Recreating ancestral proteins

Tracing the history of molecular changes using phylogenetic methods can provide powerful insights into how and why molecules work the way they do. It is now possible to recreate inferred ancestral proteins in the laboratory and study the function of these molecules. This provides a unique opportunity to study the paths and the mechanisms of functional change during molecular evolution. What insights have already emerged from such phylogenetic studies of protein evolution and function, what are the impediments to progress and what are the prospects for the future?     

What can we learn about amphiphile-membrane interaction from model lipid membranes?

Surface-active amphiphiles find applications in a wide range of areas of industry such as agrochemicals, personal care, and pharmaceuticals. In many of these applications, interaction with cell membranes is a key factor for achieving their purpose. How do amphiphiles interact with lipid membranes? What are their bases for membrane specificity? Which biophysical properties of membranes are susceptible to modulation by amphiphilic membrane-effectors? What aspects of this interaction are important for performing their function? In our work on membrane biophysics over the years, questions like these have arisen and we now share some of our findings and discuss them in this review. This topic was approached focusing on the membrane properties and their alterations rather than on the amphiphile structure requirements for their interaction. Here, we do not aim to provide a comprehensive list of the modes of action of amphiphiles of biological interest but to help in understanding them.     

The nascent field of AllergoOncology

Many intriguing relationships between allergy and cancer continue to pose important unanswered questions. Is there a correlation between IgE and atopy, and cancer? Which are the most important IgE effector cells and do they inhibit or promote tumor growth? Will IgE-mediated antigen uptake and cross-presentation by DCs activate CTLs or Tregs? What animal models are useful in this context and should we design specific anti-tumor immunotherapies, active or passive, based on IgE? Recombinant IgE has already been generated against the tumor-associated antigens folate-binding receptor, HER-2 and EGFR-how to exclude the risk of anaphylaxis in passive immunotherapy with IgE? How can we deal with hypersensitivity to antineoplastic drugs? What is the role of chemotherapeutics and biologicals in the modulation of IgE responses and the impact of the aberrant expression of mutated enzyme AID in cancer tissue? In an effort to survey the state-of-the-art in this area and to answer some of these questions, we invited leaders in the field to participate in a "Symposium-in-Writing". This represents a collection of peer-reviewed papers covering each group's specialist area of expertise. In this way, we aim to target the most important topics in these areas and to provide a comprehensive view of the state-of-the-art in the emerging multi-disciplinary field of "AllergoOncology".     

EvoS: A Prescription for What Ails Pre-Medical Education?

Pre-medical students are certainly a widely varied group, with different motivations and experiences, different skills sets and interests. However, they often tend to approach their undergraduate education as a necessary evil that they must endure in order to achieve their ultimate goals. This article summarizes recent literature addressing some of the questions that have been raised regarding pre-medical education programs. Are students prepared for the intellectual, emotional, and even physical challenges of medical training? What deficiencies are commonly seen in entering medical students? What are students’ perceptions of how well their pre-medical studies helped them? Many of these studies have resulted in a call for more science training, while some have advocated for less, but with an enhanced focus on humanistic studies. We supply a brief outline of our Evolutionary Studies (EvoS) program and reflect upon how participation in this program can enhance pre-medical students’ education. Importantly, we argue that EvoS can expand students’ depth of understanding of science, as well as nurture their ability to think about the needs of their patients and the context of their medical practice.     

Vasomotor control by subretrofacial neurones in the rostral ventrolateral medulla

In this paper we review our recent work in the rabbit and cat on the role of the rostral ventrolateral medulla in cardiovascular regulation. Microinjection of neuroexcitatory amino acids into a highly circumscribed region, located just ventral to the retrofacial nucleus at the level of the rostral part of the inferior olive, leads to an increase in blood pressure, owing to sympathetic vasoconstriction. Bilateral destruction of this region, which we have termed the subretrofacial nucleus, leads to a profound fall in blood pressure. Anatomical studies show that the subretrofacial nucleus contains a compact group of bulbospinal neurones that project to sympathetic preganglionic nuclei in the thoracolumbar spinal cord. Single-unit recording studies have shown that these bulbospinal neurons are spontaneously active and are powerfully inhibited by baroreceptor inputs. These observations indicate that the subretrofacial bulbospinal cells are sympathoexcitatory and play a major role in the tonic and phasic control of the cardiovascular system. Some important unresolved questions regarding the subretrofacial neurones will be discussed. (i) Are they functionally homogenous, or are they viscerotopically organized with respect to particular end organs? (ii) What are their afferent inputs? (iii) What are their histochemical properties? Specifically, are they part of the group of adrenaline-synthesizing cells, or alternatively, substance P cells?     

