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Santini G, Castiglia D, Perrotta MM, Landi S, Maisto G, Esposito S. Plastic in the Environment: A Modern Type of Abiotic Stress for Plant Physiology. Plants (Basel) 2023; 12:3717. [PMID: 37960073 PMCID: PMC10648480 DOI: 10.3390/plants12213717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, plastic pollution has become a growing environmental concern: more than 350 million tons of plastic material are produced annually. Although many efforts have been made to recycle waste, a significant proportion of these plastics contaminate and accumulate in the environment. A central point in plastic pollution is demonstrated by the evidence that plastic objects gradually and continuously split up into smaller pieces, thus producing subtle and invisible pollution caused by microplastics (MP) and nanoplastics (NP). The small dimensions of these particles allow for the diffusion of these contaminants in farmlands, forest, freshwater, and oceans worldwide, posing serious menaces to human, animal, and plant health. The uptake of MPs and NPs into plant cells seriously affects plant growth, development, and photosynthesis, finally limiting crop yields and endangering natural environmental biodiversity. Furthermore, nano- and microplastics-once adsorbed by plants-can easily enter the food chain, being highly toxic to animals and humans. This review addresses the impacts of MP and NP particles on plants in the terrestrial environment. In particular, we provide an overview here of the detrimental effects of photosynthetic injuries, oxidative stress, ROS production, and protein damage triggered by MN and NP in higher plants and, more specifically, in crops. The possible damage at the physiological and environmental levels is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Santini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Cinthia, I-80126 Napoli, Italy; (G.S.); (M.M.P.); (G.M.); (S.E.)
| | - Daniela Castiglia
- Bio-Organic Chemistry Unit, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry CNR, Via Campi Flegrei 34, Pozzuoli, 80078 Naples, Italy
| | - Maryanna Martina Perrotta
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Cinthia, I-80126 Napoli, Italy; (G.S.); (M.M.P.); (G.M.); (S.E.)
| | - Simone Landi
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Cinthia, I-80126 Napoli, Italy; (G.S.); (M.M.P.); (G.M.); (S.E.)
| | - Giulia Maisto
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Cinthia, I-80126 Napoli, Italy; (G.S.); (M.M.P.); (G.M.); (S.E.)
| | - Sergio Esposito
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Cinthia, I-80126 Napoli, Italy; (G.S.); (M.M.P.); (G.M.); (S.E.)
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Perrotta MM, Lucibelli F, Mazzucchiello SM, Fucci N, Hay Mele B, Giordano E, Salvemini M, Ruggiero A, Vitagliano L, Aceto S, Saccone G. Female Sex Determination Factors in Ceratitis capitata: Molecular and Structural Basis of TRA and TRA2 Recognition. Insects 2023; 14:605. [PMID: 37504611 PMCID: PMC10380613 DOI: 10.3390/insects14070605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
In the model system for genetics, Drosophila melanogaster, sexual differentiation and male courtship behavior are controlled by sex-specific splicing of doublesex (dsx) and fruitless (fru). In vitro and in vivo studies showed that female-specific Transformer (TRA) and the non-sex-specific Transformer 2 (TRA2) splicing factors interact, forming a complex promoting dsx and fru female-specific splicing. TRA/TRA2 complex binds to 13 nt long sequence repeats in their pre-mRNAs. In the Mediterranean fruitfly Ceratitis capitata (Medfly), a major agricultural pest, which shares with Drosophila a ~120 million years old ancestor, Cctra and Cctra2 genes seem to promote female-specific splicing of Ccdsx and Ccfru, which contain conserved TRA/TRA2 binding repeats. Unlike Drosophila tra, Cctra autoregulates its female-specific splicing through these putative regulatory repeats. Here, a yeast two-hybrid assay shows that CcTRA interacts with CcTRA2, despite its high amino acid divergence compared to Drosophila TRA. Interestingly, CcTRA2 interacts with itself, as also observed for Drosophila TRA2. We also generated a three-dimensional model of the complex formed by CcTRA and CcTRA2 using predictive approaches based on Artificial Intelligence. This structure also identified an evolutionary and highly conserved putative TRA2 recognition motif in the TRA sequence. The Y2H approach, combined with powerful predictive tools of three-dimensional protein structures, could use helpful also in this and other insect species to understand the potential links between different upstream proteins acting as primary sex-determining signals and the conserved TRA and TRA2 transducers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francesca Lucibelli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | | | - Nicole Fucci
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Bruno Hay Mele
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Ennio Giordano
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Alessia Ruggiero
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), CNR, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Luigi Vitagliano
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), CNR, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Serena Aceto
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Saccone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Napoli, Italy
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Caputo B, Langella G, Petrella V, Virgillito C, Manica M, Filipponi F, Varone M, Primo P, Puggioli A, Bellini R, D’Antonio C, Iesu L, Tullo L, Rizzo C, Longobardi A, Sollazzo G, Perrotta MM, Fabozzi M, Palmieri F, Saccone G, Rosà R, della Torre A, Salvemini M. Aedes albopictus bionomics data collection by citizen participation on Procida Island, a promising Mediterranean site for the assessment of innovative and community-based integrated pest management methods. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009698. [PMID: 34529653 PMCID: PMC8445450 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last decades, the colonization of Mediterranean Europe and of other temperate regions by Aedes albopictus created an unprecedented nuisance problem in highly infested areas and new public health threats due to the vector competence of the species. The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) and the Incompatible Insect Technique (IIT) are insecticide-free mosquito-control methods, relying on mass release of irradiated/manipulated males, able to complement existing and only partially effective control tools. The validation of these approaches in the field requires appropriate experimental settings, possibly isolated to avoid mosquito immigration from other infested areas, and preliminary ecological and entomological data. We carried out a 4-year study in the island of Procida (Gulf of Naples, Italy) in strict collaboration with local administrators and citizens to estimate the temporal dynamics, spatial distribution, and population size of Ae. albopictus and the dispersal and survival of irradiated males. We applied ovitrap monitoring, geo-spatial analyses, mark-release-recapture technique, and a citizen-science approach. Results allow to predict the seasonal (from April to October, with peaks of 928-9,757 males/ha) and spatial distribution of the species, highlighting the capacity of Ae. albopictus population of Procida to colonize and maintain high frequencies in urban as well as in sylvatic inhabited environments. Irradiated males shown limited ability to disperse (mean daily distance travelled <60m) and daily survival estimates ranging between 0.80 and 0.95. Overall, the ecological characteristics of the island, the acquired knowledge on Ae. albopictus spatial and temporal distribution, the high human and Ae. albopictus densities and the positive attitude of the resident population in being active parts in innovative mosquito control projects provide the ground for evidence-based planning of the interventions and for the assessment of their effectiveness. In addition, the results highlight the value of creating synergies between research groups, local administrators, and citizens for affordable monitoring (and, in the future, control) of mosquito populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beniamino Caputo
