Light regulation of metabolic pathways in fungi

Light represents a major carrier of information in nature. The molecular machineries translating its electromagnetic energy (photons) into the chemical language of cells transmit vital signals for adjustment of virtually every living organism to its habitat. Fungi react to illumination in various ways, and we found that they initiate considerable adaptations in their metabolic pathways upon growth in light or after perception of a light pulse. Alterations in response to light have predominantly been observed in carotenoid metabolism, polysaccharide and carbohydrate metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, nucleotide and nucleoside metabolism, and in regulation of production of secondary metabolites. Transcription of genes is initiated within minutes, abundance and activity of metabolic enzymes are adjusted, and subsequently, levels of metabolites are altered to cope with the harmful effects of light or to prepare for reproduction, which is dependent on light in many cases. This review aims to give an overview on metabolic pathways impacted by light and to illustrate the physiological significance of light for fungi. We provide a basis for assessment whether a given metabolic pathway might be subject to regulation by light and how these properties can be exploited for improvement of biotechnological processes

Methods for Seafood Authenticity Testing in Europe

56 pages, 5 figuresSeafood authenticity is a key parameter for seafood quality, particularly in Europe where regulations provide a strict framework for seafood labeling. A wide variety of methods are commonly used in control laboratories (private or public) to identify seafood species, but emergent approaches for the development of new and fast DNA- and protein-based methods for species differentiation are also considered. To address the challenges in controlling further labeling requirements in the latest European legislation on seafood product traceability and labeling (Regulation (EU) 1379/2013), a review of the development of methods to identify fishing areas and to distinguish between wild and farmed fish, as well as an overview of the advanced methods that could be used for differentiation of fresh and frozen-thawed fish, is given. These methods will become increasingly important in the near future as the risk-based control of food authenticity is prescribed by the new EU control regulation (Regulation (EU) 2017/625)N