Dominant C3 Research Articles

Tradeoffs between nitrogen- and water-use efficiency in dominant species of the semiarid steppe of Inner Mongolia

In water-limited environments, photosynthetic carbon gain and loss of water by transpiration are in a permanent tradeoff as both are contrarily regulated by stomata conductance. In semiarid steppe grasslands water limitation may covary with nitrogen limitation. Steppe grassland species are capable of optimizing their use of limiting resources, water and nitrogen, but regulation is still poorly understood. In a two-year experiment with addition of water (irrigation simulating a wet year) and nitrogen (0, 25, and 50 kg urea-N ha−1) we assessed intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi), nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), and related plant functional traits (PFTs) of four dominant C3 species (Leymus chinensis, Agropyron cristatum, Stipa grandis, and Artemisia frigida). Water and N fertilizer supplementation significantly increased plant primary production, and N effect was more pronounced under irrigated conditions. Parallel with the responses of plant production, a strong tradeoff between WUEi and NUE was detected: water supply increased NUE but decreased WUEi, whereas N addition slightly increased WUEi at the expense of NUE. This tradeoff occurred at the leaf level, and involved the responses of leaf N concentration and specific leaf area. WUEi of species changed among treatments in a predictable manner by the parameter of leaf N content per area. Dominant plant species commonly achieved a higher utilization efficiency of the more limiting resource via altering PFTs, which was an important mechanism of adaptation to variable resource limitation in semiarid grasslands.

Differential responses of plant functional trait to grazing between two contrasting dominant C3 and C4 species in a typical steppe of Inner Mongolia, China

Plant functional traits have been widely used to study the linkage between environmental drivers, trade-offs among different functions within a plant, and ecosystem structure and functioning. Here, the whole-plant traits, leaf morphological and physi- ological traits of two dominant species, Leymus chinensis (C3 perennial rhizome grass) and Cleisto- genes squarrosa (C4 perennial bunchgrass), were studied in the Inner Mongolia grassland of China, with a grazing experiment including five stocking rates (0, 3.0, 4.5, 7.5, and 9.0 sheep/ha) in 2008 (wet year) and 2009 (dry year). Our results demonstrated that, for both species, the effects of stocking rate, year, and stocking rate×year on whole-plant traits and leaf morphological and physiological traits were highly significant in most cases. The differential responses of plant trait to variation in precipitation were caused by trait trade-offs between the wet and dry years. L. chinensis adopted the high N content and net photosynthetic rate (Pn) in the wet year but both the low N content and Pn in the dry year under grazed conditions. The trait trade-offs of C. squarrosa were characterized by high specific leaf area (SLA) and Pn in the dry year vs. low SLA and Pn in the wet year. Our findings also indicate that C. squarrosa is more resistant to grazing than L. chinensis in terms of avoidance and tolerance traits, particularly under heavy grazing pressure and in the dry year.

Comparison of the carbon isotope composition of total organic carbon and long-chain n-alkanes from surface soils in eastern China and their significance

Surface soil samples collected over a high spatial resolution in eastern China were analyzed for carbon isotope composition (δ13C) of total organic carbon (TOC) and higher plant-derived long-chain n-alkanes, with the latter reported as weighted mean values. The two sets of δ13C values are significantly correlated and show similar trends in spatial variation. The spatial distribution of δ13C shows less negative values in the mid-latitudes between 31°N and 40°N and more negative ones at higher and lower latitudes. This is consistent with previously reported carbon isotope data from surface soil phytoliths in the same region and suggests that the mid-latitude area provides relatively favorable growing conditions for C4 plants. Furthermore, δ13C values of both TOC and long-chain n-alkanes from 12 surface soil samples collected from a small grassland in north China displayed similar carbon isotope values and the difference between paired δ13C of a soil samples remains relatively constant. Our data demonstrate that in eastern China, soil δ13C composition of both TOC and long-chain n-alkanes is effective indicators of C3/C4 ratios of the prevailing vegetation. This work suggests that −22‰ and −32‰ are good estimate end members for the weighted mean δ13C values of long-chain n-alkanes (C27, C29 and C31n-alkanes) from soils under dominant C4 or C3 vegetation, allowing us to reconstruct paleovegetation trends.

