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

The Diversity of Nutritional Metabolites: Origin, Dissection, and Application in Crop Breeding.

Tue, 03/09/2019 - 14:46
Related Articles The Diversity of Nutritional Metabolites: Origin, Dissection, and Application in Crop Breeding. Front Plant Sci. 2019;10:1028 Authors: Fang C, Luo J, Wang S Abstract The chemical diversity of plants is very high, and plant-based foods provide almost all the nutrients necessary for human health, either directly or indirectly. With advancements in plant metabolomics studies, the concept of nutritional metabolites has been expanded and updated. Because the concentration of many nutrients is usually low in plant-based foods, especially those from crops, metabolome-assisted breeding techniques using molecular markers associated with the synthesis of nutritional metabolites have been developed and used to improve nutritional quality of crops. Here, we review the origins of the diversity of nutrient metabolites from a genomic perspective and the role of gene duplication and divergence. In addition, we systematically review recent advances in the metabolomic and genetic basis of metabolite production in major crops. With the development of genome sequencing and metabolic detection technologies, multi-omic integrative analysis of genomes, transcriptomes, and metabolomes has greatly facilitated the deciphering of the genetic basis of metabolic pathways and the diversity of nutrient metabolites. Finally, we summarize the application of nutrient diversity in crop breeding and discuss the future development of a viable alternative to metabolome-assisted breeding techniques that can be used to improve crop nutrient quality. PMID: 31475024 [PubMed]

Distinct Morphological, Physiological, and Biochemical Responses to Light Quality in Barley Leaves and Roots.

Tue, 03/09/2019 - 14:46
Related Articles Distinct Morphological, Physiological, and Biochemical Responses to Light Quality in Barley Leaves and Roots. Front Plant Sci. 2019;10:1026 Authors: Klem K, Gargallo-Garriga A, Rattanapichai W, Oravec M, Holub P, Veselá B, Sardans J, Peñuelas J, Urban O Abstract Light quality modulates plant growth, development, physiology, and metabolism through a series of photoreceptors perceiving light signal and related signaling pathways. Although the partial mechanisms of the responses to light quality are well understood, how plants orchestrate these impacts on the levels of above- and below-ground tissues and molecular, physiological, and morphological processes remains unclear. However, the re-allocation of plant resources can substantially adjust plant tolerance to stress conditions such as reduced water availability. In this study, we investigated in two spring barley genotypes the effect of ultraviolet-A (UV-A), blue, red, and far-red light on morphological, physiological, and metabolic responses in leaves and roots. The plants were grown in growth units where the root system develops on black filter paper, placed in growth chambers. While the growth of above-ground biomass and photosynthetic performance were enhanced mainly by the combined action of red, blue, far-red, and UV-A light, the root growth was stimulated particularly by supplementary far-red light to red light. Exposure of plants to the full light spectrum also stimulates the accumulation of numerous compounds related to stress tolerance such as proline, secondary metabolites with antioxidative functions or jasmonic acid. On the other hand, full light spectrum reduces the accumulation of abscisic acid, which is closely associated with stress responses. Addition of blue light induced accumulation of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), sorgolactone, or several secondary metabolites. Because these compounds play important roles as osmolytes, antioxidants, UV screening compounds, or growth regulators, the importance of light quality in stress tolerance is unequivocal. PMID: 31475023 [PubMed]

Erratum to "Distinct Lipidomic Landscapes Associated with Clinical Stages of Urothelial Cancer of the Bladder" [Eur Urol Focus 2018;4:907-915].

Tue, 03/09/2019 - 14:46
Related Articles Erratum to "Distinct Lipidomic Landscapes Associated with Clinical Stages of Urothelial Cancer of the Bladder" [Eur Urol Focus 2018;4:907-915]. Eur Urol Focus. 2019 Aug 29;: Authors: Piyarathna DWB, Rajendiran TM, Putluri V, Vantaku V, Soni T, von Rundstedt FC, Donepudi SR, Jin F, Maity S, Ambati CR, Dong J, Gödde D, Roth S, Störkel S, Degener S, Michailidis G, Lerner SP, Pennathur S, Lotan Y, Coarfa C, Sreekumar A, Putluri N PMID: 31474581 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry for Plant Metabolomics.

