Volatile Stimuli Related to Feeding Activity of Nonprey Caterpillars, Spodoptera exigua, Affect Olfactory Response of the Predatory Mite Phytoseiulus persimilis

The effect of volatiles related to feeding activity of nonprey caterpillars, Spodoptera exigua, on the olfactory response of the predatory mites Phytoseiulus persimilis was examined in a Y-tube olfactometer. At a low caterpillar density (20 caterpillars on 10 Lima bean leaves), the predators were significantly more attracted to volatiles from infested leaves on which the caterpillars and their products were present or from infested leaves from which the caterpillars and their products had been removed when compared to volatiles from uninfested leaves. The predators, however, significantly avoided odors from 20 caterpillars and their products (mainly feces) removed from bean leaves. In contrast, at a higher caterpillar density (100 caterpillars on 10 Lima bean leaves), the predators avoided volatiles from caterpillar-infested bean leaves. Volatiles from infested leaves from which the caterpillars and their products had been removed were not preferred over volatiles from uninfested leaves. Volatiles from feces collected from 100 caterpillars were strongly avoided by the predators, while the behavior of the predatory mites was not affected by volatiles from 100 caterpillars removed from a plant. The data show that carnivorous arthropods may avoid nonprofitable herbivores. This avoidance seems to result from an interference of volatiles from herbivore products with the attraction to herbivore-induced plant volatiles.     

Catalytic role of the active site histidine of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 probed by the variants H48Q, H48N and H48K

The catalytic contribution of His48 in the active site of porcinepancreatic phospholipase A2 was examined using site-directedmutagenesis. Replacement of His48 by lysine (H48K) gives riseto a protein having a distorted lipid binding pocket. Activityof this variant drops below the detection limit which is 10⁷-foldlower than that of the wild-type enzyme. On the other hand,the presence of glutamine (H48Q) or asparagine (H48N) at thisposition does not affect the structural integrity of the enzymeas can be derived from the preserved lipid binding propertiesof these variants. However, the substitutions H48Q and H48Nstrongly reduce the turnover number, i.e. by a factor of 10⁵.Residual activity is totally lost after addition of a competitiveinhibitor. We conclude that proper lipid binding on its ownaccelerates ester bond hydrolysis by a factor of 10². With theselected variants, we were also able to dissect the contributionof the hydrogen bond between Asp99 and His48 on conformationalstability, being 5.2 kJ/mol. Another hydrogen bond with His48is formed when the competitive inhibitor (R)-2-dodecanoylamino-hexanol-1-phosphoglycolinteracts with the enzyme. Its contribution to binding of theinhibitor in the presence of an interface was found to be 5.7kJ/mol.     

Jasmonic Acid and Herbivory Differentially Induce Carnivore-Attracting Plant Volatiles in Lima Bean Plants

Lima bean plants respond to feeding damage of two-spotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) with the emission of a complex blend of volatiles that are products of several different biosynthetic pathways. These volatiles attract the carnivorous mite Phytoseiulus persimilis, a specialist predator of the spider mites that exterminates entire prey populations, and thus the volatiles contribute indirectly to plant defense. The volatile blend constitutes information to the carnivores, and blend composition is an important factor in this. Jasmonic acid (JA) is involved in the signal transduction of this induced defense. Application of JA through the petiole of Lima bean plants induces a volatile blend that is similar, but not identical, to that emitted by spider mite-infested plants. The induced volatiles originate from the lipoxygenase pathway, the shikimic acid pathway, and the isoprenoid pathway. Among the induced bean plant volatiles are nitriles and oximes. Of a total of 61 components, 10 are emitted at significantly different rates. Among these are the terpene (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene and the phenolic methyl salicylate, two compounds that are known to attract P. persimilis. A crucial test for comparing the effect of spider mite damage and JA application on volatile induction is the response of P. persimilis. The carnivore is attracted by volatiles from JA-treated plants. Moreover, even treatment of Lima bean plants with methyl jasmonate vapor made the plants attractive to the carnivorous mites. However, the predators prefer the volatiles from spider-mite-infested Lima bean plants over those from JA-treated plants. Thus, chemical as well as behavioral analyses demonstrate that spider mite damage and JA treatment have similar, although not identical, effects on volatile induction in Lima bean plants.     

