Antiproliferative and Cytotoxic Activities of Fluorescein-A Diagnostic Angiography Dye.

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye used as a diagnostic tool in various fields of medicine. Although fluorescein itself possesses low toxicity, after photoactivation, it releases potentially toxic molecules, such as singlet oxygen (1O2) and, as we demonstrate in this work, also carbon monoxide (CO). As both of these molecules can affect physiological processes, the main aim of this study was to explore the potential biological impacts of fluorescein photochemistry. In our in vitro study in a human hepatoblastoma HepG2 cell line, we explored the possible effects on cell viability, cellular energy metabolism, and the cell cycle. We observed markedly lowered cell viability (≈30%, 75-2400 µM) upon irradiation of intracellular fluorescein and proved that this decrease in viability was dependent on the cellular oxygen concentration. We also detected a significantly decreased concentration of Krebs cycle metabolites (lactate and citrate < 30%; 2-hydroxyglutarate and 2-oxoglutarate < 10%) as well as cell cycle arrest (decrease in the G2 phase of 18%). These observations suggest that this photochemical reaction could have important biological consequences and may account for some adverse reactions observed in fluorescein-treated patients. Additionally, the biological activities of both 1O2 and CO might have considerable therapeutic potential, particularly in the treatment of cancer.

Effects of Low Dose Space Radiation Exposures on the Splenic Metabolome.

Future space missions will include a return to the Moon and long duration deep space roundtrip missions to Mars. Leaving the protection that Low Earth Orbit provides will unavoidably expose astronauts to higher cumulative doses of space radiation, in addition to other stressors, e.g., microgravity. Immune regulation is known to be impacted by both radiation and spaceflight and it remains to be seen whether prolonged effects that will be encountered in deep space can have an adverse impact on health. In this study, we investigated the effects in the overall metabolism of three different low dose radiation exposures (γ-rays, 16O, and 56Fe) in spleens from male C57BL/6 mice at 1, 2, and 4 months after exposure. Forty metabolites were identified with significant enrichment in purine metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle, fatty acids, acylcarnitines, and amino acids. Early perturbations were more prominent in the γ irradiated samples, while later responses shifted towards more prominent responses in groups with high energy particle irradiations. Regression analysis showed a positive correlation of the abundance of identified fatty acids with time and a negative association with γ-rays, while the degradation pathway of purines was positively associated with time. Taken together, there is a strong suggestion of mitochondrial implication and the possibility of long-term effects on DNA repair and nucleotide pools following radiation exposure.

Coupling of oxidative stress responses to tricarboxylic acid cycle and prostaglandin E2 alterations in Caenorhabditis elegans under extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field.

Purpose: With all-pervasive presence of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) in modern life, ELF-EMF has been regarded as an essential factor which may induce changes in many organisms. The objective of the present study was to investigate the physiological responses of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) to 50 Hz, 3 mT ELF-EMF exposure. Materials and methods: Worms were exposed to ELF-EMF from the egg stage until reaching the fourth larva (L4) stage. After exposure, expressions of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle enzymes were examined by qRT-PCR and western blot analysis. Two lipid metabolites were detected by GC-MS. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was detected by dichlorofluorescein staining and worm antioxidant system was investigated by enzymatic activity analysis, including detection of the superoxide dismutase and catalase (CAT) activity and the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC). Results: The TCA cycle enzyme, fumarase was found with decreased expression under ELF-EMF exposure. And arachidonic acid (ArA) and prostaglandin E2(PGE2) showed elevated concentrations, with increased expression of prostaglandin E2 synthase (PGES-2) in ELF-EMF exposed worms. Significant elevation of ROS level was identified accompanied with the significant depression of T-AOC in response to ELF-EMF. Conclusions: Our results suggested that exposure to 50 Hz, 3 mT ELF-EMF in C. elegans can elicit disruptions of the TCA cycle metabolism and PGE2 formation, coupling ELF-EMF-induced oxidative stress responses. Our study probably will attract increasing attentions to the controllable application of ELF-EMF associated with health and disease.

Metabolomics approach used for understanding temperature-related pectinase activity in Bacillus licheniformis DY2.

