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1.
How salt stress-responsive proteins regulate plant adaptation to saline conditions.
Mansour, MMF, Hassan, FAS
Plant molecular biology. 2022;(3):175-224
Abstract
An overview is presented of recent advances in our knowledge of candidate proteins that regulate various physiological and biochemical processes underpinning plant adaptation to saline conditions. Salt stress is one of the environmental constraints that restrict plant distribution, growth and yield in many parts of the world. Increased world population surely elevates food demands all over the globe, which anticipates to add a great challenge to humanity. These concerns have necessitated the scientists to understand and unmask the puzzle of plant salt tolerance mechanisms in order to utilize various strategies to develop salt tolerant crop plants. Salt tolerance is a complex trait involving alterations in physiological, biochemical, and molecular processes. These alterations are a result of genomic and proteomic complement readjustments that lead to tolerance mechanisms. Proteomics is a crucial molecular tool that indicates proteins expressed by the genome, and also identifies the functions of proteins accumulated in response to salt stress. Recently, proteomic studies have shed more light on a range of promising candidate proteins that regulate various processes rendering salt tolerance to plants. These proteins have been shown to be involved in photosynthesis and energy metabolism, ion homeostasis, gene transcription and protein biosynthesis, compatible solute production, hormone modulation, cell wall structure modification, cellular detoxification, membrane stabilization, and signal transduction. These candidate salt responsive proteins can be therefore used in biotechnological approaches to improve tolerance of crop plants to salt conditions. In this review, we provided comprehensive updated information on the proteomic data of plants/genotypes contrasting in salt tolerance in response to salt stress. The roles of salt responsive proteins that are potential determinants for plant salt adaptation are discussed. The relationship between changes in proteome composition and abundance, and alterations observed in physiological and biochemical features associated with salt tolerance are also addressed.
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2.
Bioremediation of an agricultural saline soil contaminated with endosulfan and Escherichia coli by an active surface agent induced in a Penicillium crustosum culture.
Landa-Faz, A, Rodríguez-Vázquez, R, Roldán-Carrillo, TG, Hidalgo-Lara, ME, Aguilar-López, R, Cebrián-García, ME
Preparative biochemistry & biotechnology. 2022;(3):292-301
Abstract
This study evaluates the production of a biological active surface agent (BASA) through its surface tension (ST) and emulsifying activity (E24) for endosulfan degradation (ED) and Escherichia coli growth inhibition (EcGI) in an agricultural saline soil. The fungus, identified as Penicillium crustosum was isolated from the Citrus sinensis peel (CsP), then the surface properties were evaluated in 9 culture media through a Taguchi L9 experimental design. The culture conditions included: stirring speed, pH, carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) sources; being glucose, NH4N03, 120 rpm and pH of 5, the most significant parameters in the BASA production. The BASA identified as a lipopeptide type, showed a ST = 38 mN m-1 and E24=71%. Both properties were stable at 80 °C, while ST presented stability in the pH range of 2 - 12, and a saline concentration of 200 g L-1; E24 was also stable at a pH between 8-12. Further application of BASA and fungal inoculum to a contaminated agricultural saline soil presented an EcGI of 99.8% on the 8th day, and ED of 92.9 ± 4.7% in 30 days, respectively; being the first report that uses this fungus for pesticide and bacteria elimination from an agricultural saline soil.
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3.
The comparison of nasal irrigation outcome between 3% NaCl and 0.9% NaCl in adults majority with intermittent allergic rhinitis: A randomized double-blind study.
