Do temperate tree species diversity and identity influence soil microbial community function and composition?

Studies of biodiversity–ecosystem function in treed ecosystems have generally focused on aboveground functions. This study investigates intertrophic links between tree diversity and soil microbial community function and composition. We examined how microbial communities in surface mineral soil responded to experimental gradients of tree species richness (SR ), functional diversity (FD ), community‐weighted mean trait value (CWM ), and tree identity. The site was a 4‐year‐old common garden experiment near Montreal, Canada, consisting of deciduous and evergreen tree species mixtures. Microbial community composition, community‐level physiological profiles, and respiration were evaluated using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA ) analysis and the MicroResp^? system, respectively. The relationship between tree species richness and glucose‐induced respiration (GIR ), basal respiration (BR ), metabolic quotient (qCO ₂) followed a positive but saturating shape. Microbial communities associated with species mixtures were more active (basal respiration [BR ]), with higher biomass (glucose‐induced respiration [GIR ]), and used a greater number of carbon sources than monocultures. Communities associated with deciduous tree species used a greater number of carbon sources than those associated with evergreen species, suggesting a greater soil carbon storage capacity. There were no differences in microbial composition (PLFA ) between monocultures and SR mixtures. The FD and the CWM of several functional traits affected both BR and GIR . In general, the CWM of traits had stronger effects than did FD , suggesting that certain traits of dominant species have more effect on ecosystem processes than does FD . Both the functions of GIR and BR were positively related to aboveground tree community productivity. Both tree diversity (SR ) and identity (species and functional identity—leaf habit) affected soil microbial community respiration, biomass, and composition. For the first time, we identified functional traits related to life‐history strategy, as well as root traits that influence another trophic level, soil microbial community function, via effects on BR and GIR .     

Two Cases of Recovery of Dimorphic Pathogenic Fungi via Conventional BacT/ALERT<Superscript>®</Superscript> Microbial Detection System Media

We hereby report two instances of dimorphic fungus cultivation in BacT/ALERT^®-based bacteriologic media, with the first such characterization of Blastomyces dermatitidis. From a patient with disseminated coccidioidomycosis, routine blood cultures incubated on the MB/BacT^® 3D^? Microbial Detection System generated a positive signal following 75 h of incubation. B. dermatitidis was isolated from a patient hospitalized with a four-week course of respiratory illness. Organism detection from respiratory specimens via the MB/BacT^® 3D^? Mycobacteria Detection System occurred 5 days sooner than the routine fungus culture. Etiologic agents of endemic mycoses may be isolated in bacteriologic media employed by continuous monitoring instrumentation.     

Microbialite response to an anthropogenic salinity gradient in Great Salt Lake,Utah

A railroad causeway across Great Salt Lake, Utah (GSL), has restricted water flow since its construction in 1959, resulting in a more saline North Arm (NA; 24%–31% salinity) and a less saline South Arm (SA; 11%–14% salinity). Here, we characterized microbial carbonates collected from the SA and the NA to evaluate the effect of increased salinity on community composition and abundance and to determine whether the communities present in the NA are still actively precipitating carbonate or if they are remnant features from prior to causeway construction. SSU rRNA gene abundances associated with the NA microbialite were three orders of magnitude lower than those associated with the SA microbialite, indicating that the latter community is more productive. SSU rRNA gene sequencing and functional gene microarray analyses indicated that SA and NA microbialite communities are distinct. In particular, abundant sequences affiliated with photoautotrophic taxa including cyanobacteria and diatoms that may drive carbonate precipitation and thus still actively form microbialites were identified in the SA microbialite; sequences affiliated with photoautotrophic taxa were in low abundance in the NA microbialite. SA and NA microbialites comprise smooth prismatic aragonite crystals. However, the SA microbialite also contained micritic aragonite, which can be formed as a result of biological activity. Collectively, these observations suggest that NA microbialites are likely to be remnant features from prior to causeway construction and indicate a strong decrease in the ability of NA microbialite communities to actively precipitate carbonate minerals. Moreover, the results suggest a role for cyanobacteria and diatoms in carbonate precipitation and microbialite formation in the SA of GSL.     

