Influence of PAH contamination on soil ecological status

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the responses of soil biological parameters as indicator of ecological status on PAH-contaminated soil.

Materials and methods

Studies are conducted on the soils and natural grassy vegetation of monitoring plots subjected to Novocherkassk power station (NPS) emissions. Monitoring plots were established at different distances from the NPS (1.0–20.0 km).

Results and discussion

The level of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) around NPS is the highest at the monitoring plot located at distance 1.6 km to the northwest through the prevailing wind direction. Gradually, decrease of PAHs was observed while increasing the distance from the NPS through the prevailing wind direction. Calculation of correlations between PAH level and biological activity parameters of soils showed lack of dependence with total and every PAH content in all 12 studied monitoring plots. The most significant correlations were found between PAH content and enzyme activity in the monitoring plots situated through the prevailing wind direction from NPS.

Conclusions

The main pollution source in the studied area is NPS. It was found that contamination of soil by PAHs has a direct dependence on the activity of all biological communities in chernozems, as well as the activities of dehydrogenase and the phytotoxicity of soils. Inverse correlations have been revealed between the PAH contamination and abundance of soil bacteria.

     

Protective mechanism of the soil–plant system with respect to heavy metals

Purpose

The aim of this work was to select and assess the efficiency of different amendments applied to ordinary chernozems artificially contaminated with heavy metals (Zn and Pb).

Materials and methods

The effect of different amendments on ordinary chernozem contaminated with Zn and Pb acetate salts was studied in a long-term 3-year field experiment. Glauconite, chalk, manure, and their combinations were chosen as ameliorating agents. Spring barley (Hordeum sativum) was used as test culture for three successive years. The heavy metal concentration in all the soil samples decomposed by HF?+?HClO₄ was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). One normal concentration of CH₃COONH₄ at pH 4.8 was used to estimate the actual mobility of metals. The compounds of heavy metals extracted by 1 N HCl are regarded as mobile compounds. The concentration of metals in the plants was determined using the dry combustion in a mixture of HNO₃ and HCl at 450 °C. The content of heavy metals in extracts from soil and plant samples was determined by AAS.

Results and discussion

The content of weakly bound metal compounds increased upon the contamination of the soil with Pb and Zn salts, which led to a low quality of barley grown in these soils. Metal concentrations in the barley grain exceeded the maximum permissible concentrations (MPCs). The content of Zn and Pb in grains was higher than the MPC for at least 3 years after the soil pollution. The application of amendments significantly decreased the mobility of metals, and the simultaneous application of chalk and manure was most significant. The share of weakly bound metal compounds in the contaminated soils decreased to the level typical for the clean soils or even below.

Conclusions

The combined application of chalk and manure to Zn- and Pb-contaminated ordinary chernozems decreased the content of weakly bound metal compounds in the soil and lowered their concentrations in barley plants. The polyfunctional properties of the soil components with respect to their capacity for metal fixation were established. The decrease in the intensity of Zn accumulation in grains of barley shows the presence of a barrier at the root–stalk and stalk–grain interfaces.

     

Differentiation of Mycoplasma gallisepticum strains using amplified fragment length polymorphism and other DNA-based typing methods

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) was used to type 34 strains of Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) including vaccine strains ts-11, 6/85, and F. Using AFLP, a total of 10 groups, with 30 distinguishable AFLP typing profiles, were generated in the analysis. The AFLP method was able to identify and differentiate both MG field strains from recent outbreaks and those that were epidemiologically related. The AFLP procedure will provide assistance in identifying the sources of mycoplasma infections. Vaccine strains were also differentiated from other field strains, which will be useful in the evaluation of vaccination programs. The AFLP discrimination potential was compared to other molecular typing techniques such as gene-targeted typing by DNA sequence analysis of the MG cytadhesin-like protein encoding gene, mgc2, and random amplified polymorphic DNA assay on the same MG isolates. The three assays correlated well with one another, with AFLP analysis having a much higher discriminatory power and reproducibility.     

Impact of ocean acidification on energy metabolism of oyster, Crassostrea gigas--changes in metabolic pathways and thermal response

