Secondary Metabolites from Pinus mugo Turra subsp. mugo Growing in the Majella National Park (Central Apennines,Italy)

In this study, we examined the composition regarding secondary metabolites of P. mugo Turra ssp. mugo growing in the protected area of Majella National Park, which is the southernmost station of the habitat of this species. Both the nonpolar and polar fractions were considered. In particular, the essential‐oil composition showed a high variety of compounds, and 109 compounds were detected, and 101 were identified, among which abietane‐type compounds have a taxonomic relevance. Abietanes were also isolated from the polar fraction, together with an acylated flavonol and a remarkably high amount of shikimic acid.     

Mediterranean climate patterns and wine quality in North and Central Italy

Results show that the year-to-year quality variation of wines produced in North and Central Italy depends on the large-scale climate variability, and that the wine quality improvement in the last four decades is partially due to an increase of temperature and to a decrease of precipitation in West and Central Mediterranean Europe (WME; CME). In addition, wine quality is positively correlated with air temperature throughout the entire active period of the grapevine, weakly negatively correlated with precipitation in spring, and well negatively correlated in summer and fall. The month-to-month composites of the NAO anomaly show that, in years of good quality wine, this anomaly is negative in late spring, oscillates around zero in summer, and is positive in early fall; while, in years of bad quality wine, it is positive in late spring and summer, and negative in early fall, i.e. its polarity has an opposite sign in spring and fall in good versus bad years. The composite seasonal maps show that good wines are produced when the spring jet stream over the Atlantic diverts most of the weather perturbations towards North Europe, still providing a sufficient amount of rainwater to CME; when summer warming induced by southerly winds is balanced by the cooling induced by westerly winds; and when a positive geopotential anomaly over WME shelters CME from fall Atlantic storms. Bad quality wines are produced when the jet stream favors the intrusion of the Atlantic weather perturbations into the Mediterranean. Results suggest that atmospheric pattern persistencies can be used as precursors for wine quality forecast.     

Enantiomeric Separation of 13 New Amphetamine‐Like Designer Drugs by Capillary Electrophoresis,Using Modified‐‐Cyclodextrins

An easy‐to‐prepare chiral CE method for the enantiomeric separation of 13 new amphetamine‐like designer drugs, using CDs as chiral selectors, was developed. Sulfated‐β‐CD was found to be the best chiral selector among the three used (sulfated‐β‐CD, caroboxymethyl‐β‐CD, dimethyl‐β‐CD). The separation of the analytes was achieved in a fused‐silica gel capillary at 20 °C using an applied voltage of +25 kV. The optimized background electrolyte consisted of 63.5 mM H₃PO₄ and 46.9 mM NaOH in water. Several electrophoretic parameters such as CD type, CD concentration (1 ? 40 mg/mL), buffer pH (2.6, 3.6, 5.0, 6.0), length of the capillary (70 ? 40 cm total length), amount of the organic solvent (methanol and acetonitrile) were investigated and optimized. Chirality 25:617–621, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

pGOODs: new plasmids for the co-expression of proteins in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis>

Two systems for the co-expression of proteins in Escherichia coli were designed and constructed. The first system relies on the new vector, pGOOD, which is compatible with ColE1-type plasmids and sustains efficient co-expression of soluble protein complexes. The second system is based on the pGOOD1 vector (a derivative of pGOOD), useful for the production of toxic proteins, whose synthesis can be regulated by the co-expressed LacI repressor.     

In planta expression of a mature Der p 1 allergen isolated from an Italian strain of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus

European (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) and American (Dermatophagoides farinae) house dust mite species are considered the most common causes of asthma and allergic symptoms worldwide. Der p 1 protein, one of the main allergens of D. pteronyssinus, is found in high concentration in mites faecal pellets, which can became easily airborne and, when inhaled, can cause perennial rhinitis and bronchial asthma. Here we report the isolation of the Der p 1 gene from an Italian strain of D. pteronyssinus and the PVX-mediated expression of its mature form (I-rDer p 1) in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. Human sera from characterized allergic patients were used for IgE binding inhibition assays to test the immunological reactivity of I-rDer p 1 produced in N. benthamiana plants. The binding properties of in planta produced I-rDer p 1 versus the IgE of patients sera were comparable to those obtained on Der p 1 preparation immobilized on a microarray. In this paper we provide a proof of concept for the production of an immunologically active form of Der p 1 using a plant viral vector. These results pave the way for the development of diagnostic allergy tests based on in planta produced allergens.     

Cerebrospinal fluid top-down proteomics evidenced the potential biomarker role of LVV- and VV-hemorphin-7 in posterior cranial fossa pediatric brain tumors

Posterior cranial fossa is the most frequent location of pediatric brain tumors. Its diagnosis is currently performed by postsurgery histopathology and the identification of biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) could provide a less invasive tool. Patient CSF was collected during surgery before the tumor removal (PRE-CSF) and 6 days after the resection (POST-CSF) and analyzed by top down LC-MS proteomics for comparison. The PRE-CSFs generally exhibited a less complex LC-MS profile than the relative POST-CSFs suggesting a suppressive role of the tumor toward proteins and peptides production or release. Particularly, a panel of peptides, identified as alpha- and beta-hemoglobin chains fragments, were generally absent in the PRE-CSF and present in the POST ones independently from contaminant blood hemoglobin. Among them, the LVV- and VV-hemorphin-7 showed the most repeatable trend and with a few remarkable exceptions: their unusual absence in POST surgery CSF was in fact interestingly correlated to the presence of tumor in the patient despite surgery due to metastases or to subtotal resection. These results ascribed a relevant biological role to LVV- and VV-h7 peptides in the disease and a strong potential as biomarkers. Their analysis in POST surgery CSF could be used to predict patient prognosis.