The effect of crop rotation of six forest tree species on peat-bark substrate enzymatic activity

The paper focuses on the effect of a nine-year utilisation of the peat-bark substrate and crop rotation of six main forest tree species on changes in the substrate enzymatic activity during successive rotation cycles. The study was conducted in the forest nursery in the years 1989–1997. Seedlings of Scots pine Pinus sylvestris, Norway spruce Picea abies, European larch Larix decidua, pendiculate oak Quercus robur, common beech Fagus silvatica, and silver birch Betula overrucosa were grown on peat-bark substrate. The activity of soil enzymes: betaglucosidase, invertase, urease, asparginase, acid phosphatase and dehydrogenases was assessed. The succession of three 3-year crop rotation cycles with species following each other according to the rotation plan was subject to observations. The obtained results have confirmed recent suppositions that the tree species and their rotation modify soil enzymatic activity. The enzymatic activity of the peat-bark substrate changed after each three-year crop rotation cycle and decreased with time. After the second crop rotation cycle the activity of betaglucosidase, urease, asparginase was found to be lower, and the activity of invertase and dehydrogenases — higher. After three crop rotation cycles the positive effect of appropriate species rotation on the enzymatic activity of the substrate was noted.     

Trapping of 2,7-Dichlorodibenzo-<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-Dioxin in Aqueous Solution by Enzymatic Reaction of Fungal Manganese Peroxidase in the Presence of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

Abstract:In the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including cis-4,7,10,13,16,19-docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), 2,7-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (DCDD) was treated with manganese peroxidase (MnP) from white rot basidiomycete Phanerochaete sordida YK-624. After incubation with MnP, DCDD could not be extracted from the reaction mixture with n-hexane and was trapped in the water layer. DCDD was released by alkalification of the water layer. DCDD was also trapped after treatment with lipoxidase, which produces hydroperoxides from unsaturated lipids. The amounts of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances produced in the MnP reactions with three highly unsaturated fatty acids were higher than the amounts produced with three fatty acids with a lower degree of unsaturation. These results suggest that a DCDD-trapping compound may be produced by peroxidation of the polyunsaturated fatty acids.Received: 22 October 2002 / Accepted: 6 December 2002     

Hierarchical Chromatin Structure of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Schizosaccharomyces pombe</Emphasis> Revealed by Atomic Force Microscopy

Many structural studies on higher eukaryotic chromatin have been carried out, but chromatin structure in fungi remains unclear. Schizosaccharomyces pombe has been used for investigations of chromosome function; however, the structural details of S. pombe chromatin have not been clarified owing to its small nucleus. We used atomic force microscopy for nano-scale imaging of chromatin isolated from S. pombe. Topographic images indicated that nuclear chromatin contained at least three hierarchical structures: large-scale chromatin fibers, spherical domains in the fibers, and nodules in the domains. The average diameters of the domain and the nodule were 363 ± 85.2 nm and 46.2 ± 9.30 nm. Each structure comprising the hierarchy was similar to higher eukaryotic chromatin thus far observed, despite definite differences in chromatin organization at the nucleosomal level. The presence of histone H1 suggested that there might be an alternative to compensate for histone H1 lacking in S. pombe.     

A light in multidrug resistance: Photodynamic treatment of multidrug-resistant tumors

The major drawback of cancer chemotherapy is the development of multidrug-resistant (MDR) tumor cells, which are cross-resistant to a broad range of structurally and functionally unrelated agents, making it difficult to treat these tumors. In the last decade, a number of authors have studied the effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT), a combination of visible light with photosensitizing agents, on MDR cells. The results, although still inconclusive, have raised the possibility of treating MDR tumors by PDT. This review examines the growing literature concerning the responses of MDR cells to PDT, while stressing the need for the development of new photosensitizers that possess the necessary characteristics for the photodynamic treatment of this class of tumor.     

Random analysis of amino acid pairs sensitive to variants in human coagulation factor IX precursor

In this study, we used a random approach to determine which amino acid pairs in human coagulation factor IX precursor are more sensitive to its 99 variants. The results show that the randomly unpredictable amino acid pairs are more sensitive to variants.     

