Divalent metal (Ca, Cd, Mn, Zn) uptake and interactions in the aquatic insect Hydropsyche sparna.

Science.gov (United States)

Poteat, Monica D; Díaz-Jaramillo, Mauricio; Buchwalter, David B

2012-05-01

Despite their ecological importance and prevalent use as ecological indicators, the trace element physiology of aquatic insects remains poorly studied. Understanding divalent metal transport processes at the water-insect interface is important because these metals may be essential (e.g. Ca), essential and potentially toxic (e.g. Zn) or non-essential and toxic (e.g. Cd). We measured accumulation kinetics of Zn and Cd across dissolved concentrations ranging 4 orders of magnitude and examined interactions with Ca and Mn in the caddisfly Hydropsyche sparna. Here, we provide evidence for at least two transport systems for both Zn and Cd, the first of which operates at concentrations below 0.8 μmol l(-1) (and is fully saturable for Zn). We observed no signs of saturation of a second lower affinity transport system at concentrations up to 8.9 μmol l(-1) Cd and 15.3 μmol l(-1) Zn. In competition studies at 0.6 μmol l(-1) Zn and Cd, the presence of Cd slowed Zn accumulation by 35% while Cd was unaffected by Zn. At extreme concentrations (listed above), Cd accumulation was unaffected by the presence of Zn whereas Zn accumulation rates were reduced by 58%. Increasing Ca from 31.1 μmol l(-1) to 1.35 mmol l(-1) resulted in only modest decreases in Cd and Zn uptake. Mn decreased adsorption of Cd and Zn to the integument but not internalization. The L-type Ca(2+) channel blockers verapamil and nifedipine and the plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitor carboxyeosin had no influence on Ca, Cd or Zn accumulation rates, while Ruthenium Red, a Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitor, significantly decreased the accumulation of all three in a concentration-dependent manner.

Effects of anticonvulsants in vivo on high affinity choline uptake in vitro in mouse hippocampal synaptosomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, J. A.; Richter, J. A.

1985-01-01

The effects of several anticonvulsant drugs on sodium-dependent high affinity choline uptake (HACU) in mouse hippocampal synaptosomes was investigated. HACU was measured in vitro after in vivo administration of the drug to mice. HACU was inhibited by drugs which have in common the ability to facilitate gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transmission, pentobarbitone, phenobarbitone, barbitone, diazepam, chloridiazepoxide, and valproic acid. Dose-response relationships were determined for these drugs and the drugs' potencies at inhibiting HACU correlated well with their anticonvulsant potencies. Clonazepam, ethosuximide, carbamazepine, and barbituric acid had no effect on HACU in the doses used while phenytoin and trimethadione stimulated HACU. These results suggest that certain anticonvulsants may elicit a part of their anticonvulsant activity by modulating cholinergic neurones. This effect may be mediated through a GABA mechanism. PMID:3978310

Side-by-Side Comparison of Commonly Used Biomolecules That Differ in Size and Affinity on Tumor Uptake and Internalization

Science.gov (United States)

Leelawattanachai, Jeerapond; Kwon, Keon-Woo; Michael, Praveesuda; Ting, Richard; Kim, Ju-Young; Jin, Moonsoo M.

2015-01-01

The ability to use a systemically injected agent to image tumor is influenced by tumor characteristics such as permeability and vascularity, and the size, shape, and affinity of the imaging agent. In this study, six different imaging biomolecules, with or without specificity to tumor, were examined for tumor uptake and internalization at the whole body, ex-vivo tissue, and cellular levels: antibodies, antibody fragments (Fab), serum albumin, and streptavidin. The time of peak tumor uptake was dependent solely on the size of molecules, suggesting that molecular size is the major factor that influences tumor uptake by its effect on systemic clearance and diffusion into tumor. Affinity to tumor antigen failed to augment tumor uptake of Fab above non-specific accumulation, which suggests that Fab fragments of typical monoclonal antibodies may fall below an affinity threshold for use as molecular imaging agents. Despite abundant localization into the tumor, albumin and streptavidin were not found on cell surface or inside cells. By comparing biomolecules differing in size and affinity, our study highlights that while pharmacokinetics are a dominant factor in tumor uptake for biomolecules, affinity to tumor antigen is required for tumor binding and internalization. PMID:25901755

Distribution and ultrastructure of neurons in opossum piriform cortex displaying immunoreactivity to GABA and GAD and high-affinity tritiated GABA uptake

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haberly, L.B.; Hansen, D.J.; Feig, S.L.; Presto, S.

1987-01-01

GABAergic neurons have been identified in the piriform cortex of the opossum at light and electron microscopic levels by immunocytochemical localization of GABA and the GABA-synthesizing enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase and by autoradiographic visualization of high-affinity 3 H-GABA uptake. Four major neuron populations have been distinguished on the basis of soma size, shape, and segregation at specific depths and locations: large horizontal cells in layer Ia of the anterior piriform cortex, small globular cells with thin dendrites concentrated in layers Ib and II of the posterior piriform cortex, and multipolar and fusiform cells concentrated in the deep part of layer III in anterior and posterior parts of the piriform cortex and the subjacent endopiriform nucleus. All four populations were well visualized with both antisera, but the large layer Ia horizontal cells displayed only very light 3 H-GABA uptake, thus suggesting a lack of local axon collaterals or lack of high-affinity GABA uptake sites. The large, ultrastructurally distinctive somata of layer Ia horizontal cells receive a very small number of symmetrical synapses; the thin, axonlike dendrites of small globular cells are exclusively postsynaptic and receive large numbers of both symmetrical and asymmetrical synapses, in contrast to somata which receive a small number of both types; and the deep multipolar and fusiform cells receive a highly variable number of symmetrical and asymmetrical synapses on somata and proximal dendrites. Labeled puncta of axon terminal dimensions were found in large numbers in the neuropil surrounding pyramidal cell somata in layer II and in the endopiriform nucleus. Moderately large numbers of labeled puncta were found in layer I at the depth of pyramidal cell apical dendrites with greater numbers in layer Ia at the depth of distal apical segments than in layer Ib

Functional analysis RaZIP1 transporter of the ZIP family from the ectomycorrhizal Zn-accumulating Russula atropurpurea.

Science.gov (United States)

Leonhardt, Tereza; Sácký, Jan; Kotrba, Pavel

2018-04-01

A search of R. atropurpurea transcriptome for sequences encoding the transporters of the Zrt-, Irt-like Protein (ZIP) family, which are in eukaryotes integral to Zn supply into cytoplasm, allowed the identification of RaZIP1 cDNA with a predicted product belonging to ZIP I subfamily; it was subjected to functional studies in mutant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. The expression of RaZIP1, but not RaZIP1 H208A or RaZIP1 H232A mutants lacking conserved-among-ZIPs transmembrane histidyls, complemented Zn uptake deficiency in zrt1Δzrt2Δ yeasts. RaZIP1 substantially increased cellular Zn uptake in this strain and added to Zn sensitivity in zrc1Δcot1Δ mutant. The Fe uptake deficiency in ftr1Δ strain was not rescued and Mn uptake was insufficient for toxicity in Mn-sensitive pmr1Δ yeasts. By contrast, RaZIP1 increased Cd sensitivity in yap1Δ strain and conferred Cd transport activity in yeasts, albeit with substantially lower efficiency compared to Zn transport. In metal uptake assays, the accumulation of Zn in zrt1Δzrt2Δ strain remained unaffected by Cd, Fe, and Mn present in 20-fold molar excess over Zn. Immunofluorescence microscopy detected functional hemagglutinin-tagged HA::RaZIP1 on the yeast cell protoplast periphery. Altogether, these data indicate that RaZIP1 is a high-affinity plasma membrane transporter specialized in Zn uptake, and improve the understanding of the cellular and molecular biology of Zn in R. atropurpurea that is known for its ability to accumulate remarkably high concentrations of Zn.

Effect of ZnO nanoparticles in the oxygen uptake during aerobic wastewater treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cervantes-Avilés, Pabel; Brito, Elcia M. S. [University of Guanajuato, Engineering Division, Department of Civil Engineering & Environmental Engineering (Mexico); Duran, Robert [Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, Equipe Environment et Microbiologie (France); Martínez, Arodí Bernal; Cuevas-Rodríguez, Germán, E-mail: german28@ugto.mx [University of Guanajuato, Engineering Division, Department of Civil Engineering & Environmental Engineering (Mexico)

2016-07-15

The increased use of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) in everyday products indicates the importance of studying NPs release to the wastewater and its possible effect on biological process for wastewater treatment. Therefore, the aim of this work was to study the effect of the presence of ZnO NPs in aerobic wastewater treatment. The results indicated that the oxygen uptake rate of microorganisms is inhibited for concentrations higher than 473 mg L{sup −1} of ZnO NPs. The diversity of microorganisms involved in wastewater treatment was reduced in presence of ZnO NPs. Related to morphological interaction between ZnO NPs and suspended biomass, physical damage in flocs structure were observed in presence of ZnO NPs. However, the internalization of Zn compounds in microorganisms not presented mechanical damage in the membrane cell. These findings suggest that inhibition in oxygen uptake was caused for negative effect that ZnO NPs induces in aerobic microorganisms involved in wastewater treatment.

ZnO nanofluids for the improved cytotoxicity and cellular uptake of doxorubicin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Safoura Soleymani

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Objective(s: Combination anticancer therapy holds promise for improving the therapeutic efficacy of chemotherapy drugs such as doxorubicin (DOX as well as decreasing their dose-limiting side effects. Overcoming the side effects of doxorubicin (DOX is a major challenge to the effective treatment of cancer. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs are emerging as potent tools for a wide variety of biomedical applications. The aim of this study was to develop a combinatorial approach for enhancing the anticancer efficacy and cellular uptake of DOX. Materials and Methods: ZnO NPs were synthesized by the solvothermal method and were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, dynamic light scattering (DLS and transmission electron microscopy (TEM. ZnO NPs were dispersed in 10% bovine serum albumin (BSA and the cytotoxic effect of the resulting ZnO nanofluids was evaluated alone and in combination with DOX on DU145 cells. The influence of ZnO nanofluids on the cellular uptake of DOX and DOX-induced catalase mRNA expression were investigated by fluorescence microscopy and semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR, respectively. Results: The MTT results revealed that ZnO nanofluids decreased the cell viability of DU145 cells in a timeand dose-dependent manner. Simultaneous combination treatment of DOX and ZnO nanofluid showed a significant increase in anticancer activity and the cellular uptake of DOX compared to DOX alone. Also, a time-dependent reduction of catalase mRNA expression was observed in the cells treated with ZnO nanofluids and DOX, alone and in combination with each other. Conclusion: These results indicate the role of ZnO nanofluid as a growth-inhibitory agent and a drug delivery system for DOX in DU145 cells. Thus, ZnO nanofluid could be a candidate for combination chemotherapy.

Amphiphilic Bio-molecules/ZnO Interface: Enhancement of Bio-affinity and Dispersibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meng Xiu-Qing; Fang Yun-Zhang; Wu Feng-Min

2012-01-01

The dispersibility of bio-molecules such as lecithins on the surface of ZnO nanowires are investigated for biosensor applications. Lecithins can be absorbed on an as-synthesized ZnO nanowire surface in the form of sub-micro sized clusters, while scattering well on those annealed under oxygen atmosphere. Wettability analysis reveals that the as-synthesized ZnO nanowires bear a super-hydrophobic surface, which convents to superhydrophilic after oxygen annealing. First-principles calculations indicate that the adsorption energy of ZnO with water is about 0.2 eV at a distance of 2 Å when it is superhydrophilic, suggesting that lecithin can be absorbed on the hydrophilic surface stably at this distance and the bio-affinity can be enhanced under this condition. (condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties)

Changes in soil solution Zn and pH and uptake of Zn by arbuscular mycorrhizal red clover in Zn-contaminated soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, X; Christie, P

2001-01-01

Red clover plants inoculated with Glomus mosseae were grown in a sterile pasture soil containing 50 mg Zn kg(-1) in 'Plexiglas' (acrylic) containers with nylon net partitions (30 microm mesh) designed to separate the soil into a central root zone and two outer zones for hyphal growth with no root penetration. Two porous plastic soil moisture samplers were installed in each pot, one in the root compartment and the other in one of the hyphal compartments. The soil in the outer compartments was amended with one of the four application rates of Zn (as ZnSO4) ranging from 0 to 1000 mg kg(-1). Non-mycorrhizal controls were included, and there were five replicates of each treatment in a randomised block in a glasshouse. Uninoculated plants received supplementary P to avoid yield limitation due to low soil P status. Plants grew in the central compartment for nine weeks. Soil moisture samples were collected 4, 24 and 62 days after sowing to monitor changes in the Zn concentration and pH of the soil solution. At harvest, the mean mycorrhizal infection rate of inoculated plants ranged from 29% to 34% of total root length and was little affected by Zn application. Root and shoot yields were not affected by mycorrhizal infection. Plant Zn concentration and uptake were lower in mycorrhizal plants than non-mycorrhizal controls, and this effect was more pronounced with increasing Zn application rate to the soil. Soil solution Zn concentrations were lower and pH values were higher in mycorrhizal treatments than non-mycorrhizal controls and the mycorrhiza effect was more pronounced at higher Zn application rates. The protective effect of mycorrhiza against plant Zn uptake may have been associated with changes in Zn solubility mediated by changes in the soil solution pH, or by immobilisation of Zn in the extraradical mycelium.

Mechanism of Uptake of Trace Elements by Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broda, E.

1965-01-01

MECHANISM OF UPTAKE OF TRACE ELEMENTS BY PLANTS (EXPERIMENTS WlTH RADIOZINC). Some authors have assumed that the uptake of (essential or non-essential) trace elements by plants is due to active transport, and therefore needs metabolic energy. In our laboratory it has been found that the uptake of zinc (“6”5Zn) by chlorella and barley roots is, in the main, a passive process, and is based largely on ion exchange. In these experiments the Zn system contrasted sharply with actively transporting systems, e. g. the K system, although the extent of accumulation may be similar: (1) decouplers (DNP, azide) or anaerobiosis do not depress the uptake of Zn: (2) plants killed by grinding, freezing or alcohol treatment take up more Zn than living plants: (3) the temperature coefficient of the Zn uptake is small: (4) many ions compete with Zn, i.e. the uptake is unspecific. We have measured - primarily with dead cells, where equilibria are reached easily - the competition of several foreign ions with radiozinc at fixed pH (usually 6). These values have been compared with analogous values obtained with radiozinc (and verified with radiocopper) in respect to cation exchange resins. It is concluded from the sequence of the different ions that the active sites in the cells are mainly carboxyl groups. Probably most of the ‘exchanger’ consists of carbohydrate derivatives in the cell wall, i.e. in the ‘free space’, However, both by Langmuir analysis of the observed ‘uptake isotherm’ and by radiochemical work with partly blocked material, sites with anomalous affinity to Zn have been demonstrated. These may be imidazol groups in the proteins known to bind zinc strongly by complexation. (author)

Effect of zinc source and picolinic acid on 65Zn uptake in an in vitro continuous-flow perfusion system for pig and poultry intestinal segments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, D.A.; Peo, E.R. Jr.; Lewis, A.J.

1987-01-01

Twenty weanling pigs and fourteen 9-wk-old broiler chickens were used in three continuous-flow in vitro perfusion experiments using noneverted intestinal sacs to 1) determine differences in 65 Zn absorption due to location within the intestinal tract, 2) evaluate 65 Zn uptake from ZnCl 2 and Zn-methionine (ZnMet) with or without added picolinic acid (PA) in pig intestinal sacs and 3) evaluate 65 Zn uptake from ZnCl 2 and ZnMet in chicken intestinal sacs. No differences in 65 Zn uptake due to gut segment position were observed in the pigs. A Zn source x PA interaction was observed for 65 Zn uptake into the pig gut tissue and for 65 Zn uptake to the serosal side of the gut sacs. Total 65 Zn absorption in the pig gut sacs from the two Zn sources was not different, but the addition of a 5 M ratio of PA to Zn depressed 65 Zn absorption. No differences were observed in total 65 Zn absorption or 65 Zn uptake in poultry gut sac tissue. There was, however, greater uptake of 65 Zn from ZnCl 2 to the serosal side of the sacs than from ZnMet. The data indicate that 65 Zn from ZnCl 2 and ZnMet is similar in total absorption and that the addition of PA depresses Zn uptake

Proadifen-sensitive high affinity binding of 3H-alaproclate to liver membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ross, S.B.

1987-01-01

3 H-alaproclate, a selective 5 h ydroxytryptamine uptake inhibitor, was found to bind to microsomal membranes from the rat liver with high affinity (K D -=3 nM) and large capacity (B max about 2 nmol/g liver). This binding was stereoselective since S-( - )-alaproclate was 30 times more potent than the R-( + )-enantiomer to displace the 3 H-labelled racemate. Proadifen (SKF 525A), an inhibitor of cytochrome P-450, displaced the 3 H-alaproclate binding with the same, high affinity (K i =3 nM) as alaproclate itself. Repeated treatment with phenobarbital sodium (5x75 mg/kg intraperitoneally) increased the number of alaproclate binding sites 7-8 times without changing the affinity. However, most of the phenobarbital induced 3 H-alaproclate binding was not displaceable by proadifen, showing the presence of at least two different high affinity binding sites. The possible involvement of cytochrome P-450 in the alaproclate binding is discussed. (author)

Coumarin-modified microporous-mesoporous Zn-MOF-74 showing ultra-high uptake capacity and photo-switched storage/release of U{sup VI} ions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Le; Wang, Lin Lin; Gong, Le Le; Feng, Xue Feng; Luo, Ming Biao; Luo, Feng, E-mail: ecitluofeng@163.com

2016-07-05

Graphical abstract: Table of content Herein, through coordination-based post-synthetic strategy, microporous-mesoporous Zn-MOF-74 was easily functionalized by grafting coumarin on coordinatively unsaturated Zn(II) centers, yielding a series of coumarin-modified Zn-MOF-74 materials. The obtained samples afforded ultra-high adsorption capacity for UVI ions from water with maximum adsorption capacities as high as 360 mg/g (the record value in MOFs) and remarkable photo-switched capability of 50 mg/g. - Highlights: • This work shows the record uptake capability of U{sup VI} (360 mg/g) in MOFs. • This work shows, for the first time, photo-switching behaviour towards U{sup VI} in aqueous solution. • This work demonstrates a simple and effective method to largely enhance uptake capability of U{sup VI}. • This work demonstrates a distinct method to prepare photo-sensitive MOFs for photo-switching behaviour towards guest molecules. - Abstract: Driven by an energy crisis but consequently puzzled by various environmental problems, uranium, as the basic material of nuclear energy, is now receiving extensive attentions. In contrast to numerous sorbents applied in this field, metal-organic framework (MOFs), as a renovated material platform, has only recently been developed. How to improve the adsorption capacity of MOF materials towards U{sup VI} ions, as well as taking advantage of the nature of these MOFs to design photo-switched behaviour for photo-triggered storage/release of U{sup VI} ions are at present urgent problems and great challenges to be solved. Herein, we show a simple and facile method to target the goal. Through coordination-based post-synthetic strategy, microporous- mesoporous Zn-MOF-74 was easily functionalized by grafting coumarin on coordinatively unsaturated Zn(II) centers, yielding a series of coumarin-modified Zn-MOF-74 materials. The obtained samples displayed ultra-high adsorption capacity for U{sup VI} ions from water at pH value of 4 with

Colonisation of a Zn, Cd and Pb hyperaccumulator Thlaspi praecox Wulfen with indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal mixture induces changes in heavy metal and nutrient uptake

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vogel-Mikus, Katarina; Pongrac, Paula; Kump, Peter; Necemer, Marijan; Regvar, Marjana

2006-01-01

Plants of the Zn, Cd and Pb hyperaccumulator Thlaspi praecox Wulfen (Brassicaceae) inoculated or not with indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal mixture were grown in a highly Cd, Zn and Pb contaminated substrate in order to evaluate the functionality of symbiosis and assess the possible impact of AM colonisation on heavy metal uptake and tolerance. The results suggest AM development in the metal hyperaccumulating T. praecox is favoured at elevated nutrient demands, e.g. during the reproductive period. AM colonisation parameters positively correlated with total soil Cd and Pb. Colonised plants showed significantly improved nutrient and a decreased Cd and Zn uptake as revealed by TRXRF, thus confirming the functionality of the symbiosis. Reduced heavy metal uptake, especially at higher soil metal contents, indicates a changed metal tolerance strategy in colonised T. praecox plants. This is to our knowledge the first report on AM colonisation of the Zn, Cd and Pb hyperaccumulator T. praecox in a greenhouse experiment. - Colonisation of a Zn, Cd and Pb hyperaccumulator Thlaspi praecox with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi resulted in improved nutrient and reduced Cd and Zn uptake

Colonisation of a Zn, Cd and Pb hyperaccumulator Thlaspi praecox Wulfen with indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal mixture induces changes in heavy metal and nutrient uptake

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vogel-Mikus, Katarina [Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Vecna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Pongrac, Paula [Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Vecna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Kump, Peter [Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Necemer, Marijan [Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Regvar, Marjana [Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Vecna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia)]. E-mail: marjana.regvar@bf.uni-lj.si

2006-01-15

Plants of the Zn, Cd and Pb hyperaccumulator Thlaspi praecox Wulfen (Brassicaceae) inoculated or not with indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal mixture were grown in a highly Cd, Zn and Pb contaminated substrate in order to evaluate the functionality of symbiosis and assess the possible impact of AM colonisation on heavy metal uptake and tolerance. The results suggest AM development in the metal hyperaccumulating T. praecox is favoured at elevated nutrient demands, e.g. during the reproductive period. AM colonisation parameters positively correlated with total soil Cd and Pb. Colonised plants showed significantly improved nutrient and a decreased Cd and Zn uptake as revealed by TRXRF, thus confirming the functionality of the symbiosis. Reduced heavy metal uptake, especially at higher soil metal contents, indicates a changed metal tolerance strategy in colonised T. praecox plants. This is to our knowledge the first report on AM colonisation of the Zn, Cd and Pb hyperaccumulator T. praecox in a greenhouse experiment. - Colonisation of a Zn, Cd and Pb hyperaccumulator Thlaspi praecox with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi resulted in improved nutrient and reduced Cd and Zn uptake.

The effect of Zn, N and P application on nutrient uptake in wheat-maize sequence using isotopic techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tehrani, M.M.; Sachdev, P.; Sachdev, M.S.

2006-01-01

A pot experiment was conducted at the Nuclear Research Laboratory , Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi in 2000-2001. The experiment was 3x3x3 factorial in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications. Fertilizers were applied as three levels of zinc 0. 2.5 and 5 mg Zn kg -1 as ZnSO 4 , three levels of phosphorus 0, 7.5 and 15 mg P kg -1 through KH 2 PO 4 and three levels of nitrogen 30, 60 and 90 mg N kg -1 as urea. Zn fertilizer was not applied for the second crop in sequence. The amount of available Zn in soil decreased by the application of P and N, but increased by the Zn application. The P application increased the available pool of P in soil, but the zinc levels had no effect on it. Data revealed that the P application decreased the Zn concentration in plant tissue for both the crops. The per cent N utilization decreased drastically with increasing rate of N application from N 30 to N 90 in wheat. The highest level of P application resulted in least total Zn uptake, per cent Zndff, fertilizer Zn uptake and per cent Zn utilized from fertilizer. The no zinc application showed the highest value of Zn application to the wheat crop. The highest values of total P uptake, per cent Pdff, fertilizer uptake and per cent P utilized from fertilizer in the succeeding crop of maize were observed with residual effect of Zn 5 among three levels of Zn application to the first crop of maize. (author)

Role of H2O2 on the kinetics of low-affinity high-capacity Na+-dependent alanine transport in SHR proximal tubular epithelial cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinto, Vanda; Pinho, Maria Joao; Jose, Pedro A.; Soares-da-Silva, Patricio

2010-01-01

Research highlights: → H 2 O 2 in excess is required for the presence of a low-affinity high-capacity component for the Na + -dependent [ 14 C]-L-alanine uptake in SHR PTE cells only. → It is suggested that Na + binding in renal ASCT2 may be regulated by ROS in SHR PTE cells. -- Abstract: The presence of high and low sodium affinity states for the Na + -dependent [ 14 C]-L-alanine uptake in immortalized renal proximal tubular epithelial (PTE) cells was previously reported (Am. J. Physiol. 293 (2007) R538-R547). This study evaluated the role of H 2 O 2 on the Na + -dependent [ 14 C]-L-alanine uptake of ASCT2 in immortalized renal PTE cells from Wistar Kyoto rat (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). Na + dependence of [ 14 C]-L-alanine uptake was investigated replacing NaCl with an equimolar concentration of choline chloride in vehicle- and apocynin-treated cells. Na + removal from the uptake solution abolished transport activity in both WKY and SHR PTE cells. Decreases in H 2 O 2 levels in the extracellular medium significantly reduced Na + -K m and V max values of the low-affinity high-capacity component in SHR PTE cells, with no effect on the high-affinity low-capacity state of the Na + -dependent [ 14 C]-L-alanine uptake. After removal of apocynin from the culture medium, H 2 O 2 levels returned to basal values within 1 to 3 h in both WKY and SHR PTE cells and these were found stable for the next 24 h. Under these experimental conditions, the Na + -K m and V max of the high-affinity low-capacity state were unaffected and the low-affinity high-capacity component remained significantly decreased 1 day but not 4 days after apocynin removal. In conclusion, H 2 O 2 in excess is required for the presence of a low-affinity high-capacity component for the Na + -dependent [ 14 C]-L-alanine uptake in SHR PTE cells only. It is suggested that Na + binding in renal ASCT2 may be regulated by ROS in SHR PTE cells.

ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE HIGH-AFFINITY K+-TRANSLOCATING ATPASE FROM RHODOBACTER-SPHAEROIDES

NARCIS (Netherlands)

ABEE, T; SIEBERS, A; ALTENDORF, K; KONINGS, WN

1992-01-01

Cells of the purple nonsulfur bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides express a high-affinity K+ uptake system when grown in media with low K+ concentrations. A vanadate-sensitive, K+-stimulated and Mg2+-stimulated ATPase was purified from membranes of these cells by solubilization with

The assessment of zinc status of an animal from the uptake of 65Zn by the cells of whole blood in vitro

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chesters, J.K.; Will, M.

1978-01-01

65 Zn uptake by blood cells in vitro has been compared with plasma Zn concentration and plasma alkaline phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.1) activity as indicators of an animal's Zn status. Dietary Zn deficiency, low food intake, reduced dietary protein content and endotoxin administration all reduced plasma Zn concentration in the rat. In each case there was a parallel reduction in plasma alkaline phosphatase activity and an increase in 65 Zn uptake in vitro by cells of whole blood. A similar relationship between the three measurements existed in sheep with lowered plasma Zn concentrations whether these were caused by dietary deficiency or by post-surgical stress. 65 Zn uptake by cells of whole blood did not differentiate dietary Zn deficiency from the other factors which reduce plasma Zn under 'field' conditions. 65 Zn uptake by the cells in whole blood in vitro was three to five times less rapid in blood of ruminant origin than in that from non-ruminants. This difference related to the erythrocytes rather than to the leukocytes or the plasma. (author)

Proadifen-sensitive high affinity binding of /sup 3/H-alaproclate to liver membranes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ross, S.B.

1987-01-01

/sup 3/H-alaproclate, a selective 5/sub h/ydroxytryptamine uptake inhibitor, was found to bind to microsomal membranes from the rat liver with high affinity (K/sub D/-=3 nM) and large capacity (B/sub max/ about 2 nmol/g liver). This binding was stereoselective since S-( - )-alaproclate was 30 times more potent than the R-( + )-enantiomer to displace the /sup 3/H-labelled racemate. Proadifen (SKF 525A), an inhibitor of cytochrome P-450, displaced the /sup 3/H-alaproclate binding with the same, high affinity (K/sub i/=3 nM) as alaproclate itself. Repeated treatment with phenobarbital sodium (5x75 mg/kg intraperitoneally) increased the number of alaproclate binding sites 7-8 times without changing the affinity. However, most of the phenobarbital induced /sup 3/H-alaproclate binding was not displaceable by proadifen, showing the presence of at least two different high affinity binding sites. The possible involvement of cytochrome P-450 in the alaproclate binding is discussed.

Uptake pathways and toxicity of Cd and Zn in the earthworm Eisenia fetida.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Li, L.-Z.; Zhou, D.-M.; Peijnenburg, W.J.G.M.; Wang, P.; van Gestel, C.A.M.; Jin, S.-Y.; Wang, Q.-Y.

2010-01-01

The uptake of Cd and Zn by the earthworm Eisenia fetida was determined at varying Ca concentrations and with pre-exposure to different metabolic inhibitors in simulated soil solutions over a 48-h period. The presence of Ca in the solution had complex actions on Cd uptake. At a low Cd concentration

High affinity binding of [3H]cocaine to rat liver microsomes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Maghrabi, E.A.; Calligaro, D.O.; Eldefrawi, M.E.

1988-01-01

] 3 H]cocaine bound reversible, with high affinity and stereospecificity to rat liver microsomes. Little binding was detected in the lysosomal, mitochondrial and nuclear fractions. The binding kinetics were slow and the kinetically calculated K/sub D/ was 2 nM. Induction of mixed function oxidases by phenobarbital did not produce significant change in [ 3 H]cocaine binding. On the other hand, chronic administration of cocaine reduced [ 3 H]cocaine binding drastically. Neither treatment affected the affinity of the liver binding protein for cocaine. Microsomes from mouse and human livers had less cocaine-binding protein and lower affinity for cocaine than those from rat liver. Binding of [ 3 H]cocaine to rat liver microsomes was insensitive to monovalent cations and > 10 fold less sensitive to biogenic amines than the cocaine receptor in rat striatum. However, the liver protein had higher affinity for cocaine and metabolites except for norcocaine. Amine uptake inhibitors displaced [ 3 H]cocaine binding to liver with a different rank order of potency than their displacement of [ 3 H]cocaine binding to striatum. This high affinity [ 3 H]cocaine binding protein in liver is not likely to be monooxygenase, but may have a role in cocaine-induced hepatotoxicity

Na+-Dependent High-Affinity Nitrate, Phosphate and Amino Acids Transport in Leaf Cells of the Seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L. Delile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lourdes Rubio

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Posidonia oceanica (L. Delile is a seagrass, the only group of vascular plants to colonize the marine environment. Seawater is an extreme yet stable environment characterized by high salinity, alkaline pH and low availability of essential nutrients, such as nitrate and phosphate. Classical depletion experiments, membrane potential and cytosolic sodium measurements were used to characterize the high-affinity NO3−, Pi and amino acids uptake mechanisms in this species. Net uptake rates of both NO3− and Pi were reduced by more than 70% in the absence of Na+. Micromolar concentrations of NO3− depolarized mesophyll leaf cells plasma membrane. Depolarizations showed saturation kinetics (Km = 8.7 ± 1 μM NO3−, which were not observed in the absence of Na+. NO3− induced depolarizations at increasing Na+ also showed saturation kinetics (Km = 7.2 ± 2 mM Na+. Cytosolic Na+ measured in P. oceanica leaf cells (17 ± 2 mM Na+ increased by 0.4 ± 0.2 mM Na+ upon the addition of 100 μM NO3−. Na+-dependence was also observed for high-affinity l-ala and l-cys uptake and high-affinity Pi transport. All together, these results strongly suggest that NO3−, amino acids and Pi uptake in P. oceanica leaf cells are mediated by high-affinity Na+-dependent transport systems. This mechanism seems to be a key step in the process of adaptation of seagrasses to the marine environment.

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer between ZnSe ZnS quantum dots and bovine serum albumin in bioaffinity assays of anticancer drugs

Science.gov (United States)

Shu, Chang; Ding, Li; Zhong, Wenying

2014-10-01

In the current work, using ZnSe ZnS quantum dots (QDs) as representative nanoparticles, the affinities of seven anticancer drugs for bovine serum albumin (BSA) were studied using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The FRET efficiency of BSA-QD conjugates can reach as high as 24.87% by electrostatic interaction. The higher binding constant (3.63 × 107 L mol-1) and number of binding sites (1.75) between ZnSe ZnS QDs and BSA demonstrated that the QDs could easily associate to plasma proteins and enhance the transport efficacy of drugs. The magnitude of binding constants (103-106 L mol-1), in the presence of QDs, was between drugs-BSA and drugs-QDs in agreement with common affinities of drugs for serum albumins (104-106 L mol-1) in vivo. ZnSe ZnS QDs significantly increased the affinities for BSA of Vorinostat (SAHA), Docetaxel (DOC), Carmustine (BCNU), Doxorubicin (Dox) and 10-Hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT). However, they slightly reduced the affinities of Vincristine (VCR) and Methotrexate (MTX) for BSA. The recent work will not only provide useful information for appropriately understanding the binding affinity and binding mechanism at the molecular level, but also illustrate the ZnSe ZnS QDs are perfect candidates for nanoscal drug delivery system (DDS).

Changes in medium radioactivity and composition accompany high-affinity uptake of glutamate and aspartate by mouse brain slices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Latzkovits, L.; Neidle, A.; Lajtha, A.

1984-01-01

In measurements of high affinity transport in tissue slices, the incubation medium is often treated as an ''infinitely large pool''. External substrate concentrations, even at the micromolar level, are assumed to be constant and metabolic interactions between tissue and medium are neglected. In the present report we describe experiments in which glutamic and aspartic acid uptake by mouse brain slices were studied using techniques that could test these assumptions. Cerebral hemispheres were cut into 0.1 mm sections and about 90 mg of tissue incubated in 10 ml of oxygenated medium. After 45 minutes of equilibration, radioactive substrates were added and the concentrations and specific activities of the amino acids and their metabolites in the medium were determined. During the first 10 min following substrate addition, rapid decreases in glutamic and aspartic acid concentrations in the medium were accompanied by large decreases in specific activity caused by the continuous release of these amino acids from the tissue. In addition, extensive conversion of both substrates to glutamine and the preferential accumulation of this metabolite, in the medium, was found. These results demonstrate that metabolism and release occur simultaneously with uptake during transport experiments in vitro and that these processes can take place in specific tissue compartments. It is therefore necessary to measure the tissue and medium concentration levels of amino acids along with their radioactivity in such experiments, since all three processes (transport, metabolism, and compartmentation) are interrelated in the clearance of amino acids from the incubation medium and probably from the extracellular spaces in vivo as well

Comparative kinetic analysis of89 Sr,60 Co and65 Zn Uptake by human bone powder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdel-Fatah, A.T.A.; Essa, M.W.A.; Mohamed, S.A.; Molokhia, M.K.

1990-01-01

Human bone powder samples were prepared from recent femurs. The Bone particles range between 30 and 40 MU in diameter. One portion of this powder was prepared fat-free (FFB), the second portion as protein-free (PFB) and the last portion was left as raw bone powder-(RB). The sequence of uptake of 89 Sr by these types of bone powder is : FFB > RB > PFB, while that of 60 Co and 65 Zn is: PFB > FFB > RB. Kinetic analysis of the uptake curves of the 3 isotopes indicated that these processes proceed in 3 distinct steps; very fast initial, moderate intermediate and slow last step. The obtained rates of uptake indicated that : (1) the uptake by PEB is faster in its third step than the other types, (2) the most predominant step in case of 89 Sr and 60 Co is the third step (ion exchange step) while in case of 65 Zn it is the first step (physical adsorption), (3) defatenisation or deproteinisation, in general, inhances the uptake process

Characterization of a high affinity cocaine binding site in rat brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calligaro, D.; Eldefrawi, M.

1986-01-01

Binding of [ 3 H]cocaine to synaptic membranes from whole rat brain was reversible and saturable. Nonlinear regression analysis of binding isotherms indicated two binding affinities: one with k/sub d/ = 16 nM, B/sub max/ = 0.65 pmoles/mg protein and the other with K/sub d/ = 660 nM, B/sub max/ = 5.1 pmoles/mg protein. The high-affinity binding of [ 3 H]cocaine was sensitive to the actions of trypsin and chymotrypsin but not carboxypeptidase, and was eliminated by exposure of the membranes to 95 0 C for 5 min. Specific binding at 2 nM was higher at pH 8.8 than at pH 7.0. Binding of [ 3 H]cocaine (15 nM) was inhibited by increasing concentrations of Na + ions. Several cocaine analogues, neurotransmitter uptake inhibitors and local anesthetics displaced specific [ 3 H]cocaine binding at 2 nM with various potencies. The cocaine analogue (-)-norcocaine was the most potent (IC 50 = 10 nM), while the local anesthetic tetracaine was the least potent in inhibiting [ 3 H]cocaine binding. Several biogenic amine uptake inhibitors, including tricyclic antidepressants and phencyclidine, had IC 50 values below μM concentrations

EFFECT OF HUMIC ACID ON UPTAKE AND TRANSFER OF COPPER FROM MICROBES TO CILIATES TO COPEPODS

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This research is part of an ongoing project designed to determine the effect of humic acid on the uptake and transfer of metals by marine organisms at the lower end of the food chain. Binding affinities for Cu, Cd, Zn, and Cr to Suwannee River humic acid were determined at variou...

Characterization of taurine binding, uptake, and release in the rat hypothalamus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanretta, A.T.

1985-01-01

The neurotransmitter criteria of specific receptors, inactivation, and release were experimentally examined for taurine in the hypothalamus. Specific membrane binding and synaptosomal uptake of taurine both displayed high affinity and low affinity systems. The neurotransmitter criterion of release was studied in superfused synaptosomes. Exposure of synaptosomes which had been preloaded with a concentration of [ 3 H]taurine in the high affinity uptake range (1.5 μM) to either 56 mM K + or 100 μM veratridine evoked a Ca 2+ -independent release. Exposure of synaptosomes which had been preloaded with a concentration of [ 3 H]taurine in the low affinity uptake range (2 mM) to 56 mM K + induced a Ca 2+ -independent release, whereas 100 + M veratridine did not, either in the presence or absence of Ca 2+ . Based on these results, as well as other observations, a model is proposed in which the high affinity uptake system is located on neuronal membranes and the low affinity uptake system is located on glial membranes. The mechanisms of binding, uptake, and release in relation to the cellular location of each are discussed. We conclude that the neurotransmitter criterion of activation by re-uptake is satisfied for taurine in the hypothalamus. However, the failure to demonstrate both a specific taurine receptor site and a Ca 2+ -dependent evoked release, necessitates that we conclude that taurine appears not to function as a hypothalamic neurotransmitter, at least not in the classical sense

Generation of an activating Zn(2+) switch in the dopamine transporter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Loland, Claus Juul; Norregaard, Lene; Litman, Thomas

2002-01-01

Binding of Zn(2+) to the endogenous Zn(2+) binding site in the human dopamine transporter leads to potent inhibition of [(3)H]dopamine uptake. Here we show that mutation of an intracellular tyrosine to alanine (Y335A) converts this inhibitory Zn(2+) switch into an activating Zn(2+) switch, allowing...... Zn(2+)-dependent activation of the transporter. The tyrosine is part of a conserved YXX Phi trafficking motif (X is any residue and Phi is a residue with a bulky hydrophobic group), but Y335A did not show alterations in surface targeting or protein kinase C-mediated internalization. Despite wild...... for several substrates was increased. However, the presence of Zn(2+) in micromolar concentrations increased the V(max) up to 24-fold and partially restored the apparent affinities. The capability of Zn(2+) to restore transport is consistent with a reversible, constitutive shift in the distribution...

Low affinity uniporter carrier proteins can increase net substrate uptake rate by reducing efflux

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bosdriesz, Evert; Wortel, Meike T.; Haanstra, Jurgen R.; Wagner, Marijke J.; De La Torre Cortés, Pilar; Teusink, Bas

2018-01-01

Many organisms have several similar transporters with different affinities for the same substrate. Typically, high-affinity transporters are expressed when substrate is scarce and low-affinity ones when it is abundant. The benefit of using low instead of high-affinity transporters remains unclear,

Low affinity uniporter carrier proteins can increase net substrate uptake rate by reducing efflux

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bosdriesz, Evert; Wortel, M.T.; Haanstra, Jurgen R.; Wagner, Marijke J.; De La Torre, P.; Teusink, Bas

2018-01-01

Many organisms have several similar transporters with different affinities for the same substrate. Typically, high-affinity transporters are expressed when substrate is scarce and low-affinity ones when it is abundant. The benefit of using low instead of high-affinity transporters remains

Effect of Na, Ca and pH on simultaneous uptake of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the water flea Daphnia magna measured using stable isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komjarova, I.; Blust, R.

2009-01-01

The present study investigates the effects of Na + , Ca 2+ and pH on the kinetics of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn uptake in Daphnia magna at low exposure concentrations measured using a stable isotope technique. Using experimental data the uptake rate constants were calculated for each metal individually on the basis of total metal concentrations. The copper uptake was not significantly affected by variations in chemical composition of the test medium. Calcium had a suppressing effect on the uptake of Cd, Ni, Pb and Zn. Specifically, Cd and Ni uptake rate constants decreased with increases in calcium concentrations from 0.1 to 2.5 mM. The uptake of Zn and Pb was significantly suppressed only at 2.5 mM Ca. The effect of sodium was less clear. There was no effect of varying sodium concentrations on the Ni uptake rate constants. Cd and Pb showed an increase in uptake rate constants at elevated sodium concentrations (2-8 mM Na + for Cd and 8 mM Na + for Pb). A bell-shaped response on increasing Na + concentrations was observed for Zn with a maximum value of uptake rate constant at the middle value (2 mM Na + ). Variation in pH of the medium affected Cd, Ni and Zn uptake processes. When Daphnia were exposed to acidic conditions (pH 6), the Cd and Ni uptake rate constants were the highest, while similarly low values were observed at neutral and basic conditions. In contrast, the uptake rates of Zn were linearly increasing with increasing pH of the medium.

Non-covalent interaction between dietary stilbenoids and human serum albumin: Structure-affinity relationship, and its influence on the stability, free radical scavenging activity and cell uptake of stilbenoids.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Hui; Jia, Xueping; Shi, Jian; Xiao, Jianbo; Chen, Xiaoqing

2016-07-01

Dietary stilbenoids are associated with many benefits for human health, which depend on their bioavailability and bioaccessibility. The stilbenoid-human serum albumin (HSA) interactions are investigated to explore the structure-affinity relationship and influence on the stability, free radical scavenging activity and cell uptake of stilbenoids. The structure-affinity relationship of the stilbenoids-HSA interaction was found as: (1) the methoxylation enhanced the affinity, (2) an additional hydroxyl group increases the affinity and (3) the glycosylation significantly weakened the affinity. HSA obviously masked the free radical scavenging potential of stilbenoids. The stabilities of stilbenoids in different medium were determined as: HSA solution>human plasma>Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium. It appears that the milk enhanced the cell uptake of stilbenoids with multi-hydroxyl groups and weakened the cell uptake of stilbenoids with methoxyl group on EA.hy 926 endothelial cells. The stilbenoids are hardly absorbed by human umbilical vein endothelial cells in the presence of milk. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measurement of total Zn and Zn isotope ratios by quadrupole ICP-MS for evaluation of Zn uptake in gills of brown trout (Salmo trutta) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Science.gov (United States)

Wolf, R.E.; Todd, A.S.; Brinkman, S.; Lamothe, P.J.; Smith, K.S.; Ranville, J.F.

2009-01-01

This study evaluates the potential use of stable zinc isotopes in toxicity studies measuring zinc uptake by the gills of brown trout (Salmo trutta) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The use of stable isotopes in such studies has several advantages over the use of radioisotopes, including cost, ease of handling, elimination of permit requirements, and waste disposal. A pilot study using brown trout was performed to evaluate sample preparation methods and the ability of a quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) system to successfully measure changes in the 67Zn/66Zn ratios for planned exposure levels and duration. After completion of the pilot study, a full-scale zinc exposure study using rainbow trout was performed. The results of these studies indicate that there are several factors that affect the precision of the measured 67Zn/66Zn ratios in the sample digests, including variations in sample size, endogenous zinc levels, and zinc uptake rates by individual fish. However, since these factors were incorporated in the calculation of the total zinc accumulated by the gills during the exposures, the data obtained were adequate for their intended use in calculating zinc binding and evaluating the influences of differences in water quality parameters.

Uptake of [N-Me-3H]-choline by synaptosomes from the central nervous system of Locusta migratoria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breer, H.

1982-01-01

The accumulation of 3H-choline by isolated synaptosomes from the central nervous system of locust was studied at concentrations varying from 0.05 to 40 microM. Kinetic analysis of the saturable process revealed a high-affinity and a low-affinity system. The high-affinity uptake was competitively inhibited by hemicholinium-3 and was absolutely dependent on external sodium. Elevated potassium concentrations inhibited choline uptake. The choline uptake by insect synaptosomes was found to be remarkably resistant to a variety of metabolic inhibitors. The reduced choline uptake under depolarizing conditions (high potassium concentration or veratridine) in the absence of calcium implies that electrochemical gradients are important for high-affinity choline uptake. Depolarization of preloaded synaptosomes under appropriate conditions resulted in a significant release of newly accumulated choline radioactivity

Brain regional uptake of radioactive Sc, Mn, Zn, Se, Rb and Zr tracers into normal mice during aging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amano, R.; Enomoto, S.

2001-01-01

Radioactive multitracer technique was applied to study the brain regional uptake of trace elements by the normal mice during aging. The brain regional radioactivities of 46 Sc, 54 Mn, 65 Zn, 75 Se, 83 Rb and 88 Zr were measured 48 hours after intraperitoneal injection of a solution in normal mice aged 6 to 52 weeks to evaluate the brain regional (corpus striatum, cerebellum, cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and pons and medulla) uptakes. The radioactive distributions of 46 Sc, 54 Mn and 88 Zr tracers were variable and region-specific in the brain, while those of 65 Zn, 75 Se and 83 Rb tracers were comparable among all regions of interest. The brain regional uptakes of all tracers slightly increased with age from 10 to 28 weeks, and then remained constant during aging after 28 weeks. These uptake variations may be involved in the functional degenerative process of the blood-brain barrier during aging. (author)

Kinetic control on Zn isotope signatures recorded in marine diatoms

Science.gov (United States)

Köbberich, Michael; Vance, Derek

2017-08-01

Marine diatoms dominate the oceanic cycle of the essential micronutrient zinc (Zn). The stable isotopes of zinc and other metals are increasingly used to understand trace metal micronutrient cycling in the oceans. One clear feature of the early isotope data is the heavy Zn isotope signature of the average oceanic dissolved pool relative to the inputs, potentially driven by uptake of light isotopes into phytoplankton cells and export to sediments. However, despite the fact that diatoms strip Zn from surface waters across the Antarctic polar front in the Southern Ocean, the local upper ocean is not isotopically heavy. Here we use culturing experiments to quantify the extent of Zn isotope fractionation by diatoms and to elucidate the mechanisms driving it. We have cultured two different open-ocean diatom species (T. oceanica and Chaetoceros sp.) in a series of experiments at constant medium Zn concentration but at bioavailable medium Fe ranging from limiting to replete. We find that T. oceanica can maintain high growth rates and Zn uptake rates over the full range of bioavailable iron (Fe) investigated, and that the Zn taken up has a δ66Zn that is unfractionated relative to that of the bioavailable free Zn in the medium. The studied representative of the genus Chaetoceros, on the other hand, shows more significantly reduced Zn uptake rates at low Fe and records more variable biomass δ66Zn signatures, of up to 0.85‰ heavier than the medium. We interpret the preferential uptake of heavy isotopes at extremely low Zn uptake rates as potentially due to either of the following two mechanisms. First, the release of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), at low Fe levels, may preferentially scavenge heavy Zn isotopes. Second, the Zn uptake rate may be slow enough to establish pseudo-equilibrium conditions at the transporter site, with heavy Zn isotopes forming more stable surface complexes. Thus we find that, in our experiments, Fe-limitation exerts a key control that

Selective cortical decrease of high-affinity choline uptake carrier in Alzheimer's disease: an autoradiographic study using 3H-hemicholinium-3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez-Puertas, R.; Pazos, A.; Zarranz, J.J.; Pascual, J.

1994-01-01

H-hemicholinium-3 (H-HC-3) binding, a marker of the presynaptic high-affinity choline uptake carrier (HACU), was measured by autoradiography in several brain regions of 17 Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and of 11 matched controls. A significant decrease in the density of H-HC-3 binding sites was found in entorhinal cortex, hippocampus and layers I-III of the frontal cortex. By contrast, in the caudate-putamen the number of H-HC-3 binding sites in AD cases was comparable to that of control striata. These data concur with previous results using classical presynaptic markers and reflect the loss in the activity of HACU, and, hence, in the synthesis of acetylcholine, that selectively occurs in cortical areas of AD brains due to the degeneration of presynaptic cholinergic terminals arising from the basal forebrain. However, the relatively low mean reduction in HACU in cortical areas (-40 %), together with the apparent indemnity of this marker in certain severely demented AD cases, suggest that AD dementia cannot be explained simply by the loss of presynaptic terminals originating in the basal forebrain. These data seem to be a good explanation for the poor response to cholinergic replacement in AD. (author)

Fluoxetine, a selective inhibitor of serotonin uptake, potentiates morphine analgesia without altering its discriminative stimulus properties or affinity for opioid receptors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hynes, M.D.; Lochner, M.A.; Bemis, K.G.; Hymson, D.L.

1985-01-01

The analgesic effect of morphine in the rat tail jerk assay was enhanced by the serotonin uptake inhibitor, fluoxetine. Tail jerk latency was not affected by fluoxetine alone. Morphine's affinity for opioid receptors labeled in vitro with 3 H-naloxone or 3 H-D-Ala 2 -D-Leu 5 -enkephalin was not altered by fluoxetine, which has no affinity for these sites at concentrations as high as 1000 nM. In rats trained to discriminate morphine from saline, fluoxetine at doses of 5 or 10 mg/kg were recognized as saline. Increasing the fluoxetine dose to 20 mg/kg did not result in generalization to either saline or morphine. The dose response curve for morphine generalization was not significantly altered by fluoxetine doses of 5 or 10 mg/kg. Those rats treated with the combination of morphine and 20 mg/kg of fluoxetine did not exhibit saline or morphine appropriate responding. Fluoxetine potentiates the analgesic properties of morphine without enhancing its affinity for opioid receptors or its discriminative stimulus properties. 30 references, 2 figures, 2 tables

High spin levels in 62Zn, 64Zn, 66Zn, and 68Zn

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruandet, J.-F.

1976-01-01

Investigation by in-beam gamma spectroscopy of high-spin states in the even zinc isotopes has been made using the Ni(α,2nγ)Zn reactions at Esub(α) approximately equal to 30MeV for 62 Zn, 64 Zn and 66 Zn, and the 65 Cu(α,pγ) reaction at Esub(α) approximately equal to 18MeV for 68 Zn. The high-spin states feeding by varying the incident particles: p, 3 He,α, 12 C is discussed. It is pointed out that the gsub(9/2) orbital plays an important role in the structure of the high-spin states. The variation of the inertia momentum throughout the yrast line shows a backbending behavior and a shape transition associated to the occurence, for J>6, of rotational states is speculated [fr

Genetic diversity for grain Zn concentration in finger millet genotypes: Potential for improving human Zn nutrition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramegowda Yamunarani

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Nearly half of the world population suffers from micronutrient malnutrition, particularly Zn deficiency. It is important to understand genetic variation for uptake and translocation behaviors of Zn in relevant crop species to increase Zn concentration in edible parts. In the present study, genetic variation in grain Zn concentration of 319 finger millet genotypes was assessed. Large genetic variation was found among the genotypes, with concentrations ranging from 10 to 86 μg g− 1 grain. Uptake and translocation studies with Zn/65Zn application in 12 selected low-Zn genotypes showed wide variation in root uptake and shoot translocation, with genotypes GEC331 and GEC164 showing greater uptake and translocation. Genotypes GEC164 and GEC543 showed increased grain Zn concentration. Genotypes GEC331 and GEC164 also showed improved yield under Zn treatment. Appreciable variation in grain Zn concentration among finger millet genotypes found in this study offers opportunities to improve Zn nutrition through breeding.

Downregulation of taurine uptake in multidrug resistant Ehrlich ascites tumor cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, K A; Litman, Thomas; Eriksen, J

2002-01-01

In daunorubicin resistant Ehrlich ascites tumor cells (DNR), the initial taurine uptake was reduced by 56% as compared to the parental, drug sensitive Ehrlich cells. Kinetic experiments indicated that taurine uptake in Ehrlich cells occurs via both high- and low-affinity transporters. The maximal...... rate constant for the initial taurine uptake was reduced by 45% (high-affinity system) and 49% (low affinity system) in the resistant subline whereas the affinity of the transporters to taurine was unchanged. By immunoblotting we identified 3 TauT protein bands in the 50-70 kDa region. A visible...... reduction in the intensity of the band with the lowest molecular weight was observed in resistant cells. Quantitative RT-PCR indicated a significant reduction in the amount of taurine transporter mRNA in the resistant cells. Drug resistance in DNR Ehrlich cells is associated with overexpression of the mdr1...

Depuration and uptake kinetics of I, CS, MN, ZN and CD by the earthworm (lumbricus terrestris) in radiotracer-spiked litter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheppard, S.C.; Evenden, W.G.; Cornwell, T.C.

1997-01-01

The relative depuration and uptake kinetics of contaminants should be known to interpret appropriately the use of organisms such as earthworms in environmental bioassays and monitoring. For example, 14-d earthworm bioassays should be interpreted with the knowledge that some contaminants will continue to accumulate in tissues for months. The radiotracers 125 I, 134 Cs, 54 Mn, 65 Zn, and 109 Cd were applied to deciduous litter and specimens of Lumbricus terrestris were exposed, either to litter alone or to litter on the top of soil columns. Depuration was monitored for 120 d and uptake, in a separate experiment, for 20 d. Both depuration and uptake were described using two-phase, first-order statistical models. Gut clearance had a mean half-time of 1.4 d. The mean half-time for physiological depuration decreased from I (210 d) > Cd (150 d) > Zn (69 d) > Mn (40 d) > Cs (24 d). Both the deputation and the uptake experiments were necessary to resolve even partially the multiphase processes. Earthworm/soil dry weight concentration ratios decreased from Cd > Zn > I ≥ Cs ≥ Mn. The very slow kinetics indicate that tissue concentrations will increase continuously for a long time, with important implications for subsequent food-chain transfers. (author)

Identification and properties of very high affinity brain membrane-binding sites for a neurotoxic phospholipase from the taipan venom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lambeau, G.; Barhanin, J.; Schweitz, H.; Qar, J.; Lazdunski, M.

1989-01-01

Four new monochain phospholipases were purified from the Oxyuranus scutellatus (taipan) venom. Three of them were highly toxic when injected into mice brain. One of these neurotoxic phospholipases, OS2, was iodinated and used in binding experiments to demonstrate the presence of two families of specific binding sites in rat brain synaptic membranes. The affinities were exceptionally high, Kd1 = 1.5 +/- 0.5 pM and Kd2 = 45 +/- 10 pM, and the maximal binding capacities were Bmax 1 = 1 +/- 0.4 and Bmax 2 = 3 +/- 0.5 pmol/mg of protein. Both binding sites were sensitive to proteolysis and demonstrated to be located on proteins of Mr 85,000-88,000 and 36,000-51,000 by cross-linking and photoaffinity labeling techniques. The binding of 125 I-OS2 to synaptic membranes was dependent on Ca2+ ions and enhanced by Zn2+ ions which inhibit phospholipase activity. Competition experiments have shown that, except for beta-bungarotoxin, a number of known toxic snake or bee phospholipases have very high affinities for the newly identified binding sites. A good correlation (r = 0.80) was observed between toxicity and affinity but not between phospholipase activity and affinity

Novel and high affinity fluorescent ligands for the serotonin transporter based on (s)-citalopram

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kumar, Vivek; Rahbek-Clemmensen, Troels; Billesbølle, Christian B

2014-01-01

Novel rhodamine-labeled ligands, based on (S)-citalopram, were synthesized and evaluated for uptake inhibition at the human serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine transporters (hSERT, hDAT, and hNET, respectively) and for binding at SERT, in transiently transfected COS7 cells. Compound 14 demons...... demonstrated high affinity binding and selectivity for SERT (K i = 3 nM). Visualization of SERT, using confocal laser scanning microscopy, validated compound 14 as a novel tool for studying SERT expression and distribution in living cells....

Measuring the serotonin uptake site using [3H]paroxetine--a new serotonin uptake inhibitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gleiter, C.H.; Nutt, D.J.

1988-01-01

Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter that may be involved in ethanol preference and dependence. It is possible to label the serotonin uptake site in brain using the tricyclic antidepressant imipramine, but this also binds to other sites. We have used the new high-affinity uptake blocker paroxetine to define binding to this site and report it to have advantages over imipramine as a ligand

Cloning, expression, and characterization of cadmium and manganese uptake genes from Lactobacillus plantarum

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hao, Z.; Chen, S.; Wilson, D.B.

1999-11-01

An Mn{sup 2+} and Cd{sup 2+} uptake gene, mntA, was cloned from Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 14917 into Escherichia coli. Its expression conferred on E. coli cells increased Cd{sup 2+} sensitivity as well as energy-dependent Cd{sup 2+} uptake activity. Both transcription and translation of mntA were induced by Mn{sup 2+} starvation in L. plantarum, as indicated by reverse transcriptase PCR and immunoblotting. Two Cd{sup 2+} uptake systems have been identified in L. plantarum: one is a high-affinity Mn{sup 2+} and Cd{sup 2+} uptake system that is expressed in Mn{sup 2+}-starved cells, and the other is a nonsaturable Cd{sup 2+} uptake system that is expressed in Cd{sup 2+}-sufficient cells. MntA was not detected in an Mn{sup 2+}-dependent mutant of L. plantarum which had lost high-affinity Mn{sup 2+} and Cd{sup 2+} uptake activity. The results suggest that mntA is the gene encoding the high-affinity Mn{sup 2+} and Cd{sup 2+} transporter. On the basis of its predicted amino acid sequence, MntA belongs to the family of P-type cation-translocating ATPases. The topology and potential Mn{sup 2+}- and Cd{sup 2+}-binding sites of MntA are discussed. A second clone containing a low-affinity Cd{sup 2+} transport system was also isolated.

A rhodamine-labeled citalopram analogue as a high-affinity fluorescent probe for the serotonin transporter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Peng; Jørgensen, Trine Nygaard; Løland, Claus Juul

2013-01-01

A novel fluorescent ligand was synthesized as a high-affinity, high specificity probe for visualizing the serotonin transporter (SERT). The rhodamine fluorophore was extended from an aniline substitution on the 5-position of the dihydroisobenzofuran ring of citalopram (2, 1-(3-(dimethylamino......)propyl)-1-(4-fluorophenyl)-1,3-dihydroisobenzofuran-5-carbonitrile), using an ethylamino linker. The resulting rhodamine-labeled ligand 8 inhibited [3H]5-HT uptake in COS-7 cells (Ki = 225 nM) with similar potency to the tropane-based JHC 1-064 (1), but with higher specificity towards the SERT relative...

Zinc uptake in vitro by human retinal pigment epithelium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newsome, D.A.; Rothman, R.J.

