2025
Martínez, D. N.; de la Barrera, E.
Enzymatic activity responses to transport and low-temperature storage: implication for plant nitrogen metabolism studies Journal Article
In: Nitrogen, vol. 6, 2025, ISBN: 2504-3129.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: disturbance, neotropical, nitrate reductase, nitrogen deposition, phosphorus, planetary boundaries, plant nutrition, tropical forest, urban ecology
@article{Martínez2025,
title = {Enzymatic activity responses to transport and low-temperature storage: implication for plant nitrogen metabolism studies},
author = {D. N. Martínez and E. de la Barrera},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2504-3129/6/1/5
https://agro.mx/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/077-Martinez-N-cold-enzymes.pdf},
doi = {10.3390/nitrogen6010005},
isbn = {2504-3129},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-01-16},
urldate = {2025-01-16},
journal = {Nitrogen},
volume = {6},
abstract = {Understanding how transport and storage conditions affect enzymatic activity is essential for accurate biomonitoring of nitrogen metabolism in plants. This study evaluated the effects of transport conditions and low-temperature storage on the enzymatic activities of nitrate reductase (NR), glutamine synthetase (GS), and phosphomonoesterase (PME) for Chloris gayana, Fraxinus uhdei, and Trifolium repens. Enzymatic activities were measured for leaf samples immediately after collection, after 18 h at room temperature, or after 18 h on ice. Additionally, samples were stored at –16°C or –45°C for up to 28 days. NR activity decreased to near-zero levels under all storage conditions, indicating that this enzyme is unsuitable for delayed analysis. In contrast, GS and PME activities showed species-dependent responses to storage, with increased activity ob-served for T. repens and C. gayana, potentially reflecting tissue degradation processes. F. uhdei exhibited greater stability in enzyme activities, suggesting a higher resilience to storage. These findings highlight the importance of minimizing storage time to preserve enzymatic integrity, particularly for NR, while providing insight into the potential for delayed analysis of GS and PME in specific species. This work offers practical recommendations for future biomonitoring ef-forts in nitrogen deposition studies.},
keywords = {disturbance, neotropical, nitrate reductase, nitrogen deposition, phosphorus, planetary boundaries, plant nutrition, tropical forest, urban ecology},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Understanding how transport and storage conditions affect enzymatic activity is essential for accurate biomonitoring of nitrogen metabolism in plants. This study evaluated the effects of transport conditions and low-temperature storage on the enzymatic activities of nitrate reductase (NR), glutamine synthetase (GS), and phosphomonoesterase (PME) for Chloris gayana, Fraxinus uhdei, and Trifolium repens. Enzymatic activities were measured for leaf samples immediately after collection, after 18 h at room temperature, or after 18 h on ice. Additionally, samples were stored at –16°C or –45°C for up to 28 days. NR activity decreased to near-zero levels under all storage conditions, indicating that this enzyme is unsuitable for delayed analysis. In contrast, GS and PME activities showed species-dependent responses to storage, with increased activity ob-served for T. repens and C. gayana, potentially reflecting tissue degradation processes. F. uhdei exhibited greater stability in enzyme activities, suggesting a higher resilience to storage. These findings highlight the importance of minimizing storage time to preserve enzymatic integrity, particularly for NR, while providing insight into the potential for delayed analysis of GS and PME in specific species. This work offers practical recommendations for future biomonitoring ef-forts in nitrogen deposition studies.
2024
Martínez, D. N.; Vibrans, H.; Espinosa-García, F. J.; Camacho-Cervantes, M.; de la Barrera, E.
Malezas ruderales como biomonitores del depósito de nitrógeno urbano Journal Article
In: Ecosistemas, vol. 33, iss. 2, no. 2672, 2024, ISSN: 1697-2473.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: anthropocene, biomonitoring, invasive species, nitrogen, nitrogen deposition, plant nutrition, pollution, urban ecology
@article{Martínez2024,
title = {Malezas ruderales como biomonitores del depósito de nitrógeno urbano},
author = {D. N. Martínez and H. Vibrans and F.J. Espinosa-García and M. Camacho-Cervantes and E. de la Barrera},
url = {https://www.revistaecosistemas.net/index.php/ecosistemas/article/view/2672
https://agro.mx/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/075-Martinezetal-Ecosistemas-Malezas-biomonitoras.pdf},
doi = {10.7818/ECOS.2672},
issn = {1697-2473},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-07-17},
urldate = {2024-07-17},
journal = {Ecosistemas},
volume = {33},
number = {2672},
issue = {2},
abstract = {The production of reactive forms of nitrogen has surpassed safe planetary boundaries, jeopardizing the proper functioning of ecosystems. Their deposition is a threat to both biodiversity and public health. Monitoring systems to quantify nitrogen deposition are often lacking, making biomonitoring a potential alternative. In biomonitoring, physiological variables responsive to nitrogen availability are identified, along with organisms tolerant to high nitrogen availability. Although epiphytic organisms are frequently used as biomonitors, many are confined to humid climates and areas with minimal anthropogenic disturbance. The aim of this review is to identify potential nitrogen deposition biomonitors for sites under anthropic disturbance. Ruderal weeds persist and thrive in urban areas, where disturbance, pollutant emissions, and nitrogen deposition rates are often high. Moreover, several weeds are identified as nitrophilic, and within a well-represented group among them, grasses, tolerance to high nitrogen deposition rates has been documented. The use of these organisms has allowed for the identification of contributions from nitrogen sources and the increase of nitrogen in environments that are restrictive for other plants.},
keywords = {anthropocene, biomonitoring, invasive species, nitrogen, nitrogen deposition, plant nutrition, pollution, urban ecology},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The production of reactive forms of nitrogen has surpassed safe planetary boundaries, jeopardizing the proper functioning of ecosystems. Their deposition is a threat to both biodiversity and public health. Monitoring systems to quantify nitrogen deposition are often lacking, making biomonitoring a potential alternative. In biomonitoring, physiological variables responsive to nitrogen availability are identified, along with organisms tolerant to high nitrogen availability. Although epiphytic organisms are frequently used as biomonitors, many are confined to humid climates and areas with minimal anthropogenic disturbance. The aim of this review is to identify potential nitrogen deposition biomonitors for sites under anthropic disturbance. Ruderal weeds persist and thrive in urban areas, where disturbance, pollutant emissions, and nitrogen deposition rates are often high. Moreover, several weeds are identified as nitrophilic, and within a well-represented group among them, grasses, tolerance to high nitrogen deposition rates has been documented. The use of these organisms has allowed for the identification of contributions from nitrogen sources and the increase of nitrogen in environments that are restrictive for other plants.
