Systems Metabolic Engineering to Elucidate and Enhance Intestinal Metabolic Activities of Escherichia coli Nissle 1917.

Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) is one of the most widely used probiotics to treat gastrointestinal diseases. Recently, many studies have engineered EcN to release therapeutic proteins to treat specific diseases. However, because EcN exhibits intestinal metabolic activities, it is difficult to predict outcomes after administration. In silico and fermentation profiles revealed mucin metabolism of EcN. Multiomics revealed that fucose metabolism contributes to the intestinal colonization of EcN by enhancing the synthesis of flagella and nutrient uptake. The multiomics results also revealed that excessive intracellular trehalose synthesis in EcN, which is responsible for galactose metabolism, acts as a metabolic bottleneck, adversely affecting growth. To improve the ability of EcN to metabolize galactose, otsAB genes for trehalose synthesis were deleted, resulting in the ΔotsAB strain; the ΔotsAB strain exhibited a 1.47-fold increase in the growth rate and a 1.37-fold increase in the substrate consumption rate relative to wild-type EcN.

The Carbon Stable Isotope Ratio (CIR) as an Objective Biomarker of Added Sugar Intake: A Scoping Review of Current Evidence in Human Nutrition.

Objective biomarkers of dietary intake are needed to advance nutrition research. The carbon stable isotope ratio (C13/C12; CIR) holds promise as an objective biomarker of added sugar (AS) and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake. This systematic scoping review presents the current evidence on CIRs from human studies. Search results (through April 12, 2024) yielded 6,297 studies and 24 final articles. Studies were observational (n=12), controlled feeding (n=10), or dietary interventions (n=2). CIRs were sampled from blood (n=23), hair (n=5), breath (n= 2), and/or adipose tissue (n=1). Most (n=17) conducted whole tissue (i.e., bulk) analysis, eight used compound specific isotope analysis (CSIA), and/or two studies used methods appropriate for analyzing breath. Studies were conducted in three concentrated geographic regions of the U.S. (n=7 Virginia; n=5 Arizona; n=4 Alaska), with only two studies conducted in other countries. Studies that used CSIA to examine the CIR from the non-essential amino acid alanine (CIR-Ala; n=4) and CIR analyzed from breath (n=2) provided the most robust evidence for CIR as an objective biomarker of AS and SSBs (R2 range 0.36-0.91). Studies using bulk analysis of hair or blood showed positive, but modest and more variable associations with AS and SSBs (R2 range 0.05-0.48). Few studies showed no association, particularly in non-U.S. populations and those with low AS and SSB intakes. Two studies provided evidence for CIR to detect changes in SSB intake in response to dietary interventions. Overall, the most compelling evidence supports CIR-Ala as an objective indicator of AS intake and breath CIR as an indicator of short term AS intake. Considering how to adjust for underlying dietary patterns remains an important area of future work and emerging methods using breath and CSIA warrant additional investigation. More evidence is needed to refine the utility and specificity of CIRs to measure AS and SSB intake.

Efficient derivatization-free monitoring of glycosyltransferase reactions via flow injection analysis-mass spectrometry for rapid sugar analytics.

The widespread application of enzymes in industrial chemical synthesis requires efficient process control to maintain high yields and purity. Flow injection analysis-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (FIA-ESI-MS) offers a promising solution for real-time monitoring of these enzymatic processes, particularly when handling challenging compounds like sugars and glycans, which are difficult to quickly analyze using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry due to their physical properties or the requirement for a derivatization step beforehand. This study compares the performance of FIA-MS with traditional hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC)-ultra high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC)-mass spectrometry (MS) setups for the monitoring of the enzymatic synthesis of N-acetyllactosamine (LacNAc) using beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase. Our results show that FIA-MS, without prior chromatographic separation or derivatization, can quickly generate accurate mass spectrometric data within minutes, contrasting with the lengthy separations required by LC-MS methods. The rapid data acquisition of FIA-MS enables effective real-time monitoring and adjustment of the enzymatic reactions. Furthermore, by eliminating the derivatization step, this method offers the possibility of being directly coupled to a continuously operated reactor, thus providing a rapid on-line methodology for glycan synthesis as well.

Genome-Wide Identification of GRAS Transcription Factors and Their Functional Analysis in Salt Stress Response in Sugar Beet.

