Genetic and ecological consequences of recent habitat fragmentation in a narrow endemic plant species within an urban context

Understanding the timescales that shape spatial genetic structure is pivotal to ascertain the impact of habitat fragmentation on the genetic diversity and reproductive viability of long-lived plant populations. Combining genetic and ecological information with current and past fragmentation conditions allows the identification of the main drivers important in shaping population structure and declines in reproduction, which is crucial for informing conservation strategies. Using historic aerial photographs, we defined the past fragmentation conditions for the shrub Conospermum undulatum, a species now completely embedded in an urban area. We explored the impact of current and past conditions on its genetic layout and assessed the effects of genetic and environmental factors on its reproduction. The historically high structural connectivity was evident in the genetics of the species. Despite the current intense fragmentation, we found similar levels of genetic diversity across populations and a weak spatial genetic structure. Historical connectivity was negatively associated with genetic differentiation among populations and positively related to within-population genetic diversity. Variation partitioning of reproductive performance explained?~?66% of the variance, showing significant influences for genetic (9%), environmental (15%), and combined (42%) fractions. Our study highlights the importance of considering the historical habitat dynamics when investigating fragmentation consequences in long-lived plants. A detailed characterization of fragmentation from 1953 has shown how low levels of genetic fixation are due to extensive gene flow through the non-fragmented landscape. Moreover, knowledge of the relationships between genetic and environmental variation and reproduction can help to implement effective conservation strategies, particularly in highly dynamic landscapes.

     

Can S-LCA methodology support responsible sourcing of raw materials in EU policy context?

Purpose

Access, affordability and sustainability of raw material supply chains are crucial to the sustainable development of the European Union (EU) for both society and economy. The study investigates whether and how the social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) methodology can support responsible sourcing of raw materials in Europe. The potential of social indicators already available in an S-LCA database is tested for the development of new metrics to monitor social risks in raw material industries at EU policy level.

Methods

The Product Social Impact Life Cycle Assessment (PSILCA) database was identified as a data and indicators source to assess social risks in raw material industries in EU-28 and extra-EU countries. Six raw material country sectors in the scope of the European policy on raw materials were identified and aggregated among those available in PSILCA. The selection of indicators for the assessment was based on the RACER (Relevance, Acceptance, Credibility, Ease, Robustness) analysis, leading to the proposal of 9 social impact categories. An S-LCA of the selected raw material industries was, thus, performed for the EU-28 region, followed by a contribution analysis to detect direct and indirect impacts and investigate related supply chains. Finally, the social performance of raw material sectors in EU-28 was compared with that of six extra-EU countries.

Results and discussion

Considering the overall social risks in raw material industries, “Corruption”, “Fair salary”, “Health and safety” and “Freedom of association and collective bargaining” emerged as the most significant categories both in EU and extra-EU. EU-28 shows an above-average performance where the only exception is represented by the mining and quarrying sector. An investigation of the most contributing processes to social impact categories for EU-28 led to the identification of important risks originating in the supply chain and in extra-EU areas. Therefore, the S-LCA methodology confirmed the potential of a life cycle perspective to detect burdens shifting and trade-offs. However, only a limited view on the sectoral social performance could be obtained from the research due to a lack of social data.

Conclusions

The S-LCA methodology and indicators appear appropriate to perform an initial social sustainability screening, thus enabling the identification of hotspots in raw material supply chains and the prioritization of areas of action in EU policies. Further methodological developments in the S-LCA field are necessary to make the approach proposed in the paper fully adequate to support EU policies on raw materials.

     

An African bat in Europe,Plecotus gaisleri: Biogeographic and ecological insights from molecular taxonomy and Species Distribution Models

