STE2/SCG1-dependent inhibition of STE4-induced growth arrest by mutant STE4ΔC6 in the yeast pheromone response pathway

AbstractThe yeast pheromone response pathway involves the activation of a heterotrimeric G protein composed by SCGI (α) (also GPA1), STE4 (β), and STE18 (γ) subunits by the pheromone-activated receptors STE2 and STE3 in a and α cells, respectively. Upon exchange of bound GDP for GTP in the SCG1 subunit, the release of STE4/STE18 dimer occurs which, in turn causes activation of downstream effectors leading growth arrest and mating competence. Over-expression of STE4 also leads to growth arrest in a STE18 dependent manner. Removal of 6 amino acids from the C-terminus of STE4 rendered a subunit incapable of downstream signalling but still able to interact with STE18. This ΔC6 mutant acts as a dominant negative because it blocks the growth arresting effect obtained by over-expression of STE4. The inhibitory effect of STE4ΔC6 is dependent on the presence of the SCG1 subunit in a STE2 but not ste2 background. Inhibition of the growth arresting effect of STE4 by the ΔC6 mutant is not due to competition at the effector site, but rather involves an intrinsic activity of STE2 that is dependent on SCG1

Influence of the anode material on the degradation of naproxen by Fenton-based electrochemical processes

This study focuses on the role of the anode material for the electrochemical degradation of the top-selling anti-inflammatory drug naproxen (NPX). Aqueous solutions containing 40 mg L−1 NPX sodium in 0.050 M NaClO4 at pH 3.0 were comparatively treated by electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs) like electro-oxidation with electrogenerated H2O2 (EO-H2O2), electro-Fenton (EF) and UVA photoelectro-Fenton (PEF). The experiments were performed in a 2.5 L flow plant equipped with an annular glass photoreactor coupled to a cell with a Pt, IrO2-based (DSA-O2), RuO2-based (DSA-Cl2) or boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode and an air-diffusion cathode to electrogenerate H2O2. In EF and PEF, 0.50 mM Fe2+ was added as catalyst. At 50 mA cm-2, the oxidation power of EAOPs rose in the order: EO-H2O2 < EF < PEF, regardless of the anode used. The IrO2-based anode led to greater mineralization in EO-H2O2 and EF. In contrast, the BDD anode allowed an almost total mineralization in PEF, being superior to 85% attained with the other three materials. DSA, a significantly cheap anode compared to Pt and BDD, can then be a suitable candidate for treating NPX solutions by EAOPs. For each process, the mineralization current efficiency and specific energy consumption were determined. The NPX concentration decay always followed a pseudo-first-order kinetics and, in PEF, it was enhanced in the sequence: RuO2-based < Pt < BDD < IrO2-based. GC-MS analysis of treated solutions allowed detecting six aromatic products, whereas maleic and oxalic acids were identified by ion-exclusion HPLC. A reaction sequence for the degradation of NPX by EAOPs is finally proposed

Abatement of the antibiotic levofloxacin in a solar photoelectro-Fenton flow plant: Modeling the dissolved organic carbon concentration-time relationship

The degradation of solutions of the antibiotic levofloxacin (LVN) in sulfate medium at pH 3.0 has been investigated at pre-pilot scale by solar photoelectro-Fenton (SPEF) process. The flow plant included an FM01-LC filter-press cell equipped with a Ti|Pt anode and a three-dimensional-like air-diffusion cathode, connected to a compound parabolic collector as photoreactor and a continuous stirred tank under recirculation batch mode. The effect of volumetric flow rate on H2O2 electrogeneration from O2 reduction was assessed. Then, the influence of initial LVN concentration and Fe2+ concentration as catalyst on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal was thoroughly investigated. LVN was gradually mineralized by SPEF process, with faster DOC abatement at 0.50 mM Fe2+, yielding 100% after 360 min at applied cathodic potential of −0.30 V|SHE. The high mineralization current efficiency (MCE) and low specific energy consumption (ECDOC) revealed the extraordinary role of homogeneous hydroxyl radicals and natural UV light, which allowed the degradation of the antibiotic and its by-products with MCE values greater than 100%. Five cyclic by-products, N,N-dimethylformamide and up to three short-chain linear carboxylic acids were detected by GC-MS and HPLC analyses. A parametric model to simulate the DOC decay versus electrolysis time was implemented for the SPEF pre-pilot flow plant, showing good agreement with experimental data

