Dendritic cells drive profibrotic inflammation and aberrant T cell polarization in systemic sclerosis.

OBJECTIVES: SSc is a devastating autoimmune disease characterized by fibrosis and obliterative vasculopathy affecting the skin and visceral organs. While the processes mediating excessive extracellular matrix deposition and fibroblast proliferation are clear, the exact link between autoimmunity and fibrosis remains elusive. Th17 cells have been proposed as critical drivers of profibrotic inflammation during SSc, but little is known about the immune components supporting their pathogenic role. Our aim was to determine cytokine responses of stimulated monocyte-derived dendritic cells (Mo-DCs) and to determine how they influence T-cell cytokine production in SSc. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Dendritic cells (DCs) activate and shape T cell differentiation by producing polarizing cytokines. Hence, we investigated the cytokine responses of monocyte-derived DCs (Mo-DCs) from patients with limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc), diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc) and healthy controls (HCs) after stimulation with toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists. Also, using co-culture assays, we analysed T cell subpopulations after contact with autologous TLR-activated Mo-DCs. RESULTS: In general, we observed an increased production of Th17-related cytokines like IL-1ß, IL-17F, IL-21 and IL-22 by SSc compared with HC Mo-DCs, with variations between lcSSc vs dcSSc and early- vs late-stage subgroups. Noticeably, we found a significant increment in IL-33 production by Mo-DCs in all SSc cases regardless of their clinical phenotype. Strikingly, T cells displayed Th2, Th17 and dual Th2-Th17 phenotypes after exposure to autologous TLR-stimulated Mo-DCs from SSc patients but not HCs. These changes were pronounced in individuals with early-stage dcSSc and less significant in the late-stage lcSSc subgroup. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that functional alterations of DCs promote immune mechanisms favouring the aberrant T cell polarization and profibrotic inflammation behind clinical SSc heterogeneity.

Insights into the Molecular Basis of Huanglongbing Tolerance in Persian Lime (Citrus latifolia Tan.) through a Transcriptomic Approach.

Huanglongbing (HLB) is a vascular disease of Citrus caused by three species of the α-proteobacteria "Candidatus Liberibacter", with "Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus" (CLas) being the most widespread and the one causing significant economic losses in citrus-producing regions worldwide. However, Persian lime (Citrus latifolia Tanaka) has shown tolerance to the disease. To understand the molecular mechanisms of this tolerance, transcriptomic analysis of HLB was performed using asymptomatic and symptomatic leaves. RNA-Seq analysis revealed 652 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in response to CLas infection, of which 457 were upregulated and 195 were downregulated. KEGG analysis revealed that after CLas infection, some DEGs were present in the plant-pathogen interaction and in the starch and sucrose metabolism pathways. DEGs present in the plant-pathogen interaction pathway suggests that tolerance against HLB in Persian lime could be mediated, at least partly, by the ClRSP2 and ClHSP90 genes. Previous reports documented that RSP2 and HSP90 showed low expression in susceptible citrus genotypes. Regarding the starch and sucrose metabolism pathways, some genes were identified as being related to the imbalance of starch accumulation. On the other hand, eight biotic stress-related genes were selected for further RT-qPCR analysis to validate our results. RT-qPCR results confirmed that symptomatic HLB leaves had high relative expression levels of the ClPR1, ClNFP, ClDR27, and ClSRK genes, whereas the ClHSL1, ClRPP13, ClPDR1, and ClNAC genes were expressed at lower levels than those from HLB asymptomatic leaves. Taken together, the present transcriptomic analysis contributes to the understanding of the CLas-Persian lime interaction in its natural environment and may set the basis for developing strategies for the integrated management of this important Citrus disease through the identification of blanks for genetic improvement.

The interaction between exogenous IBA with sucrose, light and ventilation alters the expression of ARFs and Aux/IAA genes in Carica papaya plantlets.

