The Best Timing of Mate Search in Armadillidium vulgare (Isopoda,Oniscidea)

Mate choice is mediated by many components with the criteria varying across the animal kingdom. Chemical cues used for mate attractiveness can also reflect mate quality. Regarding the gregarious species Armadillidium vulgare (isopod crustacean), we tested whether individuals can discriminate conspecifics at two different levels (between sex and physiological status) based on olfactory perception. Tested conspecifics were individuals of the same or opposite sex, with the females at different moult stages. We found that the attractiveness of individuals was mediated by short-distance chemical cues and tested individuals were able to discriminate and prefer individuals of the opposite sex. Moreover, male preference to female increased during their moulting status as they matured. Males were particularly more attracted by females with appearing white calcium plates, which corresponds to the beginning of their higher receptivity period. These differences in attractiveness due to sex and physiological status are likely to shape the composition of aggregates and facilitate mate finding and optimize the reproductive success for both males and females. Thus aggregation pheromones could be linked to sex pheromones in terrestrial isopods.     

Co-localization of CENP-C and CENP-H to discontinuous domains of CENP-A chromatin at human neocentromeres

Background  

Mammalian centromere formation is dependent on chromatin that contains centromere protein (CENP)-A, which is the centromere-specific histone H3 variant. Human neocentromeres have acquired CENP-A chromatin epigenetically in ectopic chromosomal locations on low-copy complex DNA. Neocentromeres permit detailed investigation of centromeric chromatin organization that is not possible in the highly repetitive alpha satellite DNA present at endogenous centromeres.     

Side effects of the sterol biosynthesis inhibitor fungicide, propiconazole, on a beneficial arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus

The Sterol Biosynthesis Inhibitor (SBI) fungicide, propiconazole, is extensively used in modern agriculture to control fungal diseases. Unfortunately, little is known about its potential side effects on non-target plant-beneficial soil organisms such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). The direct impact of increasing propiconazole concentrations (0.02; 0.2 and 2 mg x L(-1)) on the lipid metabolism of the AMF Glomus irregulare in relation with its development, was studied by using axenic cultures. The propiconazole impact on G. irregulare was investigated, firstly, through sterol (the target-metabolism of SBI fungicides), phospholipids (PL) and their associated fatty acids (PLFA) analysis (the main membrane components) and secondly by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA) (a biomarker of lipid peroxidation) formation. Finally, the storage lipid quantity, triacylglycerol (TAG), was quantified. Our results demonstrated that the drastic reduction of G. irregulare development (germination, germ tube elongation, colonization, extraradical hyphae growth and sporulation) could be explained not only by the decreases of the total sterol end-products (24-methylcholesterol and 24-ethylcholesterol) and by 24-methylene dihydrolanosterol (a sterol precursor) accumulation, suggesting an inhibition of a key enzyme in sterol biosynthesis pathway (14alpha-demethylase), but also by the increases in phosphatidylcholine (PC) and PLFA (C16:0; C18:0 and C18:3) quantities as well as by MDA accumulation. Moreover, TAG quantity was found to be reduced in the presence of propiconazole, suggesting their use by G. irregulare in a response to propiconazole toxicity. In conclusion, taken together, the findings of the current study highlighted a relationship between the SBI fungicide toxicity against the beneficial AMF G. irregulare and (1) the disturbance in the sterol metabolism, (2) the membrane alteration (PC decrease, lipid peroxidation) as well as (3) the reduction in storage lipids, TAG. More generally, this work could contribute to investigate the toxicity of agricultural chemicals on AMF and underlined the emergency of using sustainable alternative method to control plant diseases. Furthermore, these data can provide a useful approach in soil ecotoxicology studies and risk assessment.     

Human histone pre-mRNA assembles histone or canonical mRNA-processing complexes by overlapping 3′-end sequence elements

Human pre-mRNA processing relies on multi-subunit macromolecular complexes, which recognize specific RNA sequence elements essential for assembly and activity. Canonical pre-mRNA processing proceeds via the recognition of a polyadenylation signal (PAS) and a downstream sequence element (DSE), and produces polyadenylated mature mRNAs, while replication-dependent (RD) histone pre-mRNA processing requires association with a stem–loop (SL) motif and a histone downstream element (HDE), and produces cleaved but non-polyadenylated mature mRNAs. H2AC18 mRNA, a specific H2A RD histone pre-mRNA, can be processed to give either a non-polyadenylated mRNA, ending at the histone SL, or a polyadenylated mRNA. Here, we reveal how H2AC18 captures the two human pre-mRNA processing complexes in a mutually exclusive mode by overlapping a canonical PAS (AAUAAA) sequence element with a HDE. Disruption of the PAS sequence on H2AC18 pre-mRNA prevents recruitment of the canonical complex in vitro, without affecting the histone machinery. This shows how the relative position of cis-acting elements in histone pre-mRNAs allows the selective recruitment of distinct human pre-mRNA complexes, thereby expanding the capability to regulate 3′ processing and polyadenylation.     

Neuronal membrane lipid asymmetry.

The outer surface of intact synaptosomes was covalently labelled with trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid prior to isolation of the synaptic plasma membrane. Analysis of the membrane lipid demonstrated an asymmetric distribution of phospholipids across the synaptosomal plasma membrane. In addition, the fatty acyl composition of phosphatidylethanolamine from this neuronal membrane fraction was also distributed asymmetrically. The data are consistent with a $\text{de novo}$ generation of phospholipid asymmetry independent of serum lipid exchange processes. This structural asymmetry may have important consequences for neurotransmission.