Phytochemical Analysis of Biotechnological Raw Materials of Representatives of the Genus Potentilla L.

Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry - The genus Potentilla (Potentilla L.) is a member of the family Rosaceae, widespread in temperate, arctic, and alpine zones of the northern hemisphere. This...     

Centrosome and Golgi complex during differentiation of hepatocytes in early postnatal development of mice

The structure and functional activity of the centrosome was analyzed in hepatocytes of 5-day old mice, as well as the lengths of Golgi complex cistemae. In the early postnatal development of mice, the liver was represented by two types of hepatocytes: in the first type hepatocytes, the centrosome was active as an organizing center of microtubules, while in the second type hepatocytes, it was inactive. It was proposed that during ontogenesis the centrosome is inactivated as an organizing center of microtubules and activated as an organizing center of intermediate filaments characteristic for differentiated hepatocytes of adult liver. Morphometry of the Golgi complex has shown that Golgi cisternae in the cell center area of early postnatal hepatocytes were longer than in the adult hepatocytes and comparable to those in G1-phase hepatocytes of regenerating liver. The possibility of relations between the differences in the Golgi complex morphology and ontogenetic changes in the functional activity of centrosomes is discussed.     

Tissue specificity of metabolism in the bivalve mollusc <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anadara inaequivalvis</Emphasis> Br. under conditions of experimental anoxia

Peculiarities of the course of metabolic processes in tissues of the bivalve mollusc Anadara inaequivalvis Br. were studied under conditions of experimental anoxia. In the absence of oxygen, in gill and foot the protein catabolism processes were found to be enhanced; this led to a decrease of the protein content and to an increase of the free amino acid and urea levels. Predominantly hydrolyzed were low molecular peptides, which was indicated by a decrease of the cathepsin D activity on the background of a rise of the γ-glutamyltranspeptidase activity. Anoxia was accompanied by enhancement of the succinate thiokinase and fumarate reductase reactions controlled by alanine and aspartate aminotransferases. This prevented accumulation of toxic lactate in tissues and allowed obtaining an additional macroerg resource. Metabolic processes in the mollusc hepatopancreas were oriented to production of amino acids.     

Pesticide exposure: the hormonal function of the female reproductive system disrupted?

Some pesticides may interfere with the female hormonal function, which may lead to negative effects on the reproductive system through disruption of the hormonal balance necessary for proper functioning. Previous studies primarily focused on interference with the estrogen and/or androgen receptor, but the hormonal function may be disrupted in many more ways through pesticide exposure. The aim of this review is to give an overview of the various ways in which pesticides may disrupt the hormonal function of the female reproductive system and in particular the ovarian cycle. Disruption can occur in all stages of hormonal regulation: 1. hormone synthesis; 2. hormone release and storage; 3. hormone transport and clearance; 4. hormone receptor recognition and binding; 5. hormone postreceptor activation; 6. the thyroid function; and 7. the central nervous system. These mechanisms are described for effects of pesticide exposure in vitro and on experimental animals in vivo. For the latter, potential effects of endocrine disrupting pesticides on the female reproductive system, i.e. modulation of hormone concentrations, ovarian cycle irregularities, and impaired fertility, are also reviewed. In epidemiological studies, exposure to pesticides has been associated with menstrual cycle disturbances, reduced fertility, prolonged time-to-pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, stillbirths, and developmental defects, which may or may not be due to disruption of the female hormonal function. Because pesticides comprise a large number of distinct substances with dissimilar structures and diverse toxicity, it is most likely that several of the above-mentioned mechanisms are involved in the pathophysiological pathways explaining the role of pesticide exposure in ovarian cycle disturbances, ultimately leading to fertility problems and other reproductive effects. In future research, information on the ways in which pesticides may disrupt the hormonal function as described in this review, can be used to generate specific hypotheses for studies on the effects of pesticides on the ovarian cycle, both in toxicological and epidemiological settings.     

