Identification and expression profile of the SMAX/SMXL family genes in chickpea and lentil provide important players of biotechnological interest involved in plant branching.

MAIN CONCLUSION: SMAX/SMXL family genes were successfully identified and characterized in the chickpea and lentil and gene expression data revealed several genes associated with the modulation of plant branching and powerful targets for use in transgenesis and genome editing. Strigolactones (SL) play essential roles in plant growth, rooting, development, and branching, and are associated with plant resilience to abiotic and biotic stress conditions. Likewise, karrikins (KAR) are "plant smoke-derived molecules" that act in a hormonal signaling pathway similar to SL playing an important role in seed germination and hairy root elongation. The SMAX/SMXL family genes are part of these two signaling pathways, in addition to some of these members acting in a still little known SL- and KAR-independent signaling pathway. To date, the identification and functional characterization of the SMAX/SMXL family genes has not been performed in the chickpea and lentil. In this study, nine SMAX/SMXL genes were systematically identified and characterized in the chickpea and lentil, and their expression profiles were explored under different unstressless or different stress conditions. After a comprehensive in silico characterization of the genes, promoters, proteins, and protein-protein interaction network, the expression profile for each gene was determined using a meta-analysis from the RNAseq datasets and complemented with real-time PCR analysis. The expression profiles of the SMAX/SMXL family genes were very dynamic in different chickpea and lentil organs, with some genes assuming a tissue-specific expression pattern. In addition, these genes were significantly modulated by different stress conditions, indicating that SMAX/SMXL genes, although working in three distinct signaling pathways, can act to modulate plant resilience. Most CaSMAX/SMXL and partner genes such as CaTiE1 and CaLAP1, have a positive correlation with the plant branching level, while most LcSMAX/SMXL genes were less correlated with the plant branching level. The SMXL6, SMXL7, SMXL8, TiE1, LAP1, BES1, and BRC1 genes were highlighted as powerful targets for use in transgenesis and genome editing aiming to develop chickpea and lentil cultivars with improved architecture. Therefore, this study presented a detailed characterization of the SMAX/SMXL genes in the chickpea and lentil, and provided new insights for further studies focused on each SMAX/SMXL gene.

Unraveling the peripheral and local role of inflammatory cytokines in glioblastoma survival.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a life-threatening disease that presents high morbidity and mortality. The standardized treatment protocol results in a global survival of less than three years in the majority of cases. Immunotherapies have gained wide recognition in cancer treatment; however, GBM has an immunosuppressive microenvironment diminishing the possible effectiveness of this therapy. In this sense, investigating the inflammatory settings and the tumoral nature of GBM patients are an important goal to create an individual plan of treatment to improve overall survival rate and quality of life of these patients. Thirty-two patients who underwent surgical resection of GBM were included in this study. Tumor samples and 10 mL of peripheral blood were collected and immediately frozen. TNF-a, IL-1a and IL-4 were evaluated in the tumor and TNF-a, IL-1a and TGF-b in the plasma by Luminex assay. Immunohistochemistry analysis to determine immune celular profile was done, including immunohistochemistry for CD20, CD68 and CD3. Three cases were excluded. Tumor topography, tumor nature, and tumor volume reconstructions were accurately analyzed by T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and FLAIR magnetic resonance imaging. We found that GBM patients with below median peripheral levels of TNF-a and IL-1a had a decreased survival rate when compared to above median patients. On the other hand, patients with below median peripheral levels of TGF-b increased overall survival rate. Intratumoral IL-1a above median was associated with higher number of macrophages and fewer with B cells. Furthermore, plasmatic TNF-a levels were correlated with intratumoral TNF-a levels, suggesting that peripheral cytokines are related to the tumoral microenvironment. Even though tumor size has no difference regarding survival rate, we found a negative correlation between intratumoral IL-4 and tumor size, where larger tumors have less IL-4 expression. Nevertheless, the tumoral nature had a significant effect in overall survival rate, considering that infiltrative tumors showed decreased survival rate and intratumoral TNF-a. Moreover, expansive tumors revealed fewer macrophages and higher T cells. In multiple variation analyzes, we demonstrated that infiltrative tumors and below median peripheral IL-1a expression represent 3 times and 5 times hazard ratio, respectively, demonstrating a poor prognosis. Here we found that peripheral cytokines had a critical role as prognostic tools in a small cohort of GBM patients.