Tue, 03/09/2019 - 14:46
Related Articles Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry for Plant Metabolomics. Trends Plant Sci. 2019 Aug 29;: Authors: Majchrzak T, Wojnowski W, Wasik A PMID: 31474555 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Metabolomics study on the therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese medicine Xue-Fu-Zhu-Yu decoction in coronary heart disease based on LC-Q-TOF/MS and GC-MS analysis.

Tue, 03/09/2019 - 14:46
Related Articles Metabolomics study on the therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese medicine Xue-Fu-Zhu-Yu decoction in coronary heart disease based on LC-Q-TOF/MS and GC-MS analysis. Drug Metab Pharmacokinet. 2019 Aug 02;: Authors: Yi M, Li Q, Zhao Y, Nie S, Wu N, Wang D Abstract The present study aims is to investigate the metabolic mechanism of Xue-Fu-Zhu-Yu decoction (XFZYD) in the treatment of blood-stasis syndrome in Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). To that end, 30 CHD patients with Blood-Stasis Syndrome (BSS) and 20 healthy subjects were enrolled. LC-Q-TOF/MS analysis determined that in comparison between CHD with BSS patients (Group A) and healthy subjects (Group C), 59 significantly differential metabolites in the positive mode and 18 significantly differential metabolites in the negative mode. The metabolite constituents in the plasma of 30 CHD with BSS patients before (group A) and after 30 days of treatment (Group B), and 20 healthy subjects (Group C) were analyzed using LC-Q-TOF/MS and GC-MS. Based on multivariate statistical analysis (PCA, PLS-DA and OPLS-DA), we determined 69 differential metabolites. The levels of hemorheology indexes were significantly down-regulated after treatment. Metabolic pathway attribution analysis showed that lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism and bile acid metabolism pathways are involved. Our study identifies the metabolic networks of CHD and demonstrates the efficacy of this metabolomics approach to systematically study the therapeutic effect of XFZYC on CHD. PMID: 31474470 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Characterizing the metabotype and its persistency in lactating Holstein cows: An approach toward metabolic efficiency measures.

Tue, 03/09/2019 - 14:46
Related Articles Characterizing the metabotype and its persistency in lactating Holstein cows: An approach toward metabolic efficiency measures. J Dairy Sci. 2019 Jul;102(7):6559-6570 Authors: Derno M, Nürnberg G, Kuhla B Abstract The variation in feed efficiency among dairy cows is due to differences in fermentation and digestion characteristics, but recent studies have suggested that various aspects of postabsorptive metabolic processes including heat production or the metabolizable energy for maintenance are more crucial. Thus, metabolic efficiency largely determines feed efficiency, but whether divergent feed efficient cows differ in O2 consumption and metabolic CO2 production, directly determining the metabolic rate has not been investigated. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to determine whether variation in ME intake (MEI), O2 consumption, and metabolic CO2 production account for the variation in metabolic efficiency of dairy cows and whether this effect persists across the lactation cycle. Eighteen cows with different German breeding value functional herd life were kept in freestalls with ad libitum access to a total mixed ration that was kept constant in composition throughout the first lactation. Cows were blood sampled and weighed at wk 5, 13, and 42 postpartum (pp) and transferred into respiration chambers. Animals were retrospectively clustered according to MEI, O2 consumption, and metabolic CO2 production, each normalized to metabolic body weight (mBW). Cluster analysis revealed 9 high metabolically efficient (high-Meff) and 9 low metabolically efficient cows. The high-Meff cows had greater MEI and feed conversion efficiency, produced less metabolic CO2 and methane, had a stronger negative energy balance, and tended to have a lower metabolic respiratory quotient. Further, high-Meff cows had lower residual MEI, less heat energy loss, and lower plasma glucose concentrations, but used a greater portion of body reserves instead of feed energy for milk synthesis, particularly at wk 5 and 13 pp. However, these group differences did not persist by wk 42 pp. Cow groups were not different in O2 consumption, milk yield, metabolizable energy for maintenance, or the efficiency of tissue utilization for milk synthesis, but high-Meff cows tended to have the lower German relative breeding value functional herd life, indicating a link between metabolic performance and productive lifespan. In conclusion, the use of a clustering approach involving MEI/mBW, O2/mBW, and CO2/mBW seems to be a promising method to differentiate cows with divergent metabolic efficiency but does not allow identifying an individual metabotype that persists across the whole lactation cycle. PMID: 31103305 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

A NMR-Based Metabonomics Approach to Determine Protective Effect of a Combination of Multiple Components Derived from Naodesheng on Ischemic Stroke Rats.

