Polymerisation of gluten proteins in developing wheat grain as affected by desiccation

The breadmaking quality of wheat is affected by the composition of gluten proteins and the polymerisation of subunits that are synthesised and accumulated in developing wheat grain. The biological mechanisms and time course of these events during grain development are documented, but not widely confirmed. Therefore, the aim of this study was to monitor the accumulation of gluten protein subunits and the size distribution of protein aggregates during grain development. The effect of desiccation on the polymerisation of gluten proteins and the functional properties of gluten were also studied. The results showed that the size of glutenin polymers remained consistently low until yellow ripeness (YR), while it increased during grain desiccation after YR. Hence, this polymerisation process was presumed to be initiated by desiccation. A similar polymerisation event was also observed when premature grains were dried artificially. The composition of gluten proteins, the ratios of glutenin to gliadin and high molecular weight-glutenin subunits to low molecular weight-glutenin subunits, in premature grain after artificial desiccation showed close association with the size of glutenin polymers in artificially dried grain. Functional properties of gluten in these samples were also associated with polymer size after artificial desiccation.     

Disulphide structure of high-molecular-weight (HMW-) gliadins as affected by terminators

This study aimed at elucidating SS-bonds of HMW-gliadins (HGL) from wheat with the focus on terminators of glutenin polymerisation. HGL from wheat flour extracts non-treated or treated with the S-alkylation reagent N-ethylmaleinimide (NEMI) were compared. HGL from wheat flour Akteur were isolated, hydrolysed with thermolysin and the resulting peptides pre-separated by gel permeation chromatography and analysed by liquid chromatography/mass-spectrometry using alternating electron transfer dissociation/collision-induced dissociation. Altogether, 22 and 28 SS-peptides from samples without and with NEMI treatment, respectively, were identified. Twenty-six peptides included standard SS-bonds of α- and γ-gliadins, high-molecular-weight and low-molecular-weight glutenin subunits. Eleven SS-bonds were identified for the first time. Fifteen peptides unique to HGL contained cysteine residues from gliadins with an odd number of cysteines (ω5-, α- and γ-gliadins). Thus, gliadins with an odd number of cysteines, glutathione and cysteine had acted as terminators of glutenin polymerisation. Decisive differences between samples without and with NEMI treatment were not obvious showing that the termination of polymerisation was already completed in the flour. The two HGL samples, however, were different in the majority of ten peptides that included disulphide-linked low-molecular-weight (LMW) thiols such as glutathione and cysteine with the former being enriched in the non-treated HGL-sample.     

Temperature modulates liver lipid accumulation in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) fed low dietary levels of long‐chain n‐3 fatty acids

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were fed five graded levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n‐3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n‐3), from 1.4 to 5.2% of total fatty acids (FA, 5–17 mg kg^?1 feed), and grew from ~160 g to ~3000 g, with the period from 1450 g onwards conducted both at 6 °C and at 12 °C. All fish appeared healthy, and there were no diet‐related differences in haematological or plasma parameters, as well as intestinal histological or gut microbiota analysis. Fish reared at 6 °C had higher accumulation of storage lipids in the liver compared to fish reared at 12 °C. Liver lipids also increased with decreasing dietary EPA + DHA at 6 °C, while there was no such relationship at 12 °C. Gene expression of SREBP1 and 2, LXR, FAS and CPT1 could not explain the differences in liver lipid accumulation. In liver polar lipids, DHA was found to be reduced when dietary EPA + DHA was <2.7% of FAs, while the level of EPA in the membranes was not affected. In conclusion, reducing dietary EPA + DHA from 5.2 to 1.4% of total FAs had a minor impact on fish health. Temperature was the factor that most affected the liver lipid accumulation, but there was also an interaction with dietary components.     

