Presence of supercooling-facilitating (anti-ice nucleation) hydrolyzable tannins in deep supercooling xylem parenchyma cells in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cercidiphyllum japonicum</Emphasis>

Xylem parenchyma cells (XPCs) in trees adapt to subzero temperatures by deep supercooling. Our previous study indicated the possibility of the presence of diverse kinds of supercooling-facilitating (SCF; anti-ice nucleation) substances in XPCs of katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum), all of which might have an important role in deep supercooling of XPCs. In the previous study, a few kinds of SCF flavonol glycosides were identified. Thus, in the present study, we tried to identify other kinds of SCF substances in XPCs of katsura tree. SCF substances were purified from xylem extracts by silica gel column chromatography and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. Then, four SCF substances isolated were identified by UV, mass and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses. The results showed that the four kinds of hydrolyzable gallotannins, 2,2′,5-tri-O-galloyl-α,β-d-hamamelose (trigalloyl Ham or kurigalin), 1,2,6-tri-O-galloyl-β-d-glucopyranoside (trigalloyl Glc), 1,2,3,6-tetra-O-galloyl-β-d-glucopyranoside (tetragalloyl Glc) and 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β-d-glucopyranoside (pentagalloyl Glc), in XPCs exhibited supercooling capabilities in the range of 1.5–4.5°C, at a concentration of 1 mg mL⁻¹. These SCF substances, including flavonol glycosides and hydrolyzable gallotannins, may contribute to the supercooling in XPCs of katsura tree.     

Freezing activities of flavonoids in solutions containing different ice nucleators

In this study, we examined the effects on freezing of 26 kinds of flavonoid compounds, which were randomly selected as compounds with structures similar to those of flavonoid compounds existing in deep supercooling xylem parenchyma cells (XPCs) in trees, in solutions containing different kinds of ice nucleators, including the ice nucleation bacterium (INB) Erwinia ananas, INB Xanthomonas campestris, silver iodide, phloroglucinol and unidentified airborne impurities in buffered Milli-Q water (BMQW). Cumulative freezing spectra were obtained in each solution by cooling 2 μL droplets at 0.2 °C/min by a droplet freezing assay. Freezing temperature of 50% droplets (FT(50)) was obtained from each spectra in a separate analysis with more than 20 droplets and mean FT(50) were obtained from more than five separate analyses using more than 100 droplets in total in each flavonoid. Supercooling-promoting activities (SCA) or ice nucleation-enhancing activities (INA) of these flavonoids were determined by the difference in FT(50) between control solutions without flavonoids and experimental solutions with flavonoids. In mean values, most of the compounds examined exhibited SCA in solutions containing the INB E. ananas, INB X. campestris, silver iodide, and phloroglucinol although the magnitudes of their activities were different depending on the ice nucleator. In solutions containing the INB E. ananas, 10 compounds exhibited SCAs with significant differences (p<0.05) in the range of 1.4-4.2 °C. In solutions containing silver iodide, 23 compounds exhibited SCAs with significant differences in the range of 2.0-7.1 °C. In solutions containing phloroglucinol, six compounds exhibited SCAs with significant differences in the range of 2.4-3.5 °C. In solutions containing the INB X. campestris, only three compounds exhibited SCAs with significant differences in the range of 0.9-2.3 °C. In solutions containing unidentified airborne impurities (BMQW alone), on the other hand, many compounds exhibited INA rather than SCA. In mean values, only four compounds exhibited SCAs in the range of 2.4-3.2 °C (no compounds with significant difference at p<0.05), whereas 21 compounds exhibited INAs in the range of 0.1-12.3 °C (eight compounds with significant difference). It was also shown by an emulsion freezing assay that most flavonoid glycosides examined did not affect homogeneous ice nucleation temperatures, except for a few compounds that become ice nucleators in BMQW alone. These results suggest that most flavonoid compounds affect freezing temperatures by interaction with unidentified ice nucleators in BMQW as examined by a droplet freezing assay. The results of our previous and present studies indicate that flavonoid compounds have very complex effects to regulate freezing of water.     

