The content of ß-sitosterol in maize plants growing under different nitrogen nutrition

The effect of nitrogen nutrition on phytosterol content in aboveground biomass of maize (Zea mays L.) was investigated in a pot experiment. For cultivation of maize plants nitrogen dose (2 or 4 g N per pot) was applied in the form of ammonium nitrate (AN) for control treatments or urea ammonium nitrate solution (UAN). UAN solution was applied according to the CULTAN method (Controlled Uptake Long Term Ammonium Nutrition). The lower nitrogen content in soil of UAN treatments in the first period of experiment and in following nitrogen application (30 days after maize sowing) affected yield and also total nitrogen content of aboveground biomass. The results of free ß-sitosterol analyses by HPLC showed the changes of its concentration after UAN application in contrast to AN treatments. The significant decrease of ß-sitosterol concentration (by 48 % in contrast to 1st period) was determined on UAN2 treatment in the 2nd period (8 days after nitrogen application). Our results confirmed that sterol interconversions are controlled by environmental conditions and they are involved in the regulation of membrane properties in response to changing growth conditions

The effect of manure and fertilizer applications on soil sulfur fractions

The aim of this work was to estimate the changes in contents of different sulfur (S) fractions in soils under lowering inputs of S from emissions together with the influence of organic and mineral fertilizing. Soil samples from long-term field experiments were used for this purpose. The samples were taken from 10 sites from precise long-term field experiments with different soil-climatic conditions in the Czech Republic. The samples were analyzed using the following fractionation: i) water soluble S (H2O extracts), ii) sorbed S (0.032M NaH2PO4 extracts) and iii) S occluded with carbonates (1M HCl extract). Furthermore, the concentration of total S (Stot) and organic S (Sorg) was determined. Soil samples were taken in the years 1981 and 2007. During 26 years a decreases of Stot by about 3-8%, water soluble S by 65-68 % and sorbed S by 39-44 % was observed in the topsoil of the evaluated soils. Furthermore, a low increase in the organic S content (Sorg) was observed. The estimated ratio of Sorg reached 78.7-80.9% from Stot in the year 1981 and 87.7-89.8 % in 2007. Farmyard manure (40 t.ha-1) applied every 4 years did not have a significant influence on S fractions and Stot contents in soils. Intensive S fertilizing increased Stot and mobile S forms contents in the soils

Extraction abilities of methods used for estimating of different phosphorus fractions

Soil samples (from Czech and German long term field experiments) were used for estimating soil phosphorus (P) fractions. More then 100 topsoil (0-30 cm) samples from different fertilizing treatments were taken. These were analysed for P in soil solution (PCaCl2), exchangeable sorbed P (Pex) and bioavailable P. The methods used were 0,01M CaCl2 extracts, anion exchange (AE) membranes, Doppel-Lactat (PDL) and Mehlich 3 (PM3). Other fractions analysed were total inorganic (Pin), total (PM-tot) and organic (Porg) P estimated with Marks (1977) fractionation, P sorbed on Fe and Al (PFeAl) and residual P (Par). Comparison of medians appeared to be better for evaluating extraction abilities. Phosphorus fractions increased in the following order: [Par =100%]; PCaCl2 (0.1%) < Pex (10%) < PDL (12%) < PM3 (17%) < Pin (25%) < Porg (38%) < PM-tot (60%) < PFeAl (62%). Low amounts of Pin, Porg and PM-tot did not verified the applicability of Marks fractionation for the set of studied soils. Close correlations at α<0.001 were found for all methods for estimating the fractions of bioavailable phosphates (PCaCl2, Pex, PDL a PM3). Statistically significant relations were observed between Pin with Par, PM-tot and PFeAl

Agent Orange Footprint Still Visible in Rural Areas of Central Vietnam

Levels of polychlorinated dioxins/furans (PCDD/PCDF) in selected environmental samples (soils, sediments, fish, and farm animals) were analyzed from the area of Phong My commune (Thua Thien-Hue province, Vietnam). This area was affected by Agent Orange spraying during the Vietnam war (1968–1971). Whereas PCDD/PCDF content in soil and sediment samples is relatively low and ranges between 0.05 and 5.1 pg WHO-TEQ/g for soils and between 0.7 and 6.4 pg WHO-TEQ/g for sediments, the PCDD/PCDF content in poultry muscle and liver in most cases exceeded the maximum permissible limit of dioxin content per unit fat mass. In some cases of soil and sediments samples, 2,3,7,8-TCDD represented more than 90% of the total PCDD/PCDF, which indicates Agent Orange as the main source

Solitary metastasis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma in sternum diagnosed unexpectedly during cardiac surgery – A rare but potentially fatal trap

We present a very rare case of fatal complication during the cardiac surgery caused by unrecognized solitary metastasis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma in the sternum

