The host plant-mediated impact of simulated acid rain on the development and reproduction of Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Acari, Tetranychidae)

Abstract:  The host plant-mediated impact of simulated acid rain (pH 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 5.6, and 6.8) on the behaviour, development, and reproduction of carmine spider mite, Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduvals), were evaluated at 25°C in a series of laboratory trials. The results indicated that the adults of carmine spider mite prefer to aggregate on pH 4.0 acid rain-treated eggplant leaves. The developmental times of nymph, larva and the pre-oviposition period of the mite on kidney bean leaves were significantly affected by acid rain treatments. The developmental times for the immature stages ranged from 11.4 days on pH 4.0 acid rain-treated leaves to 12.7 days on other acid rain-treated leaves. The survival of immatures varied from 85.14% on pH 4.0 acid rain-treated leaves to 78.83% on deionized water-treated leaves (pH 6.8). The mites feeding on acid rain-treated leaves (pH 3.0–5.6) had significantly greater reproductivity and longevity than those feeding on deionized water-treated leaves. The average greatest reproductivity (74.6 eggs per female) and longest female longevity (8.9 days) were recorded on pH 4.0 acid rain-treated leaves. Accordingly, the intrinsic rate of increase ( r _m ) for the mite on pH 4.0 acid rain-treated leaves was the highest. Jackknife estimates of r _m varied from 0.201 on pH 4.0 acid rain-treated leaves to 0.158 on pH 5.6 acid rain-treated leaves. The results implied that the population growth of the mite were enhanced by application of acid rain (pH 3.0–5.6) on host plants.     

Degradation of coniferyl alcohol and other lignin-related aromatic compounds by Nocardia sp. DSM 1069

Nocardia sp. DSM 1069 was grown on mineral salt media with coniferyl alcohol, 4-methoxybenzoic acid, 3-methoxybenzoic acid or veratric acid as sole sources of carbon and energy. During incubation on coniferyl alcohol, the formation of coniferyl aldehyde, ferulic acid and quantitative accumulation of vanillic acid and proteocatechuic acid could be achieved with mutants. Washed cell suspensions of N. sp. grown on 4-methoxybenzoic acid, oxidized 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and protocatechuic acid. Cells grown on veratric acid, oxidized vanillic acid, isovanillic acid, and protocatechuic acid. Cell extracts were shown to cleave protocatechuic acid by ortho-fission.A mutant without protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase activity was not influenced in its growth on 3 methoxybenzoic acid. Cell free extracts of cells grown on 3-methoxybenzoic acid were shown to catalyze the oxidation of gentisic acid (2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid). The resulting ring cleavage product was further metabolized by a glutathione dependent reaction.The specificity of the demethylation reactions has been investigated with a mutant unable to grow on vanillic acid. This mutant was not impaired in the degradation of isovanillic acid, 4-methoxy-, or 3-methoxybenzoic acid, whereas growth of this mutant on veratric acid (3,4-dimethoxybenzoic acid) was only half as much as that of the wild type. Concomitantly with growth on veratric acid this mutant accumulated vanillic acid with a yield of about 50%.A pathway for the catabolism of coniferyl alcohol, involving oxidation and shortening of the side chain, and of 4-methoxybenzoic acid and veratric acid with protocatechuic acid as intermediate is being proposed. A second one is proposed for the degradation of 3-methoxybenzoic acid with gentisic acid as intermediate.     

几种化感物质替代物间的互作效应分析

运用正交旋转回归试验设计分析5种常见的化感物质替代物水杨酸、对羟基苯甲酸、肉桂酸、香草酸和阿魏酸间对稗草根长的互作效应,以探明化感物质抑草作用机理.结果表明,水杨酸和对羟基苯甲酸、水杨酸和肉桂酸间增效或拮抗的互作效应与各因子在化合物中浓度水平密切相关.水杨酸在浓度<0.14mmol·L^-1时,对对羟基苯甲酸表现为增效作用;当浓度>0.14mmol·L^-1时,则表现为拮抗作用.而对羟基苯甲酸在浓度为0.425mmol·L^-1时,对水杨酸表现为拮抗作用.在所考察的浓度范围内,水杨酸对肉桂酸都具有拮抗作用,而肉桂酸在浓度为0.14mmol·L^-1时对水杨酸表现出拮抗作用.在所考察的浓度范围中,香草酸与肉桂酸的作用效果都是增效的.     