KEY MESSAGE: The interaction between exogenous IBA with sucrose, light and ventilation, alters the expression of ARFs and Aux/IAA genes in in vitro grown Carica papaya plantlets. In vitro papaya plantlets normally show low rooting percentages during their ex vitro establishment that eventually leads to high mortality when transferred to field conditions. Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) auxin is normally added to culture medium, to achieve adventitious root formation on in vitro papaya plantlets. However, the molecular mechanisms occurring when IBA is added to the medium under varying external conditions of sugar, light and ventilation have not been studied. Auxin response factors (ARF) are auxin-transcription activators, while auxin/indole-3-acetic acid (Aux/IAA) are auxin-transcription repressors, that modulate key components involved in auxin signaling in plants. In the present study, we identified 12 CpARF and 18 CpAux/IAA sequences in the papaya genome. The cis-acting regulatory elements associated to those CpARFs and CpAux/IAA gene families were associated with stress and hormone responses. Furthermore, a comprehensive characterization and expression profiling analysis was performed on 6 genes involved in rhizogenesis formation (CpARF5, 6, 7 and CpAux/IAA11, 13, 14) from in vitro papaya plantlets exposed to different rhizogenesis-inducing treatments. In general, intact in vitro plantlets were not able to produce adventitious roots, when IBA (2 mg L-1) was added to the culture medium; they became capable to produce roots and increased their ex-vitro survival. However, the best rooting and survival % were obtained when IBA was added in combination with adequate sucrose supply (20 g L-1), increased light intensity (750 µmol photon m-2 s-1) and ventilation systems within the culture vessel. Interestingly, it was precisely under those conditions that promoted high rooting and survival %, where the highest expression of CpARFs, but the lowest expression of CpAux/IAAs occurred. One interesting case occurred when in vitro plantlets were exposed to high levels of light in the absence of added IBA, as high rooting and survival occurred, even though no exogenous auxin was added. In fact, plantlets from this treatment showed the right expression profile between auxin activators/repressors genes, in both stem base and root tissues.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of healthcare workers: study protocol for the COVID-19 HEalth caRe wOrkErS (HEROES) study.

BACKGROUND: Preliminary country-specific reports suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has a negative impact on the mental health of the healthcare workforce. In this paper, we summarize the protocol of the COVID-19 HEalth caRe wOrkErS (HEROES) study, an ongoing, global initiative, aimed to describe and track longitudinal trajectories of mental health symptoms and disorders among health care workers at different phases of the pandemic across a wide range of countries in Latin America, Europe, Africa, Middle-East, and Asia. METHODS: Participants from various settings, including primary care clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, and mental health facilities, are being enrolled. In 26 countries, we are using a similar study design with harmonized measures to capture data on COVID-19 related exposures and variables of interest during two years of follow-up. Exposures include potential stressors related to working in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as sociodemographic and clinical factors. Primary outcomes of interest include mental health variables such as psychological distress, depressive symptoms, and posttraumatic stress disorders. Other domains of interest include potentially mediating or moderating influences such as workplace conditions, trust in the government, and the country's income level. RESULTS: As of August 2021, ~ 34,000 health workers have been recruited. A general characterization of the recruited samples by sociodemographic and workplace variables is presented. Most participating countries have identified several health facilities where they can identify denominators and attain acceptable response rates. Of the 26 countries, 22 are collecting data and 2 plan to start shortly. CONCLUSIONS: This is one of the most extensive global studies on the mental health of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a variety of countries with diverse economic realities and different levels of severity of pandemic and management. Moreover, unlike most previous studies, we included workers (clinical and non-clinical staff) in a wide range of settings.

[Qualitative study of the implementation of the Continuity of Care and Rehabilitation Program for people with severe mental disorders in PeruEstudo qualitativo sobre a implementação do Programa de Continuidade de Cuidados e Rehabilitação para pessoas com transtornos mentais graves no Peru]. / Estudio cualitativo sobre la implementación del Programa de continuidad de cuidados y rehabilitación para personas con trastornos mentales graves en el Perú.

