Changes in freezing tolerance, plasma membrane H+-ATPase activity and fatty acid composition in Pinus resinosa needles during cold acclimation and de-acclimation

It has previously been suggested that plasma membrane ATPase (PM H+-ATPase, EC 3.6.1.3.) is a site of incipient freezing injury because activity increases following cold acclimation and there are published data indicating that activity of PM H+-ATPase is modulated by changes in lipids associated with the enzyme. To test and extend these findings in a tree species, we analyzed PM H+-ATPase activity and the fatty acid (FA) composition of glycerolipids in purified plasma membranes (PMs) prepared by the two-phase partition method from current-year needles of adult red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) trees. Freezing tolerance of the needles decreased from -56 degrees C in March to -9 degrees C in May, and increased from -15 degrees C in September to -148 degrees C in January. Specific activity of vanadate-sensitive PM H+-ATPase increased more than two-fold following cold acclimation, despite a concurrent increase in protein concentration. During de-acclimation, decreases in PM H+-ATPase activity and freezing tolerance were accompanied by decreases in the proportions of oleic (18:1) and linoleic (18:2) acids and increases in the proportions of palmitic (16:0) and linolenic (18:3) acids in total glycerolipids extracted from the plasma membrane fraction. This pattern of changes in PM H+-ATPase activity and the 18:1, 18:2 and 18:3 fatty acids was reversed during cold acclimation. In the PM fractions, changes in FA unsaturation, expressed as the double bond index (1 x 18:1 + 2 x 18:2 + 3 x 18:3), were closely correlated with changes in H+-ATPase specific activity (r2 = 0.995). Changes in freezing tolerance were well correlated with DBI (r2 = 0.877) and ATPase specific activity (r2 = 0.833) in the PM fraction. Total ATPase activity in microsomal fractions also closely followed changes in freezing tolerance (r2 = 0.969). We conclude that, as in herbaceous plants, simultaneous seasonal changes in PM H+-ATPase activity and fatty acid composition occur during cold acclimation and de-acclimation in an extremely winter hardy tree species under natural conditions, lending support to the hypothesis that FA-regulated PM H+-ATPase activity is involved in the cellular response underlying cold acclimation and de-acclimation.     

Effects of ozone on birch (Betula pendula Roth.) clones

Saplings of five birch clones (Betula pendula Roth.) were exposed to ozone doses 1.2–1.7 × higher than the ambient under field conditions during growing seasons 1991–1993. The clones were also fumigated with 40 ppb – 150 ppb ozone in three chamber experiments.The effects of nitrogen supply on ozone responses were studied using field fumigation system and three levels of nitrogen supply (low, medium, high). The ozone-sensitivity was clone-spesific. Even low ozone exposure decreased the biomass production of the most sensitive clone, whereas the most tolerant clone showed unaffected growth rate. In all clones, ozone fumigation accelerated autumn senescence of leaves, increased ultrastructural injuries, especially in chloroplasts, and increased diffusion resistance and stomatal density of leaves. Ozone-induced changes in the tissue and fine structure of leaves were interpreted as enhanced senescence. The plants receiving high nitrogen supply were more resistant to ozone than the plants under lower nitrogen availability. Significant interactions between ozone and nitrogen supply were found in growth and leaf anatomical parameters. The ozone sensitivity and the growth rate of birch clones seem to be related to biochemical and ultrastructural changes of chloroplasts, as reduced growth rate of the most sensitive clone was accompanied by lower contents of Rubisco small subunit and chlorophyll, and lower net photosynthesis. Fast enlarging and young mature leaves without acclimation were more sensitive to ozone fumigation than the leaves emerging under ozone stress.     

Effects of cyclamen mite (Phytonemus pallidus) and leaf beetle (Galerucella tenella) damage on volatile emission from strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) plants and orientation of predatory mites (Neoseiulus cucumeris, N. californicus, and Euseius finlandicus)

Volatile emission profile of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) plants (cvs. Polka and Honeoye) damaged by cyclamen mite (Phytonemus pallidus Banks) or leaf beetle Galerucella tenella (L.) (cv. Polka) was analyzed to determine the potential of these strawberry plants to emit herbivore-induced volatiles. The total volatile emissions as well as emissions of many green leaf volatiles (e.g., (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol and (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate) and methyl salicylate were greater from cyclamen mite-damaged strawberry plants than from intact plants. Leaf beetle feeding increased emissions of monoterpenes (Z)-ocimene and (E)-beta-ocimene, sesquiterpenes (E)-beta-caryophyllene, (E,E)-alpha-farnesene, and germacrene-D, and a homoterpene (3E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene (DMNT) significantly. Nevertheless, the na?ve generalist predatory mites, Neoseiulus cucumeris, Neoseiulus californicus, and Euseius finlandicus did not prefer P. pallidus- or G. tenella-damaged plants over intact plants in a Y-tube olfactometer, suggesting that these predatory mite species are not attracted by the herbivore-induced volatiles being released from young strawberry plants.     

