Soil moisture increment as a controlling variable of the Birch effect . Interactions with the pre-wetting soil moisture and litter addition

The Birch effect is a pulse in soil C and N mineralization caused by the wetting of dry soils, but the role of the soil moisture increment (Delta SWC) is still poorly understood. We quantified the relationship between Delta SWC and the Birch effect, and its interactions with pre-wetting soil moisture (preSWC) and substrate supply. Two soils (clay loam and sandy loam) under a Pinus halepensis forest were subjected to rewetting in laboratory treatments combining different Delta SWC and preSWC values, with or without additional substrate (5 mg g(-1) P. halepensis needles). Respiration flush (Delta R), changes in microbial biomass C (MBC) and net N mineralization (NMIN) were measured. Overall, we found a relationship with the form: Delta R = a Delta SWC + b, where the slope (a) was significant only when pre-wetting water potential was below a threshold value in the range of -100 to -1,200 kPa. However, the threshold alone does not fully describe the role of preSWC in slope variability. Substrate addition modified the Delta SWC sensitivity of Birch effect, enhancing it in the clay loam and suppressing it in the sandy loam. The intensity of the wetting is a dominant factor regulating Birch effect, and Delta SWC is useful for its quantification.This work was supported by a fellowship from Generalitat Valenciana, Conselleria de Educacion, Formacion y Empleo awarded to L. Lado-Monserrat (BFPI/2008/041). Thanks are due to Antonio del Campo for help in data analyses and to Antonio Lloret for laboratory work. The authors wish to thank Joana Oliver for invaluable laboratory support. The authors also thank two anonymous reviewers and Professor Stephan Glatzel from the University of Rostock, Germany, for the critical review of the manuscript.Lado Monserrat, L.; Lull Noguera, C.; Bautista Carrascosa, MI.; Lidón Cerezuela, AL.; Herrera Fernandez, R. (2014). Soil moisture increment as a controlling variable of the Birch effect . Interactions with the pre-wetting soil moisture and litter addition. Plant and Soil. 379(1-2):21-34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-014-2037-5S21343791-2Austin AT, Yahdjian L, Stark JM, Belnap J, Porporato A, Norton U, Ravetta DA, Schaeffer SM (2004) Water pulses and biogeochemical cycles in arid and semiarid ecosystems. Oecologia 141:221–235Berryman E, Marshall JD, Rahn T, Litvak M, Butnor J (2013) Decreased carbon limitation of litter respiration in a mortality-affected piñon-juniper woodland. Biogeosciences 10:1625–1634Birch HF (1958) The effect of soil drying on humus decomposition and nitrogen. Plant soil 10:9–31Borken W, Matzner E (2009) Reappraisal of drying and wetting effects on C and N mineralization and fluxes in soils. Global Change Biol 15:808–824Bottner P (1985) Response of microbial biomass to alternate moist and dry conditions in a soil incubated with C-14-labeled and N-15-labeled plant material. 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Proyecto LUCDEME (Icona), Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación y Conselleria d’Agricultura i Mig Ambient. Generalitat Valenciana. Valencia, Spain. (Original in Spanish).Halverson LJ, Jones TM, Firestone MK (2000) Release of intracellular solutes by four soil bacteria exposed to dilution stress. Soil Sci Soc Am J 64:1630–1637Harrison-Kirk T, Beare MH, Meenken ED, Condron LM (2013) Soil organic matter and texture affect responses to dry/wet cycles: Effects on carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions. Soil Biol Biochem 57:43–55Harris RF (1981) Effect of water potential on microbial growth and activity. In: Parr JF, Gardner WR, Elliott LF (eds) Water potential relations in soil microbiology. Am Soc Agron, Madison, pp 23–95Haynes RJ, Swift RS (1990) Stability of soil aggregates in relation to organic constituents and soil water content. 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American Society of Agronomy, MadisonScanlon BR, Andraski BJ, Bilskie J (2002) Miscellaneous methods for measuring matric or water potential. In: Dane JH, Topp GC (Eds) Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 4: Physical Methods. Soil Sci Soc Am, Madison. Wisconsin, pp: 643–670.Schmitt A, Glaser B, Borken W, Martzner E (2010) Organic matter quality of a forest soil subjected to repeated drying and different re-wetting intensities. Eur J Soil Sci 61:243–254Sponseller RA (2007) Precipitation pulses and soil CO2 flux in a Sonoran Desert ecosystem. Global Change Biol 13:426–436Unger S, Máguas C, Pereira JS, David TS, Werner C (2010) The influence of precipitation pulses on soil respiration – Assessing the “Birch effect” by stable carbon isotopes. Soil Biol Biochem 42:1800–1810Vance ED, Brookes PC, Jenkinson DS (1987) Microbial biomass measurements in forest soils: The use of the chloroform fumigation-incubation method in strongly acid soils. 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Are soluble carbohydrates ecologically relevant for salt tolerance in halophytes?

