Data for EMSL Project 60582 from February 2024
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Dohnalkova, Alice↗
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Data for EMSL Project 60582 from February 2024
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Dohnalkova, Alice↗
The Association of Age-Related and Off-Target Retention with Longitudinal Quantification of [ 18 F]MK6240 Tau PET in Target Regions
6-(fluoro- 18 F)-3-(1H-pyrrolo[2,3-c]pyridin-1-yl)isoquinolin-5-amine ([ 18 F]MK6240) tau PET tracer quantifies the brain tau neurofibrillary tangle load in Alzheimer disease. The aims of our study were to test the stability of common reference region estimates in the cerebellum over time and across diagnoses and evaluate the effects of age-related and off-target retention on the longitudinal quantification of [ 18 F]MK6240 in target regions. Methods: We assessed reference, target, age-related, and off-target regions in 125 individuals across the aging and Alzheimer disease spectrum with longitudinal [ 18 F]MK6240 SUVs and SUV ratios (SUVRs) (mean ± SD, 2.25 ± 0.40 y of follow-up). We obtained SUVR from meninges, exhibiting frequent off-target retention with [ 18 F]MK6240. Additionally, we compared tracer uptake between 37 cognitively unimpaired young (CUY) (mean age, 23.41 ± 3.33 y) and 27 cognitively unimpaired older (CU) adults (amyloid-β–negative and tau-negative, 58.50 ± 9.01 y) to identify possible nonvisually apparent, age-related signal. Two-tailed t testing and Pearson correlation testing were used to determine the difference between groups and associations between changes in region uptake, respectively. Results: Inferior cerebellar gray matter SUV did not differ on the basis of diagnosis and amyloid-β status, cross-sectionally and over time. [ 18 F]MK6240 uptake significantly differed between CUY and CU adults in the putamen or pallidum (affecting ~75% of the region) and in the Braak II region (affecting ~35%). Changes in meningeal and putamen or pallidum SUVRs did not significantly differ from zero, nor did they vary across diagnostic groups. We did not observe significant correlations between longitudinal changes in age-related or meningeal off-target retention and changes in target regions, whereas changes in all target regions were strongly correlated. Conclusion: Inferior cerebellar gray matter was similar across diagnostic groups cross-sectionally and stable over time and thus was deemed a suitable reference region for quantification. Despite not being visually perceptible, [ 18 F]MK6240 has age-related retention in subcortical regions, at a much lower magnitude but topographically colocalized with significant off-target signal of the first-generation tau tracers. The lack of correlation between changes in age-related or meningeal and target retention suggests little influence of possible off-target signals on longitudinal tracer quantification. Nevertheless, the age-related retention in the Braak II region needs to be further investigated. Future postmortem studies should elucidate the source of the newly reported age-related [ 18 F]MK6240 signal, and in vivo studies should further explore its impact on tracer quantification.
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
A taxogenomic view of the genus Torulaspora : an expansion from ten to twenty-two species
The yeast genus Torulaspora (subphylum Saccharomycotina, family Saccharomycetaceae) is mostly known from its type species, T. delbrueckii, a frequent colonizer of wine and sourdough bread fermentations. The genus currently contains 10 species that are typically found in various natural terrestrial environments in temperate and tropical climates. Here we employ taxogenomic analyses to investigate a large collection of Torulaspora strains obtained in multiple surveys we carried out in Asia, Australasia, North America, South America, and Europe, and to which we added several strains maintained in culture collections. Our analyses detected twelve novel species that are formally described here, thereby more than doubling the species diversity of Torulaspora. We also sketch a genotype-phenotype map for the genus and show how the complex relationship between key genes and the physiological traits they control both between and within species. This remarkable increase in the number of species in the genus Torulaspora highlights how limited the current inventory of fungal taxa is. It also shows how integrated taxogenomic approaches can foster the assessment of species circumscriptions in fungi.
