Comparative characteristics of oat doubled haploids and oat × maize addition lines: Anatomical features of the leaves, chlorophyll a fluorescence and yield parameters

As a result of oat (Avena sativa L.) × maize (Zea mays L.) crossing, maize chromosomes may not be completely eliminated at the early stages of embryogenesis, leading to the oat × maize addition (OMA) lines development. Introgression of maize chromosomes into oat genome can cause morphological and physiological modifications. The aim of the research was to evaluate the leaves' anatomy, chlorophyll a fluorescence, and yield parameter of oat doubled haploid (DH) and OMA lines obtained by oat × maize crossing. The present study examined two DH and two disomic OMA lines and revealed that they differ significantly in the majority of studied traits, apart from: the number of cells of the outer bundle sheath; light energy absorption; excitation energy trapped in PSII reaction centers; and energy dissipated from PSII. The OMA II line was characterized by larger size of single cells in the outer bundle sheath and greater number of seeds per plant among tested lines.

Aging of preleukemic thymocytes drives CpG island hypermethylation in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Cancer cells display DNA hypermethylation at specific CpG islands in comparison to their normal healthy counterparts, but the mechanism that drives this so-called CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) remains poorly understood. Here, we show that CpG island methylation in human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) mainly occurs at promoters of Polycomb Repressor Complex 2 (PRC2) target genes that are not expressed in normal or malignant T-cells and which display a reciprocal association with H3K27me3 binding. In addition, we revealed that this aberrant methylation profile reflects the epigenetic history of T-ALL and is established already in pre-leukemic, self-renewing thymocytes that precede T-ALL development. Finally, we unexpectedly uncover that this age-related CpG island hypermethylation signature in T-ALL is completely resistant to the FDA-approved hypomethylating agent Decitabine. Altogether, we here provide conceptual evidence for the involvement of a pre-leukemic phase characterized by self-renewing thymocytes in the pathogenesis of human T-ALL.

Waste Tyres Pyrolysis for Obtaining Limonene

This review deals with the technologies of limonene production from waste tyre pyrolysis. Thermal decomposition is attractive for tackling the waste tyre disposal problem, as it enables both: energy to be recovered and limonene to be obtained. This material management recycling of tyres is environmentally more beneficial than the burning of all valuable products, including limonene. Given this recoverability of materials from waste tyres, a comprehensive evaluation was carried out to show the main effect of process conditions (heating rate, temperature, pressure, carrier gas flow rate, and type of volatile residence and process times) for different pyrolytic methods and types of apparatus on the yield of limonene. All the results cited are given in the context of the pyrolysis method and the type of reactor, as well as the experimental conditions in order to avoid contradictions between different researchers. It is shown that secondary and side reactions are very sensitive to interaction with the above-mentioned variables. The yields of all pyrolytic products are also given, as background for limonene, the main product reported in this study.

Furcellaran-Coated Microcapsules as Carriers of Cyprinus carpio Skin-Derived Antioxidant Hydrolysate: An In Vitro and In Vivo Study

Carp skin gelatine hydrolysate (CSGH) may be a possible bioactive peptide source, as promising antioxidant properties have been noted during in vivo testing. Hence, the present study focused on improving the bioavailability of the antioxidant peptides from CSGH and on the use of furcellaran (FUR), which can protect the biopeptides during digestion in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, in this study, microcapsules coated with furcellaran and containing CSGH cores were prepared. The structural properties of the sample were determined using FT-IR and SEM analysis. The antioxidant properties of hydrolysate, uncoated, and encapsulated samples were investigated. In vivo analysis included determination of its safety in an animal organism and evaluation of the lipid profile, antioxidant blood status, and mRNA expression of some genes involved in antioxidant status in Wistar rats. The results showed no adverse effects of microencapsulated protein hydrolysates in laboratory animals. Nonetheless, there was a statistically significant rise in the level of total antioxidant status blood serum among animals consuming CSGH and not inducing oxidative stress. This can be viewed as a promising indication of the positive effects of antioxidant properties tested in vivo. The process of CSGH microencapsulation in FUR cause a decrease in antioxidant hydrolysate activity, both in vitro, as well as in healthy Wistar rats. When considering the results of the presented diverse therapeutic potential, further research on CSGH being a potential bioactive peptide source used as a functional food or nutraceutical, but with a different microencapsulation coating, is encouraged.