The LILI Motif of M3-S2 Linkers Is a Component of the NMDA Receptor Channel Gate

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) mediate excitatory synaptic transmission in the central nervous system, underlie the induction of synaptic plasticity, and their malfunction is associated with human diseases. Native NMDARs are tetramers composed of two obligatory GluN1 subunits and various combinations of GluN2A-D or, more rarely, GluN3A-B subunits. Each subunit consists of an amino-terminal, ligand-binding, transmembrane and carboxyl-terminal domain. The ligand-binding and transmembrane domains are interconnected via polypeptide chains (linkers). Upon glutamate and glycine binding, these receptors undergo a series of conformational changes leading to the opening of the Ca2+-permeable ion channel. Here we report that different deletions and mutations of amino acids in the M3-S2 linkers of the GluN1 and GluN2B subunits lead to constitutively open channels. Irrespective of whether alterations were introduced in the GluN1 or the GluN2B subunit, application of glutamate or glycine promoted receptor channel activity; however, responses induced by the GluN1 agonist glycine were larger, on average, than those induced by glutamate. We observed the most prominent effect when residues GluN1(L657) and GluN2B(I655) were deleted or altered to glycine. In parallel, molecular modeling revealed that two interacting pairs of residues, the LILI motif (GluN1(L657) and GluN2B(I655)), form a functional unit with the TTTT ring (GluN1(T648) and GluN2B(T647)), described earlier to control NMDAR channel gating. These results provide new insight into the structural organization and functional interplay of the LILI and the TTTT ring during the course of NMDAR channel opening and closing

Evidence for the Association between the Intronic Haplotypes of Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors and First-Episode Schizophrenia

The heritable component of schizophrenia (SCH) as a polygenic trait is represented by numerous variants from a heterogeneous group of genes each contributing a relatively small effect. Various SNPs have already been found and analyzed in genes encoding the NMDAR subunits. However, less is known about genetic variations of genes encoding the AMPA and kainate receptor subunits. We analyzed sixteen iGluR genes in full length to determine the sequence variability of iGluR genes. Our aim was to describe the rate of genetic variability, its distribution, and the co-occurrence of variants and to identify new candidate risk variants or haplotypes. The cumulative effect of genetic risk was then estimated using a simple scoring model. GRIN2A-B, GRIN3A-B, and GRIK4 genes showed significantly increased genetic variation in SCH patients. The fixation index statistic revealed eight intronic haplotypes and an additional four intronic SNPs within the sequences of iGluR genes associated with SCH (p < 0.05). The haplotypes were used in the proposed simple scoring model and moreover as a test for genetic predisposition to schizophrenia. The positive likelihood ratio for the scoring model test reached 7.11. We also observed 41 protein-altering variants (38 missense variants, four frameshifts, and one nonsense variant) that were not significantly associated with SCH. Our data suggest that some intronic regulatory regions of iGluR genes and their common variability are among the components from which the genetic predisposition to SCH is composed

Microbial Communities in Soils and Endosphere of Solanum tuberosum L. and their Response to Long-Term Fertilization

An understanding of how fertilization influences endophytes is crucial for sustainable agriculture, since the manipulation of the plant microbiome could affect plant fitness and productivity. This study was focused on the response of microbial communities in the soil and tubers to the regular application of manure (MF; 330 kg N/ha), sewage sludge (SF; 330 and SF3x; 990 kg N/ha), and chemical fertilizer (NPK; 330-90-300 kg N-P-K/ha). Unfertilized soil was used as a control (CF), and the experiment was set up at two distinct sites. All fertilization treatments significantly altered the prokaryotic and fungal communities in soil, whereas the influence of fertilization on the community of endophytes differed for each site. At the site with cambisol, prokaryotic and fungal endophytes were significantly shifted by MF and SF3 treatments. At the site with chernozem, neither the prokaryotic nor fungal endophytic communities were significantly associated with fertilization treatments. Fertilization significantly increased the relative abundance of the plant-beneficial bacteria Stenotrophomonas, Sphingomonas and the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. In tubers, the relative abundance of Fusarium was lower in MF-treated soil compared to CF. Although fertilization treatments clearly influenced the soil and endophytic community structure, we did not find any indication of human pathogens being transmitted into tubers via organic fertilizers

Data_Sheet_1.docx

<p>N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) mediate excitatory synaptic transmission in the central nervous system, underlie the induction of synaptic plasticity, and their malfunction is associated with human diseases. Native NMDARs are tetramers composed of two obligatory GluN1 subunits and various combinations of GluN2A-D or, more rarely, GluN3A-B subunits. Each subunit consists of an amino-terminal, ligand-binding, transmembrane and carboxyl-terminal domain. The ligand-binding and transmembrane domains are interconnected via polypeptide chains (linkers). Upon glutamate and glycine binding, these receptors undergo a series of conformational changes leading to the opening of the Ca²⁺-permeable ion channel. Here we report that different deletions and mutations of amino acids in the M3-S2 linkers of the GluN1 and GluN2B subunits lead to constitutively open channels. Irrespective of whether alterations were introduced in the GluN1 or the GluN2B subunit, application of glutamate or glycine promoted receptor channel activity; however, responses induced by the GluN1 agonist glycine were larger, on average, than those induced by glutamate. We observed the most prominent effect when residues GluN1(L657) and GluN2B(I655) were deleted or altered to glycine. In parallel, molecular modeling revealed that two interacting pairs of residues, the LILI motif (GluN1(L657) and GluN2B(I655)), form a functional unit with the TTTT ring (GluN1(T648) and GluN2B(T647)), described earlier to control NMDAR channel gating. These results provide new insight into the structural organization and functional interplay of the LILI and the TTTT ring during the course of NMDAR channel opening and closing.</p