In this study we have evaluated the effect of maximal incremental cycling exercise (IE) on the systemic release of prostacyclin (PGI2), assessed as plasma 6-keto-PGF1α concentration in young healthy men. Eleven physically active - untrained men (mean ± S.D.) aged 22.7 ± 2.1 years; body mass 76.3 ± 9.1 kg; BMI 23.30 ± 2.18 kg · m-2; maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) 46.5 ± 3.9 ml · kg-1 · min-1, performed an IE test until exhaustion. Plasma concentrations of 6-keto-PGF1α, lactate, and cytokines were measured in venous blood samples taken prior to the exercise and at the exhaustion. The net exercise-induced increase in 6-keto-PGF1α concentration, expressed as the difference between the end-exercise minus pre-exercise concentration positively correlated with VO2max (r=0.78, p=0.004) as well as with the net VO2 increase at exhaustion (r=0.81, p=0.003), but not with other respiratory, cardiac, metabolic or inflammatory parameters of the exercise (minute ventilation, heart rate, plasma lactate, IL-6 or TNF-α concentrations). The exercise-induced increase in 6-keto-PGF1α concentration was significantly higher (p=0.008) in a group of subjects (n=5) with the highest VO2max when compared to the group of subjects with the lowest VO2max, in which no increase in 6-keto-PGF1α concentration was found. In conclusion, we demonstrated, to our knowledge for the first time, that exercise-induced release of PGI2 in young healthy men correlates with VO2max, suggesting that vascular capacity to release PGI2 in response to physical exercise represents an important factor characterizing exercise tolerance. Moreover, we postulate that the impairment of exercise-induced release of PGI2 leads to the increased cardiovascular hazard of vigorous exercise., J. A. Zoladz ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Ca2+ has been considered as a necessary ion for alleviation of stress-induced damages in plants. We investigated effects of exogenous Ca2+ on waterlogging-induced damage to pepper and its underlying mechanisms. Pepper seedlings under stress were treated by spraying of 10 mM CaCl2. Applying exogenous Ca2+ increased the biomass of pepper leaves and roots, improved photosynthetic characteristics, membrane permeability, root activity, osmotic substance contents, antioxidant enzyme and alcohol dehydrogenase activities, while it reduced lactate dehydrogenase activity. It maintained hydroxide radical contents and activities of malate dehydrogenase and succinate dehydrogenase relatively high. Our results suggested that applying exogenous Ca2+ could regulate osmotic substance contents, antioxidant system activity, root respiration, and metabolism, and subsequently alleviate waterlogging-induced damages to pepper plants., B. Z. Yang, Z. B. Liu, S. D. Zhou, L. J. Ou, X. Z. Dai, Y. Q. Ma, Z. Q. Zhang, W. C. Chen, X. F. Li, C. L. Liang, S. Yang, X. X. Zou., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The hypothesis that application of exogenous glycine betaine (GBEX) may attenuate the effects of mild water deficit in leaf gas exchange and lipid peroxidation in Carapa guianensis was examined. For this reason, 110-d old plants were sprayed with 0, 25, and 50 mM GBEX and then subjected to two watering regimes. In the first, irrigation was continuously performed to maintain the soil near to field capacity (watered plants). In the second, irrigation was withheld and water deficit resulted from progressive evapotranspiration (water-stressed plants). Treatment comparisons were assessed when predawn leaflet water potential (Ψpd) of stressed plants reached -1.28 ± 0.34 MPa. Regardless of the watering regime, significant (P<0.05) increases in foliar glycine betaine (GBLeaf) concentration were observed in response to increasing GBEX; however, such increases were more expressive in stressed plants. The net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance to water vapor, and intercellular to ambient CO2 concentration ratio were significantly lower in water-stressed plants independently of GBEX concentration sprayed on leaves. The application of 25 and 50 mM GBEX caused significant (P<0.05) increases in ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity in stressed plants, while significant (P<0.05) increases in catalase activity was observed just in the stressed plants treated with 50 mM GBEX. Malondialdehyde concentrations did not differ between watered and stressed plants regardless of GBEX concentration. In conclusion, C. guianensis was able to incorporate GBEX through their leaves and the resulting increases in GBLeaf attenuated lipid peroxidation in stressed plants through positive modulation of APX and CAT activities., F. J. R. Cruz ...