Warming and elevated CO2 affect the relationship between seed mass, germinability and seedling growth in Austrodanthonia caespitosa, a dominant Australian grass

AbstractWhile the influence of elevated CO2 on the production, mass and quality of plant seeds has been well studied, the effect of warming on these characters is largely unknown; and there is practically no information on possible interactions between warming and elevated CO2, despite the importance of these characters in population maintenance and recovery. Here, we present the impacts of elevated CO2 and warming, both in isolation and combination, on seed production, mass, quality, germination success and subsequent seedling growth of Austrodanthonia caespitosa, a dominant temperate C3 grass from Australia, using seeds collected from the TasFACE experiment. Mean seed production and mass were not significantly affected by either elevated CO2 or warming, but elevated CO2 more than doubled the proportion of very light, inviable seeds (P < 0.05) and halved mean seed N concentration (P < 0.04) and N content (P < 0.03). The dependence of seed germination success on seed mass was affected by an elevated CO2× warming interaction (P < 0.004), such that maternal exposure to elevated CO2 or warming reduced germination if applied in isolation, but not when applied in combination. Maternal effects were retained when seedlings were grown in a common environment for 6 weeks, with seedlings descended from warmed plants 20% smaller (P < 0.008) with a higher root : shoot ratio (P < 0.001) than those from unwarmed plants. Given that both elevated CO2 and warming reduced seed mass, quality, germinability or seedling growth, it is likely that global change will reduce population growth or distribution of this dominant species.

Rho/ROCK and myosin II control the polarized distribution of endocytic clathrin structures at the uropod of moving T lymphocytes

We have examined the spatio-temporal dynamics of clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) during T lymphocyte polarization and migration. Near the plasma membrane, we detected heterogeneous arrangements of GFP-clathrin that were clustered predominantly at the uropod; some diffraction limited spots ( approximately 200 nm) and a major population of larger clathrin structures (CSs) (300-800 nm). Membrane CSs fully co-localized with the endocytic adaptor complex AP-2, which was also polarized towards the rear membrane. During the direct incorporation of the endocytic cargo transferrin, large and relatively stable clathrin/AP-2 structures at the uropod membrane transiently co-localized with spots of transferrin, which suggests that they are endocytic competent platforms. The highly polarized distribution of membrane CSs towards the uropod and their endocytic ability support the existence of a preferential region of endocytosis located at or near the rear pole of T lymphocytes. Inactivation of Rho by dominant negative RhoA or C3 exoenzyme, and inhibition of Rho-kinase (ROCK) with Y-27632, or myosin II with blebbistatin, all resulted in suppression of CS polarization, which indicates that the posterior distribution of CSs relies on Rho/ROCK signaling and myosin II contractility. In addition, blocking CME with dominant negative mutants or by clathrin RNA interference, results in a remarkable inhibition of both basal and CXCL12-promoted migration, which suggests that CME is required for successful T-cell migration. We hypothesize that enhanced endocytic rates at the cell rear could provide a mechanism to remove leftover surface to accommodate cell retraction, and/or to spatially resolve signaling for guided cell migration.

Agriculture and environmental change at Qingpu, Yangtze delta region, China: a biomarker, stable isotope and palynological approach

Rice ( Oryza sp.) agriculture sustains vast numbers of people and, despite great advancements made in recent years, questions about its origins and spread throughout Asia remain unanswered. This study uses sedimentary biomarker, stable carbon isotope and palynological analyses to investigate early rice agriculture in the Yangtze delta, a region where rice agriculture emerged at least 7000 years ago. Accelerator mass spectrometer (AMS) 14C dating reveals the age of sedimentary section to be between c. 6000 and 1800 cal. BP. Widespread clearing of forest vegetation c. 2400 cal. BP, is the earliest major human influence detected in the Qingpu record. Following this, rice agriculture probably dominated the Qingpu area. Evidence supporting rice agriculture after c. 2400 cal. BP is provided by increased Poaceae and Cereal-type taxa, which occur with high concentrations of plant wax n-alkanes with a dominant C3 plant origin (C27—C31 with odd/even preference, δ 13C —29.8‰ to —36.3‰). Also, high concentrations of a C20 highly branched isoprenoid (HBI) thought to be from epiphytic algae associated with rice agriculture occur after c. 2400 cal. BP. 13C-depleted diploptene (in high concentrations) and 13C-depleted C31 3b-methyl-hopanes of methanotrophic bacterial origin also occur after c. 2400 cal. BP. The strong methane cycle detected in the trench sediment may have provided an alternative CO2 source for plants and algae associated with rice agriculture.

