Publications by authors named "Esteban Alfonso"

Background: Priming plants with natural products is extensively studied in the agricultural field to reduce the use of synthetic and copper-based pesticides. Previous studies have shown that Oregano essential oil vapour (OEOV) is an effective priming agent against downy mildew (DM) in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. cv.

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Article Synopsis
  • Pancreatic cancer, particularly pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), is a deadly cancer often diagnosed late, making treatment and prognosis challenging.* -
  • The study explored the prognostic value of RANK and RANKL proteins in relation to survival outcomes of 41 pancreatic cancer patients over 60 months.* -
  • It found that higher levels of RANK and RANKL are linked to poorer survival rates, suggesting potential targets for further research on treatment options.*
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Plants are able to detect insect eggs deposited on leaves. In Arabidopsis, eggs of the butterfly species Pieris brassicae (common name large white) induce plant defenses and activate the salicylic acid (SA) pathway. We previously discovered that oviposition triggers a systemic acquired resistance (SAR) against the bacterial hemibiotroph pathogen Pseudomonas syringae.

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The natural restoration of soils polluted by aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and m- and p-xylene (BTEX) may be accelerated by inoculation of specific biodegraders (bioaugmentation). Bioaugmentation mainly involves introducing bacteria that deploy their metabolic properties and adaptation potential to survive and propagate in the contaminated environment by degrading the pollutant. In order to better understand the adaptive response of cells during a transition to contaminated material, we analyzed here the genome and short-term (1 h) changes in genome-wide gene expression of the BTEX-degrading bacterium Pseudomonas veronii 1YdBTEX2 in non-sterile soil and liquid medium, both in presence or absence of toluene.

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Physical damage can strongly affect plant growth, reducing the biomass of developing organs situated at a distance from wounds. These effects, previously studied in leaves, require the activation of jasmonate (JA) signalling. Using a novel assay involving repetitive cotyledon wounding in Arabidopsis seedlings, we uncovered a function of JA in suppressing cell division and elongation in roots.

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