Ambientes obesogénicos nos alunos do ensino secundário: sensibilização da Educação Física

Resumen: Introducción: los actuales modelos ecológicos introducen el entorno como una variable influyente e interrelacionada con el comportamiento. Este paradigma sugiere que la evolución de los entornos hacia ambientes cada vez más obesogénicos son la principal causa del fuerte incremento de la obesidad. Objetivos: esta investigación se planteó estudiar los entornos relacionados con la actividad física (AF) y el sedentarismo en el hogar, en un grupo de adolescentes de tercero de la ESO. Métodos: esta investigación se enmarca dentro del proyecto HEYYOU (Healthy Environment, Healthy Youth). 45 alumnos/as (10 chicos y 35 chicas) rellenaron de forma voluntaria un cuestionario diseñado al efecto. Con anterioridad se aplicó un estudio. Resultados y discusión: como factores asociados significativamente a una mayor AF encontramos las variables de pasear al perro y el apoyo de los padres para la práctica de AF. En el polo del entorno sedentario, el hecho de disponer de videoconsola en la propia habitación se asocia significativamente con un mayor tiempo de juego a la misma. Esta investigación destaca la importancia de actuar desde el área de la Educación Física, mediante micro-intervenciones divulgativas como la llevada a cabo, para reflexionar y hacer partícipe al propio alumnado como agente activo para mejorar su entorno asociado a la salud. Conclusiones: los resultados concluyen que el grupo participante se encuentra más cercano a un entorno leptogénico moderado que a los entornos obesogénicos.Abstract: Introduction: the environment is considered by the current ecological models as an influential and behavior-related variable. This paradigm suggest that the evolution of the environments towards obesogenic settings is the main cause of the increase in obesity. Aim: the aim of this research was to study the home environments related to physical activity (PA) and sedentary habits in a group of 3rd year secondary school adolescents. Methods: this research is part of the HEYYOU project (Healthy Environment, Healthy Youth). 45 students (10 boys and 35 girls) volunteered to complete an ad-hoc questionnaire. Previously, a pilot study was performed. Results y discussion: factors associated with a higher PA were walking the dog, and the parents support for PA practice. On the side of the sedentary lifestyle, having a game console in the child´s own bedroom is significantly associated with a highest videogame playing time. This research highlights the importance of acting from Physical Education, by means of educational micro-interventions, as the one which has been carried out, to promote the students´ involvement and reflection as active agents to improve their health-related environment. Conclusions: The results show the sample is closer to a moderate leptogenic environment than to an obesogenic environment.Resumo: Introdução: Os atuais modelos ecológicos introduzem o ambiente como uma variável influente e inter-relacionada ao comportamento. Esse paradigma sugere que a evolução dos ambientes em direção a ambientes cada vez mais obesogênicos são a principal causa do forte aumento da obesidade. Objectivos: Esta pesquisa buscou estudar os ambientes relacionados à atividade física (AF) e sedentarismo em casa, em um grupo de adolescentes do primeiro do escola secundária. Métodos: Esta pesquisa faz parte do projeto HEYYOU (Healthy Environment, Healthy Youth). 45 estudantes (10 meninos e 35 meninas) preencheram voluntariamente um questionário elaborado para esse fim. Um estudo piloto foi feito anteriormente. Resultados e discussão: Como fatores significativamente associados à AF mais alta, encontramos as variáveis passear com o cachorro e apoio dos pais para a prática da AF, respectivamente. No pólo do ambiente sedentário, o fato de ter um console de videogame na própria sala está significativamente associado a um tempo de jogo mais longo. Esta pesquisa destaca a importância de atuar na área de Educação Física, por meio de microintervenções informativas como a realizada, para refletir e envolver os próprios alunos como agentes ativos para melhorar seu ambiente associado à saúde. Conclusões: os resultados concluem que o grupo participante está mais próximo de um ambiente leptogênico moderado do que de ambientes obesogênicos

