Day‐length effects on protein localisation affect water absorption in barley (Hordeum vulgare) grains

BACKGROUND: Hordeins are major storage proteins of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) grains and are considered to influence malting and brewing by forming a matrix surrounding the starch granules which affects the release of fermentable sugars. However, the extent to which environmental factors affect hordein location, and the impact of this on malting performance, have not so far been studied. Therefore the relationship of hordein location to water uptake and malting quality were studied by growing barley cv. Barke under different daylengths (14 h and 18 h of light) in controlled environment conditions. RESULTS: Differences in the locations of hordein storage proteins were observed, with C hordein being located more deeply within the endosperm of both developing grains at 35 days after anthesis and in mature grains under long‐day conditions. This deeper location of C hordein was correlated positively with water uptake during the steeping phase of malting. CONCLUSION: An effect of environment (daylength) on the localisation of C hordein was demonstrated. This difference in hordein localisation was also associated with differences in malting quality with water uptake in the steeping phase being associated positively with the deeper location of C hordein. These results indicate that environmental effects on protein location may affect malting performance of barley grains. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

BP180/Collagen XVII: A Molecular View

BP180 is a type II collagenous transmembrane protein and is best known as the major autoantigen in the blistering skin disease bullous pemphigoid (BP). The BP180 trimer is a central component in type I hemidesmosomes (HD), which cause the adhesion between epidermal keratinocytes and the basal lamina, but BP180 is also expressed in several non-HD locations, where its functions are poorly characterized. The immunological roles of intact and proteolytically processed BP180, relevant in BP, have been subject to intensive research, but novel functions in cell proliferation, differentiation, and aging have also recently been described. To better understand the multiple physiological functions of BP180, the focus should return to the protein itself. Here, we comprehensively review the properties of the BP180 molecule, present new data on the biochemical features of its intracellular domain, and discuss their significance with regard to BP180 folding and protein–protein interactions.     

Human Neurons Form Axon-Mediated Functional Connections with Human Cardiomyocytes in Compartmentalized Microfluidic Chip

The cardiac autonomic nervous system (cANS) regulates cardiac function by innervating cardiac tissue with axons, and cardiomyocytes (CMs) and neurons undergo comaturation during the heart innervation in embryogenesis. As cANS is essential for cardiac function, its dysfunctions might be fatal; therefore, cardiac innervation models for studying embryogenesis, cardiac diseases, and drug screening are needed. However, previously reported neuron-cardiomyocyte (CM) coculture chips lack studies of functional neuron–CM interactions with completely human-based cell models. Here, we present a novel completely human cell-based and electrophysiologically functional cardiac innervation on a chip in which a compartmentalized microfluidic device, a 3D3C chip, was used to coculture human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neurons and CMs. The 3D3C chip enabled the coculture of both cell types with their respective culture media in their own compartments while allowing the neuronal axons to traverse between the compartments via microtunnels connecting the compartments. Furthermore, the 3D3C chip allowed the use of diverse analysis methods, including immunocytochemistry, RT-qPCR and video microscopy. This system resembled the in vivo axon-mediated neuron–CM interaction. In this study, the evaluation of the CM beating response during chemical stimulation of neurons showed that hiPSC-neurons and hiPSC-CMs formed electrophysiologically functional axon-mediated interactions.     

Microstructural and Physicochemical Properties of Oxidized Potato Starch for Paper Coating

Heat-induced structural changes were examined for a series of potato starches differing in degree of oxidation and prepared as 25 and 35% dispersions. The molecular weight of amylopectin decreased markedly with the degree of oxidation. Microstructural studies revealed that all oxidized potato starch dispersions heated to 90deg;C contained whole granules. The least oxidized potato starch (Raisamyl 316) paste contained large numbers of swollen granules filled with dissolved amylose. In the more oxidized potato starch dispersions, both amylopectin and amylose were solubilized within the granule. Mixing of the amylose and amylopectin occurred and amylose- and amylopectin-rich domains could be seen inside the granule. At 35% concentration all starches studied formed a gel during cooling (from 90 to 30deg;C). The lower the degree of oxidation, the higher the gelling temperature. Raisamyl 310 formed the firmest gel. The gel formation of most oxidized potato starches was weak. Raising the heating temperature from 90 to 120deg;C, in combination with shearing, delayed the gelation.     

Purification and Characterization of Bacillus acidopullulyticus Pullulanase for Enzymatic Starch Modification

The pullulanase (EC 3.2.1.41) of Bacillus acidopullulyticus was purified using anion exchange chromatography and preparative isoelectric focusing. The purified preparation migrated as a single protein band upon SDS gel electrophoresis and its molecular weight was estimated to be 102,000. Two main activity bands having pl-values 5.0 and 5.2 were detected by analytical isoelectric focusing. The enzyme was purified 4-fold with the yield 38% by this two-step purification procedure. The purified pullulanase showed maximal activity at 50°C and pH 5 and was slightly activated by Ca₂₊. It was stable at 50°C but totally lost its activity at 60ºC in one hour. This purified pullulanase efficiently hydrolyzed the α-1,6-glucosidic bonds of pullulan and gelatinized starch.     

