Potamogeton×exilis (P. alpinus×P. natans), a new hybrid pondweed from Finland

A Potamogeton hybrid recently discovered in Finland was proven to be a new taxon, which has a different parentage than the most similar P.×vepsicus (=P. natans×praelongus) described from Russia. Based on molecular and morphological investigation, the new hybrid was identified as P. alpinus×natans and is here described as P.×exilis nothosp. nov. The hybrid is known only from several nearby localities in a single river system. All discovered colonies almost certainly originate from a single hybridization event that occurred in the upper part of the river system. Other localities downstream have been established through fragmentation and dispersal of stems and rhizomes of this sterile hybrid. A detailed morphological comparison of the new hybrid with similar hybrids and species is provided.     

Estrogen A-ring structure and antioxidative effect on lipoproteins

The oxidative modification of lipoprotein particles is an important step in atherogenesis. Estrogens are known to be powerful antioxidants independently of their binding to the estrogen receptors and the hormonal functions. We explored the structural determinants for the antioxidant activity of a large number of estrogen derivatives (n=43) in an aqueous lipoprotein solution in vitro by monitoring formation of conjugated dienes. Our results indicate that estrogen derivatives with an unsubstituted A-ring phenolic hydroxyl group with one or two adjacent methoxy groups provide strongest antioxidant protection of low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL). The electron donating methoxy groups may enhance the antioxidant effect by weakening the phenolic OH bond and providing stability to the formed phenoxyl radical. With some exceptions, compounds completely lacking unsubstituted hydroxyl groups in the A-ring exhibited no antioxidant effect, e.g. the most hydrophilic "tetrol" compound with three unsubstituted A-ring hydroxyl groups had no antioxidant effect. Moreover, additional hydroxyl groups in the B-, C- or D-ring seemed to weaken the antioxidant effect. Accordingly, both the presence of unsubstituted hydroxyl groups and adjacent substituents, as well as the lipophilicity of the derivatives determine the antioxidant activity of estrogen derivatives in aqueous lipoprotein solutions.     

Neph3 associates with regulation of glomerular and neural development in zebrafish

Neph3 (filtrin) is a membrane protein expressed in the glomerular epithelial cells (podocytes), but its role in the glomerulus is still largely unknown. To characterize the function of Neph3 in the glomerulus, we employed the zebrafish as a model system. Here we show that the expression of neph3 in pronephros starts before the onset of nephrin and podocin expression, peaks when the nephron primordium differentiates into glomerulus and tubulus, and is then downregulated upon glomerular maturation. By histology, we found that neph3 is specifically expressed in pronephric podocytes at 36 hpf. Furthermore, disruption of neph3 expression by antisense morpholino oligonucleotides results in distorted body curvature and transient pericardial edema, the latter likely reflecting perturbation of glomerular osmoregulatory function. Histological analysis of neph3 morphants reveals altered glomerular morphology and dilated pronephric tubules. The phenotype of neph3 morphants, curved body and pericardial edema, is rescued by wild-type zebrafish neph3 mRNA. In addition to glomerulus, neph3 is highly expressed in the developing brain and specific regions of mature midbrain and hindbrain. In line with this, neph3 morphants show aberrant brain morphology. Collectively, the expression of neph3 in glomerulus and brain together with the morphant phenotype imply that neph3 is a pleiotropic gene active during distinct stages of tissue differentiation and associates directly in the regulation of both glomerular and neural development.     

Carbon fluxes from a tropical peat swamp forest floor

A tropical ombrotrophic peatland ecosystem is one of the largest terrestrial carbon stores. Flux rates of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) were studied at various peat water table depths in a mixed‐type peat swamp forest floor in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Temporary gas fluxes on microtopographically differing hummock and hollow peat surfaces were combined with peat water table data to produce annual cumulative flux estimates. Hummocks formed mainly from living and dead tree roots and decaying debris maintained a relatively steady CO₂ emission rate regardless of the water table position in peat. In nearly vegetation‐free hollows, CO₂ emission rates were progressively smaller as the water table rose towards the peat surface. Methane emissions from the peat surface remained small and were detected only in water‐saturated peat. By applying long‐term peat water table data, annual gas emissions from the peat swamp forest floor were estimated to be 3493±316 g CO₂ m^?2 and less than 1.36±0.57 g CH₄ m^?2. On the basis of the carbon emitted, CO₂ is clearly a more important greenhouse gas than CH₄. CO₂ emissions from peat are the highest during the dry season, when the oxic peat layer is at its thickest because of water table lowering.     

