Editorial: Plant Science's Contribution to Fighting Viral Pandemics: COVID-19 as a Case Study

Plant molecular farming and metabolic engineering in the fight against COVID-1

Motorcycle detection for ADAS through camera and V2V communication, a comparative analysis of two modern technologies

Motorcycles are one of the most dangerous means of transportation. Its death toll is higher than in others, due to the inherent vulnerability of motorcycle drivers. The latest strategies in Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS) are trying to mitigate this problem by applying the advances of modern technologies to the road transport. This paper presents two different approaches on motorcycle protection, based on two of the most modern available technologies in ADAS, i.e. Computer Vision and Vehicle to Vehicle Communication (V2V). The first approach is based on data fusion of Laser Scanner and Computer Vision, providing accurate obstacle detection and localization based on laser scanner, and obstacle classification using computer vision and laser. The second approach is based on ad-hoc V2V technology and provides detection in case of occlusion for visual sensors. Both technologies have been tested in the presented work, and a performance comparison is given. Tests performed in different driving situations allows to measure the performance of every algorithm and the limitations of each of them based on empirical and scientific foundations. The conclusions of the presented work help foster of expert systems in the automotive sector by providing further discussion of the viability and impact from each of these systems in real scenarios

Polyadenylation site heterogeneity in mRNA encoding the precursor of the barley toxin β-hordothionin

Two cDNA clones, pTH2 and pTH3, encoding the precursor of the barley toxin β-hordothionin have been identified and their nucleotide sequences determined. These sequences are identical, except that pTH2 is 22 bp longer than pTH3 at the 5'-end and that the cleavage/poly(A) site of the mRNA represented by pTH3 is 4 positions further downstream from the single 5'-AAUAAA-3' polyadenylation signal than that of the pTH2 mRNA. In contrast, the cleavage/poly(A) site of the α-hordothionin mRNA is 30 positions downstream from a second polyadenylation signal. The deduced amino acid sequence of the β-hordothionin precursor differs from that of α-hordothionin at 13 out of 127 positions

Cloning and nucleotide sequence of a cDNA encoding the precursor of the barley toxin a-hordothionin

A cDNA library, prepared from developing barley endosperm, was screened for thionin recombinants. Clone pTH1 was that with the largest insert out of three identified. The longest reading frame in the 610-base-pair insert codes for a protein of 127 amino acids that includes an internal sequence of 45 amino acids, which is identical to that obtained for the α-hordothionin by direct protein sequencing. The deduced thionin sequence is preceded by a leader sequence of 18 residues and followed by a sequence that corresponds to an acidic protein of 64 amino acids. This structure supports previous evidence indicating that thionin is synthesized as a much larger precursor, which undergoes two processing steps: the cotranslational cleavage of a leader sequence and the post-translational one of a larger peptide. The size of the mRNA was estimated to be about 950 bases by Northern analysis. Thionin concentration in mature endosperm of barley cv. Bomi was about twice that of its high-lysine mutant Risç 1508. The same difference was observed in thionin mRNA in the corresponding developing endosperms, indicating that gene expression is partially blocked in the mutant at a pretranslational leve

Synthesis and processing of thionin precursors in developing endosperm from barley (Hordeum vulgare)

Thionin is a lysine-rich polypeptide (mol. wt. 5000) which is synthesized in developing barley endosperm from - 8 days to - 30 days after anthesis. Two thionin precursors (THPl and THP2) have been identified using monospecific antibodies (A-TH) prepared against the mature protein. THPl, which is the only polypeptide recognized in vitro by A-TH, is encoded by a 7.5S mRNA obtained from membrane-bound polysomes, and its alkylated derivative has an apparent mol. wt. of 17 800. THP2, which is selected together with mature thionin by A-TH among labelled proteins in vivo, differs from THPl in apparent mol. wt. (17 400 alkylated) and in electrophoretic mobility at pH 3.2. Both THPl and THP2 are competed out of the antigen-antibody complex by purified thionin. The conversión of THP2 into thionin, which has been demonstrated in a pulse-chase experiment in vivo, is a post-translational process. As it has not been possible to detect THPl in vivo it is assumed that it is converted cotranslationally into THP2. Final deposition of thionin as an extrínsic membrane protein, possibly associated with the endoplasmic reticulum, has been tentatively established on the basis of subcellular fractionation experíments

Evolución de la economía griega desde el año 2000 hasta 2020. Los rescates financieros

Análisis de la economía griega desde el año 2000 hasta el 2020. Estudio y evolución de los principales indicadores macroeconómicos, reconociendo tres etapas (2000-2008, 2009-2016 y 2016-2020). Análisis de la balanza de pagos para determinar una imagen completa de las relaciones internacionales del país heleno. Explicación de la crisis de la deuda griega con sus tres rescates financieros y estudio de la evolución de la deuda soberana.<br /

A low altitude forest dwelling Pyrenean chamois population increases the potential habitat of this subspecies