IL‐6 induces AGS gastric cancer cell invasion via activation of the c‐Src/RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine that is associated with the disease status and outcomes of gastric cancer. Nonetheless, the underlying mechanism of how IL-6 promotes the spread of gastric cancer is still unclear. In this study, we used a modified Boyden chamber assay to test the invasion ability of different gastric cancer cell lines. Liposome-mediated transfection was used to introduce an IL-6 expression vector into AGS cells, and the transfectants were further examined for the expression of active RhoA and phosphorylated Src using a pull-down assay and coimmunoprecipitation/Western blot analysis. Furthermore, RhoA expression in gastric adenocarcinoma specimens was investigated immunohistochemically. We documented that IL-6 could promote AGS cell motility and invasiveness, and inhibition of RhoA expression by dominant negative RhoA, C3 transferase, or dominant negative Src expressing plasmids could effectively decrease the invasiveness of IL-6 transfectants. We also documented an interaction between active RhoA and phosphorylated-Src following IL-6 treatment. Gastric cancers displaying high expression of RhoA are highly correlated with aggressive lymph node metastasis, more advanced tumor stage, histologically diffuse type and poorer survival. In conclusion, IL-6 induces AGS gastric cancer cell invasion via activation of the c-Src/RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway and RhoA expression could be used as a prognostic factor in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma.

Modulation of acto-myosin contractility in skeletal muscle myoblasts uncouples growth arrest from differentiation.

Cell-substratum interactions trigger key signaling pathways that modulate growth control and tissue-specific gene expression. We have previously shown that abolishing adhesive interactions by suspension culture results in G(0) arrest of myoblasts. We report that blocking intracellular transmission of adhesion-dependent signals in adherent cells mimics the absence of adhesive contacts. We investigated the effects of pharmacological inhibitors of acto-myosin contractility on growth and differentiation of C2C12 myogenic cells. ML7 (5-iodonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl homopiperazine) and BDM (2,3, butanedione monoxime) are specific inhibitors of myosin light chain kinase, and myosin heavy chain ATPase, respectively. ML7 and BDM affected cell shape by reducing focal adhesions and stress fibers. Both inhibitors rapidly blocked DNA synthesis in a dose-dependent, reversible fashion. Furthermore, both ML7 and BDM suppressed expression of MyoD and myogenin, induced p27(kip1) but not p21(cip1), and inhibited differentiation. Thus, as with suspension-arrest, inhibition of acto-myosin contractility in adherent cells led to arrest uncoupled from differentiation. Over-expression of inhibitors of the small GTPase RhoA (dominant negative RhoA and C3 transferase) mimicked the effects of myosin inhibitors. By contrast, wild-type RhoA induced arrest, maintained MyoD and activated myogenin and p21 expression. The Rho effector kinase ROCK did not appear to mediate Rho's effects on MyoD. Thus, ROCK and MLCK play different roles in the myogenic program. Signals regulated by MLCK are critical, since inhibition of MLCK suppressed MyoD expression but inhibition of ROCK did not. Inhibition of contractility suppressed MyoD but did not reduce actin polymer levels. However, actin depolymerization with latrunculin B inhibited MyoD expression. Taken together, our observations indicate that actin polymer status and contractility regulate MyoD expression. We suggest that in myoblasts, the Rho pathway and regulation of acto-myosin contractility may define a control point for conditional uncoupling of differentiation and the cell cycle.

