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Botticella E, Testone G, Buffagni V, Palombieri S, Taddei AR, Lafiandra D, Lucini L, Giannino D, Sestili F. Mutations in starch biosynthesis genes affect chloroplast development in wheat pericarp. Plant Physiol Biochem 2024; 207:108354. [PMID: 38219425 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108354] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Starch bioengineering in cereals has produced a plethora of genotypes with new nutritional and technological functionalities. Modulation of amylose content from 0 to 100% was inversely correlated with starch digestibility and promoted a lower glycemic index in food products. In wheat, starch mutants have been reported to exhibit various side effects, mainly related to the seed phenotype. However, little is known about the impact of altered amylose content and starch structure on plant metabolism. Here, three bread wheat starch mutant lines with extreme phenotypes in starch branching and amylose content were used to study plant responses to starch structural changes. Omics profiling of gene expression and metabolic patterns supported changes, confirmed by ultrastructural analysis in the chloroplast of the immature seeds. In detail, the identification of differentially expressed genes belonging to functional categories related to photosynthesis, chloroplast and thylakoid (e.g. CURT1), the alteration in the accumulation of photosynthesis-related compounds, and the chloroplast alterations (aberrant shape, grana stacking alteration, and increased number of plastoglobules) suggested that the modification of starch structure greatly affects starch turnover in the chloroplast, triggering oxidative stress (ROS accumulation) and premature tissue senescence. In conclusion, this study highlighted a correlation between starch structure and chloroplast functionality in the wheat kernel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ermelinda Botticella
- Department of Agriculture and Forest Science, University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA), National Research Council (CNR), via Provinciale Lecce-Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy
| | - Giulio Testone
- Institute for Biological Systems, National Research Council (CNR), Via Salaria, km 29.300, Monterotondo, 00015, Rome, Italy.
| | - Valentina Buffagni
- Department of Agriculture and Forest Science, University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; Department for Sustainable Food Process, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense, 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
| | - Samuela Palombieri
- Department of Agriculture and Forest Science, University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Anna Rita Taddei
- Center of Large Equipments, Section of Electron Microscopy, University of Tuscia, Largo dell'Università, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Domenico Lafiandra
- Department of Agriculture and Forest Science, University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Luigi Lucini
- Department for Sustainable Food Process, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense, 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
| | - Donato Giannino
- Institute for Biological Systems, National Research Council (CNR), Via Salaria, km 29.300, Monterotondo, 00015, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Sestili
- Department of Agriculture and Forest Science, University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis, 01100 Viterbo, Italy.
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Dell'Apa D, Fumeo M, Volta A, Bernardini M, Fidanzio F, Buffagni V, Christen M, Jagannathan V, Leeb T, Bianchi E. Case report: Sacral agenesis in two boxer dogs: clinical presentation, diagnostic investigations, and outcome. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1201484. [PMID: 37303726 PMCID: PMC10248164 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1201484] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Two boxer dogs from the same litter were presented at 3 months of age for urinary and fecal incontinence. Both dogs had an abnormal tail consisting of a small stump, an atonic anal sphincter, and absent perineal reflex and sensation. Neurological evaluation was indicative of a lesion of the cauda equina or sacral spinal cord. Radiology and CT scan of the spine displayed similar findings in the two dogs that were indicative of sacral agenesis. Indeed, they had 6 lumbar vertebrae followed by a lumbosacral transitional vertebra, lacking a complete spinous process, and a hypoplastic vertebra carrying 2 hypoplastic sacral transverse processes as the only remnant of the sacral bone. Caudal vertebrae were absent in one of the dogs. On MRI, one dog had a dural sac occupying the entire spinal canal and ending in a subfascial fat structure. In the other dog, the dural sac finished in an extracanalar, subfascial, well-defined cystic structure, communicating with the subarachnoid space, and consistent with a meningocele. Sacral agenesis-that is the partial or complete absence of the sacral bones-is a neural tube defect occasionally reported in humans with spina bifida occulta. Sacral agenesis has been described in human and veterinary medicine in association with conditions such as caudal regression syndrome, perosomus elumbis, and Currarino syndrome. These neural tube defects are caused by genetic and/or environmental factors. Despite thorough genetic investigation, no candidate variants in genes with known functional impact on bone development or sacral development could be found in the affected dogs. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report describing similar sacral agenesis in two related boxer dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diletta Dell'Apa
