Comparative Metabolomic Study of Drosophila Species with Different Lifespans

The increase in life expectancy, leading to a rise in the proportion of older people, is accompanied by a prevalence of age-related disorders among the world population, the fight against which today is one of the leading biomedical challenges. Exploring the biological insights concerning the lifespan is one of the ways to provide a background for designing an effective treatment for the increase in healthy years of life. Untargeted direct injection mass spectrometry-based metabolite profiling of 12 species of Drosophila with significant variations in natural lifespans was conducted in this research. A cross-comparison study of metabolomic profiles revealed lifespan signatures of flies. These signatures indicate that lifespan extension is associated with the upregulation of amino acids, phospholipids, and carbohydrate metabolism. Such information provides a metabolome-level view on longevity and may provide a molecular measure of organism age in age-related studies.     

Non-Targeted Metabolite Profiling Reveals Host Metabolomic Reprogramming during the Interaction of Black Pepper with Phytophthora capsici

Phytophthora capsici is one of the most destructive pathogens causing quick wilt (foot rot) disease in black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) to which no effective resistance has been defined. To better understand the P. nigrum–P. capsici pathosystem, we employed metabolomic approaches based on flow-infusion electrospray–high-resolution mass spectrometry. Changes in the leaf metabolome were assessed in infected and systemic tissues at 24 and 48 hpi. Principal Component Analysis of the derived data indicated that the infected leaves showed a rapid metabolic response by 24 hpi whereas the systemic leaves took 48 hpi to respond to the infection. The major sources of variations between infected leaf and systemic leaf were identified, and enrichment pathway analysis indicated, major shifts in amino acid, tricarboxylic acid cycle, nucleotide and vitamin B6 metabolism upon infection. Moreover, the individual metabolites involved in defensive phytohormone signalling were identified. RT-qPCR analysis of key salicylate and jasmonate biosynthetic genes indicated a transient reduction of expression at 24 hpi but this increased subsequently. Exogenous application of jasmonate and salicylate reduced P. capsici disease symptoms, but this effect was suppressed with the co-application of abscisic acid. The results are consistent with abscisic acid reprogramming, salicylate and jasmonate defences in infected leaves to facilitate the formation of disease. The augmentation of salicylate and jasmonate defences could represent an approach through which quick wilt disease could be controlled in black pepper.     

Altered Constitutive and Inducible Phloem Monoterpenes Following Natural Defoliation of Jack Pine: Implications to Host Mediated Interguild Interactions and Plant Defense Theories

Foliar feeding by the jack pine budworm Choristoneura pinus pinus altered the constitutive and induced monoterpene content and composition of Pinus banksiana phloem. In constitutive phloem tissue the ratios of -pinene to -pinene decreased with defoliation intensity. Biochemical responses to simulated bark beetle attack were also influenced by defoliation intensity. Total monoterpene concentrations were always higher in induced than constitutive tissue, but the extent and rate of monoterpene accumulation, and also proportionate changes in monoterpenes during induction, varied with defoliation intensity. Quantitative and compositional changes in response to simulated bark beetle attack were also affected by host seasonal phenology and time since defoliation. There was a positive relationship between myrcene concentration and arrival by the bark beetle Ips grandicollis. Bark beetle arrival rates were more strongly associated with the chemical composition of constitutive than reaction phloem chemistry. However, chemical changes during induced host responses were also associated with beetle behavior. The ratio of -pinene to -pinene during the first three days of induction was consistently associated with both defoliation by C. pinus pinus and susceptibility to I. grandicollis. These results show that direct injury to one plant tissue, foliage, cannot only cause chemical changes in another tissue, phloem, but such changes can be greater in the tissue not directly affected. The influence of defoliation intensity on monoterpene accumulation suggests a link between production and allocation of carbon within P. banksiana. The relationship between defoliation level and induced monoterpene concentrations was either parabolic or inverse, depending on the interval following defoliation. Likewise, the relationship between plant growth and defoliation intensity varied with the length of time following defoliation. Thus, plant defense theories can be improved by incorporating the length of time during which the effects of a stress are exerted.     

