Search

The purpose of this study was to determine how closely certified nurse-midwives in the United States follow contemporary cervical cancer screening guidelines. A survey was sent to 264 randomly selected certified nurse-midwives. Survey questions included demographics and clinical scenarios addressing initiation, frequency, and cessation of screening. Responses were received from 60% of the sampled certified nurse-midwives who had valid mailing addresses; 127 were eligible for the analytic sample. Many nurse-midwives initiate cervical cancer screening earlier than guidelines recommend; 72% would initiate screening in an 18-year-old within 1 month of coitarche, while 36% would begin screening virginal girls at age 18, and many continue cervical cancer screening after guidelines recommend cessation. More than 60% of the respondents would continue screening a woman who had undergone total hysterectomy for symptomatic fibroids who had no history of dysplasia, and half would continue to screen a 70-year-old woman with a 30-year history of previous normal Pap tests. In addition, despite guidelines which recommend less frequent screening, more than one-quarter (28%) would continue annual screening in a 35-year-old woman with three or more normal tests. Certified nurse-midwives are performing cervical cancer screening more frequently than current guidelines recommend. Comparisons to the practice of other providers are offered. Education to limit unnecessary testing is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cuticular waxes of plants impart tolerance to many forms of environmental stress and help shed dangerous human pathogens on edible plant parts. Although the chemical composition of waxes on a wide variety of important crops has been described, a detailed wax compositional analysis has yet to be reported for lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L.), one of the most widely consumed vegetables. We present herein the leaf wax content and composition of 12 genetically diverse lettuce cultivars sampled across five time points during their vegetative growth phase in the field. Mean total leaf wax amounts across all cultivars varied little over 28 days of vegetative growth, except for a notable decrease in total waxes following a major precipitation event, presumably due to wax degradation from wind and rain. All lettuce cultivars were found to contain a unique wax composition highly enriched in 22- and 24-carbon length 1-alcohols (docosanol and tetracosanol, respectively). In our report, the dominance of these shorter chain length 1-alcohols as wax constituents represents a relatively rare phenotype in plants. The ecological significance of these dominant and relatively short 1-alcohols is still unknown. Although waxes have been a target for improvement of various crops, no such work has been reported for lettuce. This study lays the groundwork for future research that aims to integrate cuticular wax characteristics of field grown plants into the larger context of lettuce breeding and cultivar development., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Formation of lysinoalanine protein-protein crosslinks during food processing adversely impacts nutritional value. However, mapping lysinoalanine directly in food is challenging. We characterized the fragmentation pattern of lysinoalanine crosslinks in synthetic peptide models over a range of pH and time treatments using mass spectrometry. A putative diagnostic ion resulting from the cleavage of the α-carbon and β-carbon of lysinoalanine is identified in MALDI MS/MS spectra. This represents the first step in mapping lysinoalanine in real food samples with higher precision than currently identifiable through standard or customized software. We then determined a correlated trend in the reduction of disulfide bonds and formation of lysinoalanine with increasing pH and time. Mapping lysinoalanine formation is critical to enhance our understanding of molecular processes impacting the nutritional value of foods, including notably in the development of protein alternatives that use alkaline treatment to extract protein isolates., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

