A5072987969- Polysaccharides and Plant Cell Walls
- Plant Stress Responses and Tolerance
- Plant Reproductive Biology
- Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Activities
- Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity
- Antioxidant Activity and Oxidative Stress
- Magnetic and Electromagnetic Effects
- Cocoa and Sweet Potato Agronomy
- Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms
- Photovoltaic Systems and Sustainability
- Cellular transport and secretion
- Aluminum toxicity and tolerance in plants and animals
- Phytoplasmas and Hemiptera pathogens
- Pomegranate: compositions and health benefits
- Phase Equilibria and Thermodynamics
- Photovoltaic System Optimization Techniques
- bioluminescence and chemiluminescence research
- Light effects on plants
- Cassava research and cyanide
- Heat shock proteins research
- Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases
- Plant responses to water stress
- Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis
- Bioactive Compounds in Plants
- Microencapsulation and Drying Processes
University of Salento
2016-2025
University of Palermo
2024-2025
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Lecce
2007
Infection by necrotrophs is a complex process that starts with the breakdown of cell wall (CW) matrix initiated CW-degrading enzymes and results in an extensive tissue maceration. Plants exploit induced defense mechanisms based on biochemical modification CW components to protect themselves from enzymatic degradation. The pectin main target Botrytis cinerea, methylesterification status strongly altered response infection. controlled mainly methylesterases (PMEs), whose activity...
Agriculture is currently one of the leading economic sectors most impacted by climate change. Due to its great field application and susceptibility meteorological variability, effects change on agriculture have significant social consequences for human well-being. Moreover, increasing need land spaces population growth has produced strong competition between food urbanization, a loss agroecosystem that supports security. This review aims understand main risks generated in agricultural...
The xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolases (XTHs) are enzymes involved in cell wall assembly and growth regulation, cleaving re-joining hemicellulose chains the xyloglucan-cellulose network. Here, a homologous system, we compare secretion patterns of XTH11, XTH33 XTH29, three members Arabidopsis thaliana XTH family, selected for presence (XTH11 XTH33) or absence (XTH29) signal peptide, transmembrane domain (XTH33). We show that XTH11 reached, respectively, plasma membrane through...
Plants involve a fine modulation of pectin methylesterase (PME) activity against microbes. PME can promote the cell wall stiffening and production damage signals able to induce defense responses plant resistance pathogens. However, molecular mechanisms underlying activation during disease remain largely unknown. In this study, we explored role subtilases (SBTs) as activators in Arabidopsis immunity. By using biochemical reverse genetic approaches, found that expression SBT3.3 SBT3.5...
Climate change, with rising temperatures, water crises, and an increased frequency of climate disturbances, poses a threat to the ability agroecosystems ensure human access food by affecting both quantity quality crop production. Currently, there is growing knowledge about fact that agrivoltaic systems may represent direct strategy cope change driven carbon dioxide emissions for energy production, preserving capacity maintain security. The aim this work was investigate impact environmental...
The secretory pathway in plants involves sustained traffic to the cell wall, as matrix components, polysaccharides and proteins reach wall through endomembrane system. We studied secretion pattern of cell-wall tobacco protoplasts leaf epidermal cells using fluorescent forms a pectin methylesterase inhibitor protein (PMEI1) polygalacturonase (PGIP2). two most representative fusions, secGFP-PMEI1 PGIP2-GFP, reached by passing ER Golgi stacks but distinct mechanisms. was linked...
The increasing popularity of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), driven by the awareness its nutraceutical properties and excellent environmental adaptability, is promoting a global expansion production area. This investigation reports variability in weight, moisture, pH, total soluble solids, carbohydrates, organic acids, phenolic compounds, fatty antioxidant activities, element composition different fruit parts (juices, peels, kernels) from four (Ako, Emek, Kamel, Wonderful One) most widely...
We report the hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidant activities, as well total phenol, flavonoid, tocochromanol (tocopherol tocotrienol), carotenoid contents in edible portion of wild cultivated varieties chicory ( Cichorium intybus L.) basal rosette leaves species poppy Papaver rhoeas L.), known by natives “paparina,” collected countryside Salento (South Apulia, Italy). analyzed (1) two cultivars chicory, “Catalogna” harvested area between S. Pietro Vernotico Tuturano (Brindisi) “Otrantina”...
Heat and drought stress have emerged as major constraints for durum wheat production. In the Mediterranean area, their negative effect on crop productivity is expected to be exacerbated by occurring climate change. Xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolases (XTHs) are chief enzymes in cell wall remodelling, whose relevance expansion morphogenesis suggests a central role responses. this work potential of XTHs abiotic tolerance was investigated wheat. The separate effects dehydration heat...
Cyclodextrins (CDs) are oligosaccharides, comprising 6 (α), 7 (β), or 8 (γ) glucose residues, used to prepare oil-in-water emulsions and improve oil stability towards degradation. In this research, the aptitude of α-, β-, γ-CDs form complexes with a supercritical CO2 extracted lycopene-rich tomato (TO) was comparatively assessed. TO/CD resulting freeze-dried powders were characterized by microscopy, Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflection (FTIR-ATR), differential scanning...
Plant immunity is triggered by endogenous elicitors known as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Oligogalacturonides (OGs) are DAMPs released from the cell wall (CW) demethylated homogalacturonan during microbial colonization, mechanical or pest-provoked damage, and physiological CW remodeling. Berberine bridge enzyme-like (BBE-l) proteins named OG oxidases (OGOXs) oxidize inactivate OGs to avoid deleterious growth-affecting hyper-immunity possible death. Using OGOX1...
Agrivoltaic offers a promising solution to integrate photovoltaic energy production with ongoing agricultural activities. This research investigates the impact of agrivoltaic on food security, using transdisciplinary approach study responses crop in terms biomass and quality produced. Mainly chicory plants were grown full sunlight (control plot) shade plots generated by potential panels. Two water regimes (high low supply) used analyze variations security both plots. The results showed that...
Abstract Xylella fastidiosa is a Gram‐negative, xylem‐limited, bacterium which responsible, in Italy, for the olive quick decline syndrome ( OQDS ). The disease caused by subspecies pauca and emerged few years ago Apulia province of Lecce, Salento peninsula, on Olea europaea plants . X. can infect different plant species well known California as causal agent Pierce's grape. Infections susceptible hosts with are to result xylem vessel occlusions, water movement impairment, accordingly induce...
The bacterium Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca is associated with the “olive quick decline syndrome” in Apulia region of southern Italy. To investigate control this phytopathogen, a compound containing zinc and copper complexed citric-acid hydracids (Dentamet®) was evaluated for vitro planta bactericidal activity. Confocal laser scanning microscopy, fluorescent quantification atomic emission spectroscopy were then used to determine if reached xylem networks leaves, twigs branches olive,...
The plant endomembrane system is massively involved in the synthesis, transport and secretion of cell wall polysaccharides proteins; however, molecular mechanisms underlying trafficking toward apoplast are largely unknown. Besides constitutive, existence a regulated secretory pathway has been proposed. A polygalacturonase inhibitor protein (PGIP2), known to move as soluble cargo reach through mechanism distinguishable from default, was dissected its main functional domains (A, B, C, D), C...
Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter is gaining attention for its high genetic plasticity and ability to adapt adverse environmental conditions, including heavy metal metalloid pollution. Uptake translocation of cadmium, copper, iron, nickel, lead, zinc the shoots have been characterized, but performance with arsenic less known sometimes contradictory. Tolerance As not related a reduced uptake, null mutation aquaporin Nip1.1 gene in Arabidopsis makes plant completely resistant metalloid. This...