Absorption of foliar applied Zn is decreased in Zn deficient sunflower (Helianthus annuus) due to changes in leaf properties

Plant and Soil - Arabidopsis thaliana is the model plant that is mainly used in studying cellulose and hemicellulose (CH) biosynthesis. Unfortunately, A. thaliana does not associate with mycorrhiza...     

An evaluation of educators’ views on the e-Bug resources in England

Introduction: e-Bug is an international educational resource for young people covering microbes, hygiene and antibiotics. e-Bug supports NICE guidance on changing public behaviour around antibiotic use. This study aimed to determine educators’ views of the e-Bug teacher resources to inform further development and dissemination of e-Bug. Methods: Age appropriate e-Bug resource packs were posted to every primary school (N = 19,142) and secondary school (N = 5637) in England with a cover letter signed by the Chief Medical Officer, Chief Executive of PHE and e-Bug Project Lead inviting educators to complete an online survey to evaluate the e-Bug resources. The online survey consisted of nine questions and took approximately 15 min to complete. Results: 695 participants completed the online survey. 94% of participants rated the e-Bug resource as excellent or good; one fifth of respondents used the e-Bug resources at least termly. Educators who used e-Bug rated the different lesson plans as excellent or good including ‘Introduction to Microbes’ (98%) and ‘Hand Hygiene’ (95%). Educators provided suggestions for the development of additional lessons plans. Conclusions: Educators view e-Bug as a valuable resource for teaching children about hygiene and antibiotics. Further e-Bug promotion and resource development is required to increase awareness and usage in schools.     

Structural Basis for the Interaction of Mutasome Assembly Factor REV1 with Ubiquitin

REV1 is an evolutionarily conserved translesion synthesis (TLS) DNA polymerase and an assembly factor key for the recruitment of other TLS polymerases to DNA damage sites. REV1-mediated recognition of ubiquitin in the proliferative cell nuclear antigen is thought to be the trigger for TLS activation. Here we report the solution NMR structure of a 108-residue fragment of human REV1 encompassing the two putative ubiquitin-binding motifs UBM1 and UBM2 in complex with ubiquitin. While in mammals UBM1 and UBM2 are both required for optimal association of REV1 with replication factories after DNA damage, we show that only REV1 UBM2 binds ubiquitin. Structure-guided mutagenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae further highlights the importance of UBM2 for REV1-mediated mutagenesis and DNA damage tolerance.     

The effect of artificial light on the community structure of reef-associated fishes at oil and gas platforms in the northern Gulf of Mexico

The northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) contains almost 2300 oil and gas platforms. While some of these platforms are actively lit, allowing for normal working conditions throughout the night, many are unlit, illuminated only by small navigation beacons to warn vessels of their presence. In addition to producing oil and gas, these structures inadvertently serve as artificial reef habitat for a variety of GOM fish and invertebrate species. Though many fish species have been reported aggregating near these structures, this study is the first to examine changes in fish community structure in response to the structures’ artificial light regimes. Baited remote underwater video (BRUV) surveys were conducted at two lit and three unlit oil and gas platforms off the coast of Louisiana to examine the effect of platform artificial lighting on fish community structure during the day, at night, and during crepuscular periods. Seventeen recreationally harvested species were observed, with red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) being the most abundant. Statistical analysis indicated that fish community varied significantly with depth, season, type, and season by type interactions. More fish were seen at lit platforms than at unlit platforms, with the majority of individuals identified near the surface. While fish abundance at the surface remained high during the day, the numbers declined at night. This suggests that though fishes are attracted to the vertical relief of the structure, they may be avoiding the artificial light field at the surface either to escape nocturnal predation or to forage away from the platform.     