Effects of roads on landscape structure within nested ecological units of the Northern Great Lakes Region, USA

Road development is a primary mechanism of fragmentation in the northern Great Lakes Region, removing original land cover, creating edge habitat, altering landscape structure and function, and increasing access for humans. We examined road density, landscape structure, and edge habitat created by roads for eight land cover types at two ecological extents within a 78,752 km² landscape. Road density ranged from 0.16 to 2.07 km/km² within land type associations. Between 5 and 60% of a land cover type was affected by roads, depending on the assumed depth-of-edge influence (DEI). Roads increased number of patches and patch density, and decreased mean patch size and largest patch index. Changes in patch size coefficient of variation and measures of patch shape complexity depended on ecological level (i.e. scale) and land cover class. Limited additional change in landscape metrics occurred as road DEI was increased from 20 to 300 m. Land cover type occurred in buffers at the same percentages as in the landscape as a whole. At finer extents, areas with greatest road densities did not always parallel those with greatest changes in landscape structure. Interactions of scale and variation in the distribution of roads across the region emphasize the importance of examining landscape metrics and road impacts within specific cover types and at appropriate, or multiple, scales. Although this region is densely forested, the fragmentation effects of roads are pervasive, significantly altering landscape structure within multiple forest cover classes and at differing ecological extents.     

Polyphenol-rich phloem enhances the resistance of total serum lipids to oxidation in men

In humans, polyphenol supplementation studies have resulted in inconsistent findings in lipid peroxidation. Our aim was to investigate the effects of a 4-week consumption of polyphenol-rich phloem on serum lipids and lipid peroxidation in the hydrophilic fraction of serum and on isolated lipoproteins. We conducted a randomized double-blind supplementation study consisting of 75 nonsmoking hypercholesterolemic men. Participants consumed 70 g daily of either rye bread (placebo) or phloem-fortified rye bread containing 31 mg (low polyphenol, LP) or 62 mg (high polyphenol, HP) of catechins. The ex vivo susceptibility of total serum lipids and VLDL and LDL to oxidation after copper induction was measured as a lag time to the maximal oxidation rate at the baseline and after the supplementation. In the HP group, an increase in the oxidation resistance of total serum lipids was observed (11.4%), while no effect was seen in the LP group (-0.8%) or in the placebo group (-1.0%) (p = 0.007). No differences were observed in the oxidation resistance of VLDL and LDL between the study groups. The phloem also increased in vitro oxidation resistance of serum lipids and radical scavenging activity (DPPH.) in a dose-dependent manner. Our results suggest that polyphenols may inhibit lipid peroxidation in the hydrophilic fraction of serum.     

Analysis of the sensitivity of absorbed light and incident light profile to various canopy architecture and stand conditions

We analyzed the effect of simplifying assumptions in canopy representation of radiation transfer models, comparing modeled diffuse non-interceptance and photosynthetic photon flux density with measurements at different layers of complex pine-broadleaved canopy with large seasonal variation of leaf area index. The most detailed model included clumping of trees (i.e.,?stand density) and a vertical specification of leaf angle distribution and shoot clumping. A less detailed model replaced the vertically specified variables with their means. The most parsimonious model accounted for neither shoot clumping nor stand density. The vertical specification of shoot clumping and leaf angle distribution only slightly improved vertical and seasonal openness and light estimates over using mean values. Further simplification had little effect on total absorbed light but was more risky for estimates of the vertical distributions of openness and light absorbed by the canopy, which will affect photosynthesis estimates due to the non-linearity of photosynthetic light response. Including woody surfaces in winter, when leaf area was low, was essential for reproducing the measurements correctly. A sensitivity analysis showed that ignoring (i)?shoot clumping could result in a substantial overestimation of total absorbed light with errors increasing with decreasing leaf area and (ii) stand density in sparse stands could lead to substantial overestimation of total absorbed light, and the effect is largely independent of leaf area. Also, (iii) the effect of changing leaf angle distribution increased with decreasing leaf area, and was larger and more persistent along the leaf area range with increasing shoot clumping. Overall, accounting for the effect of tree clumping on absorbed light is most important in stands composed of species where leaves are not very clumped (e.g., broadleaved). However, even in forests with highly clumped shoots (i.e., coniferous), an accurate estimation of absorbed light distribution in stands requires incorporation of stand density in the model.     