Soil‐ and plant‐water dynamics in a C3/C4 grassland exposed to a subambient to superambient CO2 gradient

AbstractPlants may be more sensitive to carbon dioxide (CO2) enrichment at subambient concentrations than at superambient concentrations, but field tests are lacking. We measured soil‐water content and determined xylem pressure potentials and δ13C values of leaves of abundant species in a C3/C4 grassland exposed during 1997–1999 to a continuous gradient in atmospheric CO2 spanning subambient through superambient concentrations (200–560 µmol mol2−1). We predicted that CO2 enrichment would lessen soil‐water depletion and increase xylem potentials more over subambient concentrations than over superambient concentrations. Because water‐use efficiency of C3 species (net assimilation/leaf conductance; A/g) typically increases as soils dry, we hypothesized that improvements in plant‐water relations at higher CO2 would lessen positive effects of CO2 enrichment on A/g. Depletion of soil water to 1.35 m depth was greater at low CO2 concentrations than at higher CO2 concentrations during a mid‐season drought in 1998 and during late‐season droughts in 1997 and 1999. During droughts each year, mid‐day xylem potentials of the dominant C4 perennial grass (Bothriochloa ischaemum (L.) Keng) and the dominant C3 perennial forb (Solanum dimidiatum Raf.) became less negative as CO2 increased from subambient to superambient concentrations. Leaf A/g—derived from leaf δ13C values—was insensitive to feedbacks from CO2 effects on soil water and plant water. Among most C3 species sampled—including annual grasses, perennial grasses and perennial forbs—A/g increased linearly with CO2 across subambient concentrations. Leaf and air δ13C values were too unstable at superambient CO2 concentrations to reliably determine A/g. Significant changes in soil‐ and plant‐water relations over subambient to superambient concentrations and in leaf A/g over subambient concentrations generally were not greater over low CO2 than over higher CO2. The continuous response of these variables to CO2 suggests that atmospheric change has already improved water relations of grassland species and that periodically water‐limited grasslands will remain sensitive to CO2 enrichment.

Growth, leaf temperatures, and leaf conductances of C3 forbs and C4 grasses in a tallgrass prairie in northeastern Kansas, USA

Summary Shoot growth, leaf temperatures, and leaf conductances to water vapor were measured for dominant C3 forbs and C4 grasses (including one sedge) in a tallgrass prairie in northeastern Kansas. Most species, regardless of photosynthetic pathway, completed their vegetative growth in July. Growth after this date was, for the most part, due to inflorescence production. Throughout the summer, leaf temperatures and conductances were similar between the forbs and grasses. There was a tendency toward lower leaf temperatures and higher conductances in the C3 forbs but such differences were not always statistically significant. Thus, dramatic ecophysiological differences expected as a result of photosynthetic pathway alone were not observed in this in situ study of C3 and C4 prairie species.

Acclimation of photosynthesis, respiration and ecosystem carbon flux of a wetland on Chesapeake Bay, Maryland to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration

Acclimation of photosynthesis and respiration in shoots and ecosystem carbon dioxide fluxes to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration (C a ) was studied in a brackish wetland. Open top chambers were used to create test atmospheres of normal ambient and elevated C a (=normal ambient + 34 Pa CO2) over mono-specific stands of the C3 sedge Scirpus olneyi, the dominant C3 species in the wetland ecosystem, throughout each growing season since April of 1987. Acclimation of photosynthesis and respiration were evaluated by measurements of gas exchange in excised shoots. The impact of elevated C a on the accumulation of carbon in the ecosystem was determined by ecosystem gas exchange measurements made using the open top chamber as a cuvette. Elevated C a increased carbohydrate and reduced Rubisco and soluble protein concentrations as well as photosynthetic capacity(A) and dark respiration (R d ; dry weight basis) in excised shoots and canopies (leaf area area basis) of Scirpus olneyi. Nevertheless, the rate of photosynthesis was stimulated 53% in shoots and 30% in canopies growing in elevated C a compared to normal ambient concentration. Elevated C a inhibited R d measured in excised shoots (−19 to −40%) and in seasonally integrated ecosystem respiration (R e ; −36 to −57%). Growth of shoots in elevated C a was stimulated 14–21%, but this effect was not statistically significant at peak standing biomass in midseason. Although the effect of elevated C a on growth of shoots was relatively small, the combined effect of increased number of shoots and stimulation of photosynthesis produced a 30% stimulation in seasonally integrated gross primary production (GPP). The stimulation of photosynthesis and inhibition of respiration by elevated C a increased net ecosystem production (NEP=GPP−R e ) 59% in 1993 and 50% in 1994. While this study consistently showed that elevated C a produced a significant increase in NEP, we have not identified a correspondingly large pool of carbon below ground.

