Preliminary Evidence of a Horizontal Transfer of Paramutation Phenomenon at the Gene in Maize ( L.).

Paramutation, a specific epigenetic phenomenon first identified in by Alexander Brink in the 1950s, has since been observed in different plant and animal species. What sets paramutation apart from other gene silencing processes is its ability for one silenced allele (referred to as paramutagenic) to silence another allele (paramutable) in trans. The resultant silenced allele (paramutated) remains stable across generations, even after separating from the paramutagenic allele, and acquires paramutagenic properties itself.

Assessment of Lactococcus Cremoris preparations for the pre- and post-milking teat disinfection.

Good hygienic milking practices including the disinfection of the cow teat skin before and after milking aimed at preventing the occurrence of new intramammary infections (IMI) in dairy cows. This practice is generally performed using disinfectants, and in the current context of attention to the emergence of resistances, it is of greatest interest to evaluate alternative solutions that can expand treatment options. We assessed the efficacy of a pre-dipping and a post-dipping product based on the bacteriocin-containing culture of Lactococcus cremoris strain FT27, as compared to commercial disinfectants.

New insights on hidradenitis suppurativa phenotypes and treatment response: An exploratory automated analysis of the SUNSHINE and SUNRISE trials.

Background: Defining hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) subtypes was previously limited by small sample sizes and poor interrater reliability; no study has investigated subtype treatment responses. The objective of this analysis was to characterize HS clusters in adult patients with moderate to severe HS and evaluate secukinumab treatment responses between clusters.

Methods: Clusters were identified via an unsupervised machine learning clustering analysis using baseline data from the randomized, placebo-controlled SUNSHINE (NCT03713619) and SUNRISE (NCT03713632) phase 3 trials.

Simultaneous enhancement of multiple functional properties using evolution-informed protein design.

A major challenge in protein design is to augment existing functional proteins with multiple property enhancements. Altering several properties likely necessitates numerous primary sequence changes, and novel methods are needed to accurately predict combinations of mutations that maintain or enhance function. Models of sequence co-variation (e.

Characterization of the olive endophytic community in genotypes displaying a contrasting response to Xylella fastidiosa.

Background: Endophytes mediate the interactions between plants and other microorganisms, and the functional aspects of interactions between endophytes and their host that support plant-growth promotion and tolerance to stresses signify the ecological relevance of the endosphere microbiome. In this work, we studied the bacterial and fungal endophytic communities of olive tree (Olea europaea L.) asymptomatic or low symptomatic genotypes sampled in groves heavily compromised by Xylella fastidiosa subsp.

A Guide to Cannabis Virology: From the Virome Investigation to the Development of Viral Biotechnological Tools.

cultivation is experiencing a period of renewed interest due to the new opportunities for its use in different sectors including food, techno-industrial, construction, pharmaceutical and medical, cosmetics, and textiles. Moreover, its properties as a carbon sequestrator and soil improver make it suitable for sustainable agriculture and climate change mitigation strategies. The increase in cannabis cultivation is generating conditions for the spread of new pathogens.

Signaling Cross-Talk between Salicylic and Gentisic Acid in the ' Phytoplasma Solani' Interaction with Sangiovese Vines.

"Bois noir" disease associated with ' Phytoplasma solani' seriously compromises the production and survival of grapevines ( L.) in Europe. Understanding the plant response to phytoplasmas should help to improve disease control strategies.

Simultaneous enhancement of multiple functional properties using evolution-informed protein design.

Designing optimized proteins is important for a range of practical applications. Protein design is a rapidly developing field that would benefit from approaches that enable many changes in the amino acid primary sequence, rather than a small number of mutations, while maintaining structure and enhancing function. Homologous protein sequences contain extensive information about various protein properties and activities that have emerged over billions of years of evolution.

Development and Validation of a Duplex RT-qPCR for Detection of Peach Latent Mosaic Viroid and Comparison of Different Nucleic-Acid-Extraction Protocols.

Peach latent mosaic viroid (PLMVd) is an important pathogen that causes disease in peaches. Control of this viroid remains problematic because most PLMVd variants are symptomless, and although there are many detection tests in use, the reliability of PCR-based methods is compromised by the complex, branched secondary RNA structure of the viroid and its genetic diversity. In this study, a duplex RT-qPCR method was developed and validated against two previously published single RT-qPCRs, which were potentially able to detect all known PLMVd variants when used in tandem.

Chronic kidney disease and cognitive decline in patients with type 2 diabetes at elevated cardiovascular risk.

Aims: We addressed the question whether chronic kidney disease (CKD) may contribute to cognitive decline in type 2 diabetes.

Methods: Participants with type 2 diabetes with elevated cardiovascular risk or CKD from cognition substudies of two large trials were studied prospectively (CARMELINA: n = 2666, mean ± SD age 68.1 ± 8.

Biocontrol Potential of Endophytic Plant-Growth-Promoting Bacteria against Phytopathogenic Viruses: Molecular Interaction with the Host Plant and Comparison with Chitosan.

Endophytic plant-growth-promoting bacteria (ePGPB) are interesting tools for pest management strategies. However, the molecular interactions underlying specific biocontrol effects, particularly against phytopathogenic viruses, remain unexplored. Herein, we investigated the antiviral effects and triggers of induced systemic resistance mediated by four ePGPB ( strain R8, strain R16, strain 255-7, and strain 260-02) against four viruses (Cymbidium Ring Spot Virus-CymRSV; Cucumber Mosaic Virus-CMV; Potato Virus X-PVX; and Potato Virus Y-PVY) on plants under controlled conditions and compared them with a chitosan-based resistance inducer product.