Because of the high risk of going unnoticed, cryptic species represent a major challenge to biodiversity assessments, and this is particularly true for taxa that include many such species, for example, bats. Long‐eared bats from the genus Plecotus comprise numerous cryptic species occurring in the Mediterranean Region and present complex phylogenetic relationships and often unclear distributions, particularly at the edge of their known ranges and on islands. Here, we combine Species Distribution Models (SDMs), field surveys and molecular analyses to shed light on the presence of a cryptic long‐eared bat species from North Africa, Plecotus gaisleri, on the islands of the Sicily Channel, providing strong evidence that this species also occurs in Europe, at least on the islands of the Western Mediterranean Sea that act as a crossroad between the Old Continent and Africa. Species Distribution Models built using African records of P. gaisleri and projected to the Sicily Channel Islands showed that all these islands are potentially suitable for the species. Molecular identification of Plecotus captured on Pantelleria, and recent data from Malta and Gozo, confirmed the species' presence on two of the islands in question. Besides confirming that P. gaisleri occurs on Pantelleria, haplotype network reconstructions highlighted moderate structuring between insular and continental populations of this species. Our results remark the role of Italy as a bat diversity hotspot in the Mediterranean and also highlight the need to include P. gaisleri in European faunal checklists and conservation directives, confirming the usefulness of combining different approaches to explore the presence of cryptic species outside their known ranges—a fundamental step to informing conservation.     

2.9 A resolution structure of an anti-dinitrophenyl-spin-label monoclonal antibody Fab fragment with bound hapten

The crystal structure of the Fab fragment of the murine monoclonal anti-dinitrophenyl-spin-label antibody AN02 complexed with its hapten has been solved at 2.9 A resolution using a novel molecular replacement method. Prior to translation searches, a large number of the most likely rotation function solutions were subjected to a rigid body refinement against the linear correlation coefficient between intensities of observed and calculated structure factors. First, the overall orientation of the search model and then the orientations and positions of the four Fab domains (VH, VL, CH1 and CL) were refined. This procedure clearly identified the correct orientation of the search model. The refined search model was then subjected to translation searches which unambiguously determined the enantiomer and position in the unit cell of the crystal. The successful search model was refined 2.5 A crystal structure of the Fab fragment of HyHel-5 from which non-matching residues in the variable domains had been removed. HyHel-5 is a murine monoclonal antibody whose heavy and light chains are of the same subclass (gamma 1, kappa, respectively) as AN02. After molecular replacement the structure of the AN02 Fab has been refined using simulated annealing in combination with model building and conjugate gradient refinement to a current crystallographic R-factor of 19.5% for 12,129 unique reflections between 8.0 and 2.9 A. The root-mean-square (r.m.s.) deviation from ideal bond lengths is 0.014 A, and the r.m.s. deviation from ideal bond angles is 3.1 degrees. The electron density reveals the hapten sitting in a pocket formed by the loops of the complementarity determining region. The dinitrophenyl ring of the hapten is sandwiched between the indole rings of Trp96 of the heavy-chain and Trp91 of the light-chain. The positioning of the hapten and general features of the combining site are in good agreement with the results of earlier nuclear magnetic resonance experiments.     

Are you approaching me? Motor execution influences perceived action orientation

Human observers are especially sensitive to the actions of conspecifics that match their own actions. This has been proposed to be critical for social interaction, providing the basis for empathy and joint action. However, the precise relation between observed and executed actions is still poorly understood. Do ongoing actions change the way observers perceive others' actions? To pursue this question, we exploited the bistability of depth-ambiguous point-light walkers, which can be perceived as facing towards the viewer or as facing away from the viewer. We demonstrate that point-light walkers are perceived more often as facing the viewer when the observer is walking on a treadmill compared to when the observer is performing an action that does not match the observed behavior (e.g., cycling). These findings suggest that motor processes influence the perceived orientation of observed actions: Acting observers tend to perceive similar actions by conspecifics as oriented towards themselves. We discuss these results in light of the possible mechanisms subtending action-induced modulation of perception.     

Lipase immobilization on differently functionalized vinyl-based amphiphilic polymers: influence of phase segregation on the enzyme hydrolytic activity

Microbial lipase from Candida rugosa was immobilized by physical adsorption onto an ethylene-vinyl alcohol polymer (EVAL) functionalized with acyl chlorides. To evaluate the influence of the reagent chain-length on the amount and activity of immobilized lipase, three differently long aliphatic fatty acids were employed (C8, C12, C18), obtaining EVAL functionalization degrees ranging from 5% to 65%. The enzyme-polymer affinity increased with both the length of the alkyl chain and the matrix hydrophobicity. In particular, the esterified polymers showed a tendency to give segregated hydrophilic and hydrophobic domains. It was observed the formation of an enzyme multilayer at both low and high protein concentrations. Desorption experiments showed that Candida rugosa lipase may be adsorbed in a closed form on the polymer hydrophilic domains and in an open, active structure on the hydrophobic ones. The best results were found for the EVAL-C18 13% matrix that showed hyperactivation with both the soluble and unsoluble substrate after enzyme desorption. In addition, this supported biocatalyst retained its activity for repetitive cycles.     

