Somatic Process Research Articles

Somatic learning: Bringing the body into critical reflection

Critical reflection is a process of bringing unquestioned assumptions to the fore for critique, through paying attention to dissatisfactions, discrepancies, tensions and contradictions in experience. It is important because it helps reveal the complexities for and against learning that are embedded in a particular context. Aesthetics and a focus on emotional and political dynamics are two approaches already being used to encourage learning through critical reflection. However, this article argues there is still more benefit to be gained from understanding how and why a focus on the body can support critically reflective perspectives on learning. My contribution is to illustrate how Buddhist practices of mindfulness meditation and associated philosophy can inform a somatic learning process that connects bodily sensation to cognition.

The Expression of CpAUX1/LAXs and Most of the Long-distance CpPINs Genes Increases as the Somatic Embryogenesis Process Develops in C. papaya cv. “Red Maradol”

In plants, auxin is distributed directly from cell to cell through polar auxin transport (PAT) by the action of auxin influx (AUX1/LAXs) and efflux (PINs) transporters proteins. In Arabidopsis thaliana, PAT plays an important role in the formation of apical and radicular meristems during somatic embryogenesis (SE). The goal of the present research was to define if in Carica papaya, the expression of the whole family of auxin transporter genes changes as somatic embryos develop. The family of AUX1/LAXs genes in C. papaya had at least one member in every clade of the phylogenetic tree. However, in terms of PINs genes, C. papaya had one member in all subclades within “long-distance” (LD) clade I, but for “short-distance” (SD) clade II, it had a member in all subclades except in subclade V. In terms of expression, our results showed that the auxin influx transporter (AIT) genes (CpLAX 1, 2, 3) appeared to be more related to the development of somatic embryos at the torpedo and cotyledonary stages. In contrast, the LD auxin efflux transporter (AET) (CpPIN 1, 3, 4) genes appeared to be related to the development of SE at their different stages, as they were expressed throughout all SE stages (from globular to cotyledonary). Moreover, when the mature somatic embryo regenerated into plants, the expression of CpAUX1, CpLAX1, CpLAX2, CpLAX3, CpPIN1, CpPIN3, and CpPIN4 transporters genes increased further, although different patterns of expression were found in leaves and roots from those regenerated plantlets.

Histodifferentiation of oil palm somatic embryo development at low auxin concentration.

Large-scale propagation of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis, Jacq.) is difficult due to its single apical meristem. Thus, obtaining plants is mainly through seed germination, and a long growing period is required before oil production is possible. An alternative to large-scale seedling production is indirect somatic embryogenesis. The aim of this study was to analyze the somatic embryogenesis process in oil palm (E. guineensis Jacq.) with amino acids and low concentrations of auxins. The Tenera hybrid was analyzed by cytochemical and ultrastructural methods and was used to regenerate oil palm plants. First, calli were induced in MS culture media supplemented with 2,4-D and picloram. Two types of calli were obtained, characterized by beige or translucent color. Beige calli had embryogenic characteristics, such as large nuclei with prominent nucleoli, and they were multiplied for 8months in MM culture (half strength MS, 1mgL-1 2,4-D, 2mgL-1 2iP, 1mgL-1 IBA, 250mgL-1 citric acid, 10mgL-1 cysteine, 100mgL-1 inositol, 1mgL-1 thiamine, 1mgL-1 pyridoxine, 1mgL-1 nicotinic acid, 1mgL-1 glycine, 200mgL-1 malt extract, and 100mgL-1 casein hydrolysate). After multiplication, the MCB culture medium (half strength MS, supplemented with 0.25mgL-1 NAA, 2mgL-1 BAP, MM vitamins and 200mgL-1 malt extract, and 100mgL-1 casein hydrolysate) was the most efficient for embryo formation, showing meristematic centers with totipotent cells in histochemical analyses. The somatic embryos were developed and germinated in MG medium (half strength MS, 0.45mgL-1 IAA, 0.25mgL-1 BAP, and MM vitamins), transplanted into polyethylene tubes containing pine bark substrates, and acclimatized in a greenhouse, achieving a 97% survival rate. The use of picloram for callus induction and somatic embryogenesis is advantageous and multiplication in MM medium is an important step for increasing cell mass. The calli with light beige color and nodular structures have meristematic cells with dense cytoplasm and totipotential features that later give rise to protoderm, procambium, and ground meristem during the globular, cordiform, and torpedo embryogenesis phases. In MCB medium, the concentration of vitamins and amino acids are crucial for somatic embryogenesis.

