Submerged fermentation of lentil protein isolate and its impact on protein functionality, nutrition, and volatile profiles.

Fermentation of pulses as a clean processing technique has been reported to have a favorable impact on the functional and nutritional quality of the starting materials. Compared to commonly fermented pulses such as peas and chickpeas, limited information is available on the effect of fermentation on lentils, especially when using a high protein isolate (>80% protein) as compared to seeds or flours. Therefore, in the present work, lentil protein isolate was used as a feedstock for submerged fermentation with Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus oryzae, or Lactobacillus plantarum.

Self-assembled poloxamer-legumin/vicilin nanoparticles for the nanoencapsulation and controlled release of folic acid.

Plant-based food proteins are a promising choice for the preparation of nanoparticles (NPs) due to their high digestibility, low cost, and ability to interact with various compounds and nutrients. Moreover, nanoencapsulation offers a potential solution for protecting nutrients during processing and enhancing their bioavailability. This study aimed to develop and evaluate nanoparticles (NPs) based on legumin/vicilin (LV) proteins extracted from fava beans, with the goal of encapsulating and delivering a model nutraceutical compound, folic acid (FA).

Characterization of a partially saturated and glycosylated apocarotenoid from wheat that is depleted upon leaf rust infection.

Recent semi-targeted metabolomics studies have highlighted a number of metabolites in wheat that associate with leaf rust resistance genes and/or rust infection. Here, we report the structural characterization of a novel glycosylated and partially saturated apocarotenoid, reminiscent of a reduced form of mycorradicin, (6E,8E,10E)-4,9-dimethyl-12-oxo-12-((3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(2-hydroxyethoxy)tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)methoxy)-3-((3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)oxy)dodeca-6,8,10-trienoic acid, isolated from Triticum aestivum L. (Poaceae) variety 'Thatcher' (Tc) flag leaves.

Snapshot of proteomic changes in during various stages of fermentative processing of pea protein isolate.

Pea () is one of the most abundant and sustainable alternate source of protein. Although pea proteins have good quantities of most of the essential amino acids, they have a limited supply of tryptophan, methionine and cysteine. Moreover, pea proteins have poor techno-functional properties compared to proteins from animal sources, limiting their use in certain food applications.

A phenylpropanoid diglyceride associates with the leaf rust resistance Lr34res gene in wheat.

The gene Lr34res is one of the most long-lasting sources of quantitative fungal resistance in wheat. It is shown to be effective against leaf, stem, and stripe rusts, as well as powdery mildew and spot blotch. Recent biochemical characterizations of the encoded ABC transporter have outlined a number of allocrites, including phospholipids and abscisic acid, consistent with the established general promiscuity of ABC transporters, but ultimately leaving its mechanism of rust resistance unclear.

WheatCRISPR: a web-based guide RNA design tool for CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing in wheat.

Background: CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing has become a revolutionary technique for crop improvement as it can facilitate fast and efficient genetic changes without the retention of transgene components in the final plant line. Lack of robust bioinformatics tools to facilitate the design of highly specific functional guide RNAs (gRNAs) and prediction of off-target sites in wheat is currently an obstacle to effective application of CRISPR technology to wheat improvement.

Description: We have developed a web-based bioinformatics tool to design specific gRNAs for genome editing and transcriptional regulation of gene expression in wheat.

CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Targeted Mutagenesis in Wheat Doubled Haploids.

CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing technology has the potential to revolutionize agriculture, but many plant species and/or genotypes are recalcitrant to conventional transformation methods. Additionally, the long generation time of crop plants poses a significant obstacle to effective application of gene editing technology, as it takes a long time to produce modified homozygous genotypes. The haploid single-celled microspores are an attractive target for gene editing experiments, as they enable generation of homozygous doubled haploid mutants in one generation.

A Two-Step Method for Obtaining Highly Pure Cas9 Nuclease for Genome Editing, Biophysical, and Structural Studies.

Cas9 is a site-specific RNA-guided endonuclease (RGEN) that can be used for precise genome editing in various cell types from multiple species. Ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes, which contains the Cas9 protein in complex with a guide RNA, are sufficient for the precise editing of genomes in various cells. This DNA-free method is more specific in editing the target sites and there is no integration of foreign DNA into the genome.

Identification of a α-helical molten globule intermediate and structural characterization of β-cardiotoxin, an all β-sheet protein isolated from the venom of Ophiophagus hannah (king cobra).

β-Cardiotoxin is a novel member of the snake venom three-finger toxin (3FTX) family. This is the first exogenous protein to antagonize β-adrenergic receptors and thereby causing reduction in heart rates (bradycardia) when administered into animals, unlike the conventional cardiotoxins as reported earlier. 3FTXs are stable all β-sheet peptides with 60-80 amino acid residues.

The malate-activated ALMT12 anion channel in the grass is co-activated by Ca/calmodulin.

In plants, strict regulation of stomatal pores is critical for modulation of CO fixation and transpiration. Under certain abiotic and biotic stressors, pore closure is initiated through anionic flux, with calcium (Ca) playing a central role. The aluminum-activated malate transporter 12 (ALMT12) is a malate-activated, voltage-dependent member of the aluminum-activated malate transporter family that has been implicated in anionic flux from guard cells controlling the stomatal aperture.

Characterization of Triticum aestivum Abscisic Acid Receptors and a Possible Role for These in Mediating Fusairum Head Blight Susceptibility in Wheat.

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a well-characterized plant hormone, known to mediate developmental aspects as well as both abiotic and biotic stress responses. Notably, the exogenous application of ABA has recently been shown to increase susceptibility to the fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum, the causative agent of Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat and other cereals. However roles and mechanisms associated with ABA's modulation of pathogen responses remain enigmatic.

