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Conjugated linoleic acid was detected in rabbit caecotrophs, due to the presence of microbial lipid activity in rabbit cecum. However, the effect of CLA as a functional food in growing rabbit is not well established. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the effect of CLA on production, meat quality, and its nutrigenomic effect on edible parts of rabbit carcass including skeletal muscle, liver, and adipose tissue. Therefore, seventy five weaned V-Line male rabbits, 30 days old, were randomly allocated into three dietary treatments receiving either basal control diet, diet supplemented with 0.5% (CLAL), or 1% CLA (CLAH). Total experimental period (63 d) was segmented into 7 days adaptation and 56 days experimental period. Dietary supplementation of CLA did not alter growth performance, however, the fat percentage of longissimus lumborum muscle was decreased, with an increase in protein and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) percentage. Saturated fatty acids (SFA) and mono unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) were not increased in CLA treated groups. There was tissue specific sensing of CLA, since subcutaneous adipose tissue gene expression of PPARA was downregulated, however, CPT1A tended to be upregulated in liver of CLAL group only (P = 0.09). In skeletal muscle, FASN and PPARG were upregulated in CLAH group only (P ≤0.01). Marked cytoplasmic vacuolation was noticed in liver of CLAH group without altering hepatocyte structure. Adipocyte size was decreased in CLA fed groups, in a dose dependent manner (P <0.01). Cell proliferation determined by PCNA was lower (P <0.01) in adipose tissue of CLA groups. Our data indicate that dietary supplementation of CLA (c9,t11-CLA and t10,c12- CLA) at a dose of 0.5% in growing rabbit diet produce rabbit meat rich in PUFA and lower fat % without altering growth performance and hepatocyte structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Propofol causes a profound inhibition of fatty acid oxidation and reduces spare electron transfer chain capacity in a range of human and rodent cells and tissues–a feature that might be related to the pathogenesis of Propofol Infusion Syndrome. We aimed to explore the mechanism of propofol-induced alteration of bioenergetic pathways by describing its kinetic characteristics. Methods: We obtained samples of skeletal and cardiac muscle from Wistar rat (n = 3) and human subjects: vastus lateralis from hip surgery patients (n = 11) and myocardium from brain-dead organ donors (n = 10). We assessed mitochondrial functional indices using standard SUIT protocol and high resolution respirometry in fresh tissue homogenates with or without short-term exposure to a range of propofol concentration (2.5–100 μg/ml). After finding concentrations of propofol causing partial inhibition of a particular pathways, we used that concentration to construct kinetic curves by plotting oxygen flux against substrate concentration during its stepwise titration in the presence or absence of propofol. By spectrophotometry we also measured the influence of the same propofol concentrations on the activity of isolated respiratory complexes. Results: We found that human muscle and cardiac tissues are more sensitive to propofol-mediated inhibition of bioenergetic pathways than rat’s tissue. In human homogenates, palmitoyl carnitine-driven respiration was inhibited at much lower concentrations of propofol than that required for a reduction of electron transfer chain capacity, suggesting FAO inhibition mechanism different from downstream limitation or carnitine-palmitoyl transferase-1 inhibition. Inhibition of Complex I was characterised by more marked reduction of Vmax, in keeping with non-competitive nature of the inhibition and the pattern was similar to the inhibition of Complex II or electron transfer chain capacity. There was neither inhibition of Complex IV nor increased leak through inner mitochondrial membrane with up to 100 μg/ml of propofol. If measured in isolation by spectrophotometry, propofol 10 μg/ml did not affect the activity of any respiratory complexes. Conclusion: In human skeletal and heart muscle homogenates, propofol in concentrations that are achieved in propofol-anaesthetized patients, causes a direct inhibition of fatty acid oxidation, in addition to inhibiting flux of electrons through inner mitochondrial membrane. The inhibition is more marked in human as compared to rodent tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiological biomarkers have been reported for multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy, but serum/plasma biomarkers for each disorder have not been established. In this context, we performed a pilot study to identify disease-specific plasma biomarkers for multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy. Plasma samples collected from 20 progressive supranuclear palsy patients, 16 multiple system atrophy patients and 20 controls were investigated by comprehensive metabolome analysis using capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Medication data were obtained from patients with multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy, and correlations with associated metabolites were examined. Receiver operating characteristics curve analyses were used to investigate diagnostic values for each disorder. The levels of 15 and eight metabolites were significantly changed in multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy, respectively. Multiple system atrophy was mainly characterized by elevation of long-chain fatty acids and neurosteroids, whereas progressive supranuclear palsy was characterized by changes in the level of oxidative stress-associated metabolites. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses revealed that patients with multiple system atrophy or progressive supranuclear palsy were effectively differentiated from controls by 15 or 7 metabolites, respectively. Disease-specific metabolic changes of multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy were identified. These biomarker sets should be replicated in a larger sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipid and fatty acid composition of female Pacific bluefin tuna (PBF, Thunnus orientalis) reproductive and somatic tissues in southwestern North Pacific and Sea of Japan spawning grounds are compared. Total lipid (TL) levels are higher in liver than white muscle tissues. An increased gonadosomatic index (GSI) during the early spawning season coincided with decreased TL. Levels of triacylglycerols (TAG) in PBF liver tissues from the Nansei Islands and Sea of Japan, and white muscle in fishes from the Sea of Japan, decreased during the spawning season, while TAG in ovary tissues did not. Concurrent reductions in TL and increases in GSI early in the spawning season suggest TAG depletion was caused by allocation from liver and white muscle tissues to oocytes, that the liver is one of the important lipid-storage organs in PBF, and this species mostly reliant on capital deposits as a mixed capital-income breeder. Differences of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) levels between spawning grounds were lower in ovary than in muscle and liver tissues. However, eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) levels that influence egg development and embryo and larval growth are significantly higher in PBF tissues from the Sea of Japan than Nansei Islands, which coincided with larval quality. These suggest a maternal effect exists, with egg quality influencing offspring survival, and that the reproductive strategy of PBF varies according to local variation at each spawning ground. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fatty acid analogue, 2-(tridec-12-yn-1-ylthio)acetic acid (1-triple TTA), was previously shown to have hypolipidemic effects in rats by targeting mitochondrial activity predominantly in liver. This study aimed to determine if 1-triple TTA could influence carbohydrate metabolism. Male Wistar rats were treated for three weeks with oral supplementation of 100 mg/kg body weight 1-triple TTA. Blood glucose and insulin levels, and liver carbohydrate metabolism gene expression and enzyme activities were determined. In addition, human myotubes and Huh7 liver cells were treated with 1-triple TTA, and glucose and fatty acid oxidation were determined. The level of plasma insulin was significantly reduced in 1-triple TTA-treated rats, resulting in a 32% reduction in the insulin/glucose ratio. The hepatic glucose and glycogen levels were lowered by 22% and 49%, respectively, compared to control. This was accompanied by lower hepatic gene expression of phosphenolpyruvate carboxykinase, the rate-limiting enzyme in gluconeogenesis, and Hnf4A, a regulator of gluconeogenesis. Gene expression of pyruvate kinase, catalysing the final step of glycolysis, was also reduced by 1-triple TTA. In addition, pyruvate dehydrogenase activity was reduced, accompanied by 10-15-fold increased gene expression of its regulator pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 compared to control, suggesting reduced entry of pyruvate into the TCA cycle. Indeed, the NADPH-generating enzyme malic enzyme 1 (ME1) catalysing production of pyruvate from malate, was increased 13-fold at the gene expression level. Despite the decreased glycogen level, genes involved in glycogen synthesis were not affected in livers of 1-triple TTA treated rats. In contrast, the pentose phosphate pathway seemed to be increased as the hepatic gene expression of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) was higher in 1-triple TTA treated rats compared to controls. In human Huh7 liver cells, but not in myotubes, 1-triple-TTA reduced glucose oxidation and induced fatty acid oxidation, in line with previous observations of increased hepatic mitochondrial palmitoyl-CoA oxidation in rats. Importantly, this work recognizes the liver as an important organ in glucose homeostasis. The mitochondrially targeted fatty acid analogue 1-triple TTA seemed to lower hepatic glucose and glycogen levels by inhibition of gluconeogenesis. This was also linked to a reduction in glucose oxidation accompanied by reduced PHD activity and stimulation of ME1 and G6PD, favouring a shift from glucose- to fatty acid oxidation. The reduced plasma insulin/glucose ratio indicate that 1-triple TTA may improve glucose tolerance in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goat fat is one of the best sources of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty acid which has health benefits. However, though CLA is generated in ruminants, CLA consumption is limited to meats and milk products. This study aimed to replace vegetable fat with goat milk fat enriched with CLA. From differing fat sources, four cookie recipes were developed: CVF–vegetable fat cookies; CB–butter cookies; CG–goat milk fat cookies without CLA; CGCLA–goat milk fat cookies with CLA. The cookies were evaluated using physical (color and texture), physical-chemical parameters (lipids, proteins, total sugars, fiber, ash, moisture and Aw), consumer testing (n = 123), and lipid profiles. The CGCLA presented higher values in the color parameters. The highest and the lowest scores obtained for hardness were