We review the potential for related soya species to cross-pollinate in field and greenhouse conditions. Several local soybean cultivars were fertilized successfully by pollen from wild soya. However, ...when the GM soybean cv. Stine 2254 RR (GTS 40-3-2) was used as a pollen 'donor' and plants of were the pollen 'trap', no herbicide-resistant plants were obtained during two growing seasons. Thus, natural cross-pollination between plants of the soybean species would probably be extremely rare, with a frequency below the sensitivity of this experiment. More data are needed to evaluate fully the extent of transfer of herbicide tolerance genes from widespread cultivation of soybeans to wild soya that might occur in this region.
While Epstein-Barr virus causes mostly asymptomatic infection, associated malignancies, and autoimmune and lymphoproliferative diseases occur. To dissect the evolution of humoral immune responses ...over the course of EBV infection and to gain a better understanding of the potential contribution of antibody (Ab) function to viral control, we comprehensively profiled Ab specificities and Fc-functionalities using systems serology and VirScan. Ab functions against latent (EBNA1), early (p47/54) and two late (gp350/220 and VCA-p18) EBV proteins were overall modest and/or short-lived, differing from humoral responses induced during acute infection by other viruses such as HIV. In the first year post infection, only p18 elicited robust IgM-driven complement deposition and IgG-driven neutrophil phagocytosis while responses against EBNA-1 were largely Fc-functionally silent and only matured during chronic infection to drive phagocytosis. In contrast, Abs against Influenza virus readily mediated broad Fc-activity in all participants. These data suggest that EBV evades the induction of robust Fc-functional Abs, potentially due to the virus’ life cycle, switching from lytic to latent stages during infection.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Concerns about the introduction of genetically modified crops frequently centre on the possibility of gene transfer to wild relatives, resulting either in the disruption of natural patterns of ...genetic diversity by introgressing into species gene pools or in the addition of traits which may cause wild plants to become more abundant or invasive. This chapter describes a phased approach to the assessment of possible harm in the context of a specific transgenic stress-tolerant trait, namely virus tolerance in inter-breeding species. We assessed the hazard of harm to the 'natural' environment as opposed to agricultural productivity. Our baseline was the distribution and relative abundance in field-grown wild or long-established 'naturalized' species ( , and ) of six viruses, and then glasshouse assessments of components of fitness. Because these observations suggested that generic risk assessment was unlikely to be possible, we focused on the economically significant turnip mosaic virus (TuMV), genus . TuMV is a target for transgenic (capsid-coding sequence-based) approaches to disease management in brassicas as an alternative to natural sources of resistance/tolerance to the virus and because insecticides do not kill the aphid vectors of the virus before they effect inoculation. TuMV was not found in growing on the banks of the River Thames in Oxfordshire, UK. Glasshouse tests showed that from these populations died within a few days of manual inoculation with some isolates of TuMV, but we found that the pathogenicity of three TuMV isolates from the UK was not uniform. We made crosses in which natural lines, genome designation , =10, were the female partners and , genome designation , 2 =38, were pollen donors, included untransformed lines and lines that contained a transgenic capsid-coding sequence from a potyvirus. As judged using polymerase chain amplification, ' ' genome transfer frequencies varied from 0 to 84% depending on pollen donor, but there was statistically significant within-population variation among , <0.001 at Culham and <0.05 at Clifton Hampden, in the efficiency of transgene flow from one cultivar ('Drakkar'). When manually challenged with TuMV, the transformed was infectible but the virus was not lethal. In contrast, the untransformed counterparts of these plants were sensitive to the same challenge inocula although two cultivars ('Westar' and 'Drakkar') differed in their absolute infectibility by one of the three isolates of TuMV we assessed. Importantly, when F hybrid progeny, identified on the basis of the presence of ' '-specific sequence and capsid-coding sequence as judged by polymerase chain amplification, were manually challenged with TuMV, these plants tended to be more TuMV tolerant than their maternal parents. Thus, our contained glasshouse-based gene flow and pathogenicity tests, even though done in non-competitive conditions and with an incomplete knowledge of factors regulating the wild populations, provided prima facie evidence of a potential for ecological release from that natural virus constraint following introgression of a resistance trait. The assessments of putative fitness impacts in hybrids between transformed (virus-tolerant) crop plants and wild (virus-sensitive) crop relatives were assembled during an ongoing EU-funded project (VRTP-IMPACT; QLK3-CT-2000-00361).
