New Insights on Wood Dimensional Stability Influenced by Secondary Metabolites: The Case of a Fast-Growing Tropical Species Bagassa guianensis Aubl.

Challenging evaluation of tropical forest biodiversity requires the reporting of taxonomic diversity but also the systematic characterization of wood properties in order to discover new promising species for timber industry. Among wood properties, the dimensional stability is regarded as a major technological characteristic to validate whether a wood species is adapted to commercial uses. Cell structure and organization are known to influence the drying shrinkage making wood density and microfibrils angle markers of choice to predict wood dimensional stability. On the contrary the role of wood extractive content remains unclear. This work focuses on the fast-growing tropical species Bagassa guianensis and we report herein a correlation between heartwood drying shrinkage and extractive content. Chemical extractions and shrinkage experiments were performed on separate wood twin samples to better evaluate correctly how secondary metabolites influence the wood shrinkage behaviour. Extractive content were qualitatively and quantitatively analysed using HPLC and NMR spectroscopy. We found that B guianensis heartwood has a homogeneous low shrinkage along its radius that could not be explained only by its basic density. In fact the low drying shrinkage is correlated to the high extractive content and a corrected model to improve the prediction of wood dimensional stability is presented. Additionally NMR experiments conducted on sapwood and heartwood extracts demonstrate that secondary metabolites biosynthesis occurs in sapwood thus revealing B. guianensis as a Juglans-Type heartwood formation. This work demonstrates that B. guianensis, a fast-growing species associated with high durability and high dimensional stability, is a good candidate for lumber production and commercial purposes.     

Development of Floral Apex After Floral Induction in Stylo (Stylosanthes guianensis (Aubl.) Sw. var. guianensis)

The apex morphology of stylo (Stylosanthes guianensis var. guianensis)is described in four developmental phases (vegetative, transitional,initiated and floral) further subdivided into a total of tenstages. The apical dome broadens and flattens as induction proceedsuntil the initiation phase when apical diameter within 0.05mm of the dome apex is 55 per cent greater than in the vegetativeapex. Changes in vegetative morphology during induction aredescribed. Stylosanthes guianensis var. guianensis, stylo, flowering, reproductive anatomy, developmental stages     

Souroubea guianensis Aubl.: Quest for its Legitimate Pollinator and the First Record of Tapetal Oil in the Marcgraviaceae

The floral biology of Souroubea guianensis Aubl. was studiedat Dois Irmãos forest, a remnant of Atlantic forest inRecife, Pernambuco state, northeastern Brazil. The flowers ofS. guianensis have attributes which are not easily related toa particular pollination syndrome. They also have some uncommoncharacteristics, among them the presentation of pollen immersedin an oily fluid. The occurrence of this kind of pollen presentationin species of Marcgraviaceae is described here for the firsttime. The term tapetal oil is proposed for this unusual fluid.The flowers are protandrous, self-incompatible, last for 6 to7 d, and fruit-set under natural conditions is low. Sugar concentrationsin the nectar vary from 27.6 to 58.8%. After 105 h of observationfor pollinators in 3 different years, no efficient pollinatorwas found. Fragmentation of natural habitats could be one ofthe causes for the local loss of the legitimate pollinator ofSouroubeaguianensis . Copyright 2000 Annals of Botany Company Marcgraviaceae, Souroubea, pollination, tapetal oil, pollen presentation, protandry, psychophily, ornithophily, Atlantic forest, fragmentation, northeastern Brazil     

Secondary metabolites of the fungusMonascus: A review

This review deals with polyketides produced by the filamentous fungusMonascus which include: 1) a group of yellow, orange and red pigments, 2) a group of antihypercholesterolemic agents including mevinolin and related compounds and 3) the newly discovered metabolite ankalactone. Biosynthesis, methods of production, isolation and biological activities of these secondary metabolites are discussed.     

Insecticidal and Repellent Activity of Siparuna guianensis Aubl. (Negramina) against Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus

This study investigated the toxic effects of essential oils isolated from Siparuna guianensis against Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus (eggs, larvae, pupae, and adult) and Aedes albopictus (C6/36) cells. The oviposition-deterring activity, egg viability, and repellence activity in the presence of different essential oils concentrations were determined. The essential oils showed high toxicity to all developmental stages of A. aegypti and C. quinquefasciatus. Furthermore, the oils also showed high repellent activity towards the adult stage of mosquitoes (0.025 to 0.550 μg/cm2 skin conferred 100% repellence up to 120 min) and in contact with cultured insect cells (C6/36) induced death possibly by necrosis. The results presented in this work show the potential of S. guianensis essential oils for the development of an alternative and effective method for the natural control of mosquitoes in homes and urban areas.     

