This study investigated the effects of applying anaerobically digested food waste and dairy manure-derived biofertilizers to processing tomatoes. The biofertilizers were produced from a pilot scale ...system consisting of coarse solid separation and ultrafiltration (5,000 Da) with a capacity of approximately 3.8 m3·d−1. The coarse solids had particle size >53 μm and were not used for drip fertigation. The liquid concentrate and permeate from the system were both delivered to tomato plants through a subsurface drip fertigation system in a farm-scale cultivation experiment. The results showed that liquid digestate biofertilizers could be effectively delivered to the tomato plants given that steps to ensure suitable particle sizes were maintained prior to delivery. The ultrafiltered dairy manure digestate biofertilizer (DMP) had the highest yield of red tomatoes (7.13 ton·ha−1) followed by the concentrated food waste digestate biofertilizer (FWC) and mineral N fertilizer treatments with 6.26 and 5.98 ton·ha−1, respectively. The FWC biofertilizer produced tomatoes with significantly higher total and soluble solids contents compared to the synthetically fertilized tomatoes. Few significant differences between the treatments were observed among the pH, color, or size of the red tomatoes. These results indicate promise for the prospect of applying digestate biofertilizer products to tomatoes using the industry standard subsurface drip fertigation method. Additionally, digestate-derived biofertilizers may have potential to increase crop yields as well as certain quality characteristics of the harvested tomato fruit. No changes in soil quality were found among treatments but more study is required to understand long-term effects of biofertilizer applications with regards to soil quality and environmental risks.
Central tolerance can be mediated by peripheral dendritic cells (DCs) that transport innocuous antigens (Ags) to the thymus for presentation to developing T cells, but the responsible DC subsets ...remained poorly defined. Immature plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) express CCR9, a chemokine receptor involved in migration of T cell precursors to the thymus. We show here that CCR9 mediated efficient thymic entry of endogenous or i.v. transfused pDCs. pDCs activated by Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands downregulated CCR9 and lost their ability to home to the thymus. Moreover, endogenous pDCs took up subcutaneously injected fluorescent Ag and, in the absence of TLR signals, transported Ag to the thymus in a CCR9-dependent fashion. Injected, Ag-loaded pDCs effectively deleted Ag-specific thymocytes, and this thymic clonal deletion required CCR9-mediated homing and was prevented by infectious signals. Thus, peripheral pDCs can contribute to immune tolerance through CCR9-dependent transport of peripheral Ags and subsequent deletion of Ag-reactive thymocytes.
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► CCR9 controls pDCs numbers in the thymus ► CCR9 is a marker and thymic homing receptor on immature pDCs ► TLR activation or lack of CCR9 prevents thymic clonal deletion by peripheral pDCs ► Peripheral Ag transport to the thymus by endogenous unactivated pDC is CCR9 dependent
Infiltration of specialized immune cells regulates the growth and survival of neoplasia. Here, in a survey of public whole genome expression datasets we found that the gene for chemerin, a widely ...expressed endogenous chemoattractant protein, is down-regulated in melanoma as well as other human tumors. Moreover, high chemerin messenger RNA expression in tumors correlated with improved outcome in human melanoma. In experiments using the B16 transplantable mouse melanoma, tumor-expressed chemerin inhibited in vivo tumor growth without altering in vitro proliferation. Growth inhibition was associated with an altered profile of tumor-infiltrating cells with an increase in natural killer (NK) cells and a relative reduction in myeloid-derived suppressor cells and putative immune inhibitory plasmacytoid dendritic cells. Tumor inhibition required host expression of CMKLR1 (chemokine-like receptor 1), the chemoattractant receptor for chemerin, and was abrogated by NK cell depletion. Intratumoral injection of chemerin also inhibited tumor growth, suggesting the potential for therapeutic application. These results show that chemerin, whether expressed by tumor cells or within the tumor environment, can recruit host immune defenses that inhibit tumorigenesis and suggest that down-regulation of chemerin may be an important mechanism of tumor immune evasion.
