Search

Tânia Cristina Dias da Silva-Hamu,1 Cibelle Kayenne Martins Roberto Formiga,1 Flávia Martins Gervásio,1 Darlan Martins Ribeiro,2 Gustavo Christofoletti,3 Jônatas de França Barros4 1Physical Therapy Department of the State University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, ²Dr Henrique Santillo Readaptation and Rehabilitation Center, Goiânia, Goiás, 3Physical Therapy Department of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, 4Department of Physical Education of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil Background: The prevalence of obesity is increasing in the population, particularly in women. Obesity has an impact on the musculoskeletal system, leading to knee and ankle overexertion, difficulty with balance, and functional disability. The aim of this study was to identify changes in kinematic parameters of gait in obese young women. Methods: A case-control study with 24 obese women (mean age 35.20 ± 9.9 years and mean body mass index of 31.85 ± 2.94 kg/m²) and 24 eutrophic women (mean age of 36.33 ± 11.14 and mean body mass index of 21.82 ± 1.58 kg/m²). The gait of women was evaluated by the system Vicon Motus® 9.2. The linear parameters of speed, cadence, right and left step, and stride lengths were studied, as well as the angular parameters of knee and ankle. Results: There was a decrease in linear gait parameters (P < 0.001), speed, cadence, right and left step, and stride lengths. In regard to the angular parameters of the knee and ankle, there were also differences between the analyses (P < 0.001). At the knee joint, obese women have delayed onset of the second wave of flexion, exacerbating such movement in order to compensate. In regard to the ankle, both groups showed curves of normal plantar flexion and dorsiflexion, but there was a delay in the path graph in the ankle of obese women indicating a reduced range of motion and possible over-exertion of the pretibial muscles and soleus muscles simultaneously. Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that obesity is a factor that negatively influences the kinematic parameters of gait of young women. Keywords: gait, musculoskeletal system, body mass index

Background: Studying the effect of dietary Spirulina and lysozyme supplementation on the metabolome and proteome of liver tissue contributes to understanding potential hepatic adaptations of piglets to these novel diets. This study aimed to understand the influence of including 10% Spirulina on the metabolome and proteome of piglet liver tissue. Three groups of 10 post-weaned piglets, housed in pairs, were fed for 28 days with one of three experimental diets: a cereal and soybean meal-based diet (Control), a base diet with 10% Spirulina (SP), and an SP diet supplemented with 0.01% lysozyme (SP + L). At the end of the trial, animals were sacrificed and liver tissue was collected. Metabolomics analysis (n = 10) was performed using NMR data analysed with PCA and PLS-DA. Proteomics analysis (n = 5) was conducted using a filter aided sample preparation (FASP) protocol and Tandem Mass Tag (TMT)-based quantitative approach with an Orbitrap mass spectrometer., Results: Growth performance showed an average daily gain reduction of 9.5% and a feed conversion ratio increase of 10.6% in groups fed Spirulina compared to the control group. Metabolomic analysis revealed no significant differences among the groups and identified 60 metabolites in the liver tissue. Proteomics analysis identified 2,560 proteins, with 132, 11, and 52 differentially expressed in the Control vs. SP, Control vs. SP + L and SP vs. SP + L comparisons, respectively. This study demonstrated that Spirulina enhances liver energy conversion efficiency, detoxification and cellular secretion. It improves hepatic metabolic efficiency through alterations in fatty acid oxidation (e.g., upregulation of enzymes like fatty acid synthase and increased acetyl-CoA levels), carbohydrate catabolism (e.g., increased glucose and glucose-6-phosphate), pyruvate metabolism (e.g., higher levels of pyruvate and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase), and cellular defence mechanisms (e.g., upregulation of glutathione and metallothionein). Lysozyme supplementation mitigates some adverse effects of Spirulina, bringing physiological responses closer to control levels. This includes fewer differentially expressed proteins and improved dry matter, organic matter and energy digestibility. Lysozyme also enhances coenzyme availability, skeletal myofibril assembly, actin-mediated cell contraction, tissue regeneration and development through mesenchymal migration and nucleic acid synthesis pathways., Conclusions: While Spirulina inclusion had some adverse effects on growth performance, it also enhanced hepatic metabolic efficiency by improving fatty acid oxidation, carbohydrate catabolism and cellular defence mechanisms. The addition of lysozyme further improved these benefits by reducing some of the negative impacts on growth and enhancing nutrient digestibility, tissue regeneration, and overall metabolic balance. Together, Spirulina and lysozyme demonstrate potential as functional dietary components, but further optimization is needed to fully realize their benefits without compromising growth performance., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Ulva lactuca, a green seaweed, may be an alternative source of nutrients and bioactive compounds for weaned piglets. However, it has a recalcitrant cell wall rich in a sulphated polysaccharide - ulvan - that is indigestible to monogastrics. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary incorporation of 7% U. lactuca, combined with carbohydrases supplementation (commercial carbohydrase mixture or recombinant ulvan lyase), on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and gut health parameters (morphology and microbiota) of weaned piglets. The experiment was conducted over 14 days using 40 weaned piglets randomly allocated to one of four experimental diets: a control diet based on wheat-maize-soybean meal, a diet with 7% U. lactuca replacing the control diet (UL), a diet with UL supplemented with 0.005% Rovabio® Excel AP, and a diet with UL supplemented with 0.01% of a recombinant ulvan lyase. The dietary treatments had no major effects on growth performance, nitrogen balance and gut content variables, as well as histological measurements. Contrarily, dry matter and organic matter digestibility decreased with dietary seaweed inclusion, while hemicellulose digestibility increased, suggesting a high fermentability of this cell wall fraction independently of carbohydrases supplementation. Some beneficial microbial populations increased as a consequence of enzymatic supplementation (e.g., Prevotella), while seaweed diets as a whole led to an increased abundance of Shuttleworthia, Anaeroplasma and Lachnospiraceae&#95;NK3A20&#95;group, all related with a healthier gut. It also decreased Lactobacillus when compared to controls, which is possibly related to increased bioavailability of seaweed zinc. This study indicates that, under these experimental conditions, up to 7% dietary U. lactuca has no detrimental effect on piglet growth, despite decreasing acid detergent fibre digestibility. Carbohydrases supplementation of Ulva diets is not required at this incorporation level., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Due to the negative impact of Haemonchus contortus in the tropics and subtropics, the detection of serum protein profiles that occur in infected sheep is of high relevance for targeted selective treatment strategies (TST). Herein, we integrated proteomics with phenotypic traits to elucidate physiological mechanisms associated to H. contortus infection in susceptible (Dorper - D) and resistant (Santa Inês - S) sheep breeds. Naïve female lambs were infected with H. contortus third-stage larvae on day zero (D0), and samples were collected weekly, for 28 days. Feces were used for individual fecal egg counts (FEC) blood for packed cell volume (PCV) and serum for specific antibody quantification through ELISA. Sera was collected on D0 (-) and D21 (+), and analyzed using a LC-MS/MS based proteomics approach. FEC, PCV, and anti-H. contortus antibody levels confirmed the absence of infection on D0. On D28 there was a significant difference between the two breeds for logFEC means (D = 3774 and S = 3141, p=0.033) and PCV means (D = 16.3 % and S = 24.3 %, p=0.038). From a total of 754 proteins identified, 68 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were noted. Phosphopyruvate hydratase (ENO3) was a DAP in all comparisons, while S+ vs D+ and S- vs D- shared the highest number of DAPs (8). Each of the four experimental groups clustered separately in a principal component analysis (PCA) of protein profile. Among the DAPs, proteins associated with the innate and adaptive immune system were detected when comparing S- vs D- and S+ vs D+. In D-, some proteins were linked to stress response to handling, sampling and heat. Focusing on the consequences of infection in each breed, in the D+ vs D- comparison, upregulated proteins were associated with inflammation control and immune response, where downregulated proteins pointed to a negative impact of infection on tissue anabolism, compromising muscle growth and fat deposition. In the S+ vs S- comparison, upregulated