scholarly journals Nectar bacteria stimulate pollen germination and bursting to enhance their fitness

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shawn M Christensen ◽  
Ivan Munkres ◽  
Rachel Vannette
Keyword(s):  
Pollen Germination ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Floral Nectar ◽  
Acinetobacter Species ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Physical Defenses ◽  
Carbon Nutrition ◽  
Common Genus ◽  
Pollen Nutrition

For many flower visitors, pollen is the primary source of non-carbon nutrition, but pollen has physical defenses that make it difficult for consumers to access nutrients. Nectar-dwelling microbes are nearly ubiquitous among flowers and can reach high densities, despite the fact that floral nectar is nitrogen limited, containing only very low concentrations of non-carbon nutrients. Pollen contains trace micronutrients and high protein content but is protected by a recalcitrant outer shell. Here, we report that a common genus of nectar-dwelling bacteria, Acinetobacter, exploits pollen nutrition by inducing pollen germination and bursting. We use time course germination assays to quantify the effect of Acinetobacter species on pollen germination and pollen bursting. Inoculation with Acinetobacter species resulted in increased germination rates within 15 minutes, and bursting by 45 minutes, as compared to uninoculated pollen. The pollen germination and bursting phenotype is density-dependent, with lower concentrations of A. pollinis SCC477 resulting in a longer lag time before the spike in germination, which is then closely followed by a spike in bursting. Lastly, A. pollinis grows to nearly twice the density with germinable pollen vs ungerminable pollen, indicating that their ability to induce and exploit germination plays an important role in rapid growth. To our knowledge, this is the first direct test of non-plant biological induction of pollen germination, as well as the first evidence of induced germination as a method of nutrient procurement, as the microbes appear to hijack the pollens normally tightly controlled germination mechanisms for their benefit. Our results suggest that further study of microbe-pollen interactions may inform many aspects of pollination ecology, including microbial ecology in flowers, the mechanisms of pollinator nutrient acquisition from pollen, and cues of pollen germination for plant reproduction.

scholarly journals The transcription factor OpWRKY2 positively regulates the biosynthesis of the anticancer drug camptothecin in Ophiorrhiza pumila

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaolong Hao ◽  
Chenhong Xie ◽  
Qingyan Ruan ◽  
Xichen Zhang ◽  
Chao Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Anticancer Activity ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Indole Alkaloid ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Wrky Transcription Factor ◽  
Mobility Shift ◽  
Pathway Gene ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Encoding Gene

AbstractThe limited bioavailability of plant-derived natural products with anticancer activity poses major challenges to the pharmaceutical industry. An example of this is camptothecin, a monoterpene indole alkaloid with potent anticancer activity that is extracted at very low concentrations from woody plants. Recently, camptothecin biosynthesis has been shown to become biotechnologically amenable in hairy-root systems of the natural producer Ophiorrhiza pumila. Here, time-course expression and metabolite analyses were performed to identify novel transcriptional regulators of camptothecin biosynthesis in O. pumila. It is shown here that camptothecin production increased over cultivation time and that the expression pattern of the WRKY transcription factor encoding gene OpWRKY2 is closely correlated with camptothecin accumulation. Overexpression of OpWRKY2 led to a more than three-fold increase in camptothecin levels. Accordingly, silencing of OpWRKY2 correlated with decreased camptothecin levels in the plant. Further detailed molecular characterization by electrophoretic mobility shift, yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase assays showed that OpWRKY2 directly binds and activates the central camptothecin pathway gene OpTDC. Taken together, the results of this study demonstrate that OpWRKY2 acts as a direct positive regulator of camptothecin biosynthesis. As such, a feasible strategy for the over-accumulation of camptothecin in a biotechnologically amenable system is presented.

scholarly journals The role of bound potassium ions in the hydrolysis of low concentrations of adenosine triphosphate by preparations of membrane fragments from ox brain cerebral cortex