Tue, 03/09/2019 - 14:46
Related Articles A NMR-Based Metabonomics Approach to Determine Protective Effect of a Combination of Multiple Components Derived from Naodesheng on Ischemic Stroke Rats. Molecules. 2019 May 13;24(9): Authors: Luo L, Kang J, He Q, Qi Y, Chen X, Wang S, Liang S Abstract Naodesheng (NDS) is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription for the treatment of ischemic stroke. A combination of 10 components is derived from NDS. They are: Notoginsenoside R1, ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside b1, ginsenoside Rd, hydroxysafflor yellow A, senkyunolide I, puerarin, daidzein, vitexin, and ferulic acid. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of the ten-component combination derived from NDS (TCNDS) on ischemic stroke rats with a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model by integrating an NMR-based metabonomics approach with biochemical assessment. Our results showed that TCNDS could improve neurobehavioral function, decrease the cerebral infarct area, and ameliorate pathological features in MCAO model rats. In addition, TCNDS was found to decrease plasma lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) production and increase plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD) production. Furthermore, 1H-NMR metabonomic analysis indicated that TCNDS could regulate the disturbed metabolites in the plasma, urine, and brain tissue of MCAO rats, and the possible mechanisms were involved oxidative stress, energy metabolism, lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and inflammation. Correlation analysis were then performed to further confirm the metabolites involved in oxidative stress. Correlation analysis showed that six plasma metabolites had high correlations with plasma LDH, MDA, and SOD. This study provides evidence that an NMR-based metabonomics approach integrated with biochemical assessment can help to better understand the underlying mechanisms as well as the holistic effect of multiple compounds from TCM. PMID: 31086027 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Fucose-Functionalized Precision Glycomacromolecules Targeting Human Norovirus Capsid Protein.

Tue, 03/09/2019 - 14:46
Related Articles Fucose-Functionalized Precision Glycomacromolecules Targeting Human Norovirus Capsid Protein. Biomacromolecules. 2018 09 10;19(9):3714-3724 Authors: Bücher KS, Yan H, Creutznacher R, Ruoff K, Mallagaray A, Grafmüller A, Dirks JS, Kilic T, Weickert S, Rubailo A, Drescher M, Schmidt S, Hansman G, Peters T, Uetrecht C, Hartmann L Abstract Norovirus infection is the major cause of nonbacterial gastroenteritis in humans and has been the subject of numerous studies investigating the virus's biophysical properties and biochemical function with the aim of deriving novel and highly potent entry inhibitors to prevent infection. Recently, it has been shown that the protruding P domain dimer (P-dimer) of a GII.10 Norovirus strain exhibits two new binding sites for l-fucose in addition to the canonical binding sites. Thus, these sites provide a novel target for the design of multivalent fucose ligands as entry inhibitors of norovirus infections. In this current study, a first generation of multivalent fucose-functionalized glycomacromolecules was synthesized and applied as model structures to investigate the potential targeting of fucose binding sites in human norovirus P-dimer. Following previously established solid phase polymer synthesis, eight precision glycomacromolecules varying in number and position of fucose ligands along an oligo(amidoamine) backbone were obtained and then used in a series of binding studies applying native MS, NMR, and X-ray crystallography. We observed only one fucose per glycomacromolecule binding to one P-dimer resulting in similar binding affinities for all fucose-functionalized glycomacromolecules, which based on our current findings we attribute to the overall size of macromolecular ligands and possibly to steric hindrance. PMID: 30071731 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Resistance exercise stimulates mixed muscle protein synthesis in lean and obese young adults.

