Cyrtocrinids (Echinodermata,Crinoidea) from Upper Jurassic Štramberk‐type limestones in southern Poland

Abstract: A systematic account of highly diverse cyrtocrinid faunules from Upper Jurassic strata of ?tramberk type (Oxfordian–Tithonian) in southern Poland (Polish Carpathians) is presented. Fourteen taxa (Phyllocrinus malbosianus, Ph. stellaris, Ph. sp., Psalidocrinus armatus, Sclerocrinus compressus, S. polonicus sp. nov., Hemicrinus aff. kabanovi, Ancepsicrinus parvus gen. et sp. nov., Tetracrinus baumilleri sp. nov., Eugeniacrinites alexandrowiczi, E. cf. moravicus, E. sp., Eudesicrinus gluchowskii sp. nov. and Hemibrachiocrinus tithonicus sp. nov. are described and illustrated. Representatives of the genus Eudesicrinus, previously recorded only from the Lower Jurassic, are here shown to extend into the uppermost Jurassic. Other cyrtocrinids considered are common in Jurassic/Cretaceous strata across Europe. In the present faunules, isocrinid (Isocrinida), comatulid (Comatulida) and roveacrinid (Roveacrinida sensu Rasmussen, inclusive of Saccocoma) crinoids are associated.     

The role of Dsb proteins of Gram-negative bacteria in the process of pathogenesis

Tertiary and quaternary structures of extracytoplasmic proteins containing more than one cysteine residue often require introduction of disulfide bonds. This process takes place in an oxidative environment, such as the periplasm of Gram-negative bacteria, and is catalyzed by Dsb (disulfide bond formation) proteins. Mutations in dsb genes influence the conformation and stability of many extracytoplasmic proteins. Thus, many pathogens become partially or fully attenuated due to improper folding of proteins that act as virulence factors. This review summarizes the current knowledge on Dsb proteins and their effect on the pathogenicity of Gram-negative bacteria. The potential application of Dsb proteins in biotechnology is also discussed.     

Physiological and antioxidant responses of two accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana in different light and temperature conditions

During their lifetime, plants need to adapt to a changing environment, including light and temperature. To understand how these factors influence plant growth, we investigated the physiological and antioxidant responses of two Arabidopsis accessions, Shahdara (Sha) from the Shahdara valley (Tajikistan, Central Asia) in a mountainous area and Lovvik‐5 (Lov‐5) from northern Sweden to different light and temperature conditions. These accessions originate from different latitudes and have different life strategies, both of which are known to be influenced by light and temperature. We showed that both accessions grew better in high‐light and at a lower temperature (16°C) than in low light and at 23°C. Interestingly, Sha had a lower chlorophyll content but more efficient non‐photochemical quenching than Lov‐5. Sha, also showed a higher expression of vitamin E biosynthetic genes. We did not observe any difference in the antioxidant prenyllipid level under these conditions. Our results suggest that the mechanisms that keep the plastoquinone (PQ)‐pool in more oxidized state could play a role in the adaptation of these accessions to their local climatic conditions.     

Structural studies of the C‐terminal 19‐peptide of serum amyloid A and its Pro→Ala variants interacting with human cystatin C

Serum amyloid A (SAA) is a multifunctional acute‐phase protein whose concentration in serum increases markedly following a number of chronic inflammatory and neoplastic diseases. Prolonged high SAA level may give rise to reactive systemic amyloid A (AA) amyloidosis, where the N‐terminal segment of SAA is deposited as amyloid fibrils. Besides, recently, well‐documented association of SAA with high‐density lipoprotein or glycosaminoglycans, in particular heparin/heparin sulfate (HS), and specific interaction between SAA and human cystatin C (hCC), the ubiquitous inhibitor of cysteine proteases, was proved. Using a combination of selective proteolytic excision and high‐resolution mass spectrometry, a hCC binding site in the SAA sequence was determined as SAA(86–104). The role of this SAA C‐terminal fragment as a ligand‐binding locus is still not clear. It was postulated important in native SAA folding and in pathogenesis of AA amyloidosis. In the search of conformational details of this SAA fragment, we did its structure and affinity studies, including its selected double/triple Pro→Ala variants. Our results clearly show that the SAA(86–104) 19‐peptide has rather unordered structure with bends in its C‐terminal part, which is consistent with the previous results relating to the whole protein. The results of affinity chromatography, fluorescent ELISA‐like test, CD and NMR studies point to an importance of proline residues on structure of SAA(86–104). Conformational details of SAA fragment, responsible for hCC binding, may help to understand the objective of hCC–SAA complex formation and its importance for pathogenesis of reactive amyloid A amyloidosis. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Long-distance dispersal of a wolf, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Canis lupus</Emphasis>, in northwestern Europe

Several mammal species have recolonized their historical ranges across Europe during the last decades. In November 2012, a wolf-looking canid was found dead in Thy National Park (56° 56′ N, 8° 25′ E) in Jutland, Denmark. DNA from this individual and nine German wolves were genotyped using a genome-wide panel of 22,163 canine single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and compared to existing profiles based on the same marker panel obtained from northeastern Polish (n?=?13) wolves, domestic dogs (n?=?13) and known wolf-dog hybrids (n?=?4). The Thy canid was confirmed to be a wolf from the German-western Polish population, approximately 800 km to the southeast. Access to the German reference database on DNA profiles based on 13 autosomal microsatellites of German wolves made it possible to pinpoint the exact pack origin of the Thy wolf in Saxony, Germany. This was the first documented observation of a wolf in Denmark in 200 years and another example of long-distance dispersal of a carnivore.     