Pansteatitis in polluted Olifants River impoundments: nutritional perspectives on fish in a eutrophic lake,Lake Loskop,South Africa

This study compares the aetiology of pansteatitis in Lake Loskop, relative to two other impoundments along the Olifants River. Macroscopic and microscopic pathology, age determination and analysis of stomach content, fatty acids and stable isotopes explain the high prevalence of pansteatitis in Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters) and several other species in Lake Loskop. All the dietary indicator comparisons between pansteatitis‐affected and healthy fish fail to support a systemic cause. Pansteatitis in Lake Loskop was linked to size and weight of O. mossambicus, but not to ontogenic age. Fish in Lake Loskop showed abnormally high omega‐3 to omega‐6 fatty acid ratios normally only found in marine fish with no significant difference in degree of assimilation of these fatty acids between pansteatitis‐affected and healthy fish. This explains the vulnerability to, but not the occurrence of, pansteatitis. As a cause for the pansteatitis, these results point towards sporadic vitamin E‐depleting trigger events, known sporadic fish die‐off occurrences that provide surviving fish with a rich source of rancid fats on which to scavenge. The mechanism ties pansteatitis to eutrophication and trophic cascade effects, the intrinsic drivers of the disease and suggests an adaptive management strategy that might be applied by relevant conservation authorities.     

外源溶磷菌对不同土壤条件下大豆生长特性的影响

为了明确溶磷菌在多种土壤中的应用效果,探讨了两株溶磷菌对黑土及盐碱土种植大豆的促生效应。采用盆栽试验分析了不同处理对大豆光合作用、渗透调节物质含量、生物量、氮磷吸收及产量的影响。结果表明:加菌处理可增加植株Pn,显著降低R6、R8两时期叶片可溶性蛋白、可溶性糖及游离氨基酸含量,增加R2~R8时期大豆株高和根干重,混合土壤中加菌处理也可提高植株地上部分氮、磷及植株全磷、全氮含量。添加wj1和混合菌处理的植株干重优于添加wj3的处理。黑土加混合菌可显著提高大豆R2期叶片WUE,增加V3、R2和R8这3个时期大豆地上、地下部分氮、磷及植株全氮、全磷的含量。黑土加wj1与混合土壤加菌处理的大豆株荚数、总粒数、单株粒重及百粒重均高于未加菌处理。添加外源溶磷菌,对黑土及盐碱土栽培大豆均有不同程度的促生效果,能明显增强大豆在混合盐碱土壤中的适应性,增加植株生物量、氮磷吸收量和产量,且混合菌处理对大豆的促生效应优于wj1及wj3单一菌株处理。     

The importance of dietary HUFA for meagre larvae (Argyrosomus regius; Asso, 1801) and its relation with antioxidant vitamins E and C

Despite the interest of meagre (Argyrosomus regius) as a fast‐growing candidate for Mediterranean aquaculture diversification, there is a lack of information on nutrition along larval development. Importance of highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) and the antioxidant vitamins E and vitamin C has not been investigated yet in this species. Six diets with two levels of HUFA (0.4% and 3% dw), two of vitamin E (1500 and 3000 mg kg^?1) and two of vitamin C (1800 and 3600 mg kg^?1) were fed to 15 dah meagre larvae. Larval growth in total length and dry body weight was significantly lowest in larvae fed diet 0.4/150/180 and showed few lipid droplets in enterocytes and hepatocytes and lower HUFA contents than the initial larvae. Increase in dietary HUFA up to 3%, significantly improved larval growth and lipid absorption and deposition. Besides, among fish fed 3% HUFA, increase in vitamin E and vitamin C significantly improved body weight, as well as total lipid, 22:6n‐3 and n‐3 fatty acids contents in the larvae. Thus, the results showed that 0.4% dietary HUFA is not enough to cover the essential fatty acid requirements of larval meagre and a high HUFA requirement in weaning diets is foreseen for this species. Besides, the results also pointed out the importance of dietary vitamin E and C to protect these essential fatty acids from oxidation, increase their contents in the larvae and promote growth, suggesting high vitamin E and C requirements in meagre larvae (higher than 1500 and 1800 mg kg^?1 for vitamin E and vitamin C respectively).     

鲜食大豆新品种辽鲜豆3号选育及栽培要点

鲜食大豆新品种辽鲜豆3号是辽宁省农业科学院作物研究所以清河7号为母本,辽韩11为父本进行有性杂交,经系谱法选育而成。原品系编号为辽06M09-1-2。2015年通过辽宁省农作物品种审定委员会审定。该品种口感香甜、柔糯。适于在辽宁省铁岭、沈阳、鞍山、辽阳、锦州及葫芦岛等地区种植。     