Analysis of supercooling activity of tannin-related polyphenols

Based on the discovery of novel supercooling-promoting hydrolyzable gallotannins from deep supercooling xylem parenchyma cells (XPCs) in Katsura tree (see Wang et al. (2012) [38]), supercooling capability of a wide variety of tannin-related polyphenols (TRPs) was examined in order to find more effective supercooling-promoting substances for their applications. The TRPs examined were single compounds including six kinds of hydrolyzable tannins, 11 kinds of catechin derivatives, two kinds of structural analogs of catechin and six kinds of phenolcarboxylic acid derivatives, 11 kinds of polyphenol mixtures and five kinds of crude plant tannin extracts. The effects of these TRPs on freezing were examined by droplet freezing assays using various solutions containing different kinds of identified ice nucleators such as the ice nucleation bacterium (INB) Erwinia ananas, the INB Xanthomonas campestris, silver iodide and phloroglucinol as well as a solution containing only unintentionally included unidentified airborne ice nucleators. Among the 41 kinds of TRPs examined, all of the hydrolyzable tannins, catechin derivatives, polyphenol mixtures and crude plant tannin extracts as well as a few structural analogs of catechin and phenolcarboxylic acid derivatives exhibited supercooling-promoting activity (SCA) with significant differences (p > 0.05) from at least one of the solutions containing different kinds of ice nucleators. It should be noted that there were no TRPs exhibiting ice nucleation-enhancing activity (INA) in all solutions containing identified ice nucleators, whereas there were many TRPs exhibiting INA with significant differences in solutions containing unidentified ice nucleators alone. An emulsion freezing assay confirmed that these TRPs did not essentially affect homogeneous ice nucleation temperatures. It is thought that not only SCA but also INA in the TRPs are produced by interactions with heterogeneous ice nucleators, not by direct interaction with water molecules. In the present study, several TRPs that might be useful for applications due to their high SCA in many solutions were identified.     

Analysis of supercooling-facilitating (anti-ice nucleation) activity of flavonol glycosides

Deep supercooling xylem parenchyma cells (XPCs) of katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) contain four kinds of flavonol glycosides with high supercooling-facilitating (anti-ice nucleation) activities. These flavonol glycosides have very similar structures, but their supercooling-facilitating activities are very different. In this study, we analyzed the supercooling-facilitating activities of 12 kinds of flavonol glycosides in order to determine the chemical structures that might affect supercooling-facilitating activity. All of the flavonol glycosides tested showed supercooling-facilitating activity, although the magnitudes of activity differed among the compounds. It was clear that the combination of the position of attachment of the glycosyl moiety, the kind of attached glycosyl moiety and the structure of aglycone determined the magnitude of anti-ice nucleation activity. However, there is still some ambiguity preventing the exact identification of features that affect the magnitude of supercooling-facilitating activity.     

Analysis of supercooling activities of surfactants

Supercooling-promoting activities (SCAs) of 25 kinds of surfactants including non-ionic, anionic, cationic and amphoteric types were examined in solutions (buffered Milli-Q water, BMQW) containing the ice nucleation bacterium (INB) Erwinia ananas, silver iodide (AgI) or BMQW alone, which unintentionally contained unidentified ice nucleators, by a droplet freezing assay. Most of the surfactants exhibited SCA in solutions containing AgI but not in solutions containing the INB E. ananas or BMQW alone. SCAs of many surfactants in solutions containing AgI were very high compared with those of previously reported supercooling-promoting substances. Cationic surfactants, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (C16TAB) and hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (C16TAC), at concentrations of 0.01% (w/v) exhibited SCA of 11.8 °C, which is the highest SCA so far reported. These surfactants also showed high SCAs at very low concentrations in solutions containing AgI. C16TAB exhibited SCA of 5.7 °C at a concentration of 0.0005% (w/v).     

