Einfluss der Begleitgrasart auf Ertrag und Qualität von Rot- bzw. Weißkleegras

Über die Steuergrößen Leguminosen- bzw. Begleitgrasart, Saatmischungsverhältnis, Etablierungsverfahren, Nutzungsart und -häufigkeit sowie Düngung lassen sich Ertrag, N2-Fixierungsleistung, Vorfruchtwert und Futterqualität von Kleegras in weiten Bereichen beeinflussen. Ziel der vorliegenden Studie war die Analyse des Einflusses der Begleitgrasart auf Ertrag und Qualität von binären Rot- bzw. Weißkleegrasgemengen unter Berücksichtigung des Reifetyps der jeweiligen Grasart (früh versus spät) unter norddeutschen Boden- und Klimaverhältnissen. Die Wahl der Begleitgrasart zeigte sich als wirksames Werkzeug in Bezug auf die Beeinflussbarkeit des Klee-Ertragsanteils und damit zentraler Futterqualitätseigenschaften von Kleegrasgemengen dar. Besteht die Gefahr zu hoher Kleeanteile erwies sich Festulolium als ertragreiche und konkurrenzkräftige Alternative zu Weidelgräsern. Im ökologischen Kleegrasanbau ohne nennenswerte Zudüngung von N kommt der Wahl des Grassortentyps (früh versus spät) nur eine untergeordnete Bedeutung zu

Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2): an update on the potential therapeutic target for Parkinson’s disease

Mutations in Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are a risk factor for and a cause of sporadic and familial Parkinson’s disease (PD), respectively. These mutations are some of the most common genetic contributors to PD and render the kinase hyperactive. Increasingly within the past decade, there has been substantial effort investigating LRRK2 as a target for therapeutics in preclinical studies, and currently, small-molecule inhibitors and antisense oligonucleotides are being assessed in clinical trials as therapies to reduce the toxic hyperactivity of its kinase and/or reduce total levels of the protein in healthy individuals and people with PD

Einfluss von Zwischenfrüchten auf Lachgasverluste und Nitratauswaschung im ökologischen Marktfruchtbau in Abhängigkeit von der Vorfrucht

All-arable organic farming systems, especially when they are working without organic fertilizer, are often in challenge with their nutrient management to fulfill the requirements of crops. In this context one of the main issues is to mitigate nutrient losses. Here the use of catch crops may one strategy to counteract against this. We hypothesized that under the climate conditions of north-west Germany winter hard catch crops are more suitable to reduce nitrogen (N) losses than catch crops killed by frost, here especially with cereals or legumes as previous crop. In a field experiment in 2015/16 we tested 3 different catch crops (grown in pure stand and in mixture with legumes) after peas and triticale for their nitrogen loss paths over the winter period. Soil mineral N content (0-90 cm) was determined before and after winter. Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions were measured weekly. Nitrate (NO3) concentrations in leachate were analyzed once a week (Oct-Mar).The results show that corn legumes as pre crop have the highest N-loss potential over winter. In comparison, catch crops demonstrate a good reduction of nitrogen losses pathways like NO3 in leachate or gaseous N2O emissions. In particular significant lower nitrate losses via leaching were recorded after corn as pre crop. In comparison winter killed white mustard showed significant higher NO3 and N2O losses over winter. Undersown catch crops showed the highest potential to mitigate N-losses

Impact of LRRK2 kinase activation and inhibition in vivo and in vitro

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized in part by a loss of dopamine neurons in the Substantia Nigra and affects the nigrostriatal pathway. Mutations in the gene encoding leucine�rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) have been found to cause late onset PD through a gain of function of its kinase domain. Thus, LRRK2 has become an intriguing candidate for therapeutic intervention by kinase inhibition. While preclinical studies have shown that ablating the kinase activity of wildtype LRRK2 is safe with a mild and reversible lung phenotype, the molecular effects of chronic LRRK2 inhibition have not been examined in the context of mutant LRRK2. Using the potent LRRK2 kinase-specific inhibitor, Merck LRRK2 inhibitor 2 (MLi�2), hyperactive G2019S LRRK2 was reduced to wildtype levels chronically in G2019S knock-in (KI) mice and autophosphorylation of LRRK2 and phosphorylation of direct substrates Rab10, Rab12, and Rab29 was assessed. Unbiased total and phospho-proteomics revealed alterations in endolysosomal proteins similar to those found in LRRK2 knockout (KO) animals after 10 weeks of treatment. LRRK2 has been shown to play roles in a number of pathways within the endolysosomal system and studies have reported LRRK2 presence on many organelles from the trans-Golgi network (TGN) to the lysosome. Based on the current study’s proteomic results, eight different trap plasmids were generated to evaluate LRRK2 kinase activity at distinct endolysosomal membranes. As a result, LRRK2 kinase activity was found to be enhanced after being trapped to all membranes and downstream Rab10 and Rab12 phosphorylation were increased in vitro, but recruitment of these Rabs revealed differential patterns in localization specifically when targeting LRRK2 on lysosomes compared to other membranes. Evaluation of lysosomal position through manipulation of various motor proteins showed phosphorylated Rab10 was preferentially restricted to a subset of perinuclear lysosomes, whereas pRab12 was present at most LRRK2-positive lysosomes regardless of their position. This is the first study to examine the molecular underpinnings of chronic LRRK2 inhibition in a preclinical in vivo PD model and highlights cellular pathways that may be influenced by therapeutic strategies aimed at restoring LRRK2 physiological activity in PD patients. Complementary in vitro data provides novel insight into the differences in LRRK2-dependent Rab localization that can help elucidate the role of LRRK2 at the lysosome which may be relevant to PD pathogenesis. The work presented in this thesis additionally contributes to our knowledge on the utility of pS1292 LRRK2 and pS106 Rab12 as robust biomarkers of both kinase hyperactivity and inhibition in G2019S LRRK2 KI mice in brain and peripheral tissues that is worth assessment in patients with PD harboring the G2019S mutation

Wiesenkäuterbeimischung in Kleegras - Effekt von Saatmischung und Nutzungshäufigkeit auf Ertrag und Zuwachsdynamik von Kleegras

Legumes and herbs are able to contribute to productivity and biodiversity in forage production. Furthermore they are known for their beneficial properties for animal nutrition and health. In the present study a grass/clover containing herbs and birdsfoot trefoil was compared to a site specific grass/clover with respect to growth dynamics, potential yield and forage quality under varied harvest frequencies. Independent of harvest frequency both seed mixtures achieved comparable yields. Increased harvest frequency led to higher forage quality but reduced dry matter yield. The introduction of herbs and birdsfoot trefoil led to minor decreases in the contents of crude protein and net-energy. When utilised every third or fourth week both seed mixtures were able to supply high lactating dairy cows with high quality forage