Structural change in response to ligand binding

The minutiae of subtle changes that occur in response to ligand binding in multiprotein complexes are often difficult to assess without resource to high resolution X-ray analysis. Recent developments in mass spectrometry, however, are providing insight into dynamic changes within components. In this article we review recent applications of MS for selection of ligands and definition of their binding characteristics for individual protein targets through to macromolecular complexes such as ribosomes.     

Drosophila strain specific response to cisplatin neurotoxicity

ABSTRACT

Drosophila melanogaster has recently been developed as a simple, in vivo, genetic model of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Flies treated with the chemotherapy agent cisplatin display both a neurodegenerative phenotype and cell death in rapidly dividing follicles, mimicking the cell specific responses seen in humans. Cisplatin induces climbing deficiencies and loss of fertility in a dose dependent manner. Drosophila sensitivity to cisplatin in both cell types is affected by genetic background. We show that mutation or RNAi-based knockdown of genes known to be associated with CIPN incidence in humans affect sensitivity of flies to CIPN. Drosophila is a promising model with which to study the effect of genetics on sensitivity to CIPN.     

Shifting plant phenology in response to global change

Plants are finely tuned to the seasonality of their environment, and shifts in the timing of plant activity (i.e. phenology) provide some of the most compelling evidence that species and ecosystems are being influenced by global environmental change. Researchers across disciplines have observed shifting phenology at multiple scales, including earlier spring flowering in individual plants and an earlier spring green-up' of the land surface revealed in satellite images. Experimental and modeling approaches have sought to identify the mechanisms causing these shifts, as well as to make predictions regarding the consequences. Here, we discuss recent advances in several fields that have enabled scaling between species responses to recent climatic changes and shifts in ecosystem productivity, with implications for global carbon cycling.     

Acute blood biochemical alterations in response to marathon running.

Adrenal-sympathico function, blood carbohydrates and lipids, and water and electrolyte balance were studied in six highly trained male marathon runners prior to and after running a marathon (26.2 miles; 42.2 km) and on control days corresponding to the above times. Fluid intake was not sufficient to maintain body weight, the runners losing approximately 2.8 kg. Estimated plasma volume losses (161 ml, 4.4%) indicated that most of the fluid loss was extravascular. Tre rose an average 2.4 degrees C and a significant negative correlation between running time and rise in Tre was observed. Glucose, fatty acids, glycerol, hemoglobin, and plasma proteins were significantly elevated after the race. Small but statistically significant increments in lactate and pyruvate were also observed. Alterations in adrenal-sympathico function were indicated by increased levels of cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine.     

Proteome plasticity in response to persistent environmental change

1. Download : Download high-res image (275KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

Vegetational response to change in environment and change in species tolerance with time

Conclusion Applications of system analysis and model simulation can provide for criteria of preservation regulating the processes of entropy and negentropy in ecosystems. Changes in floristic composition and species tolerance may provide information for the necessary dynamics and the cause-effect relationships of vegetation with its environment. Information about the autecology and synecology of species can be utilized in computer programs to measure the impact of man upon the ecosystem. This information will contribute increasingly to wilderness management. Change seems to be of great importance and habitat manipulation through planned large-scale or small-scale disturbance will contribute to new concepts in phytosociology. Research will have to be directed to the total ecosystem and its own environment, and to the most desirable disequilibrium of such an ecosystem. In such research, system analysis and model simulation will play key roles in the future.     

1982-2012年中亚植被变化及其对气候变化的响应

归一化植被指数(NDVI)能够反映植被生长状况, 被广泛应用于区域乃至全球的植被变化研究中。该文利用1982-2012年GIMMS-NDVI数据, 通过基于像元的线性趋势分析、偏相关分析, 基于场域的经验正交分解(EOF)、奇异值分解(SVD), 综合时间和空间两个维度上的信息, 研究了近31年来中亚植被的变化及其变化中的区域差异, 分析了植被对气候变化的响应关系。线性趋势分析发现, 34%的中亚植被NDVI显著增长(p < 0.05), 山区植被NDVI的增长速率可达到每年0.004。偏相关分析表明, 63%的中亚植被受到降水的显著影响(p < 0.05, 仅4%为负相关), 而32%的植被受到气温的显著影响(p < 0.05, 仅9%为正相关)。EOF分析发现, 中亚植被NDVI的变化表现出较大的空间差异: 山区及东北部的植被NDVI变化主要分为3个阶段, 即先增长(1982-1994年)、后波动(1994-2002年)、然后继续增长(2002-2012年); 而西北部平原区的植被NDVI变化主要表现为两个阶段, 即先增长(1982-1994年)而后减少(1994-2012年)。SVD分析表明: 1982-2012年间中亚植被受到降水和气温的共同影响, 植被NDVI的空间变化特征与降水的空间变化特征较为一致, 但西北部和山区的植被NDVI对气温的响应存在差异。     

