Functional characterization reveals the importance of Arabidopsis ECA4 and EPSIN3 in clathrin mediated endocytosis and wall structure in apical growing cells.

Localized clathrin mediated endocytosis is vital for secretion and wall deposition in apical growing plant cells. Adaptor and signalling proteins, along with phosphoinositides, are known to play a regulatory, yet poorly defined role in this process. Here we investigated the function of Arabidopsis ECA4 and EPSIN3, putative mediators of the process, in pollen tubes and root hairs.

Overexpression of Ginkbilobin-2 homologous domain gene improves tolerance to Phytophthora cinnamomi in somatic embryos of Quercus suber.

In recent decades an extensive mortality and decline of Quercus suber populations mainly caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi has been observed. In the current study, a chestnut gene homologous to ginkbilobin-2 (Cast_Gnk2-like), which in Ginkgo biloba codifies an antifungal protein, was transferred into cork oak somatic embryos of three different embryogenic lines by Agrobacterium mediated transformation. The transformation efficiency varied on the genotype from 2.

The pathogenicity of Plasmopara viticola: a review of evolutionary dynamics, infection strategies and effector molecules.

Oomycetes are filamentous organisms that resemble fungi in terms of morphology and life cycle, primarily due to convergent evolution. The success of pathogenic oomycetes lies in their ability to adapt and overcome host resistance, occasionally transitioning to new hosts. During plant infection, these organisms secrete effector proteins and other compounds during plant infection, as a molecular arsenal that contributes to their pathogenic success.

Breast Cancer Brain Metastases: Implementation and Characterization of a Mouse Model Relying on Malignant Cells Inoculation in the Carotid Artery.

Breast cancer (BC) brain metastases (BCBM) is a severe condition frequently occurring in the triple-negative subtype. The study of BCBM pathogenesis and treatment has been hampered by the difficulty in establishing a reliable animal model that faithfully recapitulates the preferential formation of brain metastases. The injection of BC cells in the carotid artery of mice has been proposed but the procedure is challenging, with the metastatic pattern being scarcely characterized.

Abrogating Metastatic Properties of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells by EGFR and PI3K Dual Inhibitors.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a devastating BC subtype. Its aggressiveness, allied to the lack of well-defined molecular targets, usually culminates in the appearance of metastases that account for poor prognosis, particularly when they develop in the brain. Nevertheless, TNBC has been associated with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression, leading to downstream phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling activation.

Functional Analysis of Phospholipid Signaling and Actin Dynamics: The Use of Apical Growing Tobacco Pollen Tubes in a Case Study.

Signaling molecules are crucial to perceive and translate intra- and extracellular cues. Phosphoinositides and the proteins responsible for their biosynthesis (e.g.

Nitrogen Acquisition and Transport in the Ectomycorrhizal Symbiosis-Insights from the Interaction between an Oak Tree and .

In temperate forests, the roots of various tree species are colonized by ectomycorrhizal fungi, which have a key role in the nitrogen nutrition of their hosts. However, not much is known about the molecular mechanisms related to nitrogen metabolism in ectomycorrhizal plants. This study aimed to evaluate the nitrogen metabolic response of oak plants when inoculated with the ectomycorrhizal fungus Pisolithus tinctorius.

An in-planta comparative study of Plasmopara viticola proteome reveals different infection strategies towards susceptible and Rpv3-mediated resistance hosts.

Plasmopara viticola, an obligate biotrophic oomycete, is the causal agent of one of the most harmful grapevine diseases, downy mildew. Within this pathosystem, much information is gathered on the host, as characterization of pathogenicity and infection strategy of a biotrophic pathogen is quite challenging. Molecular insights into P.

Transcriptomic and methylation analysis of susceptible and tolerant grapevine genotypes following Plasmopara viticola infection.

Downy mildew, caused by the biotrophic oomycete Plasmopara viticola, is one of the most economically significant grapevine diseases worldwide. Current strategies to cope with this threat rely on the massive use of chemical compounds during each cultivation season. The economic costs and negative environmental impact associated with these applications increased the urge to search for sustainable strategies of disease control.

A Drug Screening Reveals Minocycline Hydrochloride as a Therapeutic Option to Prevent Breast Cancer Cells Extravasation across the Blood-Brain Barrier.

Among breast cancer (BC) patients, 15-25% develop BC brain metastases (BCBM), a severe condition due to the limited therapeutic options, which points to the need for preventive strategies. We aimed to find a drug able to boost blood-brain barrier (BBB) properties and prevent BC cells (BCCs) extravasation, among PI3K, HSP90, and EGFR inhibitors and approved drugs. We used BCCs (4T1) and BBB endothelial cells (b.

Genetic Transformation of Somatic Embryos with a Gnk2-like Protein That Reveals a Putative Anti-Oomycete Action.

Holm oak is a key tree species in Mediterranean ecosystems, whose populations have been increasingly threatened by oak decline syndrome, a disease caused by the combined action of and abiotic stresses. The aim of the present study was to produce holm oak plants that overexpress the Ginkbilobin-2 homologous domain gene () that it is known to possess antifungal properties. Proembryogenic masses (PEMs) isolated from four embryogenic lines (Q8, E2, Q10-16 and E00) were used as target explants.

