Membrane partitioning of organophosphorus and organochlorine insecticides and its implications for mechanisms of toxicity

Partition coefficients of organophosphorus and organochlorine insecticides were determined in several types of membrane. Insecticide partitioning varied among the membranes under study, depending on temperature, cholesterol content and on the physico-chemical profiles of membrane components and the insecticides themselves. The maximal partitions for DDT, lindane, parathion and malathion in egg phosphatidylcholine bilayers over the temperature range from 10 to 37°C (at which the lipid is in the liquid-crystalline state) were about 260000, 2000, 1000 and 120, respectively. Incorporation of 50 mol% cholesterol in egg phosphatidylcholine bilayers dramatically decreased the partition and almost abolished the temperature effect. First-order phase transitions of dimyristoyl-, dipalmitoyl- and distearoylphosphatidylcholines (DMPC, DPPC and DSPC) were accompanied by a sharp increase in insecticide partition. Furthermore, the insecticides under study were more easily accommodated in bilayers of short-aliphatic-chain lipids, since higher values of partition were obtained in DMPC bilayers. Partition values in native membranes depended considerably on the membrane type and composition and were higher in sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and mitochondria than in brain microsomes, myelin and erythrocytes. Identical results were obtained in related liposomes of total extracted lipids, although the absolute partitions showed decreased values. In general, the incorporation of insecticides correlated reasonably with the cholesterol content of the membranes. The order of partitioning of the above insecticides did not run parallel with their toxicity to mammals and, both in model and in native membranes, followed the sequence: DDT ? lindane > parathion > malathion.     

Pattern of inheritance of a self-fertility gene in an autotetraploid perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) population

A mutation causing self-fertility (SF) in perennial ryegrass was studied at the tetraploid level. The aim of this work was to determine a) whether SF remains functional in a tetraploid population and b) whether the SF mutation expresses dominance in heterozygous pollen grains. A tetraploidized plant carrying SF alleles was self-pollinated to create a segregating F₂ population. In the F₂ individuals, pollen compatibility ranged between 38% and 84% showing that SF remained functional. The SF locus genotype was the main determinant of pollen compatibility explaining 78% of the variation. The observed segregation was significantly different from the expected under both SF being dominant or recessive models (P_(χ2)≤0.001) and tended to be intermediate between them, indicating partial dominance or additive gene action. The frequency of the different genotypes suggested that pollen grains homozygous for the mutation have a competitive advantage over heterozygous pollen and that pollen compatibility is affected by the interaction with additional loci. The implications of our results for breeding polyploid grasses are discussed.     

The effect of heat stress on GHR,IGF-I,ANT, UCP and COXIII mRNA expression in the liver and muscle of high and low feed efficiency female quail

1. A study was conducted to test the hypothesis that feed efficiency (FE) correlated with the expression of genes from the somatotropic axis and mitochondrial genes involved in energy production, and that the environment to which the birds are exposed influenced the expression of such genes.

2. Quails were divided into High-FE and low-FE groups and maintained in a comfortable or heat stress (HS) (38°C for 24 h) environment to evaluate changes in insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), growth hormone receptor (GHR), adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT), uncoupling protein (UCP) and cytochrome oxidase subunit III (COX III) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression in liver and muscle tissues.

3. High-FE quails (0.28 g/g) presented a higher final body weight, greater weight gain and a better feed conversion ratio than low-FE birds (0.18 g/g). High-FE birds showed greater IGF-I mRNA expression in the liver and muscle and greater GHR mRNA expression in the muscle.

4. Environmental effects only affected GHR expression in the liver, with quails under comfortable conditions exhibiting greater GHR expression than quails subjected to HS.

5. There was a significant interaction between FE and environmental temperature on ANT mRNA expression in the liver. The greatest ANT mRNA expression was observed for high FE-birds that remained under comfortable conditions.

6. In the liver, UCP mRNA expression did not differ among the quails and was not affected by environment or efficiency. However, comparisons of the low- and high-FE birds revealed higher levels of UCP mRNA in the muscle of low-FE birds.

7. COX III mRNA expression in the liver was dependent on environmental temperature and FE. Higher COX III mRNA expression was observed in animals that remained under comfortable conditions, and high-FE birds exhibited higher expression levels compared to low-FE birds.

8. These results suggest a correlation between IGF-I, GHR, ANT, UCP and COX III gene expression and FE and that environmental temperature could affect the expression of some of these genes.     

Negative epistasis between beneficial mutations in an evolving bacterial population

Epistatic interactions between mutations play a prominent role in evolutionary theories. Many studies have found that epistasis is widespread, but they have rarely considered beneficial mutations. We analyzed the effects of epistasis on fitness for the first five mutations to fix in an experimental population of Escherichia coli. Epistasis depended on the effects of the combined mutations--the larger the expected benefit, the more negative the epistatic effect. Epistasis thus tended to produce diminishing returns with genotype fitness, although interactions involving one particular mutation had the opposite effect. These data support models in which negative epistasis contributes to declining rates of adaptation over time. Sign epistasis was rare in this genome-wide study, in contrast to its prevalence in an earlier study of mutations in a single gene.     

Selenium Levels in Mainland Portugal

Selenium contents in the Portuguese (mainland) territory, resulting from a few environmental studies held since 1990 using lichens, vascular plants, soils and air particulate matter (APM), are presented and discussed herein. Values for Se in soils, epiphytic lichens and higher plants are within the typical ranges found in the literature. Compared to vascular plants, lichens display higher contents at the same locations. In what concerns Se in airborne particulates, all surveyed sites show values that are typical of urban areas. In two of such sites – Monchique and Carregado – Se concentrations in transplanted lichen thalli of the Parmelia genus (mostly, Parmelia sulcata Taylor) were compared to the results obtained from airborne matter, and a good correlation was found for the corresponding data-sets at either location. Other than the degree of association, it is especially noteworthy that the lichen transplants appear to accumulate much more Se at Monchique (a remote, rather clean site) than at Carregado (in the immediate vicinity of an oil-fired, power plant), even if its amount in the atmosphere is lower at the former location.     

RAPD variability in rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants derived from desiccation-tolerant calli

Genetic modification from selfed progenies of 18 rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants regenerated from callus tissues which survived desiccation, were investigated at the DNA level using the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) method. Twelve 10-mer random primers were used to amplify DNA of progenies from the regenerated plants, and a total of 228 PCR products and 1780 DNA fragments were obtained by primers, generating between four to thirteen major bands. The size of the amplified fragments ranged from 0.2 to 2.55 kb. The results showed that 10 out of 12 primers produced polymorphic bands, two primers (RA31 and RA185) showed no polymorphism among plants tested. A dendrogram of the genetic distance was constructed based on their polymorphism, demonstrating that somaclonal variation exists in rice plants regenerated from callus which survived the desiccation treatment. Part of this variation can be useful in rice breeding. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

An assessment of genetic diversity and population structures of fifteen Vietnamese indigenous pig breeds for supporting the decision making on conservation strategies

Tropical Animal Health and Production - The study aimed to characterize genetic diversity, genetic clusters, and phylogenetic relationships of 15 Vietnamese indigenous pig breeds across the country...