Molecular cloning and functional characterization of the fatty acid delta 6 desaturase (FAD6) gene in the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus

The sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus), an important echinodermata, had high value in nutrition and medicine for its rich collagen, sulphated polysaccharide, glycosides and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The cDNA of the fatty acid desaturase gene in A. japonicus (AJFAD6) was cloned and was found to encode a desaturase with delta 6 FAD activity. Sequence analysis indicated that AJFAD6 included an open reading frame of 1392 bp, encoding 463 amino acids. AJFAD6 has all the conserved motifs found in other members of the FAD6 family, including an N‐terminal cytochrome b5 domain and three histidine‐rich regions. qRT‐PCR showed that AJFAD6 was expressed in all tissues tested during juvenile development and was mainly expressed in the respiratory tree at 150 days after adherence (150 days) and in the intestine at 100 days. Furthermore, AJFAD6 mRNA was also detected in the analysed adult tissues, with higher expression in the intestine and testis. Functional characterization of AJFAD6 in a recombinant yeast, Pichia pastoris, showed that AJFAD6 could catalyse exogenous linoleic acid (LA) and α‐linolenic acid (ALA) to produce γ‐linoleic acid (GLA) and stearidonic acid (STA), respectively, at conversion rates of 11.1% for LA to GLA and 3.4% for ALA to STA. Our results suggested that the biosynthetic pathway of PUFA existed in the sea cucumber, but endogenous production of eicosapentaenoic acid, arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid from either LA or ALA precursor appeared to be limited.     

不同施肥条件对土池培育小球藻总脂含量及脂肪酸组成的影响

以辽宁盘锦光合蟹业有限公司养殖基地为试验场所,研究施以3种肥料(化肥、鸡肥、化肥与鸡肥的混和肥)对土池培育小球藻的主要营养指标——脂质含量和脂肪酸组成的影响。试验结果表明,施混合肥所培养的小球藻,其藻细胞密度略高于化肥组和鸡肥组;混合肥组小球藻的脂质含量(鲜质量的5.36%)也高于化肥组(鲜质量的4.02%)和鸡肥组(鲜质量的2.89%);混合肥组小球藻的多不饱和脂肪酸和高度不饱和脂肪酸的含量显著优于单一施化肥或鸡肥的小球藻。因此,在土池中施混合肥更有利于培育出高质量的小球藻。     

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.     

应用响应面优化辣木γ-氨基丁酸富集工艺研究

通过富集方式和干燥方法的单因素实验,最陡爬坡试验和响应面设计,优化辣木鲜叶γ-氨基丁酸(γ-aminobutyric acid,GABA)的富集工艺。建立的辣木鲜叶中GABA最适富集条件为辣木鲜叶在45℃下,真空处理34 h,然后50℃干燥。该条件处理的辣木GABA含量为(19.70±0.16)mg/g,是对照的2.63倍。     

Effect of dietary GroBiotic®‐A supplementation as a prebiotic on the intestinal microflora,growth performance,haemato‐serological parameters,survival rate and body composition in juvenile beluga (Huso huso Linnaeus, 1754)

The objectives of the present study were to investigate of GroBiotic^®‐A (GBA) on growth, autochthonous intestinal microbiota and haemato‐serological parameters of beluga juvenile. A total of 180 fish (40.82 ± 5.81 g) were fed diets containing graded levels of GBA (0, 5, 10 and 20 g kg^?1 diet) for 8 weeks. No significantly differences in body composition, total viable aerobic bacteria, mean cell volume, mean cell haemoglobin, mean cell haemoglobin concentration, neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes, albumin, glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase were detected between treatment groups. The fish fed on 10 and 20 g kg^?1 GBA significantly showed higher lactic acid bacteria, final weight, body weight increases, weight gain and lower feed conversion ratio compared with the control and 5 g kg^?1 groups. The group fed 20 g kg^?1 GBA showed a highly significant difference in condition factor, survival rate, final length, total red and white blood cells, lymphocytes, haematocrit, haemoglobin, total protein, total immunoglobulin and lysozyme activity. The specific growth rate of the treatment groups was significantly elevated compared with the control groups. These results indicated that GBA at level 20 g kg^?1 improved growth, welfare and survival of beluga juvenile.     

烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸(NAD)合成途径和水稻叶片早衰

叶片是植物进行光合作用的主要场所,其衰老由内源遗传发育信号和外界环境胁迫所启动,是一个非常复杂有序的调控过程。烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸(nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide,NAD)是脱氢酶的辅酶,在糖酵解、糖异生、三羧酸循环以及呼吸链等代谢中发挥着不可替代的作用。最新研究表明,水稻NAD生物合成参与调控沉默信息调控因子Sirtuins的生物活性、组蛋白H3K9去乙酰化、植物激素茉莉酸(JA)和叶片衰老。本文综述了有关水稻叶片衰老的细胞生理特征、Sirtuins酶活、NAD生物合成以及水稻早衰的OsSRT1-NAD调控途径和OsSRT1-Me OH-JA调控途径,以期阐明水稻叶片衰老的分子机理及其调控途径,为高产育种提供相应的理论参考。     

施用冷杉针叶三萜酸对水稻产量和品质的影响

以镇稻8号为材料,研究了不同用量冷杉针叶三萜酸对水稻产量和品质的影响。结果表明,与喷清水对照相比较,施用冷杉针叶三萜酸后能够提高水稻千粒重和产量,并能提高稻米的糙米率、整精米率、直链淀粉含量和蛋白质含量,改善稻米碾磨品质和营养品质。10%冷杉针叶三萜酸水乳液最适施药方法为:播种前拌种剂量80 mL/t、分蘖期和抽穗期喷施剂量80 mL/hm~2,能使水稻增产16.60%。     

Growth performance and whole‐body composition of yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco Richardson) under feeding restriction

Fish growth is an important index in aquaculture practice. However, the effect of growth under restricted feeding on quality of fish grown to the same size remains poorly unknown. In this study, yellow catfish were reared by feeding them at three different feeding rates such as low (FR‐L group), medium (FR‐M group) and high (apparent satiation) ration levels for 82, 58 and 34 days to reach the same size, respectively. After this period, the growth performance, whole‐body amino acid composition and fatty acid profile of the fish were evaluated. Feeding restriction led to significant decreases in specific growth rate and feed conversion efficiency. Significant increases in dry matter, protein and energy contents were observed in fish under both restricted feeding treatments. FR‐L‐treated fish had significantly lower whole‐body essential amino acid contents, and significantly higher Ala and non‐essential amino acid contents compared to fish fed to satiation. Fish in restricted feeding treatments had significantly higher n‐3 PUFA and n‐3/n‐6 ratio compared to the fish fed to satiation. The present results indicate that from a quality perspective, there are certain advantages in improvement of whole‐body composition and enrichment of n‐3 PUFA associated with the restricted feeding of yellow catfish at slow growth rate.     

Antioxidant activity and lipid peroxidation in Artemia nauplii enriched with DHA‐rich oil emulsion and the effect of adding an external antioxidant based on hydroxytyrosol

Artemia nauplii catabolize polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA); in particular, they retroconvert docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n‐3), so enrichment is a continuous quest towards increasing PUFA through the use of PUFA‐rich enrichment products. However, optimal conditions during enrichment (aeration, illumination and temperatures around 28°C) tend to accelerate autoxidation of PUFA and the formation of potentially toxic oxidation products. Water‐soluble antioxidants like the polyphenolic compound hydroxytyrosol (3,4‐dihydroxyphenylethanol), a polar molecule found in the water fraction resulting after the milling process of olives, arise as promising compounds to prevent oxidation during Artemia enrichments. We investigated the antioxidant activity and lipid peroxidation in Artemia nauplii during enrichment and the effect of adding an external antioxidant based on hydroxytyrosol during the enrichment with a PUFA‐rich emulsion (M70). For this purpose, the activity of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione‐S‐transferase, glutathione peroxidase), as well as lipid peroxidation, was determined in enriched and unenriched Artemia nauplii. To validate antioxidant activity and lipid peroxidation, in a first experiment, nauplii were enriched with microalgae (Tetraselmis suecica), yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and M70 emulsion. In a second experiment, enrichment with a commercial emulsion (DC Super Selco), M70, and a combination of M70 and hydroxytyrosol (Hytolive, HYT) added as an external antioxidant were performed. The combination of M70 with HYT produced the best results, in terms of activity of antioxidant enzymes. The analysis of the fatty acids from total lipids showed that the addition of hydroxytyrosol preserved the DHA percentage of enriched nauplii.