Triggers of the HSP70 stress response: environmental responses and laboratory manipulation in an Antarctic marine invertebrate (Nacella concinna).

PubMed

Clark, Melody S; Peck, Lloyd S

2009-11-01

The Antarctic limpet, Nacella concinna, exhibits the classical heat shock response, with up-regulation of duplicated forms of the inducible heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) gene in response to experimental manipulation of seawater temperatures. However, this response only occurs in the laboratory at temperatures well in excess of any experienced in the field. Subsequent environmental sampling of inter-tidal animals also showed up-regulation of these genes, but at temperature thresholds much lower than those required to elicit a response in the laboratory. It was hypothesised that this was a reflection of the complexity of the stresses encountered in the inter-tidal region. Here, we describe a further series of experiments comprising both laboratory manipulation and environmental sampling of N. concinna. We investigate the expression of HSP70 gene family members (HSP70A, HSP70B, GRP78 and HSC70) in response to a further suite of environmental stressors: seasonal and experimental cold, freshwater, desiccation, chronic heat and periodic emersion. Lowered temperatures (-1.9 degrees C and -1.6 degrees C), generally produced a down-regulation of all HSP70 family members, with some up-regulation of HSC70 when emerging from the winter period and increasing sea temperatures. There was no significant response to freshwater immersion. In response to acute and chronic heat treatments plus simulated tidal cycles, the data showed a clear pattern. HSP70A showed a strong but very short-term response to heat whilst the duplicated HSP70B also showed heat to be a trigger, but had a more sustained response to complex stresses. GRP78 expression indicates that it was acting as a generalised stress response under the experimental conditions described here. HSC70 was the major chaperone invoked in response to long-term stresses of varying types. These results provide intriguing clues not only to the complexity of HSP70 gene expression in response to environmental change but also insights into the stress response of a non-model species.

41 CFR 102-80.20 - What are Federal agencies' responsibilities concerning the abatement of radon?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... agencies' responsibilities concerning the abatement of radon? 102-80.20 Section 102-80.20 Public Contracts... REGULATION REAL PROPERTY 80-SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT Safety and Environmental Management Radon § 102-80.20 What are Federal agencies' responsibilities concerning the abatement of radon? Federal...

41 CFR 102-80.20 - What are Federal agencies' responsibilities concerning the abatement of radon?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... agencies' responsibilities concerning the abatement of radon? 102-80.20 Section 102-80.20 Public Contracts... REGULATION REAL PROPERTY 80-SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT Safety and Environmental Management Radon § 102-80.20 What are Federal agencies' responsibilities concerning the abatement of radon? Federal...

41 CFR 102-80.60 - Are Federal agencies responsible for performing facility assessments?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Management Federal Property Management Regulations System (Continued) FEDERAL MANAGEMENT REGULATION REAL PROPERTY 80-SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT Safety and Environmental Management Facility Assessments... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Are Federal agencies...

Environmental Assessment of Proposed Wing Headquarters Facility at Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station, Pennsylvania

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-03-01

CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act CFR Code of Federal Regulations CO carbon monoxide CWA Clean Water...255 Richard Ray Boulevard Robins Air Force Base, Georgia 31098-1637 Project Number: JLSS 97- 9001 MARCH 2005 EA of Proposed Wing...Environmental Statutes and Regulations ...........................1- 5 1.5 Interagency Coordination and Community Involvement

Quantifying and Generalizing Hydrologic Responses to Dam Regulation using a Statistical Modeling Approach

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McManamay, Ryan A

2014-01-01

Despite the ubiquitous existence of dams within riverscapes, much of our knowledge about dams and their environmental effects remains context-specific. Hydrology, more than any other environmental variable, has been studied in great detail with regard to dam regulation. While much progress has been made in generalizing the hydrologic effects of regulation by large dams, many aspects of hydrology show site-specific fidelity to dam operations, small dams (including diversions), and regional hydrologic regimes. A statistical modeling framework is presented to quantify and generalize hydrologic responses to varying degrees of dam regulation. Specifically, the objectives were to 1) compare the effects ofmore » local versus cumulative dam regulation, 2) determine the importance of different regional hydrologic regimes in influencing hydrologic responses to dams, and 3) evaluate how different regulation contexts lead to error in predicting hydrologic responses to dams. Overall, model performance was poor in quantifying the magnitude of hydrologic responses, but performance was sufficient in classifying hydrologic responses as negative or positive. Responses of some hydrologic indices to dam regulation were highly dependent upon hydrologic class membership and the purpose of the dam. The opposing coefficients between local and cumulative-dam predictors suggested that hydrologic responses to cumulative dam regulation are complex, and predicting the hydrology downstream of individual dams, as opposed to multiple dams, may be more easy accomplished using statistical approaches. Results also suggested that particular contexts, including multipurpose dams, high cumulative regulation by multiple dams, diversions, close proximity to dams, and certain hydrologic classes are all sources of increased error when predicting hydrologic responses to dams. Statistical models, such as the ones presented herein, show promise in their ability to model the effects of dam regulation effects at large spatial scales as to generalize the directionality of hydrologic responses.« less

ICPP environmental monitoring report CY-1993: Environmental characterization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1994-05-01

Summarized in this report are the data collected through Environmental Monitoring programs conducted at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) by the Environmental Safety & Health (ES&H) Department. This report is published in response to DOE Order 5400.1. This report covers the period from December 21, 1992 through December 20, 1993. The ICPP is responsible for complying with all applicable Federal, State, Local and DOE Rules, Regulations and Orders. Radiological effluent and emissions are regulated by the DOE in accordance with the Derived Concentration Guides (DCGs) as presented in DOE Order 5400.5. The State of Idaho regulates all nonradiological wastemore » resulting from the ICPP operations including all airborne, liquid, and solid waste. The ES&H Department updated the Quality Assurance (QA) Project Plan for Environmental Monitoring activities during the third quarter of 1992. QA activities have resulted in the ICPP`s implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules and guidelines pertaining to the collection, analyses, and reporting of environmentally related samples. Where no EPA methods for analyses existed for radionuclides, WINCO methods were used.« less

A role for SR proteins in plant stress responses.

PubMed

Duque, Paula

2011-01-01

Members of the SR (serine/arginine-rich) protein gene family are key players in the regulation of alternative splicing, an important means of generating proteome diversity and regulating gene expression. In plants, marked changes in alternative splicing are induced by a wide variety of abiotic stresses, suggesting a role for this highly versatile gene regulation mechanism in the response to environmental cues. In support of this notion, the expression of plant SR proteins is stress-regulated at multiple levels, with environmental signals controlling their own alternative splicing patterns, phosphorylation status and subcellular distribution. Most importantly, functional links between these RNA-binding proteins and plant stress tolerance are beginning to emerge, including a role in the regulation of abscisic acid (ABA) signaling. Future identification of the physiological mRNA targets of plant SR proteins holds much promise for the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying their role in the response to abiotic stress.

A role for SR proteins in plant stress responses

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Members of the SR (serine/arginine-rich) protein gene family are key players in the regulation of alternative splicing, an important means of generating proteome diversity and regulating gene expression. In plants, marked changes in alternative splicing are induced by a wide variety of abiotic stresses, suggesting a role for this highly versatile gene regulation mechanism in the response to environmental cues. In support of this notion, the expression of plant SR proteins is stress-regulated at multiple levels, with environmental signals controlling their own alternative splicing patterns, phosphorylation status and subcellular distribution. Most importantly, functional links between these RNA-binding proteins and plant stress tolerance are beginning to emerge, including a role in the regulation of abscisic acid (ABA) signaling. Future identification of the physiological mRNA targets of plant SR proteins holds much promise for the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying their role in the response to abiotic stress. PMID:21258207

Mammalian Per-Arnt-Sim proteins in environmental adaptation.

PubMed

McIntosh, Brian E; Hogenesch, John B; Bradfield, Christopher A

2010-01-01

The Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) domain is conserved across the kingdoms of life and found in an ever-growing list of proteins. This domain can bind to and sense endogenous or xenobiotic small molecules such as molecular oxygen, cellular metabolites, or polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Members of this family are often found in pathways that regulate responses to environmental change; in mammals these include the hypoxia, circadian, and dioxin response pathways. These pathways function in development and throughout life to regulate cellular, organ, and whole-organism adaptive responses. Remarkably, in the case of the clock, this adaptation includes anticipation of environmental change. In this review, we summarize the roles of PAS domain-containing proteins in mammals. We provide structural evidence that functionally classifies both known and unknown biological roles. Finally, we discuss the role of PAS proteins in anticipation of and adaptation to environmental change.

SAUR Proteins as Effectors of Hormonal and Environmental Signals in Plant Growth

PubMed Central

Ren, Hong; Gray, William M.

2016-01-01

The plant hormone auxin regulates numerous aspects of plant growth and development. Early auxin response genes mediate its genomic effects on plant growth and development. Discovered in 1987, SMALL AUXIN UP RNAs (SAURs) are the largest family of early auxin response genes. SAUR functions have remained elusive, however, presumably due to extensive genetic redundancy. However, recent molecular, genetic, biochemical, and genomic studies have implicated SAURs in the regulation of a wide range of cellular, physiological, and developmental processes. Recently, crucial mechanistic insight into SAUR function was provided by the demonstration that SAURs inhibit PP2C.D phosphatases to activate plasma membrane (PM) H+-ATPases and promote cell expansion. In addition to auxin, several other hormones and environmental factors also regulate SAUR gene expression. We propose that SAURs are key effector outputs of hormonal and environmental signals that regulate plant growth and development. PMID:25983207

Endogenous circadian regulation of carbon dioxide exchange in terrestrial ecosystems

Treesearch

Victor Resco de Dios; Michael L. Goulden; Kiona Ogle; Andrew D. Richardson; David Y. Hollinger; Eric A. Davidson; Josu G. Alday; Greg A. Barron-Gafford; Arnaud Carrara; Andrew S. Kowalski; Walt C. Oechel; Borja R. Reverter; Russell L. Scott; Ruth K. Varner; Ruben Diaz-Sierra; Jose M. Moreno

2012-01-01

It is often assumed that daytime patterns of ecosystem carbon assimilation are mostly driven by direct physiological responses to exogenous environmental cues. Under limited environmental variability, little variation in carbon assimilation should thus be expected unless endogenous plant controls on carbon assimilation, which regulate photosynthesis in time, are active...

ICPP environmental monitoring report, CY 1989

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1991-01-01

Summarized in this report are the data collected through Environmental Monitoring programs conducted at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) by the Environmental Assurance (EA) Section of the Environmental Compliance and SIS Operations (EC/SIS) Department. Published in response to DOE Order 5484.1, Chap. 3, this report covers the period from December 20, 1988 through December 19, 1989. The ICPP is responsible for complying with all applicable Federal, State, Local and DOE Rules, Regulations and Orders. Radiological effluent and emissions are regulated by the DOE in accordance with the Derived Concentration Guides (DCGs) as presented in DOE Order 5,400.05, and themore » State of Idaho Maximum Permissible Concentrations (MPCs). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates all nonradiological waste resulting from the ICPP operations including all airborne, liquid, and solid waste. The EA Section completed a Quality Assurance (QA) Plan for Environmental Monitoring activities during the third quarter of 1986. QA activities have resulted in the ICPP's implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency rules and guidelines pertaining to the Collection, analyses, and reporting of environmentally related samples. Where no approved methods for analyses existed for radionuclides, currently used methods were submitted for the EPA approval. 17 figs., 11 tabs.« less

New frontiers in the treatment of colorectal cancer: Autophagy and the unfolded protein response as promising targets

PubMed Central

Chen, Qi Min; Hudecki, Andrzej; Moghadam, Adel Rezaei; Owji, Ali Akbar

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Colorectal cancer (CRC), despite numerous therapeutic and screening attempts, still remains a major life-threatening malignancy. CRC etiology entails both genetic and environmental factors. Macroautophagy/autophagy and the unfolded protein response (UPR) are fundamental mechanisms involved in the regulation of cellular responses to environmental and genetic stresses. Both pathways are interconnected and regulate cellular responses to apoptotic stimuli. In this review, we address the epidemiology and risk factors of CRC, including genetic mutations leading to the occurrence of the disease. Next, we discuss mutations of genes related to autophagy and the UPR in CRC. Then, we discuss how autophagy and the UPR are involved in the regulation of CRC and how they associate with obesity and inflammatory responses in CRC. Finally, we provide perspectives for the modulation of autophagy and the UPR as new therapeutic options for CRC treatment. PMID:28358273

Biogeochemical Responses and Feedbacks to Climate Change: Synthetic Meta-Analyses Relevant to Earth System Models

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

van Gestel, Natasja; Jan van Groenigen, Kees; Osenberg, Craig

This project examined the sensitivity of carbon in land ecosystems to environmental change, focusing on carbon contained in soil, and the role of carbon-nitrogen interactions in regulating ecosystem carbon storage. The project used a combination of empirical measurements, mathematical models, and statistics to partition effects of climate change on soil into processes enhancing soil carbon and processes through which it decomposes. By synthesizing results from experiments around the world, the work provided novel insight on ecological controls and responses across broad spatial and temporal scales. The project developed new approaches in meta-analysis using principles of element mass balance and largemore » datasets to derive metrics of ecosystem responses to environmental change. The project used meta-analysis to test how nutrients regulate responses of ecosystems to elevated CO2 and warming, in particular responses of nitrogen fixation, critical for regulating long-term C balance.« less

New frontiers in the treatment of colorectal cancer: Autophagy and the unfolded protein response as promising targets.

PubMed

Mokarram, Pooneh; Albokashy, Mohammed; Zarghooni, Maryam; Moosavi, Mohammad Amin; Sepehri, Zahra; Chen, Qi Min; Hudecki, Andrzej; Sargazi, Aliyeh; Alizadeh, Javad; Moghadam, Adel Rezaei; Hashemi, Mohammad; Movassagh, Hesam; Klonisch, Thomas; Owji, Ali Akbar; Łos, Marek J; Ghavami, Saeid

2017-05-04

Colorectal cancer (CRC), despite numerous therapeutic and screening attempts, still remains a major life-threatening malignancy. CRC etiology entails both genetic and environmental factors. Macroautophagy/autophagy and the unfolded protein response (UPR) are fundamental mechanisms involved in the regulation of cellular responses to environmental and genetic stresses. Both pathways are interconnected and regulate cellular responses to apoptotic stimuli. In this review, we address the epidemiology and risk factors of CRC, including genetic mutations leading to the occurrence of the disease. Next, we discuss mutations of genes related to autophagy and the UPR in CRC. Then, we discuss how autophagy and the UPR are involved in the regulation of CRC and how they associate with obesity and inflammatory responses in CRC. Finally, we provide perspectives for the modulation of autophagy and the UPR as new therapeutic options for CRC treatment.

Similar environments but diverse fates: Responses of budding yeast to nutrient deprivation

PubMed Central

Honigberg, Saul M.

2016-01-01

Diploid budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) can adopt one of several alternative differentiation fates in response to nutrient limitation, and each of these fates provides distinct biological functions. When different strain backgrounds are taken into account, these various fates occur in response to similar environmental cues, are regulated by the same signal transduction pathways, and share many of the same master regulators. I propose that the relationships between fate choice, environmental cues and signaling pathways are not Boolean, but involve graded levels of signals, pathway activation and master-regulator activity. In the absence of large differences between environmental cues, small differences in the concentration of cues may be reinforced by cell-to-cell signals. These signals are particularly essential for fate determination within communities, such as colonies and biofilms, where fate choice varies dramatically from one region of the community to another. The lack of Boolean relationships between cues, signaling pathways, master regulators and cell fates may allow yeast communities to respond appropriately to the wide range of environments they encounter in nature. PMID:27917388

Postindustrialization and Environmental Quality: An Empirical Analysis of the Environmental State

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Dana R.; Freudenburg, William R.

2004-01-01

Existing sociological analyses express differing expectations about state control over economic actors and the political feasibility of environmental regulation. Recent literature on the environmental state sees environmental protection as becoming a basic responsibility of postindustrial states, with economic actors no longer having the autonomy…

29 CFR 1926.65 - Hazardous waste operations and emergency response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Section 1926.65 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND HEALTH REGULATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION Occupational Health and Environmental Controls § 1926.65 Hazardous waste operations and emergency response. (a) Scope...

7 CFR 3100.46 - Responsibilities of the Department of Agriculture.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Responsibilities of the Department of Agriculture. 3100.46 Section 3100.46 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY Enhancement, Protection, and...

7 CFR 3100.46 - Responsibilities of the Department of Agriculture.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Responsibilities of the Department of Agriculture. 3100.46 Section 3100.46 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY Enhancement, Protection, and...

7 CFR 3100.46 - Responsibilities of the Department of Agriculture.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Responsibilities of the Department of Agriculture. 3100.46 Section 3100.46 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY Enhancement, Protection, and...

7 CFR 3100.46 - Responsibilities of the Department of Agriculture.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Responsibilities of the Department of Agriculture. 3100.46 Section 3100.46 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY Enhancement, Protection, and...

7 CFR 3100.46 - Responsibilities of the Department of Agriculture.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Responsibilities of the Department of Agriculture. 3100.46 Section 3100.46 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY Enhancement, Protection, and...

22 CFR 161.6 - Responsibilities of departmental officials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... applicable laws and regulations; (iii) Coordinating environmental assessment-related activities for which it is responsible with the Office of Environment and Health in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs and supporting and assisting the Office of Environment and Health in...

48 CFR 1426.7103 - The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) (Superfund...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) (Superfund Minority Contractors Utilization... SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS OTHER SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS Minority Business Reports 1426.7103 The Comprehensive...

FOXO Regulates Organ-Specific Phenotypic Plasticity In Drosophila

PubMed Central

Tang, Hui Yuan; Smith-Caldas, Martha S. B.; Driscoll, Michael V.; Salhadar, Samy; Shingleton, Alexander W.

2011-01-01

Phenotypic plasticity, the ability for a single genotype to generate different phenotypes in response to environmental conditions, is biologically ubiquitous, and yet almost nothing is known of the developmental mechanisms that regulate the extent of a plastic response. In particular, it is unclear why some traits or individuals are highly sensitive to an environmental variable while other traits or individuals are less so. Here we elucidate the developmental mechanisms that regulate the expression of a particularly important form of phenotypic plasticity: the effect of developmental nutrition on organ size. In all animals, developmental nutrition is signaled to growing organs via the insulin-signaling pathway. Drosophila organs differ in their size response to developmental nutrition and this reflects differences in organ-specific insulin-sensitivity. We show that this variation in insulin-sensitivity is regulated at the level of the forkhead transcription factor FOXO, a negative growth regulator that is activated when nutrition and insulin signaling are low. Individual organs appear to attenuate growth suppression in response to low nutrition through an organ-specific reduction in FOXO expression, thereby reducing their nutritional plasticity. We show that FOXO expression is necessary to maintain organ-specific differences in nutritional-plasticity and insulin-sensitivity, while organ-autonomous changes in FOXO expression are sufficient to autonomously alter an organ's nutritional-plasticity and insulin-sensitivity. These data identify a gene (FOXO) that modulates a plastic response through variation in its expression. FOXO is recognized as a key player in the response of size, immunity, and longevity to changes in developmental nutrition, stress, and oxygen levels. FOXO may therefore act as a more general regulator of plasticity. These data indicate that the extent of phenotypic plasticity may be modified by changes in the expression of genes involved in signaling environmental information to developmental processes. PMID:22102829

TCP Transcription Factors at the Interface between Environmental Challenges and the Plant’s Growth Responses

PubMed Central

Danisman, Selahattin

2016-01-01

Plants are sessile and as such their reactions to environmental challenges differ from those of mobile organisms. Many adaptions involve growth responses and hence, growth regulation is one of the most crucial biological processes for plant survival and fitness. The plant-specific TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1, CYCLOIDEA, PCF1 (TCP) transcription factor family is involved in plant development from cradle to grave, i.e., from seed germination throughout vegetative development until the formation of flowers and fruits. TCP transcription factors have an evolutionary conserved role as regulators in a variety of plant species, including orchids, tomatoes, peas, poplar, cotton, rice and the model plant Arabidopsis. Early TCP research focused on the regulatory functions of TCPs in the development of diverse organs via the cell cycle. Later research uncovered that TCP transcription factors are not static developmental regulators but crucial growth regulators that translate diverse endogenous and environmental signals into growth responses best fitted to ensure plant fitness and health. I will recapitulate the research on TCPs in this review focusing on two topics: the discovery of TCPs and the elucidation of their evolutionarily conserved roles across the plant kingdom, and the variety of signals, both endogenous (circadian clock, plant hormones) and environmental (pathogens, light, nutrients), TCPs respond to in the course of their developmental roles. PMID:28066483

TCP Transcription Factors at the Interface between Environmental Challenges and the Plant's Growth Responses.

PubMed

Danisman, Selahattin

2016-01-01

Plants are sessile and as such their reactions to environmental challenges differ from those of mobile organisms. Many adaptions involve growth responses and hence, growth regulation is one of the most crucial biological processes for plant survival and fitness. The plant-specific TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1, CYCLOIDEA, PCF1 (TCP) transcription factor family is involved in plant development from cradle to grave, i.e., from seed germination throughout vegetative development until the formation of flowers and fruits. TCP transcription factors have an evolutionary conserved role as regulators in a variety of plant species, including orchids, tomatoes, peas, poplar, cotton, rice and the model plant Arabidopsis. Early TCP research focused on the regulatory functions of TCPs in the development of diverse organs via the cell cycle. Later research uncovered that TCP transcription factors are not static developmental regulators but crucial growth regulators that translate diverse endogenous and environmental signals into growth responses best fitted to ensure plant fitness and health. I will recapitulate the research on TCPs in this review focusing on two topics: the discovery of TCPs and the elucidation of their evolutionarily conserved roles across the plant kingdom, and the variety of signals, both endogenous (circadian clock, plant hormones) and environmental (pathogens, light, nutrients), TCPs respond to in the course of their developmental roles.

Plant responses to environmental stress: regulation and functions of the Arabidopsis TCH genes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Braam, J.; Sistrunk, M. L.; Polisensky, D. H.; Xu, W.; Purugganan, M. M.; Antosiewicz, D. M.; Campbell, P.; Johnson, K. A.; McIntire, L. V. (Principal Investigator)

1997-01-01

Expression of the Arabidopsis TCH genes is markedly upregulated in response to a variety of environmental stimuli including the seemingly innocuous stimulus of touch. Understanding the mechanism(s) and factors that control TCH gene regulation will shed light on the signaling pathways that enable plants to respond to environmental conditions. The TCH proteins include calmodulin, calmodulin-related proteins and a xyloglucan endotransglycosylase. Expression analyses and localization of protein accumulation indicates that the potential sites of TCH protein function include expanding cells and tissues under mechanical strain. We hypothesize that at least a subset of the TCH proteins may collaborate in cell wall biogenesis.

Conserved versatile master regulators in signalling pathways in response to stress in plants

PubMed Central

Balderas-Hernández, Victor E.; Alvarado-Rodríguez, Miguel; Fraire-Velázquez, Saúl

2013-01-01

From the first land plants to the complex gymnosperms and angiosperms of today, environmental conditions have forced plants to develop molecular strategies to surpass natural obstacles to growth and proliferation, and these genetic gains have been transmitted to the following generations. In this long natural process, novel and elaborate mechanisms have evolved to enable plants to cope with environmental limitations. Elements in many signalling cascades enable plants to sense different, multiple and simultaneous ambient cues. A group of versatile master regulators of gene expression control plant responses to stressing conditions. For crop breeding purposes, the task is to determine how to activate these key regulators to enable accurate and optimal reactions to common stresses. In this review, we discuss how plants sense biotic and abiotic stresses, how and which master regulators are implied in the responses to these stresses, their evolution in the life kingdoms, and the domains in these proteins that interact with other factors to lead to a proper and efficient plant response. PMID:24147216

Trust-based environmental regulation.

PubMed

Lange, Bettina; Gouldson, Andy

2010-10-15

Within this paper, we examine the contribution that trust-based relationships can make to achieving better-and particularly more effective, efficient and equitable-environmental regulation. While levels of trust in regulators, regulatory processes and outcomes are often discussed, the influence of trust on different actors and on different measures of regulatory performance is poorly understood. Within this paper, we define trust-based environmental regulation as a specific regulatory style that involves openness and cooperation in interaction between regulated, regulators and third-party stakeholders in order to achieve environmental protection objectives. We then discuss the pros and cons of trust relationships between regulators, regulated businesses and citizens for achieving behavioural change towards greater environmental protection. To illustrate the significance of these issues, we then examine three forms of contractual regulatory style where trust relationships are critically important: responsive regulation, self-regulation and environmental agreements. Based on this analysis, we highlight the importance of trust-based relationships, and we argue that one of the greatest contributions of trust-based environmental regulation is to challenge how we think about regulation. Trust is often understood as enabling existing regulatory relationships or in the case of self-regulation as a complement to regulation. However, we argue that the real potential of trust is to open up new ways for participants in regulatory regimes to engage in collective action, to go beyond a perception of regulation as driven by the competing interests of individual actors, and thus, to open up new channels of influence for behavioural change towards greater environmental protection. Our analysis therefore has great relevance for future research and for on-going debates on the future of regulation. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Environmental statistics and optimal regulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sivak, David; Thomson, Matt

2015-03-01

The precision with which an organism can detect its environment, and the timescale for and statistics of environmental change, will affect the suitability of different strategies for regulating protein levels in response to environmental inputs. We propose a general framework--here applied to the enzymatic regulation of metabolism in response to changing nutrient concentrations--to predict the optimal regulatory strategy given the statistics of fluctuations in the environment and measurement apparatus, and the costs associated with enzyme production. We find: (i) relative convexity of enzyme expression cost and benefit influences the fitness of thresholding or graded responses; (ii) intermediate levels of measurement uncertainty call for a sophisticated Bayesian decision rule; and (iii) in dynamic contexts, intermediate levels of uncertainty call for retaining memory of the past. Statistical properties of the environment, such as variability and correlation times, set optimal biochemical parameters, such as thresholds and decay rates in signaling pathways. Our framework provides a theoretical basis for interpreting molecular signal processing algorithms and a classification scheme that organizes known regulatory strategies and may help conceptualize heretofore unknown ones.

Role of various hormones in photosynthetic responses of green plants under environmental stresses.

PubMed

Poonam; Bhardwaj, Renu; Kaur, Ravdeep; Bali, Shagun; Kaur, Parminder; Sirhindi, Geetika; Thukral, Ashwani K; Ohri, Puja; Vig, Adarsh P

2015-01-01

Environmental stress includes adverse factors like water deficit, high salinity, enhanced temperature and heavy metals etc. These stresses alter the normal growth and metabolic processes of plants including photosynthesis. Major photosynthetic responses under various stresses include inhibition of photosystems (I and II), changes in thylakoid complexes, decreased photosynthetic activity and modifications in structure and functions of chloroplasts etc. Various defense mechanisms are triggered inside the plants in response to these stresses that are regulated by plant hormones or plant growth regulators. These phytohormones include abscisic acid, auxins, cytokinins, ethylene, brassinosteroids, jasmonates and salicylic acid etc. The present review focuses on stress protective effects of plants hormones on the photosynthetic responses.

Elevated-CO2 Response of Stomata and Its Dependence on Environmental Factors

PubMed Central

Xu, Zhenzhu; Jiang, Yanling; Jia, Bingrui; Zhou, Guangsheng

2016-01-01

Stomata control the flow of gases between plants and the atmosphere. This review is centered on stomatal responses to elevated CO2 concentration and considers other key environmental factors and underlying mechanisms at multiple levels. First, an outline of general responses in stomatal conductance under elevated CO2 is presented. Second, stomatal density response, its development, and the trade-off with leaf growth under elevated CO2 conditions are depicted. Third, the molecular mechanism regulating guard cell movement at elevated CO2 is suggested. Finally, the interactive effects of elevated CO2 with other factors critical to stomatal behavior are reviewed. It may be useful to better understand how stomata respond to elevated CO2 levels while considering other key environmental factors and mechanisms, including molecular mechanism, biochemical processes, and ecophysiological regulation. This understanding may provide profound new insights into how plants cope with climate change. PMID:27242858

THE MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE: THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'S RESPONSE TO INVASIVE SPECIES

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responding to the scientific and regulatory challenges of invasive species in a variety of ways. One response has been to use existing programs and regulations, as appropriate, to address invasive species. A recent example is th...

7 CFR 799.5 - FSA officials and offices responsible for carrying out NEPA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 7 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false FSA officials and offices responsible for carrying out NEPA. 799.5 Section 799.5 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FARM SERVICE AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND RELATED...

7 CFR 799.5 - FSA officials and offices responsible for carrying out NEPA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 7 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false FSA officials and offices responsible for carrying out NEPA. 799.5 Section 799.5 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FARM SERVICE AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND RELATED...

7 CFR 799.5 - FSA officials and offices responsible for carrying out NEPA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false FSA officials and offices responsible for carrying out NEPA. 799.5 Section 799.5 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FARM SERVICE AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND RELATED...

Using the temporal self-regulation theory to examine the influence of environmental cues on maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

PubMed

Booker, Liesel; Mullan, Barbara

2013-11-01

The aim of the current study is to explore the predictive utility of the temporal self-regulation theory (TST) for maintaining a healthy lifestyle (Hall & Fong, 2007, Health Psychology Review, 1, 6). According to TST, the influence of intention, self-regulation, and behavioural prepotency differs depending on the environmental context in which the behaviour is performed. This study examined the influence of perceptions about the supportiveness of the environmental context on TST-related factors. Temporal self-regulation theory was tested using a prospective design with a 1-week follow-up. One hundred and fifty-two undergraduates were administered three executive functioning tasks and an online questionnaire regarding their intentions to maintain a healthy lifestyle, environmental responsiveness, and previous behaviour. One week later, they completed a follow-up questionnaire. Participants who were supported by the environment were significantly more likely to maintain a healthy lifestyle than those distracted by the environment. Behavioural prepotency was significantly predictive of behaviour performance for 'supported' participants. Behavioural prepotency, planning, and response inhibition were significantly predictive of 'unsupported' participants' behaviour. These findings provided preliminary support for the use of TST for the prediction of healthy lifestyle behaviour. Importantly, this study provided support for the contention that the influence of TST-related factors would vary according to the perceived supportiveness of the environment. These findings suggest that environmental responsiveness may be an important determinant to close the intention-behaviour gap for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. © 2012 The British Psychological Society.

43 CFR 46.120 - Using existing environmental analyses prepared pursuant to NEPA and the Council on Environmental...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Using existing environmental analyses... environmental analyses prepared pursuant to NEPA and the Council on Environmental Quality regulations. (a) When available, the Responsible Official should use existing NEPA analyses for assessing the impacts of a...

43 CFR 46.120 - Using existing environmental analyses prepared pursuant to NEPA and the Council on Environmental...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Using existing environmental analyses... environmental analyses prepared pursuant to NEPA and the Council on Environmental Quality regulations. (a) When available, the Responsible Official should use existing NEPA analyses for assessing the impacts of a...

43 CFR 46.120 - Using existing environmental analyses prepared pursuant to NEPA and the Council on Environmental...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2012-10-01 2011-10-01 true Using existing environmental analyses... environmental analyses prepared pursuant to NEPA and the Council on Environmental Quality regulations. (a) When available, the Responsible Official should use existing NEPA analyses for assessing the impacts of a...

43 CFR 46.120 - Using existing environmental analyses prepared pursuant to NEPA and the Council on Environmental...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Using existing environmental analyses... environmental analyses prepared pursuant to NEPA and the Council on Environmental Quality regulations. (a) When available, the Responsible Official should use existing NEPA analyses for assessing the impacts of a...

Repressors Nrg1 and Nrg2 Regulate a Set of Stress-Responsive Genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae§

PubMed Central

Vyas, Valmik K.; Berkey, Cristin D.; Miyao, Takenori; Carlson, Marian

2005-01-01

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae responds to environmental stress by rapidly altering the expression of large sets of genes. We report evidence that the transcriptional repressors Nrg1 and Nrg2 (Nrg1/Nrg2), which were previously implicated in glucose repression, regulate a set of stress-responsive genes. Genome-wide expression analysis identified 150 genes that were upregulated in nrg1Δ nrg2Δ double mutant cells, relative to wild-type cells, during growth in glucose. We found that many of these genes are regulated by glucose repression. Stress response elements (STREs) and STRE-like elements are overrepresented in the promoters of these genes, and a search of available expression data sets showed that many are regulated in response to a variety of environmental stress signals. In accord with these findings, mutation of NRG1 and NRG2 enhanced the resistance of cells to salt and oxidative stress and decreased tolerance to freezing. We present evidence that Nrg1/Nrg2 not only contribute to repression of target genes in the absence of stress but also limit induction in response to salt stress. We suggest that Nrg1/Nrg2 fine-tune the regulation of a set of stress-responsive genes. PMID:16278455

FRUITFULL controls SAUR10 expression and regulates Arabidopsis growth and architecture.

PubMed

Bemer, Marian; van Mourik, Hilda; Muiño, Jose M; Ferrándiz, Cristina; Kaufmann, Kerstin; Angenent, Gerco C

2017-06-15

MADS-domain transcription factors are well known for their roles in plant development and regulate sets of downstream genes that have been uncovered by high-throughput analyses. A considerable number of these targets are predicted to function in hormone responses or responses to environmental stimuli, suggesting that there is a close link between developmental and environmental regulators of plant growth and development. Here, we show that the Arabidopsis MADS-domain factor FRUITFULL (FUL) executes several functions in addition to its noted role in fruit development. Among the direct targets of FUL, we identified SMALL AUXIN UPREGULATED RNA 10 (SAUR10), a growth regulator that is highly induced by a combination of auxin and brassinosteroids and in response to reduced R:FR light. Interestingly, we discovered that SAUR10 is repressed by FUL in stems and inflorescence branches. SAUR10 is specifically expressed at the abaxial side of these branches and this localized activity is influenced by hormones, light conditions and by FUL, which has an effect on branch angle. Furthermore, we identified a number of other genes involved in hormone pathways and light signalling as direct targets of FUL in the stem, demonstrating a connection between developmentally and environmentally regulated growth programs. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

10 CFR 51.10 - Purpose and scope of subpart; application of regulations of Council on Environmental Quality.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Responsibilities and Policy Statement on Implementation of Section 511 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act... National Environmental Policy Act-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2) § 51.10 Purpose and scope of... Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA) directs that, to the fullest extent possible: (1) The policies...

Enzyme action in the regulation of plant hormone responses.

PubMed

Westfall, Corey S; Muehler, Ashley M; Jez, Joseph M

2013-07-05

Plants synthesize a chemically diverse range of hormones that regulate growth, development, and responses to environmental stresses. The major classes of plant hormones are specialized metabolites with exquisitely tailored perception and signaling systems, but equally important are the enzymes that control the dose and exposure to the bioactive forms of these molecules. Here, we review new insights into the role of enzyme families, including the SABATH methyltransferases, the methylesterases, the GH3 acyl acid-amido synthetases, and the hormone peptidyl hydrolases, in controlling the biosynthesis and modifications of plant hormones and how these enzymes contribute to the network of chemical signals responsible for plant growth, development, and environmental adaptation.

7 CFR 1940.320 - Preparing EISs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) GENERAL Environmental Program § 1940.320 Preparing EISs. (a) Responsibility. Whenever... implementation of the State's environmental impact analysis requirement, if one has been enacted or promulgated... of the natural and social sciences and the environmental design arts. The disciplines of the...

Differential Regulation of the Two Ferrochelatase Paralogues in Shewanella loihica PV-4 in Response to Environmental Stresses

DOE PAGES

Qiu, Dongru; Xie, Ming; Dai, Jingcheng; ...

2016-06-10

Determining the function and regulation of paralogues is important in understanding microbial functional genomics and environmental adaptation. Heme homeostasis is crucial for the survival of environmental microorganisms. MostShewanellaspecies encode two paralogues of ferrochelatase, the terminal enzyme in the heme biosynthesis pathway. The function and transcriptional regulation of two ferrochelatase genes, hemH1 and hemH2, were investigated inShewanellaloihicaPV-4. The disruption of hemH1 but not hemH2 resulted in a significant accumulation of extracellular protoporphyrin IX (PPIX), the precursor to heme, and decreased intracellular heme levels.hemH1 was constitutively expressed, and the expression of hemH2 increased when hemH1 was disrupted. The transcription ofhemH1was regulated bymore » the housekeeping sigma factor RpoD and potentially regulated by OxyR, while hemH2 appeared to be regulated by the oxidative stress-associated sigma factor RpoE2. When an oxidative stress condition was mimicked by adding H 2O 2 to the medium or exposing the culture to light, PPIX accumulation was suppressed in the Δ hemH1 mutant. Consistently, transcriptome analysis indicated enhanced iron uptake and suppressed heme synthesis in the ΔhemH1 mutant. These data indicate that the two paralogues are functional in the heme synthesis pathway but regulated by environmental conditions, providing insights into the understanding of bacterial response to environmental stresses and a great potential to commercially produce porphyrin compounds.Shewanella is capable of utilizing a variety of electron acceptors for anaerobic respiration because of the existence of multiple c -type cytochromes in which heme is an essential component. The cytochrome-mediated electron transfer across cellular membranes could potentially be used for biotechnological purposes, such as electricity generation in microbial fuel cells and dye decolorization. However, the mechanism underlying the regulation of biosynthesis of heme and cytochromes is poorly understood. In conclusion, our study has demonstrated that two ferrochelatase genes involved in heme biosynthesis are differentially regulated in response to environmental stresses, including light and reactive oxygen species. This is an excellent example showing how bacteria have evolved to maintain cellular heme homeostasis. More interestingly, the high yields of extracellular protoporphyrin IX by theShewanella loihicaPV-4 mutants could be utilized for commercial production of this valuable chemical via bacterial fermentation.« less

Differential Regulation of the Two Ferrochelatase Paralogues in Shewanella loihica PV-4 in Response to Environmental Stresses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qiu, Dongru; Xie, Ming; Dai, Jingcheng

Determining the function and regulation of paralogues is important in understanding microbial functional genomics and environmental adaptation. Heme homeostasis is crucial for the survival of environmental microorganisms. MostShewanellaspecies encode two paralogues of ferrochelatase, the terminal enzyme in the heme biosynthesis pathway. The function and transcriptional regulation of two ferrochelatase genes, hemH1 and hemH2, were investigated inShewanellaloihicaPV-4. The disruption of hemH1 but not hemH2 resulted in a significant accumulation of extracellular protoporphyrin IX (PPIX), the precursor to heme, and decreased intracellular heme levels.hemH1 was constitutively expressed, and the expression of hemH2 increased when hemH1 was disrupted. The transcription ofhemH1was regulated bymore » the housekeeping sigma factor RpoD and potentially regulated by OxyR, while hemH2 appeared to be regulated by the oxidative stress-associated sigma factor RpoE2. When an oxidative stress condition was mimicked by adding H 2O 2 to the medium or exposing the culture to light, PPIX accumulation was suppressed in the Δ hemH1 mutant. Consistently, transcriptome analysis indicated enhanced iron uptake and suppressed heme synthesis in the ΔhemH1 mutant. These data indicate that the two paralogues are functional in the heme synthesis pathway but regulated by environmental conditions, providing insights into the understanding of bacterial response to environmental stresses and a great potential to commercially produce porphyrin compounds.Shewanella is capable of utilizing a variety of electron acceptors for anaerobic respiration because of the existence of multiple c -type cytochromes in which heme is an essential component. The cytochrome-mediated electron transfer across cellular membranes could potentially be used for biotechnological purposes, such as electricity generation in microbial fuel cells and dye decolorization. However, the mechanism underlying the regulation of biosynthesis of heme and cytochromes is poorly understood. In conclusion, our study has demonstrated that two ferrochelatase genes involved in heme biosynthesis are differentially regulated in response to environmental stresses, including light and reactive oxygen species. This is an excellent example showing how bacteria have evolved to maintain cellular heme homeostasis. More interestingly, the high yields of extracellular protoporphyrin IX by theShewanella loihicaPV-4 mutants could be utilized for commercial production of this valuable chemical via bacterial fermentation.« less

Ethylene Signaling Negatively Regulates Freezing Tolerance by Repressing Expression of CBF and Type-A ARR Genes in Arabidopsis[W][OA

PubMed Central

Shi, Yiting; Tian, Shouwei; Hou, Lingyan; Huang, Xiaozhen; Zhang, Xiaoyan; Guo, Hongwei; Yang, Shuhua

2012-01-01

The phytohormone ethylene regulates multiple aspects of plant growth and development and responses to environmental stress. However, the exact role of ethylene in freezing stress remains unclear. Here, we report that ethylene negatively regulates plant responses to freezing stress in Arabidopsis thaliana. Freezing tolerance was decreased in ethylene overproducer1 and by the application of the ethylene precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid but increased by the addition of the ethylene biosynthesis inhibitor aminoethoxyvinyl glycine or the perception antagonist Ag+. Furthermore, ethylene-insensitive mutants, including etr1-1, ein4-1, ein2-5, ein3-1, and ein3 eil1, displayed enhanced freezing tolerance. By contrast, the constitutive ethylene response mutant ctr1-1 and EIN3-overexpressing plants exhibited reduced freezing tolerance. Genetic and biochemical analyses revealed that EIN3 negatively regulates the expression of CBFs and type-A Arabidopsis response regulator5 (ARR5), ARR7, and ARR15 by binding to specific elements in their promoters. Overexpression of these ARR genes enhanced the freezing tolerance of plants. Thus, our study demonstrates that ethylene negatively regulates cold signaling at least partially through the direct transcriptional control of cold-regulated CBFs and type-A ARR genes by EIN3. Our study also provides evidence that type-A ARRs function as key nodes to integrate ethylene and cytokinin signaling in regulation of plant responses to environmental stress. PMID:22706288

18 CFR 380.8 - Preparation of environmental documents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... electric transmission corridors is the responsibility of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects, 888... environmental documents. 380.8 Section 380.8 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY REVISED GENERAL RULES REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL...

18 CFR 380.8 - Preparation of environmental documents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... corridors is the responsibility of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects, 888 First Street NE... environmental documents. 380.8 Section 380.8 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY REVISED GENERAL RULES REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL...

18 CFR 380.8 - Preparation of environmental documents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... corridors is the responsibility of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects, 888 First Street NE... environmental documents. 380.8 Section 380.8 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY REVISED GENERAL RULES REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL...

18 CFR 380.8 - Preparation of environmental documents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... corridors is the responsibility of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects, 888 First Street NE... environmental documents. 380.8 Section 380.8 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY REVISED GENERAL RULES REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL...

18 CFR 380.8 - Preparation of environmental documents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... electric transmission corridors is the responsibility of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects, 888... environmental documents. 380.8 Section 380.8 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY REVISED GENERAL RULES REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL...

ICPP environmental monitoring report CY-1995

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1996-04-01

Summarized in this report are the data collected through Environmental Monitoring programs conducted at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) by the Environmental Protection Department. The ICPP is responsible for complying with all applicable Federal, State, Local and DOE Rules, Regulations and Orders. Radiological effluent and emissions are regulated by the DOE in accordance with the Derived Concentration Guides (DCGs). The State of Idaho regulates nonradiological waste resulting from the ICPP operations including airborne, liquid, and solid waste. The Environmental Department updated the Quality Assurance (QA) Project Plan for Environmental Monitoring activities during the third quarter of 1992. QA activitiesmore » have resulted in the ICPP`s implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules and guidelines pertaining to the collection, analyses, and reporting of environmentally related samples. Where no EPA methods for analyses existed for radionuclides, Lockheed Idaho Technologies Company (LITCO) methods were used.« less

ICPP environmental monitoring report CY-1994

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-05-01

Summarized in this report are the data collected through Environmental Monitoring programs conducted at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) by the Environmental Protection Department. The ICPP is responsible for complying with all applicable Federal, State, Local and DOE Rules, Regulations and Orders. Radiological effluent and emissions are regulated by the DOE in accordance with the Derived Concentration Guides (DCGs) as presented in DOE Order 5400.5. The State of Idaho regulates nonradiological waste resulting from the ICPP operations including airborne, liquid, and solid waste. The Environmental Department updated the Quality Assurance (QA) Project Plan for Environmental Monitoring activities during themore » third quarter of 1992. QA activities have resulted in the ICPP`s implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules and guidelines pertaining to the collection, analyses, and reporting of environmentally related samples. Where no EPA methods for analyses existed for radionuclides, LITCO methods were used.« less

Epigenetic regulation of persistent pain

PubMed Central

Bai, Guang; Ren, Ke; Dubner, Ronald

2014-01-01

Persistent or chronic pain is tightly associated with various environmental changes and linked to abnormal gene expression within cells processing nociceptive signaling. Epigenetic regulation governs gene expression in response to environmental cues. Recent animal model and clinical studies indicate that epigenetic regulation plays an important role in the development/maintenance of persistent pain and, possibly the transition of acute pain to chronic pain, thus shedding light in a direction for development of new therapeutics for persistent pain. PMID:24948399

41 CFR 102-80.40 - What are Federal agencies' responsibilities concerning the management of underground storage tanks?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) FEDERAL MANAGEMENT REGULATION REAL PROPERTY 80-SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT Safety and Environmental Management Underground Storage Tanks § 102-80.40 What are Federal agencies' responsibilities... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What are Federal...

Gene response profiles for Daphnia pulex exposed to the environmental stressor cadmium reveals novel crustacean metallothioneins.

PubMed

Shaw, Joseph R; Colbourne, John K; Davey, Jennifer C; Glaholt, Stephen P; Hampton, Thomas H; Chen, Celia Y; Folt, Carol L; Hamilton, Joshua W

2007-12-21

Genomic research tools such as microarrays are proving to be important resources to study the complex regulation of genes that respond to environmental perturbations. A first generation cDNA microarray was developed for the environmental indicator species Daphnia pulex, to identify genes whose regulation is modulated following exposure to the metal stressor cadmium. Our experiments revealed interesting changes in gene transcription that suggest their biological roles and their potentially toxicological features in responding to this important environmental contaminant. Our microarray identified genes reported in the literature to be regulated in response to cadmium exposure, suggested functional attributes for genes that share no sequence similarity to proteins in the public databases, and pointed to genes that are likely members of expanded gene families in the Daphnia genome. Genes identified on the microarray also were associated with cadmium induced phenotypes and population-level outcomes that we experimentally determined. A subset of genes regulated in response to cadmium exposure was independently validated using quantitative-realtime (Q-RT)-PCR. These microarray studies led to the discovery of three genes coding for the metal detoxication protein metallothionein (MT). The gene structures and predicted translated sequences of D. pulex MTs clearly place them in this gene family. Yet, they share little homology with previously characterized MTs. The genomic information obtained from this study represents an important first step in characterizing microarray patterns that may be diagnostic to specific environmental contaminants and give insights into their toxicological mechanisms, while also providing a practical tool for evolutionary, ecological, and toxicological functional gene discovery studies. Advances in Daphnia genomics will enable the further development of this species as a model organism for the environmental sciences.

Gene response profiles for Daphnia pulex exposed to the environmental stressor cadmium reveals novel crustacean metallothioneins

PubMed Central

Shaw, Joseph R; Colbourne, John K; Davey, Jennifer C; Glaholt, Stephen P; Hampton, Thomas H; Chen, Celia Y; Folt, Carol L; Hamilton, Joshua W

2007-01-01

Background Genomic research tools such as microarrays are proving to be important resources to study the complex regulation of genes that respond to environmental perturbations. A first generation cDNA microarray was developed for the environmental indicator species Daphnia pulex, to identify genes whose regulation is modulated following exposure to the metal stressor cadmium. Our experiments revealed interesting changes in gene transcription that suggest their biological roles and their potentially toxicological features in responding to this important environmental contaminant. Results Our microarray identified genes reported in the literature to be regulated in response to cadmium exposure, suggested functional attributes for genes that share no sequence similarity to proteins in the public databases, and pointed to genes that are likely members of expanded gene families in the Daphnia genome. Genes identified on the microarray also were associated with cadmium induced phenotypes and population-level outcomes that we experimentally determined. A subset of genes regulated in response to cadmium exposure was independently validated using quantitative-realtime (Q-RT)-PCR. These microarray studies led to the discovery of three genes coding for the metal detoxication protein metallothionein (MT). The gene structures and predicted translated sequences of D. pulex MTs clearly place them in this gene family. Yet, they share little homology with previously characterized MTs. Conclusion The genomic information obtained from this study represents an important first step in characterizing microarray patterns that may be diagnostic to specific environmental contaminants and give insights into their toxicological mechanisms, while also providing a practical tool for evolutionary, ecological, and toxicological functional gene discovery studies. Advances in Daphnia genomics will enable the further development of this species as a model organism for the environmental sciences. PMID:18154678

Aquaporin structure-function relationships: water flow through plant living cells.

PubMed

Zhao, Chang-Xing; Shao, Hong-Bo; Chu, Li-Ye

2008-04-01

Plant aquaporins play an important role in water uptake and movement-an aquaporin that opens and closes a gate that regulates water movement in and out of cells. Some plant aquaporins also play an important role in response to water stress. Since their discovery, advancing knowledge of their structures and properties led to an understanding of the basic features of the water transport mechanism and increased illumination to water relations. Meanwhile, molecular and functional characterization of aquaporins has revealed the significance of their regulation in response to the adverse environments such as salinity and drought. This paper reviews the structure, species diversity, physiology function, regulation of plant aquaporins, and the relations between environmental factors and plant aquaporins. Complete understanding of aquaporin function and regulation is to integrate those mechanisms in time and space and to well regulate the permeation of water across biological membranes under changing environmental and developmental conditions.

Does prolactin mediate parental and life-history decisions in response to environmental conditions in birds? A review.

PubMed

Angelier, Frédéric; Wingfield, John C; Tartu, Sabrina; Chastel, Olivier

2016-01-01

This article is part of a Special Issue "Parental Care". In vertebrates, adjustments of physiology and behavior to environmental changes are often mediated by central physiological mechanisms, and more specifically by hormonal mechanisms. As a consequence, these mechanisms are thought to orchestrate life-history decisions in wild vertebrates. For instance, investigating the hormonal regulation of parental behavior is relevant to evaluate how parents modulate their effort according to specific environmental conditions. Surprisingly and despite being classically known as the 'parental hormone', prolactin has been overlooked in birds relative to this context. Our aim is to review evidence that changes in prolactin levels can mediate, at least to some extent, the response of breeding birds to environmental conditions. To do so, we first examine current evidence and limits for the role of prolactin in mediating parental behavior in birds. Second, we emphasize the influence of environmental conditions and stressors on circulating prolactin levels. In addition, we review to what extent prolactin levels are a reliable predictor of breeding success in wild birds. By linking environmental conditions, prolactin regulation, parental behavior, and breeding success, we highlight the potential role of this hormone in mediating parental decisions in birds. Finally, we also review the potential role of prolactin in mediating other life history decisions such as clutch size, re-nesting, and the timing of molt. By evaluating the influence of stressors on circulating prolactin levels during these other life-history decisions, we also raise new hypotheses regarding the potential of the prolactin stress response to regulate the orchestration of the annual cycle when environmental changes occur. To sum up, we show in this review that prolactin regulation has a strong potential to allow ecological physiologists to better understand how individuals adjust their life-history decisions (clutch size, parental behavior, re-nesting, and onset of molt) according to the environmental conditions they encounter and we encourage further research on that topic. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Coordination of the Arc Regulatory System and Pheromone-Mediated Positive Feedback in Controlling the Vibrio fischeri lux Operon

PubMed Central

Septer, Alecia N.; Stabb, Eric V.

2012-01-01

Bacterial pheromone signaling is often governed both by environmentally responsive regulators and by positive feedback. This regulatory combination has the potential to coordinate a group response among distinct subpopulations that perceive key environmental stimuli differently. We have explored the interplay between an environmentally responsive regulator and pheromone-mediated positive feedback in intercellular signaling by Vibrio fischeri ES114, a bioluminescent bacterium that colonizes the squid Euprymna scolopes. Bioluminescence in ES114 is controlled in part by N-(3-oxohexanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone (3OC6), a pheromone produced by LuxI that together with LuxR activates transcription of the luxICDABEG operon, initiating a positive feedback loop and inducing luminescence. The lux operon is also regulated by environmentally responsive regulators, including the redox-responsive ArcA/ArcB system, which directly represses lux in culture. Here we show that inactivating arcA leads to increased 3OC6 accumulation to initiate positive feedback. In the absence of positive feedback, arcA-mediated control of luminescence was only ∼2-fold, but luxI-dependent positive feedback contributed more than 100 fold to the net induction of luminescence in the arcA mutant. Consistent with this overriding importance of positive feedback, 3OC6 produced by the arcA mutant induced luminescence in nearby wild-type cells, overcoming their ArcA repression of lux. Similarly, we found that artificially inducing ArcA could effectively repress luminescence before, but not after, positive feedback was initiated. Finally, we show that 3OC6 produced by a subpopulation of symbiotic cells can induce luminescence in other cells co-colonizing the host. Our results suggest that even transient loss of ArcA-mediated regulation in a sub-population of cells can induce luminescence in a wider community. Moreover, they indicate that 3OC6 can communicate information about both cell density and the state of ArcA/ArcB. PMID:23152924

29 CFR 1926.65 - Hazardous waste operations and emergency response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 29 Labor 8 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Hazardous waste operations and emergency response. 1926.65 Section 1926.65 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND HEALTH REGULATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION Occupational Health and Environmental Controls § 1926.65...

29 CFR 1926.65 - Hazardous waste operations and emergency response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 29 Labor 8 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Hazardous waste operations and emergency response. 1926.65 Section 1926.65 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND HEALTH REGULATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION Occupational Health and Environmental Controls § 1926.65...

29 CFR 1926.65 - Hazardous waste operations and emergency response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 29 Labor 8 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Hazardous waste operations and emergency response. 1926.65 Section 1926.65 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND HEALTH REGULATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION Occupational Health and Environmental Controls § 1926.65...

Identification of the putative goldfish (Carassius auratus) magnesium transporter SLC41a1 and functional regulation in the gill, kidney, and intestine in response to dietary and environmental manipulations.

PubMed

Kodzhahinchev, Vladimir; Kovacevic, Drago; Bucking, Carol

2017-04-01

While magnesium requirements for teleost fish highlight the physiological importance of this cation for homeostasis, little is known regarding the molecular identity of transporters responsible for magnesium absorption or secretion. The recent characterization of the vertebrate magnesium transporter solute carrier 41a1 (SLC41a1) in the kidney of a euryhaline fish has provided a glimpse of possible moieties involved in piscine magnesium regulation. The present study obtained a novel SLC41a1 coding sequence for Carassius auratus and demonstrated ubiquitous expression in all tissues examined. Transcriptional regulation of SLC41a1 in response to dietary and environmental magnesium concentrations was observed across tissues. Specifically, decreased environmental magnesium correlated with decreased expression of SLC41a1 in the intestine, whereas the gill and kidney were unaffected. Dietary magnesium restriction correlated with decreased expression of SLC41a1 in the intestine and gill, while again no effects were detected in the kidney. Finally, elevated dietary magnesium correlated with increased expression of SLC41a1 in the kidney, while expression in the intestine and gill remained stable. Plasma magnesium was maintained in all treatments, and dietary assimilation efficiency increased with decreased dietary magnesium. Consumption of a single meal failed to impact SLC41a1 expression, and transcript abundance remained stable over the course of digestion in all treatments. Transcriptional regulation occurred between 7 and 14days following dietary and environmental manipulations and short-term regulation (e.g. <24h) was not observed. Overall the data supports transcriptional regulation of SLC41a1 reflecting a possible role in magnesium loss or secretion across tissues in fish. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Drinking-Water Standards and Regulations. Volume 2. Manual for 1982-88

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, L.K.; Wang, M.H.S.

1988-04-10

The following 11 important documents are compiled for Drinking Water Standards and Regulations: (1) U.S. Environmental Agency Water Programs, National Interim Primary Drinking Water Regulations; (2) New Jersey Safe Drinking Water Act; (3) Summary of New Jersey Drinking Water Standards; (4) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Safe Drinking Water Act of 1986 Amendments; (5) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Primary Drinking Water Standards; (6) Canadian National Health and Welfare Drinking Water Quality Guidelines--Maximum Acceptable Concentrations; (7) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Primary Drinking Water Regulations, Filtration and Disinfection Turbidity, Giardia Lamblia, Viruses, Legionella, and Heterotrophic Bacteria; (8) Public Water Supply Manual--Guidemore » to the Safe Drinking Water Program; (9) Public Water Supply Manual--Emergency Response; (10) U.S. EPA Approved Krofta Chemicals; (11) NY-DOH Approved Krofta Chemicals.« less

Proline biosynthesis genes and their regulation under salinity stress in the euryhaline copepod Tigriopus californicus.

PubMed

Willett, Christopher S; Burton, Ronald S

2002-08-01

Diverse organisms regulate concentrations of intracellular organic osmolytes in response to changes in environmental salinity or desiccation. In marine crustaceans, accumulation of high concentrations of proline is a dominant component of response to hyperosmotic stress. In the euryhaline copepod Tigriopus californicus, synthesis of proline from its metabolic precursor glutamate is tightly regulated by changes in environmental salinity. Here, for the first time in a marine invertebrate, the genes responsible for this pathway have been cloned and characterized. The two proteins display the sequence features of homologous enzymes identified from other eukaryotes. One of the cloned genes, delta1-pyrroline-5-carboxylase reductase (P5CR), is demonstrated to have the reductase enzyme activity when expressed in proline-auxotroph bacteria, while the second, delta1-pyrroline-5-carboxylase synthase (P5CS), does not rescue proline-auxotroph bacteria. In contrast to results from higher plants, neither levels of P5CS nor P5CR mRNAs increase in response to salinity stress in T. californicus. Hence, regulation of proline synthesis during osmotic stress in T. californicus is likely mediated by some form of post-transcriptional regulation of either P5CS or P5CR. Understanding the regulation this pathway may elucidate the mechanisms limiting the salinity ranges of marine taxa. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Inc.

Phytotoxin production in Aspergillus terreus is regulated by independent environmental signals

PubMed Central

Gressler, Markus; Meyer, Florian; Heine, Daniel; Hortschansky, Peter; Hertweck, Christian; Brock, Matthias

2015-01-01

Secondary metabolites have a great potential as pharmaceuticals, but there are only a few examples where regulation of gene cluster expression has been correlated with ecological and physiological relevance for the producer. Here, signals, mediators, and biological effects of terrein production were studied in the fungus Aspergillus terreus to elucidate the contribution of terrein to ecological competition. Terrein causes fruit surface lesions and inhibits plant seed germination. Additionally, terrein is moderately antifungal and reduces ferric iron, thereby supporting growth of A. terreus under iron starvation. In accordance, the lack of nitrogen or iron or elevated methionine levels induced terrein production and was dependent on either the nitrogen response regulators AreA and AtfA or the iron response regulator HapX. Independent signal transduction allows complex sensing of the environment and, combined with its broad spectrum of biological activities, terrein provides a prominent example of adapted secondary metabolite production in response to environmental competition. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.07861.001 PMID:26173180

Early transcriptomic changes induced by magnesium deficiency in Arabidopsis thaliana reveal the alteration of circadian clock gene expression in roots and the triggering of abscisic acid-responsive genes.

