Serum Metabolic Profiling Reveals Potential Anti-Inflammatory Effects of the Intake of Black Ginseng Extracts in Beagle Dogs.

Black ginseng (BG) has better health benefits than white ginseng. The intake of BG changes the levels of metabolites, such as amino acids, fatty acids, and other metabolites. However, there is no research on the effect of BG extract intake on the metabolic profile of dog serum. In this study, serum metabolic profiling was conducted to investigate metabolic differences following the intake of BG extracts in beagle dogs. The beagle dogs were separated into three groups and fed either a regular diet (RD, control), RD with a medium concentration of BG extract (BG-M), or RD with a high concentration of BG extract (BG-H). Differences were observed among the three groups after the dogs ingested the experimental diet for eight weeks. The concentrations of alanine, leucine, isoleucine, and valine changed with the intake of BG extracts. Furthermore, levels of glycine and ß-alanine increased in the BG-H group compared to the control and BG-M groups, indicating that BG extracts are associated with anti-inflammatory processes. Our study is the first to demonstrate the potential anti-inflammatory effect of BG extract in beagle dogs. Glycine and ß-alanine are proposed as candidate serum biomarkers in dogs that can discriminate between the effects of ingesting BG-H.

Four new and three newly recorded species of Diduga Moore, [1887] (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae) from China.

Four new species, Diduga luteogibbosa n. sp., D. allodubatolovi n. sp., D. scalprata n. sp. and D. hainanensis n. sp. are described from China along with three newly recorded species, D. albicosta Hampson, 1891, D. nigridentata Bayarsaikhan Bae, 2019 and D. hanoiensis Bayarsaikhan Bae, 2019. A key to the Chinese species of the genus Diduga, with illustrations of adults and genitalia of examined species are presented.

Investigations on Metabolic Changes in Beagle Dogs Fed Probiotic Queso Blanco Cheese and Identification of Candidate Probiotic Fecal Biomarkers Using Metabolomics Approaches.

Intake of probiotic cheese improves the intestinal health of humans and animals. However, metabolic changes in the intestines of dogs in response to the ingestion of probiotic cheese have not been evaluated. Thus, we aimed to determine the metabolic changes in healthy beagle dogs fed queso blanco cheese with added Lactobacillus reuteri KACC 92293 and Bifidobacterium longum KACC 91563 (QCLB) and to identify potential fecal biomarkers to distinguish the metabolic changes based on intake of probiotic cheese through metabolomics approaches. The dogs were randomly divided into three groups and fed a regular diet without any cheese (control), a diet with queso blanco cheese (QC), or one with QCLB for eight weeks. The concentrations of acetic, propionic, and 4-aminobutyric acids were increased in the QCLB group compared to those in the control group. Additionally, higher levels of propionic acid and lower levels of xylose were found in the QCLB group compared to those in the QC group. This is the first report on the identification of metabolic changes in beagle dogs fed queso blanco cheese with added L. reuteri KACC 92293 and B. longum KACC 91563. We also found that metabolomics approaches can be useful for identifying potential fecal markers in dogs fed probiotic cheese.

Barsine insolita, a new species from Indochina and India (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae).

Barsine Walker, 1854 is one of the largest quadrifid Erebidae genera within subtribe Nudariina (Erebidae, Arctiinae, Lithosiini). It was established for its type species Barsine defecta Walker, 1854 (by subsequent designation, Kirby (1892)) from Nepal. The genus has in the past been treated as a synonym or subgenus of Miltochrista Hübner, [1819] (Hampson 1900; Strand 1917; Reich 1937; Daniel 1951; 1952; 1955; Inoue 1980; Holloway 1982; Fang 1991; 2000; Cerný 1995). In 2001, J.D. Holloway revived Barsine as a distinct genus. The genus is widely distributed in eastern and southeastern Palaearctic and Oriental tropics and more than a hundred of valid species and subspecies were worked on by Fang (2000), Holloway (2001), Kaleka (2003), Cerný & Pinratana (2009), Cerný (1995, 2016), Bucsek (2012, 2014), Dubatolov et al. (2012), Dubatolov & Bucsek (2013), Wu et al. (2013), Kirti & Singh (2015, 2016), Volynkin & Cerný (2016a, 2016b, 2016c, 2017a, 2017b, 2017c, 2017d, 2018a, 2018b; 2019), Bayarsaikhan et al. (2018), Joshi et al. (2018), Spitsyn et al. (2018), Volynkin (2018), Volynkin et al. (2018; 2019a; 2019b; 2019c) and Huang et al. (2018).

