Morpho-Anatomical, Physiological and Biochemical Adjustments in Response to Heat and Drought Co-Stress in Winter Barley.

This study aimed to investigate the combined effect of high temperatures 10 °C above the optimum and water withholding during microgametogenesis on vegetative processes and determine the response of winter barley genotypes with contrasting tolerance. For this purpose, two barley varieties were analyzed to compare the effect of heat and drought co-stress on their phenology, morpho-anatomy, physiological and biochemical responses and yield constituents. Genotypic variation was observed in response to heat and drought co-stress, which was attributed to differences in anatomy, ultrastructure and physiological and metabolic processes. The co-stress-induced reduction in relative water content, total soluble protein and carbohydrate contents, photosynthetic pigment contents and photosynthetic efficiency of the sensitive Spinner variety was significantly greater than the tolerant Lambada genotype. Based on these observations, it has been concluded that the heat-and-drought stress-tolerance of the Lambada variety is related to the lower initial chlorophyll content of the leaves, the relative resistance of photosynthetic pigments towards stress-triggered degradation, retained photosynthetic parameters and better-preserved leaf ultrastructure. Understanding the key factors underlying heat and drought co-stress tolerance in barley may enable breeders to create barley varieties with improved yield stability under a changing climate.

Facile isolation and analysis of sporopollenin exine from bee pollen.

We present facile methods to obtain purified sporopollenin exine capsules, and provide mass balances for classical and novel purification procedures. An ionic liquid, tetrabutyl phosphonium hydroxide turned out to be the most effective in removing the intine wall. The sporopollenin capsules were investigated by fluorescent microscopy, AFM, solid-state NMR and infrared Raman spectroscopy. The latter two methods showed that sunflower and rape exines have different proportions of O-aliphatic and aromatic constituents. Purified exine capsules were coated with functionalized fluorophores. The procedures presented in this paper could contribute to further spread of the applications of this hollow, and chemically highly resistant material.

Revisiting the iron pools in cucumber roots: identification and localization.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Fe deficiency responses in Strategy I causes a shift from the formation of partially removable hydrous ferric oxide on the root surface to the accumulation of Fe-citrate in the xylem. Iron may accumulate in various chemical forms during its uptake and assimilation in roots. The permanent and transient Fe microenvironments formed during these processes in cucumber which takes up Fe in a reduction based process (Strategy I) have been investigated. The identification of Fe microenvironments was carried out with (57)Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy and immunoblotting, whereas reductive washing and high-resolution microscopy was applied for the localization. In plants supplied with (57)Fe(III)-citrate, a transient presence of Fe-carboxylates in removable forms and the accumulation of partly removable, amorphous hydrous ferric oxide/hydroxyde have been identified in the apoplast and on the root surface, respectively. The latter may at least partly be the consequence of bacterial activity at the root surface. Ferritin accumulation did not occur at optimal Fe supply. Under Fe deficiency, highly soluble ferrous hexaaqua complex is transiently formed along with the accumulation of Fe-carboxylates, likely Fe-citrate. As (57)Fe-citrate is non-removable from the root samples of Fe deficient plants, the major site of accumulation is suggested to be the root xylem. Reductive washing results in another ferrous microenvironment remaining in the root apoplast, the Fe(II)-bipyridyl complex, which accounts for ~30 % of the total Fe content of the root samples treated for 10 min and rinsed with CaSO4 solution. When (57)Fe(III)-EDTA or (57)Fe(III)-EDDHA was applied as Fe-source higher soluble ferrous Fe accumulation was accompanied by a lower total Fe content, confirming that chelates are more efficient in maintaining soluble Fe in the medium while less stable natural complexes as Fe-citrate may perform better in Fe accumulation.

A novel cyclic RGD-containing peptide polymer improves serum-free adhesion of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells to bone implant surfaces.

Seeding of bone implants with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may promote osseointegration and bone regeneration. However, implant material surfaces, such as titanium or bovine bone mineral, fail to support rapid and efficient attachment of MSCs, especially under serum-free conditions that may be desirable when human applications or tightly controlled experiments are envisioned. Here we demonstrate that a branched poly[Lys(Ser(i)-DL-Ala(m))] polymer functionalized with cyclic arginyl-glycyl-aspartate, when immobilized by simple adsorption to tissue culture plastic, surgical titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V), or Bio-Oss(®) bovine bone substitute, significantly accelerates serum-free adhesion and enhances seeding efficiency of human adipose tissue-derived MSCs. Moreover, when exposed to serum-containing osteogenic medium, MSCs survived and differentiated on the peptide-coated scaffolds. In summary, the presented novel polypeptide conjugate can be conveniently used for coating various surfaces, and may find applications whenever quick and efficient seeding of MSCs is required to various scaffolds in the absence of serum.

Mechanoreceptor Cells on the Tertiary Pulvini of Mimosa pudica L.

Special red cells were found on the adaxial surface of tertiary pulvini of Mimosa pudica and experiments performed to determine the origin and function of these cells. Using anatomical (light, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopy) and electrophysiological techniques, we have demonstrated that these red cells are real mechanoreceptor cells. They can generate receptor potential following mechanical stimuli and they are in connection with excitable motor cells (through plasmodesmata). We also provide evidence that these red cells are derived from stomatal subsidiary cells and not guard cells. As histochemical studies show red cells contain tannin, which is important in development of action potentials and movements of plants. These cells could be one of unidentified mechanoreceptors of mimosa.