Bionemo: molecular information on biodegradation metabolism

Bionemo (http://bionemo.bioinfo.cnio.es) stores manually curated information about proteins and genes directly implicated in the Biodegradation metabolism. When possible, the database includes information on sequence, domains and structures for proteins; and sequence, regulatory elements and transcription units for genes. Thus, Bionemo is a unique resource that complements other biodegradation databases such as the University of Minessota Biocatalysis/Biodegradation Database, or Metarouter, which focus more on the biochemical aspects of biodegradation than in the nature of the biomolecules carrying out the reactions. Bionemo has been built by manually associating sequences database entries to biodegradation reactions, using the information extracted from published articles. Information on transcription units and their regulation was also extracted from the literature for biodegradation genes, and linked to the underlying biochemical network. In its current version, Bionemo contains sequence information for 324 reactions and transcription regulation information for more than 100 promoters and 100 transcription factors. The information in the Bionemo database is available via a web server and the full database is also downloadable as a PostgresSQL dump. To facilitate the programmatic use of the information contained in the database, an object-oriented Perl API is also provided

The targeted overexpression of SlCDF4 in the fruit enhances tomato size and yield involving gibberellin signalling

[EN] Tomato is one of the most widely cultivated vegetable crops and a model for studying fruit biology. Although several genes involved in the traits of fruit quality, development and size have been identified, little is known about the regulatory genes controlling its growth. In this study, we characterized the role of the tomato SlCDF4 gene in fruit development, a cycling DOF-type transcription factor highly expressed in fruits. The targeted overexpression of SlCDF4 gene in the fruit induced an increased yield based on a higher amount of both water and dry matter accumulated in the fruits. Accordingly, transcript levels of genes involved in water transport and cell division and expansion during the fruit enlargement phase also increased. Furthermore, the larger amount of biomass partitioned to the fruit relied on the greater sink strength of the fruits induced by the increased activity of sucrose-metabolising enzymes. Additionally, our results suggest a positive role of SlCDF4 in the gibberellin-signalling pathway through the modulation of GA(4) biosynthesis. Finally, the overexpression of SlCDF4 also promoted changes in the profile of carbon and nitrogen compounds related to fruit quality. Overall, our results unveil SlCDF4 as a new key factor controlling tomato size and composition.Renau-Morata, B.; Carrillo, L.; Cebolla Cornejo, J.; Molina Romero, RV.; Martí-Renau, R.; Domínguez-Figueroa, J.; Vicente-Carbajosa, J.... (2020). The targeted overexpression of SlCDF4 in the fruit enhances tomato size and yield involving gibberellin signalling. Scientific Reports. 10(1):1-14. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-67537-x1141011FAO. Crops production database. FAOSTAT. Latest update: 04/03/2020. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Rome https://www.fao.org/faostat (2018).Willcox, J. K., Catignani, G. L. & Lazarus, S. Tomatoes and cardiovascular health. Crit. Rev. Food Sci. 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The Arabidopsis Transcription Factor CDF3 Is Involved in Nitrogen Responses and Improves Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Tomato

Nitrate is an essential macronutrient and a signal molecule that regulates the expression of multiple genes involved in plant growth and development. Here, we describe the participation of Arabidopsis DNA binding with one finger (DOF) transcription factor CDF3 in nitrate responses and shows that CDF3 gene is induced under nitrate starvation. Moreover, knockout cdf3 mutant plants exhibit nitrate-dependent lateral and primary root modifications, whereas CDF3 overexpression plants show increased biomass and enhanced root development under both nitrogen poor and rich conditions. Expression analyses of 35S::CDF3 lines reveled that CDF3 regulates the expression of an important set of nitrate responsive genes including, glutamine synthetase-1, glutamate synthase-2, nitrate reductase-1, and nitrate transporters NRT2.1, NRT2.4, and NRT2.5 as well as carbon assimilation genes like PK1 and PEPC1 in response to N availability. Consistently, metabolite profiling disclosed that the total amount of key N metabolites like glutamate, glutamine, and asparagine were higher in CDF3-overexpressing plants, but lower in cdf3-1 in N limiting conditions. Moreover, overexpression of CDF3 in tomato increased N accumulation and yield efficiency under both optimum and limiting N supply. These results highlight CDF3 as an important regulatory factor for the nitrate response, and its potential for improving N use efficiency in crops

