Micropropagation ofMinthostachys mollis (H.B.K.) grieseb. and essential oil composition of clonally propagated plants

Summary Cultures ofMinthostachys mollis were established from nodal explants obtained under aseptic conditions. Explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) half-strength medium containing 6-benzyladenine (BA), and/or naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). Optimum numbers of healthy shoots were induced on media containing 0.05 μM NAA plus 2.2 μM BA; higher concentrations caused more hyperhydricity and less extension. Rooting was achieved on half-strength MS medium with 0.05 μM NAA. Plantlets were acclimatized and successfully transferred to soil. Essential oil composition of the regenerated plants were determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and little differences were found in the essential oil composition with the plant grown in the wild.     

Systematic Cell-Based Phenotyping of Missense Alleles Empowers Rare Variant Association Studies: A Case for LDLR and Myocardial Infarction

A fundamental challenge to contemporary genetics is to distinguish rare missense alleles that disrupt protein functions from the majority of alleles neutral on protein activities. High-throughput experimental tools to securely discriminate between disruptive and non-disruptive missense alleles are currently missing. Here we establish a scalable cell-based strategy to profile the biological effects and likely disease relevance of rare missense variants in vitro. We apply this strategy to systematically characterize missense alleles in the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene identified through exome sequencing of 3,235 individuals and exome-chip profiling of 39,186 individuals. Our strategy reliably identifies disruptive missense alleles, and disruptive-allele carriers have higher plasma LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C). Importantly, considering experimental data refined the risk of rare LDLR allele carriers from 4.5- to 25.3-fold for high LDL-C, and from 2.1- to 20-fold for early-onset myocardial infarction. Our study generates proof-of-concept that systematic functional variant profiling may empower rare variant-association studies by orders of magnitude.     

Factors Controlling Vegetation Fires in Protected and Non-Protected Areas of Myanmar

Fire is an important disturbance agent in Myanmar impacting several ecosystems. In this study, we quantify the factors impacting vegetation fires in protected and non-protected areas of Myanmar. Satellite datasets in conjunction with biophysical and anthropogenic factors were used in a spatial framework to map the causative factors of fires. Specifically, we used the frequency ratio method to assess the contribution of each causative factor to overall fire susceptibility at a 1km scale. Results suggested the mean fire density in non-protected areas was two times higher than the protected areas. Fire-land cover partition analysis suggested dominant fire occurrences in the savannas (protected areas) and woody savannas (non-protected areas). The five major fire causative factors in protected areas in descending order include population density, land cover, tree cover percent, travel time from nearest city and temperature. In contrast, the causative factors in non-protected areas were population density, tree cover percent, travel time from nearest city, temperature and elevation. The fire susceptibility analysis showed distinct spatial patterns with central Myanmar as a hot spot of vegetation fires. Results from propensity score matching suggested that forests within protected areas have 11% less fires than non-protected areas. Overall, our results identify important causative factors of fire useful to address broad scale fire risk concerns at a landscape scale in Myanmar.     

Purification and characterization of a carboxymethyl cellulase from Artemia salina

Brine shrimp (Artemia salina) belong to a group of crustaceans that feed on microalgae and require a cellulase enzyme that can be used in ethanol production from marine algae. Protein with potential cellulase activity was purified and the activity analyzed under different conditions. After initial identification of cellulase activity by CMC cellulase, surface sterilization and PCR using 16s rRNA primers was conducted to confirm that the cellulase activity was not produced from contaminating bacteria. The enzyme was purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation, gel filtration, and ion exchange chromatography. After the final purification, a 70-fold increase in specific enzyme activity was observed. SDS–PAGE results revealed that the cellulase enzyme had a molecular mass of 96 kDa. Temperature, pH, and salinity values were found to be optimal at 55 °C, pH 8.0, and 600 mM NaCl, respectively. Specifically, the enzyme showed a fivefold increase in enzyme activity in seawater compared to 600 mM NaCl in phosphate buffer. Further analysis of the purified enzyme by molecular spectrometry showed no match to known cellulases, indicating this enzyme could be a novel halophilic cellulase that can be used for the production of bioethanol from marine macroalgae.     

