Modelling the production and transport of dissolved organic carbon in forest soils

DyDOC describes soil carbon dynamics, with a focus on dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The model treats the soil as a three-horizon profile, and simulates metabolic carbon transformations, sorption reactions and water transport. Humic substances are partitioned into three fractions, one of which is immobile, while the other two (hydrophilic and hydrophobic) can pass into solution as DOC. DyDOC requires site-specific soil characteristics, and is driven by inputs of litter and water, and air and soil temperatures. The model operates on hourly and daily time steps, and can simulate carbon cycling over both long (hundreds-to-thousands of years) and short (daily) time scales. An important feature of DyDOC is the tracking of ¹⁴C, from its entry in litter to its loss as DO¹⁴C in drainage water, enabling information about C dynamics to be obtained from both long-term radioactive decay, and the characteristic ¹⁴C pulse caused by thermonuclear weapon testing during the 1960s ("bomb carbon"). Parameterisation is performed by assuming a current steady state. Values of a range of variables, including C pools, annual DOC fluxes, and ¹⁴C signals, are combined into objective functions for least-squares minimisation. DyDOC has been applied successfully to spruce forest sites at Birkenes (Norway) and Waldstein (Germany), and most of the parameters have similar values at the two sites. The results indicate that the supply of DOC from the surface soil horizon to percolating water depends upon the continual metabolic production of easily leached humic material. In contrast, concentrations and fluxes of DOC in the deeper soil horizons are controlled by sorption processes, involving comparatively large pools of leachable organic matter. Times to reach steady state are calculated to be several hundred years in the organic layer, and hundreds-to-thousands of years in the deeper mineral layers. It is estimated that DOC supplies 89% of the mineral soil carbon at Birkenes, and 73% at Waldstein. The model, parameterised with "steady state" data, simulates short-term variations in DOC concentrations and fluxes, and in DO¹⁴C, which are in approximate agreement with observations.     

鱼腥藻提取液对水稻生长发育和产量的促进作用

以田间小区试验和大区产量直接对比的方法研究了鱼腥藻提取认对水稻幼苗生长和产量以及产量构成要素的影响,并探讨了方便有效且适宜于大田使用的方法。用藻液处理后水稻幼苗增高,根数、根长增加,分蘖能力增强,秧龄提前,叶面积明显加大。水稻成熟后除株高比对照略有下降外,各项产量构成要素如粒数、粒重、有效分蘖数、植株干重、千粒重、穗长等都优于对照组,但增产幅度随水稻品种和处理方式不同而异。大田使用时以１％鱼腥藻提     

Peroxisomal membrane channel Pxmp2 in the mammary fat pad is essential for stromal lipid homeostasis and for development of mammary gland epithelium in mice

To understand the functional role of the peroxisomal membrane channel Pxmp2, mice with a targeted disruption of the Pxmp2 gene were generated. These mice were viable, grew and bred normally. However, Pxmp2^−/− female mice were unable to nurse their pups. Lactating mammary gland epithelium displayed secretory lipid droplets and milk proteins, but the size of the ductal system was greatly reduced. Examination of mammary gland development revealed that retarded mammary ductal outgrowth was due to reduced proliferation of epithelial cells during puberty. Transplantation experiments established the Pxmp2^−/− mammary stroma as a tissue responsible for suppression of epithelial growth. Morphological and biochemical examination confirmed the presence of peroxisomes in the mammary fat pad adipocytes, and functional Pxmp2 was detected in the stroma of wild-type mammary glands. Deletion of Pxmp2 led to an elevation in the expression of peroxisomal proteins in the mammary fat pad but not in liver or kidney of transgenic mice. Lipidomics of Pxmp2^−/−mammary fat pad showed a decrease in the content of myristic acid (C₁₄), a principal substrate for protein myristoylation and a potential peroxisomal β-oxidation product. Analysis of complex lipids revealed a reduced concentration of a variety of diacylglycerols and phospholipids containing mostly polyunsaturated fatty acids that may be caused by activation of lipid peroxidation. However, an antioxidant-containing diet did not stimulate mammary epithelial proliferation in Pxmp2^−/− mice.     