Pectinases are enzymes that catalyze pectin degradation. There is a global demand for pectinases because of their wide utility and catalytic efficiency. Optimization of the fermentation process to increase the pectolytic enzyme activity is generally practiced to lower process costs, but whether temperature influences the metabolome, enhancing pectinase activity, is not known. Here, we developed a metabolomics approach to explore it. The activity of P-DY2 pectinase produced by Bacillus licheniformis DY2 was higher in cells grown at 30°C than those grown at 37°C. Differential metabolome analysis revealed fluctuating tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle at 30°C. Consistently, the transcripts of TCA cycle genes and activities of pyruvate dehydrogenase and α-Ketoglutaric dehydrogenase were lower at 30°C than 37°C. Furthermore, inhibition of pyruvate dehydrogenase and succinate dehydrogenase enhanced the activity of P-DY2, supporting the conclusion that the inactivated pyruvate metabolism and TCA cycle were required for pectinase activity, and that P-DY2 was TCA cycle-independent. Collectively, these findings indicated that fermentation temperature affected P-DY2 activity by metabolic modulation, with an inactivated TCA cycle as a characteristic feature of high P-DY2 activity. More importantly, the present study highlights an approach of promoting pectinase activity through metabolic modulation by using metabolic pathway inhibitors.

Ameliorating mitochondrial dysfunction restores carbon ion-induced cognitive deficits via co-activation of NRF2 and PINK1 signaling pathway.

Carbon ion therapy is a promising modality in radiotherapy to treat tumors, however, a potential risk of induction of late normal tissue damage should still be investigated and protected. The aim of the present study was to explore the long-term cognitive deficits provoked by a high-linear energy transfer (high-LET) carbon ions in mice by targeting to hippocampus which plays a crucial role in memory and learning. Our data showed that, one month after 4 Gy carbon ion exposure, carbon ion irradiation conspicuously resulted in the impaired cognitive performance, neurodegeneration and neuronal cell death, as well as the reduced mitochondrial integrity, the disrupted activities of tricarboxylic acid cycle flux and electron transport chain, and the depressed antioxidant defense system, consequently leading to a decline of ATP production and persistent oxidative damage in the hippocampus region. Mechanistically, we demonstrated the disruptions of mitochondrial homeostasis and redox balance typically characterized by the disordered mitochondrial dynamics, mitophagy and glutathione redox couple, which is closely associated with the inhibitions of PINK1 and NRF2 signaling pathway as the key regulators of molecular responses in the context of neurotoxicity and neurodegenerative disorders. Most importantly, we found that administration with melatonin as a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant promoted the PINK1 accumulation on the mitochondrial membrane, and augmented the NRF2 accumulation and translocation. Moreover, melatonin pronouncedly enhanced the molecular interplay between NRF2 and PINK1. Furthermore, in the mouse hippocampal neuronal cells, overexpression of NRF2/PINK1 strikingly protected the hippocampal neurons from carbon ion-elicited toxic insults. Thus, these data suggest that alleviation of the sustained mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress through co-modulation of NRF2 and PINK1 may be in charge of restoration of the cognitive impairments in a mouse model of high-LET carbon ion irradiation.

Temperature-dependent dynamic control of the TCA cycle increases volumetric productivity of itaconic acid production by Escherichia coli.