The properties of milk proteins differ between mammalian species. β-Lactoglobulin (βlg) proteins from caprine and bovine milk are sequentially and structurally highly similar, yet their physicochemical properties differ, particularly in response to pH. To resolve this conundrum, we compared the dynamics of both the monomeric and dimeric states for each homologue at pH 6.9 and 7.5 using hydrogen/deuterium exchange experiments. At pH 7.5, the rate of exchange is similar across both homologues, but at pH 6.9 the dimeric states of the bovine βlg B variant homologue have significantly more conformational flexibility compared with caprine βlg. Molecular dynamics simulations provide a mechanistic rationale for the experimental observations, revealing that variant-specific substitutions encode different conformational ensembles with different dynamic properties consistent with the hydrogen/deuterium exchange experiments. Understanding the dynamic differences across βlg homologues is essential to understand the different responses of these milks to processing, human digestion, and differences in immunogenicity., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Abstract: The self-assembling and gelation properties of a bioactive peptide derived from bovine casein (FFVAPFPEVFGK) were studied in the peptide's natural form (uncapped, uncapFFV ) and capped with protecting groups added to both termini (capped, capFFV ). Although the natural peptide ( uncapFFV ) did not demonstrate self-assembly, the capped peptide ( capFFV ) spontaneously self-assembled and formed a self-supporting gel. Variations in peptide concentration and incubation time influenced the gel's mechanical properties, suggesting the peptide's properties could be tuned and exploited for different applications. These results suggest that food-derived bioactive peptides have good potential for self-assembly and therefore utilisation as gels in functional foods and nutraceuticals., Background: Self-assembly is a natural phenomenon that occurs in many fundamental biological processes. Some peptides can self-assemble and form gels with tunable properties under given conditions. These properties, along with peptide bioactivity, can be combined to make unique biomaterials. Instead of synthesising the self-assembling bioactive peptides, we aim to extract them from natural sources. In order to use these peptides for different applications, it is essential to understand how we can trigger self-assembly and optimise the assembly conditions of these peptide gels., Scope: The self-assembling and gelation properties of a bioactive peptide derived from bovine casein (FFVAPFPEVFGK) were studied in the peptide's natural form (uncapped, uncapFFV ) and capped with protecting groups added to both termini (capped, capFFV )., Major Conclusions: Although the natural peptide ( uncapFFV ) did not demonstrate self-assembly, the capped peptide ( capFFV ) spontaneously self-assembled and formed a self-supporting gel. Variations in peptide concentration and incubation time influenced the gel's mechanical properties, suggesting the peptide's properties could be tuned and exploited for different applications., General Significance: These results suggest that food-derived bioactive peptides have good potential for self-assembly and therefore utilisation as gels in functional foods and nutraceuticals., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

In use for over a century, the Wood's lamp is a time-tested tool to aid in the diagnosis of certain superficial infections, pigmentary disorders, and metabolic diseases. To achieve its high utility, the Wood's lamp projects ultraviolet light onto the skin which in turn reflects a visible light that a trained eye can use to diagnose and monitor multiple dermatological ailments. Although new alternatives to Wood's lamp have been considered, it still remains a favored method of diagnosis because it is safe, cost-effective, and reliable. In this review, the authors explore the myriad applications of Wood's lamp in the field of dermatology., Competing Interests: DISCLOSURES.: The authors report no conflicts of interest relevant to the content of this article., (Copyright © 2022. Matrix Medical Communications. All rights reserved.)

Climate models project warmer summer temperatures will increase the frequency and heat severity of droughts in temperate forests of Eastern North America. Hotter droughts are increasingly documented to affect tree growth and forest dynamics, with critical impacts on tree mortality, carbon sequestration and timber provision. The growing acknowledgement of the dominant role of drought timing on tree vulnerability to water deficit raises the issue of our limited understanding of radial growth phenology for most temperate tree species. Here, we use well-replicated dendrometer band data sampled frequently during the growing season to assess the growth phenology of 610 trees from 15 temperate species over 6 years. Patterns of diameter growth follow a typical logistic shape, with growth rates reaching a maximum in June, and then decreasing until process termination. On average, we find that diffuse-porous species take 16-18 days less than other wood-structure types to put on 50% of their annual diameter growth. However, their peak growth rate occurs almost a full month later than ring-porous and conifer species (ca. 24 ± 4 days; mean ± 95% credible interval). Unlike other species, the growth phenology of diffuse-porous species in our dataset is highly correlated with their spring foliar phenology. We also find that the later window of growth in diffuse-porous species, coinciding with peak evapotranspiration and lower water availability, exposes them to a higher water deficit of 88 ± 19 mm (mean ± SE) during their peak growth than ring-porous and coniferous species (15 ± 35 mm and 30 ± 30 mm, respectively). Given the high climatic sensitivity of wood formation, our findings highlight the importance of wood porosity as one predictor of species climatic sensitivity to the projected intensification of the drought regime in the coming decades., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permission@oup.com.)

