Progressive changes in the structure and dynamics of the phytoplankton community along a pollution gradient in a lowland river — a multivariate approach

The phytoplankton of the River Lujan (Buenos Aires, Argentina) was studied for a period of 18 months, together with physical and chemical variables, in relation to a pollution gradient. 167 taxa were recorded within a seasonal succession characterized by dominance of diatoms with a brief summer green algae facies. A combination of several biotic indices and multivariate analysis was employed to assess the impact of pollution on the phytoplankton community. The biotic indices used were species diversity and richness, algal quotients (green algae/diatom ratio, Centrales/Pennales ratio) and the SD succession rate index. Multivariate procedures included cluster analysis and ordination by PCA of both species and samples, stepwise discriminant analysis and multiple discriminant analysis of variance (MANOVA). Results indicate that community dynamism is attenuated at the more polluted sites, concomitant with an increased predominance of a broad-tolerance algal assemblage, co-dominated by Cyclotella meneghiniana and Nitzschia stagnorum. The changes in the community structure and dynamics described herein involved alterations in the distribution and relative proportions of the algae, rather than modifications in the basic species composition. These changes may not be readily detectable by methods which over-simplify the ecological information, such as systems of indicator species and biotic indices, designed to assess the degree of pollution. The suitability of multivariate analysis and biotic indices in river phytoplankton studies is further discussed.     

Polyanion-mediated mineralization — a kinetic analysis of the calcium-carrier hypothesis in the phytoflagellatePleurochrysis carterae

Summary Polyanions are postulated intermediates in biomineralization because they sequester large numbers of calcium ions and occur in high concentrations at mineralizing foci in distantly related organisms. In this study mineral ion and polyanion metabolism was examined inPleurochrysis carterae to determine whether polyanions function as intermediate calcium-carriers during coccolith (mineralized scale) formation. In this organism mineralization occurs intracellularly in coccolith-forming saccules, and mature coccoliths are extruded through the plasma membrane into the coccosphere. The polyanions (acidic polysaccharides known as PS-1 and PS-2) are synthesized in medial Golgi cisternae and transported to the coccolith-forming saccule prior to the onset of mineral deposition; they also cover the mineral surface of mature coccoliths. Pulse-chase experiments with⁴⁵Ca²⁺ and¹⁴CO₃ ^– show the calcium uptake into the coccolith-forming saccule is much slower than carbonate uptake. The extended intracellular half-life of calcium ions destined for the coccosphere suggests that calcium is initially sequestered in more distal Golgi elements (perhaps in association with the polyanions) and enters the coccolith-forming saccule only after passage through the endomembrane system. This is consistent with previous cytochemical studies showing that the polyanions are complexed with calcium prior to mineral deposition. It has been suggested that polyanions may be degraded at the mineralization front in order to free calcium ions for precipitation with available carbonate or phosphate ions. However, this study demonstrates that the polyanions are not degraded; essentially all PS-1 and PS-2 are eventually secreted with the mineral phase into the coccosphere. The kinetics of mineral ion and polyanion secretion are consistent with a polyanion-mediated calcium transport; however, the manner in which calcium might be sequestered by and freed from the polyanions is still obscure.Abbreviations PS-1/2/3 polysaccharide 1/2/3 - EDTA ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid - TCA trichloroacetic acid     

Hexoses as phloem transport sugars: the end of a dogma?

According to most textbooks, only non-reducing carbohydrate species such as sucrose, sugar alcohols, and raffinose-family sugars function as phloem translocates. Occasional abundance of reducing sugar species (such as hexoses) in sieve-tube sap has been discarded as an experimental artefact. This study, however, discloses a widespread occurrence of hexoses in the sieve-tube sap. Phloem exudation facilitated by EDTA provided evidence that many of the members of two plant families (Ranunculaceae and Papaveraceae) investigated translocate >80% of carbohydrates in the form of hexoses. Representatives of other families also appear to translocate appreciable amounts of hexoses in the sieve tubes. Promoting effects of EDTA, activities of sucrose-degrading enzymes, and sugar uptake by micro-organisms on hexose contents of phloem exudates were checked. The rate of sucrose degradation is far too low to explain the large proportions of hexoses measured in phloem exudates; nor did other factors tested seem to stimulate the occurrence of hexoses. The validity of the approach is further supported by the virtual absence of hexoses in exudates from species that were known as exclusive sucrose transporters. This study urges a rethink of the existing views on carbohydrate transport species in the phloem stream. Hexose translocation is to be regarded as a normal mode of carbohydrate transfer by the phloem equivalent to that of sucrose, raffinose-family sugars, or sugar alcohols.     

