Anthropogenic carbon dioxide-induced ‘ocean acidification’ is predicted to have major implications for marine organisms. As the oceans becomes increasingly hypercapnic (elevated CO2) and seawater pH decreases, the ability of organisms to maintain extracellular pH homeostasis (acid– base balance) may be compromised. Acid–base regulation occurs by ionic transport, where hydrogen and bicarbonate i...

233 Plantains and bananas (Musa sp.) are important starchy staples in Ghana. Processing of plantains into flour is limited as most plantain foods are eaten as boiled, fried or roasted. However, after the introduction on local and foreign markets of instant plantain fufu (popular West African food) flour consisting of plantain flour and cassava starch, interest in plantain flours as a commercial...

In responses to a number of environmental stimuli, changes of cytoplasmic [Ca(2+)](cyt) in stomatal guard cells play important roles in regulation of stomatal movements. In this study, the osmo-sensitive and stretch-activated (SA) Ca(2+) channels in the plasma membrane of Vicia faba guard cells are identified, and their regulation by osmotic changes and actin dynamics are characterized. The ide...

In freshwater crustaceans and in both freshwater and marine fish, the key mechanism of acute silver toxicity involves ionoregulatory impairment. An inhibition of the Na+ ,K+-ATPase located at the basolateral membrane of the gill epithelium seems to be the key site for silver toxicity. However, studies to determine if the same mechanism of toxicity is occurring in marine invertebrates, which als...

The mechanical behaviour and cellular metabolism of intervertebral discs (IVDs) and articular cartilage are strongly influenced by their proteoglycan content and associated osmotic properties. This osmotic environment is a biophysical signal that changes with disease and may contribute to the elevated matrix breakdown and altered biologic response to loading observed in IVD degeneration and ost...

Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels mediate a wide array of sensory functions. We investigated the role of TRPC5, a poorly characterized channel widely expressed in the central and peripheral nervous system, as a potential osmosensory protein. Here we show that hypoosmotic stimulation activates TRPC5 channels resulting in a large calcium influx. The response to osmotically induced membr...

A complex signalling network governs the response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to an array of environmental stimuli and stresses. In the present article, we provide an overview of the main signalling system and discuss the mechanisms by which yeast integrates and separates signals from these sources. We apply our classification scheme to a simple semi-quantitative model of the HOG (high-osmolari...