Based on the recently constructed Escherichia coli itaconic acid production strain ita23, we aimed to improve the productivity by applying a two-stage process strategy with decoupled production of biomass and itaconic acid. We constructed a strain ita32 (MG1655 ΔaceA Δpta ΔpykF ΔpykA pCadCs), which, in contrast to ita23, has an active tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and a fast growth rate of 0.52 hr-1 at 37°C, thus representing an ideal phenotype for the first stage, the growth phase. Subsequently we implemented a synthetic genetic control allowing the downregulation of the TCA cycle and thus the switch from growth to itaconic acid production in the second stage. The promoter of the isocitrate dehydrogenase was replaced by the Lambda promoter (pR ) and its expression was controlled by the temperature-sensitive repressor CI857 which is active at lower temperatures (30°C). With glucose as substrate, the respective strain ita36A grew with a fast growth rate at 37°C and switched to production of itaconic acid at 28°C. To study the impact of the process strategy on productivity, we performed one-stage and two-stage bioreactor cultivations. The two-stage process enabled fast formation of biomass resulting in improved peak productivity of 0.86 g/L/hr (+48%) and volumetric productivity of 0.39 g/L/hr (+22%) in comparison to the one-stage process. With our dynamic production strain, we also resolved the glutamate auxotrophy of ita23 and increased the itaconic acid titer to 47 g/L. The temperature-dependent activation of gene expression by the Lambda promoters (pR /pL ) has been frequently used to improve protein or, in a few cases, metabolite production in two-stage processes. Here we demonstrate that the system can be as well used in the opposite direction to selectively knock-down an essential gene (icd) in E. coli to design a two-stage process for improved volumetric productivity. The control by temperature avoids expensive inducers and has the potential to be generally used to improve cell factory performance.

Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry Metabolomics of Urine and Serum from Nonhuman Primates Exposed to Ionizing Radiation: Impacts on the Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle and Protein Metabolism.

Ionizing radiation (IR) directly damages cells and tissues or indirectly damages them through reactive free radicals that may lead to longer term adverse sequelae such as cancers, persistent inflammation, or possible death. Potential exposures include nuclear reactor accidents, improper disposal of equipment containing radioactive materials or medical errors, and terrorist attacks. Metabolomics (comprehensive analysis of compounds <1 kDa) by mass spectrometry (MS) has been proposed as a tool for high-throughput biodosimetry and rapid assessment of exposed dose and triage needed. While multiple studies have been dedicated to radiation biomarker discovery, many have utilized liquid chromatography (LC) MS platforms that may not detect particular compounds (e.g., small carboxylic acids or isomers) that complementary analytical tools, such as gas chromatography (GC) time-of-flight (TOF) MS, are ideal for. The current study uses global GC-TOF-MS metabolomics to complement previous LC-MS analyses on nonhuman primate biofluids (urine and serum) 7 days after exposure to 2, 4, 6, 7, and 10 Gy IR. Multivariate data analysis was used to visualize differences between control and IR exposed groups. Univariate analysis was used to determine a combined 26 biomarkers in urine and serum that significantly changed after exposure to IR. We found several metabolites involved in tricarboxylic acid cycle function, amino acid metabolism, and host microbiota that were not previously detected by global and targeted LC-MS studies.

Urinary metabolic signatures and early triage of acute radiation exposure in rat model.

After a large-scale radiological accident, early-response biomarkers to assess radiation exposure over a broad dose range are not only the basis of rapid radiation triage, but are also the key to the rational use of limited medical resources and to the improvement of treatment efficiency. Because of its high throughput, rapid assays and minimally invasive sample collection, metabolomics has been applied to research into radiation exposure biomarkers in recent years. Due to the complexity of radiobiological effects, most of the potential biomarkers are both dose-dependent and time-dependent. In reality, it is very difficult to find a single biomarker that is both sensitive and specific in a given radiation exposure scenario. Therefore, a multi-parameters approach for radiation exposure assessment is more realistic in real nuclear accidents. In this study, untargeted metabolomic profiling based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and targeted amino acid profiling based on LC-MS/MS were combined to investigate early urinary metabolite responses within 48 h post-exposure in a rat model. A few of the key early-response metabolites for radiation exposure were identified, which revealed the most relevant metabolic pathways. Furthermore, a panel of potential urinary biomarkers was selected through a multi-criteria approach and applied to early triage following irradiation. Our study suggests that it is feasible to use a multi-parameters approach to triage radiation damage, and the urinary excretion levels of the relevant metabolites provide insights into radiation damage and repair.

Variations of metabolites and proteome in Lonicera japonica Thunb. buds and flowers under UV radiation.

