High NaCl Concentrations Research Articles

Calcium and Sodium-mediated Dynamic Assembly of Intermediate Filament-like Protein FilP.

Cytoskeletal elements play key roles in cell morphology, cell division, cell mobility, and DNA partitioning in all domains of life. The IF-like protein FilP was discovered in Streptomyces coelicolor, and it was found to perform a structurally important cytoskeletal role by providing direct mechanical support for the cells. This work investigated the factors influencing FilP polymerization under a variety of conditions. DLS technique was applied to real-time monitor the in vitro assembly process of Streptomyces coelicolor FilP. The presence of small amounts of divalent cations, such as CaCl2 or MgCl2, enhanced the polymerization of FilP, while higher amounts suppressed its polymerization. Moreover, high concentrations of NaCl, KCl, NH4Cl, and KNO3 both suppressed the polymerization of FilP. EDTA was found to have a very prohibitive effect on FilP polymerization, and even the following addition of Ca2+ could not initiate the assembly of FilP. FilP polymerized under a range of pHs ranging from pH 6 to pH 8, while the polymerization degree was sensitive to pH. FilP formed network-like, striated filaments at neutral pH, while the filaments became more disordered or loosely packed at pH 8 and pH 6, respectively. FilP assembly is calcium-mediated. Ca2+ is not only required for FilP polymerization, but also required for FilP to maintain the higher-order polymer structure. The accelerative effect of Ca2+ and the suppressive effect of Na+ persisted under a wide range of conditions, suggesting that FilP might use calcium and sodium ions as a general mechanism to mediate its polymerization process.

Insight into mechanism of quality changes in tilapia fillets during salting from physicochemical and microstructural perspectives

The effects and mechanisms of salting on quality properties of tilapia fillets were investigated in the present study. Salting under high NaCl concentrations (12 % and 15 %) resulted in low water content and decreased yields, due to the salting-out effects and low pH. Water in fillets increased in the later stage of salting in 3 % and 6 % NaCl solutions (p < 0.05). The released proteins accumulated with increasing time (p < 0.05). The TBARS value increased from 0.01 to 0.20 mg/kg after 10 h in 15 % NaCl solution (p < 0.05). The quality changes were mainly correlated to the shrinking or swelling of myofibers, extracellular spaces, and existential state of muscle proteins. In consideration of fish quality and increasing call for low sodium intake, it was recommended to prepare fillets below 9 % NaCl with short times. The finding provided instructions to obtain target quality properties from tilapia by controlling salting conditions.

Acquired thermotolerance, membrane lipids and osmolytes profiles of xerohalophilic fungus Aspergillus penicillioides under heat shock

Xerophilic fungi accumulate a large amount of glycerol in the cytosol to counterbalance the external osmotic pressure. But during heat shock (HS) majority of fungi accumulate a thermoprotective osmolyte trehalose. Since glycerol and trehalose are synthesized in the cell from the same precursor (glucose), we hypothesised that, under heat shock conditions, xerophiles growing in media with high concentrations of glycerol may acquire greater thermotolerance than those grown in media with high concentrations of NaCl. Therefore, the composition of membrane lipids and osmolytes of the fungus Aspergillus penicillioides, growing in 2 different media under HS conditions was studied and the acquired thermotolerance was assessed. It was found that in the salt-containing medium an increase in the proportion of phosphatidic acids against a decrease in the proportion of phosphatidylethanolamines is observed in the composition of membrane lipids, and the level of glycerol in the cytosol decreases 6-fold, while in the medium with glycerol, changes in the composition of membrane lipids are insignificant and the level of glycerol is reduced by no more than 30%. In the mycelium trehalose level have increased in both media, but did not exceed 1% of dry weight. However, after exposure to HS the fungus acquires greater thermotolerance in the medium with glycerol than in the medium with salt. The data obtained indicate the interrelation between changes in the composition of osmolytes and membrane lipids in the adaptive response to HS, as well as the synergistic effect of glycerol and trehalose.

A Simplified and Efficient Method for Production of Manganese Ferrite Magnetic Nanoparticles and Their Application in DNA Isolation.