Deep supercooling xylem parenchyma cells of katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) contain flavonol glycosides exhibiting high anti-ice nucleation activity

Xylem parenchyma cells (XPCs) of boreal hardwood species adapt to sub-freezing temperatures by deep supercooling to maintain a liquid state of intracellular water near −40 °C. Our previous study found that crude xylem extracts from such tree species exhibited anti-ice nucleation activity to promote supercooling of water. In the present study, thus, we attempted to identify the causative substances of supercooling. Crude xylem extracts from katsura tree ( Cercidiphyllum japonicum ), of which XPCs exhibited deep supercooling to −40 °C, were prepared by methanol extraction. The crude extracts were purified by liquid–liquid extraction and then by silica gel column chromatography. Although all the fractions obtained after each purification step exhibited some levels of anti-ice nucleation activity, only the most active fraction was retained to proceed to the subsequent level of purification. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of a fraction with the highest level of activity revealed four peaks with high levels of anti-ice nucleation activity in the range of 2.8–9.0 °C. Ultraviolet (UV), mass and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra revealed that these four peaks corresponded to quercetin-3- O - β -glucoside (Q3G), kaempferol-7- O - β -glucoside (K7G), 8-methoxykaempferol-3- O - β -glucoside (8MK3G) and kaempferol-3- O - β -glucoside (K3G). Microscopic observations confirmed the presence of flavonoids in cytoplasms of XPCs. These results suggest that diverse kinds of anti-ice nucleation substances, including flavonol glycosides, may have important roles in deep supercooling of XPCs.     

Anti-ice nucleation activity in xylem extracts from trees that contain deep supercooling xylem parenchyma cells

Boreal hardwood species, including Japanese white birch (Betula platyphylla Sukat. var. japonica Hara), Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata Sieb. et Zucc.), katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum Sieb. et Zucc.), Siebold’s beech (Fagus crenata Blume), mulberry (Morus bombycis Koidz.), and Japanese rowan (Sorbus commixta Hedl.), had xylem parenchyma cells (XPCs) that adapt to subfreezing temperatures by deep supercooling. Crude extracts from xylem in all these trees were found to have anti-ice nucleation activity that promoted supercooling capability of water as measured by a droplet freezing assay. The magnitude of increase in supercooling capability of water droplets in the presence of ice-nucleation bacteria, Erwinia ananas, was higher in the ranges from 0.1 to 1.7 °C on addition of crude xylem extracts than freezing temperature of water droplets on addition of glucose in the same concentration (100 mosmol/kg). Crude xylem extracts from C. japonicum provided the highest supercooling capability of water droplets. Our additional examination showed that crude xylem extracts from C. japonicum exhibited anti-ice nucleation activity toward water droplets containing a variety of heterogeneous ice nucleators, including ice-nucleation bacteria, not only E. ananas but also Pseudomonas syringae (NBRC3310) or Xanthomonas campestris, silver iodide or airborne impurities. However, crude xylem extracts from C. japonicum did not affect homogeneous ice nucleation temperature as analyzed by emulsified micro-water droplets. The possible role of such anti-ice nucleation activity in crude xylem extracts in deep supercooling of XPCs is discussed.     

Two new flavonol glycosides from the leaves of Cleome viscosa L.

From the leaves of Cleome viscosa L., two new flavonol glycosides, named visconoside A (1) and visconoside B (2), together with six known flavonol glycosides, vincetoxicoside A (3), vincetoxicoside B (4), kaempferitrin (5), kaempferide 3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside 7-O-α-l-rhamnopyranoside (6), kaempferol 3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside 7-O-α-l-rhamnopyranoside (7), and isorhamnetin 3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (8) were isolated by various chromatography methods. Its chemical structure was elucidated by IR, UV, HR-ESI-MS, NMR 1D and 2D experiments and compared with literatures.     

