Microbial Community Structure at Different Fermentation Stages of Kutajarista, a Herbal Formulation

Kutajarista is an Ayurvedic fermented herbal formulation prescribed for gastrointestinal disorders. This herbal formulation undergoes a gradual fermentative process and takes around 2 months for production. In this study, microbial composition at initial stages of fermentation of Kutajarista was assessed by culture independent 16S rRNA gene clone library approach. Physicochemical changes were also compared at these stages of fermentation. High performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis showed that Gallic acid, Ellagic acid, and its derivatives were the major chemical constituents recovered in this process. At 0 day of fermentation, Lactobacillus sp., Acinetobacter sp., Alcaligenes sp., and Methylobacterium sp. were recovered, but were not detected at 8 day of fermentation. Initially, microbial diversity increased after 8 days of fermentation with 11 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), which further decreased to 3 OTUs at 30 day of fermentation. Aeromonas sp., Pseudomonas sp., and Klebsiella sp. dominated till 30 day of fermentation. Predominance of γ- Proteobacteria and presence of gallolyl derivatives at the saturation stage of fermentation implies tannin degrading potential of these microbes. This is the first study to highlight the microbial role in an Ayurvedic herbal product fermentation.     

臭柏群落在不同演替阶段某些群落特征的研究

毛乌素沙地臭柏群落自发演替的基本过程为：半流动沙地沙竹＋沙米（有时是白沙蒿）群落→半固定沙地油蒿＋臭柏群落→固定沙地臭柏＋硬质早熟禾群落→固定沙地臭柏群落→老固定沙地臭柏＋苔藓群落,最后可能发展成为地带性的本氏针茅草原。演替早期向演替亚项级群落发展过程中物种多样性逐步增加,生态环境逐渐变湿。随着臭柏的衰退,某些喜湿植物的退出,物种多样性开始减少,群落生境向旱生化发展。     

臭柏群落在不同演替阶段某些群落特征的研究

毛乌素沙地臭柏群落自发演替的基本过程为：半流动沙地沙竹 +沙米（有时是白沙蒿）群落→半固定沙地油蒿+臭柏群落→固定沙地臭柏+硬质早熟禾群落→固定沙地臭柏群落→老固定沙地臭柏+苔藓群落,最后可能发展成为地带性的本氏针茅草原。演替早期向演替亚顶级群落发展过程中物种多样性逐步增加,生态环境逐渐变湿。随着臭柏的衰退,某些喜湿植物的退出,物种多样性开始减少,群落生境向旱生化发展。     

Modeling Relapsing Disease Dynamics in a Host-Vector Community

Vector-borne diseases represent a threat to human and wildlife populations and mathematical models provide a means to understand and control epidemics involved in complex host-vector systems. The disease model studied here is a host-vector system with a relapsing class of host individuals, used to investigate tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF). Equilibrium analysis is performed for models with increasing numbers of relapses and multiple hosts and the disease reproduction number, R₀, is generalized to establish relationships with parameters that would result in the elimination of the disease. We show that host relapses in a single competent host-vector system is needed to maintain an endemic state. We show that the addition of an incompetent second host with no relapses increases the number of relapses needed for maintaining the pathogen in the first competent host system. Further, coupling of the system with hosts of differing competencies will always reduce R₀, making it more difficult for the system to reach an endemic state.     

