Predicting the success of an invader: Niche shift versus niche conservatism

Invasive species can encounter environments different from their source populations, which may trigger rapid adaptive changes after introduction (niche shift hypothesis). To test this hypothesis, we investigated whether postintroduction evolution is correlated with contrasting environmental conditions between the European invasive and source ranges in the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus. The comparison of environmental niches occupied in European and source population ranges revealed more than 96% overlap between invasive and source niches, supporting niche conservatism. However, we found evidence for postintroduction genetic evolution by reanalyzing a published ddRADseq genomic dataset from 90 European invasive populations using genotype–environment association (GEA) methods and generalized dissimilarity modeling (GDM). Three loci, among which a putative heat‐shock protein, exhibited significant allelic turnover along the gradient of winter precipitation that could be associated with ongoing range expansion. Wing morphometric traits weakly correlated with environmental gradients within Europe, but wing size differed between invasive and source populations located in different climatic areas. Niche similarities between source and invasive ranges might have facilitated the establishment of populations. Nonetheless, we found evidence for environmental‐induced adaptive changes after introduction. The ability to rapidly evolve observed in invasive populations (genetic shift) together with a large proportion of unfilled potential suitable areas (80%) pave the way to further spread of Ae. albopictus in Europe.     

Both human and soya bean ferritins highly improve the accumulation of bioavailable iron and contribute to extend the chronological life in budding yeast

Ferritin proteins have an enormous capacity to store iron in cells. In search for the best conditions to accumulate and store bioavailable iron, we made use of a double mutant null for the monothiol glutaredoxins GRX3 and GRX4. The strain grx3grx4 accumulates high iron concentrations in the cytoplasm, making the metal easily available for ferritin chelation. Here, we perform a comparative study between human (L and H) and soya bean ferritins (H1 and H2) function in the eukaryotic system Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We demonstrate that the four human and soya bean ferritin chains are successfully expressed in our model system. Upon coexpression of either both human or soya bean ferritin chains, respiratory conditions along with iron supplementation led us to obtain the maximum yields of iron stored in yeast described to date. Human and soya bean ferritin chains are functional and present equivalent properties as promoters of cell survival in iron overload conditions. The best system revealed that the four human and soya bean ferritins possess a novel function as anti-ageing proteins in conditions of iron excess. In this respect, both ferritin chains with oxidoreductase capacity (human-H and soya bean-H2) bear the highest capacity to extend life suggesting the possibility of an evolutionary conservation.     

2-Aminobenzoxazole-appended coumarins as potent and selective inhibitors of tumour-associated carbonic anhydrases

We have carried out the design, synthesis, and evaluation of a small library of 2-aminobenzoxazole-appended coumarins as novel inhibitors of tumour-related CAs IX and XII. Substituents on C-3 and/or C-4 positions of the coumarin scaffold, and on the benzoxazole moiety, together with the length of the linker connecting both units were modified to obtain useful structure-activity relationships. CA inhibition studies revealed a good selectivity towards tumour-associated CAs IX and XII (K_i within the mid-nanomolar range in most of the cases) in comparison with CAs I, II, IV, and VII (K_i > 10 µM); CA IX was found to be slightly more sensitive towards structural changes. Docking calculations suggested that the coumarin scaffold might act as a prodrug, binding to the CAs in its hydrolysed form, which is in turn obtained due to the esterase activity of CAs. An increase of the tether length and of the substituents steric hindrance was found to be detrimental to in vitro antiproliferative activities. Incorporation of a chlorine atom on C-3 of the coumarin moiety achieved the strongest antiproliferative agent, with activities within the low micromolar range for the panel of tumour cell lines tested.     

Calcium sensing receptor stimulates breast cancer cell migration via the Gβγ-AKT-mTORC2 signaling pathway

Calcium sensing receptor, a pleiotropic G protein coupled receptor, activates secretory pathways in cancer cells and putatively exacerbates their metastatic behavior. Here, we show that various CaSR mutants, identified in breast cancer patients, differ in their ability to stimulate Rac, a small Rho GTPase linked to cytoskeletal reorganization and cell protrusion, but are similarly active on the mitogenic ERK pathway. To investigate how CaSR activates Rac and drives cell migration, we used invasive MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. We revealed, by pharmacological and knockdown strategies, that CaSR activates Rac and cell migration via the Gβγ-PI3K-mTORC2 pathway. These findings further support current efforts to validate CaSR as a relevant therapeutic target in metastatic cancer.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12079-021-00662-y.     

