Hindered Diffusion through an Aqueous Pore Describes Invariant Dye Selectivity of Cx43 Junctions☆

The permselectivity (permeance/conductance) of Cx43-comprised gap junctions is a variable parameter of junctional function. To ascertain whether this variability in junctional permselectivity is explained by heterogeneous charge or size selectivity of the comprising channels, the permeance of individual Cx43 gap junctions to combinations of two dyes differing in either size or charge was determined in four cell types: Rin43, NRKe, HeLa43, and cardiac myocytes. The results show that Cx43 junctions are size- but not charge-selective and that both selectivities are constant parameters of junctional function. The consistency of dye selectivities indicates that the large continuum of measured junctional permselectivities cannot be ascribed to an equivalent continuum of individual channel selectivities. Further, the relative dye permeance sequence of NBD-M-TMA ∼ Alexa 350 > Lucifer yellow > Alexa 488 ≫ Alexa 594 (Stokes radii of 4.3 Å, 4.4 Å, 4.9 Å, 5.8 Å, and 7.4 Å, respectively) and the conductance sequence of KCl > TEACl ∼ Kglutamate are well described by hindered diffusion through an aqueous pore with radius ∼10 Å and length 160 Å. The permselectivity and dye selectivity data suggest the variable presence in Cx43-comprised junctions of conductive channels that are either dye-impermeable or dye-permeable

Electroweak parameters of the z0 resonance and the standard model

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Role of soil rhizobacteria in phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated soils

Heavy metal pollution of soil is a significant environmental problem and has its negative impact on human health and agriculture. Rhizosphere, as an important interface of soil and plant, plays a significant role in phytoremediation of contaminated soil by heavy metals, in which, microbial populations are known to affect heavy metal mobility and availability to the plant through release of chelating agents, acidification, phosphate solubilization and redox changes, and therefore, have potential to enhance phytoremediation processes. Phytoremediation strategies with appropriate heavy metal-adapted rhizobacteria have received more and more attention. This article paper reviews some recent advances in effect and significance of rhizobacteria in phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated soils. There is also a need to improve our understanding of the mechanisms involved in the transfer and mobilization of heavy metals by rhizobacteria and to conduct research on the selection of microbial isolates from rhizosphere of plants growing on heavy metal contaminated soils for specific restoration programmes