Lonicera japonica Thunb., also known as Jin Yin Hua and Japanese honeysuckle, is used as a herbal medicine in Asian countries. Its flowers have been used in folk medicine in the clinic and in making food or healthy beverages for over 1500years in China. To investigate the molecular processes involved in L. japonica development from buds to flowers exposed to UV radiation, a comparative proteomics analysis was performed. Fifty-four proteins were identified as differentially expressed, including 42 that had increased expression and 12 that had decreased expression. The levels of the proteins related to glycolysis, TCA/organic acid transformation, major carbohydrate metabolism, oxidative pentose phosphate, stress, secondary metabolism, hormone, and mitochondrial electron transport were increased during flower opening process after exposure to UV radiation. Six metabolites in L. japonica buds and flowers were identified and relatively quantified using LC-MS/MS. The antioxidant activity was performed using a 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay, which revealed that L. japonica buds had more activity than the UV irradiated flowers. This suggests that UV-B radiation induces production of endogenous ethylene in L. japonica buds, thus facilitating blossoming of the buds and activating the antioxidant system. Additionally, the higher metabolite contents and antioxidant properties of L. japonica buds indicate that the L. japonica bud stage may be a more optimal time to harvest than the flower stage when using for medicinal properties.

Effects of anthropogenic sound on digging behavior, metabolism, Ca(2+)/Mg(2+) ATPase activity, and metabolism-related gene expression of the bivalve Sinonovacula constricta.

Anthropogenic sound has increased significantly in the past decade. However, only a few studies to date have investigated its effects on marine bivalves, with little known about the underlying physiological and molecular mechanisms. In the present study, the effects of different types, frequencies, and intensities of anthropogenic sounds on the digging behavior of razor clams (Sinonovacula constricta) were investigated. The results showed that variations in sound intensity induced deeper digging. Furthermore, anthropogenic sound exposure led to an alteration in the O:N ratios and the expression of ten metabolism-related genes from the glycolysis, fatty acid biosynthesis, tryptophan metabolism, and Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle (TCA cycle) pathways. Expression of all genes under investigation was induced upon exposure to anthropogenic sound at ~80 dB re 1 µPa and repressed at ~100 dB re 1 µPa sound. In addition, the activity of Ca(2+)/Mg(2+)-ATPase in the feet tissues, which is directly related to muscular contraction and subsequently to digging behavior, was also found to be affected by anthropogenic sound intensity. The findings suggest that sound may be perceived by bivalves as changes in the water particle motion and lead to the subsequent reactions detected in razor clams.

Plant Responses to High Frequency Electromagnetic Fields.

High frequency nonionizing electromagnetic fields (HF-EMF) that are increasingly present in the environment constitute a genuine environmental stimulus able to evoke specific responses in plants that share many similarities with those observed after a stressful treatment. Plants constitute an outstanding model to study such interactions since their architecture (high surface area to volume ratio) optimizes their interaction with the environment. In the present review, after identifying the main exposure devices (transverse and gigahertz electromagnetic cells, wave guide, and mode stirred reverberating chamber) and general physics laws that govern EMF interactions with plants, we illustrate some of the observed responses after exposure to HF-EMF at the cellular, molecular, and whole plant scale. Indeed, numerous metabolic activities (reactive oxygen species metabolism, α- and ß-amylase, Krebs cycle, pentose phosphate pathway, chlorophyll content, terpene emission, etc.) are modified, gene expression altered (calmodulin, calcium-dependent protein kinase, and proteinase inhibitor), and growth reduced (stem elongation and dry weight) after low power (i.e., nonthermal) HF-EMF exposure. These changes occur not only in the tissues directly exposed but also systemically in distant tissues. While the long-term impact of these metabolic changes remains largely unknown, we propose to consider nonionizing HF-EMF radiation as a noninjurious, genuine environmental factor that readily evokes changes in plant metabolism.

Phototransduction Influences Metabolic Flux and Nucleotide Metabolism in Mouse Retina.