Phylogeny of the Drosophila saltans species group based on combined analysis of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences

Nucleotide sequences from two nuclear loci, alcohol dehydrogenase and internal transcribed spacer-1 of the nuclear ribosomal DNA repeats, and two mitochondrial genes, cytochrome oxidase I and cytochrome oxidase II, were determined from nine species in the Drosophila saltans species group. The partition homogeneity test and partitioned Bremer support were used to measure incongruence between phylogenetic hypotheses generated from individual partitions. Individual loci were generally congruent with each other and consistent with the previously proposed morphological hypothesis, although they differed in level of resolution. Since extreme conflict between partitions did not exist, the data were combined and analyzed simultaneously. The total evidence method gave a more resolved and highly supported phylogeny, as indicated by bootstrap proportions and decay indices, than did any of the individual analyses. The cordata and elliptica subgroups, considered to have diverged early in the history of the D. saltans group, were sister taxa to the remainder of the saltans group. The sturtevanti subgroup, represented by D. milleri and D. sturtevanti, occupies an intermediate position in this phylogeny. The saltans and parasaltans subgroups are sister clades and occupy the most recently derived portion of the phylogeny. As with previous morphological studies, phylogenetic relationships within the saltans subgroup were not satisfactorily resolved by the molecular data.      

Phylogenetic analysis supports horizontal transfer of P transposable elements

Nucleotide sequence comparisons were used to investigate the evolution of P transposable elements and the possibility that horizontal transfer has played a role in their occurrence in natural populations of Drosophila and other Diptera. The phylogeny of P elements was examined using published sequences from eight dipteran taxa and a new, partial sequence from Scaptomyza elmoi. The results from a number of different analyses are highly consistent and reveal a P-element phylogeny that contradicts the phylogeny of the species. At least three instances of horizontal transfer are necessary to explain this incongruence, but other explanations cannot be ruled out at this time.      

Morphologic analysis of guinea pig bone regeneration following curettage]

Interrelation of stromal and hemopoietic elements in the regenerative process of the guinea-pig bone marrow at different time after curettage has been morphologically studied. The bone marrow regenerative process in the depleted medullary cavity of the guinea-pig tibial bone passes through several phases following each other: blood clot formation, rough-fibrillary osseous tissue formation, its resorption, development of sinusoids and formation of reticular stroma with subsequent repopulation of hemopoietic elements in it. The leading role in the process of the bone marrow restoration belongs to the reticular stroma creating specific microconditions for hemopoiesis.     

Differences in growth and water relations among Phaseolus vulgaris cultivars in response to induced drought stress

Relatively little ecophysiological research has been conducted to determine the responses to drought of Phaseolus vulgaris. Four bean cultivars (cvs.) from Brazil, A320, Carioca, Ouro Negro and Xodó were submitted to an imposed water deficit in order to evaluate the importance of some adaptive mechanisms of drought resistance through the analysis of growth parameters, water status, gas exchange and indicators of tolerance mechanisms at the cellular level. During the drought treatment, relative growth rates were more reduced for A320 and Xodó than Carioca and Ouro Negro. A320 closed its stomata very rapidly and complete stomatal closure was obtained at Psi(w)=-0.6 MPa, in contrast to the other cvs. where stomata were fully closed only at Psi(w)=-0.9 MPa. Net assimilation rates were closely related to stomatal conductances. Mechanisms at the cellular level appeared to be mostly important for higher tolerance. Carioca and Ouro Negro, when compared to A320 and Xodó, were characterized by having better drought tolerance mechanisms and higher tissue water retention capacity leading to a better growth under water deficits. The leaf dehydration rates of those cvs. were slow whereas those of the drought sensitive cvs. were rapid. The results were confirmed by the electrolyte leakage test and leaf osmotic potential measurements, which indicated higher membrane resistance and osmotic adjustment in the two tolerant cvs. Carioca and Ouro Negro. It appears from this study that despite being cultivated in the same geographical region, the four cvs. of P. vulgaris displayed somewhat different drought adaptive capacities for prolonged drought during the vegetative phase.     

Role of phytochrome B in organ formation processes in Cucumis sativus L.

The role of phytochrome B in the organogenesis process in the apical and axillary shoot meristems during early ontogenesis stages in cucumber Cucumis sativus L. at photoperiods (day/night) 10/14, 16/8 h, and continuous light in comparison with wild type plants and phytochrome B-deficient mutant (lh-mutant) was investigated. In mutant phytochrome B, deficiency caused inhibition of initiation of leaves both in the main shoot and lateral shoots and increased the number of flower buds (IV stage of organogenesis). With continuous light, the number of lateral shoots and flowers during stage IV of organogenesis in wild-type plants increased twofold in comparison with the mutant. Short-term temperature drops did not induce floral ontogenesis in mutants but increased the number of off-shoots in both experimental variants during a long photoperiod and continuous lighting. We propose that phytochrome B, by increasing the compactness of chromatin, may facilitate coordination of ontogenesis processes with changing environmental conditions.