Low endogenous NO levels in roots and antioxidant systems are determinants for the resistance of Arabidopsis seedlings grown in Cd

Cadmium (Cd), which is a toxic non-essential heavy metal capable of entering plants and thus the food chain, constitutes a major environmental and health concern worldwide. An understanding of the tools used by plants to overcome Cd stress could lead to the production of food crops with lower Cd uptake capacity and of plants with greater Cd uptake potential for phytoremediation purposes in order to restore soil efficiency in self-sustaining ecosystems. The signalling molecule nitric oxide (NO), whose function remains unclear, has recently been involved in responses to Cd stress. Using different mutants, such as nia1nia2, nox1, argh1-1 and Atnoa1, which were altered in NO metabolism, we analysed various parameters related to reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) metabolism and seedling fitness following germination and growth under Cd treatment conditions for seven days. Seedling roots were the most affected, with an increase in ROS and RNS observed in wild type (WT) seedling roots, leading to increased oxidative damage and fitness loss. Mutants that showed lower NO levels in seedling roots under Cd stress were more resistant than WT seedlings due to the maintenance of antioxidant systems which protect against oxidative damage.This study was co-funded by the ERDF and the Science, Innovation and University Ministry (BIO2015-67657-P and PGC2018-098372). L.C. T-C was supported by an FPU fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports

S-Nitrosylated proteins in pea (Pisum sativum L.) leaf peroxisomes: changes under abiotic stress

Peroxisomes, single-membrane-bounded organelles with essentially oxidative metabolism, are key in plant responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. Recently, the presence of nitric oxide (NO) described in peroxisomes opened the possibility of new cellular functions, as NO regulates diverse biological processes by directly modifying proteins. However, this mechanism has not yet been analysed in peroxisomes. This study assessed the presence of S-nitrosylation in pea-leaf peroxisomes, purified S-nitrosylated peroxisome proteins by immunoprecipitation, and identified the purified proteins by two different mass-spectrometry techniques (matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time-of-flight and two-dimensional nano-liquid chromatography coupled to ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry). Six peroxisomal proteins were identified as putative targets of S-nitrosylation involved in photorespiration, β-oxidation, and reactive oxygen species detoxification. The activity of three of these proteins (catalase, glycolate oxidase, and malate dehydrogenase) is inhibited by NO donors. NO metabolism/S-nitrosylation and peroxisomes were analysed under two different types of abiotic stress, i.e. cadmium and 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D). Both types of stress reduced NO production in pea plants, and an increase in S-nitrosylation was observed in pea extracts under 2,4-D treatment while no total changes were observed in peroxisomes. However, the S-nitrosylation levels of catalase and glycolate oxidase changed under cadmium and 2,4-D treatments, suggesting that this post-translational modification could be involved in the regulation of H2O2 level under abiotic stress

Peroxynitrite mediates programmed cell death both in papillar cells and in self-incompatible pollen in the olive (Olea europaea L.)

Programmed cell death (PCD) has been found to be induced after pollination both in papillar cells and in self-incompatible pollen in the olive (Olea europaea L.). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) are known to be produced in the pistil and pollen during pollination but their contribution to PCD has so far remained elusive. The possible role of ROS and NO was investigated in olive pollen–pistil interaction during free and controlled pollination and it was found that bidirectional interaction appears to exist between the pollen and the stigma, which seems to regulate ROS and NO production. Biochemical evidence strongly suggesting that both O2˙− and NO are essential for triggering PCD in self-incompatibility processes was also obtained. It was observed for the first time that peroxynitrite, a powerful oxidizing and nitrating agent generated during a rapid reaction between O2˙− and NO, is produced during pollination and that this is related to an increase in protein nitration which, in turn, is strongly associated with PCD. It may be concluded that peroxynitrite mediates PCD during pollen–pistil interaction in Olea europaea L. both in self-incompatible pollen and papillar cells

C60: the first one-component gel?

Until now, gels have been formed of multicomponent soft matter systems, consisting of a solvent and one or more macromolecular or colloidal species. Here we show that, for sufficient quench rates, the Girifalco model of C60 can form gels which we identify by their slow dynamics and long-lived network structure. These gels are stable at room temperature, at least on the simulation timescale up to 100 ns. At moderate temperatures around 1000 K, below the bulk glass transition temperature, C60 exhibits crystallisation and phase separation proceeds without the dynamical arrest associated with gelation, in contrast to many colloidal systems.Comment: Accepted by J. Phys. Chem. C. special issue 'Clusters in complex fluids

Provirus reactivation is impaired in HIV-1 infected individuals on treatment with dasatinib and antiretroviral therapy

