Alanine Research Articles

Adjustable temperature and high thermal conductivity composite phase change material based on sodium acetate trihydrate–alanine/expanded graphite for thermal management of electronic devices

Phase change energy storage technology using phase change materials (PCMs) is a viable solution to effectively address the heat dissipation problems of electronic devices. Herein, we proposed to prepare a modified PCM using CH3COONa·3H2O (SAT) as main PCM, 9 wt% DL-Alanine (DL) as temperature modifier, and 2 wt% Na2HPO4·12H2O as nucleating agent. Calculations using density functional theory method confirmed that the adjustment of DL on phase change temperature of SAT was originated from the hydrogen bond between them. Then, the modified PCM was loaded into 14 wt% expanded graphite (EG) to obtain a composite PCM with a suitable phase change temperature of 52.9 °C, phase change enthalpy of 227.4 J/g as well as supercooling degree of 6.6 °C, and the thermal conductivity of the composite PCM was as high as 11.52 W·m−1·K−1. SEM and pore structure analyses showed that the modified PCM was successfully loaded into the pore structure of EG, and their combination was verified by XRD and FT-IR as a physical interaction. After 200 heating–cooling cycles, the phase change temperature and enthalpy of the composite PCM was basically unchanged along with consistent crystal structure and chemical composition, showing an excellent thermal reliability. A comparative analysis applied in a testing system showed that with loading of the composite PCM temperature control module, the critical time of the electronic chip was extended by 4670 s and the thermal equilibrium temperature was decreased by 20.4 °C, presenting a good thermal management performance. Therefore, the prepared composite PCM had great potential for application in thermal management of electronic devices.

Alanine, a potential amino acid biomarker of pediatric sepsis: a pilot study in PICU

Sepsis is characterized by a metabolic disorder of amino acid occurs in the early stage; however, the profile of serum amino acids and their alterations associated with the onset of sepsis remain unclear. Thus, our objective is to identify the specific kinds of amino acids as diagnostic biomarkers in pediatric patients with sepsis. Serum samples were collected from patients with sepsis admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) between January 2019 and December 2019 on the 1st, 3rd and 7th day following admission. Demographic and laboratory variables were also retrieved from the medical records specified times. Serum amino acid concentrations were detected by UPLC-MS/MS system. PLS-DA (VIP > 1.0) and Kruskal-Wallis test (p < 0.05) were employed to identify potential biomarkers. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis was conducted to find the potential association between amino acid levels and clinical features. The diagnostic utility for pediatric sepsis was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Most of amino acid contents in serum were significantly decreased in patients with sepsis, but approached normal levels by the seventh day post-diagnosis. Threonine (THR), lysine (LYS), valine (VAL) and alanine (ALA) emerged as potential biomarkers related for sepsis occurrence, though they were not associated with PELOD/PELOD-2 scores. Moreover, alterations in serum THR, LYS and ALA were linked to complications of brain injury, and serum ALA levels were also related to sepsis-associated acute kidney injury. Further analysis revealed that ALA was significantly correlated with the Glasgow score, serum lactate and glucose levels, C-reactive protein (CRP), and other indicators for liver or kidney dysfunction. Notably, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) for ALA in distinguishing sepsis from healthy controls was 0.977 (95% CI: 0.925-1.000). The serum amino acid profile of children with sepsis is significantly altered compared to that of healthy controls. Notably, ALA shows promise as a potential biomarker for the early diagnosis in septic children.

Quantum-chemistry-computing and experimental development of a new n-alkenyl amino propionic and imino di-propionic acids-based gum inhibitor for gasoline

We present the quantum mechanics-based understanding about the formation of gums deposits in order to design, and then carry out the experimental synthesis of a detergent-dispersant (DD) gasoline additive base n-alkenyl imino di-propionic acid, obtained in mixture with its precursor base n-alkenyl amino propionic acid, aimed both to inhibit gums deposits within internal-combustion engines and maintain in suspension gums inside gasoline. Density Functional Theory reveals the cohesion among gums agglomerates is mediated mainly through dispersion forces, that is, gums form supramolecular complexes; likewise, their affinity for oxidized metallic surfaces is predominantly due also to the dispersion forces, but intensified through the linking of the gums' oxygens by the exposed metallic-surface irons, which is quantum driven to maximize irons spin through completing the truncated oxygen octahedral coordination, so providing to the gums' adsorption a mixed chemisorption/physisorption character. Additionally, carbons from double bonds C=C or from aromatic rings, as well as aminic hydrogens, contribute by means of weak semicovalent bonds to the gums’ chemisorption too. We take advantage of this acquired knowledge to outline a superior coordination chemistry to that of gums for the above deposits inhibitor, lying on the capability to form either trinuclear-tridentate or binuclear-bidentate surface complexes, reinforced moreover by a six-membered chelate ring containing an iron cation. The additive was lab synthesized by means of an industrial-scale residues-less process, and characterized through 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance along with infrared spectroscopy. The detergent performance, experimentally tested within the intake valve of a single-cylinder engine, shows that the DD additive inhibits up to 93.3% of the gums deposition.