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Martina Fumeo
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Antonella Volta
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Marco Bernardini
- Neurodiagnostic Unit, Anicura Portoni Rossi Veterinary Hospital, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, Clinical Section, University of Padua, Legnaro, Italy
| | | | | | - Matthias Christen
- Vetsuisse Faculty, Institute of Genetics, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Vidhya Jagannathan
- Vetsuisse Faculty, Institute of Genetics, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Tosso Leeb
- Vetsuisse Faculty, Institute of Genetics, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ezio Bianchi
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
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Buffagni V, Zhang L, Senizza B, Rocchetti G, Ferrarini A, Miras-Moreno B, Lucini L. Metabolomics and lipidomics insight into the effect of different polyamines on tomato plants under non-stress and salinity conditions. Plant Sci 2022; 322:111346. [PMID: 35697150 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2022.111346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Polyamines (PAs) are key signaling molecules involved in plant growth and stress acclimation processes. This work investigated the effect of spermidine, spermine, and putrescine (alone and in a mixture) in tomato plants using a combined metabolomics and lipidomics approach. The experiments were carried out under non-stress and 100 mM NaCl salinity conditions. Shoot and root biomass, as well as SPAD values, were increased by the application of exogenous PAs but with differences across treatments. Similarly, root length density (F: 34, p < 0.001), average root diameter (F: 14, p < 0.001), and very fine roots (0.0-0.5 mm) increased in PA-treated plants, compared to control. Metabolomics and lipidomics indicated that, despite being salinity the hierarchically prevalent factor, the different PA treatments imposed distinct remodeling at the molecular level. Plants treated with putrescine showed the broader modulation of metabolite profile, whereas spermidine and spermine induced a comparatively milder effect. The pathway analysis from differential metabolites indicated a broad and multi-level intricate modulation of several signaling molecules together with stress-related compounds like flavonoids and alkaloids. Concerning signaling processes, the complex crosstalk between phytohormones (mainly abscisic acid, cytokinins, the ethylene precursor, and jasmonates), and the membrane lipids signaling cascade (in particular, sphingolipids as well as ceramides and other glycerophospholipids), was involved in such complex response of tomato to PAs. Interestingly, PA-specific processes could be observed, with peculiar responses under either control or salinity conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Buffagni
- Department for Sustainable Food Process, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
| | - Leilei Zhang
- Department for Sustainable Food Process, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
| | - Biancamaria Senizza
- Department for Sustainable Food Process, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
| | - Gabriele Rocchetti
- Department of Animal Science, Food and Nutrition, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 29122, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Andrea Ferrarini
- Department of Sustainable Crop Production, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
| | - Begoña Miras-Moreno
- Department for Sustainable Food Process, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy.
| | - Luigi Lucini
- Department for Sustainable Food Process, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
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Bravaccini B, Buffagni V, Negro L, Bertolini G, Burbaite E, Menchetti M. Mucopolysaccharidosis VI in a European Shorthair cat: Neurological presentation, computed tomography findings and genetic investigation. Acta Vet Hung 2022; 70:201-206. [PMID: 36037045 DOI: 10.1556/004.2022.00024] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The present case report describes the clinical signs of a 10-month-old, intact female, Domestic Shorthair cat presented with a history of chronic progressive difficulty to walk with the four limbs. The physical and neurological examinations revealed skeletal deformities, corneal opacity and a severe spastic non-ambulatory tetraparesis. Complete blood count and biochemistry profiles were unremarkable. Diffuse bone rarefaction, hyperostosis and an apparent fusion of the vertebral bodies were observed on spinal radiographs. A non-contrast computed tomography (CT) exam of the whole body of the patient was performed. Based on the medical history, clinical findings, laboratory analysis, spinal radiographs and CT findings, a lysosomal storage disorder was suspected. Genetic testing for mucopolysaccharidosis VI and VII revealed a genetic mutation, ARSB variant L476P, confirming the diagnosis of mucopolysaccharidosis type VI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Bravaccini
- 1 Neurology and Neurosurgery Division, San Marco Veterinary Clinic, Viale dell'Industria 3, 35030 Veggiano (PD), Italy
