SummaryPhytochrome C (phyC) is a low-abundance member of the five-membered phytochrome family of photoreceptors in Arabidopsis.Towards developing an understanding of the photosensory and physiological functions of phyC, transgenic Arabidopsis plants were generated that overexpress cDNA-encoded phyC and seedling responses to continuous white, red, or far-red light (Wc, Rc or FRc, respectively) were examined. Transgenic seedlings overexpressing phyC displayed enhanced inhibition of hypocotyl elongation in Rc, but were unchanged in responsiveness to FRc relative to wild-type. These data indicate that phyC has photosensory specificity that is similar to that of phyB and thus distinct from that of phyA. phyC overexpressors with levels only 3 to 4 times the level of endogenous phyC exhibited enhanced primary leaf expansion in Wc. This is in contrast to phyA or phyB overexpressors which respectively have levels that are 50g-and 10g-fold that of overexpressed phyC but showed no enhancement of primary leaf expansion. Therefore, phyC may have some physiological roles that are different to those of phyA and phyB in the control of seedling responses to light signals.

A growth chamber study was conducted to evaluate the effects of temperature and soil moisture on the absorption and translocation of the new sulfonylurea herbicide, MON 37500, in wheat, jointed goatgrass, wild oat, and downy brome. Treatment combinations of temperatures—25/23, 15/13, and 5/3 C—and soil moistures of one-third, two-thirds, and full field capacities were assigned to the germinated plants. Radiolabeled MON 37500 was applied to the second leaf of plants at the three-leaf stage. The plants were then harvested at 6, 24, and 96 h after application. The plants absorbed MON 37500 in the greatest quantity during the first 6 h; however, absorption did continue to increase over time. Absorption was highest in wheat and lowest in wild oat. Temperature influenced absorption, while soil moisture status appeared to have no effect. Translocation of radiolabeled material out of the treated leaf increased over time; however, 90 to 97% of absorbed radioactivity remained in the treated leaf 96 h after treatment. Temperature affected translocation differently in each species, but increasing soil moisture increased translocation.

The widespread occurrence of organic micropollutants (OMPs) is a challenge for aquatic ecosystem management, and closing the gaps in risk assessment of OMPs requires a data-driven approach. One promising tool for increasing the spatiotemporal coverage of OMP data sets is through the active involvement of citizen volunteers to expand the scale of OMP monitoring. Working collaboratively with volunteers from the Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP), we conducted the first statewide study on OMP occurrence in surface waters of New York lakes. Samples collected by CSLAP volunteers were analyzed for OMPs by a suspect screening method based on mixed-mode solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry. Sixty-five OMPs were confirmed and quantified in samples from 111 lakes across New York. Hierarchical clustering of OMP occurrence data revealed the relevance of 11 most frequently detected OMPs for classifying the contamination status of lakes. Partial least squares regression and multiple linear regression analyses prioritized three water quality parameters linked to agricultural and developed land uses (i.e., total dissolved nitrogen, specific conductance, and a wastewater-derived fluorescent organic matter component) as the best combination of predictors that partly explained the interlake variability in OMP occurrence. Lastly, the exposure-activity ratio approach identified the potential for biological effects associated with detected OMPs that warrant further biomonitoring studies. Overall, this work demonstrated the feasibility of incorporating citizen science approaches into the regional impact assessment of OMPs.

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