The development of Somatic Acting Process in UK-based actor training

Abstract This article introduces a new Body-Mind Centering (BMC®)/Integrative Bodywork and Movement Therapy (IBMT)-inspired somatic acting and creative methodology as part of my Somatic Acting Process® (SAP®) practice. It briefly unpacks the journey and the current shape of this ongoing actor-training pedagogy, along with my growing development as a somatically aware actor-trainer and educator. The discussion situates my practice within a lineage of somatic-based processes in conservatoire actor training, suggesting further developments through the modification of Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen’s somatic process of embodiment and practices of witnessing in my current teaching. This article is necessarily a very concise sample of a larger and continuously developing praxis. Nevertheless, it proposes the valuable contribution of a somatically-informed creative practice for the understanding and communication of acting as innately interrelational and at the same time uniquely individual experience, as a process of dynamic sensitivity and responsibility.

소매틱 체(현)화 과정을 위한 방법과 도구

소매틱 체(현)화 과정을 위한 방법과 도구

Plk1 is essential for proper chromosome segregation during meiosis I/meiosis II transition in pig oocytes

BackgroundPolo-like kinase 1 (Plk1), as a characteristic regulator in meiosis, organizes multiple biological events of cell division. Although Plk1 has been implicated in various functions in somatic cell mitotic processes, considerably less is known regarding its function during the transition from metaphase I (MI) to metaphase II (MII) stage in oocyte meiotic progression.MethodsIn this study, the possible role of Plk1 during the MI-to-MII stage transition in pig oocytes was addressed. Initially, the spatiotemporal expression and subcellular localization pattern of Plk1 were revealed in pig oocytes from MI to MII stage using indirect immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy imaging techniques combined with western blot analyses. Moreover, a highly selective Plk1 inhibitor, GSK461364, was used to determine the potential role of Plk1 during this MI-to-MII transition progression.ResultsUpon expression, Plk1 exhibited a specific dynamic intracellular localization, and co-localization of Plk1 with α-tubulin was revealed in the meiotic spindle of pig oocyte during the transition from MI to MII stage. GSK461364 treatment significantly blocked the first polar body (pbI) emission in a dose-dependent manner and resulted in a failure of meiotic maturation, with a larger percentage of the GSK461364-treated oocytes arresting in the anaphase-telophase I (ATI) stage. Further subcellular structure examination results showed that inhibition of Plk1 with GSK461364 had no visible effect on spindle assembly but caused a significantly higher proportion of the treated oocytes to have obvious defects in homologous chromosome segregation at ATI stage.ConclusionsThus, these results indicate that Plk1 plays an essential role during the meiosis I/meiosis II transition in porcine oocytes, and the regulation is associated with Plk1’s effects on homologous chromosome segregation in the ATI stage.

USP26 functions as a negative regulator of cellular reprogramming by stabilising PRC1 complex components

Despite much progress in the comprehension of the complex process of somatic cell reprogramming, many questions regarding the molecular mechanism of regulation remain to be answered. At present, the knowledge on the negative regulation of reprogramming process is indeed poor in contrary to the identification of positive regulators. Here we report for the first time that ubiquitin-specific protease 26 negatively regulates somatic cell-reprogramming process by stabilizing chromobox (CBX)-containing proteins CBX4 and CBX6 of polycomb-repressive complex 1 through the removal of K48-linked polyubiquitination. Thus, accumulated CBX4 and CBX6 repress the expression of pluripotency genes, such as Sox2 and Nanog, through PRC1 complexes to ubiquitinate histone H2A at their promoters. In all, our findings have revealed an essential role for ubiquitin-specific protease 26 in cellular reprogramming through polycomb-repressive complex 1.