A novel picorna-like virus identified in the cotton boll weevil Anthonomus grandis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

The cotton boll weevil (CBW; Anthonomus grandis; Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is considered the major insect pest of cotton, causing considerable losses in yield and fiber quality. An increase in the boll weevil population due to increasingly inefficient chemical control measures is of great concernamong cotton producers. The absence of conventional or transgenic cultivars with minimal resistance to CBW has stimulated the search for new molecular and biological tools for efficient control of this insect pest. In this study, we used a metagenomic approach based on RNA deep sequencing to investigate the presence of viruses and coding viral RNA in apparently healthy native adult CBW insects collected from cotton crops in Mato Grosso state, Brazil. Using an Illumina HiSeq 2000 paired-end platform, 138,798 virus-related reads were obtained, and a consensus sequence of a putative new virus, 10,632 nucleotides in length, was assembled. The sequences of the 5' and 3' untranslated regions (UTRs) were determined by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE), followed by Nanopore sequencing. The complete genome sequence included a 5'-UTR (1,158 nucleotides), a 3'-UTR (561 nucleotides), and a single ORF of 8,913 nucleotides encoding a large polyprotein. Sequence analysis of the putative polyprotein showed several regions with high sequence similarity to structural and non-structural proteins of viruses of the family Iflaviridae. Pairwise alignments of polyprotein amino acid sequences showed the highest sequence identity (32.13%) to a partial polyprotein sequence of a putative iflavirus (QKN89051.1) found in samples from wild zoo birds in China. Phylogenetic analysis based on full polyprotein sequences of different iflaviruses indicated that this new picorna-like virus is most closely related to iflaviruses found in lepidopteran insects, and it was therefore tentatively named "Anthonomus grandis iflavirus 1" (AgIV-1). This is, to our knowledge, the first complete viral genome sequence found in CBW, and it could provide a basis for further studies about the infectivity and transmission of this virus and its possible association with symptoms or acute disease. AgIV-1 could potentially be used to develop biological or molecular tools, such as a viral vector to carry interfering RNA molecules for CBW control.

Cost-effective screen printing approach for Ce/Nd-doped ZnAl2O4 films: tuning crystallinity induced by the substrate.

Near-infrared (NIR) emitting phosphors are currently receiving considerable attention owing to their high demand in various applications, such as light detection and ranging (LiDAR), short-range communications, security, biosensing and night vision lighting applications. The miniaturization of photonic components demands the integration of thin films into exploitable devices. In this context, NIR emitting ZnAl2O4:Ce/Nd films of hundreds of nanometer thickness are synthesized using a scalable and cost-efficient approach to screen printing. Cerium co-doping is responsible for the Nd emission in the NIR through energy transfer by exciting the films under UV excitation at around 360 nm. Through the proper design of ink, dense Nd/Ce doped ZnAl2O4 ceramic films were produced using polycrystalline alumina. The use of polycrystalline alumina substrates opens up new opportunities because this ceramic is a cheap and well-known substrate for optoelectronic packaging. During manufacturing, as a direct effect of predominant crystal growth over the polycrystalline alumina substrate, an increase in emission intensity is achieved. The results obtained by X-ray photoelectron (XPS) and X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) serve to determine the oxidation state of Ce. The findings of this study indicate that a higher concentration of Ce4+ promotes NIR emission. This study may contribute to a better understanding of film production processes of films based on the ZnAl2O4 matrix and guide future studies on films for NIR emitters.

Overexpression of the GmEXPA1 gene reduces plant susceptibility to Meloidogyne incognita.

