Composition and Intraspecific Chemical Variability of Leaf Essential Oil of Laggera pterodonta from Côte d'Ivoire

The chemical composition of 44 leaf oil samples of Laggera pterodonta (DC.) Sch.Bip. ex Oliv. (Asteraceae) from Côte d'Ivoire was investigated, using combination of chromatographic (GC‐FID) and spectroscopic (GC/MS, ¹³C‐NMR) techniques. Two oil samples chosen according to their chromatographic profiles were submitted to column chromatography and all fractions of CC were analyzed by GC‐FID, GC/MS and ¹³C‐NMR. In total, 83 components accounting for 96.5 to 99.4 % of the whole chemical composition were identified. Significant variations were observed within terpene classes: monoterpene hydrocarbons (0.4–22.7 %), oxygenated monoterpenes (32.9–54.9 %), sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (18.6–38.3 %) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (3.5–38.4 %). Thus, the 44 compositions were subjected to hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA). Two groups were differentiated according to their composition. All the samples contained 2,5‐dimethoxy‐p‐cymene, α‐humulene and (E)‐β‐caryophyllene among the main components. Other components were present at appreciable contents and allowed differentiation of two groups: sabinene and germacrene D for Group I; 10‐epi‐γ‐eudesmol and eudesm‐7(11)‐en‐4α‐ol for Group II. All the samples collected in Eastern Côte d'Ivoire constituted Group I, while samples collected in the Central area of the country constituted Group II.     

Inhibition of bromodomain and extra‐terminal proteins increases sensitivity to venetoclax in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

The development of drugs able to target BTK, PI3k‐delta and BCL2 has dramatically improved chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) therapies. However, drug resistance to these therapies has already been reported due to non‐recurrent changes in oncogenic pathways and genes expression signatures. In this study, we investigated the cooperative role of the BCL2 inhibitor venetoclax and the BRD4 inhibitor JQ1. In particular, we found that JQ1 shows additional activity with venetoclax, in CLL cell lines and in ex vivo isolated primary CD19⁺ lymphocytes, arguing in favour of combination strategies. Lastly, JQ1 is also effective in venetoclax‐resistant CLL cell lines. Together, our findings indicated that the BET inhibitor JQ1 could be a promising therapy in CLL, both as first‐line therapy in combination with venetoclax and as second‐line therapy, after the emergence of venetoclax‐resistant clones.     

Variation in mycorrhizal growth response influences competitive interactions and mechanisms of plant species coexistence

Plant species vary in their growth response to arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, with responses ranging from negative to positive. Differences in response to AM fungi may affect competition between plant species, influencing their ability to coexist. We hypothesized that positively responding species, whose growth is stimulated by AM fungi, will experience stronger intraspecific competition and weaker interspecific competition in soil containing AM fungi, while neutrally or negatively responding species should experience weaker intraspecific and stronger interspecific competition. We grew Plantago lanceolata, which responds positively to AM fungi, and Bromus inermis, which responds negatively to AM fungi, in an additive response surface competition experiment that varied the total density and relative frequency of each species. Plants were grown in sterilized background soil that had been inoculated with whole soil biota, which includes AM fungi, or a microbial wash, that contained other soil microbes but no AM fungi, or in sterilized soil that contained no biota. The positively responding P. lanceolata was more strongly limited by intraspecific than interspecific competition when AM fungi were present. By contrast, the presence of AM fungi decreased the strength of intraspecific competition experienced by the negatively responding B. inermis. Because AM fungi are almost always present in soil, strong intraspecific competition in positively responding species would prevent them from outcompeting species that respond neutrally or negatively to AM fungi. The potential for increased intraspecific competition to offset growth benefits of AM fungi could, therefore, be a stabilizing mechanism that promotes coexistence among plant species.     

One-year Weight Losses in the Look AHEAD Study: Factors Associated With Success

This report provides a further analysis of the first year weight losses in the Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) study and identifies factors associated with success. Participants were a total of 5,145 men and women with type 2 diabetes who were recruited at 16 sites and randomly assigned to an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) or a control condition, Diabetes Support and Education (DSE). During year 1, participants in ILI received comprehensive diet and physical activity counseling in a total of 42 group and individual sessions, compared with three educational sessions for DSE participants. As reported previously, at the end of the year, ILI participants lost 8.6% of initial weight, compared to 0.7% for DSE (P < 0.001). Within the ILI group, all racial/ethnic groups achieved clinically significant weight losses (>5.5%), although there were significant differences among groups. For the year, ILI participants attended an average of 35.4 treatment sessions and reported exercising a mean of 136.6 min/week and consuming a total of 360.9 meal replacement products. Greater self-reported physical activity was the strongest correlate of weight loss, followed by treatment attendance and consumption of meal replacements. The use of orlistat, during the second half of the year, increased weight loss only marginally in those ILI participants who had lost <5% of initial weight during the first 6 months and chose to take the medication thereafter as a toolbox option. The lifestyle intervention was clinically effective in all subsets of an ethnically and demographically diverse population.     

