• Title/Summary/Keyword: Environmental physiology

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Movement of Rhizobia Inside Tobacco and Lifestyle Alternation from Endophytes to Free-Living Rhizobia on Leaves

  • Ji, Kui-Xian;Chi, Feng;Yang, Ming-Feng;Shen, Shi-Hua;Jing, Yu-Xiang;Dazzo, Frank B.;Cheng, Hai-Ping
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.20 no.2
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    • pp.238-244
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    • 2010
  • Rhizobia are well-known for their ability to infect and nodulate legume roots, forming a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis of agricultural importance. In addition, recent studies have shown that rhizobia can colonize roots and aerial plant tissues of rice as a model plant of the Graminaceae family. Here we show that rhizobia can invade tobacco, a model plant belonging to the Solanaceae family. Inoculation of seedling. roots with five GFP-tagged rhizobial species followed by microscopy and viable plating analyses indicated their colonization of the surface and interior of the whole vegetative plant. Blockage of ascending epiphytic migration by coating the hypocotyls with Vaseline showed that the endophytic rhizobia can exit the leaf interior through stomata and colonize the external phyllosphere habitat. These studies indicate rhizobia can colonize both below- and above-ground tissues of tobacco using a dynamic invasion process that involves both epiphytic and endophytic lifestyles.

Thermotherapy as an alternative to exercise for metabolic health in obese postmenopausal women: focus on circulating irisin level

  • Lee, Seung-Jea;Kim, Tae-Wook;Park, Tae-Hwan;Lee, In-Ho;Jang, Eun-Chul;Kwon, Soon-Chan;Lee, Hye-Jin;Choi, Jeong-Hwan;Lee, Jeong-Beom
    • The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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    • v.26 no.6
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    • pp.501-509
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    • 2022
  • Irisin is a myokine caused by exercise that improves insulin resistance and weight loss. However, under unfavorable conditions such as air pollution, and during the pandemic, outdoor activities are uncomfortable. Therefore, in this study, the effect of heat therapy (half bath 42 ± 0.5℃ for 30 min) on irisin circulation levels as an exercise alternative for middle-aged obese women after menopause was investigated. Subjects were 33 women aged 49.54 ± 6.04 years, with parameters of height, 160.12 ± 4.33 cm, weight, 69.71 ± 7.52 kg, body surface area 1.73 ± 0.13 m2, body mass index, 27.19 ± 3.40 kg/m2. The results suggest that circulating irisin levels showed a significant increase after one-time thermotherapy (TH-1). However, the increase in circulating irisin levels after 15 treatments (TH-15, 5 days/week, 3 weeks) was significantly varied. The level of adiponectin, which increases fatty oxidation to reduce fatty deposition, increased significantly at TH-1, but further increased at TH-15, which was significantly different from the level of TH-1. In addition, the basic serum free fatty acid (FFA) level was significantly increased at TH-15 compared to TH-1. Significant differences were also found in the lipid profile (body mass index, waist circumference, and % body fat). Thermotherapy can significantly increase the tympanic temperature and induce changes in circulating irisin and adiponectin levels. Thus, it resulted in positive changes in FFA and lipid profiles. Therefore, repeated thermotherapy is effective in increasing circulating irisin levels in postmenopausal obese women.

Insect Adaptations to Changing Environments - Temperature and Humidity

  • Singh, Tribhuwan;Bhat, Madan Mohan;Khan, Mohammad Ashraf
    • International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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    • v.19 no.1
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    • pp.155-164
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    • 2009
  • The most important factors in environment that influence the physiology of insects are temperature and humidity. Insects display a remarkable range of adaptations to changing environments and maintain their internal temperature (thermoregulation) and water content within tolerable limits, despite wide fluctuations in their surroundings. Adaptation is a complex and dynamic state that widely differs in species. Surviving under changing environment in insects depends on dispersal, habitat selection, habitat modification, relationship with ice and water, resistance to cold, diapause and developmental rate, sensitivity to environmental signals and syntheses of variety of cryoprotectant molecules. The mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mori) is very delicate and sensitive to environmental fluctuations and unable to survive naturally because of their domestication since ancient times. Thus, the adaptability to environmental conditions in the silkworm is quite different from those of wild insects. Temperature, humidity, air circulation, gases and photoperiod etc. shows a significant interaction in their effect on the physiology of silkworm depending upon the combination of factors and developmental stage affecting growth, development, productivity and quality of silk. An attempt has been made in this article to briefly discuss adaptation in insects with special emphasis on the role of environmental factors and their fluctuations and its significance in the physiology of mulberry silkworm, B. mori.

Cadmium-induced E-cadherin Expression in Cerebrovascular Endothelial Cells (카드뮴이 뇌혈관 내피세포에서의 E-cadherin 발현에 미치는 영향)

  • Seok, Sun-Mi;Lee, Tae-Gu;Kim, Young-Chae;Moon, Chang-Hyun;Baik, Eun-Joo;Jung, Yi-Sook;Lee, Soo-Hwan
    • Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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    • v.22 no.2 s.57
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    • pp.137-145
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    • 2007
  • The effect of cadmium chloride $(CdCl_2)$ on the expression of E-cadherin was examined in bEnd.3 mouse brain endothelial cells. $CdCl_2$ induced $PGE_2$ release, which were blocked by non-steroidal antinflamatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as indomethacin and NS398 indicating the expression of COX-2 might contribute to $PGE_2$ production. $CdCl_2$ decreased the expression of E-cadherin, but not VE-cadherin at levels of mRNA and protein. Reduced expression level of E-cadherin was restored by NSAIDs, which was reversed by the addition of $PGE_2$. $CdC_2$-induced decrease of E-cadherin level was also recovered by antioxidants including N-acetylcyteine (NAC) and trolox. Together with previous report which showed $CdCl_2$ induced COX-2 expression in a cellular oxidative stress dependent manner, these data suggest that $CdCl_2$ decreases E-cadherin expression through induction of cellular oxidative stress and in turn COX-2 expression in brain endothelial cells.

