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Legumes have unique mechanisms to respond to nutrient deficiencies that can be considered as important advantages for agricultural purposes. The preponderance of plant-based protein is on the rise, and the market value of protein crops is expected to be worth billions by 2025. To match the global demand for plant-based products, crops productivity must be ensured; however, this might be impaired either by environmental or anthropogenic pressures that lead to soil nutrient disturbance. The responses activated by legumes to nutrient deficiencies and the mechanisms they utilize to adapt to such conditions will be discussed in this chapter. The study of these factors enables breeding programs specific for legumes and crop improvement. Understanding legumes responses also allows for a better management of agricultural practices and the adoption of more sustainable methods. It is important to reflect on the impact of climate change and intensive farming on food quality and on the future of agriculture, and this chapter contributes with important facts about the role of legumes in our current scenario.

AbstractBluetongue (BT) is a commonly cited example of a disease with a distribution believed to have recently expanded in response to global warming. The BT virus is transmitted to ruminants by biting midges of the genus Culicoides, and it has been hypothesized that the emergence of BT in Mediterranean Europe during the last two decades is a consequence of the recent colonization of the region by Culicoides imicola and linked to climate change. To better understand the mechanism responsible for the northward spread of BT, we tested the hypothesis of a recent colonization of Italy by C. imicola, by obtaining samples from more than 60 localities across Italy, Corsica, Southern France, and Northern Africa (the hypothesized source point for the recent invasion of C. imicola), and by genotyping them with 10 newly identified microsatellite loci. The patterns of genetic variation within and among the sampled populations were characterized and used in a rigorous approximate Bayesian computation framework to compare three competing historical hypotheses related to the arrival and establishment of C. imicola in Italy. The hypothesis of an ancient presence of the insect vector was strongly favoured by this analysis, with an associated P ≥ 99%, suggesting that causes other than the northward range expansion of C. imicola may have supported the emergence of BT in southern Europe. Overall, this study illustrates the potential of molecular genetic markers for exploring the assumed link between climate change and the spread of diseases.

Elevated environmental carbon dioxide (pCO2) levels have been found to cause organ damage in the early life stages of different commercial fish species, including Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). To illuminate the underlying mechanisms causing pathologies in the intestines, the kidney, the pancreas and the liver in response to elevated pCO2, we examined related gene expression patterns in Atlantic cod reared for two months under three different pCO2 regimes: 380 μatm (control), 1800 μatm (medium) and 4200 μatm (high). We extracted RNA from whole fish sampled during the larval (32 dph) and early juvenile stage (46 dph) for relative expression analysis of 18 different genes related to essential metabolic pathways. At 32 dph, larvae subjected to the medium treatment displayed an up-regulation of genes mainly associated with fatty acid and glycogen synthesis (GYS2, 6PGL, ACoA, CPTA1, FAS and PPAR1b). Larvae exposed to the high pCO2 treatment upregulated fewer but similar genes (6PGL, ACoA and PPAR1b,). These data suggest stress-induced alterations in the lipid and fatty acid metabolism and a disrupted lipid homeostasis in larvae, providing a mechanistic link to the findings of lipid droplet overload in the liver and organ pathologies. At 46 dph, no significant differences in gene expression were detected, confirming a higher resilience of juveniles in comparison to larvae when exposed to elevated pCO2 up to 4200 μatm.

As a fast-growing food production industry, aquaculture is dealing with the need for intensification due to the global increasing demand for fish products. However, this also implies the use of more sustainable practices to reduce negative environmental impacts currently associated with this industry, including the use of wild resources, destruction of natural ecosystems, eutrophication of effluent receiving bodies, impacts due to inadequate medication practices, among others. Using multi-species systems, such as integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, allows to produce economically important species while reducing some of these aquaculture concerns, through biomitigation of aquaculture wastes and reduction of diseases outbreaks, for example. Applying mathematical models to these systems is crucial to control and understand the interactions between species, maximizing productivity, with important environmental and economic benefits. Here, the application of some equations and models available in the literature, regarding basic parameters, is discussed – population dynamics, growth, waste production, and filtering rate – when considering the description and optimization of a theoretical integrated multi-trophic aquaculture operation composed by three trophic levels.

