Effect of HCO - 3 concentration in the absorption solution on the energetic coupling of H+-cotransports in roots of Zea mays L.

The effect of HCO ₃ ^- on ion absorption by young corn roots was studied in conditions allowing the independent control of both the pH of uptake solution and the CO₂ partial pressure in air bubbled through the solution. The surface pH shift in the vicinity of the outer surface of the plasmalemma induced by active H⁺ excretion was estimated using the initial uptake rate of acetic acid as a pH probe (Sentenac and Grignon (1987) Plant Physiol. 84, 1367). Acetic acid and orthophosphate uptake rates and NO ₃ ^- accumulation were slowed down, while ⁸⁶Rb⁺ uptake and K⁺ accumulation rates were increased by HCO ₃ ^- . These effects were similar to those induced by 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethane sulfonic acid/2-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-propanediol (Hepes-Tris). They were more pronounced when the H⁺ excretion was strong, were rapidly reversible and were not additive to those of Hepes-Tris. The hypothesis is advanced that the buffering system CO₂/H₂CO₃/HCO ₃ ^- accelerated the diffusion of equivalent H⁺ inside the cell wall towards the medium. This attenuated the surface pH shift in the vicinity the plasma membrane and affected the coupling between the proton pump and cotransport systems.Abbreviations FW fresh weight - Hepes 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid - J_aa acetic acid influx - J_K ⁺ K⁺ influx - J_Pi orthophosphate influx - Mes 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid - pCO₂ CO₂ partial pressure - Tris 2-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-propanediol     

Recovery of diaphragm function after laparotomy and chronic sonomicrometer implantation

If sonomicrometry transducers could be implanted permanently into the diaphragm, direct measurements of costal and crural length and shortening could be made during recovery from the laparotomy and then indefinitely in an awake, non-anesthetized mammal. We report results from six canines in which we successfully implanted transducers onto the left hemidiaphragm through a midline laparotomy and measured segmental shortening and ventilation at intervals through 22 days of postoperative recovery. After laparotomy, breathing pattern, including tidal volume, respiratory rate and mean inspiratory flow, stabilized by the 4th postoperative day (POD). Tidal shortening of costal and crural segments increased from 1.82 and 1.45% of end-expiratory length (%LFRC) on the 2nd POD to 5.32 and 8.56% LFRC, respectively, after a mean of 22 POD. Segmental shortening did not stabilize until 10 POD, and the recovery process displayed a sequence of segmental motions: lengthening, biphasic inspiratory lengthening-shortening, and increasing simple shortening. Three weeks after implantation, costal and crural segments were stable and shortening 5.32 and 8.56% LFRC, respectively, and capable of shortening 49% LFRC with maximal phrenic stimulation. In a pair of recovered animals, the initial postoperative dysfunction did not recur after a subsequent, simple laparotomy. At postmortem examination, the chronically implanted sonomicrometer transducers were found to have evoked only a thin fibrotic capsule within the diaphragm.     

Characterization of Xanthomonas campestris Pathovars by rRNA Gene Restriction Patterns

Genomic DNA of 191 strains of the family Pseudomonadaceae, including 187 strains of the genus Xanthomonas, was cleaved by EcoRI endonuclease. After hybridization of Southern transfer blots with 2-acetylamino-fluorene-labelled Escherichia coli 16+23S rRNA probe, 27 different patterns were obtained. The strains are clearly distinguishable at the genus, species, and pathovar levels. The variability of the rRNA gene restriction patterns was determined for four pathovars of Xanthomonas campestris species. The 16 strains of X. campestris pv. begoniae analyzed gave only one pattern. The variability of rRNA gene restriction patterns of X. campestris pv. manihotis strains could be related to ecotypes. In contrast, the variability of patterns observed for X. campestris pv. malvacearum was not correlated with pathogenicity or with the geographical origins of the strains. The highest degree of variability of DNA fingerprints was observed within X. campestris pv. dieffenbachiae, which is pathogenic to several hosts of the Araceae family. In this case, variability was related to both host plant and pathogenicity.     

The distribution of coastal fish eDNA sequences in the Anthropocene

Aim

Coastal fishes have a fundamental role in marine ecosystem functioning and contributions to people, but face increasing threats due to climate change, habitat degradation and overexploitation. The extent to which human pressures are impacting coastal fish biodiversity in comparison with geographic and environmental factors at large spatial scale is still under scrutiny. Here, we took advantage of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to investigate the relationship between fish biodiversity, including taxonomic and genetic components, and environmental but also socio-economic factors.

Location

Tropical, temperate and polar coastal areas.

Time period

Present day.

Major taxa studied

Marine fishes.

Methods

We analysed fish eDNA in 263 stations (samples) in 68 sites distributed across polar, temperate and tropical regions. We modelled the effect of environmental, geographic and socio-economic factors on α- and β-diversity. We then computed the partial effect of each factor on several fish biodiversity components using taxonomic molecular units (MOTU) and genetic sequences. We also investigated the relationship between fish genetic α- and β-diversity measured from our barcodes, and phylogenetic but also functional diversity.

