Integrative Molecular Phenotyping
INTEGRATIVE MOLECULAR
PHENOTYPING
WHEELOCK LABORATORY
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL
BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
WHEELOCK LABORATORY
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL
BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
WHEELOCK LABORATORY
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL
BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
WHEELOCK LABORATORY
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL
BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
WHEELOCK LABORATORY
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL
BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
WHEELOCK LABORATORY

PubMed

Mass spectrometry-based untargeted metabolomics study of non-obese individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Tue, 20/06/2023 - 12:00
Scand J Gastroenterol. 2023 Jun 20:1-7. doi: 10.1080/00365521.2023.2225667. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTOBJECTIVES: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a disease characterized by the accumulation of excessive fat in the liver, which can lead to fibrosis and has an increasing prevalence. NAFLD requires non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers. While typically observed in overweight individuals, it can also occur in non-obese/non-overweight individuals. Comparative studies on non-obese NAFLD patients are scarce. This study aimed to conduct a using liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based metabolic profiling of non-obese NAFLD patients and healthy controls.MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patient group consisted of 27 individuals with NAFLD, while the healthy control group included 39 individuals. Both groups were between 18 and 40 years old, had a BMI of less than 25 and had alcohol consumption less than 20 g/week for men and 10 g/week for women. Serum samples were collected and analyzed using LC-MS/MS. The data were analyzed using the TidyMass and MetaboAnalyst.RESULTS: The LC-MS/MS analyses detected significant changes in D-amino acid metabolism, vitamin B6 metabolism, apoptosis, mTOR signaling pathway, lysine degradation, and phenylalanine metabolism pathways in non-obese NAFLD patients. Significant changes were also observed in the metabolites D-pantothenic acid, hypoxanthine, citric acid, citramalic acid, L-phenylalanine, glutamine, and histamine-trifluoromethyl-toluidide, β-hydroxymyristic acid, DL-Lactic acid, and 3-methyl-2-oxopentanoic. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the metabolic changes associated with non-obese NAFLD patients and can contribute to the development of non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers for NAFLD.CONCLUSIONS: This study sheds light on the metabolic changes in non-obese NAFLD patients. Further research is needed to better understand the metabolic changes associated with NAFLD and to develop effective treatment options.PMID:37337892 | DOI:10.1080/00365521.2023.2225667

Multiomics Analyses Reveal the Complexity of Interaction between Two Strains of <em>Magnaporthe oryzae</em>

Tue, 20/06/2023 - 12:00
J Agric Food Chem. 2023 Jun 19. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c01531. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTPlants growing in open environments are frequently coinfected by multiple strains of the same pathogen. However, few investigations have been carried out to reveal the outcomes and underlying mechanisms of such infections. This study aimed to observe the behaviors of two different strains under coinfection and cocultivation. We constructed an experimental system to study such interactions directly by labeling Magnaporthe oryzae strains with the green fluorescent proteins and mushroom cherry fluorescent protein to observe mixed strain behavior in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, multiomics analyses were conducted to explore the underlying mechanisms at the genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic levels. Our results revealed that coinfection with two strains can affect disease severity and that the more weakly virulent strain benefits from the coinfection system. We also found that amino acid variation might negatively influence such interactions at transcriptomic and metabolomic levels. In addition, we showed that the overexpression of a glutamine-related gene improved strain competitiveness during mixture cultivation. Collectively, our results provided experimental methods to analyze the interaction between two strains of M. oryzae and preliminarily explored the interacted mechanism of two strains under cocultivation through multiomics analyses.PMID:37337365 | DOI:10.1021/acs.jafc.3c01531

Effect of xenon on brain injury, neurological outcome, and survival in patients after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage-study protocol for a randomized clinical trial