respectively 5.54 (CB) and 2.21 (CVF). Lipids and total sugars varied inversely; the highest percentages of lipids were in the CVF and CG samples which obtained lower total sugar content. There were no differences in acceptance or preference for the four formulations. The goat cream formulations (CG and CGCLA) were as well accepted as the CFV formulation. For lipid profiles, CFV presented the highest percentage of trans-fatty acids (TFA) at 16.76%. CGCLA presented 70% more CLA than either CB or CG, certifying that CGCLA presents CLA in relevant quantities, even after cooking. The CGCLA presented higher levels of CLA, and in this study it was verified that goat milk cream enriched with CLA can be used in producing cookies, adding functional and nutritional properties, and offering another alternative(s) to produce food from goat milk fat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The double-blind OMEGA-REMODEL placebo-controlled randomized trial of high-dose omega-3 fatty acids (O-3FA) post-acute myocardial infarction (AMI) reported improved cardiac remodeling and attenuation of non-infarct myocardial fibrosis. Fatty acid desaturase 2 (FADS2) gene cluster encodes key enzymes in the conversion of essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids into active arachidonic (ArA) and eicosapentaenoic acids (EPA), which influence cardiovascular outcomes. Methods and results: We tested the hypothesis that the genotypic status of FADS2 (rs1535) modifies therapeutic response of O-3FA in post-AMI cardiac remodeling in 312 patients. Consistent with known genetic polymorphism of FADS2, patients in our cohort with the guanine-guanine (GG) genotype had the lowest FADS2 activity assessed by arachidonic acid/linoleic acid (ArA/LA) ratio, compared with patients with the adenine-adenine (AA) and adenine-guanine (AG) genotypes (GG:1.62±0.35 vs. AA: 2.01±0.36, p<0.0001; vs. AG: 1.76±0.35, p = 0.03). When randomized to 6-months of O-3FA treatment, GG patients demonstrated significant lowering of LV end-systolic volume index (LVESVi), N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and galectin-3 levels compared to placebo (-4.4 vs. 1.2 ml/m2, -733 vs. -181 pg/mL, and -2.0 vs. 0.5 ng/mL; p = 0.006, 0.006, and 0.03, respectively). In contrast, patients with either AA or AG genotype did not demonstrate significant lowering of LVESVi, NT-proBNP, or galectin-3 levels from O-3FA treatment, compared to placebo. The odds ratios for improving LVESVi by 10% with O-3FA treatment was 7.2, 1.6, and 1.2 in patients with GG, AG, and AA genotypes, respectively. Conclusion: Genetic profiling using FADS2 genotype can predict the therapeutic benefits of O-3FA treatment against adverse cardiac remodeling during the convalescent phase of AMI. Clinical trial registration information: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In social animals, scent secretions and marking behaviors play critical roles in communication, including intraspecific signals, such as identifying individuals and group membership, as well as interspecific signaling. Anal sacs are an important odor producing organ found across the carnivorans (species in the mammalian Order Carnivora). Secretions from the anal sac may be used as chemical signals by animals for behaviors ranging from defense to species recognition to signaling reproductive status. In addition, a recent study suggests that domestic cats utilize short-chain free fatty acids in anal sac secretions for individual recognition. The fermentation hypothesis is the idea that symbiotic microorganisms living in association with animals contribute to odor profiles used in chemical communication and that variation in these chemical signals reflects variation in the microbial community. Here we examine the fermentation hypothesis by characterizing volatile organic compounds (VOC) and bacteria isolated from anal sac secretions collected from a male Bengal cat (Felis catus × Prionailurus bengalensis), a cross between the domestic cat and the leopard cat. Both left and right anal sacs of a male Bengal cat were manually expressed (emptied) and collected. Half of the material was used to culture bacteria or to extract bacterial DNA and the other half was used for VOC analysis. DNA was extracted from the anal sac secretions and used for a 16S rRNA gene PCR amplification and sequencing based characterization of the microbial community. Additionally, some of the material was plated out in order to isolate bacterial colonies. Three taxa (Bacteroides fragilis, Tessaracoccus, and Finegoldia magna) were relatively abundant in the 16S rRNA gene sequence data and also isolated by culturing. Using Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), we tentatively identified 52 compounds from the Bengal cat anal sac secretions and 67 compounds from cultures of the three bacterial isolates chosen for further analysis. Among 67 compounds tentatively identified from bacterial isolates, 51 were also found in the anal sac secretion. We show that the bacterial community in the anal sac consists primarily of only a few abundant taxa and that isolates of these taxa produce numerous volatiles that are found in the combined anal sac volatile profile. Several of these volatiles are found in anal sac secretions from other carnivorans, and are also associated with known bacterial biosynthesis pathways. This is consistent with the fermentation hypothesis and the possibility that the anal sac is maintained at least in part to house bacteria that produce volatiles for the host. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arachis hypogea (Peanut) is one of the most important crops, and it is harvested and used for food and oil production. Being a legume crop, the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen is achieved through symbiotic association. Nitrogen deficiency is one of the major constrains for loss of crop productivity. The bacterium Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is known for interactions with plants. In this study, characteristics that promote plant growth were explored for their ability to enhance the growth of peanut plants under N2 deficit condition. In the presence of S. maltophilia, it was observed that fatty acid composition of peanut plants was influenced and increased contents of omega-7 monounsaturated fatty acid and omega-6 fatty acid (γ-Linolenic acid) were detected. Plant growth was increased in plants co-cultivated with PGPR (Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria) under normal and stress (nitrogen deficient) condition. Electrolyte leakage, lipid peroxidation, and H2O2 content reduced in plants, co-cultivated with PGPR under normal (grown in a media supplemented with N2 source; C+) or stress (nitrogen deficient N+) conditions compared to the corresponding control plants (i.e. not co-cultivated with PGPR; C–or N–). The growth hormone auxin, osmoprotectants (proline, total soluble sugars and total amino acids), total phenolic-compounds and total flavonoid content were enhanced in plants co-cultivated with PGPR. Additionally, antioxidant and free radical scavenging (DPPH, hydroxyl and H2O2) activities were increased in plants that were treated with PGPR under both normal and N2 deficit condition. Overall, these results indicate that plants co-cultivated with PGPR, S. maltophilia, increase plant growth, antioxidant levels, scavenging, and stress tolerance under N2 deficit condition. The beneficial use of bacterium S. maltophilia could be explored further as an efficient PGPR for growing agricultural crops under N2 deficit conditions. However, a detail agronomic study would be prerequisite to confirm its commercial role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) causes infectious mononucleosis and is associated with multiple human malignancies. EBV drives B-cell proliferation, which contributes to the pathogenesis of multiple lymphomas. Yet, knowledge of how EBV subverts host biosynthetic pathways to transform resting lymphocytes into activated lymphoblasts remains incomplete. Using a temporal proteomic dataset of EBV primary human B-cell infection, we identified that cholesterol and fatty acid biosynthetic pathways were amongst the most highly EBV induced. Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 2 (EBNA2), sterol response element binding protein (SREBP) and MYC each had important roles in cholesterol and fatty acid pathway induction. Unexpectedly, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor chemical epistasis experiments revealed that mevalonate pathway production of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP), rather than cholesterol, was necessary for EBV-driven B-cell outgrowth, perhaps because EBV upregulated the low-density lipoprotein receptor in newly infected cells for cholesterol uptake. Chemical and CRISPR genetic analyses highlighted downstream GGPP roles in EBV-infected cell small G protein Rab activation. Rab13 was highly EBV-induced in an EBNA3-dependent manner and served as a chaperone critical for latent membrane protein (LMP) 1 and 2A trafficking and target gene activation in newly infected and in lymphoblastoid B-cells. Collectively, these studies identify highlight multiple potential therapeutic targets for prevention of EBV-transformed B-cell growth and survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite dietary recommendations of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for cardiometabolic health, n-3 and n-6 PUFAs and their interplay in relation to diabetes risk remain debated. Importantly, data among pregnant women are scarce. We investigated individual plasma phospholipid n-3 and n-6 PUFAs in early to midpregnancy in relation to subsequent risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).Methods and Findings: Within the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Fetal Growth Studies-Singleton Cohort (n = 2,802), individual plasma phospholipid n-3 and n-6 PUFAs levels were measured at gestational weeks (GWs) 10-14, 15-26, 23-31, and 33-39 among 107 GDM cases (ascertained on average at GW 27) and 214 non-GDM controls. Conditional logistic regression was used, adjusting for major risk factors for GDM. After adjusting for covariates, individual n-3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were inversely correlated with insulin-resistance markers, whereas individual n-6 dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA) was positively correlated with insulin-resistance markers. At GW 15-26, a standard deviation (SD) increase in total n-3 PUFAs and individual n-3 DPA was associated with a 36% (adjusted odds ratio 0.64; 95% CI 0.42-0.96; P = 0.042) and 33% (0.67; 95% CI 0.45-0.99; P = 0.047) lower risk of GDM, respectively; however, the significance did not persist after post hoc false-discovery rate (FDR) correction (FDR-corrected P values > 0.05). Associations between total n-6 PUFAs and GDM were null, whereas associations with individual n-6 PUFAs were differential. Per SD increase, gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) at GWs 10-14 and DGLA at GWs 10-14 and 15-26 were significantly associated with a 1.40- to 1.95-fold higher risk of GDM, whereas docosatetraenoic acid (DTA) at GW 15-26 was associated with a 45% (0.55; 95% CI 0.37-0.83) lower risk of GDM (all FDR-corrected P values < 0.05). Null