A simplified, fast, and effective production method has been developed for the synthesis of manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4) magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). In addition to the wide applicability of MnFe2O4 MNPs, this work also reports their application in DNA isolation for the first time. An ultrasonic-cavitation-assisted combustion method was applied in the synthesis of MnFe2O4 MNPs at different furnace temperatures (573 K, 623 K, 673 K, and 773 K) to optimize the particles' properties. It was shown that MnFe2O4 nanoparticles synthesized at 573 K consist of a spinel phase only with adequate size and zeta potential distributions and superparamagnetic properties. It was also demonstrated that superparamagnetic manganese ferrite nanoparticles bind DNA in buffer with a high NaCl concentration (2.5 M), and the DNA desorbs from the MNPs by decreasing the NaCl concentration of the elution buffer. This resulted in a DNA yield comparable to that of commercial DNA extraction products. Both the DNA concentration measurements and electrophoresis confirmed that a high amount of isolated bacterial plasmid DNA (pDNA) with adequate purity can be extracted with MnFe2O4 (573 K) nanoparticles by applying the DNA extraction method proposed in this article.

Trichoderma longibrachiatum, a biological control agent of Sclerotium cepivorum on onion plants under salt stress

Salt stress and pathogen infection cause damage to onion crops and limit production. Application of Trichoderma species could be an option for reducing crop damage. The objective of this work was to evaluate the capacity of Trichoderma longibrachiatum to reduce damage to onion plants caused by salinity and infection by Sclerotium cepivorum. The two fungi showed differences in their tolerance to NaCl depending on the NaCl concentration. At low concentrations of NaCl, S. cepivorum was more tolerant than T. longibrachiatum, while at high concentrations of NaCl the tolerance of T. longibrachiatum was reduced to 17% and S. cepivorum did not grow. However, T. longibrachiatum maintained antagonistic activity against S. cepivorum in the presence of NaCl. Compared with uninoculated plants, inoculation with T. longibrachiatum increased the biomass of plants infected with S. cepivorum, plants treated with NaCl, and also plants treated with the combined treatment of S. cepivorum and NaCl. In plants infected with S. cepivorum and with the combined treatment of NaCl and S. cepivorum, the disease severity index was 69 and 89 %, respectively. However, inoculation with T. longibrachiatum reduced the disease severity index to 12 and 60 % in plants infected with S. cepivorum and in the combined treatment of S. cepivorum and NaCl, respectively. Chlorophyll and carotenoid content were maintained in plants inoculated with T. longibrachiatum and then subjected to salinity and infection; T. longibrachiatum decreased electrolyte leakage caused by salinity and infection. In conclusion, inoculation of onion plants with T. longibrachiatum reduced damage caused by infection with S. cepivorum and NaCl in onion plants; this was achieved by maintaining biomass and the content of photosynthetic pigments and by reducing electrolyte leakage. T. longibrachiatum is a fungus with potential as a biological control agent of S. cepivorum on onion plants under salt stress.

Metabolomics analysis unveils important changes involved in the salt tolerance of Salicornia europaea.

Salicornia europaea is one of the world's salt-tolerant plant species and is recognized as a model plant for studying the metabolism and molecular mechanisms of halophytes under salinity. To investigate the metabolic responses to salinity stress in S. europaea, this study performed a widely targeted metabolomic analysis after analyzing the physiological characteristics of plants exposed to various NaCl treatments. S. europaea exhibited excellent salt tolerance and could withstand extremely high NaCl concentrations, while lower NaCl conditions (50 and 100 mM) significantly promoted growth by increasing tissue succulence and maintaining a relatively stable K+ concentration. A total of 552 metabolites were detected, 500 of which were differently accumulated, mainly consisting of lipids, organic acids, saccharides, alcohols, amino acids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and alkaloids. Sucrose, glucose, p-proline, quercetin and its derivatives, and kaempferol derivatives represented core metabolites that are responsive to salinity stress. Glycolysis, flavone and flavonol biosynthesis, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis were considered as the most important pathways responsible for salt stress response by increasing the osmotic tolerance and antioxidant activities. The high accumulation of some saccharides, flavonoids, and phenolic acids under 50 mM NaCl compared with 300 mM NaCl might contribute to the improved salt tolerance under the 50 mM NaCl treatment. Furthermore, quercetin, quercetin derivatives, and kaempferol derivatives showed varied change patterns in the roots and shoots, while coumaric, caffeic, and ferulic acids increased significantly in the roots, implying that the coping strategies in the shoots and roots varied under salinity stress. These findings lay the foundation for further analysis of the mechanism underlying the response of S. europaea to salinity.