Phosphorylation of cell cycle and apoptosis regulatory protein-1 by stress activated protein kinase P38γ is a novel mechanism of apoptosis signaling by genotoxic chemotherapy.

CARP-1, a perinuclear phospho-protein, regulates cell survival and apoptosis signaling induced by genotoxic drugs. However, kinase(s) phosphorylating CARP-1 and down-stream signal transduction events remain unclear. Here we find that CARP-1 Serine (S)626 and Threonine (T)627 substitution to Alanines (AA) inhibits genotoxic drug-induced apoptosis. CARP-1 T627 is followed by a Proline (P), and this TP motif is conserved in vertebrates. Based on these findings, we generated affinity-purified, anti-phospho-CARP-1 T627 rabbit polyclonal antibodies, and utilized them to elucidate chemotherapy-activated, CARP-1-dependent cell growth signaling mechanisms. Our kinase profiling studies revealed that MAPKs/SAPKs phosphorylated CARP-1 T627. We then UV cross-linked protein extracts from Adriamycin-treated HeLa cervical cancer cells with a CARP-1 (614-638) peptide, and conducted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analyses of the peptide-bound protein complexes. This experiment revealed SAPK p38γ interaction with CARP-1 (614-638) peptide. Our studies further established that SAPK p38γ, but not other MAPKs, phosphorylates CARP-1 T627 in cancer cells treated with genotoxic drugs. Loss of p38γ abrogates CARP-1 T627 phosphorylation, and results in enhanced survival of breast cancer cells by genotoxic drugs. CARP-1 T627 phosphorylation was also noted in breast tumors from patients treated with radiation or endocrine therapies. We conclude that genotoxic drugs activate p38γ-dependent CARP-1 T627 phosphorylation to inhibit cell growth.

A Novel Class of Human ADAM8 Inhibitory Antibodies for Treatment of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

New targeted treatments are urgently needed to improve triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patient survival. Previously, we identified the cell surface protein A Disintegrin And Metalloprotease 8 (ADAM8) as a driver of TNBC tumor growth and spread via its metalloproteinase and disintegrin (MP and DI) domains. In proof-of-concept studies, we demonstrated that a monoclonal antibody (mAb) that simultaneously inhibits both domains represents a promising therapeutic approach. Here, we screened a hybridoma library using a multistep selection strategy, including flow cytometry for Ab binding to native conformation protein and in vitro cell-based functional assays to isolate a novel panel of highly specific human ADAM8 dual MP and DI inhibitory mAbs, called ADPs. The screening of four top candidates for in vivo anti-cancer activity in an orthotopic MDA-MB-231 TNBC model of ADAM8-driven primary growth identified two lead mAbs, ADP2 and ADP13. Flow cytometry, hydrogen/deuterium exchange-mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) and alanine (ALA) scanning mutagenesis revealed that dual MP and DI inhibition was mediated via binding to the DI. Further testing in mice showed ADP2 and ADP13 reduce aggressive TNBC characteristics, including locoregional regrowth and metastasis, and improve survival, demonstrating strong therapeutic potential. The continued development of these mAbs into an ADAM8-targeted therapy could revolutionize TNBC treatment.

