Copper removal from aqueous solution using Aspergillus niger mycelia in free and polyurethane-bound form

This study assesses the ability of mycelia of Aspergillus niger B-77 (both free and immobilized on polyurethane foam) to remove copper from single-ion solution. All experiments were conducted using 0.5 mM solutions of CuSO4.5H2O. Mycelia immobilized on polyurethane foam cells showed a three-fold increase in uptake, compared with that of free cells. The efficiency of copper removal (mg Cu2+ removed/mg Cu2+ added) in a column system reached more than 99% before the break-through point was attained.     

Release of rosmarinic acid by Lavandula vera MM cell suspension in two-phase culture systems

Studies were conducted on the cultivation of Lavandula vera MM cell suspensions in different culture systems for the release of extracellular rosmarinic acid (RA). It was established that during cultivation with Amberlite XAD-4 as a second phase, 6.4% of the total content of RA was adsorbed. When L. vera MM cell suspension was cultivated in an aqueous two-phase system formed by adding 4% polyethylene glycol (MW 20,000) and 7.5% dextran (MW 70,000), 11.8% of the total RA content was released into the top polyethylene glycol phase.     

The influence of phenylalanine on accumulation of rosmarinic and caffeic acids by Lavandula vera MM cell culture

Lavandula vera MM cell suspension culture was grown in Linsmayer-Skoog medium with different concentrations of phenylalanine. Adding phenylalanine to the medium (0.1–0.5 g/l) enhanced accumulation of caffeic acid in parallel with rosmarinic acid. When 0.3 g phenylalanine/l was added, the yield of rosmarinic and caffeic acids reached 87 mg/l and 60 mg/l respectively, compared with 68 mg/l and 4 mg/l in controls (without phenylalanine).     

First Philippine record of the parasitoid,Comperiella sp. (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae): a potential biocontrol agent against Aspidiotus rigidus (Hemiptera: Diaspididae)

The encyrtid genus Comperiella Howard has so far not been reported in the Philippines, where there is currently an outbreak of the coconut scale insect Aspidiotus rigidus Reyne particularly in the southern parts of the island of Luzon and in some areas in Mindanao. Among Comperiella species, only C. unifasciata Ishii has been reported as a parasitoid of A. rigidus. We report not only new sightings of this parasitoid genus in the Philippines from surveys conducted in parts of the provinces of Laguna and Batangas, but also the discovery of a possibly new species that, like C. unifasciata, has been found to parasitize A. rigidus at a high rate. These findings have presented a potential of biological control against the coconut scale insect problem that has threatened the coconut industry in the country.     

Elicitation of rosmarinic acid by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lavandula vera</Emphasis> MM cell suspension culture with abiotic elicitors

The growth of Lavandula vera MM plant cell suspension culture and rosmarinic acid biosynthesis under elicitation with benzothiadiazole and methyl jasmonate were investigated. Upon elicitation with 50 μM methyl jasmonate, the production of rosmarinic acid was enhanced 2.4-fold (3348 mg/l) compared to the non-elicited cells. The influence of benzothiadiazole on rosmarinic acid biosynthesis was weaker and 12 h after its addition the achieved yields were 20–30% higher compared to the control variant at this time. The influence of both elicitors on rosmarinic acid secretion into the culture medium was also discussed.     

Melatonin effects on glucocorticoid receptors in rat brain and pituitary: significance in adrenocortical regulation

1. The effects of chronic melatonin treatment on glucocorticoid binding sites in hippocampus, hypothalamus and pituitary were investigated in rats, subjected to long-term manipulation of circulating corticosterone concentrations. 2. Melatonin treatment decreased the affinity of glucocorticoid receptors. 3. The effect of melatonin was apparent in the presence of normal or enhanced systemic corticosterone levels, but not in long-term adrenalectomized animals.     

Two new species of Haemoproteus Kruse, 1890 (Haemosporida,Haemoproteidae) from European birds,with emphasis on DNA barcoding for detection of haemosporidians in wildlife

Two new species of Haemoproteus Kruse, 1890 (Haemosporida, Haemoproteidae) are described: Haemoproteus (Parahaemoproteus) homovelans n. sp. from Grey-faced Woodpecker, Picus canus Gmelin, and Haemoproteus (Parahaemoproteus) concavocentralis n. sp. recorded in Hawfinch, Coccothraustes coccothraustes (Linnaeus), both sampled in Bulgaria. The morphology of the gametocytes and their host-cells are described and mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b) gene sequences are generated. Haemoproteus homovelans possesses circumnuclear gametocytes lacking volutin granules. This parasite is particularly similar to Haemoproteus velans Coatney & Roudabush, 1937 also possessing circumnuclear gametocytes that are, however, overfilled with volutin. Haemoproteus concavocentralis can be readily distinguished from all described avian haemoproteids due to the presence of an unfilled concave space between the central part of advanced gametocytes and erythrocyte nucleus. Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of 40 haemosporidian cyt b lineages showed close relationships of H. concavocentralis (hHAWF2) with a group of Haemoproteus spp. possessing gametocytes that are pale-stained with Giemsa. The lineage hPICAN02 of H. homovelans clustered with parasites infecting non-passerine birds. Phylogenetic analyses support the current subgeneric classification of the avian haemoproteids and suggest that cyt b lineage hPIPUB01 (GenBank EU254552) has been incorrectly assigned to Haemoproteus picae Coatney & Roudabush, 1937, a common parasite of corvid birds (Passeriformes). This study emphasises the importance of combining molecular techniques and light microscopy in the identification and field studies of avian haemosporidian parasites. Future development of barcodes for molecular identification of haemoproteids will allow better diagnostics of these infections, particularly in veterinary studies addressing insufficiently investigated tissue pathology caused by these parasites.     

Radical quenching by rosmarinic acid from Lavandula vera MM cell culture

This study was conducted to evaluate the radical scavenging capacities of extracts and preparations from a Lavandula vera MM plant cell culture with different rosmarinic acid content and to compare them with pure rosmarinic and caffeic acids as well. The methods, which were used are superoxide anion and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt radicals scavenging assays. Results showed that extracts and preparations from Lavandula vera MM possess strong radical scavengers, as the best both radical scavengers appeared to be the fractions with enriched rosmarinic acid content, obtained after ethylacetate fractioning (47.7% inhibition of superoxide radicals and 14.2 microM 6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid equivalents, respectively). These data reveal the possibilities for application of these preparations as antioxidants.     

Binding of human BiP to the ER stress transducers IRE1 and PERK requires ATP

ER stress is activated in a number of important diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and neurodegeneration, but the molecular interactions governing the response are still being elucidated. In the absence of stress, protein complexes exist between the ER-resident chaperone BiP and three transmembrane signalling molecules which are responsible for signal transmission. Previous results suggested that cofactors might participate in these interactions, but the molecular details are not well understood. We coexpressed BiP and the lumenal domains of each of the three ER stress transducers and copurified the complexes in the presence of ATP and ADP in order to better understand how the complex is formed. ATP, but not ADP, was required to isolate the BiP-IRE1 and the BiP-PERK complexes, but the BiP-ATF6 complex was purified in all conditions tested. Based on the results, we hypothesize that in contrast to its mode of binding ATF6 and unfolded proteins, BiP binds to IRE1 and PERK in a different manner.