Production of energy in a cell must keep pace with demand. Photoreceptors use ATP to maintain ion gradients in darkness, whereas in light they use it to support phototransduction. Matching production with consumption can be accomplished by coupling production directly to consumption. Alternatively, production can be set by a signal that anticipates demand. In this report we investigate the hypothesis that signaling through phototransduction controls production of energy in mouse retinas. We found that respiration in mouse retinas is not coupled tightly to ATP consumption. By analyzing metabolic flux in mouse retinas, we also found that phototransduction slows metabolic flux through glycolysis and through intermediates of the citric acid cycle. We also evaluated the relative contributions of regulation of the activities of α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase and the aspartate-glutamate carrier 1. In addition, a comprehensive analysis of the retinal metabolome showed that phototransduction also influences steady-state concentrations of 5'-GMP, ribose-5-phosphate, ketone bodies, and purines.

CD47 Receptor Globally Regulates Metabolic Pathways That Control Resistance to Ionizing Radiation.

Modulating tissue responses to stress is an important therapeutic objective. Oxidative and genotoxic stresses caused by ionizing radiation are detrimental to healthy tissues but beneficial for treatment of cancer. CD47 is a signaling receptor for thrombospondin-1 and an attractive therapeutic target because blocking CD47 signaling protects normal tissues while sensitizing tumors to ionizing radiation. Here we utilized a metabolomic approach to define molecular mechanisms underlying this radioprotective activity. CD47-deficient cells and cd47-null mice exhibited global advantages in preserving metabolite levels after irradiation. Metabolic pathways required for controlling oxidative stress and mediating DNA repair were enhanced. Some cellular energetics pathways differed basally in CD47-deficient cells, and the global declines in the glycolytic and tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolites characteristic of normal cell and tissue responses to irradiation were prevented in the absence of CD47. Thus, CD47 mediates signaling from the extracellular matrix that coordinately regulates basal metabolism and cytoprotective responses to radiation injury.

Characterization of multiple SPS knockout mutants reveals redundant functions of the four Arabidopsis sucrose phosphate synthase isoforms in plant viability, and strongly indicates that enhanced respiration and accelerated starch turnover can alleviate the blockage of sucrose biosynthesis.

We characterized multiple knock-out mutants of the four Arabidopsis sucrose phosphate synthase (SPSA1, SPSA2, SPSB and SPSC) isoforms. Despite their reduced SPS activity, spsa1/spsa2, spsa1/spsb, spsa2/spsb, spsa2/spsc, spsb/spsc, spsa1/spsa2/spsb and spsa2/spsb/spsc mutants displayed wild type (WT) vegetative and reproductive morphology, and showed WT photosynthetic capacity and respiration. In contrast, growth of rosettes, flowers and siliques of the spsa1/spsc and spsa1/spsa2/spsc mutants was reduced compared with WT plants. Furthermore, these plants displayed a high dark respiration phenotype. spsa1/spsb/spsc and spsa1/spsa2/spsb/spsc seeds poorly germinated and produced aberrant and sterile plants. Leaves of all viable sps mutants, except spsa1/spsc and spsa1/spsa2/spsc, accumulated WT levels of nonstructural carbohydrates. spsa1/spsc leaves possessed high levels of metabolic intermediates and activities of enzymes of the glycolytic and tricarboxylic acid cycle pathways, and accumulated high levels of metabolic intermediates of the nocturnal starch-to-sucrose conversion process, even under continuous light conditions. Results presented in this work show that SPS is essential for plant viability, reveal redundant functions of the four SPS isoforms in processes that are important for plant growth and nonstructural carbohydrate metabolism, and strongly indicate that accelerated starch turnover and enhanced respiration can alleviate the blockage of sucrose biosynthesis in spsa1/spsc leaves.

Mitochondrial Dihydrolipoyl Dehydrogenase Activity Shapes Photosynthesis and Photorespiration of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Mitochondrial dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase (mtLPD; L-protein) is an integral component of several multienzyme systems involved in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, photorespiration, and the degradation of branched-chain α-ketoacids. The majority of the mtLPD present in photosynthesizing tissue is used for glycine decarboxylase (GDC), necessary for the high-flux photorespiratory glycine-into-serine conversion. We previously suggested that GDC activity could be a signal in a regulatory network that adjusts carbon flux through the Calvin-Benson cycle in response to photorespiration. Here, we show that elevated GDC L-protein activity significantly alters several diagnostic parameters of cellular metabolism and leaf gas exchange in Arabidopsis thaliana. Overexpressor lines displayed markedly decreased steady state contents of TCA cycle and photorespiratory intermediates as well as elevated NAD(P)(+)-to-NAD(P)H ratios. Additionally, increased rates of CO2 assimilation, photorespiration, and plant growth were observed. Intriguingly, however, day respiration rates remained unaffected. By contrast, respiration was enhanced in the first half of the dark phase but depressed in the second. We also observed enhanced sucrose biosynthesis in the light in combination with a lower diel magnitude of starch accumulation and breakdown. These data thus substantiate our prior hypothesis that facilitating flux through the photorespiratory pathway stimulates photosynthetic CO2 assimilation in the Calvin-Benson cycle. They furthermore suggest that this regulation is, at least in part, dependent on increased light-capture/use efficiency.