Mutualism between Maieta guianensis Aubl., a myrmecophytic melastome,and one of its ant inhabitants: ant protection against insect herbivores

Summary The hypothesis that ants (Pheidole minutula) associated with the myrmecophytic melastome Maieta guianensis defend their host-plant against herbivores was investigated in a site near Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. M. guianensis is a small shrub that produces leaf pouches as ant domatia. Plants whose ants were experimentally removed suffered a significant increase in leaf damage compared with control plants (ants maintained). Ants patrol the young and mature leaves of Maieta with the same intensity, presumably since leaves of both ages are equally susceptible to herbivore attack. The elimination of the associated ant colony, and consequent increase in herbivory, resulted in reduced plant fitness. Fruit production was 45 times greater in plants with ants than in plants without ants 1 year after ant removal.     

A review of the volatile metabolites of fungi found on wood substrates

The holdings of eight collections of fungi have been examined for organisms isolated from wood and/or trees. Further selection of these fungi has been made according to their reported ability to produce volatile, biologically active metabolites. It is emphasized that the isolates in the collections do not necessarily produce such metabolites. The list of fungi fulfilling these conditions is slightly augmented by reports we have found in the literature, where the fungi concerned have not yet been deposited. The biochemistry of these compounds is considered with particular emphasis on their biosynthesis including that by Homo sapiens. The physiological and toxicological activity of these metabolites is reviewed especially with reference to their potential role in the complex symbioses existent in, for example, a tree. The review concludes with a discussion of areas of botany deserving increased attention in the hope that this will stimulate further work. The statements in the review are based on 173 references.     

A family of glycosyl hydrolase family 45 cellulases from the pine wood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus

We have characterized a family of GHF45 cellulases from the pine wood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. The absence of such genes from other nematodes and their similarity to fungal genes suggests that they may have been acquired by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from fungi. The cell wall degrading enzymes of other plant parasitic nematodes may have been acquired by HGT from bacteria. B. xylophilus is not directly related to other plant parasites and our data therefore suggest that horizontal transfer of cell wall degrading enzymes has played a key role in evolution of plant parasitism by nematodes on more than one occasion.     

A study of the mutagenicity of anesthetics and their metabolites.

The commonly used volatile anesthetics, several of their metabolites, and drugs frequently employed by the anesthesiologist were screened for mutagenicity in the Salmonella/rat-liver microsomal assay system developed by Dr. B. Ames and his colleagues. Chloral hydrate, both a sedative and metabolite of trichloroethylene, was found to be weakly mutagenic. Other compounds testing including halothane, isoflurane, methoxyflurane, diazepam and chlordiazepoxide were not mutagenic. Non-volatile compounds were tested for their ability to inhibit growth of bacterial strains with decreased capacity to repair damaged DNA. None of the compounds tested inhibited the growth of DNA-repair-deficient strains relative to a strain with normal DNA-repair. Halothane and trilene were tested for direct interaction with DNA; under the experimental conditions employed, no direct interaction of these compounds and DNA could be detected.     

Secondary metabolites and the higher classification of angiosperms

The restricted distributions of some classes of secondary metabolites in the angiosperms make them valuable taxonomic characters in assessing systematic relationships at higher levels of classification. Yet, for several reasons, secondary metabolites have not, until recently, been widely used as taxonomic characters above the family level. In this paper, the distributions of a number of classes of secondary compounds are discussed with reference to four recently published systems of higher angiosperm classification: Cronquist's of 1981, Dahlgren's of 1980, Takhtajan's of 1980 and Thome's of 1981. Some of the problems faced in choosing and using secondary metabolite data for systematic purposes (including the effects of our increasing understanding of their functional significance) are covered as well. Among the classes of secondary compounds treated here, benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, iridoids and be–talains are shown to be the most important systematic markers used at present at higher levels of classification, although glucosinolates, polyacetylenes and some other types of alkaloids are also demonstrated to be valuable criteria for making taxonomic judgments above the family rank. In addition, certain terpenoids, flavonoids, phenolics, cyanogenic glycosides and non–protein amino acids are illustrated to be of systematic use in particular cases.     

Laticifers and the classification of Euphorbia: the chemotaxonomy of Euphorbia esula L.

Laticifers and the classification of Euphorbia: the chemotaxonomy of Euphorbia esula L. Articulated and non-articulated laticifer cells represent distinctive cell types of relatively recent origin and occur in only a few families. Both types are of separate phylogenetic origin, reflecting independent evolutionary trends in the Euphorbiaceae. Supra-generic groupings of this family can be segregated into three taxonomic units using the laticifer character; with either articulated laticifers, non-articulated laticifers, or no laticifers. Such units may reflect more natural assemblages than now represented in the classification of this family. Laticifers possess chemical and morphological features of potential application as taxonomic characters to aid in delimiting species and interpreting evolutionary trends. The triterpenoid profile from latex of Euphorbia species has been shown to be diagnostic for a taxon. The qualitative and quantitative composition show a high level of stability under diverse environmental and physiological conditions indicating a genetic basis for triterpenoid synthesis. Triterpenoid profiles of known accessions of European E. esula L. and related presumptive taxa from North America readily separated them into distinctive chemotaxa that include one for E. esula L., whereas morphological features were found inadequate for separating accessions to presumptive taxa. Identification of adventive spurges in North America requires diagnostic analyses of Eurasian leafy spurges for comparison. Laticifer characters used in conjunction with relevant morphological features will provide a broadened insight into phylogenetic relationships with the Euphorbiaceae.     