Anti-ice nucleation activity in xylem extracts from trees that contain deep supercooling xylem parenchyma cells

Boreal hardwood species, including Japanese white birch (Betula platyphylla Sukat. var. japonica Hara), Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata Sieb. et Zucc.), katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum Sieb. et Zucc.), Siebold’s beech (Fagus crenata Blume), mulberry (Morus bombycis Koidz.), and Japanese rowan (Sorbus commixta Hedl.), had xylem parenchyma cells (XPCs) that adapt to subfreezing temperatures by deep supercooling. Crude extracts from xylem in all these trees were found to have anti-ice nucleation activity that promoted supercooling capability of water as measured by a droplet freezing assay. The magnitude of increase in supercooling capability of water droplets in the presence of ice-nucleation bacteria, Erwinia ananas, was higher in the ranges from 0.1 to 1.7 °C on addition of crude xylem extracts than freezing temperature of water droplets on addition of glucose in the same concentration (100 mosmol/kg). Crude xylem extracts from C. japonicum provided the highest supercooling capability of water droplets. Our additional examination showed that crude xylem extracts from C. japonicum exhibited anti-ice nucleation activity toward water droplets containing a variety of heterogeneous ice nucleators, including ice-nucleation bacteria, not only E. ananas but also Pseudomonas syringae (NBRC3310) or Xanthomonas campestris, silver iodide or airborne impurities. However, crude xylem extracts from C. japonicum did not affect homogeneous ice nucleation temperature as analyzed by emulsified micro-water droplets. The possible role of such anti-ice nucleation activity in crude xylem extracts in deep supercooling of XPCs is discussed.     

Improved cryopreservation by diluted vitrification solution with supercooling-facilitating flavonol glycoside

The effect of kaempferol-7-O-glucoside (KF7G), one of the supercooling-facilitating flavonol glycosides which was originally found in deep supercooling xylem parenchyma cells of the katsura tree and was found to exhibit the highest level of supercooling-facilitating activity among reported substances, was examined for successful cryopreservation by vitrification procedures, with the aim of determining the possibility of using diluted vitrification solution (VS) to reduce cryoprotectant toxicity and also to inhibit nucleation at practical cooling and rewarming by the effect of supplemental KF7G. Examination was performed using shoot apices of cranberry and plant vitrification solution 2 (PVS2) with dilution. Vitrification procedures using the original concentration (100%) of PVS2 caused serious injury during treatment with PVS2 and resulted in no regrowth after cooling and rewarming (cryopreservation). Dilution of the concentration of PVS2 to 75% or 50% (with the same proportions of constituents) significantly reduced injury by PVS2 treatment, but regrowth was poor after cryopreservation. It is thought that dilution of PVS2 reduced injury by cryoprotectant toxicity, but such dilution caused nucleation during cooling and/or rewarming, resulting in poor survival. On the other hand, addition of 0.5 mg/ml (0.05% w/v) KF7G to the diluted PVS2 resulted in significantly (p < 0.05) higher regrowth rates after cryopreservation. It is thought that addition of supercooling-facilitating KF7G induced vitrification even in diluted PVS2 probably due to inhibition of ice nucleation during cooling and rewarming and consequently resulted in higher regrowth. The results of the present study indicate the possibility that concentrations of routinely used VSs can be reduced by adding supercooling-facilitating KF7G, by which more successful cryopreservation might be achieved for a wide variety of biological materials.     

Phenolic Glycosides with antiproteasomal activity from Centaurea urvillei DC. subsp. urvillei

A new flavanone glycoside, naringenin-7-O-β-d-glucuronopyranoside, and a new flavonol glycoside, 6-hydroxykaempferol-7-O-β-d-glucuronopyranoside were isolated together with 12 known compounds, 5 flavone glycoside; hispidulin-7-O-β-d-glucuronopyranoside, apigenin-7-O-β-d-methylglucuronopyranoside, hispidulin-7-O-β-d-methylglucuronopyranoside, hispidulin-7-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, apigenin-7-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, a flavonol; kaempferol, two flavone; apigenin, and luteolin, a flavanone glycoside; eriodictyol-7-O-β-d-glucuronopyranoside, and three phenol glycoside; arbutin, salidroside, and 3,5-dihydroxyphenethyl alcohol-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside from Centaurea urvillei subsp. urvillei. The structure elucidation of the new compounds was achieved by a combination of one- (¹H and ¹³C) and two-dimensional NMR techniques (G-COSY, G-HMQC, and G-HMBC) and LC-ESI-MS. The isolated compounds were tested for their antiproteasomal activity. The results indicated that kaempferol, a well known and widely distributed flavonoid in the plant kingdom, was the most active antiproteasomal agent, followed by apigenin, eriodictyol-7-O-β-d-glucuronopyranoside, 3,5-dihydroxyphenethyl alcohol-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, and salidroside, respectively.     