1987-01-01

Zinc, an essential trace element, is present in unusually high concentrations in the chorioretinal complex relative to most other tissues. Because little has been known about the interactions between the retinal pigment epithelium and free or protein-associated zinc, we studied 65 Zn uptake by human retinal pigment epithelium in vitro. When monolayers were exposed to differing concentrations from 0 to 30 microM 65 Zn in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium with 5.4 gm/l glucose at 37 degrees C and 4 degrees C, we observed a temperature-dependent saturable accumulation of the radiolabel. With 15 microM 65 Zn, we saw a biphasic pattern of uptake with a rapid first phase and a slower second phase over 120 min. Uptake of 65 Zn was inhibited by iodacetate and cold, and reduced approximately 50% by the addition of 2% albumin to the labelling medium. Neither ouabain nor 2-deoxyglucose inhibited uptake. Cells previously exposed to 65 Zn retained approximately 70% of accumulated 65 Zn 60 min after being changed to radiolabel-free medium. Following removal of cells from the extracellular matrix adherent to the dish bottom, a variable amount of nonspecific binding of 65 Zn to the residual matrix was demonstrated. These observations are consistent with a facilitated type of transport and demonstrate the ability of human retinal pigment epithelium in vitro to accumulate and retain zinc

The high affinity K+ transporter AtHAK5 plays a physiological role in planta at very low K+ concentrations and provides a caesium uptake pathway in Arabidopsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Zhi; Hampton, Corrina R; Shin, Ryoung; Barkla, Bronwyn J; White, Philip J; Schachtman, Daniel P

2008-01-01

Caesium (Cs(+)) is a potentially toxic mineral element that is released into the environment and taken up by plants. Although Cs(+) is chemically similar to potassium (K(+)), and much is known about K(+) transport mechanisms, it is not clear through which K(+) transport mechanisms Cs(+) is taken up by plant roots. In this study, the role of AtHAK5 in high affinity K(+) and Cs(+) uptake was characterized. It is demonstrated that AtHAK5 is localized to the plasma membrane under conditions of K(+) deprivation, when it is expressed. Growth analysis showed that AtHAK5 plays a role during severe K(+) deprivation. Under K(+)-deficient conditions in the presence of Cs(+), Arabidopsis seedlings lacking AtHAK5 had increased inhibition of root growth and lower Cs(+) accumulation, and significantly higher leaf chlorophyll concentrations than wild type. These data indicate that, in addition to transporting K(+) in planta, AtHAK5 also transports Cs(+). Further experiments showed that AtHAK5 mediated Cs(+) uptake into yeast cells and that, although the K(+) deficiency-induced expression of AtHAK5 was inhibited by low concentrations of NH(4)(+) in planta, Cs(+) uptake by yeast was stimulated by low concentrations of NH(4)(+). Interestingly, the growth of the Arabidopsis atakt1-1 mutant was more sensitive to Cs(+) than the wild type. This may be explained, in part, by increased expression of AtHAK5 in the atakt1-1 mutant. It is concluded that AtHAK5 is a root plasma membrane uptake mechanism for K(+) and Cs(+) under conditions of low K(+) availability.

Selective cortical decrease of high-affinity choline uptake carrier in Alzheimer`s disease: an autoradiographic study using {sup 3}H-hemicholinium-3

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodriguez-Puertas, R; Pazos, A [Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Unit of Pharmacology, Univ. of Cantabria, Santander (Spain); Zarranz, J J [Dept. of Neuroscience, Univ. of the Basque Country, Leioa (Spain); Pascual, J [Dept. of Medicine, Service of Neurology, Univ. Hospital ` Marques de Valdecilla` , Univ. of Cantabria, Santander (Spain)

1994-12-31

H-hemicholinium-3 (H-HC-3) binding, a marker of the presynaptic high-affinity choline uptake carrier (HACU), was measured by autoradiography in several brain regions of 17 Alzheimer`s disease (AD) patients and of 11 matched controls. A significant decrease in the density of H-HC-3 binding sites was found in entorhinal cortex, hippocampus and layers I-III of the frontal cortex. By contrast, in the caudate-putamen the number of H-HC-3 binding sites in AD cases was comparable to that of control striata. These data concur with previous results using classical presynaptic markers and reflect the loss in the activity of HACU, and, hence, in the synthesis of acetylcholine, that selectively occurs in cortical areas of AD brains due to the degeneration of presynaptic cholinergic terminals arising from the basal forebrain. However, the relatively low mean reduction in HACU in cortical areas (-40 %), together with the apparent indemnity of this marker in certain severely demented AD cases, suggest that AD dementia cannot be explained simply by the loss of presynaptic terminals originating in the basal forebrain. These data seem to be a good explanation for the poor response to cholinergic replacement in AD. (author).

Identification and properties of very high affinity brain membrane-binding sites for a neurotoxic phospholipase from the taipan venom

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lambeau, G.; Barhanin, J.; Schweitz, H.; Qar, J.; Lazdunski, M. (Centre de Biochimie, Nice (France))

1989-07-05

Four new monochain phospholipases were purified from the Oxyuranus scutellatus (taipan) venom. Three of them were highly toxic when injected into mice brain. One of these neurotoxic phospholipases, OS2, was iodinated and used in binding experiments to demonstrate the presence of two families of specific binding sites in rat brain synaptic membranes. The affinities were exceptionally high, Kd1 = 1.5 +/- 0.5 pM and Kd2 = 45 +/- 10 pM, and the maximal binding capacities were Bmax 1 = 1 +/- 0.4 and Bmax 2 = 3 +/- 0.5 pmol/mg of protein. Both binding sites were sensitive to proteolysis and demonstrated to be located on proteins of Mr 85,000-88,000 and 36,000-51,000 by cross-linking and photoaffinity labeling techniques. The binding of {sup 125}I-OS2 to synaptic membranes was dependent on Ca2+ ions and enhanced by Zn2+ ions which inhibit phospholipase activity. Competition experiments have shown that, except for beta-bungarotoxin, a number of known toxic snake or bee phospholipases have very high affinities for the newly identified binding sites. A good correlation (r = 0.80) was observed between toxicity and affinity but not between phospholipase activity and affinity.

Comparison between Arabidopsis and Rice for Main Pathways of K+ and Na+ Uptake by Roots

OpenAIRE

Nieves-Cordones, Manuel; Mart?nez, Vicente; Benito, Bego?a; Rubio, Francisco

2016-01-01

K+ is an essential macronutrient for plants. It is acquired by specific uptake systems located in roots. Although the concentrations of K+ in the soil solution are widely variable, K+ nutrition is secured by uptake systems that exhibit different affinities for K+. Two main systems have been described for root K+ uptake in several species: the high-affinity HAK5-like transporter and the inward-rectifier AKT1-like channel. Other unidentified systems may be also involved in root K+ uptake, a...

Uptake of Radionuclide Metals by SPME Fibers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duff, M; S Crump, S; Robert Ray, R; Keisha Martin, K; Donna Beals, D

2006-08-01

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Laboratory currently does not have on site facilities for handling radioactive evidentiary materials and there are no established FBI methods or procedures for decontaminating high explosive (HE) and fire debris (FD) evidence while maintaining evidentiary value. One experimental method for the isolation of HE and FD residue involves using solid phase microextraction or SPME fibers to remove residue of interest. Due to their high affinity for organics, SPME fibers should have little affinity for most metals. However, no studies have measured the affinity of radionuclides for SPME fibers. The focus of this research was to examine the affinity of dissolved radionuclide ( 239/240 Pu, 238 U, 237 Np, 85 Sr, 133 Ba, 137 Cs, 60 Co and 226 Ra) and stable radionuclide surrogate metals (Sr, Co, Ir, Re, Ni, Ba, Cs, Nb, Zr, Ru, and Nd) for SPME fibers at the exposure conditions that favor the uptake of HE and FD residues. Our results from radiochemical and mass spectrometric analyses indicate these metals have little measurable affinity for these SPME fibers during conditions that are conducive to HE and FD residue uptake with subsequent analysis by liquid or gas phase chromatography with mass spectrometric detection

Uptake of Zn++ and aflatoxin from perlite and liquid culture by Zea mays seedlings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Llewellyn, G.C.; Reynolds, J.D.; Hurst, L.; Vance, R.A.; Dashek, W.V.

1982-01-01

The present paper reports our attempts to determine whether in inclusion of 0.0014 mM Zn ++ within a hydroponic culture medium affects the ability of 12-day-old Zea mays, cv. 'SS-522' to take-up [ 3 H]-aflatoxin B 1 . Data from the corollary experiment., i.e., whether inclusion of aflatoxin affects the ability of Zea mays, cvs. 'Truckers White', 'X-Sweet' and 'Merit' to take-up 65 ZnCl 2 are presented also. This report is a preliminary to one regarding an in-progress analysis of whether pollutant levels of Zn ++ affect aflatoxin uptake and distribution. In the absence of irrigating seedlings, which were grown in Perlite containing 65 ZnCl 2 , with a solution containing mixed aflatoxins, the stem contained the greatest amount of label with root plus seed the next highest and the leaf the least for each of the cvs. In contrast, when the seedlings were irrigated with a solution containing mixed aflatoxins, the root plus seed contained either an amount nearly identical to (cv. 'Truckers White') or in excess of that within the stem (cvs. 'X-Sweet' and 'Merit'). Calculation of the percentages of aflatoxin-induced diminutions in leaf, stem and root label suggested that the aflatoxins interfered with the translocation of 65 ZnCl 2 from the root to the stem and leaf, at least for cvs 'X-Sweet' and 'Merit'. (orig./AJ)

Foliar uptake of zinc by vascular plants. Radiometric study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maresova, J.; Remenarova, L.; Hornik, M.; Pipiska, M.; Augustin, J.; Lesny, J.

2012-01-01

The aim of this paper was to obtain quantitative data of foliar uptake kinetics and long distance transport of zinc in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) and hop (Humulus lupulus L.) plants. Zinc was used as a model of microelement and toxic metal, tobacco and hop as a representatives of agriculturally important plants. A tip of leaf blade was immersed in the solution spiked with 65 ZnCl 2 and foliar uptake and translocation to other parts of the plant grown in nutrient solution was measured by gamma-spectrometry and autoradiography. We found that foliar zinc uptake by both plants is dependent on the initial metal concentration within the range C 0 = 10-100 μmol dm -3 ZnCl 2 . Zinc is immobilized mainly in immersed part of the contact leaf and only 0 = 0.1 mmol dm -3 ZnCl 2 concentrations >2.5 mg/g Zn and 4.8 mg/g Zn (dry wt.) in immersed part of tobacco and hop leaf plant, respectively were found after 5 days of exposure. Low mobility of zinc entering the plant via the leaf surface can be attributed to the immobilization of zinc into Zn-ligand complexes with high stability constants log K at pH 6.0-8.0, such as the reaction products of Zn 2+ ions with citric acid, histidine or phosphates. Zinc can be extracted from dried leaves by the solutions of inorganic salts, carboxylic acids, amino acids and synthetic complexing ligands such as EDTA. Anionic (SDS) and non-ionic (Tween 40) surfactants causes the decrease of the Zn foliar uptake, but not translocation of Zn from the contact leaf area. Obtained data are discussed from the point of view of possible limited efficiency of liquid formulations designed for practical applications as Zn foliar fertilizers. (author)

Graphene-wrapped ZnO nanospheres as a photocatalyst for high performance photocatalysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Da; Wang, Dongfang; Ge, Qisheng; Ping, Guangxing; Fan, Meiqiang; Qin, Laishun; Bai, Liqun; Lv, Chunju; Shu, Kangying

2015-01-01

In this work, graphene-wrapped ZnO nanospheres (ZnO–graphene nanocomposites) were prepared by a simple facile lyophilization method, followed by thermal treatment process. ZnO nanospheres with the size of about 100–400 nm, composed of numerous nanocrystals with hexagonal wurtzite structure, were well separated from each other and wrapped with transparent graphene sheets. Compared to ZnO nanospheres, the ZnO–graphene nanocomposites showed a significant enhancement in the photodegradation of methylene blue. This enhanced photocatalytic activity could be attributed to their favorable dye-adsorption affinity and increased optical absorption as well as the efficient charge transfer of the photogenerated electrons in the conduction band of ZnO to graphene. Thus, this work could provide a facile and low-cost method for the development of graphene-based nanocomposites with promising applications in photocatalysis, solar energy conversion, sensing, and so on. - Highlights: • Graphene-wrapped ZnO nanospheres were prepared by a facile lyophilization method. • ZnO nanospheres were separated from each other and wrapped with 2D graphene sheets. • Graphene-wrapped ZnO nanospheres exhibited superior photocatalytic activities. • The photocatalytic mechanisms of graphene-wrapped ZnO nanospheres were discussed

Graphene-wrapped ZnO nanospheres as a photocatalyst for high performance photocatalysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Da, E-mail: dchen_80@hotmail.com [College of Materials Science & Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018 (China); Wang, Dongfang; Ge, Qisheng; Ping, Guangxing [College of Materials Science & Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018 (China); Fan, Meiqiang, E-mail: fanmeiqiang@126.com [College of Materials Science & Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018 (China); Qin, Laishun [College of Materials Science & Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018 (China); Bai, Liqun [School of Sciences, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300 (China); Lv, Chunju; Shu, Kangying [College of Materials Science & Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018 (China)

2015-01-01

In this work, graphene-wrapped ZnO nanospheres (ZnO–graphene nanocomposites) were prepared by a simple facile lyophilization method, followed by thermal treatment process. ZnO nanospheres with the size of about 100–400 nm, composed of numerous nanocrystals with hexagonal wurtzite structure, were well separated from each other and wrapped with transparent graphene sheets. Compared to ZnO nanospheres, the ZnO–graphene nanocomposites showed a significant enhancement in the photodegradation of methylene blue. This enhanced photocatalytic activity could be attributed to their favorable dye-adsorption affinity and increased optical absorption as well as the efficient charge transfer of the photogenerated electrons in the conduction band of ZnO to graphene. Thus, this work could provide a facile and low-cost method for the development of graphene-based nanocomposites with promising applications in photocatalysis, solar energy conversion, sensing, and so on. - Highlights: • Graphene-wrapped ZnO nanospheres were prepared by a facile lyophilization method. • ZnO nanospheres were separated from each other and wrapped with 2D graphene sheets. • Graphene-wrapped ZnO nanospheres exhibited superior photocatalytic activities. • The photocatalytic mechanisms of graphene-wrapped ZnO nanospheres were discussed.

The Fate of ZnO Nanoparticles Administered to Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Gilbert, Benjamin; Fakra, Sirine C.; Xia, Tian; Pokhrel, Suman; Mädler, Lutz; Nel, André E.

2014-01-01

A particular challenge for nanotoxicology is the evaluation of the biological fate and toxicity of nanomaterials that dissolve in aqueous fluids. Zinc oxide nanomaterials are of particular concern because dissolution leads to release of the toxic divalent zinc ion. Although dissolved zinc ions have been implicated in ZnO cytotoxicity, direct identification of the chemical form of zinc taken up by cells exposed to ZnO nanoparticles, and its intracellular fate, has not yet been achieved. We combined high resolution X-ray spectromicroscopy and high elemental sensitivity X-ray microprobe analyses to determine the fate of ZnO and less soluble iron-doped ZnO nanoparticles following exposure to cultures of human bronchial epithelial cells, BEAS-2B. We complemented two-dimensional X-ray imaging methods with atomic force microscopy of cell surfaces to distinguish between nanoparticles that were transported inside the cells from those that adhered to the cell exterior. The data suggest cellular uptake of ZnO nanoparticles is a mechanism of zinc accumulation in cells. Following uptake, ZnO nanoparticles dissolved completely generating intracellular Zn2+ complexed by molecular ligands. These results corroborate a model for ZnO nanoparticle toxicity that is based on nanoparticle uptake followed by intracellular dissolution. PMID:22646753

P-EXAFS investigations of Zn uptake by montmorillonite. The strong and weak sites concept in the 2SPNE SC/CE sorption model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daehn, R.; Baeyens, B.; Bradbury, M.H.

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. The sorption of radioactive elements on the immobile components in the near- and far-fields of a deep geological radioactive waste repository is a significant process in retarding their aqueous phase transport and an important component in safety assessment studies. The development of robust and well-founded mechanistic sorption models to predict the uptake of radionuclides under different geochemical conditions would enhance the justification and defensibility of the sorption values used in safety studies and thereby represent a considerable contribution to the scientific basis for radioactive waste disposal. The 2 site proto-lysis non electrostatic surface complexation and cation exchange (2SPNE SC/CE) sorption model has been used over the past decade or so to quantitatively describe the uptake of metals with oxidation states from II to VI on 2:1 clay minerals; montmorillonite and illite (Bradbury and Baeyens, 1997). One of the main features in this model is that there are two broad categories of amphoteric edge sorption sites; the so called strong (≡SSOH) and weak (≡SW1OH) sites. Because of their different sorption characteristics, it was expected that the coordination environments of the surface complexes on the two site types would be different. Although the 2SPNE SC/CE model uses different mechanistic uptake processes to describe sorption, it can only be described as a 'quasi mechanistic' model because the exact nature of the surface binding sites and surface complexes is not known. In order to check the 'strong site / weak site' sorption sites hypothesis in the 2SPNE SC/CE sorption model, it was essential to perform polarised extended X-ray absorption fine structure (P-EXAFS) measurements on an uptake system, in which it was possible to obtain good spectra particularly at the low metal loadings (∼2 mmol kg-1 or less) corresponding to occupancies dominated by strong sites. The Zn-montmorillonite system

Effect of zinc and phosphorus on dry matter yield, uptake and utilization of 65Zn on Maize (Zea Mays L.) grown in a molli-soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joshi, Megha; Shri Ram; Joshi, G.C.

2013-01-01

Zinc uptake and its utilization by Maize (Zea mays L.) variety Pragati using radiotracer 65 Zn technique along with varying levels of phosphorus treatments on dry matter yield was studied. The gamma activity was measured by calibrated NaI(Tl) gamma ray spectrometer. It was observed that zinc uptake in treatment T 2 found to be higher. However, treatment T 6 showed good growth parameters and dry matter yield. The 65 Zn activity was found maximum in roots and minimum in the leaves of maize plant. (author)

Characterization of zinc uptake, binding, and translocation in intact seedlings of bread and durum wheat cultivars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hart, J.J.; Norvell, W.A.; Welch, R.M.; Sullivan, L.A.; Kochian, L.V.

1998-01-01

Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var durum) cultivars exhibit lower Zn efficiency than comparable bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars. To understand the physiological mechanism(s) that confers Zn efficiency, this study used 65Zn to investigate ionic Zn2+ root uptake, binding, and translocation to shoots in seedlings of bread and durum wheat cultivars. Time-dependent Zn2+ accumulation during 90 min was greater in roots of the bread wheat cultivar. Zn2+ cell wall binding was not different in the two cultivars. In each cultivar, concentration-dependent Zn2+ influx was characterized by a smooth, saturating curve, suggesting a carrier-mediated uptake system. At very low solution Zn2+ activities, Zn2+ uptake rates were higher in the bread wheat cultivar. As a result, the Michaelis constant for Zn2+ uptake was lower in the bread wheat cultivar (2.3 micromolar) than in the durum wheat cultivar (3.9 micromolar). Low temperature decreased the rate of Zn2+ influx, suggesting that metabolism plays a role in Zn2+ uptake. Ca inhibited Zn2+ uptake equally in both cultivars. Translocation of Zn to shoots was greater in the bread wheat cultivar, reflecting the higher root uptake rates. The study suggests that lower root Zn2+ uptake rates may contribute to reduced Zn efficiency in durum wheat varieties under Zn-limiting conditions

Comparison of two organic fertilizers along with Zn and B elements on concentration, uptake of nutrients and some growth parameters in millet (Panicum miliaceum L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T Nezhad hoseini

2016-05-01

Full Text Available A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of two organic fertilizers along with zinc and boron elements on some growth parameters, concentration and uptake of nutrients in millet (Panicum miliaceum L. by using factorial based on randomized completely block design with three replications in Qaen region, Iran. The main treatments were municipal solid waste compost and cow manure (each at 0 and 25 t.ha-1 and sub treatments were elements of Zn (0, 50 kg.ha-1 and B (0, 10 kg.ha-1 using their respective ZnSO4 and H3BO3 salts. Results showed that treatments interaction had significant effects on total dry matter yield, number of tillers per plant and plant height of Millet. The highest total dry matter production was achieved by interaction of cow manure along with Zn and B elements. Concentrations of N, Fe, Zn, B and Cu in plant were increased significantly by treatments interaction effects compared to control. Interaction effect of organic fertilizers with B (in the absence of Zn enhanced plant B concentration significantly, whereas, interaction of organic fertilizers with Zn (in the absence of B decreased B concentration in plant. The highest plant uptake of N, P, K, Zn, and B was observed in plots with cow manure and Zn and B elements.

Changes in spectral signatures of red lettuce regards to Zinc uptake

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, J.; Yu, J.; Koh, S. M.; Park, G.; Kim, S.

2017-12-01

Heavy metal contaminations caused by human activities such as mining and industrial activities caused serious soil contamination. Soil contaminations causes secondary impact on vegetation by uptake processes. Intakes of vegetables harvested from heavy metal contaminated soil may cause serious health problems. It would be very effective if screening tool could be developed before the vegetables are distributed over the market. This study investigated spectral response of red lettuce regards to Zn uptake from the treated soil in a laboratory condition. Zn solutions at different levels of concentration are injected to potted lettuce. The chemical composition and spectral characteristics of the leaves are analyzed every 2 days and the correlation between the Zn concentration and spectral reflectance is investigated. The experiment reveals that Zn uptake of red lettuce is significantly higher for the leaves from treated pot compared to untreated pot showing highly contaminated concentrations beyond the standard Zn concentrations for food. The spectral response regards to Zn is manifested at certain level of concentration threshold. Below the threshold, reflectance at NIR regions increases regards to increase in Zn concentration. On the other hand, above the threshold, IR reflectance decreases and slope of NIR shoulder increases regards to higher Zn concentration. We think this result may contribute for development of screening tools for heavy metal contaminations in vegetables.

Synthesis of highly luminescent Mn:ZnSe/ZnS nanocrystals in aqueous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang Zheng; Wu Ping; Zhong Xinhua; Yang Yongji

2010-01-01

High-quality water-dispersible Mn 2+ -doped ZnSe core/ZnS shell (Mn:ZnSe/ZnS) nanocrystals have been synthesized directly in aqueous media. Overcoating a high bandgap ZnS shell around the Mn:ZnSe cores can bring forward an efficient energy transfer from the ZnSe host nanocrystals to the dopant Mn. The quantum yields of the dopant Mn photoluminescence in the as-prepared water-soluble Mn:ZnSe/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals can be up to 35 ± 5%. The optical features and structure of the obtained Mn:ZnSe/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals have been characterized by UV-vis, PL spectroscopy, TEM, XRD and ICP elementary analysis. The influences of various experimental variables, including the Mn concentration, the Se/Zn molar ratio as well as the kind and amount of capping ligand used in the core production and shell deposition process, on the luminescent properties of the obtained Mn:ZnSe/ZnS nanocrystals have been systematically investigated.

Uptake, distribution and metabolic fate of 59Fe, 58Co, 54Mn and 65Zn in plants and their mobility and availability to crops in typical black and laterite soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D'Souza, T.J.; Mistry, K.B.

1979-01-01

Studies were undertaken on typical soils of India. Nutrient culture experiments indicated that with identical plant growth periods the accumulation in aerial tissues of 65 Zn and 54 Mn was greater than that of 58 Co and 59 Fe. The distribution of 59 Fe, 58 Co and 65 Zn in the various aerial organs of bean plants was generally uniform whereas the distribution of 54 Mn followed an acropetal gradient. The chemical association of 59 Fe, 58 Co and 65 Zn in the edible bean pods was predominantly with lipids and ionic forms whereas 54 Mn association was mainly with ionic forms. The plant uptake of these radionuclides from typical black and laterite soils showed maximum accumulation of 54 Mn followed by 65 Zn, 59 Fe and 58 Co in both soil types and the uptake was greater from the laterite soil than from the black soil. Flooding treatment of rice, while showing a reduction of 59 Fe uptake, showed an increase in plant uptake of 58 Co, 54 Mn and 65 Zn in both soil types. Organic matter addition resulted in a significant reduction of 59 Fe and 58 Co in the laterite soil and of 65 Zn in the black soil. All the four nuclides were completely immobile in the two soil types when leached with rain water or irrigation waters or when treated with organic matter. However, leaching with 10 -2 M EDTA solution induced a rapid breakthrough of all the four radionuclides. (author)

Affinity Crystallography: A New Approach to Extracting High-Affinity Enzyme Inhibitors from Natural Extracts.

Science.gov (United States)

Aguda, Adeleke H; Lavallee, Vincent; Cheng, Ping; Bott, Tina M; Meimetis, Labros G; Law, Simon; Nguyen, Nham T; Williams, David E; Kaleta, Jadwiga; Villanueva, Ivan; Davies, Julian; Andersen, Raymond J; Brayer, Gary D; Brömme, Dieter

2016-08-26

Natural products are an important source of novel drug scaffolds. The highly variable and unpredictable timelines associated with isolating novel compounds and elucidating their structures have led to the demise of exploring natural product extract libraries in drug discovery programs. Here we introduce affinity crystallography as a new methodology that significantly shortens the time of the hit to active structure cycle in bioactive natural product discovery research. This affinity crystallography approach is illustrated by using semipure fractions of an actinomycetes culture extract to isolate and identify a cathepsin K inhibitor and to compare the outcome with the traditional assay-guided purification/structural analysis approach. The traditional approach resulted in the identification of the known inhibitor antipain (1) and its new but lower potency dehydration product 2, while the affinity crystallography approach led to the identification of a new high-affinity inhibitor named lichostatinal (3). The structure and potency of lichostatinal (3) was verified by total synthesis and kinetic characterization. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of isolating and characterizing a potent enzyme inhibitor from a partially purified crude natural product extract using a protein crystallographic approach.

Uptake of trace elements in adult and suckling rat lenses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nabekura, Tomohiro; Ito, Yoshimasa; Minami, Takeshi; Hirunuma, Rieko; Enomoto, Shuichi

2001-01-01

The uptake of trace elements in the lens was compared in adult and suckling rat lenses. Multitracers, including 15 trace elements, As, Be, Co, Fe, Mn, Rb, Rh, Ru, Sc, Se, Sr, Y, V, Zn, and Zr, were incubated with the lenses for 4 hr and their concentrations in the lens were measured. A high uptake rate of Zn was observed in the lenses of both adult and suckling rats in comparison with those of the other elements, and the Zn concentration in the lens of suckling rats was higher than that of adult rats. The uptake rate of Sr was higher in adult rats than in suckling rats. On the other contrary, Rb and Se concentrations in the lens were higher in suckling rats than in adult rats. The present study suggests that the different mechanisms depending on development serve to transport trace elements into the lens. (author)

Uptake of Zn/sup + +/ and aflatoxin from perlite and liquid culture by Zea mays seedlings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Llewellyn, G C; Reynolds, J D; Hurst, L [Virginia Commonwealth Univ., Richmond (USA). Dept. of Biology; Vance, R A; Dashek, W V [West Virginia Univ., Morgantown (USA). Dept. of Biology

1982-01-01

The present paper reports our attempts to determine whether in inclusion of 0.0014 mM Zn/sup + +/ within a hydroponic culture medium affects the ability of 12-day-old Zea mays, cv. 'SS-522' to take-up (/sup 3/H)-aflatoxin B/sub 1/. Data from the corollary experiment., i.e., whether inclusion of aflatoxin affects the ability of Zea mays, cvs. 'Truckers White', 'X-Sweet' and 'Merit' to take-up /sup 65/ZnCl/sub 2/ are presented also. This report is a preliminary to one regarding an in-progress analysis of whether pollutant levels of Zn/sup + +/ affect aflatoxin uptake and distribution. In the absence of irrigating seedlings, which were grown in Perlite containing /sup 65/ZnCl/sub 2/, with a solution containing mixed aflatoxins, the stem contained the greatest amount of label with root plus seed the next highest and the leaf the least for each of the cvs. In contrast, when the seedlings were irrigated with a solution containing mixed aflatoxins, the root plus seed contained either an amount nearly identical to (cv. 'Truckers White') or in excess of that within the stem (cvs. 'X-Sweet' and 'Merit'). Calculation of the percentages of aflatoxin-induced diminutions in leaf, stem and root label suggested that the aflatoxins interfered with the translocation of /sup 65/ZnCl/sub 2/ from the root to the stem and leaf, at least for cvs 'X-Sweet' and 'Merit'.

Radiosynthesis and Evaluation of [(11)C]3-Hydroxycyclopent-1-enecarboxylic Acid as Potential PET Ligand for the High-Affinity γ-Hydroxybutyric Acid Binding Sites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Claus H; Hansen, Hanne D; Bay, Tina

2017-01-01

understanding of this population of binding sites. With its high specific affinity and monocarboxylate transporter (MCT1) mediated transport across the blood-brain barrier in pharmacological doses, 3-hydroxycyclopent-1-enecarboxylic acid (HOCPCA) seems like a suitable PET radiotracer candidate. Here, we report...... autoradiography on sections of pig brain was performed using [(3)H]HOCPCA. In vivo evaluation of [(11)C]HOCPCA showed no brain uptake, possibly due to a limited uptake of HOCPCA by the MCT1 transporter at tracer doses of [(11)C]HOCPCA....

Effects of polyamine inhibitors on zinc uptake by COMMA-1D mammary epithelial cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allen, J.C.; Haedrich, L.H. (North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh (United States))

1991-03-15

Zn uptake or transport is stimulated by glucocorticoids in many types of epithelial cells, including the COMMA-1D mouse mammary cell line. The current objective was to determine whether polyamines also mediate glucocorticoid stimulation of Zn-uptake. Initially, cells grown in lactogenic hormone supplemented-media had approximately 65% greater {sup 65}Zn-uptake over 24 h than cells in nonsupplemented growth media (GM). {sup 65}Zn-uptake from HM with 10{sup {minus}5}M methylglyoxal-bis(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG) (s-adenosyl-methionine decarboxylase inhibitor to block polyamine synthesis) added was less than from GM. Exogenous spermidine added to the MGBG-HM media increased {sup 65}Zn-uptake. However, up to 10mM difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), a more specific inhibitor of sperimidine synthesis, had no significant effect on 24-h {sup 65}Zn-uptake by cells in HM. In GM, DFMO caused a slight dose-dependent decrease in {sup 65}Zn-uptake over the range 10{sup {minus}6} to 5 {times} 10{sup 3}M. Also, with 8 h of incubation, DFMO tended to decrease {sup 65}Zn-uptake in HM-stimulated cells. These data cannot yet distinguish between the possibilities that DFMO is inactivated during the 24-h incubation or that the dramatic effects of MGBG on {sup 65}Zn-uptake in these mammary-derived cells is not related to its inhibition of polyamine synthesis. Because COMMA-1D cells alter Zn uptake in response to lactogenic hormones and MGBG, the model system is suitable for further studies of the mechanisms of zinc transport in epithelia.

In vitro characterization of cadmium and zinc uptake via the gastro-intestinal tract of the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): Interactive effects and the influence of calcium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ojo, Adeola A.; Wood, Chris M.

2008-01-01

An in vitro gut sac technique was employed to study whether Cd and Zn uptake mechanisms in the gastro-intestinal tract of the rainbow trout are similar to those at the gills, where both metals are taken up via the Ca transport pathway. Metal accumulation in surface mucus, in the mucosal epithelium, and transport into the blood space were assayed using radiolabelled Cd or Zn concentrations of 50 μmol L -1 in the luminal (internal) saline. Elevated luminal Ca (10 or 100 mmol L -1 versus 1 mmol L -1 ) reduced Cd uptake into all three phases by approximately 60% in the stomach, but had no effect in the anterior, mid, or posterior intestine. This finding is in accordance with recent in vivo evidence that Ca is taken up mainly via the stomach, and that high [Ca] diets inhibit Cd accumulation from the food specifically in this section of the tract. In contrast, 10 mmol L -1 luminal Ca had no effect on Zn transport in any section, whereas 100 mmol L -1 Ca stimulated Zn uptake, by approximately threefold, into all three phases in the stomach only. There was no influence of elevated luminal Zn (10 mmol L -1 ) on Cd uptake in the stomach or anterior intestine, or of high Cd (10 mmol L -1 ) on Zn uptake in these sections. However, high [Zn] stimulated Cd transport into the blood space but inhibited accumulation in the mucosal epithelium and/or mucus-binding in the mid and posterior intestine, whereas high [Cd] exerted a reciprocal effect in the mid-intestine only. We conclude that Cd uptake occurs via an important Ca-sensitive mechanism in the stomach which is different from that at the gills, while Cd transport mechanisms in the intestine are not directly Ca-sensitive. Zn uptake does not appear to involve Ca uptake pathways, in contrast to the gills. These results are discussed in the context of other possible Cd and Zn transport pathways, and the emerging role of the stomach as an organ of divalent metal uptake

Znu is the predominant zinc importer in Yersinia pestis during in vitro growth but is not essential for virulence.

Science.gov (United States)

Desrosiers, Daniel C; Bearden, Scott W; Mier, Ildefonso; Abney, Jennifer; Paulley, James T; Fetherston, Jacqueline D; Salazar, Juan C; Radolf, Justin D; Perry, Robert D

2010-12-01

Little is known about Zn homeostasis in Yersinia pestis, the plague bacillus. The Znu ABC transporter is essential for zinc (Zn) uptake and virulence in a number of bacterial pathogens. Bioinformatics analysis identified ZnuABC as the only apparent high-affinity Zn uptake system in Y. pestis. Mutation of znuACB caused a growth defect in Chelex-100-treated PMH2 growth medium, which was alleviated by supplementation with submicromolar concentrations of Zn. Use of transcriptional reporters confirmed that Zur mediated Zn-dependent repression and that it can repress gene expression in response to Zn even in the absence of Znu. Virulence testing in mouse models of bubonic and pneumonic plague found only a modest increase in survival in low-dose infections by the znuACB mutant. Previous studies of cluster 9 (C9) transporters suggested that Yfe, a well-characterized C9 importer for manganese (Mn) and iron in Y. pestis, might function as a second, high-affinity Zn uptake system. Isothermal titration calorimetry revealed that YfeA, the solute-binding protein component of Yfe, binds Mn and Zn with comparably high affinities (dissociation constants of 17.8 ± 4.4 nM and 6.6 ± 1.2 nM, respectively), although the complete Yfe transporter could not compensate for the loss of Znu in in vitro growth studies. Unexpectedly, overexpression of Yfe interfered with the znu mutant's ability to grow in low concentrations of Zn, while excess Zn interfered with the ability of Yfe to import iron at low concentrations; these results suggest that YfeA can bind Zn in the bacterial cell but that Yfe is incompetent for transport of the metal. In addition to Yfe, we have now eliminated MntH, FetMP, Efe, Feo, a substrate-binding protein, and a putative nickel transporter as the unidentified, secondary Zn transporter in Y. pestis. Unlike other bacterial pathogens, Y. pestis does not require Znu for high-level infectivity and virulence; instead, it appears to possess a novel class of transporter

Insights from the Fungus Fusarium oxysporum Point to High Affinity Glucose Transporters as Targets for Enhancing Ethanol Production from Lignocellulose

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Shahin S.; Nugent, Brian; Mullins, Ewen; Doohan, Fiona M.

2013-01-01

Ethanol is the most-widely used biofuel in the world today. Lignocellulosic plant biomass derived from agricultural residue can be converted to ethanol via microbial bioprocessing. Fungi such as Fusarium oxysporum can simultaneously saccharify straw to sugars and ferment sugars to ethanol. But there are many bottlenecks that need to be overcome to increase the efficacy of microbial production of ethanol from straw, not least enhancement of the rate of fermentation of both hexose and pentose sugars. This research tested the hypothesis that the rate of sugar uptake by F. oxysporum would enhance the ethanol yields from lignocellulosic straw and that high affinity glucose transporters can enhance ethanol yields from this substrate. We characterized a novel hexose transporter (Hxt) from this fungus. The F. oxysporum Hxt represents a novel transporter with homology to yeast glucose signaling/transporter proteins Rgt2 and Snf3, but it lacks their C-terminal domain which is necessary for glucose signalling. Its expression level decreased with increasing glucose concentration in the medium and in a glucose uptake study the Km(glucose) was 0.9 mM, which indicated that the protein is a high affinity glucose transporter. Post-translational gene silencing or over expression of the Hxt in F. oxysporum directly affected the glucose and xylose transport capacity and ethanol yielded by F. oxysporum from straw, glucose and xylose. Thus we conclude that this Hxt has the capacity to transport both C5 and C6 sugars and to enhance ethanol yields from lignocellulosic material. This study has confirmed that high affinity glucose transporters are ideal candidates for improving ethanol yields from lignocellulose because their activity and level of expression is high in low glucose concentrations, which is very common during the process of consolidated processing. PMID:23382943

Insights from the fungus Fusarium oxysporum point to high affinity glucose transporters as targets for enhancing ethanol production from lignocellulose.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shahin S Ali

Full Text Available Ethanol is the most-widely used biofuel in the world today. Lignocellulosic plant biomass derived from agricultural residue can be converted to ethanol via microbial bioprocessing. Fungi such as Fusarium oxysporum can simultaneously saccharify straw to sugars and ferment sugars to ethanol. But there are many bottlenecks that need to be overcome to increase the efficacy of microbial production of ethanol from straw, not least enhancement of the rate of fermentation of both hexose and pentose sugars. This research tested the hypothesis that the rate of sugar uptake by F. oxysporum would enhance the ethanol yields from lignocellulosic straw and that high affinity glucose transporters can enhance ethanol yields from this substrate. We characterized a novel hexose transporter (Hxt from this fungus. The F. oxysporum Hxt represents a novel transporter with homology to yeast glucose signaling/transporter proteins Rgt2 and Snf3, but it lacks their C-terminal domain which is necessary for glucose signalling. Its expression level decreased with increasing glucose concentration in the medium and in a glucose uptake study the Km((glucose was 0.9 mM, which indicated that the protein is a high affinity glucose transporter. Post-translational gene silencing or over expression of the Hxt in F. oxysporum directly affected the glucose and xylose transport capacity and ethanol yielded by F. oxysporum from straw, glucose and xylose. Thus we conclude that this Hxt has the capacity to transport both C5 and C6 sugars and to enhance ethanol yields from lignocellulosic material. This study has confirmed that high affinity glucose transporters are ideal candidates for improving ethanol yields from lignocellulose because their activity and level of expression is high in low glucose concentrations, which is very common during the process of consolidated processing.

Synthesis and pre-clinical evaluation of a new class of high-affinity "1"8F-labeled PSMA ligands for detection of prostate cancer by PET imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelly, James; Amor-Coarasa, Alejandro; Williams, Clarence; Ponnala, Shashikanth; Nikolopoulou, Anastasia; Kim, Dohyun; Babich, John W.

2017-01-01

Current clinical imaging of PSMA-positive prostate cancer by positron emission tomography (PET) mainly features "6"8Ga-labeled tracers, notably ["6"8Ga]Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC. The longer half-life of fluorine-18 offers significant advantages over Ga-68, clinically and logistically. We aimed to develop high-affinity PSMA inhibitors labeled with fluorine-18 as alternative tracers for prostate cancer. Six triazolylphenyl ureas and their alkyne precursors were synthesized from the Glu-urea-Lys PSMA binding moiety. PSMA affinity was determined in a competitive binding assay using LNCaP cells. The ["1"8F]triazoles were isolated following a Cu(I)-catalyzed click reaction between the alkynes and ["1"8F]fluoroethylazide. The "1"8F-labeled compounds were evaluated in nude mice bearing LNCaP tumors and compared to ["6"8Ga]Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC and ["1"8F]DCFPyL. Biodistribution studies of the two tracers with the highest imaged-derived tumor uptake and highest PSMA affinity were undertaken at 1 h, 2 h and 4 h post-injection (p.i.), and co-administration of PMPA was used to determine whether uptake was PSMA-specific. F-18-labeled triazolylphenyl ureas were prepared with a decay-corrected RCY of 20-40 %, >98 % radiochemical and chemical purity, and specific activity of up to 391 GBq/μmol. PSMA binding (IC_5_0) ranged from 3-36 nM. The position of the triazole influenced tumor uptake (3 > 4 > 2), and direct conjugation of the triazole with the phenylurea moiety was preferred to insertion of a spacer group. Image-derived tumor uptake ranged from 6-14 %ID/g at 2 h p.i., the time of maximum tumor uptake; uptake of ["6"8Ga]Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC and ["1"8F]DCFPyL was 5-6 %ID/g at 1-3 h p.i., the time of maximum tumor uptake. Biodistribution studies of the two most promising compounds gave maximum tumor uptakes of 10.9 ± 1.0 % and 14.3 ± 2.5 %ID/g, respectively, as compared to 6.27 ± 1.44 %ID/g for ["6"8Ga]Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC. Six ["1"8F]triazolylphenyl ureas were prepared in good radiochemical yield

Synthesis and pre-clinical evaluation of a new class of high-affinity {sup 18}F-labeled PSMA ligands for detection of prostate cancer by PET imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kelly, James; Amor-Coarasa, Alejandro; Williams, Clarence; Ponnala, Shashikanth [Weill Cornell Medicine, Division of Radiopharmaceutical Sciences and Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States); Nikolopoulou, Anastasia [Weill Cornell Medicine, Division of Radiopharmaceutical Sciences and Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States); Weill Cornell Medicine, Citigroup Biomedical Imaging Center, New York, NY (United States); Kim, Dohyun [Weill Cornell Medicine, Citigroup Biomedical Imaging Center, New York, NY (United States); Babich, John W. [Weill Cornell Medicine, Division of Radiopharmaceutical Sciences and Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States); Weill Cornell Medicine, Citigroup Biomedical Imaging Center, New York, NY (United States); Weill Cornell Medicine, Meyer Cancer Center, New York, NY (United States)

2017-04-15

Current clinical imaging of PSMA-positive prostate cancer by positron emission tomography (PET) mainly features {sup 68}Ga-labeled tracers, notably [{sup 68}Ga]Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC. The longer half-life of fluorine-18 offers significant advantages over Ga-68, clinically and logistically. We aimed to develop high-affinity PSMA inhibitors labeled with fluorine-18 as alternative tracers for prostate cancer. Six triazolylphenyl ureas and their alkyne precursors were synthesized from the Glu-urea-Lys PSMA binding moiety. PSMA affinity was determined in a competitive binding assay using LNCaP cells. The [{sup 18}F]triazoles were isolated following a Cu(I)-catalyzed click reaction between the alkynes and [{sup 18}F]fluoroethylazide. The {sup 18}F-labeled compounds were evaluated in nude mice bearing LNCaP tumors and compared to [{sup 68}Ga]Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC and [{sup 18}F]DCFPyL. Biodistribution studies of the two tracers with the highest imaged-derived tumor uptake and highest PSMA affinity were undertaken at 1 h, 2 h and 4 h post-injection (p.i.), and co-administration of PMPA was used to determine whether uptake was PSMA-specific. F-18-labeled triazolylphenyl ureas were prepared with a decay-corrected RCY of 20-40 %, >98 % radiochemical and chemical purity, and specific activity of up to 391 GBq/μmol. PSMA binding (IC{sub 50}) ranged from 3-36 nM. The position of the triazole influenced tumor uptake (3 > 4 > 2), and direct conjugation of the triazole with the phenylurea moiety was preferred to insertion of a spacer group. Image-derived tumor uptake ranged from 6-14 %ID/g at 2 h p.i., the time of maximum tumor uptake; uptake of [{sup 68}Ga]Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC and [{sup 18}F]DCFPyL was 5-6 %ID/g at 1-3 h p.i., the time of maximum tumor uptake. Biodistribution studies of the two most promising compounds gave maximum tumor uptakes of 10.9 ± 1.0 % and 14.3 ± 2.5 %ID/g, respectively, as compared to 6.27 ± 1.44 %ID/g for [{sup 68}Ga]Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC. Six [{sup 18}F

Trace element affinities in two high-Ge coals from China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jing Li; Xinguo Zhuang; Xavier Querol [China University of Geosciences, Wuhan (China). Faculty of Earth Resources

2011-01-15

The Lincang (Yunnan Province, Southwest China) and Wulantuga (Inner Mongolia, Northeast China) coal deposits are known because of the high-Ge content. These coals have also a high concentration of a number of other elements. To determine the mode of occurrence of the enriched elements in both coals, six density fractions from {lt} 1.43 to {gt} 2.8 g/cm{sup 3} were obtained from two representative samples using heavy-liquids. A number of peculiar geochemical patterns characterize these high-Ge coals. Thus, the results of the chemical analysis of these density fractions showed that both coals (very distant and of a different geological age) are highly enriched (compared with the usual worldwide coal concentration ranges) in Ge, As, Sb, W, Be, and Tl. This may be due to similar geochemistry of hydrothermal fluids influencing the Earth Crust in these regions of China. Moreover, Wulantuga coal (Early Cretaceous subbituminous coal) is also enriched in Ca, Mg, and Na, and Lincang coal (Neogene subbituminous coal) in K, Rb, Nb, Mo, Sn, Cs, and U. A group of elements consisting of Ge, W, B, Nb, and Sb mostly occur with an organic affinity in both coals. Additionally, Be, U, and Mo (and partially Mn and Zn) in Lincang, and Na and Mg in Wulantuga occur also with a major organic affinity. Both coals have sulfide-arsenide mineral assemblages (Fe, S, As, Sn, and Pb, and in addition to Tl, Ta, and Cs in the Lincang coal). The occurrence of Al, P, Li, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, and Zr in both coals, and Ba in Lincang, are associated with the mineral assemblage of silico-aluminates and minor heavy minerals. Furthermore, P, Na, Li, Sc, Ti, Ga, Rb, Zr, Cr, Ba, Th, and LREE (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, and Gd) in Lincang are associated with mineral assemblages of phosphates and minor heavy minerals. The two later mineral assemblages are derived from the occurrence of detrital minerals. 34 refs., 7 figs., 3 tabs.

[14C]-Sucrose uptake by guard cell protoplasts of pisum sativum, argenteum mutant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rohrig, K.; Raschke, K.

1991-01-01

Guard cells rely on import for their supply with reduced carbon. The authors tested by silicone oil centrifugation the ability of guard cell protoplasts to accumulated [ 14 C]-sucrose. Uptake rates were corrected after measurement of 14 C-sorbitol and 3 H 2 O spaces. Sucrose uptake followed biphasic kinetics, with a high-affinity component below 1 mM external sucrose (apparent K m 0.8 mM at 25C) and a low-affinity nonsaturable component above. Uptake depended on pH (optimum at pH 5.0). Variations in the concentrations of external KCl, CCCP, and valinomycin indicated that about one-half of the sucrose uptake rate could be related to an electrochemical gradient across the plasmalemma. Total uptake rates measured at 5 mM external sucrose seem to be sufficient to replenish emptied plastids with starch within a few hours

Synthesis and characterization of [{sup 76}Br]-labeled high-affinity A{sub 3} adenosine receptor ligands for positron emission tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kiesewetter, Dale O. [Positron Emission Tomography Radiochemistry Group, NIBIB, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892 (United States)], E-mail: dk7k@nih.gov; Lang Lixin; Ma Ying; Bhattacharjee, Abesh Kumar [Positron Emission Tomography Radiochemistry Group, NIBIB, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892 (United States); Gao, Zhan-Guo; Joshi, Bhalchandra V.; Melman, Artem; Castro, Sonia de; Jacobson, Kenneth A. [Molecular Recognition Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892 (United States)

2009-01-15

Introduction: Bromine-76-radiolabeled analogues of previously reported high-affinity A{sub 3} adenosine receptor (A{sub 3}AR) nucleoside ligands have been prepared as potential radiotracers for positron emission tomography. Methods: The radiosyntheses were accomplished by oxidative radiobromination on the N{sup 6}-benzyl moiety of trimethyltin precursors. Biodistribution studies of the kinetics of uptake were conducted in awake rats. Results: We prepared an agonist ligand {l_brace}[{sup 76}Br](1'S,2'R,3'S,4'R,5'S)-4'-{l_brace}2-chloro-6-[(3-bromophenylmethyl)amino] purin-9-yl{r_brace}-1'-(methylaminocarbonyl)bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane-2',3'-diol (MRS3581){r_brace} in 59% radiochemical yield with a specific activity of 19.5 GBq/{mu}mol and an antagonist ligand {l_brace}[{sup 76}Br](1'R,2'R,3'S,4'R,5'S)-4'-(6-(3-bromobenzylamino) -2-chloro-9H-purin-9-yl)bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane-2',3'-diol (MRS5147){r_brace} in 65% radiochemical yield with a specific activity of 22 GBq/{mu}mol. The resultant products exhibited the expected high affinity (K{sub i}{approx}0.6 nM) and specific binding at the human A{sub 3}AR in vitro. Biodistribution studies in the rat showed uptake in the organs of excretion and metabolism. The antagonist MRS5147 exhibited increasing uptake in testes, an organ that contains significant quantities of A{sub 3}AR, over a 2-h time course, which suggests the presence of a specific A{sub 3}AR retention mechanism. Conclusion: We were able to compare uptake of the [{sup 76}Br]-labeled antagonist MRS5147 to [{sup 76}Br]agonist MRS3581. The antagonist MRS5147 shows increasing uptake in the testes, an A{sub 3}AR-rich tissue, suggesting that this ligand may have promise as a molecular imaging agent.

Effect of tumour mass animal gender on specific uptake of [99Tc] pertechnetate in the EMT6 tumor in mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maddalena, D.J.; Snowdon, G.M.

1990-01-01

The effects of tumour mass and animal gender on tumour uptake of [ 99m Tc] pertechnetate were examined in balb/c mice bearing an EMT-6 tumour showing high affinity for pertechnetate. The injected dose per gram found in the tumours appears to be inversely related to the tumour mass with good correlation suggesting a high specific uptake. The tumours grown in female mice had greater uptakes and rates of uptake than those grown in the male mice. Studies carried out in animals treated with perchlorate to block active anion transport showed low pertechnetate uptake into the tumours suggesting that the high affinity of 99m TcO 4 - for the tumour was due to a specific 99m TcO 4 - transport mechanism. 15 refs., 3 tabs., 3 figs

Uptake of three [3H]progestins by target tissues in vivo: implications for the design of diagnostic imaging agents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlson, K.E.; Brandes, S.J.; Pomper, M.G.; Katzenellenbogen, J.A.

1988-01-01

We have investigated the tissue distribution of radioactivity for 0.5-4 h following the i.v. injection of three tritium-labeled progestins in estrogen-primed, immature rats. Whereas [ 3 H]progesterone shows minimal uterine uptake ( 3 H]R 5020 (promegestrone) and [ 3 H]ORG 2058 show highly selective uptake that reaches 4-5% ID/g by 1-3 h. The uterus to non-target tissue activity ratio at 2-4 h is approximately 12-20 for R 5020 and ORG 2058, but less than 2 for progesterone; the uterus to blood activity ratio for R 5020 is also high (approximately 15), but is lower for ORG 2058, possibly due to the accumulation of radiolabeled metabolites in the blood. The uterine uptake is selectively blocked by simultaneous injection of a large dose of unlabeled steroid, indicating that the uptake is mediated by a high affinity, low capacity binding system, presumably the progesterone receptor. Pronounced uptake is also observed by the liver and into fat, but is not receptor-mediated. The highly selective target tissue uptake by the two synthetic steroids, but not by progesterone, indicates that one must have ligands with sufficiently high affinity for the target tissue receptor, as well as low affinity for certain non-receptor binding proteins, in order to obtain adequate contrast between target and non-target tissues in dynamic uptake studies. These guidelines will be important in the development of suitable in vivo imaging agents based on the progesterone receptor. (author)

Gastrointestinal uptake of cadmium and zinc by a marine teleost Acanthopagrus schlegeli

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Li; Wang Wenxiong

2007-01-01

Gastrointestinal metal uptake represents a potential route for metal bioaccumulation in marine fish. Drinking of seawater for osmoregulation causes constant waterborne exposure of the gastrointestinal tract. Tissue specific Cd and Zn accumulation and distribution were investigated in juvenile black sea bream (Acanthopagrus schlegeli) exposed to waterborne Cd (5.7 nM) and Zn (2.6 nM) for 4 h-7 days. The intestine accumulated a large portion of the Cd (43-58%) and Zn (18-28%), and had the highest Cd (>1.0 nmol g -1 ) and Zn (>1.8 nmol g -1 ) concentrations of all body fractions, suggesting that the intestines were the major uptake sites for these waterborne metals. Among all the segments of the gastrointestinal tract, the anterior intestine played the most important role in Cd and Zn uptake. A gastrointestinal injection assay was conducted to distinguish waterborne metal uptake by the intestines and the gills. The intestine contained over 90% of the Cd in the body after depuration for 3-7 days, suggesting that little waterborne Cd entered the rest of the body through the intestine, and that Cd may exert its toxic effects on the gastrointestinal system. In contrast, intestine retained less than 20% of the total Zn after depuration, suggesting that Zn tended to be transported from the intestine to the internal tissues via the cardiovascular system. The uptake kinetics of waterborne Cd and Zn by the intestines and the gills were determined as a first-order and saturated pattern, respectively, over a wide range of ambient metal concentrations (6.2 nM-4.5 μM for Cd, and 13 nM-15 μM for Zn). An in vitro intestinal perfusion assay investigated the effects of intestinal metal composition and drinking rate on uptake. The presence of EDTA significantly reduced intestinal Zn uptake to 11%, while cysteine improved it by 59%. The intestinal Cd and Zn uptake rates were unaffected by the perfusion rate

Dissolution of different zinc salts and zn uptake by Sedum alfredii and maize in mono- and co-cropping under hydroponic culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Cheng'ai; Wu, Qitang; Zeng, Shucai; Chen, Xian; Wei, Zebin; Long, Xinxian

2013-09-01

Previous soil pot and field experiments demonstrated that co-cropping the hyperaccumulator Sedum alfredii with maize increased Zn phytoextraction by S. alfredii and decreased Zn uptake by maize shoots. This hydroponic experiment was conducted to investigate whether the facilitation of Zn phytoextraction by S. alfredii resulted from improved dissolution in this co-cropping system and its relation to root exudates. S. alfredii and maize were mono- and co-cropped (without a root barrier) in nutrient solution spiked with four Zn compounds, ZnS, ZnO, Zn3(PO4)2 and 5ZnO x 2CO3-4H2O (represented as ZnCO3) at 1000 mg/L Zn for 15 days without renewal of nutrient solution after pre-culture. The root exudates were collected under incomplete sterilization and analyzed. The results indicated that the difference in Zn salts had a greater influence on the Zn concentration in maize than for S. alfredii, varying from 210-2603 mg/kg for maize shoots and 6445-12476 mg/kg for S. alfredii in the same order: ZnCO3 > ZnO > Zn3(PO4)2 > ZnS. For the four kinds of Zn sources in this experiment, co-cropping with maize did not improve Zn phytoextraction by S. alfredii. In most cases, compared to co-cropped and mono-cropped maize, mono-cropped S. alfredii resulted in the highest Zn2+ concentration in the remaining nutrient solution, and also had a higher total concentration of low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOA) and lower pH of root exudation. Root exudates did partly influence Zn hyperaccumulation in S. alfredii.

In vitro characterization of cadmium and zinc uptake via the gastro-intestinal tract of the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): Interactive effects and the influence of calcium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ojo, Adeola A. [Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1 (Canada)], E-mail: adeolaojo25@yahoo.com; Wood, Chris M. [Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1 (Canada)], E-mail: woodcm@mcmaster.ca

2008-08-11

An in vitro gut sac technique was employed to study whether Cd and Zn uptake mechanisms in the gastro-intestinal tract of the rainbow trout are similar to those at the gills, where both metals are taken up via the Ca transport pathway. Metal accumulation in surface mucus, in the mucosal epithelium, and transport into the blood space were assayed using radiolabelled Cd or Zn concentrations of 50 {mu}mol L{sup -1} in the luminal (internal) saline. Elevated luminal Ca (10 or 100 mmol L{sup -1}versus 1 mmol L{sup -1}) reduced Cd uptake into all three phases by approximately 60% in the stomach, but had no effect in the anterior, mid, or posterior intestine. This finding is in accordance with recent in vivo evidence that Ca is taken up mainly via the stomach, and that high [Ca] diets inhibit Cd accumulation from the food specifically in this section of the tract. In contrast, 10 mmol L{sup -1} luminal Ca had no effect on Zn transport in any section, whereas 100 mmol L{sup -1} Ca stimulated Zn uptake, by approximately threefold, into all three phases in the stomach only. There was no influence of elevated luminal Zn (10 mmol L{sup -1}) on Cd uptake in the stomach or anterior intestine, or of high Cd (10 mmol L{sup -1}) on Zn uptake in these sections. However, high [Zn] stimulated Cd transport into the blood space but inhibited accumulation in the mucosal epithelium and/or mucus-binding in the mid and posterior intestine, whereas high [Cd] exerted a reciprocal effect in the mid-intestine only. We conclude that Cd uptake occurs via an important Ca-sensitive mechanism in the stomach which is different from that at the gills, while Cd transport mechanisms in the intestine are not directly Ca-sensitive. Zn uptake does not appear to involve Ca uptake pathways, in contrast to the gills. These results are discussed in the context of other possible Cd and Zn transport pathways, and the emerging role of the stomach as an organ of divalent metal uptake.

Active uptake of substance P carboxy-terminal heptapeptide (5-11) into rat brain and rabbit spinal cord slices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakata, Y; Kusaka, Y; Yajima, H; Segawa, T

1981-12-01

We previously reported that nerve terminals and glial cells lack an active uptake system capable of terminating transmitter action of substance P (SP). In the present study, we demonstrated the existence of an active uptake system for SP carboxy-terminal heptapeptide, (5-11)SP. When the slices from either rat brain or rabbit spinal cord were incubated with (3H)(5-11)SP, the uptake of (5-11)SP into slices was observed. The uptake system has the properties of an active transport mechanism: it is dependent on temperature and sensitive to hypoosmotic treatment and is inhibited by ouabain and dinitrophenol (DNP). In the brain, (5-11)SP was accumulated by means of a high-affinity and a low-affinity uptake system. The Km and the Vmax values for the high-affinity system were 4.20 x 10(-8) M and 7.59 fmol/10 mg wet weight/min, respectively, whereas these values for the low-affinity system were 1.00 x 10(-6) M and 100 fmol/10 mg wet weight/min, respectively. In the spinal cord, there was only one uptake system, with a Km value of 2.16 x 10(-7) M and Vmax value of 26.2 fmol/10 mg wet weight/min. These results suggest that when SP is released from nerve terminals, it is hydrolysed into (5-11)SP before or after acting as a neurotransmitter, which is in turn accumulated into nerve terminals. Therefore, the uptake system may represent a possible mechanism for the inactivation of SP.

Human copper transporter 2 is localized in late endosomes and lysosomes and facilitates cellular copper uptake

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berghe, van den P.V.E; Folmer, D.E.; Malingré, H.E.M.; Beurden, van E.; Klomp, A.E.M.; Sluis, van de B.; Merkx, M.; Berger, R.J.; Klomp, L.W.J.