Waterlogging and salinity stress affecting growth and morphological character changes of Limnocharis flava

Abstract. Putra SP, Santosa, Salsinha YCF. 2023. Waterlogging and salinity stress affecting growth and morphological character changes of Limnocharis flava. Biodiversitas 24: 333-340. Salinity stress and waterlogging affect plant growth response. This study aims to determine the effect of variations in salinity concentration (NaCl) and water depth on the growth and morphological characters of Genjer (Limnocharis flava) plants. The study used a completely randomized design (CRD) with 5 replications with a variable depth of water (W) consisting of W0 = 0 cm from the soil surface, W1 = 5 cm from the soil surface, W2 = 10 cm from the soil surface, and treatment of variations in salt concentration. (NaCl) (S) as many as 4 levels, namely S0 = 0 ppm, S1 = 25 ppm, S2 = 50 ppm and S3 = 75 ppm. Statistical analysis with Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) showed the interaction of high NaCl concentration and higher water depth decreased wet weight, dry weight, height, length and width of leaves of L. flava. The concentration of NaCl significantly affects the growth morphology and anatomy of L. flava. The high concentration of NaCl reduced the wet weight, dry weight, height, length and width of the leaves of L. flava. The high concentration of NaCl causes changes in the anatomical structure of L. flava. Water depth significantly affects the growth morphology and anatomy of L. flava. The higher water depth reduces the wet weight, dry weight, height, length and width of the leaves of L. flava. There is an interaction between NaCl concentration and water depth. The high concentration of NaCl and high level of­­ water depth reduced the wet weight, dry weight, height, length and width of the leaves of L. flava.

Comparative effects of mineral fertilizer and digestate on growth, antioxidant system, and physiology of lettuce under salt stress

Salt stress in plants presents a major challenge to future agricultural production. Digestate has various effects on plant growth, but little information is available on its effects on the antioxidant system and physiological characteristics of lettuce under salt stress. In this study, the impacts of mineral fertilizer and digestate application on edible parts of lettuce were compared under three salinities. Experimental treatments comprised application of two types of fertilizer (mineral fertilizer and digestate) and three NaCl concentrations (0, 3, and 7.5 dS m− 1). High NaCl concentrations resulted in significantly lower photosynthesis, growth, and physiological indices compared with those under no NaCl addition. However, under the 7.5 dS m− 1 NaCl condition, digestate application (DA) increased the fresh weight (42%), dry weight (27%), photosynthetic pigment contents and photosynthesis (20%) of lettuce compared with that under mineral fertilizer application (MFA). Accumulation of reactive oxygen species was markedly lower, and the membrane stability index was therefore higher, under DA compared with under MFA within the same salinity level. Lipid peroxidation was lower under DA compared with under MFA in all salinity treatments. Salt stress up-regulated the antioxidant system and DA further increased the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant capability compared with that under MFA. In addition, the total water use was lower and water-related indices, such as water use efficiency of fresh weight, water use efficiency of dry weight and relative water content, were higher under DA compared with under MFA. The application of digestate instead of mineral fertilizer could be a promising practice to alleviate the negative impact of salt stress on the productivity and physiological characteristics of lettuce plants.

The effects of salinity and pH variation on hyperaccumulator Bidens pilosa L. accumulating cadmium with dynamic and real-time uptake of Cd2+ influx around its root apexes.

