Sodium—A Functional Plant Nutrient

Plant scientists usually classify plant mineral nutrients based on the concept of “essentiality” defined by Arnon and Stout as those elements necessary to complete the life cycle of a plant. Certain other elements such as Na have a ubiquitous presence in soils and waters and are widely taken up and utilized by plants, but are not considered as plant nutrients because they do not meet the strict definition of “essentiality.” Sodium has a very specific function in the concentration of carbon dioxide in a limited number of C₄ plants and thus is essential to these plants, but this in itself is insufficient to generalize that Na is essential for higher plants. The unique set of roles that Na can play in plant metabolism suggests that the basic concept of what comprises a plant nutrient should be reexamined. We contend that the class of plant mineral nutrients should be comprised not only of those elements necessary for completing the life cycle, but also those elements which promote maximal biomass yield and/or which reduce the requirement (critical level) of an essential element. We suggest that nutrients functioning in this latter manner should be termed “functional nutrients.” Thus plant mineral nutrients would be comprised of two major groups, “essential nutrients” and “functional nutrients.” We present an array of evidence and arguments to support the classification of Na as a “functional nutrient,” including its requirement for maximal biomass growth for many plants and its demonstrated ability to replace K in a number of ways, such as being an osmoticium for cell enlargement and as an accompanying cation for long-distance transport. Although in this paper we have only attempted to make the case for Na being a “functional nutrient,” other elements such as Si and Se may also confirm to the proposed category of “functional nutrients.”     

Habitat edges and predator-prey interactions: effects on critical patch size.

We use partial differential equation models to examine the effects of cross-edge incursions by a predator on the persistence or extinction of a patch-resident prey species. For each of two predator-incursion profiles (namely, a constant incursion distance and a constant loss rate for predators during incursions), we examine the conditions under which the predator can (and cannot) influence the critical patch size of a prey species.     

Salmonella spp. are affected by different levels of water activity in closed microcosms

Controlling water activity (a _w) can significantly impact the growth of Salmonella in poultry litter and manure — a phenomenon that was studied quantitatively using two common serotypes of Salmonella. The quantitative effect of changes in levels of a _w on Salmonella populations was determined using inoculated, frosted glass rectangles placed in closed chambers (microcosms). Glass rectangles with known concentrations of Salmonella enteritidis and S. brandenburg were placed in microcosms maintained at an a _w level of 0.893 for 24 h at room temperature (RT) and then transferred to other microcosms maintained at the same temperature but with higher a _w levels (0.932 and 0.987). Salmonella populations on the slides were quantified at 4, 18, 24, and 48 h. Slightly elevated levels of a _w (<0.1, i.e., 10% equilibrium relative humidity) for 24 h resulted in a 100-fold increase in counts of Salmonella. The data also suggested that in vitro adaptation to dry environments may occur when the organisms are exposed to alternating levels of relatively high and low (0.987 and 0.893) levels of a _w. Any increased tolerance of Salmonella to reduced levels of a _w could be the result of physico-chemical changes in the organism due to selective environmental pressure, formation of a protective biofilm, and/or entry into a dormant state. Results from this study are compatible with those from previously reported on-farm surveys, reinforcing the contention that maintaining a _w below 0.85 in and around litter/manure surfaces in poultry or livestock bedding areas may be a critical factor in safe production of food. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2001) 26, 222–225. Received 18 May 2000/ Accepted in revised form 24 January 2001     

Why is Aucuba japonica Smaller in Heavy Snowfall Areas? A Growth Simulation of Evergreen Broad-leaved Shrubs based on Shoot Allometry, Critical Shoot Sizes for Flowering and Photosynthetic Production

Aucuba japonica , an evergreen broad-leaved shrub. The model is based on the allometry of plant organs and incorporates the processes of flowering, branching, and allocation of biomass among different organs. Growth of model plants was simulated under different values of annual gross production per leaf area (LGP) for 15 years. The tree form was mainly determined by the critical shoot size for initiating flowering (SF), but the average increase of new shoot mass (INM) for two successive years had marked effects on the growth pattern of A. japonica in addition to SF. Under small LGP conditions, plants with larger SF did not flower or postponed the initiation of flowering. With increasing LGP, plants with larger SF had a greater advantage because of their high efficiency for vertical growth. A smaller SF was observed in A. japonica var. borealis, which is distributed in heavy snowfall areas, and resulted in precocious flowering with a higher reproductive rate. The small plant size and shoot size of var. borealis may be the result of selection for preventing the delay of the year in which reproduction starts under smaller LGP conditions. On the other hand, the large SF of A. japonica var. japonica, which is distributed in light snowfall areas, suppresses flowering under small LGP conditions, and flowering occurs only after achieving a certain amount of vertical growth. Received 8 July 1999/ Accepted in revised form 21 December 2000     

Regeneration of a Gentiana pneumonanthe population in an oligotrophic wet meadow

Abstract. The aim of this study was to evaluate the critical phases of the life cycle of Gentiana pneumonanthe, the marsh gentian, a threatened species of the Bohemian flora. The effect of various conditions on germination and seedling establishment and the possible effect of competition on the performance of the species were tested. Seeds were sown in plots which were subjected to four treatments in a randomized complete blocks experiment: unmanaged meadow, mown meadow, burned meadow, and meadow with cut sod. The significantly highest recruitment was found in plots with cut sod, the lowest in the unmanaged control plots. Seedling survival also differed among the treatments. In the following year surviving individuals were only found in plots with cut sod. The influence of neighbouring vegetation on target gentian individuals was evaluated by removing the surrounding vegetation and comparing the performance of these individuals with controls. The initial height of each individual was measured and used as a covariable. No significant effect of neighbouring vegetation on performance was detected. Thus, the establishment phase appears to be critical for population persistence and is also more influenced by the management regime than other stages of the life cycle.     