Yata, K, Srivanitchapoom, C
Asian Pacific journal of allergy and immunology. 2021;(1):9-14
Abstract
BACKGROUND Management of allergic rhinitis with oral antihistamine and steroid nasal spray are the standard treatment which is recommended by Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma guidelines. In addition, nasal irrigation as an adjuvant therapy also provides a satisfactory result. OBJECTIVE To compare the treatment outcome in adults majority with intermittent allergic rhinitis who receive different concentrations of nasal irrigation. METHODS The prospective randomized double-blind study was performed in 80 patients. All patients were prescribed oral antihistamine and nasal irrigated solution between 3% NaCl and 0.9% NaCl. Nasal congestion and rhinorrhea were evaluated at baseline, first and second weeks after treatment. Assessments were measured by nasal congestion visual analog scale rhinorrhea visual analog scale, inferior turbinate size, and peak nasal expiratory flow rate (PNEFR). A p value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS There were 40 patients in each group of the study. Patients reported satisfactory experience after using saline irrigation at first and second weeks in both solutions (p value < 0.001). However, when compared between groups, no significant differences for all parameters were reported. PNEFR showed good results after the first week of 3% NaCl irrigation (p value = 0.001), while 0.9% NaCl had good results after the second week (p value < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Both add-on treatments have a significant improvement of all 4 parameters assessed in the study: nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, inferior turbinate size and PNEFR. Of note, 3% NaCl but not 0.9 NaCl had improved the PNEFR earlier from 1 week of the treatment.
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4.
Salt dependent mesoscopic model for RNA at multiple strand concentrations.
Ferreira, I, Amarante, TD, Weber, G
Biophysical chemistry. 2021;:106551
Abstract
Mesoscopic models can be used for the description of the thermodynamic properties of RNA duplexes. With the use of experimental melting temperatures, its parametrization can provide important insights into its hydrogen bonds and stacking interactions as has been done for high sodium concentrations. However, the RNA parametrization for lower salt concentrations is still missing due to the limited amount of published melting temperature data. While the Peyrard-Bishop (PB) parametrization was found to be largely independent of strand concentrations, it requires that all temperatures are provided at the same strand concentrations. Here we adapted the PB model to handle multiple strand concentrations and in this way we were able to make use of an experimental set of temperatures to model the hydrogen bond and stacking interactions at low and intermediate sodium concentrations. For the parametrizations we make a distinction between terminal and internal base pairs, and the resulting potentials were qualitatively similar as we obtained previously for DNA. The main difference from DNA parameters, was the Morse potentials at low sodium concentrations for terminal r(AU) which is stronger than d(AT), suggesting higher hydrogen bond strength.
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5.
Effect of glucose and sodium chloride mouth rinses on neuromuscular fatigue: a preliminary study.
Khong, TK, Selvanayagam, V, Yusof, A
European journal of sport science. 2021;(2):224-230
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Abstract
Carbohydrate (CHO) mouth rinse has been shown to improve endurance performance and maintain the central drive of contracting muscles. Salt (NaCl) mouth rinse solution, often used in dentistry to desensitise the oral cavity to pain, could also activate cortical areas of the brain. Hence, the objective of this preliminary study was to investigate whether CHO (glucose) and NaCl mouth rinses could attenuate the reduction in maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) and sustained MVC (sMVC) following an endurance exercise (30-minute cycling at 70% VO2max). Ten subjects (male, age: 22 ± 1 years, weight: 65.3 ± 12.4 kg, height: 164.5 ± 7.5 cm, VO2max: 48.3 ± 6.1 mL kg-1 min-1) completed three trials of 30-minute cycling exercise. In a randomised cross-over study, in each trial, the participants rinsed using either water, 6% glucose, or 6% NaCl solution for 5 s immediately prior to and every 10 min during the cycling exercise. The MVC and sMVC were measured pre and post cycling. Analysis of variance showed significant interaction and time effects for MVC, while for sMVC there was a significant interaction with time and group effects. Both MVC and sMVC were higher post cycling in the glucose and NaCl groups compared to the water group, which suggests that activation of glucose and NaCl oral receptors could better preserve post-exercise force production. This is the first study to show that NaCl mouth rinse can produce a comparable effect on glucose. Hence, mouth rinses may be able to activate other distinct pathways that could attenuate fatigue.
