Nest boxes for breeding tawny owls (Strix aluco) were located in a mixed oak-hornbeam-beech (Quercus-Carpinus-Fagus) forest in the Duna-Ipoly National Park, 30 km northwest of Budapest, Hungary during the period 1992-2010. The 550 m altitude range (120-680 m) of the study area was divided into low and high elevations: 400 m, each containing 88 nest-boxes. We marked 77 males in their first breeding year and evaluated the lifetime territory occupation and reproductive performance for individuals which reached five, six, seven, eight or nine years old. The fledgling production of tawny owl males increased in their first, second and third years, reached a high level in years four and five, but declined once they were six years old. The relative low reproductive performance in the early and late years of the males’ lives may be attributed to the fact that the majority of males were unable to occupy high quality territories, and the rate at which individuals skipped breeding was high. We suggest that both the reduced ability to acquire high quality territories and declining fledging production in late years of males reflect senescence patterns in tawny owls.
About 30 percent of patients diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) progress to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The senescence of bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) seems to be one of the determining factors in inducing this drift. Research is continuously looking for new methodologies and technologies that can use bioelectric signals to act on senescence and cell differentiation towards the phenotype of interest. The Radio Electric Asymmetric Conveyer (REAC) technology, aimed at reorganizing the endogenous bioelectric activity, has already shown to be able to determine direct cell reprogramming effects and counteract the senescence mechanisms in stem cells. Aim of the present study was to prove if the anti-senescence results previously obtained in different kind of stem cells with the REAC Tissue optimization – regenerative (TO-RGN) treatment, could also be observed in BMSCs, evaluating cell viability, telomerase activity, p19ARF, P21, P53, and hTERT gene expression. The results show that the REAC TORGN treatment may be a useful tool to counteract the BMSCs senescence which can be the basis of AML drift. Nevertheless, further clinical studies on humans are needed to confirm this hypothesis.
The influence of calcium channel blockers and ionophore on Cu2+-induced changes of the photosynthetic activity of runner bean plants (Phaseolus coccineus L.) was investigated. Excess Cu2+ was applied to leaves by injection or via the roots to examine a short/local or a long time/systemic effect of this metal, respectively. The changes in fluorescence parameters indicated that the mechanism of toxic action of Cu2+ ions on the photosynthetic apparatus was only partially connected with Ca2+ or Ca2+ channels. In young plants Ca2+ diminished especially photochemical and nonphotochemical dissipative processes induced by short- and long-term influence of excess Cu2+. Blocking of Ca2+ channels did not change direct Cu2+ action on the photosynthetic activity, however, their opening distinctly intensified the inhibitory effect of the metal. After a longer accumulation peri od the effect of Cu2+ ions did not change significantly due to modified Ca2+ penetration through membranes (except that caused by La3+). Copper directly introduced into older leaves diminished only at its highest concentration the activity both of the donor and acceptor sides of photosystem 2 (PS2) connected with Rfd decrease and increase of LNU. A similar effect was observed also after a long-term Cu2+ action, but disturbances on the acceptor side of PS2 were observed only at a higher Ca2+ content in the nutrient solution. Ca2+ ions, particularly after openning of channels, intensified direct inhibitory Cu2+ action on the photosynthetic activity expressed by decreased values of Fv/F0 and Rfd. Lanthanum and verapamil, at a lower Ca2+ content in the medium, decreased the photosynthetic activity of Cu2+-treated plants. This effect was also seen after additional Ca2+ supply to the leaves. and W. Maksymiec, T. Baszyński.
Shade treatment was applied to tall fescue with 30% full light. The results showed that shade increased chlorophyll (Chl) content per unit leaf mass, decreased the Chl a/b ratio in the mature leaves, and decreased effective quantum yield based on Chl fluorescence compared to the full light treatment. Shade stress did not cause increased contents of malondiadehyde at the early stages of leaf development. However, normalized vegetation indices were able to detect shade stress. Chloroplasts in the shaded leaves are arranged tightly against the periclinal cell wall and are in a spindle shape. There were no differences in the number of grana per chloroplast or grana size (thylakoids per granum) between shade and full light treatment. In conclusion, tall fescue leaves showed unique ultrastructure changes. Turfgrass managers could use vegetation indices developed from the leaf light reflection spectrum as an effective tool to assess shade stress levels and make management decisions.
French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cotyledons lost most of their reserve substances during several early days of germination and turned green. In cotyledon mesophyll cells of one-week-old seedlings, plastids were represented predominantly by amyloplasts (starch grains) and chloroamyloplasts, and the cells appeared to be metabolically highly active. Cell heterogeneity associated with distance of the cells from cotyledon vascular bundles was evident. Only mesophyll cells near to the bundles were rich in plastids. In two-weeks-old intact bean plants, the cotyledons were yellow and shrunken, and their cells were nearly "empty". The plastids in them were represented by senescent plastids (gerontoplasts) only. In the gerontoplasts as well as freely in cytosol, fluorescent lipoid inclusions were accumulated. This cotyledon development was more or less independent of irradiance. In "decapitated" bean plants, senescence of mesophyll cells and plastids was slowed down considerably, and the life span of the cotyledons was prolonged. and J. Kutík, N. Wilhelmová, J. Snopek.
