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Background Beta-palmitate (sn-2 palmitate) mimics human milk fat, enabling easier digestion. Therefore, we hypothesized that infants consuming high beta-palmitate formula would have more frequent, softer stools and reduced crying compared to infants consuming low beta-palmitate formula. Methods Formula-fed infants were randomly assigned to receive either (1) formula with high beta-palmitate (HBP, n = 21) or (2) regular formula with a standard vegetable oil mix (LBP, n = 21). A matched group of breastfed infants served as a reference (BF, n = 21). Crying and stool characteristics data were recorded by the parents for 3 days before the 6- and 12-week visits. Results We found no significant differences in the stool frequency or consistency between the two formula groups. The percentage of crying infants in the LBP group was significantly higher than that in the HBP and BF groups during the evening at 6 weeks (88.2% vs. 56.3% and 55.6%, p < 0.05) and during the afternoon at 12 weeks (91.7% vs. 50.0% and 40%, p < 0.05). The infants fed HBP had significantly shorter crying durations when compared with infants fed LBP formula (14.90 ± 3.85 vs.63.96 ± 21.76 min/day, respectively; p = 0.047). Conclusions Our study indicates that consumption of a high beta-palmitate formula affects infant crying patterns during the first weeks of life. Comparable to breastfeeding, it reduced crying duration and frequency, primarily during the afternoon and evening hours, thereby improving the well-being of formula-fed infants and their parents. Trial registration NCT00874068 . Registration date March 31, 2009

Palmitoylation involves the reversible posttranslational addition of palmitate to cysteines and promotes membrane binding and subcellular localization. Recent advancements in the detection and identification of palmitoylated proteins have led to multiple palmitoylation proteomics studies but these datasets are contained within large supplemental tables, making downstream analysis and data mining time-consuming and difficult. Consequently, we curated the data from 15 palmitoylation proteomics studies into one compendium containing 1,838 genes encoding palmitoylated proteins; representing approximately 10% of the genome. Enrichment analysis revealed highly significant enrichments for Gene Ontology biological processes, pathway maps, and process networks related to the nervous system. Strikingly, 41% of synaptic genes encode a palmitoylated protein in the compendium. The top disease associations included cancers and diseases and disorders of the nervous system, with Schizophrenia, HD, and pancreatic ductal carcinoma among the top five, suggesting that aberrant palmitoylation may play a pivotal role in the balance of cell death and survival. This compendium provides a much-needed resource for cell biologists and the palmitoylation field, providing new perspectives for cancer and neurodegeneration.

Soaped palmitic acid (PA) has been reported to be excreted in stool after feeding infant formulas containing low sn-2 palmitate levels, which corresponds to high sn-1 or -3 palmitate levels. While an in vitro study showed that soaped PA inhibits the Bifidobacteria growth, few clinical studies have evaluated effects of soaped PA on intestinal environments of infants. In this study, we aimed to evaluate associations between increased fecal soaped PA levels and inhibition of growth of the intestinal microbiome using clinical data, and to evaluate changes in the intestinal environment with formula-feeding. This study was conducted as a secondary analysis to our observational study of Japanese 1-month-old infants (n = 172). Infant formulas were classified into high sn-2 formula (≥ 50%) and low sn-2 formula (< 50%) according to the sn-2 binding ratio of PA. Multiple regression analyses and path analysis were performed as statistical analyses. In the multiple regression analysis, the occupancy of Bifidobacteria was negatively correlated with the fecal soaped PA levels (β = -0.15, 95% confidence interval = -0.28- - 0.02). A path analysis suggested that low sn-2 formula feeding led to increased fecal soaped PA levels, decreased Bifidobacteria occupancy, and finally increased fecal pH. Our clinical data showed significant associations between higher fecal soaped PA levels and lower Bifidobacteria occupancy in the newborn gut, which agreed well with the report of the in vitro study. Our study also suggests that feeding infant formula with low sn-2 palmitate causes changes in the intestinal environment through an increase in fecal soaped palmitic acids.

