Activation of Drosophila melanogaster TRPA1 Isoforms by Citronellal and Menthol

Background: The transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) cation channels function as broadly-tuned sensors of noxious chemicals in many species. Recent studies identified four functional TRPA1 isoforms in Drosophila melanogaster (dTRPA1(A) to (D)), but their responses to non-electrophilic chemicals are yet to be fully characterized. Methods: We determined the behavioral responses of adult flies to the mammalian TRPA1 non-electrophilic activators citronellal and menthol, and characterized the effects of these compounds on all four dTRPA1 channel isoforms using intracellular Ca²⁺ imaging and whole-cell patch-clamp recordings. Results: Wild type flies avoided citronellal and menthol in an olfactory test and this behavior was reduced in dTrpA1 mutant flies. Both compounds activate all dTRPA1 isoforms in the heterologous expression system HEK293T, with the following sensitivity series: dTRPA1(C) = dTRPA1(D) > dTRPA1(A) ≫ dTRPA1(B) for citronellal and dTRPA1(A) > dTRPA1(D) > dTRPA1(C) > dTRPA1(B) for menthol. Conclusions: dTrpA1 was required for the normal avoidance of Drosophila melanogaster towards citronellal and menthol. All dTRPA1 isoforms are activated by both compounds, but the dTRPA1(B) is consistently the least sensitive. We discuss how these findings may guide further studies on the physiological roles and the structural bases of chemical sensitivity of TRPA1 channels.     

Palm Oil-Rich Diet Affects Murine Liver Proteome and S-Palmitoylome

Palmitic acid (C16:0) is the most abundant saturated fatty acid in animals serving as a substrate in synthesis and β-oxidation of other lipids, and in the modification of proteins called palmitoylation. The influence of dietary palmitic acid on protein S-palmitoylation remains largely unknown. In this study we performed high-throughput proteomic analyses of a membrane-enriched fraction of murine liver to examine the influence of a palm oil-rich diet (HPD) on S-palmitoylation of proteins. HPD feeding for 4 weeks led to an accumulation of C16:0 and C18:1 fatty acids in livers which disappeared after 12-week feeding, in contrast to an accumulation of C16:0 in peritoneal macrophages. Parallel proteomic studies revealed that HPD feeding induced a sequence of changes of the level and/or S-palmitoylation of diverse liver proteins involved in fatty acid, cholesterol and amino acid metabolism, hemostasis, and neutrophil degranulation. The HPD diet did not lead to liver damage, however, it caused progressing obesity, hypercholesterolemia and hyperglycemia. We conclude that the relatively mild negative impact of such diet on liver functioning can be attributed to a lower bioavailability of palm oil-derived C16:0 vs. that of C18:1 and the efficiency of mechanisms preventing liver injury, possibly including dynamic protein S-palmitoylation.     

Method for assessment of the accessibility of dimension and crushed stone undeveloped deposits in Poland from the environmental and social perspective

Abstract

The demand for resources from dimension and crushed stone deposits causes the intensification of mining activities which involve conflicts of an environmental and social nature. Therefore, it is essential to recognise potential conflict locations and assess the accessibility of deposits explored provisionally or in detail from an environmental and social perspective. This information can be obtained thanks to the method for deposit assessment proposed in this article which uses tools available in geographical information systems and the multicriteria analysis in a form of the weighted sum method. Here, the deposits of dimension and crushed stones located within the area of Lower Silesia in Poland have been analysed.     

Suppression of Fusarium graminearium growth by differently structured starch types

We investigated the growth behavior and amylolytic enzymes of Fusarium graminearum cultivated on different types of native starch granules including barley (A‐type crystalline polymorph), potato and Curcuma zedoaria (B‐type crystalline polymorph), cassava (C‐type crystalline polymorph), and high AM maize (A + Vh‐type crystalline polymorphs). F. graminearum grew poorly on B‐type starches and the accumulation of biomass was similar to that obtained for fungi cultivated under carbohydrate starvation conditions. In comparison, three‐ to fivefold higher accumulation of fungal biomass was observed for growth on the A‐, C‐ and A + Vh‐type starches. Fungal glucoamylase and α‐amylase activity increased over time in the presence of native starch granules. Interestingly, resistant B‐type starches induced the highest amylolytic activity indicating that F. graminearum interacts with B‐type granules although only limited degradation occur. Starch degradation products maltose and malto‐oligosacharides was found to increase glucoamylase and α‐amylase activity, whereas glucose acted as a catabolite repressor.     

New Insights into Red Blood Cell Microcytosis upon mTOR Inhibitor Administration

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of everolimus, a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, on red blood cell parameters in the context of iron homeostasis in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) and evaluate its effect on cell size in vitro. Everolimus has a significant impact on red blood cell parameters in patients with TSC. The most common alteration was microcytosis. The mean MCV value decreased by 9.2%, 12%, and 11.8% after 3, 6, and 12 months of everolimus treatment. The iron level declined during the first 3 months, and human soluble transferrin receptor concentration increased during 6 months of therapy. The size of K562 cells decreased when cultured in the presence of 5 μM everolimus by approximately 8%. The addition of hemin to the cell culture with 5 μM everolimus did not prevent any decrease in cell size. The stage of erythroid maturation did not affect the response to everolimus. Our results showed that the mTOR inhibitor everolimus caused red blood cell microcytosis in vivo and in vitro. This effect is not clearly related to a deficit of iron and erythroid maturation. This observation confirms that mTOR signaling plays a complex role in the control of cell size.     

