Introduced cats Felis catus eating a continental fauna: inventory and traits of Australian mammal species killed

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In situ and remotely sensed temperature comparisons on a Central Pacific atoll

Coral Reefs - Climate-induced warming events increasingly threaten coral reefs, heightening the need for accurate quantification of baseline temperatures and thermal stress in these ecosystems. To...     

People’s desire to be in nature and how they experience it are partially heritable

Nature experiences have been linked to mental and physical health. Despite the importance of understanding what determines individual variation in nature experience, the role of genes has been overlooked. Here, using a twin design (TwinsUK, number of individuals = 2,306), we investigate the genetic and environmental contributions to a person’s nature orientation, opportunity (living in less urbanized areas), and different dimensions of nature experience (frequency and duration of public nature space visits and frequency and duration of garden visits). We estimate moderate heritability of nature orientation (46%) and nature experiences (48% for frequency of public nature space visits, 34% for frequency of garden visits, and 38% for duration of garden visits) and show their genetic components partially overlap. We also find that the environmental influences on nature experiences are moderated by the level of urbanization of the home district. Our study demonstrates genetic contributions to individuals’ nature experiences, opening a new dimension for the study of human–nature interactions.

Nature experiences have been linked to mental and physical health. This twin study reveals genetic influences on an individual’s orientation towards nature and nature experiences, opening a new dimension to understanding human-nature interactions.     

On the Vertical Distribution of the Metazoan Meiofauna in Shelf Break and Upper Slope Habitats of the NE Atlantic

The metazoan meiofauna of nine stations in shelf break and upper slope areas (70 to 1500 m water depth) of the N.E. Atlantic were investigated in order to assess which environmental factors are important in the control of densities and sediment profiles. Total meiofaunal densities (ranging between 368 and 1523 ind/10 cm²) were correlated with bacterial densities, an important food source for meiofauna. However, considering sediment vertical distribution profiles, the relative importance of both food and oxygen on the meiofauna became obvious. A combination of both bacterial densities and oxygen supply could explain about 95% of the variability in the vertical profiles of the meiofauna densities. Meiofauna numbers increase in proportion to food availability in the surface sediment layers, but this relationship breaks down in deeper sediment layers where the oxygen supply is often limiting, particularly in fine sediments.     

Efficient incorporation and template-dependent polymerase inhibition are major determinants for the broad-spectrum antiviral activity of remdesivir

Remdesivir (RDV) is a direct-acting antiviral agent that is approved in several countries for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. RDV exhibits broad-spectrum antiviral activity against positive-sense RNA viruses, for example, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and hepatitis C virus, and nonsegmented negative-sense RNA viruses, for example, Nipah virus, whereas segmented negative-sense RNA viruses such as influenza virus or Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus are not sensitive to the drug. The reasons for this apparent efficacy pattern are unknown. Here, we expressed and purified representative RNA-dependent RNA polymerases and studied three biochemical parameters that have been associated with the inhibitory effects of RDV-triphosphate (TP): (i) selective incorporation of the nucleotide substrate RDV-TP, (ii) the effect of the incorporated RDV-monophosphate (MP) on primer extension, and (iii) the effect of RDV-MP in the template during incorporation of the complementary UTP. We found a strong correlation between antiviral effects and efficient incorporation of RDV-TP. Inhibition in primer extension reactions was heterogeneous and usually inefficient at higher NTP concentrations. In contrast, template-dependent inhibition of UTP incorporation opposite the embedded RDV-MP was seen with all polymerases. Molecular modeling suggests a steric conflict between the 1′-cyano group of the inhibitor and residues of the structurally conserved RNA-dependent RNA polymerase motif F. We conclude that future efforts in the development of nucleotide analogs with a broader spectrum of antiviral activities should focus on improving rates of incorporation while capitalizing on the inhibitory effects of a bulky 1′-modification.     