Effect of Dietary L-ascorbic Acid (L-AA) on Production Performance, Egg Quality Traits and Fertility in Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica) at Low Ambient Temperature

  • Shit, N.;Singh, R.P.;Sastry, K.V.H.;Agarwal, R.;Singh, R.;Pandey, N.K.;Mohan, J.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.25 no.7
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    • pp.1009-1014
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    • 2012
  • Environmental stress boosts the levels of stress hormones and accelerates energy expenditure which subsequently imbalance the body's homeostasis. L-ascorbic acid (L-AA) has been recognized to mitigate the negative impact of environmental stress on production performances in birds. The present investigation was carried out to elucidate the effect of different dietary levels of L-AA on production performance, egg quality traits and fertility in Japanese quail at low ambient temperature. Sixty matured females (15 wks) were equally divided into three groups (20/group) based on the different dietary levels of L-AA (0, 250 and 500 ppm) and coupled with an equal number of males (1:1) obtained from the same hatch. They were managed in uniform husbandry conditions without restriction of feed and water at 14 h photo-schedule. Except for feed efficiency, body weight change, feed consumption and hen-day egg production were recorded highest in 500 ppm L-AA supplemented groups. Among the all egg quality traits studied, only specific gravity, shell weight and thickness differed significantly (p<0.05) in the present study. Fertility was improved significantly ($p{\leq}0.01$) to a dose dependent manner of L-AA. The findings of the present study concluded that dietary L-AA can be a caring management practice at least in part to alleviate the adverse effect of cold induced stress on production performance in Japanese quail.

Inhibition of voltage-dependent K+ channels by antimuscarinic drug fesoterodine in coronary arterial smooth muscle cells

  • Park, Seojin;Kang, Minji;Heo, Ryeon;Mun, Seo-Yeong;Park, Minju;Han, Eun-Taek;Han, Jin-Hee;Chun, Wanjoo;Park, Hongzoo;Park, Won Sun
    • The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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    • v.26 no.5
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    • pp.397-404
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    • 2022
  • Fesoterodine, an antimuscarinic drug, is widely used to treat overactive bladder syndrome. However, there is little information about its effects on vascular K+ channels. In this study, voltage-dependent K+ (Kv) channel inhibition by fesoterodine was investigated using the patch-clamp technique in rabbit coronary artery. In whole-cell patches, the addition of fesoterodine to the bath inhibited the Kv currents in a concentration-dependent manner, with an IC50 value of 3.19 ± 0.91 μM and a Hill coefficient of 0.56 ± 0.03. Although the drug did not alter the voltage-dependence of steady-state activation, it shifted the steady-state inactivation curve to a more negative potential, suggesting that fesoterodine affects the voltage-sensor of the Kv channel. Inhibition by fesoterodine was significantly enhanced by repetitive train pulses (1 or 2 Hz). Furthermore, it significantly increased the recovery time constant from inactivation, suggesting that the Kv channel inhibition by fesoterodine is use (state)-dependent. Its inhibitory effect disappeared by pretreatment with a Kv 1.5 inhibitor. However, pretreatment with Kv2.1 or Kv7 inhibitors did not affect the inhibitory effects on Kv channels. Based on these results, we conclude that fesoterodine inhibits vascular Kv channels (mainly the Kv1.5 subtype) in a concentration- and use (state)-dependent manner, independent of muscarinic receptor antagonism.

The impact of short-term acute heat stress on the rumen microbiome of Hanwoo steers

  • Baek, Youl Chang;Choi, Hyuck;Jeong, Jinyoung;Lee, Sung Dae;Kim, Min Ji;Lee, Seul;Ji, Sang Yun;Kim, Minseok
    • Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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    • v.62 no.2
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    • pp.208-217
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    • 2020
  • Heat stress negatively affects cattle productivity by reducing feed intake. In the present study, we assessed if the rumen microbiome composition of Hanwoo steers was altered by exposure to heat stress. Rumen samples were collected from four Hanwoo steers that were individually housed in climate-controlled chambers with 60% humidity and environmental temperatures of: 1) 15℃ (0-day group), 2) 35℃ for 3 days (3-day group), and 3) 35℃ for 6 days (6-day group). The total community DNA of samples was extracted, and 997,843 bacterial and 1,508,770 archaeal sequences were analyzed using next-generation sequencing. Assessment of the relative abundances revealed 15 major phyla of which Bacteroidetes was found to be the most dominant. After 3 days of heat stress exposure there were no significant changes in the rumen microbiome composition, except for a decrease in the Planctomycetes. However, after 6 days of heat stress exposure, we found that the relative abundance of fibrolytic Ruminococcaceae had decreased while that of lactate-producing Lactobacillaceae and amylolytic Prevotella and Ruminobacter had increased. The normal rumen microbiome of Hanwoo cattle was shown to be disrupted after 6 days of heat stress, which led to the decrease in fibrolytic bacteria that are sensitive to low pH and the increase in both lactate-producing and amylolytic bacteria. We have demonstrated that the microbiome composition of the rumen is affected by acute heat stress. Our findings may contribute to the development of different feeding strategies to restore heat stress-induced disruption of the rumen microbiome.