Coupling of Cellular Processes and Their Coordinated Oscillations under Continuous Light in Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142, a Diazotrophic Unicellular Cyanobacterium.

Unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacteria such as Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142 (henceforth Cyanothece), temporally separate the oxygen sensitive nitrogen fixation from oxygen evolving photosynthesis not only under diurnal cycles (LD) but also in continuous light (LL). However, recent reports demonstrate that the oscillations in LL occur with a shorter cycle time of ~11 h. We find that indeed, majority of the genes oscillate in LL with this cycle time. Genes that are upregulated at a particular time of day under diurnal cycle also get upregulated at an equivalent metabolic phase under LL suggesting tight coupling of various cellular events with each other and with the cell's metabolic status. A number of metabolic processes get upregulated in a coordinated fashion during the respiratory phase under LL including glycogen degradation, glycolysis, oxidative pentose phosphate pathway, and tricarboxylic acid cycle. These precede nitrogen fixation apparently to ensure sufficient energy and anoxic environment needed for the nitrogenase enzyme. Photosynthetic phase sees upregulation of photosystem II, carbonate transport, carbon concentrating mechanism, RuBisCO, glycogen synthesis and light harvesting antenna pigment biosynthesis. In Synechococcus elongates PCC 7942, a non-nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria, expression of a relatively smaller fraction of genes oscillates under LL condition with the major periodicity being 24 h. In contrast, the entire cellular machinery of Cyanothece orchestrates coordinated oscillation in anticipation of the ensuing metabolic phase in both LD and LL. These results may have important implications in understanding the timing of various cellular events and in engineering cyanobacteria for biofuel production.

Dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase as a potential UVB target in skin epidermis; using an integrated approach of label-free quantitative proteomics and targeted metabolite analysis.

Photodamage is extrinsically induced by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and it increases the risk of various skin disorders. Therefore, discovery of novel biomarkers of photodamage is important. In this study, using LC-MS/MS analysis of epidermis from UVB-irradiated hairless mice, we identified 57 proteins whose levels changed after UVB exposure, and selected 7 proteins related to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle through pathway analysis. Dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase (DLD) was the only TCA cycle-associated protein that showed a decreased expression after the UVB exposure. We also performed targeted analysis to detect intermediates and products of the TCA cycle using GC-TOF-MS. Interestingly, malic acid and fumaric acid levels significantly decreased in the UVB-treated group. Our results demonstrate that DLD and its associated metabolites, malic acid and fumaric acid, may be candidate biomarkers of UVB-induced skin photoaging. Additionally, we showed that Aloe vera, a natural skin moisturizer, regulated DLD, malic acid and fumaric acid levels in UVB-exposed epidermis. Our strategy to integrate the proteome and targeted metabolite to detect novel UVB targets will lead to a better understanding of skin photoaging and photodamage. Our study also supports that A. vera exerts significant anti-photodamage activity via regulation of DLD, a novel UVB target, in the epidermis. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This study is the first example of an integration of proteomic and metabolite analysis techniques to find new biomarker candidates for the regulation of the UVB-induced skin photoaging. DLD, malic acid, and fumaric acid can be used for development of cosmeceuticals and nutraceuticals regulating the change of skin metabolism induced by the UVB overexposure. Moreover, this is also the first attempt to investigate the role of the TCA cycle in photodamaged epidermis. Our integration of the proteomic and targeted metabolite analyses will lead to a better understanding of the unidentified photobiological results from UVB-irradiated models and can elicit new diagnostic and treatment strategies based on altered metabolism.

