High-throughput seed quality analysis in faba bean: leveraging Near-InfraRed spectroscopy (NIRS) data and statistical methods.

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) provides a high-throughput phenotyping technique to assist breeding for improved faba bean seed quality. We combined chemical analysis of protein, oil content (and composition) with NIRS through chemometrics, employing Partial Least Squares (PLS), Elastic Net (EN), Memory-based Learning (MBL), and Bayes B (BB) as prediction models. Protein was the most reliably predicted trait (R = 0.

Salt stress alters the cell wall components and structure in Miscanthus sinensis stems.

Miscanthus is a perennial grass suitable for the production of lignocellulosic biomass on marginal lands. The effects of salt stress on Miscanthus cell wall composition and its consequences on biomass quality have nonetheless received relatively little attention. In this study, we investigated how exposure to moderate (100 mM NaCl) or severe (200 mM NaCl) saline growing conditions altered the composition of both primary and secondary cell wall components in the stems of 15 Miscanthus sinensis genotypes.

Synthetic bacterial community derived from a desert rhizosphere confers salt stress resilience to tomato in the presence of a soil microbiome.

The root bacterial microbiome is important for the general health of the plant. Additionally, it can enhance tolerance to abiotic stresses, exemplified by plant species found in extreme ecological niches like deserts. These complex microbe-plant interactions can be simplified by constructing synthetic bacterial communities or SynComs from the root microbiome.

High-Altitude Wild Species LA385-A Potential Source for Improvement of Plant Growth and Photosynthetic Performance at Suboptimal Temperatures.

Plant growth, development, and yield of current tomato cultivars are directly affected by low temperatures. Although wild tomato species have been suggested as a potential source for low temperature tolerance, very little is known about their behavior during the reproductive phase. Here, we investigated the impact of suboptimal temperatures (SOT, 16/14°C), as compared to control temperatures (CT, 22/20°C), on plant growth, photosynthetic capacity, and carbohydrate metabolism.

Phenotypic Variation of Cell Wall Composition and Stem Morphology in Hemp ( L.): Optimization of Methods.

The growing demands for sustainable fibers have stimulated the study of genetic diversity in the quality of hemp fiber ( L.). Nevertheless, the lack of high-throughput phenotyping methods that are suited for the analysis of hemp fiber, hampers the analysis of many accessions, and consequently the breeding for this complex trait.

Starch phosphorylation plays an important role in starch biosynthesis.

Starch phosphate esters are crucial in starch metabolism and render valuable functionality to starches for various industrial applications. A potato glucan, water dikinase (GWD1) was introduced in tubers of two different potato genetic backgrounds: an amylose-containing line Kardal and the amylose-free mutant amf. In both backgrounds, this resulted in two contrasting effects, a number of plants showed higher phosphate content compared to the respective control, while others lines exhibited lower phosphate content, thereby generating two series of starches with broad-scale variation in phosphate content.

Expression of an (Engineered) 4,6-α-Glucanotransferase in Potato Results in Changes in Starch Characteristics.

Starch structure strongly influences starch physicochemical properties, determining the end uses of starch in various applications. To produce starches with novel structure and exploit the mechanism of starch granule formation, an (engineered) 4, 6-α-glucanotransferase (GTFB) from Lactobacillus reuteri 121 was introduced into two potato genetic backgrounds: amylose-containing line Kardal and amylose-free mutant amf. The resulting starches showed severe changes in granule morphology regardless of genetic backgrounds.

Orphan Crops Browser: a bridge between model and orphan crops.

Many important crops have received little attention by the scientific community, either because they are not considered economically important or due to their large and complex genomes. De novo transcriptome assembly, using next-generation sequencing data, is an attractive option for the study of these orphan crops. In spite of the large amount of sequencing data that can be generated, there is currently a lack of tools which can effectively help molecular breeders and biologists to mine this type of information.

Detection of induced mutations in CaFAD2 genes by next-generation sequencing leading to the production of improved oil composition in Crambe abyssinica.

Crambe abyssinica is a hexaploid oil crop for industrial applications. An increase of erucic acid (C22:1) and reduction of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) contents in crambe oil is a valuable improvement. An increase in oleic acid (C18:1), a reduction in PUFA and possibly an increase in C22:1 can be obtained by down-regulating the expression of fatty acid desaturase2 genes (CaFAD2), which code for the enzyme that converts C18:1 into C18:2.