Among the key properties that distinguish adult mammalian stem cells from their more differentiated progeny is the ability of stem cells to remain in a quiescent state for prolonged periods of time. ...However, the molecular pathways for the maintenance of stem-cell quiescence remain elusive. Here we use adult mouse muscle stem cells (satellite cells) as a model system and show that the microRNA (miRNA) pathway is essential for the maintenance of the quiescent state. Satellite cells that lack a functional miRNA pathway spontaneously exit quiescence and enter the cell cycle. We identified quiescence-specific miRNAs in the satellite-cell lineage by microarray analysis. Among these, miRNA-489 (miR-489) is highly expressed in quiescent satellite cells and is quickly downregulated during satellite-cell activation. Further analysis revealed that miR-489 functions as a regulator of satellite-cell quiescence, as it post-transcriptionally suppresses the oncogene Dek, the protein product of which localizes to the more differentiated daughter cell during asymmetric division of satellite cells and promotes the transient proliferative expansion of myogenic progenitors. Our results provide evidence of the miRNA pathway in general, and of a specific miRNA, miR-489, in actively maintaining the quiescent state of an adult stem-cell population.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Summary
Anaerobic digestate is a byproduct of anaerobic digestion of organic materials for biogas production. Land application of digestates may provide plant nutrition and suppression of ...plant-parasitic nematodes. The characteristics of digestates may vary by organic substrates and digestion conditions. To measure nematode-suppressive potential, the rigour and simplicity of a radish bioassay with Heterodera schachtii was expanded. In a three-factor factorial design, three incubation environments, two growth containers and two nematode life stages as inoculum were tested. Containers with 50 g of dry sandy loam soil were inoculated with 500 second-stage juveniles (J2) of H. schachtii or with cysts with equivalent hatchable J2. One seed of radish Raphanus sativus ‘Cherry Belle’ was planted into each container, and 1 ml of drench treatment was applied. After 64 degree days (4-5 days), roots were washed and stained with acid fuchsin for nematode counting. In three experiments, food waste digestate permeate suppressed nematode root penetration in the growth chamber, glasshouse and laboratory, in cups and tubes, and following inoculation with cysts and J2. However, root penetration by J2 was more greatly reduced after cyst inoculation than after J2 inoculation. Investigations in preserving nematode cysts showed that J2 within cysts remained viable after incubation in sandy loam soil at 23°C in sealed tubes in the laboratory for 35 days. Results of the radish assay predicted nematode-suppressive potential against Pratylenchus vulnus on peach rootstock ‘Nemaguard’ in a glasshouse experiment. In summary, a straightforward rapid bioassay for measuring nematode suppressiveness of organic liquids was developed for routine use.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Pax3, a key myogenic regulator, is transiently expressed during activation of adult muscle stem cells, or satellite cells (SCs), and is also expressed in a subset of quiescent SCs (QSCs), but only in ...specific muscles. The mechanisms regulating these variations in expression are not well understood. Here we show that Pax3 levels are regulated by miR-206, a miRNA with a previously demonstrated role in myogenic differentiation. In most QSCs and activated SCs, miR-206 expression suppresses Pax3 expression. Paradoxically, QSCs that express high levels of Pax3 also express high levels of miR-206. In these QSCs, Pax3 transcripts are subject to alternative polyadenylation, resulting in transcripts with shorter 3′ untranslated regions (3′UTRs) that render them resistant to regulation by miR-206. Similar alternate polyadenylation of the Pax3 transcript also occurs in myogenic progenitors during development. Our findings may reflect a general role of alternative polyadenylation in circumventing miRNA-mediated regulation of stem cell function.
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► Pax3 is expressed in muscle stem cells only in specific muscles ► In most muscle stem cells, Pax3 levels are regulated miR-206 ► In Pax3+ve cells, alternative polyadenylation yields Pax3 mRNAs with short 3′UTRs ► Pax3 transcripts with short 3′UTRs escape miR-206 regulation
Microalgae (Chlorella sorokiniana UTEX 1230) was cultivated in a pilot-scale outdoor system of four 100 L raceway ponds, using diluted ultrafiltered food waste digestate. The system was operated for ...400 days using a repeated-batch strategy in Davis, CA with extensive water recycling. Supernatant liquid from FeCl3-assisted algae harvesting was recycled successively five times and resulted in little impact on algae growth, eliminated liquid non-product discharge and freshwater inputs, and decreased coagulant loading requirements for algae harvest. High removals (>70 %) of ammoniacal-N were achieved but water recycling resulted in ion accumulation within the bioreactors. The maximum average algae production was 122 ± 61 g VS m−2 with a maximum average productivity of 17.7 ± 1.8 mg VS L−1 d−1. The results indicate promise for the application of microalgae cultivation on anaerobic digestate and demonstrate an operating strategy with reduced freshwater inputs and water discharge.
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•Anaerobic digestate is a suitable nutrient source for microalgae production.•Reducing resource intensity of algae cultivation can improve sustainability.•Chlorella sorokiniana was grown in repeated-batch open pond raceways.•Pilot-scale study over 400 days, 41 harvests, and up to 5 successive water recycles.•Freshwater use, wastewater discharge, and coagulant needs were decreased.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune synovitis characterized by the formation of pannus and the destruction of cartilage and bone in the synovial joints. Although immune cells, which infiltrate ...the pannus and promote inflammation, play a prominent role in the pathogenesis of RA, other cell types also contribute. Proliferation of synovial fibroblasts, for example, underlies the formation of the pannus, while proliferation of endothelial cells results in neovascularization, which supports the growth of the pannus by supplying it with nutrients and oxygen. The synovial fibroblasts also promote inflammation in the synovium by producing cytokines and chemokines. Finally, osteoclasts cause the destruction of bone. In this study, we show that erlotinib, an inhibitor of the tyrosine kinase epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), reduces the severity of established collagen-induced arthritis, a mouse model of RA, and that it does so by targeting synovial fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and osteoclasts. Erlotinib-induced attenuation of autoimmune arthritis was associated with a reduction in number of osteoclasts and blood vessels, and erlotinib inhibited the formation of murine osteoclasts and the proliferation of human endothelial cells in vitro. Erlotinib also inhibited the proliferation and cytokine production of human synovial fibroblasts in vitro. Moreover, EGFR was highly expressed and activated in the synovium of mice with collagen-induced arthritis and patients with RA. Taken together, these findings suggest that EGFR plays a central role in the pathogenesis of RA and that EGFR inhibition may provide benefits in the treatment of RA.
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