2007-01-01

High-affinity cellular copper uptake is mediated by the CTR (copper transporter) 1 family of proteins. The highly homologous hCTR (human CTR) 2 protein has been identified, but its function in copper uptake is currently unknown. To characterize the role of hCTR2 in copper homoeostasis,

High-Affinity Methanotrophy Informed by Genome-Wide Analysis of Upland Soil Cluster Alpha (USCα) from Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian High Arctic

Science.gov (United States)

Rusley, C.; Onstott, T. C.; Lau, M.

2017-12-01

Methane (CH4) is a potent greenhouse gas whose proper budgeting is vital to climate predictions. Recent studies have identified upland Arctic mineral cryosols as consistent CH4 sinks, drawing CH4 from both the atmosphere and underlying anaerobic soil layers. Global atmospheric CH4 uptake is proposed to be mediated by high-affinity methanotrophs based on the detection of the marker gene pmoA (particulate methane monooxygenase beta subunit). However, a lack of pure cultures and scarcity of genomic information have hindered our understanding of their metabolic capabilities and versatility. Together with the missing genetic linkage between its pmoA and 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene, the factors that control the distribution and magnitude of high-affinity methanotrophy in the Arctic permafrost-affected region have remained elusive. Using 21 metagenomic datasets of surface soils obtained from long-term core incubation experiments,1 this bioinformatics study aimed to reconstruct the draft genome of the Upland Soil Cluster α-proteobacteria (USCα), the high-affinity methanotroph previously detected in the samples,2 and to determine its phylogeny and metabolic requirements. We obtained a genome bin containing the high-affinity form of the USCα-like pmoA gene. The 3.03 Mbp assembly is 91.6% complete with a unique set of single-copy marker genes. The 16S rRNA gene fragment of USCα belongs to the α-proteobacterial family Beijerinckiaceae. Genome annotation indicates possible formaldehyde oxidation via tetrahydromethanopterin-linked C1 transfer pathways, acetate utilization, carbon fixation via the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle, and glycogen production. Notably, the key enzymes for formaldehyde assimilation via the serine and ribulose monophosphate pathways are missing. The presence of genes encoding nitrate reductase and hemoglobin suggests adaptation to low O2 under water-logged conditions. Since USCα has versatile carbon metabolisms, it may not be an obligate methanotroph

Description of two-metal biosorption equilibria by Langmuir-type models.

Science.gov (United States)

Chong, K H; Volesky, B

1995-08-20

A biosorbent prepared from Ascophyllum nodosum seaweed biomass, FCAN2, was examined for its sorption capacity. Equilibrium batch sorption studies were performed using two-matal systems containing either (Cu + Zn), (Cu + Cd), or (Zn + Cd). In the evaluation of the two-metal sorption system performance, simple isotherm curves had to be replaced by three-dimensional sorption isotherm surfaces. In order to describe the isotherm surfaces mathematically, three Langmuir-type models were evaluated. The apparent one-parameter Langmuir constant (b) was used to quantify FCAN2 "affinity" for one metal in the presence of another one. The uptake of Zn decreased drastically when Cu or Cd were present. The uptake of Cd wasmuch more sensitive to the presence of Cu than to that of Zn. The presence of Cd and Zn alter the "affinity" of FCAN2 for Cu the least at high Cu equilibrium concentrations. The mathematical model of the two-metal sorption system enabled quantitative estimation of one-metal (bio)sorption inhibition due to the influence of a second metal. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Investigating uptake of water-dispersible CdSe/ZnS quantum dot nanoparticles by Arabidopsis thaliana plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Navarro, Divina A.; Bisson, Mary A.; Aga, Diana S.

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: This study highlights the importance of quantum dot (QD) structural stability in preventing phytotoxicity. Overall, there is no evidence that Arabidopsis thaliana plants can internalize intact QDs within 1–7 days of exposure, with or without humic acids. Highlights: ► Potential uptake of water-dispersible CdSe/ZnS QDs by Arabidopsis was demonstrated. ► QDs were not internalized by Arabidopsis as intact particles. ► Plants exposed to Cd-, Se-, and QD + HA suspensions experienced oxidative stress. ► An effective LC–MS method proves detection of low levels of glutathione in plants. ► Uptake of Cd and/or Se leached from QDs is of major concern. - Abstract: Interest on the environmental impacts of engineered nanomaterials has rapidly increased over the past years because it is expected that these materials will eventually be released into the environment. The present work investigates the potential root uptake of water-dispersible CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) by the model plant species, Arabidopsis thaliana. Experiments revealed that Arabidopsis exposed to QDs that are dispersed in Hoagland's solution for 1–7 days did not internalize intact QDs. Analysis of Cd and Se concentrations in roots and leaves by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry indicated that Cd and Se from QD-treated plants were not translocated into the leaves, and remained in the root system of Arabidopsis. Furthermore, fluorescence microscopy showed strong evidence that the QDs were generally on the outside surfaces of the roots, where the amount of QDs adsorbed is dependent on the stability of the QDs in suspension. Despite no evidence of nanoparticle internalization, the ratio of reduced glutathione levels (GSH) relative to the oxidized glutathione (GSSG) in plants decreased when plants were exposed to QD dispersions containing humic acids, suggesting that QDs caused oxidative stress on the plant at this condition.

pH-Dependent Toxicity of High Aspect Ratio ZnO Nanowires in Macrophages Due to Intracellular Dissolution

KAUST Repository

H. Müller, Karin

2010-11-23

High-aspect ratio ZnO nanowires have become one of the most promising products in the nanosciences within the past few years with a multitude of applications at the interface of optics and electronics. The interaction of zinc with cells and organisms is complex, with both deficiency and excess causing severe effects. The emerging significance of zinc for many cellular processes makes it imperative to investigate the biological safety of ZnO nanowires in order to guarantee their safe economic exploitation. In this study, ZnO nanowires were found to be toxic to human monocyte macrophages (HMMs) at similar concentrations as ZnCl2. Confocal microscopy on live cells confirmed a rise in intracellular Zn2+ concentrations prior to cell death. In vitro, ZnO nanowires dissolved very rapidly in a simulated body fluid of lysosomal pH, whereas they were comparatively stable at extracellular pH. Bright-field transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed a rapid macrophage uptake of ZnO nanowire aggregates by phagocytosis. Nanowire dissolution occurred within membrane-bound compartments, triggered by the acidic pH of the lysosomes. ZnO nanowire dissolution was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry. Deposition of electron-dense material throughout the ZnO nanowire structures observed by TEM could indicate adsorption of cellular components onto the wires or localized zinc-induced protein precipitation. Our study demonstrates that ZnO nanowire toxicity in HMMs is due to pH-triggered, intracellular release of ionic Zn2+ rather than the high-aspect nature of the wires. Cell death had features of necrosis as well as apoptosis, with mitochondria displaying severe structural changes. The implications of these findings for the application of ZnO nanowires are discussed. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

Diselenolane-mediated cellular uptake.

Science.gov (United States)

Chuard, Nicolas; Poblador-Bahamonde, Amalia I; Zong, Lili; Bartolami, Eline; Hildebrandt, Jana; Weigand, Wolfgang; Sakai, Naomi; Matile, Stefan

2018-02-21

The emerging power of thiol-mediated uptake with strained disulfides called for a move from sulfur to selenium. We report that according to results with fluorescent model substrates, cellular uptake with 1,2-diselenolanes exceeds uptake with 1,2-dithiolanes and epidithiodiketopiperazines with regard to efficiency as well as intracellular localization. The diselenide analog of lipoic acid performs best. This 1,2-diselenolane delivers fluorophores efficiently to the cytosol of HeLa Kyoto cells, without detectable endosomal capture as with 1,2-dithiolanes or dominant escape into the nucleus as with epidithiodiketopiperazines. Diselenolane-mediated cytosolic delivery is non-toxic (MTT assay), sensitive to temperature but insensitive to inhibitors of endocytosis (chlorpromazine, methyl-β-cyclodextrin, wortmannin, cytochalasin B) and conventional thiol-mediated uptake (Ellman's reagent), and to serum. Selenophilicity, the extreme CSeSeC dihedral angle of 0° and the high but different acidity of primary and secondary selenols might all contribute to uptake. Thiol-exchange affinity chromatography is introduced as operational mimic of thiol-mediated uptake that provides, in combination with rate enhancement of DTT oxidation, direct experimental evidence for existence and nature of the involved selenosulfides.

Synthesis of isotopically modified ZnO nanoparticles and their potential as nanotoxicity tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dybowska, Agnieszka D.; Croteau, Marie-Noele; Misra, Superb K.; Berhanu, Deborah; Luoma, Samuel N.; Christian, Paul; O'Brien, Paul; Valsami-Jones, Eugenia

2011-01-01

Understanding the behavior of engineered nanoparticles in the environment and within organisms is perhaps the biggest obstacle to the safe development of nanotechnologies. Reliable tracing is a particular issue for nanoparticles such as ZnO, because Zn is an essential element and a common pollutant thus present at elevated background concentrations. We synthesized isotopically enriched (89.6%) with a rare isotope of Zn ( 67 Zn) ZnO nanoparticles and measured the uptake of 67 Zn by L. stagnalis exposed to diatoms amended with the particles. Stable isotope technique is sufficiently sensitive to determine the uptake of Zn at an exposure equivalent to lower concentration range ( -1 ). Without a tracer, detection of newly accumulated Zn is significant at Zn exposure concentration only above 5000 μg g -1 which represents some of the most contaminated Zn conditions. Only by using a tracer we can study Zn uptake at a range of environmentally realistic exposure conditions. - ZnO nanoparticles with distinct isotopic composition can be tailor synthesized to be used as tracers of environmental fate and uptake by organisms.

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of new radiolabeled neurotensin(8-13) analogues with high affinity for NT1 receptors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garayoa, Elisa Garcia-; Allemann-Tannahill, Lesley; Blaeuenstein, Peter; Willmann, Martine; Carrel-Remy, Nathalie; Tourwe, Dirk; Iterbeke, Koen; Conrath, Peter; Schubiger, P. August

2001-01-01

The potential utility of neurotensin (NT) in cancer diagnosis and therapy is limited by its rapid degradation. New stabilized analogues were synthesized, labeled with [ 99m Tc] and screened in vitro and in vivo. High affinity and rapid internalization were obtained in binding assays. Despite their longer human plasma half-lives, a rapid degradation was observed with low concentrations as used in biodistribution tests. The tumor uptake rates were rather low but tumor/blood ratios increased according to the stability raise

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of new radiolabeled neurotensin(8-13) analogues with high affinity for NT1 receptors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garayoa, Elisa Garcia-; Allemann-Tannahill, Lesley; Blaeuenstein, Peter; Willmann, Martine; Carrel-Remy, Nathalie; Tourwe, Dirk; Iterbeke, Koen; Conrath, Peter; Schubiger, P. August E-mail: schubiger@psi.ch

2001-01-01

The potential utility of neurotensin (NT) in cancer diagnosis and therapy is limited by its rapid degradation. New stabilized analogues were synthesized, labeled with [{sup 99m}Tc] and screened in vitro and in vivo. High affinity and rapid internalization were obtained in binding assays. Despite their longer human plasma half-lives, a rapid degradation was observed with low concentrations as used in biodistribution tests. The tumor uptake rates were rather low but tumor/blood ratios increased according to the stability raise.

Quantifying high-affinity binding of hydrophobic ligands by isothermal titration calorimetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Krainer, Georg; Broecker, Jana; Vargas, Carolyn; Fanghänel, Jörg; Keller, Sandro

2012-12-18

A fast and reliable quantification of the binding thermodynamics of hydrophobic high-affinity ligands employing a new calorimetric competition experiment is described. Although isothermal titration calorimetry is the method of choice for a quantitative characterization of intermolecular interactions in solution, a reliable determination of a dissociation constant (K(D)) is typically limited to the range 100 μM > K(D) > 1 nM. Interactions displaying higher or lower K(D) values can be assessed indirectly, provided that a suitable competing ligand is available whose K(D) falls within the directly accessible affinity window. This established displacement assay, however, requires the high-affinity ligand to be soluble at high concentrations in aqueous buffer and, consequently, poses serious problems in the study of protein binding involving small-molecule ligands dissolved in organic solvents--a familiar case in many drug-discovery projects relying on compound libraries. The calorimetric competition assay introduced here overcomes this limitation, thus allowing for a detailed thermodynamic description of high-affinity receptor-ligand interactions involving poorly water-soluble compounds. Based on a single titration of receptor into a dilute mixture of the two competing ligands, this competition assay provides accurate and precise values for the dissociation constants and binding enthalpies of both high- and moderate-affinity ligands. We discuss the theoretical background underlying the approach, demonstrate its practical application to metal ion chelation and high-affinity protein-inhibitor interactions, and explore its potential and limitations with the aid of simulations and statistical analyses.

Kinetic analysis of zinc uptake and serosal transfer by vascularly perfused rat intestine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoadley, J.E.; Leinart, A.S.; Cousins, R.J.

1987-01-01

Transport kinetics were examined for uptake of 65 Zn from the lumen and for transport of mucosal 65 Zn subsequent to uptake in the isolated, vascularly perfused intestines of rats fed either a zinc-deficient or zinc-adequate diet. Zinc depletion influenced the intestinal transport of zinc by 1) stimulating a saturable uptake mechanisms, 2) reducing secretion of mucosal 65 Zn into the lumen, and 3) increasing the rate of 65 Zn turnover in a rapidly absorbed mucosal zinc compartment. Uptake of 65 Zn involved both saturable and nonsaturable processes. The saturable process was stimulated by zinc depletion with the apparent maximal transport rate for the saturable mechanism increasing from 60 to 180 nmol Zn x g -1 x 30 min -1 . Most of the 65 Zn taken up was not involved in the short-term secretion or absorption, and mucosal 65 Zn retention was independent of dietary zinc status. Absorption of mucosal 65 Zn was nonsaturable, involved a rapid exchanging zinc compartment, and was stimulated by zinc depletion. The half-life for 65 Zn in this mucosal zinc compartment was ∼ 24 min in the zinc-adequate group and 13 min in the zinc-depleted group

Affinity of 169Yb, 67Ga and 111In for malignant tumor, (1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ando, Itsuko

1975-01-01

The tumor affinity of 169 Yb-citrate, 67 Ga-citrate and 111 In-citrate was examined by using Yoshida sarcoma-bearing rats, and the affinity of these compounds for inflammation was also tested using rats with inflammation induced by croton oil injection. In this investigation there was no great difference in uptake by the tumor tissue of these compounds, but a great difference was observed in the retention value of the blood and uptake rate in the bone. 169 Yb-citrate was cleared rapidly from the blood and was taken mostly into the bone. So the retention values in the soft tissues became very small. On the other hand, 111 In-citrate was slowly and only slightly taken into the bone from the blood, so the retention values in the soft tissue remained relatively high. 67 Ga-citrate showed the intermediate value between the bone uptake rate of 169 Yb-citrate and that of 111 In-citrate. In the following experiments, 169 Yb-citrate and 67 Ga-citrate were compared in four strains: Yoshida sarcoma, Walker carcinosarcoma 256, Sarcoma 180, and Ehrlich tumor. The uptake rate of 169 Yb in tumor tissue was much larger than that of 67 Ga in Ehrlich tumor-bearing mice, but the value of 169 Yb was slightly smaller than those of 67 Ga in Yoshida sarcoma-bearing rats, Walker carcinosarcoma 256-bearing rats and Sarcoma 180-bearing mice. Tumor to organ ratios of 169 Yb, which were most important for tumor scanning, were much larger than those of 67 Ga in all four strains except tumor to bone ratios of 169 Yb. From the above-described facts, it was shown that 169 Yb-citrate had a stronger tumor affinity than 67 Ga-citrate and that the tumor affinity of 169 Yb-citrate was similar in these four strains of tumor bearing animals. These three compounds had a relatively strong affinity with the inflammatory tissue. (auth.)

Synthesis, Biodistribution and In vitro Evaluation of Brain Permeable High Affinity Type 2 Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists [11C]MA2 and [18F]MA3.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahamed, Muneer; van Veghel, Daisy; Ullmer, Christoph; Van Laere, Koen; Verbruggen, Alfons; Bormans, Guy M

2016-01-01

The type 2 cannabinoid receptor (CB2) is a member of the endocannabinoid system and is known for its important role in (neuro)inflammation. A PET-imaging agent that allows in vivo visualization of CB2 expression may thus allow quantification of neuroinflammation. In this paper, we report the synthesis, radiosynthesis, biodistribution and in vitro evaluation of a carbon-11 ([ 11 C]MA2) and a fluorine-18 ([ 18 F]MA3) labeled analog of a highly potent N -arylamide oxadiazole CB2 agonist (EC 50 = 0.015 nM). MA2 and MA3 behaved as potent CB2 agonist (EC 50 : 3 nM and 0.1 nM, respectively) and their in vitro binding affinity for h CB2 was found to be 87 nM and 0.8 nM, respectively. Also MA3 (substituted with a fluoro ethyl group) was found to have higher binding affinity and EC 50 values when compared to the originally reported trifluoromethyl analog 12 . [ 11 C]MA2 and [ 18 F]MA3 were successfully synthesized with good radiochemical yield, high radiochemical purity and high specific activity. In mice, both tracers were efficiently cleared from blood and all major organs by the hepatobiliary pathway and importantly these compounds showed high brain uptake. In conclusion, [ 11 C]MA2 and [ 18 F]MA3 are shown to be high potent CB2 agonists with good brain uptake, these favorable characteristics makes them potential PET probes for in vivo imaging of brain CB2 receptors. However, in view of its higher affinity and selectivity, further detailed evaluation of MA3 as a PET tracer for CB2 is warranted.

Synthesis of isotopically modified ZnO nanoparticles and their potential as nanotoxicity tracers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dybowska, Agnieszka D., E-mail: a.dybowska@nhm.ac.u [Department of Mineralogy, Natural History Museum London, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD (United Kingdom); Croteau, Marie-Noele [U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, MS 496, Menlo Park, CA 94025 (United States); Misra, Superb K.; Berhanu, Deborah [Department of Mineralogy, Natural History Museum London, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD (United Kingdom); Luoma, Samuel N. [Department of Mineralogy, Natural History Museum London, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD (United Kingdom); U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, MS 496, Menlo Park, CA 94025 (United States); Christian, Paul; O' Brien, Paul [School of Chemistry, University of Manchester, M13 9PL, Manchester (United Kingdom); Valsami-Jones, Eugenia [Department of Mineralogy, Natural History Museum London, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD (United Kingdom)

2011-01-15

Understanding the behavior of engineered nanoparticles in the environment and within organisms is perhaps the biggest obstacle to the safe development of nanotechnologies. Reliable tracing is a particular issue for nanoparticles such as ZnO, because Zn is an essential element and a common pollutant thus present at elevated background concentrations. We synthesized isotopically enriched (89.6%) with a rare isotope of Zn ({sup 67}Zn) ZnO nanoparticles and measured the uptake of {sup 67}Zn by L. stagnalis exposed to diatoms amended with the particles. Stable isotope technique is sufficiently sensitive to determine the uptake of Zn at an exposure equivalent to lower concentration range (<15 {mu}g g{sup -1}). Without a tracer, detection of newly accumulated Zn is significant at Zn exposure concentration only above 5000 {mu}g g{sup -1} which represents some of the most contaminated Zn conditions. Only by using a tracer we can study Zn uptake at a range of environmentally realistic exposure conditions. - ZnO nanoparticles with distinct isotopic composition can be tailor synthesized to be used as tracers of environmental fate and uptake by organisms.

Mycorrhizal responsiveness of aerobic rice genotypes is negatively correlated with their zinc uptake when nonmycorhizal

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gao, X.; Kuyper, T.W.; Zou, C.; Zhang, F.; Hoffland, E.

2007-01-01

Plant Zn uptake from low Zn soils can be increased by Zn-mobilizing chemical rhizosphere processes. We studied whether inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can be an additional or an alternative strategy. We determined the effect of AMF inoculation on growth performance and Zn uptake

Phytotoxicity of ZnO nanoparticles and the released Zn(II) ion to corn (Zea mays L.) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) during germination.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ruichang; Zhang, Haibo; Tu, Chen; Hu, Xuefeng; Li, Lianzhen; Luo, Yongming; Christie, Peter

2015-07-01

Toxicity of engineered nanoparticles on organisms is of concern worldwide due to their extensive use and unique properties. The impacts of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) on seed germination and root elongation of corn (Zea mays L.) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) were investigated in this study. The role of seed coats of corn in the mitigation toxicity of nanoparticles was also evaluated. ZnO NPs (1,000 mg L(-1)) reduced root length of corn and cucumber by 17 % (p < 0.05) and 51 % (p < 0.05), respectively, but exhibited no effects on germination. In comparison with Zn(2+), toxicity of ZnO NPs on the root elongation of corn could be attributed to the nanoparticulate ZnO, while released Zn ion from ZnO could solely contribute to the inhibition of root elongation of cucumber. Zn uptake in corn exposed to ZnO NPs during germination was much higher than that in corn exposed to Zn(2+), whereas Zn uptake in cucumber was significantly correlated with soluble Zn in suspension. It could be inferred that Zn was taken up by corn and cucumber mainly in the form of ZnO NPs and soluble Zn, respectively. Transmission electron microscope confirmed the uptake of ZnO NPs into root of corn. Although isolation of the seed coats might not be the principal factor that achieved avoidance from toxicity on germination, seed coats of corn were found to mitigate the toxicity of ZnO NPs on root elongation and prevent approximately half of the Zn from entering into root and endosperm.

Comparison between Arabidopsis and Rice for Main Pathways of K(+) and Na(+) Uptake by Roots.

Science.gov (United States)

Nieves-Cordones, Manuel; Martínez, Vicente; Benito, Begoña; Rubio, Francisco

2016-01-01

K(+) is an essential macronutrient for plants. It is acquired by specific uptake systems located in roots. Although the concentrations of K(+) in the soil solution are widely variable, K(+) nutrition is secured by uptake systems that exhibit different affinities for K(+). Two main systems have been described for root K(+) uptake in several species: the high-affinity HAK5-like transporter and the inward-rectifier AKT1-like channel. Other unidentified systems may be also involved in root K(+) uptake, although they only seem to operate when K(+) is not limiting. The use of knock-out lines has allowed demonstrating their role in root K(+) uptake in Arabidopsis and rice. Plant adaptation to the different K(+) supplies relies on the finely tuned regulation of these systems. Low K(+)-induced transcriptional up-regulation of the genes encoding HAK5-like transporters occurs through a signal cascade that includes changes in the membrane potential of root cells and increases in ethylene and reactive oxygen species concentrations. Activation of AKT1 channels occurs through phosphorylation by the CIPK23/CBL1 complex. Recently, activation of the Arabidopsis HAK5 by the same complex has been reported, pointing to CIPK23/CBL as a central regulator of the plant's adaptation to low K(+). Na(+) is not an essential plant nutrient but it may be beneficial for some plants. At low concentrations, Na(+) improves growth, especially under K(+) deficiency. Thus, high-affinity Na(+) uptake systems have been described that belong to the HKT and HAK families of transporters. At high concentrations, typical of saline environments, Na(+) accumulates in plant tissues at high concentrations, producing alterations that include toxicity, water deficit and K(+) deficiency. Data concerning pathways for Na(+) uptake into roots under saline conditions are still scarce, although several possibilities have been proposed. The apoplast is a significant pathway for Na(+) uptake in rice grown under salinity

Comparison between Arabidopsis and Rice for Main Pathways of K+ and Na+ Uptake by Roots

Science.gov (United States)

Nieves-Cordones, Manuel; Martínez, Vicente; Benito, Begoña; Rubio, Francisco

2016-01-01

K+ is an essential macronutrient for plants. It is acquired by specific uptake systems located in roots. Although the concentrations of K+ in the soil solution are widely variable, K+ nutrition is secured by uptake systems that exhibit different affinities for K+. Two main systems have been described for root K+ uptake in several species: the high-affinity HAK5-like transporter and the inward-rectifier AKT1-like channel. Other unidentified systems may be also involved in root K+ uptake, although they only seem to operate when K+ is not limiting. The use of knock-out lines has allowed demonstrating their role in root K+ uptake in Arabidopsis and rice. Plant adaptation to the different K+ supplies relies on the finely tuned regulation of these systems. Low K+-induced transcriptional up-regulation of the genes encoding HAK5-like transporters occurs through a signal cascade that includes changes in the membrane potential of root cells and increases in ethylene and reactive oxygen species concentrations. Activation of AKT1 channels occurs through phosphorylation by the CIPK23/CBL1 complex. Recently, activation of the Arabidopsis HAK5 by the same complex has been reported, pointing to CIPK23/CBL as a central regulator of the plant’s adaptation to low K+. Na+ is not an essential plant nutrient but it may be beneficial for some plants. At low concentrations, Na+ improves growth, especially under K+ deficiency. Thus, high-affinity Na+ uptake systems have been described that belong to the HKT and HAK families of transporters. At high concentrations, typical of saline environments, Na+ accumulates in plant tissues at high concentrations, producing alterations that include toxicity, water deficit and K+ deficiency. Data concerning pathways for Na+ uptake into roots under saline conditions are still scarce, although several possibilities have been proposed. The apoplast is a significant pathway for Na+ uptake in rice grown under salinity conditions, but in other plant species

High affinity hemoglobin and Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, Jeffrey; Hobson, Douglas; Ponnampalam, Arjuna

2014-12-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) region of the midbrain. Oxidative damage in this region has been shown to play an important role in the pathogenesis of this disease. Human neurons have been discovered to contain hemoglobin, with an increased concentration seen in the neurons of the SN. High affinity hemoglobin is a clinical entity resulting from mutations that create a functional increase in the binding of hemoglobin to oxygen and an inability to efficiently unload it to tissues. This can result in a number of metabolic compensatory changes, including an elevation in circulating hemoglobin and an increase in the molecule 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG). Population based studies have revealed that patients with PD have elevated hemoglobin as well as 2,3-DPG levels. Based on these observations, we hypothesize that the oxidative damage seen in PD is related to an underlying high affinity hemoglobin subtype. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Engineering of bispecific affinity proteins with high affinity for ERBB2 and adaptable binding to albumin.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johan Nilvebrant

Full Text Available The epidermal growth factor receptor 2, ERBB2, is a well-validated target for cancer diagnostics and therapy. Recent studies suggest that the over-expression of this receptor in various cancers might also be exploited for antibody-based payload delivery, e.g. antibody drug conjugates. In such strategies, the full-length antibody format is probably not required for therapeutic effect and smaller tumor-specific affinity proteins might be an alternative. However, small proteins and peptides generally suffer from fast excretion through the kidneys, and thereby require frequent administration in order to maintain a therapeutic concentration. In an attempt aimed at combining ERBB2-targeting with antibody-like pharmacokinetic properties in a small protein format, we have engineered bispecific ERBB2-binding proteins that are based on a small albumin-binding domain. Phage display selection against ERBB2 was used for identification of a lead candidate, followed by affinity maturation using second-generation libraries. Cell surface display and flow-cytometric sorting allowed stringent selection of top candidates from pools pre-enriched by phage display. Several affinity-matured molecules were shown to bind human ERBB2 with sub-nanomolar affinity while retaining the interaction with human serum albumin. Moreover, parallel selections against ERBB2 in the presence of human serum albumin identified several amino acid substitutions that dramatically modulate the albumin affinity, which could provide a convenient means to control the pharmacokinetics. The new affinity proteins competed for ERBB2-binding with the monoclonal antibody trastuzumab and recognized the native receptor on a human cancer cell line. Hence, high affinity tumor targeting and tunable albumin binding were combined in one small adaptable protein.

High-throughput fragment screening by affinity LC-MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Duong-Thi, Minh-Dao; Bergström, Maria; Fex, Tomas; Isaksson, Roland; Ohlson, Sten

2013-02-01

Fragment screening, an emerging approach for hit finding in drug discovery, has recently been proven effective by its first approved drug, vemurafenib, for cancer treatment. Techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance, surface plasmon resonance, and isothemal titration calorimetry, with their own pros and cons, have been employed for screening fragment libraries. As an alternative approach, screening based on high-performance liquid chromatography separation has been developed. In this work, we present weak affinity LC/MS as a method to screen fragments under high-throughput conditions. Affinity-based capillary columns with immobilized thrombin were used to screen a collection of 590 compounds from a fragment library. The collection was divided into 11 mixtures (each containing 35 to 65 fragments) and screened by MS detection. The primary screening was performed in 3500 fragments per day). Thirty hits were defined, which subsequently entered a secondary screening using an active site-blocked thrombin column for confirmation of specificity. One hit showed selective binding to thrombin with an estimated dissociation constant (K (D)) in the 0.1 mM range. This study shows that affinity LC/MS is characterized by high throughput, ease of operation, and low consumption of target and fragments, and therefore it promises to be a valuable method for fragment screening.

Relation of zinc levels and water soluble phosphorus in suphala [fertilizer] on uptake of phosphorus and zinc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mutatkar, V.K.; Chapke, V.G.

1975-01-01

Under pot culture, four levels of Zn 0, 2, 4 and 6 ppm, were studied in relation to 30, 50 and 100 % water soluble levels of phosphorus in suphala for the dry matter production and uptake of P and Zn by maize on acidic soil of Goa and black cotton soil of Maharashtra. 32 P and 65 Zn tracers were used for this investigation. The results revealed that application of Zn has increased the dry matter and uptake of phosphorus upto 4 ppm of Zn application and it has decreased at 6 ppm Zn level. This inhibition of P uptake was observed at all water soluble levels of P and in both the soils studied. Zn uptake by maize in both the soils under study was increased with increasing level of Zn, irrespective of water soluble level of P in suphala. (author)

Synthesis, biodistribution and in vitro evaluation of brain permeable high affinity type 2 cannabinoid receptor agonists [11C]MA2 and [18F]MA3

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muneer Ahamed

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract The type 2 cannabinoid receptor (CB2 is a member of the endocannabinoid system and is known for its important role in (neuroinflammation. A PET-imaging agent that allows in vivo visualization of CB2 expression may thus allow quantification of neuroinflammation. In this paper, we report the synthesis, radiosynthesis, biodistribution and in vitro evaluation of a carbon-11 ([11C]MA2 and a fluorine-18 ([18F]MA3 labeled analogue of a highly potent N-arylamide oxadiazole CB2 agonist (EC50 = 0.015 nM. MA2 and MA3 behaved as potent CB2 agonist (EC50: 3 nM and 0.1 nM, respectively and their in vitro binding affinity for hCB2 was found to be 87 nM and 0.8 nM, respectively. Also MA3 (substituted with a fluoro ethyl group was found to have higher binding affinity and EC50 values when compared to the originally reported trifluoromethyl analogue 12. [11C]MA2 and [18F]MA3 were successfully synthesized with good radiochemical yield, high radiochemical purity and high specific activity. In mice, both tracers were efficiently cleared from blood and all major organs by the hepatobiliary pathway and importantly these compounds showed high brain uptake. In conclusion, [11C]MA2 and [18F]MA3 are shown to be high potent CB2 agonists with good brain uptake, these favorable characteristics makes them potential PET probes for in vivo imaging of brain CB2 receptors. However in view of its higher affinity and selectivity, further detailed evaluation of MA3 as a PET tracer for CB2 is warranted.

Synthesis of isotopically modified ZnO nanoparticles and their potential as nanotoxicity tracers.

Science.gov (United States)

Dybowska, Agnieszka D; Croteau, Marie-Noele; Misra, Superb K; Berhanu, Deborah; Luoma, Samuel N; Christian, Paul; O'Brien, Paul; Valsami-Jones, Eugenia

2011-01-01

Understanding the behavior of engineered nanoparticles in the environment and within organisms is perhaps the biggest obstacle to the safe development of nanotechnologies. Reliable tracing is a particular issue for nanoparticles such as ZnO, because Zn is an essential element and a common pollutant thus present at elevated background concentrations. We synthesized isotopically enriched (89.6%) with a rare isotope of Zn (67Zn) ZnO nanoparticles and measured the uptake of 67Zn by L. stagnalis exposed to diatoms amended with the particles. Stable isotope technique is sufficiently sensitive to determine the uptake of Zn at an exposure equivalent to lower concentration range (<15 μg g(-1)). Without a tracer, detection of newly accumulated Zn is significant at Zn exposure concentration only above 5000 μg g(-1) which represents some of the most contaminated Zn conditions. Only by using a tracer we can study Zn uptake at a range of environmentally realistic exposure conditions. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of isotopically modified ZnO nanoparticles and their potential as nanotoxicity tracers

Science.gov (United States)

Dybowska, A.D.; Croteau, M.-N.; Misra, S.K.; Berhanu, D.; Luoma, S.N.; Christian, P.; O'Brien, P.; Valsami-Jones, E.

2011-01-01

Understanding the behavior of engineered nanoparticles in the environment and within organisms is perhaps the biggest obstacle to the safe development of nanotechnologies. Reliable tracing is a particular issue for nanoparticles such as ZnO, because Zn is an essential element and a common pollutant thus present at elevated background concentrations. We synthesized isotopically enriched (89.6%) with a rare isotope of Zn (67Zn) ZnO nanoparticles and measured the uptake of 67Zn by L. stagnalis exposed to diatoms amended with the particles. Stable isotope technique is sufficiently sensitive to determine the uptake of Zn at an exposure equivalent to lower concentration range (<15 ??g g-1). Without a tracer, detection of newly accumulated Zn is significant at Zn exposure concentration only above 5000 ??g g-1 which represents some of the most contaminated Zn conditions. Only by using a tracer we can study Zn uptake at a range of environmentally realistic exposure conditions. ?? 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The role of fluorescent pseudo monad's siderophore on Zn absorption in wheat by using 65Zn

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasouli Sadaghiani, M. H.; Malakouti, M. J.; Khavazi, K.; Ghannadi Maragheh, M.

2008-01-01

The objective of this investigation was to determine the potentials of some indigenous fluorescent Pseudomonads for siderophore production and their effects on 65Z n absorption in 2005. For this purpose, 201 strains of Pseudomonas putida, P. fluorescence, and P. aeruginosa were isolated from different locations representing rhizosphere of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The potentials of these strains for siderophore production were evaluated by chrome azo rel-S assay (CAS blue agar) through color change. High siderophore producing super-strains were selected for the extraction of siderophores. These isolates were grown in standard succinate medium for 72 hours at 28 d eg C . The bacterial cells were removed by centrifugation (10000 g for 20 minutes) and the supernatant was filtered through filter membrane (0.22 μ) and used as the source of siderophore source. The evaluations of Zn uptake and translocation were carried out with the complexes of bacterial siderophores and 65Z n compared with the standard siderophore Desferrioxamine in a randomized complete block design with three replications. This experiment was conducted on two wheat genotypes different in Zn-efficiency under hydroponic condition. The results revealed that among the three most effective siderophores producing strains considered, the P. putida produced a siderophore complex that showed efficiencies of 83% compared with the standard siderophore (DFOB) in the uptake of Zn and was statistically in the same group as the control. The effect of bacterial siderophores in the uptake of labeled 65Z n by wheat was significant, indicating that the chemical structures of the siderophores from different strains were different. The effects of wheat variety on 65Z n translocation to shoots was also significant, where the efficient Tabasi variety contained 46% more Zn in shoots than the inefficient Yavarous variety. It was concluded that the siderophore complex from P. putida was the most effective in translocation

Reducing ZnO nanoparticle cytotoxicity by surface modification.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Mingdeng; Shen, Cenchao; Feltis, Bryce N; Martin, Lisandra L; Hughes, Anthony E; Wright, Paul F A; Turney, Terence W

2014-06-07

Nanoparticulate zinc oxide (ZnO) is one of the most widely used engineered nanomaterials and its toxicology has gained considerable recent attention. A key aspect for controlling biological interactions at the nanoscale is understanding the relevant nanoparticle surface chemistry. In this study, we have determined the disposition of ZnO nanoparticles within human immune cells by measurement of total Zn, as well as the proportions of extra- and intracellular dissolved Zn as a function of dose and surface coating. From this mass balance, the intracellular soluble Zn levels showed little difference in regard to dose above a certain minimal level or to different surface coatings. PEGylation of ZnO NPs reduced their cytotoxicity as a result of decreased cellular uptake arising from a minimal protein corona. We conclude that the key role of the surface properties of ZnO NPs in controlling cytotoxicity is to regulate cellular nanoparticle uptake rather than altering either intracellular or extracellular Zn dissolution.

Zinc uptake and utilisation in wetland rice as influenced by zinc sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raja Rajan, A.

1994-01-01

Soil application of Zn is by far the most common and generally successful method of application to rice. Comparison of the effectiveness of soil applications of Zn necessarily involves simultaneous comparison of different sources. Applying Zn in combination with macronutrient fertilizers is convenient and allows more uniform distribution. Studies have indicated marked differences in Zn availability, uptake and utilisation resulting from the macronutrient fertilizer with which it is applied. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of a few sources of Zn on the yield, Zn uptake and utilisation in rice in two major rice grown soil series of Tamil Nadu. (author). 7 refs., 3 tabs

Efficient detection of total cholesterol using (ChEt–ChOx/ZnO/Pt/Si) bioelectrode based on ZnO matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batra, Neha; Sharma, Anjali; Tomar, Monika; Gupta, Vinay

2014-01-01

Present study highlights the importance of ZnO matrix prepared by vapour phase transport technique on platinum coated Si platform (ZnO/Pt/Si) as a potential matrix for the realization of highly sensitive and selective bioelectrode for detection of total cholesterol. Bienzymes cholesterol esterase (ChEt) and cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) have been immobilized onto the surface of ZnO thin film matrix by physical adsorption technique. The prepared bioelectrode (ChEt–ChOx/ZnO/Pt/Si) is utilized for detection of total cholesterol using the cyclic voltammetry technique. The bioelectrode (ChEt–ChOx/ZnO/Pt/Si) is found to exhibit efficient sensing response characteristics with high sensitivity of 190 μA mM −1 cm −2 ; good linearity in the range of 0.5–12 mM total cholesterol concentration, and a very low Michaelis–Menten constant of 0.68 mM which indicates high affinity of bienzymes immobilized on ZnO towards the analyte (total cholesterol). The enhanced response is attributed to the development of ZnO thin film based matrix having good electron transport property and nanoporous morphology for effective loading of enzymes with favourable orientation. - Highlights: • Fabrication of a ZnO nanostructured thin film based efficient matrix • Utilizing prepared matrix for detection of total cholesterol (free + esterified) • Cholesterol oxidase and cholesterol esterase are the corresponding selective enzymes. • Vapour phase transport technique, for the fabrication of nanostructured ZnO matrix • The bioelectrode exhibits enhanced response characteristics towards total cholesterol detection

Efficient detection of total cholesterol using (ChEt–ChOx/ZnO/Pt/Si) bioelectrode based on ZnO matrix

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Batra, Neha; Sharma, Anjali [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India); Tomar, Monika [Department of Physics, Miranda House, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India); Gupta, Vinay, E-mail: drguptavinay@gmail.com [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India)

2014-07-01

Present study highlights the importance of ZnO matrix prepared by vapour phase transport technique on platinum coated Si platform (ZnO/Pt/Si) as a potential matrix for the realization of highly sensitive and selective bioelectrode for detection of total cholesterol. Bienzymes cholesterol esterase (ChEt) and cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) have been immobilized onto the surface of ZnO thin film matrix by physical adsorption technique. The prepared bioelectrode (ChEt–ChOx/ZnO/Pt/Si) is utilized for detection of total cholesterol using the cyclic voltammetry technique. The bioelectrode (ChEt–ChOx/ZnO/Pt/Si) is found to exhibit efficient sensing response characteristics with high sensitivity of 190 μA mM{sup −1} cm{sup −2}; good linearity in the range of 0.5–12 mM total cholesterol concentration, and a very low Michaelis–Menten constant of 0.68 mM which indicates high affinity of bienzymes immobilized on ZnO towards the analyte (total cholesterol). The enhanced response is attributed to the development of ZnO thin film based matrix having good electron transport property and nanoporous morphology for effective loading of enzymes with favourable orientation. - Highlights: • Fabrication of a ZnO nanostructured thin film based efficient matrix • Utilizing prepared matrix for detection of total cholesterol (free + esterified) • Cholesterol oxidase and cholesterol esterase are the corresponding selective enzymes. • Vapour phase transport technique, for the fabrication of nanostructured ZnO matrix • The bioelectrode exhibits enhanced response characteristics towards total cholesterol detection.

Photoelectron spectroscopic study on electronic structure of butterfly-templated ZnO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kamada, Masao; Sugiyama, Harue; Takahashi, Kazutoshi; Guo, Qixin [Synchrotron Light Application Center, Saga University, Honjo 1, Saga 840-8502 (Japan); Gu, Jiajun; Zhang, Wang; Fan, Tongxiang; Zhang, Di [State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200030 (China)

2010-06-15

Biological systems have complicated hierarchical architecture involving nano-structures inside, and are expected as another candidate for new nano-templates. The present work reports the photoelectron spectroscopic study on electronic structure of the butterfly-templated ZnO that were successfully produced from butterfly wings. Ultraviolet Photoelectron Spectrum (UPS) of the butterfly-templated ZnO shows clearly the valence band and a Zn-3d peak, indicating that the butterfly-templated ZnO has the same electronic structure as bulk ZnO. However, the details show that the energy positions of the Zn-3d level and the valence-band structure are different between them. The present results indicate that the bonding interaction between Zn-4sp and O-2p orbitals is stronger in the butterfly-templated ZnO, probably due to the nano-structures inside. Important parameters such as band bending and electron affinity are also obtained. The larger band bending and the lower electron affinity are found in the butterfly-templated ZnO (copyright 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

The 'glial' glutamate transporter, EAAT2 (Glt-1) accounts for high affinity glutamate uptake into adult rodent nerve endings.

Science.gov (United States)

Suchak, Sachin K; Baloyianni, Nicoletta V; Perkinton, Michael S; Williams, Robert J; Meldrum, Brian S; Rattray, Marcus

2003-02-01

The excitatory amino acid transporters (EAAT) removes neurotransmitters glutamate and aspartate from the synaptic cleft. Most CNS glutamate uptake is mediated by EAAT2 into glia, though nerve terminals show evidence for uptake, through an unknown transporter. Reverse-transcriptase PCR identified the expression of EAAT1, EAAT2, EAAT3 and EAAT4 mRNAs in primary cultures of mouse cortical or striatal neurones. We have used synaptosomes and glial plasmalemmal vesicles (GPV) from adult mouse and rat CNS to identify the nerve terminal transporter. Western blotting showed detectable levels of the transporters EAAT1 (GLAST) and EAAT2 (Glt-1) in both synaptosomes and GPVs. Uptake of [3H]D-aspartate or [3H]L-glutamate into these preparations revealed sodium-dependent uptake in GPV and synaptosomes which was inhibited by a range of EAAT blockers: dihydrokainate, serine-o-sulfate, l-trans-2,4-pyrrolidine dicarboxylate (PDC) (+/-)-threo-3-methylglutamate and (2S,4R )-4-methylglutamate. The IC50 values found for these compounds suggested functional expression of the 'glial, transporter, EAAT2 in nerve terminals. Additionally blockade of the majority EAAT2 uptake sites with 100 micro m dihydrokainate, failed to unmask any functional non-EAAT2 uptake sites. The data presented in this study indicate that EAAT2 is the predominant nerve terminal glutamate transporter in the adult rodent CNS.

Effects of P-Zn interaction and lime on plant growth in the presence of high levels of extractable zinc

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koukoulakis, P

1973-01-01

Six glasshouse experiments were conducted in order to study (a) the effect of P and lime on dry matter yield and mineral composition of tomato, cotton, maize and sudan grass grown on a Zn polluted soil (containing 170 ppM of 2.5% acetic acid extractable Zn), (b) the effect of residual P on dry matter yield and mineral composition of beans, lettuce, and maize grown on a similar soil, and (c) the effect of various Zn treatments on the availability of indigenous and added P of a soil low in Zn (11 ppM). It was found that the yield response to applied P of maize and sudan grass was independent of lime, while cotton, tomato and beans failed almost completely to respond to the absence of lime. The crops responded differently to the excess soil Zn and the dry matter yields were related to the ability to accumulate Zn. High Zn accumulator plants failed to respond to applied P in the absence of lime, while low Zn accumulating plants responded positively. The positive and highly significant effect of P on total Zn uptake of plants, masked the depressive effect of P on Zn concentration. However, the results indicated that the P-Zn interrelationship is far more complicated than a dilution effect caused by the promotive effect of applied P. Studies of the effect of applied Zn levels on available soil P and conversely, indicated that a strong mutual fixation, probably coprecipitation takes place in the soil, which may account for a considerable part of the depressive effect of P on plant Zn, in addition to the effects like coprecipitation in roots and dilution, reported in the literature. Finally, the residual effect of P varied with the plant species, and the plant Zn concentration was found to be a determinant factor in controlling dry matter yields. 58 references, 13 figures, 24 tables.

Kinetics of zinc uptake and exchange by primary cultures of rat hepatocytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pattison, S.E.; Cousins, R.J.

1986-01-01

The kinetics of 65 Zn 2+ uptake and exchange by hepatocytes in primary culture have been examined in detail to provide a basis for analyzing hormonal regulation of hepatic zinc metabolism. 65 Zn 2+ uptake was found to be a biphasic process. The slow phase represents an exchange between Zn 2+ in the medium and preexisting, intracellular zinc pools. This exchange rate was saturable with a medium zinc concentration of 9.5 microM eliciting one-half the maximum exchange rate and a maximum exchange rate of 9.9 pmol Zn 2+ . min-1 . mg protein-1 in the presence of bovine serum albumin. In the absence of albumin, a secondary, nonsaturable uptake rate was observed. The slow phase was relatively selective, and of the divalent transition metal ions tested, only Cd 2+ and Mn 2+ caused inhibition. The rate of exchange suggests total hepatocyte zinc has a turnover rate of approximately 30 h. The fast phase of 65 Zn 2+ reflects net Zn 2+ accumulation into a labile pool. The initial rates for this process were too fast to be measured accurately, but steady-state measurements allowed determination of the labile pool size. The pool dimensions saturated in the presence [Kapp = 28.6 microM; pool capacity = 0.44 nmol Zn 2+ /mg protein] and absence [Kapp = 11.8 microM; pool capacity = 0.34 nmol Zn 2+ /mg protein] of bovine serum albumin. Kinetics and equilibria of Zn 2+ uptake into the labile pool suggest that the latter acts as a source of Zn 2+ for the slow-exchange phase. Dexamethasone stimulated slow Zn 2+ exchange and also increased the labile pool size. The data suggest physiological factors alter hepatic zinc metabolism by influencing both intracellular Zn 2+ pools

Uptake and loss of dissolved zinc by the stickleback gasterosteus Aculeatus l. [Zinc 65

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matthiessen, P.; Brafield, A.E.

1977-01-01

Uptake and loss by sticklebacks of both stable zinc and /sup 65/Zn in hard and soft water were studied for periods up to 400 h. In calcium-free water, the zinc uptake curve is approximately asymptotic over a period of 24 h, while in hard water internal Zn levels dropped at 24 h. Over 5 h, fish in hard tapwater absorb about 3 to 5 times more Zn than those in calcium-free water. There is positive linear correlation between log Zn uptake and log wet weight of fish. Whole-body concentration factors (c.f.) at 16 h reach a maximum of 12.2 (mean = 2.9), highest concentrations of Zn being found in the gills (mean c.f. = 5.1), and lowest concentrations in the gonads (mean c.f. = 0.8). Over longer periods (400 h), internal stable zinc levels of fish exposed to 1 and 4 ppM Zn/sup +2/ remain little higher than controls (max. 28%) /sup 65/Zn efflux in zinc-free water falls to zero after 5 h, more zinc (78%) being lost after uptake in tapwater than in calcium-free water (56%).

Defining proximity relationships in the tertiary structure of the dopamine transporter. Identification of a conserved glutamic acid as a third coordinate in the endogenous Zn(2+)-binding site

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Løland, Claus Juul; Norregaard, L; Gether, U

1999-01-01

, high affinity Zn(2+)-binding site. To achieve further insight into the tertiary organization of hDAT, we set out to identify additional residues involved in Zn(2+) binding and subsequently to engineer artificial Zn(2+)-binding sites. Ten aspartic acids and glutamic acids, predicted...

Soil CO2 venting as one of the mechanisms for tolerance of Zn deficiency by rice in flooded soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Affholder, Marie-Cecile; Weiss, Dominik J; Wissuwa, Matthias; Johnson-Beebout, Sarah E; Kirk, Guy J D

2017-12-01

We sought to explain rice (Oryza sativa) genotype differences in tolerance of zinc (Zn) deficiency in flooded paddy soils and the counter-intuitive observation, made in earlier field experiments, that Zn uptake per plant increases with increasing planting density. We grew tolerant and intolerant genotypes in a Zn-deficient flooded soil at high and low planting densities and found (a) plant Zn concentrations and growth increased with planting density and more so in the tolerant genotype, whereas the concentrations of other nutrients decreased, indicating a specific effect on Zn uptake; (b) the effects of planting density and genotype on Zn uptake could only be explained if the plants induced changes in the soil to make Zn more soluble; and (c) the genotype and planting density effects were both associated with decreases in dissolved CO 2 in the rhizosphere soil solution and resulting increases in pH. We suggest that the increases in pH caused solubilization of soil Zn by dissolution of alkali-soluble, Zn-complexing organic ligands from soil organic matter. We conclude that differences in venting of soil CO 2 through root aerenchyma were responsible for the genotype and planting density effects. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Micromolar-Affinity Benzodiazepine Receptors Regulate Voltage-Sensitive Calcium Channels in Nerve Terminal Preparations

Science.gov (United States)

Taft, William C.; Delorenzo, Robert J.

1984-05-01

Benzodiazepines in micromolar concentrations significantly inhibit depolarization-sensitive Ca2+ uptake in intact nerve-terminal preparations. Benzodiazepine inhibition of Ca2+ uptake is concentration dependent and stereospecific. Micromolar-affinity benzodiazepine receptors have been identified and characterized in brain membrane and shown to be distinct from nanomolar-affinity benzodiazepine receptors. Evidence is presented that micromolar, and not nanomolar, benzodiazepine binding sites mediate benzodiazepine inhibition of Ca2+ uptake. Irreversible binding to micromolar benzodiazepine binding sites also irreversibly blocked depolarization-dependent Ca2+ uptake in synaptosomes, indicating that these compounds may represent a useful marker for identifying the molecular components of Ca2+ channels in brain. Characterization of benzodiazepine inhibition of Ca2+ uptake demonstrates that these drugs function as Ca2+ channel antagonists, because benzodiazepines effectively blocked voltage-sensitive Ca2+ uptake inhibited by Mn2+, Co2+, verapamil, nitrendipine, and nimodipine. These results indicate that micromolar benzodiazepine binding sites regulate voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels in brain membrane and suggest that some of the neuronal stabilizing effects of micromolar benzodiazepine receptors may be mediated by the regulation of Ca2+ conductance.

Highly efficient biosensors by using well-ordered ZnO/ZnS core/shell nanotube arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Tarish, Samar; Xu, Yang; Wang, Zhijie; Mate, Faten; Al-Haddad, Ahmed; Wang, Wenxin; Lei, Yong

2017-10-01

We have studied the fabrication of highly efficient glucose sensors using well-ordered heterogeneous ZnO/ZnS core/shell nanotube arrays (CSNAs). The modified electrodes exhibit a superior electrochemical response towards ferrocyanide/ferricyanide and in glucose sensing. Further, the fabricated glucose biosensor exhibited good performance over an acceptable linear range from 2.39 × 10-5 to 2.66 × 10-4 mM, with a sensitivity of 188.34 mA mM-1 cm-2, which is higher than that of the ZnO nanotube array counterpart. A low limit of detection was realized (24 μM), which is good compared with electrodes based on conventional structures. In addition, the enhanced direct electrochemistry of glucose oxidase indicates the fast electron transfer of ZnO/ZnS CSNA electrodes, with a heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (K s) of 1.69 s-1. The fast electron transfer is attributed to the high conductivity of the modified electrodes. The presented ZnS shell can facilitate the construction of future sensors and enhance the ZnO surface in a biological environment.

Structure of Greyhound hemoglobin: origin of high oxygen affinity.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhatt, Veer S; Zaldívar-López, Sara; Harris, David R; Couto, C Guillermo; Wang, Peng G; Palmer, Andre F

2011-05-01

This study presents the crystal structure of Greyhound hemoglobin (GrHb) determined to 1.9 Å resolution. GrHb was found to crystallize with an α₁β₁ dimer in the asymmetric unit and belongs to the R2 state. Oxygen-affinity measurements combined with the fact that GrHb crystallizes in the R2 state despite the high-salt conditions used for crystallization strongly indicate that GrHb can serve as a model high-oxygen-affinity hemoglobin (Hb) for higher mammals, especially humans. Structural analysis of GrHb and its comparison with the R2-state of human Hb revealed several regions that can potentially contribute to the high oxygen affinity of GrHb and serve to rationalize the additional stability of the R2-state of GrHb. A previously well studied hydrophobic cluster of bar-headed goose Hb near α119 was also incorporated in the comparison between GrHb and human Hb. Finally, a structural comparison with generic dog Hb and maned wolf Hb was conducted, revealing that in contrast to GrHb these structures belong to the R state of Hb and raising the intriguing possibility of an additional allosteric factor co-purifying with GrHb that can modulate its quaternary structure.

Highly Efficient Defect Emission from ZnO:Zn and ZnO:S Powders

Science.gov (United States)

Everitt, Henry

2013-03-01

Bulk Zinc Oxide (ZnO) is a wide band gap semiconductor with an ultraviolet direct band gap energy of 3.4 eV and a broad, defect-related visible wavelength emission band centered near 2 eV. We have shown that the external quantum efficiency can exceed 50% for this nearly white emission band that closely matches the human dark-adapted visual response. To explore the potential of ZnO as a rare earth-free white light phosphor, we investigated the mechanism of efficient defect emission in three types of ZnO powders: unannealed, annealed, and sulfur-doped. Annealing and sulfur-doping of ZnO greatly increase the strength of defect emission while suppressing the UV band edge emission. Continuous wave and ultrafast one- and two-photon excitation spectroscopy are used to examine the defect emission mechanism. Low temperature photoluminescence (PL) and PL excitation (PLE) spectra were measured for all three compounds, and it was found that bound excitons mediate the defect emission. Temperature-dependent PLE spectra for the defect and band edge emission were measured to estimate trapping and activation energies of the bound excitons and clarify the role they play in the defect emission. Time-resolved techniques were used to ascertain the role of exciton diffusion, the effects of reabsorption, and the spatial distributions of radiative and non-radiative traps. In unannealed ZnO we find that defect emission is suppressed and UV band edge emission is inefficient (reduced, and a high density of defects responsible for the broad visible emission are created near the surface. Interestingly, nearly identical PLE spectra are found for both the band edge and the defect emission, one of many indications that the defect emission is deeply connected to bound excitons. Quantum efficiency, also measured as a function of excitation wavelength, closely mirrors the PLE spectra for both emission bands. Sulfur-doped ZnO exhibits additional PLE and X-ray features indicative of a ZnS-rich surface

Reconstitution of high-affinity opioid agonist binding in brain membranes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Remmers, A.E.; Medzihradsky, F. (Univ. of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor (United States))

1991-03-15

In synaptosomal membranes from rat brain cortex, the {mu} selective agonist ({sup 3}H)dihydromorphine in the absence of sodium, and the nonselective antagonist ({sup 3}H)naltrexone in the presence of sodium, bound to two populations of opioid receptor sites with K{sub d} values of 0.69 and 8.7 nM for dihydromorphine, and 0.34 and 5.5 nM for naltrexone. The addition of 5 {mu}M guanosine 5{prime}-({gamma}-thio)triphosphate (GTP({gamma}S)) strongly reduced high-affinity agonist but not antagonist binding. Exposure of the membranes to high pH reduced the number of GTP({gamma}-{sup 35}S) binding sites by 90% and low K{sub m}, opioid-sensitive GTPase activity by 95%. In these membranes, high-affinity agonist binding was abolished and modulation of residual binding by GTP({gamma}S) was diminished. Alkali treatment of the glioma cell membranes prior to fusion inhibited most of the low K{sub m} GTPase activity and prevented the reconstitution of agonist binding. The results show that high-affinity opioid agonist binding reflects the ligand-occupied receptor - guanine nucleotide binding protein complex.

Haemoglobin Pierre-Benite--a high affinity variant associated with relative polycythaemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Beard, M E; Potter, H C; Spearing, R L; Brennan, S O

2001-12-01

This is the second reported example of Hb Pierre--Benite (beta90 Glu-->Asp). This mutation is associated with increased oxygen affinity and polycythaemia. No instability was found and there was no charge shift detected by cellulose acetate electrophoresis at pH 8.3. The mutation was however, clearly indicated by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS), which showed an abnormal beta chain with a 14 Da decrease in mass. Blood volume studies documented a relative rather than a true polycythaemia and this finding has been reported in at least two other high affinity haemoglobin variants--Hb Heathrow and Hb Rahere. This finding led to delay in diagnosis because high oxygen affinity variants are conventionally considered to cause a true polycythaemia.

Adsorption of Zn(II) and Cd(II) ions in batch system by using the Eichhornia crassipes.

Science.gov (United States)

Módenes, A N; Espinoza-Quiñones, F R; Borba, C E; Trigueros, D E G; Lavarda, F L; Abugderah, M M; Kroumov, A D

2011-01-01

In this work, the displacement effects on the sorption capacities of zinc and cadmium ions of the Eichornia crassipes-type biosorbent in batch binary system has been studied. Preliminary single metal sorption experiments were carried out. An improvement on the Zn(II) and Cd(II) ions removal was achieved by working at 30 °C temperature and with non-uniform biosorbent grain sizes. A 60 min equilibrium time was achieved for both Zn(II) and Cd(II) ions. Furthermore, it was found that the overall kinetic data were best described by the pseudo second-order kinetic model. Classical multi-component adsorption isotherms have been tested as well as a modified extended Langmuir isotherm model, showing good agreement with the equilibrium binary data. Around 0.65 mequiv./g maximum metal uptake associated with the E. crassipes biosorbent was attained and the E. crassipes biosorbent has shown higher adsorption affinity for the zinc ions than for the cadmium ones in the binary system.

Template-free synthesis of ordered ZnO@ZnS core-shell arrays for high performance supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Hailong; Li, Tong; Lu, Yang; Cheng, Jinbing; Peng, Tao; Xu, Jinyou; Yang, Linying; Hua, Xiangqiang; Liu, Yunxin; Luo, Yongsong

2016-11-28

In this article, ordered ZnO@ZnS core-shell structures have been produced on a stainless mesh by a two-step approach without using a template. ZnO nanorods fabricated by a chemical vapor method are transferred into a 50 ml autoclave for a second stage ion-exchange reaction followed by heating at 120 °C for 4-16 h. The ZnO core is prepared as the conducting channel and ZnS as the active material. Such unique architecture exhibits remarkable electrochemical performance with high capacitance and desirable cycle life. When evaluating as the electrode for supercapacitors, the ZnO@ZnS core-shell structure delivers a high specific capacitance of 603.8 F g -1 at a current density of 2 A g -1 , with 9.4% capacitance loss after cycling 3000 times. The fabrication strategy presented here is simple and cost-effective, which can open new avenues for large-scale applications of the novel materials in energy storage.