Effect of experimental nitrogen load on methane and nitrous oxide fluxes on ombrotrophic boreal peatland

Methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) dynamics were studied in a boreal Sphagnum fuscum pine bog receiving annually (from 1991 to 1996) 30 or 100 kg NH₄NO₃-N ha^–1. The gas emissions were measured during the last three growing seasons of the experiment. Nitrogen treatment did not affect the CH₄ fluxes in the microsites where S. fuscum and S. angustifolium dominated. However, addition of 100 kg NH₄NO₃-N ha^–1 yr^–1 increased the CH₄ emission from those microsites dominated by S. fuscum. This increase was associated with the increase in coverage of cotton grass (Eriophorum vaginatum) induced by the nitrogen treatment. The differences in the CH₄ emissions were not related to the CH₄ oxidation and production potentials in the peat profiles. The N₂O fluxes were negligible from all microsites. Only minor short-term increases occurred after the nitrogen addition.     

Lysinuric Protein Intolerance (LPI) Gene Maps to the Long Arm of Chromosome 14

Lysinuric protein intolerance (LPI) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by defective transport of cationic amino acids and by hyperammonemia. Linkage analysis in 20 Finnish LPI families assigned the LPI gene locus to the proximal long arm of chromosome 14. Recombinations placed the locus between framework markers D14S72 and MYH7, a 10-cM interval in which the markers D14S742, D14S50, D14S283, and TCRA showed no recombinations with the phenotype. The phenotype was in highly significant linkage disequilibrium with markers D14S50, D14S283, and TCRA. The strongest allelic association obtained with marker TCRA, resulting in a P(excess) value of .98, suggests that the LPI gene locus lies in close proximity to this marker, probably within a distance of < 100 kb.     

Hydrology is reflected in the functioning and community composition of methanotrophs in the littoral wetland of a boreal lake

In lake ecosystems a major proportion of methane (CH(4) ) emissions originate from the littoral zone, which can have a great spatial variability in hydrology, soil quality and vegetation. Hitherto, spatial heterogeneity and the effects it has on functioning and diversity of methanotrophs in littoral wetlands have been poorly understood. A diagnostic microarray based on the particulate methane monooxygenase gene coupled with geostatistics was used to analyse spatial patterns of methanotrophs in the littoral wetland of a eutrophic boreal lake (Lake Kev?t?n, Eastern Finland). The wetland had a hydrology gradient with a mean water table varying from -8 to -25 cm. The wettest area, comprising the highest CH(4) oxidation, had the highest abundance and species richness of methanotrophs. A high water table favoured the occurrence of type Ib methanotrophs, whereas types Ia and II were found under all moisture conditions. Thus the spatial heterogeneity in functioning and diversity of methanotrophs in littoral wetlands is highly dependent on the water table, which in turn varies spatially in relation to the geomorphology of the wetland. We suggest that changes in water levels resulting from regulation of lakes and/or global change will affect the abundance, activity and diversity of methanotrophs, and consequently CH(4) emissions from such systems.     

Spatial patterns of microbial diversity and activity in an aged creosote-contaminated site

Restoration of polluted sites via in situ bioremediation relies heavily on the indigenous microbes and their activities. Spatial heterogeneity of microbial populations, contaminants and soil chemical parameters on such sites is a major hurdle in optimizing and implementing an appropriate bioremediation regime. We performed a grid-based sampling of an aged creosote-contaminated site followed by geostatistical modelling to illustrate the spatial patterns of microbial diversity and activity and to relate these patterns to the distribution of pollutants. Spatial distribution of bacterial groups unveiled patterns of niche differentiation regulated by patchy distribution of pollutants and an east-to-west pH gradient at the studied site. Proteobacteria clearly dominated in the hot spots of creosote pollution, whereas the abundance of Actinobacteria, TM7 and Planctomycetes was considerably reduced from the hot spots. The pH preferences of proteobacterial groups dominating in pollution could be recognized by examining the order and family-level responses. Acidobacterial classes came across as generalists in hydrocarbon pollution whose spatial distribution seemed to be regulated solely by the pH gradient. Although the community evenness decreased in the heavily polluted zones, basal respiration and fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis rates were higher, indicating the adaptation of specific indigenous microbial populations to hydrocarbon pollution. Combining the information from the kriged maps of microbial and soil chemistry data provided a comprehensive understanding of the long-term impacts of creosote pollution on the subsurface microbial communities. This study also highlighted the prospect of interpreting taxa-specific spatial patterns and applying them as indicators or proxies for monitoring polluted sites.