Changes in prairie vegetation under elevated carbon dioxide levels and two soil moisture regimes

Abstract. It is important to know how increasing levels of atmospheric CO2 will affect native vegetation. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of elevated CO2 concentrations on species composition in a tallgrass prairie kept at a high water level (730 mm of water in a 2000 mm soil profile) and a low water level (660 mm of water in 2000 mm). 16 cylindrical plastic chambers were placed on the prairie to maintain two levels of CO2 (ambient or twice ambient) during two growing seasons in 1989 and 1990. Frequency of species was determined on 25 July 1989 and on 5 and 10 October 1990.At the beginning of the study, Poa pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass), the dominant C3 species, had the highest frequency of 43.3%, but decreased with time. However, at the end of the experiment and under the high soil‐water level, there were more P. pratensis plants in the elevated CO2 treatment (frequency: 13.5%) than in the ambient CO2 treatment (1.0%). Under the low soil water regime, the reverse occurred (frequencies: 3.6% and 11.0% for high and low CO2, respectively).The frequency of major C4 plants, Andropogon gerardii (big bluestem), A. scoparius (little bluestem) and Sorghastrum nutans (Indian grass) was not affected by CO2. However, water did affect their frequency. Under low water, the frequency of A. gerardii decreased between 1989 and 1990. Under both soil moisture levels, the frequencies of S. nutans and A. scoparius increased. At the end of the study, Indian grass grown with high water had the highest frequency of all species on the prairie (frequency at the end of the study in October, 1990, of 44.4% and 47.4% for the high and low CO2 levels, respectively). Unlike Indian grass, little bluestem grew better under low water conditions than under high water conditions.These results suggest that, if the climate becomes drier, A. scoparius will flourish more than S. nutans or A. gerardii, and P. pratensis may die out. Elevated CO2 might not increase survival of C3 plants under dry conditions, if temperatures are too high for them.

The mammalian G protein rhoC is ADP-ribosylated by Clostridium botulinum exoenzyme C3 and affects actin microfilaments in Vero cells.

Clostridium botulinum C3 is a recently discovered exoenzyme that ADP-ribosylates a eukaryotic GTP-binding protein of the ras superfamily. We show now that the bacterially-expressed product of the human rhoC gene is ADP-ribosylated by C3 and corresponds in size, charge and behavior to the dominant C3 substrate of eukaryotic cells. C3 treatment of Vero cells results in the disappearance of microfilaments and in actinomorphic shape changes without any apparent direct effect upon actin. Thus the ADP-ribosylation of a rho protein seems to be responsible for microfilament disassembly and we infer that the unmodified form of a rho protein may be involved in cytoskeletal control.

Defect production in electron-irradiated, n-type GaAs

Temperature-dependent Hall-effect measurements have been performed on pure, n-type, vapor-phase epitaxial GaAs, irradiated by 1-MeV electrons at room temperature. The energies and production rates of two dominant defect centers, C2 and C3, are as follows: E2=EC−0.148, E3=EC−0.295 ±0.002 eV, τ2=2.0, and τ3=0.5±0.2 cm−1, in good agreement with deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) data. However, the most important result of this study is a very high production rate, τAS ≂4±1 cm−1, for ‘‘shallow’’ acceptors (CAS) lying below E3. In fact, CAS is produced at a much higher rate than all of the DLTS traps observed in this energy range, proving that close to half of the primary defects in electron-irradiated GaAs are evidently not seen by DLTS. The high CAS production rate has important implications for microscopic models of C1 and C2, rendering unnecessary the assumption that one of these centers must be an acceptor in order to explain the Hall-effect results. Finally, we show that all available Hall-effect and DLTS data are consistent with CAS representing Ga-sublattice damage, which has not been observed before.