Abstract 1659: Phosphorylation of cell cycle and apoptosis regulatory protein (CARP)-1 by stress-activated protein kinase P38γ is a novel mechanism of apoptosis signaling by genotoxic chemotherapy

Abstract CARP-1, a perinuclear phospho-protein, regulates cell survival and apoptosis signaling induced by genotoxic drugs. However, kinase(s) phosphorylating CARP-1 and down-stream signal transduction events remain unclear. Here we find that CARP-1 Serine (S)626 and Threonine (T)627 substitution to Alanines (AA) inhibits genotoxic drug-induced apoptosis. CARP-1 T627 is followed by a Proline (P), and this TP motif is conserved in vertebrates. To further elucidate chemotherapy-activated, CARP-1-dependent signaling mechanisms, we UV cross-linked protein extracts from Adriamycin-treated HeLa cervical cancer cells with a CARP-1 (614-638) peptide, and conducted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analyses of the peptide-bound protein complexes. This experiment revealed SAPK p38γ interaction with CARP-1 (614-638) peptide. Our studies further revealed that SAPK p38γ phosphorylates CARP-1 T627 in cancer cells treated with genotoxic drugs. CARP-1 T627 phosphorylation was also noted in breast tumors from patients treated with radiation or endocrine therapies. Loss of p38γ abrogates CARP-1 T627 phosphorylation, and results in enhanced survival of breast cancer cells by genotoxic drugs. We conclude that genotoxic drugs activate p38γ-dependent CARP-1 T627 phosphorylation and cell growth inhibition. Citation Format: Jaganathan Venkatesh, Magesh Muthu, Vino T. Cheriyan, Sreeja C. Sekhar, Nuwan C. Acharige, Edi Levi, Hadeel Assad, Mary Kay Pflum, Arun K. Rishi. Phosphorylation of cell cycle and apoptosis regulatory protein (CARP)-1 by stress-activated protein kinase P38γ is a novel mechanism of apoptosis signaling by genotoxic chemotherapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 1659.

Ecofriendly β-N-butyl amino propionic acid as green corrosion inhibitor for N80 steel in CO2-saturated brine water

Ecofriendly β-N-butyl amino propionic acid as green corrosion inhibitor for N80 steel in CO2-saturated brine water

The correlation between serum total bile acid and alanine aminotransferase of pregnant women and the disorders of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia-related amino acid metabolism

BackgroundTo explore the association between liver metabolism-related indicators in maternal serum and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (NHB), and further investigate the predictive value of these indicators in NHB-related amino acid metabolism disorders.Methods51 NHB and 182 No-NHB newborns and their mothers who treated in the Fourth Hospital of Shijiazhuang from 2018 to 2022 were participated in the study. The differences in clinical data were compared by the Mann-Whitney U test and Chi-square test. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between maternal serum indicators and the occurrence of NHB. The correlation analysis and risk factor assessment of maternal serum indicators with NHB-related amino acid metabolic disorders were performed using Spearman correlation analysis and multivariate logistic regression.ResultsCompared to the non NHB group, the NHB group had higher maternal serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), ALT/AST, and total bile acid (TBA), while lower levels of serum albumin (ALB), total cholesterol (TC) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). The levels of alanine (ALA), valine (VAL), ornithine (ORN), and proline (PRO) in the newborns were reduced in NHB group, while arginine (ARG) showed a tendency to be elevated. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that maternal ALT, AST, ALT/AST, and TBA levels were all at higher risk with the development of NHB, whereas ALB, TC, and HDL levels were negatively associated with NHB development. Increasing maternal TBA level was associated with lower ALA (r=-0.167, p = 0.011), VAL (r=-0.214, p = 0.001), ORN (r=-0.196, p = 0.003), and PRO in the newborns (r=-0.131, p = 0.045). Maternal ALT level was negatively associated with ALA (r=-0.135, p = 0.039), VAL (r=-0.177, p = 0.007), ORN (r=-0.257, p < 0.001), while ALT/AST was positively correlated with ARG (r = 0.133, p = 0.013). After adjustment for confounding factors, maternal serum TBA and ALT were the independent risk factor for neonatal ORN metabolic disorders [(adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.379, 95%CI = 0.188–0.762, p = 0.006), (AOR = 0.441, 95%CI = 0.211–0.922, p = 0.030)]. Maternal ALT level was an independent risk factor for neonatal VAL metabolic disorders (AOR = 0.454, 95%CI = 0.218–0.949, p = 0.036).ConclusionsThe levels of high TBA, ALT, AST, and low HDL, TC of maternal were associated with the risk of NHB. Maternal TBA and ALT levels were independent risk factors for NHB-related amino acid disturbances which have value as predictive makers.

Tough and elastic hydrogels based on robust hydrophobicity-assisted metal ion coordination for flexible wearable devices.