KEY MESSAGE: The overexpression of the soybean GmEXPA1 gene reduces plant susceptibility to M. incognita by the increase of root lignification. Plant expansins are enzymes that act in a pH-dependent manner in the plant cell wall loosening and are associated with improved tolerance or resistance to abiotic or biotic stresses. Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPN) can alter the expression profile of several expansin genes in infected root cells. Studies have shown that overexpression or downregulation of particular expansin genes can reduce plant susceptibility to PPNs. Root-knot nematodes (RKN) are obligate sedentary endoparasites of the genus Meloidogyne spp. of which M. incognita is one of the most reported species. Herein, using a transcriptome dataset and real-time PCR assays were identified an expansin A gene (GmEXPA1; Glyma.02G109100) that is upregulated in the soybean nematode-resistant genotype PI595099 compared to the susceptible cultivar BRS133 during plant parasitism by M. incognita. To understand the role of the GmEXPA1 gene during the interaction between soybean plant and M. incognita were generated stable A. thaliana and N. tabacum transgenic lines. Remarkably, both A. thaliana and N. tabacum transgenic lines overexpressing the GmEXPA1 gene showed reduced susceptibility to M. incognita. Furthermore, plant growth, biomass accumulation, and seed yield were not affected in these transgenic lines. Interestingly, significant upregulation of the NtACC oxidase and NtEFE26 genes, involved in ethylene biosynthesis, and NtCCR and Nt4CL genes, involved in lignin biosynthesis, was observed in roots of the N. tabacum transgenic lines, which also showed higher lignin content. These data suggested a possible link between GmEXPA1 gene expression and increased lignification of the root cell wall. Therefore, these data support that engineering of the GmEXPA1 gene in soybean offers a powerful biotechnology tool to assist in RKN management.

Genomic prediction for meat and carcass traits in Nellore cattle using a Markov blanket algorithm.

This study was carried out to evaluate the advantage of preselecting SNP markers using Markov blanket algorithm regarding the accuracy of genomic prediction for carcass and meat quality traits in Nellore cattle. This study considered 3675, 3680, 3660 and 524 records of rib eye area (REA), back fat thickness (BF), rump fat (RF), and Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), respectively, from the Nellore Brazil Breeding Program. The animals have been genotyped using low-density SNP panel (30 k), and subsequently imputed for arrays with 777 k SNPs. Four Bayesian specifications of genomic regression models, namely Bayes A, Bayes B, Bayes Cπ and Bayesian Ridge Regression methods were compared in terms of prediction accuracy using a five folds cross-validation. Prediction accuracy for REA, BF and RF was all similar using the Bayesian Alphabet models, ranging from 0.75 to 0.95. For WBSF, the predictive ability was higher using Bayes B (0.47) than other methods (0.39 to 0.42). Although the prediction accuracies using Markov blanket of SNP markers were lower than those using all SNPs, for WBSF the relative gain was lower than 13%. With a subset of informative SNPs markers, identified using Markov blanket, probably, is possible to capture a large proportion of the genetic variance for WBSF. The development of low-density and customized arrays using Markov blanket might be cost-effective to perform a genomic selection for this trait, increasing the number of evaluated animals, improving the management decisions based on genomic information and applying genomic selection on a large scale.

CNTs/Fe-BTC Composite Materials for the CO2-Photocatalytic Reduction to Clean Fuels: Batch and Continuous System.

CNTs/Fe-BTC composite materials were synthesized with the one-step solvothermal method. MWCNTs and SWCNTs were incorporated in situ during synthesis. The composite materials were characterized by different analytical techniques and used in the CO2-photocatalytic reduction to value-added products and clean fuels. In the incorporation of CNTs into Fe-BTC, better physical-chemical and optical properties were observed compared to Fe-BTC pristine. SEM images showed that CNTs were incorporated into the porous structure of Fe-BTC, indicating the synergy between them. Fe-BTC pristine showed to be selective to ethanol and methanol; although, it was more selective to ethanol. However, the incorporation of small amounts of CNTs into Fe-BTC not only showed higher production rates but changes in the selectivity compared with the Fe-BTC pristine were also observed. It is important to mention that the incorporation of CNTs into MOF Fe-BTC allowed for increasing the mobility of electrons, decreasing the recombination of charge carriers (electron/hole), and increasing the photocatalytic activity. In both reaction systems (batch and continuous), composite materials showed to be selective towards methanol and ethanol; however, in the continuous system, lower production rates were observed due to the decrease in the residence time compared to the batch system. Therefore, these composite materials are very promising systems to convert CO2 to clean fuels that could replace fossil fuels soon.

Performance, carcass, and meat traits of locally adapted Brazilian cattle breeds under feedlot conditions.