Real-Time On-Site Diagnosis of Quarantine Pathogens in Plant Tissues by Nanopore-Based Sequencing.

Rapid and sensitive assays for the identification of plant pathogens are necessary for the effective management of crop diseases. The main limitation of current diagnostic testing is the inability to combine broad and sensitive pathogen detection with the identification of key strains, pathovars, and subspecies. Such discrimination is necessary for quarantine pathogens, whose management is strictly dependent on genotype identification.

Bacterial Communities in the Embryo of Maize Landraces: Relation with Susceptibility to Fusarium Ear Rot.

Locally adapted maize accessions (landraces) represent an untapped resource of nutritional and resistance traits for breeding, including the shaping of distinct microbiota. Our study focused on five different maize landraces and a reference commercial hybrid, showing different susceptibility to fusarium ear rot, and whether this trait could be related to particular compositions of the bacterial microbiota in the embryo, using different approaches. Our cultivation-independent approach utilized the metabarcoding of a portion of the 16S rRNA gene to study bacterial populations in these samples.

RNAi of a Putative Grapevine Susceptibility Gene as a Possible Downy Mildew Control Strategy.

Downy mildew, caused by the oomycete , is one of the diseases causing the most severe economic losses to grapevine () production. To date, the application of fungicides is the most efficient method to control the pathogen and the implementation of novel and sustainable disease control methods is a major challenge. RNA interference (RNAi) represents a novel biotechnological tool with a great potential for controlling fungal pathogens.

Channel nuclear pore complex subunits are required for transposon silencing in .

The nuclear pore complex (NPC) is the principal gateway between nucleus and cytoplasm that enables exchange of macromolecular cargo. Composed of multiple copies of ~30 different nucleoporins (Nups), the NPC acts as a selective portal, interacting with factors which individually license passage of specific cargo classes. Here we show that two Nups of the inner channel, Nup54 and Nup58, are essential for transposon silencing via the PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway in the ovary.

Characterization of Lysinibacillus fusiformis strain S4C11: In vitro, in planta, and in silico analyses reveal a plant-beneficial microbe.

Despite sharing many of the traits that have allowed the genus Bacillus to gain recognition for its agricultural relevance, the genus Lysinibacillus is not as well-known and studied. The present study employs in vitro, in vivo, in planta, and in silico approaches to characterize Lysinibacillus fusiformis strain S4C11, isolated from the roots of an apple tree in northern Italy. The in vitro and in vivo assays demonstrated that strain S4C11 possesses an antifungal activity against different fungal pathogens, and is capable of interfering with the germination of Botrytis cinerea conidia, as well as of inhibiting its growth through the production of volatile organic molecules.

Multilocus Genotyping Reveals New Molecular Markers for Differentiating Distinct Genetic Lineages among " Phytoplasma Solani" Strains Associated with Grapevine Bois Noir.

Grapevine Bois noir (BN) is associated with infection by " Phytoplasma solani" (CaPsol). In this study, an array of CaPsol strains was identified from 142 symptomatic grapevines in vineyards of northern, central, and southern Italy and North Macedonia. Molecular typing of the CaPsol strains was carried out by analysis of genes encoding 16S rRNA and translation elongation factor EF-Tu, as well as eight other previously uncharacterized genomic fragments.

Bacterial microbiota associated with insect vectors of grapevine Bois noir disease in relation to phytoplasma infection.

Bois noir is a grapevine disease causing severe yield loss in vineyards worldwide. It is associated with 'Candidatus Phytoplasma solani', a phloem-limited bacterium transmitted by polyphagous insects. Due to its complex epidemiology, it is difficult to organize effective containment measures.

Proposal of A New Bois Noir Epidemiological Pattern Related to ' Phytoplasma Solani' Strains Characterized by A Possible Moderate Virulence in Tuscany.

Bois noir (BN), associated with ' Phytoplasma solani' (CaPsol), is the most widespread disease of the grapevine yellows complex worldwide. In this work, BN epidemiology was investigated in a case study vineyard where an unusual CaPsol strain, previously detected only in other host plants, was found to be prevalent in grapevine. Experimental activities included: symptom observation; sampling of symptomatic vines, Auchenorrhyncha specimens, and weeds; molecular detection and typing of CaPsol strains; statistical analyses for determining possible relationships between CaPsol relative concentration, strain type, and symptom severity.

Towards Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture: An evaluation of biocontrol effects, nutritional value, and ecological impact of bacterial inoculants.

Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture (NSA) is a novel concept in agriculture that considers not only yield, but also nutritional value of produce, sustainability of production, and ecological impact of agriculture. In accordance with its goals, NSA would benefit from applying microbial-based products as they are deemed more sustainable than their synthetic counterparts. This study characterized 3 plant-beneficial bacterial strains (Paenibacillus pasadenensis strain R16, Pseudomonas syringae strain 260-02, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain CC2) on their biocontrol activity and effect on nutritional and texture quality of romaine lettuce plants (Lactuca sativa) in greenhouse.

-Nitroheterocycles: Bench-Stable Organic Reagents for Catalytic -Nitration of Aryl- and Heteroarylboronic Acids.

Photocatalytic and metal-free protocols to access various aromatic and heteroaromatic nitro compounds through -nitration of readily available boronic acid derivatives were developed using non-metal-based, bench-stable, and recyclable nitrating reagents. These methods are operationally simple, mild, regioselective, and possess excellent functional group compatibility, delivering desired products in up to 99% yield.