(±)-3-Deoxyradicinin Induces Stomata Opening and Chloroplast Oxidative Stress in Tomato ( L.).

Radicinin is a phytotoxic dihydropyranopyran-4,5-dione isolated from the culture filtrates of a phytopathogenic fungus of the invasive weed buffelgrass (). Radicinin proved to have interesting potential as a natural herbicide. Being interested in elucidating the mechanism of action and considering radicinin is produced in small quantities by , we opted to use (±)-3-deoxyradicinin, a synthetic analogue of radicinin that is available in larger quantities and shows radicinin-like phytotoxic activities.

Comparative Analysis of the Response to Polyethylene Glycol-Simulated Drought Stress in Roots from Seedlings of "Modern" and "Ancient" Wheat Varieties.

Durum wheat is widely cultivated in the Mediterranean, where it is the basis for the production of high added-value food derivatives such as pasta. In the next few years, the detrimental effects of global climate change will represent a serious challenge to crop yields. For durum wheat, the threat of climate change is worsened by the fact that cultivation relies on a few genetically uniform, elite varieties, better suited to intensive cultivation than "traditional" ones but less resistant to environmental stress.

Cyclopaldic Acid, the Main Phytotoxic Metabolite of , Induces Programmed Cell Death and Autophagy in .

Cyclopaldic acid is one of the main phytotoxic metabolites produced by fungal pathogens of the genus , causal agents, among others, of the canker disease of plants of the Cupressaceae family. Previous studies showed that the metabolite can partially reproduce the symptoms of the infection and that it is toxic to different plant species, thereby proving to be a non-specific phytotoxin. Despite the remarkable biological effects of the compound, which revealed also insecticidal, fungicidal and herbicidal properties, information about its mode of action is still lacking.

Defense against the Pathogenic Fungus Is Dependent on the Integrity of the Unfolded Protein Response.

Heald & Wolf is a worldwide-spread necrotrophic fungus closely related to the genus, well-known because many member species provoke severe diseases in cereal crops and studied because they produce sesterpenoid phytoxins named ophiobolins which possess interesting biological properties. The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a conserved mechanism protecting eukaryotic cells from the accumulation of unfolded/misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In plants, consolidated evidence supports the role of UPR in the tolerance to abiotic stress, whereas much less information is available concerning the induction of ER stress by pathogen infection and consequent UPR elicitation as part of the defense response.

Tis21-gene therapy inhibits medulloblastoma growth in a murine allograft model.

Medulloblastoma (MB), the tumor of the cerebellum, is the most frequent brain cancer in childhood and a major cause of pediatric mortality. Based on gene profiling, four MB subgroups have been identified, i.e.