Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Kunkun Tu, Simon Buechele, Sharon Mitchell, Laura Stricker, Chun Liu, Christian Goldhahn, Julien Allaz, Yong Ding, Roman Guenther, Zhidong Zhang, Jianguo Sun, Sandro Stucki, Guido Panzarasa, Samuel C. Zeeman, Ingo Burgert, Javier Perez-Ramirez, Tobias Keplinger
Summary: The development of flow-through wood-based catalytic microreactors enables continuous and controllable hydrogen production. These structured catalysts exhibit highly adjustable hydrogen productivity and scalability, making them suitable for catalytic reactions and applications in the energy-water nexus.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Laure C. David, Sang-Kyu Lee, Eduard Bruderer, Melanie R. Abt, Michaela Fischer-Stettler, Marie-Aude Tschopp, Erik M. Solhaug, Katarzyna Sanchez, Samuel C. Zeeman
Summary: Beta-amylases (BAMs) play a crucial role in transitory starch degradation in chloroplasts, regulating the availability of photosynthetically fixed carbon over the diel cycle in plants. The characterization of BETA-AMYLASE 9 (BAM9) in Arabidopsis revealed its conservation in plants and unique regulation of starch breakdown compared to BAM4. BAM9 activates starch degradation and responds to environmental changes, making it a valuable gene target for managing carbohydrate availability in fluctuating conditions.
Article
Plant Sciences
Sidratul Nur Muntaha, Xiaoping Li, Julia Compart, Ardha Apriyanto, Joerg Fettke
Summary: The Arabidopsis double mutant lacking DPE2 and PHS1 shows a dwarf-growth phenotype, uneven starch distribution, and reduced starch granule number. In contrast, the triple mutant with an additional lack of GWD exhibits improved growth, starch-excess phenotype, and homogeneous starch distribution. Ongoing starch degradation is found to be the main cause of the observed double mutant phenotype.
PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Aakanksha Singh, Julia Compart, Shadha Abduljaleel AL-Rawi, Harendra Mahto, Abubakar Musa Ahmad, Joerg Fettke
Summary: The non-catalytic starch-binding proteins LESV and ESV1 play a crucial role in starch metabolism, affecting phosphorylation, hydrolysis and synthesis processes. They also induce stable alterations in the glucan structures at the surface of starch granules.
Article
Plant Sciences
Olivier Michaud, Johanna Krahmer, Florian Galbier, Maud Lagier, Vinicius Costa Galvao, Yetkin Caka Ince, Martine Trevisan, Jana Knerova, Patrick Dickinson, Julian M. Hibberd, Samuel C. Zeeman, Christian Fankhauser
Summary: Leaves of shade-avoiding plants change their growth pattern and position in response to low red to far-red ratios encountered in dense plant communities. Transcription factors of the phytochrome-interacting factor (PIF) family induce auxin production, promoting leaf hyponasty. Abscisic acid (ABA) has been implicated in controlling leaf hyponasty, with LRFR regulating ABA response. This article's importance rating: 8 out of 10.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Mercedes Thieme, Anton Hochmuth, Theresa Elisabeth Ilse, Jose A. Cuesta-Seijo, Szymon Stoma, Roger Meier, Simon Flyvbjerg Norrelykke, Pai Rosager Pedas, Ilka Braumann, Samuel C. Zeeman
Summary: Starch forms water-insoluble granules with semi-crystalline structures, and their size and morphology vary depending on the biological source. However, there is a lack of screening methods to identify differences in starch granule size and shape. This study presents two high-throughput approaches using flow cytometry and automated light microscopy for starch granule extraction and size determination. The effectiveness of these methods was demonstrated by screening over 10,000 barley lines and identifying heritable changes in granule ratios. The findings suggest that these approaches can be used to identify genes controlling starch traits and improve starch processing.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Slawomir Orzechowski, Julia Compart, Edyta Zdunek-Zastocka, Joerg Fettke
Summary: Climate change can negatively impact starch granule properties due to both long-term and short-term temperature stresses, highlighting the importance of comprehensive research in this area.
JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Junio Flores-Castellanos, Joerg Fettke
Summary: This study found that potato tubers can immediately take up externally supplied glucose-1-phosphate and convert it into maltodextrins. The plastidial glucan phosphorylase is responsible for producing longer maltooligosaccharides in the presence of glucose-1-phosphate. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the role of the plastidial phosphorylase in starch metabolism.
