#aquaporin

[ronaldreaganfan]

biology lesson!

on our cell membranes, there are channels, or “gates,” which allow the movement of ions through the cell membrane, some of them being potassium gate or sodium gate.

another type of channel is called aquaporin, which regulates water flow inside and outside of the cell. aquaporin is also known as as H2O gate, or watergate!

[whats-in-a-sentence]

Specifically, it was unclear whether water movement into plant cells was limited to the diffusion of water molecules across the plasma membrane's lipid bilayer or if it also involved diffusion through protein-lined pores (Figure 3.14). (...) This uncertainty was put to rest in 1991 with the discovery of aquaporins (see Figure 3.14).

"Plant Physiology and Development" int'l 6e - Taiz, L., Zeiger, E., Møller, I.M., Murphy, A.

[gillianthecat]

more about my beloved

aquaporins

... each one can allow passage (through the cell membrane) of up to 3 billion! water molecules per second. And this is even though the channel only fits 10 water molecules at once.

[lindalibraloca]

Aquaporines and their role in skincare - Do you need them? Ask Doctor Anne

Do you want to know the truth about aquaporines and their role in skincare? Doctor Anne is here to help! In this video, Doctor Anne explains what aquaporines are, how they impact the skin, and whether everyone needs them in their skincare routine or not. Discover what the science really says so you can make the right decision for you. 

[facialcupping]

🇫🇷 SOMMES-NOUS DES AQUAPORINES ?

L' #eau et le systeme des aquaporines,

Simple question aujourd’hui, car nous sommes perméable à l’eau… 1/ PERMÉABILITÉ DES VAISSEAUX SANGUINS Une de leurs particularités est leur perméabilité. Certains sont nommés fenestrés d’autres non. De fait, en fonction de la taille des pores dans la paroi du vaisseau, les toxines passent. C’est le cas des vaisseaux sous-cutanés, il y a réseau sous-épidermique fenestré qui est mis à profit par…

[thefaestolemyname]

Done. I'm done studying.

Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, Vmax, and aquaporins can go jump in a lake until tomorrow.

No more of this.

It is the sleepy times now.

[pdfelite-store]

[PDF] MIPs and Their Role in the Exchange of Metalloids Charles Hachez, Fran?ois Chaumont (auth.), Thomas P. Jahn PhD, Gerd P. Bienert PhD (eds.) Sixteen years have passed since human aq... https://pdfelite.com/product/pdf-mips-and-their-role-in-the-exchange-of-metalloids-charles-hachez-franois-chaumont-auth-thomas-p-jahn-phd-gerd-p-bienert-phd-eds-2/?feed_id=24058&_unique_id=663a2991cfe2a

[yolav]

Crop Mitigation and Improvement Approaches

The challenges of climate change resilience could be effectively mitigated by more effective use of the available wild relatives of jujube, elite plant resources and the development of better varieties with novel traits for greater tolerance to abiotic stressors. It is necessary to have deeper knowledge of plant growth patterns, the different phenological stages and their alterations in changing climatic conditions. Being an arboreal fruit crop, it is difficult to study the impact of environmental signals under control conditions.

Read more: Environmentally Friendly Snake Fruits (Salacca spp.)

Therefore, a better understanding of crop adaptability models to diverse climatic conditions, more integrated efforts and development better simulation models are needed to mitigate the impact of climate change, strengthen climate resilience and improve plant growth and production. Some of these approaches are as follows:

a) The cultivation of Z. mauritiana can play an important role in the mitigation climate change due to its arboreal component as well as the accumulation of CO2 in its biomass.

b) The fruit production of Ziziphus mauritiana under stress conditions indicates higher potential to be treated as a candidate crop for agroforestry.

c) The stress of heavy metals plays its role in the growth retardation of the plant. Recent studies have confirmed the role of Z. mauritiana in the reduction of heavy metals, especially cadmium, using vegetable bark.

d) Species tolerant to abiotic stress should be preferred for interspecific species breeding programs. Among the Ziziphus species, Z. rotundifolia obtained better results than Z. nummularia at higher salinity levels and was more tolerant to salt due to better physical and osmolytic attributes defense mechanism. Salt Tolerant (Banarsi Karaka, Narendra Ber Salt.-2, Ponda and Gola) and semi-tolerant (Narendra Ber Salt-1 and Gola varieties) can be planted in saline areas while Delhi White is recommended for cultivation in marginal lands.

