The role of rodlet cells in the inflammatory response in Phoxinus phoxinus brains infected with Diplostomum

European minnows, Phoxinus phoxinus L., are commonly infected with Diplostomum phoxini Faust, 1918 metacercariae. A sub-sample of 34 minnows collected from the River Endrick, Stirlingshire, Scotland revealed that 50% of the population were infected (n = 17), with the cerebellum, medulla oblongata and the optic lobe regions of the minnow brain bearing the heaviest infections (13.7 +/- 2.6 mean +/- S.E.; 1-38 range). Serial histological sections through the brains of both uninfected and infected minnows revealed the presence of rodlet cells in the latter, which were occasionally observed in close proximity to the tegument of a metacercaria. Rodlet cells were the only type of host inflammatory cells found in this study and their role in the host's immune response to parasitic infection is commented upon.     

OCC-1D regulates Wnt signaling pathway: potential role of long noncoding RNA in colorectal cancer

Molecular Biology Reports - Aberrant activation of the Wnt signaling pathway is observed in most colorectal cancers (CRC). OCC-1D is a splice variant of OCC-1 gene which is considered as a long...     

Fine root foraging strategies in Norway spruce forests across a European climate gradient

Fine root acclimation to different environmental conditions is crucial for growth and sustainability of forest trees. Relatively small changes in fine root standing biomass (FRB), morphology or mycorrhizal symbiosis may result in a large change in forest carbon, nutrient and water cycles. We elucidated the changes in fine root traits and associated ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi in 12 Norway spruce stands across a climatic and N deposition gradient from subarctic‐boreal to temperate regions in Europe (68°N–48°N). We analysed the standing FRB and the ectomycorrhizal root tip biomass (EcMB, g m^?2) simultaneously with measurements of the EcM root morphological traits (e.g. mean root length, root tissue density (RTD), N% in EcM roots) and frequency of dominating EcM fungi in different stands in relation to climate, soil and site characteristics. Latitude and N deposition explained the greatest proportion of variation in fine root traits. EcMB per stand basal area (BA) increased exponentially with latitude: by about 12.7 kg m^?2 with an increase of 10° latitude from southern Germany to Estonia and southern Finland and by about 44.7 kg m^?2 with next latitudinal 10° from southern to northern Finland. Boreal Norway spruce forests had 4.5 to 11 times more EcM root tips per stand BA, and the tips were 2.1 times longer, with 1.5 times higher RTD and about 1/3 lower N concentration. There was 19% higher proportion of root tips colonized by long‐distance exploration type forming EcM fungi in the southern forests indicating importance of EcM symbiont foraging strategy in fine root nutrient acquisition. In the boreal zone, we predict ca. 50% decrease in EcMB per stand BA with an increase of 2 °C annual mean temperature. Different fine root foraging strategies in boreal and temperate forests highlight the importance of complex studies on respective regulatory mechanisms in changing climate.     

Morphology and gonad development of normal soldiers and reproductive soldiers of the termite Zootermopsis nevadensis nevadensis (Isoptera, Archotermopsidae)

Reproductive or neotenic soldiers of the Archotermopsid Zootermopsis nevadensisnevadensis (Hagen) are compared to sterile soldiers and primary male reproductives. Several head capsule morphometrics correlate significantly with gonad size across all forms and both sexes of soldiers. The easily observed field character of ratio of mandible length to labrum length is a consistent and reliable feature of head capsule external morphology for predicting gonad development and reproductive potential of soldier forms regardless of age, sex, or live weight.     

Proteome analysis of wheat leaf rust fungus, Puccinia triticina, infection structures enriched for haustoria

Puccinia triticina (Pt) is a representative of several cereal-infecting rust fungal pathogens of major economic importance world wide. Upon entry through leaf stomata, these fungi establish intracellular haustoria, crucial feeding structures. We report the first proteome of infection structures from parasitized wheat leaves, enriched for haustoria through filtration and sucrose density centrifugation. 2-D PAGE MS/MS and gel-based LC-MS (GeLC-MS) were used to separate proteins. Generated spectra were compared with a partial proteome predicted from a preliminary Pt genome and generated ESTs, to a comprehensive genome-predicted protein complement from the related wheat stem rust fungus, Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt) and to various plant resources. We identified over 260 fungal proteins, 16 of which matched peptides from Pgt. Based on bioinformatic analyses and/or the presence of a signal peptide, at least 50 proteins were predicted to be secreted. Among those, six have effector protein signatures, some are related and the respective genes of several seem to belong to clusters. Many ribosomal structural proteins, proteins involved in energy, general metabolism and transport were detected. Measuring gene expression over several life cycle stages of ten representative candidates using quantitative RT-PCR, all were shown to be strongly upregulated and four expressed solely upon infection.     

Quantitative Genome-Wide Genetic Interaction Screens Reveal Global Epistatic Relationships of Protein Complexes in Escherichia coli

Large-scale proteomic analyses in Escherichia coli have documented the composition and physical relationships of multiprotein complexes, but not their functional organization into biological pathways and processes. Conversely, genetic interaction (GI) screens can provide insights into the biological role(s) of individual gene and higher order associations. Combining the information from both approaches should elucidate how complexes and pathways intersect functionally at a systems level. However, such integrative analysis has been hindered due to the lack of relevant GI data. Here we present a systematic, unbiased, and quantitative synthetic genetic array screen in E. coli describing the genetic dependencies and functional cross-talk among over 600,000 digenic mutant combinations. Combining this epistasis information with putative functional modules derived from previous proteomic data and genomic context-based methods revealed unexpected associations, including new components required for the biogenesis of iron-sulphur and ribosome integrity, and the interplay between molecular chaperones and proteases. We find that functionally-linked genes co-conserved among γ-proteobacteria are far more likely to have correlated GI profiles than genes with divergent patterns of evolution. Overall, examining bacterial GIs in the context of protein complexes provides avenues for a deeper mechanistic understanding of core microbial systems.