Publications

the starch-bound alpha-amylase/trypsin-inhibitors in avena.	oat kernels exhibit an extra-soft texture, a trait recently demonstrated to be largely modulated by starch-bound tryptophan-rich 2s proteins, the vromindolines. in this study, fractionation by two-dimensional electrophoresis of starch-bound proteins in 25 oat (avena sativa) cultivars and 11 diploid or tetraploid avena species revealed novel 2s proteins called avena α-amylase/trypsin-inhibitors (aati) because of their sequence similarity with wheat α-amylase/trypsin inhibitors. thirty-seven aati ...	2016	27495179
post-translational control of protein function with light using a lov-intein fusion protein.	methods for the post-translational control of protein function with light hold much value as tools in cell biology. to this end, we report a fusion protein that consists of dnae split-inteins, flanking the light sensitive lov2 domain of avena sativa. the resulting chimera combines the activities of these two unrelated proteins to enable controlled formation of a functional protein via upregulation of intein splicing with blue light in bacterial and human cells.	2016	26940144
evidence that phytochrome functions as a protein kinase in plant light signalling.	it has been suggested that plant phytochromes are autophosphorylating serine/threonine kinases. however, the biochemical properties and functional roles of putative phytochrome kinase activity in plant light signalling are largely unknown. here, we describe the biochemical and functional characterization of avena sativa phytochrome a (asphya) as a potential protein kinase. we provide evidence that phytochrome-interacting factors (pifs) are phosphorylated by phytochromes in vitro. domain mapping ...	2016	27173885
subgenome-specific assembly of vitamin e biosynthesis genes and expression patterns during seed development provide insight into the evolution of oat genome.	vitamin e is essential for humans and thus must be a component of a healthy diet. among the cereal grains, hexaploid oats (avena sativa l.) have high vitamin e content. to date, no gene sequences in the vitamin e biosynthesis pathway have been reported for oats. using deep sequencing and orthology-guided assembly, coding sequences of genes for each step in vitamin e synthesis in oats were reconstructed, including resolution of the sequences of homeologs. three homeologs, presumably representing ...	2016	27135276
oats-from farm to fork.	oats have a long history of use as human food and animal feed. from its origins in the fertile crescent, the oat has adapted to a wide range of climatic conditions and geographic regions. its unique macro-, micro-, and phytonutrient composition, high nutritional value, and relatively low agricultural input requirements makes oats unique among cereal crops. the health benefits of the oats are becoming well established. while the connection between oat β-glucan fiber in reducing the risk of cardio ...	2016	26944101
unfolding of the c-terminal jα helix in the lov2 photoreceptor domain observed by time-resolved vibrational spectroscopy.	light-triggered reactions of biological photoreceptors have gained immense attention for their role as molecular switches in their native organisms and for optogenetic application. the light, oxygen, and voltage 2 (lov2) sensing domain of plant phototropin binds a c-terminal jα helix that is docked on a β-sheet and unfolds upon light absorption by the flavin mononucleotide (fmn) chromophore. in this work, the signal transduction pathway of lov2 from avena sativa was investigated using time-resol ...	2016	27537211
c-banding of plant chromosomes.	c-banding is used to differentially stain metaphase chromosomes in organisms having appreciable amounts of constitutive heterochromatin. its primary benefits are that it is an inexpensive and a relatively fast method of identifying individual chromosomes and morphological or karyotypic variation, including large chromosomal rearrangements and aneuploidies. we currently employ this technique with considerable effect in genome analysis of oat (avena sativa) and related grass species, though it has ...	2016	27511162
evidence for an early origin of vernalization responsiveness in temperate pooideae grasses.	the ability of plants to match their reproductive output with favorable environmental conditions has major consequences both for lifetime fitness and geographic patterns of diversity. in temperate ecosystems, some plant species have evolved the ability to use winter nonfreezing cold (vernalization) as a cue to ready them for spring flowering. however, it is unknown how important the evolution of vernalization responsiveness has been for the colonization and subsequent diversification of taxa wit ...	2016	27474116
femtosecond to millisecond dynamics of light induced allostery in the avena sativa lov domain.	the rational engineering of photosensor proteins underpins the field of optogenetics, in which light is used for spatiotemporal control of cell signaling. optogenetic elements function by converting electronic excitation of an embedded chromophore into structural changes on the microseconds to seconds time scale, which then modulate the activity of output domains responsible for biological signaling. using time-resolved vibrational spectroscopy coupled with isotope labeling, we have mapped the s ...	2017	28068090
chromosomal distribution patterns of the (ac)10 microsatellite and other repetitive sequences, and their use in chromosome rearrangement analysis of species of the genus avena.	fluorescence in situ hybridization (fish) was used to determine the physical location of the (ac)10 microsatellite in metaphase chromosomes of six diploid species (aa or cc genomes), two tetraploid species (aacc genome), and five cultivars of two hexaploid species (aaccdd genome) of the genus avena, a genus in which genomic relationships remain obscure. a preferential distribution of the (ac)10 microsatellite in the pericentromeric and interstitial regions was seen in both the a- and d-genome ch ...	2017	28156137