e) The approaches of pruning, vegetation cover and candidate genetic selection must be used to alleviate the stress of drought in jujube.

f) There is a need to improve biodiversity, reforestation and conservation other renewable resources, such as fresh water and fertile soils. Use of mulching could help conserve moisture and improve soil microbiology activity, especially in rain-fed areas.

g) Perennial horticultural crops, such as jujube, also help to mitigate

climate change by absorbing excessive radiation.

h) The development of a highly efficient hybrid selection system is possible in Indian jujube by combining the male-sterile germplasm, the use of embryo rescue technology, net and molecular controlled hybridization characterization based on markers. Male infertility has been reported in a few cultivars of Chinese jujube and it might help to overcome carrier of crossing and reduce the frequency of embryo abortions.

i) Launching short- and long-term breeding programs for the

the development of cultivars tolerant to abiotic stress could be beneficial.

Varieties with higher RUBISCO activity, less stomatal conductance,

higher water use efficiency (WUE) and stress-related genes

proteins, including chaperonins, dehydrins, aquaporins, enzymes

the regulatory detoxification of ROS and dehydrins must be developed.

j) Thermographic tools could be used for a higher flow analysis of

heat, frost and drought tolerant genotypes.

k) Existence of a higher level of homonyms and synonyms in jujube

collections of genetic material in different parts of the world, including Pakistan, India, China and other countries need to be addressed.

It is necessary to carry out a thorough genetic characterization of the candidate selection of genetic material by GENETIC fingerprinting using genetic markers, such as single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) for genetic identification.

The breeding strategy of Indian jujube and other related species can

depends on clonal selection from the offspring of inter-varieties crosses and different wild local varieties (Wang et al., 2005), which usually have a higher tolerance to abiotic stress.

l) The development of a marker-assisted genetic material system

the characterization of characters such as self-compatibility must be implemented in jujube breeding programs. In addition, it is necessary to filter the genetic material of jujube elite for incompatibility as well as for the future crop selection and improvement programs.

m) Genome editing technologies, including CRISPR/Cas9 tools, could be used to create site-specific mutations and gene expression

regulation with editing in transcription factors such as WRKY, MAPK,

DREB, etc.

n) The development of genomic tools in jujube is still limited; however, a genome project (ID: 15586) of jujube (Z. jujuba) species and linkage maps have been developed (Liu et al., 2014). Sequencing of Chinese the jujube cultivars have been very useful and have allowed the identification of thousands of SNP markers widely used by breeders for varieties improvement (Liu et al., 2014; Huang et al., 2016). It is necessary to identify the QTLs associated with abiotic stress tolerance through the jujube genome. In addition, next-generation sequencing (NGS), whole genome sequencing (WGS) technologies can be used more widely for the screening of the collections of genetic material available in Z. mauritiana and other species. The identification of the novel candidate stress-related genes could be important for future crops improvement programs. Cultivation of stress-tolerant abiotic cultivars must be reinforced in areas with more stress. Using OMICS tools could be advantageous in the identification of genes related to abiotics tolerance to stress, including environmental contaminants.

o) It is necessary to develop international collaborations with the main horticulture, physiology and genetic research groups around the world to the development of climate-resilient varieties.

[jcmarchi]

How sensory gamma rhythm stimulation clears amyloid in Alzheimer’s mice

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/how-sensory-gamma-rhythm-stimulation-clears-amyloid-in-alzheimers-mice/

How sensory gamma rhythm stimulation clears amyloid in Alzheimer’s mice

Studies at MIT and elsewhere are producing mounting evidence that light flickering and sound clicking at the gamma brain rhythm frequency of 40 hertz (Hz) can reduce Alzheimer’s disease (AD) progression and treat symptoms in human volunteers as well as lab mice. In a new open-access study in Nature using a mouse model of the disease, MIT researchers reveal a key mechanism that may contribute to these beneficial effects: clearance of amyloid proteins, a hallmark of AD pathology, via the brain’s glymphatic system, a recently discovered “plumbing” network parallel to the brain’s blood vessels.

“Ever since we published our first results in 2016, people have asked me how does it work? Why 40Hz? Why not some other frequency?” says study senior author Li-Huei Tsai, Picower Professor of Neuroscience and director of The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory of MIT and MIT’s Aging Brain Initiative. “These are indeed very important questions we have worked very hard in the lab to address.”