Flexible wearable sensors that combine excellent flexibility, high elasticity, sensing capabilities, and outstanding biocompatibility are gaining increasing attention. In this study, we successfully develop a robust and elastic hydrogel-based flexible wearable sensor by modulating molecular structures combined with metal ion coordination. We leverage three N-acryloyl amino acid monomers, including N-acryloyl glycine (AG), N-acryloyl alanine (AA), and N-acryloyl valine (AV) with different hydrophobic groups adjacent to the carboxyl group, to copolymerize with acrylamide (AM) in the presence of Zr4+ for hydrogel preparation in one step (P(AM3-AG/AA/AV0.06)-Zr0.034+ hydrogels). Our investigation reveals that the P(AM3-AV0.06)-Zr0.034+ hydrogel with the most hydrophobic side group demonstrates superior mechanical properties (1.1 MPa tensile stress, 3566 kJ m-3 toughness and 1.3 kJ m-2 fracture energy) and resilience to multiple tensile (30% strain, 500 cycles) and compression cycling (50% strain, 500 cycles). Moreover, the P(AM3-AV0.06)-Zr0.034+ hydrogel exhibits good biocompatibility and high conductivity (1.1 S m-1) and responsivity (GF = 16.21), and is proved to be suitable as a flexible wearable sensor for comprehensive human activity monitoring.

Effect of LDHs-ALA on steel corrosion in chloride-rich simulated concrete pore solution: experimental and DFT studies

Seeking green and efficient anti-rust anion is beneficial to promote the development and application of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) corrosion inhibitor. This paper explores the feasibility of alanine (ALA) as interlayer anion of LDHs and the corrosion inhibition mechanism of LDHs-ALA via X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), electrochemical tests, chloride equilibrium isotherm, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and density functional theory (DFT) simulations. The results show that LDHs-ALA can be synthesized using calcination-rehydration method. The binding energy (EB) of LDHs-ALA is more positive than that of LDHs-Cl, implying chloride ion can be captured by LDHs-ALA. The chloride capture behavior of LDHs-ALA conforms to the Langmuir isotherm as following equation: qe=0.073Ce/(1+0.02Ce). The released ALA- can be adsorbed on Fe (100) surface and increase the Fe2+/Fe3+ ratio of passive film by forming Fe-O bond. Moreover, the pre-adsorption of ALA- on Fe (100) surface weakens the interaction between Cl 3p orbital and Fe 3d orbital, increasing the adsorption energy of Cl- on the Fe (100) surface and lengthening the Fe-Cl bond. Therefore, LDHs-ALA has a high inhibition efficiency up to 99.7%.

Soil aminopeptidase activities under 145-year crop rotation and fertility practices in the North Central US

Aminopeptidases catalyze the hydrolysis of peptides into constituent amino acids and are therefore a key step in nitrogen (N) depolymerization and downstream mineralization. Differences in carbon (C):N as well as sulfur (S) content of amino acids present the possibility of amino acid-specific aminopeptidase activities revealing distinct information on N and non-N processes in soils. However, chromogenic assays of soil aminopeptidases using para-nitroaniline (pNA) substrates are underutilized and have largely focused on just two aminopeptidases to-date. We evaluated activities of eight amino acid-specific aminopeptidases using pNA substrates for arginine (ARG), glycine (GLY), alanine (ALA), lysine (LYS), glutamic acid (GLU), methionine (MET), proline (PRO) and leucine (LEU) aminopeptidases in a high-resolution sampling (30 samples per 0.01 ha−1 treatment plot) of nine 145-year treatment plots resulting from a factorial combination of three crop rotations and three fertility treatments on a Argiudoll in North Central United States. Across treatments, we identified non-detectable activities of ARG and PRO, and detectable activities of GLY, ALA, LYS, GLU, MET, and LEU ranging 0.2 to 400 nmol pNA h−1 g−1. Except for LYS and GLU activities, aminopeptidase activities were homogeneously distributed within treatments (n=30 locations per plot), and exhibited a mean coefficient of variation (CV) of 9 to 30 % and spatial range of 4.1 to 9.0 m. Activities of ALA and MET had the lowest CV and greatest contribution in explaining overall variability of aminopeptidase activities and were more sensitive to treatments compared to GLY and LEU activity. Multivariate analysis revealed a positive correlation among aminopeptidase activities, with major variation explained by β-glucosidase activity followed by pH and total N (TN). Absolute aminopeptidase activities generally reflected soil organic C (SOC) and TN concentrations, with greater activities under diverse rotation with organic fertilization (manure) and lower activities under continuous maize without fertilization. However, aminopeptidase activities normalized to SOC concentration were greater in soils without fertilization relative to organic fertilization. This study provides benchmark values of soil aminopeptidase activities assayed by pNA substrates using the world’s second oldest continuous agricultural experiment, including six aminopeptidases that have not been previously assayed with these substrates. Given their low magnitude of variability, high spatial correlation, and sensitivity to management, assays of aminopeptidase activities – particularly MET and ALA activities – could be fruitful tools for better understanding soil N cycling. Future work should evaluate assay optimization and expand to additional amino acid-specific substrates using pNA-based substrates.