proteins were related to immune response, while the downregulated proteins were possibly linked to muscular development and growth, impaired by infection. Collectively, it can be concluded that ENO3 regulation emerges as a potential factor underlying the differential immune response observed between Santa Inês and Dorper sheep infected with H. contortus. In turn, detected acute phase proteins (APPs) reinforce their relation with infection, inflammation and stress conditions, whereas THEMIS-like may contribute to the immune system in Dorper. GSDMD, Guanylate-binding protein and ACAN warrant further investigation as possible biomarkers for TST strategy development., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Ana Carolina S. Chagas reports financial support was provided by State of Sao Paulo Research Foundation. Andre M. Almeida reports financial support was provided by Foundation for Science and Technology. If there are other authors, they 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 © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Arouquesa cattle breed is an autochthonous Portuguese breed produced under a traditional mountain system that need improvement without affecting beef quality. The aim of this work is to compare the proteomics profiles of the Longissimus thoracis muscle from Arouquesa animals produced under different production systems. Sixty weaners were produced under the following systems: traditional (TF) and traditional with starter feed supplementation (TF + S1) with weaning and slaughtering at 9 months, the S1 + S2 (weaning at 5 months and grower supplement until slaughter) and two rearing periods with finishing supplementation (TF + S3 and S3). Upon slaughter, samples of L. thoracis were taken and analyzed using a shotgun proteomics workflow. Several putative markers of beef quality for the Arouquesa breed were identified: VIM, FSCN1, SERPINH1, ALDH1A1, NDUFB5, ANXA1, PDK4, CEMIP2, NDUFB9, PDLIM1, OXCT1, MYH4. These proteins are involved in actin binding, skeletal muscle development and in the mitochondrial respiratory chain and they can influence mostly meat tenderness and color. We identified specific proteins for each group related to different metabolisms involved in several aspects that affect meat quality parameters. Our results demonstrate the link between production practices and putative meat characteristics, which have the potential to improve the traceability of certified products. SIGNIFICANCE: Arouquesa breed is produced in a sustainable system using natural resources and contributing to the economy of low-populated rural regions in Northern Portugal. Besides their economic relevance, producing autochthonous breeds can counter rural depopulation and maintain local heritage. Additionally, consumer awareness about product quality is increasing and PDO products contribute to satisfying this demand. However, it is necessary to increase production so that it is possible to sell these products outside the production region. To ensure robust traceability and that PDO label characteristics are maintained despite increasing production yield, product analysis is of paramount importance. For this reason, proteomic approaches can provide insight into how production changes will affect beef quality and generate putative biomarkers of certified production systems., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Atmospheric CO 2 enrichment has the potential to improve rice (Oryza sativa L.) yield, but it may also reduce grain nutritional quality, by reducing mineral and protein concentrations. Selenium (Se) fertilization may improve rice grain nutritional composition, but it is not known if this response extends to plants grown in elevated carbon dioxide concentration (eCO 2 ). We conducted experiments to identify the impacts of Se fertilization on yield and quality of rice grains in response to eCO 2 . The effect of the Se treatment was not significant for the grain yield within each CO 2 condition. However, the reduction in macronutrients and micronutrients under eCO 2 was mitigated in grains of plants fertilized with Se. Fertilization with Se increased the concentration of Se in roots, flag leaves, and grains independently of atmospheric CO 2 concentrations. Elevation of the transcripts of ion transport-related genes could, at least partially, explain the positive relationship between mineral concentrations and grain mass resulting from Se fertilization under eCO 2 . Treatment with Se also increased the accumulation of total protein in grains under eCO 2 . Overall, our results revealed that Se fertilization represents a potential asset to maintain rice grain nutritional quality in a future with rising atmospheric CO 2 concentration., 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 © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Laminaria digitata is a brown seaweed rich in prebiotic polysaccharides, mainly laminarin, but its alginate-rich cell wall could compromise nutrient access. Carbohydrase supplementation, such as individual alginate lyase and carbohydrases mixture (Rovabio® Excel AP), could enhance nutrient digestibility and prebiotic potential. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of these enzymes on nutrient digestibility and gut health of weaned piglets fed with 10% L. digitata. Diets did not affect growth performance (P > 0.05). The majority of the feed fractions had similar digestibility across all diets, but the supplementation of alginate lyase increased hemicellulose digestibility by 3.3% compared to the control group (P = 0.047). Additionally, we observed that algal zinc was more readily available compared to the control group, even without enzymatic supplementation (P < 0.001). However, the increased digestibility of some minerals, such as potassium, raises concerns about potential mineral imbalance. Seaweed groups had a higher abundance of beneficial bacteria in colon contents, such as Prevotella, Oscillospira and Catenisphaera. Furthermore, the addition of alginate lyase led to a lower pH in the colon (P < 0.001) and caecum (P < 0.001) of piglets, which is possibly a result of released fermentable laminarin, and is consistent with the higher proportion of butyric acid found in these intestinal compartments. L. digitata is a putative supplement to enhance piglet gut health due to its prebiotic polysaccharides. Alginate lyase supplementation further improves nutrient digestibility and prebiotic potential. These results suggest the potential use of L. digitata and these enzymatic supplements in commercial piglet-feeding practices., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Seed development, dormancy, and germination are connected with changes in metabolite levels. Not surprisingly, a complex regulatory network modulates biosynthesis and accumulation of storage products. Seed development has been studied profusely in Arabidopsis thaliana and has provided valuable insights into the genetic control of embryo development. However, not every inference applies to crop legumes, as these have been domesticated and selected for high seed yield and specific metabolic profiles and fluxes. Given its enormous economic relevance, considerable work has contributed to shed light on the mechanisms that control legume seed growth and germination. Here, we summarize recent progress in the understanding of regulatory networks that coordinate seed metabolism and development in legumes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Agustin Zsögön reports was provided by Federal University of Vicosa. Agustin Zsögön reports financial support was provided by Minas Gerais State Foundation of Support to the Research., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Seaweeds, including the green Ulva lactuca, can potentially reduce competition between feed, food, and fuel. They can also contribute to the improved development of weaned piglets. However, their indigestible polysaccharides of the cell wall pose a challenge. This can be addressed through carbohydrase supplementation, such as the recombinant ulvan lyase. The objective of our study was to assess the muscle metabolism of weaned piglets fed with 7% U. lactuca and 0.01% ulvan lyase supplementation, using an integrated transcriptomics (RNA-seq) and proteomics (LC-MS) approach. Feeding piglets with seaweed and enzyme supplementation resulted in reduced macronutrient availability, leading to protein degradation through the proteasome (PSMD2), with resulting amino acids being utilized as an energy source (GOT2, IDH3B). Moreover, mineral element accumulation may have contributed to increased oxidative stress, evident from elevated levels of antioxidant proteins like catalase, as a response to maintaining tissue homeostasis. The upregulation of the gene AQP7, associated with the osmotic stress response, further supports these findings. Consequently, an increase in chaperone activity, including HSP90, was required to repair damaged proteins. Our results suggest that enzymatic supplementation may exacerbate the effects observed from feeding U. lactuca alone, potentially due to side effects of cell wall degradation during digestion., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The brown seaweed Laminaria digitata, a novel feedstuff for weaned piglets, has potentially beneficial prebiotic properties. However, its