Studies on uptake and translocation of some nutrient elements in plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aly, S.S.M.

1985-01-01

The main objective of this work is to study the uptake and translocation of some nutrients. In this respect, two experiments, dealing with 3 2 P and 6 5 Zn, were conducted using a sandy clay loam soil where corn plants were grown to study such influence on the uptake and translocation of P, Zn, N and K.The utilization of P and Zn fertilizers by corn plants as well as the production of dry matter yield were considered. Chemical analysis of some mineral components and assay of radioactive materials 3 2 P and 6 5 Zn of both plant and soil and the dry weight of corn plants were estimated

Accumulation, distribution and excretion of 134Cs and 65Zn by the green mussels (Perna Viridis)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Shunhua; Zhong Chuangguang; Yan Yuanyi; Zhao Xiaokui; Peng Yefang; Shi Qiong

1997-10-01

Two important radionuclides 134 Cs and 65 Zn were applied to study the accumulation, distribution and excretion of radioactive nuclides in organs and tissues of green mussel Perna Viridis. the results showed that the uptake rate of 134 Cs by green mussels was very low and the concentration factor (CF) for 134 Cs in the byssus approximated to 1. This CF value was lower than that of other tissues and organs of mussels, but its excretion rate was much higher than that of soft tissues. It was also found that the byssus of mussels had a special ability to accumulate 65 Zn. Concentration factor (CF) for 65 Zn in the byssus could reach as high as 900, which was much higher than that of any other tissues. However, its excretion rate was lower than that of other tissues and organs. The uptake rate of 65 Zn by soft tissues was markedly higher than that of 134 Cs. The mussels could also highly concentrate the low level 65 Zn even if specific activity of 65 Zn was very low in the environmental seawater. Results of radioactive trace experiments showed that the absorption of 134 Cs and 65 Zn by Perna Viridis was selective

Uptake and translocation of zinc absorbed through roots and fruiting organs in peanuts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chahal, R.S.; Singh, S.P.; Shukla, U.C.

1979-01-01

Peanut plants (Arachis hypogaea L.) are known to absorb Ca, P and S through the fruiting organs but information on Zn uptake pattern is lacking. Therefore, a green-house experiment was conducted to study the uptake and translocation of Zn when applied in the rooting and fruiting zones of peanut plants. To locate the pathway and distribution of radioactive Zn, autoradiographs of plants were also taken. Zinc uptake data and autoradiographs indicated that a substantial amount of 65 Zn was absorbed through the fruiting organs (auxillary system). Of the total 65 Zn in the whole plant, 55.2 per cent was absorbed through roots and remaining 44.8 per cent through fruiting organs. Zinc was translocated to all the plant parts regardless of its absorption through roots or fruiting organs. The highest zinc concentration was recorded in the kernels, followed by leaves, stem and the shell. (Auth.)

Antiproliferative effects of ZnO, ZnO-MTCP, and ZnO-CuMTCP nanoparticles with safe intensity UV and X-ray irradiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadjadpour, Susan; Safarian, Shahrokh; Zargar, Seyed Jalal; Sheibani, Nader

2016-01-01

In photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer both the light and the photosensitizing agent are normally harmless, but in combination they could result in selective tumor killing. Zinc oxide nanoparticles were synthesized and coated with the amino acid cysteine to provide an adequate arm for conjugation with porphyrin photosensitizers (meso-tetra (4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin [MTCP] and CuMTCP). Porphyrin-conjugated nanoparticles were characterized by TEM, FTIR, and UV-vis, and fluorescence spectrophotometry. The 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to measure cell viability in the presence or absence of porphyrin conjugates following UV and X-ray irradiation. The uptake of the porphyrin-conjugated ZnO nanoparticles by cells was detected using fluorescence microscopy. Our results indicated that the survival of T-47D cells was significantly compromised in the presence of ZnO-MTCP-conjugated nanostructures with UV light exposure. Exhibition of cytotoxic activity of ZnO-MTCP for human prostate cancer (Du145) cells occurred at a higher concentration, indicating the more resistant nature of these tumor cells. ZnO-CuMTCP showed milder cytotoxic effects in human breast cancer (T-47D) and no cytotoxic effects in Du145 with UV light exposure, consistent with its lower cytotoxic potency as well as cellular uptake. Surprisingly, none of the ZnO-porphyrin conjugates exhibited cytotoxic effects with X-ray irradiation, whereas ZnO alone exerted cytotoxicity. Thus, ZnO and ZnO-porphyrin nanoparticles with UV or X-ray irradiation may provide a suitable treatment option for various cancers. © 2015 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Ethanol intake and 3H-serotonin uptake I: A study in Fawn-Hooded rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daoust, M.; Compagnon, P.; Legrand, E.; Boucly, P.

1991-01-01

Ethanol intake and synaptosomal 3 H-serotonin uptake were studied in male Fawn-Hooded and Sprague-Dawley rats. Fawn-Hooded rats consumed more alcohol and more water than Sprague-Dawley rats. Plasma alcohol levels of Sprague-Dawley rats were not detectable but were about 5 mg/dl in Fawn-Hooded rats. Ethanol intake increased the Vmax of serotonin uptake in Fawn-Hooded rats in hippocampus and cortex, but not in thalamus. In Fawn-Hooded rats, serotonin uptake (Vmax) was higher than in Sprague-Dawley rats cortex. Ethanol intake reduced the Vmax of serotonin uptake in Fawn-Hooded rats in hippocampus and cortex. In cortex, the carrier affinity for serotonin was increased in alcoholized Fawn-Hooded rats. These results indicate that synaptosomal 3 H-serotonin uptake is affected by ethanol intake. In Fawn-Hooded rats, high ethanol consumption is associated with high serotonin uptake. In rats presenting high serotonin uptake, alcoholization reduces 3 H-serotonin internalization in synaptosomes, indicating a specific sensitivity to alcohol intake of serotonin uptake system

Correlative Light-Electron Microscopy Shows RGD-Targeted ZnO Nanoparticles Dissolve in the Intracellular Environment of Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells and Cause Apoptosis with Intratumor Heterogeneity

KAUST Repository

Othman, Basmah A.; Greenwood, Christina; AbuElela, Ayman; Bharath, Anil A.; Chen, Shu; Theodorou, Ioannis; Douglas, Trevor; Uchida, Maskai; Ryan, Mary; Merzaban, Jasmeen; Porter, Alexandra E.

2016-01-01

ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) are reported to show a high degree of cancer cell selectivity with potential use in cancer imaging and therapy. Questions remain about the mode by which the ZnO NPs cause cell death, whether they exert an intra- or extracellular effect, and the resistance among different cancer cell types to ZnO NP exposure. The present study quantifies the variability between the cellular toxicity, dynamics of cellular uptake, and dissolution of bare and RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp)-targeted ZnO NPs by MDA-MB-231 cells. Compared to bare ZnO NPs, RGD-targeting of the ZnO NPs to integrin αvβ3 receptors expressed on MDA-MB-231 cells appears to increase the toxicity of the ZnO NPs to breast cancer cells at lower doses. Confocal microscopy of live MDA-MB-231 cells confirms uptake of both classes of ZnO NPs with a commensurate rise in intracellular Zn2+ concentration prior to cell death. The response of the cells within the population to intracellular Zn2+ is highly heterogeneous. In addition, the results emphasize the utility of dynamic and quantitative imaging in understanding cell uptake and processing of targeted therapeutic ZnO NPs at the cellular level by heterogeneous cancer cell populations, which can be crucial for the development of optimized treatment strategies.

Correlative Light-Electron Microscopy Shows RGD-Targeted ZnO Nanoparticles Dissolve in the Intracellular Environment of Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells and Cause Apoptosis with Intratumor Heterogeneity

KAUST Repository

Othman, Basmah A.

2016-04-01

ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) are reported to show a high degree of cancer cell selectivity with potential use in cancer imaging and therapy. Questions remain about the mode by which the ZnO NPs cause cell death, whether they exert an intra- or extracellular effect, and the resistance among different cancer cell types to ZnO NP exposure. The present study quantifies the variability between the cellular toxicity, dynamics of cellular uptake, and dissolution of bare and RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp)-targeted ZnO NPs by MDA-MB-231 cells. Compared to bare ZnO NPs, RGD-targeting of the ZnO NPs to integrin αvβ3 receptors expressed on MDA-MB-231 cells appears to increase the toxicity of the ZnO NPs to breast cancer cells at lower doses. Confocal microscopy of live MDA-MB-231 cells confirms uptake of both classes of ZnO NPs with a commensurate rise in intracellular Zn2+ concentration prior to cell death. The response of the cells within the population to intracellular Zn2+ is highly heterogeneous. In addition, the results emphasize the utility of dynamic and quantitative imaging in understanding cell uptake and processing of targeted therapeutic ZnO NPs at the cellular level by heterogeneous cancer cell populations, which can be crucial for the development of optimized treatment strategies.

Comparison of high affinity binding of 3H-proadifen and 3H-(-)-cocaine t rat liver membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ross, S.B.

1995-01-01

The characteristics of the binding of 3 H-proadifen to rat liver membranes were studied and compared to those of 3 H-cocaine. It was found that 3 H-proadifen was bound reversibly with high affinity (K D =1.8±0.5 nM) and large capacity (B max =2010±340 pmol/g wet tissue) to liver membranes. The corresponding values for the 3 H-cocaine binding were 3.5 nM and 1000 pmol/g wet tissue. The binding of 3 H-proadifen was mainly localised to the microsomal fraction. The number of binding sites was not increased by treatment of rats with phenobarbitone. With 1 μM CdCl 2 in the incubation buffer it was possible to differentiate between two 3 H-cocaine binding sites with K d values of 1.6 and 7.7 nM and B max values of 280 and 940 pmol/g wet liver tissue. S-(-)-Alaproclate inhibited the binding of 3 H-proadifen and 3 H-cocaine inhibited the binding of 3 H-proadifen (IC 50 =10 nM) and proadifen that of 3 H-cocaine (IC 50 =1 nM). There was a high correlation coefficient (r r =0.972; P 50 =100-500 nM): chloroquine, phenoxybenzamine, amitriptyline, ajmaline, remoxipride, imipramine and (-)-alaprenolol. CdCl 2 , ZnCl 2 and CuCl 2 inhibited the binding of both ligands with low Hill coefficients, indicating heterogeneous binding sites. The inhibition curve of Cd 2+ on the cocaine binding was biphasic with a high affinity part around 50 nM and a low affinity part at 15μM. The similarity of the characteristics of the binding of these ligands with that of 3 H-alaproclate is discussed. It is suggested that all three compounds bind to the same sites, although additional binding sites seem to exist for proadifen. (au) (9 refs.)

Comparison of high affinity binding of {sup 3}H-proadifen and {sup 3}H-(-)-cocaine t rat liver membranes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ross, S.B. [Astra Arcus AB, Dept. of Neuropharmacology, Soedertaelje (Sweden)

1995-06-01

The characteristics of the binding of {sup 3}H-proadifen to rat liver membranes were studied and compared to those of {sup 3}H-cocaine. It was found that {sup 3}H-proadifen was bound reversibly with high affinity (K{sub D}=1.8{+-}0.5 nM) and large capacity (B{sub max}=2010{+-}340 pmol/g wet tissue) to liver membranes. The corresponding values for the {sup 3}H-cocaine binding were 3.5 nM and 1000 pmol/g wet tissue. The binding of {sup 3}H-proadifen was mainly localised to the microsomal fraction. The number of binding sites was not increased by treatment of rats with phenobarbitone. With 1 {mu}M CdCl{sub 2} in the incubation buffer it was possible to differentiate between two {sup 3}H-cocaine binding sites with K{sub d} values of 1.6 and 7.7 nM and B{sub max} values of 280 and 940 pmol/g wet liver tissue. S-(-)-Alaproclate inhibited the binding of {sup 3}H-proadifen and {sup 3}H-cocaine inhibited the binding of {sup 3}H-proadifen (IC{sub 50}=10 nM) and proadifen that of {sup 3}H-cocaine (IC{sub 50}=1 nM). There was a high correlation coefficient (r{sub r}=0.972; P<0.01; n=12) in the Spearman rank test between the inhibitory potencies of compounds examined in both systems. Beside some potent alaproclate analogues a couple of compounds had moderately high affinity (IC{sub 50}=100-500 nM): chloroquine, phenoxybenzamine, amitriptyline, ajmaline, remoxipride, imipramine and (-)-alaprenolol. CdCl{sub 2}, ZnCl{sub 2} and CuCl{sub 2} inhibited the binding of both ligands with low Hill coefficients, indicating heterogeneous binding sites. The inhibition curve of Cd{sup 2+} on the cocaine binding was biphasic with a high affinity part around 50 nM and a low affinity part at 15{mu}M. The similarity of the characteristics of the binding of these ligands with that of {sup 3}H-alaproclate is discussed. It is suggested that all three compounds bind to the same sites, although additional binding sites seem to exist for proadifen. (au) (9 refs.).

A modified assay method for determining serotonin uptake in human platelets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arora, R.C.; Meltzer, H.Y.

1981-01-01

Effects of various experimental conditions on serotonin (5-HT) uptake in human platelets were examined. The experimental design allowed the evaluation of the effect of diffusion and other non-saturable processes on the affinity and maximum activity of the membrane pump for 5-HT uptake. Total 5-HT uptake was determined by incubating platelet-rich plasma (PRP) with increasing concentrations of serotonin at 37 0 C for 4 min. The passive uptake was measured by the addition of various 5-HT concentrations to PRP in buffer at 37 0 C, followed by immediate transfer to an ice-cold water bath. The difference between the total and passive uptake was linear for 6 min. The affinity (Ksub(m)) for active platelet serotonin uptake was 0.45 +- 0.09 μmol/l and maximal rate of uptake (V) was 10.7 +- 2.1 pmol/10 7 platelets/min. The described method provides a convenient and reliable measure of active 5-HT uptake suitable for clinical investigation. The effect of passive diffusion on kinetic parameters is discussed. (Auth.)

Tolerance of spermatogonia to oxidative stress is due to high levels of Zn and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase.

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Fritzie T Celino

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Spermatogonia are highly tolerant to reactive oxygen species (ROS attack while advanced-stage germ cells such as spermatozoa are much more susceptible, but the precise reason for this variation in ROS tolerance remains unknown. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using the Japanese eel testicular culture system that enables a complete spermatogenesis in vitro, we report that advanced-stage germ cells undergo intense apoptosis and exhibit strong signal for 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, an oxidative DNA damage marker, upon exposure to hypoxanthine-generated ROS while spermatogonia remain unaltered. Activity assay of antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase (SOD and Western blot analysis using an anti-Copper/Zinc (Cu/Zn SOD antibody showed a high SOD activity and Cu/Zn SOD protein concentration during early spermatogenesis. Immunohistochemistry showed a strong expression for Cu/Zn SOD in spermatogonia but weak expression in advanced-stage germ cells. Zn deficiency reduced activity of the recombinant eel Cu/Zn SOD protein. Cu/Zn SOD siRNA decreased Cu/Zn SOD expression in spermatogonia and led to increased oxidative damage. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These data indicate that the presence of high levels of Cu/Zn SOD and Zn render spermatogonia resistant to ROS, and consequently protected from oxidative stress. These findings provide the biochemical basis for the high tolerance of spermatogonia to oxidative stress.

Extracellular Zn2+ Is Essential for Amyloid β1-42-Induced Cognitive Decline in the Normal Brain and Its Rescue.

Science.gov (United States)

Takeda, Atsushi; Tamano, Haruna; Tempaku, Munekazu; Sasaki, Miku; Uematsu, Chihiro; Sato, Shoko; Kanazawa, Hiroaki; Datki, Zsolt L; Adlard, Paul A; Bush, Ashley I

2017-07-26

Brain Aβ 1-42 accumulation is considered an upstream event in pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. However, accumulating evidence indicates that other neurochemical changes potentiate the toxicity of this constitutively generated peptide. Here we report that the interaction of Aβ 1-42 with extracellular Zn 2+ is essential for in vivo rapid uptake of Aβ 1-42 and Zn 2+ into dentate granule cells in the normal rat hippocampus. The uptake of both Aβ 1-42 and Zn 2+ was blocked by CaEDTA, an extracellular Zn 2+ chelator, and by Cd 2+ , a metal that displaces Zn 2+ for Aβ 1-42 binding. In vivo perforant pathway LTP was unaffected by perfusion with 1000 nm Aβ 1-42 in ACSF without Zn 2+ However, LTP was attenuated under preperfusion with 5 nm Aβ 1-42 in ACSF containing 10 nm Zn 2+ , recapitulating the concentration of extracellular Zn 2+ , but not with 5 nm Aβ 1-40 in ACSF containing 10 nm Zn 2+ Aβ 1-40 and Zn 2+ were not taken up into dentate granule cells under these conditions, consistent with lower affinity of Aβ 1-40 for Zn 2+ than Aβ 1-42 Aβ 1-42 -induced attenuation of LTP was rescued by both CaEDTA and CdCl 2 , and was observed even with 500 pm Aβ 1-42 Aβ 1-42 injected into the dentate granule cell layer of rats induced a rapid memory disturbance that was also rescued by coinjection of CdCl 2 The present study supports blocking the formation of Zn-Aβ 1-42 in the extracellular compartment as an effective preventive strategy for Alzheimer's disease. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Short-term memory loss occurs in normal elderly and increases in the predementia stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Amyloid-β 1-42 (Aβ 1-42 ), a possible causing peptide in AD, is bound to Zn 2+ in the extracellular compartment in the hippocampus induced short-term memory loss in the normal rat brain, suggesting that extracellular Zn 2+ is essential for Aβ 1-42 -induced short-term memory loss. The evidence is important to find an effective preventive strategy for AD, which is

Cu, Zn and Mn uptake and redistribution in Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and wine: effect of soil metal content and plant vigor

Science.gov (United States)

Concepción Ramos, Maria; Romero, María Paz

2015-04-01

This study investigated the influence of leaf thinning on micronutrient (Cu, Zn and Mn) uptake and distribution in grape tissues, in a 16 year-old Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard. The analysis was carried out in two plots with differences in vigor (P1- high and P2-low) grown in calcareous soils. Vigour was analysed by the NDVI values. In each plot, two treatments (with and without leaf thinning after bloom) were applied. Total and the CaCl2-DTPA extractable fraction of these micronutrients were evaluated. Nutrient concentration in petiole were evaluated from veraison to harvest as well as the concentration of those elements in seeds and skins at ripening and in wines elaborated with grapes grown in each plot and treatment in 2013. Their relationships were evaluated. The soil extractable fraction did not give a good correlation with petiole concentrations. However, Mn in petiole was strongly correlated with soil total Mn. Cu and Zn had higher concentration at veraison than at harvest, while for Mn it was the opposite. Cu concentration in petiole and seeds was greater in the most vigorous plots, but there were not clear differences between treatments. Cu in seeds and skins correlated significantly but there was not correlation with Cu in petiole. Zn concentration in skins was quite similar in both plots, but with higher values in vines without leaf thinning. Zn concentrations in skins were correlated with Zn in petiole but no significant correlation was found with Zn in seeds. Higher concentrations were found in the no thinning treatment in skins. For Mn, petiole concentrations were greater in the high vigorous plot and in the leaf thinning treatment. However, petiole Zn concentrations were greater in the less vigorous plot and without clear effect of leaf thinning. Mn concentration in skins was greater in the less vigorous vines in both treatments and it was inversely correlated with Mn in seeds, but there were no significant correlation between them and Mn in petiole

Effects of PEG-Induced Water Deficit in Solanum nigrum on Zn and Ni Uptake and Translocation in Split Root Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Urs Feller

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Drought strongly influences root activities in crop plants and weeds. This paper is focused on the performance of the heavy metal accumulator Solanum nigrum, a plant which might be helpful for phytoremediation. The water potential in a split root system was decreased by the addition of polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000. Rubidium, strontium and radionuclides of heavy metals were used as markers to investigate the uptake into roots, the release to the shoot via the xylem, and finally the basipetal transport via the phloem to unlabeled roots. The uptake into the roots (total contents in the plant was for most makers more severely decreased than the transport to the shoot or the export from the shoot to the unlabeled roots via the phloem. Regardless of the water potential in the labeling solution, 63Ni and 65Zn were selectively redistributed within the plant. From autoradiographs, it became evident that 65Zn accumulated in root tips, in the apical shoot meristem and in axillary buds, while 63Ni accumulated in young expanded leaves and roots but not in the meristems. Since both radionuclides are mobile in the phloem and are, therefore, well redistributed within the plant, the unequal transfer to shoot and root apical meristems is most likely caused by differences in the cell-to-cell transport in differentiation zones without functional phloem (immature sieve tubes.

Zinc-arsenic interactions in soil: Solubility, toxicity and uptake.

Science.gov (United States)

Kader, Mohammed; Lamb, Dane T; Wang, Liang; Megharaj, Mallavarapu; Naidu, Ravi

2017-11-01

Arsenic (As) and zinc (Zn) are common co-contaminants in mining impacted soils. Their interaction on solubility and toxicity when present concurrently is not well understood in natural systems. The aim of this study was to observe their interaction in solubility (soil-solution), bioaccumulation (shoot uptake) and toxicity to cucumber (Cucumis sativa L) conducting 4 weeks pot study in 5 different soils spiked with As (0, 2, 4, 8 to 1024 mg kg -1 ) individually and with Zn at two phytotoxic doses. The As pore-water concentration was significantly reduced (df = 289, Adjusted R 2  = 0.84, p soils. This outcome may be due to adsorption/surface precipitation or tertiary bridging complexation. No homogenous precipitation of zinc arsenate could be established using electron microscopy, XRD or even equilibrium calculations. For bioaccumulation phase, no significant effect of Zn on As uptake was observed except acidic MG soil whereas, Zn uptake was significantly reduced (p soil. The synergistic response (more than additive) was predominant in this soil for a wide range of inhibition concentration (0-80%) at both Zn EC10 and EC50 levels. Since additive response is mostly considered in risk assessment for mixtures, precautions should be implemented for assessment of toxicity for As-Zn mixture in acidic soil due to their synergistic response in some soils. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The mechanism of zinc uptake in excised roots and leaf discs of Phaseolus vulgaris L

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van As, J.A.

1991-03-01

The mechanism and nature of zinc uptake was studied with the aid of 65 Zn. Uptake of zinc was also compared to that of potassium and phosphate, which are known to be ATP-dependent. Zinc uptake was characterized by a rapid initial uptake, followed by a slower linear phase. Decreasing the temperature from 25 to 2 deg C resulted in a decrease of only 30% in the rate of zinc uptake. Uptake of zinc was insensitive to DNP - possibly indicating the non-metabolic nature of the uptake process. A possible role for zinc in protein synthesis could not be demonstrated as CHI did not inhibit zinc uptake. Cyanide reduced zinc uptake to almost zero, possibly due to complexation of zinc by cyanide. Light had no effect on the accumulation of Zn, whereas dark incubation reduced potassium uptake substantially. The relative high rate of zinc uptake and the passive nature of the uptake process might be due to the high binding capacity of the free space for zinc ions. Transport of the zinc in the xylem and phloem of intact bean plants, as well as the metabolic dependence of the latter, was also investigated. The bulk of the zinc absorbed by bean plants remained in the roots and stems with only a very small fraction being translocated to shoots. Adsorption was the major uptake mechanism in roots and stems. In contrast to transport in the xylem, zinc was readily transported in the phloem. Loading and unloading of zinc in the phloem was not influenced by low temperature or DNP. Opposed to this, loading of potassium and phosphate was inhibited by DNP, while unloading was inhibited by low temperature. It can therefore be concluded that the uptake and transport of zinc is probably a passive process. 33 figs., 282 refs

Facile in situ synthesis of wurtzite ZnS/ZnO core/shell heterostructure with highly efficient visible-light photocatalytic activity and photostability

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Jian-Hua; Huang, Wei-Qing; Hu, Yong-sheng; Zeng, Fan; Huang, Qin-Yi; Zhou, Bing-Xin; Pan, Anlian; Li, Kai; Huang, Gui-Fang

2018-02-01

High photocatalytic activity and photostability are the pursuit of the goal for designing promising photocatalysts. Herein, using ZnO to encapsulate ZnS nanoparticles is proposed as an effective strategy to enhance photocatalytic activity and anti-photocorrosion. The ZnS/ZnO core/shell heterostructures are obtained via an annealing treatment of ZnS nanoparticles produced by a facile wet chemical approach. Due to its small size, the nascent cubic sphalerite ZnS (s-ZnS) converts into a hexagonal wurtzite ZnS (w-ZnS)/ZnO core/shell structure after annealing treatment. In situ oxidation leads to increasing ZnO, simultaneously decreasing the w-ZnS content in the resultant w-ZnS/ZnO with thermal annealing time. The w-ZnS/ZnO core/shell heterostructures show high photocatalytic activity, demonstrated by the photodegradation rate of methylene blue being up to ten-fold and seven-fold higher than that of s-ZnS under UV and visible light irradiation, respectively, and the high capability of degrading rhodamine B. The enhanced photocatalytic activity may be attributed to the large specific surface and improved charge carrier separation at the core/shell interface. Moreover, it displays high photostability owing to the protection of the ZnO shell, greatly inhibiting the photocorrosion of ZnS. This facile in situ oxidation is effective and easily scalable, providing opportunities for developing novel core/shell structure photocatalysts with high activity and photostability.

The relative contribution of natural zinc complexing agents and ZnSO4 to growth and zinc nutrition of maize

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, M.; Prasad, B.

1989-01-01

Relative evaluation of different natural zinc-complexes indicated that application of Zn-FA 2 (PM), Zn-FA 3 (Comp), Zn-FA 1 (BGS), Zn-FA 5 (PR), Zn-FA 4 (SS) and ZnSO 4 significantly enhanced the drymatter yield and zinc uptake by maize. The natural zinc-complexes in particular increased, to a greater extent, the uptake of both native and applied sources than that observed with ZnSO 4 as zinc carrier. Significant positive relationship between self-diffusion coefficient of Zn and drymatter yield and uptake of zinc by maize suggested that diffusion is responsible for the supply of zinc from ambient soil matrix to plant roots. (author). 12 refs., 5 tabs

CBE growth of high-quality ZnO epitaxial layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El-Shaer, A.; Bakin, A.; Mofor, A.C.; Kreye, M.; Waag, A. [Institute of Semiconductor Technology, Technical University Braunschweig, Hans-Sommer-Strasse 66, 38106 Braunschweig (Germany); Blaesing, J.; Krost, A. [Institute of Experimental Physics, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg (Germany); Stoimenos, J. [Physics Department, Aristotele University, Univ. Campus, 54006 Thessaloniki (Greece); Pecz, B. [Research Institute for Technical Physics and Materials Science, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 49, 1525 Budapest (Hungary); Heuken, M. [Aixtron AG, Kackertstr. 15-17, 52072 Aachen (Germany)

2006-03-15

Further improvements on the recently reported novel approach to zinc oxide Chemical Beam Epitaxy (CBE) are presented. Hydrogen peroxide is employed as a very efficient novel oxidant. ZnO layers with a thickness from 100 nm to 600 nm were grown on c-sapphire using a MgO buffer. PL-mapping as well as conductivity mapping shows a good uniformity across the 2 inch ZnO-on-sapphire epiwafers. The measured surface roughness for the best layers is as low as 0.26 nm. HRXRD measurements of the obtained ZnO layers show excellent quality of the single crystalline ZnO. The FWHM of the HRXRD (0002) rocking curves measured for the 2 inch ZnO-on-sapphire wafers is as low as 27 arcsec with a very high lateral homogeneity across the whole wafer. Plane view HRTEM observations reveal the very good quality of the ZnO films. The results indicate that CBE is a suitable technique to fabricate ZnO of very high structural quality, which can eventually be used as an alternative to bulk ZnO substrates. (copyright 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

A Kinetic Model Explains Why Shorter and Less Affine Enzyme-recruiting Oligonucleotides Can Be More Potent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lykke Pedersen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Antisense oligonucleotides complementary to RNA targets promise generality and ease of drug design. The first systemically administered antisense drug was recently approved for treatment and others are in clinical development. Chemical modifications that increase the hybridization affinity of oligonucleotides are reasoned to confer higher potency, i.e., modified oligonucleotides can be dosed at lower concentrations to achieve the same effect. Surprisingly, shorter and less affine oligonucleotides sometimes display increased potency. To explain this apparent contradiction, increased uptake or decreased propensity to form structures have been suggested as possible mechanisms. Here, we provide an alternative explanation that invokes only the kinetics behind oligonucleotide-mediated cleavage of RNA targets. A model based on the law of mass action predicts, and experiments support, the existence of an optimal binding affinity. Exaggerated affinity, and not length per se, is detrimental to potency. This finding clarifies how to optimally apply high-affinity modifications in the discovery of potent antisense oligonucleotide drugs.

High resolution Moessbauer spectroscopy with 67Zn in metallic systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Potzel, W.

1985-01-01

Moessbauer experiments on metallic systems are described where the high resolution 93.3 keV resonance in 67 Zn is used. In the first part, the Cu-Zn alloy system is investigated and the high energy resolution of this Moessbauer transition is employed to determine small changes of the s-electron density at the 67 Zn nucleus when the Zn concentration is changed. In the second part, Zn metal is taken as an example to demonstrate that the 93.3 keV transition is also extremely sensitive to small changes of lattice dynamical effects. 7 refs., 18 figs. (author)

The monoclonal S9.6 antibody exhibits highly variable binding affinities towards different R-loop sequences.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabian König

Full Text Available The monoclonal antibody S9.6 is a widely-used tool to purify, analyse and quantify R-loop structures in cells. A previous study using the surface plasmon resonance technology and a single-chain variable fragment (scFv of S9.6 showed high affinity (0.6 nM for DNA-RNA and also a high affinity (2.7 nM for RNA-RNA hybrids. We used the microscale thermophoresis method allowing surface independent interaction studies and electromobility shift assays to evaluate additional RNA-DNA hybrid sequences and to quantify the binding affinities of the S9.6 antibody with respect to distinct sequences and their GC-content. Our results confirm high affinity binding to previously analysed sequences, but reveals that binding affinities are highly sequence specific. Our study presents R-loop sequences that independent of GC-content and in different sequence variations exhibit either no binding, binding affinities in the micromolar range and as well high affinity binding in the nanomolar range. Our study questions the usefulness of the S9.6 antibody in the quantitative analysis of R-loop sequences in vivo.

Exogenous abscisic acid alleviates zinc uptake and accumulation in Populus × canescens exposed to excess zinc.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Wen-Guang; Li, Hong; Liu, Tong-Xian; Polle, Andrea; Peng, Chang-Hui; Luo, Zhi-Bin

2015-01-01

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to study whether exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) mediates the responses of poplars to excess zinc (Zn). Populus × canescens seedlings were treated with either basal or excess Zn levels and either 0 or 10 μm ABA. Excess Zn led to reduced photosynthetic rates, increased Zn accumulation, induced foliar ABA and salicylic acid (SA), decreased foliar gibberellin (GA3 ) and auxin (IAA), elevated root H2 O2 levels, and increased root ratios of glutathione (GSH) to GSSG and foliar ratios of ascorbate (ASC) to dehydroascorbate (DHA) in poplars. While exogenous ABA decreased foliar Zn concentrations with 7 d treatments, it increased levels of endogenous ABA, GA3 and SA in roots, and resulted in highly increased foliar ASC accumulation and ratios of ASC to DHA. The transcript levels of several genes involved in Zn uptake and detoxification, such as yellow stripe-like family protein 2 (YSL2) and plant cadmium resistance protein 2 (PCR2), were enhanced in poplar roots by excess Zn but repressed by exogenous ABA application. These results suggest that exogenous ABA can decrease Zn concentrations in P. × canescens under excess Zn for 7 d, likely by modulating the transcript levels of key genes involved in Zn uptake and detoxification. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Short-term uptake of heavy metals by periphyton algae

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vymazal, J.

1984-12-31

The utilization of periphyton for the removal of heavy metals from enriched small streams has been examined. By means of short-term batch laboratory experiments the courses of metal uptake have been studied. For uptake study naturally growing periphyton community and periphytic filamentous algae Cladophora glomerata and Oedogonium rivulare have been used. Uptakes of nine heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cu, Co, Cr, Ni, Zn, Fe and Mn) have been determined during four hours exposure. In addition the influence of humic substances on heavy metals uptake has been determined. Uptake of all metals increased during four hours exposure but not in the same way. Some metals were removed continuously (Ni, Cr, Fe and Mn), other metals were removed more rapidly during the first hour or first two hours of exposure and then only slight removal continued (Cu, Pb, Cd, Co). Uptake of Zn was rather unambiguous. Results of these experiments suggest that the course of uptake for individual metals could be similar for most periphyton algae. It was established that humic substances significantly reduce heavy metals uptake. The highest decrease of uptake was observed in Cu, Cr, Co and Cd. The results of model experiments are being tested in a pilot scale with respect to the demands of engineering practice. (J.R.)

Comparison of different transition metal ions for immobilized metal affinity chromatography of selenoprotein P from human plasma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sidenius, U; Farver, O; Jøns, O

1999-01-01

Cu2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, Co2+ and Cd2+ were evaluated in metal ion affinity chromatography for enrichment of selenoprotein P, and immobilized Co2+ affinity chromatography was found to be the most selective chromatographic method. The chromatography was performed by fast protein liquid chromatography...

Characterization of 18F-dipicolylamine (DPA) derivatives in cells infected with influenza virus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Junling; Gerlach, Rachael L.; Jonsson, Colleen B.; Gray, Brian D.; Pak, Koon Y.; Ng, Chin K.

2015-01-01

Objective: Bis(Zn-dipicolylamine (Zn-DPA)) coordination complexes represent a new class of synthetic small molecules that can target anionic phosphatidylserine (PS) in the apoptotic cells with high affinity and specificity. In this study, we labeled Zn-DPA and Cy7-Zn-DPA with different 18 F-prosthetic groups and characterized their uptake in A549 cells infected with influenza A virus from the 2009 pandemic (H1N1pdm). Methods: DPA was labeled with N-succinimidyl 4- 18 F-fluorobenzoate ( 18 F-SFB), 4-nitrophenyl 2- 18 F-fluoropropionate ( 18 F-NFP), 2- 18 F-Fluoroethyl toslyate ( 18 F-FET), and 18 F-aluminum (Al 18 F), respectively. Cy7-DPA was labeled with 18 F-SFB and 18 F-NFP only. The tracers were reconstituted with zinc nitrate before use. Apoptosis in A549 cells was induced by infection with the H1N1pdm virus for 48 h. Three μCi of each tracer was added to each well and incubated at 37 °C. The effect of different prosthetic groups, different MOI, and incubation time on percent cellular uptake was studied. Cell internalization and efflux was evaluated within 2 h of incubation. The competitive binding assay was performed with increasing concentration (10 −12 -10 −5 M) of Zn-DPA or Cy7-Zn-DPA prior to the addition of either 18 F-FB-Zn-DPA or 18 F-FB-Cy7-Zn-DPA into each well. IC 50 values for the two Zn-DPA analogues were estimated by GraphPad Prism 6.0. Results: Among all the four prosthetic groups, the 18 F-SFB method provided the highest conjugation yield for DPA and the highest uptake ratio between the infection cells and the control when both Zn-DPA and Cy7-Zn-DPA were present in the complex. The uptake ratio was similar for 18 F-FB-Zn-DPA and 18 F-FB-Cy7-Zn-DPA. Uptake of 18 F-FB-Zn-DPA and 18 F-FB-Cy7-Zn-DPA was proportional to the degree of apoptosis with a plateau at MOI 3. Uptake of 18 F-FB-Cy7-Zn-DPA also increased over incubation time and reached a plateau at 1 h, whereas uptake of 18 F-FB-Zn-DPA did not show any significant change over time

Interaction of Zn(II) with hematite nanoparticles and microparticles: Part 2. ATR-FTIR and EXAFS study of the aqueous Zn(II)/oxalate/hematite ternary system.

Science.gov (United States)

Ha, Juyoung; Trainor, Thomas P; Farges, François; Brown, Gordon E

2009-05-19

Sorption of Zn(II) to hematite nanoparticles (HN) (av diam=10.5 nm) and microparticles (HM) (av diam=550 nm) was studied in the presence of oxalate anions (Ox2-(aq)) in aqueous solutions as a function of total Zn(II)(aq) to total Ox2-(aq) concentration ratio (R=[Zn(II)(aq)]tot/[Ox2-(aq)]tot) at pH 5.5. Zn(II) uptake is similar in extent for both the Zn(II)/Ox/HN and Zn(II)/Ox/HM ternary systems and the Zn(II)/HN binary system at [Zn(II)(aq)](tot)system than for the Zn(II)/Ox/HM ternary and the Zn(II)/HN and Zn(II)/HM binary systems at [Zn(II)(aq)]tot>4 mM. In contrast, Zn(II) uptake for the Zn(II)/HM binary system is a factor of 2 greater than that for the Zn(II)/Ox/HM and Zn(II)/Ox/HN ternary systems and the Zn(II)/HN binary system at [Zn(II)(aq)]totternary system at both R values examined (0.16 and 0.68), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) results are consistent with the presence of inner-sphere oxalate complexes and outer-sphere ZnOx(aq) complexes, and/or type A ternary complexes. In addition, extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopic results suggest that type A ternary surface complexes (i.e., >O2-Zn-Ox) are present. In the Zn(II)/Ox/HN ternary system at R=0.15, ATR-FTIR results indicate the presence of inner-sphere oxalate and outer-sphere ZnOx(aq) complexes; the EXAFS results provide no evidence for inner-sphere Zn(II) complexes or type A ternary complexes. In contrast, ATR-FTIR results for the Zn/Ox/HN sample with R = 0.68 are consistent with a ZnOx(s)-like surface precipitate and possibly type B ternary surface complexes (i.e., >O2-Ox-Zn). EXAFS results are also consistent with the presence of ZnOx(s)-like precipitates. We ascribe the observed increase of Zn(II)(aq) uptake in the Zn(II)/Ox/HN ternary system at [Zn(II)(aq)]tot>or=4 mM relative to the Zn(II)/Ox/HM ternary system to formation of a ZnOx(s)-like precipitate at the hematite nanoparticle/water interface.

Influence of cysteine and selenodicysteine on the uptake of zinc by Chlorella vulgaris Beijerinck

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Czauderna, M.; Samochocka, K.

1982-01-01

The uptake of zinc labelled with radioactive 65 Zn in the presence of cysteine and selenodicysteine by Chlorella vulgaris was examined. The concentration of zinc ions in the medium was 20 mg per 1. The uptake yield was found to be enhanced by selenodicysteine. At concentration of 10 - 7 -10 - 6 M the growth rate of Chlorella vulgaris was accelerated by the latter, provided that the specific activity of 65 Zn was 3.7 MBq/1. At this specific zinc activity cysteine increased the uptake yield during the initial 50 h of the incubation process. At specific 65 Zn-activity of 55.5 MBq/1 selenodicysteine and cysteine only slightly influenced the zinc uptake by Chlorella vulgaris. No increment in the biomass was observed at this specific zinc radioactivity. (author)

The role of CH/π interactions in the high affinity binding of streptavidin and biotin.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozawa, Motoyasu; Ozawa, Tomonaga; Nishio, Motohiro; Ueda, Kazuyoshi

2017-08-01

The streptavidin-biotin complex has an extraordinarily high affinity (Ka: 10 15 mol -1 ) and contains one of the strongest non-covalent interactions known. This strong interaction is widely used in biological tools, including for affinity tags, detection, and immobilization of proteins. Although hydrogen bond networks and hydrophobic interactions have been proposed to explain this high affinity, the reasons for it remain poorly understood. Inspired by the deceased affinity of biotin observed for point mutations of streptavidin at tryptophan residues, we hypothesized that a CH/π interaction may also contribute to the strong interaction between streptavidin and biotin. CH/π interactions were explored and analyzed at the biotin-binding site and at the interface of the subunits by the fragment molecular orbital method (FMO) and extended applications: PIEDA and FMO4. The results show that CH/π interactions are involved in the high affinity for biotin at the binding site of streptavidin. We further suggest that the involvement of CH/π interactions at the subunit interfaces and an extended CH/π network play more critical roles in determining the high affinity, rather than involvement at the binding site. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identification of high- and low-affinity NGF receptors during development of the chicken central nervous system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Escandon, E.; Chao, M.V.

1990-01-01

In order to study regulation of the nerve growth factor (NGF) receptor during embryogenesis in chick brain, we have used affinity crosslinking of tissues with 125 I-NGF. NGF interacts with high- and low-affinity receptors; high-affinity receptors are required for the majority of NGF's actions. Most measurements of receptor levels do not distinguish between high- and low-affinity forms of the receptor. We have used the lipophilic crosslinking agent HSAB to identify the high-affinity, functional receptor during development of the chicken central nervous system. A peak of expression during Embryonic Days 5-10 was detected in all regions of the chicken central nervous system, but, shortly after birth, only the cerebellar region displays significant levels of NGF receptor protein. The time course of expression confirms the dramatic regulation of the NGF receptor gene during defined embryonic periods. The detection of high-affinity NGF receptors in brain and neural retina provides strong evidence that NGF is involved in essential ontogenetic events in the development of the chicken central nervous system

High affinity calmodulin target sequence in the signalling molecule PI 3-kinase

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fischer, R; Julsgart, J; Berchtold, M W

1998-01-01

M-binding peptide derived from the p110gamma isoform interacts with CaM in a calcium-dependent way. Using gel shift analysis and fluorescence spectrophotometry we discovered that the peptide forms a high affinity complex with CaM. Titration experiments using dansylated CaM gave an affinity constant of 5 n...

Morphology engineering of ZnO nanostructures for high performance supercapacitors: enhanced electrochemistry of ZnO nanocones compared to ZnO nanowires

Science.gov (United States)

He, Xiaoli; Yoo, Joung Eun; Lee, Min Ho; Bae, Joonho

2017-06-01

In this work, the morphology of ZnO nanostructures is engineered to demonstrate enhanced supercapacitor characteristics of ZnO nanocones (NCs) compared to ZnO nanowires (NWs). ZnO NCs are obtained by chemically etching ZnO NWs. Electrochemical characteristics of ZnO NCs and NWs are extensively investigated to demonstrate morphology dependent capacitive performance of one dimensional ZnO nanostructures. Cyclic voltammetry measurements on these two kinds of electrodes in a three-electrode cell confirms that ZnO NCs exhibit a high specific capacitance of 378.5 F g-1 at a scan rate of 20 mV s-1, which is almost twice that of ZnO NWs (191.5 F g-1). The charge-discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements also clearly result in enhanced capacitive performance of NCs as evidenced by higher specific capacitances and lower internal resistance. Asymmetric supercapacitors are fabricated using activated carbon (AC) as the negative electrode and ZnO NWs and NCs as positive electrodes. The ZnO NC⫽AC can deliver a maximum specific capacitance of 126 F g-1 at a current density of 1.33 A g-1 with an energy density of 25.2 W h kg-1 at the power density of 896.44 W kg-1. In contrast, ZnO NW⫽AC displays 63% of the capacitance obtained from the ZnO NC⫽AC supercapacitor. The enhanced performance of NCs is attributed to the higher surface area of ZnO nanostructures after the morphology is altered from NWs to NCs.

MO-Co@N-Doped Carbon (M = Zn or Co): Vital Roles of Inactive Zn and Highly Efficient Activity toward Oxygen Reduction/Evolution Reactions for Rechargeable Zn-Air Battery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Biaohua [State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029 P. R. China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Energy Environmental Catalysis, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029 P. R. China; He, Xiaobo [Changzhou Institute of Advanced Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Changzhou 213164 P. R. China; Yin, Fengxiang [State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029 P. R. China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Energy Environmental Catalysis, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029 P. R. China; Changzhou Institute of Advanced Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Changzhou 213164 P. R. China; Wang, Hao [State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029 P. R. China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Energy Environmental Catalysis, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029 P. R. China; Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne IL 60439 USA; Liu, Di-Jia [Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne IL 60439 USA; Shi, Ruixing [State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029 P. R. China; Chen, Jinnan [State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029 P. R. China; Yin, Hongwei [State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029 P. R. China

2017-06-14

A highly efficient bifunctional oxygen catalyst is required for practical applications of fuel cells and metal-air batteries, as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are their core electrode reactions. Here, the MO-Co@ N-doped carbon (NC, M = Zn or Co) is developed as a highly active ORR/OER bifunctional catalyst via pyrolysis of a bimetal metal-organic framework containing Zn and Co, i.e., precursor (CoZn). The vital roles of inactive Zn in developing highly active bifunctional oxygen catalysts are unraveled. When the precursors include Zn, the surface contents of pyridinic N for ORR and the surface contents of Co-N-x and Co3+/Co2+ ratios for OER are enhanced, while the high specific surface areas, high porosity, and high electrochemical active surface areas are also achieved. Furthermore, the synergistic effects between Zn-based and Co-based species can promote the well growth of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) at high pyrolysis temperatures (>= 700 degrees C), which is favorable for charge transfer. The optimized CoZn-NC-700 shows the highly bifunctional ORR/OER activity and the excellent durability during the ORR/OER processes, even better than 20 wt% Pt/C (for ORR) and IrO2 (for OER). CoZn-NC-700 also exhibits the prominent Zn-air battery performance and even outperforms the mixture of 20 wt% Pt/C and IrO2.

[Relation between location of elements in periodic table and affinity for the malignant tumor (author's transl)].

Science.gov (United States)

Ando, A; Hisada, K; Ando, I

1977-10-01

Affinity of many inorganic compounds for the malignant tumor was examined, using the rats which were subcutaneously transplanted with Yoshida sarcoma. And the relations between the uptake rate into the malignant tumor and in vitro binding power to the protein were investigated in these compounds. In these experiments, the bipositive ions and anions had not affinity for the tumor tissue with a few exceptions. On the other hand, Hg, Au and Bi, which have strong binding power to the protein, showed high uptake rate into the malignant tumor. As Hg++, Au+ and Bi+++ are soft acids according to classification of Lewis acids, it was thought that these elements would bind strongly to soft base (R-SH, R-S-) present in the tumor tissue. In many hard acids (according to classification of Lewis acids), the uptake rate into the tumor was shown as a function of ionic potentials (valency/ionic radii) of the metal ions. It is presumed that the chemical bond of these hard acids in the tumor tissue is ionic bond to hard base (R-COO-, R-PO3(2-), R-SO3-, R-NH2).

High-quality ZnO growth, doping, and polarization effect

Science.gov (United States)

Kun, Tang; Shulin, Gu; Jiandong, Ye; Shunming, Zhu; Rong, Zhang; Youdou, Zheng

2016-03-01

The authors have reported their recent progress in the research field of ZnO materials as well as the corresponding global advance. Recent results regarding (1) the development of high-quality epitaxy techniques, (2) the defect physics and the Te/N co-doping mechanism for p-type conduction, and (3) the design, realization, and properties of the ZnMgO/ZnO hetero-structures have been shown and discussed. A complete technology of the growth of high-quality ZnO epi-films and nano-crystals has been developed. The co-doping of N plus an iso-valent element to oxygen has been found to be the most hopeful path to overcome the notorious p-type hurdle. High mobility electrons have been observed in low-dimensional structures utilizing the polarization of ZnMgO and ZnO. Very different properties as well as new physics of the electrons in 2DEG and 3DES have been found as compared to the electrons in the bulk. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 61025020, 61274058, 61322403, 61504057, 61574075), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (Nos. BK2011437, BK20130013, BK20150585), the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.

Gallium-67-labeled lactam bridge-cyclized alpha-MSH peptides with enhanced melanoma uptake and reduced renal uptake.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Haixun; Gallazzi, Fabio; Miao, Yubin

2012-06-20

The purpose of this study was to examine the melanoma targeting and pharmacokinetic properties of (67)Ga-DOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex {(67)Ga-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclononane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid-Gly-Gly-Nle-c[Asp-His-DPhe-Arg-Trp-Lys]-CONH2} and (67)Ga-NOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex {(67)Ga-1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-triacetic acid-Gly-Gly-Nle-c[Asp-His-DPhe-Arg-Trp-Lys]-CONH2} and compare with (67)Ga-DOTA-GlyGlu-CycMSH {(67)Ga-DOTA-Gly-Glu-c[Lys-Nle-Glu-His-DPhe-Arg-Trp-Gly-Arg-Pro-Val-Asp]} we previously reported. DOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex and NOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex were synthesized using fluorenylmethyloxy carbonyl (Fmoc) chemistry. The melanocortin-1 (MC1) receptor binding affinity of NOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex was determined in B16/F1 melanoma cells and compared with DOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex. The melanoma targeting and pharmacokinetic properties of (67)Ga-NOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex and (67)Ga-DOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex were determined in B16/F1 melanoma-bearing C57 mice. NOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex and DOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex displayed comparable MC1 receptor binding affinities (1.6 vs 2.1 nM) in B16/F1 melanoma cells. Both (67)Ga-NOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex and (67)Ga-DOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex exhibited dramatically enhanced melanoma uptake and reduced renal uptake than (67)Ga-DOTA-GlyGlu-CycMSH in B16/F1 melanoma-bearing C57 mice. Furthermore, (67)Ga-NOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex exhibited more favorable radiolabeling conditions (>85% radiolabeling yields started at 37 °C), as well as higher tumor/kidney uptake ratios than (67)Ga-DOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex at 0.5, 2, and 24 h postinjection. High melanoma uptake coupled with low renal uptake highlighted the potential of (67)Ga-NOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex for melanoma imaging and therapy.

Extremely High Phosphate Sorption Capacity in Cu-Pb-Zn Mine Tailings.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Longbin; Li, Xiaofang; Nguyen, Tuan A H

2015-01-01

Elevated inorganic phosphate (Pi) concentrations in pore water of amended tailings under direct revegetation may cause toxicity in some native woody species but not native forbs or herb species, all of which are key constituents in target native plant communities for phytostabilizing base metal mine tailings. As a result, Pi sorption capacity has been quantified by a conventional batch procedure in three types of base metal mine tailings sampled from two copper (Cu)-lead (Pb)-zinc (Zn) mines, as the basis for Pi-fertiliser addition. It was found that the Pi-sorption capacity in the tailings and local soil was extremely high, far higher than highly weathered agricultural soils in literature, but similar to those of volcanic ash soils. The Langmuir P-sorption maximum was up to 7.72, 4.12, 4.02 and 3.62 mg P g-1 tailings, in the fresh tailings of mixed Cu-Pb-Zn streams (MIMTD7), the weathered tailings of mixed Cu-Pb-Zn streams (MIMTD5), EHM-TD (fresh Cu-stream, high magnetite content) and local soil (weathered shale and schist), respectively. Physicochemical factors highly correlated with the high Pi-sorption in the tailings were fine particle distribution, oxalate and dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate extractable Fe (FeO and Fed), oxalate-extractable Al and Mn, and the levels of soluble Cd and Zn, and total S and Fe. Large amounts of amorphous Fe oxides and oxyhydroxides may have been formed from the oxidation of pyritic materials and redox cycles of Fe-minerals (such as pyrite (FeS2), ankerite (Ca(Fe Mg)(CO3)2 and siderite (FeCO3), as indicated by the extractable FeO values. The likely formation of sparingly soluble Zn-phosphate in the Pb-Zn tailings containing high levels of Zn (from sphalerite ((Zn,Fe)S, ZnS, (Zn,Cd)S)) may substantially lower soluble Zn levels in the tailings through high rates of Pi-fertiliser addition. As a result, the possibility of P-toxicity in native plant species caused by the addition of soluble phosphate fertilizers would be minimal.

Soil carbon content and relative abundance of high affinity H2-oxidizing bacteria predict atmospheric H2 soil uptake activity better than soil microbial community composition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Khdhiri, Mondher; Hesse, Laura; Popa, Maria Elena; Quiza, Liliana; Lalonde, Isabelle; Meredith, Laura K.; Röckmann, Thomas; Constant, Philippe

2015-01-01

Soil-atmosphere exchange of H2 is controlled by gas diffusion and the microbial production and oxidation activities in soil. Among these parameters, the H2 oxidation activity catalyzed by soil microorganisms harboring high affinity hydrogenase is the most difficult variable to parameterize because

Hybrid ZnO/ZnS nanoforests as the electrode materials for high performance supercapacitor application.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Siwen; Yin, Bosi; Jiang, He; Qu, Fengyu; Umar, Ahmad; Wu, Xiang

2015-02-07

Heterostructured ZnO/ZnS nanoforests are prepared through a simple two-step thermal evaporation method at 650 °C and 1300 °C in a tube furnace under the flow of argon gas, respectively. A metal catalyst (Au) to form a binary alloy has been used in the process. The as-obtained ZnO/ZnS products are characterized by using a series of techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersion X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence. A possible growth mechanism is temporarily proposed. The hybrid structures are also directly functionalized as supercapacitor (SC) electrodes without using any ancillary materials such as carbon black or binder. Results show that the as-synthesized ZnO/ZnS heterostructures exhibit a greatly reduced ultraviolet emission and dramatically enhanced green emission compared to pure ZnO nanorods. The SCs data demonstrate high specific capacitance of 217 mF cm(-2) at 1 mA cm(-2) and excellent cyclic performance with 82% capacity retention after 2000 cycles at a current density of 2.0 mA cm(-2).

Characterization of a putative grapevine Zn transporter, VvZIP3, suggests its involvement in early reproductive development in Vitis vinifera L

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gainza-Cortés Felipe

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Zinc (Zn deficiency is one of the most widespread mineral nutritional problems that affect normal development in plants. Because Zn cannot passively diffuse across cell membranes, it must be transported into intracellular compartments for all biological processes where Zn is required. Several members of the Zinc-regulated transporters, Iron-regulated transporter-like Protein (ZIP gene family have been characterized in plants, and have shown to be involved in metal uptake and transport. This study describes the first putative Zn transporter in grapevine. Unravelling its function may explain an important symptom of Zn deficiency in grapevines, which is the production of clusters with fewer and usually smaller berries than normal. Results We identified and characterized a putative Zn transporter from berries of Vitis vinifera L., named VvZIP3. Compared to other members of the ZIP family identified in the Vitis vinifera L. genome, VvZIP3 is mainly expressed in reproductive tissue - specifically in developing flowers - which correlates with the high Zn accumulation in these organs. Contrary to this, the low expression of VvZIP3 in parthenocarpic berries shows a relationship with the lower Zn accumulation in this tissue than in normal seeded berries where its expression is induced by Zn. The predicted protein sequence indicates strong similarity with several members of the ZIP family from Arabidopsis thaliana and other species. Moreover, VvZIP3 complemented the growth defect of a yeast Zn-uptake mutant, ZHY3, and is localized in the plasma membrane of plant cells, suggesting that VvZIP3 has the function of a Zn uptake transporter. Conclusions Our results suggest that VvZIP3 encodes a putative plasma membrane Zn transporter protein member of the ZIP gene family that might play a role in Zn uptake and distribution during the early reproductive development in Vitis vinifera L., indicating that the availability of this micronutrient

Elemental concentrations and tracer uptake behavior of manganese, zinc, and selenium in brain of normal mice during development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tarohda, Tohru; Yabushita, Yuko; Kanayama, Yousuke; Amano, Ryohei; Enomoto, Shuichi

2001-01-01

Concentrations and uptake behavior of manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), and selenium (Se) in mouse brain were studied by a multitracer technique, neutron activation analysis and autoradiography. Comparative concentrations on Mn, Zn, and Se and tracer uptake behavior of 54 Mn, 65 Zn, and 75 Se were examined in brains of 1-, 4-, 8-, 21-, and 56-day-old mice, and evaluated in terms of brain concentration (parts per million, ppm) and brain uptake rate (the radioactivity percentage of injected dose per gram of brain, %dose/g), respectively. As a result, the brain concentrations of Mn increased with growth, although those of Se and Zn did not change. On the other hand, the uptakes of the three tracers by brains of 1-day-old mice were much higher than those of older ones. Using radioactive 54 Mn as a single tracer, autoradiography was examined to determine the Mn uptake regional distribution in brains of 1-, 8-, and 21-day-old mice, and a higher regional uptake of Mn by the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, thalamus and hypothalamus in brains of young mice was observed. (author)

Bioaccumulation and subcellular partitioning of zinc in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): Cross-talk between waterborne and dietary uptake

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sappal, Ravinder; Burka, John; Dawson, Susan; Kamunde, Collins

2009-01-01

Zinc homeostasis was studied at the tissue and gill subcellular levels in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) following waterborne and dietary exposures, singly and in combination. Juvenile rainbow trout were exposed to 150 or 600 μg l -1 waterborne Zn, 1500 or 4500 μg g -1 dietary Zn, and a combination of 150 μg l -1 waterborne and 1500 μg g -1 dietary Zn for 40 days. Accumulation of Zn in tissues and gill subcellular fractions was measured. At the tissue level, the carcass acted as the main Zn depot containing 84-90% of whole body Zn burden whereas the gill held 4-6%. At the subcellular level, the majority of gill Zn was bioavailable with the estimated metabolically active pool being 81-90%. Interestingly, the nuclei-cellular debris fraction bound the highest amount (40%) of the gill Zn burden. There was low partitioning of Zn into the detoxified pool (10-19%) suggesting that sequestration and chelation are not major mechanisms of cellular Zn homeostasis in rainbow trout. Further, the subcellular partitioning of Zn did not conform to the spill-over model of metal toxicity because Zn binding was indiscriminate irrespective of exposure concentration and duration. The contribution of the branchial and gastrointestinal uptake pathways to Zn accumulation depended on the tissue. Specifically, in plasma, blood cells, and gill, uptake from water was dominant whereas both pathways appeared to contribute equally to Zn accumulation in the carcass. Subcellularly, additive uptake from the two pathways was observed in the heat-stable proteins (HSP) fraction. Toxicologically, Zn exposure caused minimal adverse effects manifested by a transitory inhibition of protein synthesis in gills in the waterborne exposure. Overall, subcellular fractionation appears to have value in the quest for a better understanding of Zn homeostasis and interactions between branchial and gastrointestinal uptake pathways

Bioaccumulation and subcellular partitioning of zinc in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): Cross-talk between waterborne and dietary uptake

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sappal, Ravinder; Burka, John; Dawson, Susan [Department of Biomedical Sciences, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3 (Canada); Kamunde, Collins [Department of Biomedical Sciences, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3 (Canada)], E-mail: ckamunde@upei.ca

2009-03-09

Zinc homeostasis was studied at the tissue and gill subcellular levels in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) following waterborne and dietary exposures, singly and in combination. Juvenile rainbow trout were exposed to 150 or 600 {mu}g l{sup -1} waterborne Zn, 1500 or 4500 {mu}g g{sup -1} dietary Zn, and a combination of 150 {mu}g l{sup -1} waterborne and 1500 {mu}g g{sup -1} dietary Zn for 40 days. Accumulation of Zn in tissues and gill subcellular fractions was measured. At the tissue level, the carcass acted as the main Zn depot containing 84-90% of whole body Zn burden whereas the gill held 4-6%. At the subcellular level, the majority of gill Zn was bioavailable with the estimated metabolically active pool being 81-90%. Interestingly, the nuclei-cellular debris fraction bound the highest amount (40%) of the gill Zn burden. There was low partitioning of Zn into the detoxified pool (10-19%) suggesting that sequestration and chelation are not major mechanisms of cellular Zn homeostasis in rainbow trout. Further, the subcellular partitioning of Zn did not conform to the spill-over model of metal toxicity because Zn binding was indiscriminate irrespective of exposure concentration and duration. The contribution of the branchial and gastrointestinal uptake pathways to Zn accumulation depended on the tissue. Specifically, in plasma, blood cells, and gill, uptake from water was dominant whereas both pathways appeared to contribute equally to Zn accumulation in the carcass. Subcellularly, additive uptake from the two pathways was observed in the heat-stable proteins (HSP) fraction. Toxicologically, Zn exposure caused minimal adverse effects manifested by a transitory inhibition of protein synthesis in gills in the waterborne exposure. Overall, subcellular fractionation appears to have value in the quest for a better understanding of Zn homeostasis and interactions between branchial and gastrointestinal uptake pathways.