Objective: Human hair is regularly subjected to chemical and physical insults, such as heat, UV-irradiation and alkaline hair care products. These insults result in molecular modifications at the hair protein level that underpin mechanical and sensory property changes in the fibres. These changes can manifest itself in reduced hair quality and performance attributes observable to the consumer. In this work, changes in protein modification as a result of heat and alkaline treatments are determined., Methods: Redox proteomic profiling using high-resolution mass spectrometry was applied to map and evaluate amino acid residue modifications in human hair exposed to a combination of thermal treatments and alkali exposure with the aim to understand the underlying chemical processes., Results: Our results show that an increase in redox-related modifications is associated with exposure to higher levels of hydrothermal and alkaline insult. Post-translational modification profiling at the protein primary structural level delivered some further insights into the site-specificity of these modifications, with a clear increase in the number of cysteic acid modifications noticed in samples subjected to more extreme insults., Conclusion: Pinpointing modification sides within proteins and the hair shaft proteome can be used as a basis for employing mitigation or repair strategies of hair protein damage caused by environmental or hair treatment-related insults., (© 2021 Society of Cosmetic Scientists and Societe Francaise de Cosmetologie.)

Cytoplasmic lipid droplets (LDs) are evolutionarily conserved organelles that store neutral lipids and play critical roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying their biogenesis at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) remain obscure. Here we show that a recently identified protein termed LD-associated protein [LDAP]-interacting protein (LDIP) works together with both endoplasmic reticulum-localized SEIPIN and the LD-coat protein LDAP to facilitate LD formation in Arabidopsis thaliana. Heterologous expression in insect cells demonstrated that LDAP is required for the targeting of LDIP to the LD surface, and both proteins are required for the production of normal numbers and sizes of LDs in plant cells. LDIP also interacts with SEIPIN via a conserved hydrophobic helix in SEIPIN and LDIP functions together with SEIPIN to modulate LD numbers and sizes in plants. Further, the co-expression of both proteins is required to restore normal LD production in SEIPIN-deficient yeast cells. These data, combined with the analogous function of LDIP to a mammalian protein called LD Assembly Factor 1, are discussed in the context of a new model for LD biogenesis in plant cells with evolutionary connections to LD biogenesis in other eukaryotes., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Society of Plant Biologists.)

Blanching is an important process in the preparation of navy beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) for canning. We here explore the effect of blanching which can profoundly affect protein composition and introduce protein-primary-level modifications. Amino acid analysis showed significantly decreased protein abundance (58.5%) in blanched beans compared to raw beans. Proteomic analyses revealed a decrease in high molecular weight isoforms of the major storage globulin proteins phaseolin (mean fold-change -3.7) and legumin (mean fold-change -2.5) and concomitant increase in their low molecular weight isoforms (mean fold-change 6.4 and 8.3, respectively). Blanched beans also had decreased abundance of lipoxygenase (mean fold-change -13.1), an enzyme responsible for product spoilage during storage. Increased lysinoalanine (up to 47%) and highly modified protein fragments were found in the processing waters, indicating heat- induced modifications. Correlating these molecular level changes thus provides a basis for evaluating how processing parameters can be modified to increase protein food quality., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Lipid droplets (LDs) are neutral-lipid-containing organelles found in all kingdoms of life and are coated with proteins that carry out a vast array of functions. Compared to mammals and yeast, relatively few LD proteins have been identified in plants, particularly those associated with LDs in vegetative (non-seed) cell types. Thus, to better understand the cellular roles of LDs in plants, a more comprehensive inventory and characterization of LD proteins is required. Here, we performed a proteomics analysis of LDs isolated from drought-stressed Arabidopsis leaves and identified EARLY RESPONSIVE TO DEHYDRATION 7 (ERD7) as a putative LD protein. mCherry-tagged ERD7 localized to both LDs and the cytosol when ectopically expressed in plant cells, and the protein's C-terminal senescence domain (SD) was both necessary and sufficient for LD targeting. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that ERD7 belongs to a six-member family in Arabidopsis that, along with homologs in other plant species, is separated into two distinct subfamilies. Notably, the SDs of proteins from each subfamily conferred targeting to either LDs or mitochondria. Further, the SD from the ERD7 homolog in humans, spartin, localized to LDs in plant cells, similar to its localization in mammals; although, in mammalian cells, spartin also conditionally localizes to other subcellular compartments, including mitochondria. Disruption of ERD7 gene expression in Arabidopsis revealed no obvious changes in LD numbers or morphology under normal growth conditions, although this does not preclude a role for ERD7 in stress-induced LD dynamics. Consistent with this possibility, a yeast two-hybrid screen using ERD7 as bait identified numerous proteins involved in stress responses, including some that have been identified in other LD proteomes. Collectively, these observations provide new insight to ERD7 and the SD-containing family of proteins in plants and suggest that ERD7 may be involved in functional aspects of plant stress response that also include localization to the LD surface., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Doner, Seay, Mehling, Sun, Gidda, Schmitt, Braus, Ischebeck, Chapman, Dyer and Mullen.)