[et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Melatonin mediates many physiological processes in animals and plants. To examine the potential roles of melatonin in salinity tolerance, we investigated the effects of exogenous melatonin on growth and antioxidant system in cucumber under 200 mM NaCl stress conditions. The results showed that the melatonin-treated plants significantly increased growth mass and antioxidant protection. Under salinity stress, the addition of melatonin effectively alleviated the decrease in the net photosynthetic rate, the maximum quantum efficiency of PSII, and the total chlorophyll content. Our data also suggested that melatonin and the resistance of plants exhibited a concentration effect. The application of 50-150 μM melatonin significantly improved the photosynthetic capacity. Additionally, the pretreatment with melatonin reduced the oxidative damage under salinity stress by scavenging directly H2O2 or enhancing activity of antioxidant enzymes (including superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase) and concentrations of antioxidants (ascorbic acid and glutathione). Therefore, the melatonin-treated plants could effectively enhance their salinity tolerance., L. Y. Wang, J. L. Liu, W. X. Wang, Y. Sun., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Water deficit is one of the major limiting factors in vegetation recovery and restoration in loess, hilly-gully regions of China. The light responses of photosynthesis in leaves of two-year old Prunus sibirica L., Hippophae rhamnoides L., and Pinus tabulaeformis Carr. under various soil water contents were studied using the CIRAS-2 portable photosynthesis system. Light-response curves and photosynthetic parameters were analyzed and fitted using the rectangular hyperbola model, the exponential model, the nonrectangular hyperbola model, and the modified rectangular hyperbola model. Under high light, photosynthetic rate (PN) and stomatal conductance (gs) were steady and photoinhibition was not significant, when the relative soil water content (RWC) varied from 56.3-80.9%, 47.9-82.9%, and 33.4-92.6% for P. sibirica, H. rhamnoides, and P. tabulaeformis, respectively. The light-response curves of PN, the light compensation point (LCP), and the dark respiration rate (RD) were well fitted using the above four models. The nonrectangular hyperbola was the best model in fitting the data; the modified rectangular hyperbola model was the second, and the rectangular hyperbola model was the poorest one. When RWC was higher or lower than the optimal range, the obvious photoinhibition and significant decrease in PN with increasing photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) were observed in all three species under high light. The light saturation point (LSP) and apparent quantum yield also decreased significantly, when the upper limit of PPFD was 200 μmol m-2 s-1. Under these circumstances, only the modified rectangular hyperbola model was able to fit well the curves of the light response, LCP, LSP, RD, and light-saturated PN. and Y. Lang ... [et al.].
Our present work showed that the expression of genes encoding PTOX (terminal oxidase of chlororespiration) and PGR5 (one essential component of cyclic electron transfer) were stimulated by red and blue light, but the stimulation under red light was soon reversed by subsequent far-red light. The expression levels of PTOX and PGR5 under simulated light quality conditions in line with maize-soybean relay strip intercropping (SRI) were obviously lower than those under simulated soybean monocropping (SM), since the lower red:far-red ratio under SRI. Measurements on photosynthetic and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters suggested a decline of assimilatory power supply and a lower nonphotochemical quenching under SRI as compared to SM. In this case, weaker PGR-dependent cyclic electron transfer and chlororespiration under SRI, suggested by lower expression levels of PGR5 and PTOX, could be considered as means of reducing excitation energy dissipation to allocate more power toward CO2 assimilation., X. Sun, X. F. Chen, J. B. Du, W. Y. Yang., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analyses were applied in order to identify genetic factors that are relevant to the expression of a β-isoform Rubisco activase gene in maize, namely ZmRCAβ, in this study. During two years, a maize recombinant inbred line population was measured for ZmRCAβ expression levels at the grain filling stage. Based on a genetic map containing 916 molecular markers, we detected five eQTLs, namely qRCA2.1 on chromosome 2, and qRCA4.1, qRCA4.2, qRCA4.3, and qRCA4.4 on chromosome 4. These eQTLs explained the phenotypic variation ranging from 6.14% to 7.50% with the logarithm of the odd values ranging from 3.11 to 4.96. Based on the position of the eQTLs and ZmRCAβ on the