A functional analysis of the crown architecture of tropical forest<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Psychotria</Emphasis> species: do species vary in light capture efficiency and consequently in carbon gain and growth?

The crown architectures of 11 Psychotria species native to Barro Colorado Island, Panama were reconstructed from field measurements of leaf and branch geometry with the three-dimensional simulation model Y-plant. The objective was to assess the role of species differences in architecture in light capture and carbon gain in their natural understory environment. When species were grouped according to their putative light environment preference, the shade tolerant species were found to have a small but significantly higher efficiency of light capture for both diffuse and direct light as compared to the light demanding species. Within each grouping, however, there were few significant differences in light capture efficiency among species. The lower efficiencies of light demanding species was due to slightly higher self-shading and slightly lower angular efficiencies. Simulations of whole plant assimilation showed that light demanding species had greater daily assimilation in both direct and diffuse light due to the significantly greater light availability in the sites where light demanding species were found, as compared to those where shade tolerant species occurred. Among light demanding species, the above ground relative growth rate measured over a 1-year period by applying allometric equations for mass versus linear dimensions, was positively correlated with diffuse PFD and with mean daily assimilation estimated from Y-plant. For the shade tolerant plants, there was no significant correlation between RGR and mean daily assimilation or with any measure of light availability, probably because they occurred over a much narrower range of light environments. Overall, the results reveal a strong convergence in light capture efficiencies among the Psychotria species at lower values than previously observed in understory plants using similar approaches. Constraints imposed by other crown functions such as hydraulics and biomechanical support may place upper limits on light capture efficiency.Abbreviations E_a Efficiency of light absorption (dimensionless) - E_adir Efficiency of direct light absorption (dimensionless) - E_adif Efficiency of diffuse light absorption (dimensionless) - D_E Display efficiency (dimensionless) - P_E Projection efficiency (dimensionless) - CosI Mean cosine of incidence (dimensionless) - aLAR_e Effective leaf area ratio (m² g^–1) - A_tot Daily assimilation (mmol m^–2 day^–1) - A_dir Daily assimilation in direct PFD (mmol m^–2 day^–1) - A_dif Daily assimilation in diffuse PFD (mmol m^–2 day^–1)     

Pteridine–sulfonamide conjugates as dual inhibitors of carbonic anhydrases and dihydrofolate reductase with potential antitumor activity

Recent evidences suggest that cancer treatment based on combination of cytostatic and conventional chemostatic therapeutics, which are usually cytotoxic, can provide an improved curative option. On the sequence of our previous work on methotrexate (MTX) derivatives, we have developed and evaluated novel MTX analogues, containing a pteridine moiety conjugated with benzenesulfonamide derivatives, thus endowed with the potential capacity for dual inhibition of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and carbonic anhydrases (CA). These enzymes are often overexpressed in tumors and are involved in two unrelated cellular pathways, important for tumor survival and progression. Their simultaneous inhibition may turn beneficial in terms of enhanced antitumor activity.Herein we report the design and synthesis of several diaminopteridine–benzenesulfonamide and -benzenesulfonate conjugates, differing in the nature and size of the spacer group between the two key moieties. The inhibition studies performed on a set of CAs and DHFR, revealed the activities in the low nanomolar and low micromolar ranges of concentration, respectively. Some inhibitors showed selectivity for the tumor-related CA (isozyme IX). Cell proliferation assays using two tumor cell lines (the non-small cell lung carcinoma, A549, and prostate carcinoma, PC-3) showed activities only in the millimolar range. Nevertheless, this fact points out the need of improving the cell intake properties of these new compounds, since the general inhibitory profiles revealed their potential as anticancer agents.     

Phase behaviour of oleanolic acid,pure and mixed with stearic acid: Interactions and crystallinity

The phase behaviour of pure oleanolic acid (OLA) and in mixtures with stearic acid (SA) was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The crystalline OLA as received (OLA_ar) becomes amorphous after being dissolved in chloroform and vacuum-dried at 50 °C (OLA₅₀). Upon heating, both forms transform to the needle shape crystalline form (OLA₂₂₀). Dimerization through H-bonding between COOH groups was detected both in OLA_ar and OLA₂₂₀. Dimers are stronger in OLA₂₂₀, where H-bonding also involves the alcohol groups and plays a role in the crystalline organization. A eutectic type phase diagram was established for mixtures, with the eutectic composition close to pure SA. Mixtures rich in SA are miscible in the liquid and in the amorphous solid states, where the presence of SA–OLA co-dimers, formed through H-bonding between carboxyl groups, was detected. Miscibility and SA crystallinity decrease drastically with the OLA content.     