Multifaceted role of cycling DOF factor 3 (CDF3) in the regulation of flowering time and abiotic stress responses in Arabidopsis

[EN] DNA-binding with one finger (DOF)-type transcription factors are involved in many fundamental processes in higher plants, from responses to light and phytohormones to flowering time and seed maturation, but their relation with abiotic stress tolerance is largely unknown. Here, we identify the roles of CDF3, an Arabidopsis DOF gene in abiotic stress responses and developmental processes like flowering time. CDF3 is highly induced by drought, extreme temperatures and abscisic acid treatment. The CDF3 T-DNA insertion mutant cdf3-1 is much more sensitive to drought and low temperature stress, whereas CDF3 overexpression enhances the tolerance of transgenic plants to drought, cold and osmotic stress and promotes late flowering. Transcriptome analysis revealed that CDF3 regulates a set of genes involved in cellular osmoprotection and oxidative stress, including the stress tolerance transcription factors CBFs, DREB2A and ZAT12, which involve both gigantea-dependent and independent pathways. Consistently, metabolite profiling disclosed that the total amount of some protective metabolites including -aminobutyric acid, proline, glutamine and sucrose were higher in CDF3-overexpressing plants. Taken together, these results indicate that CDF3 plays a multifaceted role acting on both flowering time and abiotic stress tolerance, in part by controlling the CBF/DREB2A-CRT/DRE and ZAT10/12 modules.We thank Dr Pablo Gonzalez-Melendi and Dr Jan Zouhar for technical handling of the confocal microscope and Dr Rafael Catala for the assistance with the low temperature stress assays. This work was supported by grants from Instituto Nacional de Investigacion y Tecnologia Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA; projects 2009-0004-C01, 2012-0008-C01), Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (projects BIO2010-1487, BFU2013-49665-EXP). A.R.C. and J.D.F. were supported by INIA pre-doctoral fellowshipsCorrales, AR.; Carrillo, L.; Lasierra, P.; Nebauer, SG.; Dominguez-Figueroa, J.; Renau-Morata, B.; Pollmann, S.... (2017). Multifaceted role of cycling DOF factor 3 (CDF3) in the regulation of flowering time and abiotic stress responses in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell & Environment. 40(5):748-764. https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.12894S748764405Achard, P., Gong, F., Cheminant, S., Alioua, M., Hedden, P., & Genschik, P. (2008). The Cold-Inducible CBF1 Factor–Dependent Signaling Pathway Modulates the Accumulation of the Growth-Repressing DELLA Proteins via Its Effect on Gibberellin Metabolism. The Plant Cell, 20(8), 2117-2129. doi:10.1105/tpc.108.058941Ahuja, I., de Vos, R. C. H., Bones, A. 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Ectopic expression of the AtCDF1 transcription factor in potato enhances tuber starch and amino acid contents and yield under open field conditions

Introduction Cycling Dof transcription factors (CDFs) have been involved in different aspects of plant growth and development. In Arabidopsis and tomato, one member of this family (CDF1) has recently been associated with the regulation of primary metabolism and abiotic stress responses, but their roles in crop production under open field conditions remain unknown. Methods In this study, we compared the growth, and tuber yield and composition of plants ectopically expressing the CDF1 gene from Arabidopsis under the control of the 35S promoter with wild-type (WT) potato plants cultured in growth chamber and open field conditions. Results In growth chambers, the 35S::AtCDF1 plants showed a greater tuber yield than the WT by increasing the biomass partition for tuber development. Under field conditions, the ectopic expression of CDF1 also promoted the sink strength of the tubers, since 35S::AtCDF1 plants exhibited significant increases in tuber size and weight resulting in higher tuber yield. A metabolomic analysis revealed that tubers of 35S::AtCDF1 plants cultured under open field conditions accumulated higher levels of glucose, starch and amino acids than WT tubers. A comparative proteomic analysis of tubers of 35S::AtCDF1 and WT plants cultured under open field conditions revealed that these changes can be accounted for changes in the expression of proteins involved in energy production and different aspects of C and N metabolism. Discussion The results from this study advance our collective understanding of the role of CDFs and are of great interest for the purposes of improving the yield and breeding of crop plants

