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Applied Sciences
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Modern Molecular Imaging: New Frontiers in Biotechnology
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Modern Molecular Imaging: New Frontiers in Biotechnology

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 April 2022) | Viewed by 13303

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Shu Taira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Fukushima University, Fukushima 960-1296, Japan
Interests: imaging analysis; nanotechnology; agricultural sciences; nutrition
Prof. Dr. Yuki Sugiura

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departments of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
Interests: biochemistry; analytical chemistry; mass spectrometry; lipidomics; metabolomics; proteomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Ken-ichiro Nakajima

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki-shi, Aichi-ken 444-0864, Japan
Interests: nutrient imaging; food science; neuronal imaging; appetite; in vivo imaging

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

The final, scientific goal of this Special Issue is not just to look at a limited view of molecular imaging, but a far wider scope that will bring new knowledge from different disciplines to society.

Currently, we face an unprecedented crisis that threatens human life. For this reason, as scientists, we have to begin serious research to overcome this crisis, using scientific intelligence, knowledge, and technology, all working together to find solutions.

Medical research is important and food science helps promote a healthy body and mind. The fundamental task of food science is the exploration of food function, its health effects, and the relationship between chemical compounds and the body.

This Special Issue covers nutritional science, analytical chemistry, biology, among other disciplines. The word ‘frontier’ in the title has two meanings: it relates to advanced research, but also the researcher and their ambition. In this age, young researchers have great potential, despite often struggling without seeing the light of day. We hope that our concept appeals to a wide range of scientists and researchers and that they will submit an interesting article to this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Shu Taira
Prof. Dr. Yuki Sugiura
Prof. Dr. Ken-ichiro Nakajima
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Food science
  • Nutrition
  • Food processing and storage
  • Analytical method
  • Imaging