Variation in the oxygen isotope ratio of phloem sap sucrose from castor bean. Evidence in support of the Péclet effect

Theory suggests that the level of enrichment of (18)O above source water in plant organic material (Delta) may provide an integrative indicator of control of water loss. However, there are still gaps in our understanding of the processes affecting Delta. One such gap is the observed discrepancy between modeled enrichment of water at the sites of evaporation within the leaf and measured enrichment of the leaf water as a whole (Delta(L)). Farquhar and Lloyd (1993) suggested that this may be caused by a Péclet effect. It is also unclear whether organic material formed in the leaf reflects enrichment of water at the sites of evaporation within the leaf or Delta(L). To investigate this question castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) leaves, still attached to the plant, were sealed into a controlled-environment gas exchange chamber and subjected to a step change in leaf-to-air vapor pressure difference. Sucrose was collected from a cut on the petiole of the leaf in the chamber under equilibrium conditions and every hour for 6 h after the change in leaf-to-air vapor pressure difference. Oxygen isotope composition of sucrose in the phloem sap (Delta(suc)) reflected modeled Delta(L). A model is presented describing Delta(suc) at isotopic steady state, and accounts for 96% of variation in measured Delta(suc). The data strongly support the Péclet effect theory.     

Reaction mechanism of grape catechol oxidase—a kinetic study

The initial velocity of the oxidation of 4-methylcatechol by grape catechol oxidase was determined. The kinetic analysis indicates that first there is random binding of an oxygen and a 4-methylcatechol molecule to the enzyme. Then one product molecule is released prior to the binding of second 4-methylcatechol molecule which is followed by the release of a second product molecule. The true K_m values were determined; they were found to be 0.5 mM for oxygen and 17 mM for 4-methylcatechol.     

Mechanism of PP2A-mediated IKKβ dephosphorylation: a systems biological approach

Background  

Biological effects of nuclear factor-κB (NFκB) can differ tremendously depending on the cellular context. For example, NFκB induced by interleukin-1 (IL-1) is converted from an inhibitor of death receptor induced apoptosis into a promoter of ultraviolet-B radiation (UVB)-induced apoptosis. This conversion requires prolonged NFκB activation and is facilitated by IL-1 + UVB-induced abrogation of the negative feedback loop for NFκB, involving a lack of inhibitor of κB (IκBα) protein reappearance. Permanent activation of the upstream kinase IKKβ results from UVB-induced inhibition of the catalytic subunit of Ser-Thr phosphatase PP2A (PP2Ac), leading to immediate phosphorylation and degradation of newly synthesized IκBα.     

Prodrugs of fumarate esters for the treatment of psoriasis and multiple sclerosis—a computational approach

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations at B3LYP/6-31 G (d,p) and B3LYP/6-311?+?G(d,p) levels for the substituted pyridine-catalyzed isomerization of monomethyl maleate revealed that isomerization proceeds via four steps, with the rate-limiting step being proton transfer from the substituted pyridinium ion to the C=C double bond in INT1. In addition, it was found that the isomerization rate (maleate to fumarate) is solvent dependent. Polar solvents, such as water, tend to accelerate the isomerization rate, whereas apolar solvents, such as chloroform, act to slow down the reaction. A linear correlation was obtained between the isomerization activation energy and the dielectric constant of the solvent. Furthermore, linearity was achieved when the activation energy was plotted against the pK _a value of the catalyst. Substituted-pyridine derivatives with high pK _a values were able to catalyze isomerization more efficiently than those with low pK _a values. The calculated relative rates for prodrugs 1–6 were: 1 (406.7), 2 (7.6?×?10⁶), 3 (1.0), 4 (20.7), 5 (13.5) and 6 (2.2?×?10³). This result indicates that isomerizations of prodrugs 1 and 3–5 are expected to be slow and that of prodrugs 2 and 6 are expected to be relatively fast. Hence, prodrugs 2 and 3–5 have the potential to be utilized as prodrugs for the slow release of monomethylfumarate in the treatment of psoriasis and multiple sclerosis.