The latent viral reservoir formed by HIV-1, mainly in CD4 + T cells, is responsible for the failure of antiretroviral therapy (ART) to achieve a complete elimination of the virus in infected individuals. We previously determined that CD4 + T cells from individuals with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) on treatment with dasatinib are resistant to HIV-1 infection ex vivo. The main mechanism for this antiviral effect is the preservation of SAMHD1 activity. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of dasatinib on the viral reservoir of HIV-infected individuals with CML who were on simultaneous treatment with ART and dasatinib. Due to the low estimated incidence of HIV-1 infection and CML (1:65,000), three male individuals were recruited in Spain and Germany. These individuals had been on treatment with standard ART and dasatinib for median 1.3 years (IQR 1.3-5.3 years). Reservoir size and composition in PBMCs from these individuals was analyzed in comparison with HIV-infected individuals on triple ART regimen and undetectable viremia. The frequency of latently infected cells was reduced more than 5-fold in these individuals. The reactivation of proviruses from these cells was reduced more than 4-fold and, upon activation, SAMHD1 phosphorylation was reduced 40-fold. Plasma levels of the homeostatic cytokine IL-7 and CD4 effector subpopulations TEM and TEMRA in peripheral blood were also reduced. Therefore, treatment of HIV-infected individuals with dasatinib as adjuvant of ART could disturb the reservoir reactivation and reseeding, which might have a beneficial impact to reduce its size

The CARMENES search for exoplanets around M dwarfs High-resolution optical and near-infrared spectroscopy of 324 survey stars

The CARMENES radial velocity (RV) survey is observing 324 M dwarfs to search for any orbiting planets. In this paper, we present the survey sample by publishing one CARMENES spectrum for each M dwarf. These spectra cover the wavelength range 520–1710 nm at a resolution of at least R >80 000, and we measure its RV, Hα emission, and projected rotation velocity. We present an atlas of high-resolution M-dwarf spectra and compare the spectra to atmospheric models. To quantify the RV precision that can be achieved in low-mass stars over the CARMENES wavelength range, we analyze our empirical information on the RV precision from more than 6500 observations. We compare our high-resolution M-dwarf spectra to atmospheric models where we determine the spectroscopic RV information content, Q, and signal-to-noise ratio. We find that for all M-type dwarfs, the highest RV precision can be reached in the wavelength range 700–900 nm. Observations at longer wavelengths are equally precise only at the very latest spectral types (M8 and M9). We demonstrate that in this spectroscopic range, the large amount of absorption features compensates for the intrinsic faintness of an M7 star. To reach an RV precision of 1 m s−1 in very low mass M dwarfs at longer wavelengths likely requires the use of a 10 m class telescope. For spectral types M6 and earlier, the combination of a red visual and a near-infrared spectrograph is ideal to search for low-mass planets and to distinguish between planets and stellar variability. At a 4 m class telescope, an instrument like CARMENES has the potential to push the RV precision well below the typical jitter level of 3–4 m s−1

The CARMENES search for exoplanets around M dwarfs. Two temperate Earth-mass planet candidates around Teegarden’s Star

Context.Teegarden’s Star is the brightest and one of the nearest ultra-cool dwarfs in the solar neighbourhood. For its late spectral type (M7.0 V),the star shows relatively little activity and is a prime target for near-infrared radial velocity surveys such as CARMENES.Aims.As part of the CARMENES search for exoplanets around M dwarfs, we obtained more than 200 radial-velocity measurements of Teegarden’sStar and analysed them for planetary signals.Methods.We find periodic variability in the radial velocities of Teegarden’s Star. We also studied photometric measurements to rule out stellarbrightness variations mimicking planetary signals.Results.We find evidence for two planet candidates, each with 1.1M⊕minimum mass, orbiting at periods of 4.91 and 11.4 d, respectively. Noevidence for planetary transits could be found in archival and follow-up photometry. Small photometric variability is suggestive of slow rotationand old age.Conclusions.The two planets are among the lowest-mass planets discovered so far, and they are the first Earth-mass planets around an ultra-cooldwarf for which the masses have been determined using radial velocities.We thank the referee Rodrigo Díaz for a careful review andhelpful comments. M.Z. acknowledges support from the Deutsche Forschungs-gemeinschaft under DFG RE 1664/12-1 and Research Unit FOR2544 “BluePlanets around Red Stars”, project no. RE 1664/14-1. CARMENES isan instrument for the Centro Astronómico Hispano-Alemán de Calar Alto(CAHA, Almería, Spain). CARMENES is funded by the German Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (MPG), the Spanish Consejo Superior de InvestigacionesCientíficas (CSIC), the European Union through FEDER/ERF FICTS-2011-02 funds, and the members of the CARMENES Consortium (Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, LandessternwarteKönigstuhl, Institut de Ciències de l’Espai, Institut für Astrophysik Göttingen,Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg,Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Hamburger Sternwarte, Centro de Astro-biología and Centro Astronómico Hispano-Alemán), with additional contribu-tions by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, the German Science Foundationthrough the Major Research Instrumentation Programme and DFG ResearchUnit FOR2544 “Blue Planets around Red Stars”, the Klaus Tschira Stiftung, thestates of Baden-Württemberg and Niedersachsen, and by the Junta de Andalucía.Based on data from the CARMENES data archive at CAB (INTA-CSIC). Thisarticle is based on observations made with the MuSCAT2 instrument, devel-oped by ABC, at Telescopio Carlos Sánchez operated on the island of Tener-ife by the IAC in the Spanish Observatorio del Teide. Data were partly col-lected with the 150-cm and 90-cm telescopes at the Sierra Nevada Observa-tory (SNO) operated by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC).Data were partly obtained with the MONET/South telescope of the MOnitoringNEtwork of Telescopes, funded by the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und HalbachFoundation, Essen, and operated by the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen,the McDonald Observatory of the University of Texas at Austin, and the SouthAfrican Astronomical Observatory. We acknowledge financial support from theSpanish Agencia Estatal de Investigación of the Ministerio de Ciencia, Inno-vación y Universidades and the European FEDER/ERF funds through projectsAYA2015-69350-C3-2-P, AYA2016-79425-C3-1/2/3-P, AYA2018-84089, BES-2017-080769, BES-2017-082610, ESP2015-65712-C5-5-R, ESP2016-80435-C2-1/2-R, ESP2017-87143-R, ESP2017-87676-2-2, ESP2017-87676-C5-1/2/5-R, FPU15/01476, RYC-2012-09913, the Centre of Excellence ”Severo Ochoa”and ”María de Maeztu” awards to the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (SEV-2015-0548), Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (SEV-2017-0709), and Cen-tro de Astrobiología (MDM-2017-0737), the Generalitat de Catalunya throughCERCA programme”, the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt throughgrants 50OW0204 and 50OO1501, the European Research Council through grant694513, the Italian Ministero dell’instruzione, dell’università de della ricerca andUniversità degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata through FFABR 2017 and “Mis-sion: Sustainability 2016”, the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council through grant ST/P000592/1, the Israel Science Foundation through grant848/16, the Chilean CONICYT-FONDECYT through grant 3180405, the Mexi-can CONACYT through grant CVU 448248, the JSPS KAKENHI through grantsJP18H01265 and 18H05439, and the JST PRESTO through grant JPMJPR1775