Influence of native and alien Prunus species and light conditions on performance of the leaf beetle Gonioctena quinquepunctata

The polyphagous beetle Gonioctena quinquepunctata Fabricius (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is a serious leaf pest of the native European bird cherry, Prunus padus L., and the invasive alien black cherry, Prunus serotina Ehrh. (Rosaceae). In the shade, leaf damage is extensive in both species, whereas in full light, it is extensive in P. padus, but very low in P. serotina. We determined the influence of Prunus species and light conditions on differences in performance of both sexes of this folivore. In a laboratory experiment in which larvae were fed with leaves of a single species grown under particular light conditions, we measured larval, pupal, and adult mass, efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI), duration of development, total food eaten, and relative growth rate. In the field, we observed differences in beetle mass on shrubs of the two species growing under various light conditions. From the field observations, we hypothesised that leaves of the invasive P. serotina are not an equally good food source as leaves of P. padus for G. quinquepunctata, and the preference of these beetles for shaded shrubs is most favourable for their growth and development. Under laboratory conditions, we found that the beetle growth rate was not affected significantly by Prunus species or light conditions, despite the significant effect of light condition on the structure and chemical composition of Prunus seedlings. The lower ECI value for larvae feeding on sunlit leaves was compensated for by their higher level of consumption. In the field, adult insect mass was higher on P. padus than on P. serotina, and higher on sunlit shrubs of both species than on shaded ones. Under natural conditions, the mass of adult insects is probably also affected by other factors, such as predators and competition among folivores.     

The influence of cell immobilization by biofilm forming on the biodegradation capabilities of bacterial consortia

Recent biodegradation researches are focused on improving the deterioration efficiency and maintaining the stability of microbial activity during the process. Immobilizing bacterial cells by using the adhesive method is a simple way to achieve both objectives. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how the immobilization of bacterial cells by the biofilm forming method influences the biodegradation efficiency of two different bacterial consortia—low diesel oil degraders (base deterioration efficiency < 40%) and high phenol degraders (base deterioration efficiency > 90%). The degradation tests were carried out on four different carriers (expanded clay pellets, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride rings and paperboard). The obtained results show that biofilms may considerably increase the efficiency of low degraders. The best diesel oil deterioration (80%) was achieved when paperboard was used as a carrier. However, the immobilization of high degraders did not significantly influence their base biodegradation potential. A 6% increase was noted only for the expanded clay pellets.     

UHPLC method for the simultaneous determination of β-blockers, isoflavones and their metabolites in human urine

A rapid-resolution ultra high-performance liquid chromatography separation method (UHPLC) for the simultaneous determination of the following β-blockers: milrinone, sotalol, metoprolol, propranolol and carvedilol, and their metabolites: 5′-hydroxylphenyl-carvedilol, O-desmethylcarvedilol, 4-hydroxypropranolol, α-hydroxy-metoprolol, O-desmethyl-metoprolol; the following isoflavones: genistein, daidzein, glycitin, glycitein, puerarin and biochanin A; as well as their metabolites: dihydrogenistein, desmethylglycitein, 8-hydroxygenistein, daidzein-7,4′-diglucoside, 8-hydroxydaidzein, dihydrobiochanin A in human urine was optimized. The analysed compounds were extracted from human urine by means of solid phase extraction (SPE). The effective UHPLC separation of the examined compounds was applied on a Hypersil GOLD? (50 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.9 μm) column with a gradient mobile phase system and a UV detector. The complete separation of all analytes was achieved within 8.0 min. The method was validated for the determination of the aforementioned substances in human urine. The linear ranges, limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ) for β-blockers, isoflavones and their metabolites were determined. The intra- and inter-day precision (%C.V.) was less than 4.48%, and the intra-day and inter-day accuracy was less than 4.74%. The tested SPE sorbent proved that appropriate absolute recoveries can be obtained for Oasis HLB (Waters). The mean recovery of the analytes, using the new SPE procedure, amounted from 70.14% to 99.85%. The present paper reports, for the first time, the method for the determination of β-blockers, isoflavones and their metabolites in human urine samples. The newly developed method was suitably validated and successfully applied for the analysis of the certain of the aforementioned analytes in human urine samples obtained from the patients suffering cardiovascular disease.     

Identification of the chromosome complement and the spontaneous 1R/1V translocations in allotetraploid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Secale cereale</Emphasis> × <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dasypyrum villosum</Emphasis> hybrids through cytogenetic approaches

Genome modifications that occur at the initial interspecific hybridization event are dynamic and can be consolidated during the process of stabilization in successive generations of allopolyploids. This study identifies the number and chromosomal location of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sites between Secale cereale, Dasypyrum villosum, and their allotetraploid S. cereale × D. villosum hybrids. For the first time, we show the advantages of FISH to reveal chromosome rearrangements in the tetraploid Secale × Dasypyrum hybrids. Based on the specific hybridization patterns of ribosomal 5S, 35S DNA and rye species-specific pSc200 DNA probes, a set of genotypes with numerous Secale/Dasypyrum translocations of 1R/1V chromosomes were identified in successive generations of allotetraploid S. cereale × D. villosum hybrids. In addition we analyse rye chromosome pairs using FISH with chromosome-specific DNA sequences on S. cereale × D. villosum hybrids.