Identification of new potential molecular actors related to fiber quality in flax through Omics.

One of the biggest challenges for a more widespread utilization of plant fibers is to better understand the different molecular factors underlying the variability in fineness and mechanical properties of both elementary and scutched fibers. Accordingly, we analyzed genome-wide transcription profiling from bast fiber bearing tissues of seven different flax varieties (4 spring, 2 winter fiber varieties and 1 winter linseed) and identified 1041 differentially expressed genes between varieties, of which 97 were related to cell wall metabolism. KEGG analysis highlighted a number of different enriched pathways.

Comparative Analysis of G-Layers in Bast Fiber and Xylem Cell Walls in Flax Using Raman Spectroscopy.

In a response to gravitropic stress, G-layers (gelatinous layers) were deposited in xylem cell walls of tilted flax plants. G-layers were produced in both tension wood (upper side) as expected but were also observed in opposite wood (lower side). Raman spectral profiles were acquired for xylem G-layers from the tension and opposite side as well as from the G-layer of bast fibers grown under non-tilted conditions.

Ratiometric Fluorescent Safranin-O Staining Allows the Quantification of Lignin Contents In Muro.

In some specific vascular plant tissues, lignin can impregnate the entire cell wall to make it more rigid and hydrophobic. Different techniques have been developed in the past years to make possible the quantification of this polyphenolic polymer at the organ or tissue level, but difficulties of access to the cellular level remain. Here we describe an approach based on ratiometric emission measurements using safranin-O and the development of a macro adapted for the FIJI software, which makes it possible to quantify lignin in three different layers of the cell wall on images captured on a fluorescent confocal microscope.

Raman spectroscopy mapping of changes in the organization and relative quantities of cell wall polymers in bast fiber cell walls of flax plants exposed to gravitropic stress.

Flax is an important fiber crop that is subject to lodging. In order to gain more information about the potential role of the bast fiber cell wall in the return to the vertical position, 6-week-old flax plants were subjected to a long-term (6 week) gravitropic stress by stem tilting in an experimental set-up that excluded autotropism. Stress induced significant morphometric changes (lumen surface, lumen diameter, and cell wall thickness and lumen surface/total fiber surface ratio) in pulling- and opposite-side fibers compared to control fibers.

Development of a Once-Daily Modified-Release Formulation for the Short Half-Life RIPK1 Inhibitor GSK2982772 using DiffCORE Technology.

Purpose: GSK2982772 is a selective inhibitor of receptor-interacting protein kinase-1 (RIPK1) with a short 2- to 3-h half-life. In a previous modified-release (MR) study, a matrix monolithic formulation (80% GSK2982772 released over 12 h) provided a once-daily (QD) pharmacokinetic (PK) profile in the fasted state; however, it was susceptible to food effects. The current study evaluated the safety and PK of MR formulations using GSK proprietary DiffCORE™ technology.

REPRISAL: mapping lignification dynamics using chemistry, data segmentation, and ratiometric analysis.

This article describes a methodology for detailed mapping of the lignification capacity of plant cell walls that we have called "REPRISAL" for REPorter Ratiometrics Integrating Segmentation for Analyzing Lignification. REPRISAL consists of the combination of three separate approaches. In the first approach, H*, G*, and S* monolignol chemical reporters, corresponding to p-coumaryl alcohol, coniferyl alcohol, and sinapyl alcohol, are used to label the growing lignin polymer in a fluorescent triple labeling strategy based on the sequential use of three main bioorthogonal chemical reactions.

A randomised, placebo-controlled study of RIPK1 inhibitor GSK2982772 in patients with active ulcerative colitis.

Objective: Tumour necrosis factor signalling via the receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) pathway regulates colonic inflammation suggesting that RIPK1 inhibition may be a potential therapeutic target in ulcerative colitis (UC). This phase IIa, randomised, double-blind experimental medicine study investigated the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD) and preliminary efficacy of the RIPK1 inhibitor GSK2982772 in patients with active UC.

Design: In part A, prior to a protocol amendment, one patient was randomised to receive GSK2982772 60 mg twice daily for 42 days.

Development of a Prototype, Once-Daily, Modified-Release Formulation for the Short Half-Life RIPK1 Inhibitor GSK2982772.