Little is known about the performance, carcass, and meat traits of locally adapted cattle in Brazil. This study aimed to compare the growth, slaughter, and carcass traits as well as meat quality of two local breeds (Curraleiro Pé-Duro and Pantaneiro) with the Nelore breed. Fifteen 30-month-old steers of each breed were weighted (Curraleiro Pé-Duro = 264.80 kg; Nelore = 346.80 kg; Pantaneiro = 316.20 kg) and raised in a feedlot condition for 112 days, with measurements to assess growth and slaughter, visual and carcass and meat traits. Data were submitted to variance and multivariate analyses. Nelore and Curraleiro Pé-Duro had similar Gluteus medius depths. Pantaneiro and Curraleiro Pé-Duro were superior for leg compactness index (P < 0.05) and had higher eye muscle area than Nelore (P < 0.05). Although there was no difference in daily weight gain and slaughter weight between breeds, Curraleiro Pé-Duro had a lower initial weight (264.80 kg) when compared to Nelore (346.80 kg; P < 0.05). Nelore and Curraleiro Pé-Duro deposited more fat than Pantaneiro (P < 0.05), while Curraleiro Pé-Duro and Pantaneiro had more muscle than Nelore (P < 0.05), which also had more bone and a higher percentage of second-quality cuts (P < 0.05). Meat from Nelore also showed lower succulence than Pantaneiro (P < 0.05) and higher shear force than the other breeds (P < 0.05). Pantaneiro's meat had the most capacity to retain water (P < 0.05), lower shear force (P < 0.05), and was more succulent (P < 0.05) when compared to the other breeds. Multivariate analysis showed that Pantaneiro, Curraleiro Pé-Duro, and Nelore breeds can be considered distinct in growth, carcass, and meat traits, with the local breeds showing superior meat traits. The local breeds Curraleiro Pé-Duro and Pantaneiro presented characteristics similar or better to those of the Nelore, proving to be animals with great productive potential and generate high meat quality under feedlot conditions.

Minc03328 effector gene downregulation severely affects Meloidogyne incognita parasitism in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Minc03328 effector gene downregulation triggered by in planta RNAi strategy strongly reduced plant susceptibility to Meloidogyne incognita and suggests that Minc03328 gene is a promising target for the development of genetically engineered crops to improve plant tolerance to M. incognita. Meloidogyne incognita is the most economically important species of root-knot nematodes (RKN) and causes severe damage to crops worldwide. M. incognita secretes several effector proteins to suppress the host plant defense response, and manipulate the plant cell cycle and other plant processes facilitating its parasitism. Different secreted effector proteins have already been identified in M. incognita, but not all have been characterized or have had the confirmation of their involvement in nematode parasitism in their host plants. Herein, we characterized the Minc03328 (Minc3s00020g01299) effector gene, confirmed its higher expression in the early stages of M. incognita parasitism in plants, as well as the accumulation of the Minc03328 effector protein in subventral glands and its secretion. We also discuss the potential for simultaneous downregulation of its paralogue Minc3s00083g03984 gene. Using the in planta RNA interference strategy, Arabidopsis thaliana plants overexpressing double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) were generated to specifically targeting and downregulating the Minc03328 gene during nematode parasitism. Transgenic Minc03328-dsRNA lines that significantly downregulated Minc03328 gene expression during M. incognita parasitism were significantly less susceptible. The number of galls, egg masses, and [galls/egg masses] ratio were reduced in these transgenic lines by up to 85%, 90%, and 87%, respectively. Transgenic Minc03328-dsRNA lines showed the presence of fewer and smaller galls, indicating that parasitism was hindered. Overall, data herein strongly suggest that Minc03328 effector protein is important for M. incognita parasitism establishment. As well, the in planta Minc03328-dsRNA strategy demonstrated high biotechnological potential for developing crop species that could efficiently control RKN in the field.

Functional characterization of the pUceS8.3 promoter and its potential use for ectopic gene overexpression.

