Rhizosphere interactions, carbon allocation, and nitrogen acquisition of two perennial North American grasses in response to defoliation and elevated atmospheric CO2

Carbon allocation and N acquisition by plants following defoliation may be linked through plant-microbe interactions in the rhizosphere. Plant C allocation patterns and rhizosphere interactions can also be affected by rising atmospheric CO(2) concentrations, which in turn could influence plant and microbial responses to defoliation. We studied two widespread perennial grasses native to rangelands of western North America to test whether (1) defoliation-induced enhancement of rhizodeposition would stimulate rhizosphere N availability and plant N uptake, and (2) defoliation-induced enhancement of rhizodeposition, and associated effects on soil N availability, would increase under elevated CO(2). Both species were grown at ambient (400 μL L(-1)) and elevated (780 μL L(-1)) atmospheric [CO(2)] under water-limiting conditions. Plant, soil and microbial responses were measured 1 and 8 days after a defoliation treatment. Contrary to our hypotheses, we found that defoliation and elevated CO(2) both reduced carbon inputs to the rhizosphere of Bouteloua gracilis (C(4)) and Pascopyrum smithii (C(3)). However, both species also increased N allocation to shoots of defoliated versus non-defoliated plants 8 days after treatment. This response was greatest for P. smithii, and was associated with negative defoliation effects on root biomass and N content and reduced allocation of post-defoliation assimilate to roots. In contrast, B. gracilis increased allocation of post-defoliation assimilate to roots, and did not exhibit defoliation-induced reductions in root biomass or N content. Our findings highlight key differences between these species in how post-defoliation C allocation to roots versus shoots is linked to shoot N yield, but indicate that defoliation-induced enhancement of shoot N concentration and N yield is not mediated by increased C allocation to the rhizosphere.     

EPR characterization of the mononuclear Cu-containing Aspergillus japonicus quercetin 2,3-dioxygenase reveals dramatic changes upon anaerobic binding of substrates.

Quercetin 2,3-dioxygenase (2,3QD) is a copper-containing dioxygenase that catalyses the oxidation of the flavonol quercetin to 2-protocatechuoylphloroglucinol carboxylic acid with concomitant production of carbon monoxide. In contrast to iron dioxygenases, very little is known about copper dioxygenases. We have characterized 2,3QD from the fungus Aspergillus japonicus by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR). At pH 6.0, 2,3QD shows a mixture of two EPR species. The major form has parameters typical of type 2 Cu sites (g// = 2.330, A// = 13.7 mT), the minor one has a more distorted geometry (g// = 2.290, A// = 12.5 mT). Anaerobic addition of the substrate quercetin results in a different, single species EPR spectrum with g// = 2.336, A// = 11.4 mT, parameters, which are in-between those of the type 2 and type 1 Cu sites in the Peisach-Blumberg (g// vs. A//) plot. After turnover, a new EPR signal is observed, which is ascribed to the carboxylic acid ester product complex. This spectrum is similar to that of the native enzyme at pH 10.0 and has g-tensor parameters suggesting a trigonal bipyramidal site. Of a variety of flavonoids studied, only flavonols are able to bind to the copper centre of 2,3QD. Nine flavonols with different hydroxylation patterns at the A- and B-ring have been analysed. They cluster in two different regions of the Peisach-Blumberg plot and show that the presence of a 5-OH group has a large effect on the A// parameter. Several differences are noted between A. japonicus 2,3QD and the enzyme from A. niger German Collection of Microorganisms 821.     

Structure of Escherichia coli Lytic transglycosylase MltA with bound chitohexaose: implications for peptidoglycan binding and cleavage

Crystal structures of an inactive mutant (D308A) of the lytic transglycosylase MltA from Escherichia coli have been determined in two different apo-forms, as well as in complex with the substrate analogue chitohexaose. The chitohexaose binds with all six saccharide residues in the active site groove, with an intact glycosidic bond at the bond cleavage center. Its binding induces a large reorientation of the two structural domains in MltA, narrowing the active site groove and allowing tight interactions of the oligosaccharide with residues from both domains. The structures identify residues in MltA with key roles in the binding and recognition of peptidoglycan and confirm that Asp-308 is the single catalytic residue, acting as a general acid/base. Moreover, the structures suggest that catalysis involves a high energy conformation of the scissile glycosidic linkage and that the putative oxocarbenium ion intermediate is stabilized by the dipole moment of a nearby alpha-helix.     