Growth, structural, optical, thermal and terahertz time-domain spectroscopy of l-alanine single crystal: A potential amino acid based nonlinear optical material

In our present work, we focused on the terahertz (THz) based characterization of a very efficient organic nonlinear optical (NLO) single crystal of l-alanine (LA). Using the well-known slow evaporation solution growth method (SEST), an optically transparent amino acid-based LA crystal was effectively grown at room temperature. The structural information of the titled crystal was analyzed using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) which confirms the space group P212121 and orthorhombic structure of the crystal. Chemical etching of an as-grown single crystal was analyzed to identify the growth patterns. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and FT-Raman spectrometry were used to figure out the major functional groups that were present in the ingot crystal. The optical behaviour of LA crystal was observed through UV–Vis and Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies. The single crystal was found to have high transmission values over a wide range of wavelength. The PL results revealed that the main emission happens at 474 nm. Thermal stability of the titled compound was acquired by thermo-gravimetric and the differential thermo-gravimetric (TG-DTG) analysis. Open and closed aperture Z-scan measurements were used to analyze the third order nonlinear behavior of the as-grown sample using a femtosecond Ti-sapphire laser. To analyze the absorption peaks behavior Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) was also performed in the range 0.2–2.0 THz. The above study shows variation in absorption coefficient and refractive index at THz frequencies.

Local Structure studies of Schiff base dependent Cadmium complex

Cadmium complex with Schiff-base ligand has been receiving significant interest due to its wide variety of biological activities, such as antitumor, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral etc properties. The present paper deals with the Synthesis of Cadmium complex prepared by Schiff base ligand in the 2:1 (ligand: metal) equimolar ratio. The ligand was derived from 2-Aminopropanoic acid. The synthesized complex was used to characterize by X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy at cadmium K-edge. The studies revealed its octahedral coordination geometry with + 2 oxidation state of cadmium in the complex. The processed data of the complex was used to fit with the theoretical model generated from standard crystallographic data using FEFF calculations.

Perturbation of Gut Microbiota Modulated the Abscopal Effects of Immunoradiotherapy in Rectal Cancer