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
A genome-informed higher rank classification of the biotechnologically important fungal subphylum Saccharomycotina
The subphylum Saccharomycotina is a lineage in the fungal phylum Ascomycota that exhibits levels of genomic diversity similar to those of plants and animals. The Saccharomycotina consist of more than 1 200 known species currently divided into 16 families, one order, and one class. Species in this subphylum are ecologically and metabolically diverse and include important opportunistic human pathogens, as well as species important in biotechnological applications. Many traits of biotechnological interest are found in closely related species and often restricted to single phylogenetic clades. However, the biotechnological potential of most yeast species remains unexplored. Although the subphylum Saccharomycotina has much higher rates of genome sequence evolution than its sister subphylum, Pezizomycotina, it contains only one class compared to the 16 classes in Pezizomycotina. The third subphylum of Ascomycota, the Taphrinomycotina, consists of six classes and has approximately 10 times fewer species than the Saccharomycotina. These data indicate that the current classification of all these yeasts into a single class and a single order is an underappreciation of their diversity. Our previous genome-scale phylogenetic analyses showed that the Saccharomycotina contains 12 major and robustly supported phylogenetic clades; seven of these are current families (Lipomycetaceae, Trigonopsidaceae, Alloascoideaceae, Pichiaceae, Phaffomycetaceae, Saccharomycodaceae, and Saccharomycetaceae), one comprises two current families (Dipodascaceae and Trichomonascaceae), one represents the genus Sporopachydermia, and three represent lineages that differ in their translation of the CUG codon (CUG-Ala, CUG-Ser1, and CUG-Ser2). Using these analyses in combination with relative evolutionary divergence and genome content analyses, we propose an updated classification for the Saccharomycotina, including seven classes and 12 orders that can be diagnosed by genome content. This updated classification is consistent with the high levels of genomic diversity within this subphylum and is necessary to make the higher rank classification of the Saccharomycotina more comparable to that of other fungi, as well as to communicate efficiently on lineages that are not yet formally named.
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
Diverse Profile of Fermentation Byproducts From Thin Stillage
The economy of biorefineries is influenced not only by biofuel production from carbohydrates but also by the production of valuable compounds from largely underutilized industrial residues. Currently, the demand for many chemicals that could be made in a biorefinery, such as succinic acid (SA), medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), and lactic acid (LA), is fulfilled using petroleum, palm oil, or pure carbohydrates as raw materials, respectively. Thin stillage (TS), the residual liquid material following distillation of ethanol, is an underutilized coproduct from the starch biofuel industry. This carbon-rich material has the potential for chemical upgrading by microorganisms. Here, we explored the formation of different fermentation products by microbial communities grown on TS using different bioreactor conditions. At the baseline operational condition (6-day retention time, pH 5.5, 35°C), we observed a mixture of MCFAs as the principal fermentation products. Operation of a bioreactor with a 1-day retention time induced an increase in SA production, and a temperature increase to 55°C resulted in the accumulation of lactic and propionic acids. In addition, a reactor operated with a 1-day retention time at 55°C conditions resulted in LA accumulation as the main fermentation product. The prominent members of the microbial community in each reactor were assessed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Under all operating conditions, members of the Lactobacillaceae family within Firmicutes and the Acetobacteraceae family within Proteobacteria were ubiquitous. Members of the Prevotellaceae family within Bacteroidetes and Lachnospiraceae family within the Clostridiales order of Firmicutes were mostly abundant at 35°C and not abundant in the microbial communities of the TS reactors incubated at 55°C. The ability to adjust bioreactor operating conditions to select for microbial communities with different fermentation product profiles offers new strategies to explore and compare potentially valuable fermentation products from TS and allows industries the flexibility to adapt and switch chemical production based on market prices and demands.
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
A novel approach for tetrahedral-element-based finite element simulations of anisotropic hyperelastic intervertebral disc behavior
Intervertebral discs are microstructurally complex spinal tissues that add greatly to the flexibility and mechanical strength of the human spine. Attempting to provide an adjustable basis for capturing a wide range of mechanical characteristics and to better address known challenges of numerical modeling of the disc, we present a robust finite-element-based model formulation for spinal segments in a hyperelastic framework using tetrahedral elements. We evaluate the model stability and accuracy using numerical simulations, with particular attention to the degenerated intervertebral discs and their likely skewed and narrowed geometry. To this end, 1) annulus fibrosus is modeled as a fiber-reinforced Mooney-Rivlin type solid for numerical analysis. 2) An adaptive state-variable dependent explicit time step is proposed and utilized here as a computationally efficient alternative to theoretical estimates. 3) Tetrahedral-element-based FE models for spinal segments under various loading conditions are evaluated for their use in robust numerical simulations. For flexion, extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation load cases, numerical simulations reveal that a suitable framework based on tetrahedral elements can provide greater stability and flexibility concerning geometrical meshing over commonly employed hexahedral-element-based ones for representation and study of spinal segments in various stages of degeneration.