Synergy between transcription and mRNA processing events

Processing of eukaryotic pre-mRNAs is an important step for the translation of proteins. These processing events include the addition of a cap structure at the 5' terminus of the pre-mRNA, the splicing out of introns and the acquisition of a polyadenosine tail at the 3' terminus of the pre-mRNA. It has now become apparent that the RNA processing events can significantly influence each other. RNA polymerase II appears as a key player in these processes, cooperating with numerous processing factors that are involved in capping, splicing, and polyadenylation. More specifically, the carboxyterminal domain of the large subunit of the enzyme plays a critical role in coordination of the processing events. The number of interactions between the various RNA processing events identified so far reflects the complexity of these reactions. As more studies focus on these interactions, additional links and cellular partners will undoubtedly be discovered.     

Degradation of Microcystin-RR by Sphingomonas sp. CBA4 isolated from San Roque reservoir (Córdoba – Argentina)

We report the aerobic biodegradation of Microcystin-RR (MC-RR) by a bacterial strain isolated from San Roque reservoir (Córdoba – Argentina). This bacterium was identified as Sphingomonas sp. (CBA4) on the basis of 16S rDNA sequencing. The isolated strain was capable of degrading completely MC-RR (200 μg l⁻¹) within 36 h. We have found evidence that MC-RR biodegradation pathway by this Sphingomonas sp. strain would start by demethylating MC-RR, affording an intermediate product, which is finally biodegraded by this strain within 72 h. Our results confirm that certain environmental bacteria, living in the same habitat as toxic cyanobacteria, have the capability to perform complete biodegradation of MC, leading to natural bioremediation of waterbodies. The bacterium reported here presents genetic homologies with other strains that degrade MC-LR. However, initial demethylation of MC-RR has been not described previously, raising questions on the probable presence of different biodegradation pathways for different MC variants.     

Lagochilascaris minor third-stage larvae secrete metalloproteases with specificity for fibrinogen and native collagen

Dissemination of parasitic infections depends on migration through tissues and evasion from both hemostatic processes and immune responses from hosts. Metalloproteases play major roles in these mechanisms of pathogen-host interactions and, thus, are considered drug targets. In this study, we characterized metalloprotease activities in excretory/secretory (ES) products from third stage larvae (L3) of the ascarid Lagochilascaris minor, the causative agent of lagochilascariosis, which demonstrates an impressive migrating capacity across host tissues, including bone. Gel enzymography showed that ES products of L3 display two major gelatinolytic activities. Optimal proteolytic activity was found to occur at neutral/alkaline pH and was associated with two L. minor-secreted metalloproteases of 59 (SM59(Lm)) and 114kDa (SM114(Lm)). We next showed that ES products of L3 were able to hydrolyze fibrinogen and collagen I at neutral pH, but not BSA, in an extensive manner. Furthermore, we demonstrated that ES products of L3 mediate hydrolysis of the triple helical structure of collagen I fibers in mouse mesentery. These results suggest that ES proteases of L3 might facilitate both L. minor migration through host tissues by hydrolyzing collagens of the extracellular matrix and evasion from host hemostatic mechanisms by degrading fibrinogen.     

F-box proteins everywhere

The ubiquitin proteasome system is a key regulator of many biological processes in all eukaryotes. This mechanism employs several types of enzymes, the most important of which are the ubiquitin E3 ligases that catalyse the attachment of polyubiquitin chains to target proteins for their subsequent degradation by the 26S proteasome. Among the E3 families, the SCF is the best understood; it consists of a multi-protein complex in which the F-box protein plays a crucial role by recruiting the target substrate. Strikingly, nearly 700 F-box proteins have been predicted in Arabidopsis, suggesting that plants have the capacity to assemble a multitude of SCF complexes, possibly controlling the stability of hundreds of substrates involved in a plethora of biological processes. Interestingly, viruses and even pathogenic bacteria have also found ways to hijack the plant SCF and to reprogram it for their own purposes.