Eco-friendly one-step egg white gel preparation for sensitive detection of 13 trichothecenes in oats using UHPLC-MS/MS.

Oat products have gained widespread recognition as a health food due to their rich and balanced nutritional profile and convenience. However, the unique matrix composition of oats, which differs significantly from other cereals, presents specific challenges for mycotoxin analysis. This study presents an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method enhanced with an innovative egg white gel pretreatment for the simultaneous analysis of 13 regulated and unregulated trichothecenes in oats. The method demonstrated excellent performance with high accuracy (> 87.5%), repeatability (< 5.7%), and reproducibility (< 8.1%). Analysis of 100 commercial oat products revealed a concerning detection rate (78%) for at least one of the 11 trichothecenes investigated. Notably, deoxynivalenol, exceeding the standard limit in 2% of samples, exhibited the highest detection rate (62%). Additionally, concerning co-occurrence patterns and positive correlations were observed, highlighting potential synergistic effects. The first-time detection of unregulated mycotoxins (T-2 triol, 4,15-diacetoxyscirpenol, 15-acetoxyscirpenol, and neosolaniol) underscores the need for comprehensive monitoring. This method, while developed for oats, shows potential for broader application to other cereals, though further investigation and confirmation are necessary. These findings suggest a potentially underestimated risk of trichothecenes in oats, necessitating continuous monitoring to ensure consumer safety.

Expression Pattern of RpCSP6 from Rhopalosiphum padi and Its Binding Mechanism with Deltamethrin: Insights into Chemosensory Protein-Mediated Insecticide Resistance.

The mechanisms of insecticide resistance are complex. Recent studies have revealed a novel mechanism involving the chemosensory system in insecticide resistance. However, the specific binding mechanism between olfactory-related genes and insecticides needs to be clarified. In this study, the binding mechanism between pyrethroid insecticide deltamethrin and RpCSP6 from Rhopalosiphum padi was investigated by using computational and multiple experimental methods. RpCSP6 was expressed in different tissues and developmental stages of R. padi and can be induced by deltamethrin. Knockdown of RpCSP6 significantly increased the susceptibility of R. padi to deltamethrin. The binding affinity of RpCSP6 to 24 commonly used insecticides was measured. Seven key residues were found to steadily interact with deltamethrin, indicating their significance in the binding affinity to the insecticide. Our research provided insights for effectively analyzing the binding mechanism of insect CSPs with insecticides, facilitating the development of new and effective insecticides that target insect CSPs.

Extending diagnostic practices in gyrate atrophy: Enzymatic characterization and the development of an in vitro pyridoxine responsiveness assay.

Gyrate atrophy of the choroid and retina (GACR) is caused by pathogenic biallelic variants in the gene encoding ornithine-δ-aminotransferase (OAT), and is characterized by progressive vision loss leading to blindness. OAT is a pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP) dependent enzyme that is mainly involved in ornithine catabolism, and patients with a deficiency develop profound hyperornithinemia. Therapy is aimed at lowering ornithine levels through dietary arginine restriction and, in some cases, through enhancement of OAT activity via supraphysiological dosages of pyridoxine. In this study, we aimed to extend diagnostic practices in GACR by extensively characterizing the consequences of pathogenic variants on the enzymatic function of OAT, both at the level of the enzyme itself as well as the flux through the ornithine degradative pathway. In addition, we developed an in vitro pyridoxine responsiveness assay. We identified 14 different pathogenic variants, of which one variant was present in all patients of Dutch ancestry (p.(Gly353Asp)). In most patients the enzymatic activity of OAT as well as the rate of [14C]-ornithine flux was below the limit of quantification (LOQ). Apart from our positive control, only one patient cell line showed responsiveness to pyridoxine in vitro, which is in line with the reported in vivo pyridoxine responsiveness in this patient. None of the patients harboring the p.(Gly353Asp) substitution were responsive to pyridoxine in vivo or in vitro. In silico analysis and small-scale expression experiments showed that this variant causes a folding defect, leading to increased aggregation properties that could not be rescued by PLP. Using these results, we developed a diagnostic pipeline for new patients suspected of having GACR. Adding OAT enzymatic analyses and in vitro pyridoxine responsiveness to diagnostic practices will not only increase knowledge on the consequences of pathogenic variants in OAT, but will also enable expectation management for therapeutic modalities, thus eventually improving clinical care.

