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Scientific Reports Jun 2024Although pesticide-free techniques have been developed in agriculture, pesticides are still routinely used against weeds, pests, and pathogens worldwide. These...
Although pesticide-free techniques have been developed in agriculture, pesticides are still routinely used against weeds, pests, and pathogens worldwide. These agrochemicals pollute the environment and can negatively impact human health, biodiversity and ecosystem services. Acetamiprid, an approved neonicotinoid pesticide in the EU, may exert sub-lethal effects on pollinators and other organisms. However, our knowledge on the scope and severity of such effects is still incomplete. Our experiments focused on the effects of the insecticide formulation Mospilan (active ingredient: 20% acetamiprid) on the peripheral olfactory detection of a synthetic floral blend and foraging behaviour of buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) workers. We found that the applied treatment did not affect the antennal detection of the floral blend; however, it induced alterations in their foraging behaviour. Pesticide-treated individuals started foraging later, and the probability of finding the floral blend was lower than that of the control bumblebees. However, exposed bumblebees found the scent source faster than the controls. These results suggest that acetamiprid-containing Mospilan may disrupt the activity and orientation of foraging bumblebees. We hypothesize that the observed effects of pesticide exposure on foraging behaviour could be mediated through neurophysiological and endocrine mechanisms. We propose that future investigations should clarify whether such sub-lethal effects can affect pollinators' population dynamics and their ecosystem services.
Topics: Animals; Bees; Insecticides; Flowers; Odorants; Neonicotinoids; Pollination
PubMed: 38918480
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65388-4 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024In this study, synthesize and insight the corrosion inhibition properties of two novel derivatives of 1-naphthyl-2-cyanoacetamide (NCDs)...
In this study, synthesize and insight the corrosion inhibition properties of two novel derivatives of 1-naphthyl-2-cyanoacetamide (NCDs) [2-cyano-2-((5,6-dimethyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl) diazenyl)-N (naphthalene-1-yl)acetamide] (NCD1) and [2-Cyano-N-(naphthalene-1-yl)-2-[(4,6-dimethyl-1H-pyrazolo [3, 4-b] pyridine-3-yl) hydrazono] acetamide] (NCD2). The characterization of the synthesized NCDs was confirmed through the utilization of Mass fragmentation analysis, H-NMR, and IR. The corrosion inhibition performance of NCDs as a novel and environmentally safe corrosion inhibitor has been investigated by electrochemical techniques, a chemical technique, and theoretical studies for its anti-corrosion behavior of Inconel 800 in chloride medium. In addition, the surface morphology and inhibitor adsorption on the Inconel 800 surface were confirmed utilizing SEM, EDX, FTIR, and AFM. The advantages of NCDs include their low toxicity, environmental friendliness, ease of preparation, low odor, contain (N, O, and π-Bonds), and the inhibition efficiency elevated with decreasing solution temperature as well as inhibitor dose increase, yielding increased efficiencies of 91.8% and 95.7% for NCD1 and NCD2, respectively, at the optimum concentration of 21 10 mol. L and 298 K temperature. An analysis of Tafel plots reveals that NCDs adhere to a mixed and isothermal Langmuir adsorption mechanism. Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Monte Carlo (MC) simulation manifest the two compounds of NCDs can be adsorbed at the Fe (110) surface in a paralleled way, and can have a smaller energy gap (ΔE) value and exhibit higher efficiency. The experimental and theoretical findings confirm that the synthesized compounds obtained are capable of protecting the Inconel 800 from corrosion by creating an anti-corrosion coating on the surface.
PubMed: 38918473
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62795-5 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are metabolites pivotal in determining the aroma of various products. A well-known VOC producer of industrial importance is...
