Pollen morphology and evolution in the genus Orobanche L. s.l. and its allied genera (Orobancheae/Orobanchaceae) in Turkey

The pollen morphology of 120 samples of the tribe Orobancheae, representing four genera and 40 species of Cistanche, Diphelypaea, Orobanche and Phelipanche native to Turkey, has been studied by light and scanning electron microscopy. Pollen of the tribe Orobancheae is typically isopolar, radially asymmetrical, oblate spheroidal or prolate and belongs to one of the following basic pollen types: inaperturate, tricolpate and syncolpate. Also, pollen heteromorphism is widespread among pest species of Orobanche and Phelipanche. Pollen characters display considerable variation among genera and species, but some characters are significant at the levels of genera and sections. The results of the SEM study show that there are various exine ornamentation types in these genera. The obtained results support the division of the traditionally circumscribed genus Orobanche sensu lato into two genera, Phelipanche and Orobanche. The pollen morphological features are discussed on the basis of molecular phylogeny of the taxa.     

More white verticillium-like anamorphs with erect conidiophores

This study focuses on the former Verticillium section Albo-erecta that included white or whitish species with verticillium-like, erect conidiophores. Its type species was Verticillium fungicola, which was transferred to Lecanicillium, a genus that otherwise contains species with prostrate conidiophores. Phylogenetic analysis of ITS, 18S and 28S rDNA sequences revealed that this group is heterogeneous and its members belong to at least three families. The present study is a first step to its resolution. Supported by analyses of 68 sequences of ITS, 23 sequences of 18S and 43 sequences of 28S ribosomal DNA, the species are distributed over three families. In the Cordycipitaceae, Leptobacillium gen. nov. is described with L. leptobactrum comb. nov. and its new variety, calidius. In the Hypocreaceae, Hypomyces is treated with one new combination from former Nectriopsis, H. tubariicola, and two new anamorphic species, H. ellipsosporus and H. subglobosus; in Sphaerostilbella, one new anamorphic species, S. parabroomeana, is described. In the Bionectriaceae, anamorphic isolates of Nectriopsis requiring a new combination, N. lindauiana, and a new species, N. fuliginicola, are described. Parsimony analysis of the LSU suggests that Ovicillium gen. nov. with four new species, O. attenuatum, O. oosporum, O. subglobosum and O. napiforme, is a member of the Bionectriaceae by 93 % bootstrap support. Of uncertain family classification are Chlamydocillium gen. nov. with one new soil-borne species, C. cyanophilum, and Chlorocillium gen. nov. based on Acremonium griseum Petch. A few further white verticillium-like anamorphs, particularly V. biguttatum, could not yet be reclassified.     

Effects of PM2.5 and NO2 on the 8-isoprostane and lung function indices of FVC and FEV1 in students of Ahvaz city,Iran

The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between PM_2.5 and NO₂ pollutants and oxidative stress marker (8-isoprostane) and lung function tests (FVC and FEV₁) in healthy children who were living and studying in three different areas of Ahvaz city including A₁: Naderi site with high traffic, A₂: Alavi Alley site with average traffic, and A₃: Ein 2 site with low traffic (a rural area on the suburb of Ahvaz). 30 students in the 12–13 year-old range were selected from each studied zone (1, 2 and 3 sites) during three months of year. Of each student, one sample was taken every two weeks to measure 8-isoprostane of exhaled breath condensate (EBC). Air pollution data were collected from three air quality monitoring stations. Also, the relationship between air pollution and 8-isoprostane as well as lung function tests were determined using generalized estimating equations (GEE). The mean concentration of PM_2.5 and NO₂ in A₁, A₂ and A₃ areas were 116, 92 and 45 (μg/m³) also 77, 53 and 14 (ppb) respectively. Among all studied students, there was a significant correlation between the increase of mean concentration of PM_2.5 and NO₂ in 1–4 before sampling day, increased 8-isoprostane concentration and decreased FEV₁, while there was no significant correlation between them and decreased FVC. In A₁ site, an increase in IQR (13 μg/m³) PM_2.5 and IQR (6.5 ppb) NO₂ on 1–4 days before sampling was associated with 0.38 unit (95% CI: 0.11, 0.65) and 1.1 unit (95% CI: 0.85, 1.35) increase in 8-isoprostane concentration, also decreased 121 ml and 190 ml FEV₁, respectively. Results showed that the short-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution can decrease the values of lung function indices and increase the oxidative stress. It may adversely affect children’s lungs.     

Metabotropic-mediated kainate receptor regulation of IsAHP and excitability in pyramidal cells

Kainate receptors (KARs) on CA1 pyramidal cells make no detectable contribution to EPSCs. We report that these receptors have a metabotropic function, as shown previously for CA1 interneurons. Brief kainate exposure caused long-lasting inhibition of a postspike potassium current (I(sAHP)) in CA1 pyramidal cells. The pharmacological profile was independent of AMPA receptors or the GluR5 subunit, indicating a possible role for the GluR6 subunit. KAR inhibition of I(sAHP) did not require ionotropic action or network activity, but was blocked by the inhibitor of pertussis toxin-sensitive G proteins, N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), or the PKC inhibitor calphostin C. These data suggest how KARs, putatively containing GluR6, directly increase excitability of CA1 pyramidal cells and help explain the propensity for seizure activity following KAR activation.     