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The Effect of Metal Cations on the Aqueous Behavior of Dopamine. Thermodynamic Investigation of the Binary and Ternary Interactions with Cd2+, Cu2+ and UO22+ in NaCl at Different Ionic Strengths and Temperatures.
Gigliuto, A, Cigala, RM, Irto, A, Felice, MR, Pettignano, A, De Stefano, C, Crea, F
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). 2021;(24)
Abstract
The interactions of dopamine [2-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)ethylamine, (Dop-)] with cadmium(II), copper(II) and uranyl(VI) were studied in NaCl(aq) at different ionic strengths (0 ≤ I/mol dm-3 ≤ 1.0) and temperatures (288.15 ≤ T/K ≤ 318.15). From the elaboration of the experimental data, it was found that the speciation models are featured by species of different stoichiometry and stability. In particular for cadmium, the formation of only MLH, ML and ML2 (M = Cd2+; L = dopamine) species was obtained. For uranyl(VI) (UO22+), the speciation scheme is influenced by the use of UO2(acetate)2 salt as a chemical; in this case, the formation of ML2, MLOH and the ternary MLAc (Ac = acetate) species in a wide pH range was observed. The most complex speciation model was obtained for the interaction of Cu2+ with dopamine; in this case we observed the formation of the following species: ML2, M2L, M2L2, M2L2(OH)2, M2LOH and ML2OH. These speciation models were determined at each ionic strength and temperature investigated. As a further contribution to this kind of investigation, the ternary interactions of dopamine with UO22+/Cd2+ and UO22+/Cu2+ were investigated at I = 0.15 mol dm-3 and T = 298.15K. These systems have different speciation models, with the MM'L and M2M'L2OH [M = UO22+; M' = Cd2+ or Cu2+, L = dopamine] common species; the species of the mixed Cd2+ containing system have a higher stability with respect the Cu2+ containing one. The dependence on the ionic strength of complex formation constants was modelled by using both an extended Debye-Hückel equation that included the Van't Hoff term for the calculation of the formation enthalpy change values and the Specific Ion Interaction Theory (SIT). The results highlighted that, in general, the entropy is the driving force of the process. The quantification of the effective sequestering ability of dopamine towards the studied cations was evaluated by using a Boltzmann-type equation and the calculation of pL0.5 parameter. The sequestering ability was quantified at different ionic strengths, temperatures and pHs, and this resulted, in general, that the pL0.5 trend was always: UO22+ > Cu2+ > Cd2+.
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Effect of sodium-chloride ion difference on pH regulation.
Nozawa, H, Tsuboi, N, Nariai, R, Nishimura, N, Nakagawa, S
Clinical biochemistry. 2021;:75-77
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the Stewart approach, the difference between the cation and anion concentrations, especially between sodium, accounting for the majority of cations, and chloride, comprising the majority of anions, is an important factor in pH regulation. This study investigated the effect of sodium-chloride ion difference (SCD) on pH regulation comparing with those of PaCO2 and lactate. METHODS Arterial blood gas samples measured at our pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary children's hospital between January and June 2020 were included. Samples that met the following criteria were excluded: samples collected from patients taking potassium bromide and samples with lactate concentration of >25 mmol/L. From the eligible data, pH was chosen as the dependent variable and SCD, lactate, and PaCO2 as independent variables, and then, a multiple regression analysis was performed. RESULTS In total, 5360 samples were included. Of these, five samples were excluded according to the exclusion criteria. Finally, 5355 samples were analyzed. As the variance inflation factors were <2.0 for all three variables, there was no multicollinearity. The following model was derived: pH = 7.384 + [0.97 × SCD (mEq/L) - 0.66 × PaCO2 (mmHg) - 1.33 × Lac (mmol/L)] × 10-2 (adjusted R-squared = 0.73; P value < 0.001). Based on the standardized partial regression coefficients (β), pH was affected in the order of PaCO2 (βPaCO2 = -0.95), SCD (βSCD = 0.72), and lactate (βlactate = -0.33). CONCLUSIONS The prevention of SCD reduction, together with respiratory and metabolic management, is important for pH regulation.