recalcitrant cell wall challenges digestion in monogastrics. Alginate lyase is a promising supplement to mitigate this issue. This study's aim was to investigate the impact of incorporating 10% dietary Laminaria digitata, supplemented with alginate lyase, on the hepatic proteome and metabolome of weaned piglets. These diets introduced minor variations to the metabolome and caused significant shifts in the proteome. Dietary seaweed provided a rich source of n-3 PUFAs that could signal hepatic fatty acid oxidation (FABP, ACADSB and ALDH1B1). This may have affected the oxidative stability of the tissue, requiring an elevated abundance of GST for regulation. The presence of reactive oxygen species likely inflicted protein damage, triggering increased proteolytic activity (LAPTM4B and PSMD4). Alginate lyase supplementation augmented the number of differentially abundant proteins, which included GBE1 and LDHC, contributing to maintain circulating glucose levels by mobilizing glycogen stores and branched-chain amino acids. The enzymatic supplementation with alginate lyase amplified the effects of the seaweed-only diet. An additional filter was employed to test the effect of missing values on the proteomics analysis, which is discussed from a technical perspective. SIGNIFICANCE: Brown seaweeds such as Laminaria digitata have prebiotic and immune-modulatory components, such as laminarin, that can improve weaned piglet health. However, they have recalcitrant cell wall polysaccharides, such as alginate, that can elicit antinutritional effects on the monogastric digestive system. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a high level of dietary L. digitata and alginate lyase supplementation on the hepatic metabolism of weaned piglets, using high throughput Omics approaches., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The impact of the dietary incorporation of 7% Ulva lactuca, a green seaweed, on the quality and nutritional value of piglet's meat was assessed. U. lactuca is rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds but its cell wall is composed of complex polysaccharides that reduce their bioavailability. Therefore, the effect of supplementing piglet diets with exogenous carbohydrases was also assessed here. A total of 40 male weaned piglets were divided into four dietary groups, each with 10 piglets: control (wheat, maize and soybean meal-based diet), UL (7% U. lactuca replacing the control diet), UL + R (UL and 0.005% Rovabio®), and UL + E (UL and 0.01% ulvan lyase). The piglets were fed the diets for 2 weeks. The results showed that incorporating U. lactuca in piglet diets did not influence most of the meat quality traits (P > 0.05). However, the incorporation of U. lactuca with the commercial carbohydrase (UL + R) increased the amount of the docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3) in their meat (P = 0.011) compared with the control, by 54%. In addition, meat from piglets fed seaweed diets showed a nearly two-fold increase in iodine contents (P < 0.001). Meat tenderness, juiciness and overall acceptability of piglets fed the control diet and the UL diet were lower than those fed the diets containing seaweed and carbohydrases (P < 0.001). Overall, the findings indicate that 7% U. lactuca in the diets of weaned piglets had no major detrimental effects on meat quality and their carbohydrase supplementation has the potential to improve meat sensory traits., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Seasonal weight loss (SWL), is a major limitation to animal production. In the Canary Islands, there are two dairy goat breeds with different levels of tolerance to SWL: Majorera (tolerant) and Palmera (susceptible). Our team has studied the response of these breeds to SWL using different Omics tools. The objective of this study was to integrate such results in a data driven approach and using dedicated tools, namely the DIABLO method. The outputs of our analysis mainly separate unrestricted from restricted goats. Metabolites behave as "hub" molecules, grouping interactions with several genes and proteins. Unrestricted goats upregulated protein synthesis, along with arginine catabolism and adipogenesis pathways, which are related with higher anabolic rates and a larger proportion of secretory tissue, in agreement with their higher milk production. Contrarily, restricted goats seemingly increased the synthesis of acetyl-CoA through serine and acetate conversion into pyruvate. This may have occurred to increase fatty acid synthesis and/or to use them as an energy source in detriment to glucose, which was more available in the diet of unrestricted goats. Lastly, restricted Palmera upregulated the expression of PEBP4 and GPD1 genes compared to all other groups, which might support their use as putative biomarkers for SWL susceptibility. SIGNIFICANCE: Seasonal weight loss (SWL) is a major issue influencing animal production in the tropics and Mediterranean. By studying its impact on the mammary gland of tolerant and susceptible dairy goat breeds, using Omics, we aim at surveying the tissue for possible biomarkers that reflect these traits. In this study, data integration of three Omics (transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics) was performed using bioinformatic tools, to relate putative biomarkers and evaluate all three levels of information; in a novel approach. This information can enhance selection programs, lowering the impact of SWL on food production systems., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Laminaria digitata, a brown seaweed with prebiotic properties, can potentially enhance the resilience of weaned piglets to nutritional distress. However, their cell wall polysaccharides elude digestion by monogastric animals' endogenous enzymes. In vitro studies suggest alginate lyase's ability to degrade such polysaccharides. This study aimed to assess the impact of a 10% dietary inclusion of L. digitata and alginate lyase supplementation on the ileum proteome and metabolome, adopting a hypothesis-generating approach. Findings indicated that control piglets escalated glucose usage as an enteric energy source, as evidenced by the increased abundance of PKLR and PCK2 proteins and decreased tissue glucose concentration. Additionally, the inclusion of seaweed fostered a rise in proteins linked to enhanced enterocyte structural integrity (ACTBL2, CRMP1, FLII, EML2 and MYLK), elevated peptidase activity (NAALADL1 and CAPNS1), and heightened anti-inflammatory activity (C3), underscoring improved intestinal function. In addition, seaweed-fed piglets showed a reduced abundance of proteins related to apoptosis (ERN2) and proteolysis (DPP4). Alginate lyase supplementation appeared to amplify the initial effects of seaweed-only feeding, by boosting the number of differential proteins within the same pathways. This amplification is potentially due to increased intracellular nutrient availability, making a compelling case for further exploration of this dietary approach. SIGNIFICANCE: Pig production used to rely heavily on antibiotics and zinc oxide to deal with post-weaning stress in a cost-effective way. Their negative repercussions on public health and the environment have motivated heavy restrictions, and a consequent search for alternative feed ingredients/supplements. One of such alternatives is Laminaria digitata, a brown seaweed whose prebiotic components that can help weaned piglets deal with nutritional stress, by improving their gut health and immune status. However, their recalcitrant cell walls have antinutritional properties, for which alginate lyase supplementation is a possible solution. By evaluating ileal metabolism as influenced by dietary seaweed and enzyme supplementation, we aim at discovering how the weaned piglet adapts to them and what are their effects on this important segment of the digestive system., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Muskox (Ovibos moschatus) and caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) are wild ruminants that inhabit the Greenland tundra. They are part of the diet of many Greenlanders, being important sources of protein and micronutrients such as iron. The objective of this study is to analyse the element profiles of three tissues from these species: skeletal muscle, liver and adipose tissue, and to determine if they are affected by species and sex (male vs. female). Samples were obtained from annual hunts in two different regions of West Greenland. Element profiles were analysed using inductively-coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. The interaction between species and sex was only detected in Na (sodium) in the muscle and adipose tissue, where male and female caribou had the highest concentrations, respectively. The effect of sex was not statistically significant in the liver samples and only occasionally in the other tissues. Species was the most relevant factor in element profiles found in this study. Caribou had higher concentrations of K (potassium) and S (sulphur) in the muscle and liver. Fewer differences were detected between species in the adipose tissue, compared to the other tissues. These differences may reflect the feeding behaviour and the geographical location of both species. This study contributes to evaluate the element composition of the edible tissue of