Circadian change of heat loss in response to change in core temperature in rats

1. 1.|Circadian changes in heat production (M), heat loss (H), core temperature (T_c) and feeding activity (FA) of ad-lib fed rats were observed by direct and indirect calorimetry.

2. 2.|M, H and T_c showed a clear nocturnal increase associated with several discrete increases.

3. 3.|Whereas the slope of M vs T_c relation did not change appreciably within a day, the slope of H vs T_c or thermal conductance vs T_c relation tended to decrease at night, implying that the correlation between heat loss and body temperature is also a function of time of day in rats.

Dietary antioxidants and the biochemical response to oxidant inhalation

We fed female strain A/St mice selenium (Se) test diets containing either no Se (?Se) or 1 ppm Se (+Se) for 11 wk. Both diets contained 55 ppm vitamin E. We then exposed three groups of mice from each dietary regimen to either 0.8 ppm (1568 μg/m³) O₃ (low-level) continuously for 5 d, 10.0 ppm (19,600 μg/m³) O₃ (high-level) for 12 h, or filtered room air, where the latter served as a control for both O₃ exposures. After O₃ exposures we analyzed the lungs for various physical and biochemical parameters, and compared the results to those obtained from the air controls. The results showed that the difference in dietary Se intake produced an eightfold difference in Se content and a three-fold difference in glutathione peroxidase (GP) activity in the lung, but few changes in other lung parameters. With low-level O₃ exposure, NADPH production increased significantly in +Se mice, but did not change in ?Se mice. With high-level O₃ exposure we observed comparable effects for both dietary regimens, including animal mortality, which was 24% for ?Se and 14% for +Se mice. Thus, it seems that diminished GP activity resulting from Se deficiency and the ensuing lack of increase in NADPH production were poorly correlated with mouse tolerance to O₃. The lung Se content increased in both dietary regimens after O₃ exposure, but the increase was greater after high-level O₃ exposure. This suggests a “mobilization” of Se to the lung under O₃ stress. It is possible that such a mobilization contributes to the lung reserve of antioxidants, and hence the comparable mortality in both dietary Se regimens.     

Scorpionfish rapidly change colour in response to their background

Urban areas are increasing worldwide, which poses threats to animal wildlife. However, in certain cases cities can provide refuges for endangered animals. The European green toad (Bufotes viridis) is one of such examples, which is known from cities throughout their distribution. In contrast, considerable areas of their former (primary) habitats have been degraded. The primary habitats of this species include steppes and wild river floodplains, both characterized by dynamic changes and the presence of open areas. We used available green toad observation data (2007–2020) to model the effects of land-use types on occurrence probability in the city of Vienna. Forest and densely populated areas were highly significantly negatively associated with green toad presence, while transformation/construction site areas showed a strong positive effect. Such occurrence pattern might be characteristic for early succession species, which depend on stochastic environmental disturbances (e.g., droughts and floods) in their primary habitats. We argue that urban landscape planning should appreciate the potential ecological value of open land in cities which is either in a transition phase or a permanent ‘wasteland’. Ecological managing of such landscape could vastly increase urban biodiversity.

