Rapid calcium exchange for protons and potassium in cell walls of Chara

Net fluxes of Ca²⁺, H⁺ and K⁺ were measured from intact Chara australis cells and from isolated cell walls, using ion-selective microelectrodes. In both systems, a stimulation in Ca²⁺ efflux (up to 100 nmol m^?2 s^?1, from an influx of ～40 nmol m^?2 s^?1) was detected as the H⁺ or K⁺ concentration was progressively increased in the bathing solution (pH 7.0 to 4.6 or K⁺ 0.2 to 10mol m^?3, respectively). A Ca²⁺ influx of similar size occurred following the reverse changes. These fluxes decayed exponentially with a time constant of about 10 min. The threshold pH for Ca²⁺ efflux (pH 5.2) is similar to a reported pH threshold for acid-induced wall extensibility in a closely related characean species. Application of NH₄⁺ to intact cells caused prolonged H⁺ efflux and also transient Ca²⁺ efflux. We attribute all these net Ca²⁺ fluxes to exchange in the wall with H⁺ or K⁺. A theoretical treatment of the cell wall ion exchanges, using the ‘weak acid Donnan Manning’ (WADM) model, is given and it agrees well with the data. The role of Ca²⁺ in the cell wall and the effect of Ca²⁺ exchanges on the measured fluxes of other ions, including bathing medium acidification by H⁺ efflux, are discussed.     

Cell specific expression of three genes involved in plasma membrane sucrose transport in developingVicia faba seed

Summary In developing seeds ofVicia faba, transfer cells line the inner surface of the seed coat and the juxtaposed epidermal surface of the cotyledons. Circumstantial evidence, derived from anatomical and physiological studies, indicates that these cells are the likely sites of sucrose efflux to, and influx from, the seed apoplasm, respectively. In this study, expression of an H⁺/sucrose symporter-gene was found to be localised to the epidermal-transfer cell complexes of the cotyledons. The sucrose binding protein (SBP) gene was expressed in these cells as well as in the thin-walled parenchyma transfer cells of the seed coat. SBP was immunolocalised exclusively to the plasma membranes located in the wall ingrowth regions of the transfer cells. In addition, a plasma membrane H⁺-ATPase was most abundant in the wall ingrowth regions with decreasing levels of expression at increasing distance from the transfer cell layers. The observed co-localisation of high densities of a plasma membrane H⁺-ATPase and sucrose transport proteins to the wall ingrowths of the seed coat and cotyledon transfer cells provides strong evidence that these regions are the principal sites of facilitated membrane transport of sucrose to and from the seed apoplasm.Abbreviations BCIP 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl phosphate - DIG digoxigenin - H⁺-ATPase plasma membrane H⁺-translocating adenosine triphosphatase - Ig immunoglobulin - LeSUT1 tomato H⁺/sucrose symporter - SBP sucrose binding protein     

Effects of raised CO2 on potential CH4 production and oxidation in, and CH4 emission from, a boreal mire

1 In a glasshouse experiment we studied the effect of raised CO₂ concentration (720 p.p.m.) on CH₄ emission at natural boreal peat temperatures using intact cores of boreal peat with living vascular plants and Sphagnum mosses. After the end of the growing season half of the cores were kept unnaturally warm (17–20 °C). The potential for CH₄ production and oxidation was measured at the end of the emission experiment.
2 The vascular cores ('Sedge') consisted of a moss layer with sedges, and the moss cores (' Sphagnum ') of Sphagnum mosses (some sedge seedlings were removed by cutting). Methane efflux was 6–12 times higher from the Sedge cores than from the Sphagnum cores. The release of CH ₄ from Sedge cores increased with increasing temperature of the peat and decreased with decreasing temperature. Methane efflux from Sphagnum cores was quite stable independent of the peat temperatures.
3 In both Sedge and Sphagnum samples, CO₂ treatment doubled the potential CH₄ production but had no effect on the potential CH₄ oxidation. A raised concentration of CO₂ increased CH₄ efflux weakly and only at the highest peat temperatures (17–20 °C).
4 The results suggest that in cool regions, such as boreal wetlands, temperature would restrict decomposition of the extra substrates probably derived from enhanced primary production of mire vegetation under raised CO₂ concentrations, and would thus retard any consequent increase in CH₄ emission.     

