Geographic association and temporal variation of chemical and physical defense and leaf damage in Datura stramonium

The evolution of plant defense traits has traditionally been explained trough the “coevolutionary arms race” between plants and herbivores. According to this, specialist herbivores have evolved to cope effectively with the defensive traits of their host plants and may even use them as a cue for host location. We analyzed the geographic association between leaf trichomes, two tropane alkaloids (putative resistance traits), and leaf damage by herbivores in 28 populations of Datura stramonium in central Mexico. Since the specialist leaf beetles Epitrix parvula and Lema trilineata are the main herbivores of D. stramonium in central Mexico, we predicted a positive association between plant defense and leaf damage across populations. Also, if physical environmental conditions (temperature or precipitation) constrain the expression of plant defense, then the geographic variation in leaf damage should be explained partially by the interaction between defensive traits and environmental factors. Furthermore, we studied the temporal and spatial variation in leaf trichome density and leaf damage in five selected populations of D. stramonium sampled in two periods (1997 vs. 2007). We found a positive association between leaf trichomes density and atropine concentration with leaf damage across populations. The interaction between defensive traits and water availability in each locality had a significant effect on the geographic variation in leaf damage. Differences among populations in leaf trichome density are maintained over time. Our results indicate that local plant–herbivore interaction plays an important role in shaping the geographic and temporal variation in plant defense in D. stramonium.     

Complexes of Starchy Materials with Organic Compounds

The crystal structure of γ-cyclodextrin complexes with several organic compounds have been investigated by X-ray powder method. A two-dimensional tetragonal unit cell having a=b=27.2 Å and a two-dimensional hexagonal unit cell having a=b=32.7 Å, were reasonably proposed for hydrated and anhydrous γ-dextrin complexes, respectively. The change of the crystal structure caused by dehydration seemed to be resulted from the change of the packing arrangement of circular cylinders that are made by coaxial alignment of the dextrin molecules. Results obtained were tentatively applied to consider the 8₁-helical configuration of amylose.     

Purification and Crystallization of d-Arabinose (l-Fucose) Isomerase from Aerobacter aerogenes by Polyethylene Glycol

d-Arabinose(l-fucose) isomerase (d-arabinose ketol-isomerase, EC 5.3.1.3) was purified from the extracts of d-arabinose-grown cells of Aerobacter aerogenes, strain M-7 by the procedure of repeated fractional precipitation with polyethylene glycol 6000 and isolating the crystalline state. The crystalline enzyme was homogeneous in ultracentrifugal analysis and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Sedimentation constant obtained was 15.4s and the molecular weight was estimated as being approximately 2.5 × 10⁵ by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200.

Optimum pH for isomerization of d-arabinose and of l-fucose was identical at pH 9.3, and the Michaelis constants were 51 mm for l-fucose and 160 mm for d-arabinose. Both of these activities decreased at the same rate with thermal inactivation at 45 and 50°C. All four pentitols inhibited two pentose isomerase activities competitively with same Ki values: 1.3–1.5 mm for d-arabitol, 2.2–2.7 mm for ribitol, 2.9–3.2 mm for l-arabitol, and 10–10.5 mm for xylitol. It is confirmed that the single enzyme is responsible for the isomerization of d-arabinose and l-fucose.     

Novel mutations of CDKN1C in Japanese patients with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome

Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) is an imprinting-related human disease that is characterized by macrosomia, macroglossia, abdominal wall defects, and variable minor features. BWS is caused by several genetic/epigenetic alterations, such as loss of methylation at KvDMR1, gain of methylation at H19-DMR, paternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 11, CDKN1C mutations, and structural abnormalities of chromosome 11. CDKN1C is an imprinted gene with maternal preferential expression, encoding for a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor. Mutations in CDKN1C are found in 40 % of familial BWS cases with dominant maternal transmission and in ~5 % of sporadic cases. In this study, we searched for CDKN1C mutations in 37 BWS cases that had no evidence for other alterations. We found five mutations—four novel and one known—from a total of six patients. Four were maternally inherited and one was a de novo mutation. Two frame-shift mutations and one nonsense mutation abolished the QT domain, containing a PCNA-binding domain and a nuclear localization signal. Two missense mutations occurred in the CDK inhibitory domain, diminishing its inhibitory function. The above-mentioned mutations were predicted by in silico analysis to lead to loss of function; therefore, we strongly suspect that such anomalies are causative in the etiology of BWS.     

