Lipid Content and Composition during the Oocyte Development of Two Gorgonian Coral Species in Relation to Low Temperature Preservation

Our previous studies have suggested that chilling sensitivity of coral oocytes may relate to their relatively high lipid intracellular content and lipid composition. The distribution of lipids during the oocyte development was determined here for the first time in two gorgonian species (Junceella juncea and Junceella fragilis). The main lipid classes in the two gorgonian oocytes were total lipid, wax ester, triacylglycerol, total fatty acid, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine. The results indicated that early stage oocytes of J. juncea and J. fragilis were found to have increased lipid content than late stage oocytes. The content of wax ester was significantly higher in the early stage oocytes of two gorgonian corals (51.0±2.5 and 41.7±2.9 μg/mm(3)/oocyte) than those of late stage oocytes (24.0±1.4 and 30.4±1.2 μg/mm(3)/oocyte, respectively). A substantial amount of phosphatidylethanolamine and total fatty acid was detected at each stage of oocyte development in two gorgonian ranges from 107 to 42 μg/mm(3)/oocyte and 106 to 48 μg/mm(3)/oocyte, whilst low levels of phosphatidylcholine were found in two gorgonian oocytes. The levels of total lipid in the late stage oocytes of J. juncea were significantly higher than those of J. fragilis. The observed differences may partially be related to different habitat preferences as higher lipid levels in J. juncea, a deeper-water coral species exposed to lower temperature seawater, might relate to adjustments of cell membranes in order to increase membrane fluidity.     

Elevated co2 has Differential Effects on Five Species of Microalgae from a Subtropical Freshwater Lake: Possible Implications for Phytoplankton Species Composition

Rising atmospheric CO₂ concentrations are predicted to have a significant impact on global phytoplankton populations. Of particular interest in freshwater systems are those species that produce toxins or impact water quality, though evidence for how these species, and many others, will respond is limited. This study investigated the effects of elevated CO₂ (1,000 ppm) relative to current atmospheric CO₂ partial pressures (400 ppm), on growth, cell size, carbon acquisition, and photophysiology of five freshwater phytoplankton species including a toxic cyanophyte, Raphidiopsis raciborskii, from Lake Wivenhoe, Australia. Effects of elevated CO₂ on growth rate varied between species; notably growth rate was considerably higher for Staurastrum sp. and significantly lower for Stichococcus sp. with a trend to lower growth rate for R. raciborskii. Surface area to volume ratio was significantly lower with elevated CO₂, for all species except Cyclotella sp. Timing of maximum cell concentrations of those genera studied in monoculture occurred in the lake in order of CO₂ affinity when free CO₂ concentrations dropped below air equilibrium. The results presented here suggest that as atmospheric levels of CO₂ rise, R. raciborskii may become less of a problem to water quality, while some species of chlorophytes may become more dominant. This has implications for stakeholders of many freshwater systems.     

Essential Oil Composition of Five Thymus Species from Bulgaria

In this study, the essential oil composition of five Thymus species, belonging to Sect. Hyphodromi (A. Kerner) Halácsy – Thymus atticus Čelak., T. leucotrichus Halácsy, T. striatus Vahl, T. zygioides Griseb. and T. perinicus (Velen.) Jalas. was studied by GC/MS/FID. T. atticus, T. leucotrichus, and T. striatus were characterized by high amounts of sesquiterpenoids (57.7, 78.9 and 79.7 %, respectively) with β-caryophyllene and caryophyllene oxide as the main constituents. Aromatic compounds (61.2 %) were the most abundant group in T. zygioides essential oil, with thymol (51.2 %) as the principal component. The essential oil from the endemic species T. perinicus contained almost equal amounts of monoterpenoids (37.8 %) and aromatic compounds (36.0 %) with borneol (17.9 %) and thymol (20.9 %) as the major components. The obtained results revealed the existence of new chemotypes of T. atticus (caryophyllene oxide/β-caryophyllene), T. leucotrichus (β-caryophyllene/elemol/germacrene D) and T. striatus (β-caryophyllene/germacrene D/caryophyllene oxide). The essential oil content of endemic T. perinicus is reported for the first time. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were used to investigate the variations in the essential oils of different Thymus species from Sect. Hyphodromi (A. Kerner) Halácsy.     