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

9 pages, 1276 KiB  
Article
Establishment of an Epicutaneously Sensitized Murine Model of Shellfish Allergy and Evaluation of Skin Condition by Raman Microscopy
by Mayuko Ichimura-Shimizu, Soichiro Ishimaru, Christine (Yee-Yan) Wai, Takeo Minamikawa, Takaaki Tsunematsu, Aiko Endo, Takumi Kojima, Minoru Matsumoto, Tomoko Kobayashi, Satoshi Sumida, Takumi Kakimoto, Yuko Miyakami, Hirohisa Ogawa, Takeshi Oya and Koichi Tsuneyama
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(7), 3566; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12073566 - 31 Mar 2022
Viewed by 1867
Abstract
Background: Shellfish allergy is one of the most common food allergies. Recent studies have shown that sensitization to allergens via the skin is involved in the development of food allergies. In this study, a mouse model of shrimp allergy was generated by epicutaneous [...] Read more.
Background: Shellfish allergy is one of the most common food allergies. Recent studies have shown that sensitization to allergens via the skin is involved in the development of food allergies. In this study, a mouse model of shrimp allergy was generated by epicutaneous sensitization and used to identify skin conditions associated with susceptibility to sensitization. Methods: Four-week-old female BALB/c mice were sensitized by repeated application of 0.1 mg of tropomyosin to tape-stripped skin on days 0, 7, and 15, followed by a challenge on days 28 and 35. Results: Epicutaneously sensitized mice exhibited higher serum levels of tropomyosin-specific IgE on day 15 than control mice. After the oral challenge, model mice had higher anaphylaxis scores and lower rectal temperature. After three tape-strip treatments for sensitization, the skin was analyzed by Raman microscopy. The sensitized mice exhibited lower relative intensities of Raman bands at 399, 915, and 1073 cm−1 than control mice, which could be helpful noninvasive markers in screening for potential sensitization via the skin. Conclusions: An epicutaneous sensitization shellfish allergy model was generated. This model will be useful in studies to elucidate the pathogenesis of skin sensitization. Raman microscopy may also be valuable for capturing subtle skin changes leading to sensitization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Molecular Imaging: New Frontiers in Biotechnology)
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11 pages, 2811 KiB  
Article
Collection of Data Variation Using a High-Throughput Image-Based Assay Platform Facilitates Data-Driven Understanding of TRPA1 Agonist Diversity
by Yuko Terada, Kenjiro Tanaka, Minami Matsuyama, Masaya Fujitani, Masatoshi Shibuya, Yoshihiko Yamamoto, Ryuji Kato and Keisuke Ito
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(3), 1622; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031622 - 3 Feb 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1872
Abstract
Because transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) is involved in various physiological functions, TRPA1-targeting drugs have been energetically developed. Although TRPA1 is considered a multimodal receptor, the structural diversity of TRPA1 agonists is not fully elucidated. We hypothesized that collecting a wider variation [...] Read more.
Because transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) is involved in various physiological functions, TRPA1-targeting drugs have been energetically developed. Although TRPA1 is considered a multimodal receptor, the structural diversity of TRPA1 agonists is not fully elucidated. We hypothesized that collecting a wider variation of TRPA1–compound interaction data would aid the understanding of its complex mechanism and aimed to challenge such data collection using an “image-based TRPA1 assay system combined with an in silico chemical space clustering concept.” Our library was clustered with 27 physicochemical molecular descriptors in silico, and structurally diverse compounds from each cluster were selected for a detailed kinetic assay to investigate variations of agonist structural rules. Through two sets of assays evaluating various compounds in parallel with validating effects of the previously established structural rules, we discovered that different chemical groups contribute to agonist activity, indicating that there are multiple agonist design concepts. A novel core structure for a TRPA1 agonist has been also proposed. Our new approach, “collection of TRPA1 activity data on compounds with physicochemical diversity,” will not only facilitate the understanding of the structural diversity of TRPA1 agonists but also contribute to the development of a new type of TRPA1-targeting drug. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Molecular Imaging: New Frontiers in Biotechnology)
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9 pages, 1525 KiB  
Article
Mass Spectrometry Imaging Analysis of Metabolic Changes in Green and Red Tomato Fruits Exposed to Drought Stress
by Hiroko Asakura, Shu Taira, Junko Funaki, Takashi Yamakawa, Keiko Abe and Tomiko Asakura
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(1), 216; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12010216 (registering DOI) - 27 Dec 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2708
Abstract
Plant metabolism is altered in response to various environmental changes. In vegetable crops such as tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), the metabolic composition of fruits varies depending on the variety or cultivar as well as the cultivation method used. Few studies have examined [...] Read more.
Plant metabolism is altered in response to various environmental changes. In vegetable crops such as tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), the metabolic composition of fruits varies depending on the variety or cultivar as well as the cultivation method used. Few studies have examined the metabolic fluctuations in fruits under stress conditions, such as drought. We previously examined the metabolomes of mature green tomato fruits, which undergo drastic changes in chemical composition during ripening, and mature red fruits in response to drought stress. We detected or predicted fluctuations in the levels of fatty acids and phospholipid constituents, such as inositol and ethanolamine. In this study, we determined the localizations of these metabolites in fruits using mass spectrometry imaging. The accumulation patterns of stearic acid and palmitic acid were similar, but unlike these fatty acids, oleic acid accumulated to high levels in the placenta. Inositol is involved in various physiological processes; under drought conditions, this metabolite is synthesized by a different pathway compared to under normal conditions. The biosynthesis of pectin, a component of the gel surrounding the seeds, was suppressed under drought stress but increased in seeds. We propose that under drought conditions, a shift to phospholipid biosynthesis occurs that protects seeds from dehydration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Molecular Imaging: New Frontiers in Biotechnology)
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14 pages, 8540 KiB  
Article
Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MSI) Delineates Thymus-Centric Metabolism In Vivo as an Effect of Systemic Administration of Dexamethasone
by Yudai Tsuji, Shinichi Yamaguchi, Tomoyuki Nakamura and Masaya Ikegawa
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(22), 11038; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112211038 - 22 Nov 2021
Viewed by 2567
Abstract
Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) is increasingly used in a broad range of research due to its ability to visualize the spatial distribution of metabolites in vivo. Here, we have developed a method, named thoracic Mass Spectrometry Imaging (tMSI), as [...] Read more.
Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) is increasingly used in a broad range of research due to its ability to visualize the spatial distribution of metabolites in vivo. Here, we have developed a method, named thoracic Mass Spectrometry Imaging (tMSI), as a standard protocol of molecular imaging of whole-animal sectioning in various settings of mice in vivo. Further application of the strategy that involved the systemic administration of dexamethasone (DEX) in mice, enabled a dynamic shift in the energy status of multiple thoracic organs to be visualized, based on tMSI data of purine and pyrimidine metabolites. Furthermore, with the introduction of uniform manifold approximation and projection (UMAP) for tMSI data, metabolic profiles normally localized in the cortex and cortico-medullary junction (CMJ) of the thymus were drastically shifted as minor profiles into the medulla of DEX-treated thymus. As a massive apoptotic cell death in the thymic cortex was noticeable, a single molecule, which was upregulated in the cortex of the thymus, enabled us to predict ongoing immunosuppression by in vivo DEX-administration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Molecular Imaging: New Frontiers in Biotechnology)
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5 pages, 634 KiB  
Article
Comparative Analysis of Derivatization Reagents for Catecholamines and Amino Acids
by Shu Taira, Akari Ikeda, Shoko Kobayashi, Hitomi Shikano, Ryuzoh Ikeda, Yuko Maejima, Shoichiro Horita, Jun Yokoyama and Kenju Shimomura
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(13), 6217; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11136217 - 5 Jul 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2726
Abstract
We compared four derivatization reagents to analyze catecholamines and amino acids by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry. 2,4,6-Trimethylpyrylium tetrafluoroborate (TMPy), 2,4-diphenyl-pyranylium tetrafluoroborate (DPP-TFB), 4-(anthracen-9-yl)-2-fluoro-1-methylpyridin-1-ium iodide (FMP-10), and triphenyl pyrilium (TPP) were used as derivatization reagents that can specifically modify primary amines or [...] Read more.
We compared four derivatization reagents to analyze catecholamines and amino acids by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry. 2,4,6-Trimethylpyrylium tetrafluoroborate (TMPy), 2,4-diphenyl-pyranylium tetrafluoroborate (DPP-TFB), 4-(anthracen-9-yl)-2-fluoro-1-methylpyridin-1-ium iodide (FMP-10), and triphenyl pyrilium (TPP) were used as derivatization reagents that can specifically modify primary amines or hydroxy groups in target molecules. Three derivatization reagents, not including TPP, reacted with all target molecules. The derived catecholamines dopamine and L-DOPA, and the amino acids GABA and glycine, were efficiently ionized in comparison with non-derivatized targets. Comparative analysis indicated that TMPy and FMP-10 produced general increases in signal-to-noise ratios (S/N), whereas DPP and TPP produced specific increases in the S/N of GABA and DA. Notably, TMPy is a small molecule that efficiently reacts with target molecules due to the absence of high bulk and steric hinderance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Molecular Imaging: New Frontiers in Biotechnology)
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