Project description:Membrane contact sites (MCS) are fundamental for intracellular communication, but their role in intercellular communication remains unexplored. We show that in plants, plasmodesmata communication bridges function as atypical endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-plasma membrane (PM) tubular MCS, operating at cell-cell interfaces. Similar to other MCS, ER-PM apposition is controlled by a protein-lipid tethering complex, but uniquely, this serves intercellular communication. Combining high-resolution microscopy, molecular dynamics, pharmacological and genetic approaches, we show that cell-cell trafficking is modulated through the combined action of Multiple C2 domains and transmembrane domain proteins (MCTP) 3, 4, and 6 ER-PM tethers, and phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PI4P) lipid. Graded PI4P amounts regulate MCTP docking to the PM, their plasmodesmata localization and cell-cell permeability. SAC7, an ER-localized PI4P-phosphatase, regulates MCTP4 accumulation at plasmodesmata and modulates cell-cell trafficking capacity in a cell-type specific manner. Our findings expand MCS's functions in information transmission, from intracellular to intercellular cellular activities.
Project description:FLP and MYB88 are two paralogous MYB proteins, regulating the symmetric division of guard mother cell during Arabidopsis stomatal development. To understand their molecular functions, we performed genome-wide identification of FLP/MYB88 binding targets using ChIP-chip with FLP/MYB88 antibody. By comparing ChIP-chip between wild-type and flp-1 myb88 lines, a total genes were identified as putative direct targets for FLP/MYB88.
Project description:Chronic inflammation during placental malaria (PM) caused by Plasmodium falciparum is most frequent in first-time mothers and is associated with poor maternal and fetal outcomes. In the first genome wide analysis of the local human response to sequestered malaria parasites, we identified genes associated with chronic PM, then localized the corresponding proteins and immune cell subsets in placental cryosections. Keywords: Disease state analysis
Project description:Chronic inflammation during placental malaria (PM) caused by Plasmodium falciparum is most frequent in first-time mothers and is associated with poor maternal and fetal outcomes. In the first genome wide analysis of the local human response to sequestered malaria parasites, we identified genes associated with chronic PM, then localized the corresponding proteins and immune cell subsets in placental cryosections. Experiment Overall Design: Placental samples from twenty first-time mothers were selected based on placental malaria (PM) status and RNA quality. Ten had active PM-episodes, seven of which had inflammatory cells on histology. Of the ten PM-negative women, five had histological evidence of a past PM-episode, including one with inflammatory cells.
