An UMAMIT-GTR transporter cascade controls glucosinolate seed loading in Arabidopsis.

Many plant species translocate maternally synthesized specialized metabolites to the seed to protect the developing embryo and later the germinating seedling before it initiates its own de novo synthesis. While the transport route into the seed is well established for primary metabolites, no model exists for any class of specialized metabolites that move from maternal source tissue(s) to embryo. Glucosinolate seed loading in Arabidopsis depends on plasma membrane localized exporters (USUALLY MULTIPLE AMINO ACIDS MOVE IN AND OUT TRANSPORTERs, UMAMITs) and importers (GLUCOSINOLATE TRANSPORTERs, GTRs), but the critical barriers in the seed loading process remain unknown.

Systematic engineering pinpoints a versatile strategy for the expression of functional cytochrome P450 enzymes in Escherichia coli cell factories.

Production of plant secondary metabolites in engineered microorganisms provides a scalable and sustainable alternative to their sourcing from nature or through chemical synthesis. However, the biosynthesis of many valuable plant-derived products relies on cytochromes P450 - enzymes notoriously difficult to express in microbes. To improve their expression in Escherichia coli, an arsenal of engineering strategies was developed, often paired with an extensive screening of enzyme variants.

Identification of key amino acid residues in AtUMAMIT29 for transport of glucosinolates.

Glucosinolates are key defense compounds of plants in Brassicales order, and their accumulation in seeds is essential for the protection of the next generation. Recently, members of the Usually Multiple Amino acids Move In and Out Transporter (UMAMIT) family were shown to be essential for facilitating transport of seed-bound glucosinolates from site of synthesis within the reproductive organ to seeds. Here, we set out to identify amino acid residues responsible for glucosinolate transport activity of the main seed glucosinolate exporter UMAMIT29 in .

Export of defensive glucosinolates is key for their accumulation in seeds.

Plant membrane transporters controlling metabolite distribution contribute key agronomic traits. To eliminate anti-nutritional factors in edible parts of crops, the mutation of importers can block the accumulation of these factors in sink tissues. However, this often results in a substantially altered distribution pattern within the plant, whereas engineering of exporters may prevent such changes in distribution.

Exploring everyday life dynamics in meat reduction - A cluster analysis of flexitarians in Denmark.

Exploring everyday life dynamics in meat reduction - a cluster analysis of flexitarians in Denmark. Flexitarians are attracting increasing attention in the research on meat reduction. But there has been limited focus on comprehensive understandings of a broader range of dynamics that can work as barriers and facilitators for meat reduction.