Rsp5/Nedd4 clears cells of heat-damaged proteins

Protein quality control systems protect cells from proteotoxicity caused by the accumulation of aberrantly folded polypeptides. The Rsp5 ubiquitin ligase (mammalian homologue Nedd4) is now identified as a major constituent of a clearance pathway that degrades misfolded cytosolic proteins after exposure to heat

Der1 promotes movement of misfolded proteins through the endoplasmic reticulum membrane

Misfolded proteins of the secretory pathway are extracted from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), polyubiquitylated by a protein complex termed the Hmg-CoA reductase degradation ligase (HRD ligase) and degraded by cytosolic 26S proteasomes. The movement of these proteins through the lipid bilayer is assumed to occur via a protein-conducting channel of unknown nature. We show that the integral membrane protein Der1 oligomerizes, which relies on its interaction with the scaffolding protein Usa1. Mutations in the transmembrane domains of Der1 block the passage of soluble proteins across the ER membrane. As determined by site-specific photocrosslinking, the ER-luminal exposed parts of Der1 are in spatial proximity to the substrate receptor Hrd3, whereas the membrane-embedded domains reside adjacent to the ubiquitin ligase Hrd1. Intriguingly, both regions also form crosslinks to client proteins. Our data imply that Der1 initiates the export of aberrant polypeptides from the ER lumen by threading such molecules into the ER membrane and routing them to Hrd1 for ubiquitylation

Ertrag und Wurzelkolonisation mit arbuskulären Mykorrhiza- Pilzen von organisch oder mineralisch gedüngtem Weizen auf trockenem, sandigen Boden

We investigated wheat yield and arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) fungal root colonization and spore formation in response to fertilization, either with high or low amounts of mineral fertilizer or cattle manure since 27 years. At low rates there was no difference in yield between minerally and organically fertilized plants. High rates of mineral fertilizers reduced yields. Reasons can be that either the high nitrogen availability was less effectively used for grain development of minerally fertilized plants, or the mineral fertilization rendered the plants more sensitive towards drought stress. The extent of AM fungal root colonization appeared to depend on the plant P nutritional status rather than the type of fertilizer applied. The lower fertilization showed higher rates of AM root colonization. The number of AM spores, however, was higher in organically compared with minerally fertilized soil, indicating that organic fertilization increased reproduction of these beneficial microbes under dry soil conditions

Yield and arbuscular myccorhiza fungal root colonization of organically or minerally fertilized wheat grown on a dry, sandy soil

We investigated wheat yield and arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) fungal root colonization and spore formation in response to long-term mineral or organic soil fertilization. Plots were either fertilized with high or low amounts of mineral fertilizer or cattle manure since 27 years. At low fertilization levels there was no difference in yield between minerally and organically fertilized plants. High levels of mineral fertilizer application reduced wheat yields. Probable reasons can be that either the high nitrogen availability was less effectively used for grain development of minerally fertilized plants, or the mineral fertilization rendered the plants more sensitive towards drought stress. The extent of AM fungal root colonization appeared to depend on the plant P nutritional status rather than the type of fertilizer applied. The low fertilization treatments showed higher rates of AM root colonization. The number of AM spores, however, was higher in organically compared with minerally fertilized soil, indicating that organic fertilization increased reproduction of these beneficial microbes under dry soil conditions

Soil phosphorus (P) budgets, P availability and P use efficiencies in conventional and organic cropping systems of the DOK trial

Cropping systems rely on the provision of adequate amounts of phosphorus (P) to enable stable crop yields. A balanced application of P is necessary to avoid reduced crop yields (in case of too low application rates), but also to avoid P losses to other ecosystems (in case of too high application rates). While in conventional cropping systems the use of synthetic P fertilizers is common practice, organic cropping systems mostly rely on organic P inputs such as farmyard manure or compost. We aimed to answer if different cropping systems attain balanced P application rates in the long run, and how plant P availability is affected by different cropping systems and forms of fertilizers applied

The interplay of Hrd3 and the molecular chaperone system ensures efficient degradation of malfolded secretory proteins

Misfolded proteins of the secretory pathway are extracted from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), polyubiquitylated by a protein complex termed the Hmg-CoA reductase degradation ligase (HRD-ligase) and degraded by cytosolic 26S proteasomes. This process is termed ER-associated protein degradation (ERAD). We previously showed that the membrane protein Der1, which is a subunit of the HRD-ligase, is involved in the export of aberrant polypeptides from the ER. Unexpectedly, we also uncovered a close spatial proximity of Der1 and the substrate receptor Hrd3 in the ER lumen. We report here on a mutant Hrd3KR, which is selectively defective for ERAD of soluble proteins. Hrd3KR displays subtle structural changes that affect its positioning toward Der1. Furthermore, increased quantities of the ER-resident Hsp70 type chaperone Kar2 and the Hsp40 type cochaperone Scj1 bind to Hrd3KR. Noteworthy, deletion of SCJ1 impairs ERAD of model substrates and causes the accumulation of client proteins at Hrd3. Our data imply a function of Scj1 in the removal of malfolded proteins from the receptor Hrd3, which facilitates their delivery to downstream acting components like Der1

Nitrogen budgets and soil nitrogen stocks of organic and conventional cropping systems: how reconcile efficiency and sustainability of nitrogen use?

