacetylase HDAC1 is the key regulator of this process. Our results suggest that HDAC1-dependent chromatin reorganization constitutes an important level of transcriptional regulation in neurons.

FTO and PLAG1 Genes Expression and FTO Methylation Predict Changes in Circulating Levels of Adipokines and Gastrointestinal Peptides in Children.

Adipokines and gastrointestinal tract hormones are important metabolic parameters, and both epigenetic factors and differential gene expression patterns may be associated with the alterations in their concentrations in children. The function of the FTO gene (FTO alpha-ketoglutarate dependent dioxygenase) in the regulation of the global metabolic rate is well described, whereas the influence of protooncogene PLAG1 (PLAG1 zinc finger) is still not fully understood. A cross-sectional study on a group of 26 children with various BMI values (15.3-41.7; median 28) was carried out. The aim was to evaluate the dependencies between the level of methylation and expression of aforementioned genes with the concentration of selected gastrointestinal tract hormones and adipokines in children. Expression and methylation were measured in peripheral blood mononuclear DNA by a microarray technique and a restriction enzyme method, respectively. All peptide concentrations were determined using the enzyme immunoassay method. The expression level of both FTO and PLAG1 genes was statistically significantly related to the concentration of adipokines: negatively for apelin and leptin receptor, and positively for leptin. Furthermore, both FTO methylation and expression negatively correlated with the concentration of resistin and visfatin. Cholecystokinin was negatively correlated, whereas fibroblast growth factor 21 positively correlated with methylation and expression of the FTO gene, while FTO and PLAG1 expression was negatively associated with the level of cholecystokinin and glucagon-like peptide-1. The PLAG1 gene expression predicts an increase in leptin and decrease in ghrelin levels. Our results indicate that the FTO gene correlates with the concentration of hormones produced by the adipose tissue and gastrointestinal tract, and PLAG1 gene may be involved in adiposity pathogenesis. However, the exact molecular mechanisms still need to be clarified.

Effect of Short-Term Cold Treatment on Carbohydrate Metabolism in Potato Leaves.

Plants are often challenged by an array of unfavorable environmental conditions. During cold exposure, many changes occur that include, for example, the stabilization of cell membranes, alterations in gene expression and enzyme activities, as well as the accumulation of metabolites. In the presented study, the carbohydrate metabolism was analyzed in the very early response of plants to a low temperature (2 °C) in the leaves of 5-week-old potato plants of the Russet Burbank cultivar during the first 12 h of cold treatment (2 h dark and 10 h light). First, some plant stress indicators were examined and it was shown that short-term cold exposure did not significantly affect the relative water content and chlorophyll content (only after 12 h), but caused an increase in malondialdehyde concentration and a decrease in the expression of NDA1, a homolog of the NADH dehydrogenase gene. In addition, it was shown that the content of transitory starch increased transiently in the very early phase of the plant response (3-6 h) to cold treatment, and then its decrease was observed after 12 h. In contrast, soluble sugars such as glucose and fructose were significantly increased only at the end of the light period, where a decrease in sucrose content was observed. The availability of the monosaccharides at constitutively high levels, regardless of the temperature, may delay the response to cold, involving amylolytic starch degradation in chloroplasts. The decrease in starch content, observed in leaves after 12 h of cold exposure, was preceded by a dramatic increase in the transcript levels of the key enzymes of starch degradation initiation, the α-glucan, water dikinase (GWD-EC 2.7.9.4) and the phosphoglucan, water dikinase (PWD-EC 2.7.9.5). The gene expression of both dikinases peaked at 9 h of cold exposure, as analyzed by real-time PCR. Moreover, enhanced activities of the acid invertase as well as of both glucan phosphorylases during exposure to a chilling temperature were observed. However, it was also noticed that during the light phase, there was a general increase in glucan phosphorylase activities for both control and cold-stressed plants irrespective of the temperature. In conclusion, a short-term cold treatment alters the carbohydrate metabolism in the leaves of potato, which leads to an increase in the content of soluble sugars.

