Structure of the rotor ring of F-Type Na+-ATPase from Ilyobacter tartaricus

In the crystal structure of the membrane-embedded rotor ring of the sodium ion-translocating adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) synthase of Ilyobacter tartaricus at 2.4 angstrom resolution, 11 c subunits are assembled into an hourglass-shaped cylinder with 11-fold symmetry. Sodium ions are bound in a locked conformation close to the outer surface of the cylinder near the middle of the membrane. The structure supports an ion-translocation mechanism in the intact ATP synthase in which the binding site converts from the locked conformation into one that opens toward subunit a as the rotor ring moves through the subunit a/c interface.     

Where water is oxidized to dioxygen: structure of the photosynthetic Mn4Ca cluster

The oxidation of water to dioxygen is catalyzed within photosystem II (PSII) by a Mn(4)Ca cluster, the structure of which remains elusive. Polarized extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements on PSII single crystals constrain the Mn(4)Ca cluster geometry to a set of three similar high-resolution structures. Combining polarized EXAFS and x-ray diffraction data, the cluster was placed within PSII, taking into account the overall trend of the electron density of the metal site and the putative ligands. The structure of the cluster from the present study is unlike either the 3.0 or 3.5 angstrom-resolution x-ray structures or other previously proposed models.     

Investigations concerning the use of the rumen fermentation regulator monensin in feeding fattening bulls

In two digestion experiments with wethers and seven feeding experiments with 198 fattening bulls with rations rich in (greater than 55% of the dry matter intake from roughage), the influence of the antibiotic monensin on the digestibility of the ration, on rumen-physiologic characteristic values and on fattening and slaughtering results was investigated. The digestibility of the organic matter and the crude nutrients was not significantly influenced by the use of monensin (20 mg/kg dry matter). The administration of 200 mg monensin per fattening bull and day resulted in an increase of the molar concentration of propionate in the rumen fluid by 9.7 mol%, the concentration of acetate and butyrate decreased by 7.3 resp. 2.8 mol %. On an average of the seven experiments the intake of dry matter was diminished by 5.1% through the use of monensin, the live weight increase remained almost unaffected (3.0% additional increase), feed and energy requirement per kg live weight were improved by 7.9%. The fattening results do not always correspond in the various experiments. The results of the dressing of the carcass, the composition of the carcass and the quality of the meat remained unaffected by the administration of monensin.     

Insertional mutagenesis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Magnaporthe grisea</Emphasis> toward decreased responsiveness of alternative respiration to inhibition by azoxystrobin

 Inhibitors of respiration with high affinity to the Qo site of cytochrome b constitute a major class of modern agricultural fungicides. Many fungal organisms, including plant pathogens, can circumvent this inhibition site by expressing alternative respiration, a pathway dependent on alternative oxidase and other unidentified gene products. The restriction enzyme-mediated insertion (REMI) technique was employed in this study to disrupt genes involved in the expression of fully functional alternative respiration of Magnaporthe grisea. In one of the REMI mutants obtained, the rescue response mediated by alternative respiration was completely abolished. In two other mutants, the response was diminished but not entirely silenced. For all three mutants, phenotype changes were not explained by an altered structure of the alternative oxidase gene AOXMg or by a decreased level of gene expression in response to the Qo inhibitor azoxystrobin. The gene potentially affected in one of the REMI mutants was a homolog of the ABC1 family of genes encoding chaperone-like proteins with roles in the optimal assembly of mitochondrial membrane complexes. Received: May 28, 2002 / Accepted: October 16, 2002 Acknowledgments The research was funded, in part, by financial support to C. Avila-Adame provided by the Fulbright-Garcia Robles Foundation, the Institute of International Education, CONACYT-Mexico, and the Colegio de Postgraduados-Mexico.     

Estimating the mass of mango fruit (Mangifera indica, cv. Chok Anan) from its geometric dimensions by optical measurement

Uniform fruit mass and shapes of mangoes for export are required in order to ease handling and transportation, and to help satisfy consumer preferences. However, with its irregular shape, one which cannot be approximated by using standard geometrical figures, the mango is not as easy to model as round or oval-shaped fruits.In this study, more than 1000 mango ‘Chok Anan’ fruit were measured with respect to their length, maximum width and maximum thickness, to within an accuracy of 1.0  mm, and their weight was determined to within an accuracy of 0.1  g. Pictures were taken of 30 fruit, through the use of digital cameras, manually rectified and analyzed by use of “Measure 2.1” a computer code.An equation was proposed in order to calculate the mass of the mangoes based on three geometric dimensions, which then showed a high level of explanatory power of R² = 0.97. The root mean standard error of 12.22 was determined, and the mean relative deviation found was 0.05. Based on measurements taken from the digital photos, the equation was then used to determine the estimated mass based on three dimensions. Estimated and measured values were plotted against each other. A high correlation (R² = 0.96) was found between measured and calculated mass.It was shown that the mass can be estimated based on data obtained from two orthogonally taken photographs.     