Evolution of insect-plant relationships — a devil''s advocate approach

Most hypotheses concerning the evolution of insect-plant relationships are based on the assumptions that, (1) phytophagous insects reduce plant fitness, and that (2) insect-plant relationships are the result of unconstrained selection. It can be shown, however, that there is little evidence to support these assumptions. As an alternative, it is proposed that the evolution of insect-plant relationships results primarily from autonomous evolutionary events; namely from heritable functional changes within the insects' nervous system that determine plant recognition and ultimately host plant specificity. These changes cannot be evoked by selective ecological agents. They originate from intrinsic changes (mutationssensu lato) within the insect genome. Ecological factors play a secondary role: by either supporting or preventing the establishment of the new genotype with the novel food preference. This paper has been dedicated in warm friendship to Professor Louis M. Schoonhoven, the leading scientist in sensory physiology of phytophagous insects, on the occasion of his 60th birthday.     

From the first to the second domain of gelsolin: a common path on the surface of actin?

We present the 2.6 A resolution crystal structure of a complex formed between G-actin and gelsolin fragment Met25-Gln160 (G1+). The structure differs from those of other gelsolin domain 1 (G1) complexes in that an additional six amino acid residues from the crucial linker region into gelsolin domain 2 (G2) are visible and are attached securely to the surface of actin. The linker segment extends away from G1 up the face of actin in a direction that infers G2 will bind along the same long-pitch helical strand as the actin bound to G1. This is consistent with a mechanism whereby G2 attaches gelsolin to the side of a filament and then directs G1 toward a position where it would disrupt actin-actin contacts. Alignment of the sequence of the structurally important residues within the G1-G2 linker with those of WH2 (WASp homology domain 2) domain protein family members (e.g. WASp (Wiscott-Aldridge syndrome protein) and thymosin beta4) suggests that the opposing activities of filament assembly and disassembly may exploit a common patch on the surface of actin.     

Systematic wood anatomy of the genus Tapirira Aublet (Anacardiaceae)— a numerical approach

A wood anatomical study of the Mexican species ofTapirira was undertaken to uncover evidence to help clarify the systematics of the genus. Three to five individuals of each of 10 populations from throughout the range of the genus in Mexico were studied. For comparative purposes, three Central and South American species were also examined. Cluster analysis showed that the genus in Mexico can be separated into two phenetic units, represented byT. mexicana, a species widely distributed in Mexico, andT. chimalapana, a species endemic to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Canonical discriminant and factor analyses indicate that the quantitative wood characters most useful in distinguishing these species are wall thickness of fibers and vessels, diameter of fiber lumen, and diameter and frequency of radial canals. These species also differ in presence/absence of tannins in the fibers and color and specific gravity of the wood. The South American species,Tapirira bethanniana, T. guianensis, andT. obtusa, have wood anatomy similar to that ofT. chimalapana. The differences in the wood anatomical characters betweenT. mexicana and the other taxa suggest that the infrageneric classification ofTapirira should be reevaluated. The results of this study support the utility of sampling of populations in comparative wood anatomy.     

A holomorph approach to xiphosuran evolution—a case study on the ontogeny of Euproops

Specimens of Euproops sp. (Xiphosura, Chelicerata) from the Carboniferous Piesberg quarry near Osnabrück, Germany, represent a relatively complete growth series of 10 stages. Based on this growth sequence, morphological changes throughout the ontogeny can be identified. The major change affects the shape of the epimera of the opisthosoma. In earlier stages, they appear very spine-like, whereas in later stages the bases of these spine-like structures become broader; the broadened bases are then successively drawn out distally. In the most mature stage known, the epimera are of trapezoidal shape and approach each other closely to form a complete flange around the thoracetron (=fused tergites of the opisthosoma). These ontogenetic changes question the taxonomic status of different species of Euproops, as the latter appear to correspond to different stages of the ontogenetic series reconstructed from the Piesberg specimens. This means that supposed separate species could, in fact, represent different growth stages of a single species. It could alternatively indicate that heterochrony (=evolutionary change of developmental timing) plays an important role in the evolution of Xiphosura. We propose a holomorph approach, i.e., reconstructing ontogenetic sequences for fossil and extant species as a sound basis for a taxonomic, phylogenetic, and evolutionary discussion of Xiphosura.     