Nitrogen uptake and assimilation in proliferating embryogenic cultures of Norway spruce-Investigating the specific role of glutamine.

Somatic embryogenesis is an in vitro system employed for plant propagation and the study of embryo development. Nitrogen is essential for plant growth and development and, hence, the production of healthy embryos during somatic embryogenesis. Glutamine has been shown to increase plant biomass in many in vitro applications, including somatic embryogenesis. However, several aspects of nitrogen nutrition during somatic embryogenesis remain unclear. Therefore, we investigated the uptake and assimilation of nitrogen in Norway spruce pro-embryogenic masses to elucidate some of these aspects. In our study, addition of glutamine had a more positive effect on growth than inorganic nitrogen. The nitrogen uptake appeared to be regulated, with a strong preference for glutamine; 67% of the assimilated nitrogen in the free amino acid pool originated from glutamine-nitrogen. Glutamine addition also relieved the apparently limited metabolism (as evidenced by the low concentration of free amino acids) of pro-embryogenic masses grown on inorganic nitrogen only. The unusually high alanine concentration in the presence of glutamine, suggests that alanine biosynthesis was involved in alleviating these constraints. These findings inspire further studies of nitrogen nutrition during the somatic embryogenesis process; identifying the mechanism(s) that govern glutamine enhancement of pro-embryogenic masses growth is especially important in this regard.

Adaptation of CBT for Traumatized South African Indigenous Groups: Examples from Multiplex CBT for PTSD

This article describes how Culturally Adapted Multiplex CBT, a treatment that emphasizes somatic processing and emotion regulation, was adapted for a traumatized South African indigenous group, the Sepedi. A model of psychopathology is presented, the Multiplex Model of Trauma-Related Disorder, which depicts the processes that generate multiple comorbidities and prominent somatization in minority, refugee, and other non-Western populations. The nine dimensions of Culturally Adapted Multiplex CBT are discussed, and so too the “cultural adaptation diamond.” Concepts such as “explanatory model bridging” are presented. A culturally sensitive assessment measure of local somatic complaints and cultural syndromes (the Sepedi Symptom and Syndrome Addendum, or Sepedi SSA) is detailed, as well as how CBT techniques were implemented with this group—for example, modification of culturally specific catastrophic cognitions, doing exposure (e.g., interoceptive exposure), teaching attentional control and mindfulness techniques, and teaching “loving kindness.” Case examples with clinical outcomes are provided to further illustrate how Multiplex CBT was adapted for the South African indigenous group.

Diagnosis of Xeroderma pigmentosum variant in a young patient with two novel mutations in the POLH gene.

We describe the characterization of Xeroderma Pigmentosum variant (XPV) in a young Caucasian patient with phototype I, who exhibited a high sensitivity to sunburn and multiple cutaneous tumors at the age of 15 years. Two novel mutations in the POLH gene, which encodes the translesion DNA polymerase η, with loss of function due to two independent exon skippings, are reported to be associated as a compound heterozygous state in the patient. Western blot analysis performed on proteins from dermal fibroblasts derived from the patient and analysis of the mutation spectrum on immunoglobulin genes produced during the somatic hypermutation process in his memory B cells, show the total absence of translesion polymerase η activity in the patient. The total lack of Polη activity, necessary to bypass in an error-free manner UVR-induced pyrimidine dimers following sun exposure, explains the early unusual clinical appearance of this patient.

Ectopic expression of CITED2 prior to reprogramming, promotes and homogenises the conversion of somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells

Cited2 plays crucial roles in mouse embryonic stem cells self-renewal, the initiation of the somatic reprogramming process into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and the suppression of cell senescence. Here, we investigated the potential of CITED2 expression in combination with the Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc factors for reprogramming of primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) at passage 2 and 4. The ectopic CITED2 expression in primary MEF prior to the onset of the reprogramming process, generated iPSC with less variability in the expression of endogenous pluripotency-related genes. In contrast, part of the MEF reprogrammed without ectopic expression of CITED2 at passage 4 originated partially reprogrammed iPSC or pre-iPSC. However, the overexpression of CITED2 in the pre-iPSC was insufficient to complete the reprogramming process into iPSC. These results indicated that ectopic CITED2 expression at the onset of the reprogramming process in combination with the reprogramming factors promotes a complete and homogeneous conversion of somatic cells into iPSC.