Effects of salinity on short-term waterborne zinc uptake, accumulation and sub-lethal toxicity in the green shore crab (Carcinus maenas)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niyogi, Som; Blewett, Tamzin A.; Gallagher, Trevor; Fehsenfeld, Sandra; Wood, Chris M.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Zinc accumulation in the euryhaline green crab is partially salinity dependent. • Zinc accumulates mainly in the gills of green crab during acute waterborne exposure. • Branchial zinc and calcium transport in the green crab occurs via a common pathway. • Acute waterborne Zn exposure disrupts calcium and zinc homeostasis in the green crab. - Abstract: Waterborne zinc (Zn) is known to cause toxicity to freshwater animals primarily by disrupting calcium (Ca) homeostasis during acute exposure, but its effects in marine and estuarine animals are not well characterized. The present study investigated the effects of salinity on short-term Zn accumulation and sub-lethal toxicity in the euryhaline green shore crab, Carcinus maenas. The kinetic and pharmacological properties of short-term branchial Zn uptake were also examined. Green crabs (n = 10) were exposed to control (no added Zn) and 50 μM (3.25 mg L"−"1) of waterborne Zn (∼25% of 96 h LC_5_0 in 100 seawater) for 96 h at 3 different salinity regimes (100%, 60% and 20% seawater). Exposure to waterborne Zn increased tissue-specific Zn accumulation across different salinities. However, the maximum accumulation occurred in 20% seawater and no difference was recorded between 60% and 100% seawater. Gills appeared to be the primary site of Zn accumulation, since the accumulation was significantly higher in the gills relative to the hepatopancreas, haemolymph and muscle. Waterborne Zn exposure induced a slight increase in haemolymph osmolality and chloride levels irrespective of salinity. In contrast, Zn exposure elicited marked increases in both haemolymph and gill Ca levels, and these changes were more pronounced in 20% seawater relative to that in 60% or 100% seawater. An in vitro gill perfusion technique was used to examine the characteristics of short-term (1–4 h) branchial Zn uptake over an exposure concentration range of 3–12 μM (200–800 μg L"−"1). The rate of short-term branchial Zn

Effects of salinity on short-term waterborne zinc uptake, accumulation and sub-lethal toxicity in the green shore crab (Carcinus maenas)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Niyogi, Som, E-mail: som.niyogi@usask.ca [Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK (Canada); Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK (Canada); Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, Bamfield, BC (Canada); Blewett, Tamzin A. [Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, Bamfield, BC (Canada); Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB (Canada); Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON (Canada); Gallagher, Trevor [Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK (Canada); Fehsenfeld, Sandra [Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, Bamfield, BC (Canada); Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB (Canada); Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC (Canada); Wood, Chris M. [Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, Bamfield, BC (Canada); Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON (Canada); Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC (Canada)

2016-09-15

Highlights: • Zinc accumulation in the euryhaline green crab is partially salinity dependent. • Zinc accumulates mainly in the gills of green crab during acute waterborne exposure. • Branchial zinc and calcium transport in the green crab occurs via a common pathway. • Acute waterborne Zn exposure disrupts calcium and zinc homeostasis in the green crab. - Abstract: Waterborne zinc (Zn) is known to cause toxicity to freshwater animals primarily by disrupting calcium (Ca) homeostasis during acute exposure, but its effects in marine and estuarine animals are not well characterized. The present study investigated the effects of salinity on short-term Zn accumulation and sub-lethal toxicity in the euryhaline green shore crab, Carcinus maenas. The kinetic and pharmacological properties of short-term branchial Zn uptake were also examined. Green crabs (n = 10) were exposed to control (no added Zn) and 50 μM (3.25 mg L{sup −1}) of waterborne Zn (∼25% of 96 h LC{sub 50} in 100 seawater) for 96 h at 3 different salinity regimes (100%, 60% and 20% seawater). Exposure to waterborne Zn increased tissue-specific Zn accumulation across different salinities. However, the maximum accumulation occurred in 20% seawater and no difference was recorded between 60% and 100% seawater. Gills appeared to be the primary site of Zn accumulation, since the accumulation was significantly higher in the gills relative to the hepatopancreas, haemolymph and muscle. Waterborne Zn exposure induced a slight increase in haemolymph osmolality and chloride levels irrespective of salinity. In contrast, Zn exposure elicited marked increases in both haemolymph and gill Ca levels, and these changes were more pronounced in 20% seawater relative to that in 60% or 100% seawater. An in vitro gill perfusion technique was used to examine the characteristics of short-term (1–4 h) branchial Zn uptake over an exposure concentration range of 3–12 μM (200–800 μg L{sup −1}). The rate of short

Uptake of dissolved inorganic and organic nitrogen by the benthic toxic dinoflagellate Ostreopsis cf. ovata.

Science.gov (United States)

Jauzein, Cécile; Couet, Douglas; Blasco, Thierry; Lemée, Rodolphe

2017-05-01

Environmental factors that shape dynamics of benthic toxic blooms are largely unknown. In particular, for the toxic dinoflagellate Ostreopsis cf. ovata, the importance of the availability of nutrients and the contribution of the inorganic and organic pools to growth need to be quantified in marine coastal environments. The present study aimed at characterizing N-uptake of dissolved inorganic and organic sources by O. cf. ovata cells, using the 15 N-labelling technique. Experiments were conducted taking into account potential interactions between nutrient uptake systems as well as variations with the diel cycle. Uptake abilities of O. cf. ovata were parameterized for ammonium (NH 4 + ), nitrate (NO 3 - ) and N-urea, from the estimation of kinetic and inhibition parameters. In the range of 0 to 10μmolNL -1 , kinetic curves showed a clear preference pattern following the ranking NH 4 + >NO 3 - >N-urea, where the preferential uptake of NH 4 + relative to NO 3 - was accentuated by an inhibitory effect of NH 4 + concentration on NO 3 - uptake capabilities. Conversely, under high nutrient concentrations, the preference for NH 4 + relative to NO 3 - was largely reduced, probably because of the existence of a low-affinity high capacity inducible NO 3 - uptake system. Ability to take up nutrients in darkness could not be defined as a competitive advantage for O. cf. ovata. Species competitiveness can also be defined from nutrient uptake kinetic parameters. A strong affinity for NH 4 + was observed for O. cf. ovata cells that may partly explain the success of this toxic species during the summer season in the Bay of Villefranche-sur-mer (France). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterisation of Redlen high-flux CdZnTe

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, B.; Veale, M. C.; Wilson, M. D.; Seller, P.; Schneider, A.; Iniewski, K.

2017-12-01

CdZnTe is a promising material for the current generation of free electron laser light sources and future laser-driven γ-ray sources which require detectors capable of high flux imaging at X-ray and γ-ray energies (> 10 keV) . However, at high fluxes CdZnTe has been shown to polarise due to hole trapping, leading to poor performance. Novel Redlen CdZnTe material with improved hole transport properties has been designed for high flux applications. Small pixel CdZnTe detectors were fabricated by Redlen Technologies and flip-chip bonded to PIXIE ASICs. An XIA Digital Gamma Finder PIXIE-16 system was used to digitise each of the nine analogue signals with a timing resolution of 10 ns. Pulse shape analysis was used to extract the rise times and amplitude of signals. These were measured as a function of applied bias voltage and used to calculate the mobility (μ) and mobility-lifetime (μτ) of electrons and holes in the material for three identical detectors. The measured values of the transport properties of electrons in the high-flux-capable material was lower than previously reported for Redlen CdZnTe material (μeτe ~ 1 × 10-3 cm2V-1 and μe ~ 1000 cm2V-1s-1) while the hole transport properties were found to have improved (μhτh ~ 3 × 10-4 cm2V-1 and μh ~ 100 cm2V-1s-1).

Molecular basis of a high affinity murine interleukin-5 receptor.

OpenAIRE

Devos, R; Plaetinck, G; Van der Heyden, J; Cornelis, S; Vandekerckhove, J; Fiers, W; Tavernier, J

1991-01-01

The mouse interleukin-5 receptor (mIL-5R) consists of two components one of which, the mIL-5R alpha-chain, binds mIL-5 with low affinity. Recently we demonstrated that monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) recognizing the second mIL-5R beta-chain, immunoprecipitate a p130-140 protein doublet which corresponds to the mIL-3R and the mIL-3R-like protein, the latter chain for which so far no ligand has been identified. In this study we show that a high affinity mIL-5R can be reconstituted on COS1 cells by...

Effect of intrauterine contraceptive device on the subcellular distribution of /sup 65/Zn in rat uterus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghosh, M; Roy, S K; Mookherjee, S R [Central Drug Research Inst., Lucknow (India). Div. of Endocrinology

1979-07-01

The increase in /sup 65/Zn uptake was observed in mitochondrial, microsomal and soluble fraction of IUD-fitted horn compared to contralateral control horn and that of intact control animals. The nuclear fraction also showed higher /sup 65/Zn uptake in IUD-horn and contralateral control horn from that of intact control rats, but the contralateral control horn had higher values than sutured side. The above findings reveal that the /sup 65/Zn uptake increases in the mitochondrial, microsomal and soluble fractions due to the effect of an IUD.

Extremely High Phosphate Sorption Capacity in Cu-Pb-Zn Mine Tailings.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Longbin Huang

Full Text Available Elevated inorganic phosphate (Pi concentrations in pore water of amended tailings under direct revegetation may cause toxicity in some native woody species but not native forbs or herb species, all of which are key constituents in target native plant communities for phytostabilizing base metal mine tailings. As a result, Pi sorption capacity has been quantified by a conventional batch procedure in three types of base metal mine tailings sampled from two copper (Cu-lead (Pb-zinc (Zn mines, as the basis for Pi-fertiliser addition. It was found that the Pi-sorption capacity in the tailings and local soil was extremely high, far higher than highly weathered agricultural soils in literature, but similar to those of volcanic ash soils. The Langmuir P-sorption maximum was up to 7.72, 4.12, 4.02 and 3.62 mg P g-1 tailings, in the fresh tailings of mixed Cu-Pb-Zn streams (MIMTD7, the weathered tailings of mixed Cu-Pb-Zn streams (MIMTD5, EHM-TD (fresh Cu-stream, high magnetite content and local soil (weathered shale and schist, respectively. Physicochemical factors highly correlated with the high Pi-sorption in the tailings were fine particle distribution, oxalate and dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate extractable Fe (FeO and Fed, oxalate-extractable Al and Mn, and the levels of soluble Cd and Zn, and total S and Fe. Large amounts of amorphous Fe oxides and oxyhydroxides may have been formed from the oxidation of pyritic materials and redox cycles of Fe-minerals (such as pyrite (FeS2, ankerite (Ca(Fe Mg(CO32 and siderite (FeCO3, as indicated by the extractable FeO values. The likely formation of sparingly soluble Zn-phosphate in the Pb-Zn tailings containing high levels of Zn (from sphalerite ((Zn,FeS, ZnS, (Zn,CdS may substantially lower soluble Zn levels in the tailings through high rates of Pi-fertiliser addition. As a result, the possibility of P-toxicity in native plant species caused by the addition of soluble phosphate fertilizers would be minimal.

Silicon (Si) alleviates cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) from zinc (Zn) toxicity stress by limiting Zn uptake and oxidative damage.

Science.gov (United States)

Anwaar, Shad Ali; Ali, Shafaqat; Ali, Skhawat; Ishaque, Wajid; Farid, Mujahid; Farooq, Muhammad Ahsan; Najeeb, Ullah; Abbas, Farhat; Sharif, Muhammad

2015-03-01

Silicon (Si) is as an important fertilizer element, which has been found effective in enhancing plant tolerance to variety of biotic and a-biotic stresses. This study investigates the Si potential to alleviate zinc (Zn) toxicity stress in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Cotton plants were grown in hydroponics and exposed to different Zn concentration, 0, 25, and 50 μM, alone and/or in combination with 1 mM Si. Incremental Zn concentration in growth media instigated the cellular oxidative damage that was evident from elevated levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), electrolyte leakage, and malondialdehyde (MDA) and consequently inhibited cotton growth, biomass, chlorophyll pigments, and photosynthetic process. Application of Si significantly suppressed Zn accumulation in various plant parts, i.e., roots, stems, and leaves and thus promoted biomass, photosynthetic, growth parameters, and antioxidant enzymes activity of Zn-stressed as well unstressed plants. In addition, Si reduced the MDA and H2O2 production and electrolyte leakage suggesting its role in protecting cotton plants from Zn toxicity-induced oxidative damage. Thus, the study indicated that exogenous Si application could improve growth and development of cotton crop experiencing Zn toxicity stress by limiting Zn bioavailability and oxidative damage.

The tau positron-emission tomography tracer AV-1451 binds with similar affinities to tau fibrils and monoamine oxidases.

Science.gov (United States)

Vermeiren, Céline; Motte, Philippe; Viot, Delphine; Mairet-Coello, Georges; Courade, Jean-Philippe; Citron, Martin; Mercier, Joël; Hannestad, Jonas; Gillard, Michel

2018-02-01

Lilly/Avid's AV-1451 is one of the most advanced tau PET tracers in the clinic. Although results obtained in Alzheimer's disease patients are compelling, discrimination of tracer uptake in healthy individuals and patients with supranuclear palsy (PSP) is less clear as there is substantial overlap of signal in multiple brain regions. Moreover, accurate quantification of [ 18 F]AV-1451 uptake in Alzheimer's disease may not be possible. The aim of the present study was to characterize the in vitro binding of AV-1451 to understand and identify potential off-target binding that could explain the poor discrimination observed in PSP patients. [ 3 H]AV-1451 and AV-1451 were characterized in in vitro binding assays using recombinant and native proteins/tissues from postmortem samples of controls and Alzheimer's disease and PSP patients. [ 3 H]AV-1451 binds to multiple sites with nanomolar affinities in brain homogenates and to tau fibrils isolated from Alzheimer's disease or PSP patients. [ 3 H]AV-1451 also binds with similarly high affinities in brain homogenates devoid of tau pathology. This unexpected binding was demonstrated to be because of nanomolar affinities of [ 3 H]AV-1451 for monoamine oxidase A and B enzymes. High affinity of AV-1451 for monoamine oxidase proteins may limit its utility as a tau PET tracer in PSP and Alzheimer's disease because of high levels of monoamine oxidase expression in brain regions also affected by tau deposition, especially if monoamine oxidase levels change over time or with a treatment intervention. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of Alexa Fluor 680-Bombesin[7–14]NH2 Peptide Conjugate, a High-Affinity Fluorescent Probe with High Selectivity for the Gastrin-Releasing Peptide Receptor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lixin Ma

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP receptors are overexpressed on several types of human cancer cells, including breast, prostate, small cell lung, and pancreatic cancers. Bombesin (BBN, a 14–amino acid peptide that is an analogue of human GRP, binds to GRP receptors with very high affinity and specificity. The aim of this study was to develop a new fluorescent probe based on BBN having high tumor uptake and optimal pharmacokinetics for specific targeting and optical imaging of human breast cancer tissue. In this study, solid-phase peptide synthesis was used to produce H2N-glycylglycylglycine-BBN[7–14]NH2 peptide with the following general sequence: H2N-G-G-G-Q-W-A-V-G-H-L-M-(NH2. This conjugate was purified by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and characterized by electrospray-ionization mass spectra. The fluorescent probe Alexa Fluor 680-G-G-G-BBN[7–14]NH2 conjugate was prepared by reaction of Alexa Fluor 680 succinimidyl ester to H2N-G-G-G-BBN[7–14]NH2 in dimethylformamide (DMF. In vitro competitive binding assays, using 125I-Tyr4-BBN as the radiolabeling gold standard, demonstrated an inhibitory concentration 50% value of 7.7 ± 1.4 nM in human T-47D breast cancer cells. Confocal fluorescence microscopy images of Alexa Fluor 680-G-G-G-BBN[7–14]NH2 in human T-47D breast cancer cells indicated specific uptake, internalization, and receptor blocking of the fluorescent bioprobe in vitro. In vivo investigations in SCID mice bearing xenografted T-47D breast cancer lesions demonstrated the ability of this new conjugate to specifically target tumor tissue with high selectivity and affinity.

Arsenic-phosphorus interactions in the soil-plant-microbe system: Dynamics of uptake, suppression and toxicity to plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Anawar, Hossain M; Rengel, Zed; Damon, Paul; Tibbett, Mark

2018-02-01

High arsenic (As) concentrations in the soil, water and plant systems can pose a direct health risk to humans and ecosystems. Phosphate (Pi) ions strongly influence As availability in soil, its uptake and toxicity to plants. Better understanding of As(V)-Pi interactions in soils and plants will facilitate a potential remediation strategy for As contaminated soils, reducing As uptake by crop plants and toxicity to human populations via manipulation of soil Pi content. However, the As(V)-Pi interactions in soil-plant systems are complex, leading to contradictory findings among different studies. Therefore, this review investigates the role of soil type, soil properties, minerals, Pi levels in soil and plant, Pi transporters, mycorrhizal association and microbial activities on As-Pi interactions in soils and hydroponics, and uptake by plants, elucidate the key mechanisms, identify key knowledge gaps and recommend new research directions. Although Pi suppresses As uptake by plants in hydroponic systems, in soils it could either increase or decrease As availability and toxicity to plants depending on the soil types, properties and charge characteristics. In soil, As(V) availability is typically increased by the addition of Pi. At the root surface, the Pi transport system has high affinity for Pi over As(V). However, Pi concentration in plant influences the As transport from roots to shoots. Mycorrhizal association may reduce As uptake via a physiological shift to the mycorrhizal uptake pathway, which has a greater affinity for Pi over As(V) than the root epidermal uptake pathway. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High mobility ZnO nanowires for terahertz detection applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Huiqiang; Peng, Rufang; Chu, Shijin; Chu, Sheng

2014-01-01

An oxide nanowire material was utilized for terahertz detection purpose. High quality ZnO nanowires were synthesized and field-effect transistors were fabricated. Electrical transport measurements demonstrated the nanowire with good transfer characteristics and fairly high electron mobility. It is shown that ZnO nanowires can be used as building blocks for the realization of terahertz detectors based on a one-dimensional plasmon detection configuration. Clear terahertz wave (∼0.3 THz) induced photovoltages were obtained at room temperature with varying incidence intensities. Further analysis showed that the terahertz photoresponse is closely related to the high electron mobility of the ZnO nanowire sample, which suggests that oxide nanoelectronics may find useful terahertz applications.

Differential zinc uptake of rice genotypes as established by radiotracer technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sudhalakshmi, C.; Krishnasamy, R.; Meena, S.

2017-01-01

Rice is a sensitive crop to zinc (Zn 2+ ) deficiency and its uptake, transport and metabolism is imperative in bio-fortification process. A pot culture experiment was conducted at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore to establish the differential zinc use efficiency of rice genotypes viz., Zn efficient Norungan and Zn inefficient PMK 3 and to assess the partitioning of Zn in shoot and root of genotypes employing radiotracer technique. Graded levels of Zn (0, 12.5, 25.0, 37.5 and 50 kg ha -1 of ZnSO 4 ) as 65 Zn labeled ZnSO 4 were applied. Zinc uptake from fertilizer increased with increased dose of applied zinc up to 37.5 kg ha -1 for PMK 3 whereas in Norungan, it was up to 25 kg ZnSO 4 ha -1 and thereafter it declined. The per cent zinc derived from fertilizer (% Zndff) was the highest in PMK 3 which apparently implies its inability to mobilize soil nutrient reserve and respond to elevated doses of applied zinc. The % Zndfs was higher in Norungan. In both the genotypes, the 'A value' showed a conspicuous increase with increased dose of applied zinc. Norungan registered a higher 'A value' than PMK 3 irrespective of the stages of sampling. Zn efficient Norungan had better Zn translocation to the shoots whereas in Zn inefficient PMK 3, vacuolar sequestration in root cells was higher. (author)

High Temperature Thermoelectric Properties of ZnO Based Materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Han, Li

of the dopants and dopant concentrations, a large power factor was obtainable. The sample with the composition of Zn0.9Cd0.1Sc0.01O obtained the highest zT ∼0.3 @1173 K, ~0.24 @1073K, and a good average zT which is better than the state-of-the-art n-type thermoelectric oxide materials. Meanwhile, Sc-doped Zn......This thesis investigated the high temperature thermoelectric properties of ZnO based materials. The investigation first focused on the doping mechanisms of Al-doped ZnO, and then the influence of spark plasma sintering conditions on the thermoelectric properties of Al, Ga-dually doped Zn......O. Following that, the nanostructuring effect for Al-doped ZnO was systematically investigated using samples with different microstructure morphologies. At last, the newly developed ZnCdO materials with superior thermoelectric properties and thermal stability were introduced as promising substitutions...

Single-experiment displacement assay for quantifying high-affinity binding by isothermal titration calorimetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Krainer, Georg; Keller, Sandro

2015-04-01

Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) is the gold standard for dissecting the thermodynamics of a biomolecular binding process within a single experiment. However, reliable determination of the dissociation constant (KD) from a single titration is typically limited to the range 100 μM>KD>1 nM. Interactions characterized by a lower KD can be assessed indirectly by so-called competition or displacement assays, provided that a suitable competitive ligand is available whose KD falls within the directly accessible window. However, this protocol is limited by the fact that it necessitates at least two titrations to characterize one high-affinity inhibitor, resulting in considerable consumption of both sample material and time. Here, we introduce a fast and efficient ITC displacement assay that allows for the simultaneous characterization of both a high-affinity ligand and a moderate-affinity ligand competing for the same binding site on a receptor within a single experiment. The protocol is based on a titration of the high-affinity ligand into a solution containing the moderate-affinity ligand bound to the receptor present in excess. The resulting biphasic binding isotherm enables accurate and precise determination of KD values and binding enthalpies (ΔH) of both ligands. We discuss the theoretical background underlying the approach, demonstrate its practical application to metal ion chelation, explore its potential and limitations with the aid of simulations and statistical analyses, and elaborate on potential applications to protein-inhibitor interactions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High radio-isotope uptakes in patients with hypothyroidism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wing, J.; Kalk, W.J.; Ganda, C. (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (South Africa). Dept. of Medicine)

1982-12-04

Hypothyroidism is usually associated with a low radio-isotope uptake by the thyriod gland. We report 8 cases of Hashimoto's thyroiditis with clinical and biochemical hypothyroidism and with borderline high or overtly increased technetium-99m pertechnetate and/or iodine-131 uptakes.

Enhanced photocatalytic activity of ZnO–graphene nanocomposites prepared by microwave synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herring, Natalie P.; Almahoudi, Serial H.; Olson, Chelsea R.; El-Shall, M. Samy

2012-01-01

This work reports a simple one-step synthesis of ZnO nanopyramids supported on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanosheets using microwave irradiation (MWI) of zinc acetate and GO in the presence of a mixture of oleic acid and oleylamine. The rapid decomposition of zinc acetate by MWI in the presence of the mixture of oleic acid and oleylamine results in the formation of hexagonal ZnO nanopyramids. GO has a high affinity for absorbing MWI, which results in a high local heating effect around the GO nanosheets and facilitates the reduction of GO by the oleylamine. The RGO nanosheets act as heterogeneous surface sites for the nucleation and growth of the ZnO nanopyramids. Using ligand exchange, the ZnO–RGO nanocomposites can be dispersed in an aqueous medium, thus allowing their use as photocatalysts for the degradation of the malachite green dye in water. The ZnO–RGO nanocomposites show enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of the dye over the unsupported ZnO nanopyramids. The enhanced activity is attributed to efficient charge transfer of the photogenerated electrons in the conduction band of ZnO to graphene. This enhances the oxidative pathway of the holes generated in the valence band of ZnO which can effectively lead to the degradation and mineralization of the malachite green. The ZnO nanopyramids supported on RGO could have improved performance in other photocatalytic reactions and also in solar energy conversion.

Selective uptake of manganese in seawater by hybrid microcapsules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuzumaki, Takenori; Yan, Wu; Mimura, Hitoshi; Niibori, Yuichi

2008-01-01

The selective separation and recovery of low concentrated elements in seawater are very important subjects for the advancement of environmental monitoring. Selective uptake of manganese from seawater was carried out by using two kinds of microcapsules (MCs) including activated carbon (AC) and insoluble tannin (T). The adsorbents, AC and T, having affinity for manganese, were enclosed into MCs (ACMS, TMC) by sol-gel method using matrices of biopolymer (calcium alginate gel polymer, CaALG). The uptake properties and selectivity of Mn 2+ (1 ppm) for MCs were examined by batch method. Relatively large uptake percentages of Mn 2+ above 80% were obtained within 1 h, and the uptake percentage above 80% was kept at pH 3-6. The uptake order was found to be T, AC, CaALG > ACMC, TMC. The uptake of Mn 2+ decreased with increasing Na + ion concentration. This tendency depends on the swelling property of CaALG; it tends to solate in the presence of highly concentrated Na + ions. The manganese ions were adsorbed on CaALG, ACMC and TMC from seawater containing 1,000 ppm Mn 2+ . ACMC and TMC had selectivity to Mn 2+ , and, especially, the matrices of CaALG also had an excellent uptake and selectivity properties. (author)

White organic light-emitting diodes with Zn-complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Dong-Eun; Shin, Hoon-Kyu; Kim, Nam-Kyu; Lee, Burm-Jong; Kwon, Young-Soo

2014-02-01

This paper reviews OLEDs fabricated using Zn-complexes. Zn(HPB)2, Zn(HPB)q, and Zn(phen)q were synthesized as new electroluminescence materials. The electron affinity (EA) and ionization potential (IP) of Zn complexes were also determined and devices were characterized. Zn complexes such as Zn(HPB)2, Zn(HPB)q, and Zn(phen)q were found to exhibit blue and yellow emissions with wavelengths of 455, 532, and 535 nm, respectively. On the other hand, Zn(HPB)2 and Zn(HPB)q were applied as hole-blocking materials. As a result, the OLED efficiency by using Zn(HPB)2 as a hole-blocking material was improved. In particular, the OLED property of Zn(HPB)2 was found to be better than that of Zn(HPB)q. Moreover, Zn(phen)q was used as an electron-transporting material and compared with Alq3. The performance of the device with Zn(phen)q as an electron-transporting material was improved compared with Alq3-based devices. The Zn complexes can possibly be used as hole-blocking and electron-transporting materials in OLED devices. A white emission was ultimately realized from the OLED devices using Zn-complexes as inter-layer components.

Fabrication of highly dispersed ZnO nanoparticles embedded in graphene nanosheets for high performance supercapacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang, Linxia; Zhang, Baoliang; Li, Wei; Zhang, Jizhong; Huang, Kejing; Zhang, Qiuyu

2014-01-01

We report a facile strategy to synthesize ZnO-graphene nanocomposites as an advanced electrode material for high-performance supercapacitors. The ZnO-graphene nanocomposites have been fabricated via a facile, low-temperature in situ wet chemistry process. During this process, high dispersed ZnO nanoparticles are embedded in graphene nanosheets, leading to sandwich-structured ZnO-graphene nanocomposites. Thus, intimate interfacial contact between ZnO nanoparticles and graphene nanosheets are achieved, which facilitates electrochemical activity and enhance electrochemical properties due to fast electron transfer. The as-prepared ZnO-graphene nanocomposites exhibit a maximum specific capacitance of 786 F g −1 and excellent cycle life with capacity retention of about 92% after 500 cycles. This facile design and rational synthesis offers an effective strategy to enhance the electrochemical performance of supercapacitors and shows promising potential for large-scale application in energy storage

High quality antireflective ZnS thin films prepared by chemical bath deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tec-Yam, S.; Rojas, J.; Rejón, V.; Oliva, A.I.

2012-01-01

Zinc sulfide (ZnS) thin films for antireflective applications were deposited on glass substrates by chemical bath deposition (CBD). Chemical analysis of the soluble species permits to predict the optimal pH conditions to obtain high quality ZnS films. For the CBD, the ZnCl 2 , NH 4 NO 3 , and CS(NH 2 ) 2 were fixed components, whereas the KOH concentration was varied from 0.8 to 1.4 M. Groups of samples with deposition times from 60 to 120 min were prepared in a bath with magnetic agitation and heated at 90 °C. ZnS films obtained from optimal KOH concentrations of 0.9 M and 1.0 M exhibited high transparency, homogeneity, adherence, and crystalline. The ZnS films presented a band gap energy of 3.84 eV, an atomic Zn:S stoichiometry ratio of 49:51, a transmittance above 85% in the 300–800 nm wavelength range, and a reflectance below 25% in the UV–Vis range. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed a cubic structure in the (111) orientation for the films. The thickness of the films was tuned between 60 nm and 135 nm by controlling the deposition time and KOH concentration. The incorporation of the CBD-ZnS films into ITO/ZnS/CdS/CdTe and glass/Mo/ZnS heterostructures as antireflective layer confirms their high optical quality. -- Highlights: ► High quality ZnS thin films were prepared by chemical bath deposition (CBD). ► Better CBD-ZnS films were achieved by using 0.9 M-KOH concentration. ► Reduction in the reflectance was obtained for ZnS films used as buffer layers.

Spot 42 Small RNA Regulates Arabinose-Inducible araBAD Promoter Activity by Repressing Synthesis of the High-Affinity Low-Capacity Arabinose Transporter

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jiandong

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT The l-arabinose-inducible araBAD promoter (PBAD) enables tightly controlled and tunable expression of genes of interest in a broad range of bacterial species. It has been used successfully to study bacterial sRNA regulation, where PBAD drives expression of target mRNA translational fusions. Here we report that in Escherichia coli, Spot 42 sRNA regulates PBAD promoter activity by affecting arabinose uptake. We demonstrate that Spot 42 sRNA represses araF, a gene encoding the AraF subunit of the high-affinity low-capacity arabinose transporter AraFGH, through direct base-pairing interactions. We further show that endogenous Spot 42 sRNA is sufficient to repress araF expression under various growth conditions. Finally, we demonstrate this posttranscriptional repression has a biological consequence, decreasing the induction of PBAD at low levels of arabinose. This problem can be circumvented using strategies reported previously for avoiding all-or-none induction behavior, such as through constitutive expression of the low-affinity high-capacity arabinose transporter AraE or induction with a higher concentration of inducers. This work adds araF to the set of Spot 42-regulated genes, in agreement with previous studies suggesting that Spot 42, itself negatively regulated by the cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor protein-cAMP complex, reinforces the catabolite repression network. IMPORTANCE The bacterial arabinose-inducible system is widely used for titratable control of gene expression. We demonstrate here that a posttranscriptional mechanism mediated by Spot 42 sRNA contributes to the functionality of the PBAD system at subsaturating inducer concentrations by affecting inducer uptake. Our finding extends the inputs into the known transcriptional control for the PBAD system and has implications for improving its usage for tunable gene expression. PMID:27849174

Synthesis of Ni-Zn ferrite nanoparticles in radiofrequency thermal plasma reactor and their use for purification of histidine-tagged proteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feczko, Tivadar; Muskotal, Adel; Gal, Lorand; Szepvoelgyi, Janos; Sebestyen, Anett; Vonderviszt, Ferenc

2008-01-01

Superparamagnetic Ni-Zn ferrite nanoparticles were synthesized in radiofrequency thermal plasma reactor from aqueous solutions of Ni- and Zn-nitrates. The nanoparticles were studied for protein purification performance in both quantitative and qualitative terms. For comparison, experiments were also performed by Ni-charged affinity chromatography. It was proved that the Ni-Zn ferrite nanoparticles effectively purified histidine-tagged proteins with a maximum protein binding capacity of about 7% (w/w). Gel electrophoresis demonstrated better purification characteristics for magnetic nanoparticles than for affinity chromatography.

Comparative effect of ZnO NPs, ZnO bulk and ZnSO4 in the antioxidant defences of two plant species growing in two agricultural soils under greenhouse conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Gómez, Concepción; Obrador, Ana; González, Demetrio; Babín, Mar; Fernández, María Dolores

2017-07-01

The present study has investigated the toxicity of ZnO NPs to bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicon) crops grown to maturity under greenhouse conditions using an acidic (soil pH5.4) and a calcareous soil (soil pH8.3). The potentially available Zn in the soils and the Zn accumulation in the leaves from NPs applied to the soil (3, 20 and 225mgZnkg -1 ) and changes in the chlorophylls, carotenoids and oxidative stress biomarkers were measured at 15, 30, 60 and 90days and compared with those caused by bulk ZnO and ZnSO 4 . The available Zn in the soil and the leaf Zn content did not differ among the Zn chemical species, except in the acidic soil at the highest concentration of Zn applied as Zn ions, where the highest values of the two variables were found. The ZnO NPs showed comparable Zn toxicity or biostimulation to their bulk counterparts and Zn salts, irrespective of certain significant differences suggesting a higher activity of the Zn ion. The treatments altered the photosynthetic pigment concentration and induced oxidative stress in plants. ROS formation was observed at Zn plant concentrations ranging from 590 to 760mgkg -1 , but the effects on the rest of the parameters were highly dependent on the plant species, exposure time and especially soil type. In general, the effects were higher in the acidic soil than in the calcareous soil for the bean and the opposite for the tomato. The similar uptakes and toxicities of the different Zn forms suggest that the Zn ions derived from the ZnO NPs exerted a preferential toxicity in plants. However, several results obtained in soils treated with NPs at 3mgZnkg -1 soil indicated that may exist other underlying mechanisms related to the intrinsic nanoparticle properties, especially at low NP concentrations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Engineering high Zn in tomato shoots through expression of AtHMA4 involves tissue-specific modification of endogenous genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kendziorek, Maria; Klimecka, Maria; Barabasz, Anna; Borg, Sören; Rudzka, Justyna; Szczęsny, Paweł; Antosiewicz, Danuta Maria

2016-08-12

To increase the Zn level in shoots, AtHMA4 was ectopically expressed in tomato under the constitutive CaMV 35S promoter. However, the Zn concentration in the shoots of transgenic plants failed to increase at all tested Zn levels in the medium. Modification of Zn root/shoot distribution in tomato expressing 35S::AtHMA4 depended on the concentration of Zn in the medium, thus indicating involvement of unknown endogenous metal-homeostasis mechanisms. To determine these mechanisms, those metal-homeostasis genes that were expressed differently in transgenic and wild-type plants were identified by microarray and RT-qPCR analysis using laser-assisted microdissected RNA isolated from two root sectors: (epidermis + cortex and stele), and leaf sectors (upper epidermis + palisade parenchyma and lower epidermis + spongy parenchyma). Zn-supply-dependent modification of Zn root/shoot distribution in AtHMA4-tomato (increase at 5 μM Zn, no change at 0.5 μM Zn) involved tissue-specific, distinct from that in the wild type, expression of tomato endogenous genes. First, it is suggested that an ethylene-dependent pathway underlies the detected changes in Zn root/shoot partitioning, as it was induced in transgenic plants in a distinct way depending on Zn exposure. Upon exposure to 5 or 0.5 μM Zn, in the epidermis + cortex of the transgenics' roots the expression of the Strategy I Fe-uptake system (ethylene-dependent LeIRT1 and LeFER) was respectively lower or higher than in the wild type and was accompanied by respectively lower or higher expression of the identified ethylene genes (LeNR, LeACO4, LeACO5) and of LeChln. Second, the contribution of LeNRAMP2 expression in the stele is shown to be distinct for wild-type and transgenic plants at both Zn exposures. Ethylene was also suggested as an important factor in a pathway induced in the leaves of transgenic plants by high Zn in the apoplast, which results in the initiation of loading of the excess Zn into the

Characterization of (/sup 3/H)5-hydroxytryptamine uptake within rat cerebrovascular tree

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amenta, F.; Rossi, M. de; Mione, M.C.; Geppetti, P.

1985-06-07

The in vitro uptake of tritiated serotonin ((/sup 3/H)5HT) was studied in a preparation of rat extracerebral arteries. The uptake of (/sup 3/H)5HT was time- and temperature-dependent and of high affinity; linear regression analysis gave a Ksub(m) value of 6.48 X 10/sup 7/ M for the specific uptake. Histoautoradiographic studies showed the highest density of silver grains at the level of the adventitial-medial border of the basilar artery. Fluoxetine inhibited the accumulation of silver grains within the adventitial-medial border in the blood vessel studied. The present data further support the view that a neuronal serotonergic system may play a role in the control of blood flow in the cerebrovascular tree.

The Porphyromonas gingivalis ferric uptake regulator orthologue binds hemin and regulates hemin-responsive biofilm development.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine A Butler

Full Text Available Porphyromonas gingivalis is a Gram-negative pathogen associated with the biofilm-mediated disease chronic periodontitis. P. gingivalis biofilm formation is dependent on environmental heme for which P. gingivalis has an obligate requirement as it is unable to synthesize protoporphyrin IX de novo, hence P. gingivalis transports iron and heme liberated from the human host. Homeostasis of a variety of transition metal ions is often mediated in Gram-negative bacteria at the transcriptional level by members of the Ferric Uptake Regulator (Fur superfamily. P. gingivalis has a single predicted Fur superfamily orthologue which we have designated Har (heme associated regulator. Recombinant Har formed dimers in the presence of Zn2+ and bound one hemin molecule per monomer with high affinity (Kd of 0.23 µM. The binding of hemin resulted in conformational changes of Zn(IIHar and residue 97Cys was involved in hemin binding as part of a predicted -97C-98P-99L- hemin binding motif. The expression of 35 genes was down-regulated and 9 up-regulated in a Har mutant (ECR455 relative to wild-type. Twenty six of the down-regulated genes were previously found to be up-regulated in P. gingivalis grown as a biofilm and 11 were up-regulated under hemin limitation. A truncated Zn(IIHar bound the promoter region of dnaA (PGN_0001, one of the up-regulated genes in the ECR455 mutant. This binding decreased as hemin concentration increased which was consistent with gene expression being regulated by hemin availability. ECR455 formed significantly less biofilm than the wild-type and unlike wild-type biofilm formation was independent of hemin availability. P. gingivalis possesses a hemin-binding Fur orthologue that regulates hemin-dependent biofilm formation.

Evaluation of metallothionein formation as a proxy for zinc absorption in an in vitro digestion/caco-2 cell culture model

Science.gov (United States)

Caco-2 cell metallothionein (MT) formation was studied to determine if MT could be used as a proxy for zinc (Zn) absorption in a cell culture model. MT intracellular concentration was determined by using a cadmium/hemoglobin affinity assay. Cellular Zn uptake was determined in acid digests (5% HNO3)...

Adsorption of Pb(II), Cu(II), Cd(II), Zn(II), Ni(II), Fe(II), and As(V) on bacterially produced metal sulfides.

Science.gov (United States)

Jong, Tony; Parry, David L

2004-07-01

The adsorption of Pb(II), Cu(II), Cd(II), Zn(II), Ni(II), Fe(II) and As(V) onto bacterially produced metal sulfide (BPMS) material was investigated using a batch equilibrium method. It was found that the sulfide material had adsorptive properties comparable with those of other adsorbents with respect to the specific uptake of a range of metals and, the levels to which dissolved metal concentrations in solution can be reduced. The percentage of adsorption increased with increasing pH and adsorbent dose, but decreased with increasing initial dissolved metal concentration. The pH of the solution was the most important parameter controlling adsorption of Cd(II), Cu(II), Fe(II), Ni(II), Pb(II), Zn(II), and As(V) by BPMS. The adsorption data were successfully modeled using the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Desorption experiments showed that the reversibility of adsorption was low, suggesting high-affinity adsorption governed by chemisorption. The mechanism of adsorption for the divalent metals was thought to be the formation of strong, inner-sphere complexes involving surface hydroxyl groups. However, the mechanism for the adsorption of As(V) by BPMS appears to be distinct from that of surface hydroxyl exchange. These results have important implications to the management of metal sulfide sludge produced by bacterial sulfate reduction.

Selective induction of high-ouabain-affinity isoform of Na+-K+-ATPase by thyroid hormone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haber, R.S.; Loeb, J.N.

1988-01-01

The administration of thyroid hormone is known to result in an induction of the Na + -K + -adenosinetriphosphatase (Na + -K + -ATPase) in rat skeletal muscle and other thyroid hormone-responsive tissues. Since the Na + -K + -ATPase in a variety of mammalian tissues has recently been reported to exist in at least two forms distinguishable by differing affinities for the inhibitory cardiac glycoside ouabain. The authors have studied the effects of 3,3',5-triiodo-L-thyronine (T 3 ) treatment on these two forms of the enzyme in rat diaphragm. The inhibition of Na + -K + -ATPase activity in a crude membrane fraction by varying concentrations of ouabain conformed to a biphasic pattern consistent with the presence of two distinct isoforms with inhibition constants (K I s) for ouabain of ∼10 -7 and 10 -4 M, respectively. Measurement of the specific binding of [ 3 H]ouabain to these membranes confirmed the presence of a class of high-affinity ouabain binding sites with a dissociation constant (K d ) of slightly less than 10 -7 M, whose maximal binding capacity was increased by T 3 treatment by 185%. Binding studies in unfractionated homogenates of diaphragm similarly demonstrated the presence of high-affinity sites whose maximal binding capacity was increased by T 3 treatment. Quantitation of both the high- and low-ouabain-affinity forms of the Na + -K + -ATPase by ouabain-dependent phosphorylation from [ 32 P]orthophosphate confirmed that T 3 treatment markedly increased the number of high-affinity sites while having little effect on the number of low-affinity sites. These observations provide, to our knowledge, the first demonstration that these two forms of the Na + -K + -ATPase are subject to selective hormonal induction

Preparation of highly oriented Al:ZnO and Cu/Al:ZnO thin films by sol-gel method and their characterization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vijayaprasath, G.; Murugan, R. [School of Physics, Alagappa University, Karaikudi 630 004, Tamil Nadu (India); Mahalingam, T. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon 443-749 (Korea, Republic of); Hayakawa, Y. [Research Institute of Electronics, Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu 432-8011 (Japan); Ravi, G., E-mail: gravicrc@gmail.com [School of Physics, Alagappa University, Karaikudi 630 004, Tamil Nadu (India)

2015-11-15

Highly oriented thin films of Al doped ZnO (Al:ZnO) and Cu co-doped Al:ZnO (Cu/Al:ZnO) thin films were successfully deposited by sol–gel spin coating on glass substrates. The deposited films were characterized using X-ray diffraction analysis and found to exhibit hexagonal wurtzite structure with c-axis orientation. SEM images revealed that hexagonal rod shaped morphologies were grown perpendicular to the substrate surface due to repeated deposition process. High transmittance values were observed for pure ZnO compared to Al:ZnO and Cu/Al:ZnO thin films. The band gap widening is caused by the increase of carrier concentration, which is believed to be due to Burstein-Moss effect due to Al and Cu doping. PL spectra of Cu/Al:ZnO thin films indicate that the UV emission peaks slightly shifted towards lower energy side. XPS study was carried out for Zn{sub 0.80}Al{sub 0.10}Cu{sub 0.10}O thin films to analyze the binding energy of Al, Cu, Zn and O. Magnetic measurement studies exhibited ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature, which may be due to the increase in copper concentration in the doped films. The ferromagnetic behavior can be understood from the exchange coupling between localized ‘d’ spin of Cu ion mediated by free delocalized carriers. - Highlights: • High quality of Al:ZnO and Cu co-doped Al:ZnO thin films were fabricated by sol–gel method. • The XRD analyses revealed that the deposited thin films have hexagonal wurtzite structure. • XPS was carried out for Zn{sub 0.80}Al{sub 0.10}Cu{sub 0.10}O films to analyze the binding energy of Al, Cu, Zn and O. • SEM studies were made for Al:ZnO and Cu/Al:ZnO thin films. • RTFM was observed in Cu co-doped Al:ZnO thin films.

Autoradiographic localization of 3H-paroxetine-labeled serotonin uptake sites in rat brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Souza, E.B.; Kuyatt, B.L.

1987-01-01

Paroxetine is a potent and selective inhibitor of serotonin uptake into neurons. Serotonin uptake sites have been identified, localized, and quantified in rat brain by autoradiography with 3H-paroxetine; 3H-paroxetine binding in slide-mounted sections of rat forebrain was of high affinity (KD = 10 pM) and the inhibition affinity constant (Ki) values of various drugs in competing 3H-paroxetine binding significantly correlated with their reported potencies in inhibiting synaptosomal serotonin uptake. Serotonin uptake sites labeled by 3H-paroxetine were highly concentrated in the dorsal and median raphe nuclei, central gray, superficial layer of the superior colliculus, lateral septal nucleus, paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus, and the islands of Calleja. High concentrations of 3H-paroxetine binding sites were found in brainstem areas containing dopamine (substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area) and norepinephrine (locus coeruleus) cell bodies. Moderate concentrations of 3H-paroxetine binding sites were present in laminae I and IV of the frontal parietal cortex, primary olfactory cortex, olfactory tubercle, regions of the basal ganglia, septum, amygdala, thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, and some brainstem areas including the interpeduncular, trigeminal, and parabrachial nuclei. Lower densities of 3H-paroxetine binding sites were found in other regions of the neocortex and very low to nonsignificant levels of binding were present in white matter tracts and in the cerebellum. Lesioning of serotonin neurons with 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine caused large decreases in 3H-paroxetine binding. The autoradiographic distribution of 3H-paroxetine binding sites in rat brain corresponds extremely well to the distribution of serotonin terminals and cell bodies as well as with the pharmacological sites of action of serotonin

Analysis of high-n dielectronic Rydberg satellites in the spectra of Na-like Zn XX and Mg-like Zn XIX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fournier, K.B.; Faenov, A.Ya.; Pikuz, T.A.; Magunov, A.I.; Skobelev, I.Yu.; Flora, F.; Bollanti, S.; Di Lazzaro, P.; Murra, D.; Belyaev, V.S.; Vinogradov, V.I.; Kyrilov, A.S.; Matafonov, A.P.; Francucci, M.; Martellucci, S.; Petrocelli, G.

2004-01-01

We have observed spectra from highly charged zinc ions in a variety of laser-produced plasmas. Spectral features that are Na- and Mg-like satellites to high-n Rydberg transitions in the Ne-like Zn XXI spectrum are analyzed and modeled. Identifications and analysis are made by comparison with highly accurate atomic structure calculations and steady state collisional-radiative models. Each observed Zn XX and Zn XIX feature comprises up to ≅2 dozen individual transitions, these transitions are excited principally by dielectronic recombination through autoionizing levels in Na- and Mg-like Zn 19+ and Zn 18+ . We find these satellites to be ubiquitous in laser-produced plasmas formed by lasers with pulse lengths that span four orders of magnitude, from 1 ps to ≅10 ns. The diagnostic potential of these Rydberg satellite lines is demonstrated

High-level Zn and Cd tolerance in Silene paradoxa L. from a moderately Cd- and Zn-contaminated copper mine tailing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnetoli, Miluscia; Vooijs, Riet; Gonnelli, Cristina; Gabbrielli, Roberto; Verkleij, Jos A.C.; Schat, Henk

2008-01-01

Cadmium and zinc tolerance were examined in populations of Silene paradoxa, one from uncontaminated calcareous soil (CVD) and one from a mine tailing (FC) (Cd < 1-15 ppm, Zn 400-1300 ppm, pH 2-6). The mine population exhibited extremely high Zn and Cd tolerance levels, although the degrees of Cd and Zn enrichment relatively low at the population site. Cd and Zn hypertolerance in FC were associated with reduced rates of accumulation of these metals, both in roots and shoots (Cd), or exclusively in shoots (Zn). However, exclusion potentially explained only a minor part of the superior tolerance in FC. Cd hypertolerance in FC was associated with decreased, rather than enhanced phytochelatin accumulation. The remarkably high levels of Cd and Zn hypertolerance in FC might relate to the low soil pH, due to oxidation of sulphide minerals, and the absence of soil organic matter at the FC site. - Silene paradoxa from a copper mine exhibits extreme levels of Zn and Cd tolerance

HvZIP7 mediates zinc accumulation in barley (Hordeum vulgare) at moderately high zinc supply

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tiong, Jingwen; Mcdonald, Glenn K.; Genc, Yusuf

2014-01-01

Summary: High expression of zinc (Zn)-regulated, iron-regulated transporter-like protein (ZIP) genes increases root Zn uptake in dicots, leading to high accumulation of Zn in shoots. However, none of the ZIP genes tested previously in monocots could enhance shoot Zn accumulation. In this report...... were also generated to further understand the functions of HvZIP7 in metal transport. HvZIP7 is strongly induced by Zn deficiency, primarily in vascular tissues of roots and leaves, and its protein was localized in the plasma membrane. These properties are similar to its closely related homologs...... in dicots. Overexpression of HvZIP7 in barley plants increased Zn uptake when moderately high concentrations of Zn were supplied. Significantly, there was a specific enhancement of shoot Zn accumulation, with no measurable increase in iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu) or cadmium (Cd). HvZIP7 displays...

Low temperature fabrication of ZnO compact layer for high performance plastic dye-sensitized ZnO solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Fangyi; Xia Yujing; Guan Zisheng; Yin Xiong; He Tao

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► ZnO compact layer is prepared via simple electrochemical method at low temperature. ► Compact layer can effectively block electron transfer from TCO to electrolyte. ► DSC PCE is improved by 17% when ZnO compact layer is introduced. ► Plastic DSCs with ZnO compact layer show a PCE of 3.29% under AM1.5 100 mW cm −2 . ► The above efficiency is comparable to that with high temperature sintering step. - Abstract: ZnO compact layer has been fabricated on transparent conducting oxide glass and plastic polymer substrates at low temperature via electrodeposition. The results of dark current and cyclic voltammetric measurements demonstrate that the compact layer can effectively reduce the short circuit from transparent conducting oxide to electrolyte in dye-sensitized ZnO solar cells, leading to an increase of open-circuit photovoltage and fill factor of the devices and, thereby, the power conversion efficiency. The resultant plastic dye-sensitized ZnO solar cell presents an efficiency of 3.29% under illumination of 100 mW cm −2 , AM 1.5G. This indicates that electrodeposition is a viable method to fabricate ZnO compact layer for high performance flexible devices.

High Performance Affinity Chromatography of Antithrombin III Based on Monodisperse Poly (glycidyl methacrylate) Beads

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2001-01-01

A new approach for the separation of antithrombin III with high performance affinity chromatography (HPAC) was described. A novel monodisperse,non-porous,cross-linked poly (glycidyl methacrylate) beads (PGMA) were used as the affinity support. With the water-soluble carbodiimide,heparin was linked covalently to amino-PGMA-beads,which was prepared by amination of PGMA. The adsorbent obtained exhibits high binding activity to antithrombin III (ATIII),good resolution and excellent mechanical properties and can be used under high flow rate.

Chelant-assisted phytoextraction and accumulation of Zn by Zea mays.

Science.gov (United States)

Gheju, M; Stelescu, I

2013-10-15

Zea mays plants were exposed to soils with concentrations of Zn ranging from 64 to 1800 mg kg(-1) dw, and the efficiency of three selected chelating agents (trisodium citrate (CI), disodium oxalate (OX) and disodium dihydrogen ethylene-diamine-tetraacetate (EDTA)) in enhancing metal phytoextraction was compared. Zn concentration in plant tissues increased in conjunction with the metal concentration of the soil. EDTA was found to be the most efficient chelating amendment, increasing concentrations of Zn in shoots from 88 mg kg(-1) dw, at 64 mg kg(-1) dw soil, to 8026 mg kg(-1) dw at 1800 mg kg(-1) dw soil. The overall orders of BCFs and TFs which resulted from this study are: EDTA > H2O > OX > CI, and EDTANa2 > OX > CI > H2O, respectively. The more effective uptake of Zn by plants for the control treatment (distilled water only) than for CI and OX was attributed to the neutral or slightly alkaline pH of the two chelant irrigation solutions. Instead, EDTA had a favorable effect on Zn uptake from soil due to its additive chelating and acidifying properties. Among the three chelants, only EDTA significantly increased the Zn phytoextraction potential of Z. mays, while CI and OX induced a low metal uptake from soil by plants. Although Z. mays has a lower Zn accumulation capacity than the hyperaccumulator Thlaspi caerulescens, it could be considered as a potential phytoremediator of soils with elevated Zn concentrations, especially when metal pollution extends to depths greater than 20 cm. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DOTA-NOC, a high-affinity ligand of somatostatin receptor subtypes 2, 3 and 5 for labelling with various radiometals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wild, Damian; Schmitt, Joerg S.; Ginj, Mihaela; Maecke, Helmut R.; Bernard, Bert F.; Krenning, Eric; Jong, Marion de; Wenger, Sandra; Reubi, Jean-Claude

2003-01-01

Earlier studies have shown that modification of the octapeptide octreotide in positions 3 and 8 may result in compounds with increased somatostatin receptor affinity that, if radiolabelled, display improved uptake in somatostatin receptor-positive tumours. The aim of a recent research study in our laboratory was to employ the parallel peptide synthesis approach by further exchanging the amino acid in position 3 of octreotide and coupling the macrocyclic chelator DOTA(1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid) to these peptides for labelling with radiometals like gallium-67 or -68, indium-111, yttrium-90 and lutetium-177. The purpose was to find radiopeptides with an improved somatostatin receptor binding profile in order to extend the spectrum of targeted tumours. A first peptide, [ 111 In, 90 Y-DOTA]-1-Nal 3 -octreotide ( 111 In, 90 Y-DOTA-NOC), was isolated which showed an improved profile. In III -DOTA-NOC exhibited the following IC 50 values (nM) when studied in competition with [ 125 I][Leu 8 , d-Trp 22 , Tyr 25 ]somatostatin-28 (values for Y III -DOTA-NOC are shown in parentheses): sstr2, 2.9±0.1 (3.3±0.2); sstr3, 8±2 (26±1.9); sstr5, 11.2±3.5 (10.4±1.6). Affinity towards sstr1 and 4 was very low or absent. In III -DOTA-NOC is superior to all somatostatin-based radiopeptides having this particular type of binding profile, including DOTA-lanreotide, and has three to four times higher binding affinity to sstr2 than In III ,Y III -DOTA-Tyr 3 -octreotide (In III ,Y III -DOTA-TOC). In addition, [ 111 In]DOTA-NOC showed a specific and high rate of internalization into AR4-2J rat pancreatic tumour cells which, after 4 h, was about two times higher than that of [ 111 In]DOTA-TOC and three times higher than that of [ 111 In]DOTA-octreotide ([ 111 In]DOTA-OC). The internalized radiopeptides were externalized intact upon 2 h of internalization followed by an acid wash. After 2-3 h of externalization a plateau is reached, indicating a steady

Fluoroethoxy-1,4-diphenethylpiperidine and piperazine derivatives: Potent and selective inhibitors of [3H]dopamine uptake at the vesicular monoamine transporter-2.

Science.gov (United States)

Hankosky, Emily R; Joolakanti, Shyam R; Nickell, Justin R; Janganati, Venumadhav; Dwoskin, Linda P; Crooks, Peter A

2017-12-15

A small library of fluoroethoxy-1,4-diphenethyl piperidine and fluoroethoxy-1,4-diphenethyl piperazine derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their ability to inhibit [ 3 H]dopamine (DA) uptake at the vesicular monoamine transporter-2 (VMAT2) and dopamine transporter (DAT), [ 3 H]serotonin (5-HT) uptake at the serotonin transporter (SERT), and [ 3 H]dofetilide binding at the human-ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) channel. The majority of the compounds exhibited potent inhibition of [ 3 H]DA uptake at VMAT2, Ki changes in the nanomolar range (K i  = 0.014-0.073 µM). Compound 15d exhibited the highest affinity (K i  = 0.014 µM) at VMAT2, and had 160-, 5-, and 60-fold greater selectivity for VMAT2 vs. DAT, SERT and hERG, respectively. Compound 15b exhibited the greatest selectivity (>60-fold) for VMAT2 relative to all the other targets evaluated, and 15b had high affinity for VMAT2 (K i  = 0.073 µM). Compound 15b was considered the lead compound from this analog series due to its high affinity and selectivity for VMAT2. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hepatic bilirubin uptake in the isolated perfused rat liver is not facilitated by albumin binding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stollman, Y.R.; Gaertner, U.; Theilmann, L.; Ohmi, N.; Wolkoff, A.W.

1983-01-01

Bilirubin uptake by the liver has kinetic characteristics which suggest carrier-mediation. Bilirubin is readily bound to albumin. A liver cell surface receptor for albumin has been postulated. The present study was designed to examine directly whether albumin facilitates the hepatic uptake of bilirubin and whether uptake of bilirubin depends on binding to albumin. Rat liver was perfused with a protein-free fluorocarbon medium, and single-pass uptake of 1, 10, or 200 nmol of [ 3 H]bilirubin was determined after injection as an equimolar complex with 125 I-albumin, with 125 I-ligandin, or free with only a [ 14 C]sucrose reference. Uptake of 10 nmol of [ 3 H]bilirubin was 67.5 +/- 3.7% of the dose when injected with 125 I-albumin, 67.4 +/- 6.5% when injected with 125 I-ligandin, and 74.9 +/- 2.4% when injected with [ 14 C]sucrose (P greater than 0.1). At 200 nmol, uptake fell to 46.4 +/- 3.1% ( 125 I-albumin) and 63.3 +/- 3.4% [( 14 C]sucrose) of injected [ 3 H]bilirubin (P less than 0.01), which suggests saturation of the uptake mechanism. When influx was quantitated by the model of Goresky, similar results were obtained. When [ 3 H]bilirubin was injected simultaneously with equimolar 125 I-albumin and a [ 14 C]sucrose reference, there was no delay in 125 I-albumin transit as compared with that of [ 14 C]sucrose. This suggested that the off-rate of albumin from a putative hepatocyte receptor would have to be very rapid, which is unusual for high affinity receptor-ligand interaction. There was no evidence for facilitation of bilirubin uptake by binding to albumin or for interaction of albumin with a liver cell surface receptor. These results suggest that the hepatic bilirubin uptake mechanism is one of high affinity which can extract bilirubin from circulating carriers such as albumin, ligandin, or fluorocarbon

Robotic high-throughput purification of affinity-tagged recombinant proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiesler, Simone C; Weinzierl, Robert O J

2015-01-01

Affinity purification of recombinant proteins has become the method of choice to obtain good quantities and qualities of proteins for a variety of downstream biochemical applications. While manual or FPLC-assisted purification techniques are generally time-consuming and labor-intensive, the advent of high-throughput technologies and liquid handling robotics has simplified and accelerated this process significantly. Additionally, without the human factor as a potential source of error, automated purification protocols allow for the generation of large numbers of proteins simultaneously and under directly comparable conditions. The delivered material is ideal for activity comparisons of different variants of the same protein. Here, we present our strategy for the simultaneous purification of up to 24 affinity-tagged proteins for activity measurements in biochemical assays. The protocol described is suitable for the scale typically required in individual research laboratories.

