Trichoderma is a cosmopolitan and opportunistic ascomycete fungal genus including species that are of interest to agriculture as direct biological control agents of phytopathogens. Trichoderma ...utilizes direct antagonism and competition, particularly in the rhizosphere, where it modulates the composition of and interactions with other microorganisms. In its colonization of plants, on the roots or as an endophyte, Trichoderma has evolved the capacity to communicate with the plant and produce numerous multifaceted benefits to its host. The intricacy of this plant-microorganism association has stimulated a marked interest in research on Trichoderma, ranging from its capacity as a plant growth promoter to its ability to prime local and systemic defence responses against biotic and abiotic stresses and to activate transcriptional memory affecting plant responses to future stresses. This Review discusses the ecophysiology and diversity of Trichoderma and the complexity of its relationships in the agroecosystem, highlighting its potential as a direct and indirect biological control agent, biostimulant and biofertilizer, which are useful multipurpose properties for agricultural applications. We also highlight how the present legislative framework might accommodate the demonstrated evidence of Trichoderma proficiency as a plant-beneficial microorganism contributing towards eco-sustainable agriculture.
Organic amendments (OAs) and soilborne biocontrol agents or beneficial microbes (BMs) have been extensively studied and applied worldwide in most agriculturally important plant species. However, poor ...integration of research and technical approaches has limited the development of effective disease management practices based on the combination of these two bio-based strategies. Insights into the importance of the plant-associated microbiome for crop productivity, which can be modified or modulated by introducing OAs and or BMs, are providing novel opportunities to achieve the goal of long-term disease control. This review discusses novel ways of functionally characterizing OAs and how they may be used to promote the effect of added biocontrol agents and or beneficial soil microbiota to support natural suppressiveness of plant pathogens.
Approximately 80 million Americans have limited health literacy, which puts them at greater risk for poorer access to care and poorer health outcomes.
To update a 2004 systematic review and determine ...whether low health literacy is related to poorer use of health care, outcomes, costs, and disparities in health outcomes among persons of all ages.
English-language articles identified through MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ERIC, and Cochrane Library databases and hand-searching (search dates for articles on health literacy, 2003 to 22 February 2011; for articles on numeracy, 1966 to 22 February 2011).
Two reviewers independently selected studies that compared outcomes by differences in directly measured health literacy or numeracy levels.
One reviewer abstracted article information into evidence tables; a second reviewer checked information for accuracy. Two reviewers independently rated study quality by using predefined criteria, and the investigative team jointly graded the overall strength of evidence.
96 relevant good- or fair-quality studies in 111 articles were identified: 98 articles on health literacy, 22 on numeracy, and 9 on both. Low health literacy was consistently associated with more hospitalizations; greater use of emergency care; lower receipt of mammography screening and influenza vaccine; poorer ability to demonstrate taking medications appropriately; poorer ability to interpret labels and health messages; and, among elderly persons, poorer overall health status and higher mortality rates. Poor health literacy partially explains racial disparities in some outcomes. Reviewers could not reach firm conclusions about the relationship between numeracy and health outcomes because of few studies or inconsistent results among studies.
Searches were limited to articles published in English. No Medical Subject Heading terms exist for identifying relevant studies. No evidence concerning oral health literacy (speaking and listening skills) and outcomes was found.
Low health literacy is associated with poorer health outcomes and poorer use of health care services.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Autophagy comprises the processes of autophagosome synthesis and lysosomal degradation. In certain stress conditions, increased autophagosome synthesis may be associated with decreased lysosomal ...activity, which may result in reduced processing of the excessive autophagosomes by the rate-limiting lysosomal activity. Thus, the excessive autophagosomes in such situations may be largely unfused to lysosomes, and their formation/accumulation under these conditions is assumed to be futile for autophagy. The role of cytotoxicity in accumulating autophagosomes (representing synthesis of autophagosomes subsequently unfused to lysosomes) has not been investigated previously. Here, we found that accumulation of autophagosomes compromised cell viability, and this effect was alleviated by depletion of autophagosome machinery proteins. We tested whether reduction in autophagosome synthesis could affect cell viability in cell models expressing mutant huntingtin and α-synuclein, given that both of these proteins cause increased autophagosome biogenesis and compromised lysosomal activity. Importantly, partial depletion of autophagosome machinery proteins Atg16L1 and Beclin 1 significantly ameliorated cell death in these conditions. Our data suggest that production/accumulation of autophagosomes subsequently unfused to lysosomes (or accumulation of autophagosomes) directly induces cellular toxicity, and this process may be implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, lowering the accumulation of autophagosomes may represent a therapeutic strategy for tackling such diseases.
Microbial inoculants such as
-based products are receiving great interest among researchers and agricultural producers for their potential to improve crop productivity, nutritional quality as well as ...resistance to plant pathogens/pests and numerous environmental stresses. Two greenhouse experiments were conducted to assess the effects of
-based biostimulants under suboptimal, optimal and supraoptimal levels of nitrogen (N) fertilization in two leafy vegetables: Iceberg lettuce (
L.) and rocket (
Mill.). The yield, nutritional characteristics, N uptake and mineral composition were analyzed for each vegetable crop after inoculation with
strains
(GV41) or
(T22), and results were compared to non-inoculated plants. In addition, the effect of the
-based biostimulants on microbes associated with the rhizosphere in terms of prokaryotic and eukaryotic composition and concentration using DGGE was also evaluated.