[EN] A general response of plants to high soil salinity relies on the cellular accumulation of osmolytes, which help the plant to maintain osmotic balance under salt stress condition and/or act as osmoprotectants with chaperon or reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activities. Yet the ecological relevance of this response for the salt tolerance mechanisms of halophytes in their natural habitats remains largely unknown. In this review, we describe and discuss published data supporting the participation of compatible solutes in those mechanisms, with especial focus on soluble carbohydrates. Evidence for a functional role of carbohydrates in salt tolerance include: (i) relatively high levels of specific sugars and polyols have been detected in many halophytic taxa; (ii) an increase in salt tolerance has often been observed in parallel with increased intracellular levels of particular soluble carbohydrates, in transgenic plants overexpressing the corresponding biosynthetic enzymes; (iii) there are several examples of genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism which are induced under salt stress conditions; (iv) specific sugars or polyols have been shown to accumulate in different halophytes upon controlled salt treatments; and (v) although very few field studies on environmentally induced carbohydrate changes in halophytes exist, in general they also support the involvement of this type of osmolytes in salt stress tolerance mechanisms. We also highlight the complexities of unequivocally attributing carbohydrates a biological role in salt tolerance mechanisms of a given tolerant species. It is proposed that research on halophytes in their natural ecosystems should be intensified, correlating seasonal changes in carbohydrate contents with the degree of environmental stress affecting the plants. This could be an important complement to experiments made under more controlled (but artificial) conditions, such as laboratory set-ups.Work in the authors' laboratories was funded by a grant to O.V. from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Project CGL2008-00438/BOS), with contribution by the European Regional Development Fund.Gil Ortiz, R.; Boscaiu Neagu, MT.; Lull Noguera, C.; Bautista Carrascosa, I.; Lidón Cerezuela, AL.; Vicente Meana, Ó. (2013). Are soluble carbohydrates ecologically relevant for salt tolerance in halophytes?. Functional Plant Biology. 40(9):805-818. https://doi.org/10.1071/FP12359S80581840

Assessing water-assisted UV-C light and its combination with peroxyacetic acid and Pseudomonas graminis CPA-7 for the inactivation and inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica in fresh-cut 'Iceberg' lettuce and baby spinach leaves

The effectiveness of ultraviolet C light (UV-C) delivered in water (WUV) or in peroxyacetic acid (PAA) for theinactivation and inhibition ofL. monocytogenesandS. entericain ready-to-eat'Iceberg lettuce'and baby spinachleaves, was evaluated throughout chilled storage in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). The inhibition ofpathogen's growth by sequential pretreatments with UV-C in PAA and then biocontrol usingPseudomonas gra-minisCPA-7 was assessed during MAP storage at 5 °C and upon a breakage of the cold-storage chain. In fresh-cutlettuce, 0 1 kJ/m2UV-C, in water or in 40 mg/L PAA, inactivated both pathogens by up to 2.1 ± 0.7 log10,which improved the efficacy of water-washing by up to 1.9 log10and showed bacteriostatic effects on bothpathogens. In baby spinach leaves, the combination of 0 3 kJ/m2UV-C and 40 mg/L PAA reducedS. entericaandL. monocytogenespopulations by 1.4 ± 0.2 and 2.2 ± 0.3 log10respectively, which improved water-washing by0.8 ± 0.2 log10. Combined treatments (0.1 or 0 3 kJ/m2WUV and 40 mg/L PAA) inactivated both pathogens inthe process solution from lettuce or spinach single sanitation, respectively. Pretreating lettuce with UV-C in PAAreducedL. monocytogenesandS. enterica's growth by up to 0.9 ± 0.1 log10with respect to the PAA-pretreatedcontrol after 6 d at 5 °C in MAP. Upon a cold-chain breakage, CPA-7 preventedS. entericagrowth in PAA-pretreated lettuce, whereas showed no effect onL. monocytogenesin any of both matrices. Low-dose UV-C in PAAis a suitable preservation strategy for improving the safety of ready-to-eat leafy greens and reducing the risk ofcross contamination.This work has been supported the CERCA Programme / Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain; the Secretaria d'Universitats i Recerca del Departament d'Economia i Coneixement / Generalitat de Catalunya; the European Social Fund (grant FI-DGR-2015-0004); and the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness (National Project of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology: FECYT CC/2013105 (2013-16) and grant: RYC-2016-19949). Thanks are given to Marina Anguera for her technical assistance