MAIN CONCLUSION: The pUceS8.3 is a constitutive gene promoter with potential for ectopic and strong genes overexpression or active biomolecules in plant tissues attacked by pests, including nematode-induced giant cells or galls. Soybean (Glycine max) is one of the most important agricultural commodities worldwide and a major protein and oil source. Herein, we identified the soybean ubiquitin-conjugating (E2) enzyme gene (GmUBC4; Glyma.18G216000), which is significantly upregulated in response to Anticarsia gemmatalis attack and Meloidogyne incognita-induced galls during plant parasitism by plant nematode. The GmUBC4 promoter sequence and its different modules were functionally characterized in silico and in planta using transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana and G. max lines. Its full-length transcriptional regulatory region (promoter and 5´-UTR sequences, named pUceS8.3 promoter) was able to drive higher levels of uidA (ß-glucuronidase) gene expression in different tissues of transgenic A. thaliana lines compared to its three shortened modules and the p35SdAMV promoter. Notably, higher ß-glucuronidase (GUS) enzymatic activity was shown in M. incognita-induced giant cells when the full pUceS8.3 promoter drove the expression of this reporter gene. Furthermore, nematode-specific dsRNA molecules were successfully overexpressed under the control of the pUceS8.3 promoter in transgenic soybean lines. The RNAi gene construct used here was designed to post-transcriptionally downregulate the previously characterized pre-mRNA splicing factor genes from Heterodera glycines and M. incognita. A total of six transgenic soybean lines containing RNAi gene construct were selected for molecular characterization after infection with M. incognita pre-parasitic second-stage (ppJ2) nematodes. A strong reduction in the egg number produced by M. incognita after parasitism was observed in those transgenic soybean lines, ranging from 71 to 92% compared to wild-type control plants. The present data demonstrated that pUceS8.3 is a gene promoter capable of effectively driving dsRNA overexpression in nematode-induced giant cells of transgenic soybean lines and can be successfully applied as an important biotechnological asset to generate transgenic crops with improved resistance to root-knot nematodes as well as other pests.

Overexpression of a soybean Globin (GmGlb1-1) gene reduces plant susceptibility to Meloidogyne incognita.

MAIN CONCLUSION: The overexpression of the GmGlb1-1 gene reduces plant susceptibility to Meloidogyne incognita. Non-symbiotic globin class #1 (Glb1) genes are expressed in different plant organs, have a high affinity for oxygen, and are related to nitric oxide (NO) turnover. Previous studies showed that soybean Glb1 genes are upregulated in soybean plants under flooding conditions. Herein, the GmGlb1-1 gene was identified in soybean as being upregulated in the nematode-resistant genotype PI595099 compared to the nematode-susceptible cultivar BRS133 during plant parasitism by Meloidogyne incognita. The Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum transgenic lines overexpressing the GmGlb1-1 gene showed reduced susceptibility to M. incognita. Consistently, gall morphology data indicated that pJ2 nematodes that infected the transgenic lines showed developmental alterations and delayed parasitism progress. Although no significant changes in biomass and seed yield were detected, the transgenic lines showed an elongated, etiolation-like growth under well-irrigation, and also developed more axillary roots under flooding conditions. In addition, transgenic lines showed upregulation of some important genes involved in plant defense response to oxidative stress. In agreement, higher hydrogen peroxide accumulation and reduced activity of reactive oxygen species (ROS) detoxification enzymes were also observed in these transgenic lines. Thus, based on our data and previous studies, it was hypothesized that constitutive overexpression of the GmGlb1-1 gene can interfere in the dynamics of ROS production and NO scavenging, enhancing the acquired systemic acclimation to biotic and abiotic stresses, and improving the cellular homeostasis. Therefore, these collective data suggest that ectopic or nematode-induced overexpression, or enhanced expression of the GmGlb1-1 gene using CRISPR/dCas9 offers great potential for application in commercial soybean cultivars aiming to reduce plant susceptibility to M. incognita.

Deep-Ultraviolet Emitter: Rare-Earth-Free ZnAl2O4 Nanofibers via a Simple Wet Chemical Route.