Synthesis of an intensely sweet chlorodeoxysucrose: Mechanism of 4′-chlorination of sucrose by sulphuryl chloride

Reaction of 6-O-acetylsucrose¹ with sulphuryl chloride in chloroform-pyridine affords, after dechlorosulphation and acetylation, a mixture of two isomeric 2,3,6-tri-O-acetyl-4-chloro-4-deoxy-α-d-galactopyranosyl 3-O-acetyl-1,4,6-trichloro-1,4,6-trideoxy-β-d-hexulofuranosides (6 and 7) and 2,3,6-tri-O-acetyl-4-chloro-4-deoxy-α-d-galactopyranosyl 3,4-di-O-acetyl-1,6-dichloro-1,6-dideoxy-β-d-fructofuranoside (4). Chlorination of C-4, C-1′, and C-6′ occurs by direct displacement of the initially formed chlorosulphonyloxy groups by chloride ions, but displacement of the 4′-chlorosulphate is sterically hindered. The introduction of a 4′-chloro substituent involves ring opening of intermediate 3′,4′-epoxides by chloride ions, the ribo-epoxide producing the sorbo-isomer 6 and the lyxo-epoxide giving the fructo-isomer 7. The proposed mechanism is supported by the formation of 4-chloro-4-deoxyfructofuranosides when 3′,4′-lyxo-hexulofuranosides are treated with sulphuryl chloride under the same conditions.     

Does sucrose influence the properties of DMPC vesicles?

Small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering, dynamic light scattering, X-ray diffraction coupled with differential scanning calorimetry, and Raman spectroscopy were applied to investigate unilamellar (ULVs) and multilamellar (MLVs) dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) vesicles in aqueous sucrose solutions with sucrose concentrations from 0 to 60% w/w. In case of ULVs, the addition of sucrose decreases the polydispersity of vesicle population. A minimum value of polydispersity was found at 20% sucrose. For sucrose concentration from 0 to 35% oligolamellar vesicles in the ULV population have a minimum presence. Vesicles with 5-10% sucrose exhibit the best stability in time. For the case of MLVs, sucrose influences the temperature of the phase transitions, but the internal membrane structure remains unchanged.     

Golgi’s way: a long path toward the new paradigm of the intra-Golgi transport

The transport of proteins and lipids is one of the main cellular functions. The vesicular model, compartment (or cisterna) maturation model, and the diffusion model compete with each other for the right to be the paradigm within the field of the intra-Golgi transport. These models have significant difficulties explaining the existing experimental data. Recently, we proposed the kiss-and-run (KAR) model of intra-Golgi transport (Mironov and Beznoussenko in Int J Mol Sci 13(6):6800–6819, 2012), which can be symmetric, when fusion and fission occur in the same location, and asymmetric, when fusion and fission take place at different sites. Here, we compare the ability of main models of the intra-Golgi transport to explain the existing results examining the evidence in favor and against each model. We propose that the KAR model has the highest potential for the explanation of the majority of experimental observations existing within the field of intracellular transport.     

Alien plant species and factors of invasiveness of anthropogenic vegetation in the Northwestern Balkans — a phytosociological approach

We studied the anthropogenic vegetation of the Northwest Balkans in order to determine its susceptibility to invasion by alien plant species. We compiled a dataset of 3089 vegetation plots sampled between 1939 and 2009, recording a set of variables for each sample plot in order to determine which factors have the most effect on a habitat’s vulnerability to invaders. We calculated the proportion of native species, archaeophytes and neophytes for each plot. We used regression tree models to determine the site conditions of the most invaded anthropogenic habitats. The sample plots contained an average of 12.7% alien plant species, with a low proportion of archaeophytes (4.3%) and 8.4% neophytes. Local habitat conditions proved to have the largest effect, rather than climatic variables or propagule pressure. The proportion of archaeophytes follows a different pattern than that seen in central and northern Europe, indicating that macroecological factors are more important. Neophytes show a similar distribution to other European locations.