Identification of metabolites associated with water stress responses in Solanum tuberosum L. clones

Water deficiency has become a major issue for modern agriculture as its effects on crop yields and tuber quality have become more pronounced. Potato genotypes more tolerant to water shortages have been identified through assessment of yield and dry matter. In the present study, a combination of metabolite profiling and physiological/agronomical measurements has been used to explore complex system level responses to non-lethal water restriction. The metabolites identified were associated with physiological responses in three different plant tissues (leaf, root and tuber) of five different potato genotypes varying in susceptibility/tolerance to drought. This approach explored the potential of metabolite profiling as a tool to unravel sectors of metabolism that react to stress conditions and could mirror the changes in the plant physiology. The metabolite results showed different responses of the three plant tissues to the water deficit, resulting either in different levels of the metabolites detected or different metabolites expressed. The leaf material displayed the most changes to drought as reported in literature. The results highlighted genotype–specific signatures to water restriction over all three plant tissues suggesting that the genetics can predominate over the environmental conditions. This will have important implications for future breeding approaches

Metabolite profiling characterises chemotypes of Musa diploids and triploids at juvenile and preflowering growth stages

Open Access Journal; Published online: 15 March 2019Bananas (Musa spp.) are consumed worldwide as dessert and cooking types. Edible banana varieties are for the most part seedless and sterile and therefore vegetatively propagated. This confers difficulties for breeding approaches against pressing biotic and abiotic threats and for the nutritional enhancement of banana pulp. A panel of banana accessions, representative of the diversity of wild and cultivated bananas, was analysed to assess the range of chemotypes available globally. The focus of this assessment was banana leaves at two growth stages (juvenile and pre-flowering), to see when during the plant growth metabolic differences can be established. The metabolic data corresponded to genomic trends reported in previous studies and demonstrated a link between metabolites/pathways and the genomes of M. acuminata and M. balbisiana. Furthermore, the vigour and resistance traits of M. balbisiana was connected to the phenolic composition and showed differences with the number of B genes in the hybrid accessions. Differences in the juvenile and pre-flowering data led to low correlation between the growth stages for prediction purposes

Metabolite analysis of Mycobacterium species under aerobic and hypoxic conditions reveals common metabolic traits

A metabolite profiling approach has been implemented to elucidate metabolic adaptation at set culture conditions in five Mycobacterium species with the potential to act as model organisms for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Analysis has been performed over designated growth phases and under representative environments (nutrient and oxygen depletion) experienced by Mtb during infection. The procedure was able to determine a range of metabolites (60 - 120 compounds) covering nucleotides, amino acids, organic acids, saccharides, fatty acids, glycerols, -esters, -phosphates and isoprenoids. Among these classes of compounds key biomarker metabolites were identified that can act as indicators of pathway/process activity. In numerous cases, common metabolite traits were observed for all five species across the experimental conditions . Amino acid content, especially glutamic acid, highlighted the different properties between the fast- and slow-growing mycobacteria studied. The greatest similarities in metabolite composition between fast- and slow-growing mycobacteria were apparent under hypoxic conditions. A comparison to previously reported transcriptomic data revealed a strong correlation between changes in transcription and metabolite content. Collectively, these data validate the changes in the transcription at the metabolite level, suggesting transcription exists as one of the predominant modes of cellular regulation in Mycobacterium. Whilst, sectors with restricted correlation between metabolites and transcription (e.g. hypoxic cultivation) warrant further study to elucidate and exploit post-transcriptional modes of regulation. The strong correlation between the laboratory conditions used and data derived from in vivo conditions, indicates that the approach applied is a valuable addition to our understanding of cell regulation in these Mycobacterium species

The subcellular localization of two isopentenyl diphosphate isomerases in rice suggests a role for the endoplasmic reticulum in isoprenoid biosynthesis

Isoprenoids are synthesized from the precursors isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphosphate (DMAPP), which are interconverted by the enzyme isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase (IPPI). Many plants express multiple isoforms of IPPI, the only enzyme shared by the mevalonate (MVA) and non-mevalonate (MEP) pathways, but little is known about their specific roles. In rice (Oryza sativa), which has two IPPI paralogs (OsIPPI1 and OsIPPI2), we therefore carried out a comprehensive comparison of IPPI gene expression and protein localization. We found that OsIPPI1 mRNA was more abundant than OsIPPI2 mRNA in all rice tissues, and its expression in de-etiolated leaves mirrored the accumulation of phytosterols, suggesting a key role in the synthesis of MVA pathway isoprenoids. We investigated the subcellular localization of both isoforms by constitutively expressing them as fusions with synthetic green fluorescent protein and detecting them by confocal fluorescence microscopy and immuno-electron microscopy. Both proteins localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) as well as peroxisomes and mitochondria, whereas only OsIPPI2 was detected in plastids, reflecting the presence of an N-terminal transit peptide which is not present in OsIPPI1. Despite the plastidial location of OsIPPI2, the expression of OsIPPI2 mRNA did not mirror the accumulation of chlorophylls or carotenoids, indicating that OsIPPI2 is a dispensable component of the MEP pathway. The detection of both isoforms in the ER indicates that DMAPP can be synthesized de novo in this compartment, providing insight into the role of the ER in synthesis of MVA-derived isoprenoids

Brandlife

Do you sometimes feel like your brand runs you and not the opposite? Are you feeling depressed for that reason? Are you stunned by brands, but then you do not know how to handle them? Would you like to live in a world free of any brand? Are you sure that brands are not alive? Do not worry! Answers to these and many other brand and branding related questions are to be found in this book. But beware: a)You will find out that what you had in mind with branding has little to do with branding as it develops in this book. b)This life cantered branding might addict you. Andrej Drapal is (not yet) known as the Standard Branding Model© author and branding practitioner guilty for more than 40 brands including I Feel Slovenia national brand. What the heck Slovenia? Why not? BRANDLIFE arms you with many mental tools and practical techniques you need to manage brands. Product, service, place, tourist and even personal branding managers will find not only tools but also supporting deeper explanations. Drapal hates how to do it quick fix solutions, but at the end BRANDLIFE is concise branding manual. BRANDLIFE is free from topics and words like: social media, boosting your sales, or three steps to success. But there is abundance of kitchen logic inside. BRANDLIFE is branding philosophy and branding manual at the same time. Confused? You should be, indeed! You have not yet read this book

The Trauma and the Crisis

This paper explores the concept of crisis from a critical and interdisciplinary perspective, arguing that many contemporary crises—such as the coronavirus crisis and the climate crisis—are socially constructed and misunderstood. Drawing from Thomas Kuhn’s paradigm shift theory, Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s Black Swan concept, and complexity science, it contends that crises are a normal part of systemic evolution rather than extraordinary disruptions. The paper critiques the shift in agency from individuals to macro-level institutions, which has led to crises being perceived as indefinite rather than finite. The work also examines how crises are often framed through memetics rather than physical reality. By analyzing historical and contemporary crises, the paper illustrates how crisis narratives shape societal behavior and policy. The role of antifragility, memetic warfare, and evolutionary stable strategies (ESS) is discussed, demonstrating how resilience emerges through localized, rather than globalized, responses. The study concludes by advocating for a shift away from progressivist macro-level interventions and toward individual agency as the fundamental unit of societal adaptation. This perspective reframes crises as necessary transitions within evolutionary progress, arguing that societal sustainability depends on decentralization and adaptation rather than centralized control and panic-driven reactions