Plant systems biology comes of age

'Omics' research approaches have produced copious data for living systems, which have necessitated the development of systems biology to integrate multidimensional biological information into networks and models. Applications of systems biology to plant science have been rapid, and have increased our knowledge about circadian rhythms, multigenic traits, stress responses and plant defenses, and have advanced the virtual plant project.     

The biology of Bracon celer as a parasitoid of the olive fruit fly

A series of laboratory experiments was conducted on a colony of Bracon celer Szépligeti (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) reared on the olive fly, Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) (Diptera: Tephritidae). Female B. celer preferentially probe and oviposit into olives containing late third-instar fly larvae. The parasitoid develops as a solitary, ectoparasitic idiobiont. Mean development time (oviposition to adult eclosion) at 22 °C was, for females, 36±1 (SE) days, and for males, 34±1 days. The mean longevity of adult female wasps when provided honey and water was significantly greater than when they were provided water alone, or nothing. The females produced an average of 9.7±7.2 progeny during their lifetimes, but production levels in the insectary colony suggested that this level of fecundity was artificially low and could be improved. The discrepancy may be a consequence of constraints on oviposition behavior imposed by the experimental design. The results are discussed with respect to insectary production methods and the potential use of B. celer as a biological control agent for olive fly in California.     

Biocontrol agents in the age of molecular biology

The NATO Advanced Research Workshop "Enhancing Biocontrol Agents and Handling Risks" was held in Florence, Italy, 9-15 June 2001.     

The nuclear lamina comes of age

Many nuclear proteins form lamin-dependent complexes, including LEM-domain proteins, nesprins and SUN-domain proteins. These complexes have roles in chromatin organization, gene regulation and signal transduction. Some link the nucleoskeleton to cytoskeletal structures, ensuring that the nucleus and centrosome assume appropriate intracellular positions. These complexes provide new insights into cell architecture, as well as a foundation for the understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie the human laminopathies - clinical disorders that range from Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy to the accelerated ageing seen in Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome.     

The TOR pathway comes of age

Studies in a variety of model organisms indicate that nutrient signaling is tightly coupled to longevity. In nutrient replete conditions, organisms develop, grow, and age quickly. When nutrients become sparse as with dietary restriction, growth and development decline, stress response pathways become induced and organisms live longer. Considerable effort has been devoted to understanding the molecular events mediating lifespan extension by dietary restriction. One central focus has been on nutrient-responsive signal transduction pathways including insulin/IGF-1, AMP kinase, protein kinase A and the TOR pathway. Here we describe the increasingly prominent links between TOR signaling and aging in invertebrates. Longevity studies in mammals are not published to date. Instead, we highlight studies in mouse models, which indicate that dampening the TOR pathway leads to widespread protection from an array of age-related diseases.     

PCI comes to age as age increasingly comes to PCI

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has evolved as the standard procedure for the treatment of acute coronary syndromes and for the majority of situations with stable coronary artery disease. Patients aged 75 and older represent one third of those hospitalised with acute ischaemic events and account for more than half of all cardiac deaths. 1 However, evidence-based data to guide coronary revascularisation in the elderly have been limited to 1) the randomised clinical trials that routinely under-enrol elderly patients, and 2) observational studies that represent single institution experience with small samples. 2 Nevertheless, the Western society is an ageing population and the percentage of the population above 80 years of age, the so-called octogenarians, is rapidly increasing in Europe and will almost triple by 2050. 3     

MGED comes of age

A report on the Sixth International Meeting of the Microarray Gene Expression Data Society ('MGED6'), Aix-en-Provence, France, 6-8 September 2003.     

Nanoproteomics comes of age

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Nanoproteomics, which is defined as quantitative proteome profiling of small populations of cells (<5000 cells), can reveal critical information related to rare cell populations, hard-to-obtain clinical specimens, and the cellular heterogeneity of pathological tissues.

Areas covered: We present a brief review of the recent technological advances in nanoproteomics. These advances include new technologies or approaches covering major areas of proteomics workflow ranging from sample isolation, sample processing, high-resolution separations, to MS instrumentation.

Expert commentary: We comment on the current state of nanoproteomics and discuss perspectives on both future technological directions and potential enabling applications.     

The spermatid plasma membrane comes of age

Spermiogenesis affords a unique opportunity to examine the formation of plasma membrane domains. Recent attempts to chart the life cycles of well-characterized integral plasma membrane proteins during spermiogenesis have suggested that spermatids are at least as adept as epithelial cells or neurons at establishing their plasma membrane domains. They appear to expand upon the standard recipe involving concurrent domain-specific protein targeting and diffusion barriers by using a combination of intracellular storage within the secretory pathway, developmentally-regulated delivery to provisional plasma membrane domains, large-scale redistributions of diffusion barriers and integral plasma membrane proteins, and the shedding of an entire plasma membrane domain.