these wild ungulate species, as well as evaluating the factors of sex and species that could differentiate their composition., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Boron (B) is an essential nutrient for the plant, and its stress (both deficiency and toxicity) are major problems that affect crop production. Ethylene metabolism (both signaling and production) is important to plants' differently responding to nutrient availability. To better understand the connections between B and ethylene, here we investigate the function of ethylene in the responses of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants to B stress (deficiency, 0 μM and toxicity, 640 μM), using ethylene related mutants, namely nonripening (nor), ripening-inhibitor (rin), never ripe (Nr), and epinastic (Epi). Our results show that B stress does not necessarily inhibit plant growth, but both B stress and ethylene signaling severely affected physiological parameters, such as photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and chlorophyll a fluorescence. Under B toxicity, visible symptoms of toxicity appeared in the roots and margins of the older leaves through necrosis, caused by the accumulation of B which stimulated ethylene biosynthesis in the shoots. Both nor and rin (ethylene signaling) mutants presented similar responses, being these genotypes more sensitive and displaying several morphophysiological alterations, including fruit productivity reductions, in response to the B toxicity conditions. Therefore, our results suggest that physiological and metabolic changes in response to B fluctuations are likely mediated by ethylene signaling., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:WAGNER L. ARAUJO reports administrative support, equipment, drugs, or supplies, travel, and writing assistance were provided by Minas Gerais State Foundation of Support to the Research., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Phasing involves distinguishing the two parentally inherited copies of each chromosome into haplotypes. Here, we introduce SHAPEIT5, a new phasing method that quickly and accurately processes large sequencing datasets and applied it to UK Biobank (UKB) whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing data. We demonstrate that SHAPEIT5 phases rare variants with low switch error rates of below 5% for variants present in just 1 sample out of 100,000. Furthermore, we outline a method for phasing singletons, which, although less precise, constitutes an important step towards future developments. We then demonstrate that the use of UKB as a reference panel improves the accuracy of genotype imputation, which is even more pronounced when phased with SHAPEIT5 compared with other methods. Finally, we screen the UKB data for loss-of-function compound heterozygous events and identify 549 genes where both gene copies are knocked out. These genes complement current knowledge of gene essentiality in the human genome., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Ulva lactuca is a seaweed with antinutritional cell wall for monogastrics. Carbohydrate-Active enZymes (CAZymes) supplementation can potentially cause its disruption. This study evaluates four diets: Ctrl-control diet; UL-control + 7% U. lactuca (wild caught, powdered form); ULR-UL + 0.005% Rovabio ® Excel AP; ULU-UL + 0.01% ulvan lyase on piglets' haematologic and serologic profiles, hepatic lipids and minerals. White blood cells and lymphocytes reached the highest values in piglets fed UL compared to control, and to control and ULR; respectively (P < 0.05). IgG levels were boosted by seaweed incorporation compared to control (P = 0.015). The glycaemic homeostasis was assured by the seaweed inclusion. Dietary seaweed decreased serum lipids (P < 0.001), with the exception of ULU, due to HDL-cholesterol increase (P < 0.001). Cortisol was decreased in ULR and ULU (P < 0.001). No systemic inflammation was observed (P > 0.05). While hepatic n-3 PUFA increased in piglets fed with seaweed diets due to increment of beneficial 22:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 fatty acids (P < 0.05), the opposite occurred for n-6 PUFA, PUFA/SFA and n-6/n-3 ratios (P < 0.05). Hepatic pigments were unchanged (P > 0.05). ULR reduced α-tocopherol levels (P = 0.036) and increased serum potassium levels (P < 0.001) compared to control. Seaweed contributed to overcome piglets' weaning stress, with some benefits of including CAZyme supplementation., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Non-coding regulatory elements such as enhancers are key in controlling the cell-type specificity and spatio-temporal expression of genes. To drive stable and precise gene transcription robust to genetic variation and environmental stress, genes are often targeted by multiple enhancers with redundant action. However, it is unknown whether enhancers targeting the same gene display simultaneous activity or whether some enhancer combinations are more often co-active than others. Here, we take advantage of recent developments in single cell technology that permit assessing chromatin status (scATAC-seq) and gene expression (scRNA-seq) in the same single cells to correlate gene expression to the activity of multiple enhancers. Measuring activity patterns across 24,844 human lymphoblastoid single cells, we find that the majority of enhancers associated with the same gene display significant correlation in their chromatin profiles. For 6944 expressed genes associated with enhancers, we predict 89,885 significant enhancer-enhancer associations between nearby enhancers. We find that associated enhancers share similar transcription factor binding profiles and that gene essentiality is linked with higher enhancer co-activity. We provide a set of predicted enhancer-enhancer associations based on correlation derived from a single cell line, which can be further investigated for functional relevance., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Seaweeds, such as Laminaria digitata, are a sustainable alternative to conventional feedstuffs for weaned piglet diets, improving their health and mitigating environmental impacts. L. digitata has a complex cell wall that can be difficult for monogastrics to digest. However, carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) such as Rovabio ® Excel AP and alginate lyase can help break down these polysaccharides and render intracellular nutrients more accessible. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of 10% L. digitata feed inclusion and CAZyme supplementation on piglet blood cells, serum metabolites, liver lipid and mineral profiles. Forty weaned piglets were randomly assigned to one of four diets (n = 10 each): a control diet, 10% L. digitata (LA), 10% L. digitata + 0.005% Rovabio ® Excel AP (LAR), and 10% L. digitata + 0.01% alginate lyase (LAL). After two weeks of trial, animals were slaughtered and liver and blood serum samples taken for analysis. The results showed that the LA and LAL diets increased blood lymphocytes, IgG and IgM, and decreased serum lipids, improving both cellular and humoral immune response and cardiovascular health. Dietary CAZymes reversed the anti-inflammatory and hematopoietic effects. Additionally, cortisol levels were reduced with seaweed inclusion compared to the control diet (P < 0.001). In the liver, total n-3 PUFA and n-6/n-3 ratio were increased and decreased, respectively, due to eicosapentaenoic acid and α-linolenic acid accumulation (P < 0.001). However, total liver mineral content was incorporated to a lesser extent with the combined seaweed and enzyme diets (P < 0.001), potentially indicating a negative effect on mineral bioavailability. Overall, results suggest that a 10% L. digitata inclusion can effectively improve piglet health by reducing stress during weaning, without the need for dietary CAZymes., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

High rates of fluorosis were reported worldwide as a result of human consumption of water with fluoride contents. Adjusting fluoride concentration in water as recommended by the World Health Organization (<1.5 mg L -1 ) is a concern and it needs to be conducted through inexpensive, but efficient techniques, such as phytoremediation. The application of phytohormones was investigated as a strategy to improve this process. Thus, the main goal of this research was to evaluate the effect of exogenous auxin and gibberellin on the tropical duckweed Eichhornia crassipes performance for fluoride phytoremediation. Definitive screening and central composite rotatable designs were used for experiments where fluoride concentration (5~15 mg L -1 ), phosphorus concentration (1~10 mg L -1 ), and pH (5~9) were assessed as well throughout 10 days. Fluoride contents were determined in solution and plant tissues by potentiometry. Higher concentrations of fluoride reflected on greater absorptions by plants, though in relative terms removal efficiencies were quite similar for all treatments (~60%). Auxin and acidic conditions favored fluoride removals per mass of plant. Fluoride accumulated mostly in leaves and auxin probably alleviated toxic effects on E. crassipes while gibberellin showed no effect. Therefore, E. crassipes could be employed as a fluoride accumulator plant for water treatment and exogenous auxin may be used to improve the process.