The effects of membrane filters used in biopharmaceutical processes on the concentration and composition of polysorbate 20

Polysorbate 20 (PS‐20) is often included in the formulation for therapeutic proteins to reduce protein aggregation and surface adsorption. During the production process of therapeutic proteins, various membrane filters are used to filter product pools containing PS‐20. The purpose of this study is to quantify the effects of these membrane filtration processes on the concentration and composition of PS‐20. A quantitative understanding of this process provides the knowledge base for better controlling the consistency of formulation excipients in drug products. PS‐20 solutions (without protein) were filtered through either 0.2 µm sterilizing filters or membrane filters with 30 kDa MWCO. The concentration of PS‐20 was measured by a mixed‐mode chromatography method and a nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) assay. The composition of PS‐20 was characterized by ¹H‐NMR and a reverse‐phase chromatography method. Non‐specific adsorption of PS‐20 on both the sterilizing filter and 30 kDa MWCO membrane filter was quantified. Composition of PS‐20 was altered after 30 kDa MWCO membrane filtration, possibly because the different interactions between heterogeneous PS‐20 components and the 30 kDa MWCO membrane were not uniform. As a result, the retentate after the 30 kDa MWCO membrane filtration step contains no POE sorbitan and increased amount of POE sorbitan di‐esters and tri‐esters. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 29:1503–1511, 2013     

Environmental perturbations influence telomere dynamics in long-lived birds in their natural habitat

Telomeres are regarded as markers of biological or cellular ageing because they shorten with the degree of stress exposure. Accordingly, telomere lengths should show different rates of change when animals are faced with different intensities of environmental challenges. However, a relationship between telomere length and the environment has not yet been tested within a natural setting. Here, we report longitudinal telomere dynamics in free-living, black-tailed gulls (Larus crassirostris) through the recapture of birds of a known age over 2–5 consecutive years. The rate of change in telomere lengths differed with respect to year but not sex or age. The years when gulls showed stable telomere lengths or increases in telomere lengths (from 2009 to 2010) and decreases in telomere lengths (from 2010 to 2011) were characterized by El Niño and the Great Japan Earthquake, respectively. Both events are suspected to have had long-lasting effects on food availability and/or weather conditions. Thus, our findings that telomere dynamics in long-lived birds are influenced by dramatic changes in environmental conditions highlight the importance of environmental fluctuations in affecting stress and lifespan.     

Effects of different planting methods on the early establishment of two introduced tree species in the Mu Us Sandy Land of China

We investigated the effects of planting density and relative ground height (distance from the water table) on the early establishment of two introduced tree species [Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) and white poplar (Populus alba var. pyramidalis)] in the Mu Us Sandy Land of China; we used GLMM to analyze experimental effects. In total, 14 afforestation plots (seven plots per species) with variable relative ground heights were established on a shifting sand dune. Trees were planted at intervals of 3, 5, and 7 m, and the distances between neighboring trees were fixed within plots. Planting intervals and numbers of neighboring trees were treated as measures of planting density, and relative ground height was treated as an indicator of water supply stability. For both species, tree survival rates decreased with increasing planting interval; the number of neighboring trees had a positive effect on survival. The effect of relative ground height differed between species. Pine tree survival rates decreased with increased relative ground height, while the survival rates of poplar trees were unaffected. We recommend that pine trees be planted at high density on lower sectors of sand dunes to prevent wind erosion in early spring. Poplar trees should be planted at high density without reference to relative ground height for the provision of fuelwood.     

Effects of sand burial depth on the root system of Salix cheilophila seedlings in Mu Us Sandy Land, Inner Mongolia, China

Salix cheilophila Schneid. is a naturally occurring Salix species in Mu Us Sandy Land, Inner Mongolia, China. We focused on the morphological adaptability of S. cheilophila to sand dune burial. For morphological measurements, 32 S. cheilophila seedlings were removed from a community which was in the process of being buried by a shifting sand dune. Each seedling collected included the entire root system. We measured the number, length, and biomass of the adventitious roots, primary lateral roots, and taproot, and compared the morphological characteristics of the root system, including adventitious roots, for seedlings buried to various levels in the sand. The growth range of adventitious roots increased as the length of the buried portion of the main shoot increased. In addition, the total dry weight of all current-year shoots tended to increase gradually with increasing total dry weight of the adventitious roots. These results suggest that S. cheilophila tends to make use of the sedimentary sand layer that accompanies shifting sand dunes. However, there was no correlation between biomass or number of adventitious roots and the length of the buried part of the main shoot. Thus, S. cheilophila does not grow adventitious roots proportional to the buried part. These morphological characteristics of the root system, including the adventitious roots, may indicate that S. cheilophila has poor morphological adaptability to sand dune burial.