Imp-L2, a putative homolog of vertebrate IGF-binding protein 7, counteracts insulin signaling in Drosophila and is essential for starvation resistance

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Insulin and insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) signal through a highly conserved pathway and control growth and metabolism in both vertebrates and invertebrates. In mammals, insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) bind IGFs with high affinity and modulate their mitogenic, anti-apoptotic and metabolic actions, but no functional homologs have been identified in invertebrates so far.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here, we show that the secreted Imaginal morphogenesis protein-Late 2 (Imp-L2) binds <it>Drosophila </it>insulin-like peptide 2 (Dilp2) and inhibits growth non-autonomously. Whereas over-expressing <it>Imp-L2 </it>strongly reduces size, loss of <it>Imp-L2 </it>function results in an increased body size. <it>Imp-L2 </it>is both necessary and sufficient to compensate Dilp2-induced hyperinsulinemia <it>in vivo</it>. Under starvation conditions, <it>Imp-L2 </it>is essential for proper dampening of insulin signaling and larval survival.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Imp-L2, the first functionally characterized insulin-binding protein in invertebrates, serves as a nutritionally controlled suppressor of insulin-mediated growth in <it>Drosophila</it>. Given that Imp-L2 and the human tumor suppressor IGFBP-7 show sequence homology in their carboxy-terminal immunoglobulin-like domains, we suggest that their common precursor was an ancestral insulin-binding protein.</p

Carbon Sequestration By Organic Conservation Tillage – A Comprehensive Sampling Campaign In Nine European Long-Term Trials

Conservation tillage is suggested to sequester carbon although a stratification of soil organic carbon rather than a total increase is mostly observed. It is not clear whether conservation tillage in combination with organic farming practices has a higher potential. Beyond, many datasets are biased in terms of sampling depth. A joint sampling campaign in nine European long-term trials considered soil organic carbon stocks until 100 cm soil depth comparing reduced tillage with ploughing under organic farming conditions. First results show a significant increase of carbon stocks in 0-30 cm and also in 0-100 cm depth with the conversion to reduced tillage

Abstracts from the 8th International Conference on cGMP Generators, Effectors and Therapeutic Implications

This work was supported by a restricted research grant of Bayer AG

Investigation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in soils and sewage sludges by fluorine K-edge XANES spectroscopy and combustion ion chromatography

For the first time, fluorine K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy was applied to detect per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in various soil and sewage sludge samples. The method can be used to determine the speciation of inorganic and organic fluorides, without pre-treatment of solid samples. Therefore, XANES spectra of several inorganic fluorides as well as selected fluorinated organic compounds were recorded. While inorganic fluorides partially exhibit a variety of sharp spectral features in the XANES spectrum, almost all inspected organofluorine compounds show two distinct broad features at 688.5 and 692.0 eV. Moreover, the peak intensity ratio 688.5 eV/692.0 eV in the PFAS XANES spectrum can be inversely correlated to the chain length of the perfluoro sulfonic acid group. The detection of targeted PFAS by bulk-XANES spectroscopy in combination with linear combination fitting in soils and sewage sludges was not applicable due to the low organic fluorine to total fluorine ratio of the samples (0.01–1.84%). Nonetheless, direct analysis of pure PFAS revealed that analysis of organofluorine species might be achieved in higher concentrated samples. Furthermore, quantitative measurements by combustion ion chromatography (CIC) evaluated as sum parameters extractable organically bound fluorine (EOF) and total fluorine (TF) emphasize that besides soils, sewage sludges are a significant source of organic fluorine in agriculture (154–7209 µg/kg)

Konzeptionen der Aus- und Weiterbildung der Berufsschullehrer und betrieblichen Ausbilder fuer das 21. Jahrhundert Workshop 4

