Advanced Glycation End Products in Infant Formulas Do Not Contribute to Insulin Resistance Associated with Their Consumption

Introduction

Infant formula-feeding is associated with reduced insulin sensitivity. In rodents and healthy humans, advanced glycation end product (AGE)-rich diets exert diabetogenic effects. In comparison with human breast-milk, infant formulas contain high amounts of AGEs. We assessed the role of AGEs in infant-formula-consumption-associated insulin resistance.

Methods

Total plasma levels of N^ε-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML), AGEs-associated fluorescence (λ_ex = 370 nm/λ_em = 445 nm), soluble adhesion molecules, markers of micro- binflammation (hsCRP), oxidative stress (malondialdehyde, 8-isoprostanes) and leptinemia were determined, and correlated with insulin sensitivity in a cross-sectional study in 166 healthy term infants aged 3-to-14 months, subdivided according to feeding regimen (breast-milk- vs. infant formula-fed) and age (3-to-6-month-olds, 7-to-10-month-olds, and 11-to-14-month-old infants). Effects of the consumption of low- vs. high-CML-containing formulas were assessed. 36 infants aged 5.8±0.3 months were followed-up 7.5±0.3 months later.

Results

Cross-sectional study: 3-to-6-month-olds and 7-to-10-month-old formula-fed infants presented higher total plasma CML levels and AGEs-associated fluorescence (p<0.01, both), while only the 3-to-6-month-olds displayed lower insulin sensitivity (p<0.01) than their breast-milk-fed counterparts. 3-to-6-month-olds fed low-CML-containing formulas presented lower total plasma CML levels (p<0.01), but similar insulin sensitivity compared to those on high-CML-containing formulas. Markers of oxidative stress and inflammation, levels of leptin and adhesion molecules did not differ significantly between the groups. Follow-up study: at initial investigation, the breast-milk-consuming infants displayed lower total plasma CML levels (p<0.01) and AGEs-associated fluorescence (p<0.05), but higher insulin sensitivity (p<0.05) than the formulas-consuming infants. At follow-up, the groups did not differ significantly in either determined parameter.

Conclusions

In healthy term infants, high dietary load with CML does not play a pathophysiological role in the induction of infant formula-associated insulin resistance. Whether a high load of AGEs in early childhood affects postnatal programming remains to be elucidated.     

High Molecular Weight Forms of Mammalian Respiratory Chain Complex II

Mitochondrial respiratory chain is organised into supramolecular structures that can be preserved in mild detergent solubilisates and resolved by native electrophoretic systems. Supercomplexes of respiratory complexes I, III and IV as well as multimeric forms of ATP synthase are well established. However, the involvement of complex II, linking respiratory chain with tricarboxylic acid cycle, in mitochondrial supercomplexes is questionable. Here we show that digitonin-solubilised complex II quantitatively forms high molecular weight structures (CII_hmw) that can be resolved by clear native electrophoresis. CII_hmw structures are enzymatically active and differ in electrophoretic mobility between tissues (500 – over 1000 kDa) and cultured cells (400–670 kDa). While their formation is unaffected by isolated defects in other respiratory chain complexes, they are destabilised in mtDNA-depleted, rho0 cells. Molecular interactions responsible for the assembly of CII_hmw are rather weak with the complexes being more stable in tissues than in cultured cells. While electrophoretic studies and immunoprecipitation experiments of CII_hmw do not indicate specific interactions with the respiratory chain complexes I, III or IV or enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle, they point out to a specific interaction between CII and ATP synthase.     

Syntenic Relationships between the U and M Genomes of Aegilops,Wheat and the Model Species Brachypodium and Rice as Revealed by COS Markers

Diploid Aegilops umbellulata and Ae. comosa and their natural allotetraploid hybrids Ae. biuncialis and Ae. geniculata are important wild gene sources for wheat. With the aim of assisting in alien gene transfer, this study provides gene-based conserved orthologous set (COS) markers for the U and M genome chromosomes. Out of the 140 markers tested on a series of wheat-Aegilops chromosome introgression lines and flow-sorted subgenomic chromosome fractions, 100 were assigned to Aegilops chromosomes and six and seven duplications were identified in the U and M genomes, respectively. The marker-specific EST sequences were BLAST-ed to Brachypodium and rice genomic sequences to investigate macrosyntenic relationships between the U and M genomes of Aegilops, wheat and the model species. Five syntenic regions of Brachypodium identified genome rearrangements differentiating the U genome from the M genome and from the D genome of wheat. All of them seem to have evolved at the diploid level and to have been modified differentially in the polyploid species Ae. biuncialis and Ae. geniculata. A certain level of wheat–Aegilops homology was detected for group 1, 2, 3 and 5 chromosomes, while a clearly rearranged structure was showed for the group 4, 6 and 7 Aegilops chromosomes relative to wheat. The conserved orthologous set markers assigned to Aegilops chromosomes promise to accelerate gene introgression by facilitating the identification of alien chromatin. The syntenic relationships between the Aegilops species, wheat and model species will facilitate the targeted development of new markers specific for U and M genomic regions and will contribute to the understanding of molecular processes related to allopolyploidization.     

