Transplantation Experiments Research Articles (Page 1)

Urbanization is causing unprecedented ecological and evolutionary change worldwide. However, empirical evidence of local adaptation to urban environments is limited. Here we conduct a reciprocal transplant experiment using white clover (Trifolium repens) originating from urban and rural populations and distributed equally into five urban common gardens and five rural common gardens. Half of the plants in each garden produced the antiherbivore chemical defence hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and the other half lacked the defence, as this trait is known to exhibit genetic clines along urbanization gradients. Based on measurements of multiple vegetative and sexual fitness traits as well as ecological interactions with herbivores, pollinators and mutualistic root bacteria, we detect divergent selection on HCN between urban and rural environments, where HCN improved fitness in rural environments and reduced fitness in urban environments. Urban and rural white clover populations show genetic divergence that drove a tradeoff in life history strategies: urban plants invested more in vegetative growth, whereas rural plants produced more flowers and seeds in both urban and rural gardens. Finally, we demonstrate eco-evolutionary feedbacks, with increased herbivory at rural sites, and increased pollinator visitation to acyanogenic plants at urban sites. This study contributes to understanding how urbanization affects evolution and feeds back to influence broader ecosystem processes.

Microbial communities are crucial in host adaptation to stressors, particularly in dynamic ecosystems. In aquatic environments, Daphnia magna is ideal for studying host-microbiome interactions due to its ecological importance and sensitivity. Adaptation to toxins, such as those produced by cyanobacteria, may involve both host and microbial gene repertoires. Yet, the influence of microbiota composition and function on host performance remains poorly understood. Because epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation regulate gene expression and mediate adaptive responses, we also investigated whether these associations are reflected in DNA methylation levels. To address this, we conducted a fully factorial transplant experiment using microbiota-depleted Daphnia colonised with microbiota from the same or different genotype, previously exposed to toxic or non-toxic diets, or left uncolonised. We assessed life-history traits, microbial composition (16S rRNA genes), functional profiles (whole-genome-resequencing), and DNA methylation (colorimetric quantification). Daphnia fed non-toxic diets grew larger and reproduced more. Increased methylation occurred when microbiota donors differed from the host genotype and was strongest under toxic diet. Dysbiosis and reduced performance were noted in individuals colonised with toxic-diet microbiota from another genotype, where Limnohabitans spp. was reduced or absent. Signs of hormesis emerged when Daphnia received microbiota from their own genotype reared on non-toxic diets. DNA methylation of both host and microbiota was associated with functional pathways, including increased mitochondrial fatty acid biosynthesis. These findings highlight the importance of host-microbiota matching and microbial environmental history in shaping host performance and epigenetic responses, emphasizing the need to consider host-microbe-environment interactions in evolutionary and ecological studies.

Intensity and duration of urbanisation drive adaptive divergence of functional traits and ecological strategies in Youngia japonica.

Parents' experiences of pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A systematic review and meta-synthesis.

Kidney transplantation programs in developing countries chiefly depends on live donors, and waiting lists are long for patients lacking ABO compatible (ABOc) donors. ABO incompatible (ABOi) transplantation enhances the donor pool. We report our experience of ABOi kidney transplantation in children. We screened medical records of ABOi and ABOc kidney transplantation performed at this center between January 2019 to December 2023. For desensitization of ABOi kidney allograft recipients a combination of rituximab and either immunoadsorption or plasma exchange along with IVIg was used. Induction regimen comprised either basiliximab or ATG, followed by maintenance therapy with tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil and prednisolone. We retrieved data on recipient and donor characteristics, immunosuppression, and post-transplant complications. Allograft and patient survival were estimated using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. During the 5-years, 7 ABOi and 46 ABOc kidney transplantation were performed. The mean follow up duration was 24.9 ± 17.1 months in ABOi group and 30.3 ± 18.8 months in ABOc group. Patient age, native kidney disease, donor profile and other characteristics were comparable. Rejection free graft survival was similar between ABOi and ABOc groups (p = 0.88). Median (IQR) eGFR at last follow up was 61.4 (46.6, 74.3) ml/min/1.73 m2 in ABOi group and 50.9 (39.7, 68.9) ml/min/1.73 m2 in ABOc group (p = 0.23). Patients and graft survival rates were similar in both groups. Our findings suggest that ABOi kidney transplantation in children in India is feasible and associated with satisfactory outcomes P.

