Suspended sediment budget and intra-event sediment dynamics of a small glaciated mountainous catchment in the Northern Caucasus

Journal of Soils and Sediments - The sediment dynamics of (peri-)glacial catchments can be highly variable and complex. Understanding these dynamics and their underlying causes is not only of...     

Collembolan assemblages of polar deserts and subarctic nival communities

Collembolan assemblages were studied in two different regions of the Arctic, on the Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago and upon the Putorana plateau (Southern Taimyr). The comparison of assemblages, developed in similar plant associations of the polar desert zone and of nival belt of Subarctic mountains, revealed that there are no common features in their species composition even though their structures were similar. This fact could be considered as an additional argument of the biota uniqueness of the polar desert.     

Four New Sulfated Polar Steroids from the Far Eastern Starfish Leptasterias ochotensis: Structures and Activities

Three new sulfated steroid monoglycosides, leptaochotensosides A–C (1–3), and a new sulfated polyhydroxylated steroid (4) were isolated from the alcoholic extract of the Far Eastern starfish Leptasterias ochotensis. The structures of compounds 1–4 were established by extensive nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESIMS) analyses and chemical transformations. Although the isolated compounds did not show any apparent cytotoxicity against melanoma RPMI-7951 and breast cancer T-47D cell lines, leptaochotensoside A (1) demonstrated inhibition of T-47D cell colony formation in a soft agar clonogenic assay at nontoxic doses. In addition, this compound decreased the epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced colony formation of mouse epidermal JB6 Cl41 cells. The cancer preventive action of 1 is realized through regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway.     

Individual-based measurement and analysis of root system development: case studies for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Larix gmelinii</Emphasis> trees growing on the permafrost region in Siberia

We present results of individual-based root system measurement and analysis applied for Larix gmelinii trees growing on the continuous permafrost region of central Siberia. The data of root excavation taken from the three stands were used for the analyses; young (26 years old), mature (105 years old), and uneven-aged over-mature stand (220 years old). In this article, we highlight two topics: (1) factors affecting spatio-temporal pattern of root system development, and (2) interactions between aboveground (i.e., crown) and belowground (i.e., root) competition. For the first topic, the detailed observation of lateral roots was applied to one sample tree of the overmature stand. The tree constructed a superficial (<30 cm in depth) and rather asymmetric root system, and each lateral root expanded mainly into elevated mounds rather than depressed troughs. This indicated that spatial development of an individual root system was largely affected by microtopography (i.e., earth hummocks). For these lateral roots, elongation growth curves were reconstructed using annual-ring data, and annual growth rates and patterns were compared among them. The comparison suggested that temporal root system development is associated with differences in carbon allocation among the lateral roots. For the second topic, we examined relationships between individual crown projection area (CA) and horizontal rooting area (RA) for the sample trees of each stand. RA was almost equal to CA in the young stand, while RA was much larger (three or four times) than CA in the mature and overmature stands. Two measures of stand-level space occupation, crown area index (aboveground: CAI; sum of CAs per unit land area) and rooting area index (belowground: RAI; sum of RAs), were estimated in each stand. The estimates of RAI (1.3–1.8 m² m₋₂) exceeded unity in all stands. In contrast, CAI exceeded unity (1.3 m² m₋₂) only in the young stand, and was much smaller (<0.3 m² m₋₂) in the two older stands. These between-stand differences in RAI–CAI relationships suggest that intertree competition for both aboveground and belowground spaces occurred in the young stand, but only belowground competition still occurred in the two older stands. Based on this finding, we hypothesized that competition below the ground may become predominant as a stand ages in L. gmelinii forests. Methodological limitations of our analysis are also discussed, especially for the analysis using the two indices of space occupation (CAI, RAI).     

Disulfated Ophiuroid Type Steroids from the Far Eastern Starfish Pteraster marsippus and Their Cytotoxic Activity on the Models of 2D and 3D Cultures

New steroidal 3β,21-disulfates (2–4), steroidal 3β,22-disulfate (5), and the previously known related steroidal 3β,21-disulfate (1) were isolated from the ethanolic extract of the Far Eastern starfish Pteraster marsippus, collected off Urup Island in the Sea of Okhotsk. The structures of these compounds were determined by intensive NMR and HRESIMS techniques as well as by chemical transformations. Steroids 2 and 3 have an oxo-group in the tetracyclic nucleus at position C-7 and differ from each other by the presence of the 5(6)-double bond. The Δ²⁴-22-sulfoxycholestane side chain of the steroid 5 has not been found previously in the starfish or ophiuroid steroids. The cytotoxic activities of 1, 4, 5, and the mixture of 2 and 3 were determined on the models of 2D and 3D cultures of human epithelial kidney cells (HEK293), melanoma cells (SK-MEL-28), small intestine carcinoma cells (HuTu80), and breast carcinoma cells (ZR-75-1). The mixture of 2 and 3 revealed a significant inhibitory effect on the cell viability of human breast carcinoma ZR-75-1 cells, but other tested compounds were less effective.     