Lipid Composition of Novel Shewanella Species Isolated from Far Eastern Seas

A comparative study of the lipid composition of 26 strains (including type strains) of marine Gammaproteobacteria belonging to the genera Shewanella, Alteromonas, Pseudoalteromonas, Marinobacterium, Microbulbifer, and Marinobacter was carried out. The bacteria exhibited genus-specific profiles of ubiquinones, phospholipids, and fatty acids, which can serve as reliable chemotaxonomic markers for tentative identification of new isolates. The studied species of the genus Shewanella were distinguished by the presence of two types of isoprenoid quinones, namely, ubiquinones Q-7 and Q-8 and menaquinones MK-7 and MMK-7; five phospholipids typical of this genus, namely, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), lyso-PE, and acyl-PG; and the fatty acids [15:0, 16:0, 16:1 (n-7), 17:1 (n-8), i-13:0, and i-15:0]. The high level of branched fatty acids (38–45%) and the presence of eicosapentaenoic acid (4%) may serve as criteria for the identification of this genus. Unlike Shewanella spp., bacteria of the other genera contained a single type of isoprenoid quinone: Q-8 (Alteromonas, Pseudoalteromonas, Marinobacterium, and Microbulbifer) or Q-9 (Marinobacter). The phospholipid compositions of these bacteria were restricted to three components: two major phospholipids (PE and PG) and a minor phospholipid, bisphosphatidic acid (Alteromonas and Pseudoalteromonas) or DPG (Marinobacterium, Microbulbifer, and Marinobacter). The bacteria exhibited genus-specific profiles of fatty acids.     

Lipid Composition and Lipid Molecular Species of Lipomyces starkeyi Cultivated in Medium Containing 1,2-Propanediol

Spore suspensions of 15 strains in 15 species of Micromonospora prepared with ultrasonication-technique were tested for resistance to moist heat, acid, alkali, and organic solvents (5 alcohols, 4 ketones and ether). More than 50% spore-survival was found in most organisms heated at 60°C for 20min, but less than 0.5% survived at 80°C. The spore-viability did not change at pH 6 to 8, but decreased beyond this range, and remarkably at acidic pH. A maximum reduction in viability was found with most organic solvents at a concentration of around 80%, and the spores were more resistant to ketone than alcohols and dioxane. Several Streptomyces species were also studied, and their spores were less resistant to heat and organic solvents than those of Micromonospora.     

Coral Reefs: Present Problems and Future Concerns Resulting from Anthropogenic Disturbance

Coral reefs, with their vast diversity of invertebrate, vertebrateand algal species, have undoubtedly been subjected to naturaldisturbance since their appearance millions of years ago. Anthropogenicdisturbance has been a factor affecting reefs for a fractionof that time, yet in terms of overall impact, may be of greaterconcern. Data on habitat destruction, pesticide and heavy metalaccumulation, nutrient loading, sedimentation, runoff and relatedimpacts of man's activities indicate that many coastal reefsare endangered by these processes through alterations in animal-algalsymbioses, shifts in competitive interactions, direct mortality,reproductive failure, and insufficient recruitment. The deathof corals critically affects reef communities, as corals providean important trophic link as well as the main habitat structure.While natural disturbance is an important factor affecting reefinteractions, species diversity and evolution, chronic anthropogenicdisturbances combined with unsuitable environments for recovery,are of great concern. Physiological stress can be measured incorals in addition to outright mortality, allowing the impactsof specific disturbances to be assessed. Sufficientdata fordistinguishing real problems from temporal variability are becomingavailable, allowing scientists to focus on practical solutionsto problems in coral reef management and preservation.     

Coral and Fish Biocoenosis: Ecological Cells Gradually Maturing in Complexity, Species Composition and Energy Turnover

Long-term observations on coral units and their coral fishes, as well as observations on the growth of colonies of marked corals in the Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea), have revealed the relationship between coral dimension and complexity and the ecomorphology and sociobiology of the inhabiting fishes. In this study, coral fishes are identified as species that, following the planktonic interval, settle and remain in a selected coral or its immediate vicinity. Parallel with growth of the refuge, the number of fishes in such a coral–fish association (=ecological cell) increases to a certain asymptote, forming a stable symbiotic entity of fish species, specific in composition and biomass. The initial cell begins with 4–5-year-old branching corals that harbors 3–4 cryptic species of gobies (Paragobiodon and Gobiodon species). This is followed by several stages of coral growth and increase in fish species and biomass, especially of pomacentrids, anthiases, pseudochromids and blennies. The water column or functional space from which the fishes harvest plankton, their main food source, starts at around a 0.2m³ column in the young colonies, and ends with a water column of around 500m³ in the mature ecological cells of large coral knolls. At the mature stage, large cells harbor up to 100 diurnal and nocturnal species of fish, permanently using this refuge and forming an integrated collective. The territorial limits of the piscivorous groupers (Cephalopholis species) generally establish the dimensions of these ecological cells. Preliminary data on standard energy metabolism of the fishes for mature ecological cells reveal that 800kg food is required each year to maintain this biomass. The biological composition and stability of fish populations of such ecological cells will depend on the biological and physical stability of the host coral population.     

