Project description:We performed RNA-seq analysis of control, NHR-23-depleted, SPE-44-depleted and NHR-23+SPE-44 depleted adult male animals, to identify genes regulated by NHR-23 and SPE-44.
Project description:The opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus is carried asymptomatically by about one-third of the human population. Body sites known to be colonized by S. aureus are the skin, nasopharynx and gut. In particular, the mechanisms that allow S. aureus to pass the gut epithelial barrier and to invade the bloodstream are poorly understood. Therefore, our present study was aimed at investigating possible differences between gut-colonizing and bacteremia isolates of S. aureus. To this end, 74 gut-colonizing isolates from healthy individuals and 144 blood-culture isolates were characterized by whole-genome sequencing. Subsequently, the cellular and extracellular proteomes of six representative isolates were examined by mass spectrometry. Lastly, the virulence potential of these isolates was evaluated using infection models based on human gut epithelial cells, blood cells, and a small animal infection model. Intriguingly, our results show that gut-colonizing and bacteremia isolates with the same sequence type (ST1 or ST5) are very similar at the genomic and proteomic levels. Nonetheless, they display differences in virulence, but gut-colonizing isolates may be more virulent than bacteremia isolates and vice versa. Importantly, we show that the main decisive factor preventing infection of gut epithelial cells in vitro is the presence of a tight barrier. Based on our present observations, we propose that the integrity of the gut epithelial layer, rather than the pathogenic potential of a gut-colonizing S. aureus strain, is the main decisive factor that determines whether this colonizer will become an invasive pathogen.
Project description:Whole plants of a clone of S. cajamarquence and a clone of S. tuberosum were spray inoculated with Phytophthora infestans sporangial suspension 3000 sporangias/ml until run off. Two isolates were used: PE84006 (race 0) and POX067 (avr 8, 9). Leaves in the middle part of the plants were collected at 72 h and 96 h after inoculation. Leaves of untreated plants were collected as control treatment. Keywords: Direct comparison
Project description:The data presented here suggested that sPE is associated with impaired decidualization. Initial experiments involved an in vitro approach. hESCs were isolated from patients who developed sPE in a previous pregnancy or control women who had normal obstetric outcomes. Function was tested by comparing the ability of hESCs in the two groups to decidualize in culture. By morphological criteria and marker expression (PRL and IGFBP1), the cells in the formerly sPE group were decidualization resistant, which was confirmed by microarray analyses showing that they were transcriptionally inert.
Project description:Transcriptional profile comparison among Beijing and non-Beijing M. tuberculosis isolates. Three M. tuberculosis strains were compared. The laboratory reference strain, H37Rv, belongs to the Euro-American or lineage 4. Two clinical isolates of the East-Asian or lineage 2: 98_1663 is a pre-Beijing or Group 1 isolate, and HN878 is a Beijing or Group 5 isolate. Three replicates were performed for each comparison using two different biological samples.
Project description:<p>In this study, we investigated the role of the gut microbiota on the development of complications in kidney transplant recipients. We collected serial fecal specimens from 168 kidney transplant recipients within the first 3 months after transplantation. We performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the V4-V5 hypervariable region and examined whether the relative gut abundance of pathogenic bacteria was associated with future development of complications like bacteriuria and urinary tract infections. In a subset of samples, we performed metagenomic sequencing of stool and urine supernatant specimens to determine strain level analysis. </p>
Project description:In the present study, we aimed to discern the preconception decidual transcriptomic signature associated with in vivo defective decidualization in women who suffered sPE in a previous pregnancy. First, we performed a comparative global transcriptional profiling of endometrium from women who developed sPE in a previous pregnancy and from women who never have had sPE. Then, we selected those genes that were significantly deregulated 1.4-fold higher (FDR<0.05) and have an EntrezID code. As a result, we formulate a transcriptional signature associated with defective decidualization composed by 120 genes.
Project description:Establishment of left-right (LR) asymmetry occurs shortly after gastrulation and utilizes a cascade of events. In the mouse, LR symmetry is broken at the node, involves signal relay to the lateral plate, and results in asymmetric organ morphogenesis. How information transmits from the node to the lateral plate remains unclear. Noting that embryos lacking Sox17 exhibit defects in both gut endoderm formation and LR patterning, we investigated a connection between these two processes. We noted an endoderm-specific absence of the critical gap junction component, Connexin43, in Sox17 mutants. Dye-coupling experiments revealed planar gap junction coupling across the gut endoderm in wild-type but not mutant embryos. The role for gap junction communication in LR patterning was confirmed by pharmacological inhibition. Collectively, our data demonstrate communication across gap junctions in gut endoderm as a mechanism for information relay between node and lateral plate critical for the establishment of LR asymmetry in mice.
Project description:Shotgun proteomics on sterile culture supernatant from S. aureus clinical isolates to determine proteins associated with pro-inflammatory phenotype.