Intracellular calcium oscillations induced in a T-cell line by a weak 50 Hz magnetic field

Applied weak magnetic fields have been shown to affect cellular activity on several levels, but the mechanisms involved remain elusive. We have decided to study an early signal transduction event in the human T cell line Jurkat; oscillations of free [Ca²⁺]i, of the type seen by crosslinking the CD3 complex. Cells were exposed to a 50 Hz, 0.1 mT, sinusoidal magnetic field while intracellular free calcium was measured in individual cells, using fura-2 as a probe. An acute response was observed with oscillatory increases in [Ca²⁺]i, which subsided when the field was turned off. The effect of the magnetic field on [Ca²⁺]i was comparable to that achieved by an anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Patterns of trace metal accumulation in Swedish marine nemerteans

Total body burdens of Zn, Pb, Al and Cu were measured in Swedish marine nemerteans sampled from an area close to a major source of pollution. Accumulation patterns varied both seasonally and spatially. The results suggest that nemerteans may be useful bioindicator species in environmental monitoring programmes.     

Different propensity for spontaneous differentiation of cell clones isolated from the human ovarian surface epithelial cell line HOC-7

Abstract. Limiting dilution culture of cell fractions obtained by discontinuous density gradient centrifugation was used to establish six different cell clones from HOC-7 ovarian adenocarcinoma cells (D1-D3, N1-N3). Clones D1-D3 revealed a phenotype similar to that seen in parental cells exposed to differentiation inducers such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, 0.8% [v/v]). They were flattened, slowly growing cells (doubling times: 42–46 h). The cells developed long cytoplasmic extensions and adopted a complicated growth pattern. Fixed-cell enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blotting demonstrated that these cells contained high levels of epidermal growth factor-receptor (EGF-R), carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA 125), fibronectin and desmoplakin, but low levels of myc oncoproteins. However, untreated parental cells and clones N1–N3 were fastgrowing (doubling times: 23–28 h), regularly shaped, polygonal cells ("cobblestone'monolayer) with low levels of EGF-R, CA 125, fibronectin and desmoplakin, but relatively higher amounts of myc oncoproteins. The similarity of the sublines to either untreated or inducertreated parental cells indicated that clones D1–D3 represented spontaneously differentiated HOC-7 cells, whereas clones N1–N3 originated from less-differentiated cells. The features examined in this model cell system proved to be closely related to ovarian cancer cell proliferation and differentiation. The observation of a tumorinherent propensity for spontaneous differentiation suggests that exogenous stimulation of existing differentiation pathways may represent an alternative approach for tackling the problem of growth control and differentiation in malignant tissues.     

The human complement component C8B gene: structure and phylogenetic relationship

The eighth component of human complement (C8) is a serum protein that consists of three chains (, and ), encoded by three separate genes, viz., C8A, C8B, and C8G. In serum, the -subunit is non-covalently bound to the disulfide-linked - subunit. Using a full-length C8 cDNA probe, we isolated several clones from human genomic DNA libraries. Four clones covering the complete cDNA sequence were characterized by TaqI restriction mapping and were shotgun subcloned into M13. C8-cDNA-positive clones were partially sequenced to characterize the 12 exons of the gene with sizes from 69 to 347 bp. All intron-exon junctions followed the GT-AG rule. By using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers located in the adjacent intron sequences, all 12 exons of the C8B gene could be amplified from genomic DNA. All fragments showed the expected sizes. The sizes of eight introns could be determined by using primer pairs that amplified two exons and the enclosed intron, and by restriction mapping. These analyses and the insert sizes of the genomic clones indicate that the C8B gene has a total size of approximately 40 kb. The polymorphic TaqI site of the C8B gene localized in intron 11 could be demonstrated by direct restriction fragment analysis of a PCR fragment containing exons 11 and 12, and the enclosed intron 11. Homology comparison of the C8B gene with C8A and C9 on the basis of the exon structure confirmed the ancestral relationship known from the protein level.     