Sorafenib induces intestinal toxicity by disturbing gut microbiota and activating the LPS/TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway in mice.

Gut microbiota-based metabolism contributes to the protection of pseudolaric acid B against MAFLD.

The unnatural selection: Plant evolution and adaptation in the Chernobyl and Fukushima Exclusion Zones.

High-fat diet exacerbates atopic dermatitis through alterations in the gut microbiome.

The "Butterfly Effect" of heart failure: Induced by the combination of polylactic acid nanoplastics and copper from the perspective of gut microbiome.

A novel extracellular mannan from Bacillus velezensis ameliorates metabolic-associated fatty liver disease by modulating gut microbiota in mice model.

Understanding how agricultural conservation practices influence soil and rhizosphere microbiomes is critical for advancing sustainable crop production and soil health. While Panicum virgatum L. (switchgrass) is widely used in conservation agriculture for its potential to enhance soil carbon storage, limited research has explored how planting density and cultivar selection affect microbial communities and soil properties. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of four switchgrass cultivars planted at two densities on soil and root microbiomes, as well as key edaphic parameters, over a growing season in a common garden experiment in southeast Mississippi. High planting density resulted in higher soil carbon and organic matter, and marginally higher soil nitrogen, but had negligible effects on the microbiomes. In contrast, switchgrass cultivars minimally affected soil properties, but differed in their microbiomes. Both microbiomes and soil properties varied temporally, likely due to plant nutrient uptake and microbial activity. These findings demonstrate that while planting density can enhance soil carbon sequestration, microbiomes are strongly shaped by cultivar selection and temporal dynamics. This study contributes to optimizing conservation agriculture practices to promote soil health and long-term ecosystem sustainability.

Mounting evidence underscores that high-concentrate diets (HCD) significantly impair male reproductive health, leading to infertility, and are closely associated with dysregulation of the gut microbiome and metabolome. However, effective therapeutic strategies targeting these alterations remain elusive. Notably, compelling evidence implicates the gut-testis axis as a critical mediator in the etiology of poor semen quality. Gut-derived metabolites, as key players in the gut-testis axis, warrant in-depth investigation as potential therapeutic targets for addressing male infertility caused by environmental factors, particularly dietary stressors. In this study, through an integrated multi-omics approach employing 10× Genomics single-cell mRNA sequencing, 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing and metabolomic profiling, we demonstrate that HCD induces DNA damage in Sertoli cells and disrupts the integrity of the blood-testis barrier (BTB), resulting in a significant decline in spermatozoa quality. Moreover, HCD impairs gut microbiota homeostasis and arginine biosynthesis, particularly leading to a remarkable decrease in L-citrulline levels. Additionally, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) experiments confirm that gut microbiota dysbiosis contributes to Sertoli cell DNA damage and BTB dysfunction. Interestingly, the effect of HCD-induced aberrant Sertoli cells function can be rescued by supplementation with L-citrulline. Collectively, these findings highlight the therapeutic potential of L-citrulline in protecting male reproductive health under dietary stress conditions, particularly through its action on the gut-testis axis.

Characterizing hypoxia-orchestrated post-stroke changes in oligodendrocyte precursor cells for optimized cell therapy.