Metabolomic Profiling of Plasma from Melioidosis Patients Using UHPLC-QTOF MS Reveals Novel Biomarkers for Diagnosis

To identify potential biomarkers for improving diagnosis of melioidosis, we compared plasma metabolome profiles of melioidosis patients compared to patients with other bacteremia and controls without active infection, using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-quadruple time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the metabolomic profiles of melioidosis patients are distinguishable from bacteremia patients and controls. Using multivariate and univariate analysis, 12 significant metabolites from four lipid classes, acylcarnitine (n = 6), lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LysoPE) (n = 3), sphingomyelins (SM) (n = 2) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) (n = 1), with significantly higher levels in melioidosis patients than bacteremia patients and controls, were identified. Ten of the 12 metabolites showed area-under-receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) >0.80 when compared both between melioidosis and bacteremia patients, and between melioidosis patients and controls. SM(d18:2/16:0) possessed the largest AUC when compared, both between melioidosis and bacteremia patients (AUC 0.998, sensitivity 100% and specificity 91.7%), and between melioidosis patients and controls (AUC 1.000, sensitivity 96.7% and specificity 100%). Our results indicate that metabolome profiling might serve as a promising approach for diagnosis of melioidosis using patient plasma, with SM(d18:2/16:0) representing a potential biomarker. Since the 12 metabolites were related to various pathways for energy and lipid metabolism, further studies may reveal their possible role in the pathogenesis and host response in melioidosis.     

Metabolomic Profiling of Plasma,Urine, and Saliva of Kidney Transplantation Recipients

Kidney biopsy is commonly used to diagnose kidney transplant dysfunction after transplantation. Therefore, the development of minimally invasive and quantitative methods to evaluate kidney function in transplant recipients is necessary. Here, we used capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry to analyze the biofluids collected from transplant recipients with impaired (Group I, n = 31) and stable (Group S, n = 19) kidney function and from donors (Group D, n = 9). Metabolomics analyses identified and quantified 97 metabolites in plasma, 133 metabolites in urine, and 108 metabolites in saliva. Multivariate analyses revealed apparent differences in the metabolomic profiles of the three groups. In plasma samples, arginine biosynthesis and purine metabolism between the I and S Groups differed. In addition, considerable differences in metabolomic profiles were observed between samples collected from participants with T cell-mediated rejection (TCR), antibody-mediated rejection, and other kidney disorders (KD). The metabolomic profiles in the three types of biofluids showed different patterns between TCR and KD, wherein 3-indoxyl sulfate showed a significant increase in TCR consistently in both plasma and urine samples. These results suggest that each biofluid has different metabolite features to evaluate kidney function after transplantation and that 3-indoxyl sulfate could predict acute rejection.     

Metabolomic Profiling and Assessment of Phenolic Compounds Derived from Vitis davidii Foex Cane and Stem Extracts

Phenolic extracts from berry seeds have been extensively studied for their health benefits. However, few studies have been conducted on the effects of phenolic extracts from Vitis L. canes and berry stems. The Chinese spine grape (V. davidii Foex) is an important and widely distributed wild species of Vitis L. The present study explored the metabolomic profile and evaluated the antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds in extracts from V. davidii Foex. canes and stems, with a focus on their role in preventing DNA damage caused by free radicals and inhibiting the growth of breast (MCF-7) and cervical (HeLa) cancer cells. Total phenolic compounds in the dried berry stems of spine grapes were higher than that in vine canes. Analysis of the extracts showed that proanthocyanins, epicatechin, catechin, and phenolic acid were the main phenolic compounds in V. davidii Foex, but in higher quantities in berry stems than in vine canes. However, trans-resveratrol and kaempferol 3-O-glucoside were present in the vine canes but not in the berry stems. Antioxidant analysis by FRAP and ABTS showed that extracts from berry stems and vine canes had a higher antioxidant activity than thinned young fruit shoots before flowering, leaves, peel, pulp, and seeds in V. davidii Foex. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of extracts from berry stems was higher than that in other grape species, except for muscadine. In vitro analyses further showed that the extracts significantly increased H₂O₂ scavenging ability and conferred a protective effect against DNA damage. Furthermore, a low concentration of phenolic compounds in extracts from the vine canes and berry stems of spine grapes inhibited the proliferation of the MCF-7 and Hela cancer cells. These research results provided some important useful information for the exploitation of V. davidii Foex canes and berry stems and indicated that canes and stems of V. davidii Foex had good antioxidant properties, anticancer activity and prevented DNA damage, providing evidence for medical utilization of V. davidii Foex.     

