<Emphasis Type="Italic">Chlamydia pneumoniae</Emphasis> induces aponecrosis in human aortic smooth muscle cells

Background  

The intracellular bacterium Chlamydia pneumoniae is suspected to play a role in formation and progression of atherosclerosis. Many studies investigated cell death initiation versus inhibition by Chlamydia pneumoniae in established cell lines but nothing is known in primary human aortic smooth muscle cells, a cell type among others known to be involved in the formation of the atherosclerotic plaque. Type of cell death was analyzed by various methods in primary aortic smooth muscle cells after infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae to investigate a possible pathogenic link in atherosclerosis.     

Thermoperiodic control of stem elongation and endogenous gibberellins in Campanula isophylla

The effect of day/night temperature regimes on stem elongation and on the content of endogenous gibberellins (GAs) in vegetatively propagated plants of Campanula isophylla cv. Hvit have been studied. Compared with a constant temperature regime at 18°C (18/18°C), stem and internode elongation was enhanced significantly by a combination of high day/low night temperature (21/15°C) and inhibited by an opposite regime (15/21°C). Gibberellins A₁, A₁₉, A₄₄, A₅₃, and A₉₇ were identified as endogenous components in Campanula. (GA₉₇ was earlier referred to as 2-OH-GA₅₃.) Quantitative analysis of the endogenous GAs indicates that temperature regimes that stimulate elongation growth are accompanied by an increase in the level of GA₁, GA₁₉, and GA₄₄. On the other hand, in plants grown under conditions that reduced stem elongation growth, there was an increased level of GA₉₇.Abbreviations DIF difference between day temperature and night temperature - GA gibberellin - HPLC high performance liquid chromatography - GC-MS gas chromatography-mass chromatography - SPE solid phase extraction - TMS trimethylsilyl - MSTFA N-methyl-N-TMS-trifluoroacetamide - KRI Kovats retention index - SIM selected ion monitoring - D2 deuterated     

Can ultraviolet radiation influence cod Gadus morhua L. year class strength: a model study

To simulate the UVR dose that eggs and larvae of cod Gadus morhua receive during spring in Lofoten, the main spawning area of north-east Arctic cod, a model driven by wind, tides and surface heat flux was applied. The model was forced using in situ measured hydrographical data while underwater UVR doses were calculated using satellite data, ozone measurements, meteorological data and in situ diffuse extinction coefficients. The model was run with data from 1934 to the present and indicated that UVR induced mortality has little effect on cod year class strength. When thin ozone layers and slack winds coincide with meagre phytoplankton stocks, UVR induced mortality may be harmful to eggs and larvae. As these events are highly episodic, and since the spawning period of cod is long ( c. 3 months), they are believed to have only a minor influence on the overall survival of cod eggs and larvae.     

Do the polyunsaturated aldehydes produced by Phaeocystis pouchetii (Hariot) Lagerheim influence diatom growth during the spring bloom in Northern Norway?

The marine bloom-forming phytoplankter Phaeocystis pouchetii(Prymnesiophyceae) is known to produce and release the cytotoxic,ß,,-unsaturated aldehyde 2-trans-4-trans-decadienal(DD), known to inhibit mitotic cell divisions in several differentcell types. The possible allelopathic effects of DD on monoculturesof three common diatoms from the coastal waters of northernNorway were assessed. The results showed that division ratesfor all three diatom species (Skeletonema costatum, Chaetocerossocialis and Thalassiosira antarctica) decreased as concentrationof DD increased. Furthermore field data from the spring bloomin Vestfjorden (2000 and 2001) were analysed to examine whetherthe presence of P. pouchetii influences other species adversely.Our data revealed no significant adverse effect of P. pouchetiion diatom presence since diatom diversity generally was positivelycorrelated to P. pouchetii biomass. The year with the lowestamounts of P. pouchetii had the lowest diversities, and thediatom species composition and abundance was comparable to situationswhere P. pouchetii was either absent or present in minute amounts.At some instances low diversity co-occurred with large fractionsof P. pouchetii, but since this were at the strongest verticalmixing we believe this to be a result of physical control. P.pouchetii and S. costatum were the most frequently co-occurringspecies, and since they are both known producers of polyunsaturatedaldehydes we cannot exclude the possibility that the presenceof DD released from P. pouchetii induced by heavy grazing mightinfluence the growth of other phytoplankton species.     