华南五种木兰科植物精油成分和抗氧化活性

对广东南岭自然保护区内野生的毛桃木莲（Manglietia moto）、乳源木莲（M．yuyanensis）、乐昌含笑（M．chapensis）、金叶含笑（M．foveolata）和深山含笑（M．maudiae）5种木兰科芳香植物精油进行了化学成分对比分析和抗氧化活性研究。化学成分鉴定采用气质联用技术,同时结合了保留指数比较法;精油抗氧化活性采用β-胡萝卜素漂白试验法。深山含笑芳香精油的主体成分以单萜烯为主,另外4种木兰科芳香精油所含成分均以倍半萜类为主。毛桃木莲和乳源木莲精油在成分构成上具有高度一致性,而且在主要成分上具有相似性,这可能表明它们具有非常近的植物亲缘关系。4种精油的抗脂质氧化半抑制浓度分别为6．6g／L（毛桃木莲精油）、9．8g／L（乳源木莲精油）、11．3g／L）金叶含笑精油）和12．2g／L（乐昌含笑精油）,在本试验条件下,未能测出深山含笑的半抑制浓度。     

5种裸子植物花粉外壁成分及结构分析比较

利用傅里叶变换红外光谱仪对银杏、日本冷杉等5种裸子植物的花粉外壁成分进行测定分析,结果表明,这5种裸子植物花粉外壁的红外光谱主要由蛋白质、脂类及多糖类物质的特征吸收峰组成。但不同科属间的花粉外壁主要成分含量存在较大差异,其中银杏科的银杏花粉外壁以蛋白质含量最为丰富;松科的雪松花粉外壁以脂类物质较为丰富;杉科的日本冷杉、杉木和日本柳杉花粉外壁成分以多糖类物质为主,但种间花粉外壁成分仍存在差异。采用扫描电镜观察5种裸子植物花粉,显示银杏、柳杉和杉木花粉粒体积较小,不具气囊,银杏花粉粒外壁表面具较均一条纹状纹饰,日本柳杉和杉木花粉粒外壁具颗粒状突起。雪松和日本冷杉花粉粒具气囊,体积较大,花粉外壁分别是粗糙具小穴状纹理以及表面光滑具微穿孔。     

5种野牡丹属植物花色素成分及影响花色呈色因子分析

为明确野牡丹属(Melastoma L.)植物花瓣的色素成分和呈色机理,为花色育种提供参考。以野牡丹(M.candidum)、白花野牡丹(M.candidum f.albiflorum)、印度野牡丹(M.malabathiricum)、白花印度野牡丹(M. malabathricumvar.alba)、毛稔(M.sanguinrum)5种野牡丹属植物材料,采用目测法、RHSCC比色法和色差仪测定花瓣表型,应用化学显色法、紫外分光光度法对花色素成分及含量进行初步分析与测定,通过徒手切片组织切片法观察花瓣表皮细胞的显微结构和分布特点,测定花瓣pH值、可溶性糖及可溶性蛋白含量等生理指标分析对花色的影响。结果显示,野牡丹属植物花瓣不含叶绿素和类胡萝卜素,紫罗兰色系主要含花青素苷和黄酮类化合物,白色系主要含黄酮类化合物。野牡丹和毛稔花色素分布于上、下表皮,印度野牡丹花色素分布于上、下表皮和栅栏组织,白花野牡丹和白花印度野牡丹花瓣没有发现色素积累;紫罗兰色系野牡丹上表皮细胞呈圆锥形突起,白色系野牡丹上表皮细胞呈不规则的扁平状,它们下表皮细胞全呈不规则的扁平状。野牡丹属植物花色明度L*随花瓣颜色变深而降低,明度L*与红度a*呈极显著负相关、与蓝度b*呈极显著的正相关。花瓣中花青素苷含量与其明度L*和蓝度b*呈显著负相关,pH值与花瓣红度a*呈现显著的负相关。研究表明,野牡丹属植物花色主要由花青素苷决定,花青素苷含量、色素分布、上表皮细胞形状等是引起花色呈现多样的主要因子。     

