Potassium in winery waste waters used for irrigation and soil structural decline

Long-term application of winery waste water containing high levels of potassium will lead to build-up of exchangeable potassium in soils which can cause soil structural problems similar to exchangeable sodium. Conflicting reports on the effect of exchangeable potassium, being either equal to or less than that of sodium, are found in the literature. We investigated the dispersive and flocculating powers of cations viz. Na, K, Mg and Ca on the basis of our concept that the degree of ionicity (or covalency) of clay-cation bonds determine the dispersion and flocculation of soil clays. Our experimental results were in conformity with the theoretical values of flocculating powers of cations. Compared to Na=1, the flocculating power of the other common cations would be K=1.8, Mg=27, and Ca=45. Flocculating power gives the inverse of dispersive effects. Based on these notions, a ratio analogous to the SAR (sodium adsorption ratio), but which incorporates the differential effects of Na and K in dispersing soil clays, and also the differential effects of Ca and Mg in flocculating soil clays was derived as: Cation ratio of soil structural stability (CROSS) = (Na+0.56K)/ [(Ca+0.6Mg)/2]0.5. Where the concentrations of these ions are expressed in millimole of charge/L. The effectiveness of CROSS in predicting the soil structural decline, particularly when potassium is dominant in irrigation water, was tested using a few soils from South Australia. The results on clay dispersion from soils and soil saturated hydraulic conductivity confirm the superiority of CROSS compared to SAR which is currently used for the evaluation of the quality of irrigation waters

The nature of clay-cation association dictates clay behaviour in aqueous suspensions

Dispersive behaviour of soil clays has been explained by soil scientists using hypotheses involving various electrical diffuse double layer forces generated between colloidal clay particles suspended in water (e.g. Quirk, 2001). In natural soils, however, clay particles in soil aggregates exist as complex heterogeneous intergrowths of different clay structures intimately associated with silt, sand and biopolymers, and are confined, without being in colloidal suspension in water

Cation ratio of soil structural stability (CROSS)

Sodium salts tend to dominate salt-affected soils and groundwater in Australia and therefore, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) is being used to parameterize soil sodicity and the effects of sodium on soil structure. Recent reports, however, now draw attention to elevated concentrations of potassium and/or magnesium in some soils naturally and also as a result of increasing irrigation with recycled water in Australia. Therefore, there is a need to derive and define a new ratio of these cations in place of SAR, which will indicate the effects of Na and K on clay dispersion and Ca and Mg on flocculation. Rengasamy and Sumner (1998) derived the flocculation power of these cations and on this basis Rengasamy (unpublished) defined the cation ratio of soil structural stability (CROSS). This paper gives the results of an experiment conducted on ten soil samples on hydraulic conductivity using a number of artificially prepared irrigation waters, containing different proportions of the cations Ca, Mg, K and Na. The relative changes in hydraulic conductivity of these soils reflected the flocculating power of the cations, compared to the control treatment of using CaCl2 solution. Clay dispersion was found to be highly correlated to CROSS rather than to SAR

Threshold electrolyte concentration for dispersive soils in relation to CROSS

Sodium salts tend to dominate salt-affected soils and groundwater in Australia; therefore, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) is used to parameterise soil sodicity and the effects of sodium on soil structure. However, some natural soils in Australia, and others irrigated with recycled water, have elevated concentrations of potassium and/or magnesium. Therefore, there is a need to derive and define a new ratio including these cations in place of SAR, which will indicate the dispersive effects of Na and K on clay dispersion, and Ca and Mg on flocculation. Based on the differential dispersive effects Na and K and the differential flocculation powers of Ca and Mg, we propose the concept of 'cation ratio of soil structural stability' (CROSS), analogous to SAR. This paper also gives the results of a preliminary experiment conducted on three soils varying in soil texture on hydraulic conductivity using percolating waters containing different proportions of the cations Ca, Mg, K, and Na. The relative changes in hydraulic conductivity of these soils, compared with the control treatment using CaCl2 solution, was highly correlated with CROSS. Clay dispersion in 29 soils treated with irrigation waters of varying cationic composition was highly correlated with CROSS rather than SAR. It was also found that CROSS measured in 1:5 soil/water extracts was strongly related to the ratio of exchangeable cations. These results encourage further study to investigate the use of CROSS as an index of soil structural stability in soils with different electrolytes, organic matter, mineralogy, and pH

Purification and characterization of a novel salivary antimicrobial peptide from the tick, \u3cem\u3eIxodes scapularis\u3c/em\u3e

