Determination of neo- and D-chiro-inositol hexakisphosphate in soils by solution 31P NMR spectroscopy

Long-term impact of tillage practices and phosphorus fertilization on soil phosphorus forms as determined by p nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Conservation tillage practices have become increasingly common in recent years to reduce soil erosion, improve water conservation, and increase soil organic matter. Research suggests that conservation tillage can stratify soil test phosphorus (P), but little is known about the effects on soil organic P. This study was conducted to assess the long-term effects of tillage practices (no-till [NT] and mouldboard plowing) and P fertilization (0 and 35 kg P ha) on the distribution of P species in the soil profile. Soil samples from a long-term corn-soybean rotation experiment in Québec, Canada, were collected from three depths (0-5, 5-10, and 10-20 cm). These samples were analyzed for total P (TP), total C (TC), total N (TN), pH, and Mehlich-3 P (PM3); P forms were characterized with solution phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (P-NMR). Results showed a stratification of TP, TC, TN, pH, PM3, and Mehlich-3-extractable aluminum and magnesium under NT management. The PM3 and orthophosphate concentrations were greater at the soil surface (0-5 cm) of the NT-P (soil treatment with 35 kg P ha) treatment. Organic P forms (orthophosphate monoesters, especially -IP, and nucleotides) had accumulated in the deep layer of NT treatment possibly due to preferential movement. We found evidence that the NT system and P fertilization changed the distribution of P forms along the soil profile, potentially increasing soluble inorganic P loss in surface runoff and organic P in drainage and decreasing bioavailability of inorganic and organic P in deeper soil layers.

Mechanism of myo-inositol hexakisphosphate sorption on amorphous aluminum hydroxide: spectroscopic evidence for rapid surface precipitation

Inositol hexakisphosphates are the most abundant organic phosphates (OPs) in most soils and sediments. Adsorption, desorption, and precipitation reactions at environmental interfaces govern the reactivity, speciation, mobility, and bioavailability of inositol hexakisphosphates in terrestrial and aquatic environments. However, surface complexation and precipitation reactions of inositol hexakisphosphates on soil minerals have not been well understood. Here we investigate the surface complexation-precipitation process and mechanism of myo-inositol hexakisphosphate (IHP, phytate) on amorphous aluminum hydroxide (AAH) using macroscopic sorption experiments and multiple spectroscopic tools. The AAH (16.01 μmol m(-2)) exhibits much higher sorption density than boehmite (0.73 μmol m(-2)) and α-Al2O3 (1.13 μmol m(-2)). Kinetics of IHP sorption and accompanying OH(-) release, as well as zeta potential measurements, indicate that IHP is initially adsorbed on AAH through inner-sphere complexation via ligand exchange, followed by AAH dissolution and ternary complex formation; last, the ternary complexes rapidly transform to surface precipitates and bulk phase analogous to aluminum phytate (Al-IHP). The pH level, reaction time, and initial IHP loading evidently affect the interaction of IHP on AAH. In situ ATR-FTIR and solid-state NMR spectra further demonstrate that IHP sorbs on AAH and transforms to surface precipitates analogous to Al-IHP, consistent with the results of XRD analysis. This study indicates that active metal oxides such as AAH strongly mediate the speciation and behavior of IHP via rapid surface complexation-precipitation reactions, thus controlling the mobility and bioavailability of inositol phosphates in the environment.

Inositol lipids: from an archaeal origin to phosphatidylinositol 3,5-bisphosphate faults in human disease

The last couple of decades have seen an extraordinary transformation in our knowledge and understanding of the multifarious biological roles of inositol phospholipids. Herein, I briefly consider two topics. The first is the role that recently acquired biochemical and genomic information - especially from archaeons - has played in illuminating the possible evolutionary origins of the biological employment of inositol in lipids, and some questions that these studies raise about the 'classical' biosynthetic route to phosphatidylinositol. The second is the growing recognition of the importance in eukaryotic cells of phosphatidylinositol 3,5-bisphosphate. Phosphatidylinositol 3,5-bisphosphate only entered our phosphoinositide consciousness quite recently, but it is speedily gathering a plethora of roles in diverse cellular processes and diseases thereof. These include: control of endolysosomal vesicular trafficking and of the activity of ion channels and pumps in the endolysosomal compartment; control of constitutive and stimulated protein traffic to and from plasma membrane subdomains; control of the nutrient and stress-sensing target of rapamycin complex 1 pathway (TORC1); and regulation of key genes in some central metabolic pathways.

Solid-state NMR spectroscopic study of phosphate sorption mechanisms on aluminum (Hydr)oxides

Sorption reactions occurring at mineral/water interfaces are of fundamental importance in controlling the sequestration and bioavailability of nutrients and pollutants in aqueous environments. To advance the understanding of sorption reactions, development of new methodology is required. In this study, we applied novel (31)P solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to investigate the mechanism of phosphate sorption on aluminum hydroxides under different environmental conditions, including pH (4-10), concentration (0.1-10 mM), ionic strength (0.001-0.5 M), and reaction time (15 min-22 days). Under these conditions, the NMR results suggest formation of bidentate binuclear inner-sphere surface complexes was the dominant mechanism. However, it was found that surface wetting caused a small difference. A small amount (<3%) of monodentate mononuclear inner-sphere surface complexes was observed in addition to the majority of bidentate binuclear surface complexes on a wet paste sample prepared at pH 5, which was analyzed in situ by a double-resonance NMR technique, namely, (31)P{(27)Al} rotational echo adiabatic passage double resonance (REAPDOR). Additionally, we found that adsorbents can substantially impact phosphate sorption not only on the macroscopic sorption capacity but also on their (31)P NMR spectra. Very similar NMR peaks were observed for phosphate sorbed to gibbsite and bayerite, whereas the spectra for phosphate adsorbed to boehmite, corundum, and γ-alumina were significantly different. All of these measurements reveal that NMR spectroscopy is a useful analytical tool for studying phosphorus chemistry at environmental interfaces.