Molecular Dynamics of Channelrhodopsin at the Early Stages of Channel Opening

Channelrhodopsin (ChR) is a light-gated cation channel that responds to blue light. Since ChR can be readily expressed in specific neurons to precisely control their activities by light, it has become a powerful tool in neuroscience. Although the recently solved crystal structure of a chimeric ChR, C1C2, provided the structural basis for ChR, our understanding of the molecular mechanism of ChR still remains limited. Here we performed electrophysiological analyses and all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, to investigate the importance of the intracellular and central constrictions of the ion conducting pore observed in the crystal structure of C1C2. Our electrophysiological analysis revealed that two glutamate residues, Glu122 and Glu129, in the intracellular and central constrictions, respectively, should be deprotonated in the photocycle. The simulation results suggested that the deprotonation of Glu129 in the central constriction leads to ion leakage in the ground state, and implied that the protonation of Glu129 is important for preventing ion leakage in the ground state. Moreover, we modeled the 13-cis retinal bound; i.e., activated C1C2, and performed MD simulations to investigate the conformational changes in the early stage of the photocycle. Our simulations suggested that retinal photoisomerization induces the conformational change toward channel opening, including the movements of TM6, TM7 and TM2. These insights into the dynamics of the ground states and the early photocycle stages enhance our understanding of the channel function of ChR.     

Characterization of Muskmelon Fruit Peroxidases at Different Developmental Stages

An increase in exocarp peroxidase activity was observed in fruit at 5 to 30 days post pollination (DPP), and decreased at 40 and 50 DPP. Total peroxidase activity of the mesocarp was significantly lower than the exocarp in all developmental stages. Mesocarp peroxidase activity decreased consecutively from outer, to middle and, to inner tissue at every developmental stage. Total activity in the mesocarp peaked at 20 DPP. Native-PAGE of exocarp tissue showed at least two cathodic (basic) peroxidases and two anionic (acidic) peroxidases. The number of isozymes was greatest and bands most intense at 30 DPP. IEF-PAGE of the 5 to 50 DPP fruit exocarp showed at least 8 peroxidase isozymes (pI 4.6 to 9.6). Anion exchange chromatography showed only one peak of anionic peroxidase activity that was not evident until 15 DPP. This peak was greatest at 30 DPP and declined at 40 and 50 DPP. Cationic peroxidase isozymes appeared to be the predominant and most intense isoforms throughout fruit development. The changes in peroxidase activity corresponded to fruit formation and may be associated with susceptibility to fruit rot.     

Heart Ratios at Different Stages in the Life Cycle of Lampreys

Heart ratios (heart weight/body weight. ×100) have been obtained for freshly killed and preserved (10% formalin) specimens of the lampreys Petromyzon marinus, Lampetra fluviatilis and L. planeri. Values for comparable stages were significantly higher in the preserved material, probably as a result of retention and fixation of blood in the heart chambers. The regression slope for the logarithmic relationship between heart and body weights was close to one in all stages of the three species investigated. A marked increase was observed in the heart ratio during metamorphosis, apparently attributable to an increase in the number and density of myocardial fibres. Heart ratios in the lamprey were generally higher than for most other fishes, with values of 0.1 and 0.3 being obtained for example in the case of freshly killed ammocoete and sexually mature adult stages of L. fluviatilis.     

Expression Dynamics of Genes and microRNAs at Different Growth Stages and Heat Treatments in Contrasting High Temperature Responsive Rice Genotypes

The global warming-driven climate change is becoming a major challenge for rice cultivation in Asia and Africa. High-temperature stress impairs the physiology and growth of rice plant, and ultimately results in reduced grain yield. This study was aimed to decipher the physiological and molecular changes occurring during different growth stages of heat-tolerant (N22) and -susceptible (Vandana) rice cultivars under three different heat treatments. Chlorophyll content, membrane integrity, gas exchange parameters and expression of genes and miRNAs were analyzed in N22 and Vandana at seedling, vegetative, and reproductive growth stages after exposing to short and long duration of high temperature stress, and recovery. A number of genes and miRNAs showed dynamic changes in their expression patterns at different growth stages and heat treatments, highlighting the necessity to understand gene regulation before employing the genes for modification through transgenic or gene editing approaches. Predominantly N22 showed distinct and unique capability to reprogram its physiological and molecular machinery during prolonged heat stress at reproductive stage, suggesting that the dynamics in gene regulation is crucial to determine its heat tolerant ability. The study has larger implications in deploying genes for the development of heat tolerant rice cultivars through breeding, transgenic, and genome editing approaches.