The Antarctic Peninsula is one of the regions to be most affected by increase in sea surface temperatures (SSTs) mediated by Global Climate Change; indeed, most negative predictions imply an up to 6 °C increment by the end of the XXI century. Temperature is one of the most important factors mediating diversity and distribution of macroalgae, although there is still no consensus as to the likely effects of higher SSTs, especially for polar seaweeds. Some available information suggests that potential strategies to withstand future increases in SSTs will be founded upon the glutathione-ascorbate cycle and the induction of chaperone-functioning heat shock proteins (HSPs); however, their eventual role, even for general stress responses, is unclear. The intertidal green, brown and red macroalgae species Monostroma hariotii, Adenocystis utricularis and Pyropia endiviifolia, respectively, from King George Island, Antarctic Peninsula, were exposed to 2 °C (control) and 8 °C (climate change scenario) for up to 5 days (d). Photosynthetic activity (αETR and ETRmax, and EkETR), photoinhibition (Fv/Fm) and photoprotection processes (αNPQ, NPQmax, and EkNPQ) provided no evidence of negative ecophysiological effects. There were moderate increases in H2O2 production and levels of lipid peroxidation with temperature, results supported by stable levels of total glutathione and ascorbate pools, with mostly higher levels of reduced ascorbate and glutathione than oxidized forms in all species. Transcripts of P. endiviifolia indicated a general upregulation of all antioxidant enzymes and HSPs genes studied under warmer temperature, although with different levels of activation with time. This pioneering investigation exploring different levels of biological organization, suggested that Antarctic intertidal macroalgae may be able to withstand future rise in SSTs, probably slightly altering their latitudinal distribution and/or range of thermal tolerance, by exhibiting robust glutathione-ascorbate production and recycling, as well as the induction of associated antioxidant enzymatic machinery and the syntheses of HSPs.

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the use of renewable biomass for energy production. Anaerobic biotechnological approaches for production of liquid energy carriers (ethanol and a mixture of acetone, butanol and ethanol) from biomass can be employed to decrease environmental pollution and reduce dependency on fossil fuels. There are two major biological processes that can convert biomass to liquid energy carriers via anaerobic biological breakdown of organic matter: ethanol fermentation and mixed acetone, butanol, ethanol (ABE) fermentation. The specific product formation is determined by substrates and microbial communities available as well as the operating conditions applied. In this review, we evaluate the recent biotechnological approaches employed in ethanol and ABE fermentation. Practical applicability of different technologies is discussed taking into account the microbiology and biochemistry of the processes.

AbstractVolatile organic compounds emitted by plants represent the largest part of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) released into our atmosphere. Plant volatiles are formed through many biochemical pathways, constitutively and after stress induction. In recent years, our understanding of the functions of these molecules has made constant and rapid progress. From being considered in the past as a mere waste of carbon, BVOCs have now emerged as an essential element of an invisible language that is perceived and exploited by the plants' enemies, the enemies of plant enemies, and neighbouring plants. In addition, BVOCs have important functions in protecting plants from abiotic stresses. Recent advances in our understanding of the role of BVOC in direct and indirect defences are driving further attention to these emissions. This special issue gathers some of the latest and most original research that further expands our knowledge of BVOC. BVOC emissions and functions in (1) unexplored terrestrial (including the soil) and marine environments, (2) in changing climate conditions, and (3) under anthropic pressures, or (4) in complex trophic communities are comprehensively reviewed. Stepping up from scientific awareness, the presented information shows that the manipulation and exploitation of BVOC is a realistic and promising strategy for agricultural applications and biotechnological exploitations.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is the primary mycotoxin threat in wine and dried vine fruits. Its presence in grape and wine is strongly related to climatic conditions and the expected climate change could represent a risk of increasing fungal colonization and OTA contamination in grapes. In this regard, the interacting effect of i) different conditions of water availability (0.93 and 0.99aw) and ii) different 10 h/14 h dark/light alternating temperature conditions simulating a nowadays (18/31 °C) and climate change scenario (20/37 °C) in high OTA risk areas of Apulia region, were studied. Lag phases prior to growth, mycelial growth rate, the expression of biosynthesis, transcription factors and regulatory genes of OTA cluster and OTA production were analysed in Aspergillus carbonarius ITEM 5010 under the combined effect of different climatic factors. At 18/31 °C and under water stress conditions (0.93 aw) the growth rate was slower than at 0.99 aw; on the contrary, at 20/37 °C a higher growth rate was observed at 0.93 aw. An over-expression of OTA genes and genes belonging to the global regulator Velvet complex was observed at 18/31 °C and 0.99 aw, with the specific OTA pathway transcription factor bZIP showing the highest expression level. The up-regulated transcription profile of the genes positively correlated with OTA production higher at 18/31 °C than at 20/37 °C and 0.99 aw; while no OTA production was detected at 0.93 aw at each of the temperature conditions tested. These findings provide preliminary evidence that the possible increase of the temperature, likely to happen in some areas of the Apulia region, may results in a reduction of both A. carbonarius spoilage and OTA production in grapes.