Fat and Happy: Profiling Mosquito Fat Body Lipid Storage and Composition Post-blood Meal.

The fat body is considered the insect analog of vertebrate liver and fat tissue. In mosquitoes, a blood meal triggers a series of processes in the fat body that culminate in vitellogenesis, the process of yolk formation. Lipids are stored in the fat body in specialized organelles called lipid droplets that change in size depending on the nutritional and metabolic status of the insect. We surveyed lipid droplets in female Aedes aegypti fat body during a reproductive cycle using confocal microscopy and analyzed the dynamic changes in the fat body lipidome during this process using LC/MS. We found that lipid droplets underwent dynamic changes in volume after the mosquito took a blood meal. The lipid composition found in the fat body is quite complex with 117 distinct lipids that fall into 19 classes and sublcasses. Our results demonstrate that the lipid composition of the fat body is complex as most lipid classes underwent significant changes over the course of the vitellogenic cycle. This study lays the foundation for identifying unknown biochemical pathways active in the mosquito fat body, that are high-value targets for the development of novel mosquito control strategies.

Phytoene Accumulation in the Novel Microalga Chlorococcum sp. Using the Pigment Synthesis Inhibitor Fluridone.

Carotenoids are lipophilic pigments found in plants and algae, as well as some bacteria, archaea, and fungi that serve two functions-(1) as light harvesting molecules-primary carotenoids, and (2) as antioxidants, acting against reactive oxygen species⁻secondary carotenoids. Because of their strong antioxidant properties, they are also valuable for the development of anti-aging and photo-protective cosmetic applications. Of particular interest is the carotenoid phytoene, for its colorless and UV absorption characteristics. In this study, we targeted a reduction of phytoene desaturase (PDS) activity with the pigment-inhibiting herbicide 1-methyl-3-phenyl-5-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]pyridin-4-one (fluridone), which leads to the over-accumulation of phytoene in the recently characterized microalgal strain Chlorococcum sp. (UTEX B 3056). After post-incubation with fluridone, phytoene levels were measured at ~33 ug/mg cell tissue, as opposed to non-detectable levels in control cultures. Hence, the novel microalga Chlorococcum sp. is a viable candidate for the production of the high-value carotenoid phytoene and subsequent applications in cosmeceuticals, as well as more obvious nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications.

Cyclodextrin-enhanced 1,4-dioxane treatment kinetics with TCE and 1,1,1-TCA using aqueous ozone.

Enhanced reactivity of aqueous ozone (O3) with hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HPßCD) and its impact on relative reactivity of O3 with contaminants were evaluated herein. Oxidation kinetics of 1,4-dioxane, trichloroethylene (TCE), and 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA) using O3 in single and multiple contaminant systems, with and without HPßCD, were quantified. 1,4-Dioxane decay rate constants for O3 in the presence of HPßCD increased compared to those without HPßCD. Density functional theory molecular modeling confirmed that formation of ternary complexes with HPßCD, O3, and contaminant increased reactivity by increasing reactant proximity and through additional reactivity within the HPßCD cavity. In the presence of chlorinated co-contaminants, the oxidation rate constant of 1,4-dioxane was enhanced. Use of HPßCD enabled O3 reactivity within the HPßCD cavity and enhanced 1,4-dioxane treatment rates without inhibition in the presence of TCE, TCA, and radical scavengers including NaCl and bicarbonate. Micro-environmental chemistry within HPßCD inclusion cavities mediated contaminant oxidation reactions with increased reaction specificity.

Comprehensive retention model for PFAS transport in subsurface systems.

