Effects of ultraviolet radiation on corals and other coral reef organisms

The discovery of the importance of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) as a factor affecting the biology of coral reefs dates only to about 1980. Interest has heightened during the past five years owing to the demonstration of loss of stratospheric ozone through human activities. We have only begun to document gross, qualitative effects of UVR on coral reef organisms, usually in experiments comparing the biological response to the presence or absence of UVR through the use of UV-cutoff filters, or to varying levels of UVR in transplantation studies. Most such studies have not distinguished between the effects of UVA (320–400 nm) and those of UVB (290–320 nm), although in the context of global change involving stratospheric ozone loss, it is the latter wavelengths that are relevant. To date we have been addressing physiological and ecological questions, not yet attempting to evaluate quantitatively the impact of forecast increases in solar UVB penetration. Interacting and synergistic effects of UVR with increased temperature, pollutants, sedimentation, visible light, etc. have scarcely been studied but will be essential to understanding and predicting the fate of coral reefs under conditions of global change. Here we comprehensively review the effects of UVR on corals and other reef macroorganisms, mindful that although much is known of proximal effects, little of this knowledge is directly useful in making long-term predictions regarding the health of coral reefs. We conclude that even small anthropogenic increases in UVB levels will have sublethal physiological manifestations in corals and other reef organisms, but that this will have relatively small impact on the distribution of reef corals and coral reefs, perhaps affecting their minimum depths of occurrence.     

Immunosenescence and lymphomagenesis

One of the most important determinants of aging-related changes is a complex biological process emerged recently and called “immunosenescence”. Immunosenescence refers to the inability of an aging immune system to produce an appropriate and effective response to challenge. This immune dysregulation may manifest as increased susceptibility to infection, cancer, autoimmune disease, and vaccine failure. At present, the relationship between immunosenescence and lymphoma in elderly patients is not defined in a satisfactory way.This review presents a brief overview of the interplay between aging, cancer and lymphoma, and the key topic of immunosenescence is addressed in the context of two main lymphoma groups, namely Non Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) and Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL). Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) plays a central role in the onset of neoplastic lymphoproliferation associated with immunological changes in aging, although the pathophysiology varies vastly among different disease entities. The interaction between immune dysfunction, immunosenescence and Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) infection appears to differ between NHL and HL, as well as between NHL subtypes.     

The transmembranous passes of K+ in brain cortex under radiation and chemical influences and their modification with natural adaptogen

An investigation of the influence of chronic low-intensity irradiation with 0.25 Gr dose and of a mixture of heavy metal salts both apart and together, as well as when correcting with a natural adaptogen such as Spirulina platensis, on passive and active transport of potassium and the work efficiency of Na,K-pump in slices of brain cortex was the problem of this study. As a biological model for in vivo researches on molecular-cellular level the thin layers of a rat brain cortex were used. It was shown that both radiation and chemical factors cause reliable changes of passive membrane permeability and operation of Na,K-pump, whose function is the maintenance of the certain gradient of potassium ions on the plasmatic membrane, the normalization of ion homeostasis, the stabilization of membranous potential. The analysis of calculated indexes of passive and of active ion transport show that at modification of X-rays influence with a mixture of heavy metal salts exactly the last makes the main contribution to efficiency decrease of energy-dependent transport of potassium. The natural adaptogen spirulina renders a better effect in the case of toxic action of the mixture of heavy metal salts, enlarging not only active transport of potassium ions, but its efficiency as well.     

Amplifying mechanisms of lymphomagenesis

Mice doubly deficient for either XRCC4 or DNA ligase IV and p53 invariably develop lymphomas bearing characteristic chromosome translocations with gene amplification. A recent study highlights the importance of nonclassical end joining mechanisms in the formation of these oncogenic DNA rearrangements.     

Carcinogenic and co-carcinogenic effects of radiation in rat mammary carcinogenesis and mouse T-cell lymphomagenesis: a review

The importance of the promotion stage and of the physiological condition of target cells at the time of initiation is illustrated in both the rat mammary carcinogenesis and the mouse T-cell lymphomagenesis. In the former, prolactin was shown to be a powerful promoter regardless of the initiating agent. Prolactin was also found to be useful in detecting the carcinogenicity of the small doses of carcinogens; a high r.b.e. of 2.0 MeV fission spectrum neutrons was demonstrated by the application of prolactin to radiation-initiated mammary carcinogenesis in rats. In the latter, total-body irradiation involving both bone marrow and thymus facilitates chemically-initiated T-cell lymphomagenesis in mice. This could be attributed to the amplification of the cell population susceptible to a chemical carcinogen in the target tissue during the recovery phase after irradiation. The dual effect of a carcinogen, acting in the different phases of carcinogenesis was suggested by the split administration of N-nitrosoethylurea (NEU) in the induction of T-cell lymphomas. It is emphasized, through these findings, that besides the initiation by a genotoxic agent, the availability of a promoter or an inhibitor determines the fate of initiated cells, and that a modifier of target cells also plays a crucial role in the efficient induction of a tumour.     

