Boosting the globalization of plant proteomics through INPPO: current developments and future prospects

The International Plant Proteomics Organization (INPPO) is a non-profit-organization consisting of people who are involved or interested in plant proteomics. INPPO is constantly growing in volume and activity, which is mostly due to the realization among plant proteomics researchers worldwide for the need of such a global platform. Their active participation resulted in the rapid growth within the first year of INPPO's official launch in 2011 via its website (www.inppo.com) and publication of the 'Viewpoint paper' in a special issue of PROTEOMICS (May 2011). Here, we will be highlighting the progress achieved in the year 2011 and the future targets for the year 2012 and onwards. INPPO has achieved a successful administrative structure, the Core Committee (CC; composed of President, Vice-President, and General Secretaries), Executive Council (EC), and General Body (GB) to achieve INPPO objectives. Various committees and subcommittees are in the process of being functionalized via discussion amongst scientists around the globe. INPPO's primary aim to popularize the plant proteomics research in biological sciences has also been recognized by PROTEOMICS where a section dedicated to plant proteomics has been introduced starting January 2012, following the very first issue of this journal devoted to plant proteomics in May 2011. To disseminate organizational activities to the scientific community, INPPO has launched a biannual (in January and July) newsletter entitled 'INPPO Express: News & Views' with the first issue published in January 2012. INPPO is also planning to have several activities in 2012, including programs within the Education Outreach committee in different countries, and the development of research ideas and proposals with priority on crop and horticultural plants, while keeping tight interactions with proteomics programs on model plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana, rice, and Medicago truncatula. Altogether, the INPPO progress and upcoming activities are because of immense support, dedication, and hard work of all members of the INPPO community, and also due to the wide encouragement and support from the communities (scientific and non-scientific).     

First Systematic Plant Proteomics Workshop in Botany Department,University of Delhi: Transferring Proteomics Knowledge to Next‐generation Researchers and Students

International Plant Proteomics Organization (INPPO) outlined ten initiatives to promote plant proteomics in each and every country. With greater emphasis in developing countries, one of those was to “organize workshops at national and international levels to train manpower and exchange information”. This third INPPO highlights covers the workshop organized for the very first time in a developing country, India, at the Department of Botany in University of Delhi on December 26–30, 2013 titled – “1^st Plant Proteomics Workshop / Training Program” under the umbrella of INPPO India‐Nepal chapter. Selected 20 participants received on‐hand training mainly on gel‐based proteomics approach along with manual booklet and parallel lectures on this and associated topics. In house, as well as invited experts drawn from other Universities and Institutes (national and international), delivered talks on different aspects of gel‐based and gel‐free proteomics. Importance of gel‐free proteomics approach, translational proteomics, and INPPO roles were presented and interactively discussed by a group of three invited speakers Drs. Ganesh Kumar Agrawal (Nepal), Randeep Rakwal (Japan), and Antonio Masi (Italy). Given the output of this systematic workshop, it was proposed and thereafter decided to be organized every alternate year; the next workshop will be held in 2015. Furthermore, possibilities on providing advanced training to those students / researchers / teachers with basic knowledge in proteomics theory and experiments at national and international levels were discussed. INPPO is committed to generating next‐generation trained manpower in proteomics, and it would only happen by the firm determination of scientists to come forward and do it.     

Time to articulate a vision for the future of plant proteomics - A global perspective: An initiative for establishing the International Plant Proteomics Organization (INPPO)

Given the essential role of proteomics in understanding the biology of plants, we are establishing a global plant proteomics organization to properly organize, preserve and disseminate collected information on plant proteomics. We call this organization 'International Plant Proteomics Organization (INPPO; http://www.inppo.com).' Ten initiatives of INPPO are outlined along with how to address them in multiple phases. As our vision is global, we sincerely hope the scientific communities around the world will come together to support and join INPPO.     

The European Proteomics Association (EuPA) is in the field. Report of the formal inauguration of the European Proteome Association (Munich, Germany, August 29, 2005)

After one year of preparation the European Proteomics Association (EuPA) was formally inaugurated on August 29, 2005, on the occasion of the 4(th) HUPO World Congress in Munich, Germany. Delegates from 16 European countries elected Dr. Friedrich Lottspeich, President of the German Proteome Society, as the first EuPA President. The EuPA Board also comprises Professor Mathias Uhlen as Vice President, along with Professor Michael Dunn (Ireland), Professor Concha Gil (Spain), Dr. Jean Charles Sanchez (Switzerland) and Professor Pier Giorgio Righetti (Italy) as Coordinators for the presently defined focus activities of the EuPA. The general objectives of the EuPA are to promote proteomic activities throughout Europe, emphasising the benefits and contribution of proteomics to biological researchers, industry, the general public and politicians.     

