Organosolv Pretreatment of Cocoa Pod Husks: Isolation, Analysis, and Use of Lignin from an Abundant Waste Product.

Cocoa pod husks (CPHs) represent an underutilized component of the chocolate manufacturing process. While industry's current focus is understandably on the cocoa beans, the husks make up around 75 wt % of the fruit. Previous studies have been dominated by the carbohydrate polymers present in CPHs, but this work highlights the presence of the biopolymer lignin in this biomass.

Integration of Aspergillus niger transcriptomic profile with metabolic model identifies potential targets to optimise citric acid production from lignocellulosic hydrolysate.

Background: Citric acid is typically produced industrially by Aspergillus niger-mediated fermentation of a sucrose-based feedstock, such as molasses. The fungus Aspergillus niger has the potential to utilise lignocellulosic biomass, such as bagasse, for industrial-scale citric acid production, but realising this potential requires strain optimisation. Systems biology can accelerate strain engineering by systematic target identification, facilitated by methods for the integration of omics data into a high-quality metabolic model.

Accessory enzymes of hypercellulolytic Penicillium funiculosum facilitate complete saccharification of sugarcane bagasse.

Background: Sugarcane bagasse (SCB) is an abundant feedstock for second-generation bioethanol production. This complex biomass requires an array of carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes), mostly from filamentous fungi, for its deconstruction to monomeric sugars for the production of value-added fuels and chemicals. In this study, we evaluated the repertoire of proteins in the secretome of a catabolite repressor-deficient strain of Penicillium funiculosum, PfMig1, in response to SCB induction and examined their role in the saccharification of SCB.

lin28 proteins promote expression of 17∼92 family miRNAs during amphibian development.

Background: Lin28 proteins are post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression with multiple roles in development and the regulation of pluripotency in stem cells. Much attention has focussed on Lin28 proteins as negative regulators of let-7 miRNA biogenesis; a function that is conserved in several animal groups and in multiple processes. However, there is increasing evidence that Lin28 proteins have additional roles, distinct from regulation of let-7 abundance.

Cdx ParaHox genes acquired distinct developmental roles after gene duplication in vertebrate evolution.

Background: The functional consequences of whole genome duplications in vertebrate evolution are not fully understood. It remains unclear, for instance, why paralogues were retained in some gene families but extensively lost in others. Cdx homeobox genes encode conserved transcription factors controlling posterior development across diverse bilaterians.

Proteomic analysis of laser capture microscopy purified myotendinous junction regions from muscle sections.

The myotendinous junction is a specialized structure of the muscle fibre enriched in mechanosensing complexes, including costameric proteins and core elements of the z-disc. Here, laser capture microdissection was applied to purify membrane regions from the myotendinous junctions of mouse skeletal muscles, which were then processed for proteomic analysis. Sarcolemma sections from the longitudinal axis of the muscle fibre were used as control for the specificity of the junctional preparation.

An essential role for LPA signalling in telencephalon development.

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) has wide-ranging effects on many different cell types, acting through G-protein-coupled receptors such as LPAR6. We show that Xenopus lpar6 is expressed from late blastulae and is enriched in the mesoderm and dorsal ectoderm of early gastrulae. Expression in gastrulae is an early response to FGF signalling.

Lin28 proteins are required for germ layer specification in Xenopus.

Lin28 family proteins share a unique structure, with both zinc knuckle and cold shock RNA-binding domains, and were originally identified as regulators of developmental timing in Caenorhabditis elegans. They have since been implicated as regulators of pluripotency in mammalian stem cells in culture. Using Xenopus tropicalis, we have undertaken the first analysis of the effects on the early development of a vertebrate embryo resulting from global inhibition of the Lin28 family.

Adam10 haploinsufficiency causes freckle-like macules in Hairless mice.

The Hairless nuclear receptor co-repressor is required for hair follicle regeneration during the hair cycle. The classical Hairless(Hr) /Hairless(Hr) mouse mutant loses all hair between 2 and 3 weeks of age. As the mice age, their trunk skin develops epidermal pigmentation, a feature of human skin which is not found in normal haired mice.