free asparagine and sugars profile of cereal species: the potential of cereals for acrylamide formation in foods.	cereals-based food is one of the major source of maillard reaction products in the diet. free amino acids and reducing sugars are considered to be the main precursors in the formation of these heat-induced compounds. in order to determine genetic resources with reduced potential for acrylamide formation, the content of sugars as well as free asparagine were analysed in a total of 30 cultivars of 10 varieties belonging to eight species (triticum aestivum var. lutescens, t. aestivum var. alba, t. ...	2017	28150529
2-de separation and identification of oat (avena sativa l.) proteins and their prolamin fractions.	at present two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-de) is the most widely used proteomic tool, which enables simultaneous separation of even thousands of proteins with a high degree of resolution. the quality of 2-de separation depends on the type of biological material used as a protein source. the presence of interfering compounds (e.g., phenols, as it is the fact in plant material including oat seeds) impedes 2-de run. with the use of this technique it is possible to analyze the ...	2017	28132155
investigations of human myosin vi targeting using optogenetically controlled cargo loading.	myosins play countless critical roles in the cell, each requiring it to be activated at a specific location and time. to control myosin vi with this specificity, we created an optogenetic tool for activating myosin vi by fusing the light-sensitive avena sativa phototropin1 lov2 domain to a peptide from dab2 (lovdab), a myosin vi cargo protein. our approach harnesses the native targeting and activation mechanism of myosin vi, allowing direct inferences on myosin vi function. lovdab robustly recru ...	2017	28193860
unraveling the evolutionary dynamics of ancient and recent polypoidization events in avena (poaceae).	understanding the diversification of polyploid crops in the circum-mediterranean region is a challenging issue in evolutionary biology. sequence data of three nuclear genes and three plastid dna fragments from 109 accessions of avena l. (poaceae) and the outgroups were used for maximum likelihood and bayesian analyses. the evolution of cultivated oat (avena sativa l.) and its close relatives was inferred to have involved ancient allotetraploidy and subsequent recent allohexaploidy events. the cr ...	2017	28157193
wide hybridization between oat and pearl millet.	wide hybridization is a one of the important techniques in plant breeding. oat (avena sativa l.) and pearl millet (pennisetum glaucum l.) belong to different subfamilies of poaceae. in generally, such distant relative species show uniparental chromosome elimination after successful fertilization. however, all seven pearl millet chromosomes are retained beside the genome of oat during embryogenesis. hybrid seedlings develop, but show necrosis after light irradiation. here, a detailed protocol for ...	2017	28132141
oat anther culture and use of dh-lines for genetic mapping.	possibility to make doubled haploids (dhs) from varying crossing populations is a useful tool for enhancing cultivar breeding, and a source of valuable material for genetic research. oats is reported to be recalcitrant in anther culture with low response and genotype dependency. however, the best recoveries reported have reached up to 30 green regenerants per 100 isolated anthers, which clearly addresses the potential of this technique. in this chapter, one successful oat anther culture protocol ...	2017	28132144
advances on the determination of thresholds of cu phytotoxicity in field-contaminated soils in central chile.	to better determine phytotoxicity thresholds for metals in the soil, studies should use actual field-contaminated soil samples rather than metal-spiked soil preparations. however, there are surprisingly few such data available for cu phytotoxicity in field-contaminated soils. moreover, these studies differ from each other with regards to soil characteristics and experimental setups. this study aimed at more accurately estimating cu phytotoxicity thresholds using field-collected agricultural soil ...	2017	28131477
m13-tailed simple sequence repeat (ssr) markers in studies of genetic diversity and population structure of common oat germplasm.	simple sequence repeat (ssr) markers are one of the most frequently used molecular markers in studies of crop diversity and population structure. this is due to their uniform distribution in the genome, the high polymorphism, reproducibility, and codominant character. additional advantages are the possibility of automatic analysis and simple interpretation of the results. the m13 tagged pcr reaction significantly reduces the costs of analysis by the automatic genetic analyzers. here, we also dis ...	2017	28132150
antiproliferative activity of vitexin-2-o-xyloside and avenanthramides on caco-2 and hepg2 cancer cells occurs through apoptosis induction and reduction of pro-survival mechanisms.	caco-2 colon cancer cells and hepg2 liver cancer cells represent two malignant cell lines, which show a high resistance to apoptosis induced by the conventional anticancer drugs. vitexin-2-o-xyloside (xvx) and avenanthramides (avns) are naturally occurring dietary agents from beta vulgaris var. cicla l. and avena sativa l., respectively. the aim of this work was to evaluate the antiproliferative effects and the reduction of the pro-survival mechanisms exerted by xvx and avns, used individually a ...	2017	28283822
