Chemical Composition of Essential Oils of Xanthium spinosum L., an Invasive Species of Corsica

Xanthium spinosum L. is a highly invasive plant originated from South America throughout the world as well as in Corsica Island. The chemical composition of X. spinosum essential oils from 25 Corsican locations was investigated using GC‐FID and GC/MS. Seventy‐four components, which accounted for 96.2% of the total amount, were reported for the first time in the essential oil from aerial parts. The main compounds were eudesma‐4(14),7‐dien‐1β‐ol ( 61 ; 21.3%), germacrene D ( 36 ; 8.8%) and cadalene ( 60 ; 8.7%). Comparison with the literature highlighted the originality of the Corsican essential oil and eudesma‐4(14),7‐dien‐1β‐ol could be used as taxonomical marker to the systematics of the Xanthium genus. The essential oils obtained from separate organs and during the plant vegetative cycle were also studied to gain more knowledge about the correlations between the volatile production and the phenological states of this weed. The production of oxygenated sesquiterpenes was predominant during the plant‐flowering process. The study focuses on direct correlation between the chemical composition of individual 25 oil samples and the morphological differences of the plant. Our results have gained more knowledge about the secondary metabolite production that occurs during the plant life, they could be interesting in order to manage the dispersal of X. spinosum.     

Chemical Diversity and Antimicrobial Activity of Volatile Compounds from Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides Lam. according to Compound Classes,Plant Organs and Senegalese Sample Locations

The chemical diversity of Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides growing wild in Senegal was studied according to volatile compound classes, plant organs and sample locations. The composition of fruit essential oil was investigated using an original targeted approach based on the combination of gas chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography (LC) both coupled with mass spectrometry (MS). The volatile composition of Z. zanthoxyloides fruits exhibited relative high amounts of hydrocarbon monoterpenes (24.3 – 55.8%) and non‐terpenic oxygenated compounds (34.5 – 63.1%). The main components were (E)‐β‐ocimene (12.1 – 39%), octyl acetate (11.6 – 21.8%) and decanol (9.7 – 15.4%). The GC and GC/MS profiling of fruit essential oils showed a chemical variability according to geographical locations of plant material. The LC/MS/MS analysis of fruit oils allowed the detection of seven coumarins in trace content. The chemical composition of fruit essential oils was compared with volatile fractions of leaves and barks (root and trunk) from the same plant station. Hexadecanoic acid, germacrene D and decanal were identified as the major constituents of leaves whereas the barks (root and trunk) were dominated by pellitorine (85.8% and 57%, respectively), an atypic linear compound with amide group. The fruit essential oil exhibited interesting antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans, particularly the alcohol fraction of the oil.     

Morphological, chemical and genetic differentiation of two subspecies of Cistus creticus L. (C. creticus subsp. eriocephalus and C. creticus subsp. corsicus)

Cistus creticus L., an aromatic species from the Mediterranean area, contains various diterpenes bearing the labdane skeleton. The production of essential oil from this species has potential economic value, but so far, it has not been optimized. In order to contribute to a better knowledge of this species and to its differentiation, the morphological characters, volatile chemical composition and genetic data of two subspecies (C. creticus subsp. eriocephalus and C. creticus subsp. corsicus) were investigated. The leaf trichomes were studied using scanning electron microscopy. The chemical composition of Corsican essential oil (C. creticus subsp. corsicus) has been reported using GC, GC/MS and ¹³C NMR; the main constituents were oxygenated labdane diterpenes (33.9%) such as 13-epi-manoyl oxide (18.5%). Using plant material (54 samples) collected from 18 geographically distinct areas of the islands of Corsica and Sardinia, the basis of variation in the headspace solid-phase microextraction volatile fraction and an inter-simple sequence repeat genetic analysis were also examined. It was shown that the two subspecies of C. creticus differed in morphology, essential oil production, volatile fraction composition and genetic data.     

Lipid Raft-Dependent FcεRI Ubiquitination Regulates Receptor Endocytosis through the Action of Ubiquitin Binding Adaptors

The best characterized role for ubiquitination of membrane receptors is to negatively regulate signaling by targeting receptors for lysosomal degradation. The high affinity receptor for IgE (FcεRI) expressed on mast cells and basophils is rapidly ubiquitinated upon antigen stimulation. However, the nature and the role of this covalent modification are still largelly unknown. Here, we show that FcεRI subunits are preferentially ubiquitinated at multiple sites upon stimulation, and provide evidence for a role of ubiquitin as an internalization signal: under conditions of impaired receptor ubiquitination a decrease of receptor entry is observed by FACS analysis and fluorescence microscopy. We also used biochemical approaches combined with fluorescence microscopy, to demonstrate that receptor endocytosis requires the integrity of specific membrane domains, namely lipid rafts. Additionally, by RNA interference we demonstrate the involvement of ubiquitin-binding endocytic adaptors in FcεRI internalization and sorting. Notably, the triple depletion of Eps15, Eps15R and Epsin1 negatively affects the early steps of Ag-induced receptor endocytosis, whereas Hrs depletion retains ubiquitinated receptors into early endosomes and partially prevents their sorting into lysosomes for degradation. Our results are compatible with a scenario in which the accumulation of engaged receptor subunits into lipid rafts is required for receptor ubiquitination, a prerequisite for efficient receptor internalization, sorting and delivery to a lysosomal compartment.     