Cytomegalovirus seropositivity is associated with glucose regulation in the oldest old. Results from the Leiden 85-plus Study

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection has been reported to contribute to the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes and post-transplantation diabetes. However, CMV infection has not been evaluated as a possible risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Our aim was to investigate potential associations between CMV seropositivity, CMV IgG antibody level and glucose regulation in the oldest old. RESULTS: CMV seropositive subjects were more likely to have type 2 diabetes (17.2% vs 7.9%, p = 0.016), had a higher level of HbA1c (p = 0.014) and higher non-fasting glucose (p = 0.024) in the oldest olds. These associations remained significant after adjustment for possible confounders. CMV IgG antibody level was not significantly associated with glucose regulation (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In the oldest old, CMV seropositivity is significantly associated with various indicators of glucose regulation. This finding suggests that CMV infection might be a risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes in the elderly.     

The E3-ubiquitin ligase TRIM50 interacts with HDAC6 and p62, and promotes the sequestration and clearance of ubiquitinated proteins into the aggresome

In this study we report that, in response to proteasome inhibition, the E3-Ubiquitin ligase TRIM50 localizes to and promotes the recruitment and aggregation of polyubiquitinated proteins to the aggresome. Using Hdac6-deficient mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEF) we show that this localization is mediated by the histone deacetylase 6, HDAC6. Whereas Trim50-deficient MEFs allow pinpointing that the TRIM50 ubiquitin-ligase regulates the clearance of polyubiquitinated proteins localized to the aggresome. Finally we demonstrate that TRIM50 colocalizes, interacts with and increases the level of p62, a multifunctional adaptor protein implicated in various cellular processes including the autophagy clearance of polyubiquitinated protein aggregates. We speculate that when the proteasome activity is impaired, TRIM50 fails to drive its substrates to the proteasome-mediated degradation, and promotes their storage in the aggresome for successive clearance.     

A 46,XY female DSD patient with bilateral gonadoblastoma, a novel SRY missense mutation combined with a WT1 KTS splice-site mutation

Patients with Disorders of Sex Development (DSD), especially those with gonadal dysgenesis and hypovirilization are at risk of developing malignant type II germ cell tumors/cancer (GCC) (seminoma/dysgerminoma and nonseminoma), with either carcinoma in situ (CIS) or gonadoblastoma (GB) as precursor lesion. In 10-15% of 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis cases (i.e., Swyer syndrome), SRY mutations, residing in the HMG (High Mobility Group) domain, are found to affect nuclear transport or binding to and bending of DNA. Frasier syndrome (FS) is characterized by gonadal dysgenesis with a high risk for development of GB as well as chronic renal failure in early adulthood, and is known to arise from a splice site mutation in intron 9 of the Wilms' tumor 1 gene (WT1). Mutations in SRY as well as WT1 can lead to diminished expression and function of SRY, resulting in sub-optimal SOX9 expression, Sertoli cell formation and subsequent lack of proper testicular development. Embryonic germ cells residing in this unfavourable micro-environment have an increased risk for malignant transformation. Here a unique case of a phenotypically normal female (age 22 years) is reported, presenting with primary amenorrhoea, later diagnosed as hypergonadotropic hypogonadism on the basis of 46,XY gonadal dygenesis with a novel missense mutation in SRY. Functional in vitro studies showed no convincing protein malfunctioning. Laparoscopic examination revealed streak ovaries and a normal, but small, uterus. Pathological examination demonstrated bilateral GB and dysgerminoma, confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Occurrence of a delayed progressive kidney failure (focal segmental glomerular sclerosis) triggered analysis of WT1, revealing a pathogenic splice-site mutation in intron 9. Analysis of the SRY gene in an additional five FS cases did not reveal any mutations. The case presented shows the importance of multi-gene based diagnosis of DSD patients, allowing early diagnosis and treatment, thus preventing putative development of an invasive cancer.