Partitioning a morphology among its controlling factors

In the first known attempt to use a sympatric, non-mimetic convergence (‘a naturally controlled experiment in evolutionary morphology’) to quantitatively partition a morphology among its controlling factors, shells of the polygyrid land snails Neohelix major (Binney) and Mesodon normalis (Pilsbry) were analysed in a factorially designed rearing experiment. The complete absence of character displacement or character release confirmed previous field studies. Growth rate, a determinant of adult shell size, was controlled 50% by direct environmental induction (with temperature twice as effective as humidity), 10% by proximate natural selection (with a shorter growing season selecting for faster growth), 10% by genotype-environment interaction (with moisture generally inducing a greater growth surge in a drier climate), and 30% by within-cohort variation (apparently heritable). Spire height confirmed predictions that flatter shells make better estivators (shelterers from drought) and that taller shells make better climbers and tall/flat niches are readily filled: high within-cohort variation (70% of total) provides the raw material for niche-filling (but is reduced in severe climates by stabilizing selection); environmental induction (10%) is strictly by humidity, which makes shells taller for foraging more widely under more favourable conditions; proximate natural selection (10%) produces taller shells in moister climates (with intensity of effect dependent on evolutionary time); and genotype-environment interaction (10%) makes the drought-induction of flat shells stronger in more drought-prone areas. Coiling tightness, allied to whorl-expansion rate, shows distinct evidence of adaptive neutrality: 60% of total variance is explained by phylogenetic constraints despite an estimated 120 million years of genetic isolation and despite the demonstrated ability of related clades to converge; the 10% due to genotype-environment interaction is generally random and nonadaptive in its response; and the remaining 30% appears random, non-induced, and non-selected. This study's protocol of experimentally partitioning a ‘closed universe’ of morphology among a full set of controlling factors is recommended as an alternative to the usual practice of analysing the effects of one or a subset of factors on an ‘open universe’ of morphology. One advantage of this new protocol is that it obviates the ‘nature-nurture debate’ by quantifying the relative contributions of each, which in this snail-shell case differ drastically among the various components of a single morpholocgyy.     

Fibroblast growth factors and their receptors: An information network controlling tissue growth,morphogenesis and repair

The stimulation of cellular metabolism by the nine fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) is mediated by a dual-receptor system. This comprises a family of four receptor tyrosine kinases (FGFR) and heparan sulphate proteoglycans (HSPG). The stimulation of cell division by FGFs has an obligate requirement for both partners of the dual-receptor system. The binding of the nine FGFs to the FGFRs is marked by a pattern of overlapping specificity despite alternative splicing events generating a large number of FGFR proteins. Thus many of the FGFR isoforms bind several FGFs. It is likely that each FGF requires a different pattern of sulphation within the heparan sulphate chains for binding. Therefore, the HSPG receptors may provide additional specificity, allowing a cell to fine tune its response to the FGFs present in the extracellular milieu. The HSPG receptors also control the availability of FGFs and hence regulate the transport of FGFs within a tissue. FGF-stimulated cell division would appear to have a mandatory requirement for the FGFs to be translocated to the nucleus via the cytosol after interacting with the dual-receptor system. The consequences of the potential direct action of FGFs in stimulating cell division are examined in the light of current models of signal transduction.     

Carbon flux dynamics and its environmental controlling factors in a desert steppe

Net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange (NEE) above a desert steppe in Inner Mongolia was measured with eddy covariance technique in growing season of 2008. Environmental factors were also observed during the same period. Our results show that the minimum of growing season daily cumulative NEE appeared on August 26 (?1.6 g Cm^?2), while the maximum appeared on June 11 (0.9 g Cm^?2). Monthly cumulative NEE distributed in the growing season unevenly. The minimum of monthly cumulative NEE appeared in June (0.74 g Cm^?2); the maximum appeared in September (?14.94 g Cm^?2). The sum of the growing season NEE was ?45.5 g Cm^?2. The most important environmental factor affecting the half-hour average NEE was photosynthetically active radiation. The most important environmental factor affecting the daily cumulative NEE was 20–30 cm soil water content.     