Comparative Analysis of Mitochondrial Genomes of Five Aphid Species (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and Phylogenetic Implications

Insect mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) are of great interest in exploring molecular evolution, phylogenetics and population genetics. Only two mitogenomes have been previously released in the insect group Aphididae, which consists of about 5,000 known species including some agricultural, forestry and horticultural pests. Here we report the complete 16,317 bp mitogenome of Cavariella salicicola and two nearly complete mitogenomes of Aphis glycines and Pterocomma pilosum. We also present a first comparative analysis of mitochondrial genomes of aphids. Results showed that aphid mitogenomes share conserved genomic organization, nucleotide and amino acid composition, and codon usage features. All 37 genes usually present in animal mitogenomes were sequenced and annotated. The analysis of gene evolutionary rate revealed the lowest and highest rates for COI and ATP8, respectively. A unique repeat region exclusively in aphid mitogenomes, which included variable numbers of tandem repeats in a lineage-specific manner, was highlighted for the first time. This region may have a function as another origin of replication. Phylogenetic reconstructions based on protein-coding genes and the stem-loop structures of control regions confirmed a sister relationship between Cavariella and pterocommatines. Current evidence suggest that pterocommatines could be formally transferred into Macrosiphini. Our paper also offers methodological instructions for obtaining other Aphididae mitochondrial genomes.     

Iron-Melanin Interaction and Lipid Peroxidation: Implications for Parkinson''s Disease

The vulnerability of substantia nigral (SN) melaninized dopamine neurons to neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease and the selective increases of iron and basal lipid peroxidation in SN indicate that iron-melanin interaction could be crucial to the pathogenesis of this disease. The present study describes, for the first time, the identification and characterization of a high-affinity (KD = 13 nM) and a lower affinity (KD = 200 nM) binding site for iron on dopamine melanin. The binding of iron to melanin is dependent on pH and the concentration of melanin. Iron chelators, U74500A, desferrioxamine, and to less extent 1,10-phenanthroline and chlorpromazine, but not the Parkinson-inducing neurotoxin, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, can inhibit the binding of iron to melanin and iron-induced lipid peroxidation. Although melanin alone diminishes basal lipid peroxidation in rat cortical homogenates, it can also potentiate that initiated by iron, a reaction inhibited by desferrioxamine. In the absence of an identifiable exogenous or endogenous neurotoxin in idiopathic Parkinson's disease, iron-melanin interaction in pars compacta of SN may be a strong candidate for the cytotoxic component of oxygen radical-induced neurodegeneration of melaninized dopamine neurons.     

Host Specificity of Pathogenic Pythium Species: Implications for Tree Species Diversity

In the Janzen–Connell hypothesis, host-specific natural enemies enhance species diversity and influence the structure of plant communities. This study tests the explicit assumption of host specificity for soil pathogens of the genus Pythium that cause damping-off disease of germinating seeds and seedlings. We isolated Pythium spp. from soil of a tropical forest in Panama. Then, in an inoculation experiment, we determined the pathogenicity of 75 tropical isolates of unknown pathogenicity and seven pathogenic temperate isolates of Pythium on seeds and/or seedlings of eight tropical tree species. Only three tropical isolates, one identified as P. ultimum and two as P. aphanidermatum , were pathogenic. Tropical pathogenic isolates were pathogenic on 4–6 of eight tree species. Temperate isolates were pathogenic on 0–4 of eight species, indicating that some tropical tree species are susceptible to novel isolates of Pythium . No tree species was susceptible to all isolates and two species were not susceptible to any isolate. Collectively, these results indicate that these Pythium isolates vary widely in their pathogenicity, causing differential mortality of potential host species; likewise, the tree species vary in their susceptibility to a given Pythium isolate. These differences in pathogenicity and susceptibility indicate some support for the Janzen–Connell assumption of host specificity. While they are not restricted to a single species, their intermediate level of specificity suggests that Pythium spp. have the potential to have some effect on forest community structure and diversity.     

