Biomedical subjects

Luis Bolaños

Publications and source records attributed to Luis Bolaños.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Why boron?

It is now more than 80 years since boron was convincingly demonstrated to be essential for normal growth of higher plants. However, its biochemical role is not well understood at the moment. Several recent reviews propose that B is implicated in three main processes: keeping cell wall structure, maintaining membrane function, and supporting metabolic activities. However, in the absence of conclusive evidence, the primary role of boron in plants remains elusive. Besides plants, growth of specific bacteria, such as heterocystous cyanobacteria and the recently reported actinomycetes of the genus Frankia, requires B, particularly for the stability of the envelopes that control the access of the nitrogenase-poisoning oxygen when they grow under N2-fixing conditions. Likewise, a role for B for animal embryogenesis and other developmental processes is being established. Finally, a new feature of the role of boron comes from signaling mechanisms for communication among bacteria and among legumes and rhizobia leading to N2-fixing symbiosis, and it is possible that new roles for B, based on its special chemistry and its interaction with Ca would appear in the world of signal transduction pathways. In conclusion, the diversity of roles played by B might indicate that either the micronutrient is involved in numerous processes or that its deficiency has a pleiotropic effect. The arising question is why such an element? Since all of the roles clearly established for B are related to its capacity to form diester bridges between cis-hydroxyl-containing molecules, we propose that the main reason for B essentiality is the stabilization of molecules with cis-diol groups turning them effective, irrespectively of their function.

Boron↗

PubMed2005

Polychlorinated biphenyl rhizoremediation by Pseudomonas fluorescens F113 derivatives, using a Sinorhizobium meliloti nod system to drive bph gene expression.

Rhizoremediation of organic chemicals requires high-level expression of biodegradation genes in bacterial strains that are excellent rhizosphere colonizers. Pseudomonas fluorescens F113 is a biocontrol strain that was shown to be an excellent colonizer of numerous plant rhizospheres, including alfalfa. Although a derivative of F113 expressing polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) biodegradation genes (F113pcb) has been reported previously, this strain shows a low level of bph gene expression, limiting its rhizoremediation potential. Here, a high-level expression system was designed from rhizobial nod gene regulatory relays. Nod promoters were tested in strain F113 by using beta-galactosidase transcriptional fusions. This analysis showed that nodbox 4 from Sinorhizobium meliloti has a high level of expression in F113 that is dependent on an intact nodD1 gene. A transcriptional fusion of a nodbox cassette containing the nodD1 gene and nodbox 4 fused to a gfp gene was expressed in the alfalfa rhizosphere. The bph operon from Burkholderia sp. strain LB400 was cloned under the control of the nodbox cassette and was inserted as a single copy into the genome of F113, generating strain F113L::1180. This new genetically modified strain has a high level of BphC activity and grows on biphenyl as a sole carbon and energy source at a growth rate that is more than three times higher than that of F113pcb. Degradation of PCBs 3, 4, 5, 17, and 25 was also much faster in F113L::1180 than in F113pcb. Finally, the modified strain cometabolized PCB congeners present in Delor103 better than strain LB400, the donor of the bph genes used.

Bacterial Proteins↗

PubMed2004

Cell surface interactions of Rhizobium bacteroids and other bacterial strains with symbiosomal and peribacteroid membrane components from pea nodules.

Samples of Rhizobium bacteroids isolated from pea nodule symbiosomes reacted positively with a monoclonal antibody recognizing N-linked glycan epitopes on plant glycoproteins associated with the peribacteroid membrane and peribacteroid fluid. An antiserum recognizing the symbiosomal lectin-like glycoprotein PsNLEC-1 also reacted positively. Samples of isolated bacteroids also reacted with an antibody recognizing a glycolipid component of the peribacteroid membrane and plasma membrane. Bacterial cells derived from free-living cultures then were immobilized on nitrocellulose sheets and tested for their ability to associate with components of plant extracts derived from nodule fractionation. A positive antibody-staining reaction indicated that both PsNLEC-1 and membrane glycolipid had become associated with the bacterial surface. A range of rhizobial strains with mutants affecting cell surface polysaccharides all showed similar interactions with PsNLEC-1 and associated plant membranes, with the exception of strain B659 (a deep-rough lipopolysaccharide mutant of Rhizobium leguminosarum). However, the presence of a capsule of extracellular polysaccharide apparently prevented interactions between rhizobial cells and these plant components. The importance of a close association between peribacteroid membranes, PsNLEC-1, and the bacterial surface is discussed in the context of symbiosome development.