盘锦湿地芦苇(Phragmites communis)群落蒸发散主导影响因子

利用2005年全年盘锦芦苇湿地梯度观测和涡动相关系统的监测数据,对芦苇群落的蒸发散变化规律及其主导影响因子分析表明,不同月份芦苇群落蒸发散日变化呈现出相同的变化趋势,即早晚低、中午高的单峰型曲线;芦苇群落蒸发散主要受当地气象因素、植被生长状况和生理生态特征的影响.相关分析表明,芦苇湿地蒸发散与净辐射、气温、地表温度、相对湿度、风速、土壤含水量等环境因素的变化都有很好的响应.回归分析表明影响生长季主要因素有:净辐射、土壤含水量、相对湿度、气温和地表温度;影响非生长季主要有:净辐射、地表温度和风速.同时,植被生长状况和生理生态特征对蒸发散也有显著影响,其中叶面积指数与气孔导度是芦苇群落蒸发散的主导影响因子.     

Carbon flux dynamics and its environmental controlling factors in a desert steppe

Net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange (NEE) above a desert steppe in Inner Mongolia was measured with eddy covariance technique in growing season of 2008. Environmental factors were also observed during the same period. Our results show that the minimum of growing season daily cumulative NEE appeared on August 26 (?1.6 g Cm^?2), while the maximum appeared on June 11 (0.9 g Cm^?2). Monthly cumulative NEE distributed in the growing season unevenly. The minimum of monthly cumulative NEE appeared in June (0.74 g Cm^?2); the maximum appeared in September (?14.94 g Cm^?2). The sum of the growing season NEE was ?45.5 g Cm^?2. The most important environmental factor affecting the half-hour average NEE was photosynthetically active radiation. The most important environmental factor affecting the daily cumulative NEE was 20–30 cm soil water content.     

Normal embryo fibroblasts release transforming growth factors in a latent form

Normal chicken, mouse, and human embryo fibroblasts release into their culture media transforming growth factors (TGFs) in a latent form. Their soft agar colony-forming activity on two widely used target cells, rat NRK-49F and mouse AKR-2B, is essentially revealed only after prior acidification of cell-conditioned media. These TGFs are EGF-dependent when assayed on NRK-49F cells and EGF-independent on AKR-2B cells. The TGF activity from the chicken source is released in three (apparent) molecular weight forms of 500 kd, 125 kd, and 20 kd.     

长江安庆段河流湿地生态系统呼吸及其影响因子

研究湿地生态系统呼吸(Reco)对评价湿地生态系统碳汇功能具有重要的意义.采用涡度相关法对位于长江中游河流湿地的杨树人工林生态系统进行了长期的定位观测,根据2005-07-23～2007-12-15的数据对Reco进行估算,并分析Reco对主要环境因子的响应特征.结果表明:(1)Reco具有明显的季节变化,每年的最大值出现在8月份,最小值出现在1月份,Reco受空气温度、土壤温度和土壤含水量共同影响,总体上看空气温度是驱动Reco的主要因子;(2)在几种模拟生态系统呼吸的模型中,Van't Hoff方程、Arrhenius方程、Lloyd-Talor方程在统计意义上具有同等的能力,由空气温度和土壤含水量共同驱动的连乘模型对Reco的拟合效果最好;(3)使用连乘模型估算的2006年生态系统呼吸总量为1074.7 gC·m-2·a-1,2007年为1127.0 gC·m-2·a-1,与亚热带和温带的森林站点的测定值相接近.     

Nitrogen mineralization and its controlling factors in various kinds of temperate humid-zone soils

The N mineralization capacity of 41 temperate humid-zone soils of NW Spain was measured by aerobic incubation for 15 days at 28°C and 75% of field capacity. The main soil factors affecting organic N dynamics were identified by principal components analysis. Ammonification predominated over nitrification in almost all soils. The mean net N mineralization rate was 1.63% of the organic N content, and varied according to soil parent materials as follows: soils on basic and ultrabasic rocks < soils over acid metamorphic rocks < soils developed over sediments < soils over acid igneous rocks < soils on limestone. The N mineralization capacity was lower in natural soils than in cropped soils or pastures. The accumulation of organic matter (C and N) seems to be due to poor mineralization which was caused, in decreasing order of importance, by high exchangeable H-ion levels, high Al and Fe gel contents and, to a lesser extent (though more markedly in cropped soils), by silty clay texture and exchangeable Al ions.     

Growth factors controlling ovarian functions

The present review demonstrates an important role of different growth factors (of insulin-like growth factors, epidermal growth factors, vascular endothelial growth factor, thrombopoietin, erytropoietin, hepatocyte growth factor, and growth factors of Hedgehog, Wnt and Notch families) in control of different ovarian functions--ovarian cell proliferation, apoptosis, folliculogenesis, luteogenesis, oogenesis, release of hormones, response to upstream hormonal regulators, fertility and, in some cases, in development of ovarian disorders. The possibility of practical application of these growth factors for characterization, prediction, and regulation the ovarian state is demonstrated.     