Production of hydroxy fatty acids (HFAs) in transgenic crops represents a promising strategy to meet our demands for specialized plant oils with industrial applications. The expression of Ricinus communis (castor) OLEATE 12-HYDROXYLASE (RcFAH12) in Arabidopsis has resulted in only limited accumulation of HFAs in seeds, which probably results from inefficient transfer of HFAs from their site of synthesis (phosphatidylcholine; PC) to triacylglycerol (TAG), especially at the sn-1/3 positions of TAG. Phospholipase As (PLAs) may be directly involved in the liberation of HFAs from PC, but the functions of their over-expression in HFA accumulation and distribution at TAG in transgenic plants have not been well studied. In this work, the functions of lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase-like PLAs (LCAT-PLAs) in HFA biosynthesis were characterized. The LCAT-PLAs were shown to exhibit homology to LCAT and mammalian lysosomal PLA 2 , and to contain a conserved and functional Ser/His/Asp catalytic triad. In vitro assays revealed that LCAT-PLAs from the HFA-accumulating plant species Physaria fendleri (PfLCAT-PLA) and castor (RcLCAT-PLA) could cleave acyl chains at both the sn-1 and sn-2 positions of PC, and displayed substrate selectivity towards sn-2-ricinoleoyl-PC over sn-2-oleoyl-PC. Furthermore, co-expression of RcFAH12 with PfLCAT-PLA or RcLCAT-PLA, but not Arabidopsis AtLCAT-PLA, resulted in increased occupation of HFA at the sn-1/3 positions of TAG as well as small but insignificant increases in HFA levels in Arabidopsis seeds compared with RcFAH12 expression alone. Therefore, PfLCAT-PLA and RcLCAT-PLA may contribute to HFA turnover on PC, and represent potential candidates for engineering the production of unusual fatty acids in crops., (© 2020 Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Plant oils represent an energy-rich and carbon-dense group of hydrophobic compounds. These oils are not only of economic interest, but also play important, fundamental roles in plant and algal growth and development. The subcellular storage compartments of plant lipids, referred to as lipid droplets (LDs), have long been considered relatively inert oil vessels. However, research in the last decade has revealed that LDs play far more dynamic roles in plant biology than previously appreciated, including transient neutral lipid storage, membrane remodeling, lipid signaling, and stress responses. Here we discuss recent developments in the understanding of LD formation, turnover and function in land plants and algae., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Peptides are known for their diverse bioactivities including antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer activity, all three of which are potentially useful in treating colon-associated diseases. Beside their capability to stimulate positive health effects once released in the body, peptides are able to form useful nanostructures such as hydrogels. Combining peptide bioactivity and peptide gel-forming potentials can create interesting systems that can be used for oral delivery. This combination, acting as a two-in-one system, has the potential to avoid the need for delicate entrapment of a drug or natural bioactive compound. We here review the context and research progress, to date, in this area.

SEIPIN proteins are localized to endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-lipid droplet (LD) junctions where they mediate the directional formation of LDs into the cytoplasm in eukaryotic cells. Unlike in animal and yeast cells, which have single SEIPIN genes, plants have three distinct SEIPIN isoforms encoded by separate genes. The mechanism of SEIPIN action remains poorly understood, and here we demonstrate that part of the function of two SEIPIN isoforms in Arabidopsis ( Arabidopsis thaliana ), AtSEIPIN2 and AtSEIPIN3, may depend on their interaction with the vesicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP)-associated protein (VAP) family member AtVAP27-1. VAPs have well-established roles in the formation of membrane contact sites and lipid transfer between the ER and other organelles, and here, we used a combination of biochemical, cell biology, and genetics approaches to show that AtVAP27-1 interacts with the N termini of AtSEIPIN2 and AtSEIPIN3 and likely supports the normal formation of LDs. This insight indicates that the ER membrane tethering machinery in plant cells could play a role with select SEIPIN isoforms in LD biogenesis at the ER, and additional experimental evidence in Saccharomyces cerevisiae supports the possibility that this interaction may be important in other eukaryotic systems., (© 2020 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.)