PubMed

Hermans, Christian; Vuylsteke, Marnik; Coppens, Frederik; Craciun, Adrian; Inzé, Dirk; Verbruggen, Nathalie

2010-07-01

*Plant growth and development ultimately depend on environmental variables such as the availability of essential minerals. Unravelling how nutrients affect gene expression will help to understand how they regulate plant growth. *This study reports the early transcriptomic response to magnesium (Mg) deprivation in Arabidopsis. Whole-genome transcriptome was studied in the roots and young mature leaves 4, 8 and 28 h after the removal of Mg from the nutrient solution. *The highest number of regulated genes was first observed in the roots. Contrary to other mineral deficiencies, Mg depletion did not induce a higher expression of annotated genes in Mg uptake. Remarkable responses include the perturbation of the central oscillator of the circadian clock in roots and the triggering of abscisic acid (ABA) signalling, with half of the up-regulated Mg genes in leaves being ABA-responsive. However, no change in ABA content was observed. *The specificity of the response of some Mg-regulated genes was challenged by studying their expression after other mineral deficiencies and environmental stresses. The possibility to develop markers for Mg incipient deficiency is discussed here.

40 CFR 403.2 - Objectives of general pretreatment regulations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2013-07-01 2012-07-01 true Objectives of general pretreatment regulations. 403.2 Section 403.2 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... POLLUTION § 403.2 Objectives of general pretreatment regulations. By establishing the responsibilities of...

What is urban environmental stewardship? Constructing a practitioner-derived framework

Treesearch

M. Romolini; W. Brinkley; K.L. Wolf

2012-01-01

Agencies and organizations deploy various strategies in response to environmental challenges, including the formulation of policy, programs, and regulations. Citizen-based environmental stewardship is increasingly seen as an innovative and important approach to improving and conserving landscape health. A new research focus on the stewardship of urban natural resources...

Dynamic regulation of partner abundance mediates response of reef coral symbioses to environmental change.

PubMed

Cunning, R; Vaughan, N; Gillette, P; Capo, T R; Matté, J L; Baker, A C

2015-05-01

Regulating partner abunclance may allow symmotic organisms to mediate interaction outcomes, facilitating adaptive responses to environmental change. To explore the capacity for-adaptive regulation in an ecologically important endosymbiosis, we studied the population dynamics of symbiotic algae in reef-building corals under different abiotic contexts. We found high natural variability in symbiont abundance in corals across reefs, but this variability converged to different symbiont-specific abundances when colonies were maintained under constant conditions. When conditions changed seasonally, symbiont abundance readjusted to new equilibria. We explain these patterns using an a priori model of symbiotic costs and benefits to the coral host, which shows that the observed changes in symbiont abundance are consistent with the maximization of interaction benefit under different environmental conditions. These results indicate that, while regulating symbiont abundance helps hosts sustain maximum benefit in a dynamic environment, spatiotemporal variation in abiotic factors creates a broad range of symbiont abundances (and interaction outcomes) among corals that may account for observed natural variability in performance (e.g., growth rate) and stress tolerance (e.g., bleaching susceptibility). This cost or benefit framework provides a new perspective on the dynamic regulation of reef coral symbioses and illustrates that the dependence of interaction outcomes on biotic and abiotic contexts may be important in understanding how diverse mutualisms respond to environmental change.

Repression of branched-chain amino acid synthesis in Staphylococcus aureus is mediated by isoleucine via CodY, and by a leucine-rich attenuator peptide.

PubMed

Kaiser, Julienne C; King, Alyssa N; Grigg, Jason C; Sheldon, Jessica R; Edgell, David R; Murphy, Michael E P; Brinsmade, Shaun R; Heinrichs, David E

2018-01-01

Staphylococcus aureus requires branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs; isoleucine, leucine, valine) for protein synthesis, branched-chain fatty acid synthesis, and environmental adaptation by responding to their availability via the global transcriptional regulator CodY. The importance of BCAAs for S. aureus physiology necessitates that it either synthesize them or scavenge them from the environment. Indeed S. aureus uses specialized transporters to scavenge BCAAs, however, its ability to synthesize them has remained conflicted by reports that it is auxotrophic for leucine and valine despite carrying an intact BCAA biosynthetic operon. In revisiting these findings, we have observed that S. aureus can engage in leucine and valine synthesis, but the level of BCAA synthesis is dependent on the BCAA it is deprived of, leading us to hypothesize that each BCAA differentially regulates the biosynthetic operon. Here we show that two mechanisms of transcriptional repression regulate the level of endogenous BCAA biosynthesis in response to specific BCAA availability. We identify a trans-acting mechanism involving isoleucine-dependent repression by the global transcriptional regulator CodY and a cis-acting leucine-responsive attenuator, uncovering how S. aureus regulates endogenous biosynthesis in response to exogenous BCAA availability. Moreover, given that isoleucine can dominate CodY-dependent regulation of BCAA biosynthesis, and that CodY is a global regulator of metabolism and virulence in S. aureus, we extend the importance of isoleucine availability for CodY-dependent regulation of other metabolic and virulence genes. These data resolve the previous conflicting observations regarding BCAA biosynthesis, and reveal the environmental signals that not only induce BCAA biosynthesis, but that could also have broader consequences on S. aureus environmental adaptation and virulence via CodY.

44 CFR 10.5 - Responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...) The Regional Administrators shall, for each action not categorically excluded from this regulation and... significant impact, or prepare an environmental impact statement; (3) Coordinate and provide information... impact statement; (7) Circulate draft and final environmental impact statements; (8) Ensure that...

Linking water quality and quantity in environmental flow assessment in deteriorated ecosystems: a food web view.

PubMed

Chen, He; Ma, Lekuan; Guo, Wei; Yang, Ying; Guo, Tong; Feng, Cheng

2013-01-01

Most rivers worldwide are highly regulated by anthropogenic activities through flow regulation and water pollution. Environmental flow regulation is used to reduce the effects of anthropogenic activities on aquatic ecosystems. Formulating flow alteration-ecological response relationships is a key factor in environmental flow assessment. Traditional environmental flow models are characterized by natural relationships between flow regimes and ecosystem factors. However, food webs are often altered from natural states, which disturb environmental flow assessment in such ecosystems. In ecosystems deteriorated by heavy anthropogenic activities, the effects of environmental flow regulation on species are difficult to assess with current modeling approaches. Environmental flow management compels the development of tools that link flow regimes and food webs in an ecosystem. Food web approaches are more suitable for the task because they are more adaptive for disordered multiple species in a food web deteriorated by anthropogenic activities. This paper presents a global method of environmental flow assessment in deteriorated aquatic ecosystems. Linkages between flow regimes and food web dynamics are modeled by incorporating multiple species into an ecosystem to explore ecosystem-based environmental flow management. The approach allows scientists and water resources managers to analyze environmental flows in deteriorated ecosystems in an ecosystem-based way.

Intracellular proteins produced by mammalian cells in response to environmental stress

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goochee, Charles F.; Passini, Cheryl A.

1988-01-01

The nature of the response of mammalian cells to environmental stress is examined by reviewing results of studies where cultured mouse L cells and baby hamster kidney cells were exposed to heat shock and the synthesis of heat-shock proteins and stress-response proteins (including HSP70, HSC70, HSP90, ubiquitin, and GRP70) in stressed and unstressed cells was evaluated using 2D-PAGE. The intracellular roles of the individual stress response proteins are discussed together with the regulation of the stress response system.

Physiology of temperature regulation: comparative aspects.

PubMed

Bicego, Kênia C; Barros, Renata C H; Branco, Luiz G S

2007-07-01

Few environmental factors have a larger influence on animal energetics than temperature, a fact that makes thermoregulation a very important process for survival. In general, endothermic species, i.e., mammals and birds, maintain a constant body temperature (Tb) in fluctuating environmental temperatures using autonomic and behavioural mechanisms. Most of the knowledge on thermoregulatory physiology has emerged from studies using mammalian species, particularly rats. However, studies with all vertebrate groups are essential for a more complete understanding of the mechanisms involved in the regulation of Tb. Ectothermic vertebrates-fish, amphibians and reptiles-thermoregulate essentially by behavioural mechanisms. With few exceptions, both endotherms and ectotherms develop fever (a regulated increase in Tb) in response to exogenous pyrogens, and regulated hypothermia (anapyrexia) in response to hypoxia. This review focuses on the mechanisms, particularly neuromediators and regions in the central nervous system, involved in thermoregulation in vertebrates, in conditions of euthermia, fever and anapyrexia.

Enforcement Response Policies and Guidance

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA's Enforcement Response Policies relating to violations or noncompliance with the environmental statutes and regulations. The listing is not inclusive of all policy and guidance that may be relied upon in developing enforcement actions.

Review of Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment and Its Relevance to Environmental Regulators.

PubMed

Singer, Andrew C; Shaw, Helen; Rhodes, Vicki; Hart, Alwyn

2016-01-01

The environment is increasingly being recognized for the role it might play in the global spread of clinically relevant antibiotic resistance. Environmental regulators monitor and control many of the pathways responsible for the release of resistance-driving chemicals into the environment (e.g., antimicrobials, metals, and biocides). Hence, environmental regulators should be contributing significantly to the development of global and national antimicrobial resistance (AMR) action plans. It is argued that the lack of environment-facing mitigation actions included in existing AMR action plans is likely a function of our poor fundamental understanding of many of the key issues. Here, we aim to present the problem with AMR in the environment through the lens of an environmental regulator, using the Environment Agency (England's regulator) as an example from which parallels can be drawn globally. The issues that are pertinent to environmental regulators are drawn out to answer: What are the drivers and pathways of AMR? How do these relate to the normal work, powers and duties of environmental regulators? What are the knowledge gaps that hinder the delivery of environmental protection from AMR? We offer several thought experiments for how different mitigation strategies might proceed. We conclude that: (1) AMR Action Plans do not tackle all the potentially relevant pathways and drivers of AMR in the environment; and (2) AMR Action Plans are deficient partly because the science to inform policy is lacking and this needs to be addressed.

Review of Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment and Its Relevance to Environmental Regulators

PubMed Central

Singer, Andrew C.; Shaw, Helen; Rhodes, Vicki; Hart, Alwyn

2016-01-01

The environment is increasingly being recognized for the role it might play in the global spread of clinically relevant antibiotic resistance. Environmental regulators monitor and control many of the pathways responsible for the release of resistance-driving chemicals into the environment (e.g., antimicrobials, metals, and biocides). Hence, environmental regulators should be contributing significantly to the development of global and national antimicrobial resistance (AMR) action plans. It is argued that the lack of environment-facing mitigation actions included in existing AMR action plans is likely a function of our poor fundamental understanding of many of the key issues. Here, we aim to present the problem with AMR in the environment through the lens of an environmental regulator, using the Environment Agency (England’s regulator) as an example from which parallels can be drawn globally. The issues that are pertinent to environmental regulators are drawn out to answer: What are the drivers and pathways of AMR? How do these relate to the normal work, powers and duties of environmental regulators? What are the knowledge gaps that hinder the delivery of environmental protection from AMR? We offer several thought experiments for how different mitigation strategies might proceed. We conclude that: (1) AMR Action Plans do not tackle all the potentially relevant pathways and drivers of AMR in the environment; and (2) AMR Action Plans are deficient partly because the science to inform policy is lacking and this needs to be addressed. PMID:27847505

48 CFR 1552.237-74 - Publicity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Section 1552.237-74 Federal Acquisition Regulations System ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY CLAUSES AND... removal or remedial activities under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability... on-scene coordinator (or Project Officer) prior to releasing any information to the news media...

48 CFR 1552.237-74 - Publicity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Section 1552.237-74 Federal Acquisition Regulations System ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY CLAUSES AND... removal or remedial activities under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability... on-scene coordinator (or Project Officer) prior to releasing any information to the news media...

48 CFR 1552.237-74 - Publicity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Section 1552.237-74 Federal Acquisition Regulations System ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY CLAUSES AND... removal or remedial activities under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability... any information to the news media regarding the removal or remedial activities being conducted under...

48 CFR 1552.237-74 - Publicity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Section 1552.237-74 Federal Acquisition Regulations System ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY CLAUSES AND... removal or remedial activities under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability... on-scene coordinator (or Project Officer) prior to releasing any information to the news media...

48 CFR 1552.237-74 - Publicity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Section 1552.237-74 Federal Acquisition Regulations System ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY CLAUSES AND... removal or remedial activities under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability... any information to the news media regarding the removal or remedial activities being conducted under...

CALCULATION OF PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MODELING

EPA Science Inventory

Recent trends in environmental regulatory strategies dictate that EPA will rely heavily on predictive modeling to carry out the increasingly complex array of exposure and risk assessments necessary to develop scientifically defensible regulations. In response to this need, resea...

A transcription factor hierarchy defines an environmental stress response network.

PubMed

Song, Liang; Huang, Shao-Shan Carol; Wise, Aaron; Castanon, Rosa; Nery, Joseph R; Chen, Huaming; Watanabe, Marina; Thomas, Jerushah; Bar-Joseph, Ziv; Ecker, Joseph R

2016-11-04

Environmental stresses are universally encountered by microbes, plants, and animals. Yet systematic studies of stress-responsive transcription factor (TF) networks in multicellular organisms have been limited. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) influences the expression of thousands of genes, allowing us to characterize complex stress-responsive regulatory networks. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing, we identified genome-wide targets of 21 ABA-related TFs to construct a comprehensive regulatory network in Arabidopsis thaliana Determinants of dynamic TF binding and a hierarchy among TFs were defined, illuminating the relationship between differential gene expression patterns and ABA pathway feedback regulation. By extrapolating regulatory characteristics of observed canonical ABA pathway components, we identified a new family of transcriptional regulators modulating ABA and salt responsiveness and demonstrated their utility to modulate plant resilience to osmotic stress. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Motivation of chemical industry social responsibility through Responsible Care.

PubMed

Givel, Michael

2007-04-01

Advocates of corporate social responsibility argue corporations should not only meet the needs of shareholders, but other key stakeholders including the community, customers, suppliers, and employees. Since 1988, the chemical industry has engaged in a major self-regulatory "Responsible Care" industry-wide social responsibility campaign to ensure environmental, public health, safety, and security performance among member companies. Contrary to the arguments of advocates of corporate social responsibility that such efforts meet the needs of stakeholders other than shareholders such as the community, the primary goal of the Responsible Care effort has been to change public concerns and opinion about chemical industry environmental and public health practices while also opposing support for stronger and more expensive public health and environmental legislation and regulation of chemical products, even if warranted.

Decentralized authority, increased enforcement guide Mexico's environmental evolution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ranger, E.M.; Alonzo, A.L.

1994-01-01

Environmental regulation in Mexico is evolving into a decentralized system where local authorities assume responsibility for compliance. Articles 25, 27 and 73 of Mexico's constitution establish federal, state and municipal jurisdictions for environmental protection, and empower the federal congress to promulgate environmental legislation. An established federal and local environmental legislative and normative framework, along with increased enforcement, provide the country with a comprehensive regulatory system to prevent and control industrial pollution.

Control of flowering time and cold response by a NAC-domain protein in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Yoo, So Yeon; Kim, Yunhee; Kim, Soo Young; Lee, Jong Seob; Ahn, Ji Hoon

2007-07-25

Plants must integrate complex signals from environmental and endogenous cues to fine-tune the timing of flowering. Low temperature is one of the most common environmental stresses that affect flowering time; however, molecular mechanisms underlying the cold temperature regulation of flowering time are not fully understood. We report the identification of a novel regulator, LONG VEGETATIVE PHASE 1 (LOV1), that controls flowering time and cold response. An Arabidopsis mutant, longvegetative phase 1-1D (lov1-1D) showing the late-flowering phenotype, was isolated by activation tagging screening. Subsequent analyses demonstrated that the phenotype of the mutant resulted from the overexpression of a NAC-domain protein gene (At2g02450). Both gain- and loss-of-function alleles of LOV1 affected flowering time predominantly under long-day but not short-day conditions, suggesting that LOV1 may act within the photoperiod pathway. The expression of CONSTANS (CO), a floral promoter, was affected by LOV1 level, suggesting that LOV1 controls flowering time by negatively regulating CO expression. The epistatic relationship between CO and LOV1 was consistent with this proposed regulatory pathway. Physiological analyses to elucidate upstream signalling pathways revealed that LOV1 regulates the cold response in plants. Loss of LOV1 function resulted in hypersensitivity to cold temperature, whereas a gain-of-function allele conferred cold tolerance. The freezing tolerance was accompanied by upregulation of cold response genes, COLD-REGULATED 15A (COR15A) and COLD INDUCED 1 (KIN1) without affecting expression of the C-repeat-binding factor/dehydration responsive element-binding factor 1 (CBF/DREB1) family of genes. Our study shows that LOV1 functions as a floral repressor that negatively regulates CO expression under long-day conditions and acts as a common regulator of two intersecting pathways that regulate flowering time and the cold response, respectively. Our results suggest an overlapping pathway for controlling cold stress response and flowering time in plants.

Responses of a constructed plant community to simulated glyphosate and dicamba drift

EPA Science Inventory

Background/Questions/Methods As part of its regulation of pesticides, the US Environmental Protection Agency must consider environmental risks, including impacts to nontarget plants exposed to pesticide drift. Normally these risk assessments consider impacts to individual spec...

Abscisic Acid Synthesis and Response

PubMed Central

Finkelstein, Ruth

2013-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is one of the “classical” plant hormones, i.e. discovered at least 50 years ago, that regulates many aspects of plant growth and development. This chapter reviews our current understanding of ABA synthesis, metabolism, transport, and signal transduction, emphasizing knowledge gained from studies of Arabidopsis. A combination of genetic, molecular and biochemical studies has identified nearly all of the enzymes involved in ABA metabolism, almost 200 loci regulating ABA response, and thousands of genes regulated by ABA in various contexts. Some of these regulators are implicated in cross-talk with other developmental, environmental or hormonal signals. Specific details of the ABA signaling mechanisms vary among tissues or developmental stages; these are discussed in the context of ABA effects on seed maturation, germination, seedling growth, vegetative stress responses, stomatal regulation, pathogen response, flowering, and senescence. PMID:24273463

Environmental controls on the elemental composition of a Southern Hemisphere strain of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Yuanyuan; Roleda, Michael Y.; Armstrong, Evelyn; Law, Cliff S.; Boyd, Philip W.; Hurd, Catriona L.

2018-01-01

A series of semi-continuous incubation experiments were conducted with the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi strain NIWA1108 (Southern Ocean isolate) to examine the effects of five environmental drivers (nitrate and phosphate concentrations, irradiance, temperature, and partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2)) on both the physiological rates and elemental composition of the coccolithophore. Here, we report the alteration of the elemental composition of E. huxleyi in response to the changes in these environmental drivers. A series of dose-response curves for the cellular elemental composition of E. huxleyi were fitted for each of the five drivers across an environmentally representative gradient. The importance of each driver in regulating the elemental composition of E. huxleyi was ranked using a semi-quantitative approach. The percentage variations in elemental composition arising from the change in each driver between present-day and model-projected conditions for the year 2100 were calculated. Temperature was the most important driver controlling both cellular particulate organic and inorganic carbon content, whereas nutrient concentrations were the most important regulator of cellular particulate nitrogen and phosphorus of E. huxleyi. In contrast, elevated pCO2 had the greatest influence on cellular particulate inorganic carbon to organic carbon ratio, resulting in a decrease in the ratio. Our results indicate that the different environmental drivers play specific roles in regulating the elemental composition of E. huxleyi with wide-reaching implications for coccolithophore-related marine biogeochemical cycles, as a consequence of the regulation of E. huxleyi physiological processes.

Diverse of Erythropoiesis Responding to Hypoxia and Low Environmental Temperature in Vertebrates.

PubMed

Maekawa, Shun; Kato, Takashi

2015-01-01

Erythrocytes are responsible for transporting oxygen to tissue and are essential for the survival of almost all vertebrate animals. Circulating erythrocyte counts are tightly regulated and respond to erythrocyte mass and oxygen tension. Since the discovery of erythropoietin, the erythropoietic responses to environment and tissue oxygen tension have been investigated in mice and human. Moreover, it has recently become increasingly clear that various environmental stresses could induce the erythropoiesis via various modulating systems, while all vertebrates live in various environments and habitually adapt to environmental stress. Therefore, it is considered that investigations of erythropoiesis in vertebrates provide a lead to the various erythropoietic responses to environmental stress. This paper comparatively introduces the present understanding of erythropoiesis in vertebrates. Indeed, there is a wide range of variations in vertebrates' erythropoiesis. This paper also focused on erythropoietic responses to environmental stress, hypoxia, and lowered temperature in vertebrates.

48 CFR 1522.804-2 - Construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Construction. 1522.804-2 Section 1522.804-2 Federal Acquisition Regulations System ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY SOCIOECONOMIC... Construction. Each contracting office having construction contract responsibility shall maintain a list of...

48 CFR 1522.804-2 - Construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Construction. 1522.804-2 Section 1522.804-2 Federal Acquisition Regulations System ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY SOCIOECONOMIC... Construction. Each contracting office having construction contract responsibility shall maintain a list of...

48 CFR 1522.804-2 - Construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Construction. 1522.804-2 Section 1522.804-2 Federal Acquisition Regulations System ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY SOCIOECONOMIC... Construction. Each contracting office having construction contract responsibility shall maintain a list of...

48 CFR 1522.804-2 - Construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Construction. 1522.804-2 Section 1522.804-2 Federal Acquisition Regulations System ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY SOCIOECONOMIC... Construction. Each contracting office having construction contract responsibility shall maintain a list of...

48 CFR 1522.804-2 - Construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 true Construction. 1522.804-2 Section 1522.804-2 Federal Acquisition Regulations System ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY SOCIOECONOMIC... Construction. Each contracting office having construction contract responsibility shall maintain a list of...

7 CFR 1794.5 - Responsible officials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Administrator of RUS has the responsibility for Agency compliance with all environmental laws, regulations, and... compliance for actions taken by RUS has been delegated as follows: (a) Electric and telecommunications... responsible for ensuring compliance with this part at the national level. The State Director is the...

16 CFR 1021.8 - Legislative proposals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION GENERAL ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW Procedures § 1021.8... hearings and deliberations. The draft EIS shall be forwarded to the Environmental Protection Agency in accordance with § 1506.9 of the NEPA regulations. Comments on the legislative statement and CPSC's responses...

Constraints upon the Response of Fish and Crayfish to Environmental Flow Releases in a Regulated Headwater Stream Network

PubMed Central

Chester, Edwin T.; Matthews, Ty G.; Howson, Travis J.; Johnston, Kerrylyn; Mackie, Jonathon K.; Strachan, Scott R.; Robson, Belinda J.

2014-01-01

In dry climate zones, headwater streams are often regulated for water extraction causing intermittency in perennial streams and prolonged drying in intermittent streams. Regulation thereby reduces aquatic habitat downstream of weirs that also form barriers to migration by stream fauna. Environmental flow releases may restore streamflow in rivers, but are rarely applied to headwaters. We sampled fish and crayfish in four regulated headwater streams before and after the release of summer-autumn environmental flows, and in four nearby unregulated streams, to determine whether their abundances increased in response to flow releases. Historical data of fish and crayfish occurrence spanning a 30 year period was compared with contemporary data (electrofishing surveys, Victoria Range, Australia; summer 2008 to summer 2010) to assess the longer–term effects of regulation and drought. Although fish were recorded in regulated streams before 1996, they were not recorded in the present study upstream or downstream of weirs despite recent flow releases. Crayfish (Geocharax sp. nov. 1) remained in the regulated streams throughout the study, but did not become more abundant in response to flow releases. In contrast, native fish (Gadopsis marmoratus, Galaxias oliros, Galaxias maculatus) and crayfish remained present in unregulated streams, despite prolonged drought conditions during 2006–2010, and the assemblages of each of these streams remained essentially unchanged over the 30 year period. Flow release volumes may have been too small or have operated for an insufficient time to allow fish to recolonise regulated streams. Barriers to dispersal may also be preventing recolonisation. Indefinite continuation of annual flow releases, that prevent the unnatural cessation of flow caused by weirs, may eventually facilitate upstream movement of fish and crayfish in regulated channels; but other human–made dispersal barriers downstream need to be identified and ameliorated, to allow native fish to fulfil their life cycles in these headwater streams. PMID:24647407

Genes, epigenetic regulation and environmental factors: which is the most relevant in developing autoimmune diseases?

PubMed

Costenbader, Karen H; Gay, Steffen; Alarcón-Riquelme, Marta E; Iaccarino, Luca; Doria, Andrea

2012-06-01

Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease, have complex pathogeneses and likely multifactorial etiologies. The current paradigm for understanding their development is that the disease is triggered in genetically-susceptible individuals by exposure to environmental factors. Some of these environmental factors have been specifically identified, while others are hypothesized and not yet proven, and it is likely that most have yet to be identified. One interesting hypothesis is that environmental effects on immune responses could be mediated by changes in epigenetic regulation. Major mechanisms of epigenetic gene regulation include DNA methylation and histone modification. In these cases, gene expression is modified without involving changes in DNA sequence. Epigenetics is a new and interesting research field in autoimmune diseases. We review the roles of genetic factors, epigenetic regulation and the most studied environmental risk factors such as cigarette smoke, crystalline silica, Epstein-Barr virus, and reproductive hormones in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Community Environmental Response Facilitation Act (CERFA) report, Fort George G. Mead, Maryland. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schultheisz, D.; Ward, L.

1994-04-01

This report presents the results of the Community Environmental Response Facilitation Act (CERFA) investigation conducted by Environmental Resources Management (ERM) at Fort George G. Meade (FGGM), a U.S. Government property selected for closure by the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission. Under CERFA, Federal agencies are required to expeditiously identify real property that can be immediately reused and redeveloped. Satisfying this objective requires the identification of real property where no hazardous substances or petroleum products, regulated by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), were stored for one year or more, known to have been released, or disposed.more » Fort George G. Meade, CERFA, Base closure, BRAC.« less

76 FR 64431 - Reorganization of Title 30: Bureaus of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and Ocean Energy...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-18

...This rule contains regulations that will be under the authority of two newly formed Bureaus, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), both within the Department of the Interior. On May 19, 2010, the Secretary of the Interior announced the separation of the responsibilities performed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) (formerly the Minerals Management Service) into three new separate organizations: Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). Those regulations that will apply to the authority of BSEE organization will remain in 30 CFR chapter II, but be retitled ``Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.'' This rule removes from chapter II those regulations that will apply to the authority of BOEM and recodifies them into a new 30 CFR chapter V entitled ``Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.''

RCRA, Superfund and EPCRA hotline training module. Introduction to: Statutory overview of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (updated February 1998); Directive

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1998-06-01

This module presents a brief overview of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the statute through which Congress established EPA`s hazardous substance release reporting and cleanup program, known as the Superfund program. This module presents information of the CERCLA statute only, not the regulations promulgated pursuant to the statute.

Microfluidic study of environmental control of genetic competence in Streptococcus mutans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Son, Minjun; Ghoreishilangroudi, Seyedehdelaram; Ahn, Sang-Joon; Burne, Robert; Hagen, Stephen

2015-03-01

The bacterial pathogen Streptococcus mutans has the ability to enter a transient state of genetic competence in which it can integrate exogenous DNA. It regulates the competent state in response to several environmental inputs that include two quorum sensing peptides (CSP and XIP) as well as pH and other variables. However the interplay of these variables in regulating the competent state is poorly understood. We are using microfluidics to isolate and control environmental inputs and examine how the competence regulatory circuit responds at the single cell level. Our studies reveal that the pH of the growth environment plays a critical role in determining how cells respond to the quorum sensing signals: The response to both peptides is sharply tuned to a narrow window of near-neutral pH. Within this optimal pH range, a population responds unimodally to a XIP stimulus, and bimodally to CSP; outside this range the response to both signals is suppressed. Because a growing S. mutans culture acidifies its medium, our findings suggest that the passage of the pH through the sensitivity window transiently activates the competence circuit. In this way a sharply tuned environmental response gives S. mutans fine control over the duration of its competent state. This work is supported by the NIH under NIDCR awards R01 DE023339.

Environmental statistics and optimal regulation.

PubMed

Sivak, David A; Thomson, Matt

2014-09-01

Any organism is embedded in an environment that changes over time. The timescale for and statistics of environmental change, the precision with which the organism can detect its environment, and the costs and benefits of particular protein expression levels all will affect the suitability of different strategies--such as constitutive expression or graded response--for regulating protein levels in response to environmental inputs. We propose a general framework-here specifically applied to the enzymatic regulation of metabolism in response to changing concentrations of a basic nutrient-to predict the optimal regulatory strategy given the statistics of fluctuations in the environment and measurement apparatus, respectively, and the costs associated with enzyme production. We use this framework to address three fundamental questions: (i) when a cell should prefer thresholding to a graded response; (ii) when there is a fitness advantage to implementing a Bayesian decision rule; and (iii) when retaining memory of the past provides a selective advantage. We specifically find that: (i) relative convexity of enzyme expression cost and benefit influences the fitness of thresholding or graded responses; (ii) intermediate levels of measurement uncertainty call for a sophisticated Bayesian decision rule; and (iii) in dynamic contexts, intermediate levels of uncertainty call for retaining memory of the past. Statistical properties of the environment, such as variability and correlation times, set optimal biochemical parameters, such as thresholds and decay rates in signaling pathways. Our framework provides a theoretical basis for interpreting molecular signal processing algorithms and a classification scheme that organizes known regulatory strategies and may help conceptualize heretofore unknown ones.

CEP genes regulate root and shoot development in response to environmental cues and are specific to seed plants.

PubMed

Delay, Christina; Imin, Nijat; Djordjevic, Michael A

2013-12-01

The manifestation of repetitive developmental programmes during plant growth can be adjusted in response to various environmental cues. During root development, this means being able to precisely control root growth and lateral root development. Small signalling peptides have been found to play roles in many aspects of root development. One member of the CEP (C-TERMINALLY ENCODED PEPTIDE) gene family has been shown to arrest root growth. Here we report that CEP genes are widespread among seed plants but are not present in land plants that lack true branching roots or root vasculature. We have identified 10 additional CEP genes in Arabidopsis. Expression analysis revealed that CEP genes are regulated by environmental cues such as nitrogen limitation, increased salt levels, increased osmotic strength, and increased CO2 levels in both roots and shoots. Analysis of synthetic CEP variants showed that both peptide sequence and modifications of key amino acids affect CEP biological activity. Analysis of several CEP over-expression lines revealed distinct roles for CEP genes in root and shoot development. A cep3 knockout mutant showed increased root and shoot growth under a range of abiotic stress, nutrient, and light conditions. We demonstrate that CEPs are negative regulators of root development, slowing primary root growth and reducing lateral root formation. We propose that CEPs are negative regulators that mediate environmental influences on plant development.

Honey bee aggression supports a link between gene regulation and behavioral evolution.

PubMed

Alaux, Cédric; Sinha, Saurabh; Hasadsri, Linda; Hunt, Greg J; Guzmán-Novoa, Ernesto; DeGrandi-Hoffman, Gloria; Uribe-Rubio, José Luis; Southey, Bruce R; Rodriguez-Zas, Sandra; Robinson, Gene E

2009-09-08

A prominent theory states that animal phenotypes arise by evolutionary changes in gene regulation, but the extent to which this theory holds true for behavioral evolution is not known. Because "nature and nurture" are now understood to involve hereditary and environmental influences on gene expression, we studied whether environmental influences on a behavioral phenotype, i.e., aggression, could have evolved into inherited differences via changes in gene expression. Here, with microarray analysis of honey bees, we show that aggression-related genes with inherited patterns of brain expression are also environmentally regulated. There were expression differences in the brain for hundreds of genes between the highly aggressive Africanized honey bee compared with European honey bee (EHB) subspecies. Similar results were obtained for EHB in response to exposure to alarm pheromone (which provokes aggression) and when comparing old and young bees (aggressive tendencies increase with age). There was significant overlap of the gene lists generated from these three microarray experiments. Moreover, there was statistical enrichment of several of the same cis regulatory motifs in promoters of genes on all three gene lists. Aggression shows a remarkably robust brain molecular signature regardless of whether it occurs because of inherited, age-related, or environmental (social) factors. It appears that one element in the evolution of different degrees of aggressive behavior in honey bees involved changes in regulation of genes that mediate the response to alarm pheromone.

Environmental Guidance Program Reference Book: Comprehensive Environmentally Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

This Reference Book contains a current copy of the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation, and Liability Act and those regulations that implement the statute and appear to be most relevant to Department of Energy (DOE) activities. The document is provided to DOE and contractor staff for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as legal guidance. Updates that include important new requirements will be provided periodically. Questions concerning this Reference Book may be directed to Mark Petts, EH-231 (FTS 896-2609 or Commercial 202/586-2609).

Responses of a constructed plant community to combinations of herbicides, a model for field tests?

EPA Science Inventory

As part of its regulation of pesticides, the US Environmental Protection Agency considers environmental risks, including impacts to nontarget plants exposed to pesticide drift. Normally these risk assessments consider impacts to individual species, using greenhouse, exposure-res...

Responses of constructed plant community to combinations of herbicides, a model for field tests?

EPA Science Inventory

As part of its regulation of pesticides, the US Environmental Protection Agency must consider environmental risks, including impacts to non-target plants exposed to pesticide drift. Normally these risk assessments consider impacts to individual species, using greenhouse, dose-re...

How long can fisheries management delay action in response to ecosystem and climate change?

PubMed

Brown, Christopher J; Fulton, Elizabeth A; Possingham, Hugh P; Richardson, Anthony J

2012-01-01

Sustainable management of fisheries is often compromised by management delaying implementation of regulations that reduce harvest, in order to maintain higher catches in the short-term. Decreases or increases in fish population growth rate driven by environmental change, including ecosystem and climate change, affect the harvest that can be taken sustainably. If not acted on rapidly, environmental change could result in unsustainable fishing or missed opportunity for higher catches. Using simulation models of harvested fish populations influenced by environmental change, we explore how long fisheries managers can afford to wait before changing harvest regulations in response to changes in population growth. If environmental change causes population declines, delays greater than five years increase the probability of population collapse. Species with fast and highly variable population growth rates are more susceptible to collapse under delays and should be a priority for revised management where delays occur. Generally, the long-term cost of delay, in terms of lost fishing opportunity, exceeds the short-term benefits of overfishing. Lowering harvest limits and monitoring for environmental change can alleviate the impact of delays; however, these measures may be more costly than reducing delays. We recommend that management systems that allow rapid responses to population growth changes be enacted for fisheries management to adapt to ecosystem and climate change.

The Chromobacterium violaceum ArsR Arsenite Repressor Exerts Tighter Control on Its Cognate Promoter Than the Escherichia coli System

PubMed Central

Arruda, Letícia M.; Monteiro, Lummy M. O.; Silva-Rocha, Rafael

2016-01-01

Environmental bacteria are endowed with several regulatory systems that have potential applications in biotechnology. In this report, we characterize the arsenic biosensing features of the ars response system from Chromobacterium violaceum in the heterologous host Escherichia coli. We show that the native Pars/arsR system of C. violaceum outperforms the chromosomal ars copy of E. coli when exposed to micromolar concentrations of arsenite. To understand the molecular basis of this phenomenon, we analyzed the interaction between ArsR regulators and their promoter target sites as well as induction of the system at saturating concentrations of the regulators. In vivo titration experiments indicate that ArsR from C. violaceum has stronger binding affinity for its target promoter than the regulator from E. coli does. Additionally, arsenite induction experiments at saturating regulator concentration demonstrates that although the Pars/arsR system from E. coli displays a gradual response to increasing concentration of the inducer, the system from C. violaceum has a steeper response with a stronger promoter induction after a given arsenite threshold. Taken together, these data demonstrate the characterization of a novel arsenic response element from an environmental bacterium with potentially enhanced performance that could be further explored for the construction of an arsenic biosensor. PMID:27917165

The Chromobacterium violaceum ArsR Arsenite Repressor Exerts Tighter Control on Its Cognate Promoter Than the Escherichia coli System.

PubMed

Arruda, Letícia M; Monteiro, Lummy M O; Silva-Rocha, Rafael

2016-01-01

Environmental bacteria are endowed with several regulatory systems that have potential applications in biotechnology. In this report, we characterize the arsenic biosensing features of the ars response system from Chromobacterium violaceum in the heterologous host Escherichia coli . We show that the native Pars/arsR system of C. violaceum outperforms the chromosomal ars copy of E. coli when exposed to micromolar concentrations of arsenite. To understand the molecular basis of this phenomenon, we analyzed the interaction between ArsR regulators and their promoter target sites as well as induction of the system at saturating concentrations of the regulators. In vivo titration experiments indicate that ArsR from C. violaceum has stronger binding affinity for its target promoter than the regulator from E. coli does. Additionally, arsenite induction experiments at saturating regulator concentration demonstrates that although the Pars/arsR system from E. coli displays a gradual response to increasing concentration of the inducer, the system from C. violaceum has a steeper response with a stronger promoter induction after a given arsenite threshold. Taken together, these data demonstrate the characterization of a novel arsenic response element from an environmental bacterium with potentially enhanced performance that could be further explored for the construction of an arsenic biosensor.

Adaptation to Environmental Stimuli within the Host: Two-Component Signal Transduction Systems of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

PubMed Central

Bretl, Daniel J.; Demetriadou, Chrystalla; Zahrt, Thomas C.

2011-01-01

Summary: Pathogenic microorganisms encounter a variety of environmental stresses following infection of their respective hosts. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the etiological agent of tuberculosis, is an unusual bacterial pathogen in that it is able to establish lifelong infections in individuals within granulomatous lesions that are formed following a productive immune response. Adaptation to this highly dynamic environment is thought to be mediated primarily through transcriptional reprogramming initiated in response to recognition of stimuli, including low-oxygen tension, nutrient depletion, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, altered pH, toxic lipid moieties, cell wall/cell membrane-perturbing agents, and other environmental cues. To survive continued exposure to these potentially adverse factors, M. tuberculosis encodes a variety of regulatory factors, including 11 complete two-component signal transduction systems (TCSSs) and several orphaned response regulators (RRs) and sensor kinases (SKs). This report reviews our current knowledge of the TCSSs present in M. tuberculosis. In particular, we discuss the biochemical and functional characteristics of individual RRs and SKs, the environmental stimuli regulating their activation, the regulons controlled by the various TCSSs, and the known or postulated role(s) of individual TCSSs in the context of M. tuberculosis physiology and/or pathogenesis. PMID:22126994

48 CFR 1516.405-270 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 true Definitions. 1516.405-270 Section 1516.405-270 Federal Acquisition Regulations System ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY CONTRACTING... responsible for reviewing the recommendations of the PEB and making the final determination of the amount of...

24 CFR 1003.701 - Corrective and remedial action.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... regulations, including the environmental responsibilities assumed under section 104(g) of title I of the Act... environmental review deficiencies and housing assistance deficiencies), describing the corrective actions to be..., discontinue, or not incur costs for the affected activity; (4) Advise the grantee to reprogram funds from...

24 CFR 1003.701 - Corrective and remedial action.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... regulations, including the environmental responsibilities assumed under section 104(g) of title I of the Act... environmental review deficiencies and housing assistance deficiencies), describing the corrective actions to be..., discontinue, or not incur costs for the affected activity; (4) Advise the grantee to reprogram funds from...

Recent developments in energy resources law

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roady, S.E.; Panzik, S.J.

On July 18, 1995, the House of Representatives voted to cut EPA`s fiscal 1996 budget by approximately $2.4 billion. While the House action is generally regarded as {open_quotes}extreme,{close_quotes} and the final outcome of the environmental budget battle remains uncertain at the time of this writing, the action is, nevertheless, a sign that the complexion of environmental regulation is changing. This article presents a brief overview of significant developments in the environmental arena during the past year. When considered together, these developments appear to signal a change from the historical adversarial approach to environmental regulation toward a more integrated and cooperativemore » strategy. Yet it would be inaccurate to characterize these changes solely as pragmatic responses to an altered political climate. Rather, the developments represent, in large part, the {open_quotes}next steps{close_quotes} in a system of environmental regulation that has been evolving over the past twenty-five years. 43 refs.« less

EGRINs (Environmental Gene Regulatory Influence Networks) in Rice That Function in the Response to Water Deficit, High Temperature, and Agricultural Environments[OPEN

PubMed Central

Hafemeister, Christoph; Nicotra, Adrienne B.; Jagadish, S.V. Krishna; Bonneau, Richard; Purugganan, Michael

2016-01-01

Environmental gene regulatory influence networks (EGRINs) coordinate the timing and rate of gene expression in response to environmental signals. EGRINs encompass many layers of regulation, which culminate in changes in accumulated transcript levels. Here, we inferred EGRINs for the response of five tropical Asian rice (Oryza sativa) cultivars to high temperatures, water deficit, and agricultural field conditions by systematically integrating time-series transcriptome data, patterns of nucleosome-free chromatin, and the occurrence of known cis-regulatory elements. First, we identified 5447 putative target genes for 445 transcription factors (TFs) by connecting TFs with genes harboring known cis-regulatory motifs in nucleosome-free regions proximal to their transcriptional start sites. We then used network component analysis to estimate the regulatory activity for each TF based on the expression of its putative target genes. Finally, we inferred an EGRIN using the estimated transcription factor activity (TFA) as the regulator. The EGRINs include regulatory interactions between 4052 target genes regulated by 113 TFs. We resolved distinct regulatory roles for members of the heat shock factor family, including a putative regulatory connection between abiotic stress and the circadian clock. TFA estimation using network component analysis is an effective way of incorporating multiple genome-scale measurements into network inference. PMID:27655842

Key Role of CRF in the Skin Stress Response System

PubMed Central

Zmijewski, Michal A.; Zbytek, Blazej; Tobin, Desmond J.; Theoharides, Theoharis C.; Rivier, Jean

2013-01-01

The discovery of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) or CRH defining the upper regulatory arm of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, along with the identification of the corresponding receptors (CRFRs 1 and 2), represents a milestone in our understanding of central mechanisms regulating body and local homeostasis. We focused on the CRF-led signaling systems in the skin and offer a model for regulation of peripheral homeostasis based on the interaction of CRF and the structurally related urocortins with corresponding receptors and the resulting direct or indirect phenotypic effects that include regulation of epidermal barrier function, skin immune, pigmentary, adnexal, and dermal functions necessary to maintain local and systemic homeostasis. The regulatory modes of action include the classical CRF-led cutaneous equivalent of the central HPA axis, the expression and function of CRF and related peptides, and the stimulation of pro-opiomelanocortin peptides or cytokines. The key regulatory role is assigned to the CRFR-1α receptor, with other isoforms having modulatory effects. CRF can be released from sensory nerves and immune cells in response to emotional and environmental stressors. The expression sequence of peptides includes urocortin/CRF→pro-opiomelanocortin→ACTH, MSH, and β-endorphin. Expression of these peptides and of CRFR-1α is environmentally regulated, and their dysfunction can lead to skin and systemic diseases. Environmentally stressed skin can activate both the central and local HPA axis through either sensory nerves or humoral factors to turn on homeostatic responses counteracting cutaneous and systemic environmental damage. CRF and CRFR-1 may constitute novel targets through the use of specific agonists or antagonists, especially for therapy of skin diseases that worsen with stress, such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. PMID:23939821

Control of seed dormancy and germination by DOG1-AHG1 PP2C phosphatase complex via binding to heme.

PubMed

Nishimura, Noriyuki; Tsuchiya, Wataru; Moresco, James J; Hayashi, Yuki; Satoh, Kouji; Kaiwa, Nahomi; Irisa, Tomoko; Kinoshita, Toshinori; Schroeder, Julian I; Yates, John R; Hirayama, Takashi; Yamazaki, Toshimasa

2018-06-06

Abscisic acid (ABA) regulates abiotic stress and developmental responses including regulation of seed dormancy to prevent seeds from germinating under unfavorable environmental conditions. ABA HYPERSENSITIVE GERMINATION1 (AHG1) encoding a type 2C protein phosphatase (PP2C) is a central negative regulator of ABA response in germination; however, the molecular function and regulation of AHG1 remain elusive. Here we report that AHG1 interacts with DELAY OF GERMINATION1 (DOG1), which is a pivotal positive regulator in seed dormancy. DOG1 acts upstream of AHG1 and impairs the PP2C activity of AHG1 in vitro. Furthermore, DOG1 has the ability to bind heme. Binding of DOG1 to AHG1 and heme are independent processes, but both are essential for DOG1 function in vivo. Our study demonstrates that AHG1 and DOG1 constitute an important regulatory system for seed dormancy and germination by integrating multiple environmental signals, in parallel with the PYL/RCAR ABA receptor-mediated regulatory system.

Glucocorticoid activity detected by in vivo zebrafish assay and in vitro glucocorticoid receptor bioassay at environmental relevant concentrations.

PubMed

Chen, Qiyu; Jia, Ai; Snyder, Shane A; Gong, Zhiyuan; Lam, Siew Hong

2016-02-01

Glucocorticoids are pharmaceutical contaminants of emerging concern due to their incomplete removal during wastewater treatment, increased presence in aquatic environment and their biological potency. The zebrafish is a popular model for aquatic toxicology and environmental risk assessment. This study aimed to determine if glucocorticoids at environmental concentrations would perturb expression of selected glucocorticoid-responsive genes in zebrafish and to investigate their potentials as an in vivo zebrafish assay in complementing in vitro glucocorticoid receptor bioassay. The relative expression of eleven glucocorticoid-responsive genes in zebrafish larvae and liver of adult male zebrafish exposed to three representative glucocorticoids (dexamethasone, prednisolone and triamcinolone) was determined. The expression of pepck, baiap2 and pxr was up-regulated in zebrafish larvae and the expression of baiap2, pxr and mmp-2 was up-regulated in adult zebrafish exposed to glucocorticoids at concentrations equivalent to total glucocorticoids reported in environmental samples. The responsiveness of the specific genes were sufficiently robust in zebrafish larvae exposed to a complex environmental sample detected with in vitro glucocorticoid activity equivalent to 478 pM dexamethasone (DEX-EQ) and confirmed to contain low concentration (0.2 ng/L or less) of the targeted glucocorticoids, and possibly other glucocorticoid-active compounds. The findings provided in vivo relevance to the in vitro glucocorticoid activity and suggested that the environmental sample can perturb glucocorticoid-responsive genes in its original, or half the diluted, concentration as may be found in the environment. The study demonstrated the important complementary roles of in vivo zebrafish and in vitro bioassays coupled with analytical chemistry in monitoring environmental glucocorticoid contaminants. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 11.3 - Responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Responsibilities. 11.3 Section 11.3 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GENERAL SECURITY CLASSIFICATION REGULATIONS... in part when, in its judgment, continued protection is no longer required. If the committee...

Environmental laws in health care.

PubMed

Ruff, G G

1992-11-01

Federal and state regulations regarding the management and disposal of medical waste are currently quite extensive and will only become more comprehensive in the future. The public's heightened awareness and concerns over infectious diseases and discoveries of medical waste on beaches in New Jersey, Alabama, and other states, as well as medical waste being found in open trash bins and at public landfills, has brought to the public's attention the need for governmental intervention into this growing area of concern. Because regulations originating from the local, state, and federal levels have the potential to significantly affect hospitals, it is important that a specific person or department within the organization have a clearly designated responsibility to stay informed and follow up on these regulations. The designated person or department must work closely with the hospital's attorney to make sure that he or she stays current on environmental laws and keeps the institution adequately advised of its legal responsibilities.

Multiple environmental factors regulate the expression of the carbohydrate-selective OprB porin of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

PubMed

Adewoye, L O; Worobec, E A

1999-12-01

In response to low extracellular glucose concentration, Pseudomonas aeruginosa induces the expression of the outer membrane carbohydrate-selective OprB porin. The promoter region of the oprB gene was cloned into a lacZ transcriptional fusion vector, and the construct was mobilized into P. aeruginosa OprB-deficient strain, WW100, to evaluate additional environmental factors that influence OprB porin gene expression. Growth temperature, pH of the growth medium, salicylate concentration, and carbohydrate source were found to differentially influence porin expression. This expression pattern was compared to those of whole-cell [14C]glucose uptake under conditions of high osmolarity, ionicity, variable pH, growth temperatures, and carbohydrate source. These studies revealed that the high-affinity glucose transport genes are down-regulated by salicylic acid, differentially regulated by pH and temperature, and are specifically responsive to exogenous glucose induction.

Life in a Regulated Environment: Do You Comply with Environmental Laws?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKeague, Kevin J.

1994-01-01

Discusses the following issues: (1) implications of the Americans with Disabilities Act; (2) Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act regulations; (3) new lead guidelines; (4) requirements regarding underground storage tanks; (5) potential indoor air quality requirements; and (6) Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines. (MLF)

Termination of Lease and the Transfer of Property Back to the Landowner for the Matagorda, Texas Tethered Aerostat Radar System (TARS) Site

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

Above-ground Storage Tank CAA Clean Air Act CEQ Council on Environmental Quality CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response...on Environmental Quality TDLR Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation THC Texas Historical Commission TPWD Texas Parks and... Storage Tank FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT 1.0 NAME OF THE PROPOSED ACTION Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed action to terminate the

BEYOND REGULATION TO PROTECTION. THE APPLICATION OF NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE SYSTEMS IN THE SCIENCE MISSION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

EPA Science Inventory

The use of National Technical Means (NTM) data and advanced geospatial technologies has an important role in supporting the mission of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA's responsibilities have grown beyond pollution compliance monitoring and enforcement to include t...

Development of a constructed Willamette Valley plant community to determine non-target effects of herbicide drift on native plants

EPA Science Inventory

As part of its regulation of pesticides, the US Environmental Protection must consider potential environmental effects, including impacts to nontarget plants. Normally the risk assessment to determine these impacts requires simple, individual species, greenhouse, dose-response e...

Maternal vernalization and vernalization-pathway genes influence progeny seed germination.

PubMed

Auge, Gabriela A; Blair, Logan K; Neville, Hannah; Donohue, Kathleen

2017-10-01

Different life stages frequently respond to the same environmental cue to regulate development so that each life stage is matched to its appropriate season. We investigated how independently each life stage can respond to shared environmental cues, focusing on vernalization, in Arabidopsis thaliana plants. We first tested whether effects of rosette vernalization persisted to influence seed germination. To test whether genes in the vernalization flowering pathway also influence germination, we assessed germination of functional and nonfunctional alleles of these genes and measured their level of expression at different life stages in response to rosette vernalization. Rosette vernalization increased seed germination in diverse ecotypes. Genes in the vernalization flowering pathway also influenced seed germination. In the Columbia accession, functional alleles of most of these genes opposed the germination response observed in the ecotypes. Some genes influenced germination in a manner consistent with their known effects on FLOWERING LOCUS C gene regulation during the transition to flowering. Others did not, suggesting functional divergence across life stages. Despite persistent effects of environmental conditions across life stages, and despite pleiotropy of genes that affect both flowering and germination, the function of these genes can differ across life stages, potentially mitigating pleiotropic constraints and enabling independent environmental regulation of different life stages. © 2017 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.

Containment of fertilizers and pesticides at retail operations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Broder, M.F.

1990-06-28

Environmental protection has become as important to the fertilizer retailer as the products and services he offers. Emphasis on environmental protection at the dealer level is largely in response to state regulations designed to protect groundwater. The national Clean Water Act of 1987 gave states the lead in developing groundwater protection strategies. Several states have adopted new or stronger regulations and others are moving to do so. Fertilizer dealers need to keep up with these regulations and promote groundwater protection. This paper describes several containment systems for fertilizers and pesticides to help dealers decide how to modify their plants tomore » protect groundwater.« less

Epigenetic regulation of serotype expression antagonizes transcriptome dynamics in Paramecium tetraurelia

PubMed Central

Cheaib, Miriam; Dehghani Amirabad, Azim; Nordström, Karl J. V.; Schulz, Marcel H.; Simon, Martin

2015-01-01

Phenotypic variation of a single genotype is achieved by alterations in gene expression patterns. Regulation of such alterations depends on their time scale, where short-time adaptations differ from permanently established gene expression patterns maintained by epigenetic mechanisms. In the ciliate Paramecium, serotypes were described for an epigenetically controlled gene expression pattern of an individual multigene family. Paradoxically, individual serotypes can be triggered in Paramecium by alternating environments but are then stabilized by epigenetic mechanisms, thus raising the question to which extend their expression follows environmental stimuli. To characterize environmental adaptation in the context of epigenetically controlled serotype expression, we used RNA-seq to characterize transcriptomes of serotype pure cultures. The resulting vegetative transcriptome resource is first analysed for genes involved in the adaptive response to the altered environment. Secondly, we identified groups of genes that do not follow the adaptive response but show co-regulation with the epigenetically controlled serotype system, suggesting that their gene expression pattern becomes manifested by similar mechanisms. In our experimental set-up, serotype expression and the entire group of co-regulated genes were stable among environmental changes and only heat-shock genes altered expression of these gene groups. The data suggest that the maintenance of these gene expression patterns in a lineage represents epigenetically controlled robustness counteracting short-time adaptation processes. PMID:26231545

40 CFR 280.61 - Initial response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Initial response. 280.61 Section 280.61 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED... or electronic mail); (b) Take immediate action to prevent any further release of the regulated...

40 CFR 280.61 - Initial response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Initial response. 280.61 Section 280.61 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED... or electronic mail); (b) Take immediate action to prevent any further release of the regulated...

40 CFR 280.61 - Initial response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Initial response. 280.61 Section 280.61 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED... or electronic mail); (b) Take immediate action to prevent any further release of the regulated...

40 CFR 280.61 - Initial response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Initial response. 280.61 Section 280.61 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED... or electronic mail); (b) Take immediate action to prevent any further release of the regulated...

40 CFR 280.61 - Initial response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Initial response. 280.61 Section 280.61 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED... or electronic mail); (b) Take immediate action to prevent any further release of the regulated...

Uncertainties in biological responses that influence hazard and risk approaches to the regulation of endocrine active substances

EPA Science Inventory

Endocrine Disrupting Substances (EDSs) may have certain biological effects including delayed effects, multigenerational effects, and non-monotonic dose response relationships (NMDRs) that require careful consideration when determining environmental hazards. The case studies evalu...

SETAC: Uncertainties in biological responses that influence hazard or risk approaches to the regulation of endocrine active substances

EPA Science Inventory

Endocrine Disrupting Substances (EDSs) may have certain biological effects including delayed effects, multigenerational effects, and non-monotonic dose response relationships (NMDRs) that require careful consideration when determining environmental hazards. The case studies evalu...

Gravity-regulated gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sederoff, Heike; Brown, Christopher S.; Heber, Steffen; Kajla, Jyoti D.; Kumar, Sandeep; Lomax, Terri L.; Wheeler, Benjamin; Yalamanchili, Roopa

Plant growth and development is regulated by changes in environmental signals. Plants sense environmental changes and respond to them by modifying gene expression programs to ad-just cell growth, differentiation, and metabolism. Functional expression of genes comprises many different processes including transcription, translation, post-transcriptional and post-translational modifications, as well as the degradation of RNA and proteins. Recently, it was discovered that small RNAs (sRNA, 18-24 nucleotides long), which are heritable and systemic, are key elements in regulating gene expression in response to biotic and abiotic changes. Sev-eral different classes of sRNAs have been identified that are part of a non-cell autonomous and phloem-mobile network of regulators affecting transcript stability, translational kinetics, and DNA methylation patterns responsible for heritable transcriptional silencing (epigenetics). Our research has focused on gene expression changes in response to gravistimulation of Arabidopsis roots. Using high-throughput technologies including microarrays and 454 sequencing, we iden-tified rapid changes in transcript abundance of genes as well as differential expression of small RNA in Arabidopsis root apices after minutes of reorientation. Some of the differentially regu-lated transcripts are encoded by genes that are important for the bending response. Functional mutants of those genes respond faster to reorientation than the respective wild type plants, indicating that these proteins are repressors of differential cell elongation. We compared the gravity responsive sRNAs to the changes in transcript abundances of their putative targets and identified several potential miRNA: target pairs. Currently, we are using mutant and transgenic Arabidopsis plants to characterize the function of those miRNAs and their putative targets in gravitropic and phototropic responses in Arabidopsis.

Dancing with Hormones: A Current Perspective of Nitrate Signaling and Regulation in Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Guan, Peizhu

2017-01-01

In nature and agriculture, nitrate availability is a main environmental cue for plant growth, development and stress responses. Nitrate signaling and regulation are hence at the center of communications between plant intrinsic programs and the environment. It is also well known that endogenous phytohormones play numerous critical roles in integrating extrinsic cues and intrinsic responses, regulating and refining almost all aspects of plant growth, development and stress responses. Therefore, interaction between nitrate and phytohormones, such as auxins, cytokinins, abscisic acid, gibberellins, and ethylene, is prevalent. The growing evidence indicates that biosynthesis, de-conjugation, transport, and signaling of hormones are partly controlled by nitrate signaling. Recent advances with nitrate signaling and transcriptional regulation in Arabidopsis give rise to new paradigms. Given the comprehensive nitrate transport, sensing, signaling and regulations at the level of the cell and organism, nitrate itself is a local and long-distance signal molecule, conveying N status at the whole-plant level. A direct molecular link between nitrate signaling and cell cycle progression was revealed with TEOSINTE BRANCHED1/CYCLOIDEA/PROLIFERATING CELL FACTOR1-20 (TCP20) – NIN-LIKE PROTEIN 6/7 (NLP6/7) regulatory nexus. NLPs are key regulators of nitrogen responses in plants. TCPs function as the main regulators of plant morphology and architecture, with the emerging role as integrators of plant developmental responses to the environment. By analogy with auxin being proposed as a plant morphogen, nitrate may be an environmental morphogen. The morphogen-gradient-dependent and cell-autonomous mechanisms of nitrate signaling and regulation are an integral part of cell growth and cell identification. This is especially true in root meristem growth that is regulated by intertwined nitrate, phytohormones, and glucose-TOR signaling pathways. Furthermore, the nitrate transcriptional hierarchy is emerging. Nitrate regulators in primary nitrate signaling can individually and combinatorially control downstream transcriptional networks and hormonal pathways for signal propagation and amplification. Under the new paradigms, nitrate-induced hormone metabolism and signaling deserve fresh examination. The close interplay and convergent regulation of nitrate and hormonal signaling at morphological, physiological, and molecular levels have significant effects on important agronomic traits, especially nutrient-dependent adaptive root system growth and architecture. PMID:29033968

Autophagy promotes synapse development in Drosophila.

