Poorly crystalline iron and aluminium oxides contribute to the carbon saturation and sorption of dissolved organic carbon in the soil

Soil carbon (C) saturation implies an upper limit to a soil's capacity to store C depending on the contents of silt + clay and poorly crystalline Fe and Al oxides. We hypothesized that the poorly crystalline Fe and Al oxides in silt + clay fraction increased the C saturation and thus reduced the capacity of the soil to sorb additional C input. To test the hypothesis, we studied the sorption of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) on silt + clay fractions (<53 µm) of highly weathered oxic soils, collected from three different land uses (i.e., improved pasture, cropping and forest). Soils with high carbon saturation desorbed 38% more C than soils with low C saturation upon addition of DOC, whereas adsorption of DOC was only observed at higher concentration (>15 g kg^?1). While high Al oxide concentration significantly increased both the saturation and desorption of DOC, the high Fe oxide concentration significantly increased the desorption of DOC, supporting the proposition that both oxides have influence on the DOC sorption in soil. Our findings provide a new insight into the chemical control of stabilization and destabilization of DOC in soil.     

Molluscicidal activity of Solanum species of the Northeast of Brazil on Biomphalaria glabrata

Seven species of Solanum were screened for their molluscicidal properties against Biomphalaria glabrata, the intermediated host of Schistosoma mansoni, Solanum agrarium, S. jabrense, S. melissarum, S. megalonyx, S. paludosum, S. paraibanum and S. stipulaceum. Four extracts showed molluscicidal activity with LC(50) from 22 to 56 microg/ml.     

In vitro inhibition of the activation of Pro-matrix Metalloproteinase 1 (Pro-MMP-1) and Pro-matrix metalloproteinase 9 (Pro-MMP-9) by rice and soybean Bowman-Birk inhibitors

The in vitro inhibitory activity of the rice Bowman-Birk inhibitor (rBBI) or soybean Bowman-Birk inhibitor (sBBI) against trypsin-catalyzed activation of pro-matrix metalloproteinase 1 or 9 (pro-MMP-1 or pro-MMP-9), respectively, was investigated using electrophoresis with silver staining, heparin-enhanced zymography, biotinylated gelatin, Biotrak assay, and fluorescence quenched substrate hydrolysis. rBBI at concentrations of 0.08-0.352 mg/mL dose-dependently inhibited the in vitro activation of 45 microg/mL pro-MMP-1 by trypsin. Heparin-enhanced zymography analysis of pro-MMP-1, trypsin-activated MMP-1, and a mixture of pro-MMP-1-trypsin-rBBI showed clear zones associated with trypsin-activated MMP-1 and the absence of clear zones in lanes containing pro-MMP-1 or a mixture of pro-MMP-1, trypsin, and rBBI. The results of the Biotrak assay also indicated that rBBI dose-dependently suppressed the activation of pro-MMP-1 by trypsin. sBBI dose-dependently inhibited the activation of 100 microg/mL of pro-MMP-9 by trypsin. Biotinylated gelatin assays demonstrated that pro-MMP-9 or pro-MMP-9 in the presence of trypsin and BBI did not hydrolyze gelatin, whereas p-aminophenylmercury acetate (APMA)-activated MMP-9 and trypsin-activated MMP-9 caused significant hydrolysis of gelatin. Quenched fluorescence substrate hydrolysis for total MMP activity showed that pro-MMP-1 or pro-MMP-9 did not hydrolyze the substrate Mca-Pro-Leu-Gly-Leu-Dpa-Ala-Arg-NH2; active MMP-1 or MMP-9 hydrolyzed the substrate, but lower substrate hydrolysis was obtained when pro-MMP-1 or pro-MMP-9 was incubated with trypsin in the presence of increasing concentrations of rBBI. The results are discussed in light of the role of MMP-1 and MMP-9 in the process of angiogenesis and the potential of rBBI or sBBI as a functional food ingredient.     

Isozyme diversity and analysis of the mating system of the wild rice Oryza latifolia Desv. in Costa Rica

Oryza latifolia is the most abundant and widespread wild relative of rice in the lowlands of Costa Rica. It also has the most diverse morphology. However, little is known about the genetic diversity and mating system of this allotetraploid species. Genetic analyses of nine populations from different life zones from the Pacific and Atlantic slopes were performed using six isozyme loci. Differences in genetic variability were observed among populations, of which Palo Verde and Santa Rosa were the most diverse. Most Atlantic populations clustered together, and a similar result was obtained with the Pacific populations. High levels of interpopulation diversity were observed while most populations were monomorphic for at least one genotype, suggesting little genetic flow within populations. Even in polymorphic populations no variation was observed within progeny groups, combined with Hardy-Weinberg disequilibria in most populations, commonly observed in autogamous species or in species with clonal reproduction. However, the high frequency of heterozygous-like patterns may suggest that the reproductive system of O. latifolia might be more complex. Future research may explain the genetic patterns as well as the reproductive biology of this species. The knowledge of the genetic diversity and mating system of O. latifolia could contribute to the implementation of genetic resource conservation strategies and gene flow analyses, as well as of breeding programs for rice improvement.     

Step-wise drops in modularity and the fragmentation of exploited marine metapopulations

Context

Many nearshore species are distributed in habitat patches connected only through larval dispersal. Genetic research has shown some spatial structure of such metapopulations and modeling studies have shed light onto possible patterns of connectivity and barriers. However, little is known about human impact on their spatial structure and patterns of connectivity.

Objectives

We examine the effects of fishing on the spatial and temporal dynamics of metapopulations of sedentary marine species (red sea urchin and red abalone) interconnected by larval dispersal.

Methods

We constructed a metapopulation model to simulate abalone and sea urchin metapopulations experiencing increasing levels of fishing mortality. We performed the modularity analysis on the yearly larval connectivity matrices produced by these simulations, and analyzed the changes of modularity and the formation of modules over time as indicators of spatial structure.

Results

The analysis revealed a strong modular spatial structure for abalone and a weak spatial signature for sea urchin. In abalone, under exploitation, modularity takes step-wise drops on the path to extinction, and modules breakdown into smaller fragments followed by module and later metapopulation collapse. In contrast, sea urchin showed high modularity variation, indicating high- and low-mixing years, but an abrupt collapse of the metapopulation under strong exploitation.

Conclusions

The results identify a disruption in larval connectivity and a pattern of collapse in highly modular nearshore metapopulations. These results highlight the ability of modularity to detect spatial structure in marine metapopulations, which varies among species, and to show early changes in the spatial structure of exploited metapopulations.

     

The occurrence of postharvest gray-mold rot of sweet persimmon caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Botrytis cinerea</Emphasis> in Korea

In this study, we identified the causative agent of postharvest gray-mold rot in sweet persimmon fruit that were collected from Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Korea in October 2016. Symptoms included extensive growth of mycelia on post harvested fruit. The fungus was isolated from infected fruit and cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA). For identification of the fungus, we examined morphology characteristics and rDNA sequencing analysis of the fungus and confirmed its pathogenicity according to Koch’s postulates. The results of morphological examinations, pathogenicity tests, 5.8S rDNA sequences of the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS1 and ITS4) and the five nuclear protein-coding genes G3PDH, HSP60, RPB2, MS547 and TUB revealed that the causal agent of postharvest gray-mold rot on sweet persimmon fruit in Korea was Botrytis cinerea.     

Occurrence of postharvest gray mold rot of sweet cherry due to Botrytis cinerea in Korea

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - In May 2016, we observed gray mold rot symptoms on harvested and refrigerated cherry fruit in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Korea. The symptoms included...