Water deficit affects photosynthetic induction in Bauhinia forficata Link (Fabaceae) and Esenbeckia leiocarpa Engl. (Rutaceae) growing in understorey and gap conditions

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Genotoxicity and mutagenicity of water contaminated with tannery effluents, as evaluated by the micronucleus test and comet assay using the fish Oreochromis niloticus and chromosome aberrations in onion root-tips

Cytotoxicity of metals is important because some metals are potential mutagens able to induce tumors in humans and experimental animals. Chromium can damage DNA in several ways, including DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) which generate chromosomal aberrations, micronucleus formation, sister chromatid exchange, formation of DNA adducts and alterations in DNA replication and transcription. In our study, water samples from three sites in the Córrego dos Bagres stream in the Franca municipality of the Brazilian state of São Paulo were subjected to the comet assay and micronucleus test using erythrocytes from the fish Oreochromis niloticus. Nuclear abnormalities of the erythrocytes included blebbed, notched and lobed nuclei, probably due to genotoxic chromium compounds. The greatest comet assay damage occurred with water from a chromium-containing tannery effluent discharge site, supporting the hypothesis that chromium residues can be genotoxic. The mutagenicity of the water samples was assessed using the onion root-tip cell assay, the most frequent chromosomal abnormalities observed being: c-metaphases, stick chromosome, chromosome breaks and losses, bridged anaphases, multipolar anaphases, and micronucleated and binucleated cells. Onion root-tip cell mutagenicity was highest for water samples containing the highest levels of chromium.

Extraction and exchange behavior of metal species in therapeutically applied peat

The binding and availability of metals (Al, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) in therapeutically applied peat (GroBes Gifhorner Moor, Sassenburg/North Germany) was characterized by means of a versatile extraction approach. Aqueous extracts of peat were obtained by a standardized batch equilibrium procedure using high-purity water (pH 4.5 and 5.0), 0.01 mol l(-1) calcium chloride solution, 0.0 1 mol l(-1) ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and 0.01 mol l(-1) diethylenetriarnine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) solution as metal extractants. In addition, the availability of peat-bound metal species was kinetically studied by collecting aliquots of extracts after different periods of extraction time (5, 10, 15, 30, 60 and 120 min). Metal determinations were performed by atomic spectrometry methods (AAS, ICP-OES) and dissolved organic matter (DOM) was characterized by UV/Vis measurements at 254 and 436 nm, respectively. of the extractants studied Ca, Mg and Mn were the most available metals, in contrast to peat-bound Fe and Al. The relative standard deviation s(r) of the developed extraction procedures was mostly in the range of 4 to 20%, depending on the metal and its concentration in peat. A pH increase favored the extraction of metals and DOM from peat revealing complex extraction kinetics. Moreover, a competitive exchange between peat-bound metal species and added Cu(II) ions showed that > 100 mg of Cu(II) per 50 g wet peat was necessary to exchange the maximum of bound metals (e.g. 21.8% of Al, 3.9% of Fe, 79.0% of Mn, 81.9% of Sr, related to their total content). (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Polystyrene-type resin used for peptide synthesis: application for anion-exchange and affinity chromatography

This paper deals with an unusual application for a copolymer of styrene-1 % divinylbenzene bearing high amount of aminomethyl groups for anion-exchange and affinity chromatography. The so-called aminomethyl resin (AMR), to date only employed for peptide synthesis, swelled appreciably in water and was used successfully to purify negatively charged peptides. By correlating swelling degree of beads with pH of the media, it was possible to estimate that the AMR amino group pK(a) is approximately 5.5. In addition, the synthesized acetyl-(NANP)(3)-AMR succeeded in the affinity interaction with large antibody molecules related to malaria transmission and raised previously against this dodecapeptide sequence. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Paper-based diffusive gradients in thin films technique coupled to energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry for the determination of labile Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb in river water

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Ligand Exchange Inducing Efficient Incorporation of CisPt Derivatives into Ureasil-PPO Hybrid and Their Interactions with the Multifunctional Hybrid Network

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Minimization of lead and copper interferences on spectrophotometric determination of cadmium using electrolytic deposition and ion-exchange in multi-commutation flow system

