Higher Molar Percentages Research Articles

Molecular regulation of lipid metabolism in Suaeda salsa

Suaeda salsa is remarkable for its high oil content and abundant unsaturated fatty acids. In this study, the regulatory networks on fatty acid and lipid metabolism were constructed by combining the de novo transcriptome and lipidome data. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with lipids biosynthesis pathways were identified in the S. salsa transcriptome. DEGs involved in fatty acid and glycerolipids were generally up-regulated in leaf tissues. DEGs for TAG assembly were enriched in developing seeds, while DEGs in phospholipid metabolic pathways were enriched in root tissues. Polar lipids were extracted from S. salsa tissues and analyzed by lipidomics. The proportion of galactolipid MGDG was the highest in S. salsa leaves. The molar percentage of PG was high in the developing seeds, and the other main phospholipids had higher molar percentage in roots of S. salsa. The predominant C36:6 molecular species indicates that S. salsa is a typical 18:3 plant. The combined transcriptomic and lipidomic data revealed that different tissues of S. salsa were featured with DEGs associated with specific lipid metabolic pathways, therefore, represented unique lipid profiles. This study will be helpful on understanding lipid metabolism pathway and exploring the key genes involved in lipid synthesis in S. salsa.

Antimicrobial in vitro activities of condensed tannin extracts on avian pathogenic Escherichia coli.

Condensed tannins (CTs), which extracted from yew leaves, tilia flower and black locust leaves, were examined for their antimicrobial in vitro activity against avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC). Past research demonstrated that CTs which contain procyanidins and prodelphinidins that could inhibit the growth of a wide range of bacteria. However, there is no information on how these affect pathogenic bacteria from chickens such as APEC. The high concentration of extracts, 10, 5, 2·5mgml-1 , affected the growth curves of APEC, which gave different inhibition values for the three CT extracts. Furthermore, these CTs had significant effects (P≤0·05) on APEC biofilm and motility depending on each CT concentration and composition. However, at low concentration (0·6mgml-1 ), the tilia flowers, a high molar percentage of procyanidins, enhanced bacterial cell attachment and improved the swimming motility of APEC. In contrast, yew, an equal molar percentage of procyanidins/prodelphinidins, and black locust, a high molar percentage of prodelphinidins, interrupted and blocked swarming and swimming motility. The data suggested that the antimicrobial activity of the CT extracts was elicited by a positive relationship between anti-biofilm formation and anti-motility capacities. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study showed that condensed tannins (CTs), which were a group of secondary metabolites of many plants and rich in prodelphinidins (PD), had greater antibacterial activity against avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) than CTs that were rich in procyanidins (PC). The mode of action of the CTs was to inhibit the swimming and swarming motility of APEC, and its ability to form biofilms. The significance of this finding is that the use of PD-rich CTs to control APEC should not encourage the development of antibiotic resistance by APEC because a different mechanism is used. If confirmed in vivo, this could provide the poultry industry with a valuable and novel means of controlling the antibiotic resistance.

A new method to make polymers with flexible main chains and photoelectric pendants for organic semiconductors

Two novel polymers (PFMA-Ma and PFMA-Mb) were synthesized through an efficient and simple method combining conventional free radical polymerization and a Diels–Alder reaction. Different molar percentage compositions of the functionalized pendants in the polymers and two different steric configurations: endo and exo in the D–A adduct structures are revealed in 1H NMR spectra. In addition, DSC curves demonstrate that the reverse Diels–Alder reactions take place at higher temperatures (between 120 °C and 150 °C). Moreover, both of the fluorescence intensities of the two polymer films (PFMA-Ma (x = 0.700) and PFMA-Mb (x = 0.609)) become weak and even almost disappear with the increase of the annealing temperature, indicating that thermal annealing induces π–π stacking and aggregation of the pendants in the polymers. Concurrently, as the molar ratios of pendant moieties in the polymers are increased, a characteristic peak of face-to-face stacking appears in the fluorescence spectra of PFMA-Ma and a slight red-shift is observed in the fluorescence spectra of PFMA-Mb. These phenomena suggest that high molar percentage of pendants is also beneficial to their π–π stacking and aggregation. This study may provide some insights into the stacking of pendants in polymers and its influencing factors, which will be useful when these polymer materials are applied in optoelectronic devices.