不同废旧轮胎裂解炭黑的性能研究

研究废旧半钢和全钢轮胎裂解炭黑的基本性质及其在天然橡胶中的应用,并与N330和炭黑N660进行对比。结果表明：全钢轮胎裂解炭黑的基本性质指标优于半钢轮胎裂解炭黑,吸碘值较大,其填充胶料的拉伸强度与炭黑N660填充胶料相当,损耗因子小,可部分替代炭黑N330或N660使用。     

Electrical Properties of Precipitated Lignins from Different Black Liquors

Abstract

Some corelations over the structure and dielectric properties of precipitated lignins from different waste black liquors of various modified soda and kraft pulping of bagasse have been discussed. The dielectric and the electrical properties at the same temperatures and frequencies ranges for the tested samples showed some differences which seems to be attributed to the difference in the structure and intermolecular interaction between lignin molecules. These differences are discussed on the basis of the molecular structure obtained from the infrared spectra. The conduction mechanism in the case of kraft and kraft sulfite lignins is due to electron transfer from the valence band to the conduction band by thermal activation.     

Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomic and Metabolomic Profiling of Serum Samples for Discovery and Validation of Tuberculosis Diagnostic Biomarker Signature

Tuberculosis (TB) is a transmissible disease listed as one of the 10 leading causes of death worldwide (10 million infected in 2019). A swift and precise diagnosis is essential to forestall its transmission, for which the discovery of effective diagnostic biomarkers is crucial. In this study, we aimed to discover molecular biomarkers for the early diagnosis of tuberculosis. Two independent cohorts comprising 29 and 34 subjects were assayed by proteomics, and 49 were included for metabolomic analysis. All subjects were arranged into three experimental groups—healthy controls (controls), latent TB infection (LTBI), and TB patients. LC-MS/MS blood serum protein and metabolite levels were submitted to univariate, multivariate, and ROC analysis. From the 149 proteins quantified in the discovery set, 25 were found to be differentially abundant between controls and TB patients. The AUC, specificity, and sensitivity, determined by ROC statistical analysis of the model composed of four of these proteins considering both proteomic sets, were 0.96, 93%, and 91%, respectively. The five metabolites (9-methyluric acid, indole-3-lactic acid, trans-3-indoleacrylic acid, hexanoylglycine, and N-acetyl-L-leucine) that better discriminate the control and TB patient groups (VIP > 1.75) from a total of 92 metabolites quantified in both ionization modes were submitted to ROC analysis. An AUC = 1 was determined, with all samples being correctly assigned to the respective experimental group. An integrated ROC analysis enrolling one protein and four metabolites was also performed for the common control and TB patients in the proteomic and metabolomic groups. This combined signature correctly assigned the 12 controls and 12 patients used only for prediction (AUC = 1, specificity = 100%, and sensitivity = 100%). This multiomics approach revealed a biomarker signature for tuberculosis diagnosis that could be potentially used for developing a point-of-care diagnosis clinical test.     

Serum Metabolomic and Lipidomic Profiling Reveals Novel Biomarkers of Efficacy for Benfotiamine in Alzheimer’s Disease

Serum metabolomics and lipidomics are powerful approaches for discovering unique biomarkers in various diseases and associated therapeutics and for revealing metabolic mechanisms of both. Treatment with Benfotiamine (BFT), a thiamine prodrug, for one year produced encouraging results for patients with mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In this study, a parallel metabolomics and lipidomics approach was applied for the first exploratory investigation on the serum metabolome and lipidome of patients treated with BFT. A total of 315 unique metabolites and 417 lipids species were confidently identified and relatively quantified. Rigorous statistical analyses revealed significant differences between the placebo and BFT treatment groups in 25 metabolites, including thiamine, tyrosine, tryptophan, lysine, and 22 lipid species, mostly belonging to phosphatidylcholines. Additionally, 10 of 11 metabolites and 14 of 15 lipid species reported in previous literature to follow AD progression changed in the opposite direction to those reported to reflect AD progression. Enrichment and pathway analyses show that significantly altered metabolites by BFT are involved in glucose metabolism and biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids. Our study discovered that multiple novel biomarkers and multiple mechanisms that may underlie the benefit of BFT are potential therapeutic targets in AD and should be validated in studies with larger sample sizes.     