Proline Concentration and Its Metabolism Are Regulated in a Leaf Age Dependent Manner But Not by Abscisic Acid in Pea Plants Exposed to Cadmium Stress.

The accumulation of proline is one of the defense mechanisms of plants against the harmful effects of adverse environmental conditions; however, when pea plants were treated for 12 h with CdCl2, the proline concentration decreased in the youngest A (not expanded) and B1 (expanded) leaves, and did not change significantly in the B2 (mature, expanded) or C (the oldest) leaves. After 24 h of cadmium (Cd) stress, the proline concentration remained low in A and B1 leaves, while in B2 and C leaves, it increased, and after 48 h, an increase in the proline concentration in the leaves at each stage of development was observed. The role of proline in the different phases of plant response to the Cd treatment is discussed. Changes in proline accumulation corresponded closely with changes in the transcript levels of PsP5CS2, a gene encoding D1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase involved in proline synthesis, and PsPDH1, a gene encoding proline dehydrogenase engaged in proline degradation. CdCl2 application induced the expression of PsProT1 and PsProT2, genes encoding proline transporters, especially during the first 12 h of treatment in A and B1 leaves. When the time courses of abscisic acid (ABA) and proline accumulation were compared, it was concluded that an increase in the proline concentration in the leaves of Cd-treated pea plants was more related to a decrease in chlorophyll concentration (leaves B2 and C) and an increase in the malondialdehyde level (A and B1 leaves) than with an increase in ABA concentration alone. Exogenous application of ABA (0.5, 5, 50 µM) significantly increased the proline concentration in the A leaves of pea plants only, and was accompanied by an elevated and repressed expression of PsP5CS2 and PsPDH1 in these leaves, respectively. The presented results suggest that under Cd stress, the accumulation of proline in leaves of pea plants may take place independently of the ABA signaling.

PartSeg: a tool for quantitative feature extraction from 3D microscopy images for dummies.

BACKGROUND: Bioimaging techniques offer a robust tool for studying molecular pathways and morphological phenotypes of cell populations subjected to various conditions. As modern high-resolution 3D microscopy provides access to an ever-increasing amount of high-quality images, there arises a need for their analysis in an automated, unbiased, and simple way. Segmentation of structures within the cell nucleus, which is the focus of this paper, presents a new layer of complexity in the form of dense packing and significant signal overlap. At the same time, the available segmentation tools provide a steep learning curve for new users with a limited technical background. This is especially apparent in the bulk processing of image sets, which requires the use of some form of programming notation. RESULTS: In this paper, we present PartSeg, a tool for segmentation and reconstruction of 3D microscopy images, optimised for the study of the cell nucleus. PartSeg integrates refined versions of several state-of-the-art algorithms, including a new multi-scale approach for segmentation and quantitative analysis of 3D microscopy images. The features and user-friendly interface of PartSeg were carefully planned with biologists in mind, based on analysis of multiple use cases and difficulties encountered with other tools, to offer an ergonomic interface with a minimal entry barrier. Bulk processing in an ad-hoc manner is possible without the need for programmer support. As the size of datasets of interest grows, such bulk processing solutions become essential for proper statistical analysis of results. Advanced users can use PartSeg components as a library within Python data processing and visualisation pipelines, for example within Jupyter notebooks. The tool is extensible so that new functionality and algorithms can be added by the use of plugins. For biologists, the utility of PartSeg is presented in several scenarios, showing the quantitative analysis of nuclear structures. CONCLUSIONS: In this paper, we have presented PartSeg which is a tool for precise and verifiable segmentation and reconstruction of 3D microscopy images. PartSeg is optimised for cell nucleus analysis and offers multi-scale segmentation algorithms best-suited for this task. PartSeg can also be used for the bulk processing of multiple images and its components can be reused in other systems or computational experiments.

