PubMed

Plants (Basel). 2024 Aug 3;13(15):2156. doi: 10.3390/plants13152156.ABSTRACTThe kiwifruit, Actinidia genus, has emerged as a nutritionally rich and economically significant crop with a history rooted in China. This review paper examines the global journey of the kiwifruit, its genetic diversity, and the role of advanced breeding techniques in its cultivation and improvement. The expansion of kiwifruit cultivation from China to New Zealand, Italy, Chile and beyond, driven by the development of new cultivars and improved agricultural practices, is discussed, highlighting the fruit's high content of vitamins C, E, and K. The genetic resources within the Actinidia genus are reviewed, with emphasis on the potential of this diversity in breeding programs. The review provides extensive coverage to the application of modern omics technologies, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, which have revolutionized the understanding of the biology of kiwifruit and facilitated targeted breeding efforts. It examines both conventional breeding methods and modern approaches, like marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, mutation breeding, and the potential of CRISPR-Cas9 technology for precise trait enhancement. Special attention is paid to interspecific hybridization and cisgenesis as strategies for incorporating beneficial traits and developing superior kiwifruit varieties. This comprehensive synthesis not only sheds light on the current state of kiwifruit research and breeding, but also outlines the future directions and challenges in the field, underscoring the importance of integrating traditional and omics-based approaches to meet the demands of a changing global climate and market preferences.PMID:39124274 | DOI:10.3390/plants13152156

Plants (Basel). 2024 Aug 1;13(15):2139. doi: 10.3390/plants13152139.ABSTRACTAging is an irreversible pathophysiological process for all organisms. The accumulation of senescent cells in pathological sites or tissues is recognized as the major cause of diseases and disorders during the aging process. Small molecules that reduce senescent cell burdens have gained increasing attention as promising intervention therapeutics against aging, but effective anti-senescence agents remain rare. Camellia Sect. Chrysantha Chang is documented as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine used by ethnic groups for many medical and health benefits, but its effect on aging is unclear. Here, we investigated the anti-senescence potential of eight C. Sect. Chrysantha Chang species. The results show that ethyl acetate fractions from these C. Sect. Chrysantha Chang species were able to delay the senescence of H9c2 cardiomyocytes except for C. pingguoensis (CPg). N-butanol fractions of C. multipetala (CM), C. petelotii var. grandiflora (CPt), and C. longzhouensis (CL) showed a senescent cell clearance effect by altering the expression levels of senescent-associated marker genes in the DNA-damage response (DDR) pathway and the senescent cell anti-apoptotic pathway (SCAPs). By using UPLC-QTOF-MS-based non-targeted metabolomics analyses, 27 metabolites from Sect. Chrysantha species were putatively identified. Among them, high levels of sanchakasaponin C and D in CM, CPt, and CL were recognized as the key bioactive compounds responsible for senescent cell clearance. This study is the first to disclose and compare the anti-cell-senescence effect of a group of C. Sect. Chrysantha Chang, including some rare species. The combination of senescent markers and metabolomics analyses helped us to reveal the differences in chemical constituents that target senescent cells. Significantly, contrary to the C. chrysantha var. longistyla (CCL), which is widely cultivated and commercialized for tea drinks, CM, CPt, and CL contain unique chemicals for managing aging and aging-related diseases. The results from this study provide a foundation for species selection in developing small-molecule-based drugs to alleviate diseases and age-related dysfunctions and may potentially be useful for advancing geroscience research.PMID:39124256 | DOI:10.3390/plants13152139