Bacterial Physiological Phenomena↗

PubMed2003

Recovery of development and functionality of nodules and plant growth in salt-stressed Pisum sativum--Rhizobium leguminosarum symbiosis by boron and calcium.

Nodules developed in Pisum sativum L. cv. Argona inoculated with Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae 3841 and growing under saline conditions (75 mmol/L NaCl) are non functional and had abnormal structure. The infected cells contained a low amount of endophytic bacteria, compared to treatments without salt. Addition of B (up to 55.8 micromol/L) and Ca2+ (up to 2.72 mmol/L) increased bacterial population of host plant cells in salt-stressed nodules. Furthermore, symbiosomes developed inside the nodules from salt treated plants presented a degraded peribacteroid membrane. This effect was also prevented by combined addition of B and Ca2+. Given the importance of both nutrients in cell wall structure, the pectin fraction was studied by electron microscopy and immunological methods. Salt stress produced cells with walls dramatically altered or even degraded in several zones. Pectin polysaccharides, detected by JIM 5 monoclonal antibody, increased in cells under salinity. These effects resembled typical effects of B-deficiency reactions in cell walls, and the increase of both Ca2+ and especially B also prevented these alterations.

Boron↗

PubMed2002

Boron requirement in the Discaria trinervis (Rhamnaceae) and Frankia symbiotic relationship. Its essentiality for Frankia BCU110501 growth and nitrogen fixation.

The essentiality of boron (B) for nitrogen fixation in heterocystous cyanobacteria and rhizobial symbioses has been widely established. However, nothing is known about the possible involvement of the micronutrient in actinorhizal symbioses. Therefore, the effect of boron (B) deficiency on the establishment of the Discaria trinervis-Frankia BCU110501 symbiosis was investigated. Nodulation was diminished in B-deficient D. trinervis or in plants inoculated with Frankia grown in the absence of B. These poorly nodulated plants showed a reduction of shoot and root weight and small size. Because depletion of the micronutrient during growth of the actinomycete altered the infection capacity of Frankia, we also studied growth, structure and nitrogen fixation of free-living Frankia BCU110501. Growth was delayed in B-deficient BAP media (+N cultures), and completely inhibited in B-deprived N-free BAP media (-N cultures), suggesting that B is required to enhance growth of Frankia and essential for the development of nitrogen fixing activity. Ultrastructural study of B-deficient cells showed an alteration of filament walls both in +N and especially in -N cultures, indicating a possible role of the microelement in the maintenance of these structures. Moreover, the stability of vesicle envelopes was impaired in the absence of B and, hence, nitrogenase occurrence and nitrogen fixation were totally absent. The results show that B is required for both partners to establish an effective symbiosis.

Journal Article↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Continuous intravenous sodium ferric gluconate improves efficacy in the maintenance phase of EPOrHu administration in hemodialysis patients.

Although intravenous iron has proved to optimize the efficacy of EPOrHu in hemodialysis patients, hitherto no consensus exists with respect to the best regimen of intravenous iron administration. We started a prospective randomized study in 26 patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis who had adequate iron metabolism indices (serum ferritin >100 microg/l; %TSAT >20%; %HypoE <10% and CHr >26 pg) and were in the maintenance phase of EPOrHu administration (target hemoglobin obtained >10 g/dl). All patients were receiving sodium ferric gluconate (Ferrlecit) intermittently prior to the study and after a 1-month wash-out period where iron was not administered patients were randomized to receive the same previous dose of intravenous iron either in a continuous (6.25-21.3 mg in every hemodialysis session) or an intermittent regimen (62.5 mg every 1-4 weeks, not modifying the previous schedule of administration). At 16 weeks, the continuous group showed a significant increment in serum Hb (11.83 +/- 1.12 g/dl) with respect to baseline (10.96 +/- 1.31 g/dl) (p < 0.05), whereas no differences were obtained in intermittent group (baseline: 11.16 +/- 1.03 g/dl; 16 weeks: 11.14 +/- 0.90 g/dl, NS). In contrast with the intermittent group, serum ferritin increased significantly in the continuous group (16 weeks: 508 +/- 157 microg/l; baseline: 368 +/- 56 microg/l; p < 0.05), whereas %TSAT and CHr did not modified during the study in both groups. %HypoE increased significantly with respect to baseline values in the continuous group (p < 0.05) and close to significantly different in the intermittent group (p = 0.06). Our study suggests that hemodialysis patients in the maintenance phase of EPOrHu administration would obtain further benefit in terms of serum hemoglobin level with a continuous intravenous serum ferric gluconate regimen, at least in the short term.

Aged↗