GAI-RGA-and-SCR (GRAS) transcription factors can regulate many biological processes such as plant growth and development and stress defense, but there are few related studies in sugar beet. Salt stress can seriously affect the yield and quality of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris). Therefore, this study used bioinformatics methods to identify GRAS transcription factors in sugar beet and analyzed their structural characteristics, evolutionary relationships, regulatory networks and salt stress response patterns. A total of 28 BvGRAS genes were identified in the whole genome of sugar beet, and the sequence composition was relatively conservative. According to the topology of the phylogenetic tree, BvGRAS can be divided into nine subfamilies: LISCL, SHR, PAT1, SCR, SCL3, LAS, SCL4/7, HAM and DELLA. Synteny analysis showed that there were two pairs of fragment replication genes in the BvGRAS gene, indicating that gene replication was not the main source of BvGRAS family members. Regulatory network analysis showed that BvGRAS could participate in the regulation of protein interaction, material transport, redox balance, ion homeostasis, osmotic substance accumulation and plant morphological structure to affect the tolerance of sugar beet to salt stress. Under salt stress, BvGRAS and its target genes showed an up-regulated expression trend. Among them, BvGRAS-15, BvGRAS-19, BvGRAS-20, BvGRAS-21, LOC104892636 and LOC104893770 may be the key genes for sugar beet's salt stress response. In this study, the structural characteristics and biological functions of BvGRAS transcription factors were analyzed, which provided data for the further study of the molecular mechanisms of salt stress and molecular breeding of sugar beet.

Health Star Rating of Nonalcoholic, Packaged, and Ready-to-Drink Beverages in Türkiye: A Decision Tree Model Study.

This study aimed to compare the nutritional quality of beverages sold in Türkiye according to their labeling profiles. A total of 304 nonalcoholic beverages sold in supermarkets and online markets with the highest market capacity in Türkiye were included. Milk and dairy products, sports drinks, and beverages for children were excluded. The health star rating (HSR) was used to assess the nutritional quality of beverages. The nutritional quality of beverages was evaluated using a decision tree model according to the HSR score based on the variables presented on the beverage label. Moreover, confusion matrix tests were used to test the model's accuracy. The mean HSR score of beverages was 2.6±1.9, of which 30.2% were in the healthy category (HSR≥3.5). Fermented and 100% fruit juice beverages had the highest mean HSR scores. According to the decision tree model of the training set, the predictors of HSR quality score, in order of importance, were as follows: added sugar (46%), sweetener (28%), additives (19%), fructose-glucose syrup (4%), and caffeine (3%). In the test set, the accuracy rate and F1 score were 0.90 and 0.82, respectively, suggesting that the prediction performance of our model had the perfect fit. According to the HSR classification, most beverages were found to be unhealthy. Thus, they increase the risk of the development of obesity and other diseases because of their easy consumption. The decision tree learning algorithm could guide the population to choose healthy beverages based on their labeling information.

12-Plex Isobaric Multiplex Labeling Reagents for Carbonyl-Containing Compound (SUGAR) Tag-Enabled High-Throughput Quantitative Glycomics.

Glycans, which are ubiquitously distributed on most proteins and cell surfaces, are a class of important biomolecules playing crucial roles in various biological processes such as molecular recognition and cellular communication. Modern mass spectrometry (MS) coupled with novel chemical probe labeling strategies has greatly advanced analysis of glycans. However, the requirement of high-throughput and robust quantitative analysis still calls for the development of more advanced tools. Recently, we devised isobaric multiplex reagents for carbonyl-containing compound (SUGAR) tags for 4-plex N-glycan analysis. To further improve the throughput, we utilized the mass-defect strategy and expanded the multiplexing capacity to 12 channels without changing the chemical structure of the SUGAR tag, achieving a threefold enhancement in throughput compared with the original design and managing to perform high-throughput N-glycan analysis in a single LC - MS/MS injection. Herein, we present detailed methods for the synthesis of 12-plex SUGAR isobaric tags, the procedure to release and label the N-glycans from proteins, and the analysis by high-resolution LC-MS/MS, as well as data processing to achieve multiplexed quantitative glycomics.