PubMed

Shen, Wei; Ganetzky, Barry

2009-10-05

Autophagy, a lysosome-dependent degradation mechanism, mediates many biological processes, including cellular stress responses and neuroprotection. In this study, we demonstrate that autophagy positively regulates development of the Drosophila melanogaster larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Autophagy induces an NMJ overgrowth phenotype closely resembling that of highwire (hiw), an E3 ubiquitin ligase mutant. Moreover, like hiw, autophagy-induced NMJ overgrowth is suppressed by wallenda (wnd) and by a dominant-negative c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (bsk(DN)). We show that autophagy promotes NMJ growth by reducing Hiw levels. Thus, autophagy and the ubiquitin-proteasome system converge in regulating synaptic development. Because autophagy is triggered in response to many environmental cues, our findings suggest that it is perfectly positioned to link environmental conditions with synaptic growth and plasticity.

41 CFR 102-80.35 - What are Federal agencies' responsibilities concerning the monitoring of hazardous materials and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 102-80.35 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property Management Regulations System (Continued) FEDERAL MANAGEMENT REGULATION REAL PROPERTY 80-SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT Safety and... Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Department of Transportation, EPA, and applicable State and...

Interacting TCP and NLP transcription factors control plant responses to nitrate availability.

PubMed

Guan, Peizhu; Ripoll, Juan-José; Wang, Renhou; Vuong, Lam; Bailey-Steinitz, Lindsay J; Ye, Dening; Crawford, Nigel M

2017-02-28

Plants have evolved adaptive strategies that involve transcriptional networks to cope with and survive environmental challenges. Key transcriptional regulators that mediate responses to environmental fluctuations in nitrate have been identified; however, little is known about how these regulators interact to orchestrate nitrogen (N) responses and cell-cycle regulation. Here we report that teosinte branched1/cycloidea/proliferating cell factor1-20 (TCP20) and NIN-like protein (NLP) transcription factors NLP6 and NLP7, which act as activators of nitrate assimilatory genes, bind to adjacent sites in the upstream promoter region of the nitrate reductase gene, NIA1 , and physically interact under continuous nitrate and N-starvation conditions. Regions of these proteins necessary for these interactions were found to include the type I/II Phox and Bem1p (PB1) domains of NLP6&7, a protein-interaction module conserved in animals for nutrient signaling, and the histidine- and glutamine-rich domain of TCP20, which is conserved across plant species. Under N starvation, TCP20-NLP6&7 heterodimers accumulate in the nucleus, and this coincides with TCP20 and NLP6&7-dependent up-regulation of nitrate assimilation and signaling genes and down-regulation of the G 2 /M cell-cycle marker gene, CYCB1;1 TCP20 and NLP6&7 also support root meristem growth under N starvation. These findings provide insights into how plants coordinate responses to nitrate availability, linking nitrate assimilation and signaling with cell-cycle progression.

The Regulatory Functions of Calcium and the Potential Role of Calcium in Mediating Gravitational Responses in Cells and Tissues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roux, S. J. (Editor)

1983-01-01

The hypothesis that calcium plays an important part in regulating cellular response to gravity and to other environmental stimuli is explored. Topics covered include the role of calmodulin and other proteins, gravitropic responses, bone demineralization during space flight, and intracellular communication.

Self-regulating chemo-mechano-chemical systems

DOEpatents

Aizenberg, Joanna; He, Ximin; Aizenberg, Michael

2017-05-16

A chemo-mechano-chemical (C.sub.1-M-C.sub.2) system includes a base supporting an actuatable structure, said structure comprising a functionalized portion and being embedded in an environmentally responsive gel capable of volume change in response to an environmental stimulus; a first fluid layer disposed over the base and in contact with the actuatable structure, said first fluid layer comprising the environmentally responsive gel; and a second fluid layer in contact with the actuatable structure, wherein the layers are positioned such that the functionalized portion is in contact with the second layer in a first relaxed state and in contact with the first layer in a second actuated state and wherein the functionalized portion interacts with at least one of the layers to provide a chemical or physical response.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Griffith, Stacy Rene; Agogino, Karen; Li, Jun

Tonopah Test Range (TTR) in Nevada and Kauai Test Facility (KTF) in Hawaii are government-owned, contractor-operated facilities managed and operated by Sandia Corporation (Sandia), a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), through the Sandia Field Office (SFO), in Albuquerque, New Mexico, administers the contract and oversees contractor operations at TTR and KTF. Sandia manages and conducts operations at TTR in support of the DOE/NNSA’s Weapons Ordnance Program and has operated the site since 1957. Navarro Research and Engineering subcontracts to Sandia in administering most of the environmental programsmore » at TTR. Sandia operates KTF as a rocket preparation launching and tracking facility. This Annual Site Environmental Report summarizes data and the compliance status of the sustainability, environmental protection, and monitoring program at TTR and KTF through Calendar Year 2013. The compliance status of environmental regulations applicable at these sites include state and federal regulations governing air emissions, wastewater effluent, waste management, terrestrial surveillance, Environmental Restoration (ER) cleanup activities, and the National Environmental Policy Act. Sandia is responsible only for those environmental program activities related to its operations. The DOE/NNSA/Nevada Field Office retains responsibility for the cleanup and management of TTR ER sites. Environmental monitoring and surveillance programs are required by DOE Order 231.1B, Environment, Safety, and Health Reporting (DOE 2012).« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Montoya, Amber L.; Wagner, Katrina; Goering, Teresa Lynn

Tonopah Test Range (TTR) in Nevada and Kauai Test Facility (KTF) in Hawaii are government-owned, contractor-operated facilities operated by Sandia Corporation, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), through the Sandia Site Office (SSO), in Albuquerque, NM, manages TTR and KTF's operations. Sandia Corporation conducts operations at TTR in support of DOE/NNSA's Weapons Ordnance Program and has operated the site since 1957. Westinghouse Government Services subcontracts to Sandia Corporation in administering most of the environmental programs at TTR. Sandia Corporation operates KTF as a rocket preparation launching and tracking facility.more » This Annual Site Environmental Report (ASER) summarizes data and the compliance status of the environmental protection and monitoring program at TTR and KTF through Calendar Year (CY) 2004. The compliance status of environmental regulations applicable at these sites include state and federal regulations governing air emissions, wastewater effluent, waste management, terrestrial surveillance, and Environmental Restoration (ER) cleanup activities. Sandia Corporation is responsible only for those environmental program activities related to its operations. The DOE/NNSA, Nevada Site Office (NSO) retains responsibility for the cleanup and management of ER TTR sites. Currently, there are no ER Sites at KTF. Environmental monitoring and surveillance programs are required by DOE Order 450.1, Environmental Protection Program (DOE 2005) and DOE Order 231.1A, Environment, Safety, and Health Reporting (DOE 2004b).« less

Tunable regulation of CREB DNA binding activity couples genotoxic stress response and metabolism

PubMed Central

Kim, Sang Hwa; Trinh, Anthony T.; Larsen, Michele Campaigne; Mastrocola, Adam S.; Jefcoate, Colin R.; Bushel, Pierre R.; Tibbetts, Randal S.

2016-01-01

cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) is a key regulator of glucose metabolism and synaptic plasticity that is canonically regulated through recruitment of transcriptional coactivators. Here we show that phosphorylation of CREB on a conserved cluster of Ser residues (the ATM/CK cluster) by the DNA damage-activated protein kinase ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) and casein kinase1 (CK1) and casein kinase2 (CK2) positively and negatively regulates CREB-mediated transcription in a signal dependent manner. In response to genotoxic stress, phosphorylation of the ATM/CK cluster inhibited CREB-mediated gene expression, DNA binding activity and chromatin occupancy proportional to the number of modified Ser residues. Paradoxically, substoichiometric, ATM-independent, phosphorylation of the ATM/CK cluster potentiated bursts in CREB-mediated transcription by promoting recruitment of the CREB coactivator, cAMP-regulated transcriptional coactivators (CRTC2). Livers from mice expressing a non-phosphorylatable CREB allele failed to attenuate gluconeogenic genes in response to DNA damage or fully activate the same genes in response to glucagon. We propose that phosphorylation-dependent regulation of DNA binding activity evolved as a tunable mechanism to control CREB transcriptional output and promote metabolic homeostasis in response to rapidly changing environmental conditions. PMID:27431323

Natural changes in light interact with circadian regulation at promoters to control gene expression in cyanobacteria

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The circadian clock interacts with other regulatory pathways to tune physiology to predictable daily changes and unexpected environmental fluctuations. However, the complexity of circadian clocks in higher organisms has prevented a clear understanding of how natural environmental conditions affect circadian clocks and their physiological outputs. Here, we dissect the interaction between circadian regulation and responses to fluctuating light in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus. We demonstrate that natural changes in light intensity substantially affect the expression of hundreds of circadian-clock-controlled genes, many of which are involved in key steps of metabolism. These changes in expression arise from circadian and light-responsive control of RNA polymerase recruitment to promoters by a network of transcription factors including RpaA and RpaB. Using phenomenological modeling constrained by our data, we reveal simple principles that underlie the small number of stereotyped responses of dusk circadian genes to changes in light. PMID:29239721

Genome-Wide Identification of Binding Sites Defines Distinct Functions for Caenorhabditis elegans PHA-4/FOXA in Development and Environmental Response

PubMed Central

Zhong, Mei; Niu, Wei; Lu, Zhi John; Sarov, Mihail; Murray, John I.; Janette, Judith; Raha, Debasish; Sheaffer, Karyn L.; Lam, Hugo Y. K.; Preston, Elicia; Slightham, Cindie; Hillier, LaDeana W.; Brock, Trisha; Agarwal, Ashish; Auerbach, Raymond; Hyman, Anthony A.; Gerstein, Mark; Mango, Susan E.; Kim, Stuart K.; Waterston, Robert H.; Reinke, Valerie; Snyder, Michael

2010-01-01

Transcription factors are key components of regulatory networks that control development, as well as the response to environmental stimuli. We have established an experimental pipeline in Caenorhabditis elegans that permits global identification of the binding sites for transcription factors using chromatin immunoprecipitation and deep sequencing. We describe and validate this strategy, and apply it to the transcription factor PHA-4, which plays critical roles in organ development and other cellular processes. We identified thousands of binding sites for PHA-4 during formation of the embryonic pharynx, and also found a role for this factor during the starvation response. Many binding sites were found to shift dramatically between embryos and starved larvae, from developmentally regulated genes to genes involved in metabolism. These results indicate distinct roles for this regulator in two different biological processes and demonstrate the versatility of transcription factors in mediating diverse biological roles. PMID:20174564

The Physiology of Adventitious Roots1

PubMed Central

Steffens, Bianka; Rasmussen, Amanda

2016-01-01

Adventitious roots are plant roots that form from any nonroot tissue and are produced both during normal development (crown roots on cereals and nodal roots on strawberry [Fragaria spp.]) and in response to stress conditions, such as flooding, nutrient deprivation, and wounding. They are important economically (for cuttings and food production), ecologically (environmental stress response), and for human existence (food production). To improve sustainable food production under environmentally extreme conditions, it is important to understand the adventitious root development of crops both in normal and stressed conditions. Therefore, understanding the regulation and physiology of adventitious root formation is critical for breeding programs. Recent work shows that different adventitious root types are regulated differently, and here, we propose clear definitions of these classes. We use three case studies to summarize the physiology of adventitious root development in response to flooding (case study 1), nutrient deficiency (case study 2), and wounding (case study 3). PMID:26697895

Disaster response and grassroots environmental advocacy: the example of the World Trade Center Community Labor Coalition.

PubMed

Newman, David M

2008-01-01

The tragic events of 9/11/01 and thereafter produced the worst environmental disaster in the history of New York City. Exposure to World Trade Center-derived toxic contaminants at Ground Zero and throughout Lower Manhattan has produced clinically diagnosed persistent respiratory and other illnesses in multiple exposure populations, with fatalities beginning to be reported. Government efforts to protect public health and to assess and remediate contaminants have been minimal. In response, a broad and sophisticated grassroots environmental movement has arisen in Lower Manhattan to push for environmental cleanup and for access to health care for impacted populations and communities. This movement unites community, labor, and environmental groups and continues to organize five years after 9/11. This article examines the development of grassroots response efforts, the work of the World Trade Center Community Labor Coalition, and obstacles encountered in coalition-building. Testimony of community and labor activists is provided in the appendix. The context for this article is provided by the companion article that precedes it in this issue of New Solutions. The preceding article examines the scope of the environmental disaster, the statutory requirements that regulate governmental response, and the nature of government response efforts.

30 CFR 282.10 - Jurisdiction and responsibilities of Director.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Jurisdiction and responsibilities of Director. 282.10 Section 282.10 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION, AND ENFORCEMENT... mining operations together with the associated environmental protection measures needed to permit those...

40 CFR 1.47 - Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... waste sites and spills (including oil spills); long-term strategic planning and special studies; economic and long-term environmental analyses; economic impact assessment of RCRA and CERCLA regulations... responsibility for implementing the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Comprehensive...

40 CFR 1.47 - Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... waste sites and spills (including oil spills); long-term strategic planning and special studies; economic and long-term environmental analyses; economic impact assessment of RCRA and CERCLA regulations... responsibility for implementing the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Comprehensive...

Uncertainties in biological responses that influence hazard or risk approaches to the regulation of endocrine active substances

EPA Science Inventory

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) may have delayed or transgenerational effects and display non-monotonic dose response relationships (NMDRs) that require careful consideration when determining environmental hazards. The case studies evaluated for the SETAC Pellston Workshop&...

Transcriptomic insights into phenological development and cold tolerance of wheat grown in the field

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Low temperature (LT) acclimation and winter survival in cereal species is determined by complicated environmentally regulated gene expression. However, studies investigating these complex LT responses are mostly conducted in controlled environments that only consider the responses to single environm...

Regulation of Auxin Homeostasis and Gradients in Arabidopsis Roots through the Formation of the Indole-3-Acetic Acid Catabolite 2-Oxindole-3-Acetic Acid[C][W][OPEN

PubMed Central

Pěnčík, Aleš; Simonovik, Biljana; Petersson, Sara V.; Henyková, Eva; Simon, Sibu; Greenham, Kathleen; Zhang, Yi; Kowalczyk, Mariusz; Estelle, Mark; Zažímalová, Eva; Novák, Ondřej; Sandberg, Göran; Ljung, Karin

2013-01-01

The native auxin, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), is a major regulator of plant growth and development. Its nonuniform distribution between cells and tissues underlies the spatiotemporal coordination of many developmental events and responses to environmental stimuli. The regulation of auxin gradients and the formation of auxin maxima/minima most likely involve the regulation of both metabolic and transport processes. In this article, we have demonstrated that 2-oxindole-3-acetic acid (oxIAA) is a major primary IAA catabolite formed in Arabidopsis thaliana root tissues. OxIAA had little biological activity and was formed rapidly and irreversibly in response to increases in auxin levels. We further showed that there is cell type–specific regulation of oxIAA levels in the Arabidopsis root apex. We propose that oxIAA is an important element in the regulation of output from auxin gradients and, therefore, in the regulation of auxin homeostasis and response mechanisms. PMID:24163311

Reportable Quantities Federal Register Notices

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act regulation designates specific substances as hazardous; identifies the quantity of substances which, when released, requires notification; and sets forth the notification requirements.

Activation of YUCCA5 by the Transcription Factor TCP4 Integrates Developmental and Environmental Signals to Promote Hypocotyl Elongation in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Challa, Krishna Reddy; Aggarwal, Pooja; Nath, Utpal

2016-09-05

Cell expansion is an essential process in plant morphogenesis and is regulated by the coordinated action of environmental stimuli and endogenous factors, such as the phytohormones auxin and brassinosteroid. Although the biosynthetic pathways that generate these hormones and their downstream signaling mechanisms have been extensively studied, the upstream transcriptional network that modulates their levels and connects their action to cell morphogenesis is less clear. Here we show that the miR319-regulated TCP (TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1, CYCLODEA, PROLIFERATING CELL FACTORS) transcription factors, notably TCP4, directly activate YUCCA5 transcription and integrate the auxin response to a brassinosteroid-dependent molecular circuit that promotes cell elongation in Arabidopsis hypocotyls. Further, TCP4 modulates the common transcriptional network downstream to auxin-BR signaling, which is also triggered by environmental cues, such as light, to promote cell expansion. Our study links TCP function with the hormone response during cell morphogenesis and shows that developmental and environmental signals converge on a common transcriptional network to promote cell elongation. {copyright, serif} 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

Hazardous waste management system--Environmental Protection Agency. Notice of regulatory reform actions; request for comments.

PubMed

1982-12-13

In response to Executive Order 12291 and the President's Task Force on Regulatory Relief, the Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing and reassessing the hazardous waste regulations developed under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). A variety of activities are underway that will simplify procedures and reduce paperwork, modify existing regulations to make them more workable and cost effective, and control new wastes and new processes. The purpose of this notice is to inform the public of these activities and invite comments on the general approaches being taken.

Just who is at risk? The ethics of environmental regulation.

PubMed

Simon, Ted

2011-08-01

The willingness to view risk as part of daily life has vanished. A risk-averse mindset among environmental regulators engenders confusion between the ethics of intention and the ethics of consequence, leading to the elevation of the precautionary principle with unintended and often unfortunate outcomes. Environmental risk assessment is conservative, but the actual level of conservatism cannot be determined. High-end exposure assumptions and current toxicity criteria from the USEPA, based on linear extrapolation for carcinogens and default uncertainty factors for systemic toxicants, obscure the degree of conservatism in risk assessments. Ideally, one could choose a percentile of the target population to include within environmental standards, but this choice is complicated by the food, pharmaceutical and advertising industries, whose activities, inadvertent or not, often promote maladaptive and unhealthy lifestyle choices. There has lately been much discussion about background exposures and disease processes and their potential to increase the risk from environmental chemicals. Should these background exposures or disease processes, especially those associated with maladaptive individual choices, be included as part of a regulatory risk evaluation? A significant ethical question is whether environmental regulation should protect those pursuing a self-destructive lifestyle that may add to or synergize with otherwise innocuous environmental exposures. Choosing a target percentile of protection would provide an increased level of transparency and the flexibility to choose a higher or lower percentile if such a choice is warranted. Transparency and flexibility will lead to more responsive environmental regulation that balances protection of public health and the stewardship of societal resources.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase hog1 in the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana regulates environmental stress responses and virulence to insects.

PubMed

Zhang, Yongjun; Zhao, Jianhua; Fang, Weiguo; Zhang, Jianqing; Luo, Zhibing; Zhang, Mi; Fan, Yanhua; Pei, Yan

2009-06-01

Beauveria bassiana is an economically important insect-pathogenic fungus which is widely used as a biocontrol agent to control a variety of insect pests. However, its insecticide efficacy in the field is often influenced by adverse environmental factors. Thus, understanding the genetic regulatory processes involved in the response to environmental stress would facilitate engineering and production of a more efficient biocontrol agent. Here, a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-encoding gene, Bbhog1, was isolated from B. bassiana and shown to encode a functional homolog of yeast HIGH-OSMOLARITY GLYCEROL 1 (HOG1). A Bbhog1 null mutation was generated in B. bassiana by targeted gene replacement, and the resulting mutants were more sensitive to hyperosmotic stress, high temperature, and oxidative stress than the wild-type controls. These results demonstrate the conserved function of HOG1 MAPKs in the regulation of abiotic stress responses. Interestingly, DeltaBbhog1 mutants exhibited greatly reduced pathogenicity, most likely due to a decrease in spore viability, a reduced ability to attach to insect cuticle, and a reduction in appressorium formation. The transcript levels of two hydrophobin-encoding genes, hyd1 and hyd2, were dramatically decreased in a DeltaBbhog1 mutant, suggesting that Bbhog1 may regulate the expression of the gene associated with hydrophobicity or adherence.

Navigating public health chemicals policy in Australia: a policy maker's and practitioner's guide.

PubMed

Capon, Adam; Smith, Wayne; Gillespie, James A

2013-03-01

Chemicals are ubiquitous in everyday life. Environmental health practitioners rely on a complex web of regulators and policy bodies to ensure the protection of public health, yet few understand the full extent of this web. A lack of understanding can hamper public health response and impede policy development. In this paper we map the public health chemicals policy landscape in Australia and conclude that an understanding of this system is essential for effective environmental health responses and policy development.

Environmental projects. Volume 5, part 1: Study of subsurface contamination. Part 2: Guide to implement environmental compliance programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bengelsdorf, I.

1988-01-01

In support of the national goal for the preservation of the environment and the protection of human health and safety, NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex have adopted the position that their operating installations shall maintain a high level of compliance in regard to regulations concerning environmental hazards. An investigation carried out by Engineering Science, Inc. focused on possible underground contamination that may have resulted from leaks and/or spills from storage facilities at the Goldstone Communications Complex. It also involved the cleanup of a non-hazardous waste dumpsite at the Mojave Base Site at the Goldstone complex. The report also includes details of the management duties and responsibilities needed to maintain compliance with environmental laws and regulations.

Answers to the Most Frequently Asked Questions about Reinspections under the AHERA Asbestos-In-Schools Rule.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. Office of Toxic Substances.

This document was prepared in response to inquiries that have been received by the Environmental Protection Agency concerning the reinspection requirements and related provisions of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) regulations. The answers developed represent the Agency's responses to the 15 most frequently asked questions to…

Technology diffusion and environmental regulation: Evidence from electric power plants under the Clean Air Act

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frey, Elaine F.

Even though environmental policy can greatly affect the path of technology diffusion, the economics literature contains limited empirical evidence of this relationship. My research will contribute to the available evidence by providing insight into the technology adoption decisions of electric generating firms. Since policies are often evaluated based on the incentives they provide to promote adoption of new technologies, it is important that policy makers understand the relationship between technological diffusion and regulation structure to make informed decisions. Lessons learned from this study can be used to guide future policies such as those directed to mitigate climate change. I first explore the diffusion of scrubbers, a sulfur dioxide (SO 2) abatement technology, in response to federal market-based regulations and state command-and-control regulations. I develop a simple theoretical model to describe the adoption decisions of scrubbers and use a survival model to empirically test the theoretical model. I find that power plants with strict command-and-control regulations have a high probability of installing a scrubber. These findings suggest that although market-based regulations have encouraged diffusion, many scrubbers have been installed because of state regulatory pressure. Although tradable permit systems are thought to give firms more flexibility in choosing abatement technologies, I show that interactions between a permit system and pre-existing command-and-control regulations can limit that flexibility. In a separate analysis, I explore the diffusion of combined cycle (CC) generating units, which are natural gas-fired generating units that are cleaner and more efficient than alternative generating units. I model the decision to consider adoption of a CC generating unit and the extent to which the technology is adopted in response to environmental regulations imposed on new sources of pollutants. To accomplish this, I use a zero-inflated Poisson model and focus on both the decision to adopt a CC unit at an existing power plant as well as the firm-level decision to adopt a CC unit in either a new or an existing power plant. Evidence from this empirical investigation shows that environmental regulation has a significant effect on both the decision to consider adoption as well as the extent of adoption.

Master environmental plan for Fort Devens, Massachusetts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Biang, C.A.; Peters, R.W.; Pearl, R.H.

Argonne National Laboratory has prepared a master environmental plan (MEP) for Fort Devens, Massachusetts, for the US Army Toxic and Hazardous Materials Agency. The MEP is an assessment based on environmental laws and regulations of both the federal government and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The MEP assess the physical and environmental status of 58 potential hazardous waste sites, including 54 study areas (SAs) that pose a potential for releasing contamination into the environment and 4 areas of concern (AOCs) that are known to have substantial contamination. For each SA or AOC, this MEP describes the known history and environment, identifiesmore » additional data needs, and proposes possible response actions. Most recommended response actions consist of environmental sampling and monitoring and other characterization studies. 74 refs., 63 figs., 50 tabs.« less

22 CFR 161.6 - Responsibilities of departmental officials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (NEPA) NEPA and Departmental Decisionmaking § 161.6... implementation of these regulations; in providing advice on major issues, policies and procedures relating to the... is responsible with the Office of Environment and Health in the Bureau of Oceans and International...

22 CFR 161.6 - Responsibilities of departmental officials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (NEPA) NEPA and Departmental Decisionmaking § 161.6... implementation of these regulations; in providing advice on major issues, policies and procedures relating to the... is responsible with the Office of Environment and Health in the Bureau of Oceans and International...

Calendar year 2002 annual site environmental report for Tonopah Test Range, Nevada and Kauai Test Facility, Hawaii.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wagner, Katrina; Sanchez, Rebecca V.; Mayeux, Lucie

2003-09-01

Tonopah Test Range (TTR) in Nevada and Kauai Test Facility (KTF) in Hawaii are government-owned, contractor-operated facilities operated by Sandia Corporation, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), through the Sandia Site Office (SSO), in Albuquerque, NM, oversees TTR and KTF's operations. Sandia Corporation conducts operations at TTR in support of DOE/NNSA's Weapons Ordnance Program and has operated the site since 1957. Westinghouse Government Services subcontracts to Sandia Corporation in administering most of the environmental programs at TTR. Sandia Corporation operates KTF as a rocket preparation launching and tracking facility.more » This Annual Site Environmental Report (ASER) summarizes data and the compliance status of the environmental protection and monitoring program at TTR and KTF through Calendar Year (CY) 2002. The compliance status of environmental regulations applicable at these sites include state and federal regulations governing air emissions, wastewater effluent, waste management, terrestrial surveillance, and Environmental Restoration (ER) cleanup activities. Sandia Corporation is responsible only for those environmental program activities related to its operations. The DOE/NNSA, Nevada Site Office (NSO) retains responsibility for the cleanup and management of ER TTR sites. Currently, there are no ER Sites at KTF. Environmental monitoring and surveillance programs are required by DOE Order 5400.1, General Environmental Protection Program (DOE 1990) and DOE Order 231.1, Environment, Safety, and Health Reporting (DOE 1996).« less

Genetic variation of transgenerational plasticity of offspring germination in response to salinity stress and the seed transcriptome of Medicago truncatula.

PubMed

Vu, Wendy T; Chang, Peter L; Moriuchi, Ken S; Friesen, Maren L

2015-04-01

Transgenerational plasticity provides phenotypic variation that contributes to adaptation. For plants, the timing of seed germination is critical for offspring survival in stressful environments, as germination timing can alter the environmental conditions a seedling experiences. Stored seed transcripts are important determinants of seed germination, but have not previously been linked with transgenerational plasticity of germination behavior. In this study we used RNAseq and growth chamber experiments of the model legume M. trucantula to test whether parental exposure to salinity stress influences the expression of stored seed transcripts and early offspring traits and test for genetic variation. We detected genotype-dependent parental environmental effects (transgenerational plasticity) on the expression levels of stored seed transcripts, seed size, and germination behavior of four M. truncatula genotypes. More than 50% of the transcripts detected in the mature, ungerminated seed transcriptome were annotated as regulating seed germination, some of which are involved in abiotic stress response and post-embryonic development. Some genotypes showed increased seed size in response to parental exposure to salinity stress, but no parental environmental influence on germination timing. In contrast, other genotypes showed no seed size differences across contrasting parental conditions but displayed transgenerational plasticity for germimation timing, with significantly delayed germination in saline conditions when parental plants were exposed to salinity. In genotypes that show significant transgenerational plastic germination response, we found significant coexpression networks derived from salt responsive transcripts involved in post-transcriptional regulation of the germination pathway. Consistent with the delayed germination response to saline conditions in these genotypes, we found genes associated with dormancy and up-regulation of abscisic acid (ABA). Our results demonstrate genetic variation in transgenerational plasticity within M. truncatula and show that parental exposure to salinity stress influences the expression of stored seed transcripts, seed weight, and germination behavior. Furthermore, we show that the parental environment influences gene expression to modulate biological pathways that are likely responsible for offspring germination responses to salinity stress.

The expression of Longus type 4 pilus of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli is regulated by LngR and LngS and by H-NS, CpxR and CRP global regulators.

PubMed

De la Cruz, Miguel A; Ruiz-Tagle, Alejandro; Ares, Miguel A; Pacheco, Sabino; Yáñez, Jorge A; Cedillo, Lilia; Torres, Javier; Girón, Jorge A

2017-05-01

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli produces a long type 4 pilus called Longus. The regulatory elements and the environmental signals controlling the expression of Longus-encoding genes are unknown. We identified two genes lngR and lngS in the Longus operon, whose predicted products share homology with transcriptional regulators. Isogenic lngR and lngS mutants were considerably affected in transcription of lngA pilin gene. The expression of lngA, lngR and lngS genes was optimally expressed at 37°C at pH 7.5. The presence of glucose and sodium chloride had a positive effect on Longus expression. The presence of divalent ions, particularly calcium, appears to be an important stimulus for Longus production. In addition, we studied H-NS, CpxR and CRP global regulators, on Longus expression. The response regulator CpxR appears to function as a positive regulator of lng genes as the cpxR mutant showed reduced levels of lngRSA expression. In contrast, H-NS and CRP function as negative regulators since expression of lngA was up-regulated in isogenic hns and crp mutants. H-NS and CRP were required for salt- and glucose-mediated regulation of Longus. Our data suggest the existence of a complex regulatory network controlling Longus expression, involving both local and global regulators in response to different environmental signals. © 2016 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Cell Cycle Regulators Guide Mitochondrial Activity in Radiation-Induced Adaptive Response

PubMed Central

Alexandrou, Aris T.

2014-01-01

Abstract Significance: There are accruing concerns on potential genotoxic agents present in the environment including low-dose ionizing radiation (LDIR) that naturally exists on earth's surface and atmosphere and is frequently used in medical diagnosis and nuclear industry. Although its long-term health risk is being evaluated and remains controversial, LDIR is shown to induce temporary but significant adaptive responses in mammalian cells and animals. The mechanisms guiding the mitochondrial function in LDIR-induced adaptive response represent a unique communication between DNA damage and cellular metabolism. Elucidation of the LDIR-regulated mitochondrial activity may reveal new mechanisms adjusting cellular function to cope with hazardous environmental stress. Recent Advances: Key cell cycle regulators, including Cyclin D1/CDK4 and Cyclin B1/cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) complexes, are actively involved in the regulation of mitochondrial functions via phosphorylation of their mitochondrial targets. Accumulating new evidence supports a concept that the Cyclin B1/CDK1 complex acts as a mediator in the cross talk between radiation-induced DNA damage and mitochondrial functions to coordinate cellular responses to low-level genotoxic stresses. Critical Issues: The LDIR-mediated mitochondrial activity via Cyclin B1/CDK1 regulation is an irreplaceable network that is able to harmonize vital cellular functions with adjusted mitochondrial metabolism to enhance cellular homeostasis. Future Directions: Further investigation of the coordinative mechanism that regulates mitochondrial activities in sublethal stress conditions, including LDIR, will reveal new insights of how cells cope with genotoxic injury and will be vital for future targeted therapeutic interventions that reduce environmental injury and cancer risk. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 20, 1463–1480. PMID:24180340

Hazmat storage requires a zero-risk attitude

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roer, M.

It does not matter whether a company accumulates, transports, treats, stores or disposes hazardous chemicals--it is held responsible by the Environmental Protection Agency for environmental damage caused by leaks and spills. As a result, facilities must take sufficient precautions to minimize damage and avoid liability under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, applicable state statute, Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations, and Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements. A facility may accumulate hazardous waste onsite--without a permit or having interim status--for 90 days or less, or up to 120 days with an extension. However, certain conditions must bemore » met. Companies can determine their specific storage requirements in accordance with federal regulations and local requirements. To help these companies, various laboratories have developed procedures for examining, testing, listing and labeling hazardous materials storage lockers. A pre-examination service and accompanying approval label should provide generators and authorities with an increased level of confidence when selecting storage containment systems.« less

The role of transcriptome resilience in resistance of corals to bleaching.

PubMed

Seneca, Francois O; Palumbi, Stephen R

2015-04-01

Wild populations increasingly experience extreme conditions as climate change amplifies environmental variability. How individuals respond to environmental extremes determines the impact of climate change overall. The variability of response from individual to individual can represent the opportunity for natural selection to occur as a result of extreme conditions. Here, we experimentally replicated the natural exposure to extreme temperatures of the reef lagoon at Ofu Island (American Samoa), where corals can experience severe heat stress during midday low tide. We investigated the bleaching and transcriptome response of 20 Acropora hyacinthus colonies 5 and 20 h after exposure to control (29 °C) or heated (35 °C) conditions. We found a highly dynamic transcriptome response: 27% of the coral transcriptome was significantly regulated 1 h postheat exposure. Yet 15 h later, when heat-induced coral bleaching became apparent, only 12% of the transcriptome was differentially regulated. A large proportion of responsive genes at the first time point returned to control levels, others remained differentially expressed over time, while an entirely different subset of genes was successively regulated at the second time point. However, a noteworthy variability in gene expression was observed among individual coral colonies. Among the genes of which expression lingered over time, fast return to normal levels was associated with low bleaching. Colonies that maintained higher expression levels of these genes bleached severely. Return to normal levels of gene expression after stress has been termed transcriptome resilience, and in the case of some specific genes may signal the physiological health and response ability of individuals to environmental stress. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Understanding developmental and adaptive cues in pine through metabolite profiling and co-expression network analysis

PubMed Central

Cañas, Rafael A.; Canales, Javier; Muñoz-Hernández, Carmen; Granados, Jose M.; Ávila, Concepción; García-Martín, María L.; Cánovas, Francisco M.

2015-01-01

Conifers include long-lived evergreen trees of great economic and ecological importance, including pines and spruces. During their long lives conifers must respond to seasonal environmental changes, adapt to unpredictable environmental stresses, and co-ordinate their adaptive adjustments with internal developmental programmes. To gain insights into these responses, we examined metabolite and transcriptomic profiles of needles from naturally growing 25-year-old maritime pine (Pinus pinaster L. Aiton) trees over a year. The effect of environmental parameters such as temperature and rain on needle development were studied. Our results show that seasonal changes in the metabolite profiles were mainly affected by the needles’ age and acclimation for winter, but changes in transcript profiles were mainly dependent on climatic factors. The relative abundance of most transcripts correlated well with temperature, particularly for genes involved in photosynthesis or winter acclimation. Gene network analysis revealed relationships between 14 co-expressed gene modules and development and adaptation to environmental stimuli. Novel Myb transcription factors were identified as candidate regulators during needle development. Our systems-based analysis provides integrated data of the seasonal regulation of maritime pine growth, opening new perspectives for understanding the complex regulatory mechanisms underlying conifers’ adaptive responses. Taken together, our results suggest that the environment regulates the transcriptome for fine tuning of the metabolome during development. PMID:25873654

Glutaredoxins in plant development, abiotic stress response, and iron homeostasis: From model organisms to crops

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Plant growth, development, and response to environmental stress require the judicious balance of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Glutaredoxins (GRXs) are a group of oxidoreductases that participate in the control of ROS and are traditionally defined as redox regulators. New studies suggest the member...

Epigenetic regulation of serotype expression antagonizes transcriptome dynamics in Paramecium tetraurelia.

PubMed

Cheaib, Miriam; Dehghani Amirabad, Azim; Nordström, Karl J V; Schulz, Marcel H; Simon, Martin

2015-08-01

Phenotypic variation of a single genotype is achieved by alterations in gene expression patterns. Regulation of such alterations depends on their time scale, where short-time adaptations differ from permanently established gene expression patterns maintained by epigenetic mechanisms. In the ciliate Paramecium, serotypes were described for an epigenetically controlled gene expression pattern of an individual multigene family. Paradoxically, individual serotypes can be triggered in Paramecium by alternating environments but are then stabilized by epigenetic mechanisms, thus raising the question to which extend their expression follows environmental stimuli. To characterize environmental adaptation in the context of epigenetically controlled serotype expression, we used RNA-seq to characterize transcriptomes of serotype pure cultures. The resulting vegetative transcriptome resource is first analysed for genes involved in the adaptive response to the altered environment. Secondly, we identified groups of genes that do not follow the adaptive response but show co-regulation with the epigenetically controlled serotype system, suggesting that their gene expression pattern becomes manifested by similar mechanisms. In our experimental set-up, serotype expression and the entire group of co-regulated genes were stable among environmental changes and only heat-shock genes altered expression of these gene groups. The data suggest that the maintenance of these gene expression patterns in a lineage represents epigenetically controlled robustness counteracting short-time adaptation processes. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Kazusa DNA Research Institute.

Federal environmental and occupational toxicology regulations and reporting requirements: a practical approach to what the medical toxicologist needs to know, part 1.

PubMed

Schwartz, Michael D; Dell'Aglio, Damon M; Nickle, Richard; Hornsby-Myers, Jennifer

2014-09-01

Toxicologists are often called upon to assist in environmental, industrial, occupational and public health assessments. Accordingly, medical toxicologists may find it prudent to be aware of applicable federal toxicological regulations and reporting requirements and of the roles of relevant federal agencies. These regulations are numerous, complex, and have evolved and expanded over time, making it difficult for toxicologists to sustain a current knowledge base. This article reviews the pertinent federal toxicological reporting requirements with regard to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Atomic Energy Act (AEA), the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA), the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Department of Transportation, and information about the National Response Center. We reference internet-based government resources and offer direct links to applicable websites in an attempt to offer rapid and current sources of practical information. The format of the article is a series of hypothetical scenarios followed by commentary. Discussions of the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act are beyond the scope of this paper. For those desiring a more in-depth discussion of the relevant federal environmental laws and statutes and applicable case law, the reader is directed to resources such as the Environmental Law Handbook, the websites of individual laws found at www.epa.gov and the decisions of individual courts of appeal. It is our hope that this article provides not only useful practical information for the practicing toxicologist but also serves as a key reference for medical toxicology core content on environmental laws and regulations.

Federal environmental and occupational toxicology regulations and reporting requirements: a practical approach to what the medical toxicologist needs to know, part 2.

PubMed

Schwartz, Michael D; Dell'Aglio, Damon M; Nickle, Richard; Hornsby-Myers, Jennifer

2014-12-01

Toxicologists are often called upon to assist in environmental, industrial, occupational and public health assessments. Accordingly, medical toxicologists may find it prudent to be aware of applicable federal toxicological regulations and reporting requirements and of the roles of relevant federal agencies. These regulations are numerous, complex, and have evolved and expanded over time, making it difficult for toxicologists to sustain a current knowledge base. This article reviews the pertinent federal toxicological reporting requirements with regards to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Atomic Energy Act (AEA), the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA), the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Department of Transportation, and information about the National Response Center. We reference internet-based government resources and offer direct links to applicable websites in an attempt to offer rapid and current sources of practical information. The format of the article is a series of hypothetical scenarios followed by commentary. Discussions of the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act are beyond the scope of this paper. For those desiring a more in depth discussion of the relevant federal environmental laws and statutes, and applicable case law, the reader is directed to resources such as the Environmental Law Handbook, the websites of individual laws found at www.epa.gov and the decisions of individual courts of appeal. It is our hope that this article provides not only useful practical information for the practicing toxicologist, but also serves as a key reference for Medical Toxicology core content on environmental laws and regulations.

Environmental Statistics and Optimal Regulation

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Any organism is embedded in an environment that changes over time. The timescale for and statistics of environmental change, the precision with which the organism can detect its environment, and the costs and benefits of particular protein expression levels all will affect the suitability of different strategies–such as constitutive expression or graded response–for regulating protein levels in response to environmental inputs. We propose a general framework–here specifically applied to the enzymatic regulation of metabolism in response to changing concentrations of a basic nutrient–to predict the optimal regulatory strategy given the statistics of fluctuations in the environment and measurement apparatus, respectively, and the costs associated with enzyme production. We use this framework to address three fundamental questions: (i) when a cell should prefer thresholding to a graded response; (ii) when there is a fitness advantage to implementing a Bayesian decision rule; and (iii) when retaining memory of the past provides a selective advantage. We specifically find that: (i) relative convexity of enzyme expression cost and benefit influences the fitness of thresholding or graded responses; (ii) intermediate levels of measurement uncertainty call for a sophisticated Bayesian decision rule; and (iii) in dynamic contexts, intermediate levels of uncertainty call for retaining memory of the past. Statistical properties of the environment, such as variability and correlation times, set optimal biochemical parameters, such as thresholds and decay rates in signaling pathways. Our framework provides a theoretical basis for interpreting molecular signal processing algorithms and a classification scheme that organizes known regulatory strategies and may help conceptualize heretofore unknown ones. PMID:25254493

Differential Regulation of c-di-GMP Metabolic Enzymes by Environmental Signals Modulates Biofilm Formation in Yersinia pestis.

PubMed

Ren, Gai-Xian; Fan, Sai; Guo, Xiao-Peng; Chen, Shiyun; Sun, Yi-Cheng

2016-01-01

Cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) is essential for Yersinia pestis biofilm formation, which is important for flea-borne blockage-dependent plague transmission. Two diguanylate cyclases (DGCs), HmsT and HmsD and one phosphodiesterase (PDE), HmsP are responsible for the synthesis and degradation of c-di-GMP in Y. pestis. Here, we systematically analyzed the effect of various environmental signals on regulation of the biofilm phenotype, the c-di-GMP levels, and expression of HmsT, HmsD, and HmsP in Y. pestis. Biofilm formation was higher in the presence of non-lethal high concentration of CaCl2, MgCl2, CuSO4, sucrose, sodium dodecyl sulfate, or dithiothreitol, and was lower in the presence of FeCl2 or NaCl. In addition, we found that HmsD plays a major role in biofilm formation in acidic or redox environments. These environmental signals differentially regulated expression of HmsT, HmsP and HmsD, resulting in changes in the intracellular levels of c-di-GMP in Y. pestis. Our results suggest that bacteria can sense various environmental signals, and differentially regulate activity of DGCs and PDEs to coordinately regulate and adapt metabolism of c-di-GMP and biofilm formation to changing environments.

Tell it to a child! A brain stimulation study of the role of left inferior frontal gyrus in emotion regulation during storytelling.

PubMed

Urgesi, Cosimo; Mattiassi, Alan D A; Buiatti, Tania; Marini, Andrea

2016-08-01

In everyday life we need to continuously regulate our emotional responses according to their social context. Strategies of emotion regulation allow individuals to control time, intensity, nature and expression of emotional responses to environmental stimuli. The left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG) is involved in the cognitive control of the selection of semantic content. We hypothesized that it might also be involved in the regulation of emotional feelings and expressions. We applied continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) over LIFG or a control site before a newly-developed ecological regulation task that required participants to produce storytelling of pictures with negative or neutral valence to either a peer (unregulated condition) or a child (regulated condition). Linguistic, expressive, and physiological responses were analyzed in order to assess the effects of LIFG-cTBS on emotion regulation. Results showed that the emotion regulation context modulated the emotional content of narrative productions, but not the physiologic orienting response or the early expressive behavior to negative stimuli. Furthermore, LIFG-cTBS disrupted the text-level structuring of negative picture storytelling and the early cardiac and muscular response to negative pictures; however, it did not affect the contextual emotional regulation of storytelling. These results may suggest that LIFG is involved in the initial detection of the affective arousal of emotional stimuli. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

NASA's Principal Center for Review of Clean Air Act Regulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark-Ingram, Marceia

2003-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was selected as the Principal Center for review of Clean Air Act (CAA) regulations. The CAA Principal Center is tasked to: 1) Provide centralized support to NASA/HDQ Code JE for the management and leadership of NASA's CAA regulation review process; 2) Identify potential impact from proposed CAA regulations to NASA program hardware and supporting facilities. The Shuttle Environmental Assurance Initiative, one of the responsibilities of the NASA CAA Working Group (WG), is described in part of this viewgraph presentation.

Light-dependent governance of cell shape dimensions in cyanobacteria.

PubMed

Montgomery, Beronda L

2015-01-01

The regulation of cellular dimension is important for the function and survival of cells. Cellular dimensions, such as size and shape, are regulated throughout the life cycle of bacteria and can be adapted in response to environmental changes to fine-tune cellular fitness. Cell size and shape are generally coordinated with cell growth and division. Cytoskeletal regulation of cell shape and cell wall biosynthesis and/or deposition occurs in a range of organisms. Photosynthetic organisms, such as cyanobacteria, particularly exhibit light-dependent regulation of morphogenes and generation of reactive oxygen species and other signals that can impact cellular dimensions. Environmental signals initiate adjustments of cellular dimensions, which may be vitally important for optimizing resource acquisition and utilization or for coupling the cellular dimensions with the regulation of subcellular organization to maintain optimal metabolism. Although the involvement of cytoskeletal components in the regulation of cell shape is widely accepted, the signaling factors that regulate cytoskeletal and other distinct components involved in cell shape control, particularly in response to changes in external light cues, remain to be fully elucidated. In this review, factors impacting the inter-coordination of growth and division, the relationship between the regulation of cellular dimensions and central carbon metabolism, and consideration of the effects of specific environment signals, primarily light, on cell dimensions in cyanobacteria will be discussed. Current knowledge about the molecular bases of the light-dependent regulation of cellular dimensions and cell shape in cyanobacteria will be highlighted.

Calendar year 2003 : annual site enviromental report for Tonopah Test Range, Nevada and Kauai Test Facility, Hawaii.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wagner, Katrina; Sanchez, Rebecca V.; Mayeux, Lucie

2004-09-01

Tonopah Test Range (TTR) in Nevada and Kauai Test Facility (KTF) in Hawaii are government-owned, contractor-operated facilities operated by Sandia Corporation, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), through the Sandia Site Office (SSO), in Albuquerque, NM, manages TTR and KTF's operations. Sandia Corporation conducts operations at TTR in support of DOE/NNSA's Weapons Ordnance Program and has operated the site since 1957. Westinghouse Government Services subcontracts to Sandia Corporation in administering most of the environmental programs at TTR. Sandia Corporation operates KTF as a rocket preparation launching and tracking facility.more » This Annual Site Environmental Report (ASER) summarizes data and the compliance status of the environmental protection and monitoring program at TTR and KTF through Calendar Year (CY) 2003. The compliance status of environmental regulations applicable at these sites include state and federal regulations governing air emissions, wastewater effluent, waste management, terrestrial surveillance, and Environmental Restoration (ER) cleanup activities. Sandia Corporation is responsible only for those environmental program activities related to its operations. The DOE/NNSA, Nevada Site Office (NSO) retains responsibility for the cleanup and management of ER TTR sites. Currently, there are no ER Sites at KTF. Environmental monitoring and surveillance programs are required by DOE Order 450.1, Environmental Protection Program (DOE 2003) and DOE Order 231.1 Chg 2., Environment, Safety, and Health Reporting (DOE 1996).« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Agogino, Karen; Sanchez, Rebecca

Tonopah Test Range (TTR) in Nevada and Kauai Test Facility (KTF) in Hawaii are government-owned, contractor-operated facilities operated by Sandia Corporation (Sandia), a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)/National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), through the Sandia Site Offi ce (SSO), in Albuquerque, NM, administers the contract and oversees contractor operations at TTR and KTF. Sandia manages and conducts operations at TTR in support of the DOE/NNSA’s Weapons Ordnance Program and has operated the site since 1957. Washington Group International subcontracts to Sandia in administering most of the environmental programs at TTR. Sandia operatesmore » KTF as a rocket preparation launching and tracking facility. This Annual Site Environmental Report (ASER) summarizes data and the compliance status of the environmental protection and monitoring program at TTR and KTF through Calendar Year (CY) 2007. The compliance status of environmental regulations applicable at these sites include state and federal regulations governing air emissions, wastewater effluent, waste management, terrestrial surveillance, and Environmental Restoration (ER) cleanup activities. Sandia is responsible only for those environmental program activities related to its operations. The DOE/NNSA/Nevada Site Offi ce (NSO) retains responsibility for the cleanup and management of ER TTR sites. Currently, there are no ER Sites at KTF. Environmental monitoring and surveillance programs are required by DOE Order 450.1, Environmental Protection Program (DOE 2007a) and DOE Manual 231.1-1A, Environment, Safety, and Health Reporting Manual (DOE 2007).« less

Metabolic-flux dependent regulation of microbial physiology.

PubMed

Litsios, Athanasios; Ortega, Álvaro D; Wit, Ernst C; Heinemann, Matthias

2018-04-01

According to the most prevalent notion, changes in cellular physiology primarily occur in response to altered environmental conditions. Yet, recent studies have shown that changes in metabolic fluxes can also trigger phenotypic changes even when environmental conditions are unchanged. This suggests that cells have mechanisms in place to assess the magnitude of metabolic fluxes, that is, the rate of metabolic reactions, and use this information to regulate their physiology. In this review, we describe recent evidence for metabolic flux-sensing and flux-dependent regulation. Furthermore, we discuss how such sensing and regulation can be mechanistically achieved and present a set of new candidates for flux-signaling metabolites. Similar to metabolic-flux sensing, we argue that cells can also sense protein translation flux. Finally, we elaborate on the advantages that flux-based regulation can confer to cells. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Dauer-specific dendrite arborization in C. elegans is regulated by KPC-1/Furin.

PubMed

Schroeder, Nathan E; Androwski, Rebecca J; Rashid, Alina; Lee, Harksun; Lee, Junho; Barr, Maureen M

2013-08-19

Dendrites often display remarkably complex and diverse morphologies that are influenced by developmental and environmental cues. Neuroplasticity in response to adverse environmental conditions entails both hypertrophy and resorption of dendrites. How dendrites rapidly alter morphology in response to unfavorable environmental conditions is unclear. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans enters into a stress-resistant dauer larval stage in response to an adverse environment. Here we show that the IL2 bipolar sensory neurons undergo dendrite arborization and axon remodeling during dauer development. When dauer larvae are returned to favorable environmental conditions, animals resume reproductive development and IL2 dendritic branches retract, leaving behind remnant branches in postdauer L4 and adult animals. The C. elegans furin homolog KPC-1 is required for dauer IL2 dendritic arborization and dauer-specific nictation behavior. KPC-1 is also necessary for dendritic arborization of PVD and FLP sensory neurons. In mammals, furin is essential, ubiquitously expressed, and associated with numerous pathologies, including neurodegenerative diseases. While broadly expressed in C. elegans neurons and epithelia, KPC-1 acts cell autonomously in IL2 neurons to regulate dauer-specific dendritic arborization and nictation. Neuroplasticity of the C. elegans IL2 sensory neurons provides a paradigm to study stress-induced and reversible dendritic branching, and the role of environmental and developmental cues in this process. The newly discovered role of KPC-1 in dendrite morphogenesis provides insight into the function of proprotein convertases in nervous system development. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Future Oil Spills and Possibilities for Intervention: A Model for the Coupled Human-Environmental Resource Extraction System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shughrue, C. M.; Werner, B.; Nugnug, P. T.

2010-12-01

The catastrophic Deepwater Horizon oil spill highlights the risks for widespread environmental damage resulting from petroleum resource extraction. Possibilities for amelioration of these risks depend critically on understanding the dynamics and nonlinear interactions between various components of the coupled human-environmental resource extraction system. We use a complexity analysis to identify the levels of description and time scales at which these interactions are strongest, and then use the analysis as the basis for an agent-based numerical model with which decadal trends can be analyzed. Oil industry economic and technological activity and associated oil spills are components of a complex system that is coupled to natural environment, legislation, regulation, media, and resistance systems over annual to decadal time scales. In the model, oil spills are produced stochastically with a range of magnitudes depending on a reliability-engineering-based assessment of failure for the technology employed, human factors including compliance with operating procedures, and risks associated with the drilling environment. Oil industry agents determine drilling location and technological investment using a cost-benefit analysis relating projected revenue from added production to technology cost and government regulation. Media outlet agents reporting on the oil industry and environmental damage from oil spills assess the impacts of aggressively covering a story on circulation increases, advertiser concerns and potential loss of information sources. Environmental advocacy group agents increase public awareness of environmental damage (through media and public contact), solicit memberships and donations, and apply direct pressure on legislators for policy change. Heterogeneous general public agents adjust their desire for change in the level of regulation, contact their representatives or participate in resistance via protest by considering media sources, personal experiences with oil spills and individual predispositions toward the industry. Legislator agents pass legislation and influence regulator agents based on interaction with oil industry, media and general public agents. Regulator agents generate and enforce regulations by responding to pressure from legislator and oil industry agents. Oil spill impacts on the natural environment are related to number and magnitude of spills, drilling locations, and spill response methodology, determined collaboratively by government and oil company agents. Agents at the corporate and government levels use heterogeneous prediction models combined with a constant absolute risk aversion utility for wealth. This model simulates a nonlinear adaptive system with mechanisms to self-regulate oil industry activity, environmental damage and public response. A comparison of model output with historical oil industry development and environmental damage; the sensitivity of oil spill damage to economic, political and social factors; the potential for the emergence of new and possibly unstable behaviors; and opportunities for intervening in system dynamics to alter expected outcomes will be discussed. Supported by NSF: Geomorphology and Land Use Dynamics Program

Nitric Oxide Regulates Protein Methylation during Stress Responses in Plants.

PubMed

Hu, Jiliang; Yang, Huanjie; Mu, Jinye; Lu, Tiancong; Peng, Juli; Deng, Xian; Kong, Zhaosheng; Bao, Shilai; Cao, Xiaofeng; Zuo, Jianru

2017-08-17

Methylation and nitric oxide (NO)-based S-nitrosylation are highly conserved protein posttranslational modifications that regulate diverse biological processes. In higher eukaryotes, PRMT5 catalyzes Arg symmetric dimethylation, including key components of the spliceosome. The Arabidopsis prmt5 mutant shows severe developmental defects and impaired stress responses. However, little is known about the mechanisms regulating the PRMT5 activity. Here, we report that NO positively regulates the PRMT5 activity through S-nitrosylation at Cys-125 during stress responses. In prmt5-1 plants, a PRMT5 C125S transgene, carrying a non-nitrosylatable mutation at Cys-125, fully rescues the developmental defects, but not the stress hypersensitive phenotype and the responsiveness to NO during stress responses. Moreover, the salt-induced Arg symmetric dimethylation is abolished in PRMT5 C125S /prmt5-1 plants, correlated to aberrant splicing of pre-mRNA derived from a stress-related gene. These findings define a mechanism by which plants transduce stress-triggered NO signal to protein methylation machinery through S-nitrosylation of PRMT5 in response to environmental alterations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transcriptional Control in Marine Copiotrophic and Oligotrophic Bacteria with Streamlined Genomes.

PubMed

Cottrell, Matthew T; Kirchman, David L

2016-10-01

Bacteria often respond to environmental stimuli using transcriptional control, but this may not be the case for marine bacteria such as "Candidatus Pelagibacter ubique," a cultivated representative of the SAR11 clade, the most abundant organism in the ocean. This bacterium has a small, streamlined genome and an unusually low number of transcriptional regulators, suggesting that transcriptional control is low in Pelagibacter and limits its response to environmental conditions. Transcriptome sequencing during batch culture growth revealed that only 0.1% of protein-encoding genes appear to be under transcriptional control in Pelagibacter and in another oligotroph (SAR92) whereas >10% of genes were under transcriptional control in the copiotrophs Polaribacter sp. strain MED152 and Ruegeria pomeroyi When growth levels changed, transcript levels remained steady in Pelagibacter and SAR92 but shifted in MED152 and R. pomeroyi Transcript abundances per cell, determined using an internal RNA sequencing standard, were low (<1 transcript per cell) for all but a few of the most highly transcribed genes in all four taxa, and there was no correlation between transcript abundances per cell and shifts in the levels of transcription. These results suggest that low transcriptional control contributes to the success of Pelagibacter and possibly other oligotrophic microbes that dominate microbial communities in the oceans. Diverse heterotrophic bacteria drive biogeochemical cycling in the ocean. The most abundant types of marine bacteria are oligotrophs with small, streamlined genomes. The metabolic controls that regulate the response of oligotrophic bacteria to environmental conditions remain unclear. Our results reveal that transcriptional control is lower in marine oligotrophic bacteria than in marine copiotrophic bacteria. Although responses of bacteria to environmental conditions are commonly regulated at the level of transcription, metabolism in the most abundant bacteria in the ocean appears to be regulated by other mechanisms. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Regulation of Caenorhabditis elegans vitellogenesis by DAF-2/IIS through separable transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Evolutionary theories of aging propose that longevity evolves as a competition between reproduction and somatic maintenance for a finite pool of resources. Reproduction is thought to shorten lifespan by depleting resources from processes promoting somatic maintenance. Maternal yolk production, vitellogenesis, represents a significant maternal cost for reproduction and is suppressed under genetic and environmental conditions that extend lifespan. However, little is known about the pathways regulating vitellogenesis in response to prolongevity cues. Results In order to identify mechanisms that suppress vitellogenesis under prolongevity conditions, we studied factors regulating vitellogenesis in C. elegans nematodes. In C. elegans, vitellogenesis is depressed in the absence of insulin-like signaling (IIS). We found that the C. elegans daf-2/IIS pathway regulates vitellogenesis through two mechanisms. vit-2 transcript levels in daf-2 mutants were indirectly regulated through a germline-dependent signal, and could be rescued by introduction of daf-2(+) sperm. However, yolk protein (YP) levels in daf-2 mutants were also regulated by germline-independent posttranscriptional mechanisms. Conclusions C. elegans vitellogenesis is regulated transcriptionally and posttranscriptionally in response to environmental and reproductive cues. The daf-2 pathway suppressed vitellogenesis through transcriptional mechanisms reflecting reproductive phenotypes, as well as distinct posttranscriptional mechanisms. This study reveals that pleiotropic effects of IIS pathway mutations can converge on a common downstream target, vitellogenesis, as a mechanism to modulate longevity. PMID:21749693

Financial responsibilities under RCRA. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Commerce, Transportation, and Tourism of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, Ninety-Ninth Congress, First Session on H. R. 3692, November 13, 1985

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1986-01-01

Representatives of environmental organizations, the Hazardous Waste Treatment Council, and regulators were among those testifying at a hearing on H.R. 3692, which amends the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976. The bill is in response to concerns that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not compiled with the intent of RCRA in its failure to move beyond interim permits to issue final permits to land disposal facilities accepting hazardous wastes. Reported leakage and environmental risks from sites operating under interim permits raises questions about how disposal companies could deal with liability claims. At issue was whether Congress needsmore » to take new action to develop regulations under which financially responsible companies can operate or whether new EPA rules can solve the problem. A spokesman for EPA reviewed the liability insurance problem and the status of the insurance market in this context. Material submitted for the record follows the text of H.R. 3692 and the testimony of 11 witnesses.« less

Epigenetic Regulation in Plant Responses to the Environment

PubMed Central

Baulcombe, David C.; Dean, Caroline

2014-01-01

In this article, we review environmentally mediated epigenetic regulation in plants using two case histories. One of these, vernalization, mediates adaptation of plants to different environments and it exemplifies processes that are reset in each generation. The other, virus-induced silencing, involves transgenerationally inherited epigenetic modifications. Heritable epigenetic marks may result in heritable phenotypic variation, influencing fitness, and so be subject to natural selection. However, unlike genetic inheritance, the epigenetic modifications show instability and are influenced by the environment. These two case histories are then compared with other phenomena in plant biology that are likely to represent epigenetic regulation in response to the environment. PMID:25183832

General Aspects of Two-Component Regulatory Circuits in Bacteria: Domains, Signals and Roles.