Transcriptome analysis reveals dysregulation of genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation in a murine model of retinopathy of prematurity.

BACKGROUND: Retinal gene expression pattern is severely altered after exposition to hyperoxia in mice with oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR), a common model of retinopathy of prematurity. Gene ontology and signaling pathway analyses may add new insights into a better understanding of the pathogenesis of this disease. METHODS: Seven-day-old C57BL/6J mice (n = 60) were exposed to 75% oxygen for 5 days and then recovered in room air. The controls (n = 60) were kept in the normoxic conditions. Retinas were harvested immediately following hyperoxia, during the phase of maximal neovascularization, and at the time of neovascularization regression. The retinal RNA samples were evaluated for gene expression using mouse gene expression microarrays. DAVID annotation tools were used for gene ontology and pathway analyses. RESULTS: The most significantly enriched signaling pathways during the neovascularization phase of OIR were: focal adhesion; ECM-receptor interaction; PI3K-Akt; oxidative phosphorylation; and Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's disease signaling pathways. Genes involved in apoptosis, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and immune responses were associated with neovascularization regression. CONCLUSIONS: Performed analyses revealed the possible involvement of various signaling pathways in OIR pathomechanism, mostly specific to the OIR phase. Dysregulation of genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation may have an impact on neovascularization development.

Pulmonary vascular disease is evident in gene regulation of experimental bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Objective: To examine the gene expression regarding pulmonary vascular disease in experimental bronchopulmonary dysplasia in young mice. Premature delivery puts babies at risk of severe complications. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a common complication of premature birth leading to lifelong affection of pulmonary function. BPD is recognized as a disease of arrested alveolar development. The disease process is not fully described and no complete cure or prevention is known. The focus of interest in the search for treatment and prevention of BPD has traditionally been at airspace level; however, the pulmonary vasculature is increasingly acknowledged in the pathology of BPD. The aim of the investigation was to study the gene expression in lungs with BPD with regards to pulmonary vascular disease (PVD).Methods: We employed a murine model of hyperoxia-induced BPD and gene expression microarray technique to determine the mRNA expression in lung tissue from young mice. We combined gene expression pathway analysis and analyzed the biological function of multiple single gene transcripts from lung homogenate to study the PVD relevant gene expression.Results: There were n = 117 significantly differentially regulated genes related to PVD through down-regulation of contractile elements, up- and down-regulation of factors involved in vascular tone and tissue-specific genes. Several genes also allowed for pinpointing gene expression differences to the pulmonary vasculature. The gene Nppa coding for a natriuretic peptide, a potent vasodilator, was significantly down-regulated and there was a significant up-regulation of Pde1a (phosphodiesterase 1A), Ptger3 (prostaglandin e receptor 3), and Ptgs1 (prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase one).Conclusion: The pulmonary vasculature is affected by the arrest of secondary alveolarization as seen by differentially regulated genes involved in vascular tone and pulmonary vasculature suggesting BPD is not purely an airspace disease. Clues to prevention and treatment may lie in the pulmonary vascular system.

Short- and long-term impact of hyperoxia on the blood and retinal cells' transcriptome in a mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to identify global blood and retinal gene expression patterns in murine oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR), a common model of retinopathy of prematurity, which may allow better understanding of the pathogenesis of this severe ocular prematurity complication and identification of potential blood biomarkers. METHODS: A total of 120 C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into an OIR group, in which 7-day-old pups were maintained in 75% oxygen for 5 days, or a control group. RNA was extracted from the whole-blood mononuclear cells and retinal cells on days 12, 17, and 28. Gene expression in the RNA samples was evaluated with mouse gene expression microarrays. RESULTS: There were 38, 1370 and 111 genes, the expression of which differed between the OIR and control retinas on days 12, 17, and 28, respectively. Gene expression in the blood mononuclear cells was significantly altered only on day 17. Deptor and Nol4 genes showed reduced expression both in the blood and retinal cells on day 17. CONCLUSION: There are sustained marked changes in the global pattern of gene expression in the OIR mice retinas. An altered expression of Deptor and Nol4 genes in the blood mononuclear cells requires further investigation as they may indicate retinal neovascularization.