Metabolomics signatures of sweetened beverages and added sugar are related to anthropometric measures of adiposity in young individuals: results from a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The associations of sweetened beverages (SBs) and added sugar (AS) intake with adiposity are still debated. Metabolomics could provide insights into the mechanisms linking their intake to adiposity. OBJECTIVES: We aimed (1) to identify metabolomics biomarkers of intake of low and no-calorie sweetened beverages (LNCSB), sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), and AS, and (2) to investigate their associations with body mass index, body fat percentage, and waist circumference. METHODS: We analyzed three datasets from the Dortmund Nutritional and Anthropometric Longitudinally Designed (DONALD) cohort study, of children who provided two urine samples (n = 297), adolescents who provided a single urine sample (n = 339), and young adults who provided a single plasma sample (n = 195). Urine and plasma were analyzed by untargeted metabolomics. Dietary intakes were assessed using 3-day weighed dietary records. The random forest, partial least squares, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator were jointly employed for metabolite selection. We examined associations of intakes with metabolites and anthropometric measures using linear and mixed-effects regression. RESULTS: In adolescents, LNCSB were positively associated with acesulfame, ß = 0.0012, 95% confidence interval, CI (0.0006, 0.0019) and saccharin ß = 0.0009, 95% CI (0.0002, 0.0015). In children, the association was observed with saccharin ß = 0.0016, 95% CI (0.0005, 0.0027). In urine and plasma, SSB were positively associated with 1-methylxanthine, ß = 0.0005, 95% CI (0.0003, 0.0008), ß = 0.0010, 95% CI (0.0004, 0.0015) and 5-acetylamino-6-amino-3-methyluracil, ß = 0.0005, 95% CI (0.0002, 0.0008), ß = 0.0009, 95% CI (0.0003, 0.0014), respectively. AS was associated with urinary sucrose, ß = 0.0095, 95% CI (0.0069, 0.0121) in adolescents. Some of the food-related metabolic profiles were also associated with adiposity measures. CONCLUSIONS: We identified SBs- and AS-related metabolites, which may be important for understanding the interplay between these intakes and adiposity in young individuals.

Understanding Factors that Influence Parents' Provision of Beverages to Their Children: A Qualitative Evidence Synthesis.

OBJECTIVE: Understand parental perceptions of beverages and factors influencing the beverage choices they make for their children. DATA SOURCE: A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL. STUDY INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA: Included studies contained qualitative data examining parents' perceptions of beverages or factors that influence their child's beverage consumption, were conducted in the United States between 2000 and 2022, written in English, and enrolled parents of children aged 18 years or younger. DATA EXTRACTION: Authors, titles, study aims, methods, qualitative results, and representative quotations were extracted using Covidence. DATA SYNTHESIS: Qualitative findings were independently coded by two coders. Codes were compared and discrepancies resolved through discussion with a third team member. Themes and sub-themes were identified, and representative quotations selected. RESULTS: 13 studies met inclusion criteria. Five major themes emerged: 1) factors that influence parents' provision of beverages to their children, 2) parents' concerns about sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), 3) barriers to limiting children's SSB consumption, 4) strategies to lower children's SSB consumption, and 5) parents' perceptions of beverage healthfulness. CONCLUSION: Though most parents are aware of unfavorable health effects of frequent SSB intake, environmental and sociocultural factors pose barriers to limiting their child's SSB consumption. Changes to policy and the food environment are needed to initiate and sustain reductions in SSB intake, along with continued nutrition education efforts.

Diabetic retinopathy incidence, predictors and its association with longitudinal fasting blood sugar level changes among diabetes mellitus patients in Ethiopia: joint model.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global public health problem characterized by an elevated blood glucose level. Monitoring blood sugar levels is vital for effective diabetes management and preventing complications. However, the association between longitudinal biomarkers and the incidence of diabetic complications is often overlooked. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the incidence of diabetic retinopathy, predictors, and association with longitudinal fasting blood sugar level changes among diabetes mellitus patients in Ethiopia. Methods: A multicenter retrospective follow-up study was carried out in referral hospitals in Amhara region, Ethiopia. A random sample of 462 newly diagnosed DM patients was selected. The proportional hazard assumption was checked for the survival sub-model, and for the longitudinal sub-model, the normality assumption was checked. Then the joint modeling with time-dependent lagged parameterizations was fitted. Model assumptions and comparisons were checked. Finally, the hazard ratio with a 95% confidence interval (CI) with a corresponding P-value<0.05 was used to identify predictors. Results: In this study, Overall, 54 patients developed DR, and the incidence rate was 2.33 per 1000 person-months over the follow-up period, with a 95% CI of [1.78, 3.05]. Rural residence (AHR = 2.21, 95% CI: [1.21, 4.05]), hypertension co-morbidity (AHR = 3.01, 95% CI: [1.85, 6.53]), and longer duration of DM (>5 years) (AHR = 2.28, 95% CI: [1.91, 5.15]) were important predictors for the incidence of DR. In addition, the incidence of DR was substantially correlated with the time-dependent lagged value of FBS change (AHR = 4.20, 95% CI [1.62, 10.85]). Conclusions: In this study, the incidence of diabetic retinopathy was somewhat high when compared to prior similar studies in Ethiopia. A joint model of longitudinal fasting blood sugar level changes was significantly associated with an increased risk of DR. Besides, being rural residence, hypertension co-morbidity, and a longer duration of DM were significant predictors for the incidence of DR. Therefore, public awareness, an integrated care approach, and prioritizing glycemic control are highly recommended.

