Acidophytic shrublands in the north-west of the Italian peninsula: Ecology,chorology and syntaxonomy

Abstract

The shrublands growing on siliceous and/or calcium-poor substrata of the hilly and mountainous areas of north-western and central Italy were studied. This secondary vegetation is dominated by several acidophilous shrubs like Ulex europaeus, Cytisus scoparius, Erica arborea, E. scoparia and Calluna vulgaris. The synecology, synchorology and syntaxonomy of this vegetation was studied using multivariate methods, and discussed in comparison with similar types described in other zones of the Italian peninsula. Two new subassociations are proposed here: Erico arboreae-Arbutetum unedonis genistetosum germanicae and Calluno-Sarothamnetum ericetosum scopariae. Calluno-Sarothamnetum is typified; the Sarothamnion alliance is discussed and referred to Cytisetea scopario-striati. The presence of Calluno-Ulicetea and Cytisetea scopario-striati classes is discussed, and a syntaxonomical scheme is proposed.     

Purification and Characterization op a 31-Kilodalton Iron-Regulated Periplasmic Protein from Pasteurella Haenolytica A1

ABSTRACT

A prominent iron-regulated periplasmic protein was purified from Pasteurella haemolytica grown in an iron-deficient chemically defined medium. The protein was purified by anion exchange chromatography and appeared as a single band by SDS-PAGE with a molecular weight of 32,000. A yield of five mg was obtained from 91 mg of protein extract. The iron-regulated protein existed as a monomer in the native state with an average molecular weight of 29,877 as determined by analytical ultracentrifugation. The protein had a molecular weight of 30,880 as determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption mass spectrometry, hence the protein is referred to as the 31 kDa protein. Isoelectric focusing showed four bands with pIs of 7.15, 6.8, 6.6, and 5.9, The secondary structure of the protein was determined by circular dichroism and contained 16% α-helical structure. The N-terminal sequence, EPFKVVTTFTVIQDIAQNVAGDKAT, showed a 95% identity with the 31 kDa iron-binding protein from Haemophilus influenzae. Isolation and characterization of iron-regulated proteins are of particular interest because of their potential roles in iron assimilation and microbial virulence.     

Discriminating the effects of phylogenetic hypothesis,tree resolution and clade age estimates on phylogenetic signal measurements

Understanding how species traits evolved over time is the central question to comprehend assembly rules that govern the phylogenetic structure of communities. The measurement of phylogenetic signal (PS) in ecologically relevant traits is a first step to understand phylogenetically structured community patterns. The different methods available to estimate PS make it difficult to choose which is most appropriate. Furthermore, alternative phylogenetic tree hypotheses, node resolution and clade age estimates might influence PS measurements. In this study, we evaluated to what extent these parameters affect different methods of PS analysis, and discuss advantages and disadvantages when selecting which method to use. We measured fruit/seed traits and flowering/fruiting phenology of endozoochoric species occurring in Southern Brazilian Araucaria forests and evaluated their PS using Mantel regressions, phylogenetic eigenvector regressions (PVR) and K statistic. Mantel regressions always gave less significant results compared to PVR and K statistic in all combinations of phylogenetic trees constructed. Moreover, a better phylogenetic resolution affected PS, independently of the method used to estimate it. Morphological seed traits tended to show higher PS than diaspores traits, while PS in flowering/fruiting phenology depended mostly on the method used to estimate it. This study demonstrates that different PS estimates are obtained depending on the chosen method and the phylogenetic tree resolution. This finding has implications for inferences on phylogenetic niche conservatism or ecological processes determining phylogenetic community structure.     

De novo discovery of antibody drugs – great promise demands scrutiny

ABSTRACT

We live in an era of rapidly advancing computing capacity and algorithmic sophistication. “Big data” and “artificial intelligence”find progressively wider use in all spheres of human activity, including healthcare. A diverse array of computational technologies is being applied with increasing frequency to antibody drug research and development (R&D). Their successful applications are met with great interest due to the potential for accelerating and streamlining the antibody R&D process. While this excitement is very likely justified in the long term, it is less likely that the transition from the first use to routine practice will escape challenges that other new technologies had experienced before they began to blossom. This transition typically requires many cycles of iterative learning that rely on the deconstruction of the technology to understand its pitfalls and define vectors for optimization. The study by Vasquez et al. identifies a key obstacle to such learning: the lack of transparency regarding methodology in computational antibody design reports, which has the potential to mislead the community efforts     

