Syngenta

About: Syngenta is a company organization based out in Basel, Switzerland. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Gene. The organization has 4724 authors who have published 6036 publications receiving 164311 citations. The organization is also known as: Syngenta & Syngenta AG.

S -nitrosylation of NADPH oxidase regulates cell death in plant immunity

Abstract: Changes in redox status are a conspicuous feature of immune responses in a variety of eukaryotes, but the associated signalling mechanisms are not well understood. In plants, attempted microbial infection triggers the rapid synthesis of nitric oxide and a parallel accumulation of reactive oxygen intermediates, the latter generated by NADPH oxidases related to those responsible for the pathogen-activated respiratory burst in phagocytes. Both nitric oxide and reactive oxygen intermediates have been implicated in controlling the hypersensitive response, a programmed execution of plant cells at sites of attempted infection. However, the molecular mechanisms that underpin their function and coordinate their synthesis are unknown. Here we show genetic evidence that increases in cysteine thiols modified using nitric oxide, termed S-nitrosothiols, facilitate the hypersensitive response in the absence of the cell death agonist salicylic acid and the synthesis of reactive oxygen intermediates. Surprisingly, when concentrations of S-nitrosothiols were high, nitric oxide function also governed a negative feedback loop limiting the hypersensitive response, mediated by S-nitrosylation of the NADPH oxidase, AtRBOHD, at Cys 890, abolishing its ability to synthesize reactive oxygen intermediates. Accordingly, mutation of Cys 890 compromised S-nitrosothiol-mediated control of AtRBOHD activity, perturbing the magnitude of cell death development. This cysteine is evolutionarily conserved and specifically S-nitrosylated in both human and fly NADPH oxidase, suggesting that this mechanism may govern immune responses in both plants and animals.

The future of the global food system

Abstract: Although food prices in major world markets are at or near a historical low, there is increasing concern about food security-the ability of the world to provide healthy and environmentally sustainable diets for all its peoples. This article is an introduction to a collection of reviews whose authors were asked to explore the major drivers affecting the food system between now and 2050. A first set of papers explores the main factors affecting the demand for food (population growth, changes in consumption patterns, the effects on the food system of urbanization and the importance of understanding income distributions) with a second examining trends in future food supply (crops, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture, and 'wild food'). A third set explores exogenous factors affecting the food system (climate change, competition for water, energy and land, and how agriculture depends on and provides ecosystem services), while the final set explores cross-cutting themes (food system economics, food wastage and links with health). Two of the clearest conclusions that emerge from the collected papers are that major advances in sustainable food production and availability can be achieved with the concerted application of current technologies (given sufficient political will), and the importance of investing in research sooner rather than later to enable the food system to cope with both known and unknown challenges in the coming decades.

ESOL: Estimating Aqueous Solubility Directly from Molecular Structure

Abstract: This paper describes a simple method for estimating the aqueous solubility (ESOL − Estimated SOLubility) of a compound directly from its structure. The model was derived from a set of 2874 measured solubilities using linear regression against nine molecular properties. The most significant parameter was calculated logPoctanol, followed by molecular weight, proportion of heavy atoms in aromatic systems, and number of rotatable bonds. The model performed consistently well across three validation sets, predicting solubilities within a factor of 5−8 of their measured values, and was competitive with the well-established “General Solubility Equation” for medicinal/agrochemical sized molecules.

Novel bacillus thuringiensis genes coding toxins active against lepidopteran pests

Abstract: The present invention is drawn to novel toxin genes purified and isolated from Bacillus thuringiensis var kurstaki and given the designations CrylE(c) and CrylE(d). The novel toxin genes encode proteins of approximately 130 kDa in size and are active against Lepidopteran insects. Also included in the invention are the proteins encoded by CrylE(c) and CrylE(d). Further disclosed are recombinant genes and proteins derived from CrylE(c) and CrylE(d). Also provided are biologically pure bacterial strains transformed with at least one of the novel toxin genes which can be used in entomocidal formulations for the control of Lepidopteran insects. Yet another aspect of the invention are plants transformed with at least one of the toxin genes or active fragments thereof, particularly where the transforming sequences have been optimized for expression in maize.