Results

We show that fish eDNA MOTU and sequence α- and β-diversity have the strongest correlation with environmental factors on coastal ecosystems worldwide. However, our models also reveal a negative correlation between biodiversity and human dependence on marine ecosystems. In areas with high dependence, diversity of all fish, cryptobenthic fish and large fish MOTUs declined steeply. Finally, we show that a sequence diversity index, accounting for genetic distance between pairs of MOTUs, within and between communities, is a reliable proxy of phylogenetic and functional diversity.

Main conclusions

Together, our results demonstrate that short eDNA sequences can be used to assess climate and direct human impacts on marine biodiversity at large scale in the Anthropocene and can further be extended to investigate biodiversity in its phylogenetic and functional dimensions.     

A microanalytic study of particles transport across the alveoli: role of blood platelets

Following intratracheal injection of particles of colloidal gold (30 nm) in the rat, particles in the blood platelets of the alveolar capillaries can rapidly be observed. The presence of the gold is confirmed by microanalysis. The role of this phenomenon in pulmonary clearance is discussed.     

Drought tolerance processes in soybeans

Fifteen soybean cultivars were evaluated in two water supply conditions, inducing or not a drought stress. Main canopy traits were measured several times during the reproductive period and, at maturity date, the yield components were estimated. Using principal components analysis, the main physiological functions involved in soybean drought tolerance are described: leaf cells enlargement and assimilates transport. These processes could be a good basis on which to define new selection criteria for soybean drought tolerance.     

Acute effects of intratracheal administration of platelet-activating factor in baboons

The bronchomotor effect of intratracheal administration of PAF-acether (60 micrograms X kg -1) was investigated in 37 curarized baboons mechanically ventilated with constant volume and frequency. PAF-acether caused an immediate bronchoconstriction as assessed by a marked increase in peak inspiratory pressure with no change in static pulmonary compliance and chest X-rays. There was a concomitant fall in arterial PO2 and a significant increase in ventilated unperfused lung zones. A decrease of circulating platelets and leucocytes was also observed. Local anesthesia with lidocaine and atropine did not prevent PAF-acether-induced bronchoconstriction although both markedly reduced the bronchial response to histamine. Albuterol significantly reduced the bronchial response to PAF-acether. Pretreatment with aspirin (80 mg X kg -1 iv) did not prevent the bronchoconstriction caused by PAF-acether, and intravenous or intratracheal arachidonic acid caused no bronchial response. Thus the role of cyclooxygenase metabolites of arachidonic acid in PAF-acether-induced bronchoconstriction is unlikely. In conclusion, an acute bronchoconstriction probably not triggered by stimulation of irritant receptors of the airways and associated with aggregation of platelet takes place subsequent to intratracheal administration of PAF-acether. These data suggest that PAF-acether might play a role in the pathogenesis of human asthma.     

Implementation of reflex loops in a biomechanical finite element model

In the field of biomechanics, the offer of models which are more and more realistic requires to integrate a physiological response, in particular, the controlled muscle bracing and the reflexes. The following work aims to suggest a unique methodology which couples together a sensory and motor loop with a finite element model. Our method is applied to the study of the oscillation of the elbow in the case of a biceps brachial stretch reflex. The results obtained are promising in the purpose of the development of reactive human body models.     

Mechanosensitive Adaptation of E-Cadherin Turnover across adherens Junctions

In the natural and technological world, multi-agent systems strongly depend on how the interactions are ruled between their individual components, and the proper control of time-scales and synchronization is a key issue. This certainly applies to living tissues when multicellular assemblies such as epithelial cells achieve complex morphogenetic processes. In epithelia, because cells are known to individually generate actomyosin contractile stress, each individual intercellular adhesive junction line is subjected to the opposed stresses independently generated by its two partner cells. Contact lines should thus move unless their two partner cells mechanically match. The geometric homeostasis of mature epithelia observed at short enough time-scale thus raises the problem to understand how cells, if considered as noisy individual actuators, do adapt across individual intercellular contacts to locally balance their time-average contractile stress. Structural components of adherens junctions, cytoskeleton (F-actin) and homophilic bonds (E-cadherin) are quickly renewed at steady-state. These turnovers, if they depend on forces exerted at contacts, may play a key role in the mechanical adaptation of epithelia. Here we focus on E-cadherin as a force transducer, and we study the local regulation and the mechanosensitivity of its turnover in junctions. We show that E-cadherin turnover rates match remarkably well on either side of mature intercellular contacts, despite the fact that they exhibit large fluctuations in time and variations from one junction to another. Using local mechanical and biochemical perturbations, we find faster turnover rates with increased tension, and asymmetric rates at unbalanced junctions. Together, the observations that E-cadherin turnover, and its local symmetry or asymmetry at each side of the junction, are mechanosensitive, support the hypothesis that E-cadherin turnover could be involved in mechanical homeostasis of epithelia.