Studying the interplay between genetic variation, epigenetic changes, and regulation of gene expression is crucial to understand the modification of cellular states in various conditions, including immune diseases. In this study, we characterize the cell-specificity in three key cells of the human immune system by building cis maps of regulatory regions with coordinated activity (CRDs) from ChIP-seq peaks and methylation data. We find that only 33% of CRD-gene associations are shared between cell types, revealing how similarly located regulatory regions provide cell-specific modulation of gene activity. We emphasize important biological mechanisms, as most of our associations are enriched in cell-specific transcription factor binding sites, blood-traits, and immune disease-associated loci. Notably, we show that CRD-QTLs aid in interpreting GWAS findings and help prioritize variants for testing functional hypotheses within human complex diseases. Additionally, we map trans CRD regulatory associations, and among 207 trans-eQTLs discovered, 46 overlap with the QTLGen Consortium meta-analysis in whole blood, showing that mapping functional regulatory units using population genomics allows discovering important mechanisms in the regulation of gene expression in immune cells. Finally, we constitute a comprehensive resource describing multi-omics changes to gain a greater understanding of cell-type specific regulatory mechanisms of immunity., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Identical genetic variations can have different phenotypic effects depending on their parent of origin. Yet, studies focusing on parent-of-origin effects have been limited in terms of sample size due to the lack of parental genomes or known genealogies. We propose a probabilistic approach to infer the parent-of-origin of individual alleles that does not require parental genomes nor prior knowledge of genealogy. Our model uses Identity-By-Descent sharing with second- and third-degree relatives to assign alleles to parental groups and leverages chromosome X data in males to distinguish maternal from paternal groups. We combine this with robust haplotype inference and haploid imputation to infer the parent-of-origin for 26,393 UK Biobank individuals. We screen 99 phenotypes for parent-of-origin effects and replicate the discoveries of 6 GWAS studies, confirming signals on body mass index, type 2 diabetes, standing height and multiple blood biomarkers, including the known maternal effect at the MEG3/DLK1 locus on platelet phenotypes. We also report a novel maternal effect at the TERT gene on telomere length, thereby providing new insights on the heritability of this phenotype. All our summary statistics are publicly available to help the community to better characterize the molecular mechanisms leading to parent-of-origin effects and their implications for human health., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The effect of dietary Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) and CAZyme supplementation was assessed on the gut of weaned piglets, using an integrated NMR-metabolomics approach combined with Tandem Mass Tag labelled proteomics. Thirty weaned male piglets were assigned to one of the three following diets (n = 10): cereal and soybean meal basal diet (Control), basal diet with 10% Spirulina inclusion (SP) and SP diet supplemented with 0.01% lysozyme (SP + L). The experiment lasted 4 weeks and, upon slaughter, small intestine samples were collected for histological, metabolomic and proteomic analysis. No significant differences were found for the histology and metabolomics analysis between the three experimental groups. Lactate, glutamate, glycine and myo-inositol were the most abundant metabolites. Proteomics results showed 1502 proteins identified in the intestine tissue. A total of 23, 78, 27 differentially abundant proteins were detected respectively for the SP vs. Control, SP + L vs. Control and SP + L vs. SP comparisons. The incorporation of Spirulina and supplementation of lysozyme in the piglet's diets is associated to intestinal proteomic changes. These include increased protein synthesis and abundance of contractile apparatus proteins, related with increased nutrient availability, which has beneficial (increased glucose uptake) and detrimental (increased digesta viscosity) metabolic effects. SIGNIFICANCE: The use of conventional feedstuffs becomes increasingly prohibitive due to its environmental toll. To increase the sustainability of the livestock sector, novel feedstuffs such as microalgae need to be considered. However, its recalcitrant cell wall has antinutritional effects that can inhibit high dietary inclusion levels. The supplementation with CAZymes is a possible solution to this issue. The small intestine is a central piece in monogastric digestion and of particular importance for the weaned piglet. Studying the effect of dietary Spirulina and CAZyme supplementation on its histomorphology, metabolome and proteome allows studying relevant physiological adaptations to these diets., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Allelic variation in the CETS (CENTRORADIALIS, TERMINAL FLOWER 1, SELF PRUNING) gene family controls agronomically important traits in many crops. CETS genes encode phosphatidylethanolamine-binding proteins that have a central role in the timing of flowering as florigenic and anti-florigenic signals. The great expansion of CETS genes in many species suggests that the functions of this family go beyond flowering induction and repression. Here, we characterized the tomato SELF PRUNING 3C (SP3C) gene, and show that besides acting as a flowering repressor it also regulates seed germination and modulates root architecture. We show that loss of SP3C function in CRISPR/Cas9-generated mutant lines increases root length and reduces root side branching relative to the wild type. Higher SP3C expression in transgenic lines promotes the opposite effects in roots, represses seed germination, and also improves tolerance to water stress in seedlings. These discoveries provide new insights into the role of SP paralogs in agronomically relevant traits, and support future exploration of the involvement of CETS genes in abiotic stress responses., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

In this study, we analysed the impact of dietary inclusion of Chlorella vulgaris and carbohydrases on general health, redox status, immune response, liver lipids and metabolites in weaned piglets. Forty-four male piglets were allocated into four diets: control (n = 11), CH (control diet with 5% CH, n = 10), CH+R (control diet with 5% CH plus 0.005% Rovabio Excel AP, n = 10), and CH+M (control diet with 5% CH plus 0.01% of a pre-selected four-CAZyme mixture, n = 11). After 15 days of trial, animals were slaughtered and samples of blood and liver collected. Spectrophotometry methods and commercial kits were used to determine blood parameters and gas and liquid chromatography for hepatic fatty acid and chlorophylls profiles, respectively. While total, LDL- and VLDL-cholesterol were increased by CH, the opposite was recorded for HDL-cholesterol (p < 0.001). Piglets fed CH-based diets presented an increase of IgG and a decrease of IgM (p < 0.001) which along with lymphocytes exacerbation contributed for piglets' survival after weaning. n-6 PUFA were reduced in piglets fed CH and the opposite occurred for n-3 PUFA (p < 0.001), thus benefiting n-6/n-3 ratio in the liver. Chlorophylls amount was not changed by the use of Rovabio or enzymatic mixture. The discriminant analysis applied to hepatic parameters revealed a clear separation between control and CH-based diets but failed to discriminate feed enzymes. Our findings indicate health promoting effects of CH as feed ingredient in piglets' nutrition at weaning, without negatively impacting on animals' performance., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objective: Burnout syndrome has negative consequences on the dentist's health and performance during work. This systematic review aimed to assess the prevalence of Burnout syndrome in dentists., Methods: Searches were carried out in Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, EMBASE, LILACS databases, and searches in the gray literature on January 27, 2021. There were no restrictions on language and search period. For the diagnosis of Burnout, only studies that used the Maslach burnout inventory questionnaire and its subscales emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and reduced personal accomplishment (PA) were included. Proportion meta-analyses were performed using the Stata 13.0 software., Results: A total of 37 articles were included in the narrative and 31 in quantitative syntheses. The overall prevalence of Burnout syndrome in dentists was 13% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.006-0.21; I²: 97.07%) and the total prevalence in the subscales EE, DP, and PA, were, respectively: 28% (95% CI: 0.24-0.32; I²: 20.70%), 18% (95% CI: 0.08-0.28; I²: 85.61%) and 10% (95% CI: 0.08-0.13; I²: 0%). About the levels of Burnout syndrome in the subscales, 25% (95% CI: 0.19-0.31; I² 92.58%) presented high EE, 18% (95% CI: 0.10-0.26; I² 96.62%) high DP and 32% (95% 0.20-0.45; I² 97.86%) low PA. About continuous data, the mean of EE, DP and PA was respectively 17.90 (95% CI: 9.36-26.43; I² 94.8), 6.93 (95% CI: 3.41-10.45; I² 80.2) and, 34.69 (95% CI: 23.82-45.55; I² 98.8). No study presented all the positive criteria of the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal checklist., Conclusion: In conclusion, there was a considerable prevalence of burnout