Assessment of antifungal effects of a novel compound from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Burkholderia cepacia</Emphasis> against <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium solani</Emphasis> by fluorescent staining

A novel compound CF66I produced by Burkholeria cepacia was investigated for its antifungal effects against Fusarium solani by three different fluorescent dyes. Dual staining with propidium iodide (PI) and fluorescein diacetate (FDA) demonstrated high doses of CF66I (120.0 μg ml⁻¹) killed the fungi by acting primarily on the cell membrane. However, at fungistatic concentration (20.0 μg ml⁻¹) of this compound, microscopic observations revealed swelling hyphae with abnormal chitin deposition, as determined by Calcofluor white (CFW) staining, which was indicative of the alterations in cell wall structure. In addition, inhibition of intracellular esterases activity was observed. These results led us to conclude that low doses of CF66I probably inhibited the fungal growth by interfering with the cell metabolic pathways.     

ASK1, a SKP1 homolog, is required for nuclear reorganization, presynaptic homolog juxtaposition and the proper distribution of cohesin during meiosis in Arabidopsis

Nuclear reorganization and juxtaposition of homologous chromosomes at late leptotene/early zygotene are essential steps before chromosome synapsis at pachytene. We report the results of detailed studies, which demonstrate that nuclear reorganization and homolog juxtapositioning processes are defective in a null mutant, ask1-1. Our results from 4, 6-diamino-2-phenylindole (DAPI)-stained spreads showed that the “synizetic knot”, which is typically found in wild type (WT) meiosis during late leptotene and zygotene, was missing in the ask1-1 mutant. Furthermore, ask1-1 meiocytes exhibited only limited homolog juxtaposition at centromere regions at early zygotene. Immunodetection of the cohesin protein SYN1 identified ask1 defects in cohesin distribution from zygotene to anaphase I. Analysis of meiotic chromosomes in ask1-1 and syn1 single mutants, as well as an ask1-1 syn1 double mutant indicate that ASK1 is required for normal SYN1 distribution during meiotic prophase I and suggest that ask1 associated defects may be primarily related to SYN1 mislocalization.     

Microbial desulfurization of gasoline by free whole-cells of Rhodococcus erythropolis XP

Rhodococcus erythropolis XP could grow well with condensed thiophenes, mono-thiophenic compounds and mercaptans present in gasoline. Rhodococcus erythropolis XP was also capable of efficiently degrading the condensed thiophenes in resting cell as well as biphasic reactions in which n-octane served as a model oil phase. Free whole cells of R. erythropolis XP were adopted to desulfurize fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) and straight-run (SR) gasoline oils. About 30% of the sulfur content of FCC gasoline and 85% of sulfur in SR gasoline were reduced, respectively. Gas chromatography analysis with atomic emission detection also showed depletion of sulfur compounds in SR gasoline. Rhodococcus erythropolis XP could partly resist the toxicity of gasoline and had an application potential to biodesulfurization of gasoline.     

Proteomic analysis of effect of hyperthermia on spermatogenesis in adult male mice

We characterized cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in spermatogenesis following short-term heat exposure of murine testis. For these studies, we utilized a proteomic approach with two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) analyses and mass spectroscopic identification of proteins with altered expression in mouse testes at different times after heat shock. We established a proteome reference map from 7-wk-old mouse testis linked to a federated proteome database. We used these tools to analyze quantitative variations in the tissue over a time course of 0.5, 2, 6, and 12 h following heat exposure. We separated 108 protein spots expressed differentially between the heat shock tissues and the control mouse testes. Of these spots, we identified 36 by comparing with the control reference map. We then focused on the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) and the chaperonins containing t-complex polypeptide-1 (CCT). Further analysis in this heat-shocked model suggests numerous potential mechanisms for heat shock-induced spermatogenic disorder.     

Blocking effect and crystal structure of natrin toxin, a cysteine-rich secretory protein from Naja atra venom that targets the BKCa channel

Cysteine-rich secretory proteins (CRISPs) are widespread in snake venoms. Some members of these CRISPs recently have been found to block L-type Ca(2+) channels or cyclic nucleotide-gated ion (CNG) channels. Here, natrin purified from Naja atra venom, a member of the CRISP family, can induce a further contractile response in the endothelium-denuded thoracic aorta of mouse which has been contracted by a high-K(+) solution. Further experiments show it can block the high-conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK(Ca)) channel in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC(50) of 34.4 nM and a Hill coefficient of 1.02, which suggests that only a single natrin molecule is required to bind an ion channel to block BK(Ca) current. The crystal structure of natrin displaying two domains in tandem shows its cysteine-rich domain (CRD) has relatively independent flexibility, especially for the C-terminal long loop (loop I) of CRD to participate in the interface of two domains. On the basis of previous studies of CNG channel and L-Ca(2+) channel blockers, and the sequence and structural comparison of natrin and stecrisp, the deviation of the vital loop I of CRD is suggested to contribute to different effects of some CRISPs in protein-protein interaction.     

Why Does Rhinopithecus bieti Prefer the Highest Elevation Range in Winter? A Test of the Sunshine Hypothesis

Environmental factors that affect spatiotemporal distribution patterns of animals usually include resource availability, temperature, and the risk of predation. However, they do not explain the counterintuitive preference of high elevation range in winter by the black-and-white snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus bieti). We asked whether variation of sunshine along with elevations is the key driving force. To test this hypothesis, we conducted field surveys to demonstrate that there was a statistically significant pattern of high elevation use during winter. We then asked whether this pattern can be explained by certain environmental factors, namely temperature, sunshine duration and solar radiation. Finally, we concluded with a possible ecological mechanism for this pattern. In this study, we employed GIS technology to quantify solar radiation and sunshine duration across the monkey's range. Our results showed that: 1) R. bieti used the high altitude range between 4100-4400 m in winter although the yearly home range spanned from 3500-4500 m; 2) both solar radiation and sunshine duration increased with elevation while temperature decreased with elevation; 3) within the winter range, the use of range was significantly correlated with solar radiation and sunshine duration; 4) monkeys moved to the areas with high solar radiation and duration following a snowfall, where the snow melts faster and food is exposed earlier. We concluded that sunshine was the main factor that influences selection of high elevation habitat for R. bieti in winter. Since some other endotherms in the area exhibit similar winter distributional patterns, we developed a sunshine hypothesis to explain this phenomenon. In addition, our work also represented a new method of integrating GIS models into traditional field ecology research to study spatiotemporal distribution pattern of wildlife. We suggest that further theoretical and empirical studies are necessary for better understanding of sunshine influence on wildlife range use.