S-methylmethionine alters gene expression of candidate genes in Maize dwarf mosaic virus infected and drought stressed maize plants

In the present work we investigated the potential beneficial effects of the exogenous application of S-methylmethionine (SMM) that plays an important role in the plants’ sulphur metabolism and contributes to the production of certain defence compounds. The possible beneficial effects were challenged against Maize dwarf mosaic virus infection and drought stress. We studied the expression changes of GF14-6 and SAMS during viral infection and DREB2A and DBP2 during drought stress. The product of GF14-6 recognise the viral coat protein and contributes to RNA-silencing, while the product of SAMS plays a central role in the plant sulphur metabolism and contributes to the production of several defence compounds. The products of DREB2A and DBP2 contribute to better plant defence against drought stress and increase the efficiency of water uptake. According to our results, SMM pretreatment has a considerable change on the investigated genes’ expression. It significantly decreases the gene expression of GF14-6, while infection results in a higher expression level. On the other hand, a more prolonged and long lasting increase is measured in SAMS expression as a result to SMM pretreatment followed by infection. SMM lessens the gene expression of DREB2A, while no changes were observed in DBP2 compared to drought stressed plants

Community Supported Agriculture as a Driver of Food-Related Well-Being

Background: There is a growing amount of research interest to understand the role of food in well-being. The demand for community supported agriculture (CSA), bringing people spatially, economically, and socially closer to food, is continuously expanding. CSAs play an important role in both sustainable agriculture practices and influencing consumers’ food-related practices, but yet have received little attention in well-being research. Methods: This study explores food-related well-being among CSA members by using an exploratory, qualitative research design and a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews. Results: The findings stress the relevance of psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of food-related well-being beyond the nutritional characteristics of food in CSA. Conclusion: The role of sustainable agriculture in contributing to food-related well-being becomes particularly evident based on consumers’ experiences. These results are important in convincing people that their food-related experiences belong to their perceived well-being as well as stimulating people to elevate their multidimensional expectations in relation to food

Nagyenergiájú sugárzással iniciált reakciók monomer oldatokban = High-energy radiation initiated reactions in monomer solutions

Tanulmányoztuk a nagyenergiájú sugárzással iniciált polimerizációt, a sugárzással iniciált ojtást és toxikus, szerves vegyületek sugárzásos degradációját vizes oldatban gammaradiolízissel és impulzusradiolízis technikával, kinetikus fotometriás detektálással. Az ionizáló sugárzás hatására a víz radiolízisekor keletkező köztitermékek, a hidratált elektron, a hidroxilgyök és a hidrogénatom reagál a vízben oldott szerves molekulákkal. Megfelelő adalékkal a víz radiolízis köztitermékek átalakíthatók más, kevésbé reakcióképes gyökké. Nukleofil és elektrofil gyökök reakcióját megvizsgáltuk számos monomerrel (akrilátok, metakrilátok, akrilamid származékok, stb.). Meghatároztuk az iniciálás kinetikai együtthatóit és javaslatot tettünk a mechanizmusra. A sugárzással iniciált ojtással szelektív adszorbenseket állítottunk elő és a vízből toxikus szennyeződéseket távolítottunk el. Glicidil-metakrilát monomer sugárzással egy időben történő ojtásával jó adszorpciós kapacitású mintát sikerült előállítani, az adszorpciós tulajdonságok a ciklodextrinnel funkcionalizált mintákon tovább javultak. Vizsgáltuk a Szulfanilsav Azokromotrop azo-színezék, a H-sav, valamint annak két származéka sugárzásos degradációját. Javaslatot tettünk a degradáció mechanizmusára. A degradáció viszonylag kis dózissal bekövetkezik mindegyik vegyületnél, hatásfoka a színezékeknél jobb volt, mint az egyszerűbb molekuláknál. | High-energy radiation initiated polymerization, grafting and radiation degradation of toxic organic molecules were studied in aqueous solutions both by gamma radiolysis and by pulse radiolysis with kinetic spectroscopic detection. During irradiation the reactions of the water radiolysis intermediates (hydrated electron, hydroxyl radical and hydrogen atom) with organic solutes were observed. By applying proper additives these water radiolysis intermediates are converted to less reactive (nucleophil and electrophil) intermediates. The reactions of these intermediates with a number of monomers (acrylates, methacrylates, acrylamides, etc.) were investigated. The kinetic parameters of initiation were determined and initiation mechanisms were suggested. By radiation initiated grafting selective adsorbents were prepared and were used to remove toxic solutes from water. Adsorbents of proper adsorption capacity were prepared by mutual grafting of glycidyl methacrylate to cellulose and the adsorption capacity of the samples was further improved by functionalization with cyclodextrin. Radiation induced degradation of azo dye Sulfanilic Acid Azochromotrop, H-acid and its two derivatives were investigated. Mechanism of degradation was suggested. For all of the compounds investigated a relatively low dose was enough for degradation, however, the effectiveness of degradation was better for the dye molecules than for the smaller molecules