Gene expression associated with increased supercooling capability in xylem parenchyma cells of larch (Larix kaempferi)

Xylem parenchyma cells (XPCs) in larch adapt to subfreezing temperatures by deep supercooling, while cortical parenchyma cells (CPCs) undergo extracellular freezing. The temperature limits of supercooling in XPCs changed seasonally from -30 degrees C during summer to -60 degrees C during winter as measured by freezing resistance. Artificial deacclimation of larch twigs collected in winter reduced the supercooling capability from -60 degrees C to -30 degrees C. As an approach to clarify the mechanisms underlying the change in supercooling capability of larch XPCs, genes expressed in association with increased supercooling capability were examined. By differential screening and differential display analysis, 30 genes were found to be expressed in association with increased supercooling capability in XPCs. These 30 genes were categorized into several groups according to their functions: signal transduction factors, metabolic enzymes, late embryogenesis abundant proteins, heat shock proteins, protein synthesis and chromatin constructed proteins, defence response proteins, membrane transporters, metal-binding proteins, and functionally unknown proteins. All of these genes were expressed most abundantly during winter, and their expression was reduced or disappeared during summer. The expression of all of the genes was significantly reduced or disappeared with deacclimation of winter twigs. Interestingly, all but one of the genes were expressed more abundantly in the xylem than in the cortex. Eleven of the 30 genes were thought to be novel cold-induced genes. The results suggest that change in the supercooling capability of XPCs is associated with expression of genes, including genes whose functions have not been identified, and also indicate that gene products that have been thought to play a role in dehydration tolerance by extracellular freezing also have a function by deep supercooling.     

Improved cryopreservation by diluted vitrification solution with supercooling-facilitating flavonol glycoside

The effect of kaempferol-7-O-glucoside (KF7G), one of the supercooling-facilitating flavonol glycosides which was originally found in deep supercooling xylem parenchyma cells of the katsura tree and was found to exhibit the highest level of supercooling-facilitating activity among reported substances, was examined for successful cryopreservation by vitrification procedures, with the aim of determining the possibility of using diluted vitrification solution (VS) to reduce cryoprotectant toxicity and also to inhibit nucleation at practical cooling and rewarming by the effect of supplemental KF7G. Examination was performed using shoot apices of cranberry and plant vitrification solution 2 (PVS2) with dilution. Vitrification procedures using the original concentration (100%) of PVS2 caused serious injury during treatment with PVS2 and resulted in no regrowth after cooling and rewarming (cryopreservation). Dilution of the concentration of PVS2 to 75% or 50% (with the same proportions of constituents) significantly reduced injury by PVS2 treatment, but regrowth was poor after cryopreservation. It is thought that dilution of PVS2 reduced injury by cryoprotectant toxicity, but such dilution caused nucleation during cooling and/or rewarming, resulting in poor survival. On the other hand, addition of 0.5 mg/ml (0.05% w/v) KF7G to the diluted PVS2 resulted in significantly (p < 0.05) higher regrowth rates after cryopreservation. It is thought that addition of supercooling-facilitating KF7G induced vitrification even in diluted PVS2 probably due to inhibition of ice nucleation during cooling and rewarming and consequently resulted in higher regrowth. The results of the present study indicate the possibility that concentrations of routinely used VSs can be reduced by adding supercooling-facilitating KF7G, by which more successful cryopreservation might be achieved for a wide variety of biological materials.     

