Efficacy of nebulised L-adrenaline with 3% hypertonic saline versus normal saline in bronchiolitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shabnam Sharmin

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Bronchiolitis is one of the most common respiratory diseases requiring hospitalization. Nebulized epineph­rine and salbutamol therapy has been used in different centres with varying results. Objective: The objective of the study was to compare the efficacy of nebulised adrenaline diluted with 3% hypertonic saline with nebulised adrenaline diluted with normal saline in bronchiolitis. Methods: Fifty three infants and young children with bronchiolitis, age ranging from 2 months to 2 years, presenting in the emergency department of Manikganj Sadar Hospital were enrolled in the study. After initial evaluation, patients were randomized to receive either nebulized adrenaline I .5 ml ( 1.5 mg diluted with 2 ml of3% hypertonic saline (group I ornebulised adrenaline 1.5 ml (1.5 mg diluted with 2 ml of normal saline (group II. Patients were evaluated again 30 minutes after nebulization. Results: Twenty eight patients in the group I (hypertonic saline and twenty five in groupII (normal saline were included in the study. After nebulization, mean respiratory rate decreased from 63.7 to 48.1 (p<.01, mean clinical severity score decreased from 8.5 to 3.5 (p<.01 and mean oxygen satw·ation increased 94.7% to 96.9% (p<.01 in group I. In group II, mean respiratory rate decreased from 62.4 to 47.4 (p<.01, mean clinical severity score decreased from 7.2 to 4.1 (p<.01 and mean oxygen saturation increased from 94. 7% to 96. 7% (p<.01. Mean respiratory rate decreased by 16 in group I versus 14.8 (p>.05 in group 11, mean clinical severity score decreased by 4.6 in group versus 3 (p<.05 in group, and mean oxygen saturation increased by 2.2% and 1.9% in group and group respectively. Difference in reduction in clinical severity score was statistically significant , though the changes in respiratory rate and oxygen saturation were not statistically significant. Conclusion: The study concluded that both nebulised adrenaline diluted with 3% hypertonic saline and

Activating transcription factor-3 (ATF3) functions as a tumor suppressor in colon cancer and is up-regulated upon heat-shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hackl, Christina; Stoeltzing, Oliver; Lang, Sven A; Moser, Christian; Mori, Akira; Fichtner-Feigl, Stefan; Hellerbrand, Claus; Dietmeier, Wolfgang; Schlitt, Hans J; Geissler, Edward K

2010-01-01

Activating transcription factor-3 (ATF3) is involved in the complex process of cellular stress response. However, its exact role in cancer is discussed controversially because both tumor suppressive and oncogenic effects have been described. Here we followed-up on our previous observation that inhibition of Hsp90 may increase ATF3 expression and sought to determine the role of ATF3 in colon cancer. Regulation of ATF3 was determined in cancer cells using signaling inhibitors and a heat-shock protein-90 (Hsp90) antagonist. Human HCT116 cancer cells were stably transfected with an ATF3-shRNA or a luciferase-shRNA expression plasmid and alterations in cell motility were assessed in migration assays. The impact of ATF3 down-regulation on cancer growth and metastasis were investigated in a subcutaneous tumor model, a model of hepatic tumor growth and in a model of peritoneal carcinomatosis. Human colon cancer tissues were analyzed for ATF3 expression. The results show that therapeutic Hsp90 inhibition substantially up-regulates the expression of ATF3 in various cancer cells, including colon, gastric and pancreatic cancer. This effect was evident both in vitro and in vivo. RNAi mediated knock-down of ATF3 in HCT116 colon cancer cells significantly increased cancer cell migration in vitro. Moreover, in xenogenic mouse models, ATF3 knock-down promoted subcutaneous tumor growth and hepatic metastasis, as well as peritoneal carcinomatosis. Importantly, ATF3 expression was lower in human colon cancer specimens, as compared to corresponding normal surrounding tissues, suggesting that ATF3 may represent a down-regulated tumor suppressor in colon cancer. In conclusion, ATF3 down-regulation in colon cancer promotes tumor growth and metastasis. Considering that blocking Hsp90 induces ATF3 expression, Hsp90 inhibition may represent a valid strategy to treat metastatic colon cancer by up-regulating this anti-metastatic transcription factor

The juxtamembrane domain in ETV6/FLT3 is critical for PIM-1 up-regulation and cell proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vu, Hoang Anh; Xinh, Phan Thi; Kano, Yasuhiko; Tokunaga, Katsushi; Sato, Yuko

2009-01-01

We recently reported that the ETV6/FLT3 fusion protein conferred interleukin-3-independent growth on Ba/F3 cells. The present study has been conducted to assess role of the juxtamembrane domain of FLT3 for signal transduction and cell transformation. The wild-type ETV6/FLT3 fusion protein in transfected cells was a constitutively activated tyrosine kinase that led to up-regulation of PIM-1 and activations of STAT5, AKT, and MAPK. Deletion of the juxtamembrane domain abrogated interleukin-3-independent growth of the transfected cells and PIM-1 up-regulation, whereas it retained compatible levels of phosphorylations of STAT5, AKT, and MAPK. Further deletion of N-terminal region of the tyrosine kinase I domain of FLT3 completely abolished these phosphorylations. Our data indicate that the juxtamembrane domain of FLT3 in ETV6/FLT3 fusion protein is critical for cell proliferation and PIM-1 up-regulation that might be independent of a requirement for signaling through STAT5, MAPK, and AKT pathways.

Ketamine up-regulates a cluster of intronic miRNAs within the serotonin receptor 2C gene by inhibiting glycogen synthase kinase-3.

Science.gov (United States)

Grieco, Steven F; Velmeshev, Dmitry; Magistri, Marco; Eldar-Finkelman, Hagit; Faghihi, Mohammad A; Jope, Richard S; Beurel, Eleonore

2017-09-01

We examined mechanisms that contribute to the rapid antidepressant effect of ketamine in mice that is dependent on glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) inhibition. We measured serotonergic (5HT)-2C-receptor (5HTR2C) cluster microRNA (miRNA) levels in mouse hippocampus after administering an antidepressant dose of ketamine (10 mg/kg) in wild-type and GSK3 knockin mice, after GSK3 inhibition with L803-mts, and in learned helpless mice. Ketamine up-regulated cluster miRNAs 448-3p, 764-5p, 1264-3p, 1298-5p and 1912-3p (2- to 11-fold). This up-regulation was abolished in GSK3 knockin mice that express mutant constitutively active GSK3. The GSK3 specific inhibitor L803-mts was antidepressant in the learned helplessness and novelty suppressed feeding depression-like behaviours and up-regulated the 5HTR2C miRNA cluster in mouse hippocampus. After administration of the learned helplessness paradigm mice were divided into cohorts that were resilient (non-depressed) or were susceptible (depressed) to learned helplessness. The resilient, but not depressed, mice displayed increased hippocampal levels of miRNAs 448-3p and 1264-3p. Administration of an antagonist to miRNA 448-3p diminished the antidepressant effect of ketamine in the learned helplessness paradigm, indicating that up-regulation of miRNA 448-3p provides an antidepressant action. These findings identify a new outcome of GSK3 inhibition by ketamine that may contribute to antidepressant effects.

THE EFFECTS OF SEED SOAKING WITH PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS ON SEEDLING VIGOR OF WHEAT UNDER SALINITY STRESS

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Afzal Irfan

2005-08-01

Full Text Available Effects of seed soaking with plant growth regulators (IAA, GA3, kinetin or prostart on wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Auqab-2000 emergence and seedling growth under normal (4 dS/cm and saline (15 dS/cm conditions were studied to determine their usefulness in increasing relative salt-tolerance. During emergence test, emergence percentage and mean emergence time (MET were significantly affected by most of priming treatments, however, root and shoot length, fresh and dry weight of seedlings were significantly increased by 25 ppm kinetin followed by 1% prostart for 2 h treatments under both normal and saline conditions. All pre-sowing seed treatments decreased the electrolyte leakage of steep water as compared to that of non-primed seeds even after 12 h of soaking. Seed soaking with 25 ppm kinetin induced maximum decrease in electrolyte leakage while an increase in electrolyte leakage was observed by 25, 50 or 100 ppm IAA treatments. It is concluded that priming has reduced the severity of the effect of salinity but the amelioration was better due to 25 ppm kinetin and 1% prostart (2 h treatments as these showed best results on seedling growth, fresh and dry weights under non-saline and saline conditions whereas seed soaking with IAA and GA3 were not effective in inducing salt tolerance under present experimental material and conditions.

Differences in the time course of haloperidol-induced up-regulation of rat striatal and mesolimbic dopamine receptors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prosser, E.S.; Csernansky, J.G.; Hollister, L.E.

1988-01-01

Regional differences in the onset and persistence of increased dopamine D2 receptor density in rat brain were studied following daily injections of haloperidol for 3, 7, 14, or 28 days. Striatal [ 3 H]-spiroperidol Bmax values were significantly increased following 3 - 28 days of haloperidol treatment, as compared to saline controls. Olfactory tubercle Bmax values were significantly increased only after 14 or 28 days of haloperidol treatment. Nucleus accumbens Bmax values were significantly increased only in the 14-day drug treatment group, suggesting that dopamine D2 receptor up-regulation in nucleus accumbens may reverse during ongoing neuroleptic treatment. These findings suggest that important differences in adaptive responses to chronic dopamine blockade may exist between dopaminergic synapses located in various rat brain regions

Hormonal and metabolic regulation of tomato fruit sink activity and yield under salinity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Albacete, Alfonso; Cantero-Navarro, Elena; Balibrea, María E.

2014-01-01

Salinization of water and soil has a negative impact on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) productivity by reducing growth of sink organs and by inducing senescence in source leaves. It has been hypothesized that yield stability implies the maintenance or increase of sink activity in the reproductive...... structures, thus contributing to the transport of assimilates from the source leaves through changes in sucrolytic enzymes and their regulation by phytohormones. In this study, classical and functional physiological approaches have been integrated to study the influence of metabolic and hormonal factors...... sucrolytic activities (mainly cwInv and sucrose synthase), sink strength, and fruit weight, whereas the ethylene-releasing compound ethephon had a negative effect in equivalent non-stressed fruits. Fruit yield was increased by both the constitutive expression of CIN1 in the fruits (up to 4-fold) or IPT...

Ecophysiological adaptations to variable salinity environments in the crab Hemigrapsus crenulatus from the Southeastern Pacific coast: Sodium regulation, respiration and excretion.

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Urzúa, Ángel; Urbina, Mauricio A

2017-08-01

The estuarine crab Hemigrapsus crenulatus is a key benthic species of estuarine and intertidal ecosystems of the South Pacific, habitats that experience wide fluctuations in salinity. The physiological strategies that allow this crab to thrive under variable salinities, and how they change during the benthic stages of their life cycle, were evaluated under laboratory conditions. Oxygen consumption, ammonia excretion and the regulatory capacity of Na + through the normal range of environmental salinities (i.e. 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30) were evaluated in three size classes, ranging from juveniles to adults. In all sizes, the oxygen consumption, ammonia excretion and regulatory capacity of Na + decreased as salinity increased, with the highest values at 5 and the lowest values at 30 salinity. Bigger crabs showed a higher capacity to regulate Na + , as well as higher respiration and excretion rates compared to smaller crabs, suggesting that they are better equipped to exploit areas of the estuary with low salinity. Regardless of its size, H. crenulatus is a strong hyper regulator in diluted media (i.e. 5-20) while a conformer at salinities higher than 20. The regulatory capacity of Na + was positively related with oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion rates. These relationships between sodium regulation, respiration and excretion are interpreted as adaptive physiological mechanisms that allow H. crenulatus to maintain the osmotic and bioenergetic balance over a wide range of environmental salinities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effects of acute salinity challenges on osmoregulation in Mozambique tilapia reared in a tidally changing salinity.

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Moorman, Benjamin P; Lerner, Darren T; Grau, E Gordon; Seale, Andre P

2015-03-01

This study characterizes the differences in osmoregulatory capacity among Mozambique tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus, reared in freshwater (FW), in seawater (SW) or under tidally driven changes in salinity. This was addressed through the use of an abrupt exposure to a change in salinity. We measured changes in: (1) plasma osmolality and prolactin (PRL) levels; (2) pituitary expression of prolactin (PRL) and its receptors, PRLR1 and PRLR2; (3) branchial expression of PRLR1, PRLR2, Na(+)/Cl(-) co-transporter (NCC), Na(+)/K(+)/2Cl(-) co-transporter (NKCC), α1a and α1b isoforms of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase (NKA), cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), aquaporin 3 (AQP3) and Na(+)/H(+) exchanger 3 (NHE3). Mozambique tilapia reared in a tidal environment successfully adapted to SW while fish reared in FW did not survive a transfer to SW beyond the 6 h sampling. With the exception of CFTR, the change in the expression of ion pumps, transporters and channels was more gradual in fish transferred from tidally changing salinities to SW than in fish transferred from FW to SW. Upon transfer to SW, the increase in CFTR expression was more robust in tidal fish than in FW fish. Tidal and SW fish successfully adapted when transferred to FW. These results suggest that Mozambique tilapia reared in a tidally changing salinity, a condition that more closely represents their natural history, gain an adaptive advantage compared with fish reared in FW when facing a hyperosmotic challenge. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Cytisine modulates chronic voluntary ethanol consumption and ethanol-induced striatal up-regulation of ΔFosB in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Sajja, Ravi Kiran; Rahman, Shafiqur

2013-06-01

Chronic administration of ethanol induces persistent accumulation of ΔFosB, an important transcription factor, in the midbrain dopamine system. This process underlies the progression to addiction. Previously, we have shown that cytisine, a neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) partial agonist, reduces various ethanol-drinking behaviors and ethanol-induced striatal dopamine function. However, the effects of cytisine on chronic ethanol drinking and ethanol-induced up-regulation of striatal ΔFosB are not known. Therefore, we examined the effects of cytisine on chronic voluntary ethanol consumption and associated striatal ΔFosB up-regulation in C57BL/6J mice using behavioral and biochemical methods. Following the chronic voluntary consumption of 15% (v/v) ethanol under a 24-h two-bottle choice intermittent access (IA; 3 sessions/week) or continuous access (CA; 24 h/d and 7 d/week) paradigm, mice received repeated intraperitoneal injections of saline or cytisine (0.5 or 3.0 mg/kg). Ethanol and water intake were monitored for 24 h post-treatment. Pretreatment with cytisine (0.5 or 1.5 mg/kg) significantly reduced ethanol consumption and preference in both paradigms at 2 h and 24 h post-treatment. The ΔFosB levels in the ventral and dorsal striatum were determined by Western blotting 18-24 h after the last point of ethanol access. In addition, cytisine (0.5 mg/kg) significantly attenuated up-regulation of ΔFosB in the ventral and dorsal striatum following chronic ethanol consumption in IA and CA paradigms. The results indicate that cytisine modulates chronic voluntary ethanol consumption and reduces ethanol-induced up-regulation of striatal ΔFosB. Further, the data suggest a critical role of nAChRs in chronic ethanol-induced neurochemical adaptations associated with ethanol addiction. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cisplatin-Induced Renal Salt Wasting Requiring over 12 Liters of 3% Saline Replacement

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Phuong-Chi Pham

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Cisplatin is known to induce Fanconi syndrome and renal salt wasting (RSW. RSW typically only requires transient normal saline (NS support. We report a severe RSW case that required 12 liters of 3% saline. A 57-year-old woman with limited stage small cell cancer was admitted for cisplatin (80 mg/m2 and etoposide (100 mg/m2 therapy. Patient’s serum sodium (SNa decreased from 138 to 133 and 125 mEq/L within 24 and 48 hours of cisplatin therapy, respectively. A diagnosis of syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH was initially made. Despite free water restriction, patient’s SNa continued to decrease in association with acute onset of headaches, nausea, and dizziness. Three percent saline (3%S infusion with rates up to 1400 mL/day was required to correct and maintain SNa at 135 mEq/L. Studies to evaluate Fanconi syndrome revealed hypophosphatemia and glucosuria in the absence of serum hyperglycemia. The natriuresis slowed down by 2.5 weeks, but 3%S support was continued for a total volume of 12 liters over 3.5 weeks. Attempts of questionable benefits to slow down glomerular filtration included the administration of ibuprofen and benazepril. To our knowledge, this is the most severe case of RSW ever reported with cisplatin.

Transcriptome analysis of salinity responsiveness in contrasting genotypes of finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) through RNA-sequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, Hifzur; Jagadeeshselvam, N; Valarmathi, R; Sachin, B; Sasikala, R; Senthil, N; Sudhakar, D; Robin, S; Muthurajan, Raveendran

2014-07-01

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) is a hardy cereal known for its superior level of tolerance against drought, salinity, diseases and its nutritional properties. In this study, attempts were made to unravel the physiological and molecular basis of salinity tolerance in two contrasting finger millet genotypes viz., CO 12 and Trichy 1. Physiological studies revealed that the tolerant genotype Trichy 1 had lower Na(+) to K(+) ratio in leaves and shoots, higher growth rate (osmotic tolerance) and ability to accumulate higher amount of total soluble sugar in leaves under salinity stress. We sequenced the salinity responsive leaf transcriptome of contrasting finger millet genotypes using IonProton platform and generated 27.91 million reads. Mapping and annotation of finger millet transcripts against rice gene models led to the identification of salinity responsive genes and genotype specific responses. Several functional groups of genes like transporters, transcription factors, genes involved in cell signaling, osmotic homeostasis and biosynthesis of compatible solutes were found to be highly up-regulated in the tolerant Trichy 1. Salinity stress inhibited photosynthetic capacity and photosynthesis related genes in the susceptible genotype CO 12. Several genes involved in cell growth and differentiation were found to be up-regulated in both the genotypes but more specifically in tolerant genotype. Genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis were found to be down-regulated specifically in the salinity tolerant Trichy 1. This study provides a genome-wide transcriptional analysis of two finger millet genotypes differing in their level of salinity tolerance during a gradually progressing salinity stress under greenhouse conditions.

Ceramide-induced TCR up-regulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Menné, C; Lauritsen, Jens Peter Holst; Dietrich, J

2000-01-01

to increase T cell responsiveness. The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize potential pathways for TCR up-regulation. We found that ceramide affected TCR recycling dynamics and induced TCR up-regulation in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Experiments applying phosphatase......The TCR is a constitutively recycling receptor meaning that a constant fraction of TCR from the plasma membrane is transported inside the cell at the same time as a constant fraction of TCR from the intracellular pool is transported to the plasma membrane. TCR recycling is affected by protein...... kinase C activity. Thus, an increase in protein kinase C activity affects TCR recycling kinetics leading to a new TCR equilibrium with a reduced level of TCR expressed at the T cell surface. Down-regulation of TCR expression compromises T cell activation. Conversely, TCR up-regulation is expected...

Involvement of up-regulated Necl-5/Tage4/PVR/CD155 in the loss of contact inhibition in transformed NIH3T3 cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minami, Yukiko; Ikeda, Wataru; Kajita, Mihoko; Fujito, Tsutomu; Monden, Morito; Takai, Yoshimi

2007-01-01

Normal cells show contact inhibition of cell movement and proliferation, but this is lost following transformation. We found that Necl-5, originally identified as a poliovirus receptor and up-regulated in many cancer cells, enhances growth factor-induced cell movement and proliferation. We showed that when cells contact other cells, Necl-5 interacts in trans with nectin-3 and is removed by endocytosis from the cell surface, resulting in a reduction of cell movement and proliferation. We show here that up-regulation of the gene encoding Necl-5 by the oncogene V12-Ki-Ras causes enhanced cell movement and proliferation. Upon cell-cell contact, de novo synthesis of Necl-5 exceeds the rate of Necl-5 endocytosis, eventually resulting in a net increase in the amount of Necl-5 at the cell surface. In addition, expression of the gene encoding nectin-3 is markedly reduced in transformed cells. Thus, up-regulation of Necl-5 following transformation contributes to the loss of contact inhibition in transformed cells

Fruit extracts of Momordica charantia potentiate glucose uptake and up-regulate Glut-4, PPAR gamma and PI3K.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Ramadhar; Balaji, S; Uma, T S; Sehgal, P K

2009-12-10

Momordica charantia fruit is a widely used traditional medicinal herb as, anti-diabetic, anti-HIV, anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory, anti-leukemic, anti-microbial, and anti-tumor. The present study is undertaken to investigate the possible mode of action of fruit extracts derived from Momordica charantia (MC) and study its pharmacological effects for controlling diabetic mellitus. Effects of aqueous and chloroform extracts of Momordica charantia fruit on glucose uptake and up-regulation of glucose transporter (Glut-4), peroxisome proliferator activator receptor gamma (PPAR gamma) and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K), were investigated to show its efficacy as a hypoglycaemic agent. Dose dependent glucose uptake assay was performed on L6 myotubes using 2-deoxy-D-[1-(3)H] glucose. Up-regulatory effects of the extracts on the mRNA expression level of Glut-4, PPAR gamma and PI3K have been studied. The association of Momordica charantia with the aqueous and chloroform extracts of Momordica charantia fruit at 6 microg/ml has shown significant up-regulatory effect, respectively, by 3.6-, 2.8- and 3.8-fold on the battery of targets Glut-4, PPAR gamma and PI3K involved in glucose transport. The up-regulation of glucose uptake was comparable with insulin and rosiglitazone which was approximately 2-fold over the control. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of the cyclohexamide on Momordica charantia fruit extract mediated glucose uptake suggested the requirement of new protein synthesis for the enhanced glucose uptake. This study demonstrated the significance of Glut-4, PPAR gamma and PI3K up-regulation by Momordica charantia in augmenting the glucose uptake and homeostasis.

Safety assessment of UP3-A reprocessing plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mercier, J.P.; Guezenec, J.Y.; Poirier, M.C.

1992-02-01

This presentation describes how the safety assessment was made of UP3-A plant of the La Hague establishment for the building permit and operating license within the context of French nuclear regulations and the national debate on the need for reprocessing. Other factors discussed are how the public was involved, how the regulations were improved in the process and what the different stages of commissioning consisted of. (author)

Ncl Synchronously Regulates Na+, K+, and Cl- in Soybean and Greatly Increases the Grain Yield in Saline Field Conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Do, Tuyen Duc; Chen, Huatao; Hien, Vu Thi Thu; Hamwieh, Aladdin; Yamada, Tetsuya; Sato, Tadashi; Yan, Yongliang; Cong, Hua; Shono, Mariko; Suenaga, Kazuhiro; Xu, Donghe

2016-01-08

Salt stress inhibits soybean growth and reduces gain yield. Genetic improvement of salt tolerance is essential for sustainable soybean production in saline areas. In this study, we isolated a gene (Ncl) that could synchronously regulate the transport and accumulation of Na(+), K(+), and Cl(-) from a Brazilian soybean cultivar FT-Abyara using map-based cloning strategy. Higher expression of the salt tolerance gene Ncl in the root resulted in lower accumulations of Na(+), K(+), and Cl(-) in the shoot under salt stress. Transfer of Ncl with the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method into a soybean cultivar Kariyutaka significantly enhanced its salt tolerance. Introgression of the tolerance allele into soybean cultivar Jackson, using DNA marker-assisted selection (MAS), produced an improved salt tolerance line. Ncl could increase soybean grain yield by 3.6-5.5 times in saline field conditions. Using Ncl in soybean breeding through gene transfer or MAS would contribute to sustainable soybean production in saline-prone areas.

A laboratory study of ikaite (CaCO3·6H2O) precipitation as a function of pH, salinity, temperature and phosphate concentration

OpenAIRE

Hu, Yu-Bin; Wolf-Gladrow, Dieter A.; Dieckmann, Gerhard S.; Völker, Christoph; Nehrke, Gernot

2014-01-01

Ikaite (CaCO3·6H2O) has only recently been discovered in sea ice, in a study that also provided first direct evidence of CaCO3 precipitation in sea ice. However, little is as yet known about the impact of physico-chemical processes on ikaite precipitation in sea ice. Our study focused on how the changes in pH, salinity, temperature and phosphate (PO4) concentration affect the precipitation of ikaite. Experiments were set up at pH from 8.5 to 10.0, salinities from 0 to 105 (in both artificial ...

Up-regulated ephrinB3/EphB3 expression in intractable temporal lobe epilepsy patients and pilocarpine induced experimental epilepsy rat model.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Hao; Li, Ruohan; Yuan, Jinxian; Zhou, Xin; Liu, Xi; Ou, Shu; Xu, Tao; Chen, Yangmei

2016-05-15

EphB family receptor tyrosine kinases, in cooperation with cell surface-bound ephrinB ligands, play a critical role in maintenance of dendritic spine morphogenesis, axons guidance, synaptogenesis, synaptic reorganization and plasticity in the central nervous system (CNS). However, the expression pattern of ephrinB/EphB in intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and the underlying molecular mechanisms during epileptogenesis remain poorly understood. Here we investigated the expression pattern and cellular distribution of ephrinB/EphB in intractable TLE patients and lithium chloride-pilocarpine induced TLE rats using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), immunohistochemistry, double-labeled immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis. Compared to control groups, ephrinB3 and EphB3 mRNA expression were significantly up-regulated in intractable TLE patients and TLE rats, while the mRNA expression trend of ephrinB1/2 and EphB1/2/4/6 in intractable TLE patients and TLE rats were inconsistent. Western blot analysis and semi-quantitative immunohistochemistry confirmed that ephrinB3 and EphB3 protein level were up-regulated in intractable TLE patients and TLE rats. At the same time, double-labeled immunofluorescence indicate that ephrinB3 was expressed mainly in the cytoplasm and protrusions of glia and neurons, while EphB3 was expressed mainly in the cytoplasm of neurons. Taken together, up-regulated expression of ephrinB3/EphB3 in intractable TLE patients and experimental TLE rats suggested that ephrinB3/EphB3 might be involved in the pathogenesis of TLE. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PTX3 is up-regulated in epithelial mammary cells during S. aureus intramammary infection in goat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joel Fernando Soares Filipe

2015-07-01

PTX3 was up-regulated in epithelial mammary cells and in milk cells after S. aureus infection, demonstrating that it represents a first line of immune defense in goat udder. No modulation was observed in macrophages, in the secretum and in the ductal epithelial cells. Further experiments are needed to elucidate the role of PTX3 in the pathogenesis of S. aureus infection.

Mechanisms of Hypoxic Up-Regulation of Versican Gene Expression in Macrophages.

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Fattah Sotoodehnejadnematalahi

Full Text Available Hypoxia is a hallmark of many pathological tissues. Macrophages accumulate in hypoxic sites and up-regulate a range of hypoxia-inducible genes. The matrix proteoglycan versican has been identified as one such gene, but the mechanisms responsible for hypoxic induction are not fully characterised. Here we investigate the up-regulation of versican by hypoxia in primary human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDM, and, intriguingly, show that versican mRNA is up-regulated much more highly (>600 fold by long term hypoxia (5 days than by 1 day of hypoxia (48 fold. We report that versican mRNA decay rates are not affected by hypoxia, demonstrating that hypoxic induction of versican mRNA is mediated by increased transcription. Deletion analysis of the promoter identified two regions required for high level promoter activity of luciferase reporter constructs in human macrophages. The hypoxia-inducible transcription factor HIF-1 has previously been implicated as a key potential regulator of versican expression in hypoxia, however our data suggest that HIF-1 up-regulation is unlikely to be principally responsible for the high levels of induction observed in HMDM. Treatment of HMDM with two distinct specific inhibitors of Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K, LY290042 and wortmannin, significantly reduced induction of versican mRNA by hypoxia and provides evidence of a role for PI3K in hypoxic up-regulation of versican expression.

Differential regulation of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator and Na+,K+ -ATPase in gills of striped bass, Morone saxatilis: effect of salinity and hormones

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Steffen; Jensen, Lars Nørholm; Tipsmark, Christian Kølbaek

2007-01-01

-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 was stimulated by EGF but not affected by IGF-I. This study is the first to report a branchial EGF response and to demonstrate a functional ERK 1/2 pathway in the teleost gill. In conclusion, CFTR and Na(+),K(+) -ATPase are differentially regulated by salinity and hormones in gills...

Freshwater salinization syndrome on a continental scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaushal, Sujay S; Likens, Gene E; Pace, Michael L; Utz, Ryan M; Haq, Shahan; Gorman, Julia; Grese, Melissa

2018-01-23

Salt pollution and human-accelerated weathering are shifting the chemical composition of major ions in fresh water and increasing salinization and alkalinization across North America. We propose a concept, the freshwater salinization syndrome, which links salinization and alkalinization processes. This syndrome manifests as concurrent trends in specific conductance, pH, alkalinity, and base cations. Although individual trends can vary in strength, changes in salinization and alkalinization have affected 37% and 90%, respectively, of the drainage area of the contiguous United States over the past century. Across 232 United States Geological Survey (USGS) monitoring sites, 66% of stream and river sites showed a statistical increase in pH, which often began decades before acid rain regulations. The syndrome is most prominent in the densely populated eastern and midwestern United States, where salinity and alkalinity have increased most rapidly. The syndrome is caused by salt pollution (e.g., road deicers, irrigation runoff, sewage, potash), accelerated weathering and soil cation exchange, mining and resource extraction, and the presence of easily weathered minerals used in agriculture (lime) and urbanization (concrete). Increasing salts with strong bases and carbonates elevate acid neutralizing capacity and pH, and increasing sodium from salt pollution eventually displaces base cations on soil exchange sites, which further increases pH and alkalinization. Symptoms of the syndrome can include: infrastructure corrosion, contaminant mobilization, and variations in coastal ocean acidification caused by increasingly alkaline river inputs. Unless regulated and managed, the freshwater salinization syndrome can have significant impacts on ecosystem services such as safe drinking water, contaminant retention, and biodiversity. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

Mycorrhizal Symbiotic Efficiency on C3 and C4 Plants under Salinity Stress - A Meta-Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chandrasekaran, Murugesan; Kim, Kiyoon; Krishnamoorthy, Ramasamy; Walitang, Denver; Sundaram, Subbiah; Joe, Manoharan M; Selvakumar, Gopal; Hu, Shuijin; Oh, Sang-Hyon; Sa, Tongmin

2016-01-01

A wide range of C3 and C4 plant species could acclimatize and grow under the impact of salinity stress. Symbiotic relationship between plant roots and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are widespread and are well known to ameliorate the influence of salinity stress on agro-ecosystem. In the present study, we sought to understand the phenomenon of variability on AMF symbiotic relationship on saline stress amelioration in C3 and C4 plants. Thus, the objective was to compare varied mycorrhizal symbiotic relationship between C3 and C4 plants in saline conditions. To accomplish the above mentioned objective, we conducted a random effects models meta-analysis across 60 published studies. An effect size was calculated as the difference in mycorrhizal responses between the AMF inoculated plants and its corresponding control under saline conditions. Responses were compared between (i) identity of AMF species and AMF inoculation, (ii) identity of host plants (C3 vs. C4) and plant functional groups, (iii) soil texture and level of salinity and (iv) experimental condition (greenhouse vs. field). Results indicate that both C3 and C4 plants under saline condition responded positively to AMF inoculation, thereby overcoming the predicted effects of symbiotic efficiency. Although C3 and C4 plants showed positive effects under low (EC 8 ds/m) saline conditions, C3 plants showed significant effects for mycorrhizal inoculation over C4 plants. Among the plant types, C4 annual and perennial plants, C4 herbs and C4 dicot had a significant effect over other counterparts. Between single and mixed AMF inoculants, single inoculants Rhizophagus irregularis had a positive effect on C3 plants whereas Funneliformis mosseae had a positive effect on C4 plants than other species. In all of the observed studies, mycorrhizal inoculation showed positive effects on shoot, root and total biomass, and in nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium (K) uptake. However, it showed negative effects in sodium (Na

Gene expression of thyrotropin- and corticotrophin-releasing hormones is regulated by environmental salinity in the euryhaline teleost Sparus aurata.

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Ruiz-Jarabo, Ignacio; Martos-Sitcha, J A; Barragán-Méndez, C; Martínez-Rodríguez, G; Mancera, J M; Arjona, F J

2018-04-01

In euryhaline teleosts, the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid and hypothalamus-pituitary-interrenal axes (HPT and HPI, respectively) are regulated in response to environmental stimuli such as salinity changes. However, the molecular players participating in this physiological process in the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), a species of high value for aquaculture, are still not identified and/or fully characterized in terms of gene expression regulation. In this sense, this study identifies and isolates the thyrotropin-releasing hormone (trh) mRNA sequence from S. aurata, encoding prepro-Trh, the putative factor initiating the HPT cascade. In addition, the regulation of trh expression and of key brain genes in the HPI axis, i.e., corticotrophin-releasing hormone (crh) and corticotrophin-releasing hormone-binding protein (crhbp), was studied when the osmoregulatory status of S. aurata was challenged by exposure to different salinities. The deduced amino acid structure of trh showed 65-81% identity with its teleostean orthologs. Analysis of the tissue distribution of gene expression showed that trh mRNA is, though ubiquitously expressed, mainly found in brain. Subsequently, regulation of gene expression of trh, crh, and crhbp was characterized in fish acclimated to 5-, 15-, 40-, and 55-ppt salinities. In this regard, the brain gene expression pattern of trh mRNA was similar to that found for the crh gene, showing an upregulation of gene expression in seabream acclimated to the highest salinity tested. Conversely, crhbp did not change in any of the groups tested. Our results suggest that Trh and Crh play an important role in the acclimation of S. aurata to hypersaline environments.

Mycorrhizal Symbiotic Efficiency on C3 and C4 Plants under Salinity Stress – A Meta-Analysis

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Murugesan Chandrasekaran

2016-08-01

Full Text Available A wide range of C3 and C4 plant species could acclimatize and grow under the impact of salinity stress. Symbiotic relationship between plant roots and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF are widespread and are well known to ameliorate the influence of salinity stress on agro-ecosystem. In the present study, we sought to understand the phenomenon of variability on AMF symbiotic relationship on saline stress amelioration in C3 and C4 plants. Thus, the objective was to compare varied mycorrhizal symbiotic relationship between C3 and C4 plants in saline conditions. To accomplish the above mentioned objective, we conducted a random effects models meta-analysis across 60 published studies. An effect size was calculated as the difference in mycorrhizal responses between the AMF inoculated plants and its corresponding control under saline conditions. Responses were compared between (i identity of AMF species and AMF inoculation, (ii identity of host plants (C3 vs. C4 and plant functional groups, (iii soil texture and level of salinity and (iv experimental condition (greenhouse vs. field. Results indicate that both C3 and C4 plants under saline condition responded positively to AMF inoculation, thereby overcoming the predicted effects of symbiotic efficiency. Although C3 and C4 plants showed positive effects under low (EC8 ds/m saline conditions, C3 plants showed significant effects for mycorrhizal inoculation over C4 plants. Among the plant types, C4 annual and perennial plants, C4 herbs and C4 dicot had a significant effect over other counterparts. Between single and mixed AMF inoculants, single inoculants Rhizophagus intraradices had a positive effect on C3 plants whereas Funneliformis mosseae had a positive effect on C4 plants than other species. In all of the observed studies, mycorrhizal inoculation showed positive effects on shoot, root and total biomass, and in nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium (K uptake. However, it showed negative effects in

INFLUENZA-INDUCED UP-REGULATION OF TLR3 IN RESPIRATORY EPITHELIAL CELLS MAY OCCUR THROUGH A POSITIVE FEEDBACK LOOP INVOLVING TYPE I INTERFERON

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Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) plays an important role in the host defense responses against viral infections, including Influenza virus infections. Based on our previous observations showing that Influenza infection of respiratory epithelial cells results in an up-regulation of Tol...

Up-Regulation of RFC3 Promotes Triple Negative Breast Cancer Metastasis and is Associated With Poor Prognosis Via EMT

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Zhen-Yu He

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC was regarded as the most aggressive and mortal subtype of breast cancer (BC since the molecular subtype system has been established. Abundant studies have revealed that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT played a pivotal role during breast cancer metastasis and progression, especially in TNBC. Herein, we showed that inhibition the expression of replication factor C subunit 3 (RFC3 significantly attenuated TNBC metastasis and progression, which was associated with EMT signal pathway. In TNBC cells, knockdown of RFC3 can down-regulate mesenchymal markers and up-regulate epithelial markers, significantly attenuated cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Additionally, silencing RFC3 expression can decrease nude mice tumor volume, weight and relieve lung metastasis in vivo. Furthermore, we also demonstrated that overexpression of RFC3 in TNBC showed increased metastasis, progression and poor prognosis. We confirmed all of these results by immunohistochemistry analysis in 127 human TNBC tissues and found that RFC3 expression was significantly associated with poor prognosis in TNBC. Taken all these findings into consideration, we can conclude that up-regulation of RFC3 promotes TNBC progression through EMT signal pathway. Therefore, RFC3 could be an independent prognostic factor and therapeutic target for TNBC.

Effects of salinity, temperature, light and dormancy regulating chemicals on seed germination of salsola drummondii ulbr

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Rasheed, A.; Hameed, A.; Khan, M.A.; Gul, B.

2015-01-01

Salsola drummondii Ulbr. is a perennial halophyte found in salt deserts of southern Balochistan, Pakistan. Experiments were conducted to study the effects of salinity (0, 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 mM NaCl), thermoperiod (10/20, 15/25, 20/30 and 25/35 degree C), light (12-h photoperiod and dark) and dormancy regulating chemicals (DRCs) on germination, recovery and viability of the seeds of S. drummondii. Seeds of S. drummondii germinated quickly in distilled water at different temperature regimes and increases in salinity decreased seed germination. Interestingly, few seeds could even germinate in 1000 mM NaCl treatment, which is about twice as high as seawater salinity. Seeds were partially photoblastic and showed relatively higher germination under 12-h photoperiod than in dark. Seeds showed poor recovery of germination from salinity and particularly when germinated in dark. Germination inhibition at high salinity (800 mM NaCl) under 12-h photoperiod was partially alleviated by the exogenous application of different DRCs, particularly fusicoccin. Moreover, all the DRCs, except GA4+7, ameliorated germination of salt stressed seeds under complete darkness and GA4 and fusicoccin were most effective. Our study shows that seeds of S. drummondii are highly tolerant to salinity and variation in temperature but partially photoblastic nature indicate that seeds will not germinate if buried under the soil. Seed germination under saline conditions can be improved by the use of DRCs particularly by application of fusicoccin. (author)

Sub-tropical coastal lagoon salinization associated to shrimp ponds effluents

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Cardoso-Mohedano, José-Gilberto; Lima-Rego, Joao; Sanchez-Cabeza, Joan-Albert; Ruiz-Fernández, Ana-Carolina; Canales-Delgadillo, Julio; Sánchez-Flores, Eric-Ivan; Páez-Osuna, Federico

2018-04-01

Anthropogenic salinization impacts the health of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. In tropical and subtropical areas, shrimp farm aquaculture uses water from adjacent ecosystems to fill the culture ponds, where enhanced evaporation cause salinization of discharged water. In this study, we studied water salinity before and after shrimp farm harvest and implemented a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model to assess the impact on a subtropical coastal lagoon that receives water releases from shrimp ponds. The shrimp pond discharge significantly increased the salinity of receiving waters, at least 3 psu over the local variation. In the worst-case salinization scenario, when harvest occurs after a long dry season, salinity could increase by up to 6 psu. The induced salinization due to shrimp pond effluents remained up to 2 tidal cycles after harvest, and could affect biota. The methodology and results of this study can be used to assess the impacts of shrimp aquaculture worldwide.

The effect of chlorpyrifos on salinity acclimation of juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

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Amiri, Bagher Mojazi; Xu, Elvis Genbo; Kupsco, Allison; Giroux, Marissa; Hoseinzadeh, Mahbubeh; Schlenk, Daniel

2018-02-01

As a part of their unique life cycle, most salmonids undergo a transition from fresh water to salt water requiring various adjustments in metabolism, osmoregulation and ion regulation. Exposure to pesticides may affect the acclimation of juvenile salmonids to salt water during downstream migration to estuaries. Using the Caspian Sea as a model waterbody, the present study aimed to determine how the toxicity of the organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos (CPF) impacts saline acclimation of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). We pre-exposed 4-month-old fish to nominal concentrations of 0, 20, 40, 80, 160 μg/L of CPF for seven days, and then gradually to salinity (12 ppt) for another seven days. Mortality, levels of cortisol, T3 and T4 in serum, and expression of genes involved in gill ion transport (Na + /K + ATPase α1a and α1b) and liver xenobiotic detoxification (Glutathione-S-Transferase pi, GST) were measured at day fourteen. Cortisol concentrations in serum were not changed by CPF exposure in freshwater, but serum T3 increased up to three fold relative to controls in freshwater. Following salinity acclimation, T3 and T4 concentrations in the serum were both increased up to 2.5 and 8.8 fold in animals treated with CPF followed by saltwater. Na+/K + ATPase α1a and α1b mRNA in gill were unchanged by CPF treatment in freshwater but trended higher in CPF-treated animals after salinity acclimation. Hepatic mRNA of GST was significantly increased following exposure to CPF but was unchanged after saltwater exposure. Although saltwater treatment reduced the acute lethality of CPF, changes in T3/T4 suggest sublethal impacts may occur in CPF-treated fish after they acclimate to Caspian seawater. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of toluene and salinity on biosurfactant production by Bacillus sp.: scale up from flasks to a bench-scale bioreactor

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Ellen Cristina Souza

Full Text Available ABSTRACT To select the best biosurfactant producer, Pseudomonas putida, Bacillus megatherium, Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis were cultured in flasks on media with different salinity [low salinity (LS, Bushnell-Haas (BH and artificial sea water (SW media] supplemented or not with toluene as a model pollutant. Toluene inhibited the growth of all microorganisms and stimulated the biosurfactant production. B. subtilis exhibited the best performance, being able to lower the surface tension (ST in the LS medium to 65.5 mN/min in the absence of toluene, and to 46.5 mN/min in the BH medium in the presence of toluene, corresponding to ST reductions of 13.0 and 27.5 mN/m, respectively. Scaling up the process to a bench-scale fermentor, the best results were obtained in the LS medium, where B. subtilis was able to reduce the toluene concentration from 26.0 to 4.3 g/L within 12 h and ST by 17.2 mN/m within 18 h. The results of this study point out that B. subtilis is an interesting biosurfactant producer, which could be used in the bioremediation of toluene-contaminated water.

FOXO3-mediated up-regulation of Bim contributes to rhein-induced cancer cell apoptosis.

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Wang, Jiao; Liu, Shu; Yin, Yancun; Li, Mingjin; Wang, Bo; Yang, Li; Jiang, Yangfu

2015-03-01

The anthraquinone compound rhein is a natural agent in the traditional Chinese medicine rhubarb. Preclinical studies demonstrate that rhein has anticancer activity. Treatment of a variety of cancer cells with rhein may induce apoptosis. Here, we report that rhein induces atypical unfolded protein response in breast cancer MCF-7 cells and hepatoma HepG2 cells. Rhein induces CHOP expression, eIF2α phosphorylation and caspase cleavage, while it does not induce glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) expression in both MCF-7 and HepG2 cells. Meanwhile, rhein inhibits thapsigargin-induced GRP78 expression and X box-binding protein 1 splicing. In addition, rhein inhibits Akt phosphorylation and stimulates FOXO transactivation activity. Rhein induces Bim expression in MCF-7 and HepG2 cells, which can be abrogated by FOXO3a knockdown. Knockdown of FOXO3a or Bim abrogates rhein-induced caspase cleavage and apoptosis. The chemical chaperone 4-phenylbutyrate acid antagonizes the induction of FOXO activation, Bim expression and caspase cleavage by rhein, indicating that protein misfolding may be involved in triggering these deleterious effects. We conclude that FOXO3a-mediated up-regulation of Bim is a key mechanism underlying rhein-induced cancer cells apoptosis.

The Solanum lycopersicum WRKY3 Transcription Factor SlWRKY3 Is Involved in Salt Stress Tolerance in Tomato

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Imène Hichri

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Salinity threatens productivity of economically important crops such as tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.. WRKY transcription factors appear, from a growing body of knowledge, as important regulators of abiotic stresses tolerance. Tomato SlWRKY3 is a nuclear protein binding to the consensus CGTTGACC/T W box. SlWRKY3 is preferentially expressed in aged organs, and is rapidly induced by NaCl, KCl, and drought. In addition, SlWRKY3 responds to salicylic acid, and 35S::SlWRKY3 tomatoes showed under salt treatment reduced contents of salicylic acid. In tomato, overexpression of SlWRKY3 impacted multiple aspects of salinity tolerance. Indeed, salinized (125 mM NaCl, 20 days 35S::SlWRKY3 tomato plants displayed reduced oxidative stress and proline contents compared to WT. Physiological parameters related to plant growth (shoot and root biomass and photosynthesis (stomatal conductance and chlorophyll a content were retained in transgenic plants, together with lower Na+ contents in leaves, and higher accumulation of K+ and Ca2+. Microarray analysis confirmed that many stress-related genes were already up-regulated in transgenic tomatoes under optimal conditions of growth, including genes coding for antioxidant enzymes, ion and water transporters, or plant defense proteins. Together, these results indicate that SlWRKY3 is an important regulator of salinity tolerance in tomato.

Transcriptomic responses to salinity stress in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas.

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Xuelin Zhao

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Low salinity is one of the main factors limiting the distribution and survival of marine species. As a euryhaline species, the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas is considered to be tolerant to relative low salinity. The genes that regulate C. gigas responses to osmotic stress were monitored using the next-generation sequencing of whole transcriptome with samples taken from gills. By RNAseq technology, transcript catalogs of up- and down-regulated genes were generated from the oysters exposed to low and optimal salinity seawater. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Through Illumina sequencing, we reported 1665 up-regulated transcripts and 1815 down-regulated transcripts. A total of 45771 protein-coding contigs were identified from two groups based on sequence similarities with known proteins. As determined by GO annotation and KEGG pathway mapping, functional annotation of the genes recovered diverse biological functions and processes. The genes that changed expression significantly were highly represented in cellular process and regulation of biological process, intracellular and cell, binding and protein binding according to GO annotation. The results highlighted genes related to osmoregulation, signaling and interactions of osmotic stress response, anti-apoptotic reactions as well as immune response, cell adhesion and communication, cytoskeleton and cell cycle. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Through more than 1.5 million sequence reads and the expression data of the two libraries, the study provided some useful insights into signal transduction pathways in oysters and offered a number of candidate genes as potential markers of tolerance to hypoosmotic stress for oysters. In addition, the characterization of C. gigas transcriptome will not only provide a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms about the response to osmotic stress of the oysters, but also facilitate research into biological processes to find underlying physiological

Impacts of irrigation regimes with saline water on carrot productivity and soil salinity

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Kamel Nagaz

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A three-year study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different irrigation regimes with saline water on soil salinity, yield and water productivity of carrot as a fall-winter crop under actual commercial-farming conditions in the arid region of Tunisia. Carrot was grown on a sandy soil and surface-irrigated with a water having an ECi of 3.6 dS/m. For the three years, a complete randomized block design with four replicates was used to evaluate five irrigation regimes. Four irrigation methods were based on the use of soil water balance (SWB to estimate irrigation amounts and timing while the fifth consisted of using traditional farmers practices. SWB methods consisted in replacement of cumulated ETc when readily available water is depleted with levels of 100% (FI-100, 80% (DI-80 and 60% (DI-60. FI-100 was considered as full irrigation while DI-80 and DI-60 were considered as deficit irrigation regimes. Regulated deficit irrigation regime where 40% reduction is applied only during ripening stage (FI-DI60 was also used. Farmer method (Farmer consisted in giving fixed amounts of water (25 mm every 7 days from planting till harvest. Results on carrot production and soil salinization are globally consistent between the three-year experiments and shows significant difference between irrigation regimes. Higher soil salinity in the root zone is observed at harvest under DI-60 (3.1, 3.4, 3.9 dS/m, respectively, for the three years and farmer irrigation (3.3, 3.6, 3.9 dS/m treatments compared to FI-100 treatment (2.3, 2.6 and 3.1 dS/m. Relatively low ECe values were also observed under FI-DI60 and DI-80 treatments with respectively (2.7, 3, 3.5 dS/m and (2.5, 2.9, 3.3 dS/m. ECe values under the different irrigation treatments were generally lower than or equal to the EC of irrigation water used. Rainfall received during fall and/or winter periods (57, 26 and 29 mm, respectively, during the three years contributed probably to leaching soluble

Regulation of water, salinity, and cold stress responses by salicylic acid

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Kenji eMiura

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Salicylic acid (SA is a naturally occurring phenolic compound. SA plays an important role in the regulation of plant growth, development, ripening, and defense responses. The role of SA in the plant-pathogen relationship has been extensively investigated. In addition to defense responses, SA plays an important role in the response to abiotic stresses, including drought, low temperature, and salinity stresses. It has been suggested that SA has great agronomic potential to improve the stress tolerance of agriculturally important crops. However, the utility of SA is dependent on the concentration of the applied SA, the mode of application, and the state of the plants (e.g., developmental stage and acclimation. Generally, low concentrations of applied SA alleviate the sensitivity to abiotic stresses, and high concentrations of applied induce high levels of oxidative stress, leading to a decreased tolerance to abiotic stresses. In this chapter, the effects of SA on the water stress responses and regulation of stomatal closure are reviewed.

The osmoregulatory effects of rearing Mozambique tilapia in a tidally changing salinity.

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Moorman, Benjamin P; Inokuchi, Mayu; Yamaguchi, Yoko; Lerner, Darren T; Grau, E Gordon; Seale, Andre P

2014-10-01

The native distribution of Mozambique tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus, is characterized by estuarine areas subject to salinity variations between fresh water (FW) and seawater (SW) with tidal frequency. Osmoregulation in the face of changing environmental salinity is largely mediated through the neuroendocrine system and involves the activation of ion uptake and extrusion mechanisms in osmoregulatory tissues. We compared plasma osmolality, plasma prolactin (PRL), pituitary PRL mRNA, and mRNA of branchial ion pumps, transporters, channels, and PRL receptors in tilapia reared in FW, SW, brackish water (BW) and in tidally-changing salinity, which varied between FW (TF) and SW (TS) every 6h. Plasma PRL was higher in FW tilapia than in SW, BW, TF, and TS tilapia. Unlike tilapia reared in FW or SW, fish in salinities that varied tidally showed no correlation between plasma osmolality and PRL. In FW fish, gene expression of PRL receptor 1 (PRLR1), Na(+)/Cl(-) cotransporter (NCC), aquaporin 3 (AQP3) and two isoforms of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase (NKA α1a and NKA α1b) was higher than that of SW, BW or tidally-changing salinity fish. Gene expression of the Na(+)/K(+)/2Cl(-) cotransporter (NKCC1a), and the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) were higher in fish in SW, BW or a tidally-changing salinity than in FW fish. Immunocytochemistry revealed that ionocytes of fish in tidally-changing salinities resemble ionocytes of SW fish. This study indicated that tilapia reared in a tidally-changing salinity can compensate for large changes in external osmolality while maintaining osmoregulatory parameters within a narrow range closer to that observed in SW-acclimated fish. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Seagrass proliferation precedes mortality during hypo-salinity events: a stress-induced morphometric response.

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Catherine J Collier

Full Text Available Halophytes, such as seagrasses, predominantly form habitats in coastal and estuarine areas. These habitats can be seasonally exposed to hypo-salinity events during watershed runoff exposing them to dramatic salinity shifts and osmotic shock. The manifestation of this osmotic shock on seagrass morphology and phenology was tested in three Indo-Pacific seagrass species, Halophila ovalis, Halodule uninervis and Zostera muelleri, to hypo-salinity ranging from 3 to 36 PSU at 3 PSU increments for 10 weeks. All three species had broad salinity tolerance but demonstrated a moderate hypo-salinity stress response--analogous to a stress induced morphometric response (SIMR. Shoot proliferation occurred at salinities <30 PSU, with the largest increases, up to 400% increase in shoot density, occurring at the sub-lethal salinities <15 PSU, with the specific salinity associated with peak shoot density being variable among species. Resources were not diverted away from leaf growth or shoot development to support the new shoot production. However, at sub-lethal salinities where shoots proliferated, flowering was severely reduced for H. ovalis, the only species to flower during this experiment, demonstrating a diversion of resources away from sexual reproduction to support the investment in new shoots. This SIMR response preceded mortality, which occurred at 3 PSU for H. ovalis and 6 PSU for H. uninervis, while complete mortality was not reached for Z. muelleri. This is the first study to identify a SIMR in seagrasses, being detectable due to the fine resolution of salinity treatments tested. The detection of SIMR demonstrates the need for caution in interpreting in-situ changes in shoot density as shoot proliferation could be interpreted as a healthy or positive plant response to environmental conditions, when in fact it could signal pre-mortality stress.

Involvement of Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in the regulation of proline catabolism in Arabidopsis thaliana

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Anne-Sophie eLeprince

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Plant adaptation to abiotic stresses such as drought and salinity involves complex regulatory processes. Deciphering the signalling components that are involved in stress signal transduction and cellular responses is of importance to understand how plants cope with salt stress. Accumulation of osmolytes such as proline is considered to participate in the osmotic adjustment of plant cells to salinity. Proline accumulation results from a tight regulation between its biosynthesis and catabolism. Lipid signal components such as phospholipases C and D have previously been shown to be involved in the regulation of proline metabolism in Arabidopsis thaliana. In this study, we demonstrate that proline metabolism is also regulated by class-III Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K, VPS34, which catalyses the formation of phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PI3P from phosphatidylinositol. Using pharmacological and biochemical approaches, we show that the PI3K inhibitor, LY294002, affects PI3P levels in vivo and that it triggers a decrease in proline accumulation in response to salt treatment of A. thaliana seedlings. The lower proline accumulation is correlated with a lower transcript level of Pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase 1 biosynthetic enzyme and higher transcript and protein levels of Proline dehydrogenase 1 (ProDH1, a key-enzyme in proline catabolism. We also found that the ProDH1 expression is induced in a pi3k-hemizygous mutant, further demonstrating that PI3K is involved in the regulation of proline catabolism through transcriptional regulation of ProDH1. A broader metabolomic analysis indicates that LY294002 also reduced other metabolites, such as hydrophobic and aromatic amino acids and sugars like raffinose.

