Protein intakes of pregnant women and children in India-protein quality implications

The recent National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4, 2016) reports a national average of 18% for low birthweight (LBW) and 38% for stunting in children <5 years. Nutrition and environmental influences (chronic enteric pathogenic exposure through poor water, sanitation, and hygiene) are two critical factors that impact the health outcomes of the populxation. This is particularly relevant for vulnerable age groups such as pregnant women and children <5 years, who bear long-lasting and intergenerational consequences of impoverished nutrition and suboptimal living conditions. The present review provides, for the first time, an analysis of indispensable amino acid (IAA) requirements for pregnant women, separately for the second and third trimesters, using protein accretion data from a recent Indian study. Furthermore, using these estimates for pregnancy, and the current IAA requirements for young children, the quality of protein was assessed in Indian diets consumed by pregnant women and children (1-3 and 4-6 years) from national representative rural National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau survey. The assessment was considered in the context of an adverse environment and in relation to outcomes such as LBW, stunting, and underweight. Finally, an assessment was made of the proportion of the surveyed population at risk of dietary quality protein inadequacy and implications for planning nutrition intervention programmes. Specifically, state-wise estimates of the risk of quality protein inadequacy are provided, in addition to evaluations of additional dietary supplementation, which could inform the policy of supplementary nutrition programmes to improve health outcomes.

Integrated Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analysis of Primary Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells

Understanding the molecular profile of every human cell type is essential for understanding its role in normal physiology and disease. Technological advancements in DNA sequencing, mass spectrometry, and computational methods allow us to carry out multiomics analyses although such approaches are not routine yet. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) are a widely used model system to study pathological and physiological processes associated with the cardiovascular system. In this study, next-generation sequencing and high-resolution mass spectrometry to profile the transcriptome and proteome of primary HUVECs is employed. Analysis of 145 million paired-end reads from next-generation sequencing confirmed expression of 12 186 protein-coding genes (FPKM ≥0.1), 439 novel long non-coding RNAs, and revealed 6089 novel isoforms that were not annotated in GENCODE. Proteomics analysis identifies 6477 proteins including confirmation of N-termini for 1091 proteins, isoforms for 149 proteins, and 1034 phosphosites. A database search to specifically identify other post-translational modifications provide evidence for a number of modification sites on 117 proteins which include ubiquitylation, lysine acetylation, and mono-, di- and tri-methylation events. Evidence for 11 "missing proteins," which are proteins for which there was insufficient or no protein level evidence, is provided. Peptides supporting missing protein and novel events are validated by comparison of MS/MS fragmentation patterns with synthetic peptides. Finally, 245 variant peptides derived from 207 expressed proteins in addition to alternate translational start sites for seven proteins and evidence for novel proteoforms for five proteins resulting from alternative splicing are identified. Overall, it is believed that the integrated approach employed in this study is widely applicable to study any primary cell type for deeper molecular characterization.

Telomere length-dependent transcription and epigenetic modifications in promoters remote from telomere ends

Telomere-binding proteins constituting the shelterin complex have been studied primarily for telomeric functions. However, mounting evidence shows non-telomeric binding and gene regulation by shelterin factors. This raises a key question—do telomeres impact binding of shelterin proteins at distal non-telomeric sites? Here we show that binding of the telomere-repeat-binding-factor-2 (TRF2) at promoters ~60 Mb from telomeres depends on telomere length in human cells. Promoter TRF2 occupancy was depleted in cells with elongated telomeres resulting in altered TRF2-mediated transcription of distal genes. In addition, histone modifications—activation (H3K4me1 and H3K4me3) as well as silencing marks (H3K27me3)—at distal promoters were telomere length-dependent. These demonstrate that transcription, and the epigenetic state, of telomere-distal promoters can be influenced by telomere length. Molecular links between telomeres and the extra-telomeric genome, emerging from findings here, might have important implications in telomere-related physiology, particularly ageing and cancer.

Telomeres (special DNA-protein assemblies that protect chromosome ends) affect ageing and diseases such as cancer. Although this has been recognized for many years, biological processes that connect telomeres to ageing, cancer and other cellular functions remain to be fully understood. Certain proteins, believed to be only telomere-associated, engage DNA outside telomeres. This raises an interesting question. Does telomere length influence how telomere-binding proteins associate with DNA at regions distal from telomeres. If so, how does this impact function? Motivated by these questions, in the present studies we tested if extra-telomeric binding of the well-known telomere-repeat-binding-actor-2 (TRF2) depends on telomere length. Our results show that the level of DNA-bound TRF2 at telomere-distal sites changes as telomeres shorten or elongate. Consequently, TRF2-mediated gene regulation affects many genes. Notably, histone modifications that dictate chromatin compaction and access to regulatory factors, at sites distant from telomere ends also depended on telomere length. Together, this links the state of telomeres to gene regulation and epigenetics directly in ways not previously appreciated that might impact a more complete understanding of molecular processes underlying ageing and cancer.