(Table 1) Antioxidant concentrations in liver of wild sea bird chicks from the Norwegian arctic region

The efficiency of antioxidant defenses and relationship with body burden of metal and organic contaminants has not been previously investigated in arctic seabirds, neither in chicks nor in adults. The objective of this study was to compare such defenses in chicks from three species, Black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), Northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), and Herring gull (Larus argentatus), and the relationship with tissue concentrations of essential metals such as selenium and iron and halogenated organic compounds, represented by polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB). The results showed significant species-specific differences in the antioxidant responses which also corresponded with metal and PCB levels in different ways. The capability to neutralize hydroxyl radicals (TOSC-HO°) and the activities of catalase and Se-dependent glutathione peroxidases (GPX) clearly increased in species with the higher levels of metals and PCBs, while the opposite trend was observed for Se-independent GPX, TOSC against peroxyl radicals (ROO°) and peroxynitrite (ONOOH). Less clear relationships were obtained for glutathione levels, GSH/GSSG ratio, glutathione reductase and superoxide dismutase. The results showed differences in antioxidant efficiency between the species, and some of these defenses exhibited dose-response-like relationships with measured levels of selenium, iron and XPCBs. PCBs, selenium and iron levels were positively related to the responses of antioxidants with potential to reduce HO°/H2O2 (Se-dependent GPX, CAT and TOSC against HO°). However, direct causal relationships between antioxidant responses and contaminant concentrations could not be shown on individual level. Varying levels of metals and contaminants due to different diet and age were probably the main explanations for the species differences in antioxidant defense.

Association between simple sequence repeat-rich chromosome regions and intergenomic translocation breakpoints in natural populations of allopolyploid wild wheats

Aegilops biuncialis y Aegilops geniculata son dos especies silvestres alotetraploides, con genomios UM, que constituyen un importante reservorio de genes de interés para la mejora del trigo. En este estudio se ha analizado la distribución cromosómica de diferentes secuencias de tipo microsatélites (?single sequence repeat?, SSR) y su relación con las translocaciones intergenómicas U/M, frecuentes en accesiones de ambas especies. En la mayoría de los cromosomas U y en algunos M, se ha localizado una única señal pericéntromérica de la secuencia (ACG)n, mientras que la secuencia (GAA)n aparece como grandes ?clusters? de localización pericentromérica y, en ocasiones, intersticial. En las 5 accesiones portadoras de translocaciones U/M analizadas, se ha comprobado una asociación estadísticamente significativa entre el punto de rotura-reunión de la reordenación y regiones cromosómicas ricas en secuencias SSR.

Morphological and germination response variability in seeds of wild yellow gentian (Gentiana lutea L.) accessions from northwest Spain

Gentiana lutea L. (yellow gentian, Gentianaceae) is an important medicinal plant under protection as endangered species in most European countries. The aim of this work was to evaluate variation in seed mass, seed water content, and seed germination among 56 wild accessions of G. lutea. The effect of gibberellic acid (GA3), putrescine, moist chilling, and level of ripeness of seeds on subsequent germination was also investigated. Seeds of G. lutea showed physiological dormancy (final germination percentages ranged from 0% to 11%, depending on the accession) and GA3 enhanced seed germination drastically in all the accessions. The highest germination (99%) of GA3-treated seeds was reached at 15 °C. Final germination percentage and germination rate (as expressed by mean germination time), as well as seed mass and seed water content, varied significantly among accessions. In general, 1 year moist chilling did not significantly enhance G. lutea seed germination. For most accessions, no significant differences were found between fully ripe seeds and less ripe seeds for seed water content, seed mass, and seed germination. Applications of GA3 were always most effective than those of putrescine for increasing seed germination.

Short communication. Collection and characterisation of a population of Triticum boeoticum Boiss., a wild wheat species not previously found in the Mediterranean western region

En julio del 2010 se recolectó una población de trigo silvestre en una zona abandonada cerca de Madrid, España. Esta zona posee una biodiversidad botánica elevada y un tipo de suelo muy peculiar denominado “arcillas verdes”. Se recogió una muestra de trigo y se multiplicó y caracterizó para varios caracteres agro-morfológicos y subunidades de gluteninas. El número cromosómico 2n de las semillas demostró que es una especie diploide de trigo y los datos de caracterización indicaron que es Triticum boeoticum Boiss. Esta especie llegó probablemente como mala hierba del cultivo de escaña que se producía en la zona hasta al menos la primera mitad del s. xix. Las características edáficas y climáticas del lugar y el hecho de que no haya referencias hasta ahora de esta especie en la zona oeste de la región Mediterránea aumentan el valor de esta adquisición para la mejora del trigo. La nueva accesión se conserva en el Centro Nacional de Recursos Fitogenéticos y se ha depositado una hoja de herbario en el Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid

The wild boar hunt [ [Material gráfico]: registered brand : selected : José Fita : Valencia (Spain).