Behind Brain Metastases Formation: Cellular and Molecular Alterations and Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption.

Breast cancer (BC) brain metastases is a life-threatening condition to which accounts the poor understanding of BC cells' (BCCs) extravasation into the brain, precluding the development of preventive strategies. Thus, we aimed to unravel the players involved in the interaction between BCCs and blood-brain barrier (BBB) endothelial cells underlying BBB alterations and the transendothelial migration of malignant cells. We used brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) as a BBB in vitro model, under conditions mimicking shear stress to improve in vivo-like BBB features.

MicroRNAs and Extracellular Vesicles as Distinctive Biomarkers of Precocious and Advanced Stages of Breast Cancer Brain Metastases Development.

Triple negative breast cancer presents higher mortality and poorer survival rates than other breast cancer (BC) types, due to the proneness to brain metastases formation, which are usually diagnosed at advanced stages. Therefore, the discovery of BC brain metastases (BCBM) biomarkers appears pivotal for a timely intervention. With this work, we aimed to disclose microRNAs (miRNAs) and extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the circulation as biomarkers of BCBM formation.

Metabolomics and transcriptomics to decipher molecular mechanisms underlying ectomycorrhizal root colonization of an oak tree.

Mycorrhizas are known to have a positive impact on plant growth and ability to resist major biotic and abiotic stresses. However, the metabolic alterations underlying mycorrhizal symbiosis are still understudied. By using metabolomics and transcriptomics approaches, cork oak roots colonized by the ectomycorrhizal fungus Pisolithus tinctorius were compared with non-colonized roots.

Picturing Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis Development to Unravel Molecular Players and Cellular Crosstalk.

With breast cancer (BC) therapy improvements, the appearance of brain metastases has been increasing, representing a life-threatening condition. Brain metastasis formation involves BC cell (BCC) extravasation across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and brain colonization by unclear mechanisms. We aimed to disclose the actors involved in BC brain metastasis formation, focusing on BCCs' phenotype, growth factor expression, and signaling pathway activation, correlating with BBB alterations and intercellular communication.

Expression of Allene Oxide Synthase in Arabidopsis Improves the Defense to .

Allene oxide synthase (AOS) is a key enzyme of the jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway. The gene was previously found to be upregulated in an Asian chestnut species resistant to infection by the oomycete (), while lower expression values were detected in the susceptible European chestnut (). Here, we report a genetic and functional characterization of the AOS (CcAOS) upon its heterologous gene expression in a susceptible ecotype of , which contains a single gene.

Liquid-Ordered Phase Formation by Mammalian and Yeast Sterols: A Common Feature With Organizational Differences.

Here, biophysical properties of membranes enriched in three metabolically related sterols are analyzed both and . Unlike cholesterol and ergosterol, the common metabolic precursor zymosterol is unable to induce the formation of a liquid ordered ( ) phase in model lipid membranes and can easily accommodate in a gel phase. As a result, Zym has a marginal ability to modulate the passive membrane permeability of lipid vesicles with different compositions, contrary to cholesterol and ergosterol.

Downregulation of circulating miR 802-5p and miR 194-5p and upregulation of brain MEF2C along breast cancer brain metastasization.

Breast cancer brain metastases (BCBMs) have been underinvestigated despite their high incidence and poor outcome. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), and particularly circulating miRNAs, regulate multiple cellular functions, and their deregulation has been reported in different types of cancer and metastasis. However, their signature in plasma along brain metastasis development and their relevant targets remain undetermined.

The leaf lipid composition of ectomycorrhizal oak plants shows a drought-tolerance signature.

Ectomycorrhizas have been reported to increase plant tolerance to drought. However, the mechanisms involved are not yet fully understood. Membranes are the first targets of degradation during drought, and growing evidences support a role for membrane lipids in plant tolerance and adaptation to drought.

Author Correction: The interplay between membrane lipids and phospholipase A family members in grapevine resistance against Plasmopara viticola.

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper.

A role for diacylglycerol kinase 4 in signalling crosstalk during Arabidopsis pollen tube growth.

Diacylglycerol kinases (DGKs) play a major role in the production of phosphatidic acid (PtdOH) and were implicated in endomembrane trafficking and signalling cascades. In plants, the role of DGKs is less clear, as PtdOH seems to arise mostly from phospholipase D activity. Here, we investigated the function of the Arabidopsis gene encoding DGK4, which is highly expressed in pollen.

The interplay between membrane lipids and phospholipase A family members in grapevine resistance against Plasmopara viticola.

Grapevine downy mildew, caused by the biotrophic oomycete Plasmopara viticola, is one of the most important diseases in modern viticulture. The search for sustainable disease control measure is of extreme importance, thus becoming imperative to fully characterize the mechanisms leading to an incompatible interaction. We have previously shown that lipid signalling events play an important role in grapevine's response to this pathogen, namely through changes in linolenic acid content, lipid peroxidation and jasmonic acid synthesis.