Both foliar and residual applications of herbicides that inhibit amino acid biosynthesis induce alternative respiration and aerobic fermentation in pea roots

The objective of this work was to ascertain whether there is a general pattern of carbon allocation and utilisation in plants following herbicide supply, independent of the site of application: sprayed on leaves or supplied to nutrient solution. The herbicides studied were the amino acid biosynthesis‐inhibiting herbicides (ABIH): glyphosate, an inhibitor of aromatic amino acid biosynthesis, and imazamox, an inhibitor of branched‐chain amino acid biosynthesis. All treated plants showed impaired carbon metabolism; carbohydrate accumulation was detected in both leaves and roots of the treated plants. The accumulation in roots was due to lack of use of available sugars as growth was arrested, which elicited soluble carbohydrate accumulation in the leaves due to a decrease in sink strength. Under aerobic conditions, ethanol fermentative metabolism was enhanced in roots of the treated plants. This fermentative response was not related to a change in total respiration rates or cytochrome respiratory capacity, but an increase in alternative oxidase capacity was detected. Pyruvate accumulation was detected after most of the herbicide treatments. These results demonstrate that both ABIH induce the less‐efficient, ATP‐producing pathways, namely fermentation and alternative respiration, by increasing the key metabolite, pyruvate. The plant response was similar not only for the two ABIH but also after foliar or residual application.     

Estrogenicity and Genotoxicity Detection in Different Contaminated Waters

Owing that Oreochromis niloticus is resistant to different aquatic environments, four contaminated sites were selected: decentralized engineered ecosystem (DEE) and conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTP); urban lagoon; and gasoline-contaminated marshland. Endocrine disruption was assessed by alkali-labile phosphate (ALP) quantification, genotoxicity by micronuclei frequency, and morphological changes by hepatosomatic and gonadosomatic indexes. The ALP baseline of non-exposed O. niloticus males was low, compared with other fish species in the literature. Endocrine disruption was observed in fish exposed to raw wastewater of WWTP and DEE, discharge point of channeled river in the urban lagoon, and water from gasoline-contaminated marshland. After treatment in the DEE, the endocrine disruption effect was removed. The micronuclei frequency corroborated with the ALP results in most cases and proved to be a useful tool to assess genotoxicity in fish. The exposure time of 15 days was not enough to provoke morphological effects in most samples. However, in all gasoline-contaminated samples, the fishes showed an increase in the hepatosomatic index followed by a decrease in the gonadosomatic index. The tested biomarkers showed feasibility, sensibility, reproducibility, and were complementary in the assessment of chronic ecotoxicity; therefore, we recommend them to compose a suitable protocol for aquatic monitoring programs.     

磷酸盐对盐藻生长与物质积累的调控作用

实验研究了不同浓度的磷酸盐对盐藻细胞生长与物质积累的调控作用。结果表明,培养液中供给磷过多或过少都不利于盐藻细胞的生长与物质积累。以培养基中30mg/L的磷浓度对盐藻细胞生长、蛋白质合成与β-胡萝卜素积累的促进作用最大。培养液中磷浓度提高会使盐藻细胞生长与物质积累受到抑制。在培养液中的磷浓度为0mg/L时,单个盐藻细胞中的蛋白质含量最高。     

Preparation, properties, and uses of two fluorogenic substrates for the detection of 5'-(venom) and 3'-(spleen) nucleotide phosphodiesterases

A new method for ³H-labeling of native collagen and a specific microassay for collagenase activity are presented. Acid-soluble type I collagen derived from rat tail tendons was reacted with pyridoxal phosphate and then reduced with NaB³H₄ to yield [³H]collagen with a specific activity of more than 10 μCi/mg. With respect to rate of hydrolysis, trypsin susceptibility, and gelling properties this collagen compares favorably with biosynthetically labeled preparations. It was shown that chemical labeling procedures such as this, or N-acetylation with acetic anhydride, do not adversely affect properties of collagen which are important for its use as substrate in specific assays. The microassay employs 50-μl [³H]collagen gels (1 mg/ml) dispensed in microtest plates. At 36°C this assay combines rapid rate of hydrolysis with low trypsin susceptibility. As little as 1 ng of clostridial collagenase activity can be measured reproducibly. The high specific activity of the [³H]collagen allowed us to explore microassay conditions employing minute quantities of substrate in solution. These studies indicated that native type I collagen whether labeled or not, is cleaved in the helical region by trypsin at subdenaturation temperatures. It was concluded that, in order to remain specific, collagenase assays with collagen in solution as with collagen in fibrils must be performed at 10–12°C below the denaturation temperature, i.e., at 35–37°C with collagen gels and 27–29°C with collagen in solution.     

Differential gene expression in Giardia lamblia under oxidative stress: Significance in eukaryotic evolution

Giardia lamblia is a unicellular, early branching eukaryote causing giardiasis, one of the most common human enteric diseases. Giardia, a microaerophilic protozoan parasite has to build up mechanisms to protect themselves against oxidative stress within the human gut (oxygen concentration 60 μM) to establish its pathogenesis. G. lamblia is devoid of the conventional mechanisms of the oxidative stress management system, including superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and glutathione cycling, which are present in most eukaryotes. NADH oxidase is a major component of the electron transport chain of G. lamblia, which in concurrence with disulfide reductase, protects oxygen-labile proteins such as pyruvate: ferredoxin oxidoreductase against oxidative stress by sustaining a reduced intracellular environment. It also contains the arginine dihydrolase pathway, which occurs in a number of anaerobic prokaryotes, includes substrate level phosphorylation and adequately active to make a major contribution to ATP production.     