syndrome in dentists, mainly in the subscale of emotional exhaustion., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Auxin is an important hormone playing crucial roles during fruit growth and ripening; however, the metabolic impact of changes in auxin signalling during tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) ripening remains unclear. Here, we investigated the significance of changes in auxin signalling during different stages of fruit development by analysing changes in tomato fruit quality and primary metabolism using mutants with either lower or higher auxin sensitivity [diageotropica (dgt) and entire mutants, respectively]. Altered auxin sensitivity modifies metabolism, through direct impacts on fruit respiration and fruit growth. We verified that the dgt mutant plants exhibit reductions in fruit set, total fruit dry weight, fruit size, number of seeds per fruit, and fresh weight loss during post-harvest. Sugar accumulation was associated with delayed fruit ripening in dgt, probably connected with reduced ethylene levels and respiration, coupled with a lower rate of starch degradation. In contrast, despite exhibiting parthenocarpy, increased auxin perception (entire) did not alter fruit ripening, leading to only minor changes in primary metabolism. By performing a comprehensive analysis, our results connect auxin signalling and metabolic changes during tomato fruit development, indicating that reduced auxin signalling led to extensive changes in sugar concentration and starch metabolism during tomato fruit ripening., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of Chlorella vulgaris (5% in the diet), supplemented or not with two exogenous carbohydrase mixtures on piglets' performance, nutrient digestibility and gut morphology, fermentation products and microbiota. Forty-four male piglets weaned at 28 days of age, with 11.2 ± 0.46 kg of live weight, were used and assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments: cereal and soybean meal based-diet (control, n = 11), control diet with 5% of C. vulgaris (CH, n = 10), CH diet supplemented with 0.005% of Rovabio ® Excel AP (CH + R, n = 10) and CH diet supplemented with 0.01% of a recombinant 4-carbohydrase mixture (CH + M, n = 11). Growth performance was not changed by the of C. vulgaris inclusion during 21 days of trial. However, total tract apparent digestibility of nutritional fractions was negatively impacted by the inclusion. In addition, the viscosity of duodenum plus jejunum contents slightly increased in all groups fed with the microalga. In contrast, dietary microalga increased duodenum villus height and promoted a healthier gut microbiota, with higher abundance of some specific bacterial taxa (Colidextribacter, Oscillospira and Lactobacillus). This study indicates that the dietary inclusion of 5% C. vulgaris improves piglets' gut health without impairing performance. Data also indicate that C. vulgaris reduces nutrient digestibility but promotes compensatory developments of gut mucosa and prebiotic effects. Dietary supplementation with exogenous carbohydrases does not seem to be necessary for this inclusion level. Therefore, the incorporation of CH as a sustainable feed ingredient in piglets' nutrition is a viable alternative approach., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Sheep and goat extensive production systems are very important in the context of global food security and the use of rangelands that have no alternative agricultural use. In such systems, there are enormous challenges to address. These include, for instance, classical production issues, such as nutrition or reproduction, as well as carbon-efficient systems within the climate-change context. An adequate response to these issues is determinant to economic and environmental sustainability. The answers to such problems need to combine efficiently not only the classical production aspects, but also the increasingly important health, welfare, and environmental aspects in an integrated fashion. The purpose of the study was to review the application of technological developments, in addition to remote-sensing in tandem with other state-of-the-art techniques that could be used within the framework of extensive production systems of sheep and goats and their impact on nutrition, production, and ultimately, the welfare of these species. In addition to precision livestock farming (PLF), these include other relevant technologies, namely omics and other areas of relevance in small-ruminant extensive production: heat stress, colostrum intake, passive immunity, newborn survival, biomarkers of metabolic disease diagnosis, and parasite resistance breeding. This work shows the substantial, dynamic nature of the scientific community to contribute to solutions that make extensive production systems of sheep and goats more sustainable, efficient, and aligned with current concerns with the environment and welfare.

Laminaria digitata is a novel feedstuff that can be used in pig diets to replace conventional feedstuffs. However, its resilient cell wall can prevent the monogastric digestive system from accessing intracellular nutrients. Carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme) supplementation is a putative solution for this problem, degrading the cell wall during digestion. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of 10% L. digitata feed inclusion and CAZyme supplementation on the meat quality and nutritional value of weaned piglets. Forty weaned piglets were randomly allocated to four experimental groups (n = 10): control, LA (10% L. digitata, replacing the control diet), LAR (LA + CAZyme (0.005% Rovabio® Excel AP)) and LAL (LA + CAZyme (0.01% alginate lyase)) and the trial lasted for two weeks. The diets had no effect on any zootechnical parameters measured (p > 0.05) and meat quality traits, except for the pH measured 24 h post-mortem, which was higher in LAL compared to LA (p = 0.016). Piglets fed with seaweed had a significantly lower n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio compared to control, to which the higher accumulation of C20:5n-3 (p = 0.001) and C18:4n-3 (p < 0.0001) contributed. In addition, meat of seaweed-fed piglets was enriched with bromine (Br, p < 0.001) and iodine (I, p < 0.001) and depicted a higher oxidative stability. This study demonstrates that the nutritional value of piglets’ meat could be improved by the dietary incorporation of L. digitata, regardless of CAZyme supplementation, without negatively affecting growth performance in the post-weaning stage.

The combination of several factors, including an increase in world population and living standards in developing countries and world dependency on conventional crop imports drive a search for alternative feedstuffs for poultry and pig diets. This would reduce the environmental impact associated with the foreseeable increase in the demand for animal products. One of such alternatives are microalgae, a diverse group of aquatic organisms with interesting nutritional properties. Chlorella vulgaris is a green microalga with a crude protein content comparable to that of soybean meal. However, its recalcitrant cell wall prevents it from being used as a nutrient source in monogastric diets. CAZyme supplementation is a putative strategy to increase its nutritional value, aiming at disrupting the cell wall and make intracellular nutrients available for digestion. The impact of these dietary strategies on the hepatic metabolism is currently unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the hepatic proteome of pigs fed with 5% C. vulgaris with or without CAZyme supplementation. Microalga inclusion has affected lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. CAZyme supplementation has caused higher oxidative stress in the liver, possibly caused by the higher digestive availability and consequent hepatic oxidation of fatty acids. SIGNIFICANCE: C. vulgaris, a microalga, is a novel feedstuff that is an alternative to conventional crops such as maize and soybean meal. Its recalcitrant cell wall may cause antinutritional effects when included in monogastric diets. This can be prevented by using exogenous enzyme supplementation, namely CAZymes, aimed at degrading this cell wall during digestion. Liver proteomics was used to identify the impact of these diets in finishing pig metabolism., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Seaweeds have caught the attention of the scientific community in recent years. Their production can mitigate the negative impact of anthropogenic activity and their use in animal nutrition reduces the dependency on conventional crops such as maize and soybean meal. In the context of monogastric animals, novel approaches have made it possible to optimise their use in feed, namely polysaccharide extraction, biomass fermentation, enzymatic processing, and feed supplementation with carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes). Their bioactive properties make them putative candidates as feed ingredients that enhance meat quality traits, such as lipid oxidation, shelf-life, and meat colour. Indeed, they are excellent sources of essential amino acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, minerals, and pigments that can be transferred to the meat of monogastric animals. However, their nutritional composition is highly variable, depending on species, harvesting region, local pollution, and harvesting season, among other factors. In this review, we assess the current use and challenges of using seaweeds in pig and poultry diets, envisaging to improve meat quality and its nutritional value.

