RESUMO
The power of citizen science to contribute to both science and society is gaining increased recognition, particularly in physics and biology. Although there is a long history of public engagement in agriculture and food science, the term 'citizen science' has rarely been applied to these efforts. Similarly, in the emerging field of citizen science, most new citizen science projects do not focus on food or agriculture. Here, we convened thought leaders from a broad range of fields related to citizen science, agriculture, and food science to highlight key opportunities for bridging these overlapping yet disconnected communities/fields and identify ways to leverage their respective strengths. Specifically, we show that (i) citizen science projects are addressing many grand challenges facing our food systems, as outlined by the United States National Institute of Food and Agriculture, as well as broader Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations Development Programme, (ii) there exist emerging opportunities and unique challenges for citizen science in agriculture/food research, and (iii) the greatest opportunities for the development of citizen science projects in agriculture and food science will be gained by using the existing infrastructure and tools of Extension programmes and through the engagement of urban communities. Further, we argue there is no better time to foster greater collaboration between these fields given the trend of shrinking Extension programmes, the increasing need to apply innovative solutions to address rising demands on agricultural systems, and the exponential growth of the field of citizen science.
Assuntos
Agricultura/tendências , Participação da Comunidade , Alimentos , Pesquisa/tendências , Agricultura/normas , Pesquisa/normas , Estados UnidosRESUMO
The multiple vitellogenin (Vtg) system of striped bass, a perciform species spawning nearly neutrally buoyant eggs in freshwater, was investigated. Vitellogenin cDNA cloning, Western blotting of yolk proteins (YPs) using Vtg and YP type-specific antisera, and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) of the YPs revealed the complex mechanisms of yolk formation and maturation in this species. It was discovered that striped bass possesses a tripartite Vtg system (VtgAa, VtgAb, and VtgC) in which all three forms of Vtg make a substantial contribution to the yolk. The production of Vtg-derived YPs is generally similar to that described for other perciforms. However, novel amino-terminal labeling of oocyte YPs prior to MS/MS identified multiple alternative sites for cleavage of these proteins from their parent Vtg, revealing a YP mixture far more complex than reported previously. This approach also revealed that the major YP product of each form of striped bass Vtg, lipovitellin heavy chain (LvH), undergoes limited degradation to smaller polypeptides during oocyte maturation, unlike the case in marine fishes spawning buoyant eggs in which LvHAa undergoes extensive proteolysis to osmotically active free amino acids. These differences likely reflect the lesser need for hydration of pelagic eggs spawned in freshwater. The detailed characterization of Vtgs and their proteolytic fate(s) during oocyte growth and maturation establishes striped bass as a freshwater model for investigating teleost multiple Vtg systems.
Assuntos
Bass/genética , Bass/metabolismo , Proteínas do Ovo/genética , Proteínas do Ovo/metabolismo , Proteínas de Peixes/genética , Proteínas de Peixes/metabolismo , Oócitos/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Oócitos/metabolismo , Vitelogeninas/genética , Vitelogeninas/metabolismo , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Bass/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Western Blotting , Clonagem Molecular , DNA Complementar/genética , Feminino , Masculino , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Fragmentos de Peptídeos/genética , Fragmentos de Peptídeos/metabolismo , Filogenia , Processamento de Proteína Pós-Traducional , Homologia de Sequência de Aminoácidos , Espectrometria de Massas em Tandem , VitelogêneseRESUMO
Recent investigations have revealed multiplicity in maternal yolk precursors and their corresponding ovarian lipoprotein receptors (LRs) in diverse oviparous vertebrates, including fishes. This mini-review describes further evidence for the system of fish egg yolk formation mediated by multiple ovarian LRs, which have been obtained by studies utilizing a combination of conventional molecular and biochemical analyses, and modern proteome and transcriptome technologies. A hypothetical "multiple ovarian LR" model is proposed based on our current and previous knowledge of fish yolk formation.