Osteology of the Late Cretaceous Argentinean sauropod dinosaur Mendozasaurus neguyelap: implications for basal titanosaur relationships

The titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur Mendozasaurus neguyelap is represented by several partial skeletons from a single locality within the Coniacian (lower Upper Cretaceous) Sierra Barrosa Formation in the south of Mendoza Province, northern Neuquén Basin, Argentina. A detailed revision of Mendozasaurus, including previously undocumented remains from the holotype site, allows us to more firmly establish its position within Titanosauria, as well as enabling an emended diagnosis of this taxon. Autapomorphies include: (1) middle and posterior cervical vertebrae with tall and transversely expanded neural spines that are wider than the centra, formed laterally by spinodiapophyseal laminae that are not connected with the pre- or postzygapophyses; (2) anterior caudal vertebrae (excluding anteriormost) with ventrolateral ridge-like expansion of prezygapophyses; and (3) humerus with divided lateral distal condyle on anterior surface. New remains demonstrate that the presacral vertebrae of Mendozasaurus were not unusually short anteroposteriorly, with this compression instead resulting from taphonomic crushing. Comparative studies of articulated pedes of other taxa allow us to interpret that the pedal formula of Mendozasaurus was 2-2-2-2-0, based on disarticulated bones that form a right hind foot. Mendozasaurus was incorporated into an expanded version of a titanosauriform-focussed phylogenetic data matrix, along with several other contemporaneous South American titanosaurs. The resultant data matrix comprises 84 taxa scored for 423 characters, and our phylogenetic analysis recovers Mendozasaurus as the most basal member of a diverse Lognkosauria, including Futalognkosaurus and the gigantic titanosaurs Argentinosaurus, Notocolossus, Patagotitan and Puertasaurus. Lognkosauria forms a clade with Rinconsauria (Muyelensaurus + Rinconsaurus), with Epachthosaurus and Pitekunsaurus recovered at the base of this grouping. A basal lithostrotian position for this South American clade is well supported, contrasting with some analyses that have placed these taxa outside of Lithostrotia or closer to Saltasauridae. The sister clade to this South American group is composed of an array of near-global taxa and supports the hypothesis that most titanosaurian clades were widespread by the Early–middle Cretaceous

A new primitive Neornithischian dinosaur from the Jurassic of Patagonia with gut contents

We describe a new species of an ornithischian dinosaur, Isaberrysaura mollensis gen. et sp. nov. The specimen, consisting in an almost complete skull and incomplete postcranium was collected from the marine-deltaic deposits of the Los Molles Formation (Toarcian-Bajocian), being the first reported dinosaur for this unit, one of the oldest from Neuquén Basin, and the first neornithischian dinosaur known from the Jurassic of South America. Despite showing a general stegosaurian appearance, the extensive phylogenetic analysis carried out depicts Isaberrysaura mollensis gen. et sp. nov. as a basal ornithopod, suggesting that both Thyreophora and neornithischians could have achieved significant convergent features. The specimen was preserved articulated and with some of its gut content place in the middle-posterior part of the thoracic cavity. Such stomach content was identified as seeds, most of them belonging to the Cycadales group. This finding reveals a possible and unexpected role of this ornithischian species as seed-dispersal agent

The postcranial skeleton of monolophosaurus jiangi (dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Middle Jurassic of Xinjiang, China, and a review of Middle Jurassic Chinese theropods