People with Down syndrome (DS; trisomy 21) display a different disease spectrum relative to the general population, including lower rates of solid malignancies and higher incidence of neurological ...and autoimmune conditions. However, the mechanisms driving this unique clinical profile await elucidation. We completed a deep mapping of the immune system in adults with DS using mass cytometry to evaluate 100 immune cell types, which revealed global immune dysregulation consistent with chronic inflammation, including key changes in the myeloid and lymphoid cell compartments. Furthermore, measurement of interferon-inducible phosphorylation events revealed widespread hypersensitivity to interferon-α in DS, with cell-type-specific variations in downstream intracellular signaling. Mechanistically, this could be explained by overexpression of the interferon receptors encoded on chromosome 21, as demonstrated by increased IFNAR1 surface expression in all immune lineages tested. These results point to interferon-driven immune dysregulation as a likely contributor to the developmental and clinical hallmarks of DS.
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•Individuals with trisomy 21, or Down syndrome, have a unique disease spectrum•Mass cytometry reveals global immune dysregulation affecting key cell types•Changes in myeloid and lymphoid subsets are associated with inflammatory states•Trisomy 21 causes overexpression of IFN receptors and hypersensitivity to IFN-α
Waugh et al. undertook deep mapping of the immune system in adults with trisomy 21, revealing global immune dysregulation reminiscent of inflammatory states, concurrent with widespread hypersensitivity to IFN-α. These data highlight immune dysregulation and IFN hyperactivity as contributors to the comorbidities more common in people with Down syndrome.
Cultivated lettuce, , and wild prickly lettuce, , have been shown to be closely related, if not conspecific. Even though both species are regarded as basically self-pollinating, outcrossing does ...occur, however to an unknown extent. In the context of an EU-funded project (acronym 'ANGEL'), an attempt is made to assess the level of gene flow between cultivated and wild forms by comparing the two, using the molecular marker systems of amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and the retrotransposon-based sequence-specific amplified polymorphism (SSAP). In addition, a marker system targeting disease resistance genes and gene analogues, called NBS (nucleotide-binding site)-directed profiling, is implemented in order to screen variation in genomic regions expected to be relevant for plant fitness and to play an important role in plant breeding.
One of the main concerns about the commercial release of transgenic crops is the likelihood of transgene spread from cultivated species into wild relatives. This question is relevant for oilseed ...rape/canola ( , , 2 =38), as this species is partially allogamous with several wild relatives that are often sympatric with oilseed rape production. A workshop sponsored by the European Science Foundation (11-13 June 2001, Rennes, France) was held: (i) to identify the main weeds present in European and North American countries; (ii) to review results on the ability of oilseed rape to hybridize and backcross with wild relatives; (iii) to review the usefulness and limitations of the tools available for monitoring interspecific hybridization and gene introgression; and (iv) to provide recent results on modelling of gene flow.
Objective High altitude leads to an increase in sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity and pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP). We assessed whether the SNS contributes to this increase in PAP. ...Methods Sympathetic discharge to the pulmonary vasculature was assessed by measuring plasma norepinephrine concentrations in central venous blood entering the lung and systemic arterial blood leaving the lung (arterial-central venous difference; a − cvdiff ). Sympathetic activity in the adrenal gland was assessed by measuring systemic plasma epinephrine concentrations. The a − cvdiff of epinephrine was assessed to investigate its metabolism across the lung. The measurements were performed in 34 mountaineers during both rest and exercise at low altitude and after 20 hours at high altitude (4559 m). Norepinehrine and epinephrine concentrations were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Pulmonary blood flow was assessed by inert gas rebreathing, and systolic PAP (PASP) by transthoracic Doppler-echocardiography. Results Exercise and high altitude increased PASP and increased arterial and central venous plasma norepinephrine. In contrast, exercise but not high altitude increased arterial and central venous epinephrine. There was no significant a − cvdiff for norepinephrine and epinephrine during rest and exercise at low altitude, nor during rest at high altitude. However, during exercise at high altitude the a − cvdiff for norepinephrine was positive. There was no correlation between the a − cvdiff of both norepinephrine and epinephrine with PASP during exercise, high altitude or during a combination of both. Conclusions The degree of pulmonary hypertension that occurs upon high-altitude exposure is largely independent of the SNS activity in the pulmonary vasculature and adrenal gland.
A False Use of "True Color" Bartsch, Dirk-Uwe; Freeman, William R; Lopez, Ann M
Archives of ophthalmology (1960),
05/2002, Letnik:
120, Številka:
5
Journal Article
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