Project description:The phytopathological studies often deal with approaches involving the employment of high elicitor concentrations necessary to provoke responses that could be easily observed and quantified. We tested the range of gene expression changes for a low concentration chitosan elicitor treatment of seedlings, 0.001%, and we compared it with the higher one, 0.01%. We uncover both the quantitative and qualitative changes in gene expressions between the two treatments. Further on, we tested if the gene expression can be modified by the treatment with the defence-related CAPE peptide (10 uM). We discovered several interesting candidate genes specific for each of treatments, and combination of treatments, that would be worth of further more focused genetic studies.
Project description:We treated Arabidopsis seedlings with chitosan and carried out a transcript profiling analysis (GeneChip microarrays) in order to identify genes and transcription factors regulated by chitosan. The results showed that jasmonate and defense responsive genes, camalexin and lignin biosynthetic genes were among genes up-regulated by chitosan. Several transcription factors are also strongly induced by chitosan. The results suggested that chitosan can be used as a strong elicitor of defense pathways. Experiment Overall Design: Arabidopsis thaliana, ecotype Columbia (Col-0) seeds were sterilized for 7 min in 1.7% (v/v) bleach solution, incubated over night in 4% PPM (Plant Preservative Mixture, Plant Cell Technology, Washington DC, USA) in a full strength sterilized Murashige-Skoog (MS) salt solution with gentle shaking. Subsequently, the seeds were rinsed in abundant sterile water and transferred into 2.5 ml liquid growing media (MS half strength solution) with 0.05% PPM in 6-well plates. The plates were incubated in the dark at 4 °C for two days and finally transferred to continuous light (90µm photons/ m-2) with gentle swirling for four days in a plant growth chamber at 22 °C. Experiment Overall Design: . Treatments were performed by comparing a control solution containing the solvent used to solubilize chitosan, and a chitosan solution concentrated 150 µg/ml.
Project description:Current protection strategies against the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea rely on a combination of conventional fungicides and host genetic resistance. Defence elicitors can stimulate plant defence mechanisms through a phenomenon known as priming. Priming results on a faster and/or stronger expression of resistance upon pathogen attack. This work aims to study priming of a commercial formulation of the elicitor Chitosan. Treatments with Chitosan result in induced resistance in solanaceous and brassicaceous plants. Large-scale transcriptomic analysis in this study revealed that Chitosan primes gene expression at early time-points after infection. Four conditions were analysed using microarrays: (i) water-treated and non-infected plants (Water + Mock); (ii) Chitosan-treated and non-infected plants (Chitosan + Mock); (iii) water-treated and B. cinerea-infected plants (Water + B. cinerea); (iv) Chitosan-treated and B. cinerea-infected plants (Chitosan + B. cinerea). Inoculations were performed four days after treatment with Chitosan, and leaf discs from four independent plants (biological replicates) per treatment were sampled at 6 h, 9 h and 12 h post-inoculation (hpi) with water mock or B. cinerea spores.
Project description:We treated Arabidopsis seedlings with chitosan and carried out a transcript profiling analysis (GeneChip microarrays) in order to identify genes and transcription factors regulated by chitosan. The results showed that jasmonate and defense responsive genes, camalexin and lignin biosynthetic genes were among genes up-regulated by chitosan. Several transcription factors are also strongly induced by chitosan. The results suggested that chitosan can be used as a strong elicitor of defense pathways.
