ON-LINE MEASUREMENT OF THE MICROBIAL IMPACTS ON THE GERMINATION OF BARLEY DURING MALTING

During germination, the metabolic activity of sterile barley was more pronounced than the activity of barley contaminated by its endogenous microbial population. CO₂ and heat production profiles showed higher peak values when microbial activity was eliminated. Moreover, the maxima in the profiles appeared sooner than with barley in the presence of its natural microflora. More intensive growth of the acrospire was observed with sterile barley and a malt was obtained with a higher and more homogeneous modification. Reverse effects were noticed when sterile barley was inoculated with an Erwinia sp. strain and germination was evaluated. The results provide clear evidence for the strong interaction between microbial and plant metabolism, even for non dormant and non water sensitive barley. The ratio of CO₂ production to heat production levels was a useful tool for on-line monitoring of microbial activity during germination. In this way, the effects of the microbial activity can be taken into account in the development of a more effective control of the malting process. All experiments were performed using a specially designed solid-state reactor.     

Effects of allelochemicals on plant respiration and oxygen isotope fractionation by the alternative oxidase

The goal of this investigation was to determine the effects of allelochemicals on plant respiration that thereby may be responsible for their role in growth inhibition. We have tested the effects of juglone, quercetin, cinnamic acid, and-pinene on respiration rates, and electron partitioning through the cytochrome and alternative respiratory pathways, by measuring on-line oxygen consumption and oxygen isotope fractionation in soybean cotyledon tissue. Cinnamic acid and-pinene decreased the oxygen consumption rate and increased the relative partitioning of electron transport to the alternative pathway. Possible biochemical mechanisms of these effects are discussed.     

基于快速响应湿度传感器的无线呼吸检测系统

呼吸功能的实时检测对有呼吸功能障碍的人群十分重要.基于纳米材料湿度传感器和Zig Bee无线网络技术设计了一种呼吸检测系统,该系统由四部分组成:湿度传感器探头、数据采集节点、数据接收节点、基于VC++的MFC平台开发的呼吸功能检测软件.系统实现了呼吸频率记录、呼吸暂停报警、呼吸信号波形实时显示等功能.实验对几位志愿者进行呼吸功能检测,验证了系统的有效性.呼吸检测系统具有响应和恢复快、能够检测急促呼吸、受外界干扰小、无线检测、携带性强等特点.     

Imbalance of plankton community metabolism in eutrophic Lake Taihu, China

Studies suggest that oligotrophic lakes are net heterotrophic and act as net sources of CO₂, whereas eutrophic lakes are net autotrophic and act as net CO₂ sinks. Data on plankton community metabolism in Lake Taihu contradict this hypothesis. Here, the ratios of depth integrated gross primary production (GPP) to plankton community respiration (PCR) were less than one on 75% of the study sampling dates, indicating that this system was net heterotrophic. Partial pressure estimated for CO₂ also indicated that the lake was a net source of CO₂. Net heterotrophic conditions here may be related to limitation of phytoplankton photosynthesis by the poor underwater light climate (due to elevated suspended solids (SS) and nutrients originating in the catchment) and the preferential enhancement of respiration by high water temperatures. GPP and PCR were significantly correlated (PCR = 1.22GPP + 0.46, r² = 0.80) indicating a partial dependence of heterotrophs on algal derived carbon. The slope of the regression line relating PCR to GPP was more similar to slopes found in rivers than in lakes, likely due to the large nutrient and SS load to the lake.     

Nitric Oxide Metabolic Pathway in Drought-Stressed Nodules of Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.)

Drought is an environmental stress that strongly impacts plants. It affects all stages of growth and induces profound disturbances that influence all cellular functions. Legumes can establish a symbiosis with Rhizobium-type bacteria, whose function is to fix atmospheric nitrogen in organs called nodules and to meet plant nitrogen needs. Symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) is particularly sensitive to drought. We raised the hypothesis that, in drought-stressed nodules, SNF inhibition is partly correlated to hypoxia resulting from nodule structure compaction and an increased O₂ diffusion barrier, and that the nodule energy regeneration involves phytoglobin–nitric oxide (Pgb–NO) respiration. To test this hypothesis, we subjected faba bean (Vicia faba L.) plants nodulated with a Rhizobium laguerreae strain to either drought or osmotic stress. We monitored the N₂-fixation activity, the energy state (ATP/ADP ratio), the expression of hypoxia marker genes (alcohol dehydrogenase and alanine aminotransferase), and the functioning of the Pgb–NO respiration in the nodules. The collected data confirmed our hypothesis and showed that (1) drought-stressed nodules were subject to more intense hypoxia than control nodules and (2) NO production increased and contributed via Pgb–NO respiration to the maintenance of the energy state of drought-stressed nodules.     

