Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Haigang Song, Antony J. Burton, Sally L. Shirran, Jurate Fahrig-Kamarauskaite, Hannelore Kaspar, Tom W. Muir, Markus Kunzler, James H. Naismith
Summary: The introduction of alpha-N-methylated non-proteinogenic amino acids into peptides can enhance their biological activities. An engineered enzyme called OphMA has been shown to methylate amide bonds in non-natural amides, offering potential applications in biotechnological production of therapeutic peptides.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Sergey Voronov, Yurii Pleskachiov, Aleksandra Shitikova, Meisam Zargar, Mostafa Abdelkader
Summary: This study evaluates the yield and nutritional value of 10 quinoa cultivars, finding that the Q3 and Q4 varieties have the highest yields, while the USA2 variety from the US has the highest protein content.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Ronald V. Emmons, Endri Karaj, Erasmus Cudjoe, David S. Bell, L. M. Viranga Tillekeratne, Emanuela Gionfriddo
Summary: Effective retention and separation of BMAA and its isomers in their underivatized forms on liquid chromatography stationary phases has always been a challenge. This study evaluates the chromatographic behavior of BMAA and its isomers and achieves effective retention and separation using selected stationary phases. Extraction and quantification are achieved using solid phase microextraction and ion-trap mass spectrometry.
JOURNAL OF CHROMATOGRAPHY A
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Suzeeta Bhandari, Kirpal S. Bisht, David J. Merkler
Summary: Fatty acid amides are lipids composed of a fatty acid and a biogenic amine. This review focuses on a lesser-known sub-class of fatty acid amides called N-acyl aromatic amino acids (NA-ArAAs). The review highlights the identified NA-ArAAs from biological sources and presents information on their biosynthesis, degradation, enzymatic modification, and transport, as well as their cellular functions. The aim of this review is to stimulate future research on this underappreciated sub-class of the fatty acid amide family.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
David Ferro-Costas, Irea Mosquera-Lois, Antonio Fernandez-Ramos
Summary: This work introduces TorsiFlex, a user-friendly software written in Python 3 designed to automatically find all torsional conformers of flexible acyclic molecules. The algorithm in TorsiFlex combines preconditioned and stochastic search strategies to map the torsional potential energy surface, applying validation tests to accelerate exploration of the torsional space. Operating with a dual-level strategy, TorsiFlex initially searches at a lower electronic structure level and reoptimizes located conformers at a higher level, while also taking advantage of conformational enantiomerism. Using TorsiFlex, a case study locating the conformers of the twenty proteinogenic amino acids in their neutral canonical form demonstrated its effectiveness and capabilities.
JOURNAL OF CHEMINFORMATICS
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Takahito Ito, Natsumi Matsunaga, Megumi Kurashima, Yosuke Demizu, Takashi Misawa
Summary: Multidrug-resistant bacteria pose a significant threat to human health, causing over 1.2 million deaths annually. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged as potential next-generation therapeutics to combat infectious diseases including MDRB. Our study focused on designing and synthesizing derivatives of the AMP 17KKV-Aib by replacing Lys residues with the cyclized dAA residue Api. The introduction of Api residues preserved the helical structure and antimicrobial activity, enhanced resistance to digestive enzymes, with a slight increase in hemolytic activity.
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Hidetomo Yokoo, Motoharu Hirano, Takashi Misawa, Yosuke Demizu
Summary: This minireview highlights recent efforts in developing helical AMP foldamers containing non-proteinogenic amino acids, providing new insights for the development of novel antimicrobial drugs. AMPs have the potential to disrupt microbial membranes due to their amphipathic properties and ordered secondary structures.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Juan Carlos Lopez, Alberto Macario, Andres Verde, Alfonso Perez-Encabo, Susana Blanco
Summary: The broadband rotational spectrum of jet-cooled laser-ablated thioproline revealed two conformers with mixed bent/twisted arrangements of the five-membered ring. The stability and interactions of these conformers were compared to proline, showing a reversal in their order. This study highlights the influence of the endocyclic N atom function on the conformation of the ring in thioproline.