OBJECTIVE: Describe the implementation of the Continuity of Care and Rehabilitation Program (PCC-R) in community mental health centers (CSMCs, Spanish acronym) in Peru. METHODS: Qualitative study of the implementation of the PCC-R in four CSMCs in Lima and La Libertad, Peru. Forty-two individual semi-structured interviews were conducted, as well as a focus group with five participants, for a total of 47 informants, including users, family members, and professionals involved in the design, implementation, and monitoring of the program. RESULTS: The PCC-R is a key program for community mental health services in Peru and it enjoys broad acceptability. Providers and users report satisfaction with its results; however, the program lacks a policy document specifying its objectives, organization, and activities. This would explain the variability in its implementation. The PCC-R has limitations in terms of management of financial and human resources, and it is necessary to improve training and supervision. There is consensus on the need, usefulness, and viability of developing a system to monitor the PCC-R. Good practices and suggestions are presented with a view to addressing these challenges. CONCLUSIONS: The PCC-R is a flagship program for the CSMCs and for the mental health reform in Peru. It has achieved broad acceptability among providers and users. Its implementation combines successes and difficulties, with pending tasks that include developing a policy document, improving resource management, strengthening training and supervision, and implementing a monitoring system for continuous improvement of the program.

OBJETIVO: Descrever a implementação do Programa de Continuidade de Cuidados e Reabilitação (PCC-R) em centros de saúde mental comunitária (CSMCs) do Peru. MÉTODOS: Estudo qualitativo sobre a implementação do PCC-R em quatro CSMCs em Lima e La Libertad, no Peru. Realizamos 42 entrevistas semiestruturadas individuais e um grupo focal com cinco participantes, com um total de 47 participantes, entre usuários, familiares e profissionais envolvidos na elaboração, implementação e monitoramento do PCC-R. RESULTADOS: O PCC-R é um programa central dos serviços de saúde mental comunitária no Peru, conta com ampla aceitabilidade e os prestadores e usuários dizem estar satisfeitos com seus resultados. No entanto, o programa não possui um documento normativo que detalhe os seus objetivos, organização e atividades, o que pode explicar a variabilidade em sua aplicação. Existem limitações na gestão dos recursos financeiros e humanos do PCC-R e necessidades de capacitação e supervisão, que devem ser melhoradas. Há consenso sobre a necessidade, utilidade e viabilidade de se desenvolver um sistema de monitoramento do PCC-R. Apresentamos aqui um conjunto de boas práticas e sugestões para enfrentar esses desafios. CONCLUSÕES: O PCC-R é um programa emblemático dos CSMCs e da reforma da saúde mental no Peru, tendo obtido ampla aceitação entre prestadores e usuários. A sua implementação combina acertos e dificuldades e revela tarefas pendentes, tais como o desenvolvimento de um documento normativo, uma melhor gestão de recursos, o reforço da capacitação e supervisão e a aplicação de um sistema de monitoramento para fomentar a melhoria contínua do programa.

Qualitative study of the implementation of the Continuity of Care and Rehabilitation Program for people with severe mental disorders in Peru.

OBJECTIVE: Describe the implementation of the Continuity of Care and Rehabilitation Program (PCC-R) in community mental health centers (CSMCs, Spanish acronym) in Peru. METHODS: Qualitative study of the implementation of the PCC-R in four CSMCs in Lima and La Libertad, Peru. Forty-two individual semi-structured interviews were conducted, as well as a focus group with five participants, for a total of 47 informants, including users, family members, and professionals involved in the design, implementation, and monitoring of the program. RESULTS: The PCC-R is a key program for community mental health services in Peru and it enjoys broad acceptability. Providers and users report satisfaction with its results; however, the program lacks a policy document specifying its objectives, organization, and activities. This would explain the variability in its implementation. The PCC-R has limitations in terms of management of financial and human resources, and it is necessary to improve training and supervision. There is consensus on the need, usefulness, and viability of developing a system to monitor the PCC-R. Good practices and suggestions are presented with a view to addressing these challenges. CONCLUSIONS: The PCC-R is a flagship program for the CSMCs and for mental health reform in Peru. It has achieved broad acceptability among providers and users. Its implementation combines successes and difficulties, with pending tasks that include developing a policy document, improving resource management, strengthening training and supervision, and implementing a monitoring system for continuous improvement of the program.