associations were observed for linoleic acid (LA) in either gestational window in relation to risk of GDM. Women with high (≥median) n-3 PUFAs and low (Conclusions: Our findings may suggest a potential role of primarily endogenously metabolized plasma phospholipid n-6 PUFAs including GLA, DGLA, and DTA in early to midpregnancy in the development of GDM. Null findings on primarily diet-derived n-3 EPA and DHA and n-6 LA do not provide strong evidence to suggest a beneficial role in prevention of GDM, although not excluding the potential benefit of EPA and DHA on glucose-insulin homeostasis given the inverse associations with insulin-resistance markers. Our findings highlight the importance of assessing individual circulating PUFAs to investigate their distinct pathophysiologic roles in glucose homeostasis in pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecological success of shallow water reef-building corals has been linked to the symbiosis between the coral host and its dinoflagellate symbionts (herein ‘symbionts’). As mixotrophs, symbiotic corals depend on nutrients 1) transferred from their photosynthetic symbionts (autotrophy) and 2) acquired by host feeding on particulate organic resources (heterotrophy). However, coral species differ in the extent to which they depend on heterotrophy for nutrition and these differences are typically poorly defined. Here, a multi-tracer fatty acid approach was used to evaluate the trophic strategies of three species of common reef-building coral (Galaxea fascicularis, Pachyseris speciosa, and Pocillopora verrucosa) whose trophic strategies had previously been identified using carbon stable isotopes. The composition and various indices of fatty acids were compared to examine the relative contribution of symbiont autotrophy and host heterotrophy in coral energy acquisition. A linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was used to estimate the contribution of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) derived from various potential sources to the coral hosts. The total fatty acid composition and fatty acid indices revealed differences between the more heterotrophic (P. verrucosa) and more autotrophic (P. speciosa) coral hosts, with the coral host G. fascicularis showing overlap with the other two species and greater variability overall. For the more heterotrophic P. verrucosa, the fatty acid indices and LDA results both indicated a greater proportion of copepod-derived fatty acids compared to the other coral species. Overall, the LDA estimated that PUFA derived from particulate resources (e.g., copepods and diatoms) comprised a greater proportion of coral host PUFA in contrast to the lower proportion of symbiont-derived PUFA. These estimates provide insight into the importance of heterotrophy in coral nutrition, especially in productive reef systems. The study supports carbon stable isotope results and demonstrates the utility of fatty acid analyses for exploring the trophic strategies of reef-building corals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the associations between abundance of rumen ciliate protozoa and the proportion of the main bioactive fatty acids related to rumen biohydrogenation, as 18:0, t10-18:1, t11-18:1, c9,t11-18:2, 18:3n-3 and 18:2 n-6, in rumen and meat of growing lambs, using data derived from 3 production experiments. A global correlation analysis and a linear regression analysis considering the effect of the experiment were performed. Ten of the 86 lambs involved in the experiments did not present ciliate cells in rumen liquor and the remaining lambs presented an average of 1.35 × 106ciliates / ml rumen liquor. From the nine genera of ciliates identified, Entodinium was the most abundant, averaging 1.17 × 106 cells / ml of rumen liquor. A large variation among lambs was observed for both rumen concentration and community structure of ciliates. Rumen t11-18:1 (P < 0.001) and meat deposition of t11-18:1 (P < 0.001) and of c9,t11-18:2 (P < 0.001) increased linearly with total ciliates, whereas the t10/t11 ratio in rumen (P = 0.002) and in meat (P = 0.036) decreased linearly. Entodiniomorphids seems to be strongly related with meat deposition oft11-18:1 and c9,t11-18:2 and with the reduction of the trans-10 shifted pathway. Completeness of RBH decreased linearly with Holotrichs (P = 0.029), Entodiniomorphids (P = 0.029), Isotricha (P = 0.011) and Epidinium (P = 0.027) abundances. Rumen 18:0 also decreased linearly with increasing counts of total ciliates (P = 0.015), Holotrichs (P = 0.020), Entodiniomorphids (P = 0.010) and Isotricha (P = 0.014). Rumen protozoa were positively linked with the deposition of healthy bioactive FA and simultaneously negatively associated with the occurrence of trans-10 shift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxoplasma gondii is a remarkably successful protozoan parasite that infects a third of the human population, along with most mammals and birds. However, the sexual portion of the parasite’s life cycle is narrowly limited to cats. How parasites distinguish between hosts has long been a mystery. A new study reveals that Toxoplasma identifies cats based on a single fatty acid, linoleic acid. Experimental manipulation of fatty acid metabolism by drug treatment turns a mouse into a cat in the “eye” of the parasite. This new model enables genetic crosses of an important human pathogen without the use of companion animals and opens the door to future discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenotypic, biochemical and genetic variability was studied in M2-M5 generations of ethyl methansulfonat (EMS, 0.2%) mutagenized rapeseed lines generated from canola, ‘00’, B. napus cv. Vikros. EMS mutagenesis induced extensive diversity in morphological and agronomic traits among mutant progeny resulted in selection of EMS populations of B. napus- and B. rapa-morphotypes. The seeds of the obtained mutant lines were high-protein, low in oil and stabilized in contents of main fatty acids which make them useful for feed production. Despite the increased level of various meiotic abnormalities revealed in EMS populations, comparative karyotype analysis and FISH-based visualization of 45S and 5S rDNA indicated a high level of karyotypic stability in M2-M5 plants, and therefore, the obtained mutant lines could be useful in further rapeseed improvement. The revealed structural chromosomal reorganizations in karyotypes of several plants of B. rapa-type indicate that rapeseed breeding by chemical mutagenesis can result in cytogenetic instability in the mutant progeny, and therefore, it should include the karyotype examination. Our findings demonstrate that EMS at low concentrations has great potential in rapeseed improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ozone is an asthma trigger. In mice, the gut microbiome contributes to ozone-induced airway hyperresponsiveness, a defining feature of asthma, but the mechanistic basis for the role of the gut microbiome has not been established. Gut bacteria can affect the function of distal organs by generating metabolites that enter the blood and circulate systemically. We hypothesized that global metabolomic profiling of serum collected from ozone exposed mice could be used to identify metabolites contributing to the role of the microbiome in ozone-induced airway hyperresponsiveness. Mice were treated for two weeks with a cocktail of antibiotics (ampicillin, neomycin, metronidazole, and vancomycin) in the drinking water or with control water and then exposed to air or ozone (2 ppm for 3 hours). Twenty four hours later, blood was harvested and serum analyzed via liquid-chromatography or gas-chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Antibiotic treatment significantly affected 228 of the 562 biochemicals identified, including reductions in the known bacterially-derived metabolites, equol, indole propionate, 3-indoxyl sulfate, and 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionate, confirming the efficacy of the antibiotic treatment. Ozone exposure caused significant changes in 334 metabolites. Importantly, ozone-induced changes in many of these metabolites were different in control and antibiotic-treated mice. For example, most medium and long chain fatty acids declined by 20–50% with ozone exposure in antibiotic-treated but not control mice. Most taurine-conjugated bile acids increased with ozone exposure in antibiotic-treated but not control mice. Ozone also caused marked (9-fold and 5-fold) increases in the polyamines, spermine and spermidine, respectively, in control but not antibiotic-treated mice. Each of these metabolites has the capacity to alter airway responsiveness and may account for the role of the microbiome in pulmonary responses to ozone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a well-recognized hepatic manifestation of metabolic disease in adults and has been associated with the development of gestational diabetes (GDM). Hepatic insulin resistance can result in increased release of glucose (from gluconeogenesis) and free fatty acids (due to enhanced lipolysis), which can lead in turn to fetal overgrowth. However, the relationship between maternal metabolic factors (such as circulating levels of triglycerides, free fatty acids [FFA], or adipokines) and excessive fetal birthweight in NAFLD has not been carefully examined. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between NAFLD and the subsequent risk of large-for-gestational-age (LGA) birthweight. Method: Singleton nondiabetic pregnant women were evaluated for the presence of fatty liver at 10–14 weeks of gestation by abdominal ultrasound. The degree of fatty liver was classified as Grade 0–3 steatosis. At the time of liver ultrasound, maternal blood was taken after fasting and measured for adiponectin and FFA. LGA was defined as birthweight >90th percentile for gestational age. Results: A total of 623 women were included in the analysis. The frequency of LGA was 10.9% (68/623), and the frequency of NAFLD was 18.9%. The risk of LGA increased significantly in patients with Grade 2–3 steatosis in the first trimester. The relationship between Grade 2–3 steatosis and LGA remained significant after adjustment for maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI, GDM, and maternal serum triglyceride levels. The concentration of maternal blood adiponectin at 10–14 weeks was significantly lower in cases with LGA than non-LGA, but the maternal blood FFA concentrations were not different between the groups. Conclusion: The presence of Grade 2–3 steatosis on ultrasound in early pregnancy was associated with the increased risk of delivering an LGA infant, even after adjustment for multiple confounding factors including GDM. Adiponectin may be the linking biomarker between NAFLD and LGA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapeseed oil (canola, Brassica napus L.) is an important healthy vegetable oil throughout the world, the nutritional and economical value of which largely depends on its seed fatty acid composition. In this study, based on 201,187 SNP markers developed from the SLAF-seq (specific locus amplified fragment sequencing), a genome wide association study of four important fatty acid content traits (erucic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid) in a panel