Alcohol abuse is a widespread addiction globally, leading to long-term health issues and social consequences. Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and ethyl palmitate (EtPa) are frequently requested by local authorities, solicitors, or private individuals to assess long-term chronic excessive alcohol consumption. In this paper, we present a validation process aimed at developing sensitive methods for detecting EtG and EtPa in hair samples. EtG was extracted by overnight sonication in water followed by sample clean-up using solid phase extraction (SPE) and analysis by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). EtPa was extracted using a simple ultrasonication extraction followed by analysis using gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The analytical method was validated by assessing linearity, precision, accuracy, recovery, sensitivity, and selectivity. Both EtG and EtPa methods obtained a coefficient of determination (r2) above 0.999 across concentration ranges of 4, 8, 16, 24, 48, and 96 pg/mg and 120, 240, 360, 480, 600, and 720 pg/mg. Extraction recoveries were both close to 100% with stable retention times and proven sensitivity and selectivity. These methods were validated according to the standards set by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) Lab51 and ISO 17025.

Summary Soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) is a commodity crop highly valued for its protein and oil content. The high percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids in soybean oil results in low oxidative stability, which is a key parameter for usage in baking, high temperature frying applications, and affects shelf life of packaged products containing soybean oil. Introduction of a seed‐specific expression cassette carrying the Arabidopsis transcription factor WRINKLED1 (AtWRI1) into soybean, led to seed oil with levels of palmitate up to approximately 20%. Stacking of the AtWRI1 transgenic allele with a transgenic locus harbouring the mangosteen steroyl‐ACP thioesterase (GmFatA) resulted in oil with total saturates up to 30%. The creation of a triple stack in soybean, wherein the AtWRI1 and GmFatA alleles were combined with a FAD2‐1 silencing allele led to the synthesis of an oil with 28% saturates and approximately 60% oleate. Constructs were then assembled that carry a dual FAD2‐1 silencing element/GmFatA expression cassette, alone or combined with an AtWRI1 cassette. These plasmids are designated pPTN1289 and pPTN1301, respectively. Transgenic events carrying the T‐DNA of pPTN1289 displayed an oil with stearate levels between 18% and 25%, and oleate in the upper 60%, with reduced palmitate (<5%). While soybean events harboring transgenic alleles of pPTN1301 had similar levels of stearic and oleate levels as that of the pPTRN1289 events, but with levels of palmitate closer to wild type. The modified fatty acid composition results in an oil with higher oxidative stability, and functionality attributes for end use in baking applications.

The plastid genome of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) cv. Berkeley was site-specifically modified with the addition of three transgenes, which encoded β,β-carotenoid 3,3′-hydroxylase (CrtZ) and β,β-carotenoid 4,4′-ketolase (4,4′-oxygenase; CrtW) from a marine bacterium Brevundimonas sp. strain SD212, and isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase from a marine bacterium Paracoccus sp. strain N81106. Constructed transplastomic lettuce plants were able to grow on soil at a growth rate similar to that of non-transformed lettuce cv. Berkeley and generate flowers and seeds. The germination ratio of the lettuce transformants (T₀) (98.8 %) was higher than that of non-transformed lettuce (93.1 %). The transplastomic lettuce (T₁) leaves produced the astaxanthin fatty acid (myristate or palmitate) diester (49.2 % of total carotenoids), astaxanthin monoester (18.2 %), and the free forms of astaxanthin (10.0 %) and the other ketocarotenoids (17.5 %), which indicated that artificial ketocarotenoids corresponded to 94.9 % of total carotenoids (230 μg/g fresh weight). Native carotenoids were there lactucaxanthin (3.8 %) and lutein (1.3 %) only. This is the first report to structurally identify the astaxanthin esters biosynthesized in transgenic or transplastomic plants producing astaxanthin. The singlet oxygen-quenching activity of the total carotenoids extracted from the transplastomic leaves was similar to that of astaxanthin (mostly esterified) from the green algae Haematococcus pluvialis.