PubMed

Padilla-Vaca, Felipe; Mondragón-Jaimes, Verónica; Franco, Bernardo

2017-01-01

All living organisms are subject to changing environments, which must be sensed in order to respond swiftly and efficiently. Two-component systems (TCS) are signal transduction regulatory circuits based typically on a membrane bound sensor kinase and a cytoplasmic response regulator, that is activated through a histidine to aspartate phosphorelay reactions. Activated response regulator acts usually as a transcription factor. The best known examples were identified in bacteria, but they are also found in fungi, algae and plants. Thus far, they are not found in mammals. Regulatory circuits coupled to two-component systems exhibit a myriad of responses to environmental stimuli such as: redox potential, pH, specific metabolites, pressure, light and more recently to specific antimicrobial peptides that activate a sensor kinase responsible for expressing virulence factors through the active response regulator. In this review we explore general aspects on two-component systems that ultimately can play a role on virulence regulation, also the intriguing domain properties of the sensor kinases that can be a potential target for antimicrobial compounds. Only a handful of sensor kinases are extensively characterized, the vast majority belong to what we call 'the dark matter of bacterial signal transduction' since no known signal, structure and biochemical properties are available. Regulatory circuits from vertebrate pathogenic organisms can explain virulence in terms of either response to environmental factors or specific niche occupancy. Hopefully, knowledge on these signal transduction systems can lead to identify novel molecules that target two-component systems, since the increase of drug resistant microorganisms is worrisome. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Regulation of Stomatal Defense by Air Relative Humidity.

PubMed

Panchal, Shweta; Chitrakar, Reejana; Thompson, Blaine K; Obulareddy, Nisita; Roy, Debanjana; Hambright, W Sealy; Melotto, Maeli

2016-11-01

It has long been observed that environmental conditions play crucial roles in modulating immunity and disease in plants and animals. For instance, many bacterial plant disease outbreaks occur after periods of high humidity and rain. A critical step in bacterial infection is entry into the plant interior through wounds and natural openings, such as stomata, which are adjustable microscopic pores in the epidermal tissue. Several studies have shown that stomatal closure is an integral part of the plant immune response to reduce pathogen invasion. In this study, we found that high humidity can effectively compromise Pseudomonas syringae-triggered stomatal closure in both Phaseolus vulgaris and Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), which is accompanied by early up-regulation of the jasmonic acid (JA) pathway and simultaneous down-regulation of salicylic acid (SA) pathway in guard cells. Furthermore, SA-dependent response, but not JA-dependent response, is faster in guard cells than in whole leaves, suggesting that the SA signaling in guard cells may be independent from other cell types. Thus, we conclude that high humidity, a well-known disease-promoting environmental condition, acts in part by suppressing stomatal defense and is linked to hormone signaling in guard cells. © 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

ReOpt[trademark] V2.0 user guide

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

White, M K; Bryant, J L

1992-10-01

Cleaning up the large number of contaminated waste sites at Department of Energy (DOE) facilities in the US presents a large and complex problem. Each waste site poses a singular set of circumstances (different contaminants, environmental concerns, and regulations) that affect selection of an appropriate response. Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) developed ReOpt to provide information about the remedial action technologies that are currently available. It is an easy-to-use personal computer program and database that contains data about these remedial technologies and auxiliary data about contaminants and regulations. ReOpt will enable engineers and planners involved in environmental restoration efforts to quicklymore » identify potentially applicable environmental restoration technologies and access corresponding information required to select cleanup activities for DOE sites.« less

Application of the ELOHA Framework to Regulated Rivers in the Upper Tennessee River Basin: A Case Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McManamay, Ryan A; Orth, Dr. Donald J; Dolloff, Dr. Charles A

2013-01-01

In order for habitat restoration in regulated rivers to be effective at large scales, broadly applicable frameworks are needed that provide measurable objectives and contexts for management. The Ecological Limits of Hydrologic Alteration (ELOHA) framework was created as a template to assess hydrologic alterations, develop relationships between altered streamflow and ecology, and establish environmental flow standards. We tested the utility of ELOHA in informing flow restoration applications for fish and riparian communities in regulated rivers in the Upper Tennessee River Basin (UTRB). We followed the steps of ELOHA to generate flow alteration-ecological response relationships and then determined whether those relationshipsmore » could predict fish and riparian responses to flow restoration in the Cheoah River, a regulated system within the UTRB. Although ELOHA provided a robust template to construct hydrologic information and predict hydrology for ungaged locations, our results do not support the assertion that over-generalized univariate relationships between flow and ecology can produce results sufficient to guide management in regulated rivers. After constructing multivariate models, we successfully developed predictive relationships between flow alterations and fish/riparian responses. In accordance with model predictions, riparian encroachment displayed consistent decreases with increases in flow magnitude in the Cheoah River; however, fish richness did not increase as predicted four years post- restoration. Our results suggest that altered temperature and substrate and the current disturbance regime may have reduced opportunities for fish species colonization. Our case study highlights the need for interdisciplinary science in defining environmental flows for regulated rivers and the need for adaptive management approaches once flows are restored.« less

Hormonal interactions and gene regulation can link monoecy and environmental plasticity to the evolution of dioecy in plants.

PubMed

Golenberg, Edward M; West, Nicholas W

2013-06-01

Most models for dioecy in flowering plants assume that dioecy arises directly from hermaphroditism through a series of independent feminizing and masculinizing mutations that become chromosomally linked. However, dioecy appears to evolve most frequently through monoecious grades. The major genetic models do not explain the evolution of unisexual flowers in monoecious and submonoecious populations, nor do they account for environmentally induced sexual plasticity. In this review, we explore the roles of environmental stress and hormones on sex determination, and propose a model that can explain the evolution of dioecy through monoecy, and the mechanisms of environmental sex determination. Environmental stresses elicit hormones that allow plants to mediate the negative effects of the stresses. Many of these same hormones are involved in the regulation of floral developmental genes. Recent studies have elucidated the mechanisms whereby these hormones interact and can act as switchpoints in regulatory pathways. Consequently, differential concentrations of plant hormones can regulate whole developmental pathways, providing a mechanism for differential development within isogenic individuals such as seen in monoecious plants. Sex-determining genes in such systems will evolve to generate clusters of coexpressed suites. Coexpression rather than coinheritance of gender-specific genes will define the sexual developmental fate. Therefore, selection for gender type will drive evolution of the regulatory sequences of such genes rather than their synteny. Subsequent mutations to hyper- or hyposensitive alleles within the hormone response pathway can result in segregating dioecious populations. Simultaneously, such developmental systems will remain sensitive to external stimuli that modify hormone responses.

Central circuitries for body temperature regulation and fever.

PubMed

Nakamura, Kazuhiro

2011-11-01

Body temperature regulation is a fundamental homeostatic function that is governed by the central nervous system in homeothermic animals, including humans. The central thermoregulatory system also functions for host defense from invading pathogens by elevating body core temperature, a response known as fever. Thermoregulation and fever involve a variety of involuntary effector responses, and this review summarizes the current understandings of the central circuitry mechanisms that underlie nonshivering thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue, shivering thermogenesis in skeletal muscles, thermoregulatory cardiac regulation, heat-loss regulation through cutaneous vasomotion, and ACTH release. To defend thermal homeostasis from environmental thermal challenges, feedforward thermosensory information on environmental temperature sensed by skin thermoreceptors ascends through the spinal cord and lateral parabrachial nucleus to the preoptic area (POA). The POA also receives feedback signals from local thermosensitive neurons, as well as pyrogenic signals of prostaglandin E(2) produced in response to infection. These afferent signals are integrated and affect the activity of GABAergic inhibitory projection neurons descending from the POA to the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) or to the rostral medullary raphe region (rMR). Attenuation of the descending inhibition by cooling or pyrogenic signals leads to disinhibition of thermogenic neurons in the DMH and sympathetic and somatic premotor neurons in the rMR, which then drive spinal motor output mechanisms to elicit thermogenesis, tachycardia, and cutaneous vasoconstriction. Warming signals enhance the descending inhibition from the POA to inhibit the motor outputs, resulting in cutaneous vasodilation and inhibited thermogenesis. This central thermoregulatory mechanism also functions for metabolic regulation and stress-induced hyperthermia.

Transcriptional regulation of PIN genes by FOUR LIPS and MYB88 during Arabidopsis root gravitropism.

PubMed

Wang, Hong-Zhe; Yang, Ke-Zhen; Zou, Jun-Jie; Zhu, Ling-Ling; Xie, Zi Dian; Morita, Miyo Terao; Tasaka, Masao; Friml, Jiří; Grotewold, Erich; Beeckman, Tom; Vanneste, Steffen; Sack, Fred; Le, Jie

2015-11-18

PIN proteins are auxin export carriers that direct intercellular auxin flow and in turn regulate many aspects of plant growth and development including responses to environmental changes. The Arabidopsis R2R3-MYB transcription factor FOUR LIPS (FLP) and its paralogue MYB88 regulate terminal divisions during stomatal development, as well as female reproductive development and stress responses. Here we show that FLP and MYB88 act redundantly but differentially in regulating the transcription of PIN3 and PIN7 in gravity-sensing cells of primary and lateral roots. On the one hand, FLP is involved in responses to gravity stimulation in primary roots, whereas on the other, FLP and MYB88 function complementarily in establishing the gravitropic set-point angles of lateral roots. Our results support a model in which FLP and MYB88 expression specifically determines the temporal-spatial patterns of PIN3 and PIN7 transcription that are closely associated with their preferential functions during root responses to gravity.

The Cryptococcus neoformans Capsule: a Sword and a Shield

PubMed Central

O'Meara, Teresa R.

2012-01-01

Summary: The human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans is characterized by its ability to induce a distinct polysaccharide capsule in response to a number of host-specific environmental stimuli. The induction of capsule is a complex biological process encompassing regulation at multiple steps, including the biosynthesis, transport, and maintenance of the polysaccharide at the cell surface. By precisely regulating the composition of its cell surface and secreted polysaccharides, C. neoformans has developed intricate ways to establish chronic infection and dormancy in the human host. The plasticity of the capsule structure in response to various host conditions also underscores the complex relationship between host and parasite. Much of this precise regulation of capsule is achieved through the transcriptional responses of multiple conserved signaling pathways that have been coopted to regulate this C. neoformans-specific virulence-associated phenotype. This review focuses on specific host stimuli that trigger the activation of the signal transduction cascades and on the downstream transcriptional responses that are required for robust encapsulation around the cell. PMID:22763631

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY RESEARCH AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT NEEDS RELATED TO CONCEPTUAL MODEL DEVELOPMENT FOR SUBSURFACE REACTIVE TRANSPORT MODELING OF INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS, RADIONUCLIDES, AND NUTRIENTS

EPA Science Inventory

EPA's Office of Research and Development is responsible to EPA's Office of Solid Waste to provide research and technical support for waste site closures and the development of technical guidance in support of environmental regulations and programmatic policies. ORD is also respo...

Herbicide-related signaling in plants reveals novel insights for herbicide use strategies, environmental risk assessment and global change assessment challenges.

PubMed

Alberto, Diana; Serra, Anne-Antonella; Sulmon, Cécile; Gouesbet, Gwenola; Couée, Ivan

2016-11-01

Herbicide impact is usually assessed as the result of a unilinear mode of action on a specific biochemical target with a typical dose-response dynamics. Recent developments in plant molecular signaling and crosstalk between nutritional, hormonal and environmental stress cues are however revealing a more complex picture of inclusive toxicity. Herbicides induce large-scale metabolic and gene-expression effects that go far beyond the expected consequences of unilinear herbicide-target-damage mechanisms. Moreover, groundbreaking studies have revealed that herbicide action and responses strongly interact with hormone signaling pathways, with numerous regulatory protein-kinases and -phosphatases, with metabolic and circadian clock regulators and with oxidative stress signaling pathways. These interactions are likely to result in mechanisms of adjustment that can determine the level of sensitivity or tolerance to a given herbicide or to a mixture of herbicides depending on the environmental and developmental status of the plant. Such regulations can be described as rheostatic and their importance is discussed in relation with herbicide use strategies, environmental risk assessment and global change assessment challenges. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quantitative Variation in Responses to Root Spatial Constraint within Arabidopsis thaliana[OPEN

PubMed Central

Joseph, Bindu; Lau, Lillian; Kliebenstein, Daniel J.

2015-01-01

Among the myriad of environmental stimuli that plants utilize to regulate growth and development to optimize fitness are signals obtained from various sources in the rhizosphere that give an indication of the nutrient status and volume of media available. These signals include chemical signals from other plants, nutrient signals, and thigmotropic interactions that reveal the presence of obstacles to growth. Little is known about the genetics underlying the response of plants to physical constraints present within the rhizosphere. In this study, we show that there is natural variation among Arabidopsis thaliana accessions in their growth response to physical rhizosphere constraints and competition. We mapped growth quantitative trait loci that regulate a positive response of foliar growth to short physical constraints surrounding the root. This is a highly polygenic trait and, using quantitative validation studies, we showed that natural variation in EARLY FLOWERING3 (ELF3) controls the link between root constraint and altered shoot growth. This provides an entry point to study how root and shoot growth are integrated to respond to environmental stimuli. PMID:26243313

The Yeast Environmental Stress Response Regulates Mutagenesis Induced by Proteotoxic Stress

PubMed Central

Shor, Erika; Fox, Catherine A.; Broach, James R.

2013-01-01

Conditions of chronic stress are associated with genetic instability in many organisms, but the roles of stress responses in mutagenesis have so far been elucidated only in bacteria. Here, we present data demonstrating that the environmental stress response (ESR) in yeast functions in mutagenesis induced by proteotoxic stress. We show that the drug canavanine causes proteotoxic stress, activates the ESR, and induces mutagenesis at several loci in an ESR-dependent manner. Canavanine-induced mutagenesis also involves translesion DNA polymerases Rev1 and Polζ and non-homologous end joining factor Ku. Furthermore, under conditions of chronic sub-lethal canavanine stress, deletions of Rev1, Polζ, and Ku-encoding genes exhibit genetic interactions with ESR mutants indicative of ESR regulating these mutagenic DNA repair processes. Analyses of mutagenesis induced by several different stresses showed that the ESR specifically modulates mutagenesis induced by proteotoxic stress. Together, these results document the first known example of an involvement of a eukaryotic stress response pathway in mutagenesis and have important implications for mechanisms of evolution, carcinogenesis, and emergence of drug-resistant pathogens and chemotherapy-resistant tumors. PMID:23935537

Hanford Environmental Information System (HEIS) Operator`s Manual. Volume 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schreck, R.I.

1991-10-01

The Hanford Environmental Information System (HEIS) is a consolidated set of automated resources that effectively manage the data gathered during environmental monitoring and restoration of the Hanford Site. The HEIS includes an integrated database that provides consistent and current data to all users and promotes sharing of data by the entire user community. This manual describes the facilities available to the operational user who is responsible for data entry, processing, scheduling, reporting, and quality assurance. A companion manual, the HEIS User`s Manual, describes the facilities available-to the scientist, engineer, or manager who uses the system for environmental monitoring, assessment, andmore » restoration planning; and to the regulator who is responsible for reviewing Hanford Site operations against regulatory requirements and guidelines.« less

Prokaryotic 2-component systems and the OmpR/PhoB superfamily.

PubMed

Nguyen, Minh-Phuong; Yoon, Joo-Mi; Cho, Man-Ho; Lee, Sang-Won

2015-11-01

In bacteria, 2-component regulatory systems (TCSs) are the critical information-processing pathways that link stimuli to specific adaptive responses. Signals perceived by membrane sensors, which are generally histidine kinases, are transmitted by response regulators (RRs) to allow cells to cope rapidly and effectively with environmental challenges. Over the past few decades, genes encoding components of TCSs and their responsive proteins have been identified, crystal structures have been described, and signaling mechanisms have been elucidated. Here, we review recent findings and interesting breakthroughs in bacterial TCS research. Furthermore, we discuss structural features, mechanisms of activation and regulation, and cross-regulation of RRs, with a focus on the largest RR family, OmpR/PhoB, to provide a comprehensive overview of these critically important signaling molecules.

A Distributed Chemosensory Circuit for Oxygen Preference in C. elegans

PubMed Central

Chang, Andy J; Chronis, Nikolas; Karow, David S; Marletta, Michael A; Bargmann, Cornelia I

2006-01-01

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has complex, naturally variable behavioral responses to environmental oxygen, food, and other animals. C. elegans detects oxygen through soluble guanylate cyclase homologs (sGCs) and responds to it differently depending on the activity of the neuropeptide receptor NPR-1: npr-1(lf) and naturally isolated npr-1(215F) animals avoid high oxygen and aggregate in the presence of food; npr-1(215V) animals do not. We show here that hyperoxia avoidance integrates food with npr-1 activity through neuromodulation of a distributed oxygen-sensing network. Hyperoxia avoidance is stimulated by sGC-expressing oxygen-sensing neurons, nociceptive neurons, and ADF sensory neurons. In npr-1(215V) animals, the switch from weak aerotaxis on food to strong aerotaxis in its absence requires close regulation of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the ADF neurons; high levels of ADF serotonin promote hyperoxia avoidance. In npr-1(lf) animals, food regulation is masked by increased activity of the oxygen-sensing neurons. Hyperoxia avoidance is also regulated by the neuronal TGF-β homolog DAF-7, a secreted mediator of crowding and stress responses. DAF-7 inhibits serotonin synthesis in ADF, suggesting that ADF serotonin is a convergence point for regulation of hyperoxia avoidance. Coalitions of neurons that promote and repress hyperoxia avoidance generate a subtle and flexible response to environmental oxygen. PMID:16903785

The dilemma of saving water or being cool: What determines the stomatal response under a changing climate?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haghighi, Erfan; Kirchner, James W.; Entekhabi, Dara

2017-04-01

Stomata play a critical role in terrestrial water and carbon cycles, regulating the trade-off between photosynthetic carbon gain and water loss in leaves. They adjust their aperture in response to a number of physiological and environmental factors, yet the mechanisms driving this response, particularly under climate extremes, remain poorly understood. Partial or complete stomatal closure reduces plant water stress under water-limited or high atmospheric evaporative demand conditions, but at the cost of reduced productivity, elevated heat, leaf shedding, and mortality. A proper account of such complex stomatal behavior is of particular importance for current ecosystem models that poorly capture observed vegetation responses in the context of climate change which is predicted to cause more frequent and intense temperature extremes along with an increase in the frequency of drought in many regions in the future. This study seeks to explore stomatal responses to environmental change accounted for by a varying soil-plant resistance under different atmospheric and soil moisture conditions. To this end, we developed a physically based transpiration model that couples stomatal control of leaf gas exchange to the leaf surface energy balance and the entire plant hydraulic system by considering the interdependence of the guard cell water potential (or turgor pressure) and transpiration rates. Model simulations of diurnal variations in transpiration rates were in good agreement with field observations, and facilitated quantitative prediction of stomatal and xylem flow regulation under a wide range of environmental conditions. Preliminary results demonstrate how soil and plant hydraulic conductances regulating stomatal opening and closure can help mitigate climatic water deficit (e.g., at midday) by boosting evaporative cooling. Our results are expected to advance physical understanding of the water cycle in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, and shed light on observed differences in vegetation responses to climate extremes.

Transcriptional regulation of mammalian selenoprotein expression

PubMed Central

Stoytcheva, Zoia R.; Berry, Marla J.

2009-01-01

Background Selenoproteins contain the twenty-first amino acid, selenocysteine, and are involved in cellular defenses against oxidative damage, important metabolic and developmental pathways, and responses to environmental challenges. Elucidating the mechanisms regulating selenoprotein expression at the transcriptional level is key to understanding how these mechanisms are called into play to respond to the changing environment. Methods This review summarizes published studies on transcriptional regulation of selenoprotein genes, focused primarily on genes whose encoded protein functions are at least partially understood. This is followed by in silico analysis of predicted regulatory elements in selenoprotein genes, including those in the aforementioned category as well as the genes whose functions are not known. Results Our findings reveal regulatory pathways common to many selenoprotein genes, including several involved in stress-responses. In addition, tissue-specific regulatory factors are implicated in regulating many selenoprotein genes. Conclusions These studies provide new insights into how selenoprotein genes respond to environmental and other challenges, and the roles these proteins play in allowing cells to adapt to these changes. General Significance Elucidating the regulatory mechanisms affecting selenoprotein expression is essential for understanding their roles in human diseases, and for developing diagnostic and potential therapeutic approaches to address dysregulation of members of this gene family. PMID:19465084

Public Participation Planning of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Regulations: Analysis of Inconsistency for Some Cases in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hindrayani, Aniek; Purwanto

2018-02-01

The failure in community involvement during the environmental documents planning may result in the failure of the planned project implementation. This study aims to determine the gap between practices and regulations that apply to the process of community involvement in the environmental documents planning, and find out inconsistency of implementation on each stakeholder in the planning of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and the environmental permit. The method used was qualitative through interview and literature study which is analyzed using triangulation model and presented in the form of concept map. The results of the study indicate that 1) the determination of community representatives based on the criteria of the impacted communities is not clearly described, 3) suggestions, opinions, and responses to the environmental impact management are not well implemented by the project proponent, 3) implementation of the environmental management of other licensed activities affecting the behavior (4) stakeholders (project proponent, EIA consultants, and EIA appraisal committee) do not play their role as mandated in applicable legislation.

Proteomic and metabolomic analysis on the toxicological effects of As (III) and As (V) in juvenile mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis.

PubMed

Yu, Deliang; Ji, Chenglong; Zhao, Jianmin; Wu, Huifeng

2016-05-01

Inorganic arsenic (As) is a known pollutant including two chemical forms (arsenite (As III) and arsenate (As V)), in marine and coastal environment. Marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis is an important environmental monitoring species around the world. In this study, we focused on valence-specific responses of As in juvenile mussel M. galloprovincialis using a combined proteomic and metabolomic approach. Metabolic responses indicated that As (III) mainly caused disturbance in osmotic regulation in juvenile mussels. As (V) caused disturbances in both osmotic regulation and energy metabolism marked by different metabolic responses, including betaine, taurine, glucose and glycogen. Proteomic responses exhibited that As (III) had a significant negative effect on cytoskeleton and cell structure (actin and collagen alpha-6(VI) chain). As (V) affected some key enzymes involved in energy metabolism (cytosolic malate dehydrogenase, cMDH) and cell development (ornithine aminotransferase and astacin). Overall, all these results confirmed the valence-specific responses in juvenile mussels to As exposures. These findings demonstrate that a combined metabolomic and proteomic approach could provide an important insight into the toxicological effects of environmental pollutants in organisms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The role of the plasma membrane H+-ATPase in plant-microbe interactions.

PubMed

Elmore, James Mitch; Coaker, Gitta

2011-05-01

Plasma membrane (PM) H+-ATPases are the primary pumps responsible for the establishment of cellular membrane potential in plants. In addition to regulating basic aspects of plant cell function, these enzymes contribute to signaling events in response to diverse environmental stimuli. Here, we focus on the roles of the PM H+-ATPase during plant-pathogen interactions. PM H+-ATPases are dynamically regulated during plant immune responses and recent quantitative proteomics studies suggest complex spatial and temporal modulation of PM H+-ATPase activity during early pathogen recognition events. Additional data indicate that PM H+-ATPases cooperate with the plant immune signaling protein RIN4 to regulate stomatal apertures during bacterial invasion of leaf tissue. Furthermore, pathogens have evolved mechanisms to manipulate PM H+-ATPase activity during infection. Thus, these ubiquitous plant enzymes contribute to plant immune responses and are targeted by pathogens to increase plant susceptibility.

Hormonal Regulation of Fluid and Electrolytes: Effects of Heat Exposure and Exercise in the Heat,

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-02-01

F.N. Craig. Effect of potassium depletion on response to acute heat exposure in unacclimatized man. Am. J. % Physi. 211:117-124, 1966.% 22 . Cochrane...AD-RI92 655 HORMONAL REGULATION OF FLUID AND ELECTROLYTES: EFFECTS 1/ OF HEAT EXPOSURE A.. CU) ARMY RESEARCH INST OF ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE NATICK MA...61102A______________________ MI6102BSI CA DA114 11. TITLE (Include Security Classification) Hormnal Regulation of Fluid and Electrolytes: Effects of

Massive Analysis of Rice Small RNAs: Mechanistic Implications of Regulated MicroRNAs and Variants for Differential Target RNA Cleavage[W][OA

PubMed Central

Jeong, Dong-Hoon; Park, Sunhee; Zhai, Jixian; Gurazada, Sai Guna Ranjan; De Paoli, Emanuele; Meyers, Blake C.; Green, Pamela J.

2011-01-01

Small RNAs have a variety of important roles in plant development, stress responses, and other processes. They exert their influence by guiding mRNA cleavage, translational repression, and chromatin modification. To identify previously unknown rice (Oryza sativa) microRNAs (miRNAs) and those regulated by environmental stress, 62 small RNA libraries were constructed from rice plants and used for deep sequencing with Illumina technology. The libraries represent several tissues from control plants and plants subjected to different environmental stress treatments. More than 94 million genome-matched reads were obtained, resulting in more than 16 million distinct small RNA sequences. This allowed an evaluation of ~400 annotated miRNAs with current criteria and the finding that among these, ~150 had small interfering RNA–like characteristics. Seventy-six new miRNAs were found, and miRNAs regulated in response to water stress, nutrient stress, or temperature stress were identified. Among the new examples of miRNA regulation were members of the same miRNA family that were differentially regulated in different organs and had distinct sequences Some of these distinct family members result in differential target cleavage and provide new insight about how an agriculturally important rice phenotype could be regulated in the panicle. This high-resolution analysis of rice miRNAs should be relevant to plant miRNAs in general, particularly in the Poaceae. PMID:22158467

Time to dispense with the rituals. Changing infection control practice.

PubMed

Thomlinson, D

1990-05-01

As hospitals examine their infection control procedures in the light of the COSHH regulations, they have the perfect opportunity to replace unnecessary ritual with sound, cost effective, efficient and environmentally responsible practices.

Waiver of intergovernmental immunity in Federal environmental statutes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Murchison, K.M.

1977-01-01

Congress assigned the Federal government the responsibility for setting substantive environmental quality standards and the states the responsibility for implementing and enforcing those standards in four statutes--the National Environmental Policy Act; the Federal Water Pollution Control Act; Clean Air Act; and the Noise Control Act. In two recent decisions (EPA v. California ex rel. State Water Resources Council Bd., 96 S. Ct. 2022, 1976 and Hancock v. Train, 96 S. Ct. 2006, 1976) the U.S. Supreme Court considered the extent to which Congress intended these environmental statutes to waive Federal immunity from state regulation. This article examines these decisions inmore » light of the doctrine of intergovernmental immunity, the statutes and their legislative histories, and the concept of federalism embodied in the environmental legislation. The article concludes that Congress intended a broad waiver of Federal immunity, but because of two fundamental flaws in the Court's approach it has construed the waiver narrowly. (MCW)« less

Shifts of environmental and phytoplankton variables in a regulated river: A spatial-driven analysis.

PubMed

Sabater-Liesa, Laia; Ginebreda, Antoni; Barceló, Damià

2018-06-18

The longitudinal structure of the environmental and phytoplankton variables was investigated in the Ebro River (NE Spain), which is heavily affected by water abstraction and regulation. A first exploration indicated that the phytoplankton community did not resist the impact of reservoirs and barely recovered downstream of them. The spatial analysis showed that the responses of the phytoplankton and environmental variables were not uniform. The two set of variables revealed spatial variability discontinuities and river fragmentation upstream and downstream from the reservoirs. Reservoirs caused the replacement of spatially heterogeneous habitats by homogeneous spatially distributed water bodies, these new environmental conditions downstream benefiting the opportunist and cosmopolitan algal taxa. The application of a spatial auto-regression model to algal biomass (chlorophyll-a) permitted to capture the relevance and contribution of extra-local influences in the river ecosystem. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

GigA and GigB are Master Regulators of Antibiotic Resistance, Stress Responses, and Virulence in Acinetobacter baumannii

PubMed Central

Shuman, Howard A.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT A critical component of bacterial pathogenesis is the ability of an invading organism to sense and adapt to the harsh environment imposed by the host's immune system. This is especially important for opportunistic pathogens, such as Acinetobacter baumannii, a nutritionally versatile environmental organism that has recently gained attention as a life-threatening human pathogen. The emergence of A. baumannii is closely linked to antibiotic resistance, and many contemporary isolates are multidrug resistant (MDR). Unlike many other MDR pathogens, the molecular mechanisms underlying A. baumannii pathogenesis remain largely unknown. We report here the characterization of two recently identified virulence determinants, GigA and GigB, which comprise a signal transduction pathway required for surviving environmental stresses, causing infection and antibiotic resistance. Through transcriptome analysis, we show that GigA and GigB coordinately regulate the expression of many genes and are required for generating an appropriate transcriptional response during antibiotic exposure. Genetic and biochemical data demonstrate a direct link between GigA and GigB and the nitrogen phosphotransferase system (PTSNtr), establishing a novel connection between a novel stress response module and a well-conserved metabolic-sensing pathway. Based on the results presented here, we propose that GigA and GigB are master regulators of a global stress response in A. baumannii, and coupling this pathway with the PTSNtr allows A. baumannii to integrate cellular metabolic status with external environmental cues. IMPORTANCE Opportunistic pathogens, including Acinetobacter baumannii, encounter many harsh environments during the infection cycle, including antibiotic exposure and the hostile environment within a host. While the development of antibiotic resistance in A. baumannii has been well studied, how this organism senses and responds to environmental cues remain largely unknown. Herein, we investigate two previously identified virulence determinants, GigA and GigB, and report that they are required for in vitro stress resistance, likely comprising upstream elements of a global stress response pathway. Additional experiments identify a connection between GigA/GigB and a widely conserved metabolic-sensing pathway, the nitrogen phosphotransferase system. We propose that coordination of these two pathways allows A. baumannii to respond appropriately to changing environmental conditions, including those encountered during infection. PMID:28264991

GigA and GigB are Master Regulators of Antibiotic Resistance, Stress Responses, and Virulence in Acinetobacter baumannii.

PubMed

Gebhardt, Michael J; Shuman, Howard A

2017-05-15

A critical component of bacterial pathogenesis is the ability of an invading organism to sense and adapt to the harsh environment imposed by the host's immune system. This is especially important for opportunistic pathogens, such as Acinetobacter baumannii , a nutritionally versatile environmental organism that has recently gained attention as a life-threatening human pathogen. The emergence of A. baumannii is closely linked to antibiotic resistance, and many contemporary isolates are multidrug resistant (MDR). Unlike many other MDR pathogens, the molecular mechanisms underlying A. baumannii pathogenesis remain largely unknown. We report here the characterization of two recently identified virulence determinants, GigA and GigB, which comprise a signal transduction pathway required for surviving environmental stresses, causing infection and antibiotic resistance. Through transcriptome analysis, we show that GigA and GigB coordinately regulate the expression of many genes and are required for generating an appropriate transcriptional response during antibiotic exposure. Genetic and biochemical data demonstrate a direct link between GigA and GigB and the nitrogen phosphotransferase system (PTS Ntr ), establishing a novel connection between a novel stress response module and a well-conserved metabolic-sensing pathway. Based on the results presented here, we propose that GigA and GigB are master regulators of a global stress response in A. baumannii , and coupling this pathway with the PTS Ntr allows A. baumannii to integrate cellular metabolic status with external environmental cues. IMPORTANCE Opportunistic pathogens, including Acinetobacter baumannii , encounter many harsh environments during the infection cycle, including antibiotic exposure and the hostile environment within a host. While the development of antibiotic resistance in A. baumannii has been well studied, how this organism senses and responds to environmental cues remain largely unknown. Herein, we investigate two previously identified virulence determinants, GigA and GigB, and report that they are required for in vitro stress resistance, likely comprising upstream elements of a global stress response pathway. Additional experiments identify a connection between GigA/GigB and a widely conserved metabolic-sensing pathway, the nitrogen phosphotransferase system. We propose that coordination of these two pathways allows A. baumannii to respond appropriately to changing environmental conditions, including those encountered during infection. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Negative Regulation of Type 2 Immunity

PubMed Central

de Kouchkovsky, Dimitri A.; Ghosh, Sourav; Rothlin, Carla V.

2017-01-01

Type 2 immunity encompasses the mechanisms through which the immune system responds to helminths and an array of environmental substances such as allergens. In the developing world, billions of individuals are chronically infected with endemic parasitic helminths. In comparison, in the industrialized world, millions of individuals suffer from dysregulated type 2 immunity, referred to clinically as atopic diseases including asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis. Thus, type 2 immunity must be carefully regulated to mount protective host response yet avoid inappropriate activation and immunopathology. In this review, we describe the keys players and connections at play in type 2 responses and focus on the emerging mechanisms involved in the negative regulation of type 2 immunity. PMID:28082101

Small RNAs, big impact: small RNA pathways in transposon control and their effect on the host stress response.

PubMed

Wheeler, Bayly S

2013-12-01

Transposons are mobile genetic elements that are a major constituent of most genomes. Organisms regulate transposable element expression, transposition, and insertion site preference, mitigating the genome instability caused by uncontrolled transposition. A recent burst of research has demonstrated the critical role of small non-coding RNAs in regulating transposition in fungi, plants, and animals. While mechanistically distinct, these pathways work through a conserved paradigm. The presence of a transposon is communicated by the presence of its RNA or by its integration into specific genomic loci. These signals are then translated into small non-coding RNAs that guide epigenetic modifications and gene silencing back to the transposon. In addition to being regulated by the host, transposable elements are themselves capable of influencing host gene expression. Transposon expression is responsive to environmental signals, and many transposons are activated by various cellular stresses. TEs can confer local gene regulation by acting as enhancers and can also confer global gene regulation through their non-coding RNAs. Thus, transposable elements can act as stress-responsive regulators that control host gene expression in cis and trans.

GsERF6, an ethylene-responsive factor from Glycine soja, mediates the regulation of plant bicarbonate tolerance in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Yu, Yang; Liu, Ailin; Duan, Xiangbo; Wang, Sunting; Sun, Xiaoli; Duanmu, Huizi; Zhu, Dan; Chen, Chao; Cao, Lei; Xiao, Jialei; Li, Qiang; Nisa, Zaib Un; Zhu, Yanming; Ding, Xiaodong

2016-09-01

This is an original study focus on ERF gene response to alkaline stress. GsERF6 functions as transcription factor and significantly enhanced plant tolerance to bicarbonate (HCO 3 (-) ) in transgenic Arabidopsis . Alkaline stress is one of the most harmful, but little studied environmental factors, which negatively affects plant growth, development and yield. The cause of alkaline stress is mainly due to the damaging consequence of high concentration of the bicarbonate ion, high-pH, and osmotic shock to plants. The AP2/ERF family genes encode plant-specific transcription factors involved in diverse environmental stresses. However, little is known about their physiological functions, especially in alkaline stress responses. In this study, we functionally characterized a novel ERF subfamily gene, GsERF6 from alkaline-tolerant wild soybean (Glycine soja). In wild soybean, GsERF6 was rapidly induced by NaHCO3 treatment, and its overexpression in Arabidopsis enhanced transgenic plant tolerance to NaHCO3 challenge. Interestingly, GsERF6 transgenic lines also displayed increased tolerance to KHCO3 treatment, but not to high pH stress, implicating that GsERF6 may participate specifically in bicarbonate stress responses. We also found that GsERF6 overexpression up-regulated the transcription levels of bicarbonate-stress-inducible genes such as NADP-ME, H (+)-Ppase and H (+)-ATPase, as well as downstream stress-tolerant genes such as RD29A, COR47 and KINI. GsERF6 overexpression and NaHCO3 stress also altered the expression patterns of plant hormone synthesis and hormone-responsive genes. Conjointly, our results suggested that GsERF6 is a positive regulator of plant alkaline stress by increasing bicarbonate ionic resistance specifically, providing a new insight into the regulation of gene expression under alkaline conditions.

Jasmonic Acid Enhances Al-Induced Root Growth Inhibition1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Yang, Zhong-Bao; Ma, Yanqi

2017-01-01

Phytohormones such as ethylene and auxin are involved in the regulation of the aluminum (Al)-induced root growth inhibition. Although jasmonate (JA) has been reported to play a crucial role in the regulation of root growth and development in response to environmental stresses through interplay with ethylene and auxin, its role in the regulation of root growth response to Al stress is not yet known. In an attempt to elucidate the role of JA, we found that exogenous application of JA enhanced the Al-induced root growth inhibition. Furthermore, phenotype analysis with mutants defective in either JA biosynthesis or signaling suggests that JA is involved in the regulation of Al-induced root growth inhibition. The expression of the JA receptor CORONATINE INSENSITIVE1 (COI1) and the key JA signaling regulator MYC2 was up-regulated in response to Al stress in the root tips. This process together with COI1-mediated Al-induced root growth inhibition under Al stress was controlled by ethylene but not auxin. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that many responsive genes under Al stress were regulated by JA signaling. The differential responsive of microtubule organization-related genes between the wild-type and coi1-2 mutant is consistent with the changed depolymerization of cortical microtubules in coi1 under Al stress. In addition, ALMT-mediated malate exudation and thus Al exclusion from roots in response to Al stress was also regulated by COI1-mediated JA signaling. Together, this study suggests that root growth inhibition is regulated by COI1-mediated JA signaling independent from auxin signaling and provides novel insights into the phytohormone-mediated root growth inhibition in response to Al stress. PMID:27932419

Jasmonic Acid Enhances Al-Induced Root Growth Inhibition.

PubMed

Yang, Zhong-Bao; He, Chunmei; Ma, Yanqi; Herde, Marco; Ding, Zhaojun

2017-02-01

Phytohormones such as ethylene and auxin are involved in the regulation of the aluminum (Al)-induced root growth inhibition. Although jasmonate (JA) has been reported to play a crucial role in the regulation of root growth and development in response to environmental stresses through interplay with ethylene and auxin, its role in the regulation of root growth response to Al stress is not yet known. In an attempt to elucidate the role of JA, we found that exogenous application of JA enhanced the Al-induced root growth inhibition. Furthermore, phenotype analysis with mutants defective in either JA biosynthesis or signaling suggests that JA is involved in the regulation of Al-induced root growth inhibition. The expression of the JA receptor CORONATINE INSENSITIVE1 (COI1) and the key JA signaling regulator MYC2 was up-regulated in response to Al stress in the root tips. This process together with COI1-mediated Al-induced root growth inhibition under Al stress was controlled by ethylene but not auxin. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that many responsive genes under Al stress were regulated by JA signaling. The differential responsive of microtubule organization-related genes between the wild-type and coi1-2 mutant is consistent with the changed depolymerization of cortical microtubules in coi1 under Al stress. In addition, ALMT-mediated malate exudation and thus Al exclusion from roots in response to Al stress was also regulated by COI1-mediated JA signaling. Together, this study suggests that root growth inhibition is regulated by COI1-mediated JA signaling independent from auxin signaling and provides novel insights into the phytohormone-mediated root growth inhibition in response to Al stress. © 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

A Spatio-Temporal Understanding of Growth Regulation during the Salt Stress Response in Arabidopsis[W

PubMed Central

Geng, Yu; Wu, Rui; Wee, Choon Wei; Xie, Fei; Wei, Xueliang; Chan, Penny Mei Yeen; Tham, Cliff; Duan, Lina; Dinneny, José R.

2013-01-01

Plant environmental responses involve dynamic changes in growth and signaling, yet little is understood as to how progress through these events is regulated. Here, we explored the phenotypic and transcriptional events involved in the acclimation of the Arabidopsis thaliana seedling root to a rapid change in salinity. Using live-imaging analysis, we show that growth is dynamically regulated with a period of quiescence followed by recovery then homeostasis. Through the use of a new high-resolution spatio-temporal transcriptional map, we identify the key hormone signaling pathways that regulate specific transcriptional programs, predict their spatial domain of action, and link the activity of these pathways to the regulation of specific phases of growth. We use tissue-specific approaches to suppress the abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathway and demonstrate that ABA likely acts in select tissue layers to regulate spatially localized transcriptional programs and promote growth recovery. Finally, we show that salt also regulates many tissue-specific and time point–specific transcriptional responses that are expected to modify water transport, Casparian strip formation, and protein translation. Together, our data reveal a sophisticated assortment of regulatory programs acting together to coordinate spatially patterned biological changes involved in the immediate and long-term response to a stressful shift in environment. PMID:23898029

A Csr-type regulatory system, including small non-coding RNAs, regulates the global virulence regulator RovA of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis through RovM.

PubMed

Heroven, Ann Kathrin; Böhme, Katja; Rohde, Manfred; Dersch, Petra

2008-06-01

The MarR-type regulator RovA controls expression of virulence genes of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in response to environmental signals. Using a genetic strategy to discover components that influence rovA expression, we identified new regulatory factors with homology to components of the carbon storage regulator system (Csr). We showed that overexpression of a CsrB- or a CsrC-type RNA activates rovA, whereas a CsrA-like protein represses RovA synthesis. We further demonstrate that influence of the Csr system on rovA is indirect and occurs through control of the LysR regulator RovM, which inhibits rovA transcription. The CsrA protein had also a major influence on the motility of Yersinia, which was independent of RovM. The CsrB and CsrC RNAs are differentially expressed in Yersinia. CsrC is highly induced in complex but not in minimal media, indicating that medium-dependent rovM expression is mediated through CsrC. CsrB synthesis is generally very low. However, overexpression of the response regulator UvrY was found to activate CsrB production, which in turn represses CsrC synthesis independent of the growth medium. In summary, the post-transcriptional Csr-type components were shown to be key regulators in the co-ordinated environmental control of physiological processes and virulence factors, which are crucial for the initiation of Yersinia infections.

RpoS differentially affects the general stress response and biofilm formation in the endophytic Serratia plymuthica G3.

PubMed

Liu, Xiaoguang; Wu, Yan; Chen, Yuanyuan; Xu, Fang; Halliday, Nigel; Gao, Kexiang; Chan, Kok Gan; Cámara, Miguel

2016-04-01

The σ(S) subunit RpoS of RNA polymerase functions as a master regulator of the general stress response in Escherichia coli and related bacteria. RpoS has been reported to modulate biocontrol properties in the rhizobacterium Serratia plymuthica IC1270. However, the role of RpoS in the stress response and biofilm formation in S. plymuthica remains largely unknown. Here we studied the role of RpoS from an endophytic S. plymuthica G3 in regulating these phenotypes. Mutational analysis demonstrated that RpoS positively regulates the global stress response to acid or alkaline stresses, oxidative stress, hyperosmolarity, heat shock and carbon starvation, in addition to proteolytic and chitinolytic activities. Interestingly, rpoS mutations resulted in significantly enhanced swimming motility, biofilm formation and production of the plant auxin indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), which may contribute to competitive colonization and environmental fitness for survival. These findings provide further insight into the strain-specific role of RpoS in the endophytic strain G3 of S. plymuthica, where it confers resistance to general stresses encountered within the plant environment. The heterogeneous functionality of RpoS in rhizosphere and endophytic S. plymuthica populations may provide a selective advantage for better adaptation to various physiological and environmental stresses. Copyright © 2015 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

ArcS, the cognate sensor kinase in an atypical Arc system of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1.

PubMed

Lassak, Jürgen; Henche, Anna-Lena; Binnenkade, Lucas; Thormann, Kai M

2010-05-01

The availability of oxygen is a major environmental factor for many microbes, in particular for bacteria such as Shewanella species, which thrive in redox-stratified environments. One of the best-studied systems involved in mediating the response to changes in environmental oxygen levels is the Arc two-component system of Escherichia coli, consisting of the sensor kinase ArcB and the cognate response regulator ArcA. An ArcA ortholog was previously identified in Shewanella, and as in Escherichia coli, Shewanella ArcA is involved in regulating the response to shifts in oxygen levels. Here, we identified the hybrid sensor kinase SO_0577, now designated ArcS, as the previously elusive cognate sensor kinase of the Arc system in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. Phenotypic mutant characterization, transcriptomic analysis, protein-protein interaction, and phosphotransfer studies revealed that the Shewanella Arc system consists of the sensor kinase ArcS, the single phosphotransfer domain protein HptA, and the response regulator ArcA. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that HptA might be a relict of ArcB. Conversely, ArcS is substantially different with respect to overall sequence homologies and domain organizations. Thus, we speculate that ArcS might have adopted the role of ArcB after a loss of the original sensor kinase, perhaps as a consequence of regulatory adaptation to a redox-stratified environment.

Beyond allostatic load: rethinking the role of stress in regulating human development.

PubMed

Ellis, Bruce J; Del Giudice, Marco

2014-02-01

How do exposures to stress affect biobehavioral development and, through it, psychiatric and biomedical disorder? In the health sciences, the allostatic load model provides a widely accepted answer to this question: stress responses, while essential for survival, have negative long-term effects that promote illness. Thus, the benefits of mounting repeated biological responses to threat are traded off against costs to mental and physical health. The adaptive calibration model, an evolutionary-developmental theory of stress-health relations, extends this logic by conceptualizing these trade-offs as decision nodes in allocation of resources. Each decision node influences the next in a chain of resource allocations that become instantiated in the regulatory parameters of stress response systems. Over development, these parameters filter and embed information about key dimensions of environmental stress and support, mediating the organism's openness to environmental inputs, and function to regulate life history strategies to match those dimensions. Drawing on the adaptive calibration model, we propose that consideration of biological fitness trade-offs, as delineated by life history theory, is needed to more fully explain the complex relations between developmental exposures to stress, stress responsivity, behavioral strategies, and health. We conclude that the adaptive calibration model and allostatic load model are only partially complementary and, in some cases, support different approaches to intervention. In the long run, the field may be better served by a model informed by life history theory that addresses the adaptive role of stress response systems in regulating alternative developmental pathways.

Chlorophyll fluorescence analysis revealed essential roles of FtsH 11 protease in regulation of the adaptive responses of photosynthetic systems to high temperature

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background: Photosynthetic systems are known to be sensitive to high temperature stress. To maintain a relatively “normal” level of photosynthetic activities, plants employ a variety of adaptive mechanisms in response to environmental temperature fluctuations. Previously, we reported that the chloro...

Children's Biological Givens, Stress Responses, Language and Cognitive Abilities and Family Background after Entering Kindergarten in Toddlerhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suhonen, Eira; Sajaniemi, Nina K.; Alijoki, Alisa; Nislin, Mari A.

2018-01-01

We aimed to investigate stress response regulation, temperament, cognitive and language abilities and family SES in children who entered kindergarten before two years of age. Whilst childrens stress regulatory systems are vulnerable to environmental influences little is known about how temperament and family characteristics impact on stress…

Environmental Requirements Management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cusack, Laura J.; Bramson, Jeffrey E.; Archuleta, Jose A.

2015-01-08

CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CH2M HILL) is the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) prime contractor responsible for the environmental cleanup of the Hanford Site Central Plateau. As part of this responsibility, the CH2M HILL is faced with the task of complying with thousands of environmental requirements which originate from over 200 federal, state, and local laws and regulations, DOE Orders, waste management and effluent discharge permits, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) response and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) corrective action documents, and official regulatory agency correspondence. The challenge is to manage this vast number ofmore » requirements to ensure they are appropriately and effectively integrated into CH2M HILL operations. Ensuring compliance with a large number of environmental requirements relies on an organization’s ability to identify, evaluate, communicate, and verify those requirements. To ensure that compliance is maintained, all changes need to be tracked. The CH2M HILL identified that the existing system used to manage environmental requirements was difficult to maintain and that improvements should be made to increase functionality. CH2M HILL established an environmental requirements management procedure and tools to assure that all environmental requirements are effectively and efficiently managed. Having a complete and accurate set of environmental requirements applicable to CH2M HILL operations will promote a more efficient approach to: • Communicating requirements • Planning work • Maintaining work controls • Maintaining compliance« less

Filament condition-specific response elements control the expression of NRG1 and UME6, key transcriptional regulators of morphology and virulence in Candida albicans.

PubMed

Childers, Delma S; Kadosh, David

2015-01-01

Candida albicans is the most frequently isolated human fungal pathogen and can cause a range of mucosal and systemic infections in immunocompromised individuals. Morphogenesis, the ability to undergo a reversible transition from budding yeast to elongated filaments, is an essential virulence trait. The yeast-to-filament transition is associated with expression of genes specifically important for filamentation as well as other virulence-related processes, and is controlled, in part, by the key transcriptional regulators Nrg1 and Ume6. Both of these regulators are themselves controlled at the transcriptional level by filament-inducing environmental cues, although little is known about how this process occurs. In order to address this question and determine whether environmental signals regulate transcription of UME6 and NRG1 via distinct and/or common promoter elements, we performed promoter deletion analyses. Strains bearing promoter deletion constructs were induced to form filaments in YEPD plus 10% serum at 37°C, Spider medium (nitrogen and carbon starvation) and/or Lee's medium pH 6.8 (neutral pH) and reporter gene expression was measured. In the NRG1 promoter we identified several distinct condition-specific response elements for YEPD plus 10% serum at 37°C and Spider medium. In the UME6 promoter we also identified response elements for YEPD plus 10% serum at 37°C. While a few of these elements are distinct, others overlap with those which respond to Lee's pH 6.8 medium. Consistent with UME6 possessing a very long 5' UTR, many response elements in the UME6 promoter are located significantly upstream from the coding sequence. Our data indicate that certain distinct condition-specific elements can control expression of C. albicans UME6 and NRG1 in response to key filament-inducing environmental cues. Because C. albicans encounters a variety of host microenvironments during infection, our results suggest that UME6 and NRG1 expression can be differentially modulated by multiple signaling pathways to control filamentation and virulence in vivo.

Fungal and host transcriptome analysis of pH-regulated genes during colonization of apple fruits by Penicillium expansum.

PubMed

Barad, Shiri; Sela, Noa; Kumar, Dilip; Kumar-Dubey, Amit; Glam-Matana, Nofar; Sherman, Amir; Prusky, Dov

2016-05-04

Penicillium expansum is a destructive phytopathogen that causes decay in deciduous fruits during postharvest handling and storage. During colonization the fungus secretes D-gluconic acid (GLA), which modulates environmental pH and regulates mycotoxin accumulation in colonized tissue. Till now no transcriptomic analysis has addressed the specific contribution of the pathogen's pH regulation to the P. expansum colonization process. For this purpose total RNA from the leading edge of P. expansum-colonized apple tissue of cv. 'Golden Delicious' and from fungal cultures grown under pH 4 or 7 were sequenced and their gene expression patterns were compared. We present a large-scale analysis of the transcriptome data of P. expansum and apple response to fungal colonization. The fungal analysis revealed nine different clusters of gene expression patterns that were divided among three major groups in which the colonized tissue showed, respectively: (i) differing transcript expression patterns between mycelial growth at pH 4 and pH 7; (ii) similar transcript expression patterns of mycelial growth at pH 4; and (iii) similar transcript expression patterns of mycelial growth at pH 7. Each group was functionally characterized in order to decipher genes that are important for pH regulation and also for colonization of apple fruits by Penicillium. Furthermore, comparison of gene expression of healthy apple tissue with that of colonized tissue showed that differentially expressed genes revealed up-regulation of the jasmonic acid and mevalonate pathways, and also down-regulation of the glycogen and starch biosynthesis pathways. Overall, we identified important genes and functionalities of P. expansum that were controlled by the environmental pH. Differential expression patterns of genes belonging to the same gene family suggest that genes were selectively activated according to their optimal environmental conditions (pH, in vitro or in vivo) to enable the fungus to cope with varying conditions and to make optimal use of available enzymes. Comparison between the activation of the colonized host's gene responses by alkalizing Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and acidifying P. expansum pathogens indicated similar gene response patterns, but stronger responses to P. expansum, suggesting the importance of acidification by P. expansum as a factor in its increased aggressiveness.

Alternative Splicing Control of Abiotic Stress Responses.

PubMed

Laloum, Tom; Martín, Guiomar; Duque, Paula

2018-02-01

Alternative splicing, which generates multiple transcripts from the same gene, is an important modulator of gene expression that can increase proteome diversity and regulate mRNA levels. In plants, this post-transcriptional mechanism is markedly induced in response to environmental stress, and recent studies have identified alternative splicing events that allow rapid adjustment of the abundance and function of key stress-response components. In agreement, plant mutants defective in splicing factors are severely impaired in their response to abiotic stress. Notably, mounting evidence indicates that alternative splicing regulates stress responses largely by targeting the abscisic acid (ABA) pathway. We review here current understanding of post-transcriptional control of plant stress tolerance via alternative splicing and discuss research challenges for the near future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regulation of T cell receptor complex-mediated signaling by ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like modifications.

PubMed

Friend, Samantha F; Deason-Towne, Francina; Peterson, Lisa K; Berger, Allison J; Dragone, Leonard L

2014-01-01

Post-translational protein modifications are a dynamic method of regulating protein function in response to environmental signals. As with any cellular process, T cell receptor (TCR) complex-mediated signaling is highly regulated, since the strength and duration of TCR-generated signals governs T cell development and activation. While regulation of TCR complex-mediated signaling by phosphorylation has been well studied, regulation by ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like modifiers is still an emerging area of investigation. This review will examine how ubiquitin, E3 ubiquitin ligases, and other ubiquitin-like modifications such as SUMO and NEDD8 regulate TCR complex-mediated signaling.

Regulation of T cell receptor complex-mediated signaling by ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like modifications

PubMed Central

Friend, Samantha F; Deason-Towne, Francina; Peterson, Lisa K; Berger, Allison J; Dragone, Leonard L

2014-01-01

Post-translational protein modifications are a dynamic method of regulating protein function in response to environmental signals. As with any cellular process, T cell receptor (TCR) complex-mediated signaling is highly regulated, since the strength and duration of TCR-generated signals governs T cell development and activation. While regulation of TCR complex-mediated signaling by phosphorylation has been well studied, regulation by ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like modifiers is still an emerging area of investigation. This review will examine how ubiquitin, E3 ubiquitin ligases, and other ubiquitin-like modifications such as SUMO and NEDD8 regulate TCR complex-mediated signaling. PMID:25628960

Expression patterns and promoter analyses of aluminum-responsive NAC genes suggest a possible growth regulation of rice mediated by aluminum, hormones and NAC transcription factors.

PubMed

Escobar-Sepúlveda, Hugo Fernando; Trejo-Téllez, Libia Iris; García-Morales, Soledad; Gómez-Merino, Fernando Carlos

2017-01-01

In acid soils, the solubilized form of aluminum, Al+3, decreases root growth and affects the development of most crops. However, like other toxic elements, Al can have hormetic effects on plant metabolism. Rice (Oryza sativa) is one of the most tolerant species to Al toxicity, and when this element is supplied at low doses, growth stimulation has been observed, which could be due to combined mechanisms that are partly triggered by NAC transcription factors. This protein family can regulate vital processes in plants, including growth, development, and response to environmental stimuli, whether biotic or abiotic. Under our experimental conditions, 200 μM Al stimulated root growth and the formation of tillers; it also caused differential expression of a set of NAC genes. The promoter regions of the genes regulated by Al were analyzed and the cis-acting elements that are potentially involved in the responses to different stimuli, including environmental stress, were identified. Through the Genevestigator platform, data on the expression of NAC genes were obtained by experimental condition, tissue, and vegetative stage. This is the first study on NAC genes where in vivo and in silico data are complementarily analyzed, relating the hormetic effect of Al on plant growth and gene expression with a possible interaction in the response to phytohormones in rice. These findings could help to elucidate the possible convergence between the signaling pathways mediated by phytohormones and the role of the NAC transcription factors in the regulation of growth mediated by low Al doses.

Expression patterns and promoter analyses of aluminum-responsive NAC genes suggest a possible growth regulation of rice mediated by aluminum, hormones and NAC transcription factors

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

In acid soils, the solubilized form of aluminum, Al+3, decreases root growth and affects the development of most crops. However, like other toxic elements, Al can have hormetic effects on plant metabolism. Rice (Oryza sativa) is one of the most tolerant species to Al toxicity, and when this element is supplied at low doses, growth stimulation has been observed, which could be due to combined mechanisms that are partly triggered by NAC transcription factors. This protein family can regulate vital processes in plants, including growth, development, and response to environmental stimuli, whether biotic or abiotic. Under our experimental conditions, 200 μM Al stimulated root growth and the formation of tillers; it also caused differential expression of a set of NAC genes. The promoter regions of the genes regulated by Al were analyzed and the cis-acting elements that are potentially involved in the responses to different stimuli, including environmental stress, were identified. Through the Genevestigator platform, data on the expression of NAC genes were obtained by experimental condition, tissue, and vegetative stage. This is the first study on NAC genes where in vivo and in silico data are complementarily analyzed, relating the hormetic effect of Al on plant growth and gene expression with a possible interaction in the response to phytohormones in rice. These findings could help to elucidate the possible convergence between the signaling pathways mediated by phytohormones and the role of the NAC transcription factors in the regulation of growth mediated by low Al doses. PMID:29023561

7 CFR 372.4 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... as follows: APHIS. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Decisionmaker. The agency official responsible for executing findings of no significant impact in the environmental assessment... Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE...

7 CFR 372.4 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... as follows: APHIS. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Decisionmaker. The agency official responsible for executing findings of no significant impact in the environmental assessment... Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE...

7 CFR 372.4 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... as follows: APHIS. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Decisionmaker. The agency official responsible for executing findings of no significant impact in the environmental assessment... Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE...

7 CFR 372.4 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... as follows: APHIS. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Decisionmaker. The agency official responsible for executing findings of no significant impact in the environmental assessment... Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE...

7 CFR 372.4 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... as follows: APHIS. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Decisionmaker. The agency official responsible for executing findings of no significant impact in the environmental assessment... Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE...

AGCVIII Kinases: at the crossroads of cellular signaling

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

AGCVIII kinases regulate diverse developmental and cellular processes in plants. As putative mediators of secondary messengers, AGCVIII kinases potentially integrate developmental and environmental cues into specific cellular responses through substrate phosphorylation. Here we discuss the functiona...

The Effects of Cold Exposure on Wet Aircraft Passengers: A Review

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-05-01

Gauquelin, G. Hormonal responses adrenal medulla. In Guyton A.C. Textbook ofMedi- to exercise during moderate cold exposure in young cal...The physiological responses to partial wetting and subscqumnt exposure to cold environmental conditions have not been studied. The effects of cold... responses to maintain thermal balance. Body heat balance is one of the most well regulated The preoptic area of the hypothalamus has recep- control

Identification and functional characterization of the pepper CaDRT1 gene involved in the ABA-mediated drought stress response.

