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Recent advances and future directions on GLA-producing organisms
Full text linkGamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is a biologically active omega-6 fatty acid with anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and cardiovascular protective effects. It is a vital constituent of human health and is finding more widespread applications in nutritional supplements, medications, and functional foods. GLA can be derived from many different natural sources, including plants, fungi, and microorganisms. This review paper presents an overview of the current advances in the discovery, metabolic engineering, and GLA-producing organism optimization. We further present a discussion on new biotechnological approaches-such as culture medium optimization, genetic engineering, and genome editing-that can be employed to enhance GLA production. The paper also presents new trends and directions in the commercial exploitation of GLA-containing products, unveiling new, health-oriented applications
The Arabidopsis thaliana core splicing factor PORCUPINE/SmE1 requires intron-mediated expression
Full text linkPlants are prone to genome duplications and tend to preserve multiple gene copies. This is also the case for the genes encoding the Sm proteins of Arabidopsis thaliana (L). The Sm proteins are best known for their roles in RNA processing such as pre-mRNA splicing and nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. In this study, we have taken a closer look at the phylogeny and differential regulation of the SmE-coding genes found in A. thaliana, PCP/SmE1, best known for its cold-sensitive phenotype, and its paralog, PCPL/SmE2. The phylogeny of the PCP homologs in the green lineage shows that SmE duplications happened multiple times independently in different plant clades and that the duplication that gave rise to PCP and PCPL occurred only in the Brassicaceae family. Our analysis revealed that A. thaliana PCP and PCPL proteins, which only differ in two amino acids, exhibit a very high level of functional conservation and can perform the same function in the cell. However, our results indicate that PCP is the prevailing copy of the two SmE genes in A. thaliana as it is more highly expressed and that the main difference between PCP and PCPL resides in their transcriptional regulation, which is strongly linked to intronic sequences. Our results provide insight into the complex mechanisms that underlie the differentiation of the paralogous gene expression as an adaptation to stress
Vulnerability and fascination with wildlife encounters and psychological restoration in local natural settings
Full text linkPeople often visit natural settings for recreation and psychological restoration. This study aims to improve understanding of how exposure to and experiences of mammalian wildlife in local natural settings can permit and promote recreation and restoration. Randomly sampled residents in three regions of Sweden (N = 303) with varying presence of fear-relevant species (wolf, wild boar) and fear-irrelevant species (roe deer, squirrel) completed a questionnaire. Squirrel and roe deer were rated significantly higher than wolf and wild boar for anticipated positive feelings and restoration outcomes, and significantly lower for negative feelings and avoidance of natural settings. The possibility of exposure explained little of the variation in the restoration variables, whereas the experiences anticipated with an animal encounter contributed substantially to explanation. Vulnerability seems to counteract the restorative benefit of fascination. Wildlife conservation efforts and public health initiatives may find practical utility in distinguishing between potential exposure and anticipated experience when designing interventions
Seasonal dynamics of biotoxins and potentially toxic phytoplankton in three Baltic Sea blue mussel farms
Full text linkCyanobacterial blooms are common in the Baltic Sea during summer, and even though several cyanobacteria are toxin producers, many organisms still ingest them as feed. These and other phytoplankton toxins can be detected in blue mussels accumulating over the season, which represents a potential health hazard for shellfish consumers. On a global scale, biotoxins therefore need to be quantified in shellfish before human consumption. We monitored 11 different groups of biotoxins in three blue mussel farms and the composition of 23 potentially toxin producing phytoplankton taxa from March to November 2022. None of the biotoxins were above available health guideline values nor regulated levels. However, the well-known cyanobacterial toxin in the Baltic Sea, nodularin, produced by Nodularia spumigena, was detected in net- and rope-farmed mussels throughout the summer, with the highest concentration of 47 mu g kg-1. In contrast, the less studied toxin cylindrospermopsin was only present in mussels in early spring and late fall (surface water temperature approx. 2-10 degrees C), with the maximum concentration of 19.7 mu g kg-1 in April, where Aphanizomenon is a potential producer, but yet not confirmed. Further, Dinophysis acuminata, a potential producer of Diarrhetic Shellfish Toxins (DSTs), was observed above warning levels at two sites with up to 2 400 individuals L-1, although the found concentration of 73 mu g kg-1 is below the regulated level for DST group (160 mu g kg-1). Altogether emphasizing that high species abundance does not necessarily result in a high toxin accumulation. On the other hand, mussels can serve effectively as indicator species, detecting the presence of novel toxins when producer abundance is low. As no period of the year was completely toxin-free, quantitative analysis is recommended when mussels are to be harvested
