Proteome reference maps of Medicago truncatula embryogenic cell cultures generated from single protoplasts

Using a combination of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) protein mapping and mass spectrometry (MS) analysis, we have established proteome reference maps of Medicago truncatula embryogenic tissue culture cells. The cultures were generated from single protoplasts, which provided a relatively homogeneous cell population. We used these to analyze protein expression at the globular stages of somatic embryogenesis, which is the earliest morphogenetic embryonic stage. Over 3000 proteins could reproducibly be resolved over a pI range of 4-11. Three hundred and twelve protein spots were extracted from colloidal Coomassie Blue-stained 2-DE gels and analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight MS analysis and tandem MS sequencing. This enabled the identification of 169 protein spots representing 128 unique gene products using a publicly available expressed sequence tag database and the MASCOT search engine. These reference maps will be valuable for the investigation of the molecular events which occur during somatic embryogenesis in M. truncatula. The proteome reference maps and supplementary materials will be available and updated for public access at http://semele.anu.edu.au/.     

Inhibition of repair of O6-methyldeoxyguanosine and enhanced mutagenesis in rat-liver epithelial cells

The pro-mutagenicity of chemically-induced methylation of DNA at the O⁶ position of dexoyguanosine was studied in cultured adult rat liver epithelial cells. To modify the level of O⁶-methyldeoxyguanosine (O⁶-medGuo) resulting from exposure to an alkylating agent, partial depletion of the O⁶-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) repair system was produced by pretreatment of ARL 18 cells with a non-toxic dose of exogenous O⁶-methylguanine (O⁶-meG). Exposure of cells to 0.6 mM O⁶-meG for 4 h depleted AGT activity by about 40%. Intact and pretreated cells were exposed to a range of doses of N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), and mutagenesis at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT) locus was quantified by measurement of 6-thioguanine-resistant mutants. The mutagenicity of MNNG was dose dependent and was greater in O⁶-meG pretreated cultures than in intact cultures. Immunoslot blot measurement of O⁶-medGuo employing a mouse monoclonal antibody demonstrated that MNNG produced O[su6-medGuo and that the intact liver cells were efficient in eliminating this lesion from their DNA. Since depletion of AGT would be expected to affect the rate of elimination of only O⁶-medGuo, it is concluded that this lesion is highly pro-mutagenic.     

Moso bamboo and Japanese cedar seedlings differently affected soil N2O emissions

毛竹和日本柳杉幼苗对土壤氧化亚氮排放的影响及微生物机制 毛竹(Phyllostachys edulis)向日本柳杉(Cryptomeria japonica)林的扩张现象越发普遍,其扩张对大 气重要温室气体氧化亚氮(N₂O)排放的影响也引起了更多的关注,而其微生物机制尚不明确。本研究通过添加微生物抑制剂链霉素和扑海因分别抑制细菌和真菌活性,连续观测土壤N₂O排放速率以及相关土壤养分和植物生物量。研究结果表明：(i)毛竹土壤N₂O的排放速率显著高于日本柳杉;与对照相比,细菌抑制剂、真菌抑制剂及其交互作用均对N₂O排放速率具有显著抑制效应,但三者之间无显著差异;(ii)毛竹生物量显著高于日本柳杉;(iii)日本柳杉土壤有机质、全氮和铵态氮显著高于毛竹土壤,日本柳杉土壤pH和全磷显著低于毛竹土壤。真菌抑制剂降低了土壤有机质含量,细菌抑制剂降低了土壤硝态氮含量。真菌抑制剂与物种在影响土壤pH、全磷和铵态氮方面具有显著交互作用。细菌抑制剂与物种在影响土壤全氮方面有显著交互作用。综上所述,毛竹和日本柳杉在生长过程中土壤N₂O排放速率不同,毛竹幼苗土壤N₂O排放及生物量均高于日本柳杉。细菌抑制剂和真菌抑制剂对N₂O的排放速率均具有一定抑制作用。因而,在全球气候变化背景下,应进一步深入了解森林生态系统物种组成和变化对N₂O排放的影响,以有效评估毛竹扩张等导致的生物多样性变化对全球N₂O排放的贡献。     

Three new species of rust fungi from Pakistan

During a study of the rust fungi of the northwestern region of Pakistan, three species were collected that are new to science: Puccinia dichanthii on Dichanthium annulatum, P. leersiae on Leersia oryzoides, and P. sporoboli-coromandeliani on Sporobolus coromandelianus. These have been collected from and near the vicinity of Ayubia National Park, Bara Gali, Khanspur and Nathia Gali.     

The application of an life cycle inventory (LCI) model for solid waste disposal systems in malaysia

This paper discusses the application of an LCt model for solid waste management systems in Malaysia. The model was used to analyze the environmental and economic impacts of municipal waste management systems in Malaysia. In the first part of the study, the LCI model was adapted to analyze waste management systems of four selected cities: Kuala Lumpur and Penang to represent urban areas; Seremban to represent moderately urban areas and Muar to represent rural areas. The results have shown that Kuala Lumpur and Penang had greater Global Warming Potential (GWP) and the costs spent on the solid waste management were also higher as compared to that in suburban areas. In the second part of the study, a detailed evaluation was carried out by analyzing the implication of introducing incineration and composting into the solid waste management system, and the results were compared with the current system, i.e. 100 % landfilled. The relative GWP was lower for incineration, but the cost was extremely high. The results also showed that the final solid waste to be disposed to landfills and the impact due to water emissions could be reduced significantly when incineration and composting were introduced.     

Hydromagnetic Flow and Heat Transfer over a Porous Oscillating Stretching Surface in a Viscoelastic Fluid with Porous Medium

An analysis is carried out to study the heat transfer in unsteady two-dimensional boundary layer flow of a magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) second grade fluid over a porous oscillating stretching surface embedded in porous medium. The flow is induced due to infinite elastic sheet which is stretched periodically. With the help of dimensionless variables, the governing flow equations are reduced to a system of non-linear partial differential equations. This system has been solved numerically using the finite difference scheme, in which a coordinate transformation is used to transform the semi-infinite physical space to a bounded computational domain. The influence of the involved parameters on the flow, the temperature distribution, the skin-friction coefficient and the local Nusselt number is shown and discussed in detail. The study reveals that an oscillatory sheet embedded in a fluid-saturated porous medium generates oscillatory motion in the fluid. The amplitude and phase of oscillations depends on the rheology of the fluid as well as on the other parameters coming through imposed boundary conditions, inclusion of body force term and permeability of the porous medium. It is found that amplitude of flow velocity increases with increasing viscoelastic and mass suction/injection parameters. However, it decreases with increasing the strength of the applied magnetic field. Moreover, the temperature of fluid is a decreasing function of viscoelastic parameter, mass suction/injection parameter and Prandtl number.