Im Rahmen des Workshops wurden die gegenwaertig gehandelten Reformvorschlaege und konzeptionellen Vorstellungen zur Aus- und Weiterbildung der Berufsschullehrer und betrieblichen Ausbilder diskutiert. In seinem einfuehrenden Referat stellte Czycholl heraus, dass das berufliche Schulwesen und seine Lehrerbildung den Wandlungsprozessen unseres Wirtschafts- und Beschaeftigungssystems folgen muesse. Er schlaegt ein differenziertes, dualisiertes und teilmodularisiertes Kombinationsmodell von erster und dritter Phase vor. Hansis stellt in seinem Beitrag die Lehrerqualifikationen fuer das 21. Jahrhundert aus der Sicht der Berufskollegs dar und hebt in seinem Katalog der qualifikatorischen Anforderungen hervor, dass das Konzept der Einheitslehrerbildung fuer die Berufsschullehrerbildung ungeeignet erscheine. Hagmann stellt den in Paderborn neu eroeffneten Studiengang mit ingenieurwissenschaftlichem Studienschwerpunkt vor mit dem Abschluss als Diplom-Ingenieur Elektronik und der Ersten Staatspruefung fuer das Lehramt an beruflichen Schulen. Luckmann skizziert die Aufgaben der Berufsausbilder in der betrieblichen Aus-, Fort- und Weiterbildung vor dem Hintergrund der sich rasch vollziehenden Veraenderung der Arbeits- und Beschaeftigungsstrukturen. Wittwer macht Aussagen zu Rahmenbedingungen und Konzepten zur kuenftigen Aus- und Weiterbildung von Ausbildern. Der Ausbilder der Zukunft muesse, so seine These, ein flexibler Spezialist sein. Aus den Reformvorschlaegen wird deutlich, dass die Grundstruktur des gegenwaertigen Zwei-Phasen-Modells der Ausbildung nicht angetastet wird, sondern eher angestrebt wird, die einzelnen Phasen zu modernisieren und besser zu koordinieren. Es wird am Lehrerberuf als Profession mit einer wissenschaftlichen Grundausbildung an der Universitaet als vorherrschendes bildungspolitisches Leitbild festgehalten. Notwendig sei die Verbesserung des Theorie-Praxis-Verhaeltnisses. Insgesamt wird die Meinung vertreten, dass die Ausbildung der Berufsschullehrer und Berufsausbilder im universitaeren Bereich polyvalent angelegt sein muesse und sowohl auf Taetigkeiten im schulischen als auch im ausserschulischen Bereich vorzubereiten habe. (BIBB2)Available from IAB-93-2100-20 BK 430 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman

Organic and conservation agriculture promote ecosystem multifunctionality

Ecosystems provide multiple services to humans. However, agricultural systems are usually evaluated on their productivity and economic performance, and a systematic and quantitative assessment of the multifunctionality of agroecosystems including environmental services is missing. Using a long-term farming system experiment, we evaluated and compared the agronomic, economic, and ecological performance of the most widespread arable cropping systems in Europe: organic, conservation, and conventional agriculture. We analyzed 43 agroecosystem properties and determined overall agroecosystem multifunctionality. We show that organic and conservation agriculture promoted ecosystem multifunctionality, especially by enhancing regulating and supporting services, including biodiversity preservation, soil and water quality, and climate mitigation. In contrast, conventional cropping showed reduced multifunctionality but delivered highest yield. Organic production resulted in higher economic performance, thanks to higher product prices and additional support payments. Our results demonstrate that different cropping systems provide opposing services, enforcing the productivity–environmental protection dilemma for agroecosystem functioning

Organic and conservation agriculture promote ecosystem multifunctionality

Ecosystems provide multiple services to humans. However, agricultural systems are usually evaluated on their productivity and economic performance, and a systematic and quantitative assessment of the multifunctionality of agroecosystems including environmental services is missing. Using a long-term farming system experiment, we evaluated and compared the agronomic, economic, and ecological performance of the most widespread arable cropping systems in Europe: organic, conservation, and conventional agriculture. We analyzed 43 agroecosystem properties and determined overall agroecosystem multifunctionality. We show that organic and conservation agriculture promoted ecosystem multifunctionality, especially by enhancing regulating and supporting services, including biodiversity preservation, soil and water quality, and climate mitigation. In contrast, conventional cropping showed reduced multifunctionality but delivered highest yield. Organic production resulted in higher economic performance, thanks to higher product prices and additional support payments. Our results demonstrate that different cropping systems provide opposing services, enforcing the productivity–environmental protection dilemma for agroecosystem functioning