Altered profile of secondary metabolites in the root exudates of Arabidopsis ATP-binding cassette transporter mutants

Following recent indirect evidence suggesting a role for ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters in root exudation of phytochemicals, we identified 25 ABC transporter genes highly expressed in the root cells most likely to be involved in secretion processes. Of these 25 genes, we also selected six full-length ABC transporters and a half-size transporter for in-depth molecular and biochemical analyses. We compared the exuded root phytochemical profiles of these seven ABC transporter mutants to those of the wild type. There were three nonpolar phytochemicals missing in various ABC transporter mutants compared to the wild type when the samples were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. These data suggest that more than one ABC transporter can be involved in the secretion of a given phytochemical and that a transporter can be involved in the secretion of more than one secondary metabolite. The primary and secondary metabolites present in the root exudates of the mutants were also analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, which allowed for the identification of groups of compounds differentially found in some of the mutants compared to the wild type. For instance, the mutant Atpdr6 secreted a lower level of organic acids and Atmrp2 secreted a higher level of amino acids as compared to the wild type. We conclude that the release of phytochemicals by roots is partially controlled by ABC transporters.     

The Content of Elements in Rainwater and Its Relation to the Frequency of Hospitalization for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in Opole Voivodship, Poland, During 2000–2002

Environmental factors play an essential role in the etiology of diseases of the hematopoietic system. Such factors include soil and water pollution and the presence of metals and toxic compounds in the air. Measuring the content of metallic elements in rainwater has become an accepted procedure for environmental pollution monitoring. In accordance with the above, it was decided to study relations between the content of selected elements in rainwater and hospitalization frequency due to chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL, C91 on ICD-10) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML, C92 on ICD-10). It can be assumed that hospitalization frequency is a reliable indicator of exacerbations of these diseases. The annual average of hospitalizations due to a given disease during the years 2000–2002 was correlated with the annual average content of a given element in rainwater using the Spearman’s correlation indicator to describe the relationship between the element content and the disease that is possibly a consequence of the element’s presence in rainwater. In cases of CLL for all the subjected population and for men, no statistically significant correlations were found. For women, statistically significant correlations were found for chromium (r?=?0.66), lead (r?=?0.58), copper (r?=?0.58), and cadmium (r?=?0.51). For CML in all the studied population significant, negative correlations were found for magnesium (r?=??0.6) and zinc (r?=?-0.52). In men, significant negative correlations were seen for magnesium (r?=??0.69 and zinc (r?=??0.55). No significant correlations were found in women. These results indicate the need of taking into account the environmental and gender factors in research connected with these diseases, which can be probably of help in improvements of therapy efficiency.     

La evaluación de la calidad de vida en personas con demencia

Quality of life (QoL) is one of the most important outcome variables in the study of the efficacy of interventions with people with dementia. However, its assessment is difficult 1) because it is a complex construct for which there is no unified theoretical or conceptual approach, and 2) because of the inherent difficulties in the cognitive impairments of the people under study. In this work different methods and instruments to this end are reviewed, and related findings are discussed. It is important to take into account the subjective view of the assessed person, as assessments done by proxies tend to underestimate QoL. In spite of the need for further development in this field, it is concluded that the instrument of choice is the QOL-AD, as it is change-sensitive, it correlates with health measurements, it is translated into several languages and it can be administered to people with low MMSE scores.     

Cluster root formation and function vary in two species with contrasting geographic ranges

Plant and Soil - Southern South American Proteaceae can occupy soils that are rich in total phosphorus (P) but poor in available P (for example volcanic soils) thanks to their cluster roots (CR),...     

Comparative internal structure of dorsal lips and radiolar appendages in sabellidae (Polychaeta) and phylogenetic implications

Fan worms (Sabellidae) possess paired modified prostomial structures at the base of the radiolar crown, dorso‐lateral to the mouth, called dorsal lips. The dorsal lips are involved in the sorting of particles collected by the radiolar crown. The range of variation in the morphology of dorsal lips is extensive, and probably this is not only due to adaptations to different environments and feeding preferences but also due to phylogenetic constraints. In this study, we describe and compare the morphology of dorsal lips in a range of sabellid taxa based on histological cross‐sections of these structures, and compare our data and terminology with those of previous studies. Dorsal lips are maintained erect in most taxa by a modified radiole fused to them known as dorsal radiolar appendage. We suggest that dorsal radiolar appendages with an internal supporting axis (cellular or acellular) and probably also the ventral lips are synapomorphies of the family. J. Morphol., 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Derivation and characterization of human embryonic stem cell lines from the Chinese population

Human embryonic stem cells(hESCs) can self-renew indefinitely and differentiate into all cell types in the human body.Therefore,they are valuable in regenerative medicine,human developmental biology and drug discovery.A number of hESC lines have been derived from the Chinese population, but limited of them are available for research purposes.Here we report the derivation and characterization of two hESC lines derived from human blastocysts of Chinese origin.These hESCs express alkaline phosphatase and hE...     

The formation of titan cells in Cryptococcus neoformans depends on the mouse strain and correlates with induction of Th2‐type responses

Cryptococcus neoformans is a pathogenic yeast that can form titan cells in the lungs, which are fungal cells of abnormal enlarged size. Little is known about the factors that trigger titan cells. In particular, it is not known how the host environment influences this transition. In this work, we describe the formation of titan cells in two mouse strains, CD1 and C57BL/6J. We found that the proportion of C. neoformans titan cells was significantly higher in C57BL/6J mice than in CD1. This higher proportion of titan cells was associated with a higher dissemination of the yeasts to the brain. Histology sections demonstrated eosinophilia in infected animals, although it was significantly lower in the CD1 mice which presented infiltration of lymphocytes. Both mouse strains presented infiltration of granulocytes, but the amount of eosinophils was higher in C57BL/6J. CD1 mice showed a significant accumulation of IFN‐γ, TNF‐α and IL17, while C57BL/BL mice had an increase in the anti‐inflammatory cytokine IL‐4. IgM antibodies to the polysaccharide capsule and total IgE were more abundant in the sera from C57BL/6J, confirming that these animals present a Th2‐type response. We conclude that titan cell formation in C. neoformans depends, not only on microbe factors, but also on the host environment.