Bidens pilosa L. has been confirmed to be a potential Cd hyperaccumulator by some researchers, but the dynamic and real-time uptake of Cd2+ influx by B. pilosa root apexes was a conundrum up to now. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of salinity and pH variations on the characteristics of Cd2+ influx around the root apexes of B. pilosa. The tested seedlings of B. pilosa were obtained by sand culture experiments in a greenhouse after 1month from germination, and the Cd2+ influxes from the root apex of B. pilosa under Cd treatments with different salinity and pH levels were determined with application of non-invasive micro-test technology (NMT). The results showed that Cd2+ influxes at 300μm from the root tips decreased under Cd treatments with 5mM and 10mM NaCl, as compared to Cd stress alone. However, Cd treatments with 2.5mM NaCl had little effect on the net Cd2+ influxes, as compared to Cd treatments alone. Importantly, Cd treatments at pH = 4.0 markedly increased Cd2+ influxes in roots, and Cd treatment at pH = 7.0 had no significant effect on the net Cd2+ influxes compared to Cd treatments at pH = 5.5. Results also showed that Cd treatments with 10mM NaCl significantly decreased concentrations of chlorophyll (Chl) a and b in leaves and root vigor of B. pilosa relative to Cd treatments alone, while there were no significant differences between Cd treatments with 2.5mM NaCl and Cd treatments alone. But root vigor was inhibited significantly under Cd treatments with 5mM and 10mM NaCl. A significant increase of root vigor was observed in Cd treatments at pH = 4.0, as compared to pH = 5.5. The Cd treatments with high and medium concentrations of NaCl inhibited the uptake of Cd by B. pilosa roots and affected the Chl and root vigor further. But the Cd treatments at pH = 4.0 could promote the Cd uptake and root vigor. Our results revealed the uptake mechanisms of B. pilosa as a potential phytoremediator under different salinity and pH levels combined with Cd contamination and provided a new idea for screening ideal hyperaccumulator and constructing evaluation system.

Washing Methods for Remove Sodium Chloride from Oyster Shell Waste: A Comparative Study

The oyster shell is a valuable calcium resource; however, its application is limited by its high NaCl content. Therefore, to establish the use of oyster shells as a viable resource, conditional experiments were conducted to select optimum parameters for NaCl removal. For this purpose, we compared leaching methods with batch and sequential procedures, determined the volume of water used for washing, and evaluated the mixing speed. The batch system removed NaCl when washed for &gt;24 h over a shell to water ratio of 1:5. Results from the batch experiments confirmed that washing twice can completely remove NaCl from the shells on a like-for-like basis. Additionally, the efficiency of washing was sequentially evaluated in terms of the number of washing cycles. Compared to batch experiments, continuous washing could remove NaCl in approximately 10 min at a shell to water ratio of 1:4. We found that regardless of the washing methods, the volume of water used for washing is key for enhancing NaCl removal. Consequently, increasing the volume of water used for washing coupled with a proper sorting of fine particles can help enhance the purity of calcium, which will enable the use of oyster shell as an alternate Ca-resource.

Effects of Temperature, pH, and NaCl Concentration on Biomass and Bioactive Compound Production by Synechocystis salina.

Synechocystis salina is a cyanobacterium that has biotechnological potential thanks to its ability to synthesize several bioactive compounds of interest. Therefore, this study aimed to find optimal conditions, in terms of temperature (15-25 °C), pH (6.5-9.5), and NaCl concentration (10-40 g·L-1), using as objective functions the productivities of biomass, total carotenoids, total PBPs, phycocyanin (PC), allophycocyanin (APC), phycoerythrin (PE), and antioxidants (AOXs) capacity of Synechocystis salina (S. salina) strain LEGE 06155, based in factorial design resorting to Box-Behnken. The model predicted higher biomass productivities under a temperature of 25 °C, a pH of 7.5, and low NaCl concentrations (10 g·L-1). Maximum productivities in terms of bioactive compounds were attained at lower NaCl concentrations (10 g·L-1) (except for PE), with the best temperature and pH in terms of carotenoids and total and individual PBPs ranging from 23-25 °C to 7.5-9.5, respectively. PE was the only pigment for which the best productivity was reached at a lower temperature (15 °C) and pH (6.5) and a higher concentration of NaCl (≈25 g·L-1). AOX productivities, determined in both ethanolic and aqueous extracts, were positively influenced by lower temperatures (15-19 °C) and higher salinities (≈15-25 g·L-1). However, ethanolic AOXs were better recovered at a higher pH (pH ≈ 9.5), while aqueous AOXs were favored by a pH of 8. The model showed that biomass production can be enhanced by 175% (compared to non-optimized conditions), total carotenoids by 91%, PC by 13%, APC by 50%, PE by 130%, and total PBPs by 39%; for AOX productivities, only water extracts exhibited a (marginal) improvement of 1.4%. This study provided insightful information for the eventual upgrading of Synechocystis salina biomass in the biotechnological market.

