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Topic Review
Biography
Topic Review
Hyacinthus orientalis
L.
Hyacinthus orientalis L., commonly known as hyacinth, is one of the most important cultivated plants around the world. The cultivars of this species are characterised by their flowers with strong fragrances and a wide range of attractive colours, which make them a beloved option among ornamentals. The chloroplast genomes of Hyacinthus cultivars ranged from 154,458 bp to 154,641 bp, while those of Bellevalia paradoxa and Scilla siberica were 154,020 bp and 154,943 bp, respectively. Each chloroplast genome was annotated with 133 genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, 38 transfer RNA genes and 8 ribosomal RNA genes.
1.4K
17 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Cytotoxicity and Phagocytosis in Immunity
The immune system has evolved to protect organisms from infections caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasitic pathogens. In addition, it provides regenerative capacities, tissue maintenance, and self/non-self recognition of foreign tissues. In general, innate immunity is a fast and non-specific response associated with the presence of humoral and cellular elements. By contrast, adaptive immunity uses the induction of specialized cells such as B and T lymphocytes and molecules including the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), B-cell receptors (BCR), T-cell receptors (TCR), immunoglobulins (Ig), and antibodies to confer immunological memory and very high specificity thus fighting against a previously recognized infection. Both kinds of immune responses rely on two main cellular activities which are phagocytosis and cytotoxicity. These cellular immune mechanisms have been found at the earliest evolutionary stages of multicellular animals and diversified into a wide heterogeneous repertoire of effector cells through evolution.
1.4K
04 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Agroecology-The Case of Cereals
Transformative agroecology has been recognized as a stepping stone to achieving several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), due to its great potential to build climate change-resilient farming systems while enhancing ecosystem services and reducing biodiversity loss. Understanding the agroecological elements that underlie the sustainability of an agroecosystem is an urgent matter, serving as the foundation for designing a truly transformative agroecosystem.
1.4K
12 May 2021
Topic Review
Pectin and Gal-3
Galectin-3 is the only chimeric representative of the galectin family. Although galectin-3 has ubiquitous regulatory and physiological effects, there is a great number of pathological environments where galectin-3 cooperatively participates. Pectin is composed of different chemical structures, such as homogalacturonans, rhamnogalacturonans, and side chains.
1.4K
28 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Mitochondrial ROS and Nrf2
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are byproducts of aerobic respiration and signaling molecules that control various cellular functions. Nrf2 governs the gene expression of endogenous antioxidant synthesis and ROS-eliminating enzymes in response to various electrophilic compounds that inactivate the negative regulator Keap1. Accumulating evidence has shown that mitochondrial ROS (mtROS) activate Nrf2, often mediated by certain protein kinases, and induce the expression of antioxidant genes and genes involved in mitochondrial quality/quantity control. Mild physiological stress, such as caloric restriction and exercise, elicits beneficial effects through a process known as “mitohormesis”. Exercise induces NOX4 expression in the heart, which activates Nrf2 and increases endurance capacity. Mice transiently depleted of SOD2 or overexpressing skeletal muscle-specific UCP1 exhibit Nrf2-mediated antioxidant gene expression and PGC1α-mediated mitochondrial biogenesis. ATF4 activation may induce a transcriptional program that enhances NADPH synthesis in the mitochondria and might cooperate with the Nrf2 antioxidant system. In response to severe oxidative stress, Nrf2 induces Klf9 expression, which represses mtROS-eliminating enzymes to enhance cell death. Nrf2 is inactivated in certain pathological conditions, such as diabetes, but Keap1 down-regulation or mtROS elimination rescues Nrf2 expression and improves the pathology. These reports aid us in understanding the roles of Nrf2 in pathophysiological alterations involving mtROS.
1.4K
30 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Interleukin-4 and Interleukin-13 Induced Atopic Dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease associated with widespread barrier dysfunction and T helper 2 (Th2) cytokines. AD is an imbalance in the Th2 immune response where there is an increase in the gene expression levels of major Th2 cytokines during the acute phase.
1.4K
07 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Fresh-Cut Fruits
Fresh-cut fruits have been in great demand by consumers owing to the convenience of buying them in shopping centers as ready-to-eat products, and various advantages, such as the fact that they are healthy and fresh products.
1.4K
25 Aug 2022
Topic Review
B-Cell Lymphoma-Extra-Large
B-Cell Lymphoma-extra-large (BCL-xL) is involved in longevity and successful aging,which indicates a role for BCL-xL in cell survival pathway regulation. Beyond its well described role as an inhibitor of apoptosis by preventing cytochrome c release, BCL-xL has also been related, indirectly, to autophagy and senescence pathways. Although in these latter cases, BCL-xL has dual roles, either activating or inhibiting, depending on the cell type and the specific conditions. Taken together, all these findings suggest a precise mechanism of action for BCL-xL, able to regulate the crosstalk between apoptosis, autophagy, and senescence, thus promoting cell survival or cell death. All three pathways can be both beneficial or detrimental depending on the circumstances. Thus, targeting BCL-xL would in turn be a “double-edge sword” and therefore, additional studies are needed to better comprehend this dual and apparently contradictory role of BCL-XL in longevity.
1.4K
31 Jul 2020
Topic Review
Anisakidae Family
Nematodes of the Anisakidae family have a cosmopolitan distribution, due to their ability to infest a wide variety of aquatic hosts during the development of their larval stages, mainly marine mammals and aquatic birds, such as pelicans; being the hosts where the life cycle is completed. The participation of intermediate hosts such as cephalopods, shrimp, crustaceans and marine fish, are an important part to complete this cycle. However, its importance in human health is due to its zoonotic capacity, which causes the clinical presentation in humans, known as Anisakiasis or Anisakidosis, depending on the species of the infecting parasite.
1.4K
16 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Miscanthus X Giganteus
Miscanthus × giganteus, also known as the giant miscanthus, is a sterile hybrid of Miscanthus sinensis and Miscanthus sacchariflorus. It is a perennial grass with bamboo-like stems that can grow to heights of 3–4 metres (13 ft) in one season (from the third season onwards). Just like Pennisetum purpureum, Arundo donax and Saccharum ravennae, it is also called elephant grass. Miscanthus × giganteus' perennial nature, its ability to grow on marginal land, its water efficiency, non-invasiveness, low fertilizer needs, significant carbon sequestration and high yield have sparked significant interest among researchers, with some arguing that it has "ideal" energy crop properties. Some argue that it can provide negative emissions, while others highlight its water cleaning and soil enhancing qualities. There are practical and economic challenges related to its use in the existing, fossil based combustion infrastructure, however. Torrefaction and other fuel upgrading techniques are being explored as countermeasures to this problem.
1.4K
01 Dec 2022
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