Collagens are large structural proteins that are prevalent in mammalian connective tissue. Peptides designed to include a glycine-proline-hydroxyproline (GPO) amino acid triad are biomimetic analogs of the collagen triple helix, a fold that is a hallmark of collagen-like sequences. To inform the rational engineering of collagen-like peptides and proteins for food systems, we report the crystal structure of the (GPO) 10 peptide at 0.89-Å resolution, solved using direct methods. We determined that a single chain in the asymmetric unit forms a pseudo-hexagonal network of triple helices that have a pitch variation consistent with the model 7/2 helix (3.5 residues per turn). The proline rings occupied one of two states, while the helix was found to have a well-defined hydration shell involved in the stabilization of the inter-helix crystal network. This structure offers a new high-resolution basis for understanding the hierarchical assembly of native collagens, which will aid the food industry in engineering new sustainable food systems., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Seeds of the desert shrub, jojoba ( Simmondsia chinensis ), are an abundant, renewable source of liquid wax esters, which are valued additives in cosmetic products and industrial lubricants. Jojoba is relegated to its own taxonomic family, and there is little genetic information available to elucidate its phylogeny. Here, we report the high-quality, 887-Mb genome of jojoba assembled into 26 chromosomes with 23,490 protein-coding genes. The jojoba genome has only the whole-genome triplication (γ) shared among eudicots and no recent duplications. These genomic resources coupled with extensive transcriptome, proteome, and lipidome data helped to define heterogeneous pathways and machinery for lipid synthesis and storage, provided missing evolutionary history information for this taxonomically segregated dioecious plant species, and will support efforts to improve the agronomic properties of jojoba., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License 4.0 (CC BY-NC).)

Fat-Specific Protein 27 (FSP27) belongs to a small group of vertebrate proteins containing a Cell-death Inducing DNA fragmentation factor-α-like Effector (CIDE)-C domain and is involved in lipid droplet (LD) accumulation and energy homeostasis. FSP27 is predominantly expressed in white and brown adipose tissues, as well as liver, and plays a key role in mediating LD-LD fusion. No orthologs have been identified in invertebrates or plants. In this study, we tested the function of mouse FSP27 in stably-transformed Arabidopsis thaliana leaves and seeds, as well as through transient expression in Nicotiana tabacum suspension-cultured cells and N. benthamiana leaves. Confocal microscopic analysis of plant cells revealed that, similar to ectopic expression in mammalian cells, FSP27 produced in plants 1) correctly localized to LDs, 2) accumulated at LD-LD contact sites, and 3) induced an increase in the number and size of LDs and also promoted LD clustering and fusion. Furthermore, FSP27 increased oil content in transgenic A. thaliana seeds. Given that plant oils have uses in human and animal nutrition as well as industrial uses such as biofuels and bioplastics, our results suggest that ectopic expression of FSP27 in plants represents a potential strategy for increasing oil content and energy density in bioenergy or oilseed crops., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.)

Lipid droplets (LDs) are organelles that compartmentalize nonbilayer-forming lipids in the aqueous cytoplasm of cells. They are ubiquitous in most organisms, including in animals, protists, plants and microorganisms. In eukaryotes, LDs are believed to be derived by a budding and scission process from the surface of the endoplasmic reticulum, and this occurs concomitantly with the accumulation of neutral lipids, most often triacylglycerols and steryl esters. Overall, the mechanisms underlying LD biogenesis are difficult to generalize, in part because of the involvement of different sets of both evolutionarily conserved and organism-specific LD-packaging proteins. Here, we briefly compare and contrast these proteins and the allied processes responsible for LD biogenesis in cells of animals, yeasts and plants., (© 2019 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.)

We investigated protein modifications that occur during short- and long-term storage of raw, pasteurized, and ultra-high-temperature processed (UHT) milks using RE-HPLC and redox proteomics. The RE-HPLC results show that casein dissociation and whey protein/κ-casein association occurred in both pasteurized and UHT milk. The extent of protein interactions was more pronounced in UHT milk after storage. The redox proteomics analyses show that primary structural level protein modifications were not correlated to processing type on the of day processing but did occur and increase during storage. Methionine oxidation was the most significant type of oxidative modification in all samples, particularly in the caseins. Methionine oxidation increased in the UHT-treated milk samples with longer storage times, especially in the micelle-phase proteins, likely due to the increasing exposure of these proteins as they migrated to the serum phase. Glycated and lactosylated early-stage Maillard reaction products were also found after heat treatment, particularly in UHT-treated milk, with the levels of these products maintained and generally increased with increasing storage time. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Understanding changes in protein modification during heat processing and storage of liquid milk products may help develop a model to predict the quality and shelf-life stability of heat treated milk products., (© 2019 Institute of Food Technologists®.)