Regeneration of canopy trees in tropical wet forests

The most diverse tree communities on earth, the tropical wet forests, to a large degree remain ecological enigmas. What accounts for the coexistence of 100 or more tree species per hectare, compared to the 15 or fewer found in most temperate forests? What are the lifespans of tropical forest trees? What factors control their populations through time and space? Do the different species have highly individual regeneration patterns, or are many in fact ecological equivalents? Although we are far from having satisfactory answers to these questions, recent studies of regeneration processes are leading toward new interpretations of these complex communities.     

Controlling DNA methylation: many roads to one modification

Genetic, biochemical and cytological studies on DNA methylation in several eukaryotic organisms have resulted in leaps of understanding in the past three years. Discoveries of mechanistic links between DNA methylation and histone methylation, and between these processes and RNA interference (RNAi) machineries have reinvigorated the field. The details of the connections between DNA methylation, histone modifications and RNA silencing remain to be elucidated, but it is already clear that no single pathway accounts for all DNA methylation found in eukaryotes. Rather, different taxa use one or more of several general mechanisms to control methylation. Despite recent progress, classic questions remain, including: What are the signals for DNA methylation? Are "de novo" and "maintenance" methylation truly separate processes? How is DNA methylation regulated?     

Molecular genetics of cancer and tumorigenesis: Drosophila models

Why do some cells not respond to normal control of cell division and become tumorous? Which signals trigger some tumor cells to migrate and colonize other tissues? What genetic factors are responsible for tumorigenesis and cancer development? What environmental factors play a role in cancer formation and progression? In how many ways can our bodies prevent and restrict the growth of cancerous cells?How can we identify and deliver effective drugs to fight cancer? In the fight against cancer,which kills more people than any other disease,these and other questions have long interested researchers from a diverse range of fields.To answer these questions and to fight cancer more effectively,we must increase our understanding of basic cancer biology.Model organisms,including the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster,have played instrumental roles in our understanding of this devastating disease and the search for effective cures.Drosophila and its highly effective,easy-touse,and ever-expanding genetic tools have contributed toand enriched our knowledge of cancer and tumor formation tremendously.     

Age-related changes in photosynthesis of woody plants

Woody peoffnials do not appear to go through a defined senescence phase but do have predictable developmental stages. Reduced photosynthesis and stomatal conductance have been reported at all developmental transitions, although some studies have shown the opposite. What causes these changes and why do results differ among studies? Do these changes result from or cause changes in growth? What are the roles of genetics, size, changing conditions and cumulative environmental stress in aging trees? Definitive answers remain elusive but recent research is helping to clarify some of the processes associated with aging and to point the way for further study.     

Early prehistory of South America and population dynamics: Issues and hypotheses

People were in the Americas before, during, and immediately after the Last Glacial Maximum. Multiple data converge toward a deep chronology model for Homo genre exploration, dispersal, occupation, and settlement across the continent. South America is not an exception. This paper is an attempt to think of South America record in terms of population dynamics within a Paleolithic reflection: What are the anthropological implications of a longer and therefore slower peopling process? What modes of expansion, rhythms, adaptations, routes could be traced base especially in lithic records? What kind of archaeological manifestations should we expect in the different environments that make up an immense and highly diverse geography? What modes of technological continuity and change could be linked to these manifestations? Although further research is still needed to address these questions, our goal is to contribute to posing the problem in the most holistic way possible, linking climate, environment, and techno-cultural data within and beyond South America, in order to model how populations might have expanded and contracted at different periods throughout this subcontinent.     

