Functional analysis of the CP12 gene family in Arabidopsis

The chloroplast protein CP12 is present in almost all photosynthetic organisms. This protein has been shown to regulate the activity of two enzymes of the Calvin-Benson cycle, namely glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and phosphoribulokinase (PRK). The regulation of these enzymes is achieved by the reversible formation of this multiprotein complex in response to a change in light intensity. In Arabidopsis, there are three CP12 genes, CP12-1, CP12-2 and CP12-3. Expression analysis of these genes suggested that they may have a wider role in non-photosynthetic plastids through the plants’ life cycle and that their function may not be restricted to the Calvin-Benson cycle. The main aim of this study was to determine the functional significance of having three CP12 isoforms and to explore the importance of each individual isoform in vivo. This was done by using Arabidopsis thaliana T-DNA mutant and RNAi transgenic lines with a reduced level of CP12. Our results revealed that single mutant lines did not develop a severe growth phenotype. However, a reduction in the transcript of more than one CP12 gene, in a number of multiple lines, led to a significant reduction in photosynthetic capacity at early stages of development and a severe growth phenotype, including reduced fresh and dry weight, number of leaves and seed yield, as well as affected lateral roots formation. Complementation analysis of CP12-1 in the triple mutant revealed that two out of the three lines rescued the phenotype by showing normal growth and development, confirming the importance of CP12. Our results suggest that the CP12 protein family is essential for normal growth and development and that these proteins are likely to have additional functions apart from the regulation of Calvin-Benson cycle enzymes

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Assessment of intra- and inter-genetic diversity in tetraploid and hexaploid wheat genotypes based on omega, gamma and alpha-gliadin profiles

Durum and bread wheat are well adapted to the Mediterranean Basin. Twenty-three genotypes of each species were grown to evaluate the intra- and inter-genetic diversity based on omega (ω), gamma (γ ) and alpha (α)-gliadin profiles. To achieve this purpose, the endosperm storage proteins (both gliadins and glutenins) were extracted from wheat grains and electrophoresed on sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)–polyacrylamide gels. The results of SDS-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed nine polymorphic loci out of 16 loci with durum wheat genotypes and nine polymorphic loci out of 18 loci with bead wheat genotypes. The polymorphisms revealed by the SDS-PAGE were 56% and 50% in durum and bread wheat genotypes, respectively. Using the cluster analysis, the durum wheat genotypes were clustered into five groups, while the bread wheat genotypes were grouped into six clusters using un-weighed pair group mean analyses based on ω, γ , and α-gliadins profiles. The 46 durum and bread wheat genotypes were grouped into seven clusters based on the combined ω, γ , and α-gliadins profiles revealed by the SDS-PAGE. The in silico analysis determined the intra-genetic diversity between bread and durum wheat based on the sequences of ω, γ , and α-gliadins. The alignment of ω-gliadin revealed the highest polymorphism (52.1%) between bread and durum wheat, meanwhile, the alignment of γ and αgliadins revealed very low polymorphism 6.6% and 15.4%, respectively. According to computational studies, all gliadins contain a lot of glutamine and proline residues. The analysis revealed that the bread wheat possessed ω and γ -gliadins with a lower content of proline and a higher content of glutamine than durum wheat. In contrast, durum wheat possessed α-gliadin with a lower content of proline and a higher content of glutamine than bread wheat. In conclusion, the SDS-PAGE, in silico and computational analyses are effective tools to determine the intra- and inter-genetic diversity in tetraploid and hexaploid wheat genotypes based on ω, γ , and α-gliadins profiles.Peer reviewe