Hypermethylation of NRG1 gene correlates with the presence of heart defects in Down's syndrome.

Congenital heart defects can decrease the quality of life and life expectancy in affected individuals, and constitute a major burden for the health care systems. Endocardial cushion defects are among the most prevalent heart malformations in the general population, and are extremely frequent (approximately a 100-fold higher prevalence) in children with Down syndrome. Several genes have been proposed to be involved in the pathogenesis of these malformations, but no common pathogenic DNA variants have been identified so far. Here, we focussed on constitutive, epigenetic alterations of function of selected genes, potentially important for endocardial cushion development. We used two types of microarrays, dedicated for assessment of gene promoter methylation and whole genome expression. First, we compared the gene promoter methylation profiles between two groups of Down syndrome patients, with and without heart defects of endocardial cushion-type. Then, to determine the functional role of the detected methylation alterations, we assessed the expression of the genes of interest. We detected significant hypermethylation of the NRG1 gene promoter region in children with heart defects. NRG1 is a key factor in maturation of endocardial cushions. Supplementary gene expression assessment revealed significantly decreased activity of the ERBB3, SHC3 and SHC4 genes in children with heart defects. The above three genes are closely related to the NRG1 gene and are crucial elements of the NRG/ErbB pathway. The results of this pilot study show that hypermethylation of the NRG1 gene promoter can reflect the functional genome alteration contributing to development of congenital heart defects of endocardial cushion-type.

Immune System Regulation Affected by a Murine Experimental Model of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: Genomic and Epigenetic Findings.

BACKGROUND: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a common cause of abrupted lung development after preterm birth. BPD may lead to increased rehospitalization, more severe and frequent respiratory infections, and life-long reduced lung function. The gene regulation in lungs with BPD is complex, with various genetic and epigenetic factors involved. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine the regulatory relation between gene expression and the epigenome (DNA methylation) relevant for the immune system after hyperoxia followed by a recovery period in air using a mouse model of BPD. METHODS: Newborn mice pups were subjected to an immediate hyperoxic condition from birth and kept at 85% O2 levels for 14 days followed by a 14-day period in room air. Next, mice lung tissue was used for RNA and DNA extraction with subsequent microarray-based assessment of lung transcriptome and supplementary methylome analysis. RESULTS: The immune system-related transcriptomeregulation was affected in mouse lungs after hyperoxia. A high proportion of genes relevant in the immune system exhibited significant expression alterations, e.g., B cell-specific genes central to the cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, the PI3K-AKT, and the B cell receptor signaling pathways. The findings were accompanied by significant DNA hypermethylation observed in the PI3K-AKT pathway and immune system-relevant genes. CONCLUSIONS: Oxygen damage could be partly responsible for the increased susceptibility and abnormal response to respiratory viruses and infections seen in premature babies with BPD through dysregulated genes.

The interplay of PsABAUGT1 with other abscisic acid metabolic genes in the regulation of ABA homeostasis during the development of pea seeds and germination in the presence of H2O2.