Deep-UV (180-280 nm) phosphors have attracted tremendous interest in tri-band-based white light-emitting diode (LED) technology, bio- and photochemistry, as well as various medical fields. However, the application of many UV-emitting materials has been hindered due to their poor thermal or chemical stability, complex synthesis, and environmental harmfulness. A particular concern is posed by the utilization of rare earths affected by rising price and depletion of natural resources. As a consequence, the development of phosphors without rare-earth elements represents an important challenge. In this work, as a potential UV-C phosphor, undoped ZnAl2O4 fibers have been synthesized by a cost-efficient wet chemical route. The rare-earth-free ZnAl2O4 nanofibers exhibit a strong UV emission with two bands peaking at 5.4 eV (230 nm) and 4.75 eV (261 nm). The emission intensity can be controlled by tuning the Zn/Al ratio. A structure-property relationship has been thoroughly studied to understand the origin of the UV emission. For this reason, ZnAl2O4 nanofibers have been analyzed by X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES), extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy techniques showing that a normal spinel structure of the synthesized material is preserved within a wide range of Zn/Al ratios. The experimental evidence of a strong and narrow band at 7.04 eV in the excitation spectrum of the 5.4 eV emission suggests its excitonic nature. Moreover, the 4.75 eV emission is shown to be related to excitons perturbed by lattice defects, presumably oxygen or cation vacancies. These findings shed light on the design of UV-C emission devices for sterilization based on a rare-earth-free phosphor, providing a feasible alternative to the conventional phosphors doped with rare-earth elements.

In planta RNAi approach targeting three M. incognita effector genes disturbed the process of infection and reduced plant susceptibility.

Meloidogyne incognita is the most economically important species of the root-knot nematode complex causing damage to several crops worldwide. During parasitism in host plants, M. incognita secretes several effector proteins to suppress the plant immune system, manipulate the plant cell cycle, and promote parasitism. Several effector proteins have been identified, but their relationship with plant parasitism by M. incognita has not been fully confirmed. Herein, the Minc01696, Minc00344, and Minc00801 putative effector genes were evaluated to assess their importance during soybean and Nicotiana tabacum parasitism by M. incognita. For this study, we used in planta RNAi technology to overexpress dsRNA molecules capable of producing siRNAs that target and downregulate these nematode effector genes. Soybean composite roots and N. tabacum lines were successfully generated, and susceptibility level to M. incognita was evaluated. Consistently, both transgenic soybean roots and transgenic N. tabacum lines carrying the RNAi strategy showed reduced susceptibility to M. incognita. The number of galls per plant and the number of egg masses per plant were reduced by up to 85% in transgenic soybean roots, supported by the downregulation of effector genes in M. incognita during parasitism. Similarly, the number of galls per plant, the number of egg masses per plant, and the nematode reproduction factor were reduced by up to 83% in transgenic N. tabacum lines, which was also supported by the downregulation of the Minc00801 effector gene during parasitism. Therefore, our data indicate that all three effector genes can be a target in the development of new biotechnological tools based on the RNAi strategy in economically important crops for M. incognita control.

Laser-photobiomodulation on titanium implant bone healing in rat model: comparison between 660- and 808-nm wavelength.

Laser-photobiomodulation (L-PBM) has been widely studied and its biomodulatory effects have been established on irradiated cells, increasing viability and proliferation and on damaged tissues. In addition, L-PBM may reduce and modulate the inflammatory process. The effect of 660-nm and 808-nm laser-photobiomodulation on bone repair around titanium dental implants placed in rat's femur was evaluated by histomorphometry. Twenty-seven Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups of nine animals: group C - non-irradiated control; group R - λ=660nm irradiated; and group IR - λ=808nm irradiated. Each group was further divided in 3 subgroups of three animals each, according to histomorphometry analysis in 3 days, 7 days, and 14 days after irradiation. Histological H.E.-stained slides were photographed, and bone matrix measured in new-formed bone area. Bone matrix histomorphometry analysis indicates that at 7 days in the irradiated groups (R and IR), a bigger area matrix was observed in relation to control group (C) (p=0.04 and p=0.048 respectively). On the other hand, at 14 days, control group (C) presented a bigger area than infrared irradiated (IR) (p=0.001) and red irradiated group (R) also showed a bigger area than infrared irradiated group (IR) (p=0.019). Histological analysis indicates that irradiated groups (R and IR) exhibited a faster bone tissue matrix production than control group.

Photocatalytic Degradation of Dyes Using Titania Nanoparticles Supported in Metal-Organic Materials Based on Iron.