A new strategy for minimization of Cu2+ and Pb2+ interferences on the spectrophotometric determination of Cd2+ by the Malachite green (MG)-iodide reaction using electrolytic deposition of interfering species and solid phase extraction of Cd2+ in flow system is proposed. The electrolytic cell comprises two coiled Pt electrodes concentrically assembled. When the sample solution is electrolyzed in a mixed solution containing 5% (v/v) HNO3, 0.1% (v/v) H2SO4 and 0.5 M NaCl, Cu2+ is deposited as Cu on the cathode, Pb2+ is deposited as PbO2 on the anode while Cd2+ is kept in solution. After electrolysis, the remaining solution passes through an AG1-X8 resin (chloride form) packed minicolumn in which Cd2+ is extracted as CdCl4/2-. Electrolyte compositions, flow rates, timing, applied current, and electrolysis time was investigated. With 60 s electrolysis time, 0.25 A applied current, Pb2+ and Cu2+ levels up to 50 and 250 mg 1-1, respectively, can be tolerated without interference. For 90 s resin loading time, a linear relationship between absorbance and analyte concentration in the 5.00-50.0 μg Cd 1-1 range (r2 = 0.9996) is obtained. A throughput of 20 samples per h is achieved, corresponding to about 0.7 mg MG and 500 mg KI and 5 ml sample consumed per determination. The detection limit is 0.23 μg Cd 1-1. The accuracy was checked for cadmium determination in standard reference materials, vegetables and tap water. Results were in agreement with certified values of standard reference materials and with those obtained by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry at 95% confidence level. The R.S.D. for plant digests and water containing 13.0 μg Cd 1-1 was 3.85% (n = 12). The recoveries of analyte spikes added to the water and vegetable samples ranged from 94 to 104%. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.

Effects of soil water deficit and nitrogen nutrition on water relations and photosynthesis of pot-grown Coffea canephora Pierre

Coffea canephora plants (clone INCAPER-99) were submitted to low N (LN) or high N (HN) applications and two watering regimes (daily irrigation and irrigation every 5 days for a month). Although water potential was not altered significantly by N, HN plants showed higher relative water content than did LN plants under water deficit. Only HN plants exhibited some ability for osmotic adjustment. Plants from both N treatments increased their cell wall rigidity under drought, with a more pronounced augmentation in HN plants. In well-watered plants, carbon assimilation rate increased with increasing N while stomatal conductance did not respond to N supply. Under drought conditions, carbon assimilation decreased by 68-80% compared to well-watered plants, whereas stomatal conductance and transpiration rate declined by 35% irrespective of the N applications. Stable carbon isotope analysis, combined with leaf gas exchange measurements, indicated that regardless of the watering treatments, N increased the long-term water use efficiency through changes in carbon assimilation with little or no effect on stomatal behaviour.

Effects of soil and foliar application of soluble silicon on mineral nutrition, gas exchange, and growth of potato plants

Silicon can alleviate biotic and abiotic stresses in several crops, and it has beneficial effects on plants under nonstressed conditions. However, there is still doubt about foliar-applied Si efficiency and Si effects on mineral nutrition, physiological processes, and growth of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plants under wellwatered conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of soil and foliar application of soluble Si on Si accumulation, nutrients, and pigments concentration as well as gas exchange and growth of potato plants. The experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions in pots containing 35 dm3 of a Typic Acrortox soil. The treatments consisted of a control (no Si application), soil application of soluble Si (50 mg dm-3 Si), and foliar application of soluble Si (three sprays of 1.425 mM Si water solution, prepared with a soluble concentrate stabilized silicic acid), with eight replications. Both soil and foliar application of Si resulted in higher Si accumulation in the whole plant. Foliar application of Si resulted in the greatest Si concentration in leaves, and soil application increased Si concentration in leaves, stems, and roots. Silicon application, regardless of the application method, increased leaf area, specific leaf area, and pigment concentration (chlorophyll a and carotenoids) as well as photosynthesis and transpiration rates of wellwatered potato plants. However, only soil application increased P concentration in leaves and dry weight of leaves and stems. © Crop Science Society of America.