Estrategias de comunicación y educación ambiental para la gestión de riesgos naturales en el piedemonte mendocino

En el marco de las dinámicas urbanas contemporáneas presentes en las ciudades de América Latina, los sectores marginales en espacios urbanos asumen un progresivo aislamiento socio espacial y exposición diferencial ante riesgos naturales en relación a otros sectores presentes en el área metropolitana. La presente investigación pretende identificar las características principales asumidas por las dinámicas urbanas presentes en el área de estudio, así como también describir el actual escenario de riesgos geológicos e hidrológicos, con la finalidad de elaborar una propuesta de acción para minimizar los impactos ambientales asociados a la activación de eventos naturales de tipo destructivo a partir de estrategias de mapeo con zonificación y jerarquización de detalle. La Provincia de Mendoza se caracteriza por una gran variedad de geoformas, que determinan la presencia de diversos procesos morfodinámicos. El piedemonte, unidad de enlace entre la región montañosa y la llanura, constituye un espacio de gran fragilidad ambiental, en donde se presentan importantes riesgos naturales, inherentes al sistema pedemontano. La historia de ocupación y uso actual, determina una exposición diferencial ante amenazas naturales en relación a los distintos sectores sociales presentes en el área. Los resultados previstos en esta investigación pretenden dar cuenta de una relación directa entre las dinámicas urbanas contemporáneas y configuración de un escenario caracterizado por la consolidación de fragmentación espacial y exposición diferencial ante riesgos naturales, en donde la intervención de políticas públicas socio-ambientales y dinámica del mercado vinculado al recurso suelo han tenido un protagonismo principal en la construcción de un territorio signado por la desigualdad social y vulnerabilidad ambiental. La implementación de estrategias de comunicación y gestión ambiental se constituyen como herramientas apropiadas para la reducción de posibles impactos negativos derivados de la activación de los procesos naturales destructivos analizados. Se presentan los resultados parciales del proyecto de investigación

The Zea mays mutants opaque-2 and opaque-7 disclose extensive changes in endosperm metabolism as revealed by protein, amino acid, and transcriptome-wide analyses

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The changes in storage reserve accumulation during maize (<it>Zea mays </it>L.) grain maturation are well established. However, the key molecular determinants controlling carbon flux to the grain and the partitioning of carbon to starch and protein are more elusive. The <it>Opaque-2 </it>(<it>O2</it>) gene, one of the best-characterized plant transcription factors, is a good example of the integration of carbohydrate, amino acid and storage protein metabolisms in maize endosperm development. Evidence also indicates that the <it>Opaque-7 </it>(<it>O7</it>) gene plays a role in affecting endosperm metabolism. The focus of this study was to assess the changes induced by the <it>o2 </it>and <it>o7 </it>mutations on maize endosperm metabolism by evaluating protein and amino acid composition and by transcriptome profiling, in order to investigate the functional interplay between these two genes in single and double mutants.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We show that the overall amino acid composition of the mutants analyzed appeared similar. Each mutant had a high Lys and reduced Glx and Leu content with respect to wild type. Gene expression profiling, based on a unigene set composed of 7,250 ESTs, allowed us to identify a series of mutant-related down (17.1%) and up-regulated (3.2%) transcripts. Several differentially expressed ESTs homologous to genes encoding enzymes involved in amino acid synthesis, carbon metabolism (TCA cycle and glycolysis), in storage protein and starch metabolism, in gene transcription and translation processes, in signal transduction, and in protein, fatty acid, and lipid synthesis were identified. Our analyses demonstrate that the mutants investigated are pleiotropic and play a critical role in several endosperm-related metabolic processes. Pleiotropic effects were less evident in the <it>o7 </it>mutant, but severe in the <it>o2 </it>and <it>o2o7 </it>backgrounds, with large changes in gene expression patterns, affecting a broad range of kernel-expressed genes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although, by necessity, this paper is descriptive and more work is required to define gene functions and dissect the complex regulation of gene expression, the genes isolated and characterized to date give us an intriguing insight into the mechanisms underlying endosperm metabolism.</p

Characterization of tomato Cycling Dof Factors reveals conserved and new functions in the control of flowering time and abiotic stress responses