1970 ◽  
Vol 120 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. S. G. Goldfarb ◽  
R. Rodnight
Keyword(s):  
Potassium Chloride ◽  
Magnesium Chloride ◽  
Adenosine Triphosphatase ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Atp Hydrolysis ◽  
Protein Ratio ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Hydrolysis Of ◽  
Emission Flame

1. The intrinsic Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ contents of a preparation of membrane fragments from ox brain were determined by emission flame photometry. 2. Centrifugal washing of the preparation with imidazole-buffered EDTA solutions decreased the bound Na+ from 90±20 to 24±12, the bound K+ from 27±3 to 7±2, the bound Mg2+ from 20±2 to 3±1 and the bound calcium from 8±1 to <1nmol/mg of protein. 3. The activities of the Na++K++Mg2+-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase and the Na+-dependent reaction forming bound phosphate were compared in the unwashed and washed preparations at an ATP concentration of 2.5μm (ATP/protein ratio 12.5pmol/μg). 4. The Na+-dependent hydrolysis of ATP as well as the plateau concentration of bound phosphate and the rate of dephosphorylation were decreased in the washed preparation. The time-course of formation and decline of bound phosphate was fully restored by the addition of 2.5μm-magnesium chloride and 2μm-potassium chloride. Addition of 2.5μm-magnesium chloride alone fully restored the plateau concentration of bound phosphate, but the rate of dephosphorylation was only slightly increased. Na+-dependent ATP hydrolysis was partly restored with 2.5μm-magnesium chloride; addition of K+ in the range 2–10μm-potassium chloride then further restored hydrolysis but not to the control rate. 5. Pretreatment of the washed preparation at 0°C with 0.5nmol of K+/mg of protein so that the final added K+ in the reaction mixture was 0.1μm restored the Na+-dependent hydrolysis of ATP and the time-course of the reaction forming bound phosphate. 6. The binding of [42K]potassium chloride by the washed membrane preparation was examined. Binding in a solution containing 10nmol of K+/mg of protein was linear over a period of 20min and was inhibited by Na+. Half-maximal inhibition of 42K+-binding required a 100-fold excess of sodium chloride. 7. It was concluded (a) that a significant fraction of the apparent Na+-dependent hydrolysis of ATP observed in the unwashed preparation is due to activation by bound K+ and Mg2+ of the Na++K++Mg2+-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase system and (b) that the enzyme system is able to bind K+ from a solution of 0.5μm-potassium chloride.

Pattern differences in experimental fevers induced by endotoxin, endogenous pyrogen, and prostaglandins

1988 ◽  
Vol 254 (4) ◽  
pp. R633-R640 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Morimoto ◽  
T. Nakamori ◽  
T. Watanabe ◽  
T. Ono ◽  
N. Murakami
Keyword(s):  
Time Course ◽  
Interleukin 1 ◽  
Bacterial Endotoxin ◽  
Endogenous Pyrogen ◽  
Prolonged Time ◽  
Fever Onset ◽  
Long Latency ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Experimentally Induced

To distinguish pattern differences in experimentally induced fevers, we investigated febrile responses induced by intravenous (IV), intracerebroventricular (ICV), and intra-preoptic/anterior hypothalamic (POA) administration of bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS), endogenous pyrogen (EP), human recombinant interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1), and prostaglandins E2 and F2 alpha (PGE2 and PGF2 alpha). Intravenous LPS, EP, or IL-1 in high concentrations caused biphasic fever. In low concentrations, they induced only the first phase of fever. Latency to onset and time to first peak of fever induced by IV injection of LPS or EP were almost the same as those after ICV or POA injection of PGE2. Fever induced by ICV or POA administration of LPS, EP, IL-1, or PGF2 alpha had a long latency to onset and a prolonged time course. There were significant differences among the latencies to fever onset exhibited by groups that received ICV or POA injections of LPS, EP, or PGF2 alpha and by groups given IV injections of LPS or EP and ICV or POA injections of PGE2. Present observations indicate different patterns of fever produced by several kinds of pyrogens when given by various routes. These results permit us to consider the possibility that there are several mediators or multiprocesses underlying the pathogenesis of fever.

