Identification of transcription factors that bind to the 5′-UTR of the barley PHO2 gene

Plant Molecular Biology - In barley and other higher plants, phosphate homeostasis is maintained by a regulatory network involving the PHO2 (PHOSPHATE2) encoding ubiquitin-conjugating...     

Sexually selected male weapon is associated with lower inbreeding load but higher sex load in the bulb mite

Elaborate sexually selected ornaments and armaments are costly but increase the reproductive success of their bearers (usually males). It has been postulated that high-quality males can invest disproportionately more in such traits, making those traits honest signals of genetic quality. However, genes associated with such traits may have sexually antagonistic effects on fitness. Here, using a bulb mite Rhizoglyphus robini, a species in which a distinct dimorphism exists between males in the expression of a sexually selected weapon, we compare inbreeding and gender load between lines derived from armed fighters and unarmed scramblers. After four generations of sib-mating, inbreeding depression for female fitness was significantly lower in fighter-derived lines compared to scrambler-derived lines, suggesting that fighter males had significantly higher genetic quality. However, outbred females from fighter-derived lines had significantly lower fitness compared to outbred females from scrambler-derived lines, demonstrating significant gender load associated with the presence of a sexually selected male weapon. Our results imply that under outbreeding, genetic benefits of mating with bearers of elaborate sexually selected traits might be swamped by the costs of decreased fitness of female progeny due to sexually antagonistic effects.     

An integrated approach to the ligand binding specificity of Neisseria meningitidis M1 alanine aminopeptidase by fluorogenic substrate profiling,inhibitory studies and molecular modeling

Neisseria meningitides is a gram-negative diplococcus bacterium and is the main causative agent of meningitis and other meningococcal diseases. Alanine aminopeptidase from N. meningitides (NmAPN) belongs to the family of metallo-exopeptidase enzymes, which catalyze the removal of amino acids from the N-terminus of peptides and proteins, and are found among all the kingdoms of life. NmAPN is suggested to be mostly responsible for proteolysis and nutrition delivery, similar to the orthologs from other bacteria.     

Expression of integrins α3β1 and α5β1 and GlcNAc β1,6 glycan branching influences metastatic melanoma cell migration on fibronectin

Acquisition of metastatic potential is accompanied by changes in cell surface N-glycosylation. One of the best-studied changes is increased expression of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V enzyme (GnT-V) and its products, β1,6-branched N-linked oligosaccharides, observed in the tumorigenesis of many cancers. In this study we demonstrate that during the transition from the vertical growth phase (VGP) (WM793 cell line) to the metastatic stage (WM1205Lu line), β1,6 glycosylation of melanoma cell surface proteins increases as a consequence of elevated expression of the GnT-V-encoding Mgat-5 gene. Treatment with swainsonine led to reduced cell motility on fibronectin in both cell lines; the effect was stronger in metastatic cells, probably due to the higher content of GlcNAc β1,6-branched glycans on the main fibronectin receptors – integrins α5β1 and α3β1. Our results show that GlcNAc β1,6 N-glycosylation of cell surface receptors, which increases with the aggressiveness of melanoma cells, is an important factor influencing melanoma cell migration.     

Variations and trends of birch pollen seasons during 15 years (1996–2010) in relation to weather conditions in Poznań (western Poland)

Birch (Betula) pollen seasons were examined in relation to meteorological conditions in Poznań (1996–2010). Birch pollen grains were collected using a volumetric spore trap. An alternate biennial cycle of birch pollen season intensity was noticed in Poznań. The main factors influencing birch pollen season intensity were average daily minimum temperatures during the second fortnight of May and the month of June one year before pollination as well as the intensity of the pollen season of the previous year. Most of the pollen grains are recorded during the first week of the season; the number of pollen grains recorded at this time is positively correlated with mean maximum temperature and negatively correlated with daily rainfall. The significant effect of rainfall in reducing the season pollen index was noticed only during weak pollen seasons (season pollen index <?mean). In addition, mean daily maximum temperature during the first two weeks of the birch pollen season markedly influences its duration. No significant trends in duration and intensity of the pollen season were recorded, however, a slight tendency towards early pollination was observed (?0.4 days/year, p?=?0.310).     

A comparison of a subjective body assessment of men and women of the Polish social elite

The objective of the study was to compare the level of dissatisfaction with body image of men and women of the social elite in the Wielkopolska region, Poland, in the light of anthropometric indicators.     

Short‐Term Water Deficit Changes Cuticular Sterol Profile in the Eggplant (Solanum melongena)

Crop irrigation uses a majority of a total world water supply, at the same time displaying low efficiency. As the expected, future water requirements are higher than the current ones; there is a risk of a growing deficit of water for the agricultural use. Hence, there is an arising need for better understanding the effects of water deprivation on the crop plants. Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is a vegetable crop cultivated in arid and semi‐arid parts of the world. Because of its high water demands, the eggplant is a convenient model organism for studies concerning the effects of water deficit on the plant growth. The objective of the study was to determine the impact of short‐term water deficit on eggplant leaf cuticular waxes and total sterols. Water deprivation did not affect the amount and composition of aliphatic components of cuticular waxes. Significant decrease in the total cuticular sterols and the increase in cuticular cholesterol were observed as an effect of water deficit. In contrast, some of the free internal sterols were more abundant in water‐deprived plants. The possible importance of these observations, including increased biosynthesis of defensive compounds and the need to maintain the cell membrane stability, was discussed.