The bark of trees: thermal properties,microclimate and fauna

Summary The thermal properties of four different types of bark were investigated on twentyfour central European tree species using thermocouples. Tree species with white bark avoid overheating of their surface by reflection of the radiation. Species with fissured and scaly barks shade inner parts of their bark. Some tree species with fissured barks show high insulation across the bark. Smooth and thin barks show no adaptation to avoid overheating. These tree species (in central Europe e.g. Fagus sylvatica) have to form closed stands and are not able to occur in open stands as tree species with structured or white bark types.The arthropod fauna of the same bark types was studied on six tree species using three collecting methods. The microclimate on the bark determines the number per cm² of some species, some are active during winter, and other tend to aptery and reproduce parthenogenetically. On smooth bark one species dominates, whereas a highly diverse fauna lives on fissured barks. The occurrence of species on bark is determined by the microstructure, microclimate and consistence of the epiphyts. If tree species alter within forest ecosystems the dominant species on bark will persist. Specialists of fissured barks will die out if tree species with smooth bark (Fagus sylvatica) form the central European forest.     

Localization of synthetic glycolipids in the cell and the dynamics of their insertion/loss

Modification of the cell surface with synthetic glycolipids opens up a wide range of possibilities for studying the function of glycolipids. Synthetic glycolipids called Function-Spacer-Lipids (FSL; where F is a glycan or label, S is a spacer, and L is dioleoylphosphatidyl ethanolamine) easily and controllably modify the membrane of a living cells. This current study investigates the dynamics and mechanism of the FSL insertion and release/loss. FSL insert into the cell membrane (~1 million molecules per cell) within tens of minutes, almost regardless of the nature of the cells (including the thickness of their glycocalyx) and the size of the FSL glycan. FSLs do not accumulate uniformly, but instead form patches >300 nm in size either entrapped in the glycocalyx, or integrated in the plane of the plasma membrane, but always outside the cell rafts. The natural release (loss) of FSL from the modified cell was two orders of magnitude slower than attachment/insertion and occurred mainly in the form of released microvesicles with a size of 140 ± 5 nm. The accumulation of FSL as patches in the cell membrane is similar to the coalescence of natural glycosphingolipids and supports (along with their long residence time in the membrane) the use of FSL as probes for the study of glycosphingolipid-protein interactions.     

Production of plant-derived polyphenols in microorganisms: current state and perspectives

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - Plants synthesize several thousand different polyphenols of which many have the potential to aid in preventing or treating cancer, cardiovascular, and...     

Addition of halogenoazides to glycals

Addition of chloroazide to 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-1,5-anhydro-2-deoxy-d-lyxo- (1) and -d-arabino-hex-1-enitol (2) under u.v. irradiation proceeds regio- and stereo-selectively yielding mainly O-acetyl derivatives of 2-azido-2-deoxy-d-galactopyranose and -d-glucopyranose, respectively. 3,4,6-Tri-O-acetyl-2-chloro-2-deoxy-α-d-galactopyranosyl azide and 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-2-azido-2-deoxy-α-d-talopyranose (from 1), and 1,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-2-chloro-2-deoxy-α-d-glucopyranosyl azide and 1,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-2-azido-2-deoxy-α-d-mannopyranose (from 2) are byproducts. 1,5-Anhydro-3,4,6-tri-O-benzyl-2-deoxy-d-lyxo- and -d-arabino-hex-1-enitol reacted more rapidly with chloroazide, to give, under irradiation, derivatives of 2-azido-2-deoxy-d-galactose and -d-glucose, respectively. However, reaction in the dark gave mainly O-benzyl derivatives of 2-chloro-2-deoxy-α-d-galacto- and -α-d-glucopyranosyl azide. The difference between the products obtained may depend on the existence of two parallel processes, one radical (under irradiation), and the other ionic (reaction in the dark).