scholarly journals Rapid neural representations of personally relevant faces

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mareike Bayer ◽  
Oksana Berhe ◽  
Isabel Dziobek ◽  
Tom Johnstone
Keyword(s):  
Time Course ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Neural Circuitry ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Personal Relevance ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Emotional Faces ◽  
Neural Representations ◽  
Processing Network

AbstractThe faces of those most personally relevant to us are our primary source of social information, making their timely perception a priority. Recent research indicates that gender, age and identity of faces can be decoded from EEG/MEG data within 100ms. Yet the time course and neural circuitry involved in representing the personal relevance of faces remain unknown. We applied simultaneous EEG-fMRI to examine neural responses to emotional faces of female participants’ romantic partners, friends, and a stranger. Combining EEG and fMRI in cross-modal representational similarity analyses, we provide evidence that representations of personal relevance start prior to structural encoding at 100ms in visual cortex, but also in prefrontal and midline regions involved in value representation, and monitoring and recall of self-relevant information. Representations related to romantic love emerged after 300ms. Our results add to an emerging body of research that suggests that models of face perception need to be updated to account for rapid detection of personal relevance in cortical circuitry beyond the core face processing network.

scholarly journals Impact of Manganese on Pollen Germination and Tube Growth in Lily

2021 ◽  
Vol 74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Sawidis ◽  
Gülriz Baycu ◽  
Elżbieta Weryszko-Chmielewska ◽  
Aneta Sulborska
Keyword(s):  
Pollen Tube ◽  
Pollen Germination ◽  
Surrounding Medium ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Lilium Longiflorum ◽  
Tube Growth ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Main Effect

Abstract In vitro culture of Lilium longiflorum pollen grains was carried out to determine the role of manganese in pollen germination and pollen tube growth. Pollen germination was adversely affected by the presence of manganese (>10 −8 M), whereas low concentrations (10 −12 –10 −10 M) stimulated the process. Manganese caused morphological anomalies during tube growth, characterized by irregular pollen tube thickening and swollen tips. The main effect was the anomalous cell wall formation at the tip, in which the presence of several organelles reduced the number of secretory vesicles. A loose network of fibrillar material and spherical aggregates, mostly in the tip region, was detected, and this material was progressively loosened into the surrounding medium. As a response to potential toxicity, the excess manganese was isolated in vacuoles, which formed an internal barrier against penetration of manganese to the tip area. Elevated manganese concentrations might affect plant reproduction, resulting in anomalies in gamete development. Consequently, the loss in genetic diversity and decreased fruit set ultimately lower yield.

Ca2+ signals mediated by Ins(1,4,5)P3-gated channels in rat ureteric myocytes

2000 ◽  
Vol 349 (1) ◽  
pp. 323-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
François-Xavier BOITTIN ◽  
Frédéric COUSSIN ◽  
Jean-Luc MOREL ◽  
Guillaume HALET ◽  
Nathalie MACREZ ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ryanodine Receptor ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Binding Capacity ◽  
Ryanodine Receptors ◽  
Initiation Site ◽  
Variable Number ◽  
Spatial Spread ◽  
Receptor Antibody ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
High Level