| | - Valentina Buffagni
- 1 Neurology and Neurosurgery Division, San Marco Veterinary Clinic, Viale dell'Industria 3, 35030 Veggiano (PD), Italy
| | - Linda Negro
- 2 Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Division, San Marco Veterinary Clinic, Veggiano (PD), Italy
| | - Giovanna Bertolini
- 2 Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Division, San Marco Veterinary Clinic, Veggiano (PD), Italy
| | - Evelina Burbaite
- 3 Dr. L. Kriaučeliūnas Small Animal Clinic, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Marika Menchetti
- 1 Neurology and Neurosurgery Division, San Marco Veterinary Clinic, Viale dell'Industria 3, 35030 Veggiano (PD), Italy
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5
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Sorrentino M, Panzarová K, Spyroglou I, Spíchal L, Buffagni V, Ganugi P, Rouphael Y, Colla G, Lucini L, De Diego N. Integration of Phenomics and Metabolomics Datasets Reveals Different Mode of Action of Biostimulants Based on Protein Hydrolysates in Lactuca sativa L. and Solanum lycopersicum L. Under Salinity. Front Plant Sci 2022; 12:808711. [PMID: 35185959 PMCID: PMC8851396 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.808711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Plant phenomics is becoming a common tool employed to characterize the mode of action of biostimulants. A combination of this technique with other omics such as metabolomics can offer a deeper understanding of a biostimulant effect in planta. However, the most challenging part then is the data analysis and the interpretation of the omics datasets. In this work, we present an example of how different tools, based on multivariate statistical analysis, can help to simplify the omics data and extract the relevant information. We demonstrate this by studying the effect of protein hydrolysate (PH)-based biostimulants derived from different natural sources in lettuce and tomato plants grown in controlled conditions and under salinity. The biostimulants induced different phenotypic and metabolomic responses in both crops. In general, they improved growth and photosynthesis performance under control and salt stress conditions, with better performance in lettuce. To identify the most significant traits for each treatment, a random forest classifier was used. Using this approach, we found out that, in lettuce, biomass-related parameters were the most relevant traits to evaluate the biostimulant mode of action, with a better response mainly connected to plant hormone regulation. However, in tomatoes, the relevant traits were related to chlorophyll fluorescence parameters in combination with certain antistress metabolites that benefit the electron transport chain, such as 4-hydroxycoumarin and vitamin K1 (phylloquinone). Altogether, we show that to go further in the understanding of the use of biostimulants as plant growth promotors and/or stress alleviators, it is highly beneficial to integrate more advanced statistical tools to deal with the huge datasets obtained from the -omics to extract the relevant information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirella Sorrentino
- Photon Systems Instruments (PSI), spol. S.r.o., Drásov, Czechia
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Portici, Italy
| | - Klára Panzarová
- Photon Systems Instruments (PSI), spol. S.r.o., Drásov, Czechia
| | - Ioannis Spyroglou
- Plant Sciences Core Facility, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Lukáš Spíchal
- Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czechia
| | - Valentina Buffagni
- Department for Sustainable Food Process, DiSTAS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Paola Ganugi
- Department for Sustainable Food Process, DiSTAS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Youssef Rouphael
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Portici, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Colla
- Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Luigi Lucini
- Department for Sustainable Food Process, DiSTAS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Nuria De Diego
- Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czechia
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6
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Buffagni V, Vurro F, Janni M, Gullì M, Keller AA, Marmiroli N. Shaping Durum Wheat for the Future: Gene Expression Analyses and Metabolites Profiling Support the Contribution of BCAT Genes to Drought Stress Response. Front Plant Sci 2020; 11:891. [PMID: 32719694 PMCID: PMC7350509 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Global climate change, its implications for agriculture, and the complex scenario presented by the scientific community are of worldwide concern. Drought is a major abiotic stress that can restrict plants growth and yields, thus the identification of genotypes with higher adaptability to drought stress represents one of the primary goals in breeding programs. During abiotic stress, metabolic adaptation is crucial for stress tolerance, and accumulation of specific amino acids and/or as secondary metabolites deriving from amino acid metabolism may correlate with the increased tolerance to adverse environmental conditions. This work, focused on the metabolism of branched chain-amino acids (BCAAs) in durum wheat and the role of branched-chain amino acid aminotransferases (BCATs) in stress response. The role of BCATs in plant response to drought was previously proposed for Arabidopsis, where the levels of BCAAs were altered at the transcriptional level under