Tree rows and grass-strips increase water availability in fruit tree-crop agroforestry systems on sloping land
Full text linkSoil water conservation in upland areas characterised by slopes is extremely challenging. Information about soil water availability and variability, which can guide appropriate soil water management, is often lacking, including for agroforestry (AF) which is considered a sustainable farming practice in these regions. This study aims to describe how soil water is distributed and how it impacts crop growth and yield in an agroforestry system. Investigations were carried out in 2022–2023, in year 6 and 7 of an experiment wherein a fruit tree (mango and longan)-maize-grass treatment was compared to sole-maize in four replicates. Nine slope positions in each AF-plot were defined based on their distance from the tree rows, whilst three positions along the slope were selected in the sole-maize. Available soil water content (ASWC) down to 60 cm depth varied between 14 and 141 mm and was up to 28 mm higher in the AF system than the sole-maize following rain events. Generally, the ASWC was lower downslope than upslope of the tree rows and declined more rapidly after rain events. During the early dry season, ASWC was higher in mango-AF but lower in longan-AF compared to sole-maize, whereas the opposite was true late in the dry season. Maize grain yield was consistently lower in the zone immediately downslope (1.0 ton ha− 1 ) than upslope (3.2 ton ha− 1 ) of tree rows, but the yield-reducing effect downslope decreased with increasing distance from the tree rows and grass-strips. Water was generally not limiting maize yields. To conclude, ASWC was higher in AF than in sole-maize and increased more upslope than downslope of tree rows and grass strips immediately after rain events. The choice of tree species influenced ASWC in the dry season
Resistance and resilience of co-occurring nitrifying microbial guilds to drying-rewetting stress in soil
Full text linkNitrification, the oxidation of ammonia via nitrite to nitrate, contributes to nitrogen losses in agricultural soils. When nitrification is a two-step process, it depends on the successful metabolic interaction between ammonia oxidising archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB), and nitrite oxidising bacteria primarily within Nitrobacter (NIB) and Nitrospira (NIS). However, consequences of dry spells caused by climate change on the composition and co-associations of these microbial guilds and the fate of nitrogen remain unclear. Here we subject four distinct soils to either one long or two shorter drought periods (7-11 % water holding capacity) followed by rewetting in a microcosm experiment to evaluate the hypothesis that drying-rewetting stress triggers distinct responses in the functional guilds due to differences in environmental preferences and adaptation strategies. While AOB were highly resistant, AOA were the most sensitive to drying among the four guilds and decreased in relative abundance. This coincided with reduced ammonia oxidation rates in three soils by on average 27 % compared to the control. However, we observed almost full recovery of AOA one week after rewetting. NIS, but not NIB, were strongly affected by rewetting with no recovery during the experiment, showing shifts in community composition and relative abundance with up to 30 % affected ASVs. Network analysis revealed that drying-rewetting affected co-occurrences between ammonia and nitrite oxidisers in a soil-dependant manner, possibly indicating a destabilisation of their metabolic interaction. Overall, this study emphasises the importance to consider weather extremes like drought on soil nitrifier community dynamics and the fate of nitrogen in soils
Identification of lncRNAs involved in the hair follicle cycle transition of cashmere goats in response to photoperiod change
Full text linkBackgroundCashmere goats, as one of the important domesticated animal species, are known for their high-quality fiber. The growth of cashmere has seasonal variations caused by photoperiodic changes, but the molecular genetic mechanisms underlying this phenotype including the functional role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) is still poorly understood.ResultsIn this study, we analyzed the RNA-seq dataset of 39 Cashmere goat skin samples including all different growth stages and identified 1591 lncRNAs. These lncRNAs exhibited growth stage-specific expression patterns. Combining shortened light and hair follicle growth cycles, we found that 68% of differentially photo-responsive lncRNAs showed similar expression trends during transition phase I (early anagen to anagen phase). This suggests that the mechanism of light-controlled induction of hair follicles from early anagen to anagen is similar to that of transition phase I. According to weighted gene co-expression network analyses (WGCNA) analysis, it was found that two gene clusters and 10 hub lncRNAs participated in the transformation of hair follicle cycle, inducing hair follicles to enter the full growth phase in advance. These hub lncRNAs may regulate the development cycle of hair follicles through cis- or trans-regulation on clock genes, SLC superfamily genes, fibroblast growth factor genes.ConclusionsThis study identified the key lncRNAs and target genes probably participating in the transformation of hair follicle cycle. This study will help further elucidate the role of lncRNAs in the hair follicle cycle and development