Evaluating campaign concepts aimed at replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with water.

ISSUE ADDRESSED: The study addresses the global health concern of sugar overconsumption, particularly focusing on the prevalence of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among young people. METHODS: The study tested three different health promotion campaign concepts, designed to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage intake and promote water consumption as a healthier alternative. A total of 402 young adults (18-29) were recruited from a university campus and an online panel. Participants were randomly assigned to view one of three campaign images: one advocating for substituting sugar-sweetened beverages with water, and two exclusively promoting water consumption. These images were assessed through an online survey, which included questions on emotional response, salience, attitudes and intentions towards various beverages. RESULTS: Participants exposed to the campaign emphasising the benefits of water showed a greater intention to increase water consumption and reduce both sugar- and non-sugar-sweetened beverages compared with the other groups. There were no significant differences observed for the beverage choice task across the campaigns. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that messaging focusing on the benefits of water holds promise in encouraging healthier beverage consumption intentions among young adults. The lack of significant differences in the beverage choice task across the campaigns indicates a need for further research to explore long-term behaviour change effects. SO WHAT?: By highlighting the benefits of water consumption, campaigns may have the potential to positively influence beverage choices and promote healthier habits. Continued research in this area can provide valuable insights for developing more impactful interventions aimed at reducing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption.

[Research progress in physiological function of the rare sugar D-allose].

D-allose, a rare sugar with anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, immunosuppressing and other physiological functions, has become a research hotspot in recent years. This paper describes the physical and chemical properties, synthesis methods, metabolism, physiological functions, and applications of D-allose, aiming to promote the functional development of D-allose and facilitate the application of D-allose in the food field and clinical treatment.

Efficient sugar utilization and high tolerance to inhibitors enable Rhodotorula toruloides C23 to robustly produce lipid and carotenoid from lignocellulosic feedstock.

The utilization of lignocellulosic substrates for microbial oil production by oleaginous yeasts has been evidenced as an economically viable process for industrial-scale biodiesel preparation. Efficient sugar utilization and tolerance to inhibitors are critical for lipid production from lignocellulosic substrates. This study investigated the lignocellulosic sugar utilization and inhibitor tolerance characteristics of Rhodotorula toruloides C23. The results demonstrated that C23 exhibited robust glucose and xylose assimilation irrespective of their ratios, yielding over 21 g/L of lipids and 11 mg/L of carotenoids. Furthermore, C23 exhibited high resistance and efficiently degradation towards toxic inhibitors commonly found in lignocellulosic hydrolysates. The potential molecular mechanism underlying xylose metabolism in C23 was explored, with several key enzymes and signal regulation pathways identified as potentially contributing to its superior lipid synthesis performance. The study highlights R. toruloides C23 as a promising candidate for robust biofuel and carotenoid production through direct utilization of non-detoxified lignocellulosic hydrolysates.

Enzymatic production of xylooligosaccharide from lignocellulosic and marine biomass: A review of current progress, challenges, and its applications in food sectors.

Over the last decade, xylooligosaccharides (XOS) have attracted great attentions because of their unique chemical properties and excellent prebiotic effects. Among the current strategies for XOS production, enzymatic hydrolysis is preferred due to its green and safe process, simplicity in equipment, and high control of the degrees of polymerization. This paper comprehensively summarizes various lignocellulosic biomass and marine biomass employed in enzymatic production of XOS. The importance and advantages of enzyme immobilization in XOS production are also discussed. Many novel immobilization techniques for xylanase are presented. In addition, bioinformatics techniques for the mining and designing of new xylanase are also described. Moreover, XOS has exhibited great potential applications in the food industry as diverse roles, such as a sugar replacer, a fat replacer, and cryoprotectant. This review systematically summarizes the current research progress on the applications of XOS in food sectors, including beverages, bakery products, dairy products, meat products, aquatic products, food packaging film, wall materials, and others. It is anticipated that this paper will act as a reference for the further development and application of XOS in food sectors and other fields.