Article
Soil Science
Evi Deltedesco, Erich Inselsbacher, Markus Gorfer, Sophie Zechmeister-Boltenstern, Katharina Keiblinger, Erich M. Potsch
Summary: Nitrogen is the most important limiting nutrient for plants and soil microorganisms in almost all ecosystems. Global environmental changes significantly affect the terrestrial nitrogen cycle, but the implications for plant available nitrogen remain unclear. This study investigated the effect of elevated atmospheric CO2, increased temperature, and drying-rewetting events on diffusive nitrogen fluxes in the soil of a managed permanent grassland. The results suggest that more frequent soil drying-rewetting cycles associated with increased extreme weather events are the main drivers affecting soil nitrogen availability.
APPLIED SOIL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Gita Matuleviciute, Neringa Kleiziene, Greta Rackauskiene, Vytas Martynaitis, Aurimas Bieliauskas, Urte Sachleviciute, Rokas Jankauskas, Martynas R. Bartkus, Frank A. Slok, Algirdas Sackus
Summary: In this study, a series of new N-(aminocycloalkylene)amino acid derivatives were prepared as chiral building blocks. The method involved the conversion of enantiopure α-hydroxy acid esters into chiral triflate esters, followed by nucleophilic substitution reactions with aminopyrrolidine and aminopiperidine derivatives, resulting in the synthesis of methyl 2-[(Boc-amino)cycloamin-1-yl]alkanoates with high yield and enantio- and diastereomeric purity.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Namrata Rani, Vikas
Summary: This study investigates the gas-phase stereoinversion pathways in isoleucine using quantum-mechanical computations, revealing that the branched aliphatic side chain hindered a complete inversion. Additionally, the explored diastereomeric conversion pathways support the distribution of different stereoisomers in meteoritic composition, and suggest that the chirality of aldehydic precursors may play a key role in enantio-biasing observed for isoleucine in meteoritic samples.
ASTROPHYSICS AND SPACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Jian-Ting Sun, Xin Li, Tian-Yu Yang, Min Lv, Ling-Yan Chen, Bang-Guo Wei
Summary: A practical method for synthesizing alpha-aminophosphonates through catalysis has been developed, resulting in the successful synthesis of the desired compounds.
ORGANIC & BIOMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Andrey A. Prishchenko, Roman S. Alekseyev, Mikhail Livantsov, Olga P. Novikova, Ludmila Livantsova, Valery S. Petrosyan
Summary: New non-proteinogenic amino acids with methylenebisphosphonic acids moieties were synthesized for the first time using a unique reaction under mild conditions with an effective catalyst. The resulting compounds showed promise as antiviral substances and effective ligands, with the catalytic scheme for their formation proposed and discussed in detail. The structures of the target functionalized amino acids and their precursors were confirmed using NMR and mass spectra.
JOURNAL OF ORGANOMETALLIC CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Siyu Li, Shiqing Wang, Baorui Tian, Na Li, Yanan Chen, Yanhua Liu, Weijun Su, Yan Fan, Yongjun Piao, Jia Li, Longlong Wang, Jin Zhao, Shu Wang, Yi Shi, Rong Xiang
Summary: This study aims to enhance the effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer treatment by increasing tumor antigenicity at the protein translation level. By using specific nanoparticles to deliver non-proteinogenic amino acids into tumor cells, mutated proteins can be generated, leading to the activation of cellular immune responses and inhibition of tumor growth and metastasis.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xuan Zheng, Long Zhang, Liang Feng, Qingyao He, Long Ji, Shuiping Yan
Summary: Integrated CO2 absorption and mineralisation technology using green solvent amino acid salts (AAS) showed better performance in CO2 absorption and formation of CaCO3 compared to traditional alkanolamines. Potassium L-argininate stood out as an effective crystal morphology regulator, while ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) had a notable influence on controlling the polymorph of CaCO3. Further investigation is needed to clarify the effect of EDTA on the CO2 absorption step.
