Boundaries of the wolf and the wild: a conceptual examination of the relationship between rewilding and animal reintroduction

Animal reintroduction and rewilding are two widely appealing and frequently connected forms of ecological restoration. However, the critical assumption that animal reintroduction automatically helps to restore formerly wild places is under‐theorized. To fill this void, we identified three common rewilding elements from the literature—ecological functioning, wilderness experience, and natural autonomy—and screened these against a hypothetical wolf reintroduction to Scotland. Each of the rewilding elements was likely to be positively impacted by a wolf reintroduction. Yet, there is a key conceptual difficulty in that the different rewilding elements do not necessarily enforce each other, and at times may even collide. Thus, a reintroduced species like the wolf may obfuscate the clear‐cut, purified nature category to which rewilding often aspires. As a way forward, we suggest that there is merit in actively engaging with the tensions created by rewilding and reintroductions. A reconceptualisation of the nature–culture spectrum as consisting of multiple layers (e.g. ecological functioning, wilderness experience, and natural autonomy) may help to interpret ecological restoration as a tentative, deliberative, and gradual enterprise. This bears some resemblance to the notion of approaching a landscape like a ‘palimpsest’ (i.e. a text built up of different layers written on top of each other), which may support the reconciliation of conflicting views without necessarily making those disappear. When viewed as feeding into a multilayered nature–culture spectrum, animal reintroduction and rewilding can be promoted as inspiring and essentially non‐controlling forms of ecological restoration and human interaction with nature.     

The Phosphatomes of the Multicellular Myxobacteria Myxococcus xanthus and Sorangium cellulosum in Comparison with Other Prokaryotic Genomes

Background

Analysis of the complete genomes from the multicellular myxobacteria Myxococcus xanthus and Sorangium cellulosum identified the highest number of eukaryotic-like protein kinases (ELKs) compared to all other genomes analyzed. High numbers of protein phosphatases (PPs) could therefore be anticipated, as reversible protein phosphorylation is a major regulation mechanism of fundamental biological processes.

Methodology

Here we report an intensive analysis of the phosphatomes of M. xanthus and S. cellulosum in which we constructed phylogenetic trees to position these sequences relative to PPs from other prokaryotic organisms.

Principal Findings

Predominant observations were: (i) M. xanthus and S. cellulosum possess predominantly Ser/Thr PPs; (ii) S. cellulosum encodes the highest number of PP2c-type phosphatases so far reported for a prokaryotic organism; (iii) in contrast to M. xanthus only S. cellulosum encodes high numbers of SpoIIE-like PPs; (iv) there is a significant lack of synteny among M. xanthus and S. cellulosum, and (v) the degree of co-organization between kinase and phosphatase genes is extremely low in these myxobacterial genomes.

Conclusions

We conclude that there has been a greater expansion of ELKs than PPs in multicellular myxobacteria.     

TIRC7 deficiency causes in vitro and in vivo augmentation of T and B cell activation and cytokine response

The membrane protein T cell immune response cDNA 7 (TIRC7) was recently identified and was shown to play an important role in T cell activation. To characterize the function of TIRC7 in more detail, we generated TIRC7-deficient mice by gene targeting. We observed disturbed T and B cell function both in vitro and in vivo in TIRC7(-/-) mice. Histologically, primary and secondary lymphoid organs showed a mixture of hypo-, hyper-, and dysplastic changes of multiple lymphohemopoietic compartments. T cells from TIRC7(-/-) mice exhibited significantly increased proliferation and expression of IL-2, IFN-gamma, and IL-4 in response to different stimuli. Resting T cells from TIRC7(-/-) mice exhibited decreased CD62L, but increased CD11a and CD44 expression, suggesting an in vivo expansion of memory/effector T cells. Remarkably, activated T cells from TIRC7(-/-) mice expressed lower levels of CTLA-4 in comparison with wild-type cells. B cells from TIRC7-deficient mice exhibited significantly higher in vitro proliferation following stimulation with anti-CD40 Ab or LPS plus IL-4. B cell hyperreactivity was reflected in vivo by elevated serum levels of various Ig classes and higher CD86 expression on B cells. Furthermore, TIRC7 deficiency resulted in an augmented delayed-type hypersensitivity response that was also reflected in increased mononuclear infiltration in the skin obtained from TIRC7-deficient mice food pads. In summary, the data strongly support an important role for TIRC7 in regulating both T and B cell responses.     