海洋真菌Arthrinium sp. UJNMF0008代谢产物的研究

为丰富海洋真菌的化学多样性,发现海洋真菌活性代谢产物,对海洋沉积物来源真菌Arthriniumsp.UJNMF0008的化学成分及其生物活性进行研究,采用硅胶柱色谱、凝胶柱色谱、反向柱色谱和高效液相色谱等方法从海洋沉积物来源真菌Arthriniumsp.UJNMF0008的发酵提取物中分离到5个化合物,通过核磁共振、质谱等方法,结合文献对照,鉴定了化合物的结构分别为arthoneF(1)、arthoneG(2)、sydoxanthoneC(3)、(3R,4R)-cis-4-hydroxymellein(4)和2-(2′S-hydroxypropyl)-5-methyl-7-hydroxychromone(5),其中化合物1和2是新化合物,化合物3首次从该属真菌中分离到。活性测试显示,化合物1~5在50μmoL/L的测试浓度下均没有表现出明显的抗氧自由基活性、抗菌活性以及NO释放抑制活性。     

A phylogenomic study of the MutS family of proteins.

The MutS protein of Escherichia coli plays a key role in the recognition and repair of errors made during the replication of DNA. Homologs of MutS have been found in many species including eukaryotes, Archaea and other bacteria, and together these proteins have been grouped into the MutS family. Although many of these proteins have similar activities to the E.coli MutS, there is significant diversity of function among the MutS family members. This diversity is even seen within species; many species encode multiple MutS homologs with distinct functions. To better characterize the MutS protein family, I have used a combination of phylogenetic reconstructions and analysis of complete genome sequences. This phylogenomic analysis is used to infer the evolutionary relationships among the MutS family members and to divide the family into subfamilies of orthologs. Analysis of the distribution of these orthologs in particular species and examination of the relationships within and between subfamilies is used to identify likely evolutionary events (e.g. gene duplications, lateral transfer and gene loss) in the history of the MutS family. In particular, evidence is presented that a gene duplication early in the evolution of life resulted in two main MutS lineages, one including proteins known to function in mismatch repair and the other including proteins known to function in chromosome segregation and crossing-over. The inferred evolutionary history of the MutS family is used to make predictions about some of the uncharacterized genes and species included in the analysis. For example, since function is generally conserved within subfamilies and lineages, it is proposed that the function of uncharacterized proteins can be predicted by their position in the MutS family tree. The uses of phylogenomic approaches to the study of genes and genomes are discussed.     

Secondary metabolites from the leaves of Feijoa sellowiana Berg

The investigation of the lipid extract of leaves of Feijoa sellowiana cultivated along the east coast of Sicily has yielded in addition to the widespread secondary metabolites: alpha-tocopherol, flavone, stigmasterol and beta-carotene, an inseparable mixture of tyrosol esters of lignoceric (1a), cerotic (1b) and montanic (1c) acids, and a novel galactolipid identified as (2S)-1,2,6'-tri-O-[(9Z,12Z,15Z)-octadeca-9,12,15-trienoyl]-3-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl glycerol (2).     

Secondary metabolites as co-markers in the taxonomy of Aspergilli

The production of extracellular and intracellular secondary metabolites by 13 Aspergillus species has been directly detected using the agar plug technique. In addition to several unknown compound A. aculeatus, A. ochraceus and A. terreus were found to be the highest producers of extracellular secondary metabolites, while the lowest producer species were A. tamarii, A. rugulosus in addition to A. oryzae whose secondary metabolites couldn't be detected by this technique. In case of intracellular secondary metabolites, the highest producer species were A. flavus, A. nidulans and A. wentii, while the lowest producers were A. clavatus, A. tamarii and A. violaceous. All the examined species could be distinguished on the basis of their secondary metabolite profiles indicating the potential role of secondary metabolites in the chemotaxonomy of Aspergilli.     

Secondary metabolites from species of the biocontrol agent Trichoderma

Trichoderma species are free-living fungi that are highly interactive in root, soil and foliar environments and have been used successfully in field trials to control many crop pathogens. Structural and biological studies of the metabolites isolated from Trichoderma species are reviewed. This review, encompassing all the literature in this field up to the present and in which 269 references are cited, also includes a detailed study of the biological activity of the metabolites, especially the role of these metabolites in biological control mechanisms. Some aspects of the biosynthesis of these metabolites and related compounds are likewise discussed.