During the last decades many amphibian species and populations have experienced declines and extinctions in different parts of the world. Anthropogenic activities are believed to account for these declines, and one of the hypothesized causes has been the increased level of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation due to depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer. Although negative effects of UV-B radiation on development of many amphibian species have been demonstrated, a number of potentially critical issues around assessment of amphibian UV-B radiation tolerance have remained unexplored. For instance, next to nothing is known about geographic variation in UV-B tolerance and about possible carry-over effects of early UV-B exposure to later life-stages. Likewise, synergistic effects with other stressors, as well as sublethal effects on growth have received little attention. The results from field and laboratory experiments show that R. temporaria and R. arvalis are relatively tolerant to even high levels of UV-B in terms of embryonic survival. However, it was found that even normal levels of UV-B can reduce early embryonic growth. In addition, the effects of early exposure to UV-B became manifested mostly or only after a considerable time-lag (i.e. at metamorphosis). Furthermore, it was found that the sublethal effects of UV-B may become manifested only in combination with other stressors, such as low pH, and this synergism may differ among different populations. No evidence for genetic differentiation in UV-B tolerance was found. These findings suggest that even a relatively tolerant species, such as R. temporaria, may be sensitive to increased levels of UV-B radiation, but that this sensitivity may be highly population, environment and trait dependent. The observed carry-over effects over life-stages emphasise the importance of the early life environment on later life fitness.

Calcitriol [1α,25(OH)2D3], the hormonally active form of vitamin D3 (D3) is produced in both renal and extrarenal tissues. Our findings demonstrate that physiological doses of UVB radiation at 300 nm induce the conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) via preD3 and D3 into calcitriol in the pmol range in epidermal keratinocytes. The hydroxylation of photosynthesized D3 to calcitriol is strongly suppressed by ketoconazole, a known inhibitor of cytochrome P450 mixed function oxidases. The UVB-induced formation of calcitriol in human skin is demonstrable in vivo by the microdialysis technique. These results suggest that human skin is an autonomous source of hormonally active calcitriol. / Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

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The two related putative cytochrome c oxidase (COX) assembly factors HCC1 and HCC2 from Arabidopsis thaliana are Homologs of the yeast Copper Chaperones Sco1p and Sco2p. The hcc1 null mutation was previously shown to be embryo lethal while the disruption of the HCC2 gene function had no obvious effect on plant development, but increased the expression of stress-responsive genes. Both HCC1 and HCC2 contain a thioredoxin domain, but only HCC1 carries a Cu-binding motif also found in Sco1p and Sco2p. In order to investigate the physiological implications suggested by this difference, various hcc1 and hcc2 mutants were generated and analyzed. The lethality of the hcc1 knockout mutation was rescued by complementation with the HCC1 gene under the control of the embryo-specific promoter ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 3. However, the complemented seedlings did not grow into mature plants, underscoring the general importance of HCC1 for plant growth. The HCC2 homolog was shown to localize to mitochondria like HCC1, yet the function of HCC2 is evidently different, because two hcc2 knockout lines developed normally and exhibited only mild growth suppression compared with the wild type (WT). However, hcc2 knockouts were more sensitive to UV-B treatment than the WT. Complementation of the hcc2 knockout with HCC2 rescued the UV-B-sensitive phenotype. In agreement with this, exposure of wild-type plants to UV-B led to an increase of HCC2 transcripts. In order to corroborate a function of HCC1 and HCC2 in COX biogenesis, COX activity of hcc1 and hcc2 mutants was compared. While the loss of HCC2 function had no significant effect on COX activity, the disruption of one HCC1 gene copy was enough to suppress respiration by more than half compared with the WT. Therefore, we conclude that HCC1 is essential for COX function, most likely by delivering Cu to the catalytic center. HCC2, on the other hand, seems to be involved directly or indirectly in UV-B-stress responses.