Importance of cytochrome c redox state for ceramide-induced apoptosis of human mammary adenocarcinoma cells

Background

Ceramides are intracellular lipid mediator implicated in various cellular responses, including oxidative stress and programmed cell death. Studies demonstrated strong links between ceramide and the mitochondria in the regulation of apoptosis. However, the mechanism of apoptosis induced by ceramides is not fully understood. The present study delineates importance of the redox state of cytochrome c for release of cytochrome c and apoptosis of human mammary adenocarcinoma MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells induced by ceramides.

Methods

The study uses MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, isolated mitochondria, submitochondrial particles, and oxidized and reduced cytochrome c. Methods used include flow cytometry, immunoblotting, spectroscopy, and respirometry.

Results

We show that ceramides induce mitochondrial oxidative stress and release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria of these cells. Our findings show that ceramides react with oxidized cytochrome c whereas reduced cytochrome c does not react with ceramides. We also show that oxidized cytochrome c reacted with ceramides exerts lower reducibility and function to support mitochondrial respiration. Furthermore, our data show that glutathione protects cytochrome c of reacting with ceramides by increasing the reduced state of cytochrome c.

Conclusions

Ceramides induce oxidative stress and apoptosis in human mammary adenocarcinoma cells by interacting with oxidized cytochrome c leading to the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria. Our findings suggest a novel mechanism for protective role of glutathione.

General significance

Our study suggests that the redox state of cytochrome c is important in oxidative stress and apoptosis induced by ceramides.     

Evaluation and Spatial Diffusion of Health Risk of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in Soils Surrounding Chemical Industrial Parks in China

A case study of the cancer risk to humans posed by persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in an industrial area of China, which has a long history of contamination from many sources, is presented. Relatively great concentrations of POPs around the chemical industrial parks have the potential to be chronically carcinogenic to local people. Sixteen individual PAHs listed for priory control by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), metabolites of DDTs, and isomers of HCHs were measured in soils and a human health risk assessment was conducted by use of USEPA exposure models for children and adults, respectively. Geostatistical methods were used to simulate the spatial diffusion of potential carcinogenic risk, and non-parametric Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were employed to analyze the impact of point sources on the surrounding area. The mean value of the sum of Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (∑ELCR) exceeded the generally acceptable risk level of 1.0E-06 recommended by the USEPA for carcinogenic chemicals. The maximum ∑ELCR was 2.9E-04 for children, which was observed inside the chemical industrial parks. Contamination at the chemical industrial parks caused significant spatial diffusion of ELCR values caused by PAHs, DDT, and HCH.     

Production and characterization of an intracellular bioflocculant by Chryseobacterium daeguense W6 cultured in low nutrition medium

A novel intracellular bioflocculant (named MBF-W6) produced by Chryseobacterium daeguense W6 cultured in low nutrition medium was investigated in this study. The effects of carbon source, nitrogen source, C/N ratio, initial pH, inoculum size, culture temperature and shaking speed on MBF-W6 production were studied. Chemical analysis showed that the purified MBF-W6 was mainly composed of 32.4% protein, 13.1% polysaccharide and 6.8% nucleic acid. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy indicated the presence of carboxyl, hydroxyl, and methoxyl groups. The elemental analysis of purified MBF-W6 revealed that the mass proportion of C, H, O, N and S was 40.92:6.53:44.01:8.53:1.01 (w/w) correspondingly. MBF-W6 had good flocculating rate in Kaolin suspension without any cation addition. The highest flocculating rate of 96.9% was achieved under the optimal conditions (bioflocculant dosage 1.2 mg l⁻¹, pH 5.6 and temperature 15 °C).     

A Survey of Phytotoxic Microbial and Plant Metabolites as Potential Natural Products for Pest Management

Phytotoxic microbial metabolites produced by certain phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria, and a group of phytotoxic plant metabolites including Amaryllidacea alkaloids and some derivatives of these compounds were evaluated for algicide, bactericide, insecticide, fungicide, and herbicide activities in order to discover natural compounds for potential use in the management and control of several important agricultural and household structural pests. Among the various compounds evaluated: i) ophiobolin A was found to be the most promising for potential use as a selective algicide; ii) ungeremine was discovered to be bactericidal against certain species of fish pathogenic bacteria; iii) cycasin caused significant mortality in termites; iv) cavoxin, ophiobolin A, and sphaeropsidin A were most active towards species of plant pathogenic fungi; and v) lycorine and some of its analogues (1‐O‐acetyllycorine and lycorine chlorohydrate) were highly phytotoxic in the herbicide bioassay. Our results further demonstrated that plants and microbes can provide a diverse and natural source of compounds with potential use as pesticides.     