Effect of exogenous ascorbic acid intake on biosynthesis of ascorbic acid in mice

The effect of exogenous ascorbic acid intake on biosynthesis of ascorbic acid in mice has been studied. After the mice were on diets containing added ascorbic acid for two months, the activities of ascorbic acid synthesizing enzymes in the mouse liver homogenates were measured using L-gulono-gamma-lactone as a substrate. Exogenous ascorbic acid intake (0.5, 1 or 5% in the diet) was able to increase the concentration of ascorbic acid in the blood and to decrease the activities of ascorbic acid synthesizing enzymes in mouse liver. The results suggest that ascorbic acid synthesis was controlled by local regulatory mechanism or by the concentration of ascorbic acid in the hepatic portal blood. Ingestion of dietary erythorbic acid, a stereoisomer of ascorbic acid, had no effect on the activities of ascorbic acid synthesizing enzymes.     

微量热法研究板蓝根中四种有机酸对微生物生长代谢的影响

微量热法研究传统中药板蓝根中四种有机酸对大肠杆菌、金黄色葡萄球菌和痢疾杆菌生长代谢的影响。得到加药与不加药时大肠杆菌、金黄色葡萄球菌和痢疾杆菌生长代谢的“效-时”曲线, 以生长速率常数(k1, k2)、最大产热功率(Pm)和最大达峰时间(tm)等热力学参数来评价四种有机酸对微生物生长代谢抑制的强度和程度。四种有机酸抗微生物活性作用的顺序为: 丁香酸>邻氨基苯甲酸>水杨酸>苯甲酸, 其中苯甲酸对金黄色葡萄球菌和痢疾杆菌的生长代谢具有促进作用。本研究对板蓝根的进一步研究提供了基础和依据。     

海洋放线菌124092细胞毒活性和化学成分研究

采用MTT法对海洋放线菌124092正己烷提取物进行细胞毒活性筛选,结果显示对小鼠B16黑色素瘤细胞有一定的生长抑制活性。用硅胶真空柱层析法将正己烷提取物粗分为6个组分（Fr1～Fr6）,细胞毒活性追踪显示Fr6组分为活性部分。为确定其中的活性成分,运用GC／MS对脯组分的化学成分进行了分析,结果显示其主要成分为：棕榈酸（Palmitic acid,11．76％）、油酸（Oleic acid,12．16％）、亚油酸（Linoleic acid．14．77％）和乳杆（菌）酸（Lactobacillic acid,61．31％）。据文献报道棕榈酸、油酸、亚油酸均对小鼠腹水瘤细胞具有细胞毒活性,亚油酸还对人肺腺癌细胞具有抑制作用。     

Characterization of liver cholic acid coenzyme A ligase activity. Evidence that separate microsomal enzymes are responsible for cholic acid and fatty acid activation.

Investigations on the cholic acid CoA ligase activity of rat liver microsomes were made possible by the development of a rapid, sensitive radiochemical assay based on the conversion of [3H]choloyl-CoA. More than 70% of the rat liver cholic acid CoA ligase activity was associated with the microsomal subcellular fraction. The dependencies of cholic acid CoA ligase activity on pH, ATP, CoA, Triton WR-1339, acetone, ethanol, magnesium, and salts were investigated. The hypothesis that the long chain fatty acid CoA ligase activity and the cholic acid CoA ligase activity are catalyzed by a single microsomal enzyme was investigated. The ATP, CoA, and cholic (palmitic) acid kinetics neither supported nor negated the hypothesis. Cholic acid was not an inhibitor of the fatty acid CoA ligase and palmitic acid was not a competitive inhibitor of the cholic acid CoA ligase. The cholic acid CoA ligase activity utilized dATP as a substrate more effectively than did the fatty acid CoA ligase activity. The cholic acid and fatty acid CoA ligase activities appeared to have different pH dependencies, differed in thermolability at 41 degrees, and were differentially inactivated by phospholipase C. Moreover, fatty acid CoA ligase activity was present in microsomal fractions from all rat organs tested while cholic acid CoA ligase activity was detected only in liver microsomes. The data suggest that separate microsomal enzymes are responsible for the cholic acid and the fatty acid CoA ligase activities in liver.     