UV-B辐射增强对反枝苋形态、生理及化学成分的影响

通过大田盆栽实验,研究了2种增强的UV-B辐射对双子叶C4植物反枝苋(Amaranthus retroflexus)形态、生理、生物量分配及化学成分的影响.结果表明:增强UV-B辐射处理下分枝数、叶片数、高度和基径均没有显著变化.高、低剂量的UV-B处理均导致过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性显著高于对照组(P＜0.05),但对超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性无影响,低剂量辐射下过氧化物酶(POD)活性显著高于对照而高剂量辐射下无显著变化,同时丙二醛(MDA)含量随辐射剂量的增加而显著增加(P＜0.05).收获期低剂量辐射处理下的资源分配模式发生变化,分配到叶片的生物量比例显著增加,而分配到根的比例显著减小,但高剂量辐射对生物量分配无影响.UV-B辐射处理下根、茎、叶部所检测的大多数化学成分与对照相比均有显著变化:叶片中可溶性蛋白、木质素和脂肪,根中木质素,茎中纤维素、木质素含量在辐射处理下显著高于对照;叶片中淀粉,茎中可溶性糖、淀粉和脂肪含量在辐射处理下显著低于对照(P＜0.05).     

减弱UV-B辐射对烟草形态、光合及生理生化特性的影响

在地处低纬高原云南较高海拔烟区的通海县大田条件下,通过大棚覆盖不同透明膜的方式梯度减弱UV-B辐射,研究了外界环境30.39%(T1)、70.08%(T2)和75.74%(T3)强度的UV-B辐射对烟草品种K326形态、光响应特性和部分生理生化特征的影响。结果显示:减弱UV-B辐射促进了K326节间距和茎高的伸长,使叶片增大、变薄,尤以T2处理植株的叶片、茎围和节间距最大,而K326发育进程由T1至T3逐渐加快。在减弱UV-B辐射下,K326净光合速率(Pn)、最大净光合速率(Amax)和蒸腾速率(Tr)较高,但水分利用效率(WUE)、暗呼吸速率(Rd)、光补偿点(LCP)和光饱和点(LSP)较低。其中T1的Rd和LCP最低,并极大地降低了表观量子效率(AQY),T2的LSP最低而Pn最高,而T3的Amax、LCP和AQY最高。减弱UV-B辐射后烟叶叶绿素含量提高,而类黄酮、比叶重、类胡萝卜素含量和面积含水量下降,鲜重含水量和自然水分饱和亏却上升;T3处理下丙二醛含量最大,鲜重含水量和自然水分饱和亏则T2最大。结果表明,适当高强度的UV-B辐射对促进K326正常生长发育和提高其对UV-B辐射的适应性有重要作用。     

Indirect influences of radiation on unirradiated cells through irradiated cells.

There has been a recent upsurge of interest in radiation-induced bystander effects. Previously we reported that the accumulation of inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase (iNOS) was induced only in human glioblastoma mutant (m) p53 cells by acute irradiation with X-rays, suggesting a suppression of iNOS induction after acute irradiation with X-rays in wtp53 cells. NO secreted from the irradiated mp53 cells induced the accumulation of p53 in unirradiated wtp53 cells. The radiosensitivity of wtp53 cells was reduced by exposure to the conditioned medium from irradiated mp53 cells, suggesting that NO is an initiator of radiation-induced bystander effects. In the present study, we found that the accumulation of iNOS in wtp53 cells was induced by chronic irradiation with gamma-rays followed by acute irradiation with X-rays, but not by each one. It is suggested that the accumulation of iNOS may be due to the depression of acute irradiation-induced p53 functions by pre-chronic irradiation. We found that chronic irradiation with gamma-rays did not inhibit the accumulation of p53 after exposure to the conditioned medium from the irradiated mp53 cells. However, the decay of accumulated p53 was stimulated by chronic irradiation with gamma-rays. At the same time, the accumulation of Hdm2 was observed; suggesting that chronic irradiation with gamma-rays may stimulate the degradation of p53 accumulated by NO-mediated bystander effects.     

