Project description:<p>Bibenzyls are a specialized metabolite class found throughout the plant kingdom. One of the most prolific producers of bibenzyls are liverworts, specifically plants of the <em>Radula</em> genera. These plants possess an incredible diversity of bibenzyls, prenylated bibenzyls and a few (bis)bibenzyls, several of which have medicinal properties, including perrottetinene, an analog of tetrahydrocannabinol from cannabis. To provide insight into the bibenzyls’ biosynthesis <em>in planta</em>, exogenous phytohormones were applied to <em>in vitro</em> grown <em>Radula complanata</em> and bibenzyl metabolite production was monitored with targeted and untargeted metabolomics. The targeted metabolomic analysis of six prenylated bibenzyls revealed that production of these metabolites was largely reduced when plants were treated with abscisic acid (AA), salicylic acid (SA), 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) or 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). The reduction of these metabolites in the BAP and NAA treatment suggests that prenylated bibenzyl production is negatively correlated with vegetative plant growth. The reduction of bibenzyls at low AA and SA concentrations and mild increase at higher AA and SA concentrations suggest that their production is regulated by these stress hormones. In addition, six other bibenzyl metabolites were tentatively identified from the untargeted analysis. These results provide insight into the influence of phytohormones on the bioactive bibenzyl content of <em>R. complanata</em>.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Targeted metabolomics </strong>is reported in the current study <a href='https://www.ebi.ac.uk/metabolights/MTBLS4321' rel='noopener noreferrer' target='_blank'><strong>MTBLS4321</strong></a>.</p><p><strong>Untargeted metabolomics</strong> is reported in <a href='https://www.ebi.ac.uk/metabolights/MTBLS3563' rel='noopener noreferrer' target='_blank'><strong>MTBLS3563</strong></a>.</p>
Project description:<p>Bibenzyls are a specialized metabolite class found throughout the plant kingdom. One of the most prolific producers of bibenzyls are liverworts, specifically plants of the <em>Radula</em> genera. These plants possess an incredible diversity of bibenzyls, prenylated bibenzyls and a few (bis)bibenzyls, several of which have medicinal properties, including perrottetinene, an analog of tetrahydrocannabinol from cannabis. To provide insight into the bibenzyls’ biosynthesis <em>in planta</em>, exogenous phytohormones were applied to <em>in vitro</em> grown <em>Radula complanata</em> and bibenzyl metabolite production was monitored with targeted and untargeted metabolomics. The targeted metabolomic analysis of six prenylated bibenzyls revealed that production of these metabolites was largely reduced when plants were treated with abscisic acid (AA), salicylic acid (SA), 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) or 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). The reduction of these metabolites in the BAP and NAA treatment suggests that prenylated bibenzyl production is negatively correlated with vegetative plant growth. The reduction of bibenzyls at low AA and SA concentrations and mild increase at higher AA and SA concentrations suggest that their production is regulated by these stress hormones. In addition, six other bibenzyl metabolites were tentatively identified from the untargeted analysis. These results provide insight into the influence of phytohormones on the bioactive bibenzyl content of <em>R. complanata</em>.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Untargeted metabolomics</strong> is reported in the current study <a href='https://www.ebi.ac.uk/metabolights/MTBLS3563' rel='noopener noreferrer' target='_blank'><strong>MTBLS3563</strong></a>.</p><p><strong>Targeted metabolomics</strong> is reported in <a href='https://www.ebi.ac.uk/metabolights/MTBLS4321' rel='noopener noreferrer' target='_blank'><strong>MTBLS4321</strong></a>.</p>
Project description:Municipal effluents are well-recognized as disrupting sexual differentiation and reproduction in mussels. However, the contribution to this problem made by rainfall combined with sewer overflow (increased by rain due to climate change) is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to compare the neuroendocrine effects of municipal discharge and rainfall overflow on caged endemic mussel Elliptio complanata. To this end, mussels were experimentally caged and placed for 3 months at a municipal effluent dispersion plume site and at overflow sites. Data revealed that downstream surface water contained some pharmaceuticals (caffeine and carbamazepine) and accumulated significant levels of heterotrophic bacteria, but these effects were not observed at the overflow sites. The principal effects observed at the downstream site were increased soft tissue mass (and gonad index), inflammation, and Vtg proteins in male mussels as determined by a novel immunostaining methodology. The rainfall overflow sites had no effects on these markers, but were specifically associated with reduced Vtg proteins in females, dopamine (Dop), gonad lipids, and DNA strand breaks, with increased metallothioneins. In conclusion, the observed feminizing effects of municipal effluent were not additionally observed in mussels caged at rainfall overflow sites, although the latter exhibited a different pattern of toxicity.