Effect in the cow of intraruminal infusions of volatile fatty acids and of lactic acid on the secretion of the component fatty acids of the milk fat and on the composition of blood

1. The effects in the cow of intraruminal infusions of acetic acid, propionic acid or butyric acid on the secretion of the component fatty acids of the milk fat, and of these acids and of lactic acid on the composition of the blood plasma of the jugular vein, have been studied. 2. The infusion of acetic acid or butyric acid increased the yield of the C₄–C₁₆ acids of milk fat but decreased the yield of C₁₈ acids. The infusion of propionic acid decreased the yields of all major component acids except palmitic acid and possibly lauric acid. 3. The changes in the concentrations in blood plasma of glucose and of ketone bodies were consistent with the glucogenic effect of propionic acid and the ketogenic effects of butyric acid and acetic acid. The effects of lactic acid were not consistent from cow to cow. Only with the infusion of acetic acid was a significant increase in the concentration of total volatile fatty acids in blood plasma found. Infusions of butyric acid and of propionic acid tended to depress the concentration of citric acid in the blood plasma and infusion of acetic acid increased it. No consistent effects of the infused acids on the concentration in blood plasma of esterified cholesterol, free cholesterol, triglyceride or phospholipid were observed. 4. The possibility is discussed that the effects of the infused acids on milk-fat secretion are caused through an alteration of the concentrations of precursors of milk fat in mammary arterial blood.     

Mechanism of Proline Production by Kurthia catenaforma

The fate of aspartic acid used for proline fermentation by Kurthia catenaforma was traced by using aspartic acid-U-(14)C. The radioactivities of proline and glutamic acid increased with the disappearance of aspartic acid. After 40 hr, aspartic acid disappeared from the medium and radioactive alpha-ketoglutaric acid was detected. The radioactivity of proline reached 44% of aspartic acid radioactivity at 40 hr. The specific radioactivities of these amino acids and of alpha-ketoglutaric acid supported the notion that proline is produced mainly from aspartic acid via alpha-ketoglutaric acid and glutamic acid. Since the levels of glutamic acid dehydrogenases (EC 1.4.1.2 and EC 1.4.1.4) were low in this organism, it appears that the nitrogen atom of aspartic acid enters proline by the action of aspartate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.1). The mechanism of proline production is discussed on the basis of the role of aspartic acid in this fermentation.     

微量热法研究板蓝根中四种有机酸对微生物生长代谢的影响

微量热法研究传统中药板蓝根中四种有机酸对大肠杆菌、金黄色葡萄球菌和痢疾杆菌生长代谢的影响。得到加药与不加药时大肠杆菌、金黄色葡萄球菌和痢疾杆菌生长代谢的“效-时”曲线, 以生长速率常数(k1, k2)、最大产热功率(Pm)和最大达峰时间(tm)等热力学参数来评价四种有机酸对微生物生长代谢抑制的强度和程度。四种有机酸抗微生物活性作用的顺序为: 丁香酸>邻氨基苯甲酸>水杨酸>苯甲酸, 其中苯甲酸对金黄色葡萄球菌和痢疾杆菌的生长代谢具有促进作用。本研究对板蓝根的进一步研究提供了基础和依据。     

熊果酸衍生物的合成及其对肺癌细胞活性抑制的研究

目的：探讨合成的熊果酸衍生物对肺癌LTEP-α-2肿瘤细胞增殖的抑制作用。方法：熊果酸经氧化、肟化和腙化合成为3-氧代熊果酸、3-肟基熊果酸和3-（2＇,4＇-二硝基）-苯腙熊果酸。采用MTT法检测熊果酸及其衍生物对肺癌LTEP-α-2细胞的体外抗肿瘤活性。结果：熊果酸及其衍生物对肺癌LTEP-α-2细胞有抑制作用,且3-肟基熊果酸对肺癌LTEP-α-2细胞抑制作用高于其他化合物,其抑制率为90.0%,IC50为7.4μg/m L。结论：熊果酸衍生物3-肟基熊果酸抗肺癌LTEP-α-2肿瘤细胞活性高于熊果酸的活性。     

Effects of L-glutamic acid on acid secretion and mucosal blood flow in the rat stomach