Organic and conventional cropping systems differ in the nature and amounts of nitrogen (N) inputs, which may affect efficiency and sustainability of N use. In the DOK (bio-Dynamic, bio-Organic, Konventionell) field experiment, organic and conventional cropping systems have been compared since 1978 at two fertilization levels (with level 2 being typical for the respective system and level 1 receiving half of this dose)

Sequential poly-ubiquitylation by specialized conjugating enzymes expands the versatility of a quality control ubiquitin ligase

The Doa10 quality control ubiquitin (Ub) ligase labels proteins with uniform lysine 48-linked poly-Ub (K48-pUB) chains for proteasomal degradation. Processing of Doa10 substrates requires the activity of two Ub conjugating enzymes. Here we show that the non-canonical conjugating enzyme Ubc6 attaches single Ub molecules not only to lysines but also to hydroxylated amino acids. These Ub moieties serve as primers for subsequent poly-ubiquitylation by Ubc7. We propose that the evolutionary conserved propensity of Ubc6 to mount Ub on diverse amino acids augments the number of ubiquitylation sites within a substrate and thereby increases the target range of Doa10. Our work provides new insights on how the consecutive activity of two specialized conjugating enzymes facilitates the attachment of poly-Ub to very heterogeneous client molecules. Such stepwise ubiquitylation reactions most likely represent a more general cellular phenomenon that extends the versatility yet sustains the specificity of the Ub conjugation system

Phosphorus (P) availability and P transformation rates in Amazonian Dark Earth determined by 33P isotopic dilution.

Amazonian Dark Earth (ADE) often shows increased soil fertility compared to surrounding soils, likely linked to its increased concentration of soil organic matter and macronutrients such as phosphorus (P). For P, there is little knowledge whether the higher P availability is a result of increased biological processes (such as organic P mineralization) or physico-chemical processes (such as sorption/desorption), or both

Winter mass balance of Drangajökull ice cap (NW Iceland) derived from satellite sub-meter stereo images

Sub-meter resolution, stereoscopic satellite images allow for the generation of accurate and high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) over glaciers and ice caps. Here, repeated stereo images of Drangajökull ice cap (NW Iceland) from Pléiades and WorldView2 (WV2) are combined with in situ estimates of snow density and densification of firn and fresh snow to provide the first estimates of the glacier-wide geodetic winter mass balance obtained from satellite imagery. Statistics in snow- and ice-free areas reveal similar vertical relative accuracy (<  0.5 m) with and without ground control points (GCPs), demonstrating the capability for measuring seasonal snow accumulation. The calculated winter (14 October 2014 to 22 May 2015) mass balance of Drangajökull was 3.33 ± 0.23 m w.e. (meter water equivalent), with ∼ 60 % of the accumulation occurring by February, which is in good agreement with nearby ground observations. On average, the repeated DEMs yield 22 % less elevation change than the length of eight winter snow cores due to (1) the time difference between in situ and satellite observations, (2) firn densification and (3) elevation changes due to ice dynamics. The contributions of these three factors were of similar magnitude. This study demonstrates that seasonal geodetic mass balance can, in many areas, be estimated from sub-meter resolution satellite stereo images.This study was funded by the University of Iceland (UI) Research Fund. Pleiades images were acquired at research price thanks to the CNES ISIS program (http://www.isis-cnes.fr). The WV2 DEM was obtained through the ArcticDEM project. This work is a contribution to the Rannis grant of excellence project, ANATILS. Collaboration and travels between IES and LEGOS were funded by the Jules Verne research fund and the TOSCA program from the French Space Agency, CNES. This study used the recent lidar mapping of the glaciers in Iceland that was funded by the Icelandic Research Fund, the Landsvirkjun research fund, the Icelandic Road Administration, the Reykjavik Energy Environmental and Energy Research Fund, the Klima-og Luftgruppen (KoL) research fund of the Nordic Council of Ministers, the Vatnajokull National Park, the organization Friends of Vatnajokull, the National Land Survey of Iceland, the Icelandic Meteorological Office and the UI research fund. The ground-based mass balance measurements on Drangajokull have been jointly funded by Orkubu Vestfjarda (Westfjord Power Company), the National Energy Authority (2004-2009) and the Icelandic Meteorological Office (2009-2015).Peer Reviewe