Seed response to temperature of Mexican cacti species from two life forms: an ecophysiological interpretation

The effect of seven different constant temperatures and five ranges of alternating temperatures on seed germination of seven species of cacti from Puebla, México was analyzed. Six cacti species germinated in a wide range of temperature. Columnar cacti were more tolerant to low temperatures and germinated in a wider range of temperature than barrel cacti. One of the barrel cacti studied (Ferocactus recurvus) only reached full germination at 25 °C . Temperature fluctuations did not produce significant effects on germination compared to the results obtained at constant temperatures. This may reveal differing ecophysiological adaptations with respect to temperature requirements during the establishment conditions for each life form. Columnar cacti may become established mainly under the shade of desert shrubs, whereas barrel cacti maybe can also become established in open areas, beneath the shade of small rocks or soil irregularities. In both cases, temperature fluctuations are attenuated by the shade, but mean temperatures may be higher in the second condition than beneath the shade of plants.     

Role of antioxidant defences in the species-specific response of isolated atria to menadione

In previous works we demonstrated that 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (menadione) causes a marked increase in the force of contraction of guinea pig and rat isolated atria. This inotropic effect was significantly higher in the guinea pig than in the rat and was strictly related to the amount of superoxide anion (O(2)(*-)), generated as a consequence of cardiac menadione metabolism through mitochondrial NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase. The present study was designed to further elucidate the basis of these quantitatively different positive inotropic responses. To this purpose, we measured O(2)(*-) and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) produced by mitochondria isolated from guinea pig and rat hearts in the presence of 20 microM menadione. Moreover, we evaluated the menadione detoxification activity (DT-diaphorase) and the antioxidant defences of guinea pig and rat hearts, namely their GSH/GSSG content, Cu/Zn- and Mn-dependent superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (Gpx) activities. Our results indicate that DT-diaphorase activity and glutathione levels were similar in both animal species. By contrast, guinea pig mitochondria produced greater amounts of O(2)(*-) and H(2)O(2) than those of rat heart. This is probably due to both the higher Mn-SOD activity (2.93 +/- 0.02 vs. 1.95 +/- 0.06 units/mg protein; P < 0.05) and to the lower Gpx activity (10.09 +/- 0.30 vs. 32.67 +/- 1.02 units/mg protein; P < 0.001) of guinea pig mitochondria. A lower CAT activity was also observed in guinea pig mitochondria (2.40 +/- 0.80 vs. 6.13 +/- 0.20 units/mg protein; P < 0.01). Taken together, these data provide a rational explanation for the greater susceptibility of guinea pig heart to the toxic effect of menadione: because of the greater amount of O(2)(*-) generated by the quinone and the higher mitochondrial Mn-SOD activity, guinea pig heart is exposed to more elevated concentrations of H(2)O(2) that is less efficiently detoxified, because of lower Gpx and CAT levels of mitochondria.     

Binding of metal ions to polysaccharides. VI. Spectroscopic and potentiometric studies of the binding of copper(II) and nickel(II) to some monosaccharide units in acidic,neutral and alkaline aqueous media

Binding of Cu²⁺ and Ni²⁺ to glucosamine, N-acetyl- glucosamine and other derivatives of glucose was investigated in acidic, neutral and alkaline aqueous media using H⁺ and Cu²⁺ potentiometry and ligand- field and ESR spectroscopy. In neutral medium, site binding with copper(II) and nickel(II) occurs when the monosaccharide possesses a potentially coordinating amine or charged group not attached to C-1. At high pH, a coordination entity is only formed if the C-1 hydroxyl group can be deprotonated and other stabilizing groups are present. The role of groups attached to C-1 reflects the different behaviour of monosaccharides compared with polysaccharides.     

Arrest of oogenesis in the bug Rhodnius prolixus challenged with the fungus Aspergillus niger is mediated by immune response-derived PGE2

In this work we characterized the immune response of the insect Rhodnius prolixus to a direct injection into the hemocoel of the non-entomopathogenic fungus Aspergillus niger, and evaluated its consequences on host oogenesis. These animals were able to respond by mounting effective cellular and humoral responses to this fungus; these responses were shown, however, to have reproductive fitness costs, as the number of eggs laid per female was significantly reduced. The disturbance of egg formation during infectious process correlated with an elevation in the titer of hemolymph prostaglandin E₂ 48 h post-challenge. Administration of Zymosan A as an immunogenic non-infectious challenge produced similar effects on phenoloxidase and prophenoloxidase activities, oocyte development and prostaglandin E₂ titer, precluding the hypothesis of an effect mediated by fungal metabolites in animals challenged with fungus. Ovaries at 48 h post-challenge showed absence of vitellogenic ovarian follicles, and the in vivo administration of prostaglandin E₂ or its receptor agonist misoprostol, partially reproduced this phenotype. Together these data led us to hypothesize that immune-derived prostaglandin E₂ raised from the insect response to the fungal challenge is involved in disturbing follicle development, contributing to a reduction in host reproductive output and acting as a host-derived adaptive effector to infection.