Salinity reduces 2,4-D efficacy in Echinochloa crusgalli by affecting redox balance, nutrient acquisition, and hormonal regulation.

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Islam, Faisal; Xie, Yuan; Farooq, Muhammad A; Wang, Jian; Yang, Chong; Gill, Rafaqat A; Zhu, Jinwen; Zhou, Weijun

2018-05-01

Distinct salinity levels have been reported to enhance plants tolerance to different types of stresses. The aim of this research is to assess the interaction of saline stress and the use of 2,4-D as a means of controlling the growth of Echinochloa crusgalli. The resultant effect of such interaction is vital for a sustainable approach of weed management and food production. The results showed that 2,4-D alone treatment reduces the chlorophyll contents, photosynthetic capacity, enhanced MDA, electrolyte leakage, and ROS production (H 2 O 2 , O 2 ·- ) and inhibited the activities of ROS scavenging enzymes. Further analysis of the ultrastructure of chloroplasts indicated that 2,4-D induced severe damage to the ultrastructure of chloroplasts and thylakoids. Severe saline stress (8 dS m -1 ) followed by mild saline stress treatments (4 dS m -1 ) also reduced the E. crusgalli growth, but had the least impact as compared to the 2,4-D alone treatment. Surprisingly, under combined treatments (salinity + 2,4-D), the phytotoxic effect of 2,4-D was reduced on saline-stressed E. crusgalli plants, especially under mild saline + 2,4-D treatment. This stimulated growth of E. crusgalli is related to the higher activities of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants and dynamic regulation of IAA, ABA under mild saline + 2,4-D treatment. This shows that 2,4-D efficacy was affected by salinity in a stress intensity-dependent manner, which may result in the need for greater herbicide application rates, additional application times, or more weed control operations required for controlling salt-affected weed.

Up-regulation of Pim-3 in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients and its potential therapeutic role in COPD rat modeling.

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Yang, Cheng; Li, Li; Guo, Junhua; Zhang, Weiqiang; Zhu, Wenbiao; Rao, Xinhui; Huang, Wenjie

2017-04-01

Pim-3 belongs to the PIM kinase family and plays an important role in promoting inflammation, which is essential in the pathogenesis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Immunohistochemistry (IHC), western blot, and RT-PCR analyses were performed to assess the expression of Pim-3 in both COPD and healthy lung tissue samples. SMA (Smooth Muscle Actin) and Cyclin D1 expression were detected by IHC. We also constructed animal models for the control, COPD, and Pim-3 inhibition groups, in order to analyze the effects of Pim-3 inhibition on COPD, and the role of Pim-3 in the p38 pathway. Compared with normal lung tissue, Pim-3 mRNA and protein were up-regulated in COPD tissue. Expression of Cyclin D1 and SMA were also up-regulated in the COPD group. In the animal model experiment, we found that suppression of Pim-3 decreased Pim-3, Cyclin D1, and SMA expression, as well as ameliorated lung damage in COPD patients. The inhibition of Pim-3 also resulted in the suppression of the p38 pathway. Our study suggests that up-regulation of Pim-3 successfully accelerated COPD development, and aggravated lung damage. The molecular mechanism of Pim-3 in COPD might be related to the p38 pathway, and is correlated with Cyclin D1 and SMA expression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria in Amelioration of Salinity Stress: A Systems Biology Perspective

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Gayathri Ilangumaran

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Salinity affects plant growth and is a major abiotic stress that limits crop productivity. It is well-understood that environmental adaptations and genetic traits regulate salinity tolerance in plants, but imparting the knowledge gained towards crop improvement remain arduous. Harnessing the potential of beneficial microorganisms present in the rhizosphere is an alternative strategy for improving plant stress tolerance. This review intends to elucidate the understanding of salinity tolerance mechanisms attributed by plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR. Recent advances in molecular studies have yielded insights into the signaling networks of plant–microbe interactions that contribute to salt tolerance. The beneficial effects of PGPR involve boosting key physiological processes, including water and nutrient uptake, photosynthesis, and source-sink relationships that promote growth and development. The regulation of osmotic balance and ion homeostasis by PGPR are conducted through modulation of phytohormone status, gene expression, protein function, and metabolite synthesis in plants. As a result, improved antioxidant activity, osmolyte accumulation, proton transport machinery, salt compartmentalization, and nutrient status reduce osmotic stress and ion toxicity. Furthermore, in addition to indole-3-acetic acid and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase biosynthesis, other extracellular secretions of the rhizobacteria function as signaling molecules and elicit stress responsive pathways. Application of PGPR inoculants is a promising measure to combat salinity in agricultural fields, thereby increasing global food production.

Salt-induced stabilization of EIN3/EIL1 confers salinity tolerance by deterring ROS accumulation in Arabidopsis.

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Jinying Peng

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Ethylene has been regarded as a stress hormone to regulate myriad stress responses. Salinity stress is one of the most serious abiotic stresses limiting plant growth and development. But how ethylene signaling is involved in plant response to salt stress is poorly understood. Here we showed that Arabidopsis plants pretreated with ethylene exhibited enhanced tolerance to salt stress. Gain- and loss-of-function studies demonstrated that EIN3 (ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE 3 and EIL1 (EIN3-LIKE 1, two ethylene-activated transcription factors, are necessary and sufficient for the enhanced salt tolerance. High salinity induced the accumulation of EIN3/EIL1 proteins by promoting the proteasomal degradation of two EIN3/EIL1-targeting F-box proteins, EBF1 and EBF2, in an EIN2-independent manner. Whole-genome transcriptome analysis identified a list of SIED (Salt-Induced and EIN3/EIL1-Dependent genes that participate in salt stress responses, including several genes encoding reactive oxygen species (ROS scavengers. We performed a genetic screen for ein3 eil1-like salt-hypersensitive mutants and identified 5 EIN3 direct target genes including a previously unknown gene, SIED1 (At5g22270, which encodes a 93-amino acid polypeptide involved in ROS dismissal. We also found that activation of EIN3 increased peroxidase (POD activity through the direct transcriptional regulation of PODs expression. Accordingly, ethylene pretreatment or EIN3 activation was able to preclude excess ROS accumulation and increased tolerance to salt stress. Taken together, our study provides new insights into the molecular action of ethylene signaling to enhance plant salt tolerance, and elucidates the transcriptional network of EIN3 in salt stress response.

Finding a solution: Heparinised saline versus normal saline in the maintenance of invasive arterial lines in intensive care.

Science.gov (United States)

Everson, Matthew; Webber, Lucy; Penfold, Chris; Shah, Sanjoy; Freshwater-Turner, Dan

2016-11-01

We assessed the impact of heparinised saline versus 0.9% normal saline on arterial line patency. Maintaining the patency of arterial lines is essential for obtaining accurate physiological measurements, enabling blood sampling and minimising line replacement. Use of heparinised saline is associated with risks such as thrombocytopenia, haemorrhage and mis-selection. Historical studies draw variable conclusions but suggest that normal saline is at least as effective at maintaining line patency, although recent evidence has questioned this. We conducted a prospective analysis of the use of heparinised saline versus normal saline on unselected patients in the intensive care of our hospital. Data concerning duration of 471 lines insertion and reason for removal was collected. We found a higher risk of blockage for lines flushed with normal saline compared with heparinised saline (RR = 2.15, 95% CI 1.392-3.32, p  ≤ 0.001). Of the 56 lines which blocked initially (19 heparinised saline and 37 normal saline lines), 16 were replaced with new lines; 5 heparinised saline lines and 11 normal saline lines were reinserted; 5 of these lines subsequently blocked again, 3 of which were flushed with normal saline. Our study demonstrates a clinically important reduction in arterial line longevity due to blockages when flushed with normal saline compared to heparinised saline. We have determined that these excess blockages have a significant clinical impact with further lines being inserted after blockage, resulting in increased risks to patients, wasted time and cost of resources. Our findings suggest that the current UK guidance favouring normal saline flushes should be reviewed.

Weekly intra-amniotic IGF-1 treatment increases growth of growth-restricted ovine fetuses and up-regulates placental amino acid transporters.

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Jibran A Wali

Full Text Available Frequent treatment of the growth-restricted (IUGR ovine fetus with intra-amniotic IGF-1 increases fetal growth. We aimed to determine whether increased growth was maintained with an extended dosing interval and to examine possible mechanisms. Pregnant ewes were allocated to three groups: Control, and two IUGR groups (induced by placental embolization treated with weekly intra-amniotic injections of either saline (IUGR or 360 µg IGF-1 (IGF1. IUGR fetuses were hypoxic, hyperuremic, hypoglycemic, and grew more slowly than controls. Placental glucose uptake and SLC2A1 (GLUT2 mRNA levels decreased in IUGR fetuses, but SLC2A3 (GLUT3 and SLC2A4 (GLUT4 levels were unaffected. IGF-1 treatment increased fetal growth rate, did not alter uterine blood flow or placental glucose uptake, and increased placental SLC2A1 and SLC2A4 (but not SLC2A3 mRNA levels compared with saline-treated IUGR animals. Following IGF-1 treatment, placental mRNA levels of isoforms of the system A, y(+, and L amino acid transporters increased 1.3 to 5.0 fold, while the ratio of phosphorylated-mTOR to total mTOR also tended to increase. Weekly intra-amniotic IGF-1 treatment provides a promising avenue for intra-uterine treatment of IUGR babies, and may act via increased fetal substrate supply, up-regulating placental transporters for neutral, cationic, and branched-chain amino acids, possibly via increased activation of the mTOR pathway.

Silicon Mitigates Salinity Stress by Regulating the Physiology, Antioxidant Enzyme Activities, and Protein Expression in Capsicum annuum 'Bugwang'.

Science.gov (United States)

Manivannan, Abinaya; Soundararajan, Prabhakaran; Muneer, Sowbiya; Ko, Chung Ho; Jeong, Byoung Ryong

2016-01-01

Silicon- (Si-) induced salinity stress resistance was demonstrated at physiological and proteomic levels in Capsicum annuum for the first time. Seedlings of C. annuum were hydroponically treated with NaCl (50 mM) with or without Si (1.8 mM) for 15 days. The results illustrated that saline conditions significantly reduced plant growth and biomass and photosynthetic parameters and increased the electrolyte leakage potential, lipid peroxidation, and hydrogen peroxide level. However, supplementation of Si allowed the plants to recover from salinity stress by improving their physiology and photosynthesis. During salinity stress, Si prevented oxidative damage by increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Furthermore, Si supplementation recovered the nutrient imbalance that had occurred during salinity stress. Additionally, proteomic analysis by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) followed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) revealed that Si treatment upregulated the accumulation of proteins involved in several metabolic processes, particularly those associated with nucleotide binding and transferase activity. Moreover, Si modulated the expression of vital proteins involved in ubiquitin-mediated nucleosome pathway and carbohydrate metabolism. Overall, the results illustrate that Si application induced resistance against salinity stress in C. annuum by regulating the physiology, antioxidant metabolism, and protein expression.

Biodiversity impacts from salinity increase in a coastal wetland.

Science.gov (United States)

Amores, Maria José; Verones, Francesca; Raptis, Catherine; Juraske, Ronnie; Pfister, Stephan; Stoessel, Franziska; Antón, Assumpció; Castells, Francesc; Hellweg, Stefanie

2013-06-18

A Life Cycle Impact Assessment method was developed to evaluate the environmental impact associated with salinity on biodiversity in a Spanish coastal wetland. The developed characterization factor consists of a fate and an effect factor and equals 3.16 × 10(-1) ± 1.84 × 10(-1) PAF · m(3) · yr · m(-3) (PAF: Potentially Affected Fraction of species) indicating a "potential loss of 0.32 m(3) ecosystem" for a water consumption rate of 1 m(3) · yr(-1). As a result of groundwater consumption with a rate of 1 m(3) · yr(-1), the PAF in the lost cubic meter of ecosystem equals 0.05, which has been proposed as the maximum tolerable effect to keep the ecosystem intact. The fate factor was calculated from seasonal water balances of the wetland Albufera de Adra. The effect factor was obtained from the fitted curve of the potentially affected fraction of native wetland species due to salinity and can be applied to other wetlands with similar species composition. In order to test the applicability of the characterization factor, an assessment of water consumption of greenhouse crops in the area was conducted as a case study. Results converted into ecosystem quality damage using the ReCiPe method were compared to other categories. While tomatoes are responsible for up to 30% of the impact of increased salinity due to water consumption on ecosystem quality in the studied area, melons have the largest impact per tonne produced.

Saline agriculture: A technology for economic utilization and improvement of saline environments (abstract)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aslam, Z.; Malik, K.A.; Khurshid, S.J.; Awan, A.R.; Akram, M.; Hashmi, Z.; Ali, Y.; Gulnaz, A.; Hussain, M.; Hussain, F.

2005-01-01

The salinity problem is one of the severe constraints for agriculture in Pakistan. In a socio-economic and salinity and drainage survey over an area of about 25000 acres of salt-affected land recently, crop production is found to be very low. Livestock is underfed and malnourished. Pakistan has spent and allocated over one billion US dollars on Salinity Control and Reclamation Projects (SCARP), of course, with dubious results. Over the years, a Saline Agriculture Technology has been developed as a cheap alternative at NIAB for comfortably living with salinity and to profitably utilize saline land rather than its reclamation. The soil improvement is a fringe benefit in this approach. The Saline Agriculture Technology has been tested at laboratory level, at field stations and at farms of some progressive farmers. Now we are sharing this technology with farming communities through a 'Saline Agriculture Farmer Participatory Development Project in Pakistan', with assistance from the National Rural Support Programme. The new project has been launched simultaneously in all four provinces of Pakistan on 25000 acres of salt-affected land. Under this project seeds of salt tolerant crop varieties wheat, cotton, rice, castor, brassica and barley and saplings of trees/shrubs, e.g. Acacia ampliceps, A. nilotica, Casuarina glauca, ber, jaman, etc selected for development work in various institutions of Pakistan are being provided to farmers. Know-how on new irrigation techniques like bed-and-corrugation and bed-and-furrow, agronomic practices like laser land leveling, planting on beds and in auger holes and soil/water amendment practices (use of gypsum and mineral acids) are being shared with farmers. These interventions are quite efficient, save water up to 40% and enable farmers to utilize bad quality water. In general, farmers are being familiarized with prevalent animal diseases, nutritional problems and prophylactic techniques. They are being helped in developing Saline

Catecholamine up-regulates MMP-7 expression by activating AP-1 and STAT3 in gastric cancer

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Yu Ming

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Stress, anxiety and depression can cause complex physiological and neuroendocrine changes, resulting in increased level of stress related hormone catecholamine, which may constitute a primary mechanism by which physiological factors impact gene expression in tumors. In the present study, we investigated the effects of catecholamine stimulation on MMP-7 expression in gastric cancer cells and elucidated the molecular mechanisms of the up-regulation of MMP-7 level by catecholamine through an adrenergic signaling pathway. Results Increased MMP-7 expression was identified at both mRNA and protein levels in the gastric cancer cells in response to isoproterenol stimulation. β2-AR antigonist effectively abrogated isoproterenol-induced MMP-7 expression. The activation of STAT3 and AP-1 was prominently induced by isoproterenol stimulation and AP-1 displayed a greater efficacy than STAT3 in isoproterenol-induced MMP-7 expression. Mutagenesis of three STAT3 binding sites in MMP-7 promoter failed to repress the transactivation of MMP-7 promoter and silencing STAT3 expression was not effective in preventing isoproterenol-induced MMP-7 expression. However, isoproterenol-induced MMP-7 promoter activities were completely disappeared when the AP-1 site was mutated. STAT3 and c-Jun could physically interact and bind to the AP-1 site, implicating that the interplay of both transcriptional factors on the AP-1 site is responsible for isoproterenol-stimulated MMP-7 expression in gastric cancer cells. The expression of MMP-7 in gastric cancer tissues was found to be at the site where β2-AR was overexpressed and the levels of MMP-7 and β2-AR were the highest in the metastatic locus of gastric cancer. Conclusions Up-regulation of MMP-7 expression through β2-AR-mediated signaling pathway is involved in invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer.

Produção do algodoeiro em função da salinidade e tratamento de sementes com regulador de crescimento Cotton yield as a function of salinity and seeds treatment with growth regulator

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Francisco de Assis de Oliveira

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Este trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito de diferentes níveis de salinidade da água de irrigação e sementes tratadas com regulador de crescimento na produção do algodoeiro. O delineamento experimental adotado foi inteiramente ao acaso, arranjados em esquema fatorial 5 x 2 com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos resultaram da combinação de cinco níveis de condutividade elétrica da água de irrigação (S1-0,5; S2-2,0; S3-3,5; S4-5,0 e S5-6,5 dS m-1 em sementes tratadas e não tratadas com regulador de crescimento. As variáveis avaliadas foram: produção de algodão em caroço, produção de sementes e de fibra, peso de 100 sementes e porcentagem de fibra. Não houve interação entre os níveis de salinidades e as sementes tratadas com regulador de crescimento. Os parâmetros produtivos do algodoeiro são reduzidos com uso de água de salinidade a partir de 3,5 dS m-1, independente das sementes serem tratadas com regulador de crescimento. As características agronômicas: peso de 100 sementes, porcentagem de fibra e produção de algodão em caroço não são influenciadas pelo cloreto de mepiquat. O tratamento das sementes com regulador de crescimento não afeta o efeito adverso da salinidade.This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different salinity levels of irrigation water and seed treated with growth regulator on the yield of cotton. It was used an entirely statistical randomized design, in a factorial scheme 5 x 2, with four replications. The treatments resulted from the combination of four salinity levels of irrigation water (S1-0.5; S2-2.0; S3-3.5; S4-5.0 and S5-6.5 dS m-1 in treated and untreated seeds with growth regulator. The variables were: production of cotton, seed and fiber, 100 seed weight and percentage of fiber. There was not interaction between salinity levels and seed treated. The parameters of cotton production are reduced with the use of water salinity from 3.5 dS m-1

Up-regulation of the alligator CYP3A77 gene by toxaphene and dexamethasone and its short term effect on plasma testosterone concentrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gunderson, M.P.; Kohno, S.; Blumberg, B.; Iguchi, T.; Guillette, L.J.

2006-01-01

In this study we describe an alligator hepatic CYP3A gene, CYP3A77, which is inducible by dexamethasone and toxaphene. CYP3A plays a broad role in biotransforming both exogenous compounds and endogenous hormones such as testosterone and estradiol. Alligators collected from sites in Florida that are contaminated with organochlorine compounds exhibit differences in sex steroid concentrations. Many organochlorine compounds induce CYP3A expression in other vertebrates; hence, CYP3A induction by organochlorine contaminants could increase biotransformation and clearance of sex steroids by CYP3A and provide a plausible mechanism for the lowering of endogenous sex steroid concentrations in alligator plasma. We used real time PCR to examine whether known and suspected CYP3A inducers (dexamethasone, metyrapone, rifampicin, and toxaphene) up-regulate steady state levels of hepatic CYP3A77 transcript to determine if induction patterns in female juvenile alligators are similar to those reported in other vertebrates and whether toxaphene, an organochlorine compound found in high concentrations in Lake Apopka alligators, induces this gene. Estrogen receptor α (ERα), estrogen receptor β (ERβ), androgen receptor (AR), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), progesterone receptor (PR), and steroid-xenobiotic receptor (SXR) transcripts were also measured to determine whether any of these nuclear receptors are also regulated by these compounds in alligators. Dexamethasone (4.2-fold) and toxaphene (3.5-fold) significantly induced CYP3A77 gene transcript, whereas rifampicin (2.8-fold) and metyrapone (2.1-fold) up-regulated ERβ after 24 h. None of the compounds significantly up-regulated AR, ERα, GR, PR, or SXR over this time period. Plasma testosterone (T) did not change significantly after 24 h in alligators from any of the treatment groups. Dexamethasone treated animals exhibited a strong relationship between the 24 h plasma T concentrations and CYP3A77 (R 2 = 0.9, positive) and SXR (R 2

Tricellulin, occludin and claudin-3 expression in salmon intestine and kidney during salinity adaptation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tipsmark, Christian Kølbæk; Madsen, Steffen

2012-01-01

Molecular regulation of tight junctions in osmoregulatory epithelia of euryhaline fishes must be extensive during ontogeny and acclimation to salinity changes. In this study, five tight junction proteins were examined in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar): tight junction associated tricellulin, occludin...... and claudin-3 isoforms (a, b, c). A survey of tissue distribution in freshwater (FW) salmon showed that tricellulin expression was highest in the intestine. Occludin was detected in tissues with importance for epithelial transport and the order of expression was gill>intestine>kidney. The three claudin-3...... isoforms were expressed at highest level in kidney tissue. Transfer of juvenile FW salmon to seawater (SW) elevated intestinal tricellulin and occludin mRNA, and these transcripts were also elevated at the time of best SW-tolerance during the course of smoltification. In the kidney, expression...

Up-regulation of integrin β3 in radioresistant pancreatic cancer impairs adenovirus-mediated gene therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Egami, Takuya; Ohuchida, Kenoki; Yasui, Takaharu; Onimaru, Manabu; Toma, Hiroki; Sato, Norihiro; Tanaka, Masao; Mizumoto, Kazuhiro; Matsumoto, Kunio

2009-01-01

Adenovirus-mediated gene therapy is a promising approach for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. We previously reported that radiation enhanced adenovirus-mediated gene expression in pancreatic cancer, suggesting that adenoviral gene therapy might be more effective in radioresistant pancreatic cancer cells. In the present study, we compared the transduction efficiency of adenovirus-delivered genes in radiosensitive and radioresistant cells, and investigated the underlying mechanisms. We used an adenovirus expressing the hepatocyte growth factor antagonist, NK4 (Ad-NK4), as a representative gene therapy. We established two radioresistant human pancreatic cancer cell lines using fractionated irradiation. Radiosensitive and radioresistant pancreatic cancer cells were infected with Ad-NK4, and NK4 levels in the cells were measured. In order to investigate the mechanisms responsible for the differences in the transduction efficiency between these cells, we measured expression of the genes mediating adenovirus infection and endocytosis. The results revealed that NK4 levels in radioresistant cells were significantly lower (P<0.01) than those in radiosensitive cells, although there were no significant differences in adenovirus uptake between radiosensitive cells and radioresistant cells. Integrin β3 was up-regulated and the Coxsackie virus and adenovirus receptor was down-regulated in radioresistant cells, and inhibition of integrin β3 promoted adenovirus gene transfer. These results suggest that inhibition of integrin β3 in radioresistant pancreatic cancer cells could enhance adenovirus-mediated gene therapy. (author)

Curcumin attenuates morphine antinociceptive tolerance through suppressing up-regulation of spinal Toll-like receptor 4 in rats

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Fei GAO

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Objective To investigate the effects of curcumin (Cur on activation of spinal Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4 and on the chronic antinociceptive tolerance of morphine. Methods Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats with successful intrathecal catheterization were randomly divided into four groups (n=15: saline (NS group; morphine (MOR group; curcumin (Cur group and morphine plus curcumin (MOR+Cur group. A morphine tolerance model of rats was induced by intrathecal injection of morphine 15μg, once a day for 7 consecutive days in MOR and MOR+Cur group; 100μg curcumin was administered intrathecally once a day for 7 consecutive days in Cur and MOR+Cur group, 10μl saline was administered intrathecally once a day for 7 consecutive days in NS group. The effect of curcumin intrathecal catheterization on morphine antinociceptive tolerance was explored by the tail flick latency (TFL method and mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT, and then the maximum possible potential effect (MPE was calculated. The immunofluorescence staining method was applied to detect the effect of curcumin on the activation of lumbar spinal microglia. Real-time PCR and Western blotting were used to evaluate the effect of curcumin on the expression of mRNA and protein of spinal TLR4. Results The %MPE TFL and %MPE MWT increased significantly in MOR+Cur group than in MOR group (P0.05. The lumbar spinal microglia increased markedly and the expressions of polyclonal antibody IBA-1 and TLR4 were significantly up-regulated in MOR group than in NS group (P0.05. Conclusion Curcumin may attenuate chronic morphine antinociceptive tolerance through inhibiting spinal TLR4 up-regulation. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2017.12.06

Silicon Mitigates Salinity Stress by Regulating the Physiology, Antioxidant Enzyme Activities, and Protein Expression in Capsicum annuum ‘Bugwang'

Science.gov (United States)

Manivannan, Abinaya; Soundararajan, Prabhakaran; Muneer, Sowbiya; Ko, Chung Ho

2016-01-01

Silicon- (Si-) induced salinity stress resistance was demonstrated at physiological and proteomic levels in Capsicum annuum for the first time. Seedlings of C. annuum were hydroponically treated with NaCl (50 mM) with or without Si (1.8 mM) for 15 days. The results illustrated that saline conditions significantly reduced plant growth and biomass and photosynthetic parameters and increased the electrolyte leakage potential, lipid peroxidation, and hydrogen peroxide level. However, supplementation of Si allowed the plants to recover from salinity stress by improving their physiology and photosynthesis. During salinity stress, Si prevented oxidative damage by increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Furthermore, Si supplementation recovered the nutrient imbalance that had occurred during salinity stress. Additionally, proteomic analysis by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) followed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) revealed that Si treatment upregulated the accumulation of proteins involved in several metabolic processes, particularly those associated with nucleotide binding and transferase activity. Moreover, Si modulated the expression of vital proteins involved in ubiquitin-mediated nucleosome pathway and carbohydrate metabolism. Overall, the results illustrate that Si application induced resistance against salinity stress in C. annuum by regulating the physiology, antioxidant metabolism, and protein expression. PMID:27088085

Redox and Ionic Homeostasis Regulations against Oxidative, Salinity and Drought Stress in Wheat (A Systems Biology Approach

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Zahid Hussain Shah

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Systems biology and omics has provided a comprehensive understanding about the dynamics of the genome, metabolome, transcriptome, and proteome under stress. In wheat, abiotic stresses trigger specific networks of pathways involved in redox and ionic homeostasis as well as osmotic balance. These networks are considerably more complicated than those in model plants, and therefore, counter models are proposed by unifying the approaches of omics and stress systems biology. Furthermore, crosstalk among these pathways is monitored by the regulation and streaming of transcripts and genes. In this review, we discuss systems biology and omics as a promising tool to study responses to oxidative, salinity, and drought stress in wheat.

Estimating Leaching Requirements for Barley Growth under Saline Irrigation

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Ahmed Al-Busaidi

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The utilization of marginal water resources for agriculture is receiving considerable attention. The lands irrigated with saline water are required to reduce salt accumulations through leaching and/or drainage practices. A field experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of saline irrigation and leaching fraction on barley (Hordeum vulgare L. growth. For this purpose highly saline water was diluted to the salinity levels of 3, 6 and 9 dS m-1 and applied by drip irrigation at 0.0, 0.15, 0.20 and 0.25 leaching fractions (LF. The results of the experiment showed that both quantity and quality of water regulated salts distribution within the soil in the following manner: a the salts were found higher near or immediate below the soil surface; b an enhanced LF carried more salts down the soil horizon but there was no significant difference in plant yield between different treatments of leaching fractions. Salinity of water significantly impaired barley growth. The good drainage of sandy soil enhanced the leaching process and minimized the differences between leaching fractions. The increment in saline treatments (3, 6 and 9 dS m-1 added more salts and stressed plant growth. However, the conjunctive use of marginal water at proportional LF could be effective in enhancing the yield potential of crops in water-scarce areas.

Altered Regulation of type 3 Na+/H+ exchanger, type 1 Na+/HCO3- cotransporter, and Na+,K+-ATPase in the Kidney of Rats with Experimental Rhabdomyolysis

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Seong Kwon; Bae, Eun Hui; Lee, JongUn; Kim, Sun Young; Kim, Sung Zoo; Choi, Ki Chul

2007-01-01

Metabolic acidosis was shown to correlate with deterioration of renal function in patients with rhabdomyolysis. The present study was aimed to investigate whether the changes of type 3 Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE3), type 1 Na+/HCO3- cotransporter (NBC1), and Na+,K+-ATPase α1 subunit may play a role in the pathogenesis of metabolic acidosis in glycerol-induced experimental rhabdomyolysis. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were deprived of fluid intake for 24 hours, and then were injected with 50% glycerol in normal saline (10 mL/kg, intramuscularly). At 24 hours after the glycerol injection, rats were sacrificed by decapitation. Control rats were injected with normal saline. The protein expression of NHE3, NBC1 and Na+,K+-ATPase α1 subunit was determined in the cortex of the kidney by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. Following the treatment of glycerol, creatinine clearance was significantly decreased, and high anion gap metabolic acidosis developed. In the experimental group, the expression of Na+,K+-ATPase α1 subunit was significantly decreased in the cortex of the kidney. On the contrary, the expression of NHE3 and NBC1 was significantly increased. Immunohistochemical analyses confirmed the immunoblotting data. In conclusion, the coordinate up-regulation of NHE3 and NBC1 may play an adaptive role against the metabolic acidosis in glycerol-induced rhabdomyolysis. PMID:24459502

TaCHP: a wheat zinc finger protein gene down-regulated by abscisic acid and salinity stress plays a positive role in stress tolerance.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Cuiling; Lv, Jian; Zhao, Xin; Ai, Xinghui; Zhu, Xinlei; Wang, Mengcheng; Zhao, Shuangyi; Xia, Guangmin

2010-09-01

The plant response to abiotic stresses involves both abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent and ABA-independent signaling pathways. Here we describe TaCHP, a CHP-rich (for cysteine, histidine, and proline rich) zinc finger protein family gene extracted from bread wheat (Triticum aestivum), is differentially expressed during abiotic stress between the salinity-sensitive cultivar Jinan 177 and its tolerant somatic hybrid introgression cultivar Shanrong No.3. TaCHP expressed in the roots of seedlings at the three-leaf stage, and the transcript localized within the cells of the root tip cortex and meristem. TaCHP transcript abundance was higher in Shanrong No.3 than in Jinan 177, but was reduced by the imposition of salinity or drought stress, as well as by the exogenous supply of ABA. When JN17, a salinity hypersensitive wheat cultivar, was engineered to overexpress TaCHP, its performance in the face of salinity stress was improved, and the ectopic expression of TaCHP in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) also improved the ability of salt tolerance. The expression level of a number of stress reporter genes (AtCBF3, AtDREB2A, AtABI2, and AtABI1) was raised in the transgenic lines in the presence of salinity stress, while that of AtMYB15, AtABA2, and AtAAO3 was reduced in its absence. The presence in the upstream region of the TaCHP open reading frame of the cis-elements ABRE, MYBRS, and MYCRS suggests that it is a component of the ABA-dependent and -independent signaling pathways involved in the plant response to abiotic stress. We suggest that TaCHP enhances stress tolerance via the promotion of CBF3 and DREB2A expression.

Taurine up-regulated gene 1 functions as a master regulator to coordinate glycolysis and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yang-Hsiang; Wu, Meng-Han; Huang, Ya-Hui; Yeh, Chau-Ting; Cheng, Mei-Ling; Chi, Hsiang-Cheng; Tsai, Chung-Ying; Chung, I-Hsiao; Chen, Ching-Ying; Lin, Kwang-Huei

2018-01-01

Cancer cells display altered glucose metabolism characterized by a preference for aerobic glycolysis. The aerobic glycolytic phenotype of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is often correlated with tumor progression and poorer clinical outcomes. However, the issue of whether glycolytic metabolism influences metastasis in HCC remains unclear. In the current study, we showed that knockdown of taurine up-regulated gene 1 (TUG1) induces marked inhibition of cell migration, invasion, and glycolysis through suppression of microRNA (miR)-455-3p. MiR-455-3p, which is transcriptionally repressed by p21, directly targets the 3' untranslated region of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase subunit beta 2 (AMPKβ2). The TUG1/miR-455-3p/AMPKβ2 axis regulates cell growth, metastasis, and glycolysis through regulation of hexokinase 2 (HK2). TUG1 is clearly associated with HK2 overexpression and unfavorable prognosis in HCC patients. Our data collectively highlight that novel regulatory associations among TUG1, miR-455-3p, AMPKβ2, and HK2 are an important determinant of glycolytic metabolism and metastasis in HCC cells and support the potential utility of targeting TUG1/HK2 as a therapeutic strategy for HCC. (Hepatology 2018;67:188-203). © 2017 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

Immediate Effects of 3% Diquafosol and 0.1% Hyaluronic Acid Ophthalmic Solution on Tear Break-Up Time in Normal Human Eyes.

Science.gov (United States)

Nam, Ki Tae; Ahn, So Min; Eom, Youngsub; Kim, Hyo Myung; Song, Jong Suk

2015-12-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the immediate effect of 3% diquafosol ophthalmic solution on tear break-up time (TBUT) in normal human eyes, and to compare it with that of saline and 0.1% hyaluronate ophthalmic solution. Cross sectional comparative study in the first study, 10 healthy volunteers underwent topical application of 2 different ophthalmic solutions in each eye. Saline was randomly applied to one eye and 3% diquafosol ophthalmic solution was added to the fellow eye. TBUT was measured and video recorded before application and at 5, 10, 15, and 20 min after. The TBUT in each eye was compared at each time point with regard to the 2 different ophthalmic solutions. In the second study, another 10 healthy volunteers were included. The same methods were used to compare the immediate effects of 0.1% hyaluronate and 3% diquafosol ophthalmic solution application on TBUT. In the first study, topical instillation of saline did not increase TBUT. However, 3% diquafosol significantly increased TBUT for up to 15 min after application. At every time point, the TBUT increased more significantly from baseline in the diquafosol group than it did in the saline group. In the second study, 0.1% hyaluronate increased TBUT for up to 5 min after application, while 3% diquafosol increased TBUT for up to 15 min. Although the TBUT changes after 5 min were not significantly different between the 2 groups, the TBUT changes at 10, 15, and 20 min were significantly greater in the 3% diquafosol group than they were in the 0.1% hyaluronic acid group (+1.58 ± 0.82 vs. +0.53 ± 1.36 at 10 min, +0.67 ± 0.91 vs. -0.04 ± 1.29 at 15 min, and -0.06 ± 0.96 vs. -0.59 ± 0.90, diquafosol group vs. hyaluronic acid group). One drop of 3% diquafosol increased TBUT for up to 15 min after application. The immediate effect of 3% diquafosol on TBUT was greater than that of saline and even that of 1% hyaluronate ophthalmic solution.

Endurance training blocks uncoupling protein 1 up-regulation in brown adipose tissue while increasing uncoupling protein 3 in the muscle tissue of rats fed with a high-sugar diet.

Science.gov (United States)

de Queiroz, Karina Barbosa; Rodovalho, Gisele Vieira; Guimarães, Juliana Bohnen; de Lima, Daniel Carvalho; Coimbra, Cândido Celso; Evangelista, Elísio Alberto; Guerra-Sá, Renata

2012-09-01

The mitochondrial uncoupling proteins (UCPs) of interscapular brown adipose tissue (iBAT) and of muscles play important roles in energy balance. For instance, the expression of UCP1 and UCP3 are modulated by free fatty acid gradients induced by high-sugar diets and acute exercise that is dependent on sympathetic stimulation. However, the effects of endurance training in animals fed with high-sugar diets are unknown. This study aims to evaluate the long-term effects of diet and exercise on UCP1 and UCP3 levels and energy balance efficiency. Rats fed with standard or high-sugar (HSD) diets were simultaneously subjected to running training over an 8-week period. After the training period, the rats were decapitated, and the iBAT and gastrocnemius muscle tissues were removed for evaluation of the β₃-receptor, Ucp1, and Ucp3 mRNA and protein expression, which were analyzed by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively. Groups fed with an HSD displayed a higher adiposity index and iBAT weight (P < .05), whereas exhibited an up-regulation of Ucp1 mRNA and protein levels (P < .05). Training increased β₃-receptor mRNA in iBAT and reduced the Ucp3 mRNA in muscle tissues. In association with an HSD, training restored the increasing β₃-receptor mRNA and greatly up-regulated the levels of Ucp3 mRNA. Therefore, training blocked the HSD-induced up-regulation of UCP1 expression in iBAT, whereas it up-regulated the expression of Ucp3 mRNA in muscle. These results suggest that training enhances the relationship between Ucp1/Ucp3 mRNA levels, which could result in higher energy efficiency, but not when HSD-induced elevated sympathetic activity is maintained. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Insecticide-Mediated Up-Regulation of Cytochrome P450 Genes in the Red Flour Beetle (Tribolium castaneum

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Xiao Liang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Some cytochrome P450 (CYP genes are known for their rapid up-regulation in response to insecticide exposures in insects. To date, however, limited information is available with respect to the relationships among the insecticide type, insecticide concentration, exposure duration and the up-regulated CYP genes. In this study, we examined the transcriptional response of eight selected CYP genes, including CYP4G7, CYP4Q4, CYP4BR3, CYP12H1, CYP6BK11, CYP9D4, CYP9Z5 and CYP345A1, to each of four insecticides in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. Reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR revealed that CYP4G7 and CYP345A1 can be significantly up-regulated by cypermethrin (1.97- and 2.06-fold, respectively, permethrin (2.00- and 2.03-fold and lambda-cyhalothrin (1.73- and 1.81-fold, whereas CYP4BR3 and CYP345A1 can be significantly up-regulated by imidacloprid (1.99- and 1.83-fold when 20-day larvae were exposed to each of these insecticides at the concentration of LC20 for 24 h. Our studies also showed that similar levels of up-regulation can be achieved for CYP4G7, CYP4BR3 and CYP345A1 by cypermethrin, permethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin or imidacloprid with approximately one fourth of LC20 in 6 h. Our study demonstrated that up-regulation of these CYP genes was rapid and only required low concentrations of insecticides, and the up-regulation not only depended on the CYP genes but also the type of insecticides. Our results along with those from previous studies also indicated that there were no specific patterns for predicting the up-regulation of specific CYP gene families based on the insecticide classification.

Statistical characterization of global Sea Surface Salinity for SMOS level 3 and 4 products

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Gourrion, J.; Aretxabaleta, A. L.; Ballabrera, J.; Mourre, B.

2009-04-01

The Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission of the European Space Agency will soon provide sea surface salinity (SSS) estimates to the scientific community. Because of the numerous geophysical contamination sources and the instrument complexity, the salinity products will have a low signal to noise ratio at level 2 (individual estimates??) that is expected to increase up to mission requirements (0.1 psu) at level 3 (global maps with regular distribution) after spatio-temporal accumulation of the observations. Geostatistical methods such as Optimal Interpolation are being implemented at the level 3/4 production centers to operate this noise reduction step. The methodologies require auxiliary information about SSS statistics that, under Gaussian assumption, consist in the mean field and the covariance of the departures from it. The present study is a contribution to the definition of the best estimates for mean field and covariances to be used in the near-future SMOS level 3 and 4 products. We use complementary information from sparse in-situ observations and imperfect outputs from state-of-art model simulations. Various estimates of the mean field are compared. An alternative is the use of a SSS climatology such as the one provided by the World Ocean Atlas 2005. An historical SSS dataset from the World Ocean Database 2005 is reanalyzed and combined with the recent global observations obtained by the Array for Real-Time Geostrophic Oceanography (ARGO). Regional tendencies in the long-term temporal evolution of the near-surface ocean salinity are evident, suggesting that the use of a SSS climatology to describe the current mean field may introduce biases of magnitude similar to the precision goal. Consequently, a recent SSS dataset may be preferred to define the mean field needed for SMOS level 3 and 4 production. The in-situ observation network allows a global mapping of the low frequency component of the variability, i.e. decadal, interannual and seasonal

A New Method to Infer Advancement of Saline Front in Coastal Groundwater Systems by 3D: The Case of Bari (Southern Italy Fractured Aquifer

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Costantino Masciopinto

2016-02-01

Full Text Available A new method to study 3D saline front advancement in coastal fractured aquifers has been presented. Field groundwater salinity was measured in boreholes of the Bari (Southern Italy coastal aquifer with depth below water table. Then, the Ghyben-Herzberg freshwater/saltwater (50% sharp interface and saline front position were determined by model simulations of the freshwater flow in groundwater. Afterward, the best-fit procedure between groundwater salinity measurements, at assigned water depth of 1.0 m in boreholes, and distances of each borehole from the modelled freshwater/saltwater saline front was used to convert each position (x, y in groundwater to the water salinity concentration at depth of 1.0 m. Moreover, a second best-fit procedure was applied to the salinity measurements in boreholes with depth z. These results provided a grid file (x, y, z, salinity suitable for plotting the actual Bari aquifer salinity by 3D maps. Subsequently, in order to assess effects of pumping on the saltwater-freshwater transition zone in the coastal aquifer, the Navier-Stokes (N-S equations were applied to study transient density-driven flow and salt mass transport into freshwater of a single fracture. The rate of seawater/freshwater interface advancement given by the N-S solution was used to define the progression of saline front in Bari groundwater, starting from the actual salinity 3D map. The impact of pumping of 335 L·s−1 during the transition period of 112.8 days was easily highlighted on 3D salinity maps of Bari aquifer.

Up-regulation of β-adrenoreceptors by drugs which cause depression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brand, L.; Van Rooyen, J.M.; Offermeier, J.

1988-01-01

A number of drugs associated with depressive episodes in man were investigated for their effects on rat cortical β-adrenoceptors, in view of the down-regulation of β-adrenoceptors caused by chronic administration of anti-depressant drugs. Scatchard analyses of [ 3 H]dihydro-alprenolol binding data provided B max and K D values for the cortical β-adrenoceptors. Up-regulation of the receptors occurred after daily injections of phenobarbitone for seven days (by 55%), pentobarbitone (by 143%), reserpine (by 82%) and propranolol (by 64%). β-adrenoceptors were not affected by daily injections of clonidine, chlorpromazine and flupenthixol for seven days. This work confirms the up-regulatory effect on β-adrenoceptors of certain drugs which produce depressions in man

Nitrogen availability regulates proline and ethylene production and alleviates salinity stress in mustard (Brassica juncea).

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Iqbal, Noushina; Umar, Shahid; Khan, Nafees A

2015-04-15

Proline content and ethylene production have been shown to be involved in salt tolerance mechanisms in plants. To assess the role of nitrogen (N) in the protection of photosynthesis under salt stress, the effect of N (0, 5, 10, 20 mM) on proline and ethylene was studied in mustard (Brassica juncea). Sufficient N (10 mM) optimized proline production under non-saline conditions through an increase in proline-metabolizing enzymes, leading to osmotic balance and protection of photosynthesis through optimal ethylene production. Excess N (20 mM), in the absence of salt stress, inhibited photosynthesis and caused higher ethylene evolution but lower proline production compared to sufficient N. In contrast, under salt stress with an increased demand for N, excess N optimized ethylene production, which regulates the proline content resulting in recovered photosynthesis. The effect of excess N on photosynthesis under salt stress was further substantiated by the application of the ethylene biosynthesis inhibitor, 1-aminoethoxy vinylglycine (AVG), which inhibited proline production and photosynthesis. Without salt stress, AVG promoted photosynthesis in plants receiving excess N by inhibiting stress ethylene production. The results suggest that a regulatory interaction exists between ethylene, proline and N for salt tolerance. Nitrogen differentially regulates proline production and ethylene formation to alleviate the adverse effect of salinity on photosynthesis in mustard. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Application of probabilistic approach to UP3-A reprocessing plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mercier, J P; Bonneval, F; Weber, M [Institut de Protection et de Surete Nucleaire, Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France)

1992-02-01

In the UP3-A design studies, three complementary approaches were used: - observance of regulations, and good practice; - review of experience feedback; - the correlation of probabilities and consequences making use of an acceptability graph. The latter approach was considered by the safety authorities to be an acceptable practice where the probability calculations were sufficiently accurate. Examples of its application are presented. (author)

Constitutive expression of a salinity-induced wheat WRKY transcription factor enhances salinity and ionic stress tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qin, Yuxiang, E-mail: yuxiangqin@126.com [Department of Biotechnology, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022 (China); Tian, Yanchen [The Key Laboratory of Plant Cell Engineering and Germplasm Innovation, Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Han, Lu; Yang, Xinchao [Department of Biotechnology, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022 (China)

2013-11-15

Highlights: •A class II WRKY transcription factor, TaWRKY79 was isolated and characterized. •TaWRKY79 was induced by NaCl or abscisic acid. •843 bp regulatory segment was sufficient to respond to ABA or NaCl treatment. •TaWRKY79 enhanced salinity and ionic tolerance while reduced sensitivity to ABA. •TaWRKY79 increased salinity and ionic tolerance in an ABA-dependent pathway. -- Abstract: The isolation and characterization of TaWRKY79, a wheat class II WRKY transcription factor, is described. Its 1297 bp coding region includes a 987 bp long open reading frame. TaWRKY79 was induced by stressing seedlings with either NaCl or abscisic acid (ABA). When a fusion between an 843 bp segment upstream of the TaWRKY79 coding sequence and GUS was introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana, GUS staining indicated that this upstream segment captured the sequence(s) required to respond to ABA or NaCl treatment. When TaWRKY79 was constitutively expressed as a transgene in A. thaliana, the transgenic plants showed an improved capacity to extend their primary root in the presence of either 100 mM NaCl, 10 mM LiCl or 2 μM ABA. The inference was that TaWRKY79 enhanced the level of tolerance to both salinity and ionic stress, while reducing the level of sensitivity to ABA. The ABA-related genes ABA1, ABA2 ABI1 and ABI5 were all up-regulated in the TaWRKY79 transgenic plants, suggesting that the transcription factor operates in an ABA-dependent pathway.

Constitutive expression of a salinity-induced wheat WRKY transcription factor enhances salinity and ionic stress tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin, Yuxiang; Tian, Yanchen; Han, Lu; Yang, Xinchao

2013-01-01

Highlights: •A class II WRKY transcription factor, TaWRKY79 was isolated and characterized. •TaWRKY79 was induced by NaCl or abscisic acid. •843 bp regulatory segment was sufficient to respond to ABA or NaCl treatment. •TaWRKY79 enhanced salinity and ionic tolerance while reduced sensitivity to ABA. •TaWRKY79 increased salinity and ionic tolerance in an ABA-dependent pathway. -- Abstract: The isolation and characterization of TaWRKY79, a wheat class II WRKY transcription factor, is described. Its 1297 bp coding region includes a 987 bp long open reading frame. TaWRKY79 was induced by stressing seedlings with either NaCl or abscisic acid (ABA). When a fusion between an 843 bp segment upstream of the TaWRKY79 coding sequence and GUS was introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana, GUS staining indicated that this upstream segment captured the sequence(s) required to respond to ABA or NaCl treatment. When TaWRKY79 was constitutively expressed as a transgene in A. thaliana, the transgenic plants showed an improved capacity to extend their primary root in the presence of either 100 mM NaCl, 10 mM LiCl or 2 μM ABA. The inference was that TaWRKY79 enhanced the level of tolerance to both salinity and ionic stress, while reducing the level of sensitivity to ABA. The ABA-related genes ABA1, ABA2 ABI1 and ABI5 were all up-regulated in the TaWRKY79 transgenic plants, suggesting that the transcription factor operates in an ABA-dependent pathway

Complex regulation controls Neurogenin3 proteolysis

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Ryan Roark

2012-10-01

The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS is known to be responsible for the rapid turnover of many transcription factors, where half-life is held to be critical for regulation of transcriptional activity. However, the stability of key transcriptional regulators of development is often very poorly characterised. Neurogenin 3 (Ngn3 is a basic helix–loop–helix transcription factor that plays a central role in specification and differentiation of endocrine cells of the pancreas and gut, as well as spermatogonia and regions of the brain. Here we demonstrate that Ngn3 protein stability is regulated by the ubiquitin proteasome system and that Ngn3 can be ubiquitylated on lysines, the N-terminus and, highly unusually, on non-canonical residues including cysteines and serines/threonines. Rapid turnover of Ngn3 is regulated both by binding to its heterodimeric partner E protein and by the presence of cdk inhibitors. We show that protein half-life does appear to regulate the activity of Ngn3 in vivo, but, unlike the related transcription factor c-myc, ubiquitylation on canonical sites is not a requirement for transcriptional activity of Ngn3. Hence, we characterise an important new level of Ngn3 post-translational control, which may regulate its transcriptional activity.

14-3-3γ Regulates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammatory Responses and Lactation in Dairy Cow Mammary Epithelial Cells by Inhibiting NF-κB and MAPKs and Up-Regulating mTOR Signaling

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Lixin Liu

2015-07-01

Full Text Available As a protective factor for lipopolysaccharide (LPS-induced injury, 14-3-3γ has been the subject of recent research. Nevertheless, whether 14-3-3γ can regulate lactation in dairy cow mammary epithelial cells (DCMECs induced by LPS remains unknown. Here, the anti-inflammatory effect and lactation regulating ability of 14-3-3γ in LPS-induced DCMECs are investigated for the first time, and the molecular mechanisms responsible for their effects are explored. The results of qRT-PCR showed that 14-3-3γ overexpression significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α, interleukin-6 (IL-6, interleukin-1β (IL-1β and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA analysis revealed that 14-3-3γ overexpression also suppressed the production of TNF-α and IL-6 in cell culture supernatants. Meanwhile, CASY-TT Analyser System showed that 14-3-3γ overexpression clearly increased the viability and proliferation of cells. The results of kit methods and western blot analysis showed that 14-3-3γ overexpression promoted the secretion of triglycerides and lactose and the synthesis of β-casein. Furthermore, the expression of genes relevant to nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPKs and lactation-associated proteins were assessed by western blot, and the results suggested that 14-3-3γ overexpression inactivated the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways by down-regulating extracellular signal regulated protein kinase (ERK, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK and inhibitor of NF-κB (IκB phosphorylation levels, as well as by inhibiting NF-κB translocation. Meanwhile, 14-3-3γ overexpression enhanced the expression levels of β-casein, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR, ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1 (S6K1, serine/threonine protein kinase Akt 1 (AKT1, sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP1 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma

Neuropilin 1 Receptor Is Up-Regulated in Dysplastic Epithelium and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahrabi-Farahani, Shokoufeh; Gallottini, Marina; Martins, Fabiana; Li, Erik; Mudge, Dayna R; Nakayama, Hironao; Hida, Kyoko; Panigrahy, Dipak; D'Amore, Patricia A; Bielenberg, Diane R

2016-04-01

Neuropilins are receptors for disparate ligands, including proangiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor and inhibitory class 3 semaphorin (SEMA3) family members. Differentiated cells in skin epithelium and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma highly express the neuropilin-1 (NRP1) receptor. We examined the expression of NRP1 in human and mouse oral mucosa. NRP1 was significantly up-regulated in oral epithelial dysplasia and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). NRP1 receptor localized to the outer suprabasal epithelial layers in normal tongue, an expression pattern similar to the normal skin epidermis. However, dysplastic tongue epithelium and OSCC up-regulated NRP1 in basal and proliferating epithelial layers, a profile unseen in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. NRP1 up-regulation is observed in a mouse carcinogen-induced OSCC model and in human tongue OSCC biopsies. Human OSCC cell lines express NRP1 protein in vitro and in mouse tongue xenografts. Sites of capillary infiltration into orthotopic OSCC tumors correlate with high NRP1 expression. HSC3 xenografts, which express the highest NRP1 levels of the cell lines examined, showed massive intratumoral lymphangiogenesis. SEMA3A inhibited OSCC cell migration, suggesting that the NRP1 receptor was bioactive in OSCC. In conclusion, NRP1 is regulated in the oral epithelium and is selectively up-regulated during epithelial dysplasia. NRP1 may function as a reservoir to sequester proangiogenic ligands within the neoplastic compartment, thereby recruiting neovessels toward tumor cells. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Investigative Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis of DNA methylation level by methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism in half smooth tongue sole ( Cynoglossus semilaevis) subjected to salinity stress

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Li, Siping; He, Feng; Wen, Haishen; Li, Jifang; Si, Yufeng; Liu, Mingyuan; He, Huiwen; Huang, Zhengju

2017-04-01

Increasingly arisen environmental constraints may contribute to heritable phenotypic variation including methylation changes, which can help the animals with development, growth and survival. In this study, we assessed the DNA methylation levels in three tissues (gonad, kidney and gill) of half smooth tongue sole under the salinity stress. The methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP) technique was applied to illustrate the regulation of epigenetic mechanism in environmental stimuli. Fish were subjected to 15 salinity treatment for 7 and 60 days, respectively. A total of 11259 fragments were amplified with 8 pairs of selective primers. The levels of methylated DNA in different tissues of females and males without salinity stress were analyzed, which were 32.76% and 47.32% in gonad; 38.13% and 37.69% in kidney; 37.58% and 34.96% in gill, respectively. In addition, the significant difference was observed in gonad between females and males, indicating that discrepant regulation in gonadal development and differentiation may involve sex-related genes. Further analysis showed that total and hemi-methylation were significantly decreased under 15 salinity for 7 days, probably resulting in up-regulating salt-tolerance genes expression to adjust salt changing. With the adjustment for 60 days, total and hemi-methylation prominently went back to its normal levels to obtain equilibrium. Particularly, full methylation levels were steady along with salinity stress to maintain the stability of gene expression. Additionally, the data showed that gonads in females and gills in males were superior in adaptability. As a result, DNA methylation regulates tissue- specific epiloci, and may respond to salinity stress by regulating gene expression to maintain animal survival and activity.