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuliano Langella
- Department of Agriculture, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Valeria Petrella
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Chiara Virgillito
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Edmund Mach Foundation, San Michele all’Adige, Italy
| | - Mattia Manica
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Edmund Mach Foundation, San Michele all’Adige, Italy
- Center for Health Emergencies, Bruno Kessler Foundation, Trento, Italy
| | - Federico Filipponi
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
- Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, Rome, Italy
| | - Marianna Varone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Pasquale Primo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Romeo Bellini
- Centro Agricoltura Ambiente “Giorgio Nicoli”, Crevalcore, Italy
| | | | - Luca Iesu
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Liliana Tullo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Ciro Rizzo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Germano Sollazzo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Miriana Fabozzi
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Fabiana Palmieri
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Saccone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Roberto Rosà
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Edmund Mach Foundation, San Michele all’Adige, Italy
- Centre Agriculture Food Environment, University of Trento, San Michele all’Adige (TN), Italy
| | - Alessandra della Torre
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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Meccariello A, Salvemini M, Primo P, Hall B, Koskinioti P, Dalíková M, Gravina A, Gucciardino MA, Forlenza F, Gregoriou ME, Ippolito D, Monti SM, Petrella V, Perrotta MM, Schmeing S, Ruggiero A, Scolari F, Giordano E, Tsoumani KT, Marec F, Windbichler N, Arunkumar KP, Bourtzis K, Mathiopoulos KD, Ragoussis J, Vitagliano L, Tu Z, Papathanos PA, Robinson MD, Saccone G. Maleness-on-the-Y ( MoY) orchestrates male sex determination in major agricultural fruit fly pests. Science 2019; 365:1457-1460. [PMID: 31467189 DOI: 10.1126/science.aax1318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In insects, rapidly evolving primary sex-determining signals are transduced by a conserved regulatory module controlling sexual differentiation. In the agricultural pest Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean fruit fly, or Medfly), we identified a Y-linked gene, Maleness-on-the-Y (MoY), encoding a small protein that is necessary and sufficient for male development. Silencing or disruption of MoY in XY embryos causes feminization, whereas overexpression of MoY in XX embryos induces masculinization. Crosses between transformed XY females and XX males give rise to males and females, indicating that a Y chromosome can be transmitted by XY females. MoY is Y-linked and functionally conserved in other species of the Tephritidae family, highlighting its potential to serve as a tool for developing more effective control strategies against these major agricultural insect pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Meccariello
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II," 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II," 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Pasquale Primo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II," 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Brantley Hall
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Panagiota Koskinioti
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, A-1400 Vienna, Austria.,Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, 41500 Larissa, Greece
| | - Martina Dalíková
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Andrea Gravina
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II," 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | | | - Federica Forlenza
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II," 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Maria-Eleni Gregoriou
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, 41500 Larissa, Greece
| | - Domenica Ippolito
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II," 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Simona Maria Monti
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), CNR, 80134 Naples, Italy
| | - Valeria Petrella
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II," 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | | | - Stephan Schmeing
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences and SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alessia Ruggiero
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), CNR, 80134 Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca Scolari
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Ennio Giordano
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II," 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Konstantina T Tsoumani
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, 41500 Larissa, Greece
| | - František Marec
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Nikolai Windbichler
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Kallare P Arunkumar
- Centre of Excellence for Genetics and Genomics of Silkmoths, Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad 500 039, India
| | - Kostas Bourtzis
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, A-1400 Vienna, Austria
| | - Kostas D Mathiopoulos
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, 41500 Larissa, Greece
| | - Jiannis Ragoussis
- Department of Human Genetics and Bioengineering, McGill University and Genome Quebec Innovation Centre, Montreal, QC H3A 0G1, Canada
| | - Luigi Vitagliano
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), CNR, 80134 Naples, Italy
| | - Zhijian Tu
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Philippos Aris Papathanos
- Section of Genomics and Genetics, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy. .,Department of Entomology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Mark D Robinson
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences and SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Giuseppe Saccone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II," 80126 Napoli, Italy.
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