A conserved mutation in an ethylene biosynthesis enzyme leads to andromonoecy in melons

Andromonoecy is a widespread sexual system in angiosperms characterized by plants carrying both male and bisexual flowers. In melon, this sexual form is controlled by the identity of the alleles at the andromonoecious (a) locus. Cloning of the a gene reveals that andromonoecy results from a mutation in the active site of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase. Expression of the active enzyme inhibits the development of the male organs and is not required for carpel development. A causal single-nucleotide polymorphism associated with andromonoecy was identified, which suggests that the a allele has been under recent positive selection and may be linked to the evolution of this sexual system.     

Potential of dry fractionation of wheat bran for the development of food ingredients,part I: Influence of ultra-fine grinding

Wheat bran is an undervalued by-product of white flour and has great nutritional potential due to its high content in fibres and bioactive compounds. Micronized bran could be used as a food ingredient to improve the nutritional potential of cereal products, or be used as a starting material for other processes (bioactive compound extraction or bran fractionation). The aim of this work was to find a way to efficiently decrease the particle size of bran. The influence of the grinding temperature (ambient or cryogenic grinding) on the granulometric distribution of particles, their composition, and their microstructure was studied, at lab-scale and pilot-scale. It showed that the intrinsic characteristics of bran (glass transition within intermediate layers at −46 °C) had more influence on its grinding behaviour than the type of grinding device used: the particles size distributions obtained after grinding at lab-scale and pilot-scale were very similar. At both scales, the granulometric curves were narrow for cryogenic grinding, while for ambient grinding they were spread over the whole particle size range. Ultrafine particles were obtained in both ambient and cryogenic conditions. Negative temperatures, by increasing the material’s brittleness, favoured a fast fragmentation of bran: one step of cryogenic grinding allowed a median particle size of nearly 50 μm to be reached, whereas three successive steps of ambient grinding were needed for the same result. On the other hand, ambient temperature favoured the dissociation of the different constituent layers of wheat bran, and produced less composite particles than cryogenic grinding.     

Ranking of physiotherapeutic evaluation methods as outcome measures of stifle functionality in dogs

Background

Various physiotherapeutic evaluation methods are used to assess the functionality of dogs with stifle problems. Neither validity nor sensitivity of these methods has been investigated. This study aimed to determine the most valid and sensitive physiotherapeutic evaluation methods for assessing functional capacity in hind limbs of dogs with stifle problems and to serve as a basis for developing an indexed test for these dogs. A group of 43 dogs with unilateral surgically treated cranial cruciate ligament deficiency and osteoarthritic findings was used to test different physiotherapeutic evaluation methods. Twenty-one healthy dogs served as the control group and were used to determine normal variation in static weight bearing and range of motion.The protocol consisted of 14 different evaluation methods: visual evaluation of lameness, visual evaluation of diagonal movement, visual evaluation of functional active range of motion and difference in thrust of hind limbs via functional tests (sit-to-move and lie-to-move), movement in stairs, evaluation of hind limb muscle atrophy, manual evaluation of hind limb static weight bearing, quantitative measurement of static weight bearing of hind limbs with bathroom scales, and passive range of motion of hind limb stifle (flexion and extension) and tarsal (flexion and extension) joints using a universal goniometer. The results were compared with those from an orthopaedic examination, force plate analysis, radiographic evaluation, and a conclusive assessment. Congruity of the methods was assessed with a combination of three statistical approaches (Fisher’s exact test and two differently calculated proportions of agreeing observations), and the components were ranked from best to worst. Sensitivities of all of the physiotherapeutic evaluation methods against each standard were calculated.

Results

Evaluation of asymmetry in a sitting and lying position, assessment of muscle atrophy, manual and measured static weight bearing, and measurement of stifle passive range of motion were the most valid and sensitive physiotherapeutic evaluation methods.

Conclusions

Ranking of the various physiotherapeutic evaluation methods was accomplished. Several of these methods can be considered valid and sensitive when examining the functionality of dogs with stifle problems.