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
In-vivo neuronal dysfunction by Aβ and tau overlaps with brain-wide inflammatory mechanisms in Alzheimer’s disease
The molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remain uncharacterized. Here, we identify genes, molecular pathways and cellular components associated with whole-brain dysregulation caused by amyloid-beta (Aβ) and tau deposits in the living human brain. We obtained in-vivo resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI), Aβ- and tau-PET for 47 cognitively unimpaired and 16 AD participants from the Translational Biomarkers in Aging and Dementia cohort. Adverse neuronal activity impacts by Aβ and tau were quantified with personalized dynamical models by fitting pathology-mediated computational signals to the participant’s real rs-fMRIs. Then, we detected robust brain-wide associations between the spatial profiles of Aβ-tau impacts and gene expression in the neurotypical transcriptome (Allen Human Brain Atlas). Within the obtained distinctive signature of in-vivo neuronal dysfunction, several genes have prominent roles in microglial activation and in interactions with Aβ and tau. Moreover, cellular vulnerability estimations revealed strong association of microglial expression patterns with Aβ and tau’s synergistic impact on neuronal activity (q < 0.001). These results further support the central role of the immune system and neuroinflammatory pathways in AD pathogenesis. Neuronal dysregulation by AD pathologies also associated with neurotypical synaptic and developmental processes. In addition, we identified drug candidates from the vast LINCS library to halt or reduce the observed Aβ-tau effects on neuronal activity. Top-ranked pharmacological interventions target inflammatory, cancer and cardiovascular pathways, including specific medications undergoing clinical evaluation in AD. Our findings, based on the examination of molecular-pathological-functional interactions in humans, may accelerate the process of bringing effective therapies into clinical practice.
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
Preliminary Evaluations of [ 11 C]Verubulin: Implications for Microtubule Imaging With PET
[ 11 C]Verubulin (a.k.a.[ 11 C]MCP-6827), [ 11 C]HD-800 and [ 11 C]colchicine have been developed for imaging microtubules (MTs) with positron emission tomography (PET). The objective of this work was to conduct an in vivo comparison of [ 11 C]verubulin for MT imaging in mouse and rat brain, as well as an in vitro study with this radiotracer in rodent and human Alzheimer’s Disease tissue. Our preliminary PET imaging studies of [ 11 C]verubulin in rodents revealed contradictory results between mouse and rat brain uptake under pretreatment conditions. In vitro autoradiography with [ 11 C]verubulin showed an unexpected higher uptake in AD patient tissue compared with healthy controls. We also conducted the first comparative in vivo PET imaging study with [ 11 C]verubulin, [ 11 C]HD-800 and [ 11 C]colchicine in a non-human primate. [ 11 C]Verubulin and [ 11 C]HD-800 require pharmacokinetic modeling and quantification studies to understand the role of how these radiotracers bind to MTs before translation to human use.
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
Editorial: Rising stars in plant ROS/redox biology under abiotic stress conditions
Plants are constantly subjected to a wide range of abiotic stresses including salinity, high temperatures, drought, or cold, among others, that negatively impact their growth and development and cause crop yield losses worldwide (Lesk et al., 2016; Bailey-Serres et al., 2019). These stress conditions induce the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), superoxide ($O_{2•}$$^—$), singlet oxygen ($^1O_2$), or hydroxyl radical (HO·). ROS play a key role in stress sensing and signaling, as well as in the activation of different mechanism involved in plant acclimation to different stresses (Mittler et al., 2022). However, ROS levels that are too high are cytotoxic (Mittler, 2017). To prevent cellular oxidation by ROS, an interplay between ROS production, scavenging and transport maintains ROS at controlled concentrations, as well as drives ROS signaling responses involved in plant acclimation to stress (Baxter et al., 2014; Mittler et al., 2022).
protein carbonylation↗
Whole Genome Sequencing Links Mycobacterium bovis From Cattle, Cheese and Humans in Baja California, Mexico
Mycobacterium bovis causes tuberculosis (TB) in cattle, which in turn can transmit the pathogen to humans. Tuberculosis in dairy cattle is of particular concern where the consumption of raw milk and dairy products is customary. Baja California (BCA), Mexico, presents high prevalence of TB in both cattle and humans, making it important to investigate the molecular epidemiology of the disease in the region. A long-term study was undertaken to fully characterize the diversity of M. bovis genotypes circulating in dairy cattle, cheese and humans in BCA by whole-genome sequencing (WGS). During a 2-year period, 412 granulomatous tissue samples were collected from local abattoirs and 314 cheese samples were purchased from local stores and vendors in BCA and sent to the laboratory for mycobacterial culture, histology, direct PCR and WGS. For tissue samples M. bovis was recovered from 86.8%, direct PCR detected 90% and histology confirmed 85.9% as mycobacteriosis-compatible. For cheese, M. bovis was recovered from 2.5% and direct PCR detected 6% of the samples. There was good agreement between diagnostic tests. Subsequently, a total of 345 whole-genome SNP sequences were obtained. Phylogenetic analysis grouped these isolates into 10 major clades. SNP analysis revealed putative transmission clusters where the pairwise SNP distance between isolates from different dairies was ≤3 SNP. Also, human and/or cheese isolates were within 8.45 (range 0–17) and 5.8 SNP (range 0–15), respectively, from cattle isolates. Finally, a comparison between the genotypes obtained in this study and those reported previously suggests that the genetic diversity of M. bovis in BCA is well-characterized, and can be used to determine if BCA is the likely source of M. bovis in humans and cattle in routine epidemiologic investigations and future studies. In conclusion, WGS provided evidence of ongoing local transmission of M. bovis among the dairies in this high-TB burden region of BCA, as well as show close relationships between isolates recovered from humans, cheese, and cattle. This confirms the need for a coordinated One Health approach in addressing the elimination of TB in animals and humans. Overall, the study contributes to the knowledge of the molecular epidemiology of M. bovis in BCA, providing insight into the pathogen's dynamics in a high prevalence setting.
