Reactive oxygen intermediates produced by photosynthetic electron transport are enhanced in short-day grown plants

Leaves of tobacco plants grown in short days (8h light) generate more reactive oxygen species in the light than leaves of plants grown in long days (16h light). A two fold higher level of superoxide production was observed even in isolated thylakoids from short day plants. By using specific inhibitors of photosystem II and of the cytochrome b(6)f complex, the site of O(2) reduction could be assigned to photosystem I. The higher rate of O(2) reduction led to the formation of a higher proton gradient in thylakoids from short day plants. In the presence of an uncoupler, the differences in O(2) reduction between thylakoids from short day and long day plants were abolished. The pigment content and the protein content of the major protein complexes of the photosynthetic electron transport chain were unaffected by the growth condition. Addition of NADPH, but not of NADH, to coupled thylakoids from long day plants raised the level of superoxide production to the same level as observed in thylakoids from short day plants. The hypothesis is put forward that the binding of an unknown protein permits the higher rate of pseudocyclic electron flow in thylakoids from short-day grown plants and that this putative protein plays an important role in changing the proportions of linear, cyclic and pseudocyclic electron transport in favour of pseudocyclic electron transport. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Photosynthesis Research for Sustainability: from Natural to Articifical.     

Fall in oxygen tension of culture medium stimulates the adenosinergic signalling of a human T cell line

We examined the short-course expression of various parameters involved in the adenosinergic signalling of a human T cell line during in vitro decrease of the medium culture oxygen tension mimicking in vivo hypoxia. Fall of 92 mmHg in oxygen tension of culture medium induced in CEM, a CD4+ human T cell line, a continuous production of hypoxia-inducing factor-1α with a plateau value at 9 h, a rapid increase in adenosine production peaking at 3 h and a decrease in adenosine deaminase peaking at 6 h. The adenosine A_2A receptor (A_2AR) protein level of CEM cells was enhanced with a peak at 6 h. Intracellular 3′,5′-cyclic adenosine monophosphate accumulated in CEM cells with a maximal level at 9 h. These results show that a human-cultured T cells line can upregulate its own adenosine production and A_2AR expression during exposure to acute hypoxia. Hypoxia-increased stimulation of the adenosinergic signalling of T cells may have immunosuppressive properties and, consequently, A_2AR agonists may have therapeutic relevance.     

In vivo targets of S-thiolation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Glutathionylation is the major form of S-thiolation in cells. This reversible redox post-translational modification consists of the formation of a mixed disulfide between a free thiol on a protein and a molecule of glutathione. This recently described modification, which is considered to occur under oxidative stress, can protect cysteine residues from irreversible oxidation, and alter positively or negatively the activity of diverse proteins. This modification and its targets have been mainly studied in non-photosynthetic organisms so far. We report here the first proteomic approach performed in vivo on photosynthetically competent cells, using the eukaryotic unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with radiolabeled [(35)S]cysteine to label the glutathione pool and diamide as oxidant. This method allowed the identification of 25 targets, mainly chloroplastic, involved in various metabolic processes. Several targets are related to photosynthesis, such as the Calvin cycle enzymes phosphoglycerate kinase and ribose-5-phosphate isomerase. A number of targets, such as chaperones and peroxiredoxins, are related to stress responses. The glutathionylation of HSP70B, chloroplastic 2-Cys peroxiredoxin and isocitrate lyase was confirmed in vitro on purified proteins and the targeted residues were identified.     

Single Medial Prefrontal Neurons Cope with Error

Learning from mistakes is a key feature of human behavior. However, the mechanisms underlying short-term adaptation to erroneous action are still poorly understood. One possibility relies on the modulation of attentional systems after an error. To explore this possibility, we have designed a Stroop-like visuo-motor task in monkeys that favors incorrect action. Using this task, we previously found that single neurons recorded from the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) were closely tuned to behavioral performance and, more particularly, that the activity of most neurons was biased towards the evaluation of erroneous action. Here we describe single neurons engaged in both error detection and response alertness processing, whose activation is closely associated with the improvement of subsequent behavioral performance. Specifically, we show that the effect of a warning stimulus on neuronal firing is enhanced after an erroneous response rather than a successful one and that this outcome is correlated with an error rate decrease. Our results suggest that the anterior cingulate cortex, which exhibits this activity, serves as a powerful computational locus for rapid behavioral adaptation.     

Thioredoxin-dependent Redox Regulation of Chloroplastic Phosphoglycerate Kinase from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

In photosynthetic organisms, thioredoxin-dependent redox regulation is a well established mechanism involved in the control of a large number of cellular processes, including the Calvin-Benson cycle. Indeed, 4 of 11 enzymes of this cycle are activated in the light through dithiol/disulfide interchanges controlled by chloroplastic thioredoxin. Recently, several proteomics-based approaches suggested that not only four but all enzymes of the Calvin-Benson cycle may withstand redox regulation. Here, we characterized the redox features of the Calvin-Benson enzyme phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK1) from the eukaryotic green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, and we show that C. reinhardtii PGK1 (CrPGK1) activity is inhibited by the formation of a single regulatory disulfide bond with a low midpoint redox potential (−335 mV at pH 7.9). CrPGK1 oxidation was found to affect the turnover number without altering the affinity for substrates, whereas the enzyme activation appeared to be specifically controlled by f-type thioredoxin. Using a combination of site-directed mutagenesis, thiol titration, mass spectrometry analyses, and three-dimensional modeling, the regulatory disulfide bond was shown to involve the not strictly conserved Cys²²⁷ and Cys³⁶¹. Based on molecular mechanics calculation, the formation of the disulfide is proposed to impose structural constraints in the C-terminal domain of the enzyme that may lower its catalytic efficiency. It is therefore concluded that CrPGK1 might constitute an additional light-modulated Calvin-Benson cycle enzyme with a low activity in the dark and a TRX-dependent activation in the light. These results are also discussed from an evolutionary point of view.     

Fuel economy,woodland management and adaptation strategies in a Classic Maya city: applying anthracology to urban settings in high biodiversity tropical forests

Vegetation History and Archaeobotany - Fuelling ancient Maya cities and industries has been identified for some time now as a critical concern for the pre-Columbian Maya, especially since there is...     

Co-infection of Ticks: The Rule Rather Than the Exception

IntroductionTicks are the most common arthropod vectors of both human and animal diseases in Europe, and the Ixodes ricinus tick species is able to transmit a large number of bacteria, viruses and parasites. Ticks may also be co-infected with several pathogens, with a subsequent high likelihood of co-transmission to humans or animals. However few data exist regarding co-infection prevalences, and these studies only focus on certain well-known pathogens. In addition to pathogens, ticks also carry symbionts that may play important roles in tick biology, and could interfere with pathogen maintenance and transmission. In this study we evaluated the prevalence of 38 pathogens and four symbionts and their co-infection levels as well as possible interactions between pathogens, or between pathogens and symbionts.Conclusion/significanceOur study reveals high pathogen co-infection rates in ticks, raising questions about possible co-transmission of these agents to humans or animals, and their consequences to human and animal health. We also demonstrated high prevalence rates of symbionts co-existing with pathogens, opening new avenues of enquiry regarding their effects on pathogen transmission and vector competence.