Plants (Basel). 2024 Aug 1;13(15):2122. doi: 10.3390/plants13152122.ABSTRACTGinkgo biloba is abundant in secondary metabolites, including flavonoids and terpenoids. While the majority of research has focused on the role of these compounds in disease resistance, their specific contribution to pathogen defense has been rarely explored. In this study, we collected root exudates from hydroponically cultivated ginkgo seedlings and conducted a metabolomic analysis. We identified several primary metabolites mainly comprising amino acids and nucleotides, while secondary metabolites consisted of various compounds, including bioactive compounds such as flavonoids and terpenoids. Focusing on the secondary metabolites with relatively higher abundance in the exudates, we selected a mixture of flavonoids and terpenoids for in vitro inhibition experiments against two soil-borne fungal pathogens, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum that causes cucumber wilt and Rhizoctonia solani AG-8 that causes wheat root rot. The results indicated that the growth rate of both fungus cells was significantly reduced with the increasing concentration of the flavonoid and terpenoid mixture extracted from ginkgo and was completely inhibited at a concentration of 5 mg/mL. Further experiments revealed that this mixture of flavonoids and terpenoids had a destructive effect on the cellular structure of both fungi, thereby reducing cell viability and achieving an antifungal effect. These findings provide a foundation for further research into the use of ginkgo extracts in biological control.PMID:39124240 | DOI:10.3390/plants13152122

Plants (Basel). 2024 Jul 26;13(15):2073. doi: 10.3390/plants13152073.ABSTRACTHalophytic plants possess a huge range of active constituents and medicinal benefits. In this study, extracts (water, ethanol, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, and n-hexane) of two halophytes of the genus Petrosimonia (P. brachiata and P. nigdeensis) were investigated for their phytochemical profiles and pharmacological properties. The phytochemical profiles of both species were investigated using an untargeted metabolomics approach based on high-resolution mass spectrometry. The two species show different polyphenolic profiles and these are influenced by the different extraction solvents used. The same extracts were used for different bioactivity assays. The results show that all extracts yielded total flavonoid and phenolic contents of 11.14-24.22 mg GAE/g and 3.15-22.03 mg RE/g, respectively. While extracts of both species demonstrated a radical scavenging ability in the ABTS assay (16.12-98.02 mg TE/g), only the polar and moderately polar extracts (water, ethanol, and ethyl acetate) showed scavenging potential in the DPPH assay (4.74-16.55 mg TE/g). A reducing potential was also displayed by all extracts in the CUPRAC and FRAP assays (26.02-80.35 mg TE/g and 31.70-67.69 mg TE/g, respectively). The total antioxidant capacity of the extracts ranged from 0.24 to 2.17 mmol TE/g, and the metal chelating activity ranged from 14.74 to 33.80 mg EDTAE/g. The water extracts possessed a higher metal chelating power than the other extracts. All extracts acted as inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (0.16-3.85 mg GALAE/g) and amylase (0.11-1.28 mmol ACAE/g). Moreover, apart from the water extracts, the other extracts also showed anti-butyrylcholinesterase activity (0.73-2.86 mg GALAE/g), as well as anti-tyrosinase (36.74-61.40 mg KAE/g) and anti-glucosidase (2.37-2.73 mmol ACAE/g) potential. In general, the water extracts were found to be weak inhibitors of the tested enzymes, while the ethanol extracts mostly showed an inhibitory effect. The obtained findings revealed the antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory properties of these two species and demonstrated that the solvent type used affected the pharmacological properties of the extracts and hence, can be useful to further investigate the active constituents yielded in the extracts and understand the mechanisms involved.PMID:39124192 | DOI:10.3390/plants13152073