不同产地、不同种属黄精的红外光谱鉴别研究

采用傅里叶红外光谱技术结合二阶导数光谱对不同产地的黄精进行鉴别。研究结果表明,不同产地多花黄精的红外光谱图在整体上比较相似,其主要吸收峰均在3270、2933、1623、1411、1372、1319、1269、1103、1019、926、865、815 cm-1附近,但吸收峰的位置、峰强度等方面存在明显差异,在1018 cm-1附近是糖类的特征吸收峰,由红外光谱图可推测安徽省池州市、岳西县、江西省宜春市多花黄精中糖类成分含量较高,湖北省黄冈市、安徽省黄山区、石台县次之,安徽省休宁县、金寨县相对较少。6种黄精属植物的红外光谱图在吸收峰的位置、形状、强度等方面均有差异,故可推测黄精属不同植物在化学成分及含量上均存在明显差异。二阶导数图呈现出许多原始图谱中被掩盖的谱峰的变化特征,将谱图间的差异更为明显得表现出来,进一步提高了谱图的分辨率,与普通红外光谱图相比,二阶导数红外光谱图进一步直观地验证了上述结果。     

Distinguishing Defensive Characteristics in the Phloem of Ash Species Resistant and Susceptible to Emerald Ash Borer

We examined the extent to which three Fraxinus cultivars and a wild population that vary in their resistance to Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) could be differentiated on the basis of a suite of constitutive chemical defense traits in phloem extracts. The EAB-resistant Manchurian ash (F. mandshurica, cv. Mancana) was characterized by having a rapid rate of wound browning, a high soluble protein concentration, low trypsin inhibitor activities, and intermediate levels of peroxidase activity and total soluble phenolic concentration. The EAB-susceptible white ash (F. americana, cv. Autumn Purple) was characterized by a slow wound browning rate and low levels of peroxidase activity and total soluble phenolic concentrations. An EAB-susceptible green ash cultivar (F. pennsylvanica, cv. Patmore) and a wild accession were similar to each other on the basis of several chemical defense traits, and were characterized by high activities of peroxidase and trypsin inhibitor, a high total soluble phenolic concentration, and an intermediate rate of wound browning. Lignin concentration and polyphenol oxidase activities did not differentiate resistant and susceptible species. Of 33 phenolic compounds separated by HPLC and meeting a minimum criterion for analysis, nine were unique to Manchurian ash, five were shared among all species, and four were found in North American ashes and not in the Manchurian ash. Principal components analysis revealed clear separations between Manchurian, white, and green ashes on the basis of all phenolics, as well as clear separations on the basis of quantities of phenolics that all species shared. Variation in some of these constitutive chemical defense traits may contribute to variation in resistance to EAB in these species.     

The Impacts of Heat Treatment on Lap Joint Shear Strength of Black Pine Wood

This study was conducted to determine the impacts of heat treatment on lap shear strength, density, and mass loss of black pine wood. In the study, black pine wood boards bonded with polyurethane were subjected to temperatures of 160, 180, and 200°C for durations of 2 and 6 hours. Specimens having two layers were prepared from untreated and treated wood for mechanical testing of bond lines. Data were analyzed using variance analysis and Tukey's test to determine the impacts of changes in density and mass of heat-treated black pine wood on lap shear strength. The results indicated that the lap shear strength of black pine wood decreased as the intensity of heat treatment increased. The results also indicated that the minimum and maximum percentage decreases of lap shear strength were approximately 27% for 160°C and 2 hours and 78% for 200°C and 6 hours.     

Field Response of Black Turpentine Beetle to Pine Resin Oxidation and Pheromone Displacement

Journal of Chemical Ecology - The black turpentine beetle, Dendroctonus terebrans, is an economically important pest of pines in the Southeastern U.S., with a high potential for invasion to other...     

不同裂解温度对废旧轮胎裂解炭黑性能的影响

研究不同裂解温度下废旧轮胎裂解炭黑的性质及其在天然橡胶中的应用,并与炭黑N330和炭黑N660进行对比。结果表明：与炭黑N330和炭黑N660相比,裂解炭黑的吸碘值大,结构度偏低,灰分含量偏高;裂解温度越高,裂解炭黑的理化性能越好;裂解炭黑填充胶料的门尼粘度比炭黑N330填充胶料略高,t90缩短;裂解炭黑填充胶料的拉伸强度与炭黑N660填充胶料相当,略小于炭黑N330填充胶料;对比3种裂解炭黑,裂解炭黑S1填充胶料的拉伸强度最大,裂解炭黑S3填充胶料的300%定伸应力最大;在相同应变范围内,裂解炭黑S3填充胶料的损耗因子较小,生热较低。     

Allelopathic Exudates of Cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica): Implications for the Performance of Native Pine Savanna Plant Species in the Southeastern US

