Regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase 3/1 activity during meiosis resumption in mammals

In vivo, resumption of oocyte meiosis occurs in large ovarian follicles after the preovulatory surge of luteinizing hormone (LH). The LH surge leads to the activation of a broad signaling network in mural granulosa cells equipped with LH receptors. The signals generated in the mural granulosa cells are further augmented by locally produced peptides or steroids and transferred to the cumulus cell compartment and the oocyte itself. Over the last decade, essential progress has been made in the identification of molecular events associated with the final maturation and ovulation of mammalian oocytes. All new evidence argues for a multiple roles of mitogen-activated protein kinase 3/1 (MAPK3/1) in the gonadotropin-induced ovulation processes. However, the knowledge of gonadotropin-induced signaling pathways leading to MAPK3/1 activation in follicular cells seems limited. To date, only the LH-induced transactivation of the epidermal growth factor receptor/MAPK3/1 pathway has been described in granulosa/cumulus cells even though other mechanisms of MAPK3/1 activation have been detected in other types of cells. In this review, we aimed to summarize recent advances in the elucidation of gonadotropin-induced mechanisms leading to the activation of MAPK3/1 in preovulatory follicles and cultured cumulus-oocyte complexes and to point out a specific role of this kinase in the processes accompanying final maturation of the mammalian oocyte.     

Soils and their relationship to aspect and vegetation history in the eastern Southern Alps, Canterbury High Country, South Island, New Zealand

This study focuses on soils in a mountainous catchment area located in the eastern part of the Southern Alps, South Island, New Zealand. The objective was to check the soils for non- or poorly crystalline constituents (metal organic complexes, short-range-order minerals) and if there is a relationship between pedogenesis and aspect and more recent landscape history. The morphology of the soils indicates brown soils (dystric cambisols, dystrudepts) with only few signs of podsolisation. In contrast, selected chemical properties of the soils reveal very strong weathering and leaching. Fe_o/Fe_d ratios are high and exceeding 0.6 in almost every soil horizon. Oxalate-extractable aluminium and silicon show prominent peaks in the lower subsoil horizons with 1.76–2.52% Al_o and up to 0.68% for Si_o on southern aspects. This is considerably higher than the values measured for soils on northern aspects (0.59% to 1.07% Al_o, max. 0.26% Si_o). This aspect relationship is also applying to phosphate retention reaching values of more than 90% on southern aspects and not more than 70% for northern aspects. Additionally, significant movement of organic matter in soils on southern aspects is evident by measurements of organic carbon and pyrophosphate-extractable Al and Fe. Thus soil formation can be regarded as more advanced on southern aspects. Allophane in association with organic matter can be considered as an important constituent in southern aspect subsoils being responsible for the typical andic properties. Metal-humus complexes and ferrihydrite are of subordinate significance. Considering the actual soil forming conditions under scrub-grassland (esp. soil acidity), it is unlikely that weathering and leaching is still strong enough today to allow significant podsolisation and the formation of short-range-order minerals. Under consideration of existing soil data from other studies it is proposed that these components and the podsolisation features are relicts caused by more acidic conditions under former forest cover which supported a stronger weathering and leaching.     

Aluminum toxicity of synthetic aluminum–humus complexes derived from non-allophanic and allophanic Andosols and its amelioration with allophanic materials

Natural non-allophanic Andosols often show aluminum (Al) toxicity to Al-sensitive plant roots. The significance of Al–humus complexes to Al toxicity has been emphasized. Allophanic Andosols also possess Al–humus complexes, but they rarely show any toxicity. In the present study, using model substances, we tested the toxicity of Al–humus complexes and its amelioration with allophanic materials. We extracted humic substances from the A horizons of a non-allophanic Andosol and an allophanic Andosol using a NaOH solution, and reacted the humic substances and partially neutralized AlCl₃ solution at pH 4. Allophanic material was purified from commercial Kanuma pumice. Plant growth tests were conducted using a medium containing the Al–humus complexes (50 g kg⁻¹), the allophanic material (0, 90, 180 and 360 g kg⁻¹) and perlite. The root growth of barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) and burdock ( Arctium lappa ) was reduced in the media containing the Al–humus complexes derived from both the non-allophanic and allophanic Andosols when the allophanic material was not added. With the addition of the allophanic materials, particularly in the 360 g kg⁻¹ treatment, the growth of the barley roots was improved markedly. Although the root growth of the burdock tended to improve with allophanic materials, the effect was weaker than that for barley. Monomeric Al in a solution of the medium was not detected (< 0.05 mg L⁻¹) following the addition of 360 g kg⁻¹ of allophanic materials, whereas 0.8–1.7 mg L⁻¹ Al was recorded without the allophanic material.     