Plants (Basel). 2024 Jul 24;13(15):2028. doi: 10.3390/plants13152028.ABSTRACTBrown cotton is a major cultivar of naturally colored cotton, and brown cotton fibers (BCFs) are widely utilized as raw materials for textile industry production due to their advantages of being green and dyeing-pollution-free. However, the mechanisms underlying the pigmentation in fibers are still poorly understood, which significantly limits their extensive applications in related fields. In this study, we conducted a multidimensional comparative analysis of the transcriptomes and metabolomes between brown and white fibers at different developmental periods to identify the key genes and pathways regulating the pigment deposition. The transcriptomic results indicated that the pathways of flavonoid biosynthesis and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis were significantly enriched regulatory pathways, especially in the late development periods of fiber pigmentation; furthermore, the genes distributed in the pathways of PAL, CHS, F3H, DFR, ANR, and UFGT were identified as significantly up-regulated genes. The metabolic results showed that six metabolites, namely (-)-Epigallocatechin, Apiin, Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, Gallocatechin, Myricetin, and Poncirin, were significantly accumulated in brown fibers but not in white fibers. Integrative analysis of the transcriptomic and metabolomic data demonstrated a possible regulatory network potentially regulating the pigment deposition, in which three MYB transcription factors promote the expression levels of flavonoid biosynthesis genes, thereby inducing the content increase in (-)-Epigallocatechin, Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, Gallocatechin, and Myricetin in BCFs. Our findings provide new insights into the pigment deposition mechanism in BCFs and offer references for genetic engineering and breeding of colored cotton materials.PMID:39124145 | DOI:10.3390/plants13152028

Animals (Basel). 2024 Aug 4;14(15):2264. doi: 10.3390/ani14152264.ABSTRACTBovine mastitis is an inflammatory disease of the mammary glands, and its pathogenesis and diagnosis are complicated. Through qualitative and quantitative analysis of small-molecule metabolites, the metabolomics technique plays an important role in finding biomarkers and studying the metabolic mechanism of bovine mastitis. Therefore, this paper reviews the predictive and diagnostic biomarkers of bovine mastitis that have been identified using metabolomics techniques and that are present in samples such as milk, blood, urine, rumen fluid, feces, and mammary tissue. In addition, the metabolic pathways of mastitis-related biomarkers in milk and blood were analyzed; it was found that the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle was the most significant (FDR = 0.0015767) pathway in milk fluid, and glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism was the most significant (FDR = 0.0081994) pathway in blood. The purpose of this review is to provide useful information for the prediction and early diagnosis of bovine mastitis.PMID:39123790 | DOI:10.3390/ani14152264

Animals (Basel). 2024 Aug 3;14(15):2256. doi: 10.3390/ani14152256.ABSTRACTThe objective of this experiment was to explore the effects of three-way hybridization on rumen microbes and metabolites in sheep using rumen metagenomics and metabolomics. Healthy Hu and CAH (Charolais × Australian White × Hu) male lambs of similar birth weight and age were selected for short-term fattening after intensive weaning to collect rumen fluid for sequencing. Rumen metagenomics diversity showed that Hu and CAH sheep were significantly segregated at the species, KEGG-enzyme, and CAZy-family levels. Moreover, the CAH significantly increased the ACE and Chao1 indices. Further, correlation analysis of the abundance of the top 80 revealed that the microorganisms were interrelated at the species, KEGG-enzyme, and CAZy-family levels. Overall, the microbiome significantly affected metabolites of the top five pathways, with the strongest correlation found with succinic acid. Meanwhile, species-level microbial markers significantly affected rumen differential metabolites. In addition, rumen microbial markers in Hu sheep were overall positively correlated with down-regulated metabolites and negatively correlated with up-regulated metabolites. In contrast, rumen microbial markers in CAH lambs were overall negatively correlated with down-regulated metabolites and positively correlated with up-regulated metabolites. These results suggest that three-way crossbreeding significantly affects rumen microbial community and metabolite composition, and that significant interactions exist between rumen microbes and metabolites.PMID:39123781 | DOI:10.3390/ani14152256