Abstract LB-262: A somatic-mutational process in breast cancer genomes recurrently duplicates germline susceptibility loci and tissue-specific super-enhancers

Abstract Somatic rearrangements are a part of mutational landscape of human cancer genomes. We systematically investigated the distribution of the somatic rearrangements in 560 breast cancer genomes and highlight 33 rearrangement hotspots associated with a signature of Homologous Recombinational repair deficiency, characterized mainly by large (>100kb) tandem duplications. Remarkably, these tandem duplication hotspots are enriched for breast cancer germline susceptibility loci (OR 4.28) and breast-specific “super-enhancer” regulatory elements (OR 3.54). They likely represent sites of selective susceptibility to double-strand break damage due to high transcriptional activity. However, through incrementally increasing the number of copies of these functionally active loci, they could inadvertently come under some level of selective pressure. Indeed, transcriptomic consequences range from strong individual oncogene effects through to weak but quantifiable multigene expression effects. We thus present a passenger somatic rearrangement mutational process that has the ability to create secondary driver events. It exerts its influence through coding sequences and non-coding regulatory elements, contributing a continuum of driver consequences, from modest through to strong effects, making this mutational process a particularly deleterious one. Citation Format: Dominik Glodzik, Sandro Morganella, Helen Davies, Serena Nik-Zainal, ICGC Breast Cancer Consortium. A somatic-mutational process in breast cancer genomes recurrently duplicates germline susceptibility loci and tissue-specific super-enhancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-262. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-LB-262

Abstract LB-231: Identifying cancer-related processes in normal tissues via RNA-seq

Abstract Cancer genome studies have significantly contributed to the discovery of somatic mutations and processes that drive cancer. However, how these mutations accumulate in normal cells and contribute to early cancer development remains poorly understood. Recent studies have addressed this question by studying normal blood and a small number of skin samples, discovering both driver mutations as well as mutational processes observed in cancer. Here we extend these studies by analyzing RNA from ~7,000 samples across 30 normal tissues from ~600 individuals compared to their germline DNA, collected as part of the GTEx project. To accomplish this goal we first developed a new pipeline termed RNA-MuTect for calling somatic mutations directly from RNA-seq samples and their matched-normal DNA. RNA-MuTect includes multiple filtering steps designed specifically for analyzing RNA-seq. We first validated RNA-MuTect by analyzing TCGA samples where both DNA and RNA data are available. Comparing the set of mutations detected by RNA-MuTect to those identified in the DNA, we show that whenever there is sufficient coverage to detect the mutations in RNA, we have a high sensitivity. Most importantly, RNA-MuTect has a very low false-positive rate with specificity >90%. We further demonstrate that we can discover most of the known driver genes in this cohort using the mutations detected based on the RNA data. Moreover, using the RNA data, we can detect the same mutational processes as identified in the DNA, including UV, aging, smoking and others. To study clonal expansion in normal tissues and investigate whether known cancer-related genes and processes can be identified, we applied RNA-MuTect to the GTEx dataset. As expected, multiple variants were detected across tissues, with skin, lung and esophagus having the highest number of somatic mutations. Overall, different cancer-related events were detected. Specifically: (1) we found 15 hotspot mutations in 6 different genes including TP53, KRAS and PIK3CA; (2) Mutated genes in 8 different tissues were found to be enriched with Cancer Gene Census genes; (3) Known cancer genes were found to be under positive selection in different tissues; (4) Known cancer-related mutational signatures were captured in normal tissues; (5) Cases of allelic imbalance were detected in various tissues. This study is the first to analyze a large number of samples across many tissues to explore the fundamental question of cancer initiation. Many cancer-related processes and events are discovered across different tissues, laying the foundation for studying the earliest stages of cancer development. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Keren Yizhak, Jaegil Kim, Francois Aguet, Julian Hess, Hailei Zhang, Eila Arich-Landkof, Noam Shoresh, Ayelet Segre, Chip Stewart, Dainel Rosebrock, Dimitri Livitz, Nicholas Haradhvala, Paz Polak, Tim Sullivan, Xiao Li, Kristin Ardlie, Gad Getz. Identifying cancer-related processes in normal tissues via RNA-seq [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-231. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-LB-231

