Streptomyces sp. strain g10 exhibited strong antagonism towards Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense (Foc) races 1, 2 and 4 in plate assays by producing extracellular antifungal metabolites. Treating the planting hole and roots of 4-week-old tissue-culture-derived 'Novaria' banana plantlets with strain g10 suspension (10(8) cfu/ml), significantly (P < 0.05) reduced wilt severity when the plantlets were inoculated with 10(4) spores/ml Foc race 4. The final disease severity index for leaf symptom (LSI) and rhizome discoloration (RDI) was reduced about 47 and 53%, respectively, in strain g10-treated plantlets compared to untreated plantlets. Reduction in disease incidence was not significant (P < 0.05) when plantlets were inoculated with a higher concentration (10(6) spores/ml) of Foc race 4. Rhizosphere population of strain g10 showed significant (P = 0.05) increase of more than 2-fold at the end of the 3rd week compared to the 2nd week after soil amendment with the antagonist. Although the level dropped, the rhizosphere population at the end of the 6th week was still nearly 2-fold higher than the level detected after 2 weeks. In contrast, the root-free population declined significantly (P = 0.05), nearly 4-fold after 6 weeks when compared to the level detected after 2 weeks. Neither growth-inhibiting nor growth-stimulating effects were observed in plantlets grown in strain g10-amended soil.
Cellular microenvironments are generally sophisticated, but crucial for regulating the functions of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). Despite tremendous effort in this field, the correlation between the environmental factors-especially the extracellular matrix and soluble cell factors-and the desired cellular functions remains largely unknown because of the lack of appropriate tools to recapitulate in vivo conditions and/or simultaneously evaluate the interplay of different environment factors. Here, a combinatorial platform is developed with integrated microfluidic channels and nanofibers, associated with a method of high-content single-cell analysis, to study the effects of environmental factors on stem cell phenotype. Particular attention is paid to the dependence of hPSC short-term self-renewal on the density and composition of extracellular matrices and initial cell seeding densities. Thus, this combinatorial approach provides insights into the underlying chemical and physical mechanisms that govern stem cell fate decisions.
We recently developed a cell-penetrating drug carrier composed of albumin (HSA) combined with palmitoyl-cyclic-(D-Arg)12. While it is possible that the palmitoyl-cyclic-(D-Arg)12/HSA enters the cell mainly via macropinocytosis, the mechanism responsible for the induction of macropinocytosis and endosomal escape remain unknown. We report herein that palmitoyl-cyclic-(D-Arg)12/HSA might interact with heparan sulfate proteoglycan and the chemokine receptor CXCR4 followed by multiple activations of the PKC/PI3K/JNK/mTOR signaling pathways to induce macropinocytosis. This result was further confirmed by a co-treatment with 70 kDa dextran, a macropinocytosis marker. Using liposomes that mimic endosomes, the leakage of 5,6-carboxyfluorescein from liposome was observed in the presence of palmitoyl-cyclic-(D-Arg)12/HSA only in the case of the anionic late endosome-like liposomes but not the neutral early endosome-like liposomes. Heparin largely inhibited this leakage, suggesting the importance of electrostatic interactions between palmitoyl-cyclic-(D-Arg)12/HSA and the late-endosomal membrane. Immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting data indicated that the intact HSA could be transferred from endosomes to the cytosol. These collective data suggest that the palmitoyl-cyclic-(D-Arg)12/HSA is internalized via macropinocytosis and intact HSA is released from the late endosomes to the cytoplasm before the endosomes fuse with lysosomes. Palmitoyl-cyclic-(D-Arg)12/HSA not only functions as an intracellular drug delivery carrier but also as an inducer of macropinocytosis.
Cellular microenvironments consist of a variety of cues, such as growth factors, extracellular matrices, and intercellular interactions. These cues are well orchestrated and are crucial in regulating cell functions in a living system. Although a number of researchers have attempted to investigate the correlation between environmental factors and desired cellular functions, much remains unknown. This is largely due to the lack of a proper methodology to mimic such environmental cues in vitro, and simultaneously test different environmental cues on cells. Here, we report an integrated platform of microfluidic channels and a nanofiber array, followed by high-content single-cell analysis, to examine stem cell phenotypes altered by distinct environmental factors. To demonstrate the application of this platform, this study focuses on the phenotypes of self-renewing human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). Here, we present the preparation procedures for a nanofiber array and the microfluidic structure in the fabrication of a Multiplexed Artificial Cellular MicroEnvironment (MACME) array. Moreover, overall steps of the single-cell profiling, cell staining with multiple fluorescent markers, multiple fluorescence imaging, and statistical analyses, are described.