A comprehensive compartment model is presented for PFAS retention that incorporates all potential processes relevant for transport in source zones. Miscible-displacement experiments were conducted to investigate separately the impact of adsorption at the air-water and decane-water interfaces on PFAS retention and transport. Two porous media were used, a quartz sand and a soil, and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) was used as the model PFAS. The breakthrough curves for transport under water-unsaturated conditions were shifted noticeably rightward (delayed arrival) compared to the breakthrough curves for saturated conditions, indicating greater retardation due to adsorption at the air-water or decane-water interface. The retardation factor was 7 for PFOS transport in the sand for the air-water system, compared to 1.8 for saturated conditions. PFOS retardation factors for transport in the soil were 7.3 and 3.6 for unsaturated (air-water) vs saturated conditions. Air-water interfacial adsorption is a significant source of retention for PFOS in these two systems, contributing more than 80% of total retention for the sand and 32% for the soil. For the experiments conducted with decane residual emplaced within the sand, adsorption at the decane-water interface contributed more than 70% to total retention for PFOS transport. Methods to determine or estimate key distribution variables are presented for parameterization of the model. Predicted retardation factors were similar to the measured values, indicating that the conceptual model provided adequate representation of the relevant retention processes and that the parameter estimation methods produced reasonable values. The results of this work indicate that adsorption by fluid-fluid interfaces in variably saturated porous media can be a significant retention process for PFAS that should be considered when characterizing their transport and fate behavior in source zones.

Suboptimal Temperature Acclimation Affects Kennedy Pathway Gene Expression, Lipidome and Metabolite Profile of Nannochloropsis salina during PUFA Enriched TAG Synthesis.

In humans, dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are involved in therapeutic processes such as prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, neuropsychiatric disorders, and dementia. We examined the physiology, PUFA accumulation and glycerol lipid biosynthesis in the marine microalga Nannochloropsis salina in response to constant suboptimal temperature (<20 °C). As expected, N. salina exhibited significantly reduced growth rate and photosynthetic activity compared to optimal cultivation temperature. Total fatty acid contents were not significantly elevated at reduced temperatures. Cultures grown at 5 °C had the highest quantity of eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) (C20:5n3) and the lowest growth rate. Additionally, we monitored broadband lipid composition to model the occurrence of metabolic alteration and remodeling for various lipid pools. We focused on triacylglycerol (TAG) with elevated PUFA content. TAGs with EPA at all three acyl positions were higher at a cultivation temperature of 15 °C. Furthermore, monogalactosyldiacylglycerol and digalactosyldiacylglycerol, which are polar lipids associated with chloroplast membranes, decreased with reduced cultivation temperatures. Moreover, gene expression analysis of key genes involved in Kennedy pathway for de novo TAG biosynthesis revealed bimodal variations in transcript level amongst the temperature treatments. Collectively, these results show that Nannochloropsis salina is a promising source of PUFA containing lipids.

Lewis-Acid-Mediated Union of Epoxy-Carvone Diastereomers with Anisole Derivatives: Mechanistic Insight and Application to the Synthesis of Non-natural CBD Analogues.

The use of trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate as a mild means to unite epoxy-carvone silyl ethers with anisole derivatives to yield products that are structurally similar to the CBD scaffold is reported. Importantly, unlike related methods, this process can utilize both epoxy-carvone diastereomers and does not require the use of air/moisture-sensitive organometallic reagents. Several examples of aryl nucleophiles as well as mechanistic insight based on in silico computational analysis are presented.

Hydrothermal liquefaction of Cyanidioschyzon merolae and the influence of catalysts on products.

This work investigates the hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of Cyanidioschyzon merolae algal species under various reaction temperatures and catalysts. Liquefaction of microalgae was performed with 10% solid loading for 30min at temperatures of 180-300°C to study the influences of two base and two acid catalysts on HTL product fractions. Maximum biocrude oil yield of 16.98% was obtained at 300°C with no catalyst. The biocrude oil yield increased to 22.67% when KOH was introduced into the reaction mixture as a catalyst. The algal biocrude and biochar has a higher heating values (HHV) of 32.22MJkg-1 and 20.78MJkg-1 respectively when no catalyst was used. Gas chromatography time of flight mass spectrometry (GC/TOFMS) was employed to analyze the biocrude oil composition, and elemental analysis was performed on the algae, biocrude and biochar samples. Analysis of the HTL aqueous phase revealed the presence of valuable products.

Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of kernel anthocyanins from southwestern United States blue corn.