Life-long spontaneous exercise does not prolong lifespan but improves health span in mice

BackgroundLife expectancy at birth in the first world has increased from 35 years at the beginning of the 20th century to more than 80 years now. The increase in life expectancy has resulted in an increase in age-related diseases and larger numbers of frail and dependent people. The aim of our study was to determine whether life-long spontaneous aerobic exercise affects lifespan and healthspan in mice.ResultsMale C57Bl/6J mice, individually caged, were randomly assigned to one of two groups: sedentary (n = 72) or spontaneous wheel-runners (n = 72). We evaluated longevity and several health parameters including grip strength, motor coordination, exercise capacity (VO2max) and skeletal muscle mitochondrial biogenesis. We also measured the cortical levels of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a neurotrophin associated with brain plasticity. In addition, we measured systemic oxidative stress (malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl plasma levels) and the expression and activity of two genes involved in antioxidant defense in the liver (that is, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD)). Genes that encode antioxidant enzymes are considered longevity genes because their over-expression may modulate lifespan. Aging was associated with an increase in oxidative stress biomarkers and in the activity of the antioxidant enzymes, GPx and Mn-SOD, in the liver in mice. Life-long spontaneous exercise did not prolong longevity but prevented several signs of frailty (that is, decrease in strength, endurance and motor coordination). This improvement was accompanied by a significant increase in the mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle and in the cortical BDNF levels.ConclusionLife-long spontaneous exercise does not prolong lifespan but improves healthspan in mice. Exercise is an intervention that delays age-associated frailty, enhances function and can be translated into the clinic

Physiological, Nutritional and Metabolomic Responses of Tomato Plants After the Foliar Application of Amino Acids Aspartic Acid, Glutamic Acid and Alanine

Agriculture is facing a great number of different pressures due to the increase in population and the greater amount of food it demands, the environmental impact due to the excessive use of conventional fertilizers, and climate change, which subjects the crops to extreme environmental conditions. One of the solutions to these problems could be the use of biostimulant products that are rich in amino acids (AAs), which substitute and/or complement conventional fertilizers and help plants adapt to climate change. To formulate these products, it is first necessary to understand the role of the application of AAs (individually or as a mixture) in the physiological and metabolic processes of crops. For this, research was conducted to assess the effects of the application of different amino acids (Aspartic acid (Asp), Glutamic acid (Glu), L-Alanine (Ala) and their mixtures Asp + Glu and Asp + Glu + Ala on tomato seedlings (Solanum lycopersicum L.). To understand the effect of these treatments, morphological, physiological, ionomic and metabolomic studies were performed. The results showed that the application of Asp + Glu increased the growth of the plants, while those plants that received Ala had a decreased dry biomass of the shoots. The greatest increase in the growth of the plants with Asp + Glu was related with the increase in the net CO2 assimilation, the increase of proline, isoleucine and glucose with respect to the rest of the treatments. These data allow us to conclude that there is a synergistic effect between Aspartic acid and Glutamic acid, and the amino acid Alanine produces phytotoxicity when applied at 15 mM. The application of this amino acid altered the synthesis of proline and the pentose-phosphate route, and increased GABA and trigonelline

Effects of asymmetric dimethylarginine on renal arteries in portal hypertension and cirrhosis