Examining the Impact of a Behavior Modification Program on Disease Prevention Behaviors among Individuals at Risk of Diabetes: A Quasi-Experimental Investigation.

This study aimed to develop and test a behavior modification intervention to prevent type 2 diabetes (T2DM) among at-risk individuals. The primary goal was to compare diabetes prevention behaviors and fasting blood sugar levels between the intervention and comparison groups. This study utilizes a quasi-experimental design to develop a behavior modification intervention for preventing diabetes. It involves two groups, each with pre- and post-intervention assessments, comprising 60 at-risk individuals equally divided into intervention and comparison groups. The 8-week intervention includes components like risk assessment, dietary skill enhancement, exercise, stress management, and social media platforms (data recording training, follow-up visits, reminders, and visual aids). Data collection includes self-administered questionnaires and blood sugar level measurements. Statistical analysis involved paired t-tests for within-group comparisons and independent t-tests for between-group differences. The findings showed that the intervention group achieved significantly higher average scores in nutrition, exercise, and stress management, and had significantly lower average blood sugar levels compared to the comparison group. These results suggest that healthcare providers and policymakers should develop community health programs and public health policies that incorporate integrative care, leverage social media platforms, and foster collaboration with other health professionals to improve outcomes for individuals at risk of T2DM.

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Pattern of Sugar Transporter Genes in the Brown Planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål).

Sugar transporters play important roles in controlling carbohydrate transport and are responsible for mediating the movement of sugars into cells in numerous organisms. In insects, sugar transporters not only play a role in sugar transport but may also act as receptors for virus entry and the accumulation of plant defense compounds. The brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens, inflicts damage on rice plants by feeding on their phloem sap, which is rich in sugars. In the present study, we identified 34 sugar transporters in N. lugens, which were classified into three subfamilies based on phylogenetic analysis. The motif numbers varied from seven to eleven, and motifs 2, 3, and 4 were identified in the functional domains of all 34 NlST proteins. Chromosome 1 was found to possess the highest number of NlST genes, harboring 15. The gut, salivary glands, fat body, and ovary were the different tissues enriched with NlST gene expression. The expression levels of NlST2, 3, 4, 7, 20, 27, 28, and 31 were higher in the gut than in the other tissues. When expressed in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae hexose transporter deletion mutant (strain EBY.VW4000), only ApST4 (previously characterized) and NlST4, 28, and 31 were found to transport glucose and fructose, resulting in functional rescue of the yeast mutant. These results provide valuable data for further studies on sugar transporters in N. lugens and lay a foundation for finding potential targets to control N. lugens.

Unhealthy Food and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among Bangladeshi Elderly People and Their Sociodemographic Determinants: Findings From a Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Savory crispy or fried snack (SCFS), sugary snack (SS), and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption are associated with a higher prevalence of obesity and non-communicable diseases. So, we estimated the consumption of SCFS, SS, and SSB among elderly males and females in Bangladesh. We also reported the factors associated with their consumption using data from a nationwide cross-sectional study. METHODS: We interviewed 2,482 (51.52%) elderly males and 2,335 (48.47%) elderly females for the recall for the past seven days on the intake of SCFS, SS, and SSB from 82 randomly selected clusters from rural, non-slum urban, and slum areas in Bangladesh. Sociodemographic and anthropometry data were also collected. RESULTS: Consumption of SCFS, SS, and SSB for ≥1 time per week was reported by 884 (31.5%), 1,696 (66.1%), and 1,911 (69.3%) of the elderly males and 516 (20.1%), 1,367 (53.9%), and 1,171 (34.1%) of the elderly females, respectively. Both elderly males and females from slum and non-slum urban areas consumed more SSB than their rural counterparts. Higher level of television viewing was associated with increased frequency of intake of SCFS, SS, and SSB among elderly males and SSB intake among elderly females. Nutritional status was not associated with the consumption of these foods and drinks among the elderly; however, overweight males consumed SSB less frequently. CONCLUSION: In Bangladesh, elderly males and females frequently consume unhealthy snacks and drinks. Considering their detrimental effect on health, it is necessary to reduce their consumption through policy and program measures and promote healthier foods and beverages.

Agave Wilt Susceptibility by Reduction of Free Hexoses in Root Tissue of Agave tequilana Weber var. azul Commercial Plants in the Fructan Accumulation Process.

