Useful or merely convenient? On the issue of a suitability of enzymatic antioxidant activity as a proxy for abiotic stress tolerance.

During their lifespan, plants are often exposed to a broad range of stresses that change their redox balance and lead to accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The traditional view is that this comes with negative consequences to cells structural integrity and metabolism and, to prevent this, plants evolved a complex and well-coordinated antioxidant defence system that relies on the operation of a range of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants (AO). Due to the simplicity of measuring their activity, and in the light of the persistent dogma that stress-induced ROS accumulation is detrimental for plants, it is not surprising that enzymatic AO have often been advocated as suitable proxies for stress tolerance, as well as potential targets for improving tolerance traits.

Bee pollen peptides as potent tyrosinase inhibitors with anti-melanogenesis effects in murine b16f10 melanoma cells and zebrafish embryos.

One important functional food ingredient today, valued for its health properties and ability to prevent disease, is bee pollen, which comprises a combination of nectar, pollen from plants, and the secretions of bees. In this research, the tyrosinase (TYR) inhibiting abilities of the peptides derived from bee pollen protein hydrolysates are investigated. Various proteases were utilized to generate these peptides, followed by testing at different concentrations.

Electro-bioremediation of wastewater: Transitioning the focus on pure cultures to elucidate the missing mechanistic insights upon electro-assisted biodegradation of exemplary pollutants.

Electro-bioremediation of exemplary water pollutants such as nitrogenous, phosphorous, and sulphurous compounds, hydrocarbons, metals and azo dyes has already been studied at a macro-scale level using mixed cultures. The technology has been generally established as a proof of concept at the technology readiness level (TRL) of 3, and there are already specific cases where the technology reached TRL 5. However, this technology is less utilized compared to traditional approaches.

A novel approach: enhancing marigold ( L.) genetic transformation through seed priming technology.

This research presents an innovative genetic transformation protocol for marigolds ( L.), a species of great significance in floriculture, impacting both yield and quality. The study introduces seed priming technology as a novel approach and evaluates its effect on the germination rate.

Comparative chloroplast genomics of Caryophyllaceae species: insights into sequence variations and phylogenetic evolution.

Background: Caryophyllaceae contains 100 genera and 3000 species, many of which are valuable both ecologically and economically. However, as past research has shown, the fundamental phylogenetic relationships of Caryophyllaceae are still debatable, and molecular dating based on chloroplast genomes has not been thoroughly examined for the entire family.

Methods: In this study, the complete chloroplast genome sequences of Arenaria kansuensis Maxim.

HSP90 stabilizes visual cycle retinol dehydrogenase 5 in the endoplasmic reticulum by inhibiting its degradation during autophagy.

Genetic mutations in retinol dehydrogenase 5 (RDH5), a rate-limiting enzyme of the visual cycle, is associated with nyctalopia, AMD and stationary congenital fundus albipunctatus (FA). A majority of these mutations impair RDH5 protein expression and intracellular localization. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying RDH5 metabolism remain unclear.

Genomic insights into the probiotic potential and genes linked to gallic acid metabolism in Pediococcus pentosaceus MBBL6 isolated from healthy cow milk.

Pediococcus pentosaceus is well known for its probiotic properties, including roles in improving health, antimicrobial production, and enhancing fermented food quality. This study aimed to comprehensively analyze the whole genome of P. pentosaceus MBBL6, isolated from healthy cow milk, to assess its probiotic and antimicrobial potentials.

Reference Materials for Improving Reliability of Multiomics Profiling.

High-throughput technologies for multiomics or molecular phenomics profiling have been extensively adopted in biomedical research and clinical applications, offering a more comprehensive understanding of biological processes and diseases. Omics reference materials play a pivotal role in ensuring the accuracy, reliability, and comparability of laboratory measurements and analyses. However, the current application of omics reference materials has revealed several issues, including inappropriate selection and underutilization, leading to inconsistencies across laboratories.

Genetic diversity and distinction of and in traditional Montenegrin brine cheeses and salamis.

Introduction: is a widespread acid-lactic bacterium found in the environment, humans, and animal microbiota, and it also plays a role in the production of traditional food. However, the worldwide emergence of multidrug-resistant strains represents a major public health threat and is the primary reason that the genus is not recommended for the Qualified Presumption of Safety (QPS) list of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), raising concerns about its presence in food products.

Methods: In this study, 39 and 5 isolates were obtained from artisanal brine cheeses and dry sausages, sourced from 21 different Montenegrin producers.

Taking the temperature of the United States public regarding microbiome engineering.

This paper presents the first representative survey of U.S. adults' opinions on microbiome engineering within the built environment, revealing public awareness, perceived benefits and risks, and attitudes toward genetically engineered microbiomes.

Shaping resilience: The critical role of plant response regulators in salinity stress.

Background: Salinity stress affects plant growth, development, biomass, yield, as well as their survival. A series of signaling cascade is activated to cope the deleterious effect of salinity stress. Cytokinins are known for their regulatory roles from cell growth and expansion to abiotic stress signaling.

Genome-wide identification and characterization of Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinase (CDPK) gene family in autotetraploid cultivated alfalfa (Medicago sativa subsp. sativa) and expression analysis under abiotic stresses.

Background: Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs), play multiple roles in plant development, growth and response to bio- or abiotic stresses. Calmodulin-like domains typically contain four EF-hand motifs for Ca²⁺ binding. The CDPK gene family can be divided into four subgroups in Arabidopsis, and it has been identified in many plants, such as rice, tomato, but has not been investigated in alfalfa (Medicago sativa subsp.

