Biology subjects

Arreguin, M.

Publications and source records attributed to Arreguin, M..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Acute Paternal Immune Activation Shapes Embryonic Development and Protects Offspring from Viral Infection

The evolutionary arms race between host and pathogen is traditionally framed as a multigenerational paradigm, where beneficial host immune adaptations accrue in a population over time through DNA sequence variation. If pathogens exposure alters epigenetic information inherited by offspring through paternal gametes, advantageous immune traits could emerge within a single generation. We show that acute paternal immune activation (PIA) induces immune signaling in the male reproductive tract and remodels the sperm small RNA profile. Using IVF, we show that altered sperm small RNAs from immune-activated males reprograms gene expression in preimplantation embryos, eliciting sex-specific transcriptional responses. This transcriptional program is reflected in a striking inherited phenotype, as male offspring sired by PIA males exhibit enhanced survival following lethal viral challenge. These findings identify sperm small RNAs as a molecular mechanism that links PIA to embryonic development and offspring immunity, providing a comprehensive framework for how PIA shapes inherited pathogen protection.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2024

Type I interferon alters invasive extravillous trophoblast function.

Inappropriate type I interferon (IFN) signaling during embryo implantation and placentation is linked to poor pregnancy outcomes. Here, we evaluated the consequence of elevated type I IFN exposure on implantation using a biomimetic model of human implantation in an organ-on-a-chip device. We found that type I IFN reduced extravillous trophoblast (EVT) invasion capacity. Analyzing single-cell transcriptomes, we uncovered that IFN truncated endovascular EVT emergence in the implantation-on-a-chip device by stunting EVT epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Disruptions to the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition is associated with the pathogenesis of preeclampsia, a life-threatening hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. Strikingly, unwarranted IFN stimulation induced genes associated with increased preeclampsia risk and a preeclamptic gene-like signature in EVTs. These dysregulated EVT phenotypes ultimately reduced EVT-mediated endothelial cell vascular remodeling in the implantation-on-a-chip device. Overall, our work indicates IFN signaling can alter EVT epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition progression which results in diminished EVT-mediated spiral artery remodeling and a preeclampsia gene signature upon sustained stimulation. Our work implicates unwarranted type I IFN as a maternal disturbance that can result in abnormal EVT function that could trigger preeclampsia.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2021

In vitro evaluation of grapevine endophytes, epiphytes and sap micro-organisms for potential use to control grapevine trunk disease pathogens.

Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) threaten the economic sustainability of viticulture worldwide causing a significant reduction of both yields and quality of grapes. Biological control presents a promising sustainable alternative to cultural and chemical methods to mitigate the effects of pathogens causing GTDs, including Botryosphaeria dieback, Eutypa dieback and Esca. This study aimed to identify naturally occurring potential biological control agents from a variety of grapevine tissues, including sap, cane and pith and evaluate their antagonistic activity against selected fungal pathogens responsible for GTDs in vitro. Bacterial and fungal isolates were preliminary screened in vitro to determine their antifungal activity via a dual culture assay against Neofusicoccum parvum and Eutypa lata. Among the fungal isolates, Trichoderma spp. inhibited E. lata mycelial growth up to 64% and N. parvum mycelial growth up to 73% with overgrowth and stopped growth being the likely antagonistic mechanisms. Among the bacterial isolates, Bacillus spp. inhibited E. lata mycelial growth up to 20% and N. parvum mycelial growth up to 40%. Select antagonistic isolates of Trichoderma, Bacillus and Aureobasidium spp. were subject to further dual culture antifungal analysis against Diplodia seriata and Diaporthe ampelina, with Trichoderma isolates consistently causing the greatest inhibition. Volatile organic compound antifungal analysis revealed that these Trichoderma isolates resulted significantly inhibited mycelial growth of N. parvum, E. lata and D. ampelina causing up to 20.11%, 60.55% and 70.9% inhibition respectively (P[≤]0.05). Multilocus sequence analysis revealed that the Trichoderma isolates are most closely related to Trichoderma asperellum and Trichoderma hamatum. This study identifies grapevine sap as a novel source of potential biological control agents for control of GTDs to support existing efforts to control GTDs. Further testing will be necessary to fully characterize these microbes mode of antagonism and assess their efficacy for pruning wound protection in planta.

plant biology↗