Animals (Basel). 2024 Jul 31;14(15):2225. doi: 10.3390/ani14152225.ABSTRACTThe type of muscle fiber plays a crucial role in the growth, development, and dynamic plasticity of animals' skeletal muscle. Additionally, it is a primary determinant of the quality of both fresh and processed meat. Therefore, understanding the regulatory factors that contribute to muscle fibers' heterogeneity is of paramount importance. Recent advances in sequencing and omics technologies have enabled comprehensive cross-verification of research on the factors affecting the types of muscle fiber across multiple levels, including the genome, transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome. These advancements have facilitated deeper exploration into the related biological questions. This review focused on the impact of individual characteristics, feeding patterns, and genetic regulation on the proportion and interconversion of different muscle fibers. The findings indicated that individual characteristics and feeding patterns significantly influence the type of muscle fiber, which can effectively enhance the type and distribution of muscle fibers in livestock. Furthermore, non-coding RNA, genes and signaling pathways between complicated regulatory mechanisms and interactions have a certain degree of impact on muscle fibers' heterogeneity. This, in turn, changes muscle fiber profile in living animals through genetic selection or environmental factors, and has the potential to modulate the quality of fresh meat. Collectively, we briefly reviewed the structure of skeletal muscle tissue and then attempted to review the inevitable connection between the quality of fresh meat and the type of muscle fiber, with particular attention to potential events involved in regulating muscle fibers' heterogeneity.PMID:39123750 | DOI:10.3390/ani14152225

Animals (Basel). 2024 Jul 28;14(15):2198. doi: 10.3390/ani14152198.ABSTRACTThe addition of glycerin, vitamin C, and niacinamide to pig diets increased the redness of longissimus dorsi; however, it remains unclear how these supplements affect gut microbiota and metabolites. A total of 84 piglets (20.35 ± 2.14 kg) were randomly allotted to groups A (control), B (glycerin-supplemented), C (vitamin C and niacinamide-supplemented), and D (glycerin, vitamin C and niacinamide-supplemented) during a feeding experiment. Metagenomic and metabolomic technologies were used to analyze the fecal compositions of bile acids, metabolites, and microbiota. The results showed that compared to pigs in group A, pigs in group D had lower virulence factor expressions of lipopolysaccharide (p < 0.05), fatty acid resistance system (p < 0.05), and capsule (p < 0.01); higher fecal levels of ferric ion (p < 0.05), allolithocholic acid (p < 0.01), deoxycholic acid (p < 0.05), tauroursodeoxycholic acid dihydrate (p < 0.01), glycodeoxycholic acid (p < 0.05), L-proline (p < 0.01) and calcitriol (p < 0.01); and higher (p < 0.05) abundances of iron-acquiring microbiota (Methanobrevibacter, Clostridium, Clostridiaceae, Clostridium_sp_CAG_1000, Faecalibacterium_sp_CAG_74_58_120, Eubacteriales_Family_XIII_Incertae_Sedis, Alistipes_sp_CAG_435, Alistipes_sp_CAG_514 and Methanobrevibacter_sp_YE315). Supplementation with glycerin, vitamin C, and niacinamide to pigs significantly promoted the growth of iron-acquiring microbiota in feces, reduced the expression of some virulence factor genes of fecal pathogens, and increased the fecal levels of ferric ion, L-proline, and some secondary bile acids. The administration of glycerol, vitamin C, and niacinamide to pigs may serve as an effective measure for muscle redness improvement by altering the compositions of fecal microbiota and metabolites.PMID:39123724 | DOI:10.3390/ani14152198