Ultrasonic extraction and antioxidant evaluation of oat saponins.

The aim of this study is to optimize the extraction process of oat saponins (Os) and to evaluate their antioxidant potential. Single factor experiment, response surface optimization design, and orthogonal test were employed to optimize the process of ultrasonic-assisted extraction of Os, and the optimal extraction conditions were as followed: ethanol volume fraction of 80 %, material-solvent ratio of 1:14, ultrasonic power of 400 W, ultrasonic time of 25 min, extraction temperature of 60℃, extraction time of 180 min, and the extraction rate of Os was 0.317 %±0.105 %. Using the method, the crude extract of Os was prepared and its abilities of scavenging radicals in vitro and inhibiting protein oxidation in pork were determined, with ascorbic acid (Vc) as the control. Results revealed that the scavenging ability of Os against DPPH radical, hydroxyl radical (·OH) and superoxide anion (O2-) increased with the concentration of Os. Interestingly, the scavenging abilities of Os against DPPH and O2- were far lower than that of Vc, but its scavenging ability against ·OH was very close to that of Vc, reaching 84.59 % and 96.33 %, respectively. Furthermore, the experiments of pork storage and Fenton oxidation system showed that Os with 0.09-0.72 mg/mL could reduce the production of carbonyl (8.49 %-50.05 %) and the oxidation of total sulfhydryl (1.29 %-25.86 %), and effectively inhibit the oxidation of protein in pork by 7.82 %-22.53 %. The results of this study will provide a theoretical basis for the application of oat saponins as a natural anti-protein oxidant in meat processing and storage.

Evaluation of In Vitro Metabolism- and Transporter-Based Drug Interactions with Sunscreen Active Ingredients.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the ability of sunscreen active ingredients to inhibit in vitro drug metabolism via cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes and drug uptake transporters. METHODS: Metabolism assays with human liver microsomes were conducted for CYP2C9, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 using probe substrates warfarin, bufuralol and midazolam, respectively. Uptake transporter assays with transfected cell lines were conducted for OAT3, OCT2 and OATP1B1 with probe substrates estrone-3-sulfate, metformin and rosuvastatin, respectively. Six sunscreen active ingredients, avobenzone, enzacamene, oxybenzone, octinoxate, trolamine, and homosalate, were evaluated up to their aqueous solubility limits in the assays. RESULTS: None of the sunscreen active ingredients inhibited CYP2D6 or CYP3A4 activities in the microsomes at concentration ranges up to tenfold higher than their known clinical total plasma levels. Only enzacamene, oxybenzone and trolamine were found to be inhibitory to CYP2C9 activity with IC50 values of 14.76, 22.46 and 154.7 µM, respectively. Avobenzone, enzacamene, homosalate and octinoxate were not inhibitory to the uptake transporters at the evaluated concentrations. Oxybenzone was inhibitory to OAT3 and OCT2 with IC50 values of 39.93 and 42.77 µM, respectively. Trolamine also inhibited uptake in OAT3 and OCT2 transfected cells with IC50 values of 448.1 and 1376 µM, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Although enzacamene, oxybenzone and trolamine inhibited CYP2C9 and the renal transporters OAT3 and OCT2 in vitro, their IC50 values exceeded total plasma levels found in clinical studies. Therefore, it is unlikely that these sunscreen active ingredients in sunscreen products will inhibit the metabolism or transport of co-administered drugs in consumers.

Reparative effects of Schizophyllum commune oat bran fermentation broth on UVB-induced skin inflammation via the JAK/STAT pathway.

Human immortal keratinocyte cells (HaCaT) are induced with UVB to establish an injury model. This model is utilized to investigate whether oat bran fermentation broth (OBF) has a reparative effect on skin inflammation and damage to the skin barrier caused by UVB irradiation. The results show that compared with unfermented oat bran (OB), OBF exhibits higher structural homogeneity, increased molecular weight size, active substances content, and in vitro antioxidant activity. OBF has a scavenging effect on excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increases the intracellular levels of antioxidant enzymes. It was found that OBF has a stronger inhibitory effect on the release of inflammatory factors than OB. It increases the synthesis of AQP3 and FLG proteins while decreasing the secretion of KLK-7. OBF can inhibit the transcription level of inflammatory factors by suppressing the JAK/STAT signaling pathway. Safety experiments demonstrate that OBF has a high safety profile.

