The mode of action of thidiazuron: auxins,indoleamines, and ion channels in the regeneration of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Echinacea purpurea</Emphasis> L.

The biochemical mechanisms underlying thidiazuron (TDZ)-induced regeneration in plant cells have not been clearly elucidated. Exposure of leaf explants of Echinacea purpurea to a medium containing TDZ results in undifferentiated cell proliferation and differentiated growth as mixed shoot organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis. The current studies were undertaken to determine the potential roles of auxin, indoleamines, and ion signaling in the dedifferentiation and redifferentiation of plant cells. E. purpurea leaf explants were found to contain auxin and the related indoleamine neurotransmitters, melatonin, and serotonin. The levels of these endogenous indoleamines were increased by exposure to TDZ associated with the induction of regeneration. The auxin-transport inhibitor 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid and auxin action inhibitor, p-chlorophenoxyisobutyric acid decreased the TDZ-induced regeneration but increased concentrations of endogenous serotonin and melatonin. As well, inhibitors of calcium and sodium transport significantly reduced TDZ-induced morphogenesis while increasing endogenous indoleamine content. These data indicate that TDZ-induced regeneration is the manifestation of a metabolic cascade that includes an initial signaling event, accumulation, and transport of endogenous plant signals such as auxin and melatonin, a system of secondary messengers, and a concurrent stress response.     

CH/π interactions of π-system of acetylacetonato chelate ring: Comparison of CH/π interactions of Ni(II)-acetylacetonato chelate and benzene rings

The calculations have been done for CH/π interaction with π-system of Ni(II)-acetylacetonato chelate ring. The results show that there is an attractive electrostatic interaction, while dispersion component is a major source of attractive interacting energies. The interaction was compared with CH/π interaction between two benzene rings. The comparison shows that two interactions are quite similar, enabling to estimate the energy of CH/π interaction with π-system of Ni(II)-acetylacetonato chelate ring to be about 10.5 kJ/mol. The results indicate that CH/π interactions of chelate ring in various molecular systems can be as important as CH/π interactions of phenyl ring.     

Evolution of resident bird breeding phenology in a landscape with heterogeneous resource phenology and carryover effects

It is generally expected that, in environments with pronounced seasonal resource peaks, birds’ reproductive success will be maximised when nestlings’ peak food demand coincides with the timing of high food availability. However in certain birds that stay resident over winter, earlier breeding leads juveniles to join the winter flock earlier, which by the prior residence effect increases their success in breeding territory competition. This trade-off between reproduction and competition may explain why, in certain species, breeding phenology is earlier and asynchronous with the resource. This study extends a previous model of the evolution of breeding phenology in a single habitat type to a landscape with two habitat types: ‘early’ and ‘late’ resource phenology. The offspring’s natal habitat type has a carryover effect upon their competitive ability regardless of which habitat type they settle in to potentially breed. We find that, when the difference in resource phenology between habitats is small (weak carryover effect), breeding phenology in the late habitat evolves to occur earlier and more asynchronously than in the early habitat, to compensate for the competitive disadvantage to juveniles raised there. However if the difference is large (strong carryover effect), then the reproductive cost of earlier breeding outweighs the benefit of the compensation, so instead breeding phenology in the late habitat evolves to become more synchronous with the resource. Recruitment is generally asymmetric, from early to late habitat type. However if the early habitat is less frequent in the landscape or produces fewer offspring, then the asymmetry is reduced, and if there is some natal habitat-type fidelity, then recruitment can have an insular pattern, i.e. most recruits to each habitat type come from that same habitat type. We detail the different scenarios in which the different recruitment patterns are predicted, and we propose that they have implications for local adaptation.     

Auxin-like activity of extract from hypertrophied tissue of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acacia eburnea</Emphasis> infected with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ravenelia esculenta</Emphasis>

Ravenelia esculenta Naras. and Thirum. is a rust, pathogenic to Acacia eburnea Willd. The infection leads to hypertrophy changing the morphology with bizarre shapes of plant organs. Healthy and infected tissues were subjected to extraction of IAA and indole derivatives and were estimated by spectrophotometric methods. The hypertrophy produced was presumed to be due to increase in the indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) content in the infected tissue, however, the amount of IAA in infected tissues decreased with the progression of disease. Concomitantly, the infected tissue showed the presence of a novel, slow migrating, indole derivative on TLC. Cultured shoot tips of Withania somnifera were dosed with the methanolic extract of the infected hypertrophied tissue (MEHT) (0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.00 and 1.25 mg/l). The stimulation in shoot growth along with profuse rooting was observed in a dose dependent manner with maximum at 1.00 and 1.25 mg/l concentration.     