The Middle Jurassic was a critical time in the evolution of theropod dinosaurs, highlighted by the origination and radiation of the large-bodied and morphologically diverse Tetanurae. Middle Jurassic tetanurans are rare but have been described from Europe, South America and China. In particular, China has yielded a number of potential basal tetanurans, but these have received little detailed treatment in the literature. Here we redescribe the postcranial skeleton of one of the most complete Chinese Middle Jurassic theropods, Monolophosaurus. Several features confirmthe tetanuran affinities of Monolophosaurus, but the possession of ‘primitive’ traits such as a double-faceted pubic peduncle of the ilium and a hood-like supracetabular crest suggest a basal position within Tetanurae. This conflicts with most published cladistic analyses that place Monolophosaurus in a more derived position within Allosauroidea.We review the Middle Jurassic record of Chinese theropods and compare Monolophosaurus to other Middle Jurassic theropods globally. These comparisons suggest that Monolophosaurus and Chuandongocoelurus formed an endemic theropod clade limited to the Middle Jurassic of Asia. Other Middle Jurassic Chinese theropods deserve further study

Una propuesta para enseñar temas científicos en entornos tecnológicos

Las ventajas del uso de las TICs en la enseñanza de las ciencias nos brinda la posibilidad, entre otras cosas, de simular fenómenos naturales difíciles de observar en la realidad o de representar modelos de sistemas físicos inaccesibles. Esto exige el diseño y elaboración de nuevos materiales y maestros bien preparados en sus disciplinas y motivados para enfrentar la capacitación continua que exige la dinámica de la tecnología, dentro de políticas institucionales que favorezcan dicha capacitación. En este trabajo presentamos un paquete didáctico multimedia que promueve el uso de tecnologías educativas en el aula de química

Flavonoides: aplicaciones medicinales e industriales

En el presente trabajo se describen las características fisicoquímicas de los compuestos Flavonoides con mayor grado de estudio hasta la actualidad, y su aporte a la medicina tradicional y natural, junto con sus aplicaciones en el campo de la industria alimenticia. Los principales objetivos del mismo son, por un lado, proveer información fisicoquímica básica sobre las estructuras moleculares de los diferentes tipos con mayores aplicaciones industriales y medicinales hasta el presente, y por otro, relacionar las propiedades naturales de los alimentos que los contienen con los beneficios a la salud humana.In this article, we describe the physicochemical characteristics of those flavonoid compounds which have been more deeply studied up to the present. We also analyze their contribution to traditional and natural medicine, together with their applications in food industry. The main objectives are, on the one hand, to provide basic physicochemical information about the molecular structures of the kinds which have more industrial and medical applications up to the present, and, on the other hand, to connect the natural properties of the foods that contain them with their benefits to human health.Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y AplicadasConsejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnica

Dinosaur Speed Demon: The Caudal Musculature of Carnotaurus sastrei and Implications for the Evolution of South American Abelisaurids

In the South American abelisaurids Carnotaurus sastrei, Aucasaurus garridoi, and, to a lesser extent Skorpiovenator bustingorryi, the anterior caudal ribs project at a high dorsolateral inclination and have interlocking lateral tips. This unique morphology facilitated the expansion of the caudal hypaxial musculature at the expense of the epaxial musculature. Distinct ridges on the ventrolateral surfaces of the caudal ribs of Aucasaurus garridoi are interpreted as attachment scars from the intra caudofemoralis/ilio-ischiocaudalis septa, and confirm that the M. caudofemoralis of advanced South American abelisaurids originated from a portion of the caudal ribs. Digital muscle models indicate that, relative to its overall body size, Carnotaurus sastrei had a substantially larger M. caudofemoralis than any other theropod yet studied. In most non-avian theropods, as in many extant sauropsids, the M. caudofemoralis served as the primary femoral retractor muscle during the locomotive power stroke. This large investment in the M. caudofemoralis suggests that Carnotaurus sastrei had the potential for great cursorial abilities, particularly short-burst sprinting. However, the tightly interlocking morphology of the anterior caudal vertebrae implies a reduced ability to make tight turns. Examination of these vertebral traits in evolutionary context reveals a progressive sequence of increasing caudofemoral mass and tail rigidity among the Abelisauridae of South America