Seagrass ecosystem multifunctionality under the rise of a flagship marine megaherbivore

Large grazers (megaherbivores) have a profound impact on ecosystem functioning. However, how ecosystem multifunctionality is affected by changes in megaherbivore populations remains poorly understood. Understanding the total impact on ecosystem multifunctionality requires an integrative ecosystem approach, which is especially challenging to obtain in marine systems. We assessed the effects of experimentally simulated grazing intensity scenarios on ecosystem functions and multifunctionality in a tropical Caribbean seagrass ecosystem. As a model, we selected a key marine megaherbivore, the green turtle, whose ecological role is rapidly unfolding in numerous foraging areas where populations are recovering through conservation after centuries of decline, with an increase in recorded overgrazing episodes. To quantify the effects, we employed a novel integrated index of seagrass ecosystem multifunctionality based upon multiple, well-recognized measures of seagrass ecosystem functions that reflect ecosystem services. Experiments revealed that intermediate turtle grazing resulted in the highest rates of nutrient cycling and carbon storage, while sediment stabilization, decomposition rates, epifauna richness, and fish biomass are highest in the absence of turtle grazing. In contrast, intense grazing resulted in disproportionally large effects on ecosystem functions and a collapse of multifunctionality. These results imply that (i) the return of a megaherbivore can exert strong effects on coastal ecosystem functions and multifunctionality, (ii) conservation efforts that are skewed toward megaherbivores, but ignore their key drivers like predators or habitat, will likely result in overgrazing-induced loss of multifunctionality, and (iii) the multifunctionality index shows great potential as a quantitative tool to assess ecosystem performance. Considerable and rapid alterations in megaherbivore abundance (both through extinction and conservation) cause an imbalance in ecosystem functioning and substantially alter or even compromise ecosystem services that help to negate global change effects. An integrative ecosystem approach in environmental management is urgently required to protect and enhance ecosystem multifunctionality.     

Pan-Arctic soil moisture control on tundra carbon sequestration and plant productivity

Long-term atmospheric CO₂ concentration records have suggested a reduction in the positive effect of warming on high-latitude carbon uptake since the 1990s. A variety of mechanisms have been proposed to explain the reduced net carbon sink of northern ecosystems with increased air temperature, including water stress on vegetation and increased respiration over recent decades. However, the lack of consistent long-term carbon flux and in situ soil moisture data has severely limited our ability to identify the mechanisms responsible for the recent reduced carbon sink strength. In this study, we used a record of nearly 100 site-years of eddy covariance data from 11 continuous permafrost tundra sites distributed across the circumpolar Arctic to test the temperature (expressed as growing degree days, GDD) responses of gross primary production (GPP), net ecosystem exchange (NEE), and ecosystem respiration (ER) at different periods of the summer (early, peak, and late summer) including dominant tundra vegetation classes (graminoids and mosses, and shrubs). We further tested GPP, NEE, and ER relationships with soil moisture and vapor pressure deficit to identify potential moisture limitations on plant productivity and net carbon exchange. Our results show a decrease in GPP with rising GDD during the peak summer (July) for both vegetation classes, and a significant relationship between the peak summer GPP and soil moisture after statistically controlling for GDD in a partial correlation analysis. These results suggest that tundra ecosystems might not benefit from increased temperature as much as suggested by several terrestrial biosphere models, if decreased soil moisture limits the peak summer plant productivity, reducing the ability of these ecosystems to sequester carbon during the summer.     

Enhancing the structural diversity between forest patches—A concept and real-world experiment to study biodiversity,multifunctionality and forest resilience across spatial scales

Intensification of land use by humans has led to a homogenization of landscapes and decreasing resilience of ecosystems globally due to a loss of biodiversity, including the majority of forests. Biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (BEF) research has provided compelling evidence for a positive effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functions and services at the local (α-diversity) scale, but we largely lack empirical evidence on how the loss of between-patch β-diversity affects biodiversity and multifunctionality at the landscape scale (γ-diversity). Here, we present a novel concept and experimental framework for elucidating BEF patterns at α-, β-, and γ-scales in real landscapes at a forest management-relevant scale. We examine this framework using 22 temperate broadleaf production forests, dominated by Fagus sylvatica. In 11 of these forests, we manipulated the structure between forest patches by increasing variation in canopy cover and deadwood. We hypothesized that an increase in landscape heterogeneity would enhance the β-diversity of different trophic levels, as well as the β-functionality of various ecosystem functions. We will develop a new statistical framework for BEF studies extending across scales and incorporating biodiversity measures from taxonomic to functional to phylogenetic diversity using Hill numbers. We will further expand the Hill number concept to multifunctionality allowing the decomposition of γ-multifunctionality into α- and β-components. Combining this analytic framework with our experimental data will allow us to test how an increase in between patch heterogeneity affects biodiversity and multifunctionality across spatial scales and trophic levels to help inform and improve forest resilience under climate change. Such an integrative concept for biodiversity and functionality, including spatial scales and multiple aspects of diversity and multifunctionality as well as physical and environmental structure in forests, will go far beyond the current widely applied approach in forestry to increase resilience of future forests through the manipulation of tree species composition.     