Composite materials based on titania nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) and three metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) called MIL-53 (Fe) ((Fe (III) (OH) (1,4-BDC)), MILs (Materials Institute Lavoisier)), MIL-100 (Fe) (Fe3O(H2O)2OH(BTC)2), and Fe-BTC (iron-benzenetricarboxylate) with different percentages of TiO2 NPs (0.5, 1, and 2.5% wt.) were synthesized using the solvothermal method and used as photocatalytic materials in the degradation of two dyes (Orange II and Reactive Black 5 (RB5)). The pristine and composite materials were characterized with X-ray diffraction, Raman, UV-Vis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy techniques. The 2.5TiO2/MIL-100 composite material showed the best results for the degradation of both dyes (Reactive Black 5 and Orange II dye, 99% and 99.5% degradation in 105 and 150 min, respectively). The incorporation of TiO2 NPs into MOFs can decrease the recombination of the change carrier in the MOF, increasing the photocatalytic activity of a pristine MOF. Results therefore indicated that the synthesized MOF nanocomposites have good potential for wastewater treatment.

MicroRNAs expression profiles in early responses to different levels of water deficit in Setaria viridis.

Water deficit is a major constraint for crops of economic importance in almost all agricultural regions. However, plants have an active defense system to adapt to these adverse conditions, acting in the reprogramming of gene expression responsible for encoding microRNAs (miRNAs). These miRNAs promote the regulation to the target gene expression by the post-transcriptional (PTGS) and transcriptional gene silencing (TGS), modulating several pathways including defense response to water deficit. The broader knowledge of the miRNA expression profile and its regulatory networks in response to water deficit can provide evidence for the development of new biotechnological tools for genetic improvement of several important crops. In this study, we used Setaria viridis accession A10.1 as a C4 model plant to widely investigate the miRNA expression profile in early responses to different levels of water deficit. Ecophysiological studies in Setaria viridis under water deficit and after rewatering demonstrated a drought tolerant accession, capable of a rapid recovery from the stress. Deep small RNA sequencing and degradome studies were performed in plants submitted to drought to identify differentially expressed miRNA genes and their predicted targets, using in silico analysis. Our findings showed that several miRNAs were differentially modulated in response to distinctive levels of water deficit and after rewatering. The predicted mRNA targets mainly corresponded to genes related to cell wall remodeling, antioxidant system and drought-related transcription factors, indicating that these genes are rapidly regulated in early responses to drought stress. The implications of these modulations are extensively discussed, and higher-effect miRNAs are suggested as major players for potential use in genetic engineering to improve drought tolerance in economically important crops, such as sugarcane, maize, and sorghum. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-022-01226-z.

Minc00344 and Mj-NULG1a effectors interact with GmHub10 protein to promote the soybean parasitism by Meloidogyne incognita and M. javanica.

Several economically important crops are susceptible to root-knot nematode (RKNs). Meloidogyne incognita and M. javanica are the two most reported species from the RKN complex, causing damage to several crops worldwide. The successful outcome of the Meloidogyne-plant interaction is associated with molecular factors secreted by the nematode to suppress the plant's immune response and promote nematode parasitism. In contrast, several plant factors are associated with defense against nematode infection. In this study, we identified and characterized the specific interaction of Minc00344 and Mj-NULG1a effectors with soybean GmHub10 (Glyma.19G008200) protein in vitro and in vivo. An Arabidopsis thaliana T-DNA mutant of AtHub10 (AT3G27960, an orthologous gene of GmHub10) showed higher susceptibility to M. incognita. Thus, since soybean and A. thaliana Hub10 proteins are involved in pollen tube growth and indirect activation of the defense response, our data suggest that effector-Hub10 interactions could be associated with an increase in plant susceptibility. These findings indicate the potential of these effector proteins to develop new biotechnological tools based on RNA interference and the overexpression of engineered Hub10 proteins for the efficient management of RKN in crops.

Insights obtained using different modules of the cotton uceA1.7 promoter.