Temperature shift effect on the Chlorobaculum tepidum chlorosomes

Chlorobaculum [Cba.] tepidum is known to grow optimally at 48–52 °C and can also be cultured at ambient temperatures. In this paper, we prepared constant temperature, temperature shift, and temperature shift followed by backshift cultures and investigated the intrinsic properties and spectral features of chlorosomes from those cultures using various approaches, including temperature-dependent measurements on circular dichroism (CD), UV–visible, and dynamic light scattering. Our studies indicate that (1) chlorosomes from constant temperature cultures at 50 and 30 °C exhibited more resistance to heat relative to temperature shift cultures; (2) as temperature increases bacteriochlorophyll c (BChl c) in chlorosomes is prone to demetalation, which forms bacteriopheophytin c, and degradation under aerobic conditions. Some BChl c aggregates inside reduced chlorosomes prepared in low-oxygen environments can reform after heat treatments; (3) temperature shift cultures synthesize and incorporate more BChl c homologs with a smaller substituent at C-8 on the chlorin ring and less BChl c homologs with a larger long-chain alcohol at C-17³ versus constant-temperature cultures. We hypothesize that the long-chain alcohol at C-17³ (and perhaps together with the substituent at C-8) may account for thermal stability of chlorosomes and the substituent at C-8 may assist self-assembling BChls; and (4) while almost identical absorption spectra are detected, chlorosomes from different growth conditions exhibited differences in the rotational length of the CD signal, and aerobic and reduced chlorosomes also display different Q_y CD intensities. Further, chlorosomes exhibited changes of CD features in response to temperature increases. Additionally, we compare temperature-dependent studies for the Cba. tepidum chlorosomes and previous studies for the Chloroflexus aurantiacus chlorosomes. Together, our work provides useful and novel insights on the properties and organization of chlorosomes.     

Pyrrolidine and piperidine analogues of SC-57461A as potent,orally active inhibitors of leukotriene A(4) hydrolase

The synthesis and biological evaluation of a series of functionalized pyrrolidine- and piperidine-containing analogues of our lead LTA(4) hydrolase inhibitor, SC-57461A, is described. A number of compounds showed excellent potency in our in vitro screens and several demonstrated good oral activity in a mouse ex vivo assay. These efforts led to the identification of SC-56938 (14) as a potent, orally active inhibitor of LTA(4) hydrolase.     

Fungi associated with boll and lint rot of cotton in Southern Khorasan province of Iran

During surveys of cotton fields since 2009 in the Southern Khorasan province of Iran, symptomatic samples with lint and boll rot disease signs were collected and cultured on potato dextrose, malt extract agar and PARPH media. Several fungal isolates were obtained and identified. Among them, we found Penicillium expansum which to our knowledge is reported as a new pathogen of cotton worldwide; Fusarium semitectum and Nigrospora oryzae (associated to mite Siteroptes sp.) were also recorded as lint or boll rot pathogens for the first time from Iran. Disease symptoms and fungal characteristics of Exserohilum rostratum, which has been reported briefly as a new causal agent of boll and lint rot disease, are illustrated and presented. In addition, Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus spp. were also isolated frequently from lint parts of cotton prior to harvesting. There was a positive correlation between disease occurrence and spiny cotton bollworm damage. The pathogenicity test was characterised by inoculating the attached and detached bolls of cotton plants.     

Roles for the Drs2p-Cdc50p complex in protein transport and phosphatidylserine asymmetry of the yeast plasma membrane

Drs2p, a P-type adenosine triphosphatase required for a phosphatidylserine (PS) flippase activity in the yeast trans Golgi network (TGN), was first implicated in protein trafficking by a screen for mutations synthetically lethal with arf1 (swa). Here, we show that SWA4 is allelic to CDC50, encoding a membrane protein previously shown to chaperone Drs2p from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi complex. We find that cdc50Delta exhibits the same clathrin-deficient phenotypes as drs2Delta, including delayed transport of carboxypeptidase Y to the vacuole, mislocalization of resident TGN enzymes and the accumulation of aberrant membrane structures. These trafficking defects precede appearance of cell polarity defects in cdc50Delta, suggesting that the latter are a secondary consequence of disrupting Golgi function. Involvement of Drs2p-Cdc50p in PS translocation suggests a role in restricting PS to the cytosolic leaflet of the Golgi and plasma membrane. Annexin V binding and papuamide B hypersensitivity indicate that drs2Delta or cdc50Delta causes a loss of plasma membrane PS asymmetry. However, clathrin and other endocytosis null mutants also exhibit a comparable loss of PS asymmetry, and studies with drs2-ts and clathrin (chc1-ts) conditional mutants suggest that loss of plasma membrane asymmetry is a secondary consequence of disrupting protein trafficking.