Purpose: GSK2982772 is a selective inhibitor of receptor-interacting protein kinase-1, with a 2-3 h half-life. This study evaluated if a once-daily modified-release formulation of GSK2982772 could be developed with no significant food effect.

Methods: Part A evaluated the pharmacokinetics of GSK2982772 following fasted single-dose (120 mg) administration of two matrix minitab formulations (MT-8 h and MT-12 h) vs 120 mg immediate release (IR) and MT-12 h with a high-fat meal.

Correction: EPR imaging of sinapyl alcohol and its application to the study of plant cell wall lignification.

Correction for 'EPR imaging of sinapyl alcohol and its application to the study of plant cell wall lignification' by Clémence Simon et al., Chem. Commun.

EPR imaging of sinapyl alcohol and its application to the study of plant cell wall lignification.

In bioimaging, bioorthogonal chemistry is most often used to visualize chemical reporters by fluorescence in their native environment. Herein, we show that TEMPO-based probes can be ligated to monolignol reporters by Diels-Alder chemistry in plant cell walls, paving the way for the study of lignification by EPR spectroscopy and imaging.

Targeted Metagenomics of Retting in Flax: The Beginning of the Quest to Harness the Secret Powers of the Microbiota.

The mechanical and chemical properties of natural plant fibers are determined by many different factors, both intrinsic and extrinsic to the plant, during growth but also after harvest. A better understanding of how all these factors exert their effect and how they interact is necessary to be able to optimize fiber quality for use in different industries. One important factor is the post-harvest process known as retting, representing the first step in the extraction of bast fibers from the stem of species such as flax and hemp.

Plays a Role in Lignification of Secondary Cell Walls in .

Lignin is present in plant secondary cell walls and is among the most abundant biological polymers on Earth. In this work we investigated the potential role of the gene family in regulating lignification in . Chemical determination of floral stem lignin contents in , and mutants revealed no significant differences compared to WT plants.

Characterization of the UDP-glycosyltransferase UGT72 Family in Poplar and Identification of Genes Involved in the Glycosylation of Monolignols.

Monolignols are the building blocks for lignin polymerization in the apoplastic domain. Monolignol biosynthesis, transport, storage, glycosylation, and deglycosylation are the main biological processes partaking in their homeostasis. In , members of the uridine diphosphate-dependent glucosyltransferases UGT72E and UGT72B subfamilies have been demonstrated to glycosylate monolignols.

A rapid and quantitative safranin-based fluorescent microscopy method to evaluate cell wall lignification.

One of the main characteristics of plant cells is the presence of the cell wall located outside the plasma membrane. In particular cells, this wall can be reinforced by lignin, a polyphenolic polymer that plays a central role for vascular plants, conferring hydrophobicity to conducting tissues and mechanical support for upright growth. Lignin has been studied extensively by a range of different techniques, including anatomical and morphological analyses using dyes to characterize the polymer localization in situ.

Making Breast Screening Convenient: a Community-Based Breast Screening Event During a Historically Black University's Homecoming Festivities.

A breast screening event was conducted during the homecoming festivities of a historically Black university located in a rural county in Mississippi. Two healthcare providers performed clinical breast exams for 26 African American women during the event. This was a prime opportunity to make breast screening accessible for non-elderly African American women.

One, Two, Three: A Bioorthogonal Triple Labelling Strategy for Studying the Dynamics of Plant Cell Wall Formation In Vivo.

Reported herein is an in vivo triple labelling strategy to monitor the formation of plant cell walls. Based on a combination of copper-catalysed alkyne-azide cycloaddition (CuAAC), strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition (SPAAC), and Diels-Alder reaction with inverse electronic demand (DAR ), this methodology can be applied to various plant species of interest in research. It allowed detection of the differential incorporation of alkynyl-, azido-, and methylcyclopropenyl-tagged reporters of the three main monolignols into de novo biosynthesized lignin in different tissues, cell types, or cell wall layers.

Nanoparticle-induced neuronal toxicity across placental barriers is mediated by autophagy and dependent on astrocytes.