MAIN CONCLUSION: The structure of the cotton uceA1.7 promoter and its modules was analyzed; the potential of their key sequences has been confirmed in different tissues, proving to be a good candidate for the development of new biotechnological tools. Transcriptional promoters are among the primary genetic engineering elements used to control genes of interest (GOIs) associated with agronomic traits. Cotton uceA1.7 was previously characterized as a constitutive promoter with activity higher than that of the constitutive promoter from the Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S gene in various plant tissues. In this study, we generated Arabidopsis thaliana homozygous events stably overexpressing the gfp reporter gene driven by different modules of the uceA1.7 promoter. The expression level of the reporter gene in different plant tissues and the transcriptional stability of these modules was determined compared to its full-length promoter and the 35S promoter. The full-length uceA1.7 promoter exhibited higher activity in different plant tissues compared to the 35S promoter. Two modules of the promoter produced a low and unstable transcription level compared to the other promoters. The other two modules rich in cis-regulatory elements showed similar activity levels to full-length uceA1.7 and 35S promoters but were less stable. This result suggests the location of a minimal portion of the promoter that is required to initiate transcription properly (the core promoter). Additionally, the full-length uceA1.7 promoter containing the 5'-untranslated region (UTR) is essential for higher transcriptional stability in various plant tissues. These findings confirm the potential use of the full-length uceA1.7 promoter for the development of new biotechnological tools (NBTs) to achieve higher expression levels of GOIs in, for example, the root or flower bud for the efficient control of phytonematodes and pest-insects, respectively, in important crops.

MicroRNAs and new biotechnological tools for its modulation and improving stress tolerance in plants.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) modulate the abundance and spatial-temporal accumulation of target mRNAs and indirectly regulate several plant processes. Transcriptional regulation of the genes encoding miRNAs (MIR genes) can be activated by numerous transcription factors, which themselves are regulated by other miRNAs. Fine-tuning of MIR genes or miRNAs is a powerful biotechnological strategy to improve tolerance to abiotic or biotic stresses in crops of economic importance. Current approaches for miRNA fine-tuning are based on the down- or up-regulation of MIR gene transcription and the use of genetic engineering tools to manipulate the final concentration of these miRNAs in the cytoplasm. Transgenesis, cisgenesis, intragenesis, artificial MIR genes, endogenous and artificial target mimicry, MIR genes editing using Meganucleases, ZNF proteins, TALENs and CRISPR/Cas9 or CRISPR/Cpf1, CRISPR/dCas9 or dCpf1, CRISPR13a, topical delivery of miRNAs and epigenetic memory have been successfully explored to MIR gene or miRNA modulation and improve agronomic traits in several model or crop plants. However, advantages and drawbacks of each of these new biotechnological tools (NBTs) are still not well understood. In this review, we provide a brief overview of the biogenesis and role of miRNAs in response to abiotic or biotic stresses, we present critically the main NBTs used for the manipulation of MIR genes and miRNAs, we show current efforts and findings with the MIR genes and miRNAs modulation in plants, and we summarize the advantages and drawbacks of these NBTs and provide some alternatives to overcome. Finally, challenges and future perspectives to miRNA modulating in important crops are also discussed.

Laser photobiomodulation in pressure ulcer healing of human diabetic patients: gene expression analysis of inflammatory biochemical markers.

Pressure ulcers (PU) are wounds located mainly on bone surfaces where the tissue under pressure suffers ischemia leading to cellular lesion and necrosis , its causes and the healing process depend on several factors. The aim of this study was evaluating the gene expression of inflammatory/reparative factors: IL6, TNF, VEGF, and TGF, which take part in the tissue healing process under effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT). In order to perform lesion area analysis, PUs were photographed and computer analyzed. Biochemical analysis was performed sa.mpling ulcer border tissue obtained through biopsy before and after laser therapy and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis. The study comprised eight individuals, mean age sixty-two years old, and sacroiliac and calcaneous PU, classified as degree III and IV according to the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP). PUs were irradiated with low-level laser (InGaAIP, 100 mW, 660 nm), energy density 2 J/cm2, once a day, with intervals of 24 h, totaling 12 applications. The lesion area analysis revealed averaged improvement of the granulation tissue size up to 50% from pre- to post-treatment. qRT-PCR analysis revealed that IL6 values were not significantly different before and after treatment, TNF gene expression was reduced, and VEFG and TGF-ß gene expression increased after treatment. After LLLT, wounds presented improvement in gross appearance, with increase in factors VEFG and TGF-ß, and reduction of TNF; despite our promising results, they have to be analyzed carefully as this study did not have a control group.