Site,trigger, quenching mechanism and recovery of non-photochemical quenching in cyanobacteria: recent updates

Femtosecond transient absorption was used to study excitation decay in monomeric and trimeric cyanobacterial Photosystem I (PSI) being prepared in three states: (1) in aqueous solution, (2) deposited and dried on glass surface (either conducting or non-conducting), and (3) deposited on glass (conducting) surface but being in contact with aqueous solvent. The main goal of this contribution was to determine the reason of the acceleration of the excitation decay in dried PSI deposited on the conducting surface relative to PSI in solution observed previously using time-resolved fluorescence (Szewczyk et al., Photysnth Res 132(2):111–126, 2017). We formulated two alternative working hypotheses: (1) the acceleration results from electron injection from PSI to the conducting surface; (2) the acceleration is caused by dehydration and/or crowding of PSI proteins deposited on the glass substrate. Excitation dynamics of PSI in all three types of samples can be described by three main components of subpicosecond, 3–5, and 20–26 ps lifetimes of different relative contributions in solution than in PSI-substrate systems. The presence of similar kinetic components for all the samples indicates intactness of PSI proteins after their deposition onto the substrates. The kinetic traces for all systems with PSI deposited on substrates are almost identical and they decay significantly faster than the kinetic traces of PSI in solution. We conclude that the accelerated excitation decay in PSI-substrate systems is caused mostly by dense packing of proteins.     

‘Cool’ adaptations to cold environments: globins in Notothenioidei (Actynopterygii,Perciformes)

Notothenioidei, the taxonomic group of teleosts that dominates the Southern Ocean and dwell in the Ross Sea at large, provide an example of marine species that underwent unique adaptations to life at low temperatures and high oxygen concentrations, resulting in morphological, physiological, genomic, and biochemical peculiarities in comparison with warm-water fish. Global Warming raises concerns over the fate of these stenothermal fish, as their adaptation has been accompanied by irreversible genomic losses, which suggest a poor genetic potential to adapt to warmer climates. Specifically, this review focuses on adaptation of proteins belonging to the globin superfamily, which include the respiratory proteins hemoglobin and myoglobin and the non-respiratory proteins neuroglobin and cytoglobin. Here, we describe their molecular adaptations to cold temperatures in the framework of the physiology of oxygen transport and management of oxidative stress in fish species largely populating the Ross Sea.     

Die Kernteilung beiCladophora glomerata

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Untersuchungen an Chrysophyceen I–III

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Effects of intermittent aeration periods on a structured-bed reactor continuously fed on the post-treatment of sewage anaerobic effluent

Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering - This study assessed the simultaneous nitrification and denitrification processes and remaining organic matter removal from anaerobic reactor effluent...     

Fluctuations of grass pollen content in the atmosphere of East Perugia and meteorological correlations (year 1989)

Summary Gramineae pollination from a pollen monitoring station located in the eastern suburb of Perugia and meteorological correlations are reported. The data refers to the year 1989. Grass pollen peak pollination was from May to July; in this period the influence of relative humidity and of temperature on pollen concentration was very high. Phenological observations, to identify the time of maximum stamen extension in the most common genera in the area, are also reported. During the period of investigation the counts of pollen grains over four-hour periods showed a regular diurnal rhythm with peaks of concentration in the four-hour period 16.00–20.00. Aerosporological data and meteorological data related to four-hour periods were correlated following different criteria.     

Pollen-based biome reconstruction for southern Europe and Africa 18,000 yr bp

Pollen data from 18,000 ¹⁴C yr bp were compiled in order to reconstruct biome distributions at the last glacial maximum in southern Europe and Africa. Biome reconstructions were made using the objective biomization method applied to pollen counts using a complete list of dryland taxa wherever possible. Consistent and major differences from present‐day biomes are shown. Forest and xerophytic woods/scrub were replaced by steppe, both in the Mediterranean region and in southern Africa, except in south‐western Cape Province where fynbos (xerophytic scrub) persisted. Sites in the tropical highlands, characterized today by evergreen forest, were dominated by steppe and/or xerophytic vegetation (cf. today’s Ericaceous belt and Afroalpine grassland) at the last glacial maximum. Available data from the tropical lowlands are sparse but suggest that the modern tropical rain forest was largely replaced by tropical seasonal forest while the modern seasonal or dry forests were encroached on by savanna or steppe. Montane forest elements descended to lower elevations than today.