of 300 inbred lines of rapeseed in two environments (JXAU and JXRIS) was carried out. A total of 148 SNP loci significantly associated with these traits were detected by MLM model analysis respectively, and 30 SNP loci on A08 and C03 chromosomes were detected in three traits of erucic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid contents simultaneously. Furthermore, 108 highly favorable alleles for increasing oleic acid and linoleic acid content, also for decreasing erucic acid content simultaneously were observed. By a basic local alignment search tool (BLAST) search with in a distance of 100 Kb around these significantly SNP-trait associations, we identified 20 orthologs of the functional candidate genes related to fatty acid biosynthesis, including the known vital fatty acid biosynthesis genes of BnaA.FAE1 and BnaC. FAE1 on the A08 and C03 chromosomes, and other potential candidate genes involving in the fatty acid biosynthesis pathway, such as the orthologs genes of FAD2, LACS09, KCS17, CER4, TT16 and ACBP5. This study lays a basis for uncovering the genetic variations and the improvement of fatty acid composition in B. napus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendritic cells (DCs) play pivotal roles in T-cell homeostasis and activation, and metabolic programing has been recently linked to DC development and function. However, the metabolic underpinnings corresponding to distinct DC functions remain largely unresolved. Here, we demonstrate a special metabolic–epigenetic coupling mechanism orchestrated by tuberous sclerosis complex subunit 1 (TSC1)-mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) for homeostatic DC function. Specific ablation of Tsc1 in the DC compartment (Tsc1DC-KO) largely preserved DC development but led to pronounced reduction in naïve and memory–phenotype cluster of differentiation (CD)8+ T cells, a defect fully rescued by concomitant ablation of mTor or regulatory associated protein of MTOR, complex 1 (Rptor) in DCs. Moreover, Tsc1DC-KO mice were unable to launch efficient antigen-specific CD8+ T effector responses required for containing Listeria monocytogenes and B16 melanomas. Mechanistically, our data suggest that the steady-state DCs tend to tune down de novo fatty acid synthesis and divert acetyl-coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) for histone acetylation, a process critically controlled by TSC1-mTOR. Correspondingly, TSC1 deficiency elevated acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1) expression and fatty acid synthesis, leading to impaired epigenetic imprinting on selective genes such as major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-I and interleukin (IL)-7. Remarkably, tempering ACC1 activity was able to divert cytosolic acetyl-CoA for histone acetylation and restore the gene expression program compromised by TSC1 deficiency. Taken together, our results uncover a crucial role for TSC1-mTOR in metabolic programing of the homeostatic DCs for T-cell homeostasis and implicate metabolic-coupled epigenetic imprinting as a paradigm for DC specification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil food webs are important drivers for key ecological functions in terrestrial systems such as carbon and nutrient cycling. However, soil food web models generally lack quantitative data, mainly due to the shortage in high-throughput methods to describe energy flows. In marine environments, multivariate optimization models (Quantitative Fatty Acid Signature Analysis) and Bayesian approaches (source-tracking algorithm) were established to predict the proportion of predator diets using lipids as tracers. A premise for the application of such models to soil systems is to acquire the fatty acid pattern of a broad range of resources and to reveal potential overlap in their signatures. We present a comprehensive comparison of lipid pattern across widespread taxa of plants (leaves and roots, n = 48), algae (n = 59), fungi (n = 60), and bacteria (n = 62) as basal food web resources. Lipid profiles from microorganisms and algae were assessed from laboratory cultures, whereas plant tissue was derived from an arable field. A lipid library was constructed and multivariate data analyses (hierarchical clustering, nMDS) was used to assess the extent of separation in lipid pattern by species or resource type. The performance of the lipid library was tested by leave-one-prey-out (LOPO) analysis, giving the distinctiveness of the resource (prey) groups. Fungi and plant leaves were correctly assigned based on their lipid pattern with more than 98%, while plant roots and bacteria achieved 88 and 85%, respectively. However, algae were only correctly classified by 60%, pointing to a bias in the herbivore food chain. Fatty acids most important for separation of algae and plant leaves were of the omega 3 type, i.e. 16:3ω3 and 18:3ω3. In plant roots 18:1ω9 was most important, whereas bacteria were distinguished predominantly by methyl-branched fatty acids. Overall, the lipid pattern of major soil food web resources are sufficiently differentiated to allow for qualitative (biomarker) analyses as well as quantitative modelling, yet with precaution in the case of algae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was carried out to gain quantitative information on the diet-dependent faecal microbial biomass of dairy cows, especially on the biomass fractions of fungi, Gram-positive (G+) and Gram-negative (G-) bacteria. Groups of high-yield, low-yield and non-lactating cows were investigated at four different farms. A mean faecal microbial biomass C (MBC) concentration of 33.5 mg g-1 DM was obtained by the chloroform fumigation extraction method. This is similar to a mean microbial C concentration of 31.8 mg g-1 DM, which is the sum of bacterial C and fungal C, estimated by cell-wall derived muramic acid (MurN) and fungal glucosamine (GlcN), respectively. However, the response of these two approaches to the feeding regime was contradictory, due to feeding effects on the conversion values. The higher neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) concentrations in the non-lactating group led to higher (P < 0.05) concentrations of cellulose and lignin in their faeces in comparison with the lactating cows. This change in faecal chemical composition in the non-lactating group was accompanied by usually higher ratios of G+/G- phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA), ergosterol/MBC and fungal C/bacterial C. Although bacteria dominate the faecal microbial biomass, fungi contribute a considerable mean percentage of roughly 20% to the faecal microbiome, according to PLFA and amino sugar data, which requires more attention in the future. Near-infra red spectroscopic estimates of organic N and C fractions of cow faeces were able to model microbial biomarkers successfully, which might be useful in the future to predict its N2O emission potential and fertilizer value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many eukaryotic microbes have complex life cycles that include both sexual and asexual phases with strict species specificity. Whereas the asexual cycle of the protistan parasite Toxoplasma gondii can occur in any warm-blooded mammal, the sexual cycle is restricted to the feline intestine. The molecular determinants that identify cats as the definitive host for T. gondii are unknown. Here, we defined the mechanism of species specificity for T. gondii sexual development and break the species barrier to allow the sexual cycle to occur in mice. We determined that T. gondii sexual development occurs when cultured feline intestinal epithelial cells are supplemented with linoleic acid. Felines are the only mammals that lack delta-6-desaturase activity in their intestines, which is required for linoleic acid metabolism, resulting in systemic excess of linoleic acid. We found that inhibition of murine delta-6-desaturase and supplementation of their diet with linoleic acid allowed T. gondii sexual development in mice. This mechanism of species specificity is the first defined for a parasite sexual cycle. This work highlights how host diet and metabolism shape coevolution with microbes. The key to unlocking the species boundaries for other eukaryotic microbes may also rely on the lipid composition of their environments as we see increasing evidence for the importance of host lipid metabolism during parasitic lifecycles. Pregnant women are advised against handling cat litter, as maternal infection with T. gondii can be transmitted to the fetus with potentially lethal outcomes. Knowing the molecular components that create a conducive environment for T. gondii sexual reproduction will allow for development of therapeutics that prevent shedding of T. gondii parasites. Finally, given the current reliance on companion animals to study T. gondii sexual development, this work will allow the T. gondii field to use of alternative models in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acylcarnitines are fatty acyl esters of L-carnitine and facilitate the entry of long-chain fatty acids into mitochondria via the carnitine shuttle, where they are metabolized via ß-oxidation. Alterations of acylcarnitine species can be diagnostic for fatty acid oxidation disorders and organic aciduria and are thus frequently used to screen newborns. Only a subfraction of all known acylcarnitines is thereby monitored and quantified. Therefore, a method for the simultaneous fast and robust detection of all known acylcarnitines was developed using a single concise liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) approach. Derivatization by 3-nitrophenylhydrazine increased the signal intensity of the acylcarnitines and a linear elution from a reversed phase column was observed that was dependent on the length of the carbon chain. This allowed a precise prediction of the exact elution time for each acylcarnitine class, which depended solely on the chemical nature of the carbon chain. This method can be further used to screen for yet unknown acylcarnitine species and adds a layer of confidence for their correct identification. Altogether 123 acylcarnitines species were used to establish a targeted low-resolution LC-MS method. The method was applied to acylcarnitine profiling in several mouse tissues and fluids, in order to identify large differences in the quantity and composition of acylcarnitines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein solubility is a critical prerequisite to any proteomics analysis. Combination of urea/thiourea and 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS) have been routinely used to enhance protein solubilization for oil palm proteomics studies in recent years. The goals of these proteomics analysis are essentially to complement the knowledge regarding the regulation networks and mechanisms of the oil palm fatty acid biosynthesis. Through omics integration, the information is able to build a regulatory model to support efforts in improving the economic value and sustainability of palm oil in the global oil and vegetable market. Our study evaluated the utilization of sodium deoxycholate as an alternative solubilization buffer/additive to urea/thiourea and CHAPS. Efficiency of urea/thiourea/CHAPS, urea/CHAPS, urea/sodium deoxycholate and sodium deoxycholate