Animals (Basel). 2024 Jul 25;14(15):2164. doi: 10.3390/ani14152164.ABSTRACTThe intestinal microbiota and its metabolites are essential for the health and growth development of animals. Current research indicates that sex has a certain impact on the structure and function of the intestinal microbiota, but there are few reports on sex differences in intestinal microbiota metabolites, including those of castrated male animals. This study aimed to explore the impact of sex on the intestinal microbial metabolites of Hainan special wild boars (10 entire male pigs, 10 female pigs, and 10 castrated male pigs, denoted EM, FE, and CM, respectively) by employing non-targeted metabolomics and gas chromatography. A total of 1086 metabolites were detected, with the greatest number of differential metabolites observed between EM and FE (54 differential metabolites, including 18 upregulated and 36 downregulated metabolites), the fewest between CM and FE (7 differential metabolites, including 1 upregulated and 6 downregulated metabolites), and an intermediate number between CM and EM (47 differential metabolites, including 35 upregulated and 12 downregulated metabolites). Differential metabolites were involved in more pathways between EM and FE and between CM and EM, including amino acid metabolism and digestive system pathways, whereas differential metabolites were involved in the fewest pathways between CM and FE. Correlation analysis showed Ruminococcaceae UCG-009, uncultured_bacterium_o_SAR324_cladeMarine_group_B, and Candidatus Saccharimonas contributed to the production of metabolites such as trehalose, docosatrienoic acid, D(-)-beta-hydroxy butyric acid, and acetyl-DL-leucine. The levels of acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, isobutyric acid, valeric acid, and isovaleric acid were significantly higher in EM than in FE, with CM falling between the two. Streptococcus, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group showed a significant positive correlation with the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), while [Eubacterium]_coprostanoligenes_group, uncultured_bacterium_f_p-251-o5 and Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005 showed a significant negative correlation with the generation of SCFAs. This study provides foundational data and significant insights into precision feeding strategies for Hainan special wild boars of different sexes, as well as the study of sex differences in intestinal microbial metabolites in animals.PMID:39123691 | DOI:10.3390/ani14152164

Animals (Basel). 2024 Jul 24;14(15):2149. doi: 10.3390/ani14152149.ABSTRACTThe dietary crude protein level could affect ruminal fermentation parameters and the microflora of ruminants. The present study's aim was to investigate the effects of different protein level diets on ruminal morphology, fermentation parameters, digestive enzyme activity, microflora and metabolites of Tibetan sheep. Ninety weaned lambs (initial weight of 15.40 ± 0.81 kg, 2 months old) were selected and randomly divided into three groups (six pens/treatment, five rams/pen). Dietary treatments were formulated with 13.03% (high protein, HP), 11.58% (moderate protein, MP) and 10.20% (low protein, LP), respectively. Compared with LP, both papillae length and papillae width were significantly promoted in HP and MP (p < 0.05). The concentrations of ammonia nitrogen, total VFAs, propionic acids and butyric acids in HP were significantly increased compared to those in MP and LP (p < 0.05). The activities of protease and α-amylase in HP were significantly greater than those of LP (p < 0.05). For the ruminal microbial community, higher proportions of phylum Prevotella 1 and Succiniclasticum and genus Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group and Ruminococcus 1 were observed in HP (p < 0.05). A total of 60 differential metabolites (DMs) (28 up, 32 down) between HP and MP; 73 DMs (55 up, 18 down) between HP and LP; and 65 DMs (49 up, 16 down) between MP and LP were identified. Furthermore, four pathways of the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, tryptophan metabolism, bile secretion and ABC transporters were significantly different (p < 0.05). The abundance of phylum Prevotella 1 was negatively associated with stearic acid and palmitic acid but positively associated with the taurine. The abundance of genus Ruminococcus 1 was negatively associated with stearic acid, oleic acid, erucic acid, Indole-3-acetamide and palmitic acid but positively associated with 6-hydroxymelatonin. In conclusion, a 13.03% CP level improved ruminal morphology, fermentation parameters and digestive enzyme activities through modulating the microbial community and regulating metabolism in Tibetan sheep.PMID:39123675 | DOI:10.3390/ani14152149

Foods. 2024 Jul 29;13(15):2399. doi: 10.3390/foods13152399.ABSTRACTFermentation with Bacillus subtilis significantly enhances the physiological activity and bioavailability of soymilk, but the resulting characteristic flavor seriously affects its industrial promotion. The objective of this study was to identify key proteins associated with characteristic flavors in B. subtilis BSNK-5-fermented soymilk using tandem mass tag (TMT) proteomics. The results showed that a total of 765 differentially expressed proteins were identified. Seventy differentially expressed proteins related to characteristic flavor were screened through Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. After integrating metabolomics data, fifteen key proteases of characteristic flavor components in BSNK-5-fermented soymilk were further identified, and free ammonia was added. In addition, there were five main formation mechanisms, including the decomposition of urea to produce ammonia; the degradation of glutamate by glutamate dehydrogenase to produce ammonia; the degradation of threonine and non-enzymatic changes to form the derivative 2,5-dimethylpyrazine; the degradation of valine, leucine, and isoleucine to synthesize isovalerate and 2-methylbutyrate; and the metabolism of pyruvate and lactate to synthesize acetate. These results provide a theoretical foundation for the improvement of undesirable flavor in B. subtilis BSNK-5-fermented soy foods.PMID:39123590 | DOI:10.3390/foods13152399