SPION primes THP1 derived M2 macrophages towards M1-like macrophages

Potentially, cellular iron regulates functional plasticity in macrophages yet; interaction of functionally polarized macrophages with iron-oxide nanoparticles has never been studied. We found that monocyte differentiation alters cellular ferritin and cathepsin L levels and induces functional polarization in macrophages. Iron in super paramagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticle (SPION) induces a phenotypic shift in THP1 derived M2 macrophages towards a high CD86+ and high TNF α+ macrophage subtype. This phenotypic shift was accompanied by up-regulated intracellular levels of ferritin and cathepsin L in M2 macrophages, which is a characteristic hallmark of M1 macrophages. Atherogenic oxysterols reduce phagocytic activity in macrophage subtypes, and thus these cells may escape detection by iron-oxide nanoparticles (INPs) in-vivo.     

Health benefits of marine foods and ingredients

The health benefits of seafood consumption have primarily been associated with protective effects against cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, intake of seafood has also been associated with improved foetal and infant development, as well as several other diseases and medical conditions. The health promoting effects have chiefly been attributed to the long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). In addition, the general fatty acid profile is considered favourable. On the other hand, recent and emerging research on seafood proteins and other seafood derived components suggest that these nutritional components contribute to the health effects. In this paper we review the nutritional characteristics and health benefits of marine foods and ingredients, and discuss some current and future trends in marine food production.     

Increased taxon sampling provides new insights into the phylogeny and evolution of the subclass Calcaronea (Porifera,Calcarea)

Calcaronean sponges are acknowledged to be taxonomically difficult, and generally, molecular data does not support the current morphology-based classification. In addition, molecular markers that have been successfully employed in other sponge taxa (e.g., COI mtDNA) have proven challenging to amplify due to the characteristics of calcarean mitochondrial genomes. A short fragment of the 28S rRNA gene (C-region) was recently proposed as the most phylogenetically informative marker to be used as a DNA barcode for calcareous sponges. In this study, the C-region and a fragment of the 18S rRNA gene were sequenced for a wide range of calcareous taxa, mainly from the subclass Calcaronea. The resulting dataset includes the most comprehensive taxon sampling of Calcaronea to date, and the inclusion of multiple specimens per species allowed us to evaluate the performance of both markers, as barcoding markers. 18S proved to be highly conserved within Calcaronea and does not have sufficient signal to resolve phylogenetic relationships within the subclass. Although the C-region does not exhibit a “proper” barcoding gap, it provides good phylogenetic resolution for calcaronean sponges. The resulting phylogeny supports previous findings that the current classification of the subclass Calcaronea is highly artificial, and with high levels of homoplasy. Furthermore, the close relationship between the order Baerida and the genus Achramorpha suggest that the order Baerida should be abandoned. Although the C-region currently represents the best available marker for phylogenetic and barcoding studies in Calcaronea, it is necessary to develop additional molecular markers to improve the classification within this subclass.     

Successionary stages of formerly cultivated grassland in northern Norway, abandoned for 10, 20 and 35 years

The effect of abandonment on traditionally cultivated grassland formerly sown with Phleum pratense and Poa pratensis was studied in terms of phytosociology, species composition, soil properties and regrowth of shrubs and trees. The investigation site is a typical fisher-peasant farm in the suboceanic fjord region of northern Norway. All farming activity was terminated in 1983. Percentual species cover, chemical (P-AL, K-AL, KHNO₃, Mg-AL, Ca-AL and pH) and physical (soil type, volume weight a.o.) registrations were carried out in 1993/94 in permanent plots on a chronosequence of 10, 20 and 35 years of abandonment. A TWINSPAN-classification revealed a successional trend in five distinct stages from an open herb-rich meadow community through a Deschampsia cespitosa -dominated community towards heath-formation. According to the Central-European phytosociological system, the youngest meadows belong to the Molinio-Arrhenatheretea class. They have elements suggesting that they may be ranged under the order Alchemillo-Deschampsietalia and the alliance of Equiseto-Galion borealis, while parts of the oldest stage seem to be close to the Corno-Betuletum myrtilletosum subassociation of Vaccinio-Piceetalia. The ecological variation between the age stages was investigated by unconstrained and constrained ordination (CCA, DCCA, partial DCCA, hybrid CCA) and by multiple significance testing (Student-Newman-Keuls test in SAS). There is a significant successional trend towards heath birch woodland and a strong nutrient gradient represented by P-AL and Ca-AL acting together and decreasing with age, while K-AL is increasing.