residual soil nitrate content and profitability of five cropping systems in northwest iowa.	many communities in the midwestern united states obtain their drinking water from shallow alluvial wells that are vulnerable to contamination by no3-n from the surrounding agricultural landscape. the objective of this research was to assess cropping systems with the potential to produce a reasonable return for farmers while simultaneously reducing the risk of no3-n movement into these shallow aquifers. from 2009 to 2013 we conducted a field experiment in northwest iowa in which we evaluated five ...	2017	28248976
protocol for producing synthetic polyploid oats.	a protocol to produce synthetic oats by introducing alien genetic variations into cultivated oats is proposed based on suitable genetic relationships between avena species. furthermore, artificial hybridization procedures between different ploidy species are explained. amphiploids can be produced by rescuing aborted embryos and treating the f1 hybrids with colchicine to overcome sterility between interspecific plants. furthermore, i present the cytological methods for observing somatic and meiot ...	2017	28132142
oat doubled haploids following maize pollination.	doubled haploids (dhs) are an important tool for the accelerated production of new crop varieties. in oat, dhs were first produced by pollinating oat florets with maize pollen. the resultant embryos spontaneously eliminate the maize chromosomes leaving a haploid complement of oat chromosomes. these embryos can be cultured in vitro using the "embryo rescue" technique to produce haploid plants whose chromosome number can be doubled with colchicine to produce homozygous dh oat plants.	2017	28132140
extraction, chemical characterization and antioxidant activity of litchi chinensis sonn. and avena sativa l. seeds extracts obtained from pressurized n-butane.	the extraction of litchi (litchi chinensis sonn.) and oat (avena sativa l.) seeds were investigated using n-butane as pressurized solvent by evaluating the effect of pressure in the range of 7-100 bar and temperature from 25 to 70 °c on the extract yield and chemical composition together with the antioxidant activity of the extracts obtained. it was experimentally observed extraction yields for both seeds up to ~3.5 wt%, with a total phenolic content around 126.4 mg gae/100 g of extract, and an ...	2017	28298700
isolation of oat (avena sativa l.) total proteins and their prolamin fractions for 2d electrophoresis.	appropriate sample preparation is essential to obtaining good results of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-de). for various reasons (particularly phenolic compounds, proteolytic enzymes, and cell-wall mucilages) the extraction of proteins from plant material, among them oat proteins, is difficult. during isolation all soluble substances that may interfere with the analysis (especially isoelectric focusing) are removed, and proteins of interest are separated from the remains. however, the ap ...	2017	28132154
neighbour presence, not identity, influences root and shoot allocation in pea.	competition is a key feature that structures the composition of plant communities. a growing body of evidence is showing that the presence of neighbours, especially belowground neighbours, induces varied morphological responses in plants. however, in many species, it is not known whether neighbour identity also influences plant morphological responses such as biomass allocation patterns. to assess plant response to above- and belowground neighbour presence and identity, we conducted a greenhouse ...	2017	28291827
acute effects of a wild green-oat (avena sativa) extract on cognitive function in middle-aged adults: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subjects trial.	a wild green-oats extract (neuravena(®)) containing a range of potentially bioactive components, including flavonoids and triterpene saponins, has previously been shown to enhance animal stress responses and memory, and improve cognitive performance in humans at a dose of 1600 mg. methods this double-blind, placebo-controlled, counterbalanced cross-over study assessed the effects of single doses of the green-oat extract (goe) across a broad range of cognitive domains in healthy adults aged 40-65 ...	2017	26618715
influence of some plant extracts on the transdermal absorption and penetration of marker penetrants.	plant extracts are commonly used in a number of cosmetics and topical pharmaceuticals. the effects on such extracts on the subsequent dermal absorption and penetration of other cosmetic ingredients needs to be evaluated.	2017	27027912
laboratory silo type and inoculation effects on nutritional composition, fermentation, and bacterial and fungal communities of oat silage.	the objectives were to evaluate (1) the use of 2 types of experimental silos (s) to characterize whole-crop oat (avena sativa l.) silage with or without addition of an inoculant (i), and (2) the effect of inoculation on the microbial community structure of oats ensiled using only plastic bucket silos (bkt). from each of 6 sections in a field, oats were harvested, treated (ino) or not (con) with inoculant, packed into 19-l bkt or vacuum bags (bg), and ensiled for 217 d. the inoculant added contai ...	2017	28088418
the primary photophysics of the avena sativa phototropin 1 lov2 domain observed with time-resolved emission spectroscopy.	the phototropins are blue-light receptors that base their light-dependent action on the reversible formation of a covalent bond between a flavin mononucleotide (fmn) cofactor and a conserved cysteine in light, oxygen or voltage (lov) domains. the primary reactions of the avena sativa phototropin 1 lov2 domain were investigated by means of time-resolved and low-temperature fluorescence spectroscopy. synchroscan streak camera experiments revealed a fluorescence lifetime of 2.2 ns in lov2. a weak l ...	2017	21261629