JOURNAL OF CO2 UTILIZATION
(2021)
Article
Toxicology
Hongkun Yang, Amin Wurita, Jinlei Liu, Yue Wang, Koutaro Hasegawa
Summary: An analytical method for quantitation of sibutramine in human hair using GC-MS/MS was newly established. A case study of a 3.5-year-old child accidentally ingesting sibutramine-containing product was presented, with sibutramine detected in the child's hair sample. The method showed good linear relationship, recovery rate, and stability for sibutramine in human hair samples.
FORENSIC TOXICOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Jie Zou, John L. Snider, Honghai Zhu, Jiaqi He, Yuxia Li, Zhiguo Zhou, Youhua Wang, Yali Meng, Binglin Chen, Wenqing Zhao, Shanshan Wang, Wei Hu
Summary: This study found that under periodic drought conditions, the net photosynthetic rate of cotton decreases, leading to a decrease in starch content and an increase in sucrose content, ultimately resulting in lower boll biomass. Additionally, photosynthesis and sucrose content can recover to some extent, which is important for mitigating the effects of drought on boll biomass and evaluating the tolerance of cultivars to short-term moderate water deficit.
JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY AND CROP SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Toxicology
Hongkun Yang, Yue Wang, Jinlei Liu, Shi Qiu, Jie Gu, Huiru Bai, Jun Li, Amin Wurita, Koutaro Hasegawa
Summary: In this study, product ion spectra of 4-quinazolinone recreational drugs, including methaqualone, etaqualone, and 2-methoxyqualone, were presented using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The study also demonstrated the identification and quantification of 2-methoxyqualone in tablets. The results provided valuable information for the analysis of these drugs.
FORENSIC TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Shunzong Ning, Laibin Zhao, Shijie Li, Shengke Li, Tianqing Zang, Yu'e Liu, Hongkun Yang, Xuejiao Chen, Xue Chen, Yingjin Yi, Ming Hao, Lianquan Zhang, Li Ma, Yaxi Liu, Lin Huang, Zhongwei Yuan, Dengcai Liu
Summary: The spikelet number per spike (SNS) and spike length (SL) are important traits for increasing wheat yields. Photoperiod-1 (Ppd-1) plays a crucial role in regulating inflorescence structure and paired spikelet development. Through genetic marker analysis, eight PPD1 combination homoeologs were identified in 170 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between synthetic hexaploid wheat (SHW-L1) and a commercial cultivar (Chuanmai 32). The results showed significant positive correlations between days to heading (DTH) and both SNS and SL, and also between SL and SNS. The photoperiod-sensitive ppd-D1b alleles had the largest effect on delaying heading, indicating their potential to increase wheat yields.
CEREAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yuan-Chun He, Hao-Long Yu, Kai-Yang Zhao, Yao Wang, Chang-Sheng Geng, Shuang Wu, Hong-Kun Yang, Fang-Hua Zhao
Summary: In this study, three coordination polymers were synthesized and used as luminescent sensors for the detection of Fe3+ concentration in water. The results showed that these coordination polymers exhibited good luminescence responses towards Fe3+.
Article
Plant Sciences
Wei Hu, Min Gao, Kang Du, Yang Liu, Bingjie Xu, Youhua Wang, Zhiguo Zhou, Wenqing Zhao
Summary: A study found that high temperatures and drought are expected to occur more frequently and last longer in the future. An experiment was conducted to investigate their combined effects on cotton bolls. The results showed that drought had a more significant impact on carbohydrate metabolism in cotton bolls than high temperatures, indicating that more attention should be paid to the drought effect under combined heat and drought stress.
PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yuxia Li, Wei Hu, Jie Zou, Jiaqi He, Honghai Zhu, Wenqing Zhao, Youhua Wang, Binglin Chen, Yali Meng, Shanshan Wang, Zhiguo Zhou
Summary: Drought stress inhibits carbohydrate metabolism in cottonseed kernels, leading to decreased biomass accumulation.
PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Fali Huo, Jie Xu, Hongkun Yang, Zhaojun Yuan, Zhongxiang Shen
Summary: Currently, research on floating offshore wind turbines is primarily focused on deep water areas beyond 50 m, with less attention given to shallow water. However, there is still significant potential for floating turbines in the 30 m-50 m range. This paper proposes a multi-point mooring system for shallow water areas, based on X1-Wind's PivotBuoy design. Physical model experiments were conducted to study the motion responses and mooring forces of the turbine under different mooring cable schemes. The results showed that the hybrid mooring cable scheme (anchor chain + polymer cable + anchor chain) increased pitch and heave motion responses by up to 30% maximum and decreased mooring cable tension by approximately 27%. The study also examined the impact of water depth and mooring cable pretension on the mooring system, providing theoretical guidance for the design of mooring systems for shallow water floating offshore wind turbines.
FRONTIERS IN ENERGY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Shi Qiu, Yimin Kang, Yue Wang, Jinlei Liu, Hongkun Yang, Jie Gu, Huiru Bai, Koutaro Hasegawa, Amin Wurita
Summary: A method for identification and quantification of 2-methoxyqualone in human scalp hair using GC-MS/MS was established. The target compound was extracted with methanol from washed and cryo-ground hair samples, and analyzed by GC-MS/MS. The concentrations of 2-methoxyqualone in hair samples ranged from 35.1 to 116 pg/mg. This method can be successfully applied to authentic forensic toxicological cases.
FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hongkun Yang, Jiarong Zhao, Hongliang Ma, Zhiqiang Shi, Xiulan Huang, Gaoqiong Fan
Summary: Heavy haze-induced decreases in solar radiation affect the structural properties of starch macromolecules. The relationship between photosynthetic light response and starch structure remains unclear. This study investigated the impact of light deprivation on leaf light response, starch structure, and biscuit-baking quality of wheat cultivars. Shading decreased the quantum yield and net photosynthetic rate, resulting in lower grain-filling rate and starch content but higher protein content. Shading also affected the amylose content, starch granule amount, and biscuit spread ratio.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Hongkun Yang, Jingang Li, Ge Wu, Xiulan Huang, Gaoqiong Fan
Summary: Straw mulching with no-tillage increases soil water availability and nitrogen content, leading to improved root distribution, plant nutrition, tillering capability, and grain yield of dryland wheat. It also enhances the efficient recycling of nitrogen in the rotation system. Therefore, it is recommended for dryland farming communities to adopt straw mulching with no-tillage to increase soil and crop productivity in the maize-wheat rotation system.
SOIL & TILLAGE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Tingyuan Hu, Hongkun Yang, Kaiqin Zhang, Cheema Nazir Hafsa, Xiaoting Fang, Haiyan Ma, Jiangxiu Liao, Shunlin Zheng
Summary: The quality of potato starch is mainly influenced by the environment. This study investigated the effects of different altitude cultivation locations on the molecular structure and physicochemical properties of starch. It was found that potato starch in high altitude areas had shorter branched chains and lower gelatinization temperature.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Wei Xie, Peng He, Hongliang Ma, Xiulan Huang, Gaoqiong Fan, Hongkun Yang
Summary: Straw mulching combined with phosphorus fertilization has significant effects on wheat grain yield, particularly through increasing grain number per spike. Straw mulching increases fertile spikes and grain yield, and phosphorus fertilization further enhances these effects. Additionally, straw mulching and phosphorus fertilization improve the photosynthetic properties of flag leaves, leading to increased carbohydrate production.
Article
Agronomy
Hongkun Yang, Renhua Chen, Yufeng Chen, Han Li, Ting Wei, Wei Xie, Gaoqiong Fan
Summary: Developing wheat with higher phosphorus acquisition and utilization efficiency can increase grain yield and reduce environmental impacts. This study identified genetic variations in phosphorus efficiency traits of wheat cultivars under phosphorus-deficient conditions, showing that a topsoil foraging strategy is more economical for increasing phosphorus uptake.
Article
Agronomy
Hongkun Yang, Yun Xiao, Peng He, Dailong Ai, Qiaosheng Zou, Jian Hu, Qiong Liu, Xiulan Huang, Ting Zheng, Gaoqiong Fan
Summary: Straw mulch-based no-tillage (SMNT) has a positive effect on wheat tillering, increasing yield by activating rapid drought response and improving tillering through root nitrogen uptake, nitrogen remobilization, and asymmetric competition between main stem and tillers.