Organic acids, sugars, and L-tryptophane in exudates of vegetables growing on stonewool and their effects on activities of rhizosphere bacteria

The influence of stonewool substrate on the exudation of the major soluble carbon nutrients and of the auxin precursor tryptophane for Pseudomonas biocontrol agents was studied. To this end, the composition of the organic acids and sugars, as well that of tryptophane, of axenically collected exudates of seed, seedlings, and roots of tomato, cucumber, and sweet pepper was determined. The major results were as follows. i) The total amount of organic acid is much higher than that of total sugar. ii) Exudation of both organic acids and sugars increases during plant growth. iii) Citric, succinic, and malic acids represent the major organic acids, whereas fructose and glucose are the major sugars. iv) Compared with glass beads as a neutral substrate, stonewool substantially stimulates exudation of organic acids and sugars. v) It appeared that enhanced root-tip-colonizing bacteria isolated previously from the rhizosphere of tomato and cucumber grow much better in minimal medium with citrate as the sole carbon source than other, randomly selected rhizobacteria do. This indicates that the procedure which selects for excellent root-tip colonizers enriches for strains which utilize the major exudate carbon source citrate. vi) The content of L-tryptophane, the direct precursor of auxin, is approximately 60-fold higher in seedling exudates of tomato and sweet pepper than in cucumber seedling exudates, indicating a higher possibility of plant growth stimulation after inoculation with auxin-producing rhizobacteria for tomato and sweet pepper crops than for cucumber. However, the biocontrol strain Pseudomonas fluorescens WCS365, which is able to convert tryptophane into auxin, did not stimulate growth of these three crops. In contrast, this strain did stimulate growth of roots of radish, a plant which exudes nine times more tryptophane than tomato does.     

Regenerative Capacity of Muscle Tissue and Thymus State in γ-Irradiated Rats Exposed to Long-term He–Ne Laser Radiation

We studied the effect of He–Ne laser on regeneration of damaged gastrocnemius muscle in rats irradiated at 6 Gy in conditions of fractional laser energy spread (10 exposures, 3 min for each limb, within 30 days after the operation; 2–3 exposures weekly; 2.5–3.0 mW/cm² power density; and 9.0–10.8 J/cm² total dose per animal). Laser radiation stimulated regenerative activity of the skeletal muscle and favored a more even distribution of load on the thymus (a smooth decrease in its weight and slow aplasia). The level of chromosomal aberrations in the thymocytes demonstrated certain instability although remained lower as compared to the control during the whole observation period (60 days).     

Histogenetic,metabolic, and immunologic aspects of the effect of infrared laser radiation on injured skeletal muscles from irradiated and nonirradiated rats

Using biochemical, histological, morphometric and cytogenetic methods, it was shown that low-intensive infrared laser radiation (total dose 3.6 J/cm2), applied to the injured rat skeletal muscles, stimulated metabolism and regeneration more efficiently in the muscles locally exposed to 20 Gy X-rays compared to the unexposed muscles. The laser irradiation promoted postradiative recovery in bone marrow cells, but did not provide normalization in thymus lymphocyte activity.     

Isolation and phenotypic characteristics of growth-stimulating rhizobacteria (PGPR), with high root-colonizing and phytopathogenic fungi inhibiting abilities

Some bacterial strains isolated from the plant rhizosphere showed high root-colonizing ability and antiphytopathogenic activity against 6 fungal species. The antifungal activity was species-specific, which could be accounted for by the fact that the isolates differed in the ability to produce lytic enzymes (chitinases, proteases, and lipases) and to secrete cyanide. The possibility of using there rhizobacteria to control phytopathogens is discussed.     

Rapid and dynamic arginylation of the leading edge β‐actin is required for cell migration

β‐actin plays key roles in cell migration. Our previous work demonstrated that β‐actin in migratory non‐muscle cells is N‐terminally arginylated and that this arginylation is required for normal lamellipodia extension. Here, we examined the function of β‐actin arginylation in cell migration. We found that arginylated β‐actin is concentrated at the leading edge of lamellipodia and that this enrichment is abolished after serum starvation as well as in contact‐inhibited cells in confluent cultures, suggesting that arginylated β‐actin at the cell leading edge is coupled to active migration. Arginylated actin levels exhibit dynamic changes in response to cell stimuli, lowered after serum starvation and dramatically elevating within minutes after cell stimulation by readdition of serum or lysophosphatidic acid. These dynamic changes require active translation and are not seen in confluent contact‐inhibited cell cultures. Microinjection of arginylated actin antibodies into cells severely and specifically inhibits their migration rates. Together, these data strongly suggest that arginylation of β‐actin is a tightly regulated dynamic process that occurs at the leading edge of locomoting cells in response to stimuli and is integral to the signaling network that regulates cell migration.      

Mouse Leydig Cells with Different Androgen Production Potential Are Resistant to Estrogenic Stimuli but Responsive to Bisphenol A Which Attenuates Testosterone Metabolism

It is well known that estrogens and estrogen-like endocrine disruptors can suppress steroidogenic gene expression, attenuate androgen production and decrease differentiation of adult Leydig cell lineage. However, there is no information about the possible link between the potency of Leydig cells to produce androgens and their sensitivity to estrogenic stimuli. Thus, the present study explored the relationship between androgen production potential of Leydig cells and their responsiveness to estrogenic compounds. To investigate this relationship we selected mouse genotypes contrasting in sex hormone levels and differing in testosterone/estradiol (T/E₂) ratio. We found that two mouse genotypes, CBA/Lac and C57BL/6j have the highest and the lowest serum T/E₂ ratio associated with increased serum LH level in C57BL/6j compared to CBA/Lac. Analysis of steroidogenic gene expression demonstrated significant upregulation of Cyp19 gene expression but coordinated suppression of LHR, StAR, 3βHSDI and Cyp17a1 in Leydig cells from C57BL/6j that was associated with attenuated androgen production in basal and hCG-stimulated conditions compared to CBA/Lac mice. These genotype-dependent differences in steroidogenesis were not linked to changes in the expression of estrogen receptors ERα and Gpr30, while ERβ expression was attenuated in Leydig cells from C57BL/6j compared to CBA/Lac. No effects of estrogenic agonists on steroidogenesis in Leydig cells from both genotypes were found. In contrast, xenoestrogen bisphenol A significantly potentiated hCG-activated androgen production by Leydig cells from C57BL/6j and CBA/Lac mice by suppressing conversion of testosterone into corresponding metabolite 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol. All together our data indicate that developing mouse Leydig cells with different androgen production potential are resistant to estrogenic stimuli, while xenoestrogen BPA facilitates hCG-induced steroidogenesis in mouse Leydig cells via attenuation of testosterone metabolism. This cellular event can cause premature maturation of Leydig cells that may create abnormal intratesticular paracrine milieu and disturb proper development of germ cells.     

Degradation of bis-(2-Ethylhexyl)phthalate by Microorganisms of the Water and Bottom Sediments of the Selenga River and Lake Baikal under Experimental Conditions

Degradation of bis-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (BEHP) by microbial associations of the water and bottom sediments of the Selenga River and Lake Baikal and by pure cultures of microbial species belonging to various taxa isolated from the sediments under discussion is studied. It is shown that intense biological degradation occurs in both water and sediments. The degrees of conversion in closed experimental systems on minimal media are 46 and 24%, respectively. The most active of the organisms studied is a Micromironospora actinomycete. It degraded BEHP by 36% of its initial concentration. Spore-forming bacteria and microorganisms of the genus Pseudomonas were less active (17–23% and 7–11%).     

Root Exudates of Tomato Plants and Their Effect on the Growth and Antifungal Activity of Pseudomonas Strains

The study of the effect of the root exometabolites of tomato plants on the growth and antifungal activity of plant growth–promoting Pseudomonas strains showed that the antifungal activity of plant growth–promoting rhizobacteria in the plant rhizosphere may depend on the sugar and organic acid composition of root exudates.     

Isolation and Phenotypic Characterization of Plant Growth–Promoting Rhizobacteria with High Antiphytopathogenic Activity and Root-Colonizing Ability

Some bacterial strains isolated from the plant rhizosphere showed high root-colonizing ability and antiphytopathogenic activity against 6 fungal species. The antifungal activity was species-specific, which could be accounted for by the fact that the isolates differed in the ability to produce lytic enzymes (chitinases, proteases, and lipases) and to secrete cyanide. The possibility of using there rhizobacteria to control phytopathogens is discussed.     

Non-invasive real time monitoring of yeast volatilome by PTR-ToF-MS

Introduction

Producing a wide range of volatile secondary metabolites Saccharomyces cerevisiae influences wine, beer, and bread sensory quality and hence selection of strains based on their volatilome becomes pivotal. A rapid on-line method for volatilome assessing of strains growing on standard solid media is still missing.

Objectives

Methodologically, the aim of this study was to demonstrate the automatic, real-time, direct, and non-invasive monitoring of yeast volatilome in order to rapidly produce a robust large data set encompassing measurements relative to many strains, replicates and time points. The fundamental scope was to differentiate volatilomes of genetically similar strains of oenological relevance during the whole growing process.

Method

Six different S. cerevisiae strains (four meiotic segregants of a natural strain and two laboratory strains) inoculated onto a solid medium have been monitored on-line by Proton Transfer Reaction—Time-of-Flight—Mass Spectrometry for 11 days every 4 h (3540 time points). FastGC PTR-ToF-MS was performed during the stationary phase on the 5th day.

Results

More than 300 peaks have been extracted from the average spectra associated to each time point, 70 have been tentatively identified. Univariate and multivariate analyses have been performed on the data matrix (3640 measurements?×?70 peaks) highlighting the volatilome evolution and strain-specific features. Laboratory strains with opposite mating type, and meiotic segregants of the same natural strain showed significantly different profiles.

Conclusions

The described set-up allows the on-line high-throughput screening of yeast volatilome of S. cerevisiae strains and the identification of strain specific features and new metabolic pathways, discriminating also genetically similar strains, thus revealing a novel method for strain phenotyping, identification, and quality control.