The two related putative cytochrome c oxidase (COX) assembly factors HCC1 and HCC2 from Arabidopsis thaliana are Homologs of the yeast Copper Chaperones Sco1p and Sco2p. The hcc1 null mutation was previously shown to be embryo lethal while the disruption of the HCC2 gene function had no obvious effect on plant development, but increased the expression of stress-responsive genes. Both HCC1 and HCC2 contain a thioredoxin domain, but only HCC1 carries a Cu-binding motif also found in Sco1p and Sco2p. In order to investigate the physiological implications suggested by this difference, various hcc1 and hcc2 mutants were generated and analyzed. The lethality of the hcc1 knockout mutation was rescued by complementation with the HCC1 gene under the control of the embryo-specific promoter ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 3. However, the complemented seedlings did not grow into mature plants, underscoring the general importance of HCC1 for plant growth. The HCC2 homolog was shown to localize to mitochondria like HCC1, yet the function of HCC2 is evidently different, because two hcc2 knockout lines developed normally and exhibited only mild growth suppression compared with the wild type (WT). However, hcc2 knockouts were more sensitive to UV-B treatment than the WT. Complementation of the hcc2 knockout with HCC2 rescued the UV-B-sensitive phenotype. In agreement with this, exposure of wild-type plants to UV-B led to an increase of HCC2 transcripts. In order to corroborate a function of HCC1 and HCC2 in COX biogenesis, COX activity of hcc1 and hcc2 mutants was compared. While the loss of HCC2 function had no significant effect on COX activity, the disruption of one HCC1 gene copy was enough to suppress respiration by more than half compared with the WT. Therefore, we conclude that HCC1 is essential for COX function, most likely by delivering Cu to the catalytic center. HCC2, on the other hand, seems to be involved directly or indirectly in UV-B-stress responses.

Palynology, the study of organic microfossils, is an important tool for improving our understanding of past environments and landscapes. Palynology provides a wealth of information from which climatic and environmental conditions can be inferred. However, inferred climatic and environmental conditions are often open to interpretation. Assumptions made about past climate conditions from pollen assemblages often rely on qualitative understanding of modern-day vegetation distributions, rather than empirical relationships. Historic anthropogenic impact on the environment must also be inferred, and assessments made as to whether vegetation changes are a result of climate change or human impact. This study seeks to address some of the questions that arise through the interpretation of pollen assemblages, by establishing empirical relationships between the geochemistry of modern pollen and climate or environmental controls. It focuses on the pollen of the climatically sensitive montane conifer Cedrus atlantica, which is distributed across the mountains of Morocco and Algeria. The study investigates aspects of modern pollen geochemistry and morphology and finds a strong relationship between the stable carbon isotope composition of modern pollen and mean annual precipitation (r2 = 0.54, p <0.001) and summer precipitation (r2 = 0.63, p <0.0001). Furthermore, a stronger relationship exists with aridity measured using the self-calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index (r2 = 0.86, p <0.0001), suggesting that the stable carbon isotope composition of Cedrus atlantica pollen is influenced by environmental moisture availability. The study also finds there is an increased abundance of ultraviolet absorbing compounds (UACs) in modern Cedrus atlantica pollen with increasing summer UV-B flux. This relationship was evident with samples growing in their native range (r2 = 0.84, p <0.0001), but not with samples from outside this range (r2 = 0.00, p = 0.99), suggesting a possible genetic influence. Lastly, the study finds that grain size of Cedrus atlantica pollen is highly variable within and between samples, and we rule out climatic control on pollen grain size. These results suggest that quantitative relationships can be established between the geochemistry of Cedrus atlantica pollen and environmental and climatic influences. Stable carbon isotope analysis of fossil pollen could be used as a proxy for reconstruction of summer moisture availability, while analysis of UACs in fossil pollen could be used as a proxy for the reconstruction of summer UV-B flux. These proxies will enhance our understanding of climatic and environmental change in Northwest Africa and will complement existing palynological techniques for environmental and climate reconstruction. Palynology, the study of organic microfossils, is an important tool for improving our understanding of past environments and landscapes. Palynology provides a wealth of information from which climatic and environmental conditions can be inferred. However, inferred climatic and environmental conditions are often open to interpretation. Assumptions made about past climate conditions from pollen assemblages often rely on qualitative understanding of modern-day vegetation distributions, rather than empirical relationships. Historic anthropogenic impact on the environment must also be inferred, and assessments made as to whether vegetation changes are a result of climate change or human impact. This study seeks to address some of the questions that arise through the interpretation of pollen assemblages, by establishing empirical relationships between the geochemistry of modern pollen and climate or environmental controls. It focuses on the pollen of the climatically sensitive montane conifer Cedrus atlantica, which is distributed across the mountains of Morocco and Algeria. The study investigates aspects of modern pollen geochemistry and morphology and finds a strong relationship between the stable carbon isotope composition of modern pollen and mean annual precipitation (r2 = 0.54, p <0.001) and summer precipitation (r2 = 0.63, p <0.0001). Furthermore, a stronger relationship exists with aridity measured using the self-calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index (r2 = 0.86, p <0.0001), suggesting that the stable carbon isotope composition of Cedrus atlantica pollen is influenced by environmental moisture availability. The study also finds there is an increased abundance of ultraviolet absorbing compounds (UACs) in modern Cedrus atlantica pollen with increasing summer UV-B flux. This relationship was evident with samples growing in their native range (r2 = 0.84, p <0.0001), but not with samples from outside this range (r2 = 0.00, p = 0.99), suggesting a possible genetic influence. Lastly, the study finds that grain size of Cedrus atlantica pollen is highly variable within and between samples, and we rule out climatic control on pollen grain size. These results suggest that quantitative relationships can be established between the geochemistry of Cedrus atlantica pollen and environmental and climatic influences. Stable carbon isotope analysis of fossil pollen could be used as a proxy for reconstruction of summer moisture availability, while analysis of UACs in fossil pollen could be used as a proxy for the reconstruction of summer UV-B flux. These proxies will enhance our understanding of climatic and environmental change in Northwest Africa and will complement existing palynological techniques for environmental and climate reconstruction.