The abscopal effect-the regression of malignancies outside the irradiation zone-can be increased by combining radiotherapy (RT) with immunotherapy. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether the gut microbiota affected the abscopal effect following immunoradiotherapy (iRT) in rectal cancer. Bilateral MC38 subcutaneous tumors (primary and abscopal tumor) were established in C57/B6 mice with or without oral antibiotic treatment (preadministration of vancomycin, streptomycin, and ampicillin 14 days before therapy). Mice with or without antibiotic therapy were then randomized into eight groups to receive one of four treatments: (1) RT to the primary tumor + anti-PD-1 therapy (iRT), (2) RT to the primary tumor (RT), (3) anti-PD-1 therapy (anti-PD-1), and (4) no treatment. Flow cytometry was used to determine the composition and function of immune cells in the primary and abscopal tumors as well as in the spleen. 16S rRNA sequencing was used to assess the gut microbiome alteration following antibiotic intervention. Multiple bioinformatics were then explored to investigate the impact of specific flora that related to abscopal antitumor effect. We found that radiation on primary tumors exhibited cytotoxic effect in nonirradiated (abscopal) tumors (p=0.0057, RT vs. untreated group; p=0.0037, iRT vs. anti-PD-1 group). In contrast, abscopal tumors were resistant to the anticancer effects of RT when antibiotics were given (p=0.5374, RT + antibiotics vs. untreated group + antibiotics; p=0.42, iRT + antibiotics vs. anti-PD-1 + antibiotics group). Comparing the RT+antibiotics group to the RT group, we discovered that the number of CD8+CD44+ T cells decreased significantly in both abscopal tumors (p<0.001) and spleens (p=0.0061). In anti-PD-1-treated groups, antibiotics significantly reduced the number of CD8+GranzymeB+ T cells in primary tumors (p=0.0061) and CD4+CD25+ T cells in spleens (p<0.001). In iRT-treated groups, the antibiotic reduced the fraction of CD4+INF-γ+ cells in abscopal tumors (p=0.0134), and increased the number of CD4+PD-1+ T cells in spleens (p<0.001). Moreover, we found that both α- and β-diversity decreased significantly in the gut microbiota after antibiotic treatment (p=0.0079 and p<0.001, respectively). The abundance of g_Alistipes, g_Lactobacillus, g_Lachnospiraceae and g__Lactobacillus fell dramatically in the presence of antibiotics. In addition, functional analyses of Picrust2 and KEGG revealed that antibiotic therapy had the most profound impact on the D-Alanine metabolism pathway (p<0.001). We found that the alteration of the gut microbiome by antibiotics significantly affects the local and systemic antitumoral effect of iRT, our results may provide new insight on how gut modification converts the local anticancer effects of RT into a systemic response that targets metastatic tumors.

Vapour phase assembly of ultrathin coatings from alanine ternary complex on the carbon steel surface with enhanced corrosion resistance

ABSTRACT A novel alanine ternary complex (ALA-T) is prepared by the reaction of alanine (ALA), phosphoric acid, and dibutylamine. FTIR technique is used to characterise its structure. The weight-loss experiments in the closed space study the volatility of the alanine ternary complex. The ultrathin coating is formed on the surface of carbon steel by vapour phase assembly of the alanine ternary complex. The thickness of the coatings is measured using spectroscopic ellipsometry. The inhibition effect of ultrathin coatings on the corrosion of carbon steel is studied by the volatile-inhibiting ability (VIA) and the electrochemical tests. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) are utilised to examine the morphology and composition of the carbon steel surface. It shows that the complex ultrathin coating has good corrosion inhibition for carbon steel. The protection mechanism of the ultrathin coating is discussed and analysed.

Integrated 16S and metabolomics revealed the mechanism of drought resistance and nitrogen uptake in rice at the heading stage under different nitrogen levels.

The normal methods of agricultural production worldwide have been strongly affected by the frequent occurrence of drought. Rice rhizosphere microorganisms have been significantly affected by drought stress. To provide a hypothetical basis for improving the drought resistance and N utilization efficiency of rice, the study adopted a barrel planting method at the heading stage, treating rice with no drought or drought stress and three different nitrogen (N) levels. Untargeted metabolomics and 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology were used to study the changes in microorganisms in roots and the differential metabolites (DMs) in rhizosphere soil. The results showed that under the same N application rate, the dry matter mass, N content and N accumulation in rice plants increased to different degrees under drought stress. The root soluble protein, nitrate reductase and soil urease activities were improved over those of the no-drought treatment. Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, Nitrospirota and Zixibacteria were the dominant flora related to N absorption. A total of 184 DMs (98 upregulated and 86 downregulated) were identified between low N with no drought (LN) and normal N with no drought (NN); 139 DMs (83 upregulated and 56 downregulated) were identified between high N with no drought (HN) and NN; 166 DMs (103 upregulated and 63 downregulated) were identified between low N with drought stress (LND) and normal N with drought stress (NND); and 124 DMs (71 upregulated and 53 downregulated) were identified between high N with drought stress (HND) and NND. Fatty acyl was the metabolite with the highest proportion. KEGG analysis showed that energy metabolism pathways, such as D-alanine metabolism and the phosphotransferase system (PTS), were enriched. We conclude that N-metabolism enzymes with higher activity and higher bacterial diversity have a significant effect on drought tolerance and nitrogen uptake in rice.