Early-life immune activation increases song complexity and alters phenotypic associations between sexual ornaments.

Early-life adversity can have long-lasting effects on physiological, behavioural, cognitive, and somatic processes. Consequently, these effects may alter an organism's life-history strategy and reproductive tactics.In response to early-life immune activation, we quantified levels of the acute phase protein haptoglobin (Hp) during development in male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Then, we examined the long-term impacts of early-life immune activation on an important static sexual signal, song complexity, as well as effects of early-life immune activation on the relationship between song complexity and a dynamic sexual signal, beak colouration. Finally, we performed mate-choice trials to determine if male early-life experience impacted female preference.Challenge with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) resulted in increased song complexity compared to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment or the control. Hp levels were inversely correlated with song complexity. Moreover, KLH-treatment resulted in negative associations between the two sexual signals (beak colouration and song complexity). Females demonstrated some preference for KLH-treated males over controls and for control males over LPS-treated males in mate choice trials.Developmental immune activation has variable effects on the expression of secondary sexual traits in adulthood, including enhancing the expression of some traits. Because developmental levels of Hp and adult song complexity were correlated, future studies should explore a potential role for exposure to inflammation during development on song learning.Early-life adversity may differentially impact static versus dynamic signals. The use of phenotypic correlations can be a powerful tool for examining the impact of early-life experience on the associations among different traits, including sexual signals.

Bodily undoing: Somatics as practices of critique

Abstract

Sufism through the body: Symbolism, selfhood expression and somatic process in embodying hadra ritual practice

Abstract This article is based on an ethnographic study conducted among the female members of the Naqshbandi Tariqa in Cape Town, South Africa, and their home base in Lefke, Cyprus. It examines how Sufi knowledge influences women’s notions of the body in daily life and in ritual practice. This article discusses the topics of the body and the soul, and body movement representation in hadra and analyses the embodied symbolic meaning of the ritual as described by Sufi women. It argues that hadra is a platform that enables women to encounter that space, re-creating and making sense of their embodied self.

Enhancing Care Models to Capture Psychological Trauma.

Toxic levels of stress in childhood are an ongoing threat to public health. Traumatized children have special needs for health care to address their developmental, mental health, and medical problems, and mitigate risk for long-term health problems. Developmental trauma leads to increased use of medical, social, correctional, and mental health services. Longitudinal and retrospective studies link childhood trauma and adversity to academic difficulties, poor health, and low economic productivity in adulthood. Studies demonstrate a clear link among early childhood trauma, neglect, and malnutrition with somatic disease processes, such as high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and diabetes. A wide range of care providers, from the emergency department to subspecialties, should consider enhancing their typical models of care to include the special needs of traumatized children and the adults they become. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 55(4), 29-36.].