Toward a resolution of a taxonomic enigma: first genetic analyses of Paradoxornis webbianus and Paradoxornis alphonsianus (Aves: Paradoxornithidae) from China and Italy

Paradoxornis webbianus and Paradoxornis alphonsianus naturally occur in South-East Asia. Due to a recent introduction, a mixed population currently occurs in northern Italy. A preliminary phylogeographic analysis using samples from Italy and China found little genetic differentiation between the two taxa and revealed the existence of two molecular lineages, sympatric in some part of China, that do not correspond to the morphological classification. Possible taxonomic changes and preliminary inferences on the relationships between Chinese and the Italian populations and on the likely provenance of the founders introduced in Italy are also discussed.     

Probing the interaction of coagulation factors with phospholipid vesicle surfaces by surface plasma resonance

The dynamics of the binding of human coagulation factor Xa (FXa) and prothrombin to small unilamellar vesicles (25% phosphatidylserine, 75% phosphatidylcholine) were compared and quantified by Biacore, using two immobilization techniques. The vesicles were either tagged with different molar ratios of cholesterol-DNA and attached on Au chips or fused directly on L1 chips. The diameter in solution was 145 nm, but the more DNA tags/vesicle the more compressed the immobilized vesicles became; with 30 DNA tags the calculated thickness was 88 nm and with 1 DNA tag it was 138 nm. In both models the affinity for the vesicles was higher for the activated coagulation factors than for the corresponding zymogens. FXa and prothrombin had the highest affinities. The affinity was dependent on the vesicle preparation since overall K(D) values were up to 10 times lower for N(2)-dried than for vacuum-dried phospholipids, although with apparently fewer binding sites. However, compression of the vesicles had no effect on the K(D). In contrast, the rate constants were dependent on the number of DNA tags; thus deformation of the vesicles was observed. The k(a) and k(d) for FXa were similar for vesicles attached with 30 DNA tags or fused on the L1 chip but higher with fewer tags and approximately 10 times higher if attached with 1 tag. Thus for controlled kinetic studies immobilized DNA-tagged vesicles should be used.     

Microresonator mass sensors for detection of Bacillus anthracis Sterne spores in air and water

Towards the goal of developing a real-time monitoring device for microorganisms, we demonstrate the use of microcantilevers as resonant mass sensors for detection of Bacillus anthracis Sterne spores in air and liquid. The detection scheme was based on measuring resonant frequency decrease driven by thermally induced oscillations, as a result of the added mass of the spores with the use of a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV). Viscous effects were investigated by comparing measurements in air and deionized (DI) water along with theoretical values. Moreover, biological experiments were performed which involved suspending spores onto the cantilevers and performing mass detection in air and water. For detection of spores in water, the cantilevers were functionalized with antibodies in order to fix the spores onto the surface. We demonstrate that as few as 50 spores on the cantilever can be detected in water using the thermal noise as excitation source. Measurement sensitivity of 9.23 Hz/fg for air and 0.1 Hz/fg for water were obtained. These measurements were compared with theoretical values and sources of improvement in cantilever sensitivity in a viscous medium were also discussed. It is expected that by driving the cantilevers and using higher order modes, detection of a single spore in liquids should be achievable.     

Placentation in dolphins from the Amazon River Basin: the Boto, Inia geoffrensis, and the Tucuxi, Sotalia fluviatilis

A recent reassessment of the phylogenetic affinities of cetaceans makes it timely to compare their placentation with that of the artiodactyls. We studied the placentae of two sympatric species of dolphin from the Amazon River Basin, representing two distinct families. The umbilical cord branched to supply a bilobed allantoic sac. Small blood vessels and smooth muscle bundles were found within the stroma of the cord. Foci of squamous metaplasia occurred in the allanto-amnion and allantochorion. The interhemal membrane of the placenta was of the epitheliochorial type. Two different types of trophoblastic epithelium were seen. Most was of the simple columnar type and indented by fetal capillaries. However, there were also areolar regions with tall columnar trophoblast and these were more sparsely supplied with capillaries. The endometrium was well vascularised and richly supplied with actively secreting glands. These findings are consistent with the current view that Cetacea are nested within Artiodactyla as sister group to the hippopotamids.