Vegetation succession among and within structural layers following wildfire in managed forests

Question: How does vegetation develop during the initial period following severe wildfire in managed forests? Location: Southwestern Oregon, USA. Methods: In severely burned plantations, dynamics of (1) shrub, herbaceous, and cryptogam richness; (2) cover; (3) topographic, overstory, and site influences were characterized on two contrasting aspects 2 to 4 years following fire. Analysis of variance was used to examine change in structural layer richness and cover over time. Non‐metric multidimensional scaling, multi‐response permutation procedure, and indicator species analysis were used to evaluate changes in community composition over time. Results: Vegetation established rapidly following wildfire in burned plantations, following an initial floristics model of succession among structural layers. Succession within structural layers followed a combination of initial and relay floristic models. Succession occurred simultaneously within and among structural layers following wildfire, but at different rates and with different drivers. Stochastic (fire severity and site history) and deterministic (species life history traits, topography, and pre‐disturbance plant community) factors determined starting points of succession. Multiple successional trajectories were evident in early succession. Conclusions: Mixed conifer forests are resilient to interacting effects of natural and human‐caused disturbances. Predicting the development of vegetation communities following disturbances requires an understanding of the various successional components, such as succession among and within structural layers, and the fire regime. Succession among and within structural layers can follow different successional models and trajectories, occurs at different rates, and is affected by multiple interacting factors.     

Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 induces α-synuclein expression via the extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway

Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are the most frequent cause of autosomal-dominant Parkinson's disease (PD). The second known autosomal-dominant PD gene (SNCA) encodes α-synuclein, which is deposited in Lewy bodies, the neuropathological hallmark of PD. LRRK2 contains a kinase domain with homology to mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinases (MAPKKKs) and its activity has been suggested to be a key factor in LRRK2-associated PD. Here we investigated the role of LRRK2 in signal transduction pathways to identify putative PD-relevant downstream targets. Over-expression of wild-type [wt]LRRK2 in human embryonic kidney HEK293 cells selectively activated the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) module. PD-associated mutants G2019S and R1441C, but not kinase-dead LRRK2, induced ERK phosphorylation to the same extent as [wt]LRRK2, indicating that this effect is kinase-dependent. However, ERK activation by mutant R1441C and G2019S was significantly slower than that for [wt]LRRK2, despite similar levels of expression. Furthermore, induction of the ERK module by LRRK2 was associated to a small but significant induction of SNCA, which was suppressed by treatment with the selective MAPK/ERK kinase inhibitor U0126. This pathway linking the two dominant PD genes LRRK2 and SNCA may offer an interesting target for drug therapy in both familial and sporadic disease.     

Automated solvent artifact removal and base plane correction of multidimensional NMR protein spectra by AUREMOL-SSA

Strong solvent signals lead to a disappearance of weak protein signals close to the solvent resonance frequency and to base plane variations all over the spectrum. AUREMOL-SSA provides an automated approach for solvent artifact removal from multidimensional NMR protein spectra. Its core algorithm is based on singular spectrum analysis (SSA) in the time domain and is combined with an automated base plane correction in the frequency domain. The performance of the method has been tested on synthetic and experimental spectra including two-dimensional NOESY and TOCSY spectra and a three-dimensional ¹H,¹³C-HCCH-TOCSY spectrum. It can also be applied to frequency domain spectra since an optional inverse Fourier transformation is included in the algorithm.     

Ontogenetic shifts in functional morphology of dragonfly legs (Odonata: Anisoptera)

Anisopteran leg functions change dramatically from the final larval stadium to the adult. Larvae use legs mainly for locomotion, walking, climbing, clinging, or burrowing. Adults use them for foraging and grasping mates, for perching, clinging to the vegetation, and for repelling rivals. In order to estimate the ontogenetic shift in the leg construction from the larva to the adult, this study quantitatively compared lengths of fore, mid, and hind legs and the relationships between three leg segments, femur, tibia, and tarsus, in larval and adult Anisoptera of the families Gomphidae, Aeshnidae, Cordulegastridae, Corduliidae, and Libellulidae, represented by two species each. We found that leg segment length ratio as well as ontogenetic shift in length ratios was different between families, but rather similar within the families. While little ontogenetic shift occurred in Aeshnidae, there were some modifications in Corduliidae and Libellulidae. The severest shift occurred in Gomphidae and Cordulegastridae, both having burrowing larvae. These two families form a cluster, which is in contrast to their taxonomic relationship within the Anisoptera. Cluster analysis implies that the function of larval legs is primarily responsible for grouping, whereas adult behavior or the taxonomic relationships do not explain the grouping. This result supports the previous hypothesis about the convergent functional shift of leg characters in the dragonfly ontogenesis.     