A novel antimicrobial peptide was isolated from the saliva of the Lyme disease tick vector, Ixodes scapularis, henceforth designated as ISAMP (I. scapularis Antimicrobial Peptide). ISAMP was purified using a sequential method including ultra filtration, gel filtration and reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. The purified peak had a molecular weight of 5.3 kDa by MALDI/TOF-MS and its amino acid sequence, determined by Edman degradation was PDxGxPxxVKAGRxPxxSI. A BLASTP search revealed that the protein is a putative 5.3 kDa secreted protein (AAM93656) from I. scapularis. The predicted protein is composed of 69 amino acids with no conserved domain motifs. Purified ISAMP was found to have antimicrobial activities against bacteria. Gene expression studies were carried out to observe ISAMP expression in different tick tissues. RT-PCR results indicated that the gene was expressed in hemocytes, fat body and salivary gland but virtually no expression was observed in the midgut. ISAMP is only similar to other Ixodid tick proteins, thus it is a member of a unique family

Purification of a serine protease and evidence for a protein C activator from the saliva of the tick, \u3cem\u3eIxodes scapularis\u3c/em\u3e

The saliva of ticks is critical to their survival as parasites and hematophagous animals. In this study, we have purified an enzyme with trypsin-like activity from the saliva of the tick vector of Lyme Disease, Ixodes scapularis. This enzyme, named as IXOSP (I. scapularis salivary serine protease), is a 29.9 kDa molecule with N-terminus FPxMVxLRIKxR. A BLAST search identified IXOSP as a secreted serine protease (AAY66740) with a conserved catalytic triad His, Asp, and Ser. In vitro studies demonstrated that IXOSP cleaves chromogenic substrates with arginine in the P1 position, by a mechanism inhibited by PMSF or aprotinin. Gene expression studies revealed that IXOSP is expressed at different tick developmental stages, including eggs, and unfed or fed adult tick salivary glands, but not in nymphs or in the midgut. While the physiological substrate for IXOSP remains to be identified, we demonstrated that I. scapularis saliva activate protein C (PC) resulting in the production of activated PC, a potent anticoagulant that also regulates a myriad of inflammatory responses through protease activated receptors. In contrast, the salivary glands of Anopheles gambiae, Anopheles stephensi, Anopheles albimanus, Aedes aegypti, Lutzomyia longipalpis, and Phlebotomus ariasi did not activate protein C. These discoveries are discussed in the context of blood coagulation, inflammation and vector–host interactions

Monoamine Neurotransmitters as Substrates for Novel Tick Sulfotransferases, Homology Modeling, Molecular Docking, and Enzyme Kinetics

Blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) transmit the causative agent of Lyme disease in the Northeastern United States. Current research focuses on elucidating biochemical pathways that may be disrupted to prevent pathogen transmission, thereby preventing disease. Genome screening reported transcripts coding for two putative sulfotransferases in whole tick extracts of the nymphal and larval stages. Sulfotransferases are known to sulfonate phenolic and alcoholic receptor agonists such as 17β-estradiol, thereby inactivating the receptor ligands. We used bioinformatic approaches to predict substrates for Ixosc Sult 1 and Ixosc Sult 2 and tested the predictions with biochemical assays. Homology models of 3D protein structure were prepared, and visualization of the electrostatic surface of the ligand binding cavities showed regions of negative electrostatic charge. Molecular docking identified potential substrates including dopamine, R-octopamine and S-octopamine, which docked into Ixosc Sult 1 with favorable binding affinity and correct conformation for sulfonation. Dopamine, but not R- or S-octopamine, also docked into Ixosc Sult 2 in catalytic binding mode. The predictions were confirmed using cytosolic fractions of whole tick extracts. Dopamine was a good substrate (Km = 0.1−0.4 μM) for the native Ixodes scapularis sulfotransferases from larval and nymphal stages regardless of their fed/unfed status. Octopamine sulfonation was detected only after feeding when gene expression data suggests that Ixosc Sult 1 is present. Because dopamine is known to stimulate salivation in ticks through receptor stimulation, these results imply that the function(s) of Ixosc Sult 1 or 2 may include inactivation of the salivation signal via sulfonation of dopamine and/or octopamine

A comparison of hydroponic and soil-based screening methods to identify salt tolerance in the field in barley