Effect of Oat Beta-Glucan on Physicochemical Properties and Digestibility of Fava Bean Starch.

The current research examined the impact of different concentrations of oat beta-glucan (OG) on the in vitro digestibility of fava bean starch (FS). Our pasting analysis demonstrated that OG effectively decreased the viscosity and regrowth of FS, suppressing its in situ regrowth while enhancing the in vitro pasting temperature. Moreover, OG markedly diminished amylose leaching and minimized the particle size of the pasted starch. Rheological and textural evaluations demonstrated that OG markedly diminished the viscoelasticity of the starch and softened the gel strength of the composite system. Structural analysis revealed that hydrogen bonding is the primary interaction in the FS-OG system, indicating that OG interacts with amylose through hydrogen bonding, thereby delaying starch pasting and enhancing the gelatinization characteristics of FS gels. Notably, the incorporation of OG resulted in a reduction in the levels of rapidly digestible starch (RDS) and slowly digestible starch (SDS) in FS, accompanied by a notable increase in resistant starch (RS) content, from 21.30% to 31.82%. This study offers crucial insights for the application of OG in starch-based functional foods.

Transporter Proteins as Therapeutic Drug Targets-With a Focus on SGLT2 Inhibitors.

Membrane transporters interact not only with endogenous substrates but are also engaged in the transport of xenobiotics, including drugs. While the coordinated function of uptake (solute carrier family-SLC and SLCO) and efflux (ATP-binding cassette family-ABC, multidrug and toxic compound extrusion family-MATE) transporter system allows vectorial drug transport, efflux carriers alone achieve barrier functions. The modulation of transport functions was proved to be effective in the treatment strategies of various pathological states. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are the drugs most widely applied in clinical practice, especially in the treatment of diabetes mellitus and heart failure. Sodium taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP) serves as virus particles (HBV/HDV) carrier, and inhibition of its function is applied in the treatment of hepatitis B and hepatitis D by myrcludex B. Inherited cholestatic diseases, such as Alagille syndrome (ALGS) and progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC) can be treated by odevixibat and maralixibat, which inhibit activity of apical sodium-dependent bile salt transporter (ASBT). Probenecid can be considered to increase uric acid excretion in the urine mainly via the inhibition of urate transporter 1 (URAT1), and due to pharmacokinetic interactions involving organic anion transporters 1 and 3 (OAT1 and OAT3), it modifies renal excretion of penicillins or ciprofloxacin as well as nephrotoxicity of cidofovir. This review discusses clinically approved drugs that affect membrane/drug transporter function.

Oat Brewery Waste Decreased Methane Production and Alters Rumen Fermentation, Microbiota Composition, and CAZymes Profiles.

The transformation of oat brewery waste (OBW) into livestock feed could be a potential replacement for the expensive concentrate and one of the effective approaches for avoiding health hazards due to the accumulation of oat brewery waste in the environment. To explore the potential of OBW as a methane (CH4) mitigating agent, an in vitro study was undertaken to investigate the effect of graded replacement of concentrate with OBW on CH4 production, microbiota, feed fermentation, and CAZymes. A total of five treatments with variable proportions of OBW were formulated. The results indicated a linear decrease in the total gas production and a 38-52% decrease in CH4 production with a 60 and 100% replacement of concentrate with OBW. The inclusion of OBW also affected the abundance of microbes such as Firmicutes, Euryarchaeota, Methanobrevibacter, and protozoa numbers. This study demonstrated that OBW can partially replace the concentrate and effectively mitigate CH4 production; however, the concurrent decrease in fermentation cautioned for the partial replacement of concentrate with OBW at an appropriate level at which the fermentation remains unaffected while decreasing CH4 production. Therefore, waste from oat breweries can contribute to curtailing the accumulation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere.

Effect of Neutral and Acidic Protease Processing Intervals on Optimising Nutritional Value and Enhancing Physico-Chemical Properties of Oat Drink.