Estudos estruturais por dinâmica molecular do peptídeo Polybia-MPI via Replica Exchange

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Photosynthetic capacity and water use efficiency in sugarcane genotypes subject to water deficit during early growth phase

The objective of this study was to compare the gas exchange, photosynthetic capacity and water potential of sugarcane genotypes cultivated under water deficit conditions imposed during the initial growth phase. Experiments were performed in a greenhouse using two sugarcane genotypes namely: HoCP93-776 (drought susceptible) and TCP02-4587 (drought tolerant). Sixty days after planting, two different water treatments were applied (i.e., with or without water deficit). At 0,30 and 60 days after the treatment, gas exchange variables were evaluated for their relationship with water use, intrinsic instantaneous water use efficiency and instantaneous carboxylation efficiency. The SPAD index, photosynthetic pigments, water potential and relative water content in the leaves were also analyzed. The genotype HoCP93-776 was more sensitive to drought treatment as indicated by the significantly lower values of SPAD index, photosynthetic pigments, water potential (Ψw) and relative water content (RWC) variables. The genotype TCP02-4587 had higher water potential, stomatal control efficiency, water use efficiency (WUE), intrinsic instantaneous water use efficiency (WUEintr), instantaneous carboxylation efficiency and photosynthetic capacity. The highest air vapor pressure deficit during the drought conditions could be due to the stomatal closing in the HoCP93-776, which contributed to its lower photosynthetic capacity.

Determination of mercury in river water by diffusive gradients in thin films using P81 membrane as binding layer

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Speciation analysis of inorganic arsenic in river water by Amberlite IRA 910 resin immobilized in a polyacrylamide gel as a selective binding agent for As(v) in diffusive gradient thin film technique

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Daily photosynthesis, water relations, and ion concentrations of uuonymus irrigated with treated wastewater

Euonymus japonica Thunb. (euonymus) plants were submitted for 9 months to two irrigation treatments using water from different sources: a control (C) water with electrical conductivity (EC) less than 1.2 dS.m(-1) and reclaimed wastewater (RW) with EC approximate to 4 dS.m(-1). At the end of the experiment, no differences in the total dry weight were observed between treatments, whereas the leaf dry mass increased (to the detriment of the root part in RW plants). Throughout the day, the stem water potential (Psi(stem)) of the RW plants was lower than in C, whereas stomatal conductance (g(S)) was slightly reduced in RW from 0800 HR to 1200 HR, but no significant variation in photosynthesis (P-n) or energy conversion efficiency (F'(v)/F'(m)) in photosystem II was detected through the effect of salinity. Gas exchange and fluorescence showed a tendency to increase after midday in plants treated with RW. The photosynthetic behavior and fluorescence of RW plants may have been related to the nitrogen and chlorophyll content of the leaves, confirming the resistance of the photosynthetic mechanism to salinity in this species in these conditions. The toxic effects produced by high concentrations of boron (B), sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl-) were offset by the effect of other ions like magnesium (Mg2+), potassium (K+), and phosphorus (P) in plants irrigated with RW, thus improving their physiological status without decreasing their ornamental value.

Nitric oxide reduces oxidative damage induced by water stress in sunflower plants

Drought is one of the main environmental constraints that can reduce plant yield. Nitric oxide (NO) is a signal molecule involved in plant responses to several environmental stresses. The objective of this study was to investigate the cytoprotective effect of a single foliar application of 0, 1, 10 or 100 µM of the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) in sunflower plants under water stress. Water stressed plants treated with 1μM SNP showed an increase in the relative water content compared with 0 μM SNP. Drought reduced the shoot dry weight but SNP applications did not result in alleviation of drought effects. Neither drought nor water stress plus SNP applications altered the content of photosynthetic pigments. Stomatal conductance was reduced by drought and this reduction was accompanied by a significant reduction in intercellular CO2 concentration and photosynthesis. Treatment with SNP did not reverse the effect of drought on the gas exchange characteristics. Drought increased the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and proline and reduced pirogalol peroxidase (PG-POD) activity, but did not affect the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD). When the water stressed plants were treated with 10 μM SNP, the activity of PG-POD and the content of proline were increased and the level of MDA was decreased. The results show that the adverse effects of water stress on sunflower plants are dependent on the external NO concentration. The action of NO may be explained by its ability to increase the levels of antioxidant compounds and the activity of ROS-scavenging enzymes.