Green modification of P84 co-polyimide with β-cyclodextrin for separation of dye/salt mixtures

Novel beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) incorporated P84 co-polyimide nanofiltration (NF) membranes were prepared via interfacial polymerization between N, N-bis(3-aminopropyl)-1,3-propanediamine (APPD) and beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) in a green solvent. The effects of concentration and hydroxyl groups of β-CD on separation performance, surface hydrophilicity, and antifouling performance of the prepared membranes were analyzed. The results demonstrate that the 0.3β-CD/APPD/P84 membrane has a pure water permeability of 209.07 Lm−2 h−1 bar−1 at 2 bar. The membrane also shows effective dye/salt separation with a high dye rejection of 99.1 % to Congo red and a high salt permeation of 92.13 % to NaCl. The resultant membranes can also effectively separate binary dye solutions with different molecular weights because of the unique cavity structure of β-CD and inclusion complexation. In addition, the membranes exhibit excellent antifouling characteristics because the unreacted hydroxyl groups in the outer cavity of β-CD initiate strong hydrogen bonding with water molecules, which blocks the interaction between pollutants and the membrane surface. Comparing with other reported membranes, the newly developed nanofiltration (NF) membrane exhibits a higher water permeability and comparable separation performance to dye/salt mixtures. Furthermore, the membrane maintains a high dye rejection (Congo red, 98.67 %) and salt permeation (NaCl, 95.93 %) even at a high NaCl concentration of 40,000 ppm in dye/salt mixtures. Therefore, the novel β-CD incorporated NF membrane has a prominent potential for the treatment of salt-containing dye wastewater treatment with better dye/salt separation.

Physiological and Biochemical Characteristics and Response Patterns of Salinity Stress Responsive Genes (SSRGs) in Wild Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa L.)

Cultivating salt-tolerant crops is a feasible way to effectively utilize saline-alkali land and solve the problem of underutilization of saline soils. Quinoa, a protein-comprehensive cereal in the plant kingdom, is an exceptional crop in terms of salt stress tolerance level. It seems an excellent model for the exploration of salt-tolerance mechanisms and cultivation of salt-tolerant germplasms. In this study, the seeds and seedlings of the quinoa cultivar Shelly were treated with different concentrations of NaCl solution. The physiological, biochemical characteristics and agronomic traits were investigated, and the response patterns of three salt stress-responsive genes (SSRGs) in quinoa were determined by real-time PCR. The optimum level of stress tolerance of quinoa cultivar Shelly was found in the range of 250–350 mM concentration of NaCl. Salt stress significantly induced expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and particularly betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH). BADH was discovered to be more sensitive to salt stress and played an important role in the salt stress tolerance of quinoa seedlings, particularly at high NaCl concentrations, as it displayed upregulation until 24 h under 100 mM salt treatment. Moreover, it showed upregulation until 12 h under 250 mM salt stress. Taken together, these results suggest that BADH played an essential role in the salt-tolerance mechanism of quinoa. Based on the expression level and prompt response induced by NaCl, we suggest that the BADH can be considered as a molecular marker for screening salt-tolerant quinoa germplasm at the early stages of crop development. Salt treatment at different plant ontogeny or at different concentrations had a significant impact on quinoa growth. Therefore, an appropriate treatment approach needs to be chosen rationally in the process of screening salt-tolerant quinoa germplasm, which is useful to the utilization of saline soils. Our study provides a fundamental information to deepen knowledge of the salt tolerance mechanism of quinoa for the development of salt-tolerant germplasm in crop breeding programs.

