Impacts of lost fishing gear on coral reef sessile invertebrates in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

The Florida Keys coral reef ecosystem supports multimillion-dollar commercial and recreational fisheries. The ecological effects caused by fishing gear that is lost when cut or broken after snagging on the bottom is a growing concern to managers and scientists. Few data exist, however, to assess the impacts of lost fishing gear to benthic organisms and habitat structure. In this study, 63 offshore coral reef and hard-bottom sites were surveyed during 2001 to quantify the impacts of lost fishing gear to coral reef sessile invertebrates. Lost hook-and-line fishing gear accounted for 87% of all debris (N=298 incidences) encountered and was responsible for 84% of the 321 documented impacts to sponges and benthic cnidarians, predominantly consisting of tissue abrasion causing partial individual or colony mortality. Branching gorgonians (Octocorallia) were the most frequently affected (56%), followed by milleporid hydrocorals (19%) and sponges (13%). Factors affecting the impacts of lost fishing gear include sessile invertebrate density, the density of lost fishing gear, and gear length. While lost hook-and-line fishing gear is ubiquitous in the Florida Keys, less than 0.2% of the available milleporid hydrocorals, stony corals, and gorgonians in the habitats studied are adversely affected in terms of colony abrasions and partial mortality.     

Arsenate Displacement from Fly Ash in Amended Soils

Arsenic (As) is the biggest environment contaminant in most of the soils where fly ash is applied. Usually, it is not mobile and strongly adsorbed on to soil particles. However, in gypsum and phosphorus amended soils As may be much more mobile. A study in repacked columns was conducted to determine whether or not As becomes mobile when Ca(H₂PO₄)₂and CaSO₄are used as leaching solutions, and to compare the competitive interactions between PO₄-AsO₄and SO₄-AsO₄. Arsenic concentration in leachate was found to be approximately ten times greater when Ca(H₂PO₄)₂was used to leach the columns as compared to CaSO₄. A maximum concentration of 800 μg As L^-1was found in the leachate in this case, which is much higher than the groundwater limit of 50 μg L^-1for drinking water established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. In fly ash, the portion of arsenate non-specifically adsorbed is believed to be much lower than that of specifically adsorbed. Sulfate anions were able to displace only non-specifically adsorbed arsenate. In this case the concentration of As in leachate was found to be within acceptable limits. On the other hand, phosphate can compete with arsenate for all available adsorption sites, non-specific and specific. Phosphate displacement of both forms of arsenates increases As mobility in both control and fly ash treatments.     

Screening for low grain cadmium phenotypes in sunflower, durum wheat and flax

Cadmium (Cd) level in nonoilseed sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), and durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum) grown on uncontaminated, alkaline soils has exceeded limits established in Northern Europe. Separate field experiments were conducted to investigate variability of grain Cd levels among sunflower, durum wheat and flax germplasm, and to seek an efficient screening method for future breeding. There were large variations in leaf Cd concentration among 200 sunflower lines. These lines performed more consistently for Cd uptake at the R5 stage than at the V8 stage across 4 locations with markedly differing soils. Cd concentration in V8 leaves was not related to Cd in grain. The positive correlation between R5 leaf Cd and kernel Cd level was obtained from nonoilseed hybrid (Sigco 954) (R²; = 0.74**), and 200 lines (R² = 0.44**) tested over 4 locations in 2 field trials, respectively. This indicates that an efficient and low cost screening method can be developed for genotype selection, but plants must be grown to the R5 stage. A preliminary evaluation of 30 durum wheat and 74 flax lines indicated large variations in grain Cd level of durum wheat and flax. Grain Cd concentration ranged from 0.11 to 0.34 mg Cd kg^-1 DW for durum wheat, and 0.14 to 1.37 mg Cd kg^-1 DW for flax, respectively. This variability indicates that breeding for low grain Cd in durum wheat and flax should be feasible. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Hormone-sensitive lipase: sequence, expression, and chromosomal localization to 19 cent-q13.3

Hormone-sensitive lipase, a key enzyme in fatty acid mobilization, overall energy homeostasis, and possibly steroidogenesis, is acutely controlled through reversible phosphorylation by catecholamines and insulin. The 757-amino acid sequence predicted from a cloned rat adipocyte complementary DNA showed no homology with any other known lipase or protein. The activity-controlling phosphorylation site was localized to Ser563 in a markedly hydrophilic domain, and a lipid-binding consensus site was tentatively identified. One or several messenger RNA species (3.3, 3.5, or 3.9 kilobases) were expressed in adipose and steroidogenic tissues and heart and skeletal muscle. The human hormone-sensitive lipase gene mapped to chromosome 19 cent-q13.3.     