Immunohistochemical analysis of ZAP-70 expression in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

This paper shows a protocol for the detection of ZAP-70 expression in B-CLL (B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia) tumor cells by common immunohistochemical methods. The study was conducted on bone marrow trephine biopsies from 62 B-CLL patients at the time of diagnosis. Immunohistochemical reactions based on peroxidase and alkaline phosphatase reactions were used, as well as double immunofluorescent labeling for ZAP-70 detection as an indirect marker of mutated and unmutated CLL. Clinical relevance of the ZAP-70 expression detection method was assessed using χ ² test between ZAP-70 positivity data and other known prognostic factors, i.e., clinical and cytogenetics data. ZAP-70 was detected in 13 out of 62 patients. Statistically significant results were obtained for ZAP-70 positive cases and known indicators of worse prognosis. Immunohistochemical analysis supported by double immunfluorescent labeling, as shown here, is an easy and reliable technique for the detection of ZAP-70 expression in B-CLL tumor cells applicable in every hematopathology laboratory.     

Effects of waterlogging on seed germination of three Mediterranean oak species: Ecological implications

Soil water saturation during prolonged periods of time generates a negative impact on nearly all terrestrial plants. In Mediterranean woodlands, precipitation can be very abundant during the wet season, inducing temporary soil waterlogging, coinciding with the seed dispersal and germination time of many species. We investigated the effects of waterlogging on seed germination and early root growth of three coexisting oak species (Quercus canariensis, Q. suber and Q. pyrenaica), by completely flooding of seeds for various periods of time. The three oak species showed a certain level of tolerance to waterlogging, only being affected those seeds subjected for long periods of submersion (over 30 days). Waterlogging during prolonged periods of time decreased the probability of seed germination in the three oak species, lengthened the time to germination, and hampered root development in two of the studied species. The main differences between oak species occurred in terms of root growth (Q. canariensis being the less affected, and Q. suber the most); these differential responses could be related to a species rank of waterlogging tolerance. Thus inter-specific differences in germination responses to waterlogging could contribute to explain, at least partially, species habitat and distribution patterns across landscapes. Seed mass also played an important role on different aspects of germination, though its relative importance varied as function of species and waterlogging treatment. The tolerance to stress induced by waterlogging increased with seed mass, but only in the case of Q. canariensis.     

COPII collar defines the boundary between ER and ER exit site and does not coat cargo containers

COPII and COPI mediate the formation of membrane vesicles translocating in opposite directions within the secretory pathway. Live-cell and electron microscopy revealed a novel mode of function for COPII during cargo export from the ER. COPII is recruited to membranes defining the boundary between the ER and ER exit sites, facilitating selective cargo concentration. Using direct observation of living cells, we monitored cargo selection processes, accumulation, and fission of COPII-free ERES membranes. CRISPR/Cas12a tagging, the RUSH system, and pharmaceutical and genetic perturbations of ER-Golgi transport demonstrated that the COPII coat remains bound to the ER–ERES boundary during protein export. Manipulation of the cargo-binding domain in COPII Sec24B prohibits cargo accumulation in ERES. These findings suggest a role for COPII in selecting and concentrating exported cargo rather than coating Golgi-bound carriers. These findings transform our understanding of coat proteins’ role in ER-to-Golgi transport.     

Chitosan antitranspirant activity is due to abscisic acid-dependent stomatal closure

Chitosan (CHT) is a natural compound able to activate the plant own defence machinery against pathogen attacks and to reduce both transpiration and stomatal opening when applied as foliar spray. The data here reported show that CHT-induced antitranspirant activity in bean plants is mediated by ABA, whose level raised over threefold in treated leaves, 24 h after foliar spraying. This is thought to induce partial stomatal closure via a H₂O₂-mediated process, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and histo-cytochemistry, and, in turn, a decrease of stomatal conductance to water vapor (G_w) and transpiration rate (E), assessed by gas exchange measurements. The relatively high internal CO₂ concentration (C_i) values, suggest the occurrence of a slight decrease in carboxylation efficiency after CHT treatment, which however did not prevail over stomatal limitations. The intrinsic water use efficiency (WUE_i) of CHT treated plants was not statistically different from controls and the maximal photochemical efficiency (F_v/F_m) of PSII was not affected. Moreover, CHT determined a stimulation of the xanthophyll cycle towards de-epoxidation state. On the whole, these results, besides confirming the effectiveness of CHT in reducing plant transpiration, prove that the mechanism underlying this activity differs from that showed by the commercial antitranspirant Vapor Gard^® (VP). In fact, the efficacy of the latter is based on the formation of a thin antitranspirant film over the leaf and not on the reduction of stomatal opening. Finally, suggestions for possible use of the two antitranspirants in different environmental conditions are discussed.