Evaporation Affects the In Vitro Deposition of Nebulized Droplet in an Idealized Mouth-Throat Model

Nebulizer is one of inhalation therapy’s most widely used aerosol generation devices. Nowadays, the vibrating mesh nebulizer has become popular owing to its compactness and noiselessness. In this study, an experimental system is proposed to measure the deposition fraction (DF) of nebulized sodium chloride (NaCl) droplets in an idealized mouth-throat airway model. The results show that before the DF increases to 58.6% with an increasing flow rate to 60 L/min, there is a decrease in DF from 42.4% to 15.5% when the inhalation flow rate increases from 15 to 22.5 L/min for a normal saline solution. These results substantially differ from the conclusions of dry powder or particle experiments and simulations, which monotonously increases with increasing inhalation flow rate. This suggests that droplet evaporation during aerosol generation and transport in the airway plays an important role. The experiment also showed that droplets generated from solutions with a higher NaCl concentration have higher DFs.

Effect of cyclopentane on hydrate-based desalination efficiency at different operating condition

BackgroundHydrate based Desalination (HBD) is a new method for desalination of saline water that has been proposed in recent decades. Despite the advantages of this method, researchers are still continuing research in various fields, including the use of suitable additives to increase the rate of hydrate formation and perform the process in more suitable operating conditions. MethodThe effect of temperature, pressure, sodium chloride and cyclopentane concentration on desalination efficiency has been investigated. The experiments were performed at 274.15 and 276.15 K and 6.5, 8 and 9 MPa in a stirrer reactor. Significant findingsThe experimental results indicated that increasing the pressure increases desalination efficiency and increasing temperature has negative effect on desalination efficiency. With three stages of desalination, the highest removal efficiency was 83.13% for a 1 wt% NaCl solution in the presence of cyclopentane while the lowest desalination efficiency was 56% for a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution in the absence of cyclopentane. All experiments indicated the beneficial effect of cyclopentane on desalination efficiency, especially in higher concentrations, while higher NaCl concentration had more negative effect.

Structural and physicochemical characteristics, stability, toxicity and antioxidant activity of peptide-zinc chelate from coconut cake globulin hydrolysates

Three novel peptides Thr-Gly-Leu-Leu, Tyr-Ile-Leu-Ile-Lys and Phe-Asp-Glu-Glu of no toxicity were identified in coconut cake globulin hydrolysates. FDEE of excellent zinc-chelating capacity (30.80 mg/g) was selected for preparation of peptide-zinc chelate, and the optimum preparation conditions were obtained with mass ratio of FDEE to ZnSO4·7H2O of 25: 1, at pH 7.6 and 27.0 °C for 50 min. Structural analysis showed that both amino group and carboxyl group of FDEE were the main binding sites for zinc ions. FDEE-zinc chelate was relatively stable against incubation at 100 °C for 10–40 min and treatments of NaCl (1–2 g/100 g) and glucose (4 g/100 g). But long time thermal treatment or treatments of high content of NaCl (4 g/100 g) and glucose (8–12 g/100 g) significantly reduced zinc-solubility of FDEE-zinc chelate. Moreover, FDEE-zinc chelate showed higher zinc-solubility than ZnSO4 and zinc gluconate under pH 8.0–10.0 and gastrointestinal digestion (p < 0.05). In addition, peptide YILIK exhibited excellent antioxidant activity. The zinc-chelation improved hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and reducing power of FDEE (p < 0.05). Therefore, peptides identified in coconut globulin have potential usage as ingredients of zinc supplements or antioxidant in the food industry.

The Neurospora crassa PCL-1 cyclin is a PHO85-1 (PGOV) kinase partner that directs the complex to glycogen metabolism and is involved in calcium metabolism regulation.