Miltochrista nigrococcinea, a new species from Vietnam (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae).

Miltochrista Hübner is one of the largest genera of lichen-moths (family Erebidae, subfamily Arctiinae, tribe Lithosiini) including more than 160 valid species and widely distributed in Oriental and Palaearctic Regions. The genera Miltochrista and the related Asura Walker for a long time were treated in a wide sense. Hampson (1900) considered the generic names Barsine Walker, Ammatho Walker, Sesapa Walker, Cabarda Walker, Mahavira Moore, Korawa Moore and Gurna Swinhoe as synonyms of Miltochrista, and genera such as Lyclene Moore, Nepita Moore, Cyme Felder and Adites Moore under Asura. Holloway (2001) revived the genera Barsine (=Ammatho, Mahavira and Korawa), Cabarda, Lyclene, Nepita, Cyme and Adiles and transferred most of species of Miltochrista to Barsine and Cabarda, and most of species of Asura to Lyclene, Adiles, Cyme and Nepita. Later, the genera Gurna and Sesapa were also revalidated by Volynkin (2016; 2017a). According to Holloway (2001) the main differences between Miltochrista and Lyclene are wing venation and number of cornuti. However, these features may vary within the genus, while the ground plan of clasping apparatuses of the two taxa is the same. For this reason, Kirti Singh (2016) synonymized Lyclene with Miltochrista. Volynkin et al. (2018) confirmed this synonymy and considered Miltochrista sensu Holloway (2001) as the M. miniata (Forster) species-group only.

Dynamics of Short-Term Metabolic Profiling in Radish Sprouts (Raphanus sativus L.) in Response to Nitrogen Deficiency.

Nitrogen (N) is a macronutrient important for the survival of plants. To investigate the effects of N deficiency, a time-course metabolic profiling of radish sprouts was performed. A total of 81 metabolites-including organic acids, inorganic acid, amino acids, sugars, sugar alcohols, amines, amide, sugar phosphates, policosanols, tocopherols, phytosterols, carotenoids, chlorophylls, and glucosinolates-were characterized. Principal component analysis and heat map showed distinction between samples grown under different N conditions, as well as with time. Using PathVisio, metabolic shift in biosynthetic pathways was visualized using the metabolite data obtained for 7 days. The amino acids associated with glucosinolates accumulated as an immediate response against -N condition. The synthesis of pigments and glucosinolates was decreased, but monosaccharides and γ-tocopherol were increased as antioxidants in radish sprouts grown in -N condition. These results indicate that in radish sprouts, response to N deficiency occurred quickly and dynamically. Thus, this metabolic phenotype reveals that radish responds quickly to N deficiency by increasing the content of soluble sugars and γ-tocopherol, which acts as a defense mechanism after the germination of radish seeds.

Arabidopsis leaf necrosis caused by simulated acid rain is related to the salicylic acid signaling pathway.