Genome-Wide Analysis of WRKY and NAC Transcription Factors in Carica papaya L. and Their Possible Role in the Loss of Drought Tolerance by Recent Cultivars through the Domestication of Their Wild Ancestors.

A genome-wide analysis for two families of key transcription factors (TF; WRKY and NAC) involved in drought response revealed 46 WRKY and 66 NAC members of the Carica papaya genome. A phylogenetic analysis grouped the CpWRKY proteins into three groups (I, II a, b, c, d, e and III), while the CpNAC proteins were clustered into 15 groups. The conserved domains, chromosomal localization and promoter cis-acting elements were also analyzed. In addition, from a previous transcriptome study of two contrasting genotypes in response to 14 days of water deficit stress (WDS), we found that 29 of the 46 CpWRKYs genes and 25 of the 66 CpNACs genes were differentially expressed in response to the WDS. In the present paper, the native wild genotype (WG) (collected in its center of origin) consistently showed a higher expression (transcripts per million; TPM and fold change; FC) than the commercial genotype (CG) in almost all the members of the CpWRKY and CpNAC gene families. To corroborate this, we selected CpWRKY50 and CpNAC83.1 for further evaluation by RT-qPCR. Consistently, the WG showed higher relative expression levels (REL) after 14 days of WDS than the CG, in both the leaves and roots. The results suggest that the CpWRKY and CpNAC TF families are important for drought tolerance in this species. The results may also suggest that, during the domestication process, the ability of the native (wild) C. papaya genotypes to respond to drought (including the overexpression of the CpWRKY and CpNAC genes) was somehow reduced in the current commercial genotypes.

The Insecticide Imidacloprid Decreases Nannotrigona Stingless Bee Survival and Food Consumption and Modulates the Expression of Detoxification and Immune-Related Genes.

Stingless bees are ecologically and economically important species in the tropics and subtropics, but there has been little research on the characterization of detoxification systems and immune responses within them. This is critical for understanding their responses to, and defenses against, a variety of environmental stresses, including agrochemicals. Therefore, we studied the detoxification and immune responses of a stingless bee, Nanotrigona perilampoides, which is an important stingless bee that is widely distributed throughout Mexico, including urban areas, and has the potential to be used in commercial pollination. We first determined the LC50 of the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid for foragers of N. perilampoides, then chronically exposed bees for 10 days to imidacloprid at two field-realistic concentrations, LC10 (0.45 ng/µL) or LC20 (0.74 ng/µL), which are respectively 2.7 and 1.3-fold lower than the residues of imidacloprid that have been found in honey (6 ng/g) in central Mexico. We found that exposing N. perilampoides stingless bees to imidacloprid at these concentrations markedly reduced bee survival and food consumption, revealing the great sensitivity of this stingless bee to the insecticide in comparison to honey bees. The expression of detoxification (GSTD1) and immune-related genes (abaecin, defensin1, and hymenopteacin) in N. perilampoides also changed over time in response to imidacloprid. Gene expression was always lower in bees after 8 days of exposure to imidacloprid (LC10 or LC20) than it was after 4 days. Our results demonstrate that N. perilampoides stingless bees are extremely sensitive to imidacloprid, even at low concentrations, and provide greater insight into how stingless bees respond to pesticide toxicity. This is the first study of its kind to look at detoxification systems and immune responses in Mexican stingless bees, an ecologically and economically important taxon.

Effect of yeast and essential oil-enriched diets on critical determinants of health and immune function in Africanized Apis mellifera.