The effect of intravenous administration of L-glutamic acid (L-Glu) on gastric acid secretion and gastric mucosal blood flow (GMBF) in anesthetized rats were investigated. Infusion with synthetic L-Glu alone had no effect on spontaneous acid secretion. However, L-Glu reduced histamine- (2 mg/kg/hr) or oxotremorine- (1 microg/kg/hr) stimulated acid secretion, whereas L-Glu had no effect on acid secretion induced by pentagastrin (8 microg/kg/hr). Furthermore, this inhibitory effect of L-Glu on histamine- or oxotremorine-stimulated acid secretion was blocked by 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX), a non-NMDA receptor antagonist. The effect of L-Glu on gastric mucosal microcirculation in the anesthetized rats was evaluated by using Laser Doppler Flowmetry (LDF). The results showed that L-Glu did not significantly reduce both mucosal and serosal blood flow in stomach. No significant modulatory effect on histamine- or oxotremorine-stimulated increase in GMBF was noted after infusion with L-Glu. It is concluded that L-glutamic acid is capable of the modulating of gastric acid secretion via ionotropic non-NMDA receptors, but do not affect on GMBF. However, L-glutamic acid showed no effect on acid secretion by itself.     

Effect of cell age on erythrocyte fatty acid composition in rats on different dietary regimes

1. Rat erythrocytes were fractionated into young, mature and old cell fractions by centrifugation. The fatty acid composition of each fraction was determined by gas-liquid chromatography, under four different dietary conditions: with adequate linoleic acid in the diet, with a diet deficient in linoleic acid, and with the deficient diet supplemented with corn oil for 3 and 12 days. 2. Significant differences were observed in the fatty acid composition of cells of different ages on all diets. The pattern of fatty acid distribution depended on the particular acid in question, on its concentration in the total erythrocyte sample and on the nature of the dietary fat. 3. When corn oil was fed to rats that had been fed previously on a deficient diet, the changes in fatty acid composition that occurred depended on the acid and on the cell age. For example, young cells were more active in incorporating palmitic acid and arachidonic acid but incorporated linoleic acid at a slightly lower rate than older cells. 4. These results are believed to indicate the presence in the erythrocyte of transacylases with different specificities, and to show that transacylase activity changes as the cells age.     

Detection of carbon-phosphorus lyase activity in cell free extracts of Enterobacter aerogenes

The bacterium Enterobacter aerogenes could grow on a medium containing alkylphosphonic acid as a phosphorus source. The extracts prepared from the cells grown on phosphonoacetic acid as a sole source of phosphorus showed an activity of carbon-phosphorus lyase and hydrolyzed methyl-phosphonic acid, phosphonoacetic acid and phenylphosphonic acid with a liberation of inorganic phosphates.     

Enhanced prostaglandin synthesis as a mechanism for inhibition of melanoma cell growth by ascorbic acid

Both ascorbic acid and the 1-series prostaglandins have been reported to be important regulators of cell growth and since ascorbic acid also increases the synthesis of the 1-series prostaglandins, it is possible that the effects of ascorbic acid on cell growth might be mediated by changes in 1-series prostaglandin synthesis induced by ascorbic acid. This study attempted to examine this possible relationship. The effects of ascorbic acid, prostaglandin E1 and the essential fatty acid precursors of the prostaglandins, linoleic acid and gamma-linolenic acid on the in vitro growth of transformed BL6 murine melanoma cells and untransformed monkey kidney (LLCMK) cells was determined. The effects of ascorbic acid addition on the growth inhibitory effect of the essential fatty acids and on the activity of delta-6-desaturase, a key enzyme in 1-series prostaglandin synthesis were also examined. Addition of ascorbic acid, prostaglandin E1 and both essential fatty acids was found to reduce BL6 growth while PGE1 and to a lesser extent the essential fatty acids reduced LLCMK cell growth. The growth inhibitory effect of the essential fatty acids was enhanced by ascorbic acid which was also found to stimulate delta-6-desaturase activity in BL6 cells. The growth inhibitory effect of ascorbic acid on BL6 cells may thus be mediated by changes in prostaglandin synthesis through an association with the metabolism of the essential fatty acid precursors of the prostaglandins.     

