Project description:MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs between 18-23nts in size which regulate the translation and stability of target mRNAs. miRNAs are present in dietary plants and are conventionally thought to be degraded during the gastrointestinal digestion process. Recent reports suggest that a few dietary microRNAs may exhibit resistance to this process, enter systemic circulation and exert biological effects on animal physiology, currently known as cross-kingdom regulation. However, such horizontal transfer of miRNAs via different kingdoms is highly likely for miRNAs that are present intrinsic extracellular vesicles which increases their bioavailability. These vesicular structures from plants are known as Exosome-like nanovesicles (ENV). ENVs have been isolated from several edible plants. ENV-derived miRNAs are probably more bioavailable and are spontaneously absorbed in intestinal epithelium to suppress target transcripts in human/microbial/viral kingdoms. Such cross-kingdom regulation exhibited by ENV-miRNAs, if properly investigated and validated, may aid in the development of non-toxic and cost-effective therapeutics to treat human diseases. In this line, we purified ENVs from four edible plants (Soy bean, ginger, amla and turmeric). Small RNA population from these ENVs were isolated and profiled through small RNA sequencing to identify ENV-associated miRNAs enriched in each species.
2024-10-13 | GSE246292 | GEO
Project description:Draft genomes of six wild poisonous mushrooms
Project description:A population of wild type plants can contain individuals with drastically different flowering times, due to developmental asynchrony. We performed RNA-seq on individual plants from a large population of wild type (Ws-2) Arabidopsis thaliana, sampling a large number (~70) of replicates at one timepoint during the flowering transition. We have characterised a major transcriptomic switch between plants before and after bolting. Applying methods used in single-cell RNA-seq, we used this data to order the plants by their predicted age – which is referred to as a pseudo-time series. In contrast to a traditional RNA-seq time series, this allows us to view changes in gene expression at a fine temporal scale. Importantly, we can infer the order that transcription factors ‘switch on’ during the vegetative to floral transition.
Project description:Plant-based diets could be a key source of microRNAs in animals. Plant microRNAs are cross-kingdom gene expression regulators that could modulate mammalian gene expression, influencing their physiology. Therefore, it is important to identify the microRNA expression profile of plant foods in order to identify potential target genes and biological functions in the mammalian host. Next-generation sequencing was applied to identify microRNAs in RNA samples derived from nuts (walnut and almond), vegetables (spinach) and fruits (orange, apple, olive, pear, and tomato). Our data revealed that edible plant contain a large number and diverse type of microRNAs.
Project description:The common edible mushroom Agaricus bisporus is a basidiomycete that thrives on decaying plant material in the forests and grasslands of North America and Europe. It is adapted to forest litter and contributes to global carbon recycling, degrading cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin in plant biomass to oligomers and monomers. A. bisporus is also an edible mushroom that is widely cultivated and economically important. However, relatively little is known about how A. bisporus grows in this controlled environment and utilizes its substrate. Using transcriptomics and proteomics, we showed that changes in plant biomass degradation by A. bisporus occur throughout its life cycle. Ligninolytic genes were highly expressed during the spawning stage day 16 and had low expression during all the other growth stages which could indicate that lignin is not modified after the spawning stage. Our results also revealed differences in gene expression involved in cellulose and hemicellulose degradation between the first and second flushes. This could partially explain the reduction in the number of mushrooms during the second flush. This study compares the gene expression of A. bisporus A15 at different stages of its life cycle using the controlled environment of indoor commercial cultivation. The samples were taken at the spawning stage, primordial stage, first flush, after first flush, second flush and after second flush, respectively
Project description:The common edible mushroom Agaricus bisporus is a basidiomycete that thrives on decaying plant material in the forests and grasslands of North America and Europe. It is adapted to forest litter and contributes to global carbon recycling, degrading cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin in plant biomass to oligomers and monomers. A. bisporus is also an edible mushroom that is widely cultivated and economically important. However, relatively little is known about how A. bisporus grows in this controlled environment and utilizes its substrate. Using transcriptomics and proteomics, we showed that changes in plant biomass degradation by A. bisporus occur throughout its life cycle. Ligninolytic genes were highly expressed during the spawning stage day 16 and had low expression during all the other growth stages which could indicate that lignin is not modified after the spawning stage. Our results also revealed differences in gene expression involved in cellulose and hemicellulose degradation between the first and second flushes. This could partially explain the reduction in the number of mushrooms during the second flush.
Project description:RATIONALE: Chemoprevention therapy is the use of certain drugs to try to prevent the development or recurrence of cancer. The use of sulindac may be an effective way to prevent colon cancer. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables appears to reduce the risk of some types of cancer. Curcumin, rutin, and quercetin are compounds found in plants that may prevent the development of colon cancer.
PURPOSE: Randomized clinical trial to study the effectiveness of sulindac, curcumin, rutin, and quercetin in preventing colon cancer.