Three structural features of lipid A (addition of palmitate [C16 fatty acid], addition of aminoarabinose [positively charged amino sugar residue], and retention of 3-hydroxydecanoate [3-OH C10 fatty acid]) were determined for Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from patientswith cystic fibrosis (CF; n = 86), from the environment (n = 13), and from patients with other conditions (n = 14). Among P. aeruginosa CF isolates, 100% had lipid A with palmitate, 24.6% with aminoarabinose, and 33.3% retained 3-hydroxydecanoate. None of the isolates from the environment or from patients with other conditions displayed these modifications. These results indicate that unique lipid A modifications occur in clinical P. aeruginosa CF isolates.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients develop chronic airway infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA). Pseudomonas aeruginosa synthesized lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with a variety of penta- and hexa-acylated lipid A structures under different environmental conditions. CF patient PA synthesized LPS with specific lipid A structures indicating unique recognition of the CF airway environment. CF-specific lipid A forms containing palmitate and aminoarabinose were associated with resistance to cationic antimicrobial peptides and increased inflammatory responses, indicating that they are likely to be involved in airway disease.

To investigate the phenomic and genomic traits that allow green algae to survive in deserts, we characterized a ubiquitous species, Chloroidium sp. UTEX 3007, which we isolated from multiple locations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Metabolomic analyses of Chloroidium sp. UTEX 3007 indicated that the alga accumulates a broad range of carbon sources, including several desiccation tolerance-promoting sugars and unusually large stores of palmitate. Growth assays revealed capacities to grow in salinities from zero to 60 g/L and to grow heterotrophically on >40 distinct carbon sources. Assembly and annotation of genomic reads yielded a 52.5 Mbp genome with 8153 functionally annotated genes. Comparison with other sequenced green algae revealed unique protein families involved in osmotic stress tolerance and saccharide metabolism that support phenomic studies. Our results reveal the robust and flexible biology utilized by a green alga to successfully inhabit a desert coastline. Single-celled green algae, also known as green microalgae, play an important role for the world’s ecosystems, in part, because they can harness energy from sunlight to produce carbon-rich compounds. Microalgae are also important for biotechnology and people have harnessed them to make food, fuel and medicines. Green microalgae live in many types of habitats from streams to oceans, and they can also be found on the land, including in deserts. Like plants that live in the desert, these microalgae have likely evolved specific traits that allow them to live in these hot and dry regions. Yet, fewer scientists have studied microalgae compared to land plants, and until now it was not well understood how microalgae could survive in the desert. Nelson et al. analyzed green microalgae from different locations around the United Arab Emirates and found that one microalga, known as Chloroidium, is one of the most dominant algae in this area. This included samples from beaches, mangroves, desert oases, buildings and public fresh water sources. Chloroidium has a unique set of genes and proteins and grew particularly well in freshwater and saltwater. Rather than just harnessing sunlight, the microalgae were able to consume over 40 different varieties of carbon sources to produce energy. The microalgae also accumulated oily molecules with a similar composition to palm oil, which may help this species to survive in desert regions. A next step will be to develop biotechnological assets based on the information obtained. In the future, microalgae could be used to make an oil that represents an alternative to palm oil; this would reduce the demand for palm tree plantations, which pose a major threat to the natural environment. Moreover, understanding how microalgae can colonize a desert region will help us to understand the effects of climate change in the region.

The feasibility of using native lipase A from Candida antarctica (CAL-A) to esterify fatty acids with water-insoluble alcohols in the presence of excess water was investigated in stirred-tank reactors. For high reaction rates, a ratio of water:substrates of 0.6–1.4:1 (v/v) was required. CAL-A showed higher substrate selectivity for the esterification of saturated palmitic acid with branched-chain 2-ethyl-1-hexanol than for unsaturated oleic acid with linear alcohol (1-decanol). After 18 h at 70 °C in a 1.5 l bulk stirred-tank reactor, an 2-ethyl-1-hexyl palmitic acid ester was obtained near 100 % yield [molar ratio palmitic acid:2-ethyl-1-hexanol ~1:1.25, with 1.11 % (w/w) Novocor ADL (based on palmitic acid weight)].