Concealing the taste of the Guinness World's most bitter substance by using a synthetic nanocontainer

International audienc

Supramolecular Inhibition of Neurodegeneration by a Synthetic Receptor

International audienceCucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) was found in vitro to sequester the neurotoxins MPTP (N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) and MPP+ (N-methyl-4-phenylpyridine). The CB[7]/neurotoxin host–guest complexes were studied in detail with 1H NMR, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, UV–visible spectroscopic titration, and molecular modeling by density functional theory. The results supported the macrocyclic encapsulation of MPTP and MPP+, respectively, by CB[7] in aqueous solutions with relatively strong affinities and 1:1 host–guest binding stoichiometries in both cases. More importantly, the progression of MPTP/MPP+ induced neurodegeneration (often referred to as a Parkinson’s disease model) was observed to be strongly inhibited in vivo by the synthetic CB[7] receptor, as shown in zebrafish models. These results show that a supramolecular approach could lead to a new preventive and/or therapeutic strategy for counteracting the deleterious effects of some neurotoxins leading to neurodegeneration

Delays in heading and improvements in both spikelet number and spike length are associated with the Aegilops tausschii photoperiod-sensitive ppd-D1b allele

The spikelet number per spike (SNS) and spike length (SL) are key traits of interest for improving grain yields. Photoperiod-1 (Ppd-1) is a key regulator of inflorescence architecture and paired spikelet development in wheat. In this study, 170 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived by crossing synthetic hexaploid wheat (SHW-L1) with a commercial cultivar (Chuanmai 32) were evaluated for the number of days to heading (DTH), SNS and SL in four different years. Eight PPD1 combination homoeologs were also identified in the RILs by using genetic marker analysis. DTH had highly significant or significant positive correlations with SNS and SL, while SL also had a highly significant positive correlation with SNS. As a single factor, the photoperiod-sensitive ppd-D1b alleles had the largest effect on delaying heading, and these results showed that SL and SNS can eventually be increased. These findings confirmed that photoperiod-sensitive ppd-D1b is a potential means of increasing wheat yields