BACKGROUND: Anthocyanin-rich blue corn is an emerging specialty crop in the USA. The antioxidant properties of blue corn offer health benefits in the human diet. The objectives of this study were to identify, characterize and quantify the anthocyanins from blue corn. Hypotheses tested were that total anthocyanin content was similar among southwestern US accessions and that it would vary across locations. It was also examined whether different anthocyanin components were unique to certain genotypes. RESULTS: Across all locations and accessions, an average of 0.43 g kg(-1) total anthocyanin content (TAC) was observed. Accessions Santa Clara Blue and Ohio Blue displayed the highest TAC. The TAC of accession Flor del Rio was lower by nearly a factor of six. A total of five anthocyanin components were identified. Cyanidin 3-glucoside was the most abundant, followed by pelargonidin and peonidin 3-glucoside. Succinyl and disuccinyl glycosidic forms of cyanidin were also identified. Cyanidin 3-disuccinylglucoside was newly identified as a novel form of anthocyanin. CONCLUSION: Quantitative and qualitative anthocyanin expression was determined to be relatively stable across multiple southwestern environments. Increased expression of red and purple pigmentation in accession Flor del Rio appeared to be associated more with reduced TAC and cyanidin 3-glucoside than with elevated pelargonidin per se. A previously unreported anthocyanin component in blue corn, cyanidin 3-disuccinylglucoside, is present in southwestern landraces. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Volatile-organic molecular characterization of shale-oil produced water from the Permian Basin.

Growth in unconventional oil and gas has spurred concerns on environmental impact and interest in beneficial uses of produced water (PW), especially in arid regions such as the Permian Basin, the largest U.S. tight-oil producer. To evaluate environmental impact, treatment, and reuse potential, there is a need to characterize the compositional variability of PW. Although hydraulic fracturing has caused a significant increase in shale-oil production, there are no high-resolution organic composition data for the shale-oil PW from the Permian Basin or other shale-oil plays (Eagle Ford, Bakken, etc.). PW was collected from shale-oil wells in the Midland sub-basin of the Permian Basin. Molecular characterization was conducted using high-resolution solid phase micro extraction gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Approximately 1400 compounds were identified, and 327 compounds had a >70% library match. PW contained alkane, cyclohexane, cyclopentane, BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene), alkyl benzenes, propyl-benzene, and naphthalene. PW also contained heteroatomic compounds containing nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur. 3D van Krevelen and double bond equivalence versus carbon number analyses were used to evaluate molecular variability. Source composition, as well as solubility, controlled the distribution of volatile compounds found in shale-oil PW. The salinity also increased with depth, ranging from 105 to 162 g/L total dissolved solids. These data fill a gap for shale-oil PW composition, the associated petroleomics plots provide a fingerprinting framework, and the results for the Permian shale-oil PW suggest that partial treatment of suspended solids and organics would support some beneficial uses such as onsite reuse and bio-energy production.

BABA and Phytophthora nicotianae Induce Resistance to Phytophthora capsici in Chile Pepper (Capsicum annuum).

Induced resistance in plants is a systemic response to certain microorganisms or chemicals that enhances basal defense responses during subsequent plant infection by pathogens. Inoculation of chile pepper with zoospores of non-host Phytophthora nicotianae or the chemical elicitor beta-aminobutyric acid (BABA) significantly inhibited foliar blight caused by Phytophthora capsici. Tissue extract analyses by GC/MS identified conserved change in certain metabolite concentrations following P. nicotianae or BABA treatment. Induced chile pepper plants had reduced concentrations of sucrose and TCA cycle intermediates and increased concentrations of specific hexose-phosphates, hexose-disaccharides and amino acids. Galactose, which increased significantly in induced chile pepper plants, was shown to inhibit growth of P. capsici in a plate assay.

Evaluation of internally illuminated photobioreactor for improving energy ratio.

The internally illuminated photobioreactor (IIPBR) design has been shown to be more efficient in utilizing the incident light energy than the externally illuminated designs. This study evaluated (i) optimal sparging of the IIPBR with CO2-enriched air (CEA) to enhance biomass productivity; and, (ii) single-stage and two-stage operation of the IIPBR to enhance lipid productivity. Growth data from two algal cultures-Scenedesmus sp. and Nannochloropsis salina, cultivated in an 18-L prototype version of the IIPBR were used to establish the optimal conditions for the two goals in terms of the energy ratio. Based on the optimized results under sparging with CEA, the energy ratio in the IIPBR in the first stage with Nannochloropsis salina was at least 6 times higher due to optimal performance of the IIPBR at lower energy input than typical literature results for other PBR designs, whereas the energy ratios in the second stage were comparable to literature results.