Characterization of new G protein-coupled adenine receptors in mouse and hamster

The nucleobase adenine has previously been reported to activate G protein-coupled receptors in rat and mouse. Adenine receptors (AdeR) thus constitute a new family of purine receptors, for which the designation “P0-receptors” has been suggested. We now describe the cloning and characterization of two new members of the AdeR family from mouse (MrgA10, termed mAde1R) and hamster (cAdeR). Both receptors were expressed in Sf9 insect cells, and radioligand binding studies were performed using [³H]adenine. Specific binding of the radioligand was detected in transfected, but not in untransfected cells, and K _D values of 286 nM (mAde1R, B _max 1.18 pmol/mg protein) and 301 nM (cAdeR, B _max 17.7 pmol/mg protein), respectively, were determined. A series of adenine derivatives was investigated in competition binding assays. Minor structural modifications generally led to a reduction or loss of affinity, with one exception: 2-fluoroadenine was at least as potent as adenine itself at the cAdeR. Structure–activity relationships at all AdeR orthologs and subtypes investigated so far were similar, but not identical. For functional analyses, the cAdeR was homologously expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, while the mAde1R was heterologously expressed in 1321N1 astrocytoma cells. Like the previously described AdeRs from rat (rAdeR) and mouse (mAde2R), the mAde1R (EC₅₀ 9.77 nM) and the cAdeR (EC₅₀ 51.6 nM) were coupled to inhibition of adenylate cyclase. In addition, the cAdeR from hamster expressed in CHO cells produced an increase in intracellular calcium concentrations (EC₅₀ 6.24 nM) and was found to be additionally coupled to G_q proteins.     

Osteoblast-derived oxysterol is a migration-inducing factor for human breast cancer cells

Bone metastasis is the major reason for death caused by breast cancer. We used human breast cancer (MCF-7) cells that are poorly metastatic but show highly inducible migration to determine bone-derived factors that induce migration of initially non-disseminating breast cancer cells. We have found that a lipid fraction from human osteoblast-like MG63 cell-conditioned medium (MG63CM) contains a migration-inducing factor for MCF-7 cells. In this fraction, we have identified oxysterol (OS) as a lipid mediator for tumor cell migration. In MCF-7 cells, insulin-like growth factor 1 elevates the expression of OS-binding protein-related protein 7. Binding of OS to OS-binding protein or OS-binding protein-related protein is known to trigger elevation of sphingomyelin, a sphingolipid that organizes lipid microdomains in the cell membrane. In MCF-7 cells, OS increases the intracellular concentration of sphingomyelin and other phospholipids and induces the translocation of the small GTPase p21Ras to GM1- and cholesterol-rich membrane areas. The induction of migration by MG63CM is prevented by incubation of MG63 cells with mevinolin, a statin-type cholesterol biosynthesis inhibitor that depletes the conditioned medium of OS. Osteoblast-derived OS may, thus, be a yet unrecognized lipid mediator for bone metastasis of breast cancer and a new target for anti-metastasis chemotherapy with statins.     

Metabolism of Pyrene by the Basidiomycete Crinipellis stipitaria and Identification of Pyrenequinones and Their Hydroxylated Precursors in Strain JK375

The metabolism of pyrene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, by submerged cultures of the basidiomycete Crinipellis stipitaria was studied. After incubation for 68 h at 25°C in a 20-liter fermentor with complex medium and 20 mg of pyrene per liter, five metabolites were detected. The compounds were isolated by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography on RP18 and DIOL gels. By UV, infrared, and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, 1-hydroxypyrene, 1,6-dihydroxypyrene, 1,8-dihydroxypyrene, 1,6-pyrenequinone, and 1,8-pyrenequinone were identified. 1,6- and 1,8-dihydroxypyrene were obtained from fungal cultures for the first time. The formation of these metabolites was confirmed by investigations with [4,5,9,10-¹⁴C]pyrene.