Chemical Basis for Determining the Allelopathic Potential of Invasive Plant Wall Barley (Hordeum murinum L. subsp. murinum).

The study investigated compounds present in the invasive grass Hordeum murinum L. subsp. murinum and tested the allelopathic potential of this plant against common meadow species Festuca rubra L. and Trifolium repens L. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) performed separately on the ears and stalks with leaves of wall barley revealed 32 compounds, including secondary metabolites, that may play an important role in allelopathy. Two compounds, N-butylbenzenesulfonamide (NBBS) and diphenylsulfone (DDS), were described for the first time for wall barley and the Poaceae family. The presence of 6,10,14-trimethylpentadecan-2-one (TMP) has also been documented. Aqueous extracts of H. murinum organs (ears and stalks with leaves) at concentrations of 2.5%, 5%, and 7.5% were used to evaluate its allelopathic potential. Compared to the control, all extracts inhibited germination and early growth stages of meadow species. The inhibitory effect was strongest at the highest concentration for both the underground and aboveground parts of the seedlings of the meadow species tested. Comparing the allelopathic effect, Trifolium repens proved to be more sensitive. In light of the results of the study, the removal of wall barley biomass appears to be important for the restoration of habitats where this species occurs due to its allelopathic potential.

Is the merA gene sufficient as a molecular marker of mercury bacterial resistance?

Gene encoding mercuric ion reductase, merA is a crucial component of the mer operon for reduction of nonorganic mercury ions into less toxic form. The merA gene or its fragments are commonly used as a molecular marker of bacterial resistance to mercury. In this study, it was tested whether the merA gene can be considered as a molecular marker of mercury bacterial resistance. For this purpose, the presence of the mer operon in bacteria isolated from the microbiota of Tussilago farfara L. growing in post-industrial mercury-contaminated and non-contaminated areas was verified by merA gene identification. Mercury resistance was determined by analyzing the bacterial growth parameters in standard Luria-Bertani (LB) medium with mercury concentration of 0.01% (w/v) and in medium without mercury addition. The results obtained showed that the merA gene was present in all T. farfara L. bacterial isolates growing in both mercury-contaminated and noncontaminated soils, however, only the isolates from mercury-contaminated areas were able to grow under mercury conditions. Although merA is commonly regarded as a molecular marker of bacterial mercury resistance, results of our research indicate the need for a verification of that statement/thesis and further investigation of bacterial mercury resistance to indicate other its key markers, structures, or mechanisms.

Molecular Dynamics of Chloroplast Membranes Isolated from Wild-Type Barley and a Brassinosteroid-Deficient Mutant Acclimated to Low and High Temperatures.

Plants have developed various acclimation strategies in order to counteract the negative effects of abiotic stresses (including temperature stress), and biological membranes are important elements in these strategies. Brassinosteroids (BR) are plant steroid hormones that regulate plant growth and development and modulate their reaction against many environmental stresses including temperature stress, but their role in modifying the properties of the biological membrane is poorly known. In this paper, we characterise the molecular dynamics of chloroplast membranes that had been isolated from wild-type and a BR-deficient barley mutant that had been acclimated to low and high temperatures in order to enrich the knowledge about the role of BR as regulators of the dynamics of the photosynthetic membranes. The molecular dynamics of the membranes was investigated using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy in both a hydrophilic and hydrophobic area of the membranes. The content of BR was determined, and other important membrane components that affect their molecular dynamics such as chlorophylls, carotenoids and fatty acids in these membranes were also determined. The chloroplast membranes of the BR-mutant had a higher degree of rigidification than the membranes of the wild type. In the hydrophilic area, the most visible differences were observed in plants that had been grown at 20 °C, whereas in the hydrophobic core, they were visible at both 20 and 5 °C. There were no differences in the molecular dynamics of the studied membranes in the chloroplast membranes that had been isolated from plants that had been grown at 27 °C. The role of BR in regulating the molecular dynamics of the photosynthetic membranes will be discussed against the background of an analysis of the photosynthetic pigments and fatty acid composition in the chloroplasts.

Achromobacter xylosoxidans as a new microorganism strain colonizing high-density polyethylene as a key step to its biodegradation.

This study presents results of research on isolation new bacteria strain Achromobacter xylosoxidans able to effect on the structure of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polymer resistant to degradation in environment. New strain of A. xylosoxidans PE-1 was isolated from the soil and identified by analysis of the 16S ribosome subunit coding sequences. The substance to be degraded was HDPE in the form of thin foil films. The foil samples were analyzed with Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) as well as scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the results revealed degradation of chemical structure of HDPE. About 9 % loss of weight was also detected as a result of A. xylosoxidans PE-1 effect on HDPE foil. On the basis of comparative spectral analysis of the raw material before the bacteria treatment and the spectrum from a spectra database, it was assumed that the HDPE was the only source of carbon and energy for the microorganisms. No fillers or other additives used in the plastic processing were observed in HDPE before experiments. This is the first communication showing that A. xylosoxidans is able to modify chemical structure of HDPE, what was observed both on FTIR, in mass reduction of HDPE and SEM analysis. We also observed quite good growth of the bacteria also when the HDPE was the sole carbon source in the medium. These results prove that A. xylosoxidans is an organism worth applying in future HDPE biodegradation studies.