Protective role of S-methylmethionine-salicylate in maize plants infected with Maize dwarf mosaic virus

This study aimed to detect the harmful effects of Maize dwarf mosaic virus (MDMV) infection, and to demonstrate the potential benefits of S-methylmethionine-salicylate (MMS) pretreatment in infected maize (Zea mays L.) plants. The results of chlorophyll a fluorescence measurements showed that in MDMV-infected plants additional quenchers of fluorescence appear, probably as the result of associations between the virus coat protein and thylakoid membranes. It is important to note that when infected plants were pretreated with MMS, such associations were not formed. MDMV infection and MMS pretreatment resulted in a decrease in ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity in maize leaves, while infection contributed to an increase in activity in the roots. Infection raised the guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) enzyme activity level, which was reduced by MMS pretreatment. MMS contributed to a decrease in both the RNA and coat protein content of MDMV, to an equal extent in maize leaves and roots. The results showed that MMS pretreatment enhanced the stress response reactions against MDMV infection in maize plants and retarded the spreading of infection

Természetes vegyület, az S-metilmetionin hatásának vizsgálata a paradicsom és a kukorica fiziológiai sajátságaira, biotikus és abiotikus stressztoleranciájára = Effect of the natural compound S-methylmethionine on the physiological characteristics, biotic and abiotic stress tolerance of tomato and maize

Az S-metilmetionin (SMM) stresszvédelemben betöltött szerepét vizsgáltuk. Megállapítottuk, hogy ez a természetes, nem proteinogén aminosav jelentős szerepet játszik a vizsgált növények abiotikus és biotikus stresszorokkal szembeni védekezőképességének kialakításában, a stressztolerancia növelésében. Közvetlenül szerepel a kénanyagcsere alapvető folyamataiban, befolyásolja poliaminok bioszintézisét, mint az S-adenozilmetionin prekurzora és mint aminopropil-donor vegyület membránvédő, stabilizáló hatású. Transzkripció szinten elősegíti a hidegstressz elleni védelemben központi szabályozóként működő, számos gén kifejeződését együtt szabályozó CBF transzkripciós faktorok expresszióját. Növeli az ugyancsak sokoldalú szabályozó és stresszvédő poliaminok, valamint az általános stresszvédelemben jelentős fenilpropanoidok (fenoloidok, antociánok) szintéziséért felelős gének expresszióját. Mindezek következményeként a metabolomikai szinten bekövetkező változások jelentős fiziológiai választ eredményeznek. Fontos szerepe van egy- és kétszikű növények vírusok elleni védelmében is, csökkentve a víruskoncentrációt, lassítva a vírusok terjedését és szaporodását a gazdanövényekben, amihez hozzájárulhat, hogy fokozza a hormonok és a stresszvédő kénvegyületek képzésében fontos szerepet betöltő S-adenozilmetionin szintéziséért felelős gén expresszióját. Az SMM hatására jellemző a priming hatás, ami előkészíti a növényt a stresszre és lehetővé teszi a gyorsabb és hatékonyabb stresszválaszt. | The present work aimed to reveal the multiple role of SMM in protection against biotic and abiotic stressors. We proved that this non–proteinogenic amino acid has an important function in the development of defence potential and in the improvement of stress and disease tolerance of examined plants. At the level of transcription SMM exerts its effect via central regulatory factor CBF, which influences the expression of number of genes during cold stress as a coordinator. The effect of SMM is chiefly manifested in its influence on the expression of CBFs that act as central coordinator in the regulation of number of genes during cold stress. In addition, SMM enhances the expression of regulatory and stress protecting polyamines and the expression of genes coding for proteins with beneficial influence in defence compound phenolics, for instance anthocyanins. The changes of gene expression result in changes of metabolomic and physiological processes of plants. SMM has an important role in biotic stress protection against both of TSWV virus of tomato and the MDMV virus of maize, decreasing the virus concentrations and moderating their replication in plant. This beneficial influence may be due to its effect in increasing the expression of gene responsible for S-adenosylmethionine synthesis, which is important in the synthesis of stress protecting compounds. We found that SMM characteristically affects due to a priming effect, resulting in faster and improved stress response