Percussive technology in human evolution: an introduction to a comparative approach in fossil and living primates

Percussive technology is part of the behavioural suite of several fossil and living primates. Stone Age ancestors used lithic artefacts in pounding activities, which could have been most important in the earliest stages of stone working. This has relevant evolutionary implications, as other primates such as chimpanzees and some monkeys use stone hammer-and-anvil combinations to crack hard-shelled foodstuffs. Parallels between primate percussive technologies and early archaeological sites need to be further explored in order to assess the emergence of technological behaviour in our evolutionary line, and firmly establish bridges between Primatology and Archaeology. What are the anatomical, cognitive and ecological constraints of percussive technology? How common are percussive activities in the Stone Age and among living primates? What is their functional significance? How similar are archaeological percussive tools and those made by non-human primates? This issue of Phil. Trans. addresses some of these questions by presenting case studies with a wide chronological, geographical and disciplinary coverage. The studies presented here cover studies of Brazilian capuchins, captive chimpanzees and chimpanzees in the wild, research on the use of percussive technology among modern humans and recent hunter–gatherers in Australia, the Near East and Europe, and archaeological examples of this behaviour from a million years ago to the Holocene. In summary, the breadth and depth of research compiled here should make this issue of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, a landmark step forward towards a better understanding of percussive technology, a unique behaviour shared by some modern and fossil primates.     

Role of Periodontal Bacteria,Viruses, and Placental mir155 in Chronic Periodontitis and Preeclampsia—A Genetic Microbiological Study

Previous studies assessed the involvement and impact of periodontal bacteria in preeclamptic women with chronic periodontitis. To explore further, the current study aimed to associate periodontal viruses and bacteria with mir155 levels in placental tissues of preeclamptic women with generalized chronic periodontitis. Four-hundred 45 pregnant women, 18–35 years of age, were selected and divided into four groups (controls, A, B, and C) where the Controls included 145 systemically and periodontally healthy pregnant women Group A-100 systemically healthy pregnant women with chronic periodontitis, Group B- 100 preeclamptic women with chronic periodontitis, Group C- 100 preeclamptic women without chronic periodontitis. Age, BMI, SES, and periodontal parameters such as PI, BOP, PPD, and CAL were noted. Periodontal pathogens such as Tf, Td, Pg, Pi, Fn, HSV, EBV, and HCMV were tested in subgingival plaque, placental tissues, and mir155. We observed that PI, BOP, PPD, CAL, Tf, and EBV were highly significant in Group B. We found a higher number of periodontal bacteria, viruses, and mir 155 in Group B showing a higher risk of preeclampsia. More genetic studies in this field are advised to ascertain the role of periodontopathogens and mir 155 in preeclampsia and periodontal inflammation. What is already known on this subject? Periodontal diseases pose an increased risk of developing preeclampsia and delivering preterm and/or low-birth-weight babies. What do the results of this study add? Periodontal variables such as PI, pocket depth, BOP, and clinical attachment levels, were found to be increased in the preeclamptic women with chronic periodontitis. The significant difference was seen in the relative fold expression of mir155 with higher gene expression of mir155 in groups B and A as compared to group C and controls. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? In our study, mir155 correlation with the periodontal parameters and periodontal pathogens further strengthen the evidence of periodontal inflammation as a risk of preeclampsia in pregnant women especially when associated with chronic periodontitis. mir155 can be considered to be one of the genetic biomarkers and can be used as a diagnostic tool for the early detection of PE.     

Research Development of Food Plant Ethnobotany—Bibliometric and Mapping Knowledge Domains Analysis Based on Web of Science

This study, with the purpose of summarizing the large aggregation of Food Plant Ethnobotany studies to find research history, current status and probable future trend, is based on the following questions: (1) What have been studied on traditional food plants previously? (2) What are studying on traditional food plants at present, and how? (3) What will be studied on traditional food plants in future? To conduct this survey, we searched for papers in Web of Science databases, using combinations of keywords, and the survey was limited to the studies published before June 30th, 2014. CITESPACE software was used to analyze the cited references of these papers. Nine hundreds and fifty four papers published from 1991 to 2014 were found. Analyzing these 954 papers and their cited references, we discovered that documentation of traditional food plants uses is the main study field in past and at present. Quantitative methods, dissemination of traditional knowledge, proper management of local plants resources, and nutritional and pharmaceutical components of food plants will be studied more in future. This paper will help to get a clue of Food Plant Ethnobotany.     

