Dissecting genetic architecture of grape proanthocyanidin composition through quantitative trait locus mapping

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Proanthocyanidins (PAs), or condensed tannins, are flavonoid polymers, widespread throughout the plant kingdom, which provide protection against herbivores while conferring organoleptic and nutritive values to plant-derived foods, such as wine. However, the genetic basis of qualitative and quantitative PA composition variation is still poorly understood. To elucidate the genetic architecture of the complex grape PA composition, we first carried out quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis on a 191-individual pseudo-F1 progeny. Three categories of PA variables were assessed: total content, percentages of constitutive subunits and composite ratio variables. For nine functional candidate genes, among which eight co-located with QTLs, we performed association analyses using a diversity panel of 141 grapevine cultivars in order to identify causal SNPs.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Multiple QTL analysis revealed a total of 103 and 43 QTLs, respectively for seed and skin PA variables. Loci were mainly of additive effect while some loci were primarily of dominant effect. Results also showed a large involvement of pairwise epistatic interactions in shaping PA composition. QTLs for PA variables in skin and seeds differed in number, position, involvement of epistatic interaction and allelic effect, thus revealing different genetic determinisms for grape PA composition in seeds and skin. Association results were consistent with QTL analyses in most cases: four out of nine tested candidate genes (<it>VvLAR1</it>, <it>VvMYBPA2</it>, <it>VvCHI1</it>, <it>VvMYBPA1</it>) showed at least one significant association with PA variables, especially <it>VvLAR1 </it>revealed as of great interest for further functional investigation. Some SNP-phenotype associations were observed only in the diversity panel.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study presents the first QTL analysis on grape berry PA composition with a comparison between skin and seeds, together with an association study. Our results suggest a complex genetic control for PA traits and different genetic architectures for grape PA composition between berry skin and seeds. This work also uncovers novel genomic regions for further investigation in order to increase our knowledge of the genetic basis of PA composition.</p

Nanoparticulate architecture of protein-based artificial viruses is supported by protein DNA interactions

Aim & Methods: We have produced two chimerical peptides of 10.2 kDa, each contain four biologically active domains, which act as building blocks of protein-based nonviral vehicles for gene therapy. In solution, these peptides tend to aggregate as amorphous clusters of more than 1000 nm, while the presence of DNA promotes their architectonic reorganization as mechanically stable nanometric spherical entities of approximately 80 nm that penetrate mammalian cells through arginine–glycine–aspartic acid cell-binding domains and promote significant transgene expression levels. Results & Conclusion: The structural analysis of the protein in these hybrid nanoparticles indicates a molecular conformation with predominance of D-helix and the absence of cross-molecular, E-sheet-supported protein interactions. The nanoscale organizing forces generated by DNA–protein interactions can then be observed as a potentially tunable, critical factor in the design of protein-only based artificial viruses for gene therapy.Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovació

COVID-19 symptoms at hospital admission vary with age and sex: results from the ISARIC prospective multinational observational study

Background: The ISARIC prospective multinational observational study is the largest cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. We present relationships of age, sex, and nationality to presenting symptoms. Methods: International, prospective observational study of 60 109 hospitalized symptomatic patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 recruited from 43 countries between 30 January and 3 August 2020. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate relationships of age and sex to published COVID-19 case definitions and the most commonly reported symptoms. Results: ‘Typical’ symptoms of fever (69%), cough (68%) and shortness of breath (66%) were the most commonly reported. 92% of patients experienced at least one of these. Prevalence of typical symptoms was greatest in 30- to 60-year-olds (respectively 80, 79, 69%; at least one 95%). They were reported less frequently in children (≤ 18 years: 69, 48, 23; 85%), older adults (≥ 70 years: 61, 62, 65; 90%), and women (66, 66, 64; 90%; vs. men 71, 70, 67; 93%, each P &lt; 0.001). The most common atypical presentations under 60 years of age were nausea and vomiting and abdominal pain, and over 60 years was confusion. Regression models showed significant differences in symptoms with sex, age and country. Interpretation: This international collaboration has allowed us to report reliable symptom data from the largest cohort of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Adults over 60 and children admitted to hospital with COVID-19 are less likely to present with typical symptoms. Nausea and vomiting are common atypical presentations under 30 years. Confusion is a frequent atypical presentation of COVID-19 in adults over 60 years. Women are less likely to experience typical symptoms than men

A multi-center peptidomic investigation of simulated gastrointestinal food digestion

International audienceMass spectrometry has become the technique of choice for the simultaneous assessment of a high variety of molecules in complex food matrices. For this reason, it is best suited for precisely monitoring the evolution of digestive processes in vivo and in vitro. However, due to the variety of equipment available in different laboratories as well as settings, statistical evaluations, and interpretations, it is difficult to predict a priori the ideal parametersfor best results. Methods: The present work addressed that gap by executing an inter-laboratory study with samples collected during in vitro digestion and presenting an overview of the state of the art mass spectrometry applications and analytical capabilities available for studying food digestion.Results: Three representative high-protein foods, skim milk powder, chicken breast and tofu, were digested according to the INFOGEST protocol with sample collection at five time points during gastric and intestinal digestion. Nine laboratories analyzed all digesta with their in house equipment, conventional sample treatment procedure, data evaluation methods, and graphical representation tools. Conclusions: The compiled results demonstrate a strong consensus among labs in terms of major protein degradation for the three foods matrices and present suitable methodical andstatistical approaches for representing the analytical results

A multi-center peptidomic investigation of simulated gastrointestinal food digestion