Solution Structure of the Leader Sequence of the Patellamide Precursor Peptide,PatE1–34

The solution structure of the leader sequence of the patellamide precursor peptide was analysed by using CD and determined with NOE‐restrained molecular dynamics calculations. This leader sequence is highly conserved in the precursor peptides of some other cyanobactins harbouring heterocycles, and is assumed to play a role in targeting the precursor peptide to the post‐translational machinery. The sequence was observed to form an α‐helix spanning residues 13–28 with a hydrophobic surface on one side of the helix. This hydrophobic surface is proposed to be the site of the initial binding with modifying enzymes.     

Particle In-Flight and Coating Properties of Fe-Based Feedstock Materials Sprayed with Modern Thermal Spray Systems

New developments in the field of thermal spraying systems (increased particle velocities, enhanced process stability) are leading to improved coatings. Innovations in the field of feedstock materials are supporting this trend. The combination of both has led to a renaissance of Fe-based feedstocks. Using modern APS or HVOF systems, it is now possible to compete with classical materials for wear and corrosion applications like Ni-basis or metal-matrix composites. This study intends to give an analysis of the in-flight particle and spray jet properties achievable with two different modern thermal spraying systems using Fe-based powders. The velocity fields are measured with the Laser Doppler Anemometry. Resulting coatings are analyzed and a correlation with the particle in-flight properties is given. The experiments are accompanied by computational fluid dynamics simulations of spray jet and particle velocities, leading to a comprehensive analysis of the achievable particle properties with state-of-the-art HVOF and APS systems.     

Genetic Variation in Jasmonic Acid- and Spider Mite-Induced Plant Volatile Emission of Cucumber Accessions and Attraction of the Predator <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phytoseiulus persimilis</Emphasis>

Cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus L.) respond to spider–mite (Tetranychus urticae) damage with the release of specific volatiles that are exploited by predatory mites, the natural enemies of the spider mites, to locate their prey. The production of volatiles also can be induced by exposing plants to the plant hormone jasmonic acid. We analyzed volatile emissions from 15 cucumber accessions upon herbivory by spider mites and upon exposure to jasmonic acid using gas chromatography—mass spectrometry. Upon induction, cucumber plants emitted over 24 different compounds, and the blend of induced volatiles consisted predominantly of terpenoids. The total amount of volatiles was higher in plants treated with jasmonic acid than in those infested with spider mites, with (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene, (E,E)-α-farnesene, and (E)-β-ocimene as the most abundant compounds in all accessions in both treatments. Significant variation among the accessions was found for the 24 major volatile compounds. The accessions differed strongly in total amount of volatiles emitted, and displayed very different odor profiles. Principal component analysis performed on the relative quantities of particular compounds within the blend revealed clusters of highly correlated volatiles, which is suggestive of common metabolic pathways. A number of cucumber accessions also were tested for their attractiveness to Phytoseiulus persimilis, a specialist predator of spider mites. Differences in the attraction of predatory mites by the various accessions correlated to differences in the individual chemical profiles of these accessions. The presence of genetic variation in induced plant volatile emission in cucumber shows that it is possible to breed for cucumber varieties that are more attractive to predatory mites and other biological control agents.     