Three-dimensional structure of human serum albumin

The three-dimensional structure of human serum albumin has been solved at 6.0 angstrom (A) resolution by the method of multiple isomorphous replacement. Crystals were grown from solutions of polyethylene glycol in the infrequently observed space group P42(1)2 (unit cell constants a = b = 186.5 +/- 0.5 A and c = 81.0 +/- 0.5 A) and diffracted x-rays to lattice d-spacings of less than 2.9 A. The electron density maps are of high quality and revealed the structure as a predominantly alpha-helical globin protein in which the course of the polypeptide can be traced. The binding loci of several organic compounds have been determined.     

Association mapping reveals loci associated with multiple traits that affect grain yield and adaptation in soft winter wheat

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are useful to facilitate crop improvement via enhanced knowledge of marker-trait associations (MTA). A GWAS for grain yield (GY), yield components, and agronomic traits was conducted using a diverse panel of 239 soft red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) genotypes evaluated across two growing seasons and eight site-years. Analysis of variance showed significant environment, genotype, and genotype-by-environment effects for GY and yield components. Narrow sense heritability of GY (h ²  = 0.48) was moderate compared to other traits including plant height (h ²  = 0.81) and kernel weight (h ²  = 0.77). There were 112 significant MTA (p < 0.0005) detected for eight measured traits using compressed mixed linear models and 5715 single nucleotide polymorphism markers. MTA for GY and agronomic traits coincided with previously reported QTL for winter and spring wheat. Highly significant MTA for GY showed an overall negative allelic effect for the minor allele, indicating selection against these alleles by breeders. Markers associated with multiple traits observed on chromosomes 1A, 2D, 3B, and 4B with positive minor effects serve as potential targets for marker assisted breeding to select for improvement of GY and related traits. Following marker validation, these multi-trait loci have the potential to be utilized for MAS to improve GY and adaptation of soft red winter wheat.     

Pronuclear Embryo Yield in Canindé and Saanen Goats for DNA Microinjection

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of donor breed on pronuclear‐stage embryo yield to be used for DNA microinjection in a transgenesis goat program. Twelve Canindé and twelve Saanen goats were heat synchronized using a progestagen‐cloprostenol treatment. Forty‐eight hours before the sponge removal, superovulation was induced with a total administration of 4.4 mg/kg bodyweight NIH‐FSH‐P1, given twice daily in decreasing doses over 3 days. In addition, goats received 100 μg of GnRH and they were hand‐mated at 36 and 48 h after progestagen removal. Embryo recovery was performed by oviduct flushing at 72 h after sponge removal. Embryos were microinjected with a DNA construct and noticeable swelling of the nuclei was the criterion for successful microinjection. The total diameter, cytoplasm diameter, zona pellucida thickness and pronuclei diameter were measured for each microinjected embryo. A higher (p < 0.05) percentage of fertilized ova was observed in Canindé (89.9%) than Saanen (36.2%) goats. In addition, Canindé donors produced a higher percentage of pronuclear embryos when compared with Saanen: 72.5% vs 20.6% (p < 0.05), respectively. Successful microinjection was verified in 96.7% and 73.3% of times in Canindé and Saanen embryos, respectively (p < 0.05). Significant differences were observed for all morphometric parameters except for cytoplasm diameter. In conclusion, under our study experimental conditions, Canindé were more efficient than Saanen goats concerning the pronuclear embryo yield and manipulation. The use of Canindé goats in transgenesis programs could be increase the interest in their breeding and could be contribute to saving them from extinction.     

Daily basking patterns of the fresh-water turtle

Basking activity in the turtle Pelomedusa subrufa L. apparently is initiated by the presence of a suitable heat source, whereas subsequent basking is largely determined by prevailing environmental temperatures as well as requirements for avoiding overheating.