Effect of the carcinogenic tyrosine metabolite p-hydroxyphenyllactic acid on the ascorbic acid concentration in the organs and blood of mice

The effect of cancerogenic tyrosine metabolite, p-hydroxyphenyllactic acid, on the concentration of ascorbic acid in the organs and blood of mice has been studied. p-Hydroxyphenyllactic acid was demonstrated to decrease considerably ascorbic acid concentration in the liver, adrenal glands and blood of mice. The above phenomenon and the previous data on tyrosine aminotransferase induction by p-hydroxyphenyllactic acid suggest the existence of two interdependent mechanisms of cancerogenic tyrosine metabolite (p-hydroxyphenyllactic acid) accumulation.     

酚酸类物质的抑草效应分析

运用正交旋转回归试验设计分析5种常见的化感物质替代物水饧酸、对羟基苯甲酸、肉桂酸、香草酸和阿魏酸对田间伴生杂草稗草的抑制效应．结果表明,肉桂酸对稗草根长抑制率的影响最显著。其关系函数的二次项系数为-6．18,达极显著水平,水杨酸、对羟基苯甲酸和阿魏酸对稗草根长的抑制效应趋势与肉桂酸相同,效应曲线均为“n”形抛物线;而香草酸的效应曲线则为“U”形抛物线．当水饧酸、对羟基苯甲酸、肉桂酸、香草酸和阿魏酸浓度水平分别为0．06、0．60、0．24、0．02和0．02mmol·L^-1时,混合物对稗草根长的抑制率最大,达到78．65％。     

A study into the role of L-aspartic acid on the metabolism of L-malic acid and D-glucose by Oenococcus oeni

AIMS: The purpose of this work was to study the effect of L-aspartic acid concentration on bacterial growth, D-glucose fermentation and L-malic acid consumption of Oenococcus oeni NCFB 1707. METHODS AND RESULTS: Bacterial cultures were performed in synthetic media. Bacterial growth, D-glucose fermentation and L-malic acid consumption were reduced when L-aspartic acid concentration became excessive. This inhibitory effect of high concentrations of L-aspartic acid on bacterial growth was also observed with several Oenococcus oeni strains, except O. oeni BL01. The L-aspartic acid inhibitory effect on bacterial growth could be reduced by increasing the concentration of L-glutamic acid. L-glutamic acid transport was found to be competitively inhibited by L-aspartic acid. In addition, an excessive amount of L-aspartic acid modified D-glucose metabolism, with an overproduction of acetic acid and reduced ethanol production. CONCLUSION: Since L-glutamic acid is an essential amino acid for the bacterial strain used, the L-aspartic acid inhibitory effect on bacterial growth could be linked to its involvement in an antagonistic interaction with L-glutamic acid. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Such antagonistic interactions between amino acids in O. oeni strains could be another explanation for the difficulties of inducing malolactic fermentation in wines.     

Indoleacetic acid enhancement of the inhibition of Lemna growth caused by abscisic acid

Summary Indoleacetic acid substantially increased the inhibitory influence of abscisic acid on growth measured on fresh weight basis of Lemna gibba L. A similar synergistic action was obtained with indolebutyric acid while neither naphthylacetic acid nor 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid showed any synergism. The antiauxin para-chlorophenoxy-isobutyric acid did not counteract the synergistic action of IAA and ABA. The results indicate that the enhancing effect of IAA on the ABA action is not a typical auxin effect.Abbreviations ABA abscisic acid - IAA indoleacetic acid - IBA indolebutyric acid - NAA naphthylacetic acid - 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - PCIB para-chlorophenoxy-iso-butyric acid     

Effects of glucagon and dibutyryl adenosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate on oxidative desaturation of fatty acids in the rat.

The present work was undertaken to study the effect of anti-insulinic and glycogenolytic factors on the oxidative desaturation of fatty acids. The effects of glucagon and dibutyryl cyclic AMP on the desaturation of linoleic acid to gamma-linolenic acid, alpha-linolenic acid to octadeca-6,9,12,15-tetraenoic acid, stearic acid to oleic acid, and eicosa-8,11,14-trienoic acid to eicosa-5,8,11,14-tetraenoic acid by rat liver microsomal preparations were investigated. Fasted rats had low desaturating activity, but refeeding a fat-free diet enhanced the activity. Administration of glucagon or dibutyryl cyclic AMP abolished the increase of the 6-desaturase activity elicited by refeeding. However, a similar effect on the 9-desaturase and 5-desaturase activity was not observed. The relationship between these effects and glucose metabolism is discussed.