Insights into stem cell factor chemotactic guidance of neural crest cells revealed by a real-time directionality-based assay.

The extracellular environment through which neural crest cells (NCCs) translocate and differentiate plays a crucial role in the determination of cell migration and homing. In the trunk, NCC-derived melanocyte precursor cells (MPCs) take the dorsolateral pathway and colonize the skin, where they differentiate into pigment cells (PCs). Our hypothesis was that the skin, the MPCs' target tissue, may induce a directional response of NCCs toward diffusible factor(s).

Conserved and novel roles for the Gsh2 transcription factor in primary neurogenesis.

The Gsx genes encode members of the ParaHox family of homeodomain transcription factors, which are expressed in the developing central nervous system in members of all major groups of bilaterians. The Gsx genes in Xenopus show similar patterns of expression to their mammalian homologues during late development. However, they are also expressed from early neurula stages in an intermediate region of the open neural plate where primary interneurons form.

Neural crest migration requires the activity of the extracellular sulphatases XtSulf1 and XtSulf2.

In vertebrates, there are two related genes, Sulf1 and Sulf2 that code for extracellular heparan sulphate 6-0-endosulphatases. These enzymes act to post-synthetically remodel heparan sulphate chains, generating structural diversity of cell surface HSPGs; this activity provides an important mechanism to modulate developmental cell signalling. Here we describe the expression and activity of Xenopus tropicalis Sulf2 (XtSulf2), which like XtSulf1, can act extracellularly to inhibit BMP4 and FGF4 signalling.

Characterisation of the fibroblast growth factor dependent transcriptome in early development.

Background: FGF signaling has multiple roles in regulating processes in animal development, including the specification and patterning of the mesoderm. In addition, FGF signaling supports self renewal of human embryonic stem cells and is required for differentiation of murine embryonic stem cells into a number of lineages.

Methodology/principal Findings: Given the importance of FGF signaling in regulating development and stem cell behaviour, we aimed to identify the transcriptional targets of FGF signalling during early development in the vertebrate model Xenopus laevis.

Overlapping functions of Cdx1, Cdx2, and Cdx4 in the development of the amphibian Xenopus tropicalis.

Using Xenopus tropicalis, we present the first analysis of the developmental effects that result from knocking down the function of the three Cdx genes present in the typical vertebrate genome. Knockdowns of individual Cdx genes lead to a similar range of posterior defects; compound Cdx knockdowns result in increasingly severe posterior truncations, accompanied by posterior shifts and reduction of 5' Hox gene expression. We provide evidence that Cdx and Wnt3A genes are components of a positive feedback loop operating in the posterior axis.

UV irradiation affects melanocyte stimulatory activity and protein binding of piperine.

Piperine, the major alkaloid of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.; Piperaceae), stimulates melanocyte proliferation and dendrite formation in vitro. This property renders it a potential treatment for the skin depigmentation disorder vitiligo.

Activity-driven dendritic remodeling requires microtubule-associated protein 1A.

Activity-prompted dendritic remodeling leads to calcium-influx-dependent activation of signaling pathways within minutes and gene transcription within hours. However, dendrite growth continues for days and requires extension and stabilization of the cytoskeleton in nascent processes. In addition to binding microtubules, microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) associate with the actin cytoskeleton, anchor ion channels and signaling complexes, and modulate synaptic growth.

Effects of piperine analogues on stimulation of melanocyte proliferation and melanocyte differentiation.

A wide range of piperine analogues has been synthesised in order to undertake a structure-activity study of their ability to stimulate melanocyte proliferation. Results demonstrate that an aromatic ring containing at least one ether function and a carbonyl group containing side chain is essential for this activity. A number of highly active piperine analogues have been identified, for instance 1-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-penta-2E,4E-dienoic acid methyl ester (5a), 1-E,E-piperinoyl-isobutylamine (4f) and 1-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-pentanoic acid cyclohexyl amide (20).