Flight Performance and Dispersal Potential of Red Palm Weevil Estimated by Repeated Flights on Flight Mill

The red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus; Olivier, 1790) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) has recently become the most severe palm pest in the Mediterranean basin. Its dispersal was initially supported mainly by the acquisition of infested trees, but was further facilitated by the weevils’ flight. Therefore, knowledge of weevils’ flight capacity is a key element in evaluating their dispersal capability and setting preventive actions in advance. We tested the weevils’ flight ability in repeated flights that were 7–10 days apart by computer-monitored flight mill with a seesaw design. Tested flight parameters were: flight distance, duration, and velocity, number of flights, and cumulative flight distance, of virgin and mated weevils of both sexes. Our tests found no differences in flight distance between virgin and mated individuals or between sexes. Weevils showed flight capability between the ages of 2 and 97 days, and covered up to 315 km of cumulative distance during this time. In addition, we tested the effect of age of flight initiation and found that old starters perform fewer flights than young starters, and are thus assumed to possess inferior dispersal capabilities.     

Plant–pollinator networks in semi‐natural grasslands are resistant to the loss of pollinators during blooming of mass‐flowering crops

Mass‐flowering crops lead to spatial redistributions of pollinators and to transient shortages within nearby semi‐natural grasslands, but the impacts on plant–pollinator interactions remain largely unexplored. Here, we characterised which pollinator species are attracted by oilseed rape and how this affected the structure of plant–pollinator networks in nearby grasslands. We surveyed 177 networks from three countries (Germany, Sweden and United Kingdom) in 24 landscapes with high crop cover, and compared them to 24 landscapes with low or no oilseed rape during and after crop blooming. On average 55% of grassland pollinator species were found on the crop, which attracted 8–35% of individuals away from grasslands. However, networks in the grasslands were resistant to these reductions, since mainly abundant and highly mobile species were attracted. Nonetheless, simulations indicated that network structural changes could be triggered if > 50% of individuals were attracted to the crop (a value well‐above that found in our study system), which could affect community stability and resilience to further disturbance.     

Identifying critical migratory bottlenecks and high‐use areas for an endangered migratory soaring bird across three continents

Migrant birds face a number of threats throughout their annual cycle, including persecution, collision with energy infrastructure, and habitat and climate change. A key challenge for the conservation of migrants is the identification of important habitat, including migratory concentration areas, because species survival rates may be determined by events in geographically very limited areas. Remote‐tracking technology is facilitating the identification of such critical habitat, although the strategic identification of important sites and incorporation of such knowledge in conservation planning remains limited. We tracked 45 individuals of an endangered, soaring migrant (Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus), over 75 complete migrations that traversed three continents along the Red Sea Flyway. We summarize and contextualize migration statistics by season and age class, including migration start, midpoint, and end dates, as well as linear and cumulative migration distance, migration duration and speed, and route straightness. Then, using dynamic Brownian bridge movement models, we quantified space use to identify the most important migratory bottlenecks and high‐use areas on the flyway. These areas each accounted for < 5% of the overall movement range of the tracked birds, yet > 20% of all tracks passed through bottlenecks, and > 50% of the overall vulture time spent on migration fell within high‐use areas. The most important sites were located at the southeastern Red Sea coast and Bab‐el‐Mandeb Strait (Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Djibouti), the Suez Canal zone (Egypt), and the Gulf of Iskenderun (Turkey). Discouragingly however, none of the area within the major migratory bottlenecks was protected and < 13% of the high‐use areas were protected. This demonstrates a very concerning gap in the protected area network for migratory soaring birds along the Red Sea Flyway. Because reducing threats at migratory concentrations can be a very efficient approach to protect populations, our work provides clear guidelines where conservation investment is urgently needed to benefit as many as 35 migratory soaring‐bird species that regularly use the Red Sea Flyway.     

Design,synthesis and antibacterial properties of pyrimido[4,5-b]indol-8-amine inhibitors of DNA gyrase

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1.7 million deaths per year are caused by tuberculosis infections. Furthermore, it has been predicted that, by 2050, antibacterial resistance will be the cause of approximately 10 million deaths annually if the issue is not tackled. As a result, novel approaches to treating broad-spectrum bacterial infections are of vital importance. During the course of our wider efforts to discover unique methods of targeting multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, we identified a novel series of amide-linked pyrimido[4,5-b]indol-8-amine inhibitors of bacterial type II topoisomerases. Compounds from the series were highly potent against gram-positive bacteria and mycobacteria, with excellent potency being retained against a panel of relevant Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug-resistant clinical isolates.