Chemical Composition and Content of Lipophilic Seed Extractives of Some Abies and Picea Species

The chemical content and composition of the lipophilic extracts from seeds of some fir species: Abies alba, A. cephalonica, A. concolor, and A. koreana, as well as of a few spruce species: Picea abies, P. orientalis, and P. pungens, were examined. The amount of lipophilic extractives is diverse among the tree species and it varies from 9.8% to 41% of seeds. The chemical characterization showed significant differences, not only in the content, but also in the composition of extractives. However, most of the identified compounds like resin alcohols, ‐aldehydes, and ‐acids, as well as fatty acids, were detected in the seed extracts of all the examined tree species. The dominating identified compound group was esterified fatty acids (2.5 – 55.4% w/w of dry extract), occurring mainly as tri‐ and diglycerides, as well as free acids. The main representatives of this group were linoleic and oleic acids. The resin acids, among which the main were abietic, neoabietic, dehydroabietic, and palustric acids, were also detected at high levels, from 1.8% to 16.9% of the dry seed extracts. Phytosterols, tocopherols, resin hydrocarbons, and resin esters, as well as fatty alcohols were also identified. The coniferous tree seeds, as a renewable natural material, could represent a prospective raw material for producing valuable chemicals.     

Cryopreservation of Cattle Oocytes: Effects of Meiotic Stage, Cycloheximide Treatment, and Vitrification Procedure

Different parameters likely to influence the survival of bovine oocytes after a vitrification procedure were evaluated: oocyte meiotic stage, cycloheximide treatment at the beginning or the end of maturation, and three vitrification procedures using conventional straws, open pulled straws (OPS), or microdrops. For each procedure a mixture of cryoprotectants (25% ethylene glycol and 25% glycerol) was used. After the oocytes were warmed and subjected to in vitro maturation and fertilization, the number that developed into blastocysts was determined. Results show that cryoprotectant exposure reduced embryo development and that cycloheximide treatment had no beneficial effect on oocytes vitrified in conventional straws. Among the three vitrification procedures, only the OPS method yielded blastocysts (approximately 3% of vitrified oocytes) irrespective of their initial meiotic stage. This result highlights the major influence of the cooling rate in an oocyte vitrification protocol.     

A Comparison of the Composition of Wax Ester Molecular Species of Different Coral Groups (Subclasses Hexacorallia and Octocorallia)

Wax esters, which are esters of fatty alcohols and fatty acids (FAs), are one of the main classes of reserve lipids in all coral species. The chemical structures and the content of wax ester molecular species were determined for the first time in nine coral species from three taxonomic groups: symbiotic reef-building corals, (Hexacorallia subclasses), symbiotic soft coral alcyonarians, and asymbiotic soft coral gorgonians (Octocorallia subclasses) collected in the South China Sea (Vietnam). Our comparison of these groups showed that the absence of symbiotic microalgae (zooxanthellae) and the exoskeleton affects the profile of molecular species of wax esters considerably. The main components of wax esters of all corals were cetyl palmitate (16:0-16:0) and other saturated wax esters containing 30, 34, and 36 carbon atoms. The content of unsaturated molecular species 6:0–16:1, 16:0–18:1, and 16:0–20:1 in wax esters of symbiotic soft corals (alcyonarians) was greater than that in wax esters of reef-building corals. In contrast to symbiotic coral species, wax esters of asymbiotic soft corals, namely azooxanthellate gorgonians, contained a considerable amount of long-chain molecular species (C₃₇-C₄₁) with an odd number of carbon atoms. The presence of such molecular species indicates that asymbiotic gorgonians may use bacterial FAs in biosynthesis of their own wax esters. This observation confirms our hypothesis that bacterial community is important for maintaining the energy balance of azooxanthellate corals.     

Triglyceride Blisters in Lipid Bilayers: Implications for Lipid Droplet Biogenesis and the Mobile Lipid Signal in Cancer Cell Membranes

Triglycerides have a limited solubility, around 3%, in phosphatidylcholine lipid bilayers. Using millisecond-scale course grained molecular dynamics simulations, we show that the model lipid bilayer can accommodate a higher concentration of triolein (TO) than earlier anticipated, by sequestering triolein molecules to the bilayer center in the form of a disordered, isotropic, mobile neutral lipid aggregate, at least 17 nm in diameter, which forms spontaneously, and remains stable on at least the microsecond time scale. The results give credence to the hotly debated existence of mobile neutral lipid aggregates of unknown function present in malignant cells, and to the early biogenesis of lipid droplets accommodated between the two leaflets of the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. The TO aggregates give the bilayer a blister-like appearance, and will hinder the formation of multi-lamellar phases in model, and possibly living membranes. The blisters will result in anomalous membrane probe partitioning, which should be accounted for in the interpretation of probe-related measurements.     

Lipid Composition,Content of Polyphenols,and Antiradical Activity in Some Representatives of Marine Algae

Russian Journal of Plant Physiology - Qualitative and quantitative composition of the lipid complex and total content of polyphenols were compared in aqueous alcoholic extracts from three species...