The porcine immune system--differences compared to man and mouse and possible consequences for infections by Salmonella serovars

The porcine immune system differs in many aspects from that of humans and mice. Morphological differences in the lymphatic system (e.g. lymph nodes, Peyer's patches), and phenotypic differences in immune cells have been observed as well as functional differences in immune cell populations. Indeed, even the prenatal development of the embryonic piglet proceeds in a principally different way. However, it remains unclear to what extent these differences might contribute to the predisposition to and outcomes of bacterial infections, in particular those with zoonotic potential. In the following article we will review some of the peculiarities of the porcine immune system and consider possible implications for the course of infections in swine, with an emphasis on Salmonella serovars.     

Structure determination of partially deuterated carotenoids from intrinsically labeled vegetables by HPLC-MS and 1H NMR

The structures of biosynthetic deuterated carotenoids in labeled vegetables were investigated: (all-E)-lutein and (all-E)-beta-carotene from spinach, and (all-E)-beta-carotene and (all-E)-alpha-carotene from carrots. The vegetables were grown hydroponically using a nutrient solution enriched with deuterium oxide (D(2)O) and were extracted using matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD). Deuterium enrichment in the carotenoid molecules was determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). (all-E)-Lutein and (all-E)-beta-carotene in spinach showed partial deuteration from (2)H(1) to (2)H(12), with the abundance maximum at (2)H(5). (all-E)-beta-Carotene and (all-E)-alpha-carotene from carrots showed partial deuteration from (2)H(1) to (2)H(17), with the abundance maximum at (2)H(11). The (1)H NMR spectra of the four deuterated carotenoids showed additional signals for all methyl groups and decreased signal intensity for the olefinic protons and the methylene protons in the ring. These differences are due to isotopic effects and are based on the substitution of protons by deuterium atoms. The deuteration was distributed randomly throughout the carotenoid molecules.     

Molecular mimicry regulates ABA signaling by SnRK2 kinases and PP2C phosphatases

Abscisic acid (ABA) is an essential hormone for plants to survive environmental stresses. At the center of the ABA signaling network is a subfamily of type 2C protein phosphatases (PP2Cs), which form exclusive interactions with ABA receptors and subfamily 2 Snfl-related kinase (SnRK2s). Here, we report a SnRK2-PP2C complex structure, which reveals marked similarity in PP2C recognition by SnRK2 and ABA receptors. In the complex, the kinase activation loop docks into the active site of PP2C, while the conserved ABA-sensing tryptophan of PP2C inserts into the kinase catalytic cleft, thus mimicking receptor-PP2C interactions. These structural results provide a simple mechanism that directly couples ABA binding to SnRK2 kinase activation and highlight a new paradigm of kinase-phosphatase regulation through mutual packing of their catalytic sites.     

Impact of treated wastewater irrigation on water repellency of Mediterranean soils

Irrigation with treated wastewater (TWW) is gaining importance due to declining water availability in dry regions. TWW irrigation has various potential adverse effects on soil quality such as hydrophobic effects on soil surfaces, reducing initial sorptivity and promoting the formation of preferential flow paths. In May and June 2010, in situ infiltration measurements using mini disk tension infiltrometer were deployed in five different orchard plots in Israel to assess the impact of different irrigation water qualities on the soil water repellency index R. In most plantations, long-term test sites were accessed to compare adjacent plots irrigated with fresh water (FW) or TWW. Topsoil samples were analyzed for selected physical and chemical characteristics. The mean R values increased at all TWW sites, from +15 up to +55 % compared with FW sites. The water drop penetration time (WDPT) increased up to 30 fold at three of five TWW sites compared with FW sites. Subsequent U tests and multilevel analysis indicated an impact of the type of irrigation water on R and WDPT. Moreover, soil electrical conductivity and exchangeable sodium percentage were consistently higher at all TWW sites. These results show that irrigation water quality clearly influences physical and chemical properties of the soil.     

A method to generate soilscapes from soil maps

Digital soil mapping for large areas is challenging if mapping resolution should be as high as possible and sampling should be as sparse as possible. Generally, the more complex the soil associations in a landscape, the more samples are required to systematically cover the entire feature space. Moreover, regions should be modeled separately if the patterns of spatial variation vary on subregion level. A systematic segmentation of a landscape into soilscapes is additionally important for a feasible application of soil‐sensing approaches. In this paper, we introduce a semiautomated approach to segment nominal spatial datasets based on the local spatial frequency distribution of the mapping units. The aim is to provide homogeneous and nonfragmented segments with smoothed boundaries. The methodological framework for the segmentation comprises different spatial and nonspatial techniques and focuses mainly on a moving‐window analysis of the local frequency distribution and a k‐means cluster analysis. Based on an existing soil map (1:50,000), we derived six segments for the Nidda catchment (Central Hesse, Germany), comprising 1600 km². As segmentation is based on a soil map, soilscapes are derived. In terms of the feature space, these soilscapes show a higher homogeneity compared to the entire landscape. Advantages compared to an existing map of landscape units are discussed. Segmenting a landscape as introduced in this study might also be of importance for other disciplines and can be used as a first step in biodiversity analysis or setting up environmental‐monitoring sites.