Nuclear receptor profiling for subtype classification and as prognostic markers in 33 cancer types.

Nuclear receptors, a group of 48 transcription factors that regulate a multitude of processes within our body, have long been employed as diagnostic markers or therapeutic targets in breast cancer, prostate cancer, and acute promyelocytic leukemia. Unfortunately, no comprehensive investigation has been conducted on their significance in other cancer types. The current study aimed to explore novel diagnostic markers by classifying nuclear receptors according to their expression patterns based on transcriptome data from The Cancer Genome Atlas on 10,071 tumor samples across 33 cancer types and investigating their association with genetic mutations, histological types, and prognosis.

Base editing of in neurons alleviates symptoms in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a multifactorial disease caused by irreversible progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons (DANs). Recent studies have reported the successful conversion of astrocytes into DANs by repressing polypyrimidine tract binding protein 1 (PTBP1), which led to the rescue of motor symptoms in a chemically-induced mouse model of PD. However, follow-up studies have questioned the validity of this astrocyte-to-DAN conversion model.

Progress and Gaps in Respiratory Disease Research and Treatment: Highlights of the IRM 2024 in Shanghai.

Respiratory diseases pose a major public health challenge globally, necessitating collaborative efforts between basic researchers and clinicians for effective solutions. China, which is heavily impacted by a broad spectrum of respiratory disorders, has made notable strides in both research and clinical management of these diseases. The International Respiratory Medicine (IRM) meeting was organized with the primary goal of facilitating the exchange of recent research developments and promoting collaboration between Chinese and American scientists in both basic and clinical research fields.

Agronomic biofortification of genetically biofortified wheat genotypes with zinc, selenium, iodine, and iron under field conditions.

Inherently low concentrations of zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), iodine (I), and selenium (Se) in wheat ( L.) grains represent a major cause of micronutrient malnutrition (hidden hunger) in human populations. Genetic biofortification represents a highly useful solution to this problem.

[Donor DNA Modification with Cas9 Targeting Sites Improves the Efficiency of MTC34 Knock-in into the CXCR4 Locus].

To successfully apply the genome editing technology using the CRISPR/Cas9 system in the clinic, it is necessary to achieve a high efficiency of knock-in, which is insertion of a genetic construct into a given locus of the target cell genome. One of the approaches to increase the efficiency of knock-in is to modify donor DNA with the same Cas9 targeting sites (CTS) that are used to induce double-strand breaks (DSBs) in the cell genome (the double-cut donor method). Another approach is based on introducing truncated CTS (tCTS), including a PAM site and 16 proximal nucleotides, into the donor DNA.

[Methods to Increase the Efficiency of Knock-in of a Construct Encoding the HIV-1 Fusion Inhibitor, MT-C34 Peptide, into the CXCR4 Locus in the CEM/R5 T Cell Line].

The low knock-in efficiency, especially in primary human cells, limits the use of the genome editing technology for therapeutic purposes, rendering it important to develop approaches for increasing the knock-in levels. In this work, the efficiencies of several approaches were studied using a model of knock-in of a construct coding for the peptide HIV fusion inhibitor MT-C34 into the human CXCR4 locus in the CEM/R5 T cell line. First, donor DNA modification was evaluated as a means to improve the efficiency of plasmid transport into the nucleus.

RNA modifications in plant adaptation to abiotic stresses.

Epitranscriptomic chemical modifications of RNAs have emerged as potent regulatory mechanisms in the plant stress adaptation process. Currently, over 170 distinct chemical modifications have been identified in mRNAs, tRNAs, rRNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs), and long-noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). The genetic and molecular studies have identified the genes responsible for adding and removing chemical modifications on RNA molecules, known as "writers" and "erasers," respectively.

Association between physical activity-related metabolic signature and cardiometabolic diseases and multimorbidity: A cohort study from UK biobank.

Objective: Physical activity has protective effects on cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs), but the role of metabolism related to physical activity in this process is unclear.

Methods: In the prospective cohort study from UK Biobank between 2006 and 2022, participants free of CMDs at baseline were included (n = 73,990). We identified physical activity-related metabolites and constructed metabolic signature using linear regression and elastic net regression.

Preimplantation genetic testing for structural rearrangements by genome-wide SNP genotyping and haplotype analysis: a prospective multicenter clinical study.

Background: Preimplantation genetic testing for chromosomal structural rearrangements (PGT-SR) has been widely utilized to select euploid embryos in patients carrying balanced chromosomal rearrangements (BCRs) by chromosome copy number analysis. However, reliable and extensively validated PGT-SR methods for selecting embryos without BCRs in large-cohort studies are lacking.

Methods: In this prospective, multicenter, cohort study, carriers with BCRs undergoing PGT-SR were recruited across 12 academic fertility centers within China.

An expert consensus statement on biomarkers of ageing for use in intervention studies.

Biomarkers of ageing serve as important outcome measures in longevity-promoting interventions. However, there is limited consensus on which specific biomarkers are most appropriate for human intervention studies. This work aimed to address this need by establishing an expert consensus on biomarkers of ageing for use in intervention studies via the Delphi method.

Interlaboratory variability of HER2 fluorescence in situ hybridization testing in breast cancer: results of a multicenter proficiency-testing ring study in China.

Background: Accurate detection of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) gene amplification via fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is necessary to determine HER2 status. Although many attempts have been made to increase the consistency of the results, the actual situation still needs to be determined. To investigate the latest interlaboratory variability of HER2 FISH testing for breast cancer, a multicenter proficiency-testing ring study was conducted in China.