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Psychiatry Research Oct 2019While prominent models of suicidal behavior emphasize the hypothalamic- pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation, studies examining its role have yielded contradictory...
While prominent models of suicidal behavior emphasize the hypothalamic- pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation, studies examining its role have yielded contradictory results. One possible explanation is that suicide attempters are a heterogeneous group and HPA axis dysregulation plays a more important role only in a subset of suicidal individuals. HPA axis dysregulation also plays a role in impulsivity and aggression. We hypothesize subgroups of attempters, based on levels of impulsivity and aggression, will differ in HPA axis dysregulation. We examined baseline cortisol, total cortisol output, and cortisol reactivity in mood disordered suicide attempters (N = 35) and non-attempters (N = 37) during the Trier Social Stress Test. Suicide attempters were divided into four subgroups: low aggression/low impulsivity, high aggression/low impulsivity, low aggression/high impulsivity, and high aggression/high impulsivity. As hypothesized, attempters and non-attempters did not differ in any cortisol measures while stress response differed based on impulsivity/aggression levels in suicide attempters, and when compared to non-attempters. Specifically, attempters with high impulsive aggression had a more pronounced cortisol response compared with other groups. This is the first study to examine the relationship between cortisol response and suicidal behavior in impulsive aggressive subgroups of attempters. These findings may help to identify a stress responsive suicidal subtype of individuals.
Topics: Adult; Aggression; Female; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System; Impulsive Behavior; Male; Pituitary-Adrenal System; Stress, Psychological; Suicidal Ideation; Suicide, Attempted; Young Adult
PubMed: 31376789
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2019.112486 -
Biomedicines May 2022Cellular stress response is an important adaptive mechanism for regulating cell fate decision when cells confront with stress. During tumorigenesis, tumor progression... (Review)
Review
Cellular stress response is an important adaptive mechanism for regulating cell fate decision when cells confront with stress. During tumorigenesis, tumor progression and the course of treatment, cellular stress signaling can activate subsequent response to deal with stress. Therefore, cellular stress response has impacts on the fate of tumor cells and tumor responsiveness relative to therapeutic agents. In recent years, attention has been drawn to long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a novel class of RNA molecules with more than 200 nucleotides in length, which has little protein-coding potential and possesses various functions in multiple biological processes. Accumulating evidence has shown that lncRNAs are also engaged in the regulation of cellular stress response, particularly in cancers. Here, we summarize lncRNAs that have been reported in the adaptive response to major types of cellular stress including genotoxic, hypoxic, oxidative, metabolic and endoplasmic reticulum stress, all of which are often encountered by cancer cells. Specifically, the molecular mechanisms of how lncRNAs regulate cellular stress response during tumor progression or the development of therapy resistance are emphasized. The potential clinical applications of stress-responsive lncRNAs as biomarkers will also be discussed.
PubMed: 35625948
DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10051212 -
The Plant Cell Jan 2022Changes in gene expression are important for responses to abiotic stress. Transcriptome profiling of heat- or cold-stressed maize genotypes identifies many changes in...
Changes in gene expression are important for responses to abiotic stress. Transcriptome profiling of heat- or cold-stressed maize genotypes identifies many changes in transcript abundance. We used comparisons of expression responses in multiple genotypes to identify alleles with variable responses to heat or cold stress and to distinguish examples of cis- or trans-regulatory variation for stress-responsive expression changes. We used motifs enriched near the transcription start sites (TSSs) for thermal stress-responsive genes to develop predictive models of gene expression responses. Prediction accuracies can be improved by focusing only on motifs within unmethylated regions near the TSS and vary for genes with different dynamic responses to stress. Models trained on expression responses in a single genotype and promoter sequences provided lower performance when applied to other genotypes but this could be improved by using models trained on data from all three genotypes tested. The analysis of genes with cis-regulatory variation provides evidence for structural variants that result in presence/absence of transcription factor binding sites in creating variable responses. This study provides insights into cis-regulatory motifs for heat- and cold-responsive gene expression and defines a framework for developing models to predict expression responses across multiple genotypes.
Topics: Cold-Shock Response; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Genes, Plant; Heat-Shock Response; Transcriptome; Zea mays
PubMed: 34735005
DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koab267 -
Advanced Science (Weinheim,... Jan 2023Imaging and measuring compression stresses secure a safe and healthy life. Compression stresses in kPa range are not easily detected by conventional mechanoresponsive...
Imaging and measuring compression stresses secure a safe and healthy life. Compression stresses in kPa range are not easily detected by conventional mechanoresponsive materials because microscopic molecular motion of the chromophores is not induced by such weak stresses. Moreover, imaging of the stress distribution is not achieved so far. The present study shows a sponge device combining two stimuli-responsive materials, a capsule releasing interior liquid and color-changing polymer in responses to compression stress and chemical stimulus, respectively. The stimuli-responsive capsule is dispersed on a melamine sponge comprised of the fibers with coating the layered polydiacetylene (PDA). The application of weak compression stresses induces collapse of the capsules, outflow of the interior liquid, and subsequent irreversible color change of PDA. The cascading response in the sponge device colorimetrically enables imaging of the distribution and measuring the strength of the compression stresses in kPa range. Furthermore, the device demonstrates imaging and measuring unknown weak compression stresses applied by the irregular-shaped objects. A couple of clinical issues in surgical operation of intestine are studied using the stress-imaging sponge device. The device and its design strategy can be applied to stress imaging in a variety of fields.