Parental environmental exposure leads to glycometabolic disturbances that affect fertilization of eggs in the silkworm Bombyx mori: the parental transcript legacy.

Parental transcript legacy plays an important role in fertilization and development of the early embryo. Parental environmental exposure affects the fertilization of eggs, but the underlying biochemical mechanism is largely unresolved. In this study, the parental environmental effects on fertilization of eggs were explored in the silkworm Bombyx mori (B. mori), an ideal lepidopteran animal model. The results showed that the rate of fertilization decreased after the parents were exposed to a poor environment at 32 °C with continuous illumination for 72 h on days 6-9 of the pupal stage, which is a key period for germ cell maturation. This was likely attributable to lower energy charge values, obstructed nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)) regeneration and inactive tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA), leading to accumulation of large amounts of pyruvic acid and lactic acid. This effect was related to energy metabolism via glycolysis; in particular disruption of pyruvate metabolism. In conclusion, this study showed parental exposure to an abnormal environment during germ cell maturation affected glycolysis and the subsequent fertilization of eggs via the parental transcript legacy in B. mori.

Suppression of NDA-type alternative mitochondrial NAD(P)H dehydrogenases in arabidopsis thaliana modifies growth and metabolism, but not high light stimulation of mitochondrial electron transport.

The plant respiratory chain contains several pathways which bypass the energy-conserving electron transport complexes I, III and IV. These energy bypasses, including type II NAD(P)H dehydrogenases and the alternative oxidase (AOX), may have a role in redox stabilization and regulation, but current evidence is inconclusive. Using RNA interference, we generated Arabidopsis thaliana plants simultaneously suppressing the type II NAD(P)H dehydrogenase genes NDA1 and NDA2. Leaf mitochondria contained substantially reduced levels of both proteins. In sterile culture in the light, the transgenic lines displayed a slow growth phenotype, which was more severe when the complex I inhibitor rotenone was present. Slower growth was also observed in soil. In rosette leaves, a higher NAD(P)H/NAD(P)⁺ ratio and elevated levels of lactate relative to sugars and citric acid cycle metabolites were observed. However, photosynthetic performance was unaffected and microarray analyses indicated few transcriptional changes. A high light treatment increased AOX1a mRNA levels, in vivo AOX and cytochrome oxidase activities, and levels of citric acid cycle intermediates and hexoses in all genotypes. However, NDA-suppressing plants deviated from the wild type merely by having higher levels of several amino acids. These results suggest that NDA suppression restricts citric acid cycle reactions, inducing a shift towards increased levels of fermentation products, but do not support a direct association between photosynthesis and NDA proteins.

Transcriptional reprogramming and stimulation of leaf respiration by elevated CO2 concentration is diminished, but not eliminated, under limiting nitrogen supply.

Plant respiration responses to elevated CO2 concentration ( [CO2 ] ) have been studied for three decades without consensus about the mechanism of response. Positive effects of elevated [CO2 ] on leaf respiration have been attributed to greater substrate supply resulting from stimulated photosynthesis. Negative effects of elevated [CO2 ] on leaf respiration have been attributed to reduced demand for energy for protein turnover assumed to result from lower leaf N content. Arabidopsis thaliana was grown in ambient (370 ppm) and elevated (750 ppm) [CO2 ] with limiting and ample N availabilities. The stimulation of leaf dark respiration was attenuated in limiting N (+12%) compared with ample N supply (+30%). This response was associated with smaller stimulation of photosynthetic CO2 uptake, but not interactive effects of elevated CO2 and N supply on leaf protein, amino acids or specific leaf area. Elevated [CO2 ] also resulted in greater abundance of transcripts for many components of the respiratory pathway. A greater transcriptional response to elevated [CO2 ] was observed in ample N supply at midday versus midnight, consistent with reports that protein synthesis is greatest during the day. Greater foliar expression of respiratory genes under elevated [CO2 ] has now been observed in diverse herbaceous species, suggesting a widely conserved response.