Metagenomic insights into the complex viral composition of the enteric RNA virome in healthy and diarrheic calves from Ethiopia
Full text linkBackground Viruses and the virome have received increased attention in the context of calf diarrhea and with the advancement of high-throughput sequencing the detection and discovery of viruses has been improved. Calf diarrhea, being the main contributor to calf morbidity and mortality, is a major issue within the livestock sector in Ethiopia. However, studies on viruses and the virome in calves is lacking in the country. Therefore, we utilized viral metagenomics to investigate the diversity of RNA viruses in healthy and diarrheic calves from central Ethiopia. Methods Fecal material from 47 calves were collected, pooled, and sequenced using Illumina. Following sequencing, the virome composition and individual viral sequences were investigated using bioinformatic analysis. Results The metagenomic analysis revealed the presence of several RNA viruses, including rotavirus and bovine coronavirus, known causative agents in calf diarrhea. In addition, several enteric RNA viruses that have not been detected in cattle in Ethiopia previously, such as norovirus, nebovirus, astrovirus, torovirus, kobuvirus, enterovirus, boosepivirus and hunnivirus were identified. Furthermore, a highly divergent viral sequence, which we gave the working name suluvirus, was found. Suluvirus showed a similar genome structure to viruses within the Picornaviridae family and phylogenetic analysis showed that it clusters with crohiviruses. However, due to its very divergent amino acid sequence, we propose that suluvirus represent either a new genus within the Picornaviridae or a new species within crohiviruses. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first characterization of the RNA virome in Ethiopian cattle and the study revealed multiple RNA viruses circulating in both diarrheic and healthy calves, as well as a putative novel virus, suluvirus. Our study highlights that viral metagenomics is a powerful tool in understanding the divergence of viruses and their possible association to calf diarrhea, enabling characterization of known viruses as well as discovery of novel viruses
Border carbon adjustments in agri-food markets: Not as effective as one might think
Full text linkUsing the EU as case study, we simulate the impact of border carbon adjustments on agri-food markets. While border carbon adjustments alleviate adverse carbon price impacts on EU agricultural competitiveness and emission leakage, our simulation results also reveal that (i) border carbon adjustments may diminish domestic mitigation efforts, thereby partly offsetting benefits from reduced emission leakage, and (ii) trade diversion further undermines global emission reduction. The results indicate that border carbon adjustments on agri-food products in major exporting countries with emission-efficient production systems may not reduce global emissions as effectively as commonly assumed, highlighting the importance of emission efficiency improvements especially in developing and emerging countries
Reluctance of farmed Atlantic salmon to feed in cold water revealed during automated hydroacoustic feeding control
Full text linkWaste feed remains a major issue in open sea-cage Atlantic salmon aquaculture. "Echofeeding" is an appetite-led feeding method that stops meals based on fish biomass detected by an echo sounder. The method reduced waste feed and upheld fish growth in a relatively vertically unstratified coastal farming environment. Here, we tested echofeeding at a commercially relevant scale over an 8-month period in a fjord environment with seasonal vertical temperature and salinity gradients. We compared fish behaviour and growth between echofed fish, fed at high intensity and near surface, and control fish, with feeding regulated by pellet detection without surface feeding restriction (conventional practice). Growth (SGR>1.81) and FCR (<0.87) were excellent and similar for three months after sea-transfer in August. However, a strong halocline in late November (<5 degrees C surface water) led echofed fish to avoid surface feeding, resulting in underfeeding. Following the setting of a deeper depth interval for triggering feeding, the echofed fish fed more, and fed at similar levels to control fish when feeding intensity was reduced. Echofeeding underperformed in early spring as rising surface temperatures attracted salmon, making it difficult for the system to distinguish between feeding and routine behaviours. Both groups contracted salmonid alphavirus during winter, reducing appetite and promoting early harvest. Results highlight the need for echofeeding to take environmental changes into account. Further, as fish grew, a gradual decline in the echo signal measured during feeding suggests a method for refining meal termination threshold to minimize waste feed while maintaining good fish growth