Internal Mechanisms of Plant Adaptation to Aluminum Toxicity and Phosphorus Starvation in Three Tropical Forages

Many tropical forage grasses and legumes grow well in acid soils, adapting to excess aluminum (Al) and phosphorus (P) starvation stresses by using mechanisms that are still unclear. To determine these mechanisms, responses to Al toxicity and P starvation in three tropical forages were studied: two grasses, Brachiaria hybrid cv. ‘Mulato’ (B. ruziziensis clone 44-06 × B. brizantha cv. ‘Marandú’) and Andropogon gayanus, and one legume, Arachis pintoi. The tropical grasses tolerated high levels of Al toxicity and P starvation, with the Brachiaria hybrid maintaining very low levels of Al concentration in shoots. ²⁷Al Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR) analysis revealed that, in the Brachiaria hybrid, Al makes complexes with some ligands such as organic-acid anions in the root symplast. The forages probably adapted to P starvation through high P-use efficiency. These experiments provide the first direct evidence we know of that organic acid anions within root tissue help detoxify Al in non-accumulator species such as the Brachiaria hybrid.     

An Andosol from Eastern Saxony,Germany

We tested whether a ‘Lockerbraunerde’ from the heights of the Zittauer Gebirge in Eastern Saxony exhibited andic properties and classified it according to the rules of the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB, 1998). To achieve this, we characterized a selected soil by means of routine soil analysis; selective dissolution procedures; X‐ray diffraction (XRD); X‐ray fluorescence (XRF), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). We used field criteria (Thixotropy; NaF‐field test) to obtain a map of the spatial distribution of soils with potential andic properties. We found that the soil fulfilled all requirements to be classified as an Andosol. The composition of the colloidal phases was exactly intermediate between sil‐andic and alu‐andic. At the same time, the soil had a spodic horizon [determined through the depth function of the Al_o+½Fe_o criterion]. As there was no indication of vertical translocation of metal‐organic complexes, but sufficient evidence to suggest the downward movement of mobile Al/Si‐phases, we maintain to classify the soil as an Endoskeleti‐Umbric Andosol and propose the existence of a pedogenetic pathway intermediate between Podsolisation and Andosolization. We conclude that the spodic horizon in the WRB is not well defined because of the dominance of the Al_o+½Fe_o criterion over morphological evidence. We further suggest the German soil taxonomy to be modified to better represent soils containing short range order minerals.     

Fluoro‐mobilization of metals in a Slovak forest soil affected by the emissions of an aluminum smelter

Depositions originating from a central Slovak Al smelter may increase metal solubility in adjacent soils because they contain F (mainly HF). The reason for fluoro‐mobilization of metals may be the formation of soluble fluoro‐metal complexes or the mobilization of organic matter and subsequent formation of organo‐metal complexes. The objectives of our work were (1) to assess the extent of metal mobilization by fluoride in a Slovak Lithic Eutrochrept affected by the emissions of an Al smelter and (2) to model the dissolved metal species with the help of a chemical equilibrium model (MINEQL+). The O (Moder), A, and B horizons were equilibrated with solutions at F concentrations of 0, 0.9, 2.7, and 9.0 mmol l^—1. In the extracts, the concentrations of Al, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), free and complexed F, and the pH and electrical conductivity (EC) were determined. The heavy metal concentrations in the O horizon (Cd: 0.99, Cr: 18.0, Cu: 44, Ni: 26, Pb: 110, and Zn: 84 mg kg^—1) were 2.5 to 9 times larger than those in the A and B horizons. The concentrations of H₂O‐soluble F decreased from the O (261 mg kg^—1) to the A (103 mg kg^—1) and B horizon (92 mg kg^—1). In batch experiments increasing addition of F increased the equilibrium concentrations of Al, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, and DOC in all samples, of Cd in the A, and of K in the B horizon. At the same time the concentrations of complexed F and pH increased whereas EC decreased. Chemical equilibrium modelling indicated that the mobilizing effect of F resulted from the formation of fluoro‐Al complexes and organo‐complexes of all other metals.     