buffers in solubilizing the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis var. Tenera) mesocarp proteins were compared. Based on the protein yields and electrophoretic profile, combination of urea/thiourea/CHAPS were shown to remain a better solubilization buffer and additive, but the differences with sodium deoxycholate buffer was insignificant. A deeper mass spectrometric and statistical analyses on the identified proteins and peptides from all the evaluated solubilization buffers revealed that sodium deoxycholate had increased the number of identified proteins from oil palm mesocarps, enriched their gene ontologies and reduced the number of carbamylated lysine residues by more than 67.0%, compared to urea/thiourea/CHAPS buffer. Although only 62.0% of the total identified proteins were shared between the urea/thiourea/CHAPS and sodium deoxycholate buffers, the importance of the remaining 38.0% proteins depends on the applications. The only observed limitations to the application of sodium deoxycholate in protein solubilization were the interference with protein quantitation and but it could be easily rectified through a 4-fold dilution. All the proteomics data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD013255. In conclusion, sodium deoxycholate is applicable in the solubilization of proteins extracted from oil palm mesocarps with higher efficiency compared to urea/thiourea/CHAPS buffer. The sodium deoxycholate buffer is more favorable for proteomics analysis due to its proven advantages over urea/thiourea/CHAPS buffer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Vegetable oil is an important source of fatty acids, and as palm oil being the highest consumed vegetable oil in many countries, its high saturated fatty acid content has led many concerns on cardiometabolic health. Dietary fatty acids has also been linked to affect glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. This systematic review is aimed at critically evaluating the available evidence on the association of palm oil with the biomarkers of glucose metabolism as compared to other vegetable oils. Methods: We systemically searched PubMed, CENTRAL and Scopus up to June 2018. We searched for published interventional studies on biomarkers of glucose metabolism (defined as fasting glucose, fasting insulin, HOMA, 2-hour post prandial glucose and HbA1C) that compared palm oil- or palm olein-rich diets with other edible vegetable oils (such as olive oil, canola oil and soybean oil). Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study risks of bias. Mean differences of outcomes were pooled for the meta-analysis. Results: We identified 1921 potentially eligible articles with only eight included studies. Seven randomised cross-over trials and one parallel trial were included. Study population were among young to middle-aged, healthy, non-diabetic, and normal weight participants. Intervention duration ranged from three to seven weeks, and fat substitution ranged from 15% to 20% energy. There were insignificant differences in fasting glucose when compared to partially hydrogenated soybean oil [-0.15mmol/L (-0.46,0.16) P = 0.33, I2 = 48%], soybean oil [0.05mmol/L (-0.09,0.18) P = 0.49, I2 = 0%] and olive oil [0.04mmol/L (-0.09,0.17) P = 0.76, I2 = 0%]. Insignificant effects were also seen on fasting insulin when compared to partially hydrogenated soybean oil [1.72pmol/L (-11.39,14.84) P = 0.80, I2 = 12%] and olive oil diet [-0.14pmol/L (-4.87,4.59) P = 0.95, I2 = 0%]. Conclusion: Current evidence on the effects of palm oil consumption on biomarkers of glucose metabolism is poor and limited to only healthy participants. We conclude that little or no additional benefit will be obtained by replacing palm oil with other oils rich in mono or polyunsaturated fatty acids for changes in glucose metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low temperatures delay aging and promote longevity in many organisms. However, the metabolic and homeostatic aspects of low-temperature–induced longevity remain poorly understood. Here, we show that lipid homeostasis regulated by Caenorhabditis elegans Mediator 15 (MDT-15 or MED15), a transcriptional coregulator, is essential for low-temperature–induced longevity and proteostasis. We find that inhibition of mdt-15 prevents animals from living long at low temperatures. We show that MDT-15 up-regulates fat-7, a fatty acid desaturase that converts saturated fatty acids (SFAs) to unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), at low temperatures. We then demonstrate that maintaining a high UFA/SFA ratio is essential for proteostasis at low temperatures. We show that dietary supplementation with a monounsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid (OA), substantially mitigates the short life span and proteotoxicity in mdt-15(-) animals at low temperatures. Thus, lipidostasis regulated by MDT-15 appears to be a limiting factor for proteostasis and longevity at low temperatures. Our findings highlight the crucial roles of lipid regulation in maintaining normal organismal physiology under different environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we evaluated the modulation effect of long-chain Acyl-CoA synthetase during early embryo development. Bovine embryos were cultured in four groups: positive modulation (ACS+) with GW3965 hydrochloride, negative modulation (ACS-) with Triacsin C, association of both modulators (ACS±), and control. Embryo development rates were not altered (P>0.05) by treatments. Embryonic cytoplasmic lipid content increased in ACS+ but reduced in ACS- compared to the control (P < 0.05), whereas the membrane phospholipids profile was not altered by treatments. The total number of blastomeres did not differ (P > 0.05) between groups; however, an increased apoptotic cells percentage was found in ACS- compared to control. Twenty-four hours after warming, ACS+ and control grade I embryos presented the best hatching rates, whereas the ACS+ group equaled the hatching rates between their embryos of grades I, II and III 48 hours after warming. The relative abundance of transcripts for genes associated with lipid metabolism (ACSL3, ACSL6, ACAT1, SCD, and AUH), heatshock (HSP90AA1 and HSF1), oxidative stress (GPX4), and angiogenesis (VEGF), among other important genes for embryo development were affected by at least one of the treatments. The treatments were effective in modulating the level of transcripts for ACSL3 and the cytoplasmic lipid content. The ACS- was not effective in increasing embryonic cryosurvival, whereas ACS+ restored survival rates after vitrification of embryos with low quality, making them equivalent to embryos of excellent quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dinoflagellates from the Symbiodiniaceae family and corals have an ecologically important endosymbiotic relationship. Scleractinian corals cannot survive for long periods without their symbionts. These algae, also known as zooxanthellae, on the other hand, thrives outside the coral cells. The free-living populations of zooxanthellae are essential for the resilience of the coral to environmental stressors such as temperature anomalies and ocean acidification. Yet, little is known about how ocean acidification may affect the free-living zooxanthellae. In this study we aimed to test morphological, physiological and biochemical responses of zooxanthellae from the Symbiodinium genus isolated from the coral Mussismilia braziliensis, endemic to the Brazilian coast, to acidification led by increased atmospheric CO2. We tested whether photosynthetic yield, cell ultrastructure, cell density and lipid profile would change after up to 16 days of exposure to pH 7.5 in an atmospheric pCO2 of 1633 μatm. Photosynthetic yield and cell density were negatively affected and chloroplasts showed vesiculated thylakoids, indicating morphological damage. Moreover, Symbiodinium fatty acid profile drastically changed in acidified condition, showing lower polyunsaturated fatty acids and higher saturated fatty acids contents, when compared to the control, non-acidified condition. These results show that seawater acidification as an only stressor causes significant changes in the physiology, biochemistry and ultrastructure of free-living Symbiodinium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolically quiescent pathogens can persist in a viable non-replicating state for months or even years. For certain infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis, latent infection is a corollary of this dormant state, which has the risk for reactivation and clinical disease. During murine cryptococcosis and macrophage uptake, stress and host immunity induce Cryptococcus neoformans heterogeneity with the generation of a sub-population of yeasts that manifests a phenotype compatible with dormancy (low stress response, latency of growth). In this subpopulation, mitochondrial transcriptional activity is regulated and this phenotype has been considered as a hallmark of quiescence in stem cells. Based on these findings, we worked to reproduce this phenotype in vitro and then standardize the experimental conditions to consistently generate this dormancy in C. neoformans. We found that incubation of stationary phase yeasts (STAT) in nutriment limited conditions and hypoxia for 8 days (8D-HYPOx) was able to produced cells that mimic the phenotype obtained in vivo. In these conditions, mortality and/or apoptosis occurred in less than 5% of the yeasts compared to 30–40% of apoptotic or dead yeasts upon incubation in normoxia (8D-NORMOx). Yeasts in 8D-HYPOx harbored a lower stress response, delayed growth and less that 1% of culturability on agar plates, suggesting that these yeasts are viable but non culturable cells (VBNC). These VBNC were able to reactivate in the presence of pantothenic acid, a vitamin that is known to be involved in quorum sensing and a precursor of acetyl-CoA. Global metabolism of 8D-HYPOx cells showed some specific requirements and was globally shut down compared to 8D-NORMOx and STAT conditions. Mitochondrial analyses showed that the mitochondrial masse increased with mitochondria mostly depolarized in 8D-HYPOx compared to 8D-NORMox, with increased expression of mitochondrial genes. Proteomic and transcriptomic analyses of 8D-HYPOx revealed that the number of secreted proteins and transcripts detected also decreased compared to 8D-NORMOx and STAT, and the proteome, secretome and transcriptome harbored specific profiles that are engaged as soon as four days of incubation. Importantly, acetyl-CoA and the fatty acid pathway involving mitochondria are required for the generation and viability maintenance of VBNC. Altogether, these data show that we were able to generate for the first time VBNC phenotype in C. neoformans. This VBNC state is associated with a specific metabolism that should be further studied to understand dormancy/quiescence in this yeast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella, is a world-wide pest of cotton and in some parts of the cotton growing region is controlled by the mating disruption technique using synthetic sex pheromone. The sex pheromone consists of two compounds, (Z,Z)- and (Z,E)-7,11-hexadecadienyl acetates, in about a 50:50 ratio. However, recently, a population with sex pheromone compound