Advances in Tomato and Tomato Compounds Research and Technology

Tomato is the fruit of Solanum lycopersicum L., a Solanaceae crop of worldwide economic importance. Today, there are a large number of tomato cultivars and local varieties with different morphological and sensory characteristics, as well as a wide range of tomato-based foods. These are great dietary sources of micronutrients and bioactive compounds, such as lycopene, vitamins, minerals, and phenolic compounds, which have been linked to many health-promoting effects (1). Several pre- and postharvest efforts have been made to improve the quality of tomato fruit and derived food products, as both tomato production and processing are being carried out under more sustainable and innovative practices. This Research Topic features 12 papers covering relevant subjects, including the production and processing of tomatoes and tomato-based foods and ingredients, as well as the bioaccessibility and health-promoting effects of tomato bioactive compounds. Traditional varieties represent an important component of agricultural biodiversity and play a vital role in the sustainability and security of the agri-food system (2). In this sense, Raigón et al. characterized morphological, nutritional, and chemical characteristics of twoMalacara tomato cultivars (with red and yellow fruits) grown under organic farming conditions. This type of cultivars (“Cuelga”) originates from Sierra de Cádiz, Spain, is cultivated and harvested during the summer and tomato trusses are hung from beams in the farmhouses for consumption during the winter; hence the name “Cuelga” which stands for hanging. Themain differences among these small, pallid tomatoes were mainly related to morphological parameters, but also to fiber, minerals (Fe, Mg, Ca), and lycopene contents. 2-Phenylethanol was detected in both Malacara cultivars, and the low concentration of aldehydes in this varietal type could be related to its long shelf-life.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC) to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020 and UIDP/00690/2020) and SusTEC (LA/P/0007/2021) and to FCT for the contracts of JP (CEECIND/01011/2018) and LB (CEEC Institutional).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Protein modification and maintenance systems as biomarkers of ageing

Changes in the abundance and post-translational modification of proteins and accumulation of some covalently modified proteins have been proposed to represent hallmarks of biological ageing. Within the frame of the Mark-Age project, the workpackage dedicated to "markers based on proteins and their modifications" has been firstly focused on enzymatic and non-enzymatic post-translational modifications of serum proteins by carbohydrates. The second focus of the workpackage has been directed towards protein maintenance systems that are involved either in protein quality control (ApoJ/Clusterin) or in the removal of oxidatively damaged proteins through degradation and repair (proteasome and methionine sulfoxide reductase systems). This review describes the most relevant features of these protein modifications and maintenance systems, their fate during ageing and/or their implication in ageing and longevity

Role of glyoxalases system in skin aging and in response to dicarbonyl mediated stress

International audienceno abstrac

Autism and measles, mumps and rubella vaccine: no epidemiological evidence for a causal association

Background: We undertook an epidemiological study to investigate whether measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine may be causally associated with autism. Methods: Children with autism born since 1979 were identified from special needs/disability registers and special schools in eight North Thames health districts, UK. Information from clinical records was linked to immunisation data held on the child health computing system. We looked for evidence of a change in trend in incidence or age at diagnosis associated with the introduction of MMR vaccination to the UK in 1988. Clustering of onsets within defined postvaccination periods was investigated by the case-series method. Findings: We identified 498 cases of autism (261 of core autism, 166 of atypical autism, and 71 of Asperger's syndrome). In 293 cases the diagnosis could be confirmed by the criteria of the International Classification of Diseases, tenth revision (ICD10: 214 [82%] core autism, 52 [31%] atypical autism, 27 [38%] Asperger's syndrome). There was a steady increase in cases by year of birth with no sudden "step-up" or change in the trend line after the introduction of MMR vaccination. There was no difference in age at diagnosis between the cases vaccinated before or after 18 months of age and those never vaccinated. There was no temporal association between onset of autism within 1 or 2 years after vaccination with MMR (relative incidence compared with control period 0.94 [95% CI 0.60-1.47] and 1.09 [0.79-1.52]). Developmental regression was not clustered in the months after vaccination (relative incidence within 2 months and 4 months after MMR vaccination 0.92 [0.38-2.21] and 1.00 [0.52-1.95]). No significant temporal clustering for age at onset of parental concern was seen for cases of core autism or atypical autism with the exception of a single interval within 6 months of MMR vaccination. This appeared to be an artifact related to the difficulty of defining precisely the onset of symptoms in this disorder. Interpretation: Our analyses do not support a causal association between MMR vaccine and autism. If such an association occurs, it is so rare that it could not be identified in this large regional sampl

Role of Oxidized Protein Repair in Human Skeletal Muscle

International audienceno abstrac

Circadian modulation of proteasome activity and accumulation of oxidized protein in human embryonic kidney HEK 293 cells and primary dermal fibroblasts

International audienceThe circadian system orchestrates the timing of physiological processes of an organism living in daily environmental changes. Disruption of circadian rhythmicity has been shown to result in increased oxidative stress and accelerated aging. The circadian regulation of antioxidant defenses suggests that other redox homeostasis elements such as oxidized protein degradation by the proteasome, could also be modulated by the circadian clock. Hence, we have investigated whether proteasome activities and oxidized protein levels would exhibit circadian rhythmicity in synchronized cultured mammalian cells and addressed the mechanisms underlying this process. Using synchronized human embryonic kidney HEK 293 cells and primary dermal fibroblasts, we have shown that the levels of carbonylated protein and proteasome activity vary rhythmically following a 24 hours period. Such a modulation of proteasome activity is explained, at least in part, by the circadian expression of both Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) and the proteasome activator PA28αβ. HEK 293 cells showed an increased susceptibility to oxidative stress coincident with the circadian-dependent lower activity of the proteasome. Finally, in contrast to young fibroblasts, no circadian modulation of the proteasome activity and carbonylated protein levels was evidenced in senescent fibroblasts. This paper reports a novel role of the circadian system for regulating proteasome function. In addition, the observation that proteasome activity is modulated by the circadian clock opens new avenues for both the cancer and the aging fields, as exemplified by the rhythmic resistance of immortalized cells to oxidative stress and loss of rhythmicity of proteasome activity in senescent fibroblasts

The glyoxalase enzymes are differentially localized in epidermis and regulated during ageing and photoageing

International audienceno abstrac