大豆Abhydrolase_3基因家族进化分析

异黄酮是大豆的重要次生代谢物,参与植物与微生物互作。2-羟基异黄酮脱水酶(hydroxyisoflavanone dehydratase,HID)催化2-羟基异黄酮形成稳定的异黄酮。HID属于Abhydrolase_3基因家族,该基因家族具有多种功能,但该基因家族在大豆中的进化模式尚待研究。为了研究Abhydrolase_3基因家族在大豆中的进化模式,本文在大豆基因组中鉴定了62个Abhydrolase_3基因,串联和片段复制是该基因家族主要扩增方式。根据系统进化关系,将大豆Abhydrolase_3基因家族划分为8个亚家族,其中HID所在的亚家族I基因数量最多,并发生多次基因扩增事件。对大豆Abhydrolase_3基因家族结构分析表明,不同亚家族具有不同的基序。多态性分析表明,亚家族Ⅰ、Ⅲ和Ⅴ具有较高的核苷酸差异,并受到放松的自然选择。基因表达分析表明,除了亚家族II和IV外,其它亚家族的基因在大豆不同组织中有较高表达;亚家族Ⅰ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ、Ⅴ和Ⅵ基因受病原菌诱导表达。结果说明HID所在的亚家族I存在基因扩增和功能分化,与病原菌互作相关的基因具有较高的遗传多样性并受病原菌诱导表达。     

茶树GGPS基因家族的克隆、生物信息学和表达分析

牻牛儿基牻牛儿基焦磷酸合酶(Geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase,GGPS)是萜类合成途径的结构酶,对植物生长发育具有重要意义。本研究通过RACE和RT-PCR方法克隆得到5条潜在的茶树GGPS序列,分别命名为CsGGPS1-4和CsGGPS9,其中CsGGPS9存在3条等位基因,分别是CsGGPS9-1、CsGGPS9-2和CsGGPS9-3,在系统进化树上与其他基因分成两支。蛋白质序列分析表明,茶树GGPS家族成员都具有polyprenyl_synt结构域,不存在信号肽序列。亚细胞定位预测结果显示,CsGGPS1、CsGGPS2和CsGGPS4定位在叶绿体上,CsGGPS3和CsGGPS9定位在线粒体上。通过Swiss Model进行三维建模,结合"three-floor"模型对茶树GGPS家族成员的功能进行预测,预测结果显示,CsGGPS1、CsGGPS2和CsGGPS4是GGPS;CsGGPS3是异源二聚体形式的牻牛儿基焦磷酸合酶的小亚基;CsGGPS9的催化主产物是碳链数大于30的异戊烯基焦磷酸。q RT-PCR分析表明,CsGGPS1整体表达丰度较低,仅在一芽二叶中表达量稍高;CsGGPS2在茶树各个组织中均有表达,在花中表达量最高,且花发育过程中表达量先上升后下降;CsGGPS3在叶和幼根中的表达量高于花,花发育过程中表达平稳;CsGGPS4在茶树各个组织中表达量数值相近,在花发育过程中表达量变化趋势与CsGGPS2相同;CsGGPS9的表达量在成熟叶中显著低于幼嫩叶片。     

大豆PAL2-3基因的克隆及转化研究

大豆异黄酮是苯丙氨酸代谢途径中合成的一类次级代谢产物,在苯丙氨酸代谢途径中,苯丙氨酸解氨酶(PAL)是关键酶和限速酶。本课题组前期研究发现PAL基因的相对表达量与大豆异黄酮含量具有明显的协同增减趋势,并且在PAL基因家族成员时空表达模式分析中发现,PAL2-3(XM_003542493)是PAL基因家族中相对表达量较高的主要表达成员之一。本试验首先通过克隆大豆中PAL2-3基因;然后构建pCAMBIA3301-GmPAL2-3植物过表达载体,将构建好的pCAMBIA3301-GmPAL2-3表达载体重组质粒转化到根癌农杆菌EHA105中;采用农杆菌介导的大豆子叶节转化体系获得转化植株,并对T1代转化植株进行PPT检测,外源标记基因Bar检测以及荧光定量PCR检测,对转基因阳性植株进行大豆籽粒异黄酮含量的测定。结果表明T_1代转基因植株中PAL2-3基因的表达量是对照的5.11~11.24倍,总异黄酮含量最高的(2 587.63μg·g~(-1))是对照(1 616.90μg·g~(-1))的1.6倍。因此在大豆中过量表达PAL2-3基因可以提高大豆籽粒中异黄酮含量。