The effect of job organizational factors on job satisfaction in two automotive industries in Malaysia

A methodology is developed in diagnosing the effect of job organizational factors on job satisfaction in two automotive industries in Malaysia. One hundred and seventy male subjects of age 18-40 years with the mean age of 26.8 and standard deviation (SD) of 5.3 years and the mean work experience of 6.5 years and SD of 4.9 years took part in the study. Five job organizational factors were tested in the study including job rotation, work method, training, problem solving and goal setting. A job organization questionnaire was designed and was based on respondents' perception in relation to job satisfaction. The results showed that job organization factors were significantly related to job satisfaction. Job rotation, work method, training and goal setting showed strong correlation with job satisfaction while problem solving had intermediate correlation in the first automotive industry. On the other hand, most job organization factors showed intermediate correlation with job satisfaction in the second automotive industry except the training factor which had low correlation with job satisfaction. These results highlight that job rotation, work methods, problem solving and goal setting are outstanding factors in the study of job satisfaction for automotive industries.     

System, trends and perspectives of proteomics in dicot plants Part I: Technologies in proteome establishment

The first 3 years of the 21st century have seen the impact of plant proteomics on functional genomics that has enhanced our understanding, not only on the plant genome(s), but also more importantly, on the functional aspect of proteins. This is mainly due to availability of the complete genome sequence of the Arabidopsis thaliana-a dicotyledoneous (dicot) model plant-and technological advancements in proteomics. Proteomic analyses of a variety of dicot plants, including both Arabidopsis and the model legume species, barrel medic (Medicago truncatula), have greatly helped in an efficient separation, identification and cataloguing of a large number of proteins, and thereby defining their proteomes. Therefore, we have composed an inclusive review on dicot plant materials, as of February 2004, that provides system, trends and perspectives of proteomics in growth and development and the environment. The review is summarized and discussed as three individual, but interlinked, entities: Part I, technologies in proteome establishment (this review), Part II, proteomes of the complex developmental stages [G.K. Agrawal, M. Yonekura, Y. Iwahashi, H. Iwahashi, R. Rakwal, J. Chromatogr. B (2004)], and Part III, unraveling the proteomes influenced by the environment, and at the levels of function and genetic relationships [G.K. Agrawal, M. Yonekura, Y. Iwahashi, H. Iwahashi, R. Rakwal, J. Chromatogr. B (2004)]. This review deals with the diverse proteomic technologies being used in proteome development of different dicot plants.     

干皮孔菌属的一个新种和三个组合种

本文报道了产自斯里兰卡的干皮孔菌属一个新种,该种的主要特征是具有平伏反卷或具菌盖的子实体,很小的孔口（每毫米8-10个）,菌丝系统二系,生殖菌丝覆盖有刺状结晶,骨架菌丝橙棕色,细腊肠状担孢子（2.7-3.4×0.5-0.8μm）。基于ITS和nLSU序列的系统发育分析表明该新种属于干皮孔菌属的一个明确的分支。此外,将毛孔菌属组合到干皮孔菌属中,并报道了3个组合种,白边干皮孔菌、印度干皮孔菌和萨彦干皮孔菌。     

Mammalian non-classical major histocompatibility complex I and its receptors: Important contexts of gene,evolution, and immunity

The evolutionary conserved, less-polymorphic, nonclassical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules: Qa-1 and its human homologue human leukocyte antigen-E (HLA-E) along with HLA-F, G and H cross-talk with the T-cell receptors and also interact with natural killer T-cells and other lymphocytes. Moreover, these nonclassical MHC molecules are known to interact with CD94/NKG2 heterodimeric receptors to induce immune responses and immune regulations. This dual role of Qa-1/HLA-E in terms of innate and adaptive immunity makes them more interesting. This review highlights the new updates of the mammalian nonclassical MHC-I molecules in terms of their gene organization, evolutionary perspective and their role in immunity.     

Some Opportunistic Parasitic Infections in AIDS: Candidiasis, Pneumocystosis, Cryptosporidiosis, Toxoplasmosis

Almost 80% of patients with AIDS die from infections other than human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). These infections usually occur late in the course of disease when CD4(+) T-cell count has fallen below 200 permm(3) cells per milliliter. Most of these infections are caused by organisms that do not normally afflict healthy individuals and are thus considered to be opportunistic. In this article, Lloyd Kasper and Dominique Buzoni-Gatel review the host-parasite interaction for four important pathogens: Candida albicans and Pneumocystis carinii (usually non-invasive pathogens), Cryptosporidium parvum (invades the cells but remains localized in the gut) and Toxoplasma gondii (penetrates through the gut to cause systemic infection). These organisms, which generally cause limited or even insignificant clinical evidence of infection in the normal host, were chosen because of their high prevalence in AIDS patients and because they exhibit different invasive abilities. The reason why individuals with AIDS are susceptible to this particular group of pathogens is uncertain.     

A List of Photosynthesis Conferences and of Edited Books in Photosynthesis

This paper is a general appendix to the three parts of 'Celebrating the millennium - historical highlights of photosynthesis research' (Photosynthesis Research, Vols~73(2002), 76(2003), 80(2004)). The major part of this paper includes a comprehensive list of most of the edited volumes on research in the area of photosynthesis. However, I begin this paper by describing selected conferences, related to photosynthesis, held in USA, during 1935-1965, followed by the 1963 International Colloquim held in Gif-sur-Yvette, France (René Wurmser (1890-1993), President); and the 2nd Western European Congress (1965), held in the Netherlands, under the leadership of Jan B. Thomas (1907-1991), both these European conferences being the precursors of the first International Congress on Photosynthesis (1968), organized by Helmut Metzner (1925-1999) at Freudenstadt, Germany. A list of the subsequent international photosynthesis congresses is available in Govindjee and David Krogmann (this issue).     

Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution Council and Business Meetings, 2002

Council Meeting, 2002 Call to order.—The SMBE Council met during two sessionsat the Sorrento Hilton, Sorrento, Italy. President Michael Cleggcalled the first session to order at 1:37 p.m. on June 13, 2002and the second at 1:15 p.m. on June 14, 2002. In attendanceat the first session were Councilor Montserrat Aguadé,President Michael Clegg, Editor Simon Easteal, Treasurer DickHudson, and Secretary Marcy Uyenoyama; these Council memberswere joined at the second session by President-Elect NaoyukiTakahata. S. Blair Hedges, organizer of the 2004 annual meetings,made a     

Biochemical Engineering Science

Cover illustration Coast of the Portuguese Algarve, location of the 7^th European Symposium of Biochemical Engineering Science (ESBES) held last September in Faro, Portugal. This special issue of BTJ is edited by ESBES President Alois Jungbauer and highlights not only a meeting report but also 17 selected scientific contributions from international speakers at the conference. Topics include process analytical technology, bioprocessing and engineering, biocatalysis, system scale-up and much more.     

Resurrection and emendation of Pseudoparamacroderoides Gupta & Agrawal, 1968 (Digenea: Macroderoididae), description of a new species from Vietnam,and comments on the systematics of macroderoidid genera

We herein resurrect and emend Pseudoparamacroderoides Gupta & Agrawal, 1968 (Digenea: Macroderoididae) and describe a new species, Pseudoparamacroderoides dongthapensis n. sp., from adult specimens infecting the intestine of a riverine catfish, Mystus mysticetus Roberts, (Siluriformes: Bagridae) in the Mekong River, Vietnam. Pseudoparamacroderoides (Pseudoparamacroderoides seenghali Gupta & Agrawal, 1968 [type species]; Pseudoparamacroderoides vittati Kakaji, 1969 [= Ps. vittatusi]; Pseudoparamacroderoides raychaudhurii Agarwal & Kumar, 1983; and Pseudoparamacroderoides keni Agarwal & Agarwal, 1984) differs from other macroderoidid genera by having the combination of a subspherical oral sucker that lacks distinctly-enlarged circumoral spines; caeca that extend posteriad beyond the testes without forming a cyclocoel; testes that are approximately ≤1/3 maximum body width in diameter; a cirrus sac that is claviform, slightly dorsal to and predominantly lateral to the ventral sucker (cirrus sac partially dorsolateral to dextral or sinistral margin of ventral sucker); symmetrical vitelline fields that extend posteriad to the middle of the post-testicular space (not restricted to the inter-gonadal space) and that remain separate (not confluent) anteriorly and posteriorly; and an excretory vesicle that is I-shaped (with or without anterior swelling) and wholly post-ovarian, inter-testicular, or median to the posterior testis. Pseudoparamacroderoides dongthapensis n. sp. differs from its congeners by having an elongate hindbody (>2× forebody length) and an excretory vesicle that is approximately half as long as the body and that extends anteriad beyond the anterior testis. This is the first record of a species of Pseudoparamacroderoides from beyond the Indian sub-continent, from M. mysticetus, and from the Mekong River or from Vietnam. A diagnostic key to macroderoidid genera and a key to Pseudoparamacroderoides spp. are provided.

     

Miro1: New wheels for transferring mitochondria

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are capable of protecting cells harboring mitochondrial damage. This protection is associated with the transfer of mitochondria through tunneling nanotubes (TNT) from MSC to the injured cells. In this issue of The EMBO Journal, the group of Anurag Agrawal shows that mitochondrial transfer is dependent on the levels of Miro1, a mitochondrial Rho‐GTPase that regulates intercellular mitochondrial movement. Miro1 is the first protein shown to accelerate mitochondrial transfer. Amplifying the mitochondrial transfer phenomenon may allow for the study of the mechanisms that regulate it and contribute to our understanding of its role in disease and aging.     

Plant proteomics in India and Nepal: current status and challenges ahead

Plant proteomics has made tremendous contributions in understanding the complex processes of plant biology. Here, its current status in India and Nepal is discussed. Gel-based proteomics is predominantly utilized on crops and non-crops to analyze majorly abiotic (49 %) and biotic (18 %) stress, development (11 %) and post-translational modifications (7 %). Rice is the most explored system (36 %) with major focus on abiotic mainly dehydration (36 %) stress. In spite of expensive proteomics setup and scarcity of trained workforce, output in form of publications is encouraging. To boost plant proteomics in India and Nepal, researchers have discussed ground level issues among themselves and with the International Plant Proteomics Organization (INPPO) to act in priority on concerns like food security. Active collaboration may help in translating this knowledge to fruitful applications.