PubMed

Baek, Woonhee; Lim, Sohee; Lee, Sung Chul

2016-05-01

Plants are constantly challenged by various environmental stresses, including high salinity and drought, and they have evolved defense mechanisms to counteract the deleterious effects of these stresses. The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) regulates plant growth and developmental processes and mediates abiotic stress responses. Here, we identified the Capsicum annuum DRought Tolerance 1 (CaDRT1) gene from pepper leaves treated with ABA. CaDRT1 was strongly expressed in pepper leaves in response to environmental stresses and after ABA treatment, suggesting that the CaDRT1 protein functions in the abiotic stress response. Knockdown expression of CaDRT1 via virus-induced gene silencing resulted in a high level of drought susceptibility, and this was characterized by increased transpirational water loss via decreased stomatal closure. CaDRT1-overexpressing (OX) Arabidopsis plants exhibited an ABA-hypersensitive phenotype during the germinative, seedling, and adult stages. Additionally, these CaDRT1-OX plants exhibited a drought-tolerant phenotype characterized by low levels of transpirational water loss, high leaf temperatures, increased stomatal closure, and enhanced expression levels of drought-responsive genes. Taken together, our results suggest that CaDRT1 is a positive regulator of the ABA-mediated drought stress response.

Community Environment Response Facilitation Act (CERFA) report, Cameron Station, Alexandria, VA. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

This report presents the results of the Community Environmental Response Facilitation Act (CERFA) Investigation Conducted by Environmental Resources Management (ERM) at Cameron Station, A U.S. Government property selected for closure by the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission. Under CERFA, Federal agencies are required to identify expeditiously real property that can be immediately reused and redeveloped. Satisfying this objective requires the identification of real property where no hazardous substances or petroleum products, regulated by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), were stored for one year or more, known to have been released, or disposed. Cameron Station ismore » 169-acre site located in Alexandria, Virginia. Cameron Station was purchased by the Federal Government at the start of World War II. It has served primarily as a supply and administrative facility. The current mission is to provide support to the Commanding General of the Military District of Washington (MDW). Support functions of environmental significance include vehicle maintenance, print and paintshops, and photographic laboratories.« less

The YvqE two-component system controls biofilm formation and acid production in Streptococcus pyogenes.

PubMed

Isaka, Masanori; Tatsuno, Ichiro; Maeyama, Jun-Ichi; Matsui, Hideyuki; Zhang, Yan; Hasegawa, Tadao

2016-07-01

In Streptococcus pyogenes, proteins involved in determining virulence are controlled by stand-alone response regulators and by two-component regulatory systems. Previous studies reported that, compared to the parental strain, the yvqE sensor knockout strain showed significantly reduced growth and lower virulence. To determine the function of YvqE, we performed biofilm analysis and pH assays on yvqE mutants, and site-directed mutagenesis of YvqE. The yvqE deletion mutant showed a slower acid production rate, indicating that YvqE regulates acid production from sugar fermentation. The mutant strain, in which the Asp(26) residue in YvqE was replaced with Asn, affected biofilm formation, suggesting that this amino acid senses hydrogen ions produced by fermentative sugar metabolism. Signals received by YvqE were directly or indirectly responsible for inducing pilus expression. This study shows that at low environmental pH, biofilm formation in S. pyogenes is mediated by YvqE and suggests that regulation of pilus expression by environmental acidification could be directly under the control of YvqE. © 2016 APMIS. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Density-dependent coral recruitment displays divergent responses during distinct early life-history stages

PubMed Central

Evensen, Nicolas R.; Gómez-Lemos, Luis A.; Babcock, Russell C.

2017-01-01

Population growth involves demographic bottlenecks that regulate recruitment success during various early life-history stages. The success of each early life-history stage can vary in response to population density, interacting with intrinsic (e.g. behavioural) and environmental (e.g. competition, predation) factors. Here, we used the common reef-building coral Acropora millepora to investigate how density-dependence influences larval survival and settlement in laboratory experiments that isolated intrinsic effects, and post-settlement survival in a field experiment that examined interactions with environmental factors. Larval survival was exceptionally high (greater than 80%) and density-independent from 2.5 to 12 days following spawning. By contrast, there was a weak positive effect of larval density on settlement, driven by gregarious behaviour at the highest density. When larval supply was saturated, settlement was three times higher in crevices compared with exposed microhabitats, but a negative relationship between settler density and post-settlement survival in crevices and density-independent survival on exposed surfaces resulted in similar recruit densities just one month following settlement. Moreover, a negative relationship was found between turf algae and settler survival in crevices, whereas gregarious settlement improved settler survival on exposed surfaces. Overall, our findings reveal divergent responses by coral larvae and newly settled recruits to density-dependent regulation, mediated by intrinsic and environmental interactions. PMID:28573015

Community Environmental Response Facilitation Act (CERFA) report, Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1994-04-01

Fort Benjamin Harrison (FBH) has been investigated by Arthur D. Little, Inc. under the Community Environmental Response Facilitation Act (CERFA). FBH is located 12 miles northeast of downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The installation's mission includes administrative and training activities. The objective of CERFA is to expeditiously identify real property offering the greatest opportunity for immediate reuse and redevelopment. This investigation included interviews, visual inspections, and review of existing documents, regulatory records, data bases, and title documents. This information was used to divide the installation into four categories of parcels. CERFA parcels approximately 1,825 acres of the facility have no history ofmore » Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) regulated hazardous substance or petroleum product release, disposal, or storage. CERFA parcels with qualifiers approximately 78 acres had no evidence of such release, disposal, or storage, but contained non-CERCLA hazards, such as asbestos or radon. CERFA disqualified parcels for approximately 399 acres of the investigated areas there is a history of release, disposal, or storage for one year or more of CERCLA-regulated hazardous substances or petroleum products; and CERFA excluded parcels approximately 201 acres have an existing mandate for retention by the federal government or have already been designated for transfer.« less

Epigenetic Regulation of Myeloid Cells

PubMed Central

IVASHKIV, LIONEL B.; PARK, SUNG HO

2017-01-01

Epigenetic regulation in myeloid cells is crucial for cell differentiation and activation in response to developmental and environmental cues. Epigenetic control involves posttranslational modification of DNA or chromatin, and is also coupled to upstream signaling pathways and transcription factors. In this review, we summarize key epigenetic events and how dynamics in the epigenetic landscape of myeloid cells shape the development, immune activation, and innate immune memory. PMID:27337441

Circadian expression profiles of chromatin remodeling factor genes in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Lee, Hong Gil; Lee, Kyounghee; Jang, Kiyoung; Seo, Pil Joon

2015-01-01

The circadian clock is a biological time keeper mechanism that regulates biological rhythms to a period of approximately 24 h. The circadian clock enables organisms to anticipate environmental cycles and coordinates internal cellular physiology with external environmental cues. In plants, correct matching of the clock with the environment confers fitness advantages to plant survival and reproduction. Therefore, circadian clock components are regulated at multiple layers to fine-tune the circadian oscillation. Epigenetic regulation provides an additional layer of circadian control. However, little is known about which chromatin remodeling factors are responsible for circadian control. In this work, we analyzed circadian expression of 109 chromatin remodeling factor genes and identified 17 genes that display circadian oscillation. In addition, we also found that a candidate interacts with a core clock component, supporting that clock activity is regulated in part by chromatin modification. As an initial attempt to elucidate the relationship between chromatin modification and circadian oscillation, we identified novel regulatory candidates that provide a platform for future investigations of chromatin regulation of the circadian clock.

Garan conducts CsPINs Experiment Operations

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-28

ISS027-E-017843 (28 April 2011) --- NASA astronaut Ron Garan, Expedition 27 flight engineer, supports the Dynamism of Auxin Efflux Facilitators responsible for Gravity-regulated Growth and Development in Cucumber (CsPINs) experiment in the Kibo laboratory of the International Space Station. CsPINs studies the phenomenon of tropism, i.e., the growth or turning movement of a biological organism, usually a plant, in response to an environmental stimulus. Specifically focusing on gravity, the new JAXA life science experiment investigates how plants sense gravity as an environmental signal and use it for governing their morphology and growth orientation.

Garan conducts CsPINs Experiment Operations

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-28

ISS027-E-017840 (28 April 2011) --- NASA astronaut Ron Garan, Expedition 27 flight engineer, supports the Dynamism of Auxin Efflux Facilitators responsible for Gravity-regulated Growth and Development in Cucumber (CsPINs) experiment in the Kibo laboratory of the International Space Station. CsPINs studies the phenomenon of tropism, i.e., the growth or turning movement of a biological organism, usually a plant, in response to an environmental stimulus. Specifically focusing on gravity, the new JAXA life science experiment investigates how plants sense gravity as an environmental signal and use it for governing their morphology and growth orientation.

Garan conducts CsPINs Experiment Operations

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-28

ISS027-E-017839 (28 April 2011) --- NASA astronaut Ron Garan, Expedition 27 flight engineer, supports the Dynamism of Auxin Efflux Facilitators responsible for Gravity-regulated Growth and Development in Cucumber (CsPINs) experiment in the Kibo laboratory of the International Space Station. CsPINs studies the phenomenon of tropism, i.e., the growth or turning movement of a biological organism, usually a plant, in response to an environmental stimulus. Specifically focusing on gravity, the new JAXA life science experiment investigates how plants sense gravity as an environmental signal and use it for governing their morphology and growth orientation.

The Drosophila TRPA1 Channel and Neuronal Circuits Controlling Rhythmic Behaviours and Sleep in Response to Environmental Temperature.

PubMed

Roessingh, Sanne; Stanewsky, Ralf

2017-10-03

trpA1 encodes a thermosensitive transient receptor potential channel (TRP channel) that functions in selection of preferred temperatures and noxious heat avoidance. In this review, we discuss the evidence for a role of TRPA1 in the control of rhythmic behaviours in Drosophila melanogaster . Activity levels during the afternoon and rhythmic temperature preference are both regulated by TRPA1. In contrast, TRPA1 is dispensable for temperature synchronisation of circadian clocks. We discuss the neuronal basis of TRPA1-mediated temperature effects on rhythmic behaviours, and conclude that they are mediated by partly overlapping but distinct neuronal circuits. We have previously shown that TRPA1 is required to maintain siesta sleep under warm temperature cycles. Here, we present new data investigating the neuronal circuit responsible for this regulation. First, we discuss the difficulties that remain in identifying the responsible neurons. Second, we discuss the role of clock neurons (s-LNv/DN1 network) in temperature-driven regulation of siesta sleep, and highlight the role of TRPA1 therein. Finally, we discuss the sexual dimorphic nature of siesta sleep and propose that the s-LNv/DN1 clock network could play a role in the integration of environmental information, mating status and other internal drives, to appropriately drive adaptive sleep/wake behaviour.

miRNAs mediate SnRK1-dependent energy signaling in Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Confraria, Ana; Martinho, Cláudia; Elias, Alexandre; Rubio-Somoza, Ignacio; Baena-González, Elena

2013-01-01

The SnRK1 protein kinase, the plant ortholog of mammalian AMPK and yeast Snf1, is activated by the energy depletion caused by adverse environmental conditions. Upon activation, SnRK1 triggers extensive transcriptional changes to restore homeostasis and promote stress tolerance and survival partly through the inhibition of anabolism and the activation of catabolism. Despite the identification of a few bZIP transcription factors as downstream effectors, the mechanisms underlying gene regulation, and in particular gene repression by SnRK1, remain mostly unknown. microRNAs (miRNAs) are 20–24 nt RNAs that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally by driving the cleavage and/or translation attenuation of complementary mRNA targets. In addition to their role in plant development, mounting evidence implicates miRNAs in the response to environmental stress. Given the involvement of miRNAs in stress responses and the fact that some of the SnRK1-regulated genes are miRNA targets, we postulated that miRNAs drive part of the transcriptional reprogramming triggered by SnRK1. By comparing the transcriptional response to energy deprivation between WT and dcl1-9, a mutant deficient in miRNA biogenesis, we identified 831 starvation genes misregulated in the dcl1-9 mutant, out of which 155 are validated or predicted miRNA targets. Functional clustering analysis revealed that the main cellular processes potentially co-regulated by SnRK1 and miRNAs are translation and organelle function and uncover TCP transcription factors as one of the most highly enriched functional clusters. TCP repression during energy deprivation was impaired in miR319 knockdown (MIM319) plants, demonstrating the involvement of miR319 in the stress-dependent regulation of TCPs. Altogether, our data indicates that miRNAs are components of the SnRK1 signaling cascade contributing to the regulation of specific mRNA targets and possibly tuning down particular cellular processes during the stress response. PMID:23802004

Q&A: How do gene regulatory networks control environmental responses in plants?

PubMed

Sun, Ying; Dinneny, José R

2018-04-11

A gene regulatory network (GRN) describes the hierarchical relationship between transcription factors, associated proteins, and their target genes. Studying GRNs allows us to understand how a plant's genotype and environment are integrated to regulate downstream physiological responses. Current efforts in plants have focused on defining the GRNs that regulate functions such as development and stress response and have been performed primarily in genetically tractable model plant species such as Arabidopsis thaliana. Future studies will likely focus on how GRNs function in non-model plants and change over evolutionary time to allow for adaptation to extreme environments. This broader understanding will inform efforts to engineer GRNs to create tailored crop traits.

40 CFR 142.15 - Reports by States.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

....15 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTATION Primary Enforcement Responsibility § 142.15... Administrator, consisting of the following information: (1) New violations by public water systems in the State...

40 CFR 142.15 - Reports by States.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

....15 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTATION Primary Enforcement Responsibility § 142.15... Administrator, consisting of the following information: (1) New violations by public water systems in the State...

40 CFR 142.15 - Reports by States.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

....15 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTATION Primary Enforcement Responsibility § 142.15... Administrator, consisting of the following information: (1) New violations by public water systems in the State...

40 CFR 142.15 - Reports by States.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

....15 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTATION Primary Enforcement Responsibility § 142.15... Administrator, consisting of the following information: (1) New violations by public water systems in the State...

TRIBAL ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH INDICATORS

EPA Science Inventory

Tribal-specific EPHIs are necessary because current U.S. government public health regulations and policies are based on a position that views risks and impacts as objective measures of dose-response assessments and physiological morbidity or mortality outcomes but does not ...

10 CFR 51.124 - Commission duty to comment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Commission duty to comment. 51.124 Section 51.124 Energy... RELATED REGULATORY FUNCTIONS National Environmental Policy Act-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2... 1503.2 and 1503.3. Responsible Official ...

Anticipating Environmental Impacts of Future Fuels

EPA Science Inventory

Automotive fuels are composed of hundreds of compounds and the formulations aren’t uniform; they vary geographically and seasonally and sometimes specifically in response to regulatory requirements. As a result, very few state underground storage tank (UST) regulators know what i...

Emerging Trends in Epigenetic Regulation of Nutrient Deficiency Response in Plants.

PubMed

Sirohi, Gunjan; Pandey, Bipin K; Deveshwar, Priyanka; Giri, Jitender

2016-03-01

Diverse environmental stimuli largely affect the ionic balance of soil, which have a direct effect on growth and crop yield. Details are fast emerging on the genetic/molecular regulators, at whole-genome levels, of plant responses to mineral deficiencies in model and crop plants. These genetic regulators determine the root architecture and physiological adaptations for better uptake and utilization of minerals from soil. Recent evidence also shows the potential roles of epigenetic mechanisms in gene regulation, driven by minerals imbalance. Mineral deficiency or sufficiency leads to developmental plasticity in plants for adaptation, which is preceded by a change in the pattern of gene expression. Notably, such changes at molecular levels are also influenced by altered chromatin structure and methylation patterns, or involvement of other epigenetic components. Interestingly, many of the changes induced by mineral deficiency are also inheritable in the form of epigenetic memory. Unravelling these mechanisms in response to mineral deficiency would further advance our understanding of this complex plant response. Further studies on such approaches may serve as an exciting interaction model of epigenetic and genetic regulations of mineral homeostasis in plants and designing strategies for crop improvement.

Changes in DnaA-dependent gene expression contribute to the transcriptional and developmental response of Bacillus subtilis to manganese limitation in Luria-Bertani medium.

PubMed

Hoover, Sharon E; Xu, Weihong; Xiao, Wenzhong; Burkholder, William F

2010-08-01

The SOS response to DNA damage in bacteria is a well-known component of the complex transcriptional responses to genotoxic environmental stresses such as exposure to reactive oxygen species, alkylating agents, and many of the antibiotics targeting DNA replication. However, bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis also respond to conditions that perturb DNA replication via a transcriptional response mediated by the replication initiation protein DnaA. In addition to regulating the initiation of DNA replication, DnaA directly regulates the transcription of specific genes. Conditions that perturb DNA replication can trigger the accumulation of active DnaA, activating or repressing the transcription of genes in the DnaA regulon. We report here that simply growing B. subtilis in LB medium altered DnaA-dependent gene expression in a manner consistent with the accumulation of active DnaA and that this was part of a general transcriptional response to manganese limitation. The SOS response to DNA damage was not induced under these conditions. One of the genes positively regulated by DnaA in Bacillus subtilis encodes a protein that inhibits the initiation of sporulation, Sda. Sda expression was induced as cells entered stationary phase in LB medium but not in LB medium supplemented with manganese, and the induction of Sda inhibited sporulation-specific gene expression and the onset of spore morphogenesis. In the absence of Sda, manganese-limited cells initiated spore development but failed to form mature spores. These data highlight that DnaA-dependent gene expression may influence the response of bacteria to a range of environmental conditions, including conditions that are not obviously associated with genotoxic stress.

Changes in DnaA-Dependent Gene Expression Contribute to the Transcriptional and Developmental Response of Bacillus subtilis to Manganese Limitation in Luria-Bertani Medium▿ †

PubMed Central

Hoover, Sharon E.; Xu, Weihong; Xiao, Wenzhong; Burkholder, William F.

2010-01-01

The SOS response to DNA damage in bacteria is a well-known component of the complex transcriptional responses to genotoxic environmental stresses such as exposure to reactive oxygen species, alkylating agents, and many of the antibiotics targeting DNA replication. However, bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis also respond to conditions that perturb DNA replication via a transcriptional response mediated by the replication initiation protein DnaA. In addition to regulating the initiation of DNA replication, DnaA directly regulates the transcription of specific genes. Conditions that perturb DNA replication can trigger the accumulation of active DnaA, activating or repressing the transcription of genes in the DnaA regulon. We report here that simply growing B. subtilis in LB medium altered DnaA-dependent gene expression in a manner consistent with the accumulation of active DnaA and that this was part of a general transcriptional response to manganese limitation. The SOS response to DNA damage was not induced under these conditions. One of the genes positively regulated by DnaA in Bacillus subtilis encodes a protein that inhibits the initiation of sporulation, Sda. Sda expression was induced as cells entered stationary phase in LB medium but not in LB medium supplemented with manganese, and the induction of Sda inhibited sporulation-specific gene expression and the onset of spore morphogenesis. In the absence of Sda, manganese-limited cells initiated spore development but failed to form mature spores. These data highlight that DnaA-dependent gene expression may influence the response of bacteria to a range of environmental conditions, including conditions that are not obviously associated with genotoxic stress. PMID:20511500

Genetic engineering of woody plants: current and future targets in a stressful environment.

PubMed

Osakabe, Yuriko; Kajita, Shinya; Osakabe, Keishi

2011-06-01

Abiotic stress is a major factor in limiting plant growth and productivity. Environmental degradation, such as drought and salinity stresses, will become more severe and widespread in the world. To overcome severe environmental stress, plant biotechnologies, such as genetic engineering in woody plants, need to be implemented. The adaptation of plants to environmental stress is controlled by cascades of molecular networks including cross-talk with other stress signaling mechanisms. The present review focuses on recent studies concerning genetic engineering in woody plants for the improvement of the abiotic stress responses. Furthermore, it highlights the recent advances in the understanding of molecular responses to stress. The review also summarizes the basis of a molecular mechanism for cell wall biosynthesis and the plant hormone responses to regulate tree growth and biomass in woody plants. This would facilitate better understanding of the control programs of biomass production under stressful conditions. Copyright © Physiologia Plantarum 2011.

Natural variation in germination responses of Arabidopsis to seasonal cues and their associated physiological mechanisms

PubMed Central

Barua, Deepak; Butler, Colleen; Tisdale, Tracy E.; Donohue, Kathleen

2012-01-01

Background and Aims Despite the intense interest in phenological adaptation to environmental change, the fundamental character of natural variation in germination is almost entirely unknown. Specifically, it is not known whether different genotypes within a species are germination specialists to particular conditions, nor is it known what physiological mechanisms of germination regulation vary in natural populations and how they are associated with responses to particular environmental factors. Methods We used a set of recombinant inbred genotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana, in which linkage disequilibrium has been disrupted over seven generations, to test for genetic variation and covariation in germination responses to distinct environmental factors. We then examined physiological mechanisms associated with those responses, including seed-coat permeability and sensitivity to the phytohormones gibberellic acid (GA) and abscisic acid (ABA). Key Results Genetic variation for germination was environment-dependent, but no evidence for specialization of germination to different conditions was found. Hormonal sensitivities also exhibited significant genetic variation, but seed-coat properties did not. GA sensitivity was associated with germination responses to multiple environmental factors, but seed-coat permeability and ABA sensitivity were associated with specific germination responses, suggesting that an evolutionary change in GA sensitivity could affect germination in multiple environments, but that of ABA sensitivity may affect germination under more restricted conditions. Conclusions The physiological mechanisms of germination responses to specific environmental factors therefore can influence the ability to adapt to diverse seasonal environments encountered during colonization of new habitats or with future predicted climate change. PMID:22012958

Thermoregulatory responses to environmental toxicants: The interaction of thermal stress and toxicant exposure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leon, Lisa R.

2008-11-15

Thermal stress can have a profound impact on the physiological responses that are elicited following environmental toxicant exposure. The efficacy by which toxicants enter the body is directly influenced by thermoregulatory effector responses that are evoked in response to high ambient temperatures. In mammals, the thermoregulatory response to heat stress consists of an increase in skin blood flow and moistening of the skin surface to dissipate core heat to the environment. These physiological responses may exacerbate chemical toxicity due to increased permeability of the skin, which facilitates the cutaneous absorption of many environmental toxicants. The core temperature responses that aremore » elicited in response to high ambient temperatures, toxicant exposure or both can also have a profound impact on the ability of an organism to survive the insult. In small rodents, the thermoregulatory response to thermal stress and many environmental toxicants (such as organophosphate compounds) is often biphasic in nature, consisting initially of a regulated reduction in core temperature (i.e., hypothermia) followed by fever. Hypothermia is an important thermoregulatory survival strategy that is used by small rodents to diminish the effect of severe environmental insults on tissue homeostasis. The protective effect of hypothermia is realized by its effects on chemical toxicity as molecular and cellular processes, such as lipid peroxidation and the formation of reactive oxygen species, are minimized at reduced core temperatures. The beneficial effects of fever are unknown under these conditions. Perspective is provided on the applicability of data obtained in rodent models to the human condition.« less

Environmental Baseline Survey, Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center, Aurora, Colorado. Volume II - Appendices A-G.

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-05-01

no hazardous substances, regulated by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), and no petroleum products ...Guidebook, Fall 1993, are as follows: 1. Areas where no storage, release or disposal of hazardous substances orpetroleum products has occurred...including no migration of these substances from adjacent areas) [white] S2. Areas where only storage of hazardous substances or petroleum products has

Bigheaded carps : a biological synopsis and environmental risk assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kolar, Cindy S.; Chapman, Duane C.; Courtenay, Walter R.; Housel, Christine M.; Williams, James D.; Jennings, Dawn P.

2007-01-01

Includes information on taxonomy and distinguishing characteristics, hybrids, native and introduced ranges, temperature and salinity tolerances, fecundity, sexual maturity and mating behavior, spawning, early development, feeding habits, growth rate and longevity, response to physical stimuli, associated diseases and parasites, human uses, environmental effects, potential range, population control measures. Summarizes United States federal and state regulations, and assesses the risk posed by these species in the United States.

Whole genome and transcriptome analyses of environmental antibiotic sensitive and multi-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates exposed to waste water and tap water

PubMed Central

Schwartz, Thomas; Armant, Olivier; Bretschneider, Nancy; Hahn, Alexander; Kirchen, Silke; Seifert, Martin; Dötsch, Andreas

2015-01-01

The fitness of sensitive and resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in different aquatic environments depends on genetic capacities and transcriptional regulation. Therefore, an antibiotic-sensitive isolate PA30 and a multi-resistant isolate PA49 originating from waste waters were compared via whole genome and transcriptome Illumina sequencing after exposure to municipal waste water and tap water. A number of different genomic islands (e.g. PAGIs, PAPIs) were identified in the two environmental isolates beside the highly conserved core genome. Exposure to tap water and waste water exhibited similar transcriptional impacts on several gene clusters (antibiotic and metal resistance, genetic mobile elements, efflux pumps) in both environmental P. aeruginosa isolates. The MexCD-OprJ efflux pump was overexpressed in PA49 in response to waste water. The expression of resistance genes, genetic mobile elements in PA49 was independent from the water matrix. Consistently, the antibiotic sensitive strain PA30 did not show any difference in expression of the intrinsic resistance determinants and genetic mobile elements. Thus, the exposure of both isolates to polluted waste water and oligotrophic tap water resulted in similar expression profiles of mentioned genes. However, changes in environmental milieus resulted in rather unspecific transcriptional responses than selected and stimuli-specific gene regulation. PMID:25186059

A low-temperature-responsive element involved in the regulation of the Arabidopsis thaliana At1g71850/At1g71860 divergent gene pair.

PubMed

Liu, Shijuan; Chen, Huiqing; Li, Xiulan; Zhang, Wei

2016-08-01

The bidirectional promoter of the Arabidopsis thaliana gene pair At1g71850/At1g71860 harbors low-temperature-responsive elements, which participate in anti-correlated transcription regulation of the driving genes in response to environmental low temperature. A divergent gene pair is defined as two adjacent genes organized head to head in opposite orientation, sharing a common promoter region. Divergent gene pairs are mainly coexpressed, but some display opposite regulation. The mechanistic basis of such anti-correlated regulation is not well understood. Here, the regulation of the Arabidopsis thaliana gene pair At1g71850/At1g71860 was investigated. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Genevestigator analyses showed that while one of the pair was upregulated by exposure to low temperature, the same treatment downregulated the other. Promoter::GUS fusion transgenes were used to show that this behavior was driven by a bidirectional promoter, which harbored an as-1 motif, associated with the low-temperature response; mutation of this sequence produced a significant decrease in cold-responsive expression. With regard to the as-1 motif in the native orientation repressing the promoter's low-temperature responsiveness, the same as-1 motif introduced in the reverse direction showed a slight enhancement in the promoter's responsiveness to low-temperature exposure, indicating that the orientation of the motif was important for the promoter's activity. These findings provide new insights into the complex transcriptional regulation of bidirectional gene pairs as well as plant stress response.

The influence of environmental factors on heart rate chronostructure depending on the individual characteristics of autonomic regulation. Results of long-term medical-ecological studies.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isaeva, Olga; Zenchenko, Tatiana; Breus, Tamara; Chernikova, Anna; Baevsky, Roman

It was previously shown [Baevsky, Petrov, 1998] that during space flight under influence of geomagnetic disturbances there are both specific response of the autonomic regulation system in the form of vasomotor cardiovascular center activation (LF spectral components) and non-specific stress response, which depends on the actual autonomic balance [Breus, Baevsky, 2002]. Within the project "Mars-500" the parallel medical-ecological studies were conducted in 10 groups (10-16 people), that lived in different regions of the world under the influence of various environmental factors - climatic, geographic, industrial, social and other. It allowed us to obtain a sufficiently large number of variants of adaptive reactions caused by differences in external impacts. The main research method was the heart rate variability (HRV) analysis in short ECG samples (5 minutes) for assessing heart rate chronostructure and functional status of autonomic regulation. Results of studies have demonstrated that environmental loads on the regulatory mechanisms is higher in the northern and north-eastern regions of Russia - Magadan and Syktyvkar. Stress-index of regulatory systems and adaptive risk indicator is significantly higher in these groups [Baevsky, Berseneva, 2013]. The preliminary search of weather factors (atmospheric pressure, air temperature, humidity and magnetic index Kp) influence on the autonomic regulation of heart rate showed that there are no any significant changes and relationships in the entire group of participants. We have assumed that the character of adaptive responses, including responses to changing weather and geomagnetic conditions, is associated with the individual characteristics and the initial functional state of autonomic regulation. To test this hypothesis, we have identified two groups of subjects with different autonomic balance. The first group included individuals with a pronounced predominance of sympathetic regulation (n = 127), the second - with a strong predominance of parasympathetic activity (n = 64). The analysis of correlations between weather and heart rate chronostructure and functional condition of autonomic regulation revealed that attitude of low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF) of heart rhythm spectrum higher in both groups at declining geomagnetic activity and lower at its growth. The comparison of other HRV indicators at decreasing and increasing geomagnetic activity displayed the opposite trends in these groups. Stress-index of regulatory systems (SI), which reflects the sympathetic activity, rises in group with sympathetic dominance at reducing geomagnetic activity, and at its growth - in group with parasympathetic dominance. So, we can see that specific adaptive reaction as response to changing geomagnetic situation, which manifested in activation of vasomotor cardiovascular center, is the similar in subjects with different autonomic balance. Non-specific component depends on initial dominance of one or another regulatory mechanism.

TAA1-regulated local auxin biosynthesis in the root-apex transition zone mediates the aluminum-induced inhibition of root growth in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Yang, Zhong-Bao; Geng, Xiaoyu; He, Chunmei; Zhang, Feng; Wang, Rong; Horst, Walter J; Ding, Zhaojun

2014-07-01

The transition zone (TZ) of the root apex is the perception site of Al toxicity. Here, we show that exposure of Arabidopsis thaliana roots to Al induces a localized enhancement of auxin signaling in the root-apex TZ that is dependent on TAA1, which encodes a Trp aminotransferase and regulates auxin biosynthesis. TAA1 is specifically upregulated in the root-apex TZ in response to Al treatment, thus mediating local auxin biosynthesis and inhibition of root growth. The TAA1-regulated local auxin biosynthesis in the root-apex TZ in response to Al stress is dependent on ethylene, as revealed by manipulating ethylene homeostasis via the precursor of ethylene biosynthesis 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid, the inhibitor of ethylene biosynthesis aminoethoxyvinylglycine, or mutant analysis. In response to Al stress, ethylene signaling locally upregulates TAA1 expression and thus auxin responses in the TZ and results in auxin-regulated root growth inhibition through a number of auxin response factors (ARFs). In particular, ARF10 and ARF16 are important in the regulation of cell wall modification-related genes. Our study suggests a mechanism underlying how environmental cues affect root growth plasticity through influencing local auxin biosynthesis and signaling. © 2014 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

Redox Regulation of Plant Development

PubMed Central

Considine, Michael J.

2014-01-01

Abstract Significance: We provide a conceptual framework for the interactions between the cellular redox signaling hub and the phytohormone signaling network that controls plant growth and development to maximize plant productivity under stress-free situations, while limiting growth and altering development on exposure to stress. Recent Advances: Enhanced cellular oxidation plays a key role in the regulation of plant growth and stress responses. Oxidative signals or cycles of oxidation and reduction are crucial for the alleviation of dormancy and quiescence, activating the cell cycle and triggering genetic and epigenetic control that underpin growth and differentiation responses to changing environmental conditions. Critical Issues: The redox signaling hub interfaces directly with the phytohormone network in the synergistic control of growth and its modulation in response to environmental stress, but a few components have been identified. Accumulating evidence points to a complex interplay of phytohormone and redox controls that operate at multiple levels. For simplicity, we focus here on redox-dependent processes that control root growth and development and bud burst. Future Directions: The multiple roles of reactive oxygen species in the control of plant growth and development have been identified, but increasing emphasis should now be placed on the functions of redox-regulated proteins, along with the central roles of reductants such as NAD(P)H, thioredoxins, glutathione, glutaredoxins, peroxiredoxins, ascorbate, and reduced ferredoxin in the regulation of the genetic and epigenetic factors that modulate the growth and vigor of crop plants, particularly within an agricultural context. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 21, 1305–1326. PMID:24180689

Toxic responses of Perna viridis hepatopancreas exposed to DDT, benzo(a)pyrene and their mixture uncovered by iTRAQ-based proteomics and NMR-based metabolomics.

PubMed

Song, Qinqin; Zhou, Hailong; Han, Qian; Diao, Xiaoping

2017-11-01

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) are environmental estrogens (EEs) that are ubiquitous in the marine environment. In the present study, we integrated isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based proteomic and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomic approaches to explore the toxic responses of green mussel hepatopancreas exposed to DDT (10μg/L), BaP (10μg/L) and their mixture. The metabolic responses indicated that BaP primarily disturbed energy metabolism and osmotic regulation in the hepatopancreas of the male green mussel P. viridis. Both DDT and the mixture of DDT and BaP perturbed the energy metabolism and osmotic regulation in P. viridis. The proteomic responses revealed that BaP affected the proteins involved in energy metabolism, material transformation, cytoskeleton, stress responses, reproduction and development in green mussels. DDT exposure could change the proteins involved in primary metabolism, stress responses, cytoskeleton and signal transduction. However, the mixture of DDT and BaP altered proteins associated with material and energy metabolism, stress responses, signal transduction, reproduction and development, cytoskeleton and apoptosis. This study showed that iTRAQ-based proteomic and NMR-based metabolomic approaches could effectively elucidate the essential molecular mechanism of disturbances in hepatopancreas function of green mussels exposed to environmental estrogens. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genetic moderation of transactional relations between parenting practices and child self-regulation.

PubMed

Cho, Junhan; Kogan, Steven M; Brody, Gene H

2016-10-01

The present study addressed the ways in which parent and child dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) genotypes jointly moderate the transactional relations between parenting practices and child self-regulation. African American children (N = 309) and their parents provided longitudinal data spanning child ages 11 to 15 years and a saliva sample from which variation at DRD4 was genotyped. Based on the differential susceptibility perspective, this study examined moderation effects of DRD4 status on (a) the extent to which parenting practices affect child self-regulation and (b) the extent to which child self-regulation, as an environmental influence on the parent, affects parenting behavior. Results indicated that responsive-supportive parenting interacted with children's DRD4 status to influence increases in child self-regulation. Also, child self-regulation interacted with parent's DRD4 status to predict changes in parenting practices. Both Gene × Environment effects conformed to a differential susceptibility model in which parents' and children's DRD4 genes operated to increase environmental sensitivity "for better and for worse." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Genetic Moderation of Transactional Relations Between Parenting Practices and Child Self-Regulation

PubMed Central

Cho, Junhan; Kogan, Steven M.; Brody, Gene H.

2016-01-01

The present study addressed the ways in which parent and child dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) genotypes jointly moderate the transactional relations between parenting practices and child self-regulation. African American children (N = 309) and their parents provided longitudinal data spanning child ages 11 to 15 years and a saliva sample from which variation at DRD4 was genotyped. Based on the differential susceptibility perspective, this study examined moderation effects of DRD4 status on (a) the extent to which parenting practices affect child self-regulation and (b) the extent to which child self-regulation, as an environmental influence on the parent, affects parenting behavior. Results indicated that responsive-supportive parenting interacted with children’s DRD4 status to influence increases in child self-regulation. Also, child self-regulation interacted with parent’s DRD4 status to predict changes in parenting practices. Both G × E effects conformed to a differential susceptibility model in which parents’ and children’s DRD4 genes operated to increase environmental sensitivity in a “for better and for worse” manner. PMID:27548745

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Transcription Machinery: Ready To Respond to Host Attacks

PubMed Central

Flentie, Kelly; Garner, Ashley L.

2016-01-01

Regulating responses to stress is critical for all bacteria, whether they are environmental, commensal, or pathogenic species. For pathogenic bacteria, successful colonization and survival in the host are dependent on adaptation to diverse conditions imposed by the host tissue architecture and the immune response. Once the bacterium senses a hostile environment, it must enact a change in physiology that contributes to the organism's survival strategy. Inappropriate responses have consequences; hence, the execution of the appropriate response is essential for survival of the bacterium in its niche. Stress responses are most often regulated at the level of gene expression and, more specifically, transcription. This minireview focuses on mechanisms of regulating transcription initiation that are required by Mycobacterium tuberculosis to respond to the arsenal of defenses imposed by the host during infection. In particular, we highlight how certain features of M. tuberculosis physiology allow this pathogen to respond swiftly and effectively to host defenses. By enacting highly integrated and coordinated gene expression changes in response to stress, M. tuberculosis is prepared for battle against the host defense and able to persist within the human population. PMID:26883824

Central control of body temperature

PubMed Central

Morrison, Shaun F.

2016-01-01

Central neural circuits orchestrate the behavioral and autonomic repertoire that maintains body temperature during environmental temperature challenges and alters body temperature during the inflammatory response and behavioral states and in response to declining energy homeostasis. This review summarizes the central nervous system circuit mechanisms controlling the principal thermoeffectors for body temperature regulation: cutaneous vasoconstriction regulating heat loss and shivering and brown adipose tissue for thermogenesis. The activation of these thermoeffectors is regulated by parallel but distinct efferent pathways within the central nervous system that share a common peripheral thermal sensory input. The model for the neural circuit mechanism underlying central thermoregulatory control provides a useful platform for further understanding of the functional organization of central thermoregulation, for elucidating the hypothalamic circuitry and neurotransmitters involved in body temperature regulation, and for the discovery of novel therapeutic approaches to modulating body temperature and energy homeostasis. PMID:27239289

Central control of body temperature.

PubMed

Morrison, Shaun F

2016-01-01

Central neural circuits orchestrate the behavioral and autonomic repertoire that maintains body temperature during environmental temperature challenges and alters body temperature during the inflammatory response and behavioral states and in response to declining energy homeostasis. This review summarizes the central nervous system circuit mechanisms controlling the principal thermoeffectors for body temperature regulation: cutaneous vasoconstriction regulating heat loss and shivering and brown adipose tissue for thermogenesis. The activation of these thermoeffectors is regulated by parallel but distinct efferent pathways within the central nervous system that share a common peripheral thermal sensory input. The model for the neural circuit mechanism underlying central thermoregulatory control provides a useful platform for further understanding of the functional organization of central thermoregulation, for elucidating the hypothalamic circuitry and neurotransmitters involved in body temperature regulation, and for the discovery of novel therapeutic approaches to modulating body temperature and energy homeostasis.

Functional analysis of histone deacetylase and its role in stress response, drug resistance and solid-state cultivation in Aspergillus oryzae.

PubMed

Kawauchi, Moriyuki; Iwashita, Kazuhiro

2014-08-01

In the eukaryotic cell, histone deacetylases (HDACs) play key roles in the regulation of fundamental cellular process such as development regulation, stress response, secondary metabolism and genome integrity. Here, we provide a comprehensive phenotypic analysis using HDAC disruptants in Aspergillus oryzae. Our study revealed that four HDACs, hdaA/Aohda1, hdaB/Aorpd3, hdaD/Aohos2 and hst4/AohstD were involved in stress response, cell wall synthesis and chromatin integrity in A. oryzae. Osmotic stress sensitivity of HDAC disruptants differed between plate cultures and liquid cultures, suggesting that HDACs adapt to the difference environmental conditions. Using a common A. oryzae fermentation medium, rice-koji, we also characterized HDACs related to growth and enzyme production to investigate which HDACs will be required for adaptation to environmental conditions and stress resistances. Because HDACs are widely conserved, our study has broad applications and may inform work with filamentous fungi and other eukaryote. Copyright © 2014 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Food-derived sensory cues modulate longevity via distinct neuroendocrine insulin-like peptides

PubMed Central

Artan, Murat; Jeong, Dae-Eun; Lee, Dongyeop; Kim, Young-Il; Son, Heehwa G.; Husain, Zahabiya; Kim, Jinmahn; Altintas, Ozlem; Kim, Kyuhyung; Alcedo, Joy; Lee, Seung-Jae V.

2016-01-01

Environmental fluctuations influence organismal aging by affecting various regulatory systems. One such system involves sensory neurons, which affect life span in many species. However, how sensory neurons coordinate organismal aging in response to changes in environmental signals remains elusive. Here, we found that a subset of sensory neurons shortens Caenorhabditis elegans’ life span by differentially regulating the expression of a specific insulin-like peptide (ILP), INS-6. Notably, treatment with food-derived cues or optogenetic activation of sensory neurons significantly increases ins-6 expression and decreases life span. INS-6 in turn relays the longevity signals to nonneuronal tissues by decreasing the activity of the transcription factor DAF-16/FOXO. Together, our study delineates a mechanism through which environmental sensory cues regulate aging rates by modulating the activities of specific sensory neurons and ILPs. PMID:27125673

The Development of Improved Risk Assessment Methods for Use in Industrial Environmental Management Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Manners, T.K.

2006-07-01

Industrial sites that store or use chemicals are controlled in the UK under the COMAH (Control Of Major Accident Hazards) Regulations 1999 [1] based on their holdings of 'Dangerous Substances'. The COMAH Regulations [1] came into force in 1999 and are the UK's response to the European Union's Seveso II Directive. The purpose of these Regulations [1] is to: - Identify Major Accident Hazards (MAH); - Ensure that control measures are in place to prevent a MAH; - Ensure that mitigatory measures are in place to limit effects if MAH do occur. The UK's Health and Safety Executive (HSE), andmore » the Environment Agency (EA) jointly enforce the Regulations [1]. The fundamental requirement is given in the statement below, which is taken directly from the Regulations [1]. 'Every operator shall take all measures necessary to prevent major accidents and limit their consequences to persons and the environment'. This paper describes the development of a six-step screening methodology designed to identify Major Accidents To The Environment (MATTE) and improved consequence definitions that can be used in risk matrices to define the severity of an environmental fault. The method has been designed to be compatible with existing Environmental Management Systems (EMS) used in the chemical and nuclear industry. (authors)« less

Cell Density Control of Staphylococcal Virulence Mediated by an Octapeptide Pheromone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Guangyong; Beavis, Ronald C.; Novick, Richard P.

1995-12-01

Some bacterial pathogens elaborate and secrete virulence factors in response to environmental signals, others in response to a specific host product, and still others in response to no discernible cue. In this study, we have demonstrated that the synthesis of Staphylococcus aureus virulence factors is controlled by a density-sensing system that utilizes an octapeptide produced by the organism itself. The octapeptide activates expression of the agr locus, a global regulator of the virulence response. This response involves the reciprocal regulation of genes encoding surface proteins and those encoding secreted virulence factors. As cells enter the postexponential phase, surface protein genes are repressed by agr and secretory protein genes are subsequently activated. The intracellular agr effector is a regulatory RNA, RNAIII, whose transcription is activated by an agr-encoded signal transduction system for which the octapeptide is the ligand.

Engineering and Design: Chemical Data Quality Management for Hazardous, Toxic, Radioactive Waste Remedial Activities

DTIC Science & Technology

This regulation prescribes Chemical Data Quality Management (CDQM) responsibilities and procedures for projects involving hazardous, toxic and/or radioactive waste (HTRW) materials. Its purpose is to assure that the analytical data meet project data quality objectives. This is the umbrella regulation that defines CDQM activities and integrates all of the other U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) guidance on environmental data quality management .

Rab from the white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei: characterization and its regulation upon environmental stress.

PubMed

Wang, Lei; Wang, Xiao-Rong; Liu, Jin; Chen, Chu-Xian; Liu, Yuan; Wang, Wei-Na

2015-10-01

With the destruction of the ecological environment, shrimp cultivation in China has been seriously affected by outbreaks of infectious diseases. Rab, which belong to small GTPase Ras superfamily, can regulate multiple steps in eukaryotic vesicle trafficking including vesicle budding, vesicle tethering, and membrane fusion. Knowledge of Rab in shrimp is essential to understanding regulation and detoxification mechanisms of environmental stress. In this study, we analyzed the functions of Rab from the Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Full-length cDNA of Rab was obtained, which was 751 bp long, with open reading frame encoding 206 amino acids. In this study, for the first time, the gene expression of Rab of L. vannamei was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR after exposure to five kinds of environmental stresses (bacteria, pH, Cd, salinity and low temperature). The results demonstrate that Rab is sensitive and involved in bacteria, pH, and Cd stress responses and Rab is more sensitive to bacteria than other stresses. Therefore we infer that Rab may have relationship with the anti-stress mechanism induced by environment stress in shrimp and Rab could be used as critical biomarkers for environmental quality assessment.

Environmental control of branching in petunia.

PubMed

Drummond, Revel S M; Janssen, Bart J; Luo, Zhiwei; Oplaat, Carla; Ledger, Susan E; Wohlers, Mark W; Snowden, Kimberley C

2015-06-01

Plants alter their development in response to changes in their environment. This responsiveness has proven to be a successful evolutionary trait. Here, we tested the hypothesis that two key environmental factors, light and nutrition, are integrated within the axillary bud to promote or suppress the growth of the bud into a branch. Using petunia (Petunia hybrida) as a model for vegetative branching, we manipulated both light quality (as crowding and the red-to-far-red light ratio) and phosphate availability, such that the axillary bud at node 7 varied from deeply dormant to rapidly growing. In conjunction with the phenotypic characterization, we also monitored the state of the strigolactone (SL) pathway by quantifying SL-related gene transcripts. Mutants in the SL pathway inhibit but do not abolish the branching response to these environmental signals, and neither signal is dominant over the other, suggesting that the regulation of branching in response to the environment is complex. We have isolated three new putatively SL-related TCP (for Teosinte branched1, Cycloidia, and Proliferating cell factor) genes from petunia, and have identified that these TCP-type transcription factors may have roles in the SL signaling pathway both before and after the reception of the SL signal at the bud. We show that the abundance of the receptor transcript is regulated by light quality, such that axillary buds growing in added far-red light have greatly increased receptor transcript abundance. This suggests a mechanism whereby the impact of any SL signal reaching an axillary bud is modulated by the responsiveness of these cells to the signal. © 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Environmental Control of Branching in Petunia1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Oplaat, Carla; Wohlers, Mark W.

2015-01-01

Plants alter their development in response to changes in their environment. This responsiveness has proven to be a successful evolutionary trait. Here, we tested the hypothesis that two key environmental factors, light and nutrition, are integrated within the axillary bud to promote or suppress the growth of the bud into a branch. Using petunia (Petunia hybrida) as a model for vegetative branching, we manipulated both light quality (as crowding and the red-to-far-red light ratio) and phosphate availability, such that the axillary bud at node 7 varied from deeply dormant to rapidly growing. In conjunction with the phenotypic characterization, we also monitored the state of the strigolactone (SL) pathway by quantifying SL-related gene transcripts. Mutants in the SL pathway inhibit but do not abolish the branching response to these environmental signals, and neither signal is dominant over the other, suggesting that the regulation of branching in response to the environment is complex. We have isolated three new putatively SL-related TCP (for Teosinte branched1, Cycloidia, and Proliferating cell factor) genes from petunia, and have identified that these TCP-type transcription factors may have roles in the SL signaling pathway both before and after the reception of the SL signal at the bud. We show that the abundance of the receptor transcript is regulated by light quality, such that axillary buds growing in added far-red light have greatly increased receptor transcript abundance. This suggests a mechanism whereby the impact of any SL signal reaching an axillary bud is modulated by the responsiveness of these cells to the signal. PMID:25911529

Role of phytochromes A and B in the regulation of cell death and acclimatory responses to UV stress in Arabidopsis thaliana

PubMed Central

Rusaczonek, Anna; Czarnocka, Weronika; Kacprzak, Sylwia; Witoń, Damian; Ślesak, Ireneusz; Szechyńska-Hebda, Magdalena; Gawroński, Piotr; Karpiński, Stanisław

2015-01-01

Plants coordinate their responses to various biotic and abiotic stresses in order to optimize their developmental and acclimatory programmes. The ultimate response to an excessive amount of stress is local induction of cell death mechanisms. The death of certain cells can help to maintain tissue homeostasis and enable nutrient remobilization, thus increasing the survival chances of the whole organism in unfavourable environmental conditions. UV radiation is one of the environmental factors that negatively affects the photosynthetic process and triggers cell death. The aim of this work was to evaluate a possible role of the red/far-red light photoreceptors phytochrome A (phyA) and phytochrome B (phyB) and their interrelations during acclimatory responses to UV stress. We showed that UV-C treatment caused a disturbance in photosystem II and a deregulation of photosynthetic pigment content and antioxidant enzymes activities, followed by increased cell mortality rate in phyB and phyAB null mutants. We also propose a regulatory role of phyA and phyB in CO2 assimilation, non-photochemical quenching, reactive oxygen species accumulation and salicylic acid content. Taken together, our results suggest a novel role of phytochromes as putative regulators of cell death and acclimatory responses to UV. PMID:26385378

Abscisic Acid and abiotic stress signaling.

PubMed

Tuteja, Narendra

2007-05-01

Abiotic stress is severe environmental stress, which impairs crop production on irrigated land worldwide. Overall, the susceptibility or tolerance to the stress in plants is a coordinated action of multiple stress responsive genes, which also cross-talk with other components of stress signal transduction pathways. Plant responses to abiotic stress can be determined by the severity of the stress and by the metabolic status of the plant. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a phytohormone critical for plant growth and development and plays an important role in integrating various stress signals and controlling downstream stress responses. Plants have to adjust ABA levels constantly in responce to changing physiological and environmental conditions. To date, the mechanisms for fine-tuning of ABA levels remain elusive. The mechanisms by which plants respond to stress include both ABA-dependent and ABA-independent processes. Various transcription factors such as DREB2A/2B, AREB1, RD22BP1 and MYC/MYB are known to regulate the ABA-responsive gene expression through interacting with their corrosponding cis-acting elements such as DRE/CRT, ABRE and MYCRS/MYBRS, respectively. Understanding these mechanisms is important to improve stress tolerance in crops plants. This article first describes the general pathway for plant stress response followed by roles of ABA and transcription factors in stress tolerance including the regulation of ABA biosynthesis.

Abscisic Acid and Abiotic Stress Signaling

PubMed Central

2007-01-01

Abiotic stress is severe environmental stress, which impairs crop production on irrigated land worldwide. Overall, the susceptibility or tolerance to the stress in plants is a coordinated action of multiple stress responsive genes, which also cross-talk with other components of stress signal transduction pathways. Plant responses to abiotic stress can be determined by the severity of the stress and by the metabolic status of the plant. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a phytohormone critical for plant growth and development and plays an important role in integrating various stress signals and controlling downstream stress responses. Plants have to adjust ABA levels constantly in responce to changing physiological and environmental conditions. To date, the mechanisms for fine-tuning of ABA levels remain elusive. The mechanisms by which plants respond to stress include both ABA-dependent and ABA-independent processes. Various transcription factors such as DREB2A/2B, AREB1, RD22BP1 and MYC/MYB are known to regulate the ABA-responsive gene expression through interacting with their corrosponding cis-acting elements such as DRE/CRT, ABRE and MYCRS/MYBRS, respectively. Understanding these mechanisms is important to improve stress tolerance in crops plants. This article first describes the general pathway for plant stress response followed by roles of ABA and transcription factors in stress tolerance including the regulation of ABA biosynthesis. PMID:19516981

Mode of action from dose-response microarray data: case study using 10 environmental chemicals

EPA Science Inventory

Ligand-activated nuclear receptors regulate many biological processes through complex interactions with biological macromolecules. Certain xenobiotics alter nuclear receptor signaling through direct or indirect interactions. Defining the mode of action of such xenobiotics is di...

Responses of Israeli HMOs to environmental change following the National Health Insurance Law: Opening the black box.

PubMed

Gross, Revital; Harrison, Michael I

2006-04-01

Managed competition was introduced into the Israeli health care system with the enactment of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Law of 1995, which radically transformed health management organizations' (HMO) regulatory and competitive environments. We conducted an in-depth, qualitative analysis of the strategies developed by two Israeli HMOs in response to this change, and developed the concept of a "strategic repertoire" to integrate diverse theories of organizational adaptation to environmental change. Although the responses of these organizations to managed competition were broadly comparable, they diverged from one another in important ways. Our analysis highlights how the interaction among organizational history, managerial choice, and environmental constraints creates divergence in organizational responses to national policy initiatives. Policy implications arising from the findings include ways of anticipating unintended consequences of policy initiatives, such as involving provider organizations in the structuring of reform, or simulating their response in advance, based on expert knowledge of their strategic repertoires; and the need to include mechanisms for obtaining feedback on organizational responses in the implementation of reform. This will facilitate the adjustment of program regulations and incentives in response to emerging practices.

An Aversive Response to Osmotic Upshift in Caenorhabditis elegans.

PubMed

Yu, Jingyi; Yang, Wenxing; Liu, He; Hao, Yingsong; Zhang, Yun

2017-01-01

Environmental osmolarity presents a common type of sensory stimulus to animals. While behavioral responses to osmotic changes are important for maintaining a stable intracellular osmolarity, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In the natural habitat of Caenorhabditis elegans , changes in environmental osmolarity are commonplace. It is known that the nematode acutely avoids shocks of extremely high osmolarity. Here, we show that C. elegans also generates gradually increased aversion of mild upshifts in environmental osmolarity. Different from an acute avoidance of osmotic shocks that depends on the function of a transient receptor potential vanilloid channel, the slow aversion to osmotic upshifts requires the cGMP-gated sensory channel subunit TAX-2. TAX-2 acts in several sensory neurons that are exposed to body fluid to generate the aversive response through a motor network that underlies navigation. Osmotic upshifts activate the body cavity sensory neuron URX, which is known to induce aversion upon activation. Together, our results characterize the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying a novel sensorimotor response to osmotic stimuli and reveal that C. elegans engages different behaviors and the underlying mechanisms to regulate responses to extracellular osmolarity.

Orthologous plant microRNAs: microregulators with great potential for improving stress tolerance in plants.

PubMed

Rajwanshi, Ravi; Chakraborty, Sreejita; Jayanandi, Karam; Deb, Bibhas; Lightfoot, David A

2014-12-01

Small RNAs that are highly conserved across many plant species are involved in stress responses. Plants are exposed to many types of unfavorable conditions during their life cycle that result in some degree of stress. Recent studies on microRNAs (miRNAs) have highlighted their great potential as regulators of stress tolerance in plants. One of the possible ways in which plants counter environmental stresses is by altering their gene expression by the action of miRNAs. miRNAs regulate the expression of target genes by hybridizing to their nascent reverse complementary sequences marking them for cleavage in the nucleus or translational repression in the cytoplasm. Some miRNAs have been reported to be key regulators in biotic as well as abiotic stress responses across many species. The present review highlights some of the regulatory roles of orthologous plant miRNAs in response to various types of stress conditions.

REGULATION OF THE T-CELL RESPONSE BY CD39

PubMed Central

Takenaka, Maisa C.; Robson, Simon; Quintana, Francisco J.

2016-01-01

The ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase 1 (ENTPD1, or CD39) catalyzes the phosphohydrolysis of extracellular adenosine triphosphate (eATP) and diphosphate (eADP) released under conditions of inflammatory stress and cell injury. CD39 generates adenosine monophosphate (AMP), which is in turn used by the ecto-5’-nucleotidase CD73 to synthesize adenosine. These ectonucleotidases have major impacts on the dynamic equilibrium of pro-inflammatory eATP and ADP nucleotides vs. immunosuppressive adenosine nucleosides. Indeed, CD39 plays a dominant role in the purinergic regulation of inflammation and the immune response because its expression is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Here, we review the specific role of CD39 in the kinetic regulation of cellular immune responses in the evolution of disease. We focus on the effects of CD39 on T cells and explore potential clinical applications in autoimmunity, chronic infections and cancer. PMID:27236363

Group 3 Innate Lymphoid Cells: Communications Hubs of the Intestinal Immune System.

PubMed

Withers, David R; Hepworth, Matthew R

2017-01-01

The maintenance of mammalian health requires the generation of appropriate immune responses against a broad range of environmental and microbial challenges, which are continually encountered at barrier tissue sites including the skin, lung, and gastrointestinal tract. Dysregulated barrier immune responses result in inflammation, both locally and systemically in peripheral organs. Group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) are constitutively present at barrier sites and appear to be highly specialized in their ability to sense a range of environmental and host-derived signals. Under homeostatic conditions, ILC3 respond to local cues to maintain tissue homeostasis and restrict inflammatory responses. In contrast, perturbations in the tissue microenvironment resulting from disease, infection, or tissue damage can drive dysregulated pro-inflammatory ILC3 responses and contribute to immunopathology. The tone of the ILC3 response is dictated by a balance of "exogenous" signals, such as dietary metabolites and commensal microbes, and "endogenous" host-derived signals from stromal cells, immune cells, and the nervous system. ILC3 must therefore have the capacity to simultaneously integrate a wide array of complex and dynamic inputs in order to regulate barrier function and tissue health. In this review, we discuss the concept of ILC3 as a "communications hub" in the intestinal tract and associated lymphoid tissues and address the variety of signals, derived from multiple biological systems, which are interpreted by ILC3 to modulate the release of downstream effector molecules and regulate cell-cell crosstalk. Successful integration of environmental cues by ILC3 and downstream propagation to the broader immune system is required to maintain a tolerogenic and anti-inflammatory tone and reinforce barrier function, whereas dysregulation of ILC3 responses can contribute to the onset or progression of clinically relevant chronic inflammatory diseases.

Group 3 Innate Lymphoid Cells: Communications Hubs of the Intestinal Immune System

PubMed Central

Withers, David R.; Hepworth, Matthew R.

2017-01-01

The maintenance of mammalian health requires the generation of appropriate immune responses against a broad range of environmental and microbial challenges, which are continually encountered at barrier tissue sites including the skin, lung, and gastrointestinal tract. Dysregulated barrier immune responses result in inflammation, both locally and systemically in peripheral organs. Group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) are constitutively present at barrier sites and appear to be highly specialized in their ability to sense a range of environmental and host-derived signals. Under homeostatic conditions, ILC3 respond to local cues to maintain tissue homeostasis and restrict inflammatory responses. In contrast, perturbations in the tissue microenvironment resulting from disease, infection, or tissue damage can drive dysregulated pro-inflammatory ILC3 responses and contribute to immunopathology. The tone of the ILC3 response is dictated by a balance of “exogenous” signals, such as dietary metabolites and commensal microbes, and “endogenous” host-derived signals from stromal cells, immune cells, and the nervous system. ILC3 must therefore have the capacity to simultaneously integrate a wide array of complex and dynamic inputs in order to regulate barrier function and tissue health. In this review, we discuss the concept of ILC3 as a “communications hub” in the intestinal tract and associated lymphoid tissues and address the variety of signals, derived from multiple biological systems, which are interpreted by ILC3 to modulate the release of downstream effector molecules and regulate cell–cell crosstalk. Successful integration of environmental cues by ILC3 and downstream propagation to the broader immune system is required to maintain a tolerogenic and anti-inflammatory tone and reinforce barrier function, whereas dysregulation of ILC3 responses can contribute to the onset or progression of clinically relevant chronic inflammatory diseases. PMID:29085366

Transposable elements contribute to activation of maize genes in response to abiotic stress.