Thyroid Dysplasia in Wistar Hannover GALAS Rats

Thyroid dysplasia was recognized in WistarHan GALAS rats and confirmed as a heritable congenital disorder. The gene or genes involved were not identified, but homozygous animals with thyroid dysplasia also exhibited stunted growth, had reduced pituitary gland growth hormone (GH) and were hypothyroid. Heterozygous animals exhibited thyroid dysplasia with normal thyroid hormonal homeostasis and no difference in the incidence of preneoplastic or neoplastic lesions in oncogenicity studies.     

Phenological phases of common beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and their dependence on region and altitude in Southern Germany

Long-term observational data of the phenological network of the German Weather Service (DWD) were used to derive the altitudinal dependence of leaf unfolding (LU), leaf discolouration (LD) and the length of the vegetation period (LD-LU) of common beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in different regions of Southern Germany. Depending on altitude, the vegetation period starts in Bavaria between the 2nd and 24th May with a delay of around 2 days per 100 m altitude increase (averaged over the last 30 years). In Southern Bavaria, LU starts a few days earlier as well as increases slightly faster into higher altitudes than in the northern regions. This can be explained by a more favourable supply of warmth and radiation in the south. The end of the vegetation period, defined here as the beginning of LD, showed no altitudinal dependence, which reflects an interaction of endogenous and exogenous factors as triggers for LD. In the Bavarian Forest region, altitudinal dependences are strongly influenced by sites which are affected by cold-air tailback (‘Kaltluftstau’) was obtained. Hence, phenological gradients should only be derived and applied above a phenological inversion zone. The calculated vertical gradients for LU can be used together with available observational data to estimate the beginning of the forest vegetation period of beech for different altitudes of Bavaria.     

Impact of late frost events on radial growth of common beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in Southern Germany

Phenological, temperature, and tree-ring data were used in order to identify and quantify the impact of late frosts on common beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) at different altitudes in Southern Germany during the last century. For this intention, dendroecological investigations were made upon trees at the Meteorological Observatory Hohenpeißenberg as well as from seven stands in the Bavarian Forest and 17 stands at the northern fringe of the Alps. From these locations, a considerable number of severe growth minima in the tree-ring series could be related to late frost in the days of or immediately after leaf unfolding. The frequency of frost-related growth minima increases with altitude. In individual years, radial growth can be reduced by more than 90% (stand mean) in relation to the average growth of the ten previous years. Hence, late frosts are considered as important ecological events that strongly affect beech vitality and competitiveness especially at high altitudes. Evidence of significant impacts on radial growth by late frosts distinct before leaf unfolding or with temperatures above ?3°C was not found. Also, increasing frequency and intensity of late frosts during recent decades were not ascertained. Hence, the recently observed decreased vitality of common beech accompanied by growth depressions especially at high altitude sites in Central Europe cannot be explained as a consequence of late frost damage.     

Who are the future farmers? Media representations of youth in agriculture,food security and ‘modern’ farming in Indonesia

In Indonesia, state and non-state actors frame youth attrition from agriculture as a food security concern and propose policy solutions focused on ‘modern’ farming techniques. Using a critical framing analysis of five national Indonesian news media sources from 2010 to 2020, we examine how government, development and private sector actors portray youth in agriculture, and the underlying assumptions that inform related policy and development agendas. Our analysis reveals contrasting portrayals of youth in agriculture. Youth are often depicted as averse to farming, while also being innovative adopters of modern farming techniques, equipment, and digital technologies. We argue that media frames reflect and reinforce the dominant discourses of state and non-state actors, which have a productivist orientation, proposing technical, capital-intensive agricultural solutions to food insecurity and related issues. News media pays comparatively less attention to structural barriers to youth entry and success in agriculture, such as limited access to land and finance and unfavourable terms of trade.     

Suppression of cytokine-inducible nitric oxide synthesis during intraperitoneal meth a tumor growth

Nitric oxide (NO*) synthesis is induced within many tumors. The timecourse of NO* synthesis was evaluated during intraperitoneal Meth A fibrosarcoma progression. While increasing macrophage recruitment into ascites was noted, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) antigen and function peaked between days 3-6 after tumor implantation. The capacity of cells to respond to LPS and IFNgamma stimulation was markedly depressed on day 9 and 11. Cellular proliferation correlated in an inverse fashion with levels of NO* synthesis. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and nitrotyrosine immunostaining failed to show accumulation of characteristic target cell lesions induced by NO*. These findings lead us to conclude that NO* production was increasingly suppressed during Meth A tumor progression. Depression of NO* production did not correlate with levels of the inhibitory cytokines TGFbeta and IL-10, but could be partially overcome by addition of sepiapterin (a tetrahydrobiopterin prodrug). Thus, depletion of essential co-factors necessary for iNOS function may contribute to depressed NO* responses during cancer progression.