Agave tequilana stems store fructan polymers, the main carbon source for tequila production. This crop takes six or more years for industrial maturity. In conducive conditions, agave wilt disease increases the incidence of dead plants after the fourth year. Plant susceptibility induced for limited photosynthates for defense is recognized in many crops and is known as "sink-induced loss of resistance". To establish whether A. tequilana is more prone to agave wilt as it ages, because the reduction of water-soluble carbohydrates in roots, as a consequence of greater assembly of highly polymerized fructans, were quantified roots sucrose, fructose, and glucose, as well as fructans in stems of agave plants of different ages. The damage induced by inoculation with Fusarium solani or F. oxysporum in the roots or xylem bundles, respectively, was recorded. As the agave plant accumulated fructans in the stem as the main sink, the amount of these hexoses diminished in the roots of older plants, and root rot severity increased when plants were inoculated with F. solani, as evidence of more susceptibility. This knowledge could help to structure disease management that reduces the dispersion of agave wilt, dead plants, and economic losses at the end of agave's long crop cycle.

Mechanisms and Functions of Sweet Reception in Oral and Extraoral Organs.

The oral detection of sugars relies on two types of receptor systems. The first is the G-protein-coupled receptor TAS1R2/TAS1R3. When activated, this receptor triggers a downstream signaling cascade involving gustducin, phospholipase Cß2 (PLCß2), and transient receptor potential channel M5 (TRPM5). The second type of receptor is the glucose transporter. When glucose enters the cell via this transporter, it is metabolized to produce ATP. This ATP inhibits the opening of KATP channels, leading to cell depolarization. Beside these receptor systems, sweet-sensitive taste cells have mechanisms to regulate their sensitivity to sweet substances based on internal and external states of the body. Sweet taste receptors are not limited to the oral cavity; they are also present in extraoral organs such as the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, and brain. These extraoral sweet receptors are involved in various functions, including glucose absorption, insulin release, sugar preference, and food intake, contributing to the maintenance of energy homeostasis. Additionally, sweet receptors may have unique roles in certain organs like the trachea and bone. This review summarizes past and recent studies on sweet receptor systems, exploring the molecular mechanisms and physiological functions of sweet (sugar) detection in both oral and extraoral organs.

Light signaling regulates root-knot nematode infection and development via HY5-SWEET signaling.

BACKGROUND: Meloidogyne incognita is one of the most important plant-parasitic nematodes and causes tremendous losses to the agricultural economy. Light is an important living factor for plants and pathogenic organisms, and sufficient light promotes root-knot nematode infection, but the underlying mechanism is still unclear. RESULTS: Expression level and genetic analyses revealed that the photoreceptor genes PHY, CRY, and PHOT have a negative impact on nematode infection. Interestingly, ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL5 (HY5), a downstream gene involved in the regulation of light signaling, is associated with photoreceptor-mediated negative regulation of root-knot nematode resistance. ChIP and yeast one-hybrid assays supported that HY5 participates in plant-to-root-knot nematode responses by directly binding to the SWEET negative regulatory factors involved in root-knot nematode resistance. CONCLUSIONS: This study elucidates the important role of light signaling pathways in plant resistance to nematodes, providing a new perspective for RKN resistance research.

Effects of Defatting Pretreatment on Polysaccharide Extraction from Rambutan Seeds Using Subcritical Water: Optimization Using the Desirability Approach.

Rambutan seeds are by-products generated from fruit-processing factories; the leftover seeds are buried in landfills, generating methane emissions. This work aimed to extract polysaccharides (POLS) from rambutan seeds by using subcritical water extraction (SWE). The effects of defatting pretreatment and operating parameters in SWE were investigated using a Box-Behnken design. The results show that defatting pretreatment significantly enriched the POLS yield, while it had no significant effect on the total sugar content. Using the desirability approach, the suitable feedstock for SWE was defatted rambutan seeds. The maximum desirability of 0.86 was found at a temperature range of 145-150 °C, an extraction time of 15 min, and a liquid-solid ratio of 10:1. The POLS yield and total sugar content were in the range of 52.33-55.63 g/100 g feedstock and 83.37-87.45 g/100 g POLS, respectively. The extracted POLS had an equivalent molecular weight of 413.70 kDa that could be used as an extender in plant-based products. In conclusion, the defatting pretreatment of rambutan seeds not only improved the POLS yield obtained via SWE but also generated additional lipids that could be utilized as an unconventional source of specialty fat.