Elevated CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> mitigates the adverse effects of drought on daytime net ecosystem CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> exchange and photosynthesis in a Florida scrub-oak ecosystem

Drought is a normal, recurrent feature of climate. In order to understand the potential effect of increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentration (C _a) on ecosystems, it is essential to determine the combined effects of drought and elevated C _a (EC) under field conditions. A severe drought occurred in Central Florida in 1998 when precipitation was 88 % less than the average between 1984 and 2002. We determined daytime net ecosystem CO₂ exchange (NEE) before, during, and after the drought in the Florida scrub-oak ecosystem exposed to doubled C _a in open-top chamber since May 1996. We measured diurnal leaf net photosynthetic rate (P _N) of Quercus myrtifolia Willd, the dominant species, during and after the drought. Drought caused a midday depression in NEE and P _N at ambient CO₂ concentration (AC) and EC. EC mitigated the midday depression in NEE by about 60 % compared to AC and the effect of EC on leaf P _N was similar to its effect on NEE. Growth in EC lowered the sensitivity of NEE to air vapor pressure deficit under drought. Thus EC would help the scrub-oak ecosystem to survive the consequences of the effects of rising atmospheric CO₂ on climate change, including increased frequency of drought, while simultaneously sequestering more anthropogenic carbon.     

Decoupling of plant and soil metal nutrients as affected by nitrogen addition in a meadow steppe

Plant and Soil - The effect of contaminated soil on multitrophic interactions in a terrestrial system was studied in a mesocosm experiment with European beech, larvae of summer chafer, and...     

Molecular machines in the synapse: overlapping protein sets control distinct steps in neurosecretion

Activity regulated neurotransmission shapes the computational properties of a neuron and involves the concerted action of many proteins. Classical, intuitive working models often assign specific proteins to specific steps in such complex cellular processes, whereas modern systems theories emphasize more integrated functions of proteins. To test how often synaptic proteins participate in multiple steps in neurotransmission we present a novel probabilistic method to analyze complex functional data from genetic perturbation studies on neuronal secretion. Our method uses a mixture of probabilistic principal component analyzers to cluster genetic perturbations on two distinct steps in synaptic secretion, vesicle priming and fusion, and accounts for the poor standardization between different studies. Clustering data from 121 perturbations revealed that different perturbations of a given protein are often assigned to different steps in the release process. Furthermore, vesicle priming and fusion are inversely correlated for most of those perturbations where a specific protein domain was mutated to create a gain-of-function variant. Finally, two different modes of vesicle release, spontaneous and action potential evoked release, were affected similarly by most perturbations. This data suggests that the presynaptic protein network has evolved as a highly integrated supramolecular machine, which is responsible for both spontaneous and activity induced release, with a group of core proteins using different domains to act on multiple steps in the release process.     

Bill redness is positively associated with reproduction and survival in male and female zebra finches

Sexual traits can serve as honest indicators of phenotypic quality when they are costly. Brightly coloured yellow to red traits, which are pigmented by carotenoids, are relatively common in birds, and feature in sexual selection. Carotenoids have been linked to immune and antioxidant function, and the trade-off between ornamentation and these physiological functions provides a potential mechanism rendering carotenoid based signals costly. Mutual ornamentation is also common in birds and can be maintained by mutual mate choice for this ornament or by a correlated response in one sex to selection on the other sex. When selection pressures differ between the sexes this can cause intralocus sexual conflict. Sexually antagonistic selection pressures have been demonstrated for few sexual traits, and for carotenoid-dependent traits there is a single example: bill redness was found to be positively associated with survival and reproductive output in male zebra finches, but negatively so in females. We retested these associations in our captive zebra finch population without two possible limitations of this earlier study. Contrary to the earlier findings, we found no evidence for sexually antagonistic selection. In both sexes, individuals with redder bills showed higher survival. This association disappeared among the females with the reddest bills. Furthermore, females with redder bills achieved higher reproductive output. We conclude that bill redness of male and female zebra finches honestly signals phenotypic quality, and discuss the possible causes of the differences between our results and earlier findings.     

G6f-Like Is an ITAM-Containing Collagen Receptor in Thrombocytes

Collagen activates mammalian platelets through a complex of the immunoglobulin (Ig) receptor GPVI and the Fc receptor γ-chain, which has an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM). Cross-linking of GPVI mediates activation through the sequential activation of Src and Syk family kinases and activation of PLCγ2. Nucleated thrombocytes in fish are activated by collagen but lack an ortholog of GPVI. In this study we show that collagen activates trout thrombocytes in whole blood and under flow conditions through a Src kinase driven pathway. We identify the Ig receptor G6f-like as a collagen receptor and demonstrate in a cell line assay that it signals through its cytoplasmic ITAM. Using a morpholino for in vivo knock-down of G6f-like levels in zebrafish, we observed a marked delay or absence of occlusion of the venous and arterial systems in response to laser injury. Thus, G6f-like is a physiologically relevant collagen receptor in fish thrombocytes which signals through the same ITAM-based signalling pathway as mammalian GPVI, providing a novel example of convergent evolution.