When plants are exposed to multiple environmental stress factors, one form of stress can affect the response to another stress. This study used seedlings of a new cultivar of wheat(Triticum aestivum L. cv. 1862), grown under factorial combinations of two levels of ultraviolet-B (UV-B)radiation, two salinity regimes and two levels of iron treatment in chelator-buffered nutrient solutions in a growth chamber. A number of morphological and physiological measurements were made. The accumulation of chlorophyll, UVabsorbing compounds and proline in shoots, as well as phytosiderophores (PSs) in root exudates were measured. Feed value measurements included crude protein, water-soluble carbohydrates, acid detergent fibre and Fe in shoots and roots. After 21 days of stress exposure, results showed that Fe deficiency and NaCl stress generally decreased plant growth and function as well as nutritive value, but increased plant biochemical protection traits such as proline accumulation (16.3 fold under salinity stress) and release of PSs (2.4 fold under Fe deficiency). Interestingly, UV-B radiation affected belowground parameters, inducing a 47% reduction in PS release, together with decreasing root DM by 9% and Fe concentration in roots by 7%. When Fe deficiency and NaCl stress were combined, the results showed a decrease in PS release by 3.5 fold compared to unstressed plants. UV-B radiation synergistically increased UV-absorbing compound levels in combination with Fe deficiency, compared to plants grown under optimal Fe levels. This stress combination also resulted in a cumulative effect by decreasing Fe concentration in shoots and roots. However, salt stress did not interact with UV-B radiation for any of the traits measured. In addition, some three-way interactions were noted, with the Fe x NaCl x UV-B stress combination slightly decreasing PS release and resulting in a cumulative effect by decreasing Fe concentration in roots. In conclusion, this study found that aboveground stress factors such as UV-B can affect important aspects of belowground plant function, and that Fe deficiency can interact with UV-B and salinity stress in modifying plant responses to either stress alone.

Blastodinium, a genus of the phytoplanktonic dinoflagellates, was found to be inhabiting the gut region of the copepod species Labidocera. Copepods are ubiquitous in aquatic environments, being the most numerous multicellular organisms on planet earth. Being primary consumers, they play important ecological roles, passing energy from one trophic level to the next. As zooplankton, estuarine copepods contribute substantially to carbon cycling as they undergo diurnal migration to avoid daylight UV-B damage and surface water predation. Blastodinium are presumed to infect copepods via ingestion of zoospores by juvenile hosts, who function as microhabitats for acquiring nutrients in non-photosynthetic species or in nutrient-limited environments. Blastodinium may hinder reproduction of copepod hosts, thereby influencing local copepod populations and, by extension, food webs up to humanity. Copepod populations may also help contain disease spread, such as malaria and Dengue fever, through their consumption of mosquito larvae in standing water. Further evaluation of copepods for Blastodinium may help shed light on the limited knowledge of this species and the nature of its relationship with copepods, as well as its effects on copepod populations and the higher order consequences of its parasitism.