Comparative analysis of chromosome 2A molecular organization in diploid and hexaploid wheat

Molecular Biology Reports - Diploid A genome wheat species harbor immense genetic variability which has been targeted and proven useful in wheat improvement. Development and deployment of...     

Effect of the concentration of protein and nanoparticles on the structure of biohybrid nanocomposites

We present colloidal nanocomposites formed by incorporating magnetite Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (MNPs) with lysozyme amyloid fibrils (LAFs). Preparation of two types of solutions, with and without addition of salt, was carried out to elucidate the structure of MNPs-incorporated fibrillary nanocomposites and to study the effect of the presence of salt on the stability of the nanocomposites. The structural morphology of the LAFs and their interaction with MNPs were analyzed by atomic force microscopy and small-angle x-ray scattering measurements. The results indicate that conformational properties of the fibrils are dependent on the concentration of protein, and the precise ratio of the concentration of the protein and MNPs is crucially important for the stability of the fibrillary nanocomposites. Our results confirm that despite the change in fibrillary morphology induced by the varying concentration of the protein, the adsorption of MNPs on the surface of LAF is morphologically independent. Moreover, most importantly, the samples containing salt have excellent stability for up to 1 year of shelf-life.     

Genetic engineering of cytokinin metabolism: Prospective way to improve agricultural traits of crop plants

Cytokinins (CKs) are ubiquitous phytohormones that participate in development, morphogenesis and many physiological processes throughout plant kingdom. In higher plants, mutants and transgenic cells and tissues with altered activity of CK metabolic enzymes or perception machinery, have highlighted their crucial involvement in different agriculturally important traits, such as productivity, increased tolerance to various stresses and overall plant morphology. Furthermore, recent precise metabolomic analyses have elucidated the specific occurrence and distinct functions of different CK types in various plant species. Thus, smooth manipulation of active CK levels in a spatial and temporal way could be a very potent tool for plant biotechnology in the future. This review summarises recent advances in cytokinin research ranging from transgenic alteration of CK biosynthetic, degradation and glucosylation activities and CK perception to detailed elucidation of molecular processes, in which CKs work as a trigger in model plants. The first attempts to improve the quality of crop plants, focused on cereals are discussed, together with proposed mechanism of action of the responses involved.     

A review of Turkish saproxylic beetles from the European Red List

The conservation of beetles that depend on dying or dead wood (i.e. saproxylic), has received a great deal of attention in many parts of the world in recent years. Human activities such as urbanization and logging, and their results, e.g. global warming, destroy natural ecosystems and threaten unusual species such as Lucanus cervus (L. 1758), Rosalia alpina (L. 1758), Limoniscus violaceus (Müller 1821) and Osmoderma eremita (Scopoli 1763). Attempts have been made to conserve the habitats upon which these species depend. Although represented by a large number of species, saproxylic beetles in Turkey have not received much attention. Although some Turkish studies have acknowledged their value, comprehensive investigations of these species are very limited. The aim of this study is to make a list, from the literature, of the species that are endangered in Europe and found in Turkey, to highlight the importance of these species. The research includes 151 saproxylic beetle species belonging to the families Bostrichidae, Cerambycidae, Elateridae, Eucnemidae, Scarabaeidae, Euchiridae, Lucanidae and Mycetophagidae. The list of Turkish saproxylic beetles was prepared using the European Red List of Saproxylic Beetles. Information is provided about the IUCN Red List category in Europe, the locations of the species in Turkey, and their global geographic range. We gathered all data about these species from the international literature. Furthermore, we also include in the list certain species whose locations are not specified, but which inhabit Turkey. We obtained their records from some catalogs in Turkey. In addition to the list, we prepared three distribution maps for Turkey. The maps show distribution in Turkey of some species in the Endangered, Vulnerable and Near Threatened categories in the European Red List. It is expected that this study will lead to comprehensive studies on saproxylic beetles from Turkey.     

Toxic Microcystis (cyanobacteria) inhibit recruitment of the bloom‐enhancing invasive bivalve Limnoperna fortunei

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