Health consequences of Chernobyl and other radiation accidents

The Radiation Protection Research Unit of the European Commission has been supporting collaborative research projects on the radiological consequences of the Chernobyl accident since 1991. However, in the Fourth Framework Programme of the Commission which started in 1996, the collaboration with scientists in the former Soviet Union has been placed on a different footing, and the programme has been expanded to include other regions, especially in Russia and Kazakhstan, where previous nuclear incidents have led to the exposure of workers and the local populations and to widespread radioactive contamination. There are 15 projects on health-related studies in the newly started programme, and in order to improve the collaboration between the different scientists working in these projects a Cluster Contractors' Meeting was organised in San Miniato, Italy, in June 1997 with the participation of some 50 scientists from the European Union (EU) and the Newly Independent States (NIS). This report summarizes the different topics, including molecular biology and treatment of childhood thyroid cancer, various epidemiological studies and dose reconstruction, which were discussed at the meeting and which form the major projects in the new collaborative programme. Received: 1 November 1997 / Accepted in revised form: 10 December 1997     

Control of crops leaf growth by chemical and hydraulic influences

Three species of forage grasses (Festuca arundinacea, Eragrostiscurvula, Sporobolus stapfianus) commonly grown in the Mediterraneanregion were subjected to a soil drying treatment. Leaf growthrate in F. arundinacea was highly sensitive to soil drying andlow growth rates were associated with high laminar turgors.The production of ABA was stimulated by soil drying and therewas a clear relation between increasing ABA accumulation andreduction in leaf growth. Leaf growth of E. cutvula, a C⁴ warmseason grass, was relatively insensitive to soil drying whichwas not accompanied by a substantial increase in leaf ABA content.S. stapfianus, a resurrection plant, was highly sensitive todecreasing soil water availability. In these two latter species,leaf growth was substantially restricted before ABA accumulationoccurred. It is suggested that reductions in laminar turgorof E. curvula and S. stapfianus may be limiting leaf growthas soil dries. The results indicated a different mechanism ofsensing and responding to reduction in soil water availabilityfor the three species studied. The relative importance of thechemical and hydraulic control of leaf growth is discussed. Key words: Leaf growth, water relations, abscisic acid, Festuca arundinacea, Eragrostis curvula, Sporobolus stapfianus     

Moisture availability influences the effect of ultraviolet-B radiation on leaf litter decomposition

Altered surface ultraviolet‐B (UV‐B) radiation resulting from a combination of factors that include changes in stratospheric ozone concentrations, cloud cover, and aerosol conditions may affect litter decomposition and, thus, terrestrial nutrient cycling on a global scale. Although litter decomposition rates vary across biomes, patterns of decomposition suggest that UV‐B radiation accelerates litter decay in xeric environments where precipitation is infrequent. However, under more frequent precipitation regimes where litter decay rates are characteristically high, the effect of UV‐B radiation on litter decomposition has not been fully elucidated. To evaluate this association between moisture regime and UV‐B exposure, a litter decomposition experiment was designed for aspen (Populus tremuloides) leaf litter, where conditions that influence both abiotic (photodegradation) and biotic (microbial) processes could be manipulated quantitatively. We found that experimentally increasing UV‐B exposure (0, 7.4, and 11.2 kJ m^?2 day^?1, respectively) did not consistently increase litter decomposition rates across simulated precipitation frequencies of 4, 12, and 24 days. Instead, a UV‐B exposure of 11.2 kJ m^?2 day^?1 resulted in a 13% decrease in decomposition rates under the 4‐day precipitation frequency, but an increase of 80% under the 24‐day frequency. Furthermore, the same UV‐B dose increased litter decomposition rates under the 24‐day precipitation frequency by 78% even in conditions where microbial activity was suppressed. Therefore, under more xeric conditions, greater exposure to UV‐B radiation increased decomposition rates, presumably through photodegradation. In contrast, when decomposition was not moisture‐limited, greater UV‐B exposure slowed decomposition rates, most likely from the resulting inhibition of microbial activity. Ultimately, these experimental results highlight UV‐B radiation as a potential driver of decomposition, as well as indicate that both the direction and magnitude of the UV‐B effect is dependent on moisture availability, a factor that may change according to future patterns in global precipitation.