Success in breeding crops for yield and other quantitative traits depends on the use of methods to evaluate genotypes accurately under field conditions. Although many screening criteria have been suggested to distinguish between genotypes for their salt tolerance under controlled environmental conditions, there is a need to test these criteria in the field. In this study, the salt tolerance, ion concentrations, and accumulation of compatible solutes of genotypes of barley with a range of putative salt tolerance were investigated using three growing conditions (hydroponics, soil in pots, and natural saline field). Initially, 60 genotypes of barley were screened for their salt tolerance and uptake of Na+, Cl–, and K+ at 150 mM NaCl and, based on this, a subset of 15 genotypes was selected for testing in pots and in the field. Expression of salt tolerance in saline solution culture was not a reliable indicator of the differences in salt tolerance between barley plants that were evident in saline soil-based comparisons. Significant correlations were observed in the rankings of genotypes on the basis of their grain yield production at a moderately saline field site and their relative shoot growth in pots at ECe 7.2 [Spearman’s rank correlation (rs)=0.79] and ECe 15.3 (rs=0.82) and the crucial parameter of leaf Na+ (rs=0.72) and Cl– (rs=0.82) concentrations at ECe 7.2 dS m−1. This work has established screening procedures that correlated well with grain yield at sites with moderate levels of soil salinity. This study also showed that both salt exclusion and osmotic tolerance are involved in salt tolerance and that the relative importance of these traits may differ with the severity of the salt stress. In soil, ion exclusion tended to be more important at low to moderate levels of stress but osmotic stress became more important at higher stress levels. Salt exclusion coupled with a synthesis of organic solutes were shown to be important components of salt tolerance in the tolerant genotypes and further field tests of these plants under stress conditions will help to verify their potential utility in crop-improvement programmes

Effect of cation ratio on soil structural stability is related to the zeta potential of dispersed clay

Water interaction with soil aggregates leads to clay swelling and dispersion, resulting in the deterioration of soil structure with reduction in soil porosity, aeration and water movement. The integrity of soil aggregates depends on the degree of ionicity of clay-cation bonds which determines the interaction of polar water molecules. Based on this, Rengasamy and Marchuk (2011) have proposed, instead of using sodium absorption ratio (SAR), the use of cation ratio of soil structural stability (CROSS) which takes into account the differential effects of Na and K in dispersing soil clays, and the differential effects of Ca and Mg in flocculating soil clays. CROSS (mol0.5 m-1.5) is defined as (Na+0.56K). (Ca+0.6Mg) -0.5. It is calculated from the concentrations of Na, K, Mg and Ca in soil-water extracts. Spontaneously dispersed clay from a number of soils collected from different locations in South Australia containing varying amounts of Na, K, Mg and Ca was highly correlated with CROSS rather than SAR. The relative changes in hydraulic conductivity of four soils was also highly correlated with CROSS rather than SAR. It was found that the effects of CROSS, at a comparable ionic strength, were influenced by soil pH and organic matter content. While increasing pH increased the amount of dispersible clay, the increasing organic matter reduced it. In all cases, the zeta potential of dispersed clay was highly correlated with the amount of dispersed clay, indicating that the net charge on soil clays affected by soil components is an important factor in soil structural stability. Further experiments are in progress to develop 'Quirk-Schofield' type threshold electrolyte concentration in relation to CROSS for a more general application by including net charge of soils as a third factor and thereby eliminating the variations caused by pH and organic matter

Molecular characterization of novel sulfotransferases from the tick, Ixodes scapularis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Ixodes scapularis</it>, commonly known as the blacklegged or deer tick, is the main vector of Lyme disease in the United States. Recent progress in transcriptome research has uncovered hundreds of different proteins expressed in the salivary glands of hard ticks, the majority of which have no known function, and include many novel protein families. We recently identified transcripts coding for two putative cytosolic sulfotransferases in these ticks which recognized phenolic monoamines as their substrates. In this current study, we characterize the genetic expression of these two cytosolic sulfotransferases throughout the tick life cycle as well as the enzymatic properties of the corresponding recombinant proteins. Interestingly, the resultant recombinant proteins showed sulfotransferase activity against both neurotransmitters dopamine and octopamine.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The two sulfotransferase genes were coded as <it>Ixosc </it>SULT 1 & 2 and corresponding proteins were referred as <it>Ixosc </it>Sult 1 and 2. Using gene-specific primers, the sulfotransferase transcripts were detected throughout the blacklegged tick life cycle, including eggs, larvae, nymphs, adult salivary glands and adult midgut. Notably, the mRNA and protein levels were altered upon feeding during both the larval and nymphal life stages. Quantitative PCR results confirm that <it>Ixosc </it>SULT1 was statistically increased upon blood feeding while <it>Ixosc </it>SULT 2 was decreased. This altered expression led us to further characterize the function of these proteins in the Ixodid tick. The sulfotransferase genes were cloned and expressed in a bacterial expression system, and purified recombinant proteins <it>Ixosc </it>Sult 1(R) and 2(R) showed sulfotransferase activity against neurotransmitters dopamine and octopamine as well as the common sulfotransferase substrate <it>p-</it>nitrophenol. Thus, dopamine- or octopamine-sulfonation may be involved in altering the biological signal for salivary secretion in <it>I. scapularis.</it></p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Collectively, these results suggest that a function of <it>Ixosc </it>Sult 1 and Sult 2 in <it>Ixodid </it>tick salivary glands may include inactivation of the salivation signal via sulfonation of dopamine or octopamine.</p