PubMed

Makarevitch, Irina; Waters, Amanda J; West, Patrick T; Stitzer, Michelle; Hirsch, Candice N; Ross-Ibarra, Jeffrey; Springer, Nathan M

2015-01-01

Transposable elements (TEs) account for a large portion of the genome in many eukaryotic species. Despite their reputation as "junk" DNA or genomic parasites deleterious for the host, TEs have complex interactions with host genes and the potential to contribute to regulatory variation in gene expression. It has been hypothesized that TEs and genes they insert near may be transcriptionally activated in response to stress conditions. The maize genome, with many different types of TEs interspersed with genes, provides an ideal system to study the genome-wide influence of TEs on gene regulation. To analyze the magnitude of the TE effect on gene expression response to environmental changes, we profiled gene and TE transcript levels in maize seedlings exposed to a number of abiotic stresses. Many genes exhibit up- or down-regulation in response to these stress conditions. The analysis of TE families inserted within upstream regions of up-regulated genes revealed that between four and nine different TE families are associated with up-regulated gene expression in each of these stress conditions, affecting up to 20% of the genes up-regulated in response to abiotic stress, and as many as 33% of genes that are only expressed in response to stress. Expression of many of these same TE families also responds to the same stress conditions. The analysis of the stress-induced transcripts and proximity of the transposon to the gene suggests that these TEs may provide local enhancer activities that stimulate stress-responsive gene expression. Our data on allelic variation for insertions of several of these TEs show strong correlation between the presence of TE insertions and stress-responsive up-regulation of gene expression. Our findings suggest that TEs provide an important source of allelic regulatory variation in gene response to abiotic stress in maize.

Early developmental gene regulation in Strongylocentrotus purpuratus embryos in response to elevated CO₂ seawater conditions.

PubMed

Hammond, LaTisha M; Hofmann, Gretchen E

2012-07-15

Ocean acidification, or the increased uptake of CO(2) by the ocean due to elevated atmospheric CO(2) concentrations, may variably impact marine early life history stages, as they may be especially susceptible to changes in ocean chemistry. Investigating the regulatory mechanisms of early development in an environmental context, or ecological development, will contribute to increased understanding of potential organismal responses to such rapid, large-scale environmental changes. We examined transcript-level responses to elevated seawater CO(2) during gastrulation and the initiation of spiculogenesis, two crucial developmental processes in the purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. Embryos were reared at the current, accepted oceanic CO(2) concentration of 380 microatmospheres (μatm), and at the elevated levels of 1000 and 1350 μatm, simulating predictions for oceans and upwelling regions, respectively. The seven genes of interest comprised a subset of pathways in the primary mesenchyme cell gene regulatory network (PMC GRN) shown to be necessary for the regulation and execution of gastrulation and spiculogenesis. Of the seven genes, qPCR analysis indicated that elevated CO(2) concentrations only had a significant but subtle effect on two genes, one important for early embryo patterning, Wnt8, and the other an integral component in spiculogenesis and biomineralization, SM30b. Protein levels of another spicule matrix component, SM50, demonstrated significant variable responses to elevated CO(2). These data link the regulation of crucial early developmental processes with the environment that these embryos would be developing within, situating the study of organismal responses to ocean acidification in a developmental context.

Smoking behaviours and attitudes toward tobacco control among assistant environmental health officer trainees.

PubMed

Tee, G H; Gurpreet, K; Hairi, N N; Zarihah, Z; Fadzilah, K

2013-12-01

Assistant environmental health officers (AEHO) are health care providers (HCPs) who act as enforcers, educators and trusted role models for the public. This is the first study to explore smoking behaviour and attitudes toward tobacco control among future HCPs. Almost 30% of AEHO trainees did not know the role of AEHOs in counselling smokers to stop smoking, but 91% agreed they should not smoke before advising others not to do so. The majority agreed that tobacco control regulations may be used as a means of reducing the prevalence of smoking. Future AEHOs had positive attitudes toward tobacco regulations but lacked understanding of their responsibility in tobacco control measures.

Salt Stress Induced Variation in DNA Methylation Pattern and Its Influence on Gene Expression in Contrasting Rice Genotypes

PubMed Central

Karan, Ratna; DeLeon, Teresa; Biradar, Hanamareddy; Subudhi, Prasanta K.

2012-01-01

Background Salinity is a major environmental factor limiting productivity of crop plants including rice in which wide range of natural variability exists. Although recent evidences implicate epigenetic mechanisms for modulating the gene expression in plants under environmental stresses, epigenetic changes and their functional consequences under salinity stress in rice are underexplored. DNA methylation is one of the epigenetic mechanisms regulating gene expression in plant’s responses to environmental stresses. Better understanding of epigenetic regulation of plant growth and response to environmental stresses may create novel heritable variation for crop improvement. Methodology/Principal Findings Methylation sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP) technique was used to assess the effect of salt stress on extent and patterns of DNA methylation in four genotypes of rice differing in the degree of salinity tolerance. Overall, the amount of DNA methylation was more in shoot compared to root and the contribution of fully methylated loci was always more than hemi-methylated loci. Sequencing of ten randomly selected MSAP fragments indicated gene-body specific DNA methylation of retrotransposons, stress responsive genes, and chromatin modification genes, distributed on different rice chromosomes. Bisulphite sequencing and quantitative RT-PCR analysis of selected MSAP loci showed that cytosine methylation changes under salinity as well as gene expression varied with genotypes and tissue types irrespective of the level of salinity tolerance of rice genotypes. Conclusions/Significance The gene body methylation may have an important role in regulating gene expression in organ and genotype specific manner under salinity stress. Association between salt tolerance and methylation changes observed in some cases suggested that many methylation changes are not “directed”. The natural genetic variation for salt tolerance observed in rice germplasm may be independent of the extent and pattern of DNA methylation which may have been induced by abiotic stress followed by accumulation through the natural selection process. PMID:22761959

Transcriptomic Insights into Phenological Development and Cold Tolerance of Wheat Grown in the Field1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Li, Qiang; Byrns, Brook; Badawi, Mohamed A.; Diallo, Abdoulaye Banire; Danyluk, Jean; Sarhan, Fathey; Zou, Jitao

2018-01-01

Cold acclimation and winter survival in cereal species is determined by complicated environmentally regulated gene expression. However, studies investigating these complex cold responses are mostly conducted in controlled environments that only consider the responses to single environmental variables. In this study, we have comprehensively profiled global transcriptional responses in crowns of field-grown spring and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) genotypes and their near-isogenic lines with the VRN-A1 alleles swapped. This in-depth analysis revealed multiple signaling, interactive pathways that influence cold tolerance and phenological development to optimize plant growth and development in preparation for a wide range of over-winter stresses. Investigation of genetic differences at the VRN-A1 locus revealed that a vernalization requirement maintained a higher level of cold response pathways while VRN-A1 genetically promoted floral development. Our results also demonstrated the influence of genetic background on the expression of cold and flowering pathways. The link between delayed shoot apex development and the induction of cold tolerance was reflected by the gradual up-regulation of abscisic acid-dependent and C-REPEAT-BINDING FACTOR pathways. This was accompanied by the down-regulation of key genes involved in meristem development as the autumn progressed. The chromosome location of differentially expressed genes between the winter and spring wheat genetic backgrounds showed a striking pattern of biased gene expression on chromosomes 6A and 6D, indicating a transcriptional regulation at the genome level. This finding adds to the complexity of the genetic cascades and gene interactions that determine the evolutionary patterns of both phenological development and cold tolerance traits in wheat. PMID:29259104

Environmental Assessment for the AFIT Master Plan, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, 88th Air Base Wing

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-20

management. Wastes generated at WPAFB include waste flammable solvents, contaminated fuels and lubricants, paint /coating, stripping chemicals, waste...Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act CFR Code of Federal Regulations CO carbon monoxide CWA Clean Water Act CY calendar...Restoration Program IT International Technology Corporation JP-8 Jet Fuel-8 LBP lead-based paint g/m3 micrograms per cubic meter MCD Miami Conservancy

Deciphering the metabolic response of M ycobacterium tuberculosis to nitrogen stress

PubMed Central

Williams, Kerstin J.; Jenkins, Victoria A.; Barton, Geraint R.; Bryant, William A.; Krishnan, Nitya

2015-01-01

Summary A key component to the success of M ycobacterium tuberculosis as a pathogen is the ability to sense and adapt metabolically to the diverse range of conditions encountered in vivo, such as oxygen tension, environmental pH and nutrient availability. Although nitrogen is an essential nutrient for every organism, little is known about the genes and pathways responsible for nitrogen assimilation in M . tuberculosis. In this study we have used transcriptomics and chromatin immunoprecipitation and high‐throughput sequencing to address this. In response to nitrogen starvation, a total of 185 genes were significantly differentially expressed (96 up‐regulated and 89 down regulated; 5% genome) highlighting several significant areas of metabolic change during nitrogen limitation such as nitrate/nitrite metabolism, aspartate metabolism and changes in cell wall biosynthesis. We identify GlnR as a regulator involved in the nitrogen response, controlling the expression of at least 33 genes in response to nitrogen limitation. We identify a consensus GlnR binding site and relate its location to known transcriptional start sites. We also show that the GlnR response regulator plays a very different role in M . tuberculosis to that in non‐pathogenic mycobacteria, controlling genes involved in nitric oxide detoxification and intracellular survival instead of genes involved in nitrogen scavenging. PMID:26077160

ABA signaling in stress-response and seed development.

PubMed

Nakashima, Kazuo; Yamaguchi-Shinozaki, Kazuko

2013-07-01

KEY MESSAGE : We review the recent progress on ABA signaling, especially ABA signaling for ABA-dependent gene expression, including the AREB/ABF regulon, SnRK2 protein kinase, 2C-type protein phosphatases and ABA receptors. Drought negatively impacts plant growth and the productivity of crops. Drought causes osmotic stress to organisms, and the osmotic stress causes dehydration in plant cells. Abscisic acid (ABA) is produced under osmotic stress conditions, and it plays an important role in the stress response and tolerance of plants. ABA regulates many genes under osmotic stress conditions. It also regulates gene expression during seed development and germination. The ABA-responsive element (ABRE) is the major cis-element for ABA-responsive gene expression. ABRE-binding protein (AREB)/ABRE-binding factor (ABF) transcription factors (TFs) regulate ABRE-dependent gene expression. Other TFs are also involved in ABA-responsive gene expression. SNF1-related protein kinases 2 are the key regulators of ABA signaling including the AREB/ABF regulon. Recently, ABA receptors and group A 2C-type protein phosphatases were shown to govern the ABA signaling pathway. Moreover, recent studies have suggested that there are interactions between the major ABA signaling pathway and other signaling factors in stress-response and seed development. The control of the expression of ABA signaling factors may improve tolerance to environmental stresses.

Circadian rhythms have significant effects on leaf-to-canopy scale gas exchange under field conditions.

PubMed

Resco de Dios, Víctor; Gessler, Arthur; Ferrio, Juan Pedro; Alday, Josu G; Bahn, Michael; Del Castillo, Jorge; Devidal, Sébastien; García-Muñoz, Sonia; Kayler, Zachary; Landais, Damien; Martín-Gómez, Paula; Milcu, Alexandru; Piel, Clément; Pirhofer-Walzl, Karin; Ravel, Olivier; Salekin, Serajis; Tissue, David T; Tjoelker, Mark G; Voltas, Jordi; Roy, Jacques

2016-10-20

Molecular clocks drive oscillations in leaf photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and other cell and leaf-level processes over ~24 h under controlled laboratory conditions. The influence of such circadian regulation over whole-canopy fluxes remains uncertain; diurnal CO 2 and H 2 O vapor flux dynamics in the field are currently interpreted as resulting almost exclusively from direct physiological responses to variations in light, temperature and other environmental factors. We tested whether circadian regulation would affect plant and canopy gas exchange at the Montpellier European Ecotron. Canopy and leaf-level fluxes were constantly monitored under field-like environmental conditions, and under constant environmental conditions (no variation in temperature, radiation, or other environmental cues). We show direct experimental evidence at canopy scales of the circadian regulation of daytime gas exchange: 20-79 % of the daily variation range in CO 2 and H 2 O fluxes occurred under circadian entrainment in canopies of an annual herb (bean) and of a perennial shrub (cotton). We also observed that considering circadian regulation improved performance by 8-17 % in commonly used stomatal conductance models. Our results show that circadian controls affect diurnal CO 2 and H 2 O flux patterns in entire canopies in field-like conditions, and its consideration significantly improves model performance. Circadian controls act as a 'memory' of the past conditions experienced by the plant, which synchronizes metabolism across entire plant canopies.

Environmental-stress-induced Chromatin Regulation and its Heritability

PubMed Central

Fang, Lei; Wuptra, Kenly; Chen, Danqi; Li, Hongjie; Huang, Shau-Ku; Jin, Chunyuan; Yokoyama, Kazunari K

2014-01-01

Chromatin is subject to proofreading and repair mechanisms during the process of DNA replication, as well as repair to maintain genetic and epigenetic information and genome stability. The dynamic structure of chromatin modulates various nuclear processes, including transcription and replication, by altering the accessibility of the DNA to regulatory factors. Structural changes in chromatin are affected by the chemical modification of histone proteins and DNA, remodeling of nucleosomes, incorporation of variant histones, noncoding RNAs, and nonhistone DNA-binding proteins. Phenotypic diversity and fidelity can be balanced by controlling stochastic switching of chromatin structure and dynamics in response to the environmental disruptors and endogenous stresses. The dynamic chromatin remodeling can, therefore, serve as a sensor, through which environmental and/or metabolic agents can alter gene expression, leading to global cellular changes involving multiple interactive networks. Furthermore its recent evidence also suggests that the epigenetic changes are heritable during the development. This review will discuss the environmental sensing system for chromatin regulation and genetic and epigenetic controls from developmental perspectives. PMID:25045581

Genome-wide DNA methylation alterations of Alternanthera philoxeroides in natural and manipulated habitats: implications for epigenetic regulation of rapid responses to environmental fluctuation and phenotypic variation.

PubMed

Gao, Lexuan; Geng, Yupeng; Li, Bo; Chen, Jiakuan; Yang, Ji

2010-11-01

Alternanthera philoxeroides (alligator weed) is an invasive weed that can colonize both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Individuals growing in different habitats exhibit extensive phenotypic variation but little genetic differentiation in its introduced range. The mechanisms underpinning the wide range of phenotypic variation and rapid adaptation to novel and changing environments remain uncharacterized. In this study, we examined the epigenetic variation and its correlation with phenotypic variation in plants exposed to natural and manipulated environmental variability. Genome-wide methylation profiling using methylation-sensitive amplified fragment length polymorphism (MSAP) revealed considerable DNA methylation polymorphisms within and between natural populations. Plants of different source populations not only underwent significant morphological changes in common garden environments, but also underwent a genome-wide epigenetic reprogramming in response to different treatments. Methylation alterations associated with response to different water availability were detected in 78.2% (169/216) of common garden induced polymorphic sites, demonstrating the environmental sensitivity and flexibility of the epigenetic regulatory system. These data provide evidence of the correlation between epigenetic reprogramming and the reversible phenotypic response of alligator weed to particular environmental factors. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Implementing the Provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

This handbook provides guidance and assistance to NASA officials in carrying out their responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act and the applicable NASA procedures (14 CFR 1216.3, Attachment A to NMI 8800.7). The handbook, as was contemplated by the regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality, stresses the need for environmental analysis from the time of early planning through environmental assessment and environmental impact statement preparation to implementation of the subject action, and provides for necessary follow up. It stresses the need for NASA officials to draw upon all the appropriate disciplines from the natural and social sciences plus the environmental design arts in planning and decision making on actions which may have an impact on the human environment. The handbook is applicable to NASA Headquarters and field installations.

New development with cultural management related to flowering

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Control of flowering is important in strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) production. Plants have evolved mechanisms to alter their growth and development in response to environmental signals. The transition from vegetative to reproductive development in strawberries is regulated by a number of ...

Mapping the microbiome of Ictalurid catfish: tissue and species-specific community composition

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Host mucosal immunity is regulated by the complex interplay between environmental factors, host genetics, and commensal and pathogen dynamics. Microbial imbalances due to physiological stressors, changes in nutrition, and/or antibiotic application can potentiate over-exuberant host immune responses ...

SYMPOSIUM SESSION PROPOSAL: INCORPORATION OF MODE OF ACTION INTO MECHANISTICALLY-BASED QUANTITATIVE MODELS

EPA Science Inventory

The biological processes by which environmental pollutants induce adverse health effects is most likely regulated by complex interactions dependent upon the route of exposure, dose, kinetics of distribution, and multiple cellular responses. To further complicate deciphering thes...

30 CFR 282.12 - Director's responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... completion of an environmental assessment or other NEPA document prepared pursuant to the regulations... are conducted in a manner that protects the environment and promotes orderly development of OCS..., any natural resource (including OCS mineral deposits and oil, gas, and sulphur resources in areas...

15 CFR 971.206 - Statement of ownership.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE DEEP SEABED MINING REGULATIONS FOR COMMERCIAL RECOVERY PERMITS Applications Contents... demonstrate that the applicant is a United States citizen. (b) Specific. In particular, the application must include: (1) Name, address, and telephone number of the United States citizen responsible for commercial...

Site safety plan for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory CERCLA investigations at site 300. Revision 2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kilmer, J.

Various Department of Energy Orders incorporate by reference, health and safety regulations promulgated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). One of the OSHA regulations, 29 CFR 1910.120, Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, requires that site safety plans are written for activities such as those covered by work plans for Site 300 environmental investigations. Based upon available data, this Site Safety Plan (Plan) for environmental restoration has been prepared specifically for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Site 300, located approximately 15 miles east of Livermore, California. As additional facts, monitoring data, or analytical data on hazards are provided,more » this Plan may need to be modified. It is the responsibility of the Environmental Restoration Program and Division (ERD) Site Safety Officer (SSO), with the assistance of Hazards Control, to evaluate data which may impact health and safety during these activities and to modify the Plan as appropriate. This Plan is not `cast-in-concrete.` The SSO shall have the authority, with the concurrence of Hazards Control, to institute any change to maintain health and safety protection for workers at Site 300.« less

Stress Sensors and Signal Transducers in Cyanobacteria

PubMed Central

Los, Dmitry A.; Zorina, Anna; Sinetova, Maria; Kryazhov, Sergey; Mironov, Kirill; Zinchenko, Vladislav V.

2010-01-01

In living cells, the perception of environmental stress and the subsequent transduction of stress signals are primary events in the acclimation to changes in the environment. Some molecular sensors and transducers of environmental stress cannot be identified by traditional and conventional methods. Based on genomic information, a systematic approach has been applied to the solution of this problem in cyanobacteria, involving mutagenesis of potential sensors and signal transducers in combination with DNA microarray analyses for the genome-wide expression of genes. Forty-five genes for the histidine kinases (Hiks), 12 genes for serine-threonine protein kinases (Spks), 42 genes for response regulators (Rres), seven genes for RNA polymerase sigma factors, and nearly 70 genes for transcription factors have been successfully inactivated by targeted mutagenesis in the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Screening of mutant libraries by genome-wide DNA microarray analysis under various stress and non-stress conditions has allowed identification of proteins that perceive and transduce signals of environmental stress. Here we summarize recent progress in the identification of sensory and regulatory systems, including Hiks, Rres, Spks, sigma factors, transcription factors, and the role of genomic DNA supercoiling in the regulation of the responses of cyanobacterial cells to various types of stress. PMID:22294932

Roles of Ion Channels in the Environmental Responses of Plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furuichi, Takuya; Kawano, Tomonori; Tatsumi, Hitoshi; Sokabe, Masahiro

When plant cells are exposed to environmental stresses or perceive internal signal molecules involved in growth and development, ion channels are transiently activated to convert these stimuli into intracellular signals. Among the ions taken up by plant cells, Ca2+ plays an essential role as an intracellular second messenger in plants; the cytoplasmic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]c) is therefore strictly regulated. Signal transduction pathways mediated by changes in [Ca2+]c - termed Ca2+ signaling - are initiated by the activation of Ca2+-permeable channels in many cases. To date, a large body of electrophysiological and recent molecular biological studies have revealed that plants possess Ca2+ channels belonging to distinct types with different gating mechanisms, and a variety of genes for Ca2+-permeable channels have been isolated and functionally characterized. Topics in this chapter focus on long-distance signal translocation in plants and the characteristics of a variety of plant Ca2+-permeable channels including voltage-dependent Ca2+-permeable channels, cyclic nucleotide-gated cation channels, ionotropic glutamate receptors and mechanosensitive channels. We discuss their roles in environmental responses and in the regulation of growth and development.

The molecular mechanisms of plant plasma membrane intrinsic proteins trafficking and stress response.

PubMed

Wang, Xing; Zhang, Ji-long; Feng, Xiu-xiu; Li, Hong-jie; Zhang, Gen-fa

2017-04-20

Plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs) are plant channel proteins located on the plasma membrane. PIPs transfer water, CO 2 and small uncharged solutes through the plasma membrane. PIPs have high selectivity to substrates, suggestive of a central role in maintaining cellular water balance. The expression, activity and localization of PIPs are regulated at the transcriptional and post-translational levels, and also affected by environmental factors. Numerous studies indicate that the expression patterns and localizations of PIPs can change in response to abiotic stresses. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms of PIP trafficking, transcriptional and post-translational regulations, and abiotic stress responses. Moreover, we also discuss the current research trends and future directions on PIPs.

Legal and institutional aspects of regulating intermedia pollution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Entman, R.M.

1980-05-01

Intermedia pollution is defined here as the creation of new environmental impacts by controlling existing ones. DOE asked four questions: (1) do the major environmental laws address intermedia pollution; (2) does the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have rules, regulations, and procedures through which it considers intermedia questions; (3) do the legislative histories of the laws indicate whether Congress intended for the EPA to consider intermedia issues; and (4) in what ways do the existing laws and regulatory procedures exacerbate intermedia pollution. The answer to the first three questions is yes; much of this report is devoted to amplifying and qualifyingmore » that response, the rest to answering the fourth question. The report frames these issues by asking how we can control the adverse environmental i.e., intermedia, impacts of EPA itself. A case study of the intermedia implications of recently issued air-pollution standards for coal-fired power plants illustrates the themes concretely. An analysis of policy alternatives for improving intermedia pollution control concludes the study. The major problems impending good intermedia policy decisions are: conflicts among and failures fully to implement environmental laws; political pressures; tendencies of EPA to minimize the adverse environmental consequences of its own actions; uncertainties caused by the rudimentary scientific understanding of intermedia pollution; and limitations on EPA's organizational ability to handle whatever complex intermedia information it does obtain. The final chapter assesses three policy responses to these problems: do nothing new; issue an incremental prod; and a new law and EPA suffice. Evaluation of these alternatives depends on how deficient current practices are thought to be.« less

Community Environmental Response Facilitation Act (CERFA) report, Alabama Army Ammunition Plant, Talladega County, Alabama. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Young, B.; Frye, C.

1994-04-01

This report presents the results of the Community Environmental Response Facilitation Act (CERFA) investigation conducted by The Earth Technology Corporation (TETC) at Alabama Army Ammunition Plant, a U.S. Government property selected for closure by the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission. Under CERFA, Federal agencies are required to identify real property that can be immediately reused and redeveloped. Satisfying this objective requires the identification of real property where no hazardous substances or petroleum, products, regulated by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), were stored for one year or more, known to have been released, or disposed. Themore » Alabama Army Ammunition Plant is a 2,187-acre site (more or less) located in Talladega County, Alabama, approximately 5 miles north of Childersburg, Alabama. The installation's primary mission was to manufacture explosives. Activities associated with the property that have environmental significance are the former manufacturing of explosives, the recycling of spent acids, and the disposal of wastes resulting from these operations. The facility is on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Priorities List. Alabama Army Ammunition Plant, CERFA, Base closure, BRAC.« less

The Role of MicroRNAs in Environmental Risk Factors, Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, and Mental Stress.

PubMed

Miguel, Verónica; Cui, Julia Yue; Daimiel, Lidia; Espinosa-Díez, Cristina; Fernández-Hernando, Carlos; Kavanagh, Terrance J; Lamas, Santiago

2018-03-20

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of gene expression and define part of the epigenetic signature. Their influence on every realm of biomedicine is established and progressively increasing. The impact of environment on human health is enormous. Among environmental risk factors impinging on quality of life are those of chemical nature (toxic chemicals, heavy metals, pollutants, and pesticides) as well as those related to everyday life such as exposure to noise or mental and psychosocial stress. Recent Advances: This review elaborates on the relationship between miRNAs and these environmental risk factors. The most relevant facts underlying the role of miRNAs in the response to these environmental stressors, including redox regulatory changes and oxidative stress, are highlighted and discussed. In the cases wherein miRNA mutations are relevant for this response, the pertinent literature is also reviewed. We conclude that, even though in some cases important advances have been made regarding close correlations between specific miRNAs and biological responses to environmental risk factors, a need for prospective large-cohort studies is likely necessary to establish causative roles. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 28, 773-796.

Coordinated Regulation of Virulence during Systemic Infection of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yoon, Hyunjin; McDermott, Jason E.; Porwollik, Steffen

Salmonella must respond to a myriad of environmental cues during infection of a mouse and express specific subsets of genes in a temporal and spatial manner to subvert the host defense mechanisms but these regulatory pathways are poorly established. To unravel how micro-environmental signals are processed and integrated into coordinated action, we constructed in-frame non-polar deletions of 84 regulators inferred to play a role in Salmonella typhimurium virulence and tested them in three virulence assays (intraperitoneal (i.p.), and intragastric (i.g.) infection in BALB/c mice, and persistence in SvJ129 mice). Overall 36 regulators were identified that were less virulent in atmore » least one assay, and of those, 15 regulators were required for systemic mouse infection in an acute infection model. As a first step towards understanding the interplay between a pathogen and its host from a systems biology standpoint we focused on these 15 genes. Transcriptional profiles were obtained for each of these 15 regulators from strains grown under four different environmental conditions. These results as well as publicly available transcriptional profiles were analyzed using both network inference and cluster analysis algorithms. The analysis predicts a regulatory network in which all 15 regulators control a specific set of genes necessary for Salmonella to cause systemic infection. We tested the regulatory model by expressing a subset of the regulators in trans and monitoring transcription of 7 known virulence factors located within Salmonella pathogenicity island 2 (SPI-2). These experiments validated the regulatory model and showed that, for these 7 genes, the response regulator SsrB and the marR type regulator SlyA co-regulate in a regulatory cascade by integrating multiple signals.« less

Integration of light and circadian signals that regulate chloroplast transcription by a nuclear-encoded sigma factor.

PubMed

Belbin, Fiona E; Noordally, Zeenat B; Wetherill, Sarah J; Atkins, Kelly A; Franklin, Keara A; Dodd, Antony N

2017-01-01

We investigated the signalling pathways that regulate chloroplast transcription in response to environmental signals. One mechanism controlling plastid transcription involves nuclear-encoded sigma subunits of plastid-encoded plastid RNA polymerase. Transcripts encoding the sigma factor SIG5 are regulated by light and the circadian clock. However, the extent to which a chloroplast target of SIG5 is regulated by light-induced changes in SIG5 expression is unknown. Moreover, the photoreceptor signalling pathways underlying the circadian regulation of chloroplast transcription by SIG5 are unidentified. We monitored the regulation of chloroplast transcription in photoreceptor and sigma factor mutants under controlled light regimes in Arabidopsis thaliana. We established that a chloroplast transcriptional response to light intensity was mediated by SIG5; a chloroplast transcriptional response to the relative proportions of red and far red light was regulated by SIG5 through phytochrome and photosynthetic signals; and the circadian regulation of chloroplast transcription by SIG5 was predominantly dependent on blue light and cryptochrome. Our experiments reveal the extensive integration of signals concerning the light environment by a single sigma factor to regulate chloroplast transcription. This may originate from an evolutionarily ancient mechanism that protects photosynthetic bacteria from high light stress, which subsequently became integrated with higher plant phototransduction networks. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

DNA methylation dynamics in plants and mammals: overview of regulation and dysregulation.

PubMed

Elhamamsy, Amr Rafat

2016-07-01

DNA methylation is a major epigenetic marking mechanism regulating various biological functions in mammals and plant. The crucial role of DNA methylation has been observed in cellular differentiation, embryogenesis, genomic imprinting and X-chromosome inactivation. Furthermore, DNA methylation takes part in disease susceptibility, responses to environmental stimuli and the biodiversity of natural populations. In plant, different types of environmental stress have demonstrated the ability to alter the archetype of DNA methylation through the genome, change gene expression and confer a mechanism of adaptation. DNA methylation dynamics are regulated by three processes de novo DNA methylation, methylation maintenance and DNA demethylation. These processes have their similarities and differences between mammals and plants. Furthermore, the dysregulation of DNA methylation dynamics represents one of the primary molecular mechanisms of developing diseases in mammals. This review discusses the regulation and dysregulation of DNA methylation in plants and mammals. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Coordinated post-translational responses of aquaporins to abiotic and nutritional stimuli in Arabidopsis roots.

PubMed

di Pietro, Magali; Vialaret, Jérôme; Li, Guo-Wei; Hem, Sonia; Prado, Karine; Rossignol, Michel; Maurel, Christophe; Santoni, Véronique

2013-12-01

In plants, aquaporins play a crucial role in regulating root water transport in response to environmental and physiological cues. Controls achieved at the post-translational level are thought to be of critical importance for regulating aquaporin function. To investigate the general molecular mechanisms involved, we performed, using the model species Arabidopsis, a comprehensive proteomic analysis of root aquaporins in a large set of physiological contexts. We identified nine physiological treatments that modulate root hydraulics in time frames of minutes (NO and H2O2 treatments), hours (mannitol and NaCl treatments, exposure to darkness and reversal with sucrose, phosphate supply to phosphate-starved roots), or days (phosphate or nitrogen starvation). All treatments induced inhibition of root water transport except for sucrose supply to dark-grown plants and phosphate resupply to phosphate-starved plants, which had opposing effects. Using a robust label-free quantitative proteomic methodology, we identified 12 of 13 plasma membrane intrinsic protein (PIP) aquaporin isoforms, 4 of the 10 tonoplast intrinsic protein isoforms, and a diversity of post-translational modifications including phosphorylation, methylation, deamidation, and acetylation. A total of 55 aquaporin peptides displayed significant changes after treatments and enabled the identification of specific and as yet unknown patterns of response to stimuli. The data show that the regulation of PIP and tonoplast intrinsic protein abundance was involved in response to a few treatments (i.e. NaCl, NO, and nitrate starvation), whereas changes in the phosphorylation status of PIP aquaporins were positively correlated to changes in root hydraulic conductivity in the whole set of treatments. The identification of in vivo deamidated forms of aquaporins and their stimulus-induced changes in abundance may reflect a new mechanism of aquaporin regulation. The overall work provides deep insights into the in vivo post-translational events triggered by environmental constraints and their possible role in regulating plant water status.

Technological change, depletion and environmental policy in the offshore oil and gas industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Managi, Shunsuke

Technological change is central to maintaining standards of living in modern economies with finite resources and increasingly stringent environmental goals. Successful environmental policies can contribute to efficiency by encouraging, rather than inhibiting, technological innovation. However, little research to date has focused on the design and implementation of environmental regulations that encourage technological progress, or in insuring productivity improvements in the face of depletion of natural resources and increasing stringency of environmental regulations. This study models and measures productivity change, with an application to offshore oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico using Data Envelopment Analysis. This is an important application because energy resources are central to sustaining our economy. The net effects of technological progress and depletion on productivity of offshore oil and gas production are measured using a unique field-level set of data of production from all wells in the Gulf of Mexico over the time period from 1946--1998. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that technological progress has mitigated depletion effects over the study period, but the pattern differs from the conventional wisdom for nonrenewable resource industries. The Porter Hypothesis was recast, and revised version was tested. The Porter Hypothesis states that well designed environmental regulations can potentially contribute to productive efficiency in the long run by encouraging innovation. The Porter Hypothesis was recast to include market and nonmarket outputs. Our results support the recast version of Porter hypothesis, which examine productivity of joint production of market and environmental outputs. But we find no evidence for the standard formulation of the Porter hypothesis, that increased stringency of environmental regulation lead to increased productivity of market outputs and therefore increased industry profits. The model is used to forecast market and environmental outputs under alternative policy scenarios. Reliable baseline forecast and response to different policy actions of production and pollution are critical to the formation of sound energy and environmental policy. Forecast of production and pollution until year 2050 are generated from the model. Detailed policy scenarios provide quantitative assessments of potential benefits that indicate the significance of potential benefits of technological change and well-designed environmental policy.

Learning the Languages of the Chloroplast: Retrograde Signaling and Beyond.

PubMed

Chan, Kai Xun; Phua, Su Yin; Crisp, Peter; McQuinn, Ryan; Pogson, Barry J

2016-04-29

The chloroplast can act as an environmental sensor, communicating with the cell during biogenesis and operation to change the expression of thousands of proteins. This process, termed retrograde signaling, regulates expression in response to developmental cues and stresses that affect photosynthesis and yield. Recent advances have identified many signals and pathways-including carotenoid derivatives, isoprenes, phosphoadenosines, tetrapyrroles, and heme, together with reactive oxygen species and proteins-that build a communication network to regulate gene expression, RNA turnover, and splicing. However, retrograde signaling pathways have been viewed largely as a means of bilateral communication between organelles and nuclei, ignoring their potential to interact with hormone signaling and the cell as a whole to regulate plant form and function. Here, we discuss new findings on the processes by which organelle communication is initiated, transmitted, and perceived, not only to regulate chloroplastic processes but also to intersect with cellular signaling and alter physiological responses.

Motivation for compliance with environmental regulations related to forest health.

PubMed

Peterson, Kim; Diss-Torrance, Andrea

2012-12-15

This study extends previous research on motivations for compliance with environmental regulations. It addresses contexts where regulatees have primarily sporadic short term interests, where costs of compliance are modest, and where costs of non-compliance are low. The behavior studied is the movement of firewood for camping, a principal cause for the spread of the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), one of several invasive species plaguing the eastern United States. Based on a three-wave mail survey that produced 495 usable returns (64% response rate), findings suggest that motivations are influential in these contexts. Calculated motivations exert the greatest influence-especially when related to firewood price and convenience, while normative motivations (civic duty based) exert less influence, as does ability to comply. These findings have important implications, not only for controlling the spread of forest diseases and invasive pests, but also for regulating natural resources in general. They suggest that national, state, and local governments can manage natural resources to encourage user compliance with environmental rules, and develop communication strategies that leverage pro-environment norms. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Drosophila TRPA1 Channel and Neuronal Circuits Controlling Rhythmic Behaviours and Sleep in Response to Environmental Temperature

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

trpA1 encodes a thermosensitive transient receptor potential channel (TRP channel) that functions in selection of preferred temperatures and noxious heat avoidance. In this review, we discuss the evidence for a role of TRPA1 in the control of rhythmic behaviours in Drosophila melanogaster. Activity levels during the afternoon and rhythmic temperature preference are both regulated by TRPA1. In contrast, TRPA1 is dispensable for temperature synchronisation of circadian clocks. We discuss the neuronal basis of TRPA1-mediated temperature effects on rhythmic behaviours, and conclude that they are mediated by partly overlapping but distinct neuronal circuits. We have previously shown that TRPA1 is required to maintain siesta sleep under warm temperature cycles. Here, we present new data investigating the neuronal circuit responsible for this regulation. First, we discuss the difficulties that remain in identifying the responsible neurons. Second, we discuss the role of clock neurons (s-LNv/DN1 network) in temperature-driven regulation of siesta sleep, and highlight the role of TRPA1 therein. Finally, we discuss the sexual dimorphic nature of siesta sleep and propose that the s-LNv/DN1 clock network could play a role in the integration of environmental information, mating status and other internal drives, to appropriately drive adaptive sleep/wake behaviour. PMID:28972543

FY 1994 program summary: Office of Technology Development, Office of Research and Development, Office of Demonstration, Testing, and Evaluation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1994-10-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management, formerly the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM), was established in November 1989 as the first step toward correcting contamination problems resulting from nearly 50 years of nuclear weapons production and fuel processing activities. EM consolidates several DOE organizations previously responsible for the handling, treatment, and disposition of radioactive and hazardous waste. Within EM, the Office of Technology Development (OTD/EM-50) is responsible for developing technologies to meet DOE`s goal for environmental restoration. OTD manages an aggressive national program of applied research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation (RDDT andmore » E) for environmental cleanup, waste management, and related technologies. The program is designed to resolve major technical issues, to rapidly advanced beyond current technologies for environmental restoration and waste management operations, and to expedite compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations. This report summarizes Fiscal Year 1994 (FY94) programmatic information, accomplishments, and planned activities relevant to the individual activities within OTD`s RDDT and E.« less

Food-derived sensory cues modulate longevity via distinct neuroendocrine insulin-like peptides.

PubMed

Artan, Murat; Jeong, Dae-Eun; Lee, Dongyeop; Kim, Young-Il; Son, Heehwa G; Husain, Zahabiya; Kim, Jinmahn; Altintas, Ozlem; Kim, Kyuhyung; Alcedo, Joy; Lee, Seung-Jae V

2016-05-01

Environmental fluctuations influence organismal aging by affecting various regulatory systems. One such system involves sensory neurons, which affect life span in many species. However, how sensory neurons coordinate organismal aging in response to changes in environmental signals remains elusive. Here, we found that a subset of sensory neurons shortens Caenorhabditis elegans' life span by differentially regulating the expression of a specific insulin-like peptide (ILP), INS-6. Notably, treatment with food-derived cues or optogenetic activation of sensory neurons significantly increases ins-6 expression and decreases life span. INS-6 in turn relays the longevity signals to nonneuronal tissues by decreasing the activity of the transcription factor DAF-16/FOXO. Together, our study delineates a mechanism through which environmental sensory cues regulate aging rates by modulating the activities of specific sensory neurons and ILPs. © 2016 Artan et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Sensory deprivation in Staphylococcus aureus.

PubMed

Villanueva, Maite; García, Begoña; Valle, Jaione; Rapún, Beatriz; Ruiz de Los Mozos, Igor; Solano, Cristina; Martí, Miguel; Penadés, José R; Toledo-Arana, Alejandro; Lasa, Iñigo

2018-02-06

Bacteria use two-component systems (TCSs) to sense and respond to environmental changes. The core genome of the major human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus encodes 16 TCSs, one of which (WalRK) is essential. Here we show that S. aureus can be deprived of its complete sensorial TCS network and still survive under growth arrest conditions similarly to wild-type bacteria. Under replicating conditions, however, the WalRK system is necessary and sufficient to maintain bacterial growth, indicating that sensing through TCSs is mostly dispensable for living under constant environmental conditions. Characterization of S. aureus derivatives containing individual TCSs reveals that each TCS appears to be autonomous and self-sufficient to sense and respond to specific environmental cues, although some level of cross-regulation between non-cognate sensor-response regulator pairs occurs in vivo. This organization, if confirmed in other bacterial species, may provide a general evolutionarily mechanism for flexible bacterial adaptation to life in new niches.

Bipartite functions of the CREB co-activators selectively direct alternative splicing or transcriptional activation

PubMed Central

Amelio, Antonio L; Caputi, Massimo; Conkright, Michael D

2009-01-01

The CREB regulated transcription co-activators (CRTCs) regulate many biological processes by integrating and converting environmental inputs into transcriptional responses. Although the mechanisms by which CRTCs sense cellular signals are characterized, little is known regarding how CRTCs contribute to the regulation of cAMP inducible genes. Here we show that these dynamic regulators, unlike other co-activators, independently direct either pre-mRNA splice-site selection or transcriptional activation depending on the cell type or promoter context. Moreover, in other scenarios, the CRTC co-activators coordinately regulate transcription and splicing. Mutational analyses showed that CRTCs possess distinct functional domains responsible for regulating either pre-mRNA splicing or transcriptional activation. Interestingly, the CRTC1–MAML2 oncoprotein lacks the splicing domain and is incapable of altering splice-site selection despite robustly activating transcription. The differential usage of these distinct domains allows CRTCs to selectively mediate multiple facets of gene regulation, indicating that co-activators are not solely restricted to coordinating alternative splicing with increase in transcriptional activity. PMID:19644446

Methods for the Analysis of Protein Phosphorylation-Mediated Cellular Signaling Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, Forest M.; Wolf-Yadlin, Alejandro

2016-06-01

Protein phosphorylation-mediated cellular signaling networks regulate almost all aspects of cell biology, including the responses to cellular stimulation and environmental alterations. These networks are highly complex and comprise hundreds of proteins and potentially thousands of phosphorylation sites. Multiple analytical methods have been developed over the past several decades to identify proteins and protein phosphorylation sites regulating cellular signaling, and to quantify the dynamic response of these sites to different cellular stimulation. Here we provide an overview of these methods, including the fundamental principles governing each method, their relative strengths and weaknesses, and some examples of how each method has been applied to the analysis of complex signaling networks. When applied correctly, each of these techniques can provide insight into the topology, dynamics, and regulation of protein phosphorylation signaling networks.

The polyadenylation code: a unified model for the regulation of mRNA alternative polyadenylation*

PubMed Central

Davis, Ryan; Shi, Yongsheng

2014-01-01

The majority of eukaryotic genes produce multiple mRNA isoforms with distinct 3′ ends through a process called mRNA alternative polyadenylation (APA). Recent studies have demonstrated that APA is dynamically regulated during development and in response to environmental stimuli. A number of mechanisms have been described for APA regulation. In this review, we attempt to integrate all the known mechanisms into a unified model. This model not only explains most of previous results, but also provides testable predictions that will improve our understanding of the mechanistic details of APA regulation. Finally, we briefly discuss the known and putative functions of APA regulation. PMID:24793760

29 CFR 1990.132 - Factors to be considered.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR... contracting cancer but also other occupational and environmental health hazards; (5) Whether the molecular... responsibilities for dealing with other health and safety hazards and will consider the actions being taken or...

29 CFR 1990.132 - Factors to be considered.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR... contracting cancer but also other occupational and environmental health hazards; (5) Whether the molecular... responsibilities for dealing with other health and safety hazards and will consider the actions being taken or...

76 FR 25565 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations Supplement; Guidance on Personal Services (DFARS Case...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-05

... program manager, or equivalent, certification that the service contract requirement does not include an... a boundary separating contractor and government employees in all workplace environments.'' Response... potential economic, environmental, public health and safety effects, distributive impacts, and equity...

Adverse Outcome Pathways and Ecological Risk Assessment: Bridging to Population Level Effects

EPA Science Inventory

The viability of populations of plants and animals is a key focus for environmental regulation. Population-level responses integrate the cumulative effects of chemical stressors on individuals as those individuals interact with and are affected by their con-specifics, competitor...

Auxin Chemical and Molecular Biology

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Auxins function as key regulators at the intersection between developmental and environmental events and the response pathways that they trigger. Naturally occurring members of this hormone group include indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), and 4-chloro-indole-3-acetic acid (4-Cl...

Transcriptome Analysis of ABA/JA-Dual Responsive Genes in Rice Shoot and Root.

PubMed

Kim, Jin-Ae; Bhatnagar, Nikita; Kwon, Soon Jae; Min, Myung Ki; Moon, Seok-Jun; Yoon, In Sun; Kwon, Taek-Ryoun; Kim, Sun Tae; Kim, Beom-Gi

2018-01-01

The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) enables plants to adapt to adverse environmental conditions through the modulation of metabolic pathways and of growth and developmental programs. We used comparative microarray analysis to identify genes exhibiting ABA-dependent expression and other hormone-dependent expression among them in Oryza sativa shoot and root. We identified 854 genes as significantly up- or down-regulated in root or shoot under ABA treatment condition. Most of these genes had similar expression profiles in root and shoot under ABA treatment condition, whereas 86 genes displayed opposite expression responses in root and shoot. To examine the crosstalk between ABA and other hormones, we compared the expression profiles of the ABA-dependently regulated genes under several different hormone treatment conditions. Interestingly, around half of the ABA-dependently expressed genes were also regulated by jasmonic acid based on microarray data analysis. We searched the promoter regions of these genes for cis-elements that could be responsible for their responsiveness to both hormones, and found that ABRE and MYC2 elements, among others, were common to the promoters of genes that were regulated by both ABA and JA. These results show that ABA and JA might have common gene expression regulation system and might explain why the JA could function for both abiotic and biotic stress tolerance.

Membrane-localized ubiquitin ligase ATL15 functions in sugar-responsive growth regulation in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Aoyama, Shoki; Terada, Saki; Sanagi, Miho; Hasegawa, Yoko; Lu, Yu; Morita, Yoshie; Chiba, Yukako; Sato, Takeo; Yamaguchi, Junji

2017-09-09

Ubiquitin ligases play important roles in regulating various cellular processes by modulating the protein function of specific ubiquitination targets. The Arabidopsis Tóxicos en Levadura (ATL) family is a group of plant-specific RING-type ubiquitin ligases that localize to membranes via their N-terminal transmembrane-like domains. To date, 91 ATL isoforms have been identified in the Arabidopsis genome, with several ATLs reported to be involved in regulating plant responses to environmental stresses. However, the functions of most ATLs remain unknown. This study, involving transcriptome database analysis, identifies ATL15 as a sugar responsive ATL gene in Arabidopsis. ATL15 expression was rapidly down-regulated in the presence of sugar. The ATL15 protein showed ubiquitin ligase activity in vitro and localized to plasma membrane and endomembrane compartments. Further genetic analyses demonstrated that the atl15 knockout mutants are insensitive to high glucose concentrations, whereas ATL15 overexpression depresses plant growth. In addition, endogenous glucose and starch amounts were reciprocally affected in the atl15 knockout mutants and the ATL15 overexpressors. These results suggest that ATL15 protein plays a significant role as a membrane-localized ubiquitin ligase that regulates sugar-responsive plant growth in Arabidopsis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990: Hazardous Air Pollutant Requirements and the DOE Clean Coal Technology Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moskowitz, P.D.; DePhillips, M.; Fthenakis, V.M.

1991-12-31

The purpose of the US Department of Energy -- Office of Fossil Energy (DOE FE) Clean Coal Technology Program (CCTP) is to provide the US energy marketplace with advanced, efficient, and environmentally sound coal-based technologies. The design, construction, and operation of Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Projects (CCTDP) will generate data needed to make informed, confident decisions on the commercial readiness of these technologies. These data also will provide information needed to ensure a proactive response by DOE and its industrial partners to the establishment of new regulations or a reactive response to existing regulations promulgated by the US Environmental Protectionmore » Agency (EPA). The objectives of this paper are to: (1) Present a preliminary examination of the potential implications of the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) -- Title 3 Hazardous Air Pollutant requirements to the commercialization of CCTDP; and (2) help define options available to DOE and its industrial partners to respond to this newly enacted Legislation.« less

The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990: Hazardous Air Pollutant Requirements and the DOE Clean Coal Technology Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moskowitz, P.D.; DePhillips, M.; Fthenakis, V.M.

1991-01-01

The purpose of the US Department of Energy -- Office of Fossil Energy (DOE FE) Clean Coal Technology Program (CCTP) is to provide the US energy marketplace with advanced, efficient, and environmentally sound coal-based technologies. The design, construction, and operation of Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Projects (CCTDP) will generate data needed to make informed, confident decisions on the commercial readiness of these technologies. These data also will provide information needed to ensure a proactive response by DOE and its industrial partners to the establishment of new regulations or a reactive response to existing regulations promulgated by the US Environmental Protectionmore » Agency (EPA). The objectives of this paper are to: (1) Present a preliminary examination of the potential implications of the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) -- Title 3 Hazardous Air Pollutant requirements to the commercialization of CCTDP; and (2) help define options available to DOE and its industrial partners to respond to this newly enacted Legislation.« less

The Arabidopsis tandem CCCH zinc finger proteins AtTZF4, 5 and 6 are involved in light-, abscisic acid- and gibberellic acid-mediated regulation of seed germination.

PubMed

Bogamuwa, Srimathi; Jang, Jyan-Chyun

2013-08-01

Tandem CCCH zinc finger proteins (TZFs) are post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression in animals and yeast. Genetic studies indicate that plant TZFs are involved in hormone-mediated developmental and environmental responses. We have demonstrated previously that Arabidopsis AtTZF1 can localize to processing bodies (PBs) and stress granules (SGs), and affects abscisic acid (ABA)- and gibberellic acid (GA)-mediated growth, stress and gene expression responses. Here we show that AtTZF4, 5 and 6 are specifically expressed in seeds. Consistent with the observation that their expression levels decline during seed imbibition, AtTZF4, 5 and 6 are up-regulated by ABA and down-regulated by GA. Mutant analyses indicate that AtTZF4, 5 and 6 act as positive regulators for ABA- and negative regulators for light- and GA-mediated seed germination responses. Results of gene expression analysis indicate that AtTZF4, 5 and 6 affect seed germination by controlling genes critical for ABA and GA response. Furthermore, AtTZF4, 5 and 6 can co-localize with both PB and SG markers in Arabidopsis cells. Specifically, AtTZF6 can be assembled into PBs and SGs in embryos with the induction of stress hormone methyl jasmonate under the control of native AtTZF6 promoter. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

C. elegans Notch signaling regulates adult chemosensory response and larval molting quiescence

PubMed Central

Singh, Komudi; Chao, Michael Y.; Somers, Gerard A.; Komatsu, Hidetoshi; Corkins, Mark E.; Larkins-Ford, Jonah; Tucey, Tim; Dionne, Heather M.; Walsh, Melissa B.; Beaumont, Emma K.; Hart, Douglas P.; Lockery, Shawn; Hart, Anne C.

2011-01-01

Summary Background The conserved DOS motif proteins OSM-7 and OSM-11 function as co-ligands with canonical DSL ligands to activate C. elegans Notch receptors during development. We report herein that Notch ligands, co-ligands and the receptors LIN-12 and GLP-1 regulate two C. elegans behaviors: chemosensory avoidance of octanol and quiescence during molting lethargus. Results C. elegans lacking osm-7 or osm-11 are defective in their response to octanol. We find that OSM-11 is secreted from hypodermal seam cells into the pseudocoelomic body cavity and acts non-cell autonomously as a diffusible factor. OSM-11 acts with the DSL ligand LAG-2 to activate LIN-12 and GLP-1 Notch receptors in the neurons of adult animals,- thereby regulating octanol avoidance response. In adult animals, over-expression of osm-11 and consequent Notch receptor activation induces anachronistic sleep-like quiescence. Perturbation of Notch signaling altered basal activity in adults as well as arousal thresholds and quiescence during molting lethargus. Genetic epistasis studies revealed that Notch signaling regulates quiescence via previously identified circuits and genetic pathways including the egl-4 cGMP-dependent kinase. Conclusions Our findings indicate that the conserved Notch pathway modulates behavior in adult C. elegans in response to environmental stress. Additionally, Notch signaling regulates sleep-like quiescence in C. elegans suggesting Notch may regulate sleep in other species. PMID:21549604

The regulation of rat activity following exposure to hyperdynamic fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuller, Charles A.; Ishihama, Linda M.; Murakami, Dean M.

1993-01-01

The microgravity of space flight and the hyperdynamic fields produced via centrifugation have allowed researchers to examine the effect of altered gravitational environments on the regulation of physiological systems. In this study, a high frequency light/dark cycle was provided for 24 hours as an environmental challenge to assess the recovery of homeostatic and circadian components of physiological regulation in rats. For example, the nocturnal rat exhibited a homeostatic increase in body temperature during the dark periods and a decrease during the light periods. In addition, the magnitude of the body temperature response exhibits a time of day variation demonstrating the effect on circadian regulation.

Defining and managing biohazardous waste in U.S. research-oriented universities: a survey of environmental health and safety professionals.

PubMed

Mecklem, Robin Lyn; Neumann, Catherine M

2003-01-01

A survey was conducted of environmental health and safety professionals responsible for biohazardous waste management at 122 institutions. The overall response rate was 82.6 percent (100 out of 122). Results indicate that university policies for biohazardous waste are heavily influenced by state environmental regulations, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, and the biosafety guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health. With respect to definition of waste, 84 percent of the universities treat non-infectious human-cell-culture waste as biohazardous. Sharp items, including hypodermic needles, syringes with needles, and scalpel blades, are commonly treated (by 85 percent of universities) as biohazardous sharps regardless of contamination status. Importantly, while 90 percent of universities use autoclave sterilization for waste treatment, only 52 percent use a biological indicator to validate the process. On-site incineration is currently used by 42 percent of universities. Twenty-two of 42 incinerators are hospital/medical/infectious-waste incinerators, and 10 of these will continue to operate under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's revised incinerator regulations. Eighty-seven percent of the respondents indicated that some portion of their university's biohazardous waste is treated and disposed of through a licensed medical waste hauler (MWH). To ensure compliance with institutional policy, most universities segregate and package waste, train waste generators, and conduct inspections.

Whole genome and transcriptome analyses of environmental antibiotic sensitive and multi-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates exposed to waste water and tap water.

PubMed

Schwartz, Thomas; Armant, Olivier; Bretschneider, Nancy; Hahn, Alexander; Kirchen, Silke; Seifert, Martin; Dötsch, Andreas

2015-01-01

The fitness of sensitive and resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in different aquatic environments depends on genetic capacities and transcriptional regulation. Therefore, an antibiotic-sensitive isolate PA30 and a multi-resistant isolate PA49 originating from waste waters were compared via whole genome and transcriptome Illumina sequencing after exposure to municipal waste water and tap water. A number of different genomic islands (e.g. PAGIs, PAPIs) were identified in the two environmental isolates beside the highly conserved core genome. Exposure to tap water and waste water exhibited similar transcriptional impacts on several gene clusters (antibiotic and metal resistance, genetic mobile elements, efflux pumps) in both environmental P. aeruginosa isolates. The MexCD-OprJ efflux pump was overexpressed in PA49 in response to waste water. The expression of resistance genes, genetic mobile elements in PA49 was independent from the water matrix. Consistently, the antibiotic sensitive strain PA30 did not show any difference in expression of the intrinsic resistance determinants and genetic mobile elements. Thus, the exposure of both isolates to polluted waste water and oligotrophic tap water resulted in similar expression profiles of mentioned genes. However, changes in environmental milieus resulted in rather unspecific transcriptional responses than selected and stimuli-specific gene regulation. © 2014 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

cAMP/PKA signaling balances respiratory activity with mitochondria dependent apoptosis via transcriptional regulation

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Appropriate control of mitochondrial function, morphology and biogenesis are crucial determinants of the general health of eukaryotic cells. It is therefore imperative that we understand the mechanisms that co-ordinate mitochondrial function with environmental signaling systems. The regulation of yeast mitochondrial function in response to nutritional change can be modulated by PKA activity. Unregulated PKA activity can lead to the production of mitochondria that are prone to the production of ROS, and an apoptotic form of cell death. Results We present evidence that mitochondria are sensitive to the level of cAMP/PKA signaling and can respond by modulating levels of respiratory activity or committing to self execution. The inappropriate activation of one of the yeast PKA catalytic subunits, Tpk3p, is sufficient to commit cells to an apoptotic death through transcriptional changes that promote the production of dysfunctional, ROS producing mitochondria. Our data implies that cAMP/PKA regulation of mitochondrial function that promotes apoptosis engages the function of multiple transcription factors, including HAP4, SOK2 and SCO1. Conclusions We propose that in yeast, as is the case in mammalian cells, mitochondrial function and biogenesis are controlled in response to environmental change by the concerted regulation of multiple transcription factors. The visualization of cAMP/TPK3 induced cell death within yeast colonies supports a model that PKA regulation plays a physiological role in coordinating respiratory function and cell death with nutritional status in budding yeast. PMID:21108829

From the Cover: Interplay Between IFN-γ and IL-6 Impacts the Inflammatory Response and Expression of Interferon-Regulated Genes in Environmental-Induced Autoimmunity.

PubMed

Cauvi, David M; Cauvi, Gabrielle; Toomey, Christopher B; Jacquinet, Eric; Pollard, Kenneth Michael

2017-07-01

IFN-γ has been found to be robustly important to disease pathogenesis in both idiopathic and induced models of murine lupus. In transgenic mice, over production of IFN-γ in the skin results in an inflammatory response and autoimmunity. This suggests that localized exposure to environmental factors that induce autoimmunity may be associated with expression of an IFN-γ-dependent inflammatory response. Using murine mercury-induced autoimmunity (mHgIA), the severity of inflammation and proinflammatory cytokine expression, including the cellular source of IFN-γ, were assessed at the site of subcutaneous exposure and in secondary lymphoid organs. Exposure induced a localized chronic inflammation comprising both innate and adaptive immune cells but only CD8+ T and NK cells were reduced in the absence of IFN-γ. IFN-γ+ cells began to appear as early as day 1 and comprised both resident (γδ T) and infiltrating cells (CD8+ T, NKT, CD11c+). The requirements for inflammation were examined in mice deficient in genes required (Ifng, Il6) or not required (Casp1) for mHgIA. None of these genes were essential for induction of inflammation, however IFN-γ and IL-6 were required for exacerbation of other proinflammatory cytokines. Additionally, lack of IFN-γ or IL-6 impacted expression of genes regulated by either IFN-γ or type I IFN. Significantly, both IFN-γ and IL-6 were required for increased expression of IRF-1 which regulates IFN stimulated genes and is required for mHgIA. Thus IRF-1 may be at the nexus of the interplay between IFN-γ and IL-6 in exacerbating a xenobiotic-induced inflammatory response, regulation of interferon responsive genes and autoimmunity. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Toxicology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wuddineh, Wegi A.; Mazarei, Mitra; Turner, Geoffry B.

The APETALA2/ethylene response factor (AP2/ERF) superfamily of transcription factors (TFs) plays essential roles in the regulation of various growth and developmental programs including stress responses. Members of these TFs in other plant species have been implicated to play a role in the regulation of cell wall biosynthesis. Here, we identified a total of 207 AP2/ERF TF genes in the switchgrass genome and grouped into four gene families comprised of 25 AP2-, 121 ERF-, 55 DREB (dehydration responsive element binding)-, and 5 RAV (related to API3/VP) genes, as well as a singleton gene not fitting any of the above families. Themore » ERF and DREB subfamilies comprised seven and four distinct groups, respectively. Analysis of exon/intron structures of switchgrass AP2/ERF genes showed high diversity in the distribution of introns in AP2 genes versus a single or no intron in most genes in the ERF and RAV families. The majority of the subfamilies or groups within it were characterized by the presence of one or more specific conserved protein motifs. In silico functional analysis revealed that many genes in these families might be associated with the regulation of responses to environmental stimuli via transcriptional regulation of the response genes. Moreover, these genes had diverse endogenous expression patterns in switchgrass during seed germination, vegetative growth, flower development, and seed formation. Interestingly, several members of the ERF and DREB families were found to be highly expressed in plant tissues where active lignification occurs. These results provide vital resources to select candidate genes to potentially impart tolerance to environmental stress as well as reduced recalcitrance. Furthermore, overexpression of one of the ERF genes ( PvERF001) in switchgrass was associated with increased biomass yield and sugar release efficiency in transgenic lines, exemplifying the potential of these TFs in the development of lignocellulosic feedstocks with improved biomass characteristics for biofuels.« less

MarA, SoxS and Rob of Escherichia coli - Global regulators of multidrug resistance, virulence and stress response.

