UFGI Publications Round-Up Week 8/15/2016

Jasmonate-mediated stomatal closure under elevated CO2 revealed by time-resolved metabolomics.

Author information: Geng S^1,2, Misra BB², de Armas E³, Huhman DV⁴, Alborn HT⁵, Sumner LW⁴, Chen S^1,2,6.

¹Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
²Department of Biology, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
³Thermo Fisher Scientific, 1400 Northpoint Parkway, West Palm Beach, FL 33407, USA.
⁴Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, OK 73401, USA.
⁵Chemistry Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, United States, Department of Agriculture, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA.
⁶Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry, Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.

Journal: Plant Journal

Date of e-pub: Aug. 8, 2016

Abstract: Foliar stomatal movements are critical for regulating plant water loss and gas exchange. Elevated carbon dioxide (CO₂ ) levels are known to induce stomatal closure. However, the current knowledge on CO₂ signal transduction in stomatal guard cells is limited. Here we report metabolomic responses of Brassica napus guard cells to elevated CO₂ using three hyphenated metabolomics platforms: gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS), liquid chromatography (LC)-multiple reaction monitoring (MRM)-MS, and ultra high-performance LC (UHPLC)-quadrupole time-of-flight (QToF)-MS. A total of 358 metabolites from guard cells were quantified in a time-course response to elevated CO₂ level. Most metabolites increased under elevated CO₂ , showing the most significant differences at 10 minutes. In addition, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production increased and stomatal aperture decreased with time. Major alterations in flavonoid, organic acid, sugar, fatty acid, phenylpropanoid, and amino acid metabolic pathways indicated changes in both primary and specialized metabolic pathways in guard cells. Most interestingly, the jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis pathway was significantly altered in the course of elevated CO₂ treatment. Together with results obtained from JA biosynthesis and signaling mutants as well as CO₂ signaling mutants, we discovered that CO₂ induced stomatal closure is mediated by JA signaling.

 

 

Oct4 Is a Key Regulator of Vertebrate Trunk Length Diversity.

Author information: Aires R¹, Jurberg AD¹, Leal F², Nóvoa A¹, Cohn MJ³, Mallo M⁴.

¹Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande 6, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal.
²Department of Biology, University of Florida, P.O. Box 103610, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
³Department of Biology, University of Florida, P.O. Box 103610, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, P.O. Box 103610, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
⁴Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande 6, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal. Electronic address: mallo@igc.gulbenkian.pt.

Journal: Developmental Cell

Date of e-pub: Aug. 8, 2016

Abstract: Vertebrates exhibit a remarkably broad variation in trunk and tail lengths. However, the evolutionary and developmental origins of this diversity remain largely unknown. Posterior Hox genes were proposed to be major players in trunk length diversification in vertebrates, but functional studies have so far failed to support this view. Here we identify the pluripotency factor Oct4 as a key regulator of trunk length in vertebrate embryos. Maintaining high Oct4 levels in axial progenitors throughout development was sufficient to extend trunk length in mouse embryos. Oct4 also shifted posterior Hox gene-expression boundaries in the extended trunks, thus providing a link between activation of these genes and the transition to tail development. Furthermore, we show that the exceptionally long trunks of snakes are likely to result from heterochronic changes in Oct4 activity during body axis extension, which may have derived from differential genomic rearrangements at the Oct4 locus during vertebrate evolution.

Hazardous drinking among young adults seeking outpatient mental health services.

Author information: Ordóñez AE^1,2, Ranney R³, Schwartz M³, Mathews CA^3,4, Satre DD^3,5.

¹Department of Psychiatry and UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, 401 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA. anna.ordonez@nih.gov.
²Office of Clinical Research, National Institute of Mental Health, 6001 Executive Blvd. MSC 9669, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA. anna.ordonez@nih.gov.
³Department of Psychiatry and UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, 401 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
⁴Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, 100 S Newell Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
⁵Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California Region, 2000 Broadway, 3rd Floor, Oakland, CA, 94612, USA.

Journal: Addiction Science and Clinical Practice

Date of e-pub: Aug. 9, 2016

Abstract: Alcohol use can have a significant negative impact on young adults in mental health treatment. This cross-sectional study examined prevalence and factors associated with hazardous drinking among young adults seeking outpatient mental health services, rate of alcohol use disorders (AUDs), and the relationship between hazardous drinking and other types of substance use.

Participants were 487 young adults ages 18-25 who completed self-administered computerized screening questions for alcohol and drug use. Alcohol use patterns were assessed and predictors of hazardous drinking (≥5 drinks on one or more occasions in the past year) were identified using logistic regression.

Of the 487 participants, 79.8 % endorsed prior-year alcohol use, 52.3 % reported one or more episodes of hazardous drinking in the prior year and 8.2 % were diagnosed with an AUD. Rates of recent and lifetime alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use were significantly greater in those with prior-year hazardous drinking. In logistic regression, prior-year hazardous drinking was associated with lifetime marijuana use (OR 3.30, p < 0.001; 95 % CI 2.05, 5.28), lifetime tobacco use (OR 1.88, p = 0.004; 95 % CI 1.22, 2.90) and older age (OR 1.18 per year, p < 0.001; 95 % CI 1.08, 1.29).

In an outpatient mental health setting, high rates of hazardous drinking were identified, and drinking was associated with history of other substance use. Results highlight patient characteristics associated with hazardous drinking that mental health providers should be aware of in treating young adults, especially older age and greater use of tobacco and marijuana.

 

 

Population differences in S-warfarin pharmacokinetics among African Americans, Asians and whites: their influence on pharmacogenetic dosing algorithms.

Author information: Kubo K¹, Ohara M¹, Tachikawa M¹, Cavallari LH², Lee MT^3,4, Wen MS⁵, Scordo MG⁶, Nutescu EA⁷, Perera MA⁸, Miyajima A¹, Kaneko N¹, Pengo V⁹, Padrini R¹⁰, Chen YT⁴, Takahashi H¹.

¹Department of Biopharmaceutics, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, Tokyo, Japan.
²Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research and Center for Pharmacogenomics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
³Genomic Medicine Institute, Geisinger Health System, Danville, PA, USA.
⁴Division of Epidemiology and Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁵Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
⁶Department of Medical Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
⁷Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
⁸Department of Medicine, Section of Genetic Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
⁹Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
¹⁰Department of Medicine DIMED, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.

Journal: Pharmacogenomics

Date of e-pub: Aug. 9, 2016

Abstract: Using population pharmacokinetic analysis (PPK), we attempted to identify predictors of S-warfarin clearance (CL(S)) and to clarify population differences in S-warfarin pharmacokinetics among a cohort of 378 African American, Asian and white patients. Significant predictors of CL(S) included clinical (age, body weight and sex) and genotypic (CYP2C9*2,*3 and *8) factors, as well as African American ethnicity, the median CL(S) being 30% lower in the latter than in Asians and whites (170 versus 243 and 250 ml h^-1, P<0.01). The plasma S-warfarin (Cp(S)) time courses following the genotype-based dosing algorithms simulated using the PPK estimates showed African Americans with CYP2C9*1/*1 and any of the VKORC1 genotypes would have an average Cp(S) at steady state 1.5-1.8 times higher than in Asians and whites. These results indicate warfarin dosing algorithms should be evaluated in each respective ethnic population. Further study of a large African American cohort will be necessary to confirm the present findings.

NOTE: These abstracts were retrieved from the U.S. National Library of Medicine website managed in collaboration with the U.S. National Library of Medicine