     

Global reductions in seafloor biomass in response to climate change

Seafloor organisms are vital for healthy marine ecosystems, contributing to elemental cycling, benthic remineralization, and ultimately sequestration of carbon. Deep‐sea life is primarily reliant on the export flux of particulate organic carbon from the surface ocean for food, but most ocean biogeochemistry models predict global decreases in export flux resulting from 21st century anthropogenically induced warming. Here we show that decadal‐to‐century scale changes in carbon export associated with climate change lead to an estimated 5.2% decrease in future (2091–2100) global open ocean benthic biomass under RCP8.5 (reduction of 5.2 Mt C) compared with contemporary conditions (2006–2015). Our projections use multi‐model mean export flux estimates from eight fully coupled earth system models, which contributed to the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5, that have been forced by high and low representative concentration pathways (RCP8.5 and 4.5, respectively). These export flux estimates are used in conjunction with published empirical relationships to predict changes in benthic biomass. The polar oceans and some upwelling areas may experience increases in benthic biomass, but most other regions show decreases, with up to 38% reductions in parts of the northeast Atlantic. Our analysis projects a future ocean with smaller sized infaunal benthos, potentially reducing energy transfer rates though benthic multicellular food webs. More than 80% of potential deep‐water biodiversity hotspots known around the world, including canyons, seamounts, and cold‐water coral reefs, are projected to experience negative changes in biomass. These major reductions in biomass may lead to widespread change in benthic ecosystems and the functions and services they provide.     

Change in immunological and biochemical parameters in germ-free animals in response to T-activin

The influence of immunoregulating humoral thymus factor T-activin (fraction AFT-6) on the activity of xenobiotic metabolism enzymes (EMX) and cellular-dependent cytotoxicity was investigated in germ-free guinea-pigs. Germ-free and conventional animals were injected 5 micrograms of T-activin intraperitoneally, on 3 successive days. The control animals were injected a physiologic saline. A day after the last injection the animals were killed, and EMX and K cell activity was measured. It was found that EMX activity in germ-free animals was decreased. T-activin stimulated cytochrome P-450, NADP-cytochrome-C-reductase, glutathione-S-transferase, benzopyrene hydroxylase and epoxyhydrase activity. In conventional animals the activity of these enzymes remained unchanged under the influence of T-activin. K-cell activity in germ-free animals was decreased, as compared to conventional guinea-pigs. Under the influence of T-activin the parameter increased and stood at about 70% of normal values.     

The biochemical response of the heart to hypertension and exercise

Mechanical stress on the heart can lead to crucially different outcomes. Exercise is beneficial because it causes heart muscle cells to enlarge (hypertrophy). Chronic hypertension also causes hypertrophy, but in addition it causes an excessive increase in fibroblasts and extracellular matrix (fibrosis), death of cardiomyocytes and ultimately heart failure. Recent research shows that stimulation of physiological (beneficial) hypertrophy involves several signaling pathways, including those mediated by protein kinase B (also known as Akt) and the extracellular-signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2). Hypertension, beta-adrenergic stimulation and agonists such as angiotensin II (Ang II) activate not only ERK1/2 but also p38 and the Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), leading to pathological heart remodeling. Despite this progress, the mechanisms that activate fibroblasts to cause fibrosis and those that differentiate between exercise and hypertension to produce physiological and pathological responses, respectively, remain to be established.     

Characterizing the multivariate physiogenomic response to environmental change

Global change is altering the climate that species have historically adapted to – in some cases at a pace not recently experienced in their evolutionary history – with cascading effects on all taxa. A central aim in global change biology is to understand how specific populations may be “primed” for global change, either through acclimation or adaptive standing genetic variation. It is therefore an important goal to link physiological measurements to the degree of stress a population experiences (Annual Review of Marine Science, 2012, 4, 39). Although “omic” approaches such as gene expression are often used as a proxy for the amount of stress experienced, we still have a poor understanding of how gene expression affects ecologically and physiologically relevant traits in non‐model organisms. In a From the Cover paper in this issue of Molecular Ecology, Griffiths, Pan and Kelley (Molecular Ecology, 2019, 28) link gene expression to physiological traits in a temperate marine coral. They discover population‐specific responses to ocean acidification for two populations that originated from locations with different histories of exposure to acidification. By integrating physiological and gene expression data, they were able to elucidate the mechanisms that explain these population‐specific responses. Their results give insight into the physiogenomic feedbacks that may prime organisms or make them unfit for ocean global change.     

Membrane acclimation by unicellular organisms in response to temperature change

Unicellular organisms possess a wide variety of molecular mechanisms for altering the lipid composition (and thereby the physical properties) of their membranes in response to changes in environmental temperature. These are discussed with a view to establish which of the mechanisms are of more importance to bacteria, algae, and protozoa in coping with extremes of temperature.