Psychosomatic process in patients with dissociative mental disorders

Present days are characterized by increased level of various psychosomatic disorders among different populations in economically developing counties. Moreover every mental disease contains somatic symptoms and these symptoms may interfere in whole picture, change the diagnostic schedule. In case of mild disorders patient's reaction to somatic disease was mostly hysteric: exaggeration of pathological sensations, suggestibility and self-suggestibility. Whole picture of the neurosis was very colourful, dynamical, with instable pathological manifestations, intention to draw one's attention.Transition to long-term variant of dynamics mental disorder was accompanied by concentration on the smallest somatic sensations, seeking benefit from a disease state, “flight into the illness”, nosophilia. We identified prominent increase of hypochondriac symptoms in the group of patients with long course of dissociative disorders (33.4%) as compared with the group of acute and sub-acute course of the disorder (11.4%).In patients with long course of dissociative disorders we observed accumulation of somatic pathology, in most cases one patient suffered from different somatic diseases. Increasing of rate of hypertension (31.33%) and different dishormonal disorders (37.5%) was the most prominent.In psychological “portrait” of the patients with psychosomatic disorders we identified the great number of combinations of pathocharacterologic traits, creating the patient's “facade”, complicating interactions and compliance with physicians and psychiatrists.Interactions between features of mental disorders and somatic disorders, psychological stress appear to us to be rather close. Presence of the somatic process leads to chronification of the neuroses, “flight into the illness”, decrease of dependence of clinical dynamics on psychogenics.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Analysis of person-situation interactions in educational settings via cross-classified multilevel longitudinal modeling: illustrated with the example of students’ stress experience

The investigation of learning processes by assessing students’ experience along with objective characteristics within a classroom context has a long tradition in empirical learning process research (e.g. Sembill, 1984 et passim; Wild & Krapp, 1996). However, most of the existing studies confine themselves to psychological variables that seem to be too narrowly considered, as there is theoretical and empirical evidence proving the involvement of somatic and psychological processes in learning and in stress reactions. Furthermore there is a lack of studies that investigate situation-related experience (states) as an outcome of interactions between relatively stable characteristics (traits) and continuously changing “objective” context conditions. Against this background, we will present an approach for cross-classified multilevel longitudinal modelling of person-situation interactions in naturalistic educational settings. We illustrated our model with the example of students’ stress experience referring to empirical data that we measured within a multidisciplinary research project (pedagogy, psychology, adolescent medicine). 53 students at a public German vocational school were investigated during 9 lessons. There are up to 38 state measurements per person, resulting in 2,014 measurements in total. Taking into account that states are nested within persons and within situations we applied a cross-classified multilevel model to analyse effects on students’ stress experience. The analysis shows significant person-situation interactions between academic self-concept and classroom demands and between baseline cortisol concentration and classroom demands: the relation between classroom demands and stress experience depends on relatively stable person-related characteristics. A deeper knowledge about the complex interrelations between traits, states, and continuously changing context conditions seems to be essential for a more holistic understanding of learning at school and for the identification of crucial aspects for an evidence-based design and implementation of teaching and learning arrangements.

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors activate the p53 signaling pathway in neural stem/progenitor cells

BackgroundPoly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1), which catalyzes poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of proteins by using NAD+ as a substrate, plays a key role in several nuclear events, including DNA repair, replication, and transcription. Recently, PARP-1 was reported to participate in the somatic cell reprogramming process. Previously, we revealed a role for PARP-1 in the induction of neural apoptosis in a cellular model of cerebral ischemia and suggested the possible use of PARP inhibitors as a new therapeutic intervention. In the present study, we examined the effects of PARP inhibitors on neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) of the mouse brain.ResultsPARP-1 was more abundant and demonstrated higher activity in NSPCs than in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Treatment with PARP inhibitors suppressed the formation of neurospheres by NSPCs through the suppression of cell cycle progression and the induction of apoptosis. In order to identify the genes responsible for these effects, we investigated gene expression profiles by microarray analyses and found that several genes in the p53 signaling pathway were upregulated, including Cdkn1a, which is critical for cell cycle control, and Fas, Pidd, Pmaip1, and Bbc3, which are principal factors in the apoptosis pathway. Inhibition of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation increased the levels of p53 protein, but not p53 mRNA, and enhanced the phosphorylation of p53 at Ser18. Experiments with specific inhibitors and also shRNA demonstrated that PARP-1, but not PARP-2, has a role in the regulation of p53. The effects of PARP inhibitors on NSPCs were not observed in Trp53−/− NSPCs, suggesting a key role for p53 in these events.ConclusionsOn the basis of the finding that PARP inhibitors facilitated the p53 signaling pathway, we propose that poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation contributes to the proliferation and self-renewal of NSPCs through the suppression of p53 activation.