PLANT AND CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gabriel Deslandes-Herold, Martina Zanella, Erik Solhaug, Michaela Fischer-Stettler, Mayank Sharma, Leo Buergy, Cornelia Herrfurth, Maite Colinas, Ivo Feussner, Melanie R. Abt, Samuel C. Zeeman
Summary: The PRK/Rubisco shunt enhances the carbon efficiency of storage lipid biosynthesis in green Brassicaceae seeds. This pathway utilizes metabolites generated by the nonoxidative steps of the pentose phosphate pathway to recycle CO2 molecules released during fatty acid synthesis. Loss of PRK affects seed glycolysis, starch metabolism, and photosynthesis.
Article
Plant Sciences
Hongfei Li, Kilian Duijts, Carlo Pasini, Joyce E. van Santen, Jasper Lamers, Thijs de Zeeuw, Francel Verstappen, Nan Wang, Samuel C. Zeeman, Diana Santelia, Yanxia Zhang, Christa Testerink
Summary: Acclimation of root growth is crucial for plants to survive salt stress. The halophyte Schrenkiella parvula exhibits better root growth response and physiological adjustments under salt stress compared to Arabidopsis thaliana, which provides insights into potential strategies for improving salt tolerance in plants. Transcriptomic analysis revealed the induction of sugar transporters and genes regulating cell expansion and suberization in S. parvula roots under salt stress.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jeremy P. H. Wong, Michaela Fischer- Stettler, Samuel C. Zeeman, Tom J. Battin, Alexandre Persat, Terence Hwa
Summary: Bacterial gut commensals are affected by the complex mucosal environment, and the role of mechanics, including fluid flow, in shaping microbial communities is not well understood. This study demonstrates that fluid flow influences the spatial organization and composition of gut biofilm communities by affecting species interactions and metabolic processes. In particular, the transport of a metabolic by-product, dextran, promotes the formation of biofilms composed of Bacteroides fragilis downstream from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. Strong flows, however, can limit the formation of B. fragilis biofilms by reducing the concentration of this public good. These findings suggest that physical factors like flow may play a role in shaping intestinal microbial communities and potentially impacting host health.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Omonike O. Ogbole, Olufunke D. Akin-Ajani, Tolulope O. Ajala, Queeneth A. Ogunniyi, Joerg Fettke, Oluwatoyin A. Odeku
Summary: This article provides a comprehensive review of underutilized legumes in the sub-family Faboidea and highlights their untapped potential in terms of nutritional and pharmacological activities. The phytoconstituents from these plants could serve as lead compounds for drug discovery for various disorders.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Junio Flores Castellanos, Arsalan Khan, Joerg Fettke
Summary: Proteomic approaches have revealed the interaction between potato starch granules and various proteins, most of which are involved in starch metabolism. The study also found that GWD and PWD, two dikinases associated with starch degradation, play an important role in storage starch synthesis. Additionally, there were differences in the starch-interacting protein profiles of transgenic and wild type tubers under different storage temperatures, indicating differential expression in response to environmental changes.
Review
Polymer Science
Julia Compart, Aakanksha Singh, Joerg Fettke, Ardha Apriyanto
Summary: Starch is a convenient and economically important polymer in the food and processing industry. However, native starches have limited applications for industrial usage. Therefore, starch modification is carried out to enhance positive characteristics and eliminate limitations. This review summarizes possible starch modifications and their corresponding applications, both within and outside the plant system (physical, chemical, and enzymatic). Furthermore, it highlights the implications of adjusting different starch properties.
Article
Plant Sciences
Hirofumi Ishihara, Saleh Alseekh, Regina Feil, Pumi Perera, Gavin M. George, Piotr Niedzwiecki, Stephanie Arrivault, Samuel C. Zeeman, Alisdair R. Fernie, John E. Lunn, Alison M. Smith, Mark Stitt
Summary: The degradation of starch in the light is regulated by mechanisms similar to those operating at night. The rate of degradation depends on the time relative to dawn rather than dusk. Trehalose 6-phosphate inhibits degradation in the light. Starch degradation in the light plays an important role in stabilizing carbon availability and signaling, optimizing plant growth in natural light conditions.