产紫青霉EL-02的分离鉴定及其絮凝活性

摘要：【目的】分离鉴定有絮凝活性真菌,同时对其絮凝活性进行初步研究。【方法】采用梯度稀释、平板划线、18S rDNA检测等方法分离鉴定絮凝活性菌株。通过高速离心、超声破碎、乙醇沉淀、定性试验等方法确定絮凝活性物质性质。【结果】从渤海湾海岸土壤样品中分离筛选出一株有较高絮凝活性的真菌,经鉴定为产紫青霉（Penicillium purpurogenum）,命名为产紫青霉EL-02（P. purpurogenum EL-02）。超声破碎试验证实其絮凝活性主要存在于发酵上清液。根据絮凝活性曲线,确定4 d为积累絮     

秦岭南坡不同海拔林分凋落叶分解特征

采用野外放置凋落物分解袋法,对秦岭南坡林区不同海拔华山松(Pinus armandii)、油松(P.tabulaeformis)、锐齿栎(Quercus aliena var.acuteserrata)和华北落叶松(Larix principis-rupprechtii)凋落叶分解过程中N、P、C、粗脂肪、粗纤维和热值的变化规律进行比较研究.结果表明:(1)处于不同海拔的同一树种新鲜凋落叶的N、P、C、粗脂肪含量及其热值差异不显著(P＞0.05).(2)在一年的分解过程中,凋落叶N、P含量表现出逐渐富集的趋势,其中油松凋落叶N、P富集速度最快,分别达到165.60%和189.94%;凋落叶C、粗脂肪含量和热值、C/N、C/P、粗纤维/N在分解中逐渐下降,粗脂肪释放速率达到50.29%～77.82%.(3)分解一年后,不同海拔同一树种凋落叶N、P、C、C/N、C/P含量仍未表现出显著性差异(P＞0.05),但不同海拔凋落叶粗脂肪分解表现出极显著差异(P＜0.01),其中差距最大的锐齿栎凋落叶低海拔较高海拔粗脂肪释放率高19.38%;不同海拔华北落叶松和锐齿栎凋落叶粗纤维释放速率差异极显著(P＜0.01),而不同海拔油松、华山松凋落叶粗纤维释放无显著差异;处于高低海拔的华北落叶松和锐齿栎凋落叶热值分别为17.12和15.68 kJ·g-1、17.74和13.51 kJ·g-1,表现出极显著差异(P＜0.01),油松、华山松凋落叶表现出显著差异(P＜0.05).研究发现,一年中海拔差异所造成的降水、温度等因素的变化对各树种凋落叶中N、P、C的释放无显著影响,但对凋落叶分解过程中粗脂肪、热值、粗纤维/N的变化影响显著.     

Indolacetic and humic acids induce lateral root development through a concerted plasmalemma and tonoplast H<Superscript>+</Superscript> pumps activation

Increasing evidences have indicated that humic substances can induce plant growth and productivity by functioning as an environmental source of auxinic activity. Here we comparatively evaluate the effects of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and humic acids (HA) isolated from two different soils (Inseptsol and Ultisol) and two different organic residues (vermicompost and sewage sludge) on root development and on activities of plasmalemma and tonoplast H⁺ pumps from maize roots. The data show that HA isolated from these different sources as well as low IAA concentrations (10⁻¹⁰ and 10⁻¹⁵ M) improve root growth through a markedly proliferation of lateral roots along with a differential activation not only of the plasmalemma but also of vacuolar H⁺-ATPases and H⁺-pyrophosphatase. Further, the vacuolar H⁺-ATPase had a peak of stimulation in a range from 10⁻⁸ to 10⁻¹⁰ M IAA, whereas the H⁺-pyrophosphatase was sensitive to a much broader range of IAA concentrations from 10⁻³ to 10⁻¹⁵ M. It is proposed a complementary view of the acid growth mechanism in which a concerted activation of the plasmalemma and tonoplast H⁺ pumps plays a key role in the root cell expansion process driven by environment-derived molecules endowed with auxinic activity, such as that of humic substances.