Topics: Polyacetylene Polymer; Polymers; Diagnostic Imaging; Physical Phenomena
PubMed: 36507554
DOI: 10.1002/advs.202206097 -
Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2024With the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence-driven object recognition, the development of cognitive tunable imaging sensors has become a critically important...
With the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence-driven object recognition, the development of cognitive tunable imaging sensors has become a critically important field. In this paper, we demonstrate an infrared (IR) sensor with spectral tunability controlled by the applied bias between the long-wave and mid-wave IR spectral regions. The sensor is a Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector (QWIP) containing asymmetrically doped double QWs where the external electric field alters the electron population in the wells and hence spectral responsivity. The design rules are obtained by calculating the electronic transition energies for symmetric and antisymmetric double-QW states using a Schrödinger-Poisson solver. The sensor is grown and characterized aiming detection in mid-wave (~5 µm) to long-wave IR (~8 µm) spectral ranges. The structure is grown using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and contains 25 periods of coupled double GaAs QWs and AlGaAs barriers. One of the QWs in the pair is modulation-doped to provide asymmetry in potential. The QWIPs are tested with blackbody radiation and FTIR down to 77 K. As a result, the ratio of the responsivities of the two bands at about 5.5 and 8 µm is controlled over an order of magnitude demonstrating tunability between MWIR and LWIR spectral regions. Separate experiments using parameterized image transformations of wideband LWIR imagery are performed to lay the framework for utilizing tunable QWIP sensors in object recognition applications.
PubMed: 38535696
DOI: 10.3390/nano14060548 -
Scientific Reports Nov 2023Considering the major source of plant-derived low/non-calorie steviol glycosides (SGs), comprehensive physiological, biochemical, and deep transcriptional investigations...
Genome-wide transcriptional profiling and physiological investigation elucidating the molecular mechanism of multiple abiotic stress response in Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni.
Considering the major source of plant-derived low/non-calorie steviol glycosides (SGs), comprehensive physiological, biochemical, and deep transcriptional investigations were conducted to explicit deeper insight into multiple abiotic stress responses in Stevia rebaudiana. The physiological indicators including photosynthesis, chlorophyll, relative water content, shoot growth, electrolyte leakage, and SG biosynthesis were negatively impacted under drought (DS), followed by salinity (SS) and waterlogging (WS). Global transcriptional analysis revealed significant upregulated expression of the genes encoding for ROS detoxification (GST, SOD, APX, glutathione peroxidase), osmotic adjustment (alpha-trehalose-phosphate and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase), ion transporters (CAX, NHX, CNGS, VPPase, VATPase), water channel (PIP1, TIP) and abiotic stress-responsive candidate genes (LEA, HSPs, and Dehydrins) regulating abiotic stress response in S. rebaudiana. These inferences were complemented with predicted interactome network that revealed regulation of energy metabolism by key stress-responsive genes (GST, HKT1, MAPKs, P5CSs, PIP), transcription factors (HSFA2, DREB1A, DREB2A), and abiotic stress responsive pathways (ABA, ethylene, ion stress). This is the first detailed study to comprehend the molecular regulation of stress response and their interplay under DS, SS, and WS. The key genes and regulators can be functionally validated, and will facilitate targeted gene editing for genetic improvement of crop sustainability under changing environmental conditions in S. rebaudiana.
Topics: Stevia; Diterpenes, Kaurane; Photosynthesis; Stress, Physiological; Plant Leaves; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
PubMed: 37963906
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46000-7 -
RSC Advances Mar 2023The DNA triplex is a special DNA structure often used as a logic gate substrate due to its high stability, programmability, and pH responsiveness. However, multiple...
The DNA triplex is a special DNA structure often used as a logic gate substrate due to its high stability, programmability, and pH responsiveness. However, multiple triplex structures with different C-G-C proportions must be introduced into existing triplex logic gates due to the numerous logic calculations involved. This requirement complicates circuit design and results in many reaction by-products, greatly restricting the construction of large-scale logic circuits. Thus, we designed a new reconfigurable DNA triplex structure (RDTS) and constructed the pH-responsive logic gates through its conformational change that uses two types of logic calculations, 'AND' and 'OR'. The use of these logic calculations necessitates fewer substrates, further enhancing the extensibility of the logic circuit. This result is expected to promote the development of the triplex in molecular computing and facilitate the completion of large-scale computing networks.
PubMed: 36998523
DOI: 10.1039/d3ra00536d -
Clinical and Experimental Immunology Jul 2017The role of viral infections in adverse pregnancy outcomes has gained interest in recent years. Innate immune pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and their signalling...
