Investigating the impact of exopolysaccharides on yogurt network mechanics and syneresis through quantitative microstructural analysis

Exopolysaccharides produced by lactic acid bacteria are widely used to improve the sensory properties of yogurt. The relation between the physical properties of the microbial exopolysaccharides and the structural and rheological properties of the yogurt are incompletely understood to date. To address this knowledge gap, we studied how two distinct exopolysaccharides influence the microstructure, rheological properties, and syneresis of yogurt. The effect of a negatively charged, capsular exopolysaccharide produced by Streptococcus thermophilus and a neutral, non-capsular exopolysaccharide produced by Lactococcus lactis were investigated. Using quantitative microstructural analysis, we examined yogurt samples prepared with either the capsular or the non-capsular exopolysaccharide, and with mixtures of the two. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and stimulated emission depletion microscopy were employed to visualize the microstructures, revealing differences in pore size distribution, protein domain size, and casein interconnectivity that were not apparent through visual inspection alone. Additionally, variations in rheological properties were observed among the different yogurt types. In the yogurt fermented with both bacterial strains, we observed a combined impact of the two exopolysaccharide types on relevant microstructural and rheological properties. The negatively charged capsular exopolysaccharide enhanced casein interconnectivity and gel stiffness, while the neutral non-capsular exopolysaccharide led to thicker protein domains, an abundance of small pores, and a lower loss tangent. These factors collectively hindered syneresis, resulting in improved structural integrity. Our study not only provides valuable insights into the influence of different exopolysaccharides on yogurt properties, but also presents the first demonstration and quantification of the effect of multiple types of exopolysaccharides on casein interconnectivity. These findings offer guidance for the production of yogurts with customized microstructure, rheological properties, and resistance to syneresis.<br/

The subgenomic promoter of brome mosaic virus folds into a stem-loop structure capped by a pseudo-triloop that is structurally similar to the triloop of the genomic promoter

Supramolecular & Biomaterials Chemistr

Probing the plateau-insulator quantum phase transition in the quantum Hall regime

We report quantum Hall experiments on the plateau-insulator transition in a low mobility In_{.53} Ga_{.47} As/InP heterostructure. The data for the longitudinal resistance \rho_{xx} follow an exponential law and we extract a critical exponent \kappa= .55 \pm .05 which is slightly different from the established value \kappa = .42 \pm .04 for the plateau transitions. Upon correction for inhomogeneity effects, which cause the critical conductance \sigma_{xx}^* to depend marginally on temperature, our data indicate that the plateau-plateau and plateau- insulator transitions are in the same universality class.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures (.eps

Shrubs and Degraded Permafrost Pave the Way for Tree Establishment in Subarctic Peatlands

Arctic and subarctic ecosystems are changing rapidly in species composition and functioning as they warm twice as fast as the global average. It has been suggested that tree-less boreal landscapes may shift abruptly to tree-dominated states as climate warms. Yet, we insufficiently understand the conditions and mechanisms underlying tree establishment in the subarctic and arctic regions to anticipate how climate change may further affect ecosystem structure and functioning. We conducted a field experiment to assess the role of permafrost presence, micro-topography and shrub canopy on tree establishment in almost tree-less subarctic peatlands of northern Finland. We introduced seeds and seedlings of four tree-line species and monitored seedling survival and environmental conditions for six growing seasons. Our results show that once seedlings have emerged, the absence of permafrost can enhance early tree seedling survival, but shrub cover is the most important driver of subsequent tree seedling survival in subarctic peatlands. Tree seedling survival was twice as high under an intact shrub canopy than in open conditions after shrub canopy removal. Under unclipped control conditions, seedling survival was positively associated with dense shrub canopies for half of the tree species studied. These strong positive interactions between shrubs and trees may facilitate the transition from today's treeless subarctic landscapes towards tree-dominated states. Our results suggest that climate warming may accelerate this vegetation shift as permafrost is lost, and shrubs further expand across the subarctic.Peer reviewe

Physicochemical analysis of rotavirus segment 11 supports a 'modified panhandle' structure and not the predicted alternative tRNA-like structure (TRLS)

.Rotaviruses are a major cause of acute gastroenteritis, which is often fatal in infants. The viral genome consists of 11 double-stranded RNA segments, but little is known about their cis-acting sequences and structural elements. Covariation studies and phylogenetic analysis exploring the potential structure of RNA11 of rotaviruses suggested that, besides the previously predicted "modified panhandle" structure, the 5' and 3' termini of one of the isoforms of the bovine rotavirus UKtc strain may interact to form a tRNA-like structure (TRLS). Such TRLSs have been identified in RNAs of plant viruses, where they are important for enhancing replication and packaging. However, using tRNA mimicry assays (in vitro aminoacylation and 3'- adenylation), we found no biochemical evidence for tRNA-like functions of RNA11. Capping, synthetic 3' adenylation and manipulation of divalent cation concentrations did not change this finding. NMR studies on a 5'- and 3'-deletion construct of RNA11 containing the putative intra-strand complementary sequences supported a predominant panhandle structure and did not conform to a cloverleaf fold despite the strong evidence for a predicted structure in this conserved region of the viral RNA. Additional viral or cellular factors may be needed to stabilise it into a form with tRNA-like properties