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
Bone: An Outstanding Composite Material
Bone is an outstanding, well-designed composite. It is constituted by a multi-level structure wherein its properties and behavior are dependent on its composition and structural organization at different length scales. The combination of unique mechanical properties with adaptive and self-healing abilities makes bone an innovative model for the future design of synthetic biomimetic composites with improved performance in bone repair and regeneration. However, the relation between structure and properties in bone is very complex. In this review article, we intend to describe the hierarchical organization of bone on progressively greater scales and present the basic concepts that are fundamental to understanding the arrangement-based mechanical properties at each length scale and their influence on bone’s overall structural behavior. The need for a better understanding of bone’s intricate composite structure is also highlighted.
Rosa, Natacha (ORCID:0000000199008851)↗
Verbal Learning and Memory Deficits across Neurological and Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Insights from an ENIGMA Mega Analysis
Deficits in memory performance have been linked to a wide range of neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions. While many studies have assessed the memory impacts of individual conditions, this study considers a broader perspective by evaluating how memory recall is differentially associated with nine common neuropsychiatric conditions using data drawn from 55 international studies, aggregating 15,883 unique participants aged 15–90. The effects of dementia, mild cognitive impairment, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, stroke, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder on immediate, short-, and long-delay verbal learning and memory (VLM) scores were estimated relative to matched healthy individuals. Random forest models identified age, years of education, and site as important VLM covariates. A Bayesian harmonization approach was used to isolate and remove site effects. Regression estimated the adjusted association of each clinical group with VLM scores. Memory deficits were strongly associated with dementia and schizophrenia (p < 0.001), while neither depression nor ADHD showed consistent associations with VLM scores (p > 0.05). Differences associated with clinical conditions were larger for longer delayed recall duration items. By comparing VLM across clinical conditions, this study provides a foundation for enhanced diagnostic precision and offers new insights into disease management of comorbid disorders.
Neurosciences & Neurology↗
Thermochemical Conversion of Sugarcane Bagasse: A Comprehensive Analysis of Ignition and Burnout Temperatures
The Brazilian sugarcane industry generates a significant amount of waste each year, which should be properly analyzed and studied to allow an adequate recovery and application supported by the best understanding of its properties. The present work reports the ignition and burnout temperatures of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) obtained after performing a thermal analysis using four different heating rates. The intersection method (IM) and deviation method (DM) were employed to approach the ignition and burnout temperatures of the sugarcane bagasse. The ignition temperatures of the SCB measured from IM are between 250 and 263 °C, and their burnout temperatures are between 357 and 377 °C. The ignition temperature was in the range of 205 °C to 236 °C for the DM. IM is recommended for determining the ignition and burnout temperatures. In TGA, the heating rates in the range of 10 °C·min−1 and 15 °C·min−1 are suggested due to their accuracy and the contribution to timesaving in the analysis.
Morais, Leandro C. de (ORCID:0000000314685453)↗
Integrated Biorefinery of Brewer’s Spent Grain for Second-Generation Ethanol, Mycoprotein, and Bioactive Vinasse Production
Brewer’s spent grain (BSG), the main lignocellulosic by-product of the beer industry, represents an abundant yet underutilized resource with high potential for valorization. This study presents an integrated biorefinery approach to convert BSG into second-generation (2G) ethanol, bioactive vinasse for plant growth promotion, and fungal biomass as a potential mycoprotein source. The biomass was first subjected to biological delignification using the white-rot fungus Ganoderma lucidum, after which two valorization routes were explored: (i) evaluation of the fungal biomass as a mycoprotein candidate and (ii) alcoholic fermentation for ethanol production. For the latter, three pretreatment strategies were assessed (diluted sulfuric acid and two deep eutectic solvents (DESs) based on choline chloride combined with either glycerol or lactic acid) followed by a one-pot enzymatic saccharification and fermentation using Kluyveromyces marxianus SLP1. The highest ethanol yield on substrate (YP/S) was achieved with [Ch]Cl:lactic acid pretreatment (0.46 g/g, 89.32% of theoretical). Vinasse, recovered after distillation, was characterized for organic acid content and tested on Solanum lycopersicum seed germination, showing promising biostimulant activity. Overall, this work highlights the potential of BSG as a sustainable feedstock within circular economy models, enabling the production of multiple bio-based products from a single residue.