Quality control of Utermöhl-based phytoplankton counting and biovolume estimates—an easy task or a Gordian knot?

The most suitable way for standardizing biovolume based assemblage analysis using the Utermöhl technique for counting combined with biomass conversion has not yet been found even though this method has been successfully used in plankton studies for many years. Due to the complexity of the approach easily applicable steps to initially meet primary standard end point or target counts for intra-laboratory standardization tested here seem promising. Examples from count validation and biometric data from the large datasets of three laboratories are given. The first two examples initially intended to quantify the taxon specific scatter of counts by (A) using identical replica of field samples combined with a half-chamber count (scan of every second transect) and the 30 random field approach, respectively, and (B) the replication of transect counts in one sample. Both examples identified relatively low minimum count thresholds to delimit counting errors for single cell counts. The third example identifies shape variability and allometric relationships of the main axes and shows a way to improve taxon specific biomass estimates with special reference to cell thickness. However improved precision of quantitative phytoplankton analysis requires optimization of combined counting strategy and biovolume assessment methods.     

AlphaFold and the amyloid landscape

Protein aggregation is a widespread phenomenon with important implications in many scientific areas. Although amyloid formation is typically considered as detrimental, functional amyloids that perform physiological roles have been identified in all kingdoms of life. Despite their functional and pathological relevance, the structural details of the majority of molecular species involved in the amyloidogenic process remains elusive. Here, we explore the application of AlphaFold, a highly accurate protein structure predictor, in the field of protein aggregation. While we envision a straightforward application of AlphaFold in assisting the design of globular proteins with improved solubility for biomedical and industrial purposes, the use of this algorithm for predicting the structure of aggregated species seems far from trivial. First, in amyloid diseases, the presence of multiple amyloid polymorphs and the heterogeneity of aggregation intermediates challenges the “one sequence, one structure” paradigm, inherent to sequence-based predictions. Second, aberrant aggregation is not the subject of positive selective pressure, precluding the use of evolutionary-based approaches, which are the core of the AlphaFold pipeline. Instead, amyloid polymorphism seems to be constrained by the need for a defined structure-activity relationship in functional amyloids. They may thus provide a starting point for the application of AlphaFold in the amyloid landscape.     

The effects of soluble-Al on root growth and radicle elongation

Summary In order to determine the effects of concentration on plant growth, aluminium (Al) was extracted (10^–3 M CaCl₂) from 4 acid brown hill soils which had been treated with superphosphate at rates equivalent to 0 to 300 kg P ha^–1. The soils ranged in pH (CaCl₂) from 3.5 to 4.9, and Al concentration from 0 to 0.6 mM. The effects of Al on ryegrass growth in the 4 soils in a glasshouse was compared with its effect on radicle elongation of seeds germinated in contact with CaCl₂ extracts from the same soils.Ryegrass root growth in the glasshouse, and radicle elongation in the bioassay test were both unaffected by Al concentrations below 0.1 mM. Root growth was substantially reduced when Al concentration exceeded 0.1 mM and above 0.2 mM growth was almost completely inhibited. Radicle elongation rate was also reduced when the concentration of Al was greater than 0.2 mM agreeing well with the observation from the pot experiment.It is concluded that because of its speed and convenience the bioassay method offers a useful method of establishing critical levels of Al for crop plants.     

不同氧浓度对骨髓源内皮祖细胞分泌促血管新生相关生长因子的影响

目的:观察培养环境不同氧浓度对骨髓源内皮祖细胞分泌促血管新生相关生长因子的影响。方法:利用密度梯度离心技术分离SD大鼠骨髓单个核细胞,向内皮祖细胞进行诱导分化、扩增、培养和鉴定。然后在不同氧浓度(1%,5%,21%)的环境中培养,于第3天,7天,10天采用酶联免疫吸附试验检测内皮祖细胞分泌血管内皮生长因子(Vascular endothelial growth factor,VEGF)、基质细胞衍生因子-1α(Stromal-derived factor-1α, SDF-1α)、胰岛素样生长因子I(Insulin-like growth factor-I, IGF-I)等生长因子的水平。结果:第3天,不同氧浓度下各组EPC分泌VEGF、SDF-1α、IGF-I无明显差异(P均0.05)。第7天和第10天,各组EPC分泌IGF-I无明显差异(P均0.05);但是和21%氧浓度相比,相对低氧浓度(1%和5%)能够明显增强EPC分泌VEGF和SDF-1α(P均0.001)。结论:适当时间的低氧环境培养能够显著刺激内皮祖细胞分泌VEGF和SDF-1α,进而增强其促血管新生能力。     

Geographic variation in critical photoperiod for diapause induction and its temperature dependence in Hyphantria cunea Drury (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae)

The fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea Drury (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae), was introduced from North America to Japan half a century ago. The critical photoperiod for diapause induction and its temperature dependence, as defined by the difference in the critical photoperiod between 20 and 25°C, were investigated in order to understand the mechanisms behind a shift from bi- to trivoltine life cycles. The critical photoperiod for diapause induction was shorter in the southern trivoltine populations than in the northern bivoltine populations, and this was more marked at 25°C than at 20°C. Although the critical photoperiod showed a positive correlation with the original latitude, the correlation was relatively low at both temperatures. Conversely, temperature dependence of the critical photoperiod for diapause induction correlated negatively with the original latitude. The trivoltine populations showed greater temperature sensitivity than the bivoltine populations. These results suggest that an increase in temperature sensitivity of the diapause response to photoperiods was involved in the shift to a trivoltine life cycle. The crossing experiments suggested that the photoperiodic control of diapause induction and its temperature dependence are under polygenic control without sex-linkage. Received: 29 October 1996 / Accepted: 26 February 1997