Inactivation of abscisic acid (ABA) in vitro may be catalyzed either by ABA 8'-hydroxylase (ABA8'OH) or by ABA uridine diphosphate glucosyltransferase (ABAUGT), which conjugates ABA with glucose. However, the involvement of these enzymes in the control of ABA content in vivo, especially ABAUGT, has not been fully elucidated. In pea seeds, both PsABAUGT1 and PsABA8'OH1 contribute to the reduction of ABA content during seed maturation and imbibition; however, during the first hours of imbibition, a high expression of only PsABAUGT1 was observed. Imbibition of seeds with H2O2 increased the ABA content despite the oxygen availability and altered the expression of metabolic genes. The expression of the biosynthetic gene 9-cis-epoxycarotene dioxygenase (PsNCED2) was increased, while that of PsABAUGT1 was decreased in each H2O2 experiment despite O2 availability. Under hypoxia, only seeds imbibed with H2O2 germinated, while under nonlimiting oxygen conditions, the germination rate was not altered by H2O2. Under hypoxia, the germination rate of H2O2-imbibed seeds seemed to not depend on the absolute ABA content and rather on the balance between ABA and gibberellins (GA), as H2O2 increased the expression of GA synthesis genes. Overexpression of PsABAUGT1 in Arabidopsis decreases seed ABA content, accelerates germination and reduces seed sensitivity to exogenously applied ABA, confirming the ability of PsABAUGT1 to inactivate ABA. Thus, PsABAUGT1 is a new player in the regulation of ABA content in maturating and imbibed pea seeds, both under standard conditions and in response to H2O2.

Baculovirus Expression and Potential Diagnostic Application of the Gp51 Envelope Glycoprotein of Genetic Mutants of the Bovine Leukaemia Virus.

INTRODUCTION: Field isolates of bovine leukaemia virus (BLV) show the presence of a few amino acid substitutions in major conformational G and H epitopes on surface glycoprotein gp51. Potentially, these substitutions can affect the 3D structure of these epitopes leading to their diminished immunoreactivity. The aim of this study was to express three gp51 glycoproteins carrying mutated epitopes as recombinant baculovirus proteins in insect cells to test their immunoreactivity with bovine sera. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Env gene chimeras encoding mutated epitopes G and H in the env backbone of BLV FLK strain were constructed, cloned into pFastBac1 vector, and expressed in baculovirus. RESULTS: The presence of recombinant gp51 protein in Sf9 insect cells was confirmed using monoclonal antibodies. ELISA tests were developed to check the immunoreactivity of recombinant protein with bovine sera. CONCLUSION: Recombinant gp51 proteins with altered G and H epitopes can be used for further studies to analyse the serological response of bovine sera towards BLV antigenic variants.

Plasma proteome changes in cord blood samples from preterm infants.

OBJECTIVE: In the presented study, we aimed to systematically analyze plasma proteomes in cord blood samples from preterm infants stratified by their gestational age to identify proteins and related malfunctioning pathways at birth, possibly contributing to the complications observed among preterm infants. STUDY DESIGN: Preterm newborns were enrolled of three subgroups with different gestation age: newborns born ≤26 (group 1), between 27 and 28 (group 2) and between 29 and 30 (group 3) weeks of gestation, respectively, and compared to the control group of healthy, full-term newborns in respect to their plasma proteome composition. RESULT: Preterm delivery is associated with multiple protein abundance changes in plasma related to a plethora of processes, including inflammation and immunomodulation, coagulation, and complement activation as some key features. CONCLUSION: Plasma proteome analysis revealed numerous gestation-age-dependent protein abundance differences between term and preterm infants, which highlight key dysregulated pathways and potential new protein treatment targets.

Hyperoxia induces epigenetic changes in newborn mice lungs.

Supplemental oxygen exposure is a risk factor for the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Reactive oxygen species may damage lung tissue, but hyperoxia also has the potential to alter genome activity via changes in DNA methylation. Understanding the epigenetic potential of hyperoxia would enable further improvement of the therapeutic strategies for BPD. Here we aimed to identify hyperoxia-related alterations in DNA methylation, which could affect the activity of crucial genetic pathways involved in the development of hyperoxic lung injury. Newborn mice (n = 24) were randomized to hyperoxia (85% O2) or normoxia groups for 14 days, followed by normoxia for the subsequent 14 days. The mice were sacrificed on day 28, and lung tissue was analyzed using microarrays developed for the assessment of genome methylation and expression profiles. The mean DNA methylation level was higher in the hyperoxia group than the normoxia group. The analysis of specific DNA fragments revealed hypermethylation of > 1000 gene promoters in the hyperoxia group, confirming the presence of the DNA-hypermethylation effect of hyperoxia. Further analysis showed significant enrichment of the TGF-ß signaling pathway (p = 0.0013). The hypermethylated genes included Tgfbr1, Crebbp, and Creb1, which play central roles in the TGF-ß signaling pathway and cell cycle regulation. Genome expression analysis revealed in the hyperoxia group complementary downregulation of genes that are crucial for cell cycle regulation (Crebbp, Smad2, and Smad3). These results suggest the involvement of the methylation of TGF-ß pathway genes in lung tissue reaction to hyperoxia. The data also suggest that hyperoxia may be a programming factor in newborn mice.