Mon, 19/06/2023 - 12:00
Trials. 2023 Jun 19;24(1):417. doi: 10.1186/s13063-023-07432-8.ABSTRACTBACKGROUND: Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is a neurological emergency, affecting a younger population than individuals experiencing an ischemic stroke; aSAH is associated with a high risk of mortality and permanent disability. The noble gas xenon has been shown to possess neuroprotective properties as demonstrated in numerous preclinical animal studies. In addition, a recent study demonstrated that xenon could attenuate a white matter injury after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.METHODS: The study is a prospective, multicenter phase II clinical drug trial. The study design is a single-blind, prospective superiority randomized two-armed parallel follow-up study. The primary objective of the study is to explore the potential neuroprotective effects of inhaled xenon, when administered within 6 h after the onset of symptoms of aSAH. The primary endpoint is the extent of the global white matter injury assessed with magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging of the brain.DISCUSSION: Despite improvements in medical technology and advancements in medical science, aSAH mortality and disability rates have remained nearly unchanged for the past 10 years. Therefore, new neuroprotective strategies to attenuate the early and delayed brain injuries after aSAH are needed to reduce morbidity and mortality.TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04696523. Registered on 6 January 2021. EudraCT, EudraCT Number: 2019-001542-17. Registered on 8 July 2020.PMID:37337295 | DOI:10.1186/s13063-023-07432-8

Characterization of novel loci controlling seed oil content in Brassica napus by marker metabolite-based multi-omics analysis

Mon, 19/06/2023 - 12:00
Genome Biol. 2023 Jun 19;24(1):141. doi: 10.1186/s13059-023-02984-z.ABSTRACTBACKGROUND: Seed oil content is an important agronomic trait of Brassica napus (B. napus), and metabolites are considered as the bridge between genotype and phenotype for physical traits.RESULTS: Using a widely targeted metabolomics analysis in a natural population of 388 B. napus inbred lines, we quantify 2172 metabolites in mature seeds by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, in which 131 marker metabolites are identified to be correlated with seed oil content. These metabolites are then selected for further metabolite genome-wide association study and metabolite transcriptome-wide association study. Combined with weighted correlation network analysis, we construct a triple relationship network, which includes 21,000 edges and 4384 nodes among metabolites, metabolite quantitative trait loci, genes, and co-expression modules. We validate the function of BnaA03.TT4, BnaC02.TT4, and BnaC05.UK, three candidate genes predicted by multi-omics analysis, which show significant impacts on seed oil content through regulating flavonoid metabolism in B. napus.CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the advantage of utilizing marker metabolites integrated with multi-omics analysis to dissect the genetic basis of agronomic traits in crops.PMID:37337206 | DOI:10.1186/s13059-023-02984-z

Quantitative analysis of metabolic fluxes in brown fat and skeletal muscle during thermogenesis

Mon, 19/06/2023 - 12:00
Nat Metab. 2023 Jun 19. doi: 10.1038/s42255-023-00825-8. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTAdaptive thermogenesis by brown adipose tissue (BAT) dissipates calories as heat, making it an attractive anti-obesity target. Yet how BAT contributes to circulating metabolite exchange remains unclear. Here, we quantified metabolite exchange in BAT and skeletal muscle by arteriovenous metabolomics during cold exposure in fed male mice. This identified unexpected metabolites consumed, released and shared between organs. Quantitative analysis of tissue fluxes showed that glucose and lactate provide ~85% of carbon for adaptive thermogenesis and that cold and CL316,243 trigger markedly divergent fuel utilization profiles. In cold adaptation, BAT also dramatically increases nitrogen uptake by net consuming amino acids, except glutamine. Isotope tracing and functional studies suggest glutamine catabolism concurrent with synthesis via glutamine synthetase, which avoids ammonia buildup and boosts fuel oxidation. These data underscore the ability of BAT to function as a glucose and amino acid sink and provide a quantitative and comprehensive landscape of BAT fuel utilization to guide translational studies.PMID:37337122 | DOI:10.1038/s42255-023-00825-8

A multimodal atlas of tumour metabolism reveals the architecture of gene-metabolite covariation

Mon, 19/06/2023 - 12:00
Nat Metab. 2023 Jun 19. doi: 10.1038/s42255-023-00817-8. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTTumour metabolism is controlled by coordinated changes in metabolite abundance and gene expression, but simultaneous quantification of metabolites and transcripts in primary tissue is rare. To overcome this limitation and to study gene-metabolite covariation in cancer, we assemble the Cancer Atlas of Metabolic Profiles of metabolomic and transcriptomic data from 988 tumour and control specimens spanning 11 cancer types in published and newly generated datasets. Meta-analysis of the Cancer Atlas of Metabolic Profiles reveals two classes of gene-metabolite covariation that transcend cancer types. The first corresponds to gene-metabolite pairs engaged in direct enzyme-substrate interactions, identifying putative genes controlling metabolite pool sizes. A second class of gene-metabolite covariation represents a small number of hub metabolites, including quinolinate and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, which correlate to many genes specifically expressed in immune cell populations. These results provide evidence that gene-metabolite covariation in cellularly heterogeneous tissue arises, in part, from both mechanistic interactions between genes and metabolites, and from remodelling of the bulk metabolome in specific immune microenvironments.PMID:37337120 | DOI:10.1038/s42255-023-00817-8

