Article
Plant Sciences
Luigi Parrotta, Claudia Faleri, Cecilia Del Casino, Lavinia Mareri, Iris Aloisi, Gea Guerriero, Jean-Francois Hausman, Stefano Del Duca, Giampiero Cai
Summary: This article investigates the association between callose synthase and cytoskeleton in the pollen tube. The study confirms this association and demonstrates colocalization using immunogold labeling. The results suggest that callose synthase interacts with microtubules and exerts its activity in cooperation with the microtubular cytoskeleton.
PLANT CELL REPORTS
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Huaqiang Ruan, Jiang Li, Ting Wang, Haiyun Ren
Summary: Pollen germination and pollen tube growth are important biological events in higher plants' sexual reproduction, involving vesicle trafficking, membrane fusion, and regulation by cytoskeleton, proteins, and signaling molecules such as small G proteins, calcium, and PIP2. Researchers focus on understanding how regulators and signaling molecules participate in secretory vesicle delivery, tethering, and fusion during pollen germination and tube growth.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Nadia Stroppa, Elisabetta Onelli, Patrick Moreau, Lilly Maneta-Peyret, Valeria Berno, Eugenia Cammarota, Roberto Ambrosini, Marco Caccianiga, Monica Scali, Alessandra Moscatelli
Summary: Pollen tubes play an important role in the fertilization process by creating safe routes for sperm cells. Recent studies on tobacco pollen tubes have focused on lipid rafts, microdomains rich in sterols and sphingolipids, which are involved in cell polarization. This research examines the hypothesis that these lipids link actin dynamics and polarized secretion in pollen tube growth. The use of inhibitors to disrupt lipid biosynthesis helps determine the role of sterols and sphingolipids in successful fertilization.
Article
Plant Sciences
Yuxiang Jiang, Qiaonan Lu, Shanjin Huang
Summary: ADF7 and ADF10 have distinct functions in regulating actin turnover, with ADF7 exhibiting lower affinity for ADP-G-actin and less efficiency in severing and depolymerizing actin filaments. Additionally, ADF7 shows broader distribution in pollen grains and has different intracellular localization compared to ADF10.
Article
Plant Sciences
Lang Yang, Jinhong Liu, Ching-Kiu Wong, Boon Leong Lim
Summary: The growth of pollen tubes relies on actin filaments for reproduction in plants. Pharmacological experiments indicate that the trafficking of lipid droplets (LDs) in pollen tubes is related to F-actin. Additionally, Myo11C1 and Myo11C2 motors were found to be involved in LDs movement, sharing functional redundancy in Arabidopsis pollen tubes.
Article
Plant Sciences
Yazhou Duan, Limin Wang, Xueling Li, Wanlei Wang, Jing Wang, Xiaoyu Liu, Yangyang Zhong, Nana Cao, Mengjuan Tong, Weina Ge, Yi Guo, Rui Li
Summary: SKS11 and SKS12 are crucial for regulating the integrity, growth, and guidance of pollen tubes, possibly by modulating ROS levels and the deposition or remodeling of cell wall polysaccharides.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xun Weng, Yifan Shen, Liwen Jiang, Lifeng Zhao, Hao Wang
Summary: Using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, we observed the occurrence and localization of rapid vesicular activities in the tip region of growing pollen tube. We demonstrated that both vesicle polar exocytic fusion and endocytosis take place at the apex of the pollen tube. Furthermore, we found that the dynamic activities of tip-focused exocytosis and endocytosis are closely correlated with the spatial organization of actin fringe.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Luigi Parrotta, Lavinia Mareri, Iris Aloisi, Claudia Faleri, Gaetano Distefano, Alessandra Gentile, Angela Roberta Lo Piero, Verena Kriechbaumer, Marco Caruso, Giampiero Cai, Stefano Del Duca
Summary: This study investigated the effects of clementine ASP-RICH proteins on pollen tubes by expressing them in tobacco. The results showed that ASP-RICH modulated Ca2+ content, which in turn affected cytoskeleton organization and cell wall deposition, ultimately impacting the growth pattern of pollen tubes. These findings suggest a regulatory role of ASP-RICH in the mechanism of plant cell growth.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Natalia Serrano, Premysl Pejchar, Hana Soukupova, Martin Hubalek, Martin Potocky
Summary: This study reveals the changes in whole-cell glycerolipid composition during tobacco pollen germination and growth, confirming the important role of phosphatidic acid in the establishment and maintenance of cellular polarity in pollen tubes, and suggesting the involvement of plasma membrane lysophospholipids in pollen germination.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Cecilia M. Lara-Mondragon, Alexandria Dorchak, Cora A. MacAlister
Summary: In Arabidopsis pollen tubes, class I formins play a crucial role in organizing actin arrays during tube elongation, with their localization and mobility being dependent on O-glycosylation of their extracellular domain. The extracellular domain is necessary for the function of two pollen-expressed class I formins, AtFH3 and AtFH5, and specific O-glycans are attached to these sequences. Loss of O-glycosylation alters membrane localization and disrupts actin organization. The different O-glycans also affect lateral mobility in the plasma membrane. This study highlights the importance of protein sub-functionalization in pollen tube elongation.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qianru Jia, Shujuan Zhang, Yaoxi Lin, Jixiu Zhang, Li Li, Huatao Chen, Qun Zhang
Summary: PLD delta regulates pollen tube growth by organizing actin filaments, with loss of function leading to increased growth and overexpression resulting in growth inhibition. Wild-type PLD delta, rather than mutated forms, complements the phenotype in pollen tubes, indicating its important role in pollen tube development.
PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Chen Zhang, Pengxue Xie, Qing Zhang, Yu Xing, Qingqin Cao, Ling Qin, Kefeng Fang
Summary: This study found that low concentration of aluminum can promote the growth of apple pollen tubes, achieved by increasing Ca2+ influx and changing cell wall components.
Article
Plant Sciences
Patrick Duckney, Johan T. Kroon, Martin R. Dixon, Timothy J. Hawkins, Michael J. Deeks, Patrick J. Hussey
Summary: The study characterized NET2A as a pollen-specific actin-binding protein that plays a crucial role in pollen development and fertilization. Loss-of-function mutants of net2 exhibited morphological defects in the early stages of pollen tube growth due to changes in growth trajectory. NET2 proteins were found to be essential for normal actin-driven pollen development, emphasizing their importance in regulating pollen tube growth during fertilization.
Article
Plant Sciences
Greice Lubini, Pedro Boscariol Ferreira, Andrea Carla Quiapim, Michael Santos Brito, Viviane Cossalter, Maria Cristina S. Pranchevicius, Maria Helena S. Goldman
Summary: Successful plant reproduction and fruit formation rely on pollen and pistil development, as well as interactions between them. In this study, we focused on Nicotiana tabacum and investigated the role of a gene called NtPAE1 in the modulation of pectin esterification, which is crucial for the formation of intercellular spaces in pistil-specialized tissues. We found that NtPAE1 is preferentially expressed in stigmas/styles and ovaries, with high expression in the stylar transmitting tissue. Through transgenic plant experiments, we demonstrated that NtPAE1 is essential for normal flower development and pollen tube growth, ultimately affecting fruit production.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Matteo Ferraresso, Albert Kong, Mehadi Hasan, Daniele Agostinelli, Gwynn J. Elfring, Mattia Bacca
Summary: Cytoskeletal gels are prototypes to mimic the mechanical contraction of the cytoskeleton in vitro by utilizing polymer networks and molecular motors. The contraction is achieved through the stiffening of the polymer backbone and the flow of the solvent. The required mechanical energy for contraction depends on the density of polymer chains and molecular motors, with two limit regimes identified: fast motor activation and slow motor activation.
Article
Ecology
Magda Zanzottera, Michele Dalle Fratte, Marco Caccianiga, Simon Pierce, Bruno E. L. Cerabolini
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Silvia Campioni, Massimo Bagnani, Dorothea Pinotsi, Sarah Lecinski, Simona Rodighiero, Jozef Adamcik, Raffaele Mezzenga
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2020)
Article
Oncology
Aurora Irene Idilli, Francesca Pagani, Emanuela Kerschbamer, Francesco Berardinelli, Manuel Bernabe, Maria Luisa Cayuela, Silvano Piazza, Pietro Luigi Poliani, Emilio Cusanelli, Maria Caterina Mione
Article
Immunology
Teresa Manzo, Boone M. Prentice, Kristin G. Anderson, Ayush Raman, Aislyn Schalck, Gabriela S. Codreanu, Carina B. Nava Lauson, Silvia Tiberti, Andrea Raimondi, Marissa A. Jones, Michelle Reyzer, Breanna M. Bates, Jeffrey M. Spraggins, Nathan H. Patterson, John A. McLean, Kunal Rai, Carlo Tacchetti, Sara Tucci, Jennifer A. Wargo, Simona Rodighiero, Karen Clise-Dwyer, Stacy D. Sherrod, Michael Kim, Nicholas E. Navin, Richard M. Caprioli, Philip D. Greenberg, Giulio Draetta, Luigi Nezi
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE
(2020)
Article
Plant Sciences
Alessandro Chiarucci, Fabrizio Buldrini, Marco Cervellini, Riccardo Guarino, Marco Caccianiga, Bruno Foggi, Daniele Viciani, Lorenzo Lazzaro, Laura Casella, Pierangela Angelini, Bruno Enrico Leone Cerabolini, Salvatore Pasta, Mirko Enea, Piero Zannini
Summary: This study utilized vegetation survey data to validate the use of islands as biogeographic and ecological models. The results showed that species richness within archipelagos is influenced by habitat area, while species composition is more affected by habitat type.
JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Barbara Valle, Roberto Ambrosini, Marco Caccianiga, Mauro Gobbi
ACTA ZOOLOGICA ACADEMIAE SCIENTIARUM HUNGARICAE
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Timothy P. Lippert, Paulina Marzec, Aurora I. Idilli, Grzegorz Sarek, Aleksandra Vancevska, Mark Bower, Paul J. Farrell, Paeivi M. Ojala, Niklas Feldhahn, Simon J. Boulton
Summary: Approximately 15% of cancers induce alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) to activate telomere maintenance, and the authors reveal that infection with Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) leads to the acquisition of ALT-like features in previously non-ALT cell lines.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Aurora Irene Idilli, Cecilia Pazzi, Francesca dal Pozzolo, Michela Roccuzzo, Maria Caterina Mione
Article
Plant Sciences
Barbara Valle, Claudio Cucini, Francesco Nardi, Marco Caccianiga, Mauro Gobbi, Michele Di Musciano, Antonio Carapelli, Gentile Francesco Ficetola, Alessia Guerrieri, Pietro Paolo Fanciulli
Summary: The new springtail species Desoria calderonis sp. nov. is strictly linked to the supraglacial stony debris of the isolated Calderone glacier in Italy. Genetic analysis has confirmed its attribution to the genus Desoria, but highlights the polyphyletic nature of the genus in its current definition. The species faces extinction threat due to ongoing climate change and the risk of the glacier disappearing completely.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF TAXONOMY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Michele Dalle Fratte, Marco Caccianiga, Carlo Ricotta, Bruno E. L. Cerabolini
Summary: This study proposes a protocol for the identification of typical plant species based on functional traits and dark diversity probability, applicable to plant-dominated habitat types. The functional-based method allows for the recognition of more exclusive species, while species with higher dark diversity probability serve as early warning indicators of changes in habitat conditions.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Barbara Valle, Mauro Gobbi, Marta Tognetti, Marina Serena Borgatti, Chiara Compostella, Paolo Pantini, Marco Caccianiga
Summary: We investigated the primary succession along glacier forelands in the Maritime Alps and compared them to those from the Central Alps. The Maritime glacier forelands showed higher values of species richness and turnover, contrary to our expectation. We propose that this is due to warmer temperatures along the Mediterranean glacier forelands, which promote faster species turnover. Furthermore, early and mid successional stages of the investigated glaciers are richer in cold-adapted and endemic species, highlighting the extinction risk faced by these species in the current climate phase. We also found that supraglacial debris on Maritime glaciers serves as a refugium for cold-adapted and hygrophilous plant and animal species, which are threatened by climate change and ecological succession in the adjacent forelands.
JOURNAL OF MOUNTAIN SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Mauro Gobbi, Luca Corlatti, Marco Caccianiga, Cajo J. F. ter Braak, Luca Pedrotti
Summary: Mountain regions are hotspots of biodiversity and sensitive to human activities and global changes. This study investigated the functional traits of ground beetles in a mountainous landscape and found that hay meadow is the main environmental driver, negatively correlated with brachypterous wing-form.
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Franco Angelini, Pierangela Angelini, Claudia Angiolini, Simonetta Bagella, Fabio Bonomo, Marco Caccianiga, Cosimo Della Santina, Daniela Gigante, Marco Hutter, Thrishantha Nanayakkara, Paolo Remagnino, Diego Torricelli, Manolo Garabini
Summary: In this paper, the challenges of habitat monitoring and possible robotic solutions are discussed. A framework utilizing legged robotic systems for terrestrial habitat monitoring is proposed, with the concept of Natural Intelligence. This approach aims to deploy robots in real natural environments and assist in assessing habitat conservation status. Examples of robotic monitoring in various environments are presented.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Aurora I. Idilli, Sandra Segura-Bayona, Timothy P. Lippert, Simon J. Boulton
Summary: Alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) is a telomerase-independent mechanism that allows cancer cells unlimited proliferative capacity, with C-circle assay (CCA) being the gold standard for quantifying ALT activity. A modified CCA protocol has been developed for examining ALT activity in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens, providing a sensitive and robust method for quantitation of ALT activity in patient biopsies. Detailed information on the protocol's use and execution can be found in Lippert et al. (2021).
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mauro Gobbi, Marco Caccianiga, Chiara Compostella, Marzio Zapparoli
RENDICONTI LINCEI-SCIENZE FISICHE E NATURALI
(2020)