Exploring the mechanism of blindness physiopathy in Brassica oleracea var italica L. by comprehensive transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis.

Blindness is a physiopathy characterized by apical abortion that particularly affects the Brassica family. The occurrence of blindness has been related to exposure to low temperatures during early developmental stages. However, the causes of this selective sensitivity and how they affect the correct development remain unknown. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms involved in the occurrence of blindness in broccoli plants. The analysis of RNAseq, focused on membrane transporters and the synthesis pathways of glucosinolates and phenolics, was related with physiological changes in nutrient and water uptake, gas exchange, and metabolism. Comparative gene expression analysis between control and blindness-affected broccoli plants revealed distinct regulation patterns in roots and shoots, leading to reduced synthesis of glucosinolates and phenolics. Additionally, the expression levels of aquaporins and potassium transporters were found to be associated with mineral and water transport. In this way, our results revealed the causes of blindness by identifying differentially expressed genes, highlighting those related to secondary metabolism, as well as genes involved in water and nutrient uptake and transport as the crucial involved in the physiopathy appearance.

Gut epithelial barrier dysfunction in lupus triggers a differential humoral response against gut commensals.

Introduction: Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease with multisystemic involvement including intestinal inflammation. Lupus-associated intestinal inflammation may alter the mucosal barrier where millions of commensals have a dynamic and selective interaction with the host immune system. Here, we investigated the consequences of the intestinal inflammation in a TLR7-mediated lupus model. Methods: IgA humoral and cellular response in the gut was measured. The barrier function of the gut epithelial layer was characterised. Also, microbiota composition in the fecal matter was analysed as well as the systemic humoral response to differential commensals. Results: The lupus-associated intestinal inflammation modifies the IgA+ B cell response in the gut-associated lymphoid tissue in association with dysbiosis. Intestinal inflammation alters the tight junction protein distribution in the epithelial barrier, which correlated with increased permeability of the intestinal barrier and changes in the microbiota composition. This permeability resulted in a differential humoral response against intestinal commensals. Discussion: Lupus development can cause alterations in microbiota composition, allowing specific species to colonize only the lupus gut. Eventually, these alterations and the changes in gut permeability induced by intestinal inflammation could lead to bacterial translocation.

Confronting Secondary Metabolites with Water Uptake and Transport in Plants under Abiotic Stress.

Phenolic compounds and glucosinolates are secondary plant metabolites that play fundamental roles in plant resistance to abiotic stress. These compounds have been found to increase in stress situations related to plant adaptive capacity. This review assesses the functions of phenolic compounds and glucosinolates in plant interactions involving abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, high temperature, metals toxicity, and mineral deficiency or excess. Furthermore, their relation with water uptake and transport mediated through aquaporins is reviewed. In this way, the increases of phenolic compounds and glucosinolate synthesis have been related to primary responses to abiotic stress and induction of resistance. Thus, their metabolic pathways, root exudation, and external application are related to internal cell and tissue movement, with a lack of information in this latter aspect.

Stilbenes: Characterization, bioactivity, encapsulation and structural modifications. A review of their current limitations and promising approaches.

Stilbenes are phenolic compounds naturally synthesized as secondary metabolites by the shikimate pathway in plants. Research on them has increased in recent years due to their therapeutic potential as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, cardioprotective and anti-obesity agents. Amongst them, resveratrol has attracted the most attention, although there are other natural and synthesized stilbenes with enhanced properties. However, stilbenes have some physicochemical and pharmacokinetic problems that need to be overcome before considering their applications. Human clinical evidence of their bioactivity is still controversial due to this fact and hence, exhaustive basis science on stilbenes is needed before applied science. This review gathers the main physicochemical and biological properties of natural stilbenes, establishes structure-activity relationships among them, emphasizing the current problems that limit their applications and presenting some promising approaches to overcome these issues: the encapsulation in different agents and the structural modification to obtain novel stilbenes with better features. The bioactivity of stilbenes should move from promising to evident.