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are metabolites pivotal in determining the aroma of various products. A well-known VOC producer of industrial importance is Saccharomyces cerevisiae, partially responsible for flavor of beers and wines. We identified VOCs in beers produced by yeast strains characterized by improved aroma obtained in UV-induced mutagenesis. We observed significant increase in concentration of compounds in strains: 1214uv16 (2-phenylethyl acetate, 2- phenylethanol), 1214uv31 (2-ethyl henxan-1-ol), 1214uv33 (ethyl decanoate, caryophyllene). We observed decrease in production of 2-phenyethyl acetate in strain 1214uv33. Analysis of intracellular metabolites based on H NMR revealed that intracellular phenylalanine concentration was not changed in strains producing more phenylalanine related VOCs (1214uv16 and 1214uv33), so regulation of this pathway seems to be more sophisticated than is currently assumed. Metabolome analysis surprisingly showed the presence of 3-hydroxyisobutyrate, a product of valine degradation, which is considered to be absent in S. cerevisiae. Our results show that our knowledge of yeast metabolism including VOC production has gaps regarding synthesis pathways for individual metabolites and regulation mechanisms. Detailed analysis of 1214uv16 and 1214uv33 may enhance our knowledge of the regulatory mechanisms of VOC synthesis in yeast, and analysis of strain 1214uv31 may reveal the pathway of 2-ethyl henxan-1-ol biosynthesis.
Topics: Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Beer; Volatile Organic Compounds; Metabolome; Mutation; Odorants; Phenylethyl Alcohol; Fermentation; Phenylalanine; Metabolomics; Acetates
PubMed: 38918455
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64899-4 -
Environmental Science and Pollution... Jun 2024Offensive odors from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are caused by volatile inorganic compounds such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia and volatile organic compounds...
Offensive odors from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are caused by volatile inorganic compounds such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as toluene. To treat these pollutants, biofiltration is an effective and economical technology used worldwide due to its low investment and environmental impact. In this work, a laboratory-scale prototype biofilter unit for the simultaneous biofiltration of hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and toluene was evaluated by simulating the emission concentrations of the El Salitre WWTP Bogotá, Colombia, using a compost of chicken manure and sugarcane bagasse as packing material for the biofilter. The prototype biofilter unit was set to an operation flow rate of 0.089 m/h, an empty bed residence time (EBRT) of 60 s, and a volume of 0.007 m (6.6 L). The maximum removal efficiency were 96.9 ± 1.2% for HS, at a loading rate of 4.7 g/m h and a concentration of 79.1 mg/m, 68 ± 2% for NH, at a loading rate of 1.2 g/m3 h and a concentration of 2.0 mg/m, and 71.5 ± 4.0% for toluene, at a loading rate of 1.32 g/mh and a concentration of 2.3 mg/m. The removal efficiency of the three compounds decreased when the toluene concentration was increased above 40 mg/m. However, a recovery of the system was observed after reducing the toluene concentration and after 7 days of inactivity, indicating an inhibitory effect of toluene. These results demonstrate the potential use of the prototype biofilter unit for odor treatment in a WWTP.
PubMed: 38918297
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33757-1 -
PloS One 2024Humans have approximately 400 different olfactory receptors (hORs) and recognize odorants through the repertoire of hOR responses. Although the cell surface expression...
Humans have approximately 400 different olfactory receptors (hORs) and recognize odorants through the repertoire of hOR responses. Although the cell surface expression of hORs is critical to evaluate their response, hORs are poorly expressed on the surface of heterologous cells. To address this problem, previous studies have focused on hOR transportation to the membrane. Nevertheless, the response pattern of hORs to odorants has yet to be successfully linked, and the response sensitivity still remains to be improved. In this study, we demonstrate that increasing the transcriptional level can result in a significant increase in cell surface and functional expression of hORs. We used the TAR-Tat system, which increases the transcription efficiency through positive feedback, and found that OR1A1, OR6N2, and OR51M1 exhibited robust expression. Moreover, this system induces enhanced hOR responses to odorants, thus defining four hORs as novel n-hexanal receptors and n-hexanal is an inverse agonist to one of them. Our results suggested that using the TAR-Tat system and increasing the transcriptional level of hORs can help understanding the relationship between hORs and odorants that were previously undetectable. This finding could facilitate the understanding of the sense of smell by decoding the repertoire of hOR responses.
Topics: Receptors, Odorant; Humans; Transcription, Genetic; Odorants; Aldehydes
PubMed: 38917199
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306029 -
Oxford Open Neuroscience 2024The marble-burying test is a pharmacologically validated paradigm used to study anxiety-like behaviors in laboratory rodents. Our laboratory has employed this assay as...