Functional analysis of the omega-6 fatty acid desaturase (CaFAD2) gene family of the oil seed crop Crambe abyssinica.

Background: Crambe abyssinica produces high erucic acid (C22:1, 55-60%) in the seed oil, which can be further increased by reduction of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels. The omega-6 fatty acid desaturase enzyme (FAD2) is known to be involved in PUFA biosynthesis. In crambe, three CaFAD2 genes, CaFAD2-C1, CaFAD2-C2 and CaFAD2-C3 are expressed.

Microwave-assisted click polymerization for the synthesis of Abeta(16-22) cyclic oligomers and their self-assembly into polymorphous aggregates.

We report on the design, synthesis, and structural analysis of cyclic oligomers with an amyloidogenic peptide sequence as the repeating unit to obtain novel self-assembling bionanomaterials. The peptide was derived from the Alzheimer Abeta(16-22) sequence since its strong tendency to form antiparallel beta-sheets ensured the formation of intermolecular hydrogen bridges on which the supramolecular assembly of the individual cyclic oligomers was based. The synthesis of the cyclic oligomers was performed via a microwave-assisted Cu(I)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of azido-Lys-Leu-Val-Phe-Phe-Ala-Glu-propargyl amide as the monomer.

Versatile conjugation of octreotide to dendrimers by cycloaddition ("click") chemistry to yield high-affinity multivalent cyclic Peptide dendrimers.

The somatostatin analogue Tyr(3)-octreotide, which has a high binding affinity for the SSTR2 receptor (somatostatin receptor subtype 2) expressed on tumor cells, is used clinically for the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of neuroendocrine tumors and gastrointestinal disorders. There is growing interest in the development of multivalent peptide systems, because they may have enhanced binding affinity compared to monovalent analogues. In this report, we describe the design and synthesis of a series of Tyr(3)-octreotide-containing monomeric, dimeric, and tetrameric dendrimeric conjugates.

Synthesis and characterization of biodegradable peptide-based polymers prepared by microwave-assisted click chemistry.

In this study, the microwave-assisted copper(I)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction was used to synthesize peptide triazole-based polymers from two novel peptide-based monomers: azido-phenylalanyl-alanyl-lysyl-propargyl amide (1) and azido-phenylalanyl-alanyl-glycolyl-lysyl-propargyl amide (2). The selected monomers have sites for enzymatic degradation as well as for chemical hydrolysis to render the resulting polymer biodegradable. Depending on the monomer concentration in DMF, the molecular mass of the polymers could be tailored between 4.

Structural insight into the recognition of the H3K4me3 mark by the TFIID subunit TAF3.

Trimethylation of lysine residue K4 of histone H3 (H3K4me3) strongly correlates with active promoters for RNA polymerase II-transcribed genes. Several reader proteins, including the basal transcription factor TFIID, for this nucleosomal mark have been identified. Its TAF3 subunit specifically binds the H3K4me3 mark via its conserved plant homeodomain (PHD) finger.

Synthesis of DOTA-conjugated multivalent cyclic-RGD peptide dendrimers via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition and their biological evaluation: implications for tumor targeting and tumor imaging purposes.

This report describes the design and synthesis of a series of alpha(V)beta(3) integrin-directed monomeric, dimeric and tetrameric cyclo[Arg-Gly-Asp-d-Phe-Lys] dendrimers using "click chemistry". It was found that the unprotected N-epsilon-azido derivative of cyclo[Arg-Gly-Asp-d-Phe-Lys] underwent a highly chemoselective conjugation to amino acid-based dendrimers bearing terminal alkynes using a microwave-assisted Cu(I)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. The alpha(V)beta(3) binding characteristics of the dendrimers were determined in vitro and their in vivoalpha(V)beta(3) targeting properties were assessed in nude mice with subcutaneously growing human SK-RC-52 tumors.

Synthesis of peptide-based polymers by microwave-assisted cycloaddition backbone polymerization.

The optimized reaction conditions for the Cu(I)-catalyzed N-->C polymerization of azido-phenylalanyl-alanyl-propargyl amide to yield either high molecular weight linear polymers or medium-sized cyclic polymers is described. These reaction conditions will be applied to tailor the synthesis, properties, and structure of biologically relevant peptide-based biopolymers.