Salinization and Saline Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Vengosh, A.

2003-12-01

One of the most conspicuous phenomena of water-quality degradation, particularly in arid and semi-arid zones, is salinization of water and soil resources. Salinization is a long-term phenomenon, and during the last century many aquifers and river basins have become unsuitable for human consumption owing to high levels of salinity. Future exploitation of thousands of wells in the Middle East and in many other water-scarce regions in the world depends, to a large extent, on the degree and rate of salinization. Moreover, every year a large fraction of agricultural land is salinized and becomes unusable.Salinization is a global environmental phenomenon that affects many different aspects of our life (Williams, 2001a, b): changing the chemical composition of natural water resources (lakes, rivers, and groundwater), degrading the quality of water supply to the domestic and agriculture sectors, contribution to loss of biodiversity, taxonomic replacement by halotolerant species ( Williams, 2001a, b), loss of fertile soil, collapse of agricultural and fishery industries, changing of local climatic conditions, and creating severe health problems (e.g., the Aral Basin). The damage due to salinity in the Colorado River Basin alone, for example, ranges between 500 and 750 million per year and could exceed 1 billion per year if the salinity in the Imperial Dam increases from 700 mg L-1 to 900 mg L-1 (Bureau of Reclamation, 2003, USA). In Australia, accelerating soil salinization has become a massive environmental and economic disaster. Western Australia is "losing an area equal to one football oval an hour" due to spreading salinity ( Murphy, 1999). The annual cost for dryland salinity in Australia is estimated as AU700 million for lost land and AU$130 million for lost production ( Williams et al., 2002). In short, the salinization process has become pervasive.Salinity in water is usually defined by the chloride content (mg L-1) or total dissolved solids content (TDS, mg L-1or g

Sodium kinetics in hypertonic saline abortion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Telfer, N.; Ballard, C.S.; McKee, D.R.

1975-01-01

The sodium kinetics of hypertonic saline abortions have been followed by measuring the radioactivity and the sodium concentrations in amniotic fluid, maternal plasma, urine, the foetus and placenta after intrauterine installation of 20% hypertonic saline labelled with 22 Na in order to determine the reason for abortion of a dead foetus in 24 to 48 hours, and reasons for sodium reactions. There is dilution of the 300 ml of amniotic fluid to a maximum of 1.5 to 2.0 litres in an exponential fashion, by the influx of mainly maternal water, slowing after 8 hours. There is an exponential type of increase in plasma radioactivity, also slowing after 8 hours. However, equilibration is never reached, the specific activity of the amniotic fluid remaining 10 times that of the plasma, and the sodium concentration 3 times that of the plasma. The urine equilibrates with the plasma, and about 3% of the administered dose is lost in 22 hours. The largest foetus and placenta picked up the least radioactivity. Thus, a more mature foetus may be protected to some degree against the hypertonic saline action; this has been observed clinically. Hyperkaliaemia was found in all four subjects, and hypoglycaemia occurred sporadically. These were not accompanied by any symptoms. Factors associated with expulsion of the dead foetus are dehydration and decreased circulation associated with fibrinoid necrosis of the placenta, which may also account for cessation of equilibration between maternal plasma and amniotic fluid. Although no saline reactions occurred, the role of extrauterine deposition of hypertonic saline, as shown in one subject, might be considered. (author)

Demethoxycurcumin inhibited human epithelia ovarian cancer cells' growth via up-regulating miR-551a.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Zhenhua; Sha, Xianqun

2017-03-01

Curcumin is a natural agent that has ability to dampen tumor cells' growth. However, the natural form of curcumin is prone to degrade and unstable in vitro. Here, we demonstrated that demethoxycurcumin (a curcumin-related demethoxy compound) could inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells. Moreover, IRS2/PI3K/Akt axis was inactivated in cells treated with demethoxycurcumin. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that miR-551a was down-regulated in ovarian cancer tissues and ovarian cancer cell lines. Over-expression of miR-551a inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells, whereas down-regulation of miR-551a exerted the opposite function. Luciferase assays confirmed that there was a binding site of miR-551a in IRS2, and we found that miR-551a exerted tumor-suppressive function by targeting IRS2 in ovarian cancer cells. Remarkably, miR-551a was up-regulated in the cells treated with demethoxycurcumin, and demethoxycurcumin suppressed IRS2 by restoration of miR-551a. In conclusion, demethoxycurcumin hindered ovarian cancer cells' malignant progress via up-regulating miR-551a.

MORPHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF PLANTS IN HIGH SALINITY

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O. M. Vasilyuk

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The effect of increasing salinity to the morpho-metric parameters of Salix alba L., which dominated in the coastal areas on rivers of Steppe Dnieper, is investigated. We added Mg as salt MgSO4 * 3H2O in the range of concentration: 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 g/l in a solution of willow cuttings. In the solution was added and plant growth regulator "Kornevin" the synthetic origin. The negative effect of salt at a concentration from 1.0 g/l to 2.5 g/l in the dynamics of growth and development was found. The correlation between the size and salinity in dynamics of growth and development of plant were demonstrated: in the growth of shoots (R = 0.83, 0.91 and 0.95, in the growth of roots (R = 0.92, 0.68 and 0.84 respectively depended from salt concentration. The length of the leaf blade was from 4% to 8%, from 7% to 43%, from 333% to 11% (R = 0,68, 0,93, 0,61, depending on the concentration of salt and during observing compared with control (distilled water. "Kornevin" and combined effect of salt increased the length of the leaf blade growth by 4-5, 2-4, 3-5 times, the roots by7 and 3-14 times, the shoots by 3-4, 6-7 and 5-7 times in the dynamics of growth compared with control (MgSO4, 2,5 g/l. The recommendations regarding for the advisability of using the plant growth regulator "Kornevin", as very effective plant growth preparation that promoted rooting and activated physiological processes of plant organism, expressed protective effect in conditions of excessive salinity, were provided. Key words: the morpho-metric index, the plant growth regulators, abiotic factors, salinity factor, the adaptation.

Comparative Genomics of the Baltic Sea Toxic Cyanobacteria Nodularia spumigena UHCC 0039 and Its Response to Varying Salinity.

Science.gov (United States)

Teikari, Jonna E; Hou, Shengwei; Wahlsten, Matti; Hess, Wolfgang R; Sivonen, Kaarina

2018-01-01

Salinity is an important abiotic factor controlling the distribution and abundance of Nodularia spumigena , the dominating diazotrophic and toxic phototroph, in the brackish water cyanobacterial blooms of the Baltic Sea. To expand the available genomic information for brackish water cyanobacteria, we sequenced the isolate Nodularia spumigena UHCC 0039 using an Illumina-SMRT hybrid sequencing approach, revealing a chromosome of 5,294,286 base pairs (bp) and a single plasmid of 92,326 bp. Comparative genomics in Nostocales showed pronounced genetic similarity among Nodularia spumigena strains evidencing their short evolutionary history. The studied Baltic Sea strains share similar sets of CRISPR-Cas cassettes and a higher number of insertion sequence (IS) elements compared to Nodularia spumigena CENA596 isolated from a shrimp production pond in Brazil. Nodularia spumigena UHCC 0039 proliferated similarly at three tested salinities, whereas the lack of salt inhibited its growth and triggered transcriptome remodeling, including the up-regulation of five sigma factors and the down-regulation of two other sigma factors, one of which is specific for strain UHCC 0039. Down-regulated genes additionally included a large genetic region for the synthesis of two yet unidentified natural products. Our results indicate a remarkable plasticity of the Nodularia salinity acclimation, and thus salinity strongly impacts the intensity and distribution of cyanobacterial blooms in the Baltic Sea.

Comparative Genomics of the Baltic Sea Toxic Cyanobacteria Nodularia spumigena UHCC 0039 and Its Response to Varying Salinity

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Jonna E. Teikari

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Salinity is an important abiotic factor controlling the distribution and abundance of Nodularia spumigena, the dominating diazotrophic and toxic phototroph, in the brackish water cyanobacterial blooms of the Baltic Sea. To expand the available genomic information for brackish water cyanobacteria, we sequenced the isolate Nodularia spumigena UHCC 0039 using an Illumina-SMRT hybrid sequencing approach, revealing a chromosome of 5,294,286 base pairs (bp and a single plasmid of 92,326 bp. Comparative genomics in Nostocales showed pronounced genetic similarity among Nodularia spumigena strains evidencing their short evolutionary history. The studied Baltic Sea strains share similar sets of CRISPR-Cas cassettes and a higher number of insertion sequence (IS elements compared to Nodularia spumigena CENA596 isolated from a shrimp production pond in Brazil. Nodularia spumigena UHCC 0039 proliferated similarly at three tested salinities, whereas the lack of salt inhibited its growth and triggered transcriptome remodeling, including the up-regulation of five sigma factors and the down-regulation of two other sigma factors, one of which is specific for strain UHCC 0039. Down-regulated genes additionally included a large genetic region for the synthesis of two yet unidentified natural products. Our results indicate a remarkable plasticity of the Nodularia salinity acclimation, and thus salinity strongly impacts the intensity and distribution of cyanobacterial blooms in the Baltic Sea.

GmSALT3, which Confers Improved Soybean Salt Tolerance in the Field, Increases Leaf Cl– Exclusion prior to Na+ Exclusion but does not Improve Early Vigour under Salinity

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Ying Liu

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Soil salinity reduces soybean growth and yield. The recently identified GmSALT3 (Glycine max salt Tolerance-associated gene on chromosome 3 has the potential to improve soybean yields in salinized conditions. To evaluate the impact of GmSALT3 on soybean performance under saline or non-saline conditions, three sets of near isogenic lines (NILs, with genetic similarity 95.6-99.3% between each pair of NIL-T and NIL-S, were generated from a cross between two varieties, 85-140 (salt-sensitive, S and Tiefeng 8 (salt-tolerant, T by using marker-assisted selection. Each NIL; 782-T, 820-T and 860-T, contained a common ~1000 kb fragment on chromosome 3 where GmSALT3 was located. We show that GmSALT3 does not contribute to an improvement in seedling emergence rate or early vigour under salt stress. However, when 12-day-old seedlings were exposed to NaCl stress, the NIL-T lines accumulated significantly less leaf Na+ compared with their corresponding NIL-S, while no significant difference of K+ concentration was observed between NIL-T and NIL-S; the magnitude of Na+ accumulation within each NIL-T set was influenced by the different genetic backgrounds. In addition, NIL-T lines accumulated less Cl– in the leaf and more in the root prior to any difference in Na+; in the field they accumulated less pod wall Cl– than the corresponding NIL-S lines. Under non-saline field conditions, no significant differences were observed for yield related traits within each pair of NIL-T and NIL-S lines, indicating there was no yield penalty for having the GmSALT3 gene. In contrast, under saline field conditions the NIL-T lines had significantly greater plant seed weight and 100-seed weight than the corresponding NIL-S lines, meaning GmSALT3 conferred a yield advantage to soybean plants in salinized fields. Our results indicated that GmSALT3 mediated regulation of both Na+ and Cl– accumulation in soybean, and contributes to improved soybean yield through maintaining a

Physiological and biochemical perspectives of non-salt tolerant plants during bacterial interaction against soil salinity.

Science.gov (United States)

Radhakrishnan, Ramalingam; Baek, Kwang Hyun

2017-07-01

Climatic changes on earth affect the soil quality of agricultural lands, especially by increasing salt deposition in soil, which results in soil salinity. Soil salinity is a major challenge to growth and reproduction among glycophytes (including all crop plants). Soil bacteria present in the rhizosphere and/or roots naturally protect plants from the adverse effects of soil salinity by reprogramming the stress-induced physiological changes in plants. Bacteria can enrich the soil with major nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) in a form easily available to plants and prevent the transport of excess sodium to roots (exopolysaccharides secreted by bacteria bind with sodium ions) for maintaining ionic balance and water potential in cells. Salinity also affects plant growth regulators and suppresses seed germination and root and shoot growth. Bacterial secretion of indole-3-acetic acid and gibberellins compensates for the salt-induced hormonal decrease in plants, and bacterial 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase synthesis decreases ethylene production to stimulate plant growth. Furthermore, bacteria modulate the redox state of salinity-affected plants by enhancing antioxidants and polyamines, which leads to increased photosynthetic efficiency. Bacteria-induced accumulation of compatible solutes in stressed plants regulates plant cellular activities and prevents salt stress damage. Plant-bacterial interaction reprograms the expression of salt stress-responsive genes and proteins in salinity-affected plants, resulting in a precise stress mitigation metabolism as a defense mechanism. Soil bacteria increase the fertility of soil and regulate the plant functions to prevent the salinity effects in glycophytes. This review explains the current understanding about the physiological changes induced in glycophytes during bacterial interaction to alleviate the adverse effects of soil salinity stress. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights

Absolute Salinity, ''Density Salinity'' and the Reference-Composition Salinity Scale: present and future use in the seawater standard TEOS-10

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, D. G.; Pawlowicz, R.; McDougall, T. J.; Feistel, R.; Marion, G. M.

2011-01-01

oceanography. The other two salinity variables provide alternative measures of the mass fraction of dissolved material in seawater. "Solution Salinity", denoted SAsoln, is the most obvious extension of Reference Salinity to allow for composition anomalies; it provides a direct estimate of the mass fraction of dissolved material in solution. "Added-Mass Salinity", denoted SAadd, is motivated by a method used to report laboratory experiments; it represents the component of dissolved material added to Standard Seawater in terms of the mass of material before it enters solution. We also discuss a constructed conservative variable referred to as "Preformed Salinity", denoted S∗, which will be useful in process-oriented numerical modelling studies. Finally, a conceptual framework for the incorporation of composition anomalies in numerical models is presented that builds from studies in which composition anomalies are simply ignored up to studies in which the influences of composition anomalies are accounted for using the results of biogeochemical models. 1TEOS-10: international Thermodynamic Equation of Seawater 2010, http://www.teos-10.org/.

Absolute Salinity, "Density Salinity" and the Reference-Composition Salinity Scale: present and future use in the seawater standard TEOS-10

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, D. G.; Pawlowicz, R.; McDougall, T. J.; Feistel, R.; Marion, G. M.

2010-08-01

oceanography. The other two salinity variables provide alternative measures of the mass fraction of dissolved material in seawater. "Solution Salinity", denoted SAsoln, is the most obvious extension of Reference Salinity to allow for composition anomalies; it provides a direct estimate of the mass fraction of dissolved material in solution. "Added-Mass Salinity", denoted SAadd, is motivated by a method used to report laboratory experiments; it represents the component of dissolved material added to Standard Seawater in terms of the mass of material before it enters solution. We also discuss a constructed conservative variable referred to as "Preformed Salinity", denoted S*, which will be useful in process-oriented numerical modelling studies. Finally, a conceptual framework for the incorporation of composition anomalies in numerical models is presented that builds from studies in which composition anomalies are simply ignored up to studies in which the influences of composition anomalies are accounted for using the results of biogeochemical models. 1TEOS-10: international thermodynamic equation of seawater 2010, http://www.teos-10.org.

Up-regulation of DRP-3 long isoform during the induction of neural progenitor cells by glutamate treatment in the ex vivo rat retina

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Tokuda, Kazuhiro, E-mail: r502um@yamaguchi-u.ac.jp [Department of Ophthalmology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi (Japan); Department of Biochemistry and Functional Proteomics, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi (Japan); Kuramitsu, Yasuhiro; Byron, Baron; Kitagawa, Takao [Department of Biochemistry and Functional Proteomics, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi (Japan); Tokuda, Nobuko [Faculty of Health Sciences, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube (Japan); Kobayashi, Daiki; Nagayama, Megumi; Araki, Norie [Department of Tumor Genetics and Biology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto (Japan); Sonoda, Koh-Hei [Department of Ophthalmology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi (Japan); Nakamura, Kazuyuki [Department of Biochemistry and Functional Proteomics, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi (Japan)

2015-08-07

Glutamate has been shown to induce neural progenitor cells in the adult vertebrate retina. However, protein dynamics during progenitor cell induction by glutamate are not fully understood. To identify specific proteins involved in the process, we employed two-dimensional electrophoresis-based proteomics on glutamate untreated and treated retinal ex vivo sections. Rat retinal tissues were incubated with 1 mM glutamate for 1 h, followed by incubation in glutamate-free media for a total of 24 h. Consistent with prior reports, it was found that mitotic cells appeared in the outer nuclear layer without any histological damage. Immunohistological evaluations and immunoblotting confirmed the emergence of neuronal progenitor cells in the mature retina treated with glutamate. Proteomic analysis revealed the up-regulation of dihydropyrimidinase-related protein 3 (DRP-3), DRP-2 and stress-induced-phosphoprotein 1 (STIP1) during neural progenitor cell induction by glutamate. Moreover, mRNA expression of DRP-3, especially, its long isoform, robustly increased in the treated retina compared to that in the untreated retina. These results may indicate that glutamate induces neural progenitor cells in the mature rat retina by up-regulating the proteins which mediate cell mitosis and neurite growth. - Highlights: • Glutamate induced neuronal progenitor cells in the mature rat retina. • Proteomic analysis revealed the up-regulation of DRP-3, DRP-2 and STIP1. • mRNA expression of DRP-3, especially, its long isoform, robustly increased.

454 Pyrosequencing of Olive (Olea europaea L.) Transcriptome in Response to Salinity.

Science.gov (United States)

Bazakos, Christos; Manioudaki, Maria E; Sarropoulou, Elena; Spano, Thodhoraq; Kalaitzis, Panagiotis

2015-01-01

Olive (Olea europaea L.) is one of the most important crops in the Mediterranean region. The expansion of cultivation in areas irrigated with low quality and saline water has negative effects on growth and productivity however the investigation of the molecular basis of salt tolerance in olive trees has been only recently initiated. To this end, we investigated the molecular response of cultivar Kalamon to salinity stress using next-generation sequencing technology to explore the transcriptome profile of olive leaves and roots and identify differentially expressed genes that are related to salt tolerance response. Out of 291,958 obtained trimmed reads, 28,270 unique transcripts were identified of which 35% are annotated, a percentage that is comparable to similar reports on non-model plants. Among the 1,624 clusters in roots that comprise more than one read, 24 were differentially expressed comprising 9 down- and 15 up-regulated genes. Respectively, inleaves, among the 2,642 clusters, 70 were identified as differentially expressed, with 14 down- and 56 up-regulated genes. Using next-generation sequencing technology we were able to identify salt-response-related transcripts. Furthermore we provide an annotated transcriptome of olive as well as expression data, which are both significant tools for further molecular studies in olive.

Response of stream invertebrates to short-term salinization: A mesocosm approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cañedo-Argüelles, Miguel; Grantham, Theodore E.; Perrée, Isabelle; Rieradevall, Maria; Céspedes-Sánchez, Raquel; Prat, Narcís

2012-01-01

Salinization is a major and growing threat to freshwater ecosystems, yet its effects on aquatic invertebrates have been poorly described at a community-level. Here we use a controlled experimental setting to evaluate short-term stream community responses to salinization, under conditions designed to replicate the duration (72 h) and intensity (up to 5 mS cm −1 ) of salinity pulses common to Mediterranean rivers subjected to mining pollution during runoff events. There was a significant overall effect, but differences between individual treatments and the control were only significant for the highest salinity treatment. The community response to salinization was characterized by a decline in total invertebrate density, taxon richness and diversity, an increase in invertebrate drift and loss of the most sensitive taxa. The findings indicate that short-term salinity increases have a significant impact on the stream invertebrate community, but concentrations of 5 mS cm −1 are needed to produce a significant ecological response. - Highlights: ► Short-term salinization has a significant impact on the aquatic invertebrates. ► A significant short-term ecological response is registered at 5 mS cm −1 . ► Salinization causes a decline in invertebrate density, richness and diversity. ► Biotic quality indices decline with increasing salinity and exposure time. - Short-term salinization in a stream mesocosm caused a significant response in the aquatic invertebrate community and led to declines in biological quality indices.

Fisetin up-regulates the expression of adiponectin in 3T3-L1 adipocytes via the activation of silent mating type information regulation 2 homologue 1 (SIRT1)-deacetylase and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs).

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Jin, Taewon; Kim, Oh Yoen; Shin, Min-Jeong; Choi, Eun Young; Lee, Sung Sook; Han, Ye Sun; Chung, Ji Hyung

2014-10-29

Adiponectin, an adipokine, has been described as showing physiological benefits against obesity-related malfunctions and vascular dysfunction. Several natural compounds that promote the expression and secretion of adipokines in adipocytes could be useful for treating metabolic disorders. This study investigated the effect of fisetin, a dietary flavonoid, on the regulation of adiponectin in adipocytes using 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. The expression and secretion of adiponectin increased in 3T3-L1 cells upon treatment with fisetin in a dose-dependent manner. Fisetin-induced adiponectin secretion was inhibited by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) antagonists. It was also revealed that fisetin increased the activities of PPARs and silent mating type information regulation 2 homologue 1 (SIRT1) in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the up-regulation of adiponectin and the activation of PPARs induced by fisetin were prevented by a SIRT1 inhibitor. Fisetin also promoted deacetylation of PPAR γ coactivator 1 (PGC-1) and its interaction with PPARs. SIRT knockdown by siRNA significantly decreased both adiponectin production and PPARs-PGC-1 interaction. These results provide evidence that fisetin promotes the gene expression of adiponectin through the activation of SIRT1 and PPARs in adipocytes.

Low concentrations of methylmercury inhibit neural progenitor cell proliferation associated with up-regulation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β and subsequent degradation of cyclin E in rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fujimura, Masatake, E-mail: fujimura@nimd.go.jp [Department of Basic Medical Science, National Institute for Minamata Disease, Kumamoto (Japan); Usuki, Fusako [Department of Clinical Medicine, National Institute for Minamata Disease, Kumamoto (Japan)

2015-10-01

Methylmercury (MeHg) is an environmental neurotoxicant. The developing nervous system is susceptible to low concentrations of MeHg; however, the effect of MeHg on neural progenitor cell (NPC) proliferation, a key stage of neurogenesis during development, remains to be clarified. In this study, we investigated the effect of low concentrations of MeHg on NPCs by using a primary culture system developed using the embryonic rat cerebral cortex. NPC proliferation was suppressed 48 h after exposure to 10 nM MeHg, but cell death was not observed. Western blot analyses for cyclins A, B, D1, and E demonstrated that MeHg down-regulated cyclin E, a promoter of the G1/S cell cycle transition. Cyclin E has been shown to be degraded following the phosphorylation by glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β). The time course study showed that GSK-3β was up-regulated 3 h after exposure to 10 nM MeHg, and cyclin E degradation 48 h after MeHg exposure. We further demonstrated that GSK-3β inhibitors, lithium and SB-415286, suppressed MeHg-induced inhibition of NPC proliferation by preventing cyclin E degradation. These results suggest that the inhibition of NPC proliferation induced by low concentration of MeHg was associated with up-regulation of GSK-3β at the early stage and subsequent degeneration of cyclin E. - Highlights: • NPC proliferation was suppressed by 10 nM MeHg, but cell death was not observed. • MeHg induced down-regulation of cyclin E, a promoter of cell cycle progression. • GSK-3β was up-regulated by 10 nM MeHg, leading to cyclin E degradation. • GSK-3β inhibitors suppressed MeHg-induced degradation of cyclin E.

Platyphylloside Isolated From Betula platyphylla Inhibit Adipocyte Differentiation and Induce Lipolysis Via Regulating Adipokines Including PPARγ in 3T3-L1 Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Mina; Sung, Sang Hyun

2016-01-01

Background: Obesity causes or aggravates many health problems, both independently and in association with several pathological disorders, including Type II diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and cancer. Therefore, we screened small compounds isolated from natural products for the development of anti-obesity drugs. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-adipogenic activities of platyphylloside, diarylheptanoid isolated from Betula platyphylla, which was selected based on the screening using 3T3-L1 cells. Materials and Methods: To evaluate the inhibition of adipocyte differentiation and lipolysis, lipid contents of BPP on were measured using Oil Red O staining in 3T3-L1 cells. The mRNA and protein expression levels of various adipokines were measured by Quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting analysis, respectively. Results: Platyphylloside showed significant inhibitory activity on adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells and suppressed adipocyte differentiation even in the presence of troglitazone, a PPARγ agonist. Platyphylloside might suppress adipocyte differentiation through PPARγ, C/EBPα, and SREBP1-induced adipogenesis, which is synergistically associated with downstream adipocyte-specific gene promoters such as aP2, FAS, SCD-1, LPL, and Adiponectin. In addition, platyphylloside affected lipolysis by down-regulating perilipin and HSL and up-regulating TNFα. Conclusion: Taken together, the results reveal that platyphylloside has anti-adipogenic activity and highlight its potential in the prevention and treatment of obesity. SUMMARY The extract of B. platyphylla bark and its isolate, BPP, had anti-adipogenic activity in 3T3-L1 cells via suppression of adipocyte differentiation from preadipocytes.Treatment with BPP significantly down-regulated the expression of PPARγ, C/EBP, C/EBPβ, C/EBPδ, SREBP1c, SCD-1, FAS, aP2 and LPL.BPP induced a lipolytic response in mature adipocytes via up-regulation krof TNFá and down-regulation

SET protein up-regulated testosterone production in the cultured preantral follicles

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Xu Boqun

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background We found previously that the expression of SET gene was up-regulated in polycystic ovaries. Evidences suggested that SET protein was essential for regulating both the promoter activity of CYP17A1 and the biological activity of P450c17. In this study, we explored whether SET regulated androgen production in preantral follicles. Methods The mouse preantral follicles were cultured in vitro. Testosterone secretion and expression of steroidogenic enzymes were observed in the preantral follicles treated in vitro by SET overexpression and knockdown. Results Testosterone levels in the media of the AdCMV-SET infected follicles significantly increased, and the CYP17A1 and HSD3B2 expression also significantly increased (P P  Conclusions SET played a positive role in regulating ovarian androgen biosynthesis by enhancing the transcription of steroidogenic enzymes CYP17A1 and HSD3B2, which maybe contribute to the hyperandrogenism in PCOS.

Up-regulation of Toll-like receptors 2, 3 and 4 in allergic rhinitis

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Uddman Rolf

2005-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Toll-like receptors enable the host to recognize a large number of pathogen-associated molecular patterns such as bacterial lipopolysaccharide, viral RNA, CpG-containing DNA and flagellin. Toll-like receptors have also been shown to play a pivotal role in both innate and adaptive immune responses. The role of Toll-like receptors as a primary part of our microbe defense system has been shown in several studies, but their possible function as mediators in allergy and asthma remains to be established. The present study was designed to examine the expression of Toll-like receptors 2, 3 and 4 in the nasal mucosa of patients with intermittent allergic rhinitis, focusing on changes induced by exposure to pollen. Methods 27 healthy controls and 42 patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis volunteered for the study. Nasal biopsies were obtained before and during pollen season as well as before and after allergen challenge. The seasonal material was used for mRNA quantification of Toll-like receptors 2, 3 and 4 with real-time polymerase chain reaction, whereas specimens achieved in conjunction with allergen challenge were used for immunohistochemical localization and quantification of corresponding proteins. Results mRNA and protein representing Toll-like receptors 2, 3 and 4 could be demonstrated in all specimens. An increase in protein expression for all three receptors could be seen following allergen challenge, whereas a significant increase of mRNA only could be obtained for Toll-like receptor 3 during pollen season. Conclusion The up-regulation of Toll-like receptors 2, 3 and 4 in the nasal mucosa of patients with symptomatic allergic rhinitis supports the idea of a role for Toll-like receptors in allergic airway inflammation.

Suppressors of cytokine signaling 1 and 3 are up-regulated in brain resident cells in response to virus induced inflammation of the CNS via at least two distinctive pathways

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Steffensen, Maria Abildgaard; Fenger, Christina; Christensen, Jeanette Erbo

2014-01-01

underlie a virus induced up-regulation of SOCS in the CNS. We found that i.c. infection with either lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) or yellow fever virus (YF) results in gradual up-regulation of SOCS1/3 mRNA expression peaking at day 7 post infection (p.i.). In the LCMV model, SOCS m...

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) induces sustained intracellular Ca2+ elevation through the up-regulation of surface transient receptor potential 3 (TRPC3) channels in rodent microglia.

Science.gov (United States)

Mizoguchi, Yoshito; Kato, Takahiro A; Seki, Yoshihiro; Ohgidani, Masahiro; Sagata, Noriaki; Horikawa, Hideki; Yamauchi, Yusuke; Sato-Kasai, Mina; Hayakawa, Kohei; Inoue, Ryuji; Kanba, Shigenobu; Monji, Akira

2014-06-27

Microglia are immune cells that release factors, including proinflammatory cytokines, nitric oxide (NO), and neurotrophins, following activation after disturbance in the brain. Elevation of intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)]i) is important for microglial functions such as the release of cytokines and NO from activated microglia. There is increasing evidence suggesting that pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders is related to the inflammatory responses mediated by microglia. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophin well known for its roles in the activation of microglia as well as in pathophysiology and/or treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. In this study, we sought to examine the underlying mechanism of BDNF-induced sustained increase in [Ca(2+)]i in rodent microglial cells. We observed that canonical transient receptor potential 3 (TRPC3) channels contribute to the maintenance of BDNF-induced sustained intracellular Ca(2+) elevation. Immunocytochemical technique and flow cytometry also revealed that BDNF rapidly up-regulated the surface expression of TRPC3 channels in rodent microglial cells. In addition, pretreatment with BDNF suppressed the production of NO induced by tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), which was prevented by co-adiministration of a selective TRPC3 inhibitor. These suggest that BDNF induces sustained intracellular Ca(2+) elevation through the up-regulation of surface TRPC3 channels and TRPC3 channels could be important for the BDNF-induced suppression of the NO production in activated microglia. We show that TRPC3 channels could also play important roles in microglial functions, which might be important for the regulation of inflammatory responses and may also be involved in the pathophysiology and/or the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Simulating the Response of Estuarine Salinity to Natural and Anthropogenic Controls

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Vladimir A. Paramygin

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The response of salinity in Apalachicola Bay, Florida to changes in water management alternatives and storm and sea level rise is studied using an integrated high-resolution hydrodynamic modeling system based on Curvilinear-grid Hydrodynamics in 3D (CH3D, an oyster population model, and probability analysis. The model uses input from river inflow, ocean and atmospheric forcing and is verified with long-term water level and salinity data, including data from the 2004 hurricane season when four hurricanes impacted the system. Strong freshwater flow from the Apalachicola River and good connectivity of the bay to the ocean allow the estuary to restore normal salinity conditions within a few days after the passage of a hurricane. Various scenarios are analyzed; some based on observed data and others using altered freshwater inflow. For observed flow, simulated salinity agrees well with the observed values. In scenarios that reflect increased water demand (~1% upstream of the Apalachicola River, the model results show slightly (less than 5% increased salinity inside the Bay. A worst-case sea-level rise (~1 m by 2100 could increase the bay salinity by up to 20%. A hypothesis that a Sumatra gauge may not fully represent the flow into Apalachicola Bay was tested and appears to be substantiated.

Productive use of saline lands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

Water is essential for life, and not least for agricultural activity. It interacts with solar energy to determine the climate of the globe, and its interaction with carbon dioxide inside a plant results in photosynthesis on which depends survival of all life. Much of the water available to man is used for agriculture and yet its usage has not been well managed. One result has been the build up of soil salinity. The Department of Technical Co-operation is sponsoring a programme, with technical support from the Department of Research and Isotopes, to make more productive use of salt-affected land and to limit future build up of salinity. (IAEA)

Effect of Different Alternate Irrigation Strategies using Saline and Non-Saline Water on Corn Yield, Salinity and Moisture Distribution in Soil Profile

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Ali Reza Kiani

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Lack of water and deterioration in the quality of soil and water resources are considered to be the prime cause of reduced crop yield in arid and semi-arid regions ‘More crop per drop’ by trickle irrigation, deficit irrigation, and uncommon water are the best strategies for mitigating water crises. Different irrigation management strategies are needed to increase production in different areas. In areas where sufficient water is available, a full irrigation strategy could be a suitable option, while in areas where water is limited, deficit irrigation would be an appropriate method, and finally in areas where water resources are saline, management strategies for achieving sustainable production as well as economic yields would be suitable. Maize is the third most important grain crop in the world following wheat and rice and it is the main source of nutrition for humans and animals. Because of the importance of maize in the world, increasing maize production under environmental stresses is a big challenge for agricultural scientists. Different methods of irrigation and the use of saline water that had satisfactory results for increasing agricultural production have been studied by several investigators . The main objective of this study was to establish an efficient use of limited water resources as well as to explore the possibility of replacing saline water with fresh water using different management techniques. Materials and Methods: A field experiment was conducted over two maize cropping seasons (2012–2013 in northern Iran (Gorgan Agricultural Research Station to compare different alternate irrigation scenarios using saline water on corn yield, salinity and soil moisture distribution in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Treatments were: T1 and T2 = 100 and 50 % of crop water requirement with non-saline water, respectively; T3 and T4 = variable and fixed full irrigation with saline and non-saline

Cyclic use of saline and non-saline water to increase water use efficiency and soil sustainability on drip irrigated maize in a semi-arid region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassanli, M.; Ebrahimian, H.

2016-01-01

Use of saline water for irrigation is a strategy to mitigate water shortage. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of the cyclic and constant use of saline and non-saline water on drip irrigated maize yield and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE). Nine field treatments were laid out based on alternative irrigation management of non-saline and saline water combinations. The treatments were: two salinity levels of 3.5 and 5.7 dS/m and freshwater (0.4 dS/m) application in every one, three and five saline water application (1:1, 3:1 and 5:1, respectively). Results showed that the 1:1 combination management was the best in terms of crop yield and IWUE. In this treatment, salt concentration at the end of growing season was not significantly changed compared to its initial condition. If off-season precipitation or leaching was available, the 3:1 and 5:1 treatments were appropriated. Highest and lowest values of IWUE were 15.3 and 8.7 kg/m3 for the 1:1 management using water salinity of 3.5 dS/m and the treatment of constant irrigation with water salinity of 5.7 dS/m, respectively. Under low off-season precipitations, artificial leaching is essential for land sustainability in most treatments.

Cyclic use of saline and non-saline water to increase water use efficiency and soil sustainability on drip irrigated maize in a semi-arid region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hassanli, M.; Ebrahimian, H.

2016-07-01

Use of saline water for irrigation is a strategy to mitigate water shortage. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of the cyclic and constant use of saline and non-saline water on drip irrigated maize yield and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE). Nine field treatments were laid out based on alternative irrigation management of non-saline and saline water combinations. The treatments were: two salinity levels of 3.5 and 5.7 dS/m and freshwater (0.4 dS/m) application in every one, three and five saline water application (1:1, 3:1 and 5:1, respectively). Results showed that the 1:1 combination management was the best in terms of crop yield and IWUE. In this treatment, salt concentration at the end of growing season was not significantly changed compared to its initial condition. If off-season precipitation or leaching was available, the 3:1 and 5:1 treatments were appropriated. Highest and lowest values of IWUE were 15.3 and 8.7 kg/m3 for the 1:1 management using water salinity of 3.5 dS/m and the treatment of constant irrigation with water salinity of 5.7 dS/m, respectively. Under low off-season precipitations, artificial leaching is essential for land sustainability in most treatments.

Galectin-3 facilitates cell motility in gastric cancer by up-regulating protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR-1 and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1.

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Seok-Jun Kim

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Galectin-3 is known to regulate cancer metastasis. However, the underlying mechanism has not been defined. Through the DNA microarray studies after galectin-3 silencing, we demonstrated here that galectin-3 plays a key role in up-regulating the expressions of protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR-1 and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1 PAR-1 thereby promoting gastric cancer metastasis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We examined the expression levels of Galectin-3, PAR-1, and MMP-1 in gastric cancer patient tissues and also the effects of silencing these proteins with specific siRNAs and of over-expressing them using specific lenti-viral constructs. We also employed zebrafish embryo model for analysis of in vivo gastric cancer cell invasion. These studies demonstrated that: a galectin-3 silencing decreases the expression of PAR-1. b galectin-3 over-expression increases cell migration and invasion and this increase can be reversed by PAR-1 silencing, indicating that galectin-3 increases cell migration and invasion via PAR-1 up-regulation. c galectin-3 directly interacts with AP-1 transcriptional factor, and this complex binds to PAR-1 promoter and drives PAR-1 transcription. d galectin-3 also amplifies phospho-paxillin, a PAR-1 downstream target, by increasing MMP-1 expression. MMP-1 silencing blocks phospho-paxillin amplification and cell invasion caused by galectin-3 over-expression. e Silencing of either galectin-3, PAR-1 or MMP-1 significantly reduced cell migration into the vessels in zebrafish embryo model. f Galectin-3, PAR-1, and MMP-1 are highly expressed and co-localized in malignant tissues from gastric cancer patients. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Galectin-3 plays the key role of activating cell surface receptor through production of protease and boosts gastric cancer metastasis. Galectin-3 has the potential to serve as a useful pharmacological target for prevention of gastric cancer metastasis.

Down-regulation of CatSper1 channel in epididymal spermatozoa contributes to the pathogenesis of asthenozoospermia, whereas up-regulation of the channel by Sheng-Jing-San treatment improves the sperm motility of asthenozoospermia in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ya-Nan; Wang, Bo; Liang, Ming; Han, Cai-Yan; Zhang, Bin; Cai, Jie; Sun, Wei; Xing, Guo-Gang

2013-02-01

To determine the expression of CatSper1 channel in epididymal spermatozoa in a rat model of asthenozoospermia, induced by cyclophosphamide (CP), and further examine the effects of soluble granules of Sheng-Jing-San (SJS), a traditional Chinese medicine recipe, on CatSper1 expression and sperm motility in the CP-induced asthenozoospermic rats. Placebo-controlled, randomized trial. Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, China. Sexually mature male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 60). In the CP group, CP at the dose of 35 mg/kg intraperitoneally injected into rats once a day for 7 days; in the normal saline (NS) group, 0.9% saline solution was injected as control. Sperm motility and count were evaluated by computer-assisted sperm assay (CASA); protein and mRNA expression of CatSper1 channel in epididymal spermatozoa was determined by Western blotting and quantitative real-time RT-PCR, respectively. The rats were randomly divided into five groups with 12 rats in each group: CP, normal saline (NS), CP + SJS, CP + NS, and treatment naïve. In the CP + SJS group, after the last injection of CP, SJS at a dose of 30 mg/kg was intragastrically administrated to rats once a day for 14 days; in CP + NS group, saline solution instead of SJS was administrated as control. In the treatment naïve group, rats were normally fed for 21 days as controls. We found a statistically significant reduction of the CatSper1 channel, which is associated with an impairment of sperm motility in the epididymal spermatozoa of CP-induced asthenozoospermic rats. Soluble granules of SJS could dramatically restore the CP-induced down-regulation of CatSper1 in epididymal spermatozoa, which greatly improved the sperm motility in the asthenozoospermic rats. Down-regulation of the CatSper1 channel in epididymal spermatozoa likely contributes to the pathogenesis of asthenozoospermia, whereas up-regulation of the channel by SJS improves sperm motility and thus can be used as an effective therapeutic

The Vitamin E Analog Gamma-Tocotrienol (GT3 and Statins Synergistically Up-Regulate Endothelial Thrombomodulin (TM

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Rupak Pathak

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Statins; a class of routinely prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs; inhibit 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzymeA reductase (HMGCR and strongly induce endothelial thrombomodulin (TM; which is known to have anti-inflammatory; anti-coagulation; anti-oxidant; and radioprotective properties. However; high-dose toxicity limits the clinical use of statins. The vitamin E family member gamma-tocotrienol (GT3 also suppresses HMGCR activity and induces TM expression without causing significant adverse side effects; even at high concentrations. To investigate the synergistic effect of statins and GT3 on TM; a low dose of atorvastatin and GT3 was used to treat human primary endothelial cells. Protein-level TM expression was measured by flow cytometry. TM functional activity was determined by activated protein C (APC generation assay. Expression of Kruppel-like factor 2 (KLF2, one of the key transcription factors of TM, was measured by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR. TM expression increased in a dose-dependent manner after both atorvastatin and GT3 treatment. A combined treatment of a low-dose of atorvastatin and GT3 synergistically up-regulated TM expression and functional activity. Finally; atorvastatin and GT3 synergistically increased KLF2 expression. These findings suggest that combined treatment of statins with GT3 may provide significant health benefits in treating a number of pathophysiological conditions; including inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases.

Rapamycin up-regulates triglycerides in hepatocytes by down-regulating Prox1.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Sora; Jeon, Ji-Sook; Kim, Su Bin; Hong, Young-Kwon; Ahn, Curie; Sung, Jung-Suk; Choi, Inho

2016-02-27

Although the prolonged use of rapamycin may cause unwanted side effects such as hyperlipidemia, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Prox1 is a transcription factor responsible for the development of several tissues including lymphatics and liver. There is growing evidences that Prox1 participates in metabolism in addition to embryogenesis. However, whether Prox1 is directly related to lipid metabolism is currently unknown. HepG2 human hepatoma cells were treated with rapamycin and total lipids were analyzed by thin layer chromatography. The effect of rapamycin on the expression of Prox1 was determined by western blotting. To investigate the role of Prox1 in triglycerides regulation, siRNA and overexpression system were employed. Rapamycin was injected into mice for 2 weeks and total lipids and proteins in liver were measured by thin layer chromatography and western blot analysis, respectively. Rapamycin up-regulated the amount of triglyceride and down-regulated the expression of Prox1 in HepG2 cells by reducing protein half-life but did not affect its transcript. The loss-of-function of Prox1 was coincident with the increase of triglycerides in HepG2 cells treated with rapamycin. The up-regulation of triglycerides by rapamycin in HepG2 cells reverted to normal levels by the compensation of Prox1 using the overexpression system. Rapamycin also down-regulated Prox1 expression but increased triglycerides in mouse liver. This study suggests that rapamycin can increase the amount of triglycerides by down-regulating Prox1 expression in hepatocytes, which means that the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling is important for the regulation of triglycerides by maintaining Prox1 expression.

Down-regulated miR-448 relieves spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury by up-regulating SIRT1

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Yun Wang

2018-03-01

Full Text Available MicroRNAs play a crucial role in the progression of spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury (SCII. The role of miR-448 and SIRT1 in SCII was investigated in this study, to provide further insights into prevention and improvement of this disorder. In this study, expressions of miR-448 and SIRT1 protein were determined by qRT-PCR and western blot, respectively. Flow cytometry was used to analyze cell apoptosis. The endogenous expression of genes was modulated by recombinant plasmids and cell transfection. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to determine the interaction between miR-448 and SIRT1. The Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan score was used to measure the hind-limb function of rat. The spinal cord ischemia reperfusion injury model of adult rats was developed by abdominal aorta clamping, and the nerve function evaluation was completed by motor deficit index score. In SCII tissues and cells treated with hypoxia, miR-448 was up-regulated while SIRT1 was down-regulated. Hypoxia treatment reduced the expression of SIRT1 through up-regulating miR-448 in nerve cells. Up-regulation of miR-448 induced by hypoxia promoted apoptosis of nerve cells through down-regulating SIRT1. Down-regulated miR-448 improved neurological function and hind-limb motor function of rats with SCII by up-regulating SIRT1. Down-regulated miR-448 inhibited apoptosis of nerve cells and improved neurological function by up-regulating SIRT1, which contributes to relieving SCII.

A 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR) induces organ adhesion by regulating miR-199a* functions.

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Lee, Daniel Y; Shatseva, Tatiana; Jeyapalan, Zina; Du, William W; Deng, Zhaoqun; Yang, Burton B

2009-01-01

Mature microRNAs (miRNAs) are single-stranded RNAs of 18-24 nucleotides that repress post-transcriptional gene expression. However, it is unknown whether the functions of mature miRNAs can be regulated. Here we report that expression of versican 3'UTR induces organ adhesion in transgenic mice by modulating miR-199a* activities. The study was initiated by the hypothesis that the non-coding 3'UTR plays a role in the regulation of miRNA function. Transgenic mice expressing a construct harboring the 3'UTR of versican exhibits the adhesion of organs. Computational analysis indicated that a large number of microRNAs could bind to this fragment potentially including miR-199a*. Expression of versican and fibronectin, two targets of miR-199a*, are up-regulated in transgenic mice, suggesting that the 3'UTR binds and modulates miR-199a* activities, freeing mRNAs of versican and fibronectin from being repressed by miR-199a*. Confirmation of the binding was performed by PCR using mature miR-199a* as a primer and the targeting was performed by luciferase assays. Enhanced adhesion by expression of the 3'UTR was confirmed by in vitro assays. Our results demonstrated that upon arrival in cytoplasm, miRNA activities can be modulated locally by the 3'UTR. Our assay may be developed as sophisticated approaches for studying the mutual regulation of miRNAs and mRNAs in vitro and in vivo. We anticipate that expression of the 3'UTR may be an approach in the development of gene therapy.

Absolute Salinity, ''Density Salinity'' and the Reference-Composition Salinity Scale: present and future use in the seawater standard TEOS-10

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D. G. Wright

2011-01-01

^dens; it stands out as the most appropriate representation of salinity for use in dynamical physical oceanography. The other two salinity variables provide alternative measures of the mass fraction of dissolved material in seawater. "Solution Salinity", denoted S_A^soln, is the most obvious extension of Reference Salinity to allow for composition anomalies; it provides a direct estimate of the mass fraction of dissolved material in solution. "Added-Mass Salinity", denoted S_A^add, is motivated by a method used to report laboratory experiments; it represents the component of dissolved material added to Standard Seawater in terms of the mass of material before it enters solution. We also discuss a constructed conservative variable referred to as "Preformed Salinity", denoted S_∗, which will be useful in process-oriented numerical modelling studies.

Finally, a conceptual framework for the incorporation of composition anomalies in numerical models is presented that builds from studies in which composition anomalies are simply ignored up to studies in which the influences of composition anomalies are accounted for using the results of biogeochemical models.

¹TEOS-10: international Thermodynamic Equation of Seawater 2010, <a href="http://{www.teos-10.org/" target="_blank">http://www.teos-10.org/a>.

PHF13 is a molecular reader and transcriptional co-regulator of H3K4me2/3

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chung, Ho-Ryun; Xu, Chao; Fuchs, Alisa

2016-01-01

and its molecular chromatin context. Size exclusion chromatography, mass spectrometry, X-ray crystallography and ChIP sequencing demonstrate that PHF13 binds chromatin in a multivalent fashion via direct interactions with H3K4me2/3 and DNA, and indirectly via interactions with PRC2 and RNA Pol......II. Furthermore, PHF13 depletion disrupted the interactions between PRC2, RNA PolII S5P, H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 and resulted in the up and down regulation of genes functionally enriched in transcriptional regulation, DNA binding, cell cycle, differentiation and chromatin organization. Together our findings argue...... that PHF13 is an H3K4me2/3 molecular reader and transcriptional co-regulator, affording it the ability to impact different chromatin processes....

Using UCST ionic liquid as a draw solute in forward osmosis to treat high-salinity water

KAUST Repository

Zhong, Yujiang; Feng, Xiaoshuang; Chen, Wei; Wang, Xinbo; Huang, Kuo-Wei; Gnanou, Yves; Lai, Zhiping

2015-01-01

(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([Hbet][Tf2N]) was obtained by heating and maintaining the temperature above 56°C. This solution successfully drew water from high-salinity water up to 3.0 M through FO. When the IL solution cooled to room temperature, it spontaneously separated into a

Evaluation of saline, RPMI and DMEM/F12 for storage of split-thickness skin grafts.

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Boekema, B K H L; Boekestijn, B; Breederveld, R S

2015-06-01

Skin grafting is standard of care for severe burn and trauma patients. Graft sites are often accompanied with more pain than the burn sites. To minimize graft site areas, excess skin remaining after harvesting, is stored in saline at 4°C to be used for transplantation up to 1 week later. However, the optimal storage solution and maximum storage time are not known. We set out to determine the storage time after which stored skin is still viable. In addition, different storage solutions were tested. Split-thickness skin from 15 donors with a thickness of 0.3 mm was stored in normal saline, in medium, RPMI or DMEM/F12, allowing pairwise comparison. Biopsies were taken up to 3 weeks for histology and for skin viability assessment using an MTT based activity assay. Activity of the saline stored control decreased to 62% at day 7 and to 27% at day 14. Activity was retained at a higher level in RPMI and was 78% at day 7 and 70% at day 14. Results with DMEM/F12 showed a similar trend as the saline control. Based on activity, RPMI was found to be superior to DMEM/F12 (on days 3 and 10) and both saline and DMEM/F12 (on days 14 and 21). Capability to proliferate (BrdU incorporation) did not differ between media, up to 7 days. Histologically, the number of apoptotic cells increased in time but differences between media were not noted. Based on these results, RPMI would be an improvement over saline in retaining viability of skin grafts during storage, and possibly in improved take rate. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

CD147 induces up-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor in U937-derived foam cells through PI3K/AKT pathway.

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Zong, JiaXin; Li, YunTian; Du, DaYong; Liu, Yang; Yin, YongJun

2016-11-01

Intraplaque angiogenesis has been recognized as an important risk factor for the rupture of advanced atherosclerotic plaques in recent years. CD147, also called Extracellular Matrix Metalloproteinase Inducer, has been found the ability to promote angiogenesis in many pathological conditions such as cancer diseases and rheumatoid arthritis via the up-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a critical mediator of angiogenesis. We investigated whether CD147 would also induce the up-regulation of VEGF in the foam cells formation process and explored the probable signaling pathway. The results showed the expression of CD147 and VEGF was significantly higher in U937-derived foam cells. After CD147 stealth siRNA transfection treatment, the production of VEGF was reduced depended on the inhibition efficiency of CD147 siRNAs.The special signaling pathway inhibitors LY294002, SP600125, SB203580 and U0126 were added to cultures respectively and the results showed LY294002 dose-dependently inhibited the expression of VEGF. The reduction of phospho-Akt was observed in both LY294002 and siRNA groups, suggested that the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway may be the probable signaling pathway underlying CD147 induced up-regulation of VEGF in U937-derived foam cells. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Physiology of ‘Paluma’ guava under irrigation with saline water and nitrogen fertilization

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Evandro Manoel da Silva

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The use of saline water in irrigation causes osmotic and toxic effects and nutritional imbalance in plants, leading to morphophysiological modifications in the leaves and compromising the production of photosynthetic pigments, which negatively reflects in the growth and development of the crops. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of irrigation water salinity on the content of photosynthetic pigments and leaf morphophysiology of guava seedlings cv. ‘Paluma’ under nitrogen (N fertilization. A randomized block design was used, testing five levels of irrigation water electrical conductivity - ECw (0.3, 1.1, 1.9, 2.7, and 3.5 dS m-1 and four N doses (541.1, 773.0, 1,004.9, and 1,236.8 mg of N dm-3 of soil in a 5 x 4 factorial scheme with three replicates and five plants per plot. The contents of photosynthetic pigments in the leaves of the guava seedlings cv. ‘Paluma’ were inhibited by the increase in irrigation water salinity at 190 days after emergence, and the salt stress was lessened with the N dose of 1,004.9 mg dm-3 up to an ECw level of 1.2 dS m-1. Leaf morphophysiology of guava seedlings was not compromised by irrigation water salinity up to 1.5 dS m-1, and the highest values were obtained in plants fertilized with 541.1 mg of N dm-3.

Salinity management in southern Italy irrigation areas

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Massimo Monteleone

Full Text Available After a synthetic review of the most worrisome pressures applied over soils and waters, general criterions and normative principles that have to lead the technical intervention on soil and water protection are accounted, both with respect to farm activity and land planning. The salinity problem is faced, then, through the analysis of the nature and origin of saline soil and of the complex quantitative relationships able to interpret the accumulation and leaching of soil salts. Having specified the theoretical bases of salinity, the related technical features are then considered in order to define a proper management of soil and waters. Particular relevance is assigned to the irrigation and leaching techniques as well as, more briefly, to other agronomic interventions in order to guarantee the most effective salinity control. Another relevant technical facet of salinity control, although quite often neglected or retained of secondary importance in comparison to irrigation, is the drainage and disposal of leached water. The increased sensibility on the environmental impacts that the disposal of these waters can produce has raised today the level of attention on these procedures that are disciplined by norms of law and, therefore, require appropriate techniques of intervention. Finally, after the different scale orders involved in the management of salinity are defined (from the field and farm level up to the land and basin, the fundamental elements in order to work out a risk analysis and an action program are illustrated; some indications about the most up to date salinity monitoring and mapping methods are also provided, considering their great importance to continuously check the possible broadening of salinization and to carefully maintain its control.

COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF HYPERTONIC SALINE AND NORMAL SALINE SOLUTIONS IN EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED ENDOTOXIC SHOCK IN DOGS

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M. A. ZAFAR, G. MUHAMMAD, M. H. HUSSAIN, T. AHMAD, A. YOUSAF AND I. SARFARAZ

2009-07-01

Full Text Available This study was contemplated to determine the comparative beneficial effects of hypertonic saline solution and sterile saline solution in induced endotoxic shock in dogs. For this purpose, 12 healthy Mongrel dogs were randomly divided into two equal groups (A and B. All the animals were induced endotoxaemia by slow intravenous administration of Escherichia coli endotoxins 0111:B4. Group A was treated with normal saline solution @ 90 ml/kg BW, while group B was given hypertonic saline solution @ 4 ml/kg BW, followed by normal saline solution @ 10 ml/kg BW. Different parameters were observed for evaluation of these fluids including clinical and haematological parameters, serum electrolytes, mean arterial pressure, and blood gases at different time intervals up to 24 hours post treatments. After infusion of respective fluids, all parameters returned to baseline values in both the groups but group B showed better results than group A except bicarbonates, which better recovered in group A. Thus, it was concluded that a small-volume of hypertonic saline solution could be effectively used in reversing the endotoxaemia. Moreover, it provides a rapid and inexpensive resuscitation from endotoxic shock.

Effect of Vetiver Grass on Reduction of Soil Salinity and Some Minerals

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Masoud Noshadi

2017-02-01

salinity 10 dS/m, soil salinity was not well controlled, but soil salinity was lower than the irrigation salinity. In these water salinities, the mean ECes in 0-90 cm soil depth were increased 25.0, 60.4, 79.2, 87.5 and 215.5 percent, respectively, relative to a control treatment, which was much less than the increasing of irrigation water salinities. These increases in ECe were significant at 5% level of probability. The accumulated values of sodium in vetiver leaves showed significant difference between S0 treatment and the other treatments (S3, S4 and S5 at the 5% level of probability. The sodium contents in vetiver leaves were 22.2, 33.3, 70.4, 103.7 and 122.2% and in vetiver roots were 32.7, 66.5, 129.3, 218.2 and 281.8% higher than the control treatments (S0, respectively. Sodium contents in vetiver roots were 103.7, 121.2, 154.4, 174.1, 218.2 and 250% more than sodium contents in vetiver leaves in S0, S1, S2, S3, S4 and S5 treatments, respectively. Sodium contents were increased 14.3, 28.6, 64.3, 100.0 and 114.3 percent in vetiver leavesand 28.6, 64.3, 125.0, 214.3 and 275.0 percent in the vetiver roots , relative to the control treatment, respectively, at above salinity levels, which indicated an improvement of sodium accumulation in leaves and roots with increasing salinity levels. Chloride concentrations at irrigation water salinities S1, S2, S3, S4 and S5 treatments (2-10 dS/m were 22.9, 35.6, 74.5, 107.2 and 121.9% in vetiver leaves and 27.02, 59.7, 118.9, 195.06 and 255.7% in vetiver roots more than control treatment, respectively. The mean values of sodium and chloride in all salinity levels in the roots were 170.3 and 164.1 percent more than the leaves, respectively.There were no significant differences in accumulated potassium in vetiver leaves and roots between different treatments, but vetiver leaves and roots absorbed and accumulated high value of potassium. The potassium contents were 4.38, 4.64, 4.18, 3.89, 3.82 and 3.68 mg/g in vetiver leaves and 3

A 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR induces organ adhesion by regulating miR-199a* functions.

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Daniel Y Lee

Full Text Available Mature microRNAs (miRNAs are single-stranded RNAs of 18-24 nucleotides that repress post-transcriptional gene expression. However, it is unknown whether the functions of mature miRNAs can be regulated. Here we report that expression of versican 3'UTR induces organ adhesion in transgenic mice by modulating miR-199a* activities. The study was initiated by the hypothesis that the non-coding 3'UTR plays a role in the regulation of miRNA function. Transgenic mice expressing a construct harboring the 3'UTR of versican exhibits the adhesion of organs. Computational analysis indicated that a large number of microRNAs could bind to this fragment potentially including miR-199a*. Expression of versican and fibronectin, two targets of miR-199a*, are up-regulated in transgenic mice, suggesting that the 3'UTR binds and modulates miR-199a* activities, freeing mRNAs of versican and fibronectin from being repressed by miR-199a*. Confirmation of the binding was performed by PCR using mature miR-199a* as a primer and the targeting was performed by luciferase assays. Enhanced adhesion by expression of the 3'UTR was confirmed by in vitro assays. Our results demonstrated that upon arrival in cytoplasm, miRNA activities can be modulated locally by the 3'UTR. Our assay may be developed as sophisticated approaches for studying the mutual regulation of miRNAs and mRNAs in vitro and in vivo. We anticipate that expression of the 3'UTR may be an approach in the development of gene therapy.

The NO signaling pathway differentially regulates KCC3a and KCC3b mRNA expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Fulvio, Mauricio; Lauf, Peter K; Adragna, Norma C

2003-11-01

Nitric oxide (NO) donors and protein kinase G (PKG) acutely up-regulate K-Cl cotransporter-1 and -3 (KCC1 and KCC3) mRNA expression in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Here, we report the presence, relative abundance, and regulation by sodium nitroprusside (SNP) of the novel KCC3a and KCC3b mRNAs, in primary cultures of rat VSMCs. KCC3a and KCC3b mRNAs were expressed in an approximate 3:1 ratio, as determined by semiquantitative RT-PCR analysis. SNP as well as YC-1 and 8-Br-cGMP, a NO-independent stimulator of soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) and PKG, respectively, increased KCC3a and KCC3b mRNA expression by 2.5-fold and 8.1-fold in a time-dependent manner, following a differential kinetics. Stimulation of the NO/sGC/PKG signaling pathway with either SNP, YC-1, or 8-Br-cGMP decreased the KCC3a/KCC3b ratio from 3.0+/-0.4 to 0.9+/-0.1. This is the first report on a differential regulation by the NO/sGC/PKG signaling pathway of a cotransporter and of KCC3a and KCC3b mRNA expression.

Tuning of redox regulatory mechanisms, reactive oxygen species and redox homeostasis under salinity stress

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Hossain eSazzad

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Soil salinity is a crucial environmental constraint which limits biomass production at many sites on a global scale. Saline growth conditions cause osmotic and ionic imbalances, oxidative stress and perturb metabolism, e.g. the photosynthetic electron flow. The plant ability to tolerate salinity is determined by multiple biochemical and physiological mechanisms protecting cell functions, in particular by regulating proper water relations and maintaining ion homeostasis. Redox homeostasis is a fundamental cell property. Its regulation includes control of reactive oxygen species (ROS generation, sensing deviation from and readjustment of the cellular redox state. All these redox related functions have been recognized as decisive factors in salinity acclimation and adaptation. This review focuses on the core response of plants to overcome the challenges of salinity stress through regulation of ROS generation and detoxification systems and to maintain redox homeostasis. Emphasis is given to the role of NADH oxidase (RBOH, alternative oxidase (AOX, the plastid terminal oxidase (PTOX and the malate valve with the malate dehydrogenase isoforms under salt stress. Overwhelming evidence assigns an essential auxiliary function of ROS and redox homeostasis to salinity acclimation of plants.

Bottom-up and top-down emotion generation: implications for emotion regulation

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Misra, Supriya; Prasad, Aditya K.; Pereira, Sean C.; Gross, James J.

2012-01-01

Emotion regulation plays a crucial role in adaptive functioning and mounting evidence suggests that some emotion regulation strategies are often more effective than others. However, little attention has been paid to the different ways emotions can be generated: from the ‘bottom-up’ (in response to inherently emotional perceptual properties of the stimulus) or ‘top-down’ (in response to cognitive evaluations). Based on a process priming principle, we hypothesized that mode of emotion generation would interact with subsequent emotion regulation. Specifically, we predicted that top-down emotions would be more successfully regulated by a top-down regulation strategy than bottom-up emotions. To test this hypothesis, we induced bottom-up and top-down emotions, and asked participants to decrease the negative impact of these emotions using cognitive reappraisal. We observed the predicted interaction between generation and regulation in two measures of emotional responding. As measured by self-reported affect, cognitive reappraisal was more successful on top-down generated emotions than bottom-up generated emotions. Neurally, reappraisal of bottom-up generated emotions resulted in a paradoxical increase of amygdala activity. This interaction between mode of emotion generation and subsequent regulation should be taken into account when comparing of the efficacy of different types of emotion regulation, as well as when reappraisal is used to treat different types of clinical disorders. PMID:21296865

Investigation of water and saline solution drops evaporation on a solid substrate

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Orlova Evgenija G.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Experimental investigation water and saline solution drops evaporation on a solid substrate made of anodized aluminum is presented in the paper. Parameters characterizing drop profile have been obtained (contact angle, contact diameter, height. The specific evaporation rate has been calculated from obtained values. It was found that water and saline solution drops with concentration up to 9.1% evaporate in the pinning mode. However, with increasing the salt concentration in the solution up to 16.7% spreading mode was observed. Two stages of drop evaporation depending on change of the evaporation rate have been separated.

HDAC up-regulation in early colon field carcinogenesis is involved in cell tumorigenicity through regulation of chromatin structure.

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Yolanda Stypula-Cyrus

Full Text Available Normal cell function is dependent on the proper maintenance of chromatin structure. Regulation of chromatin structure is controlled by histone modifications that directly influence chromatin architecture and genome function. Specifically, the histone deacetylase (HDAC family of proteins modulate chromatin compaction and are commonly dysregulated in many tumors, including colorectal cancer (CRC. However, the role of HDAC proteins in early colorectal carcinogenesis has not been previously reported. We found HDAC1, HDAC2, HDAC3, HDAC5, and HDAC7 all to be up-regulated in the field of human CRC. Furthermore, we observed that HDAC2 up-regulation is one of the earliest events in CRC carcinogenesis and observed this in human field carcinogenesis, the azoxymethane-treated rat model, and in more aggressive colon cancer cell lines. The universality of HDAC2 up-regulation suggests that HDAC2 up-regulation is a novel and important early event in CRC, which may serve as a biomarker. HDAC inhibitors (HDACIs interfere with tumorigenic HDAC activity; however, the precise mechanisms involved in this process remain to be elucidated. We confirmed that HDAC inhibition by valproic acid (VPA targeted the more aggressive cell line. Using nuclease digestion assays and transmission electron microscopy imaging, we observed that VPA treatment induced greater changes in chromatin structure in the more aggressive cell line. Furthermore, we used the novel imaging technique partial wave spectroscopy (PWS to quantify nanoscale alterations in chromatin. We noted that the PWS results are consistent with the biological assays, indicating a greater effect of VPA treatment in the more aggressive cell type. Together, these results demonstrate the importance of HDAC activity in early carcinogenic events and the unique role of higher-order chromatin structure in determining cell tumorigenicity.

Up-regulation of insulin-like growth factor 2 by ketamine requires glycogen synthase kinase-3 inhibition

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Grieco, Steven F.; Cheng, Yuyan; Eldar-Finkelman, Hagit; Jope, Richard S.; Beurel, Eléonore

2016-01-01

An antidepressant dose of the rapidly-acting ketamine inhibits glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) in mouse hippocampus, and this inhibition is required for the antidepressant effect of ketamine in learned helplessness depression-like behavior. Here we report that treatment with an antidepressant dose of ketamine (10 mg/kg) increased expression of insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) in mouse hippocampus, an effect that required ketamine-induced inhibition of GSK3. Ketamine also inhibited hippocampal GSK3 and increased expression of hippocampal IGF2 in mice when administered after the induction of learned helplessness. Treatment with the specific GSK3 inhibitor L803-mts was sufficient to up-regulate hippocampal IGF2 expression. Administration of IGF2 siRNA reduced ketamine's antidepressant effect in the learned helplessness paradigm. Mice subjected to the learned helplessness paradigm were separated into two groups, those that were resilient (non-depressed) and those that were susceptible (depressed). Non-depressed resilient mice displayed higher expression of IGF2 than susceptible mice. These results indicate that IGF2 contributes to ketamine's antidepressant effect and that IGF2 may confer resilience to depression-like behavior. PMID:27542584

Toll-like receptor 3 signalling up-regulates expression of the HIV co-receptor G-protein coupled receptor 15 on human CD4+ T cells.

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Miriam Kiene

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Many HIV-2 and SIV isolates, as well as some HIV-1 strains, can use the orphan 7-transmembrane receptor GPR15 as co-receptor for efficient entry into host cells. GPR15 is expressed on central memory and effector memory CD4(+ T cells in healthy individuals and a subset of these cells is susceptible to HIV-1 and SIV infection. However, it has not been determined whether GPR15 expression is altered in the context of HIV-1 infection. RESULTS: Here, we show that GPR15 expression in CD4(+ T cells is markedly up-regulated in some HIV-1 infected individuals compared to the rest of the infected patients and to healthy controls. Infection of the PM1 T cell line with primary HIV-1 isolates was found to up-regulate GPR15 expression on the infected cells, indicating that viral components can induce GPR15 expression. Up-regulation of GPR15 expression on CD4(+ T cells was induced by activation of Toll-like receptor 3 signalling via TIR-domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β (TRIF and was more prominent on gut-homing compared to lymph node-homing CD4(+ T cells. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that infection-induced up-regulation of GPR15 expression could increase susceptibility of CD4(+ T cells to HIV infection and target cell availability in the gut in some infected individuals.

Salinity Effects on Germination Properties ofPurslane (Portulaca oleracea L.

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m Kafi

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract In order to study seed germination and seedling growth responses of purslane to different levels of salinity, an experiment was conducted in a completely randomized desgin with six levels of salinity (0, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 dS/m using NaCl and five replications. Persentage and rate of germination, length and dry weight of radicle and plumule were measured, and ratio radicle to plumule length, mean germination time and seedling vigor index were calculated. The results showed that up to 28 dS/m salinity did not impose any significant different in germination percentage compared with control, but in 35 dS/m salinity it decreased to 19%. germination rate did not show any significant different up to 14 dS/m in comparison with control but beyond this level it significantly decreased with increasing salt stress. Mean germination time up to 21 dS/m did not have significant different in comparison with control, but increased with increasing salinity significantly. Length, fresh and dry weight of radicle and plumule, and seedling vigor index significantly decreased by increasing salinity. Ratio of radicle to plumule length decreased with increasing salt concentration, but there were not significant different among salt levels. According to the results, the germination stage of purslane is remarkably resistant to elevated levels of salinity and it seems that by exerting proper management in farms, it could be established in saline environments. Keywords: Plumule, Radicle, Seedlings of purslane

High salinity relay as a post-harvest processing method for reducing Vibrio vulnificus levels in oysters (Crassostrea virginica).

Science.gov (United States)

Audemard, Corinne; Kator, Howard I; Reece, Kimberly S

2018-08-20

High salinity relay of Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) was evaluated as a post-harvest processing (PHP) method for reducing Vibrio vulnificus. This approach relies on the exposure of oysters to natural high salinity waters and preserves a live product compared to previously approved PHPs. Although results of prior studies evaluating high salinity relay as a means to decrease V. vulnificus levels were promising, validation of this method as a PHP following approved guidelines is required. This study was designed to provide data for validation of this method following Food and Drug Administration (FDA) PHP validation guidelines. During each of 3 relay experiments, oysters cultured from 3 different Chesapeake Bay sites of contrasting salinities (10-21 psu) were relayed without acclimation to high salinity waters (31-33 psu) for up to 28 days. Densities of V. vulnificus and densities of total and pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus (as tdh positive strains) were measured using an MPN-quantitative PCR approach. Overall, 9 lots of oysters were relayed with 6 exhibiting initial V. vulnificus >10,000/g. As recommended by the FDA PHP validation guidelines, these lots reached both the 3.52 log reduction and the levels ranged from 2 to 61% after 28 days of relay. Although the identification of the factors implicated in oyster mortality will require further examination, this study strongly supports the validation of high salinity relay as an effective PHP method to reduce levels of V. vulnificus in oysters to endpoint levels approved for human consumption. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dual effects of fructose on ChREBP and FoxO1/3α are responsible for AldoB up-regulation and vascular remodelling.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Wei; Chang, Tuanjie; Li, Xiao-Qiang; Wang, Rui; Wu, Lingyun

2017-02-01

Increased production of methylglyoxal (MG) in vascular tissues is one of the causative factors for vascular remodelling in different subtypes of metabolic syndrome, including hypertension and insulin resistance. Fructose-induced up-regulation of aldolase B (AldoB) contributes to increased vascular MG production but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Serum levels of MG and fructose were determined in diabetic patients with hypertension. MG level had significant positive correlations with blood pressure and fructose level respectively. C57BL/6 mice were fed with control or fructose-enriched diet for 3 months and ultrasonographic and histologic analyses were performed to evaluate arterial structural changes. Fructose-fed mice exhibited hypertension and high levels of serum MG with normal glucose level. Fructose intake increased blood vessel wall thickness and vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation. Western blotting and real-time PCR analysis revealed that AldoB level was significantly increased in both the aorta of fructose-fed mice and the fructose-treated VSMCs, whereas aldolase A (AldoA) expression was not changed. The knockdown of AldoB expression prevented fructose-induced MG overproduction and VSMC proliferation. Moreover, fructose significantly increased carbohydrate-responsive element-binding protein (ChREBP), phosphorylated FoxO1/3α and Akt1 levels. Fructose induced translocation of ChREBP from the cytosol to nucleus and activated AldoB gene expression, which was inhibited by the knockdown of ChREBP. Meanwhile, fructose caused FoxO1/3α shuttling from the nucleus to cytosol and inhibited its binding to AldoB promoter region. Fructose-induced AldoB up-regulation was suppressed by Akt1 inhibitor but enhanced by FoxO1/3α siRNA. Collectively, fructose activates ChREBP and inactivates FoxO1/3α pathways to up-regulate AldoB expression and MG production, leading to vascular remodelling. © 2017 The Author(s). published by Portland Press Limited on

Up-regulated microRNA-143 in cancer stem cells differentiation promotes prostate cancer cells metastasis by modulating FNDC3B expression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, Xinlan; Chen, Xu; Deng, Weixi; Zhong, Guangzheng; Cai, Qingqing; Lin, Tianxin

2013-01-01

Metastatic prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death in men. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are involved in tumor progression and metastasis, including in prostate cancer. There is an obvious and urgent need for effective cancer stem cells specific therapies in metastatic prostate cancer. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an important class of pervasive genes that are involved in a variety of biological functions, especially in cancer. The goal of this study was to identify miRNAs involved in prostate cancer metastasis and cancer stem cells. A microarray and qRT-PCR were performed to investigate the miRNA expression profiles in PC-3 sphere cells and adherent cells. A transwell assay was used to evaluate the migration of PC-3 sphere cells and adherent cells. MiR-143 was silenced with antisense oligonucleotides in PC-3, PC-3-M and LNCaP cells. The role of miR-143 in prostate cancer metastasis was measured by wound-healing and transwell assays in vitro and bioluminescence imaging in vivo. Bioinformatics and luciferase report assays were used to identify the target of miR-143. The expression of miR-143 and the migration capability were reduced in PC-3 sphere cells and progressively increased during sphere re-adherent culture. Moreover, the down-regulation of miR-143 suppressed prostate cancer cells migration and invasion in vitro and systemically inhibited metastasis in vivo. Fibronectin type III domain containing 3B (FNDC3B), which regulates cell motility, was identified as a target of miR-143. The inhibition of miR-143 increased the expression of FNDC3B protein but not FNDC3B mRNA in vitro and vivo. These data demonstrate for the first time that miR-143 was up-regulated during the differentiation of prostate cancer stem cells and promoted prostate cancer metastasis by repressing FNDC3B expression. This sheds a new insight into the post-transcriptional regulation of cancer stem cells differentiation by miRNAs, a potential approach for the treatment of prostate cancer

Genes up-regulated during red coloration in UV-B irradiated lettuce leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jong-Sug; Choung, Myoung-Gun; Kim, Jung-Bong; Hahn, Bum-Soo; Kim, Jong-Bum; Bae, Shin-Chul; Roh, Kyung-Hee; Kim, Yong-Hwan; Cheon, Choong-Ill; Sung, Mi-Kyung; Cho, Kang-Jin

2007-04-01

Molecular analysis of gene expression differences between green and red lettuce leaves was performed using the SSH method. BlastX comparisons of subtractive expressed sequence tags (ESTs) indicated that 7.6% of clones encoded enzymes involved in secondary metabolism. Such clones had a particularly high abundance of flavonoid-metabolism proteins (6.5%). Following SSH, 566 clones were rescreened for differential gene expression using dot-blot hybridization. Of these, 53 were found to overexpressed during red coloration. The up-regulated expression of six genes was confirmed by Northern blot analyses. The expression of chalcone synthase (CHS), flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H), and dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR) genes showed a positive correlation with anthocyanin accumulation in UV-B-irradiated lettuce leaves; flavonoid 3',5'-hydroxylase (F3',5'H) and anthocyanidin synthase (ANS) were expressed continuously in both samples. These results indicated that the genes CHS, F3H, and DFR coincided with increases in anthocyanin accumulation during the red coloration of lettuce leaves. This study show a relationship between red coloration and the expression of up-regulated genes in lettuce. The subtractive cDNA library and EST database described in this study represent a valuable resource for further research for secondary metabolism in the vegetable crops.

Interpopulation differences in expression of candidate genes for salinity tolerance in winter migrating anadromous brown trout ( Salmo trutta L.)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Peter Foged; Eg Nielsen, Einar; Koed, Anders

2008-01-01

Background: Winter migration of immature brown trout (Salmo trutta) into freshwater rivers has been hypothesized to result from physiologically stressful combinations of high salinity and low temperature in the sea. Results: We sampled brown trout from two Danish populations entering different...... conditions in the sea drive sea-run brown trout into freshwater rivers in winter. However, our results also demonstrate intra-specific differences in expression of important stress and osmoregulative genes most likely reflecting adaptive differences between trout populations on a regional scale, thus...... was found in trout from the river entering high saline conditions, while a temperature independent up-regulation of both genes in full-strength seawater was found for trout entering marine conditions with lower salinities. Conclusion: Overall our results support the hypothesis that physiologically stressful...

Histone acetylation associated up-regulation of the cell wall related genes is involved in salt stress induced maize root swelling

OpenAIRE

Li, Hui; Yan, Shihan; Zhao, Lin; Tan, Junjun; Zhang, Qi; Gao, Fei; Wang, Pu; Hou, Haoli; Li, Lijia

2014-01-01

Background Salt stress usually causes crop growth inhibition and yield decrease. Epigenetic regulation is involved in plant responses to environmental stimuli. The epigenetic regulation of the cell wall related genes associated with the salt-induced cellular response is still little known. This study aimed to analyze cell morphological alterations in maize roots as a consequence of excess salinity in relation to the transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of the cell wall related protein ge...

Growth and root development of four mangrove seedlings under varying salinity

Science.gov (United States)

Basyuni, M.; Keliat, D. A.; Lubis, M. U.; Manalu, N. B.; Syuhada, A.; Wati, R.; Yunasfi

2018-03-01

This present study describes four mangrove seedlings namely Bruguiera cylindrica, B. sexangula, Ceriops tagal, and Rhizophora apiculata in response to salinity with particular emphasis to root development. The seedlings of four mangroves were grown for 5 months in 0%, 0.5%, 1.5%, 2.0% and 3.0% salt concentration. Salinity significantly decreased the growth (diameter and plant height) of all mangrove seedlings. Root developments were observed from the tap and lateral root. The number, length and diameter of both roots-typed of B. cylindrica, B. sexangula and C. tagal seedlings significantly decreased with increasing salt concentration with optimum development at 0.5% salinity. By contrast, the number, length, and diameter of tap root of R. apiculata seedlings were significantly enhanced by salt with maximal stimulation at 0.5%, and this increase was attenuated by increasing salinity. On the other hand, lateral root development of R. apiculata significantly thrived up to 1.5% salinity then decreasing with the increasing salinity. The different response of root development suggested valuable information for mangrove rehabilitation in North Sumatra and their adaption to withstand salt stress.

MTA3 regulates CGB5 and Snail genes in trophoblast

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Ying [Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (United States); Miyazaki, Jun [Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Fujita Health University, Toyoake (Japan); Division of Molecular Genetics, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake (Japan); Nishizawa, Haruki [Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Fujita Health University, Toyoake (Japan); Kurahashi, Hiroki [Division of Molecular Genetics, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake (Japan); Leach, Richard, E-mail: Richard.Leach@hc.msu.edu [Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (United States); Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health, Spectrum Health Medical Group, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (United States); Wang, Kai, E-mail: Kai.Wang@hc.msu.edu [Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (United States)

2013-04-19

Highlights: •Impaired MTA3, raised CGB5 and Snail expression are associated with preeclampsia. •Knock-down of MTA3 causes up-regulation of CGB5 and Snail genes in BeWo cells. •MTA3 occupies CGB5 and Snail gene promoters in BeWo cells. -- Abstract: Secreted by the placental trophoblast, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is an important hormone during pregnancy and is required for the maintenance of pregnancy. Previous studies have shown that dys-regulation of hCG expression is associated with preeclampsia. However, the exact relationship between altered hCG levels and development of preeclampsia is unknown. Metastasis associated protein 3 (MTA3), a chromatin remodeling protein, is abundantly expressed in the placental trophoblasts, but its function is unknown. In breast cancer, MTA3 has been shown to repress the expression of Snail and cell migration. However, whether MTA3 acts similarly in the trophoblast has not been investigated. In the present study, we examined the role of MTA3 in regulating the hCG β-subunit gene (gene name: CGB5) and Snail expression in the trophoblast cell line, BeWo, as well as its relevance to the high hCG expression levels seen in preeclampsia. First, we investigated MTA3 expression in preeclamptic placenta as compared to normal control placenta via gene expression microarray and qRT-PCR and found that MTA3 was significantly down-regulated, whereas both CGB5 and Snail were up-regulated in preeclamptic placenta. Secondly, we knocked down MTA3 gene in trophoblast cell line BeWo and found Snail and hCG were both up-regulated, suggesting that MTA3 represses Snail and hCG gene expression in trophoblasts. Next, we cloned the CGB5 and Snail promoters into the pGL3-basic vector individually and found that silencing of MTA3 by siRNA resulted in an increase of both CGB5 and Snail promoter activities. To confirm that this MTA3 inhibition is a direct effect, we performed a chromatin immune-precipitation (ChIP) assay and found that MTA3

MTA3 regulates CGB5 and Snail genes in trophoblast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Ying; Miyazaki, Jun; Nishizawa, Haruki; Kurahashi, Hiroki; Leach, Richard; Wang, Kai

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Impaired MTA3, raised CGB5 and Snail expression are associated with preeclampsia. •Knock-down of MTA3 causes up-regulation of CGB5 and Snail genes in BeWo cells. •MTA3 occupies CGB5 and Snail gene promoters in BeWo cells. -- Abstract: Secreted by the placental trophoblast, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is an important hormone during pregnancy and is required for the maintenance of pregnancy. Previous studies have shown that dys-regulation of hCG expression is associated with preeclampsia. However, the exact relationship between altered hCG levels and development of preeclampsia is unknown. Metastasis associated protein 3 (MTA3), a chromatin remodeling protein, is abundantly expressed in the placental trophoblasts, but its function is unknown. In breast cancer, MTA3 has been shown to repress the expression of Snail and cell migration. However, whether MTA3 acts similarly in the trophoblast has not been investigated. In the present study, we examined the role of MTA3 in regulating the hCG β-subunit gene (gene name: CGB5) and Snail expression in the trophoblast cell line, BeWo, as well as its relevance to the high hCG expression levels seen in preeclampsia. First, we investigated MTA3 expression in preeclamptic placenta as compared to normal control placenta via gene expression microarray and qRT-PCR and found that MTA3 was significantly down-regulated, whereas both CGB5 and Snail were up-regulated in preeclamptic placenta. Secondly, we knocked down MTA3 gene in trophoblast cell line BeWo and found Snail and hCG were both up-regulated, suggesting that MTA3 represses Snail and hCG gene expression in trophoblasts. Next, we cloned the CGB5 and Snail promoters into the pGL3-basic vector individually and found that silencing of MTA3 by siRNA resulted in an increase of both CGB5 and Snail promoter activities. To confirm that this MTA3 inhibition is a direct effect, we performed a chromatin immune-precipitation (ChIP) assay and found that MTA3

Regulation of cation transporter genes by the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in rice plants subjected to salinity suggests improved salt tolerance due to reduced Na(+) root-to-shoot distribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Porcel, Rosa; Aroca, Ricardo; Azcon, Rosario; Ruiz-Lozano, Juan Manuel

2016-10-01

Rice is a salt-sensitive crop whose productivity is strongly reduced by salinity around the world. Plants growing in saline soils are subjected to the toxicity of specific ions such as sodium, which damage cell organelles and disrupt metabolism. Plants have evolved biochemical and molecular mechanisms to cope with the negative effects of salinity. These include the regulation of genes with a role in the uptake, transport or compartmentation of Na(+) and/or K(+). Studies have shown that the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis alleviates salt stress in several host plant species. However, despite the abundant literature showing mitigation of ionic imbalance by the AM symbiosis, the molecular mechanisms involved are barely explored. The objective of this study was to elucidate the effects of the AM symbiosis on the expression of several well-known rice transporters involved in Na(+)/K(+) homeostasis and measure Na(+) and K(+) contents and their ratios in different plant tissues. Results showed that OsNHX3, OsSOS1, OsHKT2;1 and OsHKT1;5 genes were considerably upregulated in AM plants under saline conditions as compared to non-AM plants. Results suggest that the AM symbiosis favours Na(+) extrusion from the cytoplasm, its sequestration into the vacuole, the unloading of Na(+) from the xylem and its recirculation from photosynthetic organs to roots. As a result, there is a decrease of Na(+) root-to-shoot distribution and an increase of Na(+) accumulation in rice roots which seems to enhance the plant tolerance to salinity and allows AM rice plants to maintain their growing processes under salt conditions.

Textured saline-filled breast implants for augmentation mammaplasty: does overfilling prevent deflation? A long-term follow-up.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Sabounchi, Shareef; De Mey, Albert M G; Eder, Helga

2006-07-01

Augmentation mammaplasty is the second most commonly performed aesthetic operation. Since the moratorium on gel-filled devices in 1992, saline-filled devices have become the prosthesis of choice in the United States. Although inflatable breast implants have been available since 1965, high rates of complete implant deflation have been reported. In this retrospective study, the authors highlight the effect of filling volume on the incidence of implant deflation, other implant-related trade-offs, and implant survival. Forty-nine women who had undergone aesthetic augmentation mammaplasty were followed up for up to 139 months. Twelve implants were underfilled (group 1), 47 devices were filled within the recommended volume (group 2), and 37 implants were overfilled beyond the manufacturer's maximum recommended volume (group 3). All the implants used were of the same type and from the same manufacturer (Siltex by Mentor, 2600). Through an inframammary approach, subpectoral placement of the device was used exclusively. Nineteen women experienced complete deflation of their implants, with an overall implant complete deflation rate of 19.79 percent. This complication occurred in 16.6 percent of group 1 patients, 21.2 percent of group 2, and 18.9 percent of group 3. Skin wrinkling and rippling were encountered in 50 percent of group 1, 29.78 percent of group 2, and 43.2 percent of group 3, with an overall incidence of 37.5 percent. In this series, the authors could not find a protective effect of overfilling on complete deflation (p = 0.925) nor on the avoidance of rippling and wrinkling (p = 0.285). Moreover, overfilling by more than 25 ml beyond the maximum recommended dose showed no statistical significance for the frequency of complete deflation (p = 0.982) or for the incidence of wrinkling and rippling (p = 0.828). However, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that overfilling the implants prolonged their longevity and had a statistically significant effect on the

Effective bioremediation of a petroleum-polluted saline soil by a surfactant-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa consortium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Ebadi

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Bacteria able to produce biosurfactants can use petroleum-based hydrocarbons as a carbon source. Herein, four biosurfactant-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, isolated from oil-contaminated saline soil, were combined to form a bacterial consortium. The inoculation of the consortium to contaminated soil alleviated the adverse effects of salinity on biodegradation and increased the rate of degradation of petroleum hydrocarbon approximately 30% compared to the rate achieved in non-treated soil. In saline condition, treatment of polluted soil with the consortium led to a significant boost in the activity of dehydrogenase (approximately 2-fold. A lettuce seedling bioassay showed that, following the treatment, the soil's level of phytotoxicity was reduced up to 30% compared to non-treated soil. Treatment with an appropriate bacterial consortium can represent an effective means of reducing the adverse effects of salinity on the microbial degradation of petroleum and thus provides enhancement in the efficiency of microbial remediation of oil-contaminated saline soils.

The mechanism of functional up-regulation of P2X3 receptors of trigeminal sensory neurons in a genetic mouse model of familial hemiplegic migraine type 1 (FHM-1.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Swathi K Hullugundi

Full Text Available A knock-in (KI mouse model of FHM-1 expressing the R192Q missense mutation of the Cacna1a gene coding for the α1 subunit of CaV2.1 channels shows, at the level of the trigeminal ganglion, selective functional up-regulation of ATP -gated P2X3 receptors of sensory neurons that convey nociceptive signals to the brainstem. Why P2X3 receptors are constitutively more responsive, however, remains unclear as their membrane expression and TRPV1 nociceptor activity are the same as in wildtype (WT neurons. Using primary cultures of WT or KI trigeminal ganglia, we investigated whether soluble compounds that may contribute to initiating (or maintaining migraine attacks, such as TNFα, CGRP, and BDNF, might be responsible for increasing P2X3 receptor responses. Exogenous application of TNFα potentiated P2X3 receptor-mediated currents of WT but not of KI neurons, most of which expressed both the P2X3 receptor and the TNFα receptor TNFR2. However, sustained TNFα neutralization failed to change WT or KI P2X3 receptor currents. This suggests that endogenous TNFα does not regulate P2X3 receptor responses. Nonetheless, on cultures made from both genotypes, exogenous TNFα enhanced TRPV1 receptor-mediated currents expressed by a few neurons, suggesting transient amplification of TRPV1 nociceptor responses. CGRP increased P2X3 receptor currents only in WT cultures, although prolonged CGRP receptor antagonism or BDNF neutralization reduced KI currents to WT levels. Our data suggest that, in KI trigeminal ganglion cultures, constitutive up-regulation of P2X3 receptors probably is already maximal and is apparently contributed by basal CGRP and BDNF levels, thereby rendering these neurons more responsive to extracellular ATP.

Global Temperature and Salinity Profile Programme (GTSPP) Data, 1985-present

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Global Temperature-Salinity Profile Programme (GTSPP) develops and maintains a global ocean temperature and salinity resource with data that are both up-to-date...

Expression and regulation of the endogenous retrovirus 3 (ERV3 in Hodgkin’s lymphoma cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefanie eKewitz

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Human endogenous retroviruses (ERV are an integral part of our genome. Expression of ERV is usually switched off but reactivation of ERV has been observed in varying human diseases including cancer. Recently, reactivation of ERV associated promoters in Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL cells has been described. Despite relatively good prognosis, not all patients with HL can be cured with the established therapy and this therapy is associated with severe late side effects. Therefore, new targets are required for the development of future treatment strategies. Reactivated ERV might represent such target structures. Therefore, we asked which ERV loci are expressed in HL cells. Using DNA microarray analysis, we found no evidence for a general activation of ERV transcription in HL cells. In contrast, we observed down-regulation of ERV3, an ERV with potential tumor suppressor function, in HL cells in comparison to normal blood cells. Interestingly, ERV3 was also differentially expressed in published DNA microarray data from resting versus cycling B cells. Treatment of HL cells with the histone deacetylase inhibitor vorinostat strongly up-regulated ERV3 expression. In addition, we observed up-regulation in HL cells after treatment with hypoxia-mimetic cobalt(II chloride. Like vorinostat, cobalt(II chloride inhibited cell growth of HL cells. Our results suggest that cell cycle inhibition of HL cells is accompanied by up-regulation of ERV3.

Ambient salinity modifies the action of triiodothyronine in the air-breathing fish Anabas testudineus Bloch: effects on mitochondria-rich cell distribution, osmotic and metabolic regulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Peter, M C Subhash; Leji, J; Peter, Valsa S

2011-04-01

The hydromineral and metabolic actions of thyroid hormone on osmotic acclimation in fish is less understood. We, therefore, studied the short-term action of triiodothyronine (T(3)), the potent thyroid hormone, on the distribution and the function of gill mitochondria-rich (MR) cells and on the whole body hydromineral and metabolic regulations of air-breathing fish (Anabas testudineus) adapted to either freshwater (FW) or acclimated to seawater (SA; 30 g L(-1)). As expected, 24 h T(3) injection (100 ng g(-1)) elevated (Pfish, suggest an action of T(3) on gill MR cell migration, though the density of these cells remained unchanged after T(3) treatment. The ouabain-sensitive Na(+), K(+)-ATPase activity, a measure of hydromineral competence, showed increases (Pfish after T(3) administration, but inhibited (Pfish and not in the SA fish. Exogenous T(3) reduced glucose (Pfish, whereas these metabolites were elevated (Pfish, suggesting a modulatory effect of ambient salinity on the T(3)-driven metabolic actions. Our data identify gill MR cell as a target for T(3) action as it promotes the spatial distribution and the osmotic function of these cells in both fresh water and in seawater. The results besides confirming the metabolic and osmotic actions of T(3) in fish support the hypothesis that the differential actions of T(3) may be due to the direct influence of ambient salinity, a major environmental determinant that alters the osmotic and metabolic strategies of fish. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enhancement of salinity tolerance in wheat through soil applied calcium carbide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Ahmad

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Calcium carbide (CaC2 has been reported to increase growth and yield of crops under normal soil conditions. This study assessed its capacity to enhance salinity tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.; cv- 1076 under saline conditions. Three levels of salinity: 0, 7 and 12 dS m-1 were created using NaCl. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were applied as ammonium sulphate and KH2PO4 at 50 and 25 mg kg-1 soil, respectively. The encapsulated calcium carbide (ECC at 45 mg kg-1 soil produced 1291.8 µmols of acetylene (C2H2 and 257.5 µmols of its product ethylene (C2H4 over a period of 80 days. The results of the pot study indicated that ECC increased the weight of spike, weight of grains per spike, length of spike, total water concentration, root/shoot ratio and relative leaf water content up to 17, 23, 22, 35, 33 and 3%, respectively, over the control. Contrary to this, salinity (at 12 dS m -1 decreased all these parameters up to 68, 60, 26, 30, 28 and 8%, respectively, compared to the control. These results indicate that ECC enhances salinity tolerance in wheat by improving uptake of nutrients through enhanced root growth, increased hydraulic conductivity and hormonal action of ethylene released by ECC. Total water concentration was positively correlated (0.73 with grains spike-1 at P ≤ 0.05

Histones Induce the Procoagulant Phenotype of Endothelial Cells through Tissue Factor Up-Regulation and Thrombomodulin Down-Regulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ji Eun; Yoo, Hyun Ju; Gu, Ja Yoon; Kim, Hyun Kyung

2016-01-01

The high circulating levels of histones found in various thrombotic diseases may compromise the anticoagulant barrier of endothelial cells. We determined how histones affect endothelial procoagulant tissue factor (TF) and anticoagulant thrombomodulin (TM). Surface antigens, soluble forms, and mRNA levels of TF and TM were measured by flow cytometry, ELISA, and real-time RT-PCR, respectively. TF and TM activity were measured using procoagulant activity, thrombin generation, or chromogenic assays. Involvement of the toll-like receptor (TLR) was assessed using the neutralizing antibodies. Histones dose-dependently induced surface antigens, activity and mRNA levels of endothelial TF. Histone-treated endothelial cells significantly shortened the lag time and enhanced the endogenous thrombin potential of normal plasma, which was normalized by a TF neutralizing antibody. Histones induced phosphatidylserine and protein-disulfide isomerase expression in endothelial cells. Histones also reduced the surface antigen, activity, and mRNA levels of endothelial TM. Polysialic acid and heparin reversed the histone-induced TF up-regulation and TM down-regulation. Activated protein C did not affect the TF up-regulation, but interrupted TM down-regulation. TLR2, and TLR4 inhibitors partially blocked the TF up-regulation. Histones induced the endothelial procoagulant phenotype through TF up-regulation and TM down-regulation. The effects of histones were partly mediated by TLR2, TLR4. Strategies to inhibit the harmful effects of histones in endothelial cells may be required in order to prevent a thrombotic environment.

Physiological impact of salinity increase at organisms and red blood cell levels in the European flounder (Platichthys flesus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, F.B.; Lecklin, T.; Busk, M.

2002-01-01

Erythrocyte, Hyperosmotic shrinkage, Oxygen affinity, Oxygenation-dependent RVI, Salinity challenge, Volume regulation......Erythrocyte, Hyperosmotic shrinkage, Oxygen affinity, Oxygenation-dependent RVI, Salinity challenge, Volume regulation...

Epinephrine Improves the Efficacy of Nebulized Hypertonic Saline in Moderate Bronchiolitis: A Randomised Clinical Trial.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J Carlos Flores-González

Full Text Available There is no evidence that the epinephrine-3% hypertonic saline combination is more effective than 3% hypertonic saline alone for treating infants hospitalized with acute bronchiolitis. We evaluated the efficacy of nebulized epinephrine in 3% hypertonic saline.We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in 208 infants hospitalized with acute moderate bronchiolitis. Infants were randomly assigned to receive nebulized 3% hypertonic saline with either 3 mL of epinephrine or 3 mL of placebo, administered every four hours. The primary outcome measure was the length of hospital stay.A total of 185 infants were analyzed: 94 in the epinephrine plus 3% hypertonic saline group and 91 in the placebo plus 3% hypertonic saline group. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were similar in both groups. Length of hospital stay was significantly reduced in the epinephrine group as compared with the placebo group (3.94 ±1.88 days vs. 4.82 ±2.30 days, P = 0.011. Disease severity also decreased significantly earlier in the epinephrine group (P = 0.029 and P = 0.036 on days 3 and 5, respectively.In our setting, nebulized epinephrine in 3% hypertonic saline significantly shortens hospital stay in hospitalized infants with acute moderate bronchiolitis compared to 3% hypertonic saline alone, and improves the clinical scores of severity from the third day of treatment, but not before.EudraCT 2009-016042-57.

Genetic variation of transgenerational plasticity of offspring germination in response to salinity stress and the seed transcriptome of Medicago truncatula.

Science.gov (United States)

Vu, Wendy T; Chang, Peter L; Moriuchi, Ken S; Friesen, Maren L

2015-04-01

Transgenerational plasticity provides phenotypic variation that contributes to adaptation. For plants, the timing of seed germination is critical for offspring survival in stressful environments, as germination timing can alter the environmental conditions a seedling experiences. Stored seed transcripts are important determinants of seed germination, but have not previously been linked with transgenerational plasticity of germination behavior. In this study we used RNAseq and growth chamber experiments of the model legume M. trucantula to test whether parental exposure to salinity stress influences the expression of stored seed transcripts and early offspring traits and test for genetic variation. We detected genotype-dependent parental environmental effects (transgenerational plasticity) on the expression levels of stored seed transcripts, seed size, and germination behavior of four M. truncatula genotypes. More than 50% of the transcripts detected in the mature, ungerminated seed transcriptome were annotated as regulating seed germination, some of which are involved in abiotic stress response and post-embryonic development. Some genotypes showed increased seed size in response to parental exposure to salinity stress, but no parental environmental influence on germination timing. In contrast, other genotypes showed no seed size differences across contrasting parental conditions but displayed transgenerational plasticity for germimation timing, with significantly delayed germination in saline conditions when parental plants were exposed to salinity. In genotypes that show significant transgenerational plastic germination response, we found significant coexpression networks derived from salt responsive transcripts involved in post-transcriptional regulation of the germination pathway. Consistent with the delayed germination response to saline conditions in these genotypes, we found genes associated with dormancy and up-regulation of abscisic acid (ABA). Our results

Myostatin signaling is up-regulated in female patients with advanced heart failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishida, Junichi; Konishi, Masaaki; Saitoh, Masakazu; Anker, Markus; Anker, Stefan D; Springer, Jochen

2017-07-01

Myostatin, a negative regulator of skeletal muscle mass, is up-regulated in the myocardium of heart failure (HF) and increased myostatin is associated with weight loss in animal models with HF. Although there are disparities in pathophysiology and epidemiology between male and female patients with HF, it remains unclear whether there is gender difference in myostatin expression and whether it is associated with weight loss in HF patients. Heart tissue samples were collected from patients with advanced heart failure (n=31, female n=5) as well as healthy control donors (n=14, female n=6). Expression levels of myostatin and its related proteins in the heart were evaluated by western blotting analysis. Body mass index was significantly lower in female HF patients than in male counterparts (20.0±4.2 in female vs 25.2±3.8 in male, p=0.04). In female HF patients, both mature myostatin and pSmad2 were significantly up-regulated by 1.9 fold (p=0.05) and 2.5 fold (pmyostatin was not. There was no significant difference in protein expression related to myostatin signaling between male and female patients. In this study, myostatin and pSmad2 were significantly up-regulated in the failing heart of female patients, but not male patients, and female patients displayed lower body mass index. Enhanced myostatin signaling in female failing heart may causally contribute to pathogenesis of HF and cardiac cachexia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fresh meteoric versus recirculated saline groundwater nutrient inputs into a subtropical estuary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadat-Noori, Mahmood; Santos, Isaac R.; Tait, Douglas R.; Maher, Damien T.

2016-01-01

The role of groundwater in transporting nutrients to coastal aquatic systems has recently received considerable attention. However, the relative importance of fresh versus saline groundwater-derived nutrient inputs to estuaries and how these groundwater pathways may alter surface water N:P ratios remains poorly constrained. We performed detailed time series measurements of nutrients in a tidal estuary (Hat Head, NSW, Australia) and used radium to quantify the contribution of fresh and saline groundwater to total surface water estuarine exports under contrasting hydrological conditions (wet and dry season). Tidally integrated nutrient fluxes showed that the estuary was a source of nutrients to the coastal waters. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) export was 7-fold higher than the average global areal flux rate for rivers likely due to the small catchment size, surrounding wetlands and high groundwater inputs. Fresh groundwater discharge was dominant in the wet season accounting for up to 45% of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) and 48% of total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) estuarine exports. In the dry season, fresh and saline groundwater accounted for 21 and 33% of TDN export, respectively. The combined fresh and saline groundwater fluxes of NO_3, PO_4, NH_4, DON, DOP, TDN and TDP were estimated to account for 66, 58, 55, 31, 21, 53 and 47% of surface water exports, respectively. Groundwater-derived nitrogen inputs to the estuary were responsible for a change in the surface water N:P ratio from typical N-limiting conditions to P-limiting as predicted by previous studies. This shows the importance of both fresh and saline groundwater as a source of nutrients for coastal productivity and nutrient budgets of coastal waters. - Highlights: • Groundwater TDN and TDP fluxes account for 53 and 47% of surface water exports. • The estuary DIN export was 7-fold higher than the average global areal flux. • Fresh GW nutrient input dominated the wet season and saline GW the

Millennial changes of the Baltic Sea salinity. Studies of the sensitivity of the salinity to climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gustafsson, Bo G.

2004-05-01

An important question for safety assessments of nuclear waste repositories is the salinity of the Baltic Sea under different conditions. The salinity affects the potential recipient ecosystems, the water turnover along the coast and the hydrology as well as the groundwater chemistry. In this report a model that enables computation of the Baltic Sea salinity for different sea level positions and freshwater supplies is presented. The model is used to compute the salinities in Baltic proper, Bothnian Sea and Bothnian Bay for all combinations of global sea level changes from -10 m to 10 m and freshwater supplies from 0 to 60,000 m 3 /s. The results are presented in a series of graphs that enables the reader to make an assessment of the impact of a given climatic change. The model is also used to compute the decrease of the salinity in Bothnian Sea and Bothnian Bay during the next few millennia due to the postglacial uplift. The results show that modest changes in global sea level, say ±1 m, give a salinity change of the order of 1 psu in southern Baltic proper. Changing the freshwater supply with about 2,000 m 3 /s (approximately 10%) gives a similar salinity change. Further, a sea level drop of about 5 m or an increase of the freshwater supply by a factor of 3 is needed to reduce the salinity in southern Baltic proper below 1 psu. In this limit large parts of the Baltic would be limnic. A 50% decrease of the freshwater supply increase the salinity in the southern Baltic proper by a factor of 2 to some 15 psu, but the effect is even more drastic in Bothnian Sea and Bothnian Bay where the salinity increase to 13 and 10 psu, respectively. A less windy climate might have a significant effect in lowering the Baltic salinity due to a combined effect of lowered mixing in Kattegat and lowered exchange between Kattegat and the Baltic. A windier climate will not have such strong effect since increased mixing does not affect the Baltic as much. Most probably the shoreline

Millennial changes of the Baltic Sea salinity. Studies of the sensitivity of the salinity to climate change

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gustafsson, Bo G. [Oceanus Havsundersoekningar, Goeteborg (Sweden)

2004-05-01

An important question for safety assessments of nuclear waste repositories is the salinity of the Baltic Sea under different conditions. The salinity affects the potential recipient ecosystems, the water turnover along the coast and the hydrology as well as the groundwater chemistry. In this report a model that enables computation of the Baltic Sea salinity for different sea level positions and freshwater supplies is presented. The model is used to compute the salinities in Baltic proper, Bothnian Sea and Bothnian Bay for all combinations of global sea level changes from -10 m to 10 m and freshwater supplies from 0 to 60,000 m{sup 3}/s. The results are presented in a series of graphs that enables the reader to make an assessment of the impact of a given climatic change. The model is also used to compute the decrease of the salinity in Bothnian Sea and Bothnian Bay during the next few millennia due to the postglacial uplift. The results show that modest changes in global sea level, say {+-}1 m, give a salinity change of the order of 1 psu in southern Baltic proper. Changing the freshwater supply with about 2,000 m{sup 3}/s (approximately 10%) gives a similar salinity change. Further, a sea level drop of about 5 m or an increase of the freshwater supply by a factor of 3 is needed to reduce the salinity in southern Baltic proper below 1 psu. In this limit large parts of the Baltic would be limnic. A 50% decrease of the freshwater supply increase the salinity in the southern Baltic proper by a factor of 2 to some 15 psu, but the effect is even more drastic in Bothnian Sea and Bothnian Bay where the salinity increase to 13 and 10 psu, respectively. A less windy climate might have a significant effect in lowering the Baltic salinity due to a combined effect of lowered mixing in Kattegat and lowered exchange between Kattegat and the Baltic. A windier climate will not have such strong effect since increased mixing does not affect the Baltic as much. Most probably the

A global algorithm for estimating Absolute Salinity

Science.gov (United States)

McDougall, T. J.; Jackett, D. R.; Millero, F. J.; Pawlowicz, R.; Barker, P. M.

2012-12-01

The International Thermodynamic Equation of Seawater - 2010 has defined the thermodynamic properties of seawater in terms of a new salinity variable, Absolute Salinity, which takes into account the spatial variation of the composition of seawater. Absolute Salinity more accurately reflects the effects of the dissolved material in seawater on the thermodynamic properties (particularly density) than does Practical Salinity. When a seawater sample has standard composition (i.e. the ratios of the constituents of sea salt are the same as those of surface water of the North Atlantic), Practical Salinity can be used to accurately evaluate the thermodynamic properties of seawater. When seawater is not of standard composition, Practical Salinity alone is not sufficient and the Absolute Salinity Anomaly needs to be estimated; this anomaly is as large as 0.025 g kg-1 in the northernmost North Pacific. Here we provide an algorithm for estimating Absolute Salinity Anomaly for any location (x, y, p) in the world ocean. To develop this algorithm, we used the Absolute Salinity Anomaly that is found by comparing the density calculated from Practical Salinity to the density measured in the laboratory. These estimates of Absolute Salinity Anomaly however are limited to the number of available observations (namely 811). In order to provide a practical method that can be used at any location in the world ocean, we take advantage of approximate relationships between Absolute Salinity Anomaly and silicate concentrations (which are available globally).

Sildenafil prevents the up-regulation of transient receptor potential canonical channels in the development of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiso, Hironori; Ohba, Takayoshi; Iino, Kenji; Sato, Kazuhiro; Terata, Yutaka; Murakami, Manabu; Ono, Kyoichi; Watanabe, Hiroyuki; Ito, Hiroshi

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC1, 3 and 6) are up-regulated by ET-1. •Sildenafil inhibited hypertrophic responses (BNP, Ca entry, NFAT activation). •Sildenafil suppressed TRPC1, 3 and 6 expression. -- Abstract: Background: Transient receptor potential canonical (TRPCs) channels are up-regulated in the development of cardiac hypertrophy. Sildenafil inhibits TRPC6 activation and expression, leading to the prevention of cardiac hypertrophy. However, the effects of sildenafil on the expression of other TRPCs remain unknown. We hypothesized that in addition to its effects of TRPC6, sildenafil blocks the up-regulation of other TRPC channels to suppress cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Methods and results: In cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, a 48 h treatment with 10 nM endothelin (ET)-1 induced hypertrophic responses characterized by nuclear factor of activated T cells activation and enhancement of brain natriuretic peptide expression and cell surface area. Co-treatment with sildenafil (1 μM, 48 h) inhibited these ET-1-induced hypertrophic responses. Although ET-1 enhanced the gene expression of TRPCs, sildenafil inhibited the enhanced gene expression of TRPC1, C3 and C6. Moreover, co-treatment with sildenafil abolished the augmentation of SOCE in the hypertrophied cardiomyocytes. Conclusions: These results suggest that sildenafil inhibits cardiomyocyte hypertrophy by suppressing the up-regulation of TRPC expression

Salp distribution and grazing in a saline intrusion off NW Spain

Science.gov (United States)

Huskin, Iñaki; Elices, Ma. José; Anadón, Ricardo

2003-07-01

Salp distribution and grazing were studied along three transects (19 stations) and a Lagrangian phase (7 stations) off Galician coast (NW Spain) in November 1999 during GIGOVI 99 cruise. A poleward saline intrusion was detected at the shelf-break, reaching salinity values above 35.90 u.p.s. at 100-m depth. The salp community was dominated by Salpa fusiformis, although Cyclosalpa bakeri, Thalia democratica and Iasis zonaria were also found in the study area. Total salp abundance ranged from 4 to 4500 ind m -2, representing biomass values between 0.2 and 2750 mg C m -2. Maximum densities were located in the frontal area separating the saline body from coastal waters. S. fusiformis pigment ingestion was estimated using the gut fluorescence method. Gut contents were linearly related to salp body size. Total pigment ingestion ranged from 0.001 to 15 mg Chl- a m -2 d -1, with maximum values at the coastal edge of the saline body. Estimated ingestion translates into an average daily grazing impact of 7% of chlorophyll standing stock, ranging from <1% to 77%.