Ice nucleation studies of two beetles from sub-antarctic South Georgia

Summary Supercooling points of adults and larvae of the coleopterans Hydromedion sparsutum and Perimylops antarcticus at South Georgia ranged from -3.0 to -5.4°C with Perimylops freezing at c.1.6°C lower than Hydromedion. Intact excised guts from adults of both species froze c. 1°C lower than the adult insects. Ice nucleating activity of homogenized faeces from larvae and adults of both species and excised guts were compared with three potential food plants using an ice nucleation spectrometer. Mean supercooling points of the insect materials at four concentrations in distilled water (range from 0.01 to 10 g 1^–1) were significantly different (P<0.01) within species, and within life stages between species. Differences in the supercooling points of suspensions of Polytrichum alpinum (moss) and Usnea fasciata (lichen) were not significant. In general, differences between supercooling points were greater at the higher concentrations. Histograms of the supercooling points showed unimodal distributions particularly at high concentrations and greater dispersion with increased dilution. Spectra showing the concentration of active ice nucleators over the temperature range 0 to -20°C were developed. These showed that nucleation occurred as high as -2°C in faecal material and all insect samples nucleated above -3°C, whereas the plant materials nucleated between -4 and -5°C. The calculated number of ice nucleators for each material in suspension revealed low values (5.3 to 5.8 × 10³) for the plants, but a greater abundance (1.3 × 10⁵ to 1.3 × 10⁶) in the insect samples. It is concluded that c.1000 active nucleators g^–1 are required for ice nucleation to occur in these suspensions. Ice nucleator activity of a suspension of Hydromedion faeces was much reduced by heating to 75°C, suggesting a proteinaceous structure. These results are discussed in relation to ice nucleation in other insects, and it is concluded that bacteria may be responsible for the high nucleation temperatures, and hence poor supercooling, in these South Georgia insects. An empirical model is developed for ice nucleation spectra based on these data.     

Overwintering adaptations of the stag beetle,Ceruchus piceus: removal of ice nucleators in the winter to promote supercooling

Summary Overwintering larvae and adults of the stag beetle,Ceruchus piceus, are freeze sensitive (i.e. cannot survive internal freezing). The most commonly described cold adaptation of freeze susceptible insects involves the production of antifreezes to promote supercooling, butCeruchus piceus larvae produced only low levels of antifreezes in the winter. However, by removing ice nucleators from the gut and hemolymph in the winter the larvae were able to depress their supercooling points from approximately –7°C in the summer to near –25°C in mid-winter. The ice nucleators present in the non-winter hemolymph were identified as lipoproteins. One of these lipoproteins with ice nucleator activity was purified using flotation ultracentrifugation and anion exchange (DEAE-Sephadex) chromatography.Removal of ice nucleators to promote supercooling in winter may be energetically preferable to costly production and maintenance of high, of-ten molar, concentrations of antifreeze. Obviously the ice nucleator must normally perform a function which the insect can spare over the winter. Hemolymph lipoproteins, which generally function in lipid transport, may fit this criterion during the winter period of reduced metabolic activity.Abbreviations LP I very low density lipoprotein - LP II low density lipoprotein - PAGE polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis - SCP supercooling point     

The flavonoid chemistry of the genusTrillium

Four flavonol glycosides (Fig.1) were isolated from the leaves ofTrillium tschonoskii Maxim. By means of UV, NMR, and mass spectral analyses, they were identified to be acetylated kaempferol 3-O-arabinosylgalactoside (TK-1), kaempferol 3-O-arabinosylgalactoside (TK-2), acetylated quercetin 3-O-arabinosylgalactoside (TQ-1) and quercetin 3-O-arabinosylgalactoside (TQ-2). High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) profiles of 172 specimens ofT. tschonoskii collected from nine different places in Japan were grouped into three different types based on the flavonoid components: type I and type II containing TK-1 and TQ-1, and TK-2 and TQ-2, respectively, as main component, and type III containing all of four flavonol glycosides. Those results show that the intraspecific variation ofT. tschonoskii with different geographical distribution has not only been found by the analysis of karyotype, but also that of flavonoid components.     