Cyclins are a family of proteins characterized by possessing a cyclin box domain that mediates binding to cyclin dependent kinases (CDKs) partners. In this study, the search for a partner cyclin of the PHO85-1 CDK retrieved PCL-1 an ortholog of yeast Pcls (for Pho85 cyclins) that performs functions common to Pcls belonging to different cyclin families. We show here that PCL-1, as a typical cyclin, is involved in cell cycle control and cell progression. In addition, PCL-1 regulates glycogen metabolism; Δpcl-1 cells accumulate higher glycogen levels than wild-type cells and the glycogen synthase (GSN) enzyme is less phosphorylated and, therefore, more active in the mutant cells. Together with PHO85-1, PCL-1 phosphorylates in vitro GSN at the Ser636 amino acid residue. Modeling studies identified PHO85-1 and PCL-1 as a CDK/cyclin complex, with a conserved intermolecular region stabilized by hydrophobic and polar interactions. PCL-1 is also involved in calcium and NaCl stress response. Δpcl-1 cells are sensitive to high NaCl concentration; on the contrary, they grow better and overexpress calcium responsive genes under high calcium chloride concentration compared to the wild-type strain. The expression of the calcium-responsive CRZ-1 transcription factor is modulated by PCL-1, and this transcription factor seems to be less phosphorylated in Δpcl-1 cells since exhibits nuclear location in these cells in the absence of calcium. Our results show that PCL-1 locates at different cell regions suggesting that it may determine its activity by controlling its intracellular location and reveal an interesting functional divergence between yeast and filamentous fungus cyclins.

Comparison of Reverse Transcriptase (RT) Activities of Various M-MuLV RTs for RT-LAMP Assays.

Reverse transcriptases (RTs) are a family of enzymes synthesizing DNA using RNA as a template and serving as indispensable tools in studies related to RNA. M-MuLV RT and its analogs are the most commonly used RTs. RTs are widely applied in various diagnostics methods, including reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP). However, the performance of different RTs in LAMP remains relatively unknown. Here, we report on the first direct comparison of various M-MuLV RTs in RT-LAMP, including enzymes with a different number of mutations and fusions with Sto7d. Several parameters were assessed, namely: optimal reaction temperature, enzyme concentration, reverse transcription time, a minimal amount of RNA template, and tolerance to inhibitors. Mutations increased the optimal reaction temperature from 55 °C to 60-65 °C. All of the RTs were suitable for RT-LAMP with RNA templates in the range of 101-106 copies per reaction. Highly mutated enzymes were 1.5-3-fold more tolerant to whole blood, blood plasma, and guanidinium, but they were two-fold more sensitive to high concentrations of NaCl. The comparison of different RTs presented here could be helpful for selecting the optimal enzyme when developing novel LAMP-based diagnostic tests.

Germination and Early Seedling Growth Attributes of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Cultivars under Different Salinity (NaCl) Stresses

The impact of different salinity stresses [0, 6.4, 12.8, 19.2, and 25.6 dS/m (NaCl)] on the final germination percentage, speed of germination, germination capacity, shoot and root length, seedling vigor index, and total plant dry weight of ten rice cultivars at germination and early seedling stages was investigated in this study. Salinity stress significantly decreased the final germination percentage, speed of germination, germination capacity, shoot and root length, and seedling dry weight in all cultivars, with the most severe effects from level 19.2 and 25.6 dS/m NaCl. Rice cultivars were classified as tolerant, moderately tolerant, moderately susceptible, and susceptible based on the reduction of dry matter, which is considered as the most limiting factor at high NaCl concentrations. The cultivars NJ9108, 3Y9H, 6Y9H, XD22, 5W01, and HLYH3 showed greater efficiency in salt tolerance during germination at 19.4 dS/m salinity. While 20H025, 6Y9H, and XD22 at the seedling stage performed better based on their dry weight reduction. The study found that NJ9108 and XD22 may be used to investigate the effects of salinity on the development processes and physiological consequences at the advanced stage of growth, as salt tolerance during germination and the early seedling stage may be varied from the developed stages. The results suggest that tolerant rice cultivars can be used to study the effects of salinity on the development and other physiological impacts at vegetative and reproductive stages. These findings will support salt-tolerant rice cultivars that may be developed for better production in terms of coping with salinity stresses in the germination and early growth stages.

Abstract #1316799: Hyperchloremic Metabolic Acidosis as a Result of a Prolonged DKA Management: A Case Report

DKA is an emergency condition which should be treated as soon as possible. NS is the fluid most commonly used to treat DKA, while it has high content of NaCl, a prolonged infusion can lead to multiple complications such as fluid overload with cerebral or pulmonary edema, and hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis. Here we are presenting a patient who came to ER with moderate DKA. DKA resolved next day, but due to the prolonged normal saline infusion he developed non anion gap acidosis, which was later resolved after discontinuing the fluid.