ratios of about 62:38 were found in cotton fields that use mating disruption in Israel. To investigate how the change developed, we compared the pheromone gland transcriptomes between a reference laboratory population and a population obtained from an Israeli cotton field utilizing mating disruption. We analyzed four biological replicates from each population and found transcripts encoding 17 desaturases, 8 reductases, and 17 candidate acetyltransferases in both populations, which could be involved in sex pheromone biosynthesis. The expression abundance of some genes between the two populations was different. Some desaturases and candidate acetyltransferases were found to have mutated in one of the populations. The differentially expressed genes play potential roles in sex pheromone biosynthesis and could be involved in causing altered female sex pheromone ratios in the field population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tenacious human parasitic helminth Strongyloides stercoralis is a significant health problem worldwide. The current lack of a definitive diagnostic laboratory test to rule out this infection necessitates designing more specific diagnostic methods. Fatty acid and retinol-binding protein (FAR) plays a crucial role in the development and reproduction of nematodes. We generated a recombinant form of this protein and determined its applicability for immunodiagnosis of S. stercoralis. The L3 form of S. stercoralis was harvested and used for RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis. The coding sequence of S. stercoralis FAR (SsFAR) was cloned into pET28a(+) vector, expressed in E. coli BL21 and purified. ELISA and immunoblotting were employed to determine the specificity and sensitivity of rSsFAR using a set of defined sera. In addition, we analyzed the phylogenetic relationship of SsFAR with different FAR sequences from other nematodes. The cloned SsFAR had an open reading frame of 447 bp encoding 147 amino acids, with a deduced molecular mass of 19 kD. The SsFAR amino acid sequence was 93% identical to FAR of S. ratti. For differential immunodiagnosis of strongyloidiasis, rSsFAR exhibited 100% sensitivity and 97% specificity. However, cross-reactivity with FAR proteins of other parasites, namely Toxocara canis and Echinococcus granulosus, was noted. Our results provide a novel approach for immunodiagnosis of S. stercoralis infections using rSsFAR with reliable sensitivity and specificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progression of prostate cancer to lethal forms is marked by emergence of hormone-independent proliferation of the cancer cells. Nutritional and epidemiological studies have indicated that prostate cancer progression is correlated with the consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). To shed additional light on the cell-level mechanisms of the observed correlation, we compared the sensitivity of hormone-dependent and hormone-independent prostate cancer cells to growth medium supplementation with free PUFAs in a cell proliferation and viability assay. Our data show that the hormone-dependent cells are comparatively insensitive to various PUFAs, at the same time as the growth and viability of hormone-independent cells lines are strongly inhibited by most of the tested PUFAs, whether n–3 or n–6. We speculate that this difference may be at least partially responsible for the observed effects of specific dietary lipids in prostate cancer. The new data strengthen the case for dietary intervention as part of potential new therapeutic strategies seeking to impede prostate cancer progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phototrophic cyanobacteria are limited in growth locations by their need for visible light and must also cope with intermittent ultraviolet radiation (UVR), especially in extreme environments such as deserts and on early Earth. One survival method for cyanobacteria is growing endolithically within minerals such as micas, gypsum, and quartz minerals. However, the capability of different mica minerals to protect cyanobacteria from UVR, while at the same time allowing transmission of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), has only been minimally examined. In this study, we performed laboratory incubation experiments to demonstrate that a model filamentous cyanobacterium, Leptolyngbya sp., can colonize micas, such as muscovite, phlogopite, and biotite. After inoculation experiments confirmed that these cyanobacteria grew between the sheets of mica, Leptolyngbya sp. colonies were exposed to UVB and UVC for up to 24 hrs, and the level of survival was determined using chlorophyll a and carotenoid assays. Of the three micas investigated, muscovite, being an Fe-poor and Al-rich mica, provided the least attenuation of UVR, however it transmitted the most visible light. Fe-rich biotite provided the best UVR shielding. Phlogopite, apparently because of its intermediate amount of Fe, showed the greatest ability to shield UVR while still transmitting an adequate amount of visible light, making it the ideal habitat for the cyanobacterium. Upon exposure to UVR, significant shifts in several important fatty acids of the cyanobacterium were detected such as linolenic acid and oleic acid, 18:3ω3 and 18:1ω9c, respectively. These cellular changes are interpreted to be a consequence of UVR and other accessory stress (such as O3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intestinal failure-associated liver disease (IFALD) is a risk of parenteral nutrition (PN)-dependence. Intravenous soybean oil-based parenteral fat can exacerbate the risk of IFALD while intravenous fish oil can minimize its progression, yet the mechanisms by which soybean oil harms and fish oil protects the liver are uncertain. Properties that differentiate soybean and fish oils include α-tocopherol and phytosterol content. Soybean oil is rich in phytosterols and contains little α-tocopherol. Fish oil contains abundant α-tocopherol and little phytosterols. This study tested whether α-tocopherol confers hepatoprotective properties while phytosterols confer hepatotoxicity to intravenous fat emulsions. Utilizing emulsions formulated in the laboratory, a soybean oil emulsion (SO) failed to protect from hepatosteatosis in mice administered a PN solution enterally. An emulsion of soybean oil containing α-tocopherol (SO+AT) preserved normal hepatic architecture. A fish oil emulsion (FO) and an emulsion of fish oil containing phytosterols (FO+P) protected from steatosis in this model. Expression of hepatic acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), was increased in animals administered SO. ACC and PPARγ levels were comparable to chow-fed controls in animals receiving SO+AT, FO, and FO+P. This study suggests a hepatoprotective role for α-tocopherol in liver injury induced by the enteral administration of a parenteral nutrition solution. Phytosterols do not appear to compromise the hepatoprotective effects of fish oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carrier proteins are four-helix bundles that covalently hold metabolites and secondary metabolites, such as fatty acids, polyketides and non-ribosomal peptides. These proteins mediate the production of many pharmaceutically important compounds including antibiotics and anticancer agents. Acyl carrier proteins (ACPs) can be found as part of a multi-domain polypeptide (Type I ACPs), or as part of a multiprotein complex (Type II). Here, the main focus is on ACP2 and ACP3, domains from the type I trans-AT polyketide synthase MmpA, which is a core component of the biosynthetic pathway of the antibiotic mupirocin. During molecular dynamics simulations of their apo, holo and acyl forms ACP2 and ACP3 both form a substrate-binding surface-groove. The substrates bound to this surface-groove have polar groups on their acyl chain exposed and forming hydrogen bonds with the solvent. Bulky hydrophobic residues in the GXDS motif common to all ACPs, and similar residues on helix III, appear to prohibit the formation of a deep tunnel in type I ACPs and type II ACPs from polyketide synthases. In contrast, the equivalent positions in ACPs from type II fatty acid synthases, which do form a deep solvent-excluded substrate-binding tunnel, have the small residue alanine. During simulation, ACP3 with mutations I61A L36A W44L forms a deep tunnel that can fully bury a saturated substrate in the core of the ACP, in contrast to the surface groove of the wild type ACP3. Similarly, in the ACP from E. coli fatty acid synthase, a type II ACP, mutations can change ligand binding from being inside a deep tunnel to being in a surface groove, thus demonstrating how changing a few residues can modify the possibilities for ligand binding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulation of amyloid ß (Aß) peptides, the major component of amyloid fibrils in senile plaques, is one of the main causes of Alzheimer’s disease. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a fatty acid abundant in the brain, and is reported to have protective effects against Alzheimer’s disease, although the mechanistic effects of DHA against Alzheimer’s pathophysiology remain unclear. Because dietary supplementation of DHA in Aß precursor protein transgenic mice ameliorates Aß pathology and behavioral deficits, we hypothesize that DHA may affect the fibrillization and deposition of Aß. Here we studied the effect of different types of fatty acids on Aß fibril formation by in vitro Aß fibrillization assay. Formation of amyloid fibrils consists of two steps, i.e., the initial nucleation phase and the following elongation phase. We found that unsaturated fatty acids, especially DHA, accelerated the formation of Aß fibrils with a unique short and curved morphology in its nucleation phase, which did not elongate further into the long and straight, mature Aß fibrils. Addition of DHA afterwards did not modify the morphology of the mature Aß(1–40) fibrils. The short and curved Aß fibrils formed in the presence of DHA did not facilitate the elongation phase of Aß fibril formation, suggesting that DHA promotes the formation of “off-pathway” conformers of Aß. Our study unravels a possible mechanism of how DHA acts protectively against the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) is an euryhaline crustacean, whose adults migrate downstream to estuaries for reproduction. Lipids are believed to be involved in salinity adaptation during migration. This study investigated the effects of different salinities (0, 6, 12, and 18‰) on the total lipids, neutral lipids, and polar lipids contents, and fatty acid profiles in the gonads, hepatopancreas, and muscles of adult E. sinensis after 40 days of salinity adaptation. The results showed that the males and females from 12‰ treatment had the highest contents of total lipids and neutral lipids in their hepatopancreas and total lipids in the muscles. Notably, salinity had a greater effect on the fatty acid profiles in the hepatopancreas compared to that in the gonads and muscles. The male hepatopancreas treated with 18‰ salinity had the highest percentage of total n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (∑n-6PUFA) in both neutral lipids and polar lipids, while the percentage of total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (∑n-3PUFA) in neutral lipids and polar lipids decreased significantly with increasing salinity in males. In females, the 0‰ treatment had the highest percentages of total saturated fatty acids in neutral lipids and polar lipids in the hepatopancreas, while the highest ∑n-3PUFA and ∑n-6PUFA in neutral lipids and polar lipids were detected in the 12‰ treatment group. In conclusion, brackish water could promote the accumulations of total lipids and neutral lipids in the hepatopancreas and change the fatty acid profiles of adult E. sinensis, particularly in the hepatopancreas after long-term salinity adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: High calorie intake leads to obesity, a global socio-economic and health problem, reaching epidemic proportion in children and adolescents. Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids from animal (lard) fat are major components of the western-pattern diet and its regular consumption leads to obesity, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, no clear evidence exists whether consumption of diet rich in saturated (SFAs) and monounsaturated (MUFAs) fatty acids has detrimental effects on cardiac structure and energetics primarily due to excessive calories. We, therefore, sought to determine the impact of high calories versus fat content in diet on cardiac structure and mitochondrial energetics. Methods: Six-week-old C57BL/6J mice were fed with high calorie, high lard fat-based diet (60% fat, HFD), high-calorie and low lard fat-based diet (10% fat, LFD), and lower-calorie and fat diet (standard chow, 12% fat, SCD) for 10 weeks. Results: The HFD- and LFD-fed mice had higher body weight, ventricular mass and thickness of posterior and septal wall with increased cardiomyocytes diameter compared to the SCD-fed mice. These changes were associated with a reduction in the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complexes I and III activity compared to the SCD-fed mice without significant differences between the HFD- and LFD-fed animals. The HFD-fed animals had higher level of malondialdehyde (MDA) than LFD and SCD-fed mice. Conclusions: We assume that changes in cardiac morphology and selective reduction of the OXPHOS complexes activity observed in the HFD- and LFD-fed mice might be related to excessive calories with additional effect of fat content on oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The selection in commercial swine breeds for meat-production efficiency has been increasing among the past decades, reducing the intramuscular fat content, which has changed the sensorial and technological properties of pork. Through processes of natural adaptation and selective breeding, the accumulation of mutations has driven the genetic divergence between pig breeds. The most common and well-studied mutations are single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). However, insertions and deletions (indels) usually represents a fifth part of the detected mutations and should also be considered for animal breeding. In the present study, three different programs (Dindel, SAMtools mpileup, and GATK) were used to detect indels from Whole Genome Sequencing data of Iberian boars and Landrace sows. A total of 1,928,746 indels were found in common with the three programs. The VEP tool predicted that 1,289 indels may have a high impact on protein sequence and function. Ten indels inside genes related with lipid metabolism were genotyped in pigs from three different backcrosses with Iberian origin, obtaining different allelic frequencies on each backcross. Genome-Wide Association Studies performed in the Longissimus dorsi muscle found an association between an indel located in the C1q and TNF related 12 (C1QTNF12) gene and the amount of eicosadienoic acid (C20:2(n-6)). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In two different mouse liver cancer models, we recently showed that a switch from oxidative phosphorylation (Oxphos) to glycolysis (the Warburg effect) is invariably accompanied by a marked decline in fatty acid oxidation (FAO) and a reciprocal increase in the activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), which links glycolysis to the TCA cycle. We now show that short-term implementation of either medium-chain (MC) or long-chain (LC) high fat diets (HFDs) nearly doubled the survival of mice with c-Myc oncoprotein-driven hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Mechanistically, HFDs forced tumors to become more reliant on fatty acids as an energy source, thus normalizing both FAO and PDH activities. More generally, both MC- and LC-HFDs partially or completely normalized the expression of 682 tumor-dysregulated transcripts, a substantial fraction of which are involved in cell cycle control, proliferation and metabolism. That these same transcripts were responsive to HFDs in livers strongly suggested that the changes were the cause of tumor inhibition rather than its consequence. In seven different human cancer cohorts, patients with tumors containing high ratios of FAO-related:glycolysis-related transcripts had prolonged survival relative to those with low ratios. Furthermore, in 13 human cancer types, the expression patterns of transcripts encoding enzymes participating in FAO and/or cholesterol biosynthesis also correlated with significantly prolonged survival. Collectively, our results support the idea that the survival benefits of HFDs are due to a reversal of the Warburg effect and other tumor-associated metabolic and cell cycle abnormalities. They also suggest that short-term dietary manipulation, either alone or in combination with more traditional chemotherapeutic regimens, might be employed as a relatively non-toxic and cost-effective means of enhancing survival in certain cancer types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity mucosa grows under conditions of poor oxygenation and nutrient scarcity. Reprogramming of lipid biosynthesis accompanies tumor growth, but the conditions under which it occurs are not fully understood. The fatty acid content of the serum, tumor tissue and adjacent tumor microenvironment was measured by gas chromatography in 30 patients with squamous cell carcinoma grade 1–3. Twenty-five fatty acids were identified; their frequencies and percentages in each of the environments were assessed. Nineteen of the twenty-five fatty acids were found in tumor tissue, tumor adjacent tissue and blood serum. Of them, 8 were found in all thirty patients. Percentages of C16:0 and C18:1n9 were highest in the tumor, C18:1n9 and C16:0 were highest in tumor adjacent tissue, and C16:0 and C18:0 were highest in blood serum. The frequencies and amounts of C22:1n13, C22:4n6, C22:5n3 and C24:1 in tumor adjacent tissues were higher than those in blood serum, independent of the tumor grade. The correlations between the amount of fatty acid and tumor grade were the strongest in tumor adjacent tissues. The correlations between particular fatty acids were most prevalent for grade 1+2 tumors and were strongest for grade 3 tumors. In the adjacent tumor microenvironment, lipogenesis was controlled by C22:6w3. In blood serum, C18:1trans11 limited the synthesis of long-chain fatty acids. Our research reveals intensive lipid changes in oral cavity SCC adjacent to the tumor microenvironment and blood serum of the patients. Increase in percentage of some of the FAs in the path: blood serum–tumor adjacent microenvironment–tumor, and it is dependent on tumor grade. This dependency is the most visible in the tumor adjacent environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: It is crucial to understand the factors that introduce variability before applying metabolomics to clinical and biomarker research. Objectives: We quantified technical and biological variability of both fasting and postprandial metabolite concentrations measured using 1H NMR spectroscopy in plasma samples. Methods: In the Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity study (n = 6,671), 148 metabolite concentrations (101 metabolites belonging to lipoprotein subclasses) were measured under fasting and postprandial states (150 minutes after a mixed liquid meal). Technical variability was evaluated among 265 fasting and 851 postprandial samples, with the identical blood plasma sample being measured twice by the same laboratory protocol. Biological reproducibility was assessed by measuring 165 individuals twice across time for evaluation of short- (<6 months) and long-term (>3 years) biological variability. Intra-class coefficients (ICCs) were used to assess variability. The ICCs of the fasting metabolites were compared with the postprandial metabolites using two-sided paired Wilcoxon test separately for short- and long-term measurements. Results: Both fasting and postprandial metabolite concentrations showed high technical reproducibility using 1H NMR spectroscopy (median ICC = 0.99). Postprandial metabolite concentrations revealed slightly higher ICC scores than fasting ones in short-term repeat measures (median ICC in postprandial and fasting metabolite concentrations 0.72 versus 0.67, Wilcoxon p-value = 8.0×10−14). Variability did not increase further in a long-term repeat measure, with median ICC in postprandial of 0.64 and in fasting metabolite concentrations 0.66. Conclusion: Technical reproducibility is excellent. Biological reproducibility of postprandial metabolite concentrations showed a less or equal variability than fasting metabolite concentrations over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metabolic changes that accompany changes in Cardiopulmonary testing (CPET) and heart failure biomarkers (HFbio) are not well known. We undertook metabolomic and lipidomic phenotyping of a cohort of heart failure (HF) patients and utilized Multiple Regression Analysis (MRA) to identify associations to CPET and HFBio test performance (peak oxygen consumption (Peak VO2), oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES), exercise duration, and minute ventilation-carbon dioxide production slope (VE/VCO2 slope), as well as the established HF biomarkers of inflammation C-reactive protein (CRP), beta-galactoside-binding protein (galectin-3), and N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)). A cohort of 49 patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction < 50%, predominantly males African American, presenting a high frequency of diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension were used in the study. MRA revealed that metabolic models for VE/VCO2 and Peak VO2 were the most fitted models, and the highest predictors’ coefficients were from Acylcarnitine C18:2, palmitic acid, citric acid, asparagine, and 3-hydroxybutiric acid. Metabolic Pathway Analysis (MetPA) used predictors to identify the most relevant metabolic pathways associated to the study, aminoacyl-tRNA and amino acid biosynthesis, amino acid metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis, sphingolipid and glycerolipid metabolism, fatty acid biosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, and pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). Metabolite Set Enrichment Analysis (MSEA) found associations of our findings with pre-existing biological knowledge from studies of human plasma metabolism as brain dysfunction and enzyme