Allelic Variation of Wheat Flour Allergens in a Collection of Wheat Genotypes

Wheat is the most widely grown crop in the world and provides 20% of the daily protein and food calories for 4.5 billion people. Together with rice, it is the most important food crop in the developing world. In the last decades, various symptoms have been recorded across the population due to the consumption of wheat products, also summarized as "wheat allergy." Wheat allergy is usually reported as a food allergy but can also be a contact allergy as a result of exposure to wheat. Several important wheat allergens have been characterized in the last years through biochemical, immunological, and molecular biological techniques. In the present work, the identification of allelic variation of genes involved in wheat allergy was reported. A collection of wheat genotypes was screened in order to identify new alleles. A total of 14 new alleles were identified forprofilin, triosephosphate-isomerase, dehydrin, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate-dehydrogenase,α/βgliadin, GluB3-23,andGlutathione transferaseallergen genes (located on chromosomes 1B, 3B, 6A, and homoelogous groups 5 and 7), potentially related to a minor allergenicity and useful in breeding programs

Allelic Variation of Wheat Flour Allergens in a Collection of Wheat Genotypes

Wheat is the most widely grown crop in the world and provides 20% of the daily protein and food calories for 4.5 billion people. Together with rice, it is the most important food crop in the developing world. In the last decades, various symptoms have been recorded across the population due to the consumption of wheat products, also summarized as “wheat allergy.” Wheat allergy is usually reported as a food allergy but can also be a contact allergy as a result of exposure to wheat. Several important wheat allergens have been characterized in the last years through biochemical, immunological, and molecular biological techniques. In the present work, the identification of allelic variation of genes involved in wheat allergy was reported. A collection of wheat genotypes was screened in order to identify new alleles. A total of 14 new alleles were identified for profilin, triosephosphate-isomerase, dehydrin, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate-dehydrogenase, α/β gliadin, GluB3-23, and Glutathione transferase allergen genes (located on chromosomes 1B, 3B, 6A, and homoelogous groups 5 and 7), potentially related to a minor allergenicity and useful in breeding programs

Local Delivery of Human Tissue Kallikrein Gene Accelerates Spontaneous Angiogenesis in Mouse Model of Hindlimb Ischemia

Background —Human tissue kallikrein (HK) releases kinins from kininogen. We investigated whether adenovirus-mediated HK gene delivery is angiogenic in the context of ischemia. Methods and Results —Hindlimb ischemia, caused by femoral artery excision, increased muscular capillary density ( P 1 receptor gene ( P 1 receptors blunted ischemia-induced angiogenesis ( P 2 receptor antagonism was ineffective. Intramuscular delivery of adenovirus containing the HK gene (Ad.CMV-cHK) enhanced the increase in capillary density caused by ischemia (969±32 versus 541±18 capillaries/mm 2 for control, P P P 1 or B 2 receptors prevented HK-induced angiogenesis. Conclusions —HK gene delivery enhances the native angiogenic response to ischemia. Angiogenesis gene therapy with HK might be applicable to peripheral occlusive vascular disease

Multi-sulfonated ligands on gold nanoparticles as virucidal antiviral for Dengue virus

Dengue virus (DENV) causes 390 million infections per year. Infections can be asymptomatic or range from mild fever to severe haemorrhagic fever and shock syndrome. Currently, no effective antivirals or safe universal vaccine is available. In the present work we tested different gold nanoparticles (AuNP) coated with ligands ω-terminated with sugars bearing multiple sulfonate groups. We aimed to identify compounds with antiviral properties due to irreversible (virucidal) rather than reversible (virustatic) inhibition. The ligands varied in length, in number of sulfonated groups as well as their spatial orientation induced by the sugar head groups. We identified two candidates, a glucose- and a lactose-based ligand showing a low EC50 (effective concentration that inhibit 50% of the viral activity) for DENV-2 inhibition, moderate toxicity and a virucidal effect in hepatocytes with titre reduction of Median Tissue Culture Infectious Dose log10TCID50 2.5 and 3.1. Molecular docking simulations complemented the experimental findings suggesting a molecular rationale behind the binding between sulfonated head groups and DENV-2 envelope protein

Protein Content and Oil Composition of Almond from Moroccan Seedlings: Genetic Diversity, Oil Quality and Geographical Origin

The protein and oil content and the fatty acid profile of the kernels of selected almond genotypes from four different Moroccan regions were determined in order to evaluate the kernel quality of the plant material of these different regions. The ranges of oil content (48.7–64.5 % of kernel DW), oleic (61.8–80.2 % of total oil), linoleic (11.4–27.0 %), palmitic (5.6–7.7 %), stearic (1.3–3.1 %), and palmitoleic (0.4–0.9 %) acid percentages agreed with previous results of other almond genotypes, but the protein content (14.1–35.1 % of kernel DW) showed that some genotypes had higher values than any previously recorded in almond. Some genotypes from mountainous regions showed kernels with very high oil content as well as high and consistent oleic and linoleic ratio, establishing a possible differentiation according to the geographical origin. These differences may allow establishing a geographical denomination for almond products. In terms of genetic diversity, oleic and linoleic acids were confirmed to be the most variable components of almond oil chemical composition among genotypes. Additionally, the genotypes with extreme favorable values, such as high protein content, could be incorporated into an almond breeding program aiming at an increase in kernel quality.Peer ReviewedPrunus amygdalusProtein contentOil contentFatty acidsQualityGenetic resourcesBreedingPublishe

Computerised anthropomorphometric analysis of images: case report.

The personal identification of living subjects through video filmed images can occasionally be necessary, particularly in the following circumstances: (1) the need to identify unknown subjects by comparing two-dimensional images of someone of known identity with the subject. (2) The need to identify subjects taken in photographs or recorded on video camera by using a comparison with individuals of known identity. METHODS AND APPARATUS: The final aim of our research was that of analysing a video clip of a bank robbery and to determine whether one of the subjects was identifiable with one of the suspects. Following the correct methodology for personal identification, the original videotape was first analysed, relating to the robbery carried out in the bank so as to study the characteristics of the criminal action and to pinpoint the best scenes for an antropomorphometrical analysis. The scene of the crime was therefore reconstructed by bringing the suspect back to the bank where the robbery took place, who was then filmed with the same closed circuit video cameras and made to assume positions as close as possible to those of the bank robber to be identified. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Taking frame no. 17, points of comparable similarity were identified on the face and right ear of the perpetrator of the crime and the same points of similarity identified on the face of the suspect: right and left eyebrows, right and left eyes, "glabella", nose, mouth, chin, fold between nose and upper lip, right ear, elix, tragus,"fossetta", "conca" and lobule. After careful comparative morphometric computer analysis, it was concluded that none of the 17 points of similarity showed the same anthropomorphology (points of negative similarity). It is reasonable to sustain that 17 points of negative similarity (or non coincidental points) is sufficient to exclude the identity of the person compared with the other