PubMed

Duval, Valérie; Lister, Ida M

2013-01-01

Bacteria have a great capacity for adjusting their metabolism in response to environmental changes by linking extracellular stimuli to the regulation of genes by transcription factors. By working in a co-operative manner, transcription factors provide a rapid response to external threats, allowing the bacteria to survive. This review will focus on transcription factors MarA, SoxS and Rob in Escherichia coli , three members of the AraC family of proteins. These homologous proteins exemplify the ability to respond to multiple threats such as oxidative stress, drugs and toxic compounds, acidic pH, and host antimicrobial peptides. MarA, SoxS and Rob recognize similar DNA sequences in the promoter region of more than 40 regulatory target genes. As their regulons overlap, a finely tuned adaptive response allows E. coli to survive in the presence of different assaults in a co-ordinated manner. These regulators are well conserved amongst Enterobacteriaceae and due to their broad involvement in bacterial adaptation in the host, have recently been explored as targets to develop new anti-virulence agents. The regulators are also being examined for their roles in novel technologies such as biofuel production.

OsSLI1, a homeodomain containing transcription activator, involves abscisic acid related stress response in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

PubMed

Huang, Xi; Duan, Min; Liao, Jiakai; Yuan, Xi; Chen, Hui; Feng, Jiejie; Huang, Ji; Zhang, Hong-Sheng

2014-01-01

Homeodomain-leucine zipper type I (HD-Zip I) proteins are involved in the regulation of plant development and response to environmental stresses. In this study, OsSLI1 (Oryza sativa stress largely induced 1), encoding a member of the HD-Zip I subfamily, was isolated from rice. The expression of OsSLI1 was dramatically induced by multiple abiotic stresses and exogenous abscisic acid (ABA). In silico sequence analysis discovered several cis-acting elements including multiple ABREs (ABA-responsive element binding factors) in the upstream promoter region of OsSLI1. The OsSLI1-GFP fusion protein was localized in the nucleus of rice protoplast cells and the transcriptional activity of OsSLI1 was confirmed by the yeast hybrid system. Further, it was found that OsSLI1 expression was enhanced in an ABI5-Like1 (ABL1) deficiency rice mutant abl1 under stress conditions, suggesting that ABL1 probably negatively regulates OsSLI1 gene expression. Moreover, it was found that OsSLI1 was regulated in panicle development. Taken together, OsSLI1 may be a transcriptional activator regulating stress-responsive gene expression and panicle development in rice.

Genome-Wide Characterization and Expression Profiling of the AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR (ARF) Gene Family in Eucalyptus grandis

PubMed Central

Yu, Hong; Soler, Marçal; Mila, Isabelle; San Clemente, Hélène; Savelli, Bruno; Dunand, Christophe; Paiva, Jorge A. P.; Myburg, Alexander A.; Bouzayen, Mondher; Grima-Pettenati, Jacqueline; Cassan-Wang, Hua

2014-01-01

Auxin is a central hormone involved in a wide range of developmental processes including the specification of vascular stem cells. Auxin Response Factors (ARF) are important actors of the auxin signalling pathway, regulating the transcription of auxin-responsive genes through direct binding to their promoters. The recent availability of the Eucalyptus grandis genome sequence allowed us to examine the characteristics and evolutionary history of this gene family in a woody plant of high economic importance. With 17 members, the E. grandis ARF gene family is slightly contracted, as compared to those of most angiosperms studied hitherto, lacking traces of duplication events. In silico analysis of alternative transcripts and gene truncation suggested that these two mechanisms were preeminent in shaping the functional diversity of the ARF family in Eucalyptus. Comparative phylogenetic analyses with genomes of other taxonomic lineages revealed the presence of a new ARF clade found preferentially in woody and/or perennial plants. High-throughput expression profiling among different organs and tissues and in response to environmental cues highlighted genes expressed in vascular cambium and/or developing xylem, responding dynamically to various environmental stimuli. Finally, this study allowed identification of three ARF candidates potentially involved in the auxin-regulated transcriptional program underlying wood formation. PMID:25269088

Strigolactones Effects on Root Growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koltai, Hinanit

2012-07-01

Strigolactones (SLs) were defined as a new group of plant hormones that suppress lateral shoot branching. Our previous studies suggested SLs to be regulators of root development. SLs were shown to alter root architecture by regulating lateral root formation and to affect root hair elongation in Arabidopsis. Another important effect of SLs on root growth was shown to be associated with root directional growth. Supplementation of SLs to roots led to alterations in root directional growth, whereas associated mutants showed asymmetrical root growth, which was influenced by environmental factors. The regulation by SLs of root development was shown to be conducted via a cross talk of SLs with other plant hormones, including auxin. SLs were shown to regulate auxin transport, and to interfere with the activity of auxin-efflux carriers. Therefore, it might be that SLs are regulators of root directional growth as a result of their ability to regulated auxin transport. However, other evidences suggest a localized effect of SLs on cell division, which may not necessarily be associated with auxin efflux. These and other, recent hypothesis as to the SLs mode of action and the associated root perception and response to environmental factors will be discussed.

Circadian molecular clock in lung pathophysiology

PubMed Central

Sundar, Isaac K.; Yao, Hongwei; Sellix, Michael T.

2015-01-01

Disrupted daily or circadian rhythms of lung function and inflammatory responses are common features of chronic airway diseases. At the molecular level these circadian rhythms depend on the activity of an autoregulatory feedback loop oscillator of clock gene transcription factors, including the BMAL1:CLOCK activator complex and the repressors PERIOD and CRYPTOCHROME. The key nuclear receptors and transcription factors REV-ERBα and RORα regulate Bmal1 expression and provide stability to the oscillator. Circadian clock dysfunction is implicated in both immune and inflammatory responses to environmental, inflammatory, and infectious agents. Molecular clock function is altered by exposomes, tobacco smoke, lipopolysaccharide, hyperoxia, allergens, bleomycin, as well as bacterial and viral infections. The deacetylase Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) regulates the timing of the clock through acetylation of BMAL1 and PER2 and controls the clock-dependent functions, which can also be affected by environmental stressors. Environmental agents and redox modulation may alter the levels of REV-ERBα and RORα in lung tissue in association with a heightened DNA damage response, cellular senescence, and inflammation. A reciprocal relationship exists between the molecular clock and immune/inflammatory responses in the lungs. Molecular clock function in lung cells may be used as a biomarker of disease severity and exacerbations or for assessing the efficacy of chronotherapy for disease management. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of clock-controlled cellular and molecular functions in the lungs and highlight the repercussions of clock disruption on the pathophysiology of chronic airway diseases and their exacerbations. Furthermore, we highlight the potential for the molecular clock as a novel chronopharmacological target for the management of lung pathophysiology. PMID:26361874

DARPP-32 interaction with adducin may mediate rapid environmental effects on striatal neurons.

PubMed

Engmann, Olivia; Giralt, Albert; Gervasi, Nicolas; Marion-Poll, Lucile; Gasmi, Laila; Filhol, Odile; Picciotto, Marina R; Gilligan, Diana; Greengard, Paul; Nairn, Angus C; Hervé, Denis; Girault, Jean-Antoine

2015-12-07

Environmental enrichment has multiple effects on behaviour, including modification of responses to psychostimulant drugs mediated by striatal neurons. However, the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms are not known. Here we show that DARPP-32, a hub signalling protein in striatal neurons, interacts with adducins, which are cytoskeletal proteins that cap actin filaments' fast-growing ends and regulate synaptic stability. DARPP-32 binds to adducin MARCKS domain and this interaction is modulated by DARPP-32 Ser97 phosphorylation. Phospho-Thr75-DARPP-32 facilitates β-adducin Ser713 phosphorylation through inhibition of a cAMP-dependent protein kinase/phosphatase-2A cascade. Caffeine or 24-h exposure to a novel enriched environment increases adducin phosphorylation in WT, but not T75A mutant mice. This cascade is implicated in the effects of brief exposure to novel enriched environment on dendritic spines in nucleus accumbens and cocaine locomotor response. Our results suggest a molecular pathway by which environmental changes may rapidly alter responsiveness of striatal neurons involved in the reward system.

Multiscale Evaluation of Thermal Dependence in the Glucocorticoid Response of Vertebrates.

PubMed

Jessop, Tim S; Lane, Meagan L; Teasdale, Luisa; Stuart-Fox, Devi; Wilson, Robbie S; Careau, Vincent; Moore, Ignacio T

2016-09-01

Environmental temperature has profound effects on animal physiology, ecology, and evolution. Glucocorticoid (GC) hormones, through effects on phenotypic performance and life history, provide fundamental vertebrate physiological adaptations to environmental variation, yet we lack a comprehensive understanding of how temperature influences GC regulation in vertebrates. Using field studies and meta- and comparative phylogenetic analyses, we investigated how acute change and broadscale variation in temperature correlated with baseline and stress-induced GC levels. Glucocorticoid levels were found to be temperature and taxon dependent, but generally, vertebrates exhibited strong positive correlations with acute changes in temperature. Furthermore, reptile baseline, bird baseline, and capture stress-induced GC levels to some extent covaried with broadscale environmental temperature. Thus, vertebrate GC function appears clearly thermally influenced. However, we caution that lack of detailed knowledge of thermal plasticity, heritability, and the basis for strong phylogenetic signal in GC responses limits our current understanding of the role of GC hormones in species' responses to current and future climate variation.

Adaptation to environmental stress in Daphnia magna simultaneously exposed to a xenobiotic.

PubMed

Coors, Anja; Hammers-Wirtz, Monika; Ratte, Hans Toni

2004-07-01

In standardized ecotoxicological testing chemicals are investigated under optimal conditions for the test organisms despite the fact that environmental factors such as predation pressure and food availability are important parameters regulating natural populations. Food limitation and predator presence can induce shifts in life-history traits in various Daphnia species, especially trade-offs in reproductive biomass allocation. These adaptive responses are thought to ensure survival of the population in a highly variable environment. A xenobiotic dispersant (used in textile dyeing processes) also shifted the biomass allocation of Daphnia magna. To assess whether the dispersant could hinder D. magna adaptation to varying environmental conditions, we conducted experiments with food level and presence of Chaoborus larvae as environmental factors and simultaneous exposure to the dispersant. At low food level and in presence of the predator, D. magna produced fewer but larger sized neonates, regardless of dispersant exposure. The dispersant shifted biomass allocation towards more but smaller sized offspring in all experiments. However, the adaptive response to the environmental factors and the dispersant effect cancelled each other out in that they induced independently from each other opposite shifts in biomass allocation. In summary, the dispersant exposure resulted not in an inhibition of the adaptive response but in a reduction of the value of the response. Our study with this model substance demonstrates that xenobiotics can affect the adaptation of organisms to environmental stress which can result in effects likely to be overlooked in standardized testing.

Twilight, a Novel Circadian-Regulated Gene, Integrates Phototropism with Nutrient and Redox Homeostasis during Fungal Development

PubMed Central

Naqvi, Naweed I.

2015-01-01

Phototropic regulation of circadian clock is important for environmental adaptation, organismal growth and differentiation. Light plays a critical role in fungal development and virulence. However, it is unclear what governs the intracellular metabolic response to such dark-light rhythms in fungi. Here, we describe a novel circadian-regulated Twilight (TWL) function essential for phototropic induction of asexual development and pathogenesis in the rice-blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. The TWL transcript oscillates during circadian cycles and peaks at subjective twilight. GFP-Twl remains acetylated and cytosolic in the dark, whereas light-induced phosphorylation (by the carbon sensor Snf1 kinase) drives it into the nucleus. The mRNA level of the transcription/repair factor TFB5, was significantly down regulated in the twl∆ mutant. Overexpression of TFB5 significantly suppressed the conidiation defects in the twl∆ mutant. Furthermore, Tfb5-GFP translocates to the nucleus during the phototropic response and under redox stress, while it failed to do so in the twl∆ mutant. Thus, we provide mechanistic insight into Twl-based regulation of nutrient and redox homeostasis in response to light during pathogen adaptation to the host milieu in the rice blast pathosystem. PMID:26102503

Twilight, a Novel Circadian-Regulated Gene, Integrates Phototropism with Nutrient and Redox Homeostasis during Fungal Development.

PubMed

Deng, Yi Zhen; Qu, Ziwei; Naqvi, Naweed I

2015-06-01

Phototropic regulation of circadian clock is important for environmental adaptation, organismal growth and differentiation. Light plays a critical role in fungal development and virulence. However, it is unclear what governs the intracellular metabolic response to such dark-light rhythms in fungi. Here, we describe a novel circadian-regulated Twilight (TWL) function essential for phototropic induction of asexual development and pathogenesis in the rice-blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. The TWL transcript oscillates during circadian cycles and peaks at subjective twilight. GFP-Twl remains acetylated and cytosolic in the dark, whereas light-induced phosphorylation (by the carbon sensor Snf1 kinase) drives it into the nucleus. The mRNA level of the transcription/repair factor TFB5, was significantly down regulated in the twl∆ mutant. Overexpression of TFB5 significantly suppressed the conidiation defects in the twl∆ mutant. Furthermore, Tfb5-GFP translocates to the nucleus during the phototropic response and under redox stress, while it failed to do so in the twl∆ mutant. Thus, we provide mechanistic insight into Twl-based regulation of nutrient and redox homeostasis in response to light during pathogen adaptation to the host milieu in the rice blast pathosystem.

Variability of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) volume and pH using a feedback regulated breathing pattern

EPA Science Inventory

Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is a valuable biological medium for non-invasively measuring biomarkers with the potential to reflect organ systems responses to environmental and dietary exposures and disease processes. Collection of EBC has typically been with spontaneous breat...

78 FR 37675 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Contracting Officer's Representative

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-21

... it has either a significant effect beyond the internal operation procedures of the agency issuing the... responsibilities. This rule does not have a significant effect beyond the internal operation procedures of the... potential economic, environmental, public health and safety effects, distributive impacts, and equity). E.O...

Underground Storage Tanks on Indian Lands. Education Moderates an Environmental Threat.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hillger, Robert W.; Small, Matthew C.

1992-01-01

Describes problems related to old underground storage tanks (USTs) that may leak toxic contents, focusing on relevance for American Indian reservations. Discusses design, installation, and upgrading of UST systems; federal definitions and regulations; leak detection; legal responsibility; and education for public awareness. Includes Environmental…

Adverse Outcome Pathways and Ecological Risk Assessment: Bridging to Population Level Effects, Journal Article

EPA Science Inventory

The viability of populations of plants and animals is a key focus for environmental regulation. Population-level responses integrate the cumulative effects of chemical stressors on individuals as those individuals interact with and are affected by their con-specifics, competitor...

Asbestos in Schools. EPA Bibliographic Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. Library Information Management and Services Div.

This bibliography was compiled as a response to the requests for information on asbestos in schools. The citations are organized by format and include: (1) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports (annotated); (2) books; (3) articles, proceedings and other reports (annotated); and (4) federal regulations and statutes (annotated). The…

NO buffering and conditional NO release in stress response.

PubMed

Begara-Morales, Juan C; Chaki, Mounira; Valderrama, Raquel; Sánchez-Calvo, Beatriz; Mata-Pérez, Capilla; Padilla, María N; Corpas, Francisco J; Barroso, Juan B

2018-03-01

Nitric oxide (NO) has emerged as an essential biological messenger in plant biology that usually transmits its bioactivity by post-translational modifications such as S-nitrosylation, the reversible addition of a NO group to a protein cysteine residue leading to S-nitrosothiols (SNOs). In last year's, SNOs have emerged as key signalling molecules mainly involved in plant response to stress. Chief among SNOs is S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), generated by S-nitrosylation of the key antioxidant glutathione (GSH). GSNO is considered the major NO reservoir and a phloem mobile signal that confers to NO the capacity of a long-distance signalling molecule. GSNO is able to regulate protein function and gene expression resulting in a key role of GSNO in fundamental processes in plant such as development and response to a wide range of environmental stresses. In addition, GSNO is also able to regulate total SNO pool and consequently, it could be considered the storage of NO in cells that may control NO signalling under basal and stress-related responses. Thus, GSNO function could be crucial during plant response to environmental stresses. Besides this importance of GSNO in plant biology, its mode of action has not been widely discussed in the literature. In this review, we will firstly discuss the GSNO turnover in cells and secondly the role of GSNO as mediator of physiological and stress-related processes in plants, highlighting aspects in which there is still some controversy.

Environmental impact assessment (EIA): an overlooked instrument for sustainable development in Pakistan.

PubMed

Saeed, Rashid; Sattar, Ayesha; Iqbal, Zafar; Imran, Muhammad; Nadeem, Raziya

2012-04-01

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a policy tool used for evaluating a project proposal from physical and socioeconomic environmental perspectives. Its aim is to reduce the impact of development on environment, hence, ensuring environmental sustainability. It is mandatory to submit an Environmental Impact Statement before starting a mega project as required by Environmental Protection Act of 1997 and Environmental Policy of Pakistan. Public consultation plays a key role in an EIA system, identifying the likely aspects and impacts of a development activity. This aspect has been ignored in effective enactment of environmental legislation in Pakistan. Sufficient legislative instruments are there to support EIA system in the country but the agencies responsible for the enforcement of environmental regulations have failed to do so. The current research gives an insight into the actual status of EIA system in Pakistan along with the feedback of EIA specialists and university teachers of the concerned departments. A new index has been devised on the basis of questionnaire response to work out the overall performance of EIA system in Pakistan or any other country. The weaknesses and deficiencies of each EIA stage have been worked out for Pakistan and elaborated with the help of the controversial Zero point Interchange Project in the capital city of Pakistan.

PIF3 is a negative regulator of the CBF pathway and freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Jiang, Bochen; Shi, Yiting; Zhang, Xiaoyan; Xin, Xiaoyun; Qi, Lijuan; Guo, Hongwei; Li, Jigang; Yang, Shuhua

2017-01-01

Light and temperature are major environmental factors that coordinately control plant growth and survival. However, how plants integrate light and temperature signals to better adapt to environmental stresses is poorly understood. PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTOR 3 (PIF3), a key transcription factor repressing photomorphogenesis, has been shown to play a pivotal role in mediating plants’ responses to various environmental signals. In this study, we found that PIF3 functions as a negative regulator of Arabidopsis freezing tolerance by directly binding to the promoters of C-REPEAT BINDING FACTOR (CBF) genes to down-regulate their expression. In addition, two F-box proteins, EIN3-BINDING F-BOX 1 (EBF1) and EBF2, directly target PIF3 for 26S proteasome-mediated degradation. Consistently, ebf1 and ebf2 mutants were more sensitive to freezing than were the wild type, and the pif3 mutation suppressed the freezing-sensitive phenotype of ebf1. Furthermore, cold treatment promoted the degradation of EBF1 and EBF2, leading to increased stability of the PIF3 protein and reduced expression of the CBF genes. Together, our study uncovers an important role of PIF3 in Arabidopsis freezing tolerance by negatively regulating the expression of genes in the CBF pathway. PMID:28739888

Hydrogen peroxide homeostasis: activation of plant catalase by calcium/calmodulin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yang, T.; Poovaiah, B. W.

2002-01-01

Environmental stimuli such as UV, pathogen attack, and gravity can induce rapid changes in hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) levels, leading to a variety of physiological responses in plants. Catalase, which is involved in the degradation of H(2)O(2) into water and oxygen, is the major H(2)O(2)-scavenging enzyme in all aerobic organisms. A close interaction exists between intracellular H(2)O(2) and cytosolic calcium in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Studies indicate that an increase in cytosolic calcium boosts the generation of H(2)O(2). Here we report that calmodulin (CaM), a ubiquitous calcium-binding protein, binds to and activates some plant catalases in the presence of calcium, but calcium/CaM does not have any effect on bacterial, fungal, bovine, or human catalase. These results document that calcium/CaM can down-regulate H(2)O(2) levels in plants by stimulating the catalytic activity of plant catalase. Furthermore, these results provide evidence indicating that calcium has dual functions in regulating H(2)O(2) homeostasis, which in turn influences redox signaling in response to environmental signals in plants.

Regulation of organ straightening and plant posture by an actin-myosin XI cytoskeleton.

PubMed

Okamoto, Keishi; Ueda, Haruko; Shimada, Tomoo; Tamura, Kentaro; Kato, Takehide; Tasaka, Masao; Morita, Miyo Terao; Hara-Nishimura, Ikuko

2015-03-23

Plants are able to bend nearly every organ in response to environmental stimuli such as gravity and light(1,2). After this first phase, the responses to stimuli are restrained by an independent mechanism, or even reversed, so that the organ will stop bending and attain its desired posture. This phenomenon of organ straightening has been called autotropism(3) and autostraightening(4) and modelled as proprioception(5). However, the machinery that drives organ straightening and where it occurs are mostly unknown. Here, we show that the straightening of inflorescence stems is regulated by an actin-myosin XI cytoskeleton in specialized immature fibre cells that are parallel to the stem and encircle it in a thin band. Arabidopsis mutants defective in myosin XI (specifically XIf and XIk) or ACTIN8 exhibit hyperbending of stems in response to gravity, an effect independent of the physical properties of the shoots. The actin-myosin XI cytoskeleton enables organs to attain their new position more rapidly than would an oscillating series of diminishing overshoots in environmental stimuli. We propose that the long actin filaments in elongating fibre cells act as a bending tensile sensor to perceive the organ's posture and trigger the straightening system.

Lipid engineering reveals regulatory roles for membrane fluidity in yeast flocculation and oxygen-limited growth.

PubMed

Degreif, Daniel; de Rond, Tristan; Bertl, Adam; Keasling, Jay D; Budin, Itay

2017-05-01

Cells modulate lipid metabolism in order to maintain membrane homeostasis. Here we use a metabolic engineering approach to manipulate the stoichiometry of fatty acid unsaturation, a regulator of cell membrane fluidity, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Unexpectedly, reduced lipid unsaturation triggered cell-cell adhesion (flocculation), a phenomenon characteristic of industrial yeast but uncommon in laboratory strains. We find that ER lipid saturation sensors induce expression of FLO1 - encoding a cell wall polysaccharide binding protein - independently of its canonical regulator. In wild-type cells, Flo1p-dependent flocculation occurs under oxygen-limited growth, which reduces unsaturated lipid synthesis and thus serves as the environmental trigger for flocculation. Transcriptional analysis shows that FLO1 is one of the most highly induced genes in response to changes in lipid unsaturation, and that the set of membrane fluidity-sensitive genes is globally activated as part of the cell's long-term response to hypoxia during fermentation. Our results show how the lipid homeostasis machinery of budding yeast is adapted to carry out a broad response to an environmental stimulus important in biotechnology. Copyright © 2017 International Metabolic Engineering Society. All rights reserved.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa RsmA Plays an Important Role during Murine Infection by Influencing Colonization, Virulence, Persistence, and Pulmonary Inflammation▿

PubMed Central

Mulcahy, Heidi; O'Callaghan, Julie; O'Grady, Eoin P.; Maciá, María D.; Borrell, Nuria; Gómez, Cristina; Casey, Pat G.; Hill, Colin; Adams, Claire; Gahan, Cormac G. M.; Oliver, Antonio; O'Gara, Fergal

2008-01-01

The ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to cause a broad range of infections in humans is due, at least in part, to its adaptability and its capacity to regulate the expression of key virulence genes in response to specific environmental conditions. Multiple two-component response regulators have been shown to facilitate rapid responses to these environmental conditions, including the coordinated expression of specific virulence determinants. RsmA is a posttranscriptional regulatory protein which controls the expression of a number of virulence-related genes with relevance for acute and chronic infections. Many membrane-bound sensors, including RetS, LadS, and GacS, are responsible for the reciprocal regulation of genes associated with acute infection and chronic persistence. In P. aeruginosa this is due to sensors influencing the expression of the regulatory RNA RsmZ, with subsequent effects on the level of free RsmA. While interactions between an rsmA mutant and human airway epithelial cells have been examined in vitro, the role of RsmA during infection in vivo has not been determined yet. Here the function of RsmA in both acute and chronic models of infection was examined. The results demonstrate that RsmA is involved in initial colonization and dissemination in a mouse model of acute pneumonia. Furthermore, while loss of RsmA results in reduced colonization during the initial stages of acute infection, the data show that mutation of rsmA ultimately favors chronic persistence and results in increased inflammation in the lungs of infected mice. PMID:18025099

An Aversive Response to Osmotic Upshift in Caenorhabditis elegans

PubMed Central

Yu, Jingyi; Liu, He

2017-01-01

Abstract Environmental osmolarity presents a common type of sensory stimulus to animals. While behavioral responses to osmotic changes are important for maintaining a stable intracellular osmolarity, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In the natural habitat of Caenorhabditis elegans, changes in environmental osmolarity are commonplace. It is known that the nematode acutely avoids shocks of extremely high osmolarity. Here, we show that C. elegans also generates gradually increased aversion of mild upshifts in environmental osmolarity. Different from an acute avoidance of osmotic shocks that depends on the function of a transient receptor potential vanilloid channel, the slow aversion to osmotic upshifts requires the cGMP-gated sensory channel subunit TAX-2. TAX-2 acts in several sensory neurons that are exposed to body fluid to generate the aversive response through a motor network that underlies navigation. Osmotic upshifts activate the body cavity sensory neuron URX, which is known to induce aversion upon activation. Together, our results characterize the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying a novel sensorimotor response to osmotic stimuli and reveal that C. elegans engages different behaviors and the underlying mechanisms to regulate responses to extracellular osmolarity. PMID:28451641

Catecholaminergic Regulation of Learning Rate in a Dynamic Environment.

PubMed

Jepma, Marieke; Murphy, Peter R; Nassar, Matthew R; Rangel-Gomez, Mauricio; Meeter, Martijn; Nieuwenhuis, Sander

2016-10-01

Adaptive behavior in a changing world requires flexibly adapting one's rate of learning to the rate of environmental change. Recent studies have examined the computational mechanisms by which various environmental factors determine the impact of new outcomes on existing beliefs (i.e., the 'learning rate'). However, the brain mechanisms, and in particular the neuromodulators, involved in this process are still largely unknown. The brain-wide neurophysiological effects of the catecholamines norepinephrine and dopamine on stimulus-evoked cortical responses suggest that the catecholamine systems are well positioned to regulate learning about environmental change, but more direct evidence for a role of this system is scant. Here, we report evidence from a study employing pharmacology, scalp electrophysiology and computational modeling (N = 32) that suggests an important role for catecholamines in learning rate regulation. We found that the P3 component of the EEG-an electrophysiological index of outcome-evoked phasic catecholamine release in the cortex-predicted learning rate, and formally mediated the effect of prediction-error magnitude on learning rate. P3 amplitude also mediated the effects of two computational variables-capturing the unexpectedness of an outcome and the uncertainty of a preexisting belief-on learning rate. Furthermore, a pharmacological manipulation of catecholamine activity affected learning rate following unanticipated task changes, in a way that depended on participants' baseline learning rate. Our findings provide converging evidence for a causal role of the human catecholamine systems in learning-rate regulation as a function of environmental change.

Circadian rhythms have significant effects on leaf-to-canopy scale gas exchange under field conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Resco de Dios, Víctor; Gessler, Arthur; Ferrio, Juan Pedro

Background Molecular clocks drive oscillations in leaf photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and other cell and leaf-level processes over ~24 h under controlled laboratory conditions. The influence of such circadian regulation over whole-canopy fluxes remains uncertain; diurnal CO 2 and H 2O vapor flux dynamics in the field are currently interpreted as resulting almost exclusively from direct physiological responses to variations in light, temperature and other environmental factors. We tested whether circadian regulation would affect plant and canopy gas exchange at the Montpellier European Ecotron. Canopy and leaf-level fluxes were constantly monitored under field-like environmental conditions, and under constant environmental conditions (nomore » variation in temperature, radiation, or other environmental cues). Results We show direct experimental evidence at canopy scales of the circadian regulation of daytime gas exchange: 20–79 % of the daily variation range in CO 2 and H 2O fluxes occurred under circadian entrainment in canopies of an annual herb (bean) and of a perennial shrub (cotton). We also observed that considering circadian regulation improved performance by 8–17 % in commonly used stomatal conductance models. Conclusions Our results show that circadian controls affect diurnal CO 2 and H 2O flux patterns in entire canopies in field-like conditions, and its consideration significantly improves model performance. Lastly, circadian controls act as a ‘memory’ of the past conditions experienced by the plant, which synchronizes metabolism across entire plant canopies.« less

MADS-box transcription factor AGL21 regulates lateral root development and responds to multiple external and physiological signals.

PubMed

Yu, Lin-Hui; Miao, Zi-Qing; Qi, Guo-Feng; Wu, Jie; Cai, Xiao-Teng; Mao, Jie-Li; Xiang, Cheng-Bin

2014-11-01

Plant root system morphology is dramatically influenced by various environmental cues. The adaptation of root system architecture to environmental constraints, which mostly depends on the formation and growth of lateral roots, is an important agronomic trait. Lateral root development is regulated by the external signals coordinating closely with intrinsic signaling pathways. MADS-box transcription factors are known key regulators of the transition to flowering and flower development. However, their functions in root development are still poorly understood. Here we report that AGL21, an AGL17-clade MADS-box gene, plays a crucial role in lateral root development. AGL21 was highly expressed in root, particularly in the root central cylinder and lateral root primordia. AGL21 overexpression plants produced more and longer lateral roots while agl21 mutants showed impaired lateral root development, especially under nitrogen-deficient conditions. AGL21 was induced by many plant hormones and environmental stresses, suggesting a function of this gene in root system plasticity in response to various signals. Furthermore, AGL21 was found positively regulating auxin accumulation in lateral root primordia and lateral roots by enhancing local auxin biosynthesis, thus stimulating lateral root initiation and growth. We propose that AGL21 may be involved in various environmental and physiological signals-mediated lateral root development and growth. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of CSPB and IPPE, SIBS, CAS.

Circadian rhythms have significant effects on leaf-to-canopy scale gas exchange under field conditions

DOE PAGES

Resco de Dios, Víctor; Gessler, Arthur; Ferrio, Juan Pedro; ...

2016-10-20

Background Molecular clocks drive oscillations in leaf photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and other cell and leaf-level processes over ~24 h under controlled laboratory conditions. The influence of such circadian regulation over whole-canopy fluxes remains uncertain; diurnal CO 2 and H 2O vapor flux dynamics in the field are currently interpreted as resulting almost exclusively from direct physiological responses to variations in light, temperature and other environmental factors. We tested whether circadian regulation would affect plant and canopy gas exchange at the Montpellier European Ecotron. Canopy and leaf-level fluxes were constantly monitored under field-like environmental conditions, and under constant environmental conditions (nomore » variation in temperature, radiation, or other environmental cues). Results We show direct experimental evidence at canopy scales of the circadian regulation of daytime gas exchange: 20–79 % of the daily variation range in CO 2 and H 2O fluxes occurred under circadian entrainment in canopies of an annual herb (bean) and of a perennial shrub (cotton). We also observed that considering circadian regulation improved performance by 8–17 % in commonly used stomatal conductance models. Conclusions Our results show that circadian controls affect diurnal CO 2 and H 2O flux patterns in entire canopies in field-like conditions, and its consideration significantly improves model performance. Lastly, circadian controls act as a ‘memory’ of the past conditions experienced by the plant, which synchronizes metabolism across entire plant canopies.« less

Catecholaminergic Regulation of Learning Rate in a Dynamic Environment

PubMed Central

Jepma, Marieke; Nassar, Matthew R.; Rangel-Gomez, Mauricio; Meeter, Martijn; Nieuwenhuis, Sander

2016-01-01

Adaptive behavior in a changing world requires flexibly adapting one’s rate of learning to the rate of environmental change. Recent studies have examined the computational mechanisms by which various environmental factors determine the impact of new outcomes on existing beliefs (i.e., the ‘learning rate’). However, the brain mechanisms, and in particular the neuromodulators, involved in this process are still largely unknown. The brain-wide neurophysiological effects of the catecholamines norepinephrine and dopamine on stimulus-evoked cortical responses suggest that the catecholamine systems are well positioned to regulate learning about environmental change, but more direct evidence for a role of this system is scant. Here, we report evidence from a study employing pharmacology, scalp electrophysiology and computational modeling (N = 32) that suggests an important role for catecholamines in learning rate regulation. We found that the P3 component of the EEG—an electrophysiological index of outcome-evoked phasic catecholamine release in the cortex—predicted learning rate, and formally mediated the effect of prediction-error magnitude on learning rate. P3 amplitude also mediated the effects of two computational variables—capturing the unexpectedness of an outcome and the uncertainty of a preexisting belief—on learning rate. Furthermore, a pharmacological manipulation of catecholamine activity affected learning rate following unanticipated task changes, in a way that depended on participants’ baseline learning rate. Our findings provide converging evidence for a causal role of the human catecholamine systems in learning-rate regulation as a function of environmental change. PMID:27792728

Overexpression of the transcription factor NF-YC9 confers abscisic acid hypersensitivity in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Bi, Chao; Ma, Yu; Wang, Xiao-Fang; Zhang, Da-Peng

2017-11-01

Nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) family proteins are involved in many developmental processes and responses to environmental cues in plants, but whether and how they regulate phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) signaling need further studies. In the present study, we showed that over-expression of the NF-YC9 gene confers ABA hypersensitivity in both the early seedling growth and stomatal response, while down-regulation of NF-YC9 does not affect ABA response in these processes. We also showed that over-expression of the NF-YC9 gene confers salt and osmotic hypersensitivity in early seedling growth, which is likely to be directly associated with the ABA hypersensitivity. Further, we observed that NF-YC9 physically interacts with the ABA-responsive bZIP transcription factor ABA-INSENSITIVE5 (ABI5), and facilitates the function of ABI5 to bind and activate the promoter of a target gene EM6. Additionally, NF-YC9 up-regulates expression of the ABI5 gene in response to ABA. These findings show that NF-YC9 may be involved in ABA signaling as a positive regulator and likely functions redundantly together with other NF-YC members, and support the model that the NF-YC9 mediates ABA signaling via targeting to and aiding the ABA-responsive transcription factors such as ABI5.

Master Environmental Plan, Jefferson Proving Ground, Madison, Indiana

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-11-15

Act Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act cadmium Code of Federal Regulations carbon monoxide carbon dioxide...T) Arsenic (III)@ 360 190 0.175 (C) 0.022 (C) Barium 1,000 (D) Beryl 1i urn 1.17 (C) 0.068 (C) Cadmium #@ (1.128[ln Hard*]-3.828) p(0.7852[ln...all waters. Fluoride shall not exceed 2.0 mg/1 in all waters, except the Ohio River and Interstate Wabash River where it shall not exceed 1.0 mg/1

Final report on the waste area grouping perimeter groundwater quality monitoring well installation program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Greene, J.A.

1991-06-01

A groundwater quality monitoring well installation program was conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to meet the requirements of environmental regulations, including the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). A total of 173 wells were installed and developed at 11 different waste area groupings (WAGs) between June 1986 and November 1990. A location map of the wells is included.

Plant hormone-mediated regulation of stress responses.

PubMed

Verma, Vivek; Ravindran, Pratibha; Kumar, Prakash P

2016-04-14

Being sessile organisms, plants are often exposed to a wide array of abiotic and biotic stresses. Abiotic stress conditions include drought, heat, cold and salinity, whereas biotic stress arises mainly from bacteria, fungi, viruses, nematodes and insects. To adapt to such adverse situations, plants have evolved well-developed mechanisms that help to perceive the stress signal and enable optimal growth response. Phytohormones play critical roles in helping the plants to adapt to adverse environmental conditions. The elaborate hormone signaling networks and their ability to crosstalk make them ideal candidates for mediating defense responses. Recent research findings have helped to clarify the elaborate signaling networks and the sophisticated crosstalk occurring among the different hormone signaling pathways. In this review, we summarize the roles of the major plant hormones in regulating abiotic and biotic stress responses with special focus on the significance of crosstalk between different hormones in generating a sophisticated and efficient stress response. We divided the discussion into the roles of ABA, salicylic acid, jasmonates and ethylene separately at the start of the review. Subsequently, we have discussed the crosstalk among them, followed by crosstalk with growth promoting hormones (gibberellins, auxins and cytokinins). These have been illustrated with examples drawn from selected abiotic and biotic stress responses. The discussion on seed dormancy and germination serves to illustrate the fine balance that can be enforced by the two key hormones ABA and GA in regulating plant responses to environmental signals. The intricate web of crosstalk among the often redundant multitudes of signaling intermediates is just beginning to be understood. Future research employing genome-scale systems biology approaches to solve problems of such magnitude will undoubtedly lead to a better understanding of plant development. Therefore, discovering additional crosstalk mechanisms among various hormones in coordinating growth under stress will be an important theme in the field of abiotic stress research. Such efforts will help to reveal important points of genetic control that can be useful to engineer stress tolerant crops.

The impact of Polycomb group (PcG) and Trithorax group (TrxG) epigenetic factors in plant plasticity.

PubMed

de la Paz Sanchez, Maria; Aceves-García, Pamela; Petrone, Emilio; Steckenborn, Stefan; Vega-León, Rosario; Álvarez-Buylla, Elena R; Garay-Arroyo, Adriana; García-Ponce, Berenice

2015-11-01

Current advances indicate that epigenetic mechanisms play important roles in the regulatory networks involved in plant developmental responses to environmental conditions. Hence, understanding the role of such components becomes crucial to understanding the mechanisms underlying the plasticity and variability of plant traits, and thus the ecology and evolution of plant development. We now know that important components of phenotypic variation may result from heritable and reversible epigenetic mechanisms without genetic alterations. The epigenetic factors Polycomb group (PcG) and Trithorax group (TrxG) are involved in developmental processes that respond to environmental signals, playing important roles in plant plasticity. In this review, we discuss current knowledge of TrxG and PcG functions in different developmental processes in response to internal and environmental cues and we also integrate the emerging evidence concerning their function in plant plasticity. Many such plastic responses rely on meristematic cell behavior, including stem cell niche maintenance, cellular reprogramming, flowering and dormancy as well as stress memory. This information will help to determine how to integrate the role of epigenetic regulation into models of gene regulatory networks, which have mostly included transcriptional interactions underlying various aspects of plant development and its plastic response to environmental conditions. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

77 FR 34229 - Idaho: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program; Revision

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-11

... capability for the disposal of remote-handled low-level radioactive waste ((LLW) generated at the Idaho... (FONSI), for the Remote-Handled Low-Level Radioactive Waste Onsite Disposal (RHLLWOD) on an Environmental... regulating phosphate (mineral processing) plants within the state. In response to this commenter's concerns...

Interacting protein partners of Arabidopsis RNA binding protein AtRBP45b

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

RNA binding proteins (RBPs) are important players in post-transcriptional gene regulation and shown to play an important role in normal development and in response to environmental perturbations. Arabidopsis RBP, AtRBP45b with triple RNA recognition motifs (RRMs) have are closely related to the yeas...

Differential Regulation of Aromatase Isoforms and Tissue Responses to Environmental Chemicals in Fish

EPA Science Inventory

As in mammals, aromatase plays a basic role in fish reproduction. Unlike most mammals, with only one form of aromatase, fish have two distinct forms. One isoform, P450aromA, predominates in ovaries. Ovarian aromatase activity controls circulating levels of estrogens and is critic...

Adverse Outcome Pathways and Ecological Risk Assessment: Bridging to Population Level Effects: Report of Pellston Workgroup 3

EPA Science Inventory

The continuing persistence and genetic diversity of populations is a key concern for environmental regulations. Population-level responses integrate the cumulative effects of chemical stressors on individuals as those individuals interact with and are affected by their con-speci...

Growth phase-dependent activation of the DccRS regulon of Campylobacter jejuni

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Two-component systems are widespread prokaryotic signal transduction devices which allow the regulation of cellular functions in response to changing environmental conditions. The two-component system DccRS (Cj1223-Cj1222) of Campylobacter jejuni is important for the colonization of chickens. Here w...

Quantitative High-Throughput Screening and Confirmation Studies for Identification of Compounds that Activate the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Pathway (SETAC)

EPA Science Inventory

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a transcription factor that mediates adaptive responses to known environmental pollutants, such as aromatic hydrocarbons, through regulation of Phase I and II xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes as well as important growth and differentiation pa...

Workshop: Addressing Regulatory Challenges In Vapor Intrusion: A State-of-the Science Update Focusing On Chlorinated VOCs

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Offices of Research and Devevlopment and Solid Waste and Emergency Response continue to collaborate on providing technical assistance and support to EPA regional offices, other federal agencies, state regulators, and other intere...

Using Chromatin Immunoprecipitation in Toxicology: A Step-by-Step Guide to Increasing Efficiency, Reducing Variability, and Expanding Applications

EPA Science Inventory

Histone modifications work in concert with DNA methylation to regulate cellular structure, function, and the response to environmental stimuli. More than 130 unique histone modifications have been described to date and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) allows for the explorat...

Investigating crosstalk between heat tolerance and redox status through suppressor screening of EMS mutagenized Arabidopsis monothioglutaredoxin GRXS17 mutants

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Global environmental temperature changes threaten innumerable plant species. While various signaling networks regulate plant responses to heat stress (HS), the mechanisms unifying these diverse processes are largely unknown. The thioredoxin (Trx) and glutaredoxin (Grx) systems help control cellular ...

15 CFR 970.206 - Statement of ownership.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE DEEP SEABED MINING REGULATIONS FOR EXPLORATION LICENSES Applications Contents § 970... the applicant is a United States citizen, as required by § 970.103(b)(6), and as defined in § 970.101... United States citizen responsible for exploration operations to whom notices and orders are to be...

Epigenetic Regulation of Memory Formation and Maintenance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zovkic, Iva B.; Guzman-Karlsson, Mikael C.; Sweatt, J. David

2013-01-01

Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the formation and maintenance of memories is a central goal of the neuroscience community. It is well regarded that an organism's ability to lastingly adapt its behavior in response to a transient environmental stimulus relies on the central nervous system's capability for structural…

Gene technology regulation in Australia: a decade of a federal implementation of a statutory legal code in a context of constituent states taking divergent positions.

PubMed

Tribe, David

2012-01-01

Gene technology is regulated in Australia by the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR), a federal government agency with responsibility for managing health and environmental risks of GM organisms under the Gene Technology Act 2000. The OGTR liaises with other national agencies, governments of States and Territories of Australia and local councils. Current national risk management regulation is the result of three decades of experience with oversight of gene technology. A major operational feature of Australian regulation is reliance on Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) located within the regulated institutions. In 2009-2010 the OGTR managed 45 licenses relating to GM crop field trials, and inspected crop trials that included canola, wheat, barley, banana, sugarcane, cotton, Indian mustard and grapevines. States and Territories of Australia make decisions on market related (non-safety) issues, and adopt different political stances with respect to commercialization of GM crops. Some Australian states support environmental release of licensed GM crops (e.g., Queensland), others ban them (Tasmania), while some have re-positioned themselves, after initially opposing commercialization, to currently allowing regulated commercial use (Victoria, Western Australia). Flexibility exhibited by the Australian regulatory system is facilitated by separation of political decision-making in the Gene Technology Ministerial Council away from the OGTR.

Ribonuclease E modulation of the bacterial SOS response.

PubMed

Manasherob, Robert; Miller, Christine; Kim, Kwang-sun; Cohen, Stanley N

2012-01-01

Plants, animals, bacteria, and Archaea all have evolved mechanisms to cope with environmental or cellular stress. Bacterial cells respond to the stress of DNA damage by activation of the SOS response, the canonical RecA/LexA-dependent signal transduction pathway that transcriptionally derepresses a multiplicity of genes-leading to transient arrest of cell division and initiation of DNA repair. Here we report the previously unsuspected role of E. coli endoribonuclease RNase E in regulation of the SOS response. We show that RNase E deletion or inactivation of temperature-sensitive RNase E protein precludes normal initiation of SOS. The ability of RNase E to regulate SOS is dynamic, as down regulation of RNase E following DNA damage by mitomycin C resulted in SOS termination and restoration of RNase E function leads to resumption of a previously aborted response. Overexpression of the RraA protein, which binds to the C-terminal region of RNase E and modulates the actions of degradosomes, recapitulated the effects of RNase E deficiency. Possible mechanisms for RNase E effects on SOS are discussed.

Ribonuclease E Modulation of the Bacterial SOS Response

PubMed Central

Manasherob, Robert; Miller, Christine; Kim, Kwang-sun; Cohen, Stanley N.

2012-01-01

Plants, animals, bacteria, and Archaea all have evolved mechanisms to cope with environmental or cellular stress. Bacterial cells respond to the stress of DNA damage by activation of the SOS response, the canonical RecA/LexA-dependent signal transduction pathway that transcriptionally derepresses a multiplicity of genes–leading to transient arrest of cell division and initiation of DNA repair. Here we report the previously unsuspected role of E. coli endoribonuclease RNase E in regulation of the SOS response. We show that RNase E deletion or inactivation of temperature-sensitive RNase E protein precludes normal initiation of SOS. The ability of RNase E to regulate SOS is dynamic, as down regulation of RNase E following DNA damage by mitomycin C resulted in SOS termination and restoration of RNase E function leads to resumption of a previously aborted response. Overexpression of the RraA protein, which binds to the C-terminal region of RNase E and modulates the actions of degradosomes, recapitulated the effects of RNase E deficiency. Possible mechanisms for RNase E effects on SOS are discussed. PMID:22719885

Membrane-tethered transcription factors provide a connection between stress response and developmental pathways

PubMed Central

Slabaugh, Erin

2011-01-01

Membrane-tethered transcription factors (MTTFs) are proteins that are targeted to membranes and are capable of regulating gene expression. In this way, they are physically restrained from entering the nucleus and are innately dormant. Upon specific signal recognition cues, MTTFs are activated through cleavage by a protease that releases the transcription factor domain into the cytosol thus allowing it to translocate to the nucleus where it can regulate gene expression. MTTFs are classically thought to provide an advantage to an organism by allowing for rapid signal transduction in response to cellular and environmental stresses. However, recent findings suggest that MTTFs may not only act as a means to respond quickly to stress but also are able to regulate developmental pathways, illustrating a point of interaction between stress and development. PMID:21758012

[The genetic determination and function of RR-proteins--the regulators of photoperiodic reaction and circadian rhythms in plants].

PubMed

Tots'kyĭ, V M; D'iachenko, L F; Muterko, O F; Balashova, I A; Toptikov, V A

2012-01-01

The present review devoted to the analysis of recent literature on genetic determination and the domain organization of the newly discovered two-component signaling systems in pro- and eukaryotes. These structures are involved in the regulation of numerous morphological and physiological processes in plants. RR-proteins, it the key elements of signaling systems, they launch a cascade of phosphotransferase reactions and directly or indirectly regulate the transcription and activity other proteins, including enzymes, in response to hormones or environmental factors. Modern views on the molecular and genetic mechanisms of photoperiodic response, circadian rhythms and anti-stress responses in plants are set out in these positions. The relationship between gene expression and photoreceptor sensitivity of plants to photoperiod traced. We present our own data obtained on the isogenic lines of wheat, where been showed dependence expression of structural genes of enzymes on the allelic composition of individual PRR-loci and the duration action of low temperature.

Regulation of Cell Wall Biogenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: The Cell Wall Integrity Signaling Pathway

PubMed Central

Levin, David E.

2011-01-01

The yeast cell wall is a strong, but elastic, structure that is essential not only for the maintenance of cell shape and integrity, but also for progression through the cell cycle. During growth and morphogenesis, and in response to environmental challenges, the cell wall is remodeled in a highly regulated and polarized manner, a process that is principally under the control of the cell wall integrity (CWI) signaling pathway. This pathway transmits wall stress signals from the cell surface to the Rho1 GTPase, which mobilizes a physiologic response through a variety of effectors. Activation of CWI signaling regulates the production of various carbohydrate polymers of the cell wall, as well as their polarized delivery to the site of cell wall remodeling. This review article centers on CWI signaling in Saccharomyces cerevisiae through the cell cycle and in response to cell wall stress. The interface of this signaling pathway with other pathways that contribute to the maintenance of cell wall integrity is also discussed. PMID:22174182

Biochemical and physiological adaptations in the estuarine crab Neohelice granulata during salinity acclimation.

PubMed

Bianchini, Adalto; Lauer, Mariana Machado; Nery, Luiz Eduardo Maia; Colares, Elton Pinto; Monserrat, José María; Dos Santos Filho, Euclydes Antônio

2008-11-01

Neohelice granulata (Chasmagnathus granulatus) is an intertidal crab species living in salt marshes from estuaries and lagoons along the Atlantic coast of South America. It is a key species in these environments because it is responsible for energy transfer from producers to consumers. In order to deal with the extremely marked environmental salinity changes occurring in salt marshes, N. granulata shows important and interesting structural, biochemical, and physiological adaptations at the gills level. These adaptations characterize this crab as a euryhaline species, tolerating environmental salinities ranging from very diluted media to concentrated seawater. These characteristics had led to its use as an animal model to study estuarine adaptations in crustaceans. Therefore, the present review focuses on the influence of environmental salinity on N. granulata responses at the ecological, organismic and molecular levels. Aspects covered include salinity tolerance, osmo- and ionoregulatory patterns, morphological and structural adaptations at the gills, and mechanisms of ion transport and their regulation at the gills level during environmental salinity acclimation. Finally, this review compiles information on the effects of some environmental pollutants on iono- and osmoregulatory adaptations showed by N. granulata.

Expression of Arabidopsis glycine-rich RNA-binding protein AtGRP2 or AtGRP7 improves grain yield of rice (Oryza sativa) under drought stress conditions.

PubMed

Yang, Deok Hee; Kwak, Kyung Jin; Kim, Min Kyung; Park, Su Jung; Yang, Kwang-Yeol; Kang, Hunseung

2014-01-01

Although posttranscriptional regulation of RNA metabolism is increasingly recognized as a key regulatory process in plant response to environmental stresses, reports demonstrating the importance of RNA metabolism control in crop improvement under adverse environmental stresses are severely limited. To investigate the potential use of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) in developing stress-tolerant transgenic crops, we generated transgenic rice plants (Oryza sativa) that express Arabidopsis thaliana glycine-rich RBP (AtGRP) 2 or 7, which have been determined to harbor RNA chaperone activity and confer stress tolerance in Arabidopsis, and analyzed the response of the transgenic rice plants to abiotic stresses. AtGRP2- or AtGRP7-expressing transgenic rice plants displayed similar phenotypes comparable with the wild-type plants under high salt or cold stress conditions. By contrast, AtGRP2- or AtGRP7-expressing transgenic rice plants showed much higher recovery rates and grain yields compared with the wild-type plants under drought stress conditions. The higher grain yield of the transgenic rice plants was due to the increases in filled grain numbers per panicle. Collectively, the present results show the importance of posttranscriptional regulation of RNA metabolism in plant response to environmental stress and suggest that GRPs can be utilized to improve the yield potential of crops under stress conditions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Practice-Based Evidence Informs Environmental Health Policy and Regulation: A Case Study of Residential Lead-Soil Contamination in Rhode Island

PubMed Central

Thompson, Marcella Remer; Burdon, Andrea; Boekelheide, Kim

2013-01-01

Prior to 1978, the exteriors of Rhode Island's municipal water towers were painted with lead-containing paint. Over time, this lead-containing paint either flaked-off or was mechanically removed and deposited on adjacent residential properties. Residents challenged inconsistencies across state agencies and federal requirements for collecting and analyzing soil samples. The purpose of this case study was to evaluate the efficacy of Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) soil sampling regulations in determining the extent of lead contamination on residential properties using real world data. Researchers interviewed key government personnel, reviewed written accounts of events and regulations, and extracted and compiled lead data from environmental soil sampling on 31 residential properties adjacent to six municipal water towers. Data were available for 498 core samples. Approximately 26% of the residential properties had lead soil concentrations >1,000 mg/kg. Overall, lead concentration was inversely related to distance from the water tower. Analysis indicated that surface samples alone were insufficient to classify a property as “lead safe”. Potential for misclassification using RIDOH regulations was 13%. For properties deemed initially “lead free”, the total number of samples was too few to analyze. Post-remediation lead-soil concentrations suggest the extent of lead contamination may have been deeper than initially determined. Additional data would improve the ability to draw more meaningful and generalized conclusions. Inconsistencies among regulatory agencies responsible for environmental health obfuscate transparency and erode the public's trust in the regulatory process. Recommendations for improvement include congruency across departmental regulations and specific modifications to soil sampling regulations reflective of lowered CDC reference blood lead value for children 1 to 5 years old (5μg/dL). While scientific research informed the initial development of these environmental health policies and regulations, practice-based evidence did not support their efficacy in context of real world practice. PMID:24055667

A primer for health care managers: data sanitization, equipment disposal, and electronic waste.

PubMed

Andersen, Cathy M

2011-01-01

In this article, security regulations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act concerning data sanitization and the disposal of media containing stored electronic protected health information are discussed, and methods for effective sanitization and media disposal are presented. When disposing of electronic media, electronic waste-or e-waste-is produced. Electronic waste can harm human health and the environment. Responsible equipment disposal methods can minimize the impact of e-waste. Examples of how health care organizations can meet the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations while also behaving responsibly toward the environment are provided. Examples include the environmental stewardship activities of reduce, reuse, reeducate, recover, and recycle.

Protecting the Environment Through Public Procurement Law - The Case of Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozik, Renata; Karasińska-Jaśkowiec, Izabela

2016-10-01

The article presents the results of studies whose aim was to analyse public procurement procedures in the context of environmental protection, especially wastewater infrastructure, performed in the selected Polish municipalities. The selection criterions were the time of public procurement procedure - from 2009 until 2015 and that the contract was cofinanced by the European Union funds. The contracting authorities responsible for awarding specific contracts, were asked series of detailed questions about the environmental criteria and requirements contained in the tender documents for the construction contracts related to the wastewater infrastructure. The aim of the detailed study was to determine whether the actions taken by the contracting authorities in a tender procedure for the construction or operation of wastewater infrastructure include environmental issues. Authors examine also the applicable public procurement law regulation in Poland and Europe in the context of sustainable development and environmental protection. The study of public procurement law was to check whether the law regulation fully takes into account the environmental aspects of the planned investments. On this basis, conclusions have been made that laws are consistent and do not constitute an obstacle to awarding a contract positively affecting the environment.

Using a Novel Wireless-Networked Decentralized Control Scheme under Unpredictable Environmental Conditions

PubMed Central

Chang, Chung-Liang; Huang, Yi-Ming; Hong, Guo-Fong

2015-01-01

The direction of sunshine or the installation sites of environmental control facilities in the greenhouse result in different temperature and humidity levels in the various zones of the greenhouse, and thus, the production quality of crop is inconsistent. This study proposed a wireless-networked decentralized fuzzy control scheme to regulate the environmental parameters of various culture zones within a greenhouse. The proposed scheme can create different environmental conditions for cultivating different crops in various zones and achieve diversification or standardization of crop production. A star-type wireless sensor network is utilized to communicate with each sensing node, actuator node, and control node in various zones within the greenhouse. The fuzzy rule-based inference system is used to regulate the environmental parameters for temperature and humidity based on real-time data of plant growth response provided by a growth stage selector. The growth stage selector defines the control ranges of temperature and humidity of the various culture zones according to the leaf area of the plant, the number of leaves, and the cumulative amount of light. The experimental results show that the proposed scheme is stable and robust and provides basis for future greenhouse applications. PMID:26569264

Inactivation of DNA-Binding Response Regulator Sak189 Abrogates β-Antigen Expression and Affects Virulence of Streptococcus agalactiae

PubMed Central

Rozhdestvenskaya, Anastasia S.; Totolian, Artem A.; Dmitriev, Alexander V.

2010-01-01

Background Streptococcus agalactiae is able to colonize numerous tissues employing different mechanisms of gene regulation, particularly via two-component regulatory systems. These systems sense the environmental stimuli and regulate expression of the genes including virulence genes. Recently, the novel two-component regulatory system Sak188/Sak189 was identified. In S. agalactiae genome, it was adjacent to the bac gene encoding for β-antigen, an important virulence factor. Methodology/Principal Findings In this study, the sak188 and sak189 genes were inactivated, and the functional role of Sak188/Sak189 two-component system in regulation of the β-antigen expression was investigated. It was demonstrated that both transcription of bac gene and expression of encoded β-antigen were controlled by Sak189 response regulator, but not Sak188 histidine kinase. It was also found that the regulation occurred at transcriptional level. Finally, insertional inactivation of sak189 gene, but not sak188 gene, significantly affected virulent properties of S. agalactiae. Conclusions/Significance Sak189 response regulator is necessary for activation of bac gene transcription. It also controls the virulent properties of S. agalactiae. Given that the primary functional role of Sak188/Sak189 two-component systems is a control of bac gene transcription, this system can be annotated as BgrR/S (bac gene regulatory system). PMID:20419089

Child cortisol moderates the association between family routines and emotion regulation in low-income children

PubMed Central

Miller, Alison L.; Song, Ju-Hyun; Sturza, Julie; Lumeng, Julie C.; Rosenblum, Katherine; Kaciroti, Niko; Vazquez, Delia M.

2018-01-01

Biological and social influences both shape emotion regulation. In 380 low-income children, we tested whether biological stress profile (cortisol) moderated the association among positive and negative home environment factors (routines; chaos) and emotion regulation (negative lability; positive regulation). Children (M age = 50.6, SD = 6.4 months) provided saliva samples to assess diurnal cortisol parameters across 3 days. Parents reported on home environment and child emotion regulation. Structural equation modeling was used to test whether cortisol parameters moderated associations between home environment and child emotion regulation. Results showed that home chaos was negatively associated with emotion regulation outcomes; cortisol did not moderate the association. Child cortisol level moderated the routines-emotion regulation association such that lack of routine was most strongly associated with poor emotion regulation among children with lower cortisol output. Findings suggest that underlying child stress biology may shape response to environmental influences. PMID:27594200

Cytochrome c Gene and Protein Expression: Developmental Regulation, Environmental Response, and Pesticide Sensitivity in Aedes aegypti

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-01

biological systems. In the mosquito Aedes ae- gypti (L.), a primary vector of dengue and yellow fever viruses, the role of cytochrome c during devel...development of mosquitoes re- quiresmultigene regulation(Seversonet al. 2004,Fon- tenille et al. 2005,Raibaudet al. 2006, Strodeet al. 2006, van den...1.5% RH in an environ- mental chamber (L-C Incubator, Lab-Line Instru- ments, Inc., Melrose Park, IL) for the time course study. Sixty individuals (30

Fe-S Proteins that Regulate Gene Expression

PubMed Central

Mettert, Erin L.; Kiley, Patricia J.