Localized Ca2+-release signals (puffs) and propagated Ca2+ waves were characterized in rat ureteric myocytes by confocal microscopy. Ca2+ puffs were evoked by photorelease of low concentrations of Ins(1,4,5)P3 from a caged precursor and by low concentrations of acetylcholine; they were also observed spontaneously in Ca2+-overloaded myocytes. Ca2+ puffs showed some variability in amplitude, time course and spatial spread, suggesting that Ins(1,4,5)P3-gated channels exist in clusters containing variable numbers of channels and that within these clusters a variable number of channels can be recruited. Immunodetection of Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptors revealed the existence of several spots of fluorescence in the confocal cell sections, supporting the existence of clusters of Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptors. Strong Ins(1,4,5)P3 photorelease and high concentrations of acetylcholine induced Ca2+ waves that originated from an initiation site and propagated in the whole cell by spatial recruitment of neighbouring Ca2+-release sites. Both Ca2+ puffs and Ca2+ waves were blocked selectively by intracellular applications of heparin and an anti-Ins(1,4,5)P3-receptor antibody, but were unaffected by ryanodine and intracellular application of an anti-ryanodine receptor antibody. mRNAs encoding for the three subtypes of Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor and subtype 3 of ryanodine receptor were detected in these myocytes, and the maximal binding capacity of [3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3 was 10- to 12-fold higher than that of [3H]ryanodine. These results suggest that Ins(1,4,5)P3-gated channels mediate a continuum of Ca2+ signalling in smooth-muscle cells expressing a high level of Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptors and no subtypes 1 and 2 of ryanodine receptors.

Gadolinium Reduces AMPA Receptor Desensitization and Deactivation in Hippocampal Neurons

2001 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saobo Lei ◽  
John F. MacDonald
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Ampa Receptor ◽  
Hippocampal Neurons ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Trivalent Cation ◽  
Receptor Desensitization ◽  
Whole Cell ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Cultured Hippocampal Neurons

The actions of the trivalent cation Gd3+ on whole cell AMPA receptor-mediated currents were studied in isolated hippocampal neurons, in nucleated or outside-out patches taken from cultured hippocampal neurons, and on miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) recorded in cultured hippocampal neurons. Glutamate, AMPA, or kainate was employed to activate AMPA receptors. Applications of relatively low concentrations of Gd3+ (0.1–10 μM) substantially enhanced steady-state whole cell glutamate and kainate-evoked currents without altering peak currents, suggesting that desensitization was reduced. However, higher concentrations (>30 μM) depressed steady-state currents, indicating an underlying inhibition of channel activity. Lower concentrations of Gd3+also increased the potency of peak glutamate-evoked currents without altering that of steady-state currents. An ultrafast perfusion system and nucleated patches were then used to better resolve peak glutamate-evoked currents. Low concentrations of Gd3+ reduced peak currents, enhanced steady-state currents, and slowed the onset of desensitization, providing further evidence that this cation reduces desensitization. In the presence of cyclothiazide, a compound that blocks desensitization, a low concentration Gd3+ inhibited both peak and steady-state currents, indicating that Gd3+ both reduces desensitization and inhibits these currents. Gd3+ reduced the probability of channel opening at the peak of the currents but did not alter the single channel conductance calculated using nonstationary variance analysis. Recovery from desensitization was enhanced, and glutamate-evoked current activation and deactivation were slowed by Gd3+. The Gd3+-induced reduction in desensitization did not require the presence of the GluR2 subunit as this effect was seen in hippocampal neurons from GluR2 null-mutant mice. Gd3+ reduced the time course of decay of mEPSCs perhaps as a consequence of its slowing of AMPA receptor deactivation although an increase in the frequency of mEPSCs also suggested enhanced presynaptic release of transmitter. These results demonstrate that Gd3+ potently reduces AMPA receptor desensitization and mimics a number of the properties of the positive modulators of AMPA receptor desensitization such as cyclothiazide.

scholarly journals Neurons, potassium, and glia in proximal retina of Necturus.

1980 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
C J Karwoski ◽  
L M Proenza
Keyword(s):  
Time Course ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Müller Cell ◽  
Wave Form ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Decay Times ◽  
Low Pass ◽  
Muller Cell ◽  
Time Courses

