Isoliquiritigenin, a Strong nod Gene- and Glyceollin Resistance- Inducing Flavonoid from Soybean Root Exudate

Isoflavonoid signal molecules from soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) seed and root exudate induce the transcription of nodulation (nod) genes in Bradyrhizobium japonicum. In this study, a new compound with symbiotic activity was isolated from soybean root exudate. The isolated 2',4',4-trihydroxychalcone (isoliquiritigenin) is characterized by its strong inducing activity for the nod genes of B. japonicum. These genes are already induced at concentrations 1 order of magnitude below those required of the previously described isoflavonoid inducers genistein and daidzein. Isoliquiritigenin is also a potent inducer of glyceollin resistance in B. japonicum, which renders this bacterium insensitive to potentially bactericidal concentrations of glyceollin, the phytoalexin of G. max. No chemotactic effect of isoliquiritigenin was observed. The highly efficient induction of nod genes and glyceollin resistance by isoliquiritigenin suggests the ecological significance of this compound, although it is not a major flavonoid constituent of the soybean root exudate in quantitative terms

Temperature-dependent thermal conductivity and diffusivity of a Mg-doped insulating β\beta-Ga2O3\mathrm{Ga_2O_3} single crystal along [100], [010] and [001]

The monoclinic crystal structure of $\beta$-$\mathrm{Ga_2O_3}$ leads to significant anisotropy of the thermal properties. The 2$\omega$-method is used to measure the thermal diffusivity $D$ in [010] and [001] direction respectively and to determine the thermal conductivity values $\lambda$ of the [100], [010] and [001] direction from the same insulating Mg doped $\beta$-$\mathrm{Ga_2O_3}$ single crystal. We detect a temperature independent anisotropy factor of both the thermal diffusivity and conductivity values of $D_{[010]}/D_{[001]}=\lambda_{[010]}/\lambda_{[001]}=1.4\pm 0.1$. The temperature-dependence is in accord with phonon-phonon-Umklapp scattering processes from 300 K down to 150 K. Below 150 K point-defect-scattering lowers the estimated phonon-phonon-Umklapp-scattering values.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figure

Wind and sky as compass cues in desert ant navigation

While integrating their foraging and homing paths, desert ants, Cataglyphis fortis, depend on external compass cues. Whereas recent research in bees and ants has focused nearly exclusively on the polarization compass, two other compass systems—the sun compass and the wind (anemo) compass—as well as the mutual interactions of all these compass systems have received little attention. In this study, we show that of the two visual compass systems, it is only the polarization compass that invariably outcompetes the wind compass, while the sun compass does so only under certain conditions. If the ants are experimentally deprived of their polarization compass system, but have access simultaneously to both their sun compass and their wind compass, they steer intermediate courses. The intermediate courses shift the more towards the wind compass course, the higher the elevation of the sun is in the sk