Molecular phylogeny and toxin profiles of Alexandrium tamarense (Lebour) Balech (Dinophyceae) from the west coast of Greenland

Detection of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins in scallops from the west coast of Greenland exceeding the 800μg toxin/kg shellfish limit led to an investigation with the aim of finding the responsible organism(s). Three strains of Alexandrium Halim were established from single cell isolations. Morphological identification of the strains and determination of their position within the genus by LSU rDNA sequences was carried out. Light microscopy revealed that the three strains was of the Alexandrium tamarense morphotype, and bayesian and neighbor-joining analyses of the LSU rDNA sequences placed them within Group I of the A. tamarense species complex. The toxicity and toxin profiles of the strains were measured by liquid chromatography fluorescence detection (LC-FD) and their identity was confirmed by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The three strains all turned out to be toxic and all produced large proportions (>60% total mol) of gonyautoxins 1 and 4 (GTX1/GTX4). This is the first record of saxitoxin producers from western Greenland. The toxin profiles were atypical for A. tamarense in their absence of N-sulfocarbanoyl C1/C2 or B1/B2 toxins. Rather the high molar percentage of GTX1/GTX4, the lesser amounts of only carbamoyl toxins and the absence of decarbamoyl derivatives are more characteristic features of A. minutum strains. This may indicate that the genetically determined toxin profiles in Alexandrium species are more complex than previously appreciated.

The initial metabolic conversion of levulinic acid in Cupriavidus necator

Levulinic acid or 4-ketovaleric acid is a potential renewable substrate for production of polyhydroxyalkanoates. In this work, the initial reactions of LA metabolism by Cupriavidus necator were examined in vitro. The organic acid was converted by membrane-bound crude enzymes obtained from the cells pre-grown on LA, while no LA activity was detected from cells pre-grown on acetic acid. Acetyl-CoA and propionyl-CoA were two major intermediates in the initial reactions of LA conversion. A mass balance on propionyl-CoA accounts for 84 mol% of LA added in vitro. It explains an interesting phenomenon that 3-hydroxbutyrate and 3-hydroxyvalerate are two major monomers of the biopolyester formed from LA, instead of 4-hydroxvalerate that has the similar chemical structure of LA as the precursor. A Monod model was used to describe the kinetics of LA utilization as a sole carbon source or a co-substrate of glucose and fructose. The μ(max) and K(m) of LA alone were 0.26 h⁻¹ and 0.01 g/L, respectively. The content and composition of PHA are also dependent on the culture conditions such as carbon to nitrogen ratio. The in vitro observation is supported by the high utilization rate of LA and the high molar percentage of 3HB and 3HV in the PHA derived from LA.

Radical Copolymerization of Vinylidene Fluoride with 8‐Bromo‐1H,1H,2H‐perfluorooct‐1‐ene: Microstructure, Crosslinking and Thermal Properties

AbstractAn original synthesis of 8‐bromo‐1H,1H,2H‐perfluorooct‐1‐ene (BDFO) and its radical copolymerization with vinylidene fluoride (VDF), initiated by 2,5‐bis(tert‐butylperoxy)‐2,5‐dimethylhexane at 134 °C, are presented. The fluorinated bromoalkene was obtained by dehydrobromination of 1,8‐dibromo‐1H,1H,2H,2H‐perfluorooctane in a satisfactory yield. Although BDFO did not homopolymerize under radical initiation, it did copolymerize with VDF. The compositions of the resulting random type copolymers were calculated by means of 19F NMR spectroscopy and allowed the quantification of the respective amounts of both comonomers in the copolymers, showing good incorporation of the brominated monomer. Nevertheless, obtaining PVDF copolymers containing a high molar percentage of BDFO in good yields was difficult to achieve from initial molar ratios of BDFO higher than 9.2 mol‐%. Radical terpolymerization of VDF, BDFO and hexafluoropropene (HFP) was also successfully achieved. BDFO contents in these co‐ or terpolymers ranged from 3.6 to 12.2 mol‐%. The bromoalkene acted as a cure site monomer and the resulting poly(VDF‐co‐BDFO) copolymers were crosslinked via the bromine atom in the presence of a triallyl isocyanurate/peroxide system. The materials obtained led to more thermally stable copolymers than the uncured ones and their thermostabilities were compared to those of commercially available poly(VDF‐co‐HFP) copolymers crosslinked using diamines.magnified image