Complex bud architecture and cell‐specific chemical patterns enable supercooling of Picea abies bud primordia

Bud primordia of Picea abies, despite a frozen shoot, stay ice free down to ?50 °C by a mechanism termed supercooling whose biophysical and biochemical requirements are poorly understood. Bud architecture was assessed by 3D—reconstruction, supercooling and freezing patterns by infrared video thermography, freeze dehydration and extraorgan freezing by water potential measurements, and cell‐specific chemical patterns by Raman microscopy and mass spectrometry imaging. A bowl‐like ice barrier tissue insulates primordia from entrance by intrinsic ice. Water repellent and densely packed bud scales prevent extrinsic ice penetration. At ?18 °C, break‐down of supercooling was triggered by intrinsic ice nucleators whereas the ice barrier remained active. Temperature‐dependent freeze dehydration (?0.1 MPa K^?1) caused accumulation of extraorgan ice masses that by rupture of the shoot, pith tissue are accommodated in large voids. The barrier tissue has exceptionally pectin‐rich cell walls and intercellular spaces, and the cell lumina were lined or filled with proteins, especially near the primordium. Primordial cells close to the barrier accumulate di, tri and tetrasaccharides. Bud architecture efficiently prevents ice penetration, but ice nucleators become active inside the primordium below a temperature threshold. Biochemical patterns indicate a complex cellular interplay enabling supercooling and the necessity for cell‐specific biochemical analysis.     

细菌冰核提高印度谷螟过冷却点的研究

印度谷螟(Plodia interpunctella)是一种不耐结冰的昆虫,在冬季它通过降低过冷却 点以避免结冰。现已查明,冰核活性细菌能显著提高植物的过冷却点,导致许多作物在较高 的温度下发生霜冻害。本文也证明细菌冰核能显著提高印度谷螟虫的过冷却点。对照的平均过冷却点是-17.6℃;分别用0.1g和1g细菌冰核与1kg面粉混合后进行处理,平均过冷却点分别比对照提高了12.8℃和13.6℃。研究结果支持这样的观点：细菌冰核有可能成为一种在冬季使用的、杀灭不耐结冰害虫的生物制剂。     

New reports on flavonoids,benzoic- and chlorogenic acids as rare features in the Psychotria alliance (Rubiaceae)

Five flavonoid glycosides, three chlorogenic and one benzoic acid were isolated from leaves of seven species belonging to the genera Notopleura, Palicourea and Psychotria. In most species, common flavonol glycosides based upon quercetin and kaempferol were recorded, which corresponds well to literature data on other species of the Psychotria alliance. From Notopleura polyphlebia, however, the new dihydroflavonol glycoside (2R,3R)-7,4′-O-dimethyl-aromadendrin 5-O-β-d-apiofuranosyl-(1→6)-β-d-glucopyranoside (1) was isolated, which is remarkable in terms of both the structure of the aglycone as well as the rarity of apiose as sugar moiety. In addition to flavonoids, benzoic and chlorogenic acids are a common and frequently neglected feature in the alliance, but all appear to be of limited chemosystematic significance when compared to tryptamine-iridoid alkaloids prominently known from this group.     

A method for quantitative determination of ice nucleating agents in insect hemolymph

The relationship between the concentration of insect hemolymph ice nucleators in samples of 0.9% NaCl solution and the supercooling points of the samples was determined by using a dilution technique. The supercooling points were only moderately reduced following dilution by a factor of up to 10³, whereas dilution beyond this point caused a marked drop in the supercooling points. The dilution factor corresponding to a 50% reduction in the nucleating activity of native hemolymph is taken as a measure of the concentration of ice nucleators in native hemolymph.This method was used to determine the concentration of ice nucleators in the hemolymph of Eurosta solidaginis larvae from Minnesota and Texas, acclimated to different temperatures. Significant levels of nucleators were found only in larvae from Minnesota, and +5 °C was found to be the optimal temperature for nucleator formation. This comparatively high temperature optimum is interpreted as a physiological adaptation, ensuring sufficient nucleator levels in the hemolymph by the time of the first exposure to freezing temperatures in the winter.