Climate change with increasing temperature and ocean acidification (OA) poses risks for marine ecosystems. According to Pörtner and Farrell [1], synergistic effects of elevated temperature and CO₂-induced OA on energy metabolism will narrow the thermal tolerance window of marine ectothermal animals. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the effect of an acute temperature rise on energy metabolism of the oyster, Crassostrea gigas chronically exposed to elevated CO₂ levels (partial pressure of CO₂ in the seawater ~0.15 kPa, seawater pH ~ 7.7). Within one month of incubation at elevated Pco₂ and 15 °C hemolymph pH fell (pH_e = 7.1 ± 0.2 (CO₂-group) vs. 7.6 ± 0.1 (control)) and P_eco₂ values in hemolymph increased (0.5 ± 0.2 kPa (CO₂-group) vs. 0.2 ± 0.04 kPa (control)). Slightly but significantly elevated bicarbonate concentrations in the hemolymph of CO₂-incubated oysters ([HCO⁻ ₃]_e = 1.8 ± 0.3 mM (CO₂-group) vs. 1.3 ± 0.1 mM (control)) indicate only minimal regulation of extracellular acid-base status. At the acclimation temperature of 15 °C the OA-induced decrease in pH_e did not lead to metabolic depression in oysters as standard metabolism rates (SMR) of CO₂-exposed oysters were similar to controls. Upon acute warming SMR rose in both groups, but displayed a stronger increase in the CO₂-incubated group. Investigation in isolated gill cells revealed a similar temperaturedependence of respiration between groups. Furthermore, the fraction of cellular energy demand for ion regulation via Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase was not affected by chronic hypercapnia or temperature. Metabolic profiling using ¹H-NMR spectroscopy revealed substantial changes in some tissues following OA exposure at 15 °C. In mantle tissue alanine and ATP levels decreased significantly whereas an increase in succinate levels was observed in gill tissue. These findings suggest shifts in metabolic pathways following OA-exposure. Our study confirms that OA affects energy metabolism in oysters and suggests that climate change may affect populations of sessile coastal invertebrates such as mollusks.     

Phytophthora genome sequences uncover evolutionary origins and mechanisms of pathogenesis

Draft genome sequences have been determined for the soybean pathogen Phytophthora sojae and the sudden oak death pathogen Phytophthora ramorum. O?mycetes such as these Phytophthora species share the kingdom Stramenopila with photosynthetic algae such as diatoms, and the presence of many Phytophthora genes of probable phototroph origin supports a photosynthetic ancestry for the stramenopiles. Comparison of the two species' genomes reveals a rapid expansion and diversification of many protein families associated with plant infection such as hydrolases, ABC transporters, protein toxins, proteinase inhibitors, and, in particular, a superfamily of 700 proteins with similarity to known o?mycete avirulence genes.     

Soybean peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of luminol by hydrogen peroxide

Anionic soybean peroxidase Glycine max (SbP) is shown to efficiently catalyze luminol oxidation by hydrogen peroxide. Contrary to horseradish peroxidase, the presence of p-iodophenol in the reaction medium affects slightly the efficiency of SbP catalysis. A maximal intensity of chemiluminescence, produced through this enzymatic reaction, was detected at pH 8.4-8.6. Contrary to anionic palm tree peroxidase, in the presence of SbP, chemiluminescence intensity increases with the reaction buffer concentration. The detection limit of SbP in the reaction of luminol oxidation is 0.3 x 10(-12) M. Therefore, high sensitivity in combination with the long-term chemiluminescent signal is indicative of good prospects for application of this enzyme in enzyme immunoassay with chemiluminescent detection.     

Characterization of in vivo-acquired resistance to macrolides of Mycoplasma gallisepticum strains isolated from poultry

ABSTRACT: The macrolide class of antibiotics, including tylosin and tilmicosin, is widely used in the veterinary field for prophylaxis and treatment of mycoplasmosis. In vitro susceptibility testing of 50 strains of M. gallisepticum isolated in Israel during the period 1997-2010 revealed that acquired resistance to tylosin as well as to tilmicosin was present in 50% of them. Moreover, 72% (13/18) of the strains isolated from clinical samples since 2006 showed acquired resistance to enrofloxacin, tylosin and tilmicosin. Molecular typing of the field isolates, performed by gene-target sequencing (GTS), detected 13 molecular types (I-XIII). Type II was the predominant type prior to 2006 whereas type X, first detected in 2008, is currently prevalent. All ten type X strains were resistant to both fluoroquinolones and macrolides, suggesting selective pressure leading to clonal dissemination of resistance. However, this was not a unique event since resistant strains with other GTS molecular types were also found. Concurrently, the molecular basis for macrolide resistance in M. gallisepticum was identified. Our results revealed a clear-cut correlation between single point mutations A2058G or A2059G in domain V of the gene encoding 23S rRNA (rrnA, MGA_01) and acquired macrolide resistance in M. gallisepticum. Indeed, all isolates with MIC ≥ 0.63 μg/mL to tylosin and with MIC ≥ 1.25 μg/mL to tilmicosin possess one of these mutations, suggesting an essential role in decreased susceptibility of M. gallisepticum to 16-membered macrolides.     

Effect of acute hypoxia on the brain energy metabolism of the scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758: the pattern of oxidoreductase activity and adenylate system

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry - The activity of oxidoreductases, malate dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase (MDH, 1.1.1.37; LDH, 1.1.1.27), as well as parameters of adenylate...