The splendid isolation of biological nomenclature

Recent arguments against phylogenetic nomenclature (PN) rest on the assumption that, generally, consensus about the meaning of taxon names arises spontaneously. A brief historical review shows that this is not the case. Comparisons with other fields as diverse as physics, geology and geopolitics show that precision in the meaning of terms is essential to produce consensus, which is precisely the opposite as the avowed aims of rank-based nomenclature (RN). The difficulty in reaching consensus increases with the weight of tradition and decreases with the number of objective tests to falsify competing theories. In both respects, biological nomenclature is handicapped because the weight of tradition is extreme and rules of nomenclature cannot be discovered in nature. These facts may explain the difficulty in reaching consensus on the most appropriate system of nomenclature for the 21st century. Therefore, comparisons between RN and PN should focus on minimal taxonomic stability, rather than realized or maximal stability. A four-taxon example shows that in this respect, PN vastly outperforms RN. Opponents of PN often predict that implementation of PN will cause considerable confusion. A comparison with computer science shows that confusion is often associated with progress, and may be unavoidable for nomenclature to prosper in the new millennium.     

Maturation and persistence of the anti-SARS-CoV-2 memory B cell response

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Advanced Liposomal Vectors as Cancer Vaccines in Melanoma Immunotherapy

Malignant tumors represent a major source of disability and account for more than one of five deaths in Western countries. Among the different cancers, melanoma harbors two distinctive features. First, its has long been recognized as an immunogenic tumor, and second, an unprecedented rise in incidence is currently observed, in face of few therapeutic options. Thus, melanoma represent an ideal target for a cancer immunotherapy program. To date, a number of immunodominant epitopes from tumor associated antigens (TAA) are used as cancer vaccines in clinical trials, in spite of an acknowledged rapid degradation in vivo and low immunogenicity. However, most of the immunotherapy trials reported so far do not achieve consistent clinical results. Hence, there is an urgent need for the development of a carrier system and strong adjuvants suitable for a TAA-based cancer immunotherapy. Liposomes and their further development as virosomes with added adjuvancy may address both these issues. We report here our experience in the tailoring of dedicated advanced liposomal vectors that were developed in the context of an upcoming immunotherapy clinical trial for melanoma.     

A theoretical and comparative CNDO study of chlorophylls a and b and their beryllium homologs

CNDO/II calculations of chlorophylls a and b and their beryllium homologs show that the 3d atomic orbitals of the metal atoms contribute significantly to the σ and π bonding energies. In both chlorophylls a and b replacement of magnesium by beryllium stabilizes the total molecular energy by 40 kcal/mol.     

The coexistence in rat muscle cells of two distinct classes of Ca2+-dependent K+ channels with different pharmacological properties and different physiological functions

An Arthrobacter sp. has been shown to dehalogenate 4-chlorobenzoate yielding 4-hydroxybenzoate. Experiments with 18O indicate that, in the presence of cell-free extracts, the hydroxyl group which is substituted onto the aromatic nucleus during dehalogenation is derived from water and not from molecular oxygen. Dehalogenation therefore is not catalysed by a mixed-function oxidase; instead a novel aromatic hydroxylase is implicated in the reaction.