Tue, 03/09/2019 - 14:46
Related Articles Resistance exercise stimulates mixed muscle protein synthesis in lean and obese young adults. Physiol Rep. 2018 07;6(14):e13799 Authors: Hulston CJ, Woods RM, Dewhurst-Trigg R, Parry SA, Gagnon S, Baker L, James LJ, Markey O, Martin NRW, Ferguson RA, van Hall G Abstract Obese individuals exhibit a diminished muscle protein synthesis response to nutrient stimulation when compared with their lean counterparts. However, the effect of obesity on exercise-stimulated muscle protein synthesis remains unknown. Nine lean (23.5 ± 0.6 kg/m2 ) and 8 obese (33.6 ± 1.2 kg/m2 ) physically active young adults participated in a study that determined muscle protein synthesis and intracellular signaling at rest and following an acute bout of resistance exercise. Mixed muscle protein synthesis was determined by combining stable isotope tracer ([13 C6 ]phenylalanine) infusion with serial biopsies of the vastus lateralis. A unilateral leg resistance exercise model was adopted so that resting and postexercise measurements of muscle protein synthesis could be obtained simultaneously. Obesity was associated with higher basal levels of serum insulin (P < 0.05), plasma triacylglycerol (P < 0.01), plasma cholesterol (P < 0.01), and plasma CRP (P < 0.01), as well as increased insulin resistance determined by HOMA-IR (P < 0.05). However, resting and postexercise rates of muscle protein synthesis were not significantly different between lean and obese participants (P = 0.644). Furthermore, resistance exercise stimulated muscle protein synthesis (~50% increase) in both groups (P < 0.001), with no difference between lean and obese (P = 0.809). Temporal increases in the phosphorylation of intracellular signaling proteins (AKT/4EBP1/p70S6K) were observed within the exercised leg (P < 0.05), with no differences between lean and obese. These findings suggest a normal anabolic response to muscle loading in obese young adults. PMID: 30009507 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Pseudoqc: A Regression-Based Simulation Software for Correction and Normalization of Complex Metabolomics and Proteomics Datasets.

Mon, 02/09/2019 - 14:39
Related Articles Pseudoqc: A Regression-Based Simulation Software for Correction and Normalization of Complex Metabolomics and Proteomics Datasets. Proteomics. 2019 Aug 31;:e1900264 Authors: Wang S, Yang H Abstract Various types of unwanted and uncontrollable signal variations in mass spectrometry (MS)-based metabolomics and proteomics datasets severely disturb the accuracies of metabolite and protein profiling. Therefore, pooled quality control (QC) samples are often employed in quality management processes, which are indispensable to the success of metabolomics and proteomics experiments, especially in high-throughput cases and long-term projects. However, data consistency and QC sample stability are still difficult to guarantee because of the experimental operation complexity and differences between experimenters. To make things worse, numerous proteomics projects do not take QC samples into consideration at the beginning of experimental design. Herein, we present a powerful and interactive web-based software, named pseudoQC, to simulate QC sample data for actual metabolomics and proteomics datasets using four different machine learning-based regression methods. The simulated data are used for correction and normalization of the two published datasets, and the obtained results suggest that nonlinear regression methods perform better than linear ones. Additionally, the above software is available as a web-based graphical user interface (GUI) and can be utilized by scientists without a bioinformatics background. pseudoQC is open-source software and freely available at https://www.omicsolution.org/wukong/pseudoQC/. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. PMID: 31474000 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Resveratrol-mediated glycemic regulation is blunted by curcumin and is associated to modulation of gut microbiota.

Mon, 02/09/2019 - 14:39
Related Articles Resveratrol-mediated glycemic regulation is blunted by curcumin and is associated to modulation of gut microbiota. J Nutr Biochem. 2019 Jul 30;72:108218 Authors: Sreng N, Champion S, Martin JC, Khelaifia S, Christensen JE, Padmanabhan R, Azalbert V, Blasco-Baque V, Loubieres P, Pechere L, Landrier JF, Burcelin R, Sérée E Abstract The polyphenols resveratrol (RSV) and curcumin (Cur) are phytoalexines and natural antibiotics with numerous pharmacological functions and metabolic impacts. Recent evidences show a broad control of gut microbiota by polyphenols which could influence glycemic regulation. The aim of this work is to estimate the respective effect of RSV and Cur alone or in association on the control of glycemia and on gut microbiota. A 5-week chronic treatment of hyperglycemic mice with RSV and/or Cur resulted in a differential effect on glucose tolerance test and modified gut microbiome. We precisely identified groups of bacteria representing a specific signature of the glycemic effect of RSV. Inferred metagenomic analysis and metabolic pathway prediction showed that the sulfur and branched-chain amino-acid (BCAA) metabolic activities are tightly correlated with the efficacy of RSV for the control of glycaemia. The impact on BCAA metabolism was further validated by serum metabolomics analysis. Altogether, we show that polyphenols specifically impact gut microbiota and corresponding metabolic functions which could be responsible for their therapeutic role. PMID: 31473511 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

A metabolomics study on effects of polyaromatic compounds in oil sand extracts on the respiratory, hepatic and nervous systems using three human cell lines.