This study aimed to maximise the content of water-soluble protein (WSP) and ß-glucan (BG) in oat drink (OD) products by optimising the duration of treatment with neutral (NP) and acidic (AP) proteases. Additionally, it investigated the correlation between changes in the OD's nutritional profile and its rheological and sensory properties. After initial treatment with α-amylase, the OD samples were divided into two groups, i.e., one treated with NP and the other with AP for 30, 60, 120, and 180 min. The samples were then analysed for their WSP and BG contents. Samples with an optimised treatment duration were evaluated for their rheological and sensory properties. The OD sample treated with AP for 60 min exhibited the highest ß-glucan (0.52 g/100 mL) and WSP (1.56 g/100 mL) contents, improved storage stability, and the lowest sedimentation rate (2.13%/h), compared to the control OD sample. However, sensorially, this sample was characterised by a sticky, gluey mouthfeel and was less acceptable as a drinkable product. This study demonstrated the potential effect of protease treatment on enhancing the nutritional value and stability of OD products, although further studies are necessary to improve the sensory properties of these drinks.

Photosynthetic performance of glumes of oat spikelets is more stable for grain-filling stage under drought stress.

Drought stress affects plant photosynthesis, leading to a reduction in the quality and yield of crop production. Non-foliar organs play a complementary role in photosynthesis during plant growth and development and are important sources of energy. However, there are limited studies on the performance of non-foliar organs under drought stress. The photosynthetic-responsive differences of oat spikelet organs (glumes, lemmas and paleas) and flag leaves to drought stress during the grain-filling stage were examined. Under drought stress, photosynthetic performance of glume is more stable. Intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), chlorophyll b, maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II. (Fv/Fm), and electron transport rate (ETR) were significantly higher in the glume compared to the flag leaf. The transcriptome data revealed that stable expression of the RCCR gene under drought stress was the main reason for maintaining higher chlorophyll content in the glume. Additionally, no differential expression genes (DEGs) related to Photosystem Ⅰ (PSI) reaction centers were found, and drought stress primarily affects the Photosystem II (PSII) reaction center. In spikelets, the CP43 and CP47 subunits of PSII and the AtpB subunit of ATP synthase were increased on the thylakoid membrane, contributing to photosynthetic stabilisation of spikelets as a means of supplementing the limited photosynthesis of the leaves under drought stress. The results enhanced understanding of the photosynthetic performance of oat spikelet during the grain-filling stage, and also provided an important basis on improving the photosynthetic capacity of non-foliar organs for the selection and breeding new oat varieties with high yield and better drought resistance.

Carrageenan-induced conjugated oat protein isolate microgel particles as structure modulators in fat analogues and their digestion behaviors.

HYPOTHESIS: Engineering plant-based microgel particles (MPs) at a molecular scale is meaningful to prepare functional fat analogues. We hypothesize that oat protein isolate (OPI) and κ-carrageenan (CA) have synergy in MPs formation, using MPs with controllable structure, and further to fabricate fat analogues with adjustable characteristics is feasible. Their digestion fate will also be possibly modulated by interfacial coatings. EXPERIMENTS: OPI-based conjugated MPs with tunable rigidities by changing crosslinking densities were designed. The relationship between microgel structures, and emulsion gel properties was explored through spectroscopy, microstructure, rheology and tribology. The delivery to lycopene, as well as inhibiting digestion behaviors of fat analogues was evaluated in a simulated gastro-intestinal tract. FINDINGS: The rigidity of conjugated MPs could be tailored to optimize the performance of fat analogues. OPI-1 %CA MPs could stabilize emulsions up to 95 % oil fraction with fine texture. Tribological behaviors had a dependence on microgel elasticity and interfacial coatings, medium hard MP-stabilized emulsion was less disrupted without coalescence after oral processing. Digestion was delayed by denser and harder MPs by softening the interfacial particle layer or limiting lipase accessibility. Softer conjugated MPs possessed better flexibility and were broken down more easily leading to a higher rate of lipid digestion.

Exploring Oat Husks as Aggregates in Limestone-Based Composites: Effects of Surface Treatments and Binder Selection on Mechanical Performance.