Characterization of Apo-Form Selective Inhibition of Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase**

Indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is a heme-containing enzyme that catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan (TRP) metabolism. As it is an inflammation-induced immunoregulatory enzyme, pharmacological inhibition of IDO1 activity is currently being pursued as a potential therapeutic tool for the treatment of cancer and other disease states. As such, a detailed understanding of the mechanism of action of IDO1 inhibitors with various mechanisms of inhibition is of great interest. Comparison of an apo-form-binding IDO1 inhibitor (GSK5628) to the heme-coordinating compound, epacadostat (Incyte), allows us to explore the details of the apo-binding inhibition of IDO1. Herein, we demonstrate that GSK5628 inhibits IDO1 by competing with heme for binding to a heme-free conformation of the enzyme (apo-IDO1), whereas epacadostat coordinates its binding with the iron atom of the IDO1 heme cofactor. Comparison of these two compounds in cellular systems reveals a long-lasting inhibitory effect of GSK5628, previously undescribed for other known IDO1 inhibitors. Detailed characterization of this apo-binding mechanism for IDO1 inhibition might help design superior inhibitors or could confer a unique competitive advantage over other IDO1 inhibitors vis-à-vis specificity and pharmacokinetic parameters.     

Damping models for machine tool components of linear axes

To simulate the dynamic behaviour of machine tools, the stiffness, damping and inertia parameters of the structure are needed. While masses and stiffness parameters of structural parts can be obtained with a static measurement, the determination of damping parameters requires a thorough methodology. In this paper the common methodology for the identification of local damping parameters of machine components was extended by an additional step to isolate the damping of the test object more precisely. Furthermore test benches as well as the identified damping models for components of an exemplary linear axis are presented.     

Development and characterisation of microporous biomimetic scaffolds loaded with magnetic nanoparticles as bone repairing material

Fine-tuning of the scaffolds structural features for bone tissue engineering can be an efficient approach to regulate the specific response of the osteoblasts. Here, we loaded magnetic nanoparticles aka superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) into 3D composite scaffolds based on biological macromolecules (chitosan, collagen, hyaluronic acid) and calcium phosphates for potential applications in bone regeneration, using a biomimetic approach. We assessed the effects of organic (chitosan/collagen/hyaluronic acid) and inorganic (calcium phosphates, SPIONs) phase over the final features of the magnetic scaffolds (MS). Mechanical properties, magnetic susceptibility and biological fluids retention are strongly dependent on the final composition of MS and within the recommended range for application in bone regeneration. The MS architecture/pore size can be made bespoken through changes of the final organic/inorganic ratio. The scaffolds undertake mild degradation as the presence of inorganic components hinders the enzyme catalytic activity. In vitro studies indicated that osteoblasts (SaOS-2) on MS9 had similar cell behaviour activity in comparison with the TCP control. In vivo data showed an evident development of integration and resorption of the MS composites with low inflammation activity. Current findings suggest that the combination of SPIONs into 3D composite scaffolds can be a promising toolkit for bone regeneration.     

Inactivation kinetics of three Listeria monocytogenes strains under high hydrostatic pressure

High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) inactivation of three Listeria monocytogenes strains (EGDe, LO28, and Scott A) subjected to 350 MPa at 20 degrees C in ACES buffer resulted in survival curves with significant tailing for all three strains. A biphasic linear model could be fitted to the inactivation data, indicating the presence of an HHP-sensitive and an HHP-resistant fraction, which both showed inactivation according to first-order kinetics. Inactivation parameters of these subpopulations of the three strains were quantified in detail. EGDe showed the highest D-values for the sensitive and resistant fraction, whereas LO28 and Scott A showed lower HHP resistance for both fractions. Survivors isolated from the tail of LO28 and EGDe were analyzed, and it was revealed that the higher resistance of LO28 was a stable feature for 24% (24 of 102) of the resistant fraction. These HHP-resistant variants were 10 to 600,000 times more resistant than wild type when exposed to 350 MPa at 20 degrees C for 20 min. Contrary to these results, no stable HHP-resistant isolates were found for EGDe (0 of 102). The possible effect of HHP survival capacity of stress-resistant genotypic and phenotypic variants of L. monocytogenes on the safety of HHP-processed foods is discussed.