The new paper describes a series of experiments, led by Mitch Murdock PhD ’23 when he was a brain and cognitive sciences doctoral student at MIT, showing that when sensory gamma stimulation increases 40Hz power and synchrony in the brains of mice, that prompts a particular type of neuron to release peptides. The study results further suggest that those short protein signals then drive specific processes that promote increased amyloid clearance via the glymphatic system.

“We do not yet have a linear map of the exact sequence of events that occurs,” says Murdock, who was jointly supervised by Tsai and co-author and collaborator Ed Boyden, Y. Eva Tan Professor of Neurotechnology at MIT, a member of the McGovern Institute for Brain Research and an affiliate member of the Picower Institute. “But the findings in our experiments support this clearance pathway through the major glymphatic routes.”

How sensory gamma rhythm stimulation clears amyloid in Alzheimer’s mice Video: The Picower Institute

From gamma to glymphatics

Because prior research has shown that the glymphatic system is a key conduit for brain waste clearance and may be regulated by brain rhythms, Tsai and Murdock’s team hypothesized that it might help explain the lab’s prior observations that gamma sensory stimulation reduces amyloid levels in Alzheimer’s model mice.

Working with “5XFAD” mice, which genentically model Alzheimer’s, Murdock and co-authors first replicated the lab’s prior results that 40Hz sensory stimulation increases 40Hz neuronal activity in the brain and reduces amyloid levels. Then they set out to measure whether there was any correlated change in the fluids that flow through the glymphatic system to carry away wastes. Indeed, they measured increases in cerebrospinal fluid in the brain tissue of mice treated with sensory gamma stimulation compared to untreated controls. They also measured an increase in the rate of interstitial fluid leaving the brain. Moreover, in the gamma-treated mice he measured increased diameter of the lymphatic vessels that drain away the fluids and measured increased accumulation of amyloid in cervical lymph nodes, which is the drainage site for that flow.

To investigate how this increased fluid flow might be happening, the team focused on the aquaporin 4 (AQP4) water channel of astrocyte cells, which enables the cells to facilitate glymphatic fluid exchange. When they blocked APQ4 function with a chemical, that prevented sensory gamma stimulation from reducing amyloid levels and prevented it from improving mouse learning and memory. And when, as an added test, they used a genetic technique for disrupting AQP4, that also interfered with gamma-driven amyloid clearance.

In addition to the fluid exchange promoted by APQ4 activity in astrocytes, another mechanism by which gamma waves promote glymphatic flow is by increasing the pulsation of neighboring blood vessels. Several measurements showed stronger arterial pulsatility in mice subjected to sensory gamma stimulation compared to untreated controls.

One of the best new techniques for tracking how a condition, such as sensory gamma stimulation, affects different cell types is to sequence their RNA to track changes in how they express their genes. Using this method, Tsai and Murdock’s team saw that gamma sensory stimulation indeed promoted changes consistent with increased astrocyte AQP4 activity.

Prompted by peptides

The RNA sequencing data also revealed that upon gamma sensory stimulation a subset of neurons, called “interneurons,” experienced a notable uptick in the production of several peptides. This was not surprising in the sense that peptide release is known to be dependent on brain rhythm frequencies, but it was still notable because one peptide in particular, VIP, is associated with Alzheimer’s-fighting benefits and helps to regulate vascular cells, blood flow, and glymphatic clearance.

Seizing on this intriguing result, the team ran tests that revealed increased VIP in the brains of gamma-treated mice. The researchers also used a sensor of peptide release and observed that sensory gamma stimulation resulted in an increase in peptide release from VIP-expressing interneurons.

But did this gamma-stimulated peptide release mediate the glymphatic clearance of amyloid? To find out, the team ran another experiment: They chemically shut down the VIP neurons. When they did so, and then exposed mice to sensory gamma stimulation, they found that there was no longer an increase in arterial pulsatility and there was no more gamma-stimulated amyloid clearance.

“We think that many neuropeptides are involved,” Murdock says. Tsai added that a major new direction for the lab’s research will be determining what other peptides or other molecular factors may be driven by sensory gamma stimulation.

Tsai and Murdock add that while this paper focuses on what is likely an important mechanism — glymphatic clearance of amyloid — by which sensory gamma stimulation helps the brain, it’s probably not the only underlying mechanism that matters. The clearance effects shown in this study occurred rather rapidly, but in lab experiments and clinical studies weeks or months of chronic sensory gamma stimulation have been needed to have sustained effects on cognition.