ATAC-Me simultaneously decodes chromatin accessibility and DNA methylation

Mon, 19/06/2023 - 12:00
Trends Plant Sci. 2023 Jun 17:S1360-1385(23)00170-X. doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.05.013. Online ahead of print.NO ABSTRACTPMID:37336692 | DOI:10.1016/j.tplants.2023.05.013

Yueju volatile oil plays an integral role in the antidepressant effect by up-regulating ERK/AKT-mediated GLT-1 expression to clear glutamate

Mon, 19/06/2023 - 12:00
Fitoterapia. 2023 Jun 17:105583. doi: 10.1016/j.fitote.2023.105583. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTPhytochemical investigation of the volatile oil of Yueju (YJVO) and its constituent herbs induced the detection of 52 compounds in YJVO, mainly monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes as well as a small amount of aromatic and aliphatic compounds. 5 of these compounds were found only in the YJVO instead of the volatile oil of its constituent herbs. The anti-depressant effect of YJVO was proved by behavioral tests in chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) mice. An acute oral toxicity evaluation determined the LD50 of YJVO was 5.780 mL/kg. Doppler ultrasound and laser speckle imaging have detected that the YJVO could improve depression-related cerebral blood flow. In addition, related neurotransmitters and proteins were analyzed through targeted metabolomics and immunofluorescence. The potential antidepressant mechanisms of YJVO related to significantly decreasing Glu in CUMS mice by up-regulating the ERK/AKT-mediated expression of GLT-1.PMID:37336418 | DOI:10.1016/j.fitote.2023.105583

Multiomics reveals new biomarkers and mechanistic insights into the combined toxicity effects of 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl and atrazine exposures in MCF-7 cells

Mon, 19/06/2023 - 12:00
Environ Pollut. 2023 Jun 17:122030. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122030. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTHumans are constantly exposed to complicated chemical mixtures from the environment and food rather than being exposed to a single pollutant. The underlying mechanisms of the complicated combined toxicity of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are still mainly unexplored. In this study, two representative EDCs, 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB153) and atrazine (ATZ), were selected to explore their combined effects on MCF-7 cell proliferation at environmental exposure concentrations by an integrated analysis of metabolomics and transcriptomics. The results showed that 1 μM ATZ and PCB153 combined exposure significantly accelerated MCF-7 cell growth by 18.2%. More than 400 metabolites detected by UHPLC-QTOF/MS were used to observe metabolism differences induced by binary mixtures. Metabolomics analysis verified that ATZ and PCB153 exposure alone or in combination could have an additive effect on metabolism and induce significant disruption to glycolysis, purine metabolism and the TCA cycle, which provide energy demand and biosynthetic substrates for cell proliferation. Compared to PCB153 and ATZ exposure alone, a combined effect was observed in purine and pyrimidine metabolic pathways. Hexokinase 3 (HK3) and cytochrome P450 19 subfamily A1 (CYP19A1) were identified as differentially expressed genes based on transcriptomic analysis. By integrating metabolome and transcriptome analysis, the proliferation effects of ATZ and PCB153 were induced at low doses in MCF-7 cells through potential interference with the downstream transcription signaling of CYP19A1. Furthermore, molecular docking indicated that PCB153 and ATZ directly affected CYP19A1. Altogether, the regulation of pivotal metabolites and differentially expressed genes could provide helpful information to reveal the mechanism by which PCB153 and ATZ affect MCF-7 cell proliferation.PMID:37336346 | DOI:10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122030

