Insights into the molecular bases of multicellular development from brown algae.

The transition from simple to complex multicellularity represents a major evolutionary step that occurred in only a few eukaryotic lineages. Comparative analyses of these lineages provide insights into the molecular and cellular mechanisms driving this transition, but limited understanding of the biology of some complex multicellular lineages, such as brown algae, has hampered progress. This Review explores how recent advances in genetic and genomic technologies now allow detailed investigations into the molecular bases of brown algae development.

from Food Products and Food Associated Environments: Antimicrobial Resistance, Genetic Clustering and Biofilm Insights.

, a foodborne pathogen, exhibits high adaptability to adverse environmental conditions and is common in the food industry, especially in ready-to-eat foods. strains pose food safety challenges due to their ability to form biofilms, increased resistance to disinfectants, and long-term persistence in the environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence and genetic diversity of in food and related environmental products collected from 2014 to 2022 and assess antibiotic susceptibility and biofilm formation abilities.

The homomorphic self-incompatibility system in Oleaceae is controlled by a hemizygous genomic region expressing a gibberellin pathway gene.

In flowering plants, outcrossing is commonly ensured by self-incompatibility (SI) systems. These can be homomorphic (typically with many different allelic specificities) or can accompany flower heteromorphism (mostly with just two specificities and corresponding floral types). The SI system of the Oleaceae family is unusual, with the long-term maintenance of only two specificities but often without flower morphology differences.

Raw milk cheeses from Beira Baixa, Portugal-A contributive study for the microbiological hygiene and safety assessment.

Due to specific bacterial microbiota, raw milk cheeses have appreciated sensory properties. However, they may pose a threat to consumer safety due to potential pathogens presence. This study evaluated the microbiological contamination of 98 raw milk cheeses from Beira Baixa, Portugal.

Death after High-Dose rAAV9 Gene Therapy in a Patient with Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy.

We treated a 27-year-old patient with Duchenne's muscular dystrophy (DMD) with recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) serotype 9 containing dCas9 (i.e., "dead" Cas9, in which the Cas9 nuclease activity has been inactivated) fused to VP64; this transgene was designed to up-regulate cortical dystrophin as a custom CRISPR-transactivator therapy.

, and Coagulase Positive Staphylococci in Cured Raw Milk Cheese from Alentejo Region, Portugal.

Traditional cheeses are part of the Portuguese gastronomic identity, and raw milk of autochthonous species is a common primary ingredient. Here, we investigated the presence of , Coagulase Positive Staphylococci (CPS) and pathogenic , as well as of indicator microorganisms ( and other spp.) in 96 cured raw milk cheeses from the Alentejo region.

Genotypic and Phenotypic Characterization of Pathogenic , spp., and spp., in Free-Living Birds in Mainland Portugal.

Birds are potential carriers of pathogens affecting humans and agriculture. Aiming to evaluate the occurrence of the top three most important foodborne pathogens in free-living birds in Portugal, we investigated 108 individual fecal samples from free-living birds and one pooled sample of gull feces ( = 50) for the presence of (pathogenic and non-pathogenic), spp. and spp.

Pathogenic , spp. and spp. in Two Natural Conservation Centers of Wildlife in Portugal: Genotypic and Phenotypic Characterization.

Human-wildlife coexistence may increase the potential risk of direct transmission of emergent or re-emergent zoonotic pathogens to humans. Intending to assess the occurrence of three important foodborne pathogens in wild animals of two wildlife conservation centers in Portugal, we investigated 132 fecal samples for the presence of (Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) and non-STEC), spp. and spp.

Polycomb Repressive Complex 2-mediated histone modification H3K27me3 is associated with embryogenic potential in Norway spruce.

Epigenetic reprogramming during germ cell formation is essential to gain pluripotency and thus embryogenic potential. The histone modification H3K27me3, which is catalysed by the Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), regulates important developmental processes in both plants and animals, and defects in PRC2 components cause pleiotropic developmental abnormalities. Nevertheless, the role of H3K27me3 in determining embryogenic potential in gymnosperms is still elusive.

Genomic imprinting in plants-revisiting existing models.

Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic phenomenon leading to parentally biased gene expression. Throughout the years, extensive efforts have been made to characterize the epigenetic marks underlying imprinting in animals and plants. As a result, DNA methylation asymmetries between parental genomes emerged as the primary factor controlling the imprinting status of many genes.

The MADS-box transcription factor PHERES1 controls imprinting in the endosperm by binding to domesticated transposons.

MADS-box transcription factors (TFs) are ubiquitous in eukaryotic organisms and play major roles during plant development. Nevertheless, their function in seed development remains largely unknown. Here, we show that the imprinted MADS-box TF PHERES1 (PHE1) is a master regulator of paternally expressed imprinted genes, as well as of non-imprinted key regulators of endosperm development.

Auxin regulates endosperm cellularization in .

The endosperm is an ephemeral tissue that nourishes the developing embryo, similar to the placenta in mammals. In most angiosperms, endosperm development starts as a syncytium, in which nuclear divisions are not followed by cytokinesis. The timing of endosperm cellularization largely varies between species, and the event triggering this transition remains unknown.

Environmental stress is the major cause of transcriptomic and proteomic changes in GM and non-GM plants.