Cereal grains and soybean meal are the main feedstuffs used in swine and poultry feeding, two of the most consumed meats and of key relevance to food security worldwide. Such crops are grown mostly in North and South America and transported over large distances creating sustainability concerns and, furthermore, are in direct competition with human nutrition. Alternatives to these ingredients are, thus, a pressing need to ensure the sustainability of swine and poultry production. Microalgae seem to be a viable alternative due to their interesting nutritional composition. The use of different microalgae in monogastric feeding has been addressed by different researchers over the last decade, particularly their use as a supplement, whilst their use as a feed ingredient has been comparatively less studied. In addition, the high production costs of microalgae are a barrier and prevent higher dietary inclusion. Studies on the effect of microalgae on meat quality refer mostly to fatty acid composition, using these either as a functional ingredient or as a feedstuff. Within such a context and in line with such a rationale, in this review we address the current research on the topic of the use of microalgae in poultry and swine nutrition, particularly aspects concerning pork and poultry meat quality and nutritional traits.

Gibberellin has been proposed to increase leaf elongation in radish (Raphanus sativus L.) plants, which is associated with decreased tuber growth. Since light intensity can control growth through interaction with gibberellin, investigation of the effect of gibberellin levels on the growth of radish plants would be a step forward towards unraveling factors that underlie biomass accumulation and allocation in response to irradiance levels. Here, we report that the gibberellin biosynthesis inhibitor paclobutrazol (PAC) decreased petiole elongation, but not lamina growth of radish plants grown under full sunlight. However, shading promoted an increase in shoot elongation, while in plants treated with PAC the petiole and leaf lamina fail to elongate. Plants treated with PAC allocated proportionally more biomass to their tubers and less to shoot compared to control under shade. Moreover, PAC decreased the abundance of transcripts encoding cell wall expansion proteins in leaf lamina and petiole of plants grown under shade, which was positively correlated with sugar consumption by the tuber, thereby increasing the mass fraction and concentrations of minerals for tuber. Thus, allocation of biomass during the growth of radish plants and nutritional quality of tubers depend on gibberellin and light intensity., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Comparing transcript levels between healthy and diseased individuals allows the identification of differentially expressed genes, which may be causes, consequences or mere correlates of the disease under scrutiny. We propose a method to decompose the observational correlation between gene expression and phenotypes driven by confounders, forward- and reverse causal effects. The bi-directional causal effects between gene expression and complex traits are obtained by Mendelian Randomization integrating summary-level data from GWAS and whole-blood eQTLs. Applying this approach to complex traits reveals that forward effects have negligible contribution. For example, BMI- and triglycerides-gene expression correlation coefficients robustly correlate with trait-to-expression causal effects (r BMI  = 0.11, P BMI  = 2.0 × 10 -51 and r TG  = 0.13, P TG  = 1.1 × 10 -68 ), but not detectably with expression-to-trait effects. Our results demonstrate that studies comparing the transcriptome of diseased and healthy subjects are more prone to reveal disease-induced gene expression changes rather than disease causing ones., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Pharmaceutical compounds have been found in rivers and treated wastewaters. They often contaminate irrigation waters and consequently accumulate in edible vegetables, causing changes in plants metabolism. The main objective of this work is to understand how lettuce plants cope with the contamination from three selected pharmaceuticals using a label free proteomic analysis. A lettuce hydroponic culture, grown for 36 days, was exposed to metformin, acetaminophen and carbamazepine (at 1 mg/L), during 8 days, after which roots and leaves were sampled and analysed using a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry proteomics-based approach. In roots, a total of 612 proteins showed differentially accumulation while in leaves 237 proteins were identified with significant differences over controls. Carbamazepine was the contaminant that most affected protein abundance in roots, while in leaves the highest number of differentially accumulated proteins was observed for acetaminophen. In roots under carbamazepine, stress related protein species such as catalase, superoxide dismutase and peroxidases presented higher abundance. Ascorbate peroxidase increased in roots under metformin. Cell respiration protein species were affected by the presence of the three pharmaceuticals suggesting possible dysregulation of the Krebs cycle. Acetaminophen caused the main differences in respiration pathways, with more emphasis in leaves. Lettuce plants revealed different tolerance levels when contaminants were compared, being more tolerant to metformin presence and less tolerant to carbamazepine. SIGNIFICANCE: The significant increase of emerging contaminants in ecosystems makes essential to understand how these compounds may affect the metabolism of different organisms. Our study contributes with a detailed approach of the main interactions that may occur in plant metabolism when subjected to the stress induced by three different pharmaceuticals (acetaminophen, carbamazepine and metformin)., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Nearby genes are often expressed as a group. Yet, the prevalence, molecular mechanisms and genetic control of local gene co-expression are far from being understood. Here, by leveraging gene expression measurements across 49 human tissues and hundreds of individuals, we find that local gene co-expression occurs in 13% to 53% of genes per tissue. By integrating various molecular assays (e.g. ChIP-seq and Hi-C), we estimate the ability of several mechanisms, such as enhancer-gene interactions, in distinguishing gene pairs that are co-expressed from those that are not. Notably, we identify 32,636 expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) which associate with co-expressed gene pairs and often overlap enhancer regions. Due to affecting several genes, these eQTLs are more often associated with multiple human traits than other eQTLs. Our study paves the way to comprehend trait pleiotropy and functional interpretation of QTL and GWAS findings. All local gene co-expression identified here is available through a public database ( https://glcoex.unil.ch/ )., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background and Aims: Gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM), a precursor of gastric adenocarcinoma, is challenging to diagnose with white light endoscopy (WLE) and can be missed by random gastric biopsies. Narrowband imaging (NBI) may potentially improve the detection of GIM. However, pooled estimates from prospective studies are lacking., Methods: Electronic databases were searched for studies comparing NBI and WLE alone for detection of GIM and synchronous dysplasia. Primary outcome was pooled detection rate of GIM by NBI compared with WLE in prospective studies. The secondary outcome was concurrent dysplasia detection., Results: Ten studies were found eligible from 306 articles screened. Eight prospective studies were found eligible for primary endpoint of GIM detection. Two other retrospective studies were included for dysplasia detection. A total of 1366 subjects (694 males, 54.4 ± 5.08 years) underwent upper endoscopy. GIM was detected in 482 (35.3%) subjects. NBI detected GIM in 32% additional subjects (70% vs 38%, RR 1.79; 95% CI 1.34-2.37; P < 0.01). Subgroup analysis revealed newer NBI scopes (GIF260) detected significantly more GIM than WLE (RR 2.47; 95% CI 1.63-3.76; P < 0.01) but not the older (H180) NBI endoscopes (RR 1.33; 95% CI 0.93-1.88; P = 0.11). There was moderate heterogeneity between the studies (I 2  = 63%). In five studies (n = 628) that reported dysplasia, there was no significant difference between NBI and WLE in dysplasia detection (RR 1.09; 95% CI 0.81-1.47; P = 0.58)., Conclusion: Narrowband imaging can significantly increase the detection of GIM when used in addition to standard white light exam during an upper endoscopy., (© 2021 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Ethylene is a gaseous hormone with a well-established role in the regulation of plant growth and development. However, its role in the modulation of carbon assimilation and central metabolism remains unclear. Here, we investigated the morphophysiological and biochemical responses of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum) following the application of ethylene in the form of ethephon (CEPA - 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid), forcing the classical triple response phenotype. CEPA-treated plants were characterized by growth inhibition, as revealed by significant reductions in both shoot and root dry weights, coupled with a reduced number of leaves and lower specific leaf area. Growth inhibition was associated with a reduction in carbon assimilation due to both lower photosynthesis rates and stomatal conductance, coupled with impairments in carbohydrate turnover. Furthermore, exogenous ethylene led to the accumulation of cell wall compounds (i.e., cellulose and lignin) and phenolics, indicating that exposure to exogenous ethylene also led to changes in specialized metabolism. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that exogenous ethylene disrupts plant growth and leaf structure by affecting both central and specialized metabolism, especially that involved in carbohydrate turnover and cell wall biosynthesis, ultimately leading to metabolic responses that mimic stress situations., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Key Message: The tomato mutant Never ripe (Nr), a loss-of-function for the ethylene receptor SlETR3, shows enhanced growth, associated with increased carbon assimilation and a rewiring of the central metabolism. Compelling evidence has demonstrated the importance of ethylene during tomato fruit development, yet its role on leaf central metabolism and plant growth remains elusive. Here, we performed a detailed characterization of Never ripe (Nr) tomato, a loss-of-function mutant for the ethylene receptor SlETR3, known for its fruits which never ripe. However, besides fruits, the Nr gene is also constitutively expressed in vegetative tissues. Nr mutant showed a growth enhancement during both the vegetative and reproductive stage, without an earlier onset of leaf senescence, with Nr plants exhibiting a higher number of leaves and an increased dry weight of leaves, stems, roots, and fruits. At metabolic level, Nr also plays a significant role with the mutant showing changes in carbon assimilation, carbohydrates turnover, and an exquisite reprogramming of a large number of metabolite levels. Notably, the expression of genes related to ethylene signaling and biosynthesis are not altered in Nr. We assess our results in the context of those previously published for tomato fruits and of current models of ethylene signal transduction, and conclude that ethylene insensitivity mediated by Nr impacts the whole central metabolism at vegetative stage, leading to increased growth rates., (© 2020. Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina) is a microalga with a high content of crude protein. It has a recalcitrant cell wall that limits the accessibility of the animal endogenous enzymes to its intracellular nutrients. Enzymatic supplementation aiming to degrade cell walls could benefit microalgae digestibility. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of dietary Spirulina and lysozyme supplementation over the muscle proteome of piglets during the post-weaning stage. Thirty piglets were randomly distributed among three diets: control (no microalga), SP (10% Spirulina) and SP + L (10% Spirulina +0.01% lysozyme). After 4 weeks, they were sacrificed and samples of the longissimus lumborum muscle were taken. The muscle proteome was analysed using a Tandem Mass Tag (TMT)-based quantitative approach. A total of 832 proteins were identified. Three comparisons were computed: SP vs Ctrl, SP + L vs Ctrl and SP + L vs SP. They had ten, four and twelve differentially abundant proteins. Glycogen metabolism and nutrient reserves utilization are increased in the SP piglets. Structural muscle protein synthesis increased, causing higher energy requirements in SP + L piglets. Our results demonstrate the usefulness of proteomics to disclose the effect of dietary microalgae, whilst unveiling putative mechanisms derived from lysozyme supplementation. Data available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD024083. SIGNIFICANCE: Spirulina, a microalga, is an alternative to conventional crops which could enhance the environmental sustainability of animal production. Due to its recalcitrant cell wall, its use requires additional measures to prevent anti-nutritional effects on the feeding of piglets in the post-weaning period, during which they endure post-weaning stress. One of such measures could be CAZyme supplementation to help degrade the cell wall during digestion. Muscle proteomics provides insightful data on the effect of dietary microalgae and enzyme activity on piglet metabolism., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine or MDMA (known as "ecstasy") is a recreational drug of abuse, popular worldwide for its distinctive psychotropic effects. Currently, the therapeutic potential of MDMA in psychotherapy has attracted a lot of interest from the scientific community, despite the multitude of effects that this drug of abuse elicits on the human body. While neuronal effects have been the most studied, cardiovascular effects have also been described, as increased blood pressure and heart rate are the most recognizable. However, other effects have also been described at the cardiac (impaired cardiac contractile function, arrhythmias, myocardial necrosis and valvular heart disease) and vascular (vasoconstriction, disruption of vascular integrity and altered haemostasis) levels. Several mechanisms have been proposed, from the interaction with monoamine transporters and receptors to the promotion of oxidative stress or the activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). This review provides an overview of the cardiovascular implications of MDMA intake and underlying mechanisms, relevant when considering its consumption as drug of abuse but also when considering its therapeutic potential in psychiatry. Moreover, the risk/benefit ratio of the therapeutic use of MDMA remains to be fully elucidated from a cardiovascular standpoint, particularly in patients with underlying cardiovascular disease., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

With the current increase in meat and animal products consumption, there is a need to make production systems more sustainable. The use of microalgae in monogastric feeds, replacing widely used conventional feedstuffs such corn and soybean, can be a solution to overcome this problem. Several studies have shown promising results in the use of microalgae in feeding of both pigs and poultry. However, there are several important constraints associated to the production of microalgae. Such constraints are particularly limiting in the context of tropical regions. Research and scientific development on microalgae production systems are thus essential so that may be widely used in monogastric feeding. Herein, we conduct an overview of the major findings in the use of microalgae in the context of monogastric feeding and analyse the major constraints associated to its production and use, particularly in the specific context of tropical regions., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Animal production and health are of significant economic importance, particularly regarding the world food supply. Animal and veterinary sciences have evolved immensely in the past six decades, particularly in genetics, nutrition, housing, management and health. To address major challenges such as those posed by climate change or metabolic disorders, it is of utmost importance to use state-of-the-art research tools. Proteomics and the other post-genomic tools (transcriptomics or metabolomics) are among them. Proteomics has experienced a considerable development over the last decades. This brought developments to different scientific fields. The use and adoption of proteomics tools in animal and veterinary sciences has some limitations (database availability or access to proteomics platforms and funding). As a result, proteomics' use by animal science researchers varies across the globe. In this viewpoint article, we focus on the developments of domestic animal proteomics over the last decade in different regions of the globe and how the researchers have coped with such challenges. In the second part of the article, we provide examples of funding, educational and laboratory establishment initiatives designed to foster the development of (animal-based) proteomics. International scientific collaboration is a definitive and key feature in the development and advancement of domestic animal proteomics. SIGNIFICANCE: Animal production and health are very important for food supply worldwide particularly as a source of proteinaceous foods. Animal and veterinary sciences have evolved immensely in the last decades. In order to address the major contemporary challenges facing animal and veterinary sciences, it is of utmost importance to use state-of-the-art research tools such as Proteomics and other Omics. Herein, we focus on the major developments in domestic animal proteomics worldwide during the last decade and how different regions of the world have used the technology in this specific research field. We address also major international efforts aiming to increase the research output in this area and highlight the importance of international cooperation to address specific problems inherent to domestic animal proteomics., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)