The varied ability of grains to synthesize and catabolize ABA is one of the factors affecting dormancy and its release by after-ripening in imbibed triticale grains of cultivars with different pre-harvest sprouting susceptibilities.

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a phytohormone involved in the acquisition of primary dormancy during seeds maturation as well as dormancy maintenance in imbibed seeds. After imbibition, the ABA content decreased to a much lower level in embryos of freshly harvested triticale grains of the Leontino cultivar, which is more susceptible to pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) than embryos of the Fredro cultivar. Lower ABA content in the Leontino cultivar resulted from increased expression of TsABA8'OH1 and TsABA8'OH2, which encode ABA 8'-hydroxylase and are involved in ABA catabolism. Higher ABA content and maintenance of dormancy in Fredro grains were correlated with intensified ABA biosynthesis, which resulted from higher expression of TsNCED1, which encodes 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase. These results suggest that grains of triticale cultivars with different resistance to PHS vary in their ability to metabolize ABA after imbibition. After-ripening did not affect the ABA content in embryos of dry grains of either triticale cultivar. However, after-ripening caused dormancy release in Fredro grains and significantly affected the ABA content and the rate of its metabolism after imbibition. A more rapid decline in ABA content in imbibed Fredro grains was accompanied by decreased transcript levels of TsNCED1 as well as increased expression of TsABA8'OH1 and TsABA8'OH2. Thus, after-ripening may affect dormancy of grains through reduction of the ABA biosynthesis rate and intensified ABA catabolism. Overexpression of TsNCED1 in tobacco increases ABA content and delays germination, while overexpression of TsABA8'OH2 decreases ABA content, accelerates germination, and reduces the sensitivity to ABA of transgenic seeds compared to seeds of wild-type plants. Therefore, these genes might play an important role in the regulation of triticale grain dormancy, thus affecting susceptibility to PHS.

Comparison of whole genome expression profile between preterm and full-term newborns.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the time dependent expression of genes in preterm neonates and verify the influence of ontogenic maturation and the environmental factors on the gene expression after birth. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was carried out on 20 full-term newborns and 62 preterm newborns (mean birth weight = 1002 [g] (SD: 247), mean gestational age = 27.2 weeks (SD: 1.9)). Blood samples were drawn from all the study participants at birth and at the 36th week postmenstrual age from the preterm group to assess whole genome expression in umbilical cord blood and in peripheral blood leukocytes, respectively. (SurePrint G3 Human Gene Expression v3, 8x60K Microarrays (Agilent)). RESULTS: A substantial number of genes was found to be expressed differentially at the time of birth and at 36 PMA in comparison to the term babies with more genes being down-regulated than up-regulated. However, the fold change in the majority of cases was < 2.0. Extremely preterm and very preterm infants were characterized by significantly down-regulated cytokine and chemokine related pathways. The number of down-regulated genes decreased and number of up-regulated genes increased at 36 PMA vs. cord blood. There were no specific gene expression pathway profiles found within the groups of different gestational ages. CONCLUSIONS: Preterm delivery is associated with a different gene expression profile in comparison to term delivery. The gene expression profile changes with the maturity of a newborn measured by the gestational age.