The viability of incorporating agricultural by-products, such as oat husks, not yet explored in limestone-based composites, as more sustainable alternatives for use as novel aggregates may be improved through the adoption of well-known valorisation strategies applied to other plant-based resources. In this context, this work innovates by assessing how treatments on oat husk surfaces and the choice of limestone-based binders impact the mechanical performance of composites. The strategy adopted to achieve these objectives, in addition to carrying out the physical and geometric characterisation of the husks, consists of treating the husks' surface using washing cycles in water, cement/pozzolan binder, and linseed oil. Furthermore, matrices combining cement, calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2, and microsilica (SiO2) were used. In conclusion, even though the effects of different binder combinations are inconsistent, coating oat husks-especially with linseed oil-works well in delaying particle degradation and improving mechanical strength compared to untreated particles. Furthermore, when aggregates are substituted with the longer and lamellar particles of oat husk, the impact of the water/cement ratio on mechanical performance and composite workability significantly decreases.

A cohort study of 19 patients with gyrate atrophy of the choroid and retina (GACR).

PURPOSE: Gyrate atrophy of the choroid and retina (GACR) is an autosomal recessive inherited metabolic disorder (IMD) characterised by progressive retinal degeneration, leading to severe visual impairment. The rapid developments in ophthalmic genetic therapies warrant knowledge on clinical phenotype of eligible diseases such as GACR to define future therapeutic parameters in clinical trials. METHODS: Retrospective chart analysis was performed in nineteen patients. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 28.0.1.1. RESULTS: Nineteen patients were included with a mean age of 32.6 years (range 8-58). Mean age at onset of ophthalmic symptoms was 7.9 years (range 3-16). Median logMAR of visual acuity at inclusion was 0.26 (range -0.18-3.00). Mean age at cataract surgery was 28.8 years (n = 11 patients). Mean spherical equivalent of the refractive error was -8.96 (range -20.87 to -2.25). Cystoid maculopathy was present in 68% of patients, with a loss of integrity of the foveal ellipsoid zone (EZ) in 24/38 eyes. Of the 14 patients treated with dietary protein restriction, the four patients who started the diet before age 10 showed most benefit. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the severe ophthalmic disease course associated with GACR, as well as possible benefit of early dietary treatment. In addition to visual loss, patients experience severe myopia, early-onset cataract, and CME. There is a loss of foveal EZ integrity at a young age, emphasising the need for early diagnosis enabling current and future therapeutic interventions.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment and the Evaluation of Clinical Effectiveness of Uniquely Designed Oral Appliance Therapy Device.

BACKGROUND:  Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has been considered first-line therapy for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA); however, adherence to the therapy is suboptimal. Oral appliance therapy (OAT) is an alternative to CPAP that may lend to better patient adherence, quality of life, and overall patients' effectiveness of therapy. METHODS: This was a prospective, single-site, non-randomized study to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of a uniquely designed OAT device with an embedded adherence tracking chip in the treatment of mild and moderate OSA patients over three months. The effectiveness of OAT therapy was defined as the numerical product of efficacy and adherence. The efficacy of the device was defined as the change from baseline in the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). Adherence was based on usage for a minimum of 4 hours/night of use, for at least five out of seven nights a week. RESULTS: 45 participants fitted with the OAT device completed at least one follow-up visit and had recordable objective data. Average patient wearing time was 7 hours/night and a reduction of the AHI from 16.4 events/hour to 5.7 events/hour after three months of use. Mean disease alleviation (MDA), which serves as a measure of the overall therapeutic effectiveness, was 62% when looking at 4 hours/night of usage. As the comfort of the device is related to wearing time, subjective data indicated the optimum first-time fit of the device. CONCLUSION: The study OAT device was well tolerated throughout the study. When both efficacy and adherence are considered, OAT can be a clinically effective tool to treat OSA.

First report of Triticum mosaic virus infecting oat crop in the United States.

Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV, genus Poacevirus, family Potyviridae) was first reported in 2006 (Seifers et al. 2008) to infect wheat, and since then, it has been established as a constraint for US wheat production (Byamukama et al. 2013). In the field, TriMV often exists as a coinfection with wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV), and these two viruses interact synergistically to produce severe symptoms and greater yield loss (Byamukama et al. 2012; Tatineni et al. 2022). Both TriMV and WSMV are transmitted by wheat curl mites (Aceria tosichella Keifer) (McMechan et al. 2014). Wheat is the primary host reported for TriMV in the field, but Seifers et al. (2010) established oat, rye, barley, and several other cereals and grasses as hosts under controlled conditions. However, there are no documented cases of TriMV infecting oats in the field. Between 10-25 June, 2023, a total of 273 field oat plants showing foliar yellowing, yellow flecking, and streaking symptoms were collected from four different fields in Nebraska (Big Springs: 41.1029° N, 102.1451° W; Mead: 41.2292° N, 96.4938° W; Odell: 40.0459° N, 96.7984° W; Stumf: 40.5048° N, 101.4223° W). Total RNA was extracted using the MagMax Plant RNA Isolation kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific) and the KingFisher Flex Magnetic Particle Processor (Thermo Fisher Scientific) (Mondal et al. 2023). Sample RNA was assayed with a single-step multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to determine presence of WSMV and TriMV. Out of 273 symptomatic oat plants, 254 (93.04%) tested positive for at least one virus. Out of total positive samples, 238 were positive for WSMV (93.70 %), 12 plants tested positive for both TriMV and WSMV (4.70%), and 4 plants were infected with TriMV alone (1.60%). As a secondary confirmation, amplified fragments from the TriMV single infection were gel purified using a gel extraction kit (QIAquick) and sequenced (Eurofins Genomics). The nucleotide sequences were analysed using the BlastN program, compiled, and edited in the BioEdit software (Hall 1999). Sequences were deposited in the NCBI GenBank database (accession number PP475806). Nucleotide BLAST searches of the target coat protein (CP) gene showed > 98% identity to the corresponding sequences in TriMV accession MK318274. For further validation, virus inoculum was prepared by grinding field-collected plant material from plants with only TriMV present in 20 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 7.0, and then mechanically inoculating two-week-old oats (cv. Shaw n=8) and wheat (cv. Sattler, n=8) plants. Three weeks post-inoculation, all the eight wheat plants exhibited mild yellowing and streaking symptoms, while oat plants did not show obvious foliar symptoms. All wheat and oat plants were further tested positive with DAC-ELISA (antibodies produced against TriMV CP at the USDA-ARS facility in Lincoln, NE) and with RT-PCR. The specific attribution of these symptoms to TriMV in oats is not possible as none produced prominent symptoms. Asymptomatic oat infection from symptomatic field-collected oat samples could be due to oat cultivar differences. Although the prevalence of TriMV in wheat has been established across the Great Plains of the United States, to our knowledge, this is the first report of TriMV infection in US oat fields. Our finding warrant further investigation into the incidence and impact of the virus in oat crop and its potential for serving as a asymptomatic virus reservoir.

Development and Characterization of New Plant-Based Ice Cream Assortments Using Oleogels as Fat Source.

The objective of this study was to develop candelilla wax oleogels with hemp seed oil and olive oil and use them as a fat source in the development of new plant-based ice cream assortments. Oleogels were structured with 3 and 9% candelilla wax and characterized by oil-binding capacity, peroxide value and color parameters. The oil-binding capacities of 9% wax oleogels were significantly higher than those of 3% wax oleogels, while peroxide values of oleogels decrease with increasing wax dosage. All oleogel samples are yellow-green due to the pigments present in the oils and candelilla wax. Physicochemical (pH, titratable acidity, soluble solids, fat, protein) and rheological (viscosity and viscoelastic modulus) parameters of plant-based ice cream mixes with oleogels were determined. Also, sensory attributes and texture parameters were investigated. The results showed that titratable acidity and fat content of plant-based ice cream samples increased with increasing wax percentage, while pH, soluble solids and protein values are more influenced by the type of plant milk used. The plant-based ice cream sample with spelt milk, hemp oil and 9% candelilla wax received the highest overall acceptability score. The hardness of the plant-based ice cream samples increased as the percentage of candelilla wax added increased.

Assessing myBaits Target Capture Sequencing Methodology Using Short-Read Sequencing for Variant Detection in Oat Genomics and Breeding.