An agonist of toll-like receptor 5 has radioprotective activity in mouse and primate models

The toxicity of ionizing radiation is associated with massive apoptosis in radiosensitive organs. Here, we investigate whether a drug that activates a signaling mechanism used by tumor cells to suppress apoptosis can protect healthy cells from the harmful effects of radiation. We studied CBLB502, a polypeptide drug derived from Salmonella flagellin that binds to Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) and activates nuclear factor-kappaB signaling. A single injection of CBLB502 before lethal total-body irradiation protected mice from both gastrointestinal and hematopoietic acute radiation syndromes and resulted in improved survival. CBLB502 injected after irradiation also enhanced survival, but at lower radiation doses. It is noteworthy that the drug did not decrease tumor radiosensitivity in mouse models. CBLB502 also showed radioprotective activity in lethally irradiated rhesus monkeys. Thus, TLR5 agonists could potentially improve the therapeutic index of cancer radiotherapy and serve as biological protectants in radiation emergencies.     

Triterpene Glycosides from the Far Eastern Sea Cucumber Thyonidium (=Duasmodactyla) kurilensis (Levin): The Structures,Cytotoxicities, and Biogenesis of Kurilosides A3, D1, G,H, I,I1, J,K, and K1

Nine new mono-, di-, and trisulfated triterpene penta- and hexaosides, kurilosides A₃ (1), D₁ (2), G (3), H (4), I (5), I₁ (6), J (7), K (8), and K₁ (9) and two desulfated derivatives, DS-kuriloside L (10), having a trisaccharide branched chain, and DS-kuriloside M (11), having hexa-nor-lanostane aglycone with a 7(8)-double bond, have been isolated from the Far-Eastern deep-water sea cucumber Thyonidium (=Duasmodactyla) kurilensis (Levin) and their structures were elucidated based on 2D NMR spectroscopy and HR-ESI mass-spectrometry. Five earlier unknown carbohydrate chains and two aglycones (having a 16β,(20S)-dihydroxy-fragment and a 16β-acetoxy,(20S)-hydroxy fragment) were found in these glycosides. All the glycosides 1–9 have a sulfate group at C-6 Glc, attached to C-4 Xyl1, while the positions of the other sulfate groups vary in different groups of kurilosides. The analysis of the structural features of the aglycones and the carbohydrate chains of all the glycosides of T. kurilensis showed their biogenetic relationships. Cytotoxic activities of the compounds 1–9 against mouse neuroblastoma Neuro 2a, normal epithelial JB-6 cells, and erythrocytes were studied. The highest cytotoxicity in the series was demonstrated by trisulfated hexaoside kuriloside H (4), having acetoxy-groups at C(16) and C(20), the latter one obviously compensated the absence of a side chain, essential for the membranolytic action of the glycosides. Kuriloside I₁ (6), differing from 4 in the lacking of a terminal glucose residue in the bottom semi-chain, was slightly less active. The compounds 1–3, 5, and 8 did not demonstrate cytotoxic activity due to the presence of hydroxyl groups in their aglycones.     

辽诱系列玉米单倍体诱导系的选育

采用多个测验种逐代跟踪测定诱导率的方法,利用俄罗斯引进的单倍体诱导系资源,经过5年7代选育出辽诱系列玉米单倍体诱导系辽诱1号、辽诱2号、辽诱3号和辽诱4号。对22个品种的诱导效果试验表明,辽诱1号、辽诱2号、辽诱3号和辽诱4号的综合诱导率分别为6.85%、7.53%、6.66%和6.03%,比对照高诱五号分别高出0.6倍、0.8倍、0.6倍和0.4倍。诱导基因检测结果表明,辽诱系列诱导系具有诱导率高、花粉量大、抗病、抗倒、易繁殖等优良特性,且存在和高诱五号共同的诱导基因GRMZM2G471240,是开展玉米单倍体育种的理想诱导系。     

Polyphenols in wild and weedy Mexican common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

The polyphenolic composition of 62 wild and weedy Mexican bean collections from diverse origins, grouped by their seed coat color, was assessed. According to spectrophotometric analysis, the range of total phenols, condensed tannins, and total anthocyanins presented wide differences. Furthermore, the phenolic acid, flavonoid, and anthocyanin profiles were analyzed using HPLC. Ferulic was the main phenolic acid. Kaempferol and quercetin were the main flavonoids, and the isoflavones daidzein and coumestrol were found in only low levels in few collections. Delphinidin was the main anthocyanidin found, followed by petunidin, cyanidin, malvidin, pelargonidin, and peonidin. The wide variation observed in polyphenolic contents was more related to their genotype than to the color factor. These results show that some wild and weedy beans are good sources of phenolic compounds for use in breeding programs focused on nutrition and health.