deficiencies associated with lactic acidosis. Our results indicate a profile of oxidative stress, lactic acidosis, and metabolic syndrome coupled with mitochondria dysfunction in patients with HF tests poor performance. The insights resulting from this study coincides with what has previously been discussed in existing literature thereby supporting the validity of our findings while at the same time characterizing the metabolic underpinning of CPET and HFBio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxylipins are metabolites with a variety of biological functions. However, the biosynthetic pathway is widely unknown. It is considered that the first step is the oxygenation of polyunsaturated fatty acids like linoleic acid. Therefore, a lipoxygenase (LOX) from the edible basidiomycete Agrocybe aegerita was investigated. The AaeLOX4 was heterologously expressed in E. coli and purified via affinity chromatography and gel filtration. Biochemical properties and kinetic parameters of the purified AaeLOX4 were determined with linoleic acid and linolenic acid as substrates. The obtained Km, vmax and kcat values for linoleic acid were 295.5 μM, 16.5 μM · min-1 · mg-1 and 103.9 s-1, respectively. For linolenic acid Km, vmax and kcat values of 634.2 μM, 19.5 μM · min-1 · mg-1 and 18.3 s-1 were calculated. Maximum activities were observed at pH 7.5 and 25 °C. The main product of linoleic acid conversion was identified with normal-phase HPLC. This analysis revealed an explicit production of 13-hydroperoxy-9,11-octadecadienoic acid (13-HPOD). The experimental regio specificity is underpinned by the amino acid residues W384, F450, R594 and V635 considered relevant for regio specificity in LOX. In conclusion, HPLC-analysis and alignments revealed that AaeLOX4 is a 13-LOX. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate associations between lipid profiles and fatigue in a cohort of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) patients on a diet-based multimodal intervention. Methods: This pilot study included 18 progressive MS patients who participated in a prospective longitudinal study of fatigue following a diet-based multimodal intervention that included exercise, neuromuscular electrical stimulation and stress reduction. The diet recommended high intake of vegetables and fruits, encouraged consumption of animal and plant protein and excluded foods with gluten-containing grains, dairy and eggs. Fatigue was measured on the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) at baseline and every 3 months for 12 months. A lipid profile consisting of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) was obtained on fasting blood samples at baseline and 12 months. Results: FSS scores decreased from a baseline of 5.51 (95% CI: 4.86, 6.16) to a mean of 3.03 (95% CI: 2.23, 3.82) at 12 months (p < 0.001). At 12 months, increases in HDL-C (mean change: +6.0 mg/dl; 95% CI: 0.3, 12.0; p = 0.049) and decreases in BMI (mean change: -2.6 kg/m2; 95% CI: -3.6, -2.5; p < 0.001), LDL-C (mean change: -10.4 mg/dl; 95% CI:-19.7, -1.2; p = 0.029), TG (mean change: -29.2 mg/dl; 95% CI: -44.3, -14.2; p = 0.001), TG to HDL-C ratio (mean change: -0.6; 95% CI: -1.0, -0.3; p = 0.002) and TC to HDL-C ratio (mean change:-0.6; 95% CI: -1.0, -0.3; p = 0.003) were observed compared to baseline. Improvements in FSS were associated with increases in HDL-C (β = -0.05; 95% CI: -0.1, -0.0004; p = 0.048) and changes in TC (p = 0.005) from baseline to 12 months. Conclusions: Lipid profile variables are associated with improvements in fatigue in progressive MS patients on a diet-based multimodal intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) depolymerase is known to decompose PHB, biodegradable polymers and therefore has great commercial significance in the bioplastic sector. However, reports on PHB depolymerases from isolates obtained from plastic-contaminated sites that reflect the potential of the source organism is scarce. In this study, we evaluated the production of extracellular PHB depolymerase from Microbacterium paraoxydans RZS6 isolated from the plastic-contaminated site in the municipal area of Shahada, Maharashtra, India, for the first time. The isolate was identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, gas chromatographic analysis of fatty acid methyl esters (GC-FAME), and BIOLOG method. Ithydrolyzed PHB on minimal salt medium (MSM) containing PHB as the only source of carbon. The isolate produced PHB depolymerase at 45°C during 48 h of incubation. The enzyme was purified most efficiently using octyl-sepharose CL-4B column, with the highest purification yield of 6.675 Umg-1mL-1. The activity of the enzyme was enhanced in the presence of Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions but inhibited by Fe2+ (1 mM) ions and mercaptoethanol (1000 rpm). the nzyme kinetic analysis revealed that the enzyme was a metalloenzyme; requiring Mg2+ ions, that showed optimum enzyme activity at 30°C (mesophilic) and under neutrophilic (pH 7) conditions. Scale-up from the shake-flask level to a laboratory-scale bioreactor further enhanced the enzyme yield by 0.809 UmL-1. The molecular weight of the enzyme (40 kDa), as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, closely resembled the PHB depolymerase of Aureobacterium saperdae. Our findings highlighted the applicability of M. paraoxydans as a producer of extracellular PHB depolymerase having potential of degrading PHB under diverse conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fatty acids affect a number of physiological processes, in addition to forming the building blocks of membranes and body fat stores. In this study, we uncover a role for the monounsaturated fatty acid oleate in the innate immune response of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. From an RNAi screen for regulators of innate immune defense genes, we identified the two stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturases that synthesize oleate in C. elegans. We show that the synthesis of oleate is necessary for the pathogen-mediated induction of immune defense genes. Accordingly, C. elegans deficient in oleate production are hypersusceptible to infection with diverse human pathogens, which can be rescued by the addition of exogenous oleate. However, oleate is not sufficient to drive protective immune activation. Together, these data add to the known health-promoting effects of monounsaturated fatty acids, and suggest an ancient link between nutrient stores, metabolism, and host susceptibility to bacterial infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes the muscle transcriptome profile of Bandur breed, a consumer favoured, meat type sheep of India. The transcriptome was compared to the less desirable, unregistered local sheep population, in order to understand the molecular factors related to muscle traits in Indian sheep breeds. Bandur sheep have tender muscles and higher backfat thickness than local sheep. The longissimus thoracis transcriptome profiles of Bandur and local sheep were obtained using RNA sequencing (RNA Seq). The animals were male, non-castrated, with uniform age and reared under similar environment, as well as management conditions. We could identify 568 significantly up-regulated and 538 significantly down-regulated genes in Bandur sheep (p≤0.05). Among these, 181 up-regulated and 142 down-regulated genes in Bandur sheep, with a fold change ≥1.5, were considered for further analysis. Significant Gene Ontology terms for the up-regulated dataset in Bandur sheep included transporter activity, substrate specific transmembrane, lipid and fatty acid binding. The down-regulated activities in Bandur sheep were mainly related to RNA degradation, regulation of ERK1 and ERK2 cascades and innate immune response. The MAPK signaling pathway, Adipocytokine signaling pathway and PPAR signaling pathway were enriched for Bandur sheep. The highly connected genes identified by network analysis were CNOT2, CNOT6, HSPB1, HSPA6, MAP3K14 and PPARD, which may be important regulators of energy metabolism, cellular stress and fatty acid metabolism in the skeletal muscles. These key genes affect the CCR4-NOT complex, PPAR and MAPK signaling pathways. The highly connected genes identified in this study, form interesting candidates for further research on muscle traits in Bandur sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The meroplanktonic larvae of benthic organisms are an important seasonal component of the zooplankton in temperate coastal waters. The larvae of the reef-building polychaete Lanice conchilega contribute up to 15% of the summer zooplankton biomass in the North Sea. Despite their importance for reef maintenance (which positively affects the benthic community), little is known about the trophic ecology of this meroplanktonic larva. Qualitative and quantitative estimates of carbon (C) transfer between trophic levels and of fatty acid (FA)—specific assimilation, biosynthesis, and bioconversion can be obtained by compound-specific stable isotope analysis of FA. The present work tested the hypothesis that the concept of fatty acid trophic markers (FATM), widely used for studies on holoplankton with intermediate to high lipid contents, is also applicable to lipid-poor organisms such as meroplanktonic larvae. The incorporation of isotopically-enriched dietary C by L. conchilega larvae was traced, and lipid assimilation did not follow FA-specific relative availabilities in the diet. Furthermore, FAs that were unavailable in the diet, such as 22:5(n-3), were recorded in L. conchilega, suggesting their bioconversion by the larvae. The results indicate that L. conchilega larvae preferentially assimilate certain FAs and regulate their FA composition (lipid homeostasis) independently of that of their diet. Their quasi-homeostatic response to dietary FA availability could imply that the concept of FATM has limited application in lipid-poor organisms such as L. conchilega larvae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Algal Oil Containing EPA and DHA (AOCED) at ~50% was developed as a sustainable source of omega-3 fatty acids. AOCED was incorporated into extruded dry foods for dogs at 0, 0.75%, 1.5% and 3.0% levels (equivalent to 0, 7.5, 15 and 30 g/kg diet) on dry matter basis at the expense of chicken fat and fed to healthy female Beagle dogs starting at mating and throughout gestation and lactation. The offspring were fed their maternal corresponding diets for 26 weeks after weaning. AOCED-enriched diets were well tolerated by dogs in both generations and did not affect their overall health, physiological parameters, food consumption, body weights and body weight gains. There were no changes in hematology, clinical chemistry, and coagulation parameters in both generations of dogs fed the AOCED diets when compared to those in the control group. Plasma levels of DHA and EPA increased significantly and generally dose-dependently in both generations. The study demonstrated the safety of AOCED in dogs during gestation, lactation, and growth periods at dietary levels up to 3.0wt%, equivalent to 30 g/kg diet. AOCED’s bioavailability as a source of DHA and EPA in dogs was demonstrated by the increased plasma concentrations of these nutritional lipids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]