The world is hungry for energy. Plant oils in the form of triacylglycerol (TAG) are one of the most reduced storage forms of carbon found in nature and hence represent an excellent source of energy. The myriad of applications for plant oils range across foods, feeds, biofuels, and chemical feedstocks as a unique substitute for petroleum derivatives. Traditionally, plant oils are sourced either from oilseeds or tissues surrounding the seed (mesocarp). Most vegetative tissues, such as leaves and stems, however, accumulate relatively low levels of TAG. Since non-seed tissues constitute the majority of the plant biomass, metabolic engineering to improve their low-intrinsic TAG-biosynthetic capacity has recently attracted significant attention as a novel, sustainable and potentially high-yielding oil production platform. While initial attempts predominantly targeted single genes, recent combinatorial metabolic engineering strategies have focused on the simultaneous optimization of oil synthesis, packaging and degradation pathways (i.e., 'push, pull, package and protect'). This holistic approach has resulted in dramatic, seed-like TAG levels in vegetative tissues. With the first proof of concept hurdle addressed, new challenges and opportunities emerge, including engineering fatty acid profile, translation into agronomic crops, extraction, and downstream processing to deliver accessible and sustainable bioenergy., (Crown Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Tail-anchored (TA) proteins are a unique class of integral membrane proteins that possess a single C-terminal transmembrane domain and target post-translationally to the specific organelles at which they function. While significant advances have been made in recent years in elucidating the mechanisms and molecular targeting signals involved in the proper sorting of TA proteins, particularly to the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, relatively little is known about the targeting of TA proteins to the plastid outer envelope. Here we show that several known or predicted plastid TA outer envelope proteins (OEPs) in Arabidopsis possess a C-terminal RK/ST sequence motif that serves as a conserved element of their plastid targeting signal. Evidence for this conclusion comes primarily from experiments with OEP7.2, which is a member of the Arabidopsis 7 kDa OEP family. We confirmed that OEP7.2 is localized to the plastid outer envelope and possesses a TA topology, and its C-terminal sequence (CTS), which includes the RK/ST motif, is essential for proper targeting to plastids. The CTS of OEP7.2 is functionally interchangeable with the CTSs of other TA OEPs that possess similar RK/ST motifs, but not with those that lack the motif. Further, a bioinformatics search based on a consensus sequence led to the identification of several new OEP TA proteins. Collectively, this study provides new insight into the mechanisms of TA protein sorting in plant cells, defines a new targeting signal element for a subset of TA OEPs and expands the number and repertoire of TA proteins at the plastid outer envelope., (� The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

There is a need to explore renewable alternatives (e.g., biofuels) that can produce energy sources to help reduce the reliance on fossil oils. In addition, the consumption of fossil oils adversely affects the environment and human health via the generation of waste water, greenhouse gases, and waste solids. Camelina sativa , originated from southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia, is being re-embraced as an industrial oilseed crop due to its high seed oil content (36-47%) and high unsaturated fatty acid composition (>90%), which are suitable for jet fuel, biodiesel, high-value lubricants and animal feed. C. sativa 's agronomic advantages include short time to maturation, low water and nutrient requirements, adaptability to adverse environmental conditions and resistance to common pests and pathogens. These characteristics make it an ideal crop for sustainable agricultural systems and regions of marginal land. However, the lack of genetic and genomic resources has slowed the enhancement of this emerging oilseed crop and exploration of its full agronomic and breeding potential. Here, a core of 213 spring C. sativa accessions was collected and genotyped. The genotypic data was used to characterize genetic diversity and population structure to infer how natural selection and plant breeding may have affected the formation and differentiation within the C. sativa natural populations, and how the genetic diversity of this species can be used in future breeding efforts. A total of 6,192 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) technology. The average polymorphism information content (PIC) value of 0.29 indicate moderate genetic diversity for the C. sativa spring panel evaluated in this report. Population structure and principal coordinates analyses (PCoA) based on SNPs revealed two distinct subpopulations. Sub-population 1 (POP1) contains accessions that mainly originated from Germany while the majority of POP2 accessions (>75%) were collected from Eastern Europe. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) identified 4% variance among and 96% variance within subpopulations, indicating a high gene exchange (or low genetic differentiation) between the two subpopulations. These findings provide important information for future allele/gene identification using genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and marker-assisted selection (MAS) to enhance genetic gain in C. sativa breeding programs.