Tissue proteomics of the low‐molecular weight proteome using an integrated cLC‐ESI‐QTOFMS approach

Analysis of the protein/peptide composition of tissue has provided meaningful insights into tissue biology and even disease mechanisms. However, little has been published regarding top down methods to investigate lower molecular weight (MW) (500–5000 Da) species in tissue. Here, we evaluate a tissue proteomics approach involving tissue homogenization followed by depletion of large proteins and then cLC‐MS (where c stands for capillary) analysis to interrogate the low MW/low abundance tissue proteome. In the development of this method, sheep heart, lung, liver, kidney, and spleen were surveyed to test our ability to observe tissue differences. After categorical tissue differences were demonstrated, a detailed study of this method's reproducibility was undertaken to determine whether or not it is suitable for analyzing more subtle differences in the abundance of small proteins and peptides. Our results suggest that this method should be useful in exploring the low MW proteome of tissues.     

The autophagy community

There are various definitions of community. A definition that I found in one of my dictionaries is the following: “A social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists.” Thus, I think it is fair to say that there is a worldwide autophagy community. That is, there is a group of researchers (our occupation), whose members share an interest in autophagy (our common characteristic), and that group is distinct from the larger society (I do not want to begin describing the many ways this applies). But do we feel like a community, and do we need a community? I suggest that a community is indeed beneficial, and I propose one mechanism for enhancing the development of the autophagy community.     

Coupled plant traits adapted to wetting/drying cycles of substrates co-define niche multidimensionality

Theories attempting to explain species coexistence in plant communities have argued in favour of species' capacities to occupy a multidimensional niche with spatial, temporal and biotic axes. We used the concept of hydrological niche segregation to learn how ecological niches are structured both spatially and temporally and whether small scale humidity gradients between adjacent niches are the main factor explaining water partitioning among tree species in a highly water-limited semiarid forest ecosystem. By combining geophysical methods, isotopic ecology, plant ecophysiology and anatomical measurements, we show how coexisting pine and oak species share, use and temporally switch between diverse spatially distinct niches by employing a set of functionally coupled plant traits in response to changing environmental signals. We identified four geospatial niches that turned into nine, when considering the temporal dynamics of the wetting/drying cycles in the substrate and the particular plant species adaptations to garner, transfer, store and use water. Under water scarcity, pine and oak exhibited water use segregation from different niches, yet under maximum drought when oak trees crossed physiological thresholds, niche overlap occurred. The identification of niches and mechanistic understanding of when and how species use them will help unify theories of plant coexistence and competition.     

项目式“微生物学实验”教学模式的构建与实践

微生物学实验是生物类各专业的一门重要的专业基础课程,微生物学实验技术是学生认识微生物、改造微生物和利用微生物的重要方法。课程组结合优质教学资源,以及先进仪器设备和网络技术的助力加持,构建了项目式"微生物学实验"教学模式。通过项目实验的科学设计、实施和评价,对实验教学进行了一系列的改革实践与探索,提高了实验教学效果和效率,使学生对微生物学研究有了更系统的认识,对培养学生的综合实践能力和科学研究思维起到了积极有效的促进作用。     

新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情对高校微生物学教学带来的挑战与发展机遇

突如其来的新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情使得网上在线教学成为这段时间的唯一教学方式。这一方面给高校的广大师生提出了新的挑战,但同时也给近年来一直进行的高等教育开放式教育教学改革发展潮流按下了加速键。《微生物学通报》以"第十七届全国微生物学教学和科研及成果产业化研讨会"为契机邀稿组织出版的这期"高等院校教学主题刊",很好地反映了近年来在开放式教育形势下我国微生物学教学改革与人才培养的最新进展和发展态势,其中也有文章介绍了疫情期间选择和使用线上教学技术的经验。期望该主题刊的出版有助于进一步促进广大微生物学教师强化互联网意识,打造"互联网+"思维,重塑课堂教学形态,通过广大教师间的教改经验交流与合作,进一步促进我国微生物学课程建设水平与教学质量的全面提升。