Mind the gap: non‐biological processes contributing to soil CO2 efflux

Widespread recognition of the importance of soil CO₂ efflux as a major source of CO₂ to the atmosphere has led to active research. A large soil respiration database and recent reviews have compiled data, methods, and current challenges. This study highlights some deficiencies for a proper understanding of soil CO₂ efflux focusing on processes of soil CO₂ production and transport that have not received enough attention in the current soil respiration literature. It has mostly been assumed that soil CO₂ efflux is the result of biological processes (i.e. soil respiration), but recent studies demonstrate that pedochemical and geological processes, such as geothermal and volcanic CO₂ degassing, are potentially important in some areas. Besides the microbial decomposition of litter, solar radiation is responsible for photodegradation or photochemical degradation of litter. Diffusion is considered to be the main mechanism of CO₂ transport in the soil, but changes in atmospheric pressure and thermal convection may also be important mechanisms driving soil CO₂ efflux greater than diffusion under certain conditions. Lateral fluxes of carbon as dissolved organic and inorganic carbon occur and may cause an underestimation of soil CO₂ efflux. Traditionally soil CO₂ efflux has been measured with accumulation chambers assuming that the main transport mechanism is diffusion. New techniques are available such as improved automated chambers, CO₂ concentration profiles and isotopic techniques that may help to elucidate the sources of carbon from soils. We need to develop specific and standardized methods for different CO₂ sources to quantify this flux on a global scale. Biogeochemical models should include biological and non‐biological CO₂ production processes before we can predict the response of soil CO₂ efflux to climate change. Improving our understanding of the processes involved in soil CO₂ efflux should be a research priority given the importance of this flux in the global carbon budget.     

Inhibiting PHGDH with NCT-503 reroutes glucose-derived carbons into the TCA cycle,independently of its on-target effect

The small-molecule inhibitor of phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase, NCT-503, reduces incorporation of glucose-derived carbons into serine in vitro. Here we describe an off-target effect of NCT-503 in neuroblastoma cell lines expressing divergent phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH) levels and single-cell clones with CRISPR-Cas9-directed PHGDH knockout or their respective wildtype controls. NCT-503 treatment strongly reduced synthesis of glucose-derived citrate in all cell models investigated compared to the inactive drug control and independent of PHGDH expression level. Incorporation of glucose-derived carbons entering the TCA cycle via pyruvate carboxylase was enhanced by NCT-503 treatment. The activity of citrate synthase was not altered by NCT-503 treatment. We also detected no change in the thermal stabilisation of citrate synthase in cellular thermal shift assays from NCT-503-treated cells. Thus, the direct cause of the observed off-target effect remains enigmatic. Our findings highlight off-target potential within a metabolic assessment of carbon usage in cells treated with the small-molecule inhibitor, NCT-503.     

Evolutionarily conserved thermal biology across continents: The North American lizard Plestiodon gilberti (Scincidae) compared to Asian Plestiodon

1.

The lizard genus Plestiodon (Scincidae; formerly Eumeces) is widespread in North America and Asia, but the thermal biology of only a few species has been studied.     

Thermal Energy and the Origin of Life

Life has evolved on Earth with electromagnetic radiation (light), fermentable organic molecules, and oxidizable chemicals as sources of energy. Biological use of thermal energy has not been observed although heat, and the thermal gradients required to convert it into free energy, are ubiquitous and were even more abundant at the time of the origin of life on Earth. Nevertheless, Earth-organisms sense thermal energy, and in suitable environments may have gained the capability to use it as energy source. It has been proposed that the first organisms obtained their energy by a first protein named pF₁ that worked on a thermal variation of the binding change mechanism of today's ATP sythase enzyme. Organisms using thermosynthesis may still live where light or chemical energy sources are not available. Possible suitable examples are subsurface environments on Earth and in the outer Solar System, in particular the subsurface oceans of the icy satellites of Jupiter and Saturn.     

基于光纤测温技术的城市地表温度精细化分析

城市景观空间构型与热岛效应关联性较强,研究高时空分辨率的城市不同下垫面地表温度变化,可以更加精细地掌握城市热环境的时空特征。光纤温度传感系统具有实时在线、测温精度高和不受电磁干扰等优点,具备实时、在线、连续开展城市地表温度在线监测的能力。在北京市通州某园区内,选择有太阳辐射的4个时段,对多种类型下垫面的地表温度进行了时间间隔为1 min、空间间隔为1 m的连续4 h、总长度为100 m的实时在线监测。通过对监测时间段内不同类型下垫面地表温度的变化分析,发现这种分布式光纤测温系统能够有效辨识小尺度下地表温度的时间变化性和空间变化性,能有效区分透水和不透水地面,并监测和评估沥青马路地表温度的升温速率以及遮荫效果对地表温度的降温作用。同时,这种监测模式获取的数据能够对地表温度空间序列开展自相关分析,进一步验证了地表温度空间序列在较小尺度上仍然具有自相关性,且距离越近,相关性越大。研究同时表明,光纤测温技术能直接地获取城市热环境的现场真实数据,可以有效应用于小尺度城市热环境的观测与研究。     

Thermal acclimation and hardening in tadpoles of the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana

1. 1.|Critical thermal maxima (CTMax) and minima (CTMin) were measured to evalute thermal hardening in Rana catesbeiana.