     

Dynamics of tRNA at Different Levels of Hydration

The influence of hydration on the nanosecond timescale dynamics of tRNA is investigated using neutron scattering spectroscopy. Unlike protein dynamics, the dynamics of tRNA is not affected by methyl group rotation. This allows for a simpler analysis of the influence of hydration on the conformational motions in RNA. We find that hydration affects the dynamics of tRNA significantly more than that of lysozyme. Both the characteristic length scale and the timescale of the conformational motions in tRNA depend strongly on hydration. Even the characteristic temperature of the so-called “dynamical transition” appears to be hydration-dependent in tRNA. The amplitude of the conformational motions in fully hydrated tRNA is almost twice as large as in hydrated lysozyme. We ascribe these differences to a more open and flexible structure of hydrated RNA, and to a larger fraction and different nature of hydrophilic sites. The latter leads to a higher density of water that makes the biomolecule more flexible. All-atom molecular-dynamics simulations are used to show that the extent of hydration is greater in tRNA than in lysozyme. We propose that water acts as a “lubricant” in facilitating enhanced motion in solvated RNA molecules.     

不同发育阶段水稻苗高的QTL分析

分析了不同发育阶段控制水稻苗高的QTL,用5个阶段和4个净增长量的数据共检测到9个QTL,分别位于染色体1,4,6,7,8,11,和12号上。SH－4是主基因,它在各个阶段都表达,对苗高的贡献率在20％以上。结果表明,数量性状的发育或形态建成是由数量性状位点基因选择性表达的结果。     

Relating Species and Community Dynamics in an Heavily Exploited Marine Fish Community

We examined the dynamics of fish species and how they relate to species assemblage coherence in the heavily exploited Georges Bank fish community. Coherence is defined as reduced temporal variability of total assemblage biomass. We assumed that a higher degree of compensation hence coherence occurs within competitively coupled species assemblages; therefore, fisheries may directly alter the dynamics of certain targeted species sizes but assemblage structure will be relatively more stable owing to compensatory interactions. Species-sizes were grouped, based on negative covariance coupling in biomass time series from survey data. Assemblages representing benthic feeders were clearly identified by this method; furthermore, the most heavily exploited species-sizes were decoupled from other species-sizes suggesting that fisheries have diminished their potential to compensate or to be compensated for by competitive interactions. Biomass of species-sizes within known trophic guilds strongly compensated other guild-member biomass fluctuations if the diet of guild members was more specialized. This is an indication that more competitive conditions (more specialization) foster greater compensatory responses between competitors biomass fluctuations.     

Quantification of Subgingival Bacterial Pathogens at Different Stages of Periodontal Diseases

Anaerobic gram-negative oral bacteria such as Treponema denticola, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Campylobacter rectus, and Fusobacterium nucleatum are closely associated with periodontal diseases. We measured the relative population (bacterial levels) of these oral pathogens in subgingival tissues of patients at different stages of Korean chronic periodontal diseases. We divided the individuals into those with chronic gingivitis (G), moderate periodontitis (P1), severe periodontitis (P2), and normal individuals (N) (n?=?20 for each group) and subgingival tissue samples were collected. We used real-time PCR with TaqMan probes to evaluate the change of periodontal pathogens among different stages of periodontitis. Bacterial levels of A. actinomycetemcomitans and C. rectus are significantly increased in individuals with chronic gingivitis and moderate periodontitis, but unchanged in severe periodontitis patients. These results suggest that analyzing certain bacterial levels among total oral pathogens may facilitate understanding of the role of periodontal bacteria in the early stages of periodontitis.     