Mon, 02/09/2019 - 14:39
Related Articles A metabolomics study on effects of polyaromatic compounds in oil sand extracts on the respiratory, hepatic and nervous systems using three human cell lines. Environ Res. 2019 Aug 19;178:108680 Authors: Sarma SN, Kimpe LE, Doyon VC, Blais JM, Chan HM Abstract Polyaromatic compounds (PACs) are by-products of combustion and are the major pollutants from the oil and gas industry. However, the mechanism of PACs induced toxicity still remains elusive. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of a typical mixture of PACs found in oil sand extract (OSE) on the respiratory, hepatic and nervous systems in humans using in vitro cell culture models followed by non-targeted metabolomics analysis. OSE collected from Alberta, Canada was fractionated into PAC and alkane fractions, and their effects after 24 h exposure on the cell viability measured by MTT assay in three human cell lines (A549, HepG2, and SK-N-SH) were studied. The PAC fractions showed significant dose-dependent cytotoxicity. A549 cells showed the highest sensitivity to OSE extracts, followed by SK-N-SH and HepG2. In contrast, the alkane fractions showed no effects on cell viability. The three human cell lines were further exposed with the PACs at 10% and 20% lethal concentration for 24 h. Metabolomics analysis of the cell extracts indicated that PACs treatments showed different disruptions on possible metabolic pathways on the three cell lines. PACs altered the sex steroid hormone metabolism and regulated the levels of leukotrienes metabolites in all three cell types. The amino acids L-cysteine, L-glutamine, L-tyrosine that are known to cause respiratory effects were significantly up-regulated in A549 cells. The PACs treated HepG2 cells showed down-regulation in metabolites responsible for the inflammatory mediation. Treatment of the differentiated SK-N-SH cells showed up-regulated metabolites involved with butanoate, fatty acid, and pyrimidine metabolism. Leukotriene metabolites were found to be significantly increased in all PACs treated cells. In conclusion, our results showed that PACs in OSE can alter the metabolism of the human lung, liver and neuronal cells and may induce toxicity in multiple target organs. PMID: 31473503 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Dynamic Metabolomics for Engineering Biology: Accelerating Learning Cycles for Bioproduction.

Mon, 02/09/2019 - 14:39
Related Articles Dynamic Metabolomics for Engineering Biology: Accelerating Learning Cycles for Bioproduction. Trends Biotechnol. 2019 Aug 28;: Authors: Vavricka CJ, Hasunuma T, Kondo A Abstract Metabolomics is a powerful tool to rationally guide the metabolic engineering of synthetic bioproduction pathways. Current reports indicate great potential to further develop metabolomics-directed synthetic bioproduction. Advanced mass metabolomics methods including isotope flux analysis, untargeted metabolomics, and system-wide approaches are assisting the characterization of metabolic pathways and enabling the biosynthesis of more complex products. More importantly, a design, build, test, and learn (DBTL) cycle is accelerating synthetic biology research and is highly compatible with metabolomics data to further expand bioproduction capability. However, learning processes are currently the weakest link in this workflow. Therefore, guidelines for the development of metabolic learning processes are proposed based on bioproduction examples. Linking dynamic mass spectrometry (MS) methodologies together with automated learning workflows is encouraged. PMID: 31473013 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Diet-induced remission in chronic enteropathy is associated with altered microbial community structure and synthesis of secondary bile acids.