Binding of amphipathic α-helical antimicrobial peptides to lipid membranes: Lessons from temporins B and L

Temporins constitute a family of amphipathic α-helical antimicrobial peptides (AMP) and contain some of the shortest cytotoxic peptides, comprised of only 10-14 residues. General characteristics of temporins parallel those of other AMP, both in terms of structural features and biophysical properties relating to their interactions with membrane lipids, with selective lipid-binding properties believed to underlie the discrimination between target vs host cells. Lipid-binding properties also contribute to the cytotoxicity AMP, causing permeabilization of their target cell membranes. The latter functional property of AMP involves highly interdependent acidic phospholipid-induced conformational changes, aggregation, and formation of toxic oligomers in the membrane. These oligomers are subsequently converted to amyloid-type fibers, as demonstrated for e.g. temporins B and L in our laboratory, and more recently for dermaseptins by Auvynet et al. Amyloid state represents the generic minimum in the folding/aggregation free energy landscape, and for AMP its formation most likely serves to detoxify the peptides, in keeping with the current consensus on mature amyloid being inert and non-toxic. The above scenario is supported by sequence analyses of temporins as well as other amphipathic α-helical AMP belonging to diverse families. Accordingly, sequence comparison identifies ‘conformational switches’, domains with equal probabilities for adopting random coil, α-helical and β-sheet structures. These regions were further predicted also to aggregate and assemble into amyloid β-sheets. Taken together, the lipid-binding properties and structural characterization lend support to the notion that the mechanism of membrane permeabilization by temporins B and L and perhaps of most AMP could be very similar, if not identical, to that of the paradigm amyloid forming cytotoxic peptides, responsible for degenerative cell loss in e.g. prion, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, and type 2 diabetes.     

Mineralization of dissolved organic phosphorus from a shallow eutrophic lake

Release of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) from dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP), concentrated by reverse osmosis of water samples from Lough Neagh Northern Ireland, was measured in the presence of enzymes and cultures of lake water bacteria in a basal liquid medium adjusted to the pH of lake water (7.6). No hydrolysis of unfractionated DOP was observed in the presence of alkaline phosphatase but a combination of alkaline phosphatase and phosphodiesterase mineralized 14% of DOP in a 30 day incubation period at 15 °C. A similar amount of mineralization was attained by phytase. Phytase induced the same degree of mineralization in a range of DOP fractions varying from MW > 100 000 to c. 500. A mixed culture of lake water bacteria mineralized 12% of unfractionated DOP. Single cultures of lake water bacteria displayed low mineralizing activity (mean of 49 cultures = 5% DOP hydrolysed). Results indicate that DOP from Lough Neagh in the above molecular weight range is predominantly recalcitrant to bacterial mineralization under natural lake conditions.     

稻草易地还土对丘陵红壤有机质和主要物理性质的影响

选取新垦坡地和熟化旱地2种典型土地利用类型,研究了稻草易地还土对丘陵红壤有机质含量和主要物理性质的影响,并探讨了土壤有机质、田间持水量、容重、孔隙度间的相关性.结果表明稻草易地还土可提高丘陵红壤有机质含量,改良土壤物理性质,增强土壤蓄水性能.与不施肥或化肥处理相比,稻草易地还土提高了耕层(0～20 cm)土壤有机质含量5.8%～28.9%和＞0.25 mm水稳性大团聚体含量;降低了亚表层(10～15 cm)土壤容重,降低幅度为4.5%～7.5%,提高了亚表层土壤的田间持水量和孔隙度,提高幅度分别为6.8%～16.2%和4.8%～7.7%(P＜0.05).相关分析表明,土壤有机质含量(0～20 cm)与亚表层土壤容重(r=-0.799)、孔隙度(r=0.803)、田间持水量(r=0.844)呈极显著相关(P＜0.01);表层、亚表层土壤田间持水量与土壤容重(r=-0.638)、孔隙度(r=0.664)呈显著相关(P＜0.05).     

Phosphate Solubilizing Bacillus megaterium mj1212 Regulates Endogenous Plant Carbohydrates and Amino Acids Contents to Promote Mustard Plant Growth

The current study was conducted to explore the potential of a phosphate solubilizing soil bacterium, Bacillus megaterium mj1212 for enhancing the growth of mustard plants. The newly isolated bacterial strain mj1212 was identified as B. megaterium using phylogenetic analysis and, its phosphate solubilization ability was shown by the clear zone formation on National Botanical Research Institute’s Phosphate medium. Moreover, the phosphate solubilization ability of B. megaterium mj1212 was enhanced by optimal culture conditions at pH 7.0 and 35 °C which might be due to the presence of malic and quinic acid in the culture medium. The beneficial effect of B. megaterium mj1212 in mustard plants was determined by an increasing shoot length, root length and fresh weight of plants. In the biochemical analysis revealed that chlorophyll, sucrose, glucose, fructose and amino acids (Asp, Thr, Ser, Glu, Gly, Ala, Cys, Val, Met, Ilu, Leu, Tyr, Phe, Lys, His, Arg and Pro) were higher in B. megaterium mj1212 treated plants, when compared to their control. The result of present study suggests that B. megaterium mj1212 treatment could be act as phosphate biofertilizer to improve the plant growth.