Coexisting Stripe- and Patch-Shaped Domains in Giant Unilamellar Vesicles

We report a new type of gel-liquid phase segregation in giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) of mixed lipids. Coexisting patch- and stripe-shaped gel domains in GUV bilayers composed of DOPC/DPPC or DLPC/DPPC are observed by confocal fluorescence microscopy. The lipids in stripe domains are shown to be tilted according to the DiIC18 fluorescence intensity dependence on the excitation polarization. The patch domains are found to be mainly composed of DPPC-d62 according to the coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) images of DOPC/DPPC-d62 bilayers. When cooling GUVs from above the miscibility temperature, the patch domains start to appear between the chain melting and the pretransition temperature of DPPC. In GUVs containing a high molar percentage of DPPC, the stripe domains form below the pretransition temperature. Our observations suggest that the patch and stripe domains are in the Pbeta' and Lbeta' gel phases, respectively. According to the thermoelastic properties of GUVs described by Needham and Evans [(1988) Biochemistry 27, 8261-8269], the Pbeta' and Lbeta' phases are formed at relatively low and high membrane tensions, respectively. GUVs with high DPPC percentage have high membrane surface tension and thus mainly exhibit Lbeta' domains, while GUVs with low DPPC percentage have low membrane surface tension and form Pbeta' domains accordingly. Adding negatively charged lipid to the lipid mixtures or applying an osmotic pressure to GUVs using sucrose solutions releases the surface tension and leads to the disappearance of the Lbeta' gel phase. The relationship between the observed domains in free-standing GUV bilayers and those in supported bilayers is discussed.

Can 5-methyltetrahydrofolate modify the phospholipid fatty acid pattern in cystic fibrosis pediatric patients?

Recent studies have reported an imbalance between n6 and n3 fatty acids (AA and DHA) in subjects with CF. Alterations in fatty acid amounts are present in CFTR-expressing tissues, plasma and in circulating blood cells. It has been reported that the correction of polyunsaturated fatty acid deficiency reversed the organ pathologies observed in CF knockout mice. We describe a CF child with an unusual clinical course presenting high molar percentage of DHA in plasma and red cells membrane during supplementation with 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and vitamin B12.

Contribution of low molecular weight antioxidants to the antioxidant screen of germinated soybean seeds

Soybean seed of the Mazovia variety (Glycine max) were germinated in the dark at a constant temperature of 25°C up to 168 h (24 h × 7). Changes in content of low molecular weight antioxidants (LMWA) in the course of germination were studied. The analyzed compounds were: total phenolics, soluble proteins, tocopherols (α-T, β-T, γ -T, δ -T), reduced and oxidized glutathione, L-ascorbic acid and L-dehydroascorbic acid. The changes in total antioxidant status (TAS) and the peroxyl radical-trapping capacity (PRTC) of the processed seeds were measured and compared to those of the raw seeds. On the basis of data obtained, the contribution of LMWA to the TAS of raw and germinated soybean seeds was calculated. The results showed a very high molar percentage contribution of phenolic compounds (49.7%) in opposition to glutathione (7.0%), tocopherols (4.0%) and soluble protein (5.7%) to the total TAS of raw soybean seeds. The germination process led to the increased contribution of phenolic compounds (67.7%), soluble proteins (9.3%) and ascorbic acid (4.4%) to the total TAS of germinated seeds and as a result, a decrease in the antioxidant gap was observed compared to the total TAS of raw soybean seeds. This study showed that the contribution of experimentally obtained total PRTC to the total TAS of raw and germinated soybean seeds after seven days ofthe process was 48% and 25.2%, respectively. The PRTC results were comparable to those obtained in TAS only when calculation was done by multiple mean values for content of investigated compounds and their relative potency with respect to Trolox. The PRTC values obtained in this manner were higher than those obtained experimentally indicating that high molecular weight antioxidants as well as are able to quench peroxyl radicals as well as low molecular weight antioxidants. Therefore, calculation of PRTC is a more accurate method that eliminates the puzzling question of unidentified antioxidants shown as the antioxidant gap in the TAS assay.