Ferric reductase genes involved in high-affinity iron uptake are differentially regulated in yeast and hyphae of Candida albicans.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeeves, Rose E; Mason, Robert P; Woodacre, Alexandra; Cashmore, Annette M

2011-09-01

The pathogenic yeast Candida albicans possesses a reductive iron uptake system which is active in iron-restricted conditions. The sequestration of iron by this mechanism initially requires the reduction of free iron to the soluble ferrous form, which is catalysed by ferric reductase proteins. Reduced iron is then taken up into the cell by a complex of a multicopper oxidase protein and an iron transport protein. Multicopper oxidase proteins require copper to function and so reductive iron and copper uptake are inextricably linked. It has previously been established that Fre10 is the major cell surface ferric reductase in C. albicans and that transcription of FRE10 is regulated in response to iron levels. We demonstrate here that Fre10 is also a cupric reductase and that Fre7 also makes a significant contribution to cell surface ferric and cupric reductase activity. It is also shown, for the first time, that transcription of FRE10 and FRE7 is lower in hyphae compared to yeast and that this leads to a corresponding decrease in cell surface ferric, but not cupric, reductase activity. This demonstrates that the regulation of two virulence determinants, the reductive iron uptake system and the morphological form of C. albicans, are linked. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Molecular and cellular characterisation of the zinc uptake (Znu) system of Nostoc punctiforme.

Science.gov (United States)

Hudek, Lee; Pearson, Leanne A; Michalczyk, Agnes; Neilan, Brett A; Ackland, M Leigh

2013-11-01

Metal homoeostasis in cyanobacteria is based on uptake and export systems that are controlled by their own regulators. This study characterises the zinc uptake (Znu) system in Nostoc punctiforme. The system was found to comprise of three subunits in an ACB operon: a Zn(2+)-binding protein (ZnuA18), a transmembrane domain (ZnuB) and an ATPase (ZnuC). These proteins are encoded within the znu operon regulated by a zinc uptake transcription repressor (Zur). Interestingly, a second Zn(2+)-binding protein (ZnuA08) was also identified at a distal genomic location. Interactions between components of the ZnuACB system were investigated using knockouts of the individual genes. The znuA08(-), znuA18(-), znuB(-) and znuC(-) mutants displayed overall reduced znuACB transcript levels, suggesting that all system components are required for normal expression of znu genes. Zinc uptake assays in the Zn(2+)-binding protein mutant strains showed that the disruption of znuA18 had a greater negative effect on zinc uptake than disruption of znuA08. Complementation studies in Escherichia coli indicated that both znuA08 and znuA18 were able to restore zinc uptake in a znuA(-) mutant, with znuA18 permitting the highest zinc uptake rate. The N. punctiforme zur was also able to complement the E. coli zur(-) mutant. © 2013 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pathways of trace metal uptake in the lugworm Arenicola marina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casado-Martinez, M.C.; Smith, B.D.; Valls, T.A. del; Rainbow, P.S.

2009-01-01

Radiotracer techniques were used to determine the rates of trace metal (Ag, Cd and Zn) uptake and elimination (33 psu, 10 deg. C) from water and sediment by the deposit-feeding polychaete Arenicola marina, proposed as a test species for estuarine-marine sediments in whole-sediment toxicity tests. Metal uptake rates from solution increase with increasing dissolved metal concentrations, with uptake rate constants (± SE) (l g -1 d -1 ) of 1.21 ± 0.11 (Ag), 0.026 ± 0.002 (Zn) and 0.012 ± 0.001 (Cd). Assimilation efficiencies from ingested sediments were measured using a pulse-chase radiotracer feeding technique in two different lugworm populations, one from a commercial supplier (Blyth, Northumberland, UK) and the other a field-collected population from the outer Thames estuary (UK). Assimilation efficiencies ranged from 2 to 20% for Zn, 1 to 6% for Cd and 1 to 9% for Ag for the Northumberland worms, and from 3 to 22% for Zn, 6 to 70% for Cd and 2 to 15% for Ag in the case of the Thames population. Elimination of accumulated metals followed a two-compartment model, with similar efflux rate constants for Zn and Ag and lower rates of elimination of Cd from the slow pool. Efflux rate constants (± SE) of Zn and Ag accumulated from the dissolved phase were 0.037 ± 0.002 and 0.033 ± 0.006 d -1 whereas Cd was eliminated with an efflux rate constant one order of magnitude lower (0.003 ± 0.002 d -1 ). When metals were accumulated from ingested sediments, the efflux rate constants for the slow-exchanging compartment were of the same order of magnitude for the three metals, and of the same order of magnitude as those derived after the dissolved exposure for Zn and Ag (0.042 ± 0.004 and 0.056 ± 0.012 d -1 for Zn and 0.044 ± 0.012 and 0.069 ± 0.016 d -1 for Ag for the Northumberland and Thames populations, respectively). Cd accumulated from ingested sediments was eliminated with a rate constant not different from the fast-exchanging compartment after the water

Investigation of Zn Use Efficiency and Zn Fertilization Efficiency in Some Genotypes of Wheat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Keshavarz

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: World cereal demand is growing at the present in accordance with the global expansion of human populations.Bread wheat is the most widely grown cereal grain with 65% (6.5 million hectares of the total crop cultivated area in Iran. Deficiency of micronutrients in cereal cropping is one of the major worldwide problems. Zinc (Zn is an essential micronutrient for plants. It plays a key role as a structural constituent or regulatory co-factor of a wide range of different enzymes and proteins in many important biochemical pathways. Nearly half of the world’s cereal-growing areas are affected by soil zinc deficiency, particularly in calcareous soils of arid and semiarid regions. High pH levels and bicarbonate anion concentration in these soils are the major factors resulting in low availability of Zn. About 40% of the soils, used for wheat production in Iran are Zn-deficient, which results in a decrease in growth and wheat grain yield under field conditions. Although application of zinc fertilizers is a common practice to correct Zn deficiency, growing varieties with high Zn efficiency has been reported to be a more sustainable approach. There is significant genetic variation both within and between plant species in their ability to maintain significant growth and yield under Zn deficiency conditions. Plant response to Zn deficiency and Zn fertilization are two distinct concepts. Knowing about these variations, can be very essential and useful for making correct fertilizer recommendation. Materials and Methods: In order to investigate Zn efficiency in various wheat genotypes, a factorial experiment as a randomized complete block design was carried out with three replications in agricultural research center of Khorasan razavi (Torough Station, during 2009-2011. Treatments consisted of two levels of Zn fertilizer (0 and 40 kg/h as ZnSO4 and six genotyps of wheat including: three cultivars and one line of bread wheat (Alvand, Falat, Toos

Arbuscular mycorrhiza alters metal uptake and the physiological response of Coffea arabica seedlings to increasing Zn and Cu concentrations in soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrade, S A L; Silveira, A P D; Mazzafera, P

2010-10-15

Studies on mycorrhizal symbiosis effects on metal accumulation and plant tolerance are not common in perennial crops under metal stress. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of mycorrhization on coffee seedlings under Cu and Zn stress. Copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) uptake and some biochemical and physiological traits were studied in thirty-week old Coffea arabica seedlings, in response to the inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and to increasing concentrations of Cu or Zn in soil. The experiments were conducted under greenhouse conditions in a 2×4 factorial design (inoculation or not with AMF and 0, 50, 150 and 450mgkg(-1) Cu or 0, 100, 300 and 900mgkg(-1) Zn). Non-mycorrhizal plants maintained a hampered and slow growth even in a soil with appropriate phosphorus (P) levels for this crop. As metal levels increased in soil, a greater proportion of the total absorbed metals were retained by roots. Foliar Cu concentrations increased only in non-mycorrhizal plants, reaching a maximum concentration of 30mgkg(-1) at the highest Cu in soil. Mycorrhization prevented the accumulation of Cu in leaves, and mycorrhizal plants showed higher Cu contents in stems, which indicated a differential Cu distribution in AMF-associated or non-associated plants. Zn distribution and concentrations in different plant organs followed a similar pattern independently of mycorrhization. In mycorrhizal plants, only the highest metal concentrations caused a reduction in biomass, leading to significant changes in some biochemical indicators, such as malondialdehyde, proline and amino acid contents in leaves and also in foliar free amino acid composition. Marked differences in these physiological traits were also found due to mycorrhization. In conclusion, AMF protected coffee seedlings against metal toxicity. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Variability in uptake of Cs isotopes by fenugreek plant from three soils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pulhani, V; Dafauti, S; Dahiya, S; Hedge, A G [Environmental Studies Section, Health Physics Div., Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (India)

2008-07-01

Soil to plant transfer via root uptake is one of the major compartments in the radionuclide transfer pathways to man and can be used to assess the internal radiation dose via ingestion. The variability in the Transfer Factor (TF) of Cs isotopes was investigated in three different soils from nuclear power plant sites at Rajasthan and Narora with alkaline sandy loam alluvial and Madras with acidic coastal sandy loam alluvial soil. The soils were characterized for soil properties like texture, pH, EC, organic carbon, CaCO{sub 3} (%), CEC, silt, clay sand etc. and spiked with a mixture of 800 Bq {sup 137}Cs, 300 Bq {sup 134}Cs and 10mg of {sup 133}Cs (stable). Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) from Leguminosae family an annual plant commonly used as a vegetable was grown in these soils to study the uptake of Cs. The uptake of heavy toxic elements like Pb, Cd, Ni, Cr etc. and nutrients Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Mn, Ca, Mg, Na and K was also studied. The uptake of heavy toxic elements like Pb, Cd, Ni, Cr etc. and nutrients Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Mn, Ca, Mg, Na and K was also studied. {sup 137}Cs and{sup 134}Cs was estimated using HPGe detector (15% Relative Efficiency, 54cc-coaxial, 2keV resolution at 1332keV of {sup 60}Co). Stable Cs, K and Na were determined by the Atomic Emission Spectrophotometry and Pb, Cd, Cr etc. by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. Among the three soils the transfer factor for all the elements and Cs was highest for MAPS due to higher organic matter content and acidic pH followed by NAPS and RAPS. The {sup 137}Cs and {sup 134}Cs isotopes have been taken up to the same extent from soil and transfer factors are similar to each other. But the stable Cs uptake appears to be slightly high, probably because of excess of {sup 133}Cs (mg level) added as compared to the radioactive isotopes. In spite of this high difference in the soil concentrations of Cs isotopes, uptake of {sup 133}Cs is not very high indicating to a physiological limiting process for uptake

A high power ZnO thin film piezoelectric generator

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Weiwei; Li, Tao; Li, Yutong; Qiu, Junwen; Ma, Xianjun; Chen, Xiaoqiang; Hu, Xuefeng; Zhang, Wei

2016-02-01

A highly efficient and large area piezoelectric ZnO thin film nanogenerator (NG) was fabricated. The ZnO thin film was deposited onto a Si substrate by pulsed laser ablation at a substrate temperature of 500 °C. The deposited ZnO film exhibited a preferred c-axis orientation and a high piezoelectric value of 49.7 pm/V characterized using Piezoelectric Force Microscopy (PFM). Thin films of ZnO were patterned into rectangular power sources with dimensions of 0.5 × 0.5 cm2 with metallic top and bottom electrodes constructed via conventional semiconductor lithographic patterning processes. The NG units were subjected to periodic bending/unbending motions produced by mechanical impingement at a fixed frequency of 100 Hz at a pressure of 0.4 kg/cm2. The output electrical voltage, current density, and power density generated by one ZnO NG were recorded. Values of ∼95 mV, 35 μA cm-2 and 5.1 mW cm-2 were recorded. The level of power density is typical to that produced by a PZT NG on a flexible substrate. Higher energy NG sources can be easily created by adding more power units either in parallel or in series. The thin film ZnO NG technique is highly adaptable with current semiconductor processes, and as such, is easily integrated with signal collecting circuits that are compatible with mass production. A typical application would be using the power harvested from irregular human foot motions to either to operate blue LEDs directly or to drive a sensor network node in mille-power level without any external electric source and circuits.

Spectral memory of photoconduction of high-resistance ZnSe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorya, O.S.; Kovalev, L.E.; Korotkov, V.A.; Malikova, L.V.; Simashkevich, A.V.

1989-01-01

Relaxation of photoconductivity of ZnSr crystal in case of a photoconductivity burst when exposing a sample to light with quantum energy E=1.305 eV after preliminary excitation by light with quantum energy 2.61 eV. The phenomenon of nonequilibrium photoconductivity considered permitted to suggest a new method for determination of the energy position of local levels in the forbidden band of semiconductors. Investigations carried out permitted to detect in ZnSe acceptors, lying in the forbidden band, as well as deep centers. It is supposed that the effect of spectral memory of photoconductivity of high-ohmic crystals (ZnSe, ZnS, CdS) relates to the existence of defects with metastable states in them

High-Strength Low-Alloy (HSLA) Mg-Zn-Ca Alloys with Excellent Biodegradation Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Hofstetter, J.; Becker, M.; Martinelli, E.; Weinberg, A. M.; Mingler, B.; Kilian, H.; Pogatscher, S.; Uggowitzer, P. J.; Löffler, J. F.

2014-04-01

This article deals with the development of fine-grained high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) magnesium alloys intended for use as biodegradable implant material. The alloys contain solely low amounts of Zn and Ca as alloying elements. We illustrate the development path starting from the high-Zn-containing ZX50 (MgZn5Ca0.25) alloy with conventional purity, to an ultrahigh-purity ZX50 modification, and further to the ultrahigh-purity Zn-lean alloy ZX10 (MgZn1Ca0.3). It is shown that alloys with high Zn-content are prone to biocorrosion in various environments, most probably because of the presence of the intermetallic phase Mg6Zn3Ca2. A reduction of the Zn content results in (Mg,Zn)2Ca phase formation. This phase is less noble than the Mg-matrix and therefore, in contrast to Mg6Zn3Ca2, does not act as cathodic site. A fine-grained microstructure is achieved by the controlled formation of fine and homogeneously distributed (Mg,Zn)2Ca precipitates, which influence dynamic recrystallization and grain growth during hot forming. Such design scheme is comparable to that of HSLA steels, where low amounts of alloying elements are intended to produce a very fine dispersion of particles to increase the material's strength by refining the grain size. Consequently our new, ultrapure ZX10 alloy exhibits high strength (yield strength R p = 240 MPa, ultimate tensile strength R m = 255 MPa) and simultaneously high ductility (elongation to fracture A = 27%), as well as low mechanical anisotropy. Because of the anodic nature of the (Mg,Zn)2Ca particles used in the HSLA concept, the in vivo degradation in a rat femur implantation study is very slow and homogeneous without clinically observable hydrogen evolution, making the ZX10 alloy a promising material for biodegradable implants.

High-affinity hemoglobin and blood oxygen saturation in diving emperor penguins.

Science.gov (United States)

Meir, Jessica U; Ponganis, Paul J

2009-10-01

The emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) thrives in the Antarctic underwater environment, diving to depths greater than 500 m and for durations longer than 23 min. To examine mechanisms underlying the exceptional diving ability of this species and further describe blood oxygen (O2) transport and depletion while diving, we characterized the O2-hemoglobin (Hb) dissociation curve of the emperor penguin in whole blood. This allowed us to (1) investigate the biochemical adaptation of Hb in this species, and (2) address blood O2 depletion during diving, by applying the dissociation curve to previously collected partial pressure of O2 (PO2) profiles to estimate in vivo Hb saturation (SO2) changes during dives. This investigation revealed enhanced Hb-O2 affinity (P50=28 mmHg, pH 7.5) in the emperor penguin, similar to high-altitude birds and other penguin species. This allows for increased O2 at low blood PO2 levels during diving and more complete depletion of the respiratory O2 store. SO2 profiles during diving demonstrated that arterial SO2 levels are maintained near 100% throughout much of the dive, not decreasing significantly until the final ascent phase. End-of-dive venous SO2 values were widely distributed and optimization of the venous blood O2 store resulted from arterialization and near complete depletion of venous blood O2 during longer dives. The estimated contribution of the blood O2 store to diving metabolic rate was low and highly variable. This pattern is due, in part, to the influx of O2 from the lungs into the blood during diving, and variable rates of tissue O2 uptake.

Reactivity and stability of thallium oxide for fabricating TlSnZnO toward thin-film transistors with high mobility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kishimoto, Katsushi [Graduate School of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara, 630-0192 (Japan); Nose, Yoshitaro [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501 (Japan); Ishikawa, Yasuaki, E-mail: yishikawa@ms.naist.jp [Graduate School of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara, 630-0192 (Japan); Fujii, Mami N.; Uraoka, Yukiharu [Graduate School of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara, 630-0192 (Japan)

2016-07-05

Thermal reaction between thallium oxide (Tl{sub 2}O{sub 3}) and zinc oxide (ZnO), tin oxide (SnO{sub 2}) or indium oxide (In{sub 2}O{sub 3}) annealed at 600 °C for 18 h in the air atmosphere was investigated. From XRD results of 600 °C annealed samples, Tl{sub 2}O{sub 3} had the biggest reactivity compared with ZnO. The EDX results suggest the mechanism in which the thallium atoms scattered and attached uniformly only on ZnO particles. We also analyzed XPS data to compare O 1s bond and Tl 4f bond of as-mixed samples with that of annealed samples, and found that Zn and Sn can contribute in improving Tl and O bonding stability. However, the affinity of In for Tl is weaker than that of Zn or Sn. Finally, we prepared the samples mixed with ZnO, SnO{sub 2}, and Tl{sub 2}O{sub 3} powder and the samples mixed with Zn{sub 2}SnO{sub 4} and Tl{sub 2}O{sub 3} powder annealed at 600 °C for 18 h. Results show that Zn{sub 2}SnO{sub 4} has the same or more reactivity than SnO{sub 2} and ZnO mixed particle despite of the more stable and sufficient dispersion of Zn and Sn atoms. More stable TlSnZnO can be fabricated from Zn{sub 2}SnO{sub 4} + Tl{sub 2}O{sub 3} powder by suitable thermal processes. It is expected that TlSnZnO sputtering target can be fabricated by suitable calcination. - Highlights: • Thermal reaction of Tl{sub 2}O{sub 3} and ZnO, SnO or In{sub 2}O{sub 3} were investigate. • It is found that Tl{sub 2}O{sub 3} is reactive with ZnO rather than SnO or In{sub 2}O{sub 3}. • Two-step annealing process is promising route for forming TlSnZnO tablet.

High-pressure-assisted synthesis of high-volume ZnGeP2 polycrystalline

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Changbao; Wu, Haixin; Xiao, Ruichun; Chen, Shijing; Ma, Jiaren

2018-06-01

The pnictide and chalcogenide semiconductors are promising materials for the applications in the field of photoelectric. High-purity and high-volume polycrystalline required in the real-world applications is hard to be synthesized due to the high vapor pressure of phosphorus and sulfur components at high temperature. A new high-pressure-resisted method was used to investigate the synthesis of the nonlinear-optical semiconductor ZnGeP2. The high-purity ZnGeP2 polycrystalline material of approximately 500 g was synthesized in one run, which enables the preparation of nominally stoichiometric material. Since increasing internal pressure resistance of quartz crucible and reducing the reaction space, the high-pressure-resisted method can be used to rapidly synthesize other pnictide and chalcogenide semiconductors and control the components ratio.

Comprehensive study of interaction between biocompatible PEG-InP/ZnS QDs and bovine serum albumin.

Science.gov (United States)

Sannaikar, M S; Inamdar, Laxmi S; Pujar, G H; Wari, M N; Balasinor, Nafisa H; Inamdar, S R

2018-05-01

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) surface modified biocompatible InP/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) act as a potential alternative for conventional carcinogenic cadmium-based quantum dots for in vivo and in vitro studies. Comprehensively, we studied the interaction between a model protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) and PEGylated toxic free InP/ZnS QDs using various spectroscopic tools such as absorption, fluorescence quenching, time resolved and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopic measurements. These studies principally show that tryptophan (Trp) residues of BSA have preferable binding affinity towards PEG-InP/ZnS QDs surface and a blue shift in Trp fluorescence emission is a signature of conformational changes in its hydrophobic microenvironment. Photoluminescence (PL) intensity of Trp is quenched by ground state complex formation (static quenching) at room temperature. However, InP/ZnS@BSA conjugates become unstable with increasing temperature and PL intensity of Trp is quenched via dynamic quenching by PEG-InP/ZnS QDs. Experimentally determined thermodynamic parameters for these conjugates have shown spontaneity, entropy driven and exothermic nature of bio-conjugation. The calculated binding affinity (n ≅ 1, Hill coefficient) suggest that the affinity of InP/ZnS QDs for a BSA protein is not dependent on whether or not other BSA proteins are already bound to the QD surface. Energy transfer efficiency (E), Trp residue to InP/ZnS QDs distances and energy transfer rate (k T ) were all obtained from FÖrster resonance energy. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Sorption behavior of human bone powder towards 60 Co and 65 Zn

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdel-Fattah, A.T.; Essa, M.W.A.; Mohamed, S.A.; Molokhia, M.K.

1990-01-01

Human bone powder 30-40 Μ in diameter was prepared from human bone femurs as fat-free (FFB), protein-free (PFB) or left untreated as raw bone powder (RB). The sorption behavior of human bone powder towards 60 Co and 65 Zn was studied. The uptake changed with the type of bone powder to be : PFB>FFB>RB. The increase in the concentration of cobalt(from 10 -6 to 10 -1 Mole/litre)and of zinc (from 10 -7 to 10 -4 M/1) increased the uptake of 60 Co and 65 Zn. Freunclich-type isotherm was successfully applied on the uptake data of both ions and the slopes of these isotherms were, nearly, directly proportional to their uptake values. The uptake was found to be less influenced by the PH. In case of cobalt the uptake increased till PH 4, followed by a plateau till PH 8 while in case of zinc the PH effect is much less pronounced

Fatty acid and drug binding to a low-affinity component of human serum albumin, purified by affinity chromatography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vorum, H; Pedersen, A O; Honoré, B

1992-01-01

Binding equilibria for decanoate to a defatted, commercially available human serum albumin preparation were investigated by dialysis exchange rate determinations. The binding isotherm could not be fitted by the general binding equation. It was necessary to assume that the preparation was a mixture...... of two albumin components about 40% of the albumin having high affinity and about 60% having low affinity. By affinity chromatography we succeeded in purifying the low-affinity component from the mixture. The high-affinity component, however, could not be isolated. We further analyzed the fatty acid...... and drug binding abilities of the low-affinity component. The fatty acids decanoate, laurate, myristate and palmitate were bound with higher affinity to the mixture than to the low-affinity component. Diazepam was bound with nearly the same affinity to the low-affinity component as to the albumin mixture...

Characteristics of high affinity and low affinity adenosine binding sites in human cerebral cortex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

John, D.; Fox, I.V.

1986-01-01

The binding characteristics of human brain cortical membrane fractions were evaluated to test the hypothesis that there are A 1 and A 2 adenosine binding sites. The ligands used were 2-chloro(8- 3 H) adenosine and N 6 -(adenine-2, 8- 3 H) cyclohexayladenosine. Binding of chloroadenosine to human brain cortical membranes was time dependent, reversible and concentration dependent. The kinetic constant determinations from binding studies of the adenosine receptor are presented. Utilizing tritium-cyclohexyladenosine as ligand the authors observed evidence for a high affinity binding site in human brain cortical membranes with a kd of 5 nM

High Zn/Al ratios enhance dehydrogenation vs hydrogen transfer reactions of Zn-ZSM-5 catalytic systems in methanol conversion to aromatics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pinilla-Herrero, Irene; Borfecchia, Elisa; Holzinger, Julian

2018-01-01

suggest that catalytic activity is associated with [Zn(H2O)n(OH)]+ species located in the exchange positions of the materials with little or no contribution of ZnO or metallic Zn. The effect of Zn/Al ratio on their catalytic performance in methanol conversion to aromatics has been investigated. In all...... cases, higher Zn content causes an increase in the yield of aromatics while keeping the production of alkanes low. For similar Zn contents, high densities of Al sites favour the hydrogen transfer reactions and alkane formation whereas in samples with low Al contents, and thus higher Zn/Al ratio...

Characterization of high-affinity (/sup 3/H)ouabain binding in the rat central nervous system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hauger, R.; Luu, H.M.; Meyer, D.K.; Goodwin, F.K.; Paul, S.M.

1985-06-01

The characteristics of (/sup 3/H)ouabain binding were examined in various areas of rat brain. In the striatum, Scatchard analysis revealed a single class of high-affinity binding sites with an apparent binding affinity (KD) of 10.4 +/- 0.9 nM and an estimated binding capacity (Bmax) of 7.6 +/- 1.9 pmol/mg protein. Similar monophasic Scatchard plots were found in the brainstem, cerebellum, hypothalamus, and frontal cerebral cortex. (/sup 3/H)Ouabain binding to rat brain was sodium- and ATP-dependent and strongly inhibited by potassium. Proscillariden A was the most potent cardiac glycoside tested in inhibiting specific (/sup 3/H)ouabain binding to brain membranes, and the rank order of inhibitory potencies for a series of cardiac glycosides was similar to that previously reported for inhibition of heart Na,K-ATPase. To assess whether the high-affinity binding sites for (/sup 3/H)ouabain were localized to neuronal or nonneuronal membranes, the effect of discrete kainic acid lesions on striatal (/sup 3/H)ouabain binding was examined. Kainic acid lesions of the striatum reduced (/sup 3/H)ouabain binding to striatal homogenates by 79.6 +/- 1.6%. This suggests that the high-affinity (/sup 3/H)ouabain binding sites measured in our experiments are localized to neuronal elements. Thus, the high-affinity binding of (/sup 3/H)ouabain to brain membranes may selectively label a neuronal form or conformation of Na,K-ATPase.

2,2'-Dithiobis(N-ethyl-spermine-5-carboxamide) is a high affinity, membrane-impermeant antagonist of the mammalian polyamine transport system.

Science.gov (United States)

Huber, M; Pelletier, J G; Torossian, K; Dionne, P; Gamache, I; Charest-Gaudreault, R; Audette, M; Poulin, R

1996-11-01

We have synthesized 2,2'-dithiobis(N-ethyl-spermine-5-carboxamide) (DESC), its thiol monomer (MESC), and the mixed MESC-cysteamine disulfide (DEASC) as potential inhibitors of polyamine transport in mammalian cells. DESC was the most potent antagonist of spermine transport in ZR-75-1 human breast cancer cells, with Ki values of 5. 0 +/- 0.7, 80 +/- 31, and 16 +/- 3 microM for DESC, MESC, and DEASC, respectively. DESC also strongly blocked putrescine and spermidine uptake in ZR-75-1 cells (Ki = 1.6 +/- 0.5 and 2.7 +/- 1.1 microM, respectively). While DESC and MESC were purely competitive inhibitors of putrescine transport, DEASC was a mixed competitive/noncompetitive antagonist. Remarkably, DESC was virtually impermeant in ZR-75-1 cells despite its low Ki toward polyamine transport. The marked difference in affinity between DESC and MESC was essentially due to the tail-to-tail juxtaposition of two spermine-like structures, suggesting that dimeric ligands of the polyamine transporter might simultaneously interact with more than one binding site. While DESC strongly decreased the initial rate of [3H]spermidine transport, even a 40-fold molar excess of antagonist could not completely abolish intracellular spermidine accumulation. Moreover, as little as 0.3 microM spermidine fully restored growth in ZR-75-1 cells treated with an inhibitor of polyamine biosynthesis in the presence of 50 microM DESC, thus emphasizing the importance of uptake of trace amounts of exogenous polyamines. Thus, reducing the exogenous supply of polyamines with a potent competitive inhibitor may be kinetically inadequate to block replenishment of the polyamine pool in polyamine-depleted tumor cells that display high transport capacity. These results demonstrate that polyamine analogues cross-linked into a dimeric structure such as DESC interact with high affinity with the mammalian polyamine carrier without being used as substrates. These novel properties provide a framework for the design of

Selective high-affinity polydentate ligands and methods of making such

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Denardo, Sally J.; Denardo, Gerald L.; Balhorn, Rodney L.

2018-02-06

This invention provides novel polydentate selective high affinity ligands (SHALs) that can be used in a variety of applications in a manner analogous to the use of antibodies. SHALs typically comprise a multiplicity of ligands that each bind different region son the target molecule. The ligands are joined directly or through a linker thereby forming a polydentate moiety that typically binds the target molecule with high selectivity and avidity.

High-aluminum-affinity silica is a nanoparticle that seeds secondary aluminosilicate formation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ravin Jugdaohsingh

Full Text Available Despite the importance and abundance of aluminosilicates throughout our natural surroundings, their formation at neutral pH is, surprisingly, a matter of considerable debate. From our experiments in dilute aluminum and silica containing solutions (pH ~ 7 we previously identified a silica polymer with an extraordinarily high affinity for aluminium ions (high-aluminum-affinity silica polymer, HSP. Here, further characterization shows that HSP is a colloid of approximately 2.4 nm in diameter with a mean specific surface area of about 1,000 m(2 g(-1 and it competes effectively with transferrin for Al(III binding. Aluminum binding to HSP strongly inhibited its decomposition whilst the reaction rate constant for the formation of the β-silicomolybdic acid complex indicated a diameter between 3.6 and 4.1 nm for these aluminum-containing nanoparticles. Similarly, high resolution microscopic analysis of the air dried aluminum-containing silica colloid solution revealed 3.9 ± 1.3 nm sized crystalline Al-rich silica nanoparticles (ASP with an estimated Al:Si ratio of between 2 and 3 which is close to the range of secondary aluminosilicates such as imogolite. Thus the high-aluminum-affinity silica polymer is a nanoparticle that seeds early aluminosilicate formation through highly competitive binding of Al(III ions. In niche environments, especially in vivo, this may serve as an alternative mechanism to polyhydroxy Al(III species binding monomeric silica to form early phase, non-toxic aluminosilicates.

High-Aluminum-Affinity Silica Is a Nanoparticle That Seeds Secondary Aluminosilicate Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Jugdaohsingh, Ravin; Brown, Andy; Dietzel, Martin; Powell, Jonathan J.

2013-01-01

Despite the importance and abundance of aluminosilicates throughout our natural surroundings, their formation at neutral pH is, surprisingly, a matter of considerable debate. From our experiments in dilute aluminum and silica containing solutions (pH ~ 7) we previously identified a silica polymer with an extraordinarily high affinity for aluminium ions (high-aluminum-affinity silica polymer, HSP). Here, further characterization shows that HSP is a colloid of approximately 2.4 nm in diameter with a mean specific surface area of about 1,000 m2 g-1 and it competes effectively with transferrin for Al(III) binding. Aluminum binding to HSP strongly inhibited its decomposition whilst the reaction rate constant for the formation of the β-silicomolybdic acid complex indicated a diameter between 3.6 and 4.1 nm for these aluminum-containing nanoparticles. Similarly, high resolution microscopic analysis of the air dried aluminum-containing silica colloid solution revealed 3.9 ± 1.3 nm sized crystalline Al-rich silica nanoparticles (ASP) with an estimated Al:Si ratio of between 2 and 3 which is close to the range of secondary aluminosilicates such as imogolite. Thus the high-aluminum-affinity silica polymer is a nanoparticle that seeds early aluminosilicate formation through highly competitive binding of Al(III) ions. In niche environments, especially in vivo, this may serve as an alternative mechanism to polyhydroxy Al(III) species binding monomeric silica to form early phase, non-toxic aluminosilicates. PMID:24349573

A novel high-affinity sucrose transporter is required for virulence of the plant pathogen Ustilago maydis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramon Wahl

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Plant pathogenic fungi cause massive yield losses and affect both quality and safety of food and feed produced from infected plants. The main objective of plant pathogenic fungi is to get access to the organic carbon sources of their carbon-autotrophic hosts. However, the chemical nature of the carbon source(s and the mode of uptake are largely unknown. Here, we present a novel, plasma membrane-localized sucrose transporter (Srt1 from the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis and its characterization as a fungal virulence factor. Srt1 has an unusually high substrate affinity, is absolutely sucrose specific, and allows the direct utilization of sucrose at the plant/fungal interface without extracellular hydrolysis and, thus, without the production of extracellular monosaccharides known to elicit plant immune responses. srt1 is expressed exclusively during infection, and its deletion strongly reduces fungal virulence. This emphasizes the central role of this protein both for efficient carbon supply and for avoidance of apoplastic signals potentially recognized by the host.

Application of Synchrotron Methods to Assess the Uptake of Roadway-Derived Zn by Earthworms in an Urban Soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lev, S.; Landa, E.; Szlavecz, K.; Casey, R.; Snodgrass, J.

2008-01-01

The impact of human activities on biogeochemical cycles in terrestrial environments is nowhere more apparent than in urban landscapes. Trace metals, collected on roadways and transported by storm water, may contaminate soils and sediments associated with storm water management systems. These systems will accumulate metals and associated sediments may reach toxic levels for terrestrial and aquatic organisms using the retention basins as habitat. The fate and bioavailability of these metals once deposited is poorly understood. Here we present results from a dose-response experiment that examines the application of synchrotron X-ray fluorescence methods (μ-SXRF) to test the hypothesis that earthworms will bio-accumulate Zn in a roadway-dust contaminated soil system providing a potential pathway for roadway contaminants into the terrestrial food web, and that the storage and distribution of Zn will change with the level of exposure reflecting the micronutrient status of Zn. Lumbricus friendi was exposed to Zn-bearing roadway dust amended to a field soil at six target concentrations ranging from background levels (45 mg/kg Zn) to highly contaminated levels (460 mg/kg Zn) designed to replicate the observed concentration range in storm-water retention basin soils. After a 30 day exposure, Zn storage in the intestine is positively correlated with dose and there is a change in the pattern of Zn storage within the intestine. This relationship is only clear when μ-SXRF Zn map data is coupled with a traditional toxicological approach, and suggests that the gut concentration in L. friendi is a better indicator of Zn bioaccumulation and storage than the total body burden.

Application of Synchrotron Methods to Assess the Uptake of Roadway-Derived Zn by Earthworms in an Urban Soil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lev,S.; Landa, E.; Szlavecz, K.; Casey, R.; Snodgrass, J.

2008-01-01

The impact of human activities on biogeochemical cycles in terrestrial environments is nowhere more apparent than in urban landscapes. Trace metals, collected on roadways and transported by storm water, may contaminate soils and sediments associated with storm water management systems. These systems will accumulate metals and associated sediments may reach toxic levels for terrestrial and aquatic organisms using the retention basins as habitat. The fate and bioavailability of these metals once deposited is poorly understood. Here we present results from a dose-response experiment that examines the application of synchrotron X-ray fluorescence methods ({mu}-SXRF) to test the hypothesis that earthworms will bio-accumulate Zn in a roadway-dust contaminated soil system providing a potential pathway for roadway contaminants into the terrestrial food web, and that the storage and distribution of Zn will change with the level of exposure reflecting the micronutrient status of Zn. Lumbricus friendi was exposed to Zn-bearing roadway dust amended to a field soil at six target concentrations ranging from background levels (45 mg/kg Zn) to highly contaminated levels (460 mg/kg Zn) designed to replicate the observed concentration range in storm-water retention basin soils. After a 30 day exposure, Zn storage in the intestine is positively correlated with dose and there is a change in the pattern of Zn storage within the intestine. This relationship is only clear when {mu}-SXRF Zn map data is coupled with a traditional toxicological approach, and suggests that the gut concentration in L. friendi is a better indicator of Zn bioaccumulation and storage than the total body burden.

High yield growth of uniform ZnS nanospheres with strong photoluminescence properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yuan; Li, Qing; Wu, Huijie; Zhang, Jin; Lin, Hua; Nie, Ming; Zhang, Yu

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: High-yield ZnS nanospheres with an average diameter of 80 nm were fabricated successfully in aqueous solution at 100 °C by the assistance of surfactant PVP. It was found that PVP plays a crucial role in the formation of uniform ZnS nanospheres. A possible self-assembling growth mechanism was proposed. The UV–vis spectrum indicates that the as-prepared ZnS nanospheres exhibit a dramatic blue-shift. PL spectrum reveals that the ZnS nanospheres have a strong visible emission peak centered at 516 nm with excitation light of 400 nm. Highlights: ► High-yield ZnS nanospheres were generated conveniently in aqueous solution. ► The amount of surfactant PVP plays a crucial role on the morphology and size of the products. ► A tentative explanation for the growth mechanism of ZnS nanospheres was proposed. ► The UV–vis spectrum indicated that the sample exhibits a dramatic blue-shift. ► PL spectrum reveals that ZnS nanospheres have a strong visible emission peak centered at 516 nm with excitation light of 400 nm. - Abstract: High yield ZnS nanospheres were generated conveniently in aqueous solution with the assistance of surfactant polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP). The products were characterized by XRD, EDX, XPS, FESEM, TEM and HRTEM. The as-prepared ZnS nanospheres were uniform with an average diameter of 80 nm. The role of PVP in the forming of ZnS nanospheres was investigated. The results indicated that surfactant PVP plays a crucial role on the morphology and size of the products. Moreover, a tentative explanation for the growth mechanism of ZnS nanospheres was proposed. UV–vis and PL absorption spectrum were used to investigate the optical properties of ZnS nanospheres. The UV–vis spectrum indicated that the sample exhibits a dramatic blue-shift. PL spectrum reveals that ZnS nanospheres have a strong visible emission peak centered at 516 nm with excitation light of 400 nm.

Differences between high-affinity forskolin binding sites in dopamine-riche and other regions of rat brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poat, J.A.; Cripps, H.E.; Iversen, L.L.

1988-01-01

Forskolin labelled with [ 3 H] bound to high- and low-affinity sites in the rat brain. The high-affinity site was discretely located, with highest densities in the striatum, nucleus accumbens, olfactory tubercule, substantia nigra, hippocampus, and the molecular layers of the cerebellum. This site did not correlate well with the distribution of adenylate cyclase. The high-affinity striatal binding site may be associated with a stimulatory guanine nucleotide-binding protein. Thus, the number of sites was increased by the addition of Mg 2+ and guanylyl imidodiphosphate. Cholera toxin stereotaxically injected into rat striatum increased the number of binding sites, and no further increase was noted following the subsequent addition of guanyl nucleotide. High-affinity forskolin binding sites in non-dopamine-rich brain areas (hippocampus and cerebullum) were modulated in a qualitatively different manner by guanyl nucleotides. In these areas the number of binding sites was significantly reduced by the addition of guanyl nucleotide. These results suggest that forskolin may have a potential role in identifying different functional/structural guanine nucleotide-binding proteins

Functionalized ZnO Nanoparticles with Gallic Acid for Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activity against Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joomin Lee

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In this study, we report a new multifunctional nanoparticle with antioxidative and antibacterial activities in vitro. ZnO@GA nanoparticles were fabricated by coordinated covalent bonding of the antioxidant gallic acid (GA on the surface of ZnO nanoparticles. This addition imparts both antioxidant activity and high affinity for the bacterial cell membrane. Antioxidative activities at various concentrations were evaluated using a 2,2′-azino-bis(ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS radical scavenging method. Antibacterial activities were evaluated against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus: S. aureus, including several strains of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA, and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli. The functionalized ZnO@GA nanoparticles showed good antioxidative activity (69.71%, and the bactericidal activity of these nanoparticles was also increased compared to that of non-functionalized ZnO nanoparticles, with particularly effective inhibition and high selectivity for MRSA strains. The results indicate that multifunctional ZnO nanoparticles conjugated to GA molecules via a simple surface modification process displaying both antioxidant and antibacterial activity, suggesting a possibility to use it as an antibacterial agent for removing MRSA.

Effects of cultivation conditions on the uptake of arsenite and arsenic chemical species accumulated by Pteris vittata in hydroponics.

Science.gov (United States)

Hatayama, Masayoshi; Sato, Takahiko; Shinoda, Kozo; Inoue, Chihiro

2011-03-01

The physiological responses of the arsenic-hyperaccumulator, Pteris vittata, such as arsenic uptake and chemical transformation in the fern, have been investigated. However, a few questions remain regarding arsenic treatment in hydroponics. Incubation conditions such as aeration, arsenic concentration, and incubation period might affect those responses of P. vittata in hydroponics. Arsenite uptake was low under anaerobic conditions, as previously reported. However, in an arsenite uptake experiment, phosphorous (P) starvation-dependent uptake of arsenate was observed under aerobic conditions. Time course-dependent analysis of arsenite oxidation showed that arsenite was gradually oxidized to arsenate during incubation. Arsenite oxidation was not observed in any of the control conditions, such as exposure to a nutrient solution or to culture medium only, or with the use of dried root; arsenite oxidation was only observed when live root was used. This result suggests that sufficient aeration allows the rhizosphere system to oxidize arsenite and enables the fern to efficiently take up arsenite as arsenate. X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) analyses showed that long-duration exposure to arsenic using a hydroponic system led to the accumulation of arsenate as the dominant species in the root tips, but not in the whole roots, partly because up-regulation of arsenate uptake by P starvation of the fern was caused and retained by long-time incubation. Analysis of concentration-dependent arsenate uptake by P. vittata showed that the uptake switched from a high-affinity transport system to a low-affinity system at high arsenate concentrations, which partially explains the increased arsenate abundance in the whole root. Copyright © 2010 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The fourth dimension in immunological space: how the struggle for nutrients selects high-affinity lymphocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wensveen, Felix M; van Gisbergen, Klaas P J M; Eldering, Eric

2012-09-01

Lymphocyte activation via the antigen receptor is associated with radical shifts in metabolism and changes in requirements for nutrients and cytokines. Concomitantly, drastic changes occur in the expression of pro-and anti-apoptotic proteins that alter the sensitivity of lymphocytes to limiting concentrations of key survival factors. Antigen affinity is a primary determinant for the capacity of activated lymphocytes to access these vital resources. The shift in metabolic needs and the variable access to key survival factors is used by the immune system to eliminate activated low-affinity cells and to generate an optimal high-affinity response. In this review, we focus on the control of apoptosis regulators in activated lymphocytes by nutrients, cytokines, and costimulation. We propose that the struggle among individual clones that leads to the formation of high-affinity effector cell populations is in effect an 'invisible' fourth signal required for effective immune responses. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Reversible low adhesive to high adhesive superhydrophobicity transition on ZnO nanoparticle surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Jian; Jing, Zhijiao; Yang, Yaoxia; Zha, Fei; Yan, Long; Lei, Ziqiang

2014-01-01

Superhydrophobic ZnO surfaces with water contact angle of 162° and sliding angle of 2° were fabricated successfully by spraying hydrophobic ZnO nanoparticle suspensions without limitations the shape and size of substrates. The as-prepared superhydrophobic ZnO surfaces are low adhesive and a water droplet easily rolls off with the surface slightly tilted. However, after being irradiated by UV light through a photomask, it becomes highly adhesive, on which a water droplet is firmly pinned without any movement. Further annealing the irradiated film, water droplets can roll off the surface again. Reversible transition between the low adhesive rolling state and high adhesive pinning state can be realized simply by UV illumination and heat treatment alternately. At the same time, the maximum adhesive force between the superhydrophobic ZnO surfaces and the water droplet changes from extreme low (∼5.1 μN) to very high (∼136.1 μN). When irradiated without a photomask, the surface became hydrophilic. Additionally, a water droplet can be transfered from the low adhesive superhydrophobic ZnO surfaces to the hydrophilic ZnO surfaces using the high adhesive superhydrophobic ZnO surfaces as a mechanical hand.

Pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of a radioiodine labeled peptidomimetic ligand for high-affinity nerve growth factor receptors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, K. H.; Kim, D. H.; Paik, J. Y.; Koh, B. H.; Bae, J. S.; Choe, Y. S.; Lee, K. H.; Kim, B. T. [Samsung Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2005-07-01

Some of the obstacles for the clinical application of whole nerve growth factor (NGF) may be overcome by utilizing small molecule mimetics. We thus investigated the in vivo pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of a small cyclic peptide derived from NGF-[C(92-96)] with high receptor binding affinity. I-125 C(92-96) was labeled with the Bolton-Hunter method, and binding to TrkA/IgG chimeric protein was confirmed on a polyacrylamide gel after cross-linking. Pharmacokinetic analysis was performed in normal ICR mice intravenously injected with 0.5 MBq I-125 C(92-96) containing varying doses of C(92-96). Biodistribution studies were done at 6 h after injection. Cross-linkage analysis confirmed binding of I-125 C(92-96) to the high affinity NGF receptor, TrkA. Intravenously injected I-125 C(92-96) was cleared from the blood in a biexponential manner with an early T1/2{alpha} of 5.2 min and late T1/2{beta} of 121.3 min. Log blood-concentration decreased over time with a k-slope of 0.0025, clearance of 11.8{+-}0.5 ml/min, T1/2 of 4.1{+-}0.4 hr, and volume of distribution of 69.7{+-}4.6 ml. The pattern of elimination from the blood remained essentially unchanged regardless of the dose of added C(92-96), with dose-proportionate increases in AUCs and peak concentrations consistent with linear pharmacokinetics. Biodistribution studies demonstrated high kidney activity suggesting renal excretion of I-125 C(92-96). There were moderate levels of accumulation in the spleen, lungs and liver, followed by the myocardium and skeletal muscle, whereas brain uptake was low (< 0.2 %ID/gm). Intravenously administered C(92-96) follows linear pharmacokinetics, and is cleared from the circulation at a rate comparable to whole NGF despite its substantially smaller size. Although intravenous C(92-96) does not adequately reach brain tissue, clinically relevant doses can achieve major organ accumulation levels that may be sufficient to elicit biologic responses through NGF receptors.

Pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of a radioiodine labeled peptidomimetic ligand for high-affinity nerve growth factor receptors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, K. H.; Kim, D. H.; Paik, J. Y.; Koh, B. H.; Bae, J. S.; Choe, Y. S.; Lee, K. H.; Kim, B. T.

2005-01-01

Some of the obstacles for the clinical application of whole nerve growth factor (NGF) may be overcome by utilizing small molecule mimetics. We thus investigated the in vivo pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of a small cyclic peptide derived from NGF-[C(92-96)] with high receptor binding affinity. I-125 C(92-96) was labeled with the Bolton-Hunter method, and binding to TrkA/IgG chimeric protein was confirmed on a polyacrylamide gel after cross-linking. Pharmacokinetic analysis was performed in normal ICR mice intravenously injected with 0.5 MBq I-125 C(92-96) containing varying doses of C(92-96). Biodistribution studies were done at 6 h after injection. Cross-linkage analysis confirmed binding of I-125 C(92-96) to the high affinity NGF receptor, TrkA. Intravenously injected I-125 C(92-96) was cleared from the blood in a biexponential manner with an early T1/2α of 5.2 min and late T1/2β of 121.3 min. Log blood-concentration decreased over time with a k-slope of 0.0025, clearance of 11.8±0.5 ml/min, T1/2 of 4.1±0.4 hr, and volume of distribution of 69.7±4.6 ml. The pattern of elimination from the blood remained essentially unchanged regardless of the dose of added C(92-96), with dose-proportionate increases in AUCs and peak concentrations consistent with linear pharmacokinetics. Biodistribution studies demonstrated high kidney activity suggesting renal excretion of I-125 C(92-96). There were moderate levels of accumulation in the spleen, lungs and liver, followed by the myocardium and skeletal muscle, whereas brain uptake was low (< 0.2 %ID/gm). Intravenously administered C(92-96) follows linear pharmacokinetics, and is cleared from the circulation at a rate comparable to whole NGF despite its substantially smaller size. Although intravenous C(92-96) does not adequately reach brain tissue, clinically relevant doses can achieve major organ accumulation levels that may be sufficient to elicit biologic responses through NGF receptors

Vibrational properties of ZnTe at high pressures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camacho, J.; Loa, I.; Syassen, K.; Cantarero, A.

2002-01-01

Raman spectra of ZnTe were measured under hydrostatic pressures up to 15 GPa at T=300 K. Results for the frequencies of first- and second-order Raman features of the zincblende phase (0-9.5 GPa) are used to set up a rigid-ion model of the phonon dispersion relations under pressure. Calculated phonon densities of states, mode Grueneisen parameters and the thermal expansion coefficient as a function of pressure are discussed. The effect of pressure on the widths and intensities of Raman spectral features is considered. Raman spectra of high-pressure phases of ZnTe are reported. These spectra indicate the possible existence of a new phase near 13 GPa, intermediate between the cinnabar and orthorhombic (Cmcm) phases of ZnTe. (author)

Vibrational properties of ZnTe at high pressures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Camacho, J. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Festkoerperforschung, Stuttgart (Germany) and Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia (Spain)]. E-mail: Juana.Camacho@uv.es; Loa, I.; Syassen, K. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Festkoerperforschung, Stuttgart (Germany); Cantarero, A. [Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia (Spain)

2002-02-04

Raman spectra of ZnTe were measured under hydrostatic pressures up to 15 GPa at T=300 K. Results for the frequencies of first- and second-order Raman features of the zincblende phase (0-9.5 GPa) are used to set up a rigid-ion model of the phonon dispersion relations under pressure. Calculated phonon densities of states, mode Grueneisen parameters and the thermal expansion coefficient as a function of pressure are discussed. The effect of pressure on the widths and intensities of Raman spectral features is considered. Raman spectra of high-pressure phases of ZnTe are reported. These spectra indicate the possible existence of a new phase near 13 GPa, intermediate between the cinnabar and orthorhombic (Cmcm) phases of ZnTe. (author)

High-performance solid-state supercapacitors based on graphene-ZnO hybrid nanocomposites

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zijiong; Zhou, Zhihua; Yun, Gaoqian; Shi, Kai; Lv, Xiaowei; Yang, Baocheng

2013-11-01

In this paper, we report a facile low-cost synthesis of the graphene-ZnO hybrid nanocomposites for solid-state supercapacitors. Structural analysis revealed a homogeneous distribution of ZnO nanorods that are inserted in graphene nanosheets, forming a sandwiched architecture. The material exhibited a high specific capacitance of 156 F g-1 at a scan rate of 5 mV.s-1. The fabricated solid-state supercapacitor device using these graphene-ZnO hybrid nanocomposites exhibits good supercapacitive performance and long-term cycle stability. The improved supercapacitance property of these materials could be ascribed to the increased conductivity of ZnO and better utilization of graphene. These results demonstrate the potential of the graphene-ZnO hybrid nanocomposites as an electrode in high-performance supercapacitors.

In Situ XRD Studies of ZnO/GaN Mixtures at High Pressure and High Temperature: Synthesis of Zn-Rich (Ga1-xZnx)(N1-xOx) Photocatalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodriguez, J.A.; Chen, H.; Wang, L.; Bai, J.; Hanson, J.C.; Warren, J.B.; Muckerman, J.T.; Fujita, E.

2010-02-04

The high-pressure, high-temperature conditions for the synthesis of Zn-rich (Ga{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x})(N{sub 1-x}O{sub x}) solid solutions from mixtures of ZnO/GaN were explored using synchrotron-based in situ time-resolved X-ray diffraction (XRD). Following a new synthetic path, (Ga{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x})(N{sub 1-x}O{sub x}) solid solutions with a Zn content up to 75% were prepared for the first time. The structures of the (Ga{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x})(N{sub 1-x}O{sub x}) solid solutions were characterized by XRD and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) analyses and were in excellent agreement with the predictions of density functional calculations. These materials adopt a wurtzite crystal structure with metal-N or metal-O bond distances in the range of 1.95-1.98 {angstrom}. Although the (Ga{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x})(N{sub 1-x}O{sub x}) solid solutions seem to be stable over the full range of compositions, no ideal solid solution formation was observed. In all cases, the lattice parameters were larger than those of ideal solid solutions. The variation of the lattice parameter c showed an upward double bowing curve, as was predicted by theoretical calculations. Also, no ideal behavior was observed in the electronic properties of the (Ga{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x})(N{sub 1-x}O{sub x}) solid solutions. X-ray absorption spectra at the Zn and Ga K-edges of the (Ga{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x})(N{sub 1-x}O{sub x}) systems showed significant electronic perturbations with respect to ZnO and GaN. The synthesized (Ga{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x})(N{sub 1-x}O{sub x}) solid solution with a Zn content of 50% displayed the ability to absorb visible light well above 500 nm. This material has a great potential for splitting water under visible light irradiation. The availability of (Ga{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x})(N{sub 1-x}O{sub x}) solid solutions with a high Zn content opens the door to fully explore the application of these materials in photocatalysis.

In Situ XRD Studies of ZnO/GaN Mixtures at High Pressure and High Temperature: Synthesis of Zn-Rich (Ga1-xZnx)(N1-xOx) Photocatalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, H.; Wang, L; Bai, J; Hanson, J; Warren, J; Muckerman, J; Fujita, E; Rodriguez, J

2010-01-01

The high-pressure, high-temperature conditions for the synthesis of Zn-rich (Ga{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x})(N{sub 1-x}O{sub x}) solid solutions from mixtures of ZnO/GaN were explored using synchrotron-based in situ time-resolved X-ray diffraction (XRD). Following a new synthetic path, (Ga{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x})(N{sub 1-x}O{sub x}) solid solutions with a Zn content up to {approx}75% were prepared for the first time. The structures of the (Ga{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x})(N{sub 1-x}O{sub x}) solid solutions were characterized by XRD and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) analyses and were in excellent agreement with the predictions of density functional calculations. These materials adopt a wurtzite crystal structure with metal-N or metal-O bond distances in the range of 1.95-1.98 {angstrom}. Although the (Ga{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x})(N{sub 1-x}O{sub x}) solid solutions seem to be stable over the full range of compositions, no ideal solid solution formation was observed. In all cases, the lattice parameters were larger than those of ideal solid solutions. The variation of the lattice parameter c showed an upward double bowing curve, as was predicted by theoretical calculations. Also, no ideal behavior was observed in the electronic properties of the (Ga{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x})(N{sub 1-x}O{sub x}) solid solutions. X-ray absorption spectra at the Zn and Ga K-edges of the (Ga{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x})(N{sub 1-x}O{sub x}) systems showed significant electronic perturbations with respect to ZnO and GaN. The synthesized (Ga{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x})(N{sub 1-x}O{sub x}) solid solution with a Zn content of 50% displayed the ability to absorb visible light well above 500 nm. This material has a great potential for splitting water under visible light irradiation. The availability of (Ga{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x})(N{sub 1-x}O{sub x}) solid solutions with a high Zn content opens the door to fully explore the application of these materials in photocatalysis.

Constitutive expression of a putative high-affinity nitrate transporter in Nicotiana plumbaginifolia: evidence for post-transcriptional regulation by a reduced nitrogen source.

Science.gov (United States)

Fraisier, V; Gojon, A; Tillard, P; Daniel-Vedele, F

2000-08-01

The NpNRT2.1 gene encodes a putative inducible component of the high-affinity nitrate (NO3-) uptake system in Nicotiana plumbaginifolia. Here we report functional and physiological analyses of transgenic plants expressing the NpNRT2.1 coding sequence fused to the CaMV 35S or rolD promoters. Irrespective of the level of NO3- supplied, NO3- contents were found to be remarkably similar in wild-type and transgenic plants. Under specific conditions (growth on 10 mM NO3-), the steady-state NpNRT2. 1 mRNA level resulting from the deregulated transgene expression was accompanied by an increase in 15NO3- influx measured in the low concentration range. This demonstrates for the first time that the NRT2.1 sequence codes a limiting element of the inducible high-affinity transport system. Both 15NO3- influx and mRNA levels decreased in the wild type after exposure to ammonium, in agreement with previous results from many species. Surprisingly, however, influx was also markedly decreased in transgenic plants, despite stable levels of transgene expression in independent transformants after ammonium addition. We conclude that the conditions associated with the supply of a reduced nitrogen source such as ammonium, or with the generation of a further downstream metabolite, probably exert a repressive effect on NO3- influx at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels.

Antimicrobial evaluation of new metallic complexes with xylitol active against P. aeruginosa and C. albicans: MIC determination, post-agent effect and Zn-uptake.

Science.gov (United States)

Santi, E; Facchin, G; Faccio, R; Barroso, R P; Costa-Filho, A J; Borthagaray, G; Torre, M H

2016-02-01

Xylitol (xylH5) is metabolized via the pentose pathway in humans, but it is unsuitable as an energy source for many microorganisms where it produces a xylitol-induced growth inhibition and disturbance in protein synthesis. For this reason, xylitol is used in the prophylaxis of several infections. In the search of better antimicrobial agents, new copper and zinc complexes with xylitol were synthesized and characterized by analytical and spectrosco pic methods: Na2[Cu3(xylH−4)2]·NaCl·4.5H2O (Cu-xyl) and [Zn4(xylH−4)2(H2O)2]·NaCl·3H2O (Zn-xyl). Both copper and zinc complexes presented higher MIC against Pseudomona aeruginosa than the free xylitol while two different behaviors were found against Candida albicans depending on the complex. The growth curves showed that Cu-xyl presented lower activity than the free ligand during all the studied period. In the case of Znxyl the growth curves showed that the inhibition of the microorganism growth in the first stage was equivalent to that of xylitol but in the second stage (after 18 h) Zn-xyl inhibited more. Besides, the PAE (post agent effect)obtained for Zn-xyl and xyl showed that the recovery from the damage of microbial cells had a delay of 14 and 13 h respectively. This behavior could be useful in prophylaxis treatments for infectious diseases where it is important that the antimicrobial effect lasts longer. With the aim to understand the microbiological activities the analysis of the particle size, lipophilicity and Zn uptake was performed.

High-Efficiency Photochemical Water Splitting of CdZnS/CdZnSe Nanostructures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen-I Wang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We have prepared and employed TiO2/CdZnS/CdZnSe electrodes for photochemical water splitting. The TiO2/CdZnS/CdZnSe electrodes consisting of sheet-like CdZnS/CdZnSe nanostructures (8–10 μm in length and 5–8 nm in width were prepared through chemical bath deposition on TiO2 substrates. The TiO2/CdZnS/CdZnSe electrodes have light absorption over the wavelength 400–700 nm and a band gap of 1.87 eV. Upon one sun illumination of 100 mW cm−2, the TiO2/CdZnS/CdZnSe electrodes provide a significant photocurrent density of 9.7 mA cm−2 at −0.9 V versus a saturated calomel electrode (SCE. Incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE spectrum of the electrodes displays a maximum IPCE value of 80% at 500 nm. Moreover, the TiO2/CdZnS/CdZnSe electrodes prepared from three different batches provide a remarkable photon-to-hydrogen efficiency of 7.3 ± 0.1% (the rate of the photocatalytically produced H2 by water splitting is about 172.8 mmol·h−1·g−1, which is the most efficient quantum-dots-based photocatalysts used in solar water splitting.

Differences in Cd and Zn bioaccumulation for the flood-tolerant Salix cinerea rooting in seasonally flooded contaminated sediments.