Aim of the study: To demonstrate if a population of Pyrenean chamois Rupicapra p. pyrenaica can live at low altitudes all year long. This could enlarge dramatically its potential habitat.&#x0D; Area of study: A hunting ground in Sobrarbe County, Pyrenees, Spain, in 2022.&#x0D; Material and methods. We interviewed local hunters to find out when the presence of the subspecies in the area dates back. We performed block counts from April to December in the target area for calculating the size of the population.&#x0D; Main results: There was a presence of at least 15 years of the subspecies living at 600 m asl. The population was at least 18 animals, reproduces, and shows a normal demographic structure of kids, yearlings, adult females, and adult males.&#x0D; Research highlights: Low-altitude chamois populations living in forests could be a result of important ecological changes in high mountain pastures producing migrations to newly suitable areas as low-altitude forests. The potential habitat of the subspecies should be broadened

Inhibition of eukaryotic cell-free protein synthesis by thionins from wheat endosperm

Thionins are polypeptide toxins of about 5000 molecular weight, present in the endosperms of many Gramineae, which modify membrane permeability and inhibit macromolecular synthesis in cultured mammalian cells. Evidence is presented that they inhibit in vitro protein synthesis at micromolar concentrations in cell-free systems derived from wheat germ or from rabbit reticulocytes. Inhibition seems to occur by direct binding of mRNA by the toxin, as judged by the ability of thionins to mediate retention of RNA in nitrocellulose filters and by the dependence of inhibitory concentrations on the amount of exogenous RNA added to the wheat-germ translation system. Commercial preparations of wheat-germ have been found to include some endosperm contamination (up to 15%), which may result in at least partially inhibitory concentrations of the toxin in the cell-free extracts

The CM-proteins from cereal endosperm: Immunochemical relationships

The CM-proteins, which are salt-soluble proteins that can be extracted with chloroform: methanol (2: 1, v/v), seem to be present in the endosperm of all the cereal species investigated. Antibodies raised against a mixture of the barley CM-proteins (A-H) cross-reacted with wheat and rye proteins in Ouchterlony tests and a detailed study was carried out for purified wheat (CM1, CM2. CM3. CM3') and barley (CMa, CMb, CMc, CMd) CM-proteins. [35Sl-Cysteine-labelled endosperm proteins from wheat and barley were investigated by immuno-precipitation, electrophoresis and fluorography using the antibodies (A-H) and also those to a mixture of wheat CM-proteins and to CMd. There was complete antigenic identity for all the wheat proteins and CMd, some of the other proteins showed partial antigenic identity. Previously proposed genetic and biochemical relationships among these proteins were confirmed in the present study

Association between flower stalk elongation, an Arabidopsis developmental trait, and the subcellular location and movement dynamics of the viral non-structural protein P3.

[EN] Virus infections affect plant developmental traits but this aspect of the interaction has not been extensively studied so far. Two strains ofTurnip mosaic virusdifferentially affectArabidopsisdevelopment, especially flower stalk elongation, which allowed phenotypical, cellular, and molecular characterization of the viral determinant, the P3 protein. Transiently expressed wild-type green fluorescent protein-tagged P3 proteins of both strains and selected mutants of them revealed important differences in their behaviour as endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated peripheral proteins flowing along the reticulum, forming punctate accumulations. Three-dimensional (3D) model structures of all expressed P3 proteins were computationally constructed through I-TASSER protein structure predictions, which were used to compute protein surfaces and map electrostatic potentials to characterize the effect of amino acid changes on features related to protein interactions and to phenotypical and subcellular results. The amino acid at position 279 was the main determinant affecting stalk development. It also determined the speed of ER-flow of the expressed proteins and their final location. A marked change in the protein surface electrostatic potential correlated with changes in subcellular location. One single amino acid in the P3 viral protein determines all the analysed differential characteristics between strains differentially affecting flower stalk development. A model proposing a role of the protein in the intracellular movement of the viral replication complex, in association with the viral 6K2 protein, is proposed. The type of association between both viral proteins could differ between the strains.This work was funded by several INIA grants. Silvia Lopez-Gonzalez was funded by a predoctoral FPI-INIA fellowship/contract. P.S. was the recipient of an EU fellowship from an EU-India bilateral agreement (BRAVE Program). We thank Professor John Walsh (Warwick University, UK) for his generous gift of virus isolates. The great technical assistance of Lucia Zurita is also acknowledged. We thank the Spanish Ministry of Science for the Severo Ochoa Excellence Accreditations to the CBGP (SEV-2016-0672).López-González, S.; Navarro Bohigues, JA.; Pacios, LF.; Sardaru, P.; Pallás Benet, V.; Sánchez, F.; Ponz, F. (2020). Association between flower stalk elongation, an Arabidopsis developmental trait, and the subcellular location and movement dynamics of the viral non-structural protein P3. Molecular Plant Pathology. 21(10):1271-1286. https://doi.org/10.1111/mpp.12976S12711286211