Ricerc@Sapienza

The new mineral species rüdlingerite, ideally Mn2+2V5+As5+O7·2H2O, occurs in the Fianel mine, in Val Ferrera, Grisons, Switzerland, a small Alpine metamorphic Mn deposit. It is associated with ansermetite and Fe oxyhydroxide in thin fractures in Triassic dolomitic marbles. Rüdlingerite was also found in specimens recovered from the dump of the Valletta mine, Canosio, Cuneo, Piedmont, Italy, where it occurs together with massive braccoite and several other As- and V-rich phases in richly mineralized veins crossing the quartz-hematite ore.

The semimetal arsenic (As) and the heavy metal cadmium (Cd) are highly toxic for plants and animals, evoking enormous concern due to their widespread and persistent presence in polluted ecosystems. Both elements are not essential for plants but easily absorbed by their roots using the same membrane transporters of essential nutrients. The exposure to Cd or As causes inhibition of plant growth, especially in sensitive plants as Arabidopsis thaliana, the model species used in this research. It was reported that Cd and As mainly localize in root meristems.

The research was focussed on the effects of cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As), alone or combined, on Arabidopsis
post-embryonic roots, with attention to quiescent centre formation and development in relation to auxin
homeostasis. To the aim, morphological and histochemical analyses were carried out on seedlings, exposed or
not to Cd and/or As, of wild type, and transgenic lines useful for monitoring quiescent centre identity, auxin
localization and cellular influx and efflux. Moreover, auxin levels and expression of the YUC6 auxin biosynthetic

Arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) are toxic elements frequently present simultaneously in the environment. Pteris vittata L. (Chinese brake fern) is a natural As hyperaccumulator, able to accumulate very high levels of As in the fronds. The fern is also capable to adsorb Cd and to accumulate it, at moderate levels, in the root. To date, the mechanisms triggered by the fern in the presence of As and Cd are poorly known, and it is unknown whether Cd alters the fern As hyperaccumulating capabilities. The research aim was to analyse the responses of P.

Cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As), non essential, but toxic, elements for animals and plants are frequently present in paddy fields. Oryza sativa L., a staple food for at least the half of world population, easily absorbs As and Cd by the root, and in this organ the pollutants evoke consistent damages, reducing/modifying the root system. Auxins are key hormones in regulating all developmental processes, including root organogenesis. Moreover, plants respond to environmental stresses, such as those caused by Cd and As, by changing levels and distribution of endogenous phytohormones.

Cadmium (Cd) and Arsenic (As) pollution has become a serious factor limiting the growth and productivity of Oryza sativa L. and a risk for human health. Roots are the first organs affected by these pollutants, showing growth inhibition and altered cellular differentiation (Fattorini et al., 2017 doi: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2017.10.005). Cd and As alter root architecture negatively interacting with hormone biosynthesis and

Arsenic, a common metalloid, is worldwide recognised as important toxic element for human beings and
living organisms (1,2). Natural processes as well as anthropogenic activities contribute to its diffusion and
occurrence in the environment (1,2). Fungi, as geoactive agents, can play very important geological roles in
several processes, including decomposition, biogeochemical cycling, element biotransformations, metal and
mineral transformations, bioweathering and soil formation (3,4). Fungi can tolerate and accumulate high

Arsenic (As) is a metalloid, naturally occurring in the earth crust. Anthropogenic sources, such as
processing of arsenic-bearing minerals, are mainly responsible for environmental contamination,
arising concern for toxic effects of As on human health and ecosystems. Fungi play key roles in
fundamental biogeochemical cycles of essential and toxic elements and soil formation. Several
studies reported that fungi can tolerate and accumulate high concentrations of arsenic and mediate

Notch signaling plays a complex role in carcinogenesis, and its signaling pathway has both tumor suppressor and oncogenic components. To identify regulators that might control this dual activity of NOTCH1, we screened a chemical library targeting kinases and identified Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) as one of the kinases involved in arsenite-induced NOTCH1 down-modulation. As PLK1 activity drives mitotic entry but also is inhibited after DNA damage, we investigated the PLK1-NOTCH1 interplay in the G2 phase of the cell cycle and in response to DNA damage.