Biology subjects

Hanson, P.

Publications and source records attributed to Hanson, P..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Inhibition of NLRP3 Differentially Regulates Blood Pressure and Inflammation in Male versus Female DOCA-Salt Sprague Dawley Rats

BackgroundDeoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt induces greater increases in blood pressure (BP) and a more pro-inflammatory T cell profile in males compared to females. T cells contribute to DOCA-salt hypertension, however, the mechanisms driving T cell activation remain unclear. The NLRP3 inflammasome has been implicated in DOCA hypertension in male mice. Little is known regarding NLRP3 in females. The goal of the current study was to test the hypothesis that NLRP3 contributes to greater increases in BP and renal inflammation with DOCA in males vs. females. MethodsRenal NLRP3 protein levels were measured in normotensive and hypertensive male and female subjects and in male and female Sprague Dawley uni-nephrectomized (UNX) control and DOCA-salt rats. Additional 11-wk-old Sprague Dawley rats were UNX and randomized to: 1) DOCA + vehicle or 2) DOCA + the NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 (10 mg/kg/day in saline) from 11-14 wks of age. At 14-wks-of-age rats were euthanized, terminal plasma samples and remaining kidneys were collected for flow cytometric analysis of T cells. ResultsRenal NLRP3 levels were significantly greater in hypertensive males and females vs. normotensive controls. DOCA increased BP in both sexes, with greater elevations in males. MCC950 attenuated DOCA-induced increases in BP in male, but not female rats. MCC950 decreased circulating and renal CD4 and Th17 cells in both sexes, although the effect was greater in males. ConclusionDespite both males and females exhibiting an increase in NLRP3 in hypertension, NLRP3 contributes to BP elevations only in DOCA-salt males.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2025

Warming and elevated CO2 cause greater and deeper root growth by shrubs in a boreal bog

1Boreal bogs sequester large stores of terrestrial carbon in waterlogged peat occupied by extensive networks of vascular plant roots. Historically, cold temperatures and shallow water tables in bogs have favored the growth of Sphagnum over vascular plants. Seasonally variable water tables in bogs constrain woody shrub and tree root production to shallow, oxic acrotelm peat horizons while herbs with aerenchymous root tissue can grow below the water table. Warming and elevated CO2 are altering ecosystem functioning in nutrient-limited, rain-fed (ombrotrophic) bogs, via direct impacts on physiology and indirectly via altering water table levels. The environmental changes are shifting interactions between vascular plant fine-roots and the surrounding peat horizons and increasingly favoring vascular plant growth relative to Sphagnum sp. Altered functioning of fine-roots may dramatically affect the role of plants in these ecosystems because of the importance of these organs for plant resource acquisition. We examined how fine-roots across vascular PFTs differentially respond to warming & elevated CO2 manipulations and the consequent water table depression in a forested, boreal bog. We used minirhizotrons (cameras inserted belowground) to measure fine-root production, depth distribution, and standing crop from 2015-2021 for each PFT. We found that daily rates of fine-root production accelerated more for shrubs than for trees or herbs. Shrubs and trees grew their roots more deeply with depressed water table levels and shrub fine-roots became narrower. On an annual basis, fine-root production increased with warming, though these rates varied among PFTs and exhibited interactions with elevated CO2. Standing crop of fine-roots increased with warming temperatures, most strongly for shrubs under elevated CO2, because of these productivity responses. From these results, we expect boreal bogs will become increasingly dominated by shrubs under future warmer temperatures, higher atmospheric CO2 concentrations, and lower water table levels.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Identification of QTL for reproductive success under heat stress conditions through a tomato MAGIC population

Heat stress threatens tomato productivity by reducing pollen viability, fruit set, and consequently, overall yield. While heat-tolerant traits are predominantly found in wild tomatoes, the introgression of heat tolerance into elite cultivars remains challenging due to linkage drag. To address this issue, the World Vegetable Center developed a Multi-parent Advanced Generation Inter-Cross (MAGIC) population, derived from crosses between four heat-tolerant and disease-resistant cultivars. Phenotypic evaluations revealed that fruit number accounted for approximately 57% of reproductive output, making it a critical selection index for heat tolerance. A total of 16,350 SNPs were developed for the MAGIC population, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified 50 QTLs linked to the evaluated traits. Notably, three QTLs on chromosomes 1, 3 and 11 emerged as hubs influencing multiple reproductive traits, underscoring their critical role in heat tolerance. SL4.0CH11_47205149 associated with fruit number was converted into a Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR (KASP) marker and validated for its significant association with yield. The identification of key QTLs and the prioritization of fruit number as a primary determinant of reproductive success offer valuable insights for targeted breeding strategies. HighlightNumber of fruits is crucial for selecting heat-tolerant tomatoes in open fields. A marker linked to high fruit production helps develop high-yielding tomatoes better suited to withstand climate change.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2020

A conserved ubiquitin- and ESCRT-dependent pathway to regulate human lysosomal membrane proteins

The lysosome is an essential organelle to recycle cellular materials and maintain nutrient homeostasis, but the mechanism to down-regulate lysosomal membrane proteins is poorly understood. In this study, we developed a cycloheximide chase assay to measure the half-lives of ~30 human lysosomal membrane proteins, and identified RNF152 as a short-lived protein. The degradation of RNF152 depends on ubiquitin and the endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) machinery. Ubiquitinated RNF152 is sorted and internalized by the ESCRT machinery into the lysosomal lumen for degradation. Strikingly, when expressed in budding yeast, human RNF152 is also degraded by the vacuole (yeast lysosome) in an ESCRT-dependent manner. Thus, our study uncovered a conserved mechanism to down-regulate lysosome membrane proteins.

cell biology↗