Considering the preexisting influence of the process of natural aging on antioxidant enzymes activity and the level of lipid peroxidation, the age of the rats at which D-galactose (D-gal) treatment is started could strongly impact the development of D-gal induced senescence. To eval uate this, we subjected 1, 3 and 15 months old rats to D-gal treatment in parallel with having appropriate placebos (0.9 % saline). Our results showed elevated glutathione peroxidase (GPx) acti vity and no significant changes in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione reductase (GR) activity or malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in relation to natural aging. In mature and aged senescent livers we observed positive correlation between increased ratio R=SOD/(GPx+CAT) and increased MDA concentration. MDA levels seemed to correlate positively with the age of the animals at which D-gal treatment had started. In the case of 3 and 15 months old rats there was D-gal induced decrease in SOD and GR activity, but this effect of the treatment was not observed in 1 month old rats. Our results imply that the changes in the antioxidant enzyme activities are not only under the influence of the D-gal overload, but also depend on the developmental stage of the rats. According to our resu lts, with regard to enzymatic antioxidant capacity and the level of lipid peroxidation, the best age for induction of senescence is somewhere after the third month., N. Hadzi-Petrushev, V. Stojkovski, D. Mitrov, M. Mladenov., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Alterations in photosynthetic capacity of primary leaves of wheat seedlings in response to ultraviolet-B (UV-B; 280-320 nm; 60 µmol m-2 s-1) exposure alone and in combination with photosynthetically active radiation (PAR; 400-800 nm; 200 µmol m-2 s-1) during different phases of leaf growth and development were assessed. UV-B exposure resulted in a phase-dependent differential loss in photosynthetic pigments, photochemical potential, photosystem 2 (PS2) quantum yield, and in vivo O2 evolution. UV-B exposure induced maximum damage to the photosynthetic apparatus during senescence phase of development. The damages were partially alleviated when UV-B exposure was accompanied by PAR. UV-B induced an enhancement in accumulation of flavonoids during all phases of development while it caused a decline in anthocyanin content during senescence. The differential changes in these parameters demonstrated the adaptation ability of leaves to UV-B stress during all phases of development and the ability was modified in UV-B+ PAR exposed samples. and M. K. Pradhan ... [et al.].
Cellular response to ionizing radiation-induced damage depends on the cell type and the ability to repair DNA damage. Some types of cells undergo apoptosis, whereas others induce a permanent cell cycle arrest and do not proliferate. Our study demonstrates two types of response of embryonic diploid fibroblasts WI-38 to ionizing radiation. In the WI-38 cells p53 is activated, protein p21 increases, but the cells are arrested in G2 phase of cell cycle. Some of the cells die by apoptosis, but in remaining viable cells p16 increases, senescence associated DNA- damage foci occur, and senescence-associated beta-galactosidase activity increases, which indicate stress-induced premature senescence., J. Cmielová ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Arsenic is a critical contaminant that is released into the environment through geochemical processes and anthropic actions. Two independent hydroponic experiments were performed to evaluate the ecophysiological responses of water hyacinth [Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms] to As under various stress conditions. In experiment 1, water hyacinth was exposed to As5+ at concentrations of 0, 0.2, 2.0, and 20 mg L-1 for 0, 2, and 4 d; in experiment 2, water hyacinth was exposed at concentrations of 0, 0.025, 0.05, and 0.1 mg L-1 for 0, 10, and 20 d. In both experiments, As accumulation in plant tissue was proportional to its increase in the nutrient solution; As concentrations were higher in roots than in shoots. Detrimental effects of As on gas exchange were observed and were more pronounced in experiment 1. In experiment 1, at the beginning on the second day of exposure, significant decreases of maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm), variable chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/F0), and photosynthetic pigment contents were observed in plants exposed to 2.0 and 20 mg(As5+) L-1. It indicated that damage to the photosynthetic apparatus had occurred. No changes in Fv/Fm, Fv/F0, and contents of photosynthetic pigments were observed in the plants grown in the presence of 0.2 mg(As5+) L-1 (in experiment 1) or after any of the treatments in experiment 2, indicating plant tolerance. Elevated nonphotochemical quenching was observed in experiment 2 after 20 d of exposure to As; it was as a part of protection mechanisms of the photosynthetic apparatus in these plants. The results obtained here indicate that the use of water hyacinth for As5+ removal from highly impacted environments is limited but that it is effective in remediating sites with a low contamination., A. C. Meneguelli-Souza, A. P. Vitória, T. O. Vieira, M. S. O. Degli-Esposti, C. M. M. Souza., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
To examine the role of sink size on photosynthetic acclimation under elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations ([CO2]), we tested the effects of panicle-removal (PR) treatment on photosynthesis in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Rice was grown at two [CO2] levels (ambient and ambient + 200 μmol mol-1) throughout the growing season, and at full-heading stage, at half the plants, a sink-limitation treatment was imposed by the removal of the panicles. The PR treatment alleviated the reduction of green leaf area, the contents of chlorophyll (Chl) and Rubisco after the full-heading stage, suggesting delay of senescence. Nonetheless, elevated [CO2] decreased photosynthesis (measured at current [CO2]) of plants exposed to the PR treatment. No significant [CO2] × PR interaction on photosynthesis was observed. The decrease of photosynthesis by elevated [CO2] of plants was associated with decreased leaf Rubisco content and N content. Leaf glucose content was increased by the PR treatment and also by elevated [CO2]. In conclusion, a sink-limitation in rice improved N status in the leaves, but this did not prevent the photosynthetic down-regulation under elevated [CO2]. and H. Shimono ... [et al.].