With each new study, however, scientists learn more about how sensory stimulation of brain rhythms may help treat neurological disorders.

In addition to Tsai, Murdock, and Boyden, the paper’s other authors are Cheng-Yi Yang, Na Sun, Ping-Chieh Pao, Cristina Blanco-Duque, Martin C. Kahn, Nicolas S. Lavoie, Matheus B. Victor, Md Rezaul Islam, Fabiola Galiana, Noelle Leary, Sidney Wang, Adele Bubnys, Emily Ma, Leyla A. Akay, TaeHyun Kim, Madison Sneve, Yong Qian, Cuixin Lai, Michelle M. McCarthy, Nancy Kopell, Manolis Kellis, and Kiryl D. Piatkevich.

Support for the study came from Robert A. and Renee E. Belfer, the Halis Family Foundation, Eduardo Eurnekian, the Dolby family, Barbara J. Weedon, Henry E. Singleton, the Hubolow family, the Ko Hahn family, Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation, Lester A. Gimpelson, Lawrence and Debra Hilibrand, Glenda and Donald Mattes, Kathleen and Miguel Octavio, David B. Emmes, the Marc Haas Foundation, Thomas Stocky and Avni Shah, the JPB Foundation, the Picower Institute, and the National Institutes of Health.

[reyessahl82]

Modified Hyper-CVAD Together with Proteasome Hang-up pertaining to Several Myeloma: Any Single-Center Retrospective Investigation.Within the inland northwest reviews regarding paraneoplastic NMOSD linked to cancer cancer malignancy. Here, many of us report an infrequent the event of anti-aquaporin 4 (AQP4) antibody-positive NMOSD linked to dangerous most cancers. Any 61-year-old Japoneses lady has been identified as having malignant most cancers as well as lung metastasis 4 years after having a carried out anti-AQP4 antibody-positive NMOSD. Any time the diagnosis of along with the treatment of individuals together with NMOSD, medical doctors should be aware of the development of malignancy not less than many years. Vaginal yeast infections, the key human being yeast virus, can cause infection and seriously influence individuals health and well-being. This study aimed to look into the effects regarding ritonavir (RIT) in H. albicans and also the relationship between SAP2 along with ERG11 as well as substance weight. Secreted aspartyl proteinases (Saps) routines and also pathogenicity associated with Chemical. albicans with various drug resistance had been assessed. M27-A4 soup microdilution approach was adopted to analyze your medicine level of responsiveness associated with RIT joined with fluconazole (FCA) on Chemical. albicans. After that, SAP2 and also ERG11 mutations were reviewed by simply polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing, as well as quantitative real-time PCR was utilized to determine the appearance present in family genes. Through inspecting pz valuations, the actual Saps action involving cross-resistant stresses ended up being the highest, as well as voriconazole (VRC)-resistant stresses, FCA-resistant strains, itraconazole (ITR)-resistant strains, and sensitive traces. Your pathogenicity associated with D. albicans throughout descending order had been the subsequent cross-resicans infection.Friedreich ataxia can be an autosomal recessive, neurodegenerative illness seen as a your lack of your iron-sulfur chaos construction proteins frataxin. Loss in this kind of protein hinders mitochondrial function. Mitochondria change their morphology in response to various stresses; even so, this kind of alterations to be able to morphology could possibly be homeostatic as well as maladaptive based on your muscle and disease state. Numerous neurodegenerative illnesses display too much mitochondrial fragmentation, and reversing this kind of phenotype improves bioenergetics pertaining to diseases through which mitochondrial malfunction is a extra feature of the condition. This particular paper implies that frataxin deficit causes abnormal mitochondrial fragmentation that's established by Drp1 activity in Friedreich ataxia cell phone types. Drp1 hang-up by the modest peptide TAT-P110 turns around mitochondrial fragmentation but also reduces ATP amounts in frataxin-knockdown fibroblasts as well as FRDA affected individual fibroblasts, advising which fragmentation might give a homeostatic pathway for sustaining cellular ATP ranges. Your cardiolipin-stabilizing compound SS-31 in the same way removes fragmentation through a Drp1-dependent device, but it does not affect ATP quantities. The mixture involving TAT-P110 and also SS-31 has no effect on FRDA patient <a href="https://allninhibitor.com/carbon-dioxide-removing-throughout-veno-venous-extracorporeal-membrane-layer-oxygenation-weaning-an-airplane-pilot/">mk-8776 inhibitor</a> fibroblasts in different ways via SS-31 alone, suggesting how the two drugs take action through the same pathway but change of their ability to alter mitochondrial homeostasis. Throughout drawing near probable healing approaches for FRDA, an essential requirements for compounds that increase bioenergetics is always to achieve this with no damaging the homeostatic response of mitochondrial fragmentation.