The integration of target capture systems with next-generation sequencing has emerged as an efficient tool for exploring specific genetic regions with a high resolution and facilitating the rapid discovery of novel alleles. Despite these advancements, the application of targeted sequencing methodologies, such as the myBaits technology, in polyploid oat species remains relatively unexplored. In this study, we utilized the myBaits target capture method offered by Daicel Arbor Biosciences to detect variants and assess their reliability for variant detection in oat genomics and breeding. Ten oat genotypes were carefully chosen for targeted sequencing, focusing on specific regions on chromosome 2A to detect variants. The selected region harbors 98 genes. Precisely designed baits targeting the genes within these regions were employed for the target capture sequencing. We employed various mappers and variant callers to identify variants. After the identification of variants, we focused on the variants identified via all variants callers to assess the applicability of the myBaits sequencing methodology in oat breeding. In our efforts to validate the identified variants, we focused on two SNPs, one deletion and one insertion identified via all variant callers in the genotypes KF-318 and NOS 819111-70 but absent in the remaining eight genotypes. The Sanger sequencing of targeted SNPs failed to reproduce target capture data obtained through the myBaits technology. Similarly, the validation of deletion and insertion variants via high-resolution melting (HRM) curve analysis also failed to reproduce target capture data, again suggesting limitations in the reliability of the myBaits target capture sequencing using short-read sequencing for variant detection in the oat genome. This study shed light on the importance of exercising caution when employing the myBaits target capture strategy for variant detection in oats. This study provides valuable insights for breeders seeking to advance oat breeding efforts and marker development using myBaits target capture sequencing, emphasizing the significance of methodological sequencing considerations in oat genomics research.

Knockout Mouse Studies Show That Mitochondrial CLPP Peptidase and CLPX Unfoldase Act in Matrix Condensates near IMM, as Fast Stress Response in Protein Assemblies for Transcript Processing, Translation, and Heme Production.

LONP1 is the principal AAA+ unfoldase and bulk protease in the mitochondrial matrix, so its deletion causes embryonic lethality. The AAA+ unfoldase CLPX and the peptidase CLPP also act in the matrix, especially during stress periods, but their substrates are poorly defined. Mammalian CLPP deletion triggers infertility, deafness, growth retardation, and cGAS-STING-activated cytosolic innate immunity. CLPX mutations impair heme biosynthesis and heavy metal homeostasis. CLPP and CLPX are conserved from bacteria to humans, despite their secondary role in proteolysis. Based on recent proteomic-metabolomic evidence from knockout mice and patient cells, we propose that CLPP acts on phase-separated ribonucleoprotein granules and CLPX on multi-enzyme condensates as first-aid systems near the inner mitochondrial membrane. Trimming within assemblies, CLPP rescues stalled processes in mitoribosomes, mitochondrial RNA granules and nucleoids, and the D-foci-mediated degradation of toxic double-stranded mtRNA/mtDNA. Unfolding multi-enzyme condensates, CLPX maximizes PLP-dependent delta-transamination and rescues malformed nascent peptides. Overall, their actions occur in granules with multivalent or hydrophobic interactions, separated from the aqueous phase. Thus, the role of CLPXP in the matrix is compartment-selective, as other mitochondrial peptidases: MPPs at precursor import pores, m-AAA and i-AAA at either IMM face, PARL within the IMM, and OMA1/HTRA2 in the intermembrane space.

Thermal aggregation behavior of silver carp myofibrillar protein at low salt content: Effect of oat ß-glucan combined with ultrasound-assisted heating.

The effects of oat ß-glucan (OG) combined with ultrasound-assisted treatment on thermal aggregation behavior of silver carp myofibrillar protein (MP) under low salt concentration were investigated. The particle size and turbidity of MP were increased to higher levels by OG participation or ultrasound treatment during the two-stage heating. Both OG and ultrasonic treatment promoted the unfolding of MP structure, evidenced by the gradual decrease of α-helix content and fluorescence intensity, as well as the increase of ß-sheet content, surface hydrophobicity and sulfhydryl content. Compared to solely OG or ultrasonic treatment, the combination of OG and ultrasound further promoted the unfolding of MP and more sulfhydryl groups were exposed in the pre-heating stage, which was conducive to strengthen the chemical forces between MP molecules. Additionally, AFM analysis revealed that the apparent morphology of the OG combined with ultrasonic treated group exhibited a smoother surface and a more uniform distribution of aggregates.