Iron absorption and distribution in TNFΔARE/+ mice,a model of chronic inflammation

Hemizygous TNF^ΔARE/+ mice are a murine model for chronic inflammation. We utilized these animals to study iron-kinetics and corresponding protein expression in an iron-deficient and iron-adequate setting. ⁵⁹Fe-absorption was determined in ligated duodenal loops in vivo. Whole body distribution of i.v. injected ⁵⁹Fe was analysed, and the organ specific expression of ferroportin, transferrin receptor-1, hepcidin and duodenal DMT-1 was quantified by real-time PCR and Western blotting.Duodenal ⁵⁹Fe-lumen-to-body transport was not affected by the genotype. Duodenal ⁵⁹Fe-retention was increased in TNF^ΔARE/+ mice, suggesting higher ⁵⁹Fe-losses with defoliated enterocytes. Iron-deficiency increased duodenal ⁵⁹Fe-lumen-to-body transport, and higher duodenal ⁵⁹Fe-tissue retention went along with higher duodenal DMT-1, ferroportin, and liver hepcidin expression. TNF^ΔARE/+ mice significantly increase their ⁵⁹Fe-content in inflamed joints and ilea, and correspondingly reduce splenic ⁵⁹Fe-content. Leukocyte infiltrations in the joints suggest a substantial shift of iron-loaded RES cells to inflamed tissues as the underlying mechanism. This finding was paralleled by increased non-haem iron content in joints and reduced haemoglobin and haematocrit concentrations in TNF^ΔARE/+ mice.In conclusion, erythropoiesis in inflamed TNF^ΔARE/+ mice could be iron-limited due to losses with exfoliated iron-loaded enterocytes and/or to increased iron-retention in RES cells that shift from the spleen to inflamed tissues.     

ILCD Handbook Public Consultation Workshop

Introduction

The European Commission is supporting the development of the International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD). This consists primarily of the ILCD Handbook and the ILCD Data Network. This paper gives an insight into the scientific positions of business, governments, consultants, academics, and others that were expressed at this public consultation workshop.

Workshop focus

The workshop focused on four of the topics of the main guidance documents of the ILCD Handbook: (1) general guidance on life cycle assessment (LCA); (2) guidance for generic and average life cycle inventory (LCI) data sets; (3) requirements for environmental impact assessment methods, models and indicators for LCA; and (4) review schemes for LCA.

Workshop participation

This consultation workshop was attended by more than 120 participants during the 4 days of the workshop. Representatives came from 23 countries, from both within and outside the European Union.

Workshop structure

Approximately half of the participants were from business associations or individual companies. Another 20% were governmental representatives. Others came predominantly from consultancies and academia.

Results

This public consultation workshop provided valuable inputs into the overall ILCD Handbook developments as well as for further development. This paper focuses on some of the main scientific issues that were raised.     

Iron uptake by Caco-2 cells following in vitro digestion: Effects of heat treatments of pork meat and pH of the digests

The present in vitro studies report on iron uptake by Caco-2 cells from pepsin and pepsin + pancreatin-digested pork meat proteins at pH values between 4.6 and 7 mimicking conditions in the duodenum and the proximal jejunum, respectively. Heat treatment of the pork meat resulted in increased iron uptake from pepsin-digested samples to Caco-2 cells at pH 4.6. The major enhancing effects on iron uptake by Caco-2 cells were observed after pepsin digestion in the pH range 4.6–6.0, whereas the pepsin + pancreatin-digested samples resulted in negligible iron uptake in Caco-2 cells at pH 7. Thus, the results emphasize the importance of separating pepsin-digested and pepsin + pancreatin-digested proteins during in vitro studies on iron availability. Furthermore, the present results showed the pH dependency of iron uptake anticipated. The enhancing effect of ascorbic acid was verified by increased iron uptake from pepsin-digested pork meat samples at pH 4.6, while no effect of ascorbic acid was observed at pH 7 in pepsin + pancreatin-digested samples.     

The molecular basis of glycogen breakdown and transport in Streptococcus pneumoniae

The genome of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains, as typified by the TIGR4 strain, contain several genes encoding proteins putatively involved in α‐glucan degradation, modification and synthesis. The extracellular components comprise an ATP binding cassette‐transporter with its solute binding protein, MalX, and the hydrolytic enzyme SpuA. We show that of the commonly occurring exogenous α‐glucans, S. pneumoniae TIGR4 is only able to grow on glycogen in a MalX‐ and SpuA‐dependent manner. SpuA is able to degrade glycogen into a ladder of α‐1,4‐glucooligosaccharides while the high‐affinity interaction (K_a ～ 10⁶ M^?1) of MalX with maltooligosaccharides plays a key role in promoting the selective uptake of the glycogen degradation products that are produced by SpuA. The X‐ray crystallographic analyses of apo‐ and complexed MalX illuminate the protein's specificity for the degradation products of glycogen and its striking ability to recognize the helical structure of the ligand. Overall, the results of this work provide new structural and functional insight into streptococcal α‐glucan metabolism while supplying biochemical support for the hypothesis that the substrate of the S. pneumoniaeα‐glucan metabolizing machinery is glycogen, which in a human host is abundant in lung epithelial cells, a common target for invasive S. pneumoniae.     

Azaindole N-methyl hydroxamic acids as HIV-1 integrase inhibitors-II. The impact of physicochemical properties on ADME and PK

HIV-1 integrase is one of three enzymes encoded by the HIV genome and is essential for viral replication, and HIV-1 IN inhibitors have emerged as a new promising class of therapeutics. Recently, we reported the discovery of azaindole hydroxamic acids that were potent inhibitors of the HIV-1 IN enzyme. N-Methyl hydroxamic acids were stable against oxidative metabolism, however were cleared rapidly through phase 2 glucuronidation pathways. We were able to introduce polar groups at the β-position of the azaindole core thereby altering physical properties by lowering calculated log D values (c Log D) which resulted in attenuated clearance rates in human hepatocytes. Pharmacokinetic data in dog for representative compounds demonstrated moderate oral bioavailability and reasonable half-lives. These ends were accomplished without a large negative impact on enzymatic and antiviral activity, thus suggesting opportunities to alter clearance parameters in future series.