[complexion-me]

Review : Prequel Glycerin Cleanser

What is it?

A gentle glycerin based cleanser for all skin types.

Who is it for?

Works for all skin types including sensitive and for those with eczema or rosacea.

What’s in it?

Ingredients: Glycerin, Water (Aqua), Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium Chloride, Inulin, Dihydroxypropyl Arginine HCl, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Glyceryl Glucoside, Polyquaternium-10, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide.

How to use?

Apply a generous amount of the glycerin cleanser onto wet skin. Massage and rinse thoroughly. Suitable for face and body. Use morning and night.

What to expect?

Skin is left feeling cleansed, not stripped and prepped to receive actives.

After 1 week twice daily use of Gleanser, participants with diagnosed rosacea saw statistically significant improvement in rosacea signs including: -26% reduction in redness -27% reduction in flushing severity -38% reduction in facial acne.

Pros

✓ Fragrance-Free

✓ Hypoallergenic

✓ Allergy-Tested

✓ Suitable for All Skin Types

✓ Safe for Sensitive Skin

✓ Safe for Eczema Prone Skin

✓ Dermatologist-Developed

✓ Dermatologist-Tested

✓ No Eye Irritation

Cons

None

Conclusion

This Prequel cleanser was one of Dr Sam Ellis's first products. It's a non-stripping glycerin cleanser for the face and body formulated with 50% glycerin, inulin, and a unique aquaporin-stimulating active to boost skin suppleness. This skin-softening, humectant-rich glycerin cleanser effectively removes makeup, excess oil, and impurities while maintaining skin's natural moisture barrier and pH. Added arginine, oat extract, and aloe soothe and comfort. Designed for all skin types and suitable for dry or easily sensitized skin.

There really isn't anything like this cleanser in the market. Priced at $18, this is a steal for the amount of product you're getting. It's received several awards and is a fan favorite among beauty bloggers and cosmetic chemists. It pairs extremely well with active ingredients like tretinoin and retinoids.

While this works exceptionally well for those with dry skin, those with oily skin can also use this if you're using harsh acne treatments and want a gentle cleanser.

[rnomics]

Pharmaceutics, Vol. 15, Pages 2793: A Novel Handrub Tablet Loaded with Pre- and Post-Biotic Solid Lipid Nanoparticles Combining Virucidal Activity and Maintenance of the Skin Barrier and Microbiome

Objective: This study aimed to develop a holobiont tablet with rapid dispersibility to provide regulation of the microbiota, virucidal activity, and skin barrier protection. Methods: A 23 factorial experiment was planned to define the best formulation for the development of the base tablet, using average weight, hardness, dimensions, swelling rate, and disintegration time as parameters to be analyzed. To produce holobiont tablets, the chosen base formulation was fabricated by direct compression of prebiotics, postbiotics, and excipients. The tablets also incorporated solid lipid nanoparticles containing postbiotics that were obtained by high-pressure homogenization and freeze-drying. The in vitro virucidal activity against alpha-coronavirus particles (CCoV-VR809) was determined in VERO cell culture. In vitro analysis, using monolayer cells and human equivalent skin, was performed by rRTq-PCR to determine the expression of interleukins 1, 6, 8, and 17, aquaporin-3, involucrin, filaggrin, FoxO3, and SIRT-1. Antioxidant activity and collagen-1 synthesis were also performed in fibroblast cells. Metagenomic analysis of the skin microbiome was determined in vivo before and after application of the holobiont tablet, during one week of continuous use, and compared to the use of alcohol gel. Samples were analyzed by sequencing the V3&ndash;V4 region of the 16S #rRNA gene. Results: A handrub tablet with rapid dispersibility was developed for topical use and rinse off. After being defined as safe, the virucidal activity was found to be equal to or greater than that of 70% alcohol, with a reduction in interleukins and maintenance or improvement of skin barrier gene markers, in addition to the reestablishment of the skin microbiota after use. Conclusions: The holobiont tablets were able to improve the genetic markers related to the skin barrier and also its microbiota, thereby being more favorable for use as a hand sanitizer than 70% alcohol. https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/15/12/2793?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