Nutrition is vital for health and immune function in honey bees (Apis mellifera). The effect of diets enriched with bee-associated yeasts and essential oils of Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens) was tested on survival, food intake, accumulated fat body tissue, and gene expression of vitellogenin (Vg), prophenoloxidase (proPO) and glucose oxidase (GOx) in newly emerged worker bees. The enriched diets were provided to bees under the premise that supplementation with yeasts or essential oils can enhance health variables and the expression of genes related to immune function in worker bees. Based on a standard pollen substitute, used as a control diet, enriched diets were formulated, five with added bee-associated yeasts (Starmerella bombicola, Starmerella etchellsii, Starmerella bombicola 2, Zygosaccharomyces mellis, and the brewers' yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and three with added essential oils from L. graveolens (carvacrol, thymol, and sesquiterpenes). Groups of bees were fed one of the diets for 9 or 12 days. Survival probability was similar in the yeast and essential oils treatments in relation to the control, but median survival was lower in the carvacrol and sesquiterpenes treatments. Food intake was higher in all the yeast treatments than in the control. Fat body percentage in individual bees was slightly lower in all treatments than in the control, with significant decreases in the thymol and carvacrol treatments. Expression of the genes Vg, proPO, and GOx was minimally affected by the yeast treatments but was adversely affected by the carvacrol and thymol treatments.

Transcriptomic analysis reveals key transcription factors associated to drought tolerance in a wild papaya (Carica papaya) genotype.

Most of the commercial papaya genotypes show susceptibility to water deficit stress and require high volumes of irrigation water to yield properly. To tackle this problem, we have collected wild native genotypes of Carica papaya that have proved to show better physiological performance under water deficit stress than the commercial cultivar grown in Mexico. In the present study, plants from a wild Carica papaya genotype and a commercial genotype were subjected to water deficit stress (WDS), and their response was characterized in physiological and molecular terms. The physiological parameters measured (water potential, photosynthesis, Fv/Fm and electrolyte leakage) confirmed that the papaya wild genotype showed better physiological responses than the commercial one when exposed to WDS. Subsequently, RNA-Seq was performed for 4 cDNA libraries in both genotypes (susceptible and tolerant) under well-watered conditions, and when they were subjected to WDS for 14 days. Consistently, differential expression analysis revealed that after 14 days of WDS, the wild tolerant genotype had a higher number of up-regulated genes, and a higher number of transcription factors (TF) that were differentially expressed in response to WDS, than the commercial genotype. Thus, six TF genes (CpHSF, CpMYB, CpNAC, CpNFY-A, CpERF and CpWRKY) were selected for further qRT-PCR analysis as they were highly expressed in response to WDS in the wild papaya genotype. qRT-PCR results confirmed that the wild genotype had higher expression levels (REL) in all 6 TF genes than the commercial genotype. Our transcriptomic analysis should help to unravel candidate genes that may be useful in the development of new drought-tolerant cultivars of this important tropical crop.

The high content of ß-carotene present in orange-pulp fruits of Carica papaya L. is not correlated with a high expression of the CpLCY-ß2 gene.

We investigated the transcriptional regulation of six genes involved in carotenoid biosynthesis, together with the carotenoid accumulation during postharvest ripening of three different papaya genotypes of contrasting pulp color. Red-pulp genotype (RPG) showed the lowest content of yellow pigments (YP), such as ß-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, and violaxanthin, together with the lowest relative expression levels (REL) of CpLCY-ß2 and CpCHX-ß genes. On the contrary, the yellow-pulp genotype (YPG) showed the highest content of YP and the highest REL of CpLCY-ß2 and CpCHX-ß genes. Interestingly, the orange-pulp genotype (OPG) showed intermediate content of YP and intermediate REL of CpLCY-ß2 and CpCHX-ß genes. The highest content of ß-carotene shown by OPG despite having an intermediate REL of the CpLCY-ß2 genes, suggests a post-transcriptional regulation. Thus, the transcriptional level of the genes, directing the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway, can partially explain the accumulation of carotenoids during the postharvest ripening in C. papaya genotypes of contrasting pulp color.