AIM. To evaluate the effects of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) in renal arteries from portal hypertensive and cirrhotic rats. METHODS. Rat renal arteries from Sham (n = 15), pre-hepatic portal hypertension (PPVL; n = 15) and bile duct ligation and excision-induced cirrhosis (BDL; n = 15) were precontracted with norepinephrine, and additional contractions were induced with ADMA (10-6-10-3 mol/L), an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthase. Concentration-response curves to acetylcholine (1 × 10-9-3 × 10-6 mol/L) were determined in precontracted renal artery segments with norepinephrine in the absence and in the presence of ADMA. Kidneys were collected to determine the protein expression and activity of dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH), an enzyme that catabolizes ADMA. RESULTS. In renal arteries precontracted with norepinephrine, ADMA caused endothelium-dependent contractions. The pD2 values to ADMA were similar in the Sham and PPVL groups (4.20 ± 0.08 and 4.11 ± 0.09, P > 0.05, respectively), but were lower than those of the BDL group (4.79 ± 0.16, P < 0.05). Acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation that did not differ, in terms of pD2 and maximal relaxation, among the 3 groups studied. Treatment with ADMA (3 × 10-4 mol/L) inhibited acetylcholine-induced relaxation in the 3 groups, but the inhibition was higher (P < 0.05) in the BDL group compared with that for the Sham and PPVL groups. The mRNA and protein expression of DDAH-1 were similar in kidneys from the three groups. Conversely, DDAH-2 expression was increased (P < 0.05) in PPVL and further enhanced (P < 0.05) in the BDL group. However, renal DDAH activity was significantly decreased in the BDL group. CONCLUSION. Cirrhosis increased the inhibitory effect of ADMA on basal- and induced-release of NO in renal arteries, and decreased DDAH activity in the kidney

Inclusión de los ODS en la enseñanza-aprendizaje de la Ciencia del Suelo

[EN] Soil management plays a key role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is due to the fact that soils perform functions and provide essential services for human activities and the sustainability of ecosystems, such as: food production and other biomass production; the storage, filtering and transformation of nutrients, water, and carbon; habitat and biodiversity reserve; platform of human activities and element of the landscape; carbon sequestration. SDGs related to soil are SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG 13 (climate action) and SDG 15 (life of terrestrial ecosystems). Universities must play a key role in achieving the SDGs by providing students with knowledge and skills to face environmental challenges from a sustainable development perspective. In the subject of Soil Science, the students were proposed to carry out an activity about the relationship of soil organic matter management with the SDGs. Students learning about soil functions, soil organic matter and their relationships with the SDGs was verified through the answers to various questions in the final exam.[ES] El manejo del suelo juega un papel clave en la consecución de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS). Esto se debe a que los suelos realizan funciones y prestan servicios esenciales para las actividades humanas y la sostenibilidad de los ecosistemas, como son: producción de alimentos y demás producción de biomasa; el almacenamiento, filtrado y la transformación de nutrientes, agua, y carbono; hábitat y reserva de la biodiversidad; plataforma de actividades humanas y elemento del paisaje; secuestro de carbono. ODS relacionados con el suelo son el ODS 2 (hambre cero), ODS 6 (agua limpia y saneamiento), ODS 13 (acción por el clima) y ODS 15 (vida de ecosistemas terrestres). Las universidades deben jugar un papel primordial en la consecución de los ODS proporcionando conocimiento y habilidades a los estudiantes para afrontar los desafíos medioambientales desde una perspectiva de desarrollo sostenible. En la materia de Edafología (Ciencia del suelo) se propuso a los estudiantes trabajar la relación del manejo de la materia orgánica del suelo con los ODS. El aprendizaje de los estudiantes de las funciones del suelo, la materia orgánica del suelo y su relación con los ODS fue verificado a través de las respuestas a varias preguntas en el examen final.La publicación de este trabajo ha sido parcialmente financiada por el proyecto de innovación educativa (PIME 20-21/224) concedido por el Vicerrectorado de Estudios, Calidad y Acreditación de la Universitat Politècncia de València (UPV).Lull Noguera, C.; Bautista Carrascosa, MI.; Lidón Cerezuela, AL.; Llinares Palacios, JV.; Soriano Soto, MD. (2021). Inclusión de los ODS en la enseñanza-aprendizaje de la Ciencia del Suelo. En IN-RED 2021: VII Congreso de Innovación Edicativa y Docencia en Red. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1133-1143. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2021.2021.13802OCS1133114

Soluble Carbohydrates as Osmolytes in Several Halophytes from a Mediterranean Salt Marsh