[gillianthecat]

The water channels in cell membranes have the best name

aquaporins

[aquaplus123]

Aqualpus —  Antioxidant Fresh Water And Aquaplus Water Filters

Aquaplus Alkaline water filters is highly effective at cleaning contaminants but still leaves beneficial alkaline minerals. A certified metal scan before and after filtration through the Biostone filter clearly shows highly effective filtration of these substances. Reverse osmosis systems do a great job of cleaning or purifying water, however they lack the overall qualities of live alkaline and ionized water. When water becomes too contaminated then an RO system would be the system of choice especially for larger home applications. An alternative is an under sink installation of our RO system that has a pre-filter for adding essential alkaline mineral back to the pure water and has been specifically designed for use with Aquaplus water filters. pH Levels: Acidic water might be good for your skin but not desirable to drink. Alkaline water helps to balance the body out incrementally by providing beneficial anions and alkaline minerals such as calcium and magnesium which need to be assimilated into our bodies. This assimilation in turn gives the body the essential alkaline minerals necessary for releasing appropriate amount of buffering bicarbonates to neutralize excess acid and further benefits of absorbed anions.. Not only do Aquaplus water filters produce a good range of alkaline water but in conjunction with the other qualities they give the alkaline water a synergistic effect. Alkaline minerals also are a buffer in the duodenum and small intestine naturally produced as a bicarbonate by the body. Minerals Most water naturally has minerals in it and sometimes there is a healthy balance of them and other times more often than not, there’s too much of the wrong stuff. Aquaplus Antioxidant Fresh Water is made with the right mix of minerals for optimum benefits. Micro-clustering Essentially micro-clustering refers to smaller groups of water molecules rather than a typical arrangement of 10 to 13 water molecules in a water cluster. The Aquaplus process reduces the cluster to about half the size — about 5 or 6 in a cluster. This is significant because of better and quicker absorption, and the fact that our cells take in one molecule of water at a time. There are conduits into a cell that are known as aquaporins, and their discovery led to a Nobel Peace prize in chemistry. Importantly, the significance of water that has a smaller cluster size begins in the duodenum and small intestine, where most of water and nutrient absorption occurs. The Aquaplus water smaller cluster size allows nutrients to flow through and assimilate easier. Oxidation Reduction Potential Also known as redox potential or ORP and refers to the ability to acquire electrons and be reduced. For example a positively charged anion or ion can be reduced by acquiring electrons from a negatively charged anion. This reduction potential can be measured in millivolt units and strong ionized water can have a -815mV ORP and is a powerful antioxidant because of the action of donating electrons to free radicals and thereby neutralizing them. This negative ORP is what makes Aquaplus water and antioxidant in nature, reducing potential cell damage and destroying free radicals. Summary Aquaplus water can be considered living water because it provides the greatest potential benefit to our health and wellbeing! Water is vital to our health and when we are drinking water with the combined alkaline and antioxidant qualities it stands to reason that our health and well being would be optimized.

[ainews]

A recent study from Northwestern University has revealed an intriguing underlying reason for why spinach leaves tend to droop or capitulate when they are cooked. By analyzing a spinach protein known as an aquaporin, the research team discovered that this protein functions like a tiny molecular pipe within the cell walls of the spinach leaves.

When the spinach is cooked, the aquaporin allows water to move freely out of the cell, causing the leaf to collapse. The team labeled this process as "passive tension loss." Lead investigator Dr. Julia Szpilka explained that this process helps the plant reduce stress on its fragile structure during the cooking process, allowing it to maintain its structural integrity.

The research is significant because it sheds light on the way plants react when exposed to extreme temperatures, including processes such as wilting. It also provides insight into potential ways that this same process can be manipulated or mimicked in agriculture crops that don't naturally wilt, such as corn. The findings could help improve the sustainability of produce that must be stored at cooler temperatures, with the aquaporin acting like a built-in cooling system.

While the team believes that the aquaporin acts as a plumbing system, they don't yet know why spinach leaves have the peculiar behavior of capitulation. They believe the mechanism may be more complex than just a simple aquaporin protein. The researchers will continue to explore the molecular mechanisms involved in the vein-closing behavior of spinach, in hopes of finding ways to manipulate it for agricultural purposes.