Evolution of Helix Formation in the Ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS2) and Its Significance for RNA Secondary Structures

Helices are the most common elements of RNA secondary structure. Despite intensive investigations of various types of RNAs, the evolutionary history of the formation of new helices (novel helical structures) remains largely elusive. Here, by studying the nuclear ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS2), a fast-evolving part of the eukaryotic nuclear ribosomal operon, we identify two possible types of helix formation: one type is “dichotomous helix formation”—transition from one large helix to two smaller helices by invagination of the apical part of a helix, which significantly changes the shape of the original secondary structure but does not increase its complexity (i.e., the total length of the RNA). An alternative type is “lateral helix formation”—origin of an extra helical region by the extension of a bulge loop or a spacer in a multi-helix loop of the original helix, which does not disrupt the pre-existing structure but increases RNA size. Moreover, we present examples from the RNA sequence literature indicating that both types of helix formation may have implications for RNA evolution beyond ITS2.     

Multistep Photoluminescence Decay Reveals Dissociation of Geminate Charge Pairs in Organolead Trihalide Perovskites

Charge carrier dynamics in organolead iodide perovskites is analyzed by employing time‐resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy with several ps time resolution. The measurements performed by varying photoexcitation intensity over five orders of magnitude enable separation of photoluminescence components related to geminate and nongeminate charge carrier recombination and to address the dynamics of an isolated geminate electron–hole pair. Geminate recombination dominates at low excitation fluence and determines the initial photoluminescence decay. This decay component is remarkably independent of the material structure and experimental conditions. It is demonstrated that dependences of the geminate and nongeminate radiative recombination components on excitation intensity, repetition rate, and temperature, are hardly compatible with carrier trapping and exciton dissociation models. On the basis of semiclassical and quantum mechanical numerical calculation results, it is argued that the fast photoluminescence decay originates from gradual spatial separation of photogenerated weakly bound geminate charge pairs.     

Flow and Diffusion in Channel-Guided Cell Migration

Collective migration of mechanically coupled cell layers is a notable feature of wound healing, embryonic development, and cancer progression. In confluent epithelial sheets, the dynamics have been found to be highly heterogeneous, exhibiting spontaneous formation of swirls, long-range correlations, and glass-like dynamic arrest as a function of cell density. In contrast, the flow-like properties of one-sided cell-sheet expansion in confining geometries are not well understood. Here, we studied the short- and long-term flow of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells as they moved through microchannels. Using single-cell tracking and particle image velocimetry (PIV), we found that a defined averaged stationary cell current emerged that exhibited a velocity gradient in the direction of migration and a plug-flow-like profile across the advancing sheet. The observed flow velocity can be decomposed into a constant term of directed cell migration and a diffusion-like contribution that increases with density gradient. The diffusive component is consistent with the cell-density profile and front propagation speed predicted by the Fisher-Kolmogorov equation. To connect diffusion-mediated transport to underlying cellular motility, we studied single-cell trajectories and occurrence of vorticity. We discovered that the directed large-scale cell flow altered fluctuations in cellular motion at short length scales: vorticity maps showed a reduced frequency of swirl formation in channel flow compared with resting sheets of equal cell density. Furthermore, under flow, single-cell trajectories showed persistent long-range, random-walk behavior superimposed on drift, whereas cells in resting tissue did not show significant displacements with respect to neighboring cells. Our work thus suggests that active cell migration manifests itself in an underlying, spatially uniform drift as well as in randomized bursts of short-range correlated motion that lead to a diffusion-mediated transport.     

Identification of cardiac stem cells within mature cardiac myocytes

Cardiac stem cells are described in a number of mammalian species including humans. Cardiac stem cell clusters consisting of both lineage-negative and partially committed cells are generally identified between contracting cardiac myocytes. In the present study, c-kit⁺, Sca⁺, and Isl1⁺ stem cells were revealed to be located inside the sarcoplasm of cardiac myocytes in myocardial cell cultures derived from newborn, 20-, and 40-day-old rats. Intracellularly localized cardiac stem cells had a coating or capsule with a few pores that opened into the host cell sarcoplasm. The similar structures were also identified in the suspension of freshly isolated myocardial cells (ex vivo) of 20- and 40-day-old rats. The results from this study provide direct evidence for the replicative division of encapsulated stem cells, followed by their partial cardiomyogenic differentiation. The latter is substantiated by the release of multiple transient amplifying cells following the capsule rupture. In conclusion, functional cardiac stem cells can reside not only exterior to but also within cardiomyocytes.     