Abstract Deadwood is a crucial component of the global carbon budget, storing a substantial amount of carbon in forests. Understanding factors influencing deadwood turnover is therefore vital for predicting carbon cycling under climate change. While climate is an important driver, biotic factors, including wood and fungal traits, also play significant roles in deadwood decomposition. How parasitic fungi affect deadwood decomposition is likely important for global forest carbon turnover but is poorly understood. As opportunistic parasitic fungi, Armillaria species are capable of degrading wood components and altering wood traits. However, how (much) Armillaria drives deadwood decomposition remains unclear. To address this, we studied black pine ( Pinus nigra ), susceptible to Armillaria infection. We hypothesized that branches from infected stands would exhibit higher decay rates, even at given similar wood density. We collected naturally fallen Pinus nigra branches from infected and uninfected stands, sorted them by wood density and incubated them for 1 to 1.6 years under standardized conditions in a common garden experiment. Mass loss was measured and decomposition dynamic was modelled using a relative wood density approach. Our findings support the hypothesis that branches from infected Pinus nigra stands experience higher decay rates, backed up by molecular evidence. This difference may arise from Armillaria itself being a wood decay agent and from its effects via wood traits. These findings have broader implications for estimating deadwood stocks in forests impacted by climate‐induced fungal pathogens. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Plants associate with diverse microbiomes that impact their fitness, yet the contribution of the microbiome to plant adaptation is uncertain. As plant recruitment of its microbiome can be both highly variable and genetically determined, we hypothesized this recruitment process may be the result of adaptive evolution, and contributing to plant local adaptation. We investigated the evolution and adaptive benefit of plant-microbiome recruitment by characterizing the rhizosphere communities across a genotypic panel of Brachypodium distachyon in a common garden experiment. By linking microbial communities to their host genotype's historic environment, we identified signatures of selection on plant-microbiome recruitment. Plant-microbiome composition was significantly correlated with the host genotype's historic environment, with enrichment of microbial traits aligned to local resource conditions. For example, genotypes from low-nitrogen environments recruited communities enriched in nitrogen acquisition traits. In a complementary experiment evaluating plant nitrogen response, these same genotypes were well-adapted to low-nitrogen environments, contingent on the presence of key nitrogen-cycling microbes. These results suggest that local adaptation in plants may partially be mediated by recruitment of beneficial microbiomes. This perspective suggests that plant adaptation may be an emergent property of host-microbe interactions, where evolutionary responses favor traits that promote recruitment of locally beneficial microbiomes.

Despite immunosuppression, acute rejection (AR) is still a common setback among transplantation patients and is a risk factor for graft survival. Sulforaphane (SFN), a phytochemical present in crucifers, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory properties, yet its influences on immune cell activation as well as in graft survival are still unknown. Thus, the aim was to evaluate SFN's effect, and to improve efficacy, efficiency, and availability, it was incorporated into thermosensitive polymeric hydrogels, to prevent AR in skin transplant (Tx) model mice. A thermosensitive hydrogel containing SFN (0.1%) and hyaluronic acid (HA) (0.5%) dispersed in a poloxamer matrix (PL407 at 20% w/v) was developed (GS-PL407 20%, HA and SFN) and characterized as a liquid-viscous hydrogel. The fully MHC-incompatible skin Tx procedure was performed by using donor skin Balb/c mice, transplanted into C57BL/6 recipient mice. The cytotoxicity test of GS was performed using in vitro assays with bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDC). Treatment of BMDC with GS for 24 h presents no cytotoxicity. Untreated allograft mice present 100% of graft loss at day 9 post Tx. Remarkably, subcutaneous GS injection every 3 days promoted 80% of allograft survival for more than 14 days when compared with untreated recipients (p < 0.001). Histological analysis showed a lower level of inflammatory cells in the skin Tx of GS-treated mice. Flow cytometry analysis of draining lymph nodes at day 5 post Tx revealed that GS treatment reduced the frequency of DC and subtypes and function of the CD4+ T cells. In vitro GS-treated lipopolysaccharide-activated BMDC present less activation of costimulatory markers. Taken together, GS treatment reduced immune cell activation, postponing AR onset and prolonging allograft survival in Tx animals. This strategy highlights the role of SFN as a promising candidate for further studies in organ transplantation experiments and being tested combined with current immunosuppression protocols.