( Phaseolus vulgaris L. ) seedlings to salinity stress

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effect of salinity stress on five cultivars of common bean: Bassbeer, Beladi, Giza 3, HRS 516 and RO21 were evaluated on a sand/peat medium with different salinity levels (0, 50 and 100 mM NaCl) applied 3 weeks after germination for duration of 10 days. Salinity had adverse effects not only on the biomass yield and ...

Evaluation of salinity stress on morphophysiological traits of four salin tolarant wheat cultivars

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leila yadelerloo

2009-06-01

Full Text Available For assessment the effects of salinity on morphophysiological traits of wheat an experiment with four caltivars (Karchia, Sorkh tokhm, Sholeh and Roshan and one line (1-66-22 in four salt concentrations(0, 60, 120, and 180 mM NaCl, were conducted by factorial analysis in a completely randomized design with three replications. The rate of leaf area were measured in four stages. In booting stage, relative chlorophyll content (SPAD meter, and in pollination phase the rate of Na+ and K+ iones in four leaves(up to down were assessed and finally stem length and total dry matter were measured. Results showed that salinity reduced leaf area, total dry matter stem length of plants and relative chlorophyll content. With increasing of salinity the rate of Na+ were increased but the rate of K+ iones were decreased. Also the salt exclusion was observed at nodes of stem that of 1-66-22 was spot form.

Fludarabine inhibits STAT1-mediated up-regulation of caspase-3 expression in dexamethasone-induced osteoblasts apoptosis and slows the progression of steroid-induced avascular necrosis of the femoral head in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Zhenhua; Zheng, Wenhao; Tang, Qian; Cheng, Liang; Li, Hang; Ni, Wenfei; Pan, Xiaoyun

2017-08-01

Steroid-induced avascular necrosis of the femoral head (SANFH) is a major limitation of long-term or excessive clinical administration of glucocorticoids. Fludarabine, which is a compound used to treat various hematological malignancies, such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acts by down-regulating signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) by inhibiting STAT1 phosphorylation in both normal and cancer cells. This study assessed the effects of fludarabine in vitro (primary murine osteoblasts) and in vivo (rat SANFH model). In vitro, pretreatment with fludarabine significantly inhibited Dexamethasone (Dex)-induced apoptosis in osteoblasts, which was examined by TUNEL staining. Treatment with Dex caused a remarkable decrease in the expression of Bcl-2; an increase in cytochrome c release; activation of BAX, caspase-9, and caspase-3; and an obvious enhancement in STAT1 phosphorylation. However, treatment resulted in the up-regulation of caspase-3 expression. Enhanced P-STAT1 activity and up-regulation of caspase-3 expression were also observed in osteoblasts. In vivo, the subchondral trabeculae in fludarabine-treated rats exhibited less bone loss and a lower ratio of empty lacunae. Taken together, our results suggest that STAT1-mediated up-regulation of caspase-3 is involved in osteoblast apoptosis induced by Dex and indicates that fludarabine may serve as a potential agent for the treatment of SANFH.

[Relationship between the ionic composition of blood and urine and the salinity of the external environment of the crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus].

Science.gov (United States)

Busev, V M; Semen'kov, P G; Mishchenko, T Ia

1977-01-01

Studies have been made on the dependence of sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium concentrations of the blood and urine on the salinity of the external milieu in the crab H. sanguineus. Effective regulation of sodium and potasssium balance at low salinities was found. Within the salinity range investigated, magnesium level in the blood is maintained at lower level as compared to that in the environment. At low salinities, regulation of potassium and sodium concentrations in the blood is monitored by extrarenal mechanisms. Uber high salinity conditions, regulation of magnesium and potassium concentrations in the blood is accomplished at the expense of the activity of antennal glands. Calcium concentration in the blood is regulated by extra-renal mechanisms. The antennal glands affect regulation of calcium balance.

Up-regulation of eEF1A2 promotes proliferation and inhibits apoptosis in prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Yue; Du, Chengli; Wang, Bo; Zhang, Yanling; Liu, Xiaoyan; Ren, Guoping

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The expression of eEF1A2 is up-regulated in prostate cancer tissues. • Suppression of eEF1A2 inhibits the proliferation and promotes apoptosis. • Inhibition of eEF1A2 enhances the expression of apoptotic relevant proteins. • The expressions of eEF1A2 and cleavage-caspase3 are inversely correlated. - Abstract: Background: eEF1A2 is a protein translation factor involved in protein synthesis, which possesses important function roles in cancer development. This study aims at investigating the expression pattern of eEF1A2 in prostate cancer and its potential role in prostate cancer development. Methods: We examined the expression level of eEF1A2 in 30 pairs of prostate cancer tissues by using RT-PCR and immunohistochemical staining (IHC). Then we applied siRNA specifically targeting eEF1A2 to down-regulate its expression in DU-145 and PC-3 cells. Flow cytometer was used to explore apoptosis and Western-blot was used to detect the pathway proteins of apoptosis. Results: Our results showed that the expression level of eEF1A2 in prostate cancer tissues was significantly higher compared to their corresponding normal tissues. Reduction of eEF1A2 expression in DU-145 and PC-3 cells led to a dramatic inhibition of proliferation accompanied with enhanced apoptosis rate. Western blot revealed that apoptosis pathway proteins (caspase3, BAD, BAX, PUMA) were significantly up-regulated after suppression of eEF1A2. More importantly, the levels of eEF1A2 and caspase3 were inversely correlated in prostate cancer tissues. Conclusion: Our data suggests that eEF1A2 plays an important role in prostate cancer development, especially in inhibiting apoptosis. So eEF1A2 might serve as a potential therapeutic target in prostate cancer

A global algorithm for estimating Absolute Salinity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. J. McDougall

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The International Thermodynamic Equation of Seawater – 2010 has defined the thermodynamic properties of seawater in terms of a new salinity variable, Absolute Salinity, which takes into account the spatial variation of the composition of seawater. Absolute Salinity more accurately reflects the effects of the dissolved material in seawater on the thermodynamic properties (particularly density than does Practical Salinity.

When a seawater sample has standard composition (i.e. the ratios of the constituents of sea salt are the same as those of surface water of the North Atlantic, Practical Salinity can be used to accurately evaluate the thermodynamic properties of seawater. When seawater is not of standard composition, Practical Salinity alone is not sufficient and the Absolute Salinity Anomaly needs to be estimated; this anomaly is as large as 0.025 g kg⁻¹ in the northernmost North Pacific. Here we provide an algorithm for estimating Absolute Salinity Anomaly for any location (x, y, p in the world ocean.

To develop this algorithm, we used the Absolute Salinity Anomaly that is found by comparing the density calculated from Practical Salinity to the density measured in the laboratory. These estimates of Absolute Salinity Anomaly however are limited to the number of available observations (namely 811. In order to provide a practical method that can be used at any location in the world ocean, we take advantage of approximate relationships between Absolute Salinity Anomaly and silicate concentrations (which are available globally.

A 3′-Untranslated Region (3′UTR) Induces Organ Adhesion by Regulating miR-199a* Functions

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Daniel Y.; Shatseva, Tatiana; Jeyapalan, Zina; Du, William W.; Deng, Zhaoqun; Yang, Burton B.

2009-01-01

Mature microRNAs (miRNAs) are single-stranded RNAs of 18–24 nucleotides that repress post-transcriptional gene expression. However, it is unknown whether the functions of mature miRNAs can be regulated. Here we report that expression of versican 3′UTR induces organ adhesion in transgenic mice by modulating miR-199a* activities. The study was initiated by the hypothesis that the non-coding 3′UTR plays a role in the regulation of miRNA function. Transgenic mice expressing a construct harboring the 3′UTR of versican exhibits the adhesion of organs. Computational analysis indicated that a large number of microRNAs could bind to this fragment potentially including miR-199a*. Expression of versican and fibronectin, two targets of miR-199a*, are up-regulated in transgenic mice, suggesting that the 3′UTR binds and modulates miR-199a* activities, freeing mRNAs of versican and fibronectin from being repressed by miR-199a*. Confirmation of the binding was performed by PCR using mature miR-199a* as a primer and the targeting was performed by luciferase assays. Enhanced adhesion by expression of the 3′UTR was confirmed by in vitro assays. Our results demonstrated that upon arrival in cytoplasm, miRNA activities can be modulated locally by the 3′UTR. Our assay may be developed as sophisticated approaches for studying the mutual regulation of miRNAs and mRNAs in vitro and in vivo. We anticipate that expression of the 3′UTR may be an approach in the development of gene therapy. PMID:19223980

Flow Convergence Caused by a Salinity Minimum in a Tidal Channel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John C. Warner

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Residence times of dissolved substances and sedimentation rates in tidal channels are affected by residual (tidally averaged circulation patterns. One influence on these circulation patterns is the longitudinal density gradient. In most estuaries the longitudinal density gradient typically maintains a constant direction. However, a junction of tidal channels can create a local reversal (change in sign of the density gradient. This can occur due to a difference in the phase of tidal currents in each channel. In San Francisco Bay, the phasing of the currents at the junction of Mare Island Strait and Carquinez Strait produces a local salinity minimum in Mare Island Strait. At the location of a local salinity minimum the longitudinal density gradient reverses direction. This paper presents four numerical models that were used to investigate the circulation caused by the salinity minimum: (1 A simple one-dimensional (1D finite difference model demonstrates that a local salinity minimum is advected into Mare Island Strait from the junction with Carquinez Strait during flood tide. (2 A three-dimensional (3D hydrodynamic finite element model is used to compute the tidally averaged circulation in a channel that contains a salinity minimum (a change in the sign of the longitudinal density gradient and compares that to a channel that contains a longitudinal density gradient in a constant direction. The tidally averaged circulation produced by the salinity minimum is characterized by converging flow at the bed and diverging flow at the surface, whereas the circulation produced by the constant direction gradient is characterized by converging flow at the bed and downstream surface currents. These velocity fields are used to drive both a particle tracking and a sediment transport model. (3 A particle tracking model demonstrates a 30 percent increase in the residence time of neutrally buoyant particles transported through the salinity minimum, as compared to

Effects of deficit drip-irrigation scheduling regimes with saline water on pepper yield, water productivity and soil salinity under arid conditions of Tunisia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamel Nagaz

2012-12-01

Full Text Available A two-year study was carried out in order to assess the effects of different irrigation scheduling regimes with saline water on soil salinity, yield and water productivity of pepper under actual commercial-farming conditions in the arid region of Tunisia. Pepper was grown on a sandy soil and drip-irrigated with water having an ECi of 3.6 dS/m. Irrigation treatments consisted in water replacements of accumulated ETc at levels of 100% (FI, full irrigation, 80% (DI-80, 60% (DI-60, when the readily available water in the control treatment (FI is depleted, deficit irrigation during ripening stage (FI-MDI60 and farmer method corresponding to irrigation practices implemented by the local farmers (FM. Results on pepper yield and soil salinity are globally consistent between the two-year experiments and shows significant difference between irrigation regimes. Higher soil salinity was maintained over the two seasons, 2008 and 2009, with DI-60 and FM treatments than FI. FI-MDI60 and DI-80 treatments resulted also in low ECe values. Highest yields for both years were obtained under FI (22.3 and 24.4 t/ha although we didn’t find significant differences with the regulated deficit irrigation treatment (FI-DI60. However, the DI-80 and DI-60 treatments caused significant reductions in pepper yields through a reduction in fruits number/m² and average fruit weight in comparison with FI treatment. The FM increased soil salinity and caused significant reductions in yield with 14 to 43%, 12 to 39% more irrigation water use than FI, FI-MDI60 and DI-80 treatments, respectively, in 2008 and 2009. Yields for all irrigation treatments were higher in the second year compared to the first year. Water productivity (WP values reflected this difference and varied between 2.31 and 5.49 kg/m3. The WP was found to vary significantly among treatments, where the highest and the lowest values were observed for DI-60 treatment and FM, respectively. FI treatment provides

Microstrip Patch Sensor for Salinity Determination.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kibae; Hassan, Arshad; Lee, Chong Hyun; Bae, Jinho

2017-12-18

In this paper, a compact microstrip feed inset patch sensor is proposed for measuring the salinities in seawater. The working principle of the proposed sensor depends on the fact that different salinities in liquid have different relative permittivities and cause different resonance frequencies. The proposed sensor can obtain better sensitivity to salinity changes than common sensors using conductivity change, since the relative permittivity change to salinity is 2.5 times more sensitive than the conductivity change. The patch and ground plane of the proposed sensor are fabricated by conductive copper spray coating on the masks made by 3D printer. The fabricated patch and the ground plane are bonded to a commercial silicon substrate and then attached to 5 mm-high chamber made by 3D printer so that it contains only 1 mL seawater. For easy fabrication and testing, the maximum resonance frequency was selected under 3 GHz and to cover salinities in real seawater, it was assumed that the salinity changes from 20 to 35 ppt. The sensor was designed by the finite element method-based ANSYS high-frequency structure simulator (HFSS), and it can detect the salinity with 0.01 ppt resolution. The designed sensor has a resonance frequency separation of 37.9 kHz and reflection coefficients under -20 dB at the resonant frequencies. The fabricated sensor showed better performance with average frequency separation of 48 kHz and maximum reflection coefficient of -35 dB. By comparing with the existing sensors, the proposed compact and low-cost sensor showed a better detection capability. Therefore, the proposed patch sensor can be utilized in radio frequency (RF) tunable sensors for salinity determination.

Interpopulation differences in expression of candidate genes for salinity tolerance in winter migrating anadromous brown trout (Salmo trutta L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomsen Dennis S

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Winter migration of immature brown trout (Salmo trutta into freshwater rivers has been hypothesized to result from physiologically stressful combinations of high salinity and low temperature in the sea. Results We sampled brown trout from two Danish populations entering different saline conditions and quantified expression of the hsp70 and Na/K-ATPases α 1b genes following acclimation to freshwater and full-strength seawater at 2°C and 10°C. An interaction effect of low temperature and high salinity on expression of both hsp70 and Na/K-ATPase α 1b was found in trout from the river entering high saline conditions, while a temperature independent up-regulation of both genes in full-strength seawater was found for trout entering marine conditions with lower salinities. Conclusion Overall our results support the hypothesis that physiologically stressful conditions in the sea drive sea-run brown trout into freshwater rivers in winter. However, our results also demonstrate intra-specific differences in expression of important stress and osmoregulative genes most likely reflecting adaptive differences between trout populations on a regional scale, thus strongly suggesting local adaptations driven by the local marine environment.

Salinity Inhibits Rice Seed Germination by Reducing α-Amylase Activity via Decreased Bioactive Gibberellin Content

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Liu

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Seed germination plays important roles in the establishment of seedlings and their subsequent growth; however, seed germination is inhibited by salinity, and the inhibitory mechanism remains elusive. Our results indicate that NaCl treatment inhibits rice seed germination by decreasing the contents of bioactive gibberellins (GAs, such as GA1 and GA4, and that this inhibition can be rescued by exogenous bioactive GA application. To explore the mechanism of bioactive GA deficiency, the effect of NaCl on GA metabolic gene expression was investigated, revealing that expression of both GA biosynthetic genes and GA-inactivated genes was up-regulated by NaCl treatment. These results suggest that NaCl-induced bioactive GA deficiency is caused by up-regulated expression of GA-inactivated genes, and the up-regulated expression of GA biosynthetic genes might be a consequence of negative feedback regulation of the bioactive GA deficiency. Moreover, we provide evidence that NaCl-induced bioactive GA deficiency inhibits rice seed germination by decreasing α-amylase activity via down-regulation of α-amylase gene expression. Additionally, exogenous bioactive GA rescues NaCl-inhibited seed germination by enhancing α-amylase activity. Thus, NaCl treatment reduces bioactive GA content through promotion of bioactive GA inactivation, which in turn inhibits rice seed germination by decreasing α-amylase activity via down-regulation of α-amylase gene expression.

The emerging role of m-TOR up-regulation in brain Astrocytoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryskalin, Larisa; Limanaqi, Fiona; Biagioni, Francesca; Frati, Alessandro; Esposito, Vincenzo; Calierno, Maria Teresa; Lenzi, Paola; Fornai, Francesco

2017-05-01

The present manuscript is an overview of various effects of mTOR up-regulation in astrocytoma with an emphasis on its deleterious effects on the proliferation of Glioblastoma Multiforme. The manuscript reports consistent evidence indicating the occurrence of mTOR up-regulation both in experimental and human astrocytoma. The grading of human astrocytoma is discussed in relationship with mTOR up-regulation. In the second part of the manuscript, the biochemical pathways under the influence of mTOR are translated to cell phenotypes which are generated by mTOR up-regulation and reverted by its inhibition. A special section is dedicated to the prominent role of autophagy in mediating the effects of mTOR in glioblastoma. In detail, autophagy inhibition produced by mTOR up-regulation determines the fate of cancer stem cells. On the other hand, biochemical findings disclose the remarkable effects of autophagy activators as powerful inducers of cell differentiation with a strong prevalence towards neuronal phenotypes. Thus, mTOR modulation acts on the neurobiology of glioblastoma just like it operates in vivo at the level of brain stem cell niches by altering autophagy-dependent cell differentiation. In the light of such a critical role of autophagy we analyzed the ubiquitin proteasome system. The merging between autophagy and proteasome generates a novel organelle, named autophagoproteasome which is strongly induced by mTOR inhibitors in glioblastoma cells. Remarkably, when mTOR is maximally inhibited the proteasome component selectively moves within autophagy vacuoles, thus making the proteasome activity dependent on the entry within autophagy compartment.

Attenuation of cigarette smoke-induced airway mucus production by hydrogen-rich saline in rats.

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Yunye Ning

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Over-production of mucus is an important pathophysiological feature in chronic airway disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD and asthma. Cigarette smoking (CS is the leading cause of COPD. Oxidative stress plays a key role in CS-induced airway abnormal mucus production. Hydrogen protected cells and tissues against oxidative damage by scavenging hydroxyl radicals. In the present study we investigated the effect of hydrogen on CS-induced mucus production in rats. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: sham control, CS group, hydrogen-rich saline pretreatment group and hydrogen-rich saline control group. Lung morphology and tissue biochemical changes were determined by immunohistochemistry, Alcian Blue/periodic acid-Schiff staining, TUNEL, western blot and realtime RT-PCR. RESULTS: Hydrogen-rich saline pretreatment attenuated CS-induced mucus accumulation in the bronchiolar lumen, goblet cell hyperplasia, muc5ac over-expression and abnormal cell apoptosis in the airway epithelium as well as malondialdehyde increase in the BALF. The phosphorylation of EGFR at Tyr1068 and Nrf2 up-regulation expression in the rat lungs challenged by CS exposure were also abrogated by hydrogen-rich saline. CONCLUSION: Hydrogen-rich saline pretreatment ameliorated CS-induced airway mucus production and airway epithelium damage in rats. The protective role of hydrogen on CS-exposed rat lungs was achieved at least partly by its free radical scavenging ability. This is the first report to demonstrate that intraperitoneal administration of hydrogen-rich saline protected rat airways against CS damage and it could be promising in treating abnormal airway mucus production in COPD.

Transcriptomic analysis reveals importance of ROS and phytohormones in response to short-term salinity stress in Populus tomentosa

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Lingyu eZheng

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Populus tomentosa (Chinese white poplar is well adapted to various extreme environments, and is considered an important species to study the effects of salinity stress on poplar trees. To decipher the mechanism of poplar’s rapid response to short-term salinity stress, we firstly detected the changes in H2O2 and hormone, and then profiled the gene expression pattern of ten-week-old seedling roots treated with 200 mM NaCl for 0, 6, 12 and 24 hours (h by RNA-seq on the Illumina-Solexa platform. Physiological determination showed that the significant increase in H2O2 began at 6 h, while that in hormone ABA was at 24 h, under salt stress. Compared with controls (0 h, 3991, 4603 and 4903 genes were up regulated, and 1408, 2206 and 3461 genes were down regulated (adjusted P-value ≤ 0.05 and |log2Ratio|≥1 at 6, 12, and 24 h time points, respectively. The Gene Ontology (GO and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG pathway annotation revealed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs were highly enriched in hormone- and reactive oxygen species-related biological processes, including ‘response to oxidative stress or abiotic stimulus’, ‘peroxidase activity’, ‘regulation of transcription’, ‘hormone synthetic and metabolic process’, ‘hormone signal transduction’, ‘antioxidant activity’ and ‘transcription factor activity’. Moreover, K-means clustering demonstrated that DEGs (total RPKM value>12 from four time points could be categorized into four kinds of expression trends: quick up/down over 6 h or 12 h, and slow up/down over 24 h. Of these, DEGs involved in H2O2- and hormone- producing and signal-related genes were further enriched in this analysis, which indicated that the two kinds of small molecules, hormones and H2O2, play pivotal roles in the short-term salt stress response in poplar. This study provides a basis for future studies of the molecular adaptation of poplar and other tree species to salinity

Dextrose saline compared with normal saline rehydration of hyperemesis gravidarum: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Peng Chiong; Norazilah, Mat Jin; Omar, Siti Zawiah

2013-02-01

To compare 5% dextrose-0.9% saline against 0.9% saline solution in the intravenous rehydration of hyperemesis gravidarum. Women at their first hospitalization for hyperemesis gravidarum were enrolled on admission to the ward and randomly assigned to receive either 5% dextrose-0.9% saline or 0.9% saline by intravenous infusion at a rate 125 mL/h over 24 hours in a double-blind trial. All participants also received thiamine and an antiemetic intravenously. Oral intake was allowed as tolerated. Primary outcomes were resolution of ketonuria and well-being (by 10-point visual numerical rating scale) at 24 hours. Nausea visual numerical rating scale scores were obtained every 8 hours for 24 hours. Persistent ketonuria rates after the 24-hour study period were 10 of 101 (9.9%) compared with 11 of 101 (10.9%) (P>.99; relative risk 0.9, 95% confidence interval 0.4-2.2) and median (interquartile range) well-being scores at 24 hours were 9 (8-10) compared with 9 (8-9.5) (P=.73) in the 5% dextrose-0.9% saline and 0.9% saline arms, respectively. Repeated measures analysis of variance of the nausea visual numerical rating scale score as assessed every 8 hours during the 24-hour study period showed a significant difference in favor of the 5% dextrose-0.9% saline arm (P=.046) with the superiority apparent at 8 and 16 hours, but the advantage had dissipated by 24 hours. Secondary outcomes of vomiting, resolution of hyponatremia, hypochloremia and hypokalemia, length of hospitalization, duration of intravenous antiemetic, and rehydration were not different. Intravenous rehydration with 5% dextrose-0.9% saline or 0.9% saline solution in women hospitalized for hyperemesis gravidarum produced similar outcomes. ISRCTN Register, www.controlled-trials.com/isrctn, ISRCTN65014409. I.

Down-regulation of activity and expression of three transport-related proteins in the gills of the euryhaline green crab, Carcinus maenas, in response to high salinity acclimation.

Science.gov (United States)

Jillette, Nathaniel; Cammack, Lauren; Lowenstein, Margaret; Henry, Raymond P

2011-02-01

The euryhaline green crab, Carcinus maenas, undergoes an annual cycle of salinity exposure, having to adapt to low salinity during its annual spring migration into estuaries, and then having to re-adapt to high salinity when it moves off-shore at the end of summer. Most studies have focused on low salinity acclimation, the activation of osmoregulatory mechanisms, and the induction of transport protein and transport-related enzyme activity and gene expression. In this study we followed the changes in hemolymph osmolality, carbonic anhydrase activity, and mRNA expression of three proteins through a complete cycle of low (15 ppt) and high (32 ppt) salinity acclimation. One week of low salinity acclimation resulted in hemolymph osmoregulation and a four-fold induction of branchial carbonic anhydrase activity. Relative mRNA expression increased for two CA isoforms (CAc 100-fold, and CAg 7-fold) and the α-subunit of the Na/K-ATPase (8-fold). Upon re-exposure to high salinity, hemolymph osmolality increased to 32 ppt acclimated levels by 6 h, and mRNA levels returned to high salinity, baseline levels within 1 week. However, CA activity remained unchanged in response to high salinity exposure for the first week and then gradually declined to baseline levels over 4 weeks. The relative timing of these changes suggests that while whole-organism physiological adaptations and regulation at the gene level can be very rapid, changes at the level of protein expression and turnover are much slower. It is possible that the high metabolic cost of protein synthesis and/or processing could be the underlying reason for long biological life spans of physiologically important proteins. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Triazophos up-regulated gene expression in the female brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens.

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, Yan-Yuan; Li, Bao-Ling; Liu, Zhao-Bu; Xue, Jian; Zhu, Zeng-Rong; Cheng, Jia-An; Zhang, Chuan-Xi

2010-09-01

The widespread use of insecticides has caused the resurgence of the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens, in Asia. In this study, we investigated an organo-phosphorous insecticide, triazophos, and its ability to induce gene expression variation in female N. lugens nymphs just before emergence. By using the suppression subtractive hybridization method, a triazophos-induced cDNA library was constructed. In total, 402 differentially expressed cDNA clones were obtained. Real-time qPCR analysis confirmed that triazophos up-regulated the expression of six candidate genes at the transcript level in nymphs on day 3 of the 5th instar. These genes encode N. lugens vitellogenin, bystin, multidrug resistance protein (MRP), purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP), pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (P5CR) and carboxylesterase. Our results imply that the up-regulation of these genes may be involved in the induction of N. lugens female reproduction or resistance to insecticides.

Salt Stress Represses Soybean Seed Germination by Negatively Regulating GA Biosynthesis While Positively Mediating ABA Biosynthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Shu, Kai; Qi, Ying; Chen, Feng; Meng, Yongjie; Luo, Xiaofeng; Shuai, Haiwei; Zhou, Wenguan; Ding, Jun; Du, Junbo; Liu, Jiang; Yang, Feng; Wang, Qiang; Liu, Weiguo; Yong, Taiwen; Wang, Xiaochun; Feng, Yuqi; Yang, Wenyu

2017-01-01

Soybean is an important and staple oilseed crop worldwide. Salinity stress has adverse effects on soybean development periods, especially on seed germination and post-germinative growth. Improving seed germination and emergence will have positive effects under salt stress conditions on agricultural production. Here we report that NaCl delays soybean seed germination by negatively regulating gibberellin (GA) while positively mediating abscisic acid (ABA) biogenesis, which leads to a decrease in the GA/ABA ratio. This study suggests that fluridone (FLUN), an ABA biogenesis inhibitor, might be a potential plant growth regulator that can promote soybean seed germination under saline stress. Different soybean cultivars, which possessed distinct genetic backgrounds, showed a similar repressed phenotype during seed germination under exogenous NaCl application. Biochemical analysis revealed that NaCl treatment led to high MDA (malondialdehyde) level during germination and the post-germinative growth stages. Furthermore, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase activities also changed after NaCl treatment. Subsequent quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction analysis showed that the transcription levels of ABA and GA biogenesis and signaling genes were altered after NaCl treatment. In line with this, phytohormone measurement also revealed that NaCl considerably down-regulated active GA 1 , GA 3 , and GA 4 levels, whereas the ABA content was up-regulated; and therefore ratios, such as GA 1 /ABA, GA 3 /ABA, and GA 4 /ABA, are decreased. Consistent with the hormonal quantification, FLUN partially rescued the delayed-germination phenotype caused by NaCl-treatment. Altogether, these results demonstrate that NaCl stress inhibits soybean seed germination by decreasing the GA/ABA ratio, and that FLUN might be a potential plant growth regulator that could promote soybean seed germination under salinity stress.

Salt Stress Represses Soybean Seed Germination by Negatively Regulating GA Biosynthesis While Positively Mediating ABA Biosynthesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kai Shu

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Soybean is an important and staple oilseed crop worldwide. Salinity stress has adverse effects on soybean development periods, especially on seed germination and post-germinative growth. Improving seed germination and emergence will have positive effects under salt stress conditions on agricultural production. Here we report that NaCl delays soybean seed germination by negatively regulating gibberellin (GA while positively mediating abscisic acid (ABA biogenesis, which leads to a decrease in the GA/ABA ratio. This study suggests that fluridone (FLUN, an ABA biogenesis inhibitor, might be a potential plant growth regulator that can promote soybean seed germination under saline stress. Different soybean cultivars, which possessed distinct genetic backgrounds, showed a similar repressed phenotype during seed germination under exogenous NaCl application. Biochemical analysis revealed that NaCl treatment led to high MDA (malondialdehyde level during germination and the post-germinative growth stages. Furthermore, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase activities also changed after NaCl treatment. Subsequent quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction analysis showed that the transcription levels of ABA and GA biogenesis and signaling genes were altered after NaCl treatment. In line with this, phytohormone measurement also revealed that NaCl considerably down-regulated active GA1, GA3, and GA4 levels, whereas the ABA content was up-regulated; and therefore ratios, such as GA1/ABA, GA3/ABA, and GA4/ABA, are decreased. Consistent with the hormonal quantification, FLUN partially rescued the delayed-germination phenotype caused by NaCl-treatment. Altogether, these results demonstrate that NaCl stress inhibits soybean seed germination by decreasing the GA/ABA ratio, and that FLUN might be a potential plant growth regulator that could promote soybean seed germination under salinity stress.

Microstrip Patch Sensor for Salinity Determination

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Kibae Lee

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a compact microstrip feed inset patch sensor is proposed for measuring the salinities in seawater. The working principle of the proposed sensor depends on the fact that different salinities in liquid have different relative permittivities and cause different resonance frequencies. The proposed sensor can obtain better sensitivity to salinity changes than common sensors using conductivity change, since the relative permittivity change to salinity is 2.5 times more sensitive than the conductivity change. The patch and ground plane of the proposed sensor are fabricated by conductive copper spray coating on the masks made by 3D printer. The fabricated patch and the ground plane are bonded to a commercial silicon substrate and then attached to 5 mm-high chamber made by 3D printer so that it contains only 1 mL seawater. For easy fabrication and testing, the maximum resonance frequency was selected under 3 GHz and to cover salinities in real seawater, it was assumed that the salinity changes from 20 to 35 ppt. The sensor was designed by the finite element method-based ANSYS high-frequency structure simulator (HFSS, and it can detect the salinity with 0.01 ppt resolution. The designed sensor has a resonance frequency separation of 37.9 kHz and reflection coefficients under −20 dB at the resonant frequencies. The fabricated sensor showed better performance with average frequency separation of 48 kHz and maximum reflection coefficient of −35 dB. By comparing with the existing sensors, the proposed compact and low-cost sensor showed a better detection capability. Therefore, the proposed patch sensor can be utilized in radio frequency (RF tunable sensors for salinity determination.

Regulation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species by salicylic acid in rice plants under salinity stress conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Mun, Bong-Gyu; Khan, Abdul Latif; Waqas, Muhammad; Kim, Hyun-Ho; Shahzad, Raheem; Imran, Muhammad

2018-01-01

This study investigated the regulatory role of exogenous salicylic acid (SA) in rice and its effects on toxic reactive oxygen and nitrogen species during short-term salinity stress. SA application (0.5 and 1.0 mM) during salinity-induced stress (100 mM NaCl) resulted in significantly longer shoot length and higher chlorophyll and biomass accumulation than with salinity stress alone. NaCl-induced reactive oxygen species production led to increased levels of lipid peroxidation in rice plants, which were significantly reduced following SA application. A similar finding was observed for superoxide dismutase; however, catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) were significantly reduced in rice plants treated with SA and NaCl alone and in combination. The relative mRNA expression of OsCATA and OsAPX1 was lower in rice plants during SA stress. Regarding nitrogenous species, S-nitrosothiol (SNO) was significantly reduced initially (one day after treatment [DAT]) but then increased in plants subjected to single or combined stress conditions. Genes related to SNO biosynthesis, S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR1), NO synthase-like activity (NOA), and nitrite reductase (NIR) were also assessed. The mRNA expression of GSNOR1 was increased relative to that of the control, whereas OsNOA was expressed at higher levels in plants treated with SA and NaCl alone relative to the control. The mRNA expression of OsNR was decreased in plants subjected to single or combination treatment, except at 2 DAT, compared to the control. In conclusion, the current findings suggest that SA can regulate the generation of NaCl-induced oxygen and nitrogen reactive species in rice plants. PMID:29558477

Last Glacial Maximum Salinity Reconstruction

Science.gov (United States)

Homola, K.; Spivack, A. J.

2016-12-01

It has been previously demonstrated that salinity can be reconstructed from sediment porewater. The goal of our study is to reconstruct high precision salinity during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Salinity is usually determined at high precision via conductivity, which requires a larger volume of water than can be extracted from a sediment core, or via chloride titration, which yields lower than ideal precision. It has been demonstrated for water column samples that high precision density measurements can be used to determine salinity at the precision of a conductivity measurement using the equation of state of seawater. However, water column seawater has a relatively constant composition, in contrast to porewater, where variations from standard seawater composition occur. These deviations, which affect the equation of state, must be corrected for through precise measurements of each ion's concentration and knowledge of apparent partial molar density in seawater. We have developed a density-based method for determining porewater salinity that requires only 5 mL of sample, achieving density precisions of 10-6 g/mL. We have applied this method to porewater samples extracted from long cores collected along a N-S transect across the western North Atlantic (R/V Knorr cruise KN223). Density was determined to a precision of 2.3x10-6 g/mL, which translates to salinity uncertainty of 0.002 gms/kg if the effect of differences in composition is well constrained. Concentrations of anions (Cl-, and SO4-2) and cations (Na+, Mg+, Ca+2, and K+) were measured. To correct salinities at the precision required to unravel LGM Meridional Overturning Circulation, our ion precisions must be better than 0.1% for SO4-/Cl- and Mg+/Na+, and 0.4% for Ca+/Na+, and K+/Na+. Alkalinity, pH and Dissolved Inorganic Carbon of the porewater were determined to precisions better than 4% when ratioed to Cl-, and used to calculate HCO3-, and CO3-2. Apparent partial molar densities in seawater were

Recovery of market size Florida pompano, grown at 3 ppt salinity, from the effects of severe osmotic stress after increasing salinity to 12 ppt

Science.gov (United States)

Culturing a saltwater fish, such as Florida pompano Trachinotus carolinus, in near freshwater can lead to physiological changes that lead to slow growth, organ damage, and reduced survival. During a study to examine growth of pompano at different daily feed rates in low salinity (3 ppt) recirculati...

Leaf gas films delay salt entry and enhance underwater photosynthesis and internal aeration of Melilotus siculus submerged in saline water

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Teakle, Natasha Lea; Colmer, Timothy David; Pedersen, Ole

2014-01-01

A combination of flooding and salinity is detrimental to most plants. We studied tolerance of complete submergence in saline water for Melilotus siculus, an annual legume with superhydrophobic leaf surfaces that retain gas films when under water. M. siculus survived complete submergence of 1 week...... at low salinity (up to 50 mol m(-3) NaCl), but did not recover following de-submergence from 100 mol m(-3) NaCl. The leaf gas films protected against direct salt ingress into the leaves when submerged in saline water, enabling underwater photosynthesis even after 3 d of complete submergence. By contrast......, leaves with the gas films experimentally removed suffered from substantial Na(+) and Cl(-) intrusion and lost the capacity for underwater photosynthesis. Similarly, plants in saline water and without gas films lost more K(+) than those with intact gas films. This study has demonstrated that leaf gas...

Salinity-dependent nickel accumulation and effects on respiration, ion regulation and oxidative stress in the galaxiid fish, Galaxias maculatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Blewett, Tamzin A; Wood, Chris M; Glover, Chris N

2016-07-01

Inanga (Galaxias maculatus) are a euryhaline and amphidromous Southern hemisphere fish species inhabiting waters highly contaminated in trace elements such as nickel (Ni). Ni is known to exert its toxic effects on aquatic biota via three key mechanisms: inhibition of respiration, impaired ion regulation, and stimulation of oxidative stress. Inanga acclimated to freshwater (FW), 50% seawater (SW) or 100% SW were exposed to 0, 150 or 2000 μg Ni L(-1), and tissue Ni accumulation, metabolic rate, ion regulation (tissue ions, calcium (Ca) ion influx), and oxidative stress (catalase activity, protein carbonylation) were measured after 96 h. Ni accumulation increased with Ni exposure concentration in gill, gut and remaining body, but not in liver. Only in the gill was Ni accumulation affected by exposure salinity, with lower branchial Ni burdens in 100% and 50% SW inanga, relative to FW fish. There were no Ni-dependent effects on respiration, or Ca influx, and the only Ni-dependent effect on tissue ion content was on gill potassium. Catalase activity and protein carbonylation were affected by Ni, primarily in FW, but only at 150 μg Ni L(-1). Salinity therefore offsets the effects of Ni, despite minimal changes in Ni bioavailability. These data suggest only minor effects of Ni in inanga, even at highly elevated environmental Ni concentrations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thermodynamic data for iron (II) in high-saline solutions at temperatures up to 90 C

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Munoz, Andres G.; Scharge, Tina; Moog, Helge C.

2013-12-15

For natural aqueous systems in general and for the near field of underground nuclear waste repositories in particular thermodynamic properties of iron species and solid phases are of predominant importance. Regardless of the question of the host rock, nuclear waste containment in Germany will be based on massive steel canisters. The total mass of iron present in a repository can be, dependent on the applied variant, sum up to more than 100 000 tons. The overall geochemical milieu including pH and EH will be dominated by the overall abundance of metallic, ferrous, and ferric iron, their aqueous speciation and solid iron-phases. This milieu is imposed on all other equilibria of interest, including those which determine radionuclide solubility. In addition to this, iron bearing corrosion phases due to their shear mass may exhibit a significant sink for radionuclides in terms of incorporation or sorption. As to the evolution of EH it is important to note that application of the Nernst equation requires knowing the electrochemical activities of the involved reactants. Iron is present in aqueous solutions in two oxidation states: +II (ferrous iron) and +III (ferric iron). Ferric iron exhibits a much more complex speciation behavior than ferrous iron, where from a conceptual point of view many species may be neglected. Ferric iron, on the contrary, is subject to considerable complex formation with chloride, sulfate, and - most importantly - with hydroxide. For this reason, experimental and theoretical treatment of ''iron'' at GRS in high saline solutions proceeded along two strings, one for each oxidation state, with the ultimate goal to deliver a thermodynamic model for ''iron'' in high saline solutions.

Projections of on-farm salinity in coastal Bangladesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Clarke, D; Williams, S; Jahiruddin, M; Parks, K; Salehin, M

2015-06-01

This paper quantifies the expected impacts of climate change, climate variability and salinity accumulation on food production in coastal Bangladesh during the dry season. This forms part of a concerted series of actions on agriculture and salinity in Bangladesh under the UK funded Ecosystems for Poverty Alleviation programme and the British Council INSPIRE scheme. The work was undertaken by developing simulation models for soil water balances, dry season irrigation requirements and the effectiveness of the monsoon season rainfall at leaching accumulated salts. Simulations were run from 1981 to 2098 using historical climate data and a daily climate data set based on the Met Office Hadley Centre HadRM3P regional climate model. Results show that inter-seasonal and inter-annual variability are key factors that affect the viability of dry season vegetable crop growing. By the end of the 21(st) century the dry season is expected to be 2-3 weeks longer than now (2014). Monsoon rainfall amounts will remain the same or possibly slightly increase but it will occur over a slightly shorter wet season. Expectations of sea level rise and additional saline intrusion into groundwater aquifers mean that dry season irrigation water is likely to become more saline by the end of the 21(st) century. A study carried out at Barisal indicates that irrigating with water at up to 4 ppt can be sustainable. Once the dry season irrigation water quality goes above 5 ppt, the monsoon rainfall is no longer able to leach the dry season salt deposits so salt accumulation becomes significant and farm productivity will reduce by as a much as 50%, threatening the livelihoods of farmers in this region.

Influence of salinity on prevalence of the parasite Loxothylacus panopaei in the xanthid Panopeus obesus in SW Florida.

Science.gov (United States)

Tolley, S Gregory; Winstead, James T; Haynes, Lesli; Volety, Aswani K

2006-06-23

This study was conducted to examine the potential influence of salinity, a proxy for freshwater inflow, on the prevalence of the castrator parasite Loxothylacus panopaei on saltmarsh mud crabs Panopeus obesus on SW Florida oyster reefs. Spatial and seasonal patterns of the presence of potential host crabs and the prevalence of the parasite were assessed in the Caloosahatchee, Estero, and Faka Union estuaries. Lift nets (1 m2) containing 5 1 of oyster clusters were deployed on intertidal reefs at 3 sites along the salinity gradient of each estuary. Nets were deployed during 3 seasonally dry and 3 seasonally wet months for a period of 30 d. P. obesus densities tended to increase downstream in higher salinity waters, with crabs being absent from the upper station in the Caloosahatchee during both seasons and absent from the upper station of the Faka Union during wet months. Parasite prevalence was reduced upstream in each estuary during wet months compared to dry months, and for those estuaries that experienced higher relative levels of freshwater inflow. Furthermore, parasite prevalence was positively correlated with the mean salinity of capture of host crabs. Based on the distribution of P. obesus and the above patterns related to salinity, it appears that freshwater inflow and seasonal rains might regulate the prevalence of this parasite in SW Florida by creating spatiotemporal, low salinity refuges for its host.

A single-repeat R3-MYB transcription factor MYBC1 negatively regulates freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhai, Hong; Bai, Xi; Zhu, Yanming; Li, Yong; Cai, Hua; Ji, Wei; Ji, Zuojun; Liu, Xiaofei; Liu, Xin; Li, Jing

2010-01-01

We had previously identified the MYBC1 gene, which encodes a single-repeat R3-MYB protein, as a putative osmotic responding gene; however, no R3-MYB transcription factor has been reported to regulate osmotic stress tolerance. Thus, we sought to elucidate the function of MYBC1 in response to osmotic stresses. Real-time RT-PCR analysis indicated that MYBC1 expression responded to cold, dehydration, salinity and exogenous ABA at the transcript level. mybc1 mutants exhibited an increased tolerance to freezing stress, whereas 35S::MYBC1 transgenic plants exhibited decreased cold tolerance. Transcript levels of some cold-responsive genes, including CBF/DREB genes, KIN1, ADC1, ADC2 and ZAT12, though, were not altered in the mybc1 mutants or the 35S::MYBC1 transgenic plants in response to cold stress, as compared to the wild type. Microarray analysis results that are publically available were investigated and found transcript level of MYBC1 was not altered by overexpression of CBF1, CBF2, and CBF3, suggesting that MYBC1 is not down regulated by these CBF family members. Together, these results suggested that MYBC1is capable of negatively regulating the freezing tolerance of Arabidopsis in the CBF-independent pathway. In transgenic Arabidopsis carrying an MYBC1 promoter driven β-glucuronidase (GUS) construct, GUS activity was observed in all tissues and was relatively stronger in the vascular tissues. Fused MYBC1 and GFP protein revealed that MYBC1 was localized exclusively in the nuclear compartment.

Beta3 subunits promote expression and nicotine-induced up-regulation of human nicotinic alpha6* nicotinic acetylcholine receptors expressed in transfected cell lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Tumkosit, Prem; Kuryatov, Alexander; Luo, Jie; Lindstrom, Jon

2006-10-01

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) containing alpha6 subunits are typically found at aminergic nerve endings where they play important roles in nicotine addiction and Parkinson's disease. alpha6* AChRs usually contain beta3 subunits. beta3 subunits are presumed to assemble only in the accessory subunit position within AChRs where they do not participate in forming acetylcholine binding sites. Assembly of subunits in the accessory position may be a critical final step in assembly of mature AChRs. Human alpha6 AChRs subtypes were permanently transfected into human tsA201 human embryonic kidney (HEK) cell lines. alpha6beta2beta3 and alpha6beta4beta3 cell lines were found to express much larger amounts of AChRs and were more sensitive to nicotine-induced increase in the amount of AChRs than were alpha6beta2 or alpha6beta4 cell lines. The increased sensitivity to nicotine-induced up-regulation was due not to a beta3-induced increase in affinity for nicotine but probably to a direct effect on assembly of AChR subunits. HEK cells express only a small amount of mature alpha6beta2 AChRs, but many of these subunits are on the cell surface. This contrasts with Xenopus laevis oocytes, which express a large amount of incorrectly assembled alpha6beta2 subunits that bind cholinergic ligands but form large amorphous intracellular aggregates. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were made to the alpha6 and beta3 subunits to aid in the characterization of these AChRs. The alpha6 mAbs bind to epitopes C-terminal of the extracellular domain. These data demonstrate that both cell type and the accessory subunit beta3 can play important roles in alpha6* AChR expression, stability, and up-regulation by nicotine.

Physiological and Proteomic Analysis in Chloroplasts of Solanum lycopersicum L. under Silicon Efficiency and Salinity Stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sowbiya Muneer

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Tomato plants often grow in saline environments in Mediterranean countries where salt accumulation in the soil is a major abiotic stress that limits its productivity. However, silicon (Si supplementation has been reported to improve tolerance against several forms of abiotic stress. The primary aim of our study was to investigate, using comparative physiological and proteomic approaches, salinity stress in chloroplasts of tomato under silicon supplementation. Tomato seedlings (Solanum lycopersicum L. were grown in nutrient media in the presence or absence of NaCl and supplemented with silicon for 5 days. Salinity stress caused oxidative damage, followed by a decrease in silicon concentrations in the leaves of the tomato plants. However, supplementation with silicon had an overall protective effect against this stress. The major physiological parameters measured in our studies including total chlorophyll and carotenoid content were largely decreased under salinity stress, but were recovered in the presence of silicon. Insufficient levels of net-photosynthesis, transpiration and stomatal conductance were also largely improved by silicon supplementation. Proteomics analysis of chloroplasts analyzed by 2D-BN-PAGE (second-dimensional blue native polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis revealed a high sensitivity of multiprotein complex proteins (MCPs such as photosystems I (PSI and II (PSII to the presence of saline. A significant reduction in cytochrome b6/f and the ATP-synthase complex was also alleviated by silicon during salinity stress, while the complex forms of light harvesting complex trimers and monomers (LHCs were rapidly up-regulated. Our results suggest that silicon plays an important role in moderating damage to chloroplasts and their metabolism in saline environments. We therefore hypothesize that tomato plants have a greater capacity for tolerating saline stress through the improvement of photosynthetic metabolism and chloroplast proteome

Nicotine induces cell proliferation in association with cyclin D1 up-regulation and inhibits cell differentiation in association with p53 regulation in a murine pre-osteoblastic cell line

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Tsuyoshi; Abe, Takahiro; Nakamoto, Norimichi; Tomaru, Yasuhisa; Koshikiya, Noboru; Nojima, Junya; Kokabu, Shoichiro; Sakata, Yasuaki; Kobayashi, Akio; Yoda, Tetsuya

2008-01-01

Recent studies have suggested that nicotine critically affects bone metabolism. Many studies have examined the effects of nicotine on proliferation and differentiation, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. We examined cell cycle regulators involved in the proliferation and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells. Nicotine induced cell proliferation in association with p53 down-regulation and cyclin D1 up-regulation. In differentiated cells, nicotine reduced alkaline phosphatase activity and mineralized nodule formation in dose-dependent manners. Furthermore, p53 expression was sustained in nicotine-treated cells during differentiation. These findings indicate that nicotine promotes the cell cycle and inhibits differentiation in association with p53 regulation in pre-osteoblastic cells

Artificial intelligence based model for optimization of COD removal efficiency of an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor in the saline wastewater treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Picos-Benítez, Alain R; López-Hincapié, Juan D; Chávez-Ramírez, Abraham U; Rodríguez-García, Adrián

2017-03-01

The complex non-linear behavior presented in the biological treatment of wastewater requires an accurate model to predict the system performance. This study evaluates the effectiveness of an artificial intelligence (AI) model, based on the combination of artificial neural networks (ANNs) and genetic algorithms (GAs), to find the optimum performance of an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASB) for saline wastewater treatment. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was predicted using conductivity, organic loading rate (OLR) and temperature as input variables. The ANN model was built from experimental data and performance was assessed through the maximum mean absolute percentage error (= 9.226%) computed from the measured and model predicted values of the COD. Accordingly, the ANN model was used as a fitness function in a GA to find the best operational condition. In the worst case scenario (low energy requirements, high OLR usage and high salinity) this model guaranteed COD removal efficiency values above 70%. This result is consistent and was validated experimentally, confirming that this ANN-GA model can be used as a tool to achieve the best performance of a UASB reactor with the minimum requirement of energy for saline wastewater treatment.

Hydrogen-rich saline inhibits tobacco smoke-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by alleviating airway inflammation and mucus hypersecretion in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zibing; Geng, Wenye; Jiang, Chuanwei; Zhao, Shujun; Liu, Yong; Zhang, Ying; Qin, Shucun; Li, Chenxu; Zhang, Xinfang; Si, Yanhong

2017-09-01

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease induced by tobacco smoke has been regarded as a great health problem worldwide. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the protective effect of hydrogen-rich saline, a novel antioxidant, on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and explore the underlying mechanism. Sprague-Dawley rats were made chronic obstructive pulmonary disease models via tobacco smoke exposure for 12 weeks and the rats were treated with 10 ml/kg hydrogen-rich saline intraperitoneally during the last 4 weeks. Lung function testing indicated hydrogen-rich saline decreased lung airway resistance and increased lung compliance and the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 0.1 s/forced vital capacity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease rats. Histological analysis revealed that hydrogen-rich saline alleviated morphological impairments of lung in tobacco smoke-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease rats. ELISA assay showed hydrogen-rich saline lowered the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-8 and IL-6) and anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and serum of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease rats. The content of malondialdehyde in lung tissue and serum was also determined and the data indicated hydrogen-rich saline suppressed oxidative stress reaction. The protein expressions of mucin MUC5C and aquaporin 5 involved in mucus hypersecretion were analyzed by Western blot and ELISA and the data revealed that hydrogen-rich saline down-regulated MUC5AC level in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissue and up-regulated aquaporin 5 level in lung tissue of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease rats. In conclusion, these results suggest that administration of hydrogen-rich saline exhibits significant protective effect on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease through alleviating inflammation, reducing oxidative stress and lessening mucus hypersecretion in tobacco smoke-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease rats

High expression of sphingosine kinase 1 and S1P receptors in chemotherapy-resistant prostate cancer PC3 cells and their camptothecin-induced up-regulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akao, Yukihiro; Banno, Yoshiko; Nakagawa, Yoshihito; Hasegawa, Nobuko; Kim, Tack-Joong; Murate, Takashi; Igarashi, Yasuyuki; Nozawa, Yoshinori

2006-01-01

Although most of pharmacological therapies for cancer utilize the apoptotic machinery of the cells, the available anti-cancer drugs are limited due to the ability of prostate cancer cells to escape from the anti-cancer drug-induced apoptosis. A human prostate cancer cell line PC3 is resistant to camptothecin (CPT). To elucidate the mechanism of this resistance, we have examined the involvement of sphingosine kinase (SPHK) and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptor in CPT-resistant PC3 and -sensitive LNCaP cells. PC3 cells exhibited higher activity accompanied with higher expression levels of protein and mRNA of SPHK1, and also elevated expression of S1P receptors, S1P 1 and S1P 3 , as compared with those of LNCaP cells. The knockdown of SPHK1 by small interfering RNA and inhibition of S1P receptor signaling by pertussis toxin in PC3 cells induced significant inhibition of cell growth, suggesting implication of SPHK1 and S1P receptors in cell proliferation in PC3 cells. Furthermore, the treatment of PC3 cells with CPT was found to induce up-regulation of the SPHK1/S1P signaling by induction of both SPHK1 enzyme and S1P 1 /S1P 3 receptors. These findings strongly suggest that high expression and up-regulation of SPHK1 and S1P receptors protect PC3 cells from the apoptosis induced by CPT

Variation in the Abundance of OsHAK1 Transcript Underlies the Differential Salinity Tolerance of an indica and a japonica Rice Cultivar

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Guang Chen

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Salinity imposes a major constraint over the productivity of rice. A set of chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs, derived from a cross between the japonica type cultivar (cv. Nipponbare (salinity sensitive and the indica type cv. 9311 (moderately tolerant, was scored using a hydroponics system for their salinity tolerance at the seedling stage. Two of the CSSLs, which share a ∼1.2 Mbp stretch of chromosome 4 derived from cv. Nipponbare, were as sensitive to the stress as cv. Nipponbare itself. Fine mapping based on an F2 population bred from a backcross between one of these CSSLs and cv. 9311 narrowed this region to 95 Kbp, within which only one gene (OsHAK1 exhibited a differential (lower transcript abundance in cv. Nipponbare and the two CSSLs compared to in cv. 9311. The gene was up-regulated by exposure to salinity stress both in the root and the shoot, while a knockout mutant proved to be more salinity sensitive than its wild type with respect to its growth at both the vegetative and reproductive stages. Seedlings over-expressing OsHAK1 were more tolerant than wild type, displaying a superior photosynthetic rate, a higher leaf chlorophyll content, an enhanced accumulation of proline and a reduced level of lipid peroxidation. At the transcriptome level, the over-expression of OsHAK1 stimulated a number of stress-responsive genes as well as four genes known to be involved in Na+ homeostasis and the salinity response (OsHKT1;5, OsSOS1, OsLti6a and OsLti6b. When the stress was applied at booting through to maturity, the OsHAK1 over-expressors out-yielded wild type by 25%, and no negative pleiotropic effects were expressed in plants gown under non-saline conditions. The level of expression of OsHAK1 was correlated with Na+/K+ homeostasis, which implies that the gene should be explored a target for molecular approaches to the improvement of salinity tolerance in rice.

