Exploring metabolic responses of potato tissue induced by electric pulses

In this study, we investigated the metabolic responses of potato tissue induced by pulsed electric field (PEF). Potato tissue was subjected to field strengths ranging from 30 to 500 V/cm, with a single rectangular pulse of 10 μs, 100 μs, or 1 ms. Metabolic responses were monitored using isothermal calorimetry, changes on electrical resistance during the delivery of the pulse, as well as impedance measurements. Our results show that the metabolic response involves oxygen consuming pathways as well as other unidentified events that are shown to be insensitive to metabolic inhibitors such as KCN and sodium azide. The metabolic response is strongly dependent on pulsing conditions and is independent of the total permeabilization achieved by the pulse. Evidence shows that calorimetry is a simple and powerful method for exploring conditions for metabolic stimulation, providing information on metabolic responses that can not be obtained from electrical measurements. This study set the basis for further investigations on defense-related consequences of PEF-induced stress.Sparbanksstiftelsen Färs & Frosta (Sweden).Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT).Lund University (Sweden).Department of Cell and Organism Biology; Department of Plant Biochemistry

A Central Role of Abscisic Acid in Stress-Regulated Carbohydrate Metabolism

Background: Abiotic stresses adversely affect plant growth and development. The hormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays a central role in the response and adaptation to environmental constraints. However, apart from the well established role of ABA in regulating gene expression programmes, little is known about its function in plant stress metabolism. Principal Findings: Using an integrative multiparallel approach of metabolome and transcriptome analyses, we studied the dynamic response of the model glyophyte Arabidopsis thaliana to ABA and high salt conditions. Our work shows that salt stress induces complex re-adjustment of carbohydrate metabolism and that ABA triggers the initial steps of carbon mobilisation. Significance: These findings open new perspectives on how high salinity and ABA impact on central carbohydrate metabolism and highlight the power of iterative combinatorial approaches of non-targeted and hypothesis-driven experiments in stress biology

Genes involved in ethylene and gibberellins metabolism are required for endosperm-limited germiantion of Sisymbrium officinales L. Seeds

The rupture of the seed coat and that of the endosperm were found to be two sequential events in the germination of Sisymbrium officinale L. seeds, and radicle protrusion did not occur exactly in the micropylar area but in the neighboring zone. The germination patterns were similar both in the presence of gibberellins (GA4+7) and in presence of ethrel. The analysis of genes involved in GAs synthesis and breakdown demonstrated that (1) SoGA2ox6 expression peaked just prior to radicle protrusion (20–22 h), while SoGA3ox2 and SoGA20ox2 expression was high at early imbibition (6 h) diminishing sharply thereafter; (2) the accumulation of SoGA20ox2 transcript was strongly inhibited by paclobutrazol (PB) as well as by inhibitors of ET synthesis and signaling (IESS) early after imbibition (6 h), while SoGA3ox2 and SoGA2ox6 expression was slowly depressed as germination progressed; (3) ethrel and GA4+7 positively or negatively affected expression of SoGA3ox2, SoGA20ox2, and SoGA2ox6, depending on the germination period studied. Regarding genes involved in ET synthesis, our results showed that SoACS7 was expressed, just prior to radicle emergence while SoACO2 expression slowly increased as germination progressed. Both genes were strongly inhibited by PB but were almost unaffected by externally added ethrel or GA4+7. These results suggest that GAs are more important than ET during the early stages of imbibition, while ET is more important at the late phases of germination of S. officinale L. seed

Radiation-damage studies, irradiations and high-dose dosimetry for LHC detectors

The proposal is divided into a main project and special projects. The main project consists of a service similar to the one given in the past to accelerator construction projects at CERN (ISR,SPS,LEP) on high-dose dosimetry, material irradiations, irradiations tests, standardization of test procedures and data compilations. Large experience in this field and numerous radiation damage test data of insulating and structural materials are available. The special projects cover three topics which are of specific interest for LHC detector physicists and engineers at CERN and in other high energy physics institutes, namely: Radiation effects in scintillators; Selection of radiation hard optical fibres for data transmission; and Selection and testing of radiation hard electronic components