Variance analysis of the effects of block, Al, P, and clone on enzyme activities in roots.

<p>Variance analysis of the effects of block, Al, P, and clone on enzyme activities in roots.</p

The randomized block design of different Al-P-clone treatments.

<p>The randomized block design of different Al-P-clone treatments.</p

Variance analysis of the effects of block, Al, P, and clone on Al-induced secretion of organic acids from roots.

<p>Variance analysis of the effects of block, Al, P, and clone on Al-induced secretion of organic acids from roots.</p

Variance analysis of the effects of block, Al, P, and clone on the root, stem, and leaf DWs, and root/shoot DW ratio of seedlings.

<p>Variance analysis of the effects of block, Al, P, and clone on the root, stem, and leaf DWs, and root/shoot DW ratio of seedlings.</p

Phosphorus application reduces aluminum toxicity in two <i>Eucalyptus</i> clones by increasing its accumulation in roots and decreasing its content in leaves - Fig 5

<p><b>Root enzyme activities in DH32-29 (A, C, E, G, I, K) and G9 (B, D, F, H, J, L) seedlings treated with different levels of Al and P.</b> Bars represent means ± standard deviations (n = 3). Differences among the six treatments were analyzed using 2 (Al) × 3 (P) analysis of variance. Different letters above the bars indicate a significant difference at <i>P</i> < 0.05.</p

From Basic Principles of Protein–Polysaccharide Association to the Rational Design of Thermally Sensitive Materials

Biology resolves design requirements toward functional materials by creating nanostructured composites, where individual components are combined to maximize the macroscale material performance. A major challenge in utilizing such design principles is the trade-off between the preservation of individual component properties and emerging composite functionalities. Here, polysaccharide pectin and silk fibroin were investigated in their composite form with pectin as a thermal-responsive ion conductor and fibroin with exceptional mechanical strength. We show that segregative phase separation occurs upon mixing, and within a limited compositional range, domains ∼50 nm in size are formed and distributed homogeneously so that decent matrix collective properties are established. The composite is characterized by slight conformational changes in the silk domains, sequestering the hydrogen-bonded β-sheets as well as the emergence of randomized pectin orientations. However, most dominant in the composite’s properties is the introduction of dense domain interfaces, leading to increased hydration, surface hydrophilicity, and increased strain of the composite material. Using controlled surface charging in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we further demonstrate Ca ions (Ca2+) diffusion in the pectin domains, with which the fingerprints of interactions at domain interfaces are revealed. Both the thermal response and the electrical conductance were found to be strongly dependent on the degree of composite hydration. Our results provide a fundamental understanding of the role of interfacial interactions and their potential applications in the design of material properties, polysaccharide–protein composites in particular