Amino acids assisted growth of methylammonium lead iodide cuboidal crystals for solar cell applications

The cuboidal crystals of methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) with controlled shapes and sizes are successfully synthesized by monitoring their growth in the precursor solution using different α-amino acids. The directional growth of MAPbI3 crystals is carried out by promoting crystallization at molecular level in the presence of an optimum concentration of α-amino acids. Alanine (ALA), having relatively larger value of dipole moment, induces directional growth to the MAPbI3 crystals at low concentration. The optical and electrical properties of the thin films formed by the grown MAPbI3 crystals are also enhanced. The dipole moment of the amino acids plays an important role in directional growth of MAPbI3 crystals. The least area of I-V hysteresis curve in the thin film prepared with 1.5 wt% of isoleucine (ISO) indicates minimum loss of energy which makes it suitable for application in perovskite solar cells (PSCs).

Zinc/iron-regulated transporter-like protein gene family in Theobroma cacao L: Characteristics, evolution, function and 3D structure analysis.

The zinc/iron-regulated transporter-like protein (ZIP) gene family first identified in plants is highly distributed in the plant kingdom. This family has previously been reported to transport several essential and non-essential cationic elements, including those toxic to many economically important crops such as cacao (Theobroma cacao L.). In this article, we present a detailed study on physicochemical properties, evolution, duplication, gene structure, promoter region and TcZIP family three-dimensional protein structure. A total of 11 TcZIP genes have been identified to encode proteins from 309 to 435 aa, with localization in the plasma membrane and chloroplast, containing 6-9 putative domains (TM). Interspecies phylogenetic analysis subdivided the ZIP proteins into four groups. Segmental duplication events significantly contributed to the expansion of TcZIP genes. These genes underwent high pressure of purifying selection. The three-dimensional structure of the proteins showed that α helix conformations are predominant with several pocket sites, containing the metal binding site, with the residues leucine (LEU), alanine (ALA), glycine (GLY), serine (SER), lysine (LYS) and histidine (HIS) the most predicted. Regarding the analysis of the protein-protein interaction and enrichment of the gene ontology, four biological processes were assigned, the most important being the cation transport. These new discoveries expand the knowledge about the function, evolution, protein structures and interaction of ZIP family proteins in cacao and contribute to develop cacao genotypes enriched with important mineral nutrients as well as genotypes that bioaccumulate or exclude toxic metals.

Seasonal Variation in Fatty Acid and Amino Acid Composition of the Patagonian Marine Polychaete Abarenicola pusilla and Its By-Products

This study aims to provide a quantitative analysis of the amino acids (AAs) and fatty acids (FAs) found in by-products of the Patagonian marine polychaete Abarenicola pusilla. Samples of polychaetes were taken in different seasons and processed to generate three by-products: eviscerated whole body, press cake, and press liquid. The results showed a clear seasonal difference, with essential nutrients decreasing significantly in winter. For example, from eviscerated whole body specimens, essential fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and arachidonic acid (ARA) maintained a relationship of 1 in summer, 1.24 in winter, and 1.5 in spring and autumn. In comparison, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was undetected in some extracts in winter. However, the fatty acid content in press liquid resulted in high variation, with the lowest content during the autumn. In contrast, the press liquid and press cake responded similarly. DHA decreased from spring to winter (from 0.1 to 0.08), whereas EPA resulted in high variation along the seasons (from 0.57 to 0.03) from summer to autumn. The highest protein values were observed in the spring and summer. In contrast, lipid values remained under 10% constant throughout all seasons, unless in the eviscerated carcass, where 5 to 3% higher lipids were found, indicating that A. pusilla uses protein more efficiently than lipids as an energy source. The most abundant EAAs were lysine (LYS) and leucine (LEU), while glycine (GLY), glutamic acid (GLU), and alanine (ALA) were the most abundant NEAAs. Finally, A. pusilla harvest conditions and the type of extract recommended to produce a valuable ingredient for marine aquafeeds are discussed.

Development of optical sensor for the detection of alanine

• The fluorescent indole based organic sensor (IP) was synthesized by a simple condensation method with moderate yield. • The detection of alanine (ALN) by the IP probe using colorimetric and fluorimetric method. • Probe IP was selectively detects ALN with in the presence of interfering other biomolecules. Indole based organic compound represents the key for disease causing biomolecule and constitute the core of valuable compounds exhibiting biological activities. The synthesized indole based organic probe (IP) detects alanine selectively in aqueous medium at pH 7.2 in the presence of other biomolecules with an excellent lower detection limit of 0.3x10 -7 mol/L. The experimental observation was further studied using density functional theory and the results show the stability of IP…Alanine complex.