Characterisation of peptides containing intact disulphide bonds (DSBs) via mass spectrometry is challenging. Our study demonstrates that the addition of aniline to alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid improves detection and fragmentation of complex DSB peptides by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization, tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-TOF MS). This improved assignment will be a significant new tool when a simple screening to confirm the DSB existence is required.

Novel animal-derived fibers are of interest for the pet food industry. We here introduce a method for extracting wool proteins using controlled hydrolysis of wool. This results in an appropriate form and we demonstrate its application in pet food using the domestic cat. The effect of the wool hydrolysate on biomarkers of digestive health (e.g., fecal short-chain fatty acids and fecal microbial composition, apparent amino acid (AA) and protein digestibility), are also described. In a feeding study, a cohort of cats (n = 8 per treatment) were fed a basal diet (Control), or the basal diet supplemented with 2% wool hydrolysate, 2% inulin (Synergy1; as is) or 2% cellulose (Novagel; as is). The concentration of butyric acid was not significant (P = 0.102) between treatment groups. The concentration of fecal lactic acid was greatest (P = 0.007) in cats on the Novagel diet. Valeric acid was increased (P = 0.001) in cats fed Synergy1. Supplementation of cat diet with a wool hydrolysate showed similarities to Novagel supplementation in terms of its effects on fecal short-chain fatty acid concentrations and fecal microbiota composition. Wool hydrolysate increased apparent cysteine digestibility compared to Synergy 1 or Novogel. In terms of fecal health, intake, and palatability, the diet supplemented with wool hydrolysate was not detrimental, being similar to currently used dietary fiber supplements. These findings indicate that wool hydrolysates offer promise as an animal-derived supplement source for pet diets.

Field-based high-throughput phenotyping is an emerging approach to quantify difficult, time-sensitive plant traits in relevant growing conditions. Proximal sensing carts represent an alternative platform to more costly high-clearance tractors for phenotyping dynamic traits in the field. A proximal sensing cart and specifically a deployment protocol, were developed to phenotype traits related to drought tolerance in the field. The cart-sensor package included an infrared thermometer, ultrasonic transducer, multi-spectral reflectance sensor, weather station, and RGB cameras. The cart deployment protocol was evaluated on 35 upland cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) entries grown in 2017 at Maricopa, AZ, United States. Experimental plots were grown under well-watered and water-limited conditions using a (0,1) alpha lattice design and evaluated in June and July. Total collection time of the 0.87 hectare field averaged 2 h and 27 min and produced 50.7 MB and 45.7 GB of data from the sensors and RGB cameras, respectively. Canopy temperature, crop water stress index (CWSI), canopy height, normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI), and leaf area index (LAI) differed among entries and showed an interaction with the water regime ( p < 0.05). Broad-sense heritability ( H 2 ) estimates ranged from 0.097 to 0.574 across all phenotypes and collections. Canopy cover estimated from RGB images increased with counts of established plants ( r = 0.747, p = 0.033). Based on the cart-derived phenotypes, three entries were found to have improved drought-adaptive traits compared to a local adapted cultivar. These results indicate that the deployment protocol developed for the cart and sensor package can measure multiple traits rapidly and accurately to characterize complex plant traits under drought conditions.

Hair curvature underpins structural diversity and function in mammalian coats, but what causes curl in keratin hair fibres? To obtain structural data to determine one aspect of this question, we used confocal microscopy to provide in situ measurements of the two cell types that make up the cortex of merino wool fibres, which was chosen as a well-characterised model system representative of narrow diameter hairs, such as underhairs. We measured orthocortical and paracortical cross-sectional areas, and cortical cell lengths, within individual fibre snippets of defined uniplanar curvature. This allowed a direct test of two long-standing theories of the mechanism of curvature in hairs. We found evidence contradicting the theory that curvature results from there being more cells on the side of the fibre closest to the outside, or convex edge, of curvature. In all cases, the orthocortical cells close to the outside of curvature were longer than paracortical cells close to the inside of the curvature, which supports the theory that curvature is underpinned by differences in cell type length. However, the latter theory also implies that, for all fibres, curvature should correlate with the proportions of orthocortical and paracortical cells, and we found no evidence for this. In merino wool, it appears that the absolute length of cells of each type and proportion of cells varies from fibre to fibre, and only the difference between the length of the two cell types is important. Implications for curvature in higher diameter hairs, such as guard hairs and those on the human scalp, are discussed., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare no competing or financial interests., (© 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.)