Science.gov (United States)

Vandecasteele, Bart; Laing, Gijs Du; Quataert, Paul; Tack, Filip M G

2005-04-01

Several authors suggest that a hydrological regime aiming at wetland creation is a potential management option that favours reducing bioavailability for metal-contaminated sites. The hydrological conditions on a site constitute one of the many factors that may affect the availability of potentially toxic trace metals for uptake by plants. Bioavailability of Cd, Mn and Zn on a contaminated dredged sediment landfill (DSL) with variable duration of submersion was evaluated by measuring metal concentrations in the wetland plant species Salix cinerea in field conditions. Longer submersion periods in the field caused lower Cd and Zn concentrations in the leaves in the first weeks of the growing season. Foliar Cd and Zn concentrations at the end of the growing season were highest on the initially flooded plot that emerged early in the growing season. Foliar Zn concentrations were also high at a sandy-textured oxic plot with low soil metal concentrations. Zn uptake in the leaves was markedly slower than Cd uptake for trees growing on soils with prolonged waterlogging during the growing season, pointing at a different availability. Zn availability was lowest when soil was submerged, but metal transfer from stems and twigs to leaves may mask the lower availability of Cd in submerged soils. Especially for Cd, a transfer effect from one growing season to the next season was observed: oxic conditions at the end of the previous growing season seem to determine at least partly the foliar concentrations for S. cinerea through this metal transfer mechanism. Duration of the submersion period is a key factor for bioavailability inasmuch as initially submerged soils emerging only in the second half of the growing season resulted in elevated Cd and Zn foliar concentrations at that time.

Effects of salinity on the uptake of radionuclides by Fucus vesiculosus L

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlson, L.; Erlandsson, B.

1991-01-01

Laboratory experiments were performed to study the effects of salinity on the uptake of radionuclides in Fucus vesiculosus L.: one experiment with algae and seawater from three localities off the Swedish west and south coasts and one experiment with algae taken from one locality and then exposed to seawaters of different salinities. Both experiments showed the greatest difference for uptake of 137 Cs. For algae and seawater from the same localities, the authors found approximately 2.5 and 4 times higher activity concentrations at 8 per mille relative to 15 and 24 per mille, respectively. For 54 Mn and 65 Zn, no differences in uptake were observed between 13 and 24 per mill. In the algae from a single locality exposed to seawaters of different salinities, uptake was similar for the first few days, beyond which the algae in the medium salinity water showed the highest uptake for 54 Mn, 65 Zn and 60 Co. There are thus differences in radionuclide accumulation in F. vesiculosus from areas of different salinity regimes and in algae grown at different salinities. (author)

Uptake and distribution of soil applied zinc by citrus trees-addressing fertilizer use efficiency with 68Zn labeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Hippler, Franz Walter Rieger; Boaretto, Rodrigo Marcelli; Quaggio, José Antônio; Boaretto, Antonio Enedi; Abreu-Junior, Cassio Hamilton; Mattos, Dirceu

2015-01-01

The zinc (Zn) supply increases the fruit yield of Citrus trees that are grown, especially in the highly weathered soils of the tropics due to the inherently low nutrient availability in the soil solution. Leaf sprays containing micronutrients are commonly applied to orchards, even though the nutrient supply via soil could be of practical value. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Zn fertilizers that are applied to the soil surface on absorption and partitioning of the nutrient by citrus trees. A greenhouse experiment was conducted with one-year-old sweet orange trees. The plants were grown in soils with different textures (18.1 or 64.4% clay) that received 1.8 g Zn per plant, in the form of either ZnO or ZnSO4 enriched with the stable isotope 68Zn. Zinc fertilization increased the availability of the nutrient in the soil and the content in the orange trees. Greater responses were obtained when ZnSO4 was applied to the sandy loam soil due to its lower specific metal adsorption compared to that of the clay soil. The trunk and branches accumulated the most fertilizer-derived Zn (Zndff) and thus represent the major reserve organ for this nutrient in the plant. The trees recovered up to 4% of the applied Zndff. Despite this relative low recovery, the Zn requirement of the trees was met with the selected treatment based on the total leaf nutrient content and increased Cu/Zn-SOD activity in the leaves. We conclude that the efficiency of Zn fertilizers depends on the fertilizer source and the soil texture, which must be taken into account by guidelines for fruit crop fertilization via soil, in substitution or complementation of traditional foliar sprays.

Uptake and distribution of soil applied zinc by citrus trees-addressing fertilizer use efficiency with 68Zn labeling.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Franz Walter Rieger Hippler

Full Text Available The zinc (Zn supply increases the fruit yield of Citrus trees that are grown, especially in the highly weathered soils of the tropics due to the inherently low nutrient availability in the soil solution. Leaf sprays containing micronutrients are commonly applied to orchards, even though the nutrient supply via soil could be of practical value. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Zn fertilizers that are applied to the soil surface on absorption and partitioning of the nutrient by citrus trees. A greenhouse experiment was conducted with one-year-old sweet orange trees. The plants were grown in soils with different textures (18.1 or 64.4% clay that received 1.8 g Zn per plant, in the form of either ZnO or ZnSO4 enriched with the stable isotope 68Zn. Zinc fertilization increased the availability of the nutrient in the soil and the content in the orange trees. Greater responses were obtained when ZnSO4 was applied to the sandy loam soil due to its lower specific metal adsorption compared to that of the clay soil. The trunk and branches accumulated the most fertilizer-derived Zn (Zndff and thus represent the major reserve organ for this nutrient in the plant. The trees recovered up to 4% of the applied Zndff. Despite this relative low recovery, the Zn requirement of the trees was met with the selected treatment based on the total leaf nutrient content and increased Cu/Zn-SOD activity in the leaves. We conclude that the efficiency of Zn fertilizers depends on the fertilizer source and the soil texture, which must be taken into account by guidelines for fruit crop fertilization via soil, in substitution or complementation of traditional foliar sprays.

Uptake and Distribution of Soil Applied Zinc by Citrus Trees—Addressing Fertilizer Use Efficiency with 68Zn Labeling

Science.gov (United States)

Hippler, Franz Walter Rieger; Boaretto, Rodrigo Marcelli; Quaggio, José Antônio; Boaretto, Antonio Enedi; Abreu-Junior, Cassio Hamilton; Mattos, Dirceu

2015-01-01

The zinc (Zn) supply increases the fruit yield of Citrus trees that are grown, especially in the highly weathered soils of the tropics due to the inherently low nutrient availability in the soil solution. Leaf sprays containing micronutrients are commonly applied to orchards, even though the nutrient supply via soil could be of practical value. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Zn fertilizers that are applied to the soil surface on absorption and partitioning of the nutrient by citrus trees. A greenhouse experiment was conducted with one-year-old sweet orange trees. The plants were grown in soils with different textures (18.1 or 64.4% clay) that received 1.8 g Zn per plant, in the form of either ZnO or ZnSO4 enriched with the stable isotope 68Zn. Zinc fertilization increased the availability of the nutrient in the soil and the content in the orange trees. Greater responses were obtained when ZnSO4 was applied to the sandy loam soil due to its lower specific metal adsorption compared to that of the clay soil. The trunk and branches accumulated the most fertilizer-derived Zn (Zndff) and thus represent the major reserve organ for this nutrient in the plant. The trees recovered up to 4% of the applied Zndff. Despite this relative low recovery, the Zn requirement of the trees was met with the selected treatment based on the total leaf nutrient content and increased Cu/Zn-SOD activity in the leaves. We conclude that the efficiency of Zn fertilizers depends on the fertilizer source and the soil texture, which must be taken into account by guidelines for fruit crop fertilization via soil, in substitution or complementation of traditional foliar sprays. PMID:25751056

Detection of Waterborne Viruses Using High Affinity Molecularly Imprinted Polymers.

Science.gov (United States)

Altintas, Zeynep; Gittens, Micah; Guerreiro, Antonio; Thompson, Katy-Anne; Walker, Jimmy; Piletsky, Sergey; Tothill, Ibtisam E

2015-07-07

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are artificial receptor ligands which can recognize and specifically bind to a target molecule. They are more resistant to chemical and biological damage and inactivation than antibodies. Therefore, target specific-MIP nanoparticles are aimed to develop and implemented to biosensors for the detection of biological toxic agents such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi toxins that cause many diseases and death due to the environmental contamination. For the first time, a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) targeting the bacteriophage MS2 as the template was investigated using a novel solid-phase synthesis method to obtain the artificial affinity ligand for the detection and removal of waterborne viruses through optical-based sensors. A high affinity between the artificial ligand and the target was found, and a regenerative MIP-based virus detection assay was successfully developed using a new surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-biosensor which provides an alternative technology for the specific detection and removal of waterborne viruses that lead to high disease and death rates all over the world.

Production and Identification of High Affinity Monoclonal Antibodies Against Pesticide Carbofuran

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2007-01-01

To produce high-affinity monoclonal antibodies against pesticide carbofuran, and the develop immunochemical assays for people's health and environmental protection, the hapten 4-[[(2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-7-benzofuranyloxy) carbonyl]-amino]-butanoic acid (BFNB) of carbofuran was synthesized and Balb/c mice were immunized by the hapten-carrier (BFNB-bovine serum albumin, BFNB-BSA) conjugates. The splenocytes of immunized mice were fused with Sp2/0 cells and the cultural supernatants of hybridoma cells were screened by the indirect enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA), based on BFNB-ovoalbumin conjugates (BFNB-OVA). Purified monoclonal antibody (McAb) was obtained from fluids of ascites, deposited by octanoic acid and ammonium sulfate. The affinity and the specificity of McAb were characterized by ELISA or indirect competitive ELISA. A hybridoma cell line (5D3) secreting anti-carbofuran McAb had been established. The titer of culture medium and ascites was up to 1:2.048 × 103 and 1:1.024 × 106, respectively, and the subtype of the McAb was IgG1. The affinity constant of the McAb was about 2.54 × 109 L mol-1, with an IC50 value of 1.18 ng mL-1 and a detection limit of 0.01 ng mL-1. Cross-reactivity studies showed that the McAb was quiet specific for carbofuran, as among the four analogous compounds, they were all hardly recognized (4.59 × 10-4% for 2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-7-benzofuranol and less than 3.0 × 10-4% for others). The prepared McAb had a very high affinity and specificity,and it could be used to develop ELISA for rapid determination of carbofuran.

Effects of Zn additions to highly magnetoelastic FeGa alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lograsso, Thomas A., E-mail: lograsso@ameslab.gov [Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering, Ames Laboratory, Ames, Iowa 50011 (United States); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011 (United States); Jones, Nicholas J.; Wun-Fogle, Marilyn; Restorff, James B. [Metallurgy and Fasteners Branch, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, Maryland 20817 (United States); Schlagel, Deborah L. [Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering, Ames Laboratory, Ames, Iowa 50011 (United States); Petculescu, Gabriela [University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Louisiana 70504 (United States); Clark, Arthur E. [Clark Associates, Adelphi, Maryland 20783 (United States); Hathaway, Kristl B. [Spectrum Technology Group, Inc., Gaithersburg, Maryland 20877 (United States)

2015-05-07

Fe{sub 1−x}M{sub x} (M = Ga, Ge, Si, Al, Mo and x ∼ 0.18) alloys offer an extraordinary combination of magnetoelasticity and mechanical properties. They are rare-earth-free, can be processed using conventional deformation techniques, have high magnetic permeability, low hysteresis, and low magnetic saturation fields, making them attractive for device applications such as actuators and energy harvesters. Starting with Fe-Ga as a reference and using a rigid-band-filling argument, Zhang et al. predicted that lowering the Fermi level by reducing the total number of electrons could enhance magnetoelasticity. To provide a direct experimental validation for Zhang's hypothesis, elemental additions with lower-than-Ga valence are needed. Of the possible candidates, only Be and Zn have sufficient solubility. Single crystals of bcc Fe-Ga-Zn have been grown with up to 4.6 at. % Zn in a Bridgman furnace under elevated pressure (15 bars) in order to overcome the high vapor pressure of Zn and obtain homogeneous crystals. Single-crystal measurements of magnetostriction and elastic constants allow for the direct comparison of the magnetoelastic coupling constants of Fe-Ga-Zn with those of other magnetoelastic alloys in its class. The partial substitution of Ga with Zn yields values for the magnetoelastic coupling factor, −b{sub 1}, comparable to those of the binary Fe-Ga alloy.

Isoguvacine binding, uptake, and release: relation to the GABA system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

White, W F; Snodgrass, S R

1983-06-01

Isoguvacine (1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-4-carboxylic acid) is a GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) agonist with limited conformational flexibility. In these studies we investigated the binding, uptake, and release of (3H) isoguvacine by use of tissue preparations of rat CNS, comparing the results with similar studies of (3H)GABA. The results from these investigations indicate that isoguvacine binds to membrane preparations of rat forebrain with pharmacological characteristics similar to the post-synaptic GABA recognition site; that it is transported into synaptosomal preparations by an uptake system similar to the high-affinity GABA uptake system; and that recently accumulated isoguvacine is released in a Ca2+-dependent manner and by heteroexchange with external GABA. The ability of isoguvacine and gamma-hydroxybutyric acid to decrease the K+-stimulated Ca2+-dependent release process was also investigated. The results indicate that isoguvacine interactions have many of the biochemical features of GABA synaptic function, isoguvacine being, however, less potent than GABA.

Computational modeling and molecular imprinting for the development of acrylic polymers with high affinity for bile salts.

Science.gov (United States)

Yañez, Fernando; Chianella, Iva; Piletsky, Sergey A; Concheiro, Angel; Alvarez-Lorenzo, Carmen

2010-02-05

This work has focused on the rational development of polymers capable of acting as traps of bile salts. Computational modeling was combined with molecular imprinting technology to obtain networks with high affinity for cholate salts in aqueous medium. The screening of a virtual library of 18 monomers, which are commonly used for imprinted networks, identified N-(3-aminopropyl)-methacrylate hydrochloride (APMA.HCl), N,N-diethylamino ethyl methacrylate (DEAEM) and ethyleneglycol methacrylate phosphate (EGMP) as suitable functional monomers with medium-to-high affinity for cholic acid. The polymers were prepared with a fix cholic acid:functional monomer mole ratio of 1:4, but with various cross-linking densities. Compared to polymers prepared without functional monomer, both imprinted and non-imprinted microparticles showed a high capability to remove sodium cholate from aqueous medium. High affinity APMA-based particles even resembled the performance of commercially available cholesterol-lowering granules. The imprinting effect was evident in most of the networks prepared, showing that computational modeling and molecular imprinting can act synergistically to improve the performance of certain polymers. Nevertheless, both the imprinted and non-imprinted networks prepared with the best monomer (APMA.HCl) identified by the modeling demonstrated such high affinity for the template that the imprinting effect was less important. The fitting of adsorption isotherms to the Freundlich model indicated that, in general, imprinting increases the population of high affinity binding sites, except when the affinity of the functional monomer for the target molecule is already very high. The cross-linking density was confirmed as a key parameter that determines the accessibility of the binding points to sodium cholate. Materials prepared with 9% mol APMA and 91% mol cross-linker showed enough affinity to achieve binding levels of up to 0.4 mmol g(-1) (i.e., 170 mg g(-1)) under flow

Sphagnum mosses--masters of efficient N-uptake while avoiding intoxication.

Science.gov (United States)

Fritz, Christian; Lamers, Leon P M; Riaz, Muhammad; van den Berg, Leon J L; Elzenga, Theo J T M

2014-01-01

Peat forming Sphagnum mosses are able to prevent the dominance of vascular plants under ombrotrophic conditions by efficiently scavenging atmospherically deposited nitrogen (N). N-uptake kinetics of these mosses are therefore expected to play a key role in differential N availability, plant competition, and carbon sequestration in Sphagnum peatlands. The interacting effects of rain N concentration and exposure time on moss N-uptake rates are, however, poorly understood. We investigated the effects of N-concentration (1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500 µM), N-form ((15)N-ammonium or nitrate) and exposure time (0.5, 2, 72 h) on uptake kinetics for Sphagnum magellanicum from a pristine bog in Patagonia (Argentina) and from a Dutch bog exposed to decades of N-pollution. Uptake rates for ammonium were higher than for nitrate, and N-binding at adsorption sites was negligible. During the first 0.5 h, N-uptake followed saturation kinetics revealing a high affinity (Km 3.5-6.5 µM). Ammonium was taken up 8 times faster than nitrate, whereas over 72 hours this was only 2 times. Uptake rates decreased drastically with increasing exposure times, which implies that many short-term N-uptake experiments in literature may well have overestimated long-term uptake rates and ecosystem retention. Sphagnum from the polluted site (i.e. long-term N exposure) showed lower uptake rates than mosses from the pristine site, indicating an adaptive response. Sphagnum therefore appears to be highly efficient in using short N pulses (e.g. rainfall in pristine areas). This strategy has important ecological and evolutionary implications: at high N input rates, the risk of N-toxicity seems to be reduced by lower uptake rates of Sphagnum, at the expense of its long-term filter capacity and related competitive advantage over vascular plants. As shown by our conceptual model, interacting effects of N-deposition and climate change (changes in rainfall) will seriously alter the functioning of Sphagnum peatlands.

Sphagnum Mosses - Masters of Efficient N-Uptake while Avoiding Intoxication

Science.gov (United States)

Fritz, Christian; Lamers, Leon P. M.; Riaz, Muhammad; van den Berg, Leon J. L.; Elzenga, Theo J. T. M.

2014-01-01

Peat forming Sphagnum mosses are able to prevent the dominance of vascular plants under ombrotrophic conditions by efficiently scavenging atmospherically deposited nitrogen (N). N-uptake kinetics of these mosses are therefore expected to play a key role in differential N availability, plant competition, and carbon sequestration in Sphagnum peatlands. The interacting effects of rain N concentration and exposure time on moss N-uptake rates are, however, poorly understood. We investigated the effects of N-concentration (1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500 µM), N-form (15N - ammonium or nitrate) and exposure time (0.5, 2, 72 h) on uptake kinetics for Sphagnum magellanicum from a pristine bog in Patagonia (Argentina) and from a Dutch bog exposed to decades of N-pollution. Uptake rates for ammonium were higher than for nitrate, and N-binding at adsorption sites was negligible. During the first 0.5 h, N-uptake followed saturation kinetics revealing a high affinity (Km 3.5–6.5 µM). Ammonium was taken up 8 times faster than nitrate, whereas over 72 hours this was only 2 times. Uptake rates decreased drastically with increasing exposure times, which implies that many short-term N-uptake experiments in literature may well have overestimated long-term uptake rates and ecosystem retention. Sphagnum from the polluted site (i.e. long-term N exposure) showed lower uptake rates than mosses from the pristine site, indicating an adaptive response. Sphagnum therefore appears to be highly efficient in using short N pulses (e.g. rainfall in pristine areas). This strategy has important ecological and evolutionary implications: at high N input rates, the risk of N-toxicity seems to be reduced by lower uptake rates of Sphagnum, at the expense of its long-term filter capacity and related competitive advantage over vascular plants. As shown by our conceptual model, interacting effects of N-deposition and climate change (changes in rainfall) will seriously alter the functioning of Sphagnum peatlands

Enhancement of GABAergic transmission by zolpidem, an imidazopyridine with preferential affinity for type I benzodiazepine receptors.

Science.gov (United States)

Biggio, G; Concas, A; Corda, M G; Serra, M

1989-02-28

The effect of zolpidem, an imidazopyridine derivative with high affinity at the type I benzodiazepine recognition site, on the function of the GABAA/ionophore receptor complex was studied in vitro. Zolpidem, mimicking the action of diazepam, increased [3H]GABA binding, enhanced muscimol-stimulated 36Cl- uptake and reduced [35S]TBPS binding in rat cortical membrane preparations. Zolpidem was less effective than diazepam on the above parameters. Zolpidem induced a lower increase of [3H]GABA binding (23 vs. 35%) and muscimol-stimulated 36Cl- uptake (22 vs. 40%) and a smaller decrease of [35S]TBPS binding (47 vs. 77%) than diazepam. The finding that zolpidem enhanced the function of GABAergic synapses with an efficacy qualitatively and quantitatively different from that of diazepam suggests that this compound is a partial agonist at the benzodiazepine recognition site. Thus, our results are consistent with the view that the biochemical and pharmacological profile of a benzodiazepine recognition site ligand reflects its efficacy to enhance GABAergic transmission. Whether the preferential affinity of zolpidem at the type I site is involved in its atypical biochemical and pharmacological profile remains to be clarified.

A rhodium(III) complex for high-affinity DNA base-pair mismatch recognition

Science.gov (United States)

Junicke, Henrik; Hart, Jonathan R.; Kisko, Jennifer; Glebov, Oleg; Kirsch, Ilan R.; Barton, Jacqueline K.

2003-01-01

A rhodium(III) complex, rac-[Rh(bpy)2phzi]3+ (bpy, 2,2′-bipyridine; phzi, benzo[a]phenazine-5,6-quinone diimine) has been designed as a sterically demanding intercalator targeted to destabilized mismatched sites in double-helical DNA. The complex is readily synthesized by condensation of the phenazine quinone with the corresponding diammine complex. Upon photoactivation, the complex promotes direct strand scission at single-base mismatch sites within the DNA duplex. As with the parent mismatch-specific reagent, [Rh(bpy)2(chrysi)]3+ [chrysene-5,6-quinone diimine (chrysi)], mismatch selectivity depends on the helix destabilization associated with mispairing. Unlike the parent chrysi complex, the phzi analogue binds and cleaves with high affinity and efficiency. The specific binding constants for CA, CC, and CT mismatches within a 31-mer oligonucleotide duplex are 0.3, 1, and 6 × 107 M−1, respectively; site-specific photocleavage is evident at nanomolar concentrations. Moreover, the specificity, defined as the ratio in binding affinities for mispaired vs. well paired sites, is maintained. The increase in affinity is attributed to greater stability in the mismatched site associated with stacking by the heterocyclic aromatic ligand. The high-affinity complex is also applied in the differential cleavage of DNA obtained from cell lines deficient in mismatch repair vs. those proficient in mismatch repair. Agreement is found between photocleavage by the mismatch-specific probes and deficiency in mismatch repair. This mismatch-specific targeting, therefore, offers a potential strategy for new chemotherapeutic design. PMID:12610209

Dynamics of ZnO laser produced plasma in high pressure argon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaydashev, V.E.; Lunney, J.G.

2011-01-01

Pulsed laser deposition of ZnO in high pressure gas offers a route for the catalyst-free preparation of ZnO nanorods less than 10 nm in diameter. This paper describes the results of some experiments to investigate the laser plume dynamics in the high gas pressure (5 x 10 3 -10 4 Pa) regime used for PLD of ZnO nanorods. In this regime the ablation plume is strongly coupled to the gas and the plume expansion is brought to a halt within about 1 cm from the target. A 248 nm excimer laser was used to ablate a ceramic ZnO target in various pressures of argon. Time- and space-resolved UV/vis emission spectroscopy and Langmuir probe measurements were used to diagnose the plasma and follow the plume dynamics. By measuring the spatial profiles of Zn I and Zn II spectral lines it was possible to follow the propagation of the external and internal shock waves associated with the interaction of the ablation plume with the gas. The Langmuir probe measurements showed that the electron density was 10 9 -10 10 cm -3 and the electron temperature was several eV. At these conditions the ionization equilibrium is described by the collisional-radiative model. The plume dynamics was also studied for ZnO targets doped with elements which are lighter (Mg), comparable to (Ga), and heavier (Er) than Zn, to see if there is any elemental segregation in the plume.

High-performance solid-state supercapacitors based on graphene-ZnO hybrid nanocomposites

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

In this paper, we report a facile low-cost synthesis of the graphene-ZnO hybrid nanocomposites for solid-state supercapacitors. Structural analysis revealed a homogeneous distribution of ZnO nanorods that are inserted in graphene nanosheets, forming a sandwiched architecture. The material exhibited a high specific capacitance of 156 F g−1 at a scan rate of 5 mV.s−1. The fabricated solid-state supercapacitor device using these graphene-ZnO hybrid nanocomposites exhibits good supercapacitive performance and long-term cycle stability. The improved supercapacitance property of these materials could be ascribed to the increased conductivity of ZnO and better utilization of graphene. These results demonstrate the potential of the graphene-ZnO hybrid nanocomposites as an electrode in high-performance supercapacitors. PMID:24215772

Metal uptake by corn grown on media treated with particle-size fractionated biosolids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Weiping [Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521 (United States)], E-mail: chenweip@yahoo.com.cn; Chang, Andrew C.; Wu, Laosheng [Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521 (United States); Zhang, Yongsong [School of Environmental and Natural Resources Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 31009 (China)

2008-03-15

Particle-size of biosolids may affect plant uptake of heavy metals when the biosolids are land applied. In this study, corn (Zea mays L.) was grown on sand media treated with biosolids to study how particle-size of biosolids affected the plant uptake of cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn). Two biosolids, the Nu-Earth biosolids and the Los Angeles biosolids, of dissimilar surface morphology were utilized. The former exhibited a porous and spongy structure and had considerably greater specific surface area than that of the latter, which was granular and blocky. The specific surface area of the Los Angeles biosolids was inversely proportional to its particle-size, while that of Nu-Earth biosolids did not change significantly with particle-size. For each biosolid, the metal concentrations were not affected by particle sizes. The biomass yields of plants grown on the treated media increased as the biosolid particle-size decreased, indicating that plant uptake of nutrients from biosolids was dependent on interactions at the root-biosolids interface. The effect of particle-size on a metal's availability to plants was element-specific. The uptake rate of Cd, Zn, Cu, and Ni was correlated with the surface area of the particles, i.e., smaller particles having higher specific area provided greater root-biosolids contact and resulted in enhanced uptake of Cd and Zn and slightly less increased uptake of Cu and Ni. The particle morphology of biosolids had limited influence on the plant tissue concentrations of Cr and Pb. For both types of biosolids, total metal uptake increased as biosolid particle-size decreased. Our research indicates that biosolid particle-size distribution plays a deciding role in plant uptake of heavy metals when they are land applied.

Mechanochemistry of Chitosan-Coated Zinc Sulfide (ZnS) Nanocrystals for Bio-imaging Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Bujňáková, Zdenka; Dutková, Erika; Kello, Martin; Mojžiš, Ján; Baláž, Matej; Baláž, Peter; Shpotyuk, Oleh

2017-05-01

The ZnS nanocrystals were prepared in chitosan solution (0.1 wt.%) using a wet ultra-fine milling. The obtained suspension was stable and reached high value of zeta potential (+57 mV). The changes in FTIR spectrum confirmed the successful surface coating of ZnS nanoparticles by chitosan. The prepared ZnS nanocrystals possessed interesting optical properties verified in vitro. Four cancer cells were selected (CaCo-2, HCT116, HeLa, and MCF-7), and after their treatment with the nanosuspension, the distribution of ZnS in the cells was studied using a fluorescence microscope. The particles were clearly seen; they passed through the cell membrane and accumulated in cytosol. The biological activity of the cells was not influenced by nanoparticles, they did not cause cell death, and only the granularity of cells was increased as a consequence of cellular uptake. These results confirm the potential of ZnS nanocrystals using in bio-imaging applications.

High blood oxygen affinity in the air-breathing swamp eel Monopterus albus.

Science.gov (United States)

Damsgaard, Christian; Findorf, Inge; Helbo, Signe; Kocagoz, Yigit; Buchanan, Rasmus; Huong, Do Thi Thanh; Weber, Roy E; Fago, Angela; Bayley, Mark; Wang, Tobias

2014-12-01

The Asian swamp eel (Monopterus albus, Zuiew 1793) is a facultative air-breathing fish with reduced gills. Previous studies have shown that gas exchange seems to occur across the epithelium of the buccopharyngeal cavity, the esophagus and the integument, resulting in substantial diffusion limitations that must be compensated by adaptations in others steps of the O₂ transport system to secure adequate O₂ delivery to the respiring tissues. We therefore investigated O₂ binding properties of whole blood, stripped hemoglobin (Hb), two major isoHb components and the myoglobin (Mb) from M. albus. Whole blood was sampled using indwelling catheters for blood gas analysis and determination of O₂ equilibrium curves. Hb was purified to assess the effects of endogenous allosteric effectors, and Mb was isolated from heart and skeletal muscle to determine its O₂ binding properties. The blood of M. albus has a high O₂ carrying capacity [hematocrit (Hct) of 42.4±4.5%] and binds O₂ with an unusually high affinity (P₅₀=2.8±0.4mmHg at 27°C and pH7.7), correlating with insensitivity of the Hb to the anionic allosteric effectors that normally decrease Hb-O₂ affinity. In addition, Mb is present at high concentrations in both heart and muscle (5.16±0.99 and 1.08±0.19mg ∙ g wet tissue⁻¹, respectively). We suggest that the high Hct and high blood O₂ affinity serve to overcome the low diffusion capacity in the relatively inefficient respiratory surfaces, while high Hct and Mb concentration aid in increasing the O₂ flux from the blood to the muscles. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Caesium uptake in mushroom. Comparison with coexisting elements and effect of ammonium ion as a competitor, by laboratory experiments using Hebeloma vinosophyllum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ho, Quyen Bao-Thuy; Yoshida, Satoshi; Suzuki, Akira

2013-01-01

An ectomycorrhizal ammonia fungus Hebeloma vinosophyllum was cultivated in the Ohta's liquid medium with Cs and different concentrations of NH 4 + . This fungus absorbed caesium and coexisting elements(K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu, Fe and P) with the highly transfer factors. The highest translocation from mycelium to fruit body was observed in Cs among 8 analysed elements. The uptake of Cs might have a similar pattern to those of K and P. However, the high concentration of NH 4 + might affect as the competitor to the uptake of both Cs and K, but not to the uptake of P. The addition of NH 4 + affected more the uptake of Cs than that of K. (author)

Modification of trace metal accumulation in the green mussel Perna viridis by exposure to Ag, Cu, and Zn

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Dalin; Wang Wenxiong

2004-01-01

To examine the Cd, Hg, Ag, and Zn accumulation in the green mussel Perna viridis affected by previous exposure to Cu, Ag, or Zn, the dietary metal assimilation efficiency (AE) and the uptake rate from the dissolved phase were quantified. The mussel's filtration rate, metallothionein (MT) concentration, and metal tissue burden as well as the metal subcellular partitioning were also determined to illustrate the potential mechanisms underlying the influences caused by one metal pre-exposure on the bioaccumulation of the other metals. The green mussels were pre-exposed to Cu, Ag, or Zn for different periods (1-5 weeks) and the bioaccumulation of Cd, Hg, Ag, and Zn were concurrently determined. Pre-exposure to the three metals did not result in any significant increase in MT concentration in the green mussels. Ag concentration in the insoluble fraction increased with increasing Ag exposure period and Ag ambient concentration. Our data indicated that Cd assimilation were not influenced by the mussel's pre-exposure to the three metals (Cu, Ag, and Zn), but its dissolved uptake was depressed by Ag and Zn exposure. Although Hg assimilation from food was not affected by the metal pre-exposure, its influx rate from solution was generally inhibited by the exposure to Cu, Ag, and Zn. Ag bioaccumulation was affected the most obviously, in which its AE increased with increasing Ag tissue concentration, and its dissolved uptake decreased with increasing tissue concentrations of Ag and Cu. As an essential metal, Zn bioaccumulation remained relatively stable following the metal pre-exposure, suggesting the regulatory ability of Zn uptake in the mussels. Zn AE was not affected by metal pre-exposure, but its dissolved uptake was depressed by Ag and Zn pre-exposure. All these results indicated that the influences of one metal pre-exposure on the bioaccumulation of other metals were metal-specific due to the differential binding and toxicity of metals to the mussels. Such factors should

High efficient ZnO nanowalnuts photocatalyst: A case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yan, Feng [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Mudanjiang Normal University, Mudanjiang 157011 (China); College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Normal University, Harbin 150025 (China); Zhang, Siwen; Liu, Yang [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Normal University, Harbin 150025 (China); Liu, Hongfeng [School of Basic Medical Sciences, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang 157011 (China); Qu, Fengyu [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Normal University, Harbin 150025 (China); Cai, Xue, E-mail: xuecai@mail.sdu.edu.cn [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Mudanjiang Normal University, Mudanjiang 157011 (China); Wu, Xiang, E-mail: wuxiang@hrbnu.edu.cn [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Normal University, Harbin 150025 (China)

2014-11-15

Highlights: • Walnut-like ZnO nanostructures are synthesized through a facile hydrothermal method. • Morphologies and microstructures of the as-obtained ZnO products were investigated. • The photocatalytic results demonstrate that methyl orange (MO) aqueous solution can be degraded over 97% after 45 min under UV light irradiation. - Abstract: Walnut-like ZnO nanostructures are successfully synthesized through a facile hydrothermal method. The structure and morphology of the as-synthesized products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The photocatalytic properties of ZnO nanowalnuts are investigated by photodegradating several organic dyes, such as Congo red (CR), methyl orange (MO) and eosin red aqueous solutions under UV irradiation, respectively. The results demonstrate that methyl orange (MO) aqueous solution can be degraded over 97% after 45 min under UV light irradiation. In addition, eosin red and Congo red (CR) aqueous solution degradation experiments are also conducted in the same condition, respectively. It showed that ZnO nanowalnuts represent high photocatalytic activities with a degradation efficiency of 87% for CR with 115 min of irradiation and 97% for eosin red with 55 min of irradiation. The reported ZnO products may be promising candidates as the photocatalysts in waste water treatment.

High efficient ZnO nanowalnuts photocatalyst: A case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Feng; Zhang, Siwen; Liu, Yang; Liu, Hongfeng; Qu, Fengyu; Cai, Xue; Wu, Xiang

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Walnut-like ZnO nanostructures are synthesized through a facile hydrothermal method. • Morphologies and microstructures of the as-obtained ZnO products were investigated. • The photocatalytic results demonstrate that methyl orange (MO) aqueous solution can be degraded over 97% after 45 min under UV light irradiation. - Abstract: Walnut-like ZnO nanostructures are successfully synthesized through a facile hydrothermal method. The structure and morphology of the as-synthesized products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The photocatalytic properties of ZnO nanowalnuts are investigated by photodegradating several organic dyes, such as Congo red (CR), methyl orange (MO) and eosin red aqueous solutions under UV irradiation, respectively. The results demonstrate that methyl orange (MO) aqueous solution can be degraded over 97% after 45 min under UV light irradiation. In addition, eosin red and Congo red (CR) aqueous solution degradation experiments are also conducted in the same condition, respectively. It showed that ZnO nanowalnuts represent high photocatalytic activities with a degradation efficiency of 87% for CR with 115 min of irradiation and 97% for eosin red with 55 min of irradiation. The reported ZnO products may be promising candidates as the photocatalysts in waste water treatment

H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-molecular beam epitaxy of high quality ZnO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El Shaer, A.; Bakin, A.; Che Mofor, A.; Kreye, M.; Waag, A. [Technical University Braunschweig, Institute of Semiconductor Technology, Braunschweig (Germany); Blaesing, J.; Krost, A. [Otto-von-Guericke-University, Institute of Experimental Physics, Magdeburg (Germany); Stoimenos, J. [Aristotele University, Physics Department, Thessaloniki (Greece); Pecz, B. [Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Research Institute for Technical Physics and Materials Science, P.O. Box 49, Budapest (Hungary)

2007-07-15

We have studied the growth and characterization of ZnO epilayers on (0001)-sapphire by H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). A high temperature (HT) MgO buffer followed by a low-temperature ZnO buffer was introduced in order to accommodate the lattice mismatch between ZnO and sapphire. The surface morphology of the samples was studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The crystalline quality of the layers was investigated by employing high resolution X-ray diffractometry (HRXRD) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The electrical properties of the grown ZnO layers were studied by Hall-effect measurements in a standard van der Pauw configuration. The measured surface roughness for the best layers is as low as 0.26 nm rms. HRXRD measurements of the obtained ZnO layers show excellent quality of the single crystalline ZnO heteroepitaxially grown on (0001)-sapphire with a HT MgO buffer layers. The influence of the growth conditions on the crystalline quality is discussed. The FWHM of the HRXRD (0002) rocking curves measured for the 2-inch ZnO-on-sapphire is as low as 27 arcsec with a very high lateral homogeneity across the whole 2-inch ZnO epilayers. The results indicate that H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-MBE is a suitable technique to fabricate ZnO epilayers of very high quality. (orig.)

Long-Lived Termite Queens Exhibit High Cu/Zn-Superoxide Dismutase Activity

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Eisuke Tasaki

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In most organisms, superoxide dismutases (SODs are among the most effective antioxidant enzymes that regulate the reactive oxygen species (ROS generated by oxidative energy metabolism. ROS are considered main proximate causes of aging. However, it remains unclear if SOD activities are associated with organismal longevity. The queens of eusocial insects, such as termites, ants, and honeybees, exhibit extraordinary longevity in comparison with the nonreproductive castes, such as workers. Therefore, the queens are promising candidates to study the underlying mechanisms of aging. Here, we found that queens have higher Cu/Zn-SOD activity than nonreproductive individuals of the termite Reticulitermes speratus. We identified three Cu/Zn-SOD sequences and one Mn-SOD sequence by RNA sequencing in R. speratus. Although the queens showed higher Cu/Zn-SOD activity than the nonreproductive individuals, there were no differences in their expression levels of the Cu/Zn-SOD genes RsSOD1 and RsSOD3A. Copper (Cu2+ and Cu+ is an essential cofactor for Cu/Zn-SOD enzyme activity, and the queens had higher concentrations of copper than the workers. These results suggest that the high Cu/Zn-SOD activity of termite queens is related to their high levels of the cofactor rather than gene expression. This study highlights that Cu/Zn-SOD activity contributes to extraordinary longevity in termites.

Two-dimensional electron gases in MgZnO/ZnO and ZnO/MgZnO/ZnO heterostructures grown by dual ion beam sputtering

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Rohit; Arif Khan, Md; Sharma, Pankaj; Than Htay, Myo; Kranti, Abhinav; Mukherjee, Shaibal

2018-04-01

This work reports on the formation of high-density (~1013-1014 cm-2) two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in ZnO-based heterostructures, grown by a dual ion beam sputtering system. We probe 2DEG in bilayer MgZnO/ZnO and capped ZnO/MgZnO/ZnO heterostructures utilizing MgZnO barrier layers with varying thickness and Mg content. The effect of the ZnO cap layer thickness on the ZnO/MgZnO/ZnO heterostructure is also studied. Hall measurements demonstrate that the addition of a 5 nm ZnO cap layer results in an enhancement of the 2DEG density by about 1.5 times compared to 1.11 × 1014 cm-2 for the uncapped bilayer heterostructure with the same 30 nm barrier thickness and 30 at.% Mg composition in the barrier layer. From the low-temperature Hall measurement, the sheet carrier concentration and mobility are both found to be independent of the temperature. The capacitance-voltage measurement suggests a carrier density of ~1020 cm-3, confined in 2DEG at the MgZnO/ZnO heterointerface. The results presented are significant for the optimization of 2DEG for the eventual realization of cost-effective and large-area MgZnO/ZnO-based high-electron-mobility transistors.

Ni(ii)/Cu(ii)/Zn(ii) 5,5-diethylbarbiturate complexes with 1,10-phenanthroline and 2,2'-dipyridylamine: synthesis, structures, DNA/BSA binding, nuclease activity, molecular docking, cellular uptake, cytotoxicity and the mode of cell death.

Science.gov (United States)

Yilmaz, Veysel T; Icsel, Ceyda; Suyunova, Feruza; Aygun, Muhittin; Aztopal, Nazlihan; Ulukaya, Engin

2016-06-21

New 5,5-diethylbarbiturate (barb) complexes of Ni(ii), Cu(ii) and Zn(ii) with 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) and 2,2'-dipyridylamine (dpya), namely [Ni(phen-κN,N')3]Cl(barb)·7H2O (), [Cu(barb-κN)(barb-κ(2)N,O)(phen-κN,N')]·H2O (), [Cu(barb-κN)2(phen-κN,N')] (), [Zn(barb-κN)2(phen-κN,N')]·H2O (), [Ni(barb-κ(2)N,O)(dpya-κN,N')2]Cl·2H2O (), [Cu(barb-κ(2)N,O)2(dpya-κN,N')]·2H2O () and [Zn(barb-κN)2(dpya-κN,N')] (), were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, UV-vis, FT-IR and ESI-MS. The structures of the complexes were determined by X-ray crystallography. Notably, and were fluorescent in MeOH : H2O at rt. The interaction of the complexes with fish sperm (FS) DNA and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated in detail by various techniques. The complexes exhibited groove binding along with a partial intercalative interaction with DNA, while the hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions played a major role in binding to BSA. It is noteworthy that exhibited the highest affinity towards DNA and BSA. Enzyme inhibition assay showed that show a preference for both A/T and G/C rich sequences in pUC19 DNA, while and display a binding specificity to the G/C and A/T rich regions, respectively. These findings were further supported by molecular docking. The cellular uptake studies suggested that was deposited mostly in the membrane fraction of the cells. Among the present complexes, exhibited a very strong cytotoxic effect on A549, MCF-7, HT-29 and DU-145 cancer cells, being more potent than cisplatin. Moreover, induces cell death through the apoptotic mode obtained by flow cytometry.

Statistical removal of background signals from high-throughput 1H NMR line-broadening ligand-affinity screens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Worley, Bradley; Sisco, Nicholas J.; Powers, Robert

2015-01-01

NMR ligand-affinity screens are vital to drug discovery, are routinely used to screen fragment-based libraries, and used to verify chemical leads from high-throughput assays and virtual screens. NMR ligand-affinity screens are also a highly informative first step towards identifying functional epitopes of unknown proteins, as well as elucidating the biochemical functions of protein–ligand interaction at their binding interfaces. While simple one-dimensional 1 H NMR experiments are capable of indicating binding through a change in ligand line shape, they are plagued by broad, ill-defined background signals from protein 1 H resonances. We present an uncomplicated method for subtraction of protein background in high-throughput ligand-based affinity screens, and show that its performance is maximized when phase-scatter correction is applied prior to subtraction

Effect of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) in growth and zinc uptake by wheat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, M.; Singh, T.A.; Rathore, V.S.

1977-01-01

Greenhouse and field studies with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) on zinc uptake and distribution, growth parameters and yield of wheat, revealed that soil application of DMSO in the greenhouse did not affect the dry matter yield by stem and leaves. In leaves and stems, 0.1 percent DMSO application resulted in more uptake of applied Zn. Foliar application of DMSO in the greenhouse resulted in more dry matter accumulation by grains with increasing DMSO levels. Fertilizer Zn uptake by grains and straw increased with increasing DMSO levels but it remained more or less same in leaves and stems even with increasing levels of DMSO. Under field conditions, soil application of DMSO at 0.5 kg/ha level produced the highest yield (35.65 q/ha). Among the foliar sprays 0.01 percent DMSO level gave a yield of 32.45 q/ha, which was significantly better than the control. (author)

Selective induction of high-ouabain-affinity isoform of Na sup + -K sup + -ATPase by thyroid hormone

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haber, R.S.; Loeb, J.N. (Columbia Univ., New York, NY (USA))

1988-12-01

The administration of thyroid hormone is known to result in an induction of the Na{sup +}-K{sup +}-adenosinetriphosphatase (Na{sup +}-K{sup +}-ATPase) in rat skeletal muscle and other thyroid hormone-responsive tissues. Since the Na{sup +}-K{sup +}-ATPase in a variety of mammalian tissues has recently been reported to exist in at least two forms distinguishable by differing affinities for the inhibitory cardiac glycoside ouabain. The authors have studied the effects of 3,3{prime},5-triiodo-L-thyronine (T{sub 3}) treatment on these two forms of the enzyme in rat diaphragm. The inhibition of Na{sup +}-K{sup +}-ATPase activity in a crude membrane fraction by varying concentrations of ouabain conformed to a biphasic pattern consistent with the presence of two distinct isoforms with inhibition constants (K{sub I}s) for ouabain of {approximately}10{sup {minus}7} and 10{sup {minus}4} M, respectively. Measurement of the specific binding of ({sup 3}H)ouabain to these membranes confirmed the presence of a class of high-affinity ouabain binding sites with a dissociation constant (K{sub d}) of slightly less than 10{sup {minus}7}M, whose maximal binding capacity was increased by T{sub 3} treatment by 185%. Binding studies in unfractionated homogenates of diaphragm similarly demonstrated the presence of high-affinity sites whose maximal binding capacity was increased by T{sub 3} treatment. Quantitation of both the high- and low-ouabain-affinity forms of the Na{sup +}-K{sup +}-ATPase by ouabain-dependent phosphorylation from ({sup 32}P)orthophosphate confirmed that T{sub 3} treatment markedly increased the number of high-affinity sites while having little effect on the number of low-affinity sites. These observations provide, to our knowledge, the first demonstration that these two forms of the Na{sup +}-K{sup +}-ATPase are subject to selective hormonal induction.

Uptake behavior of titanium molybdophosphate for cesium and strontium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yavari, R.; Ahmadi, S.J.; Huang, Y.D.

2010-01-01

This study investigates uptake of cesium and strontium from aqueous solution similar to nuclear waste on three samples of titanium molybdophosphate (TMP) synthesized under various conditions. Effects of concentration of sodium nitrate, pH and contact time on the uptake of cesium and strontium have been studied by bath method. The results showed that TMP has high affinity toward cesium and strontium at pH > 2 and relatively low concentration of sodium nitrate. Kinetic data indicated that cesium uptake process to achieve equilibrium was faster than strontium. Cesium and strontium breakthrough curves were examined at 25 deg C using column packed with H 3 O + form of TMP and breakthrough curves showed symmetrical S-shaped profiles. At the same time, the calculated breakthrough capacity for cesium was higher than strontium. The results of desorption studies showed that over 99% of cesium and strontium was washed out of column by using 4 M NH 4 Cl solution. This study suggests that TMP can have great potential applications for the removal of strontium and specially cesium from nuclear waste solution. (author)

Selection of DNA aptamers against epidermal growth factor receptor with high affinity and specificity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Deng-Liang [The First Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou (China); Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou (China); Song, Yan-Ling; Zhu, Zhi; Li, Xi-Lan; Zou, Yuan [State Key Laboratory for Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, and Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005 (China); Yang, Hai-Tao; Wang, Jiang-Jie [The First Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou (China); Yao, Pei-Sen [Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou (China); Pan, Ru-Jun [The First Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou (China); Yang, Chaoyong James, E-mail: cyyang@xmu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, and Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005 (China); Kang, De-Zhi, E-mail: kdzy99988@163.com [The First Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou (China); Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou (China)

2014-10-31

Highlights: • This is the first report of DNA aptamer against EGFR in vitro. • Aptamer can bind targets with high affinity and selectivity. • DNA aptamers are more stable, cheap and efficient than RNA aptamers. • Our selected DNA aptamer against EGFR has high affinity with K{sub d} 56 ± 7.3 nM. • Our selected DNA aptamer against EGFR has high selectivity. - Abstract: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR/HER1/c-ErbB1), is overexpressed in many solid cancers, such as epidermoid carcinomas, malignant gliomas, etc. EGFR plays roles in proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis of malignant cancer cells and is the ideal antigen for clinical applications in cancer detection, imaging and therapy. Aptamers, the output of the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX), are DNA/RNA oligonucleotides which can bind protein and other substances with specificity. RNA aptamers are undesirable due to their instability and high cost of production. Conversely, DNA aptamers have aroused researcher’s attention because they are easily synthesized, stable, selective, have high binding affinity and are cost-effective to produce. In this study, we have successfully identified DNA aptamers with high binding affinity and selectivity to EGFR. The aptamer named TuTu22 with K{sub d} 56 ± 7.3 nM was chosen from the identified DNA aptamers for further study. Flow cytometry analysis results indicated that the TuTu22 aptamer was able to specifically recognize a variety of cancer cells expressing EGFR but did not bind to the EGFR-negative cells. With all of the aforementioned advantages, the DNA aptamers reported here against cancer biomarker EGFR will facilitate the development of novel targeted cancer detection, imaging and therapy.

Selection of DNA aptamers against epidermal growth factor receptor with high affinity and specificity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Deng-Liang; Song, Yan-Ling; Zhu, Zhi; Li, Xi-Lan; Zou, Yuan; Yang, Hai-Tao; Wang, Jiang-Jie; Yao, Pei-Sen; Pan, Ru-Jun; Yang, Chaoyong James; Kang, De-Zhi

2014-01-01

Highlights: • This is the first report of DNA aptamer against EGFR in vitro. • Aptamer can bind targets with high affinity and selectivity. • DNA aptamers are more stable, cheap and efficient than RNA aptamers. • Our selected DNA aptamer against EGFR has high affinity with K d 56 ± 7.3 nM. • Our selected DNA aptamer against EGFR has high selectivity. - Abstract: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR/HER1/c-ErbB1), is overexpressed in many solid cancers, such as epidermoid carcinomas, malignant gliomas, etc. EGFR plays roles in proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis of malignant cancer cells and is the ideal antigen for clinical applications in cancer detection, imaging and therapy. Aptamers, the output of the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX), are DNA/RNA oligonucleotides which can bind protein and other substances with specificity. RNA aptamers are undesirable due to their instability and high cost of production. Conversely, DNA aptamers have aroused researcher’s attention because they are easily synthesized, stable, selective, have high binding affinity and are cost-effective to produce. In this study, we have successfully identified DNA aptamers with high binding affinity and selectivity to EGFR. The aptamer named TuTu22 with K d 56 ± 7.3 nM was chosen from the identified DNA aptamers for further study. Flow cytometry analysis results indicated that the TuTu22 aptamer was able to specifically recognize a variety of cancer cells expressing EGFR but did not bind to the EGFR-negative cells. With all of the aforementioned advantages, the DNA aptamers reported here against cancer biomarker EGFR will facilitate the development of novel targeted cancer detection, imaging and therapy

LDL Receptors as Gateways for Intracellular Porphyrin Uptake

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novick, S.; Laster, B.; Quastel, M.

2004-01-01

Boronated compounds are currently being studied for possible use in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT). We found that one of these agents, BOPP (tetrakis-carborane-carboxylate, esters of 2,4-bis (a,b- dihydroxyethyl) deuteroporphyrin IX), could also be labeled with indium (In-BOPP) and, therefore, could also be used potentially to transport high Z atoms into tumor cell DNA for AET (Auger Electron Therapy). In order to assess the uptake of these agents into cells, the role of the LDL receptor in the intracellular accumulation of BOPP and In-BOPP was investigated. Pre-incubation of V-79 Chinese hamster cells in medium containing delipidized fetal bovine serum (FBS) markedly increased the subsequent uptake of intracellular boron transported by both BOPP and In-BOPP when compared with cells that had been pre-incubated with medium containing 10% normal FBS (lipidized). The increased uptake was characterized by elevated levels of receptor, and greater affinity was shown for both BOPP and In-BOPP, although less marked with the latter. Positive cooperativity was demonstrated by sigmoid saturation curves, Scatchard analysis and Hill plots. Increasing the amount of LDL in the incubation medium had a relatively small effect on the total accumulation of either indium or boron atoms inside the cell. Furthermore, chemical acetylation of LDL did not decrease the intracellular uptake of either boron or indium transported by BOPP or In-BOPP. It is thus concluded that BOPP and In-BOPP preferentially enter the cells directly by way of the LDL receptor and that only a small fraction of these molecules are transported into the cells indirectly using serum LDLs as their carriers. These data suggest a novel way of bringing greater amounts of boron and indium (and perhaps other agents) into tissues. Porphyrins can be used to transport different agents into tumor cells because they are tumor affinic molecules. Tumors express a higher number of LDL receptors than do most normal tissues

Zn pollution counteracts Cd toxicity in metal-tolerant ectomycorrhizal fungi and their host plant, Pinus sylvestris.

Science.gov (United States)

Krznaric, Erik; Wevers, Jan H L; Cloquet, Christophe; Vangronsveld, Jaco; Vanhaecke, Frank; Colpaert, Jan V

2010-08-01

Adaptive Zn and Cd tolerance have evolved in populations of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Suillus luteus. When exposed to high concentrations of both metals in vitro, a one-sided antagonism was apparent in the Zn- and Cd-tolerant isolates. Addition of high Zn concentrations restored growth of Cd-stressed isolates, but not vice versa. The antagonistic effect was not detected in a S. luteus isolate from non-contaminated land and in Paxillus involutus. The fungi were inoculated on pine seedlings and subsequently exposed to ecologically relevant Zn and Cd concentrations in single and mixed treatments. The applied doses severely reduced nutrient acquisition of non-mycorrhizal pines and pines inoculated with metal-sensitive S. luteus. Highest translocation of Zn and Cd to shoots occurred in the same plants. Seedlings inoculated with fungi collected from the polluted site reduced metal transfer to their host and maintained nutrient acquisition under high metal exposure. The isolate showing highest tolerance in vitro also offered best protection in symbiosis. The antagonistic effect of high Zn on Cd toxicity was confirmed in the plant experiment. The results indicate that a Zn- and Cd-polluted soil has selected ectomycorrhizal fungi that are able to survive and protect their phytobiont from nutrient starvation and excessive metal uptake. © 2009 Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Effect of nitrogen, potassium and lime on soil and manganese availability and uptake by bean

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muraoka, T.; Nascimento Filho, V.F. do; Salvador, J.O.

1982-01-01

A pot experiment was conducted to assess the effect of nitrogen, potassium and lime on the availability of soil Zn and Mn and the absorption of these elements by bean (Phaseolus vulgaris, L.). The TE (Terra Roxa Estruturada) soil, used in this experiment, had been uniformily labelled with 65 Zn and 54 Mn and incubated prior to the seeding. The nitrogen favoured the absorption of manganese and zinc, tripling the manganese content in the plant and increasing by 2.5 fold the Zn content. The potassium also increased significantly the manganese uptake, but did not affect the zinc uptake. In the case of the Zn, however, the effect continued, though with less intensity. The lime alone reduced by almost 5 times the Mn content in the plant and by 50% the Zn content. Based on the results of the soil analysis (pH, CaCl 2 O.5M extractable Mn and EDTA + CaCl 2 extractable Zn) and on the 65 Zn and 54 Mn specific activities, it is suggested that the effets of nitrogen and potassium could be, partly, of synergic nature and that of the lime, due, also partly, to Ca-Mn and Ca-Zn antagonism in the plant. (Author) [pt

Binding Affinity of a Highly Sensitive Au/Ag/Au/Chitosan-Graphene Oxide Sensor Based on Direct Detection of Pb2+ and Hg2+ Ions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nur Hasiba Kamaruddin

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The study of binding affinity is essential in surface plasmon resonance (SPR sensing because it allows researchers to quantify the affinity between the analyte and immobilised ligands of an SPR sensor. In this study, we demonstrate the derivation of the binding affinity constant, K, for Pb2+ and Hg2+ ions according to their SPR response using a gold/silver/gold/chitosan–graphene oxide (Au/Ag/Au/CS–GO sensor for the concentration range of 0.1–5 ppm. The higher affinity of Pb2+ to binding with the CS–GO sensor explains the outstanding sensitivity of 2.05 °ppm−1 against 1.66 °ppm−1 of Hg2+. The maximum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR upon detection of Pb2+ is 1.53, and exceeds the suggested logical criterion of an SNR. The Au/Ag/Au/CS–GO SPR sensor also exhibits excellent repeatability in Pb2+ due to the strong bond between its functional groups and this cation. The adsorption data of Pb2+ and Hg2+ on the CS–GO sensor fits well with the Langmuir isotherm model where the affinity constant, K, of Pb2+ and Hg2+ ions is computed. The affinity of Pb2+ ions to the Au/Ag/Au/CS–GO sensor is significantly higher than that of Hg2+ based on the value of K, 7 × 105 M−1 and 4 × 105 M−1, respectively. The higher shift in SPR angles due to Pb2+ and Hg2+ compared to Cr3+, Cu2+ and Zn2+ ions also reveals the greater affinity of the CS–GO SPR sensor to them, thus supporting the rationale for obtaining K for these two heavy metals. This study provides a better understanding on the sensing performance of such sensors in detecting heavy metal ions.

Cadmium and zinc uptake by vegetable tissues after nine annual applications of phosphate fertilizer to soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mortvedt, J.J.

1984-01-01

Plant uptake of heavy metals such as Cd and Zn applied to soil as contaminants in P fertilizers is of concern because of their possible entry into the human food chain. Concentrations in P fertilizers generally range from 1 to 50 mg kg/sup -1/ of Cd and 50 to 500 mg kg/sup -1/ of Zn, but much higher concentrations have been reported. Such wide ranges are due to variations in heavy metal contents of phosphate rock (PR) used to produce P fertilizers. Samples of vegetable tissues grown in New York on soil fertilized with triple superphosphate (TSP) for nine years of a 10-year experiment were analyzed for Cd and Zn. Results of this study show that plant availability of Cd and Zn contaminants in P fertilizers is rather low, even at high rates of P fertilization

Effects of zinc complexes on the distribution of zinc in calcareous soil and zinc uptake by maize.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarez, José M; Rico, María I

2003-09-10

The movement and availability of Zn from six organic Zn sources in a Typic Xerorthent (calcareous) soil were compared by incubation, column assay, and in a greenhouse study with maize (Zea mays L.). Zinc soil behavior was studied by sequential, diethylenetriaminepentaacetate, and Mehlich-3 extractions. In the incubation experiment, the differences in Zn concentration observed in the water soluble plus exchangeable fraction strongly correlated with Zn uptake by plants in the greenhouse experiment. Zinc applied to the surface of soil columns scarcely moved into deeper layers except for Zn-ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) that showed the greatest distribution of labile Zn throughout the soil and the highest proportion of leaching of the applied Zn. In the upper part of the column, changes in the chemical forms of all treatments occurred and an increase in organically complexed and amorphous Fe oxide-bound fractions was detected. However, the water soluble plus exchangeable fraction was not detected. The same results were obtained at the end of the greenhouse experiment. Significant increases were found in plant dry matter yield and Zn concentration as compared with the control treatment without Zn addition. Increasing Zn rate in the soil increased dry matter yield in all cases but Zn concentration in the plant increased only with Zn-EDTA and Zn-ethylenediaminedi-o-hydroxyphenyl-acetate (EDDHA) fertilizers. Higher Zn concentration in plants (50.9 mg kg(-)(1)) occurred when 20 mg Zn kg(-)(1) was added to the soil as Zn-EDTA. The relative effectiveness of the different Zn carriers in increasing Zn uptake was in the order: Zn-EDTA > Zn-EDDHA > Zn-heptagluconate >/= Zn-phenolate approximately Zn-polyflavonoid approximately Zn-lignosulfonate.

Wide-bandgap high-mobility ZnO thin-film transistors produced at room temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fortunato, Elvira M.C.; Barquinha, Pedro M.C.; Pimentel, Ana C.M.B.G.; Goncalves, Alexandra M.F.; Marques, Antonio J.S.; Martins, Rodrigo F.P.; Pereira, Luis M.N.