Expected Performances of the NOMAD/ExoMars instrument

NOMAD (Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery) is one of the four instruments on board the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, scheduled for launch in March 2016. It consists of a suite of three high-resolution spectrometers – SO (Solar Occultation), LNO (Limb, Nadir and Occultation) and UVIS (Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer). Based upon the characteristics of the channels and the values of Signal-to-Noise Ratio obtained from radiometric models discussed in [Vandaele et al., Optics Express, 2015] and [Thomas et al., Optics Express, 2015], the expected performances of the instrument in terms of sensitivity to detection have been investigated. The analysis led to the determination of detection limits for 18 molecules, namely CO, H2O, HDO, C2H2, C2H4, C2H6, H2CO, CH4, SO2, H2S, HCl, HCN, HO2, NH3, N2O, NO2, OCS, O3. NOMAD should have the ability to measure methane concentrations <25 parts per trillion (ppt) in solar occultation mode, and 11 parts per billion in nadir mode. Occultation detections as low as 10 ppt could be made if spectra are averaged [Drummond et al., Planetary Space and Science, 2011]. Results have been obtained for all three channels in nadir and in solar occultation

The CARMENES search for exoplanets around M dwarfs HD147379 b: A nearby Neptune in the temperate zone of an early-M dwarf

We report on the first star discovered to host a planet detected by radial velocity (RV) observations obtained within the CARMENES survey for exoplanets around M dwarfs. HD 147379 (V = 8.9 mag, M = 0.58 ± 0.08 M⊙), a bright M0.0 V star at a distance of 10.7 pc, is found to undergo periodic RV variations with a semi-amplitude of K = 5.1 ± 0.4 m s−1 and a period of P = 86.54 ± 0.06 d. The RV signal is found in our CARMENES data, which were taken between 2016 and 2017, and is supported by HIRES/Keck observations that were obtained since 2000. The RV variations are interpreted as resulting from a planet of minimum mass mP sin i = 25 ± 2 M⊕, 1.5 times the mass of Neptune, with an orbital semi-major axis a = 0.32 au and low eccentricity (e < 0.13). HD 147379 b is orbiting inside the temperate zone around the star, where water could exist in liquid form. The RV time-series and various spectroscopic indicators show additional hints of variations at an approximate period of 21.1 d (and its first harmonic), which we attribute to the rotation period of the star.FEDER/ERF FICTS-2011-02 fundsMajor Research Instrumentation Programme and DFG Research Unit FOR2544 “Blue Planets around Red StarsEuropean Research Council (ERC-279347), Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (RE 1664/12-1, RE 2694/4-1), Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF-05A14MG3, BMBF-05A17MG3), Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO, grants AYA2015-68012-C2-2-P, AYA2016-79425-C3-1,2,3-P, AYA2015-69350-C3-2-P, AYA2014-54348-C03- 01, AYA2014-56359-P, AYA2014-54348-C3-2-R, AYA2016-79425-C3-3-P and 2013 Ramòn y Cajal program RYC-2013-14875), Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER, grant ESP2016-80435-C2-1-R, ESP2015-65712-C5- 5-R), Generalitat de Catalunya/CERCA programme, Spanish Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte, programa de Formación de Profesorado Universitario (grant FPU15/01476), Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (grants 50OW0204 and 50OO1501), Office of Naval Research Global (award no. N62909-15-1-2011), Mexican CONACyT grant CB-2012-183007