In vitro fermentation of polysaccharides of rye,wheat and oat brans and inulin by human faecal bacteria

The in vitro fermentabilities of rye, wheat and oat brans and of a commercial fibre preparation, inulin, were compared. The brans were first digested enzymatically to remove starch and protein. The digested brans and inulin were then fermented with human faecal inoculum. The progress of fermentation was studied by following the consumption of carbohydrates and the production of short‐chain fatty acids and gases. Inulin, a short fructose polymer, was consumed significantly faster than the more complex carbohydrates of cereal brans. Carbohydrates of oat bran (rich in β‐glucan) were consumed at a higher rate than those of rye and wheat brans (rich in arabinoxylan). In all brans, glucose was consumed faster than the other main sugars, arabinose and xylose, and arabinose was degraded only slightly. The total production of short‐chain fatty acids was slightly higher with oat bran than with rye and wheat brans and inulin. In the fermentation of inulin, relatively more butyric acid and less propionic acid were produced than in the fermentation of brans. The decrease in pH was also greater in the case of inulin. Wheat bran led to a slightly slower gas formation than rye and oat brans. Formation of gases was fastest and greatest in the case of inulin. In conclusion, rye, wheat and oat brans were fermented in a rather similar way. Fermentation of the brans was different from that of inulin. Cereal brans might serve as a more balanced source of dietary fibre supplement than gas‐producing, readily fermentable polysaccharides such as inulin. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

A new achievement scalarizing function based on parameterization in multiobjective optimization

This paper addresses a general multiobjective optimization problem. One of the most widely used methods of dealing with multiple conflicting objectives consists of constructing and optimizing a so-called achievement scalarizing function (ASF) which has an ability to produce any Pareto optimal or weakly/properly Pareto optimal solution. The ASF minimizes the distance from the reference point to the feasible region, if the reference point is unattainable, or maximizes the distance otherwise. The distance is defined by means of some specific kind of a metric introduced in the objective space. The reference point is usually specified by a decision maker and contains her/his aspirations about desirable objective values. The classical approach to constructing an ASF is based on using the Chebyshev metric L _∞. Another possibility is to use an additive ASF based on a modified linear metric L ₁. In this paper, we propose a parameterized version of an ASF. We introduce an integer parameter in order to control the degree of metric flexibility varying from L ₁ to L _∞. We prove that the parameterized ASF supports all the Pareto optimal solutions. Moreover, we specify conditions under which the Pareto optimality of each solution is guaranteed. An illustrative example for the case of three objectives and comparative analysis of parameterized ASFs with different values of the parameter are given. We show that the parameterized ASF provides the decision maker with flexible and advanced tools to detect Pareto optimal points, especially those whose detection with other ASFs is not straightforward since it may require changing essentially the reference point or weighting coefficients as well as some other extra computational efforts.     

Global formulation for interactive multiobjective optimization

Interactive methods are useful and realistic multiobjective optimization techniques and, thus, many such methods exist. However, they have two important drawbacks when using them in real applications. Firstly, the question of which method should be chosen is not trivial. Secondly, there are rather few practical implementations of the methods. We introduce a general formulation that can accommodate several interactive methods. This provides a comfortable implementation framework for a general interactive system. Besides, this implementation allows the decision maker to choose how to give preference information to the system, and enables changing it anytime during the solution process. This change-of-method option provides a very flexible framework for the decision maker.     

Enhanced performance of printed organic diodes using a thin interfacial barrier layer

Printed, organic diodes with a thin organic interfacial layer forming a Schottky barrier were fabricated and characterized. Experiments indicated that the thickness of the barrier layer is <10 nm. The interfacial layer reduces the reverse current of the diode by 2 orders of magnitude without significantly affecting the forward characteristics above 1 V. As a result, printed organic diodes with a rectification ratio of 5 orders of magnitude were fabricated. The diodes enable applications where low reverse currents are needed.     

Developmental Dynamics of Math Performance From Preschool to Grade 2.

This study investigated the developmental dynamics of mathematical performance during children's transition from preschool to Grade 2 and the cognitive antecedents of this development. 194 Finnish children were examined 6 times according to their math performance, twice during each year across a 3-year period. Cognitive antecedents, that is, counting ability, visual attention, metacognitive knowledge, and listening comprehension, were tested at the first measurement point. The results indicated that math performance showed high stability and increasing variance over time. Moreover, the growth of math competence was faster among those who entered preschool with an already high level of mathematical skills. The initial level of math performance, as well as its growth, was best predicted by counting ability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)