The role of viral infections in adverse pregnancy outcomes has gained interest in recent years. Innate immune pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and their signalling pathways, that yield a cytokine output in response to pathogenic stimuli, have been postulated to link infection at the maternal-fetal interface and adverse pregnancy outcomes. The objective of this study was to investigate the expression and functional response of nucleic acid ligand responsive Toll-like receptors (TLR-3, -7, -8 and -9), and retinoic acid-inducible gene 1 (RIG-I)-like receptors [RIG-I, melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5) and Laboratory of Genetics and Physiology 2(LGP2)] in human term gestation-associated tissues (placenta, choriodecidua and amnion) using an explant model. Immunohistochemistry revealed that these PRRs were expressed by the term placenta, choriodecidua and amnion. A statistically significant increase in interleukin (IL)-6 and/or IL-8 production in response to specific agonists for TLR-3 (Poly(I:C); low and high molecular weight), TLR-7 (imiquimod), TLR-8 (ssRNA40) and RIG-I/MDA5 (Poly(I:C)LyoVec) was observed; there was no response to a TLR-9 (ODN21798) agonist. A hierarchical clustering approach was used to compare the response of each tissue type to the ligands studied and revealed that the placenta and choriodecidua generate a more similar IL-8 response, while the choriodecidua and amnion generate a more similar IL-6 response to nucleic acid ligands. These findings demonstrate that responsiveness via TLR-3, TLR-7, TLR-8 and RIG-1/MDA5 is a broad feature of human term gestation-associated tissues with differential responses by tissue that might underpin adverse obstetric outcomes.
Topics: DEAD Box Protein 58; Female; Humans; Immunity, Innate; Interferon-Induced Helicase, IFIH1; Interleukin-6; Interleukin-8; Nucleic Acids; Placenta; Poly I-C; Pregnancy; RNA Helicases; Receptors, Immunologic; Receptors, Pattern Recognition; Signal Transduction; Tissue Culture Techniques; Toll-Like Receptors
PubMed: 28295207
DOI: 10.1111/cei.12960 -
Gels (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2022Volume changes of responsive microgels can probe interactions between polyelectrolytes and species of opposite charges such as peptides and proteins. We have...
Volume changes of responsive microgels can probe interactions between polyelectrolytes and species of opposite charges such as peptides and proteins. We have investigated a microfluidics method to synthesize highly responsive, covalently crosslinked, hyaluronic acid microgels for such purposes. Sodium hyaluronate (HA), pre-modified with ethylacrylamide functionalities, was crosslinked in aqueous droplets created with a microfluidic technique. We varied the microgel properties by changing the degree of modification and concentration of HA in the reaction mixture. The degree of modification was determined by H NMR. Light microscopy was used to investigate the responsiveness of the microgels to osmotic stress in aqueous saline solutions by simultaneously monitoring individual microgel species in hydrodynamic traps. The permeability of the microgels to FITC-dextrans of molecular weights between 4 and 250 kDa was investigated using confocal laser scanning microscopy. The results show that the microgels were spherical with diameters between 100 and 500 µm and the responsivity tunable by changing the degree of modification and the HA concentration. Microgels were fully permeable to all investigated FITC-dextran probes. The partitioning to the microgel from an aqueous solution decreased with the increasing molecular weight of the probe, which is in qualitative agreement with theories of homogeneous gel networks.
PubMed: 36135299
DOI: 10.3390/gels8090588 -
Plant Biology (Stuttgart, Germany) Jan 2023Both C3 and C4 photosynthetic pathways and smoke-released seed dormancy occur among grasses. C4 species evolved from C3 species as seasonality and fire frequency... (Review)
Review
Both C3 and C4 photosynthetic pathways and smoke-released seed dormancy occur among grasses. C4 species evolved from C3 species as seasonality and fire frequency increased and might therefore imply that their smoke sensitivity increased. I searched the worldwide literature for reports on germination responses among grasses, whose photosynthetic pathway was known, to treatment by smoke. Data were obtained for 217 species and 126 genera. While subfamilies tended to be C3 (Pooideae), C4 (Chloridoideae) or a mixture (Panicoideae), a beneficial smoke response was independent of their photosynthetic pathway. The only exceptions were Danthonioideae (C3, non-smoke responsive) and Triodia (C4, smoke responsive). One third of both C3 and C4 genera were smoke responsive. Even within genera, 90% of species showed contrasting smoke responses, confirming that smoke sensitivity is rarely taxonomically constrained. Data on photosynthetic pathway, climate, fire regime and vegetation were compiled for 15 regions that formed four distinct groups: 1) In warm climates with aseasonal rainfall, C4 grasses are moderately better represented, with crown fires and limited smoke responses. 2) In cool regions, most species are C3, with surface-crown fires and lack smoke responses. 3) In warm regions with summer rain (savannas), most species are C4, with surface fires and lack smoke responses. 4) In Mediterranean-climate regions with summer drought, most species are C3, with crown fires and smoke-released dormancy. Thus, even though C3 and C4 grasses are equally capable of expressing smoke sensitivity, their response depends on the region's climate and fire regime that also dictate which photosynthetic pathway dominates.
Topics: Poaceae; Plant Dormancy; Smoke; Photosynthesis; Climate; Fires
PubMed: 36250211
DOI: 10.1111/plb.13479