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Aldehyde dehydrogenases are versatile enzymes that serve a range of biochemical functions. Although traditionally considered metabolic housekeeping enzymes because of their ability to detoxify reactive aldehydes, like those generated from lipid peroxidation damage, the contributions of these enzymes to other biological processes are widespread. For example, the plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae strain PtoDC3000 uses an indole-3-acetaldehyde dehydrogenase to synthesize the phytohormone indole-3-acetic acid to elude host responses. Here we investigate the biochemical function of AldC from PtoDC3000. Analysis of the substrate profile of AldC suggests that this enzyme functions as a long-chain aliphatic aldehyde dehydrogenase. The 2.5 Å resolution X-ray crystal of the AldC C291A mutant in a dead-end complex with octanal and NAD(+) reveals an apolar binding site primed for aliphatic aldehyde substrate recognition. Functional characterization of site-directed mutants targeting the substrate- and NAD(H)-binding sites identifies key residues in the active site for ligand interactions, including those in the “aromatic box” that define the aldehyde-binding site. Overall, this study provides molecular insight for understanding the evolution of the prokaryotic aldehyde dehydrogenase superfamily and their diversity of function.

Products for animal health commercialization follow a structured progression from initial concept through to regulatory approval. Typically, products are developed for use in either food animals or companion animals. These can be for the intention of disease intervention, productivity enhancement or improvement in a quality of life capacity. The animal health industry is a regulated industry, meaning that a government agency is responsible for oversight of products, both pre- and post-approval. There are three primary US government agencies that ensure quality, safety and effectiveness for the approval of new products and post-marketing compliance.

This article presents a strategy for controlling autonomous robots, which is based on the principles of neuromodulation in the mammalian brain. Neuromodulatory systems signal important environmental events to the rest of the brain causing the organism to focus its attention on the appropriate object, ignore irrelevant distractions, and respond quickly and appropriately to the event . There are separate neuromodulators that alter responses to risks, rewards, novelty, effort, and social cooperation. Moreover, the neuromodulatory systems provide a foundation for cognitive function in higher organisms; attention, emotion, goal directed behavior, and decision making derive from the interaction between the neuromodulatory systems and brain areas, such as the amygdala, frontal cortex, and hippocampus. Therefore, understanding neuromodulatory function may provide control and action selection algorithms for autonomous robots that effectively interact with the environment.