Evaluation of 9-cis retinoic acid and mitotane as antitumoral agents in an adrenocortical xenograft model

The available drug treatment options for adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) are limited. In our previous studies, the in vitro activity of 9-cis retinoic acid (9-cisRA) on adrenocortical NCI-H295R cells was shown along with its antitumoral effects in a small pilot xenograft study. Our aim was to dissect the antitumoral effects of 9-cisRA on ACC in a large-scale xenograft study involving mitotane, 9-cisRA and their combination. 43 male SCID mice inoculated with NCI-H295R cells were treated in four groups (i. control, ii. 9-cisRA, iii. mitotane, iv. 9-cisRA + mitotane) for 28 days. Tumor size follow-up, histological and immunohistochemical (Ki-67) analysis, tissue gene expression microarray, quantitative real-time-PCR for the validation of microarray results and to detect circulating microRNAs were performed. Protein expression was studied by proteomics and Western-blot validation. Only mitotane alone and the combination of 9-cisRA and mitotane resulted in significant tumor size reduction. The Ki-67 index was significantly reduced in both 9-cisRA and 9-cisRA+mitotane groups. Only modest changes at the mRNA level were found: the 9-cisRA-induced overexpression of apolipoprotein A4 and down-regulation of phosphodiesterase 4A was validated. The expression of circulating hsa-miR-483-5p was significantly reduced in the combined treatment group. The SET protein was validated as being significantly down-regulated in the combined mitotane+9-cisRA group. 9-cisRA might be a helpful additive agent in the treatment of ACC in combination with mitotane. Circulating hsa-miR-483-5p could be utilized for monitoring the treatment efficacy in ACC patients, and the treatment-induced reduction in protein SET expression might raise its relevance in ACC biology

The Wellbeing Paradox in Hungarian Local Sustainable Agriculture: A Health Psychology Approach

BACKGROUND: The literature suggests that farmers’ work involves a number of operational difficulties. Although alternative food networks address the majority of their problems, they can potentially generate new hardships. The aim of this study is to examine the situational and engagement-related work difficulties associated with the everyday world of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farmers. METHODS: This study used the health psychology approach, namely interpretive phenomenology, to understand the social determinants of farmers’ working lives in CSA and to explore mental health challenges within the practices of local sustainable farming. To collect data, semi-structured, in-person interviews were conducted with CSA farmers in Hungary. RESULTS: Our study shows that new modes of consumer-producer connectivity create novel situations and issues which farmers are forced to address. Three personal experiential themes emerge from the data to describe CSA farmers’ work difficulties: (1) Conflicted autonomy; (2) The pressure of boxes; (3) Social overload. The difficulties for CSA farmers seem to be rooted in the economic characteristics of alternative agriculture where farmers organize food production for the satisfaction of consumer needs. In addition, structural conditions require several different CSA farmer roles, which could even be conflicting. CONCLUSION: This study provides participants’ perspectives on the health and wellbeing costs of sustainable farming. Newer producer-consumer connections require both time and experience and involve extra effort or skills, but farmers often lack these abilities. The results show how perceptions of work processes relate to the general framework of CSA, which necessitates a distinct strategy for farm management. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-14643-2