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8.
Artificial Water Channels: Towards Biomimetic Membranes for Desalination.
Huang, LB, Di Vincenzo, M, Li, Y, Barboiu, M
Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany). 2021;(7):2224-2239
Abstract
Natural Aquaporin (AQP) channels are efficient water translocating proteins, rejecting ions. Inspired by this masterpiece of nature, Artificial Water Channels (AWCs) with controlled functional structures, can be potentially used to mimic the AQPs to a certain extent, offering flexible avenues toward biomimetic membranes for water purification. The objective of this paper is to trace the historical development and significant advancements of current reported AWCs. Meanwhile, we attempt to reveal important structural insights and supramolecular self-assembly principles governing the selective water transport mechanisms, toward innovative AWC-based biomimetic membranes for desalination.
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Altered Root Growth, Auxin Metabolism and Distribution in Arabidopsis thaliana Exposed to Salt and Osmotic Stress.
Smolko, A, Bauer, N, Pavlović, I, Pěnčík, A, Novák, O, Salopek-Sondi, B
International journal of molecular sciences. 2021;(15)
Abstract
Salt and osmotic stress are the main abiotic stress factors affecting plant root growth and architecture. We investigated the effect of salt (100 mM NaCl) and osmotic (200 mM mannitol) stress on the auxin metabolome by UHPLC-MS/MS, auxin distribution by confocal microscopy, and transcript levels of selected genes by qRT-PCR in Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Columbia-0 (Col-0) and DR5rev::GFP (DR5) line. During long-term stress (13 days), a stability of the auxin metabolome and a tendency to increase indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) were observed, especially during salt stress. Short-term stress (3 h) caused significant changes in the auxin metabolome, especially NaCl treatment resulted in a significant reduction of IAA. The data derived from auxin profiling were consistent with gene expressions showing the most striking changes in the transcripts of YUC, GH3, and UGT transcripts, suggesting disruption of auxin biosynthesis, but especially in the processes of amide and ester conjugation. These data were consistent with the auxin distribution observed in the DR5 line. Moreover, NaCl treatment caused a redistribution of auxin signals from the quiescent center and the inner layers of the root cap to the epidermal and cortical cells of the root elongation zone. The distribution of PIN proteins was also disrupted by salt stress; in particular, PIN2 was suppressed, even after 5 min of treatment. Based on our results, the DR5 line was more sensitive to the applied stresses than Col-0, although both lines showed similar trends in root morphology, as well as transcriptome and metabolome parameters under stress conditions.
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10.
A Fluid Challenge Test for the Diagnosis of Occult Heart Failure.
D'Alto, M, Badesch, D, Bossone, E, Borlaug, BA, Brittain, E, Humbert, M, Naeije, R
Chest. 2021;(2):791-797
Abstract
A right heart catheterization with measurements of pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP) may be necessary for the diagnosis of left heart failure as a cause of pulmonary hypertension or unexplained dyspnea. Diagnostic cutoff values are a PAWP of ≥ 15 mm Hg at rest or a PAWP of ≥ 25 mm Hg during exercise. However, accurate measurement of PAWP can be challenging and heart failure may be occult. Left heart catheterization, with measurement of left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, may also be indecisive. Measurements are then best repeated in stress conditions. Exercise is an option, but the equipment is not universally available, and interpretation can be difficult in patients with wide respiratory pressure swings. An alternative is offered by a fluid challenge. Studies have gathered data supporting infusion of 500 mL or 7 mL/kg saline and a PAWP of 18 mm Hg as a diagnostic cutoff. The procedure is simple and does not take much catheterization laboratory time. Combining echocardiography with invasive measurements may increase the diagnostic accuracy of diastolic dysfunction. Cardiac output after a fluid challenge may be of prognostic relevance.