Ganoderma lucidum↗
Architecture of a Data Portal for Publishing and Delivering Open Data for Atmospheric Measurement
Atmospheric data are collected by researchers every day. Campaigns such as GOAmazon 2014/2015 and the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory collect essential data on aerosols, gases, cloud properties, and meteorological parameters in the Brazilian Amazon basin. These data products provide insights and essential information for analyzing and predicting natural processes. However, in Brazil, it is estimated that more than 80% of the scientific data collected are not published due to the lack of web portals that collect and store these data. This makes it difficult, or even impossible, to access and integrate the data, which can result in the loss of significant amounts of information and significantly affect the understanding of the overall data. To address this problem, we propose a data portal architecture and open data deployment that enable Big Data processing, human interaction, and download-oriented approaches with tools that help users catalog, publish and visualize atmospheric data. Thus, we describe the architecture developed, based on the experience of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Data Center, which incorporates the principles of FAIR, the infrastructure and content management system for managing scientific data. The portal partial results were tested with environmental data from contaminated areas at the University of São Paulo. Overall, this data portal creates more shared knowledge about atmospheric processes by providing users with access to open environmental data.
96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗
Transcriptome Mining Provides Insights into Cell Wall Metabolism and Fiber Lignification in Agave tequilana Weber
Resilience of growing in arid and semiarid regions and a high capacity of accumulating sugar-rich biomass with low lignin percentages have placed Agave species as an emerging bioenergy crop. Although transcriptome sequencing of fiber-producing agave species has been explored, molecular bases that control wall cell biogenesis and metabolism in agave species are still poorly understood. Here, through RNAseq data mining, we reconstructed the cellulose biosynthesis pathway and the phenylpropanoid route producing lignin monomers in A. tequilana, and evaluated their expression patterns in silico and experimentally. Most of the orthologs retrieved showed differential expression levels when they were analyzed in different tissues with contrasting cellulose and lignin accumulation. Phylogenetic and structural motif analyses of putative CESA and CAD proteins allowed to identify those potentially involved with secondary cell wall formation. RT-qPCR assays revealed enhanced expression levels of AtqCAD5 and AtqCESA7 in parenchyma cells associated with extraxylary fibers, suggesting a mechanism of formation of sclerenchyma fibers in Agave similar to that reported for xylem cells in model eudicots. Overall, our results provide a framework for understanding molecular bases underlying cell wall biogenesis in Agave species studying mechanisms involving in leaf fiber development in monocots.
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
Electrospun Nanofiber Dopped with TiO2 and Carbon Quantum Dots for the Photocatalytic Degradation of Antibiotics
Novel photocatalysts were synthesized through the association of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) with commercial (P25) titanium dioxide (TiO2) by sonication. The resulting TiO2/CQDs composite was then incorporated into the polyamide 66 (PA66) biopolymer nanofibers using the electrospinning technique, considering a composite nanoparticles-to-polymer ratio of 1:2 in the electrospinning precursor solution. The produced nanofibers presented suitable morphology and were tested for the photocatalytic degradation under simulated solar radiation of 10 mg L−1 of amoxicillin (AMX) and sulfadiazine (SDZ), in phosphate buffer solution (pH 8.06) and river water, using 1.5 g L−1 of photocatalyst. The presence of the photocatalyst increased the removal of AMX in phosphate buffer solution by 30 times, reducing the AMX degradation half-life time from 62 ± 1 h (without catalyst) to 1.98 ± 0.06 h. Moreover, SDZ degradation half-life time in phosphate buffer solution was reduced from 5.4 ± 0.1 h (without catalyst) to 1.87 ± 0.05 h in the presence of the photocatalyst. Furthermore, the PA66/TiO2/CQDs were also efficient in river water samples and maintained their performance in at least three cycles of SDZ photodegradation in river water. The presented results evidence that the produced photocatalyst can be a promising and sustainable solution for antibiotics’ efficient removal from water.
Silva, Valentina (ORCID:0000000285394787)↗