Oxidation of keratin results in a range of deleterious effects, including discolouration and compromised physical and mechanical properties. Keratin oxidative degradation is driven by molecular-level events, with accumulation of modifications at the protein primary level resulting directly in changes to secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure, as well as eventually changes in the observable physical and chemical properties. Advances in proteomic analysis techniques provide an increasingly clearer insight into the cascade of molecular modification underpinning keratin oxidation and how this translates through to higher order changes in properties. This chapter summarises the effects of oxidation on keratin-based materials, the types of molecular modification associated with this, and advances in techniques and approaches for characterising this modification.

Recent studies have shown that it is possible to engineer substantial increases in triacylglycerol (TAG) content in plant vegetative biomass, which offers a novel approach for increasing the energy density of food, feed, and bioenergy crops or for creating a sink for the accumulation of unusual, high-value fatty acids. However, whether or not these changes in lipid metabolism affect plant responses to biotic and/or abiotic stresses is an open question. Here we show that transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plant lines engineered for elevated leaf oil content, as well as lines engineered for accumulation of unusual conjugated fatty acids in leaf oil, had similar short-term responses to heat stress (e.g., 3 days at 37°C) as wild-type plants, including a reduction in polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-containing polar lipids and an increase in PUFA-containing neutral lipids. At extended time periods (e.g., 14 days at 37°C), however, plant lines containing accumulated conjugated fatty acids displayed earlier senescence and plant death. Further, no-choice feeding studies demonstrated that plants with the highest leaf oil content generated cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni) insects with significantly heavier body weights. Taken together, these results suggest that biotic and abiotic responses will be important considerations when developing and deploying high-oil-biomass crops in the field.

Thin skin and the appearance of bruises, seemingly unprovoked, are frequent complaints of elderly patients. Chronic cutaneous insufficiencies such as these are termed dermatoporosis . Although it is seldom the primary reason for consultation, dermatoporosis is associated with bleeding and healing complications and presents an opportunity for patient education and prevention. In this review, the authors explore the risk factors, pathogenetic mechanisms, clinical expression, and evidence-based therapies reported for chronic skin fragility due to aging., Competing Interests: FUNDING:No funding was provided for this article. DISCLOSURES:The authors have no conflicts of interest to relevant to the content of this article.

Cytoplasmic lipid droplets (LDs) are found in all types of plant cells; they are derived from the endoplasmic reticulum and function as a repository for neutral lipids, as well as serving in lipid remodelling and signalling. However, the mechanisms underlying the formation, steady-state maintenance and turnover of plant LDs, particularly in non-seed tissues, are relatively unknown. Previously, we showed that the LD-associated proteins (LDAPs) are a family of plant-specific, LD surface-associated coat proteins that are required for proper biogenesis of LDs and neutral lipid homeostasis in vegetative tissues. Here, we screened a yeast two-hybrid library using the Arabidopsis LDAP3 isoform as 'bait' in an effort to identify other novel LD protein constituents. One of the candidate LDAP3-interacting proteins was Arabidopsis At5g16550, which is a plant-specific protein of unknown function that we termed LDIP (LDAP-interacting protein). Using a combination of biochemical and cellular approaches, we show that LDIP targets specifically to the LD surface, contains a discrete amphipathic α-helical targeting sequence, and participates in both homotypic and heterotypic associations with itself and LDAP3, respectively. Analysis of LDIP T-DNA knockdown and knockout mutants showed a decrease in LD abundance and an increase in variability of LD size in leaves, with concomitant increases in total neutral lipid content. Similar phenotypes were observed in plant seeds, which showed enlarged LDs and increases in total amounts of seed oil. Collectively, these data identify LDIP as a new player in LD biology that modulates both LD size and cellular neutral lipid homeostasis in both leaves and seeds., (© 2017 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)