Sex differences in plasma lipid profiles of accelerated brain aging

Mon, 19/06/2023 - 12:00
Neurobiol Aging. 2023 May 26;129:178-184. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.05.013. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTLipids are essential components of brain structure and shown to affect brain function. Previous studies have shown that aging men undergo greater brain atrophy than women, but whether the associations between lipids and brain atrophy differ by sex is unclear. We examined sex differences in the associations between circulating lipids by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and the progression of MRI-derived brain atrophy index Spatial Patterns of Atrophy for Recognition of Brain Aging (SPARE-BA) over an average of 4.7 (SD = 2.3) years in 214 men and 261 women aged 60 or older who were initially cognitively normal using multivariable linear regression, adjusted for age, race, education, and baseline SPARE-BA. We found significant sex interactions for beta-oxidation rate, short-chain acylcarnitines, long-chain ceramides, and very long-chain triglycerides. Lower beta-oxidation rate and short-chain acylcarnitines in women and higher long-chain ceramides and very long-chain triglycerides in men were associated with faster increases in SPARE-BA (accelerated brain aging). Circulating lipid profiles of accelerated brain aging are sex-specific and vary by lipid classes and structure. Mechanisms underlying these sex-specific lipid profiles of brain aging warrant further investigation.PMID:37336172 | DOI:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.05.013

Maternal transfer of resorcinol-bis(diphenyl)-phosphate perturbs gut microbiota development and gut metabolism of offspring in rats

Mon, 19/06/2023 - 12:00
Environ Int. 2023 Jun 15;178:108039. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108039. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTResorcinol-bis(diphenyl)-phosphate (RDP), an emerging organophosphate flame retardant, is increasingly used as a primary alternative for decabromodiphenyl ether and is frequently detected in global environmental matrices. However, the long-term effects of its exposure to humans remain largely unknown. To investigate its intergenerational transfer capacity and health risks, female Sprague Dawley rats were orally exposed to RDP from the beginning of pregnancy to the end of the lactation period. The RDP content, gut microbiota homeostasis, and metabolic levels were determined. RDP accumulation occurred in the livers of maternal rats and offspring and increased with exposure time. 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that exposure to RDP during pregnancy and/or lactation significantly disrupted gut microbiota homeostasis, as evidenced by decreased abundance and diversity. In particular, the abundance of Turicibacter, Adlercreutzia, and YRC22 decreased, correlating significantly with glycollipic metabolism. This finding was consistent with the reduced levels of short-chain fatty acids, the crucial gut microbial metabolites. Meanwhile, RDP exposure resulted in changes in gut microbiome-related metabolism. Nine critical overlapping KEGG metabolic pathways were identified, and the levels of related differential metabolites decreased. Our results suggest that the significant adverse impacts of RDP on gut microbiota homeostasis and metabolic function may increase the long-term risks related to inflammation, obesity, and metabolic diseases.PMID:37336026 | DOI:10.1016/j.envint.2023.108039

Autophagy during Maize Endosperm Development Dampens Oxidative Stress and Promotes Mitochondrial Clearance

Mon, 19/06/2023 - 12:00
Plant Physiol. 2023 Jun 19:kiad340. doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiad340. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe selective turnover of macromolecules by autophagy provides a critical homeostatic mechanism for recycling cellular constituents and for removing superfluous and damaged organelles, membranes, and proteins. To better understand how autophagy impacts seed maturation and nutrient storage, we studied maize (Zea mays) endosperm in its early and middle developmental stages via an integrated multi-omics approach using mutants impacting the core macroautophagy factor AUTOPHAGY (ATG)-12 required for autophagosome assembly. Surprisingly, the mutant endosperm in these developmental windows accumulated normal amounts of starch and Zein storage proteins. However, the tissue acquired a substantially altered metabolome, especially for compounds related to oxidative stress and sulfur metabolism, including increases in cystine, dehydroascorbate, cys-glutathione disulfide, glucarate and galactarate, and decreases in peroxide and the anti-oxidant glutathione. While changes in the associated transcriptome were mild, the proteome was strongly altered in the atg12 endosperm, especially for increased levels of mitochondrial proteins without a concomitant increase in mRNA abundances. Although fewer mitochondria were seen cytologically, a heightened number appeared dysfunctional based on the accumulation of dilated cristae, consistent with attenuated mitophagy. Collectively, our results confirm that macroautophagy plays a minor role in the accumulation of starch and storage proteins during maize endosperm development, but likely helps protect against oxidative stress and clears unneeded/dysfunctional mitochondria during tissue maturation.PMID:37335933 | DOI:10.1093/plphys/kiad340

Metabolomic differences in connective tissue disease-associated versus idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension in the PVDOMICS cohort

