Search results for "ants"
showing 10 items of 7011 documents
Evidence for specific, high-affinity binding sites for a proteinaceous elicitor in tobacco plasma membrane
1995
Abstract Binding of cryptogein, a proteinaceous elicitor, was studied on tobacco plasma membrane. The binding of the [125I]cryptogein was saturable, reversible and specific with an apparent Kd of 2 nM. A single class of cryptogein binding sites was found with a sharp optimum pH for binding at about pH 7.0. The high-affinity correlates with cryptogein concentrations required for biological activity in vivo.
Comparison of the effects of cryptogein and oligogalacturonides on tabacco cells and evidence of different forms of desensitization induced by these …
1998
Abstract The effects of cryptogein and oligogalacturonides (OGs) were compared on tobacco cells by measuring calcium influx and calcium-dependent responses including extracellular alkalinization and H 2 O 2 production. The main difference is the higher calcium influx and the sustained H 2 O 2 production induced by cryptogein compared to OGs. Amplitude and duration of calcium signalling triggered by cryptogein or OGs may explain the necrotic effect of cryptogein, and the absence of necrosis in tobacco plants treated with OGs. We used induction of alkalinization and H 2 O 2 production to investigate cryptogein effects after a first treatment with cryptogein or OGs, and reciprocally. Results s…
No apparent effect of invasive alien goldenrod on soil microbial communities or soil fauna feeding activity
2020
Abstract Invasive alien species spreading in abandoned agricultural landscape may negatively affect native organisms, including plants and soil biota. This study assessed the effects of invasion by Solidago sp. (goldenrod) in southern Poland on soil fauna feeding activity and on soil microorganism activity, biomass, and functional and taxonomic diversity, in a comparisons of paired plots: goldenrod-invaded plots and nearby non-invaded plots of semi-natural grassland. Goldenrod-invaded plots had fewer vascular plant species (paired t-test) than non-invaded ones, and showed a distinct plant community composition (ANOSIM). Non-invaded and invaded plots did not differ in a range of measured soi…
Diapause as escape strategy to exposure to toxicants: response of Brachionus calyciforus to arsenic
2016
Invertebrate organisms commonly respond to environmental fluctuation by entering diapause. Production of diapause in monogonont rotifers involves a previous switch from asexual to partial sexual reproduction. Although zooplankton have been used in ecotoxicological assays, often their true vulnerability to toxicants is underestimated by not incorporating the sexual phase. We experimentally analyzed traits involved in sexual reproduction and diapause in the cyclically parthenogenetic freshwater rotifer, Brachionus calyciflorus, exposed to arsenic, a metalloid naturally found in high concentrations in desert zones, focusing on the effectiveness of diapause as an escape response in the face of …
Characterization of a proton pump from Acer pseudoplatanus cell microsomes
1985
Abstract An Acer pseudoplatanus cell microsomal fraction was enriched in ATPase by sedimentation through a sucrose cushion and treatment with Triton X-100. This activity, which reached 0.9 μmol P i min −1 mg −1 protein, was specific for ATP, slightly stimulated by K + , inhibited by orthovanadate and diethylstilbestrol, insensitive to oligomycin and azide, and had a K m - value of 0.51 mM for MgATP. ATP-dependent proton translocation was demonstrated by the ΔpH probe acridine orange. This activity had a optimum at pH 6.5, was substrate specific for ATP, and was strongly dependent on K + . Preparations of plasma membrane ATPase from A. pseudoplatanus cell culture thus posses biochemical prop…
Differential impact of marine debris ingestion during ontogenetic dietary shift of green turtles in Uruguayan waters
2018
Anthropogenic debris ingestion has been reported for green turtles in all their life stages worldwide. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the marine debris ingestion by green turtles stranded in Uruguayan coast between 2005 and 2013. Debris items were categorized and quantified by frequency of occurrence, relative weight, volume and number of items. A total of 96 dead stranded turtles were analyzed and 70% presented debris in their guts. The majority of debris found were plastic, being hard plastics the most abundant in weight. We found no differences in debris ingestion in stranded turtles a long the Uruguayan coast. However we detected a negative correlation between the presence …
Kinetic studies on protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibition by diphenyl ether herbicides
1991
Diphenyl ethers (DPEs) and related herbicides are powerful inhibitors of protoporphyrinogen oxidase, an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of haems and chlorophylls. The inhibition kinetics of protoporphyrinogen oxidase of various origins by four DPEs, (methyl)-5-[2-chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]-2-nitrobenzoic acid (acifluorfen and its methyl ester, acifluorfen-methyl), methyl-5-[2-chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl) phenoxy]-2-chlorobenzoate (LS 820340) and methyl-5-[2-chloro-5-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]-2-nitrobenzoic acid (RH 5348), were studied. The inhibitions of the enzymes from maize (Zea mays) mitochondrial and etiochloroplastic membranes and mouse liver mitochondrial membranes were com…
Characterization of (3H) acifluorfen binding to purified pea etioplasts, and evidence that protoporphyrinogen oxidase specifically binds acifluorfen
1992
It is now generally accepted that protoporphyrinogen oxidase is the target-enzyme for diphenylether-type herbicides. Recent studies [Camadro, J-M., Matringe, M., Scalla, R. & Labbe, P. (1991) Biochem. J. 277, 17–21] have revealed that in maize, diphenyl ethers competitively inhibit protoporphyrinogen oxidase with respect to its substrate, protoporphyrinogen IX. In this study, we show that, in purified pea etioplast, [3H]acifluorfen specifically binds to a single class of high-affinity binding sites with an apparent dissociation constant of 6.2 ± 1.3 nM and a maximum density of 29 ± 5 nmol/g protein. [3H]Acifluorfen binding reaches equilibrium in about 1 min at 30°C. Half dissociation occurs…
The drivers of soil microbial communities structure on forest stands along the altitudinal gradient in western carpathians
2020
Abstract This study examines the effect of the soil physicochemical properties and the vegetation diversity and composition on the soil microorganism community structure on the temperate forest stands along the altitudinal gradient. The studied stands were located at three altitudes (600, 900, and 1200 m a.s.l.) on five separate mountain slopes (treated as independent replicates) in the Western Carpathians Mountains (Poland). The soil physicochemical characteristics varied widely between the stands on these same altitude, and only the organic matter content, water-holding capacity and dissolved organic nitrogen differed significantly between the different altitudes, exhibited highest values…
NO contributes to cadmium toxicity in Arabidopsis thaliana by mediating an iron deprivation response
2009
Nitric oxide (NO) functions as a cell-signaling molecule in plants. In particular, a role for NO in the regulation of iron homeostasis and in the plant response to toxic metals has been proposed. Here, we investigated the synthesis and the role of NO in plants exposed to cadmium (Cd(2+)), a nonessential and toxic metal. We demonstrate that Cd(2+) induces NO synthesis in roots and leaves of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seedlings. This production, which is sensitive to NO synthase inhibitors, does not involve nitrate reductase and AtNOA1 but requires IRT1, encoding a major plasma membrane transporter for iron but also Cd(2+). By analyzing the incidence of NO scavenging or inhibition of …