The ecosystem wilting point defines drought response and recovery of a Quercus-Carya forest

Soil and atmospheric droughts increasingly threaten plant survival and productivity around the world. Yet, conceptual gaps constrain our ability to predict ecosystem-scale drought impacts under climate change. Here, we introduce the ecosystem wilting point (Ψ_EWP), a property that integrates the drought response of an ecosystem's plant community across the soil–plant–atmosphere continuum. Specifically, Ψ_EWP defines a threshold below which the capacity of the root system to extract soil water and the ability of the leaves to maintain stomatal function are strongly diminished. We combined ecosystem flux and leaf water potential measurements to derive the Ψ_EWP of a Quercus-Carya forest from an “ecosystem pressure–volume (PV) curve,” which is analogous to the tissue-level technique. When community predawn leaf water potential (Ψ_pd) was above Ψ_EWP (=−2.0 MPa), the forest was highly responsive to environmental dynamics. When Ψ_pd fell below Ψ_EWP, the forest became insensitive to environmental variation and was a net source of carbon dioxide for nearly 2 months. Thus, Ψ_EWP is a threshold defining marked shifts in ecosystem functional state. Though there was rainfall-induced recovery of ecosystem gas exchange following soaking rains, a legacy of structural and physiological damage inhibited canopy photosynthetic capacity. Although over 16 growing seasons, only 10% of Ψ_pd observations fell below Ψ_EWP, the forest is commonly only 2–4 weeks of intense drought away from reaching Ψ_EWP, and thus highly reliant on frequent rainfall to replenish the soil water supply. We propose, based on a bottom-up analysis of root density profiles and soil moisture characteristic curves, that soil water acquisition capacity is the major determinant of Ψ_EWP, and species in an ecosystem require compatible leaf-level traits such as turgor loss point so that leaf wilting is coordinated with the inability to extract further water from the soil.     

Low species turnover of upland Amazonian birds in the absence of physical barriers

Aim

One of the oldest and most powerful ways for ecologists to explain distinct biological communities is to invoke underlying environmental differences. But in hyper-diverse systems, which often display high species richness and low species abundance, these sorts of community comparisons are especially challenging. The classic view for Amazonian birds posits that riverine barriers and habitat specialization determine local and regional community composition. We test the tacit, complementary assumption that similar bird communities should therefore permeate uniform habitat between major rivers, regardless of distance.

Location

Upland (terra firme) rainforests of central Amazonia.

Methods

We conducted intensive whole-community surveys of birds in three pairs of 100-ha plots, separated by 40–60 km. We then used dissimilarity indices, cluster analysis, and ordination to characterize differences among the six avian communities.

Results

In all, we detected 244 forest-dependent birds, with an average of 190 species (78%) per plot. Species turnover was negligible, no unique indicator species were found among plot pairs, and all documented species were already known from a complete inventory at one of the three sites.

Main Conclusions

Our study corroborates the classic biogeographical pattern and suggests that turnover contributes little to regional avian diversity within upland forests. Using a grain size of 100 ha, this implies that upland birds perceive the environment as uniform, at least over distances of ~60 km. Therefore, to maximize both local species richness and population persistence, our findings support the conservation of very large tracts of upland rainforest. Our analyses also revealed that the avifauna at Reserva Ducke, encroached by urban sprawl from the city of Manaus, shows the hallmarks of a disturbed community, with fewer vulnerable insectivores. This defaunation signals that even an enormous preserve (10 × 10 km) in lowland Amazonia is not insulated from anthropogenic degradation within the surrounding landscape.