Mon, 19/06/2023 - 12:00
Arthritis Rheumatol. 2023 Jun 19. doi: 10.1002/art.42632. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE: Patients with connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (CTD-PAH) experience worse survival and derive less benefit from pulmonary vasodilator therapies than patients with idiopathic PAH (IPAH). We sought to identify differential metabolism in CTD-PAH versus IPAH patients that might underlie these observed clinical differences.METHODS: Adult subjects with CTD-PAH (n=141) and IPAH (n=165) from the PVDOMICS (Pulmonary Vascular Disease Phenomics) Study were included. Detailed clinical phenotyping was performed at cohort enrollment, including broad-based global metabolomic profiling of plasma samples. Subjects were followed prospectively for ascertainment of outcomes. Supervised and unsupervised machine learning algorithms and regression models were used to compare CTD-PAH versus IPAH metabolomic profiles and to measure metabolite-phenotype associations and interactions. Gradients across the pulmonary circulation were assessed using paired mixed venous and wedged samples in a subset of 115 subjects.RESULTS: Metabolomic profiles distinguished CTD-PAH from IPAH, with CTD-PAH patients demonstrating aberrant lipid metabolism, with lower circulating levels of sex steroid hormones and higher free fatty acids (FA) and FA intermediates in CTD-PAH. Acylcholines were taken up by the right ventricular-pulmonary vascular circulation, particularly in CTD-PAH, while free FAs and acylcarnitines were released. In both PAH subtypes, dysregulated lipid metabolites, among others, were associated with hemodynamic and right ventricular measurements and with transplant-free survival.CONCLUSIONS: CTD-PAH is characterized by aberrant lipid metabolism that may signal shifted metabolic substrate utilization. Abnormalities in RV-pulmonary vascular FA metabolism may imply reduced capacity for mitochondrial beta oxidation within the diseased pulmonary circulation.PMID:37335853 | DOI:10.1002/art.42632

Changes of intestinal flora in children with febrile seizure

Mon, 19/06/2023 - 12:00
Medicine (Baltimore). 2023 May 19;102(20):e33730. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000033730.ABSTRACTFebrile seizure (FS) is a highly recurrent neuro-system disorder in children that affects their nervous system development and quality of life. However, the pathogenesis of febrile seizures remains unclear. Our study aims to investigate the potential differences in the intestinal flora and metabolomics between healthy children and those with FS. By examining the relationship between specific flora and different metabolites, we hope to shed light on the pathogenesis of FS. Fecal specimens were collected from healthy children (n = 15) and children with febrile seizures (n = 15), and 16S rDNA sequencing was conducted to characterize intestinal flora. Subsequently, fecal samples from healthy (n = 6) and febrile seizure children (n = 6) were used to characterize metabolomics using linear discriminant analysis of effect size, orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (pathway enrichment analysis), and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes topology analysis. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to identify metabolites in the fecal samples. The intestinal microbiome in the febrile seizure children significantly differed from that in the healthy children at the phylum level. Ten differentially accumulated metabolites (xanthosine, (S)-abscisic acid, N-palmitoylglycine, (+/-)-2-(5-methyl-5-vinyl-tetrahydrofuran-2-yl) propionaldehyde, (R)-3-hydroxybutyrylcarnitine, lauroylcarnitine, oleoylethanolamide, tetradecyl carnitine, taurine, and lysoPC [18:1 (9z)/0:0] were considered the potential febrile seizure markers. Three metabolic pathways (taurine metabolism; glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism; and arginine biosynthesis) were found essential in febrile seizure. Bacteroides were significantly correlated with the 4 differential metabolites. Adjusting the balance of intestinal flora may be an effective method for preventing and treating febrile seizures.PMID:37335742 | DOI:10.1097/MD.0000000000033730

Serum metabolomics analysis revealed metabolic disorders in Parkinson's disease

Mon, 19/06/2023 - 12:00
Medicine (Baltimore). 2023 Jun 9;102(23):e33715. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000033715.ABSTRACTBACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is by now the second of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases in the world, and its incidence is increasing rapidly as the global population ages, with 14.2 million PD patients expected worldwide by 2040.METHODS: We gathered a completion of 45 serum samples, including 15 of healthy controls and 30 from the PD group. We used non-targeted metabolomics analysis based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to identify the molecular changes in PD patients, and conducted bioinformatics analysis on this basis to explore the possible pathogenesis of PD.RESULTS: We found significant metabolomics changes in the levels of 30 metabolites in PD patients compared with healthy controls.CONCLUSION: Lipids and lipid-like molecules accounted for the majority of the 30 differentially expressed metabolites. Also, pathway enrichment analysis showed significant enrichment in sphingolipid metabolic pathway. These assessments can improve our perception on the underlying mechanism of PD as well as facilitate a better targeting on therapeutic interventions.PMID:37335671 | DOI:10.1097/MD.0000000000033715