The marble-burying test is a pharmacologically validated paradigm used to study anxiety-like behaviors in laboratory rodents. Our laboratory has employed this assay as part of a behavioral screen to examine drug-induced negative affective states. Historically, the majority of our prior binge alcohol-drinking studies employed male subjects exclusively and reliably detected adolescent-adult differences in both basal and alcohol withdrawal-induced negative affect. However, age-related differences in marble-burying behavior were either absent or opposite those observed in our prior work when female subjects were included in the experimental design. As chemosensory cues from females are reported to be anxiolytic in males, the present study examined how odors from adult members of the opposite and same sex (obtained from soiled bedding) influence marble-burying behavior in adult, as well as adolescent, mice. Control studies examined the responsiveness of mice in the presence of novel neutral (vanilla) and aversive (tea tree) odors. Adult males exhibited reduced signs of anxiety-like behavior in the presence of female-soiled bedding, while adult females and adolescent mice of both sexes increased marble-burying behavior in the presence of both male- and female-soiled bedding. All mice exhibited increased burying in the presence of an aversive odor, while only adolescents increased marble-burying in response to the novel neutral odor. These data indicate sex by age interactions in the effects of volatile and nonvolatile odors from sexually-naive adult conspecifics on indices of anxiety-like behavior in the marble-burying test of relevance to the experimental design and procedural timing of experiments including sex as a biological variable.
PubMed: 38915792
DOI: 10.1093/oons/kvae009 -
Current Addiction Reports Apr 2024Stress is associated with alcohol drinking, and epidemiological studies document the comorbidity of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),...
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Stress is associated with alcohol drinking, and epidemiological studies document the comorbidity of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with higher comorbid prevalence in females than in males. The aim of this paper is to highlight information related to sex differences in stress-enhanced alcohol drinking from clinical studies and from preclinical studies utilizing an animal model of traumatic stress.
RECENT FINDINGS
Stress is associated with alcohol drinking and relapse in males and females, but there are sex differences in the alcohol-related adaptation of stress pathways and in the association of different prefrontal regions with stress-induced anxiety. The predator stress model of traumatic stress produced enhanced alcohol drinking in a subgroup of stress-sensitive male and female animals, which could be associated with sex and subgroup differences in stress axis responsivity, behavioral responses to predator odors, and epigenetic mechanisms engaged by traumatic experiences.
SUMMARY
While additional studies in females are necessary, existing clinical and preclinical evidence suggests that biological mechanisms underlying stress-enhanced drinking likely differ between males and females. Thus, effective treatment strategies may differ between the sexes.
PubMed: 38915732
DOI: 10.1007/s40429-023-00540-0 -
BioRxiv : the Preprint Server For... Jun 2024Mice are able to navigate an odor plume with a complex spatiotemporal structure in the dark to find the source of odorants. We developed a protocol to monitor behavior...
UNLABELLED
Mice are able to navigate an odor plume with a complex spatiotemporal structure in the dark to find the source of odorants. We developed a protocol to monitor behavior and record Ca transients in dorsal CA1 stratum pyramidale neurons at the hippocampus (dCA1) in mice navigating an odor plume in a 50 cm x 50 cm x 25 cm odor arena. Ca transients were imaged by an epifluorescence miniscope focused through a GRIN lens on dCA1 neurons expressing the calcium sensor GCaMP6f in Thy1-GCaMP6f mice. We describe the behavioral protocol to train the mice to perform this odor plume navigation task in an automated odor arena. We provide the step-by-step procedure for the surgery for GRIN lens implantation and baseplate placement for imaging GCaMP6f in CA1. We provide information on real time tracking of the mouse position to automate the start of the trials and delivery of a sugar water reward. In addition, we provide information on the use of an Intan board to synchronize metadata describing the automation of the odor navigation task and frame times for the miniscope and a FLIR camera tracking mouse position. Moreover, we delineate the pipeline used to process GCaMP6f fluorescence movies by motion correction using NorMCorre followed by identification of regions of interest (ROIs) with EXTRACT. Finally, we describe use of artificial neural network (ANN) machine learning to decode spatial paths from CA1 neural ensemble activity to predict mouse navigation of the odor plume.