The potential for maternal nanoparticle (NP) exposures to cause developmental toxicity in the fetus without the direct passage of NPs has previously been shown, but the mechanism remained elusive. We now demonstrate that exposure of cobalt and chromium NPs to BeWo cell barriers, an in vitro model of the human placenta, triggers impairment of the autophagic flux and release of interleukin-6. This contributes to the altered differentiation of human neural progenitor cells and DNA damage in the derived neurons and astrocytes.

Visualizing Lignification Dynamics in Plants with Click Chemistry: Dual Labeling is BLISS!

Lignin is one of the most prevalent biopolymers on the planet and a major component of lignocellulosic biomass. This phenolic polymer plays a vital structural and protective role in the development and life of higher plants. Although the intricate mechanisms regulating lignification processes in vivo strongly impact the industrial valorization of many plant-derived products, the scientific community still has a long way to go to decipher them.

Characterization of Bacterial and Fungal Community Dynamics by High-Throughput Sequencing (HTS) Metabarcoding during Flax Dew-Retting.

Flax dew-retting is a key step in the industrial extraction of fibers from flax stems and is dependent upon the production of a battery of hydrolytic enzymes produced by micro-organisms during this process. To explore the diversity and dynamics of bacterial and fungal communities involved in this process we applied a high-throughput sequencing (HTS) DNA metabarcoding approach (16S rRNA/ITS region, Illumina Miseq) on plant and soil samples obtained over a period of 7 weeks in July and August 2014. Twenty-three bacterial and six fungal phyla were identified in soil samples and 11 bacterial and four fungal phyla in plant samples.

BLISS: Shining a light on lignification in plants.

Lignin is a polyphenolic polymer of the plant cell wall formed by the oxidative polymerization of 3 main monomers called monolignols that give rise to the lignin H-, G- and S-units. Together with cellulose and hemicelluloses, lignin is a major component of plant biomass that is widely exploited by humans in numerous industrial processes. Despite recent advances in our understanding of monolignol biosynthesis, our current understanding of the spatio-temporal regulation of their transport and polymerization is more limited.

A Cell Wall Proteome and Targeted Cell Wall Analyses Provide Novel Information on Hemicellulose Metabolism in Flax.

Experimentally-generated (nanoLC-MS/MS) proteomic analyses of four different flax organs/tissues (inner-stem, outer-stem, leaves and roots) enriched in proteins from 3 different sub-compartments (soluble-, membrane-, and cell wall-proteins) was combined with publically available data on flax seed and whole-stem proteins to generate a flax protein database containing 2996 nonredundant total proteins. Subsequent multiple analyses (MapMan, CAZy, WallProtDB and expert curation) of this database were then used to identify a flax cell wall proteome consisting of 456 nonredundant proteins localized in the cell wall and/or associated with cell wall biosynthesis, remodeling and other cell wall related processes. Examination of the proteins present in different flax organs/tissues provided a detailed overview of cell wall metabolism and highlighted the importance of hemicellulose and pectin remodeling in stem tissues.

Spatial regulation of monolignol biosynthesis and laccase genes control developmental and stress-related lignin in flax.

Background: Bast fibres are characterized by very thick secondary cell walls containing high amounts of cellulose and low lignin contents in contrast to the heavily lignified cell walls typically found in the xylem tissues. To improve the quality of the fiber-based products in the future, a thorough understanding of the main cell wall polymer biosynthetic pathways is required. In this study we have carried out a characterization of the genes involved in lignin biosynthesis in flax along with some of their regulation mechanisms.

Changes in hemp secondary fiber production related to technical fiber variability revealed by light microscopy and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

Interest in hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is increasing due to the development of a new range of industrial applications based on bast fibers. However the variability of bast fiber yield and quality represents an important barrier to further exploitation.

BLISS: A Bioorthogonal Dual-Labeling Strategy to Unravel Lignification Dynamics in Plants.

A better in vivo understanding of lignin formation within plant cell walls will contribute to improving the valorization of plant-derived biomass. Although bioorthogonal chemistry provides a promising platform to study the lignification process, methodologies that simultaneously detect multiple chemical reporters in living organisms are still scarce. Here, we have developed an original bioorthogonal labeling imaging sequential strategy (BLISS) to visualize and analyze the incorporation of both p-hydroxyphenyl (H) and guaiacyl (G) units into lignin in vivo with a combination of strain-promoted and copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloadditions.