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The feed legislation allows the use of fish protein hydrolysates in feed for the same species in which it came from, since enzymatic hydrolysis degrades the proteins and eliminates potential prions, which have caused disease in mammals, but not in fish. In this trial, we investigated the effects of partially replacing dietary fishmeal (FM) with salmon protein hydrolysate (FPH) on the intestinal gene expression and microbiota. Atlantic salmon post smolts were either fed a control diet containing 30% fishmeal (FM), a 20% FM diet with 9% salmon hydrolysate (FPH-09) or a 10% FM diet with 18% salmon hydrolysate (FPH-18), until doubling of weight. Gene expression analysis by RNA sequencing of pyloric caeca (PC), midgut (MG) and hindgut (HG) revealed a downregulation of immunological genes involved in inflammation in the intestine of FPH-18 fed salmon compared to salmon fed the FM control. The gene expression of paralogous peptide transporters (PepT) was analyzed by real time quantitative PCR in PC, anterior midgut (AMG), posterior midgut (PMG) and HG of salmon fed all the three diets. The PepT1b paralog had highest relative expression levels in PC and AMG, suggesting that PepT1b is most important for peptide uptake in the anterior intestine. PepT1a was also mainly expressed in the PC and AMG, but at lower levels than PepT1b and PepT2b in the AMG. The PepT2b paralog had high levels of expression in AMG, PMG and HG indicating that it contributed significantly to peptide uptake in the posterior part of the gastrointestinal tract. The gut microbiota in the mucosa and digesta of the MG and HG, were dominated by the phyla Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria, but also Firmicutes were present. The only dietary effect on the microbiota was the higher prevalence of the phyla Spirochaetes in the mucosa of FPH-18 fed salmon compared to the FM fed salmon. In conclusion, replacing FM with salmon hydrolysate reduced the expression of inflammatory markers in the Atlantic salmon intestine suggesting improved health benefits. The reduced inflammation may be related to the reduced FM content, potentially bioactive peptides in the hydrolysate and/or the altered gut microbial composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parasitism and saprotrophic wood decay are two fungal strategies fundamental for succession and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. An opportunity to assess the trade-off between these strategies is provided by the forest pathogen and wood decayer Heterobasidion annosum sensu lato.We report the annotated genome sequence and transcript profiling, as well as the quantitative trait loci mapping, of one member of the species complex: H. irregulare. Quantitative trait loci critical for pathogenicity, and rich in transposable elements, orphan and secreted genes, were identified.A wide range of cellulose-degrading enzymes are expressed during wood decay. By contrast, pathogenic interaction between H. irregulare and pine engages fewer carbohydrate-active enzymes, but involves an increase in pectinolytic enzymes, transcription modules for oxidative stress and secondary metabolite production.Our results show a trade-off in terms of constrained carbohydrate decomposition and membrane transport capacity during interaction with living hosts. Our findings establish that saprotrophic wood decay and necrotrophic parasitism involve two distinct, yet overlapping, processes.

We studied a reaction of chromone‐containing acrylonitriles and cyanoacrylates with acid hydrazides. This reaction turned out to be a method for the synthesis of salicyloyl‐substituted 1,2,4‐triazolo[1,5‐a]pyridines. The synthesis developed is a tandem ring‐opening/double ring‐closing process. This synthetic approach is characterized by low toxic solvents (ethanol, butanol) and mediator (Et3N), 37–84% yields, non‐chromatographic isolation of products, and substrate tolerance (59 examples). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the development of a convenient organocatalytic method for the synthesis of 5H‐pyrano[3,2‐c]chromenes from chromone‐containing acrylates and ethyl cyanoacetate. The synthesis is characterized by simple conditions (ethanol, basic catalysis) and good yields (up to 90 %). The synthesized pyrano[3,2‐c]chromenes are a promising new class of fluorescent compounds. They have intense fluorescence in the yellow‐green region of the spectrum (495–554 nm) with high quantum yields (up to 72 %) and exhibit large Stokes shifts (3514–5856 cm−1). We have demonstrated the possible application of the obtained pyrano[3,2‐c]chromenes as selective "turn‐off" sensors for nucleophilic anions, such as cyanide, sulfide and sulfite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple methodology has been developed for the synthesis of previously unstudied N‐substituted glutarimide derivatives – (Z)‐1‐(aryl(arylimino)methyl)piperidine‐2,6‐diones 4 a–p obtained in one step from C,N‐diarylformamidines 1 a–p and glutaric anhydride 6 with product yields from 46 up to 88 % and chromatographic purity from 94 to 99 %. The structures of the obtained compounds were proved using NMR spectroscopy 1H, 13C, X‐ray diffraction analysis, mass spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. An in vivo study of the analgesic activity of a representative of series 4 a was carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major challenge for plants in a rapidly changing climate is to adapt to rising temperatures. Some plants adapt to temperature conditions by generating an epigenetic memory that can be transmitted both meiotically and mitotically. Such epigenetic memories may increase phenotypic variation to global warming and provide time for adaptation to occur through classical genetic selection. The goal of this study was to understand how warmer temperature conditions experienced during sexual and asexual reproduction affect the transcriptomes of different strawberry (Fragaria vesca) ecotypes. We let four European F. vesca ecotypes reproduce at two contrasting temperatures (18 and 28°C), either asexually through stolon formation for several generations, or sexually by seeds (achenes). We then analyzed the transcriptome of unfolding leaves, with emphasis on differential expression of genes belonging to the epigenetic machinery. For asexually reproduced plants we found a general transcriptomic response to temperature conditions but for sexually reproduced plants we found less significant responses. We predicted several splicing isoforms for important genes (e.g. a SOC1, LHY, and SVP homolog), and found significantly more differentially presented splicing event variants following asexual vs. sexual reproduction. This difference could be due to the stochastic character of recombination during meiosis or to differential creation or erasure of epigenetic marks during embryogenesis and seed development. Strikingly, very few differentially expressed genes were shared between ecotypes, perhaps because ecotypes differ greatly both genetically and epigenetically. Genes related to the epigenetic machinery were predominantly upregulated at 28°C during asexual reproduction but downregulated after sexual reproduction, indicating that temperature-induced change affects the epigenetic machinery differently during the two types of reproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]