Gene up-regulation in response to predator kairomones in the water flea, Daphnia pulex

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Okada Yasukazu

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Numerous cases of predator-induced polyphenisms, in which alternate phenotypes are produced in response to extrinsic stimuli, have been reported in aquatic taxa to date. The genus Daphnia (Branchiopoda, Cladocera provides a model experimental system for the study of the developmental mechanisms and evolutionary processes associated with predator-induced polyphenisms. In D. pulex, juveniles form neckteeth in response to predatory kairomones released by Chaoborus larvae (Insecta, Diptera. Results Previous studies suggest that the timing of the sensitivity to kairomones in D. pulex can generally be divided into the embryonic and postembryonic developmental periods. We therefore examined which of the genes in the embryonic and first-instar juvenile stages exhibit different expression levels in the presence or absence of predator kairomones. Employing a candidate gene approach and identifying differentially-expressed genes revealed that the morphogenetic factors, Hox3, extradenticle and escargot, were up-regulated by kairomones in the postembryonic stage and may potentially be responsible for defense morph formation. In addition, the juvenile hormone pathway genes, JHAMT and Met, and the insulin signaling pathway genes, InR and IRS-1, were up-regulated in the first-instar stage. It is well known that these hormonal pathways are involved in physiological regulation following morphogenesis in many insect species. During the embryonic stage when morphotypes were determined, one of the novel genes identified by differential display was up-regulated, suggesting that this gene may be related to morphotype determination. Biological functions of the up-regulated genes are discussed in the context of defense morph formation. Conclusions It is suggested that, following the reception of kairomone signals, the identified genes are involved in a series of defensive phenotypic alterations and the production of a defensive phenotype.

Fresh meteoric versus recirculated saline groundwater nutrient inputs into a subtropical estuary

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Sadat-Noori, Mahmood, E-mail: mahmood.sadat-noori@scu.edu.au [National Marine Science Centre, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, NSW (Australia); School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW (Australia); Santos, Isaac R. [National Marine Science Centre, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, NSW (Australia); Tait, Douglas R. [National Marine Science Centre, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, NSW (Australia); School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW (Australia); Maher, Damien T. [School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW (Australia)

2016-10-01

The role of groundwater in transporting nutrients to coastal aquatic systems has recently received considerable attention. However, the relative importance of fresh versus saline groundwater-derived nutrient inputs to estuaries and how these groundwater pathways may alter surface water N:P ratios remains poorly constrained. We performed detailed time series measurements of nutrients in a tidal estuary (Hat Head, NSW, Australia) and used radium to quantify the contribution of fresh and saline groundwater to total surface water estuarine exports under contrasting hydrological conditions (wet and dry season). Tidally integrated nutrient fluxes showed that the estuary was a source of nutrients to the coastal waters. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) export was 7-fold higher than the average global areal flux rate for rivers likely due to the small catchment size, surrounding wetlands and high groundwater inputs. Fresh groundwater discharge was dominant in the wet season accounting for up to 45% of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) and 48% of total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) estuarine exports. In the dry season, fresh and saline groundwater accounted for 21 and 33% of TDN export, respectively. The combined fresh and saline groundwater fluxes of NO{sub 3}, PO{sub 4}, NH{sub 4}, DON, DOP, TDN and TDP were estimated to account for 66, 58, 55, 31, 21, 53 and 47% of surface water exports, respectively. Groundwater-derived nitrogen inputs to the estuary were responsible for a change in the surface water N:P ratio from typical N-limiting conditions to P-limiting as predicted by previous studies. This shows the importance of both fresh and saline groundwater as a source of nutrients for coastal productivity and nutrient budgets of coastal waters. - Highlights: • Groundwater TDN and TDP fluxes account for 53 and 47% of surface water exports. • The estuary DIN export was 7-fold higher than the average global areal flux. • Fresh GW nutrient input dominated the wet season and

Application of an unstructured 3D finite volume numerical model to flows and salinity dynamics in the San Francisco Bay-Delta

Science.gov (United States)

Martyr-Koller, R.C.; Kernkamp, H.W.J.; Van Dam, Anne A.; Mick van der Wegen,; Lucas, Lisa; Knowles, N.; Jaffe, B.; Fregoso, T.A.

2017-01-01

A linked modeling approach has been undertaken to understand the impacts of climate and infrastructure on aquatic ecology and water quality in the San Francisco Bay-Delta region. The Delft3D Flexible Mesh modeling suite is used in this effort for its 3D hydrodynamics, salinity, temperature and sediment dynamics, phytoplankton and water-quality coupling infrastructure, and linkage to a habitat suitability model. The hydrodynamic model component of the suite is D-Flow FM, a new 3D unstructured finite-volume model based on the Delft3D model. In this paper, D-Flow FM is applied to the San Francisco Bay-Delta to investigate tidal, seasonal and annual dynamics of water levels, river flows and salinity under historical environmental and infrastructural conditions. The model is driven by historical winds, tides, ocean salinity, and river flows, and includes federal, state, and local freshwater withdrawals, and regional gate and barrier operations. The model is calibrated over a 9-month period, and subsequently validated for water levels, flows, and 3D salinity dynamics over a 2 year period.Model performance was quantified using several model assessment metrics and visualized through target diagrams. These metrics indicate that the model accurately estimated water levels, flows, and salinity over wide-ranging tidal and fluvial conditions, and the model can be used to investigate detailed circulation and salinity patterns throughout the Bay-Delta. The hydrodynamics produced through this effort will be used to drive affiliated sediment, phytoplankton, and contaminant hindcast efforts and habitat suitability assessments for fish and bivalves. The modeling framework applied here will serve as a baseline to ultimately shed light on potential ecosystem change over the current century.

Application of an unstructured 3D finite volume numerical model to flows and salinity dynamics in the San Francisco Bay-Delta

Science.gov (United States)

Martyr-Koller, R. C.; Kernkamp, H. W. J.; van Dam, A.; van der Wegen, M.; Lucas, L. V.; Knowles, N.; Jaffe, B.; Fregoso, T. A.

2017-06-01

A linked modeling approach has been undertaken to understand the impacts of climate and infrastructure on aquatic ecology and water quality in the San Francisco Bay-Delta region. The Delft3D Flexible Mesh modeling suite is used in this effort for its 3D hydrodynamics, salinity, temperature and sediment dynamics, phytoplankton and water-quality coupling infrastructure, and linkage to a habitat suitability model. The hydrodynamic model component of the suite is D-Flow FM, a new 3D unstructured finite-volume model based on the Delft3D model. In this paper, D-Flow FM is applied to the San Francisco Bay-Delta to investigate tidal, seasonal and annual dynamics of water levels, river flows and salinity under historical environmental and infrastructural conditions. The model is driven by historical winds, tides, ocean salinity, and river flows, and includes federal, state, and local freshwater withdrawals, and regional gate and barrier operations. The model is calibrated over a 9-month period, and subsequently validated for water levels, flows, and 3D salinity dynamics over a 2 year period. Model performance was quantified using several model assessment metrics and visualized through target diagrams. These metrics indicate that the model accurately estimated water levels, flows, and salinity over wide-ranging tidal and fluvial conditions, and the model can be used to investigate detailed circulation and salinity patterns throughout the Bay-Delta. The hydrodynamics produced through this effort will be used to drive affiliated sediment, phytoplankton, and contaminant hindcast efforts and habitat suitability assessments for fish and bivalves. The modeling framework applied here will serve as a baseline to ultimately shed light on potential ecosystem change over the current century.

Treatment of Rural Wastewater Using a Spiral Fiber Based Salinity-Persistent Sequencing Batch Biofilm Reactor

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Ying-Xin Zhao

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Differing from municipal wastewater, rural wastewater in salinization areas is characterized with arbitrary discharge and high concentration of salt, COD, nitrogen and phosphorus, which would cause severe deterioration of rivers and lakes. To overcome the limits of traditional biological processes, a spiral fiber based salinity-persistent Sequencing Biofilm Batch Reactor (SBBR was developed and investigated with synthetic rural wastewater (COD = 500 mg/L, NH4+-N = 50 mg/L, TP = 6 mg/L under different salinity (0.0–10.0 g/L of NaCl. Results indicated that a quick start-up could be achieved in 15 days, along with sufficient biomass up to 7275 mg/L. During operating period, the removal of COD, NH4+-N, TN was almost not disturbed by salt varying from 0.0 to 10.0 g/L with stable efficiency reaching 92%, 82% and 80%, respectively. Although TP could be removed at high efficiency of 90% in low salinity conditions (from 0.0 to 5.0 g/L of NaCl, it was seriously inhibited due to nitrite accumulation and reduction of Phosphorus Accumulating Organisms (PAOs after addition of 10.0 g/L of salt. The behavior proposed in this study will provide theoretical foundation and guidance for application of SBBR in saline rural wastewater treatment.

Soil salinity decreases global soil organic carbon stocks.

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Setia, Raj; Gottschalk, Pia; Smith, Pete; Marschner, Petra; Baldock, Jeff; Setia, Deepika; Smith, Jo

2013-11-01

Saline soils cover 3.1% (397 million hectare) of the total land area of the world. The stock of soil organic carbon (SOC) reflects the balance between carbon (C) inputs from plants, and losses through decomposition, leaching and erosion. Soil salinity decreases plant productivity and hence C inputs to the soil, but also microbial activity and therefore SOC decomposition rates. Using a modified Rothamsted Carbon model (RothC) with a newly introduced salinity decomposition rate modifier and a plant input modifier we estimate that, historically, world soils that are currently saline have lost an average of 3.47 tSOC ha(-1) since they became saline. With the extent of saline soils predicted to increase in the future, our modelling suggests that world soils may lose 6.8 Pg SOC due to salinity by the year 2100. Our findings suggest that current models overestimate future global SOC stocks and underestimate net CO2 emissions from the soil-plant system by not taking salinity effects into account. From the perspective of enhancing soil C stocks, however, given the lower SOC decomposition rate in saline soils, salt tolerant plants could be used to sequester C in salt-affected areas. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigation of Lake Water Salinity by Using Four-Band Salinity Algorithm on WorldView-2 Satellite Image for a Saline Industrial Lake

Science.gov (United States)

Budakoǧlu, Murat; Karaman, Muhittin; Damla Uça Avcı, Z.; Kumral, Mustafa; Geredeli (Yılmaz), Serpil

2014-05-01

Salinity of a lake is an important characteristic since, these are potentially industrial lakes and the degree of salinity can significantly be used for determination of mineral resources and for the production management. In the literature, there are many studies of using satellite data for salinity related lake studies such as determination of salinity distribution and detection of potential freshwater sources in less salt concentrated regions. As the study area Lake Acigol, located in Denizli (Turkey) was selected. With it's saline environment, it's the major sodium sulphate production resource of Turkey. In this study, remote sensing data and data from a field study was used and correlated. Remote sensing is an efficient tool to monitor and analyze lake properties by using it complementary to field data. Worldview-2 satellite data was used in this study which consists of 8 bands. At the same time with the satellite data acquisition, a field study was conducted to collect the salinity values in 17 points of the laker with using YSI 556 Multiparametre for measurements. The values were measured as salinity amount in grams per kilogram solution and obtained as ppt unit. It was observed that the values vary from 34 ppt - 40.1 ppt and the average is 38.056 ppt. In Thalassic serie, the lake was in mixoeuhaline state in the time of issue. As a first step, ATCOR correction was performed on satellite image for atmospheric correction. There were some clouds on the lake field, hence it was decided to continue the study by using the 12 sampling points which were clear on the image. Then, for each sampling point, a spectral value was obtained by calculating the average at a 11*11 neighborhood. The relation between the spectral reflectance values and the salinity was investigated. The 4-band algorithm, which was used for determination of chlorophyll-a distribution in highly turbid coastal environment by Wei (2012) was applied. Salinity α (Λi-1 / Λj-1) * (Λk-1 / Λm-1) (i

Tolerance of Hordeum marinum accessions to O2 deficiency, salinity and these stresses combined

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Malik, Al Imran; English, Jeremy Parker; Colmer, Timothy David

2009-01-01

Background and Aims When root-zone O2 deficiency occurs together with salinity, regulation of shoot ion concentrations is compromised even more than under salinity alone. Tolerance was evaluated amongst 34 accessions of Hordeum marinum, a wild species in the Triticeae, to combined salinity and root-zone O2 deficiency. Interest in H. marinum arises from the potential to use it as a donor for abiotic stress tolerance into wheat. Methods Two batches of 17 H. marinum accessions, from (1) the Nordic Gene Bank and (2) the wheat belt of Western Australia, were exposed to 0·2 or 200 mol m−3 NaCl in aerated or stagnant nutrient solution for 28–29 d. Wheat (Triticum aestivum) was included as a sensitive check species. Growth, root porosity, root radial O2 loss (ROL) and leaf ion (Na+, K+, Cl−) concentrations were determined. Key Results Owing to space constraints, this report is focused mainly on the accessions from the Nordic Gene Bank. The 17 accessions varied in tolerance; relative growth rate was reduced by 2–38 % in stagnant solution, by 8–42 % in saline solution (aerated) and by 39–71 % in stagnant plus saline treatment. When in stagnant solution, porosity of adventitious roots was 24–33 %; salinity decreased the root porosity in some accessions, but had no effect in others. Roots grown in stagnant solution formed a barrier to ROL, but variation existed amongst accessions in apparent barrier ‘strength’. Leaf Na+ concentration was 142–692 µmol g−1 d. wt for plants in saline solution (aerated), and only increased to 247–748 µmol g−1 d. wt in the stagnant plus saline treatment. Leaf Cl− also showed only small effects of stagnant plus saline treatment, compared with saline alone. In comparison with H. marinum, wheat was more adversely affected by each stress alone, and particularly when combined; growth reductions were greater, adventitious root porosity was 21 %, it lacked a barrier to ROL, leaf K+ declined to lower levels, and leaf Na+ and

Monitoring soil coverage and yield of cowpea furrow irrigated with saline water

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Antonia Leila Rocha Neves

Full Text Available Abstract Cowpea crop is of great importance for northeast Brazil. The objective of this work was to evaluate the application of saline water in different developing stages on plant growth and changes in soil characteristics, measured by soil coverage, and on yield of cowpea plants. The experiment was conducted under field conditions, during the dry season in a completely randomized block design with five treatments and five replications. Each experimental unit consisted of 4 lines of plants with 5.0 m long. The treatments evaluated were: 1. irrigation with groundwater with electrical conductivity (ECw of 0.8 dS m-1 during the whole crop cycle; 2. saline water (5.0 dS m-1 during the whole crop cycle; 3, 4 and 5. saline water (5.0 dS m-1 up to 22nd, during 23rd to 42nd and from the 43rd to 62nd days after sowing, respectively, and groundwater in the remaining period. Soil coverage was evaluated by digital images using the software ENVI for image processing and classification. It was found that the continuous use of saline water inhibits plant growth, while irrigation with saline water during germination and initial growth stages caused retardation in plant development, but in this last case a recovery was observed in the final part of the experimental period. For treatments 2 and 3, a reduction was verified in the number of pods and in seed production, as compared to other treatments. Irrigation with saline water during 23 to 42 and 43 to 62 days after sowing did not affect reproductive and vegetative growth, but the saline water application in the pre-flowering (treatment 4 caused anticipation of the reproductive cycle.

Morphology and Kinetics of Growth of CaCO3 Precipitates Formed in Saline Water at 30°C

Science.gov (United States)

Sui, Xin; Wang, Baohui; Wu, Haiming

2018-02-01

The crystallization kinetics and morphology of CaCO3 crystals precipitated from the high salinity oilfield water were studied. The crystallization kinetics measurements show that nucleation and nuclei growth obey the first order reaction kinetics. The induction period of precipitation is extended in the high salinity solutions. Morphological studies show that impurity ions remain mostly in the solution phase instead of filling the CaCO3 crystal lattice. The morphology of CaCO3 precipitates can be changed from a smooth surface (calcite) to rough spheres (vaterite), and spindle rod bundles, or spherical, ellipsoid, flowers, plates and other shapes (aragonite).

Type I and II positive allosteric modulators differentially modulate agonist-induced up-regulation of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Morten Skøtt; Mikkelsen, Jens D

2012-01-01

Long-term treatment with nicotine or selective α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonists increases the number of α7 nAChRs and this up-regulation may be involved in the mechanism underlying the sustained procognitive effect of these compounds. Here, we investigate the influence of type I...... expressing human α7 nAChR, whereas the type I PAMs AVL-3288 or NS1738 do not. Contrarily, neither type I nor II PAMs affect 10 μM nicotine-induced receptor up-regulation, suggesting that nicotine and A-582941 induce up-regulation through different mechanisms. We further show in vivo that 3 mg/kg PNU-120596...... is involved in A-582941-induced up-regulation. Our results are the first to show an in vivo difference between type I and II α7 nAChR PAMs, and demonstrate an agonist-dependent effect of type II PAMs occurring on a much longer time scale than previously appreciated. Furthermore, our data suggest that nicotine...

Calcium-Mediated Regulation of Proton-Coupled Sodium Transport - Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schumaker, Karen S [Professor

2013-10-24

The long-term goal of our experiments was to understand mechanisms that regulate energy coupling by ion currents in plants. Activities of living organisms require chemical, mechanical, osmotic or electrical work, the energy for which is supplied by metabolism. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) has long been recognized as the universal energy currency, with metabolism supporting the synthesis of ATP and the hydrolysis of ATP being used for the subsequent work. However, ATP is not the only energy currency in living organisms. A second and very different energy currency links metabolism to work by the movement of ions passing from one side of a membrane to the other. These ion currents play a major role in energy capture and they support a range of physiological processes from the active transport of nutrients to the spatial control of growth and development. In Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis), the activity of a plasma membrane Na+/H+ exchanger, SALT OVERLY SENSITIVE1 (SOS1), is essential for regulation of sodium ion homeostasis during plant growth in saline conditions. Mutations in SOS1 result in severely reduced seedling growth in the presence of salt compared to the growth of wild type. SOS1 is a secondary active transporter coupling movement of sodium ions out of the cell using energy stored in the transplasma membrane proton gradient, thereby preventing the build-up of toxic levels of sodium in the cytosol. SOS1 is regulated by complexes containing the SOS2 and CALCINEURIN B-LIKE10 (CBL10) or SOS3 proteins. CBL10 and SOS3 (also identified as CBL4) encode EF-hand calcium sensors that interact physically with and activate SOS2, a serine/threonine protein kinase. The CBL10/SOS2 or SOS3/SOS2 complexes then activate SOS1 Na+/H+ exchange activity. We completed our studies to understand how SOS1 activity is regulated. Specifically, we asked: (1) how does CBL10 regulate SOS1 activity? (2) What role do two putative CBL10-interacting proteins play in SOS1 regulation? (3) Are

Improvement of Salt Tolerance in Trigonella foenum-graecum L. var. PEB by Plant Growth Regulators

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Anjali Ratnakar

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The crop yield is reduced under saline conditions and this hampers agricultural productivity. The incorporation of plant growth regulators (PGRs during presoaking treatments in many crops has improved seed performance under saline conditions. In order to study the ameliorative effect of plant growth regulators, experiments were conducted to study the variation in organic constituents in the leaves of Trigonella foenum-graecum L. var.PEB, where the seeds were primed with different plant growth regulators and grown under NaCl salinity. After a pre-soaking treatment of six hours in 20 mg L-1 solutions of gibberllic acid (GA3, 6-furfuryladenine (Kinetin and benzyl adenine (BA, the seeds were allowed to germinate and grow for forty-five days under saline conditions. On the analysis of mature leaves, it was observed that chlorophyll a and b, total chlorophyll and protein showed an increase in PGR-treated plants compared to the untreated set. The accumulation of the stress metabolite such as proline and sugars, which increase under saline conditions, showed a significant decrease in the plants pretreated with PGRs.

Translational up-regulation and high-level protein expression from plasmid vectors by mTOR activation via different pathways in PC3 and 293T cells.

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Prashanthi Karyala

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Though 293T cells are widely used for expression of proteins from transfected plasmid vectors, the molecular basis for the high-level expression is yet to be understood. We recently identified the prostate carcinoma cell line PC3 to be as efficient as 293T in protein expression. This study was undertaken to decipher the molecular basis of high-level expression in these two cell lines. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In a survey of different cell lines for efficient expression of platelet-derived growth factor-B (PDGF-B, β-galactosidase (β-gal and green fluorescent protein (GFP from plasmid vectors, PC3 was found to express at 5-50-fold higher levels compared to the bone metastatic prostate carcinoma cell line PC3BM and many other cell lines. Further, the efficiency of transfection and level of expression of the reporters in PC3 were comparable to that in 293T. Comparative analyses revealed that the high level expression of the reporters in the two cell lines was due to increased translational efficiency. While phosphatidic acid (PA-mediated activation of mTOR, as revealed by drastic reduction in reporter expression by n-butanol, primarily contributed to the high level expression in PC3, multiple pathways involving PA, PI3K/Akt and ERK1/2 appear to contribute to the abundant reporter expression in 293T. Thus the extent of translational up-regulation attained through the concerted activation of mTOR by multiple pathways in 293T could be achieved through its activation primarily by the PA pathway in PC3. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our studies reveal that the high-level expression of proteins from plasmid vectors is effected by translational up-regulation through mTOR activation via different signaling pathways in the two cell lines and that PC3 is as efficient as 293T for recombinant protein expression. Further, PC3 offers an advantage in that the level of expression of the protein can be regulated by simple addition of n-butanol to

Hormonal regulation of aquaporin 3: opposing actions of prolactin and cortisol in tilapia gill.

Science.gov (United States)

Breves, Jason P; Inokuchi, Mayu; Yamaguchi, Yoko; Seale, Andre P; Hunt, Bethany L; Watanabe, Soichi; Lerner, Darren T; Kaneko, Toyoji; Grau, E Gordon

2016-09-01

Aquaporins (Aqps) are expressed within key osmoregulatory tissues where they mediate the movement of water and selected solutes across cell membranes. We leveraged the functional plasticity of Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) gill epithelium to examine how Aqp3, an aquaglyceroporin, is regulated in response to osmoregulatory demands. Particular attention was paid to the actions of critical osmoregulatory hormones, namely, prolactin (Prl), growth hormone and cortisol. Branchial aqp3 mRNA levels were modulated following changes in environmental salinity, with enhanced aqp3 mRNA expression upon transfer from seawater to freshwater (FW). Accordingly, extensive Aqp3 immunoreactivity was localized to cell membranes of branchial epithelium in FW-acclimated animals. Upon transferring hypophysectomized tilapia to FW, we identified that a pituitary factor(s) is required for Aqp3 expression in FW. Replacement with ovine Prl (oPrl) was sufficient to stimulate Aqp3 expression in hypophysectomized animals held in FW, an effect blocked by coinjection with cortisol. Both oPrl and native tilapia Prls (tPrl177 and tPrl188) stimulated aqp3 in incubated gill filaments in a concentration-related manner. Consistent with in vivo responses, coincubation with cortisol blocked oPrl-stimulated aqp3 expression in vitro Our data indicate that Prl and cortisol act directly upon branchial epithelium to regulate Aqp3 in tilapia. Thus, within the context of the diverse actions of Prl on hydromineral balance in vertebrates, we define a new role for Prl as a regulator of Aqp expression. © 2016 Society for Endocrinology.

Microbial Fuel Cells under Extreme Salinity

Science.gov (United States)

Monzon del Olmo, Oihane

I developed a Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) that unprecedentedly works (i.e., produces electricity) under extreme salinity (≈ 100 g/L NaCl). Many industries, such as oil and gas extraction, generate hypersaline wastewaters with high organic strength, accounting for about 5% of worldwide generated effluents, which represent a major challenge for pollution control and resource recovery. This study assesses the potential for microbial fuel cells (MFCs) to treat such wastewaters and generate electricity under extreme saline conditions. Specifically, the focus is on the feasibility to treat hypersaline wastewater generated by the emerging unconventional oil and gas industry (hydraulic fracturing) and so, with mean salinity of 100 g/L NaCl (3-fold higher than sea water). The success of this novel technology strongly depends on finding a competent and resilient microbial community that can degrade the waste under extreme saline conditions and be able to use the anode as their terminal electron acceptor (exoelectrogenic capability). I demonstrated that MFCs can produce electricity at extremely high salinity (up to 250 g/l NaCl) with a power production of 71mW/m2. Pyrosequencing analysis of the anode population showed the predominance of Halanaerobium spp. (85%), which has been found in shale formations and oil reservoirs. Promoting Quorum sensing (QS, cell to cell communication between bacteria to control gene expression) was used as strategy to increase the attachment of bacteria to the anode and thus improve the MFC performance. Results show that the power output can be bolstered by adding 100nM of quinolone signal with an increase in power density of 30%, for the first time showing QS in Halanaerobium extremophiles. To make this technology closer to market applications, experiments with real wastewaters were also carried out. A sample of produced wastewater from Barnet Shale, Texas (86 g/L NaCl) produced electricity when fed in an MFC, leading to my discovery of another

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor up-regulates GTP-cyclohydrolase I activity and tetrahydrobiopterin levels in primary dopaminergic neurones

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bauer, M; Suppmann, S; Meyer, M

2002-01-01

in tetrahydrobiopterin levels whereas tyrosine 3-monooxygenase activity was not altered. Actinomycin D, asan inhibitor of de novo biosynthesis, abolished any GDNF-mediated up-regulation of GTPCH I activity. However, GTPCH I mRNA levels in primary dopaminergic neurones were not altered by GDNF treatment, suggesting...... by triggering activation of GTP-cyclohydrolase I (GTPCH I), a key enzyme in catecholamine biosynthesis. GDNF stimulation of primary dopaminergic neurones expressing both tyrosine 3-monooxygenase and GTPCH I resulted in a dose-dependent doubling of GTPCH I activity, and a concomitant increase...... that the mode of action for that up-regulation is not directly connected to the regulation of GTPCH I transcription. We conclude that GDNF, in addition to its action in structural differentiation, also promotes differentiation regarding expression and enzymatic activity of a crucial component...

Do laboratory salinity tolerances of freshwater animals correspond with their field salinity?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kefford, Ben J.; Papas, Phil J.; Metzeling, Leon; Nugegoda, Dayanthi

2004-06-01

The degree to which laboratory derived measures of salinity tolerance reflect the field distributions of freshwater biota is uncertain. In this paper we compare laboratory-derived acute salinity tolerance (LC{sub 50} values) of freshwater macroinvertebrates (range 5.5-76 mS/cm) and fish (range 2.7-82 mS/cm) from southeastern Australia with the salinity from which they have been collected in the field. Only 4% of the macroinvertebrates were collected at salinity levels substantially higher than their 72-h LC{sub 50} obtained from directly transferring animals from low salinity water to the water they were tested (direct transfer LC{sub 50}). This LC{sub 50} value was correlated with the maximum salinity at which a species had been collected. For common macroinvertebrates, the maximum field salinity was approximated by the direct transfer 72-h LC{sub 50}. For adult freshwater fish, 21% of species were collected at salinities substantially greater than their acute direct transfer LC{sub 50} and there was a weak relationship between these two variables. Although there was a weak correlation between the direct transfer LC{sub 50} of early life stages of freshwater fish and the maximum field salinity, 58% of the field distribution were in higher than their LC{sub 50} values. In contrast, LC{sub 50} determined from experiments that acclimated adult fish to higher salinity (slow acclimation) provided a better indication of the field distribution: with only one fish species (7%) being in conflict with their maximum field salinity and a strong positive relationship between these variables. This study shows that laboratory measures of acute salinity tolerance can reflect the maximum salinity that macroinvertebrate and fish species inhabit and are consistent with some anecdotal observations from other studies. - Acute laboratory salinity tolerances relate to maximum salinity where organisms occur in nature.

Do laboratory salinity tolerances of freshwater animals correspond with their field salinity?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kefford, Ben J.; Papas, Phil J.; Metzeling, Leon; Nugegoda, Dayanthi

2004-01-01

The degree to which laboratory derived measures of salinity tolerance reflect the field distributions of freshwater biota is uncertain. In this paper we compare laboratory-derived acute salinity tolerance (LC 50 values) of freshwater macroinvertebrates (range 5.5-76 mS/cm) and fish (range 2.7-82 mS/cm) from southeastern Australia with the salinity from which they have been collected in the field. Only 4% of the macroinvertebrates were collected at salinity levels substantially higher than their 72-h LC 50 obtained from directly transferring animals from low salinity water to the water they were tested (direct transfer LC 50 ). This LC 50 value was correlated with the maximum salinity at which a species had been collected. For common macroinvertebrates, the maximum field salinity was approximated by the direct transfer 72-h LC 50 . For adult freshwater fish, 21% of species were collected at salinities substantially greater than their acute direct transfer LC 50 and there was a weak relationship between these two variables. Although there was a weak correlation between the direct transfer LC 50 of early life stages of freshwater fish and the maximum field salinity, 58% of the field distribution were in higher than their LC 50 values. In contrast, LC 50 determined from experiments that acclimated adult fish to higher salinity (slow acclimation) provided a better indication of the field distribution: with only one fish species (7%) being in conflict with their maximum field salinity and a strong positive relationship between these variables. This study shows that laboratory measures of acute salinity tolerance can reflect the maximum salinity that macroinvertebrate and fish species inhabit and are consistent with some anecdotal observations from other studies. - Acute laboratory salinity tolerances relate to maximum salinity where organisms occur in nature

Feeding ω-3 PUFA enriched rotifers to Galaxias maculatus (Jenyns, 1842 larvae reared at different salinity conditions: effects on growth parameters, survival and fatty acids profile

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Patricio Dantagnan

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Despite the well known importance of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA in marine and freshwater fish larvae, there are few studies on how essential fatty acid requirements and composition on whole body can be altered by changes in water salinity. The present study aimed to determine the effect of salinity on ω-3 PUFA requirements, larval growth survival and fatty acid composition of Galaxias maculatus larvae cultured at two different salinities (0 and 15 g L-1 for 20 days while fed rotifers containing two different levels of ω-3 PUFA (1.87 and 3.16%. The results denoted a marked difference in ω-3 PUFA requirements and in the pattern of fatty acid deposition in the whole body of larvae reared at different salinities, depending of ω-3 PUFA in diets. Thus, to improve growth and survival larvae of G. maculatus reared at 0 g L-1 require higher levels of ω-3 PUFA, principally 18:3 ω-3. Larvae reared at salinities of 15 g L-1 require low levels of ω-3 PUFA for optimal survival, especially 18:3 ω-3. Eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid content in the whole body of larvae was also affected by water salinity.

Dexmedetomidine attenuates pancreatic injury and inflammatory response in mice with pancreatitis by possible reduction of NLRP3 activation and up-regulation of NET expression.

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Li, Yong; Pan, Yiyuan; Gao, Lin; Lu, Guotao; Zhang, Jingzhu; Xie, Xiaochun; Tong, Zhihui; Li, Baiqiang; Li, Gang; Li, Weiqin

2018-01-22

Previous studies have shown that acute inflammation is associated with increased sympathetic activity, which in turn increases the inflammatory response and leads to organ damage. The present study aimed to investigate whether dexmedetomidine administration during acute pancreatitis (AP) lessens pancreatic pathological and functional injury and the inflammatory response, and to explore the underlying mechanisms. Mild pancreatitis was induced in mice with caerulein, and severe pancreatitis was induced with caerulein plus lipopolysaccharide (LPS). After pancreatitis induction, dexmedetomidine at 10 or 20 μg/kg was injected via the tail vein. Pancreatic pathological and functional injury was assessed by histology and serum levels of amylase and lipase, respectively. The inflammatory response was evaluated by determining serum levels of inflammatory factors. The expression of myeloperoxidase (MPO) was examined by immunohistochemistry. The expression of norepinephrine transporter (NET), NLRP3, pro-IL-1β, and interleukin (IL)-1β in pancreatic tissue was detected by Western blot and real-time PCR. Dexmedetomidine at 20 μg/kg significantly attenuated pancreatic pathological injury, reduced serum levels of amylase, lipase, IL-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and decreased the expression of MPO in pancreatic tissue in both mouse models of pancreatitis. In addition, dexmedetomidine at 20 μg/kg significantly down-regulated the expression of NLRP3, pro-IL-1β, and IL-1β in pancreatic tissue, but up-regulated the expression of NET in both mouse models. Dexmedetomidine attenuates pancreatic injury and inflammatory response in mice with pancreatitis possibly by reducing NLRP3 activation and up-regulating NET expression. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Uranium geochemistry on the Amazon shelf: Chemical phase partitioning and cycling across a salinity gradient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swarzenski, P.W.; McKee, B.A.; Booth, J.G.

1995-01-01

The size distribution of U was examined in surface waters of the Amazon shelf. Water samples were collected during a low discharge river stage across a broad salinity gradient (0.3-35.4%) and fractionated by planar filtration and tangential-flow ultrafiltration into (1) solution (U s , c , 10,000 MW-0.4 μm), (3) dissolved (U d p >0.4 μm) phases. Concentrations of colloidal U comprise up to 92% of the dissolved U fraction at the river mouth and attain highest values (∼0.45 μg/L) in the productive, biogenic region of the Amazon shelf (salinities above ∼20%). U d and U c distributions are highly nonconservative relative to ideal dilution of river water and seawater, indicating extensive removal at salinities below ∼10%. The distribution of U s also shows some nonconservative behavior, yet removal, if any, is minimal. Saltwater-induced precipitation and aggregation of riverine colloidal material is most likely the dominant mechanism of U removal in the low salinity, terrigenous region of the Amazon shelf. There is evident of a substantial colloidal U input (∼245% of the riverine U c flux) into surface waters above 5%. Such U c enrichment most likely is the result of colloidal U-rich porewater diffusion/advection from the seabed and fluid muds or shelf-wide particle-colloid disaggregation. Removal of solution and dissolved phase U via a colloidal intermediate and U c aggregation in terms of coagulation phase U via a colloidal intermediate and U c aggregation was examined in terms of coagulation theory. The high reactive nature of all U phases on the Amazon shelf suggests that remobilization and fractionation of U may also occur in other river-influenced coastal environments

Osmoregulation and muscle water control in vitro facing salinity stress of the Amazon fish Oscar Astronotus ocellatus (Cichlidae)

Science.gov (United States)

Gutierre, Silvia M. M.; Schulte, Jessica M.; Schofield, Pam; Prodocimo, Viviane

2017-01-01

Specimens of Oscar Astronotus ocellatus from a fish farm were abruptly submitted to salt stress of 14 ppt and 20 ppt, for 3 and 8 h to determine their plasma osmolality. Muscle wet body mass change in vitro was analyzed from control freshwater animals. Fish in 14 ppt presented no osmolality distress even after 8 h. In 20 ppt, a slight increase (10%) in plasma osmolality was observed for both times of exposure when compared to control fish. Muscle slices submitted in vitro to hyper-osmotic saline displayed decreased body mass after 75 min, and slices submitted to hypo-osmotic saline displayed increased body mass after 45 min when compared to control (isosmotic saline). These results reinforce A. ocellatus’s euryhalinity. The fish were able to regulate its internal medium and tolerate 14 ppt, but presented an intense osmotic challenge and low muscle hydration control when facing salinities of 20 ppt.

Unlocking High-Salinity Desalination with Cascading Osmotically Mediated Reverse Osmosis: Energy and Operating Pressure Analysis.

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Chen, Xi; Yip, Ngai Yin

2018-02-20

Current practice of using thermally driven methods to treat hypersaline brines is highly energy-intensive and costly. While conventional reverse osmosis (RO) is the most efficient desalination technique, it is confined to purifying seawater and lower salinity sources. Hydraulic pressure restrictions and elevated energy demand render RO unsuitable for high-salinity streams. Here, we propose an innovative cascading osmotically mediated reverse osmosis (COMRO) technology to overcome the limitations of conventional RO. The innovation utilizes the novel design of bilateral countercurrent reverse osmosis stages to depress the hydraulic pressure needed by lessening the osmotic pressure difference across the membrane, and simultaneously achieve energy savings. Instead of the 137 bar required by conventional RO to desalinate 70 000 ppm TDS hypersaline feed, the highest operating pressure in COMRO is only 68.3 bar (-50%). Furthermore, up to ≈17% energy saving is attained by COMRO (3.16 kWh/m 3 , compared to 3.79 kWh/m 3 with conventional RO). When COMRO is employed to boost the recovery of seawater desalination to 70% from the typical 35-50%, energy savings of up to ≈33% is achieved (2.11 kWh/m 3 , compared to 3.16 kWh/m 3 with conventional RO). Again, COMRO can operate at a moderate hydraulic pressure of 80 bar (25% lower than 113 bar of conventional RO). This study highlights the encouraging potential of energy-efficient COMRO to access unprecedented high recovery rates and treat hypersaline brines at moderate hydraulic pressures, thus extending the capabilities of membrane-based technologies for high-salinity desalination.

Viscoelastic diamine surfactant for stable carbon dioxide/water foams over a wide range in salinity and temperature.

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Elhag, Amro S; Da, Chang; Chen, Yunshen; Mukherjee, Nayan; Noguera, Jose A; Alzobaidi, Shehab; Reddy, Prathima P; AlSumaiti, Ali M; Hirasaki, George J; Biswal, Sibani L; Nguyen, Quoc P; Johnston, Keith P

2018-07-15

The viscosity and stability of CO 2 /water foams at elevated temperature can be increased significantly with highly viscoelastic aqueous lamellae. The slow thinning of these viscoelastic lamellae leads to greater foam stability upon slowing down Ostwald ripening and coalescence. In the aqueous phase, the viscoelasticity may be increased by increasing the surfactant tail length to form more entangled micelles even at high temperatures and salinity. Systematic measurements of the steady state shear viscosity of aqueous solutions of the diamine surfactant (C 16-18 N(CH 3 )C 3 N(CH 3 ) 2 ) were conducted at varying surfactant concentrations and salinity to determine the parameters for formation of entangled wormlike micelles. The apparent viscosity and stability of CO 2 /water foams were compared for systems with viscoelastic entangled micellar aqueous phases relative to those with much less viscous spherical micelles. We demonstrated for the first time stable CO 2 /water foams at temperatures up to 120 °C and CO 2 volumetric fractions up to 0.98 with a single diamine surfactant, C 16-18 N(CH 3 )C 3 N(CH 3 ) 2 . The foam stability was increased by increasing the packing parameter of the surfactant with a long tail and methyl substitution on the amine to form entangled viscoelastic wormlike micelles in the aqueous phase. The foam was more viscous and stable compared to foams with spherical micelles in the aqueous lamellae as seen with C 12-14 N(EO) 2 and C 16-18 N(EO)C 3 N(EO) 2 . Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Linking salinity stress tolerance with tissue-specific Na+ sequestration in wheat roots

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Honghong eWu

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Salinity stress tolerance is a physiologically complex trait that is conferred by the large array of interacting mechanisms. Among these, vacuolar Na+ sequestration has always been considered as one of the key components differentiating between sensitive and tolerant species and genotypes. However, vacuolar Na+ sequestration has been rarely considered in the context of the tissue-specific expression and regulation of appropriate transporters contributing to Na+ removal from the cytosol. In this work, six bread wheat varieties contrasting in their salinity tolerance (three tolerant and three sensitive were used to understand the essentiality of vacuolar Na+ sequestration between functionally different root tissues, and link it with the overall salinity stress tolerance in this species. Roots of 4-d old wheat seedlings were treated with 100 mM NaCl for 3 days, and then Na+ distribution between cytosol and vacuole was quantified by CoroNa Green fluorescent dye imaging. Our major observations were as follows: 1 salinity stress tolerance correlated positively with vacuolar Na+ sequestration ability in the mature root zone but not in the root apex; 2 Contrary to expectations, cytosolic Na+ levels in root meristem were significantly higher in salt tolerant than sensitive group, while vacuolar Na+ levels showed an opposite trend. These results are interpreted as meristem cells playing a role of the salt sensor; 3 No significant difference in the vacuolar Na+ sequestration ability was found between sensitive and tolerant group in either transition or elongation zones; 4 The overall Na+ accumulation was highest in the elongation zone, suggesting its role in osmotic adjustment and turgor maintenance required to drive root expansion growth. Overall, the reported results suggest high tissue-specificity of Na+ uptake, signalling, and sequestration in wheat root. The implications of these findings for plant breeding for salinity stress tolerance are discussed.

Saline agriculture in Mediterranean environments

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Albino Maggio

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Salinization is increasingly affecting world's agricultural land causing serious yield loss and soil degradation. Understanding how we could improve crop productivity in salinized environments is therefore critical to meet the challenging goal of feeding 9.3 billion people by 2050. Our comprehension of fundamental physiological mechanisms in plant salt stress adaptation has greatly advanced over the last decades. However, many of these mechanisms have been linked to salt tolerance in simplified experimental systems whereas they have been rarely functionally proven in real agricultural contexts. In-depth analyses of specific crop-salinity interactions could reveal important aspects of plant salt stress adaptation as well as novel physiological/agronomic targets to improve salinity tolerance. These include the developmental role of root vs. shoot systems respect to water-ion homeostasis, morphological vs. metabolic contributions to stress adaptation, developmental processes vs. seasonal soil salinity evolution, residual effects of saline irrigation in non-irrigated crops, critical parameters of salt tolerance in soil-less systems and controlled environments, response to multiple stresses. Finally, beneficial effects of salinization on qualitative parameters such as stress-induced accumulation of high nutritional value secondary metabolites should be considered, also. In this short review we attempted to highlight the multifaceted nature of salinity in Mediterranean agricultural systems by summarizing most experimental activity carried out at the Department of Agricultural Engineering and Agronomy of University of Naples Federico II in the last few years.

Regulation of skeletal muscle oxidative capacity and muscle mass by SIRT3.

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Ligen Lin

Full Text Available We have previously reported that the expression of mitochondrial deacetylase SIRT3 is high in the slow oxidative muscle and that the expression of muscle SIRT3 level is increased by dietary restriction or exercise training. To explore the function of SIRT3 in skeletal muscle, we report here the establishment of a transgenic mouse model with muscle-specific expression of the murine SIRT3 short isoform (SIRT3M3. Calorimetry study revealed that the transgenic mice had increased energy expenditure and lower respiratory exchange rate (RER, indicating a shift towards lipid oxidation for fuel usage, compared to control mice. The transgenic mice exhibited better exercise performance on treadmills, running 45% further than control animals. Moreover, the transgenic mice displayed higher proportion of slow oxidative muscle fibers, with increased muscle AMPK activation and PPARδ expression, both of which are known regulators promoting type I muscle fiber specification. Surprisingly, transgenic expression of SIRT3M3 reduced muscle mass up to 30%, likely through an up-regulation of FOXO1 transcription factor and its downstream atrophy gene MuRF-1. In summary, these results suggest that SIRT3 regulates the formation of oxidative muscle fiber, improves muscle metabolic function, and reduces muscle mass, changes that mimic the effects of caloric restriction.

Estradiol up-regulates L-type Ca2+ channels via membrane-bound estrogen receptor/phosphoinositide-3-kinase/Akt/cAMP response element-binding protein signaling pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xiaoyan; Mao, Xiaofang; Xu, Gao; Xing, Shasha; Chattopadhyay, Ansuman; Jin, Si; Salama, Guy

2018-05-01

In long QT syndrome type 2, women are more prone than men to the lethal arrhythmia torsades de pointes. We previously reported that 17β-estradiol (E2) up-regulates L-type Ca 2+ channels and current (I Ca,L ) (∼30%) in rabbit ventricular myocytes by a classic genomic mechanism mediated by estrogen receptor-α (ERα). In long QT syndrome type 2 (I Kr blockade or bradycardia), the higher Ca 2+ influx via I Ca,L causes Ca 2+ overload, spontaneous sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ release, and reactivation of I Ca,L that triggers early afterdepolarizations and torsades de pointes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanisms whereby E2 up-regulates I Ca,L , which are poorly understood. H9C2 and rat myocytes were incubated with E2 ± ER antagonist, or inhibitors of downstream transcription factors, for 24 hours, followed by western blots of Cav1.2α1C and voltage-clamp measurements of I Ca,L . Incubation of H9C2 cells with E2 (10-100 nM) increased I Ca,L density and Cav1.2α1C expression, which were suppressed by the ER antagonist ICI182,780 (1 μM). Enhanced I Ca,L and Cav1.2α1C expression by E2 was suppressed by inhibitors of phosphoinositide-3-kinase (Pi3K) (30 μM LY294002; P L via plasma membrane ER and by activating Pi3K, Akt, and CREB signaling. The promoter regions of the CACNA1C gene (human-rabbit-rat) contain adjacent/overlapping binding sites for p-CREB and ERα, which suggests a synergistic regulation by these pathways. Copyright © 2018 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

MicroRNA-150 Is up-regulated in extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of MALT type.

Science.gov (United States)

Gebauer, Niklas; Kuba, Johannes; Senft, Andrea; Schillert, Arne; Bernard, Veronica; Thorns, Christoph

2014-01-01

The mechanisms promoting malignant transformation from chronic Helicobacter pylori-gastritis to gastric extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (MALT lymphoma) are insufficiently characterized. This follow-up study aimed to validate candidate microRNAs (miRs) in the process of neoplastic transformation. MicroRNA expression signatures (n=20) were generated for a total of 60 cases of gastric lesions ranging from Wotherspoon 0-5 employing a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) approach. Morphological and immunohistochemical characterization of the cohort was supplemented by PCR-based immunoglobulin heavy chain recombination studies. Quantitative expression of miR-150, miR-142.3p, miR-375 and miR-494 was significantly de-regulated in samples from MALT lymphoma compared to those from gastritis. The previously reported up-regulation of miR-150 in marginal zone lymphoma of MALT type was verified in an independent cohort of lymphoma samples employing a modified methodology. This further substantiates the role of miR-150 as a potential oncomiR in MALT lymphoma.

Sox9-regulated miRNA-574-3p inhibits chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells.

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David Guérit

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to identify new microRNAs (miRNAs that are modulated during the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs toward chondrocytes. Using large scale miRNA arrays, we compared the expression of miRNAs in MSCs (day 0 and at early time points (day 0.5 and 3 after chondrogenesis induction. Transfection of premiRNA or antagomiRNA was performed on MSCs before chondrogenesis induction and expression of miRNAs and chondrocyte markers was evaluated at different time points during differentiation by RT-qPCR. Among miRNAs that were modulated during chondrogenesis, we identified miR-574-3p as an early up-regulated miRNA. We found that miR-574-3p up-regulation is mediated via direct binding of Sox9 to its promoter region and demonstrated by reporter assay that retinoid X receptor (RXRα is one gene specifically targeted by the miRNA. In vitro transfection of MSCs with premiR-574-3p resulted in the inhibition of chondrogenesis demonstrating its role during the commitment of MSCs towards chondrocytes. In vivo, however, both up- and down-regulation of miR-574-3p expression inhibited differentiation toward cartilage and bone in a model of heterotopic ossification. In conclusion, we demonstrated that Sox9-dependent up-regulation of miR-574-3p results in RXRα down-regulation. Manipulating miR-574-3p levels both in vitro and in vivo inhibited chondrogenesis suggesting that miR-574-3p might be required for chondrocyte lineage maintenance but also that of MSC multipotency.

Impact of Salinity on the Incubation Rate and the Performance during the Nursery Phase of Square Head Climbing Perch (Anabas testudineus Bloch, 1792

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Le, DV.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Square head climbing perch (Anabas testudineus Bloch, 1792 is a high quality fish without small bones. It grows in a wide range of temperatures (10-42 oC, pH (3.5-9.5 and salinity (up to 16%. As regards climate change, this species may become important for aquaculture in the Tam Giang-Cau Hai lagoon near Hue city. To optimise the quality of fingerlings, we analyzed the effect of salinity levels on hatching and nursing in three subsequent experiments. Fertilization, hatching, survival and growth rates for 30 days were determined at salinity levels 0%, 5%, 7%, 13% and 15%. Water temperature and pH varied between 22-29.5 oC and 7.3-7.8, respectively. Between 0-5%, fertilization ratio was 77% to 83% and highest at 5%, but this dropped to 0% when salinity increased; hatching ratio was larger than 90%, but decreased to 0% at 13-15%. Between 0-11%, hatching time of fertilized eggs was not affected by salinity levels. The ratio of deformation gradually increased above 5%. After hatching at either 0 or 5%, survival ratios for square head climbing perch were above 13% up to 5%, but dropped to 0% at 9%. The growth after 30 days of nursing was higher at 5 and 7% compared with that of 0 and 3%.

A comparison of 500 prefilled textured saline breast implants versus 500 standard textured saline breast implants: is there a difference in deflation rates?

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, W Grant; Hirsch, Elliot M; Stoker, David A; Cohen, Robert

2006-06-01

This study provides the first large-volume (1000 implant) comparison of the deflation rates of Poly Implant Prosthesis prefilled textured saline breast implants versus a control group of Mentor Siltex textured saline implants. A consecutive series of 500 Poly Implant Prosthesis prefilled textured saline breast implants was compared with a consecutive series of 500 Mentor Siltex breast implants. Each breast implant was evaluated for a 4-year period, and the annual deflation rate (number of deflations during a given year divided by the total number of implants) and cumulative deflation rate (cumulative total of deflations through a given year divided by the total number of implants) were recorded. Statistical significance was calculated using the Fisher's exact test at year 1 and the chi-square analysis at years 2 through 4. The cumulative deflation rates of the Poly Implant Prosthesis implants was as follows: year 1, 1.2 percent; year 2, 5.6 percent; year 3, 11.4 percent; and year 4, 15.4 percent. The cumulative deflation rates of the Mentor implants was: year 1, 0.2 percent; year 2, 0.6 percent; year 3, 1.6 percent; and year 4, 4.4 percent. At year 1, the difference between deflation rates was not statistically significant (Fisher's exact test, p > 0.05). However, at year 2 (chi-square, 13.29; p deflation rates of Poly Implant Prosthesis prefilled textured saline breast implants and Mentor Siltex breast implants at year 2, year 3, and year 4. After 4 years, the 15.56 percent cumulative deflation rate of Poly Implant Prosthesis implants was over 3.5 times higher than the 4.31 percent deflation rate of the Mentor Siltex implants. There may be several factors contributing to the higher deflation rate seen in Poly Implant Prosthesis implants, including possible in vitro deflation before implantation and silicone shell curing technique. Nevertheless, this statistically significant deflation difference must be taken into account when balancing the risks and benefits of

Biochemical and anatomical changes and yield reduction in rice (Oryza sativa L.) under varied salinity regimes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hakim, M A; Juraimi, Abdul Shukor; Hanafi, M M; Ismail, Mohd Razi; Selamat, Ahmad; Rafii, M Y; Latif, M A

2014-01-01

Five Malaysian rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties, MR33, MR52, MR211, MR219, and MR232, were tested in pot culture under different salinity regimes for biochemical response, physiological activity, and grain yield. Three different levels of salt stresses, namely, 4, 8, and 12 dS m(-1), were used in a randomized complete block design with four replications under glass house conditions. The results revealed that the chlorophyll content, proline, sugar content, soluble protein, free amino acid, and yield per plant of all the genotypes were influenced by different salinity levels. The chlorophyll content was observed to decrease with salinity level but the proline increased with salinity levels in all varieties. Reducing sugar and total sugar increased up to 8 dS m(-1) and decreased up to 12 dS m(-1). Nonreducing sugar decreased with increasing the salinity levels in all varieties. Soluble protein and free amino acid also decreased with increasing salinity levels. Cortical cells of MR211 and MR232 did not show cell collapse up to 8 dS m(-1) salinity levels compared to susceptible checks (IR20 and BRRI dhan29). Therefore, considering all parameters, MR211 and MR232 showed better salinity tolerance among the tested varieties. Both cluster and principal component analyses depict the similar results.

Biochemical and Anatomical Changes and Yield Reduction in Rice (Oryza sativa L. under Varied Salinity Regimes

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M. A. Hakim

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Five Malaysian rice (Oryza sativa L. varieties, MR33, MR52, MR211, MR219, and MR232, were tested in pot culture under different salinity regimes for biochemical response, physiological activity, and grain yield. Three different levels of salt stresses, namely, 4, 8, and 12 dS m−1, were used in a randomized complete block design with four replications under glass house conditions. The results revealed that the chlorophyll content, proline, sugar content, soluble protein, free amino acid, and yield per plant of all the genotypes were influenced by different salinity levels. The chlorophyll content was observed to decrease with salinity level but the proline increased with salinity levels in all varieties. Reducing sugar and total sugar increased up to 8 dS m−1 and decreased up to 12 dS m−1. Nonreducing sugar decreased with increasing the salinity levels in all varieties. Soluble protein and free amino acid also decreased with increasing salinity levels. Cortical cells of MR211 and MR232 did not show cell collapse up to 8 dS m−1 salinity levels compared to susceptible checks (IR20 and BRRI dhan29. Therefore, considering all parameters, MR211 and MR232 showed better salinity tolerance among the tested varieties. Both cluster and principal component analyses depict the similar results.