Proteolytic conversion of insulin-like growth factors to an acidic form(s).

The relative amounts of the various forms of bioassayable insulin-like growth factors (IGF) isolated from human serum or serum fraction Cohn IV-1 depend on the purification procedure. With acid gel filtration or acid/ethanol extraction as the initial step, IGF-II (pI approximately 6.5) was the most abundant (40-70%) followed by somatomedin A (pI approximately 7.4; 15-23%), an acidic form of insulin-like activity (ILA pI 4.8) (13-21%) and IGF-I (pI approximately 8.5; 5-27%). If, however, pH 5.5 ion-exchange chromatography on SP-Sephadex was used prior to acid gel filtration, the acidic pI 4.8 form was the major (greater than 90%) species recovered and was accompanied by a quantitative loss of the other IGF species. This suggested a possible conversion of IGF-I, somatomedin A and/or IGF-II to the acidic ILA pI 4.8 form(s) during the SP-Sephadex procedure. Further experiments indicated that differences in the yields of ILA pI 4.8 were not due simply to differences in the initial pH conditions of the various methods (i.e. acid versus neutral), although exposure to pH 9.7 (a pH experienced during elution of IGF activity from the SP-Sephadex) did appear to play a role. The involvement of the carrier protein in the conversion process was tested by subjecting carrier-free IGF-I and IGF-II to the SP-Sephadex procedure. No conversion of the free forms to ILA pI 4.8 occurred. To examine the possible role of proteinase in the conversion of IGFs to ILA pI 4.8, SP-Sephadex chromatography was performed in the presence of a broad spectrum proteinase inhibitor. The IGF distribution pattern obtained closely resembled the 'normal' pattern seen with acid gel filtration, indicating that proteinase inactivation had prevented conversion to ILA pI 4.8. These data suggest that proteolytic conversion of IGF-I, somatomedin A and IGF-II to more acidic ILA pI 4.8 form(s) (i) occurs during SP-Sephadex chromatography, (ii) is not prevented simply by prior acid exposure, and (iii) takes place only when IGF-I and -II are in their high-Mr carrier-bound forms. Since IGF-I and IGF-II, although homologous, have unique amino acid sequences, the conversion of both IGFs implies that at least two acidic ILA forms exist. Nevertheless, because ILA pI 4.8 retains the full spectrum of IGF bioactivities in vitro, and significant quantities are present in normal human serum (21%), it would suggest that proteolytic conversion of IGF-I, somatomedin A and IGF-II to ILA pI 4.8 in vivo may be a physiologically significant event.     

Multicellular spatial model of RNA virus replication and interferon responses reveals factors controlling plaque growth dynamics

Respiratory viruses present major public health challenges, as evidenced by the 1918 Spanish Flu, the 1957 H2N2, 1968 H3N2, and 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemics, and the ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Severe RNA virus respiratory infections often correlate with high viral load and excessive inflammation. Understanding the dynamics of the innate immune response and its manifestations at the cell and tissue levels is vital to understanding the mechanisms of immunopathology and to developing strain-independent treatments. Here, we present a novel spatialized multicellular computational model of RNA virus infection and the type-I interferon-mediated antiviral response that it induces within lung epithelial cells. The model is built using the CompuCell3D multicellular simulation environment and is parameterized using data from influenza virus-infected cell cultures. Consistent with experimental observations, it exhibits either linear radial growth of viral plaques or arrested plaque growth depending on the local concentration of type I interferons. The model suggests that modifying the activity of signaling molecules in the JAK/STAT pathway or altering the ratio of the diffusion lengths of interferon and virus in the cell culture could lead to plaque growth arrest. The dependence of plaque growth arrest on diffusion lengths highlights the importance of developing validated spatial models of cytokine signaling and the need for in vitro measurement of these diffusion coefficients. Sensitivity analyses under conditions leading to continuous or arrested plaque growth found that plaque growth is more sensitive to variations of most parameters and more likely to have identifiable model parameters when conditions lead to plaque arrest. This result suggests that cytokine assay measurements may be most informative under conditions leading to arrested plaque growth. The model is easy to extend to include SARS-CoV-2-specific mechanisms or to use as a component in models linking epithelial cell signaling to systemic immune models.