[EN] DNA binding with One Finger (DOF) transcription factors are involved in multiple aspects of plant growth and development but their precise roles in abiotic stress tolerance are largely unknown. Here we report a group of five tomato DOF genes, homologous to Arabidopsis Cycling DOF Factors (CDFs), that function as transcriptional regulators involved in responses to drought and salt stress and flowering-time control in a gene-specific manner. SlCDF15 are nuclear proteins that display specific binding with different affinities to canonical DNA target sequences and present diverse transcriptional activation capacities in vivo. SlCDF15 genes exhibited distinct diurnal expression patterns and were differentially induced in response to osmotic, salt, heat, and low-temperature stresses. Arabidopsis plants overexpressing SlCDF1 or SlCDF3 showed increased drought and salt tolerance. In addition, the expression of various stress-responsive genes, such as COR15, RD29A, and RD10, were differentially activated in the overexpressing lines. Interestingly, overexpression in Arabidopsis of SlCDF3 but not SlCDF1 promotes late flowering through modulation of the expression of flowering control genes such as CO and FT. Overall, our data connect SlCDFs to undescribed functions related to abiotic stress tolerance and flowering time through the regulation of specific target genes and an increase in particular metabolites.This work was supported by grants from Instituto Nacional de Investigacion y Tecnologia Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA; project numbers: 2009-0004-C01, 2012-0008-C01), the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (project number: BIO2010-14871), and the MERIT Project (FP7 ITN2010-264474). ARC was supported by a pre-doctoral fellowship from the INIA. The authors would like to thank Mar Gonzalez and Victor Carrasco for technical assistance and Dr Pablo Gonzalez-Melendi for technical handling of the confocal microscope. We also thank Eugenio Grau for technical assistance with RT-PCR analyses.Corrales, A.; González Nebauer, S.; Carrillo, L.; Fernández Nohales, P.; Marques Signes, J.; Renau Morata, B.; Granell, A.... (2014). Characterization of tomato Cycling Dof Factors reveals conserved and new functions in the control of flowering time and abiotic stress responses. Journal of Experimental Botany. 65(4):995-1012. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/ert451S9951012654AbuQamar, S., Luo, H., Laluk, K., Mickelbart, M. V., & Mengiste, T. (2009). Crosstalk between biotic and abiotic stress responses in tomato is mediated by theAIM1transcription factor. The Plant Journal, 58(2), 347-360. doi:10.1111/j.1365-313x.2008.03783.xAlonso, R., Oñate-Sánchez, L., Weltmeier, F., Ehlert, A., Diaz, I., Dietrich, K., … Dröge-Laser, W. (2009). 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Three endo-β-mannanase genes expressed in the micropylar endosperm and in the radicle influence germination of Arabidopsis thaliana seeds

Mannans are hemicellulosic polysaccharides in the plant primary cell wall (CW). Mature seeds, specially their endosperm cells, have CWs rich in mannan-based polymers that confer a strong mechanical resistance for the radicle protrusion upon germination. The rupture of the seed coat and endosperm are two sequential events during the germination of Arabidopsis thaliana. Endo-β-mannanases (MAN; EC. 3.2.1.78) are hydrolytic enzymes that catalyze cleavage of β1 → 4 bonds in the mannan-polymer. In the genome of Arabidopsis, the endo-β-mannanase (MAN) family is represented by eight members. The expression of these eight MAN genes has been systematically explored in different organs of this plant and only four of them (AtMAN7, AtMAN6, AtMAN2 and AtMAN5) are expressed in the germinating seeds. Moreover, in situ hybridization analysis shows that their transcript accumulation is restricted to the micropylar endosperm and to the radicle and this expression disappears soon after radicle emergence. T-DNA insertion mutants in these genes (K.O. MAN7, K.O. MAN6, K.O. MAN5), except that corresponding to AtMAN2 (K.O. MAN2), germinate later than the wild type (Wt). K.O. MAN6 is the most affected in the germination time course with a t 50 almost double than that of the Wt. These data suggest that AtMAN7, AtMAN5 and specially AtMAN6 are important for the germination of A. thaliana seeds by facilitating the hydrolysis of the mannan-rich endosperm cell walls