-based biostimulants, in particular GV41, positively increased lettuce and rocket yield in the unfertilized plots. The highest marketable lettuce fresh yield was recorded with either of the biostimulant inoculations when plants were supplied with optimal levels of N. The inoculation of rocket with GV41, and to a lesser degree with T22, elicited an increase in total ascorbic acid under both optimal and high N conditions.
GV41 increased N-use efficiency of lettuce, and favored the uptake of native N present in the soil of both lettuce and rocket. The positive effect of biostimulants on nutrient uptake and crop growth was species-dependent, being more marked with lettuce. The best biostimulation effects from the
treatments were observed in both crops when grown under low N availability. The
inoculation strongly influenced the composition of eukaryotic populations in the rhizosphere, in particularly exerting different effects with low N levels in comparison to the N fertilized plots. Overall, inoculations with
may be considered as a viable strategy to manage the nutrient content of leafy horticulture crops cultivated in low fertility soils, and assist vegetable growers in reducing the use of synthetic fertilizers, developing sustainable management practices to optimize N use efficiency.
Structural and functional genomics investigations are making an important impact on the current understanding and application of microbial agents used for plant disease control. Here, we review the ...case of Trichoderma spp., the most widely applied biocontrol fungi, which have been extensively studied using a variety of research approaches, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, etc. Known for almost a century for their beneficial effects on plants and the soil, these fungi are the subject of investigations that represent a successful case of translational research, in which 'omics-generated novel understanding is directly translated in to new or improved crop treatments and management methods. We present an overview of the latest discoveries on the Trichoderma expressome and metabolome, of the complex and diverse biotic interactions established in nature by these microbes, and of their proven or potential importance to agriculture and industry.
Biological control involves the use of beneficial organisms, their genes, and/or products, such as metabolites, that reduce the negative effects of plant pathogens and promote positive responses by ...the plant. Disease suppression, as mediated by biocontrol agents, is the consequence of the interactions between the plant, pathogens, and the microbial community. Antagonists belonging to the genus
Trichoderma are among the most commonly isolated soil fungi. Due to their ability to protect plants and contain pathogen populations under different soil conditions, these fungi have been widely studied and commercially marketed as biopesticides, biofertilizers and soil amendments.
Trichoderma spp. also produce numerous biologically active compounds, including cell wall degrading enzymes, and secondary metabolites. Studies of the three-way relationship established with
Trichoderma, the plant and the pathogen are aimed at unravelling the mechanisms involved in partner recognition and the cross-talk used to maintain the beneficial association between the fungal antagonist and the plant. Several strategies have been used to identify the molecular factors involved in this complex tripartite interaction including genomics, proteomics and, more recently, metabolomics, in order to enhance our understanding. This review presents recent advances and findings regarding the biocontrol-resulting events that take place during the
Trichoderma–plant–pathogen interaction. We focus our attention on the biological aspects of this topic, highlighting the novel findings concerning the role of
Trichoderma in disease suppression. A better understanding of these factors is expected to enhance not only the rapid identification of effective strains and their applications but also indicate the potentials for improvement of natural strains of
Trichoderma.
Autophagy cargo recognition and clearance are essential for intracellular protein quality control. SQSTM1/p62 sequesters intracellular aberrant proteins and mediates cargo delivery for their ...selective autophagic degradation. The formation of p62 non-membrane-bound liquid compartments is critical for its function as a cargo receptor. The regulation of p62 phase separation/condensation has yet been poorly characterised. Using an unbiased yeast two-hybrid screening and complementary approaches, we found that DAXX physically interacts with p62. Cytoplasmic DAXX promotes p62 puncta formation. We further elucidate that DAXX drives p62 liquid phase condensation by inducing p62 oligomerisation. This effect promotes p62 recruitment of Keap1 and subsequent Nrf2-mediated stress response. The present study suggests a mechanism of p62 phase condensation by a protein interaction, and indicates that DAXX regulates redox homoeostasis, providing a mechanistic insight into the prosurvival function of DAXX.
Huntington's disease (HD) is a monogenetic neurodegenerative disease, which serves as a model of neurodegeneration with protein aggregation. Autophagy has been suggested to possess a great value to ...tackle protein aggregation toxicity and neurodegenerative diseases. Current studies suggest that autophagy-endolysosomal pathways are critical for HD pathology. Here we review recent advancement in the studies of autophagy and selective autophagy relating HD. Restoration of autophagy flux and enhancement of selective removal of mutant huntingtin/disease-causing protein would be effective approaches towards tackling HD as well as other similar neurodegenerative disorders.
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•Huntington's disease (HD) is a monogenetic neurodegenerative disease, a model of neurodegeneration with protein aggregation.•Lowering mHTT levels alleviates mHTT toxicity and HD pathology.•Autophagic clearance reduces mHTT levels and toxicity.•Enhancing autophagic flux is an effective approach to tackle HD pathology.
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