Rumen Fermentation in Lactating Cows Selected for Milk Fat Content Fed Two Forage to Concentrate Ratios with Hay or Silage

Sixteen multiparous cows, including eight rumen fistulated cows, were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square experiment designed to study dietary effects on rumen and blood parameters and milk production in cows differing in genetic capacity for milk fat content. Diets contained forage to concentrate ratios of 50:50 or 30:70 with either grass hay or silage as the forage. Ruminal fermentation was characterized by a high molar percentage of buty-rate, 14 to 17%. Forage to concentrate ratio affected most rumen parameters, with the exception of the molar percentage of propionate (18 to 19%). The silage had a higher fiber degradation rate compared with hay. Compared to hay diets, silage diets had higher ruminal out-flow rates, lower acetate:propionate ratios, and greater milk production with no differences in milk composition. Cows selected for low milk fat had higher molar percentages of propionate in the rumen. The low milk fat cows had higher milk production than cows selected for high milk fat but did not differ in milk fat yield. Cows fed the 30:70 diets had higher plasma insulin concentrations in response to a glucose challenge. The low milk fat cows had lower basal concentrations of insulin and lower insulin responses to a glucose challenge. Small changes in nutrient metabolism and supply were sufficient to influence milk production.

Additive effect of phosphorus compounds upon the preparation of copoly(ester-amide)s by direct polycondensation using diphenyl chlorophosphate.

The direct polycondensations of aromatic dicarboxylic acids, bisphenols, and diamines using diphenyl chlorophos. phate in the presence of phosphorus compounds were studied. Addition of the phosphorus compounds prevented effectively the gelation of the reaction mixture and produced soluble copolymers even if a high molar percentage of diamines was added. Based on the NMR study, it is considered that the reactivity of the phenolic groups of bisphenols increased due to the hydrogen-bond association with the phosphorus compounds resulting in change of the relative reactivity to diamines. This may lead to favorable monomer sequences in copolymers for the improvement of solubility and the prevention of gelation in the reaction mixture. The changes of monomer sequences caused by the phosphorus compounds were investigated also in terms of optical anisotropy of the copolymers prepared from isophthalic and tere-phthalic acids, methylhydroquinone, and diamines.

Re-evaluation of the 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase assay for total bile acids in bile.

A review of the 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase method for determining the concentration of total bile acids in bile is described. The optimum conditions for the assay were established with respect to pH, temperature, incubation time, amount of NAD+, and units of enzyme activity required to obtain complete oxidation of the substrate under fixed conditions. Furthermore, the effect of hydrazine hydrate, methanol, and bile volume on the reaction was examined. It was also established that the bile acid concentration in bile samples with a high molar percentage of cholesterol would be overestimated if 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase were present with the 3 alpha-enzyme.

Effects of energy and nitrogen supplementation of silage diets on rumen fermentation in fistulated heifers

SummaryExperiments were carried out to assess the effects of silage diets given with and without supplementary energy as barley and/or nitrogen as groundnut meal or urea on rumen fermentation in growing heifers.Silage based diets resulted in a stable pH and a high molar percentage of acetate in rumen liquor. Total V.F.A. concentrations were significantly increased by supplementary energy plus protein but were not consistently increased by energy only, and were linearly related to M.E. intake but not to D.M. digestibility. Effects of energy and nitrogen supplementation on the molar percentage of rumen V.F.A. were small and not always significant.Rumen NH3-N levels were normal on the basal silage diets and were linearly related to N intake. Levels were significantly reduced by energy supplementation but significantly increased by protein supplementation. Results are discussed in relation to energy and nitrogen utilization on silage based diets.