A Changing Light Environment Induces Significant Lateral CO2 Diffusion within Maize Leaves

A leaf structure with high porosity is beneficial for lateral CO₂ diffusion inside the leaves. However, the leaf structure of maize is compact, and it has long been considered that lateral CO₂ diffusion is restricted. Moreover, lateral CO₂ diffusion is closely related to CO₂ pressure differences (ΔCO₂). Therefore, we speculated that enlarging the ΔCO₂ between the adjacent regions inside maize leaves may result in lateral diffusion when the diffusion resistance is kept constant. Thus, the leaf structure and gas exchange of maize (C₄), cotton (C₃), and other species were explored. The results showed that maize and sorghum leaves had a lower mesophyll porosity than cotton and cucumber leaves. Similar to cotton, the local photosynthetic induction resulted in an increase in the ΔCO₂ between the local illuminated and the adjacent unilluminated regions, which significantly reduced the respiration rate of the adjacent unilluminated region. Further analysis showed that when the adjacent region in the maize leaves was maintained under a steady high light, the photosynthesis induction in the local regions not only gradually reduced the ΔCO₂ between them but also progressively increased the steady photosynthetic rate in the adjacent region. Under field conditions, the ΔCO₂, respiration, and photosynthetic rate of the adjacent region were also markedly changed by fluctuating light in local regions in the maize leaves. Consequently, we proposed that enlarging the ΔCO₂ between the adjacent regions inside the maize leaves results in the lateral CO₂ diffusion and supports photosynthesis in adjacent regions to a certain extent under fluctuating light.     

Hypothermia Alleviates Reductive Stress,a Root Cause of Ischemia Reperfusion Injury

Ischemia reperfusion injury is common in transplantation. Previous studies have shown that cooling can protect against hypoxic injury. To date, the protective effects of hypothermia have been largely associated with metabolic suppression. Since kidney transplantation is one of the most common organ transplant surgeries, we used human-derived renal proximal tubular cells (HKC8 cell line) as a model of normal renal cells. We performed a temperature titration curve from 37 °C to 22 °C and evaluated cellular respiration and molecular mechanisms that can counteract the build-up of reducing equivalents in hypoxic conditions. We show that the protective effects of hypothermia are likely to stem both from metabolic suppression (inhibitory component) and augmentation of stress tolerance (activating component), with the highest overlap between activating and suppressing mechanisms emerging in the window of mild hypothermia (32 °C). Hypothermia decreased hypoxia-induced rise in the extracellular lactate:pyruvate ratio, increased ATP/ADP ratio and mitochondrial content, normalized lipid content, and improved the recovery of respiration after anoxia. Importantly, it was observed that in contrast to mild hypothermia, moderate and deep hypothermia interfere with HIF1 (hypoxia inducible factor 1)-dependent HRE (hypoxia response element) induction in hypoxia. This work also demonstrates that hypothermia alleviates reductive stress, a conceptually novel and largely overlooked phenomenon at the root of ischemia reperfusion injury.     

Sperm of Fruit Fly Drosophila melanogaster under Space Flight

Studies of reproductive function under long-term space flight conditions are of interest in planning the exploration of deep space. Motility, including the use of various inhibitors, cellular respiration, and the content of cytoskeletal proteins were studied, assessing the level of expression of the corresponding genes in spermatozoa of Drosophila melanogaster, which were in space flight conditions for 12 days. The experiment was carried out twice on board the Russian Segment of the International Space Station. Sperm motility speed after space flight, and subsequently 16 h after landing, is reduced relative to the control by 20% (p < 0.05). In comparison with the simulation experiment, we showed that this occurs as a result of the action of overloads and readaptation to the Earth’s gravity. At the same time, cellular respiration, the content of proteins of the respiratory chain, and the expression of their genes do not change. We used kinase inhibitor 6-(dimethylamino)purine (6-DMAP) and phosphatase inhibitors; 6-DMAP restored the reduced the speed of spermatozoa in the flight group to that of the control. These results can be useful in developing a strategy for protecting reproductive health during the development of other bodies in the solar system.     

Long-Chain and Medium-Chain Fatty Acids in Energy Metabolism of Murine Kidney Mitochondria

Scientists have long established that fatty acids are the primary substrates for kidney mitochondria. However, to date we still do not know how long-chain and middle-chain fatty acids are oxidized at the mitochondrial level. Our previous research has shown that mitochondria from the heart, brain, and kidney oxidize palmitoylcarnitine at a high rate only in the presence of succinate, glutamate, or pyruvate. In this paper, we report properties of the isolated kidney mitochondria and how malate and succinate affect the oxidation of C16 and C8 acylcarnitines. The isolated kidney mitochondria contain very few endogenous substrates and require malate to oxidize pyruvate, glutamate, and C16 or C8 acylcarnitines. We discovered that with 10 µM of C16 or C8 acylcarnitines, low concentrations of malate (0.2 mM) or succinate (0.5 mM) enhance the States 4 and 3 respiratory rates several times. The highest respiration rates were observed with C16 or C8 acylcarnitines and 5 mM succinate mixtures. Results show that kidney mitochondria, unlike the heart and brain mitochondria, lack the intrinsic inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase. Additionally, results show that the oxidation of fatty acid by the small respirasome’s supercomplex generates a high level of CoQH2, and this makes SDH in the presence of succinate reverse the flow of electrons from CoQH2 to reduce fumarate to succinate. Finally, we report evidence that succinate dehydrogenase is a key mitochondrial enzyme that allows fast oxidation of fatty acids and turns the TCA cycle function from the catabolic to the anabolic and anaplerotic metabolic pathways.     

多胺处理对鸭梨采后生理的影响

本文以鸭梨果实为原料,研究了精胺和亚精胺处理对果实呼吸强度、果实乙烯释放量、果肉硬度、果实可溶性固形物含量和果皮组织相对电导率变化的影响。试验结果表明,精胺和亚精胺处理对鸭梨果实的呼吸强度和乙烯释放量具有显著的抑制作用,贮藏240d时,多胺处理组果实可溶性固形物含量和果肉硬度显著高于对照组(p<0.01),果心褐变指数显著低于对照组(p<0.01)。