Tit. en la etiqueta: "Registered brand the wild boar hunt selected / José Fita Valencia (Spain)"

A synthetic all d-amino acid peptide corresponding to the N-terminal sequence of HIV-1 gp41 recognizes the wild-type fusion peptide in the membrane and inhibits HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein-mediated cell fusion

Recent studies demonstrated that a synthetic fusion peptide of HIV-1 self-associates in phospholipid membranes and inhibits HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein-mediated cell fusion, presumably by interacting with the N-terminal domain of gp41 and forming inactive heteroaggregates [Kliger, Y., Aharoni, A., Rapaport, D., Jones, P., Blumenthal, R. & Shai, Y. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 13496–13505]. Here, we show that a synthetic all d-amino acid peptide corresponding to the N-terminal sequence of HIV-1 gp41 (D-WT) of HIV-1 associates with its enantiomeric wild-type fusion (WT) peptide in the membrane and inhibits cell fusion mediated by the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein. D-WT does not inhibit cell fusion mediated by the HIV-2 envelope glycoprotein. WT and D-WT are equally potent in inducing membrane fusion. D-WT peptide but not WT peptide is resistant to proteolytic digestion. Structural analysis showed that the CD spectra of D-WT in trifluoroethanol/water is a mirror image of that of WT, and attenuated total reflectance–fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed similar structures and orientation for the two enantiomers in the membrane. The results reveal that the chirality of the synthetic peptide corresponding to the HIV-1 gp41 N-terminal sequence does not play a role in liposome fusion and that the peptides’ chirality is not necessarily required for peptide–peptide interaction within the membrane environment. Furthermore, studies along these lines may provide criteria to design protease-resistant therapeutic agents against HIV and other viruses.

Down-regulation of transmembrane carbonic anhydrases in renal cell carcinoma cell lines by wild-type von Hippel-Lindau transgenes

To discover genes involved in von Hippel-Lindau (VHL)-mediated carcinogenesis, we used renal cell carcinoma cell lines stably transfected with wild-type VHL-expressing transgenes. Large-scale RNA differential display technology applied to these cell lines identified several differentially expressed genes, including an alpha carbonic anhydrase gene, termed CA12. The deduced protein sequence was classified as a one-pass transmembrane CA possessing an apparently intact catalytic domain in the extracellular CA module. Reintroduced wild-type VHL strongly inhibited the overexpression of the CA12 gene in the parental renal cell carcinoma cell lines. Similar results were obtained with CA9, encoding another transmembrane CA with an intact catalytic domain. Although both domains of the VHL protein contribute to regulation of CA12 expression, the elongin binding domain alone could effectively regulate CA9 expression. We mapped CA12 and CA9 loci to chromosome bands 15q22 and 17q21.2 respectively, regions prone to amplification in some human cancers. Additional experiments are needed to define the role of CA IX and CA XII enzymes in the regulation of pH in the extracellular microenvironment and its potential impact on cancer cell growth.

Cytokine suppression of protease activation in wild-type p53-dependent and p53-independent apoptosis

M1 myeloid leukemic cells overexpressing wild-type p53 undergo apoptosis. This apoptosis can be suppressed by some cytokines, protease inhibitors, and antioxidants. We now show that induction of apoptosis by overexpressing wild-type p53 is associated with activation of interleukin-1β-converting enzyme (ICE)-like proteases, resulting in cleavage of poly(ADP- ribose) polymerase and the proenzyme of the ICE-like protease Nedd-2. Activation of these proteases and apoptosis were suppressed by the cytokine interleukin 6 or by a combination of the cytokine interferon γ and the antioxidant butylated hydroxyanisole, and activation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and apoptosis were suppressed by some protease inhibitors. In a clone of M1 cells that did not express p53, vincristine or doxorubicin induced protease activation and apoptosis that were not suppressed by protease inhibitors, but were suppressed by interleukin 6. In another myeloid leukemia (7-M12) doxorubicin also induced protease activation and apoptosis that were not suppressed by protease inhibitors, but were suppressed by granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor. The results indicate that (i) overexpression of wild-type p53 by itself or treatment with cytotoxic compounds in wild-type p53-expressing or p53-nonexpressing myeloid leukemic cells is associated with activation of ICE-like proteases; (ii) cytokines exert apoptosis-suppressing functions upstream of protease activation; (iii) the cytotoxic compounds induce additional pathways in apoptosis; and (iv) cytokines can also suppress these other components of the apoptotic machinery.