Mon, 02/09/2019 - 14:39
Related Articles Diet-induced remission in chronic enteropathy is associated with altered microbial community structure and synthesis of secondary bile acids. Microbiome. 2019 Aug 31;7(1):126 Authors: Wang S, Martins R, Sullivan MC, Friedman ES, Misic AM, El-Fahmawi A, De Martinis ECP, O'Brien K, Chen Y, Bradley C, Zhang G, Berry ASF, Hunter CA, Baldassano RN, Rondeau MP, Beiting DP Abstract BACKGROUND: The microbiome has been implicated in the initiation and persistence of inflammatory bowel disease. Despite the fact that diet is one of the most potent modulators of microbiome composition and function and that dietary intervention is the first-line therapy for treating pediatric Crohn's disease, the relationships between diet-induced remission, enteropathy, and microbiome are poorly understood. Here, we leverage a naturally-occurring canine model of chronic inflammatory enteropathy that exhibits robust remission following nutritional therapy, to perform a longitudinal study that integrates clinical monitoring, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, metagenomic sequencing, metabolomic profiling, and whole genome sequencing to investigate the relationship between therapeutic diet, microbiome, and disease. RESULTS: We show that remission induced by a hydrolyzed protein diet is accompanied by alterations in microbial community structure marked by decreased abundance of pathobionts (e.g., Escherichia coli and Clostridium perfringens), reduced severity of dysbiosis, and increased levels of the secondary bile acids, lithocholic and deoxycholic acid. Physiologic levels of these bile acids inhibited the growth of E. coli and C. perfringens isolates, in vitro. Metagenomic analysis and whole genome sequencing identified the bile acid producer Clostridium hiranonis as elevated after dietary therapy and a likely source of secondary bile acids during remission. When C. hiranonis was administered to mice, levels of deoxycholic acid were preserved and pathology associated with DSS colitis was ameliorated. Finally, a closely related bile acid producer, Clostridium scindens, was associated with diet-induced remission in human pediatric Crohn's disease. CONCLUSIONS: These data highlight that remission induced by a hydrolyzed protein diet is associated with improved microbiota structure, an expansion of bile acid-producing clostridia, and increased levels of secondary bile acids. Our observations from clinical studies of exclusive enteral nutrition in human Crohn's disease, along with our in vitro inhibition assays and in vivo studies in mice, suggest that this may be a conserved response to diet therapy with the potential to ameliorate disease. These findings provide insight into diet-induced remission of gastrointestinal disease and could help guide the rational design of more effective therapeutic diets. PMID: 31472697 [PubMed - in process]

Study of metabolic disorders associated with BDE-47 exposure in Drosophila model by MS-based metabolomics.

Sun, 01/09/2019 - 14:25
Related Articles Study of metabolic disorders associated with BDE-47 exposure in Drosophila model by MS-based metabolomics. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2019 Aug 28;184:109606 Authors: Ji F, Wei J, Luan H, Li M, Cai Z Abstract Epidemiological and animal studies have revealed a possible linkage between 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) exposure and neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson's disease (PD). However, whether or how BDE-47 would affect the PD progression remains unclear. Here, we carried out a metabolomics study based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to investigate the possible contribution of BDE-47 exposure to PD progression in Drosophila (fly) model. Transgenic PD flies were exposed to BDE-47 through diet for 30 days. Global metabolomic analysis identified 48 altered metabolites after the exposure. These metabolites were mainly involved in tryptophan metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, purine metabolism, and alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism. Further, by quantifying metabolites of interest using LC-MS/MS, we confirmed that the formation of neuro-protector kynurenic acid was slowed down while the formation of neurotoxin 3-hydroxy-kynurenine was speeded up on the 20th exposure day. Moreover, the levels of SAM/SAH (an index of methylation potential) and GSH/GSSG (an indicator of oxidative stress) were found to decrease on the 30th exposure day. Our results suggest that BDE-47 could induce imbalance of kynurenine metabolism and methylation potential, and oxidative stress, which might further accelerate PD progression. PMID: 31472382 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Toxicological screening and DNA sequencing detects contamination and adulteration in regulated herbal medicines and supplements for diet, weight loss and cardiovascular health.