2022
de la Barrera, E.
The role of CAM ecophysiology in the Anthropocene Journal Article
In: Acta Horticulturae, vol. 1343, pp. 267-281, 2022.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: anthropocene, arid, arid agriculture, atmospheric pollution, biomonitors, climate change, environmental productivity index, food security, nitrogen, nitrogen deposition, planetary boundaries
@article{delaBarrera2022,
title = {The role of CAM ecophysiology in the Anthropocene},
author = {E. de la Barrera},
url = {https://agro.mx/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/071-delaB-CAM-Anthropocene.pdf},
doi = {10.17660/ActaHortic.2022.1343.35},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-09-19},
urldate = {2022-09-19},
journal = {Acta Horticulturae},
volume = {1343},
pages = {267-281},
abstract = {Human impact on the planet is such that geologists have acknowledged the start of a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene, which is characterized by an environmental emergency with multiple open fronts such as climate change, biodiversity loss, decreased fresh water availability, alterations to the nitrogen cycle, and chemical pollution. Activities such as food production and the increasing aggregation of people in urban areas are simultaneously major drivers and vulnerable points of such environmental change. For example, climate change represents a major threat to food production, considering that a reduction of annual precipitation, in addition to temperature increases, is likely to occur especially in tropical agricultural regions. The use of CAM crops has been recognized as a useful strategy for climate change adaptation, owing to their tolerance of high temperatures and their inherently high water use efficiency. The potential performance of Opuntia ficus-indica and Agave tequilana is modeled as an application of the Environmental Productivity Index for identifying potential areas for cultivation under climate change. Regarding alterations to the nitrogen biogeochemical cycle, CAM epiphytes can be useful to characterize environmental pollution in tropical environments, especially when electrochemical monitoring networks are lacking. Indeed, CAM epiphytes are particularly promising to characterize the prevalent levels of heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants and, especially, nitrogen deposition. This is illustrated with the use of the orchid Laelia speciosa and the bromeliad Tillandsia recurvata as biomonitors of atmospheric nitrogen deposition. From fundamental research on the mechanisms behind plant responses to environmental change to applications in agriculture and biomonitoring, CAM ecophysiology will be essential in the Anthropocene.},
keywords = {anthropocene, arid, arid agriculture, atmospheric pollution, biomonitors, climate change, environmental productivity index, food security, nitrogen, nitrogen deposition, planetary boundaries},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Human impact on the planet is such that geologists have acknowledged the start of a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene, which is characterized by an environmental emergency with multiple open fronts such as climate change, biodiversity loss, decreased fresh water availability, alterations to the nitrogen cycle, and chemical pollution. Activities such as food production and the increasing aggregation of people in urban areas are simultaneously major drivers and vulnerable points of such environmental change. For example, climate change represents a major threat to food production, considering that a reduction of annual precipitation, in addition to temperature increases, is likely to occur especially in tropical agricultural regions. The use of CAM crops has been recognized as a useful strategy for climate change adaptation, owing to their tolerance of high temperatures and their inherently high water use efficiency. The potential performance of Opuntia ficus-indica and Agave tequilana is modeled as an application of the Environmental Productivity Index for identifying potential areas for cultivation under climate change. Regarding alterations to the nitrogen biogeochemical cycle, CAM epiphytes can be useful to characterize environmental pollution in tropical environments, especially when electrochemical monitoring networks are lacking. Indeed, CAM epiphytes are particularly promising to characterize the prevalent levels of heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants and, especially, nitrogen deposition. This is illustrated with the use of the orchid Laelia speciosa and the bromeliad Tillandsia recurvata as biomonitors of atmospheric nitrogen deposition. From fundamental research on the mechanisms behind plant responses to environmental change to applications in agriculture and biomonitoring, CAM ecophysiology will be essential in the Anthropocene.