The Consequences of Precipitation Seasonality for Mediterranean-Ecosystem Vegetation of South Africa

Globally, mediterranean-climate ecosystem vegetation has converged on an evergreen, sclerophyllous and shrubby growth form. The particular aspects of mediterranean-climate regions that contribute to this convergence include summer droughts and relatively nutrient-poor soils. We hypothesised that winter-precipitation implies stressful summer droughts and leaches soils due to greater water availability (i.e. balance between precipitation and potential evapotranspiration; P–PET) during cold periods. We conducted a comparative analysis of normalised difference vegetation indices (NDVI) and edaphic and climate properties across the biomes of South Africa. NDVI was strongly correlated with both precipitation and P–PET (r² = 0.8). There was no evidence, however, that winter-precipitation reduces NDVI in comparison to similar amounts of summer-precipitation. Base saturation (BS), a measure of soil leaching was, however, negatively related to P–PET (r² = 0.64). This led to an interaction between P–PET and BS in determining NDVI, indicating the existence of a trade-off between water availability and soil nutrients that enables NDVI to increase with precipitation, despite negative consequences for soil nutrient availability. The mechanism of this trade-off is suggested to be that water increases nutrient accessibility. This implies that along with nutrient-depauperate geologies and long periods of time since glaciation, the winter-precipitation may have contributed to the highly leached status of the soils. Since many of the ecophysiological characteristics of mediterranean-ecosystem flora are associated with low nutrient availabilities (e.g. evergreen foliage, sclerophylly, cluster roots), we conclude that mediterranean-climates promote convergence of growth-forms in these regions through high leaching capacity.     

Evidence for K+ channel control in Vicia guard cells coupled by G-proteins to a 7TMS receptor mimetic

To explore the involvement of a class of seven-trans-membrane-span (7TMS) receptors in cellular signalling, a synthetic analogue (mas7) of the amphipathic tetradecapeptide mastoparan was used to mimic hormonal stimulus in guard cells of Vicia faba. The ability for mas7 to substitute for an activated receptor complex was assayed by the effect on guard cell ion channel activities in the absence of any hormonal stimulus. Currents carried by inward-(I_K,in) and outward-(I_K,out) rectifying potassium channels were determined under voltage clamp conditions before, during, and after exposure to mas7. The dominant effect of mas7 was to inactivate I_K,in within 30 sec of application. By contrast, I_K,out was largely unaffected under these conditions. The effect of mas7 on I_K,in was both concentration- and voltage-dependent. At any one clamp voltage, mas7 inactivation showed Michaelian behaviour, with a mean K_i of 0.05 ± 0.02 µM at ?240 mV. Increasing mas7 concentration also shifted the voltage for half-maximal activation of the current negative, with 0.5 µM mas7 effecting a ?13 ± 2 mV displacement and lengthening the halftime for activation of the current by up to threefold. By contrast, the non-amphipathic analogue of mas7, masCP, had no appreciable effect on the steady-state current or its activation kinetics; nor was the poly-cation polylysine able to substitute for mas7 in its action on the K⁺ channels. Application of the non-hydrolysable analogue of GDP, GDP-β-S, either by iontophoresis or by diffusion from the microelectrode, effectively blocked mas7-induced inactivation of I_K,in. These, and additional results provide in vivo evidence for the involvement of G-protein-linked 7TMS receptors in the regulation of membrane transport in a higher plant cell.     

The changing landscape of the clinical value of the PM/Scl autoantibody system

Autoantibodies to the polymyositis/scleroderma (PM/Scl) complex have been associated with systemic sclerosis and PM/Scl overlap syndrome. The report of Hanke and colleagues in a recent issue of Arthritis Research and Therapy is the first to describe the separate evaluation of anti-PM/Scl-75c and PM/Scl-100 autoantibodies and their relationship to clinical manifestations of systemic sclerosis. Several observations are of paramount interest, but are not in general agreement with earlier studies. These include the prevalence of anti-PM/Scl antibodies in systemic sclerosis, the association with certain clinical manifestations and prognosis of patients. This report will hopefully trigger systematic multi-centre studies to confirm and/or elucidate the novel line immunoassay and clinical associations.