Foods. 2024 Jul 28;13(15):2384. doi: 10.3390/foods13152384.ABSTRACTLycium barbarum L., an important functional food in China, has antioxidant and antiaging activity. However, the exact antioxidant activity mechanism of Lycium barbarum extracts (LBE) is not well understood. Therefore, a carbendazim (CBZ)-induced PC12 cell injury model was constructed and vitrificated to study the antioxidant activity of fresh LBE on the basis of extraction parameter optimization via the full factorial design of experiments (DOE) method. The results showed that the pretreatment of PC12 cells with LBE could reduce the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level by 14.6% and inhibited the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) decline by 12.0%. Furthermore, the integrated analysis revealed that LBE played an antioxidant role by activating oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and restoring MMP, maintaining the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle stability, and regulating the GSH metabolic pathway. The results of the present study provide new ideas for the understanding of the antioxidant function of LBE from a global perspective.PMID:39123576 | DOI:10.3390/foods13152384

Foods. 2024 Jul 27;13(15):2376. doi: 10.3390/foods13152376.ABSTRACTThis study aimed, for the first time, to determine the nutritional composition, beta-glucan and ergosterol contents, phenolic compound composition, and biological and functional activities of a novel mycoprotein produced through a bioconversion process of Durvillaea spp., a brown seaweed. An untargeted metabolomics approach was employed to screen metabolites and annotate molecules with nutraceutical properties. Two products, each representing a distinct consortia of co-cultured fungi, named Myco 1 and Myco 2, were analysed in this study. These consortia demonstrated superior properties compared to those of Durvillaea spp., showing significant increases in total protein (~238%), amino acids (~219%), and β-D-glucans (~112%). The protein contains all essential amino acids, a low fatty acid content, and exhibits high antioxidant activity (21.5-25.5 µmol TE/g). Additionally, Myco 2 exhibited the highest anti-alpha-glucosidase activity (IC50 = 16.5 mg/mL), and Myco 1 exhibited notable anti-lipase activity (IC50 = 10.5 mg/mL). Among the 69 top differentially abundant metabolites screened, 8 nutraceutical compounds were present in relatively high concentrations among the identified mycoproteins. The proteins and polysaccharides in the mycoprotein may play a crucial role in the formation and stabilization of emulsions, identifying it as a potent bioemulsifier. In conclusion, the bioconversion of Durvillaea spp. results in a mycoprotein with high-quality protein, significant nutritional and functional value, and prebiotic and nutraceutical potential due to the production of unique bioactive compounds.PMID:39123566 | DOI:10.3390/foods13152376

Foods. 2024 Jul 26;13(15):2364. doi: 10.3390/foods13152364.ABSTRACTIn order to investigate the composition and differences in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in yak and cattle-yak meat and determine the key metabolites and metabolic pathways related to flavor formation. In this study, the VOCs and non-volatile metabolites in Longissimus dorsi muscle of two groups of samples were detected and analyzed by gas chromatography-ion migration spectrometry (GC-IMS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that 31 VOCs were identified by GC-IMS, including 5 alcohols, 5 ketones, 5 esters, 3 aldehydes, 2 furans, 2 hydrocarbons, 1 amine, 1 acid, 1 thiazole, 1 pyrazine, and 5 others. Most of them were alcohols, ketones, esters, and aldehydes. A total of 75 non-volatile metabolites with significant differences were obtained by GC-MS screening, among which amino acid contents such as serine, glycine, phenylalanine, and aspartic acid were significantly up-regulated in cattle-yak, and glutamic acid and tyrosine were significantly up-regulated in yak. The non-volatile differential metabolites in the two groups were significantly enriched in the metabolic pathways of arginine biosynthesis and oxidative phosphorylation. By combining GC-IMS and GC-MS, this study comprehensively and intuitively reflected the differences in VOCs between yak and cattle-yak meat, and clarified the metabolomic reasons for the differences in VOCs, so as to provide a theoretical basis for meat quality improvement.PMID:39123555 | DOI:10.3390/foods13152364