Non-stationary drying of carrot: Effect on product quality

This paper presents the results of studies concerning the quality of food materials like vegetables subjected to convective drying in non-stationary conditions. The effect of different frequencies and amplitudes of the periodically changeable drying air temperature on the quality of dried carrot (Daucus carota L.) has been investigated. The indicators of the quality such as the color change, the water activity and the retention of β-carotene were analyzed. The slices of carrot root were used as the material for experimental tests. It has been shown that the non-stationary drying carried out in a prescribed variable air temperature significantly minimized the unfavorable effects in color changes, β-carotene degradation, and decay phenomena.     

Bioluminescence and ice-nucleation microbial biosensors for l-arabinose content analysis in arabinoxylans

Microbial biosensors are analytical devices converting a biochemical signal into a quantifiable response. Due to their molecular properties, they can be diversely designed in order to fulfill the needs of different fields, from food industry to environmental sciences. One of the possible applications of microbial biosensors concerns arabinoxylans, components of dietary fibers having potential as functional food ingredients, which are also used for biogas production. The aim of this study was to develop reporter strains capable to evaluate the content of l-arabinose monosaccharides in arabinoxylans. The bioluminescent strain DPDaraBAD contains a plasmid in which luxCDABE genes of Photorhabdus luminescens are inserted under the control of Escherichia coli arabinose operon promoter. The ice-nucleation-active strain NIaraBAD bears a similar fusion using the same promoter upstream of the inaZ gene of Pseudomonas syringae. Sufficient response of biosensor cells was obtained after NIaraBAD incubation at 29 °C for 3 h and DPDaraBAD for 6 h, followed by 30-min incubation with l-arabinose. Both reporter strains responded specifically and quantitatively in the presence of the inducer with a detection limit of 0.009 and 0.015 g l^?1, respectively. Validation of reporter strains was performed in comparison with the l-arabinose concentration values obtained by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC) and demonstrated mean divergence of 9.59 % for bioluminescent strain and 15.86 % for ice-nucleation strain, which for microbial sensors is an acceptable dissimilarity. These l-arabinose microbial biosensors can be used as an alternative tool to chromatographic methods in monosaccharide content analysis of arabinoxylans.     

In Vitro Cytotoxicity,Colonisation by Fibroblasts and Antimicrobial Properties of Surgical Meshes Coated with Bacterial Cellulose

Hernia repairs are the most common abdominal wall elective procedures performed by general surgeons. Hernia-related postoperative infective complications occur with 10% frequency. To counteract the risk of infection emergence, the development of effective, biocompatible and antimicrobial mesh adjuvants is required. Therefore, the aim of our in vitro investigation was to evaluate the suitability of bacterial cellulose (BC) polymer coupled with gentamicin (GM) antibiotic as an absorbent layer of surgical mesh. Our research included the assessment of GM-BC-modified meshes’ cytotoxicity against fibroblasts ATCC CCL-1 and a 60-day duration cell colonisation measurement. The obtained results showed no cytotoxic effect of modified meshes. The quantified fibroblast cells levels resembled a bimodal distribution depending on the time of culturing and the type of mesh applied. The measured GM minimal inhibitory concentration was 0.47 µg/mL. Results obtained in the modified disc-diffusion method showed that GM-BC-modified meshes inhibited bacterial growth more effectively than non-coated meshes. The results of our study indicate that BC-modified hernia meshes, fortified with appropriate antimicrobial, may be applied as effective implants in hernia surgery, preventing risk of infection occurrence and providing a high level of biocompatibility with regard to fibroblast cells.     

Sustainable materials for electrochemical capacitors

Highly tunable properties of materials used for the construction of electrochemical capacitors make them a perfect choice for a broad scope of applications with high power demand. The ability to design the system according to the expected power/energy profile allows them being considered as powerful alternatives to conventional capacitors and batteries. Carbon materials with the developed specific surface area are the most common electrode components of electrochemical capacitors because of their cost, versatile form, availability, easiness of processing, and eco-friendly character. Biomass is frequently used for carbon production, however, among many natural organic materials, only some of them should be regarded as a useful precursor. Ongoing research brings many novel concepts of using bio-derived materials in high-performance electrochemical capacitors. This review article summarizes the progress on the applications of abundant biomaterials and materials derived from biomass in the field. Various ‘green’ resources have been used as precursors for activated carbons, as binders, or as gel (gelating) agents for solid-state electrolytes. The authors attempt to critically evaluate a commercial potential of these materials upon ongoing trends in research & development of electrochemical capacitors. Pros and cons of utilizing the selected biomass materials are provided and perspectives for their advanced processing are discussed.