chromosome, qRCA4.2 was inferred as a cis-eQTL and the remaining as a trans-eQTL, suggesting that a combination of both cis- and trans-acting elements might control ZmRCAβ expression. qRCA4.2, qRCA4.3, and qRCA4.4 were repeatedly detected during two years., Q. Sun, Y. Zhang, B. Chen, B. Jia, Z. L. Zhang, M. Cui, X. Kan, H. B. Shi, D. X. Deng, Z. T. Yin., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Extracellular ATP (eATP) has been considered as an important extracellular compound to mediate several physiological processes in plant cells. We investigated the effects of eATP on chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence characteristics of kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) leaves. Treatment with exogenous ATP at 1 mM showed no significant effect on the maximal photochemical efficiency of PSII. However, the treatment significantly enhanced the values of the PSII operating efficiency (ΦPSII), rate of photosynthetic electron transport through PSII (ETR), and photochemical quenching (qP), while the values of the nonphotochemical quenching (qN) and quantum yield of regulated energy dissipation of PSII (YNPQ) significantly decreased. Our observations indicated that eATP stimulated the PSII photochemistry in kidney bean leaves. Similarly, the treatment with exogenous Ca2+ or H2O2 at 1 mM caused also the significant increase in ΦPSII, qP, and ETR and the significant decrease in qN and YNPQ. LaCl3 (an inhibitor of Ca2+ channels) and dimethylthiourea (a scavenger of H2O2) abolished the effects of exogenous ATP. The results suggest that the role of eATP in enhancing the PSII photochemistry could be related to a Ca2+ or H2O2 signaling pathway., H.-Q. Feng, Q.-S. Jiao, K. Sun, L.-Y. Jia, W.-Y. Tian., and Obsahuje bibliografii
We report here the screening of sixteen cyanobacterial and three green algal strains from Thailand for their potential biohydrogen production. Five filamentous cyanobacterial species, namely Calothrix elenkinii, Fischerella muscicola, Nostoc calcicola, Scytonema bohneri, and Tolypothrix distorta, all possessing nitrogenase activity, showed potentially high biohydrogen production. These five strains showed higher hydrogen production in the absence than in the presence of nitrogen. In particular, F. muscicola had a 17-fold increased hydrogen production under combined nitrogen and sulfur deprived conditions. Among various sugars as a carbon source, glucose at 0.1% (w/v) gave the maximal hydrogen production of 10.9 μmol(H2) mg-1(Chl) h-1 in T. distorta grown in BG11 medium without nitrate. Increasing light intensity up to 250 μmol(photon) m-2 s-1 increased hydrogen production in F. muscicola and T. distorta. Overall results indicate that both F. muscicola and T. distorta have a high potential for hydrogen production amenable for further improvement by using molecular genetics technique., P. Yodsang, W. Raksajit, E.-M. Aro, P. Mäenpää, A. Incharoensakdi., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
Until recently, the Canadian distribution of the blueberry maggot, Rhagoletis mendax Curran (Diptera: Tephritidae), was restricted to Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. The insect was first mentioned in southern Quebec in 1996 and, to date, it has not reached the Lac St-Jean region, where 34% of Canadian blueberry acreage is located. Two questions concerning the northern limit of distribution of the blueberry maggot in Quebec were addressed. First, are wild plants suitable hosts for larval development? We collected the fruit of five wild plants, (e.g. Vaccinium corymbosum, Vaccinium angustifolium, Vaccinium myrtilloides, Gaylussacia baccata, and Aronia melanocarpa) growing in southern Quebec and allowed larvae to complete their development into pupae. Blueberry maggot pupae were recovered from Vaccinium corymbosum, Vaccinium angustifolium, and Gaylussacia baccata, indicating that these plants are suitable for larval development. Second, are harsh winter temperatures a factor limiting the northern distribution of the blueberry maggot? Pupae collected in Quebec and Nova Scotia were put in the soil in the fall and were brought back to the laboratory to determine their supercooling points at different times during winter. The supercooling points of pupae collected in Quebec and Nova Scotia averaged -22.6°C. In natural conditions, air temperatures <-20°C are frequently observed in Quebec in January, February and March. However, due to snow cover, soil temperatures are rarely <-12°C. If -22.6°C constitutes the lower limit for the survival, then winter temperatures are probably not a limiting factor to its northern distribution in Quebec, because blueberry maggot pupae overwinter in the soil., Charles Vincent, Pierre Lemoyne, Sonia Gaul, Kenna Mackenzie., and Obsahuje bibliografii