SUMMARY
This protocol describes how to investigate the brain-behavior relationship in hippocampal CA1 in mice navigating an odor plume. We provide a step-by-step protocol including the surgery to access imaging of the hippocampus, behavioral training, miniscope GCaMP6f recording and processing of the brain and behavioral data to decode the mouse position from ROI neural activity.
PubMed: 38915584
DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.12.598681 -
BMC Plant Biology Jun 2024Monoterpenes are among the most important volatile aromatic compounds contributing to the flavor and aroma of grapes and wine. However, the molecular basis of...
BACKGROUND
Monoterpenes are among the most important volatile aromatic compounds contributing to the flavor and aroma of grapes and wine. However, the molecular basis of monoterpene biosynthesis has not yet been fully elucidated.
RESULTS
In our study, transcriptomics and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used to mine candidate genes and transcription factors involved in monoterpene biosynthesis between high-monoterpene and zero-monoterpene table grape cultivars. We found that monoterpene biosynthesis was positively correlated by the expression of five genes encoding 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase (VvDXSs), one encoding 4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-enyl diphosphate reductase (VvHDR), three hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthases (VvHMGSs) and one mevalonate kinase (VvMVK), whereas the expression of one isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase (VvIDI) and one 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (VvHMGR) negatively correlated monoterpene biosynthesis. Of these genes, VvIDI was selected to validate its function in monoterpene accumulation through a transient overexpression experiment, and was shown to inhibit the biosynthesis of grape linalool and α-terpineol. Meanwhile, we found that a 64-amino acid extension sequence at the N-terminus can guide the VvIDI protein to target the chloroplast.
CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this study should help to guide future functional analysis of key genes as well as mining the potential regulatory mechanism of monoterpene biosynthesis in grapes and grape products.
Topics: Vitis; Monoterpenes; Carbon-Carbon Double Bond Isomerases; Transcriptome; Plant Proteins; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Odorants; Hemiterpenes
PubMed: 38914931
DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-05306-y -
Biochemical and Biophysical Research... Jun 2024Insect olfactory receptors (ORs) are seven-transmembrane domain ion channels that function by forming heteromeric complexes with olfactory receptor co-receptors (Orcos)....
Insect olfactory receptors (ORs) are seven-transmembrane domain ion channels that function by forming heteromeric complexes with olfactory receptor co-receptors (Orcos). In this study, we investigated the potential for enhancing sensitivity of odor detection and responsivity through genetic modification of Orcos, considering its wider application in odor sensing. First, we measured the intensity of response to 1-octen-3-ol for the mosquito Aedes aegypti OR (AaOR8) when complexed individually with an Orco from the same mosquito (AaOrco), the honeybee Apis mellifera (AmOrco), the silkworm Bombyx mori (BmOrco), or the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster (DmOrco). Relative to the other Orcos, AmOrco demonstrated higher sensitivity and responsivity, with a 1.8 to 21-fold decrease in the half-maximal effective concentration (EC) and a 1.6-8.8-fold increase in the maximal effect (E), respectively. Furthermore, AmOrco co-expressed with AaOR10, BmOR56, or DmOR47a showed higher sensitivity and responsivity than AaOrco, BmOrco, or DmOrco co-expressed with their respective ORs. To further increase sensitivity and responsivity, we engineered chimeric Orcos by fusing AmOrco with DmOrco, considering the domain characteristics of Orcos. The response to 1-octen-3-ol was evaluated for AaOR8 when complexed individually with AmOrco, as well as for a mutant that combines DmOrco from the N-terminal (NT) to the C-terminal region of the fourth transmembrane domain (TM4) with the region of AmOrco following TM4 (Dm[NT-TM4]AmOrco). When compared to AmOrco, Dm(NT-TM4)AmOrco showed higher sensitivity and responsivity, with a 1.4-fold decrease in the EC and a 1.4-fold increase in the E, respectively. In addition, Dm(NT-TM4)AmOrco co-expressed with either DmOR47a or BmOR56 demonstrated higher sensitivity and responsivity than AmOrco co-expressed with their respective ORs. These results suggest that AmOrco could be a relatively more sensitive Orco, and further enhancement of sensitivity and responsivity could be achieved through recombination with heterologous Orcos near the TM4 of AmOrco.
PubMed: 38914041
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.150273