Biogeographic consequences of shifting climate for the western massasauga (Sistrurus tergeminus)

The western massasauga (Sistrurus tergeminus) is a small pit viper with an extensive geographic range, yet observations of this species are relatively rare. They persist in patchy and isolated populations, threatened by habitat destruction and fragmentation, mortality from vehicle collisions, and deliberate extermination. Changing climates may pose an additional stressor on the survival of isolated populations. Here, we evaluate historic, modern, and future geographic projections of suitable climate for S. tergeminus to outline shifts in their potential geographic distribution and inform current and future management. We used maximum entropy modeling to build multiple models of the potential geographic distribution of S. tergeminus. We evaluated the influence of five key decisions made during the modeling process on the resulting geographic projections of the potential distribution, allowing us to identify areas of model robustness and uncertainty. We evaluated models with the area under the receiver operating curve and true skill statistic. We retained 16 models to project both in the past and future multiple general circulation models. At the last glacial maximum, the potential geographic distribution associated with S. tergeminus occurrences had a stronghold in the southern part of its current range and extended further south into Mexico, but by the mid‐Holocene, its modeled potential distribution was similar to its present‐day potential distribution. Under future model projections, the potential distribution of S. tergeminus moves north, with the strongest northward trends predicted under a climate scenario increase of 8.5 W/m². Some southern populations of S. tergeminus have likely already been extirpated and will continue to be threatened by shifting availability of suitable climate, as they are already under threat from desertification of grasslands. Land use and habitat loss at the northern edge of the species range are likely to make it challenging for this species to track suitable climates northward over time.     

Melanoma chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan regulates matrix metalloproteinase-dependent human melanoma invasion into type I collagen

Tumor cell adhesion and proteolysis of the extracellular matrix proteins surrounding the cells are tightly linked processes in tumor invasion. In this study, we sought to identify components of the cell surface of a vertical growth phase melanoma cell line, WM1341D, that mediate invasive cellular behavior. We determined by antisense inhibition that melanoma chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (MCSP) and membrane-type 3 matrix metalloproteinase (MT3-MMP) expressed on WM1341D are required for invasion of type I collagen and degradation of type I gelatin. MT3-MMP co-immunoprecipitated with MCSP in WM1341D melanoma cells cultured on type I collagen or laminin. The association between MT3-MMP and MCSP was largely disrupted by removing chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycan (CS) from the cell surface, suggesting CS could mediate the association between the two cell surface core proteins. Recombinant MT3-MMP and MT3-MMP from whole cell lysates of WM1341D cells were specifically eluted from CS- conjugated affinity columns. The results indicate that MT3-MMP possesses the potential to promote melanoma invasion and proteolysis and that the formation of a complex between MT3-MMP and MCSP may be a crucial step in activating these processes.     

Hyaluronan synthase elevation in metastatic prostate carcinoma cells correlates with hyaluronan surface retention, a prerequisite for rapid adhesion to bone marrow endothelial cells

Bone marrow is the primary site of metastasis in patients with advanced stage prostate cancer. Prostate carcinoma cells metastasizing to bone must initially adhere to endothelial cells in the bone marrow sinusoids. In this report, we have modeled that interaction in vitro using two bone marrow endothelial cell (BMEC) lines and four prostate adenocarcinoma cell lines to investigate the adhesion mechanism. Highly metastatic PC3 and PC3M-LN4 cells were found to adhere rapidly and specifically (70-90%) to BMEC-1 and trHBMEC bone marrow endothelial cells, but not to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (15-25%). Specific adhesion to BMEC-1 and trHBMEC was dependent upon the presence of a hyaluronan (HA) pericellular matrix assembled on the prostate carcinoma cells. DU145 and LNCaP cells were only weakly adherent and retained no cell surface HA. Maximal BMEC adhesion and HA encapsulation were associated with high levels of HA synthesis by the prostate carcinoma cells. Up-regulation of HA synthase isoforms Has2 and Has3 relative to levels expressed by normal prostate corresponded to elevated HA synthesis and avid BMEC adhesion. These results support a model in which tumor cells with up-regulated HA synthase expression assemble a cell surface hyaluronan matrix that promotes adhesion to bone marrow endothelial cells. This interaction could contribute to preferential bone metastasis by prostate carcinoma cells.