Determination of Nutrient Contents and Gas Production Values of Some Legume Forages Grown in the Harran Plain Saline Soils

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M. Boga

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine the nutritive value of some legume species in salt-affected soils of South-East Anatolian region using chemical composition and in vitro gas production kinetics. In this study, Lotus corniculatus, Trifolium alexandrinum, Medicago sativa were sown and tested in four different locations. A 3 by 4 factorial design with 3 legume species and 4 salt levels (non salty electrical conductivity (ECECECEC was used in the study. Results indicated that salinity and plants had no significant effect on ash and ether extract. Dry matter (DM, acid detergent fiber, digestible dry matter, dry matter intake (DMI were affected by plant, salinity and plant×salinity interaction. On the other hand neutral detergent fiber, relative feed value (RFV, and DMI were affected by salinity and plant×salinity interaction. Mineral contents were affected by plant species, salinity and salinity×plants interactions. In vitro gas production, their kinetics and estimated parameters such as were not affected by salinity whereas the gas production up to 48 h, organic matter digestibility, metabolizable energy (ME, and net energy lactation (NEL were affected by plant and plant×salt interaction. Generally RFVs of all species ranged from 120 to 210 and were quite satisfactory in salty conditions. Current results show that the feed value of Medicago sativa is higher compared to Lotus corniculatus and Trifolium alexandrinum.

Overexpression of sweet sorghum cryptochrome 1a confers hypersensitivity to blue light, abscisic acid and salinity in Arabidopsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Tingting; Meng, Lingyang; Ma, Yue; Liu, Qing; Zhang, Yunyun; Yang, Zhenming; Yang, Deguang; Bian, Mingdi

2018-02-01

This work provides the bioinformatics, expression pattern and functional analyses of cryptochrome 1a from sweet sorghum (SbCRY1a), together with an exploration of the signaling mechanism mediated by SbCRY1a. Sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is considered to be an ideal candidate for biofuel production due to its high efficiency of photosynthesis and the ability to maintain yield under harsh environmental conditions. Blue light receptor cryptochromes regulate multiple aspects of plant growth and development. Here, we reported the function and signal mechanism of sweet sorghum cryptochrome 1a (SbCRY1a) to explore its potential for genetic improvement of sweet sorghum varieties. SbCRY1a transcripts experienced almost 24 h diurnal cycling; however, its protein abundance showed no oscillation. Overexpression of SbCRY1a in Arabidopsis rescued the phenotype of cry1 mutant in a blue light-specific manner and regulated HY5 accumulation under blue light. SbCRY1a protein was present in both nucleus and cytoplasm. The photoexcited SbCRY1a interacted directly with a putative RING E3 ubiquitin ligase constitutive photomorphogenesis 1 (COP1) from sweet sorghum (SbCOP1) instead of SbSPA1 to suppress SbCOP1-SbHY5 interaction responding to blue light. These observations indicate that the function and signaling mechanism of cryptochromes are basically conservative between monocotyledons and dicotyledons. Moreover, SbCRY1a-overexpressed transgenic Arabidopsis showed oversensitive to abscisic acid (ABA) and salinity. The ABA-responsive gene ABI5 was up-regulated evidently in SbCRY1a transgenic lines, suggesting that SbCRY1a might regulate ABA signaling through the HY5-ABI5 regulon.

Danqi Pill regulates lipid metabolism disorder induced by myocardial ischemia through FATP-CPTI pathway.

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Wang, Yong; Li, Chun; Wang, Qiyan; Shi, Tianjiao; Wang, Jing; Chen, Hui; Wu, Yan; Han, Jing; Guo, Shuzhen; Wang, Yuanyuan; Wang, Wei

2015-02-21

Danqi Pill (DQP), which contains Chinese herbs Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge and Panax notoginseng, is widely used in the treatment of myocardial ischemia (MI) in China. Its regulatory effects on MI-associated lipid metabolism disorders haven't been comprehensively studied so far. We aimed to systematically investigate the regulatory mechanism of DQP on myocardial ischemia-induced lipid metabolism disorders. Myocardial ischemia rat model was induced by left anterior descending coronary artery ligation. The rat models were divided into three groups: model group with administration of normal saline, study group with administration of DanQi aqueous solution (1.5 mg/kg) and positive-control group with administration of pravastatin aqueous solution (1.2 mg/kg). In addition, another sham-operated group was set as negative control. At 28 days after treatment, cardiac function and degree of lipid metabolism disorders in rats of different groups were measured. Plasma lipid disorders were induced by myocardial ischemia, with manifestation of up-regulation of triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL), Apolipoprotein B (Apo-B) and 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR). DQP could down-regulate the levels of TG, LDL, Apo-B and HMGCR. The Lipid transport pathway, fatty acids transport protein (FATP) and Carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPTI) were down-regulated in model group. DQP could improve plasma lipid metabolism by up-regulating this lipid transport pathway. The transcription factors peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) and retinoid X receptors (RXRs), which regulate lipid metabolism, were also up-regulated by DQP. Furthermore, DQP was able to improve heart function and up-regulate ejection fraction (EF) by increasing the cardiac diastolic volume. Our study reveals that DQP would be an ideal alternative drug for the treatment of dyslipidemia which is induced by myocardial ischemia.

Effects of salinity and flooding on seedlings of cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto).

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Perry, L; Williams, K

1996-03-01

Sabal palmetto (Walt.) Lodd. ex Schultes (cabbage palm) dominates the coastal limit of many forests in North Florida and Georgia, United States. Changes in saltwater flooding due to sea level rise have been credicted with pushing the coastal limit of cabbage palms inland, eliminating regeneration before causing death of mature trees. Localized freshwater discharge along the coast causes different forest stands to experience tidal flooding with waters that differ in salinity. To elucidate the effect of such variation on regeneration failure under tidal flooding, we examined relative effects of flooding and salinity on the performance of cabbage palm seedlings. We examined the relationship between seedling establishment and degree of tidal inundation in the field, compared the ability of seedlings to withstand tidal flooding at two coastal sites that differed in tidal water salinity, and investigated the physiological responses of cabbage palm seedlings to salinity and flooding in a factorial greenhouse experiment. Seedling survival was inversely correlated with depth and frequency of tidal flooding. Survival of seedlings at a coastal site flooded by waters low in salinity [c. 3 parts per thousand (ppt)] was greater than that at a site flooded by waters higher in salinity (up to 23 ppt). Greenhouse experiments revealed that leaves of seedlings in pots flushed twice daily with salt solutions of 0 ppt and 8 ppt exhibited little difference in midmorning net CO 2 assimilation rates; those flushed with solutions of 15 ppt and 22 ppt, in contrast, had such low rates that they could not be detected. Net CO 2 assimilation rates also declined with increasing salinity for seedlings in pots that were continuously inundated. Continuous root zone inundation appeared to ameliorate effects of salinity on photosynthesis, presumably due to increased salt concentrations and possibly water deficits in periodically flushed pots. Such problems associated with periodic flushing by salt

Up-Regulation of Excitatory Amino Acid Transporters EAAT3 and EAAT4 by Lithium Sensitive Glycogen Synthase Kinase GSK3ß

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Abeer Abousaab

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Cellular uptake of glutamate by the excitatory amino-acid transporters (EAATs decreases excitation and thus participates in the regulation of neuroexcitability. Kinases impacting on neuronal function include Lithium-sensitive glycogen synthase kinase GSK3ß. The present study thus explored whether the activities of EAAT3 and/or EAAT4 isoforms are sensitive to GSK3ß. Methods: cRNA encoding wild type EAAT3 (SLC1A1 or EAAT4 (SLC1A6 was injected into Xenopus oocytes without or with additional injection of cRNA encoding wild type GSK3ß or the inactive mutant K85AGSK3ß. Dual electrode voltage clamp was performed in order to determine glutamate-induced current (IEAAT. Results: Appreciable IEAAT was observed in EAAT3 or EAAT4 expressing but not in water injected oocytes. IEAAT was significantly increased by coexpression of GSK3ß but not by coexpression of K85AGSK3ß. Coexpression of GSK3ß increased significantly the maximal IEAAT in EAAT3 or EAAT4 expressing oocytes, without significantly modifying apparent affinity of the carriers. Lithium (1 mM exposure for 24 hours decreased IEAAT in EAAT3 and GSK3ß expressing oocytes to values similar to IEAAT in oocytes expressing EAAT3 alone. Lithium did not significantly modify IEAAT in oocytes expressing EAAT3 without GSK3ß. Conclusions: Lithium-sensitive GSK3ß is a powerful regulator of excitatory amino acid transporters EAAT3 and EAAT4.

Long non-coding RNA ANRIL is up-regulated in bladder cancer and regulates bladder cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis through the intrinsic pathway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Hongxue; Li, Xuechao; Song, Yarong; Zhang, Peng; Xiao, Yajun; Xing, Yifei

2015-01-01

Antisense non-coding RNA in the INK4 locus (ANRIL) is a member of long non-coding RNAs and has been reported to be dysregulated in several human cancers. However, the role of ANRIL in bladder cancer remains unclear. This present study aimed to investigate whether and how ANRIL involved in bladder cancer. Our results showed up-regulation of ANRIL in bladder cancer tissues versus the corresponding adjacent non-tumor tissues. To explore the specific mechanisms, ANRIL was silenced by small interfering RNA or short hairpin RNA transfection in human bladder cancer T24 and EJ cells. Knockdown of ANRIL repressed cell proliferation and increased cell apoptosis, along with decreased expression of Bcl-2 and increased expressions of Bax, cytoplasmic cytochrome c and Smac and cleaved caspase-9, caspase-3 and PARP. However, no change of cleaved caspase-8 level was observed. Furthermore, in vivo experiment confirmed that knockdown of ANRIL inhibited tumorigenic ability of EJ cells in nude mice. Meanwhile, in accordance with in vitro study, knockdown of ANRIL inhibited expression of Bcl-2 and up-regulated expressions of Bax and cleaved caspase-9, but did not affect cleaved caspase-8 level. In conclusion, we first report that ANRIL possibly serves as an oncogene in bladder cancer and regulates bladder cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis through the intrinsic apoptosis pathway. - Highlights: • We first report the role of ANRIL in bladder cancer. • ANRIL is obviously up-regulated in bladder cancer tissues. • ANRIL regulates bladder cancer cell proliferation and cell apoptosis through the intrinsic pathway.

The structural modification of cassava starch using a saline water pretreatment

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Hanny Frans SANGIAN

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract The cassava has been modified successfully by using the saline water, which was abundantly available on the planet. The biomass was submerged in saline waters that salt concentrations were altered at 0, 3.5 percent (seawater and 10 percent (w/w and were kept 5 days. After recovery by washing steps, the treated solids were characterized by using XRD (X-ray diffraction , FTIR (Fourier transform infra-red, and SEM (Scanning electron microscopic. The results showed that the XRD pattern of saline water pretreatment decreased significantly. The biggest decrease of X-ray intensity occurred at around 18o. Meanwhile, the fingerprint of FTIR revealed the transmittance intensity of infra-red ray of saline water treated solid inclined for all wave constant numbers, suggesting that many hydrogen bonds were disconnected. Those findings also were enhanced by SEM pictures that showed the change of surface morphology of treated biomass. It was indicative that cassava structure was modified becoming more textured after employing saline water pretreatment. This work is an innovative finding to gradually substitute commercial ionic liquids that are very expensive with saline water for biomass pretreatment.

Salinity-Induced Palmella Formation Mechanism in Halotolerant Algae Dunaliella salina Revealed by Quantitative Proteomics and Phosphoproteomics

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Sijia Wei

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Palmella stage is critical for some unicellular algae to survive in extreme environments. The halotolerant algae Dunaliella salina is a good single-cell model for studying plant adaptation to high salinity. To investigate the molecular adaptation mechanism in salinity shock-induced palmella formation, we performed a comprehensive physiological, proteomics and phosphoproteomics study upon palmella formation of D. salina using dimethyl labeling and Ti4+-immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC proteomic approaches. We found that 151 salinity-responsive proteins and 35 salinity-responsive phosphoproteins were involved in multiple signaling and metabolic pathways upon palmella formation. Taken together with photosynthetic parameters and enzyme activity analyses, the patterns of protein accumulation and phosphorylation level exhibited the mechanisms upon palmella formation, including dynamics of cytoskeleton and cell membrane curvature, accumulation and transport of exopolysaccharides, photosynthesis and energy supplying (i.e., photosystem II stability and activity, cyclic electron transport, and C4 pathway, nuclear/chloroplastic gene expression regulation and protein processing, reactive oxygen species homeostasis, and salt signaling transduction. The salinity-responsive protein–protein interaction (PPI networks implied that signaling and protein synthesis and fate are crucial for modulation of these processes. Importantly, the 3D structure of phosphoprotein clearly indicated that the phosphorylation sites of eight proteins were localized in the region of function domain.

DNMT1 and DNMT3b silencing sensitizes human hepatoma cells to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis via up-regulation of TRAIL-R2/DR5 and caspase-8.

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Kurita, Satoshi; Higuchi, Hajime; Saito, Yoshimasa; Nakamoto, Nobuhiro; Takaishi, Hiromasa; Tada, Shinichiro; Saito, Hidetsugu; Gores, Gregory J; Hibi, Toshifumi

2010-06-01

DNA methylation plays a critical role in chromatin remodeling and gene expression. DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) are hypothesized to mediate cellular DNA methylation status and gene expression during mammalian development and in malignant diseases. In this study, we examined the role of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) and DNMT3b in cell proliferation and survival of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Gene silencing of both DNMT1 and DNMT3b by targeted siRNA knockdown reduces cell proliferation and sensitizes the cells to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-mediated cell death. The proapoptotic protein caspase-8 demonstrated promoter hypermethylation in HCC cells and was up-regulated by knockdown of DNMT1 and DNMT3b both at mRNA and protein levels. In addition, death receptor TRAIL-R2/DR5 (TRAIL receptor 2/death receptor 5) did not exhibit promoter hypermethylation in HCC cells but was also up-regulated by knockdown of DNMT1 and DNMT3b both at mRNA and protein levels. Consistent with this observation, the combined transfection of DNMT1-siRNA plus DNMT3b-siRNA enhanced formation of the TRAIL-death-inducing signaling complex formation in HCC cells. In conclusion, our data suggest that DNA methylation of specific genomic regions maintained by DNMT1 and DNMT3b plays a critical role in survival of HCC cells, and a simultaneous knockdown of both DNMT1 and DNMT3b may be a novel anticancer strategy for the treatment of HCC.

Angiotensin II up-regulates PAX2 oncogene expression and activity in prostate cancer via the angiotensin II type I receptor.

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Bose, Sudeep K; Gibson, Willietta; Giri, Shailendra; Nath, Narender; Donald, Carlton D

2009-09-01

Paired homeobox 2 gene (PAX2) is a transcriptional regulator, aberrantly expressed in prostate cancer cells and its down-regulation promotes cell death in these cells. The molecular mechanisms of tumor progression by PAX2 over-expression are still unclear. However, it has been reported that angiotensin-II (A-II) induces cell growth in prostate cancer via A-II type 1 receptor (AT1R) and is mediated by the phosphorylation of mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) as well as signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). Here we have demonstrated that A-II up-regulates PAX2 expression in prostate epithelial cells and prostate cancer cell lines resulting in increased cell growth. Furthermore, AT1R receptor antagonist losartan was shown to inhibit A-II induced PAX2 expression in prostate cancer. Moreover, analysis using pharmacological inhibitors against MEK1/2, ERK1/2, JAK-II, and phospho-STAT3 demonstrated that AT1R-mediated stimulatory effect of A-II on PAX2 expression was regulated in part by the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, JAK II, and STAT3 pathways. In addition, we have showed that down-regulation of PAX2 by an AT1R antagonist as well as JAK-II and STAT3 inhibitors suppress prostate cancer cell growth. Collectively, these findings show for the first time that the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may promote prostate tumorigenesis via up-regulation of PAX2 expression. Therefore, PAX2 may be a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of carcinomas such as prostate cancer via the down-regulation of its expression by targeting the AT1R signaling pathways.

Changes of hypertonic saline-induced masseter muscle pain characteristics, by an infusion of the serotonin receptor type 3 antagonist granisetron.

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Christidis, Nikolaos; Ioannidou, Kiriaki; Milosevic, Milena; Segerdahl, Märta; Ernberg, Malin

2008-10-01

This study aimed to investigate whether granisetron reduces masseter muscle pain and allodynia induced by hypertonic saline. Fifteen healthy women and 15 age-matched healthy men participated in this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded study. They first received bilateral injections of hypertonic saline into the masseter muscles (internal control). The evoked pain intensity and the pressure-pain threshold (PPT) were recorded during 30 minutes. Granisetron was then injected on one side and placebo (normal saline) on the contralateral side. Two minutes thereafter, the hypertonic saline injections were repeated. Pain and PPT were again recorded. The first injection of hypertonic saline induced pain of similar intensity, duration, and pain area on both sides, but with larger pain area in the women (P = .017). The PPT did not change significantly. The second injection of hypertonic saline induced considerably less pain (62.5%), of shorter duration (44.1%), and of smaller area (77.4%) on the side pretreated with granisetron (P = .005). The PPT was increased on the granisetron side in the men (P = .002). The results of this study show that local injection of a single dose of granisetron attenuates masseter muscle pain induced by hypertonic saline. This article presents the changes of hypertonic saline-induced masseter muscle pain characteristics by infusion of granisetron. It appears that the pain-inducing effect in this experimental pain model is partly due to activation of 5-HT3-receptors. Hence, the results indicate that granisetron might offer a new treatment approach for localized myofascial pain.

A pea chloroplast translation elongation factor that is regulated by abiotic factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, B.N.; Mishra, R.N.; Agarwal, Pradeep K.; Goswami, Mamta; Nair, Suresh; Sopory, S.K.; Reddy, M.K.

2004-01-01

We report the cloning and characterization of both the cDNA (tufA) and genomic clones encoding for a chloroplast translation elongation factor (EF-Tu) from pea. The analysis of the deduced amino acids of the cDNA clone reveals the presence of putative transit peptide sequence and four GTP binding domains and two EF-Tu signature motifs in the mature polypeptide region. Using in vivo immunostaining followed by confocal microscopy pea EF-Tu was localized to chloroplast. The steady state transcript level of pea tufA was high in leaves and not detectable in roots. The expression of this gene is stimulated by light. The differential expression of this gene in response to various abiotic stresses showed that it is down-regulated in response to salinity and ABA and up-regulated in response to low temperature and salicylic acid treatment. These results indicate that regulation of pea tufA may have an important role in plant adaptation to environmental stresses

RNA-seq for gene identification and transcript profiling in relation to root growth of bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) under salinity stress.

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Hu, Longxing; Li, Huiying; Chen, Liang; Lou, Yanhong; Amombo, Erick; Fu, Jinmin

2015-08-04

Soil salinity is one of the most significant abiotic stresses affecting plant shoots and roots growth. The adjustment of root architecture to spatio-temporal heterogeneity in salinity is particularly critical for plant growth and survival. Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) is a widely used turf and forage perennial grass with a high degree of salinity tolerance. Salinity appears to stimulate the growth of roots and decrease their mortality in tolerant bermudagrass. To estimate a broad spectrum of genes related to root elongation affected by salt stress and the molecular mechanisms that control the positive response of root architecture to salinity, we analyzed the transcriptome of bermudagrass root tips in response to salinity. RNA-sequencing was performed in root tips of two bermudagrass genotypes contrasting in salt tolerance. A total of 237,850,130 high quality clean reads were generated and 250,359 transcripts were assembled with an average length of 1115 bp. Totally, 103,324 unigenes obtained with 53,765 unigenes (52 %) successfully annotated in databases. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that major transcription factor (TF) families linked to stress responses and growth regulation (MYB, bHLH, WRKY) were differentially expressed in root tips of bermudagrass under salinity. In addition, genes related to cell wall loosening and stiffening (xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolases, peroxidases) were identified. RNA-seq analysis identified candidate genes encoding TFs involved in the regulation of lignin synthesis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis controlled by peroxidases, and the regulation of phytohormone signaling that promote cell wall loosening and therefore root growth under salinity.

Micro-RNA-128 (miRNA-128) down-regulation in glioblastoma targets ARP5 (ANGPTL6), Bmi-1 and E2F-3a, key regulators of brain cell proliferation.

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Cui, J G; Zhao, Y; Sethi, P; Li, Y Y; Mahta, A; Culicchia, F; Lukiw, W J

2010-07-01

High density micro-RNA (miRNA) arrays, fluorescent-reporter miRNA assay and Northern miRNA dot-blot analysis show that a brain-enriched miRNA-128 is significantly down-regulated in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and in GBM cell lines when compared to age-matched controls. The down-regulation of miRNA-128 was found to inversely correlate with WHO tumor grade. Three bioinformatics-verified miRNA-128 targets, angiopoietin-related growth factor protein 5 (ARP5; ANGPTL6), a transcription suppressor that promotes stem cell renewal and inhibits the expression of known tumor suppressor genes involved in senescence and differentiation, Bmi-1, and a transcription factor critical for the control of cell-cycle progression, E2F-3a, were found to be up-regulated. Addition of exogenous miRNA-128 to CRL-1690 and CRL-2610 GBM cell lines (a) restored 'homeostatic' ARP5 (ANGPTL6), Bmi-1 and E2F-3a expression, and (b) significantly decreased the proliferation of CRL-1690 and CRL-2610 cell lines. Our data suggests that down-regulation of miRNA-128 may contribute to glioma and GBM, in part, by coordinately up-regulating ARP5 (ANGPTL6), Bmi-1 and E2F-3a, resulting in the proliferation of undifferentiated GBM cells.

A role for calcium in the regulation of ATP-binding cassette, sub-family C, member 3 (ABCC3) gene expression in a model of epidermal growth factor-mediated breast cancer epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

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Stewart, Teneale A; Azimi, Iman; Thompson, Erik W; Roberts-Thomson, Sarah J; Monteith, Gregory R

2015-03-13

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process implicated in cancer metastasis, is associated with the transcriptional regulation of members of the ATP-binding cassette superfamily of efflux pumps, and drug resistance in breast cancer cells. Epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced EMT in MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells is calcium signal dependent. In this study induction of EMT was shown to result in the transcriptional up-regulation of ATP-binding cassette, subfamily C, member 3 (ABCC3), a member of the ABC transporter superfamily, which has a recognized role in multidrug resistance. Buffering of cytosolic free calcium inhibited EGF-mediated ABCC3 increases, indicating a calcium-dependent mode of regulation. Silencing of TRPM7 (an ion channel involved in EMT associated vimentin induction) did not inhibit ABCC3 up-regulation. Silencing of the store operated calcium entry (SOCE) pathway components ORAI1 and STIM1 also did not alter ABCC3 induction by EGF. However, the calcium permeable ion channel transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily C, member 1 (TRPC1) appears to contribute to the regulation of both basal and EGF-induced ABCC3 mRNA. Improved understanding of the relationship between calcium signaling, EMT and the regulation of genes important in therapeutic resistance may help identify novel therapeutic targets for breast cancer. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effects of salinity on nitrification using halophilic nitrifiers in a Sequencing Batch Reactor treating hypersaline wastewater.

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Cui, You-Wei; Zhang, Hong-Yu; Ding, Jie-Ran; Peng, Yong-Zhen

2016-04-25

With annual increases in the generation and use of saline wastewater, the need to avoid environmental problems such as eutrophication is critical. A previous study identified ways to start up a halophilic sludge domesticated from estuarine sediments to remove nitrogen from wastewater with a salinity of 30 g/L. This investigation expands that work to explore the impact of salinity on nitrogen removal. This study demonstrated that the mixed halophilic consortia removed nitrogen from wastewater with a salinity of 30-85 g/L. A kinetic analysis showed that halophilic nitrifiers selected based on hypersalinity were characterized by low Ks, μmax and specific ammonium oxidization rates. This explains the decrease in ammonium removal efficiency in the high salinity operational phases. Salinity inhibited ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) activity, as well as the number of dominant AOB, but did not significantly affect the AOB dominant species. Three most dominant AOB lineages in the halophilic sludge were Nitrosomonas marina, Nitrosomonas europaea, and Nitrosococcus mobilis. Nitrosomonas europaea and Nitrosococcus mobilis were mainly affected by salinity, while nitrite accumulation and ammonia loading played the key role in determining the abundance of Nitrosococcus mobilis and Nitrosococcus europaea. The study contributes insights about shifts in halophilic nitrifying bacterial populations.

Trigeminal nerve injury-induced thrombospondin-4 up-regulation contributes to orofacial neuropathic pain states in a rat model.

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Li, K-W; Kim, D-S; Zaucke, F; Luo, Z D

2014-04-01

Injury to the trigeminal nerve often results in the development of chronic pain states including tactile allodynia, or hypersensitivity to light touch, in orofacial area, but its underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Peripheral nerve injury has been shown to cause up-regulation of thrombospondin-4 (TSP4) in dorsal spinal cord that correlates with neuropathic pain development. In this study, we examined whether injury-induced TSP4 is critical in mediating orofacial pain development in a rat model of chronic constriction injury to the infraorbital nerve. Orofacial sensitivity to mechanical stimulation was examined in a unilateral infraorbital nerve ligation rat model. The levels of TSP4 in trigeminal ganglia and associated spinal subnucleus caudalis and C1/C2 spinal cord (Vc/C2) from injured rats were examined at time points correlating with the initiation and peak orofacial hypersensitivity. TSP4 antisense and mismatch oligodeoxynucleotides were intrathecally injected into injured rats to see if antisense oligodeoxynucleotide treatment could reverse injury-induced TSP4 up-regulation and orofacial behavioural hypersensitivity. Our data indicated that trigeminal nerve injury induced TSP4 up-regulation in Vc/C2 at a time point correlated with orofacial tactile allodynia. In addition, intrathecal treatment with TSP4 antisense, but not mismatch, oligodeoxynucleotides blocked both injury-induced TSP4 up-regulation in Vc/C2 and behavioural hypersensitivity. Our data support that infraorbital nerve injury leads to TSP4 up-regulation in trigeminal spinal complex that contributes to orofacial neuropathic pain states. Blocking this pathway may provide an alternative approach in management of orofacial neuropathic pain states. © 2013 European Pain Federation - EFIC®

Simulating Salt Movement using a Coupled Salinity Transport Model in a Variably Saturated Agricultural Groundwater System

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Tavakoli Kivi, S.; Bailey, R. T.; Gates, T. K.

2017-12-01

Salinization is one of the major concerns in irrigated agricultural fields. Increasing salinity concentrations are due principally to a high water table that results from excessive irrigation, canal seepage, and a lack of efficient drainage systems, and lead to decreasing crop yield. High groundwater salinity loading to nearby river systems also impacts downstream areas, with saline river water diverted for application on irrigated fields. To assess the different strategies for salt remediation, we present a reactive transport model (UZF-RT3D) coupled with a salinity equilibrium chemistry module for simulating the fate and transport of salt ions in a variably-saturated agricultural groundwater system. The developed model accounts not for advection, dispersion, nitrogen and sulfur cycling, oxidation-reduction, sorption, complexation, ion exchange, and precipitation/dissolution of salt minerals. The model is applied to a 500 km2 region within the Lower Arkansas River Valley (LARV) in southeastern Colorado, an area acutely affected by salinization in the past few decades. The model is tested against salt ion concentrations in the saturated zone, total dissolved solid concentrations in the unsaturated zone, and salt groundwater loading to the Arkansas River. The model now can be used to investigate salinity remediation strategies.

Salinity and pH effects on floating and emergent macrophytes in a constructed wetland.

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Hadad, H R; Mufarrege, M M; Di Luca, G A; Maine, M A

2017-04-01

Salvinia herzogii, Pistia stratiotes and Eichhornia crassipes (floating species) were the dominant macrophytes in a constructed wetland (CW) over the first years of operation. Later, the emergent Typha domingensis displaced the floating species, becoming dominant. The industrial effluent treated at this CW showed high pH and salinity. The aim of this work was to study the tolerance of floating species and T. domingensis exposed to different pH and salinity treatments. Treatments at pH 8, 9, 10 and 11 and salinities of 2,000; 3,000; 4,000; 6,000; and 8,000 mg L -1 were performed. Floating macrophytes were unable to tolerate the studied pH and salinity ranges, while T. domingensis tolerated higher pH and salinity values. Many industrial effluents commonly show high pH and salinity. T. domingensis demonstrated to be a suitable macrophyte to treat this type of effluents.

Salinity controls on Na incorporation in Red Sea planktonic foraminifera

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Mezger, E. M.; de Nooijer, L. J.; Boer, W.; Brummer, G. J. A.; Reichart, G. J.

2016-12-01

Whereas several well-established proxies are available for reconstructing past temperatures, salinity remains challenging to assess. Reconstructions based on the combination of (in)organic temperature proxies and foraminiferal stable oxygen isotopes result in relatively large uncertainties, which may be reduced by application of a direct salinity proxy. Cultured benthic and planktonic foraminifera showed that Na incorporation in foraminiferal shell calcite provides a potential independent proxy for salinity. Here we present the first field calibration of such a potential proxy. Living planktonic foraminiferal specimens from the Red Sea surface waters were collected and analyzed for their Na/Ca content using laser ablation quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Using the Red Sea as a natural laboratory, the calibration covers a broad range of salinities over a steep gradient within the same water mass. For both Globigerinoides ruber and Globigerinoides sacculifer calcite Na/Ca increases with salinity, albeit with a relatively large intraspecimen and interspecimen variability. The field-based calibration is similar for both species from a salinity of 36.8 up to 39.6, while values for G. sacculifer deviate from this trend in the northernmost transect. It is hypothesized that the foraminifera in the northernmost part of the Red Sea are (partly) expatriated and hence should be excluded from the Na/Ca-salinity calibration. Incorporation of Na in foraminiferal calcite therefore provides a potential proxy for salinity, although species-specific calibrations are still required and more research on the effect of temperature is needed.

Intermittent fasting up-regulates Fsp27/Cidec gene expression in white adipose tissue.

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Karbowska, Joanna; Kochan, Zdzislaw

2012-03-01

Fat-specific protein of 27 kDa (FSP27) is a novel lipid droplet protein that promotes triacylglycerol storage in white adipose tissue (WAT). The regulation of the Fsp27 gene expression in WAT is largely unknown. We investigated the nutritional regulation of FSP27 in WAT. The effects of intermittent fasting (48 d, eight cycles of 3-d fasting and 3-d refeeding), caloric restriction (48 d), fasting-refeeding (3-d fasting and 3-d refeeding), and fasting (3 d) on mRNA expression of FSP27, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ2), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α (C/EBPα), and M isoform of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (a positive control for PPARγ activation) in epididymal WAT and on serum triacylglycerol, insulin, and leptin levels were determined in Wistar rats. We also determined the effects of PPARγ activation by rosiglitazone or pioglitazone on FSP27 mRNA levels in primary rat adipocytes. Long-term intermittent fasting, in contrast to other dietary manipulations, significantly up-regulated Fsp27 gene expression in WAT. Moreover, in rats subjected to intermittent fasting, serum insulin levels were elevated; PPARγ2 and C/EBPα mRNA expression in WAT was increased, and there was a positive correlation of Fsp27 gene expression with PPARγ2 and C/EBPα mRNA levels. FSP27 mRNA expression was also increased in adipocytes treated with PPARγ agonists. Our study demonstrates that the transcription of the Fsp27 gene in adipose tissue may be induced in response to nutritional stimuli. Furthermore, PPARγ2, C/EBPα, and insulin may be involved in the nutritional regulation of FSP27. Thus intermittent fasting, despite lower caloric intake, may promote triacylglycerol deposition in WAT by increasing the expression of genes involved in lipid storage, such as Fsp27. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Salinity Trends in the Upper Colorado River Basin Upstream From the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit, Colorado, 1986-2003

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Leib, Kenneth J.; Bauch, Nancy J.

2008-01-01

Salinity Control Unit was 10,700 tons/year. This accounts for approximately 27 percent of the decrease observed downstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit. Salinity loads were decreasing at the fastest rate (6,950 tons/year) in Region 4, which drains an area between the Colorado River at Cameo, Colorado (station CAMEO) and Colorado River above Glenwood Springs, Colorado (station GLEN) streamflow-gaging stations. Trends in salinity concentration and streamflow were tested at station CAMEO to determine if salinity concentration, streamflow, or both are controlling salinity loads upstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit. Trend tests of individual ion concentrations were included as potential indicators of what sources (based on mineral composition) may be controlling trends in the upper Colorado. No significant trend was detected for streamflow from 1986 to 2003 at station CAMEO; however, a significant downward trend was detected for salinity concentration. The trend slope indicates that salinity concentration is decreasing at a median rate of about 3.54 milligrams per liter per year. Five major ions (calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulfate, and chloride) were tested for trends. The results indicate that processes within source areas with rock and soil types (or other unidentified sources) bearing calcium, sodium, and sulfate had the largest effect on the downward trend in salinity load upstream from station CAMEO. Downward trends in salinity load resulting from ground-water sources and/or land-use change were thought to be possible reasons for the observed decreases in salinity loads; however, the cause or causes of the decreasing salinity loads are not fully understood. A reduction in the amount of ground-water percolation from Region 4 (resulting from work done through Federal irrigation system improvement programs as well as privately funded irrigation system improvements) has helped reduce annual salinity load from Region 4 by approxima

Tim-3 Up-regulation in Patients with Gastric Cancer and Peptic Ulcer Disease

Science.gov (United States)

Naghavi-Alhosseini, Mahdieh; Tehrani, Mohsen; Ajami, Abolghasem; Rafiei, Alireza; Taghvaei, Tarang; Vahedi-Larijani, Laleh; Hossein-Nataj, Hadi; Asgarian-Omran, Hossein

2017-01-01

Background: T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain protein-3 (Tim-3), an inhibitory immunoregulatory receptor, has been recently implicated in tumor biology and tumor-associated immune suppression. In the present study, expression of Tim-3 was evaluated in gastric cancer (GC) and peptic ulcer disease (PUD) at both mRNA and protein levels. Methods: A total of 133 gastric tissue biopsies, comprising 43 from GC cases, 48 from PUD and 42 from non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) serving as controls were collected. Additionally, non-neoplastic adjacent tissue biopsies were also obtained from 6 patients with GC. Infection with Helicobacter pylori was determined by the rapid urease test for all participants and H&E staining was conducted for GC and PUD patients. Tim-3 relative mRNA expression was determined by SYBR Green based Real-Time PCR using β-actin as a reference gene. Tim-3 protein expression was also studied by immunohistochemistry in 7 GC, 7 PUD and 10 NUD tissue samples. Results: Tim-3 was expressed at higher levels in GC (p=0.030) and PUD (p=0.022) cases compared to he NUD group. Among paired samples obtained from gastric cancer patients, tumor tissues showed elevated Tim-3 expression (p=0.019) in comparison with adjacent non-neoplastic biopsies. Tim-3 mRNA findings were supported by detection of more Tim-3 protein in cancerous (p=0.002) and ulcerative (p=0.01) tissues than in controls. Tim-3 was similarly expressed in H. pylori positive and negative cases. Conclusion: Higher Tim-3 expression in patients with gastric cancer and peptic ulcer implies that it might be involved in immune regulation and establishment of these gastrointestinal diseases. Targeted immunotherapy by blocking of inhibitory receptors like Tim-3 could be a promising approach for gastric cancer treatment. PMID:28441784

Salinity drives archaeal distribution patterns in high altitude lake sediments on the Tibetan Plateau.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yongqin; Priscu, John C; Xiong, Jinbo; Conrad, Ralf; Vick-Majors, Trista; Chu, Haiyan; Hou, Juzhi

2016-03-01

Archaeal communities and the factors regulating their diversity in high altitude lakes are poorly understood. Here, we provide the first high-throughput sequencing study of Archaea from Tibetan Plateau lake sediments. We analyzed twenty lake sediments from the world's highest and largest plateau and found diverse archaeal assemblages that clustered into groups dominated by methanogenic Euryarchaeota, Crenarchaeota and Halobacteria/mixed euryarchaeal phylotypes. Statistical analysis inferred that salinity was the major driver of community composition, and that archaeal diversity increased with salinity. Sediments with the highest salinities were mostly dominated by Halobacteria. Crenarchaeota dominated at intermediate salinities, and methanogens were present in all lake sediments, albeit most abundant at low salinities. The distribution patterns of the three functional types of methanogens (hydrogenotrophic, acetotrophic and methylotrophic) were also related to changes in salinity. Our results show that salinity is a key factor controlling archaeal community diversity and composition in lake sediments on a spatial scale that spans nearly 2000 km on the Tibetan Plateau. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Salinity anomaly as a trigger for ENSO events.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Jieshun; Huang, Bohua; Zhang, Rong-Hua; Hu, Zeng-Zhen; Kumar, Arun; Balmaseda, Magdalena A; Marx, Lawrence; Kinter, James L

2014-10-29

According to the classical theories of ENSO, subsurface anomalies in ocean thermal structure are precursors for ENSO events and their initial specification is essential for skillful ENSO forecast. Although ocean salinity in the tropical Pacific (particularly in the western Pacific warm pool) can vary in response to El Niño events, its effect on ENSO evolution and forecasts of ENSO has been less explored. Here we present evidence that, in addition to the passive response, salinity variability may also play an active role in ENSO evolution, and thus important in forecasting El Niño events. By comparing two forecast experiments in which the interannually variability of salinity in the ocean initial states is either included or excluded, the salinity variability is shown to be essential to correctly forecast the 2007/08 La Niña starting from April 2007. With realistic salinity initial states, the tendency to decay of the subsurface cold condition during the spring and early summer 2007 was interrupted by positive salinity anomalies in the upper central Pacific, which working together with the Bjerknes positive feedback, contributed to the development of the La Niña event. Our study suggests that ENSO forecasts will benefit from more accurate salinity observations with large-scale spatial coverage.

Up-regulation of reciprocal inhibition by explosive strength training

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Geertsen, Svend Sparre; Jensen, Jesper Lundbye; Nielsen, Jens Bo

of 26 ± 7 years strength trained the ankle dorsiflexor muscles 3 times a week for 4 weeks. Each training session consisted of 4 sets of 16 isometric dorsiflexions with the aim of increasing force as rapidly as possible, separated by 4min rest periods. Test sessions were conducted before, immediately...... in the ankle plantarflexors at the onset of dorsiflexion is larger the quicker the movement, we hypothesized that DRI may be up-regulated when subjects are trained to perform dorsiflexion movements as quickly as possible.   For this purpose, 15 healthy human subjects (7 male, 8 female) with an average age...... after and 2 weeks after the training period. The rate of dorsiflexion force development measured within 30, 50, 100 and 200ms after onset of voluntary explosive isometric dorsiflexion increased by 20-30% (p

Salinity stress induces the production of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones and regulates novel classes of responsive genes involved in signal transduction in Aquilaria sinensis calli.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaohui; Gao, Bowen; Liu, Xiao; Dong, Xianjuan; Zhang, Zhongxiu; Fan, Huiyan; Zhang, Le; Wang, Juan; Shi, Shepo; Tu, Pengfei

2016-05-26

Agarwood, is a resinous portion derived from Aquilaria sinensis, has been widely used in traditional medicine and incense. 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones are principal components responsible for the quality of agarwood. However, the molecular basis of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones biosynthesis and regulation remains almost unknown. Our research indicated that salt stress induced production of several of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones in A. sinensis calli. Transcriptome analysis of A. sinensis calli treated with NaCl is required to further facilitate the multiple signal pathways in response to salt stress and to understand the mechanism of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones biosynthesis. Forty one 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones were identified from NaCl-treated A. sinensis calli. 93 041 unigenes with an average length of 1562 nt were generated from the control and salt-treated calli by Illmunina sequencing after assembly, and the unigenes were annotated by comparing with the public databases including NR, Swiss-Prot, KEGG, COG, and GO database. In total, 18 069 differentially expressed transcripts were identified by the transcriptome comparisons on the control calli and calli induced by 24 h or 120 h salinity stress. Numerous genes involved in signal transduction pathways including the genes responsible for hormone signal transduction, receptor-like kinases, MAPK cascades, Ca(2+) signal transduction, and transcription factors showed clear differences between the control calli and NaCl-treated calli. Furthermore, our data suggested that the genes annotated as chalcone synthases and O-methyltransferases may contribute to the biosynthesis of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones. Salinity stress could induce the production of 41 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones in A. sinensis calli. We conducted the first deep-sequencing transcriptome profiling of A. sinensis under salt stress and observed a large number of differentially expressed genes in response to salinity stress. Moreover, salt stress induced

Up-regulation of the Neuronal Nicotinic Receptor α7 by HIV Glycoprotein 120

Science.gov (United States)

Ballester, Leomar Y.; Capó-Vélez, Coral M.; García-Beltrán, Wilfredo F.; Ramos, Félix M.; Vázquez-Rosa, Edwin; Ríos, Raymond; Mercado, José R.; Meléndez, Roberto I.; Lasalde-Dominicci, José A.

2012-01-01

Approximately 30–50% of the >30 million HIV-infected subjects develop neurological complications ranging from mild symptoms to dementia. HIV does not infect neurons, and the molecular mechanisms behind HIV-associated neurocognitive decline are not understood. There are several hypotheses to explain the development of dementia in HIV+ individuals, including neuroinflammation mediated by infected microglia and neuronal toxicity by HIV proteins. A key protein associated with the neurological complications of HIV, gp120, forms part of the viral envelope and can be found in the CSF of infected individuals. HIV-1-gp120 interacts with several receptors including CD4, CCR5, CXCR4, and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). However, the role of nAChRs in HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder has not been investigated. We studied the effects of gp120IIIB on the expression and function of the nicotinic receptor α7 (α7-nAChR). Our results show that gp120, through activation of the CXCR4 chemokine receptor, induces a functional up-regulation of α7-nAChRs. Because α7-nAChRs have a high permeability to Ca2+, we performed TUNEL staining to investigate the effects of receptor up-regulation on cell viability. Our data revealed an increase in cell death, which was blocked by the selective antagonist α-bungarotoxin. The in vitro data are supported by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis, confirming a remarkable up-regulation of the α7-nAChR in gp120-transgenic mice brains. Specifically, α7-nAChR up-regulation is observed in mouse striatum, a region severely affected in HIV+ patients. In summary, CXCR4 activation induces up-regulation of α7-nAChR, causing cell death, suggesting that α7-nAChR is a previously unrecognized contributor to the neurotoxicity associated with HIV infection. PMID:22084248

Regulation mechanisms of the FLT3-ligand after irradiation; Mecanismes de regulation du FLT3-ligand apres irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prat-Lepesant, M

2005-06-15

The hematopoietic compartment is one of the most severely damaged after chemotherapy, radiotherapy or accidental irradiations. Whatever its origin, the resulting damage to the bone marrow remains difficult to evaluate. Thus, it would be of great interest to get a biological indicator of residual hematopoiesis in order to adapt the treatment to each clinical situation. Recent results indicated that the plasma Flt3 ligand concentration was increased in patients suffering from either acquired or induced aplasia, suggesting that Flt3 ligand might be useful as a biological indicator of bone marrow status. We thus followed in a mouse model as well as in several clinical situations the variations in plasma Flt3 ligand concentration, after either homogeneous or heterogeneous irradiations. These variations were correlated to the number of hematopoietic progenitors and to other parameters such as duration and depth of pancytopenia. The results indicated that the concentration of Flt3 ligand in the blood reflects the bone marrow status, and that the follow-up of plasma Flt3 ligand concentration could give predictive information about the bone marrow function and the duration and severity of pancytopenia and thrombocytopenia. Nevertheless, the clinical use of Flt3 ligand as a biological indicator of bone marrow damage require the knowledge of the mechanisms regulating the variations in plasma Flt3 ligand concentration. We thus developed a study in the mouse model. The results indicated that the variations in plasma Flt3 ligand variations were not solely due to a balance between its production by lymphoid cells and its consumption by hematopoietic cells. Moreover, we showed that T lymphocytes are not the main regulator of plasma Flt3 ligand concentration as previously suggested, and that other cell types, possibly including bone marrow stromal cells, might be strongly implicated. These results also suggest that the Flt3 ligand is a main systemic regulator of hematopoiesis

The Arabidopsis homolog of human G3BP1 is a key regulator of stomatal and apoplastic immunity

KAUST Repository

Abulfaraj, Aala A.; Mariappan, Kiruthiga; Bigeard, Jean; Manickam, Prabhu; Blilou, Ikram; Guo, Xiujie; Al-Babili, Salim; Pflieger, Delphine; Hirt, Heribert; Rayapuram, Naganand

2018-01-01

Mammalian Ras-GTPase–activating protein SH3-domain–binding proteins (G3BPs) are a highly conserved family of RNA-binding proteins that link kinase receptor-mediated signaling to RNA metabolism. Mammalian G3BP1 is a multifunctional protein that functions in viral immunity. Here, we show that the Arabidopsis thaliana homolog of human G3BP1 negatively regulates plant immunity. Arabidopsis g3bp1 mutants showed enhanced resistance to the virulent bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. Pathogen resistance was mediated in Atg3bp1 mutants by altered stomatal and apoplastic immunity. Atg3bp1 mutants restricted pathogen entry into stomates showing insensitivity to bacterial coronatine–mediated stomatal reopening. AtG3BP1 was identified as a negative regulator of defense responses, which correlated with moderate up-regulation of salicylic acid biosynthesis and signaling without growth penalty.

The Arabidopsis homolog of human G3BP1 is a key regulator of stomatal and apoplastic immunity

KAUST Repository

Abulfaraj, Aala Abdulaziz Hussien

2018-05-31

Mammalian Ras-GTPase–activating protein SH3-domain–binding proteins (G3BPs) are a highly conserved family of RNA-binding proteins that link kinase receptor-mediated signaling to RNA metabolism. Mammalian G3BP1 is a multifunctional protein that functions in viral immunity. Here, we show that the Arabidopsis thaliana homolog of human G3BP1 negatively regulates plant immunity. Arabidopsis g3bp1 mutants showed enhanced resistance to the virulent bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. Pathogen resistance was mediated in Atg3bp1 mutants by altered stomatal and apoplastic immunity. Atg3bp1 mutants restricted pathogen entry into stomates showing insensitivity to bacterial coronatine–mediated stomatal reopening. AtG3BP1 was identified as a negative regulator of defense responses, which correlated with moderate up-regulation of salicylic acid biosynthesis and signaling without growth penalty.

SALINE WATER RESOURCES IN CLUJ-NAPOCA SURROUNDINGS

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B. CZELLECZ

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Saline waters are usually researched in those places where it is used for balneotherapy or other industrial purposes. The aim of this study is to describe the saline water sources from less known areas, as they are an important natural mineral water resource. Twenty nine water samples were analyzed from Cojocna-Pata-Sopor region, thirteen of them can be considered saline waters. The visited locations are 21, 15 and 3 km far from Cluj-Napoca. Highly concentrated springs are to be found in the old mine area from Pata village and in the slough from Cojocna. Beside the well known saline lakes from Cojocna, five other saline lakes were identified; most of them are having artificial origin.

Environmental sensor networks and continuous data quality assurance to manage salinity within a highly regulated river basin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Quinn, N.W.T.; Ortega, R.; Holm, L.

2010-01-05

This paper describes a new approach to environmental decision support for salinity management in the San Joaquin Basin of California that focuses on web-based data sharing using YSI Econet technology and continuous data quality management using a novel software tool, Aquarius.

Physiological response in the European flounder (Platichthys flesus) to variable salinity and oxygen conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lundgreen, Kim; Kiilerich, Pia; Tipsmark, Christian Kølbæk

2008-01-01

. Muscle water content was the same at all three salinities, indicating complete cell volume regulation. Gill Na+/K+-ATPase activity did not change with salinity, but hypoxia caused a 25 % decrease in branchial Na+/K+-ATPase activity at all three salinities. Furthermore, hypoxia induced a significant...... the erythrocytic nucleoside triphosphate content, a common mechanism for increasing blood O2 affinity. It is concluded that moderate hypoxia induced an energy saving decrease in branchial Na+/K+-ATPase activity, which did not compromise extracellular osmoregulation....

Mapping spatial variability of soil salinity in a coastal paddy field based on electromagnetic sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yan; Huang, Jingyi; Shi, Zhou; Li, Hongyi

2015-01-01

In coastal China, there is an urgent need to increase land area for agricultural production and urban development, where there is a rapid growing population. One solution is land reclamation from coastal tidelands, but soil salinization is problematic. As such, it is very important to characterize and map the within-field variability of soil salinity in space and time. Conventional methods are often time-consuming, expensive, labor-intensive, and unpractical. Fortunately, proximal sensing has become an important technology in characterizing within-field spatial variability. In this study, we employed the EM38 to study spatial variability of soil salinity in a coastal paddy field. Significant correlation relationship between ECa and EC1:5 (i.e. r >0.9) allowed us to use EM38 data to characterize the spatial variability of soil salinity. Geostatistical methods were used to determine the horizontal spatio-temporal variability of soil salinity over three consecutive years. The study found that the distribution of salinity was heterogeneous and the leaching of salts was more significant in the edges of the study field. By inverting the EM38 data using a Quasi-3D inversion algorithm, the vertical spatio-temporal variability of soil salinity was determined and the leaching of salts over time was easily identified. The methodology of this study can be used as guidance for researchers interested in understanding soil salinity development as well as land managers aiming for effective soil salinity monitoring and management practices. In order to better characterize the variations in soil salinity to a deeper soil profile, the deeper mode of EM38 (i.e., EM38v) as well as other EMI instruments (e.g. DUALEM-421) can be incorporated to conduct Quasi-3D inversions for deeper soil profiles.

Mapping spatial variability of soil salinity in a coastal paddy field based on electromagnetic sensors.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan Guo

Full Text Available In coastal China, there is an urgent need to increase land area for agricultural production and urban development, where there is a rapid growing population. One solution is land reclamation from coastal tidelands, but soil salinization is problematic. As such, it is very important to characterize and map the within-field variability of soil salinity in space and time. Conventional methods are often time-consuming, expensive, labor-intensive, and unpractical. Fortunately, proximal sensing has become an important technology in characterizing within-field spatial variability. In this study, we employed the EM38 to study spatial variability of soil salinity in a coastal paddy field. Significant correlation relationship between ECa and EC1:5 (i.e. r >0.9 allowed us to use EM38 data to characterize the spatial variability of soil salinity. Geostatistical methods were used to determine the horizontal spatio-temporal variability of soil salinity over three consecutive years. The study found that the distribution of salinity was heterogeneous and the leaching of salts was more significant in the edges of the study field. By inverting the EM38 data using a Quasi-3D inversion algorithm, the vertical spatio-temporal variability of soil salinity was determined and the leaching of salts over time was easily identified. The methodology of this study can be used as guidance for researchers interested in understanding soil salinity development as well as land managers aiming for effective soil salinity monitoring and management practices. In order to better characterize the variations in soil salinity to a deeper soil profile, the deeper mode of EM38 (i.e., EM38v as well as other EMI instruments (e.g. DUALEM-421 can be incorporated to conduct Quasi-3D inversions for deeper soil profiles.

Mapping Spatial Variability of Soil Salinity in a Coastal Paddy Field Based on Electromagnetic Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yan; Huang, Jingyi; Shi, Zhou; Li, Hongyi

2015-01-01

In coastal China, there is an urgent need to increase land area for agricultural production and urban development, where there is a rapid growing population. One solution is land reclamation from coastal tidelands, but soil salinization is problematic. As such, it is very important to characterize and map the within-field variability of soil salinity in space and time. Conventional methods are often time-consuming, expensive, labor-intensive, and unpractical. Fortunately, proximal sensing has become an important technology in characterizing within-field spatial variability. In this study, we employed the EM38 to study spatial variability of soil salinity in a coastal paddy field. Significant correlation relationship between ECa and EC1:5 (i.e. r >0.9) allowed us to use EM38 data to characterize the spatial variability of soil salinity. Geostatistical methods were used to determine the horizontal spatio-temporal variability of soil salinity over three consecutive years. The study found that the distribution of salinity was heterogeneous and the leaching of salts was more significant in the edges of the study field. By inverting the EM38 data using a Quasi-3D inversion algorithm, the vertical spatio-temporal variability of soil salinity was determined and the leaching of salts over time was easily identified. The methodology of this study can be used as guidance for researchers interested in understanding soil salinity development as well as land managers aiming for effective soil salinity monitoring and management practices. In order to better characterize the variations in soil salinity to a deeper soil profile, the deeper mode of EM38 (i.e., EM38v) as well as other EMI instruments (e.g. DUALEM-421) can be incorporated to conduct Quasi-3D inversions for deeper soil profiles. PMID:26020969

The ecological genomic basis of salinity adaptation in Tunisian Medicago truncatula.

