Fifty-Five Years of Research on Photosynthesis, Chloroplasts, and Stress Physiology of Plants: 1958–2013

Remembering Melvin Calvin (1911-1997), a highly versatile scientist of the 20th century

Melvin Calvin (1911-1997) was the recipient of the 1961 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of the canonical photosynthetic carbon reduction cycle. We present here a very brief glimpse of this extraordinary American scientist, who in his time was a preeminent force in physical and organic chemistry. Besides natural photosynthesis, Calvin's prolific career included artificial photosynthesis, colors of organic substances, the origin of life, cancer, moon rocks, molecular basis of learning, and plant lipids & algal hydrocarbons as potential renewable sources of transport fuels.

Sensitivity of the macrophytes Pistia stratiotes and Eichhornia crassipes to hexazinone and dissipation of this pesticide in aquatic ecosystems

Herbicide wastes from agriculture areas can contaminate water resources and affect non-target organisms. Since herbicides reach groundwater and rivers, these residues can damage the aquatic ecosystem. Hexazinone is an herbicide widely used in sugarcane cultivation and has a potential to contaminate water resources. Therefore, studies are necessary to know the possible damages of this herbicide on aquatic organisms, as well as the behavior of this pesticide in those systems. In this study, our objective was to evaluate the sensitivity of the macrophytes Pistia stratiotes and Eichhornia crassipes to hexazinone, as well as the dissipation of these pesticides. The variables intoxication, fresh matter accumulation, and leaf anatomy were used to evaluate the sensitivity of the macrophytes to hexazinone. The hexazinone concentration in water was performed by HPLC-MS. Hexazinone concentrations equivalent to 111 and 333 μg L^-1 were toxic to the macrophytes. Pistia stratiotes produced less fresh matter production than Eichhornia crassipes when exposed to the hexazinone. The hexazinone application did not change the adaxial epidermic (EAD), abaxial epidermic (EAB), palisade parenchyma (PP), aerenchyma (AER) and leaf blade (LAF) of Pistia stratiotes at any concentration tested. Concentrations equivalent to 333 μg L^-1 changed the PP and LAF of Eichhornia crassipes. The presence of this herbicide in water negatively affects the fresh matter accumulation and leaf structure of the Pistia stratiotes and Eichhornia crassipes, respectively. The presence of these macrophytes delayed the dissipation of hexazinone due to them impair other pathways of degradation of this herbicide in aquatic environments. The presence of this herbicide in water negatively affects the growth and development of the Pistia stratiotes and Eichhornia crassipes.

Hartmut Lichtenthaler: an authority on chloroplast structure and isoprenoid biochemistry

We pay tribute to Hartmut Lichtenthaler for making important contributions to the field of photosynthesis research. He was recently recognized for ground-breaking discoveries in chloroplast structure and isoprenoid biochemistry by the Rebeiz Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR; http://vlpbp.org/ ), receiving a 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award for Photosynthesis. The ceremony, held in Champaign, Illinois, was attended by many prominent researchers in the photosynthesis field. We provide below a brief note on his education, and then describe some of the areas in which Hartmut Lichtenthaler has been a pioneer.