2014-01-01

Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster containing proteins that regulate gene expression are present in most organisms. The innate chemistry of their Fe-S cofactors makes these regulatory proteins ideal for sensing environmental signals, such as gases (e.g. O2 and NO), levels of Fe and Fe-S clusters, reactive oxygen species, and redox cycling compounds, to subsequently mediate an adaptive response. Here we review the recent findings that have provided invaluable insight into the mechanism and function of these highly significant Fe-S regulatory proteins. PMID:25450978

Organic extract contaminants from drinking water activate Nrf2-mediated antioxidant response in a human cell line.

PubMed

Wang, Shu; Zhang, Hao; Zheng, Weiwei; Wang, Xia; Andersen, Melvin E; Pi, Jingbo; He, Gengsheng; Qu, Weidong

2013-05-07

Traditional risk assessment methods face challenges in estimating risks from drinking waters that contain low-levels of large numbers of contaminants. Here, we evaluate the toxicity of organic contaminant (OC) extracts from drinking water by examining activation of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-mediated antioxidant response. In HepG2 cells, the Nrf2-mediated antioxidant response-measured as Nrf2 protein accumulation, expression of antioxidant response element (ARE)-regulated genes and ARE-luciferase reporter gene assays were activated by OC extracts from drinking water sources that detected 25 compounds in 9 classification groups. Individual OCs induced oxidative stress at concentrations much higher than their environmental levels; however, mixtures of contaminants induced oxidative stress response at only 8 times the environmental levels. Additionally, a synthetic OC mixture prepared based on the contamination profiling of drinking water induced ARE activity to the same extent as the real-world mixture, reinforcing our conclusion that these mixture exposures produce responses relevant for human exposure situations. Our study tested the possibility of assessing toxicity of OCs of drinking water using a specific ARE-pathway measurement. This approach should be broadly useful in assisting risk assessment of mixed environmental exposure.

Environmental Strategies of Affect Regulation and Their Associations With Subjective Well-Being

PubMed Central

Korpela, Kalevi M.; Pasanen, Tytti; Repo, Veera; Hartig, Terry; Staats, Henk; Mason, Michael; Alves, Susana; Fornara, Ferdinando; Marks, Tony; Saini, Sunil; Scopelliti, Massimiliano; Soares, Ana L.; Stigsdotter, Ulrika K.; Ward Thompson, Catharine

2018-01-01

Environmental strategies of affect regulation refer to the use of natural and urban socio-physical settings in the service of regulation. We investigated the perceived use and efficacy of environmental strategies for regulation of general affect and sadness, considering them in relation to other affect regulation strategies and to subjective well-being. Participants from Australia, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, India, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Sweden (N = 507) evaluated the frequency of use and perceived efficacy of affect regulation strategies using a modified version of the Measure of Affect Regulation Styles (MARS). The internet survey also included the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), emotional well-being items from the RAND 36-Item Health Survey, and a single-item measure of perceived general health. Environmental regulation formed a separate factor of affect regulation in the exploratory structural equation models (ESEM). Although no relations of environmental strategies with emotional well-being were found, both the perceived frequency of use and efficacy of environmental strategies were positively related to perceived health. Moreover, the perceived efficacy of environmental strategies was positively related to life satisfaction in regulating sadness. The results encourage more explicit treatment of environmental strategies in research on affect regulation. PMID:29720955

Arm-in-Arm Response Regulator Dimers Promote Intermolecular Signal Transduction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baker, Anna W.; Satyshur, Kenneth A.; Moreno Morales, Neydis

2016-02-01

ABSTRACT Bacteriophytochrome photoreceptors (BphPs) and their cognate response regulators make up two-component signal transduction systems which direct bacteria to mount phenotypic responses to changes in environmental light quality. Most of these systems utilize single-domain response regulators to transduce signals through unknown pathways and mechanisms. Here we describe the photocycle and autophosphorylation kinetics of RtBphP1, a red light-regulated histidine kinase from the desert bacteriumRamlibacter tataouinensis. RtBphP1 undergoes red to far-red photoconversion with rapid thermal reversion to the dark state. RtBphP1 is autophosphorylated in the dark; this activity is inhibited under red light. The RtBphP1 cognate response regulator, theR. tataouinensisbacteriophytochrome response regulatormore » (RtBRR), and a homolog, AtBRR fromAgrobacterium tumefaciens, crystallize unexpectedly as arm-in-arm dimers, reliant on a conserved hydrophobic motif, hFWAhL (where h is a hydrophobic M, V, L, or I residue). RtBRR and AtBRR dimerize distinctly from four structurally characterized phytochrome response regulators found in photosynthetic organisms and from all other receiver domain homodimers in the Protein Data Bank. A unique cacodylate-zinc-histidine tag metal organic framework yielded single-wavelength anomalous diffraction phases and may be of general interest. Examination of the effect of the BRR stoichiometry on signal transduction showed that phosphorylated RtBRR is accumulated more efficiently than the engineered monomeric RtBRR (RtBRR mon) in phosphotransfer reactions. Thus, we conclude that arm-in-arm dimers are a relevant signaling intermediate in this class of two-component regulatory systems. IMPORTANCEBphP histidine kinases and their cognate response regulators comprise widespread red light-sensing two-component systems. Much work on BphPs has focused on structural understanding of light sensing and on enhancing the natural infrared fluorescence of these proteins, rather than on signal transduction or the resultant phenotypes. To begin to address this knowledge gap, we solved the crystal structures of two single-domain response regulators encoded by a region immediately downstream of that encoding BphPs. We observed a previously unknown arm-in-arm dimer linkage. Monomerization via deletion of the C-terminal dimerization motif had an inhibitory effect on net response regulator phosphorylation, underlining the importance of these unusual dimers for signal transduction.« less

Environmental performance evaluation and strategy management using balanced scorecard.

PubMed

Hsu, Yu-Lung; Liu, Chun-Chu

2010-11-01

Recently, environmental protection and regulations such as WEEE, ELV, and RoHS are rapidly emerging as an important issue for business to consider. The trend of swinging from end-of-pipe control to product design, green innovation, and even the establishment of image or brand has affected corporations in almost every corner in the world, and enlarged to the all modern global production network. Corporations must take proactive environmental strategies to response the challenges. This study adopts balanced scorecard structure and aim at automobile industries to understand the relationships of internal and external, financial and non-financial, and outcome and driving factors. Further relying on these relationships to draw the "map of environment strategy" to probe and understand the feasibility of environmental performance evaluation and environmental strategy control.

A global perspective on the influence of environmental exposures on the nervous system.

PubMed

Tshala-Katumbay, Desire; Mwanza, Jean-Claude; Rohlman, Diane S; Maestre, Gladys; Oriá, Reinaldo B

2015-11-19

Economic transitions in the era of globalization warrant a fresh look at the neurological risks associated with environmental change. These are driven by industrial expansion, transfer and mobility of goods, climate change and population growth. In these contexts, risk of infectious and non-infectious diseases are shared across geographical boundaries. In low- and middle-income countries, the risk of environmentally mediated brain disease is augmented several fold by lack of infrastructure, poor health and safety regulations, and limited measures for environmental protection. Neurological disorders may occur as a result of direct exposure to chemical and/or non-chemical stressors, including but not limited to, ultrafine particulate matters. Individual susceptibilities to exposure-related diseases are modified by genetic, epigenetic and metagenomic factors. The existence of several uniquely exposed populations, including those in the areas surrounding the Niger Delta or north western Amazon oil operations; those working in poorly regulated environments, such as artisanal mining industries; or those, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, relying on cassava as a staple food, offers invaluable opportunities to advance the current understanding of brain responses to environmental challenges. Increased awareness of the brain disorders that are prevalent in low- and middle-income countries and investments in capacity for further environmental health-related research are positive steps towards improving human health.

A global perspective on the influence of environmental exposures on the nervous system

PubMed Central

Tshala-Katumbay, Desire; Mwanza, Jean-Claude; Rohlman, Diane S.; Maestre, Gladys; Oriá, Reinaldo B.

2016-01-01

Economic and social transitions in the era of globalization warrant a fresh look at the neurological risks associated with environmental change. These are driven by industrial expansion, transfer and mobility of goods, climate change and population growth. In these contexts, risk of both infectious and non-infectious diseases are shared across geographical boundaries. In low- and middle-income countries, the risk of environmentally mediated brain disease is augmented several-fold by lack of infrastructure, poor health and safety regulations, and limited measures for environmental protection. Neurological disorders may occur as a result of direct exposure to chemical and/or non-chemical stressors such as ultrafine particulate matters. Individual susceptibilities to exposure-related diseases are modified by genetic, epigenetic and metagenomic factors. The existence of several uniquely exposed populations, including those in the areas surrounding the Niger Delta or north western Amazon oil operations; those working in poorly regulated environments, such as artisanal mining industries; or those, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, relying on cassava as a staple food, offers invaluable opportunities to advance the current understanding of brain responses to environmental challenges. Increased awareness of the brain disorders that are prevalent in low- and middle-income countries and investments in capacity for further environmental health-related research are positive steps towards improving human health. PMID:26580326

YODA MAP3K kinase regulates plant immune responses conferring broad-spectrum disease resistance.

PubMed

Sopeña-Torres, Sara; Jordá, Lucía; Sánchez-Rodríguez, Clara; Miedes, Eva; Escudero, Viviana; Swami, Sanjay; López, Gemma; Piślewska-Bednarek, Mariola; Lassowskat, Ines; Lee, Justin; Gu, Yangnan; Haigis, Sabine; Alexander, Danny; Pattathil, Sivakumar; Muñoz-Barrios, Antonio; Bednarek, Pawel; Somerville, Shauna; Schulze-Lefert, Paul; Hahn, Michael G; Scheel, Dierk; Molina, Antonio

2018-04-01

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) cascades play essential roles in plants by transducing developmental cues and environmental signals into cellular responses. Among the latter are microbe-associated molecular patterns perceived by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), which trigger immunity. We found that YODA (YDA) - a MAPK kinase kinase regulating several Arabidopsis developmental processes, like stomatal patterning - also modulates immune responses. Resistance to pathogens is compromised in yda alleles, whereas plants expressing the constitutively active YDA (CA-YDA) protein show broad-spectrum resistance to fungi, bacteria, and oomycetes with different colonization modes. YDA functions in the same pathway as ERECTA (ER) Receptor-Like Kinase, regulating both immunity and stomatal patterning. ER-YDA-mediated immune responses act in parallel to canonical disease resistance pathways regulated by phytohormones and PRRs. CA-YDA plants exhibit altered cell-wall integrity and constitutively express defense-associated genes, including some encoding putative small secreted peptides and PRRs whose impairment resulted in enhanced susceptibility phenotypes. CA-YDA plants show strong reprogramming of their phosphoproteome, which contains protein targets distinct from described MAPKs substrates. Our results suggest that, in addition to stomata development, the ER-YDA pathway regulates an immune surveillance system conferring broad-spectrum disease resistance that is distinct from the canonical pathways mediated by described PRRs and defense hormones. © 2018 Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) New Phytologist © 2018 New Phytologist Trust.

Sensitivity of cell-based biosensors to environmental variables.

PubMed

Gilchrist, Kristin H; Giovangrandi, Laurent; Whittington, R Hollis; Kovacs, Gregory T A

2005-01-15

Electrically active living cells cultured on extracellular electrode arrays are utilized to detect biologically active agents. Because cells are highly sensitive to environmental conditions, environmental fluctuations can elicit cellular responses that contribute to the noise in a cell-based biosensor system. Therefore, the characterization and control of environmental factors such as temperature, pH, and osmolarity is critical in such a system. The cell-based biosensor platform described here utilizes the measurement of action potentials from cardiac cells cultured on electrode arrays. A recirculating fluid flow system is presented for use in dose-response experiments that regulates temperature within +/-0.2 degrees C, pH to within +/-0.05 units, and allows no significant change in osmolarity. Using this system, the relationship between the sensor output parameters and environmental variation was quantified. Under typical experimental conditions, beat rate varied approximately 10% per degree change in temperature or per 0.1 unit change in pH. Similar relationships were measured for action potential amplitude, duration, and conduction velocity. For the specific flow system used in this work, the measured environmental sensitivity resulted in an overall beat rate variation of +/-4.7% and an overall amplitude variation of +/-3.3%. The magnitude of the noise due to environmental sensitivity has a large impact on the detection capability of the cell-based system. The significant responses to temperature, pH, and osmolarity have important implications for the use of living cells in detection systems and should be considered in the design and evaluation of such systems.

Protein-DNA binding dynamics predict transcriptional response to nutrients in archaea.

PubMed

Todor, Horia; Sharma, Kriti; Pittman, Adrianne M C; Schmid, Amy K

2013-10-01

Organisms across all three domains of life use gene regulatory networks (GRNs) to integrate varied stimuli into coherent transcriptional responses to environmental pressures. However, inferring GRN topology and regulatory causality remains a central challenge in systems biology. Previous work characterized TrmB as a global metabolic transcription factor in archaeal extremophiles. However, it remains unclear how TrmB dynamically regulates its ∼100 metabolic enzyme-coding gene targets. Using a dynamic perturbation approach, we elucidate the topology of the TrmB metabolic GRN in the model archaeon Halobacterium salinarum. Clustering of dynamic gene expression patterns reveals that TrmB functions alone to regulate central metabolic enzyme-coding genes but cooperates with various regulators to control peripheral metabolic pathways. Using a dynamical model, we predict gene expression patterns for some TrmB-dependent promoters and infer secondary regulators for others. Our data suggest feed-forward gene regulatory topology for cobalamin biosynthesis. In contrast, purine biosynthesis appears to require TrmB-independent regulators. We conclude that TrmB is an important component for mediating metabolic modularity, integrating nutrient status and regulating gene expression dynamics alone and in concert with secondary regulators.

Carrots and Sticks: New Brunswick and Maine Forest Landowner Perceptions Toward Incentives and Regulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quartuch, Michael R.; Beckley, Thomas M.

2014-01-01

The governments of countries that allow private land ownership have two main tools to motivate landowner behavior: regulations and incentives. This research examines landowner preferences toward these policy tools and asks specifically: Do private forest landowners in New Brunswick and Maine believe that regulations and/or incentives are effective means to motivate responsible stewardship? Can landowners identify explicit regulations and policies that restrict property rights? Also, we were interested to see if any discernible differences existed between these adjacent jurisdictions from different countries, but that share similar forests and a similar settlement history. We identified and interviewed diverse landowners, recorded and transcribed our discussions, and analyzed the results using a grounded theory approach. Findings suggest that both New Brunswick and Maine participants are fairly comfortable with most regulations and many agreed that a combination of incentives and regulations are in fact useful. Furthermore, landowners in New Brunswick discussed non-monetary incentives as a mechanism to reward "good" stewardship; while Maine respondents articulated a degree of responsible stewardship that transcends a need to incentivize landowners. This study demonstrates that diverse landowners may be more comfortable with environmental regulations than previously understood and may be interested in non-monetary incentives.

Violacein and biofilm production in Janthinobacterium lividum.

PubMed

Pantanella, F; Berlutti, F; Passariello, C; Sarli, S; Morea, C; Schippa, S

2007-04-01

To analyse the environmental stimuli modulating violacein and biofilm production in Janthinobacterium lividum. Violacein and biofilm production by J. lividum DSM1522(T) was assayed in different growth conditions. Our data suggest that violacein and biofilm production is controlled by the carbon source, being inhibited by glucose and enhanced by glycerol. J. lividum produced violacein also in the presence of different sub-inhibitory concentrations of ampicillin. As opposite, the production of N-acylhomoserine lactone(s), quorum sensing regulators was shown to be positively regulated by glucose. Moreover, violacein-producing cultures of J. lividum showed higher CFU counts than violacein-nonproducing ones. Taken together, our results suggest that violacein and biofilm production could be regulated by a common metabolic pathway and that violacein as well as biofilm could represent a response to environmental stresses and a key factor in the survival mechanisms of J. lividum. Although several recent studies disclosed a number of interesting biological properties of violacein, few data are reported on the physiologic function of violacein in J. lividum. This paper adds new information on the complex mechanisms allowing and regulating bacterial life in hostile environments.

Proceedings of Office of Surface Mining Coal Combustion By-product Government/Regulatory Panel: University of Kentucky international ash utilization symposium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vories, K.C.

2003-07-01

Short papers are given on: the Coal Combustion Program (C2P2) (J. Glenn); regional environmental concerns with disposal of coal combustion wastes at mines (T. FitzGerald); power plant waste mine filling - an environmental perspective (L.G. Evans); utility industry perspective regarding coal combustion product management and regulation (J. Roewer); coal combustion products opportunities for beneficial use (D.C. Goss); state perspective on mine placement of coal combustion by-products (G.E. Conrad); Texas regulations provide for beneficial use of coal combustion ash (S.S. Ferguson); and the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act - a response to concerns about placement of CCBs at coal minemore » sites (K.C. Vories). The questions and answers are also included.« less

Plant subcellular proteomics: Application for exploring optimal cell function in soybean.

PubMed

Wang, Xin; Komatsu, Setsuko

2016-06-30

Plants have evolved complicated responses to developmental changes and stressful environmental conditions. Subcellular proteomics has the potential to elucidate localized cellular responses and investigate communications among subcellular compartments during plant development and in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Soybean, which is a valuable legume crop rich in protein and vegetable oil, can grow in several climatic zones; however, the growth and yield of soybean are markedly decreased under stresses. To date, numerous proteomic studies have been performed in soybean to examine the specific protein profiles of cell wall, plasma membrane, nucleus, mitochondrion, chloroplast, and endoplasmic reticulum. In this review, methods for the purification and purity assessment of subcellular organelles from soybean are summarized. In addition, the findings from subcellular proteomic analyses of soybean during development and under stresses, particularly flooding stress, are presented and the proteins regulated among subcellular compartments are discussed. Continued advances in subcellular proteomics are expected to greatly contribute to the understanding of the responses and interactions that occur within and among subcellular compartments during development and under stressful environmental conditions. Subcellular proteomics has the potential to investigate the cellular events and interactions among subcellular compartments in response to development and stresses in plants. Soybean could grow in several climatic zones; however, the growth and yield of soybean are markedly decreased under stresses. Numerous proteomics of cell wall, plasma membrane, nucleus, mitochondrion, chloroplast, and endoplasmic reticulum was carried out to investigate the respecting proteins and their functions in soybean during development or under stresses. In this review, methods of subcellular-organelle enrichment and purity assessment are summarized. In addition, previous findings of subcellular proteomics are presented, and functional proteins regulated among different subcellular are discussed. Subcellular proteomics contributes greatly to uncovering responses and interactions among subcellular compartments during development and under stressful environmental conditions in soybean. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mechanisms of specificity in neuronal activity-regulated gene transcription

PubMed Central

Lyons, Michelle R.; West, Anne E.

2011-01-01

The brain is a highly adaptable organ that is capable of converting sensory information into changes in neuronal function. This plasticity allows behavior to be accommodated to the environment, providing an important evolutionary advantage. Neurons convert environmental stimuli into long-lasting changes in their physiology in part through the synaptic activity-regulated transcription of new gene products. Since the neurotransmitter-dependent regulation of Fos transcription was first discovered nearly 25 years ago, a wealth of studies have enriched our understanding of the molecular pathways that mediate activity-regulated changes in gene transcription. These findings show that a broad range of signaling pathways and transcriptional regulators can be engaged by neuronal activity to sculpt complex programs of stimulus-regulated gene transcription. However, the shear scope of the transcriptional pathways engaged by neuronal activity raises the question of how specificity in the nature of the transcriptional response is achieved in order to encode physiologically relevant responses to divergent stimuli. Here we summarize the general paradigms by which neuronal activity regulates transcription while focusing on the molecular mechanisms that confer differential stimulus-, cell-type-, and developmental-specificity upon activity-regulated programs of neuronal gene transcription. In addition, we preview some of the new technologies that will advance our future understanding of the mechanisms and consequences of activity-regulated gene transcription in the brain. PMID:21620929

Constant change: dynamic regulation of membrane transport by calcium signalling networks keeps plants in tune with their environment.

PubMed

Kleist, Thomas J; Luan, Sheng

2016-03-01

Despite substantial variation and irregularities in their environment, plants must conform to spatiotemporal demands on the molecular composition of their cytosol. Cell membranes are the major interface between organisms and their environment and the basis for controlling the contents and intracellular organization of the cell. Membrane transport proteins (MTPs) govern the flow of molecules across membranes, and their activities are closely monitored and regulated by cell signalling networks. By continuously adjusting MTP activities, plants can mitigate the effects of environmental perturbations, but effective implementation of this strategy is reliant on precise coordination among transport systems that reside in distinct cell types and membranes. Here, we examine the role of calcium signalling in the coordination of membrane transport, with an emphasis on potassium transport. Potassium is an exceptionally abundant and mobile ion in plants, and plant potassium transport has been intensively studied for decades. Classic and recent studies have underscored the importance of calcium in plant environmental responses and membrane transport regulation. In reviewing recent advances in our understanding of the coding and decoding of calcium signals, we highlight established and emerging roles of calcium signalling in coordinating membrane transport among multiple subcellular locations and distinct transport systems in plants, drawing examples from the CBL-CIPK signalling network. By synthesizing classical studies and recent findings, we aim to provide timely insights on the role of calcium signalling networks in the modulation of membrane transport and its importance in plant environmental responses. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Hanford Site Anuran Monitoring Report for Calendar Year 2013

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wilde, Justin W.; Johnson, Scott J.; Lindsey, Cole T.

2014-02-13

The U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) conducts ecological monitoring on the Hanford Site to collect and track data needed to ensure compliance with an array of environmental laws, regulations, and policies governing DOE activities. Ecological monitoring data provide baseline information about the plants, animals, and habitat under DOE-RL stewardship at Hanford required for decision-making under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The Hanford Site Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP, DOE/EIS-0222-F) which is the Environmental Impact Statement for Hanford Site activities, helps ensure that DOE-RL, its contractors, and othermore » entities conducting activities on the Hanford Site are in compliance with NEPA.« less

High Time for Conservation: Adding the Environment to the Debate on Marijuana Liberalization.

PubMed

Carah, Jennifer K; Howard, Jeanette K; Thompson, Sally E; Short Gianotti, Anne G; Bauer, Scott D; Carlson, Stephanie M; Dralle, David N; Gabriel, Mourad W; Hulette, Lisa L; Johnson, Brian J; Knight, Curtis A; Kupferberg, Sarah J; Martin, Stefanie L; Naylor, Rosamond L; Power, Mary E

2015-08-01

The liberalization of marijuana policies, including the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana, is sweeping the United States and other countries. Marijuana cultivation can have significant negative collateral effects on the environment that are often unknown or overlooked. Focusing on the state of California, where by some estimates 60%-70% of the marijuana consumed in the United States is grown, we argue that (a) the environmental harm caused by marijuana cultivation merits a direct policy response, (b) current approaches to governing the environmental effects are inadequate, and (c) neglecting discussion of the environmental impacts of cultivation when shaping future marijuana use and possession policies represents a missed opportunity to reduce, regulate, and mitigate environmental harm.

High Time for Conservation: Adding the Environment to the Debate on Marijuana Liberalization

PubMed Central

Carah, Jennifer K.; Howard, Jeanette K.; Thompson, Sally E.; Short Gianotti, Anne G.; Bauer, Scott D.; Carlson, Stephanie M.; Dralle, David N.; Gabriel, Mourad W.; Hulette, Lisa L.; Johnson, Brian J.; Knight, Curtis A.; Kupferberg, Sarah J.; Martin, Stefanie L.; Naylor, Rosamond L.; Power, Mary E.

2015-01-01

The liberalization of marijuana policies, including the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana, is sweeping the United States and other countries. Marijuana cultivation can have significant negative collateral effects on the environment that are often unknown or overlooked. Focusing on the state of California, where by some estimates 60%–70% of the marijuana consumed in the United States is grown, we argue that (a) the environmental harm caused by marijuana cultivation merits a direct policy response, (b) current approaches to governing the environmental effects are inadequate, and (c) neglecting discussion of the environmental impacts of cultivation when shaping future marijuana use and possession policies represents a missed opportunity to reduce, regulate, and mitigate environmental harm. PMID:26955083

Ionotropic glutamate receptors mediate inducible defense in the water flea Daphnia pulex.

PubMed

Miyakawa, Hitoshi; Sato, Masanao; Colbourne, John K; Iguchi, Taisen

2015-01-01

Phenotypic plasticity is the ability held in many organisms to produce different phenotypes with a given genome in response to environmental stimuli, such as temperature, nutrition and various biological interactions. It seems likely that environmental signals induce a variety of mechanistic responses that influence ontogenetic processes. Inducible defenses, in which prey animals alter their morphology, behavior and/or other traits to help protect against direct or latent predation threats, are among the most striking examples of phenotypic plasticity. The freshwater microcrustacean Daphnia pulex forms tooth-like defensive structures, "neckteeth," in response to chemical cues or signals, referred to as "kairomones," in this case released from phantom midge larvae, a predator of D. pulex. To identify factors involved in the reception and/or transmission of a kairomone, we used microarray analysis to identify genes up-regulated following a short period of exposure to the midge kairomone. In addition to identifying differentially expressed genes of unknown function, we also found significant up-regulation of genes encoding ionotropic glutamate receptors, which are known to be involved in neurotransmission in many animal species. Specific antagonists of these receptors strongly inhibit the formation of neckteeth in D. pulex, although agonists did not induce neckteeth by themselves, indicating that ionotropic glutamate receptors are necessary but not sufficient for early steps of neckteeth formation in D. pulex. Moreover, using co-exposure of D. pulex to antagonists and juvenile hormone (JH), which physiologically mediates neckteeth formation, we found evidence suggesting that the inhibitory effect of antagonists is not due to direct inhibition of JH synthesis/secretion. Our findings not only provide a candidate molecule required for the inducible defense response in D. pulex, but also will contribute to the understanding of complex mechanisms underlying the recognition of environmental changes, which form the basis of phenotypic plasticity.

Redox-Based Regulation of Bacterial Development and Behavior.

PubMed

Sporer, Abigail J; Kahl, Lisa J; Price-Whelan, Alexa; Dietrich, Lars E P

2017-06-20

Severe changes in the environmental redox potential, and resulting alterations in the oxidation states of intracellular metabolites and enzymes, have historically been considered negative stressors, requiring responses that are strictly defensive. However, recent work in diverse organisms has revealed that more subtle changes in the intracellular redox state can act as signals, eliciting responses with benefits beyond defense and detoxification. Changes in redox state have been shown to influence or trigger chromosome segregation, sporulation, aerotaxis, and social behaviors, including luminescence as well as biofilm establishment and dispersal. Connections between redox state and complex behavior allow bacteria to link developmental choices with metabolic state and coordinate appropriate responses. Promising future directions for this area of study include metabolomic analysis of species- and condition-dependent changes in metabolite oxidation states and elucidation of the mechanisms whereby the redox state influences circadian regulation.

The TAM family receptor tyrosine kinase TYRO3 is a negative regulator of type 2 immunity

PubMed Central

Chan, Pamela Y.; Carrera Silva, Eugenio A.; De Kouchkovsky, Dimitri; Joannas, Leonel D.; Hao, Liming; Hu, Donglei; Huntsman, Scott; Eng, Celeste; Licona-Limón, Paula; Weinstein, Jason S.; Herbert, De’Broski R.; Craft, Joseph E.; Flavell, Richard A.; Repetto, Silvia; Correale, Jorge; Burchard, Esteban G.; Torgerson, Dara G.; Ghosh, Sourav; Rothlin, Carla V.

2016-01-01

Host responses against metazoan parasites or an array of environmental substances elicit type 2 immunity. Despite its protective function, type 2 immunity also drives allergic diseases. The mechanisms that regulate the magnitude of the type 2 response remain largely unknown. Here, we show that genetic ablation of a receptor tyrosine kinase encoded by Tyro3 in mice or the functional neutralization of its ortholog in human dendritic cells resulted in enhanced type 2 immunity. Furthermore, the TYRO3 agonist PROS1 was induced in T cells by the quintessential type 2 cytokine, interleukin-4. T cell–specific Pros1 knockouts phenocopied the loss of Tyro3. Thus, a PROS1-mediated feedback from adaptive immunity engages a rheostat, TYRO3, on innate immune cells to limit the intensity of type 2 responses. PMID:27034374

Bicarbonate Induced Redox Proteome Changes in Arabidopsis Suspension Cells.

PubMed

Yin, Zepeng; Balmant, Kelly; Geng, Sisi; Zhu, Ning; Zhang, Tong; Dufresne, Craig; Dai, Shaojun; Chen, Sixue

2017-01-01

Climate change as a result of increasing atmospheric CO 2 affects plant growth and productivity. CO 2 is not only a carbon donor for photosynthesis but also an environmental signal that can perturb cellular redox homeostasis and lead to modifications of redox-sensitive proteins. Although redox regulation of protein functions has emerged as an important mechanism in several biological processes, protein redox modifications and how they function in plant CO 2 response remain unclear. Here a new iodoTMTRAQ proteomics technology was employed to analyze changes in protein redox modifications in Arabidopsis thaliana suspension cells in response to bicarbonate (mimic of elevated CO 2 ) in a time-course study. A total of 47 potential redox-regulated proteins were identified with functions in carbohydrate and energy metabolism, transport, ROS scavenging, cell structure modulation and protein turnover. This inventory of previously unknown redox responsive proteins in Arabidopsis bicarbonate responses lays a foundation for future research toward understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying plant CO 2 responses.

Bicarbonate Induced Redox Proteome Changes in Arabidopsis Suspension Cells

PubMed Central

Yin, Zepeng; Balmant, Kelly; Geng, Sisi; Zhu, Ning; Zhang, Tong; Dufresne, Craig; Dai, Shaojun; Chen, Sixue

2017-01-01

Climate change as a result of increasing atmospheric CO2 affects plant growth and productivity. CO2 is not only a carbon donor for photosynthesis but also an environmental signal that can perturb cellular redox homeostasis and lead to modifications of redox-sensitive proteins. Although redox regulation of protein functions has emerged as an important mechanism in several biological processes, protein redox modifications and how they function in plant CO2 response remain unclear. Here a new iodoTMTRAQ proteomics technology was employed to analyze changes in protein redox modifications in Arabidopsis thaliana suspension cells in response to bicarbonate (mimic of elevated CO2) in a time-course study. A total of 47 potential redox-regulated proteins were identified with functions in carbohydrate and energy metabolism, transport, ROS scavenging, cell structure modulation and protein turnover. This inventory of previously unknown redox responsive proteins in Arabidopsis bicarbonate responses lays a foundation for future research toward understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying plant CO2 responses. PMID:28184230

Investigating the Control of Chlorophyll Degradation by Genomic Correlation Mining.

PubMed

Ghandchi, Frederick P; Caetano-Anolles, Gustavo; Clough, Steven J; Ort, Donald R

2016-01-01

Chlorophyll degradation is an intricate process that is critical in a variety of plant tissues at different times during the plant life cycle. Many of the photoactive chlorophyll degradation intermediates are exceptionally cytotoxic necessitating that the pathway be carefully coordinated and regulated. The primary regulatory step in the chlorophyll degradation pathway involves the enzyme pheophorbide a oxygenase (PAO), which oxidizes the chlorophyll intermediate pheophorbide a, that is eventually converted to non-fluorescent chlorophyll catabolites. There is evidence that PAO is differentially regulated across different environmental and developmental conditions with both transcriptional and post-transcriptional components, but the involved regulatory elements are uncertain or unknown. We hypothesized that transcription factors modulate PAO expression across different environmental conditions, such as cold and drought, as well as during developmental transitions to leaf senescence and maturation of green seeds. To test these hypotheses, several sets of Arabidopsis genomic and bioinformatic experiments were investigated and re-analyzed using computational approaches. PAO expression was compared across varied environmental conditions in the three separate datasets using regression modeling and correlation mining to identify gene elements co-expressed with PAO. Their functions were investigated as candidate upstream transcription factors or other regulatory elements that may regulate PAO expression. PAO transcript expression was found to be significantly up-regulated in warm conditions, during leaf senescence, and in drought conditions, and in all three conditions significantly positively correlated with expression of transcription factor Arabidopsis thaliana activating factor 1 (ATAF1), suggesting that ATAF1 is triggered in the plant response to these processes or abiotic stresses and in result up-regulates PAO expression. The proposed regulatory network includes the freezing, senescence, and drought stresses modulating factor ATAF1 and various other transcription factors and pathways, which in turn act to regulate chlorophyll degradation by up-regulating PAO expression.

Genistein and bisphenol A exposure cause estrogen receptor 1 to bind thousands of sites in a cell type-specific manner

PubMed Central

Gertz, Jason; Reddy, Timothy E.; Varley, Katherine E.; Garabedian, Michael J.; Myers, Richard M.

2012-01-01

Endogenous estrogens that are synthesized in the body impact gene regulation by activating estrogen receptors in diverse cell types. Exogenous compounds that have estrogenic properties can also be found circulating in the blood in both children and adults. The genome-wide impact of these environmental estrogens on gene regulation is unclear. To obtain an integrated view of gene regulation in response to environmental and endogenous estrogens on a genome-wide scale, we performed ChIP-seq to identify estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1; previously estrogen receptor α) binding sites, and RNA-seq in endometrial cancer cells exposed to bisphenol A (BPA; found in plastics), genistein (GEN; found in soybean), or 17β-estradiol (E2; an endogenous estrogen). GEN and BPA treatment induces thousands of ESR1 binding sites and >50 gene expression changes, representing a subset of E2-induced gene regulation changes. Genes affected by E2 were highly enriched for ribosome-associated proteins; however, GEN and BPA failed to regulate most ribosome-associated proteins and instead enriched for transporters of carboxylic acids. Treatment-dependent changes in gene expression were associated with treatment-dependent ESR1 binding sites, with the exception that many genes up-regulated by E2 harbored a BPA-induced ESR1 binding site but failed to show any expression change after BPA treatment. GEN and BPA exhibited a similar relationship to E2 in the breast cancer line T-47D, where cell type specificity played a much larger role than treatment specificity. Overall, both environmental estrogens clearly regulate gene expression through ESR1 on a genome-wide scale, although with lower potency resulting in less ESR1 binding sites and less gene expression changes compared to the endogenous estrogen, E2. PMID:23019147

Transcriptional Repression of ATF4 Gene by CCAAT/Enhancer-binding Protein β (C/EBPβ) Differentially Regulates Integrated Stress Response*

PubMed Central

Dey, Souvik; Savant, Sudha; Teske, Brian F.; Hatzoglou, Maria; Calkhoven, Cornelis F.; Wek, Ronald C.

2012-01-01

Different environmental stresses induce the phosphorylation of eIF2 (eIF2∼P), repressing global protein synthesis coincident with preferential translation of ATF4. ATF4 is a transcriptional activator of genes involved in metabolism and nutrient uptake, antioxidation, and regulation of apoptosis. Because ATF4 is a common downstream target that integrates signaling from different eIF2 kinases and their respective stress signals, the eIF2∼P/ATF4 pathway is collectively referred to as the integrated stress response. Although eIF2∼P elicits translational control in response to many different stresses, there are selected stresses, such as exposure to UV irradiation, that do not increase ATF4 expression despite robust eIF2∼P. The rationale for this discordant induction of ATF4 expression and eIF2∼P in response to UV irradiation is that transcription of ATF4 is repressed, and therefore ATF4 mRNA is not available for preferential translation. In this study, we show that C/EBPβ is a transcriptional repressor of ATF4 during UV stress. C/EBPβ binds to critical elements in the ATF4 promoter, resulting in its transcriptional repression. Expression of C/EBPβ increases in response to UV stress, and the liver-enriched inhibitory protein (LIP) isoform of C/EBPβ, but not the liver-enriched activating protein (LAP) version, represses ATF4 transcription. Loss of the liver-enriched inhibitory protein isoform results in increased ATF4 mRNA levels in response to UV irradiation and subsequent recovery of ATF4 translation, leading to enhanced expression of its target genes. Together these results illustrate how eIF2∼P and translational control combined with transcription factors regulated by alternative signaling pathways can direct programs of gene expression that are specifically tailored to each environmental stress. PMID:22556424

Isolation and analysis of a multifunctional triterpene synthase KcMS promoter region from mangrove plant kandelia candel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basyuni, M.; Wati, R.; Sulistiyono, N.; Sumardi; Oku, H.; Baba, S.; Sagami, H.

2018-03-01

Molecular cloning of Kandelia candel KcMS gene has previously been cloned and encoded a multifunctional triterpene synthase. In this study, the KcMS gene promoter was cloned through Genome walking, sequenced, and analyzed. A 1,358 bp genomic DNA fragment of KcMS promoter was obtained. PLACE and PlantCARE analysis of the KcMS promoter revealed that there was some regulatory elements in response to environmental signals and involved in the regulation of gene expression. Results showed that four kinds of elements are regulated by hormone binding, namely 2 MeJA-responsiveness elements (CGTCA-motif and TGACG-motif), the ABRE (TACGTG) involved in abscisic acid responsiveness, gibberellin-related GARE-motif (AAACAGA), and the TGA-element (AACGAC) as an auxin-responsive element. Several elements in the KcMS have been shown in other plants to be responsive to abiotic stress. These motifs were MBS (CAACTG), TC-rich repeats, and eight light responsive elements. The KcMS promoter was also involved in the activation of defense genes in plants such as HSE (AAAAAATTC) and four circadian control elements (CAANNNNATC). The presence of multipotential regulatory motifs suggested that KcMS may be involved in regulation of plant tolerance to several types of stresses.

Reversible Self-Actuated Thermo-Responsive Pore Membrane

PubMed Central

Park, Younggeun; Gutierrez, Maria Paz; Lee, Luke P.

2016-01-01

Smart membranes, which can selectively control the transfer of light, air, humidity and temperature, are important to achieve indoor climate regulation. Even though reversible self-actuation of smart membranes is desirable in large-scale, reversible self-regulation remains challenging. Specifically, reversible 100% opening/closing of pore actuation showing accurate responsiveness, reproducibility and structural flexibility, including uniform structure assembly, is currently very difficult. Here, we report a reversible, thermo-responsive self-activated pore membrane that achieves opening and closing of pores. The reversible, self-actuated thermo-responsive pore membrane was fabricated with hybrid materials of poly (N-isopropylacrylamide), (PNIPAM) within polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) to form a multi-dimensional pore array. Using Multiphysics simulation of heat transfer and structural mechanics based on finite element analysis, we demonstrated that pore opening and closing dynamics can be self-activated at environmentally relevant temperatures. Temperature cycle characterizations of the pore structure revealed 100% opening ratio at T = 40 °C and 0% opening ratio at T = 20 °C. The flexibility of the membrane showed an accurate temperature-responsive function at a maximum bending angle of 45°. Addressing the importance of self-regulation, this reversible self-actuated thermo-responsive pore membrane will advance the development of future large-scale smart membranes needed for sustainable indoor climate control. PMID:27991563

Reversible Self-Actuated Thermo-Responsive Pore Membrane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Younggeun; Gutierrez, Maria Paz; Lee, Luke P.

2016-12-01

Smart membranes, which can selectively control the transfer of light, air, humidity and temperature, are important to achieve indoor climate regulation. Even though reversible self-actuation of smart membranes is desirable in large-scale, reversible self-regulation remains challenging. Specifically, reversible 100% opening/closing of pore actuation showing accurate responsiveness, reproducibility and structural flexibility, including uniform structure assembly, is currently very difficult. Here, we report a reversible, thermo-responsive self-activated pore membrane that achieves opening and closing of pores. The reversible, self-actuated thermo-responsive pore membrane was fabricated with hybrid materials of poly (N-isopropylacrylamide), (PNIPAM) within polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) to form a multi-dimensional pore array. Using Multiphysics simulation of heat transfer and structural mechanics based on finite element analysis, we demonstrated that pore opening and closing dynamics can be self-activated at environmentally relevant temperatures. Temperature cycle characterizations of the pore structure revealed 100% opening ratio at T = 40 °C and 0% opening ratio at T = 20 °C. The flexibility of the membrane showed an accurate temperature-responsive function at a maximum bending angle of 45°. Addressing the importance of self-regulation, this reversible self-actuated thermo-responsive pore membrane will advance the development of future large-scale smart membranes needed for sustainable indoor climate control.

AsHSP17, a creeping bentgrass small heat shock protein modulates plant photosynthesis and ABA-dependent and independent signalling to attenuate plant response to abiotic stress.

PubMed

Sun, Xinbo; Sun, Chunyu; Li, Zhigang; Hu, Qian; Han, Liebao; Luo, Hong

2016-06-01

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are molecular chaperones that accumulate in response to heat and other abiotic stressors. Small HSPs (sHSPs) belong to the most ubiquitous HSP subgroup with molecular weights ranging from 12 to 42 kDa. We have cloned a new sHSP gene, AsHSP17 from creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) and studied its role in plant response to environmental stress. AsHSP17 encodes a protein of 17 kDa. Its expression was strongly induced by heat in both leaf and root tissues, and by salt and abscisic acid (ABA) in roots. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants constitutively expressing AsHSP17 exhibited enhanced sensitivity to heat and salt stress accompanied by reduced leaf chlorophyll content and decreased photosynthesis under both normal and stressed conditions compared to wild type. Overexpression of AsHSP17 also led to hypersensitivity to exogenous ABA and salinity during germination and post-germinative growth. Gene expression analysis indicated that AsHSP17 modulates expression of photosynthesis-related genes and regulates ABA biosynthesis, metabolism and ABA signalling as well as ABA-independent stress signalling. Our results suggest that AsHSP17 may function as a protein chaperone to negatively regulate plant responses to adverse environmental stresses through modulating photosynthesis and ABA-dependent and independent signalling pathways. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Criteria for the Certification and Recertification of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant's Compliance with the 40 CFR Part 191 Disposal Regulations (40 CFR Part 194)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA is responsible for certifying that DOE’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) remains in compliance with environmental standards for the disposal of transuranic waste. 40 CFR Part 194 specifies criteria for certification or recertification of WIPP.

Isolation of polysomal RNA for analyzing stress-responsive genes regulated at the translational level in plants

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Alteration of gene expression is an essential mechanism, which allows plants to respond and adapt to adverse environmental conditions. Transcriptome and proteome analyses in plants exposed to abiotic stresses revealed that protein levels are not correlated with the changes in corresponding mRNAs, in...

Asbestos-in-Schools: A Guide to New Federal Requirements for Local Education Agencies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. Office of Toxic Substances.

In 1986, the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) was signed into law requiring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop regulations which provide a comprehensive framework for addressing asbestos problems in secondary and elementary schools. The new rule, The Asbestos-Containing Materials in Schools Rule, requires all…

Interplay between Insulin Signaling, Juvenile Hormone and Vitellogenin Regulates Maternal Effects on Polyphenism in Ants

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Polyphenism is the phenomenon where alternative phenotypes are produced by a single genotype in response to environmental cues. An extreme case is found in social insects, where reproductive queens and sterile workers that greatly differ in morphology and behavior can arise from a single genotype. T...

ARSENITE ACTIVATES KB-DEPENDENT IL-8 GENE EXPRESSION IN AIRWAY EPITHELIM IN THE ABSENCE OF NUCLEAR TRANSLOCATION OF NF-KB

EPA Science Inventory

Airway epithelial cells respond to certain environmental stresses by mounting a proinflammatory response, which is characterized by enhanced synthesis and release of the neutrophil chemotactic and activating factor interleukin-8 (IL-8). IL-8 expression is regulated at the transcr...

3 CFR 13605 - Executive Order 13605 of April 13, 2012. Supporting Safe and Responsible Development of...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... primary regulators of onshore oil and gas activities, the Federal Government has an important role to play... important for effective implementation of these programs and activities. To formalize and promote ongoing... Council on Environmental Quality; (xi) the Office of Science and Technology Policy; (xii) the Office of...

DEVELOPING ANALYTICAL METHODS FOR GATHERING NATIONWIDE OCCURRENCE DATA FOR CHEMICALS ON THE DRINKING WATER CONTAMINANT CANDIDATE LIST (CCL)

EPA Science Inventory

Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) require the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to publish a list of contaminants that are known or anticipated to occur in public water systems, and which may require regulation under the SDWA. In response to th...

76 FR 21852 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Responsibility and Liability for Government...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-19

... regulatory approaches that maximize net benefits (including potential economic, environmental, public health... substantial cash reserves may be in a financial position that enables those firms to select a high insurance deductible in order to garner lower premiums by electing to become self-insuring for potential property loss...

Impact of Serine/Threonine Protein Kinases on the Regulation of Sporulation in Bacillus subtilis.

PubMed

Pompeo, Frédérique; Foulquier, Elodie; Galinier, Anne

2016-01-01

Bacteria possess many kinases that catalyze phosphorylation of proteins on diverse amino acids including arginine, cysteine, histidine, aspartate, serine, threonine, and tyrosine. These protein kinases regulate different physiological processes in response to environmental modifications. For example, in response to nutritional stresses, the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis can differentiate into an endospore; the initiation of sporulation is controlled by the master regulator Spo0A, which is activated by phosphorylation. Spo0A phosphorylation is carried out by a multi-component phosphorelay system. These phosphorylation events on histidine and aspartate residues are labile, highly dynamic and permit a temporal control of the sporulation initiation decision. More recently, another kind of phosphorylation, more stable yet still dynamic, on serine or threonine residues, was proposed to play a role in spore maintenance and spore revival. Kinases that perform these phosphorylation events mainly belong to the Hanks family and could regulate spore dormancy and spore germination. The aim of this mini review is to focus on the regulation of sporulation in B. subtilis by these serine and threonine phosphorylation events and the kinases catalyzing them.

A system-level model for the microbial regulatory genome.

PubMed

Brooks, Aaron N; Reiss, David J; Allard, Antoine; Wu, Wei-Ju; Salvanha, Diego M; Plaisier, Christopher L; Chandrasekaran, Sriram; Pan, Min; Kaur, Amardeep; Baliga, Nitin S

2014-07-15

Microbes can tailor transcriptional responses to diverse environmental challenges despite having streamlined genomes and a limited number of regulators. Here, we present data-driven models that capture the dynamic interplay of the environment and genome-encoded regulatory programs of two types of prokaryotes: Escherichia coli (a bacterium) and Halobacterium salinarum (an archaeon). The models reveal how the genome-wide distributions of cis-acting gene regulatory elements and the conditional influences of transcription factors at each of those elements encode programs for eliciting a wide array of environment-specific responses. We demonstrate how these programs partition transcriptional regulation of genes within regulons and operons to re-organize gene-gene functional associations in each environment. The models capture fitness-relevant co-regulation by different transcriptional control mechanisms acting across the entire genome, to define a generalized, system-level organizing principle for prokaryotic gene regulatory networks that goes well beyond existing paradigms of gene regulation. An online resource (http://egrin2.systemsbiology.net) has been developed to facilitate multiscale exploration of conditional gene regulation in the two prokaryotes. © 2014 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.

Autophagy-related approaches for improving nutrient use efficiency and crop yield protection.

PubMed

Avin-Wittenberg, Tamar; Baluška, Frantisek; Bozhkov, Peter V; Elander, Pernilla H; Fernie, Alisdair R; Galili, Gad; Hassan, Ammar; Hofius, Daniel; Isono, Erika; Le Bars, Romain; Masclaux-Daubresse, Céline; Minina, Elena A; Peled-Zehavi, Hadas; Coll, Núria S; Sandalio, Luisa M; Satiat-Jeunemaitre, Béatrice; Sirko, Agnieszka; Testillano, Pilar S; Batoko, Henri

2018-03-14

Autophagy is a eukaryotic catabolic pathway essential for growth and development. In plants, it is activated in response to environmental cues or developmental stimuli. However, in contrast to other eukaryotic systems, we know relatively little regarding the molecular players involved in autophagy and the regulation of this complex pathway. In the framework of the COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) action TRANSAUTOPHAGY (2016-2020), we decided to review our current knowledge of autophagy responses in higher plants, with emphasis on knowledge gaps. We also assess here the potential of translating the acquired knowledge to improve crop plant growth and development in a context of growing social and environmental challenges for agriculture in the near future.

The mind as a process.

PubMed

Bruhn, John G; Wolf, Stewart

2003-01-01

Essentially all behavior is regulated by the brain in response to information received from within the body or from the environment. The tangible structures of the brain serve as devices for processing thoughts and emotions as well as information. Stored among the interacting neural structures are memories of past experiences and responses to them. These intangibles participate in determining the decisions made and the actions performed by the brain's structures. There are valuable studies of the clinical and neurological effects of environmental stimuli, but we need to learn more about the processes that lead to these effects. More definitive correlations could be made between environmental stimuli and the neurological pathways they create by studying individual's real life experiences rather than laboratory simulations alone.

Improving the safety of street-vended food.

PubMed

Moy, G; Hazzard, A; Käferstein, F

1997-01-01

An integrated plan of action for improving street food involving health and other regulatory authorities, vendors and consumers should address not only food safety, but also environmental health management, including consideration of inadequate sanitation and waste management, possible environmental pollution, congestion and disturbances to traffic. However, WHO cautions that, in view of their importance in the diets of urban populations, particularly the socially disadvantaged, every effort should be made to preserve the benefits provided by varied, inexpensive and often nutritious street food. Therefore, authorities concerned with street food management must balance efforts aimed at reducing the negative aspects on the environment with the benefits of street food and its important role in the community. Health authorities charged with responsibility for food safety control should match risk management action to the level of assessed risk. The rigorous application of codes and enforcement of regulations more suited to larger and permanent food service establishments is unlikely to be justifiable. Such rigorous application of codes and regulations may result in disappearance of the trade with consequent aggravation of hunger and malnutrition. Moreover, most codes and regulations have not been based on any systematic identification and assessment of health hazards associated with different types of foods and operations as embodied in the HACCP approach which has been recognized by Codex as the most cost-effective means for promoting food safety. WHO encourages the development of regulations that empower vendors to take greater responsibility for the preparation of safe food, and of codes of practice based on the HACCP system.

Combinatorial influence of environmental parameters on transcription factor activity.

PubMed

Knijnenburg, T A; Wessels, L F A; Reinders, M J T

2008-07-01

Cells receive a wide variety of environmental signals, which are often processed combinatorially to generate specific genetic responses. Changes in transcript levels, as observed across different environmental conditions, can, to a large extent, be attributed to changes in the activity of transcription factors (TFs). However, in unraveling these transcription regulation networks, the actual environmental signals are often not incorporated into the model, simply because they have not been measured. The unquantified heterogeneity of the environmental parameters across microarray experiments frustrates regulatory network inference. We propose an inference algorithm that models the influence of environmental parameters on gene expression. The approach is based on a yeast microarray compendium of chemostat steady-state experiments. Chemostat cultivation enables the accurate control and measurement of many of the key cultivation parameters, such as nutrient concentrations, growth rate and temperature. The observed transcript levels are explained by inferring the activity of TFs in response to combinations of cultivation parameters. The interplay between activated enhancers and repressors that bind a gene promoter determine the possible up- or downregulation of the gene. The model is translated into a linear integer optimization problem. The resulting regulatory network identifies the combinatorial effects of environmental parameters on TF activity and gene expression. The Matlab code is available from the authors upon request. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Traversing the Links between Heavy Metal Stress and Plant Signaling

PubMed Central

Jalmi, Siddhi K.; Bhagat, Prakash K.; Verma, Deepanjali; Noryang, Stanzin; Tayyeba, Sumaira; Singh, Kirti; Sharma, Deepika; Sinha, Alok K.

2018-01-01

Plants confront multifarious environmental stresses widely divided into abiotic and biotic stresses, of which heavy metal stress represents one of the most damaging abiotic stresses. Heavy metals cause toxicity by targeting crucial molecules and vital processes in the plant cell. One of the approaches by which heavy metals act in plants is by over production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) either directly or indirectly. Plants act against such overdose of metal in the environment by boosting the defense responses like metal chelation, sequestration into vacuole, regulation of metal intake by transporters, and intensification of antioxidative mechanisms. This response shown by plants is the result of intricate signaling networks functioning in the cell in order to transmit the extracellular stimuli into an intracellular response. The crucial signaling components involved are calcium signaling, hormone signaling, and mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling that are discussed in this review. Apart from signaling components other regulators like microRNAs and transcription factors also have a major contribution in regulating heavy metal stress. This review demonstrates the key role of MAPKs in synchronously controlling the other signaling components and regulators in metal stress. Further, attempts have been made to focus on metal transporters and chelators that are regulated by MAPK signaling. PMID:29459874

Fluoro-Phenyl-Styrene-Sulfonamide, a Novel Inhibitor of σB Activity, Prevents the Activation of σB by Environmental and Energy Stresses in Bacillus subtilis

PubMed Central

Ringus, Daina L.; Gaballa, Ahmed; Helmann, John D.; Wiedmann, Martin

2013-01-01

Sigma B (σB) is an alternative sigma factor that regulates the general stress response in Bacillus subtilis and in many other Gram-positive organisms. σB activity in B. subtilis is tightly regulated via at least three distinct pathways within a complex signal transduction cascade in response to a variety of stresses, including environmental stress, energy stress, and growth at high or low temperatures. We probed the ability of fluoro-phenyl-styrene-sulfonamide (FPSS), a small-molecule inhibitor of σB activity in Listeria monocytogenes, to inhibit σB activity in B. subtilis through perturbation of signal transduction cascades under various stress conditions. FPSS inhibited the activation of σB in response to multiple categories of stress known to induce σB activity in B. subtilis. Specifically, FPSS prevented the induction of σB activity in response to energy stress, including entry into stationary phase, phosphate limitation, and azide stress. FPSS also inhibited chill induction of σB activity in a ΔrsbV strain, suggesting that FPSS does not exclusively target the RsbU and RsbP phosphatases or the anti–anti-sigma factor RsbV, all of which contribute to posttranslational regulation of σB activity. Genetic and biochemical experiments, including artificial induction of σB, analysis of the phosphorylation state of the anti–anti-sigma factor RsbV, and in vitro transcription assays, indicate that while FPSS does not bind directly to σB to inhibit activity, it appears to prevent the release of B. subtilis σB from its anti-sigma factor RsbW. PMID:23524614

Deduction and Analysis of the Interacting Stress Response Pathways of Metal/Radionuclide-reducing Bacteria

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhou, Jizhong; He, Zhili

2010-02-28

Project Title: Deduction and Analysis of the Interacting Stress Response Pathways of Metal/Radionuclide-reducing Bacteria DOE Grant Number: DE-FG02-06ER64205 Principal Investigator: Jizhong (Joe) Zhou (University of Oklahoma) Key members: Zhili He, Aifen Zhou, Christopher Hemme, Joy Van Nostrand, Ye Deng, and Qichao Tu Collaborators: Terry Hazen, Judy Wall, Adam Arkin, Matthew Fields, Aindrila Mukhopadhyay, and David Stahl Summary Three major objectives have been conducted in the Zhou group at the University of Oklahoma (OU): (i) understanding of gene function, regulation, network and evolution of Desulfovibrio vugaris Hildenborough in response to environmental stresses, (ii) development of metagenomics technologies for microbial community analysis,more » and (iii) functional characterization of microbial communities with metagenomic approaches. In the past a few years, we characterized four CRP/FNR regulators, sequenced ancestor and evolved D. vulgaris strains, and functionally analyzed those mutated genes identified in salt-adapted strains. Also, a new version of GeoChip 4.0 has been developed, which also includes stress response genes (StressChip), and a random matrix theory-based conceptual framework for identifying functional molecular ecological networks has been developed with the high throughput functional gene array hybridization data as well as pyrosequencing data from 16S rRNA genes. In addition, GeoChip and sequencing technologies as well as network analysis approaches have been used to analyze microbial communities from different habitats. Those studies provide a comprehensive understanding of gene function, regulation, network, and evolution in D. vulgaris, and microbial community diversity, composition and structure as well as their linkages with environmental factors and ecosystem functioning, which has resulted in more than 60 publications.« less

Transcriptome analysis of a wild bird reveals physiological responses to the urban environment

PubMed Central

Watson, Hannah; Videvall, Elin; Andersson, Martin N.; Isaksson, Caroline

2017-01-01

Identifying the molecular basis of environmentally induced phenotypic variation presents exciting opportunities for furthering our understanding of how ecological processes and the environment can shape the phenotype. Urban and rural environments present free-living organisms with different challenges and opportunities, which have marked consequences for the phenotype, yet little is known about responses at the molecular level. We characterised transcriptomes from an urban and a rural population of great tits Parus major, demonstrating striking differences in gene expression profiles in both blood and liver tissues. Differentially expressed genes had functions related to immune and inflammatory responses, detoxification, protection against oxidative stress, lipid metabolism, and regulation of gene expression. Many genes linked to stress responses were expressed at higher levels in the urban birds, in accordance with our prediction that urban animals are exposed to greater environmental stress. This is one of the first studies to reveal transcriptional differences between urban- and rural-dwelling animals and suggests an important role for epigenetics in mediating environmentally induced physiological variation. The study provides valuable resources for developing further in-depth studies of the mechanisms driving phenotypic variation in the urban context at larger spatial and temporal scales. PMID:28290496

ICAM-1 and AMPK regulate cell detachment and apoptosis by N-methyl-N Prime -nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, a widely spread environmental chemical, in human hormone-refractory prostate cancers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Yi-Cheng; Lu, Pin-Hsuan; Hsu, Jui-Ling

2011-12-15

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1), a sensor of DNA damage, plays a crucial role in the regulation of DNA repair. PARP-1 hyperactivation causes DNA damage and cell death. The underlying mechanism is complicated and is through diverse pathways. The understanding of responsible signaling pathways may offer implications for effective therapies. After concentration-response determination of N-Methyl-N Prime -Nitro-N-Nitrosoguanidine (MNNG, a PARP-1 activating agent and an environmental mutagen) in human hormone-refractory prostate cancers, the data showed that concentrations below 5 {mu}M did not change cell survival but cause a time-dependent up-regulation of intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in mRNA, total protein and cell surface levels.more » Detection of phosphorylation and degradation of I{kappa}B-{alpha} and nuclear translocation of NF-{kappa}B showed that MNNG induced the activation of NF-{kappa}B that was responsible for the ICAM-1 up-regulation since PDTC (a NF-{kappa}B inhibitor) significantly abolished this effect. However, higher concentrations (e.g., 10 {mu}M) of MNNG induced a 61% detachment of the cells which were apoptosis associated with the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Further identification showed that both AMPK and JNK other than p38 MAPK functionally contributed to cell death. The remaining 39% attached cells were survival associated with high ICAM-1 expression. In conclusion, the data suggest that NF-{kappa}B-dependent up-regulation of ICAM-1 plays a key role on cell attachment and survival; whereas, activation of AMPK and JNK participates in cytotoxic signaling pathways in detached cells caused by PARP-1 activation. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Low level of DNA damage helps cell attachment and survival via ICAM-1 upregulation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer High level of DNA damage causes AMPK- and JNK-involved cell detachment and death. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The study provides an anticancer approach targeting PARP-1 and DNA damage response.« less