Project description:Development and transfer of productive forestry plantations models of quillay, based on improved material for the extracts industry
Project description:Alterations in composition and function of the intestinal microbiota have been observed in organismal aging across a broad spectrum of animal phyla. Recent findings, which have been derived mostly in simple animal models, have even established a causal relationship between age-related microbial shifts and lifespan, suggesting microbiota-directed interventions as a potential tool to decelerate aging processes. To test whether a life-long microbiome rejuvenation strategy could delay or even prevent aging in mammals, we performed recurrent fecal microbial transfer (FMT) in mice throughout life. Transfer material was either derived from 8-week-old mice (young microbiome, yMB) or from animals of the same age as the recipients (isochronic microbiome, iMB) as control. Physiological responses were analyzed by rotarod and a grip strength test, intestinal barrier function by FITC gavage and LAL assay, transcriptional responses by single cell RNA sequencing and microbiome function by 16S profiling and metagenomics. Colonization with yMB improved coordination and intestinal permeability compared to iMB. yMB encoded fewer pro-inflammatory factors and altered metabolic pathways favoring oxidative phosphorylation. Ecological interactions among bacteria in yMB were more antagonistic than in iMB hinting at more stable microbiome communities. Single cell RNA sequencing analysis of intestinal mucosa revealed a salient shift of cellular phenotypes in the yMB group with markedly increased ATP synthesis and mitochondrial pathways in enterocytes and TA cells but reduced inflammatory signaling in macrophages. Taken together, we demonstrate that life-long and repeated transfer of microbiota material from young mice improved age-related processes including motor coordination, intestinal permeability and immune cell phenotypes.
Project description:Alterations in composition and function of the intestinal microbiota have been observed in organismal aging across a broad spectrum of animal phyla. Recent findings, which have been derived mostly in simple animal models, have even established a causal relationship between age-related microbial shifts and lifespan, suggesting microbiota-directed interventions as a potential tool to decelerate aging processes. To test whether a life-long microbiome rejuvenation strategy could delay or even prevent aging in mammals, we performed recurrent fecal microbial transfer (FMT) in mice throughout life. Transfer material was either derived from 8-week-old mice (young microbiome, yMB) or from animals of the same age as the recipients (isochronic microbiome, iMB) as control. Physiological responses were analyzed by rotarod and a grip strength test, intestinal barrier function by FITC gavage and LAL assay, transcriptional responses by single cell RNA sequencing and microbiome function by 16S profiling and metagenomics. Colonization with yMB improved coordination and intestinal permeability compared to iMB. yMB encoded fewer pro-inflammatory factors and altered metabolic pathways favoring oxidative phosphorylation. Ecological interactions among bacteria in yMB were more antagonistic than in iMB hinting at more stable microbiome communities. Single cell RNA sequencing analysis of intestinal mucosa revealed a salient shift of cellular phenotypes in the yMB group with markedly increased ATP synthesis and mitochondrial pathways in enterocytes and TA cells but reduced inflammatory signaling in macrophages. Taken together, we demonstrate that life-long and repeated transfer of microbiota material from young mice improved age-related processes including motor coordination, intestinal permeability and immune cell phenotypes.
Project description:The phenomenon of intercellular transfer of cellular material, including membranes, cytoplasm, and even organelles, has been observed for decades. The functional impact and molecular mechanisms of such transfer in the immune system remain largely elusive due to the absence of a robust in vivo model. Here, we introduce a new tumor mouse model, where tumor cells express the soluble ultra-bright fluorescent protein ZsGreen, which allows detection and measurement of intercellular transfer of cytoplasm from tumor cells to infiltrating immune cells. We found that in addition to various types of myeloid lineage cells, a large fraction of T regulatory cells and effector CD8 T cells acquire tumor material. Based on the distribution of tumor-derived ZsGreen, the majority of T cells integrate captured cytoplasm into their own, while most myeloid cells store tumor material in granules. Furthermore, scRNA-seq analysis revealed significant alterations in transcriptomes of T cells that acquired tumor cell cytoplasm, suggesting potential impact on T cell function. We identified that the participation of T cells in intercellular transfer requires cell-cell contact and is strictly dependent on the activation status of T lymphocytes. Finally, we propose to name the described phenomenon of intercellular transfer for tumor infiltrating T cells the “mosquito effect”.