Project description:Chitosan has been widely used in food industry as a weight-loss aid and a cholesterol-lowering agent. Previous studies have shown that chitosan affects metabolic responses and contributes to anti-diabetic, hypocholestermic, and blood glucose-lowering effects; however, the in vivo targeting sites and mechanisms of chitosan remain to be clarified. In this study, we constructed transgenic mice which carried the luciferase genes driven by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR), a key regulator of fatty acid and glucose metabolism. Bioluminescent imaging of PPAR transgenic mice was applied to report the organs that chitosan acted on, and gene expression profiles of chitosan-targeted organs were further analyzed to elucidate the mechanisms of chitosan. Bioluminescent imaging showed that constitutive PPAR activities were detected in brain and gastrointestinal tract. Administration of chitosan significantly activated the PPAR activities in brain and stomach. Microarray analysis of brain and stomach showed that several pathways involved in lipid and glucose metabolism were regulated by chitosan. Moreover, the expression levels of metabolism-associated genes like apolipoprotein B (apoB) and ghrelin genes were down-regulated by chitosan. In conclusion, these findings suggested the feasibility of PPAR bioluminescent imaging-guided transcriptomic analysis on the evaluation of chitosan-affected metabolic responses in vivo. Moreover, we newly identified that downregulated expression of apoB and ghrelin genes were novel mechanisms for chitosan-affected metabolic responses in vivo . Mice (6 to 8 weeks old) were subcutaneously injected saline or 0.2 g/kg chitosan. Chitosan oligosaccharide lactate (MW=4000-6000, >90% deacetylation) was purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, MO, USA) and dissolved in DDW. For rosiglitazone treatment, mice were orally administered 50 mg/kg rosiglitazone. Mice were then imaged for the luciferase activity or sacrificed for microarray analysis at indicated periods.
Project description:Chitosan has been widely used in food industry as a weight-loss aid and a cholesterol-lowering agent. Previous studies have shown that chitosan affects metabolic responses and contributes to anti-diabetic, hypocholestermic, and blood glucose-lowering effects; however, the in vivo targeting sites and mechanisms of chitosan remain to be clarified. In this study, we constructed transgenic mice which carried the luciferase genes driven by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR), a key regulator of fatty acid and glucose metabolism. Bioluminescent imaging of PPAR transgenic mice was applied to report the organs that chitosan acted on, and gene expression profiles of chitosan-targeted organs were further analyzed to elucidate the mechanisms of chitosan. Bioluminescent imaging showed that constitutive PPAR activities were detected in brain and gastrointestinal tract. Administration of chitosan significantly activated the PPAR activities in brain and stomach. Microarray analysis of brain and stomach showed that several pathways involved in lipid and glucose metabolism were regulated by chitosan. Moreover, the expression levels of metabolism-associated genes like apolipoprotein B (apoB) and ghrelin genes were down-regulated by chitosan. In conclusion, these findings suggested the feasibility of PPAR bioluminescent imaging-guided transcriptomic analysis on the evaluation of chitosan-affected metabolic responses in vivo. Moreover, we newly identified that downregulated expression of apoB and ghrelin genes were novel mechanisms for chitosan-affected metabolic responses in vivo .
Project description:We studied the transcriptome changes in tomato against treatment with harpinPss, chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs), and harpin loaded chitosan nanoparticles (H-CSNPs). We measured and compared the difference in transcript accumulation between treated- and control tomato leaves. Two independent experiments were performed at each time (24 h, 48 h and 72 h).
Project description:Comparison of chitosan-treated B. cereus ATCC 14579 cells with non-treated B. cereus ATCC 14579 cells. 2 chitosans with similar molecular weight (Mw) but different degrees of acetylation (Fa) were used: chitosan B (Mw: 28.4 kDa, Fa: 0.16) (samples 1-3) and chitosan A (Mw: 36.0 kDa, Fa: 0.01) (samples 4-6). One-condition design comparision of treated vs. non-treated control. 3 biological replicates, including a dye swap.
Project description:Comparison of chitosan-treated B. cereus ATCC 14579 cells with non-treated B. cereus ATCC 14579 cells. 2 chitosans with similar molecular weight (Mw) but different degrees of acetylation (Fa) were used: chitosan B (Mw: 28.4 kDa, Fa: 0.16) (samples 1-3) and chitosan A (Mw: 36.0 kDa, Fa: 0.01) (samples 4-6).