1,721,080 research outputs found
Glyphosate tolerance in maize (Zea mays L.) 1. Differential response among inbred lines.
No full textVariation in susceptibility to the safe broad-spectrum herbicide glyphosate was investigated in maize. Eleven inbred lines, grown in a growth chamber, were evaluated for their tolerance to the herbicide at 2.4 mM (0.2 kg a.i. in 400 I ha-1 of water). Following treatment with glyphosate at the three-leaf stage, significant variation in damage, expressed as visual injury ratings scored 7, 14 and 21 days after the application of the herbicide, was found. Effects on dry weight and shoot height were consistent with visual scores and the carbon-exchange rate was found to be a sensitive index of differential injury.
Biochemical characterization of 5-enol-pyruvyl-shikimate-3-phosphate (EPSP) synthase, the main target of the herbicide, ruled out the possibility that this differential susceptibility was due to variations in the sensitivity of the enzyme. On the contrary, a positive correlation was found between in vivo tolerance and EPSP synthase levels, measured at different stages during seedling growth. This result suggests that a naturally occurring difference in EPSP synthase levels in the tissues may contribute to the differential response observed in vivo in maize inbreds
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals’ (Edcs) effects on tumour microenvironment and cancer progression: Emerging contribution of rack1
No full textEndocrine disruptors (EDCs) can display estrogenic and androgenic effects, and their exposure has been linked to increased cancer risk. EDCs have been shown to directly affect cancer cell regulation and progression, but their influence on tumour microenvironment is still not completely elucidated. In this context, the signalling hub protein RACK1 (Receptor for Activated C Kinase 1) could represent a nexus between cancer and the immune system due to its roles in cancer progression and innate immune activation. Since RACK1 is a relevant EDCs target that responds to steroid-active compounds, it could be considered a molecular bridge between the endocrine-regulated tumour microenvironment and the innate immune system. We provide an analysis of immunomodulatory and cancer-promoting effects of different EDCs in shaping tumour microenvironment, with a final focus on the scaffold protein RACK1 as a pivotal molecular player due to its dual role in immune and cancer contexts
Purification and characterization of mouse liver xanthine oxidase
No full text: Xanthine oxidase (EC 1.1.3.22) is purified to homogeneity from mouse liver after induction with bacterial lipopolysaccharide. The enzyme has an apparent molecular weight of 300,000 in its native state and it is suggested to be constituted of two identical subunits of Mr 150,000 each. The isoelectric point is 6.7 and the apparent Km value for xanthine is 3.4 microM. The amino acid composition of mouse xanthine oxidase is quite similar to that of Drosophila xanthine dehydrogenase
beta-Amyloid precursor protein metabolism: focus on the functions and degradation of its intracellular domain
No full textARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL SYMBIOSIS PROMOTES THE TRANSCRIPTION OF ANTIOXIDANT GENES IN A WHITE POPLAR CLONE TOLERANT THE HEAVY METALS
No full textInheritance of glyphosate tolerance among maize somaclones
No full textTwo families derived from a maize somaclone previously found to tolerate the exposure to 2.4 mM (0.2 kg a.i. in 400 1 ha -1 of water) glyphosate were evaluated genetically for herbicide tolerance. The lines were self-crossed and crossed with three inbred genotypes showing significant variation in tolerance to the herbicide. Seedlings of the families this way obtained were evaluated in a growth chamber following a treatment with 2.4 mM glyphosate at the three-leaf stage. Visual injury rating, dry weight, shoot height and carbon-exchange rate were scored two weeks after the application of the herbicide. General combining ability effects were significant, suggesting that additive gene action is important in conferring tolerance to glyphosate. Tile results strengthen the possibility that additional factors, not related to the properties of the main target of herbicide action, the activity of the shikimate pathway enzyme 5-enol-pyruvyl-shikimate-3-phosphate synthase, may provide the basis f..
(Dys)regulation of Synaptic Activity and Neurotransmitter Release by β-Amyloid: A Look Beyond Alzheimer's Disease Pathogenesis
No full textBeside its widely studied role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), β-amyloid (Aβ) is a normal and soluble product of neuronal metabolism that regulates several key physiological functions, exerting neuromodulatory effects on synaptic plasticity, memory, and neurotransmitter release. Such effects have been observed to occur in a hormetic fashion, with Aβ exhibiting a dual role influenced by its concentration, the different isoforms, or aggregation forms of the peptide. However, to date, our knowledge about the physiological functions of Aβ and, in particular, its modulatory role on synaptic activity and neurotransmission in the normal brain is fragmentary, thus hindering a clear comprehension of the biological mechanisms underlying the derangement from function to dysfunction. In particular, according to the amyloid cascade hypothesis, the switch from physiology to pathology is linked to the abnormal increase in Aβ levels, due to an imbalance in Aβ production and clearance. In this regard, increased Aβ levels have been hypothesized to induce early defects in synaptic function and such alterations have been suggested to account, at least in part, for the onset of neuropsychiatric symptoms (e.g., apathy, anxiety, changes in mood, depression, and agitation/aggression), frequently observed in the prodromal stage of AD. Therefore, understanding the biological mechanisms underlying early synaptic alterations in AD is a key starting point to frame the relevant time windows for AD treatment and to gain insight into AD etiopathogenesis
Phosphorylation of APP-CTF-AICD domains and interaction with adaptor proteins: signal transduction and or transcriptional role. Relevance for Alzheimer pathology. Journal of Neurochemistry.
No full textImmunomodulators inspired by nature: A review on curcumin and Echinacea
Full text linkThe immune system is an efficient integrated network of cellular elements and chemicals developed to preserve the integrity of the organism against external insults and its correct functioning and balance are essential to avoid the occurrence of a great variety of disorders. To date, evidence from literature highlights an increase in immunological diseases and a great attention has been focused on the development of molecules able to modulate the immune response. There is an enormous global demand for new effective therapies and researchers are investigating new fields. One promising strategy is the use of herbal medicines as integrative, complementary and preventive therapy. The active components in medical plants have always been an important source of clinical therapeutics and the study of their molecular pharmacology is an enormous challenge since they offer a great chemical diversity with often multi-pharmacological activity. In this review, we mainly analysed the immunomodulatory/antinflammatory activity of Echinacea spp. and Curcuma longa, focusing on some issues of the phytochemical research and on new possible strategies to obtain novel agents to supplement the present therapies
Phosphorylation of APP-CTF-AICD domains and interaction with adaptor proteins: signal transduction and/or transcriptional role - relevance for Alzheimer pathology.
No full text- …