Light-evoked K+ flux and intracellular Müller (glial) cell and on/off-neuron responses were recorded from the proximal retina of Necturus in eyecups from which the vitreous was not drained. On/off-responses, probably arising from amacrine cells, showed an initial transient and a sustained component that always exhibited surround antagonism. Müller cell responses were small but otherwise similar to those recorded in eyecups drained of vitreous. The proximal K+ increase and Müller cell responses had identical decay times, and on some occasions the latency and rise time of the K+ increase nearly matched Müller cell responses, indicating that the recorded K+ responses were not always appreciably degraded by electrode "dead space." The spatiotemporal distribution of the K+ increase showed that both diffusion and active reuptake play important roles in K+ clearance. The relationship between on/off-neuron responses and the K+ increase was modelled by assuming that (a) K+ release is positively related to the instantaneous amplitude of the neural response, and (b) K+ accumulating in extracellular space is cleared via mechanisms with approximately exponential time-courses. These two processes were approximated by low-pass filtering the on/off-neuron responses, resulting in modelled responses that match the wave form and time-course of the K+ increase and behave quantitatively like the K+ increase to changes in stimulus intensity and diameter. Thus, on/off-neurons are probably a primary source of the proximal light-evoked K+ increase that depolarizes glial cells to generate the M-wave.

scholarly journals ETB receptor activation leads to activation and phosphorylation of NHE3

1999 ◽  
Vol 276 (4) ◽  
pp. C938-C945 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Peng ◽  
O. W. Moe ◽  
T.-S. Chu ◽  
P. A. Preisig ◽  
M. Yanagisawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alkaline Phosphatase ◽  
Tyrosine Phosphorylation ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Receptor Activation ◽  
Endothelin Receptors ◽  
Receptor Specificity ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Sds Page ◽  
Etb Receptor ◽  
In Cells

In OKP cells expressing ETB endothelin receptors, activation of Na+/H+antiporter activity by endothelin-1 (ET-1) was resistant to low concentrations of ethylisopropyl amiloride, indicating regulation of Na+/H+exchanger isoform 3 (NHE3). ET-1 increased NHE3 phosphorylation in cells expressing ETB receptors but not in cells expressing ETAreceptors. Receptor specificity was not due to demonstrable differences in receptor-specific activation of tyrosine phosphorylation pathways or inhibition of adenylyl cyclase. Phosphorylation was associated with a decrease in mobility on SDS-PAGE, which was reversed by treating immunoprecipitated NHE3 with alkaline phosphatase. Phosphorylation was first seen at 5 min and was maximal at 15–30 min. Phosphorylation was maximal with 10−9 M ET-1. Phosphorylation occurred on threonine and serine residues at multiple sites. In summary, ET-1 induces NHE3 phosphorylation in OKP cells on multiple threonine and serine residues. ETB receptor specificity, time course, and concentration dependence are all similar between ET-1-induced increases in NHE3 activity and phosphorylation, suggesting that phosphorylation plays a key role in activation.

scholarly journals Glutathione-Dependent Conversion ofN-Ethylmaleimide to the Maleamic Acid by Escherichia coli: an Intracellular Detoxification Process

2000 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 1393-1399 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. McLaggan ◽  
H. Rufino ◽  
M. Jaspars ◽  
I. R. Booth
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Time Course ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Transient Activation ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Maleamic Acid ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Hydrolysis Of ◽  
Strong Activator ◽  
Detoxification Process

ABSTRACT The electrophile N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) elicits rapid K+ efflux from Escherichia coli cells consequent upon reaction with cytoplasmic glutathione to form an adduct, N-ethylsuccinimido-S-glutathione (ESG) that is a strong activator of the KefB and KefC glutathione-gated K+ efflux systems. The fate of the ESG has not previously been investigated. In this report we demonstrate that NEM andN-phenylmaleimide (NPM) are rapidly detoxified by E. coli. The detoxification occurs through the formation of the glutathione adduct of NEM or NPM, followed by the hydrolysis of the imide bond after which N-substituted maleamic acids are released. N-Ethylmaleamic acid is not toxic to E. coli cells even at high concentrations. The glutathione adducts are not released from cells, and this allows glutathione to be recycled in the cytoplasm. The detoxification is independent of new protein synthesis and NAD+-dependent dehydrogenase activity and entirely dependent upon glutathione. The time course of the detoxification of low concentrations of NEM parallels the transient activation of the KefB and KefC glutathione-gated K+ efflux systems.

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