Project description:Eucalyptus species are widely used in the forestry industry, and a significant increase in the number of sequences available in database repositories has been observed for these species. In proteomics, a protein is identified by correlating the theoretical fragmentation spectrum derived from genomic/transcriptomic data against the experimental fragmentation mass spectrum acquired from large-scale analysis of protein mixtures. Proteogenomics is an alternative approach that can identify novel proteins encoded by regions previously considered as non-coding. This study aimed to confidently identify and confirm the existence of previously unknown protein-coding sequences in the Eucalyptus grandis genome.
Project description:<p>Forest management in giant panda habitats necessitates strategies that simultaneously support biodiversity and ecosystem carbon sequestration. Here, we demonstrate that protecting understory vegetation is indispensable for sustaining the soil carbon sink in restored subalpine coniferous plantations. Through a field experiment comparing natural forest with unthinned and thinned plantations (with or without understory removal), we uncovered a critical microbial mechanism. Understory removal triggered a detrimental cascade by elevating soil pH and shifting the carbon pool from labile to recalcitrant dominance. This environmental shift imposed a strong deterministic filter (Normalized stochasticity ratio, NST = 39.8%) on the microbial community, displacing pH-sensitive, labile carbon-dependent taxa (e.g., Gaiella) while enriching oligotrophs adept at recalcitrant carbon degradation (e.g., Ktedonobacter, Streptomyces). Community restructuring drove a functional metamorphosis: it reduced antibiotic synthesis and, under the dual stress of high pH and carbon quality decline, induced a novel RNA modification response (via N4-acetylcytidine accumulation) that enhanced the synthesis of recalcitrant carbon-degrading enzymes. Crucially, these adaptations precipitated a significant decline in microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE), shifting the soil carbon cycle from an accumulation to an inefficient consumption phase. Our findings provide a mechanistic basis for using understory vegetation as a primary tool to align giant panda habitat conservation with climate-smart forestry goals.</p>
Project description:Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) is an allogamous coniferous species that relies on wind-mediated pollen and seed dispersal, and it is one of the most important forestry tree species in Japan. For accelerating breeding, we collected massive SNPs based on ESTs from several organs using NGS, and thus carried out QTL, GWAS and GS based on high-density linkage maps.
Project description:Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) is an allogamous coniferous species that relies on wind-mediated pollen and seed dispersal, and it is one of the most important forestry tree species in Japan. For accelerating breeding, we collected massive SNPs based on ESTs from several organs using NGS, and thus carried out QTL, GWAS and GS based on high-density linkage maps.
Project description:Veterinary drug mequindox, 3-methyl-2-acethyl-quindoxaline-N-1,4-dioxide, belongs to a class of antibiotic and growth-prompting drug called quinoxalines that are often used in livestock and poultry industry. Previous researches focused on traditional toxicity. However, the effect of mequindox on endogenous metabolic profile remains unknown. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression underlying mequindox toxicity. Two groups (control and high-dosed mequindox) were selected for GeneChip analysis based on PCA score of liver aqueous extracts and clinical chemistry changes.
Project description:Several pathogens infect grapevine, including viruses and viroids. Considering that there are no effective plant protection treatments against these pathogens and vineyards are cultivated through decades usage of high quality and pathogen-free propagation material (rootstocks and scions) is essential. Although presence of regulated pests is routinely checked using ELISA or rarely RT-PCR, these diagnostics methods can detect only particular pathogens moreover can fail to detect variant strains. High-throughput sequencing of small RNAs can be an effective, alternative method to avoid these disadvantages. Since for production of grafts, pathogen free cultivars and rootstocks must be used, 17 grapevine rootstock plantations and 2 rootstock variety collections were selected for characterisation of their virom by high throughput sequencing of virus derived small RNAs.