Inflorescence and floral ontogeny in Crocus sativus L. (Iridaceae)

Inflorescence and floral ontogeny of the perennial, herbaceous crop Crocus sativus L. were studied using epi-illumination light microscopy. After production of leaves with helical arrangement a determinate inflorescence forms which becomes completely transformed into a single terminal flower. In some cases, bifurcation of the inflorescence meristem yields two or three floral meristems. The order of floral organs initiation is outer tepals – stamens – inner tepals – carpels. Stamens and outer tepals are produced from the lateral bifurcation of three common stamen-tepal primordia. Within each whorl, organs start developing unidirectionally from the adaxial side, except for the stamens which begin to grow from the abaxial side. Specialized features during organ development include interprimordial growth between tepals forming a perianth tube, fusion at the base of stamen filaments, and formation of an inferior ovary with unfused styles.     

Recognition of hybrid peptidyl carrier proteins/acyl carrier proteins in nonribosomal peptide synthetase modules by the 4'-phosphopantetheinyl transferases AcpS and Sfp

The acyl carrier proteins (ACPs) of fatty acid synthase and polyketide synthase as well as peptidyl carrier proteins (PCPs) of nonribosomal peptide synthetases are modified by 4'-phosphopantetheinyl transferases from inactive apo-enzymes to their active holo forms by transferring the 4'-phosphopantetheinyl moiety of coenzyme A to a conserved serine residue of the carrier protein. 4'-Phosphopantetheinyl transferases have been classified into two types; the AcpS type accepts ACPs of fatty acid synthase and some ACPs of type II polyketide synthase as substrates, whereas the Sfp type exhibits an extraordinarily broad substrate specificity. Based on the previously published co-crystal structure of Bacillus subtilis AcpS and ACP that provided detailed information about the interacting residues of the two proteins, we designed a novel hybrid PCP by replacing the Bacillus brevis TycC3-PCP helix 2 with the corresponding helix of B. subtilis ACP that contains the interacting residues. This was performed for the PCP domain as a single protein as well as for the TycA-PCP domain within the nonribosomal peptide synthetase module TycA from B. brevis. Both resulting proteins, designated hybrid PCP (hPCP) and hybrid TycA (hTycA), were modified in vivo during heterologous expression in Escherichia coli (hPCP, 51%; hTycA, 75%) and in vitro with AcpS as well as Sfp to 100%. The designated hTycA module contains two other domains: an adenylation domain (activating phenylalanine to Phe-AMP and afterward transferring the Phe to the PCP domain) and an epimerization domain (converting the PCP-bound l-Phe to d-Phe). We show here that the modified PCP domain of hTycA communicates with the adenylation domain and that the co-factor of holo-hPCP is loaded with Phe. However, communication between the hybrid PCP and the epimerization domain seems to be disabled. Nevertheless, hTycA is recognized by the next proline-activating elongation module TycB1 in vitro, and the dipeptide is formed and released as diketopiperazine.     

Mechanisms of airway protection during retching,vomiting, and swallowing

We investigated the mechanisms of airway protection and bolus transport during retching and vomiting by recording responses of the pharyngeal, laryngeal, and hyoid muscles and comparing them with responses during swallowing and responses of the gastrointestinal tract. Five dogs were chronically instrumented with electrodes on the striated muscles and strain gauges on smooth muscles. Retching and vomiting were stimulated by apomorphine (5-10 ug/kg iv). During retching, the hyoid and thyroid descending and laryngeal abductor muscles were activated; between retches, the hyoid, thyroid, and pharyngeal elevating, and laryngeal adductor muscles were activated. Vomiting always occurred during the ascending phase of retching and consisted of three sequential phases of hyoid and pharyngeal muscle activation culminating in simultaneous activation of all recorded elevating and descending laryngeal, hyoid, and pharyngeal muscles. Retrograde activation of esophagus and pharyngeal muscles occurred during the later phases, and laryngeal adductor was maximally activated in all phases of the vomit. During swallowing, the laryngeal adductor activation was followed immediately by brief activation of the laryngeal abductor. We concluded that retching functions to mix gastric contents with refluxed intestinal secretions and to impart an orad momentum to the bolus before vomiting. During retches, the airway is protected by glottal closure, and between retches, it is protected by ascent of the larynx and closure of the upper esophageal sphincter. The airway is protected by maximum glottal closure during vomiting. During swallowing, the airway is protected by laryngeal elevation and glottal closure followed by brief opening of the glottis, which may release subglottal pressure expelling material from the laryngeal vestibule.