Influence of dissolved gases on highly diluted aqueous media

In the experiments on redox potential measurement for a series of identical samples of purified and presettled water it was found that the response to ultraviolet irradiation varies appreciably within a few days after treatment, including stepwise changes. In a few hours after exposure, leading to a higher content of reactive oxygen species as compared with the equilibrium values, long-term changes including variations in redox potential and optical system parameters are recorded in water and diluted aqueous media. We propose a heuristic organization model of the water-gas system with an increased content of reactive oxygen species.     

Inactivation and oxidative modification of Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase by stimulated neutrophils: the appearance of new catalytically active structures.

Bovine superoxide dismutase (SOD) was inactivated during incubation with phorbol myristate acetate-stimulated neutrophils. In addition, stimulated neutrophils were able to disrupt the SOD structure. Inactivation and structural damage were dependent on the action of hypochlorous acid, an oxidant generated by the myeloperoxidase-hydrogen peroxide-chloride system of neutrophils. Incubation of SOD with stimulated neutrophils lead to long-wavelength fluorescence (ex, 350 nm; em, 450 nm) and the appearance of new structural forms with other isoelectric points. These additional forms possess catalytic activity. Generation of catalytically active new forms of SOD demonstrates the inaccessibility of the active centre of SOD to hypochlorite and may be a reason for the successful application of SOD during anti-inflammatory therapy.     

Effects of neurotropin on seizure activity in picrotoxin kindling]

It is shown that both intracerebral and intraperitoneal neurotropin administration resulted in a decrease of seizure susceptibility of preliminary picrotoxin--kindled rats. On the other hand, neurotropin did not change the course of kindling development. Under conditions of acute picrotoxin--induced seizures it was observed that preliminary cycloheximide (protein-synthesis blocker) administration abolished anticonvulsant properties of neurotropin. It is concluded that anticonvulsant effects of neurotropin are realized via modulation of endogenous peptides synthesis and, in particular, cerulein.     

Disease resistance, stress response and effects of triploidy in growth hormone transgenic coho salmon

Diploid and triploid coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch transgenic for growth hormone (GH) and control coho salmon were compared for differences in disease resistance and stress response. Resistance to the bacterial pathogen Vibrio anguillarum was not affected in transgenic fish relative to their non‐transgenic counterparts when they were infected at the fry stage, but was lower in transgenic fish when infected near smolting. Vaccination against vibriosis provided equal protection to both transgenic and non‐transgenic fish. Triploid fish showed a lower resistance to vibriosis than their diploid counterparts. Diploid transgenic fish and non‐transgenic fish appeared to show similar physiological and cellular stress responses to a heat shock. These studies provide information useful for both performance and ecological risk assessments of growth‐accelerated coho salmon.     

Species loss leads to community closure

Global extinction of a species is sadly irreversible. At a local scale, however, extinctions may be followed by re-invasion. We here show that this is not necessarily the case and that an ecological community may close its doors for re-invasion of species lost from it. Previous studies of how communities are assembled have shown that there may be rules for that process and that limitations are set to the order by which species are introduced and put together. Instead of focusing on the assembly process we randomly generated simple competitive model communities that were stable and allowed for two to 10 coexisting species. When a randomly selected single species was removed from the community, the cascading species loss was recorded and frequently the resulting community was more than halved. Cascading extinctions have previously been recorded, but we here show that the relative magnitude of the cascade is dependent on community size (and not only trophic structure) and that the reintroduction of the original species lost often is impossible. Hence, species loss does not simply leave a void potentially refilled, but permanently alters the entire community structure and consequently the adaptive landscape for potential re-invaders.     

Specific Features of the Formation of a Halo during Pathogenesis as a Response of Cereal Epidermal Cells to Penetration of Powdery Mildew Causative Agents

A cytophysiological study was carried out of the functional status of a halo as a response of the host plant to contact with a powdery mildew pathogen. Interactions of the powdery mildew causative agents with barley, wheat, wheat–wheat-grass hybrids, wheat-aegilops lines, and aegilops with different genotypic resistance lead to the expression of haloes during pathogens, which are induced by infection pegs of the primary growth tubes, appressoria, and hyphal lobes. Haloes are visualized using cytochemical reactions to proteins and scanning electron microscopy. The observed differences in the size of haloes and intensity of their staining (uniform or zonal) are related, to a great extent, to individual reactions of the plant cell at the penetration site and, to a lesser extent, to the level of genotypic resistance. An analysis of electron microscopy and cytochemistry studies suggests that the halo as a physiologically active zone is localized at the level of the plant cell plasmalemma. Active taxis of the cell organelles to the site of infection during the formation of a halo suggests that some kind of informational signals to changes in the cell metabolism are spread from the halo zone, which lead to compatible or incompatible interactions.     

Phytochrome A regulates red-light induction of phototropic enhancement in Arabidopsis.

Phytochrome A (phyA) and phytochrome B photoreceptors have distinct roles in the regulation of plant growth and development. Studies using specific photomorphogenic mutants and transgenic plants overexpressing phytochrome have supported an evolving picture in which phyA and phytochrome B are responsive to continuous far-red and red light, respectively. Photomorphogenic mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana that had been selected for their inability to respond to continuous irradiance conditions were tested for their ability to carry out red-light-induced enhancement of phototropism, which is an inductive phytochrome response. We conclude that phyA is the primary photoreceptor regulating this response and provide evidence suggesting that a common regulatory domain in the phyA polypeptide functions for both high-irradiance and inductive phytochrome responses.