[EN] Compartmentalization of toxic ions in the vacuole and accumulation of osmolytes in the cytoplasm is a common response of halophytes to high soil salinity. Soluble carbohydrates, such as sugars and polyols, are some of the compatible solutes used for osmotic adjustment and osmoprotection. Major carbohydrates were identified and quantified by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography, combined with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD), in five halophytic species from a Mediterranean salt marsh (Juncus acutus, Juncus maritimus, Plantago crassifolia, kola crithmoides and Sarcocornia fruticosa). Sucrose, followed by glucose and fructose were the more representative sugars detected in J. acutus and J. maritimus, and sorbitol the only soluble carbohydrate present at significant levels in P. fruticosa. In the other two taxa analyzed, no clearly predominant carbohydrates were observed: polyols (myoinositol and glycerol) seemed to be the most representative in I. crithmoides, albeit at relatively low concentrations, and sugars (sucrose and glucose) in S. fruticosa. Multivariate statistical analysis was used to correlate soil properties and meteorological conditions increasing soil salinity, with seasonal changes in carbohydrate contents, to establish their possible function as osmolytes and their contribution to salt tolerance in the investigated species. The obtained results confirmed sorbitol as the major functional osmolyte in P. crassifolia-as it has been described previously for other species of the genus-and suggested the participation of sucrose and, to a lesser extent, glucose and fructose in osmoregulatory mechanisms in J. acutus and J. maritimus.This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (project CGL2008-00438/BOS), with contribution from the European Regional Development Fund.Gil Ortiz, R.; Lull Noguera, C.; Boscaiu Neagu, MT.; Bautista Carrascosa, I.; Lidón Cerezuela, AL.; Vicente Meana, Ó. (2011). Soluble Carbohydrates as Osmolytes in Several Halophytes from a Mediterranean Salt Marsh. Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca. 39(2):9-17. https://doi.org/10.15835/nbha3927176S91739

Responses to environmental stress in plants adapted to Mediterranean gypsum habitats

[EN] Gypsum areas are stressful environments inhabited by gypsophytes, plants that are exclusive for such habitats, and by plants that grow on gypsum but also on other soil types, the so-called gypsovags. To investigate possible differences between gypsovags and gypsophytes with respect to basic stress response mechanisms, two common osmolytes, glycine betaine and total soluble sugars, as well as monovalent (Na+ and K+) and bivalent (Ca2+ and Mg2+) cations, were quantified, under field conditions, in two Iberian endemic gypsophytes (Gypsophila struthium subsp. hispanica and Ononis tridentata) and two common Mediterranean gypsovags (Rosmarinus officinalis and Helianthemum syriacum). Their spatial variation according to a topographic gradient and their temporal variation over a period of three successive seasons were correlated with climatic data and soil characteristics. This analysis confirmed that water stress is the main environmental stress factor in gypsum habitats, whereas the percentage of gypsum in the soil does not seem to play any relevant role in the activation of stress responses in plants. Glycine betaine may contribute to stress tolerance in the gypsophytes, but not in the gypsovags, according to the close correlation found between the level of this osmolyte and the gypsophily of the investigated taxa. Cation contents in the plants did not correlate with those present in the soil, but the gypsophytes have higher levels of Ca2+ and Mg2+ than the gypsovags, under all environmental conditions, which may represent an adaptation mechanism to their specific habitat,This work has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Project CGL2008-00438/BOS), with contribution from the European Regional Development Fund.Llinares Palacios, JV.; Bautista Carrascosa, I.; Donat-Torres, MP.; Lidón, A.; Lull Noguera, C.; Mayoral García-Berlanga, O.; Wankhade, SD.... (2015). Responses to environmental stress in plants adapted to Mediterranean gypsum habitats. Notulae Scientia Biologicae. 7(1):37-44. https://doi.org/10.15835/nsb.7.1.9537S37447

Seasonal variation of Glycine Betaine in Plants from a Littoral Salt-Marsh in SE Spain

Supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (project CGL2008-00438/BOS), with contribution from the European Regional Development Fund.Boscaiu Neagu, MT.; Tifrea, M.; Donat-Torres, MP.; Mayoral García-Berlanga, O.; Llinares Palacios, JV.; Bautista Carrascosa, I.; Lidón Cerezuela, AL.... (2011). Seasonal variation of Glycine Betaine in Plants from a Littoral Salt-Marsh in SE Spain. Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca : Horticulture. 68(1):543-544. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/62931S54354468