Science.gov (United States)

Friesen, Maren L; von Wettberg, Eric J B; Badri, Mounawer; Moriuchi, Ken S; Barhoumi, Fathi; Chang, Peter L; Cuellar-Ortiz, Sonia; Cordeiro, Matilde A; Vu, Wendy T; Arraouadi, Soumaya; Djébali, Naceur; Zribi, Kais; Badri, Yazid; Porter, Stephanie S; Aouani, Mohammed Elarbi; Cook, Douglas R; Strauss, Sharon Y; Nuzhdin, Sergey V

2014-12-22

As our world becomes warmer, agriculture is increasingly impacted by rising soil salinity and understanding plant adaptation to salt stress can help enable effective crop breeding. Salt tolerance is a complex plant phenotype and we know little about the pathways utilized by naturally tolerant plants. Legumes are important species in agricultural and natural ecosystems, since they engage in symbiotic nitrogen-fixation, but are especially vulnerable to salinity stress. Our studies of the model legume Medicago truncatula in field and greenhouse settings demonstrate that Tunisian populations are locally adapted to saline soils at the metapopulation level and that saline origin genotypes are less impacted by salt than non-saline origin genotypes; these populations thus likely contain adaptively diverged alleles. Whole genome resequencing of 39 wild accessions reveals ongoing migration and candidate genomic regions that assort non-randomly with soil salinity. Consistent with natural selection acting at these sites, saline alleles are typically rare in the range-wide species' gene pool and are also typically derived relative to the sister species M. littoralis. Candidate regions for adaptation contain genes that regulate physiological acclimation to salt stress, such as abscisic acid and jasmonic acid signaling, including a novel salt-tolerance candidate orthologous to the uncharacterized gene AtCIPK21. Unexpectedly, these regions also contain biotic stress genes and flowering time pathway genes. We show that flowering time is differentiated between saline and non-saline populations and may allow salt stress escape. This work nominates multiple potential pathways of adaptation to naturally stressful environments in a model legume. These candidates point to the importance of both tolerance and avoidance in natural legume populations. We have uncovered several promising targets that could be used to breed for enhanced salt tolerance in crop legumes to enhance food security

IL-4 Up-Regulates MiR-21 and the MiRNAs Hosted in the CLCN5 Gene in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

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Natalia Ruiz-Lafuente

Full Text Available Interleukin 4 (IL-4 induces B-cell differentiation and survival of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL cells. MicroRNAs (miRNAs regulate mRNA and protein expression, and several miRNAs, deregulated in CLL, might play roles as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. We have studied the miRNA profile of CLL, and its response to IL-4, by oligonucleotide microarrays, resulting in the detection of a set of 129 mature miRNAs consistently expressed in CLL, which included 41 differentially expressed compared to normal B cells (NBC, and 6 significantly underexpressed in ZAP-70 positive patients. IL-4 stimulation brought about up-regulation of the 5p and 3p mature variants of the miR-21 gene, which maps immediately downstream to the VMP1 gene, and of the mature forms generated from the miR-362 (3p and 5p, miR-500a (3p, miR-502 (3p, and miR-532 (3p and 5p genes, which map within the third intron of the CLCN5 gene. Both genes are in turn regulated by IL-4, suggesting that these miRNAs were regulated by IL-4 as passengers from their carrier genes. Their levels of up-regulation by IL-4 significantly correlated with cytoprotection. MiR-21 has been reported to be leukemogenic, associated to bad prognosis in CLL, and the miRNA more frequently overexpressed in human cancer. Up-regulation by IL-4 of miR-21 and the miRNAs hosted in the CLCN5 locus may contribute to evasion of apoptosis of CLL cells. These findings indicate that the IL-4 pathway and the miRNAs induced by IL-4 are promising targets for the development of novel therapies in CLL.

Glycogen synthase kinase 3 alpha phosphorylates and regulates the osteogenic activity of Osterix.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hongyan; Jeong, Hyung Min; Choi, You Hee; Lee, Sung Ho; Jeong, Hye Gwang; Jeong, Tae Cheon; Lee, Kwang Youl

2013-05-10

Osteoblast-specific transcription factor Osterix is a zinc-finger transcription factor that required for osteoblast differentiation and new bone formation. The function of Osterix can be modulated by post-translational modification. Glycogen synthase kinase 3 alpha (GSK3α) is a multifunctional serine/threonine protein kinase that plays a role in the Wnt signaling pathways and is implicated in the control of several regulatory proteins and transcription factors. In the present study, we investigated how GSK3α regulates Osterix during osteoblast differentiation. Wide type GSK3α up-regulated the protein level, protein stability and transcriptional activity of Osterix. These results suggest that GSK3α regulates osteogenic activity of Osterix. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Urban air pollution produces up-regulation of myocardial inflammatory genes and dark chocolate provides cardioprotection.

Science.gov (United States)

Villarreal-Calderon, Rodolfo; Reed, William; Palacios-Moreno, Juan; Keefe, Sheyla; Herritt, Lou; Brooks, Diane; Torres-Jardón, Ricardo; Calderón-Garcidueñas, Lilian

2012-05-01

Air pollution is a serious environmental problem. Elderly subjects show increased cardiac morbidity and mortality associated with air pollution exposure. Mexico City (MC) residents are chronically exposed to high concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM(2.5)) and PM-associated lipopolysaccharides (PM-LPS). To test the hypothesis that chronic exposure to urban pollution produces myocardial inflammation, female Balb-c mice age 4 weeks were exposed for 16 months to two distinctly different polluted areas within MC: southwest (SW) and northwest (NW). SW mice were given either no treatment or chocolate 2g/9.5 mg polyphenols/3 times per week. Results were compared to mice kept in clean air. Key inflammatory mediator genes: cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and the LPS receptor CD14 (cluster of differentiation antigen 14) were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Also explored were target NFκB (nuclear factor κB), oxidative stress and antioxidant defense genes. TNF-α, IL-6, and COX-2 were significantly increased in both NW and SWMC mice (p=0.0001). CD14 was up-regulated in SW mice in keeping with the high exposures to particulate matter associated endotoxin. Chocolate administration resulted in a significant down-regulation of TNF-α (p<0.0001), IL-6 (p=0.01), and IL-1β (p=0.02). The up-regulation of antioxidant enzymes and the down-regulation of potent oxidases, toll-like receptors, and pro-apoptotic signaling genes completed the protective profile. Exposure to air pollution produces up-regulation of inflammatory myocardial genes and endotoxin plays a key role in the inflammatory response. Regular consumption of dark chocolate may reduce myocardial inflammation and have cardioprotective properties in the setting of air pollution exposures. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Effects of periodical salinity fluctuation on the growth, molting, energy homeostasis and molting-related gene expression of Litopenaeus vannamei

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Dan; Guo, Xiantao; Wang, Fang; Dong, Shuanglin

2016-10-01

To determine the response of Litopenaeus vannamei to periodical salinity fluctuation, a 30-day experiment was conducted in laboratory. In this experiment, two salinity fluctuation amplitudes of 4 (group S4) and 10 (group S10) were designed. The constant salinity of 30 (group S0) was used as the control. Levels of shrimp growth, molting frequency (MF), cellular energy status (ATP, ADP and AMP), as well as the expression of genes encoding molt-inhibiting hormone (MIH), crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH), ecdysteroid-regulated protein (ERP), and energy-related AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) were determined. The results showed that periodical salinity fluctuation significantly influenced all indicators except MF which ranged from 13.3% in group S10 to15.4% in group S4. In comparison with shrimps cultured at the constant salinity of 30, those in group S4 showed a significant elevation in growth rate, food conversion efficiency, cellular energy status, ERP and MIH gene transcript abundance, and a significant reduction in CHH and AMPK transcript abundance ( P MIH and CHH gene expression when compared to the control ( P < 0.05). According to our findings, L. vannamei may be highly capable of tolerating salinity fluctuation. When ambient salinity fluctuated at approx. 4, the increased MF and energy stores in organisms may aid to promoting shrimp growth.

Effect of Salinity on Germination and Its Relationship with Vegetative growth in Bromus danthoniae Genotypes from Saline and Non-Saline Areas of Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Rezaei

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Bromus danthoniae Trin. is an annual grass species that is well adapted to harsh climates and could be considered as an important genetic resources for tolerance to environmental stresses such as salinity. In this study, 24 genotypes collected from Ilam, Kurdistan, Kermanshah (non-saline areas and West Azerbaijan (saline area: shores of Uremia Salt Lake provinces of Iran were investigated at the germination stage under salt treatments with concentrations of 0, 60, 120, 180, 240 and 300 mM sodium chloride. Germination percentage, germination rate index, seed vigor, root length, shoot length and seedling fresh and dry weights were measured. In addition, the relationship between the percentage of germination in 300 mM sodium chloride and the survival rate (% after four weeks in 350 mM sodium chloride at the vegetative stage was evaluated. The results of analysis of variance showed that salinity treatments caused significant reductions in all the studied traits. Genotypic variation and the interaction of genotype × salt treatments were also significant. Genotypes USLN3 and KER4 were found to be the most tolerant and sensitive genotypes to salinity stress, with 13% and 98% reduction in germination percentage at 300 mM NaCl, respectively. Cluster analysis divided the genotypes into three groups, with one group containing only tolerant genotypes from Uremia Salt Lake, another one comprising only sensitive genotypes from non-saline regions, and the third one containing genotypes from both regions. The correlation between the germination percentage and the survival rate at the vegetative stage was not significant, indicating that different mechanisms are, perhaps, responsible for salinity tolerance at the germination and vegetative stages in B. danthoniae.

Nursing and midwifery regulation and HIV scale-up: establishing a baseline in East, Central and Southern Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, Carey F; Voss, Joachim; Verani, Andre R; Vidot, Peggy; Salmon, Marla E; Riley, Patricia L

2013-03-25

Shifting HIV treatment tasks from physicians to nurses and midwives is essential to scaling-up HIV services in sub-Saharan Africa. Updating nursing and midwifery regulations to include task shifting and pre-service education reform can help facilitate reaching new HIV targets. Donor-supported initiatives to update nursing and midwifery regulations are increasing. However, there are gaps in our knowledge of current practice and education regulations and a lack of information to target and implement regulation strengthening efforts. We conducted a survey of national nursing and midwifery councils to describe current nursing and midwifery regulations in 13 African countries. A 30-item survey was administered to a convenience sample of 13 national nursing and midwifery regulatory body leaders in attendance at the PEPFAR-supported African Health Profession Regulatory Collaborative meeting in Nairobi, Kenya on 28 February, 2011. The survey contained questions on task shifting and regulations such as registration, licensure, scope of practice, pre-service education accreditation, continuing professional development and use of international guidelines. Survey data were analyzed to present country-level, comparative and regional findings. Task shifting to nurses and midwives was reported in 11 of the 13 countries. Eight countries updated their scope of practice within the last five years; only one reported their regulations to reflect task shifting. Countries vary with regard to licensure, pre-service accreditation and continuing professional development regulations in place. There was no consistency in terms of what standards were used to design national practice and education regulations. Many opportunities exist to assist countries to modernise regulations to incorporate important advancements from task shifting and pre-service reform. Appropriate, revised regulations can help sustain successful health workforce strategies and contribute to further scale-up HIV services

Kaempferol Sensitizes Human Ovarian Cancer Cells-OVCAR-3 and SKOV-3 to Tumor Necrosis Factor-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand (TRAIL)-Induced Apoptosis via JNK/ERK-CHOP Pathway and Up-Regulation of Death Receptors 4 and 5.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yingmei; Tian, Binqiang; Wang, Yong; Ding, Haiying

2017-10-26

BACKGROUND Ovarian cancer is the most common gynecological malignancies in women, with high mortality rates worldwide. Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily which preferentially induces apoptosis of cancer cells. However, acquired resistance to TRAIL hampers its therapeutic application. Identification of compounds that sensitize cancer cells to TRAIL is vital in combating resistance to TRAIL. The effect of kaempferol, a flavonoid enhancing TRAIL-induced apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells, was investigated in this study. MATERIAL AND METHODS The cytotoxic effects of TRAIL (25 ng/mL) and kaempferol (20-100 µM) on human ovarian cancer cells OVCAR-3 and SKOV-3 were assessed. Effect of kaempferol on the expression patterns of cell survival proteins (Bcl-xL, Bcl-2, survivin, XIAP, c-FLIP) and apoptotic proteins (caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, Bax) were studied. The influence of kaempferol on expression of DR4 and DR5 death receptors on the cell surface and protein and mRNA levels was also analyzed. Apoptosis following silencing of DR5 and CHOP by small interfering RNA (siRNA), and activation of MAP kinases were analyzed as well. RESULTS Kaempferol enhanced apoptosis and drastically up-regulated DR4, DR5, CHOP, JNK, ERK1/2, p38 and apoptotic protein expression with decline in the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins. Further transfection with siRNA specific to CHOP and DR5 indicated the involvement of CHOP in DR5 up-regulation and also the contribution of DR5 in kaempferol-enhanced TRAIL-induced apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS Kaempferol sensitized ovarian cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis via up-regulation of DR4 and DR5 through ERK/JNK/CHOP pathways.

Responses to ozone pollution of alfalfa exposed to increasing salinity levels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maggio, Albino; Chiaranda, Fabrizio Quaglietta; Cefariello, Roberto; Fagnano, Massimo

2009-01-01

Stomatal closure and biosynthesis of antioxidant molecules are two fundamental components of the physiological machinery that lead to stress adaptation during plant's exposure to salinity. Since high stomatal resistance may also contribute in counteracting O 3 damages, we hypothesized that soil salinization may increase O 3 tolerance of crops. An experiment was performed with alfalfa grown in filtered (AOT40 = 0 in both years) and non-filtered (AOT40 = 9.7 in 2005 and 6.9 ppm h in 2006) open-top chambers. Alfalfa yield was reduced by O 3 (-33%) only in plants irrigated with salt-free water, while the increasing levels of soil salinity until 1.06 dS m -1 reduced both stomatal conductance and plant O 3 uptake, thus linearly reducing O 3 effects on yield. Therefore a reliable flux-based model for assessing the effects of O 3 on crop yield should take into account soil salinity. - Moderate saline stress can reduce ozone uptake and yield losses in alfalfa plants.

Provision of Desalinated Irrigation Water by the Desalination of Groundwater within a Saline Aquifer

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David D. J. Antia

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Irrigated land accounts for 70% of global water usage and 30% of global agricultural production. Forty percent of this water is derived from groundwater. Approximately 20%–30% of the groundwater sources are saline and 20%–50% of global irrigation water is salinized. Salinization reduces crop yields and the number of crop varieties which can be grown on an arable holding. Structured ZVI (zero valent iron, Fe0 pellets desalinate water by storing the removed ions as halite (NaCl within their porosity. This allows an “Aquifer Treatment Zone” to be created within an aquifer, (penetrated by a number of wells (containing ZVI pellets. This zone is used to supply partially desalinated water directly from a saline aquifer. A modeled reconfigured aquifer producing a continuous flow (e.g., 20 m3/day, 7300 m3/a of partially desalinated irrigation water is used to illustrate the impact of porosity, permeability, aquifer heterogeneity, abstraction rate, Aquifer Treatment Zone size, aquifer thickness, optional reinjection, leakage and flow by-pass on the product water salinity. This desalination approach has no operating costs (other than abstraction costs (and ZVI regeneration and may potentially be able to deliver a continuous flow of partially desalinated water (30%–80% NaCl reduction for $0.05–0.5/m3.

Yield of cherry tomatoes as a function of water salinity and irrigation frequency

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Alexandre N. Santos

2016-02-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The use of brackish water in agriculture can cause salinization of soils and reduce plant yield. This problem can be minimized by hydroponic cultivation, which improves plant development. The aim of this study was to evaluate the yield of cherry tomatoes grown in hydroponic system with substrate under salinity levels of the nutrient solution (NS, exposure time to salinity and irrigation frequency. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, in a randomized complete block design, in a 6 x 2 x 2 factorial scheme with five replicates: six salinity levels of NS prepared with brackish water (3.01; 4.51; 5.94; 7.34; 8.71 and 10.40 dS m-1; two exposure times to NS (60 and 105 days and two irrigation frequencies (one irrigation per day and irrigation every two days. Yield and production components of cherry tomatoes cv. 'Rita' were evaluated. NS salinity affected plant yield, reducing fruit production, which was more significant when plants were subjected to a longer time of exposure to salinity. There was no difference between NS applications on fruit production, when these applications were performed once a day or once every two days.

Nitric oxide mitigates salt stress by regulating levels of osmolytes and antioxidant enzymes in chickpea

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Parvaiz eAhmad

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This work was designed to evaluate whether external application of nitric oxide (NO in the form of its donor S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP could mitigate the deleterious effects of NaCl stress on chickpea (Cicer arietinum L. plants. SNAP (50 μM was applied to chickpea plants grown under non-saline and saline conditions (50 and 100 mM NaCl. Salt stress negatively affected growth and biomass yield, leaf relative water content (LRWC and chlorophyll content of chickpea plants. High salinity increased electrolyte leakage, carotenoid content and the levels of osmolytes (proline, glycine betaine, soluble proteins and soluble sugars, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 and malondialdehyde (MDA, as well as the activities of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD, catalase (CAT, ascorbate peroxidase (APX, and glutathione reductase (GR in chickpea plants. Expression of the representative SOD, CAT and APX genes examined was also up-regulated in chickpea plants by salt stress. On the other hand, exogenous application of NO to salinized plants enhanced the growth parameters, LRWC, photosynthetic pigment production and levels of osmolytes, as well as the activities of examined antioxidant enzymes which is correlated with up-regulation of the examined SOD, CAT and APX genes, in comparison with plants treated with NaCl only. Furthermore, electrolyte leakage, H2O2 and MDA contents showed decline in salt-stressed plants supplemented with NO as compared with those in NaCl-treated plants alone. Thus, the exogenous application of NO protected chickpea plants against salt-induced oxidative damage by enhancing the biosynthesis of antioxidant enzymes, thereby improving plant growth under saline stress. Taken together, our results demonstrate that NO has capability to mitigate the adverse effects of high salinity on chickpea plants by improving LRWC, photosynthetic pigment biosyntheses, osmolyte accumulation and antioxidative defense system.

Mechanism of sphingosine 1-phosphate- and lysophosphatidic Acid-induced up-regulation of adhesion molecules and eosinophil chemoattractant in nerve cells.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Costello, Richard W

2012-02-01

The lysophospholipids sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) and lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) act via G-protein coupled receptors S1P(1-5) and LPA(1-3) respectively, and are implicated in allergy. Eosinophils accumulate at innervating cholinergic nerves in asthma and adhere to nerve cells via intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). IMR-32 neuroblastoma cells were used as an in vitro cholinergic nerve cell model. The G(i) coupled receptors S1P(1), S1P(3), LPA(1), LPA(2) and LPA(3) were expressed on IMR-32 cells. Both S1P and LPA induced ERK phosphorylation and ERK- and G(i)-dependent up-regulation of ICAM-1 expression, with differing time courses. LPA also induced ERK- and G(i)-dependent up-regulation of the eosinophil chemoattractant, CCL-26. The eosinophil granule protein eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) induced ERK-dependent up-regulation of transcription of S1P(1), LPA(1), LPA(2) and LPA(3), providing the situation whereby eosinophil granule proteins may enhance S1P- and\\/or LPA- induced eosinophil accumulation at nerve cells in allergic conditions.

Mechanism of sphingosine 1-phosphate- and lysophosphatidic Acid-induced up-regulation of adhesion molecules and eosinophil chemoattractant in nerve cells.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Costello, Richard W

2011-05-01

The lysophospholipids sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) and lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) act via G-protein coupled receptors S1P(1-5) and LPA(1-3) respectively, and are implicated in allergy. Eosinophils accumulate at innervating cholinergic nerves in asthma and adhere to nerve cells via intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). IMR-32 neuroblastoma cells were used as an in vitro cholinergic nerve cell model. The G(i) coupled receptors S1P(1), S1P(3), LPA(1), LPA(2) and LPA(3) were expressed on IMR-32 cells. Both S1P and LPA induced ERK phosphorylation and ERK- and G(i)-dependent up-regulation of ICAM-1 expression, with differing time courses. LPA also induced ERK- and G(i)-dependent up-regulation of the eosinophil chemoattractant, CCL-26. The eosinophil granule protein eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) induced ERK-dependent up-regulation of transcription of S1P(1), LPA(1), LPA(2) and LPA(3), providing the situation whereby eosinophil granule proteins may enhance S1P- and\\/or LPA- induced eosinophil accumulation at nerve cells in allergic conditions.

Lactoferrin inhibits dexamethasone-induced chondrocyte impairment from osteoarthritic cartilage through up-regulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and suppression of FASL, FAS, and Caspase 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tu, Yihui; Xue, Huaming; Francis, Wendy; Davies, Andrew P.; Pallister, Ian; Kanamarlapudi, Venkateswarlu; Xia, Zhidao

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Dex exerts dose-dependant inhibition of HACs viability and induction of apoptosis. •Dex-induced impairment of chondrocytes was attenuated by rhLF. •ERK and FASL/FAS signaling are involved in the effects of rhLF. •OA patients with glucocorticoid-induced cartilage damage may benefit from treatment with rhLF. -- Abstract: Dexamethasone (Dex) is commonly used for osteoarthritis (OA) with excellent anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect. However, Dex also has many side effects following repeated use over prolonged periods mainly through increasing apoptosis and inhibiting proliferation. Lactoferrin (LF) exerts significantly anabolic effect on many cells and little is known about its effect on OA chondrocytes. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate whether LF can inhibit Dex-induced OA chondrocytes apoptosis and explore its possible molecular mechanism involved in. MTT assay was used to determine the optimal concentration of Dex and recombinant human LF (rhLF) on chondrocytes at different time and dose points. Chondrocytes were then stimulated with Dex in the absence or presence of optimal concentration of rhLF. Cell proliferation and viability were evaluated using MTT and LIVE/DEAD assay, respectively. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by multi-parameter apoptosis assay kit using both confocal microscopy and flow cytometry, respectively. The expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), FAS, FASL, and Caspase-3 (CASP3) at the mRNA and protein levels were examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunocytochemistry, respectively. The optimal concentration of Dex (25 μg/ml) and rhLF (200 μg/ml) were chosen for the following experiments. rhLF significantly reversed the detrimental effect of Dex on chondrocytes proliferation, viability, and apoptosis. In addition, rhLF significantly prevented Dex-induced down-regulation of ERK and up-regulation of FAS, FASL, and CASP3. These findings demonstrated that rhLF acts as

Lactoferrin inhibits dexamethasone-induced chondrocyte impairment from osteoarthritic cartilage through up-regulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and suppression of FASL, FAS, and Caspase 3

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tu, Yihui [Department of Orthopaedics, Yangpu District Central Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, 450 Tengyue Road, Shanghai (China); Xue, Huaming [Department of Orthopaedics, Yangpu District Central Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, 450 Tengyue Road, Shanghai (China); Institute of Life Science, College of Medicine, Swansea University, Singleton Park (United Kingdom); Francis, Wendy [Institute of Life Science, College of Medicine, Swansea University, Singleton Park (United Kingdom); Davies, Andrew P. [Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma, Moriston Hospital, Swansea (United Kingdom); Pallister, Ian; Kanamarlapudi, Venkateswarlu [Institute of Life Science, College of Medicine, Swansea University, Singleton Park (United Kingdom); Xia, Zhidao, E-mail: zhidao.xia@gmail.com [Institute of Life Science, College of Medicine, Swansea University, Singleton Park (United Kingdom)

2013-11-08

Highlights: •Dex exerts dose-dependant inhibition of HACs viability and induction of apoptosis. •Dex-induced impairment of chondrocytes was attenuated by rhLF. •ERK and FASL/FAS signaling are involved in the effects of rhLF. •OA patients with glucocorticoid-induced cartilage damage may benefit from treatment with rhLF. -- Abstract: Dexamethasone (Dex) is commonly used for osteoarthritis (OA) with excellent anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect. However, Dex also has many side effects following repeated use over prolonged periods mainly through increasing apoptosis and inhibiting proliferation. Lactoferrin (LF) exerts significantly anabolic effect on many cells and little is known about its effect on OA chondrocytes. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate whether LF can inhibit Dex-induced OA chondrocytes apoptosis and explore its possible molecular mechanism involved in. MTT assay was used to determine the optimal concentration of Dex and recombinant human LF (rhLF) on chondrocytes at different time and dose points. Chondrocytes were then stimulated with Dex in the absence or presence of optimal concentration of rhLF. Cell proliferation and viability were evaluated using MTT and LIVE/DEAD assay, respectively. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by multi-parameter apoptosis assay kit using both confocal microscopy and flow cytometry, respectively. The expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), FAS, FASL, and Caspase-3 (CASP3) at the mRNA and protein levels were examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunocytochemistry, respectively. The optimal concentration of Dex (25 μg/ml) and rhLF (200 μg/ml) were chosen for the following experiments. rhLF significantly reversed the detrimental effect of Dex on chondrocytes proliferation, viability, and apoptosis. In addition, rhLF significantly prevented Dex-induced down-regulation of ERK and up-regulation of FAS, FASL, and CASP3. These findings demonstrated that rhLF acts as

Plasma membrane and salinity tolerance of barley plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Rahmani, F. H.; Al-Mashhadani, M. S.; Al-Delemee, N. H.

1997-01-01

Barley cultivar, California Mario ut, was grown in a nutrient solution containing increasing Nacl concentrations up to 250 mm. The effect of Nacl on growth, mineral compost ion ant integrity of the plasma membrane was studied. Growth of the shoot'and root was stimulated or little affected by 10 and 20 ml Nacl. Further increase in Nacl concentrations depressed the growth. The depression was conspicuous between 100 and 250 mm Nacl. Increasing Nacl concentration decreased potassium content in the shoots and roots and led to steep increase in sodium accumulation. The integrity of the plasma membrane was measured in term of potassium leakage from the root tips. Rapid leakage of potassium was obtained at Nacl concentrations ranging from 100 to 250 mm. At the same concentrations of Nacl, adenosine triphosphatase activity in the root tips was increased. Results indicate that the plasma membrane of root cells was damaged by the increased levels of salinity. It was concluded that the plasma membrane of root cells is the primary site of salinity toxicity. (authors). 40 refs., 5 tabs. 3 figs

A GIS cost model to assess the availability of freshwater, seawater, and saline groundwater for algal biofuel production in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Venteris, Erik R; Skaggs, Richard L; Coleman, Andre M; Wigmosta, Mark S

2013-05-07

A key advantage of using microalgae for biofuel production is the ability of some algal strains to thrive in waters unsuitable for conventional crop irrigation such as saline groundwater or seawater. Nonetheless, the availability of sustainable water supplies will provide significant challenges for scale-up and development of algal biofuels. We conduct a partial techno-economic assessment based on the availability of freshwater, saline groundwater, and seawater for use in open pond algae cultivation systems. We explore water issues through GIS-based models of algae biofuel production, freshwater supply (constrained to less than 5% of mean annual flow per watershed) and costs, and cost-distance models for supplying seawater and saline groundwater. We estimate that, combined, these resources can support 9.46 × 10(7) m(3) yr(-1) (25 billion gallons yr(-1)) of renewable biodiesel production in the coterminous United States. Achievement of larger targets requires the utilization of less water efficient sites and relatively expensive saline waters. Despite the addition of freshwater supply constraints and saline water resources, the geographic conclusions are similar to our previous results. Freshwater availability and saline water delivery costs are most favorable for the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and Florida peninsula, where evaporation relative to precipitation is moderate. As a whole, the barren and scrub lands of the southwestern U.S. have limited freshwater supplies, and large net evaporation rates greatly increase the cost of saline alternatives due to the added makeup water required to maintain pond salinity. However, this and similar analyses are particularly sensitive to knowledge gaps in algae growth/lipid production performance and the proportion of freshwater resources available, key topics for future investigation.

Towards a theory of ecotone resilience: coastal vegetation on a salinity gradient.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Jiang; Gao, Daozhou; DeAngelis, Donald L

2012-08-01

Ecotones represent locations where vegetation change is likely to occur as a result of climate and other environmental changes. Using a model of an ecotone vulnerable to such future changes, we estimated the resilience of the ecotone to disturbances. The specific ecotone is that between two different vegetation types, salinity-tolerant and salinity-intolerant, along a gradient in groundwater salinity. In the case studied, each vegetation type, through soil feedback loops, promoted local soil salinity levels that favor itself in competition with the other type. Bifurcation analysis was used to study the system of equations for the two vegetation types and soil salinity. Alternative stable equilibria, one for salinity-tolerant and one for salinity intolerant vegetation, were shown to exist over a region of the groundwater salinity gradient, bounded by two bifurcation points. This region was shown to depend sensitively on parameters such as the rate of upward infiltration of salinity from groundwater into the soil due to evaporation. We showed also that increasing diffusion rates of vegetation can lead to shrinkage of the range between the two bifurcation points. Sharp ecotones are typical of salt-tolerant vegetation (mangroves) near the coastline and salt-intolerant vegetation inland, even though the underlying elevation and groundwater salinity change very gradually. A disturbance such as an input of salinity to the soil from a storm surge could upset this stable boundary, leading to a regime shift of salinity-tolerant vegetation inland. We showed, however, that, for our model as least, a simple pulse disturbance would not be sufficient; the salinity would have to be held at a high level, as a 'press', for some time. The approach used here should be generalizable to study the resilience of a variety of ecotones to disturbances. Published by Elsevier Inc.

microRNAs targeting DEAD-box helicases are involved in salinity stress response in rice (Oryza sativa L.

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Macovei Anca

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Rice (Oryza sativa L., one of the most important food crop in the world, is considered to be a salt-sensitive crop. Excess levels of salt adversely affect all the major metabolic activities, including cell wall damage, cytoplasmic lysis and genomic stability. In order to cope with salt stress, plants have evolved high degrees of developmental plasticity, including adaptation via cascades of molecular networks and changes in gene expression profiles. Posttranscriptional regulation, through the activity of microRNAs, also plays an important role in the plant response to salinity conditions. MicroRNAs are small endogenous RNAs that modulate gene expression and are involved in the most essential physiological processes, including plant development and adaptation to environmental changes. Results In the present study, we investigated the expression profiles of osa-MIR414, osa-MIR408 and osa-MIR164e along with their targeted genes, under salinity stress conditions in wild type and transgenic rice plants ectopically expressing the PDH45 (Pea DNA Helicase gene. The present miRNAs were predicted to target the OsABP (ATP-Binding Protein, OsDSHCT (DOB1/SK12/helY-like DEAD-box Helicase and OsDBH (DEAD-Box Helicase genes, included in the DEAD-box helicase family. An in silico characterization of the proteins was performed and the miRNAs predicted targets were validated by RLM-5′RACE. The qRT-PCR analysis showed that the OsABP, OsDBH and OsDSHCT genes were up-regulated in response to 100 and 200 mM NaCl treatments. The present study also highlighted an increased accumulation of the gene transcripts in wild type plants, with the exception of the OsABP mRNA which showed the highest level (15.1-fold change compared to control in the transgenic plants treated with 200 mM NaCl. Salinity treatments also affected the expression of osa-MIR414, osa-MIR164e and osa-MIR408, found to be significantly down-regulated, although the changes in mi

Saline Infusion Markedly Reduces Impedance and Improves Efficacy of Pulmonary Radiofrequency Ablation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gananadha, Sivakumar; Morris, David Lawson

2004-01-01

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a relatively new technique that has been investigated for the treatment of lung tumors. We evaluated for the first time the in vivo use of saline infusion during radiofrequency ablation of sheep lung. We performed RFA on 5 sheep using open and closed chest RFA and the RITA starburst XL and Xli probes using saline infusion with the Xli probe. The impedance and volume of ablation were compared. A total of 16 ablations were produced, 5 percutaneously and 11 open. The impedance during percutaneous and open RFA without saline infusion was 110 ± 16.2 and 183.3 ± 105.8 O, respectively. With the saline infusion the impedance was 71.3 ± 22O and 103.6 ± 37.5O. The effect of this was a significantly larger volume of ablation using the saline infusion during percutaneous RFA (90.6 ± 23 cm 3 vs 10.47 ± 2.9 cm 3 , p = 0.01) and open RFA (107.8 ± 25.8 cm 3 vs 24.9 ± 19.3 cm 3 , p = 0.0002). Saline infusion during RFA is associated with lower impedance, higher power delivery and larger lesion size.

Saline Infusion Markedly Reduces Impedance and Improves Efficacy of Pulmonary Radiofrequency Ablation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gananadha, Sivakumar; Morris, David Lawson

2004-01-01

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a relatively new technique that has been investigated for the treatment of lung tumors. We evaluated for the first time the in vivo use of saline infusion during radiofrequency ablation of sheep lung. We performed RFA on 5 sheep using open and closed chest RFA and the RITA starburst XL and Xli probes using saline infusion with the Xli probe. The impedance and volume of ablation were compared. A total of 16 ablations were produced, 5 percutaneously and 11 open. The impedance during percutaneous and open RFA without saline infusion was 110 ± 16.2 and 183.3 ± 105.8 O, respectively. With the saline infusion the impedance was 71.3 ± 22O and 103.6 ± 37.5O. The effect of this was a significantly larger volume of ablation using the saline infusion during percutaneous RFA (90.6 ± 23 cm 3 vs 10.47 ± 2.9 cm 3 , p = 0.01) and open RFA (107.8 ± 25.8 cm 3 vs 24.9 ± 19.3 cm 3 , p = 0.0002). Saline infusion during RFA is associated with lower impedance, higher power delivery and larger lesion size

Physiological and metabolic effects of 5-aminolevulinic acid for mitigating salinity stress in creeping bentgrass.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhimin Yang

Full Text Available The objectives of this study were to determine whether foliar application of a chlorophyll precursor, 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA, could mitigate salinity stress damages in perennial grass species by regulating photosynthetic activities, ion content, antioxidant metabolism, or metabolite accumulation. A salinity-sensitive perennial grass species, creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera, was irrigated daily with 200 mM NaCl for 28 d, which were foliar sprayed with water or ALA (0.5 mg L-1 weekly during the experiment in growth chamber. Foliar application of ALA was effective in mitigating physiological damage resulting from salinity stress, as manifested by increased turf quality, shoot growth rate, leaf relative water content, chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate. Foliar application of ALA also alleviated membrane damages, as shown by lower membrane electrolyte leakage and lipid peroxidation, which was associated with increases in the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Leaf content of Na+ was reduced and the ratio of K+/Na+ was increased with ALA application under salinity stress. The positive effects of ALA for salinity tolerance were also associated with the accumulation of organic acids (α-ketoglutaric acid, succinic acid, and malic acid, amino acids (alanine, 5-oxoproline, aspartic acid, and γ -aminobutyric acid, and sugars (glucose, fructose, galactose, lyxose, allose, xylose, sucrose, and maltose. ALA-mitigation of physiological damages by salinity could be due to suppression of Na+ accumulation and enhanced physiological and metabolic activities related to photosynthesis, respiration, osmotic regulation, and antioxidant defense.

Colloid transport in porous media: impact of hyper-saline solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Magal, Einat; Weisbrod, Noam; Yechieli, Yoseph; Walker, Sharon L; Yakirevich, Alexander

2011-05-01

The transport of colloids suspended in natural saline solutions with a wide range of ionic strengths, up to that of Dead Sea brines (10(0.9) M) was explored. Migration of microspheres through saturated sand columns of different sizes was studied in laboratory experiments and simulated with mathematical models. Colloid transport was found to be related to the solution salinity as expected. The relative concentration of colloids at the columns outlet decreased (after 2-3 pore volumes) as the solution ionic strength increased until a critical value was reached (ionic strength > 10(-1.8) M) and then remained constant above this level of salinity. The colloids were found to be mobile even in the extremely saline brines of the Dead Sea. At such high ionic strength no energetic barrier to colloid attachment was presumed to exist and colloid deposition was expected to be a favorable process. However, even at these salinity levels, colloid attachment was not complete and the transport of ∼ 30% of the colloids through the 30-cm long columns was detected. To further explore the deposition of colloids on sand surfaces in Dead Sea brines, transport was studied using 7-cm long columns through which hundreds of pore volumes were introduced. The resulting breakthrough curves exhibited a bimodal shape whereby the relative concentration (C/C(0)) of colloids at the outlet rose to a value of 0.8, and it remained relatively constant (for the ∼ 18 pore volumes during which the colloid suspension was flushed through the column) and then the relative concentration increased to a value of one. The bimodal nature of the breakthrough suggests different rates of colloid attachment. Colloid transport processes were successfully modeled using the limited entrapment model, which assumes that the colloid attachment rate is dependent on the concentration of the attached colloids. Application of this model provided confirmation of the colloid aggregation and their accelerated attachment during

Bioavailability of silver and its relationship to ionoregulation and silver speciation across a range of salinities in the gulf toadfish (Opsanus beta)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, Chris M.; McDonald, M. Danielle; Walker, Paul; Grosell, Martin; Barimo, John F.; Playle, Richard C.; Walsh, Patrick J.

2004-01-01

Silver is taken up as a Na + analog (Ag + ) by freshwater organisms, but little is known about its bioavailability in relation to salinity. Adult Opsanus beta were acclimated to 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100% seawater (Cl - = 545 mM) and exposed for 24 h to 2.18 μg L -1 silver as 110m Ag-labelled AgNO 3 , a concentration close to the U.S. EPA marine criterion and less than 0.1% of the acute 96-h LC50 in seawater. Plasma osmolality, Na + , and Cl - remained approximately constant from 100% down to 20-40% seawater, thereafter declining to 89% (osmolality) and 82% (Na + , Cl - ) of seawater values at the lowest salinity (2.5% seawater), while plasma Mg 2+ was invariant. Ionic measurements in intestinal fluids and urine supported the view that above the isosmotic point (about 32% seawater), toadfish drink the medium, absorb Na + , Cl - , and water across the gastrointestinal tract, actively excrete Na + and Cl - across the gills, and secrete Mg 2+ into the urine. Below this point, toadfish appear to stop drinking, actively take up Na + and Cl - at the gills, and retain ions at the kidney. Silver accumulation varied greatly with salinity, by nine-fold (whole body), 26-fold (gill tissue), and 18-fold (liver), with the maxima occurring in 2.5% seawater, the minima in 40% seawater (close to the isosmotic point), and slightly greater values at higher salinities. Highest silver concentrations occurred in liver, second highest in gills, intermediate concentrations in kidney, spleen, and gastrointestinal tissues, and lowest in swim bladder and white muscle, though patterns changed with salinity. There were substantial biliary but minimal urinary levels of silver. The salinity-dependent pattern of silver accumulation best correlated with the abundance of the neutral complex AgCl 0 , though the presence of small amounts of Ag + at the lowest salinities may also have been important. In contrast, silver accumulation in the esophagus-stomach was greatest in 100% seawater and

A dynamic model of soil salinity and drainage generation in irrigated agriculture: A framework for policy analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Dinar, Ariel; Aillery, Marcel P.; Moore, Michael R.

1993-06-01

This paper presents a dynamic model of irrigated agriculture that accounts for drainage generation and salinity accumulation. Critical model relationships involving crop production, soil salinity, and irrigation drainage are based on newly estimated functions derived from lysimeter field tests. The model allocates land and water inputs over time based on an intertemporal profit maximization objective function and soil salinity accumulation process. The model is applied to conditions in the San Joaquin Valley of California, where environmental degradation from irrigation drainage has become a policy issue. Findings indicate that in the absence of regulation, drainage volumes increase over time before reaching a steady state as increased quantities of water are allocated to leaching soil salts. The model is used to evaluate alternative drainage abatement scenarios involving drainage quotas and taxes, water supply quotas and taxes, and irrigation technology subsidies. In our example, direct drainage policies are more cost-effective in reducing drainage than policies operating indirectly through surface water use, although differences in cost efficiency are relatively small. In some cases, efforts to control drainage may result in increased soil salinity accumulation, with implications for long-term cropland productivity. While policy adjustments may alter the direction and duration of convergence to a steady state, findings suggest that a dynamic model specification may not be necessary due to rapid convergence to a comon steady state under selected scenarios.

The Arabidopsis Transcription Factor MYB112 Promotes Anthocyanin Formation during Salinity and under High Light Stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Lotkowska, Magda E; Tohge, Takayuki; Fernie, Alisdair R; Xue, Gang-Ping; Balazadeh, Salma; Mueller-Roeber, Bernd

2015-11-01

MYB transcription factors (TFs) are important regulators of flavonoid biosynthesis in plants. Here, we report MYB112 as a formerly unknown regulator of anthocyanin accumulation in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Expression profiling after chemically induced overexpression of MYB112 identified 28 up- and 28 down-regulated genes 5 h after inducer treatment, including MYB7 and MYB32, which are both induced. In addition, upon extended induction, MYB112 also positively affects the expression of PRODUCTION OF ANTHOCYANIN PIGMENT1, a key TF of anthocyanin biosynthesis, but acts negatively toward MYB12 and MYB111, which both control flavonol biosynthesis. MYB112 binds to an 8-bp DNA fragment containing the core sequence (A/T/G)(A/C)CC(A/T)(A/G/T)(A/C)(T/C). By electrophoretic mobility shift assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled to quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we show that MYB112 binds in vitro and in vivo to MYB7 and MYB32 promoters, revealing them as direct downstream target genes. We further show that MYB112 expression is up-regulated by salinity and high light stress, environmental parameters that both require the MYB112 TF for anthocyanin accumulation under these stresses. In contrast to several other MYB TFs affecting anthocyanin biosynthesis, MYB112 expression is not controlled by nitrogen limitation or an excess of carbon. Thus, MYB112 constitutes a regulator that promotes anthocyanin accumulation under abiotic stress conditions. © 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Punicalagin, a PTP1B inhibitor, induces M2c phenotype polarization via up-regulation of HO-1 in murine macrophages.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xiaolong; Guo, Yuhong; Zhao, Jingxia; He, Shasha; Wang, Yan; Lin, Yan; Wang, Ning; Liu, Qingquan

2017-09-01

Current data have shown that punicalagin (PUN), an ellagitannin isolated from pomegranate, possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties; however, its direct targets have not yet been reported. This is the first report that PTP1B serves as a direct target of PUN, with IC 50 value of 1.04μM. Results from NPOI further showed that the K on and K off of PUN-PTP1B complex were 3.38e2M -1 s -1 and 4.13e-3s -1 , respectively. The active site Arg24 of PTP1B was identified as a key binding site of PUN by computation simulation and point mutation. Moreover, inhibition of PTP1B by PUN promoted an M2c-like macrophage polarization and enhanced anti-inflammatory cytokines expression, including IL-10 and M-CSF. Based on gene expression profile, we elucidated that PUN treatment significantly up-regulated 275 genes and down-regulated 1059 genes. M1-like macrophage marker genes, such as Tlr4, Irf1/2, Hmgb1, and Stat1 were down-regulated, while M2 marker genes, including Tmem171, Gpr35, Csf1, Il1rn, Cebpb, Fos, Vegfα, Slc11a1, and Bhlhe40 were up-regulated in PUN-treated macrophages. Hmox-1, a gene encoding HO-1 protein, was preferentially expressed with 16-fold change. Inhibition of HO-1 obviously restored PUN-induced M2 polarization and IL-10 secretion. In addition, phosphorylation of both Akt and STAT3 contributed to PUN-induced HO-1 expression. This study provided new insights into the mechanisms of PUN-mediated anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities and provided new therapeutic strategies for inflammatory diseases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Agmatine Reduces Lipopolysaccharide-Mediated Oxidant Response via Activating PI3K/Akt Pathway and Up-Regulating Nrf2 and HO-1 Expression in Macrophages.

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Jianshen Chai

Full Text Available Macrophages are key responders of inflammation and are closely related with oxidative stress. Activated macrophages can enhance oxygen depletion, which causes an overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS and leads to further excessive inflammatory response and tissue damage. Agmatine, an endogenous metabolite of L-arginine, has recently been shown to have neuroprotective effects based on its antioxidant properties. However, the antioxidant effects of agmatine in peripheral tissues and cells, especially macrophages, remain unclear. In this study we explored the role of agmatine in mediating antioxidant effects in RAW 264.7 cells and studied its antioxidant mechanism. Our data demonstrate that agmatine is an activator of Nrf2 signaling that markedly enhances Nrf2 nuclear translocation, increases nuclear Nrf2 protein level, up-regulates the expression of the Nrf2 downstream effector HO-1, and attenuates ROS generation induced by Lipopolysaccharide (LPS. We further demonstrated that the agmatine-induced activation of Nrf2 is likely through the PI3K/Akt pathway. LY294002, a specific PI3K/Akt inhibitor, abolished agmatine-induced HO-1 up-regulation and ROS suppression significantly. Inhibiting HO-1 pathway significantly attenuated the antioxidant effect of agmatine which the products of HO-1 enzymatic activity contributed to. Furthermore, the common membrane receptors of agmatine were evaluated, revealing that α2-adrenoceptor, I1-imidazoline receptor or I2-imidazoline receptor are not required by the antioxidant properties of agmatine. Taken together, our findings revealed that agmatine has antioxidant activity against LPS-induced ROS accumulation in RAW 264.7 cells involving HO-1 expression induced by Nrf2 via PI3K/Akt pathway activation.

Determination of the Optimum Concentration and Time of Salicylic Acid Foliar Application for Improving Barley Growth under Non-Saline and Saline Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

GH. Ranjbar

2017-02-01

Full Text Available In a 2yrs field study the effect of concentration and time of salicylic acid (SA foliar application on growth of barley under non-saline and saline (2 and 12 dS m-1 of NaCl, respectively conditions was evaluated in National Salinity Research Center of Iran, Yazd, central Iran during 2012-2014 growing seasons. The treatments of SA (11 treatments included without SA and SA foliar application at 0.0, 0.35, 0.70, 1.05, 1.40 and 1.75 mM applied at tillering + stem elongation + ear emergence or stem elongation + ear emergence. Salt stress led to significant decreases in seed yield and yield components; however, grain yield of barley plants were considerably increased when subjected to SA. This positive impact of SA was due probably to its effect on grain number. Average of grain yield in 0.0, 0.35, 0.70, 1.05, 1.40 and 1.75 mM SA concentrations were 496.1, 539.7, 538.5, 553.8, 517.4 and 501.3 g m-2 under non-saline and 189.2, 212.5, 219.1, 206.9, 200.3 and 182.3 g m-2 under saline conditions, respectively. Considering the negative correlation between sodium concentration in shoot and grain yield, modulating role of exogenous SA on adverse effect of salinity might be related to a SA-induced lowered Na+ concentration in such organs. The appropriate treatment seems to be SA foliar application at 1.05 mM for non-saline and 0.70 mM for saline conditions applied at stem elongation + ear emergence, as they increased grain yield by 16.6% and 18.6%, respectively. The result of this study revealed that higher concentration or frequency of SA application could be associated with negative impacts on barley.

Experimental studies of low salinity water flooding in carbonate reservoirs: A new promising approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zahid, Adeel; Shapiro, Alexander; Skauge, Arne

2012-01-01

Low salinity water flooding is well studied for sandstone reservoirs, both laboratory and field tests have showed improvement in the oil recovery in many cases. Up to very recently, the low salinity effect has been indeterminated for carbonates. Most recently, Saudi Aramco reported that substantial...... additional oil recovery can be achieved when successively flooding composite carbonate core plugs with various diluted versions of seawater. The experimental data on carbonates is very limited, so more data and better understanding of the mechanisms involved is needed to utilize this method for carbonate...... reservoirs. In this paper, we have experimentally investigated the oil recovery potential of low salinity water flooding for carbonate rocks. We used both reservoir carbonate and outcrop chalk core plugs. The flooding experiments were carried out initially with the seawater, and afterwards additional oil...

Quantifying salinity and season effects on eastern oyster clearance and oxygen consumption rates

Science.gov (United States)

Casas, S.M.; Lavaud, Romain; LaPeyre, Megan K.; Comeau, L. A.; Filgueira, R.; LaPeyre, Jerome F.

2018-01-01

There are few data on Crassostrea virginica physiological rates across the range of salinities and temperatures to which they are regularly exposed, and this limits the applicability of growth and production models using these data. The objectives of this study were to quantify, in winter (17 °C) and summer (27 °C), the clearance and oxygen consumption rates of C. virginica from Louisiana across a range of salinities typical of the region (3, 6, 9, 15 and 25). Salinity and season (temperature and reproduction) affected C. virginica physiology differently; salinity impacted clearance rates with reduced feeding rates at low salinities, while season had a strong effect on respiration rates. Highest clearance rates were found at salinities of 9–25, with reductions ranging from 50 to 80 and 90 to 95% at salinities of 6 and 3, respectively. Oxygen consumption rates in summer were four times higher than in winter. Oxygen consumption rates were within a narrow range and similar among salinities in winter, but varied greatly among individuals and salinities in summer. This likely reflected varying stages of gonad development. Valve movements measured at the five salinities indicated oysters were open 50–60% of the time in the 6–25 salinity range and ~ 30% at a salinity of 3. Reduced opening periods, concomitant with narrower valve gap amplitudes, are in accord with the limited feeding at the lowest salinity (3). These data indicate the need for increased focus on experimental determination of optimal ranges and thresholds to better quantify oyster population responses to environmental changes.

Influence of salinity on the life table demography of a rare Cladocera Latonopsis australis

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Haridevan, G.; Jyothibabu, R.; Arunpandi, N.; Jagadeesan, L.; Biju, A.

, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 and 22 salinity). Triplicates were maintained for each treatment. The desired salinity in the experiment vials was prepared by dilution of GF/C filtered and autoclaved sea water with the desired volume of distilled water... production -0.943 p<0.001 23    Table 3 Tukeys HSD Pair wise comparison for age specific fecundity (mx) in different salinity treatments. Bold values indicates at significance level at p < 0.05. Salinity F. water 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 F. water 1 2 0.968 1...

Modelling the salinization of a coastal lagoon-aquifer system

Science.gov (United States)

Colombani, N.; Mastrocicco, M.

2017-08-01

In this study, a coastal area constituted by alternations of saline-brackish lagoons and freshwater bodies was studied and modelled to understand the hydrological processes occurring between the lagoons, the groundwater system of the Po River Delta (Italy) and the Adriatic Sea. The contribution of both evaporation and anthropogenic factors on groundwater salinization was assessed by means of soil, groundwater and surface water monitoring. Highresolution multi-level samplers were used to capture salinity gradients within the aquifer and surface water bodies. Data were employed to calibrate a density-dependent numerical transport model implemented with SEAWAT code along a transect perpendicular to the coast line. The results show that the lagoon is hydraulically well connected with the aquifer, which provides the major source of salinity because of the upcoming of paleo-seawater from the aquitard laying at the base of the unconfined aquifer. On the contrary, the seawater (diluted by the freshwater river outflow) creates only a limited saltwater wedge. The increase in groundwater salinity could be of serious concern, especially for the pinewood located in the dune near the coast, sensitive to salinity increases. This case study represents an interesting paradigm for other similar environmental setting, where the assumption of classical aquifer salinization from a saltwater wedge intruding from the sea is often not representative of the actual aquifer’s salinization mechanisms.

Hypertonic Saline Suppresses NADPH Oxidase-Dependent Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation and Promotes Apoptosis

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Ajantha Nadesalingam

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Tonicity of saline (NaCl is important in regulating cellular functions and homeostasis. Hypertonic saline is administered to treat many inflammatory diseases, including cystic fibrosis. Excess neutrophil extracellular trap (NET formation, or NETosis, is associated with many pathological conditions including chronic inflammation. Despite the known therapeutic benefits of hypertonic saline, its underlying mechanisms are not clearly understood. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the effects of hypertonic saline in modulating NETosis. For this purpose, we purified human neutrophils and induced NETosis using agonists such as diacylglycerol mimetic phorbol myristate acetate (PMA, Gram-negative bacterial cell wall component lipopolysaccharide (LPS, calcium ionophores (A23187 and ionomycin from Streptomyces conglobatus, and bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. We then analyzed neutrophils and NETs using Sytox green assay, immunostaining of NET components and apoptosis markers, confocal microscopy, and pH sensing reagents. This study found that hypertonic NaCl suppresses nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (NADPH2 or NOX2-dependent NETosis induced by agonists PMA, Escherichia coli LPS (0111:B4 and O128:B12, and P. aeruginosa. Hypertonic saline also suppresses LPS- and PMA- induced reactive oxygen species production. It was determined that supplementing H2O2 reverses the suppressive effect of hypertonic saline on NOX2-dependent NETosis. Many of the aforementioned suppressive effects were observed in the presence of equimolar concentrations of choline chloride and osmolytes (d-mannitol and d-sorbitol. This suggests that the mechanism by which hypertonic saline suppresses NOX2-dependent NETosis is via neutrophil dehydration. Hypertonic NaCl does not significantly alter the intracellular pH of neutrophils. We found that hypertonic NaCl induces apoptosis while suppressing NOX2-dependent NETosis. In contrast, hypertonic

Dialectical behaviour therapy-informed skills training for deliberate self-harm: a controlled trial with 3-month follow-up data.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Gibson, Jennifer

2014-09-01

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) has been shown to be an effective treatment for deliberate self-harm (DSH) and emerging evidence suggests DBT skills training alone may be a useful adaptation of the treatment. DBT skills are presumed to reduce maladaptive efforts to regulate emotional distress, such as DSH, by teaching adaptive methods of emotion regulation. However, the impact of DBT skills training on DSH and emotion regulation remains unclear. This study examined the Living Through Distress (LTD) programme, a DBT-informed skills group provided in an inpatient setting. Eighty-two adults presenting with DSH or Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) were offered places in LTD, in addition to their usual care. A further 21 clients on the waiting list for LTD were recruited as a treatment-as-usual (TAU) group. DSH, anxiety, depression, and emotion regulation were assessed at baseline and either post-intervention or 6 week follow-up. Greater reductions in the frequency of DSH and improvements in some aspects of emotion regulation were associated with completion of LTD, as compared with TAU. Improvements in DSH were maintained at 3 month follow-up. This suggests providing a brief intensive DBT-informed skills group may be a useful intervention for DSH.

Interactive effect of high environmental ammonia and nutritional status on ecophysiological performance of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) acclimated to reduced seawater salinities.