Importance of secondary organic aerosol formation of iα/i-pinene, limonene, and im/i-cresol comparing day- And nighttime radical chemistry

The oxidation of biogenic and anthropogenic compounds leads to the formation of secondary organic aerosol mass (SOA). The present study aims to investigate span classCombining double low line"inline-formula"iα/i/span-pinene, limonene, and span classCombining double low line"inline-formula"im/i/span-cresol with regards to their SOA formation potential dependent on relative humidity (RH) under night- (NOspan classCombining double low line"inline-formula"3/span radicals) and daytime conditions (OH radicals) and the resulting chemical composition. It was found that SOA formation potential of limonene with NOspan classCombining double low line"inline-formula"3/span under dry conditions significantly exceeds that of the OH-radical reaction, with SOA yields of 15-30 % and 10-21 %, respectively. Additionally, the nocturnal SOA yield was found to be very sensitive towards RH, yielding more SOA under dry conditions. In contrast, the SOA formation potential of span classCombining double low line"inline-formula"iα/i/span-pinene with NOspan classCombining double low line"inline-formula"3/span slightly exceeds that of the OH-radical reaction, independent from RH. On average, span classCombining double low line"inline-formula"iα/i/span-pinene yielded SOA with about 6-7 % from NOspan classCombining double low line"inline-formula"3/span radicals and 3-4 % from OH-radical reaction. Surprisingly, unexpectedly high SOA yields were found for span classCombining double low line"inline-formula"im/i/span-cresol oxidation with OH radicals (3-9 %), with the highest yield under elevated RH (9 %), which is most likely attributable to a higher fraction of 3-methyl-6-nitro-catechol (MNC). While span classCombining double low line"inline-formula"iα/i/span-pinene and span classCombining double low line"inline-formula"im/i/span-cresol SOA was found to be mainly composed of water-soluble compounds, 50-68 % of nocturnal SOA and 22-39 % of daytime limonene SOA are water-insoluble. The fraction of SOA-bound peroxides which originated from span classCombining double low line"inline-formula"iα/i/span-pinene varied between 2 and 80 % as a function of RH./p pFurthermore, SOA from span classCombining double low line"inline-formula"iα/i/span-pinene revealed pinonic acid as the most important particle-phase constituent under day- and nighttime conditions with a fraction of 1-4 %. Other compounds detected are norpinonic acid (0.05-1.1 % mass fraction), terpenylic acid (0.1-1.1 % mass fraction), pinic acid (0.1-1.8 % mass fraction), and 3-methyl-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid (0.05-0.5 % mass fraction). All marker compounds showed higher fractions under dry conditions when formed during daytime and showed almost no RH effect when formed during night./p © 2021 Copernicus GmbH. All rights reserved

Glutamate, GABA and Acetylcholine Signaling Components in the Lamina of the Drosophila Visual System

Synaptic connections of neurons in the Drosophila lamina, the most peripheral synaptic region of the visual system, have been comprehensively described. Although the lamina has been used extensively as a model for the development and plasticity of synaptic connections, the neurotransmitters in these circuits are still poorly known. Thus, to unravel possible neurotransmitter circuits in the lamina of Drosophila we combined Gal4 driven green fluorescent protein in specific lamina neurons with antisera to γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamic acid decarboxylase, a GABAB type of receptor, L-glutamate, a vesicular glutamate transporter (vGluT), ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors, choline acetyltransferase and a vesicular acetylcholine transporter. We suggest that acetylcholine may be used as a neurotransmitter in both L4 monopolar neurons and a previously unreported type of wide-field tangential neuron (Cha-Tan). GABA is the likely transmitter of centrifugal neurons C2 and C3 and GABAB receptor immunoreactivity is seen on these neurons as well as the Cha-Tan neurons. Based on an rdl-Gal4 line, the ionotropic GABAA receptor subunit RDL may be expressed by L4 neurons and a type of tangential neuron (rdl-Tan). Strong vGluT immunoreactivity was detected in α-processes of amacrine neurons and possibly in the large monopolar neurons L1 and L2. These neurons also express glutamate-like immunoreactivity. However, antisera to ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors did not produce distinct immunosignals in the lamina. In summary, this paper describes novel features of two distinct types of tangential neurons in the Drosophila lamina and assigns putative neurotransmitters and some receptors to a few identified neuron types

Chemical circuitry in the visual system of the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster

Signal processing in the visual system is mediated by classic neurotransmission and neuropeptidergic modulatory pathways. In Dipteran insects, especially in the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster, the morphology of the visual system is very well described. However neurotransmitter and neuropeptidergic circuits within the optic lobe neuropil are only partially known. Using several transgenic fly lines and antibodies we determined the localization of the classical neurotransmitters GABA, acetylcholine and glutamate in the visual system, and their putative targets via detecting several neurotransmitter receptors. We paid particular attention to the peripheral neuropil layer called the lamina, where the light signals are filtered, channeled and amplified (Paper I). We discovered four new types of efferent tangential neurons branching distally to the lamina. Among them was the first neuropeptidergic neuron (LMIo) in this region of Drosophila. The LMIo expresses myoinhibitory peptide (MIP) and has its cell body located close to the main lateral clock neurons that express the neuropeptide pigment-dispersing factor (PDF)(Paper II). Since in other Dipteran species PDF is expressed in processes distally to the lamina, we performed comparative anatomical studies of the MIP, PDF, Ion Transport Peptide (ITP) and serotonin (5-HT) distribution in the visual system of the flies Drosophila and Calliphora. Our data suggest that PDF signaling distal to the lamina of the blowfly might be replaced by MIP signaling in the fruitfly, while ITP and 5-HT expression is conserved in the two species (Paper III). Serotonin is crucial in light adaptation during the daily light-dark cycles. We analyzed putative serotonergic circuits in the lamina. We found that LMIo neurons express the inhibitory receptor 5-HT1A, while 5-HT1B and 5-HT2 are both expressed in the epithelial glia of the lamina. Another novel wide-field neuron with lamina branches expresses the excitatory serotonin receptor 5-HT7. Our studies have identified a fairly complex neuronal circuitry in the tangential plexus above the lamina. (Paper IV). Finally we tested circadian locomotor activity rhythms in flies with the GABAB receptor knocked down on the lateral PDF-expressing clock neurons. We observed significant changes in the activity periods and diminished strength of rhythmicity during DD suggesting a modulatory role of GABA in clock function (Paper V).At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 4: Manuscript. Paper 5: Manuscript

Physical and Chemical Properties of 3‑Methyl-1,2,3-butanetricarboxylic Acid (MBTCA) Aerosol

The properties and the chemical fate of later generation products of the oxidation of biogenic organic compounds are mostly unknown. The properties of fresh MBTCA aerosol, a later generation product of the oxidation of monoterpenes in the atmosphere, were determined combining an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS), a thermodenuder, and a scanning mobility particle sizer. Based on its AMS spectrum <i>m</i>/<i>z</i> 141.055 (C₇H₉O₃⁺) could be used as an MBTCA signature. The MBTCA particle density was 1.43 ± 0.04 g cm^–3, its saturation concentration was (1.8 ± 1.3) × 10^–3 μg m^–3 at 298 K, and its vaporization enthalpy was 150 ± 15 kJ mol^–1. After OH radical exposure (∼1.2 days) and UV illumination the average aerosol O:C ratio decreased from 0.72 to 0.58–0.64 suggesting net fragmentation. Our findings suggest that the reactions of MBTCA with OH lead to CO₂ loss with or without an oxygen addition