Sun, 01/09/2019 - 14:25
Related Articles Toxicological screening and DNA sequencing detects contamination and adulteration in regulated herbal medicines and supplements for diet, weight loss and cardiovascular health. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2019 Aug 23;176:112834 Authors: Crighton E, Coghlan ML, Farrington R, Hoban CL, Power MWP, Nash C, Mullaney I, Byard RW, Trengove R, Musgrave IF, Bunce M, Maker G Abstract Use of herbal medicines and supplements by consumers to prevent or treat disease, particularly chronic conditions continues to grow, leading to increased awareness of the minimal regulation standards in many countries. Fraudulent, adulterated and contaminated herbal and traditional medicines and dietary supplements are a risk to consumer health, with adverse effects and events including overdose, drug-herb interactions and hospitalisation. The scope of the risk has been difficult to determine, prompting calls for new approaches, such as the combination of DNA metabarcoding and mass spectrometry used in this study. Here we show that nearly 50% of products tested had contamination issues, in terms of DNA, chemical composition or both. Two samples were clear cases of pharmaceutical adulteration, including a combination of paracetamol and chlorpheniramine in one product and trace amounts of buclizine, a drug no longer in use in Australia, in another. Other issues include the undeclared presence of stimulants such as caffeine, synephrine or ephedrine. DNA data highlighted potential allergy concerns (nuts, wheat), presence of potential toxins (Neem oil) and animal ingredients (reindeer, frog, shrew), and possible substitution of bird cartilage in place of shark. Only 21% of the tested products were able to have at least one ingredient corroborated by DNA sequencing. This study demonstrates that, despite current monitoring approaches, contaminated and adulterated products are still reaching the consumer. We suggest that a better solution is stronger pre-market evaluation, using techniques such as that outlined in this study. PMID: 31472365 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

A novel neutral loss/product ion scan-incorporated integral approach for the untargeted characterization and comparison of the carboxyl-free ginsenosides from Panax ginseng, Panax quinquefolius, and Panax notoginseng.

Sun, 01/09/2019 - 14:25
Related Articles A novel neutral loss/product ion scan-incorporated integral approach for the untargeted characterization and comparison of the carboxyl-free ginsenosides from Panax ginseng, Panax quinquefolius, and Panax notoginseng. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2019 Aug 14;177:112813 Authors: Yang WZ, Shi XJ, Yao CL, Huang Y, Hou JJ, Han SM, Feng ZJ, Wei WL, Wu WY, Guo DA Abstract Differentiated composition in precursor ions for different subclasses of ginsenosides in the negative electrospray-ionization mode has been reported, which lays a foundation for the sorted and untargeted identification of ginsenosides. Carboxyl-free ginsenosides simultaneously from Panax ginseng, P. quinquefolius, and P. notoginseng, were comprehensively characterized and statistically compared. A neutral loss/product ion scan (NL-PIS) incorporated untargeted profiling approach, coupled to ultra-high performance liquid chromatography, was developed on a linear ion-trap/Orbitrap mass spectrometer for characterizing carboxyl-free ginsenosides. It incorporated in-source fragmentation (ISF) full scan-MS1, mass tag-MS2, and product ion scan-MS3. Sixty batches of ginseng samples were analyzed by metabolomics workflows for the discovery of ginsenoside markers. Using formic acid (FA) as the additive, carboxyl-free ginsenosides (protopanaxadiol-type, protopanaxatriol-type, and octillol-type) gave predominant FA-adducts, while rich deprotonated molecules were observed for carboxyl-containing ginsenosides (oleanolic acid-type and malonylated) when source-induced dissociation (SID) was set at 0 V. Based on the NL transition [M+FA‒H]- > [M-H]- and the characteristic sapogenin product ions, a NL-PIS approach was established. It took advantage of the efficient full-information acquisition of ISF-MS1 (SID: 50 V), the high specificity of mass tag (NL: 46.0055 Da)-induced MS2 fragmentation, and the substructure fragmentation of product ion scan-MS3. We could characterize 216 carboxyl-free ginsenosides, and 21 thereof were potentially diagnostic for the species differentiation. Conclusively, sorted and untargeted characterization of the carboxyl-free ginsenosides was achieved by the established NL-PIS approach. In contrast to the conventional NL or PIS-based survey scan strategies, the high-accuracy MSn data obtained can enable more reliable identification of ginsenosides. PMID: 31472326 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Metabolomics analysis reveals perturbations of cerebrocortical metabolic pathways in the Pahenu2 mouse model of phenylketonuria.

