Acoustic sequences in non‐human animals: a tutorial review and prospectus

Animal acoustic communication often takes the form of complex sequences, made up of multiple distinct acoustic units. Apart from the well‐known example of birdsong, other animals such as insects, amphibians, and mammals (including bats, rodents, primates, and cetaceans) also generate complex acoustic sequences. Occasionally, such as with birdsong, the adaptive role of these sequences seems clear (e.g. mate attraction and territorial defence). More often however, researchers have only begun to characterise – let alone understand – the significance and meaning of acoustic sequences. Hypotheses abound, but there is little agreement as to how sequences should be defined and analysed. Our review aims to outline suitable methods for testing these hypotheses, and to describe the major limitations to our current and near‐future knowledge on questions of acoustic sequences. This review and prospectus is the result of a collaborative effort between 43 scientists from the fields of animal behaviour, ecology and evolution, signal processing, machine learning, quantitative linguistics, and information theory, who gathered for a 2013 workshop entitled, ‘Analysing vocal sequences in animals’. Our goal is to present not just a review of the state of the art, but to propose a methodological framework that summarises what we suggest are the best practices for research in this field, across taxa and across disciplines. We also provide a tutorial‐style introduction to some of the most promising algorithmic approaches for analysing sequences. We divide our review into three sections: identifying the distinct units of an acoustic sequence, describing the different ways that information can be contained within a sequence, and analysing the structure of that sequence. Each of these sections is further subdivided to address the key questions and approaches in that area. We propose a uniform, systematic, and comprehensive approach to studying sequences, with the goal of clarifying research terms used in different fields, and facilitating collaboration and comparative studies. Allowing greater interdisciplinary collaboration will facilitate the investigation of many important questions in the evolution of communication and sociality.     

A global analysis of the determinants of alien geographical range size in birds

Aim Determining the causes of range size variation in the distributions of alien species is important for understanding the spread of invasive species. Factors influencing alien range size have been explored for some species at a regional level, but to date there has been no global analysis of an entire class. Here, we present such an analysis for birds, testing for the effects of introduction event, location and species‐level variables on alien range sizes. Location Global. Methods We used a novel dataset on the global distributions of alien bird species to test for relationships between alien range size and colonization pressure, residence time, extent of the global climatic niche, native range size, body mass and specialization, using a statistical approach based on phylogenetic generalized least squares models. We performed this analysis globally, and for separate biogeographical realms. Results Approximately half of the variation in alien bird range size is explained by colonization pressure in univariate analysis. We identified consistent effects of higher colonization pressure at global and realm levels, as well as support for effects of native range size and residence time. We found less support for effects of body mass, specialization or extent of the global climatic niche on alien range size. Main conclusions Alien bird range sizes are generally small relative to their native range sizes, and many are continuing to expand. Nevertheless, current variation is predictable, most strongly by the event‐level factor of colonization pressure. Whether a species is widespread is a better predictor of alien range size than whether a species could be widespread (estimated by global climatic niche extent), while we also find effects of residence time on alien range size. These relationships may help to identify those alien species that are more likely to spread and hence have greater environmental and economic impacts where they have been introduced.     

Synthesis,antioxidant and carbonic anhydrase I and II inhibitory activities of novel sulphonamide-substituted coumarylthiazole derivatives

New secondary benzenesulphonamide-substituted coumarylthiazole derivatives were synthesized and their inhibitory effects on purified carbonic anhydrase I and II were evaluated using CO₂ as a substrate. The result showed that all the synthesized compounds exhibited inhibitory activity on both hCA I and hCA II with N-(4-(2-oxo-2H-chromen-3-yl)thiazol-2-yl)naphthalene-2-sulphonamide (5f, IC₅₀ value of 5.63 and 8.48?µM, against hCA I and hCA II, respectively) as the strongest inhibitor revealed from this study. Structure–activity relationship revealed that the inhibitory activity of the synthesized compounds is related to the type of the halogen and bulky substituent on the phenyl ring. In addition, the cupric reducing antioxidant capacities (CUPRAC) and ABTS cation radical scavenging abilities of the synthesized compounds were assayed. 4-methoxy-N-(4-(2-oxo-2H-chromen-3-yl)thiazol-2-yl)benzenesulphonamide (5e) exhibited the strongest ABTS and CUPRAC activity with IC₅₀ value of 48.83?µM and A_0.50 value of 23.29?µM, respectively.     

The effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) on metabolic enzymes including acetylcholinesterase,butyrylcholinesterase, glutathione S-transferase,lactoperoxidase, and carbonic anhydrase isoenzymes I,II, IX,and XII

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is an active component of honeybee propolis extracts. Carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) are widespread and intensively studied metalloenzymes present in higher vertebrates including humans as many diverse isoforms. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is responsible for acetyl choline (ACh) hydrolysis and plays a fundamental role in nerve impulse transmission by terminating the action of the ACh neurotransmitter at cholinergic synapses and neuromuscular junctions. Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) is another enzyme abundantly present in the liver and released into blood in a soluble form. Lactoperoxidase (LPO) is an enzyme involved in fighting pathogenic microorganisms whereas glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are dimeric proteins present both in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms and involved in cellular detoxification mechanisms. In the present study, the inhibition effect of CAPE on human carbonic anhydrase (hCA) isoforms I, II, IX, and XII, AChE, BChE, LPO, and GST was evaluated. CAPE inhibited these enzymes with K_is in the range between micromolar to picomolar. The best inhibitory effect was observed against AChE and BChE.     