Root border cells take up and release glucose-C

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Border cells are released from the root tips of many plant species, and can remain viable in the rhizosphere for 1 week. Whether border cells are capable of controlled glucose exchange with their environment was investigated. METHODS: Border cells were removed from Zea mays L. root tips, and immersed in (14)C-labelled D-glucose. In one experiment, the hexose transport inhibitor, phlorizin, was used to investigate active glucose uptake from a range of glucose concentrations. In another experiment, glucose efflux from border cells was monitored over time. KEY RESULTS: Glucose uptake by the border cells increased with increasing glucose concentration from 0.2 to 20 mm. At 0.2 mm glucose, uptake was mainly active, as evidenced by the approx. 60 % inhibition with phlorizin. At 2 and 20 mm glucose, however, uptake was mainly via diffusion, as phlorizin inhibition was negligible. Glucose efflux increased with time for live border cells in both 2 and 20 mm glucose. There was no clear efflux/time pattern for heat-killed border cells. CONCLUSIONS: Border cells actively take up glucose, and also release it. Under our experimental conditions, glucose uptake and efflux were of similar order of magnitude. In the rhizosphere net glucose exchange will almost certainly depend on local soil conditions.     

Belowground carbon cycling in a humid tropical forest decreases with fertilization

Only a small fraction of the carbon (C) allocated belowground by trees is retained by soils in long-lived, decay-resistant forms, yet because of the large magnitude of terrestrial primary productivity, even small changes in C allocation or retention can alter terrestrial C storage. The humid tropics exert a disproportionately large influence over terrestrial C storage, but C allocation and belowground retention in these ecosystems remain poorly quantified. Using mass balance and ¹³C isotope methods, we examined the effects of afforestation and fertilization, two land-use changes of large-scale importance, on belowground C cycling at a humid tropical site in Hawaii. Here we report that in unfertilized plots, 80% of the C allocated belowground by trees to roots and mycorrhizae was returned to the atmosphere within 1 year; 9% of the belowground C flux was retained in coarse roots and 11% was retained as new soil C. The gains in new soil C were offset entirely by losses of old soil C. Further, while fertilization early in stand development increased C storage in the litter layer and in coarse roots, it reduced by 22% the flux of C moving through roots and mycorrhizae into mineral soils. Because soil C formation rates related strongly to rhizosphere C flux, fertilization may reduce an already limited capacity of these forests to sequester decay-resistant soil C.     

氧化修饰使HDL促动脉平滑肌细胞胆固醇流出减少

为了研究氧化修饰对高密度脂蛋白（ＨＤＬ）转运细胞胆固醇地＾３Ｈ－胆固醇负荷的培养人动脉平滑肌细胞（ＳＭＣ）分别与天然ＨＤＬ及Ｃｕ＾２＋ａｋｇ ＨＯＣｌ氧化修饰的ＨＤＬ在３７℃温育不同时间后,分别测定细胞＾３Ｈ－胆固醇清除率。结果发现,温育２４ｈ后,经Ｃｕ＾２＋或ＨＯＬｌ氧修饰后的ＨＤＬ其细胞胆因醇清除率分别较天然ＨＤＬ下降了３０．０％和４３．１％（ｐ〈０．０１）。结果还发现,Ｃｕ＾２＋或ＨＯＣｌ氧     