Pollination ecology in China from 1977 to 2017

China is one of most biodiverse countries in the world, containing at least 10% of all angiosperm species. Therefore, we should anticipate a diverse, pollinator fauna. China also has a long history of applied ethnobiology, including a sustainable agriculture based on apiculture and plant-pollinator interactions. However, the science of pollination ecology is a far younger sub-discipline in China, compared to in the West. Chinese studies in pollination ecology began in the 1970s. For this review, we compiled a complete reference database (>600 publications) of pollination studies in China. Using this database, we identified and analyzed gaps and limitations in research on the pollination systems of native and naturalized species. Specifically, we asked the following questions:1) What do we know about the pollination systems of native, Chinese species? 2) How does Chinese pollination ecology compare with the development of pollination research abroad and which aspects of research should be pursued by Chinese anthecologists in the near future? 3) What research on pollination in China will advance our understanding and contribute to our ongoing analyses of endemism and conservation? Subsequently, we segregated and identified prospective lines of future research that are unique to China and can only be done in China. This requires discussing priorities within a systematic approach.     

Implementing environmental labelling of food products in France

Consumers increasingly demand information about the environmental impacts of their food. The French government is in the process of introducing environmental labelling for all food products. A scientific council was set up, and its main conclusions are presented in this article, through six questions: What environmental issues should be considered? What objective should be targeted? What data are needed, and for whom? What methods for assessing environmental impacts? Which environmental scores should be chosen? What label format should be proposed? By answering these questions and considering the context, the available data, the proposed methods and adjustments, and the knowledge of consumer perception of formats, the scientific council considers that a labelling scheme is feasible and relevant.

     

Mineral metabolism and behavior: abnormalities of calcium homeostasis

Abnormalities of calcium homeostasis are often associated with a variety of behavioral disorders such as severe neuroses and psychoses which are frequently accompanied by anxious, depressed and delusional behavior. In our clinical studies of these abnormalities it is evident that hypocalcemia can be corrected to normocalcemia by dietary calcium supplements and vitamin D therapy. This result implies that in those regions where there are small amounts of calcium in the diet and/or limited sunlight for vitamin D synthesis the possibility of hypocalcemia and associated behavioral disorders is high. Our studies have centered on the Eskimo as an excellent example of this phenomenon. We are asking two kinds of questions: What are the biological, psychological, and socio-cultural adaptations that take place in response to these abnormalities of calcium homeostasis; and what do these adaptations have to do with natural selection? In order to answer these questions in our investigation of calcium homeostasis, we are developing a general model capable of showing its modes of interaction among the biological, psychological, and sociocultural variables. This model will emphasize the limitations of biological adaptations in this case and demonstrate the significance of psychological and socio-cultural adaptations in shifting the course of natural selection.     

Genomics in 2011: challenges and opportunities

As we come to the end of 2011, Genome Biology has asked some members of our Editorial Board for their views on the state of play in genomics. What was their favorite paper of 2011? What are the challenges in their particular research area? Who has had the biggest influence on their careers? What advice would they give to young researchers embarking on a career in research?     

Transfer of medical technology from a developed to a developing country

Medical care is increasingly dependent on technology, but what are the problems involved in the transfer of technology from a developed to a developing country? What are the administrative, personnel and engineering problems? We address these questions in the context of our experience of transferring the medical technology and knowledge necessary for the development of nuclear medicine facilities in Kuwait.     

As we come to the end of 2011, several members of the Genome Biology Editorial Board give their views on the state of play in genomics

As we come to the end of 2011, Genome Biology has asked some members of our Editorial Board for their views on the state of play in genomics. What was their favorite paper of 2011? What are the challenges in their particular research area? Who has had the biggest influence on their careers? What advice would they give to young researchers embarking on a career in research?