Root Suberin Plays Important Roles in Reducing Water Loss and Sodium Uptake in Arabidopsis thaliana

Suberin is a cell-wall-associated hetero-polymer deposited in specific plant tissues. The precise role of its composition and lamellae structure in protecting plants against abiotic stresses is unclear. In Arabidopsis thaliana, we tested the biochemical and physiological responses to water deficiency and NaCl treatment in mutants that are differentially affected in suberin composition and lamellae structure. Chronic drought stress increased suberin and suberin-associated waxes in wild-type plants. Suberin-deficient mutants were not more susceptible than the wild-type to the chronic drought stress imposed in this study. Nonetheless, the cyp86a1-1 cyp86b1-1 mutant, which had a severely altered suberin composition and lamellae structure, exhibited increased water loss through the root periderm. Cyp86a1-1 cyp86b1-1 also recorded lower relative water content in leaves. The abcg2-1 abcg6-1 abcg20-1 mutant, which has altered suberin composition and lamellae, was very sensitive to NaCl treatment. Furthermore, cyp86a1-1 cyp86b1-1 recorded a significant drop in the leaf K/Na ratio, indicating salt sensitivity. The far1-2 far4-1 far5-1 mutant, which did not show structural defects in the suberin lamellae, had similar responses to drought and NaCl treatments as the wild-type. Our results provide evidence that the suberin amount and lamellae structure are key features in the barrier function of suberin in reducing water loss and reducing sodium uptake through roots for better performance under drought and salt stresses.

Impact of topical anti-inflammatory therapy on morpho-functional characteristics of epidermal barrier. Optimization of atopic dermatitis treatment schedules

In this literature review data regarding impact of topical therapy with topical corticosteroids (TCS) and tacrolimus ointment on morpho-functional characteristics of epidermal barrier is analyzed. Whereas TCS has profound negative impact on nearly all epidermal barrier parameters, including epidermal structure and thickness, integrity and cohesion of stratum corneum, protease activity, hydration, pH, differentiation, lipid lamellae structure etc., tacrolimus ointment (Protopic®) exerts positive effect on the majority of the aforementioned parameters, thus allowing to compensate deleterious effect of TCS. These data allow defining recommendations upon optimization of topical therapy of atopic dermatitis with stepwise switching from TCS to Protopic® ointment.

Hydrogen bonding interactions affect the hierarchical self-assembly and secondary structures of comb-like polypeptide supramolecular complexes displaying photoresponsive behavior

Hierarchical lamellae-within-lamellae structure for the PTyr/AzoPy-C16 supramolecular complex, featuring long-range-ordered lamellae arising from the PTyr within lamellae arising from AzoPy-C16 units oriented in a perpendicular manner.

Growth of Nanostructure on Cu0.62Zn0.38 after SMAT during Thermal Oxidation

Commercial Cu0.62Zn0.38foil was subjected to surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) processing. The original and SMAT Cu0.62Zn0.38foils are thermally oxidized at 500°C under N2-5%O2gas environments, at a pressure of 1 atm for 3 hours. The oxidized specimens were characterized with a scanning electron microscope, an X-ray diffractometer. It is found that nanosheets are easily formed on the SMAT specimen surface. The favorable formation of nanosheets relates to twin–matrix lamellae structure.