International audienceMass spectrometry has become the technique of choice for the simultaneous assessment of a high variety of molecules in complex food matrices. For this reason, it is best suited for precisely monitoring the evolution of digestive processes in vivo and in vitro. However, due to the variety of equipment available in different laboratories as well as settings, statistical evaluations, and interpretations, it is difficult to predict a priori the ideal parametersfor best results. Methods: The present work addressed that gap by executing an inter-laboratory study with samples collected during in vitro digestion and presenting an overview of the state of the art mass spectrometry applications and analytical capabilities available for studying food digestion.Results: Three representative high-protein foods, skim milk powder, chicken breast and tofu, were digested according to the INFOGEST protocol with sample collection at five time points during gastric and intestinal digestion. Nine laboratories analyzed all digesta with their in house equipment, conventional sample treatment procedure, data evaluation methods, and graphical representation tools. Conclusions: The compiled results demonstrate a strong consensus among labs in terms of major protein degradation for the three foods matrices and present suitable methodical andstatistical approaches for representing the analytical results

A shared perspective on in vitro and in vivo models to assay intestinal transepithelial transport of food compounds

Assessing nutrient bioavailability is complex, as the process involves multiple digestion steps, several cellular environments, and regulatory-metabolic mechanisms. Several in vitro models of different physiological relevance are used to study nutrient absorption, providing significant challenges in data evaluation. However, such in vitro models are needed for mechanistic studies as well as to screen for biological functionality of the food structures designed. This collaborative work aims to put into perspective the wide-range of models to assay the permeability of food compounds considering the particular nature of the different molecules, and, where possible, in vivo data are provided for comparison

A multi-center peptidomic investigation of simulated gastrointestinal food digestion

International audienceMass spectrometry has become the technique of choice for the simultaneous assessment of a high variety of molecules in complex food matrices. For this reason, it is best suited for precisely monitoring the evolution of digestive processes in vivo and in vitro. However, due to the variety of equipment available in different laboratories as well as settings, statistical evaluations, and interpretations, it is difficult to predict a priori the ideal parametersfor best results. Methods: The present work addressed that gap by executing an inter-laboratory study with samples collected during in vitro digestion and presenting an overview of the state of the art mass spectrometry applications and analytical capabilities available for studying food digestion.Results: Three representative high-protein foods, skim milk powder, chicken breast and tofu, were digested according to the INFOGEST protocol with sample collection at five time points during gastric and intestinal digestion. Nine laboratories analyzed all digesta with their in house equipment, conventional sample treatment procedure, data evaluation methods, and graphical representation tools. Conclusions: The compiled results demonstrate a strong consensus among labs in terms of major protein degradation for the three foods matrices and present suitable methodical andstatistical approaches for representing the analytical results

A Shared Perspective on in Vitro and in Vivo Models to Assay Intestinal Transepithelial Transport of Food Compounds

ReviewAssessing nutrient bioavailability is complex, as the process involves multiple digestion steps, several cellular environments, and regulatory-metabolic mechanisms. Several in vitro models of different physiological relevance are used to study nutrient absorption, providing significant challenges in data evaluation. However, such in vitro models are needed for mechanistic studies as well as to screen for biological functionality of the food structures designed. This collaborative work aims to put into perspective the wide-range of models to assay the permeability of food compounds considering the particular nature of the different molecules, and, where possible, in vivo data are provided for comparison.M.A.F. thanks FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia) for funding through program DL 57/2016 and the project DIETxPOSOME (PTDC/SAU-NUT/6061/2020). P.A. acknowledges CESAM (UIDP/50017/2020+UIDB/50017/ 2020+LA/P/0094/2020). Thanks are due to FCT/MCTES through national funds EarlyMyco (PTDC/MED-TOX/28762/2017). S.B.-N. acknowledges the financial support by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality via the “Healthy and Safe Food System (KB-37)” knowledge base program (grand no. KB-37-001-007). P.R.-M. acknowl edges the financial support to the project PID2021-127362OB I00, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by “ERDF A way of making Europe” (European Union). B.M. acknowledges the financial support by project I-link22018 financed by CSIC and PID2019-107663RB-I00 and PCD2022- 133489-IOO funded b y MCIN/AEI/10.13039/ 501100011033, the last counting with funds from EU “NextGeneration EU”/PRTR. This work has been conducted within the frame of the INFOGEST International Network funded by INRAE.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A multi-centre peptidomics investigation of food digesta: current state of the art in mass spectrometry analysis and data visualisation

International audienceMass spectrometry has become the technique of choice for the assessment of a high variety of molecules in complex food matrices. It is best suited for monitoring the evolution of digestive processes in vivo and in vitro. However, considering the variety of equipment available in different laboratories and the diversity of sample preparation methods, instrumental settings for data acquisition, statistical evaluations, and interpretations of results, it is difficult to predict a priori the ideal parameters for optimal results. The present work addressed this uncertainty by executing an inter-laboratory study with samples collected during in vitro digestion and presenting an overview of the state-of-the-art mass spectrometry applications and analytical capabilities available for studying food digestion. Three representative high-protein foodsskim milk powder (SMP), cooked chicken breast and tofuwere digested according to the static INFOGEST protocol with sample collection at five different time points during gastric and intestinal digestion. Ten laboratories analysed all digesta with their in-house equipment and applying theirconventional workflow. The compiled results demonstrate in general, that soy proteins had a slower gastric digestion and the presence of longer peptide sequences in the intestinal phase compared to SMP or chicken proteins, suggesting a higher resistance to the digestion of soy proteins. Differences in results among the various laboratories were attributed more to the peptide selection criteria than to the individual analytical platforms. Overall, the combination of mass spectrometry techniques with suitable methodological and statistical approaches is adequate for contributing to the characterisation of the recently defined digestome