Biology subjects

Gull, S.

Publications and source records attributed to Gull, S..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Funneliformis mosseae and Pseudomonas putida-symbiotic interaction promote drought resilience in Citrus reticulata

Climate change and increasing drought conditions significantly impedes citrus productivity in subtropical and tropical regions. This study explores the potential of combining arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) Funneliformis mosseae and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) Pseudomonas putida to mitigate drought resilience in Citrus reticulata (Red tangerine). AMF-mediated drought tolerance has been extensively documented; however, the collegial influence of PGPR and AMF on phytohormone signaling, photosynthetic efficiency, nutrient acquisition, and gene expression remains largely unexplored in citrus. We conducted a greenhouse experiment under both well water and drought stress conditions to assess the physiological and molecular responses to individual and co-inoculation with PGPR and AMF. Drought-stressed citrus plants, inoculated with AMF and PGPR, demonstrated significantly improved leaf water potential, stomatal conductance, carbon assimilation, and antioxidant defense. PGPR-AMF co-inoculation enhanced chlorophyll stability, osmotic adjustment, and nutrient uptake, while significantly reducing lipid peroxidation and ROS accumulation. The turquoise module emerged from transcriptomic and gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) as a potential key regulator of stress adaptation, revealed key regulatory transcription factors, e.g., CrMYB4, CrZFP8, CrSOS5, CrRGFR2, and CrQUA1, that were upregulated under combined inoculation, highlighting their potential role in stress adaptation. Our findings demonstrate that the synergistic PGPR-AMF interaction improves antioxidant enzyme activities and modulates gene expression to promote drought tolerance, providing new insights into the microbiomes role in plant resilience. These results offer a potential strategy to boost citrus growth and yield under water scarcity, with broad implications for agricultural resilience to climate change.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Genome-wide identification, characterization and expression analysis of CsC3H gene family in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L) under various abiotic stresses

The CCCH zinc finger (C3H) gene family plays a significant role in plant growth, development, and stress response mechanisms. In cucumber (Cucumis sativus L), the CsC3H gene family has been implicated in mediating responses to abiotic stresses, though its functional characterization remains underexplored. This study provides a comprehensive genome-wide identification, characterization, and expression analysis of the CsC3H gene family in cucumber, with a focus on their roles in stress tolerance. 38 CsC3H genes have been discovered, and detailed conserved motif and domain analyses revealed key structural features essential for their function. Phylogenetic analysis classified the CsC3H proteins into four distinct subfamilies (CsC3H I-IV), highlighting functional diversification. The gene duplication and expansion analysis indicated that the C3H gene family grew due to both tandem and segmental duplications, with segmental duplications playing a predominant role. qRT-PCR expression profiling revealed widespread expression of CsC3H genes across various cucumber tissues, with distinct differential expression patterns under waterlogging and hormonal treatments (NAA, ETH, MeJA). Notably, CsC3H9 was localized to the nucleus, indicating its potential involvement in regulating cellular processes under stress. These results offer novel information for future studies focused on leveraging genetic innovations to improve stress resilience in cucurbits and other crops while also offering new perspectives on the functional role of CsC3H genes in cucumber.

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2024

Harnessing early multimodal motor training to drive motor recovery and brain-wide structural reorganization after stroke

Stroke survivors often suffer from severe motor impairments, highlighting the critical need for effective rehabilitation strategies. In experimental models, extensive task-specific motor training within the first few weeks post-stroke significantly mitigates motor deficits. However, whether more multimodal motor training approaches after stroke can restore task-specific performance in non-trained motor tasks remains largely unknown. Additionally, while stroke itself triggers structural brain reorganization, the influence of early multimodal motor training on this process remains unclear. Here, we employed T2-weighted MRI to investigate brain region-specific volumetric changes over eight weeks in rats subjected to stroke and subsequent early multimodal motor training. We found that this combination not only facilitated task-specific motor function recovery, but also induced dramatic, multi-region, brain-wide volumetric changes. Specifically, over 80 locations within 50 distinct brain regions across both hemispheres exhibited substantial volumetric alterations in a predominantly bilateral symmetric pattern. In contrast, stroke or training alone resulted in changes in 8-15 locations within 7-13 brain regions, with stroke alone primarily affecting the infarcted hemisphere. Analysis of temporal volume changes revealed two distinct trajectories in post-stroke trained rats: one of initial swelling followed by shrinkage, and another of initial shrinkage followed by swelling, suggesting an early and delayed motor learning period. Overall, our findings demonstrate that multimodal motor training early after stroke effectively restores task-specific motor function and profoundly reshapes brain structure on a brain-wide scale, offering vital insights for developing optimized rehabilitation protocols to maximize recovery in stroke patients.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Experience-dependent structural plasticity in the adult brain: How the learning brain grows.

Volumetric magnetic resonance imaging studies have shown that intense learning can be associated with grey matter volume increases in the adult brain. The underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here we used monocular deprivation in rats to analyze the mechanisms underlying use-dependent grey matter increases. Optometry for quantification of visual acuity was combined with volumetric magnetic resonance imaging and microscopic techniques in longitudinal and cross-sectional studies. We found an increased spatial vision of the open eye which was associated with a transient increase in the volumes of the contralateral visual and lateral entorhinal cortex. In these brain areas dendrites of neurons elongated, and there was a strong increase in the number of spines, the targets of synapses, which was followed by spine maturation and partial pruning. Astrocytes displayed a transient pronounced swelling and underwent a reorganization of their processes. The use-dependent increase in grey matter corresponded predominantly to the swelling of the astrocytes. Experience-dependent increase in brain grey matter volume indicates a gain of structure plasticity with both synaptic and astrocyte remodeling. HighlightsO_LIPerception learning causes a transient increase in brain grey matter volume detectable by MRI. C_LIO_LIThis learning results in pronounced changes of neuronal dendrites and an increase in the number of dendritic spines. C_LIO_LIStructural neuronal plasticity is associated with a reorganization and transient swelling of astrocytes. C_LIO_LIBrain volume and astrocyte volume return to baseline post-learning, with a persistent increase in the number of mature spines. C_LI

neuroscience↗