Metabolic and transcriptomic study of pennycress natural variation identifies targets for oil improvement

Mon, 19/06/2023 - 12:00
Plant Biotechnol J. 2023 Jun 19. doi: 10.1111/pbi.14101. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTPennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.), a member of the Brassicaceae family, produces seed oil high in erucic acid, suitable for biodiesel and aviation fuel. Although pennycress, a winter annual, could be grown as a dedicated bioenergy crop, an increase in its seed oil content is required to improve its economic competitiveness. The success of crop improvement relies upon finding the right combination of biomarkers and targets, and the best genetic engineering and/or breeding strategies. In this work, we combined biomass composition with metabolomic and transcriptomic studies of developing embryos from 22 pennycress natural variants to identify targets for oil improvement. The selected accession collection presented diverse levels of fatty acids at maturity ranging from 29% to 41%. Pearson correlation analyses, weighted gene co-expression network analysis and biomarker identifications were used as complementary approaches to detect associations between metabolite level or gene expression and oil content at maturity. The results indicated that improving seed oil content can lead to a concomitant increase in the proportion of erucic acid without affecting the weight of embryos. Processes, such as carbon partitioning towards the chloroplast, lipid metabolism, photosynthesis, and a tight control of nitrogen availability, were found to be key for oil improvement in pennycress. Besides identifying specific targets, our results also provide guidance regarding the best timing for their modification, early or middle maturation. Thus, this work lays out promising strategies, specific for pennycress, to accelerate the successful development of lines with increased seed oil content for biofuel applications.PMID:37335591 | DOI:10.1111/pbi.14101

Metabolomics Analysis of Electroacupuncture Pretreatment Induced Neuroprotection on Mice with Ischemic Stroke

Mon, 19/06/2023 - 12:00
Am J Chin Med. 2023 Jun 17:1-25. doi: 10.1142/S0192415X23500520. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe brain metabolic changes caused by the interruption of blood supply are the initial factors of brain injury in ischemic stroke. Electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment has been shown to protect against ischemic stroke, but whether its neuroprotective mechanism involves metabolic regulation remains unclear. Based on our finding that EA pretreatment significantly alleviated ischemic brain injury in mice by reducing neuronal injury and death, we performed a gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF/MS) to investigate the metabolic changes in the ischemic brain and whether EA pretreatment influenced these changes. First, we found that some glycolytic metabolites in the normal brain tissues were reduced by EA pretreatment, which may lay the foundation of neuroprotection for EA pretreatment against ischemic stroke. Then, 6[Formula: see text]h of cerebral ischemia-induced brain metabolic changes, especially the enhanced glycolysis, were partially reversed by EA pretreatment, which was manifested by the brain levels of 11 of 35 up-regulated metabolites and 18 of 27 down-regulated metabolites caused by cerebral ischemia significantly decreasing and increasing, respectively, due to EA pretreatment. A further pathway analysis showed that these 11 and 18 markedly changed metabolites were mainly involved in starch and sucrose metabolism, purine metabolism, aspartate metabolism, and the citric acid cycle. Additionally, we found that EA pretreatment raised the levels of neuroprotective metabolites in both normal and ischemic brain tissues. In conclusion, our study revealed that EA pretreatment may attenuate the ischemic brain injury by inhibiting glycolysis and increasing the levels of some neuroprotective metabolites.PMID:37335209 | DOI:10.1142/S0192415X23500520

Longitudinal Lipidomic Profile of Hypertension in American Indians: Findings From the Strong Heart Family Study