2. 2.|Tadpoles show heat hardening and CTMax acclimation, and both responses are influenced by developmental stage.

3. 3.|The first evidence of cold hardening in vertebrates is reported here.

4. 4.|Heat hardening significantly reduces cold tolerance, but there is otherwise no evidence of a cross-hardening effect.

高山植物唐古特山莨菪和唐古特大黄对强太阳辐射光能的利用和耗散特性

以西宁地区人工栽培的唐古特山莨菪(Anisodus tanguticus)和唐古特大黄(Rheum tanguticum)为材料,比较研究了两典型高山植物对青藏高原强太阳辐射光能的利用和耗散特性。PSⅡ反应中心的最大光化学效率(F_v/F_m)、实际光化学量子效率(Φ_PSⅡ)和光合功能的相对限制(L_(PDF))的分析表明,强太阳辐射会导致光合作用的光抑制,但并不造成PSⅡ反应中心的不可逆破坏。猝灭分析表明,唐古特山莨菪的光化学猝灭系数(q_P)显著小于唐古特大黄,非光化学猝灭(NPQ)和(q_N)则相反(p<0.05),意味着唐古特山莨菪将PSⅡ反应中心吸收的过剩光能以热耗散等非光化学过程消耗的能力大于唐古特大黄,因而降低了用于光化学反应的份额。q_N的3组分中,q_Nf所占比例较大;尽管相对份额很小,中午强光下两高山植物的q_Nm都有增大趋势,表明它在过剩光能的非光化学耗散中也起重要作用。NPQ_S和q_Ns的日变化趋势很相似;同样,NPQ_F为NPQ的主要组分,且唐古特山莨菪的NPQ_F和q_Nf都显著大于唐古特大黄(p<0.05)。唐古特山莨菪PSⅡ天线色素吸收光能中分配于光化学反应的相对份额(P)始终低于唐古特大黄,而用于天线热能耗散的相对份额(D)则大于唐古特大黄,两者都具有极显著差异(p<0.01)。以上结果表明,唐古特山莨菪的Φ_PSⅡ较唐古特大黄小是因为PSⅡ天线色素吸收的光能中分配于光化学反应的相对份额或光化学猝灭的比例较小,而分配于天线热耗散的相对份额或非光化学过程的比例较大的缘故。唐古特山莨菪的NPQ和q_N较大,与NPQ_F和q_Nf以及NPQ_S和q_Ns都显著大于唐古特大黄有关(p<0.05)。     

Cardiolipin increases in chromatophores isolated from Rhodobacter sphaeroides after osmotic stress: structural and functional roles

Chromatophores isolated from cells of Rhodobacter sphaeroides exposed to hypertonic solutions were enriched in cardiolipin (CL). Because CL levels are raised by increasing the incubation time of R. sphaeroides in hypertonic solutions, it was possible to isolate chromatophores containing different CL amounts by starting from cells incubated in hypertonic solutions for different times. The functionality and stability of the photosynthetic proteins in chromatophore membranes having different CL levels were investigated. Reaction center (RC) stabilization with respect to thermal denaturation and photoxidative damage was observed by flash photolysis and fluorescence emission experiments in CL-enriched chromatophores. To gain detailed information about the structures of endogenous CLs, this lipid family was isolated and purified by preparative TLC, and characterized by high-resolution mass spectrometry. We conclude that osmotic shock can be used as a tool to modulate CL levels in isolated chromatophores and to change the composition of the RC lipid annulus, avoiding membrane artifacts introduced by the use of detergents.     

Models of development for blowfly sister species Chrysomya chloropyga and Chrysomya putoria

Abstract Developmental curves for the sister species Chrysomya chloropyga (Wiedemann, 1818) and Chrysomya putoria (Wiedemann, 1830) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) were established at eight and 10 different constant temperatures, respectively, using developmental landmarks and body length as measures of age. The thermal summation constants (K) and developmental threshold (D₀) were calculated for five developmental landmarks using a previously described method. Isomorphen and isomegalen diagrams were also constructed for the purpose of estimating postmortem intervals (PMIs). Chrysomya chloropyga had an average developmental threshold value (D₀) of 10.91 °C (standard error [SE] = 0.94 °C, n = 5), significantly lower than that of C. putoria (13.42 °C, SE = 0.45 °C, n = 5) (paired t‐test: t = ? 4.63, d.f. = 8, P < 0.00). Similarly, K values for C. chloropyga were larger than those for C. putoria for all developmental events except onset of the wandering phase. These are the first data that can be used to calculate minimum PMIs and predict population growth of C. chloropyga and C. putoria in Africa; the data indicate that developmental data for one of these species cannot be used as surrogate data for the sister species.