2-（2-呋喃基）苯并咪唑及其钴、镍配合物的合成

介绍以邻苯二胺、糠醛为原料合成2-（2-呋喃基）苯并咪唑的方法,研究反应物投料比、盐酸用量对产率的影响,并对已有的合成工艺、纯化方法进行优化。在最佳工艺条件下,2-（2-呋喃基）苯并咪唑的产率可达90．7％。此外,以2-（2-呋喃基）苯并咪唑作为配体,与过渡金属钴、镍的氯化物反应得到2：1型配合物,并进行EA,IR,NMR等表征。     

Fractionation of hydrolase-humus complexes by gel chromatography

Summary Purification of soil phosphatase-, urease-, casein- and benzoylarginamide-hydrolysing proteases was obtained by exhaustively ultrafiltering a soil extract using 0.1M pyrophosphate solution at pH 7.1, separating the retained material into fractions of molecular weight higher (A_I) and lower (A_II) than 10⁵ and eluting the fractions on gel chromatography.Three peaks of phosphatase and urease activity were obtained after gel chromatography of fraction A_I on Sephadex G200 using 0.1M pyrophosphate solution as eluant. Only one distinct activity peak was observed when casein- and benzoylarginamide-hydrolysing proteases were assayed in the eluted fractions. Elution diagrams obtained by gel chromatography of fraction A_II on Sephadex G100, using a water as eluant, were characterized by one peak each of phosphatase-, casein- and benzoylarginamide-hydrolysing activity and by two peaks of urease activity.Gel chromatography of both A_I and A_II, generally, but not always, increased specific activity on a C and N basis of derivative fractions. Both proteases showed the highest increase in specific activity due to a marked decrease in organic C and N and an increase in total activity.     

不同空化射流条件下大豆蛋白-白藜芦醇互作结合机制与抗氧化活性研究

为探究空化射流预处理对大豆分离蛋白-白藜芦醇（SPI-RES）复合物的影响,对SPI进行空化射流预处理（0、2、4、6、8、10min）后,与RES非共价结合形成复合物。通过荷载量和包埋率研究了SPI对RES的结合情况,采用内源荧光光谱、傅里叶红外光谱及分子对接技术研究了SPI和RES之间的相互作用机制,通过粒径、ζ-电位、表面疏水性、抗氧化活性等考察了复合物的物理化学性质和功能特性。结果表明：经过一定时间的空化射流处理后,SPI对RES包埋率和荷载量显著增加,复合物粒径和ζ-电位分别减小和增大。内源荧光光谱表明RES对SPI的淬灭为静态淬灭,反应是自发进行的。傅里叶红外光谱表明适当的空化射流预处理促进了SPI从有序结构转变为无序结构,从而结合更多的RES。热力学参数和分子对接结果表明疏水相互作用是主要作用力,还涉及氢键。此外,适当的空化射流预处理后,SPI-RES复合物表面疏水性及抗氧化活性均有所增加。本研究为空化射流预处理大豆分离蛋白应用领域的开拓和脂溶性活性物质保健食品的开发提供了前期理论基础。     

仿酶催化脱木质素研究进展

综述了目前金属配合物仿酶催化脱木质素的研究现状及发展趋势，着重评价了卟啉类和非卟啉类金属配合物作为木质素氧化降解的仿酶催化剂的效果，对金属配合物仿酶催化脱木质素技术的应用前景进行了展望。金属卟啉配合物由于在相对温和的条件下具有较高的催化活性而受到瞩目。氯代铁卟啉由于氯原子对卟啉骨架环的保护作用而十分稳定，表现出高活性及可循环性。卟啉中心金属离子的种类也对脱木质素的催化活性产生影响。由于金属卟啉配合物的成本较高，因而给实际应用带来一定困难。非卟啉金属配合物如金属酞菁、Gif体系、希夫碱等，由于具有较高的催化活性和选择性以及易于合成等特点正倍受关注。