Mon, 19/06/2023 - 12:00
Hypertension. 2023 Jun 19. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.123.21144. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTBACKGROUND: Dyslipidemia is an important risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Standard lipid panel cannot reflect the complexity of blood lipidome. The associations of individual lipid species with hypertension remain to be determined in large-scale epidemiological studies, especially in a longitudinal setting.METHODS: Using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, we repeatedly measured 1542 lipid species in 3699 fasting plasma samples at 2 visits (1905 at baseline, 1794 at follow-up, ~5.5 years apart) from 1905 unique American Indians in the Strong Heart Family Study. We first identified baseline lipids associated with prevalent and incident hypertension, followed by replication of top hits in Europeans. We then conducted repeated measurement analysis to examine the associations of changes in lipid species with changes in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure. Network analysis was performed to identify lipid networks associated with the risk of hypertension.RESULTS: Baseline levels of multiple lipid species, for example, glycerophospholipids, cholesterol esters, sphingomyelins, glycerolipids, and fatty acids, were significantly associated with both prevalent and incident hypertension in American Indians. Some lipids were confirmed in Europeans. Longitudinal changes in multiple lipid species, for example, acylcarnitines, phosphatidylcholines, fatty acids, and triacylglycerols, were significantly associated with changes in blood pressure measurements. Network analysis identified distinct lipidomic patterns associated with the risk of hypertension.CONCLUSIONS: Baseline plasma lipid species and their longitudinal changes are significantly associated with hypertension development in American Indians. Our findings shed light on the role of dyslipidemia in hypertension and may offer potential opportunities for risk stratification and early prediction of hypertension.PMID:37334699 | DOI:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.123.21144

Omics Signatures of Tissue Injury and Hemorrhagic Shock in Swine

Mon, 19/06/2023 - 12:00
Ann Surg. 2023 Jun 19. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000005944. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE: Advanced mass spectrometry methods were leveraged to analyze both proteomics and metabolomics signatures in plasma upon controlled tissue injury and hemorrhagic shock - isolated or combined - in a swine model, followed by correlation to viscoelastic measurements of coagulopathy via thrombelastography.SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: TI and HS cause distinct molecular changes in plasma in both animal models and trauma patients. However, the contribution to coagulopathy of trauma, the leading cause of preventable mortality in this patient population remains unclear. The recent development of a swine model for isolated or combined TI + HS facilitated the current study.METHODS: Male swine (n=17) were randomized to either isolated or combined tissue injury and hemorrhagic shock. Coagulation status was analyzed by thrombelastography during the monitored time course. The plasma fractions of the blood draws (at baseline, end of shock and at 30 min, 1, 2 and 4h after shock) were analyzed by mass spectrometry-based proteomics and metabolomics workflows.RESULTS: HS- isolated or combined with TI - caused the most severe omic alterations during the monitored time course. While isolated TI delayed the activation of coagulation cascades. Correlation to TEG parameters of clot strength (MA) and breakdown (LY30) revealed signatures of coagulopathy which were supported by analysis of gene ontology enriched biological pathways.CONCLUSION: The current study provides a comprehensive characterization of proteomic and metabolomic alterations to combined or isolated TI and HS in a swine model, and identifies early and late omics correlates to viscoelastic measurements in this system.PMID:37334680 | DOI:10.1097/SLA.0000000000005944

SAPrIm, a semi-automated protocol for mid-throughput immunopeptidomics

Mon, 19/06/2023 - 12:00
Front Immunol. 2023 Jun 2;14:1107576. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1107576. eCollection 2023.ABSTRACTHuman leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules play a crucial role in directing adaptive immune responses based on the nature of their peptide ligands, collectively coined the immunopeptidome. As such, the study of HLA molecules has been of major interest in the development of cancer immunotherapies such as vaccines and T-cell therapies. Hence, a comprehensive understanding and profiling of the immunopeptidome is required to foster the growth of these personalised solutions. We herein describe SAPrIm, an Immunopeptidomics tool for the Mid-Throughput era. This is a semi-automated workflow involving the KingFisher platform to isolate immunopeptidomes using anti-HLA antibodies coupled to a hyper-porous magnetic protein A microbead, a variable window data independent acquisition (DIA) method and the ability to run up to 12 samples in parallel. Using this workflow, we were able to concordantly identify and quantify ~400 - 13000 unique peptides from 5e5 - 5e7 cells, respectively. Overall, we propose that the application of this workflow will be crucial for the future of immunopeptidome profiling, especially for mid-size cohorts and comparative immunopeptidomics studies.PMID:37334365 | PMC:PMC10272402 | DOI:10.3389/fimmu.2023.1107576

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