drought conditions, triggering the onset of defense response metabolism. However, in wheat the role of BCAAs as a trigger of the onset of the drought defense response has not been elucidated. A comparative genomic approach elucidated the composition of the BCAT gene family in durum wheat. Here we demonstrate a tissue and developmental stage specificity of BCATs regulation in the drought response. Moreover, a metabolites profiling was performed on two contrasting durum wheat cultivars Colosseo and Cappelli resulting in the detection of a specific pattern of metabolites accumulated among genotypes and, in particular, in an enhanced BCAAs accumulation in the tolerant cv Cappelli further supporting a role of BCAAs in the drought defense response. The results support the use of gene expression and target metabolomic in modern breeding to shape new cultivars more resilient to a changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Buffagni
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Filippo Vurro
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM), National Research Council (CNR), Parma, Italy
| | - Michela Janni
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM), National Research Council (CNR), Parma, Italy
- Institute of Bioscience and Bioresources (IBBR), National Research Council (CNR), Bari, Italy
| | - Mariolina Gullì
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Arturo A. Keller
- Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Nelson Marmiroli
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
- CINSA Interuniversity Consortium for Environmental Sciences, Parma/Venice, Italy
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Kolega S, Miras-Moreno B, Buffagni V, Lucini L, Valentinuzzi F, Maver M, Mimmo T, Trevisan M, Pii Y, Cesco S. Nutraceutical Profiles of Two Hydroponically Grown Sweet Basil Cultivars as Affected by the Composition of the Nutrient Solution and the Inoculation With Azospirillum brasilense. Front Plant Sci 2020; 11:596000. [PMID: 33224175 PMCID: PMC7674207 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.596000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is one of the most produced aromatic herbs in the world, exploiting hydroponic systems. It has been widely assessed that macronutrients, like nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S), can strongly affect the organoleptic qualities of agricultural products, thus influencing their nutraceutical value. In addition, plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have been shown to affect plant growth and quality. Azospirillum brasilense is a PGPR able to colonize the root system of different crops, promoting their growth and development and influencing the acquisition of mineral nutrients. On the bases of these observations, we aimed at investigating the impact of both mineral nutrients supply and rhizobacteria inoculation on the nutraceutical value on two different sweet basil varieties, i.e., Genovese and Red Rubin. To these objectives, basil plants have been grown in hydroponics, with nutrient solutions fortified for the concentration of either S or N, supplied as SO4 2- or NO3 -, respectively. In addition, plants were either non-inoculated or inoculated with A. brasilense. At harvest, basil plants were assessed for the yield and the nutraceutical properties of the edible parts. The cultivation of basil plants in the fortified nutrient solutions showed a general increasing trend in the accumulation of the fresh biomass, albeit the inoculation with A. brasilense did not further promote the growth. The metabolomic analyses disclosed a strong effect of treatments on the differential accumulation of metabolites in basil leaves, producing the modulation of more than 400 compounds belonging to the secondary metabolism, as phenylpropanoids, isoprenoids, alkaloids, several flavonoids, and terpenoids. The primary metabolism that resulted was also influenced by the treatments showing changes in the fatty acid, carbohydrates, and amino acids metabolism. The amino acid analysis revealed that the treatments induced an increase in arginine (Arg) content in the leaves, which has been shown to have beneficial effects on human health. In conclusion, between the two cultivars studied, Red Rubin displayed the most positive effect in terms of nutritional value, which was further enhanced following A. brasilense inoculation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simun Kolega
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
- Department of Ecology, Agronomy and Aquaculture, University of Zadar, Zadar, Croatia
| | - Begona Miras-Moreno
- Department for Sustainable Food Process, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Valentina Buffagni
- Department for Sustainable Food Process, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Luigi Lucini
- Department for Sustainable Food Process, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Fabio Valentinuzzi
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Mauro Maver
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Tanja Mimmo
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
- Competence Centre for Plant Health, Free University of Bozen/Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Marco Trevisan
- Department for Sustainable Food Process, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Youry Pii
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
- *Correspondence: Youry Pii,
| | - Stefano Cesco
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
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