p-aminohippuric acid transport at renal apical membrane mediated by human inorganic phosphate transporter NPT1

Organic anions are secreted into urine via organic anion transporters across the renal basolateral and apical membranes. However, no apical membrane transporter for organic anions such as p-aminohippuric acid (PAH) has yet been identified. In the present study, we showed that human NPT1, which is present in renal apical membrane, mediates the transport of PAH. The K(m) value for PAH uptake was 2.66 mM and the uptake was chloride ion sensitive. These results are compatible with those reported for the classical organic anion transport system at the renal apical membrane. PAH transport was inhibited by various anionic compounds. Human NPT1 also accepted uric acid, benzylpenicillin, faropenem, and estradiol-17beta-glucuronide as substrates. Considering its chloride ion sensitivity, Npt1 is expected to function for secretion of PAH from renal proximal tubular cells. This is the first molecular demonstration of an organic anion transport function for PAH at the renal apical membrane.     

Spatio-temporal tumour model for analysis and mechanism of action of intracellular drug accumulation

We have developed a one-dimensional tumour simulator to describe the biodistribution of chemotherapeutic drugs to a tumoral lesion and the tumour cell’s response to therapy. A three-compartment model is used for drug dynamics within the tumour. The first compartment represents the extracellular space in which cells move, the second corresponds to the intracellular fluid space (including cell membrane) which is in direct equilibrium with the extracellular space, and the third is a non-exchangeable compartment that represents sequestered drug which is trapped in the nucleus to damage the cellular DNA, directly triggering cell death. Analytical and numerical techniques (Finite Element Method) are used to describe the tumour’s response to therapy and the effect of parameter variation on the drug concentration profiles in the three compartments.     

Diversity of halophilic microorganisms: Environments,phylogeny, physiology,and applications

The phylogenetic diversity of microorganisms living at high salt concentrations is surprising. Halophiles are found in each of the three domains: Archaea, Bacteria, and Eucarya. The metabolic diversity of halophiles is great as well: they include oxygenic and anoxygenic phototrophs, aerobic heterotrophs, fermenters, denitrifiers, sulfate reducers, and methanogens. The diversity of metabolic types encountered decreases with salinity. The upper salinity limit at which each dissimilatory process takes place is correlated with the amount of energy generated and the energetic cost of osmotic adaptation. Our understanding of the biodiversity in salt-saturated environments has increased greatly in recent years. Using a combination of culture techniques, molecular biological methods, and chemotaxonomic studies, we have obtained information on the nature of the halophilic Archaea as well as the halophilic Bacteria that inhabit saltern crystallizer ponds. Several halophilic microorganisms are being exploited in biotechnology. In some cases, such as the production of ectoine, the product is directly related to the halophilic behavior of the producing microorganism. In other cases, such as the extraction of β-carotene from Dunaliella or the potential use of Haloferax species for the production of poly-β-hydroxyalkanoate or extracellular polysaccharides, similar products can be obtained from non-halophiles, but halophilic microorganisms may present advantages over the use of non-halophilic counterparts. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2002) 28, 56–63 DOI: 10.1038/sj/jim/7000176 Received 20 May 2001/ Accepted in revised form 20 June 2001     

Diverse origins of enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of chloroplast peptidoglycan

Chloroplasts are believed to be descendants of ancestral cyanobacteria that had peptidoglycan layer between the outer and the inner membranes. Historically, the glaucophyte Cyanophora paradoxa and the rhizopod Paulinella chromatophora were believed to harbor symbiotic cyanobacteria having peptidoglycan, which were conventionally named “cyanelles”. In addition, the complete set of genes involved in the synthesis of peptidoglycan has been found in the moss Physcomitrella patens and some plants and algae. The presence of peptidoglycan-like structures was demonstrated by a new metabolic labeling technique in P. patens. However, many green algae and all known red algae lack peptidoglycan-related genes. That is the reason why we questioned the origin of peptidoglycan-synthesizing enzymes in the chloroplasts of the green algae and plants. We performed phylogenetic analysis of ten enzymes involved in the synthesis of peptidoglycan exploiting the Gclust homolog clusters and additional genomic data. As expected, all the identified genes encoded in the chromatophore genome of P. chromatophora were closely related to cyanobacterial homologs. In the green algae and plants, only two genes, murA and mraY, were found to be closely related to cyanobacterial homologs. The origins of all other genes were diverse. Unfortunately, the origins of C. paradoxa genes were not clearly determined because of incompleteness of published genomic data. We discuss on the probable evolutionary scenarios to explain the mostly non-cyanobacterial origins of the biosynthetic enzymes of chloroplast peptidoglycan: A plausible one includes extensive multiple horizontal gene transfers during the early evolution of Viridiplantae.