2004-01-01

We report high-performance ZnO thin-film transistor (ZnO-TFT) fabricated by rf magnetron sputtering at room temperature with a bottom gate configuration. The ZnO-TFT operates in the enhancement mode with a threshold voltage of 19 V, a saturation mobility of 27 cm 2 /V s, a gate voltage swing of 1.39 V/decade and an on/off ratio of 3x10 5 . The ZnO-TFT presents an average optical transmission (including the glass substrate) of 80% in the visible part of the spectrum. The combination of transparency, high mobility, and room-temperature processing makes the ZnO-TFT a very promising low-cost optoelectronic device for the next generation of invisible and flexible electronics

Phosphine-free synthesis of high-quality reverse type-I ZnSe/CdSe core with CdS/CdxZn1 - xS/ZnS multishell nanocrystals and their application for detection of human hepatitis B surface antigen

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Huaibin; Yuan, Hang; Niu, Jin Zhong; Xu, Shasha; Zhou, Changhua; Ma, Lan; Li, Lin Song

2011-09-01

Highly photoluminescent (PL) reverse type-I ZnSe/CdSe nanocrystals (NCs) and ZnSe/CdSe/CdS/CdxZn1 - xS/ZnS core/multishell NCs were successfully synthesized by a phosphine-free method. By this low-cost, 'green' synthesis route, more than 10 g of high-quality ZnSe/CdSe/CdS/CdxZn1 - xS/ZnS NCs were synthesized in a large scale synthesis. After the overgrowth of a CdS/CdxZn1 - xS/ZnS multishell on ZnSe/CdSe cores, the PL quantum yields (QYs) increased from 28% to 75% along with the stability improvement. An amphiphilic oligomer was used as a surface coating agent to conduct a phase transfer experiment, core/multishell NCs were dissolved in water by such surface modification and the QYs were still kept above 70%. The as-prepared water dispersible ZnSe/CdSe/CdS/CdxZn1 - xS/ZnS core/multishell NCs not only have high fluorescence QYs but also are extremely stable in various physiological conditions. Furthermore, a biosensor system (lateral flow immunoassay system, LFIA) for the detection of human hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was developed by using this water-soluble core/multishell NCs as a fluorescent label and a nitrocellulose filter membrane for lateral flow. The result showed that such ZnSe/CdSe/CdS/CdxZn1 - xS/ZnS core/multishell NCs were excellent fluorescent labels to detect HBsAg. The sensitivity of HBsAg detection could reach as high as 0.05 ng ml - 1.

Effects of x-irradiation induced loss of cerebellar granule cells on the synaptosomal levels and the high affinity uptake of amino acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rohde, B.H.; Rea, M.A.; Simon, J.R.; McBride, W.J.

1979-01-01

Crude synaptosomal (P 2 ) preparations were obtained from the cerebella of rats in which the granule cell population had been selectively reduced by X-irradiation treatment and from the cerebella of control animals. In the P 2 fraction form control cerebella, the level of glutamate was greater than any other of the 5 amino acids measured and was 2-fold higher than taurine. The content of taurine, GABA, glycine, and alanine were not changed by the X-irradiation treatment. The uptake of 1.0 micrometers-L-[ 3 H]glutamate and L-[ 3 H]aspartate was reduced approx 20% by X-irradiation treatment, whereas the uptake of 1.0 micrometers-[ 3 H]GABA and [ 3 H]taurine was unchanged. In a second study, the uptake of L-[ 3 H]glutamate, L-[ 3 H]aspartate and [ 3 H]GABA was measured using P 2 fractions obtained from the cerebella of rats in which the population of granule, stellate and basket cells had been reduced by X-irradiation treatment. The uptake of 1.0 micrometers-L-[ 3 H]glutamate, L-[ 3 H]aspartate and [ 3 H]GABA was significantly (P < 0.05) reduced to 57.68 and 59% respectively, of control values. The data are discussed in terms of glutamate being the excitatory neurotransmitter released from granule cells and GABA being the inhibitory neurotransmitter released from basket cells. (author)

Two high-affinity ligand binding states of uterine estrogen receptor distinguished by modulation of hydrophobic environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutchens, T.W.; Li, C.M.; Zamah, N.M.; Besch, P.K.

1987-01-01

The steroid binding function of soluble (cytosolic) estrogen receptors from calf uteri was evaluated under conditions known to modify the extent of hydrophobic interaction with receptor-associated proteins. Receptor preparations were equilibrated into 6 M urea buffers and control buffers by chromatography through small columns of Sephadex G-25 or by dialysis at 0.6 0 C. Equilibrium dissociation constants (K/sub d/) and binding capacities (n) of experimental and control receptor preparations were determined by 13-point Scatchard analyses using concentrations of 17β-[ 3 H]estradiol from 0.05 to 10 nM. Nonspecific binding was determined at each concentration by parallel incubations with a 200-fold molar excess of the receptor-specific competitor diethylstilbestrol. The control receptor population was consistently found to be a single class of binding sites with a high affinity for estradiol which was unaffected by G-25 chromatography, by dialysis, by dilution, or by the presence of 0.4 M KCl. However, equilibration into 6 M urea induced a discrete (10-fold) reduction in receptor affinity to reveal a second, thermodynamically stable, high-affinity binding state. The presence of 0.4 M KCl did not significantly influence the discrete change in receptor affinity induced by urea. The effects of urea on both receptor affinity and binding capacity were reversible, suggesting a lack of covalent modification. These results demonstrate nonenzymatic means by which not only the binding capacity but also the affinity of receptor for estradiol can be reversibly controlled, suggesting that high concentrations of urea might be more effectively utilized during the physicochemical characterization and purification of steroid receptor proteins

Brain tumor initiating cells adapt to restricted nutrition through preferential glucose uptake.

Science.gov (United States)

Flavahan, William A; Wu, Qiulian; Hitomi, Masahiro; Rahim, Nasiha; Kim, Youngmi; Sloan, Andrew E; Weil, Robert J; Nakano, Ichiro; Sarkaria, Jann N; Stringer, Brett W; Day, Bryan W; Li, Meizhang; Lathia, Justin D; Rich, Jeremy N; Hjelmeland, Anita B

2013-10-01

Like all cancers, brain tumors require a continuous source of energy and molecular resources for new cell production. In normal brain, glucose is an essential neuronal fuel, but the blood-brain barrier limits its delivery. We now report that nutrient restriction contributes to tumor progression by enriching for brain tumor initiating cells (BTICs) owing to preferential BTIC survival and to adaptation of non-BTICs through acquisition of BTIC features. BTICs outcompete for glucose uptake by co-opting the high affinity neuronal glucose transporter, type 3 (Glut3, SLC2A3). BTICs preferentially express Glut3, and targeting Glut3 inhibits BTIC growth and tumorigenic potential. Glut3, but not Glut1, correlates with poor survival in brain tumors and other cancers; thus, tumor initiating cells may extract nutrients with high affinity. As altered metabolism represents a cancer hallmark, metabolic reprogramming may maintain the tumor hierarchy and portend poor prognosis.

Research on ZnO/Si heterojunction solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Li; Chen, Xinliang; Liu, Yiming; Zhao, Ying; Zhang, Xiaodan

2017-06-01

We put forward an n-ZnO/p-Si heterojunction solar cell model based on AFORS-HET simulations and provide experimental support in this article. ZnO:B (B-doped ZnO) thin films deposited by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) are planned to act as electrical emitter layer on p-type c-Si substrate for photovoltaic applications. We investigate the effects of thickness, buffer layer, ZnO:B affinity and work function of electrodes on performances of solar cells through computer simulations using AFORS-HET software package. The energy conversion efficiency of the ZnO:B(n)/ZnO/c-Si(p) solar cell can achieve 17.16% ({V}{oc}: 675.8 mV, {J}{sc}: 30.24 mA/cm2, FF: 83.96%) via simulation. On a basis of optimized conditions in simulation, we carry out some experiments, which testify that the ZnO buffer layer of 20 nm contributes to improving performances of solar cells. The influences of growth temperature, thickness and diborane (B2H6) flow rates are also discussed. We achieve an appropriate condition for the fabrication of the solar cells using the MOCVD technique. The obtained conversion efficiency reaches 2.82% ({V}{oc}: 294.4 mV, {J}{sc}: 26.108 mA/cm2, FF: 36.66%). Project supported by the State Key Development Program for Basic Research of China (Nos. 2011CBA00706, 2011CBA00707), the Tianjin Applied Basic Research Project and Cutting-Edge Technology Research Plan (No. 13JCZDJC26900), the Tianjin Major Science and Technology Support Project (No. 11TXSYGX22100), the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (No. 2013AA050302), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. 65010341).

Blockade of the high-affinity noradrenaline transporter (NET) by the selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor escitalopram: an in vivo microdialysis study in mice

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Hai T; Guiard, Bruno P; Bacq, Alexandre; David, Denis J; David, Indira; Quesseveur, Gaël; Gautron, Sophie; Sanchez, Connie; Gardier, Alain M

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Escitalopram, the S(+)-enantiomer of citalopram is the most selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor approved. Although all 5-HT selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) increase extracellular levels of 5-HT ([5-HT]ext). some also enhance, to a lesser extent, extracellular levels of noradrenaline ([NA]ext). However, the mechanisms by which SSRIs activate noradrenergic transmission in the brain remain to be determined. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH This study examined the effects of escitalopram, on both [5-HT]ext and [NA]ext in the frontal cortex (FCx) of freely moving wild-type (WT) and mutant mice lacking the 5-HT transporter (SERT−/−) by using intracerebral microdialysis. We explored the possibilities that escitalopram enhances [NA]ext, either by a direct mechanism involving the inhibition of the low- or high-affinity noradrenaline transporters, or by an indirect mechanism promoted by [5-HT]ext elevation. The forced swim test (FST) was used to investigate whether enhancing cortical [5-HT]ext and/or [NA]ext affected the antidepressant-like activity of escitalopram. KEY RESULTS In WT mice, a single systemic administration of escitalopram produced a significant increase in cortical [5-HT]ext and [NA]ext. As expected, escitalopram failed to increase cortical [5-HT]ext in SERT−/− mice, whereas its neurochemical effects on [NA]ext persisted in these mutants. In WT mice subjected to the FST, escitalopram increased swimming parameters without affecting climbing behaviour. Finally, escitalopram, at relevant concentrations, failed to inhibit cortical noradrenaline and 5-HT uptake mediated by low-affinity monoamine transporters. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS These experiments suggest that escitalopram enhances, although moderately, cortical [NA]extin vivo by a direct mechanism involving the inhibition of the high-affinity noradrenaline transporter (NET). PMID:22233336

NK1 receptor fused to beta-arrestin displays a single-component, high-affinity molecular phenotype.

Science.gov (United States)

Martini, Lene; Hastrup, Hanne; Holst, Birgitte; Fraile-Ramos, Alberto; Marsh, Mark; Schwartz, Thue W

2002-07-01

Arrestins are cytosolic proteins that, upon stimulation of seven transmembrane (7TM) receptors, terminate signaling by binding to the receptor, displacing the G protein and targeting the receptor to clathrin-coated pits. Fusion of beta-arrestin1 to the C-terminal end of the neurokinin NK1 receptor resulted in a chimeric protein that was expressed to some extent on the cell surface but also accumulated in transferrin-labeled recycling endosomes independently of agonist stimulation. As expected, the fusion protein was almost totally silenced with respect to agonist-induced signaling through the normal Gq/G11 and Gs pathways. The NK1-beta-arrestin1 fusion construct bound nonpeptide antagonists with increased affinity but surprisingly also bound two types of agonists, substance P and neurokinin A, with high, normal affinity. In the wild-type NK1 receptor, neurokinin A (NKA) competes for binding against substance P and especially against antagonists with up to 1000-fold lower apparent affinity than determined in functional assays and in homologous binding assays. When the NK1 receptor was closely fused to G proteins, this phenomenon was eliminated among agonists, but the agonists still competed with low affinity against antagonists. In contrast, in the NK1-beta-arrestin1 fusion protein, all ligands bound with similar affinity independent of the choice of radioligand and with Hill coefficients near unity. We conclude that the NK1 receptor in complex with arrestin is in a high-affinity, stable, agonist-binding form probably best suited to structural analysis and that the receptor can display binding properties that are nearly theoretically ideal when it is forced to complex with only a single intracellular protein partner.

Synthesis, Characterization, and In Vitro Drug Delivery Capabilities of (Zn, Al-Based Layered Double Hydroxide Nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vinay J. Nagaraj

2015-01-01

Full Text Available There is an urgent need for the development of alternative strategies for effective drug delivery to improve the outcome of patients suffering from deadly diseases such as cancer. Nanoparticles, in particular layered double hydroxide (LDH nanoparticles, have great potential as nanocarriers of chemotherapeutic molecules. In this study, we synthesized (Zn, Al-LDH nanoparticles and report their enhanced pH-dependent stability in comparison to the commonly used (Mg, Al-LDH nanoparticles. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC and valproate (VP were intercalated into (Zn, Al-LDH nanoparticles to study cellular uptake, biocompatibility, and drug delivery capabilities using cultured pancreatic adenocarcinoma BxPC3 cells. Fluorescence measurements indicated that FITC-intercalated LDH nanoparticles showed a greater degree of energy-dependent uptake rather than passive uptake by BxPC3 cells, especially at high concentrations of nanoparticles. Tetrazolium-based colorimetric assays indicated that BxPC3 cells treated with VP-intercalated LDH nanoparticles showed a significant reduction in cell viability along with about 30-fold reduction in IC50 compared to the drug alone. In contrast, the non-drug-intercalated LDH nanoparticles did not affect the cell viability indicating very low innate cytotoxicity. Our research indicates that the superior properties of (Zn, Al-LDH nanoparticles make them ideal candidates for further development as in vivo chemotherapy drug delivery agents.

The high-affinity peptidoglycan binding domain of Pseudomonas phage endolysin KZ144

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Briers, Yves [Division of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 21, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium); Schmelcher, Mathias; Loessner, Martin J. [Institute of Food Science and Nutrition, ETH Zuerich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, CH-8092 Zuerich (Switzerland); Hendrix, Jelle; Engelborghs, Yves [Laboratory of Biomolecular Dynamics, Department of Chemistry, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200G, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium); Volckaert, Guido [Division of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 21, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium); Lavigne, Rob, E-mail: rob.lavigne@biw.kuleuven.be [Division of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 21, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium)

2009-05-29

The binding affinity of the N-terminal peptidoglycan binding domain of endolysin KZ144 (PBD{sub KZ}), originating from Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteriophage {phi}KZ, has been examined using a fusion protein of PBD{sub KZ} and green fluorescent protein (PBD{sub KZ}-GFP). A fluorescence recovery after photobleaching analysis of bound PBD{sub KZ}-GFP molecules showed less than 10% fluorescence recovery in the bleached area within 15 min. Surface plasmon resonance analysis confirmed this apparent high binding affinity revealing an equilibrium affinity constant of 2.95 x 10{sup 7} M{sup -1} for the PBD{sub KZ}-peptidoglycan interaction. This unique domain, which binds to the peptidoglycan of all tested Gram-negative species, was harnessed to improve the specific activity of the peptidoglycan hydrolase domain KMV36C. The chimeric peptidoglycan hydrolase (PBD{sub KZ}-KMV36C) exhibits a threefold higher specific activity than the native catalytic domain (KMV36C). These results demonstrate that the modular assembly of functional domains is a rational approach to improve the specific activity of endolysins from phages infecting Gram-negatives.

Real-time observation of ultrafast electron injection at graphene–Zn porphyrin interfaces

KAUST Repository

Masih, Dilshad

2015-02-25

We report on the ultrafast interfacial electron transfer ( ET) between zinc( II) porphyrin ( ZnTMPyP) and negatively charged graphene carboxylate ( GC) using state- of- the- art femtosecond laser spectroscopy with broadband capabilities. The steady- state interaction between GC and ZnTMPyP results in a red- shifted absorption spectrum, providing a clear indication for the binding affinity between ZnTMPyP and GC via electrostatic and p- p stacking interactions. Ultrafast transient absorption ( TA) spectra in the absence and presence of three different GC concentrations reveal ( i) the ultrafast formation of singlet excited ZnTMPyP*, which partially relaxes into a long- lived triplet state, and ( ii) ET from the singlet excited ZnTMPyP* to GC, forming ZnTMPyP + and GC , as indicated by a spectral feature at 650- 750 nm, which is attributed to a ZnTMPyP radical cation resulting from the ET process.

High-affinity RNA aptamers to C-reactive protein (CRP): newly developed pre-elution methods for aptamer selection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orito, N; Umekage, S; Sakai, E; Tanaka, T; Kikuchi, Y; Sato, K; Kawauchi, S; Tanaka, H

2012-01-01

We have developed a modified SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment) method to obtain RNA aptamers with high affinity to C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP is a clinical biomarker present in plasma, the level of which increases in response to infections and noninfectious inflammation. The CRP level is also an important prognostic indicator in patients with several syndromes. At present, CRP content in blood is measured immunochemically using antibodies. To develop a more sensitive method using RNA aptamers, we have attempted to obtain high-affinity RNA aptamers to CRP. We succeeded in obtaining an RNA aptamer with high affinity to CRP using a CRP-immobilized Sepharose column and pre-elution procedure. Pre-elution is a method that removes the weak binding portion from a selected RNA population by washing for a short time with buffer containing CRP. By surface plasmon-resonance (SPR) analysis, the affinity constant of this aptamer for CRP was calculated to be K D = 2.25x10 -9 (M). The secondary structure, contact sites with CRP protein, and application of this aptamer will be described.

Synthesis of High Crystalline Al-Doped ZnO Nanopowders from Al2O3 and ZnO by Radio-Frequency Thermal Plasma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Min-Kyeong Song

2015-01-01

Full Text Available High crystalline Al-doped ZnO (AZO nanopowders were prepared by in-flight treatment of ZnO and Al2O3 in Radio-Frequency (RF thermal plasma. Micron-sized (~1 μm ZnO and Al2O3 powders were mixed at Al/Zn ratios of 3.3 and 6.7 at.% and then injected into the RF thermal plasma torch along the centerline at a feeding rate of 6.6 g/min. The RF thermal plasma torch system was operated at the plate power level of ~140 kVA to evaporate the mixture oxides and the resultant vapor species were condensed into solid particles by the high flow rate of quenching gas (~7000 slpm. The FE-SEM images of the as-treated powders showed that the multipod shaped and the whisker type nanoparticles were mainly synthesized. In addition, these nanocrystalline structures were confirmed as the single phase AZO nanopowders with the hexagonal wurtzite ZnO structure by the XRD patterns and FE-TEM results with the SAED image. However, the composition changes of 0.3 and 1.0 at.% were checked for the as-synthesized AZO nanopowders at Al/Zn ratios of 3.3 and 6.7 at.%, respectively, by the XRF data, which can require the adjustment of Al/Zn in the mixture precursors for the applications of high Al doping concentrations.

The influence of EDTA application on the interactions of cadmium, zinc, and lead and their uptake of rainbow pink (Dianthus chinensis).

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Hung-Yu; Chen, Zueng-Sang

2006-10-11

Soil used in this study was artificially contaminated with Cd, Zn, Pb, or applied in combinations (Cd-Zn, Cd-Pb, Zn-Pb, or Cd-Zn-Pb) to study the interactions of metals in soil contaminated with multiple metals. After planting rainbow pink (Dianthus chinensis) in these soils for 21 days, three different concentrations of ethylenedinitrilotetraacetic acid (EDTA) solutions were added to study the effect of applying EDTA on the interactions among these metals. The concentrations of Cd, Zn, and Pb in the soil solutions of different metals-treated soils increased significantly after applying 5 mmol EDTA kg(-1) soil (p<0.05). The potential of groundwater contamination will increase after applying EDTA and it is not recommended to be in situ used or have to use very carefully. The existence of Pb in the Cd-contaminated soil enhanced the uptake of Cd in rainbow pink in the treatments of control and 2 mmol EDTA kg(-1) soil. Cadmium inhibited the concentration of Zn without applying EDTA. However, whether the application of EDTA or not and the applied EDTA concentration had the greatest effect on the uptake of Pb when compared to Cd and Zn. After applying 5 mmol EDTA kg(-1) soil, Cd or Zn in the Pb-contaminated soil inhibited the uptake of Pb in rainbow pink, but there were no effect in other treatments.

ZnO nanorod biosensor for highly sensitive detection of specific protein binding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jin Suk; Park, Won Il; Lee, Chul Ho; Yi, Gyu Chul

2006-01-01

We report on the fabrication of electrical biosensors based on functionalized ZnO nanorod surfaces with biotin for highly sensitive detection of biological molecules. Due to the clean interface and easy surface modification, the ZnO nanorod sensors can easily detect streptavidin binding down to a concentration of 25 nM, which is more sensitive than previously reported one-dimensional (1D) nanostructure electrical biosensors. In addition, the unique device structure with a micrometer-scale hole at the center of the ZnO nanorod's conducting channel reduces the leakage current from the aqueous solution, hence enhancing device sensitivity. Moreover, ZnO nanorod field-effect-transistor (FET) sensors may open up opportunities to create many other oxide nanorod electrical sensors for highly sensitive and selective real-time detection of a wide variety of biomolecules.

Highly Uniform Epitaxial ZnO Nanorod Arrays for Nanopiezotronics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nagata T

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Highly uniform and c-axis-aligned ZnO nanorod arrays were fabricated in predefined patterns by a low temperature homoepitaxial aqueous chemical method. The nucleation seed patterns were realized in polymer and in metal thin films, resulting in, all-ZnO and bottom-contacted structures, respectively. Both of them show excellent geometrical uniformity: the cross-sectional uniformity according to the scanning electron micrographs across the array is lower than 2%. The diameter of the hexagonal prism-shaped nanorods can be set in the range of 90–170 nm while their typical length achievable is 0.5–2.3 μm. The effect of the surface polarity was also examined, however, no significant difference was found between the arrays grown on Zn-terminated and on O-terminated face of the ZnO single crystal. The transmission electron microscopy observation revealed the single crystalline nature of the nanorods. The current–voltage characteristics taken on an individual nanorod contacted by a Au-coated atomic force microscope tip reflected Schottky-type behavior. The geometrical uniformity, the designable pattern, and the electrical properties make the presented nanorod arrays ideal candidates to be used in ZnO-based DC nanogenerator and in next-generation integrated piezoelectric nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS.

Selective labeling of serotonin uptake sites in rat brain by [3H]citalopram contrasted to labeling of multiple sites by [3H]imipramine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D'Amato, R.J.; Largent, B.L.; Snowman, A.M.; Snyder, S.H.

1987-01-01

Citalopram is a potent and selective inhibitor of neuronal serotonin uptake. In rat brain membranes [ 3 H]citalopram demonstrates saturable and reversible binding with a KD of 0.8 nM and a maximal number of binding sites (Bmax) of 570 fmol/mg of protein. The drug specificity for [ 3 H]citalopram binding and synaptosomal serotonin uptake are closely correlated. Inhibition of [ 3 H]citalopram binding by both serotonin and imipramine is consistent with a competitive interaction in both equilibrium and kinetic analyses. The autoradiographic pattern of [ 3 H]citalopram binding sites closely resembles the distribution of serotonin. By contrast, detailed equilibrium-saturation analysis of [ 3 H]imipramine binding reveals two binding components, i.e., high affinity (KD = 9 nM, Bmax = 420 fmol/mg of protein) and low affinity (KD = 553 nM, Bmax = 8560 fmol/mg of protein) sites. Specific [ 3 H]imipramine binding, defined as the binding inhibited by 100 microM desipramine, is displaced only partially by serotonin. Various studies reveal that the serotonin-sensitive portion of binding corresponds to the high affinity sites of [ 3 H]imipramine binding whereas the serotonin-insensitive binding corresponds to the low affinity sites. Lesioning of serotonin neurons with p-chloroamphetamine causes a large decrease in [ 3 H]citalopram and serotonin-sensitive [ 3 H]imipramine binding with only a small effect on serotonin-insensitive [ 3 H]imipramine binding. The dissociation rate of [ 3 H]imipramine or [ 3 H]citalopram is not altered by citalopram, imipramine or serotonin up to concentrations of 10 microM. The regional distribution of serotonin sensitive [ 3 H]imipramine high affinity binding sites closely resembles that of [ 3 H]citalopram binding

Does a voltage-sensitive outer envelope transport mechanism contributes to the chloroplast iron uptake?

Science.gov (United States)

Solti, Ádám; Kovács, Krisztina; Müller, Brigitta; Vázquez, Saúl; Hamar, Éva; Pham, Hong Diep; Tóth, Brigitta; Abadía, Javier; Fodor, Ferenc

2016-12-01

Based on the effects of inorganic salts on chloroplast Fe uptake, the presence of a voltage-dependent step is proposed to play a role in Fe uptake through the outer envelope. Although iron (Fe) plays a crucial role in chloroplast physiology, only few pieces of information are available on the mechanisms of chloroplast Fe acquisition. Here, the effect of inorganic salts on the Fe uptake of intact chloroplasts was tested, assessing Fe and transition metal uptake using bathophenantroline-based spectrophotometric detection and plasma emission-coupled mass spectrometry, respectively. The microenvironment of Fe was studied by Mössbauer spectroscopy. Transition metal cations (Cd 2+ , Zn 2+ , and Mn 2+ ) enhanced, whereas oxoanions (NO 3 - , SO 4 2- , and BO 3 3- ) reduced the chloroplast Fe uptake. The effect was insensitive to diuron (DCMU), an inhibitor of chloroplast inner envelope-associated Fe uptake. The inorganic salts affected neither Fe forms in the uptake assay buffer nor those incorporated into the chloroplasts. The significantly lower Zn and Mn uptake compared to that of Fe indicates that different mechanisms/transporters are involved in their acquisition. The enhancing effect of transition metals on chloroplast Fe uptake is likely related to outer envelope-associated processes, since divalent metal cations are known to inhibit Fe 2+ transport across the inner envelope. Thus, a voltage-dependent step is proposed to play a role in Fe uptake through the chloroplast outer envelope on the basis of the contrasting effects of transition metal cations and oxoaninons.

Release of Zn from maternal tissues in pregnant rats deficient in Zn or Zn and Ca

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hurley, L.S.; Masters, D.G.; Lonnerdal, B.; Keen, C.L.

1986-01-01

Earlier studies have shown that diets that increase tissue catabolism reduce the teratogenic effects of Zn deficiency. The hypothesis that Zn may be released from body tissues when the metabolic state is altered was further tested. Nonpregnant Sprague Dawley females were injected with Zn-65; after equilibration, the two major pools of Zn, bone and muscle, had different specific activities (SA), muscle being much higher. Females were mated and fed diets adequate in Zn and Ca (C) or deficient in Zn (ZnD) or deficient in both Zn and Ca (ZnCaD). Calculations using weight loss in ZnD and ZnCaD rats, Zn content of maternal bone and muscle, and total fetal Zn at term indicated that in ZnCaD rats a relatively small amount of Zn from bone early in pregnancy was sufficient to prevent abnormal organogenesis, but most fetal Zn came from breakdown of maternal muscle in the last 3 days of pregnancy. Isotope data supported this conclusion. SA of Zn in ZnD fetuses was equal and high, indicating that most Zn came from the same maternal tissue. High muscle SA prior to mating, and increased SA in tibia and liver during pregnancy suggest that muscle provided Zn for other maternal tissues as well as fetuses. In contrast, SA in C fetuses was less than 30% of that of the D groups, consistent with the earlier hypothesis that most fetal Zn in C rats is accrued directly from the diet

A highly selective and wide range ammonia sensor—Nanostructured ZnO:Co thin film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mani, Ganesh Kumar; Rayappan, John Bosco Balaguru

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Cobalt doped nanostructured ZnO thin films were spray deposited on glass substrates. • Co-doped ZnO film was highly selective towards ammonia than ethanol, methanol, etc. • The range of ammonia detection was improved significantly by doping cobalt in ZnO. - Abstract: Ammonia sensing characteristics of undoped and cobalt (Co)-doped nanostructured ZnO thin films were investigated. Polycrystalline nature with hexagonal wurtzite structure and high crystalline quality with dominant (0 0 2) plane orientation of Co-doped ZnO film were confirmed by the X-ray diffractogram. Scanning electron micrographs of the undoped film demonstrated the uniform deposition of sphere-shaped grains. But, smaller particles with no clear grain boundaries were observed for Co-doped ZnO thin film. Band gap values were found to be 3.26 eV and 3.22 eV for undoped and Co-doped ZnO thin films. Ammonia sensing characteristics of Co-doped ZnO film at room temperature were investigated in the concentration range of 15–1000 ppm. Variation in the sensing performances of Co-doped and pure ZnO thin films has been analyzed and compared

Thermodynamic and elastic properties of hexagonal ZnO under high temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Feng; Wu, Jinghe; Xia, Chuanhui; Hu, Chenghua; Hu, Chunlian; Zhou, Ping; Shi, Lingna; Ji, Yanling; Zheng, Zhou; Liu, Xiankun

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A new method is applied to predict crystal constants of hexagonal crystal under high temperature. • Elastic properties of ZnO under high temperature are obtained exactly. • Thermodynamic properties of ZnO under high temperature are attained too. - Abstract: Studies on thermodynamic and elastic properties of hexagonal ZnO (wurtzite structure) under high temperature have not been reported usually from no matter experimental or theoretic methods. In this work, we study these properties by ab-initio together with quasi-harmonic Debye model. The value of C v tends to the Petit and Dulong limit at high temperature under any pressure, 49.73 J/mol K. And C v is greatly limited by pressure at intermediate temperatures. Nevertheless, the limit effect on C v caused by pressure is not obvious under low as well as very high temperature. The thermal expansions along a or c axis are almost same under temperature, which increase with temperature like a parabola. C 11 , C 33 , C 12 and C 13 decrease with temperature a little, which means that mechanics properties are weakened respectively

Deposition of fan-shaped ZnMoO{sub 4} on ZnCo{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanowire arrays for high electrochemical performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fan, Zihao; Zhang, Xiaojun [Anhui Normal University, Key Laboratory for Functional Molecular Solids of the Education Ministry of China, Center for Nano Science and Technology, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Wuhu (China)

2017-04-15

In this research, fan-shaped ZnMoO{sub 4} is deposited on flower-like ZnCo{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanowire arrays by two-step hydrothermal method. ZnCo{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanowire is synthesized first and used as the backbone to support ZnMoO{sub 4}. The flower-like ZnCo{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanowire arrays are fully overspread by ZnMoO{sub 4}. And this unique structure shows a high capacitance of 1506 F g{sup -1} when used as electrode for supercapacitor at a current density of 1 A g{sup -1} and a good cycling ability (5000 cycles). (orig.)

Catecholamine uptake sites: characterization, localization, and a role in the production of N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced Parkinsonism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Javitch, J.A.

1985-01-01

Dopamine and norepinephrine are inactivated by specific high affinity transport systems which mediate the recapture of the amines into presynaptic nerve terminals. [ 3 H]Maxindol labels neuronal dopamine uptake sites in corpus striatum membranes and neuronal norepinephrine uptake sites in cerebral cortex and submaxillary/sublingual gland membranes. The potencies of various inhibitors of biogenic amine uptake in reducing [ 3 H]mazindol binding in striatal membranes correlate with their potencies for inhibition of neurona [ 3 H]dopamine accumulation, whereas their potencies in reducing [ 3 H]mazindol binding to cortical and salivary gland membranes correlate with their potencies for inhibition of neuronal [ 3 H]norepinephrine accumulation. The association of [ 3 H]mazindol binding sites with neuronal dopamine uptake sites in the corpus striatum is further supported by the reduction of [ 3 H]mazindol binding sites in striatal membranes following destruction of dopaminergic neurons by 6-hydroxydopamine. Similarly, destruction of noradrenergic neurons by N-(2-chloro-ethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine(DSP-4) decreases [ 3 H]mazindol binding to cortical membranes. Dopamine and norepinephrine uptake sites in rat brain have been differentially visualized using [ 3 H]mazindol autoradiography. N-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) produces neuropathologic and clinical abnormalities in humans and animals that closely resemble idiopathic Parkinson disease. [ 3 H]MPTP binds with high affinity to brain membranes. The chemical specificity of the binding sites corresponds to structure-activity requirements for neurotoxicity

Retinal uptake and release of (/sup 3/H)DABA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bauer, B; Ehinger, B [Lund Univ. (Sweden)

1978-03-01

The uptake of (/sup 3/H)DABA was studied in rat, guinea-pig and cat retinas in vivo and in rabbit retinas both in vivo and in vitro by autoradiography. (/sup 3/H)DABA was preferentially accumulated by a type of amacrine cell but after brief incubation or shortly after intravitreal injections there was not only a neuronal uptake but also a glial one. In guinea-pigs the glial labelling in vivo was significant also after 4 hr. The glial uptake (rabbits) was found to be saturable and temperature dependent as expected for an active uptake mechanism. The Ksub(m) of DABA uptake was 2.11 x 10/sup -5/ m and Vsub(max) 2.38 x 10/sup -5/ mol/mg/min. GABA competitively inhibited the DABA uptake. The uptake was not statistically significantly influenced by OMEGA-amino acids such as glycine, ..beta..-alanine, ..cap alpha..-alanine or epsilon-aminocaproic acid. The effect of different stimuli on the spontaneous efflux of radioactivity from (/sup 3/H)DABA preloaded rabbit retinas was studied with (/sup 3/H)DABA localized to neurons. Light flashes evoked a small but not statistically significant increased release whereas 40mM-K/sup +/ evoked an immediate and large increase. Unlabelled DABA, GABA and ..beta..-alanine (10/sup -5/M) increased the spontaneous efflux of (/sup 3/H)DABA but not glycine. It is concluded that there is in the retina of rats, guinea-pigs, cats, and rabbits, a glial high affinity uptake mechanism in addition to the neuronal uptake. DABA seems to be transported by the same mechanism as GABA in both systems. The DABA seems to be better retained in neurons than in glia in rats, cats and rabbits, which allows it to be used as a neuronal marker.

Whole-body retention of 65Zn during pregnancy and lactation, and its secretion into milk in mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsusaka, N.

1978-01-01

The relationship between the maternal whole-body retention of 65 Zn during pregnancy and lactation was studied in mice. Mice administered 65 Zn late in gestation had extremely high retention before parturition which was followed by an abrupt decrease after parturition. The magnitude of the abrupt decrease of maternal body burden becomes smaller with an increase in the interval between administration of isotope and parturition, i.e., the greater the interval between administration and parturition, the smaller the fetal uptake of 65 Zn during intrauterine life. The amount of 65 Zn secreted into milk was estimated from the pup's body burden during the nursing period. When 65 Zn was administered 5 days after parturition to dams nursing eight pups each, the maximum body burden of the litter reached 64% of the initial dose 10 days after injection. In mouse dams, the secretion of 65 Zn in milk is an important elimination pathway in addition to excretion in feces

The mechanism of zinc uptake in excised roots and leaf discs of Phaseolus vulgaris L. Die meganisme van sinkopname in blaarskyfies en wortelpunte van Phaseolus vulgaris L

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van As, J A

1991-03-01

The mechanism and nature of zinc uptake was studied with the aid of {sup 65}Zn. Uptake of zinc was also compared to that of potassium and phosphate, which are known to be ATP-dependent. Zinc uptake was characterized by a rapid initial uptake, followed by a slower linear phase. Decreasing the temperature from 25 to 2 deg C resulted in a decrease of only 30% in the rate of zinc uptake. Uptake of zinc was insensitive to DNP - possibly indicating the non-metabolic nature of the uptake process. A possible role for zinc in protein synthesis could not be demonstrated as CHI did not inhibit zinc uptake. Cyanide reduced zinc uptake to almost zero, possibly due to complexation of zinc by cyanide. Light had no effect on the accumulation of Zn, whereas dark incubation reduced potassium uptake substantially. The relative high rate of zinc uptake and the passive nature of the uptake process might be due to the high binding capacity of the free space for zinc ions. Transport of the zinc in the xylem and phloem of intact bean plants, as well as the metabolic dependence of the latter, was also investigated. The bulk of the zinc absorbed by bean plants remained in the roots and stems with only a very small fraction being translocated to shoots. Adsorption was the major uptake mechanism in roots and stems. In contrast to transport in the xylem, zinc was readily transported in the phloem. Loading and unloading of zinc in the phloem was not influenced by low temperature or DNP. Opposed to this, loading of potassium and phosphate was inhibited by DNP, while unloading was inhibited by low temperature. It can therefore be concluded that the uptake and transport of zinc is probably a passive process. 33 figs., 282 refs.

Biosorption of Zn(II) by chemically modified biomass of corncob

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zafar, H.; Nadeem, R.; Iqbal, T.; Ansari, T.M.

2011-01-01

In conducted research corncob powder was pretreated with inorganic acids and bases. The consequence of different parameters such as initial metal concentration, pH and contact time on Zn(II) bio sorption from aqueous solution was deliberated. The order of maximum Zn(II) uptake q/sub max/ (mgg/sup -1/) for different pretreated and raw corncob powder was Ba(OH)/sub 2/ (128.9)> H/sub 3/PO/sub 4/ (124.07)> NaOH (118.737)> H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ (114.8)> HCl (93.41)> Al(OH)/sup 3/ (87.9)> Native (86.74). The percentage of Zn(II) removed on corncob biomass increased with increase in pH reaching a maximum at pH 5.5. Kinetics of Zn(II) bio sorption described that Zn(II) sorption rate was high in first 15-30 minutes and equilibrium was established after 120 minutes. The maximum adsorption data of native and pretreated biomass was investigated using Langmuir, Freundlich equilibrium and Pseudo first and second order kinetic models. It was accomplished that structural modifications onto corncob powder lead to the formation of novel bio masses with increased sorption efficiency and environmental stability for the abatement of Zn(II). Thus, optimization of bio sorption parameters, chemical pretreatments of bio sorbents and study of mechanisms are the main keys to transfer the bio sorption process from Lab to Industry. (author)

Specific in vitro uptake of serotonin by cells in the anterior pituitary of the rat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johns, M.A.; Azmitia, E.C.; Krieger, D.T.

1982-01-01

In vivo studies have suggested that serotonin (5HT) influences anterior pituitary function at the hypothalamic level. The present in vitro study investigated the possibility that 5HT may act directly on the anterior pituitary. The high affinity uptake of [3H]5HT into adult rat anterior pituitary tissue was examined in two types of experiments. 1) To test the specificity and saturability of uptake of 5HT in the anterior pituitary, pituitary tissue was incubated (37 C) with [3H]5HT (10(-8)-10(-6) M) in the presence and absence of excess (10(-5) M) unlabeled 5HT, norepinephrine, fluoxetine (FLUOX), metergoline, or cyproheptadine. A Hofstee analysis of the specific uptake of [3H]5HT gave an apparent Km value of 4.23 x 10(-7) M and a Vmax of 1576 pmol/g/10 min [3H]5HT. The total uptake of [3H]5HT was not altered by norepinephrine or metergoline, but was significantly reduced (P less than 0.01-0.001) by FLUOX and cyproheptadine. Uptake was shown to be temperature and sodium dependent and not directly dependent on energy derived from glycolysis or aerobic metabolism. 2) To study the site of uptake of 5 HT in the anterior pituitary, in concomitant radioautographic experiments, tissue was incubated with [3H]5HT with and without excess 5HT or FLUOX. Three patterns of silver grain distribution were observed: 1) nonrandom concentrations over select anterior pituitary cells near blood vessels, 2) heavy aggregates of silver grains usually associated with blood vessels, and 3) a seemingly random dispersal of grains over pituitary tissue. Tissue incubated with [3H]5HT alone contained 10% heavily labeled cells, 32% moderately labeled cells, and 58% weakly labeled cells. In contrast, no heavily labeled cells were seen when tissue was incubated with either excess 5HT or FLUOX in addition to [3H]5HT. Our findings of saturable and specific high affinity uptake of [3H]5HT into a subgroup of anterior pituitary cells suggest a direct pituitary action of 5HT

Structural phase transitions in Zn(CN)2 under high pressures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poswal, H.K.; Tyagi, A.K.; Lausi, Andrea; Deb, S.K.; Sharma, Surinder M.

2009-01-01

High pressure behavior of zinc cyanide (Zn(CN) 2 ) has been investigated with the help of synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction measurements. Our studies reveal that under pressure this compound undergoes phase transformations and the structures of the new phases depend on whether the pressure is hydrostatic or not. Under hydrostatic conditions, Zn(CN) 2 transforms from cubic to orthorhombic to cubic-II to amorphous phases. In contrast, the non-hydrostatic pressure conditions drive the ambient cubic phase to a partially disordered crystalline phase, which eventually evolves to a substantially disordered phase. The final disordered phase in the latter case is distinct from the amorphous phase observed under the hydrostatic pressures. - Graphical abstract: High pressure X-ray diffraction investigations on Zn(CN) 2 show three phase transformations i.e., cubic→orthorhombic→cubic-II→amorphous. However, the results strongly depend upon the nature of stress

Blockage of High-Affinity Choline Transporter Increases Visceral Hypersensitivity in Rats with Chronic Stress

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

Background Visceral hypersensitivity is a common feature of irritable bowel syndrome. Cholinergic system involves in the development of visceral hypersensitivity, and high-affinity choline transporter (CHT1) is of crucial importance in choline uptake system. However, involvement of CHT1 in visceral hypersensitivity remains unknown. The research aimed to study the CHT1 expression in dorsal root ganglions (DRGs) and the role of CHT1 in visceral hypersensitivity. Methods Repetitive water avoidance stress (WAS) was used to induce visceral hypersensitivity in rats. Colorectal distension (CRD) was determined, and the abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) and threshold intensity data were recorded to measure the visceral sensitivity. After intraperitoneal injection of hemicholinium-3 (HC-3), the specific inhibitor of CHT1, CRD data were also recorded. The CHT1 expression of DRGs was investigated by Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and quantitative RT-PCR. Acetylcholine levels in the DRGs were detected by the assay kit. Results Repetitive WAS increased the AWR score of CRD at high distension pressure and decreased the mean threshold of rats. The CHT1 expression and acetylcholine concentration of DRG were significantly increased in WAS rats. After the administration of HC-3, the AWR score in WAS group was significantly increased at higher distension pressure while the threshold intensity was significantly reduced compared to the normal saline group. Acetylcholine concentration was significantly lower than the normal saline rats. Conclusion Our research firstly reports that CHT1 is overexpressed in noninflammatory visceral hypersensitivity, and blockage of CHT1 can enhance the visceral hypersensitivity. CHT1 may play an inhibitory role in visceral hypersensitivity. PMID:29849603

ZnO@TiO2 Architectures for a High Efficiency Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lei, Jianfei; Liu, Shuli; Du, Kai; Lv, Shijie; Liu, Chaojie; Zhao, Lingzhi

2015-01-01

Graphical Abstract: A fast and improved electrochemical process was reported to fabricate ZnO@TiO 2 heterogeneous architectures with enhanced power conversion efficiency (ƞ = 2.16%). This paper focuses on achieving high dye loading via binding noncorrosive TiO 2 nanocones to the outermost layer, while retaining the excellent electron transport behavior of the ZnO-based internal layer. Display Omitted -- Highlights: • Nanoconic TiO 2 particles are loaded on the surface of aligned ZnO NWs successfully by a liquid phase deposition method. • ZnO@TiO 2 architectures exhibit high efficiency of the DSSCs. -- Abstract: Instead of the spin coating step, an improved electrochemical process is reported in this paper to prepare ZnO seeded substrates and ZnO nanowires (ZnO NWs). Vertically aligned ZnO NWs are deposited electrochemically on the ZnO seeded substrates directly forming backbones for loading nanoconic TiO 2 particles, and hence ZnO@TiO 2 heterogeneous architectures are obtained. When used as photoanode materials of the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), ZnO@TiO 2 architectures exhibit enhanced power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the DSSCs. Results of the solar cell testing show that addition of TiO 2 shells to the ZnO NWs significantly increases short circuit current (from 2.6 to 4.7 mA cm −2 ), open circuit voltage (from 0.53 V to 0.77 V) and fill factor (from 0.30 to 0.59). The PCE jumped from 0.4% for bare ZnO NWs to 2.16% for ZnO@TiO 2 architectures under 100 mW cm −2 of AM 1.5 G illumination

Isolation of Anti-Ricin Protective Antibodies Exhibiting High Affinity from Immunized Non-Human Primates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tal Noy-Porat

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Ricin, derived from the castor bean plant Ricinus communis, is one of the most potent and lethal toxins known, against which there is no available antidote. To date, the use of neutralizing antibodies is the most promising post-exposure treatment for ricin intoxication. The aim of this study was to isolate high affinity anti-ricin antibodies that possess potent toxin-neutralization capabilities. Two non-human primates were immunized with either a ricin-holotoxin- or subunit-based vaccine, to ensure the elicitation of diverse high affinity antibodies. By using a comprehensive set of primers, immune scFv phage-displayed libraries were constructed and panned. A panel of 10 antibodies (five directed against the A subunit of ricin and five against the B subunit was isolated and reformatted into a full-length chimeric IgG. All of these antibodies were found to neutralize ricin in vitro, and several conferred full protection to ricin-intoxicated mice when given six hours after exposure. Six antibodies were found to possess exceptionally high affinity toward the toxin, with KD values below pM (koff < 1 × 10−7 s−1 that were well correlated with their ability to neutralize ricin. These antibodies, alone or in combination, could be used for the development of a highly-effective therapeutic preparation for post-exposure treatment of ricin intoxication.

Rational design of hierarchical ZnO@Carbon nanoflower for high performance lithium ion battery anodes

Science.gov (United States)

liu, Huichao; Shi, Ludi; Li, Dongzhi; Yu, Jiali; Zhang, Han-Ming; Ullah, Shahid; Yang, Bo; Li, Cuihua; Zhu, Caizhen; Xu, Jian

2018-05-01

The rational structure design and strong interfacial bonding are crucially desired for high performance zinc oxide (ZnO)/carbon composite electrodes. In this context, micro-nano secondary structure design and strong dopamine coating strategies are adopted for the fabrication of flower-like ZnO/carbon (ZnO@C nanoflowers) composite electrodes. The results show the ZnO@C nanoflowers (2-6 μm) are assembled by hierarchical ZnO nanosheets (∼27 nm) and continuous carbon framework. The micro-nano secondary architecture can facilitate the penetration of electrolyte, shorten lithium ions diffusion length, and hinder the aggregation of the nanosheets. Moreover, the strong chemical interaction between ZnO and coating carbon layer via C-Zn bond improves structure stability as well as the electronic conductivity. As a synergistic result, when evaluated as lithium ion batteries (LIBs) anode, the ZnO@C nanoflower electrodes show high reversible capacity of ca. 1200 mA h g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 after 80 cycles. As well as good long-cycling stability (638 and 420 mA h g-1 at 1 and 5 A g-1 after 500 cycles, respectively) and excellent rate capability. Therefore, this rational design of ZnO@C nanoflowers electrode is a promising anode for high-performance LIBs.

Foliar water uptake of Tamarix ramosissima from an atmosphere of high humidity.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shuang; Xiao, Hong-lang; Zhao, Liang; Zhou, Mao-Xian; Wang, Fang

2014-01-01

Many species have been found to be capable of foliar water uptake, but little research has focused on this in desert plants. Tamarix ramosissima was investigated to determine whether its leaves can directly absorb water from high humidity atmosphere and, if they can, to understand the magnitude and importance of foliar water uptake. Various techniques were adopted to demonstrate foliar water uptake under submergence or high atmospheric humidity. The mean increase in leaf water content after submergence was 29.38% and 20.93% for mature and tender leaves, respectively. In the chamber experiment, obvious reverse sap flow occurred when relative humidity (RH) was persistently above 90%. Reverse flow was recorded first in twigs, then in branches and stems. For the stem, the percentage of negative sap flow rate accounting for the maximum value of sap flow reached 10.71%, and its amount accounted for 7.54% of diurnal sap flow. Small rainfall can not only compensate water loss of plant by foliar uptake, but also suppress transpiration. Foliar uptake can appear in the daytime under certain rainfall events. High atmospheric humidity is beneficial for enhancing the water status of plants. Foliar uptake should be an important strategy of water acquisition for desert plants.

Foliar Water Uptake of Tamarix ramosissima from an Atmosphere of High Humidity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuang Li

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Many species have been found to be capable of foliar water uptake, but little research has focused on this in desert plants. Tamarix ramosissima was investigated to determine whether its leaves can directly absorb water from high humidity atmosphere and, if they can, to understand the magnitude and importance of foliar water uptake. Various techniques were adopted to demonstrate foliar water uptake under submergence or high atmospheric humidity. The mean increase in leaf water content after submergence was 29.38% and 20.93% for mature and tender leaves, respectively. In the chamber experiment, obvious reverse sap flow occurred when relative humidity (RH was persistently above 90%. Reverse flow was recorded first in twigs, then in branches and stems. For the stem, the percentage of negative sap flow rate accounting for the maximum value of sap flow reached 10.71%, and its amount accounted for 7.54% of diurnal sap flow. Small rainfall can not only compensate water loss of plant by foliar uptake, but also suppress transpiration. Foliar uptake can appear in the daytime under certain rainfall events. High atmospheric humidity is beneficial for enhancing the water status of plants. Foliar uptake should be an important strategy of water acquisition for desert plants.

Immobilization of uricase on ZnO nanorods for a reagentless uric acid biosensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Fenfen; Wang Xiaoli; Ai Shiyun; Sun Zhengdong; Wan Qiao; Zhu Ziqiang; Xian Yuezhong; Jin Litong; Yamamoto, Katsunobu

2004-01-01

A reagentless uric acid (UA) biosensor based on uricase immobilized on ZnO nanorods was developed. Direct electrochemistry and thermal stability of immobilized uricase were studied. The ZnO nanorods derived electrode retained the enzyme bioactivity and could enhance the electron transfer between the enzyme and the electrode. This sensor showed a high thermal stability up to 85 deg. C and an electrocatalytic activity to the oxidation of uric acid without the presence of an electron mediator. The electrocatalytic response showed a linear dependence on the uric acid concentration ranging from 5.0 x 10 -6 to 1.0 x 10 -3 mol L -1 with a detection limit of 2.0 x 10 -6 mol L -1 at 3σ. The apparent K M app value for the uric acid sensor was estimated to be 0.238 mM, showing a high affinity

Nanosecond X-ray detector based on high resistivity ZnO single crystal semiconductor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Xiaolong; He, Yongning, E-mail: yongning@mail.xjtu.edu.cn; Peng, Wenbo; Huang, Zhiyong; Qi, Xiaomeng; Pan, Zijian; Zhang, Wenting [School of Electronic and Information Engineering, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Chen, Liang; Liu, Jinliang; Zhang, Zhongbing; Ouyang, Xiaoping [Radiation Detection Research Center, Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, Xi' an 710024 (China)

2016-04-25

The pulse radiation detectors are sorely needed in the fields of nuclear reaction monitoring, material analysis, astronomy study, spacecraft navigation, and space communication. In this work, we demonstrate a nanosecond X-ray detector based on ZnO single crystal semiconductor, which emerges as a promising compound-semiconductor radiation detection material for its high radiation tolerance and advanced large-size bulk crystal growth technique. The resistivity of the ZnO single crystal is as high as 10{sup 13} Ω cm due to the compensation of the donor defects (V{sub O}) and acceptor defects (V{sub Zn} and O{sub i}) after high temperature annealing in oxygen. The photoconductive X-ray detector was fabricated using the high resistivity ZnO single crystal. The rise time and fall time of the detector to a 10 ps pulse electron beam are 0.8 ns and 3.3 ns, respectively, indicating great potential for ultrafast X-ray detection applications.

Decreased uptake of 3H-serotonin and endogenous content of serotonin in blood platelets in hypertensive patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamal, L.A.; Le Quan-Bui, K.H.; Meyer, P.

1984-01-01

The uptake and content of serotonin in blood platelets were studied in patients with essential hypertension and in five families in which at least one member was hypertensive. Blood was obtained from male and female normotensive volunteers and hypertensive patients who were free of medication. Lineweaver-Burk plots of 3H-serotonin uptake from both control subjects and hypertensive patients were linear, which suggested simple Michaelis-Menten uptake kinetics. The maximal uptake velocity (Vmax) in hypertensive patients was significantly lower than in control subjects (control . 41.7 +/- 3.3 pmol/min/10(8) platelets, n . 17; hypertensive . 26.6 +/- 3.0 pmol/min/10(8) platelets, n . 16; p less than 0.005). The affinity constant (Km) was slightly but significantly lower in hypertensive patients (control . 0.70 +/- 0.08 microM; hypertensive . 0.46 +/- 0.08 microM; p less than 0.05). The serotonin content in blood platelets determined by high pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection was significantly lower in hypertensive patients (control . 165.0 +/- 12.9 nmol/10(11) platelets, n . 29; hypertensive . 105.9 +/- 10.4 nmol/10(11) platelets, n . 27; p less than 0.001). In the five families investigated, the lowered serotonin content was observed in some normotensive members. The reduced number of carriers of serotonin uptake and the slight decrease in the affinity constant observed in platelets of patients with essential hypertension suggest that serotonin metabolism is altered in essential hypertension and that blood platelets may be a useful model in studying the serotonergic modifications at the molecular level

Biodistribution of radioactive organocations and cationic technetium complexes - implications to the uptake mechanism of potential heart-affine radiopharmaceuticals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muenze, R.; Shyre, R.; Seifert, S.; Guethert, I.; Kretschmar, M.; Kampf, G.; Knop, G.; Mohnike, W.; Schmidt, J.

1986-01-01

The biodistribution of various 14 C labeled organocations (ammonium, phosphonium) and cationic technetium complexes (TcCl 2 DMPE 2 ,TcDMPE 3 + ) was studied in rats to find potential relations between the chemical composition, structure, molecular size, lipophilicity and heart uptake. All of the radioactive cations were distributed in a similar manner, but with different biokinetics. Molecules containing several electronegative atoms in their ligand structure, e.g. nitrogen or oxygen which enhance polarity, were rapidly accumulated, but washed out again with resultant transient and diminished heart uptake. More highly lipophilic materials, by contrast, showed more extensive accumulation and persistent retention in the heart. The effect of human serum albumin on heart uptake was studied in a perfused heart model. Strong albumin binding prevented extensive heart uptake. This undesirable effect was neutralized by adding detergents to the perfusion bath. Evidence from these animal experiments was considered in the development of a new heart-seeking technetium compound (Tc-DPO), which is characterized by rapid accumulation in the human heart and substantially delayed washout. Heart images with minimal overlap of the inferoposterior wall and the right liver lobe were available in no more than 10 minutes p.i. in both planar and SPECT modes. A deficit in the inferior region was much more clearly defined than on the corresponding Thallium image. (Author)

Facilitation of trace metal uptake in cells by inulin coating of metallic nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Santillán-Urquiza, Esmeralda; Arteaga-Cardona, Fernando; Torres-Duarte, Cristina; Cole, Bryan; Wu, Bing; Méndez-Rojas, Miguel A.; Cherr, Gary N.

2017-09-01

Trace elements such as zinc and iron are essential for the proper function of biochemical processes, and their uptake and bioavailability are dependent on their chemical form. Supplementation of trace metals through nanostructured materials is a new field, but its application raises concerns regarding their toxicity. Here, we compared the intracellular zinc uptake of different sources of zinc: zinc sulfate, and ZnO and core-shell α-Fe2O3@ZnO nanoparticles, coated or uncoated with inulin, an edible and biocompatible polysaccharide. Using mussel haemocytes, a well-known model system to assess nanomaterial toxicity, we simultaneously assessed zinc accumulation and multiple cellular response endpoints. We found that intracellular zinc uptake was strongly enhanced by inulin coating, in comparison to the uncoated nanoparticles, while no significant effects on cell death, cell viability, mitochondrial membrane integrity, production of reactive oxygen species or lysosome abundance were observed at concentrations up to 20 ppm. Since no significant increments in toxicity were observed, the coated nanomaterials may be useful to increase in vivo zinc uptake for nutritional applications.

A high affinity monoclonal antibody recognizing the light chain of human coagulating factor VII.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarial, Sheila; Asadi, Farzad; Jeddi-Tehrani, Mahmood; Hadavi, Reza; Bayat, Ali Ahmad; Mahmoudian, Jafar; Taghizadeh-Jahed, Masoud; Shokri, Fazel; Rabbani, Hodjattallah

2012-12-01

Factor VII (FVII) is a serine protease-coagulating element responsible for the initiation of an extrinsic pathway of clot formation. Here we generated and characterized a high affinity monoclonal antibody that specifically recognizes human FVII. Recombinant human FVII (rh-FVII) was used for the production of a monoclonal antibody using BALB/c mice. The specificity of the antibody was determined by Western blot using plasma samples from human, mouse, sheep, goat, bovine, rabbit, and rat. Furthermore, the antibody was used to detect transiently expressed rh-FVII in BHK21 cell line using Western blot and sandwich ELISA. A mouse IgG1 (kappa chain) monoclonal antibody clone 1F1-B11 was produced against rh-FVII. The affinity constant (K(aff)) of the antibody was calculated to be 6.4×10(10) M(-1). The antibody could specifically recognize an epitope on the light chain of hFVII, with no reactivity with factor VII from several other animals. In addition, transiently expressed rh-FVII in BHK21 cells was recognized by 1F1-B11. The high affinity as well as the specificity of 1F1-B11 for hFVII will facilitate the affinity purification of hFVII and also production of FVII deficient plasma and minimizes the risk of bovine FVII contamination when fetal bovine serum-supplemented media are used for production and subsequent purification of rh-FVII.

Affine and quasi-affine frames for rational dilations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bownik, Marcin; Lemvig, Jakob

2011-01-01

In this paper we extend the investigation of quasi-affine systems, which were originally introduced by Ron and Shen [J. Funct. Anal. 148 (1997), 408-447] for integer, expansive dilations, to the class of rational, expansive dilations. We show that an affine system is a frame if, and only if......, the corresponding family of quasi-affine systems are frames with uniform frame bounds. We also prove a similar equivalence result between pairs of dual affine frames and dual quasi-affine frames. Finally, we uncover some fundamental differences between the integer and rational settings by exhibiting an example...

Enhanced biostability and cellular uptake of zinc oxide nanocrystals shielded with a phospholipid bilayer.

Science.gov (United States)

Dumontel, B; Canta, M; Engelke, H; Chiodoni, A; Racca, L; Ancona, A; Limongi, T; Canavese, G; Cauda, V

2017-11-28

The widespread use of ZnO nanomaterials for biomedical applications, including therapeutic drug delivery or stimuli-responsive activation, as well as imaging, imposes a careful control over the colloidal stability and long-term behaviour of ZnO in biological media. Moreover, the effect of ZnO nanostructures on living cells, in particular cancer cells, is still under debate. This paper discusses the role of surface chemistry and charge of zinc oxide nanocrystals, of around 15 nm in size, which influence their behaviour in biological fluids and effect on cancer cells. In particular, we address this problem by modifying the surface of pristine ZnO nanocrystals (NCs), rich of hydroxyl groups, with positively charged amino-propyl chains or, more innovatively, by self-assembling a double-lipidic membrane, shielding the ZnO NCs. Our findings show that the prolonged immersion in simulated human plasma and in the cell culture medium leads to highly colloidally dispersed ZnO NCs only when coated by the lipidic bilayer. In contrast, the pristine and amine-functionalized NCs form huge aggregates after already one hour of immersion. Partial dissolution of these two samples into potentially cytotoxic Zn 2+ cations takes place, together with the precipitation of phosphate and carbonate salts on the NCs' surface. When exposed to living HeLa cancer cells, higher amounts of lipid-shielded ZnO NCs are internalized with respect to the other samples, thus showing a reduced cytotoxicity, based on the same amount of internalized NCs. These results pave the way for the development of novel theranostic platforms based on ZnO NCs. The new formulation of ZnO shielded with a lipid-bilayer will prevent strong aggregation and premature degradation into toxic by-products, and promote a highly efficient cell uptake for further therapeutic or diagnostic functions.