We conducted a greenhouse study to assess the effects of cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica) rhizochemicals on a suite of plants native to southeastern US pine savanna ecosystems. Our results indicated a possible allelopathic effect, although it varied by species. A ruderal grass (Andropogon arctatus) and ericaceous shrub (Lyonia ferruginea) were unaffected by irrigation with cogongrass soil “leachate” (relative to leachate from mixed native species), while a mid-successional grass (Aristida stricta Michx. var. beyrichiana) and tree (Pinus elliottii) were negatively affected. For A. stricta, we observed a 35.7 % reduction in aboveground biomass, a 21.9 % reduction in total root length, a 24.6 % reduction in specific root length and a 23.5 % reduction in total mycorrhizal root length, relative to the native leachate treatment. For P. elliottii, there was a 19.5 % reduction in percent mycorrhizal colonization and a 20.1 % reduction in total mycorrhizal root length. Comparisons with a DI water control in year two support the possibility that the treatment effects were due to the negative effects of cogongrass leachate, rather than a facilitative effect from the mixed natives. Chemical analyses identified 12 putative allelopathic compounds (mostly phenolics) in cogongrass leachate. The concentrations of most compounds were significantly lower, if they were present at all, in the native leachate. One compound was an alkaloid with a speculated structure of hexadecahydro-1-azachrysen-8-yl ester (C₂₃H₃₃NO₄). This compound was not found in the native leachate. We hypothesize that the observed treatment effects may be attributable, at least partially, to these qualitative and quantitative differences in leachate chemistry.     

Integrated Proteomic and Metabolomic Profiling of Phytophthora cinnamomi Attack on Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa) Reveals Distinct Molecular Reprogramming Proximal to the Infection Site and Away from It

Phytophthora cinnamomi is one of the most invasive tree pathogens that devastates wild and cultivated forests. Due to its wide host range, knowledge of the infection process at the molecular level is lacking for most of its tree hosts. To expand the repertoire of studied Phytophthora–woody plant interactions and identify molecular mechanisms that can facilitate discovery of novel ways to control its spread and damaging effects, we focused on the interaction between P. cinnamomi and sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa), an economically important tree for the wood processing industry. By using a combination of proteomics, metabolomics, and targeted hormonal analysis, we mapped the effects of P. cinnamomi attack on stem tissues immediately bordering the infection site and away from it. P. cinnamomi led to a massive reprogramming of the chestnut proteome and accumulation of the stress-related hormones salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA), indicating that stem inoculation can be used as an easily accessible model system to identify novel molecular players in P. cinnamomi pathogenicity.     

炭黑在不同产地天然橡胶中的分散性对比

用橡胶加工分析仪(RPA)和动态热机械分析仪(DMA)等研究炭黑在不同产地NR中的分散性。结果表明:4种NR相对分子质量从大到小顺序为SMR,SCR,SIR,STR,加工性能从好到差顺序为SIR,STR,SMR,SCR;在填充50份炭黑N220的4种不同产地NR中,SMR中的炭黑分散性最好,STR和SIR次之,SCR最差;4种NR的自补强性能从高到低的顺序为SCR,SMR,SIR,STR;炭黑N220与4种NR的相互作用从强到弱的顺序为STR,SIR,SMR,SCR;填充50份炭黑N220的SMR硫化胶的综合性能最好,SIR和STR硫化胶次之,SCR硫化胶最差;SMR胶料兼具较好的抗湿滑性能和较低的滚动阻力。     

不同炭黑对溶聚丁苯橡胶性能的影响

研究不同炭黑对溶聚丁苯橡胶(SSBR)性能的影响。结果表明:在密炼(一段混炼)过程中炭黑N330填充SSBR胶料的温度和功率均较高,不同炭黑填充SSBR胶料的粘-切依赖性大致相同;炭黑粒径越小、结构度越高,其填充SSBR胶料的Payne效应越显著;炭黑SP5000填充SSBR胶料的焦烧时间最长,炭黑N115,N234,N330和N550填充SSBR胶料的硫化速率稍快;粒径较小的炭黑填充SSBR硫化胶的物理性能和耐磨性能较优,但压缩温升较高;粒径相近而结构度较高的炭黑填充SSBR硫化胶的物理性能优于结构度较低的炭黑填充硫化胶;粒径较大的炭黑填充SSBR硫化胶的抗湿滑性能较好和滚动阻力较低,炭黑N774填充SSBR硫化胶的抗湿滑性能最好,且滚动阻力最低。