Soil microbial activity variation after land use changes in savannah, Llanos Orientales, Venezuela

In West plains of Venezuela, the traditional land use of the Trachypogon savannah, has been the extensive grazing. The pressure over these savannahs to obtain a major animal productivity has stimulated the introduction of exotic forage plants, such as Brachiaria brizantha and Andropogon gayanus. In spite that great savannah extensions have been subject to this land use change, information about the effect that pastures and grazing activity have on microbial activity in these soils is scarce. So the objective of this study was to determine the impact that the extensive grazing and cover substitution have on microbial activity. The soil sampling was carried out during the dry and rainy seasons. The employed parameters to determine changes in soil microbial activity were the substrate induced respiration (SIR), basal respiration (BR), the dehydrogenase activity (DHS), the fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis (FDA) and the arginene ammonification (AA). The similarity of the structural soil characteristics studied allows us to infer, that the differences in the microbiological parameters are determined by climatic conditions and soil management. The results show that there is a low microbial activity in these soils. The rainy season caused an increase in all the microbiological parameters determined. B. brizantha made a greater contribution to soil carbon and promoted a greater heterotrophic activity. The extensive grazing and the low stocking rate in the West plain savannas did not affect the microbial activity in these soils.     

Pollen Diversity and Volatile Variability of Honey from Corsican Anthyllis hermanniae L. Habitat

Melissopalynological, physicochemical, and volatile analyses of 29 samples of Corsican ‘summer maquis’ honey were performed. The pollen spectrum was characterized by a wide diversity of nectariferous and/or polleniferous taxa. The most important were Anthyllis hermanniae and Rubus sp., associated with some endemic taxa. Castanea sativa was also determined in these honeys with a great variation. The volatile fraction was characterized by 37 compounds and dominated by phenolic aldehydes and linear acids. The major compounds were phenylacetaldehyde, benzaldehyde, and nonanoic acid. Statistical analysis of pollen and volatile data showed that 18 samples were characterized by a high abundance of phenylacetaldehyde, which might relate to the high amount of A. hermanniae and Rubus sp. Eleven other samples displayed a higher proportion of phenolic ketones and linear acids, which characterized the nectar contribution of C. sativa and Thymus herba‐barona, respectively.     

Divergent Wnt8a Gene Expression in Teleosts

The analysis of genes in evolutionarily distant but morphologically similar species is of major importance to unravel the changes in genomes over millions of years, which led to gene silencing and functional diversification. We report the analysis of Wnt8a gene expression in the medakafish and provide a detailed comparison to other vertebrates. In all teleosts analyzed there are two paralogous Wnt8a copies. These show largely overlapping expression in the early developing zebrafish embryo, an evolutionarily distant relative of medaka. In contrast to zebrafish, we find that both maternal and zygotic expression of particularly one Wnt8a paralog has diverged in medaka. While Wnt8a1 expression is mostly conserved at early embryonic stages, the expression of Wnt8a2 differs markedly. In addition, both genes are distinctly expressed during organogenesis unlike the zebrafish homologs, which may hint at the emergence of functional diversification of Wnt8a ligands during evolution.     

Increased isolation of two Biosphere Reserves and surrounding protected areas (WAP ecological complex, West Africa)

Protected areas such as nature reserves have been found to be effective in preventing habitat destruction and protecting ecosystems within their borders. Recent studies however found extensive loss of tropical forest habitat around protected areas, vastly contributing to increase the levels of ecological isolation. Using high-resolution satellite data we investigated the isolation trend occurring in the W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) ecological complex in West Africa. A land-cover change analysis was performed for the period 1984–2002: savanna vegetation extension and loss were derived within the complex and in a 30 km peripheral buffer. Sample regions in the buffer were also analysed using selected spatial indicators to quantify temporal trends in habitat fragmentation. Implications for change in relative capacity to conserve biodiversity were discussed through the calculation of the species richness capacity (SRC). More than 14.5% of savanna habitat was lost in the WAP peripheral areas, while 0.3% was converted inside the complex. The degree of fragmentation of remnant savanna habitat has also drastically increased. Despite the effectiveness of the park conservation programme, we found through the SRC approach that the WAP complex is decreasing its potential capacity to conserve species richness. This process is mainly due to the rapid and extended agricultural expansion taking place around the complex. A better understanding of the ecological dynamics occurring in the peripheral regions of reserves and the consideration of development needs are key variables to achieve conservation goals in protected areas.