Enantioselective Ethylation of Various Aldehydes Catalyzed by Readily Accessible Chiral Diols

Four chiral C₂‐symmetric diols were synthesized in a straightforward three‐step reaction and demonstrated excellent enantioselectivities and good overall yields. Their catalytic activities were examined via the addition of diethylzinc to various aldehydes. The enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to 2‐methoxybenzaldehyde gave the corresponding chiral secondary alcohol with high yields (up to 95%) and moderate to good enantiomeric excess (up to 88%). All synthesized ligands were evaluated in the addition of diethylzinc to various aldehydes in the presence of an additional metal such as Ti(IV) complexes. Chirality 28:593–598, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Detection and Identification of Phytoplasmas in Pomegranate Trees with Yellows Symptoms

Symptoms resembling those associated with phytoplasma presence were observed in pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) trees in June 2012 in the Aegean Region of Turkey (Ayd?n province). The trees exhibiting yellowing, reduced vigour, deformations and reddening of the leaves and die‐back symptoms were analysed to verify phytoplasma presence. Total nucleic acids were extracted from fresh leaf midribs and phloem tissue from young branches of ten symptomatic and five asymptomatic plants. Nested polymerase chain reaction assays using universal phytoplasma‐specific 16S rRNA and tuf gene primers were performed. Amplicons were digested with Tru1I, Tsp509I and HhaI restriction enzymes, according to the primer pair employed. The phytoplasma profiles were identical to each other and to aster yellows (16SrI‐B) strain when digestion was carried out on 16Sr(I)F1/R1 amplicons. However, one of the samples showed mixed profiles indicating that 16SrI‐B and 16SrXII‐A phytoplasmas were present when M1/M2 amplicons were digested, the reamplification of this sample with tuf cocktail primers allowed to verify the presence of a 16SrXII‐A profile. One pomegranate aster yellows strain AY‐PG from 16S rRNA gene and the 16SrXII‐A amplicon from tuf gene designed strain STOL‐PG were directly sequenced and deposited in GenBank under the Accession Numbers KJ818293 and KP161063, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report of 16SrI‐B and 16SrXII‐A phytoplasmas in pomegranate trees.     

Tailoring of recombinant FDH: effect of histidine tag location on solubility and catalytic properties of Chaetomium thermophilum formate dehydrogenase (CtFDH)

Abstract

Several protein expression systems can be used to get enzymes in required quantities and study their functions. Incorporating a polyhistidine tag is a beneficial way of getting various enzymes such as FDHs for industrial applications. The NAD⁺ dependent formate dehydrogenase from Chaetomium thermophilum (CtFDH) can be utilized for interconversion of formate to carbon dioxide coupled with the conversion of NAD⁺ to NADH. In this study, N-terminal His tagged CtFDH (N-CtFDH) and C-terminal His tagged CtFDH (C-CtFDH) was constructed to learn the effect of His tag location on the activity and kinetic parameters of the enzyme. The solubility of proteins was not affected by tag position, however, an interference on the N-terminal region caused a deterioration in specific activity and the kinetic ability of enzyme. The obtained results indicated that the C-terminus of the enzyme is an appropriate region for tag engineering. The C-CtFDH has an approximately three-fold larger specific activity and two-fold higher catalytic efficiency than N-CtFDH. The results suggest that insertion of a His-tag at the N-terminal or C-terminal end of CtFDH has different effects on the protein and the N-terminal fragment of the protein is crucial for the function of CtFDH.     

Synthesis and utilization of reversible and irreversible light-activated nanovalves derived from the channel protein MscL

This protocol details the chemical modification of the mechanosensitive channel of large-conductance (MscL) channel protein into a light-activated nanovalve and its utilization for triggered delivery in synthetic liposomal vesicles. It is based on charge-induced activation of this otherwise mechanosensitive channel by covalent attachment to the protein of rationally designed synthetic functionalities. In the dark, these functionalities will be uncharged and the channel will stay closed, but UV illumination will cause their ionization and trigger channel activity. In the case of reversible activation, subsequent illumination with visible light will neutralize the charge, causing the channel to close. The protocol includes synthesis of light-responsive compounds, protein isolation and its chemical labeling, reconstitution of the protein into artificial membranes, its analysis at the single-molecule level and its application in liposomal delivery. The whole protocol takes 4 days. Unlike mutagenesis, this method allows the introduction of custom-designed functional groups.     

Effects of Quercetin against Doxorubicin-Induced Testicular Toxicity in Male Rats

Biology Bulletin - This study investigated the protective effects of quercetin (QUE) in doxorubicin (DOX)-induced testicular toxicity in rats. In the present study, testicular histomorphometry, the...