HOW HEAT TREATMENT CAN GIVE BETTER PROPERTIES TO ELECTROLESS NICKEL-BORON COATINGS

Electroless nickel-boron deposits were synthesized on mild steel and submitted to heat treatments under neutraland nitrogen based atmosphere. The properties obtained after these treatments were compared to as depositednickel-boron coatings. The morphology and structure of the samples were investigated by XRD, SEMand optical microscopy; their composition was studied by ICP, GD-OES and SIMS analysis, and micro andnanoindentation tests were carried out to assess the coatings’ hardness. Scratch tests were used to determinethe damage mechanisms of the coating

Large-scale proteomic analysis of the grapevine leaf apoplastic fluid reveals mainly stress-related proteins and cell wall modifying enzymes

BACKGROUND: The extracellular space or apoplast forms a path through the whole plant and acts as an interface with the environment. The apoplast is composed of plant cell wall and space within which apoplastic fluid provides a means of delivering molecules and facilitates intercellular communications. However, the apoplastic fluid extraction from in planta systems remains challenging and this is particularly true for grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.), a worldwide-cultivated fruit plant. Large-scale proteomic analysis reveals the protein content of the grapevine leaf apoplastic fluid and the free interactive proteome map considerably facilitates the study of the grapevine proteome. RESULTS: To obtain a snapshot of the grapevine apoplastic fluid proteome, a vacuum-infiltration-centrifugation method was optimized to collect the apoplastic fluid from non-challenged grapevine leaves. Soluble apoplastic protein patterns were then compared to whole leaf soluble protein profiles by 2D-PAGE analyses. Subsequent MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry of tryptically digested protein spots was used to identify proteins. This large-scale proteomic analysis established a well-defined proteomic map of whole leaf and leaf apoplastic soluble proteins, with 223 and 177 analyzed spots, respectively. All data arising from proteomic, MS and MS/MS analyses were deposited in the public database world-2DPAGE. Prediction tools revealed a high proportion of (i) classical secreted proteins but also of non-classical secreted proteins namely Leaderless Secreted Proteins (LSPs) in the apoplastic protein content and (ii) proteins potentially involved in stress reactions and/or in cell wall metabolism. CONCLUSIONS: This approach provides free online interactive reference maps annotating a large number of soluble proteins of the whole leaf and the apoplastic fluid of grapevine leaf. To our knowledge, this is the first detailed proteome study of grapevine apoplastic fluid providing a comprehensive overview of the most abundant proteins present in the apoplast of grapevine leaf that could be further characterized in order to elucidate their physiological function

Unraveling incompatibility between wheat and the fungal pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici through apoplastic proteomics

Background: Hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici causes severe foliar disease in wheat. However, current knowledge of molecular mechanisms involved in plant resistance to Z. tritici and Z. tritici virulence factors is far from being complete. The present work investigated the proteome of leaf apoplastic fluid with emphasis on both host wheat and Z. tritici during the compatible and incompatible interactions. Results: The proteomics analysis revealed rapid host responses to the biotrophic growth, including enhanced carbohydrate metabolism, apoplastic defenses and stress, and cell wall reinforcement, might contribute to resistance. Compatibility between the host and the pathogen was associated with inactivated plant apoplastic responses as well as fungal defenses to oxidative stress and perturbation of plant cell wall during the initial biotrophic stage, followed by the strong induction of plant defenses during the necrotrophic stage. To study the role of anti-oxidative stress in Z. tritici pathogenicity in depth, a YAP1 transcription factor regulating antioxidant expression was deleted and showed the contribution to anti-oxidative stress in Z. tritici ,but was not required for pathogenicity. This result suggests the functional redundancy of antioxidants in the fungus. Conclusions: The data demonstrate that incompatibility is probably resulted from the proteome-level activation of host apoplastic defenses as well as fungal incapability to adapt to stress and interfere with host cell at the biotrophic stage of the interaction

Wear and corrosion resistance behaviours of autocatalytic electroless plating

peer reviewedNickel-boron coatings were deposited on steel and aluminium substrates. Their morphology, roughness, hardness, wear resistance and electrochemical properties were investigated. A comparison between the coated systems was carried out. The plated aluminium was found to present better roughness and corrosion resistance behaviours than coated steel. The wear resistance of both coated systems is very similar. The aluminium-based system presents a more noble electrochemical behaviour than the coated steel. Crown Copyright © 2009

[Pulmonary infection due to Mycobacterium xenopi - In vitro sensitivity to classical antituberculotic drugs and clinical development]

Out of 11 patients suffering from Mycobacterium xenopi lung disease, 9 were treated with an empiric antituberculous triple chemotherapy until specific identification and antibiogram were available. Despite the important ''in vitro'' resistance to drugs, most of the patients improved; in the other patients, the impairment was always due to the underlying pathology. We conclude that the ''in vivo'' response of M. xenopi infections to antituberculous drugs is little influenced by the ''in vitro'' sensitivity