Reduction in animal abundance and oxygen availability during and after the end-Triassic mass extinction

The end-Triassic biodiversity crisis was one of the most severe mass extinctions in the history of animal life. However, the extent to which the loss of taxonomic diversity was coupled with a reduction in organismal abundance remains to be quantified. Further, the temporal relationship between organismal abundance and local marine redox conditions is lacking in carbonate sections. To address these questions, we measured skeletal grain abundance in shallow-marine limestones by point counting 293 thin sections from four stratigraphic sections across the Triassic/Jurassic boundary in the Lombardy Basin and Apennine Platform of western Tethys. Skeletal abundance decreased abruptly across the Triassic/Jurassic boundary in all stratigraphic sections. The abundance of skeletal organisms remained low throughout the lower-middle Hettangian strata and began to rebound during the late Hettangian and early Sinemurian. A two-way ANOVA indicates that sample age (p < .01, η² = 0.30) explains more of the variation in skeletal abundance than the depositional environment or paleobathymetry (p < .01, η² = 0.15). Measured I/Ca ratios, a proxy for local shallow-marine redox conditions, show this same pattern with the lowest I/Ca ratios occurring in the early Hettangian. The close correspondence between oceanic water column oxygen levels and skeletal abundance indicates a connection between redox conditions and benthic organismal abundance across the Triassic/Jurassic boundary. These findings indicate that the end-Triassic mass extinction reduced not only the biodiversity but also the carrying capacity for skeletal organisms in early Hettangian ecosystems, adding to evidence that mass extinction of species generally leads to mass rarity among survivors.     

Modulation of beta-oxidation and proton conductance pathway of brown adipose tissue in hypo- and hyperinsulinemic states

The metabolic capacity of interscapular brown adipose tissue of hypoinsulinemic (diabetic) rats is decreased and a reduced beta-oxidative capacity contributes to this metabolic alteration. It was thus of interest to compare, in diabetic and in chronically (8 days) insulin-infused rats, the beta-oxidative capacity and indices of the thermogenic state (GDP-binding and 32 000 Mr protein) in this tissue. Mitochondrial GDP-binding and 32 000 Mr protein were both decreased in diabetic rats compared to appropriate controls and markedly increased as was also the beta-oxidative capacity in hyperinsulinemic rats.     

Purification and properties of staphylocoagulase.

Staphylocoagulase, an exoprotein of coagulase-positive Staphylococci, has been purified to a state in which only trace amounts of contaminating proteins are detectable. Aspartic acid was found as a single N-terminal amino acid in this preparation. The molecular weight is 61 000; the isoelectric point lies as pH 4.53. The amino acid composition was determined.     

Microbial metabolomics: toward a platform with full metabolome coverage

Achieving metabolome data with satisfactory coverage is a formidable challenge in metabolomics because metabolites are a chemically highly diverse group of compounds. Here we present a strategy for the development of an advanced analytical platform that allows the comprehensive analysis of microbial metabolomes. Our approach started with in silico metabolome information from three microorganisms-Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae-and resulted in a list of 905 different metabolites. Subsequently, these metabolites were classified based on their physicochemical properties, followed by the development of complementary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry methods, each of which analyzes different metabolite classes. This metabolomics platform, consisting of six different analytical methods, was applied for the analysis of the metabolites for which commercial standards could be purchased (399 compounds). Of these 399 metabolites, 380 could be analyzed with the platform. To demonstrate the potential of this metabolomics platform, we report on its application to the analysis of the metabolome composition of mid-logarithmic E. coli cells grown on a mineral salts medium using glucose as the carbon source. Of the 431 peaks detected, 235 (=176 unique metabolites) could be identified. These include 61 metabolites that were not previously identified or annotated in existing E. coli databases.     

CHANGES IN PHOTOSYNTHESIS IN RESPONSE TO COMBINED IRRADIANCE AND TEMPERATURE STRESS IN CYANOBACTERIAL SURFACE WATERBLOOMS1

Buoyant cyanobacteria, previously mixed throughout the water column, float to the lake surface and form a surface waterbloom when mixing subsides. At the surface, the cells are exposed to full sunlight, and this abrupt change in photon irradiance may induce photoinhibition; at the same time, temperature rises as well. This study investigated the damaging effects of this increase in temperature as well as the ecologically more relevant combination of both an increased temperature and a high photon irradiance. Analysis of surface blooms with oxygen microelectrodes showed that integrated oxygen contents that are dependent on the balance of photosynthetic oxygen evolution and respiratory oxygen uptake decreased when temperature was raised above the lake temperature. Gross rates of photosynthesis were unaffected by temperatures up to of 35°C; hence, a moderate increase in temperature mainly stimulated oxygen uptake. Preincubation of cells of the cyanobacterium Anabaena flos-aquae (Lyngb.) de Brébisson at temperatures up to 35°C did not affect the subsequent measurement of rates of net photosynthesis. Another 5°C rise in temperature severely damaged the photosynthetic apparatus. Failure to restore net rates of photosynthesis was coupled to a strong quenching of the ratio of variable to maximum fluorescence, F_v/F_m, that was the result of a rise in F_o. A combination of high temperature and high photon irradiance was more damaging than high temperature alone. In contrast, low photon irradiances offered substantial protection against heat injury of the photosynthetic apparatus. I conclude from this study that because cyanobacteria usually are acclimated to low average irradiance prior to bloom formation, there is a reasonable risk of chronic photoinhibition. The increase in temperature will enhance the photodamage of cells in the top layer of the bloom. Low photon irradiances in subsurface layers will offer protection against heat injury. If the high temperatures extend to the deepest, dark layers of the bloom, damage in those layers is likely to occur.     