Sun, 01/09/2019 - 14:25
Related Articles Metabolomics analysis reveals perturbations of cerebrocortical metabolic pathways in the Pahenu2 mouse model of phenylketonuria. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2019 Aug 31;: Authors: Lu LH, Xia ZX, Guo JL, Xiao LL, Zhang YJ Abstract AIMS: Phenylketonuria (PKU), which is caused by mutations in the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) gene, is one of the most common inherited diseases of amino acid metabolism. Phenylketonuria is characterized by an abnormal accumulation of phenylalanine and its metabolites in body fluids and brain tissues, subsequently leading to severe brain dysfunction. Various pathophysiological and molecular mechanisms underlying brain dysfunction in PKU have been described. However, the metabolic changes and their impacts on the function of cerebral cortices of patients with PKU remain largely unknown. METHODS: We measured the levels of small molecule metabolites in the cerebrocortical tissues of PKU mice and wild-type control mice using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolome analysis. Differential metabolites were further subjected to metabolic pathway and enrichment analysis. RESULTS: Metabolome analysis revealed 35 compounds among 143 detected metabolites were significantly changed in PKU mice as compared to those in their wild-type littermates. Metabolic pathway and enrichment analysis of these differential metabolites showed that multiple metabolic pathways, including phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis; valine, leucine, and isoleucine biosynthesis; alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism; purine metabolism; arginine and proline metabolism and methionine metabolism, were impacted in the cerebral cortices of PKU mice. CONCLUSIONS: The data revealed that multiple metabolic pathways in cerebral cortices of PKU mice were disturbed, suggesting that the disturbances of the metabolic pathways might contribute to neurological or neurodevelopmental dysfunction in PKU, which could thus provide new insights into brain pathogenic mechanisms in PKU as well as mechanistic insights for better understanding the complexity of the metabolic mechanisms of the brain dysfunction in PKU. PMID: 31471952 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Nutritional Deficiencies, Bariatric Surgery, and Serum Homocysteine Level: Review of Current Literature.

Sun, 01/09/2019 - 14:25
Related Articles Nutritional Deficiencies, Bariatric Surgery, and Serum Homocysteine Level: Review of Current Literature. Obes Surg. 2019 Aug 31;: Authors: Komorniak N, Szczuko M, Kowalewski B, Stachowska E Abstract Obesity is currently one of the biggest global health problems. In the case of severe obesity, bariatric surgeries are considered to be the most important method of treatment. The 2 most commonly performed bariatric surgery procedures include Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy. However, these methods are not free from complications, and the most common ones (moderately long or long term) are micronutrient deficiencies. The deficiency of vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid as cofactors of the folate cycle contributes to the development of hyperhomocysteinemia. It seems that apart from nutritional factors, there are other aspects that have a significant influence on the concentration of homocysteine in blood, such as the type of conducted bariatric surgery, the post-surgical concentration of betaine and creatinine, and the clearance of methionine (i.e., the mutations of the gene that encodes the MTHFR reductase as well as other genes associated with the process of methylation, e.g., methionine synthase). Their presence might be one of the causes of the increased concentration of homocysteine after surgery despite the fact that patients take vitamin-mineral supplementation. PMID: 31471768 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Xenobiotics metabolization in Salix alba leaves uncovered by mass spectrometry imaging.

Sun, 01/09/2019 - 14:25
Related Articles Xenobiotics metabolization in Salix alba leaves uncovered by mass spectrometry imaging. Metabolomics. 2019 Aug 30;15(9):122 Authors: Villette C, Maurer L, Wanko A, Heintz D Abstract INTRODUCTION: Micropollutants are increasingly monitored as their presence in the environment is rising due to human activities, and they are potential threats to living organisms. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed at understanding the role of plants in xenobiotics removal from polluted environments by following xenobiotics metabolism in leaf tissues. METHODS: Different classes of micropollutants were investigated using liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to quadrupole-time of flight (Q-TOF) high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The tissue localization of xenobiotics in the leaves of a spontaneous (not planted by humans) Salix alba growing near the water flux was further investigated using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging (MSI). RESULTS: The LC-Q-TOF analysis revealed the distribution of micropollutants in three different compartments of a tertiary treatment wetland. When further investing the metabolic profile of S. alba leaves using MSI, different distribution patterns were observed in specific leaf tissues. Xenobiotic metabolites were predicted and could also be tentatively identified in S. alba leaves, shedding new light on the metabolic processes at play in leaves to manage xenobiotics uptake from a polluted environment. CONCLUSION: Using complementary metabolomics approaches, this study performed a large-scale exploration of micropollutants spreading in the environment at the exit of a tertiary treatment wetland. The use of MSI coupled with the prediction of xenobiotic metabolites yielded novel insights into plant metabolism during chronical exposure to low doses of a mixture of micropollutants. PMID: 31471668 [PubMed - in process]

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