Characterization of glycoconjugates in the bovine endometrium and chorion by lectin histochemistry

Lectin binding patterns were examined on normal bovine endometrium and bovine placentomes during four stages of pregnancy using 13 biotinylated lectins. Lectin binding intensity increased in early pregnancy for many lectins, whereas binding to fucosyl residues decreased. Persistence of strong lectin binding later in pregnancy usually was limited to the arcade and intercotyledonary trophoblastic cells. Binding of some lectins to cell surfaces was prominent, particularly in early pregnancy. A few lectins were excellent markers for binucleate trophoblastic cells. These distinctive surface and binucleate cell binding patterns on placentomes and endometrial epithelium are useful markers of trophoblastic cell-endometrial epithelial cell surface interactions and of binucleate cell differentiation.     

SNX18 regulates ATG9A trafficking from recycling endosomes by recruiting Dynamin‐2

Trafficking of mammalian ATG9A between the Golgi apparatus, endosomes and peripheral ATG9A compartments is important for autophagosome biogenesis. Here, we show that the membrane remodelling protein SNX18, previously identified as a positive regulator of autophagy, regulates ATG9A trafficking from recycling endosomes. ATG9A is recruited to SNX18‐induced tubules generated from recycling endosomes and accumulates in juxtanuclear recycling endosomes in cells lacking SNX18. Binding of SNX18 to Dynamin‐2 is important for ATG9A trafficking from recycling endosomes and for formation of ATG16L1‐ and WIPI2‐positive autophagosome precursor membranes. We propose a model where upon autophagy induction, SNX18 recruits Dynamin‐2 to induce budding of ATG9A and ATG16L1 containing membranes from recycling endosomes that traffic to sites of autophagosome formation.     

Cry2 Is Critical for Circadian Regulation of Myogenic Differentiation by Bclaf1-Mediated mRNA Stabilization of Cyclin D1 and Tmem176b

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Characterization of a transposon Tn916-generated mutant of Haemophilus ducreyi 35000 defective in lipooligosaccharide biosynthesis.

To define the role of the surface lipooligosaccharide (LOS) of Haemophilus ducreyi in the pathogenesis of chancroid, Tn916 mutants of H. ducreyi 35000 defective in expression of the murine monoclonal antibody (MAb) 3F11 epitope on H. ducreyi LOS were identified by immunologic screening. One mutant, designated 1381, has an LOS which lacks the MAb 3F11 epitope and migrates with an increased mobility on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The gene disrupted by the Tn916 element in strain 1381 was identified by cloning the sequences flanking the Tn916 element. The sequences were then used to probe a lambda DASHII genomic library. In strain 1381, Tn916 interrupts a gene which encodes an open reading frame (ORF) with an Mr of 40,246. This ORF has homology to the product of the rfaK gene of Escherichia coli. The major LOS glycoform produced by strain 1381 was analyzed by using a combination of mass spectrometry, linkage and composition analysis, and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The major LOS species was found to terminate in a single glucose attached to the heptose (L-glycero-D-manno-heptose, or Hep) trisaccharide core. In the wild-type strain 35000, glucose serves as the acceptor for the addition of the D-glycero-D-manno-heptose (or DDHep), which extends to form the mature branch of the H. ducreyi LOS. This mature oligosaccharide is in turn partially capped by the addition of sialic acid (NeuAc), i.e., NeuAc2 alpha-->3Gal beta1-->4GlcNAc beta1-->3Gal beta1-->4DDHep alpha1-->6Glc beta1 (W. Melaugh et al., Biochemistry 33:13070-13078, 1994). Since this LOS terminates prior to the addition of the branch DD-heptose, this gene is likely to encode the D-glycero-D-manno-heptosyltransferase. Strain 1381 exhibits a significant reduction in adherence to and invasion of primary human keratinocytes. This defect was complemented by the cloned heptosyltransferase gene, indicating that the terminal portion of the LOS oligosaccharide plays an important role in adherence to human keratinocytes.