Typha as a wetland food resource: evidence from the Tianluoshan site,Lower Yangtze Region,China

Vegetation History and Archaeobotany - Wetlands have been attractive environments for early communities worldwide. In China, wetlands offered natural ecological settings for the start of rice...     

Thrombin Generation in Zebrafish Blood

To better understand hypercoagulability as an underlying cause for thrombosis, the leading cause of death in the Western world, new assays to study ex vivo coagulation are essential. The zebrafish is generally accepted as a good model for human hemostasis and thrombosis, as the hemostatic system proved to be similar to that in man. Their small size however, has been a hurdle for more widespread use in hemostasis related research. In this study we developed a method that enables the measurement of thrombin generation in a single drop of non-anticoagulated zebrafish blood. Pre-treatment of the fish with inhibitors of FXa and thrombin, resulted in a dose dependent diminishing of thrombin generation, demonstrating the validity of the assay. In order to establish the relationship between whole blood thrombin generation and fibrin formation, we visualized the resulting fibrin network by scanning electron microscopy. Taken together, in this study we developed a fast and reliable method to measure thrombin generation in whole blood collected from a single zebrafish. Given the similarities between coagulation pathways of zebrafish and mammals, zebrafish may be an ideal animal model to determine the effect of novel therapeutics on thrombin generation. Additionally, because of the ease with which gene functions can be silenced, zebrafish may serve as a model organism for mechanistical research in thrombosis and hemostasis.     

Altered expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in follicles within dehydroepiandrosterone-induced polycystic ovaries in rats

PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) is a heterogeneous disease characterized by hyperandrogenaemia, hirsutism, oligo- or amenorrhea, insulin resistance and anovulation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate if the balance between the ovarian expression of Bax (proapoptotic protein) and Bcl-2 (antiapoptotic protein) is altered in a PCOS model developed in rats by DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) administration. In addition, the ovarian morphology and the circulating progesterone levels were evaluated. Histological studies confirmed the presence of follicular cysts, atretic follicles and the absence of corpora lutea in the ovaries from the PCOS group and a significant decrease in circulating progesterone levels. Immunohistochemical studies showed that the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax were mainly localized in granulosa cells of AFs (antral follicles) in both groups. Bax expression was greater in preantral and AFs from PCOS ovarian sections than in the controls. In contrast, intense Bcl-2 immunostaining was observed in the control AFs, while Bcl-2 protein was either absent in PFs (preantral follicles) or weakly expressed in AFs from PCOS rats. These results were partially confirmed by Western studies. Data revealed that the ovarian level of Bcl-2 protein was lower in PCOS than in the control and that there were no differences in Bax ovarian levels between groups. However, Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was significantly higher in PCOS group than in the control group. In conclusion, an increase in ovarian apoptosis through an imbalance among the Bcl-2 family members may be involved in the transformation of growing follicles in cystic follicles in the ovaries from DHEA-induced PCOS rats.     

Freeze-fracturing in ultrahigh vacuum at -196 degrees C

Conventional freeze-etching is carried out in a vacuum of approximately 10(-6) torr and at a specimen temperature of -100 degrees C. The relatively poor topographic resolution of most freeze-etch replicas, and the lack of complementarity of morphological details in double replicas have been thought to be caused by structural distortions during fracturing, and radiation damage during replication. Both phenomena can be reduced by lowering the specimen temperature. To prevent condensation of residual gases (especially H2O) on the fracture faces at lower specimen temperature, an improved vacuum is required. Therefore, an ultrahigh vacuum freeze-fracture apparatus has been developed which allows fracturing and Pt/C-shadowing of specimens at -196 degrees C while maintaining a vacuum of 10(-9) torr. It consists of a modified Balzers BA 350 ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) unit, equipped with an airlock which enables the input of nonhoar-frosted specimens directly into the evacuated bell jar. A comparison of the paracrystalline plasmalemma structure in yeast cells portrayed by the conventional technique and by UHV-freeze-fracturing at -196 degrees C shows the improved topographic resolution which has been achieved with the new technique. The improvement is explained by less structural distortions during fracturing at lower temperatures. The particles of the paracrystalline regions on the P face are more regularly arranged and exhibit a craterlike substructure which corresponds with a ringlike depression in the E face. The optical diffraction patterns of these paracrystalline regions demonstrate the improvement of the structural record by showing well-defined third- and fourth-order spots.