Foods. 2024 Jul 24;13(15):2327. doi: 10.3390/foods13152327.ABSTRACTThe meat of local livestock breeds often has unique qualities and flavors. In this study, three Shanghai native pig breeds (MSZ, SWT, and SHB) exhibited better meat quality traits than globalized commercial pig breeds (DLY). Subsequently, metabolomic and lipidomic differences in the longissimus dorsi (L) and gluteus (T) muscles of the Shanghai native pig breeds and DLY pig breed were compared using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The results demonstrated that the metabolites mainly consisted of (28.16%) lipids and lipid-like molecules, and (25.87%) organic acids and their derivatives were the two most dominant groups. Hundreds of differential expression metabolites were identified in every compared group, respectively. One-way ANOVA was applied to test the significance between multiple groups. Among the 20 most abundant differential metabolites, L-carnitine was significantly different in the muscles of the four pig breeds (p-value = 7.322 × 10-11). It was significantly higher in the L and T muscles of the two indigenous black pig breeds (MSZ and SWT) than in the DLY pigs (p-value < 0.001). Similarly, lipidomic analysis revealed the PA (18:0/18:2) was significantly more abundant in the muscle of these two black breeds than that in the DLY breed (p-value < 0.001). These specific metabolites and lipids might influence the meat quality and taste properties and lead to customer preferences. Therefore, this study provided insights into the characterization of meat metabolites and lipids in Shanghai native pig breeds.PMID:39123517 | DOI:10.3390/foods13152327

Cancers (Basel). 2024 Jul 30;16(15):2705. doi: 10.3390/cancers16152705.ABSTRACTAberrant metabolism is a hallmark of malignancies including gliomas. Intracranial microdialysis enables the longitudinal collection of extracellular metabolites within CNS tissues including gliomas and can be leveraged to evaluate changes in the CNS microenvironment over a period of days. However, delayed metabolic impacts of CNS injury from catheter placement could represent an important covariate for interpreting the pharmacodynamic impacts of candidate therapies. Intracranial microdialysis was performed in patient-derived glioma xenografts of glioma before and 72 h after systemic treatment with either temozolomide (TMZ) or a vehicle. Microdialysate from GBM164, an IDH-mutant glioma patient-derived xenograft, revealed a distinct metabolic signature relative to the brain that recapitulated the metabolic features observed in human glioma microdialysate. Unexpectedly, catheter insertion into the brains of non-tumor-bearing animals triggered metabolic changes that were significantly enriched for the extracellular metabolome of glioma itself. TMZ administration attenuated this resemblance. The human glioma microdialysate was significantly enriched for both the PDX versus brain signature in mice and the induced metabolome of catheter placement within the murine control brain. These data illustrate the feasibility of microdialysis to identify and monitor the extracellular metabolome of diseased versus relatively normal brains while highlighting the similarity between the extracellular metabolome of human gliomas and that of CNS injury.PMID:39123433 | DOI:10.3390/cancers16152705

