Nutrient conservation strategies in native Andean‐Patagonian forests

Abstract. Nutrient conservation in vegetation affects rates of litter decomposition and soil nutrient availability. Although resorption has been traditionally considered one of the most important plant strategies to conserve nutrients in temperate forests, long leaf life‐span and low nutrient requirements have been postulated as better indicators. We aimed at identifying nutrient conservation strategies within characteristic functional groups of NW Patagonian forests on Andisols. We analysed C‐, N‐, P‐, K‐ and lignin‐concentrations in mature and senescent leaves of ten native woody species within the functional groups: broad‐leaved deciduous species, broad‐leaved evergreens and conifers. We also examined mycorrhizal associations in all species. Nutrient concentration in mature leaves and N‐ resorption were higher in broad‐leaved deciduous species than in the other two functional groups. Conifers had low mature leaf nutrient concentrations, low N‐resorption and high lignin/N ratios in senescent leaves. P‐ and K‐resorptions did not differ among functional groups. Broad‐leaved evergreens exhibited a species‐dependent response. Nitrogen in mature leaves was positively correlated with both N resorption and soil N‐fertility. Despite the high P‐retention capacity of Andisols, N appeared to be the more limiting nutrient, with most species being proficient in resorbing N but not P. The presence of endomycorrhizae in all conifers and the broad‐leaved evergreen Maytenus boaria, ectomycorrhizae in all Nothofagus species (four deciduous, one evergreen), and cluster roots in the broad‐leaved evergreen Lomatia hirsuta, would be possibly explaining why P is less limiting than N in these forests.     

Binding of bovine parathyroid hormone to surface receptors of cultured B-lymphocytes.

Binding of parathyroid hormone onto B-lymphocytes is detected by the utilization of the labelled antibody membrane assay. The amount of parathyroid hormone bound to the receptor sites was depending on the quantity of cells in the incubation milieu. Each cell line showed typical characteristics in time course of parathyroid hormone binding and maximal receptor capacity. Fragmentation of intact parathyroid hormone, also varying with the cell line tested, was very rapid, even at 24 degrees C. Within 20 min most of the cell lines destroyed 20% of the native hormone in the incubation mixture, indicating a fragmentation rate of up to 2.25 ng/min at 37 degrees C. Bmax and KD for the different lymphocytes was 5.3--19 . 10(11) M and 1.8--18,5 . 10(11) M, respectively. These values are in the range of reported plasma concentrations and may therefore represent more physiological values for the capacity and affinity of membrane receptors.     

Effects of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A, S protein, and S peptide on activation of purified rat hepatic glucocorticoid-receptor complexes

Bovine pancreatic ribonuclease (RNase) A and S protein (enzymatically inactive proteolytic fragment of RNase A which contains RNA binding site) stimulate the activation, as evidenced by increasing DNA-cellulose binding, of highly purified rat hepatic glucocorticoid-receptor complexes. These effects are dose dependent with maximal stimulation of DNA-cellulose binding being detected at approximately 500 micrograms (50 units of RNase A/mL). RNase A and S protein do not enhance DNA-cellulose binding via their ability to interact directly with DNA or to increase nonspecific binding of receptors to cellulose. Neither S peptide (enzymatically inactive proteolytic fragment which lacks RNA binding site) nor cytochrome c, a nonspecific basic DNA binding protein, mimics these effects. RNase A and S protein do not stimulate the conformational change which is associated with activation and is reflected in a shift in the elution profile of receptor complexes from DEAE-cellulose. In contrast, these two proteins interact with previously heat-activated receptor complexes to further enhance their DNA-cellulose binding capacity and thus mimic the effects of an endogenous heat-stable cytoplasmic protein(s) which also function(s) during step 2 of in vitro activation [Schmidt, T. J., Miller-Diener, A., Webb, M. L., & Litwack, G. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 16255-16262]. Preadsorption of RNase A and S protein to an RNase affinity resin containing an inhibitory RNA analogue, or trypsin digestion of the RNA binding site within S protein, eliminates the subsequent ability of these two proteins to stimulate DNA-cellulose binding of the purified receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Evolution of resource specialisation in competitive metacommunities

