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Analysis of institutional authors

Alfonso Dominguez-Nunez, JoseAuthorBerrocal-Lobo, MartaCorresponding Author

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June 9, 2019
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Article

Short-Chain Chitin Oligomers: Promoters of Plant Growth

Publicated to: Marine Drugs. 15 (2): E40- - 2017-02-15 15(2), DOI: 10.3390/md15020040

Authors:

Winkler, Alexander J; Alfonso Dominguez-Nunez, Jose; Aranaz, Inmaculada; Poza-Carrion, Cesar; Ramonell, Katrina; Somerville, Shauna; Berrocal-Lobo, Marta
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Affiliations

Carnegie Inst Sci, Plant Biol, 260 Panama St, Stanford, CA 94305 USA - Author
Ctr Nacl Biotecnol, Calle Darwin 3, Madrid 28049, Spain - Author
Univ Alabama, Dept Biol Sci, POB 870344, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 USA - Author
Univ Complutense, Dept Fis Quim, Fac Farm, Inst Estudios Bifunc, Paseo Juan XXIII,1, E-28040 Madrid, Spain - Author
Univ Hamburg, Ctr Wood Sci & Technol, Dept Wood Biol, Leuschnerstr 91d, Hamburg, Germany - Author
Univ Politecn Madrid, Ctr Biotecnol & Genom Plantas, Inst Nacl Invest & Tecnol Agr Alimentaria INIA, Campus Montegancedo UPM, Pozuelo De Alarcon 28223, Madrid, Spain - Author
Univ Politecn Madrid, Dept Syst & Nat Resources, MONTES Sch Forest Engn & Nat Environm, Ciudad Univ S-N, E-28040 Madrid, Spain - Author
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Abstract

Chitin is the second most abundant biopolymer in nature after cellulose, and it forms an integral part of insect exoskeletons, crustacean shells, krill and the cell walls of fungal spores, where it is present as a high-molecular-weight molecule. In this study, we showed that a chitin oligosaccharide of lower molecular weight (tetramer) induced genes in Arabidopsis that are principally related to vegetative growth, development and carbon and nitrogen metabolism. Based on plant responses to this chitin tetramer, a low-molecular-weight chitin mix (CHL) enriched to 92% with dimers (2mer), trimers (3mer) and tetramers (4mer) was produced for potential use in biotechnological processes. Compared with untreated plants, CHL-treated plants had increased in vitro fresh weight (10%), radicle length (25%) and total carbon and nitrogen content (6% and 8%, respectively). Our data show that low-molecular-weight forms of chitin might play a role in nature as bio-stimulators of plant growth, and they are also a known direct source of carbon and nitrogen for soil biomass. The biochemical properties of the CHL mix might make it useful as a non-contaminating bio-stimulant of plant growth and a soil restorer for greenhouses and fields.
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Keywords

bio-stimulatorbiodiversitychitin oligosaccharidesfertilizersoil biomassAgricultureAnimalsArabidopsisArabidopsis-thalianaBinding proteinBio-diversityBio-stimulatorBiodiversityBiotechnologyCarbonChitinChitin oligosaccharidesChitosanCrustaceaFertilizerGene expressionGene-expressionIncreased susceptibilityMarine-bacteriaMedicago-truncatulaMolecular weightNitrogenNod factorOligosaccharidesReceptorSoilSoil biomassSoil healthSoil health, soil biomass, bio-diversity

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Marine Drugs due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2017, it was in position 5/59, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Chemistry, Medicinal. Notably, the journal is positioned above the 90th percentile.

From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from World Citations provided by WoS (ESI, Clarivate), it yields a value for the citation normalization relative to the expected citation rate of: 3.87. This indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: ESI Nov 13, 2025)

This information is reinforced by other indicators of the same type, which, although dynamic over time and dependent on the set of average global citations at the time of their calculation, consistently position the work at some point among the top 50% most cited in its field:

  • Weighted Average of Normalized Impact by the Scopus agency: 3.58 (source consulted: FECYT Mar 2025)

Specifically, and according to different indexing agencies, this work has accumulated citations as of 2026-04-25, the following number of citations:

  • WoS: 87
  • Scopus: 97
  • Europe PMC: 51
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Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2026-04-25:

  • The use, from an academic perspective evidenced by the Altmetric agency indicator referring to aggregations made by the personal bibliographic manager Mendeley, gives us a total of: 142.
  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 142 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 3.
  • The number of mentions on the social network Facebook: 1 (Altmetric).
  • The number of mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter): 2 (Altmetric).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.
  • Assignment of a Handle/URN as an identifier within the deposit in the Institutional Repository: https://oa.upm.es/87768/

As a result of the publication of the work in the institutional repository, statistical usage data has been obtained that reflects its impact. In terms of dissemination, we can state that, as of

  • Views: 116
  • Downloads: 27
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Leadership analysis of institutional authors

This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: Germany; Panama; United States of America.

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (Winkler, Alexander J.) and Last Author (BERROCAL LOBO, MARTA).

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been BERROCAL LOBO, MARTA.

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Awards linked to the item

Funding was provided in part by grants to Shauna Somerville from the Carnegie Institution of Science and the National Science Foundation, USA (#0114783). Alexander J. Winkler was funded by the Erasmus Program at Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (UPM). We acknowledge the kind contributions, at different stages of this project, of Fernando Garcia Arenal, Pablo Gonzalez Melendi and Mark Wilkinson from CBGP (UPM-INIA), Luis Diaz Balteiro and Carlos Calderon from MONTES, Carmen Mun oz from E.T.S.I. Forestales (UPM), Norma Garca from UPM and Elisabeth Magel from Hamburg University.
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