Dynamics of seasonal plant growth in halophytic meadows taking into account the temperature factor and soil salinity level

A mathematical model has been constructed to describe the growth dynamics of various plant communities of halophytic meadows depending on the temperature factor and degree of soil salinity. Field investigation of the yields of halophytic meadow plant communities were performed in the coastal area of Kurinka Lake in the Altaiskii district of the Republic of Khakasia in 2004 and 2006. The results of field investigations and model studies show that there is a correlation between plant growth and air temperature for plant communities growing on soils with the lowest and medium salinity levels. It was proven in model studies that for the plant communities that grow on highly saline (3.58%) soils, not only air temperature but also the salinity level of the soil should be taken into account.     

Flexible Quantitative Risk Assessment for Developmental Toxicity Based on Fractional Polynomial Predictors

Risk assessment for developmental toxicity studies in rodents is faced with the fairly involved data structure of clustered multivariate binary outcomes. While likelihood methods for this setting do not abound, we show that a conditional model, combined with pseudo‐likelihood inference and fractional polynomial predictor functions, as proposed by Royston and Altman (1994), are a promising way forward. The methods are illustrated using teratology data collected under the National Toxicology Program.     

The arsenolysis reaction in the biotechnological synthesis of ribavirin. The in vitro and in vivo inhibition of influenza A virus replication with a combination of ribavirin and ozeltamivir

The biotechnological method of synthesis of the antiviral drug ribavirin based on the transglycosylation reaction was improved due to the addition of catalytic amounts of sodium arsenate. This approach allows us to hydrolyze the excess natural nucleoside guanosine, a ribose donor, and, hence, made the composition of the reaction mixture less complicated, thus facilitating the process of ribavirin isolation. It was shown that in cell cultures the combination of ribavirin and oseltamivir carboxylate inhibited the replication of the influenza A virus more effectively than each of them alone. Similar results were obtained in experiments on laboratory animals (mouse Balb/c) infected with the influenza A virus H3N2/Aichi/68 strain.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ochrobactrum</Emphasis> sp. MPV1 from a dump of roasted pyrites can be exploited as bacterial catalyst for the biogenesis of selenium and tellurium nanoparticles

Background

Bacteria have developed different mechanisms for the transformation of metalloid oxyanions to non-toxic chemical forms. A number of bacterial isolates so far obtained in axenic culture has shown the ability to bioreduce selenite and tellurite to the elemental state in different conditions along with the formation of nanoparticles—both inside and outside the cells—characterized by a variety of morphological features. This reductive process can be considered of major importance for two reasons: firstly, toxic and soluble (i.e. bioavailable) compounds such as selenite and tellurite are converted to a less toxic chemical forms (i.e. zero valent state); secondly, chalcogen nanoparticles have attracted great interest due to their photoelectric and semiconducting properties. In addition, their exploitation as antimicrobial agents is currently becoming an area of intensive research in medical sciences.

Results

In the present study, the bacterial strain Ochrobactrum sp. MPV1, isolated from a dump of roasted arsenopyrites as residues of a formerly sulfuric acid production near Scarlino (Tuscany, Italy) was analyzed for its capability of efficaciously bioreducing the chalcogen oxyanions selenite (SeO₃ ^2?) and tellurite (TeO₃ ^2?) to their respective elemental forms (Se⁰ and Te⁰) in aerobic conditions, with generation of Se- and Te-nanoparticles (Se- and TeNPs). The isolate could bioconvert 2 mM SeO₃ ^2? and 0.5 mM TeO₃ ^2? to the corresponding Se⁰ and Te⁰ in 48 and 120 h, respectively. The intracellular accumulation of nanomaterials was demonstrated through electron microscopy. Moreover, several analyses were performed to shed light on the mechanisms involved in SeO₃ ^2? and TeO₃ ^2? bioreduction to their elemental states. Results obtained suggested that these oxyanions are bioconverted through two different mechanisms in Ochrobactrum sp. MPV1. Glutathione (GSH) seemed to play a key role in SeO₃ ^2? bioreduction, while TeO₃ ^2? bioconversion could be ascribed to the catalytic activity of intracellular NADH-dependent oxidoreductases. The organic coating surrounding biogenic Se- and TeNPs was also characterized through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. This analysis revealed interesting differences among the NPs produced by Ochrobactrum sp. MPV1 and suggested a possible different role of phospholipids and proteins in both biosynthesis and stabilization of such chalcogen-NPs.