Spatial environmental heterogeneity coupled with dispersal can promote ecological persistence of diverse metacommunities. Does this premise hold when metacommunities evolve? Using a two‐resource competition model, we studied the evolution of resource‐uptake specialisation as a function of resource type (substitutable to essential) and shape of the trade‐off between resource uptake affinities (generalist‐ to specialist‐favouring). In spatially homogeneous environments, evolutionarily stable coexistence of consumers is only possible for sufficiently substitutable resources and specialist‐favouring trade‐offs. Remarkably, these same conditions yield comparatively low diversity in heterogeneous environments, because they promote sympatric evolution of two opposite resource specialists that, together, monopolise the two resources everywhere. Consumer diversity is instead maximised for intermediate trade‐offs and clearly substitutable or clearly essential resources, where evolved metacommunities are characterised by contrasting selection regimes. Taken together, our results present new insights into resource‐competition‐mediated evolutionarily stable diversity in homogeneous and heterogeneous environments, which should be applicable to a wide range of systems.     

Upregulation of miR21 and Repression of Grhl3 by Leptin Mediates Sinusoidal Endothelial Injury in Experimental Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis

Sinusoidal endothelial dysfunction (SED) has been found to be an early event in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) progression but the molecular mechanisms underlying its causation remains elusive. We hypothesized that adipokine leptin worsens sinusoidal injury by decreasing functionally active nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS)3 via miR21. Using rodent models of NASH, and transgenic mice lacking leptin and leptin receptor, results showed that hyperleptinemia caused a 4–5 fold upregulation of hepatic miR21 as assessed by qRTPCR. The upregulation of miR21 led to a time-dependent repression of its target protein Grhl3 levels as shown by western blot analyses. NOS3-p/NOS3 ratio which is controlled by Grhl3 was significantly decreased in NASH models. SED markers ICAM-1, VEGFR-2, and E-selectin as assessed by immunofluorescence microscopy were significantly up regulated in the progressive phases of NASH. Lack of leptin or its receptor in vivo, reversed the upregulation of miR21 and restored the levels of Grhl3 and NOS3-p/NOS3 ratio coupled with decreased SED dysfunction markers. Interestingly, leptin supplementation in mice lacking leptin, significantly enhanced miR21 levels, decreased Grhl3 repression and NOS3 phosphorylation. Leptin supplementation in isolated primary endothelial cells, Kupffer cells and stellate cells showed increased mir21 expression in stellate cells while sinusoidal injury was significantly higher in all cell types. Finally miR21 KO mice showed increased NOS3-p/NOS3 ratio and reversed SED markers in the rodent models of NASH. The experimental results described here show a close association of leptin-induced miR21 in aiding sinusoidal injury in NASH.     

A Versatile Click-Compatible Monolignol Probe to Study Lignin Deposition in Plant Cell Walls

Lignin plays important structural and functional roles in plants by forming a hydrophobic matrix in secondary cell walls that enhances mechanical strength and resists microbial decay. While the importance of the lignin matrix is well documented and the biosynthetic pathways for monolignols are known, the process by which lignin precursors or monolignols are transported and polymerized to form this matrix remains a subject of considerable debate. In this study, we have synthesized and tested an analog of coniferyl alcohol that has been modified to contain an ethynyl group at the C-3 position. This modification enables fluorescent tagging and imaging of this molecule after its incorporation into plant tissue by click chemistry-assisted covalent labeling with a fluorescent azide dye, and confers a distinct Raman signature that could be used for Raman imaging. We found that this monolignol analog is incorporated into in vitro-polymerized dehydrogenation polymer (DHP) lignin and into root epidermal cell walls of 4-day-old Arabidopsis seedlings. Incorporation of the analog in stem sections of 6-week-old Arabidopsis thaliana plants and labeling with an Alexa-594 azide dye revealed the precise locations of new lignin polymerization. Results from this study indicate that this molecule can provide high-resolution localization of lignification during plant cell wall maturation and lignin matrix assembly.