The approval of genetically modified (GM) crops is preceded by years of intensive research to demonstrate safety to humans and environment. We recently showed that in vitro culture stress is the major factor influencing proteomic differences of GM vs. non-GM plants.

Auxin production in the endosperm drives seed coat development in .

In flowering plants, seed development is initiated by the fusion of the maternal egg and central cells with two paternal sperm cells, leading to the formation of embryo and endosperm, respectively. The fertilization products are surrounded by the maternally derived seed coat, whose development prior to fertilization is blocked by epigenetic regulators belonging to the Polycomb Group (PcG) protein family. Here we show that fertilization of the central cell results in the production of auxin and most likely its export to the maternal tissues, which drives seed coat development by removing PcG function.

Auxin production couples endosperm development to fertilization.

In flowering plants, seed development is preceded by a double fertilization event, whereby two male sperm cells fuse with two female gametes: the egg and central cells. The fertilized egg cell will form the embryo, and the fertilized central cell will give rise to the triploid endosperm, whose function is to nourish and support the embryo. Even though the endosperm has an unparalleled role for human nutrition, the molecular bases for its development are yet to be understood.

The major facilitator superfamily transporter ZIFL2 modulates cesium and potassium homeostasis in Arabidopsis.

Potassium (K(+)) is an essential mineral nutrient for plant growth and development, with numerous membrane transporters and channels having been implicated in the maintenance and regulation of its homeostasis. The cation cesium (Cs(+)) is toxic for plants but shares similar chemical properties to the K(+) ion and hence competes with its transport. Here, we report that K(+) and Cs(+) homeostasis in Arabidopsis thaliana also requires the action of ZIFL2 (Zinc-Induced Facilitator-Like 2), a member of the Major Facilitator Superfamily (MFS) of membrane transporters.

In vitro culture may be the major contributing factor for transgenic versus nontransgenic proteomic plant differences.

Identification of differences between genetically modified plants and their original counterparts plays a central role in risk assessment strategy. Our main goal was to better understand the relevance of transgene presence, genetic, and epigenetic changes induced by transgene insertion, and in vitro culture in putative unintended differences between a transgenic and its comparator. Thus, we have used multiplex fluorescence 2DE coupled with MS to characterize the proteome of three different rice lines (Oryza sativa L.

Intron retention in the 5'UTR of the novel ZIF2 transporter enhances translation to promote zinc tolerance in arabidopsis.

Root vacuolar sequestration is one of the best-conserved plant strategies to cope with heavy metal toxicity. Here we report that zinc (Zn) tolerance in Arabidopsis requires the action of a novel Major Facilitator Superfamily (MFS) transporter. We show that ZIF2 (Zinc-Induced Facilitator 2) localises primarily at the tonoplast of root cortical cells and is a functional transporter able to mediate Zn efflux when heterologously expressed in yeast.

Maize IgE binding proteins: each plant a different profile?

Background: Allergies are nearly always triggered by protein molecules and the majority of individuals with documented immunologic reactions to foods exhibit IgE hypersensitivity reactions. In this study we aimed to understand if natural differences, at proteomic level, between maize populations, may induce different IgE binding proteins profiles among maize-allergic individuals. We also intended to deepen our knowledge on maize IgE binding proteins.

Coping with abiotic stress: proteome changes for crop improvement.

Plant breeders need new and more precise tools to accelerate breeding programs that address the increasing needs for food, feed, energy and raw materials, while facing a changing environment in which high salinity and drought have major impacts on crop losses worldwide. This review covers the achievements and bottlenecks in the identification and validation of proteins with relevance in abiotic stress tolerance, also mentioning the unexpected consequences of the stress in allergen expression. While addressing the key pathways regulating abiotic stress plant adaptation, comprehensive data is presented on the proteins confirmed as relevant to confer tolerance.

A major facilitator superfamily transporter plays a dual role in polar auxin transport and drought stress tolerance in Arabidopsis.

Many key aspects of plant development are regulated by the polarized transport of the phytohormone auxin. Cellular auxin efflux, the rate-limiting step in this process, has been shown to rely on the coordinated action of PIN-formed (PIN) and B-type ATP binding cassette (ABCB) carriers. Here, we report that polar auxin transport in the Arabidopsis thaliana root also requires the action of a Major Facilitator Superfamily (MFS) transporter, Zinc-Induced Facilitator-Like 1 (ZIFL1).

Characterization of maize allergens - MON810 vs. its non-transgenic counterpart.

One of the main concerns about genetically modified foods and their potential impacts on human health is that the introduction of a new/ altered gene may putatively alter the expression of others, namely endogenous allergens. We intended to evaluate, and to compare, using quantitative real time RT-PCR technique, the expression of 5 already known maize allergens (Zea m14, Zea m25, Zea m27kD, 50kD Zein and trypsin inhibitor) in MON 810 vs. its non-transgenic counterpart, throughout seed development (10, 16 and 23days after pollination).

[Mixed drink consisting of guava (Psidium guajava. L) and forrageira palm (Opuntia fícus-indica): development and acceptability].

Nowadays, in the beverage industry, the mixture of products became an alternative to increase the nutritional value or even to develop new flavors in the formulation of mixed drinks. The objective of this work was to develop a mixed drink of forrageira palm with guava. Four formulations with different palm concentrations and soluble solids were evaluated, keeping the concentration of guava stable.