Conclusions

In conclusion, Ochrobactrum sp. MPV1 has demonstrated to be an ideal candidate for the bioconversion of toxic oxyanions such as selenite and tellurite to their respective elemental forms, producing intracellular Se- and TeNPs possibly exploitable in biomedical and industrial applications.

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Analysis of oxidative stress-induced protein carbonylation using fluorescent hydrazides

Protein carbonyl detection has been commonly used to analyze the degree of damage to proteins under oxidative stress conditions. Most laboratories rely on derivatization of carbonyl groups with dinitrophenylhydrazine followed by Western blot analysis using antibodies against the dinitrophenyl moiety. This paper describes a protein carbonyl detection method based on fluorescent Bodipy, Cy3 and Cy5 hydrazides. Using this approach, Western blot and immunodetection are no longer needed, shortening the procedure and increasing accuracy. Combination of Cy3 and Cy5 hydrazides allows multiplexing analyses in a single two-dimensional gel. Derivatization with Bodipy hydrazide allows easy matching of the spots of interest and those obtained by general fluorescent protein staining methods, which facilitates excising target proteins from the gels and identifying them. This method is effective for detecting protein carbonylation in samples of proteins submitted to metal-catalyzed oxidation "in vitro" and assessing the effect of hydrogen peroxide and chronological aging on protein oxidative damage in yeast cells.     

Substitution of ether linkage for ester bond in phospholipids increases permeability of bilayer lipid membrane for SkQ1-type penetrating cations

Using dialkylphospholipid (diphytanyl phosphatidylcholine) instead of the conventional diacylphospholipid (diphytanoyl phosphatidylcholine) in planar lipid bilayer membranes (BLM) led to an increase in the diffusion potential of the penetrating cation plastoquinonyl-decyl-triphenylphosphonium (SkQ1), making it close to the Nernst value, and accelerated translocation of SkQ1 across the BLM as monitored by the kinetics of a decrease in the transmembrane electric current after applying a voltage (current relaxation). The consequences of changing from an ester to an ether linkage between the head groups and the hydrocarbon chains are associated with a substantial reduction in the membrane dipole potential known to originate from dipoles of tightly bound water molecules and carbonyl groups in ester bonds. The difference in the dipole potential between BLM formed of the ester phospholipid and that of the ether phospholipid was estimated to be 100 mV. In the latter case, suppression of SkQ1-mediated proton conductivity of the BLM was also observed.     

Below-ground ectomycorrhizal communities: the effect of small scale spatial and short term temporal variation

Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) associations are an important form of symbiosis for the majority of tree species. In forest ecosystems where nutrients are often limited, ECM associations are vital for seedling establishment and tree survival. ECM communities are often very species rich and frequently follow the log normal distribution??with a few species being abundant and many species being rare. Much of the current knowledge of ECM communities has been revealed through a combination of above-ground sporocarp and below-ground root tip analyses. However, above-ground surveys of ECM communities reveal largely different findings regarding ECM diversity and community structure to below-ground surveys. Therefore below-ground surveys are vital to our understanding of ECM biology, ecology and community dynamics. In this article I review the recent findings regarding how ECM communities vary both spatially and temporally in forests. Spatial variation occurs at the centimetre scale both horizontally and vertically in forests, and can be explained by the separation of the ECM community into distinct niches. Temporal variation occurs over relatively short time scales, with ECM communities showing large changes even on a monthly basis. I then apply the niche concept to ECM fungi, and review a recent theory, ECM functional morphology, and examine how this may be used to explain a significant amount of spatial and temporal variation in forest ECM communities. The functional morphology theory is particularly useful in explaining patterns of ECM community variation across the distinct successional stages of the forest cycle. However, the effect of other abiotic and biological variables on ECM communities should not be ignored. Finally, as ECM communities are non-randomly distributed and vary widely in species richness over time, I lay out a sampling strategy to provide representative samples of the actual ECM community in the study area. Using (i) an extensive sampling methodology, (ii) separation of samples at distances greater than levels of spatial autocorrelation, and (iii) samples collected throughout the year, over a number of years, an ample picture of the ECM community in temperate forests can be collected.