Metabolomics and Cheminformatics Analysis of Antifungal Function of Plant Metabolites.

Fusarium head blight (FHB), primarily caused by , is a devastating disease of wheat. Partial resistance to FHB of several wheat cultivars includes specific metabolic responses to inoculation. Previously published studies have determined major metabolic changes induced by pathogens in resistant and susceptible plants.

Probing allocrite preferences of 2 naturally occurring variants of the wheat LR34 ABC transporter.

For almost a century, the wheat Lr34 gene has conferred durable resistance against fungal rust diseases. While sequence homology predicts a putative ATP binding cassette transporter, the molecules that are transported (allocrites) by the encoded LR34 variants, and any associated mechanism of resistance, remain enigmatic. Here, the in vitro transport characteristics of 2 naturally occurring Lr34 variants (that differ in their ability to mediate disease resistance; Lr34sus and Lr34res) are investigated.

Structural analysis of a signal peptide inside the ribosome tunnel by DNP MAS NMR.

Proteins are synthesized in cells by ribosomes and, in parallel, prepared for folding or targeting. While ribosomal protein synthesis is progressing, the nascent chain exposes amino-terminal signal sequences or transmembrane domains that mediate interactions with specific interaction partners, such as the signal recognition particle (SRP), the SecA-adenosine triphosphatase, or the trigger factor. These binding events can set the course for folding in the cytoplasm and translocation across or insertion into membranes.

Identification of Interactions between Abscisic Acid and Ribulose-1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase.

Abscisic acid ((+)-ABA) is a phytohormone involved in the modulation of developmental processes and stress responses in plants. A chemical proteomics approach using an ABA mimetic probe was combined with in vitro assays, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), x-ray crystallography and in silico modelling to identify putative (+)-ABA binding-proteins in crude extracts of Arabidopsis thaliana. Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) was identified as a putative ABA-binding protein.

Molecular mechanisms in the selective basal activation of pyrabactin receptor 1: Comparative analysis of mutants.

Pyrabactin receptors (PYR) play a central role in abscisic acid (ABA) signal transduction; they are ABA receptors that inhibit type 2C protein phosphatases (PP2C). Molecular aspects contributing to increased basal activity of PYR against PP2C are studied by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. An extensive series of MD simulations of the apo-form of mutagenized PYR1 as a homodimer and in complex with homology to ABA-insensitive 1 (HAB1) phosphatase are reported.

Abscisic acid analogs as chemical probes for dissection of abscisic acid responses in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a phytohormone known to mediate numerous plant developmental processes and responses to environmental stress. In Arabidopsis thaliana, ABA acts, through a genetically redundant family of ABA receptors entitled Regulatory Component of ABA Receptor (RCAR)/Pyrabactin Resistant 1 (PYR1)/Pyrabactin Resistant-Like (PYL) receptors comprised of thirteen homologues acting in concert with a seven-member set of phosphatases. The individual contributions of A.

Molecular mechanisms in the activation of abscisic acid receptor PYR1.

The pyrabactin resistance 1 (PYR1)/PYR1-like (PYL)/regulatory component of abscisic acid (ABA) response (RCAR) proteins comprise a well characterized family of ABA receptors. Recent investigations have revealed two subsets of these receptors that, in the absence of ABA, either form inactive homodimers (PYR1 and PYLs 1-3) or mediate basal inhibition of downstream target type 2C protein phosphatases (PP2Cs; PYLs 4-10) respectively in vitro. Addition of ABA has been shown to release the apo-homodimers yielding ABA-bound monomeric holo-receptors that can interact with PP2Cs; highlighting a competitive-interaction process.

SecA interacts with ribosomes in order to facilitate posttranslational translocation in bacteria.

In Escherichia coli, translocation of exported proteins across the cytoplasmic membrane is dependent on the motor protein SecA and typically begins only after synthesis of the substrate has already been completed (i.e., posttranslationally).

Structural and functional characterization of a novel homodimeric three-finger neurotoxin from the venom of Ophiophagus hannah (king cobra).

Snake venoms are a mixture of pharmacologically active proteins and polypeptides that have led to the development of molecular probes and therapeutic agents. Here, we describe the structural and functional characterization of a novel neurotoxin, haditoxin, from the venom of Ophiophagus hannah (King cobra). Haditoxin exhibited novel pharmacology with antagonism toward muscle (alphabetagammadelta) and neuronal (alpha(7), alpha(3)beta(2), and alpha(4)beta(2)) nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) with highest affinity for alpha(7)-nAChRs.

Large-scale purification of ribosome-nascent chain complexes for biochemical and structural studies.

Here we present a method to purify large amounts of highly pure and stably arrested ribosome-nascent chain complexes (RNCs) from Escherichia coli cells. It relies on the combined use of translation-arrest sequences to generate nascent polypeptides of specified length and subsequent tag purification of the RNCs. Moreover, we adapted this method for the in vivo production of RNCs with specific isotope labeling of the nascent chains for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies.

Beta-cardiotoxin: a new three-finger toxin from Ophiophagus hannah (king cobra) venom with beta-blocker activity.

Snake venoms have provided a number of novel ligands with therapeutic potential. We have constructed a partial cDNA library from the mRNA of Ophiophagus hannah (king cobra) venom gland tissue and identified five new genes encoding proteins belonging to the three-finger toxin family of snake venom proteins. We have isolated and characterized one of these beta-sheet containing proteins with a mass of 7012.

Ohanin, a novel protein from king cobra venom: its cDNA and genomic organization.

Ohanin, from king cobra venom, is a novel protein which induces hypolocomotion and hyperalgesia in mice [Pung, Y.F., Wong, P.