Arabidopsis leaves treated with simulated acid rain (SiAR) showed phenotypes similar to necrotic lesions caused by biotic stresses like Pseudomonad infiltration. Exposure of Arabidopsis to SiAR resulted in the up-regulation of genes known to be induced by the salicylic acid (SA)-mediated pathogen resistance response. The expression of enhanced disease susceptibility (EDS), nonexpressor of PR (NPR) and pathogen-related 1 (PR1), all of which are involved in the salicylic acid signaling pathway, were increased after SiAR exposure. However, vegetative storage protein (VSP), a member of the jasmonic acid pathway did not show a significant change in transcript level. SiAR treatment of transgenic plants expressing salicylate hydroxylase (Nah-G), which prevents the accumulation of salicylic acid, underwent more extensive necrosis than wild-type plants, indicating that the signaling pathway activated by SiAR may overlap with the SA-dependent, systemic acquired resistance pathway. Both Col-0 and Nah-G plants showed sensitivity to SiAR and sulfuric SiAR (S-SiAR) by developing necrotic lesions. Neither Col-0 plants nor Nah-G plants showed sensitivity to nitric SiAR (N-SiAR). These results suggest that SiAR activates at least the salicylic acid pathway and activation of this pathway is sensitive to sulfuric acid.

Expression of sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPS) in non-photosynthetic tissues of maize.

Sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) is responsible for sucrose synthesis in photosynthetic tissues. We have detected SPS expression in non-photosynthetic tissues. It was predominantly expressed in the basal region of developing endosperm, suggesting that sucrose is re-synthesized in this region, where sucrose is unloaded from the phloem and hydrolyzed into glucose and fructose. The SPS transcript in endosperm was approximately 300 nt smaller than in leaf. However, the size of the SPS protein was similar to that of leaf but had higher activity. SPS expression was also detected in developing and germinating embryos, indicating that sucrose resynthesis also occurs in embryos. Although the level of SPS mRNA and protein was lower in embryos than in leaf, enzymatic activity was higher. Similarly, the level of SPS transcript was 10-fold lower in endosperm than in leaf but the level of SPS protein was comparable, and activity was 2 fold higher. Thus, SPS expression was evident in maize kernels, and its expression and regulation were different from the SPS in leaf.

Altered cell shapes, hyperplasia, and secondary growth in Arabidopsis caused by beet curly top geminivirus infection.

Arabidopsis Sei-O ecotype was found to be hypersusceptible to the BCTV-Logan strain in that it developed very severe symptoms, including severely deformed inflorescences with the callus-like structure, and accumulated high level of viral DNA. Microscopic studies of the BCTV-induced cell divisions demonstrated that the activation of cell divisions was preceded by the phloem disruption and the callus-like structure seemed to be originated from the cortex nearby disrupted phloem. We have further defined the callus-like structure formed by BCTV infection using molecular and histochemical analyses. Results indicate that BCTV infection causes the phloem disruption, following by cell enlargement and elongation in cortex and even epidermis. Finally, BCTV induced symptomatic secondary growth in cortex by de novo anticlinal and periclinal cell divisions. Expression of cdc2 and saur from BCTV-infected Arabidopsis correlates with symptom development. These results suggest a critical role of auxin in symptom development in the interactions between Arabidopsis and BCTV.

Overexpression of the downward leaf curling (DLC) gene from melon changes leaf morphology by controlling cell size and shape in Arabidopsis leaves.

A plant-specific gene was cloned from melon fruit. This gene was named downward leaf curling (CmDLC) based on the phenotype of transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing the gene. This expression level of this gene was especially upregulated during melon fruit enlargement. Overexpression of CmDLC in Arabidopsis resulted in dwarfism and narrow, epinastically curled leaves. These phenotypes were found to be caused by a reduction in cell number and cell size on the adaxial and abaxial sides of the epidermis, with a greater reduction on the abaxial side of the leaves. These phenotypic characteristics, combined with the more wavy morphology of epidermal cells in overexpression lines, indicate that CmDLC overexpression affects cell elongation and cell morphology. To investigate intracellular protein localization, a CmDLC-GFP fusion protein was made and expressed in onion epidermal cells. This protein was observed to be preferentially localized close to the cell membrane. Thus, we report here a new plant-specific gene that is localized to the cell membrane and that controls leaf cell number, size and morphology.