番茄果实不同发育阶段香气成分组成及变化

以陕西杨凌地区主栽的番茄品种'金棚1号'为试验材料,通过固相微萃取和GC/MS联用技术,对番茄果实不同成熟阶段的香气成分及其组成变化进行了研究.结果表明,'金棚1号'番茄果实共检测到54种香气成分,主要成分为醛类、酸类、醇类、酮类、酯类、酚类等.在果实的不同发育阶段,香味组分及其含量差异较大.醛类物质在绿熟期相对含量较高,为45.87%,在半熟期、硬熟期、完熟期的相对含量分别为12.65%、16.62%、17.15%,其中C6醛在绿熟期占43.7%,完熟期占15.27%,为醛类物质的主要成分;酸类物质含量在4个发育时期中先上升后下降,在半熟期含量达到最高,为15.2%,在完熟期酸类物质含量下降,为6.93%;酮类物质在完熟期含量达到最大,为18.27%;在绿熟期检测到4种重要的番茄特征香气物质,半熟期检测到5种番茄特征香气物质,硬熟期和完熟期各检测到6种番茄特征香气物质.说明随着果实的成熟,特征香气物质种类增多.     

14C-Translocation in Kalanchoe pinnata at two Different Stages of Development

Mayoral, M. L. and Medina, E. 1985. ¹⁴C-translocation in Kalanchoepinnata at two different stages of development.—J. exp.Bot. 36: 1405–1413 Translocation of ¹⁴C-compounds from mature leaves was measuredin plants of Kalanchoe pinnata to determine the interactionbetween plant age and CAM phase when CO² is taken up. Matureleaves of 4 and 12 month old plants were fed with ¹⁴CO² eitherduring CAM phase 1 (midnight) or at the beginning of CAM phase4 (early afternoon). Export of ¹⁴C activity from source leaves,and distribution of ¹⁴C activity in soluble and insoluble compoundswas measured both in source leaves and sink organs. In 4 monthold plants 4 d were needed to export 76% of total ¹⁴C activityincorporated during CAM phase 1, while leaves labelled at thebeginning of CAM phase 4 exported 44% of total ¹⁴C activityafter 4 h, and 80% after 24 h. In both cases the major fractionof total radioactivity translocated was found in the roots inthe form of neutral sugars. Differences in translocation patternsare due to distribution of ¹⁴C in the source leaves, 96 % of¹⁴C taken up during CAM phase 1 is found in the insoluble fractionat the end of the subsequent phase 3, while 93 % of total radioactivitytaken up at the beginning of phase 4 is found in the solublefraction at the end of this phase. In 12 month old plants labelledduring phase 1 very little translocation could be detected atthe end of phase 3, while only 20% of total radioactivity wastranslocated from leaves labelled during phase 4 and measured4 h later. ¹⁴C activity in the older leaves had a similar distributionin soluble and insoluble fractions as the one determined inthe younger plants. Ability to translocate carbon compoundsfrom source leaves during phase 3 was shown by loading matureleaves at dawn with ¹⁴C-sucrose. Here again, mature leaves ofyounger plants showed faster translocation of radioactivitythan those of older plants Key words: Kalanchoe, crassulacean acid metabolism, translocation, sink, source relationships     

冬小麦不同生育期最上冠层阻力的估算

作物最小冠层阻力是研究农田蒸发和作物缺水的一个重要参数.使用作物的冠层红外温度信息,将作物在充分灌溉情况下冠层温度与空气温度之差与空气的饱和水汽压差的经验关系同其理论解释相结合,通过实验数据,估算了在华北平原气候条件下的冬小麦(Triticum aestivum L.)的平均最小冠层阻力,为基于这种阻力的应用提供基础.研究表明冬小麦最小冠层阻力随发育期而不同,并且抽穗前后差异明显,给出了冬小麦不同生育阶段的平均最小冠层阻力.     

Different Functional and Structural Properties of Lactate Dehydrogenase Isozymes at Different Stages of Danio rerioOntogenesis

We studied properties of lactate dehydrogenase isozymes expressed at different stages of Danio rerioontogenesis. H₄-LDH and a minor fraction H₃M₁are expressed during embryonic development. The muscle isozyme (₄) appears after the beginning of muscle contractions in the embryo. ₄and ₄isozymes isolated from the heart and skeletal muscle of the adult fish, respectively, show significant differences in terms of Michaelis constant (K _m) activation energy (AE), and inactivation temperature. H₄-LDH isozymes isolated from unfertilized eggs, the skeletal muscle of larvae, and the heart of the adult fish differ inK _mand activation energy, as well as in inactivation temperature. We propose that these differences may be associated with a ligand interacting with the H₄isozyme at different steps of ontogenesis.     

Interannual Dynamics of the Trophic Structure of Zooplankton of the Southern Kuril Region

Based on the data on feeding ecology of common species of zooplankton, the main trophic groups of plankton of the southern Kuril region are identified. These are phytophages, zoophages, and omnivores. The interannual dynamics of trophic characteristics of the plankton community are examined. Predatory plankton significantly dominated in 1992–1994; however, in 1995–1996 its biomass decreased markedly. The biomass dynamics of predatory and nonpredatory zooplankton, as well as changes in the structure of nonpredatory zoolankton, suggest structural changes in the planktonic community.     

Different Predation Impacts of Two Cyclopoid Species on a Small-sized Zooplankton Community: An Experimental Analysis with Mesocosms

We used mesocosms to analyze predation impacts on the prey populations and prey community structures by two cyclopoid copepod species, the larger Mesocyclops pehpeiensis and the smaller Thermocyclops taihokuensis, who coexist with small-sized herbivorous zooplankton species in a fish-abundant lake. The overall predation impact on the prey populations was stronger for Mesocyclops than for Thermocyclops. Mesocyclops had a strong and less selective impact on the rotifer community but a selective impact on the crustaceans. In contrast, Thermocyclops had a selective predation impact on rotifers but a weak and less selective impact on the crustacean community. As a result, the former predator reduced the diversity of the crustacean community but not the rotifer community, while the latter had an opposite impact on the diversities of the two communities. It has been suggested that fish induce development of a zooplankton community dominated by the small-sized zooplankton species in fish-abundant lakes. Our results demonstrated that cyclopoid copepods altered species composition and diversity of the small-sized zooplankton community in such lakes. Thus, the results have given an important suggestion on the role of the invertebrate predator cyclopoid copepods, which often coexist with fish, that they determine population dynamics and community structures of small-sized zooplankton in fish-abundant lakes.     

Schistosomiasis Control Using Piplartine against Biomphalaria glabrata at Different Developmental Stages

Background

Schistosomiasis is one of the most significant diseases in tropical countries and affects almost 200 million people worldwide. The application of molluscicides to eliminate the parasite''s intermediate host, Biomphalaria glabrata, from infected water supplies is one strategy currently being used to control the disease. Previous studies have shown a potent molluscicidal activity of crude extracts from Piper species, with extracts from Piper tuberculatum being among the most active.

Methods and Findings

The molluscicidal activity of P. tuberculatum was monitored on methanolic extracts from different organs (roots, leaves, fruit and stems). The compounds responsible for the molluscicidal activity were identified using ¹H NMR and ESIMS data and multivariate analyses, including principal component analysis and partial least squares. These results indicated that the high molluscicidal activity displayed by root extracts (LC₅₀ 20.28 µg/ml) was due to the presence of piplartine, a well-known biologically-active amide. Piplartine was isolated from P. tuberculatum root extracts, and the molluscicidal activity of this compound on adults and embryos of B. glabrata was determined. The compound displayed potent activity against all developmental stages of B. glabrata. Next, the environmental toxicity of piplartine was evaluated using the microcrustacean Daphnia similis (LC₅₀ 7.32 µg/ml) and the fish Danio rerio (1.69 µg/ml). The toxicity to these organisms was less compared with the toxicity of niclosamide, a commercial molluscicide.

Conclusions

The development of a new, natural molluscicide is highly desirable, particularly because the commercially available molluscicide niclosamide is highly toxic to some organisms in the environment (LC₅₀ 0.25 µg/ml to D. similis and 0.12 µg/ml to D. rerio). Thus, piplartine is a potential candidate for a natural molluscicide that has been extracted from a tropical plant species and showed less toxic to environment.