细菌对消毒剂抗性机理研究进展

消毒剂通过抑制膜的主动运输、抑制微生物的代谢、扰乱微生物的DNA复制、使微生物细胞裂解而导致胞内成分渗漏以及使胞内物质凝结等方面发挥灭菌作用.消毒剂在杀灭细菌和控制细菌污染方面具有重要作用,但细菌对消毒剂也会产生抗性.细菌对消毒剂的抗性机制主要通过形成生物被膜,阻挡或外排机制减少消毒剂分子进入细胞,使消毒剂分子失活,以及其他表型性耐药等4个途径来实现,其中通过形成生物被膜阻止消毒剂分子进入细菌细胞或在进入细胞前使消毒剂失去效用,在细菌对消毒剂的抗性机制中具有重要作用.以实际污染的主要菌株为对象,研究它们对常用消毒剂的抗性机制,对控制细菌污染具有极大的应用价值和现实意义.     

染料木素对MRSA外排蛋白表达的影响

[目的] 研究染料木素对耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌（MRSA）外排蛋白的影响。[方法] 通过联合药敏实验检测染料木素影响MRSA对环丙沙星的敏感性;利用等重同位素多标签相对定量蛋白质组学（iTRAQ）技术,检测染料木素作用MRSA41577后菌体蛋白表达量的变化;通过生物信息学方法对差异显著的蛋白进行系统分析;通过qPCR和尼罗红外排实验,探讨耐药相关的蛋白介导细菌耐药的作用机制。[结果] 联合药敏实验结果显示,染料木素能增强MRSA对环丙沙星的敏感性;通过iTRAQ技术检测到差异显著蛋白共有129个,包括60个表达上调的蛋白和69个表达下调的蛋白;生物信息学分析结果显示,与细菌耐药相关的蛋白约有14个,其中,通过主动外排系统介导细菌耐药的蛋白主要有PstB、PstS等;qPCR结果显示,与对照组相比,PstB、PstS的基因表达量分别下降了51.6%和78.6%;尼罗红外排实验结果显示,染料木素与尼罗红之间存在竞争关系,为MRSA41577的竞争性抑制剂。[结论] 染料木素可通过降低MRSA41577外排基因pstB和pstS的mRNA表达量,进而影响PstB、PstS外排蛋白的表达来逆转细菌耐药;此外,染料木素还是MRSA41577的竞争性外排抑制剂,可通过与底物竞争外排的方式,使抗菌药物留在菌体内发挥抗菌作用。     

The sterol transporting heterodimer ABCG5/ABCG8 requires bile salts to mediate cholesterol efflux

The ATP binding cassette transporters ABCG5 and ABCG8 are indispensable for hepatobiliary cholesterol transport. In this study, we investigated the specificity of the heterodimer for cholesterol acceptors. Dog gallbladder epithelial cells were mono- or double-transfected with lentiviral mouse Abcg5 and Abcg8 vectors. Double-transfected cells showed increased efflux to different bile salt (BS) species, while mono-transfected cells did not show enhanced efflux. The efflux was initiated at micellar concentrations and addition of phosphatidylcholine increased efflux. Cholesterol secretion was highly BS dependent, whereas other cholesterol acceptors such as ApoAI, HDL or methyl-beta-cyclodextrin did not elicit Abcg5/g8 dependent cholesterol secretion.     

低浓度双氢哇巴因对豚鼠心室肌细胞内游离钙浓度的影响

用激光共聚焦显微镜检查研究低浓度双氢哇巴因（DHO）对豚鼠心室肌细胞内钙浓度（[Ca^2 ]i)的影响。DHO 1fmol/L-1 mmol/L可增加心室肌细胞的[Ca^2 ]i,尤其以10pmol/L DHO为显著,Nisoldipine,EGTA或TTX可分别部分抑制10pmol/L DHO的作用,去除胞外K^ 和Na^ 后,上述作用仍存在,以上结果表明,低浓度DHO中通过激活钙通道和TTX敏感的钠通道,或许还可直接促进胞内钙释放来增加[Ca^2 ]i,并有不依赖Na^ /K^ 泵而升高[Ca^2 ]i的作用。