Weighting,scale dependence and indirect effects in ecological networks: A comparative study

We studied the importance of weighting in ecological interaction networks. Fifty-three weighted interaction networks were analyzed and compared to their unweighted alternatives, based on data taken from two standard databases. We used five network indices, each with weighting and unweighting options, to characterize the positional importance of nodes in these networks. For every network, we ranked the nodes according to their importance values, based on direct and indirect indices and then we compared the rank order of coefficients to reveal potential differences between network types and between indices. We found that (1) weighting affects node ordering very seriously, (2) food webs fundamentally differ from other network types in this respect, (3) direct and indirect indices provide fairly different results but indirect effects are similar if longer than two steps, and (4) the effect of weighting depends on the number of network nodes in case of direct interactions only. We concluded that the importance of interaction weights may depend on the evolutionary stability of interaction types.     

Ail Proteins of Yersinia pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis Have Different Cell Binding and Invasion Activities

The Yersinia pestis adhesin Ail mediates host cell binding and facilitates delivery of cytotoxic Yop proteins. Ail from Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis is identical except for one or two amino acids at positions 43 and 126 depending on the Y. pseudotuberculosis strain. Ail from Y. pseudotuberculosis strain YPIII has been reported to lack host cell binding ability, thus we sought to determine which amino acid difference(s) are responsible for the difference in cell adhesion. Y. pseudotuberculosis YPIII Ail expressed in Escherichia coli bound host cells, albeit at ∼50% the capacity of Y. pestis Ail. Y. pestis Ail single mutants, Ail-E43D and Ail-F126V, both have decreased adhesion and invasion in E. coli when compared to wild-type Y. pestis Ail. Y. pseudotuberculosis YPIII Ail also had decreased binding to the Ail substrate fibronectin, relative to Y. pestis Ail in E. coli. When expressed in Y. pestis, there was a 30–50% decrease in adhesion and invasion depending on the substitution. Ail-mediated Yop delivery by both Y. pestis Ail and Y. pseudotuberculosis Ail were similar when expressed in Y. pestis, with only Ail-F126V giving a statistically significant reduction in Yop delivery of 25%. In contrast to results in E. coli and Y. pestis, expression of Ail in Y. pseudotuberculosis led to no measurable adhesion or invasion, suggesting the longer LPS of Y. pseudotuberculosis interferes with Ail cell-binding activity. Thus, host context affects the binding activities of Ail and both Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis Ail can mediate cell binding, cell invasion and facilitate Yop delivery.     

Specificity of gentamicin accumulation by rat renal cortex.

The accumulation of gentamicin by rat renal cortex $\text{in}$$\text{vivo}$ and $\text{in}$$\text{vitro}$ was not inhibited by probenecid, tetraethylammonium, cephalosporins nor α-aminoisobutyric acid, but was significantly blocked by other aminoglycosides (neomycin, tobramycin and kanamycin). The data suggest that specific binding sites for aminoglycosides are present on the surface or in cells of the renal proximal tubule.