Cancers (Basel). 2024 Jul 25;16(15):2643. doi: 10.3390/cancers16152643.ABSTRACTAs of 2022, lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, with the highest mortality rate. There are three main histological types of lung cancer, and it is more important than ever to accurately identify the subtypes since the development of personalized, type-specific targeted therapies that have improved mortality rates. Traditionally, the gold standard for the confirmation of histological subtyping is tissue biopsy and histopathology. This, however, comes with its own challenges, which call for newer sampling techniques and adjunctive tools to assist in and improve upon the existing diagnostic workflow. This review aims to list and describe studies from the last decade (n = 47) that investigate three such potential omics techniques-namely (1) transcriptomics, (2) proteomics, and (3) metabolomics, as well as immunohistochemistry, a tool that has already been adopted as a diagnostic adjunct. The novelty of this review compared to similar comprehensive studies lies with its detailed description of each adjunctive technique exclusively in the context of lung cancer subtyping. Similarities between studies evaluating individual techniques and markers are drawn, and any discrepancies are addressed. The findings of this study indicate that there is promising evidence that supports the successful use of omics methods as adjuncts to the subtyping of lung cancer, thereby directing clinician practice in an economical and less invasive manner.PMID:39123371 | DOI:10.3390/cancers16152643

CNS Neurosci Ther. 2024 Aug;30(8):e14919. doi: 10.1111/cns.14919.ABSTRACTBACKGROUND: Sanfilippo syndrome (mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIA; MPS IIIA) is a childhood dementia caused by inherited mutations in the sulfamidase gene. At present, there is no treatment and children with classical disease generally die in their late teens. Intravenous or intra-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) injection of AAV9-gene replacement is being examined in human clinical trials; evaluation of the impact on brain disease is an intense focus; however, MPS IIIA patients also experience profound, progressive photoreceptor loss, leading to night blindness.AIM: To compare the relative efficacy of the two therapeutic approaches on retinal degeneration in MPS IIIA mice.METHODS: Neonatal mice received i.v. or intra-CSF AAV9-sulfamidase or vehicle and after 20 weeks, biochemical and histological evaluation of neuroretina integrity was carried out.RESULTS: Both treatments improved central retinal thickness; however, in peripheral retina, outer nuclear layer thickness and photoreceptor cell length were only significantly improved by i.v. gene replacement. Further, normalization of endo-lysosomal compartment size and microglial morphology was only observed following intravenous gene delivery.CONCLUSIONS: Confirmatory studies are needed in adult mice; however, these data indicate that i.v. AAV9-sulfamidase infusion leads to superior outcomes in neuroretina, and cerebrospinal fluid-delivered AAV9 may need to be supplemented with another therapeutic approach for optimal patient quality of life.PMID:39123298 | DOI:10.1111/cns.14919

Genome Med. 2024 Aug 9;16(1):96. doi: 10.1186/s13073-024-01369-6.ABSTRACTBACKGROUND: Immunoglobulin (Ig) glycosylation modulates the immune response and plays a critical role in ageing and diseases. Studies have mainly focused on IgG glycosylation, and little is known about the genetics and epidemiology of IgA glycosylation.METHODS: We generated, using a novel liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method, the first large-scale IgA glycomics dataset in serum from 2423 twins, encompassing 71 N- and O-glycan species.RESULTS: We showed that, despite the lack of a direct genetic template, glycosylation is highly heritable, and that glycopeptide structures are sex-specific, and undergo substantial changes with ageing. We observe extensive correlations between the IgA and IgG glycomes, and, exploiting the twin design, show that they are predominantly influenced by shared genetic factors. A genome-wide association study identified eight loci associated with both the IgA and IgG glycomes (ST6GAL1, ELL2, B4GALT1, ABCF2, TMEM121, SLC38A10, SMARCB1, and MGAT3) and two novel loci specifically modulating IgA O-glycosylation (C1GALT1 and ST3GAL1). Validation of our findings in an independent cohort of 320 individuals from Qatar showed that the underlying genetic architecture is conserved across ancestries.CONCLUSIONS: Our study delineates the genetic landscape of IgA glycosylation and provides novel potential functional links with the aetiology of complex immune diseases, including genetic factors involved in IgA nephropathy risk.PMID:39123268 | DOI:10.1186/s13073-024-01369-6