Hepatic fibrosis (HF) is the inevitable course from chronic hepatitis to liver cirrhosis with limited treatment options. Our previous studies have found that a synbiotic alleviates autoimmune hepatitis in mice by improving the gut microbiota. However, whether this synbiotic can prevent the progression of HF and its underlying mechanism remains unclear. Therefore, we explored the effects and mechanism of this synbiotic on concanavalin A (ConA)-induced HF in mice. We found that the synbiotic not only reshaped the gut microbiota by increasing beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and reducing harmful bacteria such as Allobaculum and Dubosiella but also strengthened the intestinal barrier, reduced the hepatic transfer of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and inhibited the LPS/NLRP3/GSDMD pyroptosis pathway. It also decreased collagen deposition and alleviated HF in mice in vivo and in LX2 cells in vitro. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) experiments showed that microbiota from fibrotic mice exacerbated gut barrier dysfunction and promoted the LPS-induced pyroptosis pathway. In contrast, microbiota depletion with antibiotics alleviated these effects. In conclusion, our study indicates that gut microbiota dysbiosis and the subsequent activation of the LPS/NLRP3/GSDMD pyroptosis pathway are important factors in the progression of HF. The synbiotic, by regulating the gut microecology and inhibiting the LPS-induced pyroptosis pathway, provides a promising therapeutic strategy for inhibiting HF.

ABSTRACT Phenotypic plasticity, the capacity of organisms to adjust to varying environments, could play various roles in the evolution of phenotype development. Host shift in phytophagous insects is a perfect setting for studying the interplay between plasticity of life history traits and the evolution of life history strategies on novel plant hosts. Utilizing the benefits of a long‐term laboratory evolution experiment, we used populations of seed beetle [ Acanthoscelides obtectus Say (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)] reared on three plant hosts [common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.), chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) and mung bean ( Vigna radiata (L.) R Wilczek), all Fabaceae] for more than 150 generations. Reciprocal transplant experiments on inbred lines derived from these populations enabled the assessment of both long‐term changes in beetles' life history strategies and the alterations in their plastic capacity to adjust on diverse hosts. Our results demonstrate that seed beetle populations evolved distinct life history strategies, as well as different environmental sensitivity of life history traits. Beetles evolved on common beans showed stable pre‐adult development within seeds of all three plant hosts but high variation in their reproductive output. On the other hand, populations adapted to chickpeas became specialized for development on chickpeas and constantly allocated more resources to reproduction. Populations evolved on mung beans were associated with high plasticity and variance in both larval survival and fecundity on all plant hosts, indicating the ongoing process of adaptation. This work is discussed in the context of how phenotypic plasticity induced by host shift can shape life history strategies, providing insights into the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of adaptation.

Experimental transplantation of microspores and manipulation of locular fluid, in vivo, confirm a complex interplay between physicochemical processes and gene expression in shaping the 3-D ultrastructure of the developing exine. We aimed to understand the underlying mechanisms of development of the exine, the outer layer of the pollen wall, one of the most complex cell walls in plants. Control of the processes involved remained obscure until it became clear that the stages observed coincided, in essence, with the sequence of micellar self-assembling mesophases. To test this, a series of in vitro experiments were undertaken earlier (Gabarayeva et al., Ann Bot 123:1205-1218, 2019;Gabarayeva et al., New Phytol 225:1956-1973, 2020), in which exine-like patterns were generated in colloidal mixtures by self-assembly, without any genomic participation. The results of those experiments, carried out "in a vial", have shown that physicochemical interactions, phase separation and self-assembly are capable of generating exine-like patterns. The aim of the new experiments described here, conducted in living plants, was to alter the environment within the anther locule, observing any effects on the processes of exine ontogeny, and to see whether physicochemical interactions play the important role, suggested by in vitro experiments. In the first experiment, early microspore tetrads of Borago officinalis were transplanted into the anthers of Cucurbita maxima. In the second experiment, a surfactant mixture was injected into Cucurbita anthers to alter the environment of self-assembly. After several days, anthers were fixed and studied with TEM. The results confirm our earlier finding from in vitro studies, that-although gene expression in developing microspores and the anther is of fundamental importance-physicochemical forces also play a significant role in exine development. It is the interplay between controls that underpins the vast morphological diversity observed in sporoderms.