Effect of the alkaloid lappaconitine on ionic currents through the somatic membrane ofHelix pomatia neurons

The effect of the alkaloid lappaconitine on passive ion transport through the somatic membrane of identified neurons of the snailHelix pomatia was studied under voltage clamp conditions. In a concentration of 4 mM lappaconitine has a reversible blocking action on the calcium channels of the excitable membrane. To study the effect of the alkaloid on inward sodium currents a solution in which calcium ions were replaced by the equivalent number of magnesium ions was used. Lappaconitine has no appreciable effect on the inward sodium current.A. A. Bogomolets Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, Kiev. Institute of Chemistry of Plant Substances, Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR, Tashkent. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 11, No. 5, pp. 469–474, September–October, 1979.     

Hydrogen peroxide production in wheat leaves infected with the fungus Septoria nodorum Berk. Strains with different virulence

The effect of two strains of the phytopathogenic fungus Septoria nodorum Berk. of different virulence on the intensity of local generation of hydrogen peroxide in common wheat leaves and the role of oxidoreductases in this process was studied. Differences in the pattern of hydrogen peroxide production in wheat plants infected with high- and low-virulence pathogen strains have been found. The low-virulent S. nodorum strain caused a long-term hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) generation in the infection zone, whereas the inoculation of leaves with the highly virulent strain resulted in a transient short-term increase in the H₂O₂ concentration at the initial moment of contact between the plant and the fungus. It was shown that the low level of H₂O₂ production by plant cells at the initial stages of pathogenesis facilitates S. nodorum growth and development. The decrease in the H₂O₂ concentration induced by the highly virulent S. nodorum strain is determined by inhibition of the oxalate oxidase activity in plant tissues and by the ability of the fungus to actively synthesize an extracellular catalase. The pattern of hydrogen peroxide generation at the initial stages of septoriosis may serve as an index of virulence of S. nodorum population.     

Phase equilibrium in poly(rA).poly(rU) complexes with Cd2+ and Mg2+ ions, studied by ultraviolet, infrared, and vibrational circular dichroism spectroscopy

Ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) absorption and vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectroscopy were used to study conformational transitions in the double-stranded poly(rA). poly(rU) and its components-single-stranded poly(rA) and poly(rU) in buffer solution (pH 6.5) with 0.1M Na+ and different Mg2+ and Cd2+ (10(-6) to 10(-2) M) concentrations. Transitions were induced by elevated temperature that changed from 10 up to 96 degrees C. IR absorption and VCD spectra in the base-stretching region were obtained for duplex, triplex, and single-stranded forms of poly(rA) . poly(rU) at [Mg2+],[Cd2+]/[P] = 0.3. For single-stranded polynucleotides, the kind of conformational transition (ordering --> disordering --> compaction, aggregation) is conditioned by the dominating type of Me2+-polymer complex that in turn depends on the ion concentration range. The phase diagram obtained for poly(rA) . poly(rU) has a triple point ([Cd2+] approximately 10(-4)M) at which the helix-coil (2 --> 1) transition is replaced with a disproportion transition 2AU --> A2U + poly(rA) (2 --> 3) and the subsequent destruction of the triple helix (3 --> 1). The 2 --> 1 transitions occur in the narrow temperature interval of 2 degrees -5 degrees . Unlike 2 --> 1 and 3 --> 1 melting, the disproportion 2 --> 3 transition is a slightly cooperative one and observed over a wide temperature range. At [Me2+] approximately 10(-3) M, the temperature interval of A2U stability is not less than 20 degrees C. In the case of Cd2+, it increases with the rise of ion concentration due to the decrease of T(m) (2-->3). The T(m) (3-->1) value is practically unchanged up to [Cd2+] approximately 10(-3)M. Differences between diagrams for Mg(2+) and Cd2+ result from the various kinds of ion binding to poly(rA).poly-(rU) and poly(rA).     

DNA fusion in the presence of catecholamines and substances close to them in structure]

Using an Cphi-4A spectrophotometer (USSR), denaturation of DNA containing approximately 2% residual protein has been studied in the presence of catecholamines and their precursors: epinephrine, beta-3,4-dioxyphenylalanine, norepinephrine, 3,4-dimethoxyphenylethylamine, tyrosine, and phenylalanine. All these substances, excluding phenylalanine, induce positive excessive hyperchromicity (as compared to initial DNA). The correlation between this effect and molecular structures of the substances studied has been shown to exist. An increase of DNA hyperchromicity in the presence of catecholamines has been found to result from the oxygen presence in the aromatic rings of the catecholamines molecules. It is assumed that the interaction between the negative O-atoms in catecholamines and bivalent metal cations in the nucleoprotein complex weakens the DNA-protein binding. This leads to an additional disorientation due to the heat of nucleic acid bases, which were previously bound by the residual protein.     

An Examination of the Association between 5-HTTLPR,Combat Exposure,and PTSD Diagnosis among U.S. Veterans

Objective

To examine the association between the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism of the serotonin transporter (SLC6A4) gene, combat exposure, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis and among two samples of combat-exposed veterans.

Method

The first sample included 550 non-Hispanic Black (NHB) combat-exposed veterans. The second sample included 555 non-Hispanic White (NHW) combat-exposed veterans. Participants were genotyped for the 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 variants of the SLC6A4 gene. A structured clinical interview was used to diagnose PTSD. Combat and civilian trauma exposure were assessed with validated self-report instruments. Logistic regression was used to test for main effects of 5-HTTLPR on PTSD diagnosis as well as gene x environment (GxE) interactions after adjusting for sex, ancestry proportion scores, civilian trauma exposure, and combat exposure.

Results

Within the NHB sample, a significant additive effect was observed for 5-HTTLPR (OR = 1.502, p = .0025), such that the odds of having a current diagnosis of PTSD increased by 1.502 for each additional S’ allele. No evidence for an association between 5-HTTLPR and PTSD was observed in the NHW sample. In addition, no evidence for combat x 5-HTTLPR effects were observed in either sample.

Conclusion

The present study suggests that there may be an association between 5-HTTLPR genotype and PTSD diagnosis among NHB veterans; however, no evidence for the hypothesized 5-HTTLPR x combat interaction was found.     

The nature of different influence of Cd2+ ions on the conformation of three-stranded polyU-polyA-polyU and polyI-polyA-polyI in aqueous solution

The methods of UV (DUV) spectroscopy and thermal denaturation were used to study the effect of Cd2+ ions on the conformational equilibrium of three-stranded (A21, A2U) and single-stranded (poly U, poly A and poly I) polynucleotides in aqueous solutions containing 0.1 M Na+ (pH 7). An analysis of the form and intensities of DUV-spectra of poly A, poly I and A2I revealed the presence of two types of complexes: interaction with N7 of purines, resulting in the formation of macrochelates and binding to N1 of poly A and poly I. Cd2+ ions do not bind to heteroatoms of A2U nitrogen bases, and, therefore, the conformation of its structure remains unchanged up to a concentration of Cd2+ 0.01 M. A "critical" concentration (1.5x10(-4) M) of Cd2+ ions exists above which A2I transits cooperatively into a new helical conformation, which has a lower thermostability. It is supposed that, during the formation of metallized A2I, Cd2+ ions form bridges between the adenine and hypoxanthine of its homopolynucleotide circuits, being arranged inside the triple helix.     

Salicylic acid induces resistance to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Septoria nodorum</Emphasis> berk. in wheat

The effect of salicylic acid (SA) on oxalate oxidase and peroxidase activities and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) production in leaf cells has been studied in wheat of the susceptible cultivar Zhnitsa infected by Septoria nodorum, a pathogen of wheat leaf blotch. The results show that fungal hyphae spread into interstices between mesophyll cells and that infected tissues contain H₂O₂. Treatment with SA results in enhanced H₂O₂ production in mesophyll cells, which is due to activation of oxalate oxidase and peroxidase in the cell wall. It is proposed that the modulating effect of SA on oxidoreductase activities is involved in the induction of protective response to fungal infection in wheat plants.     

DNA conformational equilibrium in the presence of Zn2+ ions in neutral and alkaline solutions

Effect of Zn(2+) ions on DNA transition from B-form to a metallized form (m-DNA) in Tris and tetraborate buffers at pH 8.5 has been studied by visible and differential UV-spectroscopy and by thermal denaturation. The results have been compared to those obtained at pH 6.5 in cacodylate buffer. It was found that in alkaline solutions Zn(2+) ions induced a hypochromicity of the DNA absorption in the whole spectral range monitored, which was attributed to DNA transition from B- to the m-form. Complete metallization occurred only upon heating the DNA solutions containing more than ~2×10(-4) M of Zn(2+) ions. Phase diagrams of the DNA-zinc complexes at pH 6.5 and 8.5 have been obtained for the first time. The m-DNA form showed higher thermal stability compared to B-DNA.     

Sequential colonization by river periphyton analysed by microscopy and molecular fingerprinting

1. An artificial glass substratum was incubated in the River Danube for a period of 28 days in order to detect the sequential colonization of microorganisms.
2. Light and fluorescent microscopy showed that microalgae and the picoalgal fraction on the slides increased rapidly over the first 2 weeks of colonization. Diatoms were numerically the most abundant component of the periphyton and their species richness and diversity increased rapidly in the early phase of colonization whereas diversity subsequently increased moderately.
3. Evenness of the diatom community was initially high, lower in the intermediate phase and again higher later on. Succession involving early, intermediate and late colonizer species was observed. Community composition during the first 5 days of colonization was very different from later stages whereas there were only minor changes subsequently.
4. Molecular community analysis by means of terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of PCR amplified 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA genes pointed to even larger differences between the composition of samples obtained early and late in the period.
5. The number of 18S rRNA and 16S rRNA terminal restriction fragments (T-RF-s) was variable over the colonization period and the fragment patterns of both the bacterial and eukaryotic portion of the microbial community were variable, with most T-RF-s unique to a single sample, suggesting a wide diversity and dynamic properties of periphytic organisms.     

Interaction 3d-and 4d-Group Metal Ions With GMP

Abstract

The interaction of